A substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, or a liquid crystal display is polished to a flat mirror finish, and then cleaning a polished substrate that is cleaned to a high degree of cleanliness. A polishing section having at least one polishing unit for performs primary polishing and secondary polishing of the substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing surface. A cleaning section cleans the substrate which has been polished to remove particles attached to the substrate by a scrubbing cleaning. Metal ions are removed from the substrate by supplying an etching liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for polishing a substrate, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, or a liquid crystal display to a flat mirror finish, and then cleaning a polished substrate that requires a high degree of cleanliness.
2. Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor devices have become more highly integrated in recently years, circuit interconnections on semiconductor substrates become finer and the distances between those circuit interconnections have become smaller. One of the processes available for forming such circuit interconnections is photolithography. Though the photolithographic process can form interconnections that are at most 0.5 xcexcm wide, it requires that surfaces on which pattern images are to be focused by a stepper be as flat as possible because the depth of focus of the optical system is relatively small.
Further, if a particle greater than the distance between interconnections exists on a semiconductor substrate, then the particle will short-circuit interconnections on the semiconductor substrate. Therefore, any undesirable particles on the semiconductor substrate have to be sufficiently smaller than the distance between interconnections on the semiconductor substrate.
Therefore, in processing the semiconductor substrate, it is important to planarize the semiconductor substrate and clean the semiconductor substrate to a high degree of cleanliness. Such a requirement holds true for the processing of other substrates including a glass substrate to be used as a mask, a liquid crystal panel, and so on.
In order to achieve planarization of the semiconductor substrate, it has heretofore been customary to use a polishing apparatus, the process of which is called chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a conventional polishing apparatus comprises a polishing section 10, a load and unload section 22, two transfer robots 24a and 24b, a cleaning section 26 having three cleaning units 26a, 26b and 26c, and a reversing device 28 as necessary. The transfer robots 24a and 24b may be a mobile type robot which moves along rails shown in FIG. 10, or a stationary type robot having robot hands at forward ends of articulated arms shown in FIG. 11.
As shown in FIG. 12, the polishing section 10 comprises a turntable 12 having a polishing cloth 11 thereon, a top ring 13 for supporting a semiconductor wafer (substrate) W and pressing the semiconductor substrate W against the turntable 12, and a nozzle 14 for supplying an abrasive liquid onto the polishing cloth 11. A transfer device 38 is disposed adjacent to the turntable 12 (FIGS. 10 and 11). The adjacent two sections are partitioned by a partition wall to prevent cross-contamination. Specifically, in order to prevent dirty atmosphere in the polishing section 10 from being scattered into a chamber in which a cleaning process and a subsequent process are performed, air conditioning and pressure regulation in each of the chambers are performed.
In the polishing apparatus having the above structure, the semiconductor substrate W is transported from the load and unload section 22 to the transfer device 38 by the transfer robots 24a and 24b and transferred to the top ring 13 by the transfer device 38. In the polishing section 10, the semiconductor substrate W is held by the lower surface of the top ring 13 and pressed against the polishing cloth 11 providing a polishing surface on the turntable 12. The abrasive liquid Q is supplied from the nozzle 14 onto the polishing cloth 11 and retained on the polishing cloth 11. During operation, the top ring 13 exerts a certain pressure on the turntable 12, and the surface of the semiconductor substrate W held against the polishing cloth 11 is therefore polished in the presence of the abrasive liquid Q between the surface of the semiconductor substrate W and the polishing surface on the polishing cloth 11 by a combination of chemical polishing and mechanical polishing while the top ring 13 and the turntable 12 are rotated. In case of polishing an insulating layer made of an oxide film (SiO2) on the silicon substrate, the abrasive liquid Q contains abrasive particles having a certain diameter suspended in an alkali solution. The semiconductor substrate W which has been polished is transported to the cleaning section 26 in which the semiconductor substrate W is cleaned and dried, and then returned to the load and unload section 22.
The primary cleaning unit 26a in the cleaning section 26 has a plurality of vertical spindles 30 arranged at spaced intervals for supporting the outer circumferential edge of the semiconductor substrate W by their holding grooves formed at the upper end portions of the spindles 30 and rotating the semiconductor substrate in a horizontal plane at a relatively low rotational speed, and a pair of cleaning members comprising a roller type or a pencil type sponge which can be brought in contact with the semiconductor substrate W or out of contact with the semiconductor substrate W. The primary cleaning unit 26a is a low rotational speed type cleaning unit. The secondary and tertiary cleaning units 26b and 26c have a rotating table 36 comprising a rotating shaft 32 and a plurality of arms 34 which extend radially outwardly from the rotating shaft 32 and hold the outer circumferential edge of the semiconductor substrate W. The secondary and tertiary cleaning units 26b and 26c are a high rotational speed type cleaning unit. In each of the primary, secondary and tertiary cleaning units 26a, 26b and 26c, there are provided a nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid to the surface of the semiconductor substrate W, a cover for preventing the cleaning liquid from being scattered around, and a ventilating equipment for creating down draft (descending air current) to prevent mist from being scattered around.
The cleaning processes for cleaning the semiconductor substrate which has been polished are carried out in the following manner:
In the primary cleaning unit 26a, while the semiconductor substrate W is held and rotated by the spindles 30, a scrubbing cleaning is performed by allowing the cleaning members to scrub the upper and lower surfaces of the semiconductor substrate W while supplying a cleaning liquid. In this scrubbing cleaning process, the first cleaning liquid having substantially the same pH as the abrasive liquid used in the polishing process is used to prevent particles from being aggregated due to so-called pH shock. To be more specific, if the abrasive liquid is rapidly diluted with pure water to lower the pH of the abrasive liquid, then the abrasive particles become unstable, to thus aggregate secondary particles to form larger aggregates. In this specification, pH shock is defined as a rapid change of a pH. Therefore, in order to prevent pH shock from occurring, the first cleaning liquid having substantially the same pH as the abrasive liquid is used in the scrubbing cleaning process. For example, in case of polishing a SiO2 layer, aqueous ammonia is used as the first cleaning liquid, and after the particles are removed from the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate W, the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate are shifted from alkali to neutrality by supplying a neutral cleaning liquid such as pure water thereto. Thereafter, the semiconductor substrate W is transferred to the secondary cleaning unit 26b.
In the secondary cleaning unit 26b, in order to remove metal ions attached to the semiconductor substrate W, an acid chemical is normally supplied to the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate W from the nozzle to cause etching (chemical cleaning) of the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate, and then a neutral cleaning liquid such as pure water is supplied to cause the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate to be returned to neutrality. Thereafter, the semiconductor substrate W is transferred to the tertiary cleaning unit 26c having a drying function. In the tertiary cleaning unit 26c, pure water is supplied to perform a final cleaning of the semiconductor substrate W, and then the semiconductor substrate W is rotated at a high rotational speed while blowing a clean inert gas against the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate, thereby drying the semiconductor substrate W. After the semiconductor substrate W is cleaned and dried, the semiconductor substrate W is returned to the load and unload section 22 by a clean hand of the transfer robot 24a or 24b.
In the above-mentioned polishing apparatus, since etching cleaning is conducted by a dedicated cleaning unit, i.e., the cleaning processes are conducted by the three cleaning units 26a, 26b and 26c, the polishing apparatus becomes large, requires a large installation space, and needs a long processing time for the cleaning processes.
Further, the semiconductor substrate W is transported as shown by arrows {circle around (1)} to {circle around (9)} in FIG. 11, and hence the transportation route is extremely complicated. Specifically, the semiconductor substrate is transported from the load and unload section 22 to the reversing device 28 as shown by the arrow {circle around (1)}, transported to the transfer device 38 as shown by the arrow {circle around (2)}, and then moved above the turntable 12 as shown by the arrow {circle around (3)}. Thereafter, the polished semiconductor substrate W is moved to the transfer device 38 as shown by the arrow {circle around (4)}, transported to the primary cleaning unit 26a as shown by the arrow {circle around (5)}, and then transported to the reversing device 28 as shown by the arrow {circle around (6)}. Thereafter, the semiconductor substrate W is transported to the secondary cleaning unit 26b as shown by the arrow {circle around (7)}, and then transferred to the tertiary cleaning unit 26c as shown by the arrow {circle around (8)}. Finally, the semiconductor substrate W is returned to the load and unload section 22 as shown by the arrow {circle around (9)}.
