An electronic device can include a dielectric layer, and a graphene layer including a first surface located upon the dielectric layer. The electronic device can include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode each located upon the dielectric layer on a surface opposite the graphene layer. The first and second electrodes can be spaced apart along a longitudinal axis of the electronic device to define a first gap between the first and second electrodes, and the second and third electrodes are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the electronic device to define a second gap between the second and third electrodes. At least one of the first gap or the second gap can be angled so as to be neither parallel nor perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the electronic device.

Graphene is an allotrope of carbon comprising a sheet of carbon atoms generally including a single atomic layer thickness. Graphene possesses exceptional electronic and material properties, including an ultra-high electron mobility. However, graphene alone is not generally considered to be suitable as a switching medium because it lacks a bandgap. A bandgap can be established structurally in graphene, however such a structural bandgap can degrade or destroy the band structure, which hinders the ultra-high electron mobility otherwise provided by graphene. Accordingly, graphene devices having structurally-established bandgaps generally deliver a poor ON-state current.

Graphene device including angular split gate

University of Virginia Patent Foundation


A resin composition with a high crystallization rate that contains a polyalkylene furan dicarboxylate resin and a porphyrin compound, and a molded article composed of the resin composition. The polyalkylene furan dicarboxylate resin is preferably a polybutylene furan dicarboxylate resin. The porphyrin compound is preferably hematoporphyrin dihydrochloride. The molded article is obtained by molding the resin composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resin composition and a molded article, and more particularly, to a plant-derived resin composition with a high crystallization rate and a molded article obtained using the resin composition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Studies of resins synthesized from plant-derived starting materials, rather than from petroleum, have been widely conducted in recent years to alleviate the environmental problems, such as global warming and depletion of petroleum resources. In particular, polylactic acid has been studied as a plant-derived resin, and a variety of products made from this resin have been found to be of practical use.
Thermoplastic resins made from polylactic acid can be generally classified as amorphous resins and crystalline resins, and the latter can be crystallized by a thermal treatment. In the case of crystalline resins, because crystallization can improve heat resistance and mechanical properties, such as rigidity and impact resistance, the resins are preferably used after crystallization rather than in an amorphous state. However, when injection molding is performed, the resin has to be held in a mold for a certain period of time at an adjusted temperature after the injection to ensure complete crystallization. Therefore, the crystallization rate has to be increased in order to increase productivity.
The addition of a crystal nucleating agent is known as a method for increasing the crystallization rate, and certain specific cyclic compounds have been reported to be effective as crystal nucleating agents for polylactic acid (International Publication No. WO2004/022649).
However, the crystallization rate of plant-derived resin compositions is still insufficient compared with that of the conventional petroleum-derived resin compositions for general use, and a further increase in crystallization rate is required.


An image forming apparatus that forms an image where occurrence of concentration unevenness caused by occurrence of mechanical crosstalk is suppressed are provided. According to the present invention, the distance from the boundary position of the inkjet head corresponding to the concentration boundary between the first concentration region and the second concentration region to the second concentration region end of the inkjet head is less than the reciprocal of the spatial frequency of the concentration unevenness. Accordingly, the length of the part in the first direction where the inkjet head forms the second concentration region is less than one period of the concentration unevenness. Even if crosstalk due to vibrations of the part where the inkjet head forms the first concentration region occurs, the visibility of the concentration unevenness occurring in the second concentration region can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and, in particular, to an image forming technique for reducing visibility of concentration unevenness on an image which is generated by crosstalk of an inkjet head.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a general-purpose image forming apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus for ejecting ink from multiple nozzles provided in an inkjet head and forming an image on paper (recording medium) has been known. The inkjet recording apparatus causes piezoelectric elements corresponding to the respective nozzles on the basis of image data to operate to eject ink from the nozzles.
Higher density arrangement of nozzles in conformity with a demand for improving the quality of an image to be formed, in turn, arranges the piezoelectric elements corresponding to the respective nozzles at high density. As a result, the operation of any piezoelectric element causes crosstalk that affects the ejection efficiency (ejection performance) of nozzles arranged adjacent thereto.
Occurrence of concentration unevenness on an image caused by occurrence of crosstalk degrades the image quality. In order to achieve image forming at high quality, occurrence of crosstalk is required to be suppressed to, in turn, suppress variation in ejection efficiency of each nozzle.
Crosstalk at the inkjet head is roughly classified into mechanical crosstalk and acoustic wave crosstalk. The mechanical crosstalk is a phenomenon where propagation of vibrations in an operation of a piezoelectric element to another piezoelectric element varies the operation state of the other piezoelectric element (e.g., the amount of variation of piezoelectric element) and, as a result, the ejection efficiency (ejection performance) varies.
The acoustic wave crosstalk is a phenomenon where transmission of acoustic waves in ink propagates to another nozzle, and varies the ejection efficiency (ejection performance) of the other nozzle.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-143023 describes an inkjet recording apparatus (inkjet printer) including an inkjet head (inkjet recording head) in which multiple nozzles are arranged in a matrix.
The inkjet recording apparatus described in this document includes an air damper provided in a manifold in an inkjet head such that vibrations due to ink ejection do not affect another nozzle (for preventing crosstalk).


According to the still image encoder, as to frame data inputted from the digital video camera, odd field data is held in the odd field memory and even field data is held in the even field memory. The control section divides odd field data and even field data into predetermined blocks, calculates the absolute value total of differences between each pixel data in odd field data and each pixel data in even field data, and compares the total with the predetermined threshold. The DMA controller transfers pixel data of the block in the odd field data to the even field memory when the total is larger than the threshold. The control section codes frame data consisting of odd field data and even field data into JPEG data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a still image encoder for producing still image data from moving image data and coding the produced still image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a image transmission apparatus is used for a video conference system to hold a conference with persons at a long distance, or the like. Recently, this image transmission apparatus is also used for a remote monitoring system to monitor an accident, a disaster and the like at a long distance in addition to the above-mentioned video conference system.
In this image transmission apparatus, to make an original broad band of the moving image data less than a band of a communication circuit or the like, the moving image data is coded into data conforming to MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), and then transmitted. Thus, the moving image data decoded at a receiving side is rougher than the original moving data, for example, the decoded moving image includes noises.
For example, in the video conference system, when moving image data obtained by taking characters written in documents or a blackboard is transmitted by the conventional video transmission equipment, in a receiving side, a receiving device receive the moving image data, and make a result of the decoding process display a display device. Thus, a taken image of caracters written in documents or blackbord is displayed by the display device. In this case, there is a possibility that it is difficult to read the characters.
Further, in the above-mentioned remote monitoring system, when an accident, a disaster or the like occurs, a fine image in which an object or the like moves unsatisfactorily is required as a image to be displayed by the display device rather than a rough image in which an object or the like moves satisfactorily.
In that case, it is also considered to use a still image encoder for a video conference system, a remote monitoring system and the like. That still image encoder codes one-frame data extracted from frame data to be moving data into data conforming to a loss-less coding method in JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group), data conforming to a lossy coding method in JPEG and having a data loss less than in MPEG or the like (hereinafter, data of these two types is called "JPEG data"), data conforming to ITU (International Telecommunication Union)-T Recommendation H.261 Annex-D or another data.
However, as to a moving image signal conforming to NTSC (National Television System Committee), one frame is interlaced with two fields. Thus, there is a difference between timings at which two fields to be one frame are taken. Thus, when frame data for one frame (data for two fields) is extracted as still image data, an image of an object which moves dynamically is blurred, therefore, there is a case that the image can not be recognized visually.
It is also considered that one field is extracted from two fields to be one frame and is coded. In this case, however, a image quality lowers all over the image.


A method for causing gelling or increase of viscosity of an aqueous medium containing a gellable polymeric material which has functionalities with phenolic hydroxy groups, and which, in aqueous medium, is susceptible to viscosity increase or gelling in the presence of a carboxylic ester hydrolase, comprises treating the aqueous medium with: a carboxylic ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1); and an oxidase (EC 1.10.3) and/or a peroxidase (EC 1.11.1); in the presence of an oxidizing agent suitable for use with the oxidase and/or peroxidase. Gelled products obtainable by the method may be dried or dehydrated to give products which are useful as absorbents for absorbing aqueous media, such as body fluids. In particular, gelling a pectic material obtainable from sugar beets using pectinesterase (EC 3.1.1.11) and laccase (EC 1.10.3.2).

