Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for providing policy-based operating system services in a hypervisor on a computing system. The computing system includes at least one compute node. The compute node includes an operating system and a hypervisor. The operating system includes a kernel. The hypervisor comprising a kernel proxy and a plurality of operating system services of a service type. Providing policy-based operating system services in a hypervisor on a computing system includes establishing, on the compute node, a kernel policy specifying one of the operating system services of the service type for use by the kernel proxy, and accessing, by the kernel proxy, the specified operating system service. The computing system may also be implemented as a distributed computing system that includes one or more operating system service nodes. One or more of the operating system services may be distributed among the operating system service nodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatus, and products for providing policy-based operating system services in a hypervisor on a computing system.
2. Description of Related Art
The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely complicated devices. Today's computers are much more sophisticated than early systems such as the EDVAC. Computer systems typically include a combination of hardware and software components, application programs, operating systems, processors, buses, memory, input/output devices, and so on. As advances in semiconductor processing and computer architecture push the performance of the computer higher and higher, more sophisticated computer software has evolved to take advantage of the higher performance of the hardware, resulting in computer systems today that are much more powerful than just a few years ago.
One area in which computer software has evolved to take advantage of high performance hardware is the operating system. Early computers lacked any form of operating system. A system administrator loaded an application that had sole use of the machine. To operate the computer, an application had to directly access and control the computer hardware. Later, computers came with libraries of support code which were linked into an application to assist in operations such as input and output. These libraries were the genesis of the modern-day operating system. The computers, however, still ran only a single application at a time. Modern operating systems are capable of running multiple applications simultaneously. These modern operating systems also provide applications with abstractions of the computer hardware to simplify application development and aid the ability to port applications from one hardware platform to another.
The kernel is the central part in most computer operating systems which manages the system's resources and the communication between hardware and software components. As a basic component of an operating system, a kernel provides abstraction layers for hardware, especially for memory, processors and I/O that allows hardware and software to communicate. The kernel also makes these facilities available to applications and other operating system services through inter-process communication mechanisms and system calls.
These kernel tasks are performed differently for different kernels, depending on their design and implementation. In a monolithic kernel, all operating system services reside in and are executed using the same memory area. Because a monolithic kernel attempts to execute all the code in the same address space, monolithic kernel architectures are easier to design and implement than other solutions and are extremely efficient if well-written. The main disadvantages of monolithic kernels are the dependencies between system components. Large kernels become very difficult to maintain, and a bug in one portion of the kernel may crash the entire system.
In a microkernel architecture, the kernel provides simple abstractions over the hardware, with a set of primitives or system calls to implement minimal operating system services such as, for example, memory management, multitasking, and inter-process communication. Other services, including those normally provided by the kernel such as, for example, networking, are implemented in user-space programs that typically have their own address space. Microkernels are easier to maintain than monolithic kernels, but the large number of system calls and context switches may slow down the system.
Regardless of the kernel architecture used to implement an operating system, the set of operating system services provided in current operating systems are generally fixed when the operating system is installed. That is, the operating system utilizes the same memory management algorithm, the same I/O scheduling algorithm, the same networking algorithm, and so on, without regard to the applications that run on the hardware managed by the operating system. Often, however, one application may efficiently utilize computer resources when using one operating system service, while another application inefficiently utilizes computer resources when using the same operating system service. For example, an operating system service that provides I/O scheduling in the operating system may result in efficient use of computer resources for an application that are I/O intensive and result in an inefficient use of computer resources for an application that is not I/O intensive. Because current operating systems provide the same operating system services without regard to applications, current operating systems often do not efficiently manage the interaction between applications and the computer hardware. Readers will therefore appreciate that room for improvement exists in the manner in which operating system service are provided in an operating system.
Another area in which computer software has evolved to take advantage of high performance hardware is the set of software tools referred to as hypervisors. A hypervisor is a layer of system software that runs on the computer hardware beneath the operating system layer to allows multiple operating systems to run, unmodified, on a host computer at the same time. Hypervisors were originally developed in the early 1970's, when company cost reductions were forcing multiple scattered departmental computers to be consolidated into a single, larger computer—the mainframe—that would serve multiple departments. By running multiple operating systems simultaneously, the hypervisor brought a measure of robustness and stability to the system. Even if one operating system crashed, the others would continue working without interruption. Indeed, this even allowed beta or experimental versions of the operating system to be deployed and debugged without jeopardizing the stable main production system and without requiring costly second and third systems for developers to work on.
A hypervisor allows multiple operating systems to run on a host computer at the same time by providing each operating system with a set of virtual resources. These virtual resources provide each operating system a portion of the actual resources of the computer. These portions are usually implemented as time slices of the total time the resources are available for use. Using a hypervisor, the distribution of computer resources within a single computer makes the computer appear to function as if it were two or more independent computers. Utilizing a hypervisor to allow multiple operating systems to run on a host computer at the same time, however, does have a drawback. The administrative overhead required to operate the hypervisor reduces the overall computer resources available for running operating systems and the applications. The administrative overhead occurs in the form of processor context switches between the hypervisor and each operating system. Readers will therefore appreciate that the administrative overhead of the hypervisor may be reduced by implementing some of the functionality of the operating system in the hypervisor.

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a backlight including a plurality of LEDs arranged in a plane manner. The method includes: preparing LEDs which are classified into a plurality of ranks in accordance with brightness; mounting, in respective blocks each having a same number of points for mounting LEDs, LEDs which are at least two different-ranked; and causing combinations of ranks of the LEDs in the respective blocks to conform to each other. Alternatively, the LEDs, classified into ranks each having a known center value of brightness, are mounted in the blocks such that a total of the center values of the respective ranks in each of the blocks becomes substantially uniform. This realizes a backlight having a uniform in-plane brightness distribution with a merit of cost.

A backlight is used as a light source for displaying an image on a liquid crystal display panel (hereinafter referred to as LCD panel), such as a liquid crystal television, a liquid crystal display, a liquid crystal monitor, or the like. In order to supply light over the entire LCD panel, a backlight is required to have a uniform in-plane brightness distribution.
Such a backlight employs fluorescent lamps such as cold cathode fluorescent lamps (hereinafter referred to as CCFL devices), or LEDs.
LEDs are classified into a plurality of ranks regarding varied brightnesses (brightness ranks). Even LEDs classified into the same brightness rank are allowed to have variations in brightness in the range of predetermined values (brightness variations). Thus, when a backlight employing LEDs is manufactured, it is necessary to consider such variations in brightness among LEDs to be prepared so that a uniform in-plane brightness distribution can be maintained.
It should be noted that, in a backlight, an in-plane brightness distribution is absorbed to some extent because illuminating light is generally viewed through a diffusion sheet and an LCD panel. This eliminates the need to consider such variations in brightness of the same brightness rank, in the case of a backlight.
A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 105082/1998 (Tokukaihei 10-105082, publication date: Apr. 24, 1998) discloses a method for preparing LEDs having brightnesses being varied in the same brightness rank, and mounting the LEDs on the substrate so that a uniform brightness is viewed. This publication describes an LED dot matrix panel for displaying arbitrary characters and/or figures, not a backlight in which light is viewed through a diffusion sheet in the foregoing manner. Thus, even variations in brightness of the same brightness rank is considered in this publication.
As described above, in a backlight, an in-plane brightness distribution is absorbed to some extent because illuminating light passes through a diffusion sheet and an LCD panel. This eliminates the need to consider variations in brightness of the same brightness rank, unlike the case of the LED dot matrix panel described in the above publication.
That is, variations in brightness would not be a big issue if a backlight is manufactured by employing LEDs of the same brightness rank. However, manufacturing all backlights employing LEDs of the same brightness rank would cause a cost increase due to the following reasons.
For example, assume that 250 LEDs are mounted on each substrate constituting a backlight and 50,000 backlights are manufactured per month. In this case, 12,500,000 LEDs are required every month. With actual capability of manufacturing LEDs, however, it is difficult to manufacture 12,500,000 LEDs of only the same rank due to variations caused during manufacturing, even if it would be possible to manufacture 12,500,000 LEDs of plural brightness ranks. Further, if LEDs of only one brightness rank are manufactured, eventually, LEDs have to be discarded which have a brightness not falling within a desired rank. This causes a high increase in cost for purchasing and preparing only LEDs of the same brightness rank.

Backlight including dot light emitting devices having at least two different brightness ranks and method for manufacturing same


Optical film, including a set of elements disposed adjacent to each other and an external surface made of optically transparent material, each element including a lower pyramid being a truncated pyramid, an upper pyramid being a non-truncated pyramid and a plurality of element planes. A lower base of the lower pyramid defines the base of the element and an upper base of the lower pyramid coincides with a lower base of the upper pyramid. The element bases disposed adjacent to each other form a common surface of the set of the elements and the lower and upper pyramids protrude from one side of the common surface. The external surface covers the plurality of element planes.

