An underlying conductive film made of iridium and having a thickness of about 0.1 xcexcm is formed in a contact hole formed in an insulating film covering a transistor formed in a substrate, except in the top portion of the contact hole. The underlying conductive film covers the sidewall portions of the contact hole and the top surface of the drain region but does not completely fill in the contact hole. A plug made of platinum is filled in the contact hole up to the top portion thereof. Over the contact hole of the insulating film, there is formed a capacitor composed of a lower electrode made of platinum, a capacitor insulating film made of SrBi2Ta2O9, and an upper electrode made of platinum in contact relation with the respective upper ends of the underlying conductive film and the plug.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a contact hole (connection hole) formed in an insulating film on a substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a semiconductor memory such as a DRAM or ferroelectric memory wherein a semiconductor element and a capacitor are electrically connected to each other via a plug within the contact hole and a manufacturing method therefor.
As recent semiconductor memory devices have increased in integration scale, attention has been given to technology for integrating, in a semiconductor substrate, a capacitor having a capacitor insulating film made of a dielectric with a dielectric constant of 30 or more (hereinafter referred to as a high dielectric), thereby providing a sufficient amount of charge accumulated in the capacitor used in a memory cell. Attention has also been given to a so-called ferroelectric memory using a ferroelectric in a capacitor insulating film as a nonvolatile memory operable with a low voltage at a high speed. As a high dielectric or ferroelectric, there has been used a dielectric material composed of a metal oxide such as Ta2O5, SrBi2Ta2O9, or BaxSr1xe2x88x92xTiO3 (where x satisfies 0xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa61), so that the development of technology for integrating such a dielectric into a semiconductor substrate is essential to the implementation of a ferroelectric memory.
A description will be given to a conventional semiconductor memory device with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional structure of the conventional semiconductor memory device. As shown in FIG. 9, a transistor 107 is formed in the region of a substrate 101 made of p-type silicon doped with a group III element which is isolated by an isolation film 102. The transistor 107 is composed of: a gate electrode 104 made of polysilicon and formed on the substrate 101 via a gate insulating film 103 made of a silicon oxide (SiO2); a source region 106; and a drain region 105. Each of the source region 106 and drain region 105 is formed in an upper portion of the substrate 101 along the gate length of the gate electrode 104 and doped with a group V element.
A bit line 108 made of polysilicon is formed on the source region 106. The transistor 107 and the bit line 108 are covered with a SiO2 insulating film 109. A contact hole 109a is formed in the region of the insulating film 109 overlying the drain region 105 and a plug 110 made of polysilicon is filled in the contact hole 109a.
A capacitor 114 consisting of a lower electrode 111 made of platinum (Pt), a capacitor insulating film 112 made of SrBi2Ta2O9, and an upper electrode 113 made of platinum is formed on the insulating film 109 in such a manner as to cover the plug 110. A barrier layer 115 for preventing platinum composing the lower electrode 111 from being diffused into the plug 110 is disposed between the lower electrode 111 and the plug 110. An ohmic contact is made between the barrier layer 115 and the plug 110.
After the semiconductor memory device is formed, an annealing process is normally performed with respect to the semiconductor memory device in an oxygen atmosphere such that the capacitor 114 excellently retains its properties. In the barrier layer 115, therefore, there is used a nitride such as titanium nitride (TiN) or an oxide such as iridium oxide (IrO2) which is less likely to oxidize the surface of the plug 110 made of polysilicon and unreactive to polysilicon and platinum in the lower electrode 111 during the annealing process.
However, the conventional semiconductor memory device has the following problem. If titanium nitride is used in the barrier layer 115, the barrier layer 115 is more likely to lose its conductivity because titanium nitride is oxidized by the annealing process, so that the electric connection between the transistor 107 and the capacitor 114 becomes insufficient.
If an oxide such as iridium oxide is used in the barrier layer 115, the upper surface of the plug 110 is exposed to an oxygen plasma and oxidized during the formation of the barrier layer 115, so that the plug 110 loses its conductivity and the electric connection between the transistor 107 and the capacitor 114 also becomes insufficient. In either case, the problem is encountered that the semiconductor memory device is likely to incur a faulty operation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the aforesaid conventional problem and impart high reliability to a contact hole for providing an electric connection between a semiconductor element formed in a substrate and another semiconductor element formed on an insulating film covering the semiconductor element.
To attain the object, the present invention uses a conductive film containing a platinum group element to compose a plug formed in the contact hole as a connection hole. In addition, the present invention provides a barrier layer made of a metal nitride between the substrate and the plug.
Specifically, a first semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises: a substrate formed with a semiconductor element; an insulating film formed on the substrate, the insulating film having a connection hole and covering the semiconductor element; an underlying conductive film formed in at least a lower portion of the connection hole and electrically connected to the semiconductor element; and a conductive film formed in an upper portion of the connection hole and containing a platinum group element.
In the first semiconductor device, each of the underlying conductive film formed in at least the lower portion of the connection hole and the conductive film formed in the upper portion of the connection hole contains a platinum group element, so that the underlying conductive film and the conductive film are not oxidized or, if oxidized, retain conductivity in an annealing process performed in an oxygen atmosphere during the manufacturing of the first semiconductor device. As a result, an excellent electric connection is maintained among the underlying conductive film, the conductive film, and the semiconductor element, which improves the reliability of the device.
In the first semiconductor device, the connection hole preferably has a depth equal to or larger than a minimum diameter of the connection hole. This increases the scale of integration of the semiconductor elements, since the aspect ratio of the connection hole is higher than 1.
Preferably, the first semiconductor device further comprises a dielectric film formed over the conductive film. In the arrangement, the conductive film contains a platinum group element so that the upper end of the conductive film as the plug is used as the lower electrode of the capacitor without any alteration. This allows the omission of the step of forming the lower electrode and reduces the size of the capacitor formed. If the dielectric film is made of a ferroelectric, a nonvolatile memory device can be implemented.
In the first semiconductor device, the conductive film preferably expands over the portion of the insulating film surrounding the connection hole and has a top surface higher in level than an upper end of the connection hole. In the arrangement, the upper end of the conductive film protrudes from the upper end of the connection hole, which renders the upper end of the conductive film more likely to be used as the lower electrode of the capacitor. If an electroplating method using the underlying conductive film as an electrode is used, the conductive film forming the plug can be formed promptly on the underlying conductive film.
In this case, the semiconductor device preferably further comprises a dielectric film formed over the conductive film. In the arrangement, if the upper end of the conductive film is used as the lower electrode of the capacitor, the dielectric film formed over the conductive film is used as the capacitor insulating film, the upper electrode is formed on the capacitor insulating film, and the capacitor can be formed reliably over the connection hole.
In this case, the semiconductor device preferably further comprises a capacitor formed on the insulating film, the capacitor having a lower electrode composed of the conductive film and a capacitor insulating film composed of the dielectric film. If a transistor is used as the semiconductor element in the arrangement, a semiconductor memory device having excellent conduction between the transistor and the capacitor can be implemented.
In the first semiconductor device, the conductive film is preferably filled in the upper portion of the connection hole. This reduces the electric resistance of the conductive film and improves the operating properties of the device.
In this case, the conductive film preferably expands over the portion of the insulating film surrounding the connection hole and has a top surface higher in level than an upper end of the connection hole.
In this case, the first semiconductor device preferably further comprises a dielectric film formed over the conductive film.
In this case, the first semiconductor device preferably further comprises a capacitor formed on the insulating film, the capacitor having a lower electrode composed of the conductive film and a capacitor insulating film composed of the dielectric film.
In this case, the conductive film preferably has a substantially flat top surface. In the arrangement, even when a dielectric film is formed on the conductive film, the resulting dielectric film has a uniform thickness. If the dielectric film is used as the capacitor insulating film, the electric properties of the capacitor are improved.
In the first semiconductor device, the underlying conductive film is preferably formed on a sidewall portion of the connection hole and at least a part of an end face of the underlying conductive film is substantially continued to an end face of the conductive film. In the arrangement, if the upper end (upper surface) of the conductive film is covered with a dielectric film, the underlying conductive film and the conductive film can be covered collectively, which improves the usability of the dielectric film as the capacitor insulating film.
In this case, the conductive film is preferably filled in the upper portion of the connection hole.
A second semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises: a substrate formed with a semiconductor element; an insulating film formed on the substrate, the insulating film having a connection hole and covering the semiconductor element; a conductive film formed in an upper portion of the connection hole and containing a platinum group element; and a barrier layer formed in a lower portion of the connection hole, the barrier layer having conductivity, being electrically connected to the semiconductor element, and preventing a constituent element of the conductive film from being diffused into the substrate.
In the second semiconductor device, the conductive film containing a platinum group element is used as the plug, so that the same effect as achieved by the first semiconductor device can be achieved. Moreover, since the barrier layer for preventing the diffusion of the constituent element of the conductive film into the substrate is provided in the lower portion of the connection hole, the reaction between the platinum group element and the material of the substrate can be prevented, which further improves the operating properties of the device.
In the second semiconductor device, the barrier layer is preferably composed of a metal nitride. The arrangement surely prevents the diffusion of the platinum group element into the substrate.
The second semiconductor device preferably further comprises an underlying conductive film formed between the barrier layer and the conductive film in the connection hole and containing a platinum group element.
In the second semiconductor device, the conductive film preferably expands over the portion of the insulating film surrounding the connection hole and has a top surface higher in level than an upper end of the connection hole.
In this case, the second semiconductor device preferably further comprises a dielectric film formed over the conductive film.
In this case, the second semiconductor device preferably further comprises a capacitor formed on the insulating film, the capacitor having a lower electrode composed of the conductive film and a capacitor insulating film composed of the dielectric film.
In the second semiconductor device, the conductive film preferably has a substantially flat top surface.
In the semiconductor device, the underlying conductive film is preferably formed on a sidewall portion of the connection hole and at least a part of an end face of the underlying conductive film is substantially continued to an end face of the conductive film.
In this case, the conductive film is preferably filled in the upper portion of the connection hole.
A first method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises: an insulating film forming step of forming an insulating film over a substrate formed with a semiconductor element such that the semiconductor element is covered with the insulating film; an underlying conductive film forming step of forming, after forming a connection hole in the insulating film, an underlying conductive film containing a platinum group element in at least a lower portion of the connection hole such that the underlying conductive film is electrically connected to the semiconductor element; and a conductive film forming step of forming a conductive film containing a platinum group element in an upper portion of the connection hole by an electroplating method using the underlying conductive film as an electrode.
In accordance with the first method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the use of, e.g., a sputtering process in the underlying conductive film forming step allows the underlying conductive film to be formed over the entire surface of the insulating film including the sidewall portions of the contact hole and in the lower portion of the contact hole except in the upper portion thereof. If the underlying conductive film is used as the cathode in the subsequent step of forming a conductive film using the electroplating method, therefore, the connection hole can be filled promptly and reliably because the aspect ratio is higher than 1 even when it is difficult to fill the conductive film containing a platinum group element in the connection hole by physical vapor deposition such as sputtering.
In the first method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the electroplating method is preferably implemented by intermittently applying a voltage to the underlying conductive film. This ensures the formation of the conductive film since the ion concentration of a platinum group element is recovered during periods during which the application of a voltage to the underlying conductive film is intermitted.
In the first method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the underlying conductive film forming step preferably includes the step of forming the underlying conductive film on a sidewall portion of the connection hole, the method further preferably comprising, after the conductive film forming step, a patterning step of pattering the underlying conductive film and the conductive film such that at least a part of an end face of the underlying conductive film is substantially continued to at least a part of an end face of the conductive film. In the arrangement, if the upper end (upper surface) of the conductive film is covered with a dielectric film, the underlying conductive film and the conductive film can be covered collectively, which improves the usability of the dielectric film as the capacitor insulating film.
Preferably, the first method of manufacturing a semiconductor device further comprises, after the patterning step, the step of forming a dielectric film on the conductive film. In the arrangement, the upper end of the conductive film containing a platinum group element can be used as the lower electrode of the capacitor without any alteration. This allows the omission of the step of forming the lower electrode and reduces the size of the capacitor formed. If the dielectric film is made of a ferroelectric, a nonvolatile memory device can be implemented.
A second method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises: an insulating film forming step of forming an insulating film over a substrate formed with a semiconductor element such that the semiconductor element is covered with the insulating film; a barrier layer forming step of forming, after forming a connection hole in the insulating film, a barrier layer in a lower portion of the connection hole, the barrier layer having conductivity, preventing a constituent element of the conductive film formed in the connection hole from being diffused from the conductive film into the substrate, and being electrically connected to the semiconductor element; and a conductive film forming step of forming a conductive film containing a platinum group element in an upper portion of the connection hole.
In accordance with the second method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the barrier layer for preventing the diffusion of the constituent element of the conductive film formed in the connection hole from the conductive film into the substrate is formed in the lower portion of the connection hole, so that the second semiconductor device according to the present invention is implemented reliably.
In the second method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the conductive film forming step preferably includes the steps of: forming an underlying conductive film containing a platinum group element on the barrier layer in the connection hole except in the upper portion of the connection hole; and forming the conductive film in the upper portion of the connection hole by an electroplating method using the underlying conductive film as an electrode. If the underlying conductive film is thus formed over the entire surface of the insulating film including the sidewall portions of the connection hole and over the top surface of the barrier layer except in the upper portion of the connection hole and the underlying conductive film is used as the cathode, the connection hole can be filled promptly and reliably with the conductive film even when it is difficult to fill the conductive film containing a platinum group element in the connection hole by physical vapor deposition such as sputtering.
A third method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises: an insulating film forming step of forming an insulating film over a substrate formed with a semiconductor element such that the semiconductor element is covered with the insulating film; an underlying conductive film forming step of forming, after forming a connection hole in the insulating film, an underlying conductive film containing a platinum group element in at least a lower portion of the connection hole such that the underlying conductive film is electrically connected to the semiconductor element; a mask pattern forming step of forming, on the insulating film, a mask pattern having an opening located over the connection hole in the insulating film; a conductive film forming step of forming a conductive film containing a platinum group element in an upper portion of the connection hole by an electroplating method using the underlying conductive film as an electrode and using the mask pattern; and an underlying conductive film patterning step of patterning, after removing the mask pattern, the underlying conductive film such that a region of the underlying conductive film covered with the mask pattern is thereby removed.
In accordance with the third method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the same effect as achieved by the first method of manufacturing a semiconductor device can be achieved. Moreover, since the mask pattern for masking the insulating film except for the region corresponding to the connection hole is formed after the formation of the underlying conductive film, the conductive film containing a platinum group element can be filled reliably only in the upper portion of the connection hole in accordance with the electroplating method using the underlying conductive film as a cathode in the subsequent conductive film forming step. In addition, it is no more necessary to pattern the conductive film.
The third method of manufacturing a semiconductor device preferably further comprises, between the connection hole forming step and the underlying conductive film forming step, the step of forming a barrier layer in the lower portion of the connection hole, the barrier layer having conductivity and preventing a constituent element of the conductive film from being diffused from the conductive film into the substrate. In the arrangement, the barrier layer prevents the reaction between a platinum group element and the constituent element of the material of the substrate, so that the operating properties of the device are further improved.
The third method of manufacturing a semiconductor device preferably further comprises, after the underlying conductive film patterning step, the step of forming a dielectric film on the conductive film. In the arrangement, the upper end of the conductive film containing a platinum group element can be used as the lower electrode of the capacitor without any alteration. This allows the omission of the step of forming the lower electrode and reduces the size of the capacitor formed. If the dielectric film is made of a ferroelectric, a nonvolatile memory device can be implemented.
The third method of manufacturing a semiconductor device preferably further comprises, after the underlying conductive film patterning step, the step of forming, over the conductive film, a capacitor insulating film composed of a dielectric film and an upper electrode to form a capacitor constituted by a lower electrode composed of the conductive film, the capacitor insulating film, and the upper electrode. The arrangement allows the implementation of a semiconductor memory device wherein an excellent electric connection is provided between the semiconductor element in the substrate and the capacitor on the insulating film covering the semiconductor element.

