In a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, a high voltage is selectively exerted between a word line to which the control gates of nonvolatile semiconductor memory elements are coupled and a source line to which the sources of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory elements are coupled, whereby charges stored in the floating gates are extracted through the source line. In addition, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory elements to be erased are provided with a source potential having ramp-rate characteristics such that the sources are gradually raised from a low voltage to the high voltage. Thus, the erasure of a predetermined part of the memory array of the memory device becomes possible in accordance with the division of the source lines or that of the word lines, and an excessive intense electric field can be prevented from acting between the floating gates and the sources because a ramp rate is used for the erasing high voltage.

The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device. More particularly, it relates to techniques which are effective when utilized for, e. g., an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory device of one-element/bit construction that has floating gate type nonvolatile memory elements.
A floating gate type nonvolatile memory device of one-element/bit construction, in which one bit (one memory cell) is constructed of a single nonvolatile memory element of the floating gate type and which is rewritable, is discussed in, for example, "ISSCC 88 Digest of Technical Papers", pp. 132-133. An erasing method for the floating gate type nonvolatile memory device is also discussed in the literature, and it consists in that, as in an EPROM (erasable and programmable read only memory), a high voltage is applied to a source line common to all bits, thereby to collectively erase all the bits. As the erasing high voltage, an external supply voltage is directly applied through a switch MOSFET (insulated-gate field effect transistor) or the like.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device with selective tow erasure


A compact self-contained thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is provided by utilizing a DC to DC active power supply to provide compact size. The compactness and flatness of the DC to DC active power supply allows the unit to be completely self-contained. The compactness and flatness of the DC to DC active power supply allow the power supply assembly to be located on the hot side of the TEC. A non-planar barrier between the hot side and cold side of the TEC also provides compactness and allows the TEC to be completely self-contained. A mounting frame is disposed between the hot and cold side. The mounting frame includes a power pack cutout allowing a non-planar barrier between the hot and cold side. Electrical components of the power supply are mounted to a power pack heat sink. The power pack heat sink is attached to the mounting frame with electrical components protruding through the power pack cutout. Power pack cover is attached to the cold side of the mounting frame, encapsulating the electrical components and creating a non-planar barrier between the hot side and the cold side of the TEC. The TEC includes several moisture resistant barriers and thermally isolating barriers to improve performance and longevity. A moisture resistant barrier is provided around at least one thermoelectric module and around a power supply assembly. A non-planar thermally isolating barrier is provided between the hot side and cold side of the TEC. A power control system is provided to deliver maximum cooling power for a given design and a give set of operating conditions. Finally, a dual power supply may be provided to increase reliability.

