Ion implanter having at least two independent ion generating systems coupled to a single scanning end station. In a preferred embodiment one of the ion generating systems generates ions approximately in the 3-80 keV range and the other system generates ions approximately in the 80-3,000 keV range. The scanning end station may be employ magnetic, electrostatic, or mechanical scanning. This invention has particular relevance for the controlled doping of semiconducting materials and flat panel displays units in which doping may be needed for the production of micro-electronic devices, the sub-circuit crystal damage that is useful for gettering unwanted impurity atoms and for the development of etch pits in flat panel displays. The disclosed apparatus makes possible a variety of chained implants at different energies using the same mask.

This invention relates to the controlled ion implantation doping and etch enhancement of semiconductor materials and flat panel displays by bombardment with selected species of ions having energies in the range 1 keV to 3 MeV.
The development of microelectronics, together with their integrated circuit offsprings, (IC's), represents a major contribution to the revolution that is overtaking societies around the world. Even in their simplest forms, IC's have applications that are so diverse that it is impossible to provide a complete catalogue. Today, even the simplest mechanical devices, such as cooking stoves and washing machines, often include one or more IC's that provide capabilities that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. One impressive example is the hand-held Global Positioning System units (GPS) that provide, at very low cost, latitude and longitude position with an accuracy of a few meters anywhere on the earth.
There are two fundamental exponential "laws" of microelectronics underlying IC manufacture which have been obeyed for at least 30 years. The first is the observation that the transistor density on a silicon chip has grown geometrically for thirty years, doubling every 11/2 years. The second is the "economic miracle" of the decreasing cost per bit of memory devices. The driving potential for this expansion is an outgrowth of two imperatives: One is higher speed, and the second is cost. As a consequence the basic trend is towards ever smaller devices and this trend is expected to dominate the industry for at least another decade.
One of the core manufacturing technologies that has made this scaling of microelectronics practical is the process of ion implantation. Implantation makes possible the creation of three-dimensional electrical circuits and switches with great precision and reproducibility. Ion implantation operates by modifying the electrical properties of well-defined regions of a silicon wafer by introducing selected impurity atoms, one by one, at a velocity that allows them to penetrate the surface layers and come to rest at an appropriate depth.
The characteristics which make implantation such a valuable processing procedure are threefold: First, the concentration of the introduced dopant atoms can be accurately controlled by a straightforward measurement of electrical charge. Secondly, the regions of the base material where dopant atoms are inserted can be precisely defined by photo-resist masks, making possible accurate patterning at ambient room temperature. Thirdly, the implant depth can be adjusted by varying the ion energy.
Presently, implanters are produced in several application specific models and a large semiconductor fabrication site will have several of each type. The types include:
1. High Current Implanters: Typically used for doping at concentration levels >1E15/cm.sup.2 over the energy range 3-80 keV. (These implanters can be used for doses lower than 1E15 and energies higher than 80 keV.) As the name implies, high current capability (10-20 mA) is an essential characteristic for achieving these high dosings at economical throughputs. As feature sizes decrease the lower energy limit of high current implanters is expected to reduce to 1 keV or below; this may require the development of specialized tools. It is anticipated that by the year 2002 approximately 30% of all implants will fall into the high current category. Currently, a majority of commercially available high current implanters operate in the batch-wafer mode but customer pressures are likely to cause the introduction of serial models. PA1 2. Medium Current Implanters: Typically used for doping at concentration levels <2E14/cm.sup.2 over the energy range 20-200 keV. Some applications, such as threshold adjustment, require very high precision. Other recent applications require implanting ions at very large angles to the normal (45-60 degrees) and that this angle be variable during the implantation process. It is anticipated that by the year 2002 approximately 60% of all implants will fall into what is now considered the `medium current class.` Presently medium current implanters are supplied as both serial and batch-wafer devices but serial tools will almost certainly dominate by 2002. PA1 3. High Energy Implanters: Typically used for doping at concentration levels <3E13/cm.sup.2 over the energy range 200-2300 keV. As circuit feature-sizes decrease and the separations between components become smaller the demands for high energy implantation is expected to substantially increase. It is anticipated that by the year 2002 between 5-10% of all implants will be high energy. Currently, both commercially available high energy implanters operate in the batch-wafer mode but customer pressure are likely to push for the introduction of serial tools.
The typical size of the largest versions of these machines is substantial (6 meters.times.3.5 meters) and occupy a significant area of clean room floor space, the annual costs of which may be as high as $50,000/square meter. Thus, while the above mix of implanter models has been accepted by industry there are growing pressures for the development of implanters that have smaller footprints, lower power consumption and that can carry out a very wide range of implantation steps, to allow chained implants, without removing the wafer being processed from the implanter.
There is also a trend in the semiconductor industry to move away from batch processing, where multiple wafers are processed simultaneously, to the processing of individual wafers. To achieve single wafer processing, an implantation apparatus often employs `hybrid scanning.` Here, the ion beam is rastered at high frequency in one direction, using triangular shaped deflection voltage or magnetic field waveforms, and the wafer being processed is implanted by moving it underneath this beam (which may be a "ribbon beam") at a speed that is appropriate to introduce the necessary dopant concentration.


When plasma processing is finished, a gate valve 13a is closed and cleaning gas is ejected from holes 121a of a shower plate 121, and at the same time, a microwave is generated from a microwave generator 101. Further, at this time, the inside of a process chamber 110 is exhausted through a second exhaust port 106. Since the exhaust is conducted through a second exhaust port 106 positioned lower than a wafer stage 104 in a lowered state when the inside of the process chamber 110 is cleaned, it is possible to more effectively remove gas and reaction products deposited especially in a lower portion of the process chamber 110.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that applies film deposition, an etching process, or the like on, for example, a semiconductor wafer by plasma processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a substrate processing apparatus such as a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatus, which applies film deposition on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a wafer) and a glass substrate for a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and an etching apparatus that applies an etching process on such a substrate, the inside of a process chamber is exhausted via an exhaust port disposed, for example, in a lower portion thereof while plasma process gas is being introduced from above the substrate.
In such a substrate processing apparatus, SiO2, SiN, SiOCH, CF polymer, and the like (reaction products) stay to be deposited in the process chamber after the plasma processing. Such deposits are problematic since they float in the process chamber thereafter to adhere to the substrate. Therefore, the inside of the process chamber is exhausted after the plasma processing, using the aforesaid exhaust port. Such a substrate processing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-168732 (see FIG. 1, [0008], and so on).
The above-described substrate processing apparatus, however, has a problem that the gas flow on the substrate surface is disturbed because the exhaust port is provided in the lower portion of the process chamber, so that process uniformity is not maintained.
Here, a possible measure for solving the problem may be, for example, disposing the exhaust port as close as possible to the substrate surface, but this structure has a problem that the reaction products stay to be deposited in the lower portion of the process chamber (for example, on a side face and a bottom side of a process stage, a lower portion of a stay of the process stage, and so on).


Contemplated plants for flexible ethane recovery and rejection by allowing to switch the top reflux to the demethanizer from residue gas to the deethanizer overhead product and by controlling the flow ratio of feed gas to two different feed gas exchangers. Moreover, the pressure of the demethanizer is adjusted relative to the deethanizer pressure for control of the ethane recovery and rejection.

