A system and method for controlling an underground boring tool involves the use of one or more of a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer sensor provided in or proximate the boring tool. The location of the boring tool is detected substantially in real-time. A controller produces a control signal substantially in real-time in response to the detected boring tool location and sensed parameters of a boring tool driving apparatus. The control signal is applied to the driving apparatus to control one or both of a rate and a direction of boring tool movement along the underground path. The gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometers may be of a conventional design, but are preferably of a solid-state design. Telemetry data is communicated electromagnetically, optically or capacitively between the navigation sensors at the boring tool and the controller via the drill string or an above-ground tracker unit. The tracker unit may further include a re-calibration unit which communicatively cooperates with the navigation sensors to reestablish a proper heading or orientation of the boring tool if needed. The controller determines a location of the boring tool in at least two of x-, y-, and z-plane coordinates and may also determine an orientation of the boring tool in at least two of yaw, pitch, and roll. A hand-held remote unit may be used by an operator to control all or a sub-set of boring system functions.

The present invention relates generally to the field of underground boring and, more particularly, to a closed-loop control system and process which employs an inertial navigation sensor package for controlling an underground boring machine in real-time.
Utility lines for water, electricity, gas, telephone and cable television are often run underground for reasons of safety and aesthetics. In many situations, the underground utilities can be buried in a trench which is then back-filled. Although useful in areas of new construction, the burial of utilities in a trench has certain disadvantages. In areas supporting existing construction, a trench can cause serious disturbance to structures or roadways. Further, there is a high probability that digging a trench may damage previously buried utilities, and that structures or roadways disturbed by digging the trench are rarely restored to their original condition. Also, an open trench poses a danger of injury to workers and passersby.
The general technique of boring a horizontal underground hole has recently been developed in order to overcome the disadvantages described above, as well as others unaddressed when employing conventional trenching techniques. In accordance with such a general horizontal boring technique, also known as microtunnelling, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) or trenchless underground boring, a boring system is situated on the ground surface and drills a hole into the ground at an oblique angle with respect to the ground surface. Drilling fluid is typically flowed through the drill string, over the boring tool, and back up the borehole in order to remove cuttings and dirt. After the boring tool reaches a desired depth, the tool is then directed along a substantially horizontal path to create a horizontal borehole. After the desired length of borehole has been obtained, the tool is then directed upwards to break through to the surface. A reamer is then attached to the drill string which is pulled back through the borehole, thus reaming out the borehole to a larger diameter. It is common to attach a utility line or other conduit to the reaming tool so that it is dragged through the borehole along with the reamer.
In order to provide for the location of a boring tool while underground, a conventional approach involves the incorporation of an active sonde disposed within the boring tool, typically in the form of a magnetic field generating apparatus that generates a magnetic field. A receiver is typically placed above the ground surface to detect the presence of the magnetic field emanating from the boring tool. The receiver is typically incorporated into a hand-held scanning apparatus, not unlike a metal detector, which is often referred to as a locator. The boring tool is typically advanced by a single drill rod length after which boring activity is temporarily halted. An operator then scans an area above the boring tool with the locator in an attempt to detect the magnetic field produced by the active sonde situated within the boring tool. The boring operation remains halted for a period of time during which the boring tool data is obtained and evaluated. The operator carrying the locator typically provides the operator of the boring machine with verbal instructions in order to maintain the boring tool on the intended course.
It can be appreciated that present methods of detecting and controlling boring tool movement along a desired underground path is cumbersome, fraught with inaccuracies, and require repeated halting of boring operations. Moreover, the inherent delay resulting from verbal communication of course change instructions between the operator of the locator and the boring machine operator may compromise tunneling accuracies and safety of the tunneling effort. By way of example, it is often difficult to detect the presence of buried objects and utilities before and during tunneling operations. In general, conventional boring systems are unable to quickly respond to needed boring tool direction changes and productivity adjustments, which are often needed when a buried obstruction is detected or changing soil conditions are encountered.
Another conventional approach to detecting the location of a drill bit used in vertical oil or gas well drilling applications involves the use of a down-hole gyroscope-based surveying tool. Examples of such an approach are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,652,617; 5,394,950; 4,987,684; 4,909,336; 4,739,841; 4,454,756; 4,302,886; 4,297,790; 4,071,959; 4,021,774; and 3,845,569; all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties. These and other conventional approaches are specifically designed for use in vertically oriented wells (e.g., along a relatively fixed vertical axis).
Moreover, such conventional down-hole gyroscope-based surveying tools are generally used to facilitate maintaining of drill bit progress in the vertical direction. Also, many of the systems disclosed in the above-listed patents are employed to survey a previously excavated vertical well. Further, use of such a conventional gyroscope-based surveying tool requires a skilled operator to interpret the information produced by the surveying tool, manually determine an appropriate course of action upon interpreting the information, and, finally, initiating an appropriate change to the vertical drilling rig operation by use of one or more user actuated controls. It can be appreciated that these operations require the presence of a relatively highly skilled operator at the vertical drilling rig. It can be further appreciated that the human factor associated with such approaches results in a relatively slow response time to changing well conditions and reduced surveying accuracies.
