A levelling structure for levelling a structure having supports for secondary support on fixed footings. A coupling mechanism extends between an access point on the structure and the footings. Adjustment of the coupling member from the structure alters the elevation of the structure and supports together towards or away from the footings. By providing the adjustment from the structure itself, the requirement for elevational adjustment beneath the structure is avoided as well as adjustment against the opposition of the load.

There is a wide array of levelling and supporting devices promulgated in the prior art. In a simple form, levelling devices, such as those for a large appliance provide a threaded rod having a foot at the terminal end. In use, a user must rotate the foot or footing under the weight of the appliance to which it is attached. This is clearly difficult and to be simplified, the weight of the appliance must be mitigated by lifting the appliance and then subsequently rotating the footing. Depending on the surface on which the appliance is placed, this may require several attempts in order to achieve levelling.
Another embodiment of levelling/supporting arrangements is the screw jack. These are generally used in levelling, for example an outdoor deck. The jack is disposed between a footing and the supporting beam of the deck. The footing is generally a cement preform in contact with the ground. The levelling is achieved by rotating the threaded handles of the jack which urges the threaded support rod up against the beam. As will be appreciated, there is a significant load on the jack. In some instances, the user must crawl under the deck to either install or use such jacks. This presents a significant safety issue. The possibility of the jack device moving off centre of the significant load can result in the structure falling onto the user underneath.
Another form of levelling arrangement typically used for deck support is the U shaped threaded bracket fixed into a cement preform. The bracket receives a section of lumber therein which, in turn, is connected to the beam of the deck. This arrangement is particularly limited in that the significant load of the deck must be borne by the section of lumber. In order to operate this system, the adjustment requires rotation of a nut under the full load of the deck negatively affecting the stability of the structure. Further, the mechanical components are exposed to the elements and over the course of time the connection between the steel rod in the cement can become compromised. To an unsuspecting user, adjustment, in light of the forces involved, could result in mechanical failure leading to injury.
In respect of the patent and related published literature, Carlson, in United States Patent Publication No. US 2004/0163334, published Aug. 26, 2004, provides an adjustable beam of the variety noted above. A cement footing is provided with a nut which receives a threaded segment attached to a U shaped bracket. The latter receives a beam therein. Adjustment is achieved by rotation under the full load of the structure underneath the U shaped bracket.
A method and apparatus for adjusting a pier block is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,950, issued to Collins et al., Oct. 8, 1996. A threaded rod is fixed into a footing and includes a rotatable member thereon for adjusting the elevation of a bracket suited to retaining a support. The adjustment is done on the threaded member under load and under the bracket.
Busby, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,499,992, issued Nov. 22, 2016, provides a height adjustable flooring substrate support system. The arrangement incorporates a plurality of spacer, plates and supports which are rotationally movable to support a floor on the ground. Adjustment is made by rotation of selected members of the multiple component structure and then a flooring material is placed there over.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,687, issued Apr. 16, 2002, to Heintz et al. discloses a method and apparatus for levelling a manhole cover frame. A rim holder engages the rim of the rim of the frame. A threaded bolt is threaded in the holder and allows elevational adjustment to the correct road surface level.
Other levelling arrangements are depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,001, issued May 12, 1970, to Morgan Jr. The arrangement is resilient levelling means for floors.
The arrangement provides an underlayment with a threaded adjustment for altering the underlayment relative to a concrete floor. Once levelled, finished flooring is placed there over. Once the finished flooring is positioned, no further adjustment of the levelling is possible. In embodiments, the arrangement includes biasing devices to provide a degree of resiliency to the finished floor. Although a generally useful arrangement, re-levelling is only possible by removal of the finished flooring material.
In order to mitigate the safety, mechanical and ease of use issues, there is required a support/levelling arrangement which allows a user to adjust elevation/level of a supported structure at the point of the supported structure, not beneath it. Further there is a need for such an arrangement that does not fixedly secure load bearing members to a footing or require movement of the footing to assist of facilitate levelling.
Advantageously, the present invention ameliorates the issues noted to provide a safe, effective and simple to use arrangement having application in a number of support/levelling environments.


A stack gate structure for a non-volatile memory array has a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of substantially parallel spaced apart active regions, with each active region having an axis in a first direction. A first insulating material is between each stack gate structure in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Each stack gate structure has a second insulating material over the active region, a charge holding gate over the second insulating material, a third insulating material over the charge holding gate, and a first portion of a control gate over the third insulating material. A second portion of the control gate is over the first portion of the control gate and over the first insulating material adjacent thereto and extending in the second direction. A fourth insulating material is over the second portion of the control gate.

Non-volatile memory cells having a floating gate or a trapping charge layer for the storage of charges thereon, in a stack gate structure are well known in the art. Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a cross-sectional view of a non-volatile memory cell 10 of the prior art. The memory cell 10 comprises a single crystalline substrate 12, of a first conductivity type, such as P type. At or near a surface of the substrate 12 is a first region 14 of a second conductivity type, such as N type. Spaced apart from the first region 14 is a second region 16 also of the second conductivity type. Between the first region 14 and the second region 16 is a channel region 18. A word line 20, made of polysilicon is positioned over a first portion of the channel region 18. The word line 20 is spaced apart from the channel region 18 by an insulating layer 22, such as silicon (di)oxide. Immediately adjacent to and spaced apart from the word line 20 is a floating gate 24, which is also made of polysilicon, and is positioned over another portion of the channel region 18. The floating gate 24 is separated from the channel region 18 by another insulating layer 30, typically also of silicon (di)oxide. A coupling gate 26, also made of polysilicon is positioned over the floating gate 24 and is insulated therefrom by another insulating layer 32. On another side of the floating gate 24, and spaced apart therefrom, is an erase gate 28, also made of polysilicon. The erase gate 28 is positioned over the second region 16 and is insulated therefrom. The erase gate 28 is adjacent to and spaced apart from the coupling gate 26. The erase gate 28 can have a slight overhang over the floating gate 24. In the operation of the memory cell 10, charge stored on the floating gate 24 controls the flow of current between the first region 14 and the second region 16. Where the floating gate 24 is negatively charged thereon, the memory cell is programmed. Where the floating gate 24 is positively charged thereon, the memory cell is erased. The memory cell 10 is fully disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,868,375 whose disclosure is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
The insulating layer 30, the floating gate 24, another insulating layer 32 and the coupling gate 26 form a stack gate structure. A stack gate structure can be used in a number of non-volatile memory cells: These include NAND type non-volatile memory which consists of a string of select transistors and stack gate transistors connected in series; NOR type non-volatile memory which consists of a select transistor and a stack gate transistor connected in series (2-T cell); NOR type non-volatile memory which consists of a select gate placed adjacent to a stack gate (split-gate cell); and finally NOR type non-volatile memory which consists of a single stack gate transistor (1-T cell).

Method of forming a self-aligned stack gate structure for use in a non-volatile memory array


In the course of processing integrated circuits production wafers are placed within a plurality of production boats on a platform. A first baffle boat is placed at a front end of the plurality of production boats. The first baffle boat contains a first plurality of wafers made of quartz. A second baffle boat is placed at a rear end of the plurality of production boats. The second baffle boat contains a second plurality of wafers made of quartz. The plurality of production boats, the first baffle boat and the second baffle boat are placed within a processing chamber.

The present invention concerns processing of integrated circuits and pertains particularly to using a baffle boat during wafer processing.
In order to process silicon wafers in a horizontal diffusion oxidation furnace, a paddle is loaded with four production boats. Each production boat holds, for example, twenty-five wafers to be processed, and is, for example, made of quartz.
In addition, at each end of the paddle there is loaded an additional boat which function as baffle boat. Each baffle boat is also filled with twenty-five wafers. The baffle boats are used to help hold in the heat and diffuse gasses in order to give proper uniformity during atmospheric oxidation within the horizontal diffusion oxidation furnace. Generally, in each baffle boat one of the wafers is used as a monitor wafer to monitor the thickness of oxidation during the run.
One disadvantage to using baffle boats is that during any run through the horizontal diffusion oxidation furnace, fifty wafers are not used for production of parts. Rather forty-eight wafers are used to construct a baffle and two wafers are used to monitor the thickness of oxidation. This can increase processing costs.
While it is possible to reutilize the forty-eight wafers used to construct a baffle, after repeated cycles the wafers begin to warp and must be replaced.

