A circuit for inhibiting a transition phenomenon in a power supply unit is disclosed. When the power supply mode is shifted, a transition phenomenon is made not to appear in the operating power supplied to the load. The circuit includes a microcomputer which judges as to the presence or absence of horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals supplied from the computer system so as to vary the power in a stepwise form when shifting the power supply mode. In accordance with control signals of the microcomputer, a feedback level adjusting section reduces the error detected voltage in a stepwise form when the power is fed back from a second rectifying section through an error detecting section to a pulse width modulator (PWM) control section. Therefore, in accordance with the stepwisely decreasing error detected voltage, the pulse width modulator (PWM) control section reduces its output signals in a stepwise form, so that the power supplied to the load can be reduced in a stepwise form.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image displaying apparatus in which the operating power supplied to the load is controlled in accordance with the presence and absence of horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals in a computer system.
2. Related Art
An image displaying device such as a monitor using a cathode ray tube is a peripheral device which makes it possible for a user to check and monitor the operating state of a computer system connected to the monitor. In the computer system, signals for a current operation are outputted to the image display device, and the signals are displayed on the screen by the image display device. In order to display the computer signals on the screen of the cathode ray tube by the image display device, there are utilized horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals.
The image display device generates horizontal deflecting magnetic fields in accordance with the horizontal synchronizing signals, and generates vertical deflecting magnetic fields in accordance with the vertical synchronizing signals. Electron beams shot by an electron gun are deflected by the horizontal and vertical deflecting magnetic fields in accordance with the image signals. Thus a computer system outputs data signals as well as the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals.
Video power savings for a monitor circuit are achieved in accordance with version 1.0 of the display power management signaling (DPMS) standard, dated Aug. 20, 1993, supported by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). The Video Electronics Standards Association is an international non-profit corporation that supports and sets industry-wide interface standards for personal computer, workstation, and computing environments. Members of the Video Electronics Standards Association include hardware, software, personal computer, display and component manufacturers, cable and telephone companies, and service providers.
Power saving modes of the display power management signaling standard may be classified into a power-on mode, a standby mode, a suspend mode, and a power-off mode. The power saving mode of the display monitor is controlled by the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals supplied from a host supporting the power savings modes. A personal computer may be the host.
If both types of synchronizing signals are supplied from the host, the display monitor apparatus is operated in the power-on mode. In the power-on mode, a high level of electrical power is supplied to the display monitor apparatus, such that full operational use of the display monitor apparatus is possible.
When only the vertical synchronizing signal is fed from the host, the power supply mode of the display monitor apparatus becomes the standby mode, in which a first group of circuits are put into a reduced power state. Standby mode can save approximately 30% of the power required for power-on mode and allows the display monitor apparatus to change to power-on mode instantly, as soon as needed.
When only the horizontal synchronizing signal is supplied from the host, the display apparatus is put into the suspend mode, in which a second group of circuits are put into a reduced power state. Suspend mode saves more power than standby mode by powering off the cathode ray tube's main heater but requires up to approximately 5 seconds to change to power-on mode.
When no synchronizing signals are provided from the host, the display monitor apparatus is put into the power-off mode. In such a case, electrical power supplied to the display monitor apparatus is changed to a low level, such that the screen of the display monitor apparatus is blank. Power-off mode saves more power by turning power off to everything except the monitor's microprocessor.
Thus, the aforementioned display power management signaling standard, proposed by the Video Electronics Standard Association, is capable of managing monitor power for a current mode and capable of reducing the power consumption.
The computer system utilizing the display power management signaling (DPMS) standard is capable of managing the power supplied to respective sections of the computer based on the state of the use of the computer system. The computer system selectively outputs horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals in accordance with the power supply mode in accordance with the display power management signaling (DPMS) standard. The monitor operates under an on-state mode, a standby mode, a suspend mode or a power-off mode in accordance with the presence or absence of the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals.
That is, when both the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals are outputted, the monitor operates under the on-state mode or power-on mode. When the vertical synchronizing signals are outputted and the horizontal synchronizing signals are not outputted, the monitor operates under the standby mode. When the horizontal synchronizing signals are outputted and the vertical synchronizing signals are not outputted, the monitor operates under the suspend mode. When neither the horizontal nor vertical synchronizing signals are outputted, the monitor operates under the power-off mode.
When the monitor operates under the on-state mode, the power consumption in accordance with the display power management signaling (DPMS) standard is about 80-100 watts (W). Under the standby mode, it is about 65 W or less. Under the suspend mode, it is about 25 W or less. Under the power-off mode, it is about 5 W or less.
Also, there are systems in which the on-state mode and the standby mode are merged into a normal mode, so that the managing mode can be divided into the normal mode, the suspend mode and the power-off mode. This type of three-mode power system is different from the aforementioned four-mode power system described in version 1.0 of the display power management signaling (DPMS) standard, dated Aug. 20, 1993, and supported by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA).
In the case of the three-mode power system, the power consumption is defined as follows. Under the normal mode, the power consumption is 80-100 W. Under the suspend mode, it is about 15 W or less. Under the power-off mode, it is about 5 W or less.
As described above, in the monitor in which the power is managed in accordance with the system operating mode, the power supply mode is shifted in accordance with the presence or absence of the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals. Therefore, when the mode is shifted from the standby mode or the normal mode to the suspend mode, the operating power is greatly fluctuated.
Due to the fluctuations of the operating power, there occurs a transition phenomenon in which the operating power is severely lowered. Due to this transition phenomenon, the power which is supplied to the load is steeply decreased, and a surge current is supplied to the load. As a result, malfunctions occur, and the life expectancy of the power supply unit is shortened.
Meanwhile, in the case where the shifting is accompanied by a small power variation like when the on-state mode is shifted to the standby mode or the suspend mode is shifted to the power off mode, the transition phenomenon occurs, but in this case, the power fluctuation is low. Therefore, in this case, the apparatus is not much affected.
Accordingly, I have discovered that it would be desirable to provide an improved circuit reducing the aforementioned transition phenomenon and reducing the occurrence of damages associated with the transition phenomenon.

Circuit for inhibiting transition phenomenon in power supply unit


A resistive element, a circuit board, and a circuit package, as well as a method of adding a resistive element to a circuit board are described. The resistive element includes a first contact point connected to a capacitor terminal, a second contact point connected to a circuit board plane, and resistive material connected to the first and second contact points. The invention may also include a circuit board with one or more resistive elements, as well as a circuit package, such as an integrated circuit or a discrete bypass capacitor, including one or more resistive elements, applied to an outside surface. The value of resistance for the resistive element can be selected by design to have a predetermined relationship with the equivalent resistance of an associated circuit board and connecting circuitry.

As integrated circuit (IC) technology continues to advance, and operational clocking speeds increase, chips require more power more quickly. The traditional concept behind using capacitors to decouple ICs is to give each IC a localized reservoir of high-frequency energy. In essence, local capacitors help to "decouple" associated ICs from the main power supply, decreasing the magnitude of high frequency ripple or sag that appears on the main power bus. The bulk decoupling capacitor on a circuit board, in turn, replenishes each of the local capacitors.
Unfortunately, a capacitor is not an ideal circuit element. In fact, the capacitor is typically modeled as a series circuit, as shown in prior art FIG. 1. Here the equivalent circuit 101 for a motherboard power supply decoupling capacitor 103, a local bypass capacitor 104, and the connecting circuitry 102 between them can be seen. The power supply PS provides power to the equivalent circuit 101, which in turn passes the power on to the integrated circuit package IC. The equivalent circuit 101 may include, as modeled in this example, the mother board power supply decoupling capacitor 103 series elements CMB, ESRMB, and LMB connected in parallel with the sum of the connecting circuitry 102 series elements LPLNS+SKT and RPLNS+SKT and the local bypass capacitor 104 series elements CCPKG, ESRCPKG, and LCPKG).
Because a real-world capacitor is not ideal, including both reactive and resistive operational components, its response to transients varies as a function of frequency. Thus, at low frequencies, the capacitive reactance due to CCPKG is quite high, dominating the equivalent impedance. As the frequency increases, the capacitive reactance due to CCPKG decreases at a rate of about 20 dB/decade, while the inductive reactance due to LCPKG increases by the same amount. At the self-resonant frequency (SRF), or 1/√{square root over (LCPKGCCPKG)}, where the capacitive and inductive reactances are equal but opposite in phase, the impedance of the capacitor 104 is simply equivalent to the equivalent series resistance for the capacitor, or ESRCPKG. Above the SRF, the equivalent impedance increases, as the inductive reactance due to LCPKG dominates.
In addition, when a capacitor is placed on a circuit board, the inductance of the traces and other connecting circuitry (e.g., LPLNS+SKT) between the capacitor and the associated chip further affects chip performance at high clock speeds. The bypass element 104, and the connecting circuitry (traces) 102 that lead to it, form a current loop which operates as an antenna for transmitting radio frequency interference generated by fast transients. Thus, bypass capacitors can do their job most efficiently only if mounted in close proximity to the associated chip pins that draw transient currents.
In addition to low series inductance LCPKG in a capacitor, it's usually desirable to have a low effective series resistance (ESRCPKG), which goes hand-in-hand with a low dissipation factor. However, sometimes a very low ESRCPKG can provoke unexpected problems in the form of resonance, especially when the value of ESRMB is not matched to the sum of ESRCPKG and RPLNS+SKT and when (LPLNS+SKT+LMB)/(RPLNS+SKT+ESRMB)>>CCPKG* ESRCPKG. When repetitive pulses excite the resonator formed by a low equivalent series resistance capacitor and the motherboard, high-amplitude ringing can result, producing an exceedingly noisy supply bus. The typical solution is to place electrolytic capacitors across the bus to damp the ringing, which is costly and uses a large amount of circuit board real estate. A better solution would be to somehow increase the series resistance of the bypass capacitor ESRCPKG, without adding additional capacitance or inductance.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide additional series resistance for bypass capacitors, connected in parallel with the equivalent series resistance of the associated circuit board power supply decoupling capacitor. Adding this type of series resistance, possibly in the form of a separate resistive element, should be accomplished at low cost, without substantially increasing the inductive reactance of the equivalent circuit. The amount of series resistance added should also be selectable, in accordance with what is necessary to dampen the resonant frequency response of the equivalent circuit between the associated power supply and integrated circuit package. There is also a need in the art for a method to add series resistance to the equivalent circuit, as described above.


