A steam turbine rotor having a combination of at least one of a high pressure rotor, an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, which are each formed from a metal material of different chemical composition and welded together by means of welding.

The present invention relates to a steam turbine rotor having a connection structure for application to a steam turbine plant that includes in combination at least two of a high pressure steam turbine, an intermediate steam turbine and a low pressure steam turbine, and also relates to a method of manufacturing the steam turbine rotor.
In a typical steam turbine plant equipped with a high pressure steam turbine, an intermediate pressure steam turbine and a low pressure steam turbine, a material (metal material) of a steam turbine rotor incorporated into each turbine is selected depending on the steam conditions used, e.g., pressure, temperature, flow rate, etc. The steam turbine rotor for use in the high pressure steam turbine and intermediate steam turbine having the steam temperature of 550xc2x0 C. to 600xc2x0 C. can be made of e.g., 1%CrMoV steel (ASTM-A470, class 8) or 12%Cr steel (Japanese Patent Pub. No. SHO 60-54385). The steam turbine rotor for use in the low pressure steam turbine having the steam temperature equal to or higher than 400xc2x0 C. can be made of, e.g., NiCrMo steel (ASTM-A471, classes 2 to 7) containing 2.5% or more Ni.
In a recent steam turbine plant directed toward a larger capacity and a higher efficiency, due to the necessity for each turbine of a reduced size and weight and of a simple structure, a lot of attention is being paid to the appearance of so-called high-low pressure integrated, high-intermediate-low pressure integrated, or intermediate-low pressure integrated steam turbine rotors integrated into one piece and using the same metal material for each steam turbine including the high pressure steam turbine to the low pressure steam turbine.
Such a one-piece steam turbine rotor needs a sufficient high-temperature creep rupture strength on its high pressure high temperature side and needs a sufficient tensile strength, yield strength and toughness on its low pressure/low temperature side. This means that a single rotary shaft (rotor) requires different mechanical characteristics. Specifically, the metals used in the commercial machines are 1%CrMoVNiNb steel (e.g., Japanese Patent Pub. No. SHO 58-13608), 1.7%Ni2.25%CrMoVWNb steel (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. HEI 7-316721), etc.
Although the above described one-piece steam turbine rotors is integrally molded from the initial step of fabrication, previously separately fabricated high, intermediate and low pressure steam turbine rotors may be joined together by bolts (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. SHO 62-189301) or may be welded together.
The steam turbine rotor having the welded structure is classified into two types depending on the step to weld each steam turbine rotor. One is obtained by the welding in the process of the steam turbine rotor manufacturing steps and the other is obtained by the mutual welding after the completion of manufacture of each steam turbine rotor.
For the manufacture of the former, a plurality of ingots are roughly forged, welded together and then finish forged, which is disclosed in e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. SHO 53-147653.
For the manufacture of the latter, the steam turbine rotors formed from dissimilar metal of different components and compositions are welded together, which is disclosed in e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. SHO 57-176305.
It has hitherto been common for the high pressure, intermediate pressure and low pressure steam turbine rotors to provide a disk-structure (in which the steam turbine rotors each has an sliced disk shape so that they are laid one on top of the other) for the welded connection thereof. In this case, the steam turbine rotors formed from the same metal of the same components and compositions are welded and connected without welding the ones made of the dissimilar metal of different components and compositions.
Use of ESR (electroslag remelting) process is proposed as the other connection method to be effected during the steam turbine rotor manufacturing steps.
This connection method can include some approaches, i.e., immediately after the electroslag melting of one consumable electrode, the other consumable electrode may be subjected to the electroslag melting, with the resultant two parts being joined together for integral molding (e.g., Japanese Patent Pub. No. SHO 53-42446), a plurality of ingots of different components and compositions may be connected together for being remelted as the ESR electrode (e.g., Japanese Patent Pub. No. SHO 56-14842), or with a view to reducing the pool depth at the center, hollow electrodes may be connected together for ESR (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Pub. No. HEI 6-155001).
In this manner, a number of connection means have been disclosed for the conventional steam turbine rotors, and some of them have been adopted for the commercial machines.
The recent steam turbine plant has a trend toward enhancement on the reduced size and weight as well as the simplified structure, and from this viewpoint, investigation is directed to the high-low pressure, high-intermediate-low pressure or intermediate-low pressure steam turbine rotors.
The conventional steam turbine rotors are formed from metals of components and compositions which have been developed in conformity with the steam conditions such as the steam temperature and pressure of the individual steam turbines, i.e., high pressure, high-intermediate pressure, intermediate pressure and low pressure steam turbines. Thus, intact application of those metals of the components and compositions to the high-low pressure, high-intermediate-low pressure and intermediate-low pressure steam turbines would pose deficiencies which follow.
(1) The 1%CrMoV rotor has a good performance in the creep rupture strength within the high-temperature region of the order of 550xc2x0 C., although it may not necessarily present a sufficient tensile strength and toughness within the low temperature region and may possibly undergo a ductile fracture, a brittle fracture, etc. As the prevention measures against those, it is necessary to reduce the stress which may occur at the low-pressure part of the steam turbine rotor. However, the reduction of the stress occurring at the low-pressure part may restrict the length of the turbine blades disposed at the turbine stages, to consequently make it difficult to enhance the power plant capability.
In spite of its excellent high-temperature creep rupture strength, it would be insufficient for the higher temperature (approx. 600xc2x0 C. ) and higher pressure steam at the turbine inlet, which is required to achieve an improved efficiency in the recent power plant.
(2) The 12%Cr rotor could satisfy the above turbine inlet steam conditions due to its superior characteristics in the high temperature creep rupture strength to the 1%CrMoV steel rotor, but it presents an insufficient toughness. As a countermeasure against this fact, the length of the turbine blades disposed at the low pressure turbine stages is restricted, in the same manner as the case of the 1%CrMoV rotor.
(3) The NiCrMoV steel rotor is advantageous in the tensile strength and toughness within the low temperature region, but it may fail to present a sufficient creep rupture strength therewithin. Thus, its use in the high pressure steam turbine or intermediate pressure steam turbine may restrict the rise of the steam temperature at the turbine inlet due to its insufficient strength, making it difficult for the power plant to achieve an improved efficiency.
In this manner, when attempting to impart the increased capacity and higher efficiency to the steam turbine plant, especially, by use of the high temperature and high pressure steam with the turbine blade of a larger length incorporated therein, many restrictions have been imposed on the conventional high-low, high-intermediate-low and intermediate-low pressure integrated steam turbine rotors formed from the same material (metal material) such as the heat resisting steel.
Nevertheless, small-sized steam turbines with a small power output have used high-low, high-intermediate-low and intermediate-low pressure integrated steam turbine rotors formed from the same metal of the same components and compositions. In order to improve the steam turbine performances and enlarge the output range, however, it is necessary to increase the length of the turbine blade at the last turbine stage. In fact, increase of the turbine blade length may result in the increased centrifugal force due to rotations, and an extremely large stress may occur in the steam turbine rotor. To deal with this increased stress, the steam turbine rotor needs to have a further improved tensile strength, yield strength and toughness at the last turbine stage and its peripheries.
Moreover, the turbine blade at the last turbine stage may be made of titanium in place of the conventional steel with a view to reducing the costs and centrifugal force. Due to its elongated shape, however, the titanium turbine blade will not contribute to the reduction of the centrifugal force than expected. For this reason, the steam turbine rotor is still subjected to a large stress.
Thus, there is a need to acquire an even superior tensile strength, yield strength and toughness as well as to keep the creep rupture strength at a high temperature. In the state of the art, however, the integral steam turbine rotor have not yet been realized that is made of the same components and compositions and is capable of satisfying the need for steam turbines for the high-low pressure, high-intermediate-low pressure and intermediate-low pressure.
As a substitute for the high-low, the high-intermediate-low pressure integrated steam turbine rotor made of the same components and compositions, combination of the steam turbine rotors made of dissimilar metal would be conceivable. A bolting method is an example thereof. However, the bolting method is disadvantageous in the simplification of the structure and the reduction of weight of the steam turbine, since it needs the provision of flanged portions for fastening by means of bolts or bolt/nut pairs and needs the provision of a larger gap than the design proper value between wheels clamping the fastened portion of the steam turbine. Furthermore, the repetition of the start and stop operations of the steam turbine may cause a reduction of bolt fastening force, i.e., a so-call bolt loosening phenomena, which may possibly bring about steam turbine rotor vibrations.
Weld connection means would also be conceivable as means for connecting the steam turbine rotors made of the dissimilar metal together. In case of the weld connection means in the course of the steam turbine rotor manufacturing steps, when the rotors are extended radially and axially in the subsequent finish forging process, technical difficulties may be posed on the uniform distribution of the circumferential chemical components and compositions with a high accuracy. It may possibly cause any distortion (bend) of the steam turbine rotor in the subsequent heat treatment process or in operation. Thus, practical use thereof has not yet been achieved.
Description will then be made of weld connection means of dissimilar metal after the completion of manufacture of the steam turbine rotor. As set forth hereinabove, it has hitherto variously been put into practice to forge rotors each made of the same components and compositions such as the high pressure steam turbine rotor, intermediate pressure steam turbine rotor, high-intermediate-low steam turbine rotor and low pressure steam turbine rotor, into a disk shape and to weld them (similar material welding) to make a finished steam turbine rotor. However, practical use has not yet been made of the weld connection means for the steam turbine rotors made of dissimilar metal material of the different chemical components and compositions. Some factors therein will be conceivable.