Waferless boat used as baffle during wafer processing


A collapsible umbrella with a self-opening mechanism is provided. The collapsible umbrella includes a stretchable multi-segment shaft having a top end and a bottom end; an upper fixed hub mounted axially on the top end of the shaft, the upper fixed hub being formed with a plurality of alignment slots and a threaded hole, the threaded hole allowing a finishing cap of either an inner-threaded type or an outer-threaded type to be mounted thereon; a running hub slidably mounted on the shaft; a collapsible frame of a plurality of ribs including a set of upper ribs, a set of inner branch ribs, a set of middle branch ribs, a set of linkage ribs, and a set of outer branch ribs, wherein each of the middle branch ribs is formed with a substantially U-shaped cross section to form a slot and integrally formed with a retaining piece; a fabric held on the collapsible frame; and elastic means which allows the collapsed umbrella to be thereafter expanded in a self-opening manner. The foregoing collapsible umbrella allows a more secured and reliable self-opening mechanism for the umbrella. Moreover, it allows either an inner-threaded type or an outer-threaded type of finishing cap to be mounted on the upper fixed hub of the umbrella for versatile utilization.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to umbrellas, and more particularly, to a collapsible umbrella (also called folding umbrella) with a reliable and smooth self-opening mechanism.
2. Description of Related Art
A collapsible umbrella is typically composed of a stretchable multi-segment shaft, an upper fixed hub mounted on the top end of the shaft, a running hub slidably mounted on the shaft which can move along the shaft in either directions to open or collapse the umbrella, a collapsible frame of radiating ribs which are linked to the upper fixed hub and the running hub, and a fabric held on the collapsible frame to serve as a cover against rain or shine. Moreover, a finishing cap is mounted on the top of the upper fixed hub. In the umbrella industry, however, there are two standards for the mounting of the finishing cap on the upper fixed hub: one is the outer-threaded type (USA standard) which is formed with a threaded bolt that can be screwed into a threaded hole formed in the upper fixed hub; and the other is the inner-threaded type (Japanese standard) which is formed with a threaded hole that allows a threaded bolt formed on the upper fixed hub to be screwed thereinto. Apparently, these two standards are incompatible. Therefore, the umbrella manufacturers have to provide two different types of finishing caps and upper fixed hubs to meet the different standards in different countries, which considerably increase the difficulty in manufacture as well as in inventory management, and thus the manufacturing cost is high.
Further, as shown in FIG. 15, to help the self-opening operation of the collapsed umbrella to be more smooth, an assembly of an elastic piece and a coil spring is customarily mounted on each pair of an inner branch rib and a middle branch rib of the collapsible frame. The elastic piece is a bent wire having one end (the bent portion) linked to the inner branch rib and the other end (the two tips) inserted in the coil spring. Further, the coil spring is mounted in a groove formed from a U-shaped section of the middle branch rib, which is secured firmly in position by forcibly narrowing the portion of the U-shaped section of the middle branch rib where the coil spring is mounted. This method of firmly securing the coil spring in position, however, requires high precision to perform in order to reliably secure the coil spring in position without fear of being self dismounted due to poor machining or after a long period of use. This requirement can, however, considerably increase the manufacturing cost of the umbrella. Moreover, after a long period of repetitive uses, the securing means for the coil spring can be deformed such that it can no long secure the coil spring firmly in position, causing the coil spring to be likely to fall off the middle branch rib. Should this be the case, the self-opening mechanism of the collapsible umbrella will fail, and the user has to open the umbrella manually.
Still another drawback of the conventional collapsible umbrellas is that the upper fixed hub is customarily formed with a polygonal shape, which can somewhat cause the collapsing and opening of the collapsible frame to be unsmooth. The use of the collapsible umbrella is thus inconvenient.

Collapsible umbrella with a reliable and smooth self-opening mechanism


An electronic device comprising: a display; one or more gaze detection sensors for determining a portion of the display to which a user's gaze is currently directed to; a timer to measure periods of time associated with the user's current gaze at the display; and one or more processors operative to: receive data relating to periods of time measured by the timer and determine therefrom a characteristic rate at which the user shifts his gaze from one portion of the display to another; determine a portion of the display towards which the user's gaze was directed for a period of time longer than a period of time which is expected in accordance with his characteristic rate; identify an object included in the determined portion of the display; retrieve information that relates to the identified object; and enable displaying information which is based on the retrieved information.

Eye tracking is the process of measuring either the point of gaze (i.e. where one is looking) or the motion of an eye relative to the head. Typically, an eye tracker is a device used for measuring eye movements and/or positions. There are a number of methods for measuring eye movement. Currently, the most widely used are video-based eye trackers, by which a camera focuses on one or both eyes and records their movement as the viewer looks at some kind of stimulus. Most modern eye-trackers use the center of the pupil and infra red non-collimated light to create corneal reflections. The vector between the pupil center and the corneal reflections may be used to compute the point of regard on surface or the gaze direction.
Eye tracking setups vary greatly; some are head-mounted, some require the head to be stable (for example, with a chin rest), and some function remotely and automatically track the head during motion.
The eye tracking technology is used in various fields. For example for detecting a gaze of a driver of a vehicle in order to assist the driver's driving (e.g. for determining whether or not the driver is driving inattentively).
Another known technique is detecting movement of a pupil of a wearer of a head-mounted device, and determining, based on the detected movement, inputs to a user interface. For example, by using eye gaze detection, the device may change a tracking rate of a displayed virtual image based on where the user is looking. Gazing at the center of the field of view may allow for fine movements of the virtual display. Gazing near an edge of the field of view, may provide coarser movements.
When reading a text on the screen, the reader might sometimes reach a word or a phrase which is unrecognized to him, or is difficult for him to understand within the current context. Such a person can either skip the unrecognized word/phrase or otherwise would need some assistance in order to understand the word/phrase before continue reading. In the latter case, the prior art solutions require that the reader would select the word/phrase and manually search for help or information at the Web or on his own electronic device (e.g. a computer, a tablet, a smart phone, etc.). There are some applications that allow the user to mark or select the unrecognized word/phrase and then provide the result of an Internet search on top of one's current screen, all without having to switch to another application.
Still, even such a solution slows down the reading, and many times causes loss of focus and consequently the reader might fail to complete the reading.

Device having gaze detection capabilities and a method for using same


A method and device is disclosed for evaluating simultaneously, and with the same equipment, the electric resistivity and flow parameters of a porous medium, from experimental measurements obtained from at least one multi-flow type displacement experiment which has application in oil reservoir development. The method continuously measures as a function of time the differential pressure between two ends of a sample, the electric resistivity of the sample and, for each stabilization step, at least two values of a displaced fluid production volume are also measured. A continuous curve of the displaced fluid production volume, from which flow parameters are estimated by means of a numerical flow simulator, is then deduced therefrom.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and to a device for evaluating flow parameters and electric parameters of a porous medium, with the same equipment, the same experiment and from the same rock sample taken from this medium. It can be, for example, rocks from an underground fluid reservoir zone (hydrocarbon reservoir, aquifer, etc.). More particularly, the invention relates to the measurement of the relative permeability and of electrical parameters (resistivity) of a porous medium by subjecting a sample of this medium successively to one or more drainage or imbibition stages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Starting production of an oil-bearing field therefore requires precise study of the hydrocarbon recovery conditions. It determines, on the one hand, the amount of hydrocarbon in place and, on the other hand, the multiphase flow parameters in the rock that makes up the reservoir, notably during water or oil injection stages.
The rocks that make up a reservoir can be of different natures in terms of petrophysical properties and it is commonplace to divide them into groups referred to as "rock types" so as to work on samples belonging to the same family or rock type. For each family, it is thus necessary to carry out all of the petrophysical measurements to parametrize the simulator, calculate the amounts in place, etc., because these various parameters vary from family to family. For a given rock type, it is thus commonplace to carefully select several samples, one being used for determination of the capillary pressure curves (Pc), the other for the relative permeability curves (krs), another for the resistivity curves, etc.
Determination of multiphase flow parameters such as the relative permeability and the capillary pressure also is a major stage within the context of oil production, whether in the reservoir evaluation stage or when starting production. The relative permeabilities (krs) are used in numerical simulators to describe multiphase flows in the rock, in particular when water or gas is injected to maintain the pressure and recover more oil. These curves typically allow controlling the production profile in reservoirs. Laboratory experiments carried out under reservoir pressure and temperature conditions are commonly conducted to determine these parameters in a representative manner. In particular, the relative permeabilities are conventionally obtained by means of displacement experiments such as those described in French Patent 2,708,742 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,885. These multi-flow displacement experiments inject a fluid (referred to as injected fluid) into a rock sample initially saturated with predominantly another fluid (referred to as displaced fluid). The injected fluid then drains part of the saturating fluid out of the sample. The amount of displaced fluid thus produced by the sample is measured in a volume. This volume is referred to as displaced fluid production volume. As injection is continued, the amount of displaced fluid produced increases, that is the production volume of displaced fluid increases. Stabilization of this volume is reached thereafter, that is the volume no longer increases. This corresponds to a stop in the production of the fluid displaced out of the sample. The injection rate is then increased to drain part of the saturating fluid still in place in the sample, until a new stabilization step is reached. The injection rate is thus increased several times (after each stabilization step) and, for each one of these steps, the evolution of the following parameters, which make up the experimental data, is measured: differential pressure, for one of the fluids, on either side of the sample, denoted by ΔPi(t), displaced fluid production volume, denoted by V(ti), local saturation for one of the two fluids (injected or displaced fluid) and for each injection stage, denoted by S(t1),S(t2), . . . . The injected fluid can be, for example, water, and the displaced fluid can be oil. The relative permeabilities are then obtained after a stage of analytical interpretation of the experimental data, as well as a numerical stage using a flow simulator, so as to take into account all the physical phenomena (capillary pressure, gravity) that influence the experimental data obtained. Such an interpretation is for example described in the above-referenced French patent 2,708,742 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,885.
These patents also describe a device allowing carrying out this type of multi-flow displacement experiments.
As regards determination of the electric parameters, the most common approach also carries out displacement experiments at a fixed flow rate or pressure. The resistivity of a solid sample can be measured by means of electrodes that are in contact with the surface thereof, at selected points, and between which an electric current is passed. The measurement of the potential difference appearing between the locations of the electrodes directly gives the resistivity measurement. Contact of the electrodes with the surface has to be the best possible for the measurements to be representative. A known method places the sample to be tested in an elastic flexible sheath. The electrodes are arranged between the sample and the sheath, and connected therethrough, by electric conductors, to an electrical conductivity measuring system. The sheath is placed in a containment vessel. A fluid under pressure is allowed into the vessel, which has the effect of pressing the sheath and consequently the electrodes against the sample. Such a method using a fluid under pressure for pressing a sheath against a sample is used for example in the petrophysics tools described in French Patent 2,708,742 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,885 and French Patent 2,724,460 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,524, or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,154.
A device allowing such displacement experiments to be carried out at a fixed flow rate is for example described in French Patent 2,708,742 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,885, and a device allowing such experiments at a centrifugation-imposed pressure is described in French Patent 2,758,881 and corresponding British Patent 2,322,942. Furthermore, French Patent 2,778,449 describes a device allowing carrying out such resistivity measurements under reservoir conditions while measuring and controlling the capillary pressure levels in the rock during drainage phases. This allows plotting the evolution of the resistivity index as a function of the brine saturation of the sample. A ceramic arranged at the sample outlet allows reaching very low saturation levels, which is extremely useful to cover the saturation range of a large number of reservoirs. The resistivity data are then directly used by logging engineers to estimate the initial oil saturations and therefore the amounts of oil in place. Besides, this device is also used to obtain the same type of results during imbibition phases (spontaneous and forced). The brine is then injected into the sample at an imposed flow rate through the ceramic. Several phases with increasing injection rates are generally carried out so as to decrease the oil saturation in the sample down to its residual value. The amount of hydrocarbons is then determined from these electric resistivity measurements. The principle is based on the fact that the resistivity of a brine or oil saturated sample depends on the water saturation because oil is not a conducting fluid.
Evaluation of the flow parameters (krs) and of the electric parameters thus requires different equipment, and therefore different samples for each device. Now, evaluation of the content and of the productivity of an underground reservoir requires coherence between the measurements performed on these various samples.
The method and the device according to the invention allow evaluation of the multiphase flow parameters, the capillary effects being entirely and precisely taken into account, and of the electrical parameters of a porous medium, with the same type of equipment, the same experiment and from the same rock sample taken from this medium.

