A multi-design integrated circuit having I/O buffers that are shared by multiple designs in the integrated circuit, the multi-design integrated circuit being designed by combining netlists and pin-pad assignment lists for the individual designs into one overall netlist or multi-design netlist.

This invention relates to the field of semiconductor integrated circuits. The invention particularly relates to methods for designing and manufacturing integrated circuits, and to integrated circuits so produced.
The creation of a new semiconductor integrated circuit includes the following activities. Integrated circuit designers start with some description of the circuit""s function. From this description or specification, the designers generate a design netlist. The design netlist contains a list of the components of the circuit and also contains a list of the interconnections between those components. The design netlist also contains a list of I/O buffers with their associated bonding pads and their connections to the other components. The designers then apply electronic design automation (EDA) tools to the netlist to create the physical layout of the components as they will appear in the integrated circuit die. With present day semiconductor technology, and using 0.25 micron feature size, designers can put up to 2 million logic gates and up to 250 input/output (I/O) ports on a 7 mm by 7 mm die. The majority of designs at this date, however, contain only about 50K to 80K gates of logic and about 200 I/O""s.
The physical layout of a 0.25 xcexcm design consists of a set of about 18 to 26 unique mask levels. This information is supplied to a mask-making facility where the information is used to generate a set of glass masks for that particular design.
The mask set is then sent to a wafer fabrication facility where the mask set is applied to process a batch of about 20 semiconductor wafers. After the wafers have been completely processed, they are sent to wafer electrical test where dice that do not meet specification are inked or otherwise marked reject. The tested wafers are then sawn into individual dice, each die containing one integrated circuit. The dice are packaged and then electrically tested in a procedure known generally as final test. Based on the wafer electrical probe test results and the final test results, it may be necessary to correct the design and generate a second generation design with a second generation mask set. The costs associated with the design and prototyping activities just described are quite substantial.
There are several methods in use currently that aim to share some of the costs of the activities mentioned above.
So-called Gate Arrays provide one method of sharing costs. At this date, a mask set may have from 18 to 26 levels in a typical 0.25 micron CMOS process. In the gate array method, the first two thirds of these mask levels are common to all designs. Only the final one third of the mask levels are specific to each new design. The benefit here is that the first two thirds of the masks do not have to be designed and made anew for each new integrated circuit design and also that wafer fabrication time for a new design can be reduced by processing wafers in advance through the common masks and holding the partially processed wafers in stock ready to continue prototype processing through the last one third of the mask layers.
There are disadvantages to the gate array approach. Since the basic transistors have to be fabricated ahead of time, they all have to be of standard fixed sizes. Without the flexibility of being able to use varying transistor sizes in different parts of the new circuit design and of adding user-specific circuit components, the integrated circuit size increases and the performance degrades. The engineering costs to generate each design layout and to personalize the last one third of the mask layers are incurred for each design and are not sharable. Another disadvantage is the inability to incorporate custom-designed blocks such as analog cells or true static random access memory (SRAM) blocks. With the increasing levels of integration that are now available in deep submicron process technologies, almost all designs made today in 0.25 micron or better technologies incorporate some amount of SRAM.
Another approach to sharing prototyping costs is known as the multi-project wafer approach. In the multi-project approach, several projects, or integrated circuit designs, are combined in one mask set. Each design has its own bonding pads and input/output buffers located around the periphery of that design. In this approach, certain procurement costs are shared between the different designs that are included in the one mask set. If different users own the different designs on a given mask set, then the mask cost and wafer fabrication cost is reduced for each user. There are several organizations now running multi-project wafer programs. Among these is MOSIS, a not-for-profit organization located in southern California.
The multi-project wafer approach has some disadvantages. For example, since the several different designs in a multi-project die have their own unique bonding pads, probe testing at the wafer level is difficult in a production environment. Assembly of these designs into integrated circuit packages is difficult because of complications in the wafer sawing process. When a semiconductor wafer is sawed into dice, the entire wafer has to be sawed at a fixed indexing increment. In the multi-project approach, if there are 10 designs of different die sizes on the wafer, the saw is indexed to yield dice containing 1 of the designs, and thus the saw destroys other designs. Also, if one of the designs is to go into production, a new mask set will need to be made, containing only that design. Cost sharing is possible only at the prototyping stage and not at the production stage.
Therefore, there is a need for an integrated circuit architecture that provides multiple integrated circuit designs in a single die, wherein all of the designs on a die are testable at wafer probe test, and wherein all of the designs survive the wafer sawing operation and the package assembly operation, thus providing complete cost sharing from design through final test. There is also a need for an integrated circuit architecture that, during assembly, allows any number of the designs to be made accessible or inaccessible in the packaged device. There is also a need for a design method that produces this integrated circuit architecture.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-design integrated circuit die that contains multiple integrated circuit designs and a set of bonding pads that is shared by the different designs on the die.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-design integrated circuit, in which the multiple circuit designs in the integrated circuit can be probe tested via one set of shared bonding pads.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multi-design integrated circuit die that has bonding pads located, not around each design, but rather in an area of the die near the periphery of the multi-design die.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multi-design integrated circuit die, in which, after the die has been assembled into an integrated circuit package, any of the circuit designs can be accessed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a design method for designing multi-design integrated circuits.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated design method for designing multi-design integrated circuits.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated design method for designing a multi-design integrated circuit die that not only provides cost sharing during prototyping but that is also production-ready.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated design method for designing a multi-design integrated circuit die that allows the designer freedom to customize the individual components in each design within the integrated circuit die.
The objects and advantages of the present invention are obtained by generating a multi-design netlist that contains and is a combination of individual design netlists and that shares I/O buffers among designs. The objects and advantages of the present invention are further obtained by using the multi-design netlist and masks derived from it to process semiconductor wafers to obtain multi-design integrated circuit dice. The semiconductor wafers would most commonly be silicon wafers but may also be any other semiconductor such as for example gallium arsenide, and may also be semiconductor on insulator wafers such as for example silicon on sapphire.
In one aspect, the method of the present invention is a method of design and layout of a set of integrated circuit designs, the set of designs being combined on a single integrated circuit die. The set of designs may include only two designs or may include ten or more designs. In the method of the present invention, netlists are prepared for each of the designs in the set of designs that is to be incorporated in a single die (also called a chip). Each design netlist includes a pin-pad assignment table. The pin-pad assignment table for a design assigns numbered package pins to numbered bonding pads on a one to one basis. This pin-pad assignment would apply if the die contained only that one design, in which case that one design would have its own bonding pads and I/O buffers.
In the multi-design integrated circuit die, the individual designs do not each have their own I/O buffers and bonding pads, but they do have corresponding input and output connection points, which, for convenience, will be referred to herein as ports.
The netlists for the individual designs are combined by a computer program into one multi-design netlist. The multi-design netlist includes a pin-pad assignment table that assigns numbered ports of each design to numbered I/O buffers, to numbered bonding pads, and to numbered package pins. The multi-design netlist includes, in addition to the netlists for the individual designs, provision for accessing the designs via shared bi-directional input/output buffers, and also includes logic for enabling only the outputs of one design at a time. EDA tools are then applied to the multi-design netlist to generate mask layouts. The mask layouts are used in a mask making facility to produce a mask set. The mask set is used to process silicon wafers. After fabrication is completed, the wafers are electrically probe tested. In this procedure, probes are placed on bonding pads on a die and each of the designs can be tested. The testing of all the designs on the die can be completed in one probing operation, each of the designs being operated in turn. The wafer is then cut into individual dice, each die containing the set of designs. Each die is then assembled into a semiconductor package with connections between bonding pads and package pins being made in accordance with the pin-pad assignment table. During assembly, access to the various designs in the multi-design integrated circuit can be restricted or can be left unrestricted. In either case, access to any design is made by applying appropriate signals to design active pins.
In another aspect, the integrated circuit die of the present invention is a multi-design integrated circuit die that contains at least two integrated circuit designs, wherein each of the designs may be operated independently of the others. The design that is to be operated is designated the active design. The selection of an active design is made by supplying design active signals to the die and the selection may be easily changed.
Shared bonding pads and shared bi-directional I/O buffers provide access for input and out put signals to whichever design is active.
Input signals are applied to bonding pads and pass through I/O buffers to the designs. Each input signal is distributed to the number of designs that require that signal in the overall design. Thus, at least some of the I/O buffers pass input signals to two or more designs. An I/O buffer may be connected to send an input signal to all the designs.
Output control logic is connected between the designs and the I/O buffers so that the output signals reaching the bonding pads are from the active design only.
The output control logic includes output enable control logic wherein an output enable signal from a design is passed to an I/O buffer only if that design is active.
The output control logic also includes, when more than one design is served by a given I/O buffer, output selection logic which selects the output of the active design for transmission to the I/O buffer.
In the layout of the integrated circuit die of the present invention the shared bonding pads and I/O buffers are located near the periphery of the die and the designs are located in the central or core area of the die.

