A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device using hybrid local boosting which includes a plurality of cell strings each having a plurality of electrically erasable and programmable memory cells connected in series and a plurality of wordlines respectively connected to control gates of the plurality of memory cells. The address of a selected cell that is to be programmed is received. A determination is made as to whether a selected wordline connected to the selected cell is located above or under a reference wordline based on the received address. The selected cell is programmed using local boosting when the selected wordline corresponds to the reference wordline or is located above the reference wordline. The selected cell is programmed using self-boosting when the selected wordline is located under the reference wordline. The programming method reduces circuit size of a nonvolatile memory device employing the programming method and efficiently prevents program disturbance due to charge sharing.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to a method of programming a nonvolatile memory device. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a method of programming a nonvolatile memory device through hybrid boosting using both self-boosting and local boosting.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A nonvolatile memory device, for example a flash memory, is electrically erasable and programmable and can preserve data even in the absence of power. One type of flash memory is a NAND type which has a string structure in which a plurality of flash memory cells is connected in series. NAND type flash memories can be easily integrated in and supplied at a low cost making it a typical choice for use in a variety of portable electronic devices.
Cell transistors of a flash memory are erased according to an F-N tunneling mechanism. In particular, a cell transistor is erased by applying a ground voltage to the control gate of the cell transistor and applying a voltage higher than a power supply voltage to a semiconductor substrate (or bulk). Under this erase bias condition, a large voltage difference between the floating gate and the bulk forms a strong electric field between the floating gate and the bulk. As a result, electrons existing in the floating gate region are discharged to the bulk according to the F-N tunneling effect and the threshold voltage of the erased cell transistor is shifted in the negative direction.
Cell transistors of a flash memory are programmed by applying a voltage, higher than the power supply voltage, to the control gate of the cell transistor and a ground voltage is applied to the drain of the cell transistor and the bulk. Under this bias condition, electrons are injected into the floating gate of the cell transistor according to the F-N tunneling effect. The threshold voltage of the programmed cell transistor is shifted in the positive direction.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a NAND type flash memory device 100 including memory cell array 110, row decoder 130 and page buffer circuit 150. Memory cell array 110 includes a plurality of memory blocks (not shown) each having a plurality of strings 110_1-110_M in a column direction. FIG. 1 illustrates only one memory block for convenience of explanation. Each of the strings 110_1 -110_M includes a string selecting transistor SST, a ground selecting transistor GST and a plurality of memory cell transistors MCT<0>-MCT<N-1> which are serially connected between string selecting transistor SST and ground selecting transistor GST. The gate of string selecting transistor SST is connected to string selection line SSL and the drain of string selecting transistor SST is connected to a bit line (BLe or BLo). The gate of ground selecting transistor GST is connected to a ground selection line GSL and the source of ground selecting transistor GST is connected to a common source line CSL. The control gates of the plurality of memory cell transistors MCT<0>-MCT<N-1> are respectively connected to wordlines WL<0>-WL<N-1>.
The voltages of the string selection line SSL, the wordlines WL<0>-WL<N-1> and the ground selection line GSL are controlled by row decoder 130 in response to a predetermined timing control signal (not shown). The voltages of the bit line pair BLe and BLo are respectively controlled by page buffers (not shown) included in page buffer circuit 150. The operation of controlling the string selection line SSL, the wordlines WL<0>-WL<N-1>, the ground selection line GSL and the operation of controlling bit line pair BLe and BLo are well known.
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the relationship between a cell state and a cell voltage in a multi-level nonvolatile memory device. Reference 11 represents an erased state and 10, 00 and 01 represent a programmed state. The erased state is distinguished from the programmed state by the threshold voltage of a cell transistor. The operation of erasing or programming cell transistors of a multi-level nonvolatile memory device is well known in the art. Self-boosting is a typical method of programming a nonvolatile memory device. FIG. 3 is a timing diagram illustrating the self-boosting method. The operation of programming a cell transistor will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The control gates of cell transistors MCT<0>-MCT<N-1> are respectively connected to wordlines WL<0>-WL<N-1>. Referring to FIG. 3, a pass voltage VPASS, which is lower than a program voltage VPGM, is applied to the control gates of cell transistors MCT<0>-MCT<N-1> in an initial period B of the programming operation. In period C, program voltage VPGM is applied to a selected cell transistor MCT<I> to program the cell. All the cell strings included in a single memory block are commonly connected to wordlines WL<0>-WL<N-1>. Accordingly, when a selected cell transistor is programmed, the program voltage is also applied to the cell transistors of the other cell strings connected to the selected cell transistor so that the states of the cell transistors of the other cell strings are likewise disturbed.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining program disturbance that can occur in a cell string in which all the cells (cell transistors) are erased in a self-boosting method. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining program disturbance that can occur in a cell string in which parts of the cells are programmed in the self-boosting method. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate neighboring cell strings where each cell string includes 32 cell transistors, a program voltage is applied to the twenty-ninth wordline WL<28> to program memory cells X and Z, and lower memory cells are programmed first. Referring to FIG. 4, 0V is applied to a cell string (program string) including a cell X that is to be programmed through bit line BLo and a program voltage VPGM is applied to the cell string through the wordline WL<28> to program cell X. A power supply voltage VCC is applied to a cell string (inhibited string) including cell W connected to the same wordline WL<28> to which cell X is connected through bit line BLe and the program voltage VPGM is applied to the inhibited string through wordline WL<28>. A boosting channel, which has a high voltage maintained according to a boosting voltage caused by a pass voltage VPASS applied to the wordlines other than the wordline WL<28> and a boosting voltage caused by the program voltage VPGM, is formed in the bulk of the inhibited cell string. Consequently, F-N tunneling is inhibited in cell W to disturb programming of cell W. The cells located under cell W are erased. The threshold voltages of the cell transistors have a negative value in the erased state, as illustrated in FIG. 2, so that boosting efficiency in the cell string including the cell transistors is improved. Accordingly, a high voltage sufficient to inhibit F-N tunneling is maintained in cell W.
As illustrated in FIG. 5, when cells located under a cell Y connected to the same wordline WL<28> to which the programmed cell Z is connected are programmed, the threshold voltages of cell transistors has a predetermined positive value so that boosting efficiency in the cell string including the cell transistors is decreased. Accordingly, F-N tunneling may occur in cell transistor Y under certain circumstances. It is assumed that the cells located under cell Y are programmed to 00. However, the cells can be programmed to other states.
When the cells located under cell Y are programmed to 00, the boosting voltage according to the program voltage VPGM in cell Y and the boosting voltage according to pass voltage VPASS in the cells located above cell Y are maintained high. However, boosting efficiency according to pass voltage VPASS in the cells under cell Y is decreased so that the voltage of the bulk of the cell string is reduced according to a charge sharing effect. A boosting channel having a low voltage is formed in the bulk of the cell string.
Accordingly, the bulk voltage in cell Y is decreased and a high program voltage VPGM is applied to wordline WL<28> connected to cell Y which programs cell Y that was not intended to be programmed This phenomenon is referred to as program disturbance. Particularly, when programming is performed from lower cells to upper cells, the program disturbance is aggravated when a selected cell is close to the upper cells because the number of cells bringing about charge sharing is increased. Therefore, there is a need to prevent the program disturbance when programming a nonvolatile memory device.

Method of programming a nonvolatile memory device using hybrid local boosting


An integrated electrostatic discharge (ESD) shunting circuit includes a III-V semiconductor layer, and a first drain-less high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) or a metal-semiconductor FET (MESFET) transistor having a first gate and at least a second drain-less HEMT or MESFET having a second gate formed in the substrate. The HEMTs or MESFETs include a donor layer on the semiconductor layer, no drains, and a source including an ohmic contact layer on the donor layer.