The present invention generally relates to the optical field, namely to optic films. More particularly, the present invention relates to optic films used in liquid crystal device (LCD) displays and backlight devices for passing of light, where light falls on one side of a film, and for reflecting of light, where light falls on another side of a film.
The light of a backlight device may not used efficiently. For example, the light of a lamp is reflected partly from the surrounding surfaces and returning to the lamp, causing the lamp blinking or other unwanted effects. It is estimated that only 5 percent of the backlight device radiation reaches an observer because of polarization and a large number of layers in a LCD of the pass-through type. An increase of brightness may be achieved by increasing the lamp power or by using the additional sources of light. This method results in an increase of energy consumption (it is undesirable for portable devices), an increase in cost of the display device and a decreasing of the device's reliability. Thus, a compromise in display design is often sought, sacrificing one group of the LCD parameters for another group's benefit. One of the methods to increase the efficiency of the LCD, includes the development of a special optical construction of backlight device using optical antireflection films.
Optical antireflection films (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,664 [1], for example) include a set of prisms, which provides optimal redirection of light from the light source of a backlight device to the observer. This configuration may also allow improved brightness and evenness of the LCD luminance by directing the light of the backlight device, mainly, in a normal (perpendicular) direction to the display surface.
The set of prisms, which have a three-angled and more complicated cross-section, or square pyramids in modified form of the cross-section, are used in displays as optical antireflection films according to the JP Pat. No 9,005,505 [2], for example. Such constructions are often used as optical antireflection films, and the main problem discussed in [2] is to narrow the directional diagram along specified direction. The principal feature of such optical antireflection films is that a refraction coefficient of pyramids and prisms in such films is more than the refraction coefficient of the material covering them, which is necessary for a full inside reflection of light.
The use of pyramids and cone shells on the optical antireflection films prism surface for improving the directional diagram of radiation along a specified direction is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,417 [3].
U.S. Pat. No. 2,022,639 [4], includes the set of pyramids made of an optically transparent material, which changes the direction of light passing through the film. Such reflector reflects the light which falls on it along several predetermined directions. The predetermined directions number depends on the number of planes of the pyramids.
The drawback of the above described configurations consists of the insufficient reflective power of one side of a film and insufficient pass-through power of the other side of the film.
The present invention is directed to an optical film which offers better reflection of light falling from one side, and better pass-through of light falling from the other side.

Optic film with a plurality of stacked pyramid elements for refracting light


The invention relates to a sealing apparatus for sealing the ball joint of a kingpin comprising at least one holding ring and at least one seal ring, wherein the seal ring is provided at least partially within a groove of the holding ring, and wherein the groove is provided in a radially inwardly disposed region of the holding ring.

Ball joints are used in construction machinery for suspending or coupling steering components and have to be protected from contamination such as can in particular occur in construction site operation of the construction machine. It is known for this purpose to provide seals or covers by means of which it is possible to protect the contact region or the inner region of the ball joint in which the joint ball is supported in the joint pot or in the socket. It is disadvantageous in these seals known from the prior art that they are prone to contamination and are not very reliable and can in particular not maintain their function in the long term in intense construction site operation.
Against this background, it is the object of the invention to provide a corresponding protection to seal the ball joint that effectively prevents the penetration of dirt, avoids collections of dirt in the region of the ball joint, enables the limited escape of lubricating fluid for the purpose of a self-cleaning of the ball joint, is light, and can be simply installed.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a sealing apparatus for sealing a ball joint of a kingpin comprising at least one holding ring and at least one seal ring, wherein the seal ring is provided at least partially within a groove of the holding ring; and wherein the groove is provided in a radially inwardly disposed region of the holding ring. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims
Accordingly, a sealing apparatus is provided comprising at least one holding ring and at least one seal ring, wherein the seal ring is provided at least partially within a groove of the holding ring, and wherein the groove is provided in a radially inwardly disposed region of the holding ring. An effective scraping apparatus within a holding ring of the ball joint is thus provided instead of an outwardly disposed seal or sealing. The scraping apparatus is configured to prevent the penetration of dirt into the ball joint and simultaneously to enable a limited escape of lubricating fluid from the ball joint to the outside, whereby a washing of dirt particles out of the ball joint is effected.
An apparatus is thus advantageously provided that is lighter and smaller than protective apparatus known from the prior art and that can furthermore be installed more simply. The apparatus in accordance with the invention is furthermore supported within the holding ring so that is advantageously better protected from damage and contaminants.
It is conceivable in an advantageous embodiment that the groove comprises at least two first inner truncated cone regions that are in particular aligned in parallel with one another, with the seal ring comprising correspondingly arranged outer truncated cone regions. The truncated cone regions of the holding ring and the seal ring can each be stepped so that the holding ring and the seal ring engage in one another in a correspondingly stepped manner, whereby a better hold of the components to one another and a better sealing are made possible. As can be seen from the Figures, the radially inwardly disposed region of the holding ring comprising the groove can be located close to the radially innermost region of the holding ring.
It is conceivable in a further embodiment that the first inner truncated cone regions of the holding ring are encompassed by at least two second inner truncated cone regions that are in particular aligned in parallel with the first inner truncated cone regions and/or that the holding ring is formed in two pieces.
The second inner truncated cone regions of the holding ring here encompass the seal ring in the assembled state of the sealing apparatus at least partially in the axial direction within the holding ring or are arranged substantially in parallel with the ball surface of the ball joint and thus at least partially surround, together with the ball of the ball joint, the annular reception space for the seal ring present within the groove. The seal ring can thereby be held in position better, whereby in turn a better seal is made possible.
It is conceivable in a further preferred embodiment that the seal ring comprises a seal lip that is in particular aligned in parallel with its outer truncated cone regions. The seal lip can be in contact with the ball surface of the ball joint via a contact region and can thus achieve a sealing effect between the inner space of the ball joint and the environment. The seal lip can here also be at least partially curved and/or can be arranged at an angle to the outer truncated cone regions of the seal ring. The contact region of the seal lip can hereby be better adapted to the ball surface of the joint ball, whereby inter alia a smaller bend of the seal lip and thus its increased service life are effected.
It is conceivable in a further preferred embodiment that the truncated cone regions are arranged at an angle of 90° to 140°, in particular of 105° to 125°, and particularly preferably of 115 to ±5°, to a base region of the holding ring or to a base region of the seal ring. The seal ring or the seal lip of the sealing apparatus can hereby be placed approximately in parallel at a corresponding region of the ball of the ball joint, whereby the effectiveness of the seal can be increased.
It is conceivable in a further preferred embodiment that the holding ring can be coupled to a socket, with feed-throughs being provided in the base region of the holding ring for coupling the holding ring to the socket, and/or with an abutment, that is at least partially in the form of a cylinder jacket and/or at least partially in the form of a truncated cone, being provided at the base region of the holding ring to center the holding ring at the socket.
The invention is further directed to a seal ring having at least one truncated cone region, and in particular at least two truncated cone regions, arranged at the outside thereof for use in a sealing apparatus in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 6 and to a holding ring having at least one groove provided inwardly thereat, with the groove comprising at least one inner truncated cone region, and in particular two truncated cone regions that are aligned in parallel with one another, with the holding ring being used in a sealing apparatus in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 6.
The invention further relates to a wheel suspension for a large construction machine, in particular for a dump truck, having at least one sealing apparatus in accordance with one of the claims 1 to 6 and to a correspondingly equipped large construction machine.

Sealing apparatus for sealing the ball joint of a kingpin


A resilient joint member for a shaft arrangement is provided including a plurality of bushings arranged at predetermined angular intervals in the peripheral direction in relation to a center axis of the joint member, a plurality of loop bundles which loop around respectively two adjacent bushings, each bushing has at least two loop bundles looped around it, an elastic sheath in which the loop bundles and the bushings are at least partly embedded. The bushings have an axial tubular section around which there loop the loop bundles associated with the bushing and on which, at least at an axial end region. A collar element is arranged for axial support of one of the loop bundles at the axial end region and includes a support section that runs substantially radially with respect to the tubular section, and a fixing section is in contact with the tubular section.

Resilient joint members of this kind are known from the prior art. For example in the document DE 10 2008 047 596 A1, a resilient joint member is described in which there are advantageously provided collar bushing arrangements which enable loop bundles to be wound separately and loop bundles to be pushed onto the bushing arrangements later, as part of assembly. In collar bushing arrangements of this kind, the collar elements are pressed onto the tubular section. For this purpose, relatively long axial sections in which the fixing section of the collar element overlaps with the tubular section of the bushing are necessary in order to ensure a stable press fit. If the press fit is not made sufficiently secure, then under load the collar element may become detached from the tubular section and pop off the latter, which results in immediate failure of the resilient joint member. If there is insufficient axial length available to ensure a stable press fit, the press fit solution that is disclosed in this document is not typically usable.
The document DE 37 34 089 A1 describes a resilient joint member which has a bushing arrangement with collar elements that are U-shaped in section. These are also pressed onto tubular sections. This solution is relatively complicated and so it is disadvantageous from a production engineering point of view, in particular in respect of mounting the loop bundles.