Method for designing an integrated circuit containing multiple integrated circuit designs and an integrated circuit so designed


An organic light emitting display (OLED), which includes a display unit and a controlling unit, is provided. The display unit includes an organic light emission layer and a transparent thin film transistor (TFT) to drive the organic light emission layer, and the display unit emits light into two opposite surfaces (upper and lower surfaces). The controlling unit includes an electro-optical layer that is capable of being switched from one state to another state by applying voltage to the layer. The controlling unit controls transmission of light emitted from the display unit. Therefore the flat panel display of the present invention is capable of displaying an image in one surface or in two surfaces. The selection of surface of image display can be manually or automatically controlled by a user. The controlling unit can includes a liquid crystal device, an electrophoretic device, or an electrochromic device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display, and more particularly, to an organic light emitting display that is capable of displaying an image in one surface (an upper surface) or in two surfaces (an upper and a lower surfaces). The surface of image display can be selected by a user, and can be selected for a time period set by a user. The organic light emitting display of the present invention has a controlling unit that changes between an opaque state and a transparent state, and the controlling unit controls transmission of light to display an image on one surface or on two opposite surfaces of the organic light emitting display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Demands on personal computers (PC), car navigation systems, personal digital assistants, information communication devices, and combined products of the above have recently increased with the advent of an information oriented society. The above-described products require characteristics of high visibility, a wide view angle, and a high response speed to display moving images. A flat panel display (FPD) is suitable for the above characteristics so that the FPD has been attracted as a next generation display.
In general, a thin film transistor (TFT) has widely been used as a switching device that operates each pixel in a display device such as an organic light emitting display (OLED) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc. Therefore, significant attention is paid to fabrication of the TFT, and a FPD using more effective TFTs and a method of driving the FPD have been proposed.
A thin film transistor includes a semiconductor layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. In general, the semiconductor layer, the gate electrode, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are made of opaque materials. In particular, the semiconductor layer is made of amorphous silicon or polysilicon. Because these materials are not transparent, there is limitation on increasing a width of a channel of the TFT when these opaque materials are used to manufacture a TFT that is used as a switching device of a transparent organic light emitting display. Because the width of channel is narrow, a large amount of current cannot flow into the channel, and a high voltage must be applied to the TFT. Therefore, there has problems that the light emitting device of the transparent organic light emitting display deteriorates and power consumption increases. Also, it is not possible to display an image on both surfaces of the organic light emitting display, because an amount of light passing through the opaque TFT is blocked by the TFT.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Flat panel display and driving method using the same


A venting lid cover for a container that has a plate member that configurably attaches to the coaming of the drum container, and a plenum member that attaches to this plate member. The plate member has at least one plate opening (preferably two for standard 55-gallon drums) that are equal in number to bung holes in the container so that the bung holes can pass through the plate member. The plenum member has vapor inlet ports that are equal in number and positioned in close proximity to the plate openings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a lid cover for containers, and more particularly, to a venting lid cover adapted for use with drum containers (e.g., barrels) which may need vented assistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hazardous chemicals are often contained in drum containers and the vapors that emanate from the drum barrel openings (referred to as bung holes) must be controlled. One vapor control method includes placing the drum in an exhausted cabinet having an evacuating device. This generally requires that a large volume of ambient air be exhausted from the drum containers using a cabinet containing the drums. This is an inefficient operation due to the large sized air handling and removal equipment. Indeed, most of the vapors from a drum container are emitted only from the drum bungs when the drum is opened.
Another vapor control approach, that reduces the size of required equipment, is a separate lip exhauster device that is attached to the drum at each bung. This typically is an in-house solution and requires separate exhaust ducting to each bung hole that attaches with a fastener to the drum lid coaming (lip). This approach is cumbersome and inefficient since the fastener has to be affixed to the drum lip which in turn reduces operator access to the bung hole when making a connection.
Another approach includes a drum dome exhaust system that attaches to the top of a drum lid, which is transparent and has an exhausted dome that covers the entire drum. Such a system, referred to as a chemical dispense unit, is made by the BOC Edwards, Inc. of Wilmington, Mass., USA. Problems with this type of system include the need for drum connectors and associated duct piping that have to penetrate the dome. This in turn requires the operator to make the drum connections via hand-ports through the dome. Also, the dome requires a mechanism for lifting the dome up and out of the way to install and remove the drum container during transfers.
Of these approaches, the chemical drum exhaust cabinet is the most widely used system for vapor exhausting of drum containers. This system typically houses 55-gallon drum containers in the exhaust cabinet. Such a system is expensive at initial installation and expensive to operate (e.g., average use: 1000 cfm @ $3/cfm/yr equates to about $3K/yr). This system requires experienced operators who must be aware of and follow stringent safety requirements since many of the chemicals contained in the drums are either corrosive, hazardous or carcinogenic. For example, typical chemical agents used by a semiconductor manufacturer may include sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ammonium hydroxide, plating solutions, etc.
Vent covers known in the container arts include U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,664, which discloses a vented hatch cover for a container having a hatch with a coaming surrounding the hatch opening. This cover is specifically designed for a railroad hopper car, which has a very different design compared to drum containers.
Thus, there is need for a drum container venting device that provides ease of use, yet inexpensively meets stringent safety requirements for personnel handling hazardous materials.
In accordance with the present invention, disadvantages and problems associated with previous venting devices and systems that handle hazardous materials in drum containers have been substantially reduced or eliminated. The present invention provides a venting lid cover that can be implemented with ease. The invention provides safety to personnel who handle hazardous materials in these containers.
To attain this objective, there is provided, according to one aspect of the invention, a venting lid cover that fits and xe2x80x9csnapsxe2x80x9d over the coaming (drum lip) of a drum container lid (e.g., a standard 55-gallon drum). The invention has particular use with drum containers holding hazardous chemical agents that must be properly vented when being transferred. The venting lid cover is constructed of a plate member with an attached plenum member that xe2x80x9csnaps-onxe2x80x9d the coaming of container lid. The plate has cutouts that allow the bung holes to pass through. Integral with the plenum member is an exhaust outlet port that attaches to the exhaust ducting. The plenum member attaches to the plate and has openings equal in number to bung holes of the container it operates with. The plenum member has vapor inlet ports that allow vapors from the bung holes to enter, that in turn exit through the exhaust outlet port. An external exhauster device attaches to the exhaust ducting, which can either be part of the ducting or a separate remote device of the facility. When the drum bung holes are open and the invention is installed on the lid of the container, any chemical vapors from the container are drawn into the exhaust ducting via the plenum member and removed from the facility safely and efficiently.
The invention provides many advantages over the conventional approaches as discussed above. Indeed, the venting lid cover is a separate reusable device that can be refitted and reused in a simple manner, with the invention self-alignment provided by the holes in the plate member that align with the bung holes on the top of a drum lid. The invention also allows different chemicals to be stored in standard sized drums without concern for contamination since the invention""s venting lid cover never contacts the chemical agents in the container. Additionally, if required, the venting lid cover can be configured permanently to a stationary container since the design is rugged and reliable. The invention also allows operators the freedom of not having to wear respirators when making connections of the containers. In certain applications, the invention also eliminates the need for continuous exhausting of vapor from a stationary container stored in a facility when the bung holes are closed. The invention provides the added freedom on locating the transfer site for the container since complex ducting is not required. Finally, the invention obviates the need for complex exhaust cabinets for working with drum containers which in turn minimizes the size required for the exhauster device (e.g. fan or equivalent pumping device).
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a venting lid cover for a container that has a plate member that can configurably seal with the coaming of the container, and a plenum member that attaches to this plate member. The plate member has at least one plate opening that equals the number of bung holes in the container so that the bung holes can pass through the plate. The plenum member has vapor passage openings that are equal in number and configured next to these plate openings.

Venting device for hazardous material containers

International Business Machines Corporation


An information distributing apparatus for operating within a computer network environment. The information distributing apparatus includes a computer having an operating system and is configured to operate within the computer network environment. The apparatus has an application configured for running on the computer via the operating system, the application configured to generate a source job in the form of an intermediate file format comprising an output instruction file. The apparatus includes a print processor in the form of an intermediate executable code for operating on the output instruction file. The apparatus also includes at least one output device having an output device driver configured to convert the output instruction file to output instructions usable by the output device for producing output. The print processor is operable on the output instruction file to select the device driver of one of the at least one output device to render the output instruction file, and feed the output instruction file to the output device driver of one of the at least one output device. A corresponding method is also disclosed.

