Metallopeptide compositions are provided for treatment of sexual dysfunction in mammals, including male sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction, and female sexual dysfunction. The metallopeptides include at least one, and preferably two, aromatic amino acid side chain moieties, and are further characterized in that the metallopeptides preferably do not bind or significantly bind to a melanocortin receptor.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to metallopeptide constructs for the treatment of sexual dysfunction in animals, including both male erectile dysfunction and female sexual dysfunction, including methods and formulations for the use and administration of the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Note that the following discussion refers to a number of publications by author(s) and year of publication, and that due to recent publication dates certain publications are not to be considered as prior art vis-a-vis the present invention. Discussion of such publications herein is given for more complete background and is not to be construed as an admission that such publications are prior art for patentability determination purposes.
Sexual dysfunction, including both penile erectile dysfunction or impotence and female sexual dysfunction, are common medical problems. Significant effort has been devoted over the last twenty or more years to develop methods, devices and compounds for treatment of sexual dysfunction. While more effort has been undertaken for treatment of penile erectile dysfunction, female sexual dysfunction is also an area to which significant research and effort has been devoted.
At present, commonly used orally administered drugs for treatment of sexual dysfunction in the male include Viagra®, a brand of sildenafil, Levitra® and Cialis®, all of which are phosphodiesterase 5 (PD-5) inhibitor drugs that increase the persistence of cyclic guanosine monophosphate and thereby enhance erectile response. Another drug approved in Europe for treating male erectile dysfunction is Ixense®, a brand of apomorphin that is a non-selective dopa receptor agonist. Oral and nasal formulations of apomorphin are currently undergoing clinical evaluations in the United States. There are several other medical treatment alternatives currently available depending on the nature and cause of the impotence problem. Some men have abnormally low levels of the male hormone testosterone, and treatment with testosterone injections or pills may be beneficial. However, comparatively few impotent men have low testosterone levels. For many forms of erectile dysfunction, treatment may be undertaken with drugs injected directly into the penis, including drugs such as papaverin, prostaglandin E1, phenoxybenzamine or phentolamine. These all work primarily by dilating the arterial blood vessels and decreasing the venous drainage. Urethral inserts, such as with suppositories containing prostaglandin, may also be employed. In addition, a variety of mechanical aids are employed, including constriction devices and penile implants.
A variety of treatments have also been explored for female sexual dysfunction, including use of sildenafil, although the Food and Drug Administration has not specifically approved such use. Testosterone propionate has also been employed to increase or augment female libido.
A number of other agents have been shown to induce or facilitate penile erection in laboratory animals. These include very diverse classes of ligands such as oxytocin (Benelli A, Poggioli R, Luppi P, Ruini L, Bertolini A, Arletti R., (1994), oxytocin enhances, and oxytocin antagonism decreases, sexual receptivity in intact female rats, Neuropeptides: 27:245-50), vasopressin, apomorphin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, melanotropins, and ACTH as well as their analogs.
It is well known to those skilled in art of developing new therapeutic treatments for sexual dysfunction that identification of a new class of therapeutic agents is often achieved by chance. For example, investigations of sildenafil as an agent for treating high blood pressure in humans revealed its effects on facilitating penile erection in men. Similarly, clinical use of apomorphin for treatment of Parkinson's disease uncovered its effects in eliciting penile erections. Human studies on a potent melanotropin agonist as an agent to induce human skin pigmentation established its erectogenic activity. Mainly for this reason, the mechanism by which these ligands elicit a sexual activity response remains largely unknown. Some understanding of the PD-5 class of compounds (e.g. sildenafil) has now been developed. The biological mechanism(s) by which presumably centrally acting molecules, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, apomorphin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, melanotropins and ACTH, elicit a sexual function response is still unclear. That at least a portion of the biological mechanism is central is demonstrated by efficacy following intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration. It is conceivable that all these agents may be interacting at more than one individual receptor site involved in a common downstream biological pathway.
Melanocortin receptor-specific compounds have been explored for use of treatment of sexual dysfunction. In one report, a cyclic α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone ("α-MSH") analog, called Melanotan-II, was evaluated for erectogenic properties for treatment of men with psychogenic erectile dysfunction. Wessells H. et al., J Urology 160:389-393 (1998); see also U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,290, issued Nov. 19, 1996 to M. E. Hadley, entitled Compositions and Methods for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction and U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,555, issued Apr. 18, 2000, also to M. E. Hadley, entitled Stimulating Sexual Response in Females. The peptides used in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,576,290 and 6,051,555 are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,839, issued Oct. 7, 1997, to V. J. Hruby, M. E. Hadley and F. Al-Obeidi, entitled Cyclic Analogs of Alpha-MSH Fragments, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,576, issued Feb. 3, 1998, to V. J. Hruby, M. E. Hadley and F. Al-Obeidi, entitled Linear Analogs of Alpha-MSH Fragments. Additional related peptides are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,576,290, 5,674,839, 5,714,576 and 6,051,555. These peptides are described as being useful for both the diagnosis and treatment of psychogenic sexual dysfunction in males and females. These peptides are related to the structure of melanocortins. A preferred melanocortin receptor agonist is Ac-Nle-cyclo(-Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys)-OH, called PT-141, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,579,968, incorporated herein by reference. It is believed that melanocortin agonists, including PT-141, amplify the release of nitric oxide released from nitrergic nerve fibers, and the cavernosal nerve in particular, enhancing erectile response by enhancing normal central and peripheral reflex pathways.
Metallopeptides are taught for treatment of sexual dysfunction, as disclosed in commonly owned application PCT/US02/04431, Melanocortin Metallopeptides for Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction, filed Feb. 13, 2002, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. However, these metallopeptides display specific interaction (binding, and agonism or antagonism) with one or more melanocortin receptors, in addition to being useful for treatment of sexual dysfunction.
It has long been believed that male and female sexual response to melanocortin receptor-related compounds was related to the central tetrapeptide sequence, His6-Phe7-Arg8-Trp9 (SEQ ID NO:1) of native α-MSH. In general, all melanocortin peptides share the same active core sequence, His-Phe-Arg-Trp (SEQ ID NO:1), including melanotropin neuropeptides and adrenocorticotropin. Melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3-R) has the highest expression in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, while melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R) is more widely expressed in the thalamus, hypothalamus and hippocampus. A central nervous system mechanism for melanocortins in the induction of penile erection has been suggested by experiments demonstrating penile erection resulting from ICV administration of melanocortins in rats. While the mechanism of His-Phe-Arg-Trp (SEQ ID NO:1) induction of erectile response has never been fully elucidated, it has been generally accepted that the response involves the central nervous system, and binding to MC3-R and/or MC4-R, and according to most researchers, MC4-R.
A number of peptides and constructs have been proposed which are ligands that alter or regulate the activity of one or more melanocortin receptors. For example, International Patent Application No. PCT/US99/09216, entitled Isoquinoline Compound Melanocortin Receptor Ligands and Methods of Using Same, discloses two compounds that induce penile erections in rats. However, these compounds were administered by injection at doses of 1.8 mg/kg and 3.6 mg/kg, respectively, and at least one compound resulted in observable side effects, including yawning and stretching. Other melanocortin receptor-specific compounds with claimed application for treatment of sexual dysfunction are disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/US99/13252, entitled Spiropiperidine Derivatives as Melanocortin Receptor Agonists. International Patent Application Nos. PCT/US00/14930, PCT/US00/19408, WO 01/05401, WO/00/53148, WO 01/00224, WO 00/74679, WO 01/10842 and the like disclose other compounds that may be so utilized.
Most of investigators in this field ascribe the sexual activity of melanotropin ligands to MC4-R. For example, see Van der Ploeg L H, Martin W J, Howard A D, Nargund R P, Austin C P, Guan X, Drisko J, Cashen D, Sebhat I, Patchett A A, Figueroa D J, DiLella A G, Connolly B M, Weinberg D H, Tan C P, Palyha O C, Pong S S, MacNeil T, Rosenblum C, Vongs A, Tang R, Yu H, Sailer A W, Fong T M, Huang C, Tota M R, Chang R S, Stearns R, Tamvakopoulos C, Christ G, Drazen D L, Spar B D, Nelson R J, Macintyre D E. A role for the melanocortin 4 receptor in sexual function. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 99:11381-6 (2002). Evidence in favor of this hypothesis comes from the fact that a sexual response elicited by an MC4-R agonist can be blocked by an MC4-R antagonist. However, a few reports also suggest that MC4-R receptors may not be involved in eliciting sexual function response (Vergoni A V, Bertolini A, Guidetti G, Karefilakis V, Filaferro M, Wikberg J E, Schioth H B. Chronic melanocortin 4 receptor blockage causes obesity without influencing sexual behavior in male rats. J Endocrinol, 166:419-26 (2000)).
Because of the myriad biological effects of compounds specific for melanocortin receptors, there is a need for compounds and methods, including methods of selection of compounds, to differentiate the effects. More specifically, there is a need for compounds that effect a sexual response, by the same or similar regulatory pathways as those implicated in MC4-R-specific compounds, without eliciting other biological effects related to MC4-R, including without limitation energy homeostasis or feeding behaviors. For most pharmaceutical applications it is desirably to have a compound that is specific for a single biological effect, such as for example a compound that regulates and elicits a sexual response, and that is not substantially specific for MC4-R, is not an agonist or antagonist with respect to MC4-R, and that does not regulate energy homeostasis, such as by decreasing food intake and/or body weight.