First, it is conceived in case of the weld connection of the dissimilar metal that the welding residual stress at the weld joint tends to become larger and uneven due to the difference in values of the physical property such as the coefficient of linear expansion or thermal conductivity attributable to the difference of the chemical components and compositions of the rotor. As a result, there may occur risks of an increase in the sensitivity to SCC (stress corrosion cracking) at the weld joint and of an increase in the stress concentration at the weld Uranami (uranami) portion. A volume of pads are needed due to the increased amount of distortion of the rotor incurred by the weld, thus resulting in an increase of the rotor fabrication costs and of the number of cutting steps leading to a rise of the costs. Vibration problems may also possibly occur owing to the thermal bending in operation.
It is also envisaged due to the dissimilar metal welding that a complicated residual stress component distribution may appear at the weld joint, which may in turn incur an enhanced sensitivity to SCC.
From the common sense that the conventional high-quality steam turbine rotor should have as high a uniformity as possible at every portions irrespective of its dimensions, it would also be envisaged in case of the dissimilar metal weld connection means that the strength of the low pressure rotor at its connecting portion may lower after PWHT (postweld heat treatment) since PWHT temperature may not reach a proper value for the two steam turbine rotors to be connected together.
Assumption is such that the above-described various factors in the dissimilar metal weld connection means have impeded so far the practical use of the steam turbine rotors having the dissimilar metal weld connection structure.
Other bonding means for the dissimilar metal rotors could be a utilization of ESR (Electro Slag Refining) process. This is a process intended to axially graduate the chemical components and compositions by bonding the dissimilar metals together in the melting and solidification steep of the steam turbine rotor, which may incur a technical difficulty in imparting a circumferentially uniform distribution to the chemical components and compositions, rendering the technique impractical.
The present invention was conceived in view of the above background arts. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a steam turbine rotor and a method of manufacturing the same, capable of relieving the residual stress at the weld portions with appropriate components and compositions, in addition to the reduction of weight, in forming a one-piece turbine rotor for high-low pressure steam turbine, high-intermediate-low pressure steam turbine or intermediate-low pressure steam turbine through mutual connections of the dissimilar metal steam turbine rotors, the steam turbine rotor being capable of suppressing the sensitivity to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) or the bending distortion of the steam turbine, of ensuring the strength or other qualities through the sufficient postweld heat treatment (PWHT), and of sufficiently dealing with the elongated turbine blade required to meet with the demand for the increased capacity and higher efficiency of the steam turbine.
In order to attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a steam turbine rotor comprising in combination at least one of high pressure rotor and an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, wherein the at least one of the high pressure rotor and the intermediate pressure rotor and the low pressure rotor is formed from metal materials of different chemical compositions and being welded together by use of welding means. The high pressure rotor may be formed from 1%CrMoV steel. The low pressure rotor may be formed from 3 to 4%NiCrMoV steel. The intermediate pressure rotor may be formed from 1%CrMoV steel.
In order to achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a steam turbine rotor comprising in combination at least one of a high pressure rotor and an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, wherein a high pressure turbine first stage of the high pressure rotor and an intermediate pressure turbine first stage of the intermediate pressure rotor are made of 12%Cr steel, all other high pressure turbine stages of the high pressure rotor than the high pressure turbine. first stage are made of 1%CrMoV, with all other intermediate pressure turbine stages of the intermediate pressure rotor than the intermediate pressure turbine first stage being made of 1%CrMoV, and the low pressure rotor is formed from 3-4% NiCrMoV steel, the rotors being joined together by use of welding means. The 1%CrMoV steel may contain 0.8 to 1.3 wt % of Cr, 0.8 to 1.5 wt % of Mo, 0.2 to 0.3 wt % of V and remaining parts of Fe or others. The 3-4%NiCrMoV steel may contain 2.5 to 4.5 wt % of Ni, 1.5 to 2.0 wt % of Cr, 0.3 to 0.8 wt % of Mo, 0.08 to 0.2 wt % of V and remaining parts of Fe and others. The rotor using 12%Cr steel may be shaped to have either one of a convexed end and a concaved end. The rotor using 1%CrMoV steel may be shaped to have the other of a convexed end and a concaved end, and the rotor using 12%Cr steel may be fitted to the rotor using 1%CrMoV steel and is welded thereto by use of the welding means. The convexed end and the concaved end may be inclined relative to a central axis. Preferably, a weld metal for use as the welding means contains 2.7 to 3.5 wt % of Ni, 0.2 to 0.5 wt % of Cr, 0.4 to 0.9 wt % of Mo, and remaining parts of Fe and others. After welding the high pressure rotor and/or the intermediate pressure rotor and the low pressure rotor together by use of the welding means, a turbine stage region of the high pressure rotor and/or of the intermediate pressure rotor and a turbine stage region of the low pressure rotor excepting a last turbine stage thereof may be subjected to a heat treatment by use of heat treatment means. After welding the high pressure rotor, the rotor using 12%Cr steel, the intermediate pressure rotor and the low pressure rotor together by use of the welding means, a turbine stage region excepting a last turbine stage of the high pressure rotor, the rotor using 12%Cr steel, the intermediate pressure rotor and the low pressure rotor may be subjected to a heat treatment by use of heat treatment means.
In order to attain the above object, according to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a steam turbine rotor having in combination at least one of high pressure rotor and an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, the steam turbine rotor comprising a narrow gap formed at split mating surfaces extending transversely across a center bore of each of the rotors; and a laser displacement measuring sensor and a laser measuring meter which, upon welding the narrow gap, detect a displacement of each rotor arising from welding heat and a displacement of the narrow gap of the split mating surfaces, to provide a control of increase and decrease in the amount of heat input from a welding torch.
In order to attain the above object, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a steam turbine rotor having in combination a high pressure rotor and/or an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, the steam turbine rotor comprising a narrow gap formed at split mating surfaces extending transversely across a center bore of each of the rotors, and submerged arc welding means arranged to weld the narrow gap. The narrow gap may have an angle of inclination of 10/100 relative to a traverse line intersecting a center axis of the rotor. The split mating surfaces may have a hollow portion formed toward the center bore.
In order to attain the above object, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a steam turbine rotor having in combination a high pressure rotor and/or an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, the steam turbine rotor comprising an overlay weld joint formed toward a center bore at a weld end after welding the split mating surfaces that extend transversely across the center bore of each of the rotors.
In order to attain the above object, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a steam turbine rotor having in combination a high pressure rotor and/or an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, the steam turbine rotor comprising a residual stress portion formed toward a center bore at a weld end by use of a blaster means after welding the split mating surfaces that extend transversely across the center bore of each of the rotors.
In order to attain the above object, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a steam turbine rotor having in combination a high pressure rotor and/or an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, the steam turbine rotor comprising an anticorrosion coated portion formed toward the external surface of a weld end after welding the split mating surfaces that extend transversely across the center bore of each of the rotors.
In order to attain the above object, according to an eighth aspect of the present invention there is provided steam turbine rotor having in combination a high pressure rotor and/or an intermediate pressure rotor and a low pressure rotor, wherein after welding the high pressure rotor and/or the intermediate pressure rotor and the low pressure rotor together, a turbine stage region of the high pressure rotor and/or the intermediate pressure rotor and a turbine stage region of the low pressure rotor excepting a last turbine stage thereof are subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature lower than a tempering temperature of either one of the high pressure rotor and the intermediate pressure rotor, a temperature higher than a tempering temperature of the low pressure rotor and a temperature lower than an Acl transformation temperature of the low pressure rotor.
In order to attaint the above object, according to a ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a steam turbine rotor comprising the steps of welding together a turbine first stage rotor 12%Cr steel for use as a high pressure turbine first stage and an intermediate pressure turbine first stage, a high pressure rotor 1%CrMoV steel for use as other turbine stages than the high pressure turbine first stage, an intermediate pressure rotor 1%CrMoV steel for use as other turbine stages than the intermediate pressure turbine first stage and a low pressure rotor 3-4%NiCrMoV steel; and thereafter, subjecting a turbine stage region of the turbine first stage rotor 12%Cr steel, the high pressure rotor 1%CrMoV steel and the intermediate pressure rotor 1%CrMoV steel as well as a turbine stage region excepting a final turbine stage of the low pressure rotor 3-4%NiCrMoV steel to a heat treatment at a temperature lower than a tempering temperature of eithier one of the 12%Cr steel and the 1%CrMoV steel, a temperature higher than a tempering temperature of the 3-4%NiCrMoV steel and a temperature lower than an Acl transformation temperature of the 3-4%NiCrMoV steel. The temperature of the heat treatment is preferably within a range of 600 to 650xc2x0 C.
According to the steam turbine rotor and its manufacturing method of the present invention, as set forth hereinabove, appropriate metals were used under environmental conditions of high temperature/high pressure and low temperature/low pressure, and when welding rotors of dissimilar metals together, appropriate measures were taken with the reduced weight and appropriate postweld heat treatment, thereby making it possible to secure an excellent creep rupture strength under the high temperature/high pressure environment and simultaneously to secure an excellent room temperature tensile strength and toughness under the low temperature/low pressure environment, as well as making it possible to suppress the SCC sensitivity and suppress the residual stress at the weld joint as low as possible, thus ensuring a sufficient application to the turbine blade having an increased length.
Thus, the steam turbine rotor and its manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention can fully deal with an increase of steam conditions used and with an increased length of the turbine blade for use at the last turbine stage of the low pressure steam turbine, whereby it is possible to realize a large-capacity and high-efficiency steam turbine plant.
The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made more clear from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Steam turbine rotor and manufacturing method thereof


