A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic main body including dielectric layers and satisfying T/W>1.0 when W and T are width and thickness, respectively; and first and second internal electrodes stacked in the ceramic main body and facing each other with the dielectric layer interposed therebetween, the ceramic main body including an active layer corresponding to a capacitance forming portion contributing to capacitance formation and a cover layer corresponding to a non-capacitance forming portion provided on at least one of uppermost and lowermost surfaces of the active layer, and when the active layer is divided into three regions in a direction in which the first and second internal electrodes are stacked, an average width of internal electrodes in a central region of the three regions is Wa, and an average width of internal electrodes in upper and lower regions of the three regions is Wb, 0.920≦Wb/Wa≦0.998 is satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer ceramic capacitor and a circuit board structure for mounting the multilayer ceramic capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In accordance with the recent trend for the miniaturization of electronic products, demand for small multilayer ceramic electronic components having a large amount of capacitance has increased.
Therefore, dielectric layers and internal electrodes have been reduced in thickness and stacked in increasingly large amounts through various methods. Recently, as the thickness of dielectric layers has been reduced, multilayer ceramic electronic components having increased amounts of stacked layers have been manufactured.
Multilayer ceramic electronic components may be miniaturized and dielectric layers and internal electrodes may be thinned, and thus, the amount of stacked layers may be increased in order to realize high capacitance in the multilayer ceramic electronic components.
The thicknesses of the dielectric layers and the internal electrodes are reduced and the amounts of stacked layers are increased to thereby realize high capacitance in the multilayer ceramic electronic components; however, in the case that an increase in the influence of step portions due to the increased amounts of stacked layers occurs, reliability may be degraded.
Particularly, there is a problem in which short circuit frequency increases near a cover layer due to a large amount of stress being exerted in the pressing of a ceramic main body, whereby reliability may be degraded.
There remains a need for a multilayer ceramic electronic component in which a decrease in the reliability thereof caused by the influence of step portions may not occur, while high capacitance is realized due to increased amounts of stacked layers.

Multilayer ceramic electronic component and board for mounting the same


An animal restraint and carrier is disclosed which comprises a generally rectangular case hinged to permit at least one side to open and an adjoining side having an opening sized to permit an animal enclosed in the case to extend its head and neck. An optional clamping device surrounding the opening may be closed on the neck to restrain the animal's head to facilitate treating or cleaning ears, eyes or teeth and the giving of oral medications. The case is preferably sized such that when closed the animal may stand comfortably, but not turn around within the case. One or more sides of the case may be equipped with hinged openings to permit access to certain areas of an enclosed animal's body—e.g., the back.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to animal carriers and restraints. More particularly, it relates to a restraint and carrier for domestic cats that is specially adapted for medical treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The domestic cat (Felis catus) is notoriously difficult to handle during medical examinations and treatments. Even normally docile cats can become fractious during the application of medicines (topically or by injection), the giving of oral medications or during medical procedures. This is especially true when treating the eyes or the ears. Cat restraints are designed to control squirming and scratching and render a cat unable to injure itself or its handler.
Perhaps the most common device of the prior art is the restraint bag. Restraint bags can be used to restrain cats as well as small dogs. A common example is a washable/waterproof canvas or nylon bag with a 2-way zipper running full length over the back to permit either front or rear access. The bag may be equipped with a VELCRO™ closure on the collar and front leg openings. Additional zippers (or strips of Velcro) may be provided to allow selective exposure of a body part. Restraint bags are available in various sizes.
Cats stress very easily and a cat restraint bag may give the cat a sense of security during examination. A restraint bag also confines the cat's principal weapon (feet with claws). Flaps cut into the bag and secured with zippers or hook-and-loop type fasteners allow access to specific body areas.
Another device of the prior art for restraining felines is the leash and loop restraint. The cat is immobilized by drawing the leash taut. To keep the cat from being choked, the loop should include one leg.
Other restraints of the prior art resemble a coat sleeve. The cat will often scoot into it willingly. Holding the end of the sleeve securely around the cat's neck permits one to treat the head or tail.
The devices of the prior art, however, are not well-suited for transporting cats. What is needed is a device which serves as both a carrier and a restraint that permits access to selected parts of the body. The present invention solves this problem.


In one embodiment, a wordline decoder provides access to cache memory locations when addresses are bypassed directly from arithmetic circuitry in redundant form. The wordline decoder is also designed to provide access to cache memory locations when addresses are received from registers in an unsigned binary form. The combined functionality is provided in a pre-decode circuit by selectively replacing one of a plurality of redundant bit vectors with a constant bit vector when redundant addressing is not enabled.

A cache is a fast memory for storing copies of frequently accessed data. As processors become faster, cache access time is often a dominating factor in system performance. Conflicting goals face designers of cache memory systems. Smaller caches provide faster access times, but larger caches provide higher hit ratios, thereby reducing penalties associated with accessing slower memory.
Since a current trend in processor design is to devote a substantial proportion of chip area to cache memory, much effort has been invested in improving access times for large caches.
One prior art method shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,947 combines an adder for generating an effective address with a word-line decoder. This combined decoder/adder is shown in FIG. 1. Another prior art method shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,092 combines an adder with a pre-decoder circuit to provide an input to a word-line driver. FIG. 2 shows this prior art method. One disadvantage with these two methods is that carry propagation for larger addresses can adversely affect cache access time.
In another prior art method, Cortadella et al (in "Evaluation of A+B=K Conditions Without Carry Propagation," IEEE Transactions on Computers, vol. 41, pp. 1484–1488, November, 1992) show that an equality test does not require carry propagation. One representation of a sum A+B, which is suitable for use in a carry nonpropagative equality test, is known as half-adder or carry-sum form. The carry-sum representation uses a carry bit, Ci, and a sum bit, Si, to represent a binary digit of a number in the ith digit position. In carry-sum form each number may have multiple valid representations. In a system of numbers, where each number is assigned multiple binary representations, the numbers are said to be in redundant form.
Current processors make use of pipelining to reduce cycle times and exploit parallelism within instruction streams. In order to make pipelining efficient, results from digital arithmetic circuitry are bypassed back to circuit inputs as operands for the next operation in a pipeline. This technique is preferred over one of waiting until results are written back to a register file, and it provides for higher utilization of a pipeline's parallelism. Since quickly loading operands from memory is critical to the performance of a processor, it may be desirable to bypass results of address computations to a load/store unit in order to reduce any delays associated with the load.
When bypassed addresses are used to access cache it is desirable to have a cache that can decode addresses in redundant form. When address calculations have time to complete, the addresses are already converted to a unsigned binary number and so a traditional decoder is desirable. Often, a design decision must be made to store all addresses to one or the other form because two decoders require too much in area resorces.

Shared cache wordline decoder for redundant and regular addresses


The car body-side connector is installed on the inner or passenger compartment side of the weather strip of the car body. The wiring harness having the door-side connector coupled to the mating connector is inserted through the rigid protector. The door-side connector is attached to one end of the protector, whose other end slidably engages with the slide guide mounted on the door panel of the car door. The car body-side connector is rotatable. The slide guide is formed with a longitudinal guide slot that slidably receives a projection of the protector. It is also possible to form a raised guide rail on the slide guide and provide the protector with a groove for receiving the guide rail.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly structure of an automotive door harness that enhances the ease of assembly work by eliminating the processes of inserting wiring harnesses through piercing holes in the door panel and car body and assembling waterproofing grommets.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 shows an assembly structure of an automotive door harness described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specification No. Heisei 8-33166.
This structure has a recessed groove 63 at a front end face 62 of a door panel 61 on the hinge mounting side extending in a direction of door thickness. In this recessed groove 63 is laid a wiring harness 64, over which is slid and fitted a base plate portion 66 of a rubber grommet 65, with a front end portion 64a of the wiring harness inserted through a bellows portion 67 of the grommet 65 so that the wiring harness can be led toward the car body side.
The above structure, however, requires troublesome processes of inserting the wiring harness 64 through a hole 68 of the grommet 65 and putting the front end of the bellows portion 67 in place on the car body side. Moreover, the structure of the grommet 65 and the forming process of the door panel 61 are complex and the sealing performance of the weather strip 69 overlying the base plate portion 66 of the grommet 65 must be secured.
FIG. 9 and 10 show an assembly structure of the automotive door harness described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specification No. Showa 58-113566.
In this structure, both a door panel 71 and a car body 72 are formed with piercing holes 73, 74, through which is passed a cylindrical elastic protector 75 made of rubber having a wiring harness 76 inserted therethrough, with one end of the elastic protector 75 secured to the car body with a clamp 77 and the other end extending unfixed along the door panel 71. A core material 78 is inserted in a part of the protector 75 on the door side to give it a certain rigidity so that when a door 80 is opened about a hinge 79 as shown in FIG. 10, the protector 75 slides in the piercing hole 73 and bends at an intermediate portion to follow the movement of the door 80.
This structure, however, requires a cumbersome assembly work of inserting the protector 75 through the piercing holes 73, 74 with the door 80 open. The installation of the wiring harness 76 is not easy particularly because the protector 75 on the door side does not bend. Because this structure requires large piercing holes 73, 74, the sealing performance of the grommets 81, may deteriorate. Further, because one end of the protector 75 is not fixed, the protector 75 may interfere with and score the door 8 during the opening and closing of the door.