Provided is a mechanism for setting whether to enable a shift function for shifting the sheet on which the image is printed in accordance with detection of the original.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a method for controlling the same, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
Some image forming apparatuses have a plurality of discharge destinations (discharge trays), and can set which of the discharge destinations to be use and set the priority orders of the discharge destinations on a job-by-job basis. Assume, for example, an image forming apparatus with three discharge destinations (discharge trays 1, 2, 3), in which the priority orders of the discharge destinations in a copy job are as follows: the discharge tray 2 is given the first priority, the discharge tray 1 is given the second priority, and the discharge tray 3 is given the third priority. In this case, printouts of a copy job are discharged to the discharge tray 2, unless there is any particular reason. In the case where the function and the sheet type set for a copy job are not fit for the discharge tray 2 but are fit for the discharge tray 1, discharge is performed using the discharge tray 1, which comes second in the priority order.
Meanwhile, some discharge trays have a shift function, which is one of discharge functions. Shift is a function for outputting printouts such that they are shifted by approximately 1 cm on a copy-by-copy basis, thereby making it easy to sort the printouts. As a user is less likely to recognize the shift function as something that should be manually set, the shift function is generally set with preset values (default). Some discharge trays have the shift function while others do not have such a shift function; therefore, there are cases in which the designated priority orders of discharge destinations contradict the shift setting. In the case where a discharge destination that cannot perform shift and the shift function are designated concurrently, control may be performed so as to place priority on discharge using the designated discharge destination, that is to say, perform discharge without performing shift (priority on the discharge destination).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-91092 proposes a technique to enable acceptance or appropriate handling by a sheet post-processing apparatus even if there is a discrepancy in the settings of "processing" and "discharge destination" transmitted from an image forming apparatus.
However, the foregoing conventional techniques have the following problems. For example, in the case where the shift function is designated with preset values, even if a discharge tray that cannot perform shift has a high priority order, placing priority on the shift function results in discharge using a discharge tray that can perform shift unless the user specifically cancels the shift. That is to say, even in the case where the discharge destination and the discharge destination priority orders set by the user are designated, there is a possibility that printouts are not output to a desired discharge destination. On the other hand, as stated earlier, if control is performed to place priority on the discharge destination, even in the case where the user wishes to use the shift function, there is a possibility that printouts are discharged without being shifted unless a discharge destination having a high priority order does not have the shift function.

Image forming apparatus, method for controlling the same, and storage medium


An electrical connector 60 achieves improved transmission performance by introducing predetermined amounts of compensation between two pairs of conductors that extend from its input terminals to its output terminals along interconnection paths. Electrical signals on one pair of conductors are coupled onto the other pair of conductors in two or more compensation stages that are time delayed with respect to each other. Illustratively, the electrical connector is a modular jack that is adapted to receive a modular plug 20. Associated with the modular plug and the input of the modular jack there exists a known amount of offending crosstalk A.sub.0, which is approximately canceled by the two or more stages of compensating crosstalk. In a first stage, compensating crosstalk A.sub.1 is introduced between the pairs, and it has a first predetermined magnitude and phase at a given frequency. In a second stage, compensating crosstalk A.sub.2 is introduced between the pairs, and it has a second predetermined magnitude and phase at the given frequency. Multiple compensation stages are needed because, at high frequencies, compensating crosstalk cannot be introduced that is exactly 180 degrees out of phase with the offending crosstalk because of propagation delay. The electrical connector 60 is constructed using a multi-layer printed wiring board 600 having input and output terminals where connection to metallic wires is made. These terminals are interconnected on the printed wiring board by metallic paths that are arranged to provide multiple stages of compensating crosstalk. When the connector 60 is joined to a plug 20, the near-end crosstalk of the combined structure is extremely low at frequencies up to at least 200 MHz.

There appears to be a healthy competition developing between optical and electrical communication systems. If electrical systems are to remain viable for distributing signals at high transmission speeds, then electrical cables and connectors must improve their transmission performance or face replacement by optical systems. However, since nearly all consumer and business communication systems are equipped to handle electrical signals exclusively, electrical systems presently enjoy a competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the replacement of electrical equipment with optical equipment may ultimately occur anyway, but it can be forestalled for the foreseeable future by substantial improvements in high-frequency performance.
In an electrical communication system, it is sometimes advantageous to transmit information (video, audio, data) in the form of balanced signals over a pair of wires (hereinafter "wire-pair") rather than a single wire, wherein the transmitted signal comprises the voltage difference between the wires without regard to the absolute voltages present. Each wire in a wire-pair is capable of picking up electrical noise from sources such as lightning, automobile spark plugs and radio stations to name but a few. Balance is a measure of impedance symmetry in a wire pair as between its individual conductors and ground. When the impedance to ground for one conductor is different than the impedance to ground for the other conductor, then common mode (longitudinal) signals are undesirably converted to differential mode (transverse) signals. Additionally, return loss comprises a reflection of the incoming signal that effectively occurs when the terminating impedance does not match the source impedance. Of greater concern, however, is the electrical noise that is picked up from nearby wires that may extend in the same general direction for long distances. This is referred to as crosstalk, and so long as the same noise signal is added to each wire in the wire-pair, then the voltage difference between the wires will remain about the same. In all of the above situations, undesirable signals are present on the electrical conductors that can interfere with the information signal.
An example of an electrical communication system where crosstalk is likely to occur is shown in FIG. 1, which discloses a high-speed communication terminal 1 and cables 2, 3--each containing several wire-pairs. Electrical interconnection between cables may be facilitated by the use of standard telecommunications connectors that are frequently referred to as modular plugs and jacks, or other style plugs and receptacles. Connecting apparatus includes a modular plug 20, and a modular jack 30 that comprises a jack frame 310 and a connector assembly 320. Modular plug 20 inserts into opening 315 on the front side of jack frame 310 and communicates electrical signals to and from terminal 1. Inserted into the back side of jack frame 310 is a connector assembly 320, which receives and holds wires from cable 3 that are individually pressed into slots 321 where mechanical and electrical connection is made. And while there are many places in FIG. 1 where undesirable signals attributable to crosstalk, imbalance and return loss are present, it is particularly desirable to reduce the undesirable signals that arise within connecting apparatus 20, 30.
Connecting apparatus 20, 30 may include up to eight or more wires that are close together--a condition that leads to excessive crosstalk over relatively short distances. If the electrical conductors that interconnect with these terminals are close together for any distance, as is the case in present designs, then crosstalk between these wire-paths is particularly troublesome. In particular, near-end crosstalk (NEXT), which is the crosstalk energy traveling in the opposite direction to that of the signal in the disturbing wire-pair, is about 25 dB below the level of the incoming signal at 100 MHz in modular jack designs such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,442 that issued on Mar. 17, 1992. One such modular jack is known as the M1 Communication Outlet, which is manufactured by Lucent Technologies. FIG. 2 illustrates the polarity and magnitude of the NEXT between two pairs of conductors within the plug 20 and jack 30 by positive (+) signs. Note that the overall NEXT in the connecting apparatus comes from both the plug 20 and jack 30. Because the conductor paths within the plug and jack are close together and extend in a straight line, NEXT is substantial.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,647 (the '647 patent) issued on Feb. 16, 1993 and made a substantial improvement to the design of modular jacks by crossing the path of one of the conductors within the connector, over the path of another of the conductors within the connector. This was the first time that compensating crosstalk was added to the undesirable crosstalk within an electrical connector in an attempt to cancel it. FIG. 3 illustrates the polarity and magnitude of the NEXT between two pairs of conductors within the plug 20 and jack 30 by positive (+) and negative (-) signs. This simple technique improves NEXT at 100 MHz, by a startling 17 dB, thereby enabling the electrical connector to comply with the Category 5 requirements specified in ANSI/EIA/TIA--568A. An example of such a modular jack is the M100 Communication Outlet, which is manufactured by Lucent Technologies. In FIG. 3, offending crosstalk is shown in Section 0 coming from the plug 20 and a first portion of jack 30; while compensating crosstalk is shown in Section I coming from a second portion of jack 30.
Techniques have been developed for further reducing crosstalk in the present generation of electrical connectors, where levels that are about 46 dB below the level of the incoming signal at 100 MHz have been achieved. An example of such a connector is the MPS100 Communication Outlet, which is also manufactured by Lucent Technologies. Nevertheless, what is desired, but is not disclosed in the prior art, is a technique for improving the balance and return loss characteristics of an electrical connector and, more particularly, a technique for reducing crosstalk in the electrical connector to levels that are more than 46 dB below the level of the incoming signal at 100 MHz

