A thin-film magnetic head includes a lower core composed of a magnetic material provided on a slider, a first insulating layer formed on the lower core, a spiral coil composed of a good conductor formed on the first insulating layer, a first leader section composed of a good conductor formed on the slider, the first leader section being connected to an end of the coil and extending to a terminal region provided on the slider, a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer so as to cover the coil, and an upper core composed of a magnetic material formed on the second insulating layer, the upper core being in contact with the lower core at the center of the coil. A protective magnetic film is formed on the surface of the first leader section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thin-film magnetic heads used for magneto-optical disk units, hard magnetic disk drives, etc. and to a method of making the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional thin-film magnetic head will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 to 18.
FIG. 15 is a plan view of a side 2a of a slider 2 (see FIG. 16) provided with a head element 1 of a thin-film magnetic head. The slider 2 is composed of a ceramic such as Al2O3xe2x80x94TiC, and an underlying layer 2b composed of Al2O3 or the like is formed at the side 2a. The side 2a of the slider 2 includes a head region A1, terminal regions A3 for supplying power to the head element 1, and a leader-section region A2 for connecting the head element 1 to a first terminal 19a and a second terminal 19b. The head element 1 lies in the head region A1, and includes a read section h11for reading data from hard magnetic disks and a write section h2 for writing data.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the head element 1 and FIG. 17 is a portion of a sectional view taken along the line 17xe2x80x9417 of FIG. 15. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the read section h1 includes a lower shielding layer 3 composed of a magnetic material such as a permalloy formed on the underlying layer 2b at the side 2a, a lower gap layer 4 composed of an insulating material such as Al2O3 formed on the lower shielding layer 3, a magnetoresistive element layer 5 formed on the end of the lower gap layer 4 facing a medium, a hard bias layer 6 connected to both sides of the magnetoresistive element layer 5, an electrode layer 7 composed of a good conductor which is connected to the hard bias layer 6 and extends to the surface of the lower gap layer 4, an upper gap layer 8 composed of an insulating material such as alumina formed above the lower shielding layer 3 for covering the magnetoresistive element layer 5, the hard bias layer 6, and the electrode layer 7, and an upper shielding layer which also acts as a lower core 9 composed of a magnetic material formed on the upper gap layer 8.
The write section h2 of the head element 1 includes the lower core 9 composed of a magnetic material such as a permalloy, a gap layer 11 composed of an insulating material such as alumina formed on the lower core 9, a first insulating layer 12 composed of an insulating organic material formed on the gap layer 11, a window 10 provided so that a portion of the lower core 9 is exposed through the first insulating layer 12, a coil 13 composed of a good conductor such as copper spirally wound around the window 10 in the first insulating layer 12, an end 13a of the coil 13 extending from the surface of the first insulating layer 12 to the surface of the side 2a of the slider 2, a nickel film 14 formed on the coil 13 and the end 13a for inhibiting oxidation, a second insulating layer 15 composed of an insulating organic material for covering the surface of the coil 13 coated with the nickel film 14, an opening (not shown in the drawing) provided so that the other end (not shown in the drawing) of the coil 13 is exposed through the second insulating layer 15, and an upper core 16 composed of a magnetic material such as a FeNi alloy (permalloy) formed on the surface of the second insulating layer 15 and connected to the lower core 9 through the window 10.
The upper core 16 is opposed to the lower core 9 with the gap layer 11 therebetween at the end of the head element 1 facing the medium, and the width of the tip of the upper core 16 is narrowed at this end.
FIG. 18 is a portion of a sectional view taken along the line 18xe2x80x9418 of FIG. 15. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, a first leader section 18a, which extends from the end 13a of the coil 13 to the terminal region A3, is formed in the leader-section region A2. The first leader section 18a, which is composed of the same material as that of the upper core 16, overlaps the end 13a of the coil 13 in the head region A1 and extends to the terminal region A3. The end of the first leader section 18a constitutes a first terminal 19a formed in the terminal region A3.
A second leader section 18b, which extends from the other end (not shown in the drawing) of the coil 13 to the terminal region A3, is formed in the leader-section region A2. The second leader section 18b, which is composed of the same magnetic material as that of the upper core 16, is connected to the other end of the coil 13 and extends to the terminal region A3. The end of the second leader section 18b constitutes a second terminal 19b formed in the terminal region A3.
The slider 2 is mounted on a flexure (not shown in the drawing) which is flexible so that the side 2a is perpendicular to the surface of the medium, such as a hard magnetic disk.
When the hard magnetic disk drive is operated, a current is applied to the coil 13 from the first and second terminals 19a and 19b through the first and second leader sections 18a and 18b, respectively. Magnetic fields, which are induced by the current flowing through the coil 13, in the upper core 16 and the lower core 9, form a magnetic path at a gap G. Data is written on to the medium by a magnetic field of the magnetic path passing through the medium.
Next, a method of fabricating the coil 13, the upper core 16, and the first and second leader sections 18a and 18b will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 27.
The read section h1 is formed on the underlying layer 2b composed of Al2O3 or the like at the side 2a of the slider 2, and the gap layer 11 and the first insulating layer 12 are patterned on the lower core 9, which also acts as an upper shielding layer of the read section h1, so that a portion of the lower core 9 is exposed at the window 10.
In such a state, first, as shown in FIG. 19, an underlying layer 22 composed of a thin metal film for preparing plating is formed by sputtering over the first insulating layer 12 and the underlying layer 2b. An outline of the coil 13 is formed by a resist frame 23 on the surface of the underlying layer 22.
In the coil-forming step, a copper plating film 24 is formed on the underlying layer 22 provided with the resist frame 23, and a nickel plating film 25 for inhibiting oxidation of the copper is deposited thereon.
After the resist frame 23 is removed by a resist stripper, in a first ion milling step shown in FIG. 20, the surface of the nickel plating film 25 which covers the copper plating film 24 and the surface of a removable underlying layer 22a, which has been exposed by the resist-stripping, are irradiated with Ar ions, and the removable underlying layer 22a is eliminated so that insulating spaces are formed between turns of the coil 13.
Next, unnecessary copper plating film 24 and nickel plating film 25 are removed by wet etching while the surface of the nickel plating film 25 constituting the coil 13 is protected with a resist, and then the resist is stripped.
In a second ion milling step shown in FIG. 21, the surface of the nickel plating film 14 which covers the coil 13 and the surface of an unnecessary underlying layer 22b exposed by the wet etching are irradiated with Ar ions, and the exposed unnecessary underlying layer 22b is eliminated.
When the coil 13 is completed, as shown in FIG. 22, the end 13a of the coil 13 is formed in the head region A1.
In a subsequent step for forming the second insulating layer, an organic film is applied on the side 2a of the slider 2 in which the coil 13 has been formed, and the second insulating layer 15 is formed above the first insulating layer 12 so as to cover the coil 13. At this stage, the second insulating layer 15 is patterned so that the end 13a of the coil 13 and the other end are exposed.
Next, as shown in FIG. 23, an underlying layer 27 which is a thin metal film for plating is formed by sputtering on the second insulating layer 15, the end 13a of the coil 13, and the underlying layer 2b composed of Al2O3 or the like at the side 2a.
An outline of the upper core 16, an integrated outline of the first leader section 18a which overlaps the end 13a of the coil 13 and the first terminal 19a, and, although not shown in FIG. 23, an integrated outline of a joint for connecting to other end of the coil 13, the second leader section 18b, and the second terminal 19b, are formed on the underlying layer 27 using a resist frame 28.
Next, in a step for integrally forming the upper core and the leader section, a FeNi alloy (permalloy) plating film 29 is formed on the underlying layer 27 provided with the resist frame 28.
The resist frame 28 is then removed by a resist stripper, and in a third ion milling step shown in FIG. 24, the surface of an exposed underlying layer 27a exposed by the removal of the resist frame 28 and the surface of the permalloy plating film 29 are irradiated with Ar ions, and the exposed underlying layer 27a is eliminated.
As shown in FIG. 25, the surface of the permalloy plating film 29 in the portions for forming leader sections, terminals, and a joint 20 is protected by a protective resist 30.
Next, in an upper core wet etching step, the unnecessary permalloy plating film 29 is removed by wet etching, and thus, the upper core 16, the leader sections 18a and 18b, the terminals 19a and 19b, and the joint 20 are formed.
After the protective resist 30 is stripped, in a fourth ion milling step shown in FIG. 26, the surfaces of the upper core 16, the leader sections 18a and 18b, and the terminals 19a and 19b, and the surface of an unnecessary underlying layer 27b exposed by the second wet etching are irradiated with Ar ions, and the unnecessary underlying layer 27b is eliminated.
FIG. 27 shows a structure in which the coil 13, the upper core 16, the first and second leader sections 18a and 18b, and the first and second terminals 19a and 19b are completed.
In the conventional thin-film magnetic head, since the first leader section 18a extending from the end 13a of the coil 13 to the terminal region A3 and the upper core 16 are composed of the same magnetic material, the first leader section 18a has a high wiring resistance, thus increasing power consumption.
Since the second leader section 18b extending from the other end of the coil 13 to the terminal region A3 and the upper core 16 are also composed of the same magnetic material, the second leader section 18b has a high wiring resistance, thus increasing power consumption.
In view of the conductivity of the leader sections 18a and 18b, a permalloy composed of a FeNi alloy having a low resistivity is used as the material for the upper core 16, which is the same material as that for the first and second leader sections 18a and 18b. Thereby, an eddy current induced by an alternating current of the coil 13 easily flows through the upper core 16, and a current is consumed by the eddy current, thus increasing power consumption.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thin-film magnetic head in which wiring resistance is decreased, resulting in low power consumption. It is another object of the present invention to provide a thin-film magnetic head in which the eddy current loss is reduced, resulting in low power consumption. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing such thin-film magnetic heads.
In one aspect, a thin-film magnetic head in accordance with the present invention includes a magnetic lower core provided on a slider, a first insulating layer formed on the lower core, a spiral coil composed of a good conductor formed on the first insulating layer, a first leader section composed of a good conductor formed on the slider, the first leader section being connected to an end of the coil and extending to a terminal region provided on the slider, a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer so as to cover the coil, and a magnetic upper core formed on the second insulating layer, the upper core being in contact with the lower core at the center of the coil. A first protective magnetic film is formed on the surface of the first leader section.
The thin-film magnetic head may further include a second leader section composed of a good conductor extending from the vicinity of the coil to the terminal region provided on the slider, and a second protective magnetic film for covering the surface of the second leader section, the second protective magnetic film being connected to the other end of the coil exposed through the second insulating layer.
Preferably, the upper core and the magnetic film formed on the surface of the leader section are composed of an alloy containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni.
In another aspect, a thin-film magnetic head in accordance with the present invention includes a magnetic lower core provided on a slider, a first insulating layer formed on the lower core, a spiral coil formed on the first insulating layer, a leader section composed of a good conductor formed on the slider, the leader section being adjacent to the coil and extending to a terminal region provided on the slider, a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer so as to cover the coil, and a magnetic upper core formed on the second insulating layer, the upper core being in contact with the lower core at the center of the coil. A protective magnetic film, which is connected to the coil, is formed to cover the surface of the leader section.
Preferably, the upper core and the protective magnetic film formed on the surface of the leader section are composed of an alloy containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni.
In another aspect, a method of producing a thin-film magnetic head in accordance with the present invention includes a first-insulating-layer-forming step for forming a first insulating layer on a magnetic lower core; a coil-and-leader-section-forming step for simultaneously forming a coil and a leader section connected to the coil and extending to a terminal region provided on the slider and/or a leader section extending from the vicinity of the coil to the terminal region provided on the slider using the same good conductor; a second-insulating-layer-forming step for forming a second insulating layer on the slider so as to cover the coil; and an upper-core-and-protective-film-forming step for simultaneously forming a protective magnetic film on the surface of the leader section and an upper core on the second insulating layer using the same magnetic material.
In the method of producing the thin-film magnetic head, preferably, the upper core and the protective magnetic film formed on the surface of the leader section are composed of an alloy containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni.