Method for providing a contact hole formed in an insulating film

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A plasma display panel having improved contrast without needing an additional manufacturing process includes: a transparent front substrate, a rear substrate arranged on a lower portion of the front substrate; sustain electrode pairs arranged parallel to each other and located between the front substrate and the rear substrate; a transparent first dielectric layer covering the sustain electrode pairs; address electrodes crossing the sustain electrode pairs and arranged between the sustain electrode pairs and the rear substrate; a second dielectric layer of a light absorbing color covering the address electrodes; transparent partition walls arranged on the second dielectric layer and defining light emitting cells; phosphor layers arranged in the light emitting cells; and a discharge gas filling the light emitting cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel with improved contrast.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,662, discussed below, relates to light-emitting cells of a display device that are individually provided with inner walls at least partially covered by white reflectors consisting of glass material containing transparent particles having different refractive indicies of 5 to 80% by weight, so that extremely high luminous efficiency similar to that of an optical integrating sphere can be realized. Also, openings for emitting colored light can be applied with color filters while the front surface other than those openings of the display device is covered with light-absorbing black material, so that the reflectance for incident ambient light can be reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,782, discussed below, relates to a surface discharge plasma display panel including a pair of front and rear substrates with a discharge space therebetween and a plurality of display electrode pairs on an internal surface of either the front or rear substrate. The display electrodes extend along each display line. The plasma display panel further includes a light shielding film having a belt shape extending along the surface of the front substrate to overlap each area between the adjacent display lines and sandwiched between the display electrodes.
The following patents each discloses features in common with the present invention but do not teach or suggest the inventive features specifically recited in the present application: U.S. Pat. No. 6,417,620 to Yasue, entitled SURFACE DISCHARGE PLASMA DISPLAY PANEL HAVING TWO-DIMENSIONAL BLACK STRIPES OF SPECIFIC SIZE AND SHAPE, issued on Jul. 9, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,216 to Lu et al., entitled HIGH CONTRAST PDP AND A METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME, issued on Jun. 17, 2003; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,051to Park et al., entitled PLASMA DISPLAY PANEL, issued on Nov. 18, 2003.