Method and device for evaluating flow parameters and electric parameters of porous medium


Some examples relate to a digital to analog converter (DAC). The DAC includes a digital signal input configured to receive a multi-bit digital input signal, and an array of cells. Respective cells in the array comprise respective capacitors. The DAC also includes a control circuit configured to, based on the multi-bit digital input signal, selectively induce one or more corresponding capacitors to discharge current to an output terminal of the DAC.

In some applications, signals are processed digitally, converted to analog signals, and then mixed with a local oscillator signal to obtain a signal with a desired frequency. Wireless transmitters are an example of such an application, as signals are processed digitally at a so-called baseband frequency, converted to an analog signal via a digital to analog converter (DAC), and mixed with a radio frequency (RF) signal to obtain a radio frequency transmit signal, which is then passed through a power amplifier and transmitted via an antenna.
Previous transmitter architectures have been built as current steering DACs, wherein a controller changes control signals that are provided to gates of transistors in a cell array of the DAC, to thereby control the corresponding output current from the DAC. Unfortunately, these previous architectures suffer from shortcomings in that they exhibit non-linearities and low-efficiency, because the current sources waste a significant amount of power. As will be appreciated in more detail herein, the present application provides DACs that use capacitive cells, rather than current steering cells, to realize a more efficient solution.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A fuel dispenser advertising system. One or more fuel dispensers are provided each having a display subassembly. Each display subassembly presents audio and video information received wirelessly from a master interface system to a customer during a fueling operation. The master interface system receives periodic updated downloads from a central location.

Technological advances in communication architectures have impacted consumers in many ways. With an increasing number of consumers becoming "connected" by either owning cell phones, pagers, facsimile (fax) machines, or linking with global communication networks, the potential for reaching these consumers with advertising becomes an increasing reality. For example, a consumer who has a fax machine connected at their home or office can receive a random call any time of day or night, which eventually results in a piece of paper in the output tray relating to some unsolicited product or service. Similarly, consumers who connect to and browse the most popular global communication network, the Internet, are bombarded with advertising on nearly every web page they view. The potential return on investment in advertising dollars from these technological applications is enormous. Therefore, the capability of placing advertising in front of the consumer as often as possible is a most desirable goal. In this fast-paced society, the capability of capturing the attention of a customer for only a few moments can provide a significant return on advertising investment dollars. Factor in the capability of focusing the advertising to the individual customer, and the potential for return increases even more.
One area ripe for this innovative application is fuel dispensers. When a customer pulls in to a gasoline station to fuel-up, several minutes of "idle" time are available for advertising to the customer. However, existing fuel dispenser systems are limited in that either the advertising is fixed to poles and the fuel pump chassis where the attention span of the customer is such that he or she may notice the advertisements only in a passing glance. More sophisticated fuel dispenser systems play audio messaging or a rudimentary video presentation to hopefully capture the customer's attention for more business. Furthermore, the implementation and maintenance of such systems is costly in that changes are manually intensive to replace placards and to change the programming piped to the fuel pump. It is therefore desirable to provide a fuel dispenser advertising system which targets the individual customer in order capture his or her attention, and is easy to implement and maintain.

Fuel dispenser integrated media display system


A Radio Frequency (RF) receiver includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a mixer coupled to the output of the LNA. The gain of the LNA is adjusted to maximize signal-to-noise ratio of the mixer and to force the mixer to operate well within its linear region when an intermodulation interference component is present. The RF receiver includes a first received signal strength indicator (RSSI_A) coupled to the output of the mixer that measures the strength of the wideband signal at that point. A second received signal strength indicator (RSSI_B) couples after the BPF and measures the strength of the narrowband signal. The LNA gain is set based upon these signal strengths. By altering the gain of the LNA by one step and measuring the difference between a prior RSSI_B reading and a subsequent RSSI_B′ reading will indicate whether intermodulation interference is present.