Thin-film magnetic head provided with leader section composed of good conductor extending from coil to terminal region and method of making the same


All purpose cleaning or microemulsion compositions more environmentally friendly, which is especially effective in the removal of a mixture of oil and kaolin soil, contains an analephotropic negatively charged complex, a hydrocarbon ingredient, a cosurfactant, and water.

This invention relates to an improved all-purpose liquid cleaner which can be in the form of a microemulsion designed in particular for cleaning hard surfaces and which is effective in removing grease soil and/or bath soil and in leaving unrinsed surfaces with a shiny appearance.
In recent years all-purpose liquid detergents have become widely accepted for cleaning hard surfaces, e.g., painted woodwork and panels, tiled walls, wash bowls, bathtubs, linoleum or tile floors, washable wall paper, etc. Such all-purpose liquids comprise clear and opaque aqueous mixtures of water-soluble synthetic organic detergents and water-soluble detergent builder salts. In order to achieve comparable cleaning efficiency with granular or powdered all-purpose cleaning compositions, use of water-soluble inorganic phosphate builder salts was favored in the prior art all-purpose liquids. For example, such early phosphate-containing compositions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,560,839; 3,234,138; 3,350,319; and British Patent No. 1,223,739.
In view of the environmentalist's efforts to reduce phosphate levels in ground water, improved all-purpose liquids containing reduced concentrations of inorganic phosphate builder salts or non-phosphate builder salts have appeared. A particularly useful self-opacified liquid of the latter type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,840.
However, these prior art all-purpose liquid detergents containing detergent builder salts or other equivalent tend to leave films, spots or streaks on cleaned unrinsed surfaces, particularly shiny surfaces. Thus, such liquids require thorough rinsing of the cleaned surfaces which is a time-consuming chore for the user.
In order to overcome the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art all-purpose liquid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,409 teaches that a mixture of paraffin sulfonate and a reduced concentration of inorganic phosphate builder salt should be employed. However, such compositions are not completely acceptable from an environmental point of view based upon the phosphate content. On the other hand, another alternative to achieving phosphate-free all-purpose liquids has been to use a major proportion of a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents with minor amounts of glycol ether solvent and organic amine as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,130. Again, this approach has not been completely satisfactory and the high levels of organic detergents necessary to achieve cleaning cause foaming which, in turn, leads to the need for thorough rinsing which has been found to be undesirable to today's consumers.
Another approach to formulating hard surfaced or all-purpose liquid detergent composition where product homogeneity and clarity are important considerations involves the formation of oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions which contain one or more surface-active detergent compounds, a water-immiscible solvent (typically a hydrocarbon solvent), water and a "cosurfactant" compound which provides product stability. By definition, an o/w microemulsion is a spontaneously forming colloidal dispersion of "oil" phase particles having a particle size in the range of 25 to 800 .ANG. in a continuous aqueous phase.
In view of the extremely fine particle size of the dispersed oil phase particles, microemulsions are transparent to light and are clear and usually highly stable against phase separation.
Patent disclosures relating to use of grease-removal solvents in o/w microemulsions include, for example, European Patent Applications EP 0137615 and EP 0137616--Herbots et al; European Patent Application EP 0160762--Johnston et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,991--Herbots et al. Each of these patent disclosures also teaches using at least 5% by weight of grease-removal solvent.
It also is known from British Patent Application GB 21 44763A to Herbots et al, published Mar. 13, 1985, that magnesium salts enhance grease-removal performance of organic grease-removal solvents, such as the terpenes, in o/w microemulsion liquid detergent compositions. The compositions of this invention described by Herbots et al. require at least 5% of the mixture of grease-removal solvent and magnesium salt and preferably at least 5% of solvent (which may be a mixture of water-immiscible non-polar solvent with a sparingly soluble slightly polar solvent) and at least 0.1% magnesium salt.
However, since the amount of water immiscible and sparingly soluble components which can be present in an o/w microemulsion, with low total active ingredients without impairing the stability of the microemulsion is rather limited (for example, up to 18% by weight of the aqueous phase), the presence of such high quantities of grease-removal solvent tend to reduce the total amount of greasy or oily soils which can be taken up by and into the microemulsion without causing phase separation.
The following representative prior art patents also relate to liquid detergent cleaning compositions in the form of o/w microemulsions: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,472,291--Rosario; 4,540,448--Gauteer et al; 3,723,330--Sheflin; etc.
Liquid detergent compositions which include terpenes, such as d-limonene, or other grease-removal solvent, although not disclosed to be in the form of o/w microemulsions, are the subject matter of the following representative patent documents: European Patent Application 0080749; British Patent Specification 1,603,047; 4,414,128; and 4,540,505. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,128 broadly discloses an aqueous liquid detergent composition characterized by, by weight:
(a) from 1% to 20% of a synthetic anionic, nonionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant or mixture thereof; PA1 (b) from 0.5% to 10% of a mono- or sesquiterpene or mixture thereof, at a weight ratio of (a):(b) being in the range of 5:1 to 1:3; and PA1 (c) from 0.5% 10% of a polar solvent having a solubility in water at 15.degree. C. in the range of from 0.2% to 10%. Other ingredients present in the formulations disclosed in this patent include from 0.05% to 2% by weight of an alkali metal, ammonium or alkanolammonium soap of a C.sub.13 -C.sub.24 fatty acid; a calcium sequestrant from 0.5% to 13% by weight; non-aqueous solvent, e.g., alcohols and glycol ethers, up to 10% by weight; and hydrotropes, e.g., urea, ethanolamines, salts of lower alkylaryl sulfonates, up to 10% by weight. All of the formulations shown in the Examples of this patent include relatively large amounts of detergent builder salts which are detrimental to surface shine. PA1 0 to 10%, more preferably 0.5% to 7%, of a Lewis base, neutral polymer; PA1 from about 0 to about 50%, more preferably 1% to 20%, of a water-mixable cosurfactant having either limited ability or substantially no ability to dissolve oily or greasy soil; PA1 0 to about 2.5% of a fatty acid; PA1 0 to about 15% of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate; PA1 about 0 to about 10.0% of a perfume essential or water insoluble organic compound; and PA1 the balance being water, said proportions being based upon the total weight of the composition. PA1 Anethole 20/21 natural, Aniseed oil china star, Aniseed oil globe brand, Balsam (Peru), Basil oil (India), Black pepper oil, Black pepper oleoresin 40/20, Bois de Rose (Brazil) FOB, Borneol Flakes (China), Camphor oil, White, Camphor powder synthetic technical, Cananga oil (Java), Cardamom oil, Cassia oil (China), Cedarwood oil (China) BP, Cinnamon bark oil, Cinnamon leaf oil, Citronella oil, Clove bud oil, Clove leaf, Coriander (Russia), Coumarin 69.degree. C. (China), Cyclamen Aldehyde, Diphenyl oxide, Ethyl vanilin, Eucalyptol, Eucalyptus oil, Eucalyptus citriodora, Fennel oil, Geranium oil, Ginger oil, Ginger oleoresin (India), White grapefruit oil, Guaiacwood oil, Gurjun balsam, Heliotropin, Isobornyl acetate, Isolongifolene, Juniper berry oil, L-methyl acetate, Lavender oil, Lemon oil, Lemongrass oil, Lime oil distilled, Litsea Cubeba oil, Longifolene, Menthol crystals, Methyl cedryl ketone, Methyl chavicol, Methyl salicylate, Musk ambrette, Musk ketone, Musk xylol, Nutmeg oil, Orange oil, Patchouli oil, Peppermint oil, Phenyl ethyl alcohol, Pimento berry oil, Pimento leaf oil, Rosalin, Sandalwood oil, Sandenol, Sage oil, Clary sage, Sassafras oil, Spearmint oil, Spike lavender, Tagetes, Tea tree oil, Vanilin, Vetyver oil (Java), Wintergreen, Allocimene, Arbanex.TM., Arbanol.RTM., Bergamot oils, Camphene, Alpha-Campholenic aldehyde, I-Carvone, Cineoles, Citral, Citronellol Terpenes, Alpha-Citronellol, Citronellyl Acetate, Citronellyl Nitrile, Para-Cymene, Dihydroanethole, Dihydrocarveol, d-Dihydrocarvone, Dihydrolinalool, Dihydromyrcene, Dihydromyrcenol, Dihydromyrcenyl Acetate, Dihydroterpineol, Dimethyloctanal, Dimethyloctanol, Dimethyloctanyl Acetate, Estragole, Ethyl-2 Methylbutyrate, Fenchol, Fernlol.TM., Florilys.TM., Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Geranyl Nitrile, Glidmint.TM. Mint oils, Glidox.TM., Grapefruit oils, trans-2-Hexenal, trans-2-Hexenol, cis-3-Hexenyl Isovalerate, cis-3-Hexanyl-2-methylbutyrate, Hexyl Isovalerate, Hexyl-2-methylbutyrate, Hydroxycitronellal, lonone, Isobornyl Methylether, Linalool, Linalool Oxide, Linalyl Acetate, Menthane Hydroperoxide, I-Methyl Acetate, Methyl Hexyl Ether, Methyl-2-methylbutyrate, 2-Methylbutyl Isovalerate, Myrcene, Nerol, Neryl Acetate, 3-Octanol, 3-Octyl Acetate, Phenyl Ethyl-2-methylbutyrate, Petitgrain oil, cis-Pinane, Pinane Hydroperoxide, Pinanol, Pine Ester, Pine Needle oils, Pine oil, alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene, alpha-Pinene Oxide, Plinol, Plinyl Acetate, Pseudo lonone, Rhodinol, Rhodinyl Acetate, Spice oils, alpha-Terpinene, gamma-Terpinene, Terpinene-4-OL, Terpineol, Terpinolene, Terpinyl Acetate, Tetrahydrolinalool, Tetrahydrolinalyl Acetate, Tetrahydromyrcenol, Tetralol.RTM., Tomato oils, Vitalizair, Zestoral.TM.. PA1 (a) at least one first surfactant which is an anionic surfactant such as an alkali metal salt or an alkaline earth metal salt of a sulfonate or sulfate surfactant; and PA1 (b) a second surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkylene carbonate, sulfonamide, hydroxy sulfobetaine, betaines, amine oxides, glucoamides, N--C.sub.1-3 alkyl C.sub.8 -C.sub.16 alkyl glucoamide, and C.sub.5 -C.sub.12 N-alkyl aldoamide and mixtures thereof, an amine oxide, zwitterionic surfactant or an alkylene carbonate, wherein the ratio of the first surfactant to the second surfactant or amine oxide is 7:1 to 0.2:1, more preferably 4:1 to 0.4:1. The instant composition contains about 3 to about 40 wt. %, more preferably about 5 to about 20 wt. % of the analephotropic negatively charged complex. PA1 (a) 3 to 40% of an analephotropic negatively charged complex as previously herein defined; PA1 (b) 0 to 2.5% of a fatty acid; PA1 (c) 2 to 30% of a cosurfactant; PA1 (d) 0.4% to 10% of a water insoluble hydrocarbon or perfume; PA1 (e) 0 to 18% of at least one dicarboxylic acid; PA1 (f) 0 to 1 % of phosphoric acid; PA1 (g) 0 to 0.2% of an aminoalkylene phosphoric acid; PA1 (h) 0 to 15% of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate; PA1 (i) 0.5% to 10% of a Lewis base, neutral polymer; and PA1 (j) the balance being water. PA1 (a) 3% to 40% of the previously defined analephotropic negative charged complex; PA1 (b) 0 to 10% of a perfume, an essential oil or a water insoluble hydrocarbon; PA1 (c) 0 to 25% of a cosurfactant; PA1 (d) 0.5% to 10% of a Lewis base, neutral polymer; and PA1 (e) the balance being water.
A pH neutral microemulsion composition based on paraffin sulfonate and ethoxylated nonionic surfactant is able to deliver improved grease cleaning versus built, alkaline compositions. Besides the improved grease cleaning, this approach is much safer to surfaces as well as less aggressive on consumer's hands (Loth et al--U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,026).
The microemulsion technology provides outstanding oil uptake capacity because of the adjustment of the curvature of the surfactant micelles by the molecules of the cosurfactant. Rod-like micelles are preferred as they can "swallow" oil to become globular without increasing the surface of contact between the hydrophobic core of the micelle and the hydrophilic continuous phase.
In diluted usage however, the microemulsion state is usually lost and the cleaning performance relies on the adsorption efficacy and leaving character of the surfactant system. Nonionic surfactants perform very well on grease, as they are excellent grease "solubilizers". Actually, they spontaneously form swollen micelles. In moderate climate countries such as the northern states of the United States and the northern countries of Europe, the soil on the hard surfaces contains a major proportion of greasy materials. It is accordingly not surprising that the anionic-nonionic surfactant based microemulsion is so efficient in those countries. In hot weather countries however, the amount of particulate soils is more important (as doors and windows remain open) and the classical microemulsion (U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,026) shows weaknesses on this type of soil which is a mixed grease-particulate soil in nature.
The instant invention solves this problem by delivering on the solid surface to be cleaned the proper surfactant mixture that best adsorbs on the surface while keeping a good "leaving" character.
The instant invention teaches that all purpose cleaning or microemulsion compositions containing an analephotropic complex of an anionic surfactant with an amphoteric or high dipole moment surfactant deliver this desired property. The analephotropic complex adsorbs much better on grease than on silica surface than individual anionic surfactants alone. This results in enhanced capabilities to disperse complex mixtures of grease with embedded particles of soil which are essential for particulate soil removal.
As illustrated in the examples, it is essential that the analephotropic mixture is negatively charged. Pseudo-nonionic surfactants resulting from anionic-cationic complexes which are not negatively charged show very low particulate soil removal.