Expansion processes have been widely used for hydrocarbon liquids recovery in the gas processing industry for ethane and propane recovery. External refrigeration is normally required in such processes where the feed gas contains significant quantities of propane and heavier components. For example, in a typical turbo-expander plant, the feed gas is cooled and partially condensed by heat exchange with process streams and/or external propane refrigeration. The condensed liquid containing the less volatile components is then separated and fed to a fractionation column which is operated at a lower pressure than the feed gas pressure. The remaining vapor portion is letdown in pressure in a turbo-expander, resulting in further cooling and liquid formation. With the expander discharge pressure typically at demethanizer pressure, the two-phase stream is fed to the demethanizer with the cold liquids acting as the top reflux to absorb the heavier hydrocarbons. The remaining vapor combines with the column overhead as a residue gas, which is then heated and recompressed to pipeline pressure.
However, in many expander plant configurations, the residue vapor from the demethanizer still contains a significant amount of ethane or propane plus hydrocarbons that could be recovered if chilled to a lower temperature, or subjected to a rectification stage. While lower temperature can be achieved with a higher expansion ratio across the turbo-expander, various disadvantages arise. Among other things, higher expansion typically results in lower column pressure and higher residue gas compression horsepower requirements, making high recovery uneconomical. Lower demethanizer pressure is known to be more prone to CO2 freezing problems which limit the ethane recovery level. Therefore, many NGL recovery configurations employ an additional rectification column, and use of a colder and leaner reflux stream to the fractionation column overhead vapor (see below). Furthermore, most known NGL recovery configurations are optimized for a single mode of operation (i.e., ethane recovery or propane recovery). Thus, when such NGL plants are required to switch recovery mode (e.g., from ethane recovery to propane recovery or ethane rejection), the energy efficiency and propane recovery levels tend to significantly drop. Still further, substantial reconfiguration and operation conditions are necessary in most plants to achieve acceptable results. For example, most of the known ethane recovery plants recover more than 98% of propane and heavier hydrocarbons during the ethane recovery, but often fail to maintain the same high propane recovery during ethane rejection. In ethane rejection operation, the propane recovery levels from such processes often drop to about 90% or lower, thereby incurring significant loss in product revenue.
Present NGL recovery systems can be classified into single-column configurations or two-column configurations, and some operating differences are summarized below. A typical single-column configuration for ethane recovery is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,955. Such configuration may be employed for moderate levels of ethane recovery (typically 75%). In such plants, the column overhead vapor is cooled and condensed by an overhead exchanger using refrigeration content of the column overhead. This additional cooling step condenses the ethane and heavier components from the column overhead gas, which is recovered in a downstream separator and returned to the column as reflux. For ethane rejection, this column operates as a deethanizer, and the column pressure is typically about 350 psig to allow for generation of sufficient refrigeration from turbo-expansion and for ethane/propane separation. However, the lower column pressure generally results in an increased residue gas compression horsepower demand. Other NGL recovery configurations that employ a single column for both ethane recovery and ethane rejection are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,698. Here, an intermediate vapor stream is withdrawn from the column that is cooled in order to generate a reflux to the mid section of column. While the heat integration, reflux configuration, and process complexity vary among many of these designs, all or almost all fails to operate on ethane recovery and ethane rejection mode and require high energy consumption.
Alternatively, a typical two-column NGL plant employs a reflux absorber and a second column that is operated as a demethanizer or deethanizer, which generally allows more flexibility in operating the absorber and the second column at different pressures. However, conventional two-column plants are generally only economic for either ethane recovery or propane recovery, but not both, and switching recovery modes will often incur significant propane losses, typically at less than 90%. In all operations, propane product is a valuable commodity and high recovery at 99% level is desirable.
For example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,953,935 and 5,771,712, the overhead vapor or liquid from the demethanizer is recycled to the upstream absorber as a lean reflux. While such plants provide relatively high ethane and propane recoveries during ethane recovery, ethane rejection with high propane recovery is not achievable without extensive re-configurations. Alternatively, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,744, a portion of the residue gas stream from the residue gas compressor discharge is recycled as a lean reflux in the demethanizer However, using residue gas to generate a cold reflux for the demethanizer is necessary for high ethane recovery (over 90%) but not energy efficient when used for propane recovery or ethane rejection. In other words, the use of the residue gas recycle for chilling is an over-kill for propane recovery. Moreover, almost all of the above configurations require cryogenic operating temperatures for both the absorber and the distillation columns and require excessive energy during ethane rejection when only propane product is required. In another example, high ethane recovery without CO2 freezing problems is described in U.S. Pat. App. No. 2010/0011809. However, such systems typically do not allow for operational flexibility.
In improved configurations and methods, as for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,553 and WO 2005/045338, flexibility of operation is provided by use of two reflux streams and by changing process temperature and the feed point of one of the two reflux streams into the absorber. While such plant configurations provide at least some operational flexibility, various drawbacks (e.g., relatively complex configuration) nevertheless remain. The above noted patents and patent applications, as well as all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, numerous attempts have been made to improve the efficiency and economy of processes for separating and recovering ethane and heavier natural gas liquids from natural gas. However, all or almost all of them fail to achieve economic operation when ethane rejection is required. Moreover, currently known configurations fail to provide flexibility in operation where recovery of ethane is only temporarily desired. Therefore, there is still a need to provide improved methods and configurations for flexible natural gas liquids recovery.

Ethane recovery and ethane rejection methods and configurations


The present invention relates to polymers, especially polymers useful as hydrogels, and to use of hydrogels for repair or restoration of tissue. In particular, the polymers and hydrogels of the present invention can be used for the repair or restoration of cartilage, especially articular cartilage. The polymers comprise at least a monomer for binding water, a monomer for imparting mechanical properties and a monomer for binding to an extracellular protein. The hydrogels comprise a polymer comprising at least a monomer for binding water and a monomer for binding to an extracellular protein. Crosslinking polymers by binding of said extra-cellular matrix protein forms hydrogels.

Reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or any other jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be ascertained, understood and regarded as relevant by a person skilled in the art.
Articular cartilage is a highly specialized tissue that reduces joint friction at the extremities of long bones. It is predominantly avascular, aneural and alymphatic and it consists essentially of chondrocytes, some progenitor cells and an extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is composed of a network of collagens, in particular type II collagen, which gives the tissue its shape and strength, and proteoglycans, which give resistance to mechanical stress. Elastin fibres are also found, predominatly in the superficial zone.
The repair of damage to articular cartilage is one of the most challenging issues of musculoskeletal medicine due to the poor intrinsic ability of cartilage for repair.1 Natural cartilage repair is limited because chondrocyte density and metabolism are low and cartilage has no blood supply.2
Common treatments for cartilage repair include autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT), microfracture, mosaicplasty, and osteochondral allograft transplantation. ACT has been used for almost three decades to treat full-thickness chondral defects worldwide. However, inherent limitations of ACT include the low efficacy of cells due primarily to poor numbers obtained through biopsy and structural dissimilarity between the repaired tissue and native cartilage. Other drawbacks of these treatments include donor site morbidity, complicated surgical procedures, risks of infection, and graft rejection.3
Due to its limited ability for self repair, cartilage is an ideal candidate for tissue engineering. Since collagen itself is a natural three-dimensional scaffold for cells in vivo, collagen isolated from animals has been used for a number of tissue engineering scaffolds in vitro, both in gel or solid forms. For example, type I collagen gel, when used as a three-dimensional scaffold for cell encapsulation, enhances the stability and differentiation of encapsulated cells.
One problem with collagen is that it alone cannot provide the compressive resilience required in articular cartilage that is normally provided by proteoglycan, especially aggrecan and other water binding connective tissue molecules. Further, when crosslinked, collagen may be difficult to inject at room temperature.
Unfortunately, because of several confounding characteristics of collagen, little progress has been made in producing hybrid scaffolds that incorporate both collagen and water binding synthetic molecules. In particular, due to its loose network structure, collagen is ineffective at retaining passively adsorbed molecules, which reside mostly in the highly hydrated spaces between collagen fibers, which lack attractive forces. Other problems, such as poor mechanical strength and the lack of tissue-specific adhesion and signalling molecules, also limit the use of purified collagen as a tissue engineering scaffold. In addition, the heterogeneous chemical composition of collagen and its complex molecular architecture present significant challenges when performing chemical reactions on collagen to modulate its biochemical properties.
On the other hand, synthetic scaffolds, such as hydrogels, offer better control of the matrix architecture and chemical composition. However, a number of limitations apply to the use of hydrogels that consist of synthetic molecules. First, without collagen or other ECM components, the necessary shape and strength characteristics of articular cartilage that arise from collagen cannot be derived from a synthetic hydrogel. Second, hydrogels are formed from polymers that must initially be crosslinked before the hydrogel can form. Crosslinking is an additional manufacture step that increases likelihood of contamination of the hydrogel, particularly with toxic components, or otherwise decreases the likelihood of biocompatibility with tissue. Third, synthetic hydrogels have low biological activities and therefore are limited in the extent to which they can provide a substrate for interaction with biological elements.
To date it has been difficult to provide a scaffold in which collagen and synthetic polymer are associated with each other, so as to provide a hydrogel having the strength, shape, and compressive resilience of articular cartilage. Simply applying a composition of collagen and synthetic polymer does not work because the collagen and polymer tend to dissociate in vivo so that a useful hydrogel for repair of articular cartilage is not formed.
Lee et al.4 describes a composite in which UV-crosslinked polymer is chemically linked to collagen modified protein (CMP). The composite forms a substrate on which cells may grow and lay down collagen. The collagen then binds to the CMP through non-covalent interactions, thereby forming a biosynthetic hydrogel composite in vivo. The problem with this approach is that it relies on cells existing in cartilage tissue to provide collagen. This either requires endogenous cells to infiltrate through articular cartilage, which is unlikely given that cartilage is essentially acellular, or the transplantation of chondrocytes or related cells. Further, the approach requires prior crosslinking of polymers to form the hydrogel.
There is a need for improved hydrogels that effectively model the shape, strength and resilience characteristics of articular cartilage.
There is a need for ECM-containing composites that effectively model the water binding and compressive resilience characteristics of articular cartilage as otherwise provided by the proteoglycan component of articular cartilage.
There is a need for synthetic hydrogels that effectively model the shape and strength characteristics of articular cartilage as otherwise provided by the collagen and ECM component of articular cartilage.
There is a need for synthetic hydrogels that can be formed without the use of chemical crosslinking, or crosslinking by UV irradiation or the like.
There is a need for hydrogels that bind to growth factors, drugs and the like, and that are a useful substrate for growth of cells thereon.
There is a need for compositions for repair of articular cartilage that are injectable at room temperature and that form a hydrogel at body temperature.


The present invention relates to a TFT panel type fingerprint recognition sensor comprising: a total reflection unit for totally reflecting light emitted from a light source; a photodiode for detecting light reflected through the total reflection unit; and a TFT panel for processing voltage output from the photodiode so as to perform imaging.

