One inventive aspect relates to a digital sub-circuit suitable for embedding in an at least partially digital circuit for minimizing the influence of another digital sub-circuit on the at least partially digital circuit, the other digital sub-circuit being part of the at least partially digital circuit. The influence of the other digital sub-circuit may, for example, be the introduction of ground bounce by switching of the other digital sub-circuit. Another inventive aspect relates to an at least partially digital circuit comprising such a digital sub-circuit for minimizing the influence of another digital sub-circuit to the at least partially digital circuit and to a method for reducing the influence of another digital sub-circuit to an at least partially digital circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of design methodologies for electrical circuits, in particular digital circuits for use in mixed signal systems and thus comprising digital and analog parts, as well as circuits designed in accordance with the methodologies. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for minimizing the influence of a first digital sub-circuit on an at least partially digital circuit, the first digital sub-circuit being part of the at least partially digital circuit, to a second digital sub-circuit adapted for minimizing the influence of the first digital sub-circuit, to the at least partially digital circuit and to an at least partially digital circuit comprising such a second digital sub-circuit.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Digital switching noise that propagates through a chip substrate and/or through power/ground rails to an analog circuitry on a same chip is a major limitation for mixed-signal System-on-Chip (SoC) integration. In synchronous digital systems, digital circuits switch simultaneously on the clock edge, hereby generating a large ground bounce.
With the increase of switching speed of digital circuits and tighter signal-to-noise ratio specifications in analog circuits, ground bounce is a stopper for single-chip integration of mixed-signal systems ['D. K. Su, M. J. Loinaz, S. Masui, and B. A. Wooley, "Experimental results and modeling techniques for substrate noise in mixed-signal integrated circuits," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 420-430, 1993 and M. Xu, D. K. Su, D. K. Shaeffer, T. H. Lee' and 'B. A. Wooley, "Measuring and modeling the effects of substrate noise on the LNA for a CMOS GPS receiver," IEEE J. of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 473-485, 2001']. Even if for a mixed-signal application, the analog part is put on a separate die than the digital part, the data converters are usually put on the same chip as the digital part, where they are subject to noise coupling, which is mainly caused by ground bounce in the digital domain.
A technique called spread spectrum clock generation (SSCG) was introduced in 'K. B. Hardin, J. T. Fessler, and D. R. Bush, "Spread spectrum clock generation for the reduction of radiated emissions," in IEEE Proc. of the Int. Symp. on Electromagnetic Compatibility, pp. 227-231, August 1994' to reduce the spectral peaks of the digital clock as much as 10-20 dB by frequency modulation of the clock with a unique waveform. Through this modulation, the energy at each clock harmonic is distributed over a wider bandwidth. For the case of a 266 MHz clock with a triangular modulation and with a 2.5% frequency deviation, around 13 dB attenuation is measured with this technique [H.-H. Chang, I.-H. Hua, and S.-L. Liu, "A spread-spectrum clock generator with triangular modulation," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 38, No. 4, April 2003].
Previous work has focused more on a single cell with a single-cycle input and ignored the impact of the system-level clocking on the ground bounce [T. Gabara, W. Fischer, J. Harrington, and W. W. Troutman, "Forming damped LRC parasitic circuits in simultaneously switched CMOS output buffers," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 407-418, 1997].
Introducing intended skews to the synchronous clock network in order to spread the simultaneous switching activities as such is known from 'M. Badaroglu, M. van Heijningen, V. Gravot, J. Compiet, S. Donnay, G. Gielen, and H. De Man, "Methodology and experimental verification for substrate noise reduction in CMOS mixed-signal ICs with synchronous digital circuits," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 37, No. 11, pp. 1383-1395, November 2002'.

Method and apparatus for minimizing the influence of a digital sub-circuit on at least partially digital circuits


A shingling apparatus for sheets of paper or paperboard includes a pair of independently operable vacuum plenums in a gap between an in-feed conveyor and a reduced speed shingling conveyor. One of the vacuum plenums decelerates an incoming sheet to shingling conveyor speed while the second vacuum plenum captures and pulls down the tail of the sheet to allow the faster moving following sheet to override the tail. This dual vacuum action enhances sheet control, requires very little vertical displacement of the sheets at the vacuum plenums, and enhances the squareness of the shingle that is formed. The system may also include a downstream shingle separator including a translating connection that assists in pulling the necessary gap between downstream shingle portion being directed into a stacker and an upstream shingle portion that is accumulated until the downstream shingle portion is stacked and discharged.

The present invention pertains to a system for compressing a conveyed line of paper or paperboard sheets into a shingle and, more particularly, to such a system utilizing a dual plenum vacuum shingling device. The system may also include a shingle separation subsystem.
Vacuum shingling is well known and well developed in the art of handling sheets of paper and paperboard. When sheets of paper or paperboard are cut to length for further downstream conversion, they are usually delivered from a knife or other cutoff device as a high speed line of closely spaced sheets, often moving at a speed of 1,000 feet per second (about 300 meters per second) or more. In order to compress the line of sheets to facilitate handling, as for example for forming stacks of sheets, the line of sheets is formed into a shingle which continues to advance at a much reduced speed. In order to form a shingle, the sheets must be slowed considerably and handled in a manner such that the lead edge of each following sheet is made to overrun the tail edge of the sheet immediately preceding it. This may require the sheets to be slowed on a shingling conveyor to a speed that is only 20% of incoming line speed or less.
Because of wide variations in line speed at which the sheets are fed, the percent shingle (overlap) required, sheet length and basis weight of the paper or paperboard sheets, many different ways have been developed for shingling and for controlling sheets in the shingling process. Another complication is introduced when sheets are preprinted or finished on the exposed top sides such that contact of the sheets with overhead snubber wheels, brushes or the like is undesirable or impossible. In such cases, vacuum shingling by which the sheets are captured and slowed from line speed by applying a vacuum to the undersides of the sheets is a common practice.
Nevertheless, it would be desirable to have a vacuum shingling system that would be adaptable to handle a wider range of sheet sizes and basis weights, over a wide range of delivery line speeds and shingle overlap and, in particular, with a system that would not include devices that rub and could scuff finished upper sheet surfaces.


This invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid fragment encoding a sterol metabolism enzyme. The invention also relates to the construction of a chimeric gene encoding all or a portion of the sterol metabolism enzyme, in sense or antisense orientation, wherein expression of the chimeric gene results in production of altered levels of the sterol metabolism enzyme in a transformed host cell.

Conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol is the last reaction in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway catalyzed by the microsomal enzyme 7-dehydrocholesterol-delta 7 reductase (EC 184.108.40.206). Inhibiting the last step in cholesterol biosynthesis profoundly reduces tissue and plasma cholesterol concentrations and accumulates precursors that substantially slow hepatoma growth. Inhibiting late cholesterol synthesis also hinders the growth of rapidly enlarging malignant tumors (Xu, G. et al. (1996) Hepatology 24:440-445). Analyses of the cDNA encoding the human delta 7 sterol reductase shows that this enzyme is a membrane-bound protein containing 6 to 9 putative transmembrane segments and is structurally related to plant and yeast sterol reductases. The delta 7 sterol reductase is absent from yeast. Microsomes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains heterologously expressing the human delta 7 reductase cDNA remove the C7-8 double bond in 7-dehydrocholesterol in a NADPH-dependent manner (Moebius, F. F. et al. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:1899-1902).
A microsomal preparation from seedlings of Zea mays catalyzed the NADPH-dependent reduction of the delta 7 bond of delta 5,7 cholestadienol giving the first in vitro evidence of the intermediacy of delta 5,7 sterols in plant sterol biosynthesis. In vitro inhibition of the plant delta 5,7 sterol delta 7 reductase by ammonium ion-containing fungicides was consistent with the previously proposed cationic mechanism involved in this reduction reaction (Taton, M. and Rahier, A. (1991) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 181:465-473). The NADPH-sterol delta-7 reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana has been cloned. The corresponding protein has significant sequence similarity with yeast delta 14 and delta 24 reductases and with human lamin B receptor. This protein is capable of efficiently reducing in vivo delta-5,7-ergosta- and cholesta-sterols, regardless of the structural variations on the side chain. The delta 7 reductase activity is preferentially associated with the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and uses NADPH as the reducing agent (Lecain, E. et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271:10866-10873).
Regulation of sterol biosynthesis in the terminal portion of the pathway represents an efficient mechanism by which the cell can control the production of sterol without disturbing the production of other essential mevalonate pathway products. Expression of ERG3, the gene encoding sterol C-5 desaturase, is increased in response to a mutation in the major isoform of HMG-CoA reductase which catalyzes the rate-limiting step of sterol biosynthesis. Mutations in non-auxotropic ergosterol biosynthetic genes downstream of squalene production result in an up-regulation of ERG3 expression. Absence of sterol esterification leads to a decrease in total intracellular sterol and ERG3 is a target of this negative regulation (Arthington-Skaggs, B. A. et al. (1996) FEBS Lett. 392:161-165). ERG3 is the structural gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the sterol delta 5 desaturase that introduces the C5=6 unsaturation in ergosterol biosynthesis. Inactivated mutants of ERG3 fail to grow without added levels of delta 5 sterols in heme-deficient cells, and are unable to grow on the respiratory substrates glycerol and ethanol (Smith, S. J. and Parks, L. W. (1993) Yeast 9:1177-1187). A construct containing the promoter for the ERG3 gene fused to the bacterial lacZ reporter gene was placed in strains making aberrant sterols, and the effect of altered sterol composition on gene expression was monitored by beta-galactosidase activity. The absence of ergosterol resulted in a 35-fold increase in the expression of ERG3 as measured by beta-galactosidase activity. The level of ERG3 mRNA was increased as much as 9-fold in erg-mutant strains or wild-type strains inhibited in ergosterol biosynthesis by antifingal agents. The observed regulatory effects of ergosterol on ERG3 are specific for ergosterol, as several ergosterol derivatives failed to elicit the same controlling effect. These results demonstrate that ergosterol exerts a regulatory effect on gene transcription in S. cerevisiae (Smith, S. J. et al. (1996) Mol. Cell Biol. 16:5427-5432). A human cDNA clone homologous to fungal ERG3, a gene encoding sterol C-5 desaturase has been isolated. This gene is expressed in all normal human tissues examined (Matusushima, M. et al. (1996) Cytogent. Cell Genet. 74:252-254).