The present invention generally relates to the field of thermoelectric heat exchangers, which may function either as a heater or a cooler. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved design of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), including power system design and packaging design, which result in compactness, increased efficiency, and increased reliability.
TEC""s perform the same cooling function as freon-based vapor compression or absorption refrigerators and air conditioners. In all such units, thermal energy is extracted from a region, thereby reducing its temperature, then rejected to a xe2x80x9cheat sinkxe2x80x9d region of higher temperature. While freon based systems utilize the gas vaporization and compression cycle to perform cooling, thermoelectric coolers utilize the temperature difference that is created across a semiconductor thermocouple when voltage is applied.
A conventional cooling system contains three fundamental partsxe2x80x94the evaporator, compressor and condenser. The evaporator or cold section is the part where the pressurized refrigerant is allowed to expand, boil and evaporate. During this change of state from liquid to gas, energy (heat) is absorbed. The compressor acts as the refrigerant pump and recompresses the gas to a liquid. The condenser expels the heat absorbed at the evaporator plus the heat produced during compression, into the environment or ambient. Vapor-cycle devices have moving mechanical parts and require a working fluid, while thermoelectric elements are totally solid state.
Solid state heat pumps have been known since the discovery of the Peltier effect in 1834. In the Peltier effect, a voltage applied to the junction between two dissimilar metals creates a temperature difference between the two metals. This temperature differential can be used for cooling or for heating.
The devices became practical only recently, however, with the development of semiconductor thermocouple materials. TEC thermocouples are made from two elements of semiconductor, primarily Bismuth Telluride. The semiconductor is heavily doped to create an excess (n-type) and a deficiency (p-type) of electrons. The junction between the n-type and the p-type is a semiconductor thermocouple. At the cold side, energy (heat) is absorbed by electrons as they pass from a low energy level in the p-type semiconductor element, to a higher energy level in the n-type semiconductor element. The power supply provides the energy to move the electrons through the system. At the hot side, energy is expelled to a heat sink as electrons move from a high energy level element (n-type) to a lower energy level element (p-type). Heat absorbed at the cold side is pumped to the hot side at a rate proportional to current passing through the circuit and the number of couples.
These thermocouples, connected in series electrically and in parallel thermally, are integrated into thermoelectric modules. The thermoelectric modules are packaged between metallized ceramic plates to afford optimum electrical insulation and thermal conduction with high mechanical strength in compression. Thermoelectric modules can be mounted in parallel to increase the heat transfer effect or can be stacked in multistage cascades to achieve high differential temperatures. Solid state cooling is relatively simple compared to some of the classical technique using a compressor because there are no moving parts. These devices have the capability to be either heating systems or cooling systems depending on the direction of the current. Thermoelectric modules are divided into a hot side and a cold side, and are typically attached to heat sinks, creating a heat exchanger for use in a TEC.
Development of TECs has enabled the production of commercial miniature solid state air conditioners for cooling enclosures for devices such as electronics lasers, computers, scientific and medical equipment, as well as other similar equipment. Conventional cooling systems for enclosures remove the heat from one place (usually termed a hot spot) and blow the heat somewhere else in the enclosure until it is eventually vented or otherwise conducted/radiated outside. A common technique for cooling is through the use of an exhaust fan that draws outside air (often through filters) through the enclosure. However, certain electronics applications are sealed in an enclosure from the outside environment. This typically dictates the use of a heat exchanger for cooling because a heat exchanger can control the internal temperature of the enclosure without exchanging air between the enclosure and the outside environment. A TEC works well in many of these cooling applications.
However, these TEC""s have some disadvantages. Moisture reaching the thermoelectric modules or the electrical components can reduce reliability. The cooling surface of the TEC often condenses out moisture from the air. The presence of even small droplets of water can cause damage to the thermoelectric modules and this may reduce the operational life of the device and the efficiency of the system. Also, in commercial applications of TECs, the units may be exposed to dust, dirt and water (rain or deliberate wash-down water from cleaning purposes). This exposure to dust, dirt, and water may decrease the reliability and efficiency of the system. In some cases, the units are exposed to acid or chemical attack. Other units require protection from explosive chemicals. Therefore, a TEC, which seals (so as to be highly moisture resistant) the thermoelectric modules would be very desirable. Additionally, a TEC which seals electrical components would be very desirable.
Also, moisture travelling between the hot side and cold side of the TEC may reduce system efficiency by allowing heat to transfer between the hot side and the cold side of the TEC. Also, any moisture placed on the hot side of the TEC (for example by wash-downs, etc.) may penetrate into the cold side of the TEC. This may lead to damage of the devices contained in the enclosure or potentially damage the TEC itself. Therefore, a TEC, which seals (so as to be highly moisture resistant) between the hot side and cold side of the TEC would be very desirable.
Another disadvantage of conventional TEC""s is that they are typically designed with a relatively small cooling capacity. Because of this relatively small cooling capacity, it is important to maximize the thermal isolation between the hot side and cold side of the TEC.
Any transfer of heat from the hot side to the cold side will reduce system performance and efficiency. Any thermal load on the TEC may affect its efficiency. There are generally two, but not limited to two, broad classifications of heat that must be removed from the enclosure. The first is the real, sensible, or active heat load. This is the load that is intended to be cooled. This load could be the I2R load of an electrical component, the load of dehumidifying air, or the load of cooling objects.
The other kind of load is often referred to as the parasitic load. This is the load due to the fact that the object is cooler than the surrounding environment. This load can be comprised of conduction and convection of the surrounding gas, thermal leak through insulation, conduction through wires, waste heat generated from the TEC""s own internal electrical components, condensation of water, and in some cases formation of ice. Regardless of the source of these parasitic loads, they all have potential to affect TEC efficiency.
Thermal loads from the energy dissipation of the TEC""s electrical components may become important and effect operational efficiency if not properly designed. Any airflow or moisture flow between the hot side and the cold side of the cooling system may also reduce overall performance. Therefore, a TEC with improved thermal isolation, improved sealing between the hot and cold side, and/or improved design regarding parasitic loads would be desirable.
Another disadvantage of conventional TEC""s is the size. TEC""s may utilize numerous thermoelectric modules and consume relatively high power, which in certain applications may exceed 800 watts. Most potential industrial/commercial users want standard 120VAC/230VAC power operable equipment. However, thermoelectric modules typically require low voltage, high current DC power. This requires a converter to change 120VAC or 230VAC to low voltage DC. Power conversion using a transformer, diode bridge and smoothing capacitor is a possible choice. However, these conventional devices are large, heavy and not portable in power levels of 300-1000 watts. Use of a transformer/bridge-capacitor power converter adds too much weight and bulk to be commercially acceptable for a compact unit. Standard switching supplies provide better power-to-weight ratios, but they present packaging and sealing problems. Switching supplies offer reduced size and bulk, but are not offered in packages suitable for integration into an air conditioner package. The power supply should also give a DC power with minimal AC ripple. Any AC component on the DC may be detrimental. Additionally, the power system should be lightweight, small, with a flat format and still deliver 600 or more watts. Therefore, a thermoelectric power supply with low AC ripple, low weight, compact in size, and with a flat format would be desirable.
Some conventional TEC""s have a remotely mounted power supply, with the associated electrical components located outside of the housing of the TEC. However, the disadvantage with these TEC""s is that require separate mounting of the power supply and the user must electrically connect the remotely mounted power supply to the TEC. Therefore, a self-contained TEC would be desirable. Self-contained means that the power supply is mounted within the housing of the TEC.
Another disadvantage of conventional TEC""s is that they may operate inefficiently with conventional control systems. Because the performance of a thermoelectric module varies with temperature, conventional control systems may cause the TEC to operate at an inefficient level. In order to maintain a high level of performance efficiency and to avoid the cost of a larger power supply, it is valuable to adjust the power supply using a power control circuit to maximize the cooling that the TEC supplies for a given design and a given set of operating conditions. It is also important to limit the power to the safe operational limit of the thermoelectric module.
It is well known that thermoelectric modules characteristically have an impedance that varies with both the temperature of the hot side of the thermoelectric module and with the temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side of the thermoelectric module. Conventional control systems for TEC""s vary greatly but can be generally considered in two groups: Open Loop and Closed Loop, or manual and automatic respectively. Regardless of the method of control, the easiest device parameter to detect and measure is temperature. Therefore, the cold side (or hot side in heating mode) is usually used as a basis of control. The controlled temperature is compared to some reference temperature, typically the ambient or opposite face of the TEC. In the Open Loop method, an operator adjusts the power supply to reduce the error to zero. The Closed Loop method accomplishes this task electronically. However, because both of these methods typically output a constant voltage, thermoelectric module may operate at an inefficient voltage level. Therefore, it is desirable for a compact thermoelectric cooler to control the output power level for the maximum level of cooling.
Another disadvantage with TEC""s is reliability. TEC""s are sometimes used in harsh environments which may decrease their reliability. Because there is only one power supply, if the one power supply fails, the entire TEC fails. This may cause overheating in the enclosure, potentially damaging equipment. Therefore, it is desirable to design a more fault tolerant TEC.
The present invention is directed to a TEC with moisture resistant barriers around the thermoelectric modules, around the electrical components of the power system, and between the hot side and the cold side of the TEC. This is provided by completely sealing the electrical components and the thermoelectric modules. The seals are achieved with at least one of a sealant, a gasket, and blind fastener holes. To seal the thermoelectric modules, a sealing frame is also used.
Additionally, the present invention is directed to providing a sealing system that inhibits the penetration of moisture between the hot and cold sides of the TEC. This moisture resistance is provided by completely sealing the hot side of the heat exchanger from the cold side.
The present invention is also directed to providing a TEC with increased thermal isolation between the hot side and cold side of the TEC. Increased thermal isolation is provided by completely sealing the hot side of the heat exchanger from the cold side. The sealing design also minimizes any airflow between the hot and cold side of the cooling system, increasing thermal isolation and efficiency. Thermal isolation is also provided by including insulation between the hot side and cold side of the TEC and sufficient spacing between the hot side heat sinks and the cold side heat sinks. It is additionally provided by the design of the power system and packaging techniques in order to minimize the thermal losses and heat contribution from the electrical components. This is provided by designing the system to draw the heat from the heat generating components to the hot side of the TEC, rather than the cold side.
In addition, the present invention is directed to a compact design. A compact design is provided by the use of a DC to DC active power supply and packaging techniques. A DC to DC active power supply avoids the need for a large, heat producing transformer. A DC to DC active power supply therefore, reduces the size of a TEC, and also increases the efficiency. The use of a DC to DC active power supply with a flat format allows packaging techniques that exhaust the heat generated from electrical components to the hot side of the TEC, minimizing the amount of parasitic load. The use of a flat DC to DC active power supply also minimizes the amount of space required to for the electrical components.
The present invention is also directed to maximize the cooling for a given TEC design. The design of a power control circuit provides for maximum cooling of the TEC. This is accomplished by a control circuit that varies the power input to the thermoelectric modules based on the temperature of the hot side of the thermoelectric module and the hot side of the TEC (ambient temperature).
The present invention is also directed to providing increased TEC reliability by supplying two or more DC to DC active power supplies. Each DC to DC active power supply is connected to one or more thermoelectric modules. In this method, even if one DC to DC active power supply fails, several of the thermoelectric modules will still receive power and continue to operate.
The present invention is directed to a compact, self-contained thermoelectric cooler including, a housing having a hot side and a cold side, at least one thermoelectric module disposed between the hot side and the cold side, and a power supply assembly within the housing. The power supply assembly includes a DC to DC active power supply. A mounting frame is disposed between the hot side and the cold side. The mounting frame may also have a mounting flange formed over the outer periphery of at least two sides of a planar body of the mounting frame, and that extend outside of the housing.
The present invention is directed to a compact, self-contained thermoelectric cooler further including a power pack cutout in the mounting frame. A power pack heat sink having a base portion and a plurality of fins, is mounted on the hot side of the mounting frame with the base portion proximate to the power pack cutout. A gasket is attached to the cold side of the mounting frame proximate to the power pack cutout. A power pack cover comprising a base, having four sides extending from a peripheral edge of the base to an outer edge, the base and the four sides defining a cavity, is secured to the gasket, with the outer edge contacting the gasket. The mounting frame, the gasket, and the power pack cover form a barrier between the hot side and the cold side. A plurality of electrical components mounted on the base portion of the power pack heat sink and extending through the power pack cutout are located on the hot side of the barrier. A cover seal may be disposed over the outer edge of the power pack cover.
The present invention is directed to a compact, self-contained thermoelectric cooler further includes a hot side cover attached to the hot side of the mounting frame. The hot side fan has at least one fan opening in the hot side cover. The at least one hot side fan is mounted to the hot side cover, proximate to the fan opening. The compact, self-contained thermoelectric cooler also includes a cold side cover attached to the cold side of the mounting frame. The cold side cover has at least one fan opening in the cold side cover. The at least one cold side fan is mounted to the cold side cover, proximate to the fan opening.
The present invention is directed to a compact, self-contained moisture resistant thermally isolated thermoelectric cooler including at least one moisture resistant barrier, around either the at least one thermoelectric module or around the plurality of electrical components; and a thermal resistant barrier between the hot side and the cold side.
The moisture resistant barrier around the plurality of electrical components includes a sealant between the power pack heat sink and the mounting frame. A gasket is attached to the cold side of the mounting frame proximate to the power pack cutout. A power pack cover including a base having four sides extending from a peripheral edge of the base to an outer edge, is secured to the gasket. Preferably, a cover seal disposed over the outer edge of the power pack cover.
The moisture resistant barrier around the thermoelectric modules includes a sealant between the hot side heat sink and the mounting frame. A sealing frame having a bottom surface, an outer surface extending from a peripheral edge of the bottom surface, and a free edge formed at a distal end of the outer surface, and a sealing frame opening in the bottom surface, is mounted on the cold side of the mounting frame proximate to the heat sink cutout. A sealant is disposed between the sealing frame and the mounting frame. A sealant is disposed between the free edge of the sealing frame and the cold side heat sink.
The thermal barrier between the hot side and the cold side includes a sealant between the hot side heat sink and the mounting frame. A sealant is disposed between the power pack heat sink and the mounting frame. A gasket is attached to the cold side of the mounting frame proximate to the power pack cutout. A power pack cover including a base having four sides extending from a peripheral edge of the base to an outer edge, is secured to the gasket. Preferably, a cover seal is disposed over the outer edge of the power pack cover. A sealing frame having a bottom surface, an outer surface extending from a peripheral edge of the bottom surface, and a free edge formed at a distal end of the outer surface, and a sealing frame opening in the bottom surface, is mounted on the cold side of the mounting frame proximate to the heat sink cutout. A sealant is disposed between the sealing frame and the mounting frame; and a sealant between the free edge of the sealing frame and the cold side heat sink.
The power pack heat sink has a plurality of blind holes in the base portion of the power pack heat sink, corresponding to a plurality of through holes in the power pack cover. A plurality of fasteners is disposed through the plurality of holes in the power pack cover and secured in the plurality of blind holes in the base portion of the power pack heat sink.
The hot side heat sink has a plurality of blind holes in the base portion of the hot side heat sink, corresponding to a plurality of through holes in the cold side heat sink. A plurality of fasteners is disposed through the plurality of holes in the cold side heat sink and secured in the plurality of blind holes in the base portion of the hot side heat sink. The cold side heat sink may have thermally conductive spacer blocks integrally formed in the cold side heat sink.
The present invention is directed to a thermoelectric cooler including a programmable power control system. The programmable power control system includes a first thermal sensing element for sensing a first temperature on the hot side of the thermoelectric module system. A first input channel is electrically connected to the first thermal sensing element. A second thermal sensing element for sensing a second temperature is located on the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler system. A second input channel is electrically connected to the second thermal sensing element. A processing unit is electrically connected and adapted to read the first temperature from the first input channel and the second temperature from the second input channel. The processing unit calculates a temperature difference, reads from a lookup table to determine an optimum operating voltage based on the temperature difference, and outputs a signal to control power output based on the temperature difference.
The present invention is directed to a method for controlling power to a thermoelectric cooler including the steps of sensing a first temperature on a hot side of a thermoelectric module of the thermoelectric cooler, sensing a second temperature on a hot side of the thermoelectric cooler, inputting the first sensed temperature to a first input channel; inputting the second sensed temperature to a second input channel, reading the first input channel and the second input channel into a processing unit for determining the optimum power output determining a temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature, determining an optimum power output for the temperature difference; and outputting a power output control signal.
The present invention is directed to a first DC to DC active power supply in the housing, electrically connected to the least one first thermoelectric module and a second DC to DC active power supply in the housing, electrically connected to the least one second thermoelectric module. Preferably, the first DC to DC active power supply is also electrically connected to the at least on second thermoelectric module; and the second DC to DC active power supply is also electrically connected to the at least on first thermoelectric module.