The structure and operation of wireless communication systems is generally known. Examples of such wireless communication systems include cellular systems and wireless local area networks, among others. Equipment that is deployed in these communication systems is typically built to support standardized operations, i.e. operating standards. These operating standards prescribe particular carrier frequencies, modulation types, baud rates, physical layer frame structures, MAC layer operations, link layer operations, etc. By complying with to these operating standards, equipment interoperability is achieved.
In a cellular system, a governmental body licenses a frequency spectrum for a corresponding geographic area (service area) that is used by a licensed system operator to provide wireless service within the service area. Based upon the licensed spectrum and the operating standards employed for the service area, the system operator deploys a plurality of carrier frequencies within the frequency spectrum that support the subscribers' subscriber units within the service area. These carrier frequencies are typically equally spaced across the licensed spectrum. The separation between adjacent carriers is defined by the operating standards and is selected to maximize the capacity supported within the licensed spectrum without excessive interference.
In cellular systems, a plurality of base stations is distributed across the service area. Each base station services wireless communications within a respective cell. Each cell may be further subdivided into a plurality of sectors. In many cellular systems, e.g., GSM cellular systems, each base station supports forward link communications (from the base station to subscriber units) on a first set of carrier frequencies and reverse link communications (from subscriber units to the base station) on a second set carrier frequencies. The first set and second set of carrier frequencies supported by the base station are a subset of all of the carriers within the licensed frequency spectrum. In most, if not all cellular systems, carrier frequencies are reused so that interference between base stations using the same carrier frequencies is minimized but so that system capacity is increased. Typically, base stations using the same carrier frequencies are geographically separated so that minimal interference results.
Both base stations and subscriber units include Radio Frequency (RF) transmitters and RF receivers. These devices service the wireless links between the base stations and subscriber units. Each RF receiver typically includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) that receives an RF signal from a coupled antenna, a mixer that receives the output of the LNA, a band-pass filter coupled to the output of the mixer, and a variable gain amplifier coupled to the output of the mixer. These RF receiver components produce an Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal that carries modulated data.
In order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of an RF signal presented to the mixer by the LNA, the gain of the LNA is adjusted. In adjusting the gain of the LNA, great care must be taken. While maximizing the gain of the LNA serves to increase the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of the RF signal, if the LNA gain is too large, the mixer will be driven into non-linear operation and the IF signal produced by the mixer will be distorted. Such is the case because a non-linear operating region of the mixer resides at an upper boundary of its operating range of the mixer. The input power level at which non-linearity is a problem for the mixer is often referred to as a 1 dB compression level. Thus, it is desirable to have the LNA provide as great an amplification of the received RF signal as possible prior to presenting the amplified RF signals to the mixer without driving the mixer into non-linear operation. During most operating conditions, the gain of the LNA may be set by viewing the input power present at the LNA and by setting the LNA gain to produce an output that causes the mixer to operate in a linear region.
However, when intermodulation interference exists, this technique for setting the LNA gain does not work. Intermodulation interference occurs when the mixer receives RF carriers (in addition to the desired signal) that cause the mixer to produce intermodulation components at the IF, the same frequency as the desired signal. This problem is well known and is a non-linear phenomenon associated with the operation of the mixer. The intermodulation component at the frequency of the desired signal is a third-order intermodulation component, IM3. In order to minimize intermodulation interference, the gain of the LNA should be reduced. However, reducing the gain of the LNA also reduces the SNR of the signal produced by the mixer. Thus, competing operational goals exist by the competing goals of increasing SNR by increasing the gain of the LNA and by reducing the effects of intermodulation interference by reducing the gain of the LNA.
While this problem is well known, its solution is not. Some prior techniques have simply avoided high LNA gain when wideband received signal strength (across some portion of the operating range of the RF receiver) was approximately equal to the narrowband received signal strength (at the IF). Further, when the wideband received signal strength was significantly greater than the narrowband received signal strength, the gain of the LNA was set to a low level. These operations addressed the issue of the existence of interferers. However, it did not consider whether intermodulation interference existed.
Thus, there is a need in the art to improve the operational characteristics of the LNA in order to maximize signal-to-noise ratio and to minimize the effects of intermodulation interference.

LNA gain adjustment in an RF receiver to compensate for intermodulation interference


A crash sensor arrangement for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The crash sensor arrangement includes a first set of sensors (3,4) comprising a respective sensor on each side of the vehicle. Each sensor (3,4) is an accelerometer and has a predetermined sensing axis (5,7). Each sensor (3,4) is mounted on the vehicle (1) close to the outer skin of the vehicle and at a first longitudinal position such that the sensing axis (5,7) of each sensor (3,4) makes a predetermined angle to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1). The predetermined angle is between 30° and 60°, or between −30° and −60°. The sensing axes (5,6) are mirror symmetrical to each other relative to the longitudinal axis (6) of the vehicle (1), so that at said first longitudinal position, there are said two respective sensors (3,4), the sensing axes of the two sensor extending in different directions.

Many types of crash detection system have been proposed previously, and many crash detection systems are complex and/or expensive. The present invention seeks to provide an improved crash detection system.
According to the present invention, there is provided a crash sensor arrangement for a motor vehicle, the crash sensor arrangement including a first set of sensors having a respective sensor on each side of the vehicle, each sensor being an accelerometer having a predetermined sensing axis. Each of the sensors being mounted on the vehicle close to the outer skin of the vehicle and at a first longitudinal position such that the sensing axis of each sensor makes a predetermined angle to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the predetermined angle being between 30° and 60°, or between −30° and −60°, the sensing axes being mirror symmetrical to each other relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, so that at the first longitudinal position, the sensing axes of the two sensors extending in different directions.
Preferably, the predetermined angle from the vehicle longitudinal axis is between 40° and 50°, or −40° and −50°.
Advantageously, the predetermined angle is substantially 45°, or −45°. An advantage of this is that the angles are orthogonal providing a very high degree of sensitivity and a good response in an impact situation.
Conveniently, the sensing axes of the sensors are directed forwardly and outwardly of the vehicle.
Preferably, in one embodiment the sensing axes are directed rearwardly and outwardly of the vehicle.
Advantageously, the sensors are mounted on the vehicle adjacent the "B" posts or pillars of the vehicle.
Conveniently, the sensors are mounted on the vehicle adjacent the "C" posts of the vehicle.
Preferably, the vehicle having sensors in accordance with this invention is additionally provided with a second set of sensors comprising two further crash sensors, mounted on respective sides of the vehicle at a second longitudinal position spaced from the first longitudinal position. The longitudinal spacing between the sensors of the first set of sensors and the sensors of the second set of sensors provide an enhanced sensitivity and helps ensure that signals of a high quality are generated which can be processed so that an appropriate signal is generated when an impact occurs.
Advantageously, each further crash sensor of the second set of sensors may be a contact sensor.
Conveniently, each crash sensor of the second set of sensors is an accelerometer located close to the outer skin of the vehicle, the sensing axis of the sensors of the second set of sensors being mirror symmetrical to each other relative to the longitudinal axis, but also extending in directions which differ from the directions of the axis of the sensors of the first set of sensors. An arrangement of this type is provided two pairs of sensors, the first pair of sensors being located at one longitudinal position and the second pair of sensors being at a second longitudinal position spaced from the first longitudinal position. The sensing axis of each pair of sensors are mirror symmetrical about the longitudinal axis. The sensors of each pair have a different sensor axis, thus providing a sophisticated and responsive sensor system.
Preferably, the accelerometer of each sensor of the second set of sensors has a sensing axis which extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
Advantageously, each sensor of the second set of sensors is mounted on the vehicle adjacent an "A" post of the vehicle, or in a door of the vehicle.
Conveniently, the vehicle is provided with at least one front sensor.
Preferably, the vehicle is provided with two front sensors.
In one embodiment, the one or more front sensors is a contact sensor.
Alternatively, the one or more front sensors is an accelerometer.
In one arrangement, the sensing axis of each accelerometer forming a front sensor is substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
In an alternative arrangement, the sensing axis of each accelerometer forming a front sensor is between 30° and 60°, or between −30° and −60° relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the axis of the front sensors being mirror symmetric relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
Advantageously, a central control unit is provided to receive signals from the sensors and to control the deployment or actuation of one or more safety devices within the vehicle.
Conveniently, all of the sensors are located close to the outer skin of the vehicle. An advantage of an arrangement of this type is that no central sensor is required. The sensors of the arrangement are all located close to the outer skin of the vehicle, but the combination of signals generated by the sensors is capable of providing a very reliable output.