A serial sampling video signal driving apparatus receives a plurality of color video signals. A serial sampling video driver samples the color video signals one after the other in cyclic fashion, and provides the sampled values to drive a matrix-type color display. A delay circuit delays one or more of the color video signals at different phases before input to the serial sampling video driver, thereby compensating for differences in sampling times.

This invention relates to serial sampling video signal driving apparatus for a matrix-type color display.
A matrix-type display comprises a matrix of discrete picture elements, herein called dots. In the case of a color display, each dot has means for displaying, for example, the three primary colors red, blue, and green. The serial sampling video signal driving circuit receives red, blue, and green input video signals, samples them in a serial manner, and provides video output signals to drive the display. "A serial manner" means that the three video signals are sampled one after the other instead of simultaneously.
One example of a matrix-type color display with a serial sampling video signal driving circuit is a color liquid crystal display for a computer. The computer produces red, green, and blue video signals synchronized to a dot clock.
Although-the video signals are analog and since they are produced by a computer, each signal tends to have a discrete value per dot, the value changing abruptly at boundaries between dots. A problem that occurs in tills situation is incorrect color rendition at high spatial frequencies because signal sampling is not synchronized to the dot clock. A vertical edge between a white area and a black area, for example, may be tinged with undesired colors. This problem is particularly noticeable if the serial sampling video signal driving apparatus and its constituent signal-processing circuits are not designed for extremely high-frequency operation. The problem can be alleviated by using circuits with improved high-frequency characteristics, but such circuits are expensive and dissipate additional power.

Serial sampling video signal driving apparatus with improved color rendition


An engine is attached to a vehicle frame with at least one synthetic engine mount strut mounted generally axially in the principal directions of displacement resulting from engine torque. The strut provides isolation of noise and vibration from the engine and drive train, and reduces engine rotation resulting from the same. A one-piece strut member provides rigid engine-to-frame fixation, while at the same time accommodating small displacement flexing of the structure to isolate and damp high frequency vibration and noise through the use of selected material and structural geometry. The generally one-piece strut, which is pivotally fixed at one end to the engine and at the other end to the frame, can provide for insertion of a bushing surface about each hole provided for pivotal fixation.

One previously known way for securing an engine to a vehicle frame, while providing decreased transmission of noise and vibration and restraint of engine torque reactions, is to utilize a torque strut with hydraulic piston action to dampen the engine torque reactions. The torque strut is pivotally attached to the engine axially in the direction of greatest torque reaction, with the opposite end pivotally attached to the vehicle frame, and with flow control means in the strut to regulate transfer of hydraulic fluids to either side of the piston as the strut is subjected to engine torque loads. An apparatus for resisting engine torque reactions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,058.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,946 discloses a mechanical connecting link or strut that accommodates limited motion due to normal engine oscillations and restrains excessive engine motion as results from engine torque. The dampening is achieved through a mechanical apparatus utilizing sliding plates and friction elements which are compressed between the plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,834 discloses an alternative way of providing a torque strut arrangement to limit engine roll, while providing dampening of vibration. This engine displacement limiter utilizes a three-point torque strut to resist the rolling action of an engine from reactive torque thereon, and utilizes rubber bushings at the three attachment points to provide isolation of the engine to frame.
Although these torque-resisting struts are able to provide isolation of small displacement vibrations between the engine and the vehicle frame, and resistance of large displacement engine torque to prevent large rotational displacement of the engine, especially under rapid throttling and acceleration of the engine and vehicle, they also possess a number of significant disadvantages and require many subassembly components in their construction. Over extended periods of use, the components wear and age as both the hydraulic piston strut and rigid strut with rubber bushings are subjected to vibration and thermal cyclic loading. In use, the tearing of rubber bushings on rigid engine struts is a problem that is difficult to prevent. As with any complex mechanical apparatus, the hydraulic piston strut utilizes many mechanical components with interacting frictional interfaces, thereby leading to wear of individual components and eventual leakage of hydraulic fluid. Likewise, the torque-resisting strut utilizes a complimentary pair of elongate slidable plates with frictional elements which will be subjected to the long term effects of component wear.


The synchronous serial communication circuit transmits and receives data, which is added flag patterns for recognizing the coil winding direction at the first and last of data block, by the electromagnetic induction system using a pair of coils. So, the circuit provides modulation and demodulation circuits acting at the clock of twice of the transfer speed and a flag check circuit for recognizing the inversion of the coil winding direction by judging a state of the flag patterns included in the received data. The transmitted data is converted into the biphase signal by the modulation circuit and is transmitted by driving the coil using the biphase signal. The signal received by the coil is converted into the received data by the demodulation circuit. When the winding directions of coils does not agree, the flag check circuit recognizes the inversion of the coil winding direction and the received data is inverted by the demodulation circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synchronous type serial communication circuit for carrying out no contact point communication by an electromagnetic induction system and employing a portable information apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the data transfer by use of the electromagnetic induction system in conventional portable information apparatuses, there is non synchronizing communication by use of a start-stop synchronizing system, or synchronizing communication for separately transferring the clock and data by providing a plural number of coils. In the case of communication by the start-stop synchronizing system a control clock of at least 8 or 16 times the transfer speed becomes necessary so that the system becomes difficult to be realized. In the case of the synchronizing communication utilizing a plural number of coils, a plural number of coils becomes necessary, and it is necessary to make the winding direction of the coils in the same direction.

Synchronous serial communication circuit


A packaging for an ophthalmic lens containing a pharmaceutical agent.

Contact lenses have been used commercially to improve vision since the 1950s. At first contact lenses were made of hard materials that were packaged in glass vials, but were uncomfortable for many patients. Later developments, gave rise to softer more comfortable lenses made of hydrophobic hydrogels and generally referred to as soft contact lenses. Due to the ease of producing these lenses, some have suggested that soft contact lenses may be used to deliver pharmaceutical agents to a patient's eyes. Currently soft contact lenses are produced on a large scale and are packaged as individual blister packages having a bowl portion and a foil top. These packages house the soft contact lens and its aqueous packaging solution. The bowl portion is made from a hydrophobic material such as polypropylene. Polypropylene is a commonly used material for contact lens packages. Polypropylene is resilient enough to withstand the sterilization steps of contact lens manufacture, and can be injection molded into a number suitable shapes and sizes. See, U.S. CPat. Nos. 4,691,820; 5,054,610; 5,337,888; 5,375,698; 5,409,104; 5,467,868; 5,515,964; 5,609,246; 5,695,049; 5,697,495; 5,704,468; 5,711,416; 5,722,536; 5,573,108; 5,823,327; 5,704,468; 5,983,608; 6,029,808; 6,044,966; and 6,401,915 for non-limiting examples of such packaging, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, the use of polypropylene in the bowl portion of a soft contact lens package can cause problems when the soft contact lens or its packaging solution contain pharmaceutical agents, particularly antihistamines such as ketotifen.
The use of ketotifen as an eye drop to treat the symptoms such as allergic conjunctivitis is known. Applicants have added ketotifen fumarate, a pharmaceutically active salt of ketotifen, to soft contact lenses and packaged those lenses in a polypropylene bowl. However, the packaging of these lenses in a polypropylene bowl causes problems. At the desired drug concentration greater than fifty percent of drug is absorbed by the polypropylene packaging material over time and removed from either or both the soft contact lens and its packaging solution. This is an undesirable condition because if the packaging material absorbs the drug, it will be difficult to determine how much of the drug is available for use by the patient. Therefore it is desirable to find materials suitable for the bowls of blister packages that minimally absorb the drugs contained in either or both the soft contact lens and its packaging solution. This need is met by the following invention.