Assembly structure of an automotive door harness


An interchangeable chamber and barrel system for allowing an end user to easily change a chamber body and/or a barrel for a firearm without the assistance of a gunsmith. The interchangeable chamber and barrel system generally includes an interchangeable chamber body having a chamber that is removably connectable to a receiver of a firearm and an interchangeable barrel that is removably connected to the chamber body opposite of the receiver. The chamber body and/or the barrel may be changed on the firearm at any time based on the preference of the end user.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a firearm barrel and more specifically it relates to an interchangeable chamber and barrel system for allowing an end user to easily change a chamber body and/or a barrel for a firearm without the assistance of a gunsmith.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
A conventional gun barrel is an elongated single piece of metal with a chamber that receives the ammunition cartridge and a bore that receives the fired bullet of the ammunition. The barrel of a rifle becomes damaged after repeated firings due to various factors including the heat generated to propel the bullet through the bore of the barrel and wear by the bullet passing through the bore. After repeated usage, the rifling in the bore is diminished thereby reducing the accuracy of the rifle. When the rifling in the bore has deteriorated, the barrel is often times referred to as "shot out". In addition, cracks, pits and fissures can develop at the rear end of the bore where the heat is the most intense sometimes referred to as the "throat" of the barrel. If the user wants the rifle to shoot accurately at a target, the barrel needs to be replaced. In addition, if the user of the rifle wants to change the caliber of bullet fired they need to replace the barrel which has the appropriate sized chamber and bore.
To replace a rifle barrel and/or change a chamber, a gunsmith is needed to machine the barrel to fit the action and to cut the chamber in the barrel itself. Hence, replacing a rifle barrel is expensive and time consuming depending upon the backload of work the gunsmith has which is sometimes 6 months to 12 months. The end user of the rifle is therefore not able to use the firearm until the new barrel is fabricated and installed by the gunsmith.
To further complicate matters, it is difficult for a gunsmith to accurately machine a chamber and a bore into a barrel. Since the throat of the bore has to be cut one or more inches into the barrel because of the chamber, it is difficult to maintain concentricity between the throat of the bore and the chamber because cutting into the barrel several inches often times cuts off center because bores typically have a curvature to them. Because of the resulting curvature of the bore and the throat of the bore, the barrel has a decreased accuracy and increased inconsistency. Furthermore, because the curvature of the bore is different for each gun barrel is different, a new barrel will not shoot the same as the prior barrel on the firearm.
In addition, machining costs for a new gun barrel are higher for a gunsmith because they are not able to use a CNC (computer numerical code) machine for machining the chamber. In addition, if the barrel, the bore and/or the chamber is damaged during the machining of the gun barrel, the entire gun barrel must be discarded resulting in wasted material and time.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved interchangeable chamber and barrel system for allowing an end user to easily change a chamber body and/or a barrel for a firearm without the assistance of a gunsmith.

Interchangeable chamber and barrel system


The invention aims to provide a document administration apparatus for processing input original data, which comprises: a first memory for storing the original data; a mask data generator for generating mask data capable of masking at least one predetermined area of the original data; a second memory for storing the mask data generated by the mask data generator; a selector enabling to select the original data stored in the first memory and the mask data stored in the second memory; a display enabling to display the mask data selected by the selector in a state that the mask data is superposed on the original data, without changing the original data selected by the selector; and a mask data editor enabling to edit the mask data displayed on the display in the state that the mask data is superposed on the original data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to document administration apparatus and method which obtain electronic data by reading a paper original existing as, e.g., a form and electrically form a predetermined material by using the obtained electronic data, a storage medium which stores a computer-readable program to achieve the document administration method, and a program itself which is used to achieve the document administration method.
2. Related Background Art
Presently, the country, prefectures, and municipalities such as cities, towns and villages adopt various systems, and thus provide various administrative services. For example, these systems and administrative services include nursing care insurance services for the people who need various cares, pension plans for physically handicapped people, and the like. Here, when a citizen intends to enjoy the right based on these services and systems, it is generally necessary to file an application to a service providing side (or a service provider).
In many cases, the application is filed by using a dedicated application document (i.e., application format). More specifically, the citizen enters and fills necessary items on the application document by using a pen and/or application software such as a word processor. Then, the service provider confirms the items which have been filled on the application document filed by the citizen (i.e., an applicant), and then examines based on the filled items whether the applicant has a right to receive the necessary service.
In this case, the service provider performs the examination on the basis of the application document filed by the applicant. Here, it should be noted that the application document includes the information which is necessary when the application is filed and the service is actually provided but is unnecessary when the content of the application document is examined, and the information which should be concealed with the object of protecting applicant's privacy and performing proper and fair examination. For example, personal information such as applicant's name, address and the like often becomes unnecessary and should be thus concealed in the examination.
For this reason, in the examination of the application document which concerns the administrative services and was filed by the citizen, it is necessary to form a document for examination on which specific sections are appropriately masked (concealed) with respect to each document. More specifically, to provide such a document, the application document is accepted, the accepted document is duplicated, the sections to be masked on the duplicated document are judged by an operator, and then the judged sections are actually painted by using a pen or the like.
Such an operation is inefficient because it is mainly performed manually. Moreover, in a case where the section to be masked has not been appropriately masked due to an operation mistake, there is a fear that a critical problem concerning human rights may occur from the viewpoint of privacy protection. In addition, because the original and the document for examination must be administrated respectively, it is troublesome to administrate the information as a whole.
To cope with such problems, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-101169 proposes a system which forms an examination document as electronic data by converting an application document (i.e., an original) written on a predetermined application format with use of a scanner or through a predetermined application.
For example, this system is used to form a material to be examined to decide whether to apply insurance to an applicant in a public nursing care insurance system. More specifically, this system consists of a first processing unit for registering a definition of a paper constituting a document (i.e., an application document) in a storage unit, a second processing unit for actually registering the document in the storage unit according to the registered definition and also recording information concerning the registration of the paper constituting the document in the storage unit, and a third processing unit for registering a definition of mask information indicating a section to be masked when the paper is output, in the storage unit as one of the definitions of the paper constituting the document. Thus, the application document filled by the applicant is read by a scanner to generate image data, and the mask definition is applied to the generated image data to perform a concealing process, whereby the material to be considered when the insurance examination is performed can be appropriately formed.
On one hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207725 proposes a system which processes electronic data to have a form according to need in various services and business for opening information to public.
This system aims to perform a concealing process to a specific section on a PDF (Portable Document Format) document. More specifically, in this system, a PDF file including character codes is first input as original data from an original data input unit, the input original data is stored in a storage unit, the stored original electronic document (PDF file) is displayed on a document display unit, a concealing area is set on a part of the original electronic document by a concealing area setting unit through operator's handling to the displayed document, and then the set concealing area is stored in the storage unit.
Then, the character code in the original data is decompressed into bitmap data, and a part of the bitmap data is concealed by mask data, whereby intermediate data of TIFF (Tag Image File Format) is generated. Incidentally, the intermediate data is returned to the PDF data, and the processed data is then stored in the storage unit. As the result, the PDF file to which the concealing process has been performed to the area designated by the operator can be obtained.
However, in the system proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-101169, the mask process is directly performed to the read original image data on the basis of the predetermined mask definition. Thus, if the written contents to be concealed protrude beyond the predetermined area, it is necessary to correct the definitions themselves such as a predefined mask position, a predefined mask shape, and the like. Of course, because the application documents are filled with necessary items by an unspecified large number of applicants, various kinds of errors are made on the application documents by the various applicants. In other words, according to increase in the number of application documents, a correction process for mask definitions becomes extremely complicated, thereby inefficient.
In particular, because the mask process is directly performed to the original image data in this system, if the mask process is once performed, it is impossible to return the original image data to the state before the mask process is performed. That is, in a case where an operator intends to confirm the originally written content of the mask-processed area, the operator cannot confirm it.
Moreover, when the application document includes plural pages, that is, for example, when it is necessary to append a certificate of tax payment, a medical certificate and the like to the application document which has been filled with personal information of the applicant, there are a lot of cases with improper order on pages of the application document. Here, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-101169 described as above does not disclose that, when page order of the application document to be read is different from defined order, such a difference is recognized. As the result, in a case where the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-101169 is simply applied, when the operator reads the application document, it is necessary to confirm entirely the page order of the application document, thereby inefficient. Moreover, when the operator makes a mistake in case of correcting the page order, there is a fear that the information to be necessarily concealed is not masked correctly. In such a case, privacy protection cannot be achieved, and thus there is a high possibility of occurring a critical problem concerning human rights.
On one hand, the above system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207725 premises that the PDF text data is used as the target of the mask process, whereby this system is improper for a mask process to image data obtained by scanning a paper (i.e., an application document). Moreover, in this system, because the mask process is performed to the input original data, if the mask process is once performed, it is impossible to read and obtain the information existing at the mask-concealed area.
That is, such problems as described above can be eliminated by providing a system which can surely and easily perform the mask process to a predetermined area even what state the original data to be input is, and also by providing a system which can assure originality of the original data by not performing the mask process to the original data itself from the viewpoint of easy administration of information and assurance of originality.