Metallopeptide compositions for treatment of sexual dysfunction


Bonding wire for semiconductor device use where both leaning failures and spring failures are suppressed by (1) in a cross-section containing the wire center and parallel to the wire longitudinal direction (wire center cross-section), there are no crystal grains with a ratio a/b of a long axis “a” and a short axis “b” of 10 or more and with an area of 15 μm2 or more (“fiber texture”), (2) when measuring a crystal direction in the wire longitudinal direction in the wire center cross-section, the ratio of crystal direction <100> with an angle difference with respect to the wire longitudinal direction of 15° or less is, by area ratio, 10% to less than 50%, and (3) when measuring a crystal direction in the wire longitudinal direction at the wire surface, the ratio of crystal direction <100> with an angle difference with respect to the wire longitudinal direction of 15° or less is, by area ratio, 70% or more. During the drawing step, a drawing operation with a rate of reduction of area of 15.5% or more is performed at least once. The final heat treatment temperature and the pre-final heat treatment temperature are made predetermined ranges.

A semiconductor device is formed by mounting a semiconductor chip on a circuit wiring board (lead frame, board, tape, etc.) and connecting electrodes on the semiconductor chip and electrodes on the circuit wiring board by bonding wire for semiconductor device use (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "bonding wire").
As bonding wire for semiconductor device use, fine metal wire with a wire diameter of 20 to 50 μm or so is being used. One end of a bonding wire is formed into a ball by heating the tip of the wire to melt, then this ball part is press bonded on an electrode of the semiconductor chip by pressure bonding with ultrasonic and heat. The other end of the wire is bonded on an electrode of the circuit wiring board by pressure bonding with ultrasonic.
As the material for bonding wire, in the past, high purity Au (gold) or Au alloy has been used. However, Au is expensive, so another type of metal with a cheaper material cost is desired. As a low cost wire material other than Au, Cu (copper) is being studied. Compared with Au, Cu is more easily oxidized, so PLT 1 describes the example of a two-layer bonding wire comprised of a core material and a covering layer (outer layer) where Cu is used for the core material and Pd (palladium) is used for the covering layer. Further, PLT 2 discloses bonding wire which has a core material made of Cu or Cu alloy, a covering layer having Pd as its main ingredient at the surface of the core material, and an alloy layer which contains Au and Pd at the surface of the covering layer.
A Cu wire or Pd-coated Cu wire is high in hardness after bonding, so a material with a lower hardness is being demanded. As an element which has electrical conductivity equal to or better than Au and which is lower in hardness than Cu and, furthermore, which has oxidation resistance, Ag (silver) may be mentioned.
PLT 3 discloses an Ag—Au—Pd ternary alloy-based bonding wire mainly comprised of Ag. The bonding wire is heat treated for annealing before continuous die drawing, is drawn continuously by die drawing, then is heat treated for tempering, and is bonded by ball bonding in a nitrogen atmosphere. Due to this, even if used in a harsh environment of a high temperature, high humidity, or high pressure, it is considered possible to maintain bond reliability with aluminum pads.
PLT 4 discloses an Ag—Au, Ag—Pd, and Ag—Au—Pd alloy wire material comprised mainly of Ag. The center part of the alloy wire material contains elongated crystal grains or isometric crystal grains. The other parts of the alloy wire material are comprised of isometric crystal grains, so the crystal grains, including annealing twins, become 20% or more or the total. The objective is to improve the quality and reliability of the package products.
The distances between adjoining bonding wires have been made narrower, that is, the pitches have been made increasingly narrower. As demands on bonding wires corresponding to this, increased fineness, increased strength, loop control, improvement of bondability, etc. are being sought. Due to the higher density of mounting of semiconductors, the loop shapes are becoming increasingly complicated. Loop shapes are classified by loop height and bonding wire length (span) as parameters. In the latest semiconductors, in increasing cases, single packages contain high loops and low loops, short spans and long spans, and other opposite types of loops mixed together. Realizing this by a single type of bonding wire requires strict design of the material of the bonding wire.
As the properties of wire which is used in mass production, satisfying general properties like stability of loop control in the bonding step, improved bondability, suppressed wire deformation in the resin sealing step, and long term reliability of the bonded parts, for instance, has been desired so as to enable cutting edge demands for narrow pitch connection, multilayer chip connection, and other high density packaging technology.

Bonding wire for semiconductor device use and method of production of same

NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS CO., LTD


A central processing unit (CPU) monitors whether a predetermined event (pressing of a sleep release button, an incoming call, an alarm ring sound, or the like) is generated. When the predetermined event is generated, a sensitivity detection unit sets a sensitivity threshold value for input detection to a threshold value of a high-sensitivity mode, and the CPU displays a screen corresponding to the event. When an input operation is performed on the screen, the sensitivity detection unit resets a subsequent sensitivity threshold value according to input sensitivity information detected when the input operation is performed.

In recent years, users of information processing devices have increasingly widely used portable terminal devices such as portable telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), and various content could thus be acquired and used in these portable terminal devices.
In these portable terminal devices, information input units such as a keyboard, a rotary type operating element (jog dial), and a touch panel which is a contact type information input unit are generally installed as hardware.
In the information input unit using the touch panel or the like, information corresponding to a contact position is transmitted to a central processing unit (CPU) of the portable terminal device to perform a predetermined operation by using one's finger or a dedicated input pen to contact a screen on which a specific image such as an icon is displayed and inputting position information of the contact position.
In the contact type information input unit such as the touch panel, a resistance film type, an electrostatic capacitance type or the like is used.
Between these, the contact type information input unit of the electrostatic capacitance type can be widely adopted as the information input unit because a thickness of a device main body can be thinly formed and a degree of freedom of a shape of the panel itself is also high.
As well-known technology in this art, for example, in Patent Document 1, technology for generating a plurality of types of vibrations, each of which has a vibration time differing according to each operator corresponding to a sliding speed or a sliding operation time of one's finger or the like of the operator, is disclosed. Specifically, there are provided an input detection means which has an input detection surface and detects a contact position of the finger of the operator and a sliding speed of the finger of the operator, a CPU which calculates a vibration pattern based on the sliding speed detected by the input detection means, and a vibration means which vibrates the input detection surface based on the vibration pattern calculated by the CPU. According to a distance from a position at which the finger of the operator is in contact with the input detection surface, the CPU calculates the vibration pattern to generate vibrations from low-frequency and small-amplitude vibration to high-frequency and large-amplitude vibration. According to this configuration, it is possible to generate a plurality of types of vibrations, each of which has a vibration pattern differing according to each operator corresponding to a sliding speed or a sliding operation time of an operator's finger.
In Patent Document 1, a digital camera having an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel for a sliding input on an upper surface plate of a camera main body is disclosed.
The user can perform an operation such as zoom-in, zoom-out, reproduction/fast forward/rewind, focus adjustment, or volume adjustment by causing an operation body such as one's finger to slide in a predetermined direction in a state in which the operation body such as the finger is in contact with an electrostatic capacitance type input sheet.
Here, the principle of the above-described electrostatic capacitance type information input device will be described.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the principle of an electrostatic capacitance type sensor.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, if one's finger 11 is in proximity (contact) with the touch panel 13 as illustrated in FIG. 6A or 6B when the user operates the touch panel 13, electrostatic capacitance is generated between the touch panel 13 and the user's finger 11. This is because a human body has conductivity.
The electrostatic capacitance generated between the touch panel 13 and the user's finger 11 has displacement in inverse proportion to a distance between the touch panel and the user's finger as illustrated in Equation (1).
In Equation (1), C is a reference sign denoting electrostatic capacitance, c is a reference sign denoting a dielectric constant of each material, S is a reference sign denoting an area of the finger 11, and D is a reference sign denoting a distance between the finger 11 and the touch panel 13.C=(∈·S)/D  (1)
An input device performs a predetermined process input according to the user's touch operation by detecting position information based on electrostatic capacitance generated when the user brings the finger 11 in contact with the touch panel 13.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating input sensitivity information (variation amounts in electrostatic capacitance) in a bare hand state and a gloved state as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B.
In a threshold value of a normal sensitivity mode illustrated in FIG. 7A, as in the case of the bare hand illustrated in FIG. 6A, no touch detection is performed when the input sensitivity information does not exceed a normal sensitivity threshold value. In addition, in the high-sensitivity mode, because the touch detection is performed when the input sensitivity information exceeds the threshold value of the high-sensitivity mode, the touch detection is performed even with the bare hand illustrated in FIG. 6A and even in the case of the glove illustrated in FIG. 6B.
In addition, for example, in Patent Document 2, technology for adjusting the sensitivity of the input detection unit according to an operation environment of the user is disclosed. Specifically, the CPU determines whether to adjust an output level of a position signal output from an input detection unit based on sensitivity information (sensitivity data) detected by the sensitivity detection unit. When it is determined that a value of the sensitivity data is less than the threshold value (gloved), the input detection unit is set to high sensitivity based on adjustment data supplied from the CPU. On the other hand, when it is determined that the value of the sensitivity data is less than the threshold value (ungloved), the input detection unit is maintained at standard sensitivity based on the adjustment data supplied from the CPU or the input detection unit is changed from a high-sensitivity setting to standard (low) sensitivity. Thereby, because it is possible to optimally set the sensitivity of the input detection unit according to an operation environment such as when the user wears a glove or when the user does not wear a glove, information can be accurately input and an erroneous operation can be prevented.
Further, for example, in Patent Document 3, a threshold value correction device provided to automatically correct a threshold value of an in-vehicle device is disclosed. Specifically, a driver's finger touches a push start switch for starting and stopping an engine and therefore the presence/absence of detection of an electrostatic capacitance sensor within the push start switch is determined, electrostatic capacitance of the electrostatic capacitance sensor is calculated by a microcomputer, and the threshold value is corrected based on the electrostatic capacitance. Further, the microcomputer sets the corrected threshold value in an in-vehicle device such as an air conditioner or an audio device having the electrostatic capacitance sensor.