A method for calibrating an optical pyrometer to an external reference point. By changing the focus of the optical pyrometer without physically moving the pyrometer, calibration of the optical pyrometer can be accomplished without modifying the semiconductor operation. Broadly speaking, the present invention contemplates an apparatus for calibrating an optical pyrometer. The apparatus includes a first optical source in a heating chamber with an optical port, an optical pyrometer, a mirror, and a second optical source. The optical pyrometer is positioned to receive light rays from a first optical source residing inside the heating chamber. The second optical source is located external to the heating chamber. The second optical source serves as an external reference point. The external location of the second optical source allows for calibration of the optical pyrometer without modification of the heating chamber or the first optical source residing inside the heating chamber. The mirror is positioned between the heating chamber and the optical pyrometer. The mirror is situated in such a way as to permit the optical pyrometer to receive light rays from the second optical source.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention described hereinbelow relates to the field of semiconductor processing, and more specifically to a device and method for calibrating an optical pyrometer to an external blackbody reference point.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Temperature is a critical variable in many semiconductor processing operations. Thermal annealing of wafers is an example of a high temperature semiconductor processing operation for which precision temperature measurements are important. A thermal anneal step is required after ion implantation in order to diffuse and activate the implanted ions and repair possible implant damage to the crystal structure of the semiconductor substrate. An anneal can occur in furnace or a more modern rapid thermal anneal ("RTA") chamber. A typical RTA process is performed at 420-1200.degree. C. and lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes.
One of the major problems with RTA's is the difficulty in establishing the temperature of the RTA, and more specifically, the temperature at the surface of the wafer. Accurate temperature measurement is the most important and limiting factor in current RTA systems. In order to avoid contamination of wafers being processed inside the RTA chamber, preferred temperature measurements are made without physically contacting the wafers or the processing environment inside the RTA.
Radiation pyrometers are a general class of temperature measurement devices which provide the benefit of not having to touch the material being measured. Most pyrometers work by measuring radiation from the object whose temperature is to be measured. Optical pyrometers, which are often used in conjunction with RTAs, measure the temperature of incandescent bodies, such as heated wafers, by comparing them visually with a calibrated incandescent filament that can be adjusted in temperature. By running a current through a filament in the optical pyrometer, the filament begins to emit light, i.e. it becomes incandescent. The light emitted by the filament is characteristic of the temperature of the filament. An optical port built into the wall of the RTA chamber allows light from the heated wafer to be received by the optical pyrometer and visually compared to the color of the calibrated incandescent filament. The temperature of the heated wafer is established when the filament disappears against the background light of the incandescing wafer.
One of the problems with using optical pyrometers to measure the temperature of wafers in RTA chambers is the unreliability of optical pyrometers over long periods of time. As the number of measurements increases the accuracy of the optical pyrometer decreases. Deviations on the order of 10 degrees centigrade are possible in standard RTA processes.
One common method for calibrating optical pyrometers used in RTA processes involves placing a test wafer into the RTA chamber. A suitable test wafer in most cases will be a wafer with a reference thermocouple attached. The temperature value measured with the optical pyrometer is compared to the temperature value measured with the thermocouple. Reliable thermocouples are readily available in the market, and services such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Bureau of Standards provide calibration of thermocouples. Thus, thermocouples generally provide reliable reference temperatures.
However, in the case of RTA processes a number of problems are associated with this method of calibration. First, placement of the thermocouple into the RTA chamber creates a potential source of contamination which may result in an inaccurate temperature reading. A second problem is an increase in manufacturing costs resulting from downtime on the RTA when the test wafer is inserted and the testing process is carried out. As to the first problem, one possible source of contamination arises because the thermocouple must be electrically connected to a signal processing device outside of the RTA chamber. Another source of contamination is the solder used to attach the thermocouple to the wafer. At least one invention has contemplated a method of calibrating an optical pyrometer that circumvents the potential contamination problems that may accompany using a reference thermocouple fixed on a wafer.
In Dilhac et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,939), a test wafer with a reference region having an electromagnetic wave reflection discontinuity at a known temperature value is used. The advantage of this method is that the reflection discontinuity region does not present a potential source of contamination. Additionally, the reference discontinuity region can be put on the surface of the wafer opposite to where the optical pyrometer will be aimed. In this way, the light reflected from the reference region will not interfere with the pyrometer reading. While Dilhac et al. presents one way to overcome the contamination problem, it does not solve the second problem of higher costs due to RTA downtime.
Another conventional method of calibrating optical pyrometers is with blackbody calibration furnaces. Technically a blackbody is a surface that absorbs as much radiation as it emits, and the nature of the emitted radiation can be fully characterized by the temperature of the surface. All blackbodies have the same relationship between intensity or spectral radiance (which is what the optical pyrometer measures) and the wavelength of the light emitted by the blackbody. Because the emitted radiation does not depend on the size of the blackbody, relatively small but effective blackbodies are obtainable. The limiting factor on size becomes the dimensions of the heating chamber which is required to maintain the temperture at the surface of the blackbody. While blackbody references are conventional, either the optical pyrometer or the blackbody reference must be physically moved to allow calibration. In the case of an optical pyrometer fixed to an RTA chamber these options are not available. Thus, in addition to avoiding modification of the RTA process, it would be advantageous to provide a means for calibrating an optical pyrometer that does not require physical movement of either the pyrometer or the reference.


A radio communication method for transmitting data to radio stations, wherein propagation parameters to be estimated in a receiving station are controlled, based on the data transmitting, by an array antenna comprising a plurality of antenna elements to perform data transmitting in a transmitting station. This allows channels characterized by the propagation parameters to be shared only by particular radio stations, and signals are superimposed on the propagation parameters, thereby realizing radio access in which a high security is retained.

Drastic improvements in transmission speed and transmission quality in recent years have led digital radio communications to occupy an important place in the communication field. On the other hand, since radio communications use radio space that is a public asset, there is a basic defect, that a third party may be able to receive, from the standpoint of confidentiality. Namely, there is always a constant risk of communication contents being intercepted by a third party and information leaked out.
Thus, in conventional radio communications, techniques such as encryption of confidential information are used to prevent a third party from understanding the contents of the hidden information even if transmitting data is intercepted by the third party. Encryption technique has been studied and applied in various fields. This is because encryption has the advantage of enabling constant security to be assured without changing a radio communication system.
However, through the process of information encryption, there is such a problem that information can be decrypted comparatively easily if the code and/or procedure for encryption are known. With the current state prevalent of high-speed computers, in particular, security can no longer be assured without performing rather complicated encryption processing.
Against such a problem accompanying the encryption technique, there is an invention disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2002152191 and so forth as a radio communication method that pays attention to a physical feature of the propagation environment thereof. FIG. 23 shows the conventional radio communication system as described in the publication.
In FIG. 23, a propagation environment estimator 2311 in a transmitting station 2310 estimates the state information of a radio propagation channel 2330 shared only between the transmitting station 2310 and a receiving station 2320 which is the destination of transmitting data including confidential information. Then the transmitting station 2310 transmits the data including confidential information in view of this radio propagation environment. Due to this, because other radio stations having different radio propagation path environments cannot receive or reconstruct confidential information, the transmitting station can transmit confidential information with a high security.
However, in a broadband radio communication in general, due to its enhanced transmission rate, propagation parameters characterizing the propagation path, directivity, and polarization of antennas come to have frequency characteristic. Consequently, such a radio communication method as disclosed in the patent publication, wherein the transmitting station controls the propagation parameters by using a plurality of antennas, is available on the premise that the propagation parameters should be controlled within a particular frequency band, that is to say, within the range where the frequency characteristic of the antennas and the propagation paths are deemed to be uniform.
What is the problem to be solved is that, in the case of a broadband radio communication, characteristics of propagation paths and antennas can not be effectively utilized enough.

Transmitting apparatus receiving apparatus, radio communication method and radio communication system