Document administration apparatus, document administration method, storage medium storing computer-readable program, and program


An engine piston is manufactured by assembling an outer shell, comprising a crown and tubular side wall in which a ring groove region and skirt are defined, with a plate-like mounting member and bonding them together by brazing or welding. The mounting member is located within the tubular side wall displaced axially from the crown and is bonded near, but displaced radially from, its centre to the crown and at its periphery to the side wall at the end of the ring groove region. The mounting member carries gudgeon pin boss means facing away from the crown. The outer shell is formed by extrusion or the like that permits minimal wall thickness and the bonded structure is of light weight but great strength and stiffness, particularly in the ring groove region. A combustion bowl formed in the crown facilitates bonding to the mounting member and defines with the mounting member an annular cooling chamber adjacent the ring groove region and crown.

This invention relates to pistons for internal combustion engines and to the manufacture thereof. The invention is particularly concerned with the manufacture of a strong piston that is also light in weight and suitable for cost-effective mass production for small capacity, high compression engines.
Pistons for internal combustion engines for mass market automobiles are manufactured in large numbers and subjected to cost constraints, which in turn place limits on manufacturing processes. Such pistons are usually, but not necessarily, cast from a light metal alloy, typically aluminium based, and then subjected to a series of machining steps that culminate in a precision component.
For heavy duty use, for example in compression ignition engines, it is known to manufacture pistons of steel, usually forged, but such pistons have tended to have a weight penalty, notwithstanding extensive machining operations to remove extraneous metal, and have thus far been restricted to large capacity, low-revving engines found in trucks and the like.
In recent times there has been a need to provide such compression ignition engines for use in smaller, automobile engines, where it is necessary to run at higher speeds and with such high compression pressures. Although steel is a material having suitable properties, and has such strength that it could be used in relatively thin sections that mitigate most if not all of the weight penalty, there is difficulty in manufacturing a small one-piece piston that is capable of fulfilling such potential. In general such a piston has to be manufactured in steel by forging, with attendant limits to wall thicknesses and shapes that limit weight reduction.
It has been proposed to assemble or construct a steel piston from separately manufactured parts, as in U.S. Pat. No. 1,667,202 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,244,008. However the crown forms of the pistons shown therein are relatively simple in structure and without an in-crown combustion bowl often required by modern engines. Even without such added complexity, it is believed that the number of separate parts and assembly operations required are not conducive to providing a small piston capable of operating within a modern small engine in a cost-effective manner.
Notwithstanding that a small piston for mass production is subjected principally to constraints of cost, a larger piston for heavy duty application is subjected principally to constraints resulting from weight, so that the ability to produce a light weight piston cost effectively is not restricted in applicability. With this in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an engine piston of assembled form that is capable of providing strength and light weight in simple form and a method of producing such a piston that is capable of implementation more cost-effectively than hitherto.
According to a first aspect of the present invention an engine piston comprises an outer shell, including a crown centred on a longitudinal piston axis and a tubular side wall extending axially with respect to the periphery of the crown to an open end and, within the tubular side wall of the shell, a mounting member arranged to extend transversely to the longitudinal axis and bonded both to the crown and to the side wall spaced from the crown, and gudgeon pin boss means carried by the mounting member.
The term "longitudinal axis" is employed in relation to defining the piston with respect to the geometric centre of the crown, and notwithstanding that the cross section of the piston is other than circular, for example, is to a small extent elliptical or oval.
Preferably, the tubular side wall includes, adjacent the crown, a region of axially spaced, circumferentially extending ring grooves and the mounting member is bonded to the side wall at the end of the ring groove region remote from the crown and the periphery of the mounting member is bonded to the peripheral side wall substantially at the same axial position as at least one ring groove.
More preferably, the peripheral region the crown, the tubular side wall and the bonded mounting member define therebetween an annular cooling chamber.
Preferably, the gudgeon pin boss means is provided integrally with the mounting member, but notwithstanding this the bonding of the mounting member to the crown and to the side wall displaced from the crown create a monocoque type of structure which includes the ring groove region and provides great pressure resistance therefor without need for substantial wall thickness.
According to a second aspect of the present invention a method of manufacturing an engine piston comprises forming an outer shell part comprising a crown, centred on a longitudinal axis, and a tubular side wall, extending axially with respect to the periphery of the crown to an open end, forming a mounting member, carrying gudgeon pin boss means thereon, with a periphery dimensioned to fit within and interface with the tubular side wall, disposing the mounting member within the tubular side wall such that it interfaces with the crown at a crown interface and interfaces with the side wall at a wall interface and bonding the mounting member to the shell at said crown and wall interfaces.
Preferably, the method comprises forming the tubular side wall and at least the peripheral part of the crown, bounding a central crown region, as a integral shell body.
Preferably the outer shell and mounting member are provided separately, as unitary or pre-assembled bodies and are then bonded metallurgically to form the piston.
In this specification references to bonding metallurgically are intended to mean all known techniques employed in joining metal bodies directly to each other or by way of an intervening metal, and includes brazing and various forms of welding, such as friction welding and laser or other beam or jet welding.
The outer shell body may be formed by back extrusion or forging. Alternatively, the outer shell body may be formed by flow forming.
If, as may be considered the norm, combustion bowl means is required in the crown this may be formed integrally with the shell body, subject to shape constraints, or may be formed separately and metallurgically bonded.
The outer shell part and/or mounting member may be made from steel which is suitably ductile, but the method is equally applicable to ductile alloys of non-ferrous materials.
These and other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description are described below.


A curable resin and method is disclosed. In one example, the curable resin is for the manufacture of mineral fiber products such as mineral wool insulating products. The curable resin includes components a), b) and c), wherein a) is a saccharide, b) is a polycarboxylic crosslinking agent, and c) is a polyvalent metal oxide curing accelerator. In one example, the curable resin is formaldehyde free.

Mineral wool products are widely used for the thermal and acoustic insulation of different parts of buildings, transportations, or other appliances, as well as for fire protection. Mineral wool materials are mainly randomly interlaced masses of mineral fibers with varying lengths and usually bound by a resin-based binder. Three types of mineral materials are most commonly employed; glass, stone or slag. Mineral wool is formed by an intricate network of fibers which might be bonded in their cross-over points by different means, e.g. by using a cured binder. Processes for the production of mineral wool products are well known in the art, and usually comprise the steps of melting the mineral material to an adequate temperature, fiberizing the molten mixture into fine fibers, application (e.g. spraying) of a binder composition to the individual fibers, collection of the fibers and formation of a primary fleece on a foraminous conveyor, densifying the fleece, and curing the binder at elevated temperatures. The cured mat is then cut to the desired size with transverse and edge trimmers and optionally rolled up, before it is packaged for transport.
The type and amount of binder used to bond the fibers in the mineral wool plays an important role in the final properties of the produced mineral wool. A variety of binder systems have been described in the art, including binders based on melamine urea formaldehyde resins, furane-based resins, and others, but phenol-formaldehyde resin based binders have been preferred for very long time, due to their good reactivity, superior performance and attractive low cost.
Environmental and toxicological concerns related to the formaldehyde released from the products manufactured with phenol-formaldehyde resin based binders have however led to a movement in the mineral wool industry to reduce or completely eliminate the use of such resins, or to reduce the amount of excess formaldehyde they contain. On the other side, there is an increased interest for binders with an increased amount of bio-based renewable components.
Free-formaldehyde binders comprising saccharides, such as monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, etc., either as such or after modifications (e.g. hydrogenation, oxidation, functionalization), have been extensively investigated and some examples enjoy commercial success. In most cases, the saccharide is crosslinked with a multifunctional crosslinker in order to achieve a thermoset. Different crosslinking agents have been described, being the crosslinking with polycarboxylic compounds, both monomeric or polymeric, among the most frequently described thermosetting reactions. Some examples of this type of binders can be found in the patent publications WO 2012118939 A1, WO 2008053332 A1, WO 2009080938 A2, US 2009275699 A1.
One of the drawbacks of the binders based on saccharides and polycarboxylic compounds described for the manufacture of mineral wool is the relative slower pace of the thermosetting reaction if compared with phenol-formaldehyde resins or acrylic resins. That slower reaction is found detrimental in the manufacturing of mineral wool in industrial continuous processes. In order to obtain sufficient curing, the energy applied for curing has to be increased by increasing the residence time in the curing oven of the binder and/or by raising the temperature in the curing oven. In some cases, the increased energy applied might even lead to unwanted decomposition of the binder. Curing catalysts, such as phosphorous containing acids and salts, have been described to improve the speed of curing for binders comprising saccharides and polycarboxylic crosslinking agents.
US 20110166275 A1 describes formaldehyde-free binders including a polycarboxy compound and an organic crosslinking agent, such as a polyol, and a polyvalent metal compound. The addition of polyvalent metal compound results in binders with increased mechanical strength and/or improved water resistance.
There is however still a need for alternative curable formaldehyde-free resin compositions for the manufacture of mineral wool products, which comprise saccharides and polycarboxylic crosslinking agents, and which show an improved crosslinking profile, and which can be cured efficiently during mineral wool industrial manufacturing. In addition, there is a need for a curing accelerator for the thermosetting reaction of saccharides and polycarboxylic crosslinking agents, which is readily available and economically attractive.


