A new method of local oxidation using a nitrogen implant through a spin-on-glass film is described. A thin silicon oxide layer is formed over the surface of a silicon substrate. A layer of silicon nitride is deposited overlying the silicon oxide layer. The silicon oxide and silicon nitride layers are patterned to provide openings of various sizes exposing portions of the silicon substrate to be oxidized. Ions are selectively implanted into the silicon substrate through the openings. The patterned surface of the substrate is covered with a spin-on-glass material. The spin-on-glass material is thicker within the smaller openings and thinner within the larger openings. The spin-on-glass material is soft-baked. Nitrogen ions are selectively implanted into the silicon substrate through the spin-on-glass material within the openings wherein fewer nitrogen ions are implanted through the thicker spin-on-glass material within the smaller openings and more nitrogen ions are implanted through the thinner spin-on-glass material within the larger openings. The spin-on-glass material is removed. Field oxide regions are grown within the openings wherein the rate of field oxidation is inhibited most within the openings through which a larger concentration of nitrogen ions were implanted and inhibited to a lesser extent in openings through which smaller concentrations of nitrogen ions were implanted resulting in nearly equal thicknesses of field oxide regions in all openings of various sizes.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the fabrication of integrated circuit devices and more particularly to a method of uniform local oxidation using a nitrogen implant in the fabrication of integrated circuits.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) is the conventional lateral isolation scheme. The conventional local oxidation process is described in VLSI Technology, International Edition, by S. M. Sze, McGraw-Hill Book Company, N.Y., N.Y., c. 1988 by McGraw-Hill Book Co., pp. 473-474. A layer of silicon nitride is deposited over a pad oxide overlying a silicon substrate. The pad oxide is a thin thermal oxide which allows better adhesion between the nitride and silicon and acts as a stress relaxation layer during field oxidation. The nitride and oxide layers are etched to leave openings exposing portions of the silicon substrate where the local oxidation will take place. A boron channel-stop layer is ion implanted into the isolation regions. The field oxide is grown within the openings and the nitride and pad oxide layers are removed. This completes the local oxidation.
However, as the silicon nitride opening between active device regions is reduced to the submicrometer regime, a reduction in field oxide thickness within the opening has been observed. This oxide thinning in the area where field spacing is narrow/small has caused insufficient isolation between active regions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,654 to Shimizu et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,274 to Yabu et al describe methods for purposefully making field oxide regions to be of different thicknesses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,438 to Sandhu shows a method for adjusting ion implantation to achieve different field oxide thicknesses. The purpose of the present invention is to achieve the same field oxide thicknesses for different sized openings.
In their article, "A Self-Aligned Nitrogen Implantation Process (SNIP) to Minimize Field Oxide Thinning Effect in Submicrometer LOCOS," by Somnuk Ratanaphanyarat, Jente B. Kuang, and S. Simon Wong, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 37, No. 9, September 1990, pp. 1948-1958, the authors describe a method of implanting nitrogen into wide openings to slow field oxidation rates there. Nitrogen is not implanted into narrow openings which are shielded by oxide spacers so that field oxidation is not slowed in these regions.
The spin-on-glass materials have been used for planarization of integrated circuits. The material to be applied is thoroughly mixed in a suitable solvent. The spin-on-glass material suspended in the vehicle or solvent is deposited onto the semiconductor wafer surface and uniformly spread thereover by the action of spinning the wafer. The material fills the indentations in the integrated circuit wafer surface; that is planarization. Most of the vehicle or solvent is driven off by a low temperature baking step often followed by vacuum degassing. Other coatings of the spin-on-glass material are applied, baked and vacuum degassed until the desired spin-on glass layer is formed. The final step in the making of the spin-on-glass layer is curing. Curing is a high temperature heating step to cause the breakdown of the silicate or siloxane material to a silicon dioxide like cross linked material.

Uniform field oxidation for locos isolation


A method for manufacturing an active matrix substrate having a pixel electrode including: forming a bank partitioning the pixel electrode by a droplet discharge method; and disposing a functional liquid containing a conductive material to a region partitioned by the bank so as to form the pixel electrode.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an active matrix substrate, an active matrix substrate, an electro-optical device, and an electronic apparatus.
2. Related Art
Along with the popularization of mobile devices such as notebook personal computers, cellular phones, thin-and-light liquid display devices are widely used. This type of liquid crystal display device has a structure in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between an upper substrate and a lower substrate.
An example of the lower substrate (active matrix substrate) is shown in FIG. 19. As shown in FIG. 19, a lower substrate 30 is structured by including a glass substrate P, a gate scan electrode 11 and a source electrode 17 both of which are wired on the glass substrate P so as to be intersected with each other, a drain electrode 14 wired on the glass substrate P, a pixel electrode (ITO) 19 connected to the drain electrode 14, an insulation layer 28 provided between the gate scan electrode 11 and the source electrode 17, and a thin film transistor (TFT) 63 composed of a thin film semiconductor. For forming various metal wirings in the lower substrate 30, a method is employed as exemplified in JP-A-9-171974. In the method, a process is repeated many times in which dry processes and photolithography are combined.
The technique, however, has a drawback in that material costs and administrative costs increase, while a yield rate is hardly increased since the process is carried out many times in which dry processes and photolithographic etching processes are combined. Specifically, the wiring pattern of a thin film is formed by the following manners: a photosensitive material called a resist is coated on a substrate on which a conductive film has been coated in advance; a circuit pattern is irradiated and developed; and the conductive film is etched corresponding to a resist pattern so as to form the wiring pattern. The technique also requires large-scale equipment such as vacuum apparatuses, and has material use efficiency of a few percents, thereby resulting in almost all material being discarded. As a result, it leads to high manufacturing costs. Therefore, reducing the number of processes in which dry processes and photolithographic etching processes are combined is a major issue for liquid crystal display devices required to match the trend lines of lower product costs.

Method for manufacturing active matrix substrate, active matrix substrate, electro-optical device and electronic apparatus


A CoWB film is formed as a cap metal on a Cu interconnection line formed on a substrate or wafer W, by repeating a plating step and a post-cleaning step a plurality of times. The plating step is arranged to apply electroless plating containing CoWB onto the Cu interconnection line. The post-cleaning step is arranged to clean the wafer W by use of a cleaning liquid, after the plating step.

As regards semiconductor devices, recently, their integration degree thereof is required to increase owing to the demands for a higher operation speed, and thus Cu (copper) is used as an interconnection line metal, because Cu has a low resistivity. Where Cu is used for an interconnection line, the current density is increased, but therefore electro-migration (EM: migration of Cu atoms by an electric current) can easily be caused. The electro-migration may bring about disconnection of the interconnection line and thereby deteriorate the reliability.
In light of this problem, the following method has been proposed to improve the EM resistance of semiconductor devices (for example, see Patent Document 1). Specifically, a plating liquid containing, e.g., CoWB (cobalt tungsten boron) or CoWP (cobalt tungsten phosphorous) is supplied onto the surface of a substrate provided with a Cu interconnection line, so that a metal film of, e.g., CoWB or CoWP, which is called a cap metal, is formed by electroless plating to cover the Cu interconnection line.
In general, a cap metal described above is formed by supplying a plating liquid onto the surface of a substrate provided with a Cu interconnection line. After the cap metal is formed, cleaning of the substrate is performed by use of a cleaning liquid to remove the excess part of the plating liquid deposited on portions of the substrate other than the interconnection line (for example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3).
Typically, in electroless plating performed by use of a plating liquid containing, e.g., CoWB or CoWP, the plating process is promoted by the electromotive force of electrons generated by decomposition of a reducing agent, such as dimethylamineborane (DMAB), which is a derivative of sodium borohydride (SBH) contained in the plating liquid, and hydrogen gas is generated due to decomposition of the reducing agent. If the hydrogen gas brings about bubbles adsorbed on a metal film in the plating process, the plating process cannot proceed at portions corresponding to the bubbles and around the bubbles, so voids are formed in the metal film due to the bubbles and damage the continuity of the metal film. In general, a metal film of, e.g., CoWB or CoWP is poly-crystalline, and thus the film includes crystal grain boundaries and has a low density with large clearances (pinholes) at the crystal grain boundaries.
After the cap metal is formed, slurry-like by-products (residues) generated by the plating reaction are normally present on the surface of the cap metal, and are dried and precipitated in due time. If the precipitated substances are left on the surface of the cap metal, the leakage electric current between interconnection lines may be increased. In order to solve this problem, cleaning of the substrate may be performed to remove the precipitated substances. However, since the precipitated substances strongly stick to the plated surface, the precipitated substances may be difficult to sufficiently remove by the conventional cleaning liquid and cleaning step. Further, the substrate surface may be dried due to deterioration of the wettability relative to a chemical liquid, along with a change in hydrophilic/hydrophobic property. This may cause re-oxidation of the Cu surface.
As described above, the conventional plating method entails difficulties in forming a cap metal of high quality, and thus cannot sufficiently improve the EM resistance of semiconductor devices
[Patent Document 1]
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2006-111938
[Patent Document 2]
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-58487
[Patent Document 3]
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-179058

Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus


A capacitor is provided having a tough surface portion which prevents cracking that tends to occur when the capacitor is built-in or surface-mounted on a wiring board. A ceramic sintered body of the capacitor includes a capacitor forming layer portion, a cover layer portion and an interlayer portion. The capacitor forming layer portion has a laminated structure wherein ceramic dielectric layers and inner electrodes connected to a peripheral portion of capacitor via conductors, are alternately laminated. The cover layer portion is exposed at a surface portion of the ceramic body and has a laminated structure wherein ceramic dielectric layers and dummy electrodes not connected to the capacitor via conductors, are alternately laminated.

