A MFMIS memory device is provided with an inverted T-shaped gate stack, which is formed using only one word line mask. The MFMIS memory device is formed using one word line mask, which forms the word line, and using spacers to form an inverted T-shaped gate stack, which is compatible with self-aligned etch processes.

Memory devices including ferroelectric films have attracted attention for their nonvolatile characteristics. Such memory devices are also desirable for high speed reading and writing capabilities that result from their non-destructive read out memory characteristics, which results from storing information as a polarization direction rather than as a charge on a capacitor.
Ferroelectric memory devices may comprise various components. One type of a ferroelectric random access memory ("FeRAM") has a two transistor, two capacitor configuration similar to a DRAM. Such a device is discussed in greater detail in "Ferroelectric Memory Applications," J. F. Scott, et al., ULTRASONIC SYMPOSIUM, 299 (1989). Another type of FeRAM is a transistor-cell type—ferroelectric field effect transistor ("FeFET")—which stores data in ferroelectric gate transistors, and which requires no capacitor structure similar to a DRAM. The latter type of FeRAM provides the advantages over the first type of occupying less surface area and providing non-destructive readout.
Various types of FeFETs may be constructed, each having its own advantages and drawbacks. The various types may include an MFS FET, which comprises a metal layer, a ferroelectric layer, and a semiconductor layer; an MFIS FET, which comprises a metal layer, a ferroelectric layer, an insulator layer, and a semiconductor layer; an MFMS FET, which comprises a metal layer, a ferroelectric layer, a metal layer, and a semiconductor layer; and an MFMIS FET, which comprises a metal layer, a ferroelectric layer, a metal layer, an insulator layer, and a semiconductor layer.
Although FeFET devices possess many desirable characteristics, many problems have been encountered in attempts to fabricate certain types of efficient FeFET devices. For example, it is difficult to form an acceptable crystalline ferroelectric film directly on semiconductor material. Additionally, because of a chemical reaction between ferroelectric and semiconductor materials, it is difficult to have a clean interface between the ferroelectric material and the semiconductor material as ferroelectric material may diffuse into a silicon substrate. Further, there may be a problem retaining an adequate electric charge in the ferroelectric material.
In the past, these problems have been addressed with the MFMIS FET. The MFMIS FET provides a metal layer between the ferroelectric layer and semiconductor layer, thus providing a buffer layer. The composition and past methods of fabricating an MFMIS FET circuit presents problems of their own. An MFMIS FET includes an MIS capacitor in series with an MFM capacitor. For efficient low voltage operation of the MFMIS FET, the capacitance ratio between the MFM capacitor and the MIS capacitor cannot be too large. However, because the dielectric constant of ferroelectric materials is higher than that of an insulator, the MFM capacitor may have a higher capacitance than the MIS capacitor. Consequently, the MIS capacitance should be increased for efficient operation.
Possible ways to increase the MIS capacitance include the following approaches. First, the gate dielectric layer of the MIS capacitor, i.e., the insulator layer, may be thinned-down. Second, the gate dielectric of the MIS capacitor may be replaced with another material having high dielectric properties. And third, the physical area of the MIS capacitor may be made larger than that of the MFM capacitor.
In the past, the approach of increasing the physical area of the MIS capacitor led to the formation of an MFMIS FET device in the shape of an inverted-T (herein after referred to as "inverted T-shaped gate stack"), which required two photoresist masks in forming the word line. As shown in FIG. 1, an MFMIS FET device 100 in the prior art comprises a substrate 101, a doped region 102, a contact plug 103, an isolation region 104, and an inverted T-shaped gate stack 105, including a first electrode layer 106, a ferroelectric layer 107, a second electrode layer 108, an insulator layer 109, and substrate 101. MFMIS FeFET device 100 is formed using more than one word line mask—a first word line mask is used to etch second electrode layer 108 and insulator layer 109, and a second word line mask is used to etch first electrode layer 106 and ferroelectric layer 107, thus forming an MIS capacitor physically larger than an MFM capacitor. Increasing the number of word line masks increases the risk of leakage and short circuits as a result of misalignment and is incompatible with self-aligned contact etch processes commonly used for cell area reduction. To prevent leakage or a short circuit, isolation region 104 requires extra spacing between a contact plug 103 and an inverted T-shaped gate stack 105 to prevent, for example, shorts. Isolation region 104 may comprise, for example, a dielectric material.
To overcome the problems of the prior art, a MFMIS device with an inverted T-shaped gate stack formed using one word line mask and compatible with self-aligned contact processes is desired.

Method of forming ferroelectric memory cell


A spar for a wind turbine blade includes at least one shear web extending between pressure and suction sides of the blade; and a joint, arranged substantially midway between ends of the shear web, for sizing the shear web. The joint may include a resilient and/or expandable spacer.

1. Technical Field
The subject matter described here generally relates to fluid reaction surfaces with specific blade structures that are formed with a main spar, and, more particularly, to wind turbine blade spars having jointed shear webs.
2. Related Art
A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in wind into mechanical energy. If that mechanical energy is used directly by machinery, such as to pump water or to grind wheat, then the wind turbine may be referred to as a windmill. Similarly, if the mechanical energy is further transformed into electrical energy, then the turbine may be referred to as a wind generator or wind power plant.
Wind turbines use one or more airfoils in the form of a "blade" to generate lift and capture momentum from moving air that is them imparted to a rotor. Each blade is typically secured at its "root" end, and then "spans" radially "outboard" to a free, "tip" end. The front, or "leading edge," of the blade connects the forward-most points of the blade that first contact the air. The rear, or "trailing edge," of the blade is where airflow that has been separated by the leading edge rejoins after passing over the suction and pressure surfaces of the blade. A "chord line" connects the leading and trailing edges of the blade in the direction of the typical airflow across the blade.
Wind turbines are typically categorized according to the vertical or horizontal axis about which the blades rotate. One so-called horizontal-axis wind generator is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. This particular configuration for a wind turbine 2 includes a tower 4 supporting a drive train 6 with a rotor 8 that is covered by a protective enclosure referred to as a "nacelle." The blades 10 are arranged at one end of the rotor 8 outside the nacelle for driving a gearbox 12 connected to an electrical generator 14 at the other end of the drive train 6 inside the nacelle.
The blades 10 for such wind turbines 2 are typically fabricated by securing various "shell" and/or "rib" portions to one or more "spar" members extending spanwise along the inside of the blade for carrying most of the weight and aerodynamic forces on the blade. Spars are typically configured as I-shaped beams having a web, referred to as a "shear web," extending between two flanges, referred to as "caps" or "spar caps," that are secured to the inside of the suction and pressure surfaces of the blade. However, other spar configurations may also be used including, but not limited to "C-," "L-," "T-," "X-," "K-," and/or box-shaped beams. The shear web may also be utilized without caps.
For example, one so-called "box-spar" blade configuration with forward and aft shear webs extending between the ends of two spar caps is illustrated in the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Publication No. NREL/SR-500-29492 (April 2001). Commonly-assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/684,230 filed on Mar. 9, 2007 by Alhoff et al. discloses various other configurations, including web portions that are adhesively bonded to and/or integrated with shell portions of the blade. In one embodiment, an adhesive joint is disposed between web portions extending from two integrated shells. Other embodiments include spar caps which are adhesively joined to shell portions and/or web portions. The adhesive joints may also include incorporation into the shell portions by matrix infusion.
However, such conventional approaches have been found to suffer from a variety of drawbacks. For example, turbine blade shells and spars must often be manufactured with large dimensional tolerances. Those tolerances can then accumulate to create wide gaps where the parts are joined together and/or joined with other parts of the blade 10. As illustrated in the schematic cross section of the wind turbine blade 10 that is shown in FIG. 2, any dimensional discrepancies between the shell 20 and the spar 22 will increase the amount of bonding material 24 that is required in order to fill the resulting gaps between the shell and the spar and/or the gaps between the shear web 26 and/or the spar caps 28. Such thick bond lines can add substantial weight and stress to the blade. Moreover, these low-strength, high-weight bond lines are located just where stresses on the blade are likely to be highest.

Wind turbine spars with jointed shear webs


A sanitary cell includes a sanitary chamber, a first technical equipment chamber, for accommodating toilet bowl cleaning appliances, and a wall, which separates the two chambers and which supports, on its opposite sides, two toilet bowls which are located in the sanitary and first technical equipment chambers, respectively. The toilet bowl, which is located in the sanitary chamber, has an opening which points upwardly. The toilet bowl, which is located in the first technical equipment chamber, has an opening which points downwardly. A second technical equipment chamber is located beneath the floor of the sanitary chamber. A separating wall pivots about a horizontal axis to enable the pivoting of the toilet bowls from the first technical equipment chamber, through the second technical equipment chamber, and into the sanitary chamber, so that the toilet bowls can be cleaned. The sanitary and technical equipment chambers have respective openings in the area of the respective bowls so as to accommodate their pivotal movement.

