In an image sensing device in which a hinge mechanism is secured to the side face of the main body of the image sensing device and an image display unit for displaying a captured image is mounted by the hinge mechanism so as to be free to rotate, a light-emitting device for emitting light toward a subject is accommodated inside the hinge mechanism.

An example of a conventional image sensing apparatus equipped with a light-emitting section for illuminating a subject will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15.
FIGS. 11 to 13 illustrate examples of an image sensing apparatus in which the light-emitting section is always exposed externally for design reasons. FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate structures in which the light-emitting section usually is concealed within the main body of the image sensing apparatus and is exposed externally of the apparatus by automatic or manual operation when necessary.
In FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, reference numerals 101, 111, 121, 131 and 141 each denote the main body of an image sensing apparatus, reference numerals 102, 112, 122, 132 and 142 each denote an imaging lens, and reference numerals 103, 113, 123, 133 and 143 each denote a light-emitting section.
The light-emitting section 103 in FIG. 11 is placed above the imaging lens 102 (for example, see the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-314865).
The light-emitting section 113 in FIG. 12 is placed below a hinge mechanism 114 so adapted that an image display device 117 may be opened and closed freely relative to the main body 111 of the image sensing apparatus. Further, the light-emitting section 123 of FIG. 13 is placed below the imaging lens 122. When the user of the image sensing apparatus shown in FIG. 12 or 13 grasps the main body 111 or 121 of the image sensing apparatus, the right hand 116 or 126 of the user comes into intimate contact with the front end face 115 or 125 of the main body 111 or 121 as illustrated in FIG. 12 or 13.
Furthermore, the light-emitting section 133 in FIG. 14 is held by a member 136 so adapted that the light-emitting section 133 may be rotated freely in the directions of arrows 137 about a point 134. The holding member 136 is so designed that the light-emitting section 133 is situated at position b when it is concealed within the main body 131 of the image sensing apparatus and at position a when it is exposed. A similar arrangement is described in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-250962.
Furthermore, in FIG. 15, the light-emitting section 143 is held by a member 146 so adapted that the light-emitting section 143 may be rotated freely in the directions of arrows 147 about a point 144 in a manner similar to that of FIG. 14. The holding member 146 is so designed that the light-emitting section 143 is situated at position b when it is concealed within the main body 141 of the image sensing apparatus and at position a when it is exposed. Part of the imaging lens 142 is provided with a recess 145 in order to accommodate the holding member 146 at position b.
The light-emitting section in the description above mainly is used when taking a still picture if it is referred to as an electronic flash and is used when shooting a moving picture if it is referred to as a video light.
The following problems arise with the placement of the light-emitting section described above:
(1) If the light-emitting section is disposed as shown in FIG. 11, the height H of the main body of the image sensing apparatus increases and the apparatus becomes large in size.
(2) If the light-emitting section is disposed as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, there is the danger that the light-emitting section will be concealed by the fingers of the user when the user grasps the main body of the image sensing apparatus by hand. Operability is poor.
(3) If a configuration in which the light-emitting section is made to project is adopted, this will detract from the attractive external appearance of the design.
(4) If the light-emitting section is disposed as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a rotation mechanism that causes the light-emitting section to pop up is required, the cost of the image sensing apparatus rises and the apparatus becomes large in size.

Placement of light-emitting section in image sensing apparatus


A nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device may include a first conductivity-type semiconductor base layer, a mask layer disposed on the base layer and having a plurality of openings exposing portions of the base layer, a plurality of light emitting nanostructures disposed in the plurality of openings, and a polycrystalline current suppressing layer disposed on the mask layer. At least a portion of the polycrystalline current suppressing layer is disposed below the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer. Each light emitting nanostructure includes a first conductivity-type semiconductor nanocore, an active layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer.

The present disclosure relates to a nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device.
A light emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light emitting device including a material that emits light when electrical energy is applied thereto. Energy generated through electron-hole recombination in semiconductor junction parts is converted into light that is to be emitted therefrom. The LED has various advantages such as relatively long lifespan, low power consumption, rapid response speed, environmental friendliness, and the like, as compared to conventional light sources. The LED is commonly used as light sources in lighting devices, display devices, and the like.
In recent years, as a new type of a semiconductor LED technology, the semiconductor light emitting device using nanostructures has been developed in order to increase a luminous efficiency through enhancements in crystallinity and increases in light emitting areas.

Nanostructure semiconductor light emitting device


It is disclosed a concrete screed with recycled rubber from discarded tyres (PFU), comprising cement, pre-treated recycled rubber from discarded tyres, with particle size comprised between 0.1 and 20 mm, preferably between 1 and 10 mm, still more preferably between 2 and 5 mm, pre-treated, inert materials, polymeric additives and water.

The state of the art already describes the use of discarded tyres in concrete. Indeed, the requirement to search alternative uses to the rubber derived from discarded tyres (PFU), met the need of improving some characteristics of the mixtures of concrete. Indeed, according to the applications to which it is destined, the concrete shall have a low specific weight, a high strength and resistance to impact. The concrete as such, although it is the most used building material, not always satisfies all these requisites contemporaneously.
It has been thus developed in the state of the art the use of rubber particles derived from PFU as constituent in the concrete, with use of the product thus obtained in the achievement of cement sound absorbing products for road applications. More recently, the particles of recycled rubber have been used in the mixtures of concrete, still in replacement of aggregates based on inert materials, to obtain a light concrete.
In particular, within the technical literature, under the wording "Rubber Concrete" (concrete with rubber) or "Rubber Modified Concrete" (concrete modified with rubber) it is usual to indicate a mixture composed of ordinary concrete (Portland cement), natural aggregates and rubber from discarded tyres. Under the wording "Rubber mortar" it is intended to indicate the mixture of cement mortar with rubber.
The rubber used for such applications derives from post-consuming tyres of vehicles or trucks subjected to treatments of mechanical grinding or to cryogenic processes. Moreover, according to applications and performances required to the end-product, the rubber has been used "as such" or in some cases it has been previously treated, removing the textile component therefrom or pulling out the steel fibres. In other cases, the surface of rubber has been subjected to some pre-treatments to reinforce the adhesion between cement paste and rubber, achieving a marked improvement of some of the final properties of concrete. An example of said pre-treatment is a surface treatment of rubber with sodium hydroxide, which increases the adhesion between particles of rubber and cement matrix, translating thus in a substantial improvement of wear resistance and bending resistance.
In general, rubber aggregates have been used only as partial substitution of natural aggregates inside the mixture of concrete.
According to the state of the art, the addition of particles of rubber of discarded tyres leads to a reduction of physical and mechanical properties of the starting concrete, but at the same time leads to a great capability of plastic energy absorption. The decrease of mechanical properties is proportional to the increase of the fraction by volume of rubber according to a non-linear relationship.
Through addition of rubber, the concrete becomes relatively ductile and, if subjected to loading, behaves as an elastic structure.
Moreover, concrete with particles of rubber (in substitution of an amount between 10% and 30% by weight of the aggregate in inert materials) present coefficients of thermal conductivity and sound absorption greater than those of a traditional concrete.
Basing on the above highlighted properties, the concrete with recycled rubber can be used in architectural applications, in road paving wherein high mechanical resistances are not required, in panels requiring a low specific weight, in elements for construction and Jersey barriers subjected to impacts, in sound barriers (sound absorbing) and in construction of railroads to fasten the rails to the ground.
Examples of such applications are disclosed in patent applications WO2009035743, WO2000027774 and RU-A-2353603, relating to cement mixtures, rubber particles and natural aggregates, respectively, for general uses for concrete with latex, cement panels and mortars, for applications of radiation shielding and for uses as perimeter walls with blocks made of light concrete.
The need to seek alternative uses to the rubber deriving from discarded tyres (PFU) met nowadays with the need to improve some characteristics of the mixtures of concrete in order to make it a material capable to adsorb the energy developed by dynamic actions (impacts and vibrations).
It arose thus the interest in the achievement of screeds based on concrete containing aggregates in PFU rubber.
The conventional screed, pursuant to UNI EN 13813, is that horizontal construction element adopted, for example, to level a surface, making it perfectly flat, for distributing the load of the overlying elements and/or for receiving the final paving. The screed is a construction element with a variable thickness depending on the type of environment and purpose to which it is destined (for example inside a building it may have a thickness from 4 to 20 cm).
The conventional screed is usually obtained through the use of at least three materials used in appropriate amounts: cement, inert materials (sand and/or grit, for example) and water. Possibly, super-fluidifiers or aerating additives may be added. The dosage of the various elements varies according to the type of environment and to the destination of the screed (internal or external, for industrial or civil purposes). Much often other components are present, such as polystyrene, used to lighten the screed, or quartz, used to make the screed smoother and stronger. A screed laid adhering to a load-bearing substrate (for example a loft), on a desolidarisation layer (for example barrier to vapour) or on a layer of thermal and/or acoustic insulation, is defined respectively as "adherent", "desolidarised" or "floating". A screed may also incorporate a floor heating/cooling system and, in that case, it is defined "radiant".
The obtainment of the screed shall thus ensure mainly:                the achievement of a support suitable for the laying of the planned pavement;        that the laying occurs in the required timeframe;        that the lasting of the construction work under the various operating conditions (inside or outside, in paves for civil, commercial or industrial use, etc.) is not jeopardized.
The aim of the present invention is therefore that of proposing a screed capable to meet at the same time the above said thermal/mechanical features, ensuring also a noise reduction and adsorption of vibrational energy, in particular a reduction of the noise from footsteps, overcoming thus the drawbacks of the products according to the prior art.
A further aim of the present invention is the use of said screed in applications requiring a reduced noise from footsteps.