The present invention relates to organic anti-reflective coating polymers and preparation methods therefor. Anti-reflective coatings are used in a semiconductor device during photolithography processes to prevent the reflection of light from lower layers of the device, or resulting from changes in the thickness of the photoresist layer, and to eliminate the standing wave effect when ArF light is used. The present invention also relates to anti-reflective compositions and coatings containing these organic anti-reflective coating polymers, alone or in combination with certain light-absorbing compounds, and preparation methods therefor. When the polymers of the present invention are used in an anti-reflective coating in a photolithography process for forming submicro-patterns, the resultant elimination of changes in CD due to diffractive and reflective lights originating from lower layers increases the product yield in the formation of submicro-patterns during the manufacture of 64 M, 256 M, 1 G, 4 G and 16 G DRAM semiconductor devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to organic polymers suitable for use in anti-reflective coatings on semiconductor devices, and methods for preparing them. More specifically, the polymers of the present invention can be used to form a layer which prevents the reflection of light from lower layers coated on a semiconductor chip when photolithography processes using short wavelength light sources, such as 248 nm (KrF) and 193 nm (ArF) wavelengths, are employed during the manufacture of 64M, 256M, 1G, 4 G and 16 G DRAM semiconductor devices. Anti-reflective coatings comprising polymers of the present invention also eliminate the standing wave effect when an ArF beam is used, and reflection/diffraction caused by changes in the thickness of the photoresist layer itself. The present invention also relates to an anti-reflective composition containing these polymers, alone or in combination with other light-absorbing compounds, and the anti- reflective coating formed from these compositions, as well as preparation methods therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In photolithography processes for forming submicro-patterns during the manufacture of semiconductors, it is unavoidable to have reflective notching of the standing wave of the exposing radiation. This effect is due to the spectroscopic properties of the lower layers coated on the semiconductor wafer, changes in the photoresist layer and variations in the critical dimension (CD) due to diffracted and reflected light from the lower layer. Therefore, it has been suggested that a layer, called an anti-reflective coating, be introduced into the semiconductor device to prevent the reflection of light from the lower layers. This anti-reflective coating usually comprises an organic material that absorbs light in the wavelength range of the light beam source used in the lithography process.
Anti-reflective coatings are categorized into inorganic and organic anti-reflective coatings depending on the coating materials used, or into light-absorbing and light-interfering coatings depending on the mechanism.
An inorganic anti-reflective coating is used mainly in the process of submicro-pattern formation using i-line radiation with a wavelength of 365 nm. TiN and amorphous carbon have been widely used in light-absorbing coatings, and SiON has been used in light-interfering coatings.
Inorganic SiON has been used for anti-reflective coatings in submicro-pattern formation processes using a KrF beam. A recent trend has been to try to use organic compounds in an anti-reflective coating. Based on knowledge to date, the following are prerequisites for an adequate organic anti-reflective coating:
First, during the pattern formation process, the photoresist must not be peeled from the substrate by dissolving in the solvent used in the organic anti-reflective coating. For this reason, the organic anti-reflective coating needs to be designed to form a cross-linked structure, and must not produce chemicals as a by-product.
Second, acid or amine compounds must not migrate in or out of the anti-reflective coating. This is because there is a tendency for xe2x80x9cundercuttingxe2x80x9d at the lower side of the pattern if an acid migrates, and for xe2x80x9cfootingxe2x80x9d if a base such as an amine migrates.
Third, the anti-reflective coating must have a faster etching speed compared to the photoresist layer so that the etching process can be performed efficiently by utilizing the photoresist layer as a mask.
Fourth, the anti-reflective coating must function with a minimal thickness.
Up to now, suitable anti-reflective coatings have not been developed. for use in processes for forming a submicro-pattern using an ArF beam. Furthermore, since there is no known inorganic anti-reflective coating which controls the interference from a 193 nm light source, the use of organic chemicals in anti-reflective coatings is currently being studied.
Therefore, it is desirable to use and develop organic anti-reflective coatings that absorb light strongly at specific wavelengths to prevent the standing wave effect and light reflection in lithography processes, and to eliminate the rear diffraction and reflected light from the lower layers.
The present invention provides novel chemical compounds suitable for use in anti-reflective coatings in photolithography processes for forming submicro-patterns using 193 nm (Arf) and 248 nm (KrF) light beams in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
The present invention further provides preparation methods for chemical compounds to be used in anti-reflective coatings.
The present invention also provides anti-reflective coating compositions containing the above-mentioned compounds and preparation methods thereof.
The present invention also provides anti-reflective coatings formed by using the above-mentioned anti-reflective composition, and methods for the formation thereof.
Polymers of the present invention are selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following general formulas (1), (2) and (3):
wherein, R is hydrogen, a C1-C6 alkyl group, hydroxy or hydroxymethyl; and m:n is the mole ratio of 0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9;
wherein, R is hydrogen, a C1-C6 alkyl group, hyrdoxy or hydroxymethyl; x is an number between 1 and 5; and a:b:c:d is the mole ratio of 0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9; and
wherein,
R1 is hydrogen, methyl or hydroxy; and e is the average degree of polymerization. Preferably e has a value of 3.0xcx9c17.0.
The polymers of the present invention are designed to facilitate light absorption at wavelengths of 193 nm and 248 nm by having groups that absorbs light strongly at both wavelengths;
The polymers represented by general formula 1 above can be prepared in accordance with the reaction equation i set forth below, wherein polyhydroxystyrene resin (Compound I) and diazonaphthoquinone halide (Compound II) are reacted in a solvent in the presence of an amine:
wherein, R is hydrogen, a C1-C6 alkyl group, hydroxy or hydroxymethyl; Y is a halogen group; and m:n is the mole ratio of 0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9.
The polymer represented by the general formula 2 above can be prepared in accordance with reaction equation 2 set forth below, wherein poly(styrene-acrylate) resin (Compound III) and diazonaphthoquinone halide (Compound II) are reacted in a solvent in the presence of an amine:
wherein, R is hydrogen, a C1-C6 alkyl group, hydroxy or hydroxymethyl; Y is a halogen group; x is an number from 1 to 5; and a:b:c:d is the mole ratio of 0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9:0.1-0.9.
The polymer represented by general formula 3 above can be prepared in accordance with reaction equation 3 set forth below, wherein novolac resin (Compound IV) and diazonaphthoquinone halide (Compound II) are reacted in a solvent in the presence of an amine:
wherein, R1 is hydrogen, methyl or hydroxy; Y is a halogen group; and e is the average degree of polymerization. The raw materials used in the above reactions, polyhydroxystyrene (I), diazonaphthoquinone halide (II), poly(styrene-acrylate) resin (III) and novolac resin (IV), are commercially available or can be synthesized by known methods.
The amine used in preparing the polymers of the present invention is preferably trialkylamine, and more preferably triethylamine.
The solvent used in preparing the polymers of the present invention may be selected from the group consisting of tetrahydrofuran, toluene, benzene, methylethylketone and dioxane.
The reaction temperature of the polymerization process used for preparing the polymers of the present invention is preferably between 50 and 80xc2x0 C.
The present invention also provides an anti-reflective coating composition containing a polymer of the general formula 1, 2 or 3 alone in an organic solvent.
Anti-reflective coating composition of the present invention may also comprise one of the polymers of general formula 1, 2 or 3 and a light absorbing compound selected from the group consisting of anthracene and its derivatives, fluorenone derivatives, fluorene and its derivatives, fluorenol, xanthone, quinazarin and fluorescein. Examples of such compounds are listed in Tables 1a and 1b below:
In Table 1a above, R5, R6 and R7 each represent independently hydrogen, a substituted or non-substituted straight or branched C1-C5 alkyl group, cycloalkyl, alkoxyalkyl or cycloalkoxyalkyl, and p is an integer. Preferably P has a value of 1xcx9c3.
In Table 1b above, R8-R15 each represent independently hydrogen, hydroxy, substituted or non-substituted straight or branched C1-C5 alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxyalkyl or cycloalkoxyalkyl, and R16 and R17 each independently represent an alkyl group.
The anti-reflective coating composition of the present invention is prepared by dissolving a polymer of general formula 1, 2 or 3 above in an organic solvent, and subsequently adding thereto one or more compounds selected from the above Tables 1a and 1b.
The organic solvent used for the preparation can be any suitable conventional organic solvent, preferably a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethyl 3-ethoxypropionate, methyl 3-methoxypropionate, cyclohexanone, propylene glycol and methyletheracetate.
The amount of the solvent used in preparing the anti-reflective coating composition according to the present invention is preferably 200-5000%(w/w) with respect to the weight of the polymer used.
An anti-reflective coating of the present invention can be provided on a semiconductor silicon wafer by filtering a solution of a polymer of general formula 1, 2 or 3 alone, or a composition containing a polymer of general formula 1, 2 or 3 and one or more of the light-absorbing compounds set forth in Tables 1a and 1b, subsequently coating the filtered solution or composition on a wafer that has been prepared in the conventional manner and xe2x80x9chard-bakingxe2x80x9d the coating (heating the wafer to a temperature of 100-300xc2x0 C. for 10-1000 seconds) to cross-link the anti-reflective coating polymer.
The polymers comprising the anti-reflective coating of the present invention form a cross-linked structure when they are coated on a wafer and baked at high temperatures (xe2x80x9chard-bakedxe2x80x9d) through a reaction which opens the ring of the diazonaphthoquinone group in said polymers. This cross-linked structure allows the polymers of the present invention to form an organic anti-reflective coating material which is spectroscopically stable under conventional photolithographic conditions.
The polymers and compositions of the present invention have proven to be excellent organic anti-reflective coating materials during the formation of submicro-patterns in photolithographic processes using 248 nm KrF and 193 nm ArF lasers. The anti-reflective effect provided in accordance with the present invention have also been found to be superior when E-beam, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, and ion beam light sources are used instead of an ArF beam.

Anti reflective coating polymers and the preparation method thereof

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


An electronic device includes a semiconductor substrate, an electronic element mounted on the substrate, a conductive layer electrically connected to the electronic element, a sealing resin and a columnar conductor. The substrate has a recess formed in its obverse surface. The electronic element is mounted on the bottom surface of the recess. The conductive layer has an obverse-surface contacting region located on the obverse surface of the substrate. The sealing resin is disposed in at least a part of the recess for covering at least a part of the obverse surface of the substrate. The columnar conductor is electrically connected to the obverse-surface contacting region of the conductive layer and exposed from the sealing resin at a side opposite to the obverse surface of the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of electronic devices have been proposed that perform specific functions in response to external input and output of electric current. To be able to carry out its function, a typical electronic device includes a plurality of electronic elements that constitute part of electronic circuits. Metal leads are used to provide structural support for the electronic elements and electrical connection between the electronic elements. The number, shape, and size of the leads are determined in accordance with the function, shape, and size of the electronic elements. The electronic elements mounted on the leads are encapsulated in a sealing resin. The sealing resin is provided to protect the electronic elements and part of the leads. To be ready for use, the electronic device is mounted on for example a circuit board of an electronic instrument. For such electronic devices, appropriate protection of the electronic elements is important. Documents related to conventional electronic devices include JP-A-2012-99673.


A loop antenna includes first and second conductors configured to have conductivity, the first conductor including first and second patterns, the first pattern being provided along a first surface and including a first feed point, and the second pattern being coupled to the first pattern at a first end of the first surface and being provided to oppose the first pattern; and a second conductor configured to have conductivity, the second conductor including third and fourth patterns, the third pattern being provided on the first surface with a gap generating a capacitance between the first pattern and including a second feed point, the fourth pattern being electrically coupled to the third pattern at a second end opposing the first end on the first surface, the fourth pattern overlapping the second pattern so as to cause capacitive coupling or being connected to the second pattern.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems have conventionally been used in a variety of applications such as product management. Radio frequency tags used in RFID systems may be attached to various products. Proposals have thus been made for antennas suitable for radio frequency tags that exhibit a stable performance in any products to which a radio frequency tag is attached (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 2011-109552 and 2014-127752).
For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-109552 discloses a loop antenna formed of a first conductor and a second conductor. In this loop antenna, the first conductor forms a first curved surface and includes a third terminal which is disposed at a first end of the first curved surface and coupled to the first terminal in a wireless communication circuit. The first conductor includes a first area at a second end of the first curved surface, the second end being at a side opposite to the first end. The second conductor forms a second curved surface and includes a fourth terminal which is disposed at a third end of the second curved surface and coupled to the second terminal in the wireless communication circuit. The second conductor includes a second area including at a fourth end of the second curved surface, the fourth end being at a side opposite to the third end. The second area is parallel to the first area and the first and second curved surfaces form the loop antenna.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2014-127752 discloses a transmission line with a line having an electrical length of an approximately half-wavelength transmission line that forms an approximately one wavelength transmission line by doubling and strip or linear parallel-line antenna having an approximately quarter-wavelength transmission line that forms an approximately half-wavelength transmission line by doubling.
This linear parallel-line antenna includes a metallic strip, which is disposed on a radiation surface for attaching a feed section or an IC, and a metallic strip, which is disposed below the metallic strip on the radiation surface, in a facing manner. The width of the lower metallic strip is slightly increased to suppress a change in an electrical field of a main transmission line when the antenna is mounted on a metallic surface.