Resilient joint member with space-saving collar bushing arrangement

SGF SUEDDEUTSCHE GELENKSCHEIBENFABRIK GMBH & CO. KG


Polymerization of ring-strained cyclic olefins takes place in the presence of a one-part or two-part catalyst which is air and moisture stable and which comprises a transition metal-containing compound.. The one-part transition metal-containing catalyst is selected from the group consisting of. (a) compounds of the formula EQU (L.sup.1)(L.sup.2)Q PA0 wherein PA0 (b) at least one of cationic ruthenium and osmium-containing organometallic salts having at least one polyene ligand, and PA0 (c) [Ir(RO.sub.2 CHC.dbd.CHCO.sub.2 R).sub.2 Cl].sub.2 wherein each R independently is hydrogen or lower alkyl (C.sub.1 to C.sub.4), provided that the oxidation state of the metal is in the range of +3 to 0, and that cocatalysts containing C-halogen bonds are not present. PA0 (a) a transition metal-containing catalyst, provided that the oxidation state of the transition metal is in the range of +3 to 0, and PA0 (b) a cocatalyst selected from the group consisting of. Q represents Mo or W; PA1 L.sup.1 represents one to six CO (carbonyl) ligands; PA1 L.sup.2 represents none to 5 ligands, each of which is a non-ionic compound or unit of a polymer which can be the same or different, each contributes two, four, or six electrons to the metal and is different from L.sup.1 ; wherein the sum of the valence electrons of Q and the electrons contributed by the ligands L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 is 18, PA1 (i) terminal or silyl alkynes, PA1 (ii) organosilanes containing at least one of ##STR1## groups, (iii) oxidative salts or oxidative compounds containing an oxygen atom to non-oxygen atom double bond, and PA1 (iv) heteroatom-containing alkenes.. The two-part catalyst comprises. The polymerized composition is useful to provide molded articles, elastomers, dielectric supports, ionophoric or biologically active materials, composite materials, and the like.

It is known in the art that polymerization of cyclic olefins provides unsaturated polymers which were disclosed to be useful, for example, as molded articles.
Polymerization of cyclic olefins via the so-called olefin metathesis reaction has been widely investigated since the first description appeared in 1960. Ivin has reviewed the work in this field (K. J. Ivin, "Cycloalkenes and Bicycloalkenes," Chapter 3 in K. J. Ivin, T. Saecjusa, eds. Ring-Opening Polymerization, Vol. 1, Elsevier: London, 1984, 121-183). Polymers produced via olefin metathesis of cyclic olefins still contain ##STR2## bonds, one for each monomer unit, and are thus distinct from polymers prepared using free radical or Ziegler-type catalysts, which produce saturated hydrocarbon polymers, and polymers prepared using ring-opening polymerizations of cationically sensitive monomers such as epoxides, in which heteroatoms are present and are involved in the polymerization chemistry by cleavage of a heteroatoms-carbon bond.
As this review and many patents teach, certain transition metal compounds can be used to catalyze olefin metathesis polymerization of cyclic olefins. Molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), and rhenium (Re), incorporated in either inorganic or organometallic compounds, have most often been employed. Catalysts based on transition metals from Periodic Groups 4, 5, 8, and 9 are also known. Heterogeneous catalysts have been taught, typically supported on alumina or silica. Most useful, however, are homogeneous or non-supported catalysts. The most frequently used homogeneous catalysts are based on high oxidation state compounds of Mo or W, such as WCl.sub.6, WOCl.sub.4 or MoCl.sub.6. Reaction products of these with phenolic compounds are also taught. Cocatalysts, usually containing an alkyl group bonded to a non-transition metal, are often used in combination with these, and cocatalysts are presumed to transfer at least one alkyl group to the transition metal. Most frequently, the cocatalysts are based on aluminum (Al), but alkyls of zinc, tin and other Group 14 metals, Group 1 metals (such as lithium), and Group 2 metals (such as magnesium) are also employed. Cocatalysts which are halogen-containing Lewis acids such as AlCl.sub.3 or sources of halide, either organic, organometallic, or inorganic, may be used in combination with the transition metal-containing compound, organic reagents may be added to slow the rate of polymerization; typically these contain Lewis-basic groups, usually containing nitrogen or oxygen. More specialized catalysts, usually organometallic compounds, are also known, and the most widely used of these are based on W or titanium (Ti). As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, all of these systems ate sensitive to water and air, some violently so, and accordingly the usual practice is to remove adventitious amounts of water and air or be limited to processes and compounds in which materials free of these impurities can be supplied to the catalyst. A robust W organometallic compound has recently been described (L. L. Blosch, K. Abbound, J. M. Boncella J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 7066-7068), but it requires the use of water-sensitive AlCl.sub.3 as cocatalyst to be active as an olefin metathesis polymerization catalyst. Certain of the above catalysts and cocatalysts may have other disadvantages as well. For example, use of organic sources of halide such as CCl.sub.4 is undesirable because such compounds are carcinogenic. Use of alkyltin compounds is undesirable because such materials are known to be toxic to certain organisms and harmful to humans, and they are heavily regulated by such agencies as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, particularly with respect to use and disposal. Still other systems require the use of solvents, making them unsuitable for solvent-free processes; solvent-free processes are desirable because they provide environmental and cost advantages.
A smaller body of background art teaches the use of Periodic Groups 8 and 9 transition metal compounds for olefin metathesis, especially compounds containing ruthenium (Ru), osmium (Os), and iridium (Ir). U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,367,924 and 3,435,016 disclose use of Ir halides and R. E. Rinehart and H. P. Smith in J. Polym. Sci., B (Polymer Letters) 1965, 3, pp 1049-1052 disclose Ru halides as catalysts for olefin metathesis polymerization of cyclic olefins in inert and protic solvents, including water. F. W. Michelotti and W. P. Keaveney in J. Polym. Sci: A 1965, 3, pp 895-905 describe hydrated trichlorides of Ru, Ir and Os as polymerization catalysts in alcohol solvents. F. W. Michelotti and J. H. Carter in Polymer Preprints 1965, 6, pp 224-233 describe the use of IrCl.sub.3.3H.sub.2 O under nitrogen atmosphere to produce polymer in varying yields from functional group-containing norbornenes. Grubbs in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,883,851, 4,945,144, and 4,945,141 teach Ru and Os compounds as catalysts for polymerization of 7 -oxanorbornenes. It is believed that cocatalysts have not been described for Ru, Os, or Ir-containing olefin metathesis polymerization catalysts.
Certain olefin metathesis polymerization cocatalysts which are not sensitive to air or water have been taught; however, they are used in combination with air or water sensitive transition metal compounds, so that the reaction mixture still must be scrubbed of and protected from water or air or both. U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,512 and K. Weiss and R. Goller in J. Mol. Catal. 1986, 36, 39-45 disclose ring-opening metathesis of cycloolefins (e.g., cyclopentene or cycloheptene) in the presence of WCl.sub.6 and a 1-alkyne to give, for example, poly-1-pentenylene or poly-1-heptenylene, respectively. U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,048 describes the use of acetylenes with air-sensitive W-carbene compound under inert conditions to give low yields of polymer.
Cocatalysts containing silyl hydride ##STR3## are used with the reaction products obtained from air-sensitive tungsten halide plus a phenolic compound as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,426 for polymerization of substituted norbornenes. A combination of a tungsten compound and a tin-hydride has also been employed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,019,544 and 4,729,976. Z. Foltynowicz, B. Marciniec, and C. Pietraszuk in J. Mol. Catal. 1991, 65, 113-125 describe reaction of vinyltriethoxysilane as reagent with alkenes in the presence of RuCl.sub.3 and RuCl.sub.2 (PPh.sub.3).sub.3 (wherein Ph=phenyl), although they do not teach polymerization of cyclic olefins.
Oxidative cocatalysts have been used in various circumstances. For example, oxygen is described as having varying effects upon on olefin metathesis polymerization catalysts by V. A. Bhanu and K. Kishore in Chem. Rev. 1991, 91 (2), pp 99-117 (see especially 112-113). In particular, apparent beneficial effects of oxygen (O.sub.2) upon Ru-containing compound catalyzed norbornene polymerization reactions are attributed to initial epoxide formation by K. J. Ivin, B. S. R. Reddy, and J. J. Rooney in J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Comm. 1981, 1062-1064.
In non-analogous art, the effect of [Cp.sub.2 Fe].sup.+ PF.sub.6.sup.- on W-containing catalysts for alkyne polymerization has been described by M.-H. Desbois and D. Astruc in New J. Chem. 1989, 13, 595-600. Photoassisted W(CO).sub.6 catalysts for acetylene polymerization have been disclosed by S.J. Landon, P.M. Shulman and G.L. Geoffroy, in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1985 107, 6739-6740.
Heteroatom-containing alkene reagents have been disclosed by C. T. Thu, T. Bastelberger, and H. Hocker in Makromol. Chem., Rapid Commun. 1981, 2, pp 383-386. This reference describes the polymerization of a cyclic vinyl ether in the presence of a chromium-carbene compound under nitrogen atmosphere.
All of the transition metal catalyst and cocatalyst systems described in the background art are deficient in that they are either moisture sensitive and/or air sensitive, or they do not teach polymerization of cyclic olefins via olefin metathesis.
Methods employing photolysis for metathesis of olefinic compounds using W(CO).sub.6 in the presence of CCl.sub.4 have been disclosed by A. Agapiou and E. McNelis in J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Comm. 1975, 187, and by C. Tanielian, R. Kieffer, and A. Harfouch in Tetrahedron Lett. 1977, 52, 4589-4592. P. Krausz, F. Garnier, and J. Dubois in J. Organomet. Chem., 1978, 146, 125-134 disclose photoassisted olefin metathesis of trans-2-pentene in the presence Of W(CO).sub.6 /CCl.sub.4 to provide a mixture of 2-butene and 3-hexene. No polymers are taught. Certain tungsten-containing compounds and Lewis acid cocatalysts such as AlCl.sub.3 or ZrCl.sub.4 have also been disclosed by T. Szymanska-Buzar and J.J. Ziolkowski in J. Mol. Cat., 1987, 43, 161-170, for metathesis of linear olefins. No polymerization is taught. All of these systems are deficient in that they are sensitive to air or water, employ halogen-containing cocatalysts, or do not teach the polymerization via olefin metathesis of cyclic olefins.