Information input unit, information input method, and computer program


A plasma display panel that includes a front substrate, and a sustain electrode formed on the front substrate. The sustain electrode comprises a transparent electrode and a bus electrode coupled to each other, and the bus electrode comprises conductive particles and adhesive particles. An average diameter of the conductive particles and an average diameter of the adhesive particles are less than 5 μm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP having an improved bus electrode structure.
2. Discussion of the Background
A PDP displays an image by exciting a phosphor layer with ultraviolet (UV) rays. The UV rays are generated during a glow discharge that occurs by applying a predetermined voltage to electrodes formed in a gas-filled, sealed discharge space.
Generally, the PDP includes facing front and rear panels joined together.
The front panel comprises a front substrate, a plurality of sustaining electrode pairs separated a predetermined distance on the front substrate, a front dielectric layer covering the sustaining electrode pairs, and a protection layer covering the front dielectric layer. Each sustaining electrode pair typically includes a common electrode and a scan electrode, and the common electrodes and the scan electrodes include a transparent electrode and a bus electrode. The bus electrode may be connected to the transparent electrode, and it applies a voltage to the transparent electrode.
The rear panel comprises a rear substrate facing the front substrate, a plurality of address electrodes formed on the rear substrate to cross to the sustaining electrode pairs, a rear dielectric layer covering the address electrodes, a plurality of barrier ribs formed on the rear dielectric layer to define discharge spaces and prevent cross-talk, and a plurality of red, green, and blue color phosphor layers coated in the discharge spaces defined by the barrier ribs.
In a PDP having the above structure, the bus electrode may be formed of a black electrode layer and a white electrode layer. The black electrode layer acts as a shielding film by being disposed close to the front substrate. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-187709 discloses technology related to the black electrode layer.
In a conventional bus electrode, average diameters of ruthenium (Ru)—conductive particles, which may form the black electrode layer, silver (Ag)—conductive particles, which may form the white electrode layer, and frit, which is adhesive particles included in the black and white electrode layers, are greater than 5 μm.
However, when the average diameters of the conductive and adhesive particles are greater than 5 μm, the size of pores between the particles increases. Hence, a large number of pin holes may be formed in the bus electrode, resulting in reduced bus electrode density, thereby reducing conductivity by increasing line resistance of the bus electrode. This problem may be severe when the average diameter of the adhesive particles is greater than the average diameter of the conductive particles.
To solve this problem, the bus electrode may be made thicker. However, increasing the thickness increases the material cost, and it may also cause edge-curls, which may occur when both ends of the bus electrode are thicker than a central area, which provides a non-uniform cross-sectional shape.
If the edge-curls are severe enough, a withstand voltage of the front dielectric layer may decrease. Therefore, the thickness of the front dielectric layer may be increased to supplement its withstand voltage. But this requires additional material cost.


A process of providing a waterproof concrete structure comprising the steps of

This invention relates to membranes for use in the waterproofing of cementitious structures.
In the provision of cementitious structures, such as the building of tunnels by boring or excavating and then shotcreting, there is often a need to provide waterproofing. This is typically achieved either by providing drainage or by firstly injecting fissures in the rock with materials such as cement, microcement and reactive resin, this being followed by a layer of shotcrete. To this layer is applied a waterproof membrane, and to this membrane is applied a further layer of shotcrete or in situ concrete. The waterproof membrane is typically a prefabricated sheet of waterproof polymeric material which is anchored in place by, for example, anchoring bolts. The result is thus a xe2x80x9csandwichxe2x80x9d construction. Sometimes there may be applied by in situ placing or spraying a further layer of concrete with reinforcing (fibres or mesh), or this reinforcing may be incorporated into the final concrete coating.
The labour intensity of such a method, plus the fact that the existing membranes have not been wholly satisfactory, particularly with respect to leaking, has led to the search for alternatives. Recently, attempts have been made to spray on a suitable membrane. These have used a two-pack polyurethane material, but these have suffered from drawbacks such as complicated application, toxicity problems (from the isocyanate curing agents), bonding problems to wet shotcrete and inhibition of polyurethane formation because of high tunnel humidity has prevented the obvious potential benefits of such a method being realized.
It has now been found that it is possible to provide a suitable membrane by means of a method which avoids most or even all of the drawbacks hereinabove mentioned. There is therefore provided, according to the present invention, a process of providing a waterproof concrete structure comprising the steps of
(a) providing a primary layer of a concrete composition on a support;
(b) spraying on to this concrete composition a waterproofing layer; and
(c) applying to the waterproofing layer a layer of a concrete composition;
characterized in that the waterproofing layer is provided by a composition which comprises as a binder an aqueous dispersion of coalescable particles of thermoplastic polymer.
The invention further provides a waterproof sandwich concrete structure comprising two layers of concrete separated by a coherent intermediate polymeric layer whose binder is coalesced particles of thermoplastic polymer.
By xe2x80x9csupportxe2x80x9d is meant a untreated, water-permeable surface to which the waterproof concrete structure of this invention is applied. This will usually be a rough rock surface, but it may equally well be a man-made surface, such as a ceiling. The concrete compositions of steps (a) and (c) hereinabove described may be the same or different. In the case of the concrete composition of the primary layer (a), the scope of this term is considered to encompass not only simple concrete compositions (cold sprayed or prefabricated) but also such known variants as concrete followed by a leveling or smoothing layer of a spray mortar (up to 4 mm).
By xe2x80x9cbinderxe2x80x9d is meant a material which on drying forms a coherent, continuous film and by xe2x80x9cthermoplasticxe2x80x9d is meant a material which does not react to form a crosslinked structure. By xe2x80x9ccoalescable particlesxe2x80x9d is meant particles of a film-forming suspension or emulsion which, on the removal of the continuous medium in which they are dispersed, at least partially merge to form a continuous, coherent Mm The polymer dispersions which are useful in this invention are thus similar in nature to the film-forming aqueous dispersions which are used, for example, as film-forming media in aqueous xe2x80x9cemulsionxe2x80x9d household paints. Included in this definition of xe2x80x9cbinderxe2x80x9d are compositions which include thermoplastic coalescable particles and cement.
The aqueous dispersion of coalescable thermoplastic polymer particles may be chosen from a wide range of materials known to the art, the nature of the polymer itself being unimportant. Thus, for example, suitable polymers include polyurethanes, polyesters, vinyls and acrylics. Particularly suitable polymers are addition polymers derived from ethylenically-unsaturated monomers by addition polymerisation. Particularly suitable materials within this group are those which have a glass transition temperature (Tg) such that they remain in the xe2x80x9crubberyxe2x80x9d condition under conditions of use, those having a degree of elastomeric properties being particularly desirable. It is preferred that the Tg be below 15xc2x0 C., more preferably below xe2x88x9215xc2x0 C. The weight solids contents of such dispersions typically lie within the range of 30-60%. Specific examples of suitable materials include polyurethanes, styrene-butadiene copolymers, ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) polymers, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymers, styrene-acrylic copolymers, polsulphide dispersions, polyurethane-acrylic dispersions, polyisoprene and PVC latexes and copolymers of vinyl chloride and/or vinyl acetate with acrylic monomers such as (meth) acrylic acid and esters thereof Materials such as bitumen emulsions may be used in conjunction with these materials, but as such materials do not coalesce, they should not comprise more than 50% by weight solids of the binder. This list is not exhaustive, and the skilled person equipped within the concept of this invention will readily be able to identify other suitable materials. Many such materials are available commercially and examples of suitable commercial materials include those sold by BASF AG. under the trade mark xe2x80x9cAcronalxe2x80x9d and those sold by Synthomer under the trade mark xe2x80x9cSynthomerxe2x80x9d.
In addition to the aqueous dispersion, the composition may include other ingredients. One especially useful ingredient is filler. This not only xe2x80x9cextendsxe2x80x9d the composition, but also roughens the surface, thus providing a xe2x80x9ckeyxe2x80x9d for a subsequently applied cementitious composition. Its presence is preferred. Typical examples of suitable fillers include quartz sand and quartz flour of average diameters in the range of from 0.04-1.5 mm, as well as dolomite, talc, mica, barytes, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, rubber and plastics granules, lightweighted aggregates and glassy fumace residues such as xe2x80x9cholospheresxe2x80x9d. Fibres of steel, glass or polymeric material can also be used, preferred examples of polymeric fibre being those of thermoplastic material, especially polyethylene and polyacrylonitrile, preferably with length of from 0.2-12 mm and surface area of from 6-8M2/g.
There may also be added to the compositions of this invention standard ingredients in art-recognized quantities. Typical examples of additives whose presence may be beneficial include flow-enhancing agents, defoamers, dispersants, colouring materials, wetting agents, rheology modifiers and catalysts.
When there is no filler present, a composition for use in this invention may comprise 100% of dispersion. When desired, additives may comprise up to 5%, preferably 0.1-5% by weight (calculated on active ingredients of additive per weight of liquid dispersion). When filler is present (the preferred case), the composition preferably comprises 20-80% (more preferably 30-50%) by weight dispersion, 79.9-15% (more preferably 69.9-15%) by weight filler, and 0.1-5% by weight additive(s).
The weight of dispersion is the weight of the liquid dispersion and the weight of the additive is the weight of active ingredient.
The composition may be applied by spraying to a primary layer concrete. This is preferably shotcrete, but it may be other suitable cementitious compositions, such as polymer concrete. The membrane layer applied may vary in thickness, depending on the material used, the conditions of application and the properties (such as crack bridging ability) desired, but as a general rule it should have a thickness of 2-15mm, preferably 2-6 mm. The application may be done in a single spraying pass or in several passes. To this sprayed composition is applied a further layer of cementitious composition, preferably shotcrete applied by spraying. The result is a xe2x80x9csandwichxe2x80x9d construction. The preferred ways in which such a sandwich construction may be created are shown below:
The preferred variation is the A variation. Included in the first layer is the possibility that there may be applied thereto a leveling mortar, this being from 2-15 mm thick. The membrane can be sprayed on to the concrete 1-90 days after the application of the concrete. If spraying is consistent within 3 days after concrete application, there is the additional advantage that the water in the dispersion can help with the cement hydration. When the concrete of the first layer has been in place for a longer time (3-60 days), it may be necessary to wash the surface with water. This removes only residues and prewastes the surface, giving better membrane adhesion. As previously mentioned, it can be applied in a single pass or in a number of passes with suitable pauses to allow drying and/or hardening. In the multi-layer approach, one or more of the sprayed layers may include reinforcing fibres of glass, steel, ceramic or polymer; alternatively, reinforcing in the form of mesh or roving can be applied to still-wet membrane and the reinforcing then covered by a further layer of membrane.
The structure thus formed has excellent waterproofing properties, coupled with excellent water vapour permeability, thus allowing any trapped water to escape through the membrane and avoiding any interfacial failure. In addition, it is durable, safe and easy to apply and relatively inexpensive.