Disclosed is a packet forwarding device which can reduce a development cost and realize desired QoS control.

When the packet data is forwarded to a terminal via a communication network (hereinafter, abbreviated as "network" in the present application), it is desirable to perform QoS (Quality of Service) control in a wireless base station. The reason is because a communication bandwidth (communication speed) and an allowable amount of delay required when transmitting the packet data are different in accordance with types of the forwarded packet data. For example, when the packet data is video streaming data, the communication bandwidth has to be greater than an encoding rate indicating a data size per unit reproduction time of the video streaming data. When the packet data is voice data for voice communication, the allowable amount of delay needs to be less than several hundred milliseconds. On the other hand, when the packet data is electronic mail data, the communication bandwidth and the allowable amount of delay are not specified in particular.
Especially, when the packet data is forwarded to the terminal from the wireless base station via the network, the communication bandwidth and the delay amount greatly vary by various factors such as a radio wave interference, a change in radio wave intensity, and the like because of characteristics of a wireless access. Therefore, QoS control is very important.
As an example, patent document 1 discloses a technology for a packet forwarding device. The packet forwarding device includes a queue provided for each of a plurality of services, means for sorting the packet to be forwarded to each queue, and means for performing wireless transmission based on a priority value calculated for each queue.

Packet forwarding device and packet forwarding method, and computer program

Abstract: The packet forwarding device includes a second scheduler 2 including a second packet queue corresponding to each first packet queue included in a first scheduler, a second packet classification unit 22 which sorts a packet data to each second packet queue based on a second classification different from the classification set by the first scheduler, a throughput estimation unit 24 which estimates a throughput indicating an amount of the packet data forwarded to an information processing terminal from the first packet queue corresponding to the second packet queue, and a second packet scheduling unit 25 which forwards the packet data accumulated in each second packet queue based on the throughput and the priority of each second packet queue.


An apparatus for retrieving a structured document including a first specifying unit that specifies a plurality of object documents from a plurality of structured documents being accessible via a network, the object document being the structured document according to retrieval condition; a first extracting unit that extracts text included in the object document; a second extracting unit that extracts metadata appended to the object document, the metadata being first data concerning the text of the object document and second data indicating a link relation between the object document and the structured documents; and a first calculating unit that calculates importance of each of the object documents, based on the text and the metadata of each of the object documents.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and computer program product for extracting a structured document accessible via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, technologies for judgment on positive or negative (p/n) of a document present on a Web and extraction of a hot topic from the document are known. For example, in "Main Topic Extraction in a Blog Space", a study group material of the Japan Society of Artificial Intelligence SIG-KBS-A501-02, pp. 5-10, 2005, Kazumi Saito and three others, a technology for obtaining a large-scale document stream from blogs, electronic mails, news, and the like on the Internet is disclosed. Further, for example, in JP-A 2005-182803 (KOKAI), a technology for generating an information digest by extracting predetermined information from a document is disclosed.
In the conventional document extraction, object sentences are often corpuses prepared in advance. A situation in which a user encounters various opinions while browsing the Web is not assumed. However, actually, it is considered that, for example, in opinions in a blog, opinions attached with approvals by a large number of track-backs and opinions attached with no track-back affect psychology of users differently.
Moreover, it is considered that, even if a large number of links are attached to opinions, the opinions affects psychology of users differently depending on time when the links are attached, for example, one year ago or today. Provision of a document extraction technology taking into account such information is desired.

Apparatus, method, and computer program product for extracting structured document


Methods and assemblies are described for displaying interchangeable graphics sheets on a display face of a merchandise cabinet such as a vending machine. The interchangeable sheets are stored on spool assemblies disposed within the cabinet and may be either manually or automatically manipulated in order to selectively register different graphics sheets within the display face of the vending machine. In a first embodiment, the graphics sheets have adhesive areas thereon in order to attach an old graphic sheet to a new graphic sheet to unwind the new graphic sheet from the spool assembly and position it into the display field on the face of the vending machine. The old graphics sheet functions as a leader for the new graphics sheet. In a second embodiment, the graphics sheets are provided with tear-off flexible leaders which are utilized to unwind the sheets from the storage spool assemblies and to position the graphics sheet into registry with the display fields on the face of the vending machine. In a third embodiment, an elongated graphics sheet having groups of graphic regions spaced thereon is wound onto a pair of spaced spool assemblies on opposite sides of the display field. A drive mechanism for rotating the spools is provided to selectively position selected ones of the groups of graphics into registry with the display field. A controller for selectively activating the drive mechanism to position the selected groups of graphics in the display field is provided and may include a timer for automatically activating the drive mechanism to change the groups of graphics or a suitable remote control and detector combination in order to selectively change the graphics by remote command signals.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for displaying interchangeable graphic sheets on the display face of a merchandise cabinet, such as a coin-operated vending machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to improved methods and systems for storing interchangeable graphic sheets within the vending machine cabinet, and methods and assemblies for quickly and efficiently changing the graphic sheets in order to achieve high quality graphic displays.
Traditionally, graphic sheets on the front doors of vending machines were more or less permanently installed. If it was desired to change the graphics on these doors, it often took between fifteen minutes to two hours to change the signs in order to display new graphics.
Recently there has been a trend in the vending machine industry to provide interchangeable graphic sheets on portions of the vending machine sign panel, such as in a window provided in the panel surrounded by more permanent associated graphics. Various means for quickly changing such graphic sheets have been contemplated. An example of one such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,225 to Minh et al., assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
In Minh, the interchangeable graphic sheets may be rolled up and stored in the machine in any suitable space therein. However, no specific storage device is provided for the rolled sheets, so the sheets may become crumpled or damaged making it difficult to neatly and efficiently change the graphic sheets on the windows of the associated sign panels.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for methods and systems for neatly and efficiently storing rolled-up graphic sheets in or near vending machines which lend themselves to quick interchangeability of the sheets either manually or automatically.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide methods and assemblies for neatly storing vending machines graphic sheets for achieving interchangeable displays on the sign faces of the vending machines.
It is another object of the present invention to provide improved methods and assemblies for manually handling the graphic sheets for effecting the interchange thereof on the sign panels.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide methods and assemblies for automatically storing and changing flexible graphic sheets on the sign panels of vending machines.
The objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a method of displaying interchangeable graphic sheets on a display face of a merchandise cabinet comprising the steps of:
providing a storage spool assembly in or near the cabinet with interchangeable graphic sheets thereon;
unwinding a selected one of the graphic sheets from the spool assembly;
placing the selected graphic sheet in a display field on the display face for a desired period of time;
removing the selected graphic sheets from a display field at the end of the desired period of time;
unwinding a different graphic sheet from the spool assembly;
placing the different graphic sheet in the display field; and
repeating the above steps as often as desired to effect a display of interchangeable graphics.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, each graphic sheet is wound on a separate spool and has adhesive material on either of the leading or trailing end of the sheet. In order to effect the interchange of the sheets an end of the old graphic sheet just removed from the display field is secured to the leading end of a new graphic sheet on another spool to form a leader for the new graphic sheet by pressing the leading and trailing ends together to form an adhesive coupling. The new graphic sheet is then unwound by manually pulling on the old graphic sheet. The old graphic sheet is then detached from the new graphic sheet and the old graphic sheet is wound onto a spool for future use.
In a second embodiment, each graphic sheet wound on the spool has a flexible elongated leader on a leading edge thereof for unwinding the graphic sheet from the spool. The leader is readily severable from the graphic sheet so that it can be removed once the sheet is secured in the display field of the sign face.
In a third embodiment of the present invention, a continuous graphic sheet is provided with separate graphics regions thereon. The sheet is wound on a spool and selected regions of the graphic sheet are unwound from the spool into registry with the display field on the sign panel for selected display periods.
In the third embodiment, the spool assembly includes two spaced spools disposed at opposite ends of the display field, and the selective placing of graphics regions is implemented by winding the graphic sheet from one spool to the other. A drive mechanism is provided for rotating the first and second spools to selectively position the selected ones of the groups of graphics into registry with a display field. A controller is provided for selectively activating the drive mechanism. In one embodiment, the controller includes a timer for automatically activating the drive mechanism to change the groups of graphics displayed at selectable intervals. In another embodiment, the controller includes a detector responsive to remote command signals for activating the drive mechanism.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Methods and assemblies for changing vending machine sign face graphics


The invention described herein pertains to the structure and formation of dual core waveguide structures and to the formation of optical devices including spot size converters from these dual core waveguide structure for the receiving and routing of optical signals on substrates, interposers, and sub-mount assemblies.

In Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), various types and quantities of optical, electronic, optoelectronic, and electrical functionalities are commonly combined on a substrate, an interposer or a submount assembly. Interposers are used in the fabrication of optical and electronic devices as a platform upon which discrete circuit elements are combined to perform a specific function or set of functions. In optical assemblies, for example, a set of components such as a sending device, a receiving device, and a waveguide device are combined to create a transceiver. In this example, a laser (sending device), a photodetector (receiving device), and an arrayed waveguide (waveguide) are combined on a substrate. The substrate, or platform upon which the devices are combined, is often referred to as an interposer or a sub-mount, and the combination of the interposer with the components is often referred to as a sub-mount assembly. The sub-mount assembly is a platform for assembling and interconnecting discrete devices such as lasers, photodetectors, and other devices such as waveguides into a functional product. Similar subassemblies have been used in industrial applications in electronics that include integrated circuits, photonic integrated circuits, sensors, biomedical devices, among others.
Optical fibers are typically used to deliver optical signals that carry information to the sub-mount assemblies for processing. Optical fibers are also used to receive processed signals from the devices mounted on the submount assembly for long and short range transmission to other devices, network elements, or points of use, for example. Single mode fibers (SMFs), for example, can be attached to the sub-mount assemblies and aligned with optical devices that are mounted on the substrate. The SMFs have a core diameter that is typically on the order of 10 microns. Waveguides, when implemented on the sub-mount assembly, however, can be considerably smaller in cross section. The significant difference in size between the mounted optical fibers that interface with the sub-mount assembly and the waveguides or optical devices that receive the signals on the sub-mount assembly impose strict alignment and focusing requirements on the interface between the optical fiber and the receiving structure on the substrate. The strict alignment requirements can necessitate costly polishing of the incoming fiber terminations. Additionally, lenses are often required between the mounted fibers and the receiving waveguide to reduce the spot size of the incoming signal to the dimensions of the receiving waveguide. Material choices for cases in which the receiving device is a waveguide, or more particularly, a planar waveguide, include, for example, dielectric materials such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride, polymers, and semiconductors such as indium phosphide. In some instances, planar waveguides are formed directly on a substrate as in the case of a polymer or dielectric layer, for example, and in other instances, hybrid structures are formed in which discrete waveguide devices or components are mounted on a substrate, interposer, or sub-mount assembly.
In addition to the use of optical fibers for delivering optical signals to, and receiving optical signals from, the sub-mount assembly, optoelectrical and optical devices on the sub-mount assembly can also be aligned with optical devices mounted on, or in proximity to, the sub-mount assembly or interposer. In instances in which optoelectrical and optical devices are used to deliver or receive optical signals to or from a sub-mount assembly or interposer, the relaxed alignment tolerances available with integrated planar waveguides provide a desirable benefit in terms of ease of manufacturing. Much of the expense associated with the implementation and manufacturing of photonic integrated circuits is generally attributed to packaging. And coupling to the fiber is one of the most critical and cost intensive operations. Techniques that can be used to reduce alignment costs, or that reduce the complexity of the alignment operation are advantageous to furthering the state of the art and the wider acceptance in the market for packaged optoelectronic devices. Ideally, techniques are developed that provide for passive alignment of devices and components in the optical circuits.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a waveguide structure that can receive signals from optical fibers and optoelectrical devices without the need for strict alignment tolerances or lenses.


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate in which an integrated circuit is formed and which includes interconnects and electrodes, the interconnects electrically connected with the semiconductor substrate, and the electrodes being formed on the interconnects; a resin layer formed on the semiconductor substrate; redistribution interconnects electrically connected with the electrodes; a plurality of external terminals which are formed on the redistribution interconnects and supported by the resin layer; and a plurality of dummy terminals supported by the resin layer without being electrically connected with the electrodes.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a method of manufacturing the same, a circuit board, and an electronic instrument.
FIG. 16 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional ball grid array package. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the ball grid array package shown in FIG. 16 along the line XVII—XVII.
In a conventional ball grid array, solder balls which become external terminals are disposed in a full grid arrangement or a staggered arrangement. Interconnects 502 and 504 are formed on each side of an interposer 500. The interconnects 502 and 504 are connected through through-holes 506 formed in the interposer 500. An IC chip 508 is mounted on the surface of the interposer 500. The IC chip 508 is connected with the interconnects 502 through bumps 510 and is sealed with a mold resin 512. Solder balls 514 are disposed on the back surface of the interposer 500 in a full grid arrangement. The solder ball 514 is connected with the interconnect 504.
In a conventional ball grid array, if the interposer 500 is mounted on a motherboard, force is applied to the solder balls 514 due to shrinkage of the interposer 500. In particular, a large amount of force is applied to the solder ball 514 near the edge of the interposer 500. In the case where the size of the interposer 500 is large, it is difficult to prevent connection failure of the solder ball 514.

Semiconductor device, method of manufacturing the same, circuit board, and electronic instrument


Disclosed are an enzyme or a protein which converts a precursor of a polypeptide that induces IFN-.gamma. production in an immunocompetent cell into the active form, a process for producing the enzyme comprising proliferating a cell which produces the enzyme and collecting the produced enzyme from the proliferated cells, and a method for converting the precursor into the active form.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing enzyme for a polypeptide, more particularly, to an enzyme which converts a precursor of a polypeptide that induces interferon-.gamma. (hereinafter abbreviated as "IFN-.gamma.") production in immunocompetent cells into the active form.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present inventors succeeded in isolating a polypeptide which induces IFN-.gamma. production in immunocompetent cells and a cDNA encoding the polypeptide, and disclosed them in Japanese Patent Kokai Nos.27,198/96 and 193,098/96.
The polypeptide is featured in inducing the production of IFN-.gamma. as a useful biologically active substance, enhancing the cytotoxicity by killer cells, and inducing the formation of killer cells; it can be expected for use as anti-virus agents, antiseptics, antitumor agents and anti-immunopathy agents.
It is said that, in human cells, polypeptides formed by gene expression may be processed by intracellular enzymes to partially digest the polypeptides and add sugar chains thereunto.
Polypeptides to be satisfactorily incorporated into pharmaceuticals may be those which received processings similarly as in human cells; such cells have a demerit that they less produce the present polypeptide as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No.269,105/96. The present inventors' energetic study revealed that the polypeptide usually exists in human cells in the form of a precursor with a molecular weight of about 24,000 daltons and no biological activity. Although it is not restricted to the polypeptide, it is known that most cytokines are usually produced as precursors with no biological activity, and then processed by intracellular enzymes to be converted into their active forms.

Kabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo


A segment roll for use in a continuous casting machine includes a number of roll segments axially spaced apart and supported in bearings on a non-rotating shaft. Each roll segment is a self-contained unit including a sleeve-shaped outer mantle, an internal sleeve disposed coaxially within the outer mantle, and a bearing assembly disposed radially between the outer mantle and the inner sleeve within an annular recess disposed at each end of the roll segment. Each bearing assembly is spaced from an inner envelope surface of the internal sleeve and includes a bearing and a seal, wherein the internal sleeve is in non-rotatable contact with the non-rotating sleeve.

The present invention refers to a segment roll for use in a continuous casting machine.
In a continuous casting machine slabs of metal are continuously cast from molten metal, which is poured from a ladle down into a tundish, from which it is conveyed to a water-cooled mould, where the slab of continuous cast material begins to solidify. Thereafter the slab is continuously fed between two curved tracks, formed by a plurality of segmented rolls, which continue to shape and cool the slab to the final thickness of the cast material.
The segment roll for a continuous casting machine comprises conventionally a non-rotary shaft with a number of roll segments mounted thereon, and with bearings and sealing cassettes built into every roll segment. The inner rings of the bearings have been mounted directly upon the shaft, which means that it has been necessary to deliver the long roll with all the segments arranged on the shaft as otherwise the sealing cassettes and the bearings can fall off or be displaced during transport. As the segmented roll can have a length of more than two meters, the long and heavy rolls have required special transport facilities, when delivered from manufacturer to the site of the continuous casting machine. At assembly of these conventional rolls it is furthermore required large mounting forces and special tools for pushing up the roll segments with sealing cassettes and bearings on the shaft.
After mounting of the segments it is furthermore not sure that the lips of the sealing cassettes have not been bent away or if the shaft has been subjected to scratches or other damages, which in both cases could mean that the sealing function is lost.

Segment roll for continuous casting machines