A multilayer capacitor array comprises a multilayer body, and first to fourth terminal conductors and first and second outer connecting conductors formed on the multilayer body. The multilayer body includes a first electrode group having a plurality of first and second inner electrodes, and a second electrode group having a plurality of third and fourth inner electrodes. The first to fourth inner electrodes are connected to the first to fourth terminal conductors, respectively. In the plurality of first inner electrodes, at least one first inner electrode whose number is smaller than the total number of the first inner electrodes by at least one is connected to the first terminal conductor. In the plurality of second inner electrodes, at least one second inner electrode whose number is smaller than the total number of the second inner electrodes by at least one is connected to the second terminal conductor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer capacitor array.
2. Related Background Art
As electronic devices have been reducing their size and thickness, capacitors mounted on them have been desired to be integrated. Therefore, a capacitor array including a plurality of capacitors within one chip has recently been under study. For example, one comprising a multilayer body in which inner electrode layers each provided with a plurality of inner electrodes arranged in parallel and dielectric layers are alternately laminated, and a plurality of terminal conductors formed on the multilayer body has been known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application laid-Open No. HEI 11-26291).
On the other hand, power supplies for central processing units (CPUs) mounted in digital electronic devices have been lowering their voltage while increasing their load current. This has made it very difficult for fluctuations in power voltage to be held below a tolerable level, whereby a multilayer capacitor known as decoupling capacitor has been connected to the power supplies. When the load current fluctuates transiently, the multilayer capacitor supplies a current to the CPU, thereby suppressing the fluctuation in power voltage.
Recently, as the CPUs have further been increasing their frequency, their load current has been becoming faster and greater. Therefore, the multilayer capacitors employed in decoupling capacitors have been demanded to increase their capacity and equivalent series resistance (ESR).


Salts of L-carnitine and alkanoyl L-carnitines with phytic acid of general formula (I), and the process of preparing the same, wherein the mole ratio between the L-carnitine or its alkanoyl derivatives cation and phytic acid anion be within the range of 1:1 to 6:1, wherein: n=1-6; R1 is the phytate anion; R is either hydrogen, a straight alkanoyl group having 2-12 carbon atoms or a branched-chain alkanoyl group having 2-12 carbon atoms.

It is well known that L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives lend themselves to various therapeutical and nutritional uses. L-Carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives inner salts are represented by formula:
wherein R represents either a hydrogen atom or an alkanoyl group.
L-Carnitine is a cofactor required for transformation of free long-chain fatty acids into acylcarnitines, and for their subsequent transport into the mitochondrial matrix, where they undergo bate-oxidation for cellular energy production. Mitochondrial fatty oxidation is the primary fuel source in heart and skeletal muscles, pointing to the relative importance of the nutrient for proper function in tissue. L-Carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives also have important antioxidant effects, as demonstrated by their protective effect against lipoperoxidation of phospholipid cell membranes caused by oxidative stress induced at the myocardial and endothelial cell level. Conditions which appear to benefit from L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives include anorexia, chronic fatigue, coronary vascular disease, diphtheria, hypoglycemia, male infertility, muscular myopathies, Rett Syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, mood enhancement, cognitive improvement, and sports performance. See, e.g., Gregory S. Kelly, "L-Carnitine: Therapeutic Applications of a Conditionally-Essential Amino Acid", Alternative Medicine Review, 3 (5): 345-360 (1998).
While there are various therapeuticals and nutritional benefits of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives, much research has been carried out to improve their physical, chemical, and biological properties.
Research has primarily focused on the solutions of the physical and chemical drawbacks of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives inner salts because their hygroscopic physical characteristic creates complex problems involving the processing and storing of both the raw materials and the finished products, and their inadequate chemical stability leads to the release of traces of trimethylamine and its concomitant unpleasant fishy smell.
In these previous research, various salt forms of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives having "pharmacologically acceptable" acids as anion but without unwanted toxic or side effects have been produced, with the knowledge that the salts of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivates known to-date present the same therapeutical and nutritional benefits as do the so-called inner salts. Selecting suitable acid is the major endeavor in screening salt forms of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives having improved properties compared to inner salts. While various mineral acids have been tested, including hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, a larger number of organic acids have been tested including fumaric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, orotic acid and mucic acid. While the combination of these acids with the inner salts of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives more or less satisfactorily solved the problems associated with inner salts, these salts focused on a technological solution to the purely physical or chemical drawbacks associated with L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives' inner salts.
Research has been made to produce salt forms of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives with the anion moiety itself being endowed with interesting pharmacological and/or nutritional characteristics and, if possible, to synergistically enhance the therapeutical and/or nutritional properties of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives.
U.S. Patent Application Publication, No. US2006/0241181 A1 entitled "Alpha-Ketoglutarates of Active Ingredients and Compositions Containing Same" (Publication Date: Oct. 26, 2006) to Pietro Pola et al. discloses novel salt forms of L-carnitine and its alkanoyl derivatives combined with alpha-ketoglutaric acid. Alpha-ketoglutaric acid, which is a precursor to L-glutamine, plays an important metabolic role and has been successfully applied in cardiac surgery due to its important role in the Krebs cycle and, hence, in myocardial metabolism. However, according to the specification of this patent application, only honey-like pasty mass is obtained as a salt product of L-carnitine alpha-ketoglutarate and not any solid form.
Amino acids possess various therapeutical and nutritional attributes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,042 B1, entitled "Salts of L-Carnitine and Lower Alkanoyl L-Carnitine", (Issued: Mar. 9, 2004) to Atonietta Buononato discloses salts of L-carnitine and alkanoyl L-carnitine with amino acids, such as leucine, isoleucine, valine, cysteine, arginine and glycine to enhance therapeutical and/or nutritional efficacy with respect to their inner salts. However, as disclosed in this patent, the anion moiety (i.e., the amino acid moiety) of the salts had to be salified at the amino group with hydrochloric, or hydrobromic, and/or phosphoric acid.
In the efforts to develop new generation salt forms of L-carnitine and alkanoyl L-carnitines which not only just solve the physical and chemical drawbacks of the inner salts, but also enhance the therapeutical and/or nutritional efficacy of the inner salts, endeavors should still focus on the screening of a sophisticated acid.
Phytic acid, also known as inositol hexaphosphate, myo-inositol hexaphosphate, and IP6, is a 6-phosphate ester of inositol as represented by the molecular formula:

Phytic acid is naturally occurring in substantial amounts in whole grain, cereals, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and is the primary energy source for germinating plants. Phytic acid and its lower phosphorylated forms are also found in most mammalian cells, where they assist in regulating a variety of important cellular functions. Phytic acid functions as an antioxidant by chelating divalent cations such as copper and iron, preventing the generation of reactive oxygen species responsible for cell injury and carcinogenesis. Both in vivo and in vitro studies utilizing IP6 have revealed a significant anticancer activity with a variety of tumor types, possibly via inhibition of tumor cell growth and differentiation. In vitro studies with colon, liver, and rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines, and animal models of mammary, colon, intestinal, and liver cancer, as well as rhabdomyosarcoma, have all demonstrated IP6's anticancer properties. Other properties of IP6 include an anti-platelet aggregating and lipid-lowering effect, suggesting a potential health benefit for the cardiovascular system; inhibition of HIV-1 virus replication; modulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells; and inhibition of urinary calcium oxalate crystallization, thereby preventing renal stone development. See e.g. Monograph, "Inositol Hexaphosphate", Alternative Medicine Review, 7 (3): 244-248 (2002).
Other notable functions of phytic acid include the deodorant effect of body odor, bad breath or uraroma; the prevention of acute alcoholism; and the enrichment of the taste of meat and fish. These properties of phytic acid provide its pharmaceutical and/or nutritional added value.
The biochemistry and pharmacokinetics of phytic acid have also been studied. Inositol phosphates are synthesized from the parent molecule inositol and daily dietary consumption of inositol is estimated to be one gram. Once inositol reaches the cells of the intestinal tract it is phosphorylated to create inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), and then subsequently dephosphorylated to its lower forms, such as inositol pentaphosphate (IP5), inositol tetraphosphate (P4), inositol triphosphate (IP3), inositol monophosphate (IP1), which play important roles in signal transduction. Independent of the route of administration, IP6 has been discovered to be absorbed almost instantly, transported intracellularly and dephosphorylted into lower inositol phosphates. IP6 can reach targeted tumor tissue as early as one hour post-administration. When incubated with a human mammary cancer cell line, low levels of IP6 were detected as early as one minute post-incubation.
Based on its dietary derivation (i.e., it is non-toxic), its chemical properties (e.g., six phosphates attached in one inositol molecule), and its various biological activities, phytic acid is a novel acid to react with L-carnitine and alkanoyl L-carnitine inner salts to produce L-carnitine phytate and alkanoyl L-carnitine phytates. It is apparently an innovation in the evolution of salt forms of L-carnitine and salt forms of alkanoyl L-carnitine.