Electrical connector having time-delayed signal compensation


A method and system for a command processor for efficient processing of a program multi-processor core system with a CPU and GPU. The multi-core system includes a general purpose CPU executing commands in a CPU programming language and a graphic processing unit (GPU) executing commands in a GPU programming language. A command processor is coupled to the CPU and GPU. The command processor sequences jobs from a program for processing by the CPU or the GPU. The command processor creates commands from the jobs in a state free command format. The command processor generates a sequence of commands for execution by either the CPU or the GPU in the command format. A compiler running a meta language converts program data for the commands into a first format readable by the CPU programming language and a second format readable by the GPU programming language.

Current processing systems have multiple processing cores to provide parallel processing of computational tasks, which increase the speed of completing such tasks. For example specialized processing chips such as graphic processing units (GPU) have been employed to perform complex operations such as rendering graphics. A GPU is understood as a specialized processing circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display. GPUs may include hundreds if not thousands of processing cores since graphic processing may be massively parallelized to speed rendering of graphics in real-time. GPUs perform various graphic processing functions by performing calculations related to 3D graphics. These include accelerating memory-intensive work such as texture mapping and rendering polygons, performing geometric calculations such as the rotation and translation of vertices into different coordinate systems. GPUs may also support programmable shader programs, which can manipulate vertices and textures, oversampling and interpolation techniques to reduce aliasing, and very high-precision color spaces.
Most graphics systems are built on top of an application program interface (API), which provides an abstracted way of running GPU programs independent of a particular hardware and operating system. APIs do not provide, however, an efficient method for binding data between the CPU and GPU, or a management system for managing GPU programs. There is also variance to the degree of which an API might handle hazards and state information, that is, situations where one operation must wait until the completion of another operation.
GPUs typically operate by performing computational tasks on a series of commands placed in a command queue. An API provides a method of indirect access to filling the command queue. A command thus might consist of binding a particular resource (an image or a memory buffer) to specific internal bind point, binding a shader program for execution, or submitting a set of triangles for rasterization.
A GPU processes a command queue serially, meaning that the commands are issued in the order they are placed in the command queue. A GPU processes these commands asynchronously from the CPU, and all synchronization must be handled by the API or the application itself. Because the GPU often accepts data from the CPU, the CPU must avoid touching the memory that is in use by the GPU. This condition may be referred to as a CPU to GPU hazard. Additionally, the GPU itself is intrinsically parallel, and may execute certain commands in parallel without waiting for one operation to be complete before issuing the next one. For example, a GPU may write into an image in a command, then the next command may attempt to use this image to render an object into the screen. If not properly fenced, the second command may begin executing before the image has completed writing, thereby causing incorrect results. This situation is referenced as a GPU hazard.
The GPU is a complex device which has a significant amount of state related to executed commands. GPUs maintain an internal state which may or may not be visible to a CPU. For example, if a CPU program issues a command to bind a resource in one command, then all other commands in the queue which were placed after that command expect that this resource is bound until such a point that a new command either unbinds it or binds a different resource. Usually, the concept that each GPU command will inherit state from the previous command is directly exposed in the API.
A command buffer with a command queue is typically generated by a program operating on one or more CPUs. The state-aware nature of the API and asynchronous nature of the command queue provide difficulties in allowing multiple CPUs to add commands to the GPU. This is because state aware APIs and command queues require at least some knowledge of previous commands, which is intrinsically serial. Thus, it is difficult for two commands to process simultaneously since a preceding command must process before following commands can specify the required state changes.
Additionally, due to different architectural origins, there is often a mismatch between CPU data types and GPU data types which can introduce a significant overhead during the generation of commands.
Thus, there is a need for a command system that allows CPU and GPUs to efficiently execute program instructions. There is a further need for a meta language that allows data types to be shared efficiently between a CPU and a GPU. There is also a need for a command format that may be used independent of the processor hardware type.

Method and system of a command buffer between a CPU and GPU


An imaging apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an imaging unit configured to generate image data by imaging an object image; a displaying unit configured to display the image data and a focus area superimposed on the image data, the focus area being a set of a plurality of focus frames; a determination unit configured to determine a number and positions of arbitrary focus frames selected from the focus area; and a control unit configured to control the imaging unit and the determination unit, and to perform focus processing on an image. The control unit performs the focus processing according to a plurality of selected focus frames when the determination unit determines that the plurality of selected focus frames are located at positions not adjacent to each other.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an imaging apparatus that performs auto focusing control.
2. Description of the Related Art
PTL 1 discloses an imaging apparatus that displays an imaged image divided into a plurality of areas, allowing a user to specify an area including a target object, and moving the focus lens to perform focusing based on focusing information of the specified area.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A method of manufacturing a 3-D spiral stacked inductor is provided having a substrate with a plurality of turns in a plurality of levels wherein the number of levels increases from an inner turn to the outer turn of the inductor. First and second connecting portions are respectively connected to an inner turn and an outermost turn, and a dielectric material contains the first and second connecting portions and the plurality of turns over the substrate.

Increasing demands for personal mobile communications equipment have motivated recent research activities to focus on the development of inexpensive, small size, low power consumption, and low noise level systems. To satisfy these requirements, one of the most important and indispensable circuit components is the on-chip silicon-based inductor.
As a result, miniaturization of the inductor on silicon has become a current key research area and extensive work has been done in this area. However, despite efforts by many researchers having skill in the art, achieving high performance on-chip inductors, i.e., high qualify factor (Q), still remains a major problem especially when radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) are built on silicon.
Conventional inductors built on silicon are generally planar in nature. The current complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process uses a very conductive substrate. Spiral inductors fabricated on such a lossy substrate suffer from high capacitive and magnetic losses.
In addition, high dynamic resistance of metal lines at GHz frequency ranges further degrades the inductor performance in CMOS technology as compared to those fabricated in monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs).
Many fabricating techniques, processes, and materials have been proposed to improve the performance of on-chip inductors. Tedious processing techniques such as etching away the silicon substrate under the inductor have been introduced to remove the substrate parasitic effects completely. Despite achieving good results, industries are reluctant to adopt such a technique because of reliability issues such as packaging yield, as well as long-term mechanical stability.
Another approach to minimize the substrate loss for silicon-based inductors has been to increase the substrate resistivity. This technique has yielded significant results, however, the substrate becomes unsuitable for building active MOS devices.
The most critical factor hindering the performance of silicon-based inductors is the high resistive aluminum-copper (AlCu) interconnects used in silicon processes.
In comparison, thicker and less resistive gold (Au) metalization together with lossless substrate in gallium arsenide (GaAs) technology permits high performance inductors to be fabricated easily. To overcome high metalization resistance, a popular technique is to have the layers of metal stacked together, thereby achieving a high Q inductor.
Another possible alternative is to use an active inductor. In an active inductor high Q factor and inductance can be achieved in a really small silicon area. However, such approach suffers from high power consumption and high noise levels that are not acceptable for low power and high frequency applications. In addition, performance of active inductors are very sensitive and dependent upon the inductor's biasing circuitry, making it time consuming and tedious to design.
As a result of the above, the simplest and most commonly used on-chip inductors are planar silicon-based spiral inductors, which require careful layout optimization techniques to improve performance.
In the conventional spiral inductor design, the inductor is planar and fabricated on a conductive silicon substrate. To improve the Q factor of the spiral inductors, the top metal is usually stacked with a few layers of lower metal through vias to minimize the overall metal series resistance. Nevertheless, when more layers are used to realize a very thick conductor, the whole spiral is brought closer to the substrate. This increases the spiral-to-substrate parasitic capacitance and hence results in a degradation of Q factor as well as the inductor's self-resonant frequency. It has been observed that the Q factor of a 4-layer stacked inductor decreases at a much faster rate compared to 1- to 3-layer stacked inductors. Because of this, it becomes extremely difficult to design high performance inductors with large inductance values since such a phenomenon is more pronounced when the inductors occupy large areas.
Magnetic losses occur when inductors are built on conductive substrates. According to Faraday's law, an image current or eddy current is induced in the substrate underneath the spiral inductor. Since a silicon substrate has low resistivity, this image current can flow easily. In compliance with Lenz's law, the direction of flow for this induced current is opposite to that of the inductor current. This characteristic results in a degradation of the inductor's overall useful inductance.
To reduce these magnetic losses due to the formation of the eddy currents, varying width inductors have been proposed. The basic working principal is to minimize undesirable magnetic flux created by the induced substrate eddy current, especially at the inductor's core. This can be easily accomplished by reducing current density of the inductor's inner turns. Meanwhile, when current density of the inner turns is reduced, induced substrate current at the center of the inductor will also have a lower current density. As a result, at the inductor's core, parasitic magnetic flux generated in the substrate is much weaker and this helps increase the inductance and the Q factor of spiral inductors.
However, it has been observed that the Q factor degrades drastically at higher frequencies when compared with fixed-width spiral inductors. This suggests that for a large inductor to achieve a difference in current density between the inner and outer turns, the overall inductor area must be enormous. Its Q factor is expected to fall even before 2.45 GHz and would, of course, render this technique completely useless.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought, but have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Method of manufacturing 3-D spiral stacked inductor on semiconductor material