Packages for ophthalmic lenses containing pharmaceutical agents


A heat sink assembly includes a socket (50), a CPU (40), a heat sink (30) and a clip (10). The socket has a pair of positioning blocks (52) formed on one side thereof. A pair of pivot holes (53) is respectively defined in opposing inner faces of the blocks. A cutout (54) is defined in each block under and in communication with a corresponding pivot hole. The clip has first and second legs (14, 12). A connecting portion (16) connects to the first leg of the clip. Two C-shaped pivot portions (18) are respectively formed at opposite ends of the connecting portion. In assembly, the pivot portions are resiliently deformed to pass through the cutouts and enter the-pivot holes of the blocks of the socket. An aperture (13) defined in the second leg engagingly receives a catch (56) formed-on an-opposite side of the socket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to means for securing heat sinks, and particularly to a heat sink assembly including a clip for attaching a heat sink to an electronic device on a socket.
2. Related Art
Present-day monolithic semiconductor devices such as microprocessors frequently have high. current path densities. This results in large amounts of heat being generated in relatively small regions. Oftentimes, heat produced by such large semiconductor devices is not adequately removed either by natural air convection or by powered ventilation such as a fan. Typically, a heat sink is directly attached to the device to provide cooling by way of conduction and convection. The attachment is effected using a heat sink clip.
A conventional clip is often M-shaped. A hole is defined in each of opposite legs of the clip, for engagingly receiving a corresponding catch of a socket. Examples of such clip are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,602,719 and 5,600,540. Unfortunately, this kind of clip is a separate part which must be packed and transported separately. The clip takes up additional transportation space. Furthermore, attachment of the heat sink to the device using the clip is unduly cumbersome. This lowers efficiency in mass production facilities, and increases costs.
Therefore, an improved means for attaching a heat sink to a heat-generating electronic device is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat sink assembly for readily and firmly attaching a heat sink to an electronic device which is mounted on a socket.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heat sink assembly having a clip which is pivotably connected with a socket prior to assembly.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a heat sink assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a socket, a central processing unit (CPU), a heat sink and a clip. The socket has a pair of positioning blocks formed on one side thereof. A pair of pivot holes is respectively defined in opposing inner faces of the blocks. A cutout is defined in each block under and in communication with a corresponding pivot hole. The clip has first and second legs. A connecting portion connects to the first leg of the clip. Two C-shaped pivot portions are respectively formed at opposite ends of the connecting portion. In assembly, the pivot portions are resiliently deformed to pass through the cutouts and enter the pivot holes of the blocks of the socket. An aperture defined in the second leg engagingly receives a catch formed on an opposite side of the socket.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will be drawn from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention with the attached drawings, in which:


An eraser includes a track structure to permit reciprocation of an eraser housing laterally of an elongate blackboard plate. The eraser housing includes a drive motor to effect rotation of a drive brush positioned above the blackboard plate, including a dust collection housing and tension roller positioned below the brush housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to blackboard eraser structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved blackboard eraser apparatus wherein the same is arranged for automatic reciprocation relative to a blackboard plate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Blackboard eraser structure of various types are utilized throughout the prior art to effect ease of cleaning of a blackboard structure. Such apparatus is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,265 to Shlick setting forth an eraser housing arranged for reciprocation relative to a blackboard structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,509 to Odhner sets forth a typical prior art manual blackboard eraser structure, wherein U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,134 to Wang sets forth a blackboard eraser wherein the same utilizes erasing rollers pivotally mounted within a base housing.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved automatic blackboard eraser apparatus as set forth by the instant invention which addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction in the removal of accumulated blackboard eraser dust relative to a blackboard plate surface and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A vapor condensation and liquid recovery system is provided where a turbine chamber is connected to a multi-chambered condensation unit. Each chamber of the condensation unit has a valved inlet port and a valved outlet port. The valved inlet ports of each chamber of the condensation unit are connected to the turbine chamber outlet. Each condensation chamber is provided with another valved port which is connected to a vacuum generating means. Each chamber is also provided with a further valved port connected to a purge pump. The valved outlet ports are connected to a fluid reservoir. All of the valves are opened and closed by valve control means such as a computer. The valve control means opens and closes the valved vacuum line, valved inlet ports, valved outlet ports, and valved purge line in a sequence to permit a condensable vapor to be continuously drawn through the turbine chamber where it rotates the turbine blades transferring energy from the vapor to the turbine shaft. As a result the vapor condenses. The condensate is further sequentially drawn into the condensation chambers by the negative pressure therein. The automatic sequence of valves opening and closing is such that one condensation chamber is always filling with condensate, one condensation chamber is always being evacuated and one condensation chamber is always being drained of condensate through the use of positive pressure supplied by a purge pump. The turbine shaft may be connected to a generator.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vapor condensation and liquid recovery system, and more particularly, to a vapor condensation system which employs a turbine and multi-chambered condensation units which are sequentially evacuated, filled and purged.
It is often desirable to separate a liquid from a solid material containing the liquid. Techniques which apply heat to solid materials in order to vaporize and extract the liquids contained therein are called thermal desorbtion processes. In most cases of environmental interest water is the primary liquid contained in the solid matrix, which is usually soil. When soils contain hazardous or toxic substances such as fuel oils, gasolines, hydrocarbons, chlorinated organic compounds, or other volatile or semi-volatile chemicals the vapor streams extracted are normally oxidized in specially designed combustion chambers to completely destroy the hazardous molecules and emit combustion products which are environmentally benign relative to their precursors.
There are cases, however, when emissions of the combustion products are not desirable. This would be due to either legal or regulatory restrictions, nominally, when the combustion products are themselves toxic or hazardous. There are also such cases where such volatile or semi-volatile liquids have commercial value.
The apparatus disclosed herein is designed to condense vapors into liquids, and, thus, permit the condensate to be recycled or destroyed as desired.

Vapor condensation and liquid recovery system


Conversion of heat from high-temperature off-gases into useful work is accomplished with a process having first and second stages. The first stage comprises preheating feed water with heat from the off-gases, converting this into steam, passing the steam into a steam expander which drives a first machine, condensing the low pressure exhaust from the expander, and returning the condensate to the preheater to repeat the cycle. The second stage comprises preheating liquid fluorocarbon working fluid, passing the working fluid through a separator and then through the steam condenser, from which a liquid/gas mixture of the working fluid is routed back to the separator, superheating the gaseous working fluid by off-gases, passing the gaseous working fluid into an expander which drives a second machine, condensing the low pressure exhaust from the expander, and returning the liquid fluorocarbon working fluid to the preheater to repeat the cycle. Heat is provided to the process by passing high temperature off-gases, 350 to 1100 degrees Celsius, in sequence through the steam superheater, the water boiler, the fluorocarbon superheater, and the feed water heater.

The recovery of heat from high-temperature exhaust gases is known. For example in waste incinerators heat from off-gases is used to make steam, and the steam is then used to drive a single stage steam turbine. The turbine shaft power output is then used to generate electricity. The energy conversion efficiency of such a system is relatively low, e.g. about 30%. It is possible to increase the efficiency of such a system by using the low-pressure steam, which exits from the high-pressure turbine, to drive a low-pressure turbine and thus capture more useful work from the steam. However, such low pressure turbines are relatively large and expensive. In addition, turbine blades in the low pressure turbine erode at unacceptable rates, unless expensive reheat equipment is added.
There is a need to improve the efficiency of recovery of useful work obtainable from the heat in exhaust gases of waste incinerators and the like. In the case where the recovery system is used to generate electricity, an advantage of improving efficiency is the lowering of operating costs per kilowatt-hour of energy produced. A further advantage is that the additional electrical energy obtained reduces by a corresponding amount the quantity of fossil fuel that would otherwise have been burned to produce a similar amount of electrical energy. Thus, there is less fossil fuel depletion, less air pollutant production and less global warming due to carbon dioxide production.
The present invention is directed to improving the efficiency of the recovery of heat and of the conversion of heat to useful work, using a binary cycle.


An inflatable restraint inflator, system and method of operation which involve a plural stage inflator having a dual output squib to selectively ignite at least one of a discrete quantity of a first and second gas generant.

This invention relates generally to inflators for use in inflating inflatable restraint airbag cushions, such as used to provide impact protection to occupants of motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to plural stage inflators such as may provide an inflation gas output which is adaptive to factors such as one or more crash and occupant conditions.
It is well known to protect a vehicle occupant using a cushion or bag, e.g., an "airbag," that is inflated or expanded with gas when the vehicle encounters sudden deceleration, such as in a collision. In such systems, the airbag cushion is normally housed in an uninflated and folded condition to minimize space requirements. Upon actuation of the system, the cushion begins being inflated in a matter of no more than a few milliseconds with gas produced or supplied by a device commonly referred to as "an inflator."
Various types of inflator devices have been disclosed in the art for the inflation of an airbag such as used in inflatable restraint systems. One type of known inflator device derives inflation gas from a combustible pyrotechnic gas generating material which, upon ignition, generates a quantity of gas sufficient to inflate the airbag.
A second type of known inflator device forms airbag inflation gas from a combination of stored compressed gas and the combustion of a solid form of a pyrotechnic gas generating material. This type of inflator device is commonly referred to as a hybrid inflator.
A new type an inflator, called a "fluid fueled inflator," has been developed. Such inflators are the subject of commonly assigned Smith et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,104, issued Nov. 28, 1995; Rink, U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,312, issued Feb. 27, 1996; and Rink et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,473, issued Jul. 2, 1996, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
Such inflator devices utilize a fuel material in the form of a fluid, e.g., in the form of a gas, liquid, finely divided solid, or one or more combinations thereof, in the formation of an inflation gas for an airbag. In one such inflator device, the fluid fuel material is burned to produce gas which contacts a quantity of stored pressurized gas to produce inflation gas for use in inflating a respective inflatable device.
In view of possibly varying operating conditions and, in turn, possibly varying desired performance characteristics, there is a need and a desire to provide what has been termed an "adaptive" inflator device and corresponding inflatable restraint system. With an adaptive inflator device, output parameters such as the quantity, supply, and rate of supply of inflation gas, for example, can be selectively and appropriately varied dependent on selected operating conditions such as ambient temperature, occupant presence, seat belt usage and rate of deceleration of the motor vehicle, for example.
While such adaptive systems are desirable, they typically require the inclusion of additional components as a part of the associated inflator device, thus increasing the size of the inflator. As such it has been even more difficult to provide an adaptive inflator which will meet the size requirements for vehicles, especially for driver side applications.
Thus, there remains a need for an adaptive inflator device of simple design and construction will meet the size requirements for vehicles, especially for driver side applications.