A cylinder valve for pressurized gas with a body including a gas inlet, a gas outlet and a passage connecting the inlet to the outlet. The valve also includes a closing/opening valve, a pressure reducer and a device for reducing or closing the gas passage between said valve and a pressure reducer. The device includes an element that is made of shape-memory alloy and positioned in a cavity of the passage. The element includes an active deformable portion, the circular outer edge of which is capable of engaging with the inner surface of the cavity in order to close the passage following a rise in temperature caused by combustion. The combustion can be generated by adiabatic compression during the opening of the valve.

The speeds involved in a tap for a high pressure (above 200 bar) gas container are very high. For gases such as helium the speeds can be much greater than the speed of sound. With such speeds some plastic seats or inserts in the regulator valve cannot resist the adiabatic compression shock and can burn in the presence of an oxidizing gas. It is therefore useful to restrict the pressure and slow the speed of the gas to absorb the shock wave when opening the main valve of the tap for withdrawing gas.
In the prior art, filters were provided between the main valve and the regulator valve, but these filters have the disadvantage of slowing the gas flow when the container is nearly empty. In addition, filters can become clogged. As a result, they suffer shocks every time they are opened and can generate particles. At high pressure, which can be of the order of 300 bars or more, when the gas cylinder is full, known filters pose no problems and do not interfere with the flow. However, filters cause a constant pressure drop, and at low pressures, below 50 bars, pressure disturbances begin and become particularly detrimental at 10 bars. These known filters that cause a constant pressure drop therefore choke the gas expansion curve at low pressure.
Other, less damaging, solutions have been developed for when the container pressure decreases.
For example, Patent EP 1500854 A1 discloses a container tap provided with a non-sealing shutter located between an on/off valve and a regulator tap. The shutter is normally positioned across the flow area. When the valve is opened, the pressurized gas rapidly forces the shutter to a position across a restricted flow area so as to reduce the shock wave applied to the regulator valve. After the pressure equalizes across both sides of the shutter, the latter returns to its normal position across the full flow area.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,225,810 B2 discloses a container tap with a shutter similar to that in the previous document and operating in the same way.
These shutters certainly provide an interesting solution, however, they have the disadvantage of complexity linked to a reliability constraint, as well as a disadvantage in that they do not definitely prevent combustion when the valve is opened. Indeed, in the presence of impurities in the tap pathway and, especially in the presence of oxygen under high pressure, combustion can still occur and cause serious safety problems. Indeed, in the event of combustion, flames can escape from the tap and cause burns, damage to nearby equipment and/or cause fires.

Cylinder valve having a device for reducing or closing off the flow in the event of a rise in temperature


A control device, which controls access to the data stored in a memory device, includes a selector, a changing unit, a notification unit, and a power supply controller. When the number of accesses to a memory device is out of a range of a predetermined threshold, the selector selects a piece of data from pieces of data controlled by the control device itself or another control device. The changing unit changes a control device for controlling access to the selected a piece of data. The notification unit notifies an information processing device of a control device after changed and the selected a piece of data to be controlled by the control device after changed. The power supply controller controls a power supply of the control device after changed or a power supply of a control device that has controlled access to the selected a piece of data.

In recent years, cluster storage devices have come into use. For example, one of the plurality of nodes of this type of storage devices that includes a disk device functions as a control node. When the control node receives an access request to data from a server, the control node specifies a node holding the requested data and notifies the server of it. This makes the server accessible to the node holding the target data.
Furthermore, known is a technique of transferring the function of the control node to another node depending on the load in the control node. For example, in the storage device, when the load on the control node is increased, a node with a low load is changed to be set as the control node (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-146215).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2010-146215
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-177494
The above-mentioned technique, however, fails to reduce power consumption.
In the cluster storage device according to the above-mentioned technique, for example, when one node powers OFF functional units other than the disk device, the server becomes inaccessible to data stored in the node of which functional units have been powered OFF. For this reason, in the storage device, all the nodes power ON the functional units thereof even when the number of accesses to data is small and an input/output (I/O) load is low. This makes it impossible to reduce power consumed by the storage device.

Apparatus and method for controlling power supply of control device that controls access to data


A method for authoring a Video CD in an information handling system includes creating chapter breaks as a function of video footage imported from a source. A static menu is created as a function of the chapter breaks. The video footage is transcoded. Lastly, the transcoded video footage and the static menu are burned onto a Video CD storage medium, wherein the static menu is configured to enable random access of the transcoded video footage according to the chapter breaks during a video playback.

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to digital video content authoring.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
In conjunction with information handling systems, the proliferation of analog and digital video cameras has enabled consumers to collect substantial amounts of video footage. The video is typically captured and stored in a tape format that usually is not the same as that of standard consumer video cassette recorder/players (VCRs). For example, analog and digital video cameras support formats such as DV, 8 mm or cVHS tape formats, whereas VCRs support VHS.
One problem that this presents is that it creates several obstacles for viewing, sharing, and/or archiving the video footage. For casual viewing, one needs to temporarily connect the camera to a television. For sharing with friends and family or archiving purposes, the video needs to be transformed to some other media, such as VHS tape.
One solution that solves several of the problems discussed above is the transfer of video footage to an optical medium. Transferring video footage to an optical medium can be accomplished either in a standalone consumer environment via a dedicated optical recorder or as part of a personal computer setup with the appropriate software and recordable optical drive.
In the case of the dedicated consumer optical recorder, efficiency, video quality and content degradation issues are addressed, as well as, solving the primary issue of video sharing. However, disadvantages that the dedicated consumer optical recorder solution presents are the relative high cost and lack of control of the video CD creation process. In addition, a Video CD created by a dedicated consumer optical recorder only offers sequential access to the video footage similar to magnetic tape.
In the case of a personal computer setup, video quality and content degradation issues are of concern. A personal computer setup is not as efficient as in the case of the standalone recorder because two distinct steps are required: one step for importing the video into the PC and another for converting the video into the appropriate format for Video CD. Advantages of the PC solution include the relative low cost, control of the Video CD creation process and the ability to allow for random access of the video via chapter points. However, disadvantages of the PC solution are the complexity and time inefficiency of Video CD creation applications.
Although transforming the video to another media is a seemingly acceptable solution, it has several disadvantages. The tape transfer process is time consuming, expensive and the final product does not preserve video quality due to analog video transfer generation loss as well as transient magnetic degradation.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for solving the problem of sharing video content absent the disadvantages found in the prior methods discussed above.

Method and apparatus for automatic video CD authoring


Method and apparatus for treating an edge region of a wafer. A toroidal shaped plasma cavity has an inner diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the wafer being treated so that only the edge region of the wafer extends into the toroidal plasma cavity. An inert gas is flowed across a front and back side of the wafer into the plasma cavity. A reactive gas is flowed directly into the plasma cavity. The gases exit the plasma cavity without flowing over the surface of the wafer.

