A lapping composition is presented, wherein that lapping composition is formed by mixing a solvent, a base, and a phenolic compound having structure I:

Lapping, grinding, cutting, and polishing, collectively referred to herein as "lapping," are key manufacturing technologies for shaping various ceramic and metallic materials. Lapping provides a mechanism to shape the surface of a substrate.
Lapping is often performed using a versatile, high-precision polishing machine using a scrolled cast iron plate. The machine generally includes a reciprocating roller bar mechanism to hold the sample in position while allowing for constant plate conditioning during the preparation process. In some applications, the lapping comprises a medium grit (10 to 15 micron) silicon carbide powder, suspended in a lapping composition. Other abrasive materials include medium grit aluminum oxide, boron carbide, and the like. By "lapping composition," Applicant means a fluid used during a process to shape the surface of a substrate, where that process includes contacting a target surface of the substrate with one or more abrasives while also contacting that target surface with the lapping composition.
The choice of abrasive depends on the type of material—a very aggressive abrasive, such as diamond will cause a deeper damage layer at the surface. Damage penetration can be reduced by decreasing the load on the sample and the plate speed as the final thickness is approached.
After lapping, the sample can be polished using chemo-mechanical suspensions of, for example, colloidal silica (0.125 micron) or aluminum oxide (0.3 micron). The slurry suspensions comprising one or more abrasives suspended in Applicant's lapping composition are pumped continuously over the plate.

Lapping composition and method using same

Abstract: wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of —O−Mx+ wherein x is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, and 3, —O—R3 wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, allyl, and phenyl, —N(R3R4) wherein R4 is selected from the group consisting of —H, alkyl, allyl, and phenyl, and —S—R3; and wherein R2 is selected from the group consisting of —O−Mx+ wherein x is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, and 3, —O—R3 wherein R3 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, allyl, and phenyl, —N(R3R4) wherein R4 is selected from the group consisting of —H, alkyl, allyl, and phenyl, and —S—R3.


In general, in one aspect, the disclosure describes an apparatus including a first deskew unit and a second deskew unit. The first deskew unit operates at a first clock domain and provides fine timing adjustment to a signal. The second deskew unit operates at a second clock domain that is slower than the first clock domain and provide coarse timing adjustment to the signal.

In communication systems data is transferred between transmitters and receivers. The data may be transmitted from one system to another, from one processor to another or from one functional unit to another. Data may be transmitted over multiple channels (lanes) between the transmitter and receiver. Signals being transmitted between transmitter and receiver over multiple channels may lose time reference with respect to each other (become skewed). The skew is likely introduced because of mismatches in the channels (e.g., length, impedance). For example, the physical interconnects forming multiple channels between transmitter and receiver on boards or integrated circuits (ICs) may follow different paths and/or have different lengths.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example multi-lane (three) connection 100 between a transmitter 110 and a receiver 120. The three lanes (channels) 100 travel different paths and accordingly have different lengths. As might be expected the timing associated with data (e.g., I/O signals) transmitted over the lanes 100 would vary and the signals would be skewed. As computing (e.g., I/O) speeds continue to increase, the trace mismatches between various lanes 100 result in an increasing number of bit cells worth of skew and misalignment.
One way to correct the skew would be with trace-matching of the interconnects. However, trace matching for multiple lanes is tedious, and at times unfeasible, given routing congestions and obstructions that may be present with board and/or chip design.
Deskewing is an operation performed at the receiver 120 for negating/canceling out skew between the communications lanes. Deskewing enables data streams to regain time/phase relationships with respect to each other. Communication systems employing multiple channels carrying data with forwarded/embedded clock information must have some means of deskewing the received information before further data processing can be done. As the transmission frequency increases and/or lane mismatches increase, the total amount of skew increases.


Some implementations provide a multi-focus display system that renders images at multiple focus distances for display in conjunction with the use of appropriately powered lenses. For example, an HMD may include a fast switching lens element that allows quickly alternating between two or more focus distances. The displayed images are configured to correspond to the alternating focus distances by adjusting a high-frequency part of the images. This can provide a more natural user experience that will include near objects that require the user's eye to focus on a close focal depth plane and far objects that require the user's eye to focus on a far focal depth plane. Moreover, the user experience can be provided with little or no loss of brightness and without requiring processor and resource intensive computations.

Head mounted devices (HMDs) present images that are viewed by the eyes of users at relatively close range. Directly focusing on such close range images is undesirable or impossible for most users. To ease the burden on the users' eyes, HMDs typically present images that are warped or otherwise distorted and provide lenses that provide the users with undistorted views of those images. The lenses undistort the images presented on the displays for near eye viewing, e.g., bending the light from the displays that are relatively close to the users' eyes to make it easier for the users to focus on and see the images presented on the displays as if the users were looking at objects further away from the users' eyes, e.g., on a focal depth plane located significantly further away from the user's eyes.
Many HMDs use a fixed focal distance. All of the objects of the images are projected onto the same focal depth plane, e.g., appearing to the user as if on a screen 6 feet away rather than on the actual display which may be only inches away. All of the objects are also in focus. The use of a single plane in which all objects are in focus can provide an unnatural viewing experience. For example, in a natural viewing environment, when a user looks from a nearby object to an object that is farther away, the user's eye must accommodate (e.g., the user's eye's lens changes shape to allow the user to focus on the far away object). In contrast, when using an HMD that has a fixed focal distance and a single focal depth plane, when the user looks from a part of the image depicting a nearby object to a part of the image depicting a farther away object, the user's eye does not need to change shape. This lack of required eye accommodation can conflict with the change in convergence angle experienced by the user's eyes when viewing 3D content. This conflict is referred to as "vergence accommodation conflict" or "VAC." Additionally, in a natural viewing environment, when the user is focused on a nearby object, objects that are farther away may appear fuzzy or out of focus to the user and vice versa. Such a viewing experience is different than that of using an HMD in which all objects are always in focus and may thus also result in an unnatural feeling to the user.
Multi-focal display systems can display images at multiple focal distances. However, these systems have various disadvantages, for example, requiring high computation and resource costs, reducing the overall brightness of the content presented, or inducing flickering.