Centralized and decentralized computer networks are available with a wide variety of peripheral devices that are connected together so that they can communicate with each other. For applications requiring the output of data from a computer system, one or more output devices are provided in the form of a monitor, a printer, a disk drive, or other peripheral. For the case of computer networks, the number and variety of available output devices can be quite large, resulting in data transfer incompatibility problems.
One problem associated with current computer network environments is that they do not allow the automatic sending of electronic material from one application to unlike destinations from a single source application or document. For example, current window driver solutions do not allow an operator to automatically send a print job from a print driver to any one of several receiving devices, or printers. Instead, the operator must reconfigure the system to deliver output to a specific print driver of a selected output device.
With current window driver solutions, each printer forms an output device having a dedicated print engine requiring dedicated encoding for the associated print processor. For example, a print processor produces a file of drawing instructions for a configured printer. Normally, a permanent link is provided between the application (e.g., a word processor), the intermediate drawing file, and a single, dedicated output device. Optionally, the user can select one of several dedicated output devices via a windows-based menu. However, such a configuration is formatted for use with one output device which the user has selected, and remains dedicated to such device until it is manually reconfigured.
Therefore, a need exists for a system that distributes print jobs from a computer operating within a computer network environment to any one of several unlike output devices from a single print request within an application.
Another problem associated with current computer network environments is the inability to send originating source data multiple times to multiple output devices. For example, current window driver solutions do not allow an operator to automatically parse the source data multiple times to obtain the necessary encodings for each output device. Instead, the operator must reconfigure the system to perform each delivery of output to each specific print driver of each selected output device.
This invention relates to an information distributing apparatus and method which overcomes the above drawbacks. The information distributing apparatus of this invention improves distribution of source jobs for output to any one of multiple unlike output devices. The information distributing apparatus of this invention also improves distribution of source jobs to multiple receiving output devices form a single source application/document.

Mechanism for printer driver switching in windows operating systems to allow distribution of print jobs to an output device from a single print request within an application


Discussed herein are devices, systems, and methods for secure access to offline data. A method can include configuring a device in a task retrieval state and retrieving a task to be executed on a cold storage device while the device is in the task retrieval state, configuring the device in a disconnected state after retrieving the task, and configuring the device in a task execution state after the device is in the disconnected state and executing the task on the cold storage while the device is in the task execution state. In the task retrieval state, the device can communicate with a buffer network and cannot communicate with a cold network. In the disconnected state, the device cannot communicate with either the cold network or the buffer network. In the task execution state, the device can communicate with the cold network and cannot communicate with the buffer network.

Confidentiality, integrity and availability are the three pillars on which any network security posture is built. Accordingly, the transferring of data across any network must be secured at all times; whether in transit, at rest, or in use. Unfortunately, the inherent vulnerabilities created by allowing a network to be accessed online continue to outpace conventional security measures and protocols. As a result, online networks continue to be vulnerable to malicious cyberattacks and/or the leaking of confidential or otherwise sensitive information.
Most networks store information on infrastructure connected to the Internet. This information storage creates cyber security vulnerabilities. A cyber security vulnerability can include the ability to change stored information, unauthorized access to stored information, or the like.
Currently, there are solutions to store data online, offline, or in the cloud. The inventors are not aware of any technology for storing data that bridges these solutions. Embodiments herein maintain an offline storage repository, called "cold storage" or a "cold storage device" herein, while still allowing access to the data to a device of another network in a more secure manner.

Securely accessing offline data with indirect communication


A light-weight portable vertebrae decompression support device comprising a pair of arm rests with selectively adjustable members connecting the arm rests and a base member. The base member is adapted to rest on a seat. The selective adjustment raises and lowers the height of the arm rests with respect to the base. The support device provides arm support sufficient to decompress the vertebrae and aids persons recovering from back surgery or those with chronic back problems. The support device can be made adjustable to fit different girth persons.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable support device which provides arm support sufficient to decompress the vertebrae of a human being. More particularly, the invention relates to a portable adjustable device which can be used almost anywhere, in any setting as needed to provide support for a person's extremities in a resting position so as to relieve pressure on the person's vertebrae. The device is useful for persons recovering from back surgery or those with chronic back problems.
A person recovering from back surgery often requires a properly designed straight back chair having armrests which will provide proper arm support to permit decompression of a persons vertebrae. Persons, especially those who are not of average size (e.g., they may have short or long upper arms) may also experience back strain when seated in an improperly designed chair. Back strains can be avoided by using chairs with armrests of the correct height to provide the proper support. This can be particularly important for persons who perform desk work such as secretaries, draftsmen, and the like whose seating arrangements do not provide proper support. The usual desk chair used by such persons has a generally horizontally disposed seat, a generally vertically disposed backrest and no independent height adjustment for the arm rests. Frequently desk chairs are armless so that they present no obstruction when drawn closely into a table or desk.
The present invention provides a portable support device which may be used with any chair to provide acceptable support for a person sitting in a chair.
2. Description of the Related Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,467 discloses a height adjustable armrest attachment for an armless secretarial chair with left and right elbow rests independently selectively positionable within vertical channels formed in turned back outer ends of respective left and right, oppositely laterally extending bracket members to reduce antigravitational stresses or providing elbow support at a proper height. Superposed inner ends of the bracket members are attached to the chair by fasteners which pass through lateral slots to permit opposite lateral movement of the members to selectively vary the lateral spacing of the rests.
A support device for the physically handicapped is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,542 wherein a floor supported device is described for assisting in the use of commodes and similar articles.

Portable vertebrae decompression device with adjustable height support


A system for controlling an idle-stop vehicle includes an ECU which carries out idle stop when the idle-stop permission conditions are established, and engine restart and engagement of a forward clutch when the idle-stop release conditions are established after engine stop. The ECU is so programmed as to estimate a heat generation amount of the forward clutch at engine restart after idle stop, permit next idle stop when the heat generation amount is smaller than a first set value, permit next idle stop, after a lapse of a predetermined time, when the heat generation amount is equal to or greater than the first set value and equal to or smaller than a second set value which is greater than the first set value, and prohibit next idle stop when the heat generation amount is greater than the second set value.

The present invention relates to a system and method of controlling an idle-top vehicle, and more particularly, to a technique of enhancing the durability of a start clutch.
There is a system for controlling an idle-stop vehicle, which is so constructed as to include an engine-driven oil pump only and exclude an electric pump and the like. Due to absence of a hydraulic source, the start clutch is released during idle stop. And at engine restart after idle stop, the start clutch is subjected to slip control, achieving smooth start of the vehicle.

System and method of controlling idle-stop vehicle


A non-intrusive vapor collection and abatement apparatus comprises an above-floor mat with a collection space underneath the above-floor mat within which air can pass freely hut which is surrounded by a substantially vapor-proof barrier. A vacuum or suction may be applied to the collection space to remove undesirable vapors.