A particular problem with all public sanitary installations known up to the present is the cleanness. With facilities which are used by many people it is moreover desired that after each use the installation can be cleaned and disinfected.
The sanitary installations known so far are cleaned and disinfected by hand after each use. From this it follows that frequently it is cleaned only once a day. Up to the present such installations have been cleaned such that the cleaning or service personnel used the same door as the user to enter the sanitary installation. This leads to the fact that it is only cleaned at irregular intervals. Apart from the unhygienic state of such manually cleaned installations resulting therefrom, the operating costs are a lot higher due to the personnel wages.
From DE patent 28 51 036 the automatic cleaning of a toilet bowl is known. In this case the toilet bowl is pivoted out of the cabin section into a separate cleaning section positioned behind it and is cleaned by means of a rotating brush. The cleaning section is not accessible to the user. On the other side, the cleaning section is provided with a separate entrance for the service personnel. It is a drawback of this installation that in the course of cleaning of the toilet bowl the facility is not at the user's disposal. That is, as long as it is cleaned the user will always have to wait patiently until the cleaning of the toilet bowl is completed.
From U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,726 an automatic cleaning device for toilet bowls is known in which said toilet bowls can be pivoted around an axis and are pressed against a cleaning device. In contrast to DE patent 28 51 036 no pivoting takes place out of the sanitary cabin section into a separate cleaning section. According to that, in this case the problem also lies in the fact that during the cleaning process the sanitary cell is not at the user's disposal.
DE laid-open application 22 63 946 deals with a sanitary installation which is composed of at least two sanitary facilities accomodated in a closed chamber, a toilet and a washbasin, for example. The toilet bowl is cleaned by pivoting it below the washbasin. Here, liquid is pressed into the toilet bowl at a certain pressure via spray heads and thus the toilet bowl is cleaned. It is a disadvantage of this installation that the users have to wait here as well until the cleaning process is completed.
A quite different installation is the device described in European patent application 0035471. This application deals with a lavatory installation where within one housing two bowls are provided which are attached on a shaft which is arranged at an angle. The toilet bowls attached thereto in a laterally reversed manner can be pivoted around this shaft. Consequently, the bowl which is positioned above at first is placed below after the rotation in order to be cleaned there.
However, the bowls used in European patent application 0035471 are not customary in trade but are particularly adapted bowls. The side view shows that these bowls have a triangular shape. Thus, after pivoting the opening of the lower bowl is not arranged in a horizontal plane, that is pointing downwardly, but in a vertical plane, that is pointing to the side. In this position, however, optimum cleaning cannot be achieved.
Additionally, the outlet of the drain pipe does not turn into the cleaning section so that cleaning never takes place here. Therefore, it must optionally be subsequently cleaned by hand. Consequently the sanitary chamber must be closed in the course of subsequent cleaning.
The same applies to various different parts of the lavatory installation which are not automatically cleaned. Classed among those parts are in particular the lid, the outer lining of the casing, the floor of the sanitary chamber as well as the wall to which the toilet bowls are attached.
Moreover, the moveable side walls which abut against the casing of the toilet roll and/or the casing of the siphon are also sensitive to contaminations. These areas abutting against each other take the risk that dirt particles are gathering there and thus lead to unhygienic states.
Furthermore it is to be stated that in contrast to the present invention the control means are accomodated in the closed chamber. Therefore, these parts just as well as the cleaning chamber comprising the nozzles are entirely inspected by the personnel during regular operation. For this, the sanitary chamber rather needs to be closed for users each time and the casing must be opened. Thus, a routine optical supervision or even manual subsequent cleaning during the operation of the device is not possible without interrupting users.
From European patent application 0 199 682 a sanitary cell is finally known which consists of a sanitary chamber comprising sanitary appliances and a technical equipment chamber. The partition wall between these two chambers is composed of an unmoveable and a moveable part. To the moveable part two toilet bowls are attached which are mounted in a mirror-inverted manner with their rear sides facing each other. The moveable part can be rotated about a vertical axis so that it is possible to rotate each toilet bowl from the user position into a cleaning position in the technical equipment chamber. According to that, with this arrangement the disadvantage of the aforementioned systems is avoided that during the cleaning process the sanitary chamber is not accessible to the user. Because while one toilet bowl is cleaned in the technical equipment chamber, another clean one is in the user chamber.
However, the arrangement according to EP 0 199 682 still has some more drawbacks. One disadvantage is that by pivoting around a vertical axis it is necessary to construct sufficiently wide sanitary cells. That means, with the usual arrangement of several sanitary cells next to each other more space is needed than with customary devices. Moreover, the automatic cleaning at the toilet bowl positioned upright includes the risk that it is not sufficiently cleaned. For, on the one hand, water can only be sprayed into the toilet bowl in a limited manner because the flow capacity of the drain pipe lying underneath is only limited. For this reason, the automatic must be adjusted to a longer cleaning period in order to achieve a sufficient cleaning. Moreover a sufficient cleaning in the lower regions of the toilet bowl, in particular at the beginning of the drain pipe where there is permanently stagnant water, cannot be effected with the help of spray water alone. It is rather necessary to use mechanical auxiliary means as well, such as additional brushes, for example. For this reason it turned out that such systems comprising upright toilet bowls cannot be cleaned satifactorily if cleaned in automatic systems.
According to that, it is the object of the present invention to make available a sanitary cell comprising a sanitary chamber which is accessible by a door and which has a toilet bowl, and a wall rotating about a swivelling axis, which wall separates the sanitary chamber from a technical equipment chamber in which the appliances necessary for cleaning the toilet bowls are accomodated, and which supports one toilet bowl each arranged on both sides thereof, and on the whole at least two technical equipment chambers, the bowl positioned in the sanitary chamber being arranged such that it points upwardly with its opening so that the above-described drawbacks of the prior art no longer occur.

Sanitary cell with automatic cleaning device for the toilet bowl


An image of appropriate exposure is obtained in a short period of time. A controller and timing generator performs photometric measurement by use of an image signal acquired from a CCD, and determines appropriate light exposure. The CCD is divided into a plurality of regions: for example, an odd-number line region and an even-number line region. Timing at which accumulated electric charges are read from the respective regions is changed, thereby changing the light exposure of an image signal read from each of the regions. When the amount of light fired during the main flash is adjusted by means of causing a strobe to fire preliminary light, read timing is changed in such a way that an electric charge accumulation period of the odd-number line regions comes to an arbitrary point in time during the course of firing of preliminary light. The amount of main flash light can be determined by means of acquiring a plurality of image signals having different light exposures or a photometric measurement signal through single firing of preliminary flash light.

When a subject is photographed with a digital camera, there has hitherto been a case where the brightness of a subject exceeds a dynamic range of an image sensor when photometric measurement is performed with brightness of the subject being unknown as in the initial start-up stage of a digital camera, switching of a photography mode, e.g., from a review mode to a photography mode, and the like. In such a case, photographing is performed a plurality of times while exposure conditions are being altered, in order to perform photographing operation under appropriate exposure conditions.
In a case where photographing is performed with strobe light being fired, there arises a case where, when the amount of light of the strobe is adjusted by use of firing of preliminary light (strobe light control), photometric measurement over a long range cannot be carried out by a single firing of preliminary light because of limitations on the dynamic range of an image sensor. Even in this case, preliminary flash light is fired a plurality of times while firing conditions are changed. Moreover, in the case of high photographic sensitivity or a high flash guide number, a strobe range becomes longer. When the dynamic range of the image sensor is narrow, there arises a case where photometric measurement cannot be carried out by a single firing of preliminary flash light. Even in this case, preliminary flash light must be fired a plurality of times with the amount of light being changed.
FIG. 8 shows an operation timing chart which is used to set the amount of light to be fired by means of the main flash by firing preliminary flash light a plurality of times. The chart is illustrated while being generally divided into a monitoring period before photography, an evaluation period for controlling the amount of strobe light, and a still image photographing period which is the main photography operation. During the monitoring period, electric charges accumulated in an image sensor such as a CCD are transferred and read as an image signal, and the image signal is subjected to image processing such as compression. The processed image signal is displayed on a display device such as an LCD or the like. A vertical synch signal VD is a signal output every screen of the CCD, and is generated by a timing generator. In synchronism with the vertical synch signal VD, a read pulse SG is supplied to the image sensor, thereby determining read timing. After unwanted electric charges accumulated in the CCD are swept out by means of a sweep pulse signal Sub, exposure is initiated. The accumulated electric charges are sequentially read from the CCD by means of a vertical transfer clock signal VT. During an amount-of-strobe-light detection and evaluation period, a strobe built in or externally attached to the digital camera is driven, to thus effect a first firing of preliminary flash light (preliminary flash) (preliminary flash light 1 in the drawing). The electric charges accumulated in the CCD in the interim are read as an image signal. The thus-read image signal is provided not for display purpose but for photometric measurement purpose. A controller or a microprocessor of the digital camera determines the amount of a second firing of preliminary flash light, on the basis of the result of photometric measurement. In the drawing, the amount of the second firing of preliminary flash light (preliminary flash light 2) is made greater than the amount of the first firing of preliminary flash light. Read timing is determined by the read pulse signal SG, and unwanted electric charges are swept out by the sweep pulse signal Sub, and exposure is initiated. The electric charges accumulated in the CCD during the period of the second firing of preliminary flash light are read as an image signal by use of a vertical transfer clock signal VT. The thus-read image signal is provided not for display purpose but for photometric measurement purpose. On the basis of the first and second firings of preliminary flash light, the controller determines the amount of flash light fired as the main flash, thereby photographing a still image.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-114465 provided below mentions that, when the amount of light based on the first firing of preliminary light (preliminary flash light) is a predetermined value or less, second preliminary flash light is fired while the intensity of flash light is made greater, thereby setting a guide number.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-272071 mentions that intermittent preliminary flash light is fired by means of a PWM trigger pulse signal.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-115161 mentions that the number of times preliminarily flash light is fired and the amount of preliminary flash light are set on the basis of the maximum guide number and the minimum guide number of a strobe as well as on the basis of a dynamic range of a sensor in a dimmer circuit.
However, a configuration for effecting photography a plurality of times or firing preliminary light a plurality of times presents a problem of photoelectric measurement involving consumption of time. Moreover, when preliminary light is fired a plurality of times, many electric charges accumulated in a capacitor provided in a strobe firing control circuit are consumed, thereby posing a problem of a decrease in the guide number during main photography.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A trigger sear is placed between a trigger and a bolt sear. The engagement between the bolt sear and a bolt is removed by pulling the trigger. The bolt makes reciprocating motion in the back and forth direction of the toy gun. While it reciprocates once, the bolt opens and closes a valve portion and fires off a bullet B. When the trigger is pulled, a stopper pawl and a driving pawl are engaged with a control plate having a ratchet gear structure. In conjunction with the reciprocating motion of the bolt, the driving pawl rotates and displaces the control plate in a forward direction. When the toy gun fires a predetermined number of bullets B, a sear bar is displaced. The sear bar moves the trigger sear and causes it to break away from the bolt sear.