Concrete screed with recycled rubber from discarded tyres


A vehicular shock-absorbing beam includes a pair of mounting portions disposed at the both ends of a beam body and adapted to be mounted on a vehicle. The shock-absorbing beam is produced by a thermal treatment equipment for the heat treatment of the beam. The thermal treatment equipment comprises a pair of holding means for holding the beam body, a pair of current-applying means for directly applying current to the beam body, and quenching means for quenching the heated beam body. One of the paired holding means or that of the paired current-applying means can be slidable. The quenching means sandwiches the beam body with a lower jig and an upper jig both having corrugated surfaces. The heated beam body is quenched with a coolant sprayed from a plurality of the injection holes formed in the upper and lower corrugated surfaces.

Most of automotive members are required to have a high structural strength. This requirement can be satisfied by various methods such as a selection of the material from a high tension steel sheet or an extra high tension steel sheet that can perform over 590 N/mm2, an increase of the sheet thickness of the automotive member, an addition of the reinforcement members, or the like. Alternatively, the high structural strength can also be realized by hardening the automotive member manufactured by a steel sheet having tension in a range of 270 N/mm2 to 440 N/mm2 which is in good value for cost together with superior workability.
A door beam can be exemplified to the automotive member as further required to be light weight in addition to the high structural strength, low cost and high workability, as described above. The door beam disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3,139,984, for example, comprises three members, i.e., a body portion and a pair of mounting portions (or mounted brackets) It discloses that the mounting portions are integrally welded to the both ends of the body portion, and are subjected, if necessary, to a thermal treatment such as hardening or annealing operation (as referred to Column 76 of the Citation).
JP-A-10-166860 discloses the door beam formed by press molding from a single member so as to intend to lower the cost for the thermal treatment such as the hardening or annealing operation. Further, in order to prevent a residual stress occurred in the aforementioned thermal treatment, it has selected the high tension steel requiring no thermal treatment such as the hardening or annealing operation (as referred to Column 19 or others of the Citation). On the contrary, JP-A-2003-094943 takes the issue of a thickness increase and a weight growth of the sheet both caused by intending to keep its structural strength, instead it does not adopt the thermal treatment such as the hardening or annealing operation. Thus, as describing in the specification of JP-A-2003-094943, it discloses a door beam, which is enabled to satisfy the necessary structural strength by thermally treating the molded sheet having a thin thickness into hardening or annealing operation although the door beam is made from a single member as in the aforementioned door beam of JP-A-10-166860.
In order to design for use in a continuous production line, on the other hand, JP-A-09-002066 adopts an electromagnetic induction heating, i.e., a high-frequency hardening operation which can perform a thermal treatment such as the hardening and annealing operations while moving the press-molded door beam along the production line. In particular, it discloses that a door beam is hardened in high frequency only at its body portion defined as an intermediate portion of the door beam required to be improved its structural strength, thereby to satisfy demands for higher structural strength, cheaper, easier workability and lighter weight (as referred to Column 7 or others of the Citation).
In a batch treatment, if it is sufficient, a direct current can be applied as a means for hardening the door beam. JP-B-44-014455 discloses a thermal treatment method for instantaneously hardening and annealing the body to be heated having a long shape like a door beam by applying a pulse current directly to the body. In this JP-B-44-014455, the heating by applying a pulse (AC) current controls the pulse width capable of realizing the instantaneous hardening and annealing operations by considering the "skin effect" caused in the area of the surface of the body to be heated.


A process for forming an organic electronic device includes the steps of: (a) forming a first conductive member and a conductive lead over a substrate, wherein the first conductive member and conductive lead are spaced apart from each other; (b) forming an organic layer over the substrate, the first conductive member, and the conductive lead; (c) forming a patterned conductive layer over the organic layer, wherein the patterned conductive layer includes a second conductive member, and the patterned conductive layer creates an exposed portion of the organic layer and an unexposed portion of the organic layer; and (d) dry etching at least the exposed portion of the organic layer to expose a portion of the conductive lead using at least one oxygen-containing gas, wherein dry etching is performed at a pressure in a range of approximately 0.01 to 7.5 mTorr.

For organic electronic devices, for example organic light-emitting diode displays (OLEDs), the laser ablation process has been used to remove organic materials from unwanted performance sensitive areas of the device. For illustration purposes, for one technique the first steps in the fabrication of OLED devices are the deposition and patterning of the conductive members (e.g., electrodes, such as the anodes) and conductive leads. The anode is typically indium tin oxide (ITO), and the conductive leads may include a tri-layer sandwich including an adhesion layer, a low-resistivity conducting layer, and a protective capping layer. A typical OLED conductive lead structure is Cr/Cu/Cr. After forming the anode and conductive leads, the process involves forming a cathode-separation layer followed by formation of an organic layer, such as a buffer layer (also known as a charge transport layer) (BL) and an electro-luminescent layer (EL), over the entire surface of the substrate. In the current practice in the field, the substrate then goes into the laser ablation system, where the laser beam is focused onto areas that need to be cleared of the organic layer. These include the electrode-to-conductive lead electrical contact pads, bond pads, and the frame (sometimes called the rail) around the active area upon which glue is dispensed for an encapsulating lid, which are examples of the performance sensitive areas of an OLED.
The laser ablation process has serious drawbacks and is a weak link in the fabrication of OLED devices in large volumes. The laser ablation machine is expensive, its modules are difficult to maintain, and the machine as a whole is not easily interfaced with other process tools.
Furthermore, from a materials point of view, the laser ablation process is not well suited to the removal of the organic layer, as it often leaves behind a tough carbonaceous residue that is resistant to removal unless a gas, such as oxygen is added to aid in the formation of volatile oxide species. However, the use of oxygen is risky as the sensitive EL organic active layer is exposed to the atmosphere during the ablation process, which is usually pure nitrogen. The residue problem is mitigated somewhat by using a high laser fluence (measured in mJ/pulse), but the undesirable side effect of this is the cracking of the underlying leads structure. The reliability of the device is thus compromised.
To further complicate the process, the wavelengths of the excimer laser beam available are limited to a few specific values, and so the target organic materials (for example the BL and EL) are forced to have absorption bands in that same wavelength region. This removes an important degree of freedom, and the ablation efficiency is unavoidably compromised.
Towards the end of the ablation process, the conductive leads to which contact is to be made can experience the full brunt of the laser energy, and thus get partly ablated as well. In some cases, the absorption of the laser photons by the conductive leads may be higher than that of the organic layer, in which case the process becomes unusable.
Wet cleaning surfaces with solvents and materials introduces a variety of problems into the manufacturing process of electronic devices.
Thus, improved processes are needed to clean all types of organic materials from performance sensitive areas of an organic electronic device.

Process for removing an organic layer during fabrication of an organic electronic device and the organic electronic device formed by the process


A system comprising a fiber optic gyroscope and a mixed signal application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) connected to the gyroscope is provided. The mixed signal ASIC comprises a digital logic unit, a relative intensity noise (RIN) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the digital logic unit and configurable to receive a signal from a RIN detector, and a rate ADC coupled to the digital logic unit and configurable to receive a signal from a rate detector. The mixed signal ASIC also includes a light source digital-to-analog converter (DAC) coupled to the digital logic unit, and a thermo-electric cooler DAC coupled to the digital logic unit, both of which are configurable to send control signals to a light source of the gyroscope. The mixed signal ASIC further includes an integrated optical chip DAC, an eigen-frequency servo DAC, and a heater servo DAC, all of which are coupled to the digital logic unit.