1. Technical Field
The disclosed embodiments generally relate to systems for vapor collection and abatement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Contaminants can exist in subsurface soil and groundwater in the liquid or vapor phase as discrete substances and mixed with and/or dissolved in groundwater and soil gases. Various contaminants can be found in groundwater and soil, such as volatile compounds, including volatile organic compounds, nonvolatile materials, metal contaminants, and the likes Such contaminats are generally found and dealt with in the vadose (unsaturated) zone found between the surface of the earth and the water table, at the interface between the vadose zone and the water table, and in the saturated zone below the water table.
Such contaminants are a problem for many people and facilities. At many industrial and commercial facilities and waste handling and disposal sites, soil and groundwater are contaminated with suspended or water-soluble chemicals, or both. Many commercial facilities such as manufacturing companies that store chemicals must meet environmental remediation requirements by showing that off gassing from soil or groundwater contamination has been substantially eliminated or mitigated. In climates which do not experience winter temperatures low enough to cause substantial freezing of the ground, houses and light commercial buildings are often constructed on relatively shallow foundations with the ground floor, typically a concrete slab, supported directly on grade. A finish floor, e.g., asphalt tile, wood, or the like, can be installed over the concrete slab by simply setting it in a mastic adhesive trowelled onto the substrate. In geographical areas where the water table is relatively close to the surface, this construction presents certain problems when flooring is laid directly on the concrete support, because water vapor migrating from the moist soil through the concrete slab can cause the wood flooring to swell and warp, and gas vapors such as radon may infiltrate from the soil into buildings. Thus, home owners/builders/contractors often must perform remedial or radon abatement applications in order to eliminate potential health risks posed by such harmful gasses.
A variety of techniques have been used for removal of contaminants and remediation of affected soil. One common technique entails the excavation and off-site treatment of the soil. Another technique entails saturating the contaminated soil with water in situ, causing the contaminants to be leached slowly from the soil by the water. The contaminated water can then be removed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,764, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a floor structure incorporating a vapor and gas barrier that is comprised of layered materials that resist penetration of vapor and gas.
Techniques have also been proposed for removing volatile organic contaminants from soil by vacuum extraction. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,122, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, it was proposed that a vacuum be applied in a borehole at the level of the water table, the assumption being that a contaminant such as gasoline, which is lighter than water, would float on the water table and present a layer that could be drawn off by vacuum applied to the liquid at or around that level. U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,122 also discloses a system and method for recovering organic liquid such as gasoline which has settled on the water table in underground areas. The system comprises a conduit extending from the ground surface to a point just above the water table, a collection head fitted on the lower end of the conduit, a collection vessel connected to the upper end of the conduit, and an exhaust means for creating less than atmospheric pressure in the vessel. The collection head has a liquid impermeable end portion and a liquid permeable intermediate portion for permitting the passage of liquid. The process comprises providing an opening in the ground to a point beneath the surface of the water table, positioning the conduit with the collection head in place so that the liquid permeable wall of the collection head is just above the surface of the water table, connecting the conduit to the collection vessel intake, and exhausting air and other gaseous materials from the vessel to cause liquid to flow into the collection head through the conduit into the vessel.
Other techniques include the venting of soil above the water table (i.e. in the vadose zone) to cause vaporization of the contaminant in the soil, and then drawing off the contaminant in the vapor phase. Groundwater requiring treatment is in such processes conventionally removed by pumping from separate conventional water wells. In situations in which water does flow into vacuum extraction wells, it has been suggested that a second, liquid phase pump be placed either in the well or at the surface to remove the water through a second conduit. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,639, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a process for the removal of volatile contaminants from the vadose zone of contaminated ground by extracting volatilized contaminants from the vadose zone by way of one or more vacuum extraction wells. The process entails drilling one or more wells into the subsurface media in the contaminated area, the well being constructed so that fluids in the vadose zone can flow into the well, whereas the liquid in the saturated zone below the water table cannot substantially flow into the well, The borehole and conduit of the well can optionally extend below the water table, in which case the vacuum applied to the upper portion of the conduit will be effective to draw contaminant from the vadose zone, but insufficient to draw a significant amount of water from the saturated zone into the conduit. If it is desired to remove groundwater from below the water table, this removal is accomplished either by a separate sampling device situated in the borehole or through a separate well.
In addition, Stinson, "EPA Site Demonstration of the Terra Vac In Situ Vacuum Extraction Process in Groveland, Mass.", Air & Waste Management Association, Vol. 39, No. 8, pages 1054 to 1062 (1989), discloses an evaluation of an in situ vacuum extraction process. The process entails removal of contaminants from the vadose zone by vacuum. Wells are installed in the contaminated vadose soil. A vacuum pump or blower induces air flow through the soil, stripping and volatilizing volatile organic compounds from the soil matrix into the air stream. Liquid water, if present in the soil, is also extracted along with the contamination. The two-phase stream of contaminated air and water flows to a vapor/liquid separator where contaminated water is removed. The contaminated air stream then flows through a treatment system such as gas-phase activated carbon to remove contaminants from the air stream. The clean air is exhausted to the atmosphere through a vent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,760 and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,102, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, also disclose processes for removal of volatile contaminants from the vadose zone of contaminated ground by pumping volatilized contaminants from the vadose zone using one or more vacuum extraction wells.
Although known apparatus and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, they are complicated, expensive, and intrusive, requiring excavation or drilling through concrete to accomplish subsurface vacuum readings. Drilling and installation of piping through floors can be costly, and since this is still a relatively imperfect science, there is a risk of contamination if a hole is drilled where the water table is high. Moreover, traditional solutions may not provide the desired coverage de to heterogeneous subsurface conditions. The disclosure contained herein describes attempts to address one or more of the problems described above.

Non-intrusive vapor collection apparatus


A system and method for implementing a digital filter, comprising computing on a digital computer a mathematical model of a digital filter; where the mathematical model has a predetermined first set of parameters. The first set of parameters is converted to a second set of parameters, where the second set of parameters includes control parameters for a pre-selected digital-filter integrated circuit (IC). The system then verifies that the execution of the second set of parameters by the digital-filter IC substantially reproduces the behavior of the mathematical model. The verified second set of parameters is then written to permanent storage on the digital-filter IC. The system preferably reads a device-file map characteristic of the particular filter IC intended to be used to implement the filter under design. The converting of the first set of parameters to a second set of parameters further includes computing values corresponding to the second set of parameters that conform to the numerical precision available in the digital-filter IC, and assigning the values so computed to the second set of parameters. The mathematical model of the digital filter is verified by re-computing the model using the second set of parameters.

The techniques and algorithms for computing a mathematical solution to a desired set of filter specifications are well known by experienced filter designers. Modern solutions most often employ digital filter techniques for increased stability, versatility, and lower cost than prior analog techniques. Digital filters usually are intended to select a desired frequency band from an electronic signal containing both the desired frequencies and undesirable noise frequencies.
Current filter design practices typically require a highly experienced analog electrical engineer with extensive knowledge of the signal processing chain of the relevant system, as well as the principles of noise sources and noise abatement techniques. The designer must be proficient in the use of various filter design simulators and tools and keep up with the capabilities of currently available filter integrated circuits. Once the designer has determined the approximate requirements for a needed filter in a system (such as through measurement of noise conditions or by the frequency plan of the system in design), he must then select a design method for arriving at an implementation; this will be the number of filter taps and the filter coefficient values. The design method commonly used today is the Parks-McClellan equi-ripple polynomial approximation algorithm.
There are several available software packages based upon Parks-McClellan and other algorithms that will generate coefficients and the number of taps required for a given specification. These are mathematical solutions, however. The designer must find the part or parts to implement the solution and account for any error terms as a result of constrained precision of numerical representations or variances in the components. This may require several iterations of both the design method phase and the implementation phase to arrive at an acceptable solution. Also, the translation of the resulting coefficients and device control parameters to the selected parts can be a formidable task.
There is a need for a system that can implement digital filters by closing the design loop between the purely mathematical design of a filter and the detailed hardware embodiment of that filter. In other words, the designer should be able to perform mathematical design, select appropriate hardware, simulate and verify the design as it would be executed by that hardware, and translate the operations and control parameters of the design to its final hardware embodiment, all within a single integrated system.

System and method for design and implementation of integrated-circuit digital filters


A method and apparatus for modifying data synchronization of a portable computing device responsive to movement of the portable computing device are disclosed. Data exchange quality associated with multiple locations is captured and stored. A predicted location of a portable computing device is determined from stored data describing previous locations of the portable computing device or navigation data. Data exchange quality associated with the predicted location is retrieved and analyzed to modify data exchange between the portable computing device and a server. For example, if the data exchange quality of the predicted location is low, a fault-tolerant data exchange method is selected or if data exchange is not possible at the predicted location, data exchanges occur more frequently prior to the portable computing device reaching the predicted location.

Portable computing devices, such as smartphones or tablet computers, have become increasingly powerful and user-friendly. Increased network connectivity has further enhanced portable computing device functionality, allowing portable computing devices to provide a wider range of functionalities and/or data. For example, portable computing devices are commonly used to retrieve, or otherwise interact with, data stored or maintained by a server, allowing a user to more frequently view, modify or otherwise interact with data on the server.
To readily provide access to data maintained by a server, a portable computing device frequently exchanges data with the server to synchronize data stored on the portable computing device and data stored on the server. Different data synchronization settings may be used by the portable computing device to exchange data with a server. For example, the portable computing device may poll the server at a regular polling interval with a request for data that transmits data to the server and/or requests data from the server. Alternatively, data may be pushed from the portable computing device to a server, or from a server to the portable computing device, at a periodic interval or responsive to a data modification.
However, various factors affect data synchronization between the portable computing device and a server, such as the type of network used by the portable computing device and the quality of the connection between the portable computing device and a network. Thus, as the portable computing device moves to different locations, synchronization of data between the portable computing device and a server may be improved or impaired based on properties of the network at the portable computing device location or the connection between the portable computing device and the network at the portable computing device location. Accordingly, changes in portable computing device location affect exchange of data between the portable computing device location and the server, which affects user interaction with data via the portable computing device.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the Figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing the specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Adaptive data synchronization based on device movement and location


An intravascular balloon catheter includes a tubular catheter body having a balloon structure removably mounted over the catheter body. The catheter body has a guidewire lumen, and the catheter body may be left in place within a patient's vasculature while the balloon structure is withdrawn and optionally a second balloon structure introduced over the catheter body. The catheter and methods of the present invention are particularly suitable for performing angioplasty and subsequent procedures, such as stent placement, which are best performed using successive interventional balloon structures.