There are conventionally burst toy guns used by toy gun enthusiasts for fun in target shooting (plinking) or the like at home. "Burst" cited here refers to continuously firing off a predetermined number of multiple bullets each time a trigger is pulled once. For example, the electric gun described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-101015 includes: a motor that drives a sector gear; a switching portion that energizes this motor; and a counter for specifying the number of times of continuously firing off bullets. The user of this electric gun specifies a desired number of times of continuous firing by the counter in advance. When the user pulls an operating element (trigger) in this state, the motor is driven and the electric gun continuously fires off bullets by the specified number of times of continuous firing. The toy gun described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8 (1996)-145599 is an air gun that uses compressed gas to fire off bullets. This toy gun operates as described below. When the user pulls the trigger of the toy gun described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8 (1996)-145599, a sear that has locked a hammer is moved. As a result, the engagement between the hammer and the sear is removed and the hammer hits a discharge valve to open the valve. Then the gas whose pressure has been accumulated is discharged and a bullet is fired off. About that time, a slide is moved backward by the pressure of the gas. Then the slide is abutted against the hammer and rotates it. This raises the hammer. In this toy gun, further, the slide moves backward and is abutted against a first lever and rotates it downward. A hook bar engaged with a notch of a counter plate is rotated simultaneously with the backward movement of the slide and is shifted to the next notch and engaged with the notch. As a result, the counter plate is pushed down. In the toy gun described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8 (1996)-145599, the above action is repeated each time blowback occurs. When a predetermined number of times of blowback ends, the sear locks the hammer and the engagement between the notch of the counter plate and the hook bar is released. This completes a burst.
However, such toy guns as the electric gun described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-101015 are equipped with components such as a battery, circuit, motor, and the like and this increases their manufacturing cost.
Further, toy guns so configured as to electrically fire off bullets such as BB bullets are weak in impact for firing off bullets. For this reason, a user using such a toy gun cannot obtain satisfaction that will be obtained when the user feels as if he/she used a real gun. The toy gun described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8 (1996)-145599 uses compressed gas to fire off bullets and is superior to the toy gun in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-101015 in that a user can feel as if he/she used a real gun. However, the gun described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8 (1996)-145599 also involves a problem. The number of times of firing is controlled by pushing down the counter plate and this makes its mechanism vertically long and poses limitation on product designs.


A remote switching for handset handsfree speakerphone operation in a telephone system including an “off of shelf” analog half duplex switching speakerphone IC on a base unit and routs handset handsfree signals via a RF link to and from a microphone and a speakerphone of at least one cordless handset. The remote switching provides a handset handsfree feature on any analog and digital platform that is not equipped with DSPs or other digital means for embedded speakerphone algorithms.

I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a cordless telephone system, and more particularly, to a non-DSP (Digital Signal Processing) or non-digital telephone system having a handset handsfree speakerphone feature.
II. Background of the Invention
As shown in FIG. 1, a typical cordless telephone system 10 includes a base unit 11 and at least one cordless handset 12. Base unit 11 is coupled to PSTN 13 via a PSTN interface and communicates with cordless handset 12 via an air interface 14. In operation, when a far end user 15 is speaking, the audio will travel through a telephone line to a line interface circuitry (Hybrid) 111 of base unit 11. The audio is then gone through some gain adjustment and filtering before it is sent to an RF module 112 of the base unit 11. RF module 112 modulates the audio signal to an RF signal for being transmitted by a transceiver 115 via air interface 14 such as an FM radio to cordless handset 12. Cordless handset 12 includes a transceiver 125 that receives the RF signal from base unit 11, an RF module 122 that demodulates the RF signal to the original audio. A receiver 121 of cordless handset 12 receives the original audio and converts the demodulated signal to sound so that a user (not shown) can hear the speech from the far end user. Similarly, when the user speaks, a microphone 123 of cordless handset 12 converts the speech to an electrical signal that is then modulated by RF module 122 and is sent out to base unit 11, where it is demodulated and sent to Hybrid 111 and transmitted to far-end user 15 via PSTN 13.
For digital cordless telephone system, either base unit 11 or handset 12 can also include a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or a digital means such as a powerful microprocessor 113 (only shown in base unit 11 of FIG. 1) to process an embedded speakerphone algorithm that supports a handsfree function. By means of the handsfree speakerphone algorithm, a user can make/receive a telephone call without picking up the handset.
Traditionally, it is difficult to implement the handsfree speakerphone function on a cordless handset of a cordless telephone system that is not equipped with a DSP or microprocessor, for example, an analog telephone system, that can process the embedded speakerphone algorithm. One possible solution to implement such feature is to design with "off the shelf" analog speakerphone IC in the cordless handset. However, the physical size of the IC and its supporting components makes it almost impossible to fit into a normal size handset.
Accordingly, there is a need to design a cordless telephone system that does no equipped with the DSP or digital means to support the handsfree speakerphone function of a normal cordless handset without changing the design of the cordless handset.

Remote switching for handset handsfree speakerphone


A diffuser assembly has pairs of split rings rotationally locked to each other in an alternating array with other pairs of split rings where adjacent pairs are responsive to pressure differential to be biased toward a sliding sleeve or the surrounding housing in an alternating pattern. The split rings are made to have an interference initial fit to the sleeve or housing and the splits on adjacent rings are offset while a relation of a projection to a depression between adjacent rings prevents relative rotation to keep the desired circumferential offset in the splits between adjacent rings. End tapers can bias adjacent pairs in opposed directions responsive to applied differential pressure. The rings are preferably metallic and can have a coating to facilitate relative sliding and enhance durability.

Sliding sleeve valves are used to regulate formation flow into a production string or to balance flows from an interval. The housing has a port as does a sliding sleeve that can move axially within the housing. Normally the sleeve has a series of circumferentially spaced slots that travel past an isolation seal to initiate formation flow into the production tubing. The initial flow has to rush past the seal that is uphole from the housing inlet port. High initial velocities can damage the seal so that in the past diffusers have been used to protect the seal by reducing the fluid velocity that reaches the seal.
One attempt to slow down the fluid velocity has been to use a non-metallic ring, primarily made of PEEK and place the ring upstream from the seal being protected. The problem with such designs is that the material had service limits and the high velocity gas and temperatures in many applications limited the service life of such designs. Such single rings are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,439 as item 38. They were typically installed in an interference fit to the sliding sleeve on the inside and the valve housing on the exterior side. Other sliding sleeve valve designs that have similar components are U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,363,981; 7,921,915 and 7,575,058.
Metal ring diffusers were also used as alternatives to the PEEK designs. The problem with these rings is that they needed too much clearance for mounting purposes and let too much flow at high velocity get to the seal.
What is needed and addressed by the present invention is a diffuser assembly that has the durability feature with the ability to slow or stop the incoming high velocity fluid before it can reach the seal assembly and damage the seal. Thus an assembly of rings is provided that is energized by differential pressure to enhance an initial fit that is at least a clearance fit but preferably is an interference fit to the sliding sleeve on the inside and the surrounding housing on the outside. The rings are fabricated with a bias either toward the sleeve or the surrounding housing and are preferably disposed in alternating arrangements. Sloping surfaces are used in conjunction with pressure differential to further bias some rings inwardly and adjacent rings outwardly. In another variation the rings are split and matched in pairs that are biased out alternating with pairs biased to move in. The rings that move in a given direction can be split with the splits offset circumferentially and the relative position of the adjacent rings that move in a given direction prevented from relative rotation using a projection on one ring registering with a depression on an adjacent ring for each pair of rings that are designed to move either inwardly toward the sleeve or outwardly toward the surrounding housing. These and other features of the present invention will be more readily understood by those skilled in the art from a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be found in the appended claims.