As is apparent from the above, since the transportation route is extremely complicated, the two transfer robots 24a and 24b which perform the transportation of the semiconductor substrate W are required to be controlled, while preventing the transfer robots 24a and 24b from interfering with each other. Thus, an overall system in the polishing apparatus is more complicated, and tends to retard the processing time of the semiconductor substrate. Further, as the number of times in transporting the semiconductor substrate by the robot hands increases, the chance of contamination of the semiconductor substrate increases.
In order to simplify the structure of the cleaning section 26, it is conceivable to conduct the primary cleaning process for removing particles and the secondary cleaning process for etching by the same cleaning unit. However, in this case, alkali chemicals and acid chemicals are employed as the respective cleaning liquids in the same cleaning unit, and hence the lining of a drainage system is deteriorated, salt is deposited, and waste water treatment is complicated. Alternatively, it is conceivable to conduct etching and drying of the semiconductor substrate in the secondary cleaning unit 26b. However, in this case, the semiconductor substrate W is dried in the atmosphere in which mist of the etching liquid remains, and hence the semiconductor substrate is contaminated in the final cleaning process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for polishing a substrate which can reduce the scale of the polishing apparatus, shorten the processing time of the substrate, and produce a substrate having a high degree of cleanliness by performing cleaning processes with a simplified structure.
As the technology for manufacturing semiconductor devices progresses, the characteristics of layers (films) deposited on the semiconductor wafer also progresses. In the case where a semiconductor wafer having a newly developed layer (film) thereon is polished and then cleaned, the multistage cleaning of not less than three-stages is usually conducted at an early stage where the newly developed layer starts to be used in the semiconductor device manufacturing process. However, as the cleaning process progresses, the number of cleaning stages is gradually reduced. Therefore, as the process technology for manufacturing semiconductor devices progresses, the requirement for the apparatus for manufacturing the semiconductor devices changes, and hence an optimum structure of the apparatus must be maintained to meet the progress of the process technology. Therefore, the present invention is directed to provide a method and apparatus for polishing substrates with an optimum structure.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polishing apparatus for polishing and then cleaning a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a polishing section having at least one polishing unit for performing primary polishing and secondary polishing of the substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing surface; a cleaning section for cleaning the substrate which has been polished to remove particles attached to the substrate by scrubbing cleaning, and removing metal ions from the substrate by supplying an etching liquid.
In the secondary polishing, pure water is used as a polishing liquid, and the substrate is polished at a polishing efficiency lower than the primary polishing in such a manner that the polishing pressure and/or the polishing rate are smaller than those of the primary polishing. Thus, microscratches formed on the polished surface of the substrate in the primary polishing are removed or reduced, and ground-off particles and abrasive particles on the polished surface are removed.
For example, in case of using abrasive liquid containing siliceous material, in secondary polishing, particles on the substrate are efficiently removed by polishing the substrate under the final polishing condition. Thus, the substrate having a trace of particles thereon is transported to the cleaning section, and hence a process for removing particles by alkali can be eliminated, different from to the conventional method. In the cleaning section, etching of the surface of the substrate which is a kind of chemical cleaning using acid can be conducted, and then the substrate is cleaned and dried by a cleaning and drying process. In this manner, cleaning and drying of the substrate can be performed by two cleaning units and two processes, and thus the processing time is shortened and the number of apparatuses or units can be reduced, compared with the conventional apparatus and method. Further, the number of times of transporting the substrate is reduced, and hence the processes can be reduced and the chance of contamination of the substrate can be reduced.
It is desirable that final polishing is performed at a polishing rate of 5 xc3x85 (angstrom)/minute or below. The cleaning liquid or the etching liquid may be supplied to the front and backside surfaces of the substrate. The drying process may be performed by a drying unit different from the cleaning unit or the same cleaning unit. If the drying process is performed by the same cleaning unit, then it is desirable to perform the drying process in a clean atmosphere. As a cleaning liquid, a high performance water including ionic water, ozone water, and hydrogen water may be used.
In a preferred embodiment, primary polishing and secondary polishing are conducted in the same polishing unit. This constitution allows the polishing apparatus to be simplified and to reduce an installation space thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, the polishing section comprises at least two polishing units for performing primary polishing and secondary polishing, respectively. This constitution allows the processes to be simplified and contributes to improving throughput of the substrates.
In a preferred embodiment, the polishing section comprises at least two polishing units for the primary polishing process and the secondary polishing process, and the cleaning section comprises at least two cleaning units for performing different cleaning processes. This constitution allows two-stage cleaning or three-stage cleaning, and a plurality of cleaning processes can be performed by the single apparatus.
For example, in case of using an abrasive liquid containing alumina material, removal of particles in the secondary polishing process cannot be sufficiently performed. In performing the etching process after secondary polishing, scrubbing cleaning is carried out with alkali before the etching process to remove particles sufficiently. In this case, three-stage cleaning should be performed.
According to the polishing apparatus of the present invention, two-stage cleaning and the three-stage cleaning can be selectively performed. If the abrasive liquid and the polishing cloth are replaced in the polishing unit, then an optimum apparatus which is suitable for both the process which uses the abrasive liquid containing siliceous material and the process which uses the abrasive liquid containing alumina material may be constructed. Further, even if the scrubbing process becomes unnecessary due to progress in the polishing technology with use of the abrasive liquid containing alumina material and the cleaning technology after polishing, the present invention offers an optimum structure.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a polishing method for polishing and then cleaning a substrate, the method comprising: polishing the substrate primarily by pressing the substrate against a polishing surface; polishing the substrate secondarily at a polishing rate lower than the primary polishing; cleaning the substrate which has been polished to remove particles attached to the substrate by scrubbing cleaning, and removing metal ions from the substrate by supplying an etching liquid; and drying the substrate after removing the metal ions therefrom.
In a preferred embodiment, the etching liquid comprises acid aqueous solution containing hydrofluoric acid.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate which has been polished comprises: at least two primary cleaning units having the same cleaning function, each for primarily cleaning the substrate which has been polished; and a common secondary cleaning unit for secondarily cleaning the substrate which has been cleaned by the primary cleaning units.
With the above arrangement, the primary cleaning of the substrates is conducted in parallel in the primary cleaning units simultaneously or with a certain time lag, and then secondary cleaning of the substrates which have been primarily cleaned is conducted in a common secondary cleaning unit. This arrangement is desirable for such a case where primary cleaning requires a time longer than secondary cleaning.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate which has been polished comprises: at least three cleaning units for cleaning the substrate which has been polished; and a transfer robot for transferring the substrate between at least two of the cleaning units; wherein the substrate is cleaned by selective cleaning processes conducted by any two or three cleaning units selected from the at least three cleaning units.
With the above arrangement, any two or three cleaning units are selected from at least three cleaning units to conduct selective cleaning processes of the substrates. The selective cleaning processes include two-stage cleaning of the substrate or three-stage cleaning of the substrate.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a polishing apparatus for polishing and then cleaning a substrate comprises: a plurality of polishing units for polishing the substrate; and a plurality of cleaning units for cleaning the substrate which has been polished; wherein the substrates are processed by different processes through a plurality of polishing-cleaning routes, each including at least one selected from the polishing units and at least one selected from the cleaning units.
With the above arrangement, at least one selected from a plurality of polishing units and at least one selected from a plurality of cleaning units can be combined to construct a polishing-cleaning route, and the number of polishing-cleaning routes can be freely selected by setting the number of polishing units and cleaning units appropriately, and hence a plurality of different processes can be selectively conducted on the substrates.