An ESD protection cell is used to protect pins/pads/terminals of an integrated circuit (IC) from ESD events happening to internal circuitry between the terminal points and ground. An ESD protection cell positioned parallel to the internal circuit shunts potentially damaging ESD-induced current transients to prevent ESD damage to the internal circuitry. A conventional ESD protection circuit includes an ESD shunting circuit and an optional ESD trigger circuit.
ICs can include a plurality of Schottky gate field effect transistors such as HEMTs or MESFETs. Such ICs include high power RF amplifiers using GaN HEMTs for various applications, such as for wireless infrastructure applications in the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) bands.
HEMTs or MESFETs may also be used in ESD protection devices on ICs including a plurality of HEMT or MESFET devices. Traditional HEMT-based ESD protection devices provide their protection by current conduction current through a thin two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) layer (or 2DEG channel). Similarly, in a MESFET, current conduction is within a thin lightly doped (typically n-type) conducting layer of semiconducting material epitaxially grown over the buffer layer.

Electrostatic discharge shunting circuit

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


Systems and methods for allocating bandwidth in a wireless network are generally described herein. Bandwidth is allocated to a mobile station during an established communication session through the use of a poll-me indicator in a MAC header received in an uplink data transmission from a mobile station. The poll-me indicator may indicate a request for additional bandwidth for a subsequent uplink transmission of an established communication session. The mobile station refrains from using a contention channel to request an allocation information element when the mobile station is able to set the poll-me indicator in the MAC header.

In centrally-managed wireless communication networks, a base station generally manages communications with the one or more mobile stations. In these networks, the base station grants bandwidth to the mobile stations to allow the mobile stations to transmit to the base station. One problem with these networks is that the latency time for a mobile station to receive an uplink bandwidth allocation from a base station may be too great for some applications, such as push-to-talk applications and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) type applications. Furthermore, the process of requesting and receiving bandwidth consumes unnecessary bandwidth as well as energy.
Thus, there are general needs for reducing the latency time in centrally-managed wireless communication networks.

Base station and method for allocating bandwidth in a broadband wireless network with reduced latency