In the manufacture of a Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) product, a unique set of electronics is required for each product. Depending on the FOG product, an electronics solution usually includes two or more Printed Circuit Assemblies (PCAs). One PCA provides the digital electronics required for implementing the gyroscope control algorithms and interfacing to an external host, while the other PCA(s) provide the analog signal conditioning and conversion functions for interfacing to the gyroscope optics components. Each PCA includes a Printed Wiring Board (PWB) that is populated with a large number of discrete components, such as digital circuitry, Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs), Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs), operational amplifiers, transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, and the like.
Manufacturing this type of electronics assembly is labor-intensive and expensive, as well as contributes to the occurrence of electronic faults. Installing a large number of discrete components greatly increases the possibility of a worker installing the wrong part, or installing the part backwards. The high number of solder joints required also increases the risk of a having a bad connection. Manufacturing this type of electronics assembly also requires the ordering and stocking of large numbers of different components over the life cycle of a particular FOG product. The possibility of a part becoming obsolete and requiring an expensive redesign of a PCA increases with the number of components involved.
Another problem with current PCA designs is that they are physically large due to the large number of components required. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fit FOG products into shrinking mechanical design requirements.

Fiber optic gyroscope mixed signal application specific integrated circuit


An Nd-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductor includes oxide including metallic elements of neodymium (Nd), barium (Ba) and copper (Cu), and has a structure in which fine particles of Nd.sub.4 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.2 O.sub.10 (i.e., Nd422) are dispersed uniformly in crystalline grains of NdBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x (i.e., Nd123). It is produced by preparing a mixture powder in which an Nd123 powder and an Nd422 powder are present uniformly, thermally treating the mixture powder in a temperature range where the Nd123 powder melts partially at least but the Nd422 powder hardly melts, and gradually cooling the partially melted mixture powder in a temperature range around a solidifying point of the Nd123 powder. It exhibits an enhanced magnetic-field-trapping capability in the regions of low magnetic field, because of the pinning effect resulting from the fine particles of Nd422 dispersed uniformly in the crystalline grains of Nd123.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a melt-textured bulk comprising a neodymium-barium-copper-oxide superconductor (hereinafter referred to as "Nd-Ba-Cu-O superconductor", i.e.,one of RE-Ba-Cu-O superconductors), and a process for producing the same.
The present invention provides a bulk superconductor exhibiting a high critical current density over a wide range of magnetic field. Thus, the bulk superconductor can be used in a variety of industries. For instance, the bulk superconductor can be applied to a magnet by trapping a magnetic field, a transferring system by means of magnetic levitation, a flywheel, and an electric power storage system.
2. Description of Related Art
The group of RE-Ba-Cu-O superconductors ("RE" herein stands for a rare-earth element) have recently come to exhibit a high critical current density (hereinafter simply referred to as "Jc"), and can trap a high magnetic field of more than1 T at a liquid nitrogen temperature. These advantages are effected by establishing the following structure; namely: RE.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5 phases (or RE211 phases), non-superconductive phases, are dispersed in largely grown REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x phases (or RE123 phases) grain, superconductive phases. Melting processes have been developed in order to establish this structure. There are a few manufacturing processes which can be classified into the melting process. The manufacturing processes commonly own the following characteristics; namely: the starting materials are synthesized to have deviated compositions which enable to leave the RE211 phases in the structure of the resulting materials after a heat treatment; the starting materials are heated to a temperature at which the RE123 phases incongruently melt to RE211 phase and liquid phases including Ba, Cu, and O; and thereafter these phases are cooled gradually from a temperature around which the RE123phases solidify, thereby growing large crystalline grains of RE123 phase.
In accordance with the melting processes, it is possible to produce superconductors capable of trapping a large magnetic field which cannot be obtained by permanent magnets. New applications can be expected from such superconductors, and accordingly many researches and developments have been carried out onto the melting processes. As a result, it has been found out that it is necessary to grow the crystalline grains of RE123 phase largely, and to make the RE211 phases, remaining in the RE123 matrix, finer in order to produce a melt-textured bulk with good characteristic. It is believed that the RE211 phases (i.e., the non-superconductive phases) which are dispersed in the crystalline grains of the RE123 phases (i.e., the superconductive phases) work as magnetic-flux-pinning centers substantially. Accordingly, the larger the number of the particles of RE211 phase is, the stronger the magnetic flux can be pinned. Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 5-279,032 discloses that Pt or Rh can be effectively added to make the RE211 phase finer. The publication suggests a process for producing an oxide superconductor which comprises the steps of adding a trace amount of a platinum powder to a raw mixed powder which includes RE, Ba, Cu or their compounds, and mixing and forming the resulting powder; and carrying out a heat treatment onto the resulting compaction. The heat treatment includes partially-melting, and gradually-cooling the compaction.
The conventional melt-textured bulk superconductors exhibit a high Jc in regions of low external magnetic field. However, they tend to exhibit a decreasing Jc as the external magnetic field increases. Thus, there arises a problem in that the conventional melt-textured bulk superconductors cannot exhibit a satisfactory Jc in regions of high external magnetic field.
In addition, researches and developments on Nd-Ba-Cu-O superconductors have been actively carried out recently. In the Nd-Ba-Cu-O superconductors, the Nd elements partially substituted for the Ba-sites of NdBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x (i.e., Nd123). Consequently, only the Nd-Ba-Cu-O superconductors of unsatisfactory characteristic have been produced by a heat treatment in air, or in oxygen atmosphere, heat treatment which has been usually used to produce other RE123 oxide superconductors. For example, the thus produced Nd123 exhibits a Tc (i.e., a superconducting transition temperature) lower than those of the YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x superconductors.
However, when the heat treatment is carried out by suppressing the partial pressure of oxygen, the Nd elements are inhibited from substituting for the Ba-sites. Accordingly, the Nd123 was found to exhibit a Tc higher than that of the other RE123. Moreover, Murakami et al. report in pages 368 through 371, volume 64, #4 of the journal of "OHYO BUTSURI (Applied Physics)" Society that the crystalline grains of single Nd123 phase exhibit a high Jc even in regions of high external magnetic field, because the crystalline grains effect magnetic-flux pinning induced by the magnetic field. When the Nd123 incongruently melts to liquid phase and solid phase, the compositions of the solid phase are identical with that of the RE211 phases. However, the solid phase resulting from the incongruent melting of the Nd 123 has been found to have a crystalline structure which differs from that of the other RE211 phases. In order to clarify the phenomena, the phases resulting from the incongruent melting of the Nd123 are called Nd.sub.4 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.2 O.sub.10 phase (hereinafter simply referred to as "Nd422" phase).
On the other hand, in the production of the Nd-Ba-Cu-O superconductors, even when the starting materials are synthesized to have deviated compositions and they are subjected to the aforementioned conventional melting processes for producing the other RE123 superconductors, the Nd422 phases (i.e., the non-superconductive phases) remain in the Nd123 phases (i.e., the superconductive phases), but they were not dispersed finely therein. Thus, the structure is hardly established, structure which can effectively improve the Jc of the RE123-based oxide superconductors in the regions of low magnetic field. Namely, non-superconductive precipitates, such as the RE211 phases, are little dispersed finely in the resulting structure of the Nd123 grain.
Thus, the Nd123 reported so far exhibited a high Jc in the regions of high magnetic field, Jc which is effected by their own magnetic-field-induced pinning centers. However, they have suffered from the problem in that they exhibit a Jc lower than that of the other RE123 in the regions of low magnetic field.

Neodymium-barium-copper-oxide bulk superconductor and process for producing the same


Durable subscriptions in publish/subscribe messaging are provided. A durable subscription is received for a subscribing application. The durable subscription includes a parameter defining persistence for which a subscription is to be durable. It is detected whether the subscribing application is disconnected. In response to detecting that the subscribing application is disconnected, a filter is applies to messages to determine whether a message meets a defined persistence requirement. Only persistent messages are retained for delivery once the subscribing application is reconnected.