The use of a type of enzyme known as a "pectinesterase" (EC 126.96.36.199; systematic name "pectin pectylhydrolase"; also known as "pectin esterase", "pectin methylesterase", "pectin methoxylase" or "pectin demethoxylase"; abbreviated hereafter as PE) for causing gelling or increase of viscosity of aqueous media containing certain pectins is well known. By way of example, WO 94/12055 (Gist-Brocades N.V.) and WO 94/25575 (Novo Nordisk A/S) both describe, inter alia, foodstuff-related applications of PE-catalyzed gelling or viscosity increase of pectin-containing media.
Moreover, certain pectins (hereafter often referred to as "phenolic pectins"), notably pectins obtainable from members of the plant family Chenopodiaceae (which includes beets and spinach), as well as hemicellulosic material from some cereals (e.g. from wheat and maize), are substituted to some extent with substituents derived from certain carboxylic acids containing phenolic hydroxy groups. These phenolic substituents are often derived from substituted cinnamic acids, and in the case of, e.g., phenolic pectins the substituents in question are often "ferulyl" functionalities, i.e. ester functionalities derived from "ferulic acid" (4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid; it does ot appear to have been established clearly whether "ferulic acid" embraces cis or trans isomeric forms, or both).
With respect to the gelling or increase of viscosity of aqueous media containing such phenolic pectins (and some related phenolic polysaccharides) by processes which do not involve the use of PE, the following may be mentioned:
J.-F. Thibault et al., in The Chemistry and Technology of Pectin, Academic Press 1991, Chapter 7, pp. 119-133, describe the oxidative cross-linking of beet pectins (in connection with the gelling thereof) by purely chemical modification, using a powerful oxidant such as, e.g, persulfate. With respect to enzyme-catalyzed processes, the Thibault et al. reference also describes the gelling of sugar beet pectin using a combination of a peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide.
FR 2 545 101 A1 describes a process for modification (including gelling) of beet pectin involving the use of "an oxidizing system comprising at least an oxidizing agent and an enzyme for which the oxidizing agent in question is a substrate". The only types of oxidizing agent and enzyme which are specified and/or for which working examples are given are hydrogen peroxide and peroxidases, respectively.
Similarly, WO 93/10158 describes gelling of aqueous hemicellulosic material containing phenolic substituents [e.g. substituents derived from ferulic acid (vide supra)] using an oxidizing system comprising a peroxide (such as hydrogen peroxide) and an "oxygenase" (preferably a peroxidase).
Applicant's co-pending PCT application No. PCT/DK95/00317 (unpublished at the time of filing of the present application) discloses a method for causing gelling or increase of viscosity of an aqueous medium containing a gellable polymeric material having substituents with phenolic hydroxy groups (such as a phenolic pectin as mentioned above), the method comprising adding an oxidase to the aqueous medium. The oxidase enzymes in question (which are generally classified under EC 1.10.3) are oxidoreductases (EC 1) which are capable of catalyzing oxidation of phenolic groups and which employ molecular oxygen as acceptor. Preferred oxidases in the context of the invention disclosed in PCT/DK95/00317 are laccases (EC 22.214.171.124).
Phenolic pectins of the above-mentioned types, which are preferred starting materials in the context of the present invention, and which--as already mentioned--are naturally occurring phenolic polysaccharides, are readily available relatively cheaply and are of proven physiological safety with regard to ingestion by, and contact with, humans and animals.

Gelling of pectic material using carboxylic ester hydrolase and oxidase and/or peroxidase


An analog front-end (AFE) circuit has at least one AFE stage to generate a conditioned analog signal, and a gain control block to set a gain of the AFE stages. A finite state machine (FSM) block sets the gain to a baseline set gain without gain compression, or a current set gain with gain compression. An amplitude block determines amplitudes of the inner and outer eyes of a signal eye of the conditioned analog signal at the baseline set gain and the current set gain. A compression calculation block determines a gain compression of the conditioned analog signal at the current signal gain based on the relative changes in the respective amplitudes of the inner and outer signal eyes between the baseline and current set gains. The FSM block increases the current set gain until the gain compression ratio reaches a predefined limit.

Analog front-end (AFE) circuits are widely used in various electronic signal processing applications to provide signal conditioning for sensors and other circuits. For example, An AFE is often used for conditioning an analog signal encoding digital data for receipt and conversion by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
A simple AFE circuit 100 with variable gain for converting an analog signal into a digital signal is shown in FIG. 1. The AFE circuit 100 comprises a variable gain amplifier (VGA) block 110, a signal conditioning block 120, and an ADC block 130. A received analog signal 140 is first adjusted in amplitude by the VGA block 110 based on a gain control signal 150 either to increase (amplify) or decrease (attenuate) the analog signal 140 amplitude depending on the received signal characteristics and the desired signal amplitude in the following analog blocks. The amplitude-adjusted analog signal 160 is then received by the signal conditioning block 120 which conditions the amplitude-adjusted analog signal 160, for example by filtering noise, mitigating inter-symbol interference, compensating direct current (DC) offset, and improving signal integrity of the received signal. The signal conditioning block 120 may include one or more blocks, each of which may have nonlinear effects on the signal 160 and may amplify or attenuate the signal 160. The conditioned analog signal 170 is received by the ADC 130 which converts the conditioned analog signal 170 into a digital signal 180. Usually the calculated signal level at the output of the ADC 130 is used to set the gain control signal 150 of the VGA 110 so that the output signal level meets certain criteria.
One challenge faced in the design and implementation of an AFE circuit is gain compression which is illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, an ideal amplifier will be characterized by a linear relationship between an input voltage and an output voltage over all values of the input voltage. The ideal amplifier is thus said to be characterized by a linear gain. A practical amplifier, however, is typically characterized by nonlinear gain above some threshold amplitude which depends upon numerous factors including the characteristics of the amplifier circuitry and the environment of the circuit. Above the threshold input voltage, which may be termed a 'nonlinear range', further increases in input voltage do not result in proportional increases in output voltage, but rather typically result in smaller increases than produced below the threshold voltage in a 'linear range'. Thus, above the threshold voltage, the gain of the amplifier is said to be 'compressed'.
Gain compression is a challenge in the design and implementation of AFE circuits as the analog elements of an AFE circuit are typically characterized by nonlinear gain above a threshold signal amplitude (and thus, voltage). A received analog signal will typically include portions with relatively higher and lower instantaneous amplitude, for example the peaks and valleys, respectively, of a carrier wave. Depending upon the gain of the VGA block, the peaks of the signal may be made to fall within the nonlinear range of the signal conditioning block, while the valleys remain in the linear range. Due to gain compression, the peaks, and any other portion of the signal above the threshold amplitude, do not increase in amplitude as much as the valleys of the signal and any other portion below the threshold amplitude, thus causing distortion of the signal received by the ADC block. In order words, the impact of gain compression is that the signal received by the ADC block is distorted by the nonlinear gain of analog elements of the AFE circuit, and the signal level received by the ADC block is not as expected. These effects cause an increased amount of error after converting the analog signal into a digital representation which in turn results in a degradation of overall system performance.
There are several challenges compensating for analog nonlinearity and AFE gain control. One challenge is that the observed signal level at the output of the ADC does not indicate whether nonlinear effects are being produced in the system. Consequently, increasing the gain in order to reduce the ADC sampling error may actually increase the sampling error due to the degradation of the signal from nonlinear effects. Another challenge is that the actual gain produced by the VGA typically varies from device to device due to silicon process variations and also varying device operating conditions such as voltage and temperature, which makes direct calculation of the actual gain of the VGA impractical, which in turn makes impractical direct calculation of the gain compression in the circuit using only the observed output signal level of the ADC.
One typical approach to gain control of a nonlinear amplifier is to measure the output voltage and increase the gain until a target output voltage level is reached. A disadvantage of this approach is that it does not take gain compression of the amplifier into account and as such severe signal degradation can occur.
A variant of the above typical approach is to select the target output voltage level based on a determination of a typical linear range of the AFE circuit. Such approach does not take into account, however, the fact that that the actual gain characteristics and nonlinear range of AFE circuits change over silicon process variations and operating conditions such as temperature and voltage. Using a predetermined target amplitude can nevertheless result in severe signal distortion due to varying process and operating conditions.
Another issue is that a typical signal conditioning circuit may include multiple stages of elements which include additional gain controls and are characterized by nonlinear gain when the input signal from a preceding stage is too high. It is problematic and impractical to allocate gains to these stages without visibility of the compression of the signal causing a stage to be overdriven by the preceding stage resulting in signal distortion.
In view of the above disadvantages, typical AFE circuits are designed to minimize gain compression by limiting the VGA gain so as to ensure that the amplitude of the amplitude-adjusted analog signal falls within the linear region of the conditioning circuit block. Lacking an accurate knowledge of the gain characteristics of the conditioning circuit block, and in order to compensate for variations in the gain due to process variations and operating conditions however, and in order to ensure that the complete dynamic range of the signal can be compensated, the resulting conditioned analog signal is typically below a level which provides an optimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the ADC block. The result is a degradation of the system performance due to non-optimal receiver gain.
In other words, in a conventional AFE design, the linear gain range of an amplifier is often over-designed in order to minimize the compression effects in the receiver with the disadvantageous result of increased power consumption and amplifier design complexity.
There is thus material value in techniques which address, compensate, or provide a solution to the problem of, gain compression in AFE circuits.

Automatic gain compression detection and gain control for analog front-end with nonlinear distortion


A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes establishing a communication channel between a first network element and a second network element; identifying a video processing characteristic for a data stream in a network environment; embedding a plurality of bits into the data stream in order to identify the video processing characteristic that has been identified by the first network element; and communicating the data stream with the plurality of bits to a next destination.