A sterilizer and a sterilization method: which can easily and efficiently sterilize various kinds of bacteria at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure so as to reduce the number of bacteria, without deteriorating qualities inherent to a sterilization object; which does not require pretreatment and/or after-treatment; which is highly safe; and which does not cause the ozone layer depletion problem. In a sterilizer comprising a power supply section for generating a high voltage and a processing device having a discharge side electrode and a ground side electrode to which the generated high voltage is applied, sterilization is performed by interposing a sterilization object between the electrodes and by causing a pulse streamer discharge between the electrodes at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure and in the atmosphere in which a humidity is controlled to be suitable for sterilization.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sterilizer and a sterilization method which utilize a high voltage. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sterilizer utilizing a high voltage which can be used for solid products in general, e.g., foods, drugs, Chinese herb medicines, cosmetics, feedstuffs, and fertilizers, and in particular, which can be optimally used for foods unsuitable for being subjected to heating; and a sterilization method utilizing such a sterilizer.
2. Detailed Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, heat sterilization has been generally employed as a method for sterilizing foods. Heat sterilization, however, causes changes in components, aromas, flavors, colors, etc., the escaping of active ingredients, and the like, thereby deteriorating the qualities of foods.
A method for sterilizing a food by bringing the food into contact with heated water vapor (Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-50984) has been suggested. Where this method is employed, however, changes and deterioration in a food quality are likely to occur because of the loss of an aroma component, the penetration of a water vapor into the food, and the like.
Methyl bromide fumigation has been conducted in order to sterilize rice and kill insects in rice. However, methyl bromide is designated as a dangerous substance due to its high inflammability. Methyl bromide is also designated as a deleterious substance, and a blister is formed when one""s skin touches methyl bromide. Therefore, this method lucks in safety. In addition, when methyl bromide is released into the atmosphere and reaches the ozone layer around the globe, methyl bromide depletes the ozone layer due to its high potential to deplete the ozone layer.
Although ozone has been used for sterilization, the obtained sterilization effect is not sufficient. Also, in order to suppress an increase in the number of molds, low temperature storage (e.g., 15xc2x0 C., 70-75% RH) has been conducted, long-term low temperature storage may cause an increase in the number of molds.
Radiation sterilization which utilizes cobalt-60 or the like is permitted to be used for adzuki bean, corn, spices, and the like. However, such a method requires a large equipment, and thus the equipment cost is high. In addition, shielding is required in order to prevent radiation from leaking to the outside.
If the number of microorganisms, in particular, the number of molds is increased during the storage of unpolished rice, for example, in the worst case scenario, the commercial value of the unpolished rice is lost, and the rice is no longer suitable for eating. It cannot be expected that spore forming bacteria attached to the rice will become extinct even at the time of cooking the rice.
Some foods are not suitable for being subjected to heat sterilization. For example, rice which is a staple food for Japanese people is not suitable for being subjected to heat sterilization or chemical treatments.
The first object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizer: which can easily and efficiently sterilize various kinds of bacteria, including spore forming bacteria attached to rice, at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure so as to reduce the number of bacteria, without deteriorating qualities of a flavor, a taste, a beneficial effect, a power, dispersibility, and the like, which are inherent to an object to be sterilized (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9csterilization objectxe2x80x9d) such as a food, a drug, a Chinese herb medicine, a cosmetic, a feedstuff, and a fertilizer; which does not require pretreatment and/or after-treatment; which is highly safe; and which does not cause the ozone layer depletion problem The second object of the present invention is to provide a sterilization method which can easily, economically and efficiently sterilize various kinds of bacteria, including spore forming bacteria attached to rice, at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure so as to reduce the number of bacteria by using the above-described sterilizer, without deteriorating qualities of a flavor, a taste, a beneficial effect, a power, dispersibility, and the like, which are inherent to a sterilization object such as a food, a drug, a Chinese herb medicine, a cosmetic, a feedstuff, and a fertilizer.
The inventors of the present invention conducted in-depth studies in order to solve the conventional problems. Consequently, they found that various kinds of bacteria including spore forming bacteria can be sterilized easily, efficiently, and economically by interposing a sterilization object between a discharge side electrode and a ground side electrode to which a high AC voltage or a pulsed high voltage is applied and by causing a pulse streamer discharge between the above-described electrodes at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure in the atmosphere controlled to have a humidity suitable for sterilization, thereby completing the present invention.
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention according to claim 1 is a sterilizer which comprises: a power supply section for generating a high voltage; a processing device having a discharge side electrode and a ground side electrode to which the generated high voltage is applied; and humidity control means for controlling a humidity in the processing device. A sterilization object is interposed between the electrodes of the processing device, and a pulse streamer discharge occurs between the electrodes.
According to the present invention, various kinds of bacteria are sterilized by causing a pulse streamer discharge between the above-described electrodes.
While a corona discharge during the application of a DC voltage causes only the vicinity of the discharge side electrode to emit light, a pulse streamer discharge can excite a much wider area into a plasma state. The reasons for this are as follows. First, a pulse streamer discharge can instantaneously apply a voltage higher than a spark voltage in the case of a DC corona discharge, thereby broadening the high electric field region. Second, while a discharge is suppressed in the case of a DC corona discharge because of a reduced electric field strength in an ionization region near the discharge side electrode due to ionic space charge, discharge suppression due to a space charge electric field is very small in the case of a pulse streamer discharge because of the rapid start-up of the voltage.
The present invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the discharge side electrode comprises a large number of needle-shaped electrodes which are provided with a predetermined distance apart from one another in the sterilizer according to claim 1.
If plate-shaped electrodes are respectively used as the discharge side electrode and the ground side electrode, the surface areas thereof are increased. Thus, there is a need to increase the capacity of a power supply section for generating a high voltage. Also, both of the plate-shaped electrodes need to be absolutely parallel to each other. If the parallel state is not maintained, a discharge occurs only in a certain area. In the case where a needle-shaped electrode is used as the discharge side electrode and a plate-shaped electrode is used as the ground side electrode, wide-ranging sterilization of sterilization objects interposed between the aforementioned electrodes cannot be achieved, resulting in uneven sterilization. If a large number of needle-shaped electrodes which are disposed with a predetermined distance apart from one another are used, a uniform discharge occurs and wade-ranging and uniform sterilization of sterilization objects interposed between the electrodes can be thereby achieved. Thus, uneven sterilization does not occur.
In order to prevent rusting and to provide durability, the needle-shaped electrode may be preferably made of a material such as a stainless material, a platinum material, or the like. Preferably, the tip of the stainless needle-shaped electrode may have a thickness of about 0.1 to 1 mm Ø. More preferably, the tip of the stainless needle-shaped electrode has a thickness as thin as about 0.1 to 0.5 mm Ø.
The distance between the needle-shaped electrodes is not limited to any particular value since the applied voltage, pulse number, input energy (cal/cm3), electric field strength, and the like are varied depending on the kind and form of a sterilization object, the kind and form of a bacterium, and the like. It is preferred that the distance between the needle-shaped electrodes is suitably determined so that a sterilization object can be sufficiently and uniformly sterilized without deteriorating the qualities of a flavor, a taste, and the like, which are inherent thereto.
However, it is desirable that the aforementioned distance is selected generally from the range of 5 mm to less than 80 mm, preferably from the range of 10 mm to 60 mm, and most preferably from the range of 25 mm to 30 mm. If the distance is less than 5 mm, it is possible to sterilize unpolished rice. However, the capacity of a power supply which will be described later needs to be increased, and thus, such a distance selection is uneconomical. If the distance is 80 mm or greater, wide-ranging and uniform sterilization of sterilization objects which are interposed between the above-described electrodes cannot be achieved, resulting in uneven sterilization.
The present invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the ground side electrode comprises a plate-shaped electrode whose entire surface is covered with an insulating plate in the sterilizer according to claim 1 or 2.
It is preferred to dispose an insulating plate on a surface of the ground side electrode opposing to the discharge side electrode so as to cover the entire surface thereof so that, in a pulse streamer discharge, a discharge from the needle-shaped electrode is not shorted to the junction. By disposing the insulating plate, a discharge occurs safely and uniformly, thereby making it possible to sterilize a sterilization object uniformly and efficiently.
The present invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the insulating plate is a ceramic plate in the sterilizer according to claim 3.
An acrylic plate, a glass plate, or the like is generally employed as an insulating plate used for the above-described purpose due to its low price. However, an acrylic plate, a glass plate, or the like lacks in durability and strength. Therefore, when an applied voltage is increased, it is preferred to use a ceramic plate having high durability, strength, and insulating property. The ceramic plate may be a large single sheet of plate, or a 1xc3x971 cm small thin plate with the thickness of 1 mm, for example. Small ceramic plates are cheap because they are mass-produced, and it is possible to use many small ceramic plates as a large ceramic plate by binding them with one another.
The present invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the ceramic plate is a ceramic plate having a high withstand voltage in the sterilizer according to claim 4.
Specifically, an alumina plate, for example, may be preferably used as a ceramic plate with a high withstand voltage, and more preferably, a high purity alumina plate can be used.
The present invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the processing device is made of a material having a volume resistivity in the range of 1010 to 1014xcexa9xc2x7cm or more in the sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
In order to sterilize a sterilization object safely, a processing device for sterilizing a sterilization object may be preferably made of a highly insulating material having a volume resistivity in the range of 1010xcx9c1014xcexa9xc2x7cm or more. Specifically, such a material may be an electrical insulating material such as a polyolefin resin, an acrylic resin, a polycarbonate resin, various engineering plastics, or a FRP.
According to the present invention of claim 7, in a processing device having a discharge side electrode and a ground side electrode to which a high voltage generated in a power supply section for generating a high voltage is to be applied, a sterilization method comprises the steps of: interposing a sterilization object between the electrodes to which a high voltage is applied, and causing a pulse streamer discharge between the electrodes at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure and in the atmosphere in which a humidity is controlled to be suitable for sterilization, thereby performing sterilization.
Various kinds of bacteria including spore forming bacteria can be sterilized easily, efficiently, and economically by interposing a sterilization object between the discharge side electrode and the ground side electrode and by causing a pulse streamer discharge between the above-described electrodes at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure and in the atmosphere in which a humidity is controlled to be suitable for sterilization.
The humidity suitable for sterilization is not limited to any particular value since it varies depending on the kind and form of a sterilization object, the kind and form of a bacterium, and the like. It is preferable that the humidity is suitably determined so that a sterilization object can be sufficiently and uniformly sterilized without deteriorating the qualities of a flavor, a taste, and the like, which are inherent thereto.
The present invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that a pulsed high voltage of a positive polarity is applied to the discharge side electrode in the sterilization method according to claim 7.
If a pulsed high voltage of a negative polarity is applied to the discharge side electrode instead of applying a pulsed high voltage of a positive polarity thereto, dirt, dust, and the like may be attached to the discharge side electrode, possibly failing to obtain a uniform and stable discharge. Thus, applying a pulsed high voltage of a negative polarity to the discharge side electrode is not preferable.
The present invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that a pulsed high voltage with a start-up time of 10 nanoseconds or more and a duration of 1 microsecond or less is applied to the discharge side electrode in the sterilization method according to claim 7 or 8.
If a pulsed high voltage with a start-up time on the order of 10 nS (nanoseconds) or more and a duration of about 1 xcexcS (microsecond) or less is applied to the discharge side electrode, a streamer discharge linearly extending from the discharge side electrode occurs. Thus, a wide area between the electrodes can be exited into a plasma state, and a sterilization object interposed between the electrodes can be uniformly sterilized.
The thus-structured sterilizer of the present invention has a simple structure, and can easily and efficiently sterilize a sterilization object at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure and in the atmosphere in which a humidity is controlled without deteriorating the qualities inherent to the sterilization object. In addition, this sterilizer requires no pretreatment and/or after-treatment, is highly safe, and does not cause the ozone layer depletion problem Although a high voltage is used, the current value is very small. Therefore, this sterilizer is safe and requires a low energy. Since no chemicals are used and no heating is performed, changes hardly occur in the qualities of a sterilization object, and no chemicals or the like stay behind. Since the temperature of a sterilization object rarely rises, it is possible to sterilize a sterilization object which is not suitable for being subjected to heating.
According to the above-described sterilization method of the present invention, it is possible to easily, economically, and efficiently sterilize various kinds of bacteria, including spore forming bacteria attached to rice, at a room temperature and an atmospheric pressure and in the atmosphere in which a humidity is controlled so as to reduce the number of bacteria, without deteriorating qualities of a flavor, a taste, a beneficial effect, a power, dispersibility, and the like, which are inherent to a sterilization object such as a food, a drug, a Chinese herb medicine, a cosmetic, a feedstuff, and a fertilizer.

Sterilizer and sterilization method utilizing high voltage


Water-soluble formaldehyde-free polycondensation products based on amino-s-triazines with at least two amino groups and glyoxylic acid, which contain as further component at least one amino compound and where the molar ratio of amino-s-triazine to glyoxylic acid to amino compound is 1:0.5 to 6.0:0.1 to 2.0. These polycondensation products are excellently suited as additives for aqueous suspensions of inorganic binders, especially cement, lime and gypsum. Building material mixtures which contain these polycondensation products remain workable for a considerably longer time and, in spite of this, also set more quickly.