Liquid cleaning compositions containing a negatively charged surfactant complex


A stage apparatus includes a base having a reference surface, a moving unit which moves along the reference surface, a static bearing which is provided in the moving unit and which supports the moving unit such that the moving unit can move along the reference surface, and a temperature controller which is provided in the moving unit and which controls the temperature of gas supplied to the static bearing. In the stage apparatus, air fluctuation in the measurement area of interferometers due to gas exhausted from the static bearing and/or distortion caused by heat transmitted to a retainer of a target is suppressed, and the stage positioning accuracy is thereby increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stage apparatus used in precision equipment, such as semiconductor exposure systems, for moving and positioning a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer and an original for exposure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In semiconductor manufacturing processes, projection exposure systems are used for projecting and transferring a pattern formed on a reticle substrate, which is an original, onto a silicon wafer, which is an exposure target. When the reticle pattern is projected onto the silicon wafer, the reticle and the silicon wafer are moved with respect to a projection exposure unit using stage apparatuses, such as a reticle stage and a wafer stage.
FIGS. 5 to 9 show the construction and the operation of a known projection exposure system. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the overall construction of the projection exposure system. With reference to FIG. 5, an illumination unit 1 irradiates a reticle (not shown) with exposure light emitted from an exposure light source (not shown) after the shape thereof is adjusted. The reticle, which is an original with an exposure pattern formed thereon, is placed on a reticle stage 2 and is moved with respect to a wafer 8 (see FIG. 6), which is an exposure target, at a predetermined reduction exposure ratio in a scanning process. A reduction projection lens 3 reduces and projects the original pattern formed on the reticle onto the wafer 8. A main unit 4 of the exposure system supports the reticle stage 2, the reduction projection lens 3, and a wafer stage 5. The wafer stage 5 moves the wafer 8 stepwise to different exposure locations, and also moves the wafer 8 in synchronization with the reticle in the scanning process.
With reference to FIG. 6, the wafer stage 5 includes a stage base 5D and a slider (moving unit) 5C. The wafer stage 5 has an illumination sensor 5A and a stage reference mark 5B on the top surface thereof (on the top surface of the slider 5C). The illumination sensor 5A is used for a calibration measurement of the illumination of the exposure light, which is performed before exposure in order to correct the amount of exposure light. The stage reference mark 5B includes a target for stage alignment measurement.
As shown in FIG. 7B, which is a sectional view of the wafer stage 5, the slider 5C has a surface-motor driver coil 5F, which is disposed in the slider 5C, and which drives the slider 5C along the top surface (reference surface) of the stage base 5D. An iron-core comb yoke 5E is provided on the stage base 5D such that the iron-core comb yoke 5E faces the surface-motor driver coil 5F, and the slider 5C is moved along a two-dimensional XY plane above the stage base 5D due to the interaction between a yoke, which is magnetized by the surface-motor driver coil 5F, and the iron-core comb yoke 5E.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the detailed construction of the slider 5C. With reference to FIG. 8, an air bearing 5G, which is a static bearing, supports the slider 5C, such that the slider 5C can move along the XY plane, and supply air 5H is supplied to the air bearing 5G so that a static force can be generated. A six-axis fine motion stage 5N is mounted on top of the slider 5C to finely move the wafer 8 in X, Y, Z, θx, θy, and θz directions, and positioning and focus/tilt adjustment of the wafer 8 are performed during exposure using the six-axis fine motion stage 5N. Heat 5J is emitted from the surface-motor driver coil 5F, and exhaust air 5K is discharged from the air bearing 5G. In addition, a temperature increase 5Q occurs due to the heat 5J emitted from the surface-motor driver coil 5F. As used here, the term "air" is intended to cover not only cleaned and dried atmospheric air, but also, inert gases, such as nitrogen gas and helium gas, and a mixture of inert gases and atmospheric air.
With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 again, the focus scopes 6 are integrated with a lens barrel of the reduction projection lens 3 and are used for focus measurement of the wafer 8. An alignment scope 6A detects an alignment mark (not shown) formed on the wafer 8 and the stage reference mark 5B formed on the wafer stage, and performs measurements required for the alignment of each shot location in the wafer 8 and the alignment between the reticle and the wafer 8. A wafer conveyor robot 7 conveys the wafer 8 to the wafer stage 5. The wafer 8 is constructed by applying a resist onto a single-crystal silicon substrate, and the reticle pattern formed on the reticle is projected and transferred onto the wafer 8 through a reduction exposure unit, such as reduction projection lens 3 shown in FIG. 5.
A plurality of laser interferometers (not shown) are mounted on the slider 5C (see FIG. 6) for measuring the position of the slider 5C (hereafter, called the position of the wafer stage 5), that is, the position of the wafer 8. An X interferometer mirror 9 (see FIG. 6) serves as a target used by an X laser interferometer for measuring the position of the wafer stage 5 in the X direction, and a measurement beam 9A (see FIG. 7A) is emitted from the X laser interferometer. A Y interferometer mirror 10 serves as a target used by a Y laser interferometer for measuring the position of the wafer stage 5 in the Y direction, and a measurement beam 10A is emitted from the Y laser interferometer. Although the mirrors 9 and 10 are disposed outside the moving unit in FIG. 6, the construction may also be such that the mirrors are mounted on the moving unit so that lasers are externally directed onto them.
The inventors of the present invention have found that the stage positioning accuracy of the above-described known structure is below a level which can be expected, in view of the constructions of the position measurement unit and the stage driver unit, and that the accuracy can be improved. The inventors of the present invention have analyzed the cause of the degradation of control accuracy in the known structure and have found the facts described below.
That is, when the movement of the slider 5C is controlled, as shown in FIG. 9, in the exposure system shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, a drive current is applied to the surface-motor driver coil 5F (see FIG. 8), and the temperature of the slider 5C increases accordingly. When the temperature of the slider 5C increases, the temperature of the air 5H, which flows through the air supply unit of the air bearing 5G, also increases. Therefore, the temperature of the exhaust air 5K and that of the air surrounding the slider 5C increase. As a result, air fluctuation occurs, which adversely affects the measurement beam 9A from the X laser interferometer and the measurement beam 10A from the Y laser interferometer (each shown in FIG. 7A), causing measurement errors.
In addition, when the temperature of the slider 5C increases, heat is transmitted to the six-axis fine motion stage 5N mounted on top of the slider 5C, and the temperature increase 5Q occurs in the six-axis fine motion stage 5N. Accordingly, thermal distortion of the six-axis fine motion stage 5N and a wafer support, which supports the wafer 8, occurs.
As a result, when the slider 5C is moved to a desired position on the basis of measurement values obtained by the laser interferometers, the slider 5C cannot be accurately positioned at the desired position, and the control accuracy of the stage apparatus is degraded. In addition, the wafer flatness is reduced and the focusing accuracy is degraded accordingly. Thus, the overall performance of the exposure system is degraded.

Stage apparatus, exposure system using the same, and device manufacturing method


Ink for use in an ink-jet color recording apparatus and a plurality of kinds of small microcapsules dispersed in the solvent, each small microcapsule having an outer shell destroyable with ultrasonic waves of a predetermined resonant frequency, each small microcapsule containing a color former within its outer shell with the outer surface of the outer shell covered with a developer. The plurality of kinds of small microcapsules are destroyed selectively with the corresponding predetermined stimuli to thereby produce magenta, cyan, yellow or black. The ink is colorless before producing the color. The ink-jet color recording apparatus irradiates the plurality of small microcapsules with ultrasonic waves of a selected frequency corresponding to a desired color to thereby change the color of the ink on a path through which the ink is fed from a color ink feeding device to an ink cartridge.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ink-jet color recording ink containing microcapsules destroyable with a predetermined stimulus, color ink feeding devices using the ink, and ink-jet color recording apparatus and methods using the ink.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the spread of computers as information devices whose main ones are personal computers, printers have spread as one of their peripherals. The printers include ones of various types such as, for example, electrophotographic, heat-transfer, and ink-jet recording types. Among others, the full-color printers of the ink-jet recording type have remarkably advanced in which the color images formed thereby tend to match and supersede photographs taken by the conventional silver-salt analog cameras in terms of beautifulness and resolution.