Rendering for multi-focus display systems


Features of a mask, when close enough to one another, can cause unwanted phantom images to print on an integrated circuit. Advantageously, potential locations of phantom images can be automatically identified from a mask layout. This technique can include creating perimeters or rings around features in the mask layout (in one case, after proximity correction). An overlap of perimeters/rings can be assigned a particular weight such that areas of greater overlap have a higher weight and areas of less overlap have a lower weight. If the weight of an overlap area exceeds a trigger weight, then an evaluation point can be added to the mask layout, thereby identifying that layout location as a potential location of a phantom image. After simulation of the mask layout, that layout location can be analyzed to determine if a phantom image would print.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to placing evaluation points for simulation based checking on a mask layout and, particularly, to identifying locations on the mask in which phantom images may occur and placing evaluation points at such locations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photolithography is a well-known process used in the semiconductor industry to form lines, contacts, and other known structures in integrated circuits (ICs). In conventional photolithography, a binary mask having a pattern of transparent and opaque regions representing such structures in one IC layer is illuminated. The emanating light from the binary mask exposes a photoresist layer provided on a wafer. During a subsequent development process, portions of the photoresist layer are removed, wherein the portions are defined by the pattern of exposure. In this manner, the pattern of the binary mask is transferred to or printed on the photoresist layer.
Various types of masks have been developed to improve on the resolution provided by the binary mask. Such masks include a phase shifting mask (PSM), an attenuated PSM, and a tri-tone attenuated PSM. A PSM also includes transparent and opaque regions. However, the transparent regions include complementary phase shifters, which are configured such that the exposure radiation transmitted by one shifter is 180 degrees out of phase with the exposure radiation transmitted by the other shifter. An attenuated PSM includes transparent regions and attenuated phase shifting regions. The attenuated phase shifting region is a partially transparent region, i.e. a region having a low optical intensity transmission coefficient T<0.1. However, the phase shift of light passing through the attenuated phase shifting region relative to light passing through the transparent region is approximately 180 degrees. A tri-tone attenuated phase shifting mask further includes an opaque region within the larger portion(s) of the attenuated, phase-shifting region.
Light passing through a transparent feature of a mask sends a large fraction of the incident beam into well-defined directions. These directions depend on the wavelength of the light and the dimensions of the feature. For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a graph 100 that plots light intensity as a function of position. In graph 100, a broad central bright region 101 has a maximum intensity at a point 102 corresponding to the center of a transparent feature in the mask. At various positions, the intensity drops to zero, thereby indicating a destructive interference between different orders of diffraction. At a mask level, the first intensity drop to zero (or substantially zero) on either side of point 102 corresponds to the beginning of the opaque (or partially transparent) regions adjacent the transparent feature.
Of importance, a first side-lobe 103 has intensity less than a photoresist threshold 104. In this manner, for an isolated transparent region, first side-lobe 103 would not trigger exposing the photoresist. However, in the case of proximate transparent regions, their respective first side-lobes can constructively interfere with one another, i.e. their intensities could combine, thereby triggering exposure of the photoresist at that position. This exposure does not correspond to any desired shape on the mask and, therefore, is called a "phantom" image. This phenomenon is called a "side-lobe effect" and can occur irrespective of the type of mask being used.
For example, FIG. 2A illustrates a simplified mask layout 200 including four shapes 201 that could be used to form contacts on a wafer. In layout 200, shapes 201 represent transparent regions formed in an opaque or attenuated region. FIG. 2B illustrates a wafer 205 after exposing a mask that implements layout 200 (FIG. 2A). As shown in FIG. 2B, shapes 206, which are squares in mask 200 (i.e. shapes 201), actually print with rounded corners on wafer 205. Moreover, because of the constructive interference of first side-lobes of light transmitted through a mask implementing shapes 201, a phantom image 207 can print in the center of shapes 206 on wafer 205. This phantom image 207 could cause undesirable bridging with features on that layer and/or with features on other layers, thereby adversely affecting the functionality of the integrated circuit.
Of importance, side-lobes can also occur on a bright field mask in which opaque or attenuated features are formed on a transparent substrate. To represent an opaque feature in a bright field mask, graph 100 (FIG. 1) can be flipped on a vertical axis. In this case, the broad central region 101 would have a minimum intensity at a point 102 corresponding to the center of the opaque feature in the mask. At various positions, the intensity increases to a maximum intensity. At a mask level, the first intensity increase to the maximum intensity on either side of point 102 corresponds to the beginning of the transparent regions adjacent the opaque feature.
A side-lobe effect in a bright field mask could result in a dark node in what should be an exposed area. In other words, the dark node fails to trigger exposing of the photoresist, thereby creating a phantom image at the dark node location. Although subsequent embodiments herein refer to transparent features in a dark field mask, it is understood that the side-lobe problem and the solution to such side-lobe problem apply equally to both bright field masks with opaque features and dark field masks with transparent features.
Note that various resolution enhancement techniques, such as optical proximity correction (OPC), can also contribute to side-lobe effects on a layout. OPC applies systematic changes to geometries of the layout to improve the printability of a wafer pattern. Specifically, as the size of integrated circuit features drops to 0.18μ and below, the features can become smaller than the wavelength of the light used to create such features, thereby creating lithographic distortions when printing the features onto the wafer. As used herein, OPC can include all types of proximity correction, including optical, resist, etch, micro-loading, etc.
Rule-based OPC can include rules to implement certain changes to the layout, thereby compensating for some lithographic distortions. For example, to compensate for line-end shortening, rule-based OPC can add a hammerhead to a line end. Additionally, to compensate for corner rounding, rule-based OPC can add (or subtract) serif shapes from outer (or inner) corners. To maintain critical dimension (CD) control, assist bars can be added to isolated lines. These changes can form features on the wafer that are closer to the original intended layout.
In model-based OPC, a real pattern transfer can be simulated (i.e. predicted) with a set of mathematical formulas (i.e. models). In model-based OPC, the edges of a feature in a layout can be dissected into a plurality of segments, thereby allowing these segments to be individually moved to correct for proximity effects. The placement of the dissection points is determined by the feature shape, size, and/or position relative to other features.
OPC features, like shapes on the original layout, can also transmit light. Therefore, OPC features can also have, or enhance, side-lobes, which can constructively interfere with the side-lobes of proximate shapes (whether OPC features or shapes on the layout). For example, an assist bar is a sub-wavelength OPC feature that should not print on the wafer. However, if a side-lobe effect occurs, then such an assist bar might print on the wafer. This image (which could also be considered a phantom image because no corresponding segment of a feature exists on the original layout) could also cause undesirable bridging with features on that layer and/or with features on other layers, thereby adversely affecting the functionality of the integrated circuit.
Some commercially available simulation based checking tools can verify the accuracy of the original layout against the silicon it is intended to produce. For example, an exemplary simulation based checking tool can read in the layout and simulate various lithographic process effects, e.g. optical, resist, and etch effects. The simulation based checking tool can then compare the results, i.e. a simulated wafer image, with the original layout and report any out-of-tolerance regions. In this manner, the simulation based checking tool can determine the integrity of an integrated circuit layout and the correctness of its sub-wavelength mask design before silicon (i.e. mask and/or wafer) implementation. Note that the simulation based checking tool can be used for any layout in which resolution enhancement techniques (RETs) have been applied (e.g. OPC, assist bars, phase shifting, etc.).
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary process 300 that can be implemented by such a simulation based checking tool. In step 301, an original (i.e. a pre-OPC) layout can be dissected. At this point, evaluation points can be placed on the dissected edges of the original layout in step 302. In step 303, a wafer image for each evaluation point can be simulated using the post phase shifting/OPC layout. The simulated positions of the evaluation points can then be compared to those on the original layout in step 304. The impact report, which can be output in step 305, can indicate any differences in evaluation point location between the original layout and the simulated wafer image that are outside of tolerance.
In one embodiment, the impact report could include markers placed into the mask layout (e.g. post-OPC) indicating locations outside of tolerance. In another embodiment, the impact report could include evaluation point information stored in a table, wherein the rows could correspond to the evaluation points having a deviation greater than the set tolerance and the columns could correspond to the location (e.g. x and y coordinates) of the evaluation points. In another embodiment, the impact report could include a statistics table that can be used to calculate and/or provide the mean (average) deviation and the standard deviation for any selected group of evaluation points. In yet another embodiment, the impact report could include a cell table, which could provide information regarding specific cells in the layout. The cell table could include the number of control points, the simulation time for those control points is provided for various cells, and/or the number of reported errors for each cell. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/025,414-4802, entitled "Method for Providing Flexible and Dynamic Reporting Capability Using simulation Tools", filed on Dec. 18, 2001, which is incorporated by reference herein, describes these tables in further detail.
Unfortunately, the locations of the phantom images do not correspond to segments of the original layout. Thus, a standard simulation based checking tool would not place evaluation points at these locations. In other words, the simulation based checking tool can check for the printing accuracy of features existing in the original layout, but not for the undesirable appearance of features not on the original layout.
Note that a process performance analysis tool, like the IC Workbench™ tool, licensed by Numerical Technologies, Inc., could generate an aerial image for every location on a layout, thereby permitting a human operator to detect any phantom images. However, this technique would be extremely expensive and time intensive, thereby rendering it commercially impractical. Alternatively, a process engineer could identify areas of potential phantom images. Unfortunately, the success of and time associated with such manual processes can vary significantly based on the experience of the process engineer. Therefore, a need arises for an automatic technique that can identify and check potential locations of phantom images on a mask layout.

Identifying phantom images generated by side-lobes


A water-penetrable drip irrigation pipe includes: a buffer tube having a water-penetrable fibrous core member clad in the buffer tube which is lengthwise formed in a main pipe as contiguous to an inside wall of the main pipe, having a plurality of water inlet holes respectively spaced apart and longitudinally formed in a bottom of the buffer tube to communicate with an interior in the main pipe, and a plurality of drip outlet holes longitudinally formed in the main pipe, whereby the water flowing in the interior of the main pipe will penetrate the fibrous core member in the buffer tube to be filtered by and frictionally dampened by the fibrous core member for discharging clean irrigation drips having decreased pressure.

A conventional drip irrigation system as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,841 comprises a thermoplastic conduit having substantially discrete emitter units (3) heat welded to axially spaced apart locations of an inner surface of the conduit adjacent outlet apertures formed in the conduit, allowing irrigation liquid to flow through the groove (10) and the flexible membrane (17) to be substantially pressureless drips discharging through the apertures (2).
However, such a conventional drip irrigation system has the following drawbacks:
1. The groove (10) is corrugatedly formed in each emitter unit (3) and so many emitter units (3) must be fixed in the irrigation conduit, thereby increasing the installation inconvenience and the production cost. PA0 2. The flexible membrane (17) is retained by the flanges (14) to constitute an emitter cover to define a flow restricting flowpath with the elongated groove (10), not for filtering the irrigation liquid, thereby lacking of water filtration effect. PA0 3. The irrigation liquid does not flow through (penetrate into) the flexible rubber membrane (17) in order to greatly reduce the fluid pressure due to friction loss. So, the reduction of fluid pressure relies upon the elongated groove (10) which is corrugatedly formed in the base of the emitter unit as shown in their FIG. 2, thereby increasing the production complexity and cost.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of conventional drip irrigation system and invented the present water-penetrable drip irrigation pipe.