The invention relates to a set of combinatorially labeled oligonucleotide probes each member thereof: (i) having a predetermined label distinguishable from the label of any other member of said set, and (ii) being capable of specifically hybridizing with a predetermined chromosome or nucleic acid molecule, and to the use of such molecules, alone or in concert with nucleic acid amplification methods.

The determination of the presence and condition of chromosomes and chromosomal fragments in a biological sample is of immense importance in the diagnosis of disease. Traditionally, such determinations have been done manually by inspecting metaphase chromosomal preparations that have been treated with specialized stains to reveal characteristic banding patterns. Unfortunately, the interpretation of such banding patterns requires substantial skill and is technically difficult. Hence, alternate methods of analyzing chromosomal presence and arrangement have been sought.
One alternative approach to the problem of chromosome identification has involved the use of labeled chromosome-specific oligonucleotide probes to label repetitive sequences of interphase chromosomes (Cremer, T. et al., Hum. Genet. 74:346-352 (1986); Cremer, T. et al., Exper. Cell Res. 176:119-220 (1988)). Such methods have been shown to be useful in the prenatal diagnosis of Down's Syndrome, as well as in the detection of chromosomal abnormalities associated with tumor cell lines. Chromosome-specific probes of repetitive DNA that localize to discrete sub-regions of a chromosome are, however, unsuitable for analyses of many types of chromosomal abnormalities (e.g., translocations or deletions).
Ward, D. C. et al. (PCT Application WO/05789, herein incorporated by reference) discloses a chromosomal in situ suppression ("CISS") hybridization method for specifically labeling selected mammalian chromosomes in a manner that permits the recognition of chromosomal aberrations. In that method, sample DNA is denatured and permitted to hybridize with a mixture of fluorescently labeled chromosome-specific probes having high genetic complexity and unlabeled non-specific competitor probes. Chromosomal images were obtained as described by Manuelidis, L. et al. (Chromosoma 96:397-410 (1988), herein incorporated by reference). The method provides a rapid and highly specific assessment of individual mammalian chromosomes. The method permits, by judicious selection of appropriate probes and/or labels, the visualization of sub-regions of some or all of the chromosomes in a preparation. For example, by using more than one probe, each specific for a sub-region of a target chromosome, the method permits the simultaneous analysis of several sub-regions on that chromosome. The number of available fluorophores limits the number of chromosomes or chromosomal sub-regions that can be simultaneously visualized.
As described in PCT Application WO/05789, a "combinatorial" variation of the CISS method can be employed. In the simplest case, two fluors permit three different chromosomes or chromosomal sub-regions to be simultaneously visualized. In this variation, a hybridization probe mixture is made from a single set of probe sequences composed of two halves, each separately labeled with a different fluorophore. Upon hybridization, the two fluorophores produce a third fluorescence signal that is optically distinguishable from the color of the individual fluorophores. Extension of this approach to Boolean combinations of n fluorophores permits the labeling of 2.sup.n -1 chromosomes.
Ried, T. et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (U.S.A.) 89:1388-1392 (1992), herein incorporated by reference) describes the use of an epi-fluorescent microscope equipped with a digital imaging camera and computer software to "pseudocolor" the fluorescence patterns obtained from simultaneous in situ hybridization with seven probes using three fluorophores. The use of wavelength-selective filters allows one to isolate and collect separate gray scale images of each fluorophore. These images can be subsequently merged via appropriate software. The sensitivity and linearity of CCD cameras surmounts the technical difficulties inherent in color film-based photomicroscopy.
Although such efforts have increased the number of chromosomes that can be simultaneously detected and analyzed using in situ hybridization methods, it would be highly desirable to define a set of fluorophores having distinguishable emission spectra to permit the simultaneous detection and analysis of large numbers of different chromosomes and chromosomal sub-regions. The present invention provides such reagents as well as methods and apparatus for their use.

Multiparametric fluorescence in situ hybridization


An electrochemical gas sensor includes a sensor housing having a plurality of inlet passages, wherein each of the plurality of inlet passages has a cross-sectional area of no greater than 11,309 μm2. The electrochemical gas sensor further includes a working electrode within the housing which is responsive to an analyte gas and an electrolyte within the sensor housing in ionic contact with the working electrode.

The following information is provided to assist the reader in understanding technologies disclosed below and the environment in which such technologies may typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the technologies or the background thereof. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
The performance of electrochemical sensors (including sensitivity and response times) fluctuate with changes in environmental conditions such as temperature and relative humidity. Frequent calibrations of electrochemical sensors are recommended as a result of such fluctuations. Further, the effects are somewhat predictable, and compensation to sensor output can be made using various techniques. However, it is desirable to reduce the magnitude and speed of fluctuations resulting from changes in, for example, environmental conditions to reduce the requirement for frequent calibration and to provide even more accurate corrections for sensor response.


Systems, methods, and devices for using body-worn RFID tags related instrumentation located in the premises where a monitored person is located to prevent or detect specific types of movements of the person, such as falls from which the person has not recovered, wandering, bed egress, attempted room egress, and medication errors. The body-worn RFID tags may include an upper body RFID tag located in a wrist band and a lower body RFID tag located in a sock worn by the monitored person. The RFID instrumentation located in the premises may include one or more antennas located in the floor, door, bed frame, and mattress. The systems may also activate response actions upon detecting specified movements, such as sending an alert message to a patient monitoring system, activating an alarm, activating an camera, and/or playing a recorded message to the person.

Falls are a serious health problem for all types of people, especially elderly people in all countries. M. Tinetti interviewed 336 people who were 75 yrs or older, living at home in New Haven, Conn. (Reference: Predictors and prognosis of inability to get up after falls among elderly persons. JAMA, January 1993, v. 269(1), p. 65-70). These elderly adults claimed that during the previous twelve months, 32% had one or more falls, and 24% had serious injuries including 6% with fractures. In a comparable study, A. Blake contacted 1042 people 65 yrs or older, living at home in England (Reference: Falls by elderly people at home: prevalence and associated factors. Age and Aging, 1988, v. 17, p. 365-372). During the preceding twelve months, 35% had one or more falls, i.e. 53% due to tipping, 8% due to dizziness, 6% due to blackouts and 19% uncertain. According to R. Cumming some medications increase the risk of multiple falls/yr, e.g. Diazepam (3.7× more likely), Diltiazem (1.8× more likely), Diuretics (1.8× more likely) and Laxatives (2.1× more likely) (Reference: Medications and multiple falls in elderly people: The St. Louis OASIS Study. Aging, November 1991, v. 20(6) p. 455-461).
According to J. Sutton, falls among elderly hospital patients in England are the most common type of self-inflicted accident (Reference: Patient Accidents in hospitals: incidence, documentation and significance. British Journal of Clinical Practice, March-April, 1994, v. 48(2), p. 63-66). J. Yaretzky studied a population of 609 hospital patients (447 females+162 men) in Israel with a mean age of 84 yrs (Reference: Falls in elderly patients in an institution. School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, December 1999, v. 121(12), p. 503-505). During a 2-month period, 18% of the patients had one or more serious falls. Older patients fell mostly while getting in and out of bed. Yaretzky also concluded that sleeping pills and psychotropic drugs increase the likelihood of falls. During the next decade of continuing hospital cutbacks and increasing patient-to-nurse ratios, the front-line nurses will require more assistive devices to increase their efficiency and ability to detect patient falls.
To prevent falls, there is a separate need to detect when a patient confined to bed is about to get out of bed or has gotten out of bed, i.e. bed egress. There is also a separate need to detect when a patient is wandering into areas in which the patient is not authorized to access.

Using RFID to prevent or detect falls, wandering, bed egress and medication errors


A coupler for an IV stand and a mobile patient transporter having a first coupling block mounted on the IV stand and a second coupling block mounted on the patient transporter. A connecting bar interconnects the coupling blocks with locking means formed in the coupling blocks to secure the connecting bar thereto.

Generally in hospitals, nursing homes and like institutions, when an individual is interconnected to an intravenous bottle, the bottle is attached to a conventional mobile IV support stand. When it becomes necessary to move the patient from one location to another, normally the patient transport means is in the form of a wheelchair, gurney or hospital bed. Usually the patient is required to grasp the IV stand pole while being pushed down a long hallway by a hospital attendant. At other times, it is necessary for the medical technician to both push the patient transport means and maneuver the IV stand. Of course, either procedure is awkward and inefficient. Also, since health care facilities have far fewer IV stands than wheelchairs, beds, etc., it is impractical to permanently affix an IV stand to each and every patient transport means. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to quickly disconnect an IV stand from one transport means and reconnect it to another.

Coupler for a mobile intravenous support stand and mobile patient transport means


Improved systems and methods are provided for transcribing audio files of voice mails sent over a unified messaging system. Customized grammars specific to a voice mail recipient are created and utilized to transcribe a received voice mail by comparing the audio file to commonly utilized words, names, acronyms, and phrases used by the recipient. Key elements are identified from the resulting text transcription to aid the recipient in processing received voice mails based on the significant content contained in the voice mail.