The printers of this ink-jet recording type include ones of the thermal jet type in which the ink droplets are repelled by the force of air bubbles produced by the heaters thereof, and ones of the piezoelectric type in which the ink droplets are repelled by deformation of a piezoelectric element.
In full-color printing, different types of ink with three primary colors: magenta (red), cyan (greenish blue) and yellow, of a subtractive color mixture are usually used. In addition, black ink is used exclusively to print characters and/or black image portions on demand.
Each of these printers ejects ink droplets from an ejection nozzle of its printing head against a recording material such as paper or cloth to cause it to absorb the ink droplets to thereby print characters/images. This printing need not perform a special fixing process. These printers are simple in structure and used as personal ones.
FIG. 24 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional ink-jet printer that performs full-color printing, for example, disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2000-289236.
This printer 101 of FIG. 24 is a small one used personally in a household. A printing head 103 and an ink cartridge 104 that contains ink are attached to a carriage 102.
The carriage 102 is supported slidable on a guide shaft 105 and also fixed to a toothed drive belt 106. Thus, the printing head 103 and the ink cartridge 104 are moved back and forth longitudinally of the printer 101, in the directions of a double-headed arrow C or in a primary scan direction for printing. A flexible communications cable 107 is connected between the printing head 103 and a controller (not shown) of the printer so that print data and control signals are sent from the controller to the printing head 103 through the cable 107.
A platen 109 is disposed at a lower end of a frame 108 of the printer, extending in the primary scan direction of the printing head 103 so as to face the printing head 103. Printing paper P is intermittently conveyed in a secondary print-scan (obliquely lower left) direction of an arrow D by pairs of feed rollers 110 (their lower rollers are behind the printing paper P and not shown) and pairs of discharge rollers 111 (their lower rollers are likewise behind the printing paper and not shown) while the paper is being held between each pair of feed rollers 110 and between each pair of discharge rollers 111.
During a time when the intermittent conveyance of the printing paper P is at a stop, the printing head 103 is driven by a motor 112 through the toothed drive belt 106 and the carriage 102 while ejecting ink droplets against and close to the printing paper to thereby print characters/images. The whole surface of the printing paper P is printed by repeating its intermittent conveyance and reciprocal printing that are performed by the printing head 103 on the printing paper P. The quantity of each type of color ink consumed in printing is newly supplemented from the ink cartridge 104 to the printing head 103.
In one arrangement, the carriage 102 is fixed to the printing head 103 on which the ink cartridge 104 is settable. In another arrangement, a head unit that includes the printing head 103 and the ink cartridge 104 as a unit is fixed removable to the carriage 102.
The printer of FIG. 24 shows that the printing head 103 and the ink cartridge 104 are integral with each other as the head unit.
The ink cartridge 104 of FIG. 24 has three divided chambers 113 that contain porous materials (not shown) impregnated sufficiently with magenta, cyan and yellow ink, respectively, to an extent that they do not flow uselessly away from the ink chambers due to gravity.
These three ink chambers 113 have outlets in the bottoms of the ink chambers 113 that feed the respective types of color ink therethrough to the printing head 103 so that the three types of color ink within the respective ink chambers 113 are fed through ink paths to the corresponding ink-injection nozzle lines in the printing head 103.
FIG. 25 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional full-color ink-jet printer including a separated printing head and ink cartridges.
In the printer 114 of FIG. 25, the printing head 115 is supported by a carriage 116 so as to face a platen roller 117. The carriage 116 is supported slidable by a guide shaft 118 and engaged with a toothed belt 119, which is driven forwardly or backwardly through gears (not shown) by rotating a motor 120 forwardly or backwardly. Thus, the printing head 115 slides along the platen roller 117 longitudinally in the directions of a double headed arrow C (in the primary scan direction) to thereby print characters and/or images on the printing paper P.
The platen roller 117 and auxiliary rollers 121 support the printing paper P therebetween to thereby convey the printing paper P in the direction of arrow D widthwise (in the secondary scan direction) in an intermittent manner to thereby cause the printing head 115 to print in lines sequentially.
Provided removable on the carriage 116 are a black ink cartridge 123 that contains a black ink and a color ink cartridge 124 which has three divided chambers that contain magenta, cyan and yellow color ink, respectively.
FIG. 26A schematically illustrates a main portion of the color printer of the ink-jet recording type. FIG. 26B is a front view of an ink-spitting surface of the printing head (as viewed in the direction of an arrow E in FIG. 26A). While FIGS. 26A and 26B illustrate the use of four different types of colored ink of FIG. 25, this is substantially applicable when three different types of color ink of FIG. 24 are used.
As shown in FIG. 26A, the printing head 7 is disposed close to printing paper P so that the former moves right and left and in the direction perpendicular to the paper face of FIG. 26A relative to the latter.
Provided on the printing head 7 are ink cartridges 8 (8m, 8c, 8y and 8k) that contain four different types of color ink (magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y) and black (K)) through four corresponding ink feed paths 9, for example, of a pipe.
As shown in FIG. 26B, the printing head 7 includes a nozzle array of four different-color nozzle lines 10 on its ink ejection surface with each nozzle line 10 having ejection outlets 11 at a density, for example, of approximately 12 outlets per millimeter. The printing head 7 ejects from the nozzle array different-colored ink droplets fed by the cartridges 8 corresponding to the respective nozzle lines 10 against the printing paper to thereby print characters/images in colors.
As described above, such conventional printer prints images in full color, using three different types of color ink of magenta, cyan and yellow, and/or an additional type of color ink of black. In order to form a good color image using such printer, expression of the image in multigradation is required. In this respect, in the past the multigradation was expressed using area gradation. In order to form a preciser image, using a recent full-color ink-jet printer, however, the use of the area gradation is not satisfactory. In order to express the preciser image in concentration multigradations, a total of 6 or 7 different types of color ink whose colors include the three primary colors; magenta, cyan and yellow, and other derivatives, that is, light magenta, light cyan and dark yellow is often used.
In the ink-jet printer, ink droplets are generally repelled out by the force of bubbles produced by its heaters or by the force produced by deformation of a piezoelectric element used. A so-called acoustic ink-jet printer is also known as another technique, for example, disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2001-301156 in which ultrasonic waves are focused on a point on a free surface of ink to cause ink droplets to be spit out from the free surface of the ink by the energy of the ultrasonic waves.
In contrast to the conventional color-image forming system, a color image forming apparatus of a new type is proposed, for example, in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No.H11-58832 in which external stimulus such as light, heat or ultrasonic waves corresponding to image information are given to dedicated recording paper coated with an ink layer that contains magenta, cyan and yellow microcapsules which respond to the external stimulus to thereby form a color image.
When the conventional ink-jet recording printer prints, however, different amounts of magenta, cyan, yellow and black ink are used depending on the contents of the printing and the corresponding quantities of the ink need be supplemented at the respective different timings. That is, management of the respective color ink cartridges is troublesome.
Especially, in the ink cartridge assembly that includes three different color (magenta, cyan, yellow) ink cartridges formed integrally as a unit (the ink cartridges 104 and 124 of FIGS. 24 and 25, respectively) the whole ink cartridge assembly (104 or 124) need be replaced with another even when only one type of color ink is used up and the other types of color ink remain. Therefore, a big economic load is imposed as a maintenance cost on the user, undesirably.
This also applies to the printers using the above-described 6 or 7 types of color ink. In that case, 6 or 7 different ink cartridges need be prepared always at hand and management of the ink cartridges is more troublesome.
In addition, the printer body has 6 or 7 ink feeders, which renders the structure of the printer complicated and increases the cost of the printer accordingly.
In the color image forming apparatus using the dedicated printing paper coated with the ink layer that contains microcapsules (Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H11-58832), the whole surface of the recording paper is basically coated with the three different types of color ink, which increases the cost of the printing because some of the types of ink are used wastefully. In addition, in this case general paper cannot be used for printing. Furthermore, the printing process is repeated in different colors, so that a discrepancy in printed color is difficult to control, which renders the printer complicated inevitably.