With recent enhancements in the speed and performance of semiconductor integrated circuit devices (IC chips) used in microprocessors of computers and the like, the number of terminals tends to increase, and the pitch between terminals tends to decrease accordingly. In general, a plurality of terminals is densely arranged in an array on the bottom surface of an IC chip and the terminal group is connected to the terminal group of a motherboard in a "flip chip" manner. However, since the terminal group of the IC chip and the terminal group of the motherboard are substantially different to each other with respect to the pitch between the terminals, a method for manufacturing a package in which the IC chip is mounted on an IC chip mounting circuit board and the package is mounted on the motherboard is employed. In a wiring board constituting such a package, it is proposed to employ a built-in capacitor in order to reduce the switching noise of the IC chip or the like. As an example of such a wiring board, a wiring board in which a capacitor is accommodated in an accommodation hole of a core board made of polymer material, and a buildup layer is formed on top and rear surfaces of the core board is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2005-39243.
More particularly, the wiring board according to the above-identified application has an accommodation hole that opens at an upper surface and a lower surface in the center of a core board, and a via array type ceramic capacitor is accommodated in the accommodation hole.
FIG. 15 shows an example of a conventional (prior art) via array type ceramic capacitor 201. This ceramic capacitor 201 is comprised of a capacitor forming layer portion 202, a cover layer portion 203 and an interlayer portion 204. The capacitor forming layer portion 202 has a laminated structure in which a plurality of first inner electrodes 206 and a plurality of second inner electrodes 207 are each alternately laminated by sandwiching a ceramic dielectric layer 205 therebetween. The ceramic dielectric layer 205 is made of a sintered body of barium titanate, which is a high dielectric constant ceramic, and functions as a dielectric (insulator) between the first inner electrode 206 and the second inner electrode 207.
The interlayer portion 204 is comprised of a plurality of laminated ceramic dielectric layers 208, and is arranged between the capacitor forming layer portions 202. In the capacitor forming layer portion 202, there is a portion where the first inner electrode 206 overlaps the second inner electrode 207 in a thickness direction, and a portion where the first inner electrode 206 does not overlap the second inner electrode 207. Thus, although there is a difference in thickness (due to the formation of electrodes) in the capacitor forming layer portion 202 due to formation of the inner electrodes 206, 207, the difference in thickness can be compensated by providing the interlayer portion 204 between the capacitor forming layer portions 202.
Similar to the interlayer portion 204, the cover layer portion 203 has a structure in which a plurality of ceramic dielectric layers 209 is laminated and disposed on a surface portion of the capacitor 201 so as to cover the capacitor forming layer portion 202. By forming the cover layer portion 203, the insulation, heat resistance, moisture resistance and the like of the capacitor 201 are maintained.
A plurality of via holes 210 is formed in the ceramic capacitor 201. These via holes 210 penetrate the capacitor 201 in the thickness direction, i.e., extend transversely of capacitor 201 rather than extending longitudinally, and are disposed in a lattice pattern (i.e., in the form of array) over the whole surface of the capacitor 201. First and second via conductors are indicated at 211 and 212, and a via conductor (211 or 212) penetrating between an upper surface and a lower surface of the capacitor 201 is formed in each via hole 210. Each first via conductor 211 penetrates each first inner electrode 206 so that the first inner electrodes 206 are electrically connected to each other. Each second via conductor 212 penetrates each second inner electrode 207 so that the second inner electrodes 207 are electrically connected to each other.
The thus-constituted ceramic capacitor 201 is produced, for example, using the following procedures. First, a nickel paste for the inner electrode is screen-printed to a ceramic green sheet and is allowed to dry. Then, a plurality of green sheets is laminated and compressed in a laminate direction to integrate each green sheet whereby a green sheet laminated body is formed. Further, a plurality of via holes 210 is formed in the green sheet laminated body, and a nickel paste for via conductor is filled in each via hole 210. Thereafter, the green sheet laminated body is degreased and fired at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period to thereby complete the ceramic capacitor 201.
As disclosed in the above-identified application, the ceramic capacitor 201 in FIG. 15 is used as a built-in capacitor. However, it can also be used as a surface-mounted capacitor on a wiring board.
When a conventional ceramic capacitor 201 shown in FIG. 15 is built in to a wiring board as disclosed in the above-identified application, it has been confirmed that a Vickers examination indicates a residual stress remaining near the surface of the capacitor 201. That is, when a compression stress is applied to in a first direction (i.e., a XY direction) perpendicular to a thickness direction (the Z direction) of the capacitor 201, a tensile stress is exerted in the thickness direction. When embedding the ceramic capacitor 201 in the wiring board, the ceramic capacitor 201 is pulled in the Z direction due to contraction of a buildup layer formed on the cover layer portion 203. The cover layer portion 203 of the ceramic capacitor 201 is only comprised of ceramic dielectric layers 209 and has a relatively low toughness, i.e., is relatively weak. Thus, a crack 215 (refer to FIG. 16) is generated or produced near each via conductor 211, 212 in the cover layer portion 203. As a result, the reliability of the wiring board deteriorates.
Further, as shown in FIG. 17, when the ceramic capacitor 201 is surface-mounted on a wiring board 220 by a flip-chip method, compression stress (i.e., stress in X and Y directions) is produced near the surface of the ceramic capacitor 201 due to a difference in thermal expansion between the wiring board 220 and the ceramic capacitor 201. Therefore, the ceramic capacitor 201 is cambered or bowed, and cracking is likely to occur in the cover layer portion 203.
More particularly, as shown in FIG. 18, when a cambered ceramic capacitor 201 is surface-mounted on the wiring board 220, a further large stress is produced near the surface of the ceramic capacitor 201. As a result, the ceramic capacitor 201 is likely to deform, and there is a high possibility of cracking occurring in the ceramic capacitor 201.
Further, as shown in FIG. 19, when the ceramic capacitor 201 is surface-mounted on the wiring board 220 and a gap between the wiring board 220 and the ceramic capacitor 201 is sealed by an underfill material 230, a tensile stress (in the direction Z) due to a thermosetting contraction of the underfill material 230 is exerted on the ceramic capacitor 201. As a result, cracking is likely to occur in the cover layer portion 203 of the ceramic capacitor 201.

Capacitor and wiring board including the capacitor


The invention relates to a sub-combat unit which is disposed to be separated from a flying body, for example a carrier shell or the like, over a target area, the sub-combat unit comprising a warhead (4), a target detector (5) and two diametrically located carrier surfaces (1, 2) which impart to the sub-combat unit a rotation for scanning the target area in a helical pattern during the fall of the sub-combat unit down towards the target area, and both of the carrier surfaces (1, 2) being pivotally disposed from a collapsed position to an opened position where both of the carrier surfaces form a retarding area for the fall velocity of the sub-combat unit. The sub-combat unit is designed such that the relationship between the largest main inertia moment and the other main inertia moments of the sub-combat unit lies within the range of between 1.05 and 1.15. Hereby, the direction of the axis of rotation of the sub-combat unit will, during a transitional phase, be deflected and assume an almost vertical direction, at the same time as pendulum movements in the axis are damped out.