During conventional horizontal and vertical drilling system operations, as discussed above, the skilled operator is relied upon to interpret data gathered by various down-hole information sensors, modify appropriate controls in view of acquired down-hole data, and cooperate with other operators typically using verbal communication in order to accomplish a given drilling task both safely and productively. In this regard, such conventional drilling systems employ an xe2x80x9copen-loopxe2x80x9d control scheme by which the communication of information concerning the status of the drill head and the conversion of such drill head status information to drilling machine control signals for effecting desired changes in drilling activities requires the presence and intervention of an operator at several points within the control loop. Such dependency on human intervention within the control loop of a drilling system generally decreases overall excavation productivity, increases the delay time to effect necessary changes in drilling system activity in response to acquired drilling machine and drill head sensor information, and increases the risk of injury to operators and the likelihood of operator error.
There exists a need in the excavation industry for an apparatus and methodology for controlling an underground boring tool and boring machine with greater responsiveness and accuracy than is currently attainable given the present state of the technology. There exists a further need for such an apparatus and methodology that may be employed in vertical and horizontal drilling applications. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.
The present invention is directed to systems and methods for controlling an underground boring tool. A control system of an underground boring machine receives data from sensors provided at the boring machine, at the boring tool, and optionally at an aboveground site separate from the boring machine location. Various sensors monitor boring machine activities, boring tool location, orientation, and environmental condition, geophysical and/or geologic condition of the soil/rock at the excavation site, and other boring control system activities. Data acquired by these sensors is processed by a boring machine controller to provide closed-loop, real-time control of a boring operation.
In general terms, the boring system comprises an apparatus for driving a boring tool along an underground path in a desired direction. The driving apparatus may, for example, comprise a rotation unit which includes a rotation unit sensor that senses a parameter of rotation unit performance. The rotation unit further includes a rotation unit control that moderates is rotation unit performance. The driving apparatus may also comprise a displacement unit which includes a displacement unit sensor that senses a parameter of displacement unit performance. The displacement unit further includes a displacement unit control that moderates displacement unit performance. A boring tool is coupled to a drill pipe, also termed a drill string or drill stem. The drill is coupled to the rotation unit for rotating the boring tool and to the displacement unit for displacing the boring tool along an underground path. A navigation sensor unit comprises one or more inertial navigation sensors, and may further comprise magnetometers and other sensors. The navigation sensor unit is provided within or proximate the boring tool. The controller receives telemetry data from the navigation sensor unit in electromagnetic, optical, acoustic, or mud pulse signal form. Other types of signal forms or combination of signal forms may also be communicated between the boring tool and the controller.
An exemplary system and method for controlling an underground boring tool according to the principles of the present invention involves rotating the boring tool and sensing a parameter of boring tool rotation. The boring tool is also displaced in a forward or reverse direction relative to the boring machine and a parameter of boring tool displacement is sensed. Using one or more of a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer sensor provided in or proximate the boring tool, the location of the boring tool is detected substantially in real-time. A controller produces a control signal substantially in real-time in response to the detected boring tool location and the sensed boring tool rotation and displacement parameters. The control signal is applied to one or both of the boring tool rotation and displacement pumps or motors so as to control one or both of a rate and a direction of boring tool movement along the underground path. Detecting the location of the boring tool and computing the control signal preferably occurs within about 1 second or less.
A closed-loop control system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises a controller which is communicatively coupled to a rotation unit sensor and control, and a displacement unit sensor and control of the boring tool driving apparatus. The controller is also communicatively coupled to the sensors and electronic components of the navigation sensor unit provided at the boring tool. The controller receives telemetry data from the navigation sensor unit substantially in real-time and transmits control signals to each of the rotation and displacement unit controls substantially in real-time so as to control one or both of a rate -and a direction of boring tool movement along the underground path in response to the received telemetry data. A response time associated with the navigation sensor unit acquiring boring tool location data and the controller receiving the telemetry data from the navigation sensor unit is about 1 second or less. Further, a response time associated with the navigation sensor unit acquiring boring tool location data, the controller receiving the telemetry data from the navigation sensor unit, and the controller transmitting control signals to each of the rotation and displacement unit controls is about 1 second or less.
In one embodiment, the navigation sensor unit includes one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and/or a magnetometer of a conventional design. In another embodiment, the navigation sensor unit includes one or more of a solid-state gyroscope, solid-state accelerometer, and/or solid-state magnetometer. According to the latter embodiment, the solid-state gyroscope, accelerometer, and/or magnetometer each have a micromachined or integrated circuit construction. Telemetry data is communicated electromagnetically, optically or capacitively between the navigation sensor unit and the controller.