1. Field
This invention relates to the field of publish/subscribe messaging. In particular, the invention relates to durable subscriptions in publish/subscribe messaging.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a messaging system that uses publish and subscribe, it is well established that subscribers can make durable or non-durable subscriptions. A non-durable subscription is one that is active only while the subscribing application is connected to the publish/subscribe engine. However, a durable subscription persists even if the subscribing application disconnects from the publish/subscribe engine for a time.
Publish/subscribe implementations that offer durable subscriptions are required to retain all the published messages that are destined for the durable subscription until the subscribing application re-connects. At that point the engine must supply to the re-connected application all the messages that were published to its durable subscription while it was disconnected. In this way, an application is assured that it will never miss a message, although it may receive some messages some time after they were originally published.
The main disadvantage of this arrangement is that it obliges the publish/subscribe engine to store a sequence of messages as they are published until the consuming application reconnects. If the application remains disconnected for a long time, or if the publication rate is extremely high, then the engine may find that it simply cannot store any more messages. At this point it has two options; it either discards messages or it notifies the publishing applications to stop sending messages. The former violates the assurance that clients will never lose a message and the latter penalises the publishing applications and other subscribers.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to address the aforementioned problems.

International Business Machines Corporation


A system for distribution transformer monitoring may comprise a distribution transformer that includes a transformer fluid tank, a monitoring unit that includes a plurality of sensors, wherein the monitoring unit is coupled to the distribution transformer, and wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a fluid sensor that includes a sensor probe that extends out of the monitoring unit into the transformer fluid tank of the distribution transformer, and a communication unit coupled to the distribution transformer and communicatively coupled to the monitoring unit. The monitoring unit may further comprises a sensor module to receive sensor data from the plurality of sensors, a storage module to store the sensor data in an internal data storage device of the monitoring unit, an analysis module to analyze the sensor data to determine generated data, and a communication module to communicate the sensor data or the generated data to a remote computing device.

Distribution transformers provide the last voltage transformation in the electrical power distribution system, stepping down the voltage used in the transmission line to the voltage used by the consumer. For example, a distribution transformer may step down transmission line voltage to household voltage levels for distribution to one or more residences. Distribution transformers are typically much smaller than power transformers, and thus may be pole-mounted to a utility pole or pad-mounted on the ground. Typical distribution transformers include internal components immersed in oil for insulation and cooling.


The present invention provides a method to maintain a desired width of a floating gate of a flash memory device, so that the loss of the capability of storing charges is reduced. The method for forming a floating gate in a flash memory device containing a dielectric layer between said floating gate and a control gate, comprising the steps: forming field oxide layers in a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate oxide layer and a conductivity layer for said floating gate on said semiconductor substrate; forming a first oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer, in order, on said conductivity layer; forming a photoresist pattern; selectively etching said silicon nitride layer, said first oxide layer and said conductivity layer; forming source/drain regions by an ion implantation process; removing said photoresist pattern; forming a passivation layer on the resulting structure and forming a spacer layer on a sidewall of said floating gate by applying an isotropic etching process to said passivation layer so as to prevent said sidewall of said floating gate from being oxidized; forming a second oxide layer on said silicon nitride layer; and forming a control gate on the resulting structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for forming a flash memory device containing dielectric layers between a floating gate and a control gate, and more particularly to a method for forming a floating gate of the flash memory device without the loss of capability of storing charges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a stacked gate of a flash memory device is formed by performing the steps of: forming a field oxide layer, a gate oxide, a polysilicon layer for a floating gate, a dielectric layer and a polysilicon layer for a control gate are formed, in order, on a silicon substrate; forming the polysilicon layer for the control gate; the dielectric layer and the polysilicon layer for the floating gate are selectively etched, so that the stacked gate pattern is formed. Herein, the dielectric layer is composed of a stacked layer including, a silicon oxide layer, a silicon nitride layer and a silicon oxide layer.
However, in the dry etching process for forming the stacked gate pattern, the substrate is damaged, so that the characteristics of the device are degraded.
A conventional method for forming a stacked gate of a flash memory device in order to solve the above mentioned problem is shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C.
First, referring to FIG. 1A, field oxide layers 12 are formed on a silicon substrate 11 by the thermal oxidation process and then a gate oxide layer 13 is formed. A polysilicon layer 14 for a floating gate is deposited on top of the gate oxide layer 13, and a silicon oxide layer 15 and a silicon nitride layer 16 are formed one by one on the polysilicon layer 14. A photoresist pattern 17, which is to be used as a mask of ion implanting and etching, is formed on the silicon nitride layer 16.
Referring next to FIG. 1B, the silicon nitride layer 16, the silicon oxide layer 15 and the polysilicon layer 14 are selectively etched, in order, using the photoresist patter 17 as an etching mask. N-type impurities, such as arsentc ions, are implanted into the silicon substrate 11, which is exposed by the anisotropic dry etching, to form source/drain regions(not shown) using the photoresist pattern 17 as an ion implantation mask.
Referring next to FIG. 1C, a silicon oxide layer 18 is formed on the silicon nitride layer 16 by the thermal oxidation process after removing the photoresist pattern 17. The silicon oxide layer, 18 can be replaced by an oxide layer which is formed in a high temperature atmosphere. A polysilicon layer 19 for a control gate is formed over the entire structure and a photoresist pattern 20 is formed to pattern a control gate. In the process of forming the silicon oxide layer 18, the exposed silicon substrate is also oxidized to form a silicon oxide layer 18', which is thicker than the silicon oxide layer 18 formed on the silicon nitride layer 16. Therefore, the silicon oxide layer 18' prevents the silicon substrate 11 from being damaged in the following dry etching process for forming the control gate pattern. On the other hand, the exposed sidewalls of the polysilicon layer 14 are also oxidized rapidly, so that an oxidized area 14' is formed in a part of the floating gate. As a result, the width of the floating gate is smaller than the desired width "A" by the width of the oxidized area 14'.

Method of forming a floating gate in a flash memory device

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


A pair of eyeglasses with securing temples having snap-steel interiors. These temples comfortably wrap partially about a user's head, thereby securing the eyeglasses to the user's head. The snap steel transforms the temples from a first, rigid position where the glasses can be easily stored and transported to a second, wrapped position where the temples wrap about and contour to a user's head. The temples and the frame are manufactured from the same piece of material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wearable eyeglasses and method for use thereof, and more specifically to wearable eyeglasses with securing temples including snap-steel interiors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing reading glasses, sunglasses, and fashion glasses rely on centuries-old technology of straight, rigid temples for securing the glasses to a wearer's head. Improvements have been made where the temples can be secured further by using a band or a strap which connects to the ends of the temples and wraps around the user's head, but these are cumbersome, tacky, and require additional purposes. What is needed is a simple, compact pair of eyeglasses which include securing temples.
Heretofore there has not been available a system or method for eyeglasses with the advantages and features of the present invention.

Wearable eyeglasses with securing temples


A user preference information structure having a multiple hierarchical structure in which an information is provided to a user according to a user preference in a multi-media environment consisting of an information provider and an information user, comprising                user use information by using information desired by the user; user preference information of information desired by the user; and individual user preference information that is differently set depending on situations in which the user is put and positioned in a sub-tree of the user preference information. The hierarchical data structure is able to provide the user preference for providing information desired by the user is provided depending on the environment, based on which various information can be provided. The hierarchical data structure constructing the user preference makes it possible for the user to receive information fitting the situation in which he or she is put by using a proper individual user preference information, automatically or according to user's selection.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user preference information structure having a multiple hierarchical structure and a method for providing multimedia information using the same which are capable of quickly and easily recommending and providing information desired by information user in a multimedia service system environment consisting of an information provider and an information user.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a multimedia service system environment consisting of an information provider and an information user, the information user can hardly absorb explosively increasing amount of information. The same phenomenon also occurs in the Internet environment that offers huge amount of information as well as in a television broadcast environment that offers entertainment and life information.
Besides, as communication techniques are progressively developed, new providers such as a cable TV appear to provide diverse information.
However, notably, as information providers increase in number more and more, information users find it difficult to quickly and accurately search desired information provided by the information providers.
Accordingly, in order to provide the information users quickly and easily with desired information by the information providers, researches have been conducted and methods have been sought and developed that programs or information preferred by information users (briefly referred to as 'users', hereinafter) are recommended or automatically selected on the basis of a user preference value for information desired by users.
In the methods for providing information in accordance with conventional arts, user preference information by items of information desired by users is constructed on the basis of a use record (that is, a user profile) that has been used by a user by direct selection, so as to be provided to users.
However, the information providing methods of the conventional arts are not able to adequately cope with situations that user preference values are differently set for the same information according to user's wish and that relationships between items of information are complicate and a user preference value for a single item has a different meaning according to an environment and a relationship with a different item or may be changed to a different user preference value.
For example, a user 'A', who likes a movie in which an actor 'B' played a role (a person>an actor>'B'), may dislike a movie directed by the actor 'B' (a person<director>'B'). Besides, though a user preference value of an upper item is low, a user preference value of a lower item is high, or otherwise, a user preference value of the upper item may be high while a user preference value of the lower item is low. For these situations, the information providing methods of the conventional arts fail to provide proper information adaptively.
As a different example, the user 'A' may want a movie with lots of violence scenes as he or she prefers a movie of violence, but, he may not want violence scenes with a news program or educational information that he or she watches on TV with children, sitting in front of a television set. In this case, the information providing methods of the conventional arts fails to provide proper information according to situations in which in case that an upper item is set as a movie for a violence scene, its user preference value becomes high, while in case that an upper item is set as a news program or an educational stuff, the user preference value becomes low.
Meanwhile, a user preference value on information can be different depending on situations that the user is put, with which the information providing methods of the conventional arts can hardly cope.
For example, the user may prefer a melodrama or a family movie in a rainy day, or he or she may prefer an action movie in a sunny day. That is, for the same movie item, user preference is different according to situations in which the user is put. The information providing methods of the conventional arts do not properly cope with it.
In addition, the user preference may be different depending on a receiving device used by the user, with which the information providing methods of the conventional arts can hardly cope.
For example, in case that the user watches a movie on a TV with his or her family in a living room, the user may prefer a family-rated movie, while in case that the user watches a movie on a TV in his or her own room, he or she may prefer a movie that is not allowed for minors. The information providing methods of the conventional arts do not properly cope with it.
FIG. 1 illustrates user preference values of each item of information in accordance with a conventional art, in which user preference items (i.e., entertainment, music and pop music, etc) are allocated with specific item identifiers (1, 17, 181, . . . ) and correspondingly independent user preference values (86, 43, 27, . . . ).
Accordingly, relationships between each item is not expressed and the user preference value of each item is constantly maintained even if an environment is changed, so that no proper information can be provided for a situation in which the user is put.
In addition, in order to update user preference information, each corresponding item should be included in the use information. That is, in case that classified information only includes a name of a singer 'C' and a genre of a 'new age', not including 'entertainment' or 'music', only the 'C' item' and the 'new age' item are updated, while the user preference value for the relevant upper item such as 'entertainment, 'music', 'pop music', 'person' and 'woman singer' is not updated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