2F-2, No., 12, Lane 88, Min-Sheng E. Road, Sec. 3


An aircraft gas turbine engine including a first hydraulic pump connected to a starter motor and a second hydraulic pump connected to the high-pressure compressor. The engine being arranged such that during starting the starter motor drives the first pump, to pump hydraulic fluid to operate the second pump as a motor to drive the high pressure compressor. During running the first and second pumps are connected to the aircraft hydraulic system.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to aircraft gas turbine engines, and also a method of starting aircraft gas turbine engines.
The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,765 is incorporated herein by reference.
In modern aircraft there is generally an increasing requirement for electric power. Such increased electric power may be required for additional cabin services and particularly for use in providing the cabin air supply. FIGS. 2 and 3 diagrammatically show a conventional arrangement to allow various accessories to drive or be driven by the engine of an aircraft.
In more detail, FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings show an external gearbox 110 which connects to a starter motor 112 and first and second hydraulic pumps 114, 116. The gearbox 110 connects via a gearbox drive shaft 118 bevelled gears 120 to an angled drive shaft 122. The drive shaft 122 connects via gears 124 to a radial drive shaft 126. The drive shaft 126 connects via bevelled gears 128 to the high pressure compressor 130. The intermediate pressure compressor 132 is also shown.
In use, to start an engine the starter motor 112 is powered which drives the high pressure compressor 130 through the arrangement described above. Once the engine is running the high pressure compressor 130 will drive the gearbox 110 and the attached units including hydraulic pumps 114 and 116.
As indicated above, modern aircraft generally require an increased power to be extracted by the engine to drive accessories. With the above described arrangement, at the top of descent when the engine power is reduced, the large power offtake requirement would lead to an engine surge. This problem could be solved by driving the gearbox from the intermediate pressure compressor rather than the high pressure compressor to ensure that the compressors do not surge at the top of descent conditions.
This would however lead to other issues in starting the engine. With such an alternative arrangement during a start the starter motor would drive the intermediate pressure compressor rather than the high pressure compressor. This would require a very long time to start the engine if the engine would in fact start, as the high pressure compressor would only be induced to rotate by airflow, and would not be positively driven. It therefore is necessary to positively drive the high pressure compressor.


A biodegradable cardiovascular implant is provided for growing cardiovascular tissue in a patient. The implant distinguishes an electro-spun network with supramolecular compounds having hard-blocks covalently bonded with soft-blocks resulting in much enhanced durability and fatigue resistance, while maintaining the effectiveness as a cardiovascular implant.

Current cardiovascular substitutes and implants encounter risks due to coagulation, infections, degeneration, and no growth possibilities. Tissue engineering is a fairly new approach which uses patient's own cells and a biodegradable polymer scaffold to make autologous tissue that is able to grow, adapt and repair. Polymeric scaffolds can be constructed from biocompatible, non-toxic polymers. The choice of polymer and the technique used to make the scaffold effects the mechanical properties exhibited by the scaffold.
For cardiac tissue engineering, the most commonly used biodegradable synthetic scaffold materials are polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrates (PHB), ε-polycaprolactone (PCL) or their copolymers. US20150173921 teaches the use of supramolecular compounds as the basis of the biodegradable synthetic scaffold for cardiovascular implants.
Despite the recent advances, there is still an unmet medical need, in particular, since cardiovascular substitutes and implants such as heart valves, and hereby preferably for aortic or pulmonary heart valves, have to pass high standards as provided by the FDA and the relevant guidelines such as ISO 5840-1:2015, ISO 5840-2:2015 and ISO 5840-3:2015. An important emphasis for said high standards is hereby placed on hydrodynamic, durability, and, in particular, on fatigue testing to ensure reasonable assurance of safety, effectiveness and FDA approval.
The present invention addresses this unmet need by providing tissue engineered cardiovascular implant with enhanced durability and fatigue resistance, while maintaining the effectiveness as a cardiovascular implant.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A magnetic field sensor configured to sense a parameter associated with a rotatable target that affects a magnetic field includes at least one magnetic field sensing element that is arranged to generate a signal that is indicative of the magnetic field, a magnitude calculator responsive to the signal and configured to generate a magnitude signal indicative of a magnitude of the magnetic field, and a harmonic compensator responsive to the magnitude signal and configured to generate an estimate of a harmonic error of the signal and apply the estimate of the harmonic error of the signal to the signal to generate a corrected signal.

As is known, sensors are used to perform various functions in a variety of applications. Some sensors include one or more magnetic field sensing elements, such as a Hall effect element or a magnetoresistive element or a pickup coil, to sense a magnetic field associated with proximity or motion of a target object, such as a magnetic or a ferromagnetic object in the form of a gear or ring magnet, or to sense a current, as examples. The signal or signals generated by one or more magnetic field sensing elements can be processed by respective signal paths that can be referred to as channels in order to generate one or more sensor output signals indicative of a parameter associated with the target, such as an angular position, a speed of rotation, and/or a direction of rotation of the target as examples.
Sensor integrated circuits are widely used in automobile control systems and other safety-critical applications. There are a variety of specifications that set forth requirements related to permissible sensor quality levels, failure rates, and overall functional safety. Error reduction in sensors is thus an important feature.
Error in the detected target parameter can be attributable to various sources. For example, misalignment between the magnetic field sensing elements and target can result in offset and amplitude errors of the magnetic field signals and ultimately in the detected target position. In some sensors, error (e.g., error in a calculated angle signal) can be expressed in its harmonic terms after performing a Fourier transform. Compensation for harmonic errors (i.e., harmonic compensation) can be performed by generating coefficients (e.g., coefficients representing the phase and magnitude of each harmonic error term) that can be stored and selectively applied to the sensor output signal. For example, in a manufacturing setting, data from a single rotation of the target that is measured by a proximate angle sensor can be stored and used to generate the harmonic compensation coefficients by performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the collected data. In this way, the error can be recreated internally by the sensor and used to compensate the sensor output signal (e.g., by applying the recreated harmonic error terms to the computed angle).
One type of position sensor is an inductive sensor and can include a primary or transmitting coil that generates a biasing magnetic field in response to an oscillation signal and one or more secondary, or receiving, or pickup coils electromagnetically coupled to the primary coil for generating one or more secondary signals. The coupling between the primary and secondary coils is a function of a target position and the secondary signal or signals can be processed to detect a position of the target. For example, the target can be a ferrous core around which the primary and secondary coils are wound. In general, target position information is amplitude modulated in the secondary signal or signals that can be demodulated synchronously with respect to the primary oscillation in order to extract target position information.
Some inductive sensors include receiving coils designed to generate sinusoidal signals that have a phase difference of ninety degrees with respect to each other so that one such signal contains amplitude modulated sine information and the other signal contains amplitude modulated cosine information. The angle of the target can be calculated as the arctangent of the cosine signal (e.g., Y signal) divided by the sine signal (e.g., X signal).

Harmonic compensation with magnitude feedback for magnetic field sensors


A scheduler schedules a plurality of periodic events. Each periodic event has an associated periodic interval of time and an associated set of services. The scheduler determines when one of the plurality of periodic events occurs and distributes the execution of the services associated with that periodic event during a next periodic interval of time associated with that periodic event following the occurrence of that periodic event. The services can be enabled and disabled. This allows the services to be executed, for example, in one-shot, burst, and continuous modes.

It is common in software systems, especially software systems that control the operation of external hardware (referred to here as "control systems" or "control applications", to perform certain processing (referred to here as "services") at periodic intervals (also referred to here as "periodic events") that occur after such periodic intervals elapse. Typically, a different set of services is executed for each different type of periodic event. The periodic interval of time associated with each periodic event is typically defined as a number of clock ticks. A clock tick is a signal or other indication that a predetermined base interval of time (for example, 100 milliseconds) has elapsed since the last clock tick elapsed.
For example, in one approach, a clock or timer sends an interrupt after each clock tick. An interrupt handler executes a periodic event scheduler. The periodic event scheduler determines which services should be executed in response to that clock tick. For example, in one example, a first set of services is executed after every tick (where a tick is generated every 100 milliseconds), while a second set of services is executed every second (that is, every 10 clock ticks). The periodic event scheduler maintains a counter for the second set of services to count the number of ticks that have occurred since the second set of services was last executed. This is done to determine when one second (the period for this type of periodic event) has elapsed since the second set of services was last executed.
In such an example, when an interrupt is generated to signal that a tick has elapsed, an interrupt handler executes the periodic event scheduler. The periodic event scheduler determines that the first set of services is to be executed (because the first set is executed for every tick). The periodic event scheduler initiates execution of all the services in the first set at the beginning of the current 100 millisecond period. If the counter indicates that a second has elapsed since the second set of services was last executed, the periodic event scheduler initiates execution of all the services in the second set, also at the beginning of the current 100 millisecond period.
In this example, the workload involved in executing the services will be bursty, with a burst of processing activity occurring at the beginning of each one-second interval when the execution of both the first and second sets of services is initiated. When the system is loaded while executing such a burst of periodic events is executing, system performance for other processes may be degraded. Moreover, if multiple services in a single burst exercise the same item of hardware, a power consumption surge may result.