Ink-jet color recording ink, color ink feeding device using the ink, and ink-jet color recroding apparatus and method using the ink

Casio Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


An automatic toothbrushing assembly has a handle casing and a reservoir casing connected to each other by mating grooves and ribs. The reservoir casing has a reservoir space containing toothpaste, and which has an inner stepped series of lateral feet and an opening at an upper end thereof, and a cover. The handle casing has an outer stepped series of feet and contains a brush having a handle and a brush head, with a spring extending between the handle casing and the brush handle. A latching assembly permits latching of the cover to the handle casing. A piston is located in the reservoir space and has elastic lateral wings which incrementally advance upwardly along the stepped series of feet of the reservoir casing, and an elastic piston tail which incrementally advances upwardly along the stepped series of feet of the handle casing upon application of downward sliding force ion the reservoir casing relative to the handle casing, thereby extruding toothpaste to a position where the brush head is located. Opening of the cover releases the brush handle and brush head, and they are propelled upwardly from the handle casing by the spring so that a tooth brush loaded with toothpaste is presented to the user.

Throughout the years one of the problems is, how to make the pocket assembly for washing and maintaining the dental and mouth hygiene that would not be bigger than of the first size. An assembly that could easily be carried in the pocket or handbag. An assembly that would last longer than the other ones on the market. This problem had to be solved in a way that the assembly contains both the tooth paste and the brush, and that it could be activated by one move of the first thumb. The problem was particularly difficult to be solved due to the small size of the assembly, the small number of its composing parts, the drying and stopping up of the channels for the tooth paste passage, then due to the adjustment of the entire cycle in the assembly in order that all actions would terminate simultaneously. So, that, when the brush comes out, simultaneously on it also the tooth paste would be in the position that conditions its correct using at the teeth cleaning. An assembly that would enable the filling with a new tooth paste after the paste doses are spent, and an assembly in which only the brush head would be replaced in case of being worn out. Also, an assembly had to be invented, which could be used by both the left- and right-handed person. It was necessary to satisfy the daily needs for washing and maintaining the teeth hygiene outside the home, at work, during the voyage and at school. Naturally, to make an assembly that would be simple and safe for being used both by the children and the adults.
Up to now, many solutions of this problem have been proposed and made, with more or less success on the market. All proposed assembly devices required a certain time to be used for the teeth cleaning. Some tried to pack a small brush in two parts and a small dose of the tooth paste for two washings into a small box, and after being used it was thrown away into the garbage. Such types of products required a complicated use and didn't achieve the desired results on the wider market. Some others tried to make a channel for the passage of the tooth paste onto the brush through the brush itself. The paste reservoir would be placed into the brush handle, and the tooth paste has been pressed through the channel on the brush, by turning the axle and by lifting the piston. But, they encountered the problem of the paste drying and of the stopping-up of the small channel diameters in the brush due to its dimensions. It is very difficult to clean the channels in this assembly, because it is impossible to reach them. This assembly type is of a normal tooth brush size (180 cm), and there were no pocket measures. Also, it required a certain number of moves in order to activate and use them. All mentioned assemblies are complicated for the production and putting together, and they raise the price of the product on the market.

Pocket automatic assembly for washing and maintaining dental hygiene


The present invention provides an efficient, safe and cost effective way to prepare 5-(4-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-benzenamine which is an intermediate for the preparation of substituted pyrimidinylaminobenzamides of formula (II):

The present invention provides an efficient, safe and cost effective way to prepare 5-(4-methyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-benzenamine of the following formula (I):

The compound of formula (I) is an intermediate for the preparation of substituted pyrimidinylaminobenzamides of formula (II):

Compounds of formula (II) have been disclosed in W. Breitenstein et al., WO 04/005281 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. These compounds have been shown to inhibit one or more tyrosine kinases, such as c-Abl, Bcr-Abl, the receptor tyrosine kinases PDGF-R, Flt3, VEGF-R, EGF-R and c-Kit. As such, compounds of formula (II) can be used for the treatment of certain neoplastic diseases, such as leukemia.
Previous synthesis of compound (I) involves a 4 step synthetic route starting with an aromatic substitution reaction of compound (IIIa), 4-methyl-1H-imidazole, with compound (IV), which requires employing high energy (150° C.) (Scheme 1).

Furthermore, transformation of compound (VI) to compound (VII) via Curtius rearrangement utilizes an unsafe reagent, diphenylphosphorylazide. This reaction produces inconsistent product yields and quality. In addition, removing the resulting diphenylphosphoric acid by-product is difficult. The carbamate product (VII) needs to be purified by chromatography, which is expensive and time consuming for commercial operations.
It is an object of this invention to provide alternative processes to make the compound of formula (I) efficiently and in high yields.
It is a further object of this invention to make compound (I) from lower cost starting materials and reagents.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide for a process to make the compound of formula (I) using safer reagents.
The present invention overcomes the problems of the reaction shown in Scheme 1 above.