Aqueous suspensions of powdered inorganic or organic substances such as clays, porcelain slurries, silicate dust, chalk, soot, stone dust, pigments, talcum, powdered plastics and hydraulic binders are in practice often mixed with additives to improve their workability , i.e. their kneadability, spreadability, sprayability, pumpability or their flow properties. These additives, which usually contain ionic groups, are able to break up the agglomerates formed when water is added to these substances and to electrostatically and/or sterically stabilize the resulting solid particles. The internal frictional forces are reduced considerably as a result, and the working properties improved accordingly.
This effect plays a particularly important role in the production of building material mixtures which contain hydraulic binders such as cement, lime, gypsum or anhydrite. In order to obtain these building material mixtures in a ready-to-use and workable form it is as a rule necessary to use a lot more water for mixing than is actually required for the subsequent hydration and hardening process. This excess water evaporates later, resulting in a sizeable void fraction in the finished construction. This in turn leads to significantly poorer mechanical strength and resistance.
Through use of the additives described above it is possible to lower the quantity of excess water and/or to improve the working properties for a given water/binder value. As water-reducing agents or superplasticizers of this kind melamine formaldehyde polycondensation products containing sulfonic groups, as described for example in the DE-PS 16 71 017, are particularly well known, as also formaldehyde polycondensation products of naphthalene or alkylnaphthalene sulfonic acid as according to the EP-PS 214 412. The disadvantage of these additives is the fact that the excellent water-reducing or plasticizing effect only lasts for a short period and that through the use of formaldehyde as condensation component the products always contain a certain proportion of free formaldehyde, which ranks as a toxicological risk. The EP-A- 558 336 describes the use of non-mineral organic components based on hydroxymethylated amino carboxylic or aminosulfonic acids to accelerate setting. When used alone these synthetic products accelerate setting only slightly, having a significant effect only when used in combination with inorganic accelerators. What is more of a disadvantage, however, is the fact that these products, because of the way they are made, also contain formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde-free dispersing agents based on acrylic acid (cf. DE-OS 35 29 095), maleic monoesters and styrene (cf. EP-A 306 449) as well as alkyl polyethylene glycol monoallyl ethers and maleic anhydride (cf. EP-A 373 621) are able to prolong the workability of hydraulically setting building material mixtures for a suitable length of time, but often have the disadvantage of retarding the setting process.
Last but not least, polycondensation products of melamine and glyoxylic acid are known from the DE-OS 41 17 181 which can prolong the time of workability of cement-based building material mixtures without noticeably retarding the setting process.
The disadvantage of these polycondensation products is that their effect is limited to Portland cement containing flue ash and that they are required in relatively large quantities, which means that the cement takes longer to set than do cement mixtures which are free of additive It is true that this disadvantage can be overcome by adding to the building material mixtures in question additional additives such as calcium chloride to accelerate setting, but the use of such additives is again associated with disadvantages. Calcium chloride, for example, even in extremely low concentrations, has a highly corrosive effect on reinforcing steels used in time-tested building material mixtures. Alkali and alkaline earth hydroxides, carbonates, aluminates, silicates or fluorosilicates, which in the form of solutions are likewise known as setting accelerators, have very high pH values and if they leach out can cause ecological problems. The handling of these accelerators in powder form can lead to industrial hygiene problems. The hazard potential for man and the environment of alkaline earth metal nitrates or nitrites, lastly, which again are familiar accelerators, is sufficiently well known.


A hair conditioner composition comprising, by weight of the total composition:. 0.1-20% of a cationic conditioning agent, PA1 0.1-20% of esters of alpha or beta hydroxy acids, PA1 0.1-30% of a fatty alcohol, PA1 0.001-10% of a nonionic surfactant, and PA1 5-95% water.

Damage to hair can result from exposure to excessive heat or cold, such as with blow-drying, and exposure to sun or wind. Chemical treatments such as perming or coloring the hair also may cause hair to become weakened or damaged. Marketers of personal care products have commercialized many varieties of after-shampoo conditioners that contain ingredients which exert a conditioning effect on the hair. Unfortunately, the ingredients which condition hair also provide certain undesireable effects. Solid, nonvolatile ingredients such as fatty alcohols, resins, waxes, and oils are often used as conditioning agents. While such materials exert a very beneficial effect on hair, they also tend to promote greasy hair, or form a tacky surface on the hair which attracts dust and other airborne particulates. This causes hair to appear dull and dirty, and may also cause the hair to look flat with no body or fullness.
The use of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in hair care products is known. However, AHAs in general are water soluble, thus they tend to be rinsed off the hair with water and do not remain on the hair to provide a significant, substantive conditioning effect to hair. On the other hand, fatty alcohols do provide a substantive conditioning effect to hair, but may tend to cause the hair to become greasy, dull, and without body or fullness.
It has most unexpectedly been discovered that hair care compositions containing alpha and/or beta hydroxy acid esters provide a good substantive conditioning effect to hair, improve shine, body, combing, and fullness, and at the same time do not cause hair to become greasy or tacky.

Hair conditioning compositions containing alpha or beta hydroxy acid esters


The present invention is directed to novel absorbent surgical drapes containing at least one hydrophilic meltspun fabric layer and a liquid impervious film layer. The meltspun fabric layer may include at least one spunbonded fabric, meltblown fabric or other nonwoven fabric that is made hydrophilic. The filaments or microfibers of the spunbonded or meltblown fabrics may contain a hydrophilic additive in or on the filaments or microfibers. In one embodiment, the film of the surgical drape is breathable. In another embodiment, the film of the surgical drape has anti-slip properties, due to the inherent properties of the film or to a pattern coating of latex or hot melt adhesive on an exposed surface of the film.

As is generally known, surgical drapes have been designed to greatly reduce, if not prevent, the transmission of liquids through the surgical drape. In surgical procedure environments, such liquid sources include patient liquids such as blood, saliva and perspiration, and life support liquids such as plasma and saline.
Many surgical drapes were originally made of cotton or linen. Such surgical drapes fashioned from these materials, however, permitted transmission or "strike-through" of various liquids encountered in surgical procedures. In these instances, a path was established for transmission of biological contaminates, either present in the liquid or subsequently contacting the liquid, through the surgical drape. Additionally, in many instances, surgical drapes fashioned from cotton or linen provided insufficient barrier protection from the transmission therethrough of airborne contaminates. Furthermore, these articles were costly, and of course laundering and sterilization procedures were required before reuse.
Disposable surgical drapes have largely replaced linen surgical drapes. Advances in such disposable surgical drapes include the formation of such articles from liquid absorbent fabrics and/or liquid impervious films which prevent liquid strike-through. For example, see JP 8080318 assigned to Kyowa Hakko Kogyo K K; U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,960 assigned to Moelnlycke A B; and WO 96/09165 assigned to Exxon. In this way, biological contaminates carried by liquids are prevented from passing through such fabrics. However, in some instances, surgical drapes formed from absorbent fabrics and/or liquid impervious films, while being liquid and airborne contaminate impervious, sacrifice other drape properties, such as meeting Class 1 flammability requirements per NFPA 702-1980, tear strength, being relatively "lint free" (not containing loose fibrous elements), and drape slippage. Class 1 flammability requirements are met when a material takes 20 seconds or greater for a flame from a standardized ignition source to spread 5 inches according to NFPA 702-1980 test conditions.
In some instances, surgical drapes fashioned from liquid absorbent fabrics alone, such as fabrics formed from hydrophilic fibers, sufficiently absorb liquids and are more breathable and thus more comfortable to the wearer than nonporous materials. However, these improvements in comfort and breathability provided by such nonwoven fabrics have generally occurred at the expense of barrier properties of the drape.
The need for improved liquid absorptivity and fluid impervious barrier properties has resulted in the introduction of hydrophilic fibers into various layers of surgical drapes. One commercially available drape, assigned to Moelnlycke AB, and sold under the tradename Klinidrape.RTM., comprises a liquid absorbent nonwoven top sheet containing inherently hydrophilic rayon staple (discontinuous) fibers, a fluid-impermeable intermediate sheet of polyethylene, and a bottom sheet of cellulose wadding. Although the Klinidrape.RTM. has liquid absorptivity and fluid impermeability, the drape produces relatively numerous lint particles and does not pass the Class 1 flammability requirements of NFPA 702-1980.
In order to improve drape strength without drastically increasing the drape density, spunbonded fabrics containing continuous synthetic filaments have been laminated with films and incorporated into surgical drapes. Such laminate fabrics are relatively low in cost. One such laminated fabric is a non-absorbing surgical drape, disclosed in GB 2296216, which is assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, and comprises a multilayer film bonded to a support layer, such as a hydrophobic spunbonded fabric layer. A similar laminate, disclosed in WO 96/09165 and assigned to Exxon, comprises a microporous film adhesively bonded between an outer nonwoven layer containing hydrophobic spunbonded filaments and a hydrophilic nonwoven inner layer. With respect to applications as surgical drapes, the film component provides a barrier to fluid, while the spunbonded component provides strength to the drape. However, since the spunbonded fabric component of the above laminates fail to exhibit hydrophilic properties, the drapes lack fluid absorbency.
One composite fabric, a spunlaced fabric/"dimpled" film laminate, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,960 to Billgren and assigned to Moelnlycke A B, consists of an absorbent fabric bonded to a film with applications targeted for use in surgical garments, such as gowns and drapes. The above laminate is described as possessing absorptivity and barrier properties with respect to fluids. The absorbent fabric is specified as a spunlaced nonwoven, which is different from the hydrophilic meltspun fabric of the present invention.
Another composite fabric, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,192 to Wahlquist et al., comprises an absorbent fabric bonded to an impervious film with applications targeted for use in surgical garments, such as gowns and drapes. The above laminate is described as possessing absorptivity and barrier properties with respect to liquids. The absorbent fabric is specified as a meltblown nonwoven, which may also contain a surface layer in the form of a continuous and randomly dispersed fiber layer.
None of the laminates disclosed above address the need to reduce the slippage that is prone to occur between the exposed surfaces of a drape or adjacent drapes.
Consequently, there exists a need in the art for surgical drapes and methods for making the same, which provide liquid absorptivity, liquid strike-through protection, drape strength and reduced drape slippage at a relatively low cost. Such improved materials and methods are provided by the present invention and will become more apparent upon further review of the following specification and claims.