Periodic event execution control mechanism


A system and a method for managing a database. The system includes a database manager for storing and retrieving data records from a database. In one embodiment, the database includes a database data structure that is divided into a plurality of sections. Each of the sections holds is configured to hold zero or more data records. During a store operation of a data record, a key that is associated with the data record is used to identify one of the sections. The system determines whether the identified section has sufficient space to contain the identified data record. If the section has insufficient space, the system deletes data records according to a ranking function. In one embodiment of the invention, the ranking function is a least recently used algorithm. The system of the present invention does not have any inter-dependency between the data records that are stored within the database. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, the system creates the database using sections that are the same size that is used by a caching system to store and retrieve pages from mass storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to database systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for managing a database.
2. Description of the Related Technology
As the use of the Internet has become more and more popular, various database systems have been developed to track information that is associated with each of the users at an Internet site. These database systems can store demographic information, a list of user preferences, or other information about each of the users of a particular site.
One problem that has been encountered by these database systems is that it is time consuming to access and search the data once it has been accumulated. Often, database systems consist of millions of items of data which are permanently stored on a mass storage medium. However, not all of the data is "fresh", or, in other words, relate to current activity of the user. Therefore, various trash management systems have been developed to eliminate old or non-useful data from the database system. One system that has attempted to solve trash management is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,495 to Nemes. Nemes uses a hashing scheme whereby each of the data records in a database has an expiration date. Once a data record has expired, the Nemes system removes the record from the database. However, the Nemes system fails once database is completely full with unexpired data.
Another problem that has been identified is that many databases are designed such that information on one page references information on another one of the pages. This often occurs in tree, chain, or indirect systems. In these systems, if one page is successfully written and an attempt to write a dependent page fails, a corruption is introduced into the database.
Therefore, there is a need for a system that is efficient in handling large numbers of transactions. Furthermore, there is a need for a system that does not introduce interdependencies between each of the pages of the database. Thus, if one of the pages is contaminated, the other pages remain unaffected by the contamination.

System and method for managing a database


A protective relay communication interface includes a transformer having primary windings arranged as, at least two, sets of opposed windings. The interface is connected to a local relay sensing a current at that point on a power line to be protected. The interface is also connected to a communication link to a remote relay sensing the current at a remote position on the power line. It is by this communication link that signals representative of the sensed currents are transmitted from each relay to the other. A local signal from the local relay is passed through part of, but not all of, the primary windings inducing a corresponding signal in the secondary windings of the transformer which is transmitted to the remote relay via the communications link. A received remote signal from the remote relay is passed via at least two mutually opposed sets of the primary windings to the local relay. Because the windings are opposed, the fluxes produced cancel inducing no net current in the secondary windings of the transformer, hence preventing feedback.

AC power transmission lines are often protected by protective relay systems which trip circuit breakers to isolate a section of the lines if a fault is detected. The systems comprise local and remote terminals linked, via communication interfaces, by a communication channel along which information about the current, for example, is transmitted between the terminals. When this information indicates that a fault has occurred, the terminals trip the circuit breakers to isolate the line.
In the past, communication has taken place via two wires called pilot wires. It is now necessary to replace such wires by a four wire high speed digital channel communication system, but in doing this a problem has been encountered with the feedback of a received signal to the transmitting relay. It is an object of this invention to provide an interface in which such feedback is substantially reduced or eliminated.


A lowerable-raisable ground water sampling device has an annular elastomeric seal for preventing the exchange of atmospheric gases with the ground water within a well casing. In its preferred form, the seal is a frusto-conical elastomeric disk mounted on the lower end of a water-extraction tube depending from the lower end of a water sampling unit. A fluid-actuator cylinder is floatable positioned on the tube for moving an annular wall structure downwardly against the disk upper surface, thus to decrease the cone angle of the frusto-conical surface to cause the outer edge of the disk to move out of sealing engagement with the well casing surface. When the fluid cylinder is depressurized, the frusto-conical disk automatically expands to seal against the well casing surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ground water sampling devices of the general type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,473 to Burge, et al. The present invention relates more particularly to a seal structure usable on the sampling unit to prevent exchange of atmospheric gases with the sub-surface ground water.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,473 discloses a ground water sampler device lowerable into a well casing for collecting samples of sub-surface ground water in the well casing. The sampler device has an annular elastomeric sealing sleeve inflatable to sealably engage the casing wall, to prevent the sampled ground water from being contaminated or altered by contact with above-ground atmospheric gases. The elastomeric sealing sleeve is pressurized by compressed air through a small diameter hose extending from the round surface to the sampling unit. The sealing sleeve is required to be pressurized in order to seal against the well casing. Should the air pressure be lost for any reason, the sealing sleeve will be depressurized and will move out of sealing engagement with the well casing. In some cases the sampling unit remains in the well casing for several months, and the sealing sleeve on the sampling unit is therefore required to remain in a pressurized state for the entire period of time that the sampling unit is in the well casing. The long period of seal pressurization increases the probability of seal failure by pressure loss. Also, the continuous pressurization forces tend to unduly stress the seal material because such forces are exerted on the seal material for prolonged time periods.

Ground water sampling unit having a fluid-operated seal


Embodiments of a bearing are provided herein. In one embodiment a bearing may include a bearing assembly having an inner race and an outer race; a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner race and the outer race, wherein at least one of the inner race, the outer race, and the plurality of rolling elements is at least partially fabricated from an AlMgB14 containing ceramic matrix composite.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to bearings, and more specifically, rotary and/or rolling element bearings.
Conventional bearings utilized, for example, to provide relative rotational movement between two or more objects (e.g., rotary bearings) are typically fabricated from materials having properties suitable to withstand stresses imposed on the bearing in a desired application. For example, materials exhibiting high hardness and/or toughness, for example, such as steel alloys, ceramics or the like, are conventionally utilized to fabricate one or more components of the bearings. However, the inventors have observed that in applications where components of the bearings are exposed to increased stresses (e.g., high Hertzian contact stresses), for example, aircraft or aerospace applications, such conventional materials display unacceptable amounts of deformation and/or degradation, thereby resulting in failure of the bearing.
Therefore, the inventors have provided an improved bearing having components fabricated from a ceramic matrix composite.

Bearing having components fabricated from a ceramic matrix composite


It has been discovered that amplifications in the gene coactivator activator (CoAA) blocks stem cell differentiation and induces cancer stem cells. One embodiment provides compositions and methods for treating or alleviating one or more symptoms associated with cancer due to gene amplifications in CoAA. Another embodiment provides methods and compositions for detecting cancer due to gene amplifications in CoAA. Still another embodiment provides methods for identifying compounds, antibodies and nucleic acid molecules that are useful for treating cancer due to gene amplifications in CoAA. Preferably the disclosed compositions antagonize or interfere with the CoAA amplicons and the biological activity of CoAA and or splice variants thereof.

Cancer is an often fatal disease that affects a significant portion of the population. From 2000 to 2004 the National Cancer Institute estimated that the age-adjusted death rate due to cancer in the U.S. was 192.7 per 100,000 men and women per year. In January of 2003 approximately 10.5 million Americans had a history of cancer.
Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the spread is not controlled, it can result in death. Cancer is caused by both external factors (tobacco, chemicals, radiation, and infectious organisms) and internal factors (inherited mutations, hormones, immune conditions, and mutations that occur from metabolism). The regulation of gene expression involved in cancer development has been heavily investigated, but therapeutics and methods for detecting cancer are still needed.
Cancer is considered a stem cell disease (Berns, A., Cell, 121:811-813 (2005)). Stem cells are characterized by self-renewal and further differentiation into multiple lineages (Bell, D. R., and Van Zant, G., Oncogene, 23:7290-7296 (2004)). Evidence suggests that the clonal nature of a tumor is derived from replenishment by a rare population of cancer-initiating cells, which acquire stem cell properties. Evidence also supports that the stromal region adjacent to a tumor mass may contain genetic changes within potential cancer stem cells. In contrast, the tumor mass may have DNA changes that are responsible for cancer progression but not for initiation. In addition, due to the circulating nature of blood, it is possible that chronic inflammation serves as a niche for circulating bone marrow stem or progenitor cells to mutate and develop. Thus, tumors from multiple tissues could be initiated from a similar stem cell origin, but differ only when they progress in a different environment at a later stage. Skin, lung and gastrointestinal tract are the three largest defensive surfaces of body (Berns, A., Cell, 121:811-813 (2005); Otto, W. R., J Pathol, 197:527-535 (2002)), and are underlined with enriched lymphatic tissues, which might contain stem cells derived from the circulation.
Transcriptional coactivator proteins coordinate gene expression in a large number of biological processes, including cancer development (McKenna N J, O'Malley B W, Cell, 108:465-474 (2002); Aranda A, Pascual A., Physiol Rev, 81:1269-1304 (2001)). Dysregulated coactivator functions, resulting from chromosomal aberrations in particular, have been suggested to promote oncogenesis (Yang, X. J., Nucleic Acids Res, 32:959-976 (2004); Greaves, M. F., Wiemels, J., Nat Rev Cancer, 3:639-649 (2003); Anzick, S. L., et al., Science 277:965-968 (1997)). Examples include coactivators CBP/p300 and TIF2, which are associated with chromosomal translocations in leukemia as fusion proteins (Yang, X. J., Nucleic Acids Res, 32:959-976 (2004)), and coactivators AIB1/SRC-3 and AIB3/TRBP, whose genes are amplified in breast cancers (Guan, X. Y., et al., Cancer Res, 56:3446-3450 (1996); Torres-Arzayus, M. I. et al., Cancer Cell 6:263-274 (2004)). Some oncoproteins have also been shown to have overlapping functions with coactivators (Brett, D., et al., Hum Mol Genet, 6:1559-1564 (1997)), implicating the involvement of transcriptional coactivator actions in cancer development.
Existing methods for detecting cancer and treating cancer typically lack specificity and are associated with adverse side effects.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide compositions and methods for the treatment of one or more symptoms associated with cancer.
It is another object of the invention to provide methods and compositions for the detection or diagnosis of cancer.
It is still another object to provide methods for screening for compounds that inhibit or alleviate one or more symptoms associated with pathologies due to cells having amplicons in CoAA.