Process for the synthesis of organic compounds


Various data protection techniques are provided. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided. The memory device may initiate a security measure upon occurrence of one or more triggering events. The one or more triggering events may include receipt of a command signal. Various additional methods, devices, and systems are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic memory devices and, more particularly, to a device and method for increasing security of data stored in memory devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Microprocessor-controlled circuits are used in a wide variety of applications. Such applications include personal computers, control systems, telephone networks, and a host of other consumer products. A personal computer or control system includes various components, such as microprocessors, that handle different functions for the system. By combining these components, various consumer products and systems may be designed to meet specific needs. Microprocessors are essentially generic devices that perform specific functions under the control of software programs. These software programs are generally stored in one or more memory devices that are coupled to the microprocessor and/or other peripherals.
Semiconductor memory devices, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, are widely used for storing data in systems such as computer systems. A DRAM memory cell typically includes an access device such as a field effect transistor (FET) coupled to a storage device such as a capacitor. The access device allows the transfer of charged electrons to and from the storage capacitor, thereby facilitating read and write operations in the memory device. The memory cells are typically arranged in a number of rows and columns to provide a memory array. Each memory cell in the array is connected to at least one row or "wordline" and at least one column or "bitline." Generally speaking, the gate terminal of the access device may be coupled to the wordline while at least one of the remaining terminals (e.g. drain/source) is coupled to the bitline. The other terminal (drain/source) may be coupled to the capacitor. When a voltage is applied to the wordline, the gate of the access device opens and charged particles flow from the bitline to the storage device or vice versa, depending on the mode of operation of the memory cell (e.g. read or write).
As the use of semiconductor memory devices has become ubiquitous, many applications have arisen in which the security of the data stored by these same devices is a pressing concern. Frequently, DRAM devices are used to store sensitive data in highly secure applications, because the data stored in such devices must be constantly refreshed in order to maintain the data. Failure to refresh the data in a timely fashion results in eventual loss of the data. However, even when the data is not refreshed, the capacitors that store charge in a DRAM device may continue to do so for some length of time after the latest refresh operation, even if the device is deactivated or powered-down. Though many DRAM devices are specified to retain data for 64 ms, depending upon the operating voltage and temperature, such data is frequently retained for hundreds of milliseconds and may even be retained for times in excess of a full second. While the data may be eventually lost after failure to refresh, this extended period in which the data remains after deactivation of the device presents a security risk that the data will be recovered by reapplying power to the device before the capacitive charge of each memory cell sufficiently dissipates.
This extended storage of data beyond the time of deactivation may be undesirable in a wide range of applications, but is particularly undesirable in military applications and the case of devices intended to be replaced in the field. In this case, if an electronic field replaceable unit (FRU) is removed from a system the data stored in a memory device of that FRU may be accessible if power is restored within a short period of time. Such an event may result in critical data being compromised. Further, some FRUs may actually have capacitive characteristics that provide partial power to the memory device even after the unit has been removed from a power supply, extending the amount of time in which the data could be compromised. In other applications, it may be desirable to destroy or inhibit access to data upon demand, even when the FRU remains connected to the original system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A tire component comprising a rubber composition having a highly unsaturated diene elastomer and a reinforcing filler with a first methylene acceptor selected from 3-hydroxydiphenylamine, 4-hydroxydiphenylamine or combinations thereof; a second methylene acceptor selected from a Novolac resin, diphenylolmethane, diphenylolethane diphenylolpropane, diphenylolbutane, a naphthol, a cresol or combinations thereof and a methylene donor. A method for manufacturing a tire component includes mixing together components of a rubber composition into a non-productive mix, the components including a highly unsaturated diene elastomer, a reinforcing filler, a first methylene acceptor selected from 3-hydroxydiphenylamine, 4-hydroxydiphenylamine or combinations thereof and a second methylene acceptor selected from a Novolac resin, diphenylolmethane, diphenylolethane diphenylolpropane, diphenylolbutane, a naphthol, a cresol or combinations thereof; and mixing a methylene donor and a vulcanizing agent into the non-productive mix to convert the non-productive mix to a productive mix.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rubber compositions and more particularly to rubber compositions having multiple reinforcing resins, methods for making them and articles made from such rubber compositions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tires and other articles that are made of rubber are manufactured from rubber compositions that include rubber, e.g., natural rubber, synthetic rubber or combinations thereof, as well as fillers, plasticizers, vulcanizing agents and other chemicals that improve the physical characteristics of the cured rubber composition. One class of materials that may be added to the rubber compositions is resin.
Resins are typically (but not always) nonvolatile, solid organic substances that are produced naturally by plants or synthetically from petrochemicals or other sources of hydrocarbon materials. As used in rubber compositions, resins may be classified as either reinforcing resins or as plasticizing resins. Plasticizing resins are added to a rubber composition to improve the plasticity or workability of a rubber composition. They are often added as a substitute for or in addition to a processing oil and are known to improve the resulting physical characteristics of the cured rubber composition.
Reinforcing resins are added to a rubber composition to increase the rigidity of the cured rubber composition. These reinforcing resins intermix with the rubber polymer chains and, when reacted with a linking agent or with each other, form a three-dimensional network that improves the physical characteristics of the cured rubber composition. Many of these resins are classified as being methylene acceptor/donor systems that react together to generate a three-dimensional reinforcing resin network by a condensation reaction.

Rubber composition with multiple reinforcing resins

Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin


An optical integrated circuit may include a substrate including a single crystalline semiconductor material, a passive element extending in a <100> crystal orientation of the substrate and including the single crystalline semiconductor material, and an active element extending in a <110> crystal orientation of the substrate and including the single crystalline semiconductor material.

1. Field
Some example embodiments may relate to optical integrated circuits, semiconductor devices including the same, and/or methods of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
As the enhancement of the speed of data transfer through electrical integrated circuits approaches physical limits, improved methods of transferring data through optical integrated circuits have been developed. If optical integrated circuits are formed on a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate, the production cost increases due to the high price of the SOI substrate. Thus, methods of manufacturing optical integrated circuits on bulk silicon substrates have been studied. In order to form optical integrated circuits on bulk silicon substrates, processes for forming an amorphous silicon layer and crystallizing it are performed, and each portion of the optical integrated circuits may have characteristics according to the degree of crystallization of silicon.

Optical integrated circuits, semiconductor devices including the same, and methods of manufacturing the same


A patient incline device includes a base member, an inflatable incline ramp located on an upper surface of the base member, an incline ramp adapted to support a patient such that the patient's upper torso is elevated with respect to the base member, an inflatable head support pillow and a wedge-shaped inflatable spinal support air chamber located on the incline ramp and angling upward in a direction away from the incline ramp, and aligned with a centerline of the incline ramp, wherein the peak end of the wedge extends to about the region of the patient's lumbar curve so that the buttocks are not raised upon inflation.

Incline devices for elevating the head and upper torso of a patient with respect to the patient's legs are known. The inclined position assists breathing and allows the patient more freedom of movement to observe and to better interact with surrounding objects than in a flat, supine, position. One specialized use for a patient incline device is to place the head and neck of the patient in better position for an intubation procedure in which an endotracheal tube is inserted into the patient's airway. The desired position for the patient being intubated, in which the trachea is opened, is sometimes referred to as the "sniffing" position.
As discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0193496, it is also known to use incline devices to elevate the head of patients for whom laying in a supine condition for extended periods of time would be unhealthy. This is particularly true for morbidly obese patients because excess fat in the chest wall area compresses the lungs, making it more difficult for the patient to breath. Such respiratory difficulty can aggravate other conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).
The work of breathing ("WOB") includes an elastic component that is primarily influenced by the inward recoil of the lungs and the outward recoil of the chest wall. Elastic work during breathing is performed primarily during inspiration as the lungs and chest wall are expanded creating a pressure gradient to move gas into the lungs. Factors that contribute to the elastic WOB include the stiffness (i.e., a measure of compliance) of the pulmonary tissue, recoil pressure of the chest wall, and resistance offered by the abdominal cavity.
When respiratory excursion (i.e., the outward movement of the chest wall during inspiration) is impaired by morbid obesity, skeletal or pulmonary disease, pregnancy or severe burns to the chest wall, the intrathoracic volume is compressed and chest wall compliance is impaired. This dramatically increases the WOB that is required to maintain functional residual capacity and an adequate tidal volume and can result in ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch, lung collapse, and hypoventilation. Also, mask ventilation tends to be difficult because of low chest wall compliance, particularly for morbidly obese patients as a result of increased intra-abdominal pressure caused by large abdominal fat accumulations.
When a patient is inclined using a conventional incline device having a sloped incline ramp that contacts the head and upper torso of the patient, the spine of the patient may not be fully supported along its length such that an upper portion of the spine curves (i.e., analogously to a standing person exhibiting a crooked or "hunched" posture). Such curvature of the upper spine tends to contract the chest wall area of the patient. Thus, the respiratory benefits associated with inclining a patient, particularly an obese patient, are not fully realized because of undesirable misalignment of the spine. In addition, the condition of sleep apnea may be aggravated for patient's that are inclined for extended periods of time with the spine in an unsupported condition.

Patient incline device having centerline spinal support

Abstract: The wedge-shaped spinal support chamber may also include a pop-up air chamber having internal air vents to the spinal support chamber such that when the spinal support chamber inflates, the pop-up chamber rises as pressure accumulates and lifts a thoracic curve portion of the patient's spine.

Abstract: An accessory lift device is provided for use in situations where raising the patient's buttocks and pelvis is wanted. The accessory is an inflatable air chamber having side lobes adapted to lie along each lateral side of the inflatable pad base and a seat portion that crosses transversely over the inflatable base pad beneath the patient's buttocks.