User preference information structure having multiple hierarchical structure and method for providing multimedia information using the same


A method for processing email for a multi-tenant database system is presented here. The system includes a plurality of data centers and a plurality of instances of a multi-tenant database system core. Each data center implements at least one instance of the multi-tenant database core. The method receives an incoming email at a first local mail transfer agent (MTA) of a first data center, wherein the incoming email is erroneously directed to a first instance of the multi-tenant database system core. The method continues by searching a private domain name service (DNS) database maintained at the first data center, based on an identifier of the first instance and an identifier of the first data center. The method then obtains an identifier associated with a second data center of the plurality of data centers, and routes the incoming email in accordance with the identifier of the second data center.

The prior art is replete with a variety of different computer-based email systems and related email delivery, processing, and presentation techniques. A typical email system employs a mail server or mail transfer agent (MTA) that receives email messages directed to a particular domain and routes the incoming email as needed to the intended recipient. A multi-tenant database system may also support email features and functionality for a plurality of different tenants (a "tenant" may also be referred to herein as an "organization"). The multi-tenant environment, however, can present certain challenges and difficulties that relate to the routing and re-routing of incoming email. For example, the entity that hosts or maintains a distributed database system (such as a multi-tenant database system) may have to deal with load balancing or scalability issues that require the addition of new servers, data centers, instances, and/or pods to an existing infrastructure. In such a scenario, it may be necessary to logically move an organization that had been implemented and supported by one instance of the multi-tenant database system "core" residing at a first data center to a different instance of the system core residing at a second data center. Such movement can result in a service interruption or other inconvenience for those trying to access their stored data. Moreover, such movement can also affect the transmission of incoming emails to servers, data centers, instances, and/or pods that are in a migration process. These issues are exacerbated in organizations that manage a significant volume of emails.
In certain situations, an MTA can be employed to direct or re-direct email traffic. In other situations, however, an MTA cannot be effectively utilized to re-route email traffic. For example, if a multi-tenant database system includes multiple instances of its system core distributed across a plurality of different data centers, and if the MTA has no internal knowledge of the instances that reside in a data center, then the MTA can only use domain name system (DNS) data to direct the email. As such, DNS data must be the same in every datacenter for such implementations, and an MTA in one data center cannot deliver email directly to an instance of the system core located in another data center.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have an efficient and effective methodology for re-routing an inbound email initially transmitted to one server, data center, or system core instance, particularly in the context of a multi-tenant database system. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Re-routing incoming email for a multi-tenant database system


A fiber optic industrial connector includes a connector holder and a duplex clip assembly secured within the connector holder. The duplex clip assembly includes a duplex clip and two connectors secured within the duplex clip. The duplex clip has a front surface and a rear surface, and two openings positioned between the front surface and the rear surface. The duplex clip also has a projecting member extending from the rear surface and toward the front surface.

The present invention is directed to a fiber optic industrial connector and, more particularly, an LC fiber optic industrial connector.
Industrial telecommunication connectors are known in the art, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,475,009 and 6,595,791. The '009 and '791 patents disclose RJ-45 connectors, which do not include duplex clip and connector assemblies. Moreover, none of these prior art industrial connectors disclose an LC fiber optic industrial connector that allows simple removal of the LC connectors during or after termination.


A single-piece protective package is intended for a film cassette provided with a substantially cylindrical housing having an extending pair of lips slightly spaced apart to define a film egress/ingress mouth and with a rotatable film spool for a coiled filmstrip inside the housing having a protruding end that protrudes at least to an outside end face of the housing to permit its engagement to rotate the film spool. The package comprises a mouth cap configured to fit over the extending pair of lips of the housing including the film egress/ingress mouth to seal the film egress/ingress mouth, but not to fit over a cylindrical portion of the housing to leave the cylindrical portion visible, and spool locking means integrally formed with the mouth cap for engaging the protruding end of the film spool to prevent rotation of the film spool when the mouth cap is fit over the extending pair of lips of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to protective packages for film cassettes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Film manufacturer's cassettes containing 35 mm film are well known. Traditionally, a film cassette comprises a lighttight substantially cylindrical housing having an extending pair of lips slightly spaced apart to define a film egress/ingress mouth or slit, and a rotatable film spool for a coiled filmstrip inside the housing having two protruding spool ends that protrude at least to respective exterior end faces of the housing. One of the protruding spool ends is intended to be engaged in a camera, for example, by a rotational driver or a spindle, to rotate and/or support the film spool. When the film spool is rotated in a winding direction, the filmstrip will be wound onto the film spool. If, however, the film spool is rotated in an unwinding direction, the filmstrip will tend to expand radially against an inside curved wall of the housing until a friction-binding between the film roll and the inside wall is effected which prevents further spool rotation in the unwinding direction. Thus, in the traditional cassette the filmstrip must be pulled from the housing.
More recently, as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,948,063, issued Aug. 14, 1990, in the name of John J. Niedospial, and 5,004,176, issued Apr. 2, 1991 in the name of John J. Niedospial, there has been proposed a film cassette that is capable of propelling the filmstrip from the housing responsive to unwinding rotation of the film spool. In this new cassette, it is no longer necessary to pull the filmstrip from the housing.
Typical containers for storing the film cassettes prior to use comprise a black plastic cylindrical can for loosely containing holding the cassette and a similar snap-on lid for covering an open end of the can.

Single-piece protective package for a film cassette


In order to edit, in a transmission-efficient manner, multimedia news before sending or receiving such news, the existing user data volume (VOL) of a piece of multimedia news (MM) is determined prior to, during, and after putting together such piece of multimedia news (MM). At least one application reducing the original user data volume (VOL) of such piece of multimedia news (MM) is supplied and run in case a predefined user data volume threshold (SGx) or an upper price limit (SPx) is exceeded.

The document US 2002/0013854 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus via which only the total amount of communication data transmitted between a remote communication unit and a communication server can be monitored and controlled.
The present invention is directed toward improving the cost transparency for the sender or recipient of a multimedia message that is to be transmitted.

Method and radio communication device for the transmission efficient editing of multimedia messages


The methods disclosed herein relate to methods and compositions for amplifying nucleic acid sequences, more specifically, from nucleic acid sequences of pathogens by targeted whole genome amplification.