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.


The present invention relates to a beam optical component (1, 201) for acting on a charged particle beam (63) including a first element (3; 203) having a first opening (9; 209) for acting on the charged particle beam (63), at least a second element (5; 205) for acting on the charged particle beam (63); at least one distance piece (20a, 20b, 20c) positioned between the first element (3; 203) and the second element (5; 205) to define a minimum distance between the first element (3; 203) and the second element (5; 205); and a first holding piece (30a; 30b; 30c) for abutting the first element (3) to the at least one distance piece (20a, 20b, 20c), whereby the first holding piece (30a; 30b; 30c) is attached to the at least one distance piece (20a, 20b, 20c). First and second elements (3; 203; 5; 205) are preferably electrodes or pole pieces to act on the charged particle beam by an electrostatic or magnetic force. With the first holding piece (30a; 30b; 30c) attached to the at least one distance piece, distorting mechanical forces on the first and second elements (3, 5) are reduced which improves the performance of the respective beam optical components (1; 201).

Improvements of charged particle beam devices, like electron microscopes or focused ion beam devices (FIB), often depend on improvements of their beam optical components. Beam optical components are, for example, electrostatic or magnetic lenses, deflectors, electrostatic or magnetic mirrors, spectrometers and the like.
Beam optical components that rely on an electrostatic interaction with the charged particle beam are usually composed of two or more electrodes with openings or some other structure thereon. By applying appropriate voltages to the respective electrodes, the geometric shape of the electrodes and the electric potentials generate an electrostatic field that can be used to focus, deflect or disperse an incoming charged particle beam.
Contrastingly, beam optical components that rely on a magnetic interaction with the charged particle beam are composed of two or more pole pieces with openings or some other structure thereon. By applying an appropriate magnetic flux to the respective pole pieces, the geometric shape of the pole pieces and the magnetic flux generate a magnetic field that, similar to an electric field, can be used to focus, deflect or disperse an incoming charged particle beam.
In order to provide a well-defined focussing, deflection or dispersion, it is important that the multiple electrodes or pole pieces are well aligned with respect to each other. For example, for an electrostatic or magnetic lens made of two electrodes or two pole shoes, it is important that the openings of the first electrode or first pole shoes are coaxially aligned with respect to the openings of the second electrode or pole shoes with a precision on a micrometer scale. To achieve this precision usually represents a major challenge.
Further, beam optical components in high-precision charged particle beam devices have to be cleaned on a regular basis in order to perform to their specifications. An effective cleaning, however, requires that the beam optical component has to be disassembled and re-assembled again. Therefore, an beam optical component must comply with a design that allows for a repetitive disassembly and re-assembly without harming the alignment precision.
A method for manufacturing an electrostatic lens with high alignment precision is disclosed by S. Planck and R. Spehr in "Construction and fabrication of electrostatic field lenses for the SMART project" in the Annual Report 1996/1997 of "Licht- und Teilchenoptik", Institut für angewandte Physik, Technische Unversität Darmstadt, Prof. Dr. Theo Tschudi on page 114. In this report, it is disclosed that six electrically insulating Al2O3 spheres between the middle electrode of an Einzel-lens and the two outer electrodes are used as positioning elements to define the positions of the two outer electrodes with respect to the middle electrode. At the same time, the insulating character of the Al2O3 spheres provides that the middle electrode is electrically insulated from the two outer electrodes in order to be able to apply different voltages to the electrodes.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a cross section through the known electrostatic lens 1 by S. Planck, used for high-precision charged particle beam optics. The electrostatic lens 1 comprises a first electrode 3, a second electrode 5, and a third electrode 7, each electrode having respective first, second and third openings 9, 10, 11. First and second electrodes 3, 5 are kept at a first predetermined minimum distance by three equal first spheres 120 which are positioned between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4, while second and third electrodes 5, 7 are kept at a second predetermined minimum distance by three equal second spheres 122 between the second electrode 5 and the third electrode 7. Further, three metal screws 100 are used to clamp the three electrodes 3, 5, 7 together.
The high precision of the alignment of the three openings 9, 10, 11 of the electrodes with respect to the optical axis 13 is based on the high geometrical precision by which spheres can be manufactured. For example, it is known to manufacture spheres made of steel or Al2O3 with a precision that deviates by less than a micrometer from a specified ideal spherical shape. Further, recesses in the electrodes for receiving the spheres provide for an easy and precise repositioning of the spheres during re-assembly of the beam optical component.
However, when tightening the screws during re-assemblage of the beam optical component to clamp the electrodes together, the electrodes often become distorted or tilted with respect to each other, which diminishes the focussing quality of the beam optical component.
Further, as can be seen from FIG. 1, it is difficult to prevent arcing between second electrode 5 and metal screw 100 when high voltages are applied between second electrode 5 and first or third electrode 3, 5, due to the limited size of through-hole 102 in the second electrode. Further, for many applications, it is important to apply different voltages between the two outer (first and third) electrodes. Since screws made of an insulating material usually do not have a stiffness that a metal screw has, metal screws are usually taken for clamping the three electrodes together. With a metal screw clamping the three electrodes together, however, first and third electrode 3, 7 would electrically shorten first and second electrodes when different voltages would be applied.
The electrostatic lens 1 of FIG. 1 is only used as an example for demonstrating the general alignment problems of electrostatic or magnetic beam optical components in charged particle beam devices. Similar alignment problems of two or more electrodes or pole shoes also occur when two or more electrodes or pole shoes of an electrostatic or magnetic mirror or a spectrometer have to be assembled.

Beam optical component for charged particle beams

ICT Integrated Circuit Testing Gesellschaft für Halbleiterprüftechnik mbH


A multifunction safe electric pressure cooker includes a lid, an outer body, a warming container, a control panel, an inner tank, a sealant washer, a heating plate under the inner tank, and a control device. The control device comprises a control circuit, a pressure switch, and a temperature control device. The lid has a floating valve, a pressure discharging valve, and a safety valve. Between the heating plate and the warming container there is a spring device. Under the heating plate is a pole. The control device employs a sensor to determine whether the inner tank is placed in the cooker. Between the lid and the body sets a lid safety control switch that connected to the control circuit. The electric pressure cooker is more convenient and durable, can fry and sauté food, and includes multiple safety devices.