A method of manufacturing an optical element involves an interferometric test of the optical element using an interferometer system of a Fizeau type combined with principles of white-light interferometry. The optical element is disposed in a cavity between a Fizeau surface and a mirror, and an optical path difference between a back surface of the optical element and the mirror is determined for determining parameters of the optical element, such as a thickness thereof. Measuring light from an optical delay apparatus can be supplied to the Fizeau interferometer through an optical fiber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of measuring and manufacturing of optical elements. In particular, the invention relates to a method of measuring and manufacturing an optical element having opposite first and second surfaces which are substantially flat surfaces oriented substantially parallel to each other or substantially spherical surfaces having substantially coinciding centers of curvature.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
The optical element may comprise, for example, an optical component such as a lens used in optical systems, such as telescopes used in astronomy and systems used for imaging structures, such as structures formed on a mask reticle, onto a radiation sensitive substrate, such as a resist, in a lithographic method. The success of such optical system is substantially determined by an accuracy with which the optical element can be machined or processed to have a target shape determined by a designer of the optical system. In such manufacture it is necessary to compare a shape of the processed optical surface with its target shape, and to determine differences between the processed and target surfaces. The optical element may then be further processed at those portions where differences between the machined and target surfaces exceed e.g. predefined thresholds.
In order to precisely measure the shapes of the optical surfaces of the optical element, an interferometer apparatus is commonly used. An example of such interferometer apparatus is a Fizeau interferometer. The conventional Fizeau interferometer usually includes a reference surface which is also referred to as a Fizeau surface and which is illuminated with measuring light. A portion of the measuring light is reflected back from the Fizeau surface and directed onto a camera. Another portion of the measuring light traverses the Fizeau surface and is incident on the optical surface under test to be reflected therefrom such that it is also incident on the camera. The light reflected from the Fizeau surface and the light reflected from the reference surface generate an interference pattern on the camera. By analysing this pattern, shape differences between the optical surface and its target shape can be determined in terms of wavelengths of the measuring light at respective locations on the optical surface.
If the optical element has two surfaces which are parallel to each other or which have coinciding centers of curvatures, measuring light reflected from both surfaces will be incident on the detector to interfere with the measuring light reflected from the Fizeau surface. Interference patterns generated from three interfering beams are difficult to analyze with a sufficient precision to determine shape errors of the respective optical surface to a desired accuracy. From US 2004/0190002 A1 there is known a method of suppressing a contribution of a selected optical surface of such optical element to the generated interference pattern by using measuring light of alternating wavelengths. However, this conventional method is complicated due to a necessity of a particular control of a wavelength tunable light source. Further, a thickness of the optical element may not always be determined with a desired accuracy by using the conventional methods.

Method of manufacturing an optical element


A preform, a process for forming the preform and a container formed from the preform are disclosed. The preform comprises a tubular body portion having an open end and a closed end. At a location near the open end, a flange extends outwardly from the tubular body portion. A closure retaining element is provided for engaging a closure. The closure retaining element is formed separately from the tubular body portion and includes a manner for attachment to the tubular body portion. The closure retaining element is attached to the tubular body portion adjacent the flange via the manner for attachment.

This invention is directed to preforms and containers, and more particularly, to a simplified preform assembly including a preform having a shape and design devoid of finish moldings.
The typical preform has an outer surface including a finish which comprises moldings such as threads and a flange. Such a preform is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,514 to Strassheimer. The preform has an outside wall face with external threads and a flange. Accordingly, the preform as shown includes the typical finish moldings which, in order to mold, requires the use of a parted neck mold component, termed the neck split. Preforms could be molded at lower packing pressure, and more mold impressions could be accommodated in the same mold platen without the neck splits, since the operation of molding using neck splits requires substantially more platen space than a molding operation without neck splits.
There exists a need, therefore, for a preform having a simplified body structure, that is, with no finish requiring the use of a parted neck mold component, for allowing for the formation of preforms at lower packing pressure and for allowing for the molding of preforms in greater number on the same platen.

Preform and closure for blow molded articles

The Elizabeth and Sandor Valyi Foundtain, Inc.


A viewed component of a vehicle instrument cluster includes a planar sheet including a first face and a second face. The first and second sheet are offset by a predetermined thickness. The planar sheet defines a plurality of passages formed entirely through the thickness and extending between the first face and the second face. A translucent layer of material includes an inboard face and an outboard face. The inboard face is disposed on one of the first and second face of the planar sheet and covers the plurality of passages thereat. Markings are arranged on the outboard face of the translucent layer. The markings correspond to identifiable designations on the viewed component.

Instrument clusters on automobiles generally include a plurality of gauges for displaying such operational information such as vehicle speed, engine RPM, engine temperature, fuel level and many other information. The gauges may include analog or digital readings for displaying the information depending on manufacturer and styling preferences. An analog gauge typically includes a faceplate having indicia thereon such as numbers and a pointer for rotating to the appropriate number.
One important design consideration for an instrument cluster and related gauges is the ability of a vehicle operator to easily view and read the gauges in all driving environments. In particular, nighttime driving requires the instrument cluster to illuminate in some fashion whereby the numbers and corresponding pointers are easily distinguishable. A recent styling trend has motivated manufactures to provide instrument clusters having metallic faceplates. While a metallic faceplate may provide a certain aesthetic appeal, it presents challenges for effectively illuminating the gauge at night. In one commonly employed configuration, a metallic faceplate is illuminated by a light source positioned around an outer side boundary. Because of the inherent reflective properties of a metal toned surface, such a configuration may present a less than desirable nighttime viewing experience for the vehicle operator.

Metallic face plate for automotive instrument cluster


A convertible roof includes an outer cover with a recess defined therein. The roof has a front roof edge which joins the windshield frame when the convertible roof is in a closed position. The front region of the roof includes a rigid assembly disposed under the cover. The rigid assembly includes a frame part. A sun roof part is received in the recess defined by the cover and is openable to a position raised out of a plane defined by the roof cover. The recess defined by the cover is open to the front.

It is known to provide a sun roof part in a convertible soft top which can be raised when the top is closed. The total size of such a sun roof part must, however, be disposed within a roof region which does not fold when the top opens and the soft cover folds. The area available for the sun roof part is therefore small.


This invention relates generally to the fabrication of heterojunction diodes from semiconducting (conjugated) polymers and acceptors such as, for example, fullerenes, particularly Buckminsterfullerenes, C.sub.60, and more particularly to the use of such heterojunction structures as photodiodes and as photovoltaic cells.

Solid-state heterojunctions (between p-type and n-type semiconductors) have found widespread application in modern electronics. Such pn heterojunctions typically exhibit diode rectification; they are therefore, useful in a wide variety of electronic circuit applications. The pn heterojunction is useful as a single electronic element, and it is often part of more complex electronic elements such as transistors. A principal feature of the pn heterojunction is the built-in potential at the interface between the p-type (donor) material and the n-type (acceptor) material. This built-in potential arises fundamentally from the different electronegativities of the two materials which make up the heterojunction. The built-in potential and the associated difference in electronegativities is the origin of the rectifying nature of the device. When electrons and holes are photogenerated in the vicinity of the junction, the built-in potential and the associated difference in electronegativities serve to separate the charge. The charge separation at the interface is, therefore, the origin of the photovoltaic effect. Such pn heterojunction diodes can serve as photodiodes and as the fundamental element in a photovoltaic cell, commonly known as a solar cell.
There is extensive prior art on solar cells; such devices are commonly treated in standard texts on semiconductor devices (see for example M. S. Sze, Physics of Semiconductor Devices, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1981; Chapters 13 and 14 ). Currently, solar cells are typically fabricated from conventional semiconductors; for example, gallium arsenide, silicon, cadmium sufide etc. Since these materials require costly high temperature processing steps, solar cells made from such materials enjoy limited use. In order to obtain optimum performance from such solar cells, single crystal materials are needed. The growth and the subsequent processing of single crystals is demanding, and therefore even more costly.
In photosynthesis in green plants, the process of charge separation is relatively efficient. There has, therefore, been longstanding interest in striving for a deeper understanding of charge separation in organic systems with the goal of achieving highly efficient charge separation following photo-excitation; see for example Marye Anne Fox and Michel Chanon, Eds., Photoinduced Electron Transfer, Parts A D, (Elsevier Science Publ., Amsterdam, 1988)
For the above reasons, there has been considerable interest for many years in the development of suitable organic materials for use as the p-type and n-type materials in pn junctions for device application.
The utilization of semiconducting organic polymers (i.e. conjugated polymers) in the fabrication of pn heterojunctions expands the possible applications for conducting polymers into the area of active electronic devices with the possibility of significant cost advantages over existing technology. Controlling the energy gap of the polymer, either through the judicious choice of the conjugated backbone structure or through side-chain functionalization, should make it possible to match the absorption spectrum of the conjugated polymer to the solar spectrum. The ability to make solar cells from uniform polymer layers which have with excellent mechanical properties (flexible films with large elongation to break) would enable robust large area devices that could be easily mounted for use.
Typically conjugated polymers are p-type materials in the as-synthesiszed form. Although such semiconducting polymers can be doped n-type (by addition of electrons into the high energy .pi.* electronic energy levels) the resulting known n-type materials are often environmentally unstable.
There is no prior art on the use of conjugated polymers as donors in combination with fullerenes, such as Buckminsterfullerenes, as an acceptor to form donor-acceptor complexes which exhibit photoinduced charge transfer, photoinduced spectral changes (optical memory) and/or which lead to separation of charge and the photovoltaic effect at the interface between the two. There is no prior art using conjugated polymers as the donor layer and fullerenes, such as Buckminsterfullerenes, as the acceptor layer in a pn heterojunction that exhibits the photovoltaic effect.
The fundamental phenomenon underlying the photovoltaic effect is the process of charge separation viewed from the molecular level. A basic description of intramolecular and/or intermolecular photoinduced electron transfer is as follows:

Conjugated polymer - acceptor heterojunctions; diodes, photodiodes, and photovoltaic cells