Polymerizable compositions containing olefin metathesis catalysts and cocatalysts, and methods of use therefor

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A method is described for forming trench isolation for integrated circuits on silicon wafers by selectively doping the trench regions by ion implantation and then etching these areas with a wet chemical etch. A dopant such as boron, is implanted in a sequence of energies and doses to provide a desired trench profile of heavily doped silicon. The implanted silicon etches far more rapidly than the surrounding silicon and is readily etched out forming a trench. The concentration of dopant diminishes rapidly in the periphery of the implanted region. As the etch front approaches the periphery, the silicon etch rate, likewise diminishes and the etch can be quenched to leave a uniform surface layer of enhanced boron concentration which lines the resultant trench to form an effective channel stop. Wet etched trenches provide advantages over trenches formed by RIE including smooth rounded trench profiles which reduce stress. In addition, trenches having widths below 0.25 microns and essentially vertical walls can readily be formed.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to processes for the manufacture of semiconductor devices and more particularly to processes for forming field isolation.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The method of local oxidation of silicon(LOCOS) to form field oxide isolation around semiconductive devices built into the surface of silicon wafers has been practiced for over twenty-five years and has been adapted to many specific applications. In the process, a non-oxidizable mask of silicon nitride is formed over a thin layer of pad oxide grown on a blank silicon wafer. The mask is patterned by well known photolithographic methods and the wafer is oxidized, typically in steam, at temperatures in the neighborhood of 1,000.degree. C. The mask is patterned so that, after oxidation, mesa like regions of silicon are surrounded by a region of silicon oxide insulation. The semiconductive devices are then formed on the silicon mesas.
Over the years many problems with LOCOS have surfaced which have been addressed in a great variety of ways. Most notable are the problems which deal with the growth of oxide under the mask(birds beak) and the resultant uneven surface topology over the field oxide.
These problems still persist and become aggravated as the technology tends towards smaller, shallower devices at high densities. In addition new difficulties are encountered, for example, the field oxide thinning effect, which manifests itself when field oxide is grown by LOCOS in mask openings of less than about 0.5 to 0.6 microns. Many of these difficulties arise from the high stresses produced, not only by the growing oxide, but also by the nitride oxidation mask. High shearing stresses, caused by abrupt features in the silicon/silicon oxide profile, are produced in the silicon. These stresses lead to the formation of dislocations which propagate into the device active regions causing junction failure.
A promising replacement for LOCOS field oxide isolation has been found in trench isolation. Although deep trench isolation(DTI) has been used nearly as long as LOCOS for bipolar transistor isolation, it has not been widely practiced in the manufacture of MOSFET integrated circuits. More recently, however, as device densities increase and isolation widths become smaller, shallow trench isolation(STI) is gaining favor over LOCOS in MOSFET technology.
The Trenches are formed in the silicon around the semiconductor devices by reactive ion etching. They are then filled either entirely with silicon oxide or lined with silicon oxide and filled with another material such as polysilicon. Generally the trenches have vertical walls with high aspect ratios and thus it is difficult to provide sufficient dopant in the walls of the trenches to prevent channel formation which causes current leakage between adjacent MOSFET devices.
Furukawa, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,822 forms trenches 0.1 to 10 microns deep and between 0.1 and 2 microns wide. Reactive ion etching(RIE) is used to form the trench using a mask with sidewall spacers. After the trench is formed, the spacers are removed and the base of the trench and a narrow region of silicon at the upper edge of the trench are implanted to form a channel stop.
Madan, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,350,941 and 5,468,676 combines the use of LOCOS and trench isolation. The trenches are formed after a LOCOS oxidation process using anisotropic etching and a p-type dopant is then incorporated into the trench walls to form a channel stop. The dopant is either ion implanted or diffused from a deposited film source. Lur, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,790 forms a recessed LOCOS isolation by first etching a trench in the silicon and then forming the LOCOS oxide.
Chiu, et.al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,998 forms trenches with sidewalls having an angle of 54.7 degrees with respect to the top surface of the wafer. Thereby a 0.degree. ion implantation is able to form a continuous channel stop along the entire surface of the trench. The trenches are formed by the anisotropic silicon etchant KOH on the <100> oriented silicon wafer. Narrow, high aspect ratio trench isolation required by current technology cannot be achieved by this method. Crotti, et.al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,202 forms trenches for field isolation using isotropic plasma etching with CF.sub.4 +O.sub.2. The etching is done using a pad oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide mask stack with sidewalls. The sidewalls function to reduce the design opening defined by the mask stack to compensate for the undercut produced by the isotropic plasma etch. The opening has a grossly rounded profile which permits implantation of a channel stop over the entire trench surface.
In another effort to form a uniform dopant concentration on the sidewalls and bottom of the trench for the purpose of providing reliable current channeling stop, Hosaka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,636 heavily dopes the entire trench region by ion implantation through the trench definition mask prior to opening the trench by RIE. The ion implantation is performed by a prescribed variation of implantation energy during the procedure to obtain the desired doping gradation within the trench region. Thereafter the trench is formed by reactive ion etching.
There are several problems associated with this procedure. One is that the directionality of the reactive ion etch is, to a large extent, not dependent on the doping profile and therefore there exists a high probability that the doping concentration at the base of the trench will be less than that along the sidewalls. The process window for the etch is therefore very narrow.
A second problem, which is also common to processes wherein RIE is used to form the trench, occurs when trench widths are scaled down to 0.25 microns and below. Here, RIE processing begins to fail with regards to vertical sidewalls due to polymer formation which tends to restrict penetration in deep trenches. FIG. 1 illustrates this point by showing a cross section a portion of a silicon wafer 10 with a trench opening 20 having a design width larger than about 0.25 microns and another trench opening 22 having a design width of less than 0.25 microns. The etch mask 11 comprises a pad oxide 12, a silicon nitride layer 14, and a photoresist layer 16. The mask 11 is initially formed by patterning the photoresist layer 16 using conventional photolithographic methods and then etching the opening in the pad oxide and silicon nitride layers by RIE procedures well known by those in the art.
When trenches in the silicon are etched by RIE, a polymer is formed along the silicon sidewall. The polymer protects the sidewalls from lateral etching. In the larger (>0.25 micron) opening 20 the steady state polymer buildup on the sidewalls 19 is small compared to the width of the opening and therefore does not obstruct the vertical etching. In contrast, the steady state polymer buildup 18 in the smaller (>0.25 micron) opening 22 is significant compared to the width of the opening and therefore tends to narrow and eventually close off the etching front, resulting in a tapered, undersized trench.
Other difficulties associated with isolation trenches formed by RIE include plasma damage, not so much at the base of the trench but in the upper portions where sensitive gate oxides are formed. RIE formed trenches generally have sharp corners which cause the formation of stress and crystal dislocations during subsequent oxidation. The dislocations propagate diagonally from the corners into junction areas resulting in junction leakage and shorts.

Ion implant method for forming trench isolation for integrated circuit devices

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.


An accessory for a vapor generator, such as a smoke or fog machine, includes an elongated member that connects to an output nozzle of the vapor generator. The elongated member has one or more perforations formed in its sidewall along its length. A vapor generated by the vapor generator travels through an interior of the elongated member and escapes through the perforations to the ambient atmosphere. The effect creates a curtain of smoke or fog.

Many different types of devices are able to generate a theatrical vapor. For example, one type of vapor generator is a smoke machine. Most smoke machines typically vaporize a water and glycol-based fluid mixture to emit a dense vapor that resembles smoke or fog. In operation, the smoke machine injects the fluid into a heated block or chamber where it quickly evaporates into a vapor. The resultant pressure forces the vapor out of the chamber and into the cooler ambient air, where it forms a fog or smoke.
There are many different uses for such devices. For example, the entertainment industry uses smoke machines to create spooky theatrical effects, or to enhance lighting effects. Smoke machines are also useful for industrial purposes, such as visualizing the flow of air in a wind tunnel. Additionally, smoke machines are frequently used in commercial Halloween displays, and have become widely used for domestic Halloween decorations in residential areas.


A serological method to detect exposure to turkey astrovirus-2 (TAsV-2) is provided.