A stove, steam cooking and heating system is provided that includes a means for supplying water to a collector wherein the collector is arranged in a suitable location such as a heat source such as a fireplace, campfire or the like so that the water is converted to steam which can be used for any desired purpose, as for example, the steam can be used for cooking foodstuffs, heating purposes and the like.

The present invention relates to a stove, steam cooking and heating system wherein a quantity of water is permitted to flow to a collector, and wherein the collector is arranged in a suitable location such as adjacent to a heat source such as a fireplace, campfire, and the like, so that the water entering the collector is converted to steam and whereby this steam can then be used for any desired purpose, as for example the steam can be used for cooking foods, heating rooms or the like.


A striation monitor and display system (10) is provided which includes a positional location mechanism (20) for locating a substantially cylindrically contoured object such as a bullet (14). The bullet or object (14) is inserted within a collet mechanism (48) mounted above a cup member (44) containing a compliant matrix (46). A portion of the object (14) is inserted along an axis line (24) of the rotating cup (44). A line scan camera (62) is focused on a section of the object (14) and frame speed is synchronized with the rotation of the rotating cup (44). Synchronization is accomplished by a closed feedback loop between a motor/encoder integral combination (58/60) and a processor system (72) for maintaining synchronization between images photographed by line scan camera (62) and rotational speed of motor (58).

Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to systems for comparing, monitoring, and displaying striations with respect to at least a pair of cylindrically formed objects. In particular, this invention is directed to a striation display system whereby it may be determined whether striations on one cylindrically contoured object match the striations on a second cylindrically contoured object. More in particular, this invention relates to a striation monitor and display system where a determination may be made whether a particular gun has fired two bullets through a comparison of the striations formed within each of the bullets. Still further, this invention is directed to a striation monitor and display system where the object being displayed is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed about a vertically extending axis line and is imaged by a line scan camera which is focused to a particular section of the object being photographed. Additionally, this invention directs itself to a striation monitor and display system where the object being imaged is photographed at a predetermined image frame speed by a line scan camera which is synchronized to the object or bullet rotational speed. Still further, this invention directs itself to a striation monitor and display system whereby a line scan camera is triggered responsive to a set of pulses including an index pulse formed once at each rotation of the object being rotated and a predetermined number of encoder pulses which provide for a predetermined number of pulses per a singular rotation of the object being photographed. Still further, this invention directs itself to a striation monitor and display system where the images may be sent to a monitor such as a cathode ray tube or to a magnetic disc for storage of the data contained therein. Additionally, this invention relates to a striation monitor and display system where bullet fragments and cartridge cases may be linearly translated in opposition to a rotation in the line of sight of a line scan camera with resulting striation data being captured as in the case of the rotating cylindrical objects.

Striation monitor and display system and method


A mixing system comprising a bowl, mixing element and motor. A mixing element is located within the bowl and is driven by a motor to impart mechanical energy to the foodstuff being mixed upon contact. A method for increasing the power to the motor comprises introducing additional current in advance of instantaneous loading.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for identifying the foodstuff being mixed in a mixing system. The invention further relates to a method of operation the mixing system based on the foodstuff identified.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mixing systems are ubiquitous. Though there are a wide variety of such mixers in the market they can be generally classified into two broad categories. The first category includes a lightweight portable variety of mixer often used for small amounts of material, and which are often referred to as hand-held mixers. The second type is a stand mixer, which compared to the hand mixer typically has a larger motor and a fixed mixing bowl and is used for mixing larger quantities and also may be used for kneading bread dough and mixing other heavy foodstuffs efficiently. The stand mixers typically have a mixing device, such as a dough hook to knead the dough, which extends into the bowl and is driven by the motor, which can typically be operated at multiple speeds.
There are many different types of bread dough, each of which has a different recipe. The recipes are formed of multiple steps with each step comprising the addition of one or more ingredients that are then mixed for a predetermined time at a predetermined speed. The user can sometimes get distracted during the mixing of the dough and forget where they are in the recipe. Therefore, it would be beneficial to be able to track the mixing process for the user.
The kneading of dough is one of the most difficult tasks that a mixing system performs because of the high forces required to knead the dough. The high forces create high instantaneous loads on the motor, which can result in audible mechanical and motor noises, vibrations, variable motor speeds, and use of greater amounts of current to knead the dough. All of these effects are undesirable for the consumer. The motor must also be sized to accommodate the instantaneous loads, which requires a larger motor than is otherwise necessary, which increases the cost to the consumer.


The remote control receiver comprises one or more photodiodes. The signal from the photodiodes is amplified and fed to a processing unit. The processing unit is based on a conventional integrated remote control receiver circuit, which is suited to process a remote control signal. Such integrated receiver circuits are, however, not designed to process a signal from a preamplifier. Rather, their input must be connected directly to a photodiode. By applying a replacement load instead of a photodiode to the input of the integrated receiver circuit, it becomes possible, however, to feed any electrical signal to the integrated circuit. In this way the signal can be filtered and amplified before being sent to the integrated circuit, which allows a considerably higher receiver sensitivity to be reached.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a remote control receiver with an integrated remote control receiver circuit, wherein said integrated receiver circuit has an input designed to be directly connected to a light detector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most current remote control receivers comprise a light detector (e.g. a photo diode) for receiving the command signals, which light detector is connected to a signal processing circuit. This signal processing circuit amplifies and filters the received signal and often digitizes and even analyses the received commands. In order to achieve a desired reliability, this circuit tends to be very complicated. Therefore, it is usually part of an integrated circuit, a so called remote control IC. Such integrated circuits are offered by several manufacturers. They usually require only a few external components and have an input terminal, to which the light detector can be connected directly. An example for a receiver with such a circuit is e.g. given in "Toute l'Electronique", no.. 508, November 1985 (Paris, France) or can be found in the reference data sheets of the integrated receiver circuits.
Due to the integration of the most important circuits in a single component it is possible to provide cheap remote control receivers.
A disadvantage of the conventional systems is, however, their limited range. If the surrounding illumination is weak, the range is usually limited to not more than 10 to 20 meters if the sender is well pointed towards the receiver. If the surrounding illumination is strong, this range is reduced drastically.