Cement structure containing a waterproofing layer

Abstract: (a) providing a layer of a concrete composition on a support;

Abstract: (c) applying to the waterproofing layer a further layer of a concrete composition;

Abstract: characterized in that the waterproofing layer is provided by a composition which comprises an aqueous dispersion of coalescable particles of thermoplastic polymer. The method is useful in the waterproofing of tunnel linings.


A post and pin placed in a radicular or root portion of a tooth as well as in the dentin of fractured or badly broken-down vital teeth to facilitate the distribution of stress throughout the roots and provide structure to support repair parts to restore teeth to a natural shape. Dentistically repair is a method for creating a reservoir space in a tooth to receive a composite resin as well as a stainless steel wire and sleeve components to attach and support a tooth repair part for restorations of a fracture or broken tooth chewing surface. The repair components provide a utilitarian structure of a unique nature.

This invention relates to a dental post or sleeve assembly for anchoring dental repair super structures, such as crowns and veneers, onto a tooth, and a method for effecting permanent installation of the pin.
The prior art has presented a wide variety of structures for the repair and reconstruction of broken or mutilated teeth. In this category of dental repair, the reconstruction of a tooth has required an expensive anchoring pin to make the reconstruction successful. Pin anchors must be carefully shaped and located so the reconstruction installation can be reasonably free of stress and can properly align with adjacent teeth. The problem with such approaches for reconstruction of a broken or mutilated tooth becomes impractical because of space limitations and unnatural alignment with adjacent teeth.
In the category of dental pins of the threaded variety, the problem is related to the extreme care needed to be exercised to prevent the entrance of impurities. Furthermore, threaded type pins are small and difficult to handle. Contoured parts fall into this category of dental repair devices. Stress caused by insertion of the threaded pin is the greatest problem.


A hydraulic transmission apparatus with a lockup clutch has a pump impeller, a turbine runner, a side cover, a lockup clutch, a clutch piston, a lockup control unit, a frictional engagement unit and a resilient member, a backward movement stopping unit, wherein a transmission capacity of the lockup clutch by virtue of a biasing force of the resilient member is set smaller than a torque absorption capacity of the pump impeller when the engine is in an idle state so that the clutch piston is held at the predetermined backward position by virtue of the pressure difference when the engine is in the idle state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic transmission apparatus such as a torque converter and a hydraulic coupling which is used as a power transmission apparatus on vehicles and industrial machines, and more particularly to an improvement on a hydraulic transmission apparatus with a lockup clutch having a pump impeller driven by an engine, a turbine runner forming a circulation circuit between the pump impeller and the turbine runner and driving an output shaft, a side cover provided continuously to the pump impeller so as to form a clutch chamber communicating with an outer circumferential portion of the circulation circuit between an outer surface of the turbine runner and the side cover, a lockup clutch disposed in the clutch chamber so as to establish a direct connection between the side cover and the turbine runner, a clutch piston axially movably coupled to the turbine runner so as to divide the clutch chamber into inner fluid chamber of a turbine runner side and outer fluid chamber of a side cover side, a lockup control unit for generating a pressure difference between the inner fluid chamber and the outer fluid chamber so as to move the clutch piston forwards and backwards relative to an inner surface of the side cover using fluid supplied from an oil pump driven by the engine to the circulation circuit, a frictional engagement unit for establishing and cutting off an engagement between the clutch piston and the side cover in response to forward and backward movements of the clutch piston relative to the inner surface of the side cover and a resilient member disposed between the clutch piston and the turbine runner for biasing the clutch piston in a forward direction
2. Description of the Related Art
The hydraulic transmission apparatus with a lockup clutch has already been known as is disclosed in JP-A-11-63151 for example.
In the hydraulic transmission apparatus with a lockup clutch, the resilient member for biasing the clutch piston in the forward direction is intended to decrease a delay in which the clutch piston moves forwards when the lockup control unit is activated in order to put the lockup clutch in an engaged state to thereby improve the engaging responsiveness of the lockup clutch.
Incidentally, in the conventional hydraulic transmission apparatus with a lockup clutch, since the capacity of the oil pump driven by the engine becomes relatively low, when the engine is at idle, and moreover fluctuates, the receding or backward position of the clutch piston becomes inconstant, and consequently, the cut-off state of the frictional engagement unit becomes inconstant, resulting in a case where a generation of drag torque and a deterioration in fuel consumption may be called for. In addition, the inconstant backward position of the clutch piston means an inconstant forward stroke of the clutch piston, and this means, in turn, that the engaging responsiveness of the lockup clutch becomes inconstant depending on the running conditions of the engine.

Hydraulic transmission apparatus with lockup clutch


A floor strip for bridging a join between two floor coverings that border on one another comprises a base profile that can be fixed in place on the floor, two upwardly extending shanks molded on the base profile, and a cover profile having at least one cover wing that projects laterally. There is a downwardly directed crosspiece, which is connected with the base profile by way of an articulation. The articulation is formed by an articulation rail that is rounded on both sides and grasped between the shanks of the base profile. The shanks are upright but rounded on the inside. The articulation rail is formed by a solid material or by a sleeve, which has a longitudinal groove, into which the crosspiece and/or an attachment means that engages through the cover profile passes. In certain sections, the longitudinal groove passes completely through the articulation rail, and the crosspiece of the cover profile has a greater depth in these regions.

1. Field of the Invention
The innovation relates to a floor strip for bridging a join between two floor coverings that border on one another.
2. The Prior Art
A floor profile arrangement is shown in German Patent No. DE 201 17 167 U1, in which a base profile having two upright shanks accommodates a cover profile that engages over the two upright shanks with two crosspieces, so as to be adjustable in height. In order to bridge greater heights, the crosspieces are configured to be somewhat longer on the underside of the cover profile. In order to equalize excess lengths when pushing the floor profile and the cover profile together, depressions or perforations are provided in the side arms of the floor profile, which accommodate the excess lengths. Pivoting of the cover profile in the case of floor coverings having different thickness is not possible.
Another floor profile arrangement is shown in German Patent No. DE 203 20 273 U1, in which an articulation is provided on a base profile. An upright connecting part having a drive channel is held in the articulation in an articulated manner. A cover profile engages over the connecting part with two crosspieces molded onto its underside. The crosspieces form the guide, and the cover profile is fixed in place in the drive channel with screws that engage from above. In order to be able to pivot the cover profile even when the crosspieces have been pushed far over the floor profile, lateral recesses have been provided in the floor shank(s) of the floor profile, and, at the same time, the crosspieces have been shortened at the other locations, so that they offer the side guide only in partial regions. The crosspieces that are dually set onto the cover profile require broad joins between the adjacent floor coverings, particularly if two coverings having different thickness border on one another, and the cover profile has to be greatly inclined. Because of the low point of rotation and the crosspieces that stand far apart from one another, the cover profile is greatly displaced laterally when it is pivoted, and in many instances, the floor covering is not grasped sufficiently, so that the base profile has to be loosened and re-attached to the floor after it has been moved.

Floor strip for bridging a join between two floor coverings


A pressure sensor for sensing changes in pressure in an enclosed vessel may include a first chamber having at least one expandable section therein that allows that first chamber to change in length. A reference member mounted within the first chamber moves as a result of changes in length of the first chamber. A second chamber having an expandable section therein allows the second chamber to change in length in response to changes in pressure in the enclosed vessel. The second chamber is operatively associated with the first chamber so that changes in length of the second chamber result in changes in length of the first chamber. A sensor operatively associated with the reference member detects changes in position of the reference member. Changes in position of the reference member are related to changes in pressure in the enclosed vessel.