Acute gastroenteritis is one of the world's most significant disease problems. An estimated 3 to 5 million people die each year from gastroenteritis, mostly in the developing world (Glass et al., 2001). In the United States, viral gastroenteritis is one of the most common acute illnesses, second only to viral respiratory diseases (Glass et al., 2001). Although several viruses cause gastroenteritis, the most clinically relevant include rotaviruses, caliciviruses, astroviruses, and enteric adenoviruses (Cukor et al., 1984).
Viral gastroenteritis occurs in both an endemic and epidemic fashion, based on the routes of transmission and host response. The most common endemic viruses are group A rotaviruses, enteric adenoviruses, astroviruses and the Sapporo-like viruses (caliciviruses) (Glass et al., 2001). These infections are virtually universal in the first years of life. It is believed that during early childhood, immunity develops to these agents providing protection against recurring infection and explaining the decrease in cases in older children and adults (Kurtz et al., 1978; Kurtz et al., 1979; Mitchell, 2002). Epidemic viruses are best characterized by the Norwalk-like viruses (calicivirus) and the group B rotaviruses. These viruses affect people of all ages, and outbreaks are typically linked to contaminated water and/or food (Goodgame, 2001).
Astroviruses, small round, non-enveloped viruses, typically 28-30 nm in diameter, are implicated in epidemics, usually associated with an institutional setting like a hospital, retirement community, or military base, and they have been isolated from shellfish linked to food borne disease (Matsui et al., 2001). Astroviruses have been reported to cause acute disease in the young of multiple species, including humans, cattle, sheep, cats, dogs, deer, chickens, turkeys, and ducks (Bridger, 1980; Gough et al., 1984; Harboav et al., 1987; Madeley et al., 1975; McNulty et al., 1988; Snodgrass et al., 1977; Tzipon et al., 1981; Williams, 1980; Woode et al., 1978), and multiple serotypes have been described for human, bovine, and turkey astroviruses.
Astroviruses are commonly recognized as a problem in turkeys. Turkey astrovirus (TAstV) was first described by McNulty et al. (1980) in poults in the United Kingdom suffering from diarrhea and increased mortality. In the United States, TAstV was first identified in the 1980s (TAstV-1), and shown to be widely distributed (Reynolds et al., 1986; Reynolds et al., 1987b; Saif et al., 1985). Reynolds et al. (1987b) demonstrated that astroviruses could be isolated from 78% of diseased turkey flocks, more than any other virus identified. TAstV is generally associated with self-limiting mild enteritis, transient growth depression, moderate increases in mortality (Jonassen et al., 2003; Koci et al., 2000; McNulty et al., 1980; Reynolds, 1991; Reynolds et al., 1987b; Yu et al., 2000) and malabsorption (Reynolds et al., 1986; Reynolds et al., 1987a; Thouvenelle et al., 1995a; Thouvenelle et al., 1995b).
Recently, a TAstV isolate, TAsV-2, that is associated with poult enteritis and mortality syndrome (PEMS), was characterized (Koci et al., 2000). PEMS is a multifactorial, highly infectious emerging disease that affects young turkeys, typically between 7 and 28 days of age. The disease was first described in 1991 in an area along the western North Carolina/South Carolina border (Barnes et al., 1997). A PEMS-like disease has been described in most turkey producing states across the United States (Barnes et al., 1997; Brandenberger, 1999), and has been estimated to cost the turkey industry over $100 million (Brandenberger, 1999). TAstV-2 is genetically and immunologically distinct from previously described isolates (Koci et al., 2000).
Strict containment is the only known method of preventing and controlling infections with any of the known astroviruses. Infected flocks, especially those that exhibit severe loss in viability and production, need to be treated with the utmost concern for biosecurity, strictly adhering to the principles discussed in Zander & Mallinson (1991). Astroviruses are extremely stable in the environment and resistant to inactivation by most routinely used disinfectants (Kurtz et al., 1980; Abad et al., 1997; Schultz-Cherry et al., 2001) similar to chicken anemia virus or foot-and-mouth disease virus. For instance, partially purified TAstV-2 remains infectious following treatment with a panel of commercial disinfectants, including 10% bleach. TAstV-2 is also very heat stable, resisting inactivation following treatment at 60° C. for 10 minutes, and resistant to low pH (Schultz-Cherry et al., 2001). These findings suggest that, once a poultry production facility has been infected with astrovirus, complete sanitation of all materials and restricted access to facilities by personnel is required to contain the outbreak to an affected farm.
The combination of age susceptibility and highly stable virions suggests that multiple age farms may help prolong the period of poor production as older birds may recover and no longer exhibit clinical signs but still harbor virus. For example, new poults routinely develop enteritis soon after being placed in "cleaned" houses on farms with multiple aged birds (Edens & Doerfler, 1999). The most practical prevention method is to use strict biosecurity prophylactically. A nominal investment of time and energy spent on keeping each farm pathogen-free could greatly reduce the likelihood of contracting an astrovirus infection, and likewise periods of prolonged poor production.
Until recently the most common method to identify astrovirus infection in birds was electronmicroscopy (EM) (Reynolds, 1991). However, only 10% of particles may exhibit the 5- or 6-pointed starlike morphology making it difficult to accurately identify astroviruses using direct EM, especially when there are very few viral particles present (Caul & Appleton, 1982; Reynolds, 1991; Matsui & Greenberg, 2001). Because of this limitation, Reynolds (1991) suggested using immune EM (IEM) to encourage viral aggregation, however, the addition of purified antibody or convalescent sera to a virus sample can actually mask characteristic physical features or fail to detect new serotypes (Matsui & Greenberg, 2001).
Currently, the one diagnostic tool available for TAstV-2 is a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay (Koci et al., 2000). However, such assays require ongoing infection, and the results can be greatly affected by sampling methods. In addition, RT-PCR requires diagnostic facilities capable of performing molecular biology techniques, something many state diagnostic laboratories lack.
Thus, what is needed is an improved method to detect an animal exposed to an astrovirus, e.g., TAsV-2.

Method to detect antibodies specific for type-2 turkey astrovirus


A chip solid electrolyte capacitor with low ESR and small initial failure ratio comprising a plurality of solid electrolyte capacitor elements each produced by stacking a dielectric oxide film layer, a semiconductor layer and an electrically conducting layer in this order to form a cathode part on a surface of an anode substrate exclusive of the anode part at one end, the anode substrate comprising a sintered body of a valve-acting metal or an electrically conducting oxide or comprising the sintered body connected with a metal wire, which is a chip solid electrolyte capacitor obtained by horizontally laying the plurality of electrolyte capacitor elements in parallel with no space on a pair of oppositely disposed end parts of a lead frame such that the anode part or the metal wire and the cathode part come into contact with the lead frame, joining each element, and molding the entire with a resin while leaving outside the external terminal parts of the lead frame, wherein the volume ratio of one sintered body exclusive of the anode part to the chip volume is from 0.042 to 0.110; and an electronic instrument using the chip solid electrolyte capacitor.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conventionally known chip solid electrolyte capacitor, where one solid electrolyte capacitor element (2) obtained by sequentially forming a dielectric oxide film layer, a semiconductor layer and an electrically conducting layer on a surface of a sintered body comprising a valve-acting metal or an electrically conducting oxide is used and where a part of the electrically conducting layer and an anode lead (4a) (anode part) connected to the sintered body are laid on a pair of oppositely disposed end parts (1a and 1b) which are a part of a plate-like metal-made lead frame (1) working out to external terminals, each is electrically or mechanically connected, the entirety is molded with a jacket resin while leaving outside only the external terminals of the lead frame to form a jacket part (5), and the lead frame outside the jacket part is cut and bent at predetermined portions.
On the other hand, with recent progress of high-frequency processing of electronic instruments, the solid electrolyte capacitor is also demanded to have good high-frequency performance. The present inventors have already proposed in JP-A-5-234829 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") a chip solid electrolyte capacitor exhibiting good high-frequency performance values, where a plurality of solid electrolyte capacitor elements each obtained by sequentially stacking a dielectric oxide film layer, a semiconductor layer and an electrically conducting layer to form a cathode part on a surface of an anode substrate having an anode part and comprising a valve-acting metal are used and where the cathode parts are partially laid in parallel with no space on one end part of a lead frame having a pair of oppositely disposed end parts, the anode parts are laid on another end part, each is electrically or mechanically joined, the entirety is molded with a resin while leaving outside a part of end parts of the lead frame, and the lead frame outside the resin molding is cut and bent at predetermined portions.
The chip solid electrolyte capacitor is integrated on a substrate together with other electronic parts, then mounted on an electronic instrument and used for multiple years. The chip solid electrolyte capacitor is demanded to exhibit an initial failure ratio as low as possible at the stage of being integrated on a substrate.


The invention relates the field of light boxes, and more specifically to a diffusing layer intended to be deposited on a substrate for making a light source homogeneous. The diffusing layer according to the invention consists of agglomerated semitransparent mineral particles in a mineral binder and is characterized by the particles having a mean diameter of between 0.3 and 2 microns, the binder being in a proportion of between 10 and 40% by volume, the particles forming aggregates whose size is between 0.5 and 20 microns, preferably less than 5 microns, and the layer having a contrast attenuation of greater than 40%. The invention also relates to uses for the production of flat lamps.

Although the invention is not limited to such applications, it will be more particularly described with reference to layers used to make the light emitted from a light box, in particular a flat lamp homogeneous. Such a flat lamp may especially be a back-light source, used especially in flat-screen computers to illuminate a liquid-crystal screen. They may also be architectural flat lamps used, for example, on ceilings, floors or walls. They may also be flat lamps for municipal applications, such as lamps for advertising panels or lamps able to constitute the shelves or backs of display cabinets.
These flat lamps may also find applications in other fields, such as, for example, the automobile industry since it is conceivable to produce motor-vehicle roofs part of which includes such a lamp, particularly to substitute for the currently known illumination of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. It is also possible to produce the backlighting for motor-vehicle dashboards.
Moreover, the expression "flat lamp" should be understood as corresponding to a construction made from two substrates which are initially substantially flat but which, however, may have a slight curvature for a given application.
These flat lamps, as described for example in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,470, therefore consist of two substantially flat substrates, such as glass sheets, on which various layers making up the lamp are deposited. For example, on the first glass sheet, which is the rear sheet of the lamp, silver electrodes coated with a dielectric are deposited on the internal face and layers of alumina and phosphor are deposited on the other face. Layers of alumina and phosphor are deposited on the internal face of the other glass sheet, the alumina layer forming reflection regions allowing the light emitted by the said lamp to be made homogeneous. Other materials, such as titanium oxide, may also serve as reflecting layers.
However, it is apparent that the light thus emitted, especially in the case of backlighting for liquid-crystal screens, is not sufficiently homogeneous and has excessively large contrasts. Solutions to improve the homogeneity of the light from these lamps have already been realized. Treatments of the front surface of the glass sheet, such as frosting by sand-blasting or hot-patterning the surface of the glass, or else an opaline coloration through the thickness of the glass, have been proposed, among other suggestions, but are not sufficient and often too expensive. A satisfactory solution from the standpoint of homogeneity consists in covering the front face of the glass sheet with a plastic such as a frosted polycarbonate or acrylic polymer. However, this solution has the drawback of requiring several layers of plastic coating which result in an overall thickness of at least 5 mm. Such a coating thickness added to the other components making up the screen results in a considerable increase in the overall thickness of the lamp. This goes counter to the current trend towards reducing the overall size of screens in terms of thickness. The increase in the thickness also causes a reduction in the luminance of the lamp. Another drawback of such a lamp is that the plastic coating does not withstand the high temperatures required for its production, especially when carrying out the steps of depositing the electrodes and of sealing the periphery of the glass sheets.
The inventors were thus tasked with finding a means resulting in homogeneity of the light emitted by a flat lamp which is at least equivalent to the abovementioned solution but does not have its drawbacks, especially in terms of overall size and loss of luminance.