In many fields of research such as genetic diagnosis, cancer research or forensic medicine, the scarcity of genomic DNA can be a severely limiting factor on the type and quantity of genetic tests that can be performed on a sample. One approach designed to overcome this problem is whole genome amplification. The objective is to amplify a limited DNA sample in a non-specific manner in order to generate a new sample that is indistinguishable from the original but with a higher DNA concentration. The aim of a typical whole genome amplification technique would be to amplify a sample up to a microgram level while respecting the original sequence representation.
The first whole genome amplification methods were described in 1992, and were based on the principles of the polymerase chain reaction. Zhang and coworkers (Zhang, L., et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1992, 89: 5847-5851) developed the primer extension PCR technique (PEP) and Telenius and collaborators (Telenius et al., Genomics. 1992, 13(3):718-25) designed the degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR method (DOP-PCR) Zhang et al., 1992).
PEP involves a high number of PCR cycles; using Taq polymerase and 15 base random primers that anneal at a low stringency temperature. Although the PEP protocol has been improved in different ways, it still results in incomplete genome coverage, failing to amplify certain sequences such as repeats. Failure to prime and amplify regions containing repeats may lead to incomplete representation of a whole genome because consistent primer coverage across the length of the genome provides for optimal representation of the genome. This method also has limited efficiency on very small samples (such as single cells). Moreover, the use of Taq polymerase implies that the maximal product length is about 3 kb.
DOP-PCR is a method which uses Taq polymerase and semi-degenerate oligonucleotides (such as CGACTCGAGNNNNATGTGG (SEQ ID NO: 1), for example, where N=A, T, C or G) that bind at a low annealing temperature at approximately one million sites within the human genome. The first cycles are followed by a large number of cycles with a higher annealing temperature, allowing only for the amplification of the fragments that were tagged in the first step. This leads to incomplete representation of a whole genome. DOP-PCR generates, like PEP, fragments that are in average 400-500 bp, with a maximum size of 3 kb, although fragments up to 10 kb have been reported. On the other hand, as noted for PEP, a low input of genomic DNA (less than 1 ng) decreases the fidelity and the genome coverage (Kittler et al., Anal. Biochem. 2002, 300(2), 237-44).
Multiple displacement amplification (MDA, also known as strand displacement amplification; SDA) is a non-PCR-based isothermal method based on the annealing of random hexamers to denatured DNA, followed by strand-displacement synthesis at constant temperature (Blanco et al., 1989, J. Biol. Chem. 264:8935-40). It has been applied to small genomic DNA samples, leading to the synthesis of high molecular weight DNA with limited sequence representation bias (Lizardi et al., Nature Genetics 1998, 19, 225-232; Dean et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2002, 99, 5261-5266). As DNA is synthesized by strand displacement, a gradually increasing number of priming events occur, forming a network of hyper-branched DNA structures. The reaction can be catalyzed by the Phi29 DNA polymerase or by the large fragment of the Bst DNA polymerase. The Phi29 DNA polymerase possesses a proofreading activity resulting in error rates 100 times lower than the Taq polymerase.
The methods described above generally produce amplification of whole genomes wherein all of the nucleic acid in a given sample is indiscriminately amplified. These methods cannot selectively amplify target genomes in the presence of background or contaminating genomes. Therefore, the results obtained from these methods have a problematically high amount of contaminating background nucleic acid. Purifying collected samples to isolate target genome(s) and remove background genome(s) will result in a further reduction in the amount of already scarce target genome.
There is a long felt need for a method of targeted amplification of a whole genome relative to background or contaminating genomes. In certain cases where only small quantities of a nucleic acid sample to be tested for the presence of a given target nucleic acid sequence, it would be advantageous to introduce specificity into amplification of whole genomes so that a particular target genome is selectively amplified relative to other genomes present within a given sample. For example, in cases of microbial forensics or clinical diagnostics, it would be useful to selectively amplify a genome of a pathogen, or a class of pathogens relative to the genomes of organisms which are also present in the sample which contains a small quantity of total nucleic acid. This would provide the quantities of nucleic acid of the pathogen that are necessary to identify the pathogen. The methods disclosed herein satisfy this long felt need.

Targeted whole genome amplification method for identification of pathogens


Mechanisms are provided for performing a write operation on a shared resource in a cluster of data processing systems. The mechanisms determine whether a locally cached copy of the shared resource is present in a local cache memory. The mechanisms, in response to a determination that a locally cached copy is present, determine whether the locally cached copy is a latest version of the shared resource. The mechanisms, in response to determining that that locally cached copy is a latest version: perform the write operation on the locally cached copy to generate an updated locally cached copy, and transmit a cluster event notification to other data processing systems of the cluster indicating the shared resource was written to and which data processing system performed the write operation. The cluster event notification is logged in at least one change log data structure associated with the other data processing systems.

The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to mechanisms for providing efficient distributed cache consistency.
A cluster system, also referred to as a cluster multiprocessor system (CMP) or simply as a "cluster," is a set of networked data processing systems (or "nodes") with hardware and software shared among those data processing systems, typically (but not necessarily) configured to provide highly available and highly scalable application services. Cluster systems are frequently implemented to achieve high availability as an alternative to fault tolerance for mission-critical applications such as data centers, aircraft control, and the like. Fault tolerant data processing systems rely on specialized hardware to detect hardware faults and to switch to a redundant hardware component, regardless of whether the component is a processor, memory board, hard disk drive, adapter, power supply, etc. While providing seamless cutover and uninterrupted performance, fault tolerant systems are expensive due to the requirement of redundant hardware, and fail to address software errors, a more common source of data processing system failure.
High availability can be achieved in a cluster implemented with standard hardware through the use of software that permits resources to be shared system wide. When a node, component, or application fails, the software quickly establishes an alternative path to the desired resource. The brief interruption required to reestablish availability of the desired resource is acceptable in many situations. The hardware costs are significantly less than fault tolerant systems, and backup facilities may be utilized during normal operation.
The nodes of a cluster share resources of the cluster, including files, data structures, storage devices, and the like. As such, the various nodes of a cluster may each attempt to read and write data from/to these shared resources. Hence, mechanisms for controlling the reads and writes so as to ensure the veracity of the shared resources are usually implemented.