The Regents of the University of California


The invention is directed to a cable breakout assembly (1) comprising a first gland for a feeder cable (10) and several second glands (13) for power feeder subassemblies (12) and an enclosure (2) comprising at least one carrier (3). The at least one carrier is suitable to be interconnected to at least one second gland.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable breakout assembly remote radio heads (RRH).
Discussion of Related Art
Radio heads and other equipment for amplifying and transmitting signals from antenna towers were traditionally positioned at the base of the tower in order to facilitate the installation and maintenance thereof. However, there has been a problem with respect to the signal losses experienced and the power consumption involved in this configuration.
So called remote radio heads (RRH) have become an important subsystem of today's new distributed base stations. The remote radio head in general contains the base station's RF circuitry plus analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converters and up/down converters. RRHs may also have operation and management processing capabilities and a standardized optical interface to connect to the rest of the base station. Relocating the transmission and amplification components to the top of the tower served to reduce the signal losses and power requirements, however, even though the signal was run through the feeder cable extending up the tower, it was also necessary to run a DC power cable up the tower in order to boost the signal power to the individual amplifiers. Also, this type of prior art system required a separate feeder cable to be connected with the individual radio leads for each amplifier at the top of the tower.
This construction presents problems in that a larger number of cables are required to run up the tower, which involves a number of cable pulls, and also undesirably occupies space on the tower. This is especially costly when one considers that the installation costs increase with more cables, because installers typically charge per cable pull required, and the overall costs increase because tower owners may charge by the number of cables. The added weight of numerous cables can be a drawback, as well as wind loading issues related to multiple-cable configurations on the tower. In addition, the use of more components introduces the potential for increased installation steps, and more maintenance issues associated with more connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,963,690, assigned to the US-Navy, was first published in 2005. It is directed to a device for terminating a hybrid electrical/fiber optic cable. The connector comprises a clamp assembly affecting a swage lock on a "k-tube" (see www.k-tube.com) to prevent movement of the k-tube within the connector and resultant damage to the optical fibers. The clamp assembly comprises two clamp halves, at least one of which includes a k-tube groove, one or more optical fiber grooves, a fan out cavity, and means for joining the clamp halves. US '690 is not applicable for RRH according to the present invention.
From the same applicant hybrid cable assemblies have been successfully brought to the marked that minimize the amount of cables running up the mast. A compact divider splits a multi-fiber/wire cable into individual ruggedized outdoor cables, which are linked to the RRHs either directly or via extension jumpers. The cabling system has excellent installation features like robust pulling tubes and a filed manageable method to strip and excess power cable at the base station.

Environmentally sealed cable breakout assemblies


An X-ray image radiographing system comprises an X-ray generator, a detection unit, a correction unit for performing a correction processing for the data outputted from the detection unit, and an output unit for outputting data processed by the correction unit. Moreover, it comprises a control unit for controlling the detection unit, the X-ray generator and the correction unit, a radiographing condition memory accessible by the control unit, a radiographing button for making a radiographing request to the control unit, a radiographing mode setting unit 106 for setting a radiographing mode in the control unit, and a photo timer having an AE function. The radiographing mode setting unit may be constituted of a workstation. Thereby, it is possible to provide an image radiographing apparatus and system capable of easily coping with a plurality of radiographing modes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image radiographing (hereinafter, radiographing including not only X-ray radiographing but also photographing for any wavelength range of radiation) apparatus and system, which acquires the corrected output by conducting arithmetic operation processing of a radiographed output and an offset output from an area sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image photographing apparatus or radiographing apparatus employing a sensor array in which photoelectric conversion elements or TFTs formed of amorphous silicon or poly-silicon on a glass substrate are two-dimensionally arranged has been well known. In these apparatuses, it is common that electric charges photoelectrically transferred by photoelectric conversion elements are driven in matrix with TFTs and transferred to a reading device to read them.
An offset correction and driving method for the image radiographing apparatus with the area sensor array was disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-244557. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an X-ray radiographing system to which the conventional image radiographing apparatus is applied. FIG. 16 is a timing chart showing the operation of the X-ray radiographing system as shown in FIG. 15.
As shown in FIG. 15, the X-ray radiographing system comprises an X-ray generator 303, a detection unit 302 for detecting an X-ray passed through a subject 316, a correction unit 308 for performing a correction processing for the data outputted from the detection unit 302, and an output unit 315 such as a monitor for outputting data processed by the correction unit 308. Moreover, it comprises a control unit 301 for controlling the detection unit 302, the X-ray generator 303 and the correction unit 308, a radiographing condition memory 307 accessible by the control unit 301, a radiographing button 305 for issuing a radiographing command to the control unit 301, and a photo timer 304 having an AE (Auto Exposure) function. The detection unit 302 is provided with an area sensor and a reading device (not shown), and the correction unit 308 is provided with an image memory 309 for storing a radiographed output from the detection unit 302, a correction memory 311 for storing an offset output from the detection unit 302 and an arithmetic operation unit 314.
In the conventional X-ray radiographing system constituted in the above way, the area sensor periodically performs a pseudo reading operation (hereinafter referred to as "dummy reading") indicated by "I" in FIG. 16 to reduce the dark current, as shown in FIG. 16. And if the radiographing button 305 is pressed, a radiographing request signal is issued from the radiographing button 305 to the control unit 301. The control unit 301, upon detecting the radiographing request signal, enables the detection unit 301 with the area sensor to perform at least one dummy reading operation. Thereafter, the control unit 301 controls the X-ray generator 303 to start X-ray irradiation. The photo timer 304 having the AE function generates an AE signal (pulse) to the control unit 301 at an appropriate timing during X-ray irradiation. The control unit 301 controls the X-ray generator 303 to stop X-ray irradiation, upon detecting the AE signal (pulse), and stores the charge accumulation time T1 including X-ray irradiation time at this time in the radiographing condition memory 307. Then, the control unit 301 controls the reading device of the detection unit 302 to read the image data from the area sensor. And the output at this time is stored as "radiographed output X" in the image memory 309 within the correction unit 308.
Subsequently, the control unit 301 enables the detection unit 302 to acquire an offset output for correction. That is, the detection unit 302 conducts detection for the charge accumulation time T2 in a state where the X-ray is not irradiated, to read the image data and acquire the offset output F under the radiographing conditions stored in the radiographing condition memory 307. The offset output F is stored in the correction memory 311 within the correction unit 308. At this time, the time T2 is coincident with the X-ray irradiation time T1 stored in the radiographing condition memory 307.
Thereafter, the arithmetic operation unit 314 performs an arithmetic operation processing of "radiographed output X" stored in the image memory 309 and "offset output F" stored in the correction memory 311, and outputs the offset corrected image data to the output unit 315 such as monitor.
Generally, the area sensor made of amorphous silicon used for the conventional image radiographing apparatus is less negligibly affected by the dark current from the photoelectric conversion elements. Accordingly, this method has the great effect in which the X-ray irradiation time T1 is stored in the radiographing condition memory and after the radiographed output is acquired, the offset output is acquired under the condition where the accumulation time T2 is coincident with the X-ray irradiation time T1 as in the above example.


For purposes of producing barrier layers on the surfaces of thermoplastics, the surfaces are exposed to a treatment gas containing fluorine. The barrier layers are effective against mixtures of polar or non-polar substances such as, for instance, fuels containing methanol. In order to improve the barrier effect, the cooled-off treatment gas is left to act upon the surface, whose temperature at the beginning of exposure is kept between 60.degree. C. and 250.degree. C. [140.degree. F. and 482.degree. F.].

The technical use of thermoplastics has certain limitations, among other things, in terms of the material properties of the plastics. Probably, the most significant of these limitations is the restricted barrier effect that these plastics offer against gases, vapors and solvents. One possibility to somewhat improve or else overcome this limitation is gas-phase fluorination. With gas-phase fluorination, a polar barrier layer is formed on polyethylene or other polyolefins by means of brief exposure to a treatment gas containing fluorine. Such a process is described, for example, in German patent DE-PS 35 11 743. As a result of such treatment, the usefulness of these mass-produced plastics is considerably enhanced. Nevertheless, the processes for creating barrier layers known so far such as, for instance, co-extrusion, incorporation of barrier layer resins and coatings, are effective only against specific permeating substances, that is to say, certain contents.
As a rule, such barrier layers fail to a greater or lesser extent when they come into contact with mixtures of non-polar or strongly polar substances. The reason for this not yet fully understood phenomenon probably has to do with the swelling behavior of these barrier layer plastics with respect to such solvents. The polar fractions of the permeating substances cause a swelling of polar barrier layers which, in turn, also become more permeable to non-polar components. Naturally, the same applies to polar barrier layers which are covered on the medium side by a non-polar layer, for instance, as is the case with co-extrusion. In this context, first the non-polar outer layers are swollen by non-polar solvents, as a result of which they also become permeable to polar components. As a result of this "entrainment", polar solvents reach the area of the covered polar barrier layer and lead to a pronounced reduction of the barrier effect there, too.
Technical preparations usually consist of such complex admixtures of polar and non-polar substances. These are primarily products of the chemical and petrochemical industries such as, for example, fuels.
The invention is based on the objective of creating a process for the production of barrier layers on the inner surfaces of hollow molded parts made of thermoplastics, which are effective with respect to admixtures of polar and non-polar substances.
The invention is characterized by having the temperature of the surface at the beginning of exposure lie in the range of 60.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. [140.degree. F. to 482.degree. F.]. The reaction energy released during fluorination is removed by cooling the treatment gas.
In the preferred practice of the invention the treatment gas containing fluorine enters the hollow molded part at a temperature between 0.degree. C. and -196.degree. C. [32.degree. F. and -320.8.degree. F.]. The treatment gas is cooled by mixing it with low-temperature nitrogen which had been previously introduced into the molded part.

Process for the production of barrier layers for admixtures of polar and non-polar materials on the inner surface of hollow molded parts made of thermoplastics