The invention relates to semiconductor device fabrication and, more particularly, to techniques for removal of residual process films (e.g., polymeric and refractory films) and debris from the edge region (perimeter and bevel) of a semiconductor wafer.
Semiconductor wafers are typically round (circular, disc-like), usually having a diameter ranging from 150-350 mm and a thickness of 1-1.5 mm. Integrated circuit (IC) devices are formed in an interior "device area" on the front (or device) side of the wafer. Typically, nothing is formed on the back side of the wafer. The edge (perimeter) of the wafer is typically beveled.
The normal processing of semiconductor manufacture include the deposition of numerous films, many of which serve as insulators for the creation of inter-level dielectric layers to isolate the metal lines between each level. These films are often organic polymers (e.g. SiLk®), silicon dioxide, carbon substituted silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide and nitrogen substituted silicon carbide and tantalum nitride or tantalum oxide. These films are deposited to serve as diffusion barriers between metal levels, the inter-level dielectric (ILD), or masking layer. Masking layers are frequently used for the reactive ion etching (RIE) or as a polish stop during chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP). The number of films deposited for each level and the number of levels needed for modern semiconductor devices (often 10 or more) results in layers of films on the wafer perimeter that are usually highly stressed. When stress for the film exceeds the yield strength the films crack and delaminate resulting in a release of unwanted particulate across the device area of the wafer. Theses foreign materials reduce wafer device yield.
A semiconductor wafer that has been processed in a typical manner can have undesirable films and or residues on the perimeter or beveled edges of the wafer, in what is referred to herein as the "edge region" of the wafer. These films may result from a processing step during film deposition or as a consequence of a plasma etch process used to form three-dimensional features in the wafer, including vias or trenches. Frequently though, the deposition of the film occurs across the full area of the device side of the wafer, the beveled edges and a small segment of the perimeter of the back side of the wafer. There are frequently several films deposited per device level. This film(s) deposition is often repeated numerous times for each level of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Consequently, these multiple layers which build up in the edge region can result in high film stresses which in turn fracture and result in shards or fragments of the films landing on the device side of the wafer. These unwanted pieces of foreign matter can result in unwanted defects in the device area of the wafer, reducing performance or device yield. The need to remove excess deposits from the edge region of the wafer is understood by those skilled in the art.
Chemical spray processes have been used to remove polymeric films in the edge region, but with limited success owing to limitation of reagents that can be used with acceptable selectivity to the other films present. Special protective means are needed by wet processes to prevent unwanted chemical attack to device area of the wafer.
Plasma processes have been developed where the etch tool itself has been modified to remove unwanted films at the edge of the wafer. Most often, the plasma power is applied through the full body of the wafer risking unwanted etching of the wafer or plasma induced damage. Also the plasma processes do not necessarily get to the bevel of the wafer where the unwanted films may have also been deposited.
"Wafer Edge Region Cleaning With A Torus-Shaped Capacitively Coupled Plasma" by Buil Jeon et al., Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Guseong-dong, Youseong-gu, Daejeon, Korea (hereinafter referred to as "Jeon"), discloses a torus-shaped Capacitively Coupled Plasma (CCP) source to remove harmful film layers and particles deposited on a wafer's edge, bevel and backside during film deposition or other semiconductor processes. A plasma is generated along 2 mm of an edge and 4 mm of a backside of a wafer. Therefore, films and particles can be removed from the wafer edge, bevel and backside without damaging patterns elsewhere on the wafer.
In Jeon's technique, the wafer is placed on a powered electrode surrounded by two grounded electrodes. A ceramic gas distribution panel (GDP) is disposed between 0.3 mm-0.5 mm from the front side of the wafer. Due to this very narrow gap between the GDP and the wafer, plasma could not be generated on the inner side of a wafer where the semiconductor chip patterns are located.
Jeon's process/apparatus creates a torus-shaped plasma that encompasses the edge perimeter of the semiconductor wafer. In this apparatus the wafer rests on an RF powered electrode and has a gas distribution plate (GDP) over the majority of the wafer leaving only an predefined region of the wafer perimeter uncovered. The size of the powered electrode is also sized such that the back surface of the wafer has a region that is uncovered area and is similar to the wafer top face. Gases are flowed through the openings between the concentric GDP plates and upper perimeter grounded electrode. An RF (13.56 MHz) plasma is generated between the powered wafer/electrode and the grounded electrode. The spacing between the GDP and the wafer surface is between 0.3 and 0.5 trim.
Jeon's plasma created results in etching of films on the exposed areas of the wafer including the front, edge, and back areas of the wafer. Additionally, the front area of the wafer under the GDP is also etched but at decreasing amounts towards the center of the wafer. This etching under the GDP results from some penetration of the plasma into the space between the GDP and the wafer face but is most likely from the diffusion of reactants from the plasma toward the wafer center. The data presented in FIG. 4 shows a change of film thickness at the center of 8000 Å to the open area of 3000 Å. The greatest change occurs under the GDP with a 5000 Å reduction in film thickness. Part of the powered wafer/electrode influence is to induce reaction between diffused reactants and the film as a direct effect of the RF power.

Method and apparatus for treating wafer edge region with toroidal plasma

International Business Machines Corporation


A coat masking tape base material and a coat masking tape, having superior follow-up properties, promising sharp paint lines and being free of "left-on" when peeled, in which a polyolefin resin film having a modulus of elasticity of from 15 to 55 kgf/mm.sup.2 has been subjected to modification treatment on its both sides, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer maintaining a thermoplastic saturated block copolymer, a thermoplastic unsaturated block copolymer and a tackifier or a cross-linked acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed on the film having been subjected to modification treatment.

Outer plates, bumpers and so forth of vehicles such as cars, buses and trains are coated in various color combinations and patterns in respect of functions and designs. In this coating, coat masking tapes are used in order to separate coat colors or protect portions which need not be coated.
As performances required in coat masking tapes, there are required, e.g., that the masking tape can be stuck in a good operability on curved surfaces of coating objects having complicated shapes, that paint lines after coat baking can be formed in a good precision, that coating materials can well adhere to the back of the masking tape, and that the masking tape can be peeled with ease (releasability at low temperature or high temperature).
As base materials for coat masking tapes, crepe paper, polyester film, soft vinyl chloride film, polyolefin resin film and so forth are used. As pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions used to form pressure-sensitive adhesive layers on such base materials for coat masking tapes, known compositions are, e.g., a composition constituted chiefly of natural rubber and added thereto a metal oxide, a tackifier and a vulcanization accelerator, and a composition constituted chiefly of natural rubber and a styrene-butadiene copolymer and added thereto a metal oxide, a tackifier, polyisobutylene, zinc oxide, heat-reactive phenol resin and so forth.
These conventional base materials for coat masking tapes, however, have the following problems. For example, the crepe paper has problems that an impregnating resin used to improve paper quality may exude under conditions of baking a coating material and come to the coating surface, the paper has no follow-up properties to the complicated curved surfaces, and no good paint lines can be formed. The polyester film has a problem that positions at which the masking tape can be applied are limited because of its poor follow-up properties to curved surfaces. The soft vinyl chloride film is advantageous as a base material having overcome the disadvantages of the crepe paper or polyester film, but has a problem that, when the coat masking tape is peeled at a relatively low temperature of from 5.degree. C. to 10.degree. C. after a coating material is coated and baked, the base material tends to break and its fragments scatter to tend to contaminate the coating objects. The polyolefin resin film has a problem that the adhesion of coating materials to the film is so poor that the coating materials may come off or the paint lines are not sharply formed.
Meanwhile, since the above known compositions used to form the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are constituted chiefly of natural rubber, they have a problem of having an insufficient durability to heat. Hence, the part on which the masking tape is stuck tends to be contaminated after baking, to cause problems that final products have no sufficient stability, masking tapes do not well adhere in the winter or can not be well peeled after baking, and in some cases the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer may be left on the coating object when the tape is peeled.
The present invention aims at solving the above problems in the prior art. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a coat masking tape base material having superior follow-up properties, promising sharp paint lines and being free of "left-on" when peeled, and a coat masking tape making use of such a base material.

Coat masking tape base material, and coat masking tape


A tire comprising an airtight rubber cover (2) and a reinforcing structure essentially formed of a plurality of fibers (30, 40) embedded in the rubber and arranged in layers, this reinforcing structure comprising at least one carcass layer (3) and one crown layer (4). The fibers (30) and (40) of these layers (3, 4) are connected together and oriented, with respect to the median plane (P) of the tire, at respective angles of the order of 90 degrees and 0 degrees, each of these fibers (30, 40) also having a connected cross section of flattened shape.

The invention relates in general to motor vehicle equipment.
More specifically, the invention relates to a tire comprising an airtight rubber cover and a reinforcing structure essentially formed of a plurality of fibres individually embedded in the rubber and arranged in several layers.
Present-day tire performance, particularly in terms of longevity, airtightness and strength, is nowadays obtained at the expense of high complexity, both in terms of the material structure of these tires and in terms of the steps and operations that have to be implemented in order to manufacture them.