A method and apparatus for controlling cameras and performing Optical Character Recognition (OCR) of a container code and a chassis code on a containers and a chassis associated with a truck has at least one camera capable of viewing the truck as it passes the camera. When the truck passes the camera, which the camera may determine when it is in a first viewing position, and the truck stops, which may be determined by the camera when it is in a second viewing position, the camera views the truck and determines if it has a chassis and container, and if so, what is the container size. The camera then pans to another viewing position depending on container size, and images a container code. Another camera may determine chassis code.

This invention relates to the field of transportation, and in particular, to a system for optical character recognition (OCR) of transportation container codes and truck chassis codes within an intermodal terminal, truck depot, warehouse, factory, or any other facility that processes containers or chassis into and out of the facility.

Method and apparatus for controlling cameras and performing optical character recognition of container code and chassis code


The present invention discloses an output circuit which comprises an input terminal for receiving an input signal having a predetermined logic level, an output terminal held at a potential corresponding to the logic level of the input signal, first and second power sources, separated from each other, third and fourth power sources, separated from each other, a fast potential changing circuit, which is connected between the first and third power sources, for instantaneously changing the potential at said output terminal when a logic level of the input signal changes, potential maintaining circuit connected between said second and fourth power sources, for maintaining the potential of the output terminal at the same level after the potential is changed by the rapid potential changing circuit, a first controlling circuit for controlling the fast potential changing circuit such that the fast potential changing circuit starts operating when the logic level of the input signal changes and stops operating after a predetermined time of period elapses, and a second controlling circuit for controlling the potential maintaining circuit such that the potential maintaining circuit starts operating after the fast potential changing circuit starts operating.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an output circuit placed at the output stage of a semiconductor integrated circuit, and more particularly to an output circuit for use in a semiconductor integrated circuit required to operate at high speeds and to be immune to switching noises.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to the accompanying drawings, conventional output circuits will be explained hereinafter.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a plurality of output circuits placed in a semiconductor integrated circuit.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a construction of the output circuit of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another construction of the FIG. 1 circuit.
As shown in FIG. 1, a semiconductor integrated circuit usually has a plurality of output circuits 8. When a plurality of input signals supplied to the output circuits 8 change in phase with each other, a large current will flow through a power supply line 9 or 6 to drive the loads connected (not shown) to the output circuits 8. Since inductance is parasitic on each of the terminals, bonding wires, frame, and others of the semiconductor integrated circuit, a large current flowing through the power supply line 9 or 6 causes the power supply potential to fluctuate. This results in the problem that noise occurs in the output signal of an output circuit 8 whose input signal remains unchanged or that the semiconductor integrated circuit malfunctions.
This problem will be described in more detail, referring the output circuit 8a of FIG. 2. When the input signal supplied to the input terminal A rises from a low to a high level, the p-channel MOSFET 1 will turn off, and the n-channel MOSFET 2 will turn on. As a result, current flows from the load (not shown) connected to the output terminal B to the ground terminal GND3, causing the output signal from the output terminal B to change from a high to a low level. At this time, the current flowing through the ground terminal GND3 causes the potential at the ground terminal GND3 to fluctuate, creating switching noises
Conventionally, to reduce switching noises in such an output circuit, an adverse effect of the inductance parasitic on the power supply terminals are alleviated by slowing the turn-on speed of the output transistors to suppress changes in the current flowing through the power supply lines.
With the method of slowing the turn-on speed of the output transistors, however, there arises the problem that the semiconductor integrated circuit operates at lower speeds because a change of the output signal potential is slower than that of the input signal potential.

Low-noise output driver having separate supply lines and sequenced operation for transient and steady-state portions


A machine and process for making complete tea bags comprising a filter bag and thread for holding the filter bag. The machine comprises a continuously turning wheel, whose lateral surface has pins which can move from a rest position, where they are retracted into the lateral surface, to a working position where they protrude from the wheel; the wheel assembles a strip of porous material with the thread, with a pickup tag and with the infusable product in such a way as to form tea bags where the thread is arranged in a closed loop inside the filter bag, together with the infusable product, and is attached to the edges of the filter bag to form a particularly resistant fastening during infusion.

The present invention relates to a machine for making tea bags for infusion in liquid.
The invention relates in particular to a tea bag making machine which uses a process whereby an infusable product, in loose form, is measured and fed into a filter bag consisting of folded sheets of porous material, heat-sealed to each other and equipped with a thread for holding the filter bag during infusion. The machine relates in particular to the making of filter bags containing tea or chamomile without thereby restricting the scope of the disclosure but including also herbs and any other products capable of being infused in a liquid.
In the tea and chamomile filter bag sector, it is very important that the thread be fastened to the filter bag very securely to prevent it from coming loose when the filter bag is immersed in the infusion liquid.
Indeed, stirring and agitating the tea bag during infusion, for example with a teaspoon, in order to speed up the infusion process is such a widespread tendency that tea bag manufacturers in some countries must conform with technical standards that specify a minimum limit of resistance to detachment of the filter bag from the thread, below which filter bags are considered unacceptable because they cannot provide consumers with a sufficient guarantee of not coming loose during infusion.
In the case of filter bags made by heat-sealing, one known solution envisages the formation of a small portion of loop with one end of the thread, the portion of loop being held between the overlaid, heat-sealed edge flaps of the sheets of porous material and fixed to them by two short sections impregnated with the adhesive with which the edge flaps are heat-sealed to each other.
This solution, although simple in construction, does not provide a sufficient guarantee of meeting the minimum requirement of resistance to detachment enabling the thread to remain securely fixed to the filter bag during infusion.
The present invention has for an object to provide a machine for making tea bags capable of solving the problem mentioned above.