A method for monitoring device characteristics of semiconductor integrated circuits. The device characteristics includes censored data and uncensored data. The method includes determining a plurality of minimum breakdown voltages numbered from 1 through N, respectively, for a plurality of lots (e.g., wafer fabrication lots) numbered from 1 through N. Each of the plurality of minimum breakdown voltages is respectively indicative of the plurality of samples through order statistics. One or more of the plurality of samples includes one or more uncensored data points and one or more censored data points. The method includes processing the minimum breakdown voltages, respectively, for the plurality of lots. Each of the minimum breakdown voltages is processed for the respective plurality of lots and is indicative of a population characteristic breakdown voltage numbered from 1 through N for the respective lot numbered from 1 through N. The method includes determining one or more anomalies based upon the processing of the minimum breakdown voltages. The one or more anomalies is associated with one or more processes associated with at least one of the lots.

The present invention is directed to integrated circuits and their processing for the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In particular, the invention provides a method and system for monitoring and controlling process related information for the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuit devices. More particularly, the invention provides a method and system for monitoring device characteristics, including censored data and uncensored data, of semiconductor integrated circuits in the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuit devices. But it would be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability.
Integrated circuits have evolved from a handful of interconnected devices fabricated on a single chip of silicon to millions of devices. Conventional integrated circuits provide performance and complexity far beyond what was originally imagined. In order to achieve improvements in complexity and circuit density (i.e., the number of devices capable of being packed onto a given chip area), the size of the smallest device feature, also known as the device "geometry", has become smaller with each generation of integrated circuits.
Increasing circuit density has not only improved the complexity and performance of integrated circuits but has also provided lower cost parts to the consumer. An integrated circuit or chip fabrication facility can cost hundreds of millions, or even billions, of U.S. dollars. Each fabrication facility will have a certain throughput of wafers, and each wafer will have a certain number of integrated circuits on it. Therefore, by making the individual devices of an integrated circuit smaller, more devices may be fabricated on each wafer, thus increasing the output of the fabrication facility. Making devices smaller is very challenging, as each process used in integrated fabrication has a limit. That is to say, a given process typically only works down to a certain feature size, and then either the process or the device layout needs to be changed. Additionally, as devices require faster and faster designs, process limitations exist with certain conventional processes, including monitoring techniques, materials, and even testing techniques.
An example of such processes includes ways of monitoring process related functions during the manufacture of integrated circuits, commonly called semiconductor devices. Such monitoring process is often desired for continuously improving quality and productivity to stay competitive. As merely an example, statistical process control (SPC) has been playing an important role in conventional industries. It is a procedure in which data are collected, organized, analyzed and interpreted. Actions are requested to identify root causes and to implement solutions so a process can be maintained at its desired level or be improved to a higher level. SPC makes use of statistical signals to identify sources of variation, to correct identified variation causes therefore to improve performance, and to maintain control of processes.
Conventional SPC control limits determination often assumes a normal distribution and no censored data is provided in the data collection. In many cases in reliability data collection data censoring occurs frequently. For example, the voltage breakdown (VBD) data of inter-layer dielectric "ILD" measured with ramped up voltage could be censored when some of dice of the sample do not have breakdown failure at a maximum ramped up voltage. In these cases, a direct application of an X-Bar and S control chart on the observed data is often not adequate. Accordingly, data collection is not reliable.
From the above, it is seen that an improved technique for manufacturing semiconductor devices is desired.

Method and computer code for statistical process control for censored production data