Networking architectures have grown increasingly complex in communications environments. Data traffic has grown extensively in recent years, which has significantly increased the demands on network resources and devices. Video traffic has added a layer of complexity to processing in the network. As the subscriber base of end users increases, efficient management of communication resources becomes even more critical. In some instances, redundant processing may cause network equipment to become unnecessarily overwhelmed, provide suboptimal performance, or inhibit the delivery of video data. Hence, there is a challenge in managing video data processing in a network environment.

System and method for managing video processing in a network environment


A mounting pan for a hollow utility pole to mount the same on a concrete support is described. The pan includes an upper mounting plate for securing the same to the pole base, and simultaneously to the concrete support wherein a toroidal recess is provided between the base of the plate and the concrete support for the accumulation of moisture within the pole structure and gravity drains therefrom are provided to eliminate the accumulatedd moisture from the structure.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a support for a utility pole such as the type used for illumination in commercial surface parking lots, and may be adapted to any type of installation utilizing a vertically disposed hollow support pole.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Outdoor pole assemblies for supporting electrical devices can be substantial installations wherein a support pole is mounted on a base and electrical conduits extend upwardly through the base and through the pole to a light structure mounted on the top of the pole. Such constructions are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,343,322; 3,400,905; 3,671,738; and 4,878,160. Typically the base of the pole includes a mounting plate which extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the pole and which provides peripheral openings for receiving bolts so that the pole itself can be bolted to a permanent mount. In many instances the permanent mount is of concrete, set in the ground, and the bolts extend upwardly from the upper face thereof so that the holes in the pole support plate receive bolts set in the concrete mount. Setting nuts and washers are placed on each boit sot that the support plate can be temporarily supported. Adjusting the setting bolts allows for plumbing of the vertical light pole shaft. Once proper alignment is achieved, high strength grout is placed between the top at the support structure and the underside of the support plate, thereby uniformly distributing the loads.
In the case of lighting installations for large surface parking lots, for example, the pole can be quite tall and therefore considerable force can be exerted on the base during a windstorm. Therefore it is necessary that the base be a substantial structure, but still provide an internal passageway for the electrical conduits which ultimately extend up the inside of the support pole structure to the light fixture at the top thereof.
A particular disadvantage of such hollow pole structures is the lack of provision for moisture which accumulates within the hollow pole structure, as the grout placed between the top of the support and the underside of the support plate will not allow captured moisture to escape. The use of field installed weep tubes is irregular and generally ineffective. Condensation occurs due to the change in ambient temperature, and the pole assembly is not normally watertight so that during rainstorms or the like, moisture may invade the interior of the pole structure.
The moisture thus entering the pole structure is not initially a substantial problem in that it is not normally present in a large quantity. However, over a period of time the accumulation will build and can result in deterioration of the light pole shaft and connections within the pole structure.


An electrical pressure washer includes a diagnostic circuit for detecting operation conditions that may affect the normal operation of the pressure washer, and a plurality of indicators indicating the detected operation conditions, such as ground fault, low pressure, overheating, etc. A voltage drop across the power cord of the pressure washer is monitored and used to identify several of the operating conditions. A way of connecting and controlling light-emitting diodes used as indicator lights is provided to allow energy-efficient operation of the indicator lights.

A pressure washer is a device that outputs a high-pressure jet of water that can be used to wash surfaces such as wood, tile, concrete, etc. Many pressure washers are powered by electricity and designed for household and light commercial use. Such an electrical pressure washer typically includes an electrical motor for pressurizing water from a low-pressure source (e.g., a garden hose) to a much higher pressure. The pressurized water then goes through a flexible hose to an application wand (or lance), which is fitted with a nozzle with a fixed or variable aperture and has a trigger for turning high-pressure water jet on or off. To enhance the cleaning power of the water stream, some pressure washers have a chemical tank for storing a liquid detergent and have an operation mode in which the detergent is extracted from the tank by means of vacuum suction and mixed into the water stream.
Although an electrical pressure washer is a relatively simple device, its operation may be affected by various conditions and may appear to an inexperienced user to be malfunctioning even if the machine is actually in good shape. For instance, an electrical pressure washer may be required by safety code or regulations to be equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) for protecting a user from electrical shocks. A GFCI, however, may sometimes be accidentally tripped, and the AC power to the motor will be cut off as a result. In such a situation, the pressure washer can be put back in operation by simply resetting the GFCI. Nevertheless, an inexperienced user who is unaware of the existence and/or function of the GFCI may think that pressure washer is broken. As another example, when the pressure washer is put in the chemical suction mode, the pressure of the water jet is significantly lower than that in the normal operation mode. A user, however, may not know or remember to check that the pressure washer is in the chemical suction mode and may jump to the conclusion that the pressure washer is defective. Also, the pressure washer will not work properly if the AC voltage supplied to it is low, which may happen if the user plugs the pressure washer into a long extension cord, which introduces a substance voltage drop due to the large amount of current drawn by the pressure washer.
Thus, inexperienced users often find it difficult to identify the reasons why their electrical pressure washers do not work as expected. Such difficulties present a serious problem to the manufacturer of the pressure washers due to the increased cost for providing consumer services. When a user plugs in a newly purchased pressure washer and does not get the expected high-pressure water jet, he may think that the machine is defective and decide to return it to the store where he bought it. The allegedly bad machine is then returned the manufacturer even if it is fully functional. A user may also call in for service under warranty when his pressure washer stops pumping water. As a result, a service technician may have to be dispatched to service the machine in the field, even if the problem can be simply corrected by resetting the GFCI switching from the chemical suction mode to the normal operation mode, or removing the extension cord, etc.

Pressure washer with diagnostic indicators


A device and method wherein, using a keypad such as a standard alphanumeric telephone-style keypad, text entry is improved by employing a key-press combination which indicates which of the multiple characters associated with a key is chosen. The user will push-and-hold a first key, then press a second key; the position within the keypad, such the row number, of the first key indicates which of the characters represented by the second key are chosen. In this way, any standard character can be selected with a two-key combination.

Portable electronic devices with text entry capabilities are increasing in usage. These devices are being built in smaller sizes each year. For many of these devices, such as cellular phones, models that are small in size are perceived as desirable by consumers. Cellular phone manufacturers have responded to this, and produce a variety of cellular phones that are small relative to earlier models, with some models being smaller than the size of a user's palm.
Cellular phones have a number of features that require a user to input alphanumeric characters. A user may, for example, enter alphanumeric text in the name field of a phone list maintained in the phone. A user may also use a cell phone to send text messages via short messaging service (SMS) technology. To do this, a user generally inputs alphanumeric characters into the phone. Typically, a numeric keypad is used to enter alphanumeric characters, where the number of alphanumeric characters exceeds the number of numeric input keys.
A technique generally used to enter alphanumeric characters into a phone uses a standard alphabetic arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1. In this method a cellular phone has two data entry modes, a numeric mode and an alphanumeric mode. In the numeric mode, activation of the data entry keys represents numeric digits. The numeric digits are determined from the correspondence between each data entry key and the numeric digit associated with that key. In a standard telephone, activation of data entry keys in numeric mode generates dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) signals in accordance with an industry standard.
When operating in the alphanumeric mode, single activation of a data entry key is interpreted as a user selection of the first letter in the sequence of letters that are assigned to the particular data entry key. Similarly, when a data entry key is activated twice by a user, this is interpreted as a selection of the second letter in the sequence of letters associated with that particular data entry key. A timeout threshold is used to determine when selection of a character is complete. If a period of time equal to the timeout threshold follows the activation of a key without a subsequent activation of a key, the selection of the character is considered to be completed. Also, if the user activates a first key followed by an activation of a different key, the activation of the second key is considered to be the beginning of the selection of a new character.
With this method, a user may activate a key one, two, three, or four times in order to select a particular letter of the alphabet. Multiple activations of keys increase the time required to enter text using the keypad.
In addition to use of the keys to enter alphanumeric data, letters on keys assist users in entering telephone numbers or other numeric data. Some telephone numbers are represented by mnemonic phone numbers, in which at least part of the phone number is specified by the use of letters, to assist in memorization of the number. For example, 1-800-ABCDEFG is equivalent to 1-800-2223334, when a user activates each key once for each number or letter in the mnemonic phone number.
Because entry of alphanumeric characters on a limited keypad is less efficient than on a full sized keyboard, a mechanism for improving the efficiency is desirable. Changes to increasing efficiency can be problematic because users are familiar with the standard key mapping. Also, the use of mnemonic telephone numbers is a further consideration.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for an improved device and method for entering alphanumeric data in a portable communications device.