The telemetry data may be communicated between the navigation sensor unit and the controller via a communication link established via the drill string or via an above-ground tracker unit. The tracker unit may be of a conventional design, and may be functionally equivalent to a conventional locator. Alternatively, and preferably, the tracker unit may have a more advanced design, and provide for enhanced functionality, as will later be described hereinbelow.
The communication link established via the drill string may comprise an electrical or optical fiber passing through the drill string, an electrical conductor integral with each connected segment of the drill string or capacitive elements integral with each connected segment of the drill string. In one embodiment, the tracker unit comprises a hand-held or portable transceiver. The tracker unit may further comprise a re-calibration unit which communicatively cooperates with the navigation sensor unit to reestablish a proper heading or orientation of the boring tool as needed.
The controller determines a location of the boring tool with reference to a known initial location, such as a known entry point at which the boring tool initially penetrates the earth""s surface. The entry location is preferably defined in terms of x-, y-, and z-plane coordinates, or, alternatively, in terms of latitude, longitude, and elevation. The controller determines the location of the boring tool using the boring tool telemetry data received from the navigation sensor unit. The controller may also determine an orientation of the boring tool in at least two of yaw, pitch, and roll (y, p, r) using the boring tool telemetry data received from the navigation sensor unit. In accordance with one embodiment, the controller determines the boring tool location using a successive approximation approach, by which the change of boring tool position is based on the displacement of the drill string and the telemetry data received from the navigation sensor unit.
In accordance with another embodiment, the controller determines the boring tool location using the telemetry data received from the inertial navigation sensors provided at the boring tool and computing the boring tool location through application of known inertial navigation algorithms. The location of the boring tool may be expressed in terms of position (e.g., x-, y-, z-plane coordinates) and/or orientation (e.g., pitch (up/down) and yaw (left/right)). The location of the boring tool may be computed and expressed in other terms which are commonly used and understood in the inertial navigation industry, such as heading, attitude, pitch, yaw, roll, longitude, latitude, elevation, and the like. Examples of various techniques for computing position and/or orientation using inertial guidance techniques which may be applied in the context of the present invention may be found by referencing the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,890,093; 5,828,980; 5,774,832; 5,719,772; 5,422,817; 5,410,487; 5,194,872; 5,112,126; 5,012,424; 4,823,626; 4,711,125; 4,675,820; 4,503,718; and 4,318,300; all of which are hereby incorporated herein in their respective entiretics. Other exemplary inertial guidance techniques are disclosed in the U.S. patents listed in the instant Background of the Invention.
The boring system may further include an interface that couples the controller with the navigation sensor unit. The interface is configurable, either manually or automatically, in order to accommodate each of a number of different navigation sensor units each having differing characteristic interface requirements.
The rotation unit may include a rotation pump or a rotation motor, and the displacement unit may include a displacement pump or a displacement motor. The rotation unit may constitute one of a mechanical, hydrostatic, hydraulic or electric rotation unit, and the displacement unit may constitute one of a mechanical, hydrostatic, hydraulic or electric displacement unit. The rotation unit and displacement unit sensors may each comprise a pressure sensor and/or a velocity sensor.
The boring system may further include a rotation unit vibration sensor and a displacement unit vibration sensor. One or more vibration sensors may also be mounted to the boring system chassis or other structure for purposes of detecting displacement or rotation of the boring system chassis or high levels of chassis vibration during a boring operation. The controller receives signals from the rotation and displacement unit vibration sensors and the chassis vibration sensors substantially in real-time and further modifies one or both of the rate and the direction of boring tool movement along the underground path in response to the signals received from the vibration sensors.
The boring tool may further include a steering mechanism for directing the boring tool in a desired direction. The controller controls the steering mechanism to modify one or both of the rate and the direction of boring tool movement along the underground path. The steering mechanism may include one or more of an adjustable plate-like member, an adjustable cutting bit, an adjustable cutting surface or a movable mass internal to the boring tool. The steering mechanism may also include one or more adjustable fluid jets. The boring tool may further include one or more cutting bits each of which includes a wear sensor for indicating a wear condition of the cutting bit.
One or more geophysical sensors may be deployed for sensing one or more geophysical characteristics of soil/rock along the underground path. The controller may further modify one or both of the rate and the direction of boring tool movement along the underground path in response to signals received from the geophysical sensors. A radar unit and/or other geophysical sensors may be employed within or proximate the boring tool or, alternatively, within an aboveground system for detecting man-made and geophysical structures and characterizing the geology at the excavation site. The boring system may also include a display for displaying a graphical representation of one or more of a boring tool location, orientation, the underground path, underground structures or boring tool movement along the underground path. Underground hazards and utilities, for example, may be graphically depicted in the display. Such a display may be provided on the boring machine, on a portable tracker unit, or both.