L-carnitine and alkanoyl L-carnitine phytates and process for preparing the same


A thrust reverser door is provided, in one configuration, with a plurality of peripherally-disposed frames circumferentially spaced apart from one another and projecting radially inwardly on an interior side of the door to thereby provide a channel for redirecting thrust.

The width of the thrust reverser doors is one of the design parameters which is important, as it plays a direct role in the effectiveness and efficiency of a thrust reverser. While the geometrical width of the doors is often dependent on the cross section of the nacelle on which the thrust reverser is installed, the effective width of the doors tends to be smaller than the geometrical width because the relatively large longitudinal side frame members, provided for structural and aerodynamic reasons, decrease the reverser efficiency and increases the risk of reverse efflux side spillage. There is thus a need that the reverse efflux be better contained by the reverser doors and the reverser efficiency be higher than with known arrangements.


A system for lighting a field for diagnosis or microsurgery, especially eye surgery. Basically, in one embodiment a ring light having a diameter sufficient to surround the objective lens of a surgical microscope is mounted on a housing adjacent to the objective lens. The ring light provides broad, shadowless illumination over the surgical site. In addition, where surgery of the cornea is to be undertaken, a ring of light is reflected from the cornea surface and can be observed through the microscope as indicative of astigmatism. In alternate embodiment, two smaller ring lights are mounted on the housing surrounding and coaxial with the microscope entrance pupils. In this case two circular rings in a figure eight configuration are projected onto the cornea. A light intensity varying mechanism controls ring light intensity. A center light is provided between the objective lenses providing a point source for uniformly illuminating the central portion of the microsurgery site. Preferably, the center light is a fiber optic light source. A separate intensity controlling mechanism is provided for the center light, so that the intensity of each light can be independently varied, as desired. This lighting arrangement provides much less glare in the eyes of the surgeon and lower intensity and greater comfort for the eye of a patient.

This invention relates in general to devices for illuminating the site of microsurgery, in particular eye surgery, and, more specifically, to a microsurgery ring illumination system.
Conventional surgical microscopes are stereoscopic, having a large objective lens oriented adjacent to the microsurgery site. Entrance pupils are spaced across the objective lens to collect a stereo image off the single, large diameter, long working distance objective lens. Powerful and bright illumination systems are provided to illuminate the surgical field. Some use an oblique system, where the light source is adjacent to the objective lens housing and is angled at the surgical field. Others mount the light adjacent to, and somewhat coaxial with, the entrance pupils. Typically they are powered with a halogen light bulb, sometimes with a fiber optic system conveying light from a remote source.
These illumination systems have a number of drawbacks. Shadows are created if a hand or instrument blocks the light path, often obscuring critical areas of the surgical field. The lighting is non-uniform due to the essentially single point light source at an angle to the microscope optical pathways, resulting in overly bright light on the source side, falling off to insufficient light on the other side. Even more significantly, glare from reflections off instruments or devices (or even tissue and fluids) inhibit the surgeons visualization and can adversely affect surgical efficiency. These problems are of particular importance in eye surgery where seeing transparent membranes is critical. Due to poor light delivery, surgeons are forced to turn the lights to near maximum levels to see the internal structures in, for example, cataract surgery. By doing so, however, they greatly increase surface glare from the fluids at the surface of the eye, seriously degrading their sight. This combination of overly bright lights and glare is uniformly disliked by surgeons and may be damaging to the sight of the surgeons getting such large lumen doses in his/her eyes.
A coaxial light source, from the patient's perspective, is much like looking into the sun. It has long been established that harm is done to retinas during eye surgery due to the light conditions. Retinal damage may manifest as light sensitivity, or photophobia, photic maculopathy (transient partial vision loss) due to exposure to intense light and sometimes cystoid macular edema (CME) which is essentially hardening of the arteries in the eye. CME is particularly devastating because it destroys the function of the most central vision and highest acuity of the macula. In essence, the high light level burns the retina.
Commonly, about a 2% CME rate is attributed to cataract surgery, although other factors in addition to high light intensity such as posterior capsule rupture can contribute to CME. Some studies indicate that angiographic postoperative CME of up to 25-30% can occur. This may manifest as subclinical losses in contrast sensitivity, color loss, etc.
In many types of eye surgery the eye is not injected with an anesthetic to deaden the eye. Some eye surgeries such as radial keratotomy, pterygium removal and certain new cataract techniques are performed under topical anesthesia, leaving the patient with normal ocular function during surgery. Often, these patients cannot tolerate the high intensity prior art microscope lights.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improved systems for lighting the site of microsurgery, in particular for eye surgery which use much lower and more uniform light intensities, reduce or eliminate shadows on the surgery field from instruments or the like, greatly reduce glare from instruments and surface fluids, reduce high intensity light damage to the surgeons's eyes and, in the case of eye surgery, reduce or eliminate light damage to the patient's eye. In addition, the light pattern would desirably aid in surgical and diagnostic procedures, such as those using conventional slit-lamps.


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device has the steps of: (a) implanting boron (B) ions into a semiconductor substrate; (b) implanting fluorine (F) or nitrogen (N) ions into the semiconductor device; (c) after the steps (a) and (b) are performed, executing first annealing with a heating time of 100 msec or shorter relative to a region of the semiconductor substrate into which ions were implanted; and (d) after the step (c) is performed, executing second annealing with a heating time longer than the heating time of the first annealing, relative to the region of the semiconductor substrate into which ions were implanted. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided which can dope boron (B) shallowly and at a high concentration.

A) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device capable of doping boron (B) shallowly and at a high concentration and a semiconductor device manufactured by this method.
B) Description of the Related Art
As transistors are miniaturized and become microfine, it becomes necessary to make shallow a junction depth of source/drain regions in order to suppress the short channel effects. Extension regions having a shallow junction depth are formed on both sides of the gate electrode, sandwiching the channel region, and deep source/drain regions are formed at positions spaced from the gate electrode. As a gate electrode length becomes short, an effective gate length becomes shorter than an actual gate length, and a phenomenon of a lowered threshold value occurs.
In order to ensure a desired threshold value and form shallow and low resistance extension regions, pocket (halo) regions are formed surrounding the extension regions, impurities (dopant) of a conductivity type opposite to that of the extension regions being doped in the pocket regions. Ion implantation for forming the pocket regions is performed along a plurality of directions, e.g., along the directions tilted by about 30° from a substrate normal direction.
Ion implantation is used for adding dopant. Implanted dopant is initially electrically non-active, and damages are formed in ion implanted semiconductor. In order to activate dopant and restore (recrystallize) the damaged semiconductor, annealing such as rapid thermal annealing (RTA) using a halogen lamp is performed.
It is essential to reduce parasitic resistance of the extension regions of source/drain regions in order to realize a miniaturized and high performance transistor. To this end, it is required to form extension regions which are shallow and have low resistance and a steep dopant profile. High temperature annealing is necessary for activating dopant highly efficiently. In order to realize a steep dopant profile, it is necessary to suppress dopant diffusion.
It is desired to perform annealing which has a high arrival or reach temperature to realize highly efficient activation of dopant and has a short high temperature stay time to suppress dopant diffusion. From this reason, spike annealing has been used which is RTA having a very short highest temperature stay time. Spike annealing can realize 0 second of the highest temperature Tmax stay time. However, a stay time at a temperature 50° C. lower than the peak temperature Tmax (Tmax−50° C.) or above is about 1 to 2 sec, so that thermal diffusion of dopant occurs.
If a shallow junction is to be formed by suppressing diffusion of dopant, it is necessary to lower an annealing temperature. However, a dopant activation factor lowers and a sheet resistance increases. As the annealing temperature is raised to increase the activation factor, dopant is diffused and the junction becomes deep. As described above, it is difficult for conventional spike annealing to form a shallow and low resistance diffusion layer required by miniaturized transistors. Further, spike annealing is accompanied by diffusion of increased speed (abnormal diffusion) at the initial annealing stage ascribed to damages formed during ion implantation, which makes it more difficult to form a shallow junction.
JP-A-2004-235603 proposes to dope one of diffusion suppressing substances N, Ar, F and C, most preferably N, during impurity ion implantation for pocket regions, in order to make a steep dopant concentration profile. Indium (In) is doped in an n-channel transistor to form p-type pocket regions. In order to form n-type pocket regions in a p-channel transistor, for example, antimony (Sb) is doped. For ion implantation for pocket regions, the diffusion suppressing substance N is doped. After ion implantation for extension regions and deep source/drain regions, spike annealing of almost 0 sec is performed. Since N is doped, leak current reduces. It is reported that a profile of the diffusion suppressing substance after annealing shows a peak at both positions at the surface and an interface between amorphous (A) and crystal (C) (A/C interface).
JP-A-2005-136382 proposes optical pulse annealing using an Xe flash lamp, instead of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) using a halogen lamp. An Xe flash lamp can irradiate an optical energy of 5 J/cm2 to 100 J/cm2 in about 0.1 msec to several hundred msec, and can raise a temperature to 900° C. to 1400° C. An Xe flash lamp can raise a temperature from 450° C. to 1300° C. in about 3 msec, and from 900° C. to 1300° C. in about 1 msec. This proposal reports that a dopant activation rate or factor is insufficient at a temperature lower than 900° C. and dopant diffusion becomes remarkable at a temperature higher than 1400° C. Annealing with an annealing time of a msec order is called msec annealing.
In this proposal, a dummy gate is formed and extensions and deep source/drain regions are formed, and thereafter the dummy gate is removed and channel doping is executed to provide the function similar to that of pocket regions. The proposal reports that although In doped by the channel doping was able to be activated only by about 20% by RTA with halogen lamp, In was able to be activated by about 80% by msec annealing using a flash lamp. This proposal also teaches that
since msec annealing after the last channel doping activates impurities in the other regions, RTA may be performed at 500° C. to 900° C. after preceding ion implantation for the extensions and source/drain regions to suppress diffusion to 5 nm or less and recrystallize damaged semiconductor, instead of performing msec annealing each time dopant is implanted.
JP-A-2005-142344 indicates that it is necessary to activate impurities after ion implantation and recrystallize an amorphousized layer, and teaches to combine flash lamp annealing (FLA) not diffusing impurities and reducing crystal defects and FLA activating impurities, and perform this combined annealing after impurity ions are implanted. For example, first FLA is executed at a preheating of 400° C. and a radiation energy density of 24 J/cm2, and second FLA is executed at a preheating of 450° C. and a radiation energy density of 28 J/cm2. This publication also teaches that RTA may be executed in place of first FLA and that if ion implantation is to be executed a plurality of times, although FLA activating impurities is executed after the last impurity implantation, the FLA may be omitted after the preceding impurity implantation processes.
There is also a proposal of msec annealing using laser in place of an Xe flash lamp. Ultratech Inc., CA., U.S.A. sells a msec annealing system LSA100 using continuous wave (CW) laser. The specification describes that a temperature can be raised or lowered in a psec order to in a msec order by scanning the surface of a silicon substrate with a laser beam.
With the advent of such flash lamp annealing and laser annealing, msec annealing technologies have been provided which can raise a temperature higher than 1200 to 1300° C. in a ultra short time of about 1 msec. As a heating time is shortened, diffusion of dopant can be suppressed, and as an arrival or reach temperature is raised, a dopant activation rate or factor can be improved.