Generally, fingerprint recognition sensors are broadly classified into optical type fingerprint recognition sensors, contact light emitting type fingerprint recognition sensors, capacitance type fingerprint recognition sensors, and the like, and optical lenses are separately required to process optical type or contact light emitting type optical images so that there is difficulty in manufacturing the fingerprint recognition sensors in a thinned shape.
To improve such a difficulty, the capacitance type fingerprint recognition sensor is used and has an advantage in that since a fingerprint is detected using a voltage difference caused by a difference in capacitance formed by valleys and peaks of the fingerprint, an optical lens is unnecessary such that the capacitance type fingerprint recognition sensor can be manufactured in a thinned shape. However, when contaminants adhere to a surface of a capacitor due to a contact of the fingerprint on the surface thereof, there is a problem in that the capacitor may malfunction such that a fingerprint recognition rate may be degraded. Accordingly, the optical type fingerprint recognition sensor is currently widely used in a door lock or an access control system.
FIG. 1A is an exemplary diagram for describing the principle of a conventional optical type fingerprint recognition sensor, and FIG. 1B is an exemplary diagram illustrating of a product of the conventional optical type fingerprint recognition sensor.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the conventional optical type fingerprint recognition sensor is configured such that a light source emits light to an incident surface of a prism, and when a finger comes into contact with a reflective surface of the prism, the light reflected by flection of the fingerprint is output through an exit surface of the prism, and the light output from the prism is imaged at an image acquisition device (e.g., a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor) via a lens.
Meanwhile, FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram for describing the principle of a conventional palm recognition device. The conventional palm recognition device operates on a principle similar to the conventional optical type fingerprint recognition sensor. The conventional palm recognition device captures an image of a palm, which is put on an outer side of a glass, from an inner side of the glass using an image acquisition device (e.g., a CMOS sensor) and processes the captured palm image to recognize the palm (e.g., a hand shape including five fingers and lines of the palm).
In this case, the glass serves as only a pedestal for placing the palm or the fingers. In order to optically recognize an object (e.g., the fingerprint or the palm), a light source and a mechanism for installing the image capturing device should be further included under the pedestal such that there is a problem in that an overall volume of an object recognition device becomes larger as an object which will be recognized becomes larger.
Therefore, in order to minimize a volume of the object recognition device even when an object which will be recognized becomes larger, a recognition sensor for recognizing an entire fingerprint or palm should be manufactured in the form of a panel shape.
The background art of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2006-0087704 (published on Aug. 3, 2006, entitled "Fingerprint Recognition Sensor and Fingerprint Recognition System Using the Same).


A method for controlling the breakdown of an antifuse memory cell formed on a semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: applying a programming voltage; detecting a breakdown time; and interrupting the application of the programming voltage at a time following the breakdown time by a post-breakdown time.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the field of memory cells, and more specifically of antifuse memory cells, that is, of memory cells having a storage element, which is non-conductive in its initial state and becomes conductive after programming.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows an example of an antifuse memory cell 10. In the upper portion of a P-type semiconductor substrate 1 are delimited active areas 2, each of which is surrounded with an insulating ring 3. Insulating ring 3 is for example of the type currently called STI (Shallow Trench Insulation) in the art. The antifuse memory element 10 and its control elements are formed in each active area. The actual memory element 10 is formed of a very thin insulating layer 7 and a conductive pad 9 on the insulating layer 7. Insulating layer 7 is formed above a portion of the active area or P-type well 2. Two N-channel access transistors are formed in the active area to connect the region arranged under thin insulator 7 to a terminal called BL, which generally corresponds to a bit line terminal. First transistor 11, used for transfer, comprises an insulated gate 13 formed above the substrate between drain and source regions 14 and 15. Second transistor 21, used for reading, comprises an insulated gate 23 between drain and source regions 15 and 24. Region 24 is covered with a pad 25 connected to terminal BL.
A metallization 27 coupled with a P+ region 29 formed in substrate 1 outside of the active areas has also been shown. Metallization 27 is connected to a generally grounded terminal BULK.
The memory cell has one or the other of two states according to whether insulator 7 effectively insulates conductor 9 from the substrate or to whether this insulator is made conductive by the flowing of a strong programming current. This programming current results from a programming voltage applied between a terminal HV connected to conductive layer 9 and terminal BL while transistors 11 and 21 are set to the on state.
FIG. 2 illustrates current IHV in the antifuse during the programming phase. First, during a time T1, which corresponds to the breakdown phase of the antifuse, the current varies slowly. Then, from the end of time T1, current IHV increases abruptly, and then remains substantially constant due to the current saturation of access transistors 11 and 21.
The performed tests show that time T1 is very variable, for example within a range from 100 ns to 10 μs, from one antifuse to another of a same wafer and for antifuse devices of different wafer batches, even for theoretically identical antifuses. Thus, in practice, many tests are performed and a time at least equal to the longest programming time detected during the tests is selected as the programming time. It can further be observed that the resistivity of antifuses programmed in this manner does not have a minimum and constant value.

Method for controlling the breakdown of an antifuse memory cell


A differential receiver circuit receives a differential input signal including first and second input signals (DP, DM) and generates a single-ended output signal. The receiver circuit includes first and second comparators that receive the differential input signal and generate respective first and second differential output signals. A current summer is connected to the first and second comparators and receives the first and second differential output signals and generates a third differential output signal. A differential to single-ended converter is connected to the current summer and receives the third differential output signal and generates the single-ended output signal. The differential input signal varies from a ground voltage level to an external reference voltage level (VUSB), while the first and second comparators are made with devices that operate at an internal reference voltage level that is lower than the external reference voltage level.

The present invention relates generally to integrated circuits and, more particularly, to receiver circuits for integrated circuits.
Continued reduction of integrated circuit sizes has led to a lowering of voltage supply levels in monolithic integrated circuits and a corresponding usage of low voltage devices. However, the peripheral circuits and I/O supply levels continue to operate at higher voltage supply levels. For example, a bus driver circuit may operate at 3.3V, but the process may not support such high voltage devices. Operating the lower voltage devices at higher voltage levels leads to reliability issues like hot carrier injection, gate oxide, and source drain breakdown.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a receiver circuit formed with low voltage devices, yet operable with a higher supply voltage without degrading device reliability.


In a brake apparatus for a hoisting machine of an elevator, a field magnet and an armature of an electromagnetic actuator are mounted directly to brake arms supporting brake shoes. Therefore, members for transmitting the motion of an electromagnetic actuator into the motion of the brake arms can be omitted, whereby the number of parts and the overall size of the hoisting machine can be reduced, and maintenance operations can be performed easily at lower positions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brake apparatus for an elevator hoisting machine for braking a brake disk which is fixed to a rotating shaft, for example, an input shaft, for transmitting the rotational force of a drive motor of the hoisting machine to a driving sheave.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway front view showing a conventional brake apparatus such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-313590. FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an elevator hoisting machine of an elevator which has the brake apparatus of FIG. 9. FIG. 12 is a side view of FIG. 11. In the figures, a hoisting machine body 1 has a speed-reduction gear unit, an input shaft 1a and an output shaft 1b. A rotating force of a drive motor 11 is transmitted to the input shaft 1a, that is a rotating shaft. A driving sheave 2 is fixed to the output shaft 1b.
A brake disk 3 is fixed to the input shaft 1a. A pair of brake arms 4 located at both sides of the brake disk 3 are attached to a housing 5 of the hoisting machine body 1 rotatably through arm pins 4a. Each brake arm 4 has a brake shoe 6 which are contacted with and separated from the brake disk 3 by rotation of the brake arms 4. The brake arms 4 are biased by springs 7 so that the brake shoes 6 are pressed against the brake disk 3.
A pair of levers 8 are attached to the housing 5 rotatably through lever pins 9. When the levers 8 are rotated, the brake arms 4 rotate against the forces of the springs 7, thereby separating the brake shoes 6 from the brake disk 3. An electromagnetic actuator 10 has a plunger 10a which reciprocates in its axial direction. One end portion of the plunger 10a touches the levers 8.
Further, the other end portion of the plunger 10a touches a switch 12 which detects the motion of the plunger 10a, as shown in FIG. 10.
The operation will now be described. The brake disk 3 is frictionally braked by pressing the brake shoes 6 to both side surfaces of the brake disk 3. The pressing forces of the brake shoes 6 is obtained by magnifying the compressive forces of the springs 7 through the brake arms 4. On the other hand, in the case of releasing a braking force, the brake arms 4 are pushed against the compressive forces of the springs 7 by the levers 8. The pushing forces against the brake arms 4 are obtained by magnifying the projecting force of the electromagnetic actuator 10 through the levers 8.
Further, at the time of releasing the braking force, the motion of the plunger 10a is detected by the switch 12, thereby starting the drive motor 11. Furthermore, at the time of maintenance and inspection, when the end portion of a hand-operated release lever (not shown) constructed separately from the brake apparatus contacts the levers 8 and is moved along the axial direction of the plunger 10a, the braking force will be manually released.
In the conventional brake apparatus constructed as described above, it is necessary to transmit the linear motion of the plunger 10a of the electromagnetic actuator 10 to the rotary motion of the brake arms 4 through the levers 8, thereby increasing the number of parts and cost. Further, since the electromagnetic actuator 10 is disposed on the hoisting machine body 1, the size of the whole hoisting machine is increased, while workability at the time of maintenance and inspection is reduced. Especially, when the plunger 10a is removed during maintenance and inspection, it is necessary to first remove the switch 12. Also, the switch 12 is disposed at a high and deep position, so removing the plunger 10a requires much time and labor.