The delivery of fluid, such as a mud and water mixture, to the boring tool may be controlled during excavation. Various fluid delivery parameters, such as fluid volume delivered to the boring tool and fluid pressure and temperature, may be controlled. The viscosity of the fluid delivered to the boring tool, as well as the composition of the fluid, may be selected, monitored, and adjusted during boring activities. Adjustments may be made as a function geophysical information, rock or soil type, rotation torque, pullback or thrust force, etc.
A portable remote unit may be used by an operator to control boring machine activities from a site remote from the boring machine. The remote unit may issue boring and steering commands directly to the boring machine or to down-hole electronics provided at the boring tool. Control signals that effect boring machine operational changes may be produced by the remote unit, the down-hole electronics, the controller of the boring machine, or through cooperation of two or more of the remote unit, down-hole electronics, and boring machine controller.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. Advantages and attainments, together with a more complete understanding of the invention, will become apparent and appreciated by referring to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Horizontal directional drilling machine and method employing configurable tracking system interface


A method for fabricating copper-faced electronic modules is described. These modules are mechanically robust, thermally accessible for cooling purposes, and capable of supporting high power circuits, including operation at 10 GHz and above. An imprinting method is described for patterning the copper layers of the interconnection circuit, including a variation of the imprinting method to create a special assembly layer having wells filled with solder. The flip chip assembly method comprising stud bumps inserted into wells enables unlimited rework of defective chips. The methods can be applied to multi chip modules that may be connected to other electronic systems or subsystems using feeds through the copper substrate, using a new type of module access cable, or by wireless means. The top copper plate can be replaced with a chamber containing circulating cooling fluid for aggressive cooling that may be required for servers and supercomputers. Application of these methods to create a liquid cooled supercomputer is described.

Conventional printed circuit boards are constructed using copper signal planes laminated between glass-epoxy layers. Copper planes (foils) are also used for ground and for power supply voltages. For conventional epoxy laminate boards, trace and space dimensions are typically 100 microns each for a trace pitch of 200 microns, and hole diameters for plated through holes are typically 340 microns or more. More advanced boards are available from companies such as Unitive, Inc. of Research Triangle Park, N.C., USA. Unitive's boards employ BCB, a spin-on resin available from Dow Chemical Company, rather than glass-epoxy. For a copper trace thickness of 2-3 microns, these boards achieve trace widths as small as 12 microns and trace spacing as small as 13 microns; traces on different levels are connected using vias with a diameter of 35 microns and a pitch of 45-55 microns.
At 10 GHz the dielectric constant of BCB is 2.65 and its dissipation factor is 0.002. Its coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is 52 ppm/° C., and its moisture uptake is 0.14% by weight (as reported by Dow Chemical). Moisture uptake is critical because small amounts of absorbed water can substantially raise the effective dielectric constant, and a higher dielectric constant may effectively prohibit high frequency operation. The CTE of copper is 17 ppm/° C.; various researchers list the CTE of silicon as 2.6-4.2 ppm/° C. The coefficients of thermal expansion are important because the manufacturing process typically requires thermal cycles, and mismatches in CTE between materials in a stacked configuration result in mechanical stresses that can damage the board, or components attached to it. Additional thermal cycling is typically present during operation of the board, but usually this variation is less than during manufacturing and assembly.
In recent years, imprinting methods have been developed for several products. An example is the compact disc (CD) that has been manufactured by pressing a master tool into a plastic material, leaving an imprint of the desired pattern. A feature size of one micron and a fabrication cost less than a dollar per square foot have been reported. For both integrated circuit manufacture and printed circuit board manufacture, the imprinting method has potential to be an inexpensive patterning method compared with current photolithographic patterning methods. Photolithography has been the mainstay of integrated circuit patterning for many decades; it generally requires highly sophisticated tools for projecting a beam of light through a mask onto photosensitive materials. A fabrication facility to process silicon wafers by this method typically costs more than US$1 B today. By contrast, imprinting requires unsophisticated tools, yet it can produce fine features, smaller than 100 nanometers in some applications. The tools required for imprinting generally include a laminating press with provisions for aligning the layers, and for heating the thermoplastic material to be patterned. Cold embossing has also been developed using glass tools with embossed features etched therein, and UV curable dielectrics.