The characterizing features of the sub-combat unit described in the above-mentioned patent are that the target detector is pivotally disposed on a journal shaft which is parallel to the line of symmetry of the warhead so as to permit outward pivoting of the target detector from a closed position where the optical axis of the target detector coincides with the line of symmetry of the warhead, and to in opened position where the optical axis of the target detector is parallel to the line of symmetry of the warhead so as to permit free view of the target detector beside the warhead, and that, an additional, carrier surface is pivotally disposed on a journal shaft which is also parallel to the line of symmetry of the warhead so as to permit outward pivoting of the carrier surface from a closed position to an opened position beside the warhead.
By a suitable aerodynamic design of the sub-combat unit and the retarding area of the detector and carrier surface, there will be obtained a suitable fall velocity of the sub-combat unit and further an impelling moment about the spinning axis which gives the sub-combat unit its rotation. This is achieved without the aid of a parachute, which is an advantage since the parachute is bulky and requires space. Within the available space in a carrier shell, more space can instead be made available for the warhead proper.
Even if the above-described sub-combat unit has proved to possess superior properties in respect of fall velocity and scanning rotation, wishes have been voiced in the art to be able to increase the retarding area even further. This may, for instance, be the case when it is desired to employ heavier warheads. The retarding area of the target detector and carrier surface is restricted to the cross-sectional area of the cylindrical sub-combat unit body, which may entail that the fall velocity will become too high with the existing size of the retarding area if, at the same time, the weight of the warhead is increased.
Swedish patent application number 8903474-8 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,414, describes a sub-combat unit in which the retarding area has been made considerably larger. The characterizing feature of the sub-combat unit is that two diametrically located carrier surfaces are pivotally disposed each on then shaft located in a plane which is at light angles to the axis of symmetry of the warhead, from a closed position where the carrier surfaces follow the casing surface of the sub-combat unit, to a 90 degrees opened position where both of the carrier surfaces form a retarding area for the fall velocity of the sub-combat unit.
In this case, the carrier surfaces are made of an elastically flexible material, so that, when they pivot out from then closed position, they are at the same time bent to a substantially straight oi gently curved surface.
The advantage inherent in the above-described design, in addition to the larger retarding area, is that both of the carrier surfaces may be made comparatively thin, which is favorable from the point of view of weight and payload. For example, the carrier surfaces may be made of titanium and bent so that, in then opened position, they have a certain radius. The bending may be varied and the carrier surfaces may be of different lengths, in which event further parameters for varying the aeronautical properties of the unit will be obtained.
The sub-combat units are disposed to be separated from a missile, a carrier shell or other flying platform, for example a canister which in its turn has been separated from a carrier shell or missile, for example a 15.5 cm artillery shell.
In order that the sub-combat unit in its functional phase (the scanning phase) operate in the intended manner, it is necessary that the axis of rotation is close to vertical and that the pendulum movements of the axes are slight, with an amplitude of at most a few degrees. By designing the two carrier surfaces with accurately indicated geometry and by providing them with means for completely relieved (turbulent) flow, see our copending patent application Ser. No. 07/957,487, filed Oct. 7, 1992, pendulum motion and instabilities can be reduced to a minimum and a predetermined rotation, fall velocity and orientation can be maintained during the scanning phase.
When the sub-combat units are fast separated from the shell and subsequently from the canister, the flying state of the sub-combat units is, however, highly varied, depending upon discharge descent, different from the described state, i.e. a state in which the axis of rotation is near to vertical as is to apply during the scanning phase.
In most cases, the carrier (for example an artillery shell, missile or canister) will, on discharge of the sub-combat units, have a trajectory which may be as good as horizontal. On discharge, the sub-combat unit will begin to rotate about its major main inertia axis, at the same time as this axis will begin to oscillate. The major direction of the axis will, however, be largely parallel to the trajectory tangent of the carrier prior to separation.


An antenna for a micro air vehicle (MAV) takes the form of a wrap-around antenna (e.g., wrapped around a portion of the MAV) that selectively emits radio signals in different directions depending on a frequency selected by a radio altimeter in the MAV. The radar altimeter may be a pulsed or a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar altimeter. The wrap-around antenna includes groups of radiating elements in which at least each group includes an average height that is different from an average height of an adjacent group. Further, the average height of the group determines which group will emit the signals most efficiently so that a desired sector of space may be covered by the signals emitted from the antenna. In one example, the center frequency of the radar altimeter may be controlled in a deterministic manner to cause the radiating elements to successively cover desired sectors of space.

A micro air vehicle (MAV), which may also be referred to as an unmanned air vehicle (UAV), may operate in complex topologies such as mountainous terrain; urban areas; and confined spaces. By way of example, the MAV may be guided using a wireless remote control device for a variety of purposes, such as the collection of ambient gaseous particles, observation, thermal imaging, etc. MAVs may be employed by the military or police for reconnaissance, security and target acquisition operations in open, rolling, complex and urban terrain. To enhance the effectiveness and controllability of the MAV, its structural and control components should be as lightweight as possible. Some MAVs recently deployed in military operations have been about nineteen (19) inches in diameter with a dry weight of about fourteen (14) pounds. A collision with the terrain or structure has the potential to disable or damage the MAV to the extent that it may not be able to further perform its intended function and further be non-repairable.
Current MAVs are limited to flying in open areas away from urban environments and terrain obstacles because they have no ability to sense proximity hazards. An on-board proximity sensing device should be able to broadly localize obstacles in both terms of distance and direction. For larger types of airborne vehicles, the on-board proximity sensing device could take the form of a collision avoidance radar unit that includes sectoral coverage antennas and associated beam-switching hardware. Thus, the antennas take the form of multiple antennas placed on desired sectors of the airborne vehicle. One major drawback of using these types of collision avoidance radar units is that they are both large and heavy. No sensor of this type has proven to be sufficiently lightweight to be carried by the MAV.


A system and method for allowing multiple players to place independent wagers on a single game is disclosed. The game may be played on either a gaming machine or at a gaining event. A main player is physically located at a system operator, such as a casino. Additional players may join the main player and place wagers on the games that the main player is playing. The wagers that the additional players place are treated and paid out independently from the wagers placed by the main player. Furthermore, the players and the main player may communicate with each other throughout the betting process. The gaming machine may have an input module, an output module, a communication module, and a processor that all allow multiple players to place independent wagers on a single game.

The present invention proposes a unique and new gaming system, gaming machine, and method to include other players when a person is playing at a gaming machine or other gaming event. This new gaming system and method does not require each additional player to be physically present with the person playing the gaining machine or at the gaming event.
The gaming system and gaming machine provides a method that allows other people to play along with a player who is physically present at a gaming machine or other activity where bets are being placed on the outcome of a game (e.g. a slot machine) or gaming event (e.g. a horse race). When a person walks up to the gaming machine to play a game or is present at a betting venue/event he may connect to the gaming system via a smart-device such as, but not limited to, a Smartphone to notify and allow other people who are also enrolled with the gaming system to play along with him.
Each person playing along with the player at the gaming machine or venue/event may place bets independently of the player. These independent bets do not depend on the outcome of the bet made by the person playing at the gaining machine or gaming venue/event.
The purpose of the gaming system and gaming machine is to increase participation in the gaming process and thereby increase the amount of bets that are placed. In addition it is envisioned that the gaming system will create a social event allowing many people to participate in the betting process at the same gaming machine or venue/event.
With pre-existing gaming systems and machines, the betting process may have only involved a single individual. The gaining system and gaming machine herein allows each gaming machine (e.g. slot machine) to be used by many people at the same time in a highly interactive and social environment.


A rubber composition obtained by compounding thereinto a rubber component containing 0.5 to 100% by weight of a modified conjugated diene-based polymer having a fullerene bonded thereto in the molecule and having a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 or more excellent processability, superior balance of modulus and heat buildup, excellent cold flowability and superior tan δ balance.

A fullerene is a spherical compound consisting of only carbon atoms. The term includes higher order fullerenes consisting of 60 carbon atoms (C60) and higher even numbers of carbon atoms. These include 12 five-member rings and 20 or more five-member rings, six-member rings or seven-member rings. It has been learned in recent years that the most representative C60 is a molecule extremely high in reactivity due to its special electron system. This reactivity is utilized for various types of chemical modification. Blending a spherical carbon molecule fullerene into a rubber component, as a filler, is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 10-168238. Further, polymerizing isoprene by living anion polymerization and modifying its terminals by a fullerene is described in, for example, Macromolecules 1997, 30, 2546-2555. However, it has not been known that the conjugated diene-based polymer synthesized by the method described in Macromolecules is useful as a rubber composition.

Rubber composition containing modified conjugated diene-based polymer bonded to fullerene


A hair clip of the present invention has two securing holders deviced to secure a torsion spring therein, having securing trenches to retain two projecting parts of the spring and has two clipping elements each provided with two holded connecting protrusions and holding recesses, a pin being inserted through said connecting protrusions and said securing holders retaining said spring therein so as to enable said clipping elements hingedly open and close by means of resilience of said spring, said holding recesses providing a more secured connection of said securing holders with said clipping elements; said securing trenches retaining said projecting parts of said spring contributing to preventing rusting of the same and scratching and hurting of a user.