Because of the convenience and energy savings, electric pressure cookers are more and more accepted. However, since electric pressure cookers have pressurized containers, safety is an important concern.
A conventional electric pressure cooker always provides an unvarying warming temperature that cannot be adjusted to prevent unsafe complications, such as cooking without water. Thus, conventional pressure cookers have limitations, such as the inability to adjust the cooking pressures and cooking temperatures, which render conventional pressure cookers as energy consuming, single functioning, limited, and lacking in adequate safety features.
Typical multifunction electric pressure cookers have a control device that often connects the fuse, timer, thermostat and heating plate in a series—parallel configuration. The fuse, thermostat and heating plate are connected in series in the electric loop circuit, while the heating light and the keep warm light are on the panel of the control device. The shortcoming of foregoing control device is that, when one of the protected devices such as the thermostat and the pressure switch is broken, the whole device is of no use. Furthermore, when the pressure discharging valve is placed incorrectly or any other event that causes a discharge of steam occurs, or the steam in the cooker is not of sufficient pressure to force the pressure switch to open, the cooker will overheat which may cause an accident.
Furthermore, conventional electric pressure cookers commonly lock the body and the lid with a flange near the edge of the lid that engages a groove near the upper edge of the body. The body and the lid are locked in place by rotating the lid relative to the body. This setup is simple but inconvenient. Another type of the pressure cooker employs a tightly locked lid setup. The setup relies on a lock hoop in the groove of the lid, a manual control device, and a transmission from a manual control device to the lock hoop. The lock hoop has a space for expansion. The lock hoop lies in a horizontal flat plane. The transmission device is in the handle, which is composed with a trigger-connected motor device and connected with the lock hoop. The motor device can make the lock hoop expend through the gear. The foregoing setup offers some improvements, but there is still room to improve. For example, the slippage caused by opening and closing the lid will wear and tear the conjunct plane. Thus, conventional cookers are difficult to use and do not offer adequate safety features.

Multifunction and safe electric pressure cooker


In a disk storage system using an RLL coding and an NRZ1 recording method and applying a (1+D) PR channel, a viterbi detector of the present invention includes an inverter for multiplying a present input by "-1"; a delay for delaying the output of the inverter for a predetermined time period; and a comparator for comparing the present input with a previous input supplied via the delay and outputting a specific value which varies its sign according to the result.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a viterbi detector for use in a disk storage system which uses an RLL(Run-Length Limited) coding and an NRZ1 (Non-Return to Zero 1) recording method and applies a (1+D) PR channel.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Generally, in a lower density data storage system, there scarcely occurs an Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) and thus there is no need to equalize the waveform when detecting an original signal from a decoder.
However, with the development of high density storage systems which store more information in a limited area, we cannot overlook inter-symbol interference. Many techniques have been proposed to solve this problem and one of these techniques is a Partial Response Maximum Likelihood (PRML) using a viterbi detector.
Ferguson has proposed a method for simply embodying the viterbi detector in the case that the inter-symbol interference occurs in the (1.+-.D) channel, and description will be made herein on the case of the (1+D).
FIG. 1 is a trellis diagram showing a detector having two states. It shows the possibility of passing a branch for X.sub.k.sup.++, X.sub.k.sup.+-, X.sub.k.sup.-+ and the input .gamma..sub.k of the viterbi detector, and this is referred to as a branch matrix. In the figure, .sup.++, .sup.+-, .sup.-+, .sup.-- show that from what state to what state the branch is changed. In addition, .lambda..sub.k.sup.+ or .lambda..sub.k.sup.- is the value obtained by adding all branch matrixes while being passed to the node, and is referred to as a path matrix.
In a general viterbi detector, the path matrix is determined as follows: EQU .lambda..sub.k+1.sup.- =mim(.lambda..sub.k.sup.- +x.sub.k.sup.--, .lambda..sub.k.sup.+ +x.sub.k.sup.+-) EQU .lambda..sub.k+1.sup.+ =mim(.lambda..sub.k.sup.- +X.sub.k.sup.-+, .lambda..sub.k.sup.+ +X.sub.k.sup.++) equation (1)
If .DELTA..sub.k .congruent..lambda..sub.k.sup.- -.lambda..sub.k.sup.+, Q.sub.k+1.sup.- .congruent..lambda..sub.k+1.sup.- -.lambda..sub.k.sup.+, Q.sub.k+1.sup.- .congruent..lambda..sub.k+1.sup.+ .congruent..lambda..sub.k+1.sup.- .lambda..sub.k are applied to the equation (1), EQU Q.sub.k+1.sup.- =mim(.DELTA..sub.k +X.sub.k.sup.--, X.sub.k.sup.+-) EQU Q.sub.k+1.sup.+ =mim(.DELTA..sub.k +X.sub.k.sup.-+, X.sub.k.sup.++)equation (2) EQU Q.sub.k+1.sup.- -Q.sub.k+1.sup.+ =(.lambda..sub.k+1 -.lambda..sub.k.sup.-)-(.lambda..sub.k+1 -.lambda..sub.k.sup.+)=.DELTA..sub.k+1
That is, in the trellis diagram, two branches are met at one node. In this algorithm, the previous path matrix is added to each of two branch matrixes and then the path with the smaller value is selected as a new path.
FIG. 2 is a trellis diagram in the case of (1+D), and the branch matrix values are defined as follows: EQU X.sub.k.sup.++ =(.gamma..sub.k -2A).sup.2, X.sub.k.sup.+- =X.sub.k.sup.-+ =.gamma..sub.k.sup.2, X.sub.k.sup.-- =(.gamma..sub.k -2A).sup.2.
Thus, the above equation (2) becomes
Q.sub.k+1.sup.- =mim(.DELTA..sub.k +(.gamma..sub.k -2A).sup.2, .gamma..sub.k.sup.2) EQU Q.sub.k+1.sup.+ =mim(.DELTA..sub.k +.gamma..sub.k.sup.2, (.gamma..sub.k -2A).sup.2) equation (3).
FIGS. 3A to 3D show all possible cases of FIG. 1, and each case can be analyzed with the above equation (3) and FIG. 2 as follows.
Firstly, a negative merging as shown in FIG. 3A can be analyzed as follows: EQU (S.sup.- .fwdarw.S.sup.-): .DELTA..sub.k +(.gamma..sub.k +2A).sup.2 <.gamma..sub.k.sup.2 .fwdarw..DELTA..sub.k /4A<-.gamma..sub.k -A EQU (S.sup.- .fwdarw.S.sup.+): .DELTA..sub.k +.gamma..sub.k.sup.2 <(.gamma..sub.k +2A).sup.2 .fwdarw..DELTA..sub.k /4A<-.gamma..sub.k +A EQU .thrfore..DELTA..sub.k /4A<-.gamma..sub.k -A (.BECAUSE.A>0) EQU .DELTA..sub.k+1 /4A={.DELTA..sub.k +(.gamma..sub.k +2A).sup.2 -(.DELTA..sub.k +.gamma..sub.k.sup.2)}/4A=.gamma..sub.k +Aequation (4)
Secondly, a cross over as shown in FIG. 3B can be analyzed as follows: EQU (S.sup.- .fwdarw.S.sup.-): .DELTA..sub.k +(.gamma..sub.k +2A).sup.2 >.gamma..sub.k.sup.2 .fwdarw..DELTA..sub.k /4A>-.gamma..sub.k -A EQU (S.sup.- .fwdarw.S.sup.+): .DELTA..sub.k +.gamma..sub.k.sup.2 <(.gamma..sub.k +2A).sup.2 .fwdarw..DELTA..sub.k /4A<-.gamma..sub.k +A EQU .thrfore.-.gamma..sub.k -A<.gamma..sub.k /4A<-.gamma..sub.k +A EQU .DELTA..sub.k+1 /4A={.gamma..sub.k.sup.2 -(.DELTA..sub.k +.gamma..sub.k.sup.2)}/4A=-.DELTA..sub.k /4A equation (5)
Thirdly, a positive merging as shown in FIG. 3C can be analyzed as follows: EQU (S.sup.- .fwdarw.S.sup.-): .DELTA..sub.k +(.gamma..sub.k +2A).sup.2 >.gamma..sub.k.sup.2 .fwdarw..DELTA..sub.k /4A>-.gamma..sub.k -A EQU (S.sup.+ .fwdarw.S.sup.+): .DELTA..sub.k +.gamma..sub.k.sup.2 >(.gamma..sub.k +2A).sup.2 .fwdarw..DELTA..sub.k /4A>-.gamma..sub.k +A EQU .thrfore.-.gamma..sub.k /4A>-.gamma..sub.k +A EQU .DELTA..sub.k+1 /4A=.gamma..sub.k -A equation (6)
Fourthly, no merging as shown in FIG. 3D can be analyzed as follows: EQU (S.sup.- .fwdarw.S.sup.-): .DELTA..sub.k +4A<-.gamma..sub.k -A EQU (S.sup.+ .fwdarw.S.sup.+): .DELTA..sub.k /4A>-.gamma..sub.k +A
There is no satisfied region . . . equation (7)
If defining that .DELTA..sub.k '=.DELTA..sub.k /4A, the results as shown in FIG. 4 can be obtained and FIG. 5 shows a general viterbi detector embodying the results.
However, in a conventional viterbi detector as described above, the decoded value can be obtained after lapse of a predetermined time, the performance depends on the value A and it is difficult to detect the value A.