Unified messaging systems commonly include an integration of various communications technologies such as email, voice mail, fax, and the like into a single service. Voice mails are typically received in a recipient's inbox as audio file attachments to an email. However, the nature of an audio file attachment is such that a recipient receiving a voice mail cannot simply determine the contents of the voice mail by viewing the audio file. Neither can a recipient identify which voice mail attachments are more important than others.
Speech-to-text software can be utilized to convert voice mail audio files into text files that can be visually read by a recipient. By processing an audio file through a speech-to-text module, a textual representation, such as a body of an email, or a file can be created that may be viewed by a recipient on a computer screen, a personal data assistant (PDA) screen, and the like. However, to be effective, speech-to-text software must address very complex variations in the audio file in order to determine the correct word that matches a vocal utterance. Due to variations in the voice utilized by a sender, speech-to-text transcription does not always result in accurate results. Furthermore, words or acronyms that may be commonly spoken in a group of people or a profession may not be recognized by the speech-to-text module. Thus, a text file of a voice mail audio file may contain unintelligible sentences or characters that cause the text file to be difficult to read and frustrate the benefits of a unified messaging system.


A path searcher used in a receiver includes a power delay profile generating unit configured to generate a power delay profile based on a signal received by the receiver, a sidelobe generating unit configured to identify a sidelobe component of a path contained in the power delay profile based on a response characteristic of a band-limiting filter of the receiver, a sidelobe removing unit configured to remove the sidelobe component from the power delay profile to produce a corrected power delay profile, and a path timing detection unit configured to detect a path timing based on the corrected power delay profile.

In general, a signal transmitted from a wireless transmitter reaches a wireless receiver as direct wave. In addition to or in place of the direct wave, one or more reflected waves reflected from buildings, obstacles, or the earth also reach the wireless receiver. The direct wave and/or the reflected waves constitute a series of arriving waves standing on the time axis, which then define a multi-path power delay profile. By accurately distinguishing the amplitudes and the timings of these paths, the original signal transmitted from a wireless transmitter can be restored to a satisfactory degree in wireless telecommunications.
Path timing in the power delay profile is detected using a technique called "path search". In conventional path search, the threshold based on noise level is set to a certain level, and a path is detected based on whether the power level of the path exceeds the threshold based on the noise level. An example of the conventional path search technique is disclosed in JP 2001-217747A.
However, some of the path candidates appearing in the power delay profile arise from the sidelobe component of the path, differing from the true path timing. For example, when a path with relatively large power passes through a roll-off filter, the sidelobe component of this path is produced, and this sidelobe component may appear in the power delay profile. Such a sidelobe component may be neglected in conventional use or products; however, in future application to high-performance products, the sidelobe component may degrade the accuracy of path search. It is difficult to remove such an unnecessary path component by adjusting the threshold based on the noise level because if the threshold based on the noise level is set too low, many sidelobe components are picked up as true path components, while if the threshold based on the noise level is set too high, not only unnecessary path components, but also true path components are removed. In such a case, sidelobe components with a power level equivalent to that of true path components exist in the power delay profile.
Meanwhile, in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems designed to achieve high communication capacity, multiple transmission antennas and multiple receiving antennas are employed in a transmitter/receiver. Accordingly, multipath interference occurs not only in a propagation path from a transmission antenna 206-p to a certain receiving antenna 208-x, but also in a path from another transmission antenna 206-q to the receiving antenna 208x, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In a MIMO system, as the number of antennas increases, the path candidates also increase and a highly accurate path search is required. At the same time, degradation of path search accuracy is a concern.


Structures employed by a plurality of packages, printed circuit boards, connectors and interposers to create signal paths which reduce the deleterious signal quality issues associated with the use of through-holes. Disclosed structures can coexist with through-hole implementations.

Today's technique of building electronic signal paths relies heavily upon interconnect structures invented over forty years ago. FIG. 1, for example, illustrates a prior art chassis system wherein through-holes are used to route signals from integrated circuits through packages, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and backplanes. Packages, PCBs and connectors can utilize these through-hole signal passage ways 7 for both signal conduction and in the case of connectors, for mechanical support. Inroads have been made towards the elimination of through-holes in certain types of component interfaces. Surface mount IC packages, for example, allow signals to connect between the bottom surface of an IC package and the top surface of a PCB without the use of through-holes by employing solder balls. However, through holes are still needed for packages and PCBs to transfer signals from their exterior surfaces to internal signal routing layers.
Through-holes, for low frequency signals, may not significantly impact the quality of a signal traveling through them. As the frequency increases, signal quality does become affected and consequently designers must account for the deleterious effect of the through-hole on signal quality. In a typical chassis implementation, FIG. 1, a signal might have to travel through 12 through-holes 7 (inclusive of through-holes in the IC package) to reach its destination. In an optimized implementation for higher speed, the number of holes might be reduced by a factor of two. Even so, a signal path with six disruptive impedance variances (the through-holes) will impact the signal quality of a high speed signal. Manufacturers have devised ways to mitigate or reduce the effects of impedance disturbance of these through-holes. Blind vias and back drilling are among the most effective techniques in use. However, both blind vias and back drilling are time consuming and relatively expensive.

Interconnect system without through-holes


In order to visibly display products of various types in bulk quantities, while at the same time restricting access to the products to maintain them in a safe and clean condition, a product display rack is provided. The rack includes a frame having a support for a container for products mounted thereon. It also includes structure associated with the frame for mounting the rack on a supporting surface. The rack is formed in such manner as to maintain the container in position on the support. Still additionally, a unique product display rack container is disclosed having a pair of parallel generally polygonal-shaped side walls joined by a continuous perimeter wall having an access-giving opening to define a product-containing enclosure.

Generally speaking, it is known that there is a need for devices that are capable of displaying a product for sale. This is true of virtually every product manufactured for sale and, particularly, in the retail environment, there are oftentimes special needs that must be met. In practice, these special needs are usually interrelated in a difficult, if not impossible, manner to successful achieve.
More specifically, the primary requirement for nearly any product display device is to render the product highly visible. It is frequently an additional requirement to be able to display a plurality of different, but related, products in a single product display device and, in some instances, it is important to either restrict direct access to the products by the consumer or, at a minimum, to cover the products to keep them dust and dirt free and not readily accessible for handling by passing consumers. Still additionally, it is generally known that most retail environments suffer from a shortage of space for storage of products for sale.
As a result, those who are in the business of marketing products have faced perplexing problems in maximizing exposure to and availability of their products to the consuming public. The first of these problems centers on having a product display that permits adequate viewing of products in an attractive fashion while, if necessary, restricting access to and/or protecting the products from dust and dirt. Furthermore, and particularly if the display of a product is successful, the product may lend itself to display in bulk fashion which can serve to ensure an adequate inventory of that product.
For this reason, it would be highly advantageous to have what would functionally constitute a container supporting product display rack particularly adapted for the retail market. This would allow not only for advantageously displaying a product or products in an attractive, secure and clean environment but also would provide for bulk display particularly at the point of purchase so that there would always be an adequate inventory available to maintain the display with a suitable quantity of the product. Of course, the container supporting product display rack should also be provided with suitable means for identifying one or more of the products and for placing possible pricing information thereon.
While the problems noted in connection with product display and product storage are not product specific, it is particularly noteworthy that storage, display and sale of screwdriver tips are known to suffer from the noted problems.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.

Container supporting product display rack


The present invention involves a method for manufacturing a blade (1) for a propeller, which blade (1) has a leading edge (2) and a trailing edge, the method comprising the steps of: forming a conduit in the blade (1), making a plurality of holes (7) through which the conduit (6) communicates with the exterior of the blade (1), and providing a blade blank having an edge part receiving surface (4) extending along at least a major part of the leading edge (2) of the blade (1) to be manufactured, wherein forming a conduit (6) comprises building up an edge part (3) onto the edge part receiving surface (4) by a wire-based additive manufacturing process, wherein the additive manufacturing process is adapted to form the conduit (6) at least partly delimited by the edge part (3) and extending along the leading edge (2) of the blade (1) to be manufactured.

Propeller blades can suffer from the problem of cavitation adjacent the leading edge of the blade. The cavitation normally takes place on the suction side or in the tip region of the blade. Cavitation will create a significantly increased noise spectrum, and a cavitation collapse process may cause severe damage to the blade and even destroy it. Many attempts have been made to cope with the cavitation problem. A used technique is to blow pressurized air to the region where cavitation is to be expected. According to a traditional technique this is achieved by providing a conduit within the blade, adjacent its leading edge. The conduit is, by a plurality of holes, connected to the suction, or to both sides of the blade, adjacent the leading edge. The conduit is, by means of a supply duct through the propeller blade, connected to a source of pressurized air. By blowing air, via the supply duct, the conduit, and the holes, the cavitation collapse process is suppressed such that cavitation erosion is eliminated or at least reduced. The noise spectrum of the propeller blade is also effected by the air blowing.
Manufacturing the conduit is complicated due to the normally complex shape of the leading edge of a blade. A known technique is to make a groove in the suction side of the blade, along the leading edge. Thereafter the groove is closed by welding a cover at the top of it. This is followed by machining the cover and the surrounding area of the suction side, in order to obtain a smooth surface. This procedure, however, leads to a risk of cracks in the region of the cover, in particular at the side thereof facing the leading edge. These and other similar solutions thus also face disadvantages, and are also relatively costly.
It is therefore a need to provide alternatives for obtaining the duct system, necessary for distributing pressurized air to the regions where cavitation may occur.