Remote control infrared receiver with light detector and pre-amplifier

T.L.E.E. Industrial Laser and Electronic Engineering


A method for performing a transaction between a portable device and a transaction terminal includes establishing a communication channel between the portable device and the transaction terminal; establishing a first data link between the transaction terminal and the transaction server; and using an application program in the transaction server to perform the transaction with the transaction terminal through the data link, on behalf of the portable device.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a near field communication transaction method and system.
In recent years, the appearance of inductive coupling contactless communication techniques, also referred to as NFC techniques (Near Field Communication), have changed the world of smart cards, making it possible firstly to produce contactless payment cards and then to integrate a secure processor and an NFC controller into portable electronic objects such as mobile telephones, to perform NFC transactions.
FIG. 1 schematically represents a classic transaction system including a contactless smart card CC1 and a transaction terminal TT. The terminal TT is for example a cash withdrawal point, a sales outlet (ticket machine, food and drink dispenser, or the like), an automatic access control pay terminal (metro access terminal, bus payment terminal, or the like).
The contactless card CC1 includes a Contactless Integrated Circuit CIC equipped with a secure processor and an antenna coil AC1 connected to the integrated circuit. The terminal TT itself includes an antenna coil AC2 and is configured to perform an NFC transaction with the card CC1 by emitting a magnetic field FLD. The transaction includes the exchange of Application Protocol Data Units APDU. The application protocol data includes commands CAPDU sent by the terminal and responses RAPDU sent by the card. The terminal TT may be linked in real time or non-real time to a transaction server SV0, to validate a payment and/or debit an account held by the user.
FIG. 2 schematically represents a transaction system including a mobile telephone HD1 and the transaction terminal TT. The telephone HD1 includes a main processor PROC1, a radiocommunication circuit RCCT, a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card secure processor PROC2, an NFC controller referred to as "NFCC", an antenna coil AC3 linked to the controller NFCC and a secure processor PROC3 configured to perform NFC transactions.
The processor PROC3 includes a central processing unit CPU, an operating system OS, a Card Application Program CAP and/or a Reader Application Program RAP. The processor PROC3 is linked to the controller NFCC through a bus BS1, for example a Single Wire Protocol bus SWP. In practice, the processor PROC3 may be a Universal Integrated Circuit Card UICC, for example of mini-SIM or micro-SIM type.
An example of functional architecture of the controller NFCC and of the processor PROC3 is represented in FIG. 3. The controller NFCC includes a host controller HC and a Contactless Front End Interface CLF which is linked to the antenna coil AC3. In practice, the host controller HC and the interface CLF may be integrated into the same semiconductor chip, such as the MicroRead® chip marketed by the applicant.
The bus BS1 linking the processor PROC3 and the controller NFCC is used as a physical medium for a communication interface called a Host Controller Interface (HCI) through which the controller NFCC and the processor PROC3 exchange data in accordance with a Host Controller Protocol HCP. The interface HCI and the protocol HCP are described in the specifications ETSI TS 102 622 of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, entitled "Smart cards; Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC); Contactless Front-end (CLF) interface; Host Controller Interface (HCI)". The protocol HCP provides for routing of data according to routing channels called "pipes", through which application protocol data APDU is exchanged during a transaction between the processor PROC3 and the transaction terminal TT.
The interface CLF may generally operate according to several RF technologies referred to as "RFTi" in FIG. 3, for example "Type A" or "Type B" as defined by ISO/IEC 14443 parts 2, 3 and 4, "Type B′" as defined by ISO/IEC 14443-2, with a standard framing as defined by ISO/IEC 14443-3, and "Type F" as defined by ISO 18092 (as passive mode at 212 and 424 kilobytes per second) or by the Japanese industrial standard JIS X 6319-4.
During the execution of the card application CAP, the processor PROC3 emulates a contactless card and uses the controller NFCC in passive mode to perform a transaction with a transaction terminal TT which emits the magnetic field FLD. A pipe P1 is first opened between the card application CAP and the interface CLF of the controller NFCC, which is configured for the occasion in an RFTi technology. The terminal TT sends the controller NFCC commands CAPDU that the controller forwards to the processor PROC3 through the pipe P1. The processor PROC3 issues responses RAPDU which are sent to the controller NFCC through the pipe P1, and then sent to the terminal TT by the controller NFCC, through an RF channel.
During the execution of the reader application RAP, the processor PROC3 performs a transaction with a contactless integrated circuit CIC arranged in a contactless card CC1 or another medium. The controller NFCC is in an active operating mode where it emits a magnetic field FLD. A pipe P1 is first opened between the reader application RAP and the interface CLF of the controller NFCC, which is configured for the occasion in an RFTi technology. The reader application RAP then issues commands CAPDU which are sent to the controller NFCC through the pipe P2, and then sent to the integrated circuit CIC through an RF channel. The contactless integrated circuit CIC sends back to the controller NFCC responses RAPDU that the controller forwards to the processor PROC3 through the pipe P2.
It is well known that the development of NFC technology is closely related to the development of card applications in portable devices such as mobile telephones, so as to use such portable devices as contactless smart cards. Although infrastructures equipped with NFC transaction terminals already exist, in particular in the field of payment, the integration of secure processors into mobile telephones to execute such applications is not carried out at a sufficient pace to enable NFC technology to develop as expected.
One restriction which hinders development is the complexity and cost of a secure processor such as the processor PROC3 represented in FIGS. 2 and 3. The latter must preferably be capable of executing various card applications and must therefore contain as many bank keys (encryption keys) as card applications supplied by different banks. It must in addition have sufficient computing power to carry out complex encryption calculations during the authentication phase of a transaction. Moreover, the personalization of the processor, i.e. loading a card application CAP into the memory thereof, is a complex operation that must be highly secured and requiring external parties such as a Trusted Service Manager TSM. Lastly, in the event that the telephone is stolen or during a maintenance operation on the telephone, the processor PROC3 is liable to be attacked by a fraudster to discover the bank keys it includes.
It may therefore be desirable to provide a method enabling an NFC transaction to be performed by way of a mobile telephone-type portable device with an architecture that is simpler and less expensive to implement than known architectures.


A tungsten layer formation method for a semiconductor device reduces resistivity of the tungsten layer without requiring modification of the conventional manufacturing system. The method includes treating the surface of a barrier metal layer formed over a semiconductor substrate in a pressure environment of over 40 Torr using SiH4 gas; forming a tungsten seed layer on the treated barrier metal layer using WF6 and SiH4 gases, a mixing ratio {WF6}/{SiH4} of the gases being less than or equal to one; and forming a tungsten layer on the treated barrier metal layer using WF6 gas, the treated barrier metal layer having the tungsten seed layer formed thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tungsten layer formation method for a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a tungsten layer formation method for a semiconductor device that reduces the resistivity of the tungsten layer and a semiconductor device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor device is manufactured by sequentially forming multiple layers, such as a polycrystalline layer, an oxide layer, an insulating layer and a metal layer, etc. on a semiconductor substrate (e.g., a wafer), and forming patterns thereon according to the characteristics of the semiconductor device through conventional photolithography, etching and ion-implantation processes.
As the design rule for highly-integrated semiconductor devices continues to decrease, the aspect ratio of contact holes within such devices continues to increase. As a result of the increased aspect ratio, an aluminum layer can not be easily buried inside the contact holes using conventional sputtering methods. Recently, a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method has been introduced for depositing metal by way of a chemical reaction after vaporizing certain metal chemicals. A widely used method is a tungsten (W) CVD method which exhibits good contact hole burial characteristics.
The conventional CVD tungsten layer formation method is described with reference to FIG. 1. First, an insulating layer 11 such as an oxide layer or the like is formed on the semiconductor substrate 10. Thereafter, a portion of the insulating layer 11 is removed, by patterning and etching for example, so as to form contact holes 12.
A barrier metal layer 16 is then formed on the insulating layer 11, with the barrier metal layer 16 comprising a titanium (Ti) layer 13 and a titanium nitride (TiN) layer 15, each having a thickness of about 700 xc3x85, which are sequentially formed. The surface of the barrier metal layer 16 is treated using SiH4 gas under a pressure environment of between 4.5 to 40 Torr.
Then, a tungsten seed layer (not shown) is formed on the barrier metal layer 16 using WF6 and SiH4 gas with the mixing ratio of the gases {WF6}: {SiH4} being about 1:1 to 3:1, under the same pressure environment as above, that is, 4.5 to 40 Torr. Thereafter, a tungsten layer 18 of about 4400 xc3x85 in thickness is formed on the treated barrier metal layer 16 using WF6 and H2.
Although the tungsten layer 18 formed as described above is easily buried inside the contact hole, the resistivity (xcfx81: xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm) is four to five times as high as the aluminum layer used for conventional metal pattern lines. As a result, the operational speed of the semiconductor device is decreased and the power consumption is increased when using the tungsten metal pattern lines.
When the tungsten layer 18 having a polycrystalline structure is formed as described above, the average grain size of the tungsten layer 18 is about 2000 to 2500 xc3x85 and the area encompassed within the grain boundary is increased,thereby increasing the resistivity because of the increase in electrical resistance within the boundary.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, some have added diborane (B2H6) gas to reduce the resistivity of the tungsten layer during the formation of the tungsten layer. By adding diborane (B2H6) gas during the tungsten layer formation, the grain size of the tungsten layer having a polycrystalline structure is increased to thereby reduce the resistance. As a result, the resistivity of the tungsten layer may be reduced from about 11.4-11.7 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm down to about 8-9 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm.
However, there are drawbacks to using this technique, for example, the requirement for installing a separate diborane gas line and mass flow controller. In addition, there is a decrease in the burial characteristics of the tungsten layer and the process window.
Others in the art have formed metal pattern line structures wherein a tungsten plug is formed inside the contact hole, and an aluminum layer is formed thereon. In this manner, the defects experienced with the burial characteristics of the aluminum layer, and the problems with the high resistivity of the tungsten layer have been minimized.
Again there are drawbacks to using this technique because during the formation of the metal pattern lines comprising a tungsten plug and an aluminum layer, a planarization process such as CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) or Etch Back should be additionally carried out after forming the tungsten layer for the tungsten plug. The planarization process increases both the processing time and costs for manufacturing semiconductor devices. Further, there is a possibility of additional process failures occurring during the planarization process.
The present invention is directed to providing a tungsten layer formation method for a semiconductor device that reduces the resistivity of the tungsten layer without the need to alter the conventional manufacturing system.
To achieve this and other advantages and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, the tungsten layer formation method for semiconductor devices includes treating the surface of a barrier metal layer formed over a semiconductor substrate in a pressure environment of over 40 Torr using SiH4 gas. A tungsten seed layer is then formed on the treated barrier metal layer using WF6 and SiH4 gases, with the mixing ratio {WF6}/{SiH4} of the gases being less than or equal to 1. A tungsten layer is thereafter formed on the treated barrier metal layer having the tungsten seed layer formed thereon. The tungsten layer is formed by supplying WF6 gas or a mixed gas of WF6 and H2 gas. The barrier metal layer comprises a titanium (Ti) layer and a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, which are sequentially formed.
Preferably, the treating is carried out in a pressure environment of over 90 Torr. Also, the tungsten seed layer is formed in a pressure environment that is less than atmospheric pressure, and preferably, the tungsten seed layer is formed in a pressure environment of between 4 and 5 Torr.
In another aspect of the present invention, a tungsten layer formation method for semiconductor devices includes forming an insulating layer over a semiconductor substrate; forming contact holes in the insulating layer; forming a barrier metal layer along the inner wall of the contact holes; treating the surface of the barrier metal layer using SiH4 gas in a pressure environment of over 40 Torr; forming a tungsten seed layer on the surface of the treated barrier metal layer using WF6 and SiH4 gases in which the ratio {WF6}/{SiH4} of the gases is less than or equal to 1; and forming a tungsten layer over the treated barrier metal layer having the tungsten seed layer using WF6 gas mixed with H2 gas. The barrier metal layer comprises a titanium (Ti) layer and a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, which are sequentially formed.
Preferably, the treating is carried out in a pressure environment of over 90 Torr. Also, the tungsten seed layer is formed in a pressure environment that is less than atmospheric pressure, and preferably, the tungsten seed layer is formed in a pressure environment of between 4 and 5 Torr.
In another aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device includes an insulating layer over a semiconductor substrate, a contact hole formed inside the insulating layer, a barrier metal layer formed along the inner wall of the contact hole, and a tungsten layer formed on the barrier metal layer, the tungsten layer being formed by treating the surface of the barrier metal layer using SiH4 in a pressure environment of over 40 Torr, forming a tungsten seed layer on the treated surface of the barrier metal layer using WF6 and SiH4 gases, in which the ratio {WF6}/{SiH4} of the gases is less than or equal to 1, and forming a tungsten layer over the treated barrier metal layer having the tungsten seed layer using WF6 gas mixed with H2 gas.
The average grain size of the tungsten layer is between 3500 and 4000 xc3x85 and the thickness of the tungsten layer is between 4000 and 5000 xc3x85. The resulting resistivity of the tungsten layer is between 9.9 and 10.1 xcexcxcexa9xc2x7cm.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