Electroplating is typically used to build up the copper layers, and chemical/mechanical polishing (CMP) is preferably used for planarizing each layer after plating. Imprinting and CMP methods can be combined to implement a dual damascene process using copper as the conductor material. Dual damascene processes are known in the art; "dual" refers to the fact that two depths of copper are implemented: trenches used for creating traces have a lesser depth than cylindrical holes for vias. The combination of tools for imprinting, plating and CMP may cost less than 1% of the cost of equivalent photolithographic tools. Other conductors may be used instead of copper, but copper offers a compelling combination of good electrical and thermal conductivity, adequate mechanical properties (especially in the form of dispersion strengthened copper, to be further discussed), and an infrastructure of existing tools and processes for drilling, electroplating, etching, and polishing at reasonable cost.
Liquid crystal display (LCD) panel fabrication plants are now being built for glass panels measuring 1870×2200 mm. The thickness of these glass panels is 0.7 mm, similar to the preferred thickness of 0.6 mm for copper substrates of the current invention. This means that an infrastructure of semiconductor processing equipment, particularly including thin film coating and etching equipment could be adapted to handle copper substrates in panel sizes up to around 2 meters square. This may be useful for coating thin film adhesion layers and seed layers on large panels of the current invention, and for plasma etching dielectric materials, as will be further described. The photolithographic patterning capability for large panels, generally employing step and repeat exposure systems ("steppers"), may also be used for fabricating the embossing tools described herein.
The preferred method of imprinting discussed herein uses an embossing tool in the form of a flexible foil, hereinafter called a "toolfoil". It is also possible to use rigid embossing tools, particularly if release agents are applied to the tool to aid in separation; also if the impressions are shallow they require a relatively small force for release. A release agent comprised of low surface energy material such as teflon is also preferably provided on the toolfoils discussed herein. One method of making a toolfoil is to electroplate nickel in an additive process to create a master or "father" foil. The sidewalls of the plated features preferably have an angle of about 5° to the vertical. This release angle is useful so that negatives of fathers can be made to produce "mothers", and negatives of mothers are made to produce "sons", which are the equivalent of photo-tool working plates. Suitable toolfoils can be obtained from Tecan Components Ltd., Dorset, England. If the toolfoil is used to implement a dual damascene process, then two nickel thicknesses are required and two photo-tools (glass masks) will be used in the fabrication of the master.
An alternative embodiment of the imprinting method may be used for large patterns that require a step and repeat methodology. Molecular Imprints of Austin, Tex., USA, has developed a step and flash imprint lithography process called S-Fil. In this process, a substrate is coated with an organic planarization layer. Then a low viscosity photo-polymerizable imprint solution is dispensed on the surface. A surface treated transparent template bearing patterned relief structures is aligned over the coated substrate. The template is lowered into contact with the substrate, thereby displacing the solution, filling the imprint field, and trapping the photo-polymerizable imprint solution in the template relief. Irradiation with UV light through the backside of the template cures the solution. The template is then separated from the substrate leaving a relief image on the surface that is a replica of the template pattern. A short halogen etch is used to clear any remaining thin webs of undisplaced material. A subsequent reactive ion etch into the planarization layer may be used to amplify the aspect ratio of the relief image.
Liquid crystal polymer (LCP) is a new dielectric material that has recently become available for imprinting applications in the printed circuit board arena. An example of this material is R/Flex 3800 available from Rogers Corp., Circuit Materials Division, Chandler Arizona. It is available with a CTE matched to copper at 17 ppm/° C. Melting points of 280° C. and 315° C. are available, with thickness varying from 25 microns to 100 microns. From 1-10 GHz the dielectric constant is 2.9 and the dissipation factor is 0.002. The moisture uptake is 0.04% by weight (compared with 0.14% for BCB), resulting in good stability for high frequency applications.
Dispersion strengthening is a method for improving the strength properties of copper, without seriously affecting its electrical and thermal conductivity. Cold rolled sheets of dispersion strengthened copper (DSC) known as Glidcop are available from SCM Metal Products, Inc., North Carolina. For use as a substrate for a printed circuit of the current invention, this material is available in thickness ranging from 125-625 microns. By incorporating minute amounts of aluminum oxide to pin the grain boundaries of the copper, the yield strength of DSC is typically improved by about 10 times, while the thermal and electrical properties are degraded by less than 1%.
Electroplating methods are well known in the art. Current processes support fabrication of via structures with aspect ratios (depth:diameter) as great as 10. Using layered plating solutions and sophisticated power supplies including reverse pulse biasing, void-free plated structures are achievable.
CMP is also well known in the art. A substrate to be polished is held in a polishing chuck so that typically one third of its edge dimension extends below the chuck. A polishing slurry is provided between the exposed surface and a rotating wheel having a finely textured surface; the substrate may simultaneously rotate and orbit in a planetary motion with respect to the wheel. The desired result is a polished planar surface with clearly defined copper features embedded in the dielectric resin.
Modern computer circuits such as multi-chip modules for computer server applications typically operate at GHz frequencies and with large power supply currents at low operating voltages: 200 amps at 1.0V is a typical requirement. Cooling of the module is a critical issue, and building such circuits on a copper substrate can help address the cooling requirements. In addition, a "copper sandwich" will be described having integral copper plates at both the top and bottom of the assembly for improved ruggedness and better thermal access to the heat-producing chips.