Machine for making complete tea bags for infusion in a liquid in which the infusable product is contained in a filter bag made of heat-sealed, porous material


A compact developing apparatus that can quickly modify processing chemistries is disclosed. A web coated with a photograph emulsion or other photosensitive material forms one wall of a processing chamber and processing chemicals are introduced sequentially into the stationary chamber. The heating of the processing chemicals to their required temperatures is accomplished by applying microwave energy to the chemicals upstream of the chamber. The heating is controlled by a programmed digital computer to provide forward and backward feedback control of the microwave output in response to temperature and flow rate measurements.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for developing photographic emulsion. In the apparatus of the invention a web coated with a photographic emulsion or other photosensitive material forms one wall of a processing chamber and processing chemicals are introduced sequentially into the stationary chamber. The heating of the processing chemicals to their required temperatures is accomplished by applying microwave energy to the chemicals upstream of the chamber.
2. Background Art
The commercial production of photographic film involves the preparation of very large batches, on the order of 1500 L, of chemically complex photographic emulsions whose batch-to-batch variation in photographic response be kept to a minimum. The photographic characteristics of an emulsion (contrast, speed, reciprocity, maximum density and fog) are commonly referred to as its sensitometric properties. Currently sensitometric properties are assayed on each batch of emulsion by actually running a portion of the emulsion through the commercial scale coating machinery, to provide a section of coated web, exposing the emulsion in a controlled fashion in a sensitometer, developing the image by conventional processing bath technology, and measuring the image in a densitometer. The developing of the image in conventional processing baths is very time-consuming, wastes large amounts of materials, and is almost completely inflexible to changing parameters.
An apparatus wherein a section of film could be developed in a small space with complete flexibility as to time, temperature and processing chemicals would obviate all of the problems of the earlier method. To provide such an apparatus one needs a developing chamber of small working volume and one needs to be able to control its temperature quickly and precisely. The art provides several examples of small working volume chambers for developing film.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,149,550 (Lohse et al.) discloses an apparatus for developing film wherein there is provided a minute processing chamber defined by the emulsion side of an exposed photographic film and a platen closely spaced in parallel relationship thereto. The spacing between the platen and film is preferably sufficiently close so that the processing liquids introduced therebetween are held within the chamber by capillary force. Successively small amounts of processing fluids are passed to the processing chamber, with each succeeding fluid serving to supplant the preceding fluid in the chamber. Means are provided for delivering processing fluid to the processing chamber through opening in the platen. The distance between the plane of the platen surface and the plane of the film engaging surface of the frame is in the preferred embodiment from about 0.01 to 0.030 inch. The apparatus is preferably provided with a heater block supporting the platen and carrying a fluid passage which is in communication with the central opening of the platen. The heater block may or may not be integral with the platen. A heating element preferably is embedded within the heater block. The fluid supply passageways within the heater block are of a sufficient length to preheat the processing fluids.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,394 (Firth) discloses an apparatus for processing film wherein a latent image on a sheet or strip of film is processed to produce a dry, developed film by positioning it between a pair of spaced platens. The one platen is moved into contact with the film and then the other platen is moved into position so as to clamp the film therebetween. The other platen is also provided with a resilient frame member which provides a seal with respect to the support side of the film. A recess in the one platen is interconnected to the processing solutions through a metering valve so that each solution is moved into the recess in a required order so as to develop the latent image area. Each platen is provided with a cavity in which a foil heating element is arranged in contact with the cavity surface. With this arrangement, the flow of solution is maintained at a generally consistent and uniform temperature from the point of introduction into the recess to the point at which it is withdrawn after processing has been completed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,576 (Stoffel) discloses an apparatus for developing a film insert on an aperture card. The apparatus comprises a sealing member on a receptacle arranged to contact a portion of the card bordering the aperture to form a processing chamber that confines processing solutions to an area on the card including all the film insert overlying the aperture, and means for compressing the card against the sealing member to render the compressed portion of the card substantially impervious to processing solution. The apparatus further includes means for supplying processing solutions to a processing chamber including all the film member overlying the aperture. The patent does not describe heating means, but observes "Because of film processing considerations which are well known in the art, it may be necessary to provide the developer and fixer tanks with a solution heater assembly (not shown) for maintaining these fluids at a predetermined temperature."
U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,854 (Smith) discloses an apparatus for developing photosensitive material. The apparatus comprises two members between which the material is clamped during the development process. The first member which is fixed, has an open-end chamber that is interconnected to two sources of air under pressure and to a reservoir for at least once processing fluid. This chamber is also provided with two concentrically arranged sealing means for retaining the processing fluid in proper relation to the image area being developed when the material is clamped between the two members. The second member is movable relative to the first member for clamping the material therebetween via the sealing means. The second member is provided with a recess in which a heater member and a transparent plate are mounted and each of which engages the facing surface of the support. The heater member is provided with a duct through which hot air can be circulated or in which a heating element or coil can be arranged. The heat transferred to the member is conducted to the support by the portion in contact therewith and also to the transparent plate, the surface of which also engages the surface of the support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,093 (Bohmig) discloses an apparatus for developing a film sheet of a film punched card. The apparatus comprises a developing chamber limited on one side by the emulsion coating of the film and on the other by a chamber which is formed from a metal block having a heating cartridge embedded in it. Temperature is maintained accurately and invariably.
There is one disclosure of a heating system that provides a fast, dynamic response. European published application 417782 (Gebo) discloses a control system for a process variable. An example is given utilizing the control system to regulate a microwave generator to provide precise heating of a flowing fluid. The reference states that the control system may be utilized in a process for coating photographic paper or film.
The art provides apparatus for repetitive developing processes under constant conditions. The cited examples are adapted for a developing operation performed on a strip of material that is moved intermittently. The use of a microwave heat source in combination with a developing chamber to provide a developing apparatus that is small and versatile is not disclosed or suggested.
The film developing art addresses the need for providing processing chemicals at an elevated temperature by (1) heating the processing chamber (Lohse, Firth, Smith and Bohmig) or (2) heating the processing chemicals before they enter the chamber (Lohse and Stoffel). When the chamber is complex or involves a large mass of metal, a system that heats the chamber is slow to respond to a requirement for different temperatures. It is therefore suited to repetitive processes under constant conditions; it is unsuited to procedures such as test paradigms, where temperatures must be frequently changed. Heating the processing chemicals apart from the processing chamber allows one to change temperatures--provided that the chamber and connecting plumbing incorporate minimal amounts of thermally conductive material--but the means for heating disclosed in the film processing art, namely heating blocks and heating baths, require separate blocks or baths for each combination of chemical and temperature. An apparatus to be used for testing various emulsions that require different development temperatures would be impractically large. Moreover, the use of baths leads to degradation of chemicals that are maintained at elevated temperatures.
There thus exists a need for a compact developing apparatus that can quickly modify processing chemistries, particularly with respect to temperature.