The hardware for mounting the blinds is located in the head rail such that it does not interfere with the cutting operation but remains with the blind after the blind is cut-to-size. The hardware overlaps with a blind component and the hardware may include a mounting bracket that includes a notch for receiving the blind component. The ends of the blinds are aligned in a package by the manufacturer during the packaging process. The blinds are secured in the package such that the blind elements are properly aligned. The aligned blinds and the package are inserted into a cutting machine as a unit and the cutting machine cuts the blinds and the package simultaneously.

It will be appreciated that window blinds come in a variety of materials including wood, plastic, fabric, vinyl and aluminum and a variety of styles including horizontal, woven, pleated, Roman and cellular. Cut-to-size blinds are sold in a limited number of sizes. The end user purchases the blind at a retail outlet in the size that most closely matches, but is larger than, the window or other architectural feature on which the blind is to be used. A cutting machine is operated to cut the blinds to the desired size.
Thus, an improved method and apparatus for accurately cutting cut-to-size blinds is desired.


A gallium containing zinc oxide with an improved heat ray shielding function while keeping high transparency to visible light rays is provided. A gallium containing zinc oxide, which has a heat ray shielding function, a gallium content in the range of 0.25 to 25 % by weight, and a carrier electron density ne of 2×1020/ cm3 or higher.

Conventionally, different kind metal-doped conductive metal oxides such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO), and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) have been known as materials transparent of visible light rays and having high conductivity and they have been used as transparent conductive films and transparent electrodes of liquid crystal displays and solar cells. Further, glass on which these conductive metal oxides are deposited has been used as heat ray shielding glass for windows of buildings and windows of automobiles.
Among these heat ray shielding materials, in particular, tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) is excellent in the heat ray shielding function, however since indium reserve is slight and indium is a by-product of minerals of zinc and lead, exhaustion and steep rise in costs because of mass consumption for the transparent conductive films for liquid crystal displays in recent years have been serious concern.
As a heat ray shielding material in place of ITO having these resources problem, and the supply and the cost problem, heat ray shielding materials using zinc oxide whose raw materials exist in abundance and economical have been investigated. However, zinc oxide is inferior in the shielding property of light rays with wavelength near infrared (IR) region as compared with ITO.
As heat ray shielding materials of different metal-doped zinc oxide, aluminum containing zinc oxide thin films are disclosed in Patent Document No. 1 and No. 2. However, aluminum is easier to be reacted with oxygen than zinc, a component element of zinc oxide, and as a result, in a product such as a thin film, aluminum is locally precipitated in form of an oxide and causes a problem that the optical properties such as transmission and refractive index and electric properties such as conductivity are uneven. Further, aluminum element has another problem that aluminum is not easy to be added (doped) by film formation methods other than sputtering. Furthermore, it is also difficult to add aluminum to a concentration sufficient to exhibit the heat ray shielding function.
Patent Document No. 3 discloses zinc oxide thin films containing at least one kind of Group XIV elements.
In the sunrays, IR rays having wavelength of at shortest 780 nm longer than visible light rays have a small energy quantity, about 10%, as compared with ultraviolet (UV) rays, however IR rays have a significant thermal function and are released as heat energy to increase the temperature if once being absorbed in a substance and therefore they are generally called as heat ray.
Accordingly, for example, if it is made possible to shield IR rays having the significant thermal function among sunrays coming through an aperture part, the heat shielding property is heightened and the temperature increase in the inside can be suppressed. Particularly, the energy ratio of near IR rays with wavelength of 780 to 1500 nm in IR rays is high and the energy ratio of near IR rays with wavelength of 780 to 1000 nm is particularly high. As a matter of fact, with respect to a weighed coefficient for calculating the solar transmission Ts according to JIS R 3106, it is set higher. In other words, if the near IR rays with wavelength of 780 to 1000 nm are not effectively shielded, the solar transmission can not be lowered while the visible light transmission is kept high.
However, the zinc oxide thin films containing at least one kind of Group XIV elements disclosed in Patent Document No. 3 have high transmission, about 90% of light rays with wavelength of 750 nm and about 80% of light rays with wavelength of 1000 nm and thus are incapable of sufficiently suppressing the solar transmission while keeping the visible light transmission high.
Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Kokai Publication Sho-61-96609
Patent Document No. 2: Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-1-201021
Patent Document No. 3: Japanese Patent No. 1802011


A memory device includes a plurality of magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) cells including a first one-time programmable (OTP) MRAM cell. A first OTP select transistor is connected to the first OTP MRAM cell. The first OTP select transistor configured to selectively apply a breakdown current to the first OTP MRAM cell to write the first OTP MRAM cell to a breakdown state.

Non-volatile memory is memory that retains data in the absence of power. Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) is a non-volatile random access memory (RAM) technology that uses magnetic storage elements to store data. An MRAM device includes an array of MRAM cells, each of which is implemented as a single-bit cell to store a binary data value. Each MRAM cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction ("MTJ" or "MTJ element") formed of a pair of ferromagnetic layers separated by a thin insulating layer. The two layers include a magnetic layer that is permanently magnetized in a fixed magnetic field alignment direction (this layer is referred to as a pinned layer), and a changeably-magnetized magnetic layer (this layer is referred to as a free layer).
The changeably-magnetized magnetic layer can be magnetized in one of two orientations relative to the permanently magnetized layer. The two orientations are characterized by distinctly different serial resistances through the superimposed layers of the MTJ. The magnetic field orientation of the changeable layer can be aligned the same as that of the permanent magnet layer (parallel), or the magnetic field of the changeable layer can be aligned directly opposite to that of the permanent magnet layer (anti-parallel). The parallel alignment state has a relatively lower resistance, namely a low logic state "0". The anti-parallel alignment state has a higher resistance, namely a high logic state "1". These two states as sensed from their relatively higher or lower resistances represent different binary logic values of bits in the memory.
Non-volatile memory includes one-time-programmable (OTP) memory. OTP memory is read-only memory that may only be programmed once. Once programmed, the contents cannot be changed and the contents are retained after power is removed.

One time programmable (OTP) magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM)

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.


Techniques, systems computer program products are disclosed for mapping of vascular perfusion territories by applying a train of pseudo-continuous radio frequency tagging pulses to modulate a first magnetization of one or more blood vessels that supply blood to one or more vascular perfusion territories, applying an encoding scheme using unipolar transverse gradient pulses to modulate a second magnetization of blood vessels of the vascular perfusion territories, obtaining efficiency for each blood vessel based on the applied encoding scheme and separating the vascular perfusion territories by using the obtained tagging efficiency in a decoding process.

This application relates to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Imaging through MRI techniques is well known and has been widely applied in imaging applications in medical, biological and other fields. A typical MRI technique produces an image of a selected body part of an object under examination by manipulating the magnetic spins in a body part and processing measured responses from the magnetic spins. An MRI system may include hardware to generate different magnetic fields for imaging, including a static magnetic field along a z-direction to polarize the magnetic spins, gradient fields along mutually orthogonal x, y, or z directions to spatially select a body part for imaging, and an RF magnetic field to manipulate the spins.
MRI techniques may be used to capture the functional changes in body parts or tissues such as the brain perfusion. One commonly-used technique for functional MRI is in vivo imaging by arterial spin labeling (ASL), where the arterial blood is tagged by magnetic inversion using RF pulses applied to a plane or slab of arterial blood proximal to the tissue of interest. Images are typically acquired with and without prior tagging of arterial blood and are subtracted to produce images that are proportional to perfusion. This magnetic tagging allows for the imaging of blood flow without the administration of dyes or other imaging agents. Hence, ASL provides non-invasive tagging in MRI measurements.
MRI techniques are often applied in situation in which locations of source vessels in the tagging plane are not known to a medical professional, requiring manual detection based on additional imaging or angiography.
Improvements to existing MRI techniques are needed.