Device and method for improved text entry on an alphanumeric keypad


A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, includes dividing a pattern region of a desired pattern that is to be formed on a semiconductor substrate into a plurality of sub-regions; calculating combination condition including a shape of illumination light for transferring and a mask pattern obtained by correcting a partial pattern in the sub-region of the desired pattern formed on a mask used during transferring for each of the plurality of sub-regions, to make a dimension error of the partial pattern of each of the plurality of sub-regions smaller when transferred to the semiconductor substrate; and forming the desired pattern by making multiple exposures on the semiconductor substrate in such a way that the partial patterns of the sub-regions divided are sequentially transferred by transferring a pattern to the semiconductor substrate using the combination conditions calculated for each of the sub-regions.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, a pattern writing apparatus, a recording medium recording a program, and a pattern transfer apparatus, and for example, relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device that controls a pattern formed on a mask and illumination light of a pattern writing apparatus that transfers the mask pattern onto a semiconductor substrate and related devices thereof.
2. Related Art
A lithography technique which leads development of micropatterning of a semiconductor device is a very important process for exclusively generating a pattern in semiconductor fabricating processes. In recent years, with an increase in integration density of an LSI, a circuit line width required for semiconductor devices is getting smaller year by year. In order to form a desired circuit pattern on such a semiconductor device, a high-precision original pattern (also called a reticle or a mask) is needed. In this case, an electron beam pattern writing technique essentially has an excellent resolution, and is used in production of high-precision original patterns.
FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an operation of a variable-shaped electron beam pattern writing apparatus. The variable-shaped electron beam (EB: Electron Beam) pattern writing apparatus operates as described below. In a first aperture plate 410, a quadrangular opening 411 to shape an electron beam 330 is formed. In a second aperture plate 420, a variable-shaped opening 421 to shape the electron beam 330 having passed through the opening 411 of the first aperture plate 410 into a desired quadrangular shape is formed. The electron beam 330 irradiated from the charged particle source 430 and having passed through the opening 411 of the first aperture plate 410 is deflected by a deflector and passes through a portion of the variable-shaped opening 421 of the second aperture plate 420 to irradiate a target object 340 mounted on a stage continuously moving in one predetermined direction (for example, the X direction) with the electron beam 330. That is, a quadrangular shape which can pass through both the opening 411 of the first aperture plate 410 and the variable-shaped opening 421 of the second aperture plate 420 is formed in a pattern writing region of the target object 340 mounted on the stage continuously moving in the X direction. The scheme for causing a beam to pass through both the opening 411 of the first aperture plate 410 and the variable-shaped opening 421 of the second aperture plate 420 to form an arbitrary shape is called a variable-shaping scheme (VSB scheme).
With an increasing degree of integration of pattern, the line width precision of a pattern on a silicon wafer of up to 3 to 5 nm is now demanded. The method of changing illumination of a transfer apparatus (scanner) to increase the resolution of a pattern is proposed (see, for example, "Generation of arbitrary freeform source shapes using advanced illumination system in high-NA immersion scanners", Proc. of SPIE Vol. 7640 764005-1). Also, the method of transfer by grouping patterns desired to be transferred onto a wafer and changing the shape of illumination light of each group by fitting to the trend of the pattern is proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application laid-Open No. 2008-311502). However, dimensions change due to the optical proximity effect when a pattern of a mask is transferred onto a wafer and thus, the pattern is corrected to correct dimensional changes. Then, the corrected pattern will be formed on the mask. Thus, even if the illumination shape is selected by fitting to the pattern to be transferred, the actual mask pattern is different, causing dimension errors of the pattern. Further, dense patterns and coarse patterns are internally mixed in an LSI pattern. Thus, it is difficult to improve dimensional precision for all patterns at the same time.

Method for fabricating semiconductor device, pattern writing apparatus, recording medium recording program, and pattern transfer apparatus


A method and apparatus for supplying bulk material to an end user includes the step of providing a bulk material source that is at a location distant from the end user and a specially configured vessel and trailer apparatus for transporting the bulk material to the end user. The vessel is filled with bulk material at the bulk material source and then transported with a specially configured trailer. Alternatively, at source or destination, the vessel can remain as a temporary storage device, free-standing from the trailer. During transport between the bulk material source and the end user, the vessel is filled or partially filled with a selected bulk material. During transport, the vessel is in a generally horizontal position, supported by the trailer and a specially configured elevator. The vessel is unloaded from the trailer by moving the vessel longitudinally along the trailer and by transferring the vessel from a generally horizontal position upon the trailer to an elevated upright position.

1. Field
The present invention relates to the trailer transport, and intermediate temporary storage, of bulk cargo from a bulk product source or bulk material source to an end user. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for supplying a bulk material to an end user wherein a specially configured trailer having a wheeled chassis (e.g., drop frame) and a moving elevator transports a loaded vessel between a bulk material source and an end user, the trailer being configured to cradle the vessel in a generally horizontal position during transport and to move the vessel from the generally horizontal position to a generally vertical position for end use. At the source or origin and/or at destination the vessel may be used for intermediate temporary storage after being filled completely or partially with bulk material. A number of different container/vessel configurations are disclosed.
2. General Background
Many dried bulk cargo materials are supplied from a bulk material source to an end user using huge transport vehicles such as railroad cars and tractor trailer rigs. These presently available transport systems ignore the need of many smaller and medium sized end users that do not require full railroad car loads or full tractor trailer loads of the bulk material.
Bulk bags can be used to carry many dry bulk materials from a supplier to an end user. However, these bulk bags are limited in their capacity to loads of about 2000 pounds or less.
While certain novel features of this invention shown and described below are pointed out in the annexed claims, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details specified, since a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. No feature of the invention is critical or essential unless it is expressly stated as being "critical" or "essential."

Method and apparatus for supplying bulk product to an end user


A semiconductor input/output (I/O) circuit includes a first protection circuit connecting an analog power supply terminal with a digital power supply line and a digital ground line and a second protection circuit connecting an analog ground terminal with the digital power supply line and the digital ground line. An analog I/O terminal is provided between the analog power supply terminal and the analog ground terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an Input/Output (I/O) circuit for a CMOS multiple-power-supply integrated circuit, and more particularly to a semiconductor I/O circuit for protecting the integrated circuit. The semiconductor I/O circuit is designed to minimize the circuit scale of the semiconductor circuit as well as to reduce the effects of noise that an analog circuit receives from a digital circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In digital semiconductor integrated circuits, protection circuits are typically not provided in the power supply or ground terminals since a general protection circuit is normally arranged between each I/O terminal and an internal circuit corresponding to the power supply and ground. However, in an integrated circuit that operates with plural power supply units (e.g., analog and digital power supply units for supplying power to analog and digital circuitry, respectively), protection circuits are also needed between the I/O terminals (e.g., analog I/O terminals) of one block or group of cells and a power supply or ground (e.g., digital power or ground) of another block or group of cells.
An example of a conventional semiconductor integrated circuit having both analog and digital circuitry (e.g., an analog/digital mixed semiconductor integrated circuit) is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. In the I/O circuit shown in FIG. 3A, in order to prevent noise generated by the digital circuitry from interfering with the analog circuitry, the I/O terminals that are connected to power supply lines 16, 18, 20 and GND lines 17, 19, 21 are separated. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, analog power supply line 16, and analog GND line 17 run along and are typically input via a pair of terminals provided along analog I/O terminals 11. Pads 51 are provided in each of the terminals. Digital power supply lines 18 and 20 and digital GND lines 19 and 21 run along and are input via one or more terminals provided along digital I/O terminals 14 and 15, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3A, gaps 25 and 26 are provided between the analog and digital terminals to separate the analog and digital terminals from each other. As shown even more clearly in the layout view depicted in FIG. 3B, typically the analog power terminal and analog ground terminal are arranged between the analog I/O terminals as shown. Gaps 25 and 26 are provided between the analog I/O terminals and the digital I/O terminals 14 and 15, as shown, for isolating the analog and digital terminals from each other.
However, in the I/O circuit shown in FIG. 3, protection circuitry is not provided between the analog circuitry (e.g. power supplied to the analog circuitry) and the digital circuitry (e.g., power supplied to the digital circuitry). Therefore, an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) event or a "latch up" is likely to occur when an over current or over voltage occurs on an analog I/O terminal. In addition, gaps 25 and 26, necessary for isolating the analog and digital I/O terminals, occupy valuable space on the integrated circuit.
To overcome such problems, attempts have been made at providing circuitry for protecting from ESD events. An example of conventional I/O circuitry used in an analog/digital mixed semiconductor integrated circuit for protecting from ESD events is shown in FIG. 4. In the I/O circuit shown in FIG. 4, resistors 28 and 29 are provided in gaps 25 and 26, respectively. Resistors 28 and 29 connect the analog GND line 17 with the digital GND lines 19 and 21, respectively. The resistors function as protection circuits for preventing the semiconductor integrated circuit from being damaged by an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) event.
However, although in the circuit shown in FIG. 4 the digital GND lines and the analog GND line are connected with each other via resistors, even in this I/O circuit, damage from an ESD event or a "latch up" is not sufficiently prevented. That is, since there is no protection circuitry provided between the analog circuitry and the digital power supply line or between the digital circuitry and the analog power supply line an ESD event or a "latch up" may still damage the integrated circuitry. Moreover, since the resistors are provided in gaps 25 and 26, an increased area is still required on the semiconductor chip for the I/O circuitry.
Another example of conventional I/O circuitry used in an analog/digital mixed semiconductor integrated circuit is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. As shown in FIG. 5A, protection circuits 30 and 31 are provided in gaps 25 and 26, respectively. Protection circuits 30 and 31 are shown more clearly in FIGS. 7B and 7A, respectively.
Protection circuit 31 connects analog power supply line 16 and analog GND line 17 with digital power supply line 20 and digital GND line 21, as shown. Protection circuit 30 connects analog power supply line 16 and analog GND line 17 with digital power supply line 18 and digital GND line 19, as shown. Protection circuits 30 and 31 consist of N-channel MOS transistors 30a, 30b and N-channel MOS transistors 31a, 31b, respectively, as shown. As shown in FIG. 5B, protection circuits 30 and 31 are provided in addition to protection circuits 50a which are typically provided for each I/O terminal.
Using the protection circuitry shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the power supply can be protected from an over current or over voltage by the use of the protection circuits provided in the I/O circuit. That is, in the I/O circuit shown in FIG. 5, electric current does not flow through the protection circuits even when there is a potential difference between the analog and digital power supply lines.
However, this type of I/O circuit, because of the arrangement of the analog and digital I/O terminals, requires an increased area for the I/O circuitry on the semiconductor substrate since transistors have to be provided between the analog power supply line and the digital power supply lines as well as between the analog GND line and the digital GND lines. That is, as shown clearly in FIG 5B, because of the typical arrangement of the cells, protection circuits are not provided in the analog power cell and the analog ground cell, thus resulting in unused and wasted areas on the semiconductor circuit.
Another example of conventional I/O circuitry is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 106455/95. Such I/O circuitry is used in an analog/digital mixed semiconductor integrated circuit and is described by reference to FIG. 6. The I/O circuit shown in FIG. 6 is used in a semiconductor integrated circuit driven by three power supply lines 32-34, and is equipped with a protection circuit 36 for preventing the semiconductor integrated circuit from being damaged by an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) event. The protection circuit 36 consists of N-channel MOS transistors 36a, 36b, 36d connecting power supply lines 32-34, respectively, with a GND line 35, and N-channel MOS transistors 36c, 36e, 36f connecting power supply lines 32-34, with each other.
However, the I/O circuit shown in FIG. 6 requires that a plurality of power supply lines run through the I/O circuit, restricting the effective use of the area of the I/O circuit.