A heretofore known hair clip, referring to FIG. 5, includes a pair of clipping elements 10,20, a torsion spring 40 and a pin 30 as the main parts; each of the clipping elements 10,20 has plurality of clipping teeth 11,21 provided to clip user's hair or things in between, finger press areas 12,22 at the other end of a respective clipping elements 10,20, provided for a user to exert force thereon in using the hair clip, and a pair of connecting protrusions 121,221 protruding from inner side of the respective finger press areas 12,22, and provided with pin holes 1210,2210.
The torsion spring 40 has two projecting parts 41,42 substantially projecting in opposite direction to offer resilience for the hair clip.
In combination, the pin 30 is inserted through the pin holes 1210,2210 of the connecting protrusions 121,221 and the torsion spring 40 with the projecting parts 41,42 forming a contiguous connection with the respective clipping elements 10,20.
When a user presses two finger press areas 12,22 inwardly, the clipping teeth 11,21 of the clipping elements 10,20 will hingedly seperate for things or hair to be placed in between; then, when the user release the finger press areas 12,22, the torsion spring 40 will urge the clipping elements 10,20 to approach each other to clip the hair of things firmly by means of the projecting parts 41,42 thereof.
However, the above described hair clip has the following disadvantages:
1. The torsion spring is disposed on the hair clip without covers and thus exposed to the air, so the torsion spring will influence the overall appearance of the hair clip when the torsion spring rusts after long service period.
2. It is likely that the projecting parts of the torsion spring are not closely contiguous to the clipping elements and accidentally scratch the user. Moreover, the aperture between such projecting parts and the clipping elements might unwarily clip the user's hair therebetween.


A dual screen display device may include a set of displays including a first display and a second display. A base may support the displays. A hinge may be coupled between the first and second displays. A channel and post may be provided in the displays and the base to provide a sliding translation between the base and the displays. In some embodiments of the dual screen device, the hinge, channel and post cooperate to provide a coupled translation of the first and second displays relative to the base.

Dual screen laptops have been introduced to the market. The company GSCREEN introduced a model called the SPACEBOOK where a primary front screen and secondary back screen both slide laterally on fixed horizontal tracks. The company LENOVO introduced a THINKPAD model W700ds where a small secondary screen pops out of a side compartment. In the W700ds, the primary screen is affixed to a conventional clamshell hinge, but otherwise doesn't move or slide.


A wake control apparatus for adjusting the trim of a watercraft to selectively raise and lower the level of the wake produced by the watercraft. The apparatus comprises at least one hydrofoil which is pivotally connectable to the watercraft, and at least one actuator which is mechanically coupled to the hydrofoil and connectable to the watercraft. The actuator is adapted to selectively move the hydrofoil between first and second positions. When the apparatus is connected to the watercraft and the watercraft is propelled within the water, the movement of the hydrofoil toward the second position causes the aft end of the watercraft to be drawn downwardly into the water to increase the level of the wake produced thereby. The movement of the hydrofoil toward the first position causes the aft end of the watercraft to be elevated within the water to reduce the level of the wake produced thereby.

A water sport which is rapidly growing in popularity is "wake boarding". In wake boarding, a participant riding a device known as a wake board is pulled behind a watercraft such as a boat via a tow line in the same manner a water skier is pulled behind a boat. The participant maneuvers himself or herself laterally across the wake produced by the moving watercraft in a slalom-like fashion, with the passage of the wake board over the wake lifting the participant into the air and allowing for the performance of various flips or other tricks prior to the participant landing back onto the surface of the water. sA will be recognized by the foregoing description of wake boarding, it is highly desirable to adjust the level of the wake produced by the boat or other watercraft depending upon the type of "ride" sought by the wake boarding participant. In this respect, the adjustment of the trim of the boat so as to cause the aft end to set lower within the water than the forward end when the boat is propelled increases the height of the wake produced thereby. Conversely, the adjustment of the trim of the boat so as to maintain the aft end at an orientation which is substantially level with the forward end when the boat is propelled reduces the level of the wake produced thereby. Though certain adjustments may be made to the trim of a boat including an outboard motor by changing the orientation of the propeller within the water, such trim adjustments are not easily obtainable with boats that include inboard motors. Additionally, the trim adjustment, and hence changes to the wake level and shape, which may be accomplished with boats including outboard motors is somewhat limited.
The present invention comprises a wake control apparatus which may be retrofitted to an existing boat or other type of watercraft or provided as original equipment thereon. The wake control apparatus of the present invention is specifically adapted to allow the trim of the watercraft to be adjusted for purposes of selectively raising or lowering the level the wake produced thereby. In this respect, the present invention finds particular utility for use in relation to various water sports, and most notably wake boarding and water skiing wherein it is often desirable to raise or lower the level or modify the shape of the wake produced by the watercraft.


The invention provides a nutrient medium composition and associated methods for lengthening the useful life of a culture of muscle cells. Disclosed is a method of culturing mammalian muscle cells, including preparing one or more carriers coated with a covalently bonded monolayer of trimethoxy-silylpropyl-diethylenetriamine (DETA); verifying DETA monolayer formation by one or more associated optical parameters; suspending isolated fetal rat skeletal muscle cells in serum-free medium according to medium composition 1; plating the suspended cells onto the prepared carriers at a predetermined density; leaving the carriers undisturbed for cells to adhere to the DETA monolayer; covering the carriers with a mixture of medium 1 and medium 2; and incubating. A cell nutrient medium composition includes Neurobasal, an antibiotic-antimycotic composition, cholesterol, human TNF-alpha, PDGF BB, vasoactive intestinal peptides, insulin-like growth factor 1, NAP, r-Apolipoprotein E2, purified mouse Laminin, beta amyloid, human tenascin-C protein, rr-Sonic hedgehog Shh N-terminal, and rr-Agrin C terminal.

Skeletal muscle differentiation and maturation is a complex process involving the synergy of different growth factors and hormones interacting over a broad time period [1-11]. The differentiation process is further complicated by neuronal innervation, where neuron to muscle cell signaling can regulate myosin heavy chain (MHC) gene expression and acetylcholine receptor clustering [12-18]. Consequently, understanding of the role of the growth factors, hormones and cellular interactions in skeletal muscle differentiation would be a key step in generating physiologically relevant tissue engineering constructs, developing advanced strategies for regenerative medicine and integrating functional skeletal muscle with bio-hybrid MEMS devices for non-invasive interrogation in high-throughput screening technologies.
In order for skeletal muscle myotubes developed in vitro to be useful in tissue engineering applications, they must exhibit as many of the functional characteristics of in vivo skeletal muscle fibers as possible. During muscle fiber development in vivo, several critical structural changes occur that indicate functional maturation of the extrafusal myotubes. These changes include sarcomere organization, clustering and colocalization of ryanodine (RyR) and dihydropyridine (DHPR) receptors and MHC class switching [19-23]. Each of these structural changes reflects the physiological maturation of the skeletal muscle and is critical for consistent muscular contraction. For example, organization of the contractile proteins myosin and actin into sarcomeric units gives skeletal muscle myotubes organized and structured contraction, a property lacking in smooth muscle. The organization of sarcomeres in skeletal muscle gives rise to anisotropic and isotropic bands of proteins (A and I bands) and gives skeletal muscle a striated appearance. The clustering and colocalization of RyR and DHPR is indicative of transverse tubule (T-tubule) biogenesis and excitation contraction coupling. This developmental step structurally links electrical excitation to the internal contractile system by providing close apposition of DHPR located in the T-tubule and RyR located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Finally, a properly functioning skeletal muscle must express the appropriate MHC proteins required for the task it must perform. For example, different muscle fibers express different MHC proteins depending on the rate of contraction and force generation required by the work to be done. Consequently, skeletal muscle fibers change their MHC expression profiles to best meet the requirements of the body as it matures. Without these modifications, an in vitro model of skeletal muscle maturation cannot achieve full physiological relevance.
One approach for identifying the role of specific growth factors and hormones in muscle differentiation is to develop an in vitro model system consisting of a serum-free medium supplemented with the factors of interest. Such a model provides the opportunity to evaluate the role of each factor individually or in combination with others known or believed to be important in skeletal muscle development. For example, the concentration and/or temporal application of medium components in order to influence the maturation of extrafusal fiber or intrafusal fiber subtypes could be easily investigated.
Employing a non-biological growth substrate such as trimethoxy-silylpropyl-diethylenetriamine (DETA) provides an additional measure of control. DETA is a silane molecule that forms a covalently bonded monolayer on glass coverslips, resulting in a uniform, non-hydrophilic surface for cell growth. The use of DETA surfaces is advantageous from a tissue engineering perspective because it can be covalently linked to virtually any hydroxolated surface, it is amenable to patterning using standard photolithography and it promotes long-term cell survival because it is non-digestible by matrix metalloproteinases secreted by the cells [24, 25].
Previously, studies have demonstrated the usefulness of the DETA silane substrate for in vitro culture systems. Interesting features of the DETA silane are that its molecular geometry does not allow for an ordered nanolayer and may partially mimic the three dimensional features of an extracellular matrix, which may be responsible for robust growth of different cell types on this synthetic substrate [24-31]. Additionally, DETA's non-biological nature supports the analysis of ECM proteins secreted by the cell in response to different in vitro conditions.
We earlier developed a defined system that promoted differentiation of different skeletal muscle phenotypes and resulted in the formation of contractile myotubes. This resulted in short-term survival of the myotubes [25, 28]. We also have developed a novel bio-hybrid technology to integrate functional myotubes with cantilever based bio-MEMS devices for the study of muscle physiology, neuromuscular junction formation and bio-robotics applications for use in a model of the stretch reflex arc [32]. More recently, using our defined model system, we have achieved a significant breakthrough by creating mechanosensitive intrafusal myotubes in vitro [33]. The intrafusal fibers differentiated upon addition of neuregulin 1-β-1 to serum-free medium in our defined system. Intrafusal fibers are the myotubes present in the muscle spindle which functions as the sensory receptor of the stretch reflex circuit [16] and combined with extrafusile fibers represent the primary component necessary to reproduce functional muscle function in vitro.
This system has been utilized as a model for different developmental and functional applications, however, further improvements are necessary to enhance the physiological relevance of the skeletal muscle myotubes [32, 33]. Specifically, in order to create a working model of the stretch reflex arc, myotubes are needed that more accurately represent extrafusal fibers in vivo. A more advanced developmental system for skeletal muscle would have applications in basic science research and tissue engineering. In this study, we have demonstrated sarcomere assembly, the development of the excitation-contraction coupling apparatus and myosin heavy chain (MHC) class switching.
The results disclosed herein suggest we have discovered a group of biomolecules that act together as a molecular switch promoting the transition from embryonic to neonatal MHC expression as well as other structural adaptations resulting in the maturation of skeletal muscle in vitro. The discovery of these biomolecular switches will be a powerful tool in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications such as skeletal muscle tissue grafts. It should also be useful in higher content high-throughput screening technology.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for culturing skeletal muscle for tissue engineering