Tire using a reinforcing structure with fibres of flattened cross section

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN


A musical device comprises a guitar with a neck and a plurality of strings. A pick-up produces electrical output signals related to the frequency and amplitude of vibration of at least one of the strings. An electronic musical effect generator is receptive of the electronic output signal for altering the frequency and amplitude to produce a musical effect. A strain gauge assembly for plurality of axes is disposed on the guitar neck to sense a plurality of axes of strain in that position during use of the instrument. A pick is actuatable by a user for initiating a note on the guitar. A second sensor senses the manual actuation pressure on the pick and another strain gauge assembly for a plurality of axes is disposed on the pick and generates a plurality of control signals corresponding to structural deflections generated during the use of the pick. A controller is responsive to outputs of the sensors for effecting an alteration in the electronic musical effect generator in response to actuation pressure and strain.

Modern electronic instruments produce signals that are passed through a chain of electronic effect generators before being amplified and passed to a speaker system. These electronic effect generators alter the final output sound by modifying properties such as frequency response, overall amplitude, envelope characteristics, echo and sometimes introducing a specific type of distortion.
The prior art provides a musician with control over these properties with knobs, pressure pads, pedals or the selection of pre-defined musical characteristics ("sound patches"). Most musical effect generators alter musical qualities on time scales that span several notes and do not vary within a phrase or note. The relatively clumsy controls associated with these devices have heretofore provided adequate control over musical parameters of these effects at the expense of playing technique.
For example, pedals are used to vary the electronic effects such as distortion, echo or `wah-wah`. These pedals are operated by a musicians's food and do not provide sensitive control. One device that improves on the standard pedal design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,536.
Mod wheels are essentially large dials or knobs which generate signals that affect parameters of electronic musical effect generators (i.e., volume or frequency response). Pressure pads measure the pressure applied to a specific point on an instrument, and can be used to control musical parameters. Piezo-electric technology has also been employed to provide touch sensitive characteristics to the keys and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,558,623 and 4,979,423. While both mod wheels and pressure pads are currently used as parameter controllers (i.e., a MIDI continuous controller) in keyboard instruments, they have a relatively minor impact on playing technique and neither provides the intuitive and sensitive control that is desired. Hence, widespread use of mod wheels and pressure pads on instruments other than keyboards is rare.
The present use of mod wheels and/or pressure pads substantially affects traditional playing technique in guitar-like instruments. For pressure pads, special consideration must be made of the dependency of slight variations in hand placement, while maintaining sensitivity to slight changes in applied pressure. One patent that teaches this approach is U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,520. A patent that employs a strain gauge for parameter control in a guitar-like instrument, is U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,376. However, in this patent the application of strain measurement technology is limited to measurement of string tension.
Another patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,746 proposes control of musical parameters in a guitar-like instrument. It employs a Hall effect transducer to measure the force that a musician applies to a shoulder strap. It provides only an indirect linkage between applied force and transducer deflection and its focus is limited to tension measurement in the shoulder strap. Additionally, the tension in the shoulder strap cannot be effectively controlled by the picking hand.
One patent that teaches the use of the guitar pick as a control means is U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,144. It employs a contact switch to determine the exact time that the guitar pick strikes the strings. This control is then used to initiate a predetermined effect as well as increment a strike counter that controls an overall variation of a `special musical effect` over several notes. As for the case in keyboard based parameter control, no prior art in parameter control for guitar-like instruments provides the intuitive and sensitive control that is desired.
Strain gauges are also employed in guitar-like instruments to translate the vibrations of strings to electrical signals. Patents that teach the use of strain gauge technology to translate acoustic vibrations into electrical signals are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,228,715 and 4,292,875. Additionally, patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,123,325 and 5,123,326 employ piezo film as acoustic/electric transducers, but do not address the issue of parameter control via strain measurement.
One patent that teaches the use of fiber optic technology in parameter control via strain measurement is U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,394. This work measures the deflections of a glove outfitted with fiber optics. In the context of the present invention, this work has several drawbacks:
1. An inconsistent relationship between optical fiber deflection and finger movement, PA1 2. A dependency on hand orientation that severely impacts playing technique, and PA1 3. A lack of tactile feedback that doesn't interfere with playing technique (i.e. a small mechanical resistance proportional to finger deflection).
The present invention provides an intuitive, sensitive device for controlling musical qualities of electronic instruments without affecting the fundamental playing technique of the musician.

Device for controlling musical effects on a guitar


A method and system for maintaining release consistency in shared memory programming on a computing device having multiple processing units includes, in response to a page fault, initiating a transfer, from one processing unit to another, of data associated with more than one but less than all of the pages of shared memory.

Shared memory refers to memory that can be accessed by more than one processor or processor core in a multiple-processor and/or multi-core computing device or system. When a processor or core needs fast access to memory, data stored in the shared memory may be transferred to a cache. When one processor or core's cache is updated with information that may need to be used by other processors or cores, the other processors or cores need to be aware of the update in order to prevent the several processors or cores from working with incoherent data.
In distributed shared memory systems, software or firmware programming protocols (which may be referred to as "consistency models") may be used to ensure that memory is consistent and the results of memory operations are predictable to all processors and/or cores. In general, consistency models define programming rules for the order and visibility of memory updates. A release consistency model uses two synchronization operations: "release" and "acquire." In the release consistency model, an object has to first be acquired and then later released. After acquiring the object and before releasing it, a processor or core may perform one or more write operations using the object, in which data is written to local memory (local to the acquiring processor or core). Release consistency is considered achieved if write operations by one processor or core are visible to the other processors or cores after the first processor/core releases the object of the write operation and before the other processors/cores acquire it.
Two kinds of protocols that implement release consistency are the "lazy" protocol and the "eager" protocol. In these protocols, all coherence actions are performed on release operations. That is, other processors/cores cannot see the data write until the release operation has been performed. In the lazy protocol, a processor or core does not request pages of virtual memory until the page is accessed; that is, until a page fault occurs. In the eager protocol, all of the accessible pages of virtual memory (e.g., data) are transferred as soon as a computation is offloaded, that is, on an acquire operation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for maintaining release consistency in shared memory programming


In a data processing system that is executing a parent execution entity of an application, the parent execution entity has a first affinity setting. The data processing system enables the parent execution entity to create a worker execution entity that has a second affinity setting without changing the affinity setting of the parent execution entity. Workload for the application may then be performed in parallel by the parent execution entity and the worker execution entity. In one embodiment, to create the worker execution entity with the second affinity setting, the system first creates a delegate execution entity that has the first affinity setting. The system then changes the affinity setting of the delegate execution entity to the second affinity setting. The delegate execution entity then creates the worker execution entity with the second affinity setting. Another embodiment involves a super-delegate execution entity. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A data processing device may include one or more processing cores, and those cores may be used to support multithreading and/or multiprocessing. In recent years, processors with many cores have entered mainstream deployment. Terms like many-core and manycore have been coined to denote processors with a dozen or more cores, such as the processors distributed by Intel Corporation under the INTEL XEON PHI trademark, for instance.
The capabilities provided by processors with many cores can increase the importance of multithreading and multiprocessing. In particular, it can be important for software to be able to effectively and efficiently control processor affinity settings for execution entities like threads and processes. It can also be important for software to be able to effectively and efficiently control affinity settings for other resources, such as memory and input/output (I/O) resources. The affinity settings may also be referred to as the affinity mask.
In a conventional processing device, when the currently executing thread of an application (the parent thread) creates or instantiates a new thread (a child thread), the child thread automatically inherits the processor, memory, and I/O affinity settings of the parent thread. However, this behavior can create challenges, particularly when (a) different affinity settings would be more appropriate for the child thread and (b) the original affinity settings of the parent thread should be preserved during and after instantiation of the child thread.

Methods and apparatus for controlling affinity for execution entities


Concepts and technologies are described herein for interacting with contextual and task-focused computing environments. Tasks associated with applications are described by task data. Tasks and/or batches of tasks relevant to activities occurring at a client are identified, and a UI for presenting the tasks is generated. The UIs can include tasks and workflows corresponding to batches of tasks. Workflows can be executed, interrupted, and resumed on demand. Interrupted workflows are stored with data indicating progress, contextual information, UI information, and other information. The workflow is stored and/or shared. When execution of the workflow is resumed, the same or a different UI can be provided, based upon the device used to resume execution of the workflow. Thus, multiple devices and users can access workflows in parallel to provide collaborative task execution.