Tungsten layer formation method for semiconductor device and semiconductor device using the same


Provided is a compound which is useful as a prophylactic or therapeutic agent for various diseases in which T-type calcium channels are involved, such as hypertension, arrhythmia, pain and cancers, the compound having antagonistic activity against T-type calcium channels, being highly stable in the body and having low risk of, for example, genotoxicity. Disclosed is a compound represented by the following general formula (I), a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a solvate thereof:

Intracellular calcium is an important factor which induces various physiological responses such as neuronal excitement, muscle contraction, hormone secretion, fertilization, immune response, cell motility, and cell death. The concentration of intracellular calcium is regulated by means of ion channels or pumps, such as voltage-dependent calcium channels and receptor-operated calcium channels. Voltage-dependent calcium channel is a calcium channel that is opened and closed depending on the change in the potential difference between inside and outside of a cell, and exist on the cellular membranes of muscle cells or nerve cells. The voltage-dependent calcium channels are currently classified into L-type, T-type, N-type, P/Q-type and R-type calcium channels, based on electrophysiological characteristics and pharmacological characteristics. Unlike the L-type, N-type, P/Q-type and R-type calcium channels that are classified as medium potential- and high potential-activated calcium channels in view of the membrane potential activation threshold, the T-type calcium channels are activated at a potential close to the resting membrane potential. Therefore, the T-type calcium channels are considered to function as a trigger for an influx of calcium into the cell, and to participate in the pacemaker activity, production of low-threshold calcium spikes, and burst firing.
T-type calcium channels include three subtypes, i.e. Cav3.1 (α1G), Cav3.2 (α1H) and Cav3.3 (α1I), and expression of the channels in, for example, the brain, nerve tissues, heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, smooth muscles and testicles, has been reported. It has been suggested that T-type calcium channels are responsible for physiological functions such as the pacemaker function of the heart, renovascular tonus, hormone secretion, nerve firing and pain transmission, and activation of the T-type calcium channels relates to the onset and progress of various pathological conditions such as hypertension, tachyarrhythmia including atrial fibrillation, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac failure, renal dysfunction, pain, epilepsy, sleep disorder, obesity, and cancers. Therefore, T-type calcium channel antagonist is believed to be an effective drug for the treatment or prevention of these diseases (Non Patent Documents 1 to 16).
Known examples of the T-type calcium channel antagonists include efonidipine and mibefradil, as well as 3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives disclosed in Patent Document 1, quinazoline derivatives disclosed in Patent Document 2, pyridylamide derivatives disclosed in Patent Document 3, indole derivatives disclosed in Patent Document 4, thiazole derivatives disclosed in Patent Documents 5 and 6, aisoxazole derivatives disclosed in Patent Document 7, and imidazopyridine derivatives disclosed in Patent Document 8.
Furthermore, regarding T-type calcium channel antagonists having a nitrogen-containing non-aromatic ring as a common mother nucleus, Patent Document 9 discloses N-piperidinylacetamide derivativeS, Patent Documents 10 and 11 disclose 3-fluoropiperidine derivatives, Patent Document 12 discloses imidazoylmethylpiperidine derivatives, Patent Document 13 discloses piperazine derivatives, and Patent Document 14 discloses oxopiperazine derivatives, as the T-type calcium channel antagonists.

Abstract: wherein R1 represents —NH(C═O)—V—R3 or —(C═O)NH—V—R3;        V represents a single bond, methylene, or —C(CH3)2O—;        R2 represents a optionally substituted C1-6 alkyl group;        X represents a hydrogen atom, an oxygen atom, a hydroxyl group, a methyl group, or a methylene group;        A represents —NR6—, —O—CH2—, or —S—CH2—;        n represents the number of methylene chains and represents an integer of 0, 1 or 2; and        a doublet containing a dotted line represents a single bond or a double bond.


Provided is a combustor assembly. The combust assembly includes: a plurality of swirlers through which a first fluid that is a part of a fluid discharged from a compressor passes; a base portion, in which the plurality of swirlers are provided, comprising a first through hole formed between one swirler and another swirler from among the plurality of swirlers so that a second fluid that is another part of the fluid discharged from the compressor and different from the first fluid passes through the first through hole; and a deflector provided in the base portion so as to face the first through hole for changing a moving direction of the second fluid.

A gas turbine is a heat engine that drives a turbine by using a combustion gas of high temperature and high pressure, and generally includes a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine. The compressor compresses air, the combustor burns the air by injecting fuel, and then, the air of high temperature and high pressure expands in the turbine to generate a driving power.
A region, where flames are not swept but fixed at an appropriate position, in the combustor is referred to as a central recirculation zone (CRZ). In order to maintain the combustion continuously and to prompt mixture of the fuel and an oxidizing agent in the combustor, it is important to maintain an appropriate CRZ according to flow. That is, in order to maintain the CRZ, a swirl component has to be applied to the flow.

Combustor assembly with a deflector in between swirlers on the base portion


A loudspeaker enclosure for use in housing loudspeakers, the loudspeaker enclosure comprising a casement having a generally rectangular cuboid shape, the casement including three layers. A first layer and a second layer comprise sheets of metal and are space apart to provide for an inner layer of plastic material. In one embodiment of the invention, the casement is formed by bending a sheet of material including the three aforementioned layers to conform to a generally rectangular cuboid shape. In another embodiment of the invention, the first layer of metal is bent to a rectangular cuboid shape defining four interior surfaces. A flat layer of plastic and a flat layer of metal is applied to each interior surface of the casement. The casement provides a wall having a relatively high density, a high modulus of elasticity and a high damping factor.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a loudspeaker enclosure.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The primary purpose of a loudspeaker enclosure is to prevent an acoustical short circuit. This acoustical short circuit can occur, for instance, when the air in front of the loudspeaker membrane is compressed while the air behind the loudspeaker membrane expands during forward motion of the speaker. Thus, the acoustical oscillations from the front of the membrane are in a phase which is in opposition to the phase of the acoustic oscillations from the rear of the membrane. If the acoustical oscillations from the rear of the membrane interfere with the acoustical oscillations from the front of the membrane, then the oscillations may tend to cancel each other and no sound is produced. However, the effect of the acoustical short circuit is only noticeable at low frequencies. The effect of the acoustical short circuit is negligible at high frequencies at which the sound is practically unidirectional.
By placing the loudspeakers in an enclosure, acoustic oscillations from the front of the loudspeaker membrane are prevented from traveling to the rear of the loudspeaker membrane. Acoustical short circuiting is thus reduced or avoided.
However, the use of loudspeaker enclosures creates other undesirable effects. One of these is the natural resonance frequency of the enclosure. To a great extent, this resonance is determined by the size of the enclosure and the material from which the enclosure is made. The elimination of the enclosure resonance is essential in obtaining a sound reproduction free of distortion. In order to eliminate the resonance, the enclosure should be constructed of a material with high intrinsic damping. The enclosure must also possess a certain density.
The sound radiation produced by resonance of the enclosure walls is determined by different factors: If the frequency is low, sound radiation depends upon the flexural strength of the enclosure walls. If the frequency is high, the sound radiation depends upon the material which covers the enclosure walls. If the frequency is in the area of the various modes of resonance of the enclosure, then the sound radiation depends upon the damping of the enclosure walls.
In order to meet the conditions listed above, it has been suggested that speaker enclosures be made of spruce, fir or birch wood, with double walls separated by a hollow space. The hollow space would then be filled with fine dry sand or with rigid expanded polyurethane (Klinger, Lautsprecher und Lautsprechergehause fur HiFi, 7. Auflage, 1975, S. 74). The construction of loudspeaker enclosures of wood is, however, relatively expensive since the walls have to be relatively thick and since the exterior of the enclosure must be finished.
One loudspeaker enclosure presently manufactured uses at least two layers of corrugated cardboard with the grooves placed vertically (German Patent Application No. 23 04 711). The surface treatment of these loudspeakers is inherently quite difficult. The same is true for the loudspeaker enclosure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,696 wherein one supporting layer is connected with at least two corrugated layers of foil.
In another loudspeaker cabinet, the enclosure is either partially or completely made out of polystyrene (German Utility Model No. 18 21 346). In order to diminish the resonance, the enclosure walls are rounded. Furthermore, the entire enclosure is covered with washable plastic. The disadvantage of this loudspeaker cabinet is that the enclosures resonates.
In order to avoid the drawbacks of plastic enclosures, a loudspeaker cabinet has been proposed which is completely filled with plastic foam. It would conform to the shape of the loudspeaker(s) in the rear and the exterior sides could be covered with an impact-resisting material (German Patent Application No. 15 12 746; see also German Utility Model No. 76 00 131). However, the application of the impact resisting material to the plastic foam would involve complicated processes.
Constructing enclosures as hollow frame shells so that plastic foam can be blown into the shells has the disadvantage that the resonance of the enclosure would still be too high.
One object of the present invention is to provide a loudspeaker enclosure having relatively thin walls and which may be easily manufactured.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a loudspeaker enclosure in which enclosure wall resonance is effectively damped so that only minor sound radiation eminates from the loudspeaker enclosure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a loudspeaker enclosure that is particularly well suited for relatively small loudspeakers.
It is another object of the present invention to allow for relatively simple fabrication of the loudspeaker enclosure and to allow for simple installation of the front and rear panels of a loudspeaker enclosure.