Method for manufacturing a propeller blade and a propeller blade


A process for forming a copper wiring is composed of modifying a surface of a copper film to copper sulfide, forming the wiring pattern by etching to define a desired design of the wiring, reducing copper sulfide film to copper, and applying an insulation film to the surroundings of the wiring pattern of copper. Successively forming of the wiring is done by processing in a multichamber equipment having functions of the above.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to a process for forming a copper wiring. Specifically, the present invention relates to a process for protecting a copper wiring formed on a semiconductor device from oxidation while forming.
2. Description of The Background Art
Recently, a wiring formed on a semiconductor device becomes minimized according to high integration of Ultra Large Scale Integrated Circuits (ULSI). Materials selected from aluminum and aluminum alloy has been widely utilized for such wiring. However, durability of such wiring against electromigration decreases according to minimization of interwiring distance. This causes deterioration of the device reliability. Additionally, aspect ratio of the wiring is increased when utilizing aluminum. This causes processing difficulty thereafter, such as forming an insulating film and flattening the wiring. In order to reduce aspect ratio of the wiring, metals having high melting point, such as molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W), are utilized. However, resistance of such metals becomes over 2 times of that of aluminum, especially, becomes higher when the wiring is formed of a very thinned layer. Therefore, materials which have sufficient durability against electromigration and low resistance have been required.
Copper (Cu) has about 1.4 .mu. .OMEGA. cm of resistivity lower than that of aluminum which is about 2.8 .mu. .OMEGA. cm. Therefore, a copper wiring can be formed of a thinner film allowing aspect ratio thereof to be reduced. Moreover, the copper wiring has sufficient durability against electromigration because of its low resistivity. Thus, such wiring may be provided with a micro device.
However, there are some problems when using copper for a wiring. First, copper will easily suffer from oxidation in an atmosphere including minimum percentage of oxygen at a temperature of about 200.degree. C. Additionally, wiring surfaces are altered to copper oxide during the steps of resist ashing or washing. Secondly, an oxide film formed on the copper surface does not become sufficiently chemically stabilized. Therefore, oxygen molecules are dispersed in the copper film when contacting with the wiring surface, then copper in the interior of the film is altered to copper oxide which permits a rapid increase of electrical resistant thereof. Thus, copper becomes impracticable as a material for a wiring.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, Japanese Patent First Publication (not allowed) No. 63-299250 discloses a process for forming an anti-oxidized copper wiring by depositing silicon on a surface of a copper wiring. Silicon is deposited by sputtering on a film of silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) on which the copper wiring is laid. Then, heat treatment of the film is accomplished at temperatures of 800.degree. to 1000.degree. C. to form Cu-SiO.sub.2 alloy on the surface thereof. Thus, a layer of alloy protects the copper from oxidation.
Alternatively, Japanese Patent First Publication (not allowed) No. 63-156341 discloses a process for forming a barrier layer on the surroundings of a copper wiring to protect copper from contacting with oxygen. An oxidation barrier formed of a film of titanium nitride (TiN) is applied to the surroundings of the copper wiring using bias sputtering.
However, both are processes for protecting a copper wiring from oxidation after finishing the wiring patternizing. Therefore, surface oxidation of a copper film meanwhile, such as ashing and washing, cannot be prevented.
Japanese Patent First Publication (not allowed) No. 2-125447 discloses a process for forming an anti-oxidation film having electrical conductivity on a surface of a copper film to protect the surface thereof from oxidation. The copper film is subjected to vapor or liquid including aromatic amines, such as benzotriazole, the anti-oxidation film having several molecules of thickness is laid on the copper film. Then, a wiring pattern is formed on the copper film via the anti-oxidation film. Patternization of a copper wiring is done by etching the wiring pattern. Then, after removing the surroundings, exposed surfaces of the copper wiring to ambient atmosphere are subjected to the vapor for the second time, similarly to the previously mentioned, vapor to coat residual surroundings of the copper wiring with the anti-oxidation film.
However, applying anti-oxidation film on the copper film must be done twice, i.e., before and after patternizing the copper wiring to provide sufficient protection thereof. This complicates manufacturing process. Furthermore, coating on the surroundings of the wiring decreases reliability thereof.


A method for subjecting target substrates to a heat process under a vacuum pressure includes a transfer step, heating-up and pressure-reducing step, and heat-processing step. The transfer step is arranged to transfer into a reaction chamber a holder that supports the substrates at intervals. The heating-up and pressure-reducing step following the transfer step is arranged to heat up the reaction chamber to a process temperature, and exhaust the reaction chamber to a process pressure. During the heating-up and pressure-reducing step, the reaction chamber is set at the process pressure after being set at the process temperature, to form a state where the reaction chamber has the process temperature under a pressure higher than the process pressure. The heat-processing step following the heating-up and pressure-reducing step is arranged to subject the substrates to the heat process at the process temperature and process pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-processing method and apparatus for a semiconductor process, which are used for subjecting a plurality of target substrates to a heat process under a vacuum pressure. The term "semiconductor process" used herein includes various kinds of processes which are performed to manufacture a semiconductor device or a structure having wiring layers, electrodes, and the like to be connected to a semiconductor device, on a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate used for an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or FPD (Flat Panel Display), by forming semiconductor layers, insulating layers, and conductive layers in predetermined patterns on the target substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In manufacturing semiconductor devices, heat-processing apparatuses are used for performing heat processes, such as CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) and oxidation, on a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. For example, where a vertical heat-processing apparatus of the batch type is used as a heat-processing apparatus, a heat process is performed, as follows.
At first, the interior of the reaction tube of the heat-processing apparatus is heated up (increase in temperature) by a heater to a predetermined load temperature, such as 400° C., and a wafer boat that holds a plurality of semiconductor wafers is loaded. Then, the interior of the reaction tube is heated to a predetermined process temperature, such as 800° C. Furthermore, gas within the reaction tube is exhausted through an exhaust port, so that the pressure in the reaction tube is reduced to a predetermined pressure, such as 53.2 Pa (0.4 Torr).
Then, the interior of the reaction tube is kept at the predetermined temperature and pressure (kept exhausted), a process gas is supplied through a process gas feed line into the reaction tube. For example, in the case of CVD, when a process gas is supplied into a reaction tube, the process gas causes a thermal reaction and thereby produces reaction products. The reaction products are deposited on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, and form a thin film on the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Heat-processing method for semiconductor process under a vacuum pressure


A disposable mask system for positioning a patient relative to a patient restraint board during radiation therapy includes a piece of low-melt thermoplastic material affixed to a rigid, non-thermoplastic frame. A lock-down mechanism is integrally incorporated into the rigid, non-thermoplastic frame, such that a manipulable portion of the lock-down mechanism extends upward from the surface of the rigid frame so that it is accessible by the user. An engagement member extends downward from the underside of the rigid frame such that it can engage corresponding holes in a patient restraint board, such that when the rigid frame is pushed down so that its engagement members fully engage the corresponding holes of the patient restraint board, then the thermoplastic mask system may by tightly secured to the patient restraint board by activating the lock-down mechanism.

Cancer treatment using external beam radiation therapy is a common and growing method of treatment for patients with many kinds of cancers. In almost all of these patients, cancerous tissue lies adjacent to healthy tissue, which often contains important organs, nerves, and other structures that can be exquisitely sensitive to radiation injury. Therefore, during the course of treatment great care must be taken to spare normal tissue and only irradiate the cancerous tissue.
The treatment process using external beam radiation therapy is complex and exacting. It almost always entails multiple treatments given over several weeks to complete the course of therapy. Because of this, the patient must be positioned and re-positioned accurately for each radiation therapy treatment to ensure that the proper radiation dose is delivered only to diseased tissue, and to spare the normal tissue as much as possible.
To this end, a number of devices have been developed to ensure the exact positioning of the patient. Many of these positioning devices rely on the use of a form-fitting low-melt thermoplastic "mask" of the patient's head, head and shoulders, or other body anatomy to hold the patient in exactly the same position time after time, thus ensuring that there is no patient movement during the treatment process.
The use of such devices has become commonplace in the industry. They are considered "disposable", i.e., intended for single patient use only, and are meant to be discarded after the patient completes their course of therapy. They are formed of an injection molded, non-thermoplastic frame bonded to the sheet of low-melt thermoplastic. The form-fitting mask is typically made by heating the low-melt thermoplastic in a water bath until the material becomes pliable. It is then removed from the water bath, and then draped over the patient's face or torso and pressed to conform tightly to the patient's anatomy. As the material cools, it again becomes stiff and rigid, and thereby immobilizes the patient for his/her course of radiation therapy.
A common complaint with patients treated in this manner is that the set-up time, i.e. the time required to position the patient accurately for treatment, is time consuming and thus costly. It is therefore desirable to speed up and simplify the set-up process to increase treatment accuracy and patient throughput.
All current disposable low-melt thermoplastic masks must be locked down to the patent restraint system being used via some form of clamping mechanism. Current devices utilize screw-down clamps and other similar devices to affix the mask to the restraint board. Some other systems use a non-disposable holder into which the disposable thermoplastic mask is placed and secured, either by screw-clamps or "snap fit" mechanisms; this holder is then clamped to the restraint board using mechanisms similar to those described above.
In all of these cases the thermoplastic mask itself does not possess any mechanism that allows it to be easily and securely affixed to the treatment board. All must be attached to the treatment board in a laborious and time-consuming fashion, requiring several radiation technologists (those folks responsible for patient setup) be involved in the set-up process.