Brake apparatus for an elevator hoisting machine


A Bi-Directional Trigger assembly comprises a trigger disconnector, and a fire selector. The trigger disconnector ratio of the length of the hammer hook attachment to the length of the hammer hook being about 5.46.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Bi-Directional Trigger for a Firearm and more particularly pertains to having a trigger fire a weapon when moved either rearward or forward.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of trigger devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, trigger devices previously devised and utilized for the purpose of causing a firearm to discharge are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the designs encompassed by the prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of stated objectives and requirements.
While the prior art devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the prior art does not describe Bi-Directional Trigger for a Firearm that allows a user to discharge a weapon by moving the trigger of the weapon in either a forward or rearward direction.
In this respect, the Bi-Directional Trigger for a Firearm according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of having a trigger fire a weapon when moved either forward or rearward, thereby increasing the potential rate of fire.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved Trigger for a Firearm which can be used to discharge a weapon when moved in either a forward or a rearward direction. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Abstract: The fire selector has an operational portion having an external diameter. The operational portion has a fire control recess with a depth. The ratio of the operational portion external diameter of the fire selector to the depth of the fire control recess of the operational portion of the fire selector being about 2.2.


A hair styling device comprises a handle, a heatable elongated member having a longitudinal axis, a distal portion and a proximal portion. The proximal portion of the elongated member is connected to the handle. The device has a hair retention slot at the distal portion of the elongated sized to receive and retain a section of a user's hair. Also described is an attachment for a hair styling device providing such a hair retention slot and a method of using the device and the attachment.

Many people desire to curl or style their hair. In many heated hair styling devices, a user manually holds their hair with one hand and holds the device with their other hand. Thus the user has both hands utilized and is unable to do anything else. Also a user may need to wear a glove to avoid bums while holding hair against a heated surface.
There are manual and automatic hair styling devices that avoid these problems by providing a built-in arm for clamping hair against a heated surface. This design frees up a user's hand. However, the arm can create undesirable creases in the user's hair. Moreover it cannot be used for retrofitting conventional devices.
Consequently, there is a need for an improved hair styling device with a feature to hold the user's hair in place while the hair is positioned on or in a heated hair styling device without creating creases.


A method for treating fruit juice with high pressure having a step for compressing the fruit juice with high pressure in excess of 2,000 atm., wherein a step for adding a proteolytic enzyme particularly a proteolytic enzyme active in an acid precedes the high pressure sterilization process.

The juice of various fruits e.g. citrus fruits, apples, peaches and the like is used for a beverage or for a sarcocarp beverage, and the juice of citrus fruits e.g. citrus junos, citrus sphaerocarpa, citrus limon and the like is used for seasoning. The juice of these fruits is generally used for the fresh juice in the form of a suspension containing fine fibrous elements of the fruits or under the as-extracted condition, though it is sometimes used for limpid juice after the fine fibrous elements of the fruits are removed therefrom.
Since the as-extracted natural fruit juice contains not only the aforementioned fine fibrous elements of the fruits but also pectin and pectin decomposing enzymes, the fine fibrous elements of the fruits are combined with one another due to the function of pectin and form a colloidal suspension. On the other hand, since the as-extracted natural fruit juice contains pectin decomposing enzymes, e.g. pectin esterase, poly galacturonase et al., pectin is gradually decomposed and therefore becomes inactive. Following the progress of this reaction, the colloidal suspension is dissolved into precipitation of the fine fibrous elements of fruits and limpid juice. Incidentally, putrefaction occurs due to the function of microorganisms e.g. molds, yeasts or the like. Therefore, the natural fruit juice can not be stored for a long time.
For the purpose of enabling the natural fruit juice to be stored for a long time, a sterilization process which is conducted at approximately 90 degrees C has been used. In other words, the heating sterilization process has been conducted for two purposes, including extinction of the microorganisms which cause putrefaction and deactivation of the pectin decomposing enzymes which are effective to keep the natural juice in a colloidal situation which is produced by combining fine fibrous elements of the fruits with one another, employing the function of pectin, thereby preventing the colloidal juice from being dissolved into precipitation and limpid juice. This heating sterilization process, however, requires a long time for transmitting heat and is involved with drawbacks wherein the nutritious elements are destroyed, the aromatic elements are dispersed, and the color and the taste are deteriorated due to heating with high temperature, thereby in combination deteriorating the quality of the natural juice.
For the purpose of removing the drawbacks of the heating sterilization process which inevitably deteriorates the quality of the natural juice, a high pressure sterilization process was developed, and various results of the experiments of the high pressure sterilization process wherein the natural juice is compressed with high pressure in excess of 1,000 atm. are published in e.g. "Nippon Nogeikagaku Kaishi (The Journal of the Japanese Association of Agricultural Chemistry)" Vol 63, No. 6 (1989) According to these articles, the microorganisms including molds and yeasts which can propagate and can be a cause of putrefaction, are entirely killed by being compressed with high pressure of 2,000 atm. for 10 minutes, provided the high pressure process is conducted for the acidic natural juice of citrus fruits of which the pH value does not exceed 4.5.
The technology is publicly known wherein enzymes are added to foodstuffs. For example, some of the aforementioned pectin decomposing enzymes have been employed for dissolving the fruit juice into fine fibrous elements of the fruits and limpid juice. Amylase and cellulase have been employed to decrease the molecular weight of the polysaccharides (for saccharification or decomposition of the polysaccharide to convert them into sugar). Proteolytic enzymes have been employed to prevent the alcoholic liquors from clouding, to soften meat, or to solidify cheese. Proteolytic enzymes have seldom been employed to dissolve or deactivate an enzyme which is a type of protein.

Method for treating fruit juice with high pressure


A method, computer system, and a computer program product for text data protection is provided. The present invention may include receiving a text data. The present invention may also include identifying a portion of the received text data having a highest impact on a first confidence score associated with a target model prediction. The present invention may further include generating at least one semantically equivalent text relative to the identified portion of the received text data. The present invention may also include determining that the generated at least one semantically equivalent text produces a second confidence score associated with the target model prediction that is less than the first confidence score associated with the target model prediction. The present invention may further include generating a prompt to suggest modifying the identified portion of the received text data using the generated at least one semantically equivalent text.

The present invention relates generally to the field of computing, and more particularly to data protection.
Digital text documents (e.g., electronic mail (e-mail), word document) are extensively used for communication, collaboration, and ideation. In parallel, recent developments within the field of machine learning, and more specifically, natural language processing (NLP) have enabled large scale automated text analysis using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to perform classification or information extraction (e.g., analysis of intents, named-entity recognition). If digital text documents are transmitted through non-secure channels (e.g., Internet), the contents of these documents—which may contain personal or sensitive information—may be potentially exposed to automated text analysis by unauthorized third-party institutions.

Text data protection against automated analysis

International Business Machines Corporation


A blank for forming a paperboard carton or breadtray having a bottom and four double ply walls with reinforced corners erected without stitches. Each corner has a double fold wrap around flap which is inserted through a slot in the adjoining wall and is captured between the plys. A reinforcing section folds down over the side section forming the two plys which are held together by a cutout which is inserted through a handle hole and locked by a tab inserted into the bottom section.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to paperboard cartons erected from blanks of paperboard and particularly to a carton that has reinforced corners that do not require stitching.
2. Prior Art and Information Disclosure:
Corrugated paperboard cartons are available in many forms and designs depending on their intended use. These containers are manufactured as flat blanks and erected at the site of their intended use.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,582 to Ritter is for a corrugated box with a flap locking feature for produce.
A carton designed for use in carrying loaves of bread has unique requirements. The loaves may not be stacked, must be accessible and preferably be displayed. Accordingly, a container style that has been in use for many years is the socalled bread tray. The bread tray has a width and length about equal to the average man's reach and has a depth about equal to the height of a loaf of bread.
There are available several versions of a breadtray according to the present state of the art. One such breadtray has a rectangular bottom with four sides folded vertically and then folded back to form four walls having a double thickness. Two of the opposing sides have flaps on their ends which fold against the adjacent walls and are stitched in place.
The standard breadtray with stitched corners has a number of inconveniences. One inconvenience is the requirement of a tool for stitching. The method of manufacture requiring stitching is expensive compared to the present invention. Another problem is that the stitches tend to pull out.
Containers have been constructed in which corners have been secured without stitches. This has been accomplished by a flap on a side wall end inserted through a slot in an adjacent wall, folded back such that a tab on the flap is then insertable in a slot. However, the strength of this corner construction has not been adequate for the purposes intended for the present invention and therefore this design approach has not been used in the construction of breadtrays.