Method and apparatus for polishing a substrate


A timer processing method includes: receiving, by a terminal device, a first message sent by a network device, and starting or restarting a timer based on a scrambling identifier of the first message, wherein the timer is a timer used by the terminal device to switch from an active downlink BWP to a default downlink BWP, or is a timer used by the terminal device to activate a default downlink BWP and deactivate an active downlink BWP; or if an active BWP pair of the terminal device is not a default BWP pair, starting or restarting, by the terminal device, a timer based on a scrambling identifier of the first message, wherein the timer is a timer used by the terminal device to switch from the active BWP pair to the default BWP pair, or is a timer used by the terminal device to activate the default BWP pair.

As communications technologies continuously develop, a 5th generation (5th-Generation, 5G) new radio (New Radio, NR) technology introduces a concept of bandwidth part (Bandwidth Part, BWP). In the first release of 5G NR, namely, in the 5G NR Rel-15, a base station can configure a maximum of 4 BWPs on one bandwidth carrier for one terminal device. One terminal device has only one active downlink BWP and one active uplink BWP in one serving cell at any moment. In a paired spectrum scenario, namely, with frequency division duplexing (Frequency Division Duplexing, FDD), the configured BWPs may include one default downlink BWP (default DL BWP), and if no default downlink BWP is configured, an initial DL BWP (initial DL BWP) is the default downlink BWP by default. In an unpaired spectrum scenario, namely, with Time Division Duplexing (Time Division Duplexing, TDD), an uplink BWP and a downlink BWP appear in pairs, and the paired uplink BWP and downlink BWP are referred to as an uplink/downlink BWP (DL/UL BWP) pair or a BWP pair. The configured BWPs may include one default BWP pair (default BWP pair), and if no default BWP pair is configured, an initial BWP pair (initial BWP pair) is the default BWP pair by default. The default BWP corresponds to relatively narrow downlink bandwidth. A terminal device working on the default downlink BWP needs to listen to downlink control information (Downlink Control Information, DCI) on a narrow band only. The downlink control information is carried on a physical downlink control channel (Physical Downlink Control Channel, PDCCH), that is, the downlink control information is sent on the PDCCH. In other words, blind detection is performed in relatively small search space. Therefore, power consumption of the terminal device can be reduced. It should be noted that, receiving a PDCCH by a terminal device may be understood as receiving information carried on the PDCCH, or understood as receiving information such as DCI sent on the PDCCH.
A concept of BWP timer is introduced to reduce power consumption of user equipment. A BWP inactivity timer is used as an example. The BWP inactivity timer is a timer that controls the terminal device to fall back to a default downlink BWP or a default BWP pair. In the paired spectrum scenario, when the terminal device works on an active downlink BWP, and the active downlink BWP is not the default downlink BWP, the terminal device needs to run the BWP inactivity timer. In the unpaired spectrum scenario, when the terminal device works on an active BWP pair, and the active BWP pair is not the default BWP pair, the terminal device needs to run the BWP inactivity timer. When the BWP inactivity timer expires, it indicates that the terminal device does not receive a downlink assignment in a specific period of time. In this case, the terminal device does not need to work on large bandwidth for data communication and only needs to work on narrow bandwidth. In other words, the terminal device may automatically switch to and work on the default downlink BWP or the default BWP pair, to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.
In the prior art, whether to start a BWP inactivity timer is determined based on a PDCCH that is received by a terminal device and that indicates a downlink assignment (downlink assignment), or is determined based on a PDCCH that is received by a terminal device and that indicates switching to a non-default BWP. A default BWP may be understood as a default downlink BWP or a default BWP pair. To be specific, the BWP inactivity timer is started or restarted provided that the terminal device receives the PDCCH indicating a downlink assignment or indicating switching to a non-default BWP. It should be noted that, BWP switching may be understood as activating one inactive BWP and deactivating one active BWP. BWP switching may be downlink BWP switching or BWP pair switching. The BWP pair switching may be understood as switching both a downlink BWP and an uplink BWP. However, in the prior art, there is an error or an omission during timer start or restart. Consequently, the terminal device cannot correctly switch to a default downlink BWP, and power consumption of the terminal device cannot be reduced.

Timer processing method and terminal device


A method for extending dynamic range and a test system with extended dynamic range compensate for a compression effect on measured data caused by a receiver channel of the test system being compressed. The measured data is magnitude and phase data for one of a device under test and a signal under test that is measured using the test system. The method comprises characterizing a first channel of the test system for first channel compression responses to magnitude and phase, characterizing a second channel of the test system for second channel compression response to magnitude and phase, and compensating to correct for the effect of compression on the measured data. The test system comprises a receiver channel, and a computer program stored in memory that implements the method. Test systems with a plurality of receiver channels may be characterized in pairs.

Test systems are critical to the design, manufacture and maintenance of modem radar and communications systems and their component electronic devices. Among a wide variety of test systems that are routinely employed are scalar and vector network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and power meters. While each different type of test system typically characterizes a device under test (DUT) in a manner consistent with a design of the test system, most test systems share certain performance characteristics. In particular, many test systems can be characterized by a commonly used measure of performance known as dynamic range.
In general terms, dynamic range is defined as a difference between a minimum signal power level and a maximum signal power level that can be measured by the test system. In particular, the minimum and maximum power levels are usually those for which the system can meet a certain pre-defined accuracy specification. A noise floor of the system typically determines the minimum signal level or system sensitivity, while the maximum signal level is usually set or determined by a compression point or level of the system. Thus, the test system generally provides accurate measurements of a signal from a device under test (DUT), given that the signal level lies between the noise floor and the compression point of the system.
As mentioned above, the noise floor of the test system typically sets a lower end of the dynamic range of the test system. The noise floor, referenced to the input of the system, is determined by the system noise figure, a measure of noise power added by the system, and the system bandwidth. In essence, a signal that has a power level above the noise floor can be distinguished from noise and thus detected and measured. However, the presence of the noise tends to interfere with and ultimately corrupt signal detection and measurement. Therefore, the signal must not only be above the noise floor, but above the noise floor by a sufficient amount to be reliably detected and accurately measured. As such, the lower end of the dynamic range of the test system generally accounts for, or is set by, a minimum signal to noise ratio (SNR) level, below which measurement accuracy and/or detection reliability cannot be maintained.
The compression point or compression limit of the system typically sets an upper end of the dynamic range in most test systems. In general terms, the compression point is a maximum signal power level beyond which the system response becomes sufficiently non-linear to adversely affect measurement accuracy. A system response is considered linear if a magnitude and a phase response of a system do not change (i.e., are essentially constant) with respect to changing input signal power levels. However, a point eventually will be reached where the magnitude and/or phase response is no longer constant as signal power increases. This point is known as the compression point. The amount of compression that can be tolerated by a given system is case specific. For example, in many systems the allowable amount of compression is limited to a very small amount, typically less than 0.2 dB, at a maximum input power in order to meet the system measurement accuracy specification.
High dynamic range is very important to test systems. For example, consider a network analyzer used to measure S-parameters of a DUT. The dynamic range of the network analyzer, in part, determines the ability of the network analyzer to distinguish between a passband and a stop band of the DUT. For example, a filter can have a stop band that is many tens of decibels (dB) below the passband of the device. Thus, when the DUT is a filter, the network analyzer needs to be able to measure a transmission S-parameter that can vary by as much as 80 dB or more. In other applications, the need to characterize DUTs that have a very low return loss, while simultaneously providing a very low transmission loss, necessitates high dynamic range on the part of the network analyzer. High dynamic range also facilitates accurate measurement of full two-port S-parameters for active devices, such as amplifiers, especially those with very high forward gain and/or very low reverse gain. Thus, providing for high dynamic range in network analyzers is an important consideration. In short, test systems, such as vector network analyzers, generally depend upon an amplitude or magnitude response and a phase response of the receivers of the network analyzer test system to be linear over a wide or high dynamic range.
Conventional approaches to providing high dynamic range in such test systems generally involve improving the system noise figure and/or increasing or raising the compression point of the system. Therefore, some test systems, such as a network analyzer, use low noise amplifiers (LNAs) either in front of the standard receivers or incorporated into a front end of the receivers. An LNA is an amplifier that has a low noise figure. The use of the LNA reduces the overall noise figure of the test system. The lower system noise figure reduces the system noise floor and, in turn, improves the dynamic range at the low end. Unfortunately, LNAs are typically low power, and thus have relatively low compression points. The low compression point of the LNA limits the system compression point and the system dynamic range at the high end.
Alternatively, increasing the high end of the dynamic range of the system generally involves using padding, high power amplifiers, or other means to increase the compression point of the receivers of the system. Unfortunately, the use of padding and high power amplifiers generally results in an increase in system noise figure and a concomitant reduction of dynamic range at the low end. Thus, system dynamic range is generally maximized by a judicious trade-off between low-end performance and high-end performance on the part of components that make up the system. In some systems, most notably power meters and spectrum analyzers, that measure signal magnitude but not signal phase, techniques of amplitude or magnitude linearization sometimes are employed to minimize the effects of compression. These techniques compensate for amplitude compression and thus, are not very useful for systems that perform vector measurements such as magnitude and phase of a vector network analyzer.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to extend test system dynamic range, especially for test systems that measure vector quantities such as amplitude and phase. Furthermore, it would be desirable if such a dynamic range extension did not require or depend on changing the architecture of test system or improving the performance of components used in the test system. Such an extended dynamic range would solve a long-standing need in the area of test systems that measure amplitude and phase of networks and DUTs.