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation


A semiconductor device includes at least one substrate (50) including a plurality of holes (56) and an interconnecting pattern (52) provided to one surface, part of the interconnecting pattern (52) being formed over the holes (56); at least one first semiconductor chip (10) including a plurality of electrodes (12) and provided to another surface of the substrate (50), at least one second semiconductor chip (20) including a plurality of electrodes (12) and provided to the one surface of the substrate (50); and a conductive member for electrically connecting the electrodes (12) of the first semiconductor chip (10) to the interconnecting pattern (52) and being disposed in the holes.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, a manufacturing device, a circuit board, and electronic equipment.
Accompanied by miniaturization of electronic equipment, multichip modules including a plurality of semiconductor chips at high density have been developed. Since a plurality of existing semiconductor chips can be used in the multichip modules, cost can be reduced in comparison with the case of designing an original integrated circuit.
In the multichip modules, a plurality of semiconductor chips is mounted on the surface of a substrate on which an interconnecting pattern is formed and the substrate is bent to form a multilayer structure, for example. As multichip modules which can achieve miniaturization and an increase in density, semiconductor modules in which a plurality of semiconductor chips is mounted on both surfaces of the substrate and the substrate is bent are known. However, in such semiconductor modules, the interconnecting patterns must be formed on both surfaces of the substrate, and via-holes for allowing these interconnecting patterns to be electrically connected are needed, thereby increasing cost and the number of manufacturing steps.
The present invention has been achieved to solve this problem. An objective of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same which can achieve a miniaturized high-density multichip module, a manufacturing device, a circuit board, and electronic. equipment without decreasing productivity.
(1) A semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises:
at least one substrate including a plurality of holes formed therein and an interconnecting pattern provided to one surface of the substrate, part of the interconnecting pattern being formed so as to overlap with the holes,
at least one first semiconductor chip including a plurality of electrodes and provided to another surface of the substrate,
at least one second semiconductor chip including a plurality of electrodes and provided to the one surface of the substrate, and
a conductive member disposed in each of the holes for electrically connecting each of the electrodes of the first semiconductor chip to the interconnecting pattern.
In to the present invention, a plurality of semiconductor chips can be provided to both surfaces of the substrate with the interconnecting pattern provided to one surface. Therefore, cost and the number of mounting steps can be reduced in comparison with a substrate with the interconnecting patterns formed over both surfaces. Moreover, the weight of the semiconductor device can be reduced. Because of this, a multichip module excelling in productivity can be developed.
(2) In this semiconductor device, the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip may have sections overlapping each other in plane view.
This enables the planar area for mounting the semiconductor chips to be efficiently utilized.
(3) In this semiconductor device, the electrodes of at least one of the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip may be connected to the interconnecting pattern by wire bonding.
This enables the present invention to be applied by using a wire as the conductive member.
(4) In this semiconductor device, at least one of the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip may be bonded face down.
(5) In this semiconductor device, the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip may be bonded face down, and the electrodes of the first semiconductor chip may be disposed in the holes.
(6) In this semiconductor device, a resin may be provided between the substrate and the first semiconductor chip.
The resin has a function of reducing stress.
(7) In this semiconductor device, a resin may be provided between the substrate and the second semiconductor chip.
The resin can be provided on each semiconductor chip.
(8) In this semiconductor device, the resin may be an anisotropic conductive material including conductive particles.
(9) In this semiconductor device, a plurality of the substrates may be provided, and part of the interconnecting patterns of a pair of the substrates may be disposed facing each other for electrical connection between the interconnecting patterns.
This enables a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of substrates to be used, whereby a greater number of semiconductor chips can be positioned.
(10) In this semiconductor device, the substrate may be bent.
According to this semiconductor device, since each semiconductor chip is stacked through the substrate by bending the substrate, the planar area of the semiconductor device can be decreased.
(11) In this semiconductor device, a plurality of at least one of the first semiconductor chips and the second semiconductor chips may be provided, and the plurality of at least one of the first semiconductor chips and the second semiconductor chips may be stacked.
This enables the planar area of the semiconductor device to be decreased.
(12) In this semiconductor device, the conductive member may be a plurality of layered bumps.
The conductive member can be formed by layering the bumps.
(13) In this semiconductor device, the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip may have the same outer shape.
(14) In this semiconductor device, the second semiconductor chip may have a mirror-symmetrical circuit structure with the first semiconductor chip.
This enables each of a pair of the semiconductor chips having a mirror-symmetrical circuit structure to be connected to both sides of the interconnecting pattern.
(15) In this semiconductor device, the electrodes of the second semiconductor chip may be connected to the interconnecting pattern over the holes.
Specifically, the electrodes may be disposed on both side of the interconnecting pattern respectively at the direct opposite position from each other.
(16) In this semiconductor device, the electrodes of the second semiconductor chip may be connected to the interconnecting pattern at a position avoiding the holes.
This enables the first and second semiconductor chips having different electrode arrangement to be positioned, for example.
(17) In this semiconductor device, a plurality of external terminals electrically connected to the first and second semiconductor chips may be formed on the substrate in a region other than a region in which the semiconductor chips are formed.
(18) In this semiconductor device, a plurality of external terminals may be formed over the interconnecting patterns avoiding a region in which at least one of the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip is formed.
(19) In this semiconductor device, the external terminals may be formed on one of the pair of interconnecting patterns in a region in which part of the interconnecting patterns are connected to each other.
This enables electrical connection to be established through the external terminals formed in the same region in case that a plurality of substrates are provided.
(20) In this semiconductor device, a plurality of through-holes may be formed in the substrate, part of the interconnecting pattern may run over the through-holes, and the external terminals project through the through-holes to a surface of the substrate to which the first semiconductor chip may be provided.
(21) A circuit board according to the present invention is provided with the above semiconductor device.
(22) Electronic equipment .according to the present invention has the above semiconductor device.
(23) A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises:
a step of mounting a first semiconductor chip over one surface of a substrate which includes a plurality of holes and an interconnecting pattern formed over another surface, part of the interconnecting pattern running over the holes; and
a step of positioning a second semiconductor chip on the other surface of the substrate over which the interconnecting pattern is formed,
wherein, in the step of mounting the first semiconductor chip, electrodes of the first semiconductor chip are electrically connected to the interconnecting pattern through a conductive member provided in each of the holes by disposing the electrodes of the first semiconductor chip in the holes.
According to the present invention, a plurality of semiconductor chips can be provided to both surfaces of the substrate with the interconnecting pattern formed over one surface. Therefore, cost and the number of mounting steps can be reduced in comparison with a substrate with an interconnecting pattern provided to both surfaces. Moreover, the weight of the semiconductor device can be reduced. Because of this, a multichip module excelling in productivity can be developed.
(24) In this method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the conductive member may be at least one bump, and the method may further comprise a step of providing the bump to each of the electrodes of the first semiconductor chip in advance.
(25) This method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may further comprise a step of providing a resin to the substrate in a region in which the first semiconductor chip is positioned.
The resin has a function of reducing stress.
(26) This method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may further comprise a step of providing a resin to the substrate in a region in which the second semiconductor chip is positioned.
The resins can be provided over each semiconductor chip.
(27) In this method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a step of providing a resin between the substrate and the first semiconductor chip and a step of providing a resin between the substrate and the second semiconductor chip may be carried out at the same time.
According to this method, the resins may be provided to both surfaces of the substrate at the same time. Therefore, in the case where the opening of the holes is not covered by the interconnecting pattern, specifically, in the case where the resin flows through the opening of the holes when providing the resin over one surface of the substrate, the resin can be efficiently provided.
(28) This method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may further comprise, after the step of providing the resin, a step of providing the first and second semiconductor chips to the substrate and applying pressure and heat to surfaces of the first and second semiconductor chips opposite to surfaces facing the substrate.
This enables each semiconductor chip to be placed symmetrically with respect to the substrate by mounting each semiconductor chip provided to both surfaces of the substrate, whereby optimum mounting conditions can be obtained.
(29) In this method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the second semiconductor. chip may-have a mirror-symmetrical circuit structure with the first semiconductor chip.
This enables a pair of the semiconductor chips having a mirror-symmetrical circuit structure to be connected to both sides of the interconnecting patterns.
(30) In this method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the electrodes of the second semiconductor chip may be connected to the interconnecting pattern over the holes.
(31) In this method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the electrodes of the second semiconductor chip may be connected to the interconnecting pattern at a position avoiding the holes.
(32) A manufacturing device for a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises:
first and second jigs each of which is disposed leaving a space from a surface of each of a plurality of semiconductor chips opposite to a surface facing a substrate, the semiconductor chips being mounted over both surfaces of the substrate through a resin,
wherein each of the first and second jigs comprises a surface for applying pressure to a surface of each of the semiconductor chips opposite to the surface facing a substrate and heating means for transmitting heat to each of the semiconductor chips, and the first and second jigs apply pressure and heat to the respective semiconductor chips positioned between the first and second jigs at the same time to make adhesive force of resin on the substrate effective so that the semiconductor chips are mounted over the substrate.
According to the present invention, the semiconductor chips provided to both surfaces of the substrate are mounted over the substrate by simultaneously applying pressure and heat to the semiconductor chips. At the same time, adhesive force of the resin on the substrate can be made effective. Therefore, a semiconductor device can be manufactured using a reduced number of steps. Moreover, since the semiconductor chips provided to both surfaces of the substrate are mounted simultaneously, each semiconductor chip is mounted symmetrically. This enables the semiconductor device to be manufactured under optimum mounting conditions.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same, manufacturing device, circuit board, and electronic equipment


The present invention relates to a weighted flag for use as an aerodynamic projectile directed to a target, an apparatus for receiving and storing a tossable object, and a toss game set that includes at least one weighted flag and at least one target apparatus according to the present invention. The present invention also relates to methods of making and using the weighted flag and target apparatus according to the present invention. The present invention further relates to a method of play that involves using the weighted flag and the target apparatus according to the present invention.

In general, recreational toss games are not well-suited for both indoor and outdoor play. Further, most recreational toss games have at least one deficiency that affects its portability, flexibility of use, durability, and acceptable age of player. For example, a number of popular toss games are cumbersome to carry around, which is often due to the overall bulk and weight of the game set (e.g., Bocce ball, Horseshoes, Cornhole, etc.). Some toss games can only be played in specific areas (e.g., outdoors or indoors only) or terrains. For example, Bocce ball cannot be played on pavement or other hard, abrasive surfaces without scuffing or otherwise damaging the balls, and Horseshoes requires a pair of stakes to be immobilized in the ground. Further, even though Horseshoes and Bocce balls are designed to be played outdoors, they can damage a lawn. Lawn dart games must be played outdoors and are inherently dangerous to the players and observers of the game. Other toss games that are not easily portable due to bulk and weight, require game pieces that are not readily packable into their targets, while others include game pieces that can damage playing surfaces and that can themselves be damaged by particular playing surfaces. While various toss games are directed toward a particular age group, some toss games are not meant for all ages. For example, some toss games that require heavy tossing objects (e.g., Horseshoes) or that involve potentially dangerous tossing objects (e.g., lawn darts) are not suitable for the younger player.
Other deficiencies of current recreational toss games relate to the unpredictability of the tossing object, whether during the flight of the tossing object in the air or upon its landing. This unpredictability can leave the outcome of the game to chance rather than to skill. Another deficiency of current toss games relates to the lack of the target as being useful as a means for storing the tossing objects. Yet another deficiency in the toss game field is the lack of targets as being useful as memorabilia or as a decorative object for display while not in use in their related toss games.
The present invention is directed to addressing these and other deficiencies in the art.