Semiconductor device having shallow b-doped region and its manufacture


A process to prepare substantially pure glycolonitrile in an aqueous medium is provided by reacting hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde. The formaldehyde feed stream is heated prior to reacting with hydrogen cyanide, resulting in an aqueous glycolonitrile solution with fewer impurities, especially less unreacted formaldehyde, than is obtained by other methods. The process enables production of an aqueous glycolonitrile solution that requires less post-reaction purification (if any at all) prior to enzymatically converting the glycolonitrile into glycolic acid.

Glycolonitrile (HOCH2CN; CAS Registry Number 107-16-4) is an α-hydroxynitrile that can be enzymatically converted to glycolic acid using a catalyst having nitrilase activity or a combination of nitrile hydratase and amidase activities. Glycolic acid (HOCH2CO2H; CAS Registry Number is 79-14-1) is the simplest member of the α-hydroxy acid family of carboxylic acids. Its properties make it ideal for a broad spectrum of consumer and industrial applications, including use in water well rehabilitation, the leather industry, the oil and gas industry, the laundry and textile industry, and as a component in personal care products like skin creams. Glycolic acid also is a principle ingredient for cleaners in a variety of industries (dairy and food processing equipment cleaners, household and institutional cleaners, industrial cleaners [for transportation equipment, masonry, printed circuit boards, stainless steel boiler and process equipment, cooling tower/heat exchangers], and metals processing [for metal pickling, copper brightening, etching, electroplating, electropolishing]).
Glycolonitrile is also a versatile intermediate in the preparation of aminonitriles, which are, in turn, useful in preparing aminocarboxylic acid compounds. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,363 discloses the use of glycolonitrile in the preparation of aminonitrile precursors for the production of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,613 describes the use of glycolonitrile in the synthesis of 2-hydroxyethyl iminodiacetic acid (HEIDA). EDTA and HEIDA are useful as chelating agents as components of detergent compositions. FR1575475 describes the use of glycolonitrile in the synthesis of alkali metal salts of nitrilotriacetic acid. In addition, glycolonitrile can be used as a precursor to glycinonitrile, which can be converted to glycine as disclosed in US2003/0040085. Glycine is widely used as an additive in processed meats and beverages, and as a raw material for the commercially important herbicide, N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, also known by its common name glyphosate, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,549.
Microbial catalysts can hydrolyze a nitrile (e.g., glycolonitrile) directly to the corresponding carboxylic acids (e.g., glycolic acid) using a nitrilase (EC 188.8.131.52), where there is no intermediate production of the corresponding amide (Equation 1), or by a combination of nitrile hydratase (EC 188.8.131.52) and amidase (EC 22.214.171.124) enzymes, where a nitrile hydratase (NHase) initially converts a nitrile to an amide, and then the amide is subsequently converted by the amidase to the corresponding carboxylic acid (Equation 2):

Enzymatic synthesis of glycolic acid requires a substantially pure form of glycolonitrile. Methods to synthesize glycolonitrile by reacting aqueous solutions of formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide have previously been reported (U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,805; U.S. Pat. No. 2,890,238; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,301; Equation 3).HCN+HCHO→HOCH2CN  (3)
Concentrated aqueous solutions of formaldehyde (e.g., 37 wt % solutions commercially known as formalin) typically are comprised of free formaldehyde and various oligomers of formaldehyde (for example, paraformaldehyde and trixoxymethylene). The presence of formaldehyde oligomers can influence overall conversion to glycolonitrile. Hence, a method to pre-treat the formaldehyde that transforms formaldehyde oligomers to more free formaldehyde in the feed stream prior to reacting with hydrogen cyanide should increase the yield of glycolonitrile and should decrease the conversion of unwanted secondary products produced from the oligomers.
Jacobson (U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,805) discloses a method of obtaining pure glycolonitrile by the reaction of hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde in the presence of an acidic compound followed by distillation at subatmospheric pressure (vacuum distillation step conducted at about 125° C.). The reactants are preferably mixed "in the cold" (i.e., below 26° C. to maintain the hydrogen cyanide in liquid form). Also described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,805 is the observation that 1) glycolonitrile decomposes at ambient temperature, and 2) glycolonitrile contacted with bases decomposes violently within hours at ambient temperature. Jacobson does not disclose pre-treatment of the concentrated aqueous formaldehyde feed prior to reacting with hydrogen cyanide.
Sexton (U.S. Pat. No. 2,890,238) discloses a method of preparing glycolonitrile in which formaldehyde is fed into an aqueous solution of HCN. The reaction is run "with efficient reflux or a closed pressure system, with the reaction allowed to go as high as 100° C." However, as described in Jacobson, glycolonitrile decomposes at room temperature. A reaction run at temperatures as high as 100° C. would be expected to result in an increase in the decomposition of the glycolonitrile. Similar to Jacobson, Sexton does not describe a method to pre-treat the formaldehyde prior to reacting with hydrogen cyanide.
Cullen etal. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,301) discloses a method for making iminodiacetonitrile from glycolonitrile. This reference describes how glycolonitrile can be formed in a process (either batch or continuous) by maintaining the pH of the formaldehyde above about 3, preferably in the range of about 5-7, most preferably about 5.5, with suitable acids and bases. The formaldehyde is then reacted with hydrogen cyanide in a temperature range of about 20 to 80° C., preferably about 30° C., to form glycolonitrile. However, as shown in the present examples, a reaction run within the conditions specified in Cullen et al. results in a significant amount of unreacted free formaldehyde after 2 hours of reaction time.
All of the above mentioned methods produce a purity of glycolonitrile that typically requires extensive processing steps, such as distillative purification, to remove some of the secondary products (impurities). Many of the impurities found in glycolonitrile, such as unreacted formaldehyde, have been reported to interfere with the enzymatic conversion to glycolic acid by inactivating the enzyme catalyst (U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,306; U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,181; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,155; hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference).
The problem to be solved is the lack of a method to produce glycolonitrile by reacting formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide under conditions that produce a substantially pure reaction product. Specifically, a method is lacking that reduces the amount of unreacted formaldehyde (one of the impurities associated with enzyme inactivation when converting glycolonitrile to glycolic acid), and minimizes the number of post-reaction purification steps.

Process for the synthesis of glycolonitrile


Disclosed is an apparatus for supplying liquid for use in a plasma disinfection system. The apparatus supplies liquid for generating plasma to a reaction chamber (1) to sterilize and disinfect an item wrapped in a packaging material (10) in the reaction chamber (1). The apparatus includes: an automatic feeder (20) for automatically feeding an extremely small fixed amount of liquid via a first discharging pipe (40) by controlling a rotational speed of a DC motor (31); a vaporizer (24) connected to the first discharging pipe (40) of the automatic feeder (20) and having a first heater (26) for vaporizing the fed liquid; a second heater (22) surrounding a second discharging pipe (23) connected between the vaporizer (24) and the reaction chamber (1) to prevent any condensation of the vaporized liquid in the second discharging pipe (23); and a temperature controller (25) electrically connected to the first and second heaters (26 and 22) to control temperatures thereof.