Test system dynamic range extension through compression compensation


An image processing device which places a display object within a virtually-defined three-dimensional space, creates a picture of the display object viewed from a virtual viewpoint with the image processing device, and displays the picture on a display. The image processing device comprises a display body setting element for setting a plurality of display bodies within said three-dimensional space; a display body disposal element for overlappingly disposing one of the plurality of display bodies within the display object, a display body image setting element for setting an image of the display object such that the one of the plurality of display bodies housed within the display object becomes visible, and a display body movement mode reflection element for making at least one movement mode of the one of the plurality of display bodies reflect a movement mode of the display object.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an information processing device and system for processing information of image data or the like, and in particular relates to a display control method of images in which an object visually changes in a 3D image based on a prescribed game program determined in advance, an image processing method and device thereof, and a recording medium and game device having recorded thereon such image display control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pursuant to the development of computer graphics technology in recent years, simulation devices and game devices have become widely popular for both business use and domestic use.
The screen thereof is composed such that a background screen and objects in such background screen move pursuant to a computer program or controller instructions, and changes and operations in accordance with the game are executed thereby.
Here, depending on the game content, it is necessary to display information with various texts or symbols regarding the explanation of the rules, explanation of the operation, the progress and the result of the scores, and the life gauge if the object has operational limitations. In such a case, a display area is provided to the upper or corner section, for example, of the screen. This prevents the objects displayed on the screen from becoming overlapped as much as possible, and enables the clear display of information by precisely distinguishing the background screen.
Nevertheless, depending on the game content, when a display of text or the like is made on the screen as though a telop, there is a possibility that the realistic sensation will decrease when the player plays the game, and the balance of the image may deteriorate.
For instance, in a screen envisioning outer space, when a display such as text is made on the part of a screen while the player is enjoying the game feeling as though he/she is in outer space, the amusement of the game may decrease and the realistic sensation may be lost.
This is not limited to the display of text, and, for example, applies similarly to the case of a life gauge or the like which represents the life volume of an object with the length of a strip-shaped graph.
Although the foregoing examples refer to those which are, in principal, displayed constantly, there are those which are displayed on the screen in a prescribed timing. As a representative example thereof, there are cases of displaying a text such as "game start" or "game over", and such text is overlapped and displayed irrespective of the game screen. This type of sporadic text display also lacks the sense of unity with the game screen, and may cause the deterioration of the game amusement.
Moreover, a life gauge or the like is information which must be watched from point to point, and if the object position and the life gauge position are apart from each other, the player is required to move his/her viewpoint. Not only is this a complicated task, but this may also cause the player to fatigue easily.
Meanwhile, in general an object in a game scores points or wins/loses pursuant to some types of action, and, among such actions, there are ordinary actions, and special actions (the so-called finishing blows or secret moves) used in particular circumstances. Since the operations for using the special actions are complex, the player usually wishes to concentrate on such operations. Nevertheless, in a game, the player must concentrate on the position of the object, position of the opponent, operational timing and so on, and in actuality it is difficult for the player to concentrate on the operation of the special actions. Further, it is possible that the player will only operate in one of the actions; that is, either in the standard action or the special action. It is therefore necessary to establish some kind of merit/demerit when implementing the special actions.
Next, as a means for reinforcing the object as the main character, there is a technique of generating an aura around this object. An aura is an image processing which expresses the object in the center of the background to be conspicuous, and there is a mode where lines are radially emanated from the center of the object, and a mode where a gradational screen is provided around the object.
Conventionally, a circular plate polygon was generated from the center (for example, near the bellybutton) of an object (mainly of a human shape), and the normal vector thereof was set to constantly face the camera viewpoint. It is thereby possible to form a circular aura around the object no matter which position such object is facing. This, however, appears strange since the aura is not emanated along the contour of the object.
Moreover, as another method of generating an aura, there is a method of forming an aura with plate polygons around the skeletal polygons of the respective parts structuring the object.
According to this method, the contour of the object and the contour of the outermost periphery of the aura will have the same shape (similar figure), and would not appear unnatural.
Nevertheless, although this method is capable of being compatible with a certain degree of motion of the object, when the object faces abeam against the camera viewpoint, for instance, since the plate polygons will lose its third dimension, there is an instant where the aura disappears. In addition, there are also cases where the aura disappears when the skeletal polygons overlap.
In order to accurately generate an aura coinciding with the contour of the object, it is most preferable to extract the contour of the object. This, however, requires a commeasurable processing capacity of the CPU in addition to the processing time becoming significantly long, and there are cases where this is not able to keep up with the game progress.
Moreover, with a conventional image processing device, the movement of the character and a controller display area for displaying the operational status of the controller for instructing the movement of such object were displayed on the screen. Thus, the player was required to pay particular attention to both the movement of the character and the display of the operational status of the controller. This generates cases where the player is not able to make appropriate operations since his/her attention is diverted.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2998086 therefore provided a controller display area overlapping with the character. In this conventional art, however, the player is not able to determine the controller display area from the back of the character, nor able to determine the moving direction of the character from the controller display area.

System and method for superimposing an image on another image in a video game


A subscriber multiplexer includes a receiver for receiving signals transmitted from subscriber interfaces a feeder and for feeding those signals further to a telephone exchange via a respective PCM connection, and a feeder for feeding signals transmitted from the telephone exchange via the respective PCM connection further to the subscriber interfaces. For detecting the condition of the subscriber interfaces, the subscriber multiplexer includes measuring devices for checking the condition of the subscriber interface of the subscriber multiplexer, and a controller for activating the measuring devices in response to a measurement request signal transmitted by the telephone exchange via the respective PCM connection to achieve a measurement result, and for transmitting a message describing the measurement result to the telephone exchange to a telephone system and a method for communicating the condition of a subscriber interface of a subscriber multiplexer.

This invention relates to a subscriber multiplexer comprising means for receiving signals transmitted from subscriber interfaces and feeding those signals further to a telephone exchange via a PCM connection, means for feeding signals transmitted from the telephone exchange via a PCM connection further to subscriber interfaces, and measuring devices for checking the condition of a subscriber interface of the subscriber multiplexer. The invention further relates to a telephone system comprising a telephone exchange, and a subscriber multiplexer connected to the telephone exchange by a PCM connection, the multiplexer comprising subscriber interfaces and measuring devices for checking the condition of subscriber interfaces by means of check measurements. The invention further relates to a method for communicating to the telephone exchange the condition of the subscriber interface of a subscriber multiplexer connected to the telephone exchange via a PCM connection.
A subscriber multiplexer is previously known, the subscriber interfaces of which are connected to subscriber stations, such as telephones and similar devices, by means of a converter means and two-wire lines. The converter means adapts, in that case, the subscriber station electrically to the subscriber multiplexer, and carries out the necessary analog-to-digital conversions. The subscriber station multiplexer is connected to the telephone exchange via a PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) connection, in which one channel of the PCM connection is allocated for each subscriber interface. The frame structure of the PCM connection between the subscriber multiplexer and the telephone exchange is typically in accordance with CCITT (The International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee) recommendation G.704, the interface of the subscriber multiplexer and the telephone exchange typically being an interface in accordance with CCITT recommendation Q.512.
The weakness of the above mentioned subscriber multiplexer is the difficulty in monitoring the condition of subscriber interfaces, since monitoring the condition of a wire connected to a subscriber interface requires the visit of a maintenance person in site. The maintenance person connects a separate service terminal including measuring devices to the subscriber multiplexer, subsequent to which the maintenance person detects the condition of the subscriber interface, e.g. by means of measurements of current, voltage and/or insulating resistance. Checking the condition of the interface of a subscriber multiplexer is thus a highly inconvenient and slow measure, and also relatively costly, as it requires a visit of a maintenance person to the site of the interface.

Subscriber multiplexer, a telephone system and a method for communicating the condition of a subcriber interface


A hair treatment device can be used with a blower for drying and styling hair. The hair treatment device includes a hair-drying hood for covering the head of a user, which has an opening at a top portion or a side portion thereof. The blower can be inserted from the opening. The hair-drying hood further includes an outer layer, where the opening is disposed, and a thermal layer, which forms an air flow guiding chamber together with the outer layer inbetween for introducing and dispersing hot air from the blower all over the hair-drying hood while raising a temperature of the thermal layer. The hair treatment device further includes a position retainer having a first end fixing the blower, and having a second end is stably fixed onto an object.

Hair style is an important part of fashion, so people need to take care of it from time to time. The most common thing to do is to use a hair dryer to evaporate water in the hair. A hair dryer needs a user to hold it with his hand, and it is necessary to change positions frequently to make the hair evenly exposed to wind and heat, which will cause inconvenience to the user. To improve such disadvantages, a variety of hair-drying devices have been developed.
Please refer to FIG. 1A, which is a schematic view showing the appearance of a conventional household hair drying device. A base 91 is provided with a blower module (not shown) for generating a hot air flow, which is delivered to a hair hood 93 through a tubular passage (not shown) in a bracket 92, so that hair in the hair hood 93 can be dried. Disadvantageously, such products are too bulky and heavy to be carried for traveling. Even if the bracket 92 can be folded so that the base 91 and the head hood 93 can be combined, it is still difficult to achieve the requirements for portability. Moreover, the transmission path between the blower module in the base 91 and the head hood 93 is too long to be efficient for drying, and too much energy consumption is caused.
Referring to FIG. 1B, another conventional hair drying device is schematically illustrated, wherein most of the objects are made of cloth, so that it can be conveniently stored and carried. A duct 95 is sleeved on an air outlet (not shown) of the blower for guiding hot air into a hair hood 94, so that the user's hair placed in the hair hood 94 can be heated to achieve the purpose of drying. However, as can be seen from the figure, the hot air flow entering the hair hood 94 and temporarily staying therein will cause the internal air pressure to rise. As a result, it is not easy for the hair hood 94 to remain on the user's head. Therefore, the hair hood 94 must be provided with a strap set 940 for fixing the hair hood to the user's head. The user likely feels uncomfortable because the strap set 940 is wrapped around the forehead and neck.
FIG. 1C is a schematic view showing the appearance of still another conventional hair drying device, wherein the hair hood 96 itself is integrated with a blower module (not shown). The hair hood 96 standing through a stand 97 can be used for drying hair placed in the hair hood 96. In spite the transfer path between the blower module and the hood 93 is efficient, the size and weight still fail to meet the requirements for portability.

Hair-drying hood and hair treatment device including the same


A method of consolidating particulate materials into articles having combinations of properties not available by conventional processes by liquid phase sintering. These particulate materials are comprised of core particles individually coated with layers of a metal compound having a relatively higher fracture toughness than the core, such as WC or TaC. These coated particles include an outer layer comprised a metal, such as Co or Ni. The particles with these coatings are pressed to form an article and the article densified at pressures and temperatures where full density is achieved without the degradation of the material forming the core particle.