Apparatus for detecting reproducing signal in recording media and method thereof


After formation of a connection hole or before deposition of an insulator film, a semiconductor device is placed onto a cathode of a plasma generator. A surface of a metal silicide film such as a silicide of titanium is exposed to a plasma of a nitrogen-containing gas at 550 degrees centigrade or less. As a result of such processing, a barrier compound layer, composed of a compound of nitrogen, oxygen, metal and silicon, is formed at a near-surface region of the metal silicide film of the titanium silicide film. Thereafter, while forming a buried layer from material superior in step coverage such as an Al--Ti compound and an aluminum alloy, reaction between the metal silicide film and the buried layer in a later annealing treatment can be avoided without depositing a barrier metal such as a titanium nitride/nitride film in the connection hole. Accordingly, contact resistance, sheet resistance and junction leakage can be reduced and reliability can be improved.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device with a silicide film and to a method of fabricating such a semiconductor device. This invention pertains particularly to providing an improved structure for a contact portion between silicide and upper-level wiring or upper low-resistance metal.
In recent years, the level of VLSI integration and density has been improved dramatically. A technique, known in the art as self-aligned silicidation (SALICIDE), has been used. In a SALICIDE technique, a metal silicide film is formed, in self-aligned manner, on a gate electrode and source/drain region of a MOS transistor incorporated into a VLSI, for reduction of the sheet resistance of the gate electrode and source/drain region and for reduction of the parasitic resistance such as contact resistance and diffusion resistance, to improve the operation rate of semiconductor element.
Various methods of forming a buried layer composed of aluminum, tungsten and copper on top of a metal silicide film, have been proposed. One such formation technique is a high-temperature sputtering method which makes utilization of the flowability of aluminum alloy at high temperature. Another formation technique is a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method which is known to provide good step coverage. More specifically, a metal, such as aluminum, tungsten and copper, is selectively deposited in a connection hole, to form a highly reliable buried layer. However, this may produce the problem that reaction occurs at a location where the metal forming the buried layer and a metal silicide film contact with each other. In other words, each of high-temperature sputtering, selective CVD and CVD for formation of upper-level wiring undergoes thermal hysterisis of approximately 450-600 degrees centigrade. Due to the thermal hysterisis, the aforesaid reaction occurs to produce a reaction product. The silicon substrate is eroded by this reaction product and junction leakage may occur. In order to control and suppress such reaction, it is a general practice to form a barrier metal such as titanium nitride between a buried layer and a metal silicide film.
With reference to FIGS. 15(a)-(d), a commonly-used method is illustrated in which a buried layer is formed on a metal silicide film by high-temperature sputtering.
Referring first to FIG. 15(a), a MOS transistor is formed overlying an active region that is surrounded by field oxide film 2 on top of silicon substrate l. The MOS transistor comprises gate oxide film 3 of silicon oxide, gate electrode 5 of polysilicon, side-wall 9 of silicon oxide and source/drain region 4 formed by doping of impurities into silicon substrate 1. This is followed by deposition of, for example, a titanium film on source/drain region 4 and on the gate electrode 5 of the MOS transistor by sputtering. An anneal of from 600 to 900 degrees centigrade is performed and unreacted titanium films are stripped using an H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 --H.sub.2 O.sub.2 combined solution. As a result, titanium silicide film 6 is selectively formed, more specially, only on source/drain region 4 and gate electrode 5.
Next, as shown in FIG. 15(b), insulator film 7 is formed overlying the entire surface of the substrate and connection hole 8 is formed in insulator film 7, extending to titanium silicide film 6 of source/drain region 4.
Referring to FIG. 15(c), (a) titanium as a titanium film for providing an improved characteristic of contact with titanium silicide film 6 on the source/drain region 4 and (b) titanium nitride as a barrier metal, are deposited in connection hole 8 as well as on insulator film 7 by sputtering to form titanium nitride/titanium film 19.
As shown in FIG. 15(d), titanium is sputtered and an aluminum alloy is then sputtered at 500 degrees centigrade.
Al--Ti compound layer 15, resulting from combination of titanium and aluminum alloy, is formed and aluminum alloy film 16 is formed overlying Al--Ti compound layer 15. At this time, heat of reaction between Al and Ti is utilized, whereby connection hole 8 is filled with the aluminum alloy. Titanium nitride film 19, Al--Ti compound layer 15 and aluminum alloy film 16 are patterned by photolithography, to form metal wiring.
As the miniaturization of semiconductor device dimensions advances the miniaturization of connection hole diameter likewise advances. The deposition of titanium nitride film 19 by sputtering is not recommendable in the FIG. 15(c) process step. The reasons are as follows.
(1) Generally speaking, titanium nitride films, formed by sputtering, are poor in step coverage. This results in formation of an overhang at a corner of an upper portion of a connection hole, therefore preventing a flow of an aluminum alloy into the connection hole at the high-temperature sputtering time. Such a connection hole with an overhang suffers difficulty in being filed with aluminum alloy (see Y. Takegawa et al. Ext. Abst. SSDM, p. 558, 1993).
(2) To cope with such a problem, there is proposed a technique. In this technique, at the time of forming a titanium nitride film, titanium is sputtered through a honeycomb-like filter (collimator) in a flow of N.sub.2 gas, to control the formation of overhangs. However, use of the collimator is likely to generate particles.
(3) In a process step shown in FIG. 15(b), an area other than connection hole 8, i.e., the area on insulator film 7, is also covered with titanium nitride/titanium film 19. This covering makes it impossible to employ a particular method (e.g., a selective CVD method which makes utilization of a difference between underlying layers) for selectively depositing a metal, such as aluminum, tungsten and copper, only in connection hole 8.
Various techniques have been proposed with a view to avoiding the above-noted problem. For instance, Shinriki et al. propose a technique (Ext. Abst. SSDM, p.968, 1994). In the technique, after formation of a connection hole an anneal is carried out in an ambient of NH.sub.3 at a temperature of approximately 850 degrees centigrade without deposition of titanium nitride/titanium film 19, to form a titanium nitride film on top of a titanium silicide film. This is followed by selective deposition of aluminum only in the connection hole by selective CVD.
The above-described technique, however, produces the problem that, if heat in excess of 800 degrees centigrade is applied to a silicide of titanium, boron present in a source/drain region is driven into the titanium silicide. The value of the saturation current of p-channel transistors may decrease. Additionally, some metal silicides undergo silicide agglomeration when subjected to a high-temperature treatment, which results in an increase in sheet resistance of the source/drain region. The type of silicide applicable in the aforesaid conventional method is limited.
Such inconvenience occurs not only between a buried layer in a connection hole and a silicide film, it also occurs in forming a low-resistance metal film on top of a silicide film. This is a cause of decreasing reliability in a laminated structure of silicide and metal.

Semiconductor device having improved lamination-structure reliability for buried layers, silicide films and metal films, and a method for forming the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A redox flow battery is described, mainly including a charge/discharge cell, a cathode electrolyte tank, and an anode electrolyte tank. The inside of the charge/discharge cell is divided into a cathode cell and an anode cell by a diaphragm. A collector plate and a cathode are contained in the cathode cell. An aqueous solution containing a Mn-polyethyleneimine complex is supplied from the cathode electrolyte tank to the cathode through a supply pipe. Thereby, an energy storage battery that has durability sufficient for practical applications in a wide range of fields can be provided.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an energy storage battery, such as a redox flow battery.
Description of the Related Art
At present, energy storage is mainly performed using pumped-storage power generation. However, since construction of a pumped-storage power station involves limitations on site conditions, new energy storage techniques, particularly secondary batteries being highly technically and economically feasible, have been actively studied. In recent years, redox flow batteries have received attention as secondary batteries.
Conventionally, there have been proposed various electrolytes for use in a redox flow battery. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a configuration in which the anode electrolyte is an aqueous solution containing an iron-based redox material as an anode active material, and also containing a chelating agent or complexing agent for shifting a potential to the negative side. Also, in recent years, for example, there is proposed a configuration in which the cathode electrolyte is an aqueous solution containing a manganese-based redox material as a cathode active material.
However, manganese oxides are known to have strong oxidizing power to decompose (oxidize) a wide range of organic substances in water. Hence, potassium permanganate, a kind of manganese oxide, is used as an oxidant to measure the amount of organic substances in water, i.e., COD value (Non-Patent Document 1). In addition, manganese ion also has strong oxidizing power. For example, it is known that even in a state that manganese ion is complexed with a chelating agent or complexing agent to form a complex such as Mn(III)-EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid), the ligand may be oxidized to generate CO2 gas and thus cause self-decomposition of the complex (Non-Patent Document 2).
Accordingly, Patent Document 2 proposes using a chelating agent or complexing agent to prevent precipitation of a manganese compound. In addition, Patent Document 3 proposes using a chelating agent or complexing agent to improve reactivity of manganese ion in a cathode electrolyte of a microbial battery.