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


The invention relates to a hydraulic proof test assembly comprising at least a valve (1) with parallel seats (102). It comprises:

Numerous industrial installations comprise capacities (tanks, vessels, exchangers, etc.) coupled to pipes (pipework) for the passage of fluids, liquid or gaseous, often pressurised.
In order to guarantee a reliable and safe operation of these installations, the maintenance of such systems requires conducting pressure resistance tests regularly and the regulations governing pressurised apparatus further imposes conducting hydraulic proof tests periodically.
In the remainder of the text, "pressure resistance", will be taken to mean the ability to withstand the mechanical stresses that such pressurisation produces which can lead to the deformation of the components of said industrial installations, loss of integrity of the mechanical connections of said components and their loss of leak tightness.
To conduct pressure resistance tests or hydraulic proof tests of tanks, vessels, or any other type of capacity, it is necessary to modify the configuration of the installation to create a test or proof "bubble", that is to say a closed circuit enabling the pressurisation of the capacity with a view to its technical evaluation.
For the creation of this closed circuit, it is thus necessary to be able to shut off each of the inlets/outlets of the vessel, notably when they are coupled to a pipe, in order to isolate the inner volume of the vessel.
Venting points, that is to say vents, are provided to make it possible to expel the air present in the equipment and pipework, and to guarantee the stabilisation of the pressure during the hydraulic proof test.
A test pump is used to manage the filling and pressure build up, the presence of a manometer making it possible to guarantee that the test pressure has been reached. In certain cases, tests or proofs are for example carried out with demineralised water at ambient temperature.
To create the hydraulic proof test bubble, it is possible to rely on bolted assemblies existing on the installation using shut-off members suited for the isolation of the vessel or the pipe. However, in industries using so-called hazardous fluids (toxic, inflammable, explosive, etc.) or hot fluids (for example steam), the capacities and pipework are exempt of flanges which could have made it possible, after dismantling, to install bolted plugs (blind holes, solid flanges), enabling their shut off.
Thus, it is generally necessary to cut the pipe and to weld a shut-off member at the level of the cut section of the pipe.
Unfortunately, such a technique for shutting off pipes has a large number of drawbacks.
Firstly, such a solution involves a complex implementation, generating an intervention of long duration, necessitating rare specific human resources (welders, controllers, etc.) and considerable material logistical requirements (gantries, scaffolding, airlocks, lagging removal system, etc.).
The intervention also comprises risks of important implementation contingencies (defects, faulty work, etc.). In addition, the intervention requires the supply of replacement parts (welded shut-off devices, pipework elements to be returned to compliance, etc.) which are expensive and for which the procurement lead times are long, given their specific technical characteristics. Welded shut-off devices have a limited lifetime due to the cuts made, such that this requires regular new procurements.
Finally, the implementation of this solution on certain installations usually requires conducting specific controls, such as for example non-destructive controls of the type of those that employ gamma rays, complete controls furthermore, if needs be, through the establishment of an administrative dossier defined by the regulations in force. These said controls have, among others risks inherent to welding, radiological risks leading to the putting in place of extended and specific marked off areas, which imposes the stopping of activities underway in the vicinity of the gamma shots.
One solution for avoiding these drawbacks linked to the use of welded shut-off members, consists in using mechanical or inflatable shut-off devices and positioning them in the pipes to shut them off. Depending on the configuration, several types of shut-off members may be used.
Thus, the mechanical shut-off members described in the document FR2989146 are known. These shut-off members of large dimensions are assembled inside pipes, which enables their putting in place despite the fact that access to the pipework takes place through orifices of smaller dimensions than the diameter of the pipe. These shut-off members require a nearby access to enable the instrumentation that will serve for the transmission of measurements for the purposes of checking and controlling their leak tightness during the hydraulic proof test.
Inflatable shut-off members such as those described in FR2751006 are also known. These shut-off members require a nearby access to enable the supply and to guarantee their resistance in the pipe during the hydraulic proof test and if necessary to regulate their inflation pressure. Their application has technical limits due to the configuration of the targeted industrial installations.
There are also mechanical shut-off members such as those of the document WO00/03172. These shut-off members have the drawback of requiring cutting the pipe that has to be shut off before being put in place. The drawbacks linked to welding works are reduced but are not eliminated since they remain present when the installations are returned to compliance.
What is more, these shut-off members, mechanical or inflatable, whether they require the cutting of the pipework or not, have the drawback of requiring straight lengths of sufficient dimensions in order to be installed. In addition, said lengths must be exempt of surface defects, accessible and their environment must enable the handling of the shut-off members, which is not always the case.
When the installation so allows, it is possible to rely on the pipework members associated with the vessel at the level of the inlets/outlets and dimensioned to withstand pressurisation during the hydraulic tests or proof tests. However, a simple verification of the correct operation of each pipework member before hydraulic tests or proof tests does not make it possible to guarantee the perfect leak tightness necessary for these, especially since the valves are designed with a "leakiness" coefficient according to design standards such as the NF E29-311-1, NF EN 12266-1 of 2012 May 1(year-month-day) withstanding for example a leakage rate of 10.5 mm3/s for valves of ND (nominal diameter) equal to 350 mm, of quality required for said installations.
For valves with parallel seats, an internal intervention, that is to say the removal of internal elements (namely the stem and the gates) to enable the expertise which consists in a control of the gates/seats spans then, if necessary, their bedding in, may improve the situation but does not guarantee systematically the leak tightness necessary for the validation of the hydraulic proof tests.
Another drawback is the duration of these works which require skills rare in pipework often prioritised over other activities. In addition, in the event of a contingency, the intervention may require the supply of replacement parts for which the procurement lead times are important. Yet another drawback is the multiplication of works on valves not being the subject of a preventive maintenance programme.
When it is conclusive, the conducting of an inter gate test (abridged as IGT) of the valve upstream of the hydraulic proof test makes it possible to guarantee leak tightness under the test conditions.
For this test, the inter gate space and the upper space of the valve are filled with water and built up in pressure before the test in order to check the upstream/downstream leak tightness of the gates on the seats.
When this test is not conclusive, tooling may be installed instead of the gates making it possible to guarantee the leak tightness of the valve. The bonnet, the stem and the gates of the valve are then dismantled to enable the putting in place of suitable shut-off tooling.
Few toolings meeting this need exist on the market.
One solution used in industry is the putting in place of shut-off members with parallel plates with one or several screws of which the position is adjustable thanks to a nut/lock nut system.
Unfortunately, this solution has a large number of drawbacks.
Firstly, the handling of the tooling is difficult and hazardous. The tooling is heavy and the introduction of hands into the body of the valve is necessary, the adjustment being manual.
Next, existing shut-off members are specific to a technology and a valve dimension, which requires reworking the design and calculation notes for each new valve encountered, knowing that no toolings exist suited to valves of which the distances between seats are small.
In addition, existing shut-off members do not make it possible to expel the air contained in the upper parts of the equipment and capacities.
Hence, these toolings are very uncommon and in the majority of cases, in the event of faulty inter gate test, the putting in place of a welded shut-off device upstream of the valves is favoured to make the hydraulic proof tests safe. And the aforementioned drawbacks of these welded devices are again encountered.
Among the different existing structures of valves with parallel seats, some could respond to a part of the problem encountered.
Thus, parallel seat valve structures of which a first plate is solid, while the second plate is apertured are known. A spring presses the two plates against the seats of the pipe. Reference may be made in this respect to the documents CN205908770, CN106090273 and CN202691105 for example.
In all of the devices described in these documents, shut-off is achieved by an in-place device actuated by a stem, the stem not being able to be disconnected.
The device is positioned in a given valve and cannot be displaced to another of different dimensions and design. It cannot be adjusted in diameter or bulk.
The device only operates in one direction in the body of the valve (presence of a single span), such that it does not make it possible to ensure leak tightness in the case of an HPT (hydraulic proof test) with a pressure applied in the opposite direction, in operation.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a solution to these problems.
In other words, it aims to propose an assembly of elements that can make it possible to conduct a hydraulic proof test, that is to say a pressure resistance test, of a hydraulic installation comprising at least a valve with parallel seats, being able to be introduced, removed and put in place on demand, of simple design and of which the implementation is easy, including by first responders.