Software packages traditionally are sold as bundles of functions and/or types of functions that software or application developers believe will be useful and/or popular with users. These software packages typically include a hard-coded user interface ("UI") that provides a carefully tailored user experience ("UX") to users of the software packages. The UI, and consequently the UX, of a software package often distinguishes one software package from another, as the underlying functionality of two or more software packages may be similar.
More particularly, software packages often are directed to providing a particular type of functionality. At any particular time, there may exist a number of software packages directed to a particular type of task or functionality, where the software packages may be provided by any number of developers. As such, the UIs and UXs associated with the software packages may vary widely, but the underlying functionality of the two software packages may have many similarities. For example, a particular function may be available in two or more software packages. UI controls associated with the particular function, however, may be located in different places in respective UIs, may have varied appearances, and/or otherwise may be varied among the various software packages.
In a task-based computing environment, tasks associated with one or more functions of a software package are provided to users via an appropriate interface. Software developers do not control the UI providing the tasks to the users. As such, the UX can vary widely, and it may be difficult for users to access certain tasks through a UI presented to the users. Because there may be no underlying data stored at a device until task execution is complete, interrupted tasks must be renewed and completed in their entireties.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.

Interactions with contextual and task-based computing environments


A vehicle is provided that includes a roof with a roof opening and a rear body portion with a rear opening. Spaced apart guide rails are supported on an exterior surface of the roof. A retractable roof panel is supported on the guide rails by guide members that move along the guide rails along a path. The roof opening and the roof panel extend to the rearward end where the roof panel defines a rear header. The retractable roof panel may be driven from a closed positioned forward to an open position where the roof panel is adjacent to the exterior surface of the roof. The rear gate assembly, which is arranged in the rear opening, may be opened to provide access to the rear cargo area of the vehicle. With the rear gate assembly and retractable roof panel open, large items may be slid into the cargo area and may extend above the plane of the roof.

This invention relates to a roof assembly for a vehicle, and more particularly, the invention relates to a retractable roof panel that includes the rear header of the vehicle for providing improved access to the rear cargo area of the vehicle when the roof panel is retracted.
Sunroofs are desireable features to many vehicle customers. Sunroofs are typically arranged in an area above the driver and front passenger seats. The sunroof maybe be retracted to expose the interior of the vehicle to the environment and permit air and light to enter the vehicle. Typically, the opening for the sunroof is relatively small, and sunroofs have not been used to provide increased access to the interior of the vehicle. They have simply been used to provide a more pleasant driving experience to the vehicle occupants.
Once sunroofs are moved from the closed position to an open position, the sunroof is typically stowed in a area between the interior of the roof structure and an interior trim headliner. That is, the sunroof is stowed using the interior space of the vehicle such that it impinges upon the passenger""s headroom. The larger the vehicle sunroof, the more problematic it may become to stow the sunroof. Significant vehicle design changes may be required to maintain occupant headroom. As a result, it is desireable to stow a sunroof in the open position in such a manner that interior space is not reduced.
Therefore, what is needed is a sunroof that does not impinge upon passenger headroom or reduce the interior space in the vehicle. Furthermore, what is needed is a sunroof that provides increased access to the cargo area within the vehicle such that loading and unloading of the vehicle is simplified and larger cargo items may be placed inside the vehicle.
The present invention provides a vehicle having a roof with a roof opening and a rear body portion with a rear opening. Spaced apart guide rails are supported on an exterior surface of the roof. A retractable roof panel is supported on the guide rails by guide members that move along the guide rails along a path. The roof opening and the roof panel extend to the rearward end where the roof panel defines a rear header. The retractable roof panel may be driven from a closed position forward to an open position where the roof panel is adjacent to the exterior surface of the roof. The rear gate assembly, which is arranged in the rear opening, may be opened to provide access to the rear cargo area of the vehicle. With the rear gate assembly and retractable roof panel open, large items may be slid into the cargo area and may extend above the plane of the roof.
Accordingly, the above invention provides a sunroof that does not impinge upon passenger headroom or reduce the interior space in the vehicle. Furthermore, a sunroof is provided that increases access to the cargo area within the vehicle such that loading and unloading of the vehicle is simplified and larger cargo items may be placed inside the vehicle.


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

Peptides are polymers formed by linking amino acids with amide bonds. Peptides play various roles in a biological system. For example, peptide hormone is the largest group of hormones which modulate various biological processes in biological subjects. One nanogram of hyrotropin-releasing hormone injected into a mouse increases the uptake of iodide from the blood into the thyroid gland (R.L. Kisliuk, Principles of Medicinal Chemistry, 4th Ed., W.O. Foye, et al. Eds., Williams & Wilkins, 4th Ed. 1995, p. 606). Tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg (SEQ ID NO: 6)) stimulates phagocytosis and promotes antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (V.A. Najjar, Mol. Cell. Biochem. 41, 1, 1981). Met-enkephaline (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met (SEQ ID NO: 1)) isolated from brain and small intestine, acts as morphine does, in that it binds to the same receptor and has analgesic activity (J.R.Jaffe and W.R. Martin, in Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, A.G. Gilman, et al., Eds., New York, Pergamon Press, 1990, p. 481). Other examples of peptide hormones include, without limitation, oxytocin (Pierce et al., J. Biol. Chem. 199, 929, 1952), vasopressin (Kamm et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 50, 573, 1928), angiotensin (J.C. Garrison and M.J. Peach, in Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, A.G. Gilman, et al., Eds., New York, Pergamon Press, 1990, p. 749), gastrin (P.C. Emson and B.E.B. Sandberg, Annu, Rep. Med. Chem., 18, 31, 1983), somatostatin (A.V. Schally, et al., Annu. Rev. Biochem., 47, 89, 1978), dynorphin (M.G. Weisskopf, et al., Nature, 362, 423, 1993), endothelin (A.M. Doherty, J. Med. Chem., 35, 1493, 1992), secretin (E. Jorper, Gastroenterology, 55, 157, 1968), calcitonin (M.V.L. Ray, et al., Biotechnology, 11, 64, 1993), insulin (F. Sanger, Br. Med. Bull., 16, 183, 1960), and competence stimulating peptide (CSP).
Another group of peptides are anti-microbial peptides which have been found to participate in innate immunity in a wide variety of organisms (Reddy et al. 2004). These peptides and others have attracted much interest due to their potential usefulness in treating infections, especially because they are often effective against bacterial strains that have become resistant to conventional antibiotics. One well-known class of anti-microbial peptides is the tachyplesins. Another class of anti-microbial peptides is histatin peptides and the derivatives. Another class of antimicrobial peptide is hepcidin, which is also referred as LEAP-1, for liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide.
Another group of peptides are calcium binding peptides that bind specifically to calcified surfaces. One example of a calcium binding peptide comprises three amino acid repeat sequence (X-Y-Z)n, wherein X is aspartic acid, glutamic acid, asparagine, alanine or glutamine, Y and Z are alanine, serine, threonine, phosphoserine, or phosphothreonine, and n is a number from 1 to 40.
Unfortunately, peptides and peptide related compounds are rapidly proteolysized by proteolytic enzymes. When peptides and peptide related compounds are taken orally, they will be proteolysized in a few minutes. Other systematic administrations of peptides and peptide related compounds are painful, and in many cases require frequent and costly office visits to treat chronic conditions.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for novel compositions that are capable of being delivered efficiently and effectively to the action site of a condition (e.g., a disease) to prevent, reduce or treat conditions as well as minimize adverse side effects.