A spiral-link fabric for use in a papermaking machine or the like. The spiral-link fabric may include a plurality of spiral coils arranged in a predetermined manner such that adjacent ones of side-by-side spiral coils are interdigitated with each other so as to form a channel and interconnected by a pintle extending through the channel. At least some of the plurality of spiral coils have a coil width of approximately 12 mm or larger, as measured in machine direction of the spiral-link fabric. The ratio of the diameter of the monofilament forming the spiral coils to the coil width may be approximately 0.07 or less.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spiral fabrics. More specifically, the present invention relates to spiral-link fabrics having coils with relatively low monofilament diameter to width ratio utilized on a papermaking machine and other industrial applications.
2 . Description of the Related Art
During the papermaking process, a cellulosic fibrous web is formed by depositing a fibrous slurry, that is, an aqueous dispersion of cellulose fibers, onto a moving forming fabric in a forming section of a paper machine. A large amount of water is drained from the slurry through the forming fabric, leaving the cellulosic fibrous web on the surface of the forming fabric.
The newly formed cellulosic fibrous web proceeds from the forming section to a press section, which includes a series of press nips. The cellulosic fibrous web passes through the press nips supported by a press fabric, or, as is often the case, between two such press fabrics. In the press nips, the cellulosic fibrous web is subjected to compressive forces which squeeze water therefrom, and which adhere the cellulosic fibers in the web to one another to turn the cellulosic fibrous web into a paper sheet. The water is accepted by the press fabric or fabrics and, ideally, does not return to the paper sheet.
The paper sheet finally proceeds to a dryer section, which includes at least one series of rotatable dryer drums or cylinders, which are internally heated by steam. The newly formed paper sheet is directed in a serpentine path sequentially around each in the series of drums by a dryer fabric, which holds the paper sheet closely against the surfaces of the drums. The heated drums reduce the water content of the paper sheet to a desirable level through evaporation.
It should be appreciated that the forming, press and dryer fabrics all take the form of endless loops on the paper machine and function in the manner of conveyors. It should further be appreciated that paper manufacture is a continuous process which proceeds at considerable speeds. That is to say, the fibrous slurry is continuously deposited onto the forming fabric in the forming section, while a newly manufactured paper sheet is continuously wound onto rolls after it exits from the dryer section.
Fabrics in modern papermaking machines may have a width of from 5 to over 33 feet, a length of from 40 to over 400 feet and weigh from approximately 100 to over 3,000 pounds. These fabrics wear out and require replacement. Replacement of fabrics often involves taking the machine out of service, removing the worn fabric, setting up to install a fabric and installing the new fabric.
For example, because of the solid support beams for dryer sections, all dryer fabric must have a seam. Installation of the fabric includes pulling the fabric body onto a machine and joining the fabric ends to form an endless belt. The seam region of any workable fabric must behave in use as close to the body of the fabric in order to prevent the periodic marking by the seam region of the paper product being manufactured.
A fabric may be formed completely of spiral coils (so called "spiral-link fabric") as taught by Gauthier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,077; which is incorporated herein by reference. In such a fabric, cross-machine direction ("CD") rows of spiral coils are connected to each other by at least one connecting pin, pintle or the like. The coils are wound or formed on a mandrel of a monofilament having a specific diameter 60. The coils, as shown for example in FIG. 4, have a major dimension (coil width) 50 and a minor dimension (coil thickness) 100. The coil width as referred to herein is actually the length of the coil as measured in the machine direction ("MD") of the spiral-link fabric in use. Once the coil is in fabric form, the calculated fabric thickness or caliper, therefore, would be equal to twice the diameter of the monofilament that form the spiral coils plus the pintle diameter.
Actual measured values may, however, be higher dependent on the processing and finishing options used.
In theory, the seam can be at any location in the fabric body where a connecting pin may be removed. Spiral-link fabrics offer a number of advantages over traditional fabric. For example, the seam of a spiral-link fabric is geometrically similar to the fabric body, and thus is less likely to mark the paper sheet. In addition, spiral-link fabrics may withstand flattening, thus imparting constant permeability to fluids (in particular air) which would otherwise pass therethrough. Due to these advantageous features, spiral-link fabrics are used in papermaking machines, particularly for drying sheets of paper wherein water vapor is removed which passes through the spiral-link fabric. Spiral-link fabrics have other industrial applications where they act as industrial conveyors and may be coated or otherwise impregnated with a resin depending upon the application.
In current practice, the above characteristics of the coils, i.e. the diameter of the monofilament forming the spiral fabric and the resultant width to thickness ratio, are dependently related. Bigger coils with relatively large width and higher thickness must be formed from a thicker monofilament, whereas monofilaments of a relatively small diameter can only form smaller coils. The use of bigger coils made from thicker monofilaments and heavier pintles result in heavier fabrics i.e. more weight per unit area, higher thickness and caliper, with a coarse hand and low number of contact points. In order to make a fabric more suitable for the dryer section and other "mark-sensitive" positions of the papermaking machine, a finer, lighter weight and thinner fabric with higher number of contact points and smaller contact points is desired. However, these fabrics require the smaller coils made from smaller monofilaments in order to achieve the required characteristics. The disadvantage being that more rows of coils, pintles and stuffers will be needed to make an equivalent fabric of the same weight per unit area.
Additionally, the production of spiral-link fabrics is labor-intensive. For example, spiral-link fabrics are constructed of many small spiral elements that must be coiled and assembled. The multiple manufacturing steps of coiling, interdigitating, and interconnecting spiral coils is labor intensive and requires come specialized machinery. In addition, it is difficult to interconnect the spiral coils because a pin, pintle or the like is inserted through small channels formed from the interdigitated spiral coils. Production time for such fabrics is compounded because the small width of the spiral coils requires a large number of pintles, as fabrics may be formed in a width of from 5 to over 33 feet in CD and a length of from 40 to over 400 feet. Further, the large number of pintles substantially covers the fabric resulting in a fabric that is stiff both in CD and diagonally across the MD during operation.
In addition, "stuffers" in the form of yams or the like are typically inserted within the inner space of each spiral coil to usually lower the permeability of the fabric. Currently, stuffers are pushed or stuffed into the inner space of each spiral coil one portion at a time using specialized machinery. As is to be appreciated, such stuffing method limits the material which may be used as stuffers because the stuffer must be sufficiently stiff or rigid to facilitate insertion into the small coil opening and across the full width of the fabric. Further, because the stuffers are pushed into the fabric, the process of inserting the stuffers may be slow and labor-intensive.
The present invention overcomes these shortcomings by providing a spiral-link fabric with wide spiral coils.


An aqueous primer composition of the present invention includes a water-dispersible polyisocyanate (A) and an acrylic resin water dispersion (B), wherein a polystyrene equivalent weight average molecular weight, determined using gel permeation chromatography, of an acrylic resin in the acrylic resin water dispersion (B) is 350,000 or more, and a glass transition temperature, determined by using a differential scanning calorimeter, of the acrylic resin is 15° C. to 130° C., and a weight ratio between the water-dispersible polyisocyanate (A) and the acrylic resin water dispersion (B) is (A):(B)=70:30 to 50:50.

In general, a covering resin layer of a waterproofing material, coated flooring material, sealing material, or the like is often provided in constructions formed with inorganic substrates such as mortar and concrete in order to prevent the inorganic substrates from corroding or deteriorating, and a primer is used as a surface-treating agent to improve the adhesiveness of the covering resin layer.
As typical examples of primers used in civil engineering and construction, those based on a urethane resin, epoxy resin, or the like can be mentioned. However, there has been concern about not only hazardous effects to the workers but also the indoor air pollution (a sick house) and the general air pollution. Therefore, it has been expected to reduce the use of the organic solvent therein by developing an aqueous primer, among others.
A primer used in the methods of waterproofing and floor-coating should be excellent not only in drying property directly after coating but also in basic properties such as permeability, shielding property, and adhesiveness to an inorganic substrate, and in durability such as water-proof adhesiveness. However, no aqueous primers having such properties have been developed although the organic solvent-based primers having these properties have been developed.
In general, aqueous resins can be classified into a water-soluble resin, and water-dispersible resin, which has a form of particles. The water-dispersible resin, in particular, the emulsion in which the particle diameter is large, is suitable in terms of the drying property at ordinary temperature, and the water-soluble resin is preferable in terms of its permeability to the inorganic substrates. That is, if the aqueous resin is used as a primer, it is difficult for the single water-soluble resin or the single water-dispersible resin to have all the required properties. Furthermore, tough hardening due to the cross-linking is required to impart durability such as water-proof adhesiveness.
In order to achieve these demands, a method in which an aqueous resin capable of cross-linking is used for surface-treating the inorganic substrate has been proposed. For example, a method in which an emulsifiable isocyanate prepolymer having hydrophilic groups is used for surface-treating by diluting with water (for example, see patent documents 1 and 2). This method is excellent in terms of not requiring an organic solvent, the impregnation into a porous inorganic substrate, and the reinforcement of the surface of the substrate. However, this method has a problem in which, if the isocyanate prepolymer is used for the method of water-proofing or floor coating, its drying is too slow to quickly go about the next step. Also, there is a problem in which covering resin layers of a water-proofing material, floor coating material or the like, which are coated thereon, are likely to be affected by the water content included in the bedding concrete and bulging is likely to be generated because they are inferior in shielding property.
A method in which an aqueous primer composition which includes an emulsifiable isocyanate prepolymer having hydrophilic groups and an emulsified resin solution is used for surface-treating, has been disclosed (for example, see patent document 3).
This method is excellent in terms of not requiring an organic solvent, the impregnation into a porous inorganic substrate, and the reinforcement of the surface of the substrate. However, this method has a problem in which, if it is used for the method of water-proofing or floor-coating, covering resin layers of a water-proofing material, floor-coating material, or the like, which are coated thereon, are likely to be affected by the water content included in the bedding concrete and bulging is likely to be generated because the molecular weight of the emulsified resin is small, so that they are inferior in shielding property. Also, this method has a problem in which its drying is too slow to quickly go about the next step in the case of the porous inorganic substrate which is not preheated with a hot air drying machine or the like.
An aqueous resin composition has been disclosed, which is made by combining three of an aqueous acrylate resin having hydroxyl groups and cross-linked structures, an aqueous urethane resin having hydroxyl groups and cross-linked structures, and a polyisocyanate compound dispersible in water (for example, see patent document 4). The coating materials made up of this composition are excellent in adhesiveness to resin substrates such as a urethane sheet, water-resistance, and water-resistant adhesiveness, but their permeability to inorganic substrates is low and their adhesiveness also tends to be inferior because their contents of the aqueous acrylate resin having hydroxyl groups are high.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H6-92756
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-010777
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-196914
Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2000-265053

Aqueous primer composition, method of surface treating by using the same and laminated structure thereof


A signal transmitting and receiving system of a display includes a timing controller and at least one source driver. The timing controller is arranged for transmitting a training signal and a data signal. The source driver is coupled to the timing controller via at least one data channel and a lock channel, and is arranged for receiving the training signal and the data signal via the data channel. The timing controller transmits the training signal or the data signal to the source driver by referring to a voltage level of the lock channel, and the voltage level of the lock channel is allowed to be controlled by both the timing controller and the source driver.