An optical fiber cable having an optical connector, includes: an optical connector assembled on a tip portion of an optical fiber cable, including a ferrule in which an optical fiber protruding from a terminal of the optical fiber cable is inserted and fixed; and a reinforced portion formed by heating and shrinking a heat-shrinkable tube and by solidifying a hot-melt adhesive of an inner portion of the heat-shrinkable tube after melting the hot-melt adhesive so as to integrate a rear end portion of the ferrule, the tip portion of the optical fiber cable which is disposed so as to be separated in a rear side of the ferrule, and the heat-shrinkable tube which accommodates the rear end portion of the ferrule and the tip portion of the optical fiber cable and in which the hot-melt adhesive is disposed in the inner portion of the heat-shrinkable tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical fiber cable having a connector in which an optical connector is assembled on the tip portion of the optical fiber cable, and an assembly method thereof (an assembly method of the optical fiber cable having a connector).
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as mounting of an optical connector to a tight buffer type optical fiber cable (hereinafter, also referred to as an "optical fiber cable" or simply as a "cable") which is represented by an indoor optical fiber cable or a drop optical fiber cable, a method which uses a so-called field assembly type optical connector or a method which assembles a factory assembly type optical connector including a ferrule through which an empty fiber hole penetrates is adopted.
The field assembly type optical connector includes a short optical fiber (hereinafter, referred to as a "built-in optical fiber) which is inserted into and fixed to a ferrule in advance. The tip of the optical fiber in which a jacket of a cable terminal is removed and exposed is butted and connected to the rear end opposite to the front end which is positioned in the front end surface (splice end surface) of the ferrule of the built-in optical fiber, and thereby, the field assembly type optical connector is assembled on the tip of the cable (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2010-145951).
After the optical fiber in which the jacket of the cable terminal is removed and exposed is inserted into and fixed to the fiber hole which penetrates through the ferrule, a housing which accommodates the ferrule is assembled, and the factory assembly type optical connector is provided in the cable terminal.
Compared to the case where the factory assembly type optical connector is used, since the assembly of the field assembly type optical connector on the tip portion of the cable has a structure in which the connecting points between the optical fibers further increases by one and the connecting points are accommodated in the inner portion of the connector, the entire length of the connector is lengthened, and thereby, there are disadvantages in which the structure of the connector is complicated, the costs increases, and the like. In addition, since the field assembly type optical connector includes anchoring means for anchoring the jacket terminal of the cable, the configuration also becomes complicated and the costs increases.
On the other hand, in the factory assembly type optical connector, since it is not necessary to accommodate the connecting points between the optical fibers and the configuration is simpler compared to the field assembly type optical connector, the costs are decreased. However, in a case where the factory assembly type optical connector is assembled on the tip portion of the cable, a portion which extends between the ferrule and the tip of the cable jacket is present in the optical fiber of the optical fiber cable, and there is a problem in that the mechanical strength of the portion is decreased.

Optical fiber cable having connector and assembling method thereof

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION


When the flying height of a magnetic head slider lowers, there arises the problem that the magnetic head slider assumes a forwardly falling attitude and a front edge portion of a leading end of the magnetic head slider comes into contact with a magnetic disk surface, causing damage to the disk surface. To address the problem, one aspect of the invention is directed to a magnetic head slider which includes an air bearing surface, a leading end and a trailing end. Three flying pads are formed on the air bearing surface and a step bearing surface is formed around the first and second flying pads near the leading end and a negative pressure groove for producing a negative pressure is formed in such a manner that the leading side is surrounded by the step bearing surface. The third flying pad is formed near the trailing end and is provided with a magnetic head. A step bearing is formed on the leading side of the third flying pad. Further, the magnetic head slider is formed with an aperture in a front edge portion of the leading end.

The present invention relates to a magnetic head slider and a magnetic disk drive. In particular, the present invention is concerned with a magnetic head slider of a low flying type for attaining high reliability and high density recording, as well as a magnetic disk drive with the magnetic head slider mounted thereon.
The magnetic disk drive has recently been becoming increasingly smaller in size and larger in capacity and data recorded on a recording medium (a magnetic disk) have been becoming increasingly higher in recording density. With this trend, it is necessary to diminish the space between a magnetic head slider and a magnetic disk, i.e., the flying height of the magnetic head slider. A magnetic head slider able to fly stably at a low flying height has been proposed. For example, Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-325530) discloses such a magnetic head slider that a surface (stepped surface) depressed from a plane portion of a flying rail (an air bearing rail) of a slider is formed on a leading side of the flying rail and the depth (height of the stepped portion) of the stepped surface is set at an extremely small value (700 nm or less) to attain a constant flying height that does not depend on the peripheral velocity of the magnetic disk. The slider having a stepped portion of such an extremely small depth is designated a microstep slider.
Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-21109) discloses another magnetic head slider of a low flying type. In this slider, a very small lug having a height equal to or larger than a step depth (height) is formed on a stepped surface provided on a leading side of a flying rail of a slider, whereby the slider is difficult to rotate while falling forward and a front edge of the stepped surface is prevented from contacting the disk surface.
If the flying height of a magnetic head slider varies and the magnetic head slider comes into contact with the surface of a magnetic disk while flying over the magnetic disk, an air bearing surface (the surface opposed to the disk) of the magnetic head slider is pulled with a frictional force and the magnetic head slider rotates about a pivot (a load acting point) of a suspension and assumes a forwardly falling attitude. As a result, a front edge portion on a leading end side of the magnetic head slider comes into contact with the disk surface, whereupon an air inlet port is blocked and there no longer is an air flow on the air bearing surface side of the magnetic head slider. Consequently, a flying force is not created in the magnetic head slider and the magnetic head slider is put in continuous contact with the magnetic disk surface while retaining its forwardly falling attitude, thus giving rise to the problem that the magnetic disk is damaged.
In a magnetic disk drive using a smooth magnetic disk for attaining a low flying height of a magnetic head slider, a large frictional force poses a serious problem. With a large frictional force, the magnetic head slider assumes a forwardly falling attitude and, therefore, preventing contact of the front edge portion on the leading end side of the magnetic head slider with the magnetic disk surface is an important subject for preventing damage to the recording medium and for ensuring reliability. To solve this problem, a method involving chamfering (curving) the front edge portion on the leading end side to increase the area of contact and thereby decrease a contact stress (surface pressure) has been proposed. However, since chamfering is usually performed by machining of large variations, it greatly contributes to the generation of a change in flying height. Such a change in flying height causes malfunctions in data read and write. Thus, this method is not an effective approach for preventing damage of the magnetic disk caused by contact therewith of the front end portion on the leading end side.
As described in Patent Literature 2, if a very small lug is formed on the stepped surface provided on the leading side of the flying rail of the magnetic head slider so as to prevent contact of the front edge portion on the leading end side of the magnetic head slider with the disk surface, a certain height of the lug restricts reduction in flying height and as the case may be it is impossible to attain a low flying height.
Decreased atmospheric pressure causes excessive reduction in flying height of the magnetic head slider. More particularly, in case of using the magnetic disk drive at a high elevation, the flying height lowers due to reduction of the atmospheric pressure. When the flying height lowers excessively, the magnetic head slider assumes a forwardly falling attitude, thus giving rise to the problem that the front edge portion on the leading end side of the magnetic head slider comes into contact with the magnetic disk surface and the recording medium is damaged.

Magnetic head slider having aperture to prevent fall forward and magnetic disk drive for using said slider

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A cleaning device includes a barrier having (1) a central axis, (2) a first barrier segment extending from the central axis, (3) a second barrier segment extending from the central axis, and (4) a third barrier segment extending from the central axis. The cleaning device also includes a first cleaning layer having a first layer front side and a first layer back side, the first layer back side being attached directly to the first barrier segment and the second barrier segment. The cleaning device further includes a second cleaning layer having a second layer front side and a second layer back side, the second layer back side being attached directly to the second barrier segment and the third barrier segment. In addition, the cleaning device includes a third cleaning layer having a third layer front side and a third layer back side, the third layer back side being attached directly to the first barrier segment. The cleaning device also includes a cleaning agent impregnated within the first cleaning layer. A method of utilizing the cleaning device is also disclosed.