Plasma display panel having light absorbing layer to improve contrast


An assigning machine translation system includes a word dictionary storing grammatical information such as part of speech and translated words for each entry word; dictionary/morphological element analyzer for dividing an input sentence into a set of words, obtaining the grammatical information and the translated word from the word dictionary, and analyzing the tense, person and number; sentence structure analyzer for determining an input sentence structure in accordance with the obtained grammatical information; sentence structure transformer for transforming the determined input sentence structure into a sentence structure for translation, and making a selection from the translated words by examining semantic consistency; translated sentence generator for generating a translated sentence by determining the order of the translated words obtained by the sentence structure transformer and adjusting declension and conjugation; and an original word-translated word match output section for outputting the translated word with the input sentence, the translated word being matched with the original word of the input sentence.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assigning machine translation system which disposes a translated word beside the word of the original text.
2. Description of the Related Art
Usually, when a sentence written in one language is translated into another language, it is sometimes difficult to see the corresponding relationship between the original sentence and its translation. This is especially true when the input sentence is long such that it lasts for several lines. Particularly, in the case where the translation is performed between English and Japanese for which sentence structures are quite different, it sometimes happens that a translation of a certain word in the first line of the input sentence is found in the third line of the translated sentence.
As long as a machine translation system operates in such a conventional manner that the editing is performed after the translation is completed, the fact that the corresponding relationship between the words cannot readily be found when comparing the input sentence with the resulting translation poses a burden on a user greater than the burden associated with translation accuracy.
When fast-reading or skimming a text written in a foreign language, or when a user has some knowledge of the language, or when the input sentences have relatively simple structures, it is sometimes convenient to have an output where translation is partially provided only to those words not familiar to the user instead of receiving a fully translated text having the above-mentioned problem so that the rest of the text can be comprehended by the user himself.
Prior art systems designed to answer such demand are "Translation Support System" disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-243162 and "Machine Translation System" disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-325081.
The translation support system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-243162 outputs the result in a format in which a translated word is disposed besides the original word in the original sentence so that a relationship between the original word and its translation becomes clear. This translation support system includes, as illustrated in FIG. 12, components such as a dictionary memory 23 which holds both dictionary data for transforming Japanese sentences which are input by the keyboard 21 and are held in a text memory 22 into Kanji characters (chinese characters) and translated word data for translating English text, a translation-not-required-word memory 24 for storing English words for which translation is not required when translating the text retrieved from the text memory 22, and registers including a translated word register 25b for holding the translated word retrieved from the text memory 22, etc.
The operation of this translation support system 26 will be described below.
For example, suppose that an English sentence "I will purchase the restaurant from my uncle" is input by the input keyboard 21 and is held in the text memory 22. When a translation command is entered by the keyboard 21, the CPU 27 controls the components so that the text data in the text memory 22 is held in the original word register 25a. The CPU also counts the number of letters in the original word and the result of the counting is held in the number-of-letters-in-original-word register 25c. Then, the CPU makes a search for whether or not the original word data held in the original word register 25a matches any of those held in the translation-not-required-word memory 24, thereby determining whether or not a translation should be given to the original word. For example, if the words "I", "will", "the", "from" and "my" are stored in the translation-not-required-word memory 24, then it is necessary to give translations to the remaining words "purchase", "restaurant" and "uncle". The corresponding translations are searched for in the dictionary memory 23. If the translation is found, the translation is retrieved from the dictionary memory 23 and is held in the translated word register 25b. In this example, as the translated words of "purchase", "restaurant" and "uncle", "kounyuusuru", "restoran" and "oji" are retrieved, respectively.
The number of letters in the translated word is also counted and the result is stored in the number-of-letters-in-translated-word register 25d. Then, display processing is performed in accordance with the numbers of letters in the original word and the translated word, and the result is displayed on the display 29 via the display memory 28. When the result is displayed, the translation is given in a word-to-word manner for easy recognition as follows. In this example, the English sentense to be translated is displayed in an upper line, and the translated words are displayed in a lower line.
______________________________________ I will purchase the restaurant from uncle. kounyuusuru resutoran oji ______________________________________
Next, the machine translation system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-325081 will be described with reference to FIG. 13.
The machine translation system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-325081 selects and presents only the information on the object language (language into which a text is translated) such as parts of speech and translation of words, thereby facilitating comprehension of the subject language (language to be translated). As illustrated in FIG. 13, this machine translation system includes input means 31 for inputting a sentence in a first language, morphological element analysis means for performing a morphological element analysis using an analysis dictionary 32, part-of-speech-presuming means 35 for finding the most suited part of speech referring to each word in the sentence in the first language using a part of speech allocation probability table 34 for the first language, output format determining means 36 for generating an output in which the first language and the information on the second language are matched, and output means 37 for outputting the result to the output device.
The operation of the machine translation system 38 will be described below.
For example, suppose an English sentence "I will book the restaurant for my uncle" is input to the system by the input means 31. Then, a morphological element analysis is performed on the sentence, thereby dividing the sentence into morphological elements to be looked up individually in the dictionary. As a result, in a language such as English in which a word can have more than one part of speech, more than one candidate is matched with each morphological element as follows.
I . . . pronoun PA1 will . . . auxiliary verb/noun PA1 book . . . noun/verb PA1 the . . . article PA1 restaurant . . . noun PA1 for . . . preposition/conjunction PA1 my . . . pronoun/exclamation PA1 uncle . . . noun PA1 I . . . pronoun PA1 will . . . auxiliary verb!/noun PA1 book . . . noun/verb! PA1 the . . . article PA1 restaurant . . . noun PA1 for . . . preposition!/conjunction PA1 my . . . pronoun!/exclamation PA1 uncle . . . noun PA1 Presumed part of speech is indicated by !.
For the above sentence, the words "will", "book", "for" and "my" have more than one candidate for the part of speech and, therefore, ambiguity remains. Then, the part-of-speech-presuming means 35 presumes allocation probabilities of parts of speech, and calculates the probability that the part of speech is correct based on the allocation probability. The part of speech which has the largest probability is then selected. In this prior art example, the trigram model where the presumption of allocation probability is limited up to two words directly in front is used as the part-of-speech-presuming means 35 in order to further take into consideration the in-word relative part of speech appearance probability. For the above input sentence, the following matching for the part of speech is presumed by the part-of-speech-presuming means 35. In particular, the part of speech of the word "book" is presumed to be a verb because of the fact that the part of speech of the word immediately in front is "an auxiliary verb".
Then, information on the second language corresponding to the selected part of speech is obtained from the dictionary. The information on the second language is given and matched at the location of the word of the first language by the output format determining means 36. When this is being done, in order to inhibit frequent outputs of the second language information which is well-known, an output inhibition column for marking is provided in the dictionary. For a word which has more than one usage, if a priority expressed in number is provided for every usage, only an output of a certain usage can be inhibited. For example, the output of the second language information on the word "book" in the above sentence is inhibited when it is a "noun (hon; a book)" and output when it is a "verb (yoyakusuru; to make a reservation)". After the above processing, the output result for the sentence becomes as follows.
______________________________________ I will book the restaurant for my uncle. yoyakusuru resutoran oji ______________________________________
However, the above-mentioned prior art translation support system 26 and the machine translation system 38 have problems described in (a) and (b) below.
(a) Translation accuracy is poor.
In the translation support system 26 disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-243162, the same translation (a translation listed first or a translation with the highest priority) is given to the word regardless of other words located before and after the word. For example, since it is most common for the word "book" to be interpreted as a "noun" for part of speech and a "hon (book)" for translation, a wrong translation, that is, a "hon (book)", may be given to the above-mentioned sentence.
______________________________________ I will book the restaurant for my uncle. hon ______________________________________
On the other hand, since the machine translation system 38 disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-325081 takes into consideration the allocation of part of speech for up to two words immediately before as described above, a correct translation to the word "book" in the above input sentence, namely, "a verb; yoyakusuru (to make a reservation)" is given.
However, even if an analysis on a sentence structure is performed in the machine translation system 38 disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-325081, only part of the speech is specified. The system cannot ensure a correct translation since it does not make its selection based on semantic considerations and limitations from other translations having the same part of speech. For example, the word "take" has a variety of meaning (translations) such as tenitoru (to hold in a hand), ubau (to take away), tsureteiku (to take along), noru (to embark), taberu (to eat), koudokusuru (to have subscription), yousuru (to take time), ukeru (to receive), toru (to take), etc. Therefore, even if the part of speech is presumed to be a "verb", the correct translation cannot be selected therefrom. In a following input sentence, the most common translation "toru (to take)" to the word "take" is assigned. However, when the object of the verb is "a person", the correct translation is "tsureteiku (to take along)".
______________________________________ I will take her child to the zoo. toru kodomo doubutsuen ______________________________________
Accordingly, a user receiving the above two input sentences provided with wrong translations wrongly comprehend the meaning of the two sentences. Of course, it is possible to output more than one candidate for the translation in either Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. 6-243162 or No. 6-325081. However, this places another load on a user to make a selection for the correct translation by himself.
(b) It is not true that translation is given only to necessary words.
To a user, it is sufficient that translation is provided for only those words which are "not familiar" to him. Conversely, it often becomes an obstacle to have a translation provided for a familiar word. The systems in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. 6-243162 and No. 6-325081 have pre-set "translation-not-required words", "setting of output-inhibition-not-required fields" and "priority for translations" in order to limit words for which a translation should be provided. Although these words for which translations are not required are fixed to the system, the familiarity with words, i.e., whether or not the user knows the word differs greatly among users. In simple, it is quite possible that a word which is unknown to an elementary level student of English (i.e., a word for which a translation must be provided) is already known to an advanced level student. Therefore, if words for which translations are not required are fixed in the system no matter who uses the system such as in the systems disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. 6-243162 and No. 6-325081, then translations are not provided for particular words in a meaningful manner.
As described above, when (a) the translation accuracy is poor or (b) there are too many translations for words which do not require translation, a fast reading or skimming cannot efficiently be performed.

