The present invention aims to reduce heat fluctuations of a memory cell and thereby provide a stable writing operation when a magnetization reversal process not involving a reversal magnetic field is used for writing into the memory cell. The magnetic memory cell has a structure where first and second magnetization pinned terminals are connected, with a space therebetween, to one surface of a non-magnetic region, and a magnetization free terminal is connected to the other surface. Magnetization directions of the first and second magnetization pinned terminals are anti-parallel to each other. Writing is performed by controlling a polarity of a current flowing between the first and second magnetization pinned terminals through the non-magnetic region and thus reversing magnetization of the magnetization free terminal. Reading is performed by detecting a magnetic resistance attributable to a change in relative magnetization direction between the first magnetization pinned terminal and the magnetization free terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic memory cell in which information writing and information reading are performed by the use of a magnetoresistance effect and also relates to a device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The magnetoresistance effect is a phenomenon that an electric resistance is changed when a magnetic field is applied to a magnetic material or when a magnetization state of a magnetic material is changed. A magnetic head and a magnetic sensor have been known as a magnetoresistance effect device utilizing the magnetoresistance effect. Moreover, recently, a nonvolatile solid-state magnetic memory device (MRAM) and the like are being experimentally manufactured.
A mainstream configuration of an MRAM which is now experimentally manufactured has a matrix structure in which tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) elements are arranged at intersection points between bit lines and word lines. A magnetization direction of each of the TMR elements is reversed by a synthetic magnetic field formed by a current flowing through each line. Thus, the writing of information is performed. In this case, the TMR element serves as a memory cell. In order to read information from the memory cell, cell selection by a MOS transistor is required due to the presence of a leak current from the memory cell. As to the MRAM having the above structure, there have been pointed out, due to the structure, a drawback such as a complex process technology as well as the following three drawbacks that make the MRAM unfit for having higher density and larger capacity. The first drawback is that effective reversal magnetic field conditions are narrowed by reduction in size of the memory cell. The second is that a reversal magnetic field is increased by reduction in thickness of the magnetic material, and therefore a line current and power consumption are increased. The third is that, having a MOS transistor, the MRAM has a possible integration level only as high as a DRAM.
In the meantime, there has recently been proposed a spin torque, which is a magnetization reversal process using no reversal magnetic field, and the occurrence of magnetization reversal by the spin torque has actually been confirmed. It has also been proposed that the spin torque be used for writing into a memory cell. However, the magnetization reversal by use of the spin torque currently has the following technical problem. The problem is specifically that a critical current density as high as approximately 108 A/cm2 is required to generate the spin torque that causes the magnetization reversal.
Meanwhile, spin torque magnetization reversal caused by a spin flow alone has been examined by use of a device structure called a non-local spin valve. However, it has only been confirmed that magnetization of a magnetization free layer is rotated to one direction from an anti-parallel state to a parallel state with respect to a magnetization pinned layer. Thus, writing into a memory cell with perfect control has not yet been realized; see Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 037201-1-037201-4 (2006) (Non-patent Document 1). When only one direction of rotation was confirmed, the value of a critical current density in a non-magnetic portion that carries the spin flow became as high as approximately 2×108 A/cm2.
Since the TMR element utilizes a high resistance of a tunnel barrier, such a high critical current density required for magnetization reversal leads to a concern over electrostatic breakdown of the tunnel barrier. In order to avoid the electrostatic breakdown, it has been proposed to separate a write current path from a read current path in a memory cell by making an element including three terminals in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-156477. However, since this three-terminal device structure includes three magnetic layers on a read current path, there arises a concern over a magnetic noise effect as the device is miniaturized.

Magnetic memory cell and magnetic memory device


A vehicle storage assembly of a vehicle includes a deployable and retractable shelf member connected to a tailgate of the vehicle. In a deployed configuration, the shelf member is supported spaced-above the tailgate to provide a horizontal support surface with the tailgate in an open position and the shelf member is supported spaced horizontally from the tailgate to provide a sidewall of a storage compartment with the tailgate in a closed position.

Load carrying vehicles, such as trucks, often have fold-down tailgates. Folded down, the tailgates extend the area of the truck bed. Folded up, the tailgates close off the truck bed. Tailgates, in some instances, can as such be used as an additional horizontal support surface when folded down for items. For example, when a truck is stationary, the folded down tailgate can be used as a support for food items or a beverage or provide a place to sit. However, it would be desirable to provide additional, multi-functional support surfaces in connection with tailgates.

Vehicle rear end assemblies with storage assemblies

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A threaded tube joint for oil extraction industry has a trapezoidal thread and a toroidal sealing surface (11) placed at its end near the thread and engages, for sealing, a corresponding frusto-conical sealing surface (12) wherein the toroidal sealing surface (11) has a radius Rs value comprised within the range given by the formula

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a threaded tube joint, particularly for joining pipes used in the oil and gas extraction industry. Such pipes can be employed both as pipelines for pumping gas or oil and as linings of the wells themselves.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The assembly of pipes or pipe segments to form strings used in the oil and gas industry is commonly performed using threaded joints. Most of the applications are covered by the standard connections described and specified by the American Petroleum Institute (API). These connections have limitations when subjected to extreme loading conditions that are increasingly common in oil and gas wells, especially those related with high gas internal or external pressure where the risk of leaks shall be eliminated, while resisting at the same time high mechanical loading conditions caused by tension, compression, bending or torque.
One solution provided to improve the seal resistance for oil and gas joints is the metal-to-metal seal placed at various points of the joint, depending on the joint design selected. This type of seal in a threaded joint provides a barrier to gas or liquid pressure while the thread provides mainly for the satisfaction of mechanical requirements and stabbing and running characteristics. Examples of these types of joints are the API Extreme-line. Several seal design alternatives on metal-to-metal seals have been proposed in the prior art. One of the metal-to-metal seal solutions is the one that comprises a frusto-conical annular outer seal surface located in the end of the male member of the joint, which is in contact with a corresponding frusto-conical annular inner seal surface located on the female member of the joint. Due to the tapered seal surface and the definite final assembling position, a radial interference between both surfaces is developed, which by promoting high contact stresses is a guarantee of the seal.
An important technical feature of frusto-conical sealing surfaces is the development of highly concentrated contact stresses on the edge formed by the intersection of the frusto-conical sealing surface of the male member and the cylindrical surface comprised between the seal surface and the threaded zone. The stress distribution along an axial section of a joint of the state of the art is shown in detail in FIG. 6.
The contact stress concentration can be calculated through numerical analysis, and is originated in the stiffness differences between male and female members of the joint that provoke the relative rotation of male member end. The distribution of contact stresses along the seal surface is also affected by the different loading conditions to which the joint is subjected: e.g. tension, compression, internal pressure, external pressure. The coming into existence of high contact stresses during make up, which are normally higher than nominal material yield strength, is a clear risk for galling occurrence in the joint.
When a torus-cone seal combination is used, the contact stresses on the seal surface present a distribution described by a Hertz-type function. The maximum contact stresses and the length of effective contact are related to the intensity of the contact force and the radius of the toroidal surface. The intensity of the contact force could be related to the geometrical interference between male and female sealing surfaces and the dimensions of the male member and female member of the joint.
The patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,173 describes a threaded joint with a toroidal sealing surface of radius larger than 100 mm. Depending on the particular joint dimensions, i.e. its diameter and wall thickness, a sphere-cone seal with high sphere radius could present contact stresses at the seal not high enough to ensure sealing function in operation, increasing the risk of leaks under extreme conditions. On the other hand, if one wants to obviate to this drawback, the usual way to improve seal contact stresses is through the increase of the diametric interference, but this increases the level of mean stresses acting inside the joint, as well as the sliding distance travelled by the male and female members during the make up process, increasing the risk of galling.
On the other extreme, the use of a very small sphere radius is advantageous from a maximum seal contact pressure point of view, but it increases the risk of galling of the joint due to this particularly high contact stress generally higher than material yield strength. Another disadvantage of this alternative is the reduced area of the seal contact surface that could increase the risk of leaks. The non-perfect surface condition and the presence of roughness, lubricant, solid particles, etc. require a minimum length of contact with contact pressure above a minimum value.
In these joints the preferred threads are with trapezoidal profile to increase thereby the load capacity of the joint itself in case of use in very deep wells, and of the Extended Reach Wells type with very important horizontal displacements. To increase the structural resistance of the thread, several designs of joints are using a flank-to-flank contact concept, in which both the stab flank and the load flank of the threads of one of the two members are in contact with the corresponding flank of the other member during and at the end of the assembling.
One main drawback of using trapezoidal threads concept is that the contact on the stab flanks and load flanks during make up increases the risk of galling as well as the torque required, rendering the assembling operation unstable and reducing the re-utilization possibility of such joints.

Abstract: E              2                Vo                                (                  b          2.15                )            2        ≤  Rs  ≤                                                        δ              ·                              E                2                                                                tn              n              3                                                  OD              2                                            240                                                                                π              ·                              σ                ad                2                                                                                wt                2                                                          (                                  1                  -                                      υ                    2                                                  )                                                                      [                                    3                                            (                                  1                  -                                      υ                    2                                                  )                                                                    R                n                2                                                          tn                2                                              ]                            3        /        4              .


A swivelling or sliding hatchback of a vehicle is designed using materials of lower weight densities to form the inner and outer skins of the hatch, to reduce the overall weight of the hatch. The hatchback (1) includes a supporting frame (2) formed from an open or closed steel section, an outer skin (3) and an inner skin (4) formed from a light metal or plastic and mounted on the supporting frame (2) The inner skin (4) is essentially formed by reinforcing ribs (14) and by section rails (19). The hatchback of this structure is particularly suited for passenger vehicles.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a swivelling or sliding hatch, in particular a hatchback for a vehicle, with an inner and an outer skin and with a glass pane and a lock mount fitted with a lock.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hatches of this type serve to close the rear opening of the body of an automobile or, when designed as a sliding hatch, to close side door openings or similar of the body. In the embodiment of a hatchback, the upper edge is hinged on the body by means of two hinges. In the lower region, a lock mount with a lock fitted in it is provided. The contour of the hatch depends on the design form of the body.
With the currently known hatchbacks, the outer and inner skins consist of sheet steel with the connection between them being made by welds. If desired, on the inside of the inner skin, a liner made from a plastic or a textile material can additionally be fitted. The currently known hatches are all cantilevered constructions. The weight of the hatches currently comprised of steel sheets is accordingly high.


This invention features compounds of formula (I):

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric cytokine (p70) which plays key roles in immune responses by bridging innate resistance and antigen-specific adaptive immunity. Trinchieri (1993) Immunol Today 14: 335. For example, it promotes type 1 T helper cell (TH1) responses and, hence, cell-mediated immunity. Chan et al. (1991) J Exp Med 173: 869; Seder et al. (1993) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90: 10188; Manetti et al. (1993) J Exp Med 177: 1199; and Hsieh et al. (1993) Science 260: 547. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a di-sulfide linked heterodimeric cytokine (p70) composed of two independently regulated subunits, p35 and p40. IL-12 is produced by phagocytic cells and antigen presenting cells, in particular, macrophages and dendritic cells, upon stimulation with bacteria, bacterial products such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and intracellular parasites. The well-documented biological functions of IL-12 are induction of interferon-γ expression from T and NK cells and differentiation toward the TH1 T lymphocyte type. IFN-γ, expression of which is induced by IL-12, is a strong and selective enhancer of IL-12 production from monocytes and macrophages. The cytokine IL-23 is a heterodimer composed of a p19 subunit and the same p40 subunit of IL-12. IL-23, similarly to IL-12, is involved in type 1 immune defenses and induces IFN-γ secretion from T cells. IL-27 is formed by the association of EB13, a polypeptide related to the p40 subunit of IL-12, and p28, a protein related to the p35 subunit of IL-12. IL-27 promotes the growth of T cells and is thought to play a role in the differentiation of TH1 cells. Pflanz et al., Immunity (2002), 16:779-790.
It has been suggested that, particularly in chronic diseases in which there is ongoing production of IFN-γ, IL-12 production is augmented by IFN-γ. It is presumed that after an infective or inflammatory stimulus that provokes IL-12 production, the powerful feedback loop promotes IL-12- and IL-23-induced IFN-γ to further augment IL-12 production, leading to consequent excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, it has been suggested that IL-27 induces the expression of T-bet, a major TH1-specific transcription factor, and it's downstream target IL-12R β2, independently of IFN-γ. In addition, IL-27 suppresses the expression of GATA-3. GATA-3 inhibits TH1 development and causes loss of IL-12 signaling through suppression of IL-12R β2 and Stat4 expression. Lucas et al., PNAS (2003), 100:15047-15052.
IL-12 plays a critical role in multiple-TH1 dominant autoimmune diseases including, but not limited to, multiple sclerosis, sepsis, myasthenia gravis, autoimmune neuropathies, Guillain-Barré syndrome, autoimmune uveitis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, pernicious anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, temporal arteritis, anti-phospholipid syndrome, vasculitides, Wegener's granulomatosis, Behcet's disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, dermatitis herpetiformis, pemphigus vulgaris, vitiligo, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, myelofibrosis, hepatic fibrosis, myocarditis, thyroditis, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, Type 1 or immune-mediated diabetes mellitus, Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune oophoritis and orchitis, autoimmune disease of the adrenal gland; rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, spondyloarthropathies, ankylosing spondylitis, Sjogren's syndrome and graft-versus-host disease. See, for example, Gately et al. (1998) Annu Rev Immunol. 16: 495; and Abbas et al. (1996) Nature 383: 787.
Inhibiting IL-12 overproduction, or inhibiting the production of cytokines such as IL-23 and IL-27 which promote IL-12 production and/or TH1 development is an approach to treating the just-mentioned diseases. Trembleau et al. (1995) Immunol. Today 16: 383; and Adorini et al. (1997) Chem. Immunol. 68: 175. For example, overproduction of IL-12 and the resultant excessive TH1 type responses can be suppressed by modulating IL-12, IL-23 and/or IL-27 production. Therefore, compounds that down-regulate IL-12, IL-23 and/or IL-27 production can be used for treating inflammatory diseases. Ma et al. (1998) Eur Cytokine Netw 9: 54.

Abstract: pharmaceutical compositions of the compounds, and methods of using the compounds for the treatment of, inter alia, IL-12-related diseases and disorders.


Cleaning compositions suitable for cleaning microelectronic structures having silicon dioxide, low-k or high-k dielectrics and copper or aluminum metallizations contain an oxidizing agent and a polar organic solvent selected from amides, sulfones, sulfolenes, selenones and saturated alcohols, and optionally other components.

Many photoresist strippers and residue removers have been proposed for use in the microelectronics field as downstream or back end of the manufacturing line cleaners. In the manufacturing process a thin film of photoresist is deposited on a wafer substrate, and then circuit design is imaged on the thin film. Following baking, the unpolymerized resist is removed with a photoresist developer. The resulting image is then transferred to the underlying material, which is generally a dielectric or metal, by way of reactive plasma etch gases or chemical etchant solutions. The etch gases or chemical etchant solutions selectively attack the photoresist-unprotected area of the substrate.
Additionally, following the termination of the etching step, the resist mask must be removed from the protected area of the wafer so that the final finishing operation can take place. This can be accomplished in a plasma ashing step by the use of suitable plasma ashing gases or wet chemical strippers. Finding a suitable cleaning composition for removal of this resist mask material without adversely affecting, e.g., corroding, dissolving or dulling, the metal circuitry has also proven problematic.
As microelectronic fabrication integration levels have increased and patterned microelectonic device dimensions have decreased, it has become increasingly common in the art to employ copper metallizations, low-κ and high-κ dielectrics. These materials have presented additional challenges to find acceptable cleaner compositions. Many process technology compositions that have been previously developed for "traditional" or "conventional" semiconductor devices containing Al/SiO2 or Al(Cu)SiO2 structures cannot be employed with copper metallized low-κ or high-κ dielectric structures. For example, hydroxylamine based stripper or residue remover compositions are successfully used for cleaning devices with Al metallizations, but are practically unsuitable for those with copper metallizations. Similarly, many copper metallized/low-κ strippers are not suitable for Al metallized devices unless significant adjustments in the compositions are made.
Removal of these etch and/or ash residues following the plasma etch and/or ashing process has proved problematic, particularly for substrates having low-κ dielectric materials and those metallized with copper. Failure to completely remove or neutralize these residues can result in the absorption of moisture and the formation of undesirable materials that can cause corrosion to the metal structures. The circuitry materials are corroded by the undesirable materials and produce discontinuances in the circuitry wiring and undesirable increases in electrical resistance.
Heretofore, oxidizers have been used in cleaning compositions in primarily aqueous form. Oxidizers, such as the commonly used hydrogen peroxide and peracids, are known to react readily or decompose easily, especially in organic solvent matrices that have been generally employed in stripping compositions. In such instances the oxidizing agent is consumed and becomes unavailable for its intended use. Additionally, microelectronic cleaning composiitions containing oxidizers often show poor product stability, especially in the presence of significant amounts of 10 wt % or more of organic solvents, and at higher pH ranges and high process temperatures. Furthermore, in many compositions the use of stabilizers and solvents often tie up the oxidizing agent resulting in diminished capabilities of performing effective oxidation/reduction reactions employed in the cleaning process.

Microelectronic cleaning compositions containing oxidizers and organic solvents


Network traffic with encrypted packet payloads is classified based on monitored Domain Name System (DNS) query requests and responses. A network appliance, or some other computer, receives a DNS query request for a network name (e.g., host name) of a content server, and starts monitoring for a corresponding DNS query response. The network appliance receives the DNS query response and parses the DNS query response to retrieve an Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with the network name. The network appliance classifies the IP address as belonging to the content server or a network application associated with the content server. When the network appliance subsequently receives packets with a source or destination address that matches the IP address, the network appliance classifies the received packets as belonging to the content server or a network application associated with the content server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network traffic management, and more particularly but not exclusively to methods and apparatus for classifying network applications.
2. Description of the Background Art
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) is a technology that allows a network appliance or firewall to manage network activities by analyzing packet payloads. Compared to a traditional firewall, DPI provides more powerful features, such as layer 7 application control and non-IP (Internet Protocol)/port based protocol classification. Network appliances with a DPI engine are commercially available from Trend Micro, Inc., for example.
An important feature of DPI engines is protocol and network application classification by payload analysis. Protocol and network classification allows a DPI engine to classify network traffic, and enforce policies on the network traffic based on its classification. Unfortunately, protocol and network application classification by payload analysis only works well when the payload is not obfuscated, such as by encryption or encoding using an unknown algorithm. Without proper correlation about overall network behavior, protocol and network application classification may not even be feasible when the packet payloads are obfuscated.

Network application classification for network traffic management


A method for measuring stress applied to a magnetoelastic body, simultaneously detecting a potential external magnetic field affecting a magnetoelastic sensor and allocating a non-stress related influence affected by the field on the body, including applying at least two opposite magnetic zones on the body, providing at least one sensor including at least one first (1) and second (2) channel having at least two axially aligned coils each, arranged adjacent to the magnetized zone of the body, both channels having different sensitivity relative to the field, setting-up channel 1 as a common mode rejection channel and channel 2 as a common mode acceptance channel, reading the magnetized zones when stress is applied to the body, measuring the stress by channel 1 leading to an opposite sensitive direction, and detecting the impact of the field to the magnetized zones by channel 2 leading to an identical sensitive direction.

Magnetoelastic sensors are well known in the state of the art. This non-contact sensor technology utilizes fundamental mechanical and magnetic properties of the material to measure different process parameters. The process involves measuring changes in the properties of remanent magnetic fields as the mechanical characteristics change, such as shear stress, as external forces are applied onto the sensor host. The technology is applied by directly magnetizing a mechanical member instead of attaching additional elements, such as a ring or strain gauges. Highly sensitive fluxgate sensors located in close proximity to the magnetized member sense the change in the magnetic-field characteristics that are proportional to the applied force. These changes are linear and repeatable within the elastic limit of the material, and are accurate under normal and extended operating conditions.
Specific embodiments of this technology utilize a so-called Dual-Band magnetization. It comprises a magnetoelastic body using two magnetic zones. The term "magnetic zone" and the term "magnetic band" as well as "magnetic track" are often used as synonyms; this is done also here. The magnetic zones are being magnetized by applying processes well known, too.
The magnetization of said two magnetic zones is each directed opposite to the other. Said two magnetic zones form a so-called Dual-Band configuration. One or more sensor(s) utilizing a number of coils is/are assigned to said zones.
A specific configuration of this technology is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 8,893,562 B2, which reveals a torque sensing device for measuring the torque which is applied to a rotatable shaft. The torque sensing device also measures the magnetic field noise, e.g. external magnetic fields, affecting said device. The device is capable to operate in a common mode acceptance and in a differential mode which is the noise cancellation mode. The device is characterized by comprising a switching circuit, by which operation of the magnetic field sensors may be switched from common mode acceptance to differential mode and vice versa. Thus, the switching function enables the device to also operate in a differential noise rejection mode as well as in a common acceptance mode for determining the torque applied to the rotatable shaft. Said determination is based on output signals which are obtained from magnetic field sensors. The sensor has one pair of sensing coils. By switching, said sensor is capable of operating in both the common mode acceptance and the common rejection mode. Said device is capable of accurately measuring a torque induced magnetic field. Also, the device is capable of canceling measurement errors resulting from noise induced magnetic fields.
Although this state of the art improved the magnetoelastic sensor technology of the time, there are some effects to be improved as discussed shortly below:
A drawback of the state of the art lies in that the known methods require complex mathematical equations to compensate external magnetic fields.
The method known from the state of the art measures the amount of torque applied to a torque sensing device including the steps of providing a magnetoelastic torque to a magnetic field transducer. It is important here that the transducer has a first magnetically conditioned region and a second, oppositely polarized magnetically conditioned region.
Thereby a first magnetic field sensor is positioned adjacent to the first magnetically conditioned region, wherein the first magnetic field sensor has a sensitive direction.
A second magnetic field sensor is positioned proximate to the second magnetically conditioned region, wherein the second magnetic field sensor has a sensitive direction.
Setting the first and the second magnetic field sensors in a first connection state, said sensitive directions of the first and the second magnetic field sensors are arranged opposite to each other. Thus, first output signals are received from each of the first and the second magnetic field sensors in the first connection state. (Common mode rejection, also referred to as differential mode. In the following, it is referred to as Common mode rejection.).
The above mentioned switching function reconfigures said first and said second magnetic field sensors into a second connection state, whereby the sensitive direction of the first and the second magnetic field sensors are identical. (Common mode acceptance).
In the second connection state second output signals are received from each of the first and the second magnetic field sensor.
The stress applied to the rotatable shaft is measured based on the first and the second output signals.
This complex method leads to the drawback that the methods requires a transition from a common mode acceptance to a common mode rejection. Said transition is achieved by switching the sensitive direction of a coil from a common mode acceptance to common mode rejection.
There are switches to facilitate the transition from common mode acceptance to common mode rejection. Upon the activation, said switches effectively reverse the sensitive direction of a coil. This serves to ensure a proper functionality of the stress sensing device.
The conduct of the switching needs time; after the switching only one obtains a reliable reading result again. Although the switching period may be a fraction of a second only, this means that in this period of time for switching the entire method and device cannot deliver any results, i.e. the method and the device are metaphorically speaking "blind". Thus, said channel 1 and related coils are completely "blind" when the sensor system is switched from said common mode acceptance to common mode rejection use, vice versa. Information which could have been gathered in this period of time is gone definitively lost.
The methods for measuring a stress applied to magnetoelastic body known from the state of the art commonly use multiple individual magnetic field sensors. Said sensors are relevant for measuring stress induced signals.
In addition, said known method for measuring a stress use multiplexing of the coils and switching between said common mode acceptance and said common mode rejection. Multiplexing of the sensor coils however makes the sensor systems relatively slow from a signal bandwidth point of view.
One further effect of the state of the art with regard to eliminating magnetic influences is that by conducting this elimination process quasi automatically also the sensitivity on the stress measurement is reduced to a high value, making the entire method and device often fairly inaccurate.
Another technical approach is used DE 10 2015 122 154 B4, which discloses a device for the detection of an external magnetic field and/or a product-related magnetic field on a ferromagnetic component which is magnetized in the form of magnetic tracks. An apparatus is provided for detecting an external magnetic field and/or a product-related magnetic field on a ferromagnetic component, which has a magnetization in the form of magnetic tracks. The apparatus comprises at least two magnetic field sensors which can detect an external magnetic field acting on the ferromagnetic component. Each magnetic field sensor comprises two coils, wherein each coil is assigned at least one magnetic track. Each two coils are configured so that they have a different sensitivity to one another, wherein one coil which has a higher sensitivity with respect to the other coil. The coil having the higher sensitivity ensures that the effect of an external magnetic field is amplified. The DE 10 2015 122 154 B4 reveals a so-called Dual-Dual-Band configuration utilizing an arrangement of the ferromagnetic component with three magnetic tracks is assumed hereinafter. The three magnetic tracks each directed oppositely to one another are detected according to the invention axially to a ferromagnetic component of four magnetic coils in each case, of which respectively two are assigned to one (first and second) magnetic field sensor (dual-dual-band magnetization). One magnetic coil of two magnetic field sensors thus detects at least one magnetic track, namely usually the central one in the case of three magnetic tracks directed oppositely to each other, of which the adjacent oppositely directed ones are magnetized. The magnetic field sensors or magnetic coils are arranged at a distance from one another and radially to the ferromagnetic component. The dual-dual-band sensor arrangement is used for better and differentiated evaluation of an actual state or possible deviations, e.g. as a result of faults and defects, of the product to be tested because at least two comparative quantities are obtained by this means which can be detected from the respective voltage of at least two magnetic tracks by a magnetic field sensor and the voltage of at least two magnetic tracks by another magnetic field sensor. Furthermore, as a result of the spatially narrow arrangement of the magnetic tracks it is possible that the external magnetic field differences between the positions of the magnetic track channels are as small as possible. The combination of said Dual-Band zones is achieved by axially displacing the second Dual-Band arrangement and using the central zone jointly.
This Dual-Dual-Band configuration is a highly accurate system which delivers perfect and reliable results in all relevant situations. A certain drawback under certain circumstances when space is tight, might be, however, that it needs at least three magnetic zones of opposite magnetic orientation adjacent to each other.

Method for measuring a torque applied to a magnetoelastic body


A HARQ feedback method includes: receiving a first-service data transmission from a base station, schedule control data of the first- service data transmission carrying indication information, the indication information explicitly or implicitly indicating that second-service data preempts a transmission resource of first-service data or second-service data preempts a transmission resource position of first-service data; retaining the second-service data preempting the transmission resource in a cache according to the indication information, and generating HARQ feedback information of the first-service data; and sending the HARQ feedback information to the base station.

With the developments of communications technologies, the 5th Generation mobile communications technology (5G) has been developed. Service types in the 5G at least include enhanced mobile broad band (eMBB), massive machine type communication (mMTC), ultra reliable low latency communication (URLLC) and the like. These service types all pertain to data services, but impose different requirements on latency and reliability. For example, the URLLC service is applied in the fields such as the Internet of vehicles in which a low latency is required. This service imposes a stricter requirement on timeliness, and requires timely service establishment, or even preempts the original services. The mMTC service is not sensitive to latency, and in this service, data may be transmitted at a longer time interval. One way of implementing effective transmission of latency-sensitive services is to improve transmission of a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), such that, for example, retransmission feedback is quicker and more accurate.
In Long Term Evolution (LTE), HARQ feedback is carried out with a transmission block (TB) as a unit, and each TB feeds back a 1-bit acknowledgement (ACK) or non-acknowledgement (NACK) message. To improve retransmission accuracy, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has proposed retransmission based on a code block group (CBG). The CBG is an even smaller data unit in the TB. One CBG corresponds to a 1-bit ACK or NACK feedback. Since granularity of the retransmission is even smaller, the position of an incorrect transmission may be more precisely reflected, such that the retransmission is more accurate. Further, since the retransmission needs an even smaller data amount, the retransmission efficiency is higher.
However, in case of a service preemption, for example, when the eMBB service is being transmitted or is to be transmitted, and the URLLC service is coming up, the URLLC service may preempt transmission time-frequency resources of the eMBB service. As a result, the original eMBB service may consider by mistake that the eMBB data is incorrectly transmitted in an HARQ feedback process, and consequently the useful URLLC data may be discarded.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

HARQ feedback method and apparatus, user equipment, and base station thereof

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides a PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) method and circuit for improving the performance of a D-class audio amplifier. The D-class audio amplifier is inputted with a PWM signal and designed to have a dead time function for time delay. In order to decrease the distortion of the output signal caused by the dead time design, the present invention comprises the following steps:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) method and circuit for improving the performance of a D-class audio amplifier, and more particularly to a method and circuit capable of reducing the disadvantages caused by the dead time design in a D-class audio amplifier.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Referring to FIG. 1, which is an illustrative view for showing a conventional D-class audio amplifier. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal VPWM is inputted to NMOS 1 (N-Type Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and NMOS 2 located at the left side, and to NMOS 3 and NMOS 4 located at the right side of the D-class audio amplifier. Three inverters 5, 6 and 7 are arranged therebetween, as shown in the figure. The signals inputted to the gate of NMOS 1, NMOS 2, NMOS 3 and NMOS 4 are designated by TA+, TA−, TB+ and TB− respectively. The connecting point A between NMOS 1 and NMOS 2, and the connecting point B between NMOS 3 and NMOS 4 are output terminals, and a loudspeaker 8 (represented by an inductor) is connected between the connecting points A and B. Four diodes 9, 10, 11 and 12 are connected between a power source Vcc and a point N (low voltage point).
PWM signal VPWM is the square wave as shown at the bottom of FIG. 2, and the pulse width of the square wave represents the amplitude of the original analog signal Vsignal (the sine waves on the left side of FIG. 1 and at the top of FIG. 2). The analog signal Vsignal is cut by the triangular signal Vtriangle after passing through the comparator 13 at the left side of FIG. 1, and then is turned into the square wave VPWM.
To simplify the explanation, please refer to FIG. 3, the signal Vsignal is a constant voltage waveform instead of a sine wave, and the resulting ideal PWM waveforms inputted to NMOS 1 and NMOS 2 are indicated by TA+ and TA−, which are two waveforms inverted with each other. The waveforms of TB+ and TB− are functionally and morphologically identical to the waveforms TA+ and TA−, so further remarks will be omitted.
After this ideal PWM waveforms TA+ and TA− are inputted to NMOS 1 and NMOS 2, at the instant when TA+ and TA− change their status (point "a" in FIG. 3), NMOS 1 and NMOS 2 may be turned on simultaneously due to logic confusions. Thereby, a momentary high current will be produced to destroy NMOS 1 and NMOS 2. Similarly, NMOS 3 and NMOS 4 may also be destroyed by TB+ and TB−.
To prevent NMOS 1, NMOS 2, NMOS 3 and NMOS 4 from being destroyed, a circuit designer will delay the status change of the later waveform at the moment when TA+, TA−, TB+ and TB− change their statuses, thus forming a dead time, as shown by TA+(dt) and TA− (dt) in FIG. 3.
Although the dead time design can prevent NMOS 1, NMOS 2, NMOS 3 and NMOS 4 from being destroyed, diodes 9, 10, 11 and 12 will still be turned on. For example, if diode 9 is on (that means the inductor current is negative, iL<0), the waveform of VA (the voltage at point A in FIG. 1) will be changed in such a way as shown by the waveform at the bottom left of FIG. 3, the waveform used to decline at point a, but now it starts to decline after a period of time Δt, thus forming a "superfluous" area 31. If diode 10 is on (that means the inductor current is positive, iL>0), then the waveform of VA will change in such a way as shown by the waveform at the bottom right of FIG. 3, the waveform used to rise at point b, but now it starts to rise after a period of time Δt, thus forming a "loss" area 32.
Referring to FIG. 4, if the ideal output VA is a sine wave, then the real output will be distorted and unsmooth due to the influence of the dead time design, as shown by the dotted waveform in FIG. 4. This distorted real output will lead to an increase in total harmonic distortion (THD), thus spoiling the sound quality.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) method and circuit for improving the performance of a D-class audio amplifier

Abstract: detecting the polarity of the current of an output terminal of the D-class audio amplifier; adding a voltage adjustment circuit to a power source of the D-class audio amplifier to lower the voltage of the power source of the D-class audio amplifier from high voltage to low voltage during dead time when the polarity of the current is negative; adding a voltage compensation circuit to a low voltage point of the D-class audio amplifier to compensate the voltage of the low voltage point of the D-class audio amplifier for ascending the voltage of the low voltage point from low voltage to high voltage during the dead time when the polarity of the current is positive.


A clog resistant pump for washwater employs two water flow circuits. The first powered by a conventional motor-driven pump uses filtered washwater and drives a jet-pump discharging unfiltered washwater from the washing machine. The intake or discharged water from the jet-pump is used to operate a self-cleaning filter providing water for the first circuit of the motor-driven pump. The position of the filter in the stream of wastewater and adjustment of the filter apertures in size and area reduce clogging yet allow sufficiently filtered water to permit a conventional high efficiency motor-driven pump to be used in the first stage.

The present invention relates to pumps for discharging water from washing machines or the like and, in particular, to a high efficiency pump resistant to clogging from wastewater debris.
Clothes washing machines employ a pump for draining washwater from a washtub after completion of a washing cycle. The washwater typically includes suspended dirt and lint from the wash, as coarsely filtered through holes in a spin basket held within the washtub. The washwater may also include larger items, such as buttons or coins, and small articles of clothing, such as handkerchiefs and shoelaces, which may find their way around the edge of the spin basket into the washtub or even through the relatively large holes in the spin basket. Such debris in the washwater may clog the pump used to drain the washtub.
A screen placed directly between the pump and the washtub to protect the pump would be expected to clog frequently from an accumulation of lint. Accordingly, the coarse filtering of the spin basket alone is relied upon and the clearance of the pump impeller and housing is increased so as to reduce the chance that a hard and compact item such as a button will become jammed between these moving surfaces. The increased clearance between the impeller and housing lowers the efficiency of the pump thereby increasing the cost of operation. Further, even high clearance pumps are susceptible to fouling by items such as shoelaces or strings which can wrap about the impeller despite the increased clearance.
The problem of pump clogging can be more acute in high water conserving washing machines where smaller pumps and lower amounts of water are used.
The need exists, therefore, for a high efficiency washwater pump resistant to clogging from washwater debris.

Jet pump with filter for washing machines


A blade element (1) for a refiner for refining fibrous material comprises a refining surface (3) provided with blade bars (8, 10) and blade grooves (9, 11) there-between. The blade bars (8, 10) have side walls (8″, 8′″) facing away from one another. The side walls (8″, 8′″) of the at least one blade bar (8) comprise on both of its side walls (8″, 8′″) steps (14″, 14′″) which extend at least partly in the transversal direction relative to the side walls (8″, 8′″) of the blade bar (8) and away from one another.

The invention relates to a blade element for a refiner for refining fibrous material, the blade element comprising a refining surface provided with blade bars and blade grooves therebetween, the blade bars extending in a direction from an inner edge of the blade element toward an outer edge of the blade element and having side walls facing away from one another.
Refiners used for manufacturing mechanical pulp are typically formed of two refining elements opposite to each other and turning relative to each other, i.e. one or both of them is/are rotating. The refining elements comprise refining surfaces provided with blade bars and blade grooves therebetween, the blade bars being intended to defiber and refine the material to be refined and the blade grooves being intended to convey the material to be refined forward along the refining surfaces.
The refining surfaces of the refining elements are typically formed by blade elements comprising the blade bars and the blade grooves, whereby the refining surface of the refining element is implemented by a single blade element intended to provide a complete refining surface of the refining element or by several blade elements, also called blade segments, which together provide the complete refining surface when the individual blade elements are fastened to the refining element next to each other.
WO-publication 2004/110628 discloses a refining surface provided with blade bars and blade groves therebetween. The blade bars are formed of at least two different blade bar parts connected to each other such that one of the blade bar parts is farther ahead in the intended rotation direction of the refining surface than the other blade bar part, and the wall of the side of the intended rotation direction of the refining surface is at least in some blade bar parts over at least part of its length substantially inclined. The inclined side wall of the blade bar causes the material to be refined to move more efficiently out of the blade grooves up to a blade gap between the opposite refining surfaces. The inclined side wall has thus an effect similar to that of a dam remaining at a bottom of a blade groove between neighboring blade bars but without a tendency of causing the blade groove becoming clogged of the material to be refined.


Disclosed herein is an image-forming method, including performing image formation on the basis of pixel data by using at least a yellow recording agent, a magenta recording agent, and a third recording agent. A color represented on a recording medium by the third recording agent on a color space of CIE-L*a*b* has lightness higher than lightness of a color reproduction region represented on the recording medium by a combination of the yellow recording agent and the magenta recording agent, and has a hue angle in the color reproduction region. A difference in hue angle on the color space between a color represented by the yellow recording agent and a color represented by the magenta recording agent is in a range of 60 to 113°.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming method, an image-forming apparatus, an ink set, and an ink. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image-forming method, an image-forming apparatus, an ink set, and an ink for allowing an image to be obtained on a recording medium, the image being vivid, the image having a high contrast, high transparency, and a high stereoscopic effect, and the image smoothly representing a change of color.
2. Related Background Art
Methods of forming a full-color image such as offset printing, gravure printing, electrophotographic printing, and an ink jet recording method have been conventionally and extensively used. Of those image-forming methods, the ink jet recording method has been extensively used for personal-use and office-use printers, facsimiles, copying machines, and the like. The reasons why the ink jet recording method is used include: that the method causes low noise; that a manufacturing cost of an apparatus used in the method is low; that the apparatus can be miniaturized; and that a full-color recorded image can be easily obtained.
In many of those image-forming methods, a full-color image is formed on the basis of subtractive color mixing. Therefore, color reproduction is performed by using three primary colors of printing: yellow, magenta, and cyan. In some of the image-forming methods, a black ink is used in addition to the inks of those three primary colors, while a UCR treatment is performed to improve contrast or to stably reproduce a neutral color. In the UCR treatment, a black component K is sampled form data Y, M, and C on the respective colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan to substitute for black, and the substituted color components of C, M, and Y are removed. With the above procedure, for example, an image of an orange to red region, an image of a green region, and an image of a blue to violet region can be formed by color mixing of yellow and magenta, color mixing of yellow and cyan, and color mixing of magenta and cyan, respectively. As a result, the entire region of hue can be represented.
In addition, a full-color printing technique requires a printing method having a wide color reproduction region for reproduction of a natural image or the like. Therefore, color materials with good color developability for use in recording agents for the basic three primary colors, yellow, magenta, and cyan, have been widely proposed. However, when one attempts to represent the entire region of hue with the three primary colors, even if color materials for the three primary colors with good color developability are used, the chroma saturation in a color region represented by color mixing of the three primary colors is not sufficient. Thus, a color reproduction region that can be represented is insufficient in some cases. In view of the above, there has been proposed a method of forming an image using, for example, recording agents for colors each having an intermediate hue angle in a hue space (hereinafter, referred to as particular colors) such as red, green, and blue in addition to the recording agents for yellow, magenta, and cyan.
For example, the pamphlet of WO 02/100959 A discloses an ink set containing inks of the basic three primary colors having specific hue angles and inks of red and blue. In addition, the ink of each of red and blue used has a lightness lower than that of the ink of each of magenta and cyan, whereby the gamut is enlarged, graininess is mitigated, and gloss is improved.
JP 2003-034765 A discloses an ink set containing: inks of the basic three primary colors using a magenta ink containing a specific dye; and an ink of any one of orange, green, and violet. Similarly to the above, the gamut is enlarged through the addition of a particular color.
JP 2002-241661 A discloses an ink jet printing method using inks of red, green, and blue in addition to inks of the three primary colors, yellow, magenta, and cyan, more specifically, a printing method using a vat dye for an ink of each color. In this patent document as well, the gamut is enlarged and, at the same time, an intermediate color is represented by using a basic color and a particular color close to each other in hue. As a result, graininess is reduced as compared to that in the case where an intermediate color is represented by using a basic color alone, and color gradation is improved.
However, the widespread of a recording system, in particular a recording system using an ink jet recording method, up to a personal user has been requesting a further improvement in image quality. The further improvement in image quality is ultimately nothing but an attempt to bring a color reproduction region of a printer near to a color range which man can visually recognize in the natural world. However, the improvement cannot be achieved merely by adding a particular color (for instance, red, orange, green, blue, or violet) having an angle in an intermediate region of the three primary colors of printing in the color space.
For example, in any of the above documents, an image-forming method in which an ink of a particular color (red or orange) in an intermediate region between yellow and magenta is merely added has an effect of enlarging a color reproduction region of an orange to red region on an a*b* plane of Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE)-L*a*b*, but is insufficient for representing the vividness, stereoscopic effect, and transparency of an image.
In addition, when image representation is performed by adding a particular color to the basic three primary colors as in the pamphlet of WO 02/100959 A, graininess is reduced. However, the occurrence of pseudocontour or the so-called "color skip" caused by an increase in times of switching of ink colors during a change of color in the image is insufficiently suppressed. Consequently, at present, it is impossible to form an image that has enlarged a color reproduction region while smoothly representing a natural image. In particular, for beautifully reproducing an image of a view of sunset, autumn leaves, or the like, not only a wide color reproduction region but also an image-forming method for improving the vividness, transparency, and contrast of an image in an orange to red region and for minimizing pseudocontour or color skip occurring when a color continuously changes in the image to smoothly represent a color with no discontinuity will be required. However, a satisfactory result has not been obtained yet.
In view of the above, the inventors of the present invention have recognized that selection or the like of a particular color recording agent having appropriate properties should be performed in relation to the basic three primary colors. In addition to the above, the inventors have found that an image formed on a positive film of a silver halide photograph will be a guideline to the selection or the like. Since the image is a transmission image in which light is allowed to transmit through the backside of the image formed on the positive film to act on the sense of sight of a human being, an image excellent in realism, vividness, transparency, contrast, and stereoscopic effect may be perceived. In addition, the inventors have thought that the realization of image quality comparable to that of a transmission image with a reflection image is effective in further improving image quality.
First of all, the inventors of the present invention compared an image formed on a positive film and an image formed with a printer with the widest color reproduction region at present for various images of scenes, plants, persons, computer graphics (CG), and the like. An example of the comparison is described below.
FIG. 1 shows gamuts of an ink jet recording system and a positive film plotted on the a*b* plane of CIE-L*a*b*. In the figure, the gamut of the ink jet printer is surrounded by a solid line and painted whereas the gamut of the positive film is indicated by points. As is apparent from the figure, the gamut of the positive film is larger than the gamut of the ink jet printer in the Y to R region, the G region, and the B region.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are each a diagram for explaining the mode of calculating the gamut data shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2A, the gamut data for the positive film is obtained by scanning a total of 84 positive films from 8 categories consisting of mountain photograph (sunset), scene (sea and mountain), flower, fish, bird, butterfly, ethnic costume, and CG. Here, a Nexscan F4200 manufactured by Heidelberg GmbH was used as the scanner, and the color space used was Wide Gamut RGB. In the Wide Gamut RGB, the chromaticity of a white point is D50 and the values for chromaticity coordinates of RGB three primary colors are (0.73, 0.27) for R, (0.12, 0.83) for G, and (0.16, 0.02) for B. Equations for converting the Wide Gamut RGB into XYZ are:X=0.7165×R+0.1010×G+0.1468×B;Y=0.2587×R+0.7247×G+0.0166×B; andX=0.0000×R+0.0512×G+0.7739×B.Equations for converting XYZ into L*a*b* used were those defined in CIE.
In addition, in the calculation of the gamut data for the ink-jet recording system shown in FIG. 2B, a color patch was printed on recording paper PR101 manufactured by Canon Inc. by using a PIXUS 950i manufactured by Canon Inc. as a recording system, and the paper was subjected to colorimetry on a Spectrolino manufactured by Gretag Macbeth Ltd. The printer used here is for forming an image by adding light cyan and light magenta to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. The gamut of the printer is smaller than the gamut of a recorded product obtained from the positive film of the so-called silver halide photograph shown in FIG. 2A.

Image-forming method, image-forming apparatus, ink set, and ink


A developing device includes a development casing, a developer carrying member, a regulating blade, a pair of pressing members, and a blade seal member. The development casing has an opening part. The developer carrying member has a developing area. The blade seal member includes a first layer material and a second layer material. The development casing has facing surfaces. The second layer material has positioning protrusions protruding from the first layer material in a rotation axis direction at positions inside both ends of the first layer material in the rotation axis direction, so as to contact the facing surfaces and be positioned in the rotation axis direction. When the second layer material is positioned in the rotation axis direction, the first layer material is pressed in contact with the pressing members in the rotation axis direction.

The present disclosure relates to a developing device and an image forming apparatus including the same.
An image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic method, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, a multifunction peripheral thereof, or the like, includes a developing device for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an outer circumference surface of an image carrying member, i.e., for forming a toner image (developer image) as a visualized image of the electrostatic latent image.
The developing device includes a development casing that accommodates developer containing toner, and a developer carrying member disposed in contact with or near the image carrying member so as to carry the developer. The development casing has a case opening part that opens on a downstream side of the developing device in a movement direction of the developing device. The developer carrying member is disposed to overlap the case opening part. A part of the developer carrying member is exposed to outside of the developing device through the case opening part. The developer carrying member can carry the toner in the development casing on the outer circumference surface. The exposed part of the developer carrying member exposed through the case opening part faces the image carrying member so as to form a developing area for supplying the toner in the development casing to the image carrying member.
As such the developing device, there is one having a regulating blade disposed on an upstream side of the developing area in a rotation direction of the developer carrying member. The entire area of the regulating blade along the rotation axis direction of the developer carrying member protrudes toward the outer circumference surface of the developer carrying member. A distal edge of the regulating blade contacts with or is close to the outer circumference surface of the developer carrying member. The regulating blade regulates a layer thickness of the developer carried by the developer carrying member.
A seal member (blade seal member) is disposed between the regulating blade and the development casing. The seal member contacts with the entire area in the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) of the regulating blade. The seal member seals a gap between the regulating blade and the development casing so as to prevent the developer in the development casing from leaking externally.
In addition, a pair of pressing members are disposed between the development casing and both end parts of the developer carrying member in the rotation axis direction. The pressing members protrude from an inner surface of the development casing toward the outer circumference surface of the developer carrying member, so as to contact and press the outer circumference surface on the both end parts of the developer carrying member. As the pressing members contact and press the outer circumference surface of the developer carrying member, the gaps between the development casing and the developer carrying member are sealed so that leakage of the developer can be prevented.

Developing device and image forming apparatus including same


A semiconductor die carrier may include an insulative substrate; an array of groups of multiple electrically conductive contacts arranged in rows and columns on the insulative substrate, wherein the groups from adjacent rows are staggered as are the groups from adjacent columns, and a portion of each group overlaps into an adjacent row or an adjacent column of the groups of the array; a semiconductor die; and structure for providing electrical connection between the semiconductor die and the conductive contacts. A semiconductor die carrier may also include an insulative substrate; a plurality of leads each having an external portion extending out of the semiconductor die carrier from a lower surface of the insulative substrate and an internal portion located within the semiconductor die carrier at an upper surface of the insulative substrate; a semiconductor die; and a layer of conductive material in contact with conductive portions of the semiconductor die and also in contact with the internal portions of the leads.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor chip or die carrier having a reduced size, and methods for making and using the semiconductor die carrier. In particular, the present invention relates to a semiconductor die carrier affording an external interface having a high-density of electrically conductive contacts concentrated within a very small area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor packages typically contain a semiconductor die having bonding pads formed thereon, a plurality of leads connected to the bonding pads of the semiconductor die, and insulative packaging material, such as ceramic or plastic, formed around the semiconductor die and inner portions of the leads. Such a semiconductor package allows the transmission of electrical signals between the semiconductor die and an interface surface, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), via the bonding pads of the semiconductor die, an electrically conductive path between the bonding pads and the leads, the leads themselves, and traces on the interface surface.
In the prior art, various methods are known for providing the electrically conductive path between the semiconductor die and the leads of the semiconductor package. Such methods, commonly referred to as bonding techniques, include C4 (controlled collapse die connection) bonding, wire bonding, and TAB (Tape Automated Bonding).
FIG. 1 is a side view of components of a semiconductor package manufactured in accordance with a conventional C4 bonding technique. With reference to FIG. 1, in C4 bonding, a semiconductor die 101 is selected, and an array of miniature solder balls 102, each for forming a C4 interconnection, is attached to the lower surface of the semiconductor die. The semiconductor die 101 is placed on a multi-layer conductor 103, and then the solder balls are melted to establish permanent C4 interconnections between the die 101 and the multi-layer conductor 103. Leads 105 are attached to the bottom surface of the multi-layer conductor 103 using brazed joints 104 so that electrical signals may be transmitted between the multi-layer conductor and a PCB 106. The PCB 106 includes plated-through-holes (PTHs) 107 within which the leads 105 are mounted and secured, respectively, through use of a solder material 108.
FIG. 2 is a side view of components of a semiconductor package configured in accordance with a conventional wire bonding technique. With reference to FIG. 2, in wire bonding, a semiconductor die 201 having a plurality of bonding pads 202 formed thereon is selected, and one end of a bonding wire 203 is connected to a corresponding bonding pad. The other end of the bonding wire 203 is connected to a package component 204 including insulative material 205 and conductive pads 206 formed thereon. Leads (not shown) extend from the bottom surface of the package component 204 so that electrical signals may be transmitted between the package component and a PCB (not shown).
TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) is similar to the aforementioned wire bonding technique, except that a different type of lead structure is used. More particularly, rather than connecting a semiconductor die to leads such as those discussed above in connection with FIG. 2, the semiconductor die is instead attached to conductive traces printed on a clear plastic substrate.
Conventional semiconductor packages suffer from many deficiencies. Conventional PGA (Pin Grid Array) packages, for example, tend to take up large amounts of circuit board area. For example, at present, the package used for the Intel 486 (trademark) microprocessor, a 168-pin PGA, occupies 1,936 sq. mm of board area. Even greater in area is the Intel PENTIUM (trademark) microprocessor, a 273-pin PGA occupying 2,916 sq. mm of board area. PGA packages generally increase significantly in size as more input/output interconnections are needed, suggesting that future PGA packages for microprocessors will take up even more board area than existing PGA packages.
The manner in which conventional C4 and other bonding technologies are currently being used contributes to the aforementioned area usage problem. In C4 technology, for example, the C4 interconnections provide useful electrical connections, but do not provide an adequate amount of mechanical strength for the types of leads now in use. Moreover, C4 interconnections are not typically applicable for use within pluggable semiconductor packages. Consequently, in PGAs manufactured using conventional C4 bonding technology, the portions of the leads extending externally from the PGA must be spaced apart to a significant extent. Such spacing increases the area of the PCB that will be occupied by the PGA. Moreover, the use of a multi-layer conductor for supporting the semiconductor die within the PGA package also adds to the size and cost of the PGA package. Also, conventional C4 bonding technology can result in problems with individual lead parasitics, inspectability and testing problems, and problems relating to touch-up and repair.
In addition to increasing the size of conventional PGA-type semiconductor packages, the use of leads that are intentionally spread apart to compensate for mechanical insufficiencies and to allow for pluggable and/or non-pluggable mounting, and the use of multi-layer conductors for supporting the semiconductor die within such packages, all contribute to deficiencies associated with conventional PGA-type semiconductor packages. Such deficiencies include a lengthening in the amount of distance that electrical signals must travel within the semiconductor package, which lengthening affects signal propagation times; an increase in the amount of noise imparted to such electrical signals; an elevation in the power requirements for the semiconductor package; and an increase in the complexity of processes required to manufacture the semiconductor package.
Another disadvantage associated with conventional PGA-type semiconductor packages is that such packages, because they frequently are not used with a socket, are commonly mounted on PCBs using conventional PTH technology, thereby necessitating the performance of a soldering step that is not compatible with SMT processing and is not easily reversed. Such PTH mounting can increase the complexity and expense of the manufacturing operation. Also, such PTH mounting is not very suitable for the implementation of repairs in the field. For example, when testing circuit boards for malfunctions and the like in the field, it is often desirable to remove various semiconductor packages to perform tests to see how the board functions in the absence of such packages. PTH mounting often is not suitable for such testing due to the permanence associated with the soldering operation frequently required for PTH mounting. Moreover, solder, because it can make components difficult to replace, can strictly limit upgradability.
The cost of the ceramic packaging material and brazed pin assembly is another disadvantageous characteristic of conventional PGA-type packages. Another disadvantage is that conventional PGA-type packages have low-performance heat sink characteristics. The excessive number of manufacturing processes required to fabricate PGA-type packages is another disadvantage.
From the foregoing, it can be understood that conventional semiconductor packages, such as PGA-type packages, take up large amounts of board space; are frequently not removably pluggable; are not easily tested in the field or during manufacture; and commonly experience greater amounts of noise and have increased power requirements due to the long distances signals must travel within such packages. A most telling characteristic of conventional semiconductor packages is that in all known packages, the space occupied by the entire package is many times greater than the space actually required for the semiconductor die.
As a result of the foregoing limitations, current semiconductor packaging technology is not sufficient to meet the needs of existing and/or future semiconductor and computer technology. Semiconductor packaging technology has already failed to keep pace with semiconductor die technology and, as computer and microprocessor speeds continue to climb, with space efficiency becoming increasingly important, semiconductor packages having even smaller area requirements will be required. The semiconductor packages discussed above fall short of current and contemplated semiconductor packaging requirements.

Semiconductor chip carrier affording a high-density external interface


Amperage control of a power tool motor is provided by pulse width modulation of current from a power supply. The pulse width modulation may be varied according to the determined motor current and measured power supply voltage. The power supply preferably includes a battery, such a lithium ion or nickel cadmium.

It is a concern in the power tool industry to maximize battery life and to prevent battery damage. Further, it is desirable to maximize motor life and prevent motor damage. Typical cordless power tools use nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NiMH) or lithium ion batteries and draw 30 to 35 or more amps while under heavy load. Serious degradation of NiCd battery life occurs at or above 50 amps of current. While under heavy loads, near stall or when a battery is nearly depleted, the power tool may draw in excess of 50 amps. Other battery types have different tolerances for high current. For example, above 15 amps, damage associated with temperature may occur to state of the art lithium ion batteries.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a circuit to limit current from a battery to a motor in a power tool.

Amperage control for protection of battery over current in power tools


A scanning probe microscope has a self-detection type probe structure including a cantilever having an electrically conductive probe at a distal end thereof, a supporting part, and a piezoresistance element whose resistance value changes depending on the deflection of the cantilever. A detector applies a predetermined voltage to the piezoresistance element and detects the value of the current passing through the piezoresistance element to detect deflection of the cantilever. A sample table mounts a sample such that a surface of the sample confronts a tip of the probe, and a moving mechanism relatively moves the sample table and the probe tip in X, Y and Z directions. A controller controls the moving mechanism to maintain a fixed distance between the probe tip and the sample surface and measures the surface shape of the sample on the basis of the detection result of the detector. A predetermined voltage is applied between the probe and the sample surface, and a measuring part operates simultaneously with the detector and measures electrical property information caused by the applied voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning probe microscope having a self detection type probe including a piezoresistance element.
2. Description of the Related Art
An atomic force microscope (AFM) serving as one of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) is used for various electrical property measurements such as a current measurement, a dielectric measurement, and a potential measurement by a Kelvin probe force microscope or the like other than the surface shape measurement of a sample. The AFM carries out various electrical property measurements by using a cantilever provided with a probe having a conductive property at its front end.
Upon this measurement, deflection (warpage) of the cantilever is measured in a system called an optical lever system and depending on this measurement result, a distance between the probe tip and the surface of a sample is always controlled constant.
This optical lever is a system that measures the deflection of the cantilever by irradiating a laser light toward a reflection face formed on the rear surface of the cantilever from a light source and detecting the laser light reflected on the reflection face by a photo detector that is divided into two or four. In other words, if the cantilever is detected in compliance with irregularities of the surface of the sample, a reflection position of the laser light is different depending on the deflection, so that the incoming position of the laser light to be inputted in the photo detector is different. Therefore, by detecting this incoming position of the laser light, the deflection of the cantilever can be measured.
In addition, by feedback-controlling a sample table having the sample mounted thereon in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sample on the basis of the deflection of the cantilever detected in the optical lever, as described above, it is possible to scan the sample while always controlling the distance between the probe tip and the surface of the sample constant.
In addition, in this case, by scanning the sample and applying a predetermined voltage and current to the cantilever, it is possible to carry out electric measurement of the sample. [Patent document 1] JP-A-2004-294218 [Non-patent document 1] By Alexander Olbrich et al., Applied Physics Letters, volume 73, number 21 (US), "Conducting atomic force microscopy for nanoscale electrical characterization of thin SiO2", 23 Nov. 1998, P. 3114-3116 [Non-patent document 2] By Yasuo Cho et al., Applied Physics Letters, volume 75, number 18 (US), "Scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy with nanometer resolution", 1 Nov. 1999, P. 2833-2835 [Non-patent document 3] By Joseph J. Kopanski et al., Materials Science and Engineering B44, "Scanning capacitance microscopy applied to two-dimensional dopant profiling of semiconductors", 1997, P. 46-51 [Non-patent document 4] By R. Shikler et al., Applied Physics Letter, volume 74, number 20 (US), "Potential imaging of operating light-emitting devices using Kelvin force microscopy", 17 May 1999, P. 2972-2974.
However, the measurement method of the electric property by the above-described conventional optical lever system involves the following problems.
In other words, there is a disadvantage that the laser light is partially irradiated on the surface of the sample that is a target of the measurement as leaked laser light, hereinafter referred to as light leak, upon irradiation of the laser light from the light source to the cantilever in the optical lever system. Accordingly, the measured electrical property turns out to be a property of the sample on which the light leak in the optical lever system is irradiated. In other words, the light of the sample is excited by the light leak leading to a noise, so that the true electrical property of the sample cannot be measured.


An analytical model simulates the propagation of radiation through a coated continuous web where layer thickness and refractive index, as variables, determine the speed and direction of transmitted radiation. The model predicts characteristics of transmitted radiation based on characteristics of incident radiation and initially assigned values for layer thicknesses. Coating thickness(s) are ascertained in a process whereby incident radiation of known characteristics is directed onto a coated web and thereafter, actual measurements of transmitted radiation are compared to predicted characteristics. Using a fitting algorithm, the assigned thickness(es) of the layer(s) of the model are adjusted and the process repeated until the actual and predicted values are within desired limits at which time, the assigned thickness(es) represent the measured calipers. Radiation measurements are obtained using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy apparatus that creates a continuous reference whereby a sample pulses' phase and amplitude can be tracked and corrected.

Industrial production of continuous web materials often requires measurement of caliper or basis weight (weight per area unit) for testing and control purposes. For example, in the case of manufacturing coatings, co-extruded plastics, and related multi-layer products, it is often necessary to measure the caliper or basis weight of each of the layers and/or coats. Standard means for determining the caliper of continuous web coatings include, for instance, differential weigh techniques that rely on nuclear or x-ray measurements. This non-contacting scheme employs dual scanners, each equipped with a sensor, that measure the web weight before and after the coating procedure, with the difference being the coating weight. An analogous dual scanner method is the contacting, differential caliper measurement where subtraction of the web caliper before and after the coating procedure yields the coating weight. Finally, infrared radiation detection uses a distinctive IR signature of the coating to detect and measure coating weight.
The utility of these prior art caliper measurement techniques is restricted by a number of drawbacks. Two-scanner differential systems are prohibitively expensive and require excessive space for accommodating both scanners. Furthermore, the technique itself is not reliable for detecting relatively thin coatings that are applied onto a thick base material. Indeed, dual-scanner measurements often yield calculated coating thicknesses with significant errors. Variability of the base layer is another source of error in dual-scanner systems. To compensate for this variability, dual-scanner systems often include same-spot software that compares measurement results obtained by both scanners from the same spots on the moving web. Unfortunately, the scanners do not remain perfectly aligned and their inability to follow the same spot renders the measurement useless especially when the scanners are measuring a traveling web whose thickness is not uniform in the machine direction. It has been demonstrated that conventional dual scanner systems when measuring a thin polymer coating on a baseboard can exhibit an error that is larger than the measured thickness of the coating. Finally, IR sensing is sometimes impossible to implement due to the high IR attenuation in the measured material or lack of distinctive IR signatures that would allow for differentiation of the coating material. The art is in need of an accurate and repeatable technique for measuring the thickness and related properties of coatings and films that are formed on continuous, traveling non-uniform webs.

Caliper coating measurement on continuous non-uniform web using THz sensor


A cost effective manufacturing process encapsulates a light emitting polymer (LEP) device between two flexible sheet materials, where one sheet may act as the substrate for the LEP device and the other sheet may act as a cover for the LEP device, and at least one of the sheets is transparent. Both encapsulating sheets and, as required, an adhesive system binding the sheets together provide sufficient environmental barriers with low moisture vapor transmission rates (MVTR) and oxygen transmission rates (OTR). The encapsulating sheets may, for example, be laminated together, sandwiching the LEP device in a vacuum, or oxygen/moisture free, and inert gas environment. Prior to encapsulation the LEP device may be heated and placed in a vacuum to remove moisture, air and residual solvents. The process may also be designed for roll to roll, sometimes called web based processing, where the LEP device and/or encapsulating sheet material are in a continuous roll format with an adhesive with low air permittivity, such as some UV or thermal curable epoxies, or a melt lamination process used to attach the encapsulating sheets. For LEP devices with short lifetime requirements, the encapsulating material may be in liquid form and applied by spraying, dipping, doctor balding, and the like, or printing, such as screen printing, roller coating or lithographic application in single or multiple layers. Such material may also contain desiccants to further remove water and/or oxygen.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electroluminescent devices, and more particularly to the fabrication of light emitting polymer devices. Specifically, this invention describes a unique, low cost, encapsulation process that provides a barrier for preventing ambient moisture and oxygen in light emitting polymer devices with air-stable electrodes (cathodes).
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical light emitting polymer (LEP) devices have been under development for flat panel and other display applications for many years. There are other patents that teach how different LEP device layers enable the efficient production of electroluminescent light. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,502, Friend et al. teach a method of manufacturing electroluminescent devices, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,350, Heeger et al. teach the fabrication of visible light emitting diodes soluble semiconducting polymers. Including these typical device design, all LEP devices are currently limited in their use due to poor environmental stability. The ingress of water and oxygen into the device creates catastrophic failure mechanisms (e.g., photo-oxidation, electrochemical reactions, metal migration, delamination of the device, etc.) resulting in dark spots, shorting and other failures of the device. These problems, and others, are compounded for LEP devices made on thin flexible plastic substrates because these substrates typically provide little protection against oxygen and moisture ingress. For these reasons all LEP devices of today must be encapsulated between top and bottom barrier layers of some type.
There have been several approaches to solving the problems with LEP devices made on thin flexible plastic substrates. One common technique is to fabricate the LEP device on glass then cover the top of the device by attaching a metal can or a second glass plate with adhesive. The glass and metal of this typical design provides a near hermetic seal. The problem with this technique is that the finished display is ridged, heavy, bulky, fragile and expensive. For LEP devices made on plastic substrates, new technologies have been developed to create transparent, flexible barriers. One example is a series of alternating thin layers of polymer and ceramic materials to create a thin, transparent oxygen and moisture barrier layer that can be applied directly to the device or on to any plastic substrate. Several examples of these polymer-ceramic layered LEP devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,695 to Affinito, U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,225 Sheats et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,225 to Biebuyck et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,989 to Nilsson et al., for example.
Typical LEP devices require low work function metal cathodes for efficient charge injection into the light emitting polymer layer. The low work function metal cathodes, typically Calcium or Lithium, are not air-stable and quickly oxidize in the presence oxygen. These low work function metals require that the LEP devices never come into contact with air before or during fabrication process, including the encapsulation process. Thus, this requires that the cathodes be deposited in an inert gas environment and then that the LEP device be continually maintained in that inert gas environment until encapsulation is complete. This makes manufacturing difficult, time consuming and expensive.
A solution to this problem of maintaining an inert environment from fabrication through encapsulation has been suggested by Carter et al. in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030153141 filed on Dec. 20, 2002 and entitled "Screen Printable Electrode for Light Emitting Polymer Device." In this application, Carter et al. describe a method for creating an air-stable electrode (cathode) for an LEP device. Unlike the LEP device with a non-air-stable electrode (cathode), the LEP device with an air-stable electrode (cathode) can be fabricated in an ambient environment and does not need to be maintained in an inert environment throughout fabrication and encapsulation. However, even with an air-stable electrode, moisture and air need to be removed from the device and the device needs to be encapsulated prior to operation because of irreversible electrochemical reactions that can occur in the device in the presence of moisture, air and electric fields.
Therefore, what is needed is a method for encapsulating a pre-fabricated, "off-the-shelf" LEP device having an air-stable electrode (cathode) such that undesirable moisture, air and residual solvents are removed prior to the encapsulation.

Method for encapsulation of light emitting polymer devices