Disposable low-melt thermoplastic mask incorporating an integral locking mechanism for attachment to patient restraint boards


In a walking assist device having leg links each connected to a support member through a first joint and having a first link and second link connected to the first link through a second joint, and actuators to be operated to displace the first and second links relative to each other to produce assist forces that assist part of user's body weight to assist the user to walk, it is configured such that a forward protruding amount of the second joint to be protruded with change of an angle between the first and second links about the second joint is changed. With this, it becomes possible to decrease the forward protruding amount to be protruded from the trunk of the user with change of the angle about the second joint, thereby decreasing the inertia force about the vertical axis, while mitigating the unnatural impression of the appearance.

Recently known walking assist devices for assisting user's walk include, for instance, the one according to the technology set out in Patent Reference 1 below.
The walking assist device of the Patent Reference 1 is equipped with a support member capable of supporting the user and transmitting his/her body weight or load, shoe units capable of accommodating the user's feet, leg links having first links (thigh links) connected to the support member through joints corresponding to the hip joints to be swingable about a fulcrum and second links (shank links) connected to the shoe units and also connected to the first links through joints corresponding to the knee joints, and actuators connected to the first links and second links, and when the user is supported by the support member, the actuator is operated to displace the first links and second links relative to each other to produce assist forces that assist or bear at least part of the user's weight, thereby assisting the user's walk.


Methods are provided for using a molecular sieve catalyst for dewaxing formed using a synthesis mixture comprising a morphology modifier. The catalyst may be used, for example, for production of a lubricant base stock. For example, ZSM-48 crystals formed using the morphology modifier (and/or formulated catalysts made using such crystals) can have an increased activity and/or can provide an improved yield during catalytic dewaxing of lubricant base stocks.

Molecular sieve crystal structures, such as zeolites, have found a wide range of applications within refinery processes and other processes for manipulating petroleum streams. Some molecular sieve applications are catalytic in nature, while other applications focus on the ability of molecular sieves to selectively adsorb molecules within a gas stream.
One type of zeolite structure used for catalytic processing of petroleum streams is ZSM-48, which is a zeolite of the MRE framework type. As for many zeolites, the composition of the synthesis mixture used to form ZSM-48 (or other MRE framework type zeolites) can have a strong impact on the crystalline structure and/or morphology of the resulting zeolites.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,949 describes methods for forming ZSM-48 crystals using synthesis mixtures that include non-ZSM-48 seed crystals. The resulting ZSM-48 crystals can have an X-ray diffraction pattern corresponding to ZSM-48, although the presence of the non-ZSM-48 seed crystals can be detected based on activity tests. For crystals having a silica to alumina ratio of 70 to 1 to 150 to 1, the ZSM-48 crystals formed using non-ZSM-48 seeds are described as being small, irregularly shaped crystals that are free from fibrous morphology. For crystals with a silica to alumina ratio of less than 70 to 1, the ZSM-48 crystals are described as being mixtures of small, irregularly shaped crystals and needle morphology crystals.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,482,300 describes methods for forming ZSM-48 crystals without the use of non-ZSM-48 seeds in the synthesis mixture for forming the crystals. The structure directing agent used for forming the ZSM-48 crystals is described as a hexamethonium salt, such as hexamethonium chloride. The resulting crystals can have a silica to alumina ratio from 70 to 1 to 110 to 1, and are described as being substantially free of fibrous morphology. Preferred ranges are also described for the molar ratio of OH− to Sift and the molar ratio of structure directing agent (or template) to Sift. The preferred ranges are described as suitable for formation of crystals that are substantially free of needle-like morphology crystals.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,003,074 describes methods for forming ZSM-48 crystals using a diquaternary ammonium salt structure directing agent with a 5 carbon atom alkyl chain between the ammonium ions (a "diquat-5" structure directing agent). Synthesis of ZSM-48 crystals using mixtures of a "diquat-5" structure directing agent and other structure directing agents, such as a "diquat-6" structure directing agent, is also described. Various types of synthesis mixtures are described that result in formation of fibrous and/or needle-like crystal morphologies.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,994 describes methods for enhancement of zeolite catalytic activity. The methods include contacting zeolite catalysts with water for a sufficient treating time, temperature, and water partial pressure to bring about increased activity.
A range of other molecular sieves have attracted interest as catalysts for the dewaxing of hydrocarbon feeds to make lube basestocks. Such molecular sieves include ZSM-12, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-48, and SAPO-11. A highly silaceous form of zeolite beta has attracted interest as a catalysts for the dewaxing of hydrocarbon feeds to make distillate fuels.
Dewaxing of hydrocarbon feeds such as lubricant base stocks and distillates is an industrial process of great commercial value. In solvent dewaxing, the hydrocarbon feed is contacted with a solvent and then cooled to precipitate waxes, which are then separated. The loss of the waxes represents a reduction in the proportion of the original feed which is available to convert to the desired dewaxed product. In catalytic dewaxing, the hydrocarbon feed is contacted with a catalyst under certain conditions to convert the waxes to non-wax products, either by cracking the waxes or by isomerizing them. While cracking the waxes is effective to remove the waxes from the feed, it typically results in light products which must be separated out and therefore also represents a loss of a proportion of the original feed, with a consequent reduction in the yield of the desired dewaxed product. In contrast, isomerization converts the wax molecules into branched hydrocarbons, which do not crystallize readily but are retained in the product stream. Isomerization therefore offers a path for dewaxing a feed with lower yield loss.

Dewaxing using a molecular sieve catalyst

Exxon Mobil Technology and Engineering Company


A dental syringe tip having positioned in a material-containing passage therein a plug with a stepped nose configuration to minimize the force required to dispense material from the syringe tip. The stepped nose configuration also increases the amount of material dispensed from the syringe thereby reducing waste. The plug includes a sealing member to provide improved sealing between the plug and the internal surfaces defining the passage within the syringe tip.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dental syringe tip, and more particularly to a dental syringe tip requiring less operator force to dispense the material therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dental syringe tips are typically purchased as capsules filled with a desired dental material such as an amalgam, etc. The syringe tip is inserted into a dental syringe; and upon the syringe being activated by an operator, a syringe plunger pushes a plug through an internal passage in the syringe tip thereby dispensing the dental material therefrom.
Since a dental syringe tip is held and operated in a hand held dental delivery gun by a dentist, it is desirable to minimize the forces required to dispense the material from the syringe tip, thereby improving control of the dental therapy. This feature is more important as formulated dental materials become more viscous. Further, it is desirable that the maximum amount of dental material pre-packaged in the syringe tip be dispensed, thereby minimizing material waste.
Known dental syringe tip designs may utilize a flat surface on the front, or forward, end of the plug contacting the dental material. That plug design provides an efficient longitudinal transfer of force from the operator to the dental material. However, since most dental syringe tips discharge the dental material through a tapered or narrow nozzle, a plug with a flat front end leaves undispensed dental material in the nozzle and other noncylindrical sections of the syringe tip located forwardly of the plug, thereby wasting that material.
To overcome that disadvantage, the front end of the plug may be formed into a conical, hemispherical or other shape that matches the interior geometry of the forward end of the syringe tip. Those shapes generally have rearwardly outwardly extending surfaces oblique to the longitudinal axis of the plug. Such plug designs will dispense more dental material than a plug with a flat front end. However, the oblique surfaces squeeze dental material between those surfaces and the mating surface inside the syringe tip thereby creating a greater reactive, or resistance, forces in a nonlongitudinal directions. Those nonlongitudinal forces increase the force required to push the dental material longitudinally through the syringe tip, thereby increasing the operator force required to dispense the material.


A banner support bracket includes a plate-like member having a slightly concave rear surface to conform to a support post during mounting, and two spaced-apart upstanding walls defining a channel therebetween. A rod holder assembly is disposed within the channel and removably retains a banner rod through engagement with a cotter pin. The rod holder assembly is vertically movable along the length of the channel as well as variably tiltable through an angle of 180.degree. from the vertical axis of movement. The ability of the rod holder assembly, and thus the support rod, to assume variable angles permits a wide variety of banner configurations to be supported. Two such banner bracket supports are mounted to a standard in order to hold the longitudinal ends of the banner taut regardless of the angle of cut of the banner ends. A slight cantilever built in to the rod holder assembly helps keep the banner taut.