Sentence translation system showing translated word and original word


An infusion device comprising a housing having a base plate disposed therein which is slidably moveable between first and second positions. Attached to the base plate and the housing is a biasing mechanism for biasing the base plate to the second position. Also disposed within the housing is an actuator plate which is slidably moveable between inner and outer positions. The actuator plate is cooperatively engaged to the base plate in a manner wherein the movement of the base plate toward the second position facilitates the movement of the actuator plate toward the outer position, with the movement of the base plate toward the first position facilitating the movement of the actuator plate toward the inner position. Slidably attached to the housing in spaced relation to the actuator plate is a lid member. The lid member, the actuator plate and the housing define a medicament chamber when the lid member is in a closed position. The movement of the actuator plate toward the outer position reduces the volume of the medicament chamber, with the movement of the actuator plate toward the inner position increasing the volume of the medicament chamber.

There is currently known in the prior art various devices and methodologies for infusing therapeutic fluids directly into an anatomical passage (e.g., a vein or artery) of a patient. Medicaments or therapeutic fluids are typically sold to hospitals in flexible, transparent partial fill bags which are often referred to as "minibags". These partial fill bags are generally provided with a first outlet port for allowing a tubular fluid line to be fluidly connected thereto, and a second outlet port which serves as an injection site for allowing a needle or other type of piercing tip to be extended into the interior of the bag.
One of the most common methods of accomplishing direct fluid infusion into an anatomical passage is through the use of a conventional intravenous (IV) drip unit. Such drip units comprise a fluid filled IV bag which is suspended from a portable hanger assembly. Fluidly connected to the bag and extending therefrom is a tubular fluid line, the distal end of which typically includes an introducer needle connected thereto. In these prior art units, the fluid "drips" from the bag into the tube connected thereto, with the drip rate being adjustable to control the rate at which fluid is introduced into the anatomical passage. The bag is suspended well above the level of the introducer needle, with flow through the fluid line being facilitated by gravity.
Though these prior art IV drip units accomplish their intended objective of infusing therapeutic fluids into the anatomical passage of a patient, they posses certain deficiencies which detract from their overall utility. Foremost of these deficiencies is the inability to accurately control or meter the rate at which fluid is infused into the patient. As such, prior art IV drip units are frequently only employed when large volumes of a therapeutic fluid are to be infused into a patient, with the rate of infusion not constituting a critical parameter.
In recognition of the deficiencies associated with conventional IV drip units, there has been developed in the prior art various mechanical and electromechanical infusion devices which are adapted to provide a more controlled rate of infusion of a medicament or therapeutic fluid into an anatomical passage.
One such prior art device which is marketed and sold by the HealthTech Corporation comprises a spring biased syringe having a flow control orifice. The syringe comprises a plunger member which includes an elongate stem releasably attached to a two-part plunger head having a biasing spring extending between the parts thereof. The stem is pulled relative to the syringe body (which defines the flow control orifice) to facilitate the drawing of a therapeutic fluid into the body. Once the syringe body has been filled to a desired level, the rotation of the stem facilitates the detachment thereof from one part of the plunger head, with such detached part thereafter being biased toward the outlet orifice of the syringe body by the biasing spring. The force applied to the detached part of the plunger head by the biasing spring facilitates a controlled rate of flow of the fluid from the syringe body via the orifice.
However, this spring biased syringe also possesses certain deficiencies in relation to the controlled rate of flow of the therapeutic fluid therefrom. In this respect, the force exerted against the detached part of the plunger head by the biasing spring is not constant throughout its entire length of travel. Rather, as the compressed biasing spring is extended, the biasing force exerted against the detached part of the plunger head thereby proportionally decreases. As such, the flow rate of therapeutic fluid from the syringe body typically decreases as the fluid volume within the syringe body decreases.
In addition to the foregoing, the prior art spring biased syringe must be disposed of after each use, thereby increasing the costs associated with its use. Moreover, the use of the spring biased syringe necessitates that the therapeutic fluid be transferred from the partial fill bag into the syringe body. As will be recognized, this transfer procedure increases the risk of inadvertent fluid contamination, and requires additional, undesirable handling of the therapeutic fluid.
Another prior art infusion device which is marketed and sold by Secure Medical, Inc. under the trademark Med Flo and is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,753 comprises a hollow housing or reservoir having a fluid inflatable bladder or balloon disposed therein. The balloon is filled with a therapeutic fluid via an inlet check valve communicating therewith. Fluidly connected to the end of the balloon opposite the inlet check valve is a tubular fluid line which includes a fixed orifice flow control fluidly coupled therewithin. The filling of the balloon with the therapeutic fluid causes the resilient expansion thereof within the housing. In this respect, the resiliency of the balloon forces the fluid into the fluid line, with the rate of flow through the fluid line being regulated by the fixed orifice flow control therewithin.
This infusion device, like the spring biased syringe previously described, also possesses deficiencies which detract from its overall utility. In this respect, this prior art device must also be disposed of after each use, thereby increasing the costs associated with the utilization thereof. Additionally, the use of this device also requires that the medicament or therapeutic fluid be transferred from a partial fill bag into the inflatable balloon via a separate transfer procedure. As previously indicated, such transfer procedure increases the risk of fluid contamination
Another prior art infusion device is sold by the I Flow Corporation under the trademark SideKick 100 and comprises a hollow housing having a cap including a spring biased plate threadably engaged thereto. Disposed within the housing is a circularly configured bladder which is inflatable with a therapeutic fluid. Subsequent to the placement of the filled bladder within the interior of the housing, the cap is engaged thereto which facilitates the application of compressive pressure to the bladder via the spring biased plate of the cap.
However, as in the previously described prior art syringe, the pressure applied to the bladder by the spring biased plate of the cap threadably engaged to the housing is not constant, but rather decreases as the fluid volume within the bladder decreases. Additionally, though only the bladder need be disposed of after each use of the device and both the housing and spring plate cap may be reused, the utilization of this device still necessitates that the therapeutic fluid be transferred from the partial fill bag into the bladder.
In another prior art electromechanical infusion device, a conventional syringe filled with a therapeutic fluid is placed into a housing, with the plunger member of the syringe being coupled to a movable actuation mechanism. The device is programmable in a manner regulating the speed at which the actuation mechanism forces the plunger into the syringe body, and hence the rate at which fluid is dispensed from the outlet end of the syringe body. However, this particular electromechanical infusion device is extremely expensive, and requires specialized training for its programming and use. Additionally, once again, the therapeutic fluid must be transferred from the partial fill bag into the syringe which is subsequently placed into the device and coupled to the actuation mechanism.
As previously discussed, perhaps the largest deficiency associated with the prior art infusion devices is the necessity of having to transfer the therapeutic fluid from the partial fill bag into the device. Additionally, the prior art mechanical and electro-mechanical infusion devices tend to be extremely costly, with current insurance regulations providing for decreased levels of insurance reimbursement associated with their usage. Moreover, these prior art devices typically do not provide for a highly controlled rate of fluid flow, with certain ones of these devices requiring specialized training for their use thus further increasing the costs associated therewith.
The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of prior art mechanical and electromechanical infusion devices by providing a device which is adapted to accommodate standard, off-the-shelf partial fill bags, thus eliminating the necessity of having to conduct a separate fluid transfer operation. Additionally, the infusion device constructed in accordance with the present invention is substantially less costly to manufacture than those known in the prior art, and provides an extremely accurate, controlled rate of fluid flow.