Embodiments of the invention relate to non-volatile memory devices and their methods of manufacture. Embodiments comprise an array of non-volatile memory cells, the array comprising a multiplicity of array columns having at least one redundant column of non-volatile memory cells adapted to replace a defective array column, a column decoder, and a column redundancy unit. The column decoder is adapted to receive an address of a memory cell to which data is to be written or from which data is to be read. The column redundancy unit is adapted to decide whether the decoded address is to be written to or read from an array from or a redundant column. The data required by the column redundancy unit is stored in a column redundancy memory, which is connected to the column redundancy unit by means of a dedicated column redundancy bus.

Non-volatile memory devices, such as electrical erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROM) or flash EEPROMs usually comprise a relatively large amount of memory cells. The memory cells are, for example, modified MOSFET transistors with an additional floating gate or a nitride layer, which is used to store an electrical charge representing a programming state of the memory cell.
Such memory cells are usually arranged in an array structure, with the rows of the array being selected by an associated wordline and the columns of the array being selected by an associated bitline.
During manufacturing of such large semiconductor circuits, individual memory cells or entire rows or columns of the array can turn out to be defective. Consequently, in a wafer sort process, in which the memory devices are tested and defective cells are identified, these cells are marked as unusable.
In order to maintain the overall memory capacity of the memory device, most memory devices include a number of redundant columns of memory cells, which are configured to replace memory cells identified as being defective during the wafer sort process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,183, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a memory device with a column redundancy unit in a peripheral circuit area. In order to transfer data required by the column redundancy unit between the column redundancy unit and the memory area, a common data bus is used in a time-shared transfer approach.
According to the prior art, column redundancy data required to decide whether a particular memory cell of the array is being replaced by a cell in one of the redundant columns must be loaded over a data bus connecting, among others, the column redundancy unit and the memory area. The decision made by the column redundancy unit then needs to be transferred back over the data bus, before the read or write operation can take place. Thus, the time it takes to transfer this data over the data bus affects the speed of the memory device.
In general, there exists a need for faster memory devices with increased storage capacity. As a result, the processing of column redundancy data becomes more important and increasingly limits the overall performance of memory devices. Consequently, there is a need for non-volatile semiconductor memory device with increased performance.

Non-volatile semiconductor memory device and method for operating a non-volatile memory device

Infineon Technologies Flash GmbH & Co. KG


It is an object of the present invention to provide a scanning electron microscope for discriminating an angle of an electron ejected from a sample without providing an opening for restricting the angle at outside of an axis. In order to achieve the object described above, there is proposed a scanning electron microscope which includes a deflector to deflect an irradiating position of an electron beam, and a control unit to control the deflector, and further includes a detector to detecting an electron provided by irradiating a sample with the electron beam, an opening configuring member arranged between the detector and the deflector and having an opening for passing the electron beam, and a secondary signal deflector to deflect an electron ejected from the sample, in which the secondary signal deflector is controlled to deflect the electron ejected from the sample toward an opening of passing the electron beam in accordance with a deflection control of the deflector.

In recent years, miniaturization of a measurement or an inspection object of a scanning electron microscope such as a semiconductor device or the like has been progressed. A dimension of a pattern in a depth direction (Z direction) is increased relative to a size of the pattern in a sample surface direction (X-Y direction) in accordance with the miniaturization, and an increase in an aspect ratio (dimension in Z direction/dimension in X or Y direction) of the pattern becomes significant. There is an electron ejected from a bottom portion of such a pattern which collides with a side wall of the pattern.
On the other hand, shortening of a time period required for a measurement of an inspection has been requested along with a request for measuring a fine pattern. In recent times, portions of measuring and inspecting a semiconductor device tend to increase, and a measured point (visual field of electron beam) needs to move at high speed in order to realize a high throughput. Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology for speeding up to move a visual field which uses an image shift deflector. Also, Patent Literature 1 describes to control a deflection angle of a secondary electron in accordance with an electric field or a magnetic field which is generated in accordance with an image shift in order to guide an electron to a conversion electrode that is arranged at outside of an axis of an electron beam and on a side of an electron source of a detector, or the detector.


A semiconductor package comprises a circuit board having a wiring circuit including at least a connecting portion, the wiring circuit being formed on a first main surface of the circuit board, a semiconductor chip mounted on the first main surface of the circuit board on face-down basis, an insulation resin layer filled in a space between the semiconductor chip and the circuit board, and a flat-type external connecting terminal electrically connected to the semiconductor chip and formed and exposed to a second main surface of the circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin-type semiconductor package and fabrication method for use with for example a card-type external storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
As storage apparatuses for recording and storing data, for example memory cards are known. These memory cards have restrictions in their size (length, width, and thickness) and the like. Thus, semiconductor chips (IC chips) that are used with the memory cards should be compact. In addition, the memory cards in which the semiconductor chips are mounted should be thin.
To mount semiconductor chips in a limited space with a thickness of 1 mm or less, TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) method and flip chip method, COB (Chip On Board) method are known. As an example of the thin-type packages, a module shown in FIG. 1 is known. The module shown in FIG. 1 comprises a circuit board 2, an external connecting terminal 4, and a mold resin layer 5. A semiconductor chip 1 is mounted on a first main surface of the circuit board 2. The external connecting terminal 4 is connected to a second main surface of the circuit board 2 through a through-hole 3. The mold resin layer 5 seals and coats the mounting region of the semiconductor chip 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 6 is a bonding wire.
However, the above-mentioned TAB method is not a practical means from a cost point of view because of: (a) The fabrication cost of a carrier tape is relatively high. (b) Since dedicated metal mold and bonding tool corresponding to the package size are required in the mounting process, the assembling cost is relatively high.
On the other hand, in the above-mentioned flip chip mounting method and COB method, it is difficult to provide KGN (Known Good Die). Normally, the semiconductor chip 1 for use should have been burnt in. However, the burn-in technologies for chips have not been accomplished. Thus, since the semiconductor chip 1 that has not been burnt in should be used, there is a problem on the reliability. In other words, with this semiconductor chip (IC chip) 1, a defect that will take place in the near future cannot be predicted. In other words, the semiconductor chip 1 cannot be burnt in. Thus, in initial practical phases where the semiconductor chip 1 is mounted and thereby a module is formed, a trouble may take place.
Although the problem on the reliability of the semiconductor chip 1 may be solved by repairing or reworking it, the assembling cost will increase and many technical problems will arise. In particular, when a semiconductor chip 1 with many electrode terminals is mounted by the COB method, a long assembling time is required, thereby increasing the cost.
In the TAB method and COB method, a wider mounting area is required than in the flip chip mounting method. Thus, in the TAB method and COB method, the semiconductor package cannot be compactly formed. On the other hand, in the case of a packaged module where one surface is molded, bonding wires 6 often displace in the conventional (ordinary) transfer mold process. In addition, the connecting portions are often disengaged. Thus, there are problems on the reliability and yield. Moreover, since it is difficult to reduce the height of the bonding wires 6 to 0.1 mm or less with the current technologies, this restriction prevents thin-type packages from being accomplished. In addition, since a space for connecting the bonding wires 6 to the external connecting terminals 4 is required along with the mounting region of the semiconductor chip 1, the semiconductor package cannot be compactly formed.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a thin and compact semiconductor package.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor package that is fabricated with relatively low cost and has high reliability.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a thin-type high-reliability semiconductor package suitable for a detachable memory portion for use with a memory card or the like.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a fabrication method for fabricating a compact semiconductor package with high yield.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a fabrication method for easily fabricating a semiconductor package with high reliability at a relatively low cost.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a fabrication method for easily fabricating a thin-type high-reliability semiconductor package suitable for a detachable memory portion for use with a memory card or the like.

Semiconductor package and fabrication method


A centrifuge bowl suitable for separating blood components, in particular concentrated red blood cells. A centrifuge bowl 10 comprises a core 14 having an annular portion 50A and a cylindrical outer wall 50. Annular portion 50A has a thick wall for minimizing the holdup volume of blood components within a collection chamber CC and the radially inner wall of the annular portion is disposed radially closely adjacent to the opening defined by skirts 24a, 25a. The outer wall 50 defines a separation chamber SC with bowl body 12 and its upper tapered portion defines a separation region S. Three slit-like openings 52 are formed at the junction between outer wall 50 and annular portion 50A, thereby prevent back flow while permitting flow of blood components from separation chamber SC to collection chamber CC. The upper end of outer wall 50 is formed with a cylindrical hub 50B extending toward the skirt member, which hub 50B serves to prevent fluid in collection chamber CC from flowing to the interior of bowl body 12 through central opening 56.