Apparatus for conducting a hydraulic proof test

Abstract: a shut-off member (2) with parallel plates (20, 21), connected by connecting means for regulating their separation, to make them go from a first position in which this separation is sufficient to enable the shut-off member (2) to be introduced into said valve (1) to a second position where said separation is greater, this separation making it possible to apply them firmly against said parallel seats (102);

Abstract: a device (3) for inserting said shut-off member (2) into said valve (1) which comprises at least a “U” shaped tool, configured to be introduced into said valve (1), its parallel arms forming guides, while its base forms a support for retaining said shut-off member (2);

Abstract: a “dummy stem” (4).


A suction head has a plurality of suction units. The respective suction units have spaces each connected with a vacuum pump through a first valve. A sensor observes works on a substrate to inspect whether or not a bad mark is marked on the works. The spaces are separated from one another so that only the spaces corresponding to works of good quality with no bad mark are vacuum-evacuated so as to vacuum-suck conductive balls, while preventing the space corresponding to defective work or works with the bad mark from being vacuum-evacuated by closing a first valve so as to cancel the mounting of the conductive balls.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive ball mounting apparatus and a mounting method for mounting conductive balls on pads of a circuit pattern of a work.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a method of manufacturing a bump work such as a flip-chip, there has been known one in which conductive balls are used. In this method, after the conductive balls such as solder balls are mounted on pads of a circuit pattern of a work, the work is sent into a heating furnace where the conductive balls and solder for soldering the conductive balls are heated to melt, and then the work is cooled to solidify the conductive balls and the solder, thereby forming bumps on the pads of the work.
Meanwhile, as a method for mounting conductive balls on pads of a work, there has been known one in which a suction head is used. In this method, conductive balls received in a container or the like are picked up through vacuum-suction by suction holes formed in an underside of the suction head to be mounted on pads of a work. According to this method, it is advantageously possible to mount the conductive balls on a large number of pads of the work at a time.
Conventionally, a plurality of suction holes corresponding to one work are formed in an underside of a suction head, which is adapted to mount the conductive balls on one work at a time. However, a method in which the conductive balls are mounted on one work at a time, does not result in an improvement in work efficiency. It is therefore contemplated that suction holes corresponding to a plurality of works are formed in the underside of the suction head to permit the conductive balls to be mounted on the plurality of works at one time, i.e., in a single series of actions.
On the other hand, a circuit pattern formed on an upper surface of a work may have a defect such as a bridge or a cavity. In the case where the conductive balls are mounted on the plurality of works at one time by means of the suction head as described above, a work having a defective circuit pattern may be included in the plurality of works, which results in manufacturing a defective bump work. Further, the same may be said of the case where defective works are produced in other processes before the conductive balls are mounted.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A distributed ontology system including a central computer comprising a global ontology directory, a plurality of ontology server computers, each including a repository of class and relation definitions, and a server for responding to queries relating to class and relation definitions in the repository, and a computer network connecting the central computer with the plurality of ontology server computers. A method is also described and claimed.