An anchor for supporting an elongate tubular object, the anchor including an elongate tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end; a nozzle at said proximal end, the nozzle having an opening remote from said elongate tubular member; and, a funnel at the distal end, the funnel tapering from a minimum diameter at the tubular member to a maximum diameter remote from the tubular member; wherein the funnel, the elongate member, and the nozzle are in liquid communication. The anchor may further include at least one fin extending outwardly from the tubular member, a fixation device for securing an elongate tubular object inserted through the funnel and into the tubular member, and/or a collar having an outside diameter greater than that of an outside diameter of the elongate tubular member.

The present invention relates to ground anchors for inserting and supporting elongate tubular members for temporary but secure vertical placement. The primary focus of these ground anchors is support poles for beach umbrellas. Notwithstanding, other objects that may be supported by the ground anchor include fishing rods, tiki torches, badminton nets, and volleyball nets, among others.
While many people enjoy beach outings, they wish to protect themselves from the sun's rays, wind, and blowing sand. They may also hope to delineate and identify a particular beach area, with an easily observed physical feature that will keep others at a distance while also providing a "locating beacon" that may be found easily during the day.
One manner of achieving these results is to install one or more beach umbrellas. Unfortunately, many people find installing a beach umbrella to be very difficult or impossible. Even if they can install the umbrella, many methods permit the umbrella to easily fall or be blown down by the wind. This represents a dangerous condition that has caused injury and even death.
Conventional methods of inserting a beach umbrella include inserting the umbrella pole into a shovel or bucket-dug hole and then backfilling the hole around the umbrella support. Other methods include the use of screw insertion devices that are specifically configured for this application with open tubular upper members within which an umbrella support may be placed. Neither of these methods has been found completely satisfactory.


An elevator door system includes an elevator car having a front face defining a door opening. At least one elevator door is coupled to the front face of the elevator car for movement between an open position exposing the door opening and a closed position covering the door opening. At least one drive motor is mounted on the front face of the elevator car and is disposed between a lower edge and an upper edge of the elevator car. The drive motor is drivingly coupled to the elevator door for moving the elevator door between the open and the closed positions.

Considerable expense is involved in the construction of an elevator hoistway and machine room. The expense includes the cost of constructing the machine room, the structure required to support the weight of the machine room and elevator equipment, and the cost of shading adjacent properties from sunlight (e.g., sunshine laws in Japan and elsewhere). The expense also includes the length of the hoistway. Typically, local codes require a minimum clearance between the top of the elevator car at its highest position in the hoistway and the hoistway ceiling. Conventionally, the highest item on top of the elevator car is the door operator which is located on top of or projects partly above the elevator car ceiling. By eliminating or minimizing the highest points on top of the elevator car, the length of the hoistway may be reduced so as to result in a significant reduction in construction costs.
One solution is to move the door operator underneath the elevator car. However, this approach only results in shifting the clearance problem since additional space is required in the lower portion of the hoistway to accommodate the door operator. Another solution is to move the door operator to a side of the elevator car. A drawback with placing the door system on a side of the car is that additional space between the car and hoistway sidewall is necessary to accommodate rather bulky, conventional motors which drive the elevator car and hoistway doors. Thus the additional side space required to accommodate the drive system detracts from any savings due to reducing the overhead space of the hoistway.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an elevator door system which avoids the above-mentioned drawbacks associated with prior elevator door systems.


Systems, methods and computer readable storage media provide a flexible and variability-accommodating instrument cluster for display on an in-vehicle screen and a user experience interaction model for providing vehicle status-related information via the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster may be shown in a minimized content view, basic content view, or enhanced content view, wherein each content view may include a varying range of displayed information based on a layout template. The driver can easily scroll between the various content views while driving. The instrument cluster may alternatively be shown in a favorites view, amongst a plurality of preconfigured favorites views associated with different drivers, the favorites view including a user-selected set of gauges in a user-selected layout. A steering wheel-based shortcut control is provided that can be assigned to a changeable parameter and used to toggle the parameter in association with an instrument cluster display element while driving.

Instrument clusters for vehicles typically have been mechanical analog gauges having a dial and a rotating needle that points to indicia printed on the dial to provide a driver with a visual indication of a measurement associated with a current status of the vehicle. For example, typically, the vehicle may be configured with physical gauges to inform the driver of information useful for operation of the vehicle. As can be appreciated, such a configuration of physical gauges may occupy valuable real estate space in the vehicle and can be distracting to the driver. For example, a number of gauges may show information that are in a 'normal' or non-needed state. The display of such information may not provide a benefit to the driver, and may instead overload the driver with available information. As such, the driver may be less aware and/or responsive to abnormal conditions that may necessitate the driver's attention. Additionally, physical gauges and the arrangement of gauges may vary amongst various vehicle build configurations. For example, custom-built vehicles may have various instrumentation configurations corresponding to variations in vehicle build configurations, wherein a vehicle may be ordered with a variety of gauges and vary across fleet orders or applications in which the vehicle may be used. In some examples, this may also unfavorably require a manufacturer of the vehicle to dedicate resources (e.g., inventory, storage for inventory, assembly resources associated with more complex assembly) to building vehicles with high part variation.
Currently, some vehicles comprise digital interfaces that include gauge content; however, such digital interfaces may not be able to be customized to a vehicle while accommodating variability in build configurations and instrument gauges. Additionally, being able to customize an instrument cluster to modify displayed gauge content may require the driver to navigate through a series of menu selections to view specific gauges, and then toggle between a limited set one or a few at a time. For example, this may not be easily performed while driving. Further, transitions between displayed content may not be smooth. For example, current systems may simply replace one digital gauge for another, may not expand from a minimal view to a maximum number, and may lose gauges during changing view modes.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that embodiments have been described. While relatively specific problems have been discussed, it should be understood that the embodiments should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background.

Flexible and variability-accommodating instrument cluster display


Field emitter structures are described for use in arrays forming field emission displays. The field emitter structures may be either single or perferably double-gate structures. To enhance the field emission current density the emitters are formed so as to be elongate so as to form a race-track shape. The emitter layer may also be provided with sharply defined edges in order to improve electron emission.