1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions relates to a display, and more particularly, to a signal transmitting and receiving system and associated timing controller of a display.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional point-to-point (P2P) timing controller, frame data is transmitted to a plurality of source drivers by using a single data rate. However, using a single data rate to transmit the frame data will cause a high electromagnetic interference (EMI) peak. In addition, because the P2P timing controller uses a Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) interface to transmit the frame data, and the data rate is very high (e.g. more than 1 Gb/s), therefore, the conventional spread spectrum techniques are difficult to be applied to the P2P timing controller.
In addition, in a display system, the timing controller is connected to the source driver(s) via at least one data channel (data lines) and a lock channel. A voltage level of the lock channel is determined by the source driver, and the timing controller refers to the voltage level of the lock channel to determine to transmit a training signal or a data signal to the source driver. In detail, when the display system is powered on, the voltage level of the lock channel is controlled to correspond to a logic value "0", the timing controller transmits the training signal to the source driver, and a clock and data recovery (CDR) included in the source driver is used to generate an internal clock by locking frequency and phase according to the training signal from the timing controller. After the source driver confirms that the frequency and phase of the internal clock are locked, the source driver controls the lock channel to have the voltage level corresponds to a logic value "1". When the voltage level of the lock channel corresponds to the logic value "1", the timing controller transmits the data signal to the source driver, and the CDR included in the source driver uses the internal clock to sample the data signal to generate recovered data.
In the conventional display system mentioned above, when a data rate of the data signal is changed during the voltage level of the lock channel having the logic value "1", the CDR may happen a dead lock event and fail to use the internal clock to sample the data signal to generate the correct recovered data.

Signal transmitting and receiving system and associated timing controller of display


Provided are a poly crystalline silicon semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. Portions of a silicon layer except for gates are removed to reduce a parasitic capacitance caused from the silicon layer existing on gate bus lines. The silicon layer exists under the gates only, thus the parasitic capacitance is reduced and the deterioration and the delay of signals are prevented. Accordingly, the poly crystalline silicon semiconductor device, such as a thin film transistor, has excellent electric characteristics.

Priority is claimed to Korean Patent Applications No. 10-2003-0100618, filed on Dec. 30, 2003, and No. 10-2004-0052982, filed on Jul. 8, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to a poly crystalline silicon semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, to a poly crystalline silicon thin film transistor (TFT) and a method of fabricating the same for efficiently reducing the capacitance of gate bus lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Poly crystalline silicon, which will be referred to as poly-Si hereafter, has characteristics of high mobility and excellent optical stability compared to amorphous silicon. Such poly-Si is used in various application fields, mainly in TFT and memory devices. Poly-Si TFTs are used as switching devices in displays. Examples of displays using an active device, such as TFTs, are TFT-LCDs and TFT-OLEDs.
In TFT-LCDs and TFT-OLEDs, TFTs are arranged in each pixel, which is arranged on an X-Y matrix. The performance of an LCD and an OLED in which a plurality of TFTs are arranged depends on the electric characteristics of the TFTs. One of the important characteristics of the TFT is the mobility of a silicon active layer. In order to improve the mobility of the silicon active layer, the silicon active layer should be crystallized. Studies of crystalline silicon are focused on the development of poly-Si, which is similar to mono crystalline silicon.
On the other hand, LCDs using plastic substrates, which are easily damaged by heat and flexible, unlike glass substrates, are being developed, in order to reduce the price of the LCD. In addition, a plastic substrate will be inevitably used in paper-like, flexible displays, which is a next-generation model.
However, the defect of plastic being easily damaged by heat requires a low temperature process to apply a plastic substrate to an LCD. Carry et al. disclosed a method of preventing damages on plastic when forming silicon channels on a plastic substrate, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,550.
However, the method provided by Carry et al. results in a silicon film remaining, as an active region, under gates and as an unnecessary capacitive element under gate bus lines. The gate bus lines are formed with the gates, thus a gate insulating material and silicon for forming channels remain under the gate bus line.
This is because a gate metal is patterned, in other words, doped and activated, after depositing the gate insulating layer and the gate metal on the silicon and before patterning the channels. Thus the silicon remaining on regions outside channel regions is not eliminated.
The silicon remaining under the gate bus lines and having a high dielectric constant generates an unnecessary parasitic capacitance between the gate bus lines and the substrate. In addition, the parasitic capacitance forms a line resistance of the gate bus lines and an RF differential circuit, thus distorts and delays the transfer of signals to the gates. Such a parasitic capacitance problem is generated in a semiconductor device having a plurality of transistors, for example, a CMOS.

Poly crystalline silicon semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same


The present invention provides an anti-static structure of an array substrate, which comprises: an effective region 20 of the array substrate, a gate line shorting bar 30 and a data line shorting bar 40, the effective region 20 of the array substrate is provided with a plurality of parallel gate lines 22 and data lines 24, the gate line shorting bar 30 is electrically connected with one side of the plurality of gate lines 22, the data line shorting bar 40 is electrically connected with one side of the plurality of data lines 24. The present invention only utilizes a gate line shorting bar to short all gate lines and utilizes a data line shorting bar to short all data lines, in order to greatly avoid the abnormal discharge of the plasma generated when the hole is formed cause static damage to the metal overlapping traces of the shorting bar.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the display technical field, and in particular to an anti-static structure of an array substrate.
2. The Related Arts
Liquid Crystal Display, LCD, has many advantages such as thin body, power saving, no radiation and so on, which has been widely applied. The liquid crystal display in the conventional market is mostly backlight type liquid crystal display device, which comprises a housing, a liquid crystal display panel provided in the housing and a backlight module provided in the housing and related to the liquid crystal display panel, the working principle of the liquid crystal display panel is to place liquid crystal molecules between two parallel glass substrates, and apply a driving voltage to both glass substrates to control the rotation of the liquid crystal molecules, thereby refracting the light of the backlight module and generating the screen.
Electro-Static discharge, ESD, has been an open question in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, it causes the reduction of product yield, cost increasing, productivity decreasing. In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device, electro-static discharge also has affected the quality of liquid crystal display device, in particular to the liquid crystal display panel production process. Generation of electro-static discharge can be divided into three major factors:
First is particle, any kind of particles can cause damage to the device, even cause the product obsolescence, therefore, in the semiconductor manufacturing process, controlling the particle is an important job.
Second is process conditions and materials, in the process of the liquid crystal display panel manufacturing process, deposition process, photo process, etch process, strip process, clean process and so on, such these manufacturing processes can generate the electro-static discharge, at the same time, the material used in these manufacturing processes can also generate the electro-static discharge due to material defects.
Third is design factor, product design directly affects the situation of static electricity.
In order to improve the product quality, decrease the production cost, static protection work is necessary in the liquid crystal display panel production process. The static protection includes two categories: first is the liquid crystal display panel internal device protection, it is mainly to provide a ESD ring in the beginning and the end of the gate line and the data line of the liquid crystal display panel; second is liquid crystal display panel external circuit protection, it is mainly to protect the damage of ESD to the external circuit in the array process and the back-end process.
In the conventional structure of the TFT array substrate, the film sequence is gate/com-GI-active-S/D-PVX-indium tin oxides, ITO, in order to control the product cost and yield, it usually lights and grades the panel after finishing cutting in the cell process, thereby inputting the qualified liquid crystal display panel to the module.
In order to achieve lighting in the cell process, and not affecting the normal lighting in the module process, it usually adds some simple test circuit in the terminals of the gate line and the data line in the production process of the array substrate, namely setting the shorting bar, thus achieving lighting in the cell process, reduce electro-static discharge phenomena. The current shorting bar is divided into two structures, trimming structure and switching structure. Trimming structure is to directly short the gate line and the data line to the shorting bar, after finishing the cell test, it needs to disconnect the shorting bar and the terminals of the gate line and the data line by laser; the switching structure is to input the shorting bar signal into the gate line and the date line by switching.
In terms of the trimming structure, currently, it uses five shorting bars to respectively connect with the corresponded signal line, wherein three shorting bars are connected with data line (respectively connected with R, G, B data lines), two shorting bars are connected with gate line (respectively connected with odd and even gate lines), these shorting bars 100 are connected with the gate line or data line 200 through the hole, as shown in FIG. 1. However, in the dry etching of the insulating protective layer and the active layer of the liquid crystal display panel, the abnormal discharge of the plasma would still cause static damage to the metal overlapping traces of the shorting bar 100, affecting the product quality.

Anti-static structure of array substrate

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.