Gene amplification of coactivator CoAA and uses thereof


The present invention provides geodate delivery vehicles and methods of manufacture and administration. A vehicle including a lipid monolayer disposed about a hydrophobic domain is disclosed, that can be part of an emulsion or other mixture, or further disposed in a lipid strata. A vehicle including a lipid strata disposed about a hydrophobic domain is also disclosed. The vehicle can be incorporated into a variety of medicinal, food preparations, and personal care products to deliver or stabilize a cargo moiety. Packaged delivery vehicles for later addition of cargo moieties are also contemplated.

Liposomes are widely described in the literature, and their structure is well known. Typically, they have an onion-like multilamellar structure comprising a plurality of lipid bilayers spaced one from another by aqueous material. Another type of liposome is a unilamellar liposome, sometime referred to as a vesicle, which is a single lipid bilayer disposed about an aqueous material.
The use of liposomes as carriers or vehicles for drugs is known, and can be achieved by a variety of methods. One method involves casting a film of lipid by evaporation from a solution in an organic solvent, for example chloroform, and then dispersing the film in a suitable aqueous medium. In the case of lipid-soluble biologically active compounds, that is, those which associate with the lipid layers rather than the aqueous phase of the liposomes, the compound can be cast as a film together with a phospholipid, using a common organic solvent. A disadvantage of this method is that the amount of active compound that can be incorporated into the lipid bilayer is limited. Additionally, the casting method can not be scaled up to accommodate large batches. In the case of water-soluble biologically active compounds the compound is typically associated with liposomes by dispersing a cast lipid film with an aqueous solution in which the compound is solubilized. Disadvantages of this method include the difficulty of incorporating sufficient quantities of the active compound in the vesicles, and instability and shelf life of the dispersion. Another disadvantage of this method is the presence of trace amounts of solvent used in the creation of the vesicles.
The loss of the biologically active compound from liposomes into external aqueous medium is another factor which restricts the potential of these preparations as practical dosage forms. This is particularly the case for not only low molecular weight, water-soluble compounds, but also for lipid-soluble compounds, both of which can partition into the external aqueous medium until equilibrium is reached. If the concentration of compound is small, and/or the volume of the external aqueous medium is large, this loss can represent a significant proportion of the total amount of the biologically active compound in the liposomes.

RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY


A method and apparatus for diffusing a treating agent into a medium, a method and apparatus for injecting a liquid into a medium, and a method of remedying soil. The method of diffusing a treating agent into a medium, comprises a step in which a solidified treating agent is scattered and diffused by the pressure of a gas resulting from a gas-generating agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for diffusing a treating agent into a medium and an apparatus used therefor, a method for injecting a liquid into a medium and an apparatus used therefor, and a method of remedying soil.
2. Related Background Art
A large amount of chemical compounds or chemical products have been produced with the recent rapid progress in technology and science. Since most of these compounds or products did not originally exist in nature, they are barely decomposed naturally and thus, accumulate in the natural environment resulting in environmental pollution. In particular, land where many people live is readily affected by this artificial pollution. Since water circulates through land, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere, the environmental pollution of the land will spread globally. Well-known examples of pollutants in soil or land include organic compounds such as gasoline, organochloric chemicals such as PCB, teratogenic agrichemicals such as dioxin, as well as radioactive compounds. Fuel such as gasoline is commonly stocked in a huge amount in the underground tanks of gas stations etc. Thus, fuel leakage from deteriorated or broken tanks into soil is now a serious social problem. Further, organochloric chemicals, e.g. chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, were once extensively used for cleaning fine parts as well as for dry cleaning, and large scale pollution of soil and ground water due to the leakage of these chemicals has been gradually revealed. Since such organochloric chemicals are teratogenic and carcinogenic and adversely affect the biological world, remediation of the polluted soil or ground water is now an issue to be solved immediately, in addition to the isolation of the pollution source.
Methods for remedying soil polluted with these pollutants include, for example, heat treatment of the dug-up soil, vacuum extraction of the contaminant from the polluted soil, and microbial degradation of the pollutant in soil. Although the heat treatment can completely purify the soil, the soil must be dug up: thus, soil under structures cannot be purified. Moreover, it is unsuitable for large-scale treatment because of the immense costs of digging and heating. Although the vacuum extraction method is a simple and economical remediation method, organochloric compounds in a concentration of several ppm or lower cannot be efficiently removed and this remediation process requires time on the scale of years. On the other hand, microbial remediation does not require digging up of soil, so it can purify the soil under structures, and use of microorganisms of high degradation activity enables short-time remediation. Thus, this economical and effective remediation method has been attracting attention lately.
Conventional methods of remedying contaminated soil by using microorganisms can be classified into those utilizing indigenous microorganisms naturally inhabiting the soil, and those which utilize foreign microorganisms not naturally inhabiting the soil. In the former case, generally chemical substances such as nutrients, inducers and oxygen for increasing the degradation activity of the microorganisms are injected into the soil as well as microparticles such as bentonite which stimulate the growth of the microorganism (Japanese Patent Application No. 7-108678). In the latter case, the foreign microorganism is injected into the soil as well as the substances to enhance their biodegradability. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,625 describes a method in which the injection pressure, flow rate and temperature are measured by using an extendable injection pipe to control the injection pressure, thereby the concentration of microorganisms and that of nutrients in the soil, to carry out remediation of soils efficiently.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,625 discloses a method for efficiently remedying soil using an extensible injection pipe through which the injection pressure, flow rate, and temperature can be determined to control the injection pressure, thus to control the concentrations of microbes and nutrients in the soil. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,442,895 and 5,032,042 disclose a method of effective in situ microbial remediation of polluted soil, where cracks are formed in the soil using a liquid or a gas injected into the soil with pressure from an injection well. U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,883 discloses a method for injecting chemicals vertically or horizontally into a limited region of the soil by setting the relative position of the injection and extraction wells.
Injection of a pollutant-decomposing microorganism, nutrients, an inducer, oxygen, and other chemicals into the soil is considered to be essential for the microbial remediation of polluted soil. However, according to the conventional injection methods, an extremely large amount should be injected to remedy a wide area, since the liquid agent is injected from the injection element to fill the soil pore space. Such a process increases the processing period, labor and material costs, resulting in increased remediation expenses. Differing from chemicals, microorganisms can spontaneously grow and multiply when certain growth conditions, such as availability of nutrients are satisfied. If a liquid agent containing the microorganism and nutrient can be injected in an amount as small as possible into a wide area of soil and the microorganism can grow in the soil to decompose pollutants, the remediation expense is considerably decreased. However, when the necessary amount of the microorganism and nutrient is injected into a wide area after dilution, the processing period and labor required for injection do not decrease. Further, a method where the liquid agent will fill most of the soil pore space may cause soil fluidization and may soften the ground. Thus, it cannot be applied to the soil under heavy structures. Moreover, the liquid agent injected into the soil penetrates into the deeper layers and diffuses into underground streams. Therefore, mobile microorganisms and nutrients will not remain within the desired area and are lost. Thus, reinjection is required, making it difficult to remedy soil at a low cost. Further, the runoff of the microorganism and nutrient may cause secondary environmental pollution. Consequently, in microbial soil remediation, an injection method is required providing a small amount of the agent into a wide area of soil without filling all the pore space of the soil.
For example, German Patent 4001320A1 describes a method for diffusing into soil a substance which can activate microorganisms, wherein a cartridge composed of an explosive directly coated with the activation substance is buried into the contaminated soil and ignited. The blast, however, is basically generated by the combustion reaction of the explosive which raises the ambient temperature to cause thermal expansion of the air around the explosive. Accordingly, the substance for activating the microorganisms might be modified or the microorganisms themselves might be debilitated or killed by the heat.