Microwave-heated film processing apparatus


The method of increasing the hardness of wurtzite crystalline materials is directed to the production of tool bits and inserts having a hardness approaching that of diamond, while simultaneously providing greater toughness and fracture resistance than diamond. The method includes forming a workpiece of boron nitride having a wurtzite crystal structure (wBN), and optionally combining boron nitride having a cubical crystal structure (cBN) with the wBN material. The workpiece is heat-treated by a defocused laser beam moved across the surface at a rate sufficient to preclude melting or deformation of the workpiece. The heated area is quickly quenched by a water jet, and a gas jet immediately follows the laser path to assure separation of the water from the laser contact area. The result is an increase in hardness of about 88%, from an initial hardness of about 40 GPa to a treated hardness of about 75 GPa.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to materials treatment methods, and particularly to a method of increasing the hardness of wurtzite crystalline materials. The method significantly increases the hardness of such materials so that cutting tools and inserts formed from the hardened wurtzite crystalline material have significantly increased longevity in interrupted and ultra-precision cutting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Extremely hard materials have long been recognized as optimal for forming cutting tools, tool inserts, drill bits and inserts for such bits, and related components. Generally speaking, the harder the tool or insert, the greater its longevity before requiring sharpening or replacement. This is dependent upon many different factors, such as the material of which the workpiece is formed, the specific geometry of the cutting tool or insert, the cutting depth and angle relative to the workpiece, the cutting speed and lubricant (if any), and other factors.
Diamond has long been recognized as the essentially universal standard of hardness. Monocrystalline cubic structure diamonds have a hardness on the order of 100 GPa (gigaPascals), or about 14,500,000 psi (pounds per square inch) using the Vickers hardness test. While all diamond is formed of essentially pure carbon, the crystalline structure may differ. Another allotrope of diamond is known as lonsdaleite, which has a hexagonal crystal structure that approaches the hardness of cubic crystalline diamond in its natural form. However, a simulated pure sample of lonsdaleite has been found to have a hardness on the order of half again that of cubic crystalline diamond. Lonsdaleite is very rare, being formed only as a result of some meteor impacts and by synthesis.
While diamond material is considered to have the optimal hardness for use on the cutting edges of tool bits, cutting inserts, and the like, it does have its drawbacks, in that is not as chemically and thermally stable as many other materials that may be used for such purposes. While the use of diamond (both natural and synthetic) to form the cutting edges of various tool bits and cutting inserts is well known, there is nevertheless considerable interest in finding even harder materials and/or materials having greater chemical and thermal stability to provide greater economy and greater longevity for such tool bits and inserts.
Crystalline boron nitride (BN) is one such material. BN is not found in nature, but must be synthesized. However, crystalline BN can vary considerably in hardness, primarily depending upon the specific crystal matrix or structure of which the compound is formed. For example, BN having a cubic crystal structure (cBN) may have a hardness varying from 30 GPa to 43 GPa, depending upon the orientation of the applied test force relative to the crystal structure.
Another form of crystalline boron nitride may be formed from the shock compression of amorphous boron nitride, or treating hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) under extremely high static pressure and temperature. Such treatments produce boron nitride having a metastable crystal structure. This crystal structure is known as wurtzite boron nitride, or wBN, to differentiate it from cubic boron nitride, or cBN. Further shocks or treating with higher pressure and temperatures will transform wBN to cBN. The hardness of wBN has been determined in a range from 223 GPa to 52.5 GPa by the Vickers hardness test. Pure wBN, or wBN mixed with cBN in a polycrystalline matrix in a binder, results in an extremely hard material second only to diamond in hardness. The advantages of such wBN and/or cBN material in terms of thermal and chemical stability and resulting longevity make it attractive, even though its absolute hardness is less than diamond.
Thus, a method of increasing the hardness of wurtzite crystalline materials solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Method of increasing the hardness of wurtzite crystalline materials


A method of fabricating a sharp protrusion on an underlayer is disclosed. A tip layer is deposited on an underlayer and then a mask layer is deposited on the tip layer. The mask layer is patterned with a beam-and-hat pattern that is used to form a beam-and-hat mask in the mask layer. Portions of the tip layer that are not covered by the beam-and-hat mask are isotropically etched to form a tip including a vertex. Beam portions of the beam-and-hat mask support the hat portion and prevent a release of the hat portion during the isotropic etching process. An anisotropic etch process can be used prior to the isotropic etching process to change a character of the tip. The underlayer can be patterned and etched to form a cantilever that includes the sharp protrusion extending outward of a surface of the cantilever.

Sharp micro-scale tips are used in many electronic devices. For example, in imaging devices such as scanning tunneling microscopes and atomic force microscopes, in data storage devices that sense a data bit by a contact between the tip and a data storage media or by an electron beam emitted by the tip to sense the data bit stored in the media, and in display devices where the tip (e.g. a Spindt emitter tip) is used to emit an electron beam that excites photons from a phosphor layer.
For data storage devices, the tip is usually placed on a cantilever beam to allow the tip to be moved relative to the device or relative to the media that stores the data. Subtractive and additive tip processes can be used to form the tip. Prior subtractive tip processes include forming the tip on a cantilever as part of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer process. The tips are formed from a layer of single crystal silicon (Si) already on the wafer as part of the SOI process. Silicon etching and high temperature oxidation processes are used to form the tips. However, a disadvantage to the prior subtractive processes is that the high temperatures required to form the tip greatly limits an ability to integrate the tips and cantilevers with microelectronic devices on the same chip because the high temperatures can damage the microelectronic devices or a data storage media carried by the chip.
For display devices, such as field emission displays (FED) based on a Spindt type emitter, prior additive processes can be used to directly deposit a material for the tip through a circular mask. However, the prior Spindt tip processes require complex masking steps to form small holes and special deposition equipment such as an evaporator with an extremely long throw. Notwithstanding the use of correct processing techniques and equipment, getting good uniformity among many tips across the same wafer is very difficult.
Other prior additive tip processes exist to make tips. Typically, in those prior processes a small square or circle is patterned in a layer of a photoresist material and the pattern is used as a mask for a subsequent isotropic etch process. The mask is also referred to as a "hat" and the hat sits on top of a vertex of the tip as the tip is formed by the isotropic etch process. The tip gradually sharpens over time as the isotropic etch process proceeds. However, difficulty arises as the etch time for the isotropic etch process increases and the tip is sharpened to a sharp point where a surface area connecting the hat to the tip is very small and the hat is released from the tip. Hat release can damage the tip (i.e. breaking the sharp point) and/or cause a defect when the hat lands on some portion of the device. Consequently, one disadvantage of the prior additive tip processes is that the hat is supported by the vertex and can cause a defect and/or can damage the tip upon release. Moreover, the exposed tip may be damaged unless the isotropic etch process is stopped exactly as the hat is released. Therefore, another disadvantage of prior additive tip processes is that the tip is prone to damage unless an endpoint of the etching process is exactly timed for all of the tips being formed.
Consequently, there exists a need for a method of fabricating a sharp protrusion that can be accomplished at low processing temperatures using standard microelectronics processing equipment. There is also a need for a method of fabricating a sharp protrusion that eliminates damage and/or defects caused by hat release. Moreover, there is a need for a method of fabricating a sharp protrusion that eliminates the need to exactly time an etching endpoint and produces sharp protrusions having a uniform shape across a substrate they are fabricated on.

Method of fabricating a sharp protrusion

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A system and method that allows a user to interactively and iteratively create, manage, customize and price optimized annuity product composition is described.