Whole human blood includes blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets and these cells are suspended in plasma, an aqueous solution of proteins and other chemicals. Blood transfusions used to be made using whole blood. Recently, however, blood transfusions are widely given by transfusing only those blood components required by a particular patient instead of using a transfusion of whole blood. Transfusing only those blood components necessary saves the available supply of blood, and in many cases, is convenient for the patient.
Centrifugation has been widely accepted as a technique for separating blood components such as plasma and platelets from whole blood, wherein blood components are separated depending upon their specific gravities. Disposable centrifuge rotors or bowls have been developed for separating blood components by such centrifugation and for washing blood cell components collected from a surgical site.
Typical examples include a centrifuge bowl of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,717 ("Latham" bowl) and a centrifuge bowl of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,924 ("Grenade" bowl). The bowl in each case comprises a rotor portion in which blood components are separated and a stator portion having an inlet port and an outlet port, and a rotary seal combines these portions together. Anticoagulated whole blood and/or wash solution is introduced to the interior of the rotor portion through the inlet port. The rotor portion rotates at a fixed or variable speed and blood components within the rotor portion are separated by centrifugation in accordance with their specific gravities. With blood continuously entering the bowl through the inlet port, the separated various blood components are progressively displaced inwardly from the radially outward portion of the bowl and successively reach a skirt portion which opens radially outwardly and communicates with the outlet port. Blood components exiting through the outlet port are retained and stored, while components remaining in the bowl after collection is complete are then returned to the patient or donor through the outlet port, or deposited in an appropriate container for preservation. The rotor portion comprises a generally frustoconical or cylindrical bowl body and a generally cylindrical core is coaxially disposed therein as the stator portion. Separation by centrifugation is achieved in the space between the core and the bowl body, i.e., a separation chamber. The rotary seal is constructed as a rotary seal assembly including the inlet port and the outlet port and a collection chamber, which is a space for guiding the separated blood components to the outlet port, is formed between the seal and the top of the core. Openings are provided about the core periphery for communication between the separation chamber and the collection chamber. A central opening is formed in the core and a stem for guiding fluid from the inlet port to the lower portion of the bowl is inserted through the central opening.
In addition to the bowls of the above constructions, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,983,158 and 4,943,273 disclose another types of bowls which are herein referred to as "BM bowl". These bowls include an integral bowl body formed by blow molding and cores of various shapes can be coaxially inserted into the bowl through an aperture formed in one axial end of the bowl body. The bowl of U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,273 features a diverter member, which can be fitted into the bowl by insertion, is provided below the core so that the bowl would be suitable for washing blood cell components collected from a surgical site.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,372 discloses an improved core adapted for insertion into a BM bowl, wherein it is taught to provide the core with small size openings for communication between the separation chamber and the collection chamber, so that any blood components remaining on the upper portion of the core can be effectively removed by "splash back".
Moreover, International Publication WO94/08721 pamphlet (PCT/US93/09276) discloses a core for a Grenade bowl for use in blood cell separation or washing, in which the core is provided with a plurality of radially outwardly extending projections for minimizing formation of Coriolis waves which would otherwise cause undesirable turbulence in the separation chamber. Furthermore, a bowl of the BM type for washing or concentrating red blood cells and having only the upper core portion without a body that coaxially extends with the bowl body, is disclosed in International Publication WO89/01792 pamphlet (PCT/US88/02963). Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,048 discloses another type of Latham type bowl. In FIG. 1 of this U.S. Patent, the radially outward periphery of skirt portions 24a and 25a communicating the outlet port is shown closely adjacent to the inner wall of the bowl body. However, no detailed explanation is given.

Centrifuge bowl with improved core structure


Improved reduction of static charge in spin chucks is achieved by providing one or more pin assemblies which are formed from chemically inert material and which include an electrically conductive inlay.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for treating surfaces of articles, such as semiconductor wafers, adapted to reduce buildup of electrostatic charge.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor wafers undergo a variety of wet processing stages during manufacture of integrated circuits. To accommodate such processes, a single wafer may be supported in relation to one or more treatment fluid nozzles by a chuck associated with a rotatable or non-rotatable carrier. Wafer-supporting chucks are described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,903,717, 5,513,668, 6,435,200 and 6,536,454.
It is known that semiconductor wafer processing can result in unwanted buildup of static charge on the wafer surface. For example, in European Patent Application No. 1,077,473 it is described that buildup of static charge may be reduced by introducing carbon dioxide to a deionized water processing fluid so as to render the processing fluid electrically conductive. That method does not directly address the potential for static charge buildup in wafer-handling components that are not contacted by the electrically conductive processing fluid and, in any event, it precludes the use of relatively non-conductive processing fluids such as deionized water and 2-propanol. U.S. Pat. No. 7,335,090 relates to a spin chuck having holding pins which are formed of conductive resin and associated with a stainless steel shaft, which in turn is supported by radial metal bearings. However, the presence of a steel shaft creates a risk that a semiconductor wafer may be contaminated with iron, which should be avoided. Also, the connection between the stainless steel shaft and the resin pins is not specified, and connections through radial bearings likely are unreliable electrical contacts due, e.g., to the presence of bearing lubricants.


A flip-flop circuit having a majority-logic circuit is disclosed. The circuit further includes multiple master latches for writing in corresponding input signals, and one slave latch having an input connected to an output of the majority-logic circuit and an output connected to the inputs of the majority-logic circuit. The majority logic-circuit has multiple inputs connected to respective outputs of the master latches. During the period in which the master latches do not write in the corresponding input signals, an output signal of the majority-logic circuit is supplied to respective inputs of the master latches.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a technology for a flip-flop circuit, and particularly relates to a flip-flop circuit having a majority-logic circuit for making it possible, even when a soft error takes place, to output correct storage contents and to recover from the soft error so as to maintain the correct storage contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a phenomenon, known as a soft error, such that data maintained in a memory circuit, etc., are corrupted. The soft error is a phenomenon such that alpha rays generated from LSI-chip materials as well as secondary cosmic-ray neutrons causing electric charges to be generated within an electronic circuit influence one-bit data maintained in the memory circuit, or a flip-flop circuit within a logic-circuit section, to be reverted so as to corrupt the maintained data. When such soft error takes place, the memory circuit or the flip-flop circuit within the logic-circuit section malfunctioning does not mean, from the hardware point of view, that any failures have taken place in the malfunctioned memory circuit or the flip-flop circuit as described above. Therefore, if new data were written into the malfunctioned memory circuit or the flip-flop circuit as described above, the circuit should work as designed.
The soft error, typically taking place with a low probability as an isolated event, manifests itself as a fault with an even lower probability.
For example, an error-correction circuit is typically mounted in the memory circuit. Then, there is no influence of the one-bit error as described above at the output of the memory circuit as the one-bit error should be corrected by means of the error-correction circuit as described above.
Moreover, in the flip-flop circuit arranged within the logic-circuit section, writing is performed at a clock cycle immediately following the current clock cycle so that the corrupted data are maintained only for a short period, and the corrupted data are masked by other logic-circuit states so that the probability of the corrupted data not influencing the processing of other circuit sections is high.
On the other hand, as for some data such as parameter values of a timing-adjusting circuit, there is a high likelihood that an occurrence of the soft error as described above triggers malfunctioning across the whole chip. More specifically, data set during the period of an initializing operation of a system, etc., are not rewritten after the initializing is terminated for starting an actual operation, so that the corrupted data continue to be maintained, often resulting in a malfunction.
At the present, when the soft error as described above takes place, as for the flip-flop circuit for storing a signal which greatly influences the overall system, for example, triplicating a flip-flop to implement a three-input majority-logic circuit provides for reducing the probability of causing a fault to the system even when the soft error takes place.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional flip-flop circuit. In the flip-flop circuit as illustrated in FIG. 1, a flip-flop is triplicated to implement the three-input majority-logic circuit as described above. The flip-flop circuit as described above is primarily composed of a flip-flop 110, a flip-flop 120, a flip-flop 130, and a majority-logic circuit 140. The flip-flop 110 is composed of inverters 111 and 114, each with an enable terminal, and inverters 112, 113, 115, and 116. Input data 101 are supplied to the input of the inverter 111 with the enable terminal, while a clock signal (CK) 102 is supplied to the enable terminal of the inverter 111. The output of the inverter 111 is connected to the input of the inverter 112. The output of the inverter 112 is connected to the input of the inverter 113 and the input of the inverter 114. The output of the inverter 113 is connected to the input of the inverter 112. A clock signal (CKB) 103 is supplied to the enable terminal of the inverter 114. The output of the inverter 114 is connected to the input of the inverter 115. The output of the inverter 115 is connected to the input of the inverter 116, and one input of a two-input NAND circuit 141 and one input of a two-input NAND circuit 142 that are within the majority-logic circuit 140. The output of the inverter 116 is connected to the input of the inverter 115.
The majority-logic circuit 140 is composed of two-input NAND circuits 141 and 142 and 143, and a three-input NAND circuit 144. The outputs of the two-input NAND circuits 141, 142, and 143 are connected to the input of the three-input NAND circuit 144.
The flip-flop 120 in FIG. 1 is composed of inverters 121 through 126, while the flip-flop 130 is composed of inverters 131 through 136. The flip-flops 120 and 130 have the same configuration as the flip-flop 110. The output of the flip-flop 120 is connected to one input of the two-input NAND circuit 141 and one input of the two-input NAND circuit 143 that are within the majority-logic circuit 140, while the output of the flip-flop 130 is connected to one input of the two-input NAND circuit 142 and the one input of the two-input NAND circuit 143 that are within the majority-logic circuit 140.
The input data are supplied to the flip-flop 110 so that the supplied data are written into a master latch composed of the feedback inverters 112 and 113 when the clock signal 102 (CK) is at a low level and into a slave latch composed of the feedback inverters 115 and 116 when the clock signal 103 (CKB) is at a low level. For instance, the clock signal 102 (CK) and the clock signal 103 (CKB) may have their phases inverted from each other.
The flip-flops 120 and 130 are supplied the same input data 101 as the flip-flop 110 so as to perform the same operation.
The majority-logic circuit 140 outputs a logic level "1" as output data 104 when the logic level of at least two of the outputs of the flip-flops 110, 120 and 130 are "1". On the other hand, the majority-logic circuit 140 outputs a logic level "0" as the output data 104 when the logic level of at least two of the outputs of the flip-flops 110, 120 and 130 are "0".
However, a problem exists such that, for using the conventional flip-flop circuit as illustrated in FIG. 1, the size of the flip-flop circuit 100 is large. In addition, a problem exists such that, with a large number of flip-flops making up the flip-flop circuit 100, it takes a long time to test the flip-flop circuit 100 when implementing the flip-flop circuit 100 on a LSI circuit. Moreover, a problem exists such that, when the soft error takes place multiple times, the output of the conventional flip-flop circuit 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1 not having any functions of recovering from the soft error taking place becomes erroneous so as to cause a fault in the system in which the flip-flop circuit 100 is used.
Furthermore, the technology related to the present invention is also described in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3:
Patent Document 1
JPO4-170792A
Patent Document 2
JP2002-185309A
Patent Document 3
JP61-256822A