Described herein are apparatus comprising one or more silicon-containing layers and a metal oxide layer. Also described herein are methods for forming one or more silicon-containing layers to be used, for example, as passivation layers in a display device. In one particular aspect, the apparatus comprises a transparent metal oxide layer, a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer. In this or other aspects, the apparatus is deposited at a temperature of 350° C. or below. The silicon-containing layers described herein comprise one or more of the following properties: a density of about 1.9 g/cm3 or greater; a hydrogen content of about 4×1022 cm−3 or less, and a transparency of about 90% or greater at 400-700 nm as measured by a UV-visible light spectrometer.

Display devices have been in production for a wide range of electronic applications, such as flat screen televisions (TV), flat monitors, mobile phone, MP3 players, electronic book or eBook readers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) and the like. The display devices are designed for producing a desired image by applying an electric field to a liquid crystal that fills a gap between two substrates and has an anisotropic dielectric constant that controls the intensity of the dielectric field. By adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the substrates, the light and image intensity, image quality, and/or power consumption may be efficiently controlled.
Thin film transistors (TFTs) for flat panel displays benefit from a lower processing temperature (e.g., 350° C. or below) so that alternative substrates that are lighter and less expensive than the presently used substrate or glass can be used. Various display devices, such as active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) or an active matrix organic light emitting diodes (AMOLED), can be employed as light sources for display devices which use touch screen panels. Amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS), transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor (TAOS) or metal oxide materials are fast emerging as replacement materials for TFTs that provides higher performance than glass be improving the device's electrical performance and are processable at lower temperatures. Examples of AOS, transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor (TAOS) or metal oxide materials that are being considered as replacements for TFTs include Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO), a-IGZO (amorphous gallium indium zinc oxide), Indium Tin Zinc Oxide (ITZO), Aluminum Indium Oxide (AlInOx), Zinc Tin Oxide (ZTO), Zinc Oxynitride (ZnON), Magnesium Zinc Oxide, zinc oxide (ZnO) and variations thereof. Despite their advantages over traditional materials, these materials have a temperature processing limitation of about 350° C. or less. Further, these films may be deposited onto plastic substrates which lower their temperature processing limitation to about 200° C. Additionally, certain AOS, TAOS, or metal oxide materials may be damaged by the presence of hydrogen atoms in adjacent passivation, gate insulating layers, or both by reacting with the transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor (TAOS) or metal oxide materials, thereby resulting in current leakage or other types of device failure.
The reference "Influence of Passivation Layers on Characteristics of a-InGaZnO Thin-Film Transistors", Liu et al., Electron Device Letters, IEEE, Vol. 32(2), (20110, pp. 161-63 ("Liu et al."), investigated the effect of deposition conditions of a dual passivation layer consisting of silicon oxide and silicon nitride atop on the threshold voltage (Vt) of the a-InGaZnO TFT. The test structure used in Liu et al. consisted of a p-type silicon wafer which had a silicon substrate that served as the gate electrode, a 200 nanometer (nm) thick thermally grown silicon dioxide layer which acted as the gate insulator layer, a 45 nm thick source/drawn (Al) electrodes adjacent a 50 nm thick a-IGZO channel layer. The Al electrodes and a-IGZO layer was topped with a dual passivation layer consisting of a 30 nm silicon oxide layer and a 180 nm thick silicon nitride layer. The silicon oxide and silicon nitride films were deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at 200° C. using SiH4/N2O/N2 and 250° C. using SiH4/NH3/N2, respectively. The threshold voltage (VT) of the TFTs shifted markedly as a result of the mechanical stress induced by the passivation layers above. By adjusting the deposition parameters of the silicon nitride top layer during the passivation process, the performance of the TFTs can be modulated. The optimized a-InGaZnO TFTs after dual passivation exhibited the following characteristics: a field-effect mobility of 11.35 cm2/V·s, a threshold voltage of 2.86 V, a subthreshold swing of 0.5V, and an on-off ratio of 108.
The reference "Impact of Hydrogenation of ZnO TFTs by Plasma-Deposited Silicon Nitride Gate Dielectric", Remashan et al., IEEE Transactions on Electronic Devices, Vol. 55, No. 10 (October 2008), pp. 2736-43, describes the effects of depositing by PECVD a silicon nitride layer having variable refractive indices for use as a gate dielectric layer on a zinc oxide (ZnO) TFT with a bottom gate configuration. The authors stated that hydrogenation is one of the methods in which performance of ZnO TFTs can be improved because hydrogen acts as a defect passivator and a shallow n-type dopant in ZnO materials. In Remashan et al., the four silicon nitride films were deposited via PECVD at a pressure of 650 mTorr, temperature of 300° C., and power of 30 W but using different molar ratios of silane relative to ammonia and nitrogen to provide silicon nitride films having different refractive indices (e.g., 2.39, 2.26, 1.92, and 1.80) and dielectric constants (7.9, 8.4, 6.7, and 6.1). The authors found that the amongst all of the TFTs, the device having the highest refractive index silicon nitride film or SiN_2.39 exhibited the best performance in terms of field-effect mobility, subthreshold slope, and maximum interface state density. An analysis of the secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) data showed that the amount of hydrogen present at the ZnO/insulator interface and in the ZnO channels for the TFT structures using a SiN_2.39 was much higher than those structures using a SiN_1.80. Therefore, the authors have concluded that the enhanced performance of the TFTs using the SiN_2.39 films is attributed to the incorporation of hydrogen into the ZnO channel and ZnO/insulator interface from the SiN_2.39.
The reference "Circuits Using Uniform TFTs Based on Amorphous In—Ga—Zn—O", Ryo Hayashi et al., Journal of the Society for Information Display, Vol. 15(11), 2007, pp. 915-92 discloses high-performance and excellent-uniformity thin-film transistors (TFTs) having bottom-gate structures fabricated using an amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) film and an amorphous-silicon dioxide film as the channel layer and the gate insulator layer, respectively. All of the 94 TFTs fabricated with an area 1 cm2 show almost identical transfer characteristics: the average saturation mobility is 14.6 cm2/(V-sec) with a small standard deviation of 0.11 cm2/(V-sec). A five-stage ring-oscillator composed of these TFTs operates at 410 kHz at an input voltage of 18 V. Pixel-driving circuits based on these TFTs are also fabricated with organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) which are monolithically integrated on the same substrate. It was demonstrated that light emission from the OLED cells can be switched and modulated by a 120-Hz ac signal input. Amorphous-IGZO-based TFTs are prominent candidates for building blocks of large-area OLED-display electronics.
The reference, "Stability and High-Frequency Operation of Amorphous In—Ga—Zn—O Thin-Film Transistors with Various Passivation Layers", Kenji Nomura et al., Thin Solid Films, doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2011.10.068 (2011), investigated the stability of amorphous In—Ga—Zn—O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) focusing on the effects of passivation layer materials (Y2O3, Al2O3, HfO2, and SiO2) and thermal annealing. Positive bias constant current stress (CCS), negative bias stress without light illumination (NBS), and negative bias light illumination stress (NBLS) were examined. It was found that Y2O3 was the best passivation layer material in this study in terms of all the stability tests if the channel was annealed prior to the passivation formation (post-deposition annealing) and the passivation layer was annealed at 250° C. (post-fabrication annealing). Post-fabrication thermal annealing of the Y2O3 passivation layer produced very stable TFTs against the CCS and NBS stresses and eliminated sub gap photoresponse up to the photon energy of 2.9 eV. Even for NBLS with 2.7 eV photons, the threshold voltage shift is suppressed well to −4.4 V after 3 hours of testing. These results provide the following information; (i) passivation removes the surface deep subgap defects in a-IGZO and eliminates the subgap photoresponse, but (ii) the bulk defects in a-IGZO should be removed prior to the passivation process. The Y2O3-passivated TFT is not only stable for these stress conditions, but is also compatible with high-frequency operation with the current gain cut-off frequency of 91 kHz, which is consistent with the static characteristics.
US Publ. No. 2012/045904 ("the '904 Publ.") discloses methods of forming a hydrogen free silicon containing layer in TFT devices. The hydrogen free silicon containing layer may be used as a passivation layer, a gate dielectric layer, an etch stop layer, or other suitable layers in TFT devices, photodiodes, semiconductor diode, light-emitting diode (LED), or organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or other suitable display applications. In one embodiment, a method for forming a hydrogen free silicon containing layer in a thin film transistor includes supplying a gas mixture comprising a hydrogen free silicon containing gas and a reacting gas into a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber, wherein the hydrogen free silicon containing gas is selected from a group consisting of SiF4, SiCl4, Si2Cl6, and forming a hydrogen free silicon containing layer on the substrate in the presence of the gas mixture.
US Publ. No. 2010/059756 ("'the 756 Publ.") disclose a thin film transistor (TFT). The TFT may include an intermediate layer between a channel and a source and drain. An increased off current which may occur to a drain area of the TFT is reduced due to the intermediate layer which is formed of amorphous silicon (a-Si), poly-Si, germanium (Ge), or silicon-germanium (SiGe).
Therefore, there is a need for a display device and method to manufacture same that provides one or more of the following advantages: good electrical properties meaning that it retains its semiconductive nature after processing; low processing temperatures (e.g., 350° C. or less) reduced hydrogen content; improved electrical performance; and long term stability.