Mapping vascular perfusion territories using magnetic resonance imaging

The Regents of the University of California


A computing device may include a touch-sensitive display. Display logic may control a size of an active area of the touch-sensitive display and a size of an inactive area of the touch-sensitive display. The display logic to set the active area to a first size when the touch-sensitive display is in a first mode. Display logic to set the active area to a second size when the touch-sensitive display is in a second mode. In one embodiment, the computing device may be a convertible computer system. In another embodiment, the computing device may be a tablet computer system.

1. Field
Embodiments may relate to a display device having a multi-mode virtual bezel (or inactive area).
2. Background
Electronic devices include tablet-type computer system (or computing device) in which a tablet may couple to a base, and may detach from the base. Electronic devices may also include a convertible computing device that may convert from a clamshell mode to a tablet mode.

Display device having multi-mode virtual bezel


An artificial tongue is provided. The artificial tongue includes tongue tissue formed by a bioprinting process, an antenna embedded within the tongue tissue and configured to wirelessly receive power from an external device, a processor embedded within the tongue tissue and operatively coupled to the antenna, and a piezoelectric element embedded within the tongue tissue and operatively coupled to the processor. The piezoelectric element is configured to deform in response to an applied electric bias, and the processor is configured to cause the electric bias to be applied to the piezoelectric element based on the power received by the antenna.

The present disclosure relates to biotechnology and to body tissue substitutes. In particular it relates to the fabrication of bioprinted body substitutes that include structural and software elements that facilitate integration and physical therapy of the transplanted body tissues.
In general, bioprinting refers to a process that takes cells from donor organs and builds up multiple layers of cells in calculated designs to form three-dimensional sections of tissue. One example of a body tissue substitute is a tongue. One of the challenges in tongue reconstruction and/or transplantation resides in its unique form and function. While most skeletal muscles of the human body move in a single plane, or at most two dimensions, the tongue is able to move in three dimensions. In addition, the tongue has the ability to volumetrically change the empty space of the oral cavity, thereby manipulating sound waves. While neurovascular connection or reconstruction of the tongue can be performed, replicating the tongue's complex movements can be challenging due to the tongue's reliance upon coordinated muscle activity between the tongue itself as well as the floor of mouth muscles, larynx, pharynx, upper palate and lips, etc. Therefore, complete functional rehabilitation of a transplanted tongue may be difficult, and it may depend on adequate restoration of the various sensory and motor functions.

Bioprinted living tissue with therapy capability

International Business Machines Corporation


A shroud is provided for separating an air turbine starter housing from a turbine wheel. The shroud comprises a ring and a bumper. The ring is configured to be disposed between the turbine wheel and the housing and has an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface that defines a flow channel. The bumper is coupled to and extends radially inwardly from the ring inner peripheral surface and defines a bumper section of the ring flow channel. At least a portion of the bumper section has a cross-sectional flow area that is less than another cross sectional flow area of the ring flow channel.

Many relatively large turbine engines, including turbofan engines, may use an air turbine starter (ATS) to initiate turbine engine rotation. Typically, the ATS includes at least a turbine section coupled to an output section that are each mounted within an aluminum ATS housing. The turbine section is also coupled to a high pressure fluid source, such as compressed air, and includes a turbine wheel and an output shaft. The turbine wheel has a hub with a plurality of blades extending radially therefrom. The output shaft extends axially from the hub and is coupled to the output section. Thus, when the high pressure fluid source impinges upon the turbine blades, the output shaft rotates at a relatively high rate of speed to power the turbine engine.
In many instances, the turbine blades are constructed of a high-strength material capable of withstanding the high speeds encountered during aircraft operation, such as, for example, titanium. To allow the turbine wheel to produce the maximum amount of power for optimal ATS operation and to abide by size restrictions, a reduced clearance is usually provided between the turbine blades and the ATS housing.
Although the above configuration is generally safe and effective, it may have certain drawbacks. For example, during operation, the turbine blades may rub against the housing and cause friction. During normal ATS operating conditions, such as when the ATS is operating at temperatures below 600° F., the contact between the blades and housing may not adversely affect ATS operability; however, in instances in which the fluid source temperatures exceeds 600° F., this may not be the case. In particular, the aluminum housing may lose structural integrity, which may cause inoperability of the ATS. Additionally, the turbine wheel may become displaced from its original position, and, for example, may inadvertently travel axially through the ATS, and, consequently, may damage other components of the ATS, such as a stator.
Accordingly, there is a need for an air turbine starter that is operational and capable of maintaining structural integrity at temperatures above 600° F. In addition, there is a need for an air turbine starter that is lightweight and relatively inexpensive to implement. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.


An EUV Lithography mask, a fabrication method, and use method thereof is provided. A preferred embodiment comprises a substrate, a Bragg reflector disposed upon the substrate, a buffer disposed upon the Bragg reflector, and an absorber layer disposed upon the buffer. The materials in the mask have selected magnetic properties. In a preferred embodiment, the buffer is a hard magnetic material, and the absorber is a soft magnetic material. Another preferred embodiment includes a mask manufacturing method further including a mask step. In a preferred embodiment, an electron mirror microscope is used to inspect the mask by imaging its topography with respect to its magnetic properties in an applied magnetic field.

Lithography uses an imaging system that directs radiation onto a mask to form a pattern. It projects the image of that pattern onto a semiconductor wafer covered with light-sensitive photoresist. The pattern is formed from absorptive features or lines etched into the mask. The radiation used in lithography may be at any suitable wavelength, with the resolution of the system increasing with decreasing wavelength. The ability to print smaller features onto the semiconductor wafer improves as the resolution increases.
Ongoing improvements in lithography have allowed the shrinkage of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) to produce devices with higher density and better performance. One highly promising lithography system uses radiation in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range. Generally, EUV radiation has wavelengths in the range of about 1 to 40 nanometers (nm), and the EUV radiation used in lithography has wavelengths in the range of about 10 to 15 nm. Lithography carried out with radiation in this region has come to be known as EUV lithography (EUVL).
EUV radiation is strongly absorbed in virtually all materials, even gases. Absorption, therefore, rules out the use of refractive optical elements, such as lenses and transmission masks. Therefore, EUVL imaging systems are entirely reflective. In order to achieve reasonable reflectivities near normal incidence, surfaces must be coated with multilayer, thin-film coatings known as distributed Bragg reflectors. Reflective masks are usually tuned to reflect EUV light in the 10-15 nm range (bright field area). Reflective masks typically further include a patterned absorber deposited on top of the Bragg reflector that absorbs suitable wavelengths of the incident EUV light (dark field area). The height of the patterned absorber is comparable to the lateral feature sizes to be imaged onto the wafers.
EUV masks have to be free of defects and particles since those would inevitably be imaged onto the wafer well, and will, in most cases, drastically reduce the number of functioning chips per wafer. Since the features on the semiconductor chips produced by the EUVL process are in the order of a fraction of a micrometer, any particles or imperfections on the mask on the active area of the pattern can be transferred to the pattern circuit. Mask defects will cause the circuit to be improperly written and, thus, malfunction. Consequently, it is necessary to inspect the EUVL mask to ensure that no defects have been created in the pattern area by this process.
FIG. 1 shows a typical EUV mask blank manufactured according to the SEMI P37-1102 and SEMI P38 1103 EUV mask substrate and EUV mask blank specifications published in 2002 by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International of San Jose, Calif. The mask 105 comprises an EUV mask substrate 110, an EUV Bragg reflector 120, an optional protective layer commonly called a capping layer 130, a protective buffer layer 140 to prevent damage during absorber patterning and mask repair, and an EUV absorber layer 150. Various embodiments of an EUV mask according to the prior art will be described next.
As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate 110 with a low defect level and a smooth surface is used as the starting material for an EUV mask. The substrate 110 generally a glass or glass-ceramic material that has a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). However, in some cases, the substrate 110 may be Silicon. Although Silicon has a large CTE that may result in undesirable displacement of printed images, Silicon also has a high thermal conductivity and thus may be a viable substrate as long as heat can be removed efficiently from the mask during exposure.
As further shown in FIG. 1, a multilayer (ML) mirror, or Bragg reflector, 120 covers the substrate 110. The Bragg reflector 120 includes about 20-80 pairs of alternating layers of a high atomic number, high Z, material and a low Z material. The high Z material may be about 2.8 nm thick Molybdenum (Mo) while the low Z material may be about 4.1 nm thick Silicon (Si).
An optional capping layer 130, such as about 11.0 nm thick Silicon (Si), may cover the top of the Bragg reflector 120 to prevent oxidation of Molybdenum in the environment. The Bragg reflector 120 can achieve about 60-75% reflectivity at an illumination wavelength of about 13.4 nm.
Referring again to FIG. 1, a buffer layer 140 covers the upper surface of the Bragg reflector 120. The buffer layer 140 may have a thickness of about 20-105 nm. It may include Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), such as low temperature oxide (LTO). Other materials, such as Silicon Oxynitride (SiOxNy) or Carbon (C) may also be used for the buffer layer 140.
As shown in FIG. 1, an absorber layer 150 covers the buffer layer 140. The absorber layer 150 may include about 45-215 nm of a material that will attenuate EUV light, remain stable during exposure to EUV light, and be compatible with the mask fabrication process.
Various metals, alloys, and ceramics may comprise the absorber layer 150. Ceramics are compounds formed from metals and nonmetals. Examples of metals include Aluminum (Al), Aluminum-Copper (AlCu), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Tantalum (Ta), Titanium (Ti), and Tungsten (W). In some cases, the absorber layer 150 may be partially or entirely formed out of borides, carbides, nitrides, oxides, phosphides, suicides, or sulfides of certain metals. Examples include Nickel Silicide (NiSi), Tantalum Boride (TaB), Tantalum Germanium (TaGe), Tantalum Nitride (TaN), Tantalum Silicide (TaSi), Tantalum Silicon Nitride (TaSiN), and Titanium Nitride (TiN).
FIGS. 2a-2h show the sequence of major process steps during mask manufacturing. The initial steps comprise coating FIG. 2a the mask with resist 160, exposing FIG. 2b the resist 160, and developing FIG. 2c the pattern (not shown). In the step illustrated in FIG. 2d, the pattern is transferred from the resist to the absorber using an absorber etch. In the absorber etch step, FIG. 2d, it is preferable that the absorber and buffer have high etch selectivity. In the next step, FIG. 2e, the mask is inspected for defects after absorber etch and resist removal.
In order to locate defects, such as absorber residue in a bright field area, current technology requires high optical contrast between the absorber and buffer layers. Since both absorber and buffer are very thin layers, choosing the right layer thickness for optimal inspection contrast is as important as choosing the right layer materials.
Referring again to FIGS. 2a-2h, a mask repair step, FIG. 2f, follows inspection, FIG. 2e. One repair method, a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) can evaporate unwanted absorber from a bright field area. A focused ion beam can also cause local deposition from an absorber-bearing gas at a clear spot defect (dark field repair).
In the step illustrated in FIG. 2g, the buffer layer is patterned with another etch. The etch process stops either on an optional protective capping layer 130 or on the topmost layer of the Bragg reflector 120.
After the buffer layer has been removed from the bright areas, mask patterning is completed. The material exposed in the bright area (capping layer or topmost layer of Bragg reflector) and the sidewalls (absorber and buffer material) have to withstand repetitive mask cleaning, FIG. 2h, without damage to mask.
The requirements with respect to the individual layers in the process steps shown in FIGS. 2a-2h are very difficult to meet simultaneously. The layers must have good etch selectivity for patterning. The mask layers must be thick enough to enable EUV mask repair without damaging the Bragg reflector. On the other hand, thin layers decrease the time needed for removing bright field defects. The mask must be robust enough to tolerate repetitive cleaning, which again favors thick layers. Balancing these competing processing requirements is especially difficult for the buffer layer, especially for inspection. The buffer layer must have a high optical contrast with respect to the absorber material for inspection.
In the past, optical lithography was also concerned with defects in masks. The large expense associated with mask fabrication requires that a mask not be discarded for small defects. Even more importantly, a defective mask often leads to defective devices. For masks used in step and repeat operations, i.e. reticles, a single mask defect can ruin an entire wafer. Generally, the transmissive masks used in optical lithography can be inspected without difficulty since the contrast between the opaque regions and the clear regions is high at most wavelengths. For next generation lithography, such as EUV lithography, inspection is more difficult.
Inspection for defects on the EUV mask is usually done at UV/DUV wavelengths, 150-500 nm. A problem is that contrast between the EUV mask layers is often inadequate. Manufacturers have recognized this problem and have taken steps to improve EUV mask contrast (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,720,118 and 6,583,068). However, some of these methods still remain limited to inspection at the UV/DUV wavelengths.
What is needed is an EUV mask that is not constrained by UV/DUV contrast requirements.