Sintering may be defined as the thermal treatment of a powder or compact for the purpose of bonding the particles together to create a solid article.
In certain applications where the powder is comprised of a mixture of powders of at least two distinct materials with different melting points, the powder mixture is compacted into a porous ("green") body. This body is heated above the melting point of the lowest melting constituent and a portion of the compacted loose powder mixture is liquified. After maintaining the body at the sintering temperature for a predetermined time, the material is allowed to cool and the liquid solidifies and "cements" the body into a densified useful structure. Examples of such systems are copper/tin, iron/copper, and tungsten carbide/cobalt.
In such processes, the densification of the compacted body takes place in the presence of a liquid phase, and such sintering processes are termed "liquid phase sintering" (LPS). In some systems, particularly the consolidation of "hard metals" such as tungsten carbide and other ceramic particles, LPS is sometimes called conventional sintering. In LPS processes it is beneficial to have a certain minimum amount of liquid phase present at sintering temperature to assure transport of the binder phase to accomplish uniform distribution and densification. It is also generally beneficial to restrict the amount of liquid phase present in order to avoid part shape deformation and grain growth.
This liquefaction enables, for instance, increased mass transport, particle rearrangement, development of a skeletal structure, and densification. It is generally thought that this is accomplished by rounding of the particles as the external irregularities are liquefied, and by the migration of this liquid to fill the voids. Upon cooling, recrystallization and often grain growth occur. Porosity, as a percentage of the whole volume, may decrease due to densification of the structure. The rate of densification may be influenced by, for example, sintering temperature, sintering time, sintering pressure, sintering atmosphere, and weight fraction of the binder constituent present.
Liquid phase sintering of conventional hardmetals such as tungsten carbide—cobalt (WC—Co) compacts is generally performed at sintering temperatures that range from 1325° C. to 1475° C.
As the WC—Co compact is heated during sintering of WC—Co hardmetals, the cobalt will start to behave like a very viscous liquid at about 700° C. and diffusion will increase with increasing temperature as Co viscosity correspondingly decreases. The grease-like behavior and viscosity of Co metal is believed to create capillary attractor forces resulting from the strong propensity of Co to wet as much WC surface as possible. This results in a rearrangement of WC particles and the composite begins to shrink even before the first liquid phase has formed.
At 1275° C., the Co binder metal begins to dissolve the WC particles and a ternary eutectic reaction begins to form a Co—W—C alloy. As temperature continues to increase, the increased surface wetting, liquefication, and capillary forces cause continued particle rearrangement and shrinkage of the powder mass into the shape of desired articles as grain boundaries move through the interface between the WC grains and Co binder phase.
High density, uniformity, and WC stoichiometry in the sintered part are basic requirements for WC—Co microstructural integrity and strength. Ensuring proper local carbon balance during liquid phase sintering, which eliminates the formation of the brittle carbon-deficient CO3W3C eta phase and carbon porosity caused by too much carbon is also important in providing the fracture toughness of WC—Co materials. Eliminating strength-robbing porosity and grain growth in the microstructure can be accomplished through selection of an appropriate sintering temperature and pressure. For example, the temperature must be high enough to liquefy an adequate amount of material to accomplish the mass transfer necessary to fill the pores between particles while maintaining the temperature low enough to avoid WC overdissolution that causes grain growth. To the extent that capillary forces are insufficient to provide densification to close to theoretical density, external pressure may be applied.
In conventional sintering, typically small percentages (3-18 wt %) of cobalt are mixed with WC. The cobalt binder plays a role in densification and its uniform distribution is desired in order to achieve uniformity in WC—Co microstructures. Microstructural defects are commonly found in sintered WC—Co parts. A general cause is inherently imperfect blending (even for long periods of time) of WC and Co powders that are of approximately equal diameters. It is desired that this process will encapsulate (or at least associate) each WC particle with just the right amount of Co such that the Co-to-WC ratio is essentially uniform throughout the mix. Statistically, it is highly unlikely that this result can be achieved because cobalt is not available in small enough nanoparticles to blend uniformly with the WC particles. Cobalt oxygenation, explosive pyrophoric reactions, and particle agglomeration are among the barriers to their availability.
The consequence is a WC—Co mixture with Co-rich and Co-poor areas. The liquid phase occurs first in the Co-rich zones, and the cobalt, unsaturated with WC, seeks thermodynamic equilibrium by (a) consuming nearby smaller WC crystals (the smallest ones may be totally consumed) and (b) by mobilizing unsaturated Co over long distances toward Co-poor zones to dissolve more and more WC until saturation is reached. Thus, a higher temperature than that necessary to create the liquid phase is needed to liquefy and transport the cobalt to Co-poor zones where it is required for equilibrium and for sufficient Co liquid to wet the WC particles.
Combating the effects of this uneven Co distribution is typically done using (a) very long ball-milling times, (b) higher sintering temperatures, and (c) longer sintering times. The ball milling tends to reduce many of the WC particles into fines, which are preferentially dissolved by Co during heating. The latter two measures do help spread the binder phase and normalize the distribution of the liquid Cobalt during sintering, but they also increase the dissolution of WC. In addition, some of the Co will penetrate the WC particles along their grain boundaries because of the WC/WC interface energy is higher (more positive) than the interface energy of WC/Co, at least as long as grain boundaries are present with interface angles nearly perpendicular to the surface. Upon cooling, the saturated WC—Co solution precipitates WC, preferentially nucleating and recrystallizing WC onto the adjacent remaining larger undissolved WC crystals, creating the undesirable Ostwald ripening (grain growth) phenomenon as solidification takes place. This grain growth proceeds until the temperature is decreased to below the 1275° C. ternary eutectic of the Co—W—C system. FIG. 1 shows the pseudobinary WC—Co phase diagram. Sintered densities of nearly 100% are commonplace for WC—Co materials.
Increasing sintering temperatures thus aids binder mobility but also causes excessive WC dissolution, resulting in unwanted grain growth. There is a tradeoff between sintering temperature and sintering time that must be carefully balanced. The maximum temperature must be high enough to liquefy enough material to accomplish the mass transfer necessary to fill the pores between particles (compromises structural strength) while trying to avoid too high a temperature for too long a time to avoid grain growth (which also reduces structural strength).
Since control of sintering temperature is one major aspect for high quality hardmetal microstructures, alternative sintering techniques have been employed. These techniques include the investigation of shortened sintering times (e.g. microwave sintering) and use of gas pressures (e.g. hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing [HiP], and the Ceracon and Roc-Tec sinter-forging methods) to achieve consolidation at lower temperatures.
Another approach used in consolidating conventional hardmetals is to increase the weight fraction of the binder such as cobalt. This can be in the range of 18-25 wt %. This not only increases the amount of liquid present but can have the beneficial effect of increasing the toughness of the structure. However, this approach has two significant drawbacks and is therefore generally avoided. First, increasing the weight percent of binder diminishes the weight percent of WC (the wear-resistant phase) in the structure and diminishes wear resistance accordingly. Second, increasing the amount of binder also dissolves more WC, contributing significantly to grain growth during cooling.
Further, the only means to improve the wear resistance of conventional carbides (while retaining the high fracture toughness of the WC—Co substrate) for the past seventy years has been to (a) continuously refine and improve conventional powder and consolidation processing methods, (b) to add thin wear-resistant coatings, and (c) to laminate harder materials onto a WC—Co substrate. Improving conventional WC—Co microstructures is a delicate balance of time, temperature, grainsize, and other product and process parameters. Incremental improvements in conventional carbides have been achieved over the past fifty years through better sintering temperature control and the use of higher purity, highly uniform WC and Co starting powders. Since the introduction of external coatings over thirty years ago, improvements in wear resistance of materials with the toughness of WC—Co has been slowed almost to a halt.
While these techniques have reduced the problems that occur in liquid phase sintering of conventional hardmetals, there nevertheless remains an unmet need for a method of producing particles with properties that allow for uniform properties throughout the WC and binder powders upon sintering and articles formed from such particles.
To avoid the previously described drawbacks, the invention provides a method of consolidating by liquid phase sintering a new class of designed-microstructure particulate materials with unprecedented combinations of property extremes called Tough-Coated Hard Powders (TCHPs, or EternAloy®). This novel family of sintered particulate materials is comprised of one or more types of superhard Geldart Class C or larger ceramic or refractory alloy core particles having extreme wear resistance, lubricity, and other properties which are (1) individually coated with nanolayers of a metal compound having a relatively higher fracture toughness, such as WC or TaC, and (2) coated again with a second layer comprising a binder metal, such as Co or Ni. The combination of multiproperty alloys within the TCHP sintered structure allows the combination of normally conflicting performance extremes, including, but not limited to toughness, abrasiveness, chemical wear resistance, and light weight, at levels heretofore to provide materials with superior properties unavailable from the sintered homogeneous powders. TCHP materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,346 to Toth, which is incorporated by reference herein.
The process of the present invention allows the integration of thermodynamically incompatible material phases and property extremes in a single material. Thus, TCHP materials can be engineered to combine hardness approaching that of diamond with fracture toughness greater than that of tungsten carbide, and weight approximately that of titanium. As a result, TCHPs can significantly exceed the wear resistance of conventional metal cutting and forming tools; abrasives; friction and wear products and thermal coatings; and automotive, aerospace, heavy industrial, and defense components.