Various methods of sterilization and disinfection have been used for the sterilization of different types of disposable and reusable medical equipment. Among these methods, a method of sterilization and disinfection by steam or by dry heat has been used extensively used. However, this method of sterilization and disinfection cannot be applied to sterilize materials that are adversely affected by such heat or steam.
Ethylene oxide (EtO) gas has also been used but suffers from the drawback that it may leave toxic residues on the articles to be sterilized, which may have adverse effects on patients who come into contact with such articles. Consequently, with this method, an additional procedure required to remove residual ethylene oxide from some sterilized items also causes the ethylene oxide sterilization procedure to be high in cost and to take a long in time.
Among methods for overcoming the aforesaid drawbacks, there is a method using hydrogen peroxide as a precursor of active species in a low temperature plasma system. This method is generally carried out in such a way that an object to be sterilized and disinfected is first brought in to contact with gaseous hydrogen peroxide as a pre-treatment, and the object is finally sterilized and disinfected by hydrogen peroxide plasma generated by supply of a required amount of electric power, so as to reduce a length of time required to sterilize and disinfect by plasma.
In the above low temperature plasma disinfection system, an apparatus for supplying hydrogen peroxide employs a capsule type cassette system containing a certain amount of hydrogen peroxide solution. The hydrogen peroxide solution contained in the capsule is fed to a solution-feeding pipe by means of an injection pump, and the fed hydrogen peroxide solution in a liquid phase is vaporized by a vaporizer, which is then fed into a sterilization reactor.
With the above capsule type cassette system, however, a used cassette must be replaced by a new one with ten capsules in it after the sterilization process is carried out ten times since one capsule is used in one sterilization process. In addition, the above vaporizer has drawbacks that the above apparatus for supplying an extremely small fixed amount of liquid is very complicated and very expensive.


A spray chamber valve control system for ensuring that coolant is sufficiently available at the intakes of pumps in a spray cooled environment regardless of the attitude, acceleration or deceleration of a spray chassis. The spray chamber valve control system includes a spray chassis with an interior portion for spray cooling electronic devices, a plurality of valves positioned within the inner corners of the spray chassis, and a control unit in communication with the valves for controlling the operation thereof. The control unit ensures that at least one valve is open at all times. The control unit also provides a recovery routine for when only one valve is open during a valve state change.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to liquid thermal management systems for thermally managing electronic devices and more specifically it relates to a spray chamber valve control system for ensuring that coolant is sufficiently available at the intakes of pumps in a spray cooled environment regardless of the attitude, acceleration or deceleration of a spray chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thermal management systems for electronic systems utilized in various environments have been in use for years. In order to maintain maximum performance from electronic components, the components need to be maintained within a relatively narrow temperature band. Thermal management systems are utilized to maintain this desired narrow temperature band.
In addition, some external environments include hostile elements such as but not limited to dust, sand, debris, salt, water, fog, condensed water vapor, contaminants and the like, which require the complete isolation of electronic components from the harsh external environment. Extreme external environments are encountered within various applications such as aircraft, ships, ground based applications and the like. It is absolutely crucial that electronic components be maintained in a safe internally controlled environment when in extreme external environments.
Conventional thermal management systems commonly utilized today are comprised of air-cooled enclosures (forced flow or free flow), conduction cooling and liquid immersion cooling. The main problem with air-cooled enclosures is that they introduce harmful external elements into the electronics enclosure. Another problem with air-cooled enclosures is that they do not provide a method to increase the temperature of electronic components to a desired operating temperature when the external temperature is extremely low (e.g. −65° C.). Problems with conduction cooling systems include increased weight, increased size, increased mass, expensive, reduced shock and vibration tolerance, and reduced electronic component performance. A significant design limitation with conduction cooling systems is that they must be in direct contact with the electronic components which limits flexibility and increases expense. The large mass also increases the amount of time required to increase the temperature of electronic components to a desired operating temperature.
Spray cooling technologies are being adopted today as the most efficient option for thermally managing electronic systems in an enclosed internal environment. Spray cooling preferably utilizes an atomized dielectric spray that is applied directly to the electronic devices within a sealed spray chassis thereby forming a thin film on the electronic devices. Spray cooling may be performed locally (i.e. where the chip is sprayed directly) or globally (i.e. where the chip and surrounding electronics/boards are also sprayed).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,804 entitled High Heat Flux Evaporative Spray Cooling to Tilton et al. describes an early chip spray cool system that achieves high heat flux cooling by optimizing droplet momentum, momentum of the thin coolant film, and by managing vapor and excess fluid in the system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,201 entitled Fluid Control Apparatus and Method for Spray Cooling to Tilton et al. describes the usage of global spray cooling technology to cool a printed circuit board.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for ensuring that coolant is sufficiently available at the intakes of pumps in a global spray cooled environment regardless of the attitude, acceleration or deceleration of a spray chamber. Conventional spray cooling applications do not provide adequate assurance of ample liquid coolant to the intake of the pumps.
In these respects, the spray chamber valve control system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of ensuring that coolant is sufficiently available at the intakes of pumps in a spray cooled environment regardless of the attitude, deceleration and/or acceleration of a spray chamber.


A component of a fluid handling system has a wall that separates an interior of the component from an exterior of the component. A channel passes completely through the wall for receiving a conduit therein. A trough is formed on an exterior of the component. A sidewall of the trough has an opening that aligns with the channel. The opening is for receiving the conduit therethrough before the channel receives the conduit.

Many fluid handling systems include a fluid reservoir that supplies fluid to a fluid dispensing (or ejection) device using conduits connected between the fluid reservoir and the fluid dispensing device. Such systems can be found in printers in the form of an ink reservoir connected to a print head, medical devices in the form of a fluid supply connected to a catheter, etc. The conduits are often connected to the fluid reservoir and the fluid dispensing device by conduit connectors or fittings respectively attached to the reservoir and the dispensing device. The connectors are attached to the reservoir and the dispensing device by welding, threading, or the like or are formed integrally with the reservoir and the dispensing device.
Connecting a connector to a conduit usually involves pressing the conduit over the connector so that the connector extends into an interior of the conduit and forcibly engages the interior of the conduit. However, such connections may occupy an undesirable amount of space, especially when connecting several tubes between the reservoir and dispensing device. For example, many color printers have a conduit for each ink color connected between a stationary multi-color ink reservoir and a print head that moves over a printable medium for disposing images thereon. Moreover, many printer manufacturers are decreasing the size of their printers, e.g., meaning smaller print heads and ink reservoirs, and increasing the number of ink colors, e.g., meaning more conduits and conduit connections.
For some applications, such as heat exchanger applications, conduits have been laser welded directly to a header or a reservoir. However, many of these applications do not account for the dynamic forces involved with a moving fluid dispensing device, such as a print head, connected to a stationary reservoir.

Connecting conduits to components of fluid handling devices


The present invention provides conductive materials having high ionic conductivity and cationic transference number, small amount of polarization and good flexibility. The conductive material comprises high molecular compounds and alkalisiloxyaluminate.

Cells using alkaline metal and the like as an electrode have been used in a variety of fields because high voltages can be obtained from them.
These cells ordinarily use a nonaqueous solvent in which a low molecular weight salt of a metal is solved as a liquid electrolyte. There is, however, the fear of leakage of liquid electrolytes and, in order to prevent such leakage, it is necessary to house a main portion of a cell in a solid can, as a result, imposing limitations on design of cell configurations. Thus, a solid electrolyte is expected so that above-mentioned defects can be overcome and cells with free configurations can be designed.
Under such a circumstance, the solid electrolyte, in particular, a high molecular solid electrolyte to obtain a flexible solid Electrolyte has been investigated. The flexibility of solid electrolytes is required for following reasons, i.e., any solid electrolyte having no flexibility is not applicable to cylindrical cells fabricated by spirally winding cells comprising a zonal electrode and electrolyte, and it is difficult to make a capacity of a cell larger.
Such a high molecular solid electrolyte is a kind of solid solution in which a low molecular weight salt of a metal has been solved in high molecular substances such as polyethylene oxide. However, the polyethylene oxide high molecular solid electrolyte is inevitably an amphoteric ionic conductor which allows migration of both an anion and cation, causing a large amount of polarization at the time of application of voltages.
The migration of anions raises problems which exert adverse effects on characteristics of a cell; for example, when carbon materials are used as a negative electrode, anions are intercalated together with lithium, causing breakage of carbon crystal structures, or the migrated anions react electrochemically with both positive and negative electrodes, exerting bad influences on the characteristics of the cell.
One example of such high molecular solid electrolytes was reported in the preparatory manuscript collection (p213-214) of the 35th Review Conference of Cells in 1994. The disclosed high molecular solid electrolyte therein was a substance obtained by solving LiN(SO.sub.2 CF.sub.3).sub.2, an electrolytic salt of lithium, in a bridged compound of a polymer of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyleneglycidylether and a copolymer of 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyleneglycidylether and ethylene oxide.
According to the report, though the ionic conductivity of said high molecular solid electrolytes was 4.times.10.sup.-5 S/cm at a temperature of 30.degree. C., its transference number which represents ionic conduction by migration of cations (herein, lithium ion) was about 0.1, showing that most of the ionic conduction was ascribed to the migration of anions. That is, the ionic conduction of the above-described high molecular solid electrolyte was not ascribed to the migration of cations.
In the past, inventors of the present invention already showed that alkalisiloxyaluminate would be usable as a conductive material (at the general meeting of the Japanese Chemical Society in 1994, 21st Ionics Forum, etc.). However, the technical method for using this material as a solid electrolyte for cells was unsatisfactory due to insufficient means for prevention of migration of anions, low ionic conductivity and lack of flexibility as a material.
Also, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No.8-259698(1996) or No.8-301879(1996) disclosed a high molecular electrolyte which contained an aluminum atom in its principal chain with the aim of improving the transference number of cations. However, this material also showed a great difficulty in raising the transference number as well as those disclosed in Chemistry of MATERIALs, 1994, NO.12, Vol.6, p2208.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a conductive material having a large cationic transference number, small amounts of polarization, high flexibility and high ionic conductivity, which would solve the problems in the prior art.