EUV magnetic contrast lithography mask and manufacture thereof


A method for clearing a plural number of connections from each of two connected nodes by clearing the first connection from the first node, generating a single first message from the first node to the second node identifying the connections, clearing the connections from the second node in response to the receipt of the first message, and generating a second message from the second node to the first node identifying the connections cleared by the second node in response to the second node receiving the first message. Furthermore, a node having circuits for generating and interpreting each of the two messages, and maintaining a database of connection status. Further, each of the two message types that signal a clearing of a plurality of inter-nodal connections.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a packet switching network technology based on switching fixed length packets of data between transmission devices, a transmission device (hereinafter referred to as a node) comprehending a gateway, a router, and a switch, and referred to alternatively as a node, or respectively as a gateway, router, or switch.
An ATM network typically provides a number of interconnected nodes which receive data from network nodes and forward that data through other network nodes to an ultimate destination. In general, a node includes a plurality of ports that are coupled to at least one input and output line, each port connecting the node to another node of the network, and allowing for the routing of data between the connecting nodes.
ATM based networks can maintain a large number of connections per port and the task of clearing (disconnecting) all connections of a port is inefficient using the ATM Forum provided prior art. In order to clear a Virtual Channel, the ATM Forum prior art provides a message called RELEASE and a corresponding message called RELEASE COMPLETE. Well known to those skilled in the art, the RELEASE and the RELEASE COMPLETE message are each transmitted along the signaling channel between connecting nodes. A first network node issues a separate RELEASE message for each connection, and transmits the RELEASE message to connecting nodes for propagation along the network for eventual reception by a second network node. The second network node then initiates and transmits a corresponding RELEASE COMPLETE message as an acknowledge to the RELEASE message for that separate connection that is transmitted across the network to the first network node.
With reference to FIG. 1, an ATM data pathway comprises a connected gateway 102, node 104, node 106, node 108, and gateway 110, and illustratively carries an established specific connection between gateway 102 and gateway 110. If a calling party (not shown) that is connected to gateway 102, chooses to initiate a disconnect process, the calling party transmits a disconnect message to gateway 102. Gateway 102 responds to the disconnect message by initiating a RELEASE message that is transmitted from gateway 102 across the pathway to gateway 110, which responds to the reception of the RELEASE message by transmitting to gateway 102 a corresponding RELEASE COMPLETE message for only that specific connection. The RELEASE COMPLETE message transmitted across the pathway individually releases the specific connection on gateway 110, the nodes 108, 106, and 104, and the gateway 102.
Now referring to FIG. 2, an ATM network 200 includes a router 202, nodes 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, and router 216, comprising a separate transmission path 1 that includes router 202-node 204-node 206-node 208-router 216; and a separate transmission path 2 that includes router 202-node 204-node 210-node 212-node 214-node 208-router 216. Suppose that there are twenty established connections between router 202 and router 216 such that the ten connections take path 1, and a remaining ten connections take path 2. Now suppose that the trunk that connects node 204 and 206 is cut, so that each of the ten connections along path 1 should be released. Currently, according to ATM Forum prior art, node 204 must send ten separate RELEASE messages, one for each connection, towards router 202, and node 206 must send ten separate RELEASE messages towards router 216 via node 208, as both node 204 and node 206 sense the cable cut. Routers 202 and 216 each send back a separate RELEASE COMPLETE message for each of the separate ten connections. Or suppose that that the trunk that connects node 212 and node 214 is cut, so that each of the ten connections along path 2 should be released. Currently, according to ATM Forum prior art, node 212 must send ten separate RELEASE messages towards router 202 via nodes 210 and 204 and node 214 must send ten separate RELEASE messages towards router 216 via nodes 214 and 208 as both node 212 and node 214 sense the cable cut. Routers 202 and 216 each send back a separate RELEASE COMPLETE message for each of the separate ten connections.
As illustrated, because the current RELEASE and RELEASE COMPLETE messages together clear only a single connection, in order to clear a port all data connections at the port must be cleared separately by issuance of multiple RELEASE and RELEASE COMPLETE messages, one pair for each connection. If there is network congestion, a connection clearance in accordance with the ATM Forum prior art may require a retransmission. Thus a single connection, while requiring a minimum of two messages, may require more than two messages per connection, and a port having more than "n" connections while requiring a minimum 2 "n" messages, may require many more messages than that number. Each RELEASE and each RELEASE COMPLETE message consumes network resources including processor time, memory time, processor bus time, node transmission bus time, and node switch time; all of which impact overall node transmission bandwidth and hence network performance.
The prior art RELEASE and RELEASE COMPLETE messages consume "n" times the resources in clearing a port having "n" active connections by requiring "n" separate message pairs, than a disconnection method and apparatus that has only a single pair of clearing messages for all the port connections. Also, because the number of ATM layer 3 messages exchanged across ATM switches is significantly reduced (by a factor of 1/"n") for an ATM network by having 2 rather than 2 "n" messages, the cumulative task context switch time is reduced in an ATM switch processor. Also, the number of outstanding timers consuming node processor and memory time is reduced because only 1 timer is now required rather than n timers. The time for exchange of buffers between processor modules is also reduced. In a high-capacity ATM network, the reroute time is also reduced because the connections on a port can be disconnected by a single pair of messages, rather than a pair of messages for each individual connection. Also, the number of messages exchanged between nodes is reduced which reduces the congestion in a high capacity network. In a network comprising of large number of nodes, with a large number of connections (of the order of hundreds of thousand), to send/receive up to 4 messages per connection per node is an enormous burden on the network resources.