According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light-emitting device includes a semiconductor layer including a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a light emitting layer, a first surface, and a second surface, the light emitting layer provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, the second surface opposing the first surface; a p-side electrode; an n-side electrode; a p-side pillar; an n-side pillar; a first insulating layer; an optical layer; a second insulating layer; a first layer; a p-side interconnect; and an n-side interconnect. The first layer includes a first lower end portion and a second lower end portion.

A semiconductor light emitting device that has a chip size package structure has been proposed in which a fluorescer layer and multiple fluorescers are provided on one surface side of a semiconductor layer including a light emitting layer; and interconnect layers, external terminals and a resin layer are provided on one other surface (mounting surface) side.
Improvement of the optical characteristics may be problematic for the structure on the fluorescer layer side.

Semiconductor light emitting device and method for manufacturing same


A system for delivering power to an integrated circuit (IC) component mounted on a circuit board includes a circuit board having a first side and an opposite second side. An IC component is mounted on the first side of the circuit board, and the IC component has a plurality of power contacts. A voltage regulator module (VRM) is coupled to the second side of the circuit board. The VRM reduces a voltage supplied to the IC component from a first voltage to a second voltage. An interface connector is mounted on the VRM. The interface connector is in mating engagement with the IC component, thereby delivering power at the second voltage directly to the IC component.

The invention relates generally to power delivery in electronic circuits and more particularly to power delivery systems for microprocessors and other integrated circuit (IC) devices.
Competition and consumer demand have continued the trends toward faster, higher performance electrical systems, particularly with regard to computer systems. As microprocessors and associated integrated circuits operate at higher speeds, the power requirements for these devices also tend to increase. The speed of the microprocessor is influenced by how fast the microprocessor's internal transistors can switch. Lowering the operating voltage enables faster switching and correspondingly higher speeds. However, as voltage is reduced, operating currents are increased to maintain power. Increasing current can result in more power drain or power losses.
Typically, current microprocessors operate at voltage levels of, for example, 3.3 volts, while future microprocessors are expected to operate at even lower voltages, for instance, voltages approaching 1.5 to 1.0 volts. These low voltages require even greater amounts of current to maintain power. The low voltage requirement of current microprocessors typically requires a localized power converter, such as a DC-to-DC converter, to reduce the voltage supplied to the microprocessor. Typically, the power converter is soldered to a motherboard or plugged into the motherboard via a connector. The lower voltage is then conducted through conductors or printed circuit traces on the motherboard to a connector of the component requiring the lower voltage, such as a microprocessor. Space on the motherboard is at a premium, and locating the power distribution path to the processor on the motherboard takes up space that could be used for other components.
In at least some applications, a power supply interface connector is provided on a top side of the circuit board. For both high speeds and space considerations, it is advantageous to make the interface connector as small as possible and with a very low profile. However, power application can become an issue. As processors become more and more powerful with more and more transistors, power requirements go up dramatically. Typical printed circuit board technologies are encountering at least two problems associated with the interface connectors. One being the ability to carry large amounts of current, and the other, being the ability to maintain a low inductance for signal integrity. With regard to power systems, high current transfer rates, or slew rates, can result in significant power losses if the inductance is too high.
A need exists for a power delivery system that has a high power capacity and low inductance interconnect which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks while conserving space on the motherboard.

Power delivery system for integrated circuits


A hand-held laser-welding wand includes a gas lens assembly that develops an inert gas atmosphere around a weld pool. The lens assembly additionally reflects laser light and thermal radiation that is reflected off a work piece surface away from the hand of a user of the hand-held laser welding wand.

Many components in a jet engine are designed and manufactured to withstand relatively high temperatures. Included among these components are the turbine blades, vanes, and nozzles that make up the turbine engine section of the jet engine. In many instances, various types of welding processes are used during the manufacture of the components, and to repair the components following a period of usage. Moreover, various types of welding technologies and techniques may be used to implement these various welding processes. However, one particular type of welding technology that has found increased usage in recent years is laser welding technology.
Laser welding technology uses a high power laser to manufacture parts, components, subassemblies, and assemblies, and to repair or dimensionally restore worn or damaged parts, components, subassemblies, and assemblies. In general, when a laser welding process is employed, laser light of sufficient intensity to form a melt pool is directed onto the surface of a metal work piece, while a filler material, such as powder, wire, or rod, is introduced into the melt pool. Until recently, such laser welding processes have been implemented using laser welding machines. These machines are relatively large, and are configured to run along one or more preprogrammed paths.
Although programmable laser welding machines, such as that described above, are generally reliable, these machines do suffer certain drawbacks. For example, a user may not be able to manipulate the laser light or work piece, as may be needed, during the welding process. This can be problematic for weld processes that involve the repair or manufacture of parts having extensive curvature and/or irregular or random distributed defect areas. Thus, in order to repair or manufacture parts of this type, the Assignee of the present application developed a portable, hand-held laser welding wand. Among other things, this hand-held laser welding wand allows independent and manual manipulation of the laser light, the filler material, and/or the work piece during the welding process. An exemplary embodiment of the hand-held laser welding wand is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,593,540, which is entitled "Hand Held Powder-Fed Laser Fusion Welding Torch," and the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The hand-held laser welding wand, such as the one described above, provides the capability to perform manual 3-D adaptive laser welding on components. However, in its present configuration the welding wand is, in many instances, used within an enclosed chamber that provides an inert atmosphere. This is because many of the materials that are welded using the hand-held wand need to be in an inert atmosphere when being welded. While such an arrangement is possible in most cases, it may present an inconvenience in certain instances. For example, it may be needed or desired to conduct a particular weld repair operation at a time or place where an enclosed inert chamber may not be available or there may not be sufficient room to provide such a chamber.
In addition to the above, because an operator holds the wand while welding a work piece, the operator's hand may be in close proximity to the work piece. When the laser light impinges on the work piece, some of the laser light may be reflected back toward the operator's hand. Moreover, some thermal radiation that is generated during the weld process may be transmitted back toward the wand and/or the operator's hand. Although the operator may likely wear gloves or other hand covering that is substantially impervious to laser light, it would be desirable to provide an additional barrier between the operator's hand and the reflected laser light.
Hence, there is a need for a device that will provide an inert atmosphere, at least at the weld pool, during welding operations with the hand-held laser welding wand, without having to provide or construct an enclosed chamber. There is additionally a need for a shield that will reflect laser light that is reflected off a work piece surface away from the hand of a hand-held laser welding wand user and/or a shield that will reflect the thermal radiation transmitted from the work piece toward the wand during the weld process. The present invention addresses one or more of these needs.


An electrode tip assembly for a catheter is bendable under the control of the user. The distal tip portion of the assembly is progressively less resistant to bending than the remaining portions. The variable stiffness is provided by tapering the width or thickness of a bendable spring component or otherwise providing a progressive change in bending characteristics by notching, dimpling or stepping the thickness of the spring.

Physicians make widespread use of catheters today in medical procedures to gain access into interior regions of the body. In its important that the physician can control carefully and precisely the movement of the catheter within the body. Steerable catheters using a bendable spring in the catheter distal tip are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,861 issued Nov. 15, 1994. The present invention relates to improvements and refinements of the devices disclosed therein.
The need for careful and precise control over the catheter is especially critical during procedures that ablate tissue within the heart. These procedures, called electrophysiological therapy, are becoming more widespread for treating cardiac rhythm disturbances. Such control can be improved by providing catheter distal tip steering assemblies having smoothly curving or otherwise carefully controllable curvatures upon deflection or bending.
During these procedures, a physician steers a catheter through a main vein or artery (typically the femoral) into the interior region of the heart that is to be treated. The physician then further manipulates a steering mechanism to place the electrode carried on the tip of the catheter into direct contact with the tissue that is to be ablated. The physician directs radio frequency energy into the electrode tip to ablate the tissue and form a lesion.
Cardiac ablation especially requires the ability to precisely bend and shape the tip end of the catheter to position the ablation electrode.