A single-stage AC-DC single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) LED driver uses a single inductor (L) to drive multiple independent LED strings (341-34n) with Power Factor Correction (PFC). The driver uses a diode bridge (20) to achieve initial AC to DC conversion. The output of the bridge (20) is provided to a buck converter whose output is shared with multiple LED strings by a time division multiplex circuit. Feedback is used to separately control the current supplied to each LED string by using a separate reference for each string and controlling the width of the current pulse provided to a string. Current balancing in every LED string can be achieved with the same voltage reference without the need for additional circuitry.

The market for light emitting diodes (LEDs) has a high potential in the global general lighting market. Light management systems and color control of LED light, which can affect the mood of the end users, enabling a purpose-friendly ambience, will shape the market into a new sphere.
There is currently a strong demand for color (RGB) and tunable white LED lamps with reduced costs and smaller form factor. Many companies are interested in producing and selling innovative and cost-effective solutions for driving multiple LED strings in large panel displays or general lighting applications. However, the existing topologies for driving multiple LED strings are very inefficient. They typically require multiple DC-DC converters and complex circuitry which increase the total component count and overall bill of material costs. The cost and complexity increases with the total number of LED strings.
Existing topologies for driving multiple LED strings are very inefficient. They typically require multiple DC-DC converters and complex circuitry, which increase the total component count and overall material costs. Further, the cost and complexity increases with the total number of LED strings.
Conventional AC-DC LED drivers consist of an AC-DC converter followed by multiple constant-current DC-DC converters, one for each LED string. FIG. 1 shows the simplified system architecture of this traditional AC-DC LED driver.
As depicted in FIG. 1, there is an AC-DC converter 10 driven by the AC mains 11. The AC-DC converter in turn drives DC-DC converters 12, one for each LED string 14. The number of DC-DC converters scales, i.e., increases, with the number of LED strings. This will inevitably lead to higher costs and a larger form factor as the total number of LED strings increases.
Recent research has proposed a DC-DC LED driver which can reduce the number of DC-DC converters (i.e. the number of inductors) by combining them using a single-inductor multiple-output (SIMO) DC-DC converter 16 and providing power using a time-multiplexing control. In general, they can be represented by the system architecture shown in FIG. 2. Compared with the conventional driver topology, the SIMO topology offers a simple, scalable and low-cost solution since it uses only a single inductor L to drive multiple independent LED strings.
The LED driver shown in FIG. 2 is powered by a DC voltage source 15. All the LED strings are driven by the common SIMO DC-DC switching converter 16. The energy from the inductor in the power stage of the switching regulator is distributed across the LED strings in a time-multiplexed manner. The benefit of this SIMO topology is that only one single inductor L is needed to drive multiple outputs. A pulse width modulation controller is used to determine the ON and OFF timing of the power and output switches primarily using current-sense voltage as the feedback signal. This kind of battery-powered DC-DC SIMO is mostly useful for low-power portable lighting applications.
An AC-DC converter 10 can be added in front of the aforementioned DC-DC SIMO 16 to form a two-stage AC-DC SIMO driver. This particular type of AC-DC converter generates an unregulated DC voltage across a capacitor 17 at its output, which output becomes the input voltage for the subsequent DC-DC converter 16. FIG. 3 shows the system architecture of this existing two-stage AC-DC SIMO LED driver. Notice that this AC-DC SIMO driver does not incorporate power factor correction (PFC).
An AC-DC multi-channel SIMO LED driver with PFC was reported in the literature in 2014. Basically, this is a two-stage driver topology where the first stage is a boost converter 20 with power-factor correction (PFC) 22 and the second stage is a buck converter 16′, which distributes identical DC current across multiple LED channels using a single inductor L. FIG. 4 shows the system architecture for this kind of two-stage SIMO LED driver.
It is evident that the control logic for this two-stage system is quite complicated as it involves a front-end and back-end controller. A major drawback for this particular AC-DC SIMO LED driver is that it does not support unequal currents across LED strings, i.e. so-called unbalanced loads. In addition, the fact that it operates in a continuous conduction mode (CCM) and employs only a single energizing phase per switching cycle means that it suffers from serious cross-regulation among the LED strings. A load transient in one LED channel will inevitably affect the DC operating point in other unchanged LED channels.

AC-DC single-inductor multiple-output LED drivers


A pin keeper for use in a transition between a multiple fiber ferrule holding at least two fibers and having a fiber to fiber spacing substantially equal to a first lateral dimension and a fiber optic body having a fiber to fiber spacing substantially equal to a second lateral dimension which is different from said first lateral dimension. The pin keeper is disposed between the ferrule and the fiber optic body. The fibers pass through the pin keeper, which splays the fibers from the first lateral dimension to the second lateral dimension.

A re-enterable fiber optic splice having complementary clam-shell halves joined on one side is known. An example of such a splice is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,456 in which the two complementary halves have a fiber-receiving channel for retaining a fiber and an aperture into which a tool may be inserted. The complementary halves function as a double cantilever spring clamp to hold the fiber in the fiber-receiving channel. The double cantilever spring permits installation of the fiber when the tool inserted in the aperture is used to overcome the clamping force of the spring clamps to slightly enlarge the diameter of the fiber-receiving channel. A re-enterable fiber optic splice for a dual fiber and multiple fiber ribbon using a similar tool for fiber installation is also known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,440,657 and 5,450,517.
The duplex fiber optic splice finds applications in the data communications area for premise wiring and fiber to the desk. For each communications device, for example a computer, there is one fiber for incoming data transfer and one fiber for outgoing data transfer. As users have come to expect, when networking a communications device, one plugs into a mating wall outlet or patch panel, a connector attached to a cable coming from the computer. The duplex configuration, therefore, is a logical grouping for a single reusable connection to a data communications device. Advantageously, known duplex fiber optic splices provide a re-enterable fiber optic termination with acceptable interconnection performance. Disadvantageously, the splices may be awkward to terminate because the fibers are not independently actuated. There is a need, therefore, for independently actuated fibers in a duplex splice.
As most buildings currently have copper based wiring and existing wall outlets and patch panels, it is desirable that a fiber optic termination device permit retrofitting of existing copper based connectors with fiber optic connectors. It is further desirable that installations require a minimum of time, effort, and likelihood of installation error. In order to address some of these needs, there is known a splice element having a mating connector at one end and the splicing termination at the other. Such a splicer-connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,594 for a simplex or single fiber connection in which a fiber stub is terminated in a ferrule. The ferrule is operatively associated with a coupling member capable of separable interconnection with a mating connector. The fiber stub is received within the splice assembly for splicing to a bare fiber. Advantageously, the splicer-connector that is disclosed in the '594 patent produces an optical fiber apparatus having a separable interface, wherein the optical fiber apparatus can be mechanically terminated in the field by a cleaved and unpolished fiber. The disclosed splicer-connector accommodates a single fiber providing a separable interconnection with a single fiber ferrule. There remains a need, however, for a mechanically terminated optical fiber connector that provides a separable interconnection with a fiber array ferrule.
Also known are fiber optic connectors using multiple fiber ferrules. Precision alignment between two mating multiple fiber ferrules is made through insertion of two precision guide pins into complementary guide pin holes. The relative position of the guide pins to fiber-receiving holes also in the ferrule is carefully controlled to provide sufficient fiber to fiber alignment for light transmission. Conventionally, the guide pins are held in a separate member called a pin keeper or guide pin stand-off, which is disposed at a nonmating end of the ferrule. The fibers that are terminated in the ferrule extend through the pin keeper unhindered to the rest of the connector. In the case where the fiber spacing upon exit of the ferrule is different than the fiber spacing required for the remainder of the connector, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that the distance and direction of fiber travel will occur where there are no forces on the fiber. Disadvantageously, this uncontrolled compensation that the fibers undergo, can damage the fiber or otherwise compromise its light transmissive properties. There is a need, therefore, for a mechanism by which the fibers can reliably change their lateral spacing.

Fiber splaying pin keeper for fiber optic connector