Weighted flag and target apparatus for use in a toss game


Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward techniques and configurations associated with a capductor assembly. In one embodiment, a capductor assembly may include a semiconductor wafer and a plurality of inductors disposed on a first side of the semiconductor wafer. The plurality of inductors may be embedded in electrically insulative material having a plurality of interconnect structures disposed thereon. The plurality of interconnect structures may be configured to electrically couple the plurality of inductors to a die. The IC assembly may further include a plurality of capacitors disposed on a second side of the wafer disposed opposite the first side of the wafer. The plurality of capacitors may be electrically coupled with a second plurality of interconnect structures that may be configured to electrically couple the plurality of capacitors with the die. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Integrated voltage regulators (IVRs) may require both inductors and capacitors to properly carry out voltage regulation duties. Under the current state of the art, the inductors and capacitors of voltage regulators may compete for the same space of a package substrate. Consequently, it may be necessary to compromise on both the inductors and capacitors. For example, under the current state of the art, a footprint of the inductors may be reduced in an effort to make space available for the capacitors, while the number of capacitors may be limited to maintain sufficient space for the inductors. As a result of these compromises, IVR efficiency, reliability, or transient response may be impacted.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Techniques and configurations associated with a capductor assembly


In a method of and apparatus for deriving indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias, a temporally isolated portion of a digital representation of a time-domain electrical signal originating from the atria of a patient is frequency analyzed to provide a corresponding frequency spectrum. The obtained frequency spectrum is compared with a template frequency spectrum, selectively adapted dependent on previously obtained frequency spectra from different temporally isolated portions, to determine a frequency shift value and an amplitude value that optimize a correlation between the two spectra. An output representing the two determined values is used, possibly together with parameters describing the template frequency spectrum, to classify an atrial arrhythmia manifest in the digital representation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for characterizing atrial arrhythmias and in particular to a method and apparatus employing time-frequency analysis of electrical signals originating from the atria in order to derive indicia for use in characterizing the arrhythmias.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is desirable to find methods, particularly non-invasive methods, for the characterization and classification of atrial arrhythmias, including tachycardia, flutter and fibrillation. Information contained in the atrial activity must, in some suitable way, be quantified to accomplish this task. To date, the primary efforts in this field have been directed toward atrial fibrillation analysis although the same methods in many cases can be used for flutter and tachycardia. In the atrial fibrillation case, the atrial activity in an electrocardiogram (ECG), registered from either internal or external of the patient, has conventionally been classified by its maximum amplitude. The repetition rate (or atrial cycle length) of the f-waves in the ECG has also been investigated and serves as an index of the degree of atrial organization. Estimation of the average repetition rate can be based on spectral analysis. Such an approach gives a general picture of the signal by providing information about the average repetition rate by means of the peak location, the variation in the rate by the width of the peak and the average signal energy by the peak amplitude. This method is simple but provides valuable clinical information.
Atrial signals may be non-stationary but are repetitive and thus they can, during short intervals, be represented by a fundamental frequency signal, which reflects the repetition rate and a harmonic pattern which reflects the shape of the fibrillatory waveform. Based on this recognition a detailed feature extraction in the time-frequency plane for this type of signal may be achieved.
Time-frequency analysis (TFA) using an iterative cross-Wigner-Ville distribution (XWVD) to analyze the signals on a second-to-second basis is known and can provide a more detailed temporal characterization of variations in the repetition rate than the above mentioned approaches.
The XWVD models the frequency variations as a frequency-modulated sinusoid, which has a low-pass effect on the trends. Further, it only uses the energy in the fundamental frequency and is therefore not capable of tracking the shape of the signals as described by its harmonics. Another limitation is that, because of the large number of iterations performed, the computational complexity is relatively high.

Method of and apparatus for deriving indices characterizing atrial arrhythmias


The present invention relates to a mechanism for preventing damage to the actuator of a hydraulic choke valve in the event of excessive backpressure on the outlet of the choke. The backpressure relief device is applicable to a choke valve which meters flow from a high pressure annular region around the axially reciprocable choke throttling member into a low pressure exit channel coaxial with the throttling member. In particular, a shearable means is used to connect the reciprocable control shank of the actuator to the throttling valve member of the choke valve. In the event of excessive pressure on the exit channel of the choke valve, the shearable means will shear, thereby fully opening the valve and permitting the excessive pressure to escape. The shearable means is readily replaced so that the valve easily can be put back into operating condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for providing relief to a hydraulic choke from exposure to excessive backpressure. More particularly, the present invention relates to pressure reducing valves and valve openings having shearable restraints.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention is applicable to hydraulic choke valves, which are a subclass of pressure reducing valves. Choke type pressure reducing valves generally function by causing a portion of the potential energy of a pressurized fluid to be dissipated through turbulence when the pressurized fluid is passed through a restrictive orifice. Typically, the orifice of a choke valve is selectably variable through reciprocation of its valving member toward and away from the valve seat, so that a desired combination of flow and exit pressure may be obtained.
A choke valve is normally open and is designed for one-way flow. This construction differs from that of a relief valve, which is another type of one-way flow valve that is normally closed. The present invention is applicable to a choke valve that differs in construction from the most common arrangement of such valves in having its flow gate pressure-balanced. Because of the pressure balancing of the sealing plug, the actuating loads on the stem of the flow gate are considerably reduced compared to those of most choke valves of comparable capacity. However, the stem of the flow gate, which connects to the reciprocable control screw of the actuator used to reciprocate the flow gate for this type of choke, is not pressure balanced. The present invention has as its purpose the release of excessive backpressure induced axial loads on the flow gate stem in order to avoid overload of the stem or the actuator that is attached to the stem.
The concept of a shearable release as a means of opening a relief valve on a one-time basis prior to rebuilding of the valve is disclosed in Allen U.S. Pat. No. 2,304,491, where a common nail is used as a shear pin. The sealing plug of the Allen valve is directly restrained against reciprocably unseating by the nail.
West U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,987 discloses a relief valve very similar to that of Allen, but with an indirectly acting shear mechanism. West uses a four-bar linkage mechanism that has a shearable link interconnecting two of its arms. The shaft of the West sealing plug is restrained by abutting one bar of the linkage, where one end of that bar is held by the shearable link. When the link shears due to excessive reaction loads to the forces applied to the supporting bar by the valve plug, the plug unseats to release the pressure.
Risinger U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,094 discloses a relief valve that has multiple directly acting releases for its sealing valving members, wherein the valving members are held by shear screws or shear pins. This particular construction is made to be inserted into a well bore to control a flow bypass.
While the references above do show shear release means for opening relief valves that are closed, there is a need for a shear release means for pressure reducing valves that are either open or closed.

Shear mechanism for backpressure relief in a choke valve


A musical-tone signal controlling apparatus includes a processor which executes a musical-tone controlling process on an input musical-tone signal supplied to the processor, the processor including a delay unit which executes a delay process on the input musical-tone signal; a first discriminator which determines whether or not the input musical-tone signal to be supplied to the processor has become null; a second discriminator which determines whether or not the output musical-tone signal processed by the processor has become null; and a reset circuit which automatically resets the delay unit when the second discriminator determines that the musical-tone signal processed by the processor has become null after the first discriminator determines that the input musical-tone signal to be supplied to the processor has become null.

The present invention relates to a musical-tone signal generating apparatus having a general purpose processor and a processing circuit externally connected therewith, both of which cooperate with each other to perform a process for generating a musical-tone signal and a process for controlling the generated musical-tone signal.
Further, the present invention relates to a musical-tone controlling apparatus which performs on a generated musical-tone signal a musical-tone controlling process including a delay process such as a noise shaping process.
In a conventionally proposed technique, a general purpose processor is employed for generating a musical-tone signal through a software process. A musical-tone signal generating apparatus using the general purpose processor is capable of performing a wider variety of sound-source processes than that employing LSI designed for a special purpose of generating musical-tone signals, and further a reduction in manufacturing costs of the former apparatus can be expected.
The musical-tone signal generating apparatus employing the general purpose processor processes operations of various function keys as keyboard keys and tone-color keys through a general program routine, and generates musical-tone sample data at respective sampling timings through interrupt processes based on timer interrupts caused at predetermined intervals.
The musical-tone signal generating apparatus employing the general purpose processor, however, needs a longer time for executing an arithmetic operation compared with the apparatus employing a special LSI. Accordingly, the musical-tone signal generating apparatus employing only the general purpose processor is not suitable for executing musical-tone control processes which include a rapid arithmetic operation such as an over sampling process, a noise shaping process and dither process.
To overcome the above drawbacks, the general purpose processor is provided with an independent processing circuit externally connected therewith for executing the above musical-tone control processes.
In the apparatus including the externally connected processing circuit in addition to the general purpose processor, when the general purpose processor generates musical-tone sample data through an interrupt service executed at predetermined intervals, a time required for performing a sound-source process to generate the musical-tone sample data at respective timings varies depending on how a program is executed. As a result, the musical-tone sample data are not precisely generated at even intervals. Therefore, timings at which respective musical-tone sample data are generated from the general purpose processor are shifted from timings at which the processing circuit executes the musicaltone controlling process on the respective musical-tone sample data. As described above, the apparatus including the externally connected processing circuit in addition to the general purpose processor has a drawback that allows the musical-tone controlling process to be executed out of synchronism with generation of the musical-tone sample data.
Further, the musical-tone sample data generated by the general purpose processor are temporarily held, for example, in a buffer circuit such as a latch provided in an input portion of a processing circuit, and then are processed by hardware provided in the processing circuit.
Now, consider operation of the conventional musical-tone signal generating apparatus having the above mentioned processor and processing circuit, the operation which is executed when the power is applied.
The processor starts running a predetermined program when the power is turned on, and usually initializes, at the beginning of the program, memories, registers and output latches for outputting the generated musical-tone sample data within the processor, whereby the processor is controlled not to output undesired musical-tone sample data when the power is turned on.
A certain time is needed before the program starts running after the power is applied to the apparatus. Some time (a little time) therefore is required before the above initializing process is executed by means of software.
Meanwhile, since the hardware processing circuit externally connected to the processor starts operation independently of operation of the processor at the time when the power is turned on, contents of the musicaltone sample data held in the input latch provided in the input portion is not kept unchanged for a little time before the above output latch within the processor is reset by means of software.
As described above, the conventional musical-tone signal generating apparatus has drawbacks that the contents of the input latch is processed in the processing circuit, and has the possibility of outputting the resultants through D/A convertor as noise.
Further, when musical-tone controlling processes including a delay process such as the noise shaping process are executed on the generated musical-tone signal, an effect of delay process on the musical-tone signal will be realized as follows: that is, the musical-tone signal at the present sample timing is held in the buffer circuit such as the latch, and is read out at a later sample timing.
In the musical-tone controlling process including the above delay process, a musical-tone signal at the previous sampling timing is delayed by the buffer circuit and is used at the current sampling timing.
It is preferable for the above musical-tone controlling process that when an amplitude of an input musical-tone signal becomes null, the resultant or output signal of the control process becomes null accordingly, but the conventional musical-tone signal generating apparatus has a drawback that even if the amplitude of the input musical-tone signal becomes zero, undesired noise might be output due to signal components previously remaining in the buffer circuit.