Flip-flop circuit having majority-logic circuit


The invention relates to pyrrolobenzimidazolone compounds of formula (I),

Microtubules are cytoskeletal structures assembled from α/β tubulin heterodimers that play an essential role in many cellular processes, such as cell motility, organelle transport, maintenance of cell polarity and cell division. Interference with microtubule dynamics by stabilization or destabilization in dividing cells leads to cell division arrest in the G2/M phase and cell death.
A variety of clinically promising compounds which demonstrate potent cytotoxicity and antitumor activity are known to effect their primary mode of action through an efficient inhibition of tubulin. Several natural products and their derivatives disrupt microtubule dynamics, e.g., Taxol®, Taxotere®, Navelbine® and show a clinically useful therapeutic window between anticancer effects and dose-limiting toxicity in normal proliferating tissues, notably bone marrow and gastrointestinal mucosa in addition to neurotoxicity. Unfortunately the clinical success of these agents can be severely hindered by the emergence of drug resistant tumor cells. Although membrane P-glycoprotein mediated multi-drug resistance (MDR) has been known to occur with the taxanes and the Vinca alkaloids, differential expression of altered tubulin isotypes has also been implicated in resistance to the taxanes and other antimitotic agents.
Renewed interest in tubulin polymerisation inhibitors has been generated by the hope that non-MDR substrates that interact with tubulin at sites near to, overlapping with or different from those of the taxanes or the Vinca alkaloids can be discovered.
Novel tubulin-binding molecules which, upon binding to tubulin, interfere with tubulin polymerization can provide novel agents for the treatment of proliferative diseases.
Pyrrolobenzimidazolones are known in the state of the art as agents with an antithrombotic and cardiovascular effect. DE3639466A1, DE3642315A1 and DE4027592A1 describe the use of pyrrolobenzimidazolones for the treatment of heart and circulatory diseases.

Pyrrolobenzimidazolones and their use as anti-proliferative agents

Abstract: wherein A, T and R1 to R3 are defined as in claim 1, which are suitable for the treatment of diseases characterized by excessive or abnormal cell proliferation and the use thereof for preparing a pharmaceutical composition.


A system for determining a calculation utilizing differential privacy including an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to receive a request to determine a result of a calculation using multitenanted data. The processor is configured to determine result data by performing the calculation on the multitenanted data; determine a deterministic modification in the event that the deterministic modification is needed to ensure privacy; modify the result data using the deterministic modification to determine modified result data; and provide the modified result data.

On a software as a service platform, tenant data is strictly segregated in order to maintain separation of data belonging to different tenants. Tenant data is stored on a set of data partitions securely separated by tenant (e.g., on different computers, on different hard drives, on different virtual machines, etc.) in order to prevent users from accessing data belonging to other tenants. In some situations, tenants wish to share data for comparison purposes or to get a more complete view of a situation (e.g., salary surveys or other industry benchmarks) and they provide a data set to a third party in exchange for access to the pooled set. The third party performs computations on the pooled data set and returns reports comprising the computation results to the tenants. Even when user identifying information is removed from report data, reports comprising detailed tenant data or tenant data associated with a small number of tenants may be vulnerable to attacks using external database information to determine the identity of users with data included in the report. This creates a problem where tenants may not be willing to contribute their data for fear that their users' identifying information will be revealed.

Differential privacy security for benchmarking


The present invention provides a dynamic quantity device which reduces stress received by a sensor due to resin packaging and reduces variation in sensor characteristics due to stress. The dynamic quantity sensor includes a semiconductor substrate including a fixing part and a flexible part and a movable part positioned on an interior side of the fixing part, and a cap component configured to cover the flexible part and the movable part, wherein the fixing part includes an interior frame configured to enclose the flexible part and the movable part and an exterior part positioned on a periphery of the interior frame, a slit configured to divide the interior frame and the exterior frame, and a linking part configured to link the interior frame and the exterior frame.

In recent years, small-scale light electronic devices with multi-functionality and high functionality are becoming widespread and a greater level of integration of installed electronic components is being demanded. In response to such demands, the number of each type of electronic component being manufactured as a semiconductor device is increasing. In addition, a wide variety of sensors are being manufactured as small-scale semiconductor devices apart from semiconductor devices manufactured as circuit components. For example, a dynamic quantity sensor having a small-scale simple structure is realized using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technology. As a dynamic quantity sensor (known as a piezo resistor type sensor) for example, a moving part which displaces according an external force is formed using a semiconductor substrate and a dynamic quantity sensor which detects the displacement of this moving part using a piezo resistor element is realized in an acceleration sensor or angular velocity sensor.
In the dynamic quantity sensor described above, various packages are used in order to stabilize and displace a movable part of the sensor. For example, the semiconductor substrate formed with a sensor is covered with a cap component and a resin package for sealing the cap component is used with a resin mold etc. In addition, a ceramic package is used to house and seal the semiconductor substrate formed with the sensor.
However, there was a problem in the case where a resin package is used whereby a sensor receives stress in the packaging process due to a difference in a linear expansion coefficient between a semiconductor substrate formed with the sensor and a resin mold, and sensor characteristics such as an offset voltage or sensitivity etc vary after the sensor is packaged. After the sensor is packaged the stress received during the packaging process remains and the stress received by the sensor changes due to a change in temperature added within a sensor specifications range. Because the amount by which the resin expands is large compared the amount of expansion of the semiconductor substrate when the added temperature reaches a high level, the stress received by the sensor is relaxed. However, because the amount by which the resin contracts is large compared the amount of contraction of the semiconductor substrate when the added temperature is a low level, the stress received by the sensor increases. Furthermore, in case of ceramic packaging, because the difference in a linear expansion coefficient between a semiconductor substrate and a ceramic is small and the ceramic itself has a high level of rigidity, the amount of change in stress received by the sensor due to a change in temperature is small and the effects on the sensor's characteristics is slight. However, since the costs of ceramic packaging are high compared to resin packaging, the manufacturing costs of the dynamic quantity sensor increase.
For example, an acceleration sensor described in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2006-300904, Japanese Laid Open Patent 2005-337874, Japanese Laid Open Patent 2000-46862 and Japanese Laid Open Patent 2009-53180, and an inertial sensor described in Japanese Laid Open Patent H11-1337571 are proposed as a structure for relaxing the stress received by a sensor during the packaging process described above. A slit is formed to pass through the sensor including a cap component in the acceleration sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2006-300904. In the acceleration sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2005-337874, an internal frame formed with the sensor and an external frame which encloses the external periphery of the internal frame are joined together by a stress relaxation beam. In the acceleration sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2000-46862, a curved part is arranged on a distorted part which swingably supports a spindle which becomes a movable part. In the sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2009-53180, a stress buffer is arranged on at least one part of a beam. In addition, in the inertia sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent H11-337571, a slit for reducing thermal stress is arranged on the external periphery edge of a diaphragm.
However, the acceleration sensors described in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2006-300904, Japanese Laid Open Patent 2005-337874, Japanese Laid Open Patent 2000-46862 and Japanese Laid Open Patent 2009-53180, and the inertial sensor described in Japanese Laid Open Patent H11-1337571 have the following problems.
In the acceleration sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2006-300904, because a slit which passes through the sensor including a cap component is formed the sensor does not have a structure for relaxing stress. In addition, the acceleration sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2006-300904 does not consider using resin packaging. That is, in the case where resin packaging is used in the acceleration sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2006-300904, stress received by the sensor in the resin packaging process can't be reduced because resin enters the slit part. In the acceleration sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2005-337874, although an internal frame formed with the sensor and an external frame which encloses the external periphery of the internal frame are joined together by a stress relaxation beam, because the length of the stress relaxation beam is longer than the length of one edge of the sensor, when the resonance frequency of the sensor due to an external force is considered, in order to realize a stress relaxation beam of a sufficiently higher resonance frequency than the resonance frequency of the sensor it is necessary to increase the width of the stress relaxation beam. Because the level of design freedom of a wiring layout is reduced when the width of the stress relaxation beam is increased, the area of the semiconductor substrate formed with the sensor and stress relaxation beam is increased, which acts counter to the demands for small scale. In any of the structures of the acceleration sensors in Japanese Laid Open Patent 2000-46862 and Japanese Laid Open Patent 2009-53180 and the inertia sensor in Japanese Laid Open Patent H11-33751 it is difficult to maintain the sensor's characteristics in the case where stress is received from resin packaging, in particular, it is difficult to reduce changes in temperature characteristics along a Z axis in the case where stress from resin packaging is received.
The present invention attempts to solve the problems described above and aims to provide a dynamic quantity sensor which reduces stress received by the sensor due to resin packaging and controls variation in sensor characteristics due to stress.