Conductive materials and their compositions


A method of administering a Generally Accepted As Safe (GRAS) indium compound, preferably indium sulfate mixed with distilled water, comprises preferably spraying 1 to 27 mg of indium sulfate into the mouth on arising in the morning and without eating or drinking for at least 10 minutes thereafter.

The present invention involves improved methods for using the element indium, in the water soluble compound indium sulfate, as a nutritional supplement. Indium is element number 49 in the periodic table of elements. Indium is a "trace element" as it occurs in tiny amounts in nature. It is found in the earth's crust in 0.05 parts per million. The Merck Index (Twelfth Edition) lists eleven indium compounds, nine have industrial uses, but there is no use (nutritional or medical or other) listed for indium sulfate. The Merck Index lists the indium compounds of indium antimonide, indium arsenide, indium gallium aluminum phosphide, indium phosphide, indium selenide, indium telluride, as being used in semiconductors and indium oxide and indium trichloride, as used for other industrial products. However, no indium compound is indicated as being used in a nutritional product.
The term indium, as used hereafter, means elemental indium and its FDA GRAS (Generally Accepted As Safe) compounds. The inventor is not aware of any scientific studies of the effect of indium, used as a nutritional supplement, on people. Indium always occurs in nature as a compound. The only indium compound presently on the FDA "GRAS" (Generally Accepted As Safe) list is indium sulfate.
The present inventor has discovered that indium as a nutritional supplement presents unusual difficulties because of the problem of its non-absorption. Generally nutritional supplements are taken in pill or liquid form. They may be taken at any time of the day and may be taken with food at mealtimes. However, indium sulfate (and it is believed any GRAS approved indium compounds) are poorly absorbed when taken orally.
A scientific study of the effect of indium on animals is an early work by Dr. Henry Schroeder, who is famous for his work on removing lead from gasoline. He studied seven trace elements and their toxic effect on mice (not humans); Schroeder et al, J.Nutrition, Vol. 101: 1431-1438 (1971); and Schroeder and Nason, J.Nutrition, "Interactions of Trace Metals in Mouse and Rat Tissues; Zinc, Chromium, Copper and Manganese With 13 Other Elements." He concluded that "Indium is not carcinogenic" and it is "relatively not toxic orally". (Schroeder and Mitchener at pages 1435,1436). There is no indication that Dr. Schroeder recognized any health benefits for mice, or for humans, from using indium as a nutritional supplement or that he used indium sulfate in his experiments on mice.
Cooley U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,806 is entitled "Oral Composition For Caries Prophylaxes" and relates to "dentifrices and mouthwashes." They are not swallowed, i.e., "is not intentionally ingested" (col. 1, line 26). It discloses the combination of a "water-soluble fluoride salt and indium-malic acid water soluble complex" (col. 2, lines 22,23). Indium sulfate is not used in the examples. Indium occurs, in trace amounts, in some foods, Zhang et al, "The nutritional components of Actinidia" Chem. Abstracts, Vol. 116, No. 37, 847 (1992) which refers to A. Kolomita--(Kiwi fruit) and mentions "Indium, biological studies 7664-41-7", which is a number referring to a Chemical Abstract and is not the amount of indium in Kiwi fruit.

Methods for administering nutritional indium


Multivalued memory cell 300 includes a latch 300 having a latching node operating between a variable voltage rail and a fixed voltage rail. Circuitry 303 allows for latching of node to a voltage level of the variable voltage rail, the voltage level at the latched node representing a data value. Circuitry 303 provides for the outputing of the voltage level from the latched node.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to electronic memories and in particular to methods and circuits for single-memory cell multivalued data storage.
2. Description of Related Art
Current processing systems operate on binary data wherein a logic 1 is represented by a high voltage level (approximately Vcc, typically 3.3 or 5V) and a logic 0 is represented by a low voltage level (approximately Vss, typically 0V or ground). Consequently, conventional random access memory cells, dynamic (DRAM) or static (SRAM) charge a cell capacitor to the high voltage level to store a logic 1 and discharge the capacitor to the low voltage level to store a logic 0. During a read in DRAM's, the voltage on the cell capacitor (which may have drifted due to leakage) is differentially sensed against a reference voltage set between Vcc and Vss and then, depending on the result, restored by latching to the full Vcc or Vss level. Data from the cell is similarly output to the periphery and ultimately outside the DRAM device itself by driving various input/output (I/O) lines to approximately Vcc or Vss.
One of the main thrusts of current DRAM development efforts is to provide for the storage of more bits per DRAM chip (storage capacity). One means for accomplishing this goal is to increase DRAM cell density (i.e., the number of cells per given chip area). This requires the development of advanced circuit design and fabrication techniques to pack smaller cells into denser arrays, which is a time consuming process. Further, as DRAM cells become smaller and the arrays more dense, device physics increasingly become a limiting factor in the pace of progress in the development of new DRAMs. In any event, the development of new high cell-density DRAMs may take years to advance the design from theory to a commercially viable product.
Proposals have been made to increase memory capacity (for both volatile memory, such as DRAM, and non-volatile memory such as flash memory) by storing multiple bits per cell. In one approach, more than the traditional two voltage levels can be impressed on the storage mechanism of a cell, with each voltage level representing a different data value. For example, assume that for a given cell, data can be stored as one of four allowed voltage levels. A voltage of 0V can then be used to represent a two bit logic word "00", a voltage of 1V to represent a logic "01", a voltage of 2V to represent a logic "10" and a voltage of 3V to represent a logic "11". In this fashion, an MSB and an LSB can be stored in a single cell. The exact voltages and the number of voltage levels used vary from scheme to scheme.
The actual implementation of these multivalued memories presents a number of problems. For instance, Murotani et al. (1997 IEEE International Solid State Circuit Conference, Digest of Technical Papers, pp 74-75, 1997) have proposed a 4-level storage device in which both an MSB and an LSB can be stored in a single cell as a function of capacitor voltage. Disadvantageously, this scheme requires two sense and restore cycles be performed during a read operation, one to sense the cell capacitor voltage against a first reference voltage to detect the MSB, and a second to sense the cell capacitor voltage against a second reference voltage to detect the LSB. At a minimum, this scheme results in greater DRAM latency, which is already at a premium for most state of the art applications not to mention a complex sense restore scheme. Further, the Murotani circuitry is more complex and consumes more space on the integrated circuit chip. Among other things, two sense amplifiers are now required to support the two sensing cycles, additional transfer gates and capacitors are required to set the bitlines to the proper reference voltages, and the memory cell capacitors must be two to three times larger to account for leakage and other losses due to the dual sensing cycle approach.
In addition to the problem of sensing, multiple level storage systems face a number of other problems which also must be addressed. For example, current digital I/O buffers are designed only to drive/receive data at high and low voltage levels and not data at one of n number of voltage levels (n greater than two). Similarly, all current PC processing components (e.g. CPUs, core logic, buses) are also designed to operate on digital (binary) data.
A need has therefore arisen for new circuitry and methods for implementing multivalued storage. The problem of accurately and quickly sensing data is one primary concern that must be addressed. To this end, the task of minimizing the size and complexity of the necessary circuitry cannot be ignored. Additionally, such circuitry and methods should be compatible with current digital devices and systems.