Ontology is a philosophy of what exists. In computer science ontology is used to model entities of the real world and the relations between them, so as to create common dictionaries for their discussion. Basic concepts of ontology include (i) classes of instances/things, and (ii) relations between the classes, as described hereinbelow. Ontology provides a vocabulary for talling about things that exist.
Instances/Things
There are many kinds of "things" in the world. There are physical things like a car, person, boat, screw and transistor. There are other kinds of things which are not physically connected items or not even physical at all, but may nevertheless be defined. A company, for example, is a largely imaginative thing the only physical manifestation of which is its appearance in a list at a registrar of companies. A company may own and employ. It has a defined beginning and end to its life.
Other things can be more abstract such as the Homo Sapiens species, which is a concept that does not have a beginning and end as such even if its members do.
Ontological models are used to talk about "things." An important vocabulary tool is "relations" between things. An ontology model itself does not include the "things," but introduces class and relation symbols which can then be used as a vocabulary for talking about and classifying things.
Relations/Properties/Attributes
Relations, also referred to as properties, attributes, functions and slots, are specific associations of things with other things. Relations include:    Relations between things that are part of each other, for example, between a PC and its flat panel screen;    Relations between things that are related through a process such as the process of creating the things, for example, a book and its author;    Relations between things and their measures, for example, a thing and its weight.
Some relations also relate things to fundamental concepts such as natural numbers or strings of characters—for example, the value of a weight in kilograms, or the name of a person.
Relations play a dual role in ontology. On the one hand, individual things are referenced by way of properties, for example, a person by his name, or a book by its title and author. On the other hand, knowledge being shared is often a property of things, too. A thing can be specified by way of some of its properties, in order to query for the values of other of its properties.
Classes
Not all relations are relevant to all things. It is convenient to discuss the domain of a relation as a "class" of things, also referred to as a frame or, for end-user purposes, as a category. Often domains of several relations coincide, for example, the class Book is the domain for both Author and ISBN Number properties.
There is flexibility in the granularity to which classes are defined. Cars is a class. Fiat Cars can also be a class, with a restricted value of a manufacturer property. It may be unnecessary to address this class, however, since Fiat cars may not have special attributes of interest that are not common to other cars. In principle, one can define classes as granular as an individual car unit, although an objective of ontology is to define classes that have important attributes.
Abstract concepts such as measures, as well as media such as a body of water which cannot maintain its identity after coming into contact with other bodies of water, may be modeled as classes with a quantity relation mapping them to real numbers.
In a typical mathematical model, a basic ontology comprises:    A set C, the elements of which are called "class symbols;"    For each cεC, a plain language definition of the class c;    A set R, the elements of which are called "relation symbols;"    For each rεR:            a plain language definition of r; and        a list of class symbols called the domain of r, written c1×c2× . . . ×cn;            A set F, the elements of which are called "function symbols;"    For each fεF:            a plain language definition of f,        a class symbol called the domain of f, and        a class symbol called the co-domain of f, and            A binary transitive reflexive anti-symmetric relation, I, called the inheritance relation on C×C.
In the ensuing discussion, the terms "class" and "class symbol" are used interchangeably, for purposes of convenience and clarity. Similarly, the terms "relation" and "relation symbol" are used interchangeably; and the terms "function" and "function symbol" are also used interchangeably. Further, the term attribute is used for a function.
It is apparent to those skilled in the art that if an ontology model is extended to include sets in a class, then a relation on c×d can also be considered as a function from c to sets in d. In this context, a relation may also be considered as a function or an attribute.
If I(c1, c2) then c1 is referred to as a subclass of c2, and c2 is referred to as a superclass of c1. Also, c1 is said to inherit from c2.
A distinguished universal class "Being" is typically postulated to be a superclass of all classes in C.
Variations on an ontology model may include:    Omission of functions, which are in fact a special case of relations;    Restrictions of relations to binary relations, or of functions to unary functions, these being the most commonly used relations and functions;    The ability to specify more about properties of relations, such as multiplicity and invertibility.
The notion of a class symbol is conceptual, in that it describes a generic genus for an entire species such as Books, Cars, Companies and People. Specific instances of the species within the genus are referred to as "instances" of the class. Thus "Gone with the Wind" is an instance of a class for books, and "IBM" is an instance of a class for companies. Similarly, the notions of relation symbol and function symbol are conceptual, in that they serve as templates for actual relations and functions that operate on instances of classes.
Class symbols, relation symbols and function symbols are similar to object-oriented classes in computer programing, such as C++ classes. Classes, along with their members and field variables, defined within a header file, serve as templates for specific class instances used by a programmer. A compiler uses header files to allocate memory for, and enables a programmer to use instances of classes. Thus a header file can declare a rectangle class with members left, right, top and bottom. The declarations in the header file do not instantiate actual "rectangle objects," but serve as templates for rectangles instantiated in a program. Similarly, classes of an ontology serve as templates for instances thereof.
There is, however, a distinction between C++ classes and ontology classes. In programming, classes are a template and they are instantiated to create programming objects. In ontology, classes document common structure but the instances exist in the real world and are not created through the class. Also, there is no counterpart to the programming methods, only to the fields, which correspond to functions or attributes.
Ontology provides a vocabulary for speaking about instances, even before the instances themselves are identified. A class Book is used to say that an instance "is a Book." A function Author allows one to create clauses "author of" about an instance. A relation Siblings allows one to create statements "are siblings" about instances. Inheritance is used to say, for example, that "every Book is a PublishedWork". Thus all vocabulary appropriate to PublishedWork can be used for Book.
Once an ontology model is available to provide a vocabulary for talking about instances, the instances themselves can be fit into the vocabulary. For each class symbol, c, all instances which satisfy "is a c" are taken to be the set of instances of c, and this set is denoted B(c). Sets of instances are consistent with inheritance, so that B(c1)⊂B(c2) whenever c1 is a subclass of c2. Relation symbols with domain c1×c2× . . . ×cn correspond to relations on B(c1)×B(c2)× . . . ×B(cn). Similarly, function symbols with domain c1 and co-domain c2 correspond to functions with domain B(c1) and co-domain B(c2). It is noted that if class c1 inherits from class c, then every instance of c1 is also an instance of c, and it is therefore known already at the ontology stage that the vocabulary of c is applicable to c1.
Ontology enables creation of a model of multiple classes and a graph of relationships therebetween. When a class is defined, its attributes are described using handles to related classes. These can in turn be used to look up attributes of the related class, and thus attributes of attributes can be accessed to any depth.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1A, which is an illustration of enterprise knowledge relationships. FIG. 1A illustrates a typical information flow within an enterprise. An enterprise deals with dozens of data formats, including relational and XML formats. The same information such as an invoice must be picked up by different applications and departments.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1B, which is an illustration of graph-like relationships between ontology classes, corresponding to the relationships of FIG. 1A. Shown in FIG. 1B are classes for invoices 110, companies 120, products 130, components 140, measurements 150, credit ratings 160, people 170 and contact information 180. Each class is modeled individually, as well as their inter-relationships. When a specific invoice instance is described formally, users can derive required information from it. For example, a customer can retrieve the invoice electronically into a procurement system. A manufacturing department can view a bill of materials of products sold in order to replenish stock. A finance department can read a Dunn & Bradstreet credit rating of a customer in order to assess credit exposure.
In distinction to ontologies, XML Schema, or the earlier standard document type description (DTD), allow modeling of a single class by defining a syntax for documents that describe elements of that class. XWL documents have a tree structure that may include attributes, and attributes of attributes to a pre-determined depth. However, a user cannot look up attributes of attributes to a depth that is not explicitly included in the XML Schema. Thus if the invoice of FIG. 1 is modeled using an XML Schema intended for transfer of the invoice to a customer's procurement system, it is unlikely that manufacturing and finance departments will find the information they require inside an XML document for an invoice. If one were to model a full graph of relations between classes using self-referential XML Schema, such a Schema would be unusable, as no finite instance document would be valid according to the Schema.
It may thus be appreciated that an ontological model provides a more flexible basis for presenting data than does an XML Schema, particularly where the same data must be presented to multiple applications. The rigorous structure imposed by an XML Schema is likely to include only attributes of interest to the particular application for which the Schema was designed.
While XML Schema specifies a finite list of fields (attributes, attributes of attributes), an ontology is a comprehensive model of the world's entities by classes and the relations between them. As such, there are several barriers to the adoption of ontology as a basis for data standards, including:    No single party can model the whole world, so unlike a centralized XML Schema, a centralized ontology definition is impractical;    No ontology model will ever be complete or stable, so unlike XML Schema, a notion of backward compatible updates is required;    XML Schema and the table schema of the world's relational databases have considerable commercial traction, and thus an ontology model that cannot leverage existing XML Schema work and existing relational database schema work is unlikely to have commercial traction—the barrier being that the XML, relational database and ontology models are inherently incompatible.
Prior art ontology systems include the DARPA Agent Markup Language (DAML). Information about DAML is available on the Internet at http://www.daml.org. DAML includes hierarchical relations, and a "meta-level" for formally describing features of an ontology, such as author, name and subject. DAML includes a class of ontologies for describing its own ontologies. DAML includes a formal syntax for relations used to express ranges, domains and cardinality restrictions on domains and co-domains. DAML provides for a "maximum level" class and a "minimum level" class. "Things" is a class for everything, and is a superclass of all classes. "Nothing" is a class for the empty set, and is a subclass of all classes.
Another prior art system is the Resource Description Framework (RDF), developed by the World Wide Web Consortium. Information about RDF is available on the Internet at http://www.w3.org/RDF/. RDF is distributed and contains a grammar for subject-verb-object constructs, but does not contain an ontological model.
Another prior art system is the Knowledge Interchange Format (KIF). Information about KIF is available on the Internet at http://www.logic.stanford.edu/kif.
Another prior art system is the Ontology Inference Layer (OIL). Information about OIL is available on the Internet at http://www.ontoknowledge.org/oil/. OIL classes are defined "intentionally" rather than "extensionally." This means that OIL classes can be defined in terms of descriptions that specify the properties that objects must satisfy in order to belong to the class. Attributes of classes play a significant role in OIL. Similar to DAML, OIL includes hierarchical relations, and a "second meta-level" for formally describing features of an ontology, such as author, name and subject. Two types of classes are distinguished in OIL: "primitive" (by default) and "defined". For primitive OIL classes, their associated attributes are considered necessary but not sufficient for membership in the class. For example, if the primitive class Elephant is defined to be a sub-class of Animal with a constant stating that skin-colour must be grey, then all elephants must necessarily be animals with grey skin, but there may be grey-skinned animals that are not elephants. When a class is "defined" by attributes, its definition is taken be both necessary and sufficient. For example, if the defined class Carnivores is defined to be a sub-class of Animal with the constraint stating that it eats meat, then every carnivore is necessarily a meat eating animal, and every meat eating animal is a carnivore. Intersections and unions of classes are defined in OIL using what are termed class-expressions, so that, for example, Meat AND Fish defines the class of things that are both meat and fish, and NOT Fish can define all things which are not fish.
A general reference on ontology systems is Sowa, John F., Knowledge Representation, Brooks/Cole, Pacific Grove, Calif., 2000.

Method and system for collaborative ontology modeling


A chip-scale package type light emitting diode includes: a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a mesa, a second conductivity type semiconductor layer, a transparent conductive oxide layer, a dielectric layer, a lower insulation layer, a first pad metal layer, and a second pad metal layer, an upper insulation layer. The upper insulation layer covers the first pad metal layer and the second pad metal layer, and includes a first opening exposing the first pad metal layer and a second opening exposing the second pad metal layer, in which the openings of the dielectric layer include a narrow and elongated bar-shaped opening adjacent to at least one of the first openings of the lower insulation layer.

In general, with good thermal stability and a direct transition type energy band structure, Group III-based nitrides, such as gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and the like, have been in the spotlight as materials for light sources in the visible range and the ultraviolet range. In particular, blue and green light emitting diodes using indium gallium nitride are used in various fields that include large full color flat panel displays, signal lamps, interior lighting, high density light sources, high resolution output systems, optical communication, and the like.
In recent years, research on a chip-scale package type light emitting diode, in particular, a packaging process performed at a chip level, has been underway. Since these light emitting diodes are smaller in size than standard packages and do not require a separate packaging process, manufacturing processes can further be simplified, and time and cost can be saved.
The chip-scale package type light emitting diode has a flip-chip shape electrode structure in general, and an ohmic reflection layer is used to emit light toward a substrate. Since the flip chip shape electrode structure is included, it is possible to provide a light emitting diode having excellent luminous efficiency and heat dissipation characteristics. However, the light emitting diode may be defective because solder may diffuse into the light emitting diode and contaminate an ohmic reflection layer.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a reliable light emitting diode while simplifying the structure of the light emitting diode.
It is preferable that the chip-scale package type light emitting diode has strong resistance to electrical overstress or electrostatic discharge because a separate protection device against electrical overstress or electrostatic discharge may not be available.


A device including a sealing assembly having a first annular shield constrainable to a rotating first member, a second annular shield facing the first shield and constrainable to a stationary second member, and an annular seal supported by the first shield and provided with annular lips cooperating with the second shield. The device has a signal generator device having a third shield constrainable to the first member and an annular signal generator element arranged facing the first and the second shields; wherein the first shield has a flange portion, having on a side of the first shield, a first and a second L-fold in opposite directions which delimit a first annular surface facing the annular lips and the second shield; wherein the annular signal generator element is delimited towards the second shield by a second annular surface facing the annular lips forming an obtuse angle with the first annular surface.