Flip chip assembly is generally recognized as the most advanced assembly method in terms of system density and performance. It enables bare integrated circuit (IC) chips to be assembled, in preference to packaged parts. The chips can have area arrays of input/output (I/O) bonding pads, rather than just at the chip periphery. Inductance of these chip-to-board connections is substantially lower than that of wire bonds, and power pins can be located close to the circuit blocks that need the power. Advanced flip chip assembly methods have recently been reported. One such method is to provide gold stud bumps on the IC chips, and corresponding wells filled with solder on the board. This structure supports pad pitches of 100 microns or less and also routine replacement of defective die using a rework process.
There have been two major impediments to the integration of large systems that are exclusively or primarily assembled using flip chip assembly methods: the inability to effectively test such a system (particularly a functional test at full system speed), and the inability to rework defective chips in the assembly. For these reasons, many flip chip assemblies have been limited to 10 IC chips or fewer, because the cost of scrapping defective assemblies becomes prohibitive with a greater number of chips. Solutions to these problems have been recently proposed. Firstly, a special-purpose test chip or chips may be provided on the board under test; working together with a test support computer this chip can provide the means to functionally test the module at full system speed. The test chip preferably includes high speed sampling circuits and comparators that are under control of the support computer. The support computer performs low speed testing chores such as boundary scan and loading of test files, and also hosts diagnostic software for aiding a test operator in determining which chips need to be replaced, if any. Secondly, the proposed variation of flip chip assembly allows effective rework of defective chips. In summary, the rework method is as follows. The board is placed on a hot plate and the temperature is raised to a level just below the melting point of the solder in the wells (the preferred melting point of the preferred In:Ag solder is 143° C.). Then a rework wand emitting hot inert gas is directed at the backside of the defective chip; the solder in the wells melts for this chip, but not for neighboring chips that are not defective. Focused infra red systems have also been deployed for heating the area local to a single chip without melting the solder of surrounding chips. After the solder of the defective chip is molten, the stud bumps are withdrawn from the wells, the surface is inspected and cleaned as necessary, the wells are touched up with additional solder paste as required, and a replacement part is picked, flipped, aligned, and inserted. After re-flowing the solder for the replacement part and validating the assembly with another module test, the rework cycle is complete. There is preferably no epoxy under layer beneath the defective chip (whose removal would be labor intensive, difficult, and potentially damaging to the board). Also, there are no delicate traces around or near the I/O pads that can be damaged during the rework process; the receiving terminal becomes the solder paste in the well rather than the pad. Finally, the materials used easily tolerate the rework temperatures. These factors result in a rework procedure that may be repeated as many times as necessary, enabling the integration of systems comprising hundreds or thousands of IC chips, assembled onto a single monolithic high performance substrate (or blade). This high level of integration in turn enables supercomputer architectures of the current invention.
The purpose of the epoxy under layer between chip and board is to prevent mechanical failure such as cracking that can arise from stresses accompanying temperature excursions that occur during manufacturing or operation. Part of the justification for eliminating this under layer in the proposed flip chip mounting structure is that the preferred arrangement of gold stud bumps inserted into wells filled with solder is mechanically stronger (shear forces can not easily detach a stud bump from its pad or a well from its pad). Because the stud bumps are formed from gold, and because gold is one of the most ductile materials, and because the proposed stud bumps have a pointed shape, the proposed structure is also more mechanically compliant than previous structures such as solder balls re-flowed onto matching lands. In addition, the low melting point of the proposed indium based solder (143° C.) results in lower thermal strains than would occur with commonly used solders that melt at higher temperatures (63:37 Sn:Pb solder melts at 183° C.). Even with this improved flip chip attachment it may be necessary to limit the maximum chip size in the proposed assembly structures, to limit the stress imposed.
For interconnecting modules, module access cables have been proposed that use a similar arrangement of stud bumps and wells as described for attaching the IC chips. These module access cables can support pin pitches of 100 microns or less, and should be re-workable using the same method as outlined for reworking the IC chips.

Interconnection circuit and electronic module utilizing same


A new and distinct Abelia hybrid which is characterized by compact, weeping mounded growth habit, red purple autumn and winter foliage color, and small leaves which are retained during heat and drought stress in summer and cold stress in winter.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of the ornamental flowering shrub Abelia, hereinafter referred to by the varietal denomination 'Plum Surprise'. 'Plum Surprise' originated from an interspecific cross made in 1998 between the cultivars 'Edward Goucher' (unpatented) and 'Francis Mason' (unpatented). 'Edward Goucher' is a purple-flowered cultivar that was derived from an interspecific cross between Abelia×grandifolia and A. parvifolia (schumanii) and was released in 1911. 'Francis Mason' is a variegated cultivar of Abelia×grandifolia that was grown in New Zealand in the 1970s. Seeds from this cross were sown in 1999, and five seedlings were obtained. These seedlings were planted in a field plot in Griffin in the fall of 1999 and were evaluated for three years for flowering and foliage characteristics, plant form and height, cold hardiness and drought tolerance. Plant 99-7-1 was selected among these plants, and assigned the name 'Plum Surprise'.