Nuclear fuels stored in pools are often dried and repackaged in canisters or vessels for transport and subsequent storage, e.g., wet or dry storage. While various processes have been developed for packaging nuclear fuels into such canisters or vessels, depending on the objectives of the specific program, most processes typically involve placing the nuclear fuel in the canisters or vessels, then purging them of air by establishing a vacuum within the canisters or by pressurizing them with an inert gas. The canisters are then sealed to prevent moisture leakage into the canisters. While the canisters may be leak tested prior to sealing to ensure canister integrity at the time of closure, there is no reliable nondestructive method for verifying that the canisters remain sealed when in storage. For example, one type of nondestructive method involves weighing the canisters. Unfortunately, however, such weighing techniques are not very sensitive, and usually cannot detect minor leakage. Ultrasonic methods have also been used with some success to detect free standing water in the canisters, but again, do not provide a high degree of sensitivity. That is, such ultrasonic methods usually cannot detect minor leaks. Radiographic imaging of the canisters has also been tried, but requires extensive and involved handling processes, particularly for highly irradiated fuels. No other methods other than tapping into the canister and sampling the internal atmosphere have been investigated to any great extent.


An apparatus and a method of driving a touch panel that increases an analog-digital converting range includes a first resistive layer having first and second electrodes formed facing each other along opposing edges of the first resistive layer in a first direction, and a second resistive layer having third and fourth electrodes formed facing each other along opposing edges of the second resistive layer in a second direction. The apparatus also includes a high potential controller for selectively connecting one of the first and third electrodes to a high potential voltage supplied from a high potential voltage source and a low potential controller for selectively connecting one of the second and fourth electrodes to a low potential voltage. Further, a variable resistor is employed for reducing a voltage of the high potential voltage between the high potential controller and the high potential power voltage source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for driving a touch panel, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method of driving a touch panel that increases an analog-to-digital converting range for improving efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a resistive-type touch panel includes two resistive layers that face each other and are separated with a gap therebetween. One of the two resistive layers has a first pair of electrodes formed facing each other along edges of the resistive layer in a "X" direction, and the other resistive layer has a second pair of electrodes formed facing each other along edges of the other resistive layer in a "Y" direction. Consequently, an electric current is alternately applied through the electrodes in each of the resistive layers, thereby generating a voltage across each of the resistive layers. Thus, when a user presses the touch panel, the two resistive layer contact each other at the location where the user presses, thereby forming a contact point such that the coordinated position in term of the X-Y directions of the contact point can be detected by measuring the changes in voltages in the resistive layers. However, if a current is constantly applied to the resistive layers even during an input waiting period, i.e., when no contact point is made by a user, electric power is wasted during the input waiting period. Thus, in general, no electric current is applied to the touch panel during the input waiting period and the touch panel is designed to automatically detect when a contact point is made by a user.
FIG. 1 illustrates a circuit diagram of a resistive-type touch panel according to a related art, and FIG. 2 illustrates an equivalent circuit diagram of the touch panel of FIG. 1 when the touch panel is pressed by a user according to a related art. In FIG. 1, a pair of square-shaped resistive layers 10 and 12 are formed facing each other with a gap therebetween. The resistive layer 10 has a first electrode A1 and a second electrode A2 formed facing each other along edges of the resistive layer 10 in a "X" direction. The resistive layer 12 has a third electrode A3 and a fourth electrode A4 formed facing each other along edges of the resistive layer 12 in a "Y" direction. The second electrode A2 is connected via a first transistor Tr1 to a power source Vcc supplying a fixed voltage, and the fourth electrode A4 is connected via a second transistor Tr2 to the power source Vcc. In addition, the first electrode A1 is grounded via a third transistor Tr3 in parallel with a first resistor R1, and the third electrode A3 is grounded via a fourth transistor Tr4 in parallel with a second resistor R2. The voltage change of the third electrode A3 is referenced as a first positional detection signal Vx in the "X" direction and the voltage change of the first electrode A1 is referenced as a second positional detection signal Vy in the "Y" direction. Further, each of the transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3, and Tr4 is connected to a switching signal (not shown), such that during an input waiting period, all transistors Tr1, Tr2, Tr3, and Tr4 are turned OFF and the first electrode A1 is set to HIGH.
In FIG. 2, when a user presses the touch panel, the two resistive layers 10 and 12 contact each other at a contact point. Accordingly, the current flows to the ground through the resistive layers 10 and 12 and the second resistance R2, and the voltage level of the third electrode A3 also changes. Thus, a detection in changes of the voltage level of the third electrode A3 can be used as an indication on whether the touch panel has been pressed.
Subsequently, when the touch panel has been pressed, a switching control signal (not shown) is applied to bases of the first and third transistors Tr1 and Tr3 to periodically apply a power voltage from the power source Vcc between the electrodes A1 and A2, such that the first positional detection signal Vx can detect the contact point in the "X" direction at the third electrode A3. In addition, an inverted switching control signal (not shown) is applied to bases of the second and fourth transistors Tr2 and Tr4 to periodically apply the power voltage from the power source Vcc between the two electrodes A3 and A4, such that the second positional detection signal Vy can detect the contact point in the "Y" direction at the first electrode A1.
FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a resistive layer according to a related art. In FIG. 3, if a voltage is applied to the resistive layer, the voltage differs across the surface of the resistive layer. For instance, if the power source Vcc supplies a 5V voltage to a first electrode in a resistive layer, a measurement of the voltage taken at a point A adjacent to the first electrode is about 4.5–4.7V. In contrast, a measurement of the voltage taken at a point B adjacent to an opposing electrode is only about 0.3–0.5V. Thus, the voltage decreases across the surface of the resistive layer. Unfortunately, an active area of a touch panel is typically in a center region of the resistive layers. Since a reference voltage of an analog-to-digital converter is typically 5V, a detectable voltage range of about 0.4–4.6V can not be obtained in an active area of the touch panel, which is further away from the opposing electrodes. Thus, the performance of the related art touch panel has not been fully satisfactory.

Apparatus and method for driving a touch panel having a variable resistor for maintaining a desired voltage difference between electrodes


It is an object to provide a photoelectric conversion device which detects light ranging from weak light to strong light. The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device having a photodiode having a photoelectric conversion layer, an amplifier circuit including a thin film transistor and a bias switching means, where a bias which is connected to the photodiode and the amplifier circuit is switched by the bias switching means when intensity of incident light exceeds predetermined intensity, and accordingly, light which is less than the predetermined intensity is detected by the photodiode and light which is more than the predetermined intensity is detected by the thin film transistor of the amplifier circuit. By the present invention, light ranging from weak light to strong light can be detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device, and particularly relates to a photoelectric conversion device including a thin film semiconductor element and a manufacturing method thereof. In addition, the present invention relates to an electronic device using a photoelectric conversion device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of photoelectric conversion devices used for detecting an electromagnetic wave are generally known, for example, a photoelectric conversion device which has sensitivity from ultra-violet rays to infrared rays is referred to as a light sensor in general. A light sensor which has sensitivity to a visible light region with a wavelength of 400 to 700 nm is particularly referred to as a visible light sensor, and a number of visible light sensors are used for devices which need illuminance adjustment, on/off control, or the like depending on a human living environment.
In particular, in a display device, brightness of the periphery of the display device is detected to adjust the display luminance. It is because unnecessary electric power can be reduced by detecting the peripheral brightness and obtaining appropriate display luminance. For example, a light sensor for such adjustment of luminance is used for a cell phone or a personal computer.
In addition, not only peripheral brightness but also luminance of backlight of a display device, particularly, a liquid crystal display device is also detected by a light sensor to adjust luminance of a display screen.
In such a light sensor, a photodiode is used for a sensing part and an output current of the photodiode is amplified in an amplifier circuit. As such an amplifier circuit, for example, a current mirror circuit is used (Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1] Patent Document No. 3444093