High penetration prodrug compositions of peptides and peptide-related compounds


A silicon region partitioned by insulating films is formed on a main surface of a substrate. A mixed film of first and second metals is formed directly or indirectly on the substrate having the silicon region formed thereon. Then, a heat treatment is applied to permit the first and second metals to react with silicon in the silicon region so as to form selectively a first silicide film on the surface of the silicon region. Further, the first silicide film is subjected to a heat treatment under a nitriding atmosphere so as to form a second silicide film consisting essentially of the first metal and silicon on the surface of the silicon region and a nitride film consisting essentially of the second metal and nitrogen on the surface of the second silicide film or both on the surface and at the crystal grain boundary of the second silicide film.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, particularly, to a fine MIS transistor having a short gate length.
A so-called SALICIDE (Self ALIgned siliCIDE) process has come to be used widely in order to cope with an increased parasitic resistance accompanying the miniaturization of the element in recent years. The salicide process is used for forming silicide films on a polycrystalline silicon gate electrode and source-drain regions of a MOSFET by self-alignment.
FIGS. 10A to 10F exemplify a conventional salicide process using titanium.
In the first step, an element isolation region 102 consisting of a silicon oxide film is formed on a silicon substrate 101, followed by forming a gate oxide film 103, a polycrystalline silicon gate electrode 104 and shallow source-drain regions 105 of a MOSFET, as shown in FIG. 10A. Further, deep source-drain diffusion layers 107 are formed by using side wall films 106 each consisting of silicon nitride as a mask.
Then, a treatment with a dilute hydrofluoric acid, followed by, as desired, an RCA treatment, is applied to deposit a titanium film 108 and a titanium nitride (TiN) film 109 on the entire surface, as shown in FIG. 10B.
Further, an annealing treatment is carried out for a short time at 650 to 750.degree. C. by using a lamp annealing apparatus or the like. By this annealing treatment, reactions are carried out between the silicon substrate 101 and the titanium film 108, and the polycrystalline silicon film 104 and the titanium film 108 so as to form a titanium disilicide (TiSi.sub.2) film 110 having a C49 crystal structure. Then, the titanium nitride film 109 and the unreacted titanium film 108 are removed by etching using a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide as an etchant, as shown in FIG. 10C.
In the next step, an annealing treatment is performed for a short time at 750 to 900.degree. C. by using a lamp annealing apparatus or the like so as to convert the titanium disilicide film 110 having the C49 crystal structure into a titanium disilicide (TiSi.sub.2) film 111 of a low resistivity, said film 111 having a C54 crystal structure, as shown in FIG. 10D. After formation of the titanium disilicide film 111, silicon oxide films 112 and 113 are deposited on the entire surface by a low pressure CVD method and a plasma CVD method, followed by flattening the upper surface of the silicon oxide film 113 by, for example, a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process, as shown in FIG. 10E.
Finally, contact holes are made through the silicon oxide films 112 and 113, followed by burying a metal layer 114 such as a tungsten layer in the contact hole. Further, a wiring layer 115 made of, for example, aluminum is formed in a manner to be connected to the source-drain diffusion layers and the gate electrode, as shown in FIG. 10F.
The salicide process using titanium, which is described above, is effective for markedly decreasing the parasitic resistance of the source-drain diffusion layers and the polycrystalline silicon gate electrode. However, if the gate length is decreased to 0.2 .mu.m or less with progress in miniaturization of the element, the crystal structure of the TiSi.sub.2 film is not converted into the C54 crystal structure by the second lamp annealing treatment. As a result, the resistance is not lowered so as to give rise to a so-called narrow line effect and, thus, to diminish the merit produced when the salicide process is employed for the manufacture of a semiconductor device.
Under the circumstances, a salicide process using a cobalt silicide, which is unlikely to bring about the narrow line effect compared with titanium silicide, attracts attentions in recent years.
FIGS. 11A to 11D exemplify the salicide process using cobalt silicide.
In the first step, a treatment with a dilute hydrofluoric acid is applied to the MOSFET under the state of FIG. 10A so as to remove the native oxide film on the surfaces of the silicon substrate 101 and the polycrystalline silicon film 104, followed depositing a cobalt film 116 and a titanium nitride film 109 on the entire surface, as shown in FIG. 11A.
Then, an annealing treatment is performed for a short time at about 450 to 550.degree. C. by using, for example, a lamp annealing apparatus. By this lamp annealing treatment, reactions are carried out between the silicon substrate 101 and the cobalt film 116, and the polycrystalline silicon film 104 and the cobalt film 116 so as to form a cobalt monosilicide (CoSi) film 117. Then, the titanium nitride film 109 and the unreacted cobalt film 116 are removed by etching with an etchant such as a mixed solution consisting of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, as shown in FIG. 11B.
After the etching step, an annealing treatment is performed for a short time at 700 to 850.degree. C. by using, for example, a lamp annealing apparatus. By this annealing treatment, the cobalt monosilicide film 117 is converted into a cobalt disilicide (CoSi.sub.2) film 118 having a low resistivity, as shown in FIG. 11C.
Further, silicon oxide films 112 and 113 are deposited on the entire surface by a low pressure CVD method and a plasma CVD method, followed by flattening the upper surface of the oxide film 113 by, for example, a CMP method. Still further, contact holes are made through these silicon oxide films 112, 113, followed by burying a metal layer 114 consisting of, for example, tungsten in these contact holes. Finally, a wiring layer 115 made of, for example, aluminum is formed in a manner to be connected to the source-drain diffusion layers and the gate electrode, as shown in FIG. 11D.
The salicide process using a cobalt silicide film, which is described above, is advantageous over the salicide process using a titanium silicide film in that a narrow line effect is unlikely to take place. However, serious problems remain unsolved in the salicide process using a cobalt silicide film, as described in the following.
It should be noted first of all that cobalt is inferior to titanium in the capability of reducing a silicon oxide film. Therefore, where a native oxide film formed after the RCA treatment is present on the surfaces of the silicon substrate and the poly-crystalline silicon film, the silicidation reaction is inhibited in the step of depositing cobalt, with the result that it is possible for the cobalt monosilicide film 117 shown in FIG. 11B not to be formed at all. It should also be noted that, where a cobalt film is deposited after removal of the native oxide film by the pretreatment with a dilute hydrofluoric acid, a nonuniform native oxide film is formed again with time after the pretreatment. As a result, the cobalt monosilicide film 117 is rendered nonuniform as shown in FIG. 12. Further, where only a treatment with a dilute hydrofluoric acid is employed as a pretreatment, a silicon-based oxide film called water mark or water glass is attached to the surfaces of the exposed silicon substrate and the polycrystalline silicon film, particularly to the boundary region with the element isolation film, with the result that the silicidation reaction is inhibited in some cases by the silicon-based oxide film.
Further, the cobalt silicide film is inferior to titanium silicide film in heat resistance. Therefore, a serious problem is brought about such that the cobalt disilicide film 118 is agglomerated as shown in FIG. 13 by the heat in the step of depositing a silicon oxide film after completion of the salicide process, giving rise to elevation of resistance.
On the other hand, various problems are generated in an amorphous silicon/aluminum replacement process which is included in the cobalt salicide process and is intended to decrease the resistance of the contact plug. Let us describe the problems inherent in the amorphous silicon/aluminum replacement process with reference to FIGS. 14A to 14C.
Specifically, interlayer insulating films 112 and 113 are deposited on the structure having a cobalt silicide film 118 as shown in FIG. 11C, followed by forming a contact hole through the interlayer insulating films 112, 113. Then, an amorphous silicon film 119 is deposited. The amorphous silicon film 119 is etched back so as to permit the amorphous silicon film 119 to be left only within the contact hole, followed by depositing an aluminum film 120 and a titanium film 121 on the entire surface, as shown in FIG. 14A.
In the next step, a heat treatment is performed at 600.degree. C. or less among the amorphous silicon film 119, the aluminum film 120 and the titanium film 121 so as to replace the amorphous silicon 119 within the contact hole by an aluminum layer 122. Then, the aluminum film 120 and the titanium film 121 positioned outside the contact hole as well as the silicon 119 sucked out by the replacement reaction are removed by, for example, a CMP process, as shown in FIG. 14B. Further, a wiring metal such as aluminum is deposited on the entire surface, followed by patterning the wiring metal layer so as to form a wiring layer 124 which is connected to the semiconductor element region, as shown in FIG. 14C.
However, a serious problem is generated in the case of forming a contact portion by the process described above. Specifically, an aluminum spike 123 bites the cobalt silicide film 118 in the heating step for replacement of the amorphous silicon with aluminum. In some cases, the spike 123 reaches the diffusion layer. Occurrence of the aluminum spike 123 causes deterioration of the bonding characteristics.
In order to prevent the occurrence of the aluminum spike, it is known to the art to form in advance a titanium nitride film effective as a diffusion barrier within the contact hole. FIGS. 15A to 15C show the process for forming a titanium nitride film in advance in the contact hole.
In the first step, interlayer insulating films 112 and 113 are deposited on the structure having a cobalt silicide film 118 as shown in FIG. 11, followed by forming a contact hole through these insulating films 112, 113. Then, a titanium nitride film 125 and an amorphous silicon film 119 are deposited successively, followed by etching back the amorphous silicon film 119 so as to permit the film 119 to be left only within the contact hole. Further, an aluminum film 120 and a titanium film 121 are deposited on the entire surface, as shown in FIG. 15A.
In the next step, reactions among the amorphous silicon film 119, the aluminum film 120 and the titanium film 121 are carried out by the heating at 600.degree. C. or less so as to replace the amorphous silicon 119 within the contact hole by an aluminum film 122. Then, the aluminum film 120, the titanium film 121 and the titanium nitride film 125, which are positioned outside the contact hole, as well as the silicon 119 sucked out by the replacement reaction, are removed by, for example, a CMP process, as shown in FIG. 15B. Finally, a wiring metal layer 124 such as an aluminum layer is deposited on the entire surface, followed by patterning the wiring metal layer 124 so as to form a wiring layer which is connected to the semiconductor element region, as shown in FIG. 15C.
The process described above makes it possible to prevent an aluminum spike from biting a silicide layer and a diffusion layer below the silicide layer. However, the particular process necessitates an additional step of forming a titanium nitride film. In addition, the titanium nitride film has a high resistivity, leading to elevation of resistance in the contact portion.
As described above, the salicide process using titanium is defective in that, if the gate length is 0.2 .mu.m or less, the resistance is prevented from being lowered sufficiently by the narrow line effect.
The salicide process using cobalt is defective in that the silicidation reaction is inhibited by a native oxide film, and that the silicide is agglomerated in the heating step for depositing interlayer insulating films. The salicide process using cobalt is also defective in that an aluminum spike bites the cobalt silicide layer in the amorphous silicon/aluminum replacement process. In order to prevent generation of the aluminum spike, it is certainly effective to form in advance a titanium nitride film or the like as a diffusion barrier within the contact hole. However, this process necessitates an additional step of forming a titanium nitride film. Also, the presence of the titanium nitride film causes an increased resistance in the contact portion.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A printer for printing between a print roller and a print head having a print head alignment system is provided. The print head alignment system includes a print roller assembly, a print head support assembly and an actuating assembly. The print roller assembly includes at least one stop and a print roller mounted thereto. The print head support assembly includes a print head mounted thereto and at least one detent, a surface of the detent engaging a surface of the stop to maintain alignment of the print head with the print roller. The actuating assembly is associated with one of the print head support assembly and the print roller assembly to separate the detent and the stop before moving one the print head and print roller to provide an access space between the print head and the print roller for allowing print media to be removed and inserted.