Musical-tone signal generating apparatus and musical-tone controlling apparatus including delay means and automatic reset means


A dry cleaning process for removing native oxide at improved efficiency is disclosed. The dry cleaning process minimizes the amount of fluorine atoms absorbed on the surface of a processed substrate. Fluorine radicals are provided to the substrate together with hydrogen radicals. The substrate is processed by the reaction of the fluorine radicals and the hydrogen radicals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the fabrication of a semiconductor device, and particularly, to a so-called pre-cleaning process for removing native oxide formed on the surface of a silicon substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Native oxide formed on the surface of a silicon substrate needs to be removed before various processes such as an insulation film forming process and an epitaxial process on the silicon substrate. The native oxide includes, for example, an oxide film formed due to the atmospheric oxidation of hydrophobic silicon surface formed by cleaning the silicon surface with diluted fluorine acid and an oxide film unintentionally formed in oxidation processing, dilution processing, and CVD processing, for example, even at a low temperature.
The native oxide needs to be completely removed in the recent fabrication of super fine semiconductor devices in which, for example, a high dielectric gate insulation film, which is 1 nm thick or less, needs to be formed. The native oxide also needs to be removed not only for forming a super thin insulation film such as the high dielectric gate insulation film but also for forming a silicon/metal contact and metal silicide.
The native oxide is removed from the surface of a silicon substrate in dry atmosphere so that the silicon substrate the native oxide of which is removed is transported in vacuum to the next step with its cleaned surface kept as clean as it is. Thus, the removal of the native oxide is referred to as dry cleaning.
For example, the following methods for dry cleaning processing are known: a method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in anhydrous HF gas, a method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in an atmosphere of HF gas and water vapor, and a method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in an atmosphere of F2 gas excited by ultra violet ray thereby to generate fluorine radicals with additional H2 gas.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 7-321046 is known as a prior art literature related to the present invention.
The method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate with anhydrous HF gas is a method in which the native oxide is removed by reacting remnant moisture contained on the surface of the native oxide or in the native oxide with the anhydrous HF gas thereby to form HF aqueous solution. The native oxide can be selectively removed by controlling the density of HF.
The method of processing the surface of the silicon substrate in an atmosphere of HF gas and water vapor is a method in which HF gas and H2O gas condense on the native oxide into HF aqueous solution thereby to etch the native oxide. When the etching of the native oxide is completed, the supply of the HF gas and the water vapor is terminated. The liquid condensed on the silicon substrate evaporates.
One of the problems of the conventional methods is that a large amount of fluorine (F) atoms remain on the surface of the processed silicon substrate after processing, and residual substance is easily left after the liquid evaporates. Another problem of the conventional methods is caused by organic substance absorbed on the surface of the silicon substrate that is difficult to remove before the removal of native oxide. The organic substance may cause the residual substance.
In the case of the method of processing a substrate surface with fluorine radicals generated by exciting an atmosphere of F2 gas and hydrogen gas with ultra violet light, the problem that residual substance remains on the substrate surface after processing does not occur. However, a large amount of fluorine (F) atoms are absorbed on the surface of the silicon substrate. The fluorine atoms need to be removed after processing for removing native oxide.

Method of removing oxide film on a substrate with hydrogen and fluorine radicals


A through-air device includes a permeable roll having a hollow interior and mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis. At least one divider is located in the hollow interior so as to define a plurality of roll channels within the roll, the roll channels being positioned side-by-side along the longitudinal axis. A first housing bounds a first portion of the roll, and a second housing bounds a second portion of the roll. At least one partition is located in the second housing so as to define a plurality of housing channels within the second housing. Each one of the housing channels is aligned with a corresponding one of the roll channels. The device further includes structure for individually controlling airflow through each pair of corresponding roll channels and housing channels.

This invention relates generally to through-air devices (TADs) and more particularly to controlling moisture or other profiles in webs being treated by TADs. As used herein, the term "through-air device" generally refers to a device for drawing a fluid (typically a gas such as heated air, ambient air, combustion products and/or a vapor, although a liquid such as water can be used in some applications) through permeable webs to treat the webs. Thus, the use of the word "air" in "through-air device" is in no way limiting to air. It should be understood that reference to the term "air" hereinafter includes other fluids as well. Common examples of TADs include through-air dryers, bonders and curers. Other applications of TADs include extraction, cooling, moisturizing, washing and porosity measurements.
In many web processing methods, such as paper making, TADs are used for drying the web after, before or instead of pressing devices. Typically, such a TAD incorporates a hollow, rotating roll fitted with a perforated or otherwise permeable shell around which a wet web is partially wrapped as the web is passed through the TAD. The web is often supported on a continuous fabric as it is passed through the TAD. Heated air (gas or vapor) passes through the permeable web, fabric and roll so as to cause drying of the web.
In through-air thermal processes such as drying, the web necessarily serves as a flow resistance. The local magnitude of this resistance can vary as local web properties, such as basis weight and moisture content, vary across the width of the web and thus the flow of the supply air, even when uniformly distributed upstream of the web, can grow non-uniform as it approaches the web. For example, in a drying process, more air can flow through drier, lighter or more-permeable portions of the web, tending to exacerbate existing cross-machine moisture profiles. The problem of inherent web non-uniformity is compounded by the airflow arrangement used in many TADs; that is, the air is typically exhausted through one or both ends of the roll. This introduces an inherent tendency for through-air flow to favor the exhaust side or sides, resulting in diminished drying, bonding or curing rates on the opposite end or center of the web. Means exist to compensate for or correct this flow bias but they require the introduction of pressure losses (i.e., increased energy consumption and production costs.)
In addition, the air delivered to the supply plenum, just upstream of the web's surface, is not always distributed uniformly with respect to both temperature and air speed. Non-uniformity can result from such things as poor mixing upstream or thermal loss. Thermal loss through duct walls tends to depress the supply air temperature on both sides of the supply plenum while air speed can be expected to decrease near the plenum walls. Thus, there exists a tendency to under treat the outermost edges of the web. Any non-uniformity in supply and exhaust air density (due to temperature and/or air speed variation) can result in the development of a cross-machine pressure gradient within the gap between the supply plenum and surface of the TAD roll. There can thus be a tendency for supply air to "blow-out" from within this gap into the machine room or for ambient air to be sucked into the gap.
Furthermore, when threading a production line, the web is typically first introduced to the TAD as a narrow strip (referred to as the tail) which occupies only a fraction of the full production width. This means that supply air tends to flow around the web through that portion of the TAD roll's surface offering the least resistance resulting in ineffective thermal treatment of the tail and the tail not being properly secured on the surface of the roll. It is desirable to process (e.g., dry or bond) the tail as the integrity (strength) of the tail is increased, thereby making any handling operations downstream of the TAD easier and more efficient. The treading process through the TAD is less problematic and more secure when the tail is firmly held to the roll surface.
TADs currently rely on profiling devices, installed within the TAD roll, to eliminate cross-machine flow non-uniformity due to duct configuration. Web non-uniformity resulting from such causes as varying web characteristics, supply and gap pressure imbalance, and transients, such as threading, has generally not been addressed. Typical control devices consist of perforated tubes, mounted within the roll, that offer either a varying flow resistance (smaller or fewer perforations approaching the exhaust end or ends of the roll) or a resistance that substantially exceeds or overpowers that due to the web itself. In both instances, system pressure loss due to the profiling device can be large. In neither approach can the resistance be easily reduced or increased or otherwise adjusted to suit the specific conditions obtained when producing a given web. The devices are thus typically sized for worst-case operating scenarios such that much of the pressure loss associated with their use can be considered parasitic when producing off-design webs.
Accordingly, there is a need for a TAD that can accommodate inherent upstream, cross-machine variation in web characteristics, as well as supply air non-uniformity within the TAD, to produce webs exhibiting more uniform treatment (such as moisture, bonding or curing profiles) downstream of the TAD.