Methods and circuits for single-memory cell multivalue data storage


A system, machine and method of forming a composite structure. The composite may be placed between a first mold half and a second mold half and heated at a first temperature, T1, and held at a first pressure, P1, wherein the first pressure is applied to the structure through the first and second mold halves. In addition, the composite may be cooled at a second temperature, T2, and held at a second pressure, P2, wherein the second pressure is applied to the composite through the first and second mold halves, wherein T1>T2 and P1<P2. The composite may also be removed from the first and second mold halves, wherein the composite has a near-net shape.

Composite structures may be understood as relatively solid materials or structures that may be composed of one or more substances, wherein the various substances may impart different properties to the composite. For example, composite structures may include multiple layers of the same or different materials bound together by an adhesive. Composite structures may be made by a number of methods, such as compression molding, resin transfer molding, spray-up, hand lay-up, sandwich composites, etc. However, some of these processes may be somewhat time and/or labor intensive.
Currently, helmets used for ballistic protection may be molded by compression type processes. Relatively high pressure may be used in the process to adhere the layers placed in the molds with the resin material and trim the helmet to its final shape while being molded, demanding tooling that exhibits relatively high hardness, which may be costly to produce. In this way, the tools may be designed to accommodate maybe only one product line. Furthermore, the cycle time for forming a helmet may be relatively long, such as up to 1 hr depending on the resin material used.


A semiconductor device is obtained in which initial breakdown voltage of an insulating film is improved. On a silicon substrate, an insulating film is provided which is not more than 100 .ANG. in thickness. An electrode is provided on the silicon substrate, with the insulating film positioned therebetween. Oxygen concentration in the substrate is set to be not more than 1.times.10.sup.18 atoms/cm.sup.3 by old ASTM value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device in which initial breakdown voltage deficiency of an insulating film is improved. The present invention also relates to an improved semiconductor device so that the amount of slight leak at a junction can be reduced.
2. Description of the Background Art
A single-crystal silicon substrate pulled up by the Czochralski process (hereinafter "CZ process") has been conventionally used for a MOS structure consisting of an upper electrode, an insulating film, and a semiconductor substrate, for a MOS field effect transistor (hereinafter "MOSFET") with source/drain regions formed at the both ends of the MOS structure, and for a semiconductor device or the like having a p-n junction diode. However, a silicon wafer obtained by the CZ process gets mixed, when a crystal is growing, with oxygen mainly from a quartz crucible used as a container which accommodates silicon melt. Therefore, the silicon wafer contains oxygen of not less than 10.sup.18 atoms/cm.sup.3 (old ASTM (Old American Society for Testing and Materials) value) and a silicon of higher purity has not been obtained.
Since conventional semiconductor devices are formed on substrates which are formed by the CZ process, the devices have been affected by defects caused by oxygen contained in the silicon substrates. Particularly, this oxygen has been troublesome in reliability as it affects Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) characteristics of the gate oxide film and hot carrier effects. It is required to use low supply voltage in MOSFETs as they are miniaturized, and therefore, the thickness of gate oxide films has become thinner and thinner. Thus, declined reliability due to oxygen has become an increasingly serious problem.


A new variety of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Swing Time Red’ having a good uniform canopy of red-bronze single type flowers and a light green disc. The new variety has medium vigor, free branching habit with good foliage presentation.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum botanically known as Chrysanthemum morifolium, and referred to by the variety name 'Swing Time Red'.
'Swing Time Red', identified as '20230-9', was discovered as a natural mutation of a whole plant in a controlled cultivated planting of the variety 'Swing Time Dark' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,896). The variety 'Swing Time Red' has been asexually reproduced by vegetative cuttings at Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, and the distinguishing characteristics are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.


A method of applying flux to molten metal. A heat insulating shell comprises a porous ceramic fibrous refractory material. The shell includes an opening therein. A fluxing material is poured into the shell through the opening and is bonded thereto. The shell with the fluxing material therein is then exposed to molten metal in a casting mold. Only the portion of the fluxing material closest to the opening is exposed to the molten metal. The remainder of the interior fluxing material is thermally insulated from the heat of the exterior molten metal. That portion of the fluxing material that is exposed to the molten metal melts and escapes into the molten metal. Thus, the method provides for applying flux to molten metal in a controlled time release manner.

The addition of fluxing material (flux) in connection with metal casting techniques is known. Flux can be used to assist in removing impurities that might otherwise be entrapped in the cast metal. The flux may form a slag to contain the impurities.
The use of flux also serves to minimize or eliminate lamination defects. A lamination defect results from the sinking of solid oxidized metal films from an inside surface of a wall. When this solid metal film sinks into the molten metal, due to its greater density, the deoxidizers in the metal attack the oxygen on the surface of the solidified metal film. The result of this reaction is a plane of inclusions and porosity, which is typically called a lamination defect. The solidified metal film also traps inclusions which are attempting to float to the surface. The use of flux may also serve to reduce cold shuts, laps, and surface oxidation. Flux may also provide improved thermal insulation, especially at the top of molten metal.
By forming a fluid slag which may float on the surface of the molten metal, the flux may reduce oxidation of the molten metal and insulates the molten metal surface, minimizing heat loss to the air. This tends to prevent the formation of a solidified metal film caused by excessive heat loss at the surface of the molten metal. Additionally, fluid slag which is formed by the flux can contain the impurities which might otherwise be resident in the molten metal.
The prior art introduction of flux into molten metal can produce quality control problems, especially when a time released flux is desired. Liquid fluxes can be difficult to use in a time released manner and may further require additional agitation of the molten metal. Solid fluxes start to liquify along their outer surface immediately upon contact with molten metal. Solid fluxes may also move to float in the molten metal to locations which can alter the composition of the metal being cast, especially at the surfaces. Furthermore, the introduction of certain fluxes into certain molten metal may cause unwanted emissions. Thus, there exists a need in the art for better controlling of the positioning and the time release of flux material in molten metal.


An instruction virtual address space includes only virtual addresses corresponding to physical addresses of address areas of a physical address space storing pages of only instructions. A data virtual address space includes only virtual addresses corresponding to physical addresses of address areas of the physical address space storing pages of only data. The instruction and data virtual address spaces use duplicated virtual addresses. Instruction and data address translation units translate virtual addresses of the instruction and data virtual address spaces into physical addresses of the single physical address space. A data access efficiency and an instruction execution speed can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a storage medium, a program and an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus and method, a storage medium, a program and an imaging apparatus, which are capable of improving an efficiency of data access and an instruction execution speed.
2. Description of Related Art
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication JP06-75854, there is an information processing apparatus whose instruction bus and data bus are separated. In the information processing apparatus of this type, instructions and data are transferred to and from a memory by using single virtual address space. Namely, a central processing unit (CPU) transfers an instruction to an instruction bus by using a virtual address space, and transfers data to a data bus by using the same virtual address space.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of virtual and physical address spaces in the related art. In FIG. 1, the virtual address space 1 is an address space of a memory as viewed from the CPU and the physical address space is the space of a real memory. In the example shown in FIG. 1, although the virtual address space 1 and physical address space 2 are in one-to-one correspondence, some information processing apparatus uses a plurality of virtual address spaces and one physical address space in many-to-one correspondence.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the virtual address space 1 includes: address areas 1-1 to 1-5 in which the virtual addresses of both instructions and data are disposed in a mixed manner in the order of address; and address areas 1-6 to 1-8 in which the virtual addresses of only data are disposed. In each area, instructions or data are disposed by a unit of a page size which is the minimum unit of address translation (e.g., 4 k bytes).
Pages of instructions and data disposed in the address area 1-1 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-1 of the physical address space 2. Pages of instructions and data disposed in the address area 1-2 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-2 of the physical address space 2. Pages of instructions and data disposed in the address area 1-3 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-6 of the physical address space 2. Pages of instructions and data disposed in the address area 1-4 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-4 of the physical address space 2.
Pages of instructions and data disposed in the address area 1-5 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-3 of the physical address space 2. Data pages disposed in the address area 1-6 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-5 of the physical address space 2. Data pages disposed in the address area 1-7 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-8 of the physical address space 2. Data pages disposed in the address area 1-8 of the virtual address space 1 are stored actually in an address area 2-7 of the physical address space 2.
As described above, in the virtual address space 1 and physical address space 2, virtual addresses and physical addresses are one-to-one correspondence. Accordingly, if the CPU designates a virtual address of an instruction or data by referring to the virtual address space 1, the designated virtual address is translated into a physical address. The instruction or data corresponding to the translated physical address is read from a memory and transferred to the CPU. In this manner, the CPU can execute an instruction corresponding to the designated virtual address.
In the related art, the same virtual address space shown in FIG. 1 is used for both instruction transfer and data transfer. Since long data to be used with an instruction is required to be stored as additional data, virtual addresses of instructions and data are disposed in the virtual address space in a mixed manner.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of the address area 1-1 of the virtual address space 1 shown in FIG. 1. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the address area 1-1 includes virtual addresses for storing instructions 1 to 4, a jump instruction 1, data 1, data 2, and instructions 5 to 9, respectively in this order from the upper area. The CPU designates the virtual address of the address area 1-1 to execute the instruction stored for the virtual address. For example, the CPU designates the virtual addresses of the instructions 1 to 9 to sequentially execute the instructions starting from the instruction 1. In the example shown in FIG. 2, however, there are the virtual addresses of the data 1 and data 2 between the virtual addresses of the instructions 4 and 5. Therefore, as the instructions are sequentially executed starting from the instruction 1, the instruction 5 is required to be executed after the instruction 4. It is therefore necessary to dispose the jump instruction 1 for an unconditional branch from the instruction 4 to the instruction 5, immediately after the virtual address of the instruction 4.
As shown in FIG. 3, if the instruction 3 requires to read data 3 and the virtual address for storing the data 3 is stored at the virtual address at a distance d2 unable to be designated by the operand of the instruction 3 (the distance d2 remote from the virtual address for the instruction 3), then the operand of the instruction 3 cannot directly designate the data 3. In order to read the data 3, it is necessary to hold the data 2 as a relative address of the data 3 once at the virtual address at a distance d1 allowing the operand of the instruction 3 to directly designate. In this case, the instruction 3 reads the relative address of the data 3 held as the data 2, and by using the relative address, the instruction 4 can read the data 3. As compared to the direct designation, it is necessary to use two instructions and the data (relative address) held for the instruction.
If the instruction bus and the data bus are separated, the information processing apparatus is usually provided with an instruction cache (memory) 11 and a data cache (memory) 12, as shown in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 4, as the CPU designates the virtual address of the jump instruction 1 in the address area 1-1, a range e1 from the jump instruction 1, data 1, data 2 and to instruction 5 is registered in the instruction cache 11. As the CPU designates the virtual address of the data 1, the same range e1 is registered in the data cache 12. More specifically, not only the jump instruction 1 and instruction 5 but also the data 1 and 2 (hatched portion in FIG. 4) not used as the instruction are registered in the instruction cache 11. Similarly, not only the data 1 and 2 but also the jump instruction 1 and instruction 5 (hatched portion in FIG. 4) not used as the data are registered in the data cache 12.