Method for dispersing chemicals and microorganisms into soil using explosives


A photolithographic reduction projection catadioptric objective includes a first optical group having an even number of at least four mirrors and having a positive overall magnifying power, and a second substantially refractive optical group more image forward than the first optical group having a number of lenses. The second optical group has a negative overall magnifying power for providing image reduction. The first optical group provides compensative aberrative correction for the second optical group. The objective forms an image with a numerical aperture of at least substantially 0.65, and preferably greater than 0.70 or still more preferably greater than 0.75.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a microlithographic reduction projection catadioptric objective, and particularly including an even number of four or more mirrors and an unobscured aperture, and excluding any planar folding mirrors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microlithogrphic reduction projection catadioptric objectives, such that shown and described with respect to FIG. 3 of European patent no. EP 0 779 528 A2, are known as variants of pure catoptric objectives. FIG. 3 of the '528 application shows a system having six mirrors and three lenses. The optical surfaces are generally symmetric to a common axis upstream and downstream of the objective, respectively. As described in the '528 application, the system of FIG. 2 has a numerical aperture of only 0.55 and that of FIG. 3 only 0.6. In addition, all but one of the six mirrors shown at FIG. 3 are cut off sections of bodies of revolution, yielding mounting and adjustment face difficulties. Also, the lenses shown in FIG. 3 serve only as correcting elements having minor effect. The most image forward (or optically closest to the image plane) mirror is concave. It is desired to have an objective with a higher numerical aperture, and which is constructed for easier mounting and adjustment.
A similar objective to that described in the '528 application (above) is disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,035. The objective shown at FIG. 12, for example, has nine mirrors, two lenses and two intermediate images. The object plane and image plane are situated within the envelope of the objective. The objective described in the '035 application also exhibits a low numerical aperture and offers similar mounting and adjustment difficulties as described above with respect to the '528 application. In both the '528 and '035 applications, the image field is an off-axis ring sector.
An axially symmetric type of catadioptric objective is disclosed in German patent document DE 196 39 586 A (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/263,788). The '788 application discloses an objective having two opposing concave mirrors, an image field centered at the common axis and a central obscuration of the aperture. It is desired to have an axially objective having an unobscured aperture.
Another type of catadioptric objective for microlithographic reduction projection has only one concave mirror and a folding mirror, as is described at U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,763 and European patent application no. EP 0 869 383 A.
In extending DUV lithography to sub 100-nm feature sizes or linewidths, it is desired to have a projection system with a numerical aperture of 0.65 or larger and more preferably of 0.75 or larger at a wavelength of 157 nm. As optical lithography is extended into the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV), issues surrounding the laser linewidth and material availability could cause substantive delays to the development of lithography tools for the most extreme VUV wavelengths. Therefore, it is desired to investigate optical configurations that minimize the use of available VUV optical materials.
It has long been realized that catadioptric optical systems have several advantages, especially in a step and scan configuration and various organizations have developed, or proposed development, of such systems for wavelengths below 365 nm. One catadioptric system concept relates to a Dyson-type arrangement used in conjunction with a beam splitter to provide ray clearance and unfold the system to provide for parallel scanning (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,537,260, 5,742,436 and 5,805,357). However,these systems have a serious drawback since the size of this beam splitting element becomes quite large as the numerical aperture is increased up to and beyond 0.65 to 0.70, making the procurement of bulk optical material with sufficient quality (in three-dimensions) a high risk endeavor. This problem is exacerbated as wavelengths are driven below 193 rm because the selection of material that can be manufactured to lithographic quality is severely limited.
To circumvent this problem, attempts have focused on the development of systems without beamsplitters. However, this prior art has either failed to achieve an adequately high numerical aperture (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,685,777, 5,323,263, 5,515,207 and 5,815,310), or failed to achieve a fully coaxial configuration, instead relying on the use of folding mirrors to achieve parallel scanning (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,275 and EP 0 816 892) and thereby complicating the alignment and structural dynamics of the system. In addition, these designs generally utilize mtoo any lens elements, greatly increasing the mass of the optical system.
It is desired to develop a compact, coaxial, catadioptric projection system for deep ultraviolet and/or vacuum ultraviolet lithography that uses no beamsplitters or fold mirrors in its optical path.
It is an object of the invention to provide an objective for microlithographic projection reduction having high chromatic correction for typical bandwidths of excimer laser light sources, which permits a high image-side numerical aperture, and which reduces complexity with respect to mounting and adjusting.

Microlithographic reduction projection catadioptric objective


It is very difficult to produce a negative wall angle from either negative or positive-tone chemically amplified resists, especially by e-beam lithography. This problem has now been overcome by first forming a photoresist pedestal in the conventional way, followed by flood exposing with electrons. Then, a second development treatment is given. This results in removal of additional material from the sidewalls, said removal being greatest at the substrate and least at the pedestal's top surface, resulting in negatively sloping sidewalls. Application of this method to a process for forming a pole tip for a vertical magnetic writer is also discussed.

As the critical dimension for devices drops below 100 nm, the wall angle (slope) of photoresist becomes very critical for subsequent etching, deposition, and lift off processes. The resist wall angle may vary from positive, normal, to negative, as illustrated in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c respectively.
Positive and normal sidewall slopes can be easily developed from negative-tone chemically amplified resists. However, it is nearly impossible to produce a negative wall angle from either negative or positive-tone chemically amplified resists, especially by e-beam lithography. Due to electron forward scattering in the resist and backward scattering from the substrate, a positive wall angle is usually formed with negative-tone chemically amplified resists. Positive e-beam resists are unable to produce a consistent wall angle and tend to exhibit resist foot necking such as 21 seen in FIG. 2.
As magnetic recording is pushed to higher areal densities, perpendicular recording has become a serious candidate to replace longitudinal recording. Perpendicular recording uses a magnetic yoke (surrounded by field coil) which terminates as a single pole that is used for the write head. This pole needs to be wide enough at one end to attach to the yoke and narrow enough at its the other end to confine the write flux to a very small area (typically measuring about 0.1 by 0.1 microns). Objects of this type are most easily formed using micro-molding techniques. Since negative resists can be easily applied to create such molds, it is important to be able to control the slope of the sidewalls.
A routine search of the prior art was performed with the following references of interest being found:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,626 (Fernandes et al) teaches using a tilt angle in photolithography while U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,675 (Shukh et al) discloses a trapezoidal write pole. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,035, Minter et al. describe two photoresist layers exposed to e-beam to form negative resist sidewalls and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,559, Feng et al. teach that undercut resist profiles are easily attainable using e-beam lithography.

Method to print photoresist lines with negative sidewalls


The invention describes and claims an apparatus and method of maintaining cleanliness of the thermometer storage case. The apparatus is an improved elongated end-loading storage case for thermometers. The improvement comprises two or more elongated sections of the case. Each section comprises a connection edge, an insertion tip, and a distal tip. The elongated sections of the case are detachably connected to each other to form a thermometer storage case that opens up to reveal the inner surface of the case for easy inspection and cleaning. The case comprises a fastener for fixating the case in the assembled case body position. The method of cleaning the thermometer storage case comprises the steps of unfastening and opening the case, inspecting and sanitizing the inside surface of the case, and then reconnecting and fixating the elongated sections to form the thermometer storage case.