Printers are used for marking various indicia on labels and the like. Label stock or other print media moves through the printer such that it passes between a print head and a print roller whereby the label stock is marked by the print head. As the label stock continuously moves through the printer, pieces of the label stock may become jammed between the print roller and the print head, making them difficult to remove. Furthermore, in many applications a variety of types of label stock are used, creating a need for the ability to easily remove and replace label stock. At the same time, maintaining proper alignment and relatively uniform pressure between the print roller and print head during printing is important to print quality.
Accordingly, there is a need for a printer having a print head alignment system such that the print head may be properly aligned with the print roller while at the same time allowing for an access space to be created between the print head and the print roller.

Self-aligning print head mechanism and related printer and method


The invention relates to a multiple-core optical connector and its manufacturing method, wherein the end faces of optical fibers are made free from any damage. Optical fibers (12) are inserted into optical fiber insertion holes (2) of a ferrule (1) of a multiple-core connector, which is equipped with a plurality of optical fiber insertion holes (2) and made of plastic resin, and are fixed therein with an adhesive agent. Fitting pin holes (3) for axial alignment are constructed of a hole of a sleeve (5) made of a material, the hardness of which is higher than that of the plastic resin and optical fibers (12). If the connection end faces of the ferrule (1) for multiple-core optical connector are buffing-finished by using free abrasive grains, since the end face of the sleeve (5) having a higher hardness is less ground than the optical fibers (12), the end face of the sleeve (5) is formed to protrude from the connection end face of the optical fibers (12).

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate a general manufacturing method of a so-called optical connector in which optical fibers are attached to a ferrule for optical connector. As shown in FIG. 4a optical fibers 12 of an optical fiber core line 10, the covering 11 of which is removed in advance, are inserted into an optical fiber insertion ports 22 attached to a ferrule for optical connector 21.
Next, the optical fibers 12 are fixed at the optical connector ferrule 21 by pouring an adhesive agent 7 through an adhesive agent supplying port 23 secured at the optical connector ferrule 21 in a state where the leading edges of optical fibers inserted as shown at (b) in the same drawing are caused to come out from the optical fiber inserting port 22 of the optical connector ferrule 21.
Thereafter, an optical connector 24 can be obtained by polishing (mirror-finishing) the end face which is in a state that the optical fibers 12 go through the end face.
In FIGS. 4a and 4b, number 25 is a fitting pin hole for axial alignment.
There are the following problems when polishing (mirror-finishing) the end face of the optical connector, from which the following shortcomings come out.
Usually, a ferrule 12 for optical connector is produced by mold-forming of plastic resin. If an optical fiber 12 made of, for example, quartz, is inserted into an optical connector ferrule 21 made of plastic resin and the end face thereof is polished (mirror-finished), the polishing quantity of the end of the optical fiber (12) having a high hardness degree is made less than the polishing quantity of the end face of the optical connector ferrule 21 made of plastic resin at a buffing stage in the final finishing process. Thereby, the end of the optical fiber 12 becomes protruded slightly from the end face of the optical connector ferrule 12.
With regards to optical connectors, one end of a fitting pin (not illustrated) is fitted to a fitting pin hole 25 for axial alignment of one optical connector and the other end of the fitting pin is fitted to a fitting pin hole 25 for axial alignment of the other optical connector, wherein one optical connector is placed with the other optical connector with their connection end faces come face to face after the axial alignment is secured between them.
In a case where optical connectors at which the end face of optical fiber 12 remains protruded from the end face of the optical connector ferrule 21 are connected to each other, the end faces of optical fibers 12 are brought into contact with each other whenever connection and disconnection are repeated to cause the end faces of the optical connectors 12 to be damaged, thereby causing the connection loss to be increased.
Therefore, a buffing step in the final finishing process is made difficult.
The present invention can solve the abovementioned themes, and it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a multiple-core optical connector and its manufacturing method, which are made free from any worry about a damage of the end faces of optical fibers.

Multiple-core optical connector and its manufacturing method

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


To provide high-speed, low inductance capacitive decoupling, an integrated circuit (IC) package includes capacitors positioned within the mounting region between a die and an IC package substrate. A variety of types and sizes of capacitors and substrates can be employed in a variety of geometrical arrangements. In some embodiments, capacitors are sandwiched between die terminals or bumps and the substrate conductors or pads, while in other embodiments, capacitors are positioned between bar-type conductors on the surface of the IC package substrate. Methods of fabrication, as well as application of the package to an electronic assembly and to an electronic system, are also described.

Integrated circuits (ICs) are typically assembled into packages by physically and electrically coupling them to a substrate made of organic or ceramic material. One or more ICs or IC packages can be physically and electrically coupled to a substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB) or card to form an "electronic assembly". The "electronic assembly" can be part of an "electronic system". An "electronic system" is broadly defined herein as any product comprising an "electronic assembly".
Examples of electronic systems include computers (e.g., desktops, laptops, hand-helds, servers, Web appliances, routers, etc.), wireless communications devices (e.g., cellular phones, cordless phones, pagers, personal digital assistants, etc.), computer-related peripherals (e.g., printers, scanners, monitors, etc.), entertainment devices (e.g., televisions, radios, stereos, tape and compact disc players, video cassette recorders, camcorders, digital cameras, MP3 (Motion Picture Experts Group, Audio Layer 3) players, video games, watches, etc.), and the like.
In the field of electronic systems there is an incessant competitive pressure among manufacturers to drive the performance of their equipment up while maintaining high yield and reliability. This is particularly true regarding the packaging of ICs on substrates, where each new generation of packaging must provide increased performance, particularly in terms of an increased number of components and higher clock frequencies, while generally being smaller or more compact in size.
An IC substrate may comprise a number of insulated metal layers selectively patterned to provide metal interconnect lines (referred to herein as "traces"), and one or more electronic components mounted on one or more surfaces of the substrate. The electronic component or components are functionally connected to other elements of an electronic system through a hierarchy of electrically conductive paths that include the substrate traces. The substrate traces typically carry signals that are transmitted between the electronic components, such as ICs, of the system.
One of the conventional methods for mounting an IC on a substrate is called "controlled collapse chip connect" (C4). In fabricating a C4 package, the electrically conductive terminals (generally called "bumps") of an IC component are soldered directly to corresponding terminals (generally called "pads") on the surface of the substrate using reflowable solder balls. The C4 process is widely used because of its robustness and simplicity.
As the internal circuitry of high performance ICs, such as processors, operates at higher and higher clock frequencies, noise in the power and ground lines increasingly reaches an unacceptable level. This noise can arise due to inductive and capacitive parasitics, for example, as is well known. To reduce such noise, capacitors known as decoupling or by-pass capacitors are often used to provide a stable signal or stable supply of power to the circuitry.
As electronic devices continue to advance, there is an increasing need for higher levels of capacitance at reduced inductance levels for decoupling, power dampening, and supplying charge. In addition, there is a need for capacitance solutions that do not interfere with package connectors of various types, and which do not limit the industry to certain device sizes and packing densities. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for alternative capacitance solutions in the fabrication and operation of electronic devices and their packages.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a significant need in the art for methods and structures for packaging a high performance IC on a substrate that provide decreased inductance levels, and increased power delivery and signal integrity.

Integrated circuit packages with sandwiched capacitors


A new cultivar of Nemesia named ‘KLENH08446’ particularly characterized by light-purple flowers with large, dark-purple eyes and red-purple margins, an upright plant habit with a medium-vigorous growth habit and a long flowering period, is disclosed.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia, botanically known as Nemesia hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'KLENH08446'. 'KLENH08446' originated from a controlled cross made in June 2005 in Stuttgart, Germany between the proprietary female Nemesia plant 'NH 05 105' (unpatented) and the proprietary male Nemesia plant 'NH 05 108' (unpatented). A single plant selection was subsequently chosen for further evaluation and for asexual propagation.
The new cultivar was first propagated in September 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and in-vitro propagation in Stuttgart, Germany for about a two and one-half year period (about 6 generations). 'KLENH08446' has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.
Plant Breeders Rights have not been applied for this cultivar. 'KLENH08446' has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of the instant application.