In the varied fields of cleaning, cosmetics, and related endeavors, it has been customary to utilize separate applicator devices such as washcloths, towels, powder puffs, cleaning cloths, etc., for the application and removal, respectively, of cleaning solutions, polishing waxes and liquids, powder, and make-up which can be in the form of a liquid, wax, or powder-containing material, in the various fields and utilities previously mentioned. This is not only costly but duplicative in that a plurality of such media has been previously employed for the respective application and removal functions mentioned. The present invention enables the aforementioned tasks to be completed using a single applicator device which is grasped by the fingers of the hand or in desired situations the fingers of both hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,146,359 issued Jul. 13, 1915 to W. D. Smith is directed to sandpaper permitting the utilization of practically the entire surface of the sandpaper until such time as that shall become too work for further use. At that time the sandpaper is discarded. This sandpaper structure is referred to by the patentee as trifoliate made of three similar leaves, (2), (3), and (4), each being in rectangular form and all branching from a common central line.
U.S. Pat. No. 671,130 issued Apr. 2, 1901 to N. J. Darden is directed to a pencil sharpener comprised of a suitable tablet having an abrasive surface(s), viz., the inner or upper side of tablet (A), or surfaces (C) and (D) and a protecting shield (E). The protecting shield is composed of felt or other suitable flexible material and the flexibility of the tablet enables it to be bent around the edge of a desk to present a rounded abrasive surface to the point or end of a pencil to facilitate sharpening the pencil and also permitting the tablet to be folded into a V-shape so that when the end of a pencil is inserted in the fold and rapidly turned, the desired point will be produced at the end of the pencil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,785 issued on Aug. 25, 1992 to Bernard Eleouet is directed to a multifunctional composite block for manual treatment of surfaces, the block including several different pads (1) attached to a flexible connecting sheet (2) that permits superimposing the pads in at least two different configurations so that the surfaces of different pads define the outer surface of the block.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,519,577 issued on Dec. 16, 1924 to H. P. Easton, Jr. is directed to a cleaning and abrading device apparently of the steel wool or variety that serves as a scouring pad. The Easton, Jr. scouring pad is comprised of a back (10) of textile fabric flexible in all directions, a mass (11) of metallic steel wool applied to the back and stitched thereto at a plurality of points (15) and wherein one end of the back is extended to form a handle (16) and flexible cloth strips (14) extend longitudinally and transversely over the face of the metallic wool with stitches (15) extending through the flexible strips and the metallic wool and holding the flexible strips to the back. The ends of the strips are stitched to the back.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,835 issued to Raymond F. Heyer, et al, on Apr. 29, 1980 is directed to a scouring pad (10) in the shape of a ball comprised of a plurality of radially slit, regular-shaped, planar segments (11) of conformable, lofty, low-density non-woven abrasive product fastened together under compression at their centers (12) with fastening means (13). The segments are slit from the outer edge toward the center to provide radially disposed, equally spaced slits (15) which define readily aligned lobes (14), the total array of which defines the ball shape.
It will be observed that the aforementioned prior art references lack the variety of utility, the ability to be cleaned and re-used, and the ease of use as well as the structural requirements of the present invention.


A wood mat has a first layer of timbers extending parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction and a second layer timbers spanning across the first timbers parallel to one another and transversely to the first timbers such that each second timber intersects a plurality of the first timbers at respective intersecting locations of the mat; and a plurality of pressed fasteners mounted at selected intersecting locations through drilled holes formed by either a rivet fastener or a press fit fastener having opposed ends compressively joining the timbers therebetween.

Wood mats, for example temporary road mats or work area mats of the type used in oil, logging and mining industries, are known to facilitate equipment transportation or vehicle traffic in areas where permanent roads are non-existent or too expensive and were the ground is not stable enough to regularly support heavy equipment. Wood mats often comprise multiple layers of wooden boards or timbers which are fastened together so that each layer of timbers spans across the timbers of a previous layer in an intersecting manner. Fastening is required at these intersections. Some mats may be provided with interlocking portions in the form of fingers receivable within openings in adjacent mats to connect multiple mats in series to form a road way.
The following U.S. patents disclose various examples of temporary mats of the type used in roadways and the like for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,452 to Harrison; U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,037 to Phillips et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,336 to Waller, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,972 to Davis et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,408 to Stanley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,149 to Waller, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,937 to Pouyer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,193 to Watson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,800 to Hicks; U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,337 to Sarver, U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,712 to Penland, Sr.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,944 to Penland, Sr.
In each instance in the prior art, fastening each timber to the intersecting timbers of adjacent layers is particularly labour intensive, resulting in costly labour to manufacture the mats. Furthermore known fastening types are either known to loosen or protrude after assembly so that in either instance protrusions result which can potentially cause damage to vehicle tires.

Wood mat and apparatus and method for assembling same


Device and Method for measuring and processing one or more conditions of a container. The device includes one or more microcontrollers, one or more temperature sensors, and one or more humidity sensors. The one or more temperature sensors are configured to measure one or more temperatures of a container, inside the container, or outside the container, generate one or more temperature signals associated with one or more temperature data representing the measured one or more temperatures, and output the one or more temperature signals to the one or more microcontrollers. The one or more humidity sensors are configured to measure one or more humidity levels outside the container, generate one or more humidity signals associated with one or more humidity data representing the measured one or more humidity levels, and output the one or more humidity signals to the one or more microcontrollers.

The present invention is directed to measuring and/or processing devices and methods. More particularly, the invention provides devices and methods for measuring and processing conditions of containers. Merely by way of example, the invention has been applied to measuring and processing ambient temperature, ambient relative humidity, location, and/or acceleration of bottles that contain liquids, and/or the temperature and/or chemical composition of the contents. However, it would be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability.
In the wine industry, certain conventional technology provides ways to measure instantaneous temperatures of individual bottles and/or containers through various technologies (e.g., contact-less infrared technology, contact thermocouple technology) to enable users to consume contents (e.g., wines) of the bottles and/or containers at particular temperatures. Other conventional technologies also provide comparison between measured instantaneous temperatures and desired consumption temperatures for particular contents (e.g., 64° F. for Bordeaux), using display technologies that are pleasing to the users. Additionally, conventional technology already exists to measure and maintain temperatures and relative humidity levels of separate storage areas, each of which is large enough to house multiple bottles for the purpose of ensuring consistent environmental conditions until the bottles are removed to be transported or the contents consumed.
Hence, it is highly desirable to improve techniques for measuring and processing ambient conditions of individual containers.

Devices and methods for measuring and processing conditions of containers


An aqueous emulsion of fluorine-containing polymer according to the present invention contains an emulsion stabilizer represented by the formula: EQU R--Ph--O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --SO.sub.3 M. (Ph is a phenyl radical; R is an alkyl radical having 8-12 carbon atoms; n is a number of 1-6; and M is Na, K or NH.sub.4). The resulting emulsion has excellent mechanical stabilities and thermal stabilities as well as decreased possibility of causing ground water contamination.

Aqueous emulsions of polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as PTFE) are prepared by the emulsion-polymerization method disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No.2,559,752. Aqueous emulsions of other fluorine-containing polymers are also prepared by using similar process. Aqueous emulsions of fluorine-containing polymer thus prepared have being employed as coating agents for metals or the like, impregnating agents for fibers and cloths, additives for various materials, and further as dust-preventive treating agents. For adaptation to these uses, the emulsion is generally stabilized with such nonionic surfactants as p-C.sub.8-10 alkylphenylpolyethyleneglycolethers, as the emulsion itself is inferior in mechanical stability. However, even thus stabilized emulsions become unstable against thermal and mechanical actions they encounter during evaporation, concentration, dilution, transportation, weighing and others.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an aqueous emulsion of fluorine-containing polymer having excellent mechanical stability. By use of the inventive emulsion, for example, preventions become feasible for such problems caused by inferior mechanical stability as clogging of pumps, valves and nozzles with coagulated colloidal particles of fluorine-containing polymers formed during agitation, transportation and spraying, adhesion of coagulated particles to container walls and agitators, and flotation of coagulated particles in the emulsion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an aqueous emulsion of fluorine-containing polymer having excellent thermal stability. By use of the inventive emulsion, for example, preventions become feasible for such problems caused by inferior thermal stability as deteriorated coating property and impregnation property towards metal, glass woven fabric owing to increased emulsion viscosities under high temperatures.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an aqueous emulsion of fluorine-containing polymer having reduced environmental pollutions especially in the ground water pollution. By use of the inventive emulsion, for example, preventions become feasible for such problems as pollution of ground water caused by emulsion stabilizers in the emulsion occurring when materials treated with PTFE emulsions are used for mixing with soil or filling in the ground for reclamation. Moreover, the inventive emulsion allows concentration by evaporation or dilution thereof, thanks to its increased mechanical and thermal stabilities.

Aqueous emulsion of fluorine-containing polymer

Du Pont - Mitsui Fluorochemicals Co., Ltd.