Cooking can be a messy process. Particularly when cooking in large quantities. Particularly when cooking raw meats. Particularly when cooking in a food service setting, where numerous meats are being simultaneously prepared at various states of readiness, and under tremendous time pressures. Cooking can be a messy process. And that is why, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, about 76 million people in the United States become ill from pathogens in food. Of these, up to 5,000 die. That is, every two hours, a person somewhere in the United States dies of food poisoning. The most vulnerable members of our community—elderly, children and people with weakened immune systems, who are dependent on organizational food services of adult homes, schools and hospitals, are at the highest risk of lethal food poisoning. Any new methods or innovations that can reduce this risk and save even a single life, are urgently needed by society and, are quite literally, the matter of life and death.
Some of the worst poisoning cases occur when pathogenic microorganisms that are usually found in raw meats, contaminate prepared foods. A major vector of such contamination is a meat thermometer.
Meat thermometer is a common and frequently used tool that can usually be found in a cylindrical pen-like open-top case, clipped to the pocket of almost every cook and food service worker. Proper food safety procedures and legal responsibilities of food service providers require constant monitoring of the internal temperatures of prepared meats. For example, to ensure that most disease-causing bacteria are destroyed, meats, such as beef and lamb, must be heated to the internal temperature of 145° F. Poultry dishes, stuffings and casseroles must reach internal temperatures of above 165° F. But many dishes can not be overcooked either, and must be removed from heat soon after the safe internal temperature is reached. Thus, a cook must frequently, sometimes every minute or two, insert a thermometer probe into the yet-uncooked meat to monitor the rate of preparation. When not one, but several meats are cooking simultaneously, as is most often the case in food service kitchens, the rate of temperature measurements required of the cook increases dramatically. Frequently, several meats in the kitchen are at different stages of preparation and a single thermometer is used to probe rare and cooked meats.
Whenever in the course of the temperature reading, the probe portion of the thermometer is removed from the uncooked meat, small particles of raw flesh, bodily fluids, and millions of microorganisms remain adhered to the surface of the thermometer. In the ideal kitchen, the ideal food worker would then proceed with carefully washing and sanitizing the thermometer, and then carefully drying the surface before placing the thermometer back into the storage case, clipped to his or her gown pocket. The ideal worker then continues the process of cleaning with the same vigor again and again, each time that the temperature reading is taken. But not every food worker is ideal. And things are often hectic in public service kitchens. In reality, even the most attentive workers, in a hurry, will occasionally put a dirty or casually-wiped thermometer into the case.
Some of the contaminants, such as raw meat particles and bacteria from the surface of the thermometer, will then adhere to the inner walls of the thermometer case, contaminating the case. Even if the meat probed was well cooked-through and free of any living microorganisms, the particles of cooked meat, adhering inside the case, will, within hours, become the rotting breeding ground for millions of bacteria. If the dirty thermometer is inserted into the clean case even once, the case will become forever contaminated. Afterwards, even if the thermometer itself is always properly sanitized after use, it will become re-contaminated again and again after each insertion into the contaminated case. When such a re-contaminated thermometer is taken out of the case to probe prepared foods, the bacteria from the surface of the thermometer remains in the food. This leads to violent illness, deaths, and tremendous legal liabilities.
The problem with standard pen-like pocket-clip thermometer cases available on the market today, is that contamination of the case is impossible to detect. The common design of such a case is a long and very narrow tube. It is nearly impossible for the user to notice any stains or food particles on the dark inner surface of the case.
An even bigger problem is that contamination inside of the standard case, even if noticed, or known, is nearly impossible to clean. Proper cleaning involves at least a good scrubbing and washing of the surface to mechanically remove the decomposing food particles and microorganisms from the surfaces of the case. The surfaces must them be thoroughly and completely dried to prevent the accumulation of moisture, favorable for bacterial and mold growth, inside of the case. However, the narrow confines of the bore allow no access for quick, simple and, most importantly, reliable cleaning and drying of the entire internal surface.
Yet another problem associated with most top-loading thermometer cases is the risk of botulism. Botulism is one of the most lethal food poisoning varieties, resulting from neurotoxins, released by Clostridium botulinum. Clostridium botulinum is anaerobic bacteria, meaning that it grows best in sealed, low-oxygen environments. Presently, some thermometer cases are completely sealed, aside from the insertion aperture, while others also have an aperture on the distal end. However, when the thermometer is inserted into the casing, the distal end aperture becomes tightly plugged-in by thermometer's probe, while the insertion aperture is plugged in by the thermometer's dial or calibration knob. Thus, a sealed-off space is created inside of the case. If the thermometer was not properly sanitized before being placed into the case, or if food particles from prior thermometer insertions remain inside of the case, then, as described above, common types of aerobic bacteria will start growing inside of the case. These bacteria will eventually use up the oxygen in the sealed-off space and allow the lethal neurotoxin-producing anaerobic bacteria, such as C. botulinum to grow on and around the thermometer probe. The structure of the present invention solves this problem.
The dangers of contaminated thermometer cases and the accompanying legal liabilities are well known to food service providers. Aside from the moral and business issues of poisoning one's customers, negligence law generally puts a heavy burden of duty on food service providers to continually ensure the safety of their patrons. Breach of this duty can lead to prolonged and expensive litigation and very unfortunate legal outcomes, including imprisonment, fines, and tremendous civil liability. And that is why, instead of using thermometer cases of questionable cleanliness, responsible organizations often choose to discard and repurchase their entire stock of thermometers every few weeks. Quality food thermometers are not cheap, and this approach is obviously an extremely expensive one. Furthermore, such approach does not prevent the contamination of the case and subsequent poisonings within the first several weeks of thermometer use, before it is discarded. Thus, most thermometer purchasers would prefer a possibly more expensive thermometer and storage case, but one that can stay verifiably clean, and be used for a long period of time, without the fear of unexpected and unpredictable poisonings and liability.
Measuring anal temperature is also a messy process. As is measuring oral temperature, armpit temperature, ear temperature, or for that matter temperature on any part of an ill person or animal. Pathogenic bacteria present in body fluids and skin of a person, attach to the surface of the thermometer. When the thermometer is placed into the storage case, the microorganism-infested tissues, including skin flakes and oils contaminate the case in the same way as described above with the meat thermometers. Once the case is contaminated, the thermometer will pick up bacteria from the case each time that it is put in contact with the case. The bacteria will then be transferred to another patient or family member who uses the same thermometer. Since medical thermometers are usually used only when a person feels ill, most thermometer users already have immune systems weakened by a disease. In such a common situation, contaminated thermometer may well be the cause of a secondary infection. Secondary infections are extremely dangerous, and frequently fatal.
Some kinds of bacteria, the most dangerous and very common kinds, can lay dormant for years inside of a thermometer case. Spore-forming forms, such as Bacillus, cause the most dangerous and diverse bacterial ailments, including anthrax, meningitis, endocarditis, respiratory, and urinary tract infections, and food poisonings, among others. Bacillus spores can survive for hundreds of years, scattered around in a thermometer case without any access to water or nutrition. As soon as the thermometer, infected with these dormant spores contacts the tissues or body fluids of a living organism, the bacterial spores spring to life, rapidly multiplying and infecting the user of the thermometer. Most disinfectants do not work on bacterial spores. The only reliable way to get rid of the spores is to scrub and/or wash them out with hot water and soap. But tubular side-loading cases currently used to store modern medical thermometers (such as the case described in U.S. Pat. No. D526,585) are also generally narrow and do not allow proper access for inspection, cleaning and drying.
Similarly, other types of thermometers, such as those used in scientific laboratory work, or commercial manufacture can become contaminated through storage in a small and convenient, but easily-contaminable, hard-to clean tubular cases. Minute amounts of chemical substances trapped in the storage case and contaminating the thermometer, can have catastrophic effects on the rate and accuracy of chemical reactions and the quality of end products obtained. Thus, cases that are easy to clean and to verify the cleanliness of are necessary for these kinds of thermometers as well.
Until recently, most designs for thermometer protective cases did not directly address the problem of cross-contamination of foods and patients through the use of thermometer. Instead, thermometer cases of the past mostly focused on protecting fragile glass mercury thermometers of the day from external contamination (such as dust) and physical shock. Many were shaped as traditional caskets, with lids. Such cases were generally bulky and, in contrast to the sheath-type cases of the present invention, had to be opened and closed whenever the user had to access the thermometer.
The cases had to protect the thermometer on all sides, and often employed padding to keep the thermometer in place. Such padding often consisted of soft porous materials that, while protecting the thermometer from breakage, greatly exacerbated sanitary concerns. Particles of food in case of food thermometers, or particles of infected flesh, such as skin flakes, in case of medical thermometers, would get caught in the padding material and contribute to continuous re-contamination of the thermometer. The porous nature of the padding material usually made proper cleaning very difficult, if not impossible task.
Newer, commonly-used top-loading sheath-type cases are much smaller, sometimes barely larger than thermometer itself. They offer solid protection for the few sensitive parts of modern thermometers and provide simple insertion and extraction. But cleanliness remains their very serious deficiency. This deficiency in top-loading cases is recognized and several attempts were made to address it.
For example, some patents teach the use of sanitizing medium within the case. In such cases, wiping members may be used to wipe off the thermometer before insertion and to seal the sanitizing medium within the case. However, there are several obvious drawbacks to implementation of such apparatus'. One issue is the use of chemicals to sanitize the utensil, such as a food thermometer, that is used to penetrate prepared foods. Some traces of the sanitizing chemical are always going to remain on thermometer's surface and get transferred into the food. To successfully sanitize the thermometer probe, such chemical must be harmful enough to bacterial cells and other living microorganisms to kill them, or inhibit their growth. Such substances can, and usually are, just as harmful to human cells as they are to bacterial cells. Many disinfectants kill bacteria by altering or damaging DNA, other work by destroying cell walls, yet others interfere with cellular metabolism. The mechanisms of function of many such sanitizing substances are still not fully understood, let alone their effects on humans. Many disinfectants are carcinogenic. At the very least any potent disinfectant will cause allergies in some people, thus making the case troublesome and legally-dangerous for use in food service settings.
Cases holding liquid disinfectant are complex and relatively expensive to make. The sanitizing medium must be regularly replaced, which can be cumbersome and expensive. Cases with sanitizing medium inside, are larger and heavier than standard cases, negating most of the advantages associated with top-loading cases. Wiping members, sometimes used in such cases to contain the fluid and to wipe the thermometer, are prone to deterioration. But even when the wiping members are in good condition, they do not reliably prevent spills of abrasive chemicals into the shirt pocket. Wiping members can also act as contaminant-traps, capturing food particles and bacteria between the layers of wiping members (where the disinfectant is absent). The contaminants are deposited between the layers when the thermometer is inserted into the case. The contaminants caught between the layers then recontaminate the thermometer as it is being taken out of the case.
The problem of case contamination has also been recently addressed by implementation of anti-microbial plastics in the construction of the case. The use of such plastics in top-loading cases of traditional closed-tube design does not solve the most important problems associated with case contamination. It does, however create an additional major problem for users and manufacturers, as discussed below.
Antimicrobial plastics are composed of polymers mixed with special disinfectants. The plastic slowly releases the disinfectant over time, inhibiting bacterial growth on the surface of the plastic. When the disinfectant runs out, the plastic permanently looses its anti-microbial characteristics. In the case of thermometer holders, it is impossible for a cook to determine how much, if any disinfectant is being released from a particular case, and when it completely runs out. The cases, are usually stored under elevated temperatures, be it inside of a pocket or by the stove. Hot thermometers are often inserted into the cases. Wet, dirty thermometers are often inserted into the cases. Thermometers scratch the case walls during every insertion and extraction. All of this causes the disinfectants to release from the case walls at accelerated rates, soon leaving anti-bacterial plastics rather impotent.
Cases made of antimicrobial plastics may initially prevent some microbial growth, but they do not disinfect the thermometer. Thus, proper safety techniques still dictate that the thermometer must be disinfected after every use, before being placed back into the case. If chemical disinfectants are used on the body of the thermometer, traces of these chemicals may react with chemical disinfectants that are being released from the walls of the case. The products of these reactions may be toxic, carcinogenic, or otherwise harmful to human body. Even if no health statistics is yet available on effects of disinfectants used in antimicrobial plastics, some customers may still be reluctant to insert a utensil with traces of chemical disinfectant into their food, and therefore reluctant to buy such a case.
Of even greater importance is the fact that anti-microbial plastics are generally limited in their anti-microbial characteristics. Anti-microbial plastics are not effective against all types of pathogenic microorganisms and will not instantly kill bacteria on contact. Even if the case is new, with still-potent anti-microbial characteristics, some bacteria may well survive for some minutes, hours, or days on the surface of the case, leading to thermometer recontamination within this time.
Some kinds of bacteria, including the most dangerous spore-forming genera of Bacillus and Clostridium, may survive exposure to disinfectants for years. In fact their spores are not only resistant to chemical disinfectants, but also to ultraviolet and gamma radiation, desiccation, lysozyme, temperature and starvation. As soon as the spores of these bacteria are transferred back into food, they spring to life, contaminating the food, and poisoning the consumer. There need not be a great number of bacterial spores for such contamination to be deadly. Even a single spore of Clostridium botulinum, if swallowed, can spring to life, multiply inside the digestive system and kill a person. Young children and people with low acidity in the digestive system are at particularly acute risk. In fact, recent studies have shown that botulism bacteria or toxin were found in up to 20% of cases thought to be caused by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (the leading cause of death among infants who are 1 month to 1 year old). The only practical way to get rid of these bacterial and protozoan protective spores and cysts in thermometer case is to mechanically scrub and wash them away with soap and water.
If anti-microbial function of the anti-microbial plastics case performs as expected, some bacteria will die, but if the case is not regularly and thoroughly cleaned, the layer of dead bacteria and contaminants will form a protective film on the walls of the case. Antimicrobial plastic generally only affects bacteria in direct contact with the surface of the plastic. Once the protective film forms on the surface of the case, the film will act as a barrier between the new layers of bacterial contamination and the disinfecting substance. The bacteria will flourish inside the case, which will lead to thermometer contamination. In fact, any contaminant more than a few cells thick, such as a particle of meat, will likely not be affected by anti-microbial plastics. There may be inhibition of bacterial growth in place of contact with the case, but bacteria will be thriving inside and on the surface of the meat particle.
Due to the limited effectiveness of anti-microbial cases, health risks arise for consumers, and serious legal risks arise for manufacturers and distributors of such cases. Some consumers will purchase the cases under assumption that the case is 100% effective against all microorganisms on the surface of the case, or that the case will sanitize the thermometer. Some may assume that anti-microbial properties of the case do not expire with time. There is no simple way for consumers to check the case for decay or discoloration inside, and no simple way to clean it, due to the structural deficiencies described above. Thus, many will rely on manufacturer's "anti-microbial" label, assuming that the case is microbe-free until the worst happens. Then, the cook, the victim, or dead victim's representatives will sue the manufacturers and distributors of anti-microbial cases for inducing false reliance, by giving a false and unverifiable sense of security in the safety of their products. If the design of the cases had been such that the case could be opened by the cook, checked for contamination, and washed, if required, then, cooking safety would be greatly increased. Thousands of people each year would be spared from violent illness or death. This by itself would lead to decreased legal liability. But even in cases of improper sanitary technique, where the chef easily could have, but did not inspect or clean the thermometer case, the chef alone would be at fault, and the liability of manufacturers and distributors would be greatly reduced.
In light of the problems and liabilities associated with traditional thermometer cases, there is a long-standing and unsatisfied need in the art for a case that can be maintained verifiably clean, without sacrificing the all-important modern thermometer case conveniences, such as the smallest possible form factor, solid protection of the sensitive thermometer parts, and quick and easy thermometer removal and insertion without any need to open the case. Such a case should retain all its advantages in its basic form, or in conjunction with the latest sanitary advancements, such as anti-microbial plastics. In addition to that, the case should retain extremely low costs of production and ownership. The present invention achieves all of these objectives and provides numerous additional benefits for manufacturers, consumers, and society in general.