Banners are used by many organizations and municipalities to advertise various events or as general decorations throughout the year and during festivals or the like. The banners are generally supported from light poles, standards, or other similar structures by brackets with integral rods wherein the banner may be easily seen but still be out of reach of the public.
Because of the nature of banners, as opposed to flags, it is necessary to hold both longitudinal ends of the banner such that the banner is kept taut. Usually, each end of the banner includes a pocket or similar elongated opening therein into which is received a support rod. The pocket and rod generally extend the entire length of the banner at the particular longitudinal end of the banner.
Heretofore, various brackets have been developed for holding banners taut. Of these, some brackets have been developed to specifically address and withstand the various wind loads that banners are subjected to due to the fact that they are held taut like a sail and cannot flap and wave to release the wind energy, in contrast to a flag. Other banner brackets have been designed to maintain the banner taut by incorporating a fixed angle into a fixed rod holder.
However, the prior art banner brackets are only capable of supporting banners that are essentially rectangular in shape. The banners therefore have longitudinal ends that are essentially perpendicular to the post onto which the bracket is mounted. Thus, such prior art banner brackets will support only one banner configuration, i.e. the rectangular banner, whereas there are many other possible and more appealing configurations.
Furthermore, such prior art banner brackets that are vertically adjustable are cumbersome to vertically adjust in situations where there is a change in the longitudinal length of the banner, either through stretching of the banner during use or actual change thereof.
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, it is thus an object of the present invention to provide a banner support bracket that is capable of supporting a variety of banner configurations.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a banner support bracket that is easily vertically adjustable due to stretching of the banner during use, or in situations where the longitudinal dimension of the banner has changed.


A process and apparatus for heating injected, cold preform blanks composed of partly crystalline synthetic resins which have been produced by injection molding. The preform blanks are positioned in holders on a conveyor and are rotated about their longitudinal axes as they are moved along the conveyor, heated to blow mold temperature in multiple stages including a series of heating and cooling stations on respective opposite sides of the conveyor so as to be heated from one side of the conveyor and cooled from the other side while being carried on the conveyor and while being simultaneously rotated whereby they are uniformally heated across their cross sections. The process is completed by tempering and producing a protective surface on the preform blanks before they are supplied to a blow molding device. The entire process requires only several minutes of time.

Synthetic resins are currently used to produce many different products. Among them are bottles, cans, drums, tanks, and toys.
One method for processing synthetic resins is the "extrusionblow method". In such method, the processing occurs while the workpiece is in a heated state. Typically, a tube is pressed out of a blowing head and subsequently divided into preform blanks which are transferred, while in a plastically deformable state, into a blow mold where they are blown into completed hollow bodies.
Alternatively, the "reheat process" may be used to produce an end product from a preform blank. In this process preform blanks which have been produced by direct injection molding are cooled and then placed in storage. Subsequently, they are removed from storage and reheated prior to blow mold processing. The present invention is directed to a novel reheat process.
The reheat process has many advantages over the extrusion-blow method. The structural characteristics of the preform blanks created during the injection process are preserved by the rapid cooling which occurs following the injection molding of the work material. These beneficial structural conditions can be further improved by reheating, mechanical working and blow molding. The resulting structural properties improve the end product's droprupture resistance, cold-rupture resistance as well as its visual transparency.
Another advantage of using the reheat process is when hollow bodies are produced that have filling and emptying openings, such as bottles, flasks, containers, canisters or the like, the area to be shaped for the sealing can be precisely shaped during the initial injection molding process and does not need to be again shaped during the blow molding process. This is particularly important when producing threaded surfaces. As a result of this feature, the blow molding time can be reduced because the neck area contains the largest cross section of the hollow body, and if shaped in a blow mold apparatus, it requires a significantly longer period of time to cool than the rest of the hollow body.
In the reheat method, preformed blanks which have been typically formed by injection molding are removed from storage and reheated to the desired blow molding temperature. This is normally accomplished by conveying the blanks along an infrared radiating system which heats the preform blanks to a uniform temperature including the temperature of the material within the transverse cross sections.
A major challenge involves the heating of the preform blank uniformly throughout its entire cross section. The preform blank is continuously or intermittently heated while being conveyed and at the same time while being rotated about its longitudinal axis. The preform blank is, however, only exposed to radiant heat on its outside surface and a temperature gradient is produced through its cross section. When the preform blank is blow molded axial stretching typically occurs. If the temperature through the material of the preform blank is not substantially the same, the end result is the production of a hollow body having certain undesirable qualities. The inside surface of the preform blank is structurally different than the outside which was formed at a greater temperature than the inside. When the inner portions of the preform blank are deformed during the blow molding process while the temperature of such portions is relatively low, stress distortions are usually created therein which have a negative influence on the strength and the appearance of the resulting hollow body.
According to European Patent No. 387 737 A1, a satisfactory uniform heating of a preform blank can be provided within a relatively short period of time. According to that method, the preform blanks are heating to avoid recrystallization at a temperature that is lower than the blow molding temperature. They are subsequently cooled, and then reheated to a temperature slightly above the blow molding temperature. Thereafter, the temperature of the preform blanks is allowed to equalize or, in any event, to decrease slightly prior to blow molding.
This method is not suitable, however, for certain desirable processes. Not all plastic materials of the group of partly crystalline polymers, respond favorably to the method. An outstanding representative from the group of partly crystalline polymers, is polypropylene. Polypropylene has many desirable qualities. These include: a very high rupture resistance, high drop values, excellent transparency and a thirty percent lower specific weight relative to other synthetic resins. (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate). Furthermore, polypropylene is available at approximately one-half the cost of other synthetic resins. Yet further, compounds which are made of polypropylene are suitable for filling with hot products. Still further, the polypropylene containers as well as their contents can be sterilized after they have been filled. This can be important, for example, for medicines and products such as blood plasma.
Partly crystalline synthetic resins such as polypropylene are extremely difficult to process due to their narrow "processing window". The "processing window" is severely restricted by the limited temperature range in which partly crystalline synthetic resins can be suitably processed to produce the favorable properties described above. Polypropylene, for example, has a very specific optimum processing temperature which must be maintained within a range of .+-.1 degree Celsius.
Another reason for the difficulty in processing polypropylene relates to its composition. Polypropylene does not contain free hydrogen molecules. When materials having free hydrogen molecules are heated, they tend to vibrate which assists in the attainment of a uniform temperature distribution within such materials. In contrast, when processing polypropylene, nearly all of the total heat must be applied along the length and through the cross section of the preform blanks by conduction, as such, without the benefit conferred by the free hydrogen molecules.
A method which has been used to heat polypropylene preform blanks in a uniform fashion is known as the "Hercules Method". With this method, the polypropylene preform blanks are exposed to slow, careful heating during a long period of time and over a relatively long distance of their movement on a conveyor. This method attempts to arrive at the desired uniform temperature in cross section of the preform blanks by continuously heating the blanks over a relatively long time duration. Typically, in the Hercules Method the preform blanks are heated for long as a thirty minutes time period. During most of this period, the temperature of the material throughout the cross-section of the preform blanks is being equalized.
The Hercules Method has serious drawbacks. When molding or heating work products, periods of shutdown are inevitable. Shutdown times can occur both intentionally as well as for reasons which are beyond of the control of the operator. When shutdowns occur with the Hercules Method, preform blanks which remain in the oven are often overly heated whereby they become unusable rejects.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a reheat method which can be successfully used to process synthetic resins including, in particular, partly crystalline synthetic resins such as polypropylene. But, such reheat method should also be capable of processing preform blanks of multiple layers of different materials which can contain both partly crystalline as well as amorphous materials. Furthermore, it is advantageous for the reheat method to have the required treatment time substantially reduced-preferably to only a very few minutes, for example, a five minute total processing time would be ideal.

Method and apparatus for heating preform blanks composed of partly crystalline synthetic resins produced by injection molding


A method of bonding solar cell component to a support and the solar cell assembly thus obtained. The method of bonding solar cell component to a support comprises: disposing metallized traces on the support; dispensing bonding adhesive on front of the support or on back of the solar cell component; and laying down the solar cell component on the support and soldering the solar cell component to the metallized traces on the support. The support is a glass support with integrated circuits.

Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a solar cell assembly and a method of bonding a solar cell component to a support in order to manufacture a solar cell panel or array.
Description of the Related Art
Flexible solar panels and prototypes of such flexible solar panels have previously been made using supports consisting of either an open mesh or weave, such as Gore™ mesh, a woven fibreglass blanket, or a polymer film, such as Kapton™ polyimide film, Teflon™ films, PET or PEN films. Such supports can have certain drawbacks. For example, in some cases, they can be easily cut or punctured during handing or they may not provide adequate backside radiation protection for the solar cells. In some instances, they may be incompatible with high temperature processes, such as soldering. Further, if they are bent, creased, folded or bumped during handling, the material may retain a permanent deformation. Other problems may arise because the surface of the material is either porous (mesh/weave) or may not be very smooth on a microscopic scale (polyimide). In addition, some support materials may be susceptible to degradation from atomic oxygen (e.g., polyimide).
As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,085 discloses a support blanket for solar cell arrays which uses a fibreglass support. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,231 discloses a flexible solar array cell which uses a coated Kapton support. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 8,107,777 discloses a polyimide support bonded to other support.
In view of the state of the art, a more advantageous solar cell assembly is desirable. The present disclosure describes a more advantageous solar cell assembly and method of making such a solar cell assembly.

Flexible glass support for a solar cell assembly