Burner fed with combustive air and combustible gas, comprising a distribution chamber (3) communicating with a combustion chamber (11), with interposition between them of a combustion grille (13). The distribution chamber is fed tangentially with air and gas and comprises a mixing turbine (15). The burner may be ignited through the periphery of the combustion chamber.

There exist today, of course, many burners belonging to this category.
However, various practical difficulties remain linked in particular to problems of excessive heating in the flame holding zones, of flame instability and of combustion quality, liable to generate malfunctions and in particular excessive production of carbon monoxide, or even damage to burners.
In particular, in the context of the immersed tube installations designed for the heating of industrial baths, the applicant has already proposed some solutions, one of which is set forth in French Patent Application FR-A-2,606,492 filed on 7 Nov. 1986.

Gas Burner with combustion grille, its combustion process, and heating installation comprising such a burner


A system and method to provide location signaling for service, such as a request for transport from a child to his or her parent(s) to be picked up from school, for example. A dedicated communication device has location capabilities and a control to request service for the bearer. At least one monitoring communication device, such as one for each parent, is operable to receive a location with a request for service and acknowledge same. A secure domain manager can be used to; receive the location and request service instruction, deliver the location and request service instruction to the monitoring device(s), obtain an acknowledgment from one monitoring device, and send the acknowledgment to the other monitoring devices and the bearer's communication device. Communication is only allowed between the bearer's device and monitoring devices. The location of the communication device can be tracked, and navigation can be provided thereto.

The recent explosion of wireless communication devices and applications lends itself to many uses besides basic communications. The predominant use of such devices has been to allow family and friends to keep in touch with each other. However, due to high monthly fees it has been uneconomical to provide such devices to small children. In addition, very small children would not be able to properly operate the typical cellular phone. However, it is of paramount concern to monitor children for their safety. Therefore, the solution has arisen to use wireless technology to satisfy the need to provide child location systems.
One prior art solution is to use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to provide location services. However, such service is typically incorporated within a communication device and generally does not provide interaction with external devices and services. Another prior art solution has been to install radio frequency (RF) tags, such as in a car for example, which can transmit a location of the car if it is stolen. Again the technology is expensive and requires a large transmitter power source, such as a car battery. In addition, special receivers and software are needed to detect the signal. Another prior art solution uses cellular technology to locate a control signal scan of a cellular device. However, this technique requires a high power source for the continuous multicell control signal scan and response transmissions thereto. All of the above suffer from high expense, being impractical, or being difficulty to use.
Other prior art solutions attempt to provide a relatively lower cost solution. One such solution provides similar communication devices between a guardian and a child operable on a cellular network. However, such devices require complicated addressing and timing schemes to avoid interference with similar local devices. Other solutions provide a transmitter beacon on a child, which is simple, and a directional receiver with a location display for the parent. However, the directional receiver requires special hardware and constant monitoring of the parent. This simplistic method is little better than the parent keeping a constant eye on the child, which is still the method used most frequently today. Still another solution provides a customized system that provides a bracelet transceiver for the child and a monitor transceiver for a parent, wherein the parent can signal the bracelet to let the child know to return to the parent. However, this system is not autonomous and requires a positive action on the part of the parent to provide a system activation signal.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and system which permits secure signaling of location information wirelessly to registered monitoring devices within a secure shared wireless domain, in order to request a service. It would also be of benefit to provide a way for one or more monitoring devices to signal that they will respond to the request for service, ensuring that everyone in the domain knows their responsibility in providing the service.


A system and method for projecting information from a phone. User preferences are received for projection. The user preferences indicate information associated with one or more types of communications. A communication is received. A determination is made whether the received communication is one of the one or more types of communications associated with the user preferences. The indicated information associated with the received communication is projected in response to the determination. The indicated information being projected by a projector integrated with the phone onto a display surface.

The use of and development of communications has grown nearly exponentially in recent years. The growth is fueled by larger networks with more reliable protocols and better communications hardware available to service providers and consumers. Users have similarly grown to expect better communications from home, work, and on the go. For example, users now expect faster connection speeds, increased bandwidth, better reliability, and greater availability from all types of communications networks. In many cases, the growth is driven by people looking to give up traditional communications schemes for the efficiency, effectiveness, and availability of new networks, systems, and devices.
For example, options for communications with a telephone have not significantly improved with changing technology. Most communications are still limited to legacy systems and established methods. Many individuals would warmly embrace technologies and features that enhance communications. As a result, there is a need for enhanced features for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), standard telephones, wireless data and voice networks, and other communications devices, mediums, and networks.