As known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,640, rolling bearings of wheel hub assemblies of vehicles are usually equipped with a sealing assembly of the "packet" type, comprising two shields arranged side-by-side and constrained in use to a first, outer ring (usually constituting the rotating ring of the bearing in use, in this application) and a second, inner ring of the bearing (usually constituting the stationary ring of the bearing in use); the first shield integrally carries an annular seal provided with annular lips cooperating in a fluid-tight manner with the second shield in use. The bearings of this type are then also equipped with a signal generator device (also named "phonic wheel" or "encoder" in jargon) constrained to the ring rotating in use of the bearing and constituted by a further shield defined by a metallic support and by a ring made of a magnetizable plastic-based material or an elastomeric blend, magnetized so as to have an alternation of magnetized and non-magnetized zones, or having opposite polarities.
In use, the rotation of the "phonic wheel", which as mentioned is integral with the outer ring of the bearing, allows when coupled to an appropriate sensor, to detect the rotation of the wheel of the vehicle.
However, the need to make the ring defining the phonic wheel or encoder relatively large in size to obtain a signal which can be well detected and regular at the required diameters has the drawback of creating an obstacle to the exiting of water or other contaminants which may in use overcome the second shield and come into direct contact with the outermost sealing lip of the of the annular seal.

Sealing and signaling device, in particular for a rolling bearing


A switch is disclosed comprising a housing formed with a chamber along which a ball can roll. An element having a pair of arms is pivotally mounted within the housing, with one arm either side of the ball, such that an inclination of the switch causes the ball to move along the chamber and impinge on one arm of the element to correspondingly turn the element and change the operational state of the switch. The chamber acts as a dump for hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic circuit.

The present invention is concerned with a switch for use in a locking mechanism and particularly but not exclusively, to a switch for use in a locking mechanism of a hydraulic circuit for ensuring the safe release of mechanical components.
Modern hydraulic circuits incorporating a "quick hitch" system facilitate a quick release and/or attachment of various mechanical components, such as the attachment of an excavator bucket to an excavator arm or crane lifting equipment. In this manner, different components can be readily assembled to suit a particular job function.
However, such hydraulic circuits have been found to release the mechanical components unexpectedly, which can have fatal consequences. Therefore, there is a requirement for a safety release mechanism to limit the assembly and/or disassembly of mechanical components to specific circumstances of operation.


In a multi-window display device, the following has been merely performed: before data for plural screens is inputted to a display, video signals themselves are subjected to signal processing, and the processed video signals are inputted to the display, whereby display is performed. Therefore, a circuit for performing signal processing, for example, an IC has a complicated structure since video signals for plural screens are stored in a memory. There is provided a pixel structure in which: signal lines for plural screens are arranged; and one of the signal lines is selected to supply a video signal to a display element. For example, in the case of performing display of two screens, there is provided a pixel structure in which: two signal lines, which are inputted with respective video signals for a first screen and a second screen, are arranged; and one of the signal lines is selected to supply a video signal from the selected signal line to a display element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-window display device, which is also an EL display device, a liquid crystal display device, or other display devices and in which plural screens also called multi windows are displayed on a display screen, and relates to a method of driving such a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been conducted researches on a multi-window display device in which two or more images (including a static image and a dynamic image) are simultaneously displayed on a display screen. The multi-window display device is a very convenient display device because a screen for explanation of operation and a screen for performing the operation are displayed at one time or because a navigation screen and a screen for displaying a rear portion of an automobile are displayed at one time in a car navigation system.
FIG. 11 shows a conventional multi-window display device. In the multi-window display device, since plural screens (for example, two screens) are simultaneously displayed on a display screen, a first video signal and a second video signal corresponding to two pieces of image information are inputted, and signal processing is performed in an IC (integrated circuit) 11. Conducted in the IC 11 is the signal processing for synthesizing the two pieces of image information (each including information on the relative position and the size) for the two screens. The above-described video signal synthesized in the IC 11 is once held in a memory 12, and then is inputted to a signal line driver circuit 13.
Then, a scanning line driver circuit 14 sequentially selects pixels in a pixel portion 15, and a first screen 16 and a second screen 17 are displayed in accordance with the video signals supplied from the signal line driver circuit 13.
That is, from the viewpoint of the display screen, the screens are displayed simply in accordance with the input video signals irrespective of whether the multi-window screens are displayed or not.
An example of the above-described operation method is described in JP 05-242232 A, in which a signal from a PC display control means and a signal from the outside are synthesized by a display synthesizing means to thereby be input to a display means.
Further, also described in JP 05-242232 A is a method of arbitrary displaying the relative position and the size of each screen, in which a display reading control means and also a display position/size control means vary an increasing rate of a row address in reading, and thin down a row read out from a display memory to thereby control the size in a vertical direction.
In the above-described displaying method, prior to inputting to the display, the following is merely carried out: signal processing is conducted to the video signal itself; the processed video signal is inputted to the display; and then, display is performed. Therefore, a circuit for conducting signal processing, for example, an integrated circuit becomes complicated in order to store in a memory video signals corresponding to plural screens.
Further, even the information on the position and size of each of the first screen and the second screen is stored in the memory. As a result, a load is further placed on the integrated circuit.

Display device and method of driving the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd


The present invention provides a unique way of connecting a flip-chip die to a substrate. Initially, metallic posts are formed on the flip-chip die and solder bumps are placed on the substrate where the metallic post will ultimately connect to the substrate. The tip layer of flash gold, tin, or other wettable electroplated material is applied to the tips of the metallic posts to prevent oxidation and enhance wettability. The sides of the metallic posts are allowed to oxidize to reduce wettability. To attach the flip-chip die to the substrate, the flip-chip die is initially positioned over the substrate, such that the metallic posts align with and come into contact with the solder bumps. Once the flip-chip die is in place over the substrate, the substrate and the flip-chip are heated to cause the solder bumps to reflow and bond to the tip layers of the metallic posts.

Flip-chip assembly, also known as direct chip attachment, is a method for electrically connecting a die directly to a substrate. In flip-chip assembly, conductive bumps are attached to an upper surface of a die. The die is then flipped over and placed face down on top of and in contact with the substrate in order to establish an electrical connection. In contrast, other assembly methods use wire bonds to connect the die to the substrate. These alternative assembly methods require the die to be attached to the substrate face up, and wires to be bonded to the die, then looped and electrically connected to the substrate.
Incorporating flip-chip technology in the semiconductor device manufacturing process offers a number of advantages over using standard assembly methods. These advantages include decreasing the size of the footprint of the device, while increasing performance, flexibility, and reliability. The use of flip-chip technology eliminates the space needed for wire bonding and die surface area of a package, which essentially reduces the overall size of the package. In addition, the elimination of wire connections and implementation of a shorter electrical path from the die to the substrate by way of a conductive bump connection reduces inductance and capacitance.
The flip-chip method is also more flexible than the standard methods of assembly. Flip-chip technology allows use of the entire surface area of the die for the conductive bump connections, whereas standard methods using wire bond connections are generally limited to the perimeter of the die. Therefore, to achieve a comparable number of connections, the die size for a standard method of assembly would have to be greatly increased. Lastly, an adhesive underfill material may be placed between the die and the substrate to increase mechanical reliability.
With the increasing demand for flip-chip technology in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, there is a need to further improve the connection between the flip-chip die and the substrate in a flip-chip assembly. There is a need to increase the density of interconnects to accommodate the ever increasing number of connection points and ever decreasing size of the flip-chip die. There is also a need to increase the stability, thermal performance, and integrity of the flip-chip assembly.

Flip-chip assembly with improved interconnect


The traditional method of framing energy efficient Southwestern custom built homes entails the framing of an exterior wall and a second wall which is inside the exterior wall. All of this framing is done on site, and most frequently, in less than ideal weather conditions. It is more efficient to erect wall unit assemblies built in the controlled and more productive environment of a shop. A wall unit assembly is built with a multiplicity of double stud units each unit having an interior load bearing vertical stud, and an exterior upright stud, an upper connecting member extending laterally between top end portions of the interior and exterior studs, and a lower connecting member extending laterally between bottom end portions of the interior and the exterior studs. The studs and connecting members preferably are made from dimension lumber, and fastened together by connecting plates. The double stud units are spaced along, and fastened above two parallel footers, and beneath two parallel headers thereby forming a wall unit assembly. Window, door, and straight wall unit assemblies are disclosed so that the walls of an entire building may be quickly erected using these prefabricated unit assembliess.

There is a growing demand for aesthetic energy efficient buildings which require minimal cooling and heating. Residential buildings which have double rows of parallel studs in their exterior walls, so that the interior of these walls may be packed with insulation, and which have the exterior of these walls sprayed with a grout, have a rustic Southwestern appeal, which middle and higher end home buyers want. The traditional method of framing thick walled custom built homes comprises the framing of an exterior wall and a second wall which is inside the exterior wall. All of this framing is done on site, and most frequently, in less than ideal weather conditions. What is needed is a more efficient method of erecting these double exterior walls.