Information processing apparatus and method, storage medium, program and imaging apparatus


According to an optical receiver of the present invention, an optical input signal is converted to an electric signal by a photoelectric element, and amplified by an amplifier. Thereafter, a band frequency is restricted by a low pass filter, and a peak value of a bottom level of the band-restricted pulse signal is detected. Then, an offset voltage is added to the detected value, thereby a compare reference value is generated. The output of the amplifier is compared with the compare reference voltage by a comparator, thereby data is discriminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a DC coupling type optical receiver to be used in a data transmitting apparatus for such as a local area network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in an optical local area network comprising a star network, there is used the so-called burst data transmission in which data is not transmitted when unnecessary and transmitted when necessary in order to efficiently transmit data. The burst data transmission is characterized in that a level of a receiving signal abruptly varies for a short time unlike the general continuous data transmission between two points. In other words, in a case case where a signal having a high level arrives after a long silence period or a case where a signal sent from a transmitting station B, which is located far away a receiving station, arrives right after a signal sent from a transmitting station A, which is located close to the receiving station, the receiving level largely varies by the difference between the station A and the station B in the loss of transmission line.
Such an optical receiver to be used for receiving burst data must be satisfied the following three requirements:
First, time for which the signal can not be received is made extremely short in the case of the abrupt variation of the receiving level.
Second, a receiving dynamic range is wide.
Third, the optical receiver must be stably operated under even environmental variations such as a temperature variation, a power voltage variation, and the like.
In conventional, as a method for satisfying the first requirement, the optical receiver is formed by a DC coupling amplification. According to a method using an AC coupling amplification, which is employed well in general, it takes relatively much time to converge a discrimination level to an average value after the receiving level varies. Due to this, it is difficult to correctly discriminate data for the period of time. In contrast, according to the method using the DC coupling amplification, "0" level of a pulse signal, serving as a reference of the variation of the receiving level, is transmitted to a discrimination level, so that a quick response can be performed.
However, in the method using the DC coupling amplification, influence of drift on an amplifier must be considered. As the optical receiver in which influence of drift on the amplifier is removed, for example, Published Examined Japanese Patent Application 3-7175 discloses a method using a dummy circuit having the same circuit constant. The disclosed optical receiver uses a method of a fixed threshold value in which an output of the dummy amplification circuit is partially pressurized and a discrimination threshold value of data is set. Due to this, there is a problem in that the variation of the pulse width of discriminated data increases in accordance with the variation of the receiving level.
Moreover, in addition to the static variation such as a temperature drift, the amplifier has a dynamic variation characteristic in which the operation point varies depending on the value of the receiving level. The dynamic variation depending on the value of the receiving level cannot be detected by the dummy circuit. Due to this, it is required that the discrimination threshold value of data be set higher in consideration of the dynamic variation. However, if the threshold value is set to be higher, there occurs new problems in which the minimum receiving level is deteriorated and a wide receiving dynamic range cannot be obtained.
In order to solve the above problems, for example, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 62-154928 discloses a method for varying the threshold value in accordance with the change of the receiving level. According to this method, a peak value of the receiving signal is detected and the discrimination threshold value is varied. Also, the drift of the amplifier is removed by the dummy circuit. Other than the above method, there is a method in which the change of the discrimination threshold value and the removal of drift are carried out by a positive and negative peak detector.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the DC coupling type optical receiver using the positive and negative peak detector. In this drawing, reference numeral 100 is a photodiode for converting an optical signal to an electric signal. An output current of the photodiode of the photodiode 100 is supplied to an amplifier 200. The amplifier 200 amplifies the output current of the photodiode 100 and converts the output current to a voltage signal. The voltage signal is supplied to first and second peak detectors 400 and 800, and an input terminal (+) of a comparator 600. The first peak detector 400 detects the peak value of "0" level side of data from an input signal. The second peak detector 800 detects the peak value of "1" level side of data from an input signal. Each detection voltage is synthesized via partial pressure resistors RD1 and RD2, and supplied to an offset voltage adder 500.
The offset voltage adder 500 adds an offset voltage set in advance into an input voltage, so that the output of the comparator 600 for a silent signal input time is fixed to "0." The added voltage is supplied to an input terminal (-) of the comparator 600 as a compare reference voltage. The comparator 600 compares the voltage signal, which is sent from the amplifier 200 and supplied to the input terminal (+), with the compare reference voltage to be sent to the input terminal (-), and discriminates between receiving data "0" and receiving data "1."
FIG. 2 shows an operation waveform of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, (f) is an output voltage waveform of the amplifier 200, (g): a waveform of the compare reference voltage; and (h) is a waveform of the output voltage of the comparator 600. VGA is an offset voltage level.
It is assumed that a signal sent from a transmitting station B, which is located far away a receiving station, arrives right after a signal sent from a transmitting station A, which is located close to the receiving station, and the receiving level largely varies by the difference between the station A and the station B in the loss of transmission line. The second peak detector 800 detects the peak value of "1" level side of receiving data. Due to this, if the receiving level changes the peak voltage can be obtained in accordance with the change of the receiving level.
On the other hand, the first peak detector 400 detects the peak value of "0" level side of receiving data. Due to this, the voltage corresponding to the DC operation point of the amplifier 200 is detected and output regardless of the change of the receiving level. Therefore, a voltage corresponding to an amplitude value of receiving data is generated between the output of the first peak detector 400 and that of the second peak detector 800. Then, a signal, which the above generated voltage is divided by resistors RD1 and RD2, and the offset voltage VGA are added, and the added result is used as the compare reference voltage (g).
As shown in the drawing, the compare reference voltage (g) changes in accordance with the size of of the receiving level, and the discrimination is performed at substantially 1/2 level of amplitude level of receiving data by the comparator 600 in a case where resistors RD1 and RD2 are equal to each other. The variation (drift) of the operating point of the amplifier 200 due to the temperature change is detected by the peak detector 400, and the amplifier 200 operates such that the compare reference voltage is varied in the same direction by an amount, which is equivalent to drift. The comparator 600 amplifies the difference between the positive and negative inputs and operates to remove the change of in-phase voltage. Due to this, influence of drift is removed and the stable discrimination can be performed.
The conventional optical receiver disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 62-154928 or shown by FIG. 1 can realize a good burst receiving characteristic by drift compensation and control of the discrimination threshold value. However, there is a disadvantage in that the circuit structure becomes complicated, that is, a threshold voltage selection circuit having a relatively complicated structure is needed or positive and negative peak detectors are required.