'Plum Surprise' forms a weeping, spreading mound. A 4-year old, unpruned, field grown plant measured 92 cm tall and 171 cm wide. Check cultivars including 'Compacta' (unpatented) (195×240 cm), 'Golden Glow' (unpatented) (175×211 cm), 'Francis Mason' (132×137 cm), 'Little Richard' (unpatented) (165×244 cm) and 'Rose Creek' (unpatented) (142×198 cm) were all significantly larger.
Foliage color in March and April is a yellow-green with scattered red/purple leaves. In late spring, the majority of the foliage becomes a bright emerald green, remaining green throughout the summer. In mid-October, the foliage begins to turn red/purple and as autumn progresses, the outer/upper shoots and leaves become red/purple with the underlying foliage remaining bright green. By December, the foliage becomes glossy, and the purple color intensifies. As winter progresses most of the leaves turn burgundy. Leaves of 'Plum Surprise' are very small, approximately 11 mm at the widest point and 20 mm in length.
The flowering of 'Plum Surprise' is sparse and scattered as 2 to 4 blooms per inflorescence. Individual flowers appear white, but on close examination have a purple blush with a pale yellow throat.
'Plum Surprise' performs well in a container under nursery conditions. The foliage cascades down over the pot, making an attractive appearance in both form and color.
Laboratory evaluations of cold hardiness in Griffin, Ga. during the winter of 2003-04 revealed a mid-winter hardiness of −15 to −18° C., similar to the check cultivars ('Francis Mason' and 'Rose Creek'). Field observations of plants grown in Griffin, Ga. (USDA Zone 7b) from 2000 to 2006 revealed no cold damage and the plant retained in 80 to 90% of its leaves in the winter. Plants grown in Blairsville, Ga. (USDA Zone 7a) from 2003 to 2006 have occasionally had moderate shoot dieback through all plants survived.
Although Abelia is known for its heat and drought tolerance, leaf drop is a usual characteristic of such stressed plants. 'Plum Surprise' showed exceptional heat and drought tolerance. The summer of 2002 was very hot and dry in Griffin, Ga., with a rainfall total from May 1st to August 31st of 26.4 cm and 24 days reaching at least 32° C. The test plot was not irrigated, and the check cultivars of 'Compacta', 'Francis Mason', 'Golden Glow' and 'Little Richard' lost 50 to 80% of their foliage, whereas 'Plum Surprise' retained nearly all of its foliage, and remained an attractive plant.

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.


A system and method of seizing a landline is disclosed. In seizing the landline, a first device may identify that a switch has been toggled by a second device; receive an alarm signal from the second device via a landline based on identifying that the switch has been toggled; determine a particular processing instruction, of one or more processing instructions, based on information included in the alarm signal; and execute the particular processing instruction to provide the alarm signal to a third device.

An alarm system includes an alarm panel to provide alarm messages to an alarm monitoring station via an analog landline telephone network, such as an analog Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and/or an analog plain old telephone service (POTS) network. The alarm panel may provide the alarm message, via the analog landline telephone network, by placing a telephone call and sending a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal (e.g., a series of audible tones approximately 50 milliseconds (ms) to approximately 100 ms in length). The alarm panel may need to disconnect devices in a telephone network, associated with the facility (e.g., a facility telephone network), to ensure that the facility telephone network is available for use by the alarm system to place the telephone call. The alarm system may include an alarm signal processing device that interferes with a disconnection switch that is used to disconnect the devices in the facility telephone network.

Line seizure in an alarm system having an alarm signal processing device


Disclosed herein is an oil dispersant composition that contains an acyl amino acid ionic liquid, a dicationic ionic liquid, a fruit acid ionic liquid, a polyacid ionic liquid, and an ethoxylate oleyl ether ionic liquid. The composition may also be diluted with water. The composition is useful for dispersing an oil spill in a body of water, while being less toxic to the aquatic environment and also acting to stimulate bacterial growth in said aquatic environment.

The listing or discussion of a prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge.