Method for consolidating tough coated hard powders


The invention relates to sports training devices and can be used for training a volleyball spike-motion. The inventive device comprises a bearing frame, a ball, and a unit for returning the ball to the initial position thereof, which unit is provided with an elastic stretching connected to the frame by one end thereof, a rod whose one end is fixed to the frame in such a way that it has at least two degrees of freedom, whereas the second end of the rod is connected to the ball, and the second end of the stretching is connected to the rod. The frame is also provided with a limiter of traveling the rod. The device enables the ball to be moved along an arc, thereby increasing the quality of the spike-motion training, and improves effectiveness and safety of the training.

There is known a device for training ball strikes, comprising an elastic belt with attachment elements. The belt has a carbine and a slide for engagement with an immovable support (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,548, IPC A63B69/00, published 20 Apr. 1982). However, the device has a long period of after-hit swings, and also does not allow the volleyball players to control correctness of operation of the player's hand.
There is known a device for training strike movements, comprising a slide incorporated in a casing, a springed pressing plate for contacting with the slide situated in a longitudinal slot of the casing and furnished with a mechanism regulating the pressure force and mounted outside the casing, an element for reverse of the pressing plate into the initial position, a rod, an elastic element situated around the rod, the rod having limit holes for fixing a predetermined length of the elastic element; the casing is so designed that is capable of displacing along the axis of the rod, the plate is so designed that is capable of turning in the longitudinal slot of the casing and reciprocal-progressive movement along the axis, perpendicularly to the axis of the casing; the device is distinct in relation to known devices in that it is furnished with a unit for reverse of the rod into the initial position, which unit is joined with a flexible puller having a first end of the rod and a second end thereof, wherein the second rod is joined with a carbine via a flexible puller, the contact portion of the pressing plate is made in a rounded shape to provide a pointed engagement surface with the slide, the slide is designed as a sphere with an inner hole for the rod and providing fixation of the sphere on the rod, having a fixing element in the initial position, wherein the casing is made immovable. The aforesaid device for training the striking motions is supplied with an imitator of a sporting implement for indication of the place of strike with a possibility of its return into the initial position (see Russian Federation Patent No. 2224565, IPC A63B69/00).
However, the reciprocal-progressive mechanism of the above-mentioned device provides a movement of the ball along the straight line, whereas the player's hand is moving along an arc. During the striking movement of the palm part of the hand at the ball, the ball and the hand are being in contact at a distance of 25-35 cm. This period is called "co-striking". Different trajectories of the ball and the hand lead to non-correspondence of the bio-mechanical conditions of the "co-striking" that is reflected in the quality of training. Also, the aforementioned device is insufficiently effective for practicing the strike techniques because of the limitations of degree of free movement, which limitations cause high demands to precision of the strike motion performance. This is unacceptable for training novice sportsmen, who have not acquired a movement reflex of striking motion.
The most close to the proposed solution is a device for training of tennis players, including a support with a bracket with a horizontal axis secured thereon and having a clamp. A bracket-shaped frame is disposed therein, supplied with elastic stretch elements with a ball secured thereon. The bracket is mounted on a pole, the frame is mounted on the axis at a predetermined angle to the horizon. The elastic stretch elements provide the role of a reverse mechanism (USSR inventor certificate 641973). The mentioned device can be utilized for training volleyball sportsmen when a volleyball ball is used rather than the tennis ball.
However, after a strike, the ball is moving reciprocal-progressively, whereas the hand is moving along an arc, that leads to inconsistency of movement trajectories at the "co-striking". This creates discomfort, can lead to a trauma, and does not allow appropriate improving the strike technique. Following the strike, the ball returns into the initial position only after long chaotic oscillations. Besides, a shortcoming of the device is absence of immediate feedback information about the quality of the strike performed.

Device for training and improving a volleyball spike technique


A solid cast block of water soluble detergent is dispensed by obtaining a solid detergent article of at least twenty liters cast onto a longitudinally extending structural core and placing the article within the spray chamber of a dispenser such that the article is supported on the structural core. The detergent article is then rotated upon the structural core while dissolving solvent is sprayed upon the rotating article. The resulting detergent solution is dispensed to an end use point.

The advent of solid cast detergent compositions has revolutionized the manner in which detergents are used and dispensed by those commercial and institutional entities which routinely use large quantities of cleaning solution. Prior to the advent of solid cast detergents, detergents were available in liquid, granular or pellet form. The solid cast form, such as those disclosed in Re. U.S. Pat. No. 32,763, Re. U.S. Pat. No. 32,818, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,680,134 and 4,595,520, offered numerous unique advantages and quickly replaced a major portion of the conventional liquid, granular and pellet forms in the commercial and institutional markets.
The unique advantages offered by the solid cast forms of detergent include improved handling resulting in enhanced safety, elimination of component segregation during transportation and storage, increased concentration of active ingredients within the composition, and numerous others.
One method of manufacturing solid cast detergent compositions involves the steps of forming a homogenous melt of the various components, casting the molten melt into a mold, and solidifying the melt by cooling. For example, Fernholz et al., Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 32,763, describes a method of manufacturing a solid cast detergent composition which involves the steps of (i) forming an aqueous solution or dispersion of two hydratable chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide and sodium tripolyphosphate, (ii) heating the solution to a temperature of about 65.degree. to 85.degree. C. to form a heated solution, (iii) increasing the concentration of hydratable chemicals in the heated solution to produce a molten mixture which is liquid at the elevated temperature but solid at room temperature, and (iv) casting the molten mixture into molds for cooling and solidification to room temperature.
One difficulty encountered in the manufacture of solid cast detergent compositions by the molten process is the speed with which complete solidification of the cast composition can be achieved. It is understandably desirable to ensure that substantially the entire volume of a cast block of detergent composition is solid prior to effecting significant handling and/or transportation thereof in order to reduce the possibility that any remaining molten portion of the composition could be released and result in property damage and/or personal injury.
Generally, cast molten detergent compositions tend to cool and solidify from the exposed outer surfaces inward such that an outer crust usually forms on the cast detergent composition while the inner volume remains molten. This outer crust then tends to act as a insulating barrier and slows cooling of the remaining molten detergent composition. Because of this phenomena, it is generally accepted that, even though certain commercial and institutional users could benefit by using oversized blocks of solid cast detergent composition, the size of solid cast blocks of detergent composition formed by the molten process must be maintained below about 20 liters in order to prevent unreasonable delay in effecting complete solidification of the cast material.
In addition, the performance of solid cast detergent compositions is generally enhanced by the inclusion of one or more heat sensitive components such as tripolyphosphate detergent builders, chlorine bleaches, and enzymes. These heat sensitive components can be significantly degraded by extended exposure to the molten detergent composition.
Another drawback encountered in the manufacture of solid cast detergent compositions by the molten process is the need to employ a returnable/disposable mold within which the detergent may be cast, stored, transported, and dispensed. Disposable molds contribute to the growing problem of solid waste control while returnable molds are expensive to manufacture and cumbersome to handle.
Accordingly, a substantial need exists for a simple and relatively inexpensive process for producing oversized blocks of detergent compositions by the molten process which minimizes cooling time, reduces degradation of heat sensitive components, eliminates the need for environmentally harmful disposable receptacles and cumbersome returnable containers, and provides a generous exposed surface area available for dissolution by a dissolving fluid during dispensing.

Process of dispensing a solid cast block of water soluble detergent


An HVAC system includes HVAC components configured to adjust environmental conditions within a space. A control system is in communication with the HVAC components and is configured to execute in an efficiency operation mode. The efficiency operation mode is configured to receive configuration data related to the space and operational values for the HVAC components, monitor environmental parameters such as outdoor ambient temperature, indoor ambient temperature, and occupancy of the space, monitor an energy usage of the HVAC components based on the current operational values, determine new operational values configured to reduce the energy usage for the HVAC components based on the monitored energy usage and the environmental parameters, and transmit the new operating values to the HVAC components.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems include a control system configured to communicate with both indoor and outdoor components of the HVAC system in order to provide heating or cooling to a building space. The control system may be a centrally controlled thermostat, which a user interacts with to instruct the HVAC components to operate at one or more desired settings. The user often selects the settings for HVAC components via the thermostat and allows the HVAC system to run for extended periods of time at these settings. When the control system operates as such in one mode, there is often excessive energy usage, and user interaction is often required to maintain the desired settings. Additionally, upon installation and maintenance of the HVAC system, the installer must input settings and is often unaware of all aspects of the system, which can lead to installation errors.

Systems and methods for operating a thermostat based on building configuration data


A tool for cleaning semiconductor wafers includes a cleaning head with a flat face bounded by an edge. A tubular drive shaft is connected to the cleaning head and provides a conduit through which a cleaning fluid can flow. An opening into the shaft is provided in the flat face which also has a plurality of channels to distribute the cleaning fluid across the flat face. A brush is formed as a single piece of porous, elastic material with a substrate portion that has a first major surface abutting the cleaning head face. A lip of the brush extends from the substrate portion around the edge of the flat face to removably secure the brush to the cleaning head. The brush has a plurality of cylindrical nubs on the second major surface forming projections for scrubbing surfaces of semiconductor wafers.