The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to a balloon catheter having an exchangeable balloon structure.
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty procedures have become a therapy of choice for treating stenosed regions in the patient's vasculature, particularly the coronary vasculature. Recently, the use of such angioplasty procedures has often been combined with stent placement and/or radiation treatment to inhibit restenosis and hyperplasia following angioplasty. When performing such multiple, sequential treatments, it is usually necessary to "exchange" catheters which are used to perform each of the procedures. That is, the initial angioplasty treatment will be performed using a balloon angioplasty catheter. After the angioplasty is completed, a second catheter carrying a stent or other vascular prosthesis must then be introduced to the treatment site. Introduction of the second catheter involves first removing the balloon angioplasty catheter and then placing the second catheter in the treatment region. Optionally, a third catheter may then be exchanged for the second in order to perform radiation or other treatments in order to inhibit hyperplasia.
In performing such multiple, sequential treatments, most physicians prefer to leave a "guidewire" in place to the treatment location. A guidewire is a small diameter, highly flexible wire that can be steered to the target location through the vasculature and which then acts as a guide path for introducing and positioning the balloon angioplasty and other interventional catheters.
In the early days, balloon angioplasty catheters were designed to be introduced into the vasculature in an "over-the-wire" manner. That is, the catheters were designed to have passages, commonly referred to as guidewire lumens, which extended the entire distance from the distal end of the catheter to the proximal end of the catheter. The catheter could then be loaded over a proximal end of a guidewire which was already in place in the patient and then advanced over the guidewire until a distal end of the catheter reached the target site. While functional, the need to maintain control of the guidewire while the interventional catheter was being introduced meant that the guidewire had to have an excess length outside of the patient which was greater than the length of the catheter being introduced. If the length were any shorter, the treating physician would not be able to hold on to the guidewire as the catheter was being introduced. Although necessary for catheter introduction, the excess guidewire length (optionally in the form of a detachable extension) was very difficult to manage during other parts of the treatment.
To overcome the difficulties associated with very long guidewires "rapid exchange" or "monorail" balloon angioplasty catheters were developed. A number of specific designs have been developed over the years, and the rapid exchange catheters generally have a shortened guidewire lumen which extends from a distal tip of the catheter to an exit port located closer to the distal end of the catheter than to the proximal end. By reducing the length of the guidewire lumen, the need for a guidewire having excess length outside of the patient is also reduced.
The use of rapid exchange catheters has become wide spread, and they have proven to be particularly valuable for use as stent delivery catheters. Stent delivery catheters are normally used after an initial angioplasty treatment. In such cases, the angioplasty catheter will be removed and exchanged for the stent delivery catheter. Use of an angioplasty catheter having a rapid exchange design facilitates removal of the angioplasty catheter over short guidewires. Similarly, use of the stent delivery catheter having a rapid exchange design facilitates introduction of the catheter over the guidewire which remains in place in the patient.
Despite their widespread acceptance, rapid exchange catheters suffer from a number of limitations. In particular, the shortened guidewire lumens reduce the "pushability" of the rapid exchange catheters. The use of full length guidewire lumens as provided by the over-the-wire designs results in an overall increase in the column strength of the catheter being introduced. That is, the catheter derives column strength not only from the catheter body itself, but also from the guidewire which is in place in the guidewire lumen over the entire length of the catheter, allowing better access across tight lesions. Additionally, presence of the guidewire in a full length guidewire lumen lessens the risk of the catheter body kinking or collapsing in tortuous regions of the vasculature. Kinking can be a particular problem at the point where the guidewire exits a catheter body in a rapid exchange design.
The second problem associated with the use of rapid exchange catheters is the inability to exchange the guidewire. Guidewire exchange in over-the-wire catheters is quite simple since the guidewire lumen extends the full length of the catheter body. In rapid exchange catheters, in contrast, there is no guidewire lumen in the proximal portions of the angioplasty catheter. It is therefore difficult to reintroduce a guidewire into the shortened guidewire lumen of the rapid exchange catheter.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved apparatus, methods, and kits which permit the exchange of catheters and catheter components over shortened guidewires. Particularly, it would be desirable to provide improved balloon angioplasty and other catheters which can be introduced to the vasculature in the manner of an over-the-wire catheter, but which allow removal of the catheter over a shortened guidewire and/or which permits exchange of catheter components over the catheter body which remains in place over the guidewire. It would be further desirable to provide balloon catheters and methods for their use which permit exchange of balloon structures over the catheter body while the catheter body remains in place in the vasculature over a guidewire and where the replacement balloon structure may optionally carry a stent. At least some of these objectives will be met by the invention described in claims herein after.
Accordingly, it would be a significant advance to provide improved devices and methods for reducing, inhibiting, or treating restenosis and hyperplasia which may follow angioplasty and other interventional treatments. This invention satisfies at least some of these and other needs.


A method and a corresponding terminal for an encrypted call, to resolve disadvantages of an encrypted call that is implemented relying on a key management center (KMC) and network reconstruction, and reduce costs. The method includes establishing, by a first terminal, a circuit switched call with a second terminal, determining, by the first terminal using the circuit switched call, a key for performing an encrypted call with the second terminal, and performing, by the first terminal, an encrypted call with the second terminal using the key.

Continuous development and popularization of communications technologies provide increasingly more convenience to people's work and life. However, at the same time, the communications technologies also cause some trouble to people. For example, personal information thieveries occur from time to time, and some even lead to serious cases. Information theft approaches include theft of personal data, network information, telephone information, and the like.
To avoid telephone hacking and ensure information security in telephone communication, an encrypted call terminal, such as an encrypted call mobile phone, appears on the market. An encryption module is embedded in the mobile phone, and the encryption module generates a key and performs decryption for each call. After establishing a circuit switched call, a first phone set and a second phone set separately register with a key management center (KMC) server using a short data burst (SDB), and obtain a key, and perform speech encryption using the obtained key.
However, in a process from obtaining the key by the first phone set and the second phone set to the speech encryption, the KMC needs to be deployed and network reconstruction needs to be performed. Expansibility compatibility is limited, and costs are high.


The present invention is directed to a process for device fabrication in which a pattern is transferred from a photoresist mask into an underlying layer of silicon dioxide. A plasma containing a fluorocarbon gas is used to etch the pattern into the underlying silicon dioxide layer. The plasma is monitored using optical emission spectroscopy to effect control of the etch process. The optical emission is monitored at select wavelengths. To control the process based on an observation of photoresist etch rate, two wavelengths are monitored. One is associated with a species that is produced by the interaction between the photoresist and the plasma, and one is associated with a species related to the plasma intensity. The ratio of the optical intensity at these two wavelengths is determined in real time during processing, and the ratio is associated with acceptable process conditions by referring to a predetermined calibration curve that associates a particular ratio with a particular photoresist etch rate for a given set of process conditions. If the ratio is observed to not be within a certain range of ratios determined to indicate acceptable process conditions, the plasma conditions are either changed to bring the ratio back within the desired range, or the process is stopped until the problem is corrected. To control the process based on an observation of contact hole etch rate, a wavelength associated with one species in the plasma is monitored at two different times during the etch. A ratio of the measured intensity at these two different times is obtained. Calibration information is then used to determine if the ratio indicates that the process is proceeding acceptably. If the ratio is not within the acceptable range, remedial action is taken.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to a controlled plasma etch for use in semiconductor device fabrication.
2. Art Background
In processes for device fabrication, dry etching is a process frequently used as an expedient for the removal of materials from the surface of a semiconductor substrate. Dry etching is used either to selectively remove a certain portion of a layer of material on a substrate, thereby forming a patterned layer, or to transfer the pattern in a top layer into an underlying layer. Selective removal of materials from the substrate surface is an integral part of forming integrated circuit patterns on a semiconductor substrate. Plasma processes are commonly used to perform the dry etch step in integrated circuit device fabrication. The plasma is typically generated by exposing reactant gases to energy, which produces high energy species such as ions, neutral radicals, atoms, and molecules. When the plasma is applied to the surface of a semiconductor substrate, the high energy species remove materials therefrom.
In a plasma etch process, the portions of the substrate surface that are not desired to be removed by the etch are covered by a protective material typically referred to as a mask. The mask reveals only that portion of the substrate surface that is to be removed. However, it is not typically desirable to remove the material underlying the layer of material being removed. Therefore, it is desirable to accurately detect the end point of the plasma etch process.
One method for detecting the endpoint of a plasma etch process is to monitor the luminous intensity of the plasma. The endpoint is determined by observed changes in the luminous intensity of the plasma. In a process for the plasma etch of silicon dioxide using a fluorocarbon-based reactant gas, the luminous intensity of carbon monoxide, which is the reaction product of the high energy plasma species and the silicon dioxide, is monitored. A significant decrease in the luminous intensity of the carbon monoxide in the plasma indicates that the process is at or past endpoint.
As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,590 to Koshimizu, the problem with using an observed change in the luminous intensity of the etch reaction product is that, in current processes, the amount of surface etched is typically less than ten percent, and often less than one percent of the wafer surface. The remainder of the wafer surface is covered by the mask. Thus, the reaction products in the plasma are dominated by the reaction products from the interaction between the mask and the plasma. The change in the luminous intensity of the reaction products of the etch from before the etch endpoint to after endpoint is simply not readily observable because of the higher quantity of the many other species in the plasma and the fact that the emission spectra of the other species can interfere with the emission spectra of the monitored species in the plasma.
Koshimizu proposes monitoring an active etchant species, i.e., a radical in the plasma that actually reacts with the silicon dioxide, in the plasma and, from an observed change in the luminous intensity of the species, determine endpoint. Koshimizu proposes that the luminous intensity of the active etchant species should be noticeably lower when it is reacting with the silicon dioxide compared to after the silicon dioxide has been etched and the underlying material, typically silicon, is exposed. When the underlying silicon is exposed, the active etchant species is no longer consumed by reaction because the active etchant species does not react with silicon. Koshimizu propose enhancing this observation by ratioing the luminous intensity of the active etchant species with the reaction product on the theory that the combined changes in the luminous intensity of the product and reactant species will produce a more noticeable effect.
However, because the change in luminous intensity of a discrete species does not provide sufficient information to call endpoint in processes where the surface being etched is relatively small, i.e. ten percent or less, of the total substrate surface area, an alternative process for controlling the plasma process and for determining process endpoint, is desired.