Photoelectric conversion device and manufacturing method thereof

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd


In a method of calculating effective power relating to a capacitor, the waveform of a periodic voltage applied to a capacitor is set. The capacitance of a desired capacitor is input. The waveform of the periodic voltage applied to both ends of the capacitor is subjected to Fourier expansion. More specifically, the periodic voltage is Fourier-expanded in terms of sine and cosine-wave series of high-order frequency components. Further, an effective power consumed by the capacitor is calculated using data regarding temperature characteristics, voltage characteristics and a frequency characteristic of the capacitance and dielectric tangent of the capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of calculating effective power relating to a capacitor, a method of measuring effective power consumed by the capacitor, a capacitor selection method, a calculator for calculating the effective power consumed by the capacitor, and a recording medium storing the calculation program therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previously, capacitors have been used as electric circuits, such as a snubber circuit of a switching power supply, a horizontal resonant circuit of a color television, and other suitable circuits, in which a desired periodic pulse voltage of a desired waveform other than a sine waveform is applied. In this case, it is necessary to determine an allowable power capacity of the capacitor so as to suppress the heat generated by the capacitor below the allowable capacity, whereby the capacitors do not experience problems (decreased life or destruction due to thermal runaway) caused by self heating due to a dielectric loss. In general, apparent power that can be easily measured is used as the allowable power capacity. This apparent power is obtained by multiplying the effective value of a voltage applied to the capacitor by the effective value of a current flowing into the capacitor. If the waveform of the voltage applied to the capacitor is a sine waveform, the apparent power is easily measured.
However, where a predetermined periodic pulse voltage of a predetermined waveform other than a sine waveform is applied to the capacitor, it is difficult to measure the effective value of the voltage applied to the capacitor and the effective value of the current flowing into the capacitor. Furthermore, since the capacitance and dielectric tangent of the capacitor are dependent on the voltage and frequency thereof, it is difficult to calculate the capacitance and dielectric tangent.
Therefore, Applicants had proposed a method of obtaining apparent power Pa corresponding the original voltage waveform, by Fourier expanding the waveform of a periodic pulse voltage applied to a capacitor in terms of harmonic sine and cosine-wave series of high-order frequency components and calculating the sum of apparent powers Pan for each of the harmonics. This method is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Application Publication No. 2002-22779 (Patent Document 1).
However, the above-described method disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the following problems.
Effective power Pe consumed by the capacitor is equal to the product of the dielectric tangent and apparent power Pa of the capacitor (effective power Pe=dielectric tangent×apparent power Pa). If the dependency of the dielectric tangent on temperature, voltage, and frequency is low enough to function as a constant, the sum of effective powers Pen calculated for each of the harmonics is equal to the product of the sum of the apparent powers Pan and the dielectric tangent (Σ(effective powers Pen)=dielectric tangent×Σ(apparent powers Pan)). Subsequently, the apparent power Pa may be used as a substitute characteristic of the effective power Pe consumed by the capacitor.
However, if the dependency of the dielectric tangent on temperature, voltage, and frequency is so high that the dielectric tangent cannot function as the constant, the sum of effective powers Pen calculated for the harmonics is not equal to the product of the sum of the apparent powers Pan and the dielectric tangent (Σ(effective powers Pen)≠dielectric tangent×Σ(apparent powers Pan)). Subsequently, the apparent power Pa cannot be used as a substitute characteristic of the effective power Pe consumed by the capacitor.

Method of calculating effective power relating to capacitor, method of measuring effective power consumed by capacitor, capacitor selection method, calculation apparatus for calculating effective power relating to capacitor, and recording medium storing the calculation program therefor


A nonvolatile ferroelectric memory in an RFID device includes a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of banks each including a cell array. The cell array of one of the banks includes a region to be initialized, wherein the region includes a plurality of memory unit cells each including a ferroelectric capacitor, the memory unit cells being connected to the word lines. The ferroelectric capacitor of a first one of the memory unit cells is connected between a plate line and a cell transistor. The ferroelectric capacitor of a second one of the memory unit cells has one terminal connected to a ground terminal. The first one and the second one of the memory cells are respectively connected to a first one and a second one of the word lines, the first one and the second one of the word lines being connected to each other.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to an RFID (radio frequency identification) device having a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory, and more specifically, to a technology of setting and changing an initialization condition of a specific memory cell array region of a memory of an RFID device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, RFID devices have been used in physical distribution administration systems, user authentication systems, electronic cash systems, and traffic systems. For example, goods are classified or administrated with IC (integrated circuit) tags where data are recorded, instead of a delivery bill or a tag in physical distribution administration systems. For another example, user authentication systems performs check-in administrations with an IC card where personal information is recorded.
In general, a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory is used as a memory of the RFID devices. Among different types of nonvolatile ferroelectric memory devices, ferroelectric random access memory (hereinafter, referred to as 'FeRAM') devices have attracted considerable attention as a next generation memory device because it has a data processing speed as fast as a Dynamic Random Access Memory (hereinafter, referred to as 'DRAM') and conserves data even after the power is turned off. An FeRAM having a structure similar to that of a DRAM includes capacitors made of a ferroelectric substance, which has a high residual polarization allowing for data retention after power is turned off.

RFID device having nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device


An infrared detector has a multi-layer structure to simultaneously detect IR energy in different spectral bands without changing polarity of a bias imposed across the detector. Two absorption layers are separated by a barrier layer that imposes an electrical potential barrier to one of the absorption layers. Under low bias in one direction, only one layer generates a photocurrent. Under a higher bias in the same direction, both layers generate a photocurrent. Additional absorption layers may be added to detect additional bands of energy, where the additional absorption layers generate photocurrent under a bias in another direction. Two, three, and four band detection is disclosed. Where absorbing layers within a single unit cell absorb under different bias direction, the barrier layer between those different bias direction layers suppresses a diffusing electron current. A method for detecting and resolving energy absorbed in two, three, and four different energy bands is also provided.

One desirable type of photo detector is a two-color infrared radiation (IR) detector having simultaneous sensitivity in two spectral bands. The spectral bands may include short wavelength IR (SWIR), medium wavelength IR (MWIR), long wavelength IR (LWIR), and very long wavelength IR (VLWIR). An array of two color IR detectors may be employed in a number of imaging applications wherein it is required to simultaneously detect radiation within two spectral bands from a scene within a field of view of the array. By example, the array may be responsive to LWIR and MWIR, or to LWIR and SWIR. A two-color detector is disclosed in now commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,076, issued May 12, 1992, entitled "Two Terminal Multi-band Infrared Radiation Detector" to E. F. Schulte. Schulte discloses a radiation detector having two heterojunctions that function in a manner analogous to two back-to-back photodiodes. Each of the photodiodes is responsive to radiation within a different IR spectral band, such as LWIR and MWIR. Detection of a particular wavelength band is achieved by switching a bias supply. Disclosed configurations include an n-p-n configuration, a p-n-p configuration, and a p-n-p-n configuration. Reference is also made to now commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,956, issued Sep. 22, 1992, entitled "Two-Color Radiation Detector Array and Methods of Fabricating Same", by P. R. Norton. This patent describes the formation of a substantially continuous common layer between semiconductor regions responsive to different wavelength bands (e.g., MWIR and LWIR). A contact is made to the common layer for coupling same to readout electronics. Reference is also made to now commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,669, issued Jan. 10, 1995, entitled "Method of Fabricating a Two-Color Radiation Detector Using LPE Crystal Growth", by P. R. Norton. This patent describes the use of Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) to grow an n-type LWIR layer, a p-type MWIR layer, and an n-type MWIR layer on a sacrificial substrate. A passivation layer is then formed over the n-type MWIR layer, an IR transparent substrate is bonded to the passivation layer, and the sacrificial substrate is then removed. The resulting structure is then further processed to form an array of two-color detectors.
Further in this regard reference can be had to now commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,331, issued Oct. 10, 1995, entitled "Dual Band Infrared Radiation Detector Optimized for Fabrication in Compositionally Graded HgCdTe", by K. Kosai and G. R. Chapman.
Reference can also be made to commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,005, issued May 12, 1998, entitled "Low-Crosstalk Column Differencing Circuit Architecture for Integrated Two-color Focal Plane Arrays", by Richard H. Wyles and William H. Frye. This patent describes an integrated two-color staring focal plane array having rows and columns of photo detector unit cells, each being capable of simultaneously integrating photocurrents resulting from the detection of two spectral bands.
Most existing two-color devices that are known to the inventor are based on two-junction structures that involve two p-n junctions per pixel. However, having two junctions requires two separate input circuits at the unit cell level. In small geometry and more complex designs, it is not always possible to place two complex circuits within a small footprint.
In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,544, issued Aug. 15, 2000, entitled "Multiple Color Infrared Detector", Peter D. Drieske and Sebastian R. Borrello describe a multiple color infrared detector formed from a photodiode, a photoconductor, and an insulating layer of material disposed between the photodiode and the photoconductor. The photodiode detects infrared radiation in the spectral band between about 3 microns and about 5 microns, and the photoconductor detects infrared radiation in the spectral band between about 8 microns and about 13 microns. While this multiple color device includes only a single p-n junction per pixel, a plurality of electrical contacts (112, 118, 122, 126) are used per pixel. In order to accommodate the multiple contacts, the optical fill factor is generally less than 75%.
Some existing small geometry pixel designs use a single-connection (single indium bump or more simply "single bump" design and rely on the readout integrated circuit (ROIC) unit cell to perform complex functions such as time division multiplexing (TDM). While this approach may satisfy many applications, it fails to meet other requirements such as gamma-suppression, or a footprint of less than 20 microns per unit cell.
Also of interest to this invention is now commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,621, issued Mar. 24, 1998, entitled "Three Band and Four Band Multispectral Structures Having Two Simultaneous Signal Outputs", by Kenneth Kosai. This patent describes a solid-state array that has a plurality of radiation detector unit cells, where each unit cell includes a bias-selectable two-color detector or a single photo detector. Each unit cell is thereby capable of simultaneously outputting charge carriers resulting from the absorption of electromagnetic radiation within two spectral bands selected from one of four spectral bands or three spectral bands. In various embodiments a plurality of electrical contacts are used, such as a first, common contact, a second contact for outputting the bands 1 and 2 photocurrent, and a third contact for outputting the bands 3 and 4 photocurrent, or the band 3 photocurrent.
In the prior art, IR diodes are made with either N-on-P or P-on-N, where one of the layers is designed to absorb in the target energy range and the other layer is designed to suppress energy outside the target range. The function of the layers is altered by changing current direction, thereby changing the target energy bands absorbed and suppressed. What is needed in the art is a multi-color detector capable of simultaneously detecting energy in different bands without changing current direction, where the detector is amenable to manufacture at less than about 20 microns per unit cell.