The present invention relates to semiconductor wafer fabricating equipment; and in particular to apparatus for cleaning the semiconductor wafer during fabrication.
Following chemical-mechanical polishing, a semiconductor wafer often is scrubbed with a "pancake" style pad to remove particles of the polishing slurry left on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Such flat pancake pads are fixed onto a mounting plate with an adhesive and the mounting plate then is attached to a holder by bolts, machine screws or other mechanical fasteners. The pad is part of a wafer cleaning machine which rotates the mounting plate and pad against the major flat surface of the semiconductor wafer being cleaned. The chemicals used to clean semiconductor wafers may break down the adhesive used to attach the scrubbing pad to the mounting plate, resulting in the pad detaching during the scrubbing operation.
Some of the particulate matter being removed from the semiconductor wafer builds up on the pad over the course of repeated scrubbing operations; thereby necessitating periodic replacement of the pad. The procedure of changing conventional cleaning pads is somewhat time consuming requiring unbolting of the mounting plate from the cleaning machine and stripping the adhesively applied pad from the mounting plate. The scrubbing machine is taken out of operation, during the pad replacement procedure. In addition, use of adhesives to attach the pad can contaminate the cleaning machine, the clean room in which the wafer cleaning occurs and nearby semiconductor wafers.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a semiconductor wafer cleaning tool which resists the build up of particles on its surfaces. It is also desirable to enable easy replacement of the cleaning tool without dismantling the cleaning machinery and without using adhesives and other materials which could contaminate the clean room environment.
Furthermore, conventional pancake style scrubbing pads are not designed to clean the edge of the semiconductor wafer, as opposed to the major flat surface which has been polished. Without assuring that wafer edges will be cleaned, downstream operations in the semiconductor fabrication process may become contaminated with particles riding on the wafer edges. As a consequence, it is desirable to create a cleaning tool which also removes particulate matter from the edge of the semiconductor wafer.

Brush for scrubbing semiconductor wafers


The present invention relates to a crystalline form of tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate, a crystalline composition and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the crystalline form, and also to a process for preparing the same and the use for prophylaxis or treatment of a disease associated with a viral infection. The crystalline form has an X-ray powder diffraction pattern using Cu-Kα radiation, expressed in terms of lattice spacing “d” comprising peaks at about 18.4714 Å, 5.0350 Å, 4.6380 Å, 4.5347 Å, 4.3838 Å, 4.2874 Å and 3.6304 Å.

Phosphonomethoxy nucleotide analogs are a class of known broad-spectrum anti-viral compounds with activities against HIV, HBV, CMV, HSV-1, HSV-2, human herpes virus as well as other viruses. 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine (PMEA) and 9-[(R)-2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]adenine (PMPA) are two examples of this kind of compounds that have been used in the clinical anti-viral treatment. Because of the influence of a phosphonic acid group in a phosphonomethoxy nucleotide analog on its absorption in human body, a phosphonomethoxy nucleotide analog usually needs to be converted to its lipophilic prodrug to enhance bioavailability. Tenofovir disoproxil approved by FDA to treat AIDS is a lipophilic prodrug of PMPA, which can be metabolized in vivo to its corresponding parent drug PMPA with anti-viral activity.

PCT patent application WO 2006/133632 discloses crystalline forms, salts, amorphous solid forms and the like of tenofovir dipivoxil represented by Formula II. It also discloses tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate represented by Formula I and a crystalline form thereof (hereinafter referred to as crystalline form A).

Crystalline forms of tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate

Jiangsu Chiatai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Co., LTD.


An apparatus for determining a visual confirmation target, the apparatus includes a gaze detection portion detecting a gaze direction of a driver for a vehicle, a vehicle information acquisition portion, an image acquisition portion acquiring a captured image, a gaze region extraction portion extracting a gaze region of the driver within the captured image based on a detection result of the gaze direction, a candidate detection portion recognizing objects included in the captured image, generating a top-down saliency map based on the captured image and the vehicle information, and detecting an object having saliency in the top-down saliency map among the recognized objects as a candidate for a visual confirmation target, and a visual confirmation target determination portion determining a visual confirmation target on a basis of an extraction result of the gaze region and a detection result of the candidate for the visual confirmation target.

According to a known technique such as disclosed in WO2012/105196A, JP2013-41545A, JP2016-73357A, and JP2016-130959A, for example, a saliency region is acquired in an image displayed on a screen, so that a correlation between the acquired saliency region and a detection result of user's gaze direction is calculated. Based on the calculation result of such correlation, a degree of user's interest in the image is estimated.
In the aforementioned technique, the degree of user's interest in the image is estimated on the assumption that the user is immobile when looking at the image displayed on the screen, for example. In a case where the user is moving, i.e., in a case where a vehicle driver serving as the user is moving together with a vehicle, for example, it may be difficult to highly accurately determine a subject which is looked or gazed by the driver (such subject serving as a visual confirmation target).
A need thus exists for an apparatus for determining a visual confirmation target which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.

Apparatus for determining visual confirmation target


Provided is a cooker with a steam generating function without leakage of water and having excellent reliability and durability. A connecting member is formed of a soft material, and is guided by a convex-shaped guide portion having a rounded tip when it is inserted into an opening concave portion of a water tank (FIG. 4), and a convex-shaped seal portion for ensuring a seal can uniformly contact the opening concave portion. Moreover, the convex-shaped seal portion for ensuring the seal is integrally formed with a connection portion 3. Therefore, the durability and the reliability for slipping-off prevention can be enhanced, and the number of components can also be reduced.

As a conventional cooker, there is known a cooker with a steam generating function which generates steam in cooking (for example, see Patent Document 1).
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cooker 5 with a steam generating function which serves as a cooker. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the cooker 5 with the steam generating function which includes a water tank housing member in a lower part of a front surface. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cooker 5 with the steam generating function serving as the cooker includes a water tank 6 configured to store water to generate steam and provided below a heating chamber which is opened on a front surface for accommodating an object to be heated therein.
The water tank 6 is accommodated in a water tank housing portion 7 provided below the heating chamber of the cooker 5 with the steam generating function, and is removably attached from the front surface side of the cooker 5 with the steam generating function. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the water tank 6. FIG. 4(a) is a perspective view seen from the front surface of the water tank 6. FIG. 4(b) is a perspective view seen from a rear surface of the water tank 6. As shown in FIG. 4(b), an opening concave portion 8 is provided on the rear surface of the water tank 6 (see FIG. 2), and the water tank 6 and the water tank housing portion 7 are removably connected to each other by means of a connecting member provided in the water tank housing portion 7 (see FIG. 3).
Next, a method for supplying water from the water tank 6 storing water therein to a heating chamber body of the cooker 5 with a steam generating function will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a sectional side view showing a state in which the water tank 6 is connected to the connecting member in the water tank housing portion 7. FIG. 5(a) is a sectional side view showing a state in which the water tank 6 is not connected to the connecting member, and FIG. 5(b) is a sectional side view showing a state in which the water tank 6 is connected to the connecting member and a sectional side view showing a path for water. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the water stored in the water tank 6 (not shown) is pushed against the water tank 6 by means of a valve shaft 15 connected to a tank packing 14 and a spring (not shown), thereby sealed so as not to leak out of the water tank 6.
As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the water tank 6 is inserted into the water tank housing portion 7 (see FIG. 3), a connecting member provided in the water tank housing portion 7 is connected to an opening concave portion 8 provided on the rear surface of the water tank 6.
FIG. 7 is a front view and an exploded sectional view showing a conventional connecting member. FIG. 7(a) is a front view showing the conventional connecting member. FIG. 7(b) is an exploded sectional view showing the conventional connecting member. The connecting member is provided with an O-ring packing 12 as shown in FIG. 7(b), and the O-ring packing 12 contacts an internal wall of the opening concave portion 8 so that the water tank 6 and the water tank housing portion 7 are sealed. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the conventional connecting member is formed by a combination of a guide portion 1, the O-ring packing 12 and a water tube 13. Furthermore, the guide portion 1 is formed of a hard material.
When the water tank 6 is further pushed in, the valve shaft 15 is pressed by the connecting member such that a clearance is formed between the tank packing 14 and the water tank 6 as shown in FIG. 7(b). The water stored in the water tank 6 enters from the clearance and passes through an internal hollow portion 4, and is supplied to a water pump (not shown) through the water tube 13 in a water path 16 as shown in an arrow.
When the water tank 6 is removed from the water tank housing portion 7 (FIG. 3) reversely to the procedure, the tank packing 14 is closed so that the water stored in the water tank 6 is sealed in the water tank 6. As a result, the water stored in the water tank 6 can be prevented from leaking out.
With the structure, the water tank 6 is disposed removably from the body of the cooker 5 with the steam generating function which serves as the cooker. Therefore, the water tank 6 can easily be taken out to carry out cleaning or the like. Therefore, usability can be enhanced sanitarily.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Embodiments herein comprise a compact dust abatement apparatus that includes at least one manifold shaped to fit next to a belt or drum of a printing engine, at least one blower/fan positioned within the manifold, and at least one air duct connected to the manifold. The manifold has a vacuum opening adjacent the belt or drum and an exit opening where the air duct connects to the manifold. The blower is positioned inside the manifold, between the vacuum opening and the exit opening, such that the blower draws air and particles from the vacuum opening toward the exit opening. Thus, the blower creates a vacuum at the vacuum opening. The air duct directs air and particles from the manifold to a location away from the sensitive components. The inclusion of the blower inside the vacuum manifold provides for compactness without sacrificing performance.