Process for device fabrication in which the plasma etch is controlled by monitoring optical emission


The present disclosure relates to isolation, identification and application of Thauera strain AL9:8 which grows on crude oil as the sole carbon source under denitrifying anaerobic conditions Thauera strain AL9:8 can be used alone or in concert with other microorganisms to improve oil recovery, bioremediation of oil or hydrocarbons in contaminated soil, ground water or bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers or oceans and/or applying to method for promoting oil pipeline maintenance, removing a build up hydrocarbon on the intersurfaces of the pipeline.

The challenge to meet the ever-increasing demand for oil includes increasing crude oil recovery from heavy oil reservoirs. This challenge has resulted in expanding efforts to develop alternative cost efficient oil recovery processes (Kianipey, S. A. and Donaldson, E. C. 61st Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, La., USA, Oct. 5-8, 1986). Heavy hydrocarbons in the form of petroleum deposits and oil reservoirs are distributed worldwide. These oil reservoirs are measured in the hundreds of billions of recoverable barrels. Because heavy crude oil has a relatively high viscosity, it is essentially immobile and cannot be easily recovered by conventional primary and secondary means. Thus there is a need for various methods to enhance bioremediation and oil recovery.
Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) is a methodology for increasing oil recovery by the action of microorganisms (Brown, L. R., Vadie, A. A., Stephen, O. J. SPE 59306, SPE/DOE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Oklahoma, Apr. 3-5, 2000). MEOR research and development is an ongoing effort directed at discovering techniques to use microorganisms to modify crude oil properties to benefit oil recovery (Sunde E., Beeder, J., Nilsen, R. K. Torsvik, T., SPE 24204, SPE/DOE 8th Symposium on enhanced Oil Recovery, aerobic or anaerobic conditions (Mechichi Tahar et. al., Arch Microbiol., (2002), 178: 26-35 Tulsa, Okla., USA, Apr. 22-24, 1992). Thus, identifying microorganisms that could be used to enhance oil recovery under economic conditions, can grow on oil under anaerobic conditions without the need for nutrient supplementation or long term enrichment of indigenous microorganisms which can be used, in a cost-efficient way, to improve bioremediation is of significant importance.
Particular strains of denitrifying bacteria belonging to the Beta-Proteobacteria related genera, e.g., Azoarcus and Thauera have been shown to grow on oil and or oil constituents under anaerobic conditions without the need for nutrient supplementation (Anders et. al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., (1995), 45: 327-333). The anaerobic pathways involved in hydrocarbon metabolism have been studied in Thauera and Azoarcus species. An important class of enzymes in these pathways are benzylsuccinate synthases (bss), which catalyze the metabolism of simple aromatic compounds and are synthesized by the bss operon. These enzymes have been identified in Thauera and Azoarcus species and shown to possess varied substrate specificities. For example, while the bss enzyme of an Azoarcus strain converts toluene, all xylene and cresol isomers to the corresponding succinate adducts, the same enzyme from Thauera aromatica is active with toluene and all cresols, but not with any xylene isomers. Thus, differences in substrate specificity of the bss enzymes in these two denitrifying bacterial strains contributes to their varied ability in utilization of different aromatic hydrocarbons (Verfürth et al., Arch Microbiol., (2004), 181: 155-162). An additional pathway of anaerobic hydrocarbon catabolism has been reported in selected Azoarcus strains (i.e. strains EB1, and EbN1) but has not been identified in any Thauera strains to date. In this pathway, ethylbenzene and n-propylbenzene are oxidized under anaerobic conditions by the ethylbenzene dehydrogenase (ebd) enzyme (Boll, et al., Curr. Op. Chem. Biol., (2002), 6: 604-611)
Ultimately, most of the aromatic compounds are converted to the central intermediate benzoyl-CoA via different metabolic pathways, where they undergo enzymatic benzene ring cleavage via Benzoyl-CoA reductase (bcr) (Mechichi, et al., Arch. Microbiol. (2002), 178: 26-35). While similar enzymes are widely distributed among denitrifying bacteria much of the information reported to date is derived from a bcr enzyme isolated from Thauera aromatica.
This disclosure relates to a novel Thauera strain AL9:8, defined by its ability to grow on crude oil, and by the presence of a gene sequence derived from the ebdA-like gene hitherto unidentified in Thauera species. Thus the present disclosure, relates to both the identification and use of a microorganism that grows in the presence of crude oil, and modifies its physico-chemical properties to enhance bioremediation under denitrifying conditions.

Identification, characterization, and application of


The invention provides compositions of novel high penetration compositions (HPC) or high penetration prodrugs (HPP) of prostaglandins or prostaglandin analogs which are capable of crossing biological barriers with high penetration efficiency. The HPPs are capable of being converted to parent prostaglandins or prostaglandin analogs after crossing the biological barrier and thus can render treatments for the conditions that the parent prostaglandins or prostaglandin analogs can. Additionally, the HPPs are capable of reaching areas that parent prostaglandins or prostaglandin analogs may not be able to access or to render a sufficient concentration at the target areas and therefore render novel treatments. The HPPs can be administered to a subject through various administration routes, e.g., locally delivered to an action site of a condition with a high concentration or systematically administered to a biological subject and enter the general circulation with a faster rate.

Active agents or drugs that are effective in vitro may not be as effective in vivo due to delivery difficulties, in particular, their limited penetration ability across one or more biological barriers before reaching the site of action where conditions or diseases occur in vivo.
Currently, many active agents or drugs are administered through a systematic route, such as oral or parenteral administration, to reach the intended or desired site of action against a condition or disease. However, drugs delivered by systematic routes may cause adverse side reactions, e.g., caused by high dosage administration for reaching a distal location of a condition or disease.
Prostaglandins (PGs) are lipid compounds derived from fatty acids. Each prostaglandin (PG) molecule contains 20 carbon atoms, including a 5-carbon ring. Natural prostaglandins possess a 15α-hydroxy group and a trans double bond at C-13.
Prostaglandins act on a variety of cells via receptors and have a wide variety of functions, e.g., causing constriction or dilation in vascular smooth muscle cells; causing aggregation or disaggregation of platelets, sensitizing spinal neurons to pain, decreasing intraocular pressure, regulating inflammatory mediation, regulating calcium movement, controlling hormone regulation, controlling cell growth, preventing formation of the platelet plug involved in primary hemostasis (a part of blood clot formation), playing a role in cardiovascular homeostasis in relation to vascular damage, and acting as an effective vasodilator.
Prostaglandins and prostaglandin analogs have a wide variety of physiological functions and effects, and therefore have many medicinal uses. For example, prostaglandins and prostaglandin analogs can be used to induce childbirth (parturition) or abortion (e.g., PGE2 or PGF2, used with or without mifepristone, which is a progesterone antagonist); prevent closure of patent ductus arteriosus in newborns with particular cyanotic heart defects (PGE1); prevent and treat peptic ulcers (PGE); as a vasodilator (e.g., PG analogs: iloprost and cisaprost) to treat severe Raynaud's phenomenon or ischemia of a limb or to treat pulmonary hypertension, which are treated traditionally via intravenous, subcutaneous or inhalation administration routes; treat glaucoma (e.g., in form of analogs such as bimatoprost ophthalmic solution, which is a synthetic prostamide analog with ocular hypotensive activity); and treat erectile dysfunction or in penile rehabilitation following surgery (e.g., PGE1 as alprostadil).
Unfortunately, prostaglandins and prostaglandin analogs are rapidly metabolized and inactivated by various oxidative and reductive pathways. For example, when taken orally, the drugs can be destroyed and/or inactivated in a few minutes by the first pass metabolism (i.e., the chemical breakdown of compounds in the liver and gastrointestinal tract). Additionally, if via oral or other systemic routes, the drug concentrations in the bloodstream must be sufficiently high in order to effectively reach and treat conditions or diseases in distal areas of the body. These concentrations are often much higher than the concentrations would be necessary if it were possible to accurately administer the drugs upon the particular site of condition or disease. In the case of administration by injection, the blood and liver can destroy and inactivate most of the drug compounds before they reach the intended site of action. Injection administration also has side effects, such as pain, and in many cases requires frequent and costly office visits to treat chronic conditions.
One alternative administration of drugs is topical delivery, which has several advantages, e.g., avoiding first pass metabolism and side effects as well as providing local delivery of appropriate concentrations of a drug to the intended site of action without systemic exposure.
Drug absorption requires the passage of the drug in a molecular form across one or more types of biological barriers. A drug must first dissolve, and if the drug possesses the desirable biopharmaceutical properties, it will pass from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration across the biological barrier(s) to reach the destination, e.g., frequently via the blood or general circulation. All biological membranes contain lipids as major constituents. The molecules that play the dominant roles in membrane formation all have phosphate-containing highly polar head groups, and, in most cases, two highly hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails. Most biological membranes are bilayers, with the hydrophilic head groups facing outward into the aqueous regions on either side. Very hydrophilic drugs cannot pass the hydrophobic layer of a membrane and very hydrophobic drugs will stay in the hydrophobic layer as part of the membrane due to their similarities and cannot efficiently enter the cytosol on the inside.
Modifications of the known prostaglandins and prostaglandin analogs have been reported to improve efficiency of delivery and minimize side effects. For example, A penetration enhancer was tried to deliver PGE1 for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,135 to Yeager). Milosovich et al. designed and prepared testosteronyl-4-dimethylaminobutyrate.HCl (TSBH), which has a lipophilic portion and a tertiary amine group that exists in the protonated form at physiological pH. They found that the prodrug (TSBH) diffuses through human skin about 60 times faster than does the parent drug (TS) itself (Milosovich et al., J. Pharm. Sci., 82, 227 (1993)). Fishman and many others (e.g., Van Engelen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,772; Macrides et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,278; Kirby et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,444,234, Pearson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,040 and Botknecht et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,597) have attempted to develop a delivery system for transdermal application by drug formulation to reduce the side effects associating with oral administration and achieve localized drug administrations with reduced systematic exposure. However, it has been found very difficult to deliver therapeutically effective plasma levels of drugs by the formulation.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for novel compositions that are capable of being delivered efficiently and effectively to the intended site of action to prevent, reduce or treat conditions or diseases as well as minimize or avoid adverse side effects.