A device positionable in an opening in a flexible membrane or in the lumen of a vessel having a flexible sidewall. The device distends or biases opposite portions defining the opening or forming the vessel sidewall outwardly in the plane of the device. The outward biasing draws opposing portions of the opening or sidewall inwardly in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the device and into apposition or contact.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a device positionable in an opening in a flexible membrane or in the lumen of a vessel having a flexible sidewall. The device distends or biases opposite portions defining the opening or forming the vessel sidewall outwardly in the plane of the device. The outward biasing draws opposing portions of the opening or sidewall inwardly in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the device and into apposition or contact.
2. Description of Related Art
Elastic membranes, in particular, living tissue such as muscular tissue, may be subject to defects, disorders or diseases wherein unwanted openings or cavities are formed through or in the tissue. Elastic vessels having flexible sidewalls are found extensively throughout the human body and perform a variety of vital functions, for example, carrying and distributing blood to tissue and transporting waste matter from the digestive and urinary systems. The vessels may use sphincters to control the flow of matter through the vessels or they may incorporate one-way valves to prevent back flow of fluid. The valves and even the vessels themselves may suffer from defects, disorders or abnormalities which inhibit their ability to function properly. Examples of various disorders of important muscular tissue as well as blood vessels are described below by way of specific examples.
Mitral Valve Incompetence
As shown in FIG. 1, the left atrioventricular or mitral valve 2 is a bicuspid (two-leaflet) valve positioned in the orifice 4 between the left atrium 6 and left ventricle 8 of the heart 10. Oxygen rich blood 12 flows from the lungs via pulmonary veins 14 to the left atrium 6, past the mitral valve 2 and into the left ventricle 8 where it is pumped to the aorta 16 for further distribution to the body. The mitral valve 2 has leaflets 18 and 20 in apposition to one another defining the plane 22 of the valve parallel to and between the leaflets. The mitral valve 2 is a one way valve, its leaflets 18 and 20 moving perpendicularly to the valve plane 22 away from one another to permit flow into the left ventricle 8, and closing against one another (also known as coaptation) in response to a pressure increase in the left ventricle 8 caused when it contracts to pump the blood through the aorta 16. In a healthy valve, the leaflets 18 and 20 normally seal against each other (coapt) to prevent back flow of blood through the left atrium 6 to the lungs. However, in a diseased mitral valve the leaflets may prolapse into the left atrium and allow a back flow of blood.
Of the various valves in the heart, the mitral valve is most vulnerable to disease and suffers from atrioventricular valvular incompetence whereby the mitral valve seals incompletely. This allows blood to regurgitate into the left atrium upon contraction of the left ventricle. The diseased leaflets of the valve undergo scarring and shortening which are one cause the valvular incompetence. Other causes include abnormal elongation of the chordae tendineae (tendinous cords attached to the free edges of the leaflets to prevent prolapse), as well as rigidity, deformity and retraction of the leaflets associated with rheumatic heart disease.
Due to the low success rate associated with mitral valve replacement, atrioventricular valvular incompetence is preferably treated by mitral valve repair requiring open heart surgery. This treatment is extremely invasive, requires that the heart be stopped and the patient put on cardiopulmonary bypass and often leads to post-operative complications.
Venous Valve Incompetence
As shown in FIG. 2, the veins 24 of the human circulatory system have a system of one-way valves such as 26 and 28, also comprising two leaflets 30 and 32, which operate to promote the flow of blood from the extremities back to the heart by preventing the retrograde flow of blood to the extremities between heart beats. The venous valves 26 and 28 also cooperate to allow muscular action to assist in the pumping of blood from the venous side of the circulatory system back to the heart. The contraction of various muscles 34 tends to constrict the veins 24, forcing blood to flow out of the vein, and the venous valves 26 and 28 cooperate, with valve 28 opening while valve 26 remains closed, to permit only one-way flow back to the heart.
The veins are subject to various disorders related to defective structure and function of their valves, known as valve incompetence. Valve incompetence can cause varicose veins, as well as chronic venous insufficiency wherein the valve leaflets become thickened and contracted so that they become incapable of preventing the retrograde flow of blood. Both of these conditions cause considerable discomfort and can lead to further complications such as edema, erythema, dermatitis, skin ulceration and cellulitis.
Arterial Saccular Aneurysms
As illustrated in FIG. 3, saccular aneurysms 36 occur at the branching 38 of arteries 40 in the body and comprise a sack-like formation of the artery wall 42 which extends outwardly from the bifurcation point 44 between the arterial branches 40. The aneurysm 36 has a neck 46 of reduced diameter forming the juncture with the artery 40 and is capped by a dome 48. During formation of the aneurysm 36, the arterial internal elastic lamina disappears at the neck 46, the wall 42 thins and weakens and connective tissue replaces smooth-muscle cells. The aneurysm tends to rupture at the dome 48 and bleeding ensues.
Rupture of a cerebrovascular saccular aneurysm is especially serious due to the associated high mortality rate (10% within the first day of rupture, 25% within three months) and the major neurological deficits experienced by those who survive the initial hemorrhage.
Patent Foramen Ovale
As shown in FIG. 1, the foramen 3 is an opening in the muscle tissue of the heart between the left and right atria (6 and 7 respectively). This opening is present before birth to allow blood to be channeled between the mother and the fetus. After birth the foramen normally closes to separate the atria and allow blood to be pumped by the infant's heart. Patent foramen ovale is a heart defect wherein the foramen fails to close after birth and allows leakage of blood between the atria. This defect results in a greater risk of pulmonary embolism and stroke.
Atrial Appendage
FIG. 1B is a partial sectional view taken at line 1B—1B in FIG. 1 and illustrates an atrial appendage 5 extending from the left atrium 6 adjacent to the pulmonary trunk 9. The atrial appendage 5 is approximately the size of a human thumb and performs no known useful function. It is, however, responsible for the formation of blood clots, and is believed to be responsible for 90 percent of strokes associated with non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart beat. The risk of stroke is greatly reduced by closing off the atrial appendage 5 from the left atrium 6.
Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects
An atrial septal defect, illustrated in FIG. 1C, is a heart defect characterized by an opening 13 in the septum or wall 15 separating the left and right atria 6 and 7 respectively. Similarly, a ventricular septal defect is characterized by an opening 17 in the septum 19 separating the left and right ventricles 8 and 11 respectively. Such openings allow blood to flow between the atria or the ventricles.
If untreated, an atrial septal defect places stress on the right ventricle which may dilate and weaken in response. The lungs may become congested and pulmonary hypertension may also result, as well as arrhythmias and blood clots leading to stroke. A ventricular septal defect also places greater stress on the right ventricle, again leading to congestion, pulmonary hypertension, blood clots, stroke and arrhythmia.
There is a need, therefore, for a device and a method which can be used to correct disorders and abnormalities associated with opening in muscular tissue as well as vessels having flexible, elastic sidewalls and which may be employed in a safe, minimally invasive manner to reduce trauma to the patient and minimize post-operative complications.

Tissue distention device and related methods for therapeutic intervention


The invention relates to imidazoiso[5,1-a]quinoline and 5,6-dihydro-imidazoiso[5,1-a]quinoline derivatives according to general Formula I

Gonadotropins serve important functions in a variety of bodily functions including metabolism, temperature regulation and the reproductive process. Gonadotropins act on specific gonadal cell types to initiate ovarian and testicular differentiation and steroidogenesis. The pituitary gonadotropin FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), for example, plays a pivotal role in the stimulation of follicle development and maturation whereas LH (luteinizing hormone) induces ovulation [Sharp, R. M. Clin Endocrinol. 33, 787-807 (1990); Dorrington and Armstrong, Recent Prog. Horm. Res. 35, 301-342 (1979)]. Currently, FSH is applied clinically for ovarian stimulation, i.e. controlled ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and induction of ovulation in infertile anovulatory women [Insler, V., Int. J. Fertility 33, 85-97 (1988), Navot and Rosenwaks, J. Vitro Fert. Embryo Transfer 5, 3-13 (1988)], as well as for male hypogonadism and male infertility.
The gonadotropin FSH is released from the anterior pituitary under the influence of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and estrogens, and from the placenta during pregnancy. In the female, FSH acts on the ovaries promoting development of follicles and is the major hormone regulating secretion of estrogens. In the male, FSH is responsible for the integrity of the seminiferous tubules and acts on Sertoli cells to support gametogenesis. Purified FSH is used clinically to treat infertility in females and for some types of failure of spermatogenesis in males. Gonadotropins destined for therapeutic purposes can be isolated from human urine sources and are of low purity [Morse et al, Amer. J. Reproduct. Immunol. and Microbiology 17, 143 (1988)]. Alternatively, they can be prepared as recombinant gonadotropins. Recombinant human FSH is available commercially and is being used in assisted reproduction [Olijve et al. Mol. Hum. Reprod. 2, 371-381 (1996); Devroey et al. Lancet 339, 1170-1171 (1992)].
The actions of the FSH hormone are mediated by a specific membrane receptor that is a member of the large family of G-protein coupled receptors. These receptors consist of a single polypeptide with seven transmembrane domains and are able to interact with the Gs protein, leading to the activation of adenylate cyclase.
The FSH receptor (FSHR) is a highly specific target in the ovarian follicle growth process and is exclusively expressed in the ovary. Low molecular weight FSHR agonists can be used for the same clinical purposes as native FSH, i.e. for the treatment of infertility and for controlled ovarian stimulation preceeding in vitro fertilisation.
Certain tetrahydroquinoline derivatives have recently been disclosed in the International Application WO 2003/004028 (AKZO NOBEL N.V.) as FSHR modulating substances, either having agonistic or antagonistic properties.
Low molecular weight FSH mimetics with agonistic properties were disclosed in the International Application WO 2000/08015 (Applied Research Systems ARS Holding N.V.); WO 2004/031182 (Applied Research Systems ARS Holding N.V.); WO 2002/09706 (Affymax Research Institute); WO 2005/087765 (Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc); WO 2006/117368 (AKZO NOBEL N.V.); WO 2006/117370 (AKZO NOBEL N.V.); WO 2006/117371 (AKZO NOBEL N.V.) and in WO 2006/117023 (AKZO NOBEL N.V.).
There clearly is a need for low molecular weight hormone mimetics that selectively activate the FSH receptor.