Vacuum abatement systems, which prevent contaminants from reaching critical printer components, typically consist of a manifold or nozzle, a vacuum source (e.g. blower or fan) and ducting to connect the vacuum source and the manifold. Physically separating the manifold and blower allows the manifold to be embedded in the architecture, closely spaced from the surfaces or elements being cleaned, with the blower located in some less space-restricted area. The drawback is the creation of additional resistance to abatement airflow by the connecting duct, which is often long and can have many bends. In addition to degrading the airflow in the abatement system, the ducting adds complexity and cost. The ducting itself may consist of several components, and connections and seals are needed on both the blower and manifold ends of the duct.
As also discussed in U.S. Patent Publication 2003/0170043 (incorporated herein by reference) dust, debris, and toner may adversely affect the development operation in image-forming machines. Dust from each development station may adversely affect the development process in the other development stations. If similarly charged, the airborne toner from one development station may adhere to the photoconductor in place of the toner from another development station. The blending of toner from different development stations also adversely affects the toner properties and subsequently the image quality. If oppositely charged, the airborne toner may blend with the toner from the other development station and may then be attracted to the non-image areas producing a background or fog in the image.
Some image-forming machines implement one or more approaches to remove or otherwise control the airborne toner and carrier. See, for example, U.S. Patent Publication 2003/0052545, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,081,496, and 5,066,983 (all incorporated herein by reference) which utilize an external fan connected to a tube to create a vacuum near the cartridge or drum. A vacuum pump, fan, or other air movement device may be used to remove and filter the airborne toner from the air within the image-forming machine. Smaller vacuum pumps may be used to remove toner stacks or other build-up of toner in the image-forming machine. Some image-forming machines have a vacuum or electrostatic tube with several openings for applying a vacuum or an electrostatic charge along the trailing edge of the development station. These trailing edge openings collect airborne toner and carrier exiting along the trailing edge.

Printer contaminant abatement systems and methods


A glass composition being suitable for precision mold press forming, having superior resistance to devitrification, having optical constants (a refractive index, an Abbe number, and the like) required for aspherical lenses, and a low glass transition temperature. There is provided an optical glass comprising no less than 5 mol % and no more than 60 mol % of a B2O3 component, and no less than 0.2 mol % and no more than 60 mol % of a TeO2 component, by mol % on the basis of oxides. Further, there is provided an optical glass mentioned above having optical constants with a refractive index (nd) of 1.80 to 2.20, and an Abbe number (νd) of 16 to 40. Still further, there is provided an optical glass mentioned above having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of no more than 680° C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical glass which has a high refractive index, a high dispersion and further a low glass transition temperature (Tg), and is suitable for the precision press molding (the precision mold press forming).
2. Related Art
In recent years, with the advent of digital cameras, the degree of integration and the high degree of functionality of devices employing optical systems advance rapidly. At the same time, the demand for a high precision, lightweight, compact optical system has been increasing. To meet the above demand, optical designs employing aspherical lenses have been increasingly coming in the mainstream. Then, in order to stably supply a large amount of aspherical lenses employing a highly functional glass at a low cost, a mold pressing technique in which an optical surface is directly formed without steps of grinding or polishing has attracted attention. The demand for optical glass having high functionality (for example, a high refractive index and low dispersion properties/high refractive index and high dispersion properties and the like) has been increasing year by year.
The precision press molding of glass is a method to obtain a glass form having a shape of the final product or extremely close to the final product, and with face precision, and according to the precision press molding, a mold with a desired shape can be manufactured with a high rate of productivity. Then, at present, many kinds of optical glass parts such as spherical lenses, aspherical lenses, diffraction gratings, and the like are manufactured by precision press molding. Not surprisingly, in order to obtain an optical glass part by precision press molding, it is necessary to perform press forming of a glass preform under high temperature. Thus, the mold used for the press is exposed to a high temperature, and high pressure is applied thereto. For the above reason, from the view point of suppressing damage to the mold itself or the parting film provided on the inside surface of the mold, caused by the high temperature environment of the press molding, the glass transition temperature of the glass preform is preferred to be as low as possible. In addition, devitrification is not eliminated in the glass preform material by precision press molding of a glass preform material in which devitrification has formed, and a glass mold containing devitrification cannot be used as an optical element. Thus, a high resistance to devitrification is required for the glass of a glass preform material to be used in the precision press molding.
Conventionally, an optical glass having a high refractive index and high dispersion is represented by a composition containing a large amount of lead oxides, and has superior stability and a low glass transition temperature, and thus has been used for precision mold press forming. For example, the Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 1989-308843 discloses an optical glass containing a large amount of lead oxides used for the precision mold press forming.
However, in performing the precision mold press forming, it is maintained in a reductive atmosphere in order to protect the mold from oxidation, and therefore, when lead oxide is contained in the glass component, there is a problem in that the precision face of the die could not be maintained due to the adhesion of the reduced lead precipitated on the surface of the glass to the surface of the die. In addition, since lead oxide is harmful to the environment, glass that does not contain lead oxide has been desired.
Then, as the optical glass for the press molding that has a high refractive index and a high dispersion and does not contain lead oxide, various kinds of glass containing TeO2 component and the like have been developed, such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication Nos. 2004-43294, 2005-154251 and 2006-182577.


A disk transport mechanism for a disk player employs a fixed disk guide and drive-side disk guide, the latter with a revolving belt, to support opposite edges of a disk. The disk is held between the fixed and drive-side disk guides to press the revolving belt against the disk edge causing the disk to roll along the fixed disk guide. Both guides have high friction surfaces, such as rubber, to prevent slipping of the disk. For user comfort, the revolving belt is on a side closest to the anticipated position of the user so the disk rotates in the most natural direction. To protect the belt and fixed support surface of the fixed disk guide, a disk guide of low friction material is located at the front of the fixed disk guide opposite the revolving belt. Upon insertion, the user pushing the disk toward the rear of the disk player and laterally away from the user's body (to the right for a disk player located to the right of a user holding the disk in the right hand), applies a force, with normal and shear components, to the disk guide. The normal force is greater against the disk guide than against the more vulnerable moving belt, located opposite the disk guide. The fixed disk guide surface is not contacted until the disk is released by the user so both surfaces are protected.

Disk playback devices using pairs of endless drive belts to transfer disks between eject playback positions have been disclosed in Japanese utility model publication no. 60-106250, Japanese utility model publication 61-24851, and Japanese laid-open publication no. 2-7263. In each of these devices, a pair of drive belts are held taut and parallel to each other on either side of a disk transfer path. A disk is supported between the belts by the disk's edges. With the disk supported between the belts, the distance separating the belts is approximately equal to the diameter of the disk. When the disk is transferred to the playback position, the drive belts are separated further apart to clear the disk for playback.
Prior art belt-driven disk transport devices, such as those identified above, employ a pair of drive belts. This configuration is complex and it would be advantageous from manufacturing-cost, size, and reliability standpoints to simplify it.

Device for receiving and transferring disks with wear reduction means and user comfort enhancement


New compositions are provided which comprise a substituted phenoxypoly(ethyleneoxy)ethanol, particularly an ethoxylated alkylphenol, and a sulfosuccinate, particularly a dialkyl sulfosuccinate, and new processes are provided wherein said compositions are used to improve the ability of an aqueous liquid to wet a textile material.

In the dyeing or printing of a textile substrate wherein a dyestuff is applied to the substrate from an aqueous medium it is desirable to achieve good wetting of the substrate surface with the dye-containing aqueous medium. Some textile materials are more resistant to wetting than others. Also, some dyeing and printing processes, particularly continuous processes, are carried out in a manner such that the substrate is not in contact with the dye-containing aqueous medium long enough for sufficient wetting to take place without the help of a wetting agent. Accordingly, it is common practice for dyers and printers to employ a wetting agent in an aqueous dyeing liquor or printing paste to reduce the time required for proper wetting to occur. The foregoing also holds true for processes wherein substances other than dyes, e.g. optical brightening agents or reserving agents, are applied to textile substrates from aqueous media. Among the wetting agents which have been used are dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, 2-ethylhexyl sulfate and ethoxylated alcohols and alkylphenols. However, there has continued to be a need for improvement in the wetting of textile substrates, especially in continuous textile treatment processes and more especially in such processes wherein the material being treated is one which is difficult to wet.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a textile treatment process which comprises contacting a textile substrate with an aqueous medium wherein improved wetting of the substrate with the aqueous medium is achieved.
It is another object of this invention to provide a composition which improves the ability of an aqueous medium to wet a textile substrate.

Textile treatment processes and compositions therefor