Method and apparatus for clearing a large number of connections in an ATM network


In an artificial intelligence server for providing information to a user, the artificial intelligence server includes a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of artificial intelligence apparatuses deployed in a service area and a processor configured to receive at least one of speech data of the user or terminal usage information of the user from at least one of the plurality of artificial intelligence apparatuses, generate intention information of the user based on at least one of the received speech data or the received terminal usage information, generate status information of the user using the plurality of artificial intelligence apparatuses, determine an information providing device among the plurality of artificial intelligence apparatuses based on the generated status information of the user, generate output information to be outputted from the determined information providing device, and transmit a control signal for outputting the generated output information to the determined information providing device.

Recently, various artificial intelligence apparatuses equipped with artificial intelligence have been spread actively, and various services can be provided through an artificial intelligence system composed of artificial intelligence apparatuses.
In the home, an artificial intelligence system with various home appliances equipped with artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence speakers, etc. may be built, and in shopping malls, airports, and multiplexes where many people gather, artificial intelligence systems can be built with robots, kiosks, and digital signage.
However, many artificial intelligence apparatuses only interact with fixed users currently, but do not provide information effectively to multiple users while operating organically with each other. Only fixed information is provided to one user.

Artificial intelligence server and method for providing information to user


A fiber optic cable clamp is provided. The fiber optic cable clamp includes a sheath grip member and a strength member clamp maintained at a constant axial location with respect to the sheath grip member. The fiber optic cable clamp also includes a cable fiber separator connected to the sheath grip member, the cable fiber separator including a plurality of cable fiber openings and attached to the strength member clamp. The fiber optic cable clamp, when mounted to a fiber optic cable, maintains the relative axial locations of a cable sheath and cable strength member along a fiber optic cable.

Multifiber optical cables, particularly those for use in outside the plant applications in which the cable is exposed to environmental conditions, may include a protective sheath surrounding the optical fibers of the cable. In some instances, these optical cables can also include a non-fiber strength member in the center of the cable, designed to protect the cable from bending more than the approved bend radius of the cable to prevent damage to the cable and loss of optical signal strength.
When multifiber optical cables are routed outside of a building or enclosure, that cable is exposed to environmental extremes, including temperature extremes. These temperature extremes affect the various components of the multifiber cables differently, based on the varying rates at which temperature affects each of the components. For example, in designing the cables, the strength member and the fiber optical fibers within the cable expand and contract at the same rate, but the protective sheath surrounding the optical fibers generally is made from a plastic material which expands and contracts at a higher rate than the fibers or strength member. This phenomena is described in detail in Gebizlioglu, Time- and Temperature-Dependent Material Behavior and its Impact on Low-Temperature Performance of Fiber Optic Cables, (Materials Research Society Proceedings Vol. 531, p. 333 (1998)).
At low temperatures, the protective sheath surrounding the optical fibers contracts, exerting a compression force on the optical strands. This compression force can form microbends in the optical fibers, resulting in signal loss along the length of the optical fiber.


A state memorizing device for a movable member, includes a lock state determining portion for determining whether or not the movable member, driven by a motor, is in a locked state, based on a motor current, an initial positional information memorizing portion for memorizing an initial positional information indicative of a current position of the movable member before the motor is started, a current positional information calculating portion for calculating a current positional information indicative of the current position of the movable member on the basis of the position indicated by the initial positional information and the motor current, and a current positional information correcting portion for determining the current position of the movable member based on the initial positional information in a case where the locked state of the movable member is detected and an electrification of the motor is stopped after the motor has just been started.

There exists a known seat position control device, which is adapted to a vehicle and the like and which automatically adjusts a position of a seat to a desired seat position (i.e. a seat position) memorized in a memory by operating a switch, even after an occupant changes the seat position. In order to adjust the seat position, a slide motor for moving an entire seat forward and rearward relative to a vehicle body, a reclining motor for changing an inclination of a seat-back, and the like are provided at the seat. By driving the above-mentioned motors by a switch operation, the seat is adjustable to any desired position. The seat position control devices for adjusting the seat position disclosed in, for example, JP2000-250629A and JP2002-325475A, detect a ripple component included in a motor current of a motor for driving the seat as a ripple pulse synchronized with a rotation of the motor via a pulse generating circuit having a differentiating circuit, without using a rotational sensor for detecting a rotational position of the motor, and then, the seat position control device executes a position control of the seat on the basis of the detected ripple pulse.
In the case where the position control of the seat and the like is executed by using the ripple pulse synchronized with the rotation of the motor, without using the rotational sensor for detecting the rotational position of the motor, an amount of the motor being actuated (i.e. an amount of actuation) due to an inertia generated after a motor output is stopped is not detectable because the ripple pulse is generated only while the motor is actuated, on the other hand, the ripple pulse is not generated after the motor output is stopped. Therefore, a state memorizing device, disclosed in JP2000-250629A, estimates the actuation amount of the motor generated after the motor output is stopped on the basis of a rotational amount of the motor while being actuated. Then, the state memorizing device, disclosed in JP2000-250629A, corrects a positional information, thereby obtaining a position of the seat. In order to estimate the rotational amount of the motor, the state memorizing device preliminarily stores therein a correction map, which specifies a relationship among an actuation portion, voltage, a pulse period and the like.
Further, in the case where the position control of the seat and the like is executed by using a motor ripple pulse synchronized with the rotation of the motor, without using the rotational sensor for detecting the rotational position of the motor, the rotational position of the motor may not be detected especially in a case where the motor rotates at a very low speed since when the motor is started, because an accurate ripple pulse is not generated when the motor is rotated at the very low speed (a very low speed rotation). Therefore, a control device for the motor disclosed in JP2002-325475A executes a motor control in consideration of the very low speed rotation by detecting the very low speed rotation of the motor when being started by using a motor current of when the motor is started and a motor current of when the motor is normally driven.
The state memorizing device, disclosed in JP2000-250629A, estimates the actuation amount of the motor generated after the motor output is stopped. However, in the case where the motor rotates at the very low speed since when the motor is started, the actuation amount is not accurately estimable. Further, the control device for the motor, disclosed in JP2002-325475A, detects the very low speed rotation of the motor of when being started on the basis of the current flowing through the motor when the motor is started and the current flowing through the motor when the motor is normally driven, and then, the control device estimates the rotational position of the motor. Therefore, the output of the motor is easily stopped. However, in a case where the output of the motor is stopped, the very low speed rotation of the motor is not detectable.
When the output of the motor is stopped in a case where the motor, which is provided at, for example, a seat for a vehicle, a sunroof and the like, is controlled so as to be actuated towards a mechanical end point direction while the seat, the sunroof and the like (the movable member) are positioned at corresponding mechanical end points (at an end point within a range of movement), in other words, in a case where the motor is driven at the very low speed (motor lock), the movable member may be moved opposite from an actuation direction because of backlash, deterioration with age of a gear and the like for changing a position of the movable member or because of deflection and the like of a impact absorbing member provided at the mechanical end point for absorbing an impact generated when a portion for changing the position of the vehicle, the sunroof and the like for the vehicle (i.e. a changing member) contacts the mechanical end point. Such movement in the reverse direction results in a displacement of the memorized position in the control.
If the changing member is further actuated in the mechanical end point direction than the mechanical end point for the deflection amount and an absorbing amount of the impact absorbing member, an actuation amount of the changing member being actuated further in the mechanical end point than the mechanical end point is measured in a case where the current is supplied to a controlling portion. However, if the current supply to the controlling portion is cut, the moving amount of the changing portion moved afterwards by a biasing force acting on the impact absorbing member is not detectable. Accordingly, a displacement occurs between an actual position of the changing member and the position memorized by the controlling portion. Such displacement gradually increases by accumulation of the displacement occurring each time when the above-described phenomenon occurs. Therefore, even if a user operates a switch and the like to retrieve the seat, the sunroof and the like for the vehicle to the preliminarily memorized position, the seat, the son roof and the like may be moved to a position displaced from the position the user desires.
A need thus exists to provide a state memorizing device for a movable member which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.