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compounds can be used for the treatment of infertility.


A magnetooptic recording medium has at least a recording layer for recording data and a reproducing layer for reproducing the data recorded in the recording layer onto a substrate and reproduces the data by setting a proper reproducing laser power upon reproduction. According to the magnetooptic recording medium, magnetizing directions of a buffer area, a sector address area, and a gap area which are sandwiched between data areas in which the data is recorded are uniformly magnetized in the recording direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a magnetooptic recording medium for recording and reproducing information by using a laser beam and to a storing apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a magnetooptic recording medium for reproducing a recording mark smaller than a laser beam by a magnetically induced super resolution and to a storing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Arts
In recent years, as an external recording medium of a computer, an optical disk has been highlighted. According to the optical disk, by forming recording pits on the submicron order onto a medium by using a laser beam, a recording capacity can be remarkably increased as compared with that of a floppy disk as a conventional external recording medium. When considering a magnetooptic disk of 3.5 inches, although the initial disk has only a capacity of 128 MB, the disk having a capacity of 1.3 GB has been realized in recent years. A magnetooptic disk of 3.5 inches having the largest capacity of 1.3 GB at present will now be described. High density recording is realized by setting a track pitch to 0.90 μm and setting a mark length to 0.38 μm and, further, by using a super resolution technique called MSR (Magnetically Induced Super Resolution). According to the MSR technique, by devising the medium side, a mark smaller than a spot diameter of the laser beam can be recorded and reproduced. By using the MSR technique, the capacity which is 10 times as large as the capacity of 128 MB of the initial disk can be realized.
The MSR technique will now be described. FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a reproducing principle of the MSR technique. As for a medium construction, a 3-layer construction of a recording layer 200, an intermediate layer 202, and a reproducing layer 204 will be described as an example. A mark recorded in the recording layer 200 is influenced in a low temperature portion in front of a laser beam 205 by a reproducing magnetic field, so that a front mask 206 is formed in the erasing direction. An arrow 218 indicates a medium rotating direction. In a portion behind the laser beam 205, heat generated by a reproducing power is accumulated, so that a temperature rises, a magnetization of the intermediate layer 202 is extinguished, and a rear mask 212 which faces a same recording direction 210 as that of a reproducing magnetic field 208 is formed in the reproducing layer 204. An aperture 214 is formed in an intermediate portion between the front mask 206 and rear mask 212. Only in this portion, a magnetization in the recording layer 200 is reflected to the reproducing layer 204 through the intermediate layer 202, so that the reproduction by the MSR is realized. The reproduction of the mark smaller than the laser beam 205 can be realized. The MSR technique is particularly a type called a super resolution (MSR) of the double mask type rear aperture detection system.
In case of reproducing by the MSR, it is necessary to raise the reproducing power to a power larger than that in case of the ordinary reproduction and raise a temperature of the reproducing portion. However, usually, since an ID area between data areas is formed by a pit train, there is no need to raise the reproducing power. If the reproducing power is large, a reproduction signal which is inputted to a reproducing circuit is too large and there is a possibility that it exceeds a dynamic range. It is impossible to make the reproducing power coincide with that of the MSR. Therefore, at the head of the data area where the reproduction of the MSR is executed, since the reproducing power at the time of reproducing the ID area is small, a preheating effect is not obtained and the larger reproducing power is necessary. There is, consequently, a problem such that a reproducing power margin is reduced.
According to the invention, a magnetooptic recording medium and a storing apparatus in which an enough reproducing power margin can be assured even if a reproducing power of an ID area is small are provided.
According to the invention, there is provided a magnetooptic recording medium in which at least a recording layer for recording data and a reproducing layer for reproducing the data recorded in the recording layer are formed on a substrate and the recorded data is reproduced by setting a proper reproducing laser power upon reproduction, wherein magnetizing directions of a buffer area, a sector address area, and a gap area which are sandwiched between data areas where the data is recorded are uniformly magnetized in the recording direction. According to the invention as mentioned above, by uniformly magnetizing the buffer area, sector address area, and gap area which are sandwiched between the data areas in the recording direction, the medium enters a state where an aperture and a rear mask can be formed more easily, so that a medium in which even at the head of the data area without a preheating, the reproduction by the MSR can be realized by a smaller reproducing power, and a reproducing power margin is wider can be provided.
According to the invention, there is provided a magnetooptic recording medium in which at least a recording layer for recording data and a reproducing layer for reproducing the data recorded in the recording layer are formed likewise on a substrate and the data is reproduced by setting a proper reproducing laser power upon reproduction, wherein a portion before a data area where the data is recorded is uniformly magnetized to a recording direction. That is, according to the invention, even if the portion just before the data area is merely uniformly magnetized in the recording direction instead of the whole area of a buffer area, a sector address area, and a gap area which are sandwiched between the data areas, the medium enters a state where an aperture and a rear mask can be formed more easily. A medium in which even at the head of the data area without a preheating, the reproduction by the MSR can be realized by a smaller reproducing power, and a reproducing power margin is wider can be provided.
According to the invention, there is provided a magnetooptic recording medium in which a mark of a recording layer is reflected from an aperture sandwiched between a front mask formed ahead of a reproducing beam in a reproducing layer and a rear mask formed behind the reproducing beam, and data is reproduced by an MSR.
According to the invention, there is provided a magnetooptic recording medium in which a signal is recorded and reproduced onto/from one or both of lands and grooves which are formed alternately on the medium. Particularly, the invention is suitable for the magnetooptic recording medium in which the signal is recorded and reproduced onto/from both of the lands and the grooves.
According to the invention, there is provided a storing apparatus, wherein at least a recording layer for recording data and a reproducing layer for reproducing the data recorded in the recording layer are formed on a substrate of a magnetooptic recording medium, and the storing apparatus comprises: a reproducing unit which reproduces the recorded data by setting a proper reproducing laser power upon reproduction; and a recovery processing unit which, when a predetermined recovery condition such as read error, temperature fluctuation, or the like occurs, uniformly magnetizes magnetizing directions of a buffer area, a sector address area, and a gap area which are sandwiched between data areas in which the data is recorded in the recording direction and, thereafter, retries the reproduction.
According to the invention, there is also provided a storing apparatus, wherein at least a recording layer for recording data and a reproducing layer for reproducing the data recorded in the recording layer are formed on a substrate of a magnetooptic recording medium, and the storing apparatus comprises: a reproducing unit which reproduces the recorded data by setting a proper reproducing laser power upon reproduction; and a recovery processing unit which, when a predetermined recovery condition such as read error, temperature fluctuation, or the like occurs, uniformly magnetizes a portion just before a data area where the data is recorded in the recording direction and, thereafter, retries the reproduction. In the storing apparatus, the reproducing unit reflects a mark in the recording layer from an aperture sandwiched between a front mask formed ahead of a reproducing beam in the reproducing layer and a rear mask formed behind the reproducing beam, and reproduces the data by an MSR. Further, in the storing apparatus, the reproducing unit reproduces a signal recorded on one or both of lands and grooves which are alternately formed on the magnetooptic recording medium.
According to the invention, there is provided a magnetooptic recording medium, wherein a portion of an emboss area or a space area before or after a data area where data is magnetooptically recorded is uniformly magnetized in the recording direction. The emboss areas locating before and after the data area are emboss tins (pit trains) constructed by concave portions formed on the lands in case of the land recording, emboss trains formed with convex portions on the groove so as to have a height up to a land surface in case of the groove recording, or emboss trains of the concave portions or convex portions corresponding to each of the land recording and the groove recording in case of the land/groove recording. All of them are concave and convex emboss trains. The space area is a flat area where no data is recorded, for example, a mirror surface area or a gap area. The position before the data area denotes a range where when the laser beam is located at the boundary of the data area, the portion in this range has to function as a rear mask when it is seen from the boundary.
Further, according to the invention, there is provided a storing apparatus having a format write processing unit which uniformly magnetizes a portion before or after a data area on a magnetooptic recording medium where data is recorded in the recording direction. In a manufacturing line or the like of the magnetooptic recording medium according to the invention, this storing apparatus is used as a format writer of the medium.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings.

Magneto-optical recording apparatus having recovery processing unit


A portable modular pedestrian ramp comprises a plurality of modular ramp units. Each of the modular ramp units comprises a pair of side edge plates each having inwardly facing sides to which opposite ends of decking are attached. The side edge plates of at least some of the modular ramp units have opposite ends thereof that are releasably connectable to one another by self-locking connectors to provide different ramp lengths without the need for any tools or fasteners to join the modular ramp units together or disassemble the modular ramp units for transportation and storage.

There is a wide variety of portable ramps on the market for use in spanning two different or similar elevations. However, there is a need for a portable modular pedestrian ramp that is easily adjustable to different lengths on a job to accommodate different elevation changes including but not limited to different curb heights. The ramp can also serve to bridge a gap between two level surfaces.