Method and apparatus providing single bump, multi-color pixel architecture


A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array that is arrayed on a plurality of mats; an even number of redundancy Y-switch (YS) signal lines that are provided in three mat units and arranged in the bit line direction on the mat that is positioned in the middle among the three mats disposed continuously in the word line direction; a local input/output (LIO) line that is connected to a sense amplifier portion of the three mats, extends in the word line direction, and is divided in two in a redundancy area that is a part of the even number of redundancy Y switch signal lines; and a plurality of bit line selecting Y switch signal lines that connect bit line output of the memory cell array on the three mats to the local input/output line; wherein 8-bit data prefetch is performed from the three mats by selecting the plurality of bit line selecting Y switch signal lines and turning them ON simultaneously so as to connect the selected bit line output to each local input/output line divided in two.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and a local input/output division method.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional semiconductor memory device, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2007-87436 discloses a semiconductor memory device which controls switching of routes of latch circuits for external transfer in order to reduce current consumption at a high-speed operation while preventing malfunction at low-speed operation. Also, a conventional synchronous semiconductor memory device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2005-346922 has as its object to provide an SDRAM in which bit constitution can be switched and area penalty is reduced.
Further, a Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) standard has been proposed for a semiconductor device, such as a Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), to improve a data read-out speed compared to a 3-mat architecture that is used in a Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) standard.

Semiconductor memory device and local input/output division method


Systems and methods for positioning solar energy collection devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated unit combines the necessity of solar panel repositioning with water filtration. While also providing clean water for the end user, the integrated unit uses controlled weight displacement to rotate a solar panel to follow the sun from east to west—a process also known as horizontal (azimuth) solar tracking.

As the cost of solar energy continues to drop, the global supply of solar panels—both flat panel and concentrated photovoltaic, for example—continues to increase, benefiting on-grid and off-grid communities to promote the use of solar panels in developed and emerging energy markets. Consequently, an increasing need also grows to optimize these devices so that every individual panel can be generating as much output energy as possible, while minimizing both the up-front system cost as well as the maintenance cost over time for installed systems.
Conventional mechanisms reposition—or track—solar panels to follow the sun, facing the surface at a perpendicular angle to the sunlight to maximize energy collection. Solar panels turning from east to west on a daily basis—while being mounted at an appropriate seasonal angle depending on geographical latitude—are capable of generating up to 40% more electricity compared to a stationary panel on a fixed mount.
One of the most popular methods of repositioning uses active electronics through various means of satellite global positioning, maximum power point tracking algorithms and motors. Passive (e.g., non-electrical) repositioning devices use phase differentials of substances like Freon or wax that change form from liquid to gas as the ambient temperature increases and decreases with the rise and fall of the sun. Some systems also have been proposed to use bimetallic materials or manual adjustment input from the user to control the solar panel rotation. All of these methods not only have a high up-front cost, but also require frequent parts replacements in order to prevent system failure. Solar panel tracking systems provide the greatest economic value when the cost of one tracker is cheaper than the cost of another panel providing the equivalent increase in energy production.
Other designs to reposition solar panels using water displacement have been proposed in the past, but fail to incorporate water filtration into the design. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved system and method for repositioning solar energy collection devices in an effort to overcome the aforementioned obstacles and deficiencies of prior art systems.

Systems and methods for weight-based repositioning of solar energy collection devices


A gate driving circuit is provided which is capable of alleviating the effect of a switching noise generated when an IGBT is turned on/off or a common mode noise on a gate driving signal. The gate driving circuit, a primary side and a secondary side thereof being insulated from each other by a pulse transformer; the primary side of the pulse transformer being grounded to a first ground potential point; the secondary side of the pulse transformer being grounded to a second ground potential point insulated from the first ground potential point; and a gate driving signal generated in a secondary winding of the pulse transformer being outputted through a receiver having impedance matching resistors on the input side, includes an electrostatic shield plate between a primary winding of the pulse transformer and the secondary winding, the electrostatic shield plate being grounded to the second ground potential point.

Up to now, a power conversion apparatus is known which on-off controls a semiconductor switching element, such as an IGBT, for supplying power to a load, such as a motor. As such a conventional technology, a technology which is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-219294 is available.
The gate driving circuit of a power conversion apparatus based on this conventional technology transmits a gate driving signal from a microcomputer through two pulse transformers provided inside of an IC chip, including: a low side circuit which outputs a gate driving signal transmitted by one pulse transformer to a low side IGBT; a high breakdown voltage nMOS which performs potential conversion of a gate driving signal for a high side IGBT that has been transmitted through the other pulse transformer; and a high side circuit which outputs the gate driving signal having been subjected to potential conversion by the high breakdown voltage nMOS to the high side IGBT. And, on the basis of the driving signal (gate driving signal) outputted from the microcomputer, a current is supplied to the primary winding of the pulse transformer to thereby generate a voltage in the secondary winding, which is compared with the reference voltage to take out a signal.
Generally, the gate driving signal transmitted has a pulse width of approx. 1 ns to 2 ns, in other words, belongs to a frequency band of 1 GHz or so, thereby a transmission circuit including a receiver CMP capable of high speed transmission as shown in FIG. 1 is used.
In FIG. 1, when a gate driving signal for the primary side is inputted from a microcomputer to a primary winding N1 of a pulse transformer T through a driver DRV, this gate driving signal is transmitted to a secondary winding N2 of the pulse transformer T to be received by a differential receiver CMP. And, from an output terminal of the receiver CMP, a signal is outputted to the gate of an IGBT on the high side or low side as a gate driving signal on the secondary side. The two gate driving signals for the high side and the low side are transmitted through the respective two pulse transformers, however, FIG. 1 shows only one of them.
Thus, the IGBT is operated with a gate driving signal belonging to a frequency band of 1 GHz or so, and especially the low side IGBT is operated in a floating state with respect to the ground potential of a main power supply (herein, the main power supply refers to a power supply for supplying power to a load). Then, the receiver CMP for receiving a gate driving signal transmitted through the pulse transformer T is defined to be a current driven differential type one the characteristic impedance of which is matched, thereby providing a circuit configuration which is capable of high speed transmission.
The gate driving signal for an IGBT is generally a pulse signal produced by a PWM method, and such pulse signal is required to be raised or lowered at high speed. To meet such requirement, the receiver CMP is operated without being saturated, thereby being adapted to be operated at high speed. Resistors R1 to R4 shown in FIG. 1 play a role to set the voltages inputted to the input terminals of the receiver CMP at a level for always holding the operation of the receiver CMP in a non-saturated state.
The resistor R1 is connected between a non-inverted input terminal of the receiver CMP and a control power supply Vcc; the resistor R2 is connected between the non-inverted input terminal of the receiver CMP and a second ground potential point GND2; the resistor R3 is connected between an inverted input terminal of the receiver CMP and the control power supply Vcc; and the resistor R4 is connected between the inverted input terminal of the receiver CMP and the second ground potential point GND2. Further, the potential at the second ground potential point GND2 generally provides a potential of the emitter of the IGBT driven. Therefore, in the gate driving circuit for the high side IGBT, the second ground potential point GND2 is generally in a floating state with respect to the ground potential of the main power supply.


An eNB is configured to perform different methods for assigning discovery resources. One method includes receiving a request for discovery resources from an announcing user equipment (UE); allocating a plurality of discovery resources in response to the request; and transmitting a message indicating the plurality of discovery resources, the transmitted message configured to be used by a monitoring UE to determine which discovery resources to monitor. In some embodiments, this may include updating a message to indicate which discovery resources have been allocated, and broadcasting the updated message to a plurality of UEs including the monitoring UE.

Proximity discovery is one of the main features of device to device (D2D) services. To facilitate proximity discovery, one device announces a discovery message or signal, and another device monitors for this discovery message or signal. In order for the monitoring device to discover the proximity of the announcing device, it must receive and decode the discovery message or signal. In order for this process to be successful, both announcing and monitoring devices must know which radio resources will be used to transmit the discovery signal or message. In a cellular network the allocation of radio resources for the transmission of the discovery signal/message is done by the network.
In 3GPP LTE Release 12, two types of discovery resource allocation are supported. In Type 1, announcing user equipment (UEs) autonomously select resources from a transmission (TX) discovery pool to transmit their discovery messages. The pool of possible discovery resources for Type 1 is allocated by the serving eNodeB (eNB). In Type 2, announcing UEs request, and are assigned, transmission resources by the serving eNB. For both of these types, a monitoring UE must wake up and monitor all discovery resources allocated by the eNB, regardless if there is a UE announcing a discovery message/signal in each particular resource. This procedure is energy inefficient, and wastes UE battery life.