System and method for a projection enabled VoIP phone


An abrasive cleaning apparatus comprising a single-block plastic blasting booth having a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall, and side walls, wherein at least a portion of one of the side walls defines an opening closeable by a door, thereby providing access inside the single-block blasting booth, and wherein one or more gaskets create a hermetic seal between the single-block blasting booth and the openable side wall portion, the one or more gaskets being provided on one or more of the opening and the door. The abrasive cleaning material may comprise sodium bicarbonate or a granular mixture containing sodium bicarbonate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an abrasive cleaning apparatus by a blasting process, and, more particularly, a apparatus suitable for the abrasive cleaning of small and medium size object.
2. Description of Related Art
In the prior art, the cleaning of metal and non-metal objects, especially objects with rigid surfaces on which deposits such as grease, oil and paint are deposited, is performed by means of sandblasting, which consists of projecting towards the objects, by means of pressurized air, granules of sand or of other solid material, in order to remove by abrasion all the substances that have adhered to the object to be cleaned.
Basically, a flow of pressurized air, conveyed in a Venturi tube, sucks the sand or, in general, the granular abrasive material from a tank and conveys it to a delivery nozzle from which it is discharged at high speed.
Alternatively, a pressure tank may be adopted containing the abrasive material which is then sucked from the tank and projected onto the object to be cleaned.
Some sandblasting procedures include the use of water in addition to air and the granular abrasive material, for a more efficient elimination of the particles to be removed. The operator directs the nozzle towards the object to be cleaned, thus projecting the granular abrasive material onto the surfaces of the object to be cleaned.
The sandblasters in the prior art also comprise a sandblasting booth, a vacuum suction system for the granular abrasive material, and a filtering system for the air leaving the booth.
The booth consists basically of a hollow structure provided with an access door, a glass inspection window, two holes with long-sleeved gloves, and an outlet at the bottom. The sandblasting booth is designed to accommodate the object to be cleaned and is provided with a hopper base for the outflow of the air and solid parts (particles removed and sand or granular abrasive material).
The inner portion of the booth contains the nozzle for the emission of the air and the sand or granular abrasive material.
The front wall of the sandblasting booth is provided with a glass window for checking the sandblasting process and with two gloves with sleeves, extending inside the sandblasting booth and accessible from the outside, to allow the operator to handle the sandblasting nozzle and rotate the object to be cleaned.
The feed system for the granular abrasive material is installed separately from the sandblasting booth and comprises upstream a pressurized air source and downstream at least one sandblasting nozzle housed in the sandblasting booth.
The sandblasting booth discharge hopper is connected to the suction and separation system for the fumes leaving the booth, said system being designed in such a way as to separate the solid parts (particles removed and abrasive material) from the air.
The sandblasters in the prior art have a number of disadvantages.
First, the sandblasting booths of the sandblasters in the prior art are made of bent and welded sheet metal or fiberglass.
The closed booths made of sheet metal are very noisy, as the air emitted under pressure from the sandblasting nozzle generates sound waves which are amplified by the metal walls of the sandblasting booth. Further, the sand or granular abrasive material projected onto the object to be cleaned and the metal walls of the sandblasting booth generate noise, causing the vibration of the metal walls of the sandblasting booth.
The various walls and metal and sheet metal parts are joined by welding, and the welding spots, which generally correspond to the bending corners, can be naturally porous due to the addition of filler metal during the welding process. This problem is amplified by the fact that in sheet metal welding it is not possible to add significant quantities of filler metal.
Furthermore, the gaskets employed in the prior art are subject to involuntary treatment with the abrasive jet, with a consequent rapid deterioration. After a short time the booth is no longer sealed, with consequent loss of abrasive material, which is harmful for the users. This porosity or microporosity causes also a loss of material, or water in the versions with water, which can occur even after a relatively short time of use. If the construction material employed is not stainless steel, the problem could be further accelerated due to the corrosion that occurs as a result of oxidation of the above porosity points.
If aggressive chemical agents are used in the sandblasting process, for example degreasers or solvents, the metal walls and the welding lines are affected by the action of said chemical agents, which can trigger metal corrosion or oxidation.
Closed metal booths also require skilled labor for the welding of the various internal and external supports for connecting the various parts to the structure, such as the hinges for the loading door, the brackets for the door locks, the supports for the delivery means, etc.
The objects placed inside the closed booths and turned on their various sides for cleaning may also be inadvertently pushed against the metal walls, which can be surface damaged, deformed or seriously damaged.
Further, closed booths made of metal are very heavy due to the construction material used, with consequent problems of transportation, installation and subsequent handling.
Closed booths made of fiberglass partly dampen the noise and can absorb occasional shocks, but are also affected by the abrasive action of the sand or abrasive material in granules, consequently wearing out and producing and accumulating glass dust in the hopper, in the outlet and in the filtering system.
In addition to the above problems strictly relating to closed booths, there are other disadvantages concerning the entire sandblasting system.
The various parts of the current sandblasters (sandblasting booth, suction system for sand or granular abrasive material and filtering system) constitute independent elements interconnected by ducts, pipes and cables. All these separate parts require space for installation and maintenance; furthermore the various pipes, ducts and cables hinder the transit and work of the operator.
If the operator is required to modify the sandblaster operating parameters, for example, pressure, quantity of sand or granular abrasive material, or amount of water or other liquids, he must interrupt the sandblasting operation, in order to access the suction system and make the necessary modifications.

Abrasive cleaning plant with single-block plastic booth and integrated feeding and filtering device


The present application is directed to methods of preparing a wet composite patch for use in various applications, such as, for example, reworking a composite part of an aircraft. The method comprises heating the composite patch to a temperature that causes resin containing gaseous components to flow from the patch through a flow path. The gaseous components are vented from the resin while restricting the flow of resin from the composite patch by restricting the flow of resin through the flow path. Systems for performing the methods of the present application are also disclosed.

The present application is directed to systems and methods for reworking composite materials.
Composites are used in a variety of applications in the aerospace industry, in space craft, and in other military and commercial applications. Increasingly, high temperature composites, such as Bismaleimide (BMI) resin composites are used in many of these applications. In certain applications, the composites must be capable of withstanding extreme conditions, including high temperatures of, for example, 300° F. to 500° F., and high humidity conditions, for long periods of time.
Parts made from composites may develop inconsistencies during use and require rework. The inconsistency may be sustained in any number of ways, such as by taking a hit during combat or other events or during severe weather conditions, or by exposure to high temperatures. It is desirable that any rework made to the composite be capable of withstanding the extreme conditions the original composite structure was designed to handle. In certain situations, it is also desirable that the rework conform to the original shape of the composite, so that the rework does not interfere with, for example, the aerodynamic design of the aircraft. Achieving conforming reworks can be difficult, given the complex shapes and highly curved surfaces of composite parts.
A number of processes have been used in the past for reworking composite parts. For example, bolted metal patches have been used for reworking aircraft composites. In these processes, a metal, such as titanium, is machined to form a patch having the desired shape and then bolted over the inconsistent portion of the aircraft. However, procuring titanium may require a long lead-time, and machining, forming and drilling titanium can be challenging. In addition, metal patches may increase the radar signature of the aircraft, and thus may not be a viable rework option for some aircraft.
Bonded, precured BMI composite patches have been used to rework BMI composite parts. In some processes, a BMI composite patch is formed from prepreg materials. The composite patch can then be cured on-aircraft using a release film which allows the patch to be removed from the aircraft after the cure step is complete, followed by a post cure in, for example, an autoclave or oven. After the post-cure is complete, the composite patch is bonded to the aircraft with a film adhesive. Bonding precured BMI composite patches in this manner can be a relatively long and complex process. In addition, the prepreg materials used to form the composite patch often have a limited shelf/storage life. Since prepreg materials generally require freezer storage, there are associated increased storage and transport related logistical costs. The limited shelf life, as well as the storage and transport related logistics, may be particularly problematic in certain military applications, where freezer storage may be limited, or where it may be desirable to rework an aircraft in the field so that it may be redeployed in a short amount of time.

System and method for reworking composites


Rinsing and drying a surface of a microelectronic device and the enhanced removal of rinse fluid from the surface of the microelectronic device while the microelectronic device is rotated is provided as part of a spray processing operation. Rinse fluid is generally directed to the surface of the microelectronic device by a dispensing device while one or more such microelectronic devices are supported on a turntable in a generally horizontal fashion. Drying gas is supplied after the rinsing step. During at least a portion of both rinsing and drying steps, a drying enhancement substance, such as IPA, is delivered to enhance the rinsing and drying. Particle counts and evaporation thicknesses are reduced by delivering a tensioactive compound like IPA, during at least portions of the rinsing and drying steps while a microelectronic device is controllably rotated. The tensioactive compound is preferably delivered into the processing chamber during rinsing and drying and rinse fluid, preferably DI water, is preferably dispensed to the microelectronic device surface at a temperature below the dew point of the tensioactive compound. Moreover, the rotational speeds of the microelectronic device during drying and the tensioactive compound delivery concentration, timing and duration are preferably optimized to achieve further reduced particle counts and evaporation thicknesses.