Cross-machine flow and profile control for through-air devices treating permeable webs


Mask inspection apparatuses and/or mask inspection methods are provided that enable quick and accurate inspection of a registration of a pattern on a mask while a defect of the mask and the registration of the pattern are inspected simultaneously. The mask inspection apparatus may include a stage configured to receive a mask for inspection; an e-beam array including a plurality of e-beam irradiators configured to irradiate e-beams to the mask and detectors configured to detect electrons emitted from the mask; and a processor configured to process signals from the detectors. A defect of the mask may be detected through processing of the signal and registrations of patterns on the mask may be inspected based on positional information regarding the e-beam irradiators.

In general, a semiconductor device may be manufactured through repetitive unit processes including a photolithography process, a thin film deposition process, and an etching process. From among the processes, the photolithography process is a typical main process determining a critical dimension (CD) of a semiconductor device. The photolithography process may include a photoresist application process, an exposure process, and a development process. The exposure process may be a process for transferring patterns provided on a mask onto a photoresist on a wafer. The patterns on the mask may have registration deviations depending on changes of intervals therebetween and directions during a manufacturing process. Therefore, prior to the exposure process, registration inspection of the patterns on the mask may be performed.

Mask inspection apparatuses and methods, and methods of fabricating masks including mask inspection methods


A method for providing (Al,Ga,In)N thin films on Ga-face c-plane (Al,Ga,In)N substrates using c-plane surfaces with a miscut greater than at least 0.35 degrees toward the m-direction. Light emitting devices are formed on the smooth (Al,Ga,In)N thin films. Devices fabricated on the smooth surfaces exhibit improved performance.

The present disclosure is directed to fabrication of optical devices. More particularly, the disclosure provides methods and devices using a miscut (Al,Ga,In)N bulk crystal. Certain embodiments provided by the disclosure include techniques for fabricating light emitting devices using miscut gallium nitride containing materials. Such devices can be applied to applications such as optoelectronic devices. In certain embodiments, the disclosure provides methods of manufacture using an epitaxial gallium containing crystal with extremely smooth surface morphology and uniform wavelength over a large surface area of the substrate. Such crystals and materials include GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, for manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates.
In the late 1800's, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. The conventional light bulb, commonly called the "Edison bulb," has been used for over one hundred years. The conventional light bulb uses a tungsten filament enclosed in a glass bulb sealed in a base, which is screwed into a socket. The socket is coupled to an AC power or DC power source. The conventional light bulb can be found commonly in houses, buildings, and outdoors. Unfortunately, the conventional light bulb dissipates more than 90% of the energy used as thermal energy. Additionally, the light bulb eventually fails due to evaporation of the tungsten filament.
Fluorescent lighting uses an optically clear tube filled with a noble gas, and typically also contains mercury. A pair of electrodes is coupled to an alternating power source through a ballast. Once the mercury has been excited, it discharges to emit UV light. Typically, the tube is coated with phosphors, which are excited by the UV light to provide white light. Recently, fluorescent lighting has been fitted onto a base structure to couple into a standard socket.
Solid state lighting relies upon semiconductor materials to produce light emitting diodes, commonly called LEDs. At first, red LEDs were demonstrated and introduced into commerce. Modern, red LEDs use aluminum indium gallium phosphide or AlInGaP semiconductor materials. Most recently, Shuji Nakamura pioneered the use of InGaN materials to produce LEDs emitting light in the blue range for blue LEDs. Blue LEDs led to innovations in lighting, and the blue laser diode enabled DVD players, and other developments. Blue, violet, or ultraviolet-emitting devices based on InGaN are used in conjunction with phosphors to provide white LEDs.


A pressure trip device for a circuit breaker comprises a plurality of single pole switching units, each unit corresponding to each electrical phase hermetically mounting movable contactors and fixed contactors in an insulated case in order to switch electrical circuits according to each phase, having arc gas exhaust port, and connected to one another by a shaft; a switching mechanism connected to one of the single pole switching units for contacting or separating the movable contactor of the connected single pole switching unit to/from the fixed contactor of the connected single pole switching unit; a trip bar connected to the switching mechanism for tripping the switching mechanism; a gas pressure shooter facing the trip bar, and perpendicularly movable between a position for rotating the trip bar by a pressurization and a position separated from the trip bar; and a protrusion wall portion having a pair of wall portions facing to each other and perpendicularly extending from at least one outer surface of each case of the single pole switching units, having one wall portion for connecting lower ends of the pair of wall portions to each other, and forming a gas pressure storing space for supporting the gas pressure shooter to be perpendicularly movable and connected to the arc gas exhaust port. Accordingly, the circuit breaker is tripped faster than the conventional one using a tripping process by mechanisms of multi-step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit breaker, and more particularly, to a pressure trip device for a circuit breaker capable of faster tripping a circuit breaker by using a pressure of arc gas generated when a movable contactor and a fixed contactor are separated from each other by an electromagnetic repulsive force.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively a lateral view and a perspective view of a circuit breaker in accordance with the conventional art.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional circuit breaker constituted with a single pole switching unit 22 comprises an outer case 21 for protecting a mechanism, a magnetic core 25 installed in the outer case 21 for generating an electromagnetic force proportionally to an electrical current flowing on the circuit breaker, an armature 26 attracted by the magnetic core 25, a cross bar 27 actuated by the armature 26, a trip shooter 28 actuated by the cross bar 27, a spring 29 for providing a driving force to the trip shooter 28, and a trip bar 24 being rotated by the trip shooter 28 for triggering the switching mechanism of the circuit breaker to a position of trip.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a locked state of a trip shooter for the circuit breaker of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part 'A' in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a view showing a released state of the trip shooter for the circuit breaker of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part 'B' in FIG. 5.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, in the conventional circuit breaker, the trip shooter 28 is locked by the cross bar 27 when a normal current flows, and thus the trip bar 24 maintains a reset position.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, an electromagnetic force of the magnetic core 25 pulls the armature 26 when a large current such as short circuit current is generated.
Upper end of the pulled armature 26 pushes the cross bar 27 to rotate clockwise, thereby releasing a hooked portion 28a of the trip shooter 28 locked by a hook 27a of the cross bar 27.
The trip shooter 28 is counterclockwise rotated by an elastic force of the spring 29, and rotates the trip bar 24 clockwise. Accordingly, a not shown latch is released by the rotation of the trip bar 24 and the switching mechanism of the circuit breaker is driven to a position of trip by a not shown trip spring.
However, the conventional circuit breaker has the following problems. Since the conventional circuit breaker is tripped by a process using mechanisms of a multi-step, arc energy is drastically increased due to a time delay at the time of an occurrence of an electric shortage current. The drastic arc energy increase damages a body and a mechanic part of the circuit breaker and fuses a movable contactor (not shown) and a fixed contactor (not shown) to each other, thereby degrading a reliability of the circuit breaker.

Pressure trip device for circuit breaker


A screw-type propel/repel lipstick has a stepped profile along one edge of the slot in the sleeve of a lipstick. The stepped edge is on the lower end of the spiral opening in the cam where the opening overlies the slot. Preferably, the cup lug has a point in its cross section pointing down toward the stepped side of the slot. When the pomade starts to backoff, the point of the lug catches on the stepped profile.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lipstick container. More specifically, the invention relates to a lipstick container having means to block the unwanted retraction or "backoff" of the pomade into the container when the lipstick is in use.
2. Description of Related Art including Information Disclosed under .sctn..sctn.1.97 to 1.99
The prior art is replete with lipstick containers having so-called screw type repel/propel means for moving the pomade outward and inward. Generally these comprise a tubular sleeve, or inner, having a longitudinal slot and a pomade-filled cup reciprocable in the sleeve and having lugs extending through the slot. Finally, a tubular cam surrounds the sleeve and has a spiral opening about its inside, the opening receiving the ends of the lugs. When the user turns the sleeve relative to the cam, the pomade cup moves up and down.
So that the user does not have to turn the cam an excessive number of times, it is desired to have the spiral opening in the cam of a relatively steep pitch. Thus, in turning the cam only one rotation relative to the sleeve, the user may drive the pomade all the way up or retract it all the way.
The steep pitch of the cam creates a problem. In some cases, as the user grasps the container and presses the pomade to her lips, the steepness of the spiral opening has forced the rotation of the sleeve and permitted the depression or "backing off" of the pomade back toward its retracted position. This is undesirable for obvious reasons.