System and method for signaling network assigned radio resources for proximity discovery


A system is disclosed for drawing water from the top and bottom of an aquarium simultaneously for delivery to a filter. This system includes at least one subsurface tube connected to the lower portion of the back wall of the aquarium and brought to an external tank mounted to the back of the aquarium proximate to the surface water line. A horizontal rectangular opening at the surface water line of the aquarium allows the surface water from the aquarium to flow directly into the external tank. At least one drain tube leads from the external tank to an external algal or bacterial filtration system or simply to an overflow reservoir. Adjusting the height of the distal end of the subsurface tube within the external tank increases or decreases the hydraulic pressure in the subsurface tube, thus changing the proportional amount of water in the external tank being drawn from the bottom of the aquarium relative to that being drawn from the surface. Free of moving parts, the system will not harm tiny specimens. Should power fail to the return pump, the water level in the aquarium will drop to a height below the horizontal opening and at which point hydraulic pressure no longer causes water to flow from the subsurface tube into the external tank, thus preventing the entire aquarium from being drained. Drained water is collected in an external reservoir connected to the filter. With power restored the system will self-prime without operator assistance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of aquariums. More specifically, the present invention discloses an apparatus for simultaneously drawing water at adjustable flow rates from the top and bottom of an aquarium for delivery to a filter.
2. Statement of the Problem
Aquariums have long been popular for keeping and displaying fish, both fresh and salt water. However, the recreation of freshwater or saltwater environments in the self-contained systems of home aquariums has presented considerable difficulties. Initially a good water source must be obtained for the start of the aquarium. This task pales in comparison to the task of maintaining the water quality and dealing with waste materials excreted by the aquatic specimens, formed by the natural decomposition by bacteria of plant, animal tissues and food, or resulting from foreign contamination of the aquarium environment. This task is even more important with saltwater environments, which must maintain many delicate balances including pH and salinity.
Maintaining a clean water environment throughout the aquarium necessitates the use of filters. In filtering the water, there are two parts to the water column that must cleaned. Specifically these parts are the surface and the water column below the surface, also referred to as surface and subsurface. The exchange of gases between the aquarium water and the atmosphere is important to the health of the specimens living in the aquarium. As dust, pollen, waste from the specimens and other pollutants collect at the surface of the water, the osmotic process of gas exchange between the aquarium and atmosphere is hampered. Light transmission into the water, which is necessary for both photosynthesis and viewing, is also reduced as contaminants accumulate on the surface of the water. It is therefore desirable to employ a system that removes surface water and contaminating materials from the aquarium. Many wastes and pollutants do not float and therefore remain in the water column between the surface and the bottom of the aquarium. These wastes and contaminants are occasionally herein referred to as subsurface wastes and contaminants.
To achieve filtration of the water column and the surface, the traditional method practiced is to cycle the entire aquarium water environment. Better systems attempt to create a water flow pattern that circulates water typically either from top to bottom, or from bottom to top. If water is removed from the surface and returned to the bottom, sufficient flow must be maintained to raise the pollutants and wastes to the surface for removal. Such a flow rate may be harmful to some forms of aquatic life.
If the water is to be removed from the bottom and returned to the surface, the surface tension must be disrupted in some manner so as to free the surface pollutants and wastes and allow them to be pulled by the flowing current to the bottom for removal. As surface contaminants may be quite foreign to the aquarium, pulling the contaminants through the water column exposes the specimens to them. Such exposure may cause significant harm and even death to the specimens.
The components involved in the present invention are in some respects similar to those used in systems developed in the past, including the following:
______________________________________ Inventor Pat. No. Issue Date ______________________________________ Arak 3,119,774 Jan. 28, 1964 Katz 3,929,101 Dec. 30, 1975 Sy 5,054,424 Oct. 8, 1991 ______________________________________
Arak discloses an undergravel filtration system in which the aquarium water is drawn through the gravel located at the bottom of the tank and then returned to the top, so as to create a bottom-to-top circulation.
Katz discloses an aquarium filtration system in which the water is drawn through an undergravel filter at the bottom of the tank, passed to a second filter outside the aquarium, and then returned to the top. This process creates a bottom-to-top circulation.
Sy discloses an aquarium filtration system that draws from the bottom of the aquarium tank, passes the water to a separate filtration tank, and then returns the filtered water to top of the aquarium near the high water mark so as to maintain bottom-to-top circulation.
To achieve filtration of both the water column and the surface without undue stress to the specimens in the aquarium, it is currently necessary to maintain two independent filtration systems, one of which filters the surface, and a second to filter the bottom/subsurface. The use of two systems is often quite cumbersome and expensive as both systems may require space outside of the aquarium, as well as separate pumps, power, water housings, and maintenance.
3. Solution to the Problem
None of the prior art references uncovered in the search show a system for drawing water from both the top and bottom of the aquarium simultaneously. The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with the prior art systems, that only remove water from only one location within the aquarium (i.e., either the surface or subsurface). By the use of subsurface tubes, water from the bottom of the aquarium is brought to an external tank where it is combined with water from the surface. By combining these two different water sources into one, it is possible to remove water simultaneously from the surface and bottom of the aquarium. Further it is possible to adjust the relative flow rate of water taken from either location and thus expand the applications for which the tank may be used.

Apparatus for drawing water from the top and bottom of an aquarium for delivery to a filter


A top surface of a protective cover of an IC component package is provided with a centered-protrusion, e.g., such as a cylindrical peg, that extends above the cover. A retaining-spring is formed by twisting a resilient (e.g., metal) metal strip into a ribbon-like shape having opposing ends that extend from a curvelinear bottom surface. The bottom surface of the retaining-spring is provided with an opening configured to mate with the centered protrusion on the package cover, such that the opposing ends of the retaining-spring extend away from the package cover at substantially the same, albeit reverse angles. In order to mount the IC package to a heat sink, the bottom surface of the retaining-spring may be compressively mated onto the package cover at the same time the package is inserted between two substantially parallel walls protruding from the heat sink surface, wherein the walls are distanced from each other. just so as to cause moderate compression of the opposing ends of the spring toward each other as the package is inserted against the heat sink surface. The opposing surfaces of the two walls are provided with a plurality of notches formed substantially parallel to the heat sink surface in a "ratchet-type" relief pattern, such that the opposing ends of the retaining-spring are held into place by respective notches, once the IC package is secured against the heat sink.

Integrated circuits ("ICs") have many uses in industries ranging from communications to consumer electronics. To this end, various types of ICs are commonly designed for use in conjunction with other circuit components mounted on a common printed circuit ("PC") board.
By way of example, a power transistor IC is formed by fabricating one or more transistor cells on a silicon wafer, commonly referred to as a transistor "chip". The transistor chip is attached to an insulating layer, normally a ceramic substrate, which is thermally, but not electrically, conductive. The ceramic substrate is itself attached to a thermally conductive mounting flange. A protective cover is secured to the flange, covering the substrate and transistor chip, thereby forming a power transistor "package."
Various electrically conductive (e.g., thin metal) leads may be attached to, and extend away from, the power transistor package (i.e., extending outside the protective cover) to connect common terminals of the transistor chip to external circuit elements. For example, for a bipolar junction type power transistor, respective electrical leads attached to the package are connected to a base, emitter and collector of the transistor chip.
Finished IC component packages are typically mounted on a PC board as part of an assembly process. Because most IC packages, and in particular power transistor packages, generate a significant amount of heat during operation, the bottom surface of the package mounting flange is typically affixed to a heat sink located beneath the surface of the PC board. For example, a single layer PC board--i.e., where there is a single layer of dielectric material between respective top and bottom surfaces of the PC board,--typically has a metallic bottom surface that is connected with screws or solder to a metallic heat sink surface used to mount one or more IC packages, wherein various surface leads on the PC board are thereafter connected to respective leads extending from the package, e.g., by a solder lead or a clamp.
There are several known techniques for securing an IC package to a heat sink surface. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, an exemplary IC package 20 may be secured to a heat sink 22 by a screw 24 located on each end of a mounting flange 26. However mounting arrangement requires a manual step in the PC board assembly process, which adds considerable cost. Further, it is difficult to apply a uniform force across the entire bottom surface of the mounting flange 26 with the screws 24, which tend to exert greater force at the screw locations than over the rest of the flange bottom.
Referring to FIG. 1B, another common technique is to solder (or glue) the mounting flange 26 to the heat sink surface 22. While this process is more easily automated, the solder or bonding material 28 will invariably have a different thermal expansion coefficient than the respective (typically metal) mounting flange 26 and heat sink 22. As a result, the bond between the mounting flange 26 and heat sink 22 will weaken or even be destroyed by the thermal expansion stress between the respective layers, especially when subjected to repeated changes in temperature during each use of the IC package 20. Further, the presence of the intervening bonding material layer 28 may lesson the effectiveness of the heat conduction between the flange 26 and heat sink 22. A still further disadvantage with this approach is that, in order to remove an IC package for repair or replacement, the entire heat sink surface must be heated to break the solder bond, thereby causing all other solder bonds on the same heat sink to be weakened.
In particular, it is very desirable that a uniform force be applied across the bottom surface of the mounting flange 26 for the most efficient conduction of heat to the heat sink 22. Further, because the greatest amount of heat will typically flow through the center area of the package and mounting flange, i.e., below the active transistor cell area, it is desirable to apply the greatest force against the heat sink 22 in the center of the package 20.
To this end, as seen in FIGS. 1C and 1D, still another known IC package mounting arrangement involves the use of one or more screws 30 inserted into, and protruding above, the surface of the heat sink 22. A resilient metal strip 32 is extended from the screw(s) 30 and is shaped so as to apply a clamping force upon the cover of the IC package 20, thereby distributing a substantially centered force that "secures" the mounting flange 26 against the heat sink 22. However, this approach still requires the use of a labor intensive step in the PC board assembly process.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved mounting arrangement for securing an IC component package to a heat sink, such as a heat sink attached to a bottom of a PC board, whereby a substantially uniform pressure is exerted for highest heat transfer efficiency, while still allowing for automated PC board assembly.

Mounting arrangement for securing an intergrated circuit package to heat sink