In the processing of microelectronic devices, such as those including semiconductor wafers and other microelectronic devices at any of various stages of processing, substrate surface cleanliness is becoming more and more critical in virtually all processing aspects. Surface cleanliness is measured in many ways and looks at particle presence and/or water marks as contaminants that may affect production of a microelectronic device.
Microelectronic devices include, as examples, semiconductor wafers at any stage of processing and devices such as flat panel displays, micro-electrical-mechanical-systems (MEMS), advanced electrical interconnect systems, optical components and devices, components of mass data storage devices (disk drives), and the like. In general, reduction in the quantity of smaller and smaller particles from such substrate surfaces is desired in order to maximize productivity of devices from semiconductor wafers and to meet quality standards as determined for such devices while doing so with effective and efficient processing steps. Whereas substrate features and surface characteristics, like a hydrophobic or hydrophilic nature of surfaces, affect the rinsing and particle reduction effectiveness, obtaining acceptable substrates of one type does not necessarily predict effectiveness on another. In particular, bare hydrophobic substrates have been found to be increasingly difficult to effectively reduce the presence of smaller and smaller particles because it is difficult to rinse and dry such substrates without adding significant particles.
Substrate surface cleanliness is important at all processing stages after the application of any processing, cleaning or rinsing fluid to a substrate surface, such as by spray dispensing or immersion techniques. After any rinse step, and in particular, after a final rinse step, it is of greater criticality to provide a clean substrate surface with process, cleaning and rinsing fluids and particles effectively removed as determined for any such microelectronic processing. The effectiveness of cleaning a surface with respect to the presence of particle contaminants is typically determined by the ability to measure particles of a predetermined size and greater as are present on the substrate surface after rinsing and drying, for example. As noted above, the trend in the industry is to reduce the presence of smaller and smaller particles from microelectronic devices for greater productivity and device efficiencies. Many techniques have been developed and accepted for effectively determining the quantity of particles on a microelectronic device surface. The effectiveness of cleaning a surface may also be determined with respect to the presence of liquid films and water marks by measuring liquid thicknesses on the surface after rinsing and drying. Techniques for measuring such film thicknesses have also been developed.
Representative steps in wet processing of microelectronic devices include microelectronic device etching, rinsing and drying. As used herein, wet processing includes immersion processing where at least a portion of a microelectronic device is subjected to immersion for a desired period of time and spray processing where process fluids (including rinse fluid) are dispensed to a device surface. Microelectronic device processing typically includes a series of discrete steps such as including a cleaning and/or wet etching step followed by rinsing and drying. These steps may involve the application of a suitable treatment chemical to the substrate surface, e.g., a gaseous or liquid cleaning solution or an etching or oxidizing agent. Such cleaning solutions or etching or oxidizing agents are then preferably removed by a subsequent rinsing step that utilizes a rinsing fluid such as deionized water (DI water) to dilute and ultimately wash away the previously-applied substances. The removal of native oxides on silicon surfaces by sufficient etching typically changes the silicon surface from hydrophilic and renders such HF last-etched surfaces as hydrophobic.
In the case of immersion processing, lifting one or more substrates from a rinse bath (such as a cascade type rinser, as are well known) or lowering the liquid within the vessel can be conducted after the device(s) are adequately rinsed in order to separate the device(s) from the rinse liquid. For spray processing, rinse fluid is dispensed onto a device surface for a determined period while and/or after which a device (or plurality of devices on a carousel in a stack) is rotated or spun at an effective speed to sling the rinse fluid from the device surface. In either immersion or spray processing, it is a goal of such rinsing processes to effectively dry a processed device, i.e. to physically remove as much rinse fluid as possible, in order to reduce the amount of fluid that is left after rinsing to be evaporated from the device surface. Evaporation of rinse fluid may leave behind any contaminants or particles that had been suspended within the fluid.
For enhanced separation or removal of rinse fluid from microelectronic devices after a rinsing step, techniques have been developed to introduce certain compounds that create a surface tension gradient within the rinse fluid at and near the point of separation of the fluid from the device surface. The effect of this, commonly called the Marangoni effect, is to enhance the ability of the rinse fluid (typically DI water) to shed from the device surface under the action of either separating a device from a liquid bath in immersion separation or spinning a device in the case of spray dispensing. The removal of rinse fluid has been found to be enhanced on either hydrophilic or hydrophobic device surfaces with such techniques. Compounds that affect surface tension and create such a surface tension gradient are known and include isopropyl alcohol (IPA), 1-methoxy-2-propanol, di-acetone alcohol, and ethyleneglycol and are hereinafter referred to as tensioactive compounds. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,337 to Mohindra et al. for an immersion type vessel and U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,774 to Leenaars et al. for a spin dispensing apparatus, each of which utilize the Marangoni effect as part of the removal of rinse fluid.
After rinsing, a thin film of rinse fluid may remain on some or all of a microelectronic device surface (particularly with a hydrophilic surface) and/or liquid drops may remain at certain points, such as are known to sometimes form at edge gripper contact points. Any such remaining fluid is desirably removed with a further drying step. The rinsing and drying steps are, in general, separate processing events. Drying does not typically begin until the substrate surface has been rinsed as completely as possible of contaminants and processing chemicals. A particular drying operation utilized depends on parameters of the separation or removal (e.g. speed of separation or spinning, orientation of the microelectronic devices, and the like) as well as characteristics of the microelectronic devices themselves (e.g. the hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature of the device surface, the presence of patterning or not on the device surface). Any liquid droplets or films that remain on a microelectronic device surface after rinsing and separation are desirably removed from the microelectronic device surface. If such droplets or films are left to evaporate from the microelectronic device surface, any contaminants suspended within the droplets or films might be deposited on the microelectronic device surface, which contaminants may render a portion of the microelectronic device unsuitable for further processing or use. Known drying techniques include the use of heated gases, such as heated nitrogen gas, after the rinsing step for removing unwanted droplets and films from the microelectronic device surfaces.
One important aspect in providing clean microelectronic devices after wet processing is to start with the use of clean processing liquids. Clean liquid use can be controlled by known or developed filtering processes so as to minimize introduction of contaminants into the processing environment. This is particularly true where devices are being cleaned or rinsed by a wet process, such as by using DI water as a rinse liquid. Specific filtering techniques for ultra-clean DI water have been developed for use in the microelectronic industry, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,542,441, 5,651,379 and 6,312,597 to Mohindra et al.
Microelectronic devices are often rinsed as a batch within an immersion vessel (such as maintained in a spaced orientation by a cassette or holder) or within a spray processor (such as provided on a carousel). More recently, there has been greater interest in the development of single wafer wet processing. For immersion single wafer processing, smaller single wafer vessels have been developed as described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/243,616 to Christenson et al. Spray processing, however, fits well with the concept of single wafer processing because of the orientation of such microelectronic devices in a horizontal fashion and the easier loading and unloading of such devices as provided to and from other processing stations. Also, there is a greater potential for quicker throughput of single devices with spray processing.
However, due to the horizontal nature of the treated surface of the microelectronic device as may be processed within a spray processor, it is more difficult to obtain a clean removal of processing fluids and reduction in contaminants from the device surface. Thus, even after a rinse step, unacceptable levels of contaminants or particles can be present for a particular application especially as device features become smaller. With hydrophobic surfaces, such as result from an HF last-etched silicon surface, small particle count reduction is found to be most difficult. An important aspect in particle count reduction is to rinse and dry a device while minimizing particles left behind.
An attempt to obtain substrates with better removal of processing fluids from horizontally rotated substrates is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,408 to Mertens et al. Described are methods and equipment that controllably create a sharply defined liquid-vapor boundary, which boundary is moved across the substrate surface along with moving liquid and vapor delivery nozzles. As described in the Mertens et al patent, a surface tension gradient is theoretically created within such boundary by the specific delivery of the vapor to the boundary as such is miscible within the liquid for enhancing liquid removal based upon the Marangoni effect. Such a system may be more effective on hydrophilic surfaces, but adds significantly to the complexity of the system and the manner of control needed to obtain rinsing with adequate rinse fluid removal. The effectiveness of such a system is significantly less for completely hydrophobic surfaces, such as HF last-etched silicon wafers, where a reduction in contaminants, such as small particles, is still desired.
The Leenaars et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,774, noted above, describes an apparatus and methods for delivering organic solvent vapor to a substrate surface after it is rinsed and leaves a water film layer on the substrate surface (as such naturally forms on a hydrophilic wafer surface) followed by rotation. Organic solvent vapor is introduced into a process chamber, preferably unsaturated, as controlled by the vapor temperature. FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 show the sequence of starting with a rinse water film on a substrate surface followed by the film's breaking up into thicker drops as a result of exposure to the organic solvent vapor. Then, the drops are more easily slung from the surface by rotation. Whereas the action of the organic solvent vapor is to create drops from a film of water as such a film layer is possibly provided on a hydrophilic surface, such action would not be required in the situation where a hydrophobic surface is rinsed with water since the same effect is naturally created. For a hydrophobic surface, the rinse water beads into drops on the device surface due to the nature of the surface. Again, there is a need to improve the reduction of contaminants on all surfaces, but in particular, for hydrophobic device surfaces.

Methods for rinsing microelectronic substrates utilizing cool rinse fluid within a gas enviroment including a drying enhancement substance