An organic electrolyte solution and a lithium battery using the same are provided. The organic electrolyte solution uses a monomer compound which can be electrografted, and which prevents crack formation caused by volumetric changes in the anode active material during battery charging/discharging. This improves charge/discharge characteristics, thereby improving the stability, reliability, and charge/discharge efficiency of the battery.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lithium batteries. More particularly, the present invention relates to organic electrolyte solutions using monomer compounds which can be electrografted.
2. Description of the Related Art
As portable electronic devices, such as video cameras, cellular phones, and notebook PCs, become lighter and have higher performance, much research into batteries as driving power sources for the devices has been conducted. In particular, re-chargeable (secondary) lithium batteries have been actively studied because they have energy densities (per unit weight) three times greater than those of conventional lead storage batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel hydrogen batteries, nickel zinc batteries, etc. In addition, lithium secondary batteries can be rapidly re-charged.
Conventional lithium batteries are operated at high operating voltages, and thus, conventional aqueous electrolyte solutions cannot be used due to the vigorous reaction of the aqueous solution with the lithium used as the anode. In this regard, organic electrolyte solutions obtained by dissolving lithium salts in organic solvents are generally used in lithium batteries. In particular, organic solvents having high ion conductivity, high dielectric constants, and low viscosities have been used. However, it is difficult to obtain a single organic solvent having all of these properties, and thus, mixed solvents have been proposed, for example an organic solvent including a solvent with a high dielectric constant and another organic solvent with low viscosity.
When a carbonate-based, non-aqueous polar solvent is used in a lithium secondary battery, excess charge occurs due to a reaction between the carbon of the anode and the electrolyte solution during initial charging. Such an irreversible reaction forms a passivation layer, such as a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film, on the surface of the anode. The SEI film prevents further decomposition of the electrolyte solution and maintains stable charging/discharging. The SEI film also serves as an ion tunnel through which only lithium ions pass. In general, organic solvents solvate lithium ions, and are cointercalated with lithium ions into a carbon anode during battery charging/discharging. However, SEI films allow only lithium ions to pass, thereby preventing the cointercalation of organic solvents with lithium ions into the carbon anode. This prevents degradation of the anode structure caused by the cointercalation of solvents and lithium ions during battery charging/discharging.
However, the SEI film gradually cracks and delaminates from the surface of the electrode due to volumetric expansion and shrinkage of the active material during repeated charging/discharging. As a result, the electrolyte directly contacts the active material, causing continuous decomposition of the electrolyte. Once the SEI film cracks, the crack continuously extends during charging/discharging, thereby degrading the active material. In particular, when the active material contains a metal, such as silicon, active material degradation worsens due to large volumetric changes during charge/discharge cycles. Furthermore, repeated volumetric shrinkage and expansion of the active material causes agglomeration of silicon particles.

Organic electrolyte solution including electrografting monomer and lithium battery using the same


An exterior panel for a kitchen appliance includes a metallic substrate having a predetermined surface pattern on at least one side of the metallic substrate, wherein the metallic substrate is formed to include a predetermined contour. A coating layer is an organic paint coating composition on the at least one side of the metallic substrate, the coating layer including a predetermined color and a fingerprint resistive surface, wherein the coating layer is at least partially translucent such that the predetermined surface pattern is visible with the naked eye through the coating layer, and wherein the predetermined surface pattern is modified by the coating layer to reflect the combination of the predetermined surface pattern and the predetermined color of the coating layer.

Coatings for metallic panels are known where such coatings are typically used for aesthetics or for utility and/or safety purposes. Conventional aesthetic coatings can be applied using a process known in the art as physical vapor deposition (PVD). This process calls for the vaporization of a metallic material and application of that vaporized material onto a surface of a metallic panel. This process can be expensive and the coating applied by PVD tends to be uneven and inconsistent.
Electrically inhibitive coatings on metal panels for safety purposes have been used on electrical boxes and other metal panels for electrical equipment and other utility fixtures, where such coatings are disposed, generally, on the back side of metallic panels. These coatings tend to provide a barrier layer or a layer of non-conductive material to prevent transmission of electricity from various electrical equipment through the outer panel and to the user. Such coatings are generally not for aesthetics and are simply a utilitarian solution to the problem of transmission of electricity. These coatings tend to be opaque and can be dark in color such that the back side of the metallic panel is not visible, but rather, only the coating is visible.

Transparent tinted coating for appliance exterior panels to allow for tinted surface patterns and a process for application of coating