High penetration prodrug compositions of prostaglandins and related compounds


A cooling system pumps coolant through parallel connections to a crankcase and an EGR cooler in an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). A crankcase supply conduit connects a coolant pump to a coolant channel formed by the crankcase. The coolant channel is connected to a coolant chamber formed by the cylinder head. An EGR cooler supply conduit connects the EGR cooler to the coolant pump. The EGR cooler is connected to the coolant chamber. Coolant flows from the coolant pump into the crankcase supply conduit and into the EGR cooler supply conduit at essentially the same time and at essentially the same temperature. The coolant circulates from the coolant pump through the coolant channel into the coolant chamber. The coolant circulates from the coolant pump through the EGR cooler into the coolant chamber. The coolant returns to the coolant pump from the coolant chamber in the cylinder head.

Internal combustions engines convert chemical energy from a fuel into mechanical energy. The fuel may be petroleum-based (gasoline or diesel), natural gas, a combination thereof, or the like. Some internal combustion engines, such as gasoline engines, inject an air-fuel mixture into one or more cylinders for ignition by a spark from a spark plug or the like. Other internal combustion engines, such as diesel engines, compress air in the cylinder and then inject fuel into the cylinder for the compressed air to ignite. An internal combustion engine may use a camshaft system, a hydraulically activated electronically controlled unit injection (HEUI) system, or the like to control the fuel injection into the cylinders. In each cylinder, the ignited fuel generates rapidly expanding gases that actuate a piston in the cylinder. The piston usually is connected to a crankshaft or similar device for converting the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotational motion. The rotational motion from the crankshaft may be used to propel a vehicle, operate a pump or an electrical generator, or perform other work. The vehicle may be a truck, an automobile, a boat, or the like.
Most internal combustion engines have a cooling system to circulate coolant through the engine. The coolant removes heat from the engine during operation. The coolant may be water, an antifreeze fluid such as ethylene glycol, a combination thereof, or the like. The cooling system usually is connected to a radiator or other heat exchanger that removes heat from the coolant. The cooling system typically has a water or coolant pump that moves coolant through the engine crankcase, around each cylinder, and into the cylinder head. The coolant may flow from the crankcase, through other components in the engine such as an oil cooler, and into the cylinder head. The coolant flows from the cylinder head, through the radiator, and returns to the coolant pump for continued circulation through the engine. The cooling system may have a thermostat to prevent coolant flow through the radiator when the engine is cold such as during engine startup.
Many internal combustion engines use an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system to reduce the production of nitrogen oxides (NOx) during the combustion process in the cylinders. EGR systems typically divert a portion of the exhaust gases exiting the cylinders for mixing with intake air. The exhaust gas generally lowers the combustion temperature of the fuel below the temperature where nitrogen combines with oxygen to form nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Many EGR systems have an EGR cooler or heat exchanger that reduces the temperature of the exhaust gases. Generally, more exhaust gas can be mixed with the intake air when the exhaust gas temperature is lower. Additional exhaust gases in the intake air may further reduce the amount of NOx produced by the engine.
Most EGR coolers have a counter flow arrangement to remove heat from the exhaust gases. In the EGR cooler, the exhaust gases pass in one direction along one side of a wall or other barrier. A cooling medium passes in the opposite direction on the opposite side of the wall. The cooling medium may be air, water, or another fluid. When the cooling medium has a lower temperature than the exhaust gases, heat transfers from the exhaust gases through the wall into the cooling medium. The heat transfer lowers the temperature of the exhaust gases. The heat transfer can be increased by increasing the temperature difference between the exhaust gases and the cooling medium. Conversely, the heat transfer can be decreased by decreasing the temperature difference. The heat transfer can be increased by increasing the surface area or length of the wall separating the exhaust gases and the cooling medium. Conversely, the heat transfer can be decreased by decreasing the surface are or length of the wall.
Many EGR coolers use coolant from the engine's cooling system to reduce the temperature of the exhaust gases. Typically, the EGR cooler is connected to another engine component in series so that the same coolant flows through the other component and then the EGR cooler in sequence. In some internal combustion engines, the coolant flows sequentially from the coolant pump through the crankcase, through an oil cooler prior, and then through the EGR cooler. The coolant usually flows from the EGR cooler into the cylinder head, where it combines with coolant from the crankcase for return to the coolant pump.
The sequential flow of coolant through engine components may increase the coolant temperature before the coolant flows through the EGR cooler. In some internal combustion engines, the temperature of coolant into the EGR cooler may be about 3 to 5 degrees higher than the temperature of coolant exiting the coolant pump. The coolant temperature may increase about 1 to 2 degrees as the coolant flows from the coolant pump through the crankcase to the oil cooler. The coolant temperature may increase about 2 to 3 degrees as the coolant flows through the oil cooler to the EGR cooler. These and other internal combustion engines may have different temperature increases as coolant flows through engine components to the EGR cooler.
The higher coolant temperature reduces the heat transfer of the EGR cooler. The lower heat transfer decreases the temperature reduction of the exhaust gases through the EGR cooler. A larger EGR cooler may be needed to provide sufficient heat transfer for a desired exhaust gas temperature. A larger EGR cooler may increase the costs of the EGR and cooling systems. Some engines may not be able to use a larger EGR cooler due to space limitations. These engines may have less exhaust gas recirculation, which may result in lower NOx reduction.

Cooling system for an internal combustion engine with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)

International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC


A web-fed rotary printing press includes at least two printing units each of which has two print units. The two print units are situated adjacent each other and form a double print unit or print unit module. Several double print units or printing units can be situated one after the other. One of the printing units can be shifted with respect to the other printing unit to afford access to each print unit for maintenance work.

The present invention is directed to a web-fed rotary printing press having a plurality of printing units. Each unit has four transfer cylinders and four associated forme cylinders. The distance between at least two of the printing units or their spatial orientation can be changed or varied.
So-called I-type printing units are generally known. They typically consist of two forme cylinders arranged in a vertical plane, to which two rubber blanket cylinders have respectively been assigned. Several I-type printing units are arranged behind each other and spaced apart. See, for example, DE 44 29 891 A1.
DE 29 28 538 A1 describes, and depicts, an offset printing unit for a selectably horizontal or vertical web running direction.
EP 0 246 081 A2 discloses an offset printing unit with a horizontal web path, which can be turned for changing colors or formats. A change in the web path is not provided in this device
The object of the present invention is directed to creating a web-fed rotary printing press.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by providing a printing press having a plurality of printing units. Each printing unit has four transfer cylinders and four associated forme or plate cylinders. The printing units can either be arranged next to each other in the horizontal direction and shiftable with respect to each other, or can be rotatable about 90xc2x0 for use with either horizontal or vertical web running directions.
The advantages which can be obtained by the present invention reside, in particular, in that a space-saving arrangement of the printing device has been created as a result of a shortened distance between the printing units spaced apart in the horizontal direction. The fan-out effect of the paper web is reduced because of the shortened distance. For maintenance purposes, the printing unit modules are accessible from both sides after the lateral frames have been rolled or moved away. The running direction of the paper web can be changed by individual drive mechanisms for each forme cylinder or rubber blanket cylinder unit.
It is furthermore advantageous that the printing device in accordance with the invention, in the form of so-called H-type printing units, also arranged several times above each other, can be employed with a vertical web travel path. There are more than ten different options for the running direction of a web of material to be imprinted in the web-fed rotary press of the present invention.