State memorizing device for movable member


A spark plug is provided after a provisional bending process, during which the earth electrode is provisionally bent at almost 90 degrees. The earth electrode, one of both ends is joined to a housing member, has first and second end-side surfaces located mutually back to back and a tip surface connecting both end-side surfaces. A noble metal chip is mounted on the first end-side surface. A bending punch is set, which has a first pressing surface to be fitted to the second end-side surface located and a second pressing surface to be fitted to a tip surface. The bending punch is first moved so that the second pressing surface comes in contact with the tip surface of the earth electrode, and then moved so that the first pressing surface presses the second end-side surface in the axial direction of the center electrode. Accordingly, a main bending process is performed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing spark plugs attached to an internal combustion engine mounted on an automobile.
2. Related Art
In an internal combustion engine, spark plugs are mounted to start the engine. The conventional spark plug is provided with a pillar-like center electrode held in an insulation manner within a housing member and an earth electrode one end of which is joined to the housing. The earth electrode is bent at its intermediate predetermined portion so as to make its other end (free end) face a tip of the center electrode. On the other end of the earth electrode, there is formed a noble metal chip. Thus ending the earth electrode is made to form a predetermined-size space, called "spark gap," between the noble metal chip and the tip of the center electrode.
How to manufacture the spark plug is proposed by, for example, Japanese Patent First Publication No. 2002-164149. This publication shows a technique of measuring various positions, such as the position of the tip of the center electrode, before bending the earth electrode. The measured results are then used to determine an amount of bending which allow the size of the spark gap to fall into a predetermined tolerance range assigned thereto.
However, in the case of the above conventional bending technique, it is difficult to control, with precision, the position of the other end of the earth electrode in a lateral direction perpendicular to an axial line passing through the center electrode. This means that the above simple bending technique is always involved in positional fluctuations of the tip end (the other end) of the earth electrode in the lateral direction. Such fluctuations are directly reflected in the position of the noble metal chip in the lateral direction.
As a result, in the spark plug in which the noble metal tip is bonded on the earth electrode, the coaxiality between the center electrode and the noble metal chip is decreased, which is one of the reasons that ignitionability of spark plugs lowers.

Method for manufacturing spark plug using bending process for earth electrode


A method of reducing fluid loss from a wellbore that includes emplacing a fluid loss pill in the wellbore, the fluid loss pill comprising: a base fluid; a hydratable or solvatable synthetic copolymer having at least one crosslinkable comonomer; and a crosslinking agent is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to methods and compositions for controlling fluid loss in a wellbore.
2. Background Art
During the drilling of a wellbore, various fluids are typically used in the well for a variety of functions. The fluids may be circulated through a drill pipe and drill bit into the wellbore, and then may subsequently flow upward through wellbore to the surface. During this circulation, the drilling fluid may act to remove drill cuttings from the bottom of the hole to the surface, to suspend cuttings and weighting material when circulation is interrupted, to control subsurface pressures, to maintain the integrity of the wellbore until the well section is cased and cemented, to isolate the fluids from the formation by providing sufficient hydrostatic pressure to prevent the ingress of formation fluids into the wellbore, to cool and lubricate the drill string and bit, and/or to maximize penetration rate.
As stated above, wellbore fluids are circulated downhole to remove rock as well as deliver agents to combat the variety of issues described above. Fluid compositions may be water- or oil-based and may comprise weighting agents, surfactants, proppants, and polymers. However, for a wellbore fluid to perform all of its functions and allow wellbore operations to continue, the fluid must stay in the borehole. Frequently, undesirable formation conditions are encountered in which substantial amounts or, in some cases, practically all of the wellbore fluid may be lost to the formation. For example, wellbore fluid can leave the borehole through large or small fissures or fractures in the formation or through a highly porous rock matrix surrounding the borehole. Thus, fluid loss or lost circulation is a recurring drilling problem, characterized by loss of wellbore fluids into downhole formations that are fractured, highly permeable, porous, cavernous, or vugular.
In attempting to cure these and other problems, crosslinkable or absorbing polymers, loss control material (LCM) pills, and cement squeezes have been employed. These additives have found utility in preventing mud loss, stabilizing and strengthening the wellbore, and zone isolation and water shutoff treatments. Some typical viscosifying additives used in well fluids to combat fluid loss include natural polymers and derivatives thereof such as xanthan gum and hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC). In addition, a wide variety of polysaccharides and polysaccharide derivatives may be used, as is known in the art.
Further, providing effective fluid loss control without damaging formation permeability in completion operations has been a prime requirement for an ideal fluid loss-control pill. Conventional fluid loss control pills include oil-soluble resins, calcium carbonate, and graded salt fluid loss additives, which have been used with varying degrees of fluid loss control. These pills achieve their fluid loss control from the presence of solvent-specific solids that rely on filter-cake build up on the face of the formation to inhibit flow into and through the formation. However, these additive materials can cause severe damage to near-wellbore areas after their application. This damage can significantly reduce production levels if the formation permeability is not restored to its original level. Further, at a suitable point in the completion operation, the filter cake must be removed to restore the formation's permeability, preferably to its original level.
Induced mud losses may also occur when the mud weight, required for well control and to maintain a stable wellbore, exceeds the fracture resistance of the formations. A particularly challenging situation arises in depleted reservoirs, in which the drop in pore pressure weakens hydrocarbon-bearing rocks, but neighboring or inter-bedded low permeability rocks, such as shales, maintain their pore pressure. This can make the drilling of certain depleted zones impossible because the mud weight required to support the shale exceeds the fracture resistance of the sands and silts.
While various natural and synthetic polymers are commonly added to wellbore fluids to control fluid loss from the fluids into subterranean formations, some wellbores into which the water-based fluids are pumped have relatively high downhole temperatures and/or pressures at which traditional fluid loss control agents are unstable. As such, those fluid loss control agents may fail to serve their purpose of providing fluid loss control downhole.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing need for improvements in fluid loss agents used in various wellbore operations.

Methods and compositions for preventing high density well completion fluid loss


An opening of a plastic bag with an article stored therein is placed between a cover and a vacuum assembly of a pocket sealing machine. Moving a rib to a second slot will extend a suction head into the opening of the bag. Pressing the cover will enable an electric heater to start heat sealing the opening of the bag. The machine can be relatively moved across the opening of the bag until the suction head is wrapped. After disabling the electric heater, a switch activates a motor for disabling the heat sealing and enabling the suction head to make a vacuum in the bag. Releasing the switch will deactivate the motor. Moving the rib back to a first slot will retract the suction head, and the machine is moved to cover the opening of the bag. Pressing the cover toward the vacuum assembly at that time will enable the electric heater to seal the opening.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to sealing machines utilizing the principles of heat sealing and, more particularly, to a pocket sealing machine using heat sealing and vacuumizing a plastic bag or microwavable bag so as to maintain airtightness of an article stored therein.
2. Related Art
Bag (e.g., plastic bag or microwavable bag) sealing machines utilizing the principles of heat sealing are well known. However, such prior machines are typically complex in constructions and operation, costly to manufacture, trouble-prone, and unreliable in use. Operation of such conventional sealing machines is usually divided into two steps: first, an article for sealing is put into a zip bag, and then the bag is vacuumized by a pump. Moreover, such conventional sealing machines are relatively bulky, resulting in an increase of the storage space required. Thus, it is desirable to provide a novel pocket sealing machine for a bag in order to overcome the inadequacies of the prior art and contribute significantly to the advancement of the art.

Pocket sealing machine including a retractable suction head


A semiconductor memory device includes a nonvolatile memory device having a plurality of physical sectors, and a memory controller configured to translate a logical address received from a host to a physical address, with reference to mapping data that defines a correspondence between the logical address and the physical address. The nonvolatile memory device is configured to access a first physical sector corresponding to the physical address, and, when a data delete command is provided from the host to the memory controller to delete first data that is stored in the first physical sector, the memory controller delays an erase and/or merge operation for the first physical sector in which the first data is stored.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a semiconductor memory device, a memory system, and a method of recovering erased data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage devices are used to store data, for example, text, voice and images. Semiconductor memory devices, e.g., volatile and non-volatile memory devices, may be used for such storage devices.
A flash memory device is a type of the non-volatile memory device. A demand for the flash memory device is increasing as the computer system is shifted into mobile domain. The flash memory device has advantages of low power consumption, high integration, smaller size and lighter weight. Recently, as portable information applications such as mobile phone, PDA, and digital camera are increasing, flash memory devices are used widely as storage devices instead of hard disks.
Flash memory does not support the same type of overwrite function that hard disks do. Accordingly, it may be necessary to conduct an erase operation in order to program data in the flash memory. Generally, a very long time is required to conduct the erase operation of the flash memory as compared to a program operation. Also, as the erase unit (block) of the flash memory is much larger than a program unit (page), a portion of data that is not to be erased may be in a same block as data to be erased.
The data stored in the hard disk or the semiconductor memory device may be erased by command of the user. In general, erasing of the data is performed in order to increase storage capacity of the hard disk or the semiconductor memory device. However, there occur cases where the erased data should be recovered. For example, the data may be accidentally erased by the user.
Typically, an erase operation is performed by the file system (e.g. FAT). The file system supplies an erase command to the hard disk and/or the semiconductor memory device. However, after the erase command is issued, the user may desire to recover the erased data.