An alignment process device for display panel is disclosed in the present invention and includes a conductive component array, which comprises at least two conductive components, and the at least two conductive components are arranged together in a form of one dimensional array, each conductive component array is utilized for contacting the display panel to provide power for the display panel; a base supports the conductive components; a power source port is connected to an external power source for providing power to the conductive components.

In a conventional manufacturing process of a display panel, an alignment process is required to the display panel. However, in the conventional technical solution of the alignment process of the display panel, conductive components are used to transmit voltages to the display panel. As shown in FIG. 1, the conductive component includes a pin 101, a pin sleeve 102 and a spring (not shown). The spring is disposed within the pin sleeve 102 and one end of the pin 101 is embedded within the pin sleeve 102 to contact the spring.
In the technical solution described above, the spring disposed within the pin sleeve 102 is utilized for the pin 101 to move back and forth so that the pin 101 can be properly connected to each of the contact pads in the display panel.
However, in the technical solution described above, because the size of the pin 101 is small, in order to adapt to the size of the pin 101, the size of the spring for the pin 101 is also small and therefore the expansion and contraction quantity of the spring becomes small. When the deformation of the display panel is greater and the height difference between the contact pads becomes larger, the pins 101 on the conductive components are not able to contact the contact pads on the display panel properly. As a result, the power is failed to be provided to the display panel. Therefore, the alignment process for the display panel cannot be performed.
In addition, when the conductive component works continuously, the spring of the pin 101 easily becomes fatigued and causing the conductive component to be scrapped.
In addition, because the pin 101 is embedded within the pin sleeve 102, the pin 101 is easily stuck within the pin sleeve 102 when the pin 101 is not evenly pushed by a force. Therefore, the pin 101 fails to contact the contact pad to provide power to the display panel.
Furthermore, when the pin 101 of the conductive component contacts the contact pad of the display panel to transmit power, an operator cannot immediately realize if the pin 101 on the display panel properly receives a voltage inputted. Thus, the defective rate of the display panel is difficult to decrease.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel technical solution to solve the problem described above.

Alignment process device for display panel and conductive component thereof

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.


An on/off switching component of a motor powered according to a first or a second polarity, connected in series with the motor. The switching component includes two head-to-tail connected cathode gate thyristors, and two diodes of same polarity. The two diodes have first same polarity terminals respectively connected to the gate of a respective one of the two cathode gate thyristors and second terminals connected together to a control terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a on/off control switch of a bi-directional motor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In many systems, for example in a car, a large number of motors are provided, each of which can be supplied with a dc. current having one polarity or the other to rotate according to one direction or the other. This is, for example, the case of the car window risers, all the motors of which are connected to the battery through an inverting element for connecting each motor according to one polarity or the other, a switch being associated with each motor to allow the powering of a single motor or of a plurality of motors simultaneously. Similar systems are provided for the locking of the doors or other locks in a car, for example the gas cap lock, for rear view mirror controlling devices, and so on . . . . Although the above examples are given in the case of a car, similar problems arise in other technological fields.
FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating the aimed device. This device includes a plurality of motors M1, M2, M3 . . . respectively connected by a first terminal 11, 12, 13 . . . to the respective first terminals of respective switches S1, S2, S3 . . . . The second terminals 21 of the motors are common and connected to the common terminal of a first inverting element I1. The second terminals of the switches S1, S2, S3 are common and connected to the common terminal 31 of an inverting element I2. The inverting elements I1 and I2 can provide respective connections to a supply voltage, for example, a battery voltage, and to ground G, and the other way round. Thus, a current may flow in each motor according to one polarity or the other according to the positioning of the inverting arrangement I1-I2. Once the polarity of the current liable to flow in the motors is selected, one or a plurality of motors are powered depending upon whether one or a plurality of switches S1, S2, S3 are on. Thus, an individual control or a grouped control of the car windows, for example, can be achieved.
Conventionally, switches S1, S2, S3 are electromechanical switches. If it is desired to replace these electromechanical switches by static components, a first possibility is to use triacs TR1, TR2, TR3 . . . , as represented in FIG. 2, since the switches have to conduct a current in one direction or the other.
A first drawback to the use of triacs is presented by their control, because the common terminal 31 is either grounded or connected to voltage Vcc. For example, if it is desired to control the triacs through a microcontroller .mu.C connected between voltage Vcc and ground, the microcontroller will provide control signals referenced to ground. When common terminal 31 is grounded, the microcontroller can control a desired triac without problems. However, when terminal 31 is connected to voltage Vcc, a problem arises because the control signal cannot flow simply between the output of the microcontroller, which is near the ground voltage, and terminal 31, which is near voltage Vcc. A solution to this problem requires the provision, between the microcontroller output and the gates of the triacs, of a circuit or components allowing adjustment of the control signal.
FIG. 2 illustrates a possible structure of a passive adjustment circuit including three resistors and a capacitor for each triac based switch. The capacitor ensures an insulation between the voltage at terminal 31 and the microcontroller while allowing the transmission of pulse control signals. Other circuits based on active components (bipolar transistors) could also be provided. However, in all cases, the control of the switches is not direct and requires an interface to adjust the voltage of terminal 31.
A second drawback to the use of triacs is that they require a relatively high gate current and cannot, for example, be directly controlled by the outputs of a logic circuit or controller. A third drawback is that the various triacs TR1, TR2, TR3 . . . are necessarily realized on separate silicon chips because, at present, no means exists to integrate on the same chip triacs having a first common electrode, the common electrode being the electrode to which the gate is referenced.

Thyristor control switch for a bidirectional motor


A rodent trap system for alerting a user that a rodent has been trapped having a base panel, a top surface, three lips extending upwardly from three ends of the base panel wherein the lips create an enclosure, a lid pivotally attached to the second and third lips, an alarm housing on the base panel, a flange extending outwardly from the alarm housing formed by the lips which can pivot; a first half contact on a bottom surface of the flange, a second half contact on the top surface of the base panel, the contacts are connected to the actuator or solenoid and to a speaker in the alarm housing, wherein when the contacts contact each other they send an electrical signal causing the actuator or solenoid to pull a plunger to move the lid to the closed position and causing the speaker to emit the sound.

Unfortunately, some rodents that get trapped may drag the trap away only to die later in an unknown location. This requires the homeowner to search for the carcass. The present invention features a novel rodent trap system with an alarm that is activated when the trap is sprung. This allows the homeowner to find the mouse or rat in the trap, preventing the mouse or rat from escaping. In some embodiments, the alarm can alert the homeowner via an Internet system or a mobile phone system.
The present invention may feature a basic model for an average homeowner. The present invention may feature a more advanced model that may have alert features through the Internet system or cell phone system, which may be more beneficial for commercial use.


A method is disclosed for operating a flat detector in different dose ranges and at different amplifier levels. A previously measured detector sensitivity is respectively used for the calibration. The detector sensitivity is determined for each amplifier level at a multiplicity of different points in the overall gain-specific dose range. Further, a calibration value of the previously measured neighboring values is used in order to calibrate a measurement image for a predetermined dose.

Flat detectors are operated at different amplification levels, in order to be able to cover a dose range which is as large as possible. In fluoroscopy applications, for example, the largest analog gain in the detector electronics is selected in order to achieve a desired signal threshold. For recording operation in which high doses are employed, a lower amplification is then used.
Changing the amplifier levels in the detector—7 gain levels are usual in modern equipment—entails switching artifacts which lead to degradations in the image quality and are directly visible after switching as so-called overshoot processes with reduced image quality. Because of the nonlinearity of the detector within a detector mode, it is not possible to achieve integral linearity over the entire dose range to be covered so that, in the previously available measuring methods, it has also not been possible to reduce the number of amplifier levels and cover a maximally large dose range with one detector mode.

Method for operating a flat detector with reduced switching artifacts