A method of fabricating a defect induced buried oxide (DIBOX) region in a semiconductor substrate utilizing an oxygen ion implantation step to create a stable defect region; a low energy implantation step to create an amorphous layer adjacent to the stable defect region, wherein the low energy implantation steps uses at least one ion other than oxygen; oxidation and, optionally, annealing, is provided. Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) materials comprising a semiconductor substrate having a DIBOX region in patterned or unpatterned forms is also provided herein.

The present invention relates to a method of producing high throughput silicon-on-insulator (SOI) materials and, in particular, to a method of fabricating a defect induced buried oxide (DIBOX) region in a semiconductor substrate. The DIBOX region produced by the method of the present invention has improved structural and electrical qualities as compared with prior art BOX regions. Moreover, the method of the present invention produces BOX regions having a fixed charge and a greater thickness than prior art methods. Hence, the method of the present invention saves implant time and ultimately SOI wafer cost.
In semiconductor manufacturing, several processes have been developed to produce a SOI material having a thin buried oxide (BOX) region disposed therein. One such process used in the prior art to produce BOX regions is referred to as SIMOX (separation by implantation of oxygen). In a typical SIMOX process, the BOX region is fabricated by first implanting oxygen using high ion doses (greater than 4xc3x971017 cmxe2x88x922) followed by annealing at high temperatures (greater than 1300xc2x0 C.). Despite the current advances made in this field, most of the prior art SIMOX processes produce a BOX region which is electrically inferior to thermally created oxide regions.
Moreover, prior art low-dose SIMOX processes oftentimes create a BOX region which contains silicon islands buried within the BOX. Typically, BOX regions produced using prior art low-dose SIMOX processes have discrete regions of thicknesses of about 1000 xc3x85 or 2000 xc3x85. These thicknesses are determined by the implanted oxygen dose which is in the range of about 4-5xc3x971017 cmxe2x88x922 for the 1000 xc3x85 thick BOX and about 7-10xc3x971017 cmxe2x88x922 for the 2000 xc3x85 thick BOX. Thinner continuous BOX regions cannot be obtained using prior art SIMOX processes.
Moreover, the prior art uses ion doses to create a BOX region in a semiconductor substrate which makes SIMOX uneconomical and a SIMOX substrate is usually four to six times the bulk-silicon cost. This high cost makes the use of prior art SOI materials undesirable.
In an attempt to reduce the cost of fabricating SOI materials, SIMOX processes using a low dose ion implantation step have been developed. One problem with conventional SIMOX processes using low ion doses is the formation of Si precipitates in the low dose BOX regions. The formation of Si precipitates in the BOX regions is not desirable since it hinders the formation of high quality BOX regions.
Even though BOX quality improves when a room temperature implant follows the base oxygen implant step, Si precipitates are not completely removed. The precipitate density typically increases with increasing base dose. At base doses of greater than 4xc3x971017 cmxe2x88x922 the room temperature oxygen ion implant step produces BOX regions in which the precipitates are distributed throughout the buried oxide region.
In view of the drawbacks mentioned hereinabove concerning prior SIMOX processes, there remains a need for providing a new and improved method of creating a BOX region within SOI materials. Specifically, it would be desirable to provide a new method wherein low dose ion implants can be used without the resultant BOX region having Si precipitates therein.
One object of the present invention is to provide a method of fabricating a semiconductor material containing a defect induced buried oxide (DIBOX) region therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method whereby all of the above-mentioned problems with prior art SIMOX processes have been overcome.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method which allows for the fabrication of a continuous BOX region using ion doses of about 3xc3x971017 cmxe2x88x922 or less.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method which allows for the fabrication of a BOX region that exhibits high structural as well as electrical qualities.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a BOX region in a SOI material which has a greater range of thickness than BOX regions prepared using conventional methods.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a SOI material having a BOX region that contains little or no Si precipitates therein.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a SOI material having a BOX region in which the charge of the BOX region is fixed to a targeted value.
These as well as other objects and advantages are achieved by the method of the present invention wherein a defect induced buried oxide (DIBOX) region is formed in a semiconductor material by adding to, or replacing oxygen used in the room temperature ion implantation step with another element. The use of other elements in addition to, or besides oxygen in the room temperature ion implant step significantly reduces the Si precipitates in the BOX region.
Specifically, the method of the present invention comprises the steps of:
(a) implanting oxygen ions into a surface of a semiconductor substrate at a base ion dose of about 5xc3x971016 cmxe2x88x922 or above so as to form a stable buried damaged region in said semiconductor substrate;
(b) implanting second ions into said surface of said semiconductor substrate at a second ion dose of about 1xc3x971015 cmxe2x88x922 or above so as to form an amorphous layer adjacent to said stable buried damaged region, wherein said second ions comprise at least one dissimilar ion than said oxygen ions used in step (a);
(c) oxidizing the structure produced by step (b); and
(d) optionally, annealing the oxidized structure provided in step (c).
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, step (a) is carried out by implanting oxygen ions into a Si-containing semiconductor substrate, or a preformed SOI substrate which is either bare or contains a cap layer, e.g., a dielectric cap layer, using a low dose ion implantation step which is carried out at a high temperature of about 200xc2x0 C. or greater.
Step (b) of the present invention includes a yet lower ion dose implantation step using the same or different energy range as used in step (a). The second ions employed in step (b) include, but are not limited to: nitrogen, carbon, germanium, bismuth, antimony, phosphorus, arsenic, neon, argon, xenon and mixtures thereof. The second ions may also be mixed, in some embodiments, with oxygen.
Step (b) of the present invention is carried out at about cryogenic temperatures to temperatures of about 300xc2x0 C. or less, with the proviso that the temperature be lower than the oxygen ion implantation step employed in step (a).
This low temperature/low dose ion implantation step, i.e., step (b), may be carried out in either a single step with a single temperature, or multiple steps with multiple temperatures which range from about cryogenic to about 300xc2x0 C. or less may be employed.
The oxidation step, step (c), is typically carried out in an inert ambient such as N2 or Ar mixed with greater than 0.1% oxygen at temperatures of about 1300xc2x0 C. or higher.
The optional step of the present invention is an anneal step which is normally carried out in an ambient containing a mixture of an inert gas and  less than 5% oxygen at temperatures of about 1300xc2x0 C. or higher for a period of time of from about 5 to about 20 hours. The optional anneal step is performed when the foregoing oxidation step does not form a BOX region with desired structural and electrical properties.
The term xe2x80x9chigh structural qualityxe2x80x9d is used herein to denote a structure which has little or no etch pit density (less than about 1xc3x97105 cm2); little or no top or bottom Si/buried oxide roughness (less than about 200 xc3x85 as observed by SEM or TEM); a low HF-defect density (less than about 5 cm2); a low surface roughness (about 6 xc3x85 root mean square(Rms)); and, if present, the silicon precipitates in the buried oxide region at a low density (less than about 1xc3x97105 cm2) and a small size (less than about 500 xc3x85 in height). The structural quality can be determined using optical, atomic force, scanning and/or transmission microscopy.
The term xe2x80x9chigh electrical qualityxe2x80x9d is used herein to denote a structure wherein the BOX breakdown field is high (greater than about 5 megavolts per cm); the BOX minibreakdown voltage is high (greater than about 30 volts); the BOX leakage at a given voltage is low (less than about 1 nanoAmps); and the BOX defect density is low (less than about 2 cm2).
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a SOI material having a continuous BOX region formed in a semiconductor substrate by the method of the present invention. The BOX region formed by the instant invention has a variable, but controllable, continuous thickness which can typically range from about 500 to about 2000 xc3x85 by varying the oxygen ion implantation step such that the base dose is from about 1xc3x971017 to about 6xc3x971017 cmxe2x88x922. Such a controllable, continuous range of BOX thicknesses cannot be obtained utilizing prior art SIMOX processes.
Moreover, the SOI material of the present invention has a BOX region in which the charge thereof is fixed to a targeted value. The fixed charge BOX regions are a result of using different ions during the implantation steps of the present invention.

Control of buried oxide quality in low dose SIMOX