The present invention relates generally to the field of personal injury, and more particularly to the customization, creation, management and optimization structured settlement annuity products which address medical and/or economic damages specified in Life Care Plans, Medicare Set Asides, and Loss of Earnings Assessments.
A structured settlement is a financial or insurance arrangement whereby a claimant agrees to resolve a personal injury tort claim by receiving periodic payments on an agreed schedule rather than as a lump sum. Structured settlements were first utilized in Canada after a settlement for children affected by Thalidomide. Structured settlements are widely used in product liability or injury cases (such as the birth defects from Thalidomide). Structured settlement cases became more popular in the United States during the 1970s as an alternative to lump sum settlements. The increased popularity was due to several rulings by the IRS, an increase in personal injury awards, and higher interest rates. The IRS rulings changed policies such that if certain requirements were met then claimants could have federal income tax waived. Higher interest rates result in lower present values, hence annuity premiums for deferred payments versus a lump sum.
Structured settlements have become part of the statutory tort law of several common law countries including Australia, Canada, England and the United States. Often the periodic payments will be created through the purchase of one or more annuities, which guarantee the future payments. Structured settlement payments are sometimes called periodic payments, and when incorporated into a the settlement of a law suit, is called a "periodic payment."
Congress adopted special tax rules in Public Law 97-473, the periodic Payment Settlement Tax Act of 1982 to encourage the use of structured settlements to provide long-term financial security to seriously injured victims and their families. These structured settlement rules, as codified in sections 104(a)(2) and 130 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 104(a)(2) and 130, have been in place working effectively since then. In the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, Congress extended the structured settlements to worker's compensation to cover physical injuries suffered in the workplace. A "structured settlement" under the tax code's terms is an "arrangement" that meets the following requirements:
The structured settlement tax rules enacted by Congress lay down a bright line path for a structured settlement. Once the plaintiff and defense have settled the tort claim in exchange for periodic payments to be made by the defendant, the full amount of the periodic payments constitutes tax-free damages to the victim. The defendant then may assign its periodic payment obligation to a structured settlement assignment company that funds its assumed obligation with an annuity purchased from a life insurer or via U.S. Treasury obligations.
Currently, annuity products offered by life insurers are available in a variety of forms, and include, but are not limited to, the following examples:
Period Certain: with a period certain instrument, a fixed amount of money is paid out monthly (or in other intervals, or "time slices") for a fixed period of time (duration), such as 20 years. At the end of the fixed period of time, payments end.
Lump Sum: with a lump sum instrument (also called an endowment), a fixed payment is made only once at a predefined time (e.g. 7 years).
Life Only: with a life only instrument, a fixed amount of money is paid out monthly (or in other specified intervals) until the insured passes away. A variation of life only, life with a period certain option, pays a fixed amount of money on a fixed basis (e.g. monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually) for a fixed duration (e.g. 20 years) to either the insured or their designated heirs. After the fixed period, the instrument only pays while the insured is alive.
Life Only, Joint and Survivor: with a life only, joint and survivor instrument, the insureds are paid a fixed amount of money monthly (or in other intervals) until both of the insureds pass away. I a certain period is selected then their designated heir is paid a predetermined percentage of the original payment until the certain period is satisfied.
The price of the 7 year instrument in the preceding example reflects a combination of short term and longer terms yields that the originating insurer desires. Each insurer, however, can often have material differences in the yield (cost) curves they use internally to construct their period certain instrument. These yields, at given points in time, and over time, are reflected in the costs of the various types of instruments they offer to consumers. What is needed is a system that enables the insured (or the insured's broker) to identify, select and capture beneficial differences between these yield (cost) curves, at different periods in time, or across a continuum of time, for different intervals, and from different insurers, and in doing so, increase value to the consumer.
Additionally, when a broker creates a structured annuity to address a plaintiff's future medical requirements or lost income, he or she does so today in generalized, approximated fashion. For example if a Life Care Plan ("LCP") calls for $5MM of medical care over a 20 year period, it would be customary for a broker today to structure an annuity in the following manner: $250IC per year, increasing at a 3% COLA each year, for 20 years. While generally acceptable, such non-specific approaches leave much to be to be desired. In addition to being able to identify and beneficially select and capture differences between individual insurers' yield (cost) curves over time, a systems is also needed to enable consumers (and brokers) to structure damages which are specified in damages valuation models, such as Life Care Plans, Medicare Set Asides and Loss of Earnings Assessments, with increased specificity and control, as increasing the specificity of a structured annuity can also increase its value to the consumer in the form of additional reductions in cost to the consumer, reduced exposure to potential financial shortfalls as a result of not structuring irregular, yet anticipated financial requirements included in such damages valuation models, and the like.
Life Care Plans objectively identify the residual medical conditions and ongoing care requirements of ill/injured individuals, and they quantify the ongoing costs of supplying these individuals with requisite medically-related goods and services throughout their durations of care.
Life Care Plans answer three Basic Questions about individuals who are ill or injured: 1) what's wrong with the person (i.e. what are their diagnostic conclusions, impairments and disabilities), 2) what do they need to take care of them (i.e. what are their medical requirements), and 3) how much will the requirements cost over time?
Medicare Set Asides (MSAs), also known as Worker's Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (WCMAS), are structured in the same fashion as Life Care Plans but address a different goal. They are financial agreements that allocates a portion of a workers' compensation settlement to pay for future medical services related to the workers' compensation injury, illness, or disease. Like a Life Care Plan, they specify goods and services that are needed in a person's care, but unlike a Life Care Plan, are restricted to those sets of goods and services that would be allowably reimbursed under Medicare. These funds must be depleted before Medicare will pay for treatment related to the workers' compensation injury, illness, or disease.
It is common for plaintiff's who are ill/injured to structure their awards to cover the anticipated medical expenses identified in Life Care Plans or Medicare Set-Asides, as structuring damages to meet future medical requirements reduces the risk of the plaintiff mismanaging their money, and thereby not having it to meet the medical necessities specified in Life Care Plans.
Loss of Earnings Assessments (also referred to as vocational assessments, loss of earnings capacity assessments, economic damages assessments, etc.) determine economic damages resulting from a person's loss of earnings and/or loss of earnings capacity, resulting from a chronic and/or catastrophic injury or illness.
It is common for plaintiffs who are ill/injured to structure their award to cover lost income (past and/or future), as structuring damages to replace lost income reduces the likelihood a plaintiff mismanaging/prematurely spending/losing their money, and thereby becoming financially destitute with no capacity to earn a living.
In the current art, the settlement broker goes thru a subjective process of discussing needs with guidance from the Life Care Plan. The Life Care Plan is too detailed to feasibly use for granular analysis. As such the structured settlement broker and the client work together to determine how much of the plan to structure and how much not to structure, and then review at a coarse level to determine the sufficiency of the structured payments compared to the Life Care Plan. Thus, the current method of creating a structured settlement is done using trial and error with pen or pencil, or by using electronic spreadsheets. Optimization of such a plan is tedious and requires repeated calculations.
Currently, there is no system that allows the user to selectively add/edit/delete every element of the life care plan. What is needed is a system and method that allows the paradigm to change such that the Life Care Plan can be used for precise and not subjective structure planning. This precision allows new processes such as category by category exclusion, start date adjustment, and category percentage adjustment to be elemental steps in the process.
Furthermore, using prior art methods, once the desired amounts to be structured are determined, the selection of structured products to flesh out the plan is based primarily on simplicity rather than optimal pricing. Even when the broker and the client have created a coarse level year by year payment schedule, selecting the combination of structured products that will produce that revenue stream can be very complex. This complexity of matching structure settlement products to desired revenue stream often precludes trying to figure out which insurer or combination of insurers would provide the best pricing for that revenue stream. Therefore the process results in both suboptimal payment timing as well as suboptimal pricing.
Consequently, once desired payout amounts are selected there is no way for broker to efficiently leverage selection of available products, nor is there a framework or process that defines optimization conditions to match the payouts to the Life Care Plan. For example, there is no way for the user to instruct prior art systems to optimize for pricing at the expense of precision of payment match to Life Care Plan at a predetermined level of precision such as 1 year. Similarly, there is no way for the user to say that the system should precisely match to the life care plan and optimize pricing within those constraints.
Thus, the prior systems and methods are subjective and lack defined optimization conditions as well as inherently losing precision during the creation of the structured settlement due to the need to reduce complexity.
What has been needed, and heretofore unavailable is a system and method that can handle the complexity and allow it to be leveraged for fine grained and interactive Life Care Plan editing, structured settlement payment timing compared to needs, optimization parameterization, and automated selection of structured settlement products to satisfy the optimization parameters. The present invention satisfies these, and other needs.

System and method for optimizing annuity product composition and pricing


A method of compression of the color data of point clouds is described herein. A palette of colors that best represent the colors existing in the cloud is generated. Clustering is utilized for generating the palette. Once the palette is generated, an index to the palette is found for each point in the cloud. The indexes are coded using an entropy coder afterwards. A decoding process is then able to be used to reconstruct the point clouds.

Point clouds are huge data sets of three dimensional points including information such as color and distance. The point clouds are able to be acquired frequently such as when using Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) on a moving vehicle which repeatedly acquires point clouds. Compressing the vast amount of point cloud data is important to enable practical processing of the data.

Palette coding for color compression of point clouds