Oil spills are a kind of pollution that often occurs upon the release of petroleum products and its derivatives into the marine ecosystem. This type of pollution may is associated with activities relates to oil production (e.g. drilling and refining the oil), as well as activities associated with transporting the oil from one location to another (e.g. by tankers, other vessels and pipelines). Generally, the release of oil into the marine ecosystem is the result of an accident, such as a pipeline break or the breaching of a vessel (e.g. due to the collision of a tanker with another object, such as another ship or rocks). Such oil spills tend to spread over many square miles of water surface and can cause serious damage to the environment. Indeed, the impact of an oil spill towards the local marine environment includes not only the acute damage caused, but also long term damage if the clean-up process is not able to effectively remove the oil from the ecosystem. This is because it takes many years for the quantity of remaining oil to diminish by natural processes, such as natural dispersion and biodegradation.
An oil spill may be cleaned up by physical means that attempt to remove and/or recover the spilled oil (e.g. an absorbent, a boomer, and an oil skimmer). Alternatively, chemical remediation can be used. Indeed, the use of an oil dispersant is generally preferable because it is an effective and efficient way to deal with large amount of oil and it also helps to reduce the environmental impact associated with the spilled oil. The use of various surfactant compositions in chemically remediating oil spills has been employed for many years.
A surfactant is a surface active agent whose molecules are composed of groups of opposing polarity and solubility, i.e., surfactants usually have both an oil-soluble hydrocarbon chain and a water-soluble group. Surfactants can be anionic, cationic, or nonionic, and they may be comprised of mixtures of any of these types of surfactants. Such surfactant mixtures often include other chemical agents, such as solvents, that enhance the dispersant capabilities of the surfactant. However, not all surfactant compositions are effective in dispersing spilled oil products and many of the more effective ones have the drawbacks of being toxic and/or not biodegradable.
There is a continuing search for "environmentally friendly" and biodegradable oil dispersants for oil spill remediation. Although many commercial dispersants are available in the market, they display the disadvantages discussed above. The selection of a dispersant for oil spill dispersion is influenced by its efficacy and environmental impact, such as toxicity and biodegradability. Furthermore, the current chemical dispersant systems usually involves three components, i.e. surfactant, chemical additives and solvent, which makes the manufacture and use expensive.
Considering these facts, an ideal oil dispersion system should not be just effective, but should also cause the least environmental harm. The use of commercially available dispersants that contain a large percentage of petroleum distillates and other hydrocarbon based dispersants is therefore counterproductive, in that it adds to the loading of the ocean with compounds of the same petrochemical class as the spill itself. In addition, the dispersing effect of a dispersant must also be balanced against its toxicity to fish and other wild life. In addition, once crude oil is spilled, it takes at least one week before any biodegradation processes begin to take effect. Therefore, it would also be beneficial to find a dispersant that can act to shorten this startup period to the absolute minimum so as to accelerate and maximize bioremediation rates from the application of the dispersant.
Ionic liquids (ILs) are a salt in which the ions are poorly coordinated, which results in these solvents being liquid, e.g. at room temperature. ILs display negligible vapour pressure, multiple solvation interactions with organic and inorganic compounds, excellent chemical and thermal stability and high ionic conductivity, amongst other properties.

Ionic liquids formulation as an environmentally friendly oil dispersant


A silicon semiconductor substrate including a silicon semiconductor layer at one of upper and lower surfaces thereof, the silicon semiconductor layer being composed of polysilicon or noncrystal silicon and containing oxygen in the range of 2 atomic % to 20 atomic % both inclusive, nitrogen in the range of 4 atomic % to 20 atomic % both inclusive, or both nitrogen at 2 atomic % or greater and oxygen at 1 atomic % or greater. The polysilicon or noncrystal silicon semiconductor layer acts as a core for extrinsic gettering. In the silicon semiconductor substrate, the gettering performance is not deteriorated, even if the silicon semiconductor substrate experiences thermal treatment. Thus, it is possible to get rid of contamination caused by heavy metals in the silicon semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a silicon semiconductor substrate and a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly to a silicon substrate including a defective layer to which gettering is carried out.
2. Description of the Related Art
As devices are formed on silicon substrate in smaller size and in higher integration, it becomes more important to prevent performance deterioration of devices caused by heavy metals intruding into a device during fabricating process, and fabrication yield deterioration. Thus, a technique for removing heavy metals out of a device formation region has been developed. Such a technique is called gettering technique. In general, gettering techniques can be grouped into intrinsic gettering and extrinsic gettering. In intrinsic gettering (IG), precipitation of oxygen contained in silicon and crystal defects caused by such precipitation act as a capturer of heavy metals. Extrinsic gettering is further grouped into BD, PDG and PG. In a so-called BD technique, crystal defects caused by artificially given mechanical damages act as a capturer of heavy metals. In phosphorus gettering (PDG), heavily phosphorus-doped diffusion layer acts as a capturer of heavy metals. In polysilicon gettering (PG) technique, a polysilicon layer formed on a bottom surface of a silicon substrate acts as a capturer of heavy metals.
For instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-238825