A power unit includes a cam damper mechanism having a cam member reciprocally and unrotatably provided on one of a pair of bevel gears, and rotatably provided on an extended shaft; a lifter member slidably and unrotatably provided on the extended shaft in an axial direction; a damper spring configured such that one end portion thereof is supported on a first flange portion of the extended shaft, and the other end portion thereof biases the lifter member toward the cam member in an axial direction by abutting on the lifter member, and the biasing force is supported by the one bevel gear. The extended shaft has the one of the bevel gears and the cam damper mechanism between the first flange portion and a first bearing, and is accommodated in the bevel gear case so as to be fixed to a bevel gear holder along with the first bearing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power unit of a shaft drive type vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a power unit for shaft drive type vehicle in which an extended shaft, which is provided on a shaft end portion of an output shaft of the power unit, has a cam damper mechanism and a pair of bevel gears connecting a drive shaft system.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known power unit of a shaft drive type motorcycle, in which a countershaft of a transmission constitutes an output shaft, an extended shaft is coaxially provided on a shaft end portion of the output shaft protruding to the outer side from a crankcase, and the extended shaft has a cam damper mechanism and a pair of bevel gears connecting a drive shaft system. An example of such power unit is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 4795182 (specifically in FIG. 2 thereof).
In the power unit structure, as shown in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 4795182, an outer end portion of the extended shaft is rotatably supported on a bevel gear via a bearing, and one of bevel gears, and the cam damper mechanism are mounted in series on the extended shaft.
When attaching the extended shaft, first, a cam face member on one side which constitutes the cam damper mechanism is fastened to a countershaft. Then, the outer end portion of the extended shaft is pierced and fastened to the bearing set on the bevel gear cover so as to sandwich one of the bevel gears. The bevel gear cover is fastened to the crankcase so as to be abutted thereon in such a state that a cam member on the other side, which constitutes the cam damper mechanism, and a damper spring are mounted.
Consequently, the inside end portion of the extended shaft is coaxially and reciprocally rotatably connected to the output shaft via a needle bearing. The cam member is abutted on the cam face member (lifter member), which is fitted on the countershaft (output shaft) side, and the damper spring is in a specified preloading compressed state.
Therefore, according to the power unit structure as shown in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 4795182, a cam damper can be provided without increasing the number of axis of the power unit, which is advantageous in the reduction in cost and weight. However, the damper spring is preloaded after the bevel gear cover is attached to the crankcase, and it is necessary to provide a shim between a bevel gear case and the bearing, or between the bearing and the bevel gear, one of the bevel gears, in order to put a pair of bevel gears in a specified meshing state. As a result, since both the shim and the damper spring are fastened and compressed together, there is a difficulty in confirming the preload of the damper spring and is a problem of the change in preload according to the thickness of shim.
In consideration of the above-described circumstances, it is one of the object of the present invention to provide a power unit of shaft drive type vehicle capable both of keeping the uniform preloading of a damper spring and facilitating the adjustment of the mesh amount of bevel gears, in a power unit which has a cam damper mechanism and a pair of bevel gears connecting the drive shaft system on the extended shaft provided on a shaft end portion of the output shaft of the power unit.


An apparatus for stepwise bending of sheet metal strips into trapeze-shaped pieces comprises a vice set on each side of a press punch and opposed lower-side pressure cylinder arranged to grip a central portion of the metal strip and deform it in a vertical direction as the end portions of the metal strip are retained in the vice sets. Each vice set comprises an upper-side pressure cylinder including an upper vice plate and an opposed lower-side die including a lower vice plate arranged upon closing movement to grip the end portion of the metal strip extending therebetween. Each of the vice plates is movable in a horizontal direction to accommodate the vertical deformation of the metal strip.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for bending sheet metal pieces or sheet metal strips into a trapeze-like shape or other shapes useful in industrial applications.
An apparatus of the type of concern is shown in DE 198 02 589 A1 and WO 99/37471. This known apparatus, designed to perform bending operations, is comprised of dies and attached to them upper-side pressure cylinders moveable horizontally in the machine positioned before and after the lower-side pressure cylinder with its corresponding press punch in order to ensure tension-free length reduction in the sheet metal piece during the bending operation. It has been found that the horizontal sliding arrangement of the dies and their corresponding pressure cylinders leads to a more complicated and costly design of the apparatus. Another problem with this known apparatus for stepwise bending is its relatively low speed of operation.
An objective of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus, of the type mentioned above, that is simpler, and, therefore, its development is less costly and more economical. Additionally, this apparatus should operate at higher speed.
This objective is achieved by an apparatus, satisfying characteristics of the principal concepts recited in the patent claim 1, is developed.
Further development and improvements of the invention are subject of subsequent claims of this patent.
The use of the vice plates, which move in the horizontal direction and function to secure in place sheet metal pieces for bending operation, make it possible to provide the apparatus with a very robust design. Additionally, when needed, replacement of the moveable vice plates is economical.
This design makes it possible to increase the speed of the stepwise process when the strip material is bent, as well as the process throughput, approximately 10 times.
According to the invention, adjustment cylinders serve primarily to return the vice plates, after each step of the bending process, back to their initial horizontal position. When the adjustment cylinders are designed with dual-side action, they can be used at least to sustain horizontal movements caused by the bending process.
In cases where the dies of the bending apparatus can move independently in the vertical direction, the apparatus can be utilized for multiple purposes because it can bend different shapes, e.g., trapeze-like shapes, and it is simpler to remove the trapeze-like section from the apparatus, especially, if the shape of the bent section is asymmetric.

Apparatus for stepwise bending of sheet metal pieces or similar material


A method and apparatus for non-invasive, real time analysis of physical and chemical properties of a medium employs electromagnetic waves induced by an excitation transducer within longitudinally magnetized strips of ferromagnetic film serving as a waveguide. A physical medium juxtaposed to the wave guide induces a charge center encountered by the pulsed electromagnetic waves. The characteristics of changes induced by the physical medium within the pulsed electromagnetic wave, such as permittivity and permeability effects, boundary oscillations and phase changes are read by detection transducers and transmitted to software for analysis of the characteristics of the physical medium.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to profiling physical and chemical media utilizing electromagnetic waves. More particularly, this invention relates to an instrument and method for analyzing materials in the proximity of soliton waves propagating through a wave guide and detecting effects on the soliton waves induced by the materials.
2. Description of Related Art
Periodic oscillations of energy, commonly referred to as electromagnetic waves, have been used to analyze chemical or physical properties of materials for many years. Beginning with the early exploration of light in the 1600's by Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, and others, the application of electromagnetic waves to analyze chemical or physical properties of media now spans many areas of analytical chemistry including atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA), infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR), and microwave absorption (MW).
A stable form of electromagnetic energy producing a selected wavelength within a sampling device and a detector may be used to produce a measurable output signal. From the output signals, emission, absorption and fluorescence spectra of materials, and data from liquid and gas samples may be collected and analyzed. Depending on the wavelength, or energy, of the electromagnetic wave used, molecular and atomic data can be obtained.
Generally, spectroscopic methods are based on energy absorption, emission or fluorescence. A molecule can undergo a transition from a high energy state to a low energy state and emit energy as a photon, or reverse the process through the absorption of energy. Absorption and emission can occur at the electronic, vibrational, or rotational levels where elementary excitations may be found. Excitations can be described as ordinary sinusoidal waves representing periodic physical properties. Sinusoidal waves typically exhibit a dispersive response to the material in which the sinusoidal waves travel as well as exhibit a loss of energy in motion. Dispersion and loss of energy in the sinusoidal wave can present analytical limitations within a material, especially in a multi-phase medium.
High energy electromagnetic waves such as X-ray, ultraviolet, and infrared waves have been used to explore the dynamic environment of charge motion, potential inclusive lattice differentiation, boundaries, and variable quantum states found in many materials. However, as the transverse, oscillating electric field and accompanying magnetic field of an electromagnetic wave passes through a material, each field can be stressed or strained such that dislocations, dipoles, changes in permittivity and permeability, boundary oscillation frequencies, and other physical characteristics of the material can complicate the transmission of the high energy wave through the material. As a result, electromagnetic waves, particularly high energy waves, such as microwaves have not proved useful for exploring the charge motion, potential inclusive lattice differentiation, boundaries and variable quantum states, because the low frequency, long wave length, and potential peak broadening of high energy waves restricts possible applications.
Electromagnetic characteristics are present or can be created within most materials, and most materials create an environment of varied electromagnetic forces, varied charge centers and ionic crystal lattices. An incident wave originating outside a material can be influenced by moving charges or electromagnetic fields within or near the material, thus creating a characteristic interaction signature that can be seen within both incident and reflected waves. Further, significant penetration of the material and increased analytical depth may be achieved.
A crystalline, medium/liquid interface, or an amorphous material may have dislocations which could create a detectable field anomaly. Dislocation is defined as any change within surface or subsurface morphology including polarity and other charge characteristics. A change in surface profile, cracks or breaking within the material, boundaries within the material, an inclusion of another type of atom or structure within an overall crystal structure, and displacement of atomic groups within the structure of the material, are all to be considered dislocations. Field anomalies created by such dislocations result in changes within internal electrical or magnetic field vectors.
A method and device that takes advantage of these principles, without the disabilities of high energy electromagnetic waves, for identifying a material by the environment of varied electromagnetic forces of the material, would be highly useful. A method and device that can monitor material properties externally, without invasive techniques, would be valuable in a variety of industries, such as process stream manufacturing, biomedical and pharmaceutical.

Apparatus and method of non-invasive analysis and identification of physical materials in real time