Semiconductor memory device, memory system and data recovery methods thereof


The present invention provides an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate, the apparatus including an adjustment unit configured to adjust an oxygen concentration in a space between the projection optical system and the substrate, a measuring unit configured to measure an illuminance of light applied to the substrate, and a control unit configured to control the measuring unit so as to measure illuminances of light applied to the substrate a plurality of times during irradiation of the substrate with light from the projection optical system, configured to calculate, based on each of the illuminances measured the plurality of times, an oxygen concentration value corresponding to the measured illuminance on each time and configured to control the adjustment unit so as to set the oxygen concentration in the space to the calculated oxygen concentration value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus and a method of device fabrication.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are available various types of methods of manufacturing a color filter such as a dyeing method, printing method, electrodeposition/electrolysis method, and pigment dispersion method. Among these methods, the pigment dispersion method has been the mainstream because of its manufacturing stability and simplicity. A photosensitive acrylic method as a typical pigment dispersion method forms a pattern by photolithography on a color resist containing an acryloid-based photosensitive resin and having both a coloring function and a photosensitive function.
A color resist is a negative resist. For this reason, irradiating the resist with exposure light will generate radicals contributing to a reaction and photopolymerize a polymer, thereby making it insoluble to a developer. Note however that the pigment components contained in the color resist easily absorb exposure light and the generated radicals are trapped in oxygen in air. This tends to hinder a photopolymerization reaction. In order to obtain predetermined pattern dimensions (or shape), therefore, it is necessary to increase the dose (exposure energy), leading to a decrease in throughput.
Under the circumstance, there has been proposed a technique of forming (applying) a film made of polyvinyl alcohol (oxygen shielding film which shields against oxygen) on a resist. Such a technique may cause a pattern defect due to the poor wettability of the oxygen shielding film on the resist. In addition, adding the step of forming an oxygen shielding film will increase the cost. Furthermore, it is not possible to control the oxygen concentration even by forming an oxygen shielding film. This reduces flexibility with respect to accuracy control on pattern dimensions when forming a fine pattern.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H1-195445 has proposed a technique of exposing a resist in a low oxygen state upon blowing nitrogen (gas) against the resist without forming any oxygen shielding film made of polyvinyl alcohol on the resist. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. S61-51150 has also proposed a technique of exposing a substrate separately in the first exposure step of exposing the substrate in an inert gas atmosphere and the second exposure step of exposing the substrate in an active gas atmosphere in order to obtain a high-resolution resist image.
According to the conventional technique, the hindrance of a photopolymerization reaction by oxygen is suppressed by setting different oxygen concentrations on a substrate (resist) in the first and second exposure steps, thereby obtaining predetermined pattern dimensions. In this case, if the illuminance of exposure light on a substrate decreases due to a decrease in the transmittance of an optical system or a decrease in the emission intensity of a light source, the photopolymerization reaction on the resist may change. If the photopolymerization reaction on the resist changes, the conventional technique of exposing a substrate in a plurality of steps may not obtain predetermined pattern dimensions. It is therefore conceivable to optimize pattern dimensions by increasing the dose. This will, however, decrease the throughput.

Exposure apparatus and method of device fabrication


A biometric radar system and method for identifying a person's positional state are generally described herein. The biometric radar may phase adjust a sequence of radar return signals received through two or more receive antennas to remove at least some phase noise due to the stationary objects. The biometric radar may also segment the phase adjusted radar return signals into a plurality of multi-resolutional Doppler components. Each multi-resolutional Doppler component may be associated with one of a plurality of biometric features. The biometric radar system may also combine and weight the segmented radar returns for each biometric feature to generate weighted classifications for a feature extraction process.

Many conventional radar systems have difficulty distinguishing slowly moving and non-moving objects from clutter. Conventional radar systems also have difficulty distinguishing persons from clutter and stationary objects even when the person is moving. Conventional radar systems also have difficulty identifying slowly moving and non-moving objects such as persons behind walls and other solid objects. These limitations of many conventional radar systems make it easy for a slow moving person to penetrate surveillance radar.
Thus, there are general needs for radar systems that can distinguish persons from non-persons. There are also general needs for radar systems that can determine whether a person is walking, sitting, standing, sleeping or performing some other action. There are also general needs for radar systems that can identify particular individuals.

Biometric radar system and method for identifying persons and positional states of persons


A visualization system for visualizing data obtained in a borehole includes a processor configured to process the data based on user input and instructions and provide output for display on a display device. The system may also include a computer-readable medium configured to store the instructions, the instructions including commands to output values of two or more types of parameters at two or more depth values. The instructions may include commands to provide a perspective top-down or bottom-up fly-through display of the borehole including a zoomed-in image of values closest to a user. The processor may also output a display of a photographic image at each of the two or more depth values based on a correspondence between the values of the two or more types of parameters and the plurality of parameters associated with the photographic image.

During the process of drilling a well to explore and recover geologic resources, many measurements may be taken to determine conditions within the borehole and in the formation. Analysis of this data can make the drilling process more efficient and can provide insight into the potential productivity of a well. Although large volumes of data are collected, the data sets are currently not organized and visualized in a meaningful way. Thus, a high level of experience and expertise is required to ascertain meaningful information without lengthy additional processing. Consequently, techniques to improve the visualization of collected data would be appreciated in the drilling industry.


An LED based light source unit for an endoscopic imaging system produces illumination for a camera through an endoscope. The light source unit includes an array of LEDs mounted to a thermally conductive substrate. The light source unit is integrated into the proximal end of an endoscope and coupled directly to the optical fibers running to the tip of the endoscope. A plurality of such light source units may be integrated into the housing of an endoscope. Light emitted from each light source unit is directed to a distinctive section of the endoscope's tip and a doctor may control light output of each individual light source unit during a surgery.

Endoscopy in the medical field allows internal features of the body of a patient to be viewed without the use of traditional, fully-invasive surgery. FIGS. 1A and 1B collectively illustrate an endoscopic imaging system such as commonly used in the medical field. FIG. 1A generally illustrates the image generation and display components of the system, while FIG. 1B illustrates the data acquisition components of the system. The data acquisition components include an endoscope 2, a camera 3, and a coupler 6. The endoscope 2 has a distal end, i.e., the tip of the scope shaft 15, and a proximal end, i.e., the housing 14, which is connected to the camera 3 by the coupler 6. The camera 3 acquires color video image data of internal features of a body through an optical pathway (a system of lenses, for example) in the endoscope 2. FIG. 1A shows the image generation and display components of the system, which include a camera control unit (CCU) 9, a light source unit 7, a monitor 13, a video recorder 10, and a printer 11, which are stored on a mobile cart 12. Various other system configurations are also possible.
High-intensity light is provided to the endoscope 2 by the light source unit 7 through a flexible light conduit 8, which may be a fiber optic cable. An external light port (e.g., light post 4) that extends from the housing 14 of the endoscope 2 enables the light conduit 8 to attach to the endoscope 2. Certain camera functions can be controlled from the camera control unit (CCU) 9. The camera 3 is coupled to the camera control unit (CCU) 9 by a flexible transmission line 5. The transmission line 5 conveys power to the camera 3, video image data from the camera 3 to the CCU 9, and various control signals bi-directionally between the camera 3 and the CCU 9. Image data received by the CCU 9 from the camera 3 are processed and converted to video images by the CCU 9, which are displayed on the monitor 13, and if desired, recorded by the video recorder 10 and/or used to generate static images that can be printed by printer 11.
A typical light source unit 7 is comprised of a light bulb, a ballast power supply, control circuitry and cooling fans. This system is extremely inefficient and must generate extremely bright light to compensate for the distance the light rays must travel and the losses experienced through the system. This system may also cause infrared heat energy to be transmitted into the patient, which can create hazardous conditions during the surgery. Furthermore, the color content of the light cannot be controlled, which can adversely affect image quality, and the light cable that connects the light source to the scope is cumbersome.
Using light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a light source for an endoscope has been proposed. Because LEDs are small in size, they can be integrated into an endoscope to bring the light source closer to the surgical site.
For example, there are proposals to place multiple LEDs as a light source into the tip or annular area of the scope shaft of an endoscope. There are, however, at least two problems with this kind of design. First, the space inside the tip or annular area of the scope shaft is relatively small. Therefore, very few LEDs can be integrated into the endoscope. Second, because endoscopes can come in different sizes, an LED based light source must be specifically designed for a particular endoscope size if it is placed in the tip or annular area of the scope shaft.
Current LEDs available are usually pre-packaged single diode assemblies. It is difficult to obtain the light output required for endoscopic applications in a compact space, as the packaging is often on the order of 50× the size of the LED. If multiple LEDs are placed on one circuit board, their proximity becomes limited by required heat dissipation. As heat increases, lifetime of the LED dramatically decreases. Reducing the supplied power can reduce the thermal load, but decreases the light output.
Also, different doctors prefer different color temperatures for illumination during an endoscopic procedure. It is desirable to have a light source unit that allows a doctor to adjust the color temperature of its light to the doctor's preferred condition during an endoscopic procedure. In addition, at a surgical site within a patient's body, some anatomical surfaces may be closer to the endoscope tip, where light is emitted, than other surfaces; as such, some portions of the image may become overly bright or overly dark. What is needed, therefore, is a light source unit for an endoscopic imaging system, which overcomes these problems.