A method is provided for preparing, with high reproducibility, a carbon-doped group III-V compound semiconductor crystal having favorable electrical characteristics and having impurities removed therefrom, and in which the amount of doped carbon can be adjusted easily during crystal growth. This method includes the steps of: filling a crucible with compound raw material, solid carbon, and boron oxide; sealing the filled crucible within an airtight vessel formed of a gas impermeable material; heating and melting the compound raw material under the sealed state in the airtight vessel; and solidifying the melted compound raw material to grow a carbon-doped compound semiconductor crystal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of preparing a group III-V compound semiconductor crystal, and particularly a carbon-doped group III-V compound semiconductor crystal.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, there are various prior art methods for preparing a carbon-doped group III-V compound semiconductor crystal, as set forth in the following described publications.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 64-79087 (referred to as "prior art 1" hereinafter) discloses a method of preparing a carbon-doped GaAs single crystal according to the gradient freeze method for horizontal Bridgman method (HB method). FIG. 6 is a diagram for describing a method of preparing a carbon-doped GaAs single crystal according to prior art 1. Referring to FIG. 6, a graphite boat 51 as a carbon source is arranged at one side in a quartz ampoule 55. Raw material which is gallium (Ga) 52 is provided in graphite boat 51. Arsenic (As) 57 is provided at the other side in quartz ampoule 55. Quartz ampoule 55 is sealed in vacuum and then installed in an electric furnace to be heated. After the GaAs raw material is synthesized, the temperature is reduced maintaining a constant temperature gradient, whereby a GaAs single crystal is grown.
The carbon of graphite boat 51 reacts with oxygen supplied from As2O3, Ga2O and the like remaining in quartz ampoule 55 to result in the formation of gas of CO, CO2 and the like which is doped into the growing GaAs crystal. It is described that the doping amount of carbon can be controlled according to the total amount of oxygen in the sealed quartz ampoule 55, the synthesization reaction condition, or single crystal growth condition, and the like.
The Journal of the Japanese Association of Crystal Growth, 1991, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 88-95 (referred to as "prior art 2" hereinafter) discloses a method of preparing a carbon-doped GaAs single crystal by the vertical gradient freeze method (VGF method). FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing a method of preparing a carbon-doped GaAs single crystal according to prior art 2. Referring to FIG. 7, raw material 62 which has carbon doped therein in advance, and which was directly synthesized by the LEC method, and boron oxide (B2O3) 64 are provided in a crucible 61 and sealed in vacuum in a quartz ampoule 65. This is installed in a vertical furnace and heated to melt the raw material and boron oxide. By reducing the temperature in the furnace while maintaining a constant temperature gradient, a GaAs single crystal is grown.
Here, boron oxide containing 200 ppm of water spreads around only the periphery of the upper surface of GaAs melt 62. The center area of the upper surface of GaAs melt 62 is exposed to the ambient. According to the method of prior art 2, the upper surface of the melt must be exposed to the ambient to control the stoichiometry of the GaAs melt. The vapor pressure in quartz ampoule 65 is controlled by arsenic 67.
According to this method, the carbon concentration of the crystal depends on the carbon concentration of the raw material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,082 (referred to as "prior art 3" hereinafter) discloses a method of preparing a carbon-doped GaAs single crystal by the vertical Bridgman method. (VB method) FIG. 8 is a diagram for describing a method of preparing a carbon-doped GaAs single crystal according to prior art 3.
Referring to FIG. 8, a crucible 71 is filled with GaAs raw material 72. After carbon source 73 is arranged outside of crucible 71, a quartz ampoule 75 is sealed. Quartz ampoule 75 is placed in a vertical furnace and heated to melt the raw material. The furnace is moved upwards while substantially maintaining the set temperature profile. By solidifying the raw material from a seed crystal 77, a GaAs single crystal is grown. According to this method, carbon source 73 is in fluid communication with compound raw material 72 to allow gas transfer.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-252399 (referred to as "prior art 4" hereinafter) discloses a method of preparing a semi-insulating GaAs substrate. Prior art 4 is characterized in that the impurity which becomes the acceptor is doped so as to result in 1˜3×1015 atoms/cm3 after subtracting the concentration of the impurity which becomes the donor in a GaAs crystal.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2-74597 (referred to as "prior art 5" hereinafter) discloses a chromium-doped semi-insulating GaAs single crystal and a method of preparing the same. This prior art 5 is characterized in that carbon is contained in a concentration nc that satisfies both the relations of:1×1015cm−3≦nc<nsi and nsi−nc≦4.4×1015cm−3for the residual Si concentration nsi remaining in the single crystal, with the resistivity of at least 106Ω·cm.
The above-described prior art methods have various disadvantages. In prior art 1, boron oxide is not used. Therefore, impurity contamination can be expected. Furthermore, since the amount of the carbon source cannot be controlled in this method, it is difficult to control the carbon concentration.
In prior art 2, carbon cannot be doped during the crystal growth since a carbon source is not used. There is a problem that the carbon concentration cannot be adjusted during crystal preparation. Furthermore, a part of the carbon in the GaAs melt reacts with oxygen, which is generated as a result of the water in the boron oxide decomposing, to be lost as CO gas. As a result, there is a problem that the carbon concentration in the GaAs crystal is lowered.
In prior art 3, it is difficult to control the carbon concentration since the carbon source is located outside the crucible. Furthermore, impurity contamination can be expected since boron oxide is not used.
In prior art 4, carbon is recited as the impurity serving as the acceptor. However, only the doping of zinc and copper is disclosed as the example. There is no description of carbon doping.
Prior art 5 describes a chromium-doped semi-insulating GaAs single crystal containing carbon. However, this prior art 5 is silent about the method of doping carbon.

Method of preparing group III-V compound semiconductor crystal


A one-piece plastic drive fastener comprises an enlarged head with a rigid cylindrical shank extending therefrom and terminating in a free end. Four circumferentially spaced axial rows of wing elements extend generally radially outwardly from the shank. The wing elements each have the shape of a segment of a thin walled truncated cone with a narrow first end joined to the cylindrical shank and a wider second end spaced outwardly of the shank and inclined toward the head portion. The wing members are freely flexible in the direction toward the head portion with the wing elements in each row being relatively uniformly spaced axially of the shank but axially offset from the wing elements in the next adjacent rows.

The subject invention is directed toward the art of fasteners and, more particularly, to a one-piece, molded plastic drive fastener.
A variety of plastic drive fasteners exist for securing members of varying thickness to one another. The fasteners are designed for push-in installation into preformed openings in the members being joined. One of the primary design goals with respect to such fasteners is to have low insertion force requirements combined with high fastener retention force. It is also desirable that the fasteners achieve precise fit and gripping with a range of thickness variations in the members being joined.
Originally, the fasteners were primarily used in round openings. More recently, however, the fasteners have been used in slotted openings. The drive fasteners currently available are generally capable of functioning adequately in either one or the other of the two types of openings but not in both.


The present invention relates generally to genetic sequences encoding flavonoid pathway metabolising enzymes and in particular enzymes having flavonol synthase activity and their use such as in manipulating production of pigmentory molecules in plants. More particularly, the present invention provides genetic sequences encoding flavonol synthase (FLS).

Bibliographic details of the publications referred to hereinafter in the specification are collected at the end of the description. SEQ ID No's referred to herein in relation to nucleotide and amino acid sequences are defined after the Bibliography.
The flower industry strives to develop new and different varieties of flowering plants. An effective way to create such novel varieties is through the manipulation of flower colour and classical breeding techniques have been used with some success to produce a wide range of colours for most of the commercial varieties of flowers. This approach has been limited, however, by the constraints of a particular species' gene pool and for this reason it is rare for a single species to have a full spectrum of coloured varieties. For example, the development of blue varieties of the major cut flower species such as rose, chrysanthemum, carnation, lily, tulip and gerbera would offer a significant opportunity in both the cut flower and ornamental markets.
The colours of flowers and other plant parts are predominantly due to two types of pigments: flavonoids and carotenoids. Flavonoids are the most common and the most important of the flower pigments. The most important classes of flavonoids with respect to flower colour are anthocyanins, flavonols and flavones. Anthocyanins are glycosylated derivatives of cyanidin, delphinidin, petunidin, peonidin, malvidin and pelargonidin, and are localised in the vacuole.
One important factor for flower colour is co-pigmentation of arithocyanins with tannins and certain flavone and flavonol glycosides (Scott-Moncrieff, 1936). When compared over a range of pH values, co-pigmented anthocyanins are always found to be bluer than the normal pigment. Co-pigmentation of anthocyanins with flavonol glycosides can also be important for the development of colour in fruit (Yoshitama et al., 1992). The molar ratio of anthocyanin to co-pigment can also exert a strong influence on colour. It has recently been demonstrated that flavonol aglycones are essential for pollen germination and pollen tube growth (Mo et al., 1992). The ability to control the production of co-pigments, such as flavonols, in plants could therefore have useful applications in altering flower colour and manipulating plant fertility.
The biosynthetic pathway for the anthocyanin pigments is well established (Ebel and Hahlbrock, 1988; Hahlbrock and Grisebach, 1979; Wiering and de Vlaming, 1984; Schram et al., 1984; Stafford, 1990). The first committed step in the pathway involves the condensation of three molecules of malonyl-CoA with one molecule of p-coumaroyl-CoA. This reaction is catalysed by the enzyme chalcone synthase. The product of this reaction, 2', 4, 4', 6'-tetrahydroxychalcone, is normally rapidly isomerised to produce naringenin by the enzyme chalcone-flavanone isomerase. Naringenin is subsequently hydroxylated at the 3 position of the central ring by flavanone 3-hydroxylase to produce dihydrokaempferol (DHK). The B-ring of dihydrokaempferol can be hydroxylated at either the 3', or both the 3' and 5' positions, to produce dihydroquercetin (DHQ) and dihydromyricetin (DHM), respectively. DHK, DHQ and DHM may be converted to coloured anthocyanins (pelargonidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside and delphinidin 3-glucoside) by the action of at least two enzymes (dihydroflavonol-4-reductase and flavonoid-3-glucosyltransferase).
Flavonols such as kaempferol (K), quercetin (Q) and myricetin (M) are formed from dihydroflavonols by the introduction of a double bond between C-2 and C-3 (Forkmann, 1991), as illustrated in FIG. 1. Flavonols often accumulate in glycosylated forms and may also be methylated. Methylation can occur either before or after glycosylation. In vitro conversion of dihydroflavonols to flavonols was first observed in enzyme preparations from parsley cell cultures (Britsch er al., 1981). Flavonol synthase activity has also been detected in flower extracts from Matthiola (Spribille and Forkmann, 1984), Petunia (Forkmann et al., 1986) and Dianthus (Forkmann, 1991). Flavonol synthase enzyme activity requires 2-oxoglutarate, ascorbate and ferrous ions as cofactors. In flowers of Petunia hybrida, the genetic locus Fl controls the formation of flavonols: flavonol synthesis is greatly reduced in mutants homozygous recessive for this gene (Wiering et al., 1979; Forkmann et al., 1986). In vitro enzyme assays with the flavonol synthase from petunia showed that DHK and DHQ were readily converted to the respective flavonols, whereas DHM was a poor substrate. The ability to control flavonol synthase activity in flowering plants would provide a means to manipulate petal colour by altering flavonol production, thereby enabling a single species to express a broader spectrum of flower colours. As stated above, the ability to control flavonol production also has implications in respect of male fertility. Such control may be by modulating the level of production of an indigenous enzyme or by introducing a non-indigenous enzyme.

Genetic sequences encoding flavonol synthase enzymes and uses therefor

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