Field emission displays (FEDs) have been known for a number of years as an alternative to active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs). Indeed FEDs are known to have a number of advantages. They can be made thinner and lighter while having better operating characteristics compared to an AMLCD. In particular an FED may have a higher contrast ratio, wider viewing angle and greater brightness. They can operate on lower power and over a wider range of operating temperatures.
The major drawback preventing wider use of FEDs, however, is their cost. They are expensive to manufacture, for reasons which become apparent when you examine more closely their structure.
FIG. 1 shows in cross-section a conventional field emitter arrangement, a number of which may be arranged in an array to form a display. The emitters 1 comprise cones of metal deposited onto a cathode 2. The emitters 1 are located between gate electrodes 3 that themselves are mounted on the cathode 2 through insulating material 4. When a voltage is applied between the gate and emitter electrodes electrons are emitted from the tips of the emitters 1 and these electrons strike a phosphor coated faceplate where they create illumination through the conventional process of electroluminescence.
A single visible pixel in a display may contain as many as 1600 such field emitters and therefore it will be appreciated that the dimensions involved are small. The spacing between the tip of a field emitter and the gate electrodes, for example, is of the order of 0.5 micron, and it is critical in determining parameters such as turn-on voltage and current density. In addition, to provide strong electron emission, the field emitter tip should be as sharp as possible. These requirements place stringent conditions on the manufacturing process and while effective field emission displays using the design of FIG. 1 can be manufactured, they are very expensive and their use is limited as a consequence.
There is therefore a need to provide a field emission display design that would be simpler (and therefore cheaper) to manufacture. One possible design has been proposed in H. Busta et al., "Volcano-Shaped Field Emitters for Large Area Displays", Proc. IEDM, pp 405-408, 1995. FIG. 2 illustrates schematically the type of field emitter proposed in this paper. Effectively the traditional design is inverted and instead of an emitter being placed between two gate electrodes, an emitter is placed on either side of a post gate.
In FIG. 2 a single gate post 5 is formed on a layer of n-silicon. This gate 5 is raised from the surface of the n-silicon substrate and is generally circular or regular polygonal in cross-section (hence the description "volcano shaped"). On this substrate there is deposited firstly an insulating layer of silicon dioxide 6 and then an emitter layer 7. This manufacturing process is considerably simpler and the dimensions less critical than in the conventional FED manufacturing process. Unfortunately, however, the resulting FED does not have high performance characteristics for a number of reasons.
Firstly, as can be seen from FIG. 2, the ends 7' of the emitter layer adjacent to the gate post--and from which electrons will be emitted--do not form a point which fact results in reduced electron emission. Secondly, one of the advantages of a conventional design as shown in FIG. 1 is that the field emitter is located symmetrically between two gate electrodes. This means that when an electron is emitted there is no tendency for it to be drawn to one gate electrode or the other and it passes between them towards the phosphor face plate. However, in the design proposed by Busta et al this symmetry is lost and a significant number of electrons emitted by the emitter are drawn to the gate post to form a leakage gate current.
The design proposed by Busta et al provides good uniformity over large areas without the need for expensive sub-micron manufacturing techniques. However the turn-on voltage is increased substantially. Furthermore due to the circular nature of the shape of the emitter a low cell density results. This in turn causes the field emission current density to be small. In addition this structure gives a large beam spot which is not always desirable. These and other disadvantages mean that the performance of a field emitter according to the proposal of Busta et al is disappointing.

Field emission display having elongate emitter structures

The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology


A high energy, stable, electrically activated explosive replacement comprises at least a mixture of a metal, a highly-halogenated polymer moiety (HHPM) and a reduced (or non-) halogenated polymer moiety (RHPM). These replacements can also be used as detonators, initiators, or explosive devices alone or with other explosive systems and materials. The two polymer moieties, the HHPM and RHPM, may be provided in the following manners and generally in the following proportions. The halogen on the polymer preferably comprises chlorine or fluorine, preferably fluorine, and preferably at least 50% of halogen atoms in the polymer comprise fluorine. The fluorine is preferably provided on the polymer backbone (as in polymers formed from ethylenically unsaturated monomeric units such as tetrafluoroethylene, trifluoromonochloroethylene, difluorodichloroethylene, trichloromonofluoroethylene, trifluoroethylene, and the like).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to explosive devices, and particularly high pressure explosive devices that can be activated by electrical pulse or ignited by shock.
2. Background of the Art
Explosive devices are used in a wide range of industry and commerce. The very nature of explosives as they have been known for centuries makes them inherently dangerous. Attempts have been made to make them safer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,175 describes an airborne countermine system comprising: at least one munitions dispenser element, a plurality of countermine munitions initially contained within said dispenser element, each of said munitions containing means for guiding said munitions to a predetermined coordinate location, and positioning the same for descent along a substantially vertical axis; means for initiating axial rotation to said countermines during vertical descent; each of said munitions containing a plurality of incendiary darts; means for opening said munitions during descent to radially distribute said darts using generated centrifugal force for individual vertical descent to a target area. The Patent describes high temperature incendiary fill to allow large amounts of chemical energy to be released over short periods of time. The dart high temperature incendiary fill employs an active ignition system to shock the fill up to reaction. High temperature incendiary fill candidates include titanium-boron-Teflon™ with CTBN as the binder, titanium-boron-Teflon™ with Viton®A as the binder, titanium-boron with ammonium perchlorate with Viton®A as the binder, aluminum potassium perchlorate with Viton®A as the binder and aluminum iron oxide with Viton®A as the binder. Viton®A is fluoropolymer elastomer that comes in many different variations of ingredients and properties. It includes copolymers of Tetrafluoroethylene, ethylene and ethers. These fills and high explosive fills may be employed in the countermine dart. The problem experienced with trying to package high temperature incendiary or explosive fills in small diameter countermine flechettes or darts is that it is difficult to ignite the fill in small calibers and maintain high velocity burn rates even in perforated fill designs. End-burners, as compared to perforated fill designs, burn at even slower burn rates and the ability to maintain the burn, due to heat transfer losses during the burn to the case of the countermine dart, is difficult. The use of an active ignition system overcomes all of these design issues allowing any one of a number of high temperature incendiary high explosive fills to be employed. The exact geometry of a high temperature incendiary countermine dart incorporates the cavity generating design features allowing hydrodynamic cavitation and terradynamic cavitation to be employed in high-speed penetration of soil and water, and an active ignition system to allow the dart fill to be shocked to reaction using a high temperature incendiary fill. The darts would also incorporate a staggered tail system to allow maximum number of darts to be packaged in the countermine munitions dispensing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,383 describes an innovative, safe, explosive device. The device has many potential fields of utility, including, but not limited to mining, oil exploration, seismology, and particularly to shaped charges. These shaped charges may be used as a well perforation system using energetic, electrically-activated reactive blends in place of high explosives. The reactive blends are highly impact inert and relatively thermally inert until activated. The proposed system requires no conventional explosives and it is environmentally benign. The system and its components can be shipped and transported easily with no concern for premature explosion. It also needs no special handling or packing. The performance in oil and gas well perforation can be expected to exceed that of conventional explosive techniques. The device is a shaped charge capable of projecting a mass which can perforate a solid object, said shaped charge comprising: a) a casing, b) an electrical connection means though said casing, c) a reactive mass within said casing, wherein said reactive mass is electrically conductive along its entire length, and said casing encloses said reactive mass, said reactive mass comprising an electrically conductive reactive material in association with an oxidizing agent. A preferred composition and method comprises an electrically conductive reactive mass comprises a distribution of aluminum metal and an oxidizing material which will oxidize said aluminum metal at a temperature of at least 1000 degree K. and activating said electrically conductive reactive mass with a pulsed electrical charge of at least 1 kJ/gram of aluminum in less than 20 microseconds.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,356 (Rim et al.) relates to an electric blasting device using aluminum foil, the objective of which lies in providing an economical and safe electric blasting device. In line with this objective; a portion of the outer conductor of the cable is removed, and the aluminum foil is inserted therein in order to electrically connect the inner and outer conductors. Between the aluminum foil and the inner conductor, water, an insulator, and a Teflon® polytetrafluoroethylene polymer tube are inserted. When pulse high-current is made to flow, the aluminum foil changes into the condition of plasma. The aluminum therefrom and water react to generate explosive power. The invention uses commercialized aluminum foil, in addition to having a short scattering distance of the fragments. It also allows a low-vibration blasting due to the short reaction time therein. U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,791 describes a perforating gun using an electrical safe arm device and a capacitor exploding foil initiator device. The capacitor exploding foil initiator device having a capacitor connected in parallel to a bleed resistor which are connected across an exploding foil initiator by an over-voltage gap switch. When a voltage of the capacitor reaches a breakdown voltage of the switch, the energy stored in the capacitor is discharged through the switch to the exploding foil initiator which initiates a detonator cord thereby detonating the shaped charges of the perforating gun.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,975 describes a switching circuit incorporating a Field Effect Transistor (FET), two series dual-tap gas tube surge arrestors, and high-voltage resistors as part of a high voltage switch of a fireset for initiating an exploding foil initiator (EFI). Until energizing the FET via a firing command, an operating voltage of 1000 V is held off by a combination of the surge arrestors and high-voltage resistors. Upon receipt of a firing signal, a 28 V source is used to energize the FET that, in turn, decreases the voltage across the one surge arrestor connected directly to ground and increases the voltage across the other surge arrestor. Upon reaching the breakdown voltage of the ionizable gas within the second surge arrestor, the gas ionizes, becomes electrically conductive, and dumps the second surge arrestor's voltage across the first surge arrestor. This causes the first surge arrestor to also break down. Both surge arrestors are now conducting. Thus, the 1000 V source is free to energize the remainder of the circuit, discharging a 0.20 micro(f) capacitor through the EFI. The breakdown of both arrestors occurs in nanoseconds, enabling an almost instantaneous initiation signal.
Explosive materials are known to be ignited in different ways. Typically, explosive materials have been ignited by flame ignition (e.g., fuses or ignition of a priming explosive), impact (which often ignites a priming explosive), chemical interaction (e.g., contact with a reactive or activating fluid), or electrical ignition. Electrical ignition may occur in two distinct ways, as by ignition of a priming material (e.g., electrically ignited blasting cap or priming material) or by direct energizing of an explosive mass by electrical power. U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,623 describes a device which safely simulates the loud noise and bright flash of light of an explosion. This device consists of an ordnance case which encloses a battery, an electronic control module, a charging circuit board, a bridge head, and a shock tube dusted with aluminum and an explosive. The electronic control module provides a time delay between initial activation of the device and the time when the device is ready to create a shock wave. Further, this electronic control module provides a central control for the electronics in the simulator. The charging circuit board uses the battery to charge a capacitor. Passing the voltage stored in the capacitor through the wires of the bridge head causes the explosive and the aluminum in the shock tube to react. This reaction produces a loud noise and bright white flash of light which simulates an explosion.
One other aspect of explosive devices which has been of great concern is the danger of premature detonation of the device or charge. The highly energetic release of the compositions used for providing explosions has usually been attended by a high degree of sensitivity or a low initiation threshold for the explosive reaction. Attempts at alternative energy sources for explosive devices have led in many directions, including the electrical ignition of metals in water. W. M. Lee, Metal/Water Chemical Reaction Coupled to a Pulsed Electrical Discharge, J. Appl. Phys. 69 (10), 15 May 1991 describes how capacitor stored energy is transferred to a wire conductor surrounded by a mixture of a reactive metal powder and water. The current explodes the small wire conductor and initiates a chemical reaction in the mixture. The chemical reaction in the mixture was direct reaction of the aluminum metal and the water as2Al+3H2O goes to Al2O3+3H2 to provide the energy for the investigation of explosive sources.
T. G. Theofanous, X. Chen and P. Di Piazza, Ignition of Aluminum Droplets Behind Shock Waves in Water, Phys. Fluids 6 (11), November 1994, pp. 3513-15 describes the reaction of gram quantities of molten aluminum with water under sustained pressure pulses of up to 40.8 Mpa in a hydrodynamic shock tube. Conditions are identified under which the thermal interaction develops into chemical ignition and total combustion events in the aluminum-water explosion.
Electrically triggered explosive devices are not per se novel. Electrical current has been used for more than one hundred years to ignite detonators, as for example with TNT or dynamite charges. Electrical signals are also used with modern explosive devices, including Explosive Bridge Wires and their membrane equivalents. Explosive bridge wires are thin wire(s) placed adjacent to an explosive charge. The wire(s) or membranes (exploding foil initiators) are very thin and have very low mass relative to the total mass of the charge (considerably less than 1% by weight). These films or wire(s) are placed adjacent to the explosive mass, and are electrically connected to a charge generator. The charge causes the wire to burst, creating a shock wave into and through the explosive material which initiates or enhances the explosive effect of the charge. The products of the reaction may react with the burst wire or foil in a redox reaction.
The nature of explosions and ignitions also varies according to different needs. For example, some ignitions (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,175) are seeking high temperature ignitions to initiate thermal reactions in proximity to the ignition of the incendiary fill. Other explosive materials seek to provide high pressures to impact and act on materials in close proximity to the blast. Each of these different techniques among ignition types and explosion effects requires differentiation among the materials used and the ignitions provided in the practice of the technologies. All of the above cited references are incorporated herein by reference for all of their teachings relating to the field of explosives, activators, detonators, electronics, materials and the like.


A local client computer includes a local hypertext server, a local application program, and a downloader for downloading a copy of a remote network document (local copy), that is accessible by the local application program, onto the client computer. When connected to the network, a downloader is executed to create the local copy on the client. When disconnected, the local copy may be accessed and modified through the client browser in a manner that is similar to when the client is connected to the network.

FIG. 1 shows a commonly used network arrangement in which a plurality of local computer systems in a local area network (LAN) may access a plurality of remote servers through the Internet. Each remote server may include World Wide Web sites (web sites) that each include a plurality of World Wide Web pages (web pages). Each local computer system may access the remote web sites with web browser software, such as Netscape Navigator.TM., available from Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View, Calif.
The World Wide Web is a collection of servers on the Internet that utilize the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is a known application protocol that provides users with access to files (which can be in different formats, such as text, graphics, images, sound, and video) using a standard page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). HTML is used to transmit data and instructions between a remote computer (server) and a local computer (client) in a form that is understandable to the browser software on the client computer. More particularly, HTML files may include many different types of format descriptions that are translated and displayed by the client browser. One such format description, for example, may describe a template for receiving information that is intended to modify a selected database on a remote server. A remote database application program, also stored on the remote server, receives the information from the template and consequently modifies the database. Information entered in the template by the client browser typically is transferred into the database, via the database application program, by an interface specification (interface) that is a part of a hypertext server within the server. The interface format may be any known interface format such as, for example, Common Gateway Interface (CGI), Internet Server Application Program Interface (ISAPI, co-developed by Microsoft Corporation and Process Software Company), or JAVA Applet (developed by Sun Microsystems). CGI is discussed in more detail in "The WWW Common Gateway Interface", version 1.1, in Internet draft form, dated Feb. 16, 1996, by DRT Robinson.
As shown in simplified form in FIG. 2, the interface is a data specification used by the hypertext server to format data transferred between the client web browser and a database application program stored on the server (application program). More particularly, the hypertext server first extracts data submitted from the templates (by the client browser), translates such data into the format of the interface specification, and then transmits the translated data to the application program to update the data stored in the database. After the database is updated, the hypertext server may create a new HTML document reflecting the modifications to the database. The new HTML document then may be transmitted to the client, through the network, for review by the users of the client.
Problems arise, however, when the client is not connected to the network and thus, not able to access the database or the application program. Specifically, the client can not modify the database until reconnected to the network.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an apparatus and method that enables a client to locally update a database, normally located on a remote server, when the client is not connected to the network.

Method and apparatus for modifying copies of remotely stored documents using a web browser


Our cylindrical TPV generator uses low bandgap PV cells mounted on circuits in a polygonal array around an IR emitter. The combustion gases are completely contained within the radiant tube burner. The PV array is mounted inside a leak-tight envelope cooled on its outer surface by either water or air flow. Flanges on either end of this PV array container allow for hermetic seals. A folded back coaxial emitter support tube provides a long path length limiting thermal conduction along its cylindrical wall from the very hot emitter section to the cooled seal flange. In our improved cylindrical TPV generator, we provide for a low temperature catalytic after-burn by providing a perforated turnaround plate coupling between the inner disk stack and the outer disk stack. This perforated turnaround plate provides a small amount of combustion air for the after-burn. A catalyst coating can be provided on the hotter surface of the outer finned disks. The after-burn occurs in the outer finned disk stack. Additional features are incorporated in our cylindrical TPV generator to provide for high conversion efficiency.

We have previously described a cylindrical ThermoPhotoVoltaic (TPV) generator in which combustion is used to heat a cylindrical tube to a temperature in the range of 1200 C. to 1500 C. This glowing tube then emits infrared radiant energy. An array of low bandgap photovoltaic (PV) cells surrounds this glowing emitter, receives the infrared radiant energy, and converts it to electricity. Our previously described cylindrical TPV generator was also equipped with a recuperator used to recycle heat from the combustion exhaust stream back into the combustion air for a higher efficiency TPV generator. We have noted that these cylindrical TPV generators can potentially be used to generate heat and power for the home with 90% fuel utilization efficiency.
In a separate more recent patent, we have described an AntiReflection coated Refractory Metal (AR/RM) IR emitter designed to emit infrared energy primarily in a wavelength band that the PV cells can convert. However, many of these AR/RM emitters cannot be operated in air because of oxidation of the refractory metal. In our specific TPV systems, we use GaSb PV cells that respond to IR wavelengths out to 1.8 microns and AR coated tungsten foil as the key emitter and receiver components. However in our previous patents, we have noted that various other material combinations are possible as long as they operate in this IR wavelength range.
There is a need to design a cylindrical TPV generator with a hermetic seal that allows the AR/RM emitter to operate in a non-oxidizing inert gas atmosphere. This hermetic seal design must minimize heat transfer from the very hot emitter support tube to the hermetic seal. Furthermore, for the home Combined Heat and Power (CHP) application, there is a need for a low NOx burner/recuperator combination. The recuperator design needs to be compact, inexpensive to fabricate, and integrated with the hermetic seal and low NOx requirements. Finally, the generator design needs to produce electricity with a conversion efficiency as high as possible.
Our cylindrical TPV generator uses low bandgap PV cells mounted on circuits in a polygonal array around an IR emitter. The IR emitter is located on the outside surface of a radiant tube burner coaxial with the PV array. The combustion gases are completely contained within the radiant tube burner. The PV array is mounted inside a leak-tight envelope cooled on its outer surface by either water or air flow. Flanges on either end of this PV array container allow for hermetic seals. The flange on one end of this PV container seals to a flange on the end of the emitter support tube. This seal allows the space between the emitter and the PV array to be back-filled with an inert gas. However in order to avoid overheating this seal, the emitter support tube is elongated extending into the recuperator section and then folded back exiting the recuperator with a slightly larger coaxial tube connecting to a flange sealing to the Photovoltaic Converter Array (PCA). This folded back coaxial emitter support tube provides a long path length limiting thermal conduction along its cylindrical wall from the very hot emitter section to the cooled seal flange.
The folded back emitter support tube blends nicely with a two stage folded back recuperator assembly consisting of two sets of finned disks. A stack of smaller finned disks is located inside the emitter support tube and a second stack of larger finned disks is located outside the fold back section. The dual disk stack design has several advantages. First, it is very compact being much shorter in length than a single disk stack. Second, it is more efficient than a single disk stack because the hottest section is inside cooler sections. In a single disk stack, the outer section is the hottest. The third advantage is somewhat subtle. This design allows for a low NOx burner/recuperator assembly.
It is desirable for a home TPV generator to operate with low NOx. However, high NOx can be a problem for a high temperature burner. A solution to this NOx problem is to burn the fuel at high temperature with no excess oxygen so that little NOx is generated. However, this fuel rich burn leaves CO and hydrocarbons. These can be eliminated in a low temperature after-burn with a catalyst. In our improved cylindrical TPV generator, we provide for a low temperature catalytic after-burn by providing a perforated turnaround plate coupling between the inner disk stack and the outer disk stack. This perforated turnaround plate provides a small amount of combustion air for the after-burn. A catalyst coating can be provided on the hotter surface of the outer finned disks. The after-burn occurs in the outer finned disk stack.
Additional features are incorporated in our cylindrical TPV generator to provide for high conversion efficiency. Mirrors are located at the ends of the PV array to confine the IR energy between the emitter and the array. Also, the inner burner tube within the emitter support tube can be tapered in order to optimize the emitter temperature profile along the length of the emitter. Both of these provisions provide for uniform illumination of the cells so that all of the cells in a series string generate approximately the same current.
These and further and other objects and features of the invention are apparent in the disclosure, which includes the above and ongoing written specification, with the claims and the drawings.

TPV cylindrical generator for home cogeneration


The present invention provides a method and apparatus for introducing gases into a processing chamber and cleaning isolated surfaces thereof. In one embodiment, the apparatus provides a gas distribution system which comprises a face plate and a blocker plate located adjacent the face plate wherein the blocker plate is electrically insulated from the face plate. An RF power source is electrically connected to the face plate and a switch that selectively connects the blocker plate to the RF power source or grounds the blocker plate. When the power source is applied to the faceplate and the blocker plate is grounded, an energy potential is formed between the face plate and the blocker plate. The energy potential is sufficient to strike a plasma from cleaning gases introduced into the gas distribution system to clean the apertures and surfaces of both the face plate and the blocker plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for introducing gases into a processing chamber and a method of cleaning the components of the apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a gas distribution plate for introducing gases into a processing chamber and a method for electrically isolating components of the gas distribution plate to form a plasma within the gas distribution plate to thereby effectively perform an in situ clean of the surfaces within the gas distribution plate by plasma enhanced chemical reactions.
2. Background of the Related Art
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a process often used in the fabrication of integrated circuits to form thin films on the surface of substrates or to etch films therefrom. CVD processes, such as those used in the fabrication of integrated circuits, are carried out in process chambers which typically include a gas distribution assembly through which gases are introduced into the process chamber. Gas distribution assemblies are commonly utilized in CVD chambers to uniformly distribute gases over the substrate surface upon their introduction into the chamber. Uniform gas distribution is necessary to enhance uniform deposition characteristics on the surface of a substrate positioned in the chamber for processing.
Generally, a gas distribution assembly includes a grounded gas inlet manifold connected to a gas source to provide gases to a process chamber. The gas inlet manifold inlets gases into a gas gas diffuser to uniformly introduce gases into the CVD chamber above a substrate surface. Referring to FIG. 1, a gas diffuser system 10 communicates directly with the CVD chamber and typically includes a gas injection cover plate 14, a blocker plate 40, and a face plate 33 to evenly disperse gases inlet from a single gas feed line over at least the area of the substrate while minimizing turbulent gas flow. The blocker plate 40 is generally a flat, annular plate member having a plurality of very small apertures or holes passing therethrough to disperse the gas inlet therein uniformly into a space above the face plate 33. The gas is typically inlet from a single gas line wherein the reactant and carrier gases have been mixed, thereby providing a high concentration of gas over the center of the blocker plate 40 at a localized area. The face plate 33 is also a generally flat, annular member having a plurality of apertures or holes, larger than the apertures of the blocker plate 40, through which the gases pass or diffuse to provide a uniform concentration of gases evenly over the substrate.
As further shown in FIG. 1, the face plate 33 is typically disposed below the blocker plate 40 and at least partially forms the upper boundary of the processing region 76 of the chamber. Accordingly, the gases flow through the small apertures of the blocker plate 40 and subsequently through the apertures of the face plate 33 and into the chamber where they undergo plasma assisted chemical reactors. A substrate is typically positioned within the chamber on a substrate support member 72. The gas diffuser 10 is electrically biased by an RF power source 15 to generate a plasma in processing region 76. Precursor gases are inlet through the cover plate 14 and flow into the region 41 above the blocker plate 40. The gases are then dispersed above the blocker plate 40 and pass through the apertures formed in the blocker plate and into a space 78 above the face plate 33. The gases are then further dispersed over the upper surface of the face plate 33 and pass through the apertures formed in the face plate to uniformly distribute the gases over the surface of the substrate where the gases react with one another and deposit on the substrate.
Problems have arisen in utilizing the currently available gas distribution plates and other gas inlet means when the gases undergo unwanted chemical reactions in the gas distribution plate or gas inlet means and deposit therein, typically blocking the small passages of the inlet means, such as the small apertures formed in the blocker plate 40 or even the larger apertures of a face plate 33. The apertures formed in the blocker plate 40 are typically smaller than the apertures formed through the face plate 33 and are much more easily clogged by deposition of reactant gases which are introduced through the gas injection cover plate 14. As a result, the apertures formed through the blocker plate 40 may become clogged following about 1000 to 2000 deposition cycles. These deposits are particularly troubling since the gas diffuser system 10 facilitates uniform deposition of film layers on the substrates by evenly distributing the gases over the surface of the substrate. The rate of buildup of material within the gas diffuser system 10 can be substantially greater than in other areas of the chamber due to the high concentration of precursor and reactant gases and the close proximity of the plasma. After further repetitive CVD processes, the deposits will eventually clog the apertures in the gas diffuser system 10 and require a system shutdown so that the gas diffuser system can be replaced. A system shutdown is very costly due to the downtime and, in addition, a gas diffuser system which cannot be cleaned must be replaced which increases the manufacturing cost.
It would be desirable to clean the gas distribution assembly including the gas diffuser system 10 without the need to remove the gas diffuser system from the chamber, such as when a routine plasma cleaning operation is performed in the chamber. In situ cleaning of the internal chamber walls is typically accomplished by introducing reactive cleaning gases into the chamber, grounding the chamber walls, applying an RF voltage to the gas diffuser system 10 to generate a plasma between the gas diffuser system 10 and the substrate support member 72, and using the plasma to enhance the reaction between the cleaning gases and the material deposited on the surfaces within the chamber . Reaction products are formed which can easily be exhausted from the chamber. During this cleaning process, the face plate 33 may be at least partially cleaned because the plasma is generated adjacent to the face plate allowing the chemical reaction between the cleaning gases and the deposition material formed on the face plate to occur. However, the blocker plate 40, as well as other components of the gas diffuser system 10, are isolated from the plasma region. Therefore, the typical in situ chamber cleaning process is not effective at cleaning material which is deposited within the gas diffuser system 10, especially the small apertures in the blocker plate 40.
Presently, there does not exist an effective self-cleaning blocker plate or a method of cleaning a blocker plate in situ. As a result, the entire gas diffuser system must be removed and replaced. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus for introducing gases into a processing chamber and a method for in situ cleaning of gas inlet components which are typically isolated from the plasma region within a chamber and are susceptible to build up of deposition material thereon. It would be desirable if the apparatus were simple and economical to reduce manufacturing costs.

Method and apparatus for self-cleaning a blocker plate