A method of improving uneven illumination in a photographic printer having an original image position and a light source to illuminate the original image position, which light source may illuminate the original image position non-uniformly, the method comprising: first forming a mask by exposing a photographic element to the light source and processing the element to form a negative image of the light source at a filtering position between the light source and the original image position; and positioning the mask at the filtering position. A second aspect of the method uses an electronic processor and gathered illumination data, to generate a mask.

It is well known to copy an original image using a photographic printing technique in which a photosensitive element is exposed to light from the original image. In contact printing an original image is printed by positioning a light sensitive element in contact with an original transparency carrying the image, so that light from a light source passes through the original image onto the light sensitive element. Since no lens systems are required and the original image is adjacent the light sensitive element, the print exhibits very low degradation from the original image.
Contact printing then, is particularly desirable in cases where it is necessary to maintain a very high resolution in the print. There are many uses of contact printing in the areas of high quality film and lithographic reproduction for images, circuit boards and integrated cicuits. Another example is in the printing of integral images. Failure to maintain a high resolution may cause individual image segments or line segments, to overlap in the print leading to an undesirable image.
Integral image elements themselves are well known. For example, known integral image elements include those which use a lenticular lens sheet, fly's eye lens sheet, or barrier strip sheet and a three-dimensional integral image aligned with the sheet, so that a user can view the three-dimensional image without any special glasses or other equipment. Such imaging elements and their construction, are described in "Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques" by Takanori Okoshi, Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1976. Integral image elements having a lenticular lens sheet (that is, a sheet with a plurality of adjacent, parallel, elongated, and partially cylindrical lenses) are also described in the following Unites States patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,254; U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,533; U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,608; U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,689; U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,478; U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,254; U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,533 and others; as well as allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/931,744. Integral image elements with lenticular lens sheets use what is referenced as a lenticular image having interlaced vertical image slices which in the case of a three-dimensional lenticular image, these image slices are aligned with the lenticules so that a three-dimensional image is viewable when the lenticules are vertically oriented with respect to a viewer's eyes. The image may be conveniently laminated (that is, adhered) to an integral or lenticular lens sheet. Similar integral image elements, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,238 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,632, can be used to convey a number of individual two-dimensional scenes (such as unrelated scenes or a sequence of scenes depicting motion) rather than one or more three-dimensional images. Integral image elements using reflective layers behind the integral image to enhance viewing of the integral image by reflected light, are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,258, U.S. Pat. No. 2,500,511, U.S. Pat. No. 2,039,648, U.S. Pat. No. 1,918,705 and GB 492,186.
While contact printing an original image, such as an original image, does not produce a print with as much degradation than might occur using an enlarger for printing, for example, it is not perfect. It is known that the light source used to illuminate the original image will not illuminate the original image completely uniformly. Typically, with a projection type light source, this means that the center of the print will tend to be darker (where the print is a negative). In an attempt to correct for this, a sequence of discrete filters has been used between the light source and original image, such that overall the sequence exhibits incremental decreases in density moving from the center to the periphery. However, this technique requires manually estimating the light intensity variance at the original image position, estimating a suitable filter sequence and then constructing it. Inherent errors in these steps will inevitably lead to poor correction for light intensity variance. Additionally, at the edges of the overlapping filters there will be a sudden drop in overall density and hence a sudden drop in light intensity. The same situation is present in other types of printers, such as photographic enlargers.
It would be desirable then, to provide a means for improving illumination uniformity at the original image position in a photographic printer, which is simple to implement and which does not produce at the original image position, edges across which there is a sudden variation in light intensity.

Photographic printer and method of making a filter for a photographic printer


According to the present invention, a semiconductor device is fabricated by: forming an insulation layer on a substrate; forming a groove in the surface of the insulation layer; forming a diffusion protection layer on the surface of the insulation layer including inside of the groove; forming a reaction layer on the diffusion protection layer; forming an oxide layer on the surface of the reaction layer; forming a layer of a wiring material on the oxide layer to embed the groove; forming a layer of a mixture of the reaction layer, the layer of the wiring material and the oxide layer by annealing; and removing the diffusion protection layer, the mixture layer and the layer of the wiring material from the surface of the insulation layer except for the diffusion protection layer, the mixture layer and the layer of the wiring material in the groove. By this fabrication method, the reaction of the wiring material such as copper and the underlying metal can be suppressed, thus suppressing the reduction in the cross-sectional size of the wiring material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fabrication method for a semiconductor device, and in particular to a technique for forming embedded wiring in a groove formed in an insulation layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, semiconductor devices have been made finer and therefore delay caused by resistance in wirings and capacitance formed in the wirings has become relatively larger, such that it cannot be ignored in signal delay in the semiconductor devices. For this reason, copper that has smaller specific resistance compared to that of aluminum alloys has been considered as material for the wirings.
The copper wirings are formed in the following manner.
First, an insulation layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Grooves corresponding to the shape of the wirings are then formed in the insulation layer by a known photolithography technique. Then, an adhesion layer, for example, a titanium layer is formed all over the insulation layer. On the titanium layer is formed a titanium nitride layer as a diffusion protection layer. After the titanium nitride layer has been formed, a titanium layer is deposited by sputtering onto the titanium nitride layer and a thin layer of copper is then deposited by sputtering onto the deposited titanium layer. Next, the grooves are completely embedded by plating with copper, the copper layer that has been deposited by sputtering. The copper layer deposited by sputtering and the underlying titanium layer is then annealed to react with each other. Then, all the metal layers on the insulation layer are removed by a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) method, and thus metal portions serving as the wirings only remain in the grooves.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for forming embedded wiring that can suppress reaction of the material of the wiring such as copper and material of an underlying metal layer such as titanium in an annealing process, and can suppress reduction in the cross-sectional size of the wiring. This object is achieved by combinations described in the independent claims. The dependent claims define further advantageous and exemplary combinations of the present invention.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a fabrication process for a semiconductor device, includes: forming an insulation layer on a substrate, forming a groove in the surface of the insulation layer, forming a diffusion protection layer on the surface of the insulation layer including inside of the groove, forming a reaction layer on the diffusion protection layer, forming an oxide layer on the surface of the reaction layer, forming a layer of a wiring material on the oxide layer to embed the groove, forming a layer of a mixture of the reaction layer, the layer of the wiring material and the oxide layer by annealing; and removing the diffusion protection layer, the mixture layer and the layer of the wiring material from the surface of the insulation layer except for the diffusion protection layer, the mixture layer and the layer of the wiring material in the groove.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the fabrication method further includes forming an adhesion layer for improving adhesion between the insulation layer and the diffusion protection layer. In this case, the diffusion protection layer is formed on the adhesion layer.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the formation of the layer of the wiring material includes: depositing a first wiring material on the oxide layer by sputtering, and forming a layer of a second wiring material on a layer of the first wiring material by plating.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the reaction layer may be formed of at least one of Ti, Zr, Al, Mg, Si, Ag, Zn, Au, P, Sn, Be, Pd, In, Pt, Mn, Ga and Ge.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the removal of the diffusion protection layer, the mixture layer and the layer of the wiring material except for the diffusion protection layer, the mixture layer and the layer of the wiring material in the groove is performed by chemical mechanical polishing.
In still another embodiment of the present invention the oxide layer is formed by exposing to the atmosphere, the substrate above which the reaction layer is formed.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the oxide layer is formed by washing and scrubbing the reaction layer.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a fabrication method for a semiconductor device includes: forming an insulation layer on a substrate, forming a groove in the surface of the insulation layer, forming a diffusion protection layer on the surface of the insulation layer including inside of the groove, forming an alloy layer containing a wiring material on the diffusion protection layer, forming a layer of the wiring material on the alloy layer to embed the groove, making the alloy layer and the layer of the wiring material react with each other by annealing; and removing the diffusion protection layer and the layer of the wiring material from the surface of the insulation layer except for the diffusion protection layer and the layer of the wiring material in the groove.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a thickness of the alloy layer is increased by the reaction of the alloy layer and the layer of the wiring material.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the alloy layer may contain two elements selected from the group consisting of the wiring material, Ti, Zr, Al, Mg, Si, Ag, Zn, Au, P, Sn, Be, Pd, In, Pt, Mn, Ga and Ge.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the alloy layer may comprise two alloys, each of which two alloys contains three elements selected from the group consisting of the wiring material, Ti, Zr, Al, Mg, Si, Ag, Zn, Au, P, Sn, Be, Pd, In, Pt, Mn, Ga and Ge.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the fabrication method further includes forming an oxide layer on the alloy layer, wherein the layer of the wiring material is formed on the oxide layer.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a fabrication method for a semiconductor device includes: forming a layer of an organic low dielectric constant material on a substrate; forming a groove in the surface of the layer of the organic low dielectric constant material; forming a reaction layer on the surface of the layer of the organic low dielectric constant material including inside of the groove; forming an oxide layer on the surface of the reaction layer; forming a layer of a wiring material above the reaction layer on which the oxide layer has been formed so as to embed the groove; forming a layer of a mixture of the diffusion protection layer and the reaction layer by annealing; and removing the layer of the mixture and the layer of the wiring material away from the surface of the insulation layer except for the layer of the mixture and the layer of the wiring material in the groove.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a fabrication method for a semiconductor device includes: forming a layer of an organic low dielectric constant material on a substrate; forming a groove in the surface of the layer of the organic low dielectric constant material; forming an alloy layer containing a wiring material on the layer of the organic low dielectric constant material including inside of the groove; forming a layer of the wiring material on the surface of the alloy layer to embed the groove; making the alloy layer and the layer of the wiring material react with each other by annealing; and removing the alloy layer and the layer of the wiring material on the surface of the insulation layer except for the alloy layer and the layer of the wiring material in the groove.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the fabrication method further includes forming an oxide layer on the alloy layer, wherein the layer of the wiring material is formed above the alloy layer on which the oxide layer has been formed.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a fabrication method for a semiconductor device includes: forming an insulation layer on a substrate; forming a groove in the surface of the insulation layer; forming a titanium nitride layer that is stabilized on the surface of the insulation layer including inside of the groove; forming a coarse titanium nitride layer on the stabilized titanium nitride layer; oxidizing the surface of the coarse titanium nitride layer; forming a layer of a wiring material above the coarse titanium nitride layer on which an oxide layer has been formed so as to embed the groove; forming a layer of a mixture of the oxide layer and the layer of the wiring material by annealing; and removing the titanium nitride layer, the layer of the mixture and the layer of the wiring material from the surface of the insulation layer except for the titanium nitride layer, the layer of the mixture and the layer of the wiring material in the groove.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the stabilized titanium nitride layer is formed by repeating: deposition of a titanium nitride layer having a predetermined thickness by CVD and; a plasma treatment for the surface of the titanium nitride layer deposited by CVD, while the coarse titanium nitride layer is deposited by CVD.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the coarse titanium nitride layer is deposited by CVD using Tetra Di Methyl Amido Titanium as a material.
This summary of the invention does not necessarily describe all necessary features so that the invention may also be a sub-combination of these described features.

Method of forming embedded wiring in a groove in an insulating layer


A needle guide includes an attachment means for attachment to an imaging probe that forms an image of an area, a fixed part, and a movable part movable at an angle. The movable part includes one or more needle guide elements that receive a needle in a guiding manner, and at least one rotation sensor to measure the angular rotation of the movable part. A method for determining the position of a needle attached to the needle guide relative to the imaging probe is also disclosed.

Echography is a technology which uses sound waves. With this technology, organs or an unborn child, inter alia, can be visualised. Applications also exist outside medical science.
Sound waves are transmitted into the body of a human or animal using a transducer. The sound waves reflected by the body are picked up on return by the same transducer and converted into an electrical voltage. The electrical signals are converted using a computer system into video images, which are visualised on a monitor of the echoscope.
In a plurality of applications in which an echoscope is used, the localisation of a needle is important. This applies in the case of the piercing of blood vessels, the guiding of a puncture needle in the case of, for example, amniotic fluid punctures or biopsies, in the insertion of catheters for ablation, for drainage, access to blood vessels, anaesthesia such as, for example, a local anaesthetic wherein a plexus is surrounded by anaesthesia via a puncture, etc. All manner of treatments wherein a body is pierced with needles such as occupational therapy, microwaves and radio frequency can also use echography with localisation.
A needle of this type is often inserted with a free hand, wherein the zone to be pierced is visualised using the echoscope and a check is carried out during the piercing to ensure that the needle is correctly inserted. However, the insertion of a needle with the free hand requires a certain dexterity and experience in order to insert the needle with reasonable accuracy. Only if the needle has actually pierced will it appear or not appear in the image of the zone visualised using the transducer and the echoscope. If it is established that the needle is not in the area of the echoscope or near the zone to be pierced, the piercing must often be repeated several times. However, more than one piercing causes discomfort to the patient and additional piercing damage, and may, in the case of the piercing of tumours, even be fatal.
To overcome this problem, needle guides have been developed with which the needles are guided so that it is certain that the needle is inserted into the area which is visualised with the echoscope and the transducer. A needle guide of this type is positioned on a holder which is fitted to the transducer. With the first needle guides, however, only a needle with a specific diameter could be inserted at a specific angle into the body.
Systems with needle guides already exist, wherein the angle at which a needle is inserted into a body can be determined step-by-step, according to the area which is visualised. In needle guides of this type, the needle can be brought at different predefined angles into the area visualised with the echoscope. It is already possible to visualise these predefined angles on the monitor of the echoscope. By positioning the transducer, wherein the zone of the body to be pierced is visualised, wherein the different possible angles for piercing are also visualised, the angle for piercing which produces the best result can be selected. However, this system still has a limited accuracy, so that the desired result is often not immediately achieved with the piercing, which must then be repeated several times. As already mentioned, more than one piercing causes discomfort to the patient and additional piercing damage, and may, in the case of the piercing of tumours, even be fatal.
Systems already exist wherein the needle can be displaced in a stepless manner in an area using the needle guide, and the position of the needle can nevertheless be accurately determined. These systems use magnetic localisation, known as GPS systems. A clamp, to which the guide is fitted, is positioned on the transducer. Accurate localisation of the needle is possible with a magnet and a plurality of sensors. One sensor is positioned on the clamp, another on or in an ancillary needle or on a standard sterile needle. The angle at which the ancillary needle or the standard sterile needle is inserted into the body can be determined using the sensors. The predicted angle at which the ancillary needle enters the body is displayed on the monitor. However, the use of an ancillary needle has the disadvantage that the ancillary needle has a larger diameter than the actual needle with which the treatment is to be carried out, so that the actual needle (possibly following removal of the sensor, if this had been inserted into the ancillary needle) can be inserted through the ancillary needle into the body. The use of ancillary needles is furthermore expensive. Both in the case of the use of an ancillary needle and in the case of systems wherein a sensor is attachable directly to a standard sterile needle, the magnet and associated sensors for a magnetic location determination of this type are fairly expensive. If the sensor is positioned on or in the needle, this must also be sterile. In these systems, a new sterile sensor and (if ancillary needles are used) a new sterile ancillary needle are normally used for each treatment. In this way, a treatment costs a lot of money. If ancillary needles with larger diameters are used, much more damage is furthermore caused than if only the actual needles with the necessary diameter are applied.

Needle guide and method for determining the position of a needle


A matrix and a method for preparing it are provided to support the growth of tissue, such as bone, cartilage or soft tissue. A polysaccharide is reacted with an oxidizing agent to open sugar rings on the polysaccharide to form aldehyde groups. The aldehyde groups are reacted to form covalent linkages to collagen.

There is a clinical demand for a bone grafting matrix that offers osteoconductive properties equal to autogenous bone and that can be produced in unlimited supply. Although some bone substitutes are available, many consist of materials that have poor physical handling and resorption characteristics that complicate their use and radiographic evaluation.
Similarly, there is no consistently effective commercial product that supports the maintenance of the chondrocyte phenotype of cartilage tissue, despite years of extensive research. Prior strategies to facilitate the repair of damaged cartilage have included the transplantation of existing host cartilage and/or the implantation of prosthetic devices. Limitations of these methods are the availability of donor tissue and the limited lifespan of prosthetic implants. More recently, the ex vivo cultivation of mature chondrocytes on polymeric scaffolds has been used in an attempt to generate cartilage graft material but this has not yet been widely accepted in part because it involves two surgical procedures: one to harvest chondrocytes and the second to implant them after expansion in vitro.
Collagens and glycosaminoglycans are two classes of biomaterials suited for use in bone regeneration. Collagen based matrices have been used in bone grafting. Type I collagen has good cell adhesive properties, in particular, for bone forming osteoblast cells. Collagen has the capacity to serve both as an active or inert scaffold material for growth.
Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of the cartilage extracellular matrix, and it is readily sterilized, is biodegradable and can be produced in a wide range of consistencies and formats. It is generally biocompatable and its resorption characteristics can be controlled by the manipulation of monomers to polymer forms, most commonly through the esterification of the carboxylic groups of the glucuronic acid residues.
Dextran sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan-like polyionic derivative of dextran and has been shown to be useful as a biomaterial and drug for treatment of hyperlipidemia. It is produced by esterification of dextran, a hydrophilic polymer of glucose synthesized by certain strains of bacteria.
Biological glue comprising fibrin has a long history as a tissue adhesive medical device and is believed to be commercially available in Europe (U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,420, issued Nov. 9, 1993). One obstacle that limits its application is the short turn over and residence time which ranges from a few days to a few weeks depending on the site of implantation. The incorporation of collagen fibers into fibrin glue has been reported (Sierra et al., 1993, Trans. Soc. Biomater., vol. 16:257 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,552). However, longer coagulation times are required for the collagen/fibrin compositions compared to fibrin alone.
While these materials have been used separately or in combination with other materials, there has been to date no recognition of combinations and methods of making combinations of such materials to form an advantageous matrix for bone, cartilage, and/or soft tissue repair which does not utilize extraneous cross-linking or ionic binding agents. There remains a need for biodegradable, biocompatable matrices which maintain structural integrity and which can be used to repair tissues without resorting to undesirable ex vivo cultivation methods.

Collagen-polysaccharide matrix for bone and cartilage repair


An x-ray tube has at least one approximately planar electron emitter and an emitter-cup cathode configured to provide an electron beam of substantially greater perveance and beam compression ratio than otherwise obtainable with conventional cathode designs. The cup is optimized for use in a line-focus, planar-anode tube and has a slot in which the emitter is situated, an adjacent face region which is planar and angled so as to properly form the initial electron beam, a recess to allow the initial electron beam to be accelerated without significant shaping, and an overhanging portion which completes the electron beam forming.

The present invention relates generally to x-ray tubes and, more particularly, to a cathode configuration therefor.
Presently available medical x-ray tubes typically include a cathode assembly having an emitter and a cup. The cathode assembly is oriented to face an x-ray tube anode, or target, which is typically a planar metal or composite structure. The space between the cathode and anode is evacuated.
A disadvantage of typical cathode designs is that the emitter, which typically comprises a helically coiled tungsten wire filament, tends to be rather large and electrons are emitted radially outward from all surfaces of the filament surface. The cup, therefore, must be designed to produce a very tailored electric potential distribution in the vacuum such that all electron trajectories are redirected from their initial divergent motion toward a very small focal spot on the anode surface. For design purposes it is usually sufficient to treat the coiled filament as a solid emitting cylinder, and to neglect detail at the level of individual turns of the coil. It is also usually sufficient to be concerned only with the focal spot width, rather than its complete two-dimensional shape because the focal spot length can be more-or-less independently set by emitter-cup changes which do not strongly alter the width. However, even with this design freedom, it is difficult in practice to design a cup which produces such tailored electric fields and leads to a small focal spot width. The present state-of-the-art is represented by filament coils of major diameter around 1 millimeter which can be focused onto a 0.1 millimeter-wide focal spot on the anode, i.e., a beam compression ratio of 10.
A universal limitation of electron emitters is that the net emission current as measured between the cathode and anode cannot be increased without bound simply by increasing the primary emission current of the emitter. As used herein, primary emission denotes electrons leaving the emitter surface and does not include any electrons which return to the surface. More precisely, the net emission current density at the emitter is limited. The net emission current is the primary emission current less any electron current returning to the emitter surface. At very low primary emission current density, corresponding to low heating current and low emitter temperature for a thermionic emitter, the net emission current density will increase in nearly direct proportion to any increase in primary emission current density. Conversely, at very high primary emission current density, the electron density immediately in front of the emitter surface is so high that the self-charge of the electron cloud completely counteracts the electric field at the emitter surface caused by the cathode-anode potential difference. This latter condition is referred to as a saturated emitter; further increases in primary current density do not appreciably increase the net emission current. Between these two extremes is a smooth transition where increases in primary emission current density lead to less than proportionate increases in net emission current, and practical x-ray tubes often operate in this transition regime. All electron emitters are limited by this fundamental process, independent of the emitter material and emission mechanism. A useful figure-of-merit for characterizing the overall capability of a cathode is its perveance, defined as the ratio I/V.sup.3/2, where I is the net electron current and V is the potential difference between the cathode and anode. Additionally, the self-charge of the electrons in the vacuum can alter the electric potential and can cause undesirable changes such as enlargement of the focal spot size, sometimes referred to as blooming. Thus, cathode designs which are capable of meeting design goals on net current and yet which operate far below their inherent saturation current density can be advantageous. Finally, there is ordinarily a tradeoff between the useful life of a thermionic emitter and its operating temperature such that it can be desirable to operate the emitter at a lower temperature, and hence a lower primary emission current density.
A further disadvantage of typical cathode designs is that the cup design needed to properly focus the electrons results in a significant reduction in the saturation current of the cathode, and hence the maximum obtainable x-ray emission over that which would be expected if the filament were operated in free space apart from the cup. In particular, the aforementioned requirement that the initial, radially directed electron distribution from a helical coil filament be redirected onto the small focal spot leads one to place the filament emitter into a rather narrow slot. Unfortunately, this reduces the electric field normal to the front surface of the filament significantly below the average electric field present in the cathode-anode gap, which is on the order of V/L. Here, V is the electric potential between the cathode and anode, and L is the cathode-anode spacing. The electric field strength normal to the emitter surface, in the absence of any electron emission, determines the saturation current density of each point on the filament surface. Further, the electric field strength normal to the emitter surface is highest only on that portion of the filament which is closest to the anode; it decreases away from this one point; hence, the saturation current density decreases away from this one particular location. In principle, the emitting area may always be increased to obtain a higher total emission current, but as noted hereinabove, it is difficult to increase the filament size without also undesirably increasing the focal spot size.
A further limitation of conventional filament-cup cathode designs is that it is quite difficult in practice to form anything resembling a laminar electron beam wherein the trajectories of electrons emitted from various locations on the filament do not cross each other as they move from the cathode to the anode As a result, the spatial distribution of current density across the width of the focal spot on the anode surface is not the gaussian distribution which would lead to the best modulation transfer function and hence the best image quality. Instead, the focal spot current distribution is typically double-peaked. The peak electron current density within the focal spot on the target is limited by the peak temperature capability of the anode. Therefore, to the extent that the actual peak current density exceeds that of an otherwise equivalent gaussian spatial distribution for a given anode design, the total current, and hence the maximum achievable x-ray fluence, will be reduced. It is not necessary that the electron flow be close to laminar in order to create the desirable gaussian spatial distribution of electron current, but the highly nonlaminar nature of the electron beam created by conventional filament-cup cathode designs makes the formation of a gaussian focal spot quite difficult in practice.
An emitter-cup cathode which simultaneously provides higher emission current, smaller focal spot width, and better modulation transfer function has been heretofore unavailable. This has been disadvantageous in, for example, medical x-ray tubes for mammographic imaging applications. Because of the desired low-energy x-ray spectrum for these applications, the electric field between the cathode and anode is relatively low (e.g., a 30 kilovolt potential difference applied over a cathode-anode gap of 7 millimeters), and the corresponding saturation current can be quite low, leading to low x-ray intensity and long exposure times. Further, mammographic imaging demands some of the smallest focal spot sizes among all medical applications in order to reliably detect microcalcifications indicative of the earliest stages of breast cancer.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an emitter-cup x-ray tube cathode which overcomes the hereinabove described disadvantages.

Emitter-cup cathode for high-emission x-ray tube


The cellular structure of the power device includes a substrate that has a highly doped drain region. Over the substrate there is a more lightly doped epitaxial layer of the same doping. Above the epitaxial layer is a well region formed of an opposite type doping. Covering the wells is an upper source layer of the first conductivity type that is heavily doped. The trench structure includes a sidewall oxide or other suitable insulating material that covers the sidewalls of the trench. The bottom of the trench is filled with a doped polysilicon shield. An interlevel dielectric such as silicon nitride covers the shield. The gate region is formed by another layer of doped polysilicon. A second interlevel dielectric, typically borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) covers the gate. In operation, current flows vertically between the source and the drain through a channel in the well when a suitable voltage is applied to the gate.

The semiconductor industry is witnessing an increasing demand for low-output-voltage DC—DC converters with very fast transient response and higher power efficiency for high frequency power conversion applications. When the operation frequency reaches 1 MHz or even higher, the power losses of a synchronous buck DC—DC converter will be dominated by the switching losses. Switching losses in a power MOSFET occur during charging/discharging the drain-gate feedback capacitance. The corresponding gate charge is called Miller Charge. Thus, the reduction of Miller capacitance is one of most important focus to improve DC—DC converter efficiency.
Also, as the cell density and speed of a microprocessor increases, more current is needed to power the microprocessor. This means that the DC—DC converter is required to provide a higher output current. The increase of the output current raises the conduction loss of not only the lower switches but also the upper switches in synchronous DC—DC converter. Therefore, in order to power an advanced microprocessor, the power MOSFETS, which are used as the upper and the lower switches in a DC—DC converter must have both low switching power losses and low conduction power losses. The switching losses can be reduced by lowering on-resistance. Unfortunately, lowering the on-resistance raises the Miller capacitance. For example, in order to reduce the on-resistance of a power MOSFET, the most efficient way is to reduce the device cell pitch and increase the total channel width. Both of these result in an increase of the drain-gate overlay area. As the consequence, the device's Miller capacitance, or Miller charge increases.
Due to gate to drain capacitance's significant impact on device switching speed, a series of improvements for minimizing it's impact have been proposed. These improvements include tailoring of source-drain ion implant angles and gate spacers, in order to obtain sufficient gate overlap of source-drains for maintaining low channel resistance, while still minimizing the associated capacitance values. One such effort to minimize Miller capacitance is a process step that locally increases the gate oxide thickness in the region of gate to drain overlap. However, that process is difficult to control because you need to maintain overlap while growing the thick oxide in the bottom of the trench and etching back. Therefore, what is needed is a method that will achieve low switching power losses and low conductivity power losses.

Ultra dense trench-gated power device with the reduced drain-source feedback capacitance and miller charge


A bus monitor circuit includes an access info information/write data FIFO and a read data FIFO to produce a bus monitor output signal on a bus transmitting data between a master and a slave. In a write access ascribed to an attribute of the access information stored at a header of the access information/write data FIFO, the bus monitor circuit directly outputs a bus monitor output signal indicating the access information accompanied with the corresponding write data which is transmitted in the same cycle. In a read access ascribed to an attribute of the access information, the bus monitor circuit waits for the read data FIFO storing the corresponding read data, and then outputs a bus monitor output signal indicating the access information paired with the read data in the same cycle. This guarantees the occurrence order of bus access according to a bus interface protocol enabling pipeline transmission.

A signal processing device such as a processor, system LSI, and SoC is equipped with a bus monitor circuit that sends bus access information on a main bus inside a chip in an execution mode for the purpose of debugging and external observation outside a chip.
It is preferable that a bus monitor circuit can output bus access information (i.e. an address and control information) paired with data information in an order guaranteeing the occurrence order of bus access. Considering an output clock frequency and the number of external output pins used for externally outputting bus information to the outside of a chip, it is preferable that a large amount of bus access information can be sent using as a small number of bits as possible.
However, when a bus interface protocol enabling pipeline transaction undergoes the concurrent occurrence of a read access and a write access, the actual occurrence order of the read access and the write access may not match the transmitted order of read data (RDAT) and write data (WDAT). In this case, it is difficult to output bus monitor signals indicating bus access information paired with data information.
Due to a recent tendency in a large-scale and high-speed processor system, a bus interface protocol is evolved with an interface specification achieving high-speed access in terms of latency and throughput. In particular, for the sake of improving a throughput in read access, for example, a bus interface protocol enabling pipeline transaction and split transaction such as AMBA3.0AXI and OCP (Open Core Protocol) has been frequently used. In this bus interface protocol supporting pipeline transaction, a command generating order may be reverse to the transmitted order of read data and write data due to the concurrent occurrence of a read access and a write access.
In this case, a bus monitor circuit outputs bus monitor signals in the transmitted order of data information for the purpose of external observation outside a chip, whereas a bus access order is not guaranteed in bus monitor signals. With a bus monitor circuit outputting bus monitor signals that do not guarantee the occurrence order of bus access, it is impossible to obtain bus access information in the actual order of bus access that occurs inside a chip, and therefore it is impossible to conduct debugging with a high efficiency and a high reliability. Due to the nonguaranteed bus access order, it is impossible to provide bus access information paired with data information.
PLT 1 disclosed a technology that concurrently latches addresses, data, and attributes so as to store them in a memory in order to output minimum bus access information in a bus access order. In the technology of PLT 1, in a cycle completely validating an address, data, and an attribute, those elements matching a predetermined bus monitor condition are solely and concurrently latched so that the set of an address, data, and an attribute is stored at the same address in each memory; thus, it is possible to store minimum bus access information in a memory in a bus access order.
PLT 2 disclosed a technology that adopts a plurality of FIFOs to concurrently output bus monitor signals with respect to a plurality of buses. In the technology of PLT 2, a bus access suited to a filtering condition for each bus is solely stored in each FIFO while the stored data of a nonempty FIFO are sequentially outputted; thus, it is possible to efficiently output bus monitor signals with respect to bus access information on a plurality of buses.
PLT 3 disclosed a technology in which an access control circuit of a PCI bus including a write FIFO and a read FIFO is used to minimize nullification of read requests on the PCI bus. To cope with the existence of pending read requests, the technology of PLT 3 prevents or continues a write access using its target address, thus minimizing nullification of read requests.

Bus monitor circuit and bus monitor method


The present invention relates to Compound 1 hydrogen sulfate salt and solvates, crystalline forms and amorphous forms thereof, and to processes for their preparation.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel salt and, more particularly, to a novel salt of 6-(4-bromo-2-chloro-phenylamino)-7-fluoro-3-methyl-3H-benzoimidazole-5-carboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-ethoxy)-amide (hereinafter referred to as "Compound 1"), which is a MEK inhibitor that is useful in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of proliferative disease states, such as cancer, in a mammal. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hydrogen sulfate salt of Compound 1 and to processes for the preparation of said salt. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions containing a hydrogen sulfate salt of Compound 1, and the use of the salt in the manufacture of medicaments for treatment and/or prophylaxis of proliferative disease states, such as cancer, in the human or animal body, and methods of treating proliferative disease states, such as cancer, in a mammal by administering a therapeutically effective amount of a hydrogen sulfate salt of Compound 1.
Description of the State of the Art
Cell signaling through growth factor receptors and protein kinases is an important regulator of cell growth, proliferation and differentiation. In normal cell growth, growth factors, through receptor activation (i.e., PDGF or EGF and others), activate MAP kinase pathways. One of the most important and most well understood MAP kinase pathways involved in normal and uncontrolled cell growth is the Ras/Raf kinase pathway. Active GTP-bound Ras results in the activation and indirect phosphorylation of Raf kinase. Raf then phosphorylates MEK1 and 2 on two serine residues (S218 and S222 for MEK1 and S222 and S226 for MEK2) (Ahn et al., Methods in Enzymology, 2001, 332:417-431). Activated MEK then phosphorylates its only known substrates, the MAP kinases ERK1 and 2. ERK phosphorylation by MEK occurs on Y204 and T202 for ERK1 and Y185 and T183 for ERK2 (Ahn et al., Methods in Enzymology 2001, 332:417-431). Phosphorylated ERK dimerizes and then translocates to the nucleus where it accumulates (Khokhlatchev et al., Cell 1998, 93:605-615). In the nucleus, ERK is involved in several important cellular functions, including but not limited to nuclear transport, signal transduction, DNA repair, nucleosome assembly and translocation, and mRNA processing and translation (Ahn et al., Molecular Cell, 2000, 6:1343-1354). Overall, treatment of cells with growth factors leads to the activation of ERK1 and 2 which results in proliferation and, in some cases, differentiation (Lewis et al., Adv. Cancer Res. 1998, 74: 49-139).
In proliferative diseases, genetic mutations and/or overexpression of the growth factor receptors, downstream signaling proteins, or protein kinases involved in the ERK kinase pathway lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and, eventually, tumor formation. For example, some cancers contain mutations which result in the continuous activation of this pathway due to continuous production of growth factors. Other mutations can lead to defects in the deactivation of the activated GTP-bound Ras complex, again resulting in activation of the MAP kinase pathway. Mutated, oncogenic forms of Ras are found in 50% of colon and >90% pancreatic cancers as well as many others types of cancers (Kohl et al., Science, 1993, 260:1834-1837). Recently, bRaf mutations have been identified in more than 60% of malignant melanoma (Davies, H., et al., Nature 2002, 417:949-954). These mutations in bRaf result in a constitutively active MAP kinase cascade. Studies of primary tumor samples and cell lines have also shown constitutive or overactivation of the MAP kinase pathway in cancers of pancreas, colon, lung, ovary and kidney (Hoshino, R., et al., Oncogene 1999, 18:813-822). Hence, there is a strong correlation between cancers and an overactive MAP kinase pathway resulting from genetic mutations.
As constitutive or overactivation of MAP kinase cascade plays a pivotal role in cell proliferation and differentiation, inhibition of this pathway is believed to be beneficial in hyperproliferative diseases. MEK is a key player in this pathway as it is downstream of Ras and Raf. Additionally, it is an attractive therapeutic target because the only known substrates for MEK phosphorylation are the MAP kinases, ERK1 and 2. Inhibition of MEK has been shown to have potential therapeutic benefit in several studies. For example, small molecule MEK inhibitors have been shown to inhibit human tumor growth in nude mouse xenografts, (Sebolt-Leopold et al., Nature-Medicine 1999, 5(7):810-816; Trachet et al., AACR Apr. 6-10, 2002, Poster #5426; Tecle, H., IBC 2nd International Conference of Protein Kinases, Sep. 9-10, 2002), block static allodynia in animals (WO 01/05390) and inhibit growth of acute myeloid leukemia cells (Milella et al., J. Clin. Invest. 2001, 108 (6):851-859).
Small molecule inhibitors of MEK have been disclosed. At least thirteen patent applications have appeared in the last several years: U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,625; WO 98/43960; WO 99/01421; WO 99/01426; WO 00/41505; WO 00/42002; WO 00/42003; WO 00/41994; WO 00/42022; WO 00/42029; WO 00/68201; WO 01/68619; and WO 02/06213.
Inhibitors of the MEK are also described in WO 03/077914. 6-(4-Bromo-2-chloro-phenylamino)-7-fluoro-3-methyl-3H-benzoimidazole-5-carboxylic acid (2-hydroxy-ethoxy)-amide, or "Compound 1", is exemplified in WO 03/077914 and possesses the following structural formula:

Compound 1 has been shown to possess inhibitory activity against MEK and therefore to be useful in the treatment of a hyperproliferative disease such as cancer.
WO 03/077914 discloses, in general terms, certain pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds disclosed therein. Specifically, it is stated in WO 03/077914 that pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds disclosed therein that possess a sufficiently basic moiety may form acid addition salts containing pharmaceutically acceptable anions, and a range of such anions are listed. Similarly, suitable salts of the compounds possessing an acidic moiety are to be formed by treatment of a compound with a basic compound and particularly an inorganic base.
The form of a pharmaceutically active compound which is used in medicaments is suitably one that provides for reasonable handling properties, which allow it to be processed and formulated. However, it is also necessary to ensure that the biological properties of the final formulation, such as dissolution rate of tablets and bioavailability of active ingredient are optimized, and there is frequently compromises to be made in selecting a particular form which best fulfils all these various requirements. However, in some cases, salts do not form easily and/or are not stable, which is probably due to low pKa values. The pKa value expresses the strength of acids and base, i.e., the tendency for an acid to lose a proton or a base to add a proton (Bronsted J. N., Rec. Trav. Chim. (1923) 47:718). This is particularly true for Compound 1.


A method of determining variations in operating characteristics of a mechanical system having a rotatory mode of operation and bearing balls entrained within a bearing balls recirculation system. There are provided the steps of first monitoring operating impulses generated by the mechanical system during a first interval of operation; first analyzing the operating impulses obtained during the first interval to determine the intensity and frequency of the operating impulses; first correlating the operating impulses obtained during the first interval to corresponding angular positions of the rotatory mode of operation; and first producing a first record of the intensity and frequency of the operating impulses obtained during the first interval correlated to the corresponding angular positions of the mechanical system. The health of bearing balls within the recirculation system is determined by monitoring the vibration characteristic of the recirculation system, which is correlatable to the specific bearing balls.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods of annunciating impending failure and failure in actuators and drive train components, as well as vehicle braking systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are present in the prior art a variety of vibration test systems that enable vibration analysis of operating mechanical systems to determine machine conditions and operating characteristics. In some of these known systems, a handheld device has an associated probe that is touched to an operating machine. The vibrations of the operating machine cause vibrations sensors in the probe to issue corresponding electrical responses that are analyzed by the handheld monitoring device. Although useful in the determination of the operating characteristics of an operating machine, the known vibration test systems are of only limited utility in determining the operating characteristics of mechanical systems that spend little or no time in steady-state modes of operation.
It is a characteristic of actuators, drive train components, vehicle braking systems, that a significant portion of operation time is spent in transient mode. For example, in a screw drive arrangement of the type used for controlling aircraft control surfaces, the operation of the screw drive arrangement is bidirectional over a limited extent. Therefore, this type of drive spends considerable portions of its operating cycles in bidirectional ramp-up and ramp-down transient conditions. Only a small portion of the operating cycle, if any, is spent in a steady-state condition.
In the case of drive train components, it is known that these mechanical systems can be tested in steady-state condition on a bench. However, in actual use, these mechanical systems are operated in acceleration, deceleration, and reverse modes of operation. Again, the known vibration test systems are inadequate to analyze the operating characteristics of drive train components in actual use.
Vehicle braking systems are mechanical arrangements that clearly operate in transient modes. In conventional use, the vehicle brakes are applied while the vehicle is operating at speed, and almost immediately the rate of operation is reduced by deceleration. The effects of such transients are multiplied in vehicle braking systems that are subjected to the stresses of automatic braking systems (ABS).
There is a need in the art for an on-board vibration test system that monitors the operation of a mechanical system of the type that operates principally in transient modes, and develops trend, or historical, data that reflects changes in the operating characteristics of the mechanical system. There is additionally a need for such a system to be useful in the tracing back of the changes in the overall response of the mechanical system to a change in the operating characteristic of a specific component of the mechanical system.
In addition to the foregoing, in embodiments where the mechanical system is a ball screw arrangement, there is a need to determined the health of the bearing balls and the bearing balls recirculation system. One mode of failure of the mechanical system occurs when the bearing balls escape. In such a failure mode, the load is transferred to a secondary nut that operates in an acme mode.
A further form of failure occurs when the balls are seized within the recirculation system. In effect, the ball screw operates in an acme mode, and the load is not transferred to the secondary load path, which often is an acme nut, until the bearing balls become dangerously worn.
A still further form of ball screw failure occurs when the bearing balls become scuffed, which results in accelerated wear. A ball screw arrangement that is operating with scuffed bearing balls is an unhealthy mechanical system that may soon fail.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a system and methodology that monitors the health of a ball screw arrangement, including the bearing balls recirculation system.
There is also a need in the art for a system and methodology that facilitates the vibrational analysis of mechanical systems that operate largely in transient modes.
There is additionally a need for a system that facilitates the determination of impending failure of mechanical systems that operate largely in transient modes.
There is additionally a need for a system that facilitates the determination of actual failure of mechanical systems that operate largely in transient modes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems for announcing the health of ball screw actuators and ball recirculation


A hermetic compressor system includes a compressor and an electric drive resiliently supported in a closed housing. A metallic cylinder head is secured to the compressor and defines an insertion hole. The cylinder head has a suction chamber, which communicates with the insertion hole, and a discharge chamber integrally formed with and adjacent to the suction chamber. A suction muffler made of a synthetic resin or equivalent material of low thermal conductivity has a communicating duct extending through the insertion hole and partially disposed within the suction chamber. An opening is formed in the end of the communicating duct disposed within the suction chamber in a position facing a suction port leading a refrigerant gas into the compressor.

The present invention relates to a hermetic compressor and parts thereof, and more particularly to such a compressor for refrigerators.
In a reciprocating refrigerant compressor for cooling systems, such as a refrigerator or freezer, it is very desirable to improve compression efficiency. When the refrigerant gas recycled from the cooling system is expanded by heat within the compressor, the resultant reduced density gas must then be re-compressed by the compression cylinder, thereby decreasing the compression efficiency. One way to improve compression efficiency is to prevent the decrease of density within the compressor of the refrigerant gas recycled from the cooling system.
A specific example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,894, wherein the refrigerant gas from the cooling system is guided directly to a suction muffler made of a synthetic resin of low thermal conductivity within the compressor, with the suction muffler being connected to a suction plenum communicating therewith via a metallic pipe. Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,418, discloses a compressor wherein the inlet of a suction muffler made of a synthetic resin of low thermal conductivity is formed in the shape of a horn for blowing of the suction gas, with the suction muffler being in communication with the suction plenum via a metallic pipe. In compressors of such types, however, because the metallic pipe has a high thermal conductivity and the cylinder head defining the suction plenum is made of a material of high thermal conductivity, such as cast iron or aluminum alloy, the suction gas is subject to substantial heating by the pipe and cylinder head.
In order to further reduce the effect of heat on the suction gas, European Patent No. 195486A2 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,581 propose compressors wherein a metal discharge chamber and a synthetic resin suction chamber are separately assembled to the valve plate of the cylinder block to minimize heat conduction therebetween. The flow passage or communicating duct (from the synthetic resin suction muffler to the synthetic resin suction plenum) is formed of synthetic resin and integral with the suction muffler, with the suction chamber or plenum being disposed at the leading end of the flow passage. However, in these systems, the suction chamber (at the leading end of the suction muffler) and the discharge chamber must be independently mounted and sealingly held in contact with their respective ports adjacent the cylinder head. In addition, if the contact between the suction port and the suction chamber is not completely airtight, suction noise is produced. Therefore, care must be exercised in ensuring a hermetic seal between the suction port and the suction chamber. Thus the cost of manufacture and assembly is relatively expensive.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hermetic compressor of improved compression efficiency.
Another object is to provide such a compressor wherein an integral unitary metallic cylinder head defines both the suction chamber and the discharge chamber, but with minimal heating of suction gas in the suction chamber by the hotter gas in the discharge chamber.
A further object is to provide such a compressor wherein the suction muffler and cylinder head may be preassembled at the factory to minimize on site assembly work.
It is also an object to provide such a compressor wherein suction noise is minimized.
It is another object to provide such a compressor wherein the suction muffler is held against rotation relative to the cylinder head.


A universal fuel injection system for liquid and gaseous fuels and mixes thereof the universal fuel injection system having a universal fuel injection module interposed between a liquid fuel injector nozzle the universal fuel injection module having a spring-biased gaseous fuel valve connected to a pressurized gaseous fuel source and to a conical poppet mixing valve in the fuel injector nozzle where liquid fuel from the liquid fuel actuator unit and gaseous fuel selectively admitted through the spring-biased gaseous fuel valve mix for discharge through a fuel nozzle discharge orifice.

This invention relates to general categories of a fuel injection system which have common configurations and structural arrangements for internal combustion engines. In particular, this invention relates to injector systems which are able to operate using the xe2x80x9cself injectionxe2x80x9d concept, and/or the xe2x80x9ccommon railxe2x80x9d concept, and includes the xe2x80x9cmultiple injection per cyclexe2x80x9d concept, particularly using the concept of xe2x80x9cself-induced pulsations.xe2x80x9d These concepts have been the subject of our prior patented technology. The universal fuel injection system improves upon the prior patented technology and is the main subject of this new invention.
A general attribute that is characteristic of one embodiment using the xe2x80x9cuniversal fuel injection systemxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cself-induced multiple injectionsxe2x80x9d is the ability to be associated with and incorporated into any existing or new injection systems.
The general attribute is further enhanced by the modular structure of the preferred implementation which can be flexibly configured for different injection systems, depending on a particular application.
For land transportation, cars, busses, trucks, naval propulsion, locomotives, the main sources of fuel have been liquids, including diesel fuels, kerosene and gasoline, all of them based on petroleum resources.
Natural gas was not sufficiently available to the commercial market for existing vehicles, including more than 600 million, spark ignited and diesel powered vehicles. The conventional, conversion technology, from liquid fuels to natural gas, results in a severe degradation in the performance, resulting in a lower power density and reduced efficiency.
The typical technology, based on the intake of the natural gas and air in a common admission, diminishes the air volume by the gas volume, typically resulting in a 50% reduction of the effective power and thermal efficiency, caused, for example, by the reduction of the compression ratios in a diesel engine from an original 18-20/1 to a resultant 10-11/1.
In contrast, direct injection of the liquid and gas fuels conserves the air capacity and the high compression ratio of the engine for a retained maximum power density and thermal efficiency.
A first objective of this invention is the general and universal capability to directly inject all the liquid fuels, and all the gaseous fuels, like natural gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), or liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, hydro-ammonia, etc.
A second objective of this invention is the capability that the transition from one fuel to any other can be manual or automatic, or commanded or programmed.
A third objective of this invention is that the universal injector can inject blended fuels from different categories and in different proportions mixing of liquids with liquids, or liquids and gases.
A fourth objective of this invention is the capability to be modularized, integrated and associated on conventional injection systems, on conventional common rails, and in any self-injection system, having the Common Universal Fuel Injector.
A fifth objective of this invention is the universal applicability, with practically insignificant or no modification at all, to any and all categories of engines, whether two stroke, four stroke spark-ignited or four stroke diesel.
A sixth objective of this invention is a constant pressure, direct natural gas injection, using constant pressure natural gas containers, pressurized by liquid fuel injection, with equal volume in accordance with the gas volume injected in the cylinder.
All the existing injection systems whether conventional, or new, electronically controlled or mechanically actuated, can be fundamentally improved by the association and integration of the universal fuel injector of this invention.
A first embodiment of the xe2x80x9cuniversal fuel injectorxe2x80x9d is in a working injection system, as described in the referenced patent, where a xe2x80x9cself injection systemxe2x80x9d related to a fuel injection system suitable for any internal combustion engines, wherein the developed pressure within the compression and combustion chamber is utilized to generate the amplified fuel injection pressure.
The new improvement introduces a number of novel features and advantages over and above those already described in the referenced patent for a xe2x80x9cself injection systemxe2x80x9d.
The most important feature introduced by these improvements is the xe2x80x9cuniversal fuel injector,xe2x80x9d which can directly inject any xe2x80x9cliquid fuels,xe2x80x9d of any nature, can directly inject any combination of xe2x80x9cliquids with liquid,xe2x80x9d for example alcohols with petroleum fluids, without the necessity of using surfacents, water and any liquid or gaseous fuels, alternatively can automatically switch to high pressure natural gas CNG and/or LNG, direct injection, as long as the high pressure of the gas is available. Automatically, the universal fuel injector is switched back to liquid fuel injection when or if the high pressure gas is not available, which is permitting the vehicles a continuous operation without any interruption. All these features and advantages are part of the definition of the xe2x80x9cuniversal fuel injection system.xe2x80x9d
Another essential advantage introduced is the separation between the universal fuel injector module and all the associated injection systems permitting a simple replacement of the existing injector of any engine with the new universal fuel injector module.
A new and specific embodiment of the referenced invention of the xe2x80x9cself injection systemxe2x80x9d is the inclusion of the xe2x80x9cuniversal fuel injector modulexe2x80x9d in a preferred embodiment of this invention forming a universal fuel, self injection system. The most important advantage introduced by these improvements is the modular separation between all the functional components, like the actuating module, the high pressure injection module and the universal fuel injector module.
This system enables independent control of all the parameters of the injection mixture formation and a perfect clean combustion. The modular system allows flexible structural variations depending on specific applications. Features of the improved injection system, originating in the referenced patent, include a hydraulic cylinder actuating module, with a slidable amplifier piston that is provided with an electronic/hydraulic control valve system, having a commanding plunger that is xe2x80x9chydraulically unbalanced.xe2x80x9d
This control module controls the access to the source of pressurized actuation fluid over the xe2x80x9chydraulically unbalanced plungerxe2x80x9d and is able to control the opening to the source of the pressurized fluid at the start of the injection. The high pressure injection module is provided with an electro hydraulic valve, which controls the general pressurization, and the timing of the xe2x80x9csharp cutxe2x80x9d of the end of injection. The same high pressure injection module is preferably provided with the self-induced multiple injection sub-module. Finally, individual modules of the modularized self-injection system described above, or any existing or new injectors, can be associated with the xe2x80x9cuniversal fuel injector module, which is the main object of this invention.
In the type of injection systems featuring the self-injection concept, the compression and the combustion pressure of the gases in the combustion chamber of the engine, on which the injector is mounted, provide the driving pressure for pressurizing the actuation fluid (engine oil or fuel). In this manner, the pressure of the liquid injection fuel, as amplified 10-15 times by the hydraulic actuator, profiles the pressure developed in the combustion chamber. The newly formed injection system directly utilizes the effect of the pressure evolution in the thermal cycle to induce in the fuel injection process a proportional, triangular evolutive pressure, This profile is absolutely ideal for the formation of an air-fuel mixture for a perfect, clean combustion process.
A second embodiment of the invention of this injection system comprises a working injection system, based on the common rail concept, in which the hydraulic pressure source is a medium pressure fuel pump (approx. 4000 psi). This configuration is provided with a balanced electro-hydraulic valve and a common by-pass discharge communication between the hydraulic actuator module and the high pressure injection module.
The new modularized injection system is preferably associated with the described xe2x80x9cuniversal injector module,xe2x80x9d which is able to direct inject all the categories of liquids and gaseous fuels, individually or combined in any and all proportions, simultaneous or alternatively.
The injection nozzle is provided with a new poppet injection valve, which generates a conic shaped injection spray, equivalent to a nozzle with an infinite number of holes and a high speed vortex generator for spinning the fuel, which generates high intensity centrifugal accelerations of the fuel molecules, producing an explosive dispersion of the fuel and air mixture. This type of fuel injector generates a total homogenization of the fuel air mixture, and is a complete total departure from the non-homogenous fuel mixture of the typical diesel, which is responsible for the usual emission of all the pollutants including NOx and particulate matter.
The universal fuel injector module, which is one of the main features of this invention, is provided with a switch valve for alternately commuting the operation between pure liquid and high pressure gas-liquid, In the direct, high pressure, gas-liquid operation mode, the poppet valve is provided with a central channel for liquid fuel, and a pilot liquid fuel injection holes concentric with the vortex of high speed, high pressure gas directly injected in the combustion chamber. The combined fuels generate a homogenous gas-liquid super mixture, ignited by the liquid-fuel pilot injection.
The universal fuel injector module of this invention can be individually associated and integrated in any and all type of injection systems existing or new, including those with in line injection pumps mechanically driven by the engine, or conventional electronic hydraulic common rail injection systems, which is a xe2x80x9cuniversal characteristicxe2x80x9d of this new injection system.
A special category for highly supercharged engines, represented in an alternate embodiment of the self injection system described above, is designed to enable a very large quantity of fuel to be injected in a very short time.
All of these injection systems can be electronically controlled based on an optimized map of operation for all the regimes of power, torque, rotation and level of supercharging. The electronically controlled system utilized modern smart sensors for diagnosing, and continuously comparing the optimized and the real time cycle parameters, cycle by cycle. Such system is controlled by a central electronic module which enables cycle corrections for all potential deviations from the map of optimum conditions.
Since the regulation of any and all the cycle parameters is automatic, the control function of the electronic control module is easily extended over all conditions for each injector. The capability of individual self-control of the injection process for each cylinder enables the system to self-diagnose and to equalize all the factors in an absolute regime of cooperative operation. This result is a self-regulating system for uniform operation of each injector in the entire engine system.
By appropriate modification, the design of the self-injection system can be extended to spark ignited engines for operating lean and ultra lean and clean combustion without departing from the spirit of this invention.


Methods for determination of parameters in lithographic devices and applications by cross-section analysis of scatterometry models, including determination of center of focus in lithography devices and applications. Control methods are provided for process control of center of focus in lithography devices utilizing cross-section analysis.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to methods for determination of parameters in lithography applications by cross-section scatterometry model analysis, including determination of center of focus in lithography applications, such as for photoresist lithographic wafer processing.
2. Background Art
Note that the following discussion refers to a number of publications by author(s) and year of publication, and that due to recent publication dates certain publications are not to be considered as prior art vis-a-vis the present invention. Discussion of such publications herein is given for more complete background and is not to be construed as an admission that such publications are prior art for patentability determination purposes.
Lithography has a variety of useful applications in the semiconductor, optics and related industries. Lithography is used to manufacture semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuits created on wafers, as well as flat-panel displays, disk heads and the like. In one application, lithography is used to transmit a pattern on a mask or reticle to a resist layer on a substrate through spatially modulated light. The resist layer is then developed and the exposed pattern is either etched away (positive resist) or remains (negative resist) to form a three dimensional image pattern in the resist layer. However, other forms of lithography are employed in addition to photoresist litholography.
In one form of lithography, particularly used in the semiconductor industry, a wafer stepper is employed, which typically includes a reduction lens and illuminator, an excimer laser light source, a wafer stage, a reticle stage, wafer cassettes and an operator workstation. Modern stepper devices employ both positive and negative resist methods, and utilize either the original step-and-repeat format or a step-and-scan format, or both.
Exposure and focus determine the quality of the image pattern that is developed, such as in the resist layer utilizing photoresist lithography. Exposure determines the average energy of the image per unit area and is set by the illumination time and intensity. Focus determines the decrease in modulation relative to the in-focus image. Focus is set by the position of the surface of the resist layer relative to the focal plane of the imaging system.
Local variations of exposure and focus can be caused by variations in the resist layer thickness, substrate topography, and stepper focus drift. Because of possible variations in exposure and focus, image patterns generated through lithography require monitoring to determine if the patterns are within an acceptable tolerance range. Focus and exposure controls are particularly important where the lithographic process is being used to generate sub-micron lines.
A variety of methods and devices have been used to determine focus of stepper and similar lithography devices. Scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and similar devices are employed. However, while SEM metrology can resolve features on the order of 0.1 microns, the process is costly, requires a high vacuum chamber, is relatively slow in operation and is difficult to automate. Optical microscopes can be employed, but do not have the required resolving power for sub-micron structures. Other methods include the development of specialized targets and test masks, such as are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,712,707, 5,953,128, and 6,088,113. Overlay error methods are also known, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,132. However, these methods, while increasing resolution because of the nature of the targets, still require use of SEM, optical microscopes or similar direct measurement devices.
A variety of scatterometer and related devices and measurements have been used for characterizing the microstructure of microelectronic and optoelectronic semiconductor materials, computer hard disks, optical disks, finely polished optical components, and other materials having lateral dimensions in the range of tens of microns to less than one-tenth micron. For example, the CDS200 Scatterometer, made and sold by Accent Optical Technologies, Inc. is a fully automated nondestructive critical dimension (CD) measurement and cross-section profile analysis system, partially disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,692. This device can repeatably resolve critical dimensions of less than 1 nm while simultaneously determining the cross-sectional profile and performing a layer thickness assessment. This device monitors the intensity of a single diffraction order as a function of the angle of incidence of the illuminating light beam. The intensity variation of the 0th or specular order as well as higher diffraction orders from the sample can be monitored in this manner, and this provides information that is useful for determining the properties of the sample target which is illuminated. Because the process used to fabricate the sample target determines the properties of a sample target, the information is also useful as an indirect monitor of the process. This methodology is described in the literature of semiconductor processing. A number of methods and devices for scatterometer analysis are taught, including those set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,642, 5,164,790, 5,241,369, 5,703,692, 5,867,276, 5,889,593, 5,912,741, and 6,100,985.
Another technique to determine best focus uses a specially designed reticle based upon phase shift technology (R. Edwards, P. Ackmann, C. Fischer, "Characterization of Autofocus Uniformity and Precision on ASML Steppers using the Phase Shift Focus Monitor Reticle," Proc. SPIE Vol. 3051, pp. 448–455, 1997). As the features are shot further away from best focus, the images printed from the reticle become more asymmetric and have more lateral image displacement. These images can be analyzed using image-based metrology tools, such as those used for overlay measurements.
Another technique to determine best focus is the line-shortening technique, also known as 'schnitzlometry' (C. P. Ausschnitt, M. E. Lagus, "Seeing the forest for the trees: a new approach to CD control," Proc. SPIE Vol. 3332, pp. 212–220, 1998). The method uses relatively large CD (˜3 microns) line/space arrays, where two arrays are placed next to each other. As the structures are printed through focus and/or dose, the lines themselves shorten and the space between the arrays broadens. This space can be measured using image-based metrology tools such as those used for overlay measurements.
Another technique to determine best focus is the Diffraction Signature Difference, or DSD, technique, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,930 to Michael E. Littau and Christopher J. Raymond, Determination of Center of Focus by Diffraction Signature Analysis. This technique uses an empirical analysis of scatterometry diffraction signatures. As best focus is reached, the difference between diffraction signatures between adjacent focus steps will minimize.
One of the more widely used techniques for determination of best focus is the so-called "Bossung plot" method. When a CD metrology tool such as a CD-SEM or scatterometer measures CD on a selected feature printed through focus, the resulting trend is usually parabolic. Fitting a parabolic curve to the CD trend and determining where the slope of the curve is zero identifies best focus. These curves are known as Bossung plots. One advantage to the Bossung method is that the actual CD of the process is quantified in addition to the best focus condition. However, the method is not always robust for certain process conditions which makes it difficult to determine best focus and difficult to implement in an automated manner. Furthermore, when the method is used with a CD-SEM, the measurement may be influenced by changes to the sidewall angle of the lines and hence produce a biased result.
Scatterometers and related devices can employ a variety of different methods of operation. In one method, a single, known wave-length source is used, and the incident angle Θ is varied over a determined continuous range. In another method, a number of laser beam sources are employed, optionally each at a different incident angle Θ. In yet another method, an incident broad spectral light source is used, with the incident light illuminated from some range of wavelengths and the incident angle Θ optionally held constant. Variable phase light components are also known, utilizing optics and filters to produce a range of incident phases, with a detector for detecting the resulting diffracted phase. It is also possible to employ variable polarization state light components, utilizing optics and filters to vary the light polarization from the S to P components. It is also possible to adjust the incident angle over a range φ, such that the light or other radiation source rotates about the target area, or alternatively the target is rotated relative to the light or other radiation source. Utilizing any of these various devices, and combinations or permutations thereof, it is possible and known to obtain a diffraction signature for a sample target.
Besides scatterometer devices, there are other devices and methods capable of determining the diffraction signatures at the 0th order or higher diffraction orders using a light-based source that can be reflected off of or transmitted through a diffraction grating, with the light captured by a detector. These other devices and methods include ellipsometers and reflectometers, in addition to scatterometers. It is further known that non-light-based diffraction signatures may be obtained, using other radiation sources as, for example, X-rays.
A variety of sample targets are known in the art. A simple and commonly used target is a diffraction grating, essentially a series of periodic lines, typically with a width to space ratio of between about 1:1 and 1:3, though other ratios are known. A typical diffraction grating, at for example a 1:3 ratio, would have a 100 nm line width and a 300 nm space, for a total pitch (width plus space) of 400 nm. The width and pitch is a function of the resolution of the lithographic process, and thus as lithographic processes permit smaller widths and pitches, the width and pitch may similarly be reduced. Diffraction techniques can be employed with any feasible width and pitch, including widths and/or pitches substantially smaller than those now typically employed. Bi-periodic and other multi-periodic structures are also known, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2002/0131055, published Sep. 19, 2002. Three-dimensional gratings or structures are also known, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,930. Thus diffracting structures may possess more than one period, or may be made up of elements other than lines and spaces, such as holes, squares, posts or the like.
Diffraction gratings are typically dispersed, in a known pattern, within dies on a wafer. It is known in the art to employ multiple dies (or exposure fields) on a single wafer. Each diffraction pattern may be made by lithographic means to be at a different focus, such as by employing a different focus setting or a different exposure setting or dose. It is also known that center of focus may be determined using scatterometry and diffraction gratings by comparing diffraction signatures from a variety of different focus diffraction gratings to a theoretical model library of diffraction grating signatures yielding information regarding CD. The actual diffraction measures are compared to the model, from which CD values are derived. The CD value thus obtained is plotted against focus and the results fit to a parabolic curve. This Bossung plot method, discussed above, has significant inherent limitations.

Determination of center of focus by cross-section analysis


A system provides impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) of a marine structure (50) and powers a load in a load arrangement (100) arranged on the marine structure (50) and in contact with the water (10). The power source provides a supply current to generate an electrical potential of the marine structure. The load arrangement (100) has an electrode arranged (130) to extend from the load arrangement into the water for transferring the supply current via the water. The load (20) is coupled between the electrode (130) and a power node (120). The power source is connected to the marine structure and to the power node. The load arrangement is arranged to use the supply current to provide power to the load. Thereto the supply voltage may have an AC component at a high frequency. The load may be an UV-C LED for emitting anti-fouling light.

Structures having metal parts, such as ships, oil rigs, but also jetties, heat exchange units, sea chests in ships, wind turbine at sea, tidal wave electrical generators, etc, operating in natural water such as sea water or fresh water in lakes or rivers, are called marine structures in this document. To counter natural corrosion such marine structures may be coated or painted. Also, such marine structures are often equipped with passive or active cathodic protecting systems. So, bare metal is protected against corrosion, also when protective coat or paint fails locally. Passive cathodic protecting systems use sacrificial Zinc, Aluminum or Iron anodes that dissolve electro-chemically over time, whereas active cathodic protecting systems impress a DC current in using anodes made of MMO-Ti (mix metal oxides) coated Titanium or Pt/Ti (Platinum coated Titanium). The active system that impresses a DC current into the water for generating an electrical potential of the marine structure with respect to the water, is called impressed current cathodic protection or ICCP.
Document US 2006/0065551 describes a corrosion tester for testing the level of protection of metallic structures protected by ICCP. Powering an ICCP system is not described as such, but power may be provided from a ship's battery. Power for operating the corrosion meter may be provided by a built-in battery.

System for impressed current cathodic protection


An imaging device is equipped with an imaging section and is provided with a reception section and an imaging control section. The reception section receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite, which includes reference time information that is used as a reference of time. The imaging control section synchronizes a timing of imaging by the imaging section with a reference time on the basis of the reference time information included in the GPS signal received by the reception section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device, an imaging method and a program for performing imaging in synchronization with another device.
2. Related Art
Recently, digital cameras have become capable of successive imaging at high frame rates, exceeding 100-1000 fps (frames per second). In some cases, a digital camera performs successive imaging at one of these high frame rates in synchronization with another digital camera. In such a case, for frames captured by the successive imaging to be captured with matching timings by the different digital cameras, the digital cameras must be synchronized with one another to a precision between a hundredth of a second and a thousandth of a second.
However, when signals that synchronize imaging timings are exchanged between plural digital cameras, errors of more than a hundredth of a second occur between transmission times identified by a transmission side camera and reception times identified by a reception side camera. If plural digital cameras are synchronized by respective built-in quartz clocks with an accuracy of around 15 seconds per month, differences arise at around 0.02 seconds per hour.
A technology has been proposed (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-344800) in which a light detector and a signal controller are provided at each of imaging devices or each except one of imaging devices. The light detector detects a flash light emission, and the signal controller initializes the timing of frame synchronization signals in response to the detection of the flash light emission. Thus, using the flash light emission as a cue, imaging operations of all the imaging devices are synchronized.


In a method for populating a lookup table, a plurality of hash tables are provided. Each hash table is accessed by a respective hash function. A plurality of hashed values for a key are generated using the hash functions corresponding to the plurality of hash tables. The plurality of hashed values are used to determine whether the key can be inserted into one or more hash tables of the plurality of hash tables without colliding with keys previously stored at respective locations corresponding to the determined hashed values. When it is determined that the key can be inserted into multiple hash tables, it is then determined which one of the multiple hash tables is populated with the greatest number of keys. The hash table that is populated with the greatest number of keys is selected for insertion of the key, and the key is inserted into the selected hash table.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Network devices, such as network switches, routers, edge devices and the like, often employ lookup tables that store various information associated with packets processed by the network devices, and a network device performs lookups in the lookup tables for making various processing decisions during processing of packets by the network device. For example, lookup operations may be performed for packet classification, forwarding decisions, quality of service classifications, policy control list applications, and other processing operations generally performed by network devices. In general, a lookup for a packet is performed according to a key associated with or generated for the packet. The key is used to search a table, for example, and information relevant to the packet (e.g., forwarding information for the packet) is retrieved from an entry in the table identified by the key. Some lookup tables are implemented using content addressable memory (CAM). A CAM based table is a fully associative array that generally allows all keys provided to the table to be inserted into the table as long as the maximum number of table entries has not been exceeded. However, while a CAM table allows insertion of all keys provided to the table, CAM based tables generally are expensive in terms of area and power consumption, especially when large size lookup tables are employed.
An alternative implementation of a lookup table utilizes a hash based scheme in which a hash function is applied to a key to determine a location in the hash table at which the key and information associated with the key (e.g., forwarding information) are stored. While hash tables are generally smaller and more efficient compared to CAM implementations, hash tables exhibit inherent collisions when a hash function generates the same hashed values for two or more different keys provided to the hash function, and as a result, some keys provided to a hash table cannot be inserted into the hash table. Therefore, a lookup operation for some keys provided to a hash table will not produce a match. Thus, it is difficult to achieve exact match lookup performance when hash tables are employed. Various techniques, such as increasing hash table size or utilizing auxiliary search mechanisms to resolve hash collisions, have been employed to overcome the inherent deficiencies of conventional hash tables. However, such techniques are generally inefficient and can ultimately reduce desirability of using hash tables to perform exact match lookups.

Exact match lookup in network switch devices


A tractor having a front axle that pivotally moves laterally in response to a corresponding steering action of the steerable wheels mounted on the front axle is disclosed wherein an implement attachment mechanism is detachably connected directly to the front axle in a manner so as to be laterally movable relative to the chassis with the shiftable front axle. The implement attachment mechanism includes a hydraulically powered lift mechanism to power a vertical movement of any implement attached thereto relative to the chassis. An optional supplemental support strap detachably connects to the frame portion of the implement attachment mechanism and engages the pivot assembly supporting the front axle from the chassis to provide additional support for connecting said implement attachment mechanism to said front axle without interfering with the pivotal movement of the front axle relative to the chassis.

This invention relates generally to a steering mechanism for an agricultural tractor in which the front axle is laterally shiftable in response to a steering movement of the steerable wheels and, more particularly, to an implement attachment mechanism which is mounted directly to the shiftable front axle to enhance steering operation associated with front mounted implements.
Tractors, whether used in an agricultural setting or in an industrial setting, typically include a fixed axle through which primary driving power is transferred through fixed wheels rotatably mounted on opposing ends of the fixed axle, and a steering axle having pivotally mounted steerable ground engaging wheels rotatably mounted on the opposing ends thereof to support the chassis of the tractor above the ground. Although supplemental driving power is often provided to the steerable ground engaging wheels, a steering mechanism remotely controllable by the operator from the operator's compartment selectively controls the pivotal movement of the steerable wheels relative to the steering axle.
One such steering mechanism incorporates a transversely disposed, horizontally extending hydraulic cylinder supported by the steering axle and connected to the opposing steerable wheels. This hydraulic cylinder affects pivotal movement of the steerable wheels about their respective pivotal connections to the steering axle by manipulating the pressures in the hydraulic cylinder to effect a transverse extension of cylinder rod, causing a turning of the wheels.
Due to physical limitations relating to the range of movement of the steering mechanism and to the eventual interference between the steerable wheels and the steering axle, the amount of pivotal movement of the steerable wheels relative to the steering axle is limited to a given turning angle. This maximum turning angle defines the minimum turning radius of the tractor for a given wheel base length and tread spacing. The selection of the length of the wheel base, i.e., the distance between the fixed axle and the steering axle, is a compromise between the need to minimize the turning radius and, therefore, minimize the wheel base length, and to maximize ride considerations which require longer wheel base lengths.
These conflicting wheel base requirements can be better resolved by a steering mechanism incorporating a laterally shifting front axle that is movable in response to a corresponding steering movement of the steerable wheels, which will decrease the turning radius of the tractor for any given wheel base length.
Traditionally, front mounted implements are connected to a three-point hitch attachment mechanism supported from the frame of the chassis to provide adequate support therefor. Steering of the tractor when front mounted implements are utilized can be difficult, particularly when the implement is a tillage device actively engaged with the ground. Such steering difficulties counteract the steering capability enhancements associated with a compound steering mechanism.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a mechanism for mounting an implement attachment mechanism directly to the laterally shiftable front axle so that the implement connected thereto would be laterally shiftable with the steering movement of the compound steering mechanism.

Compound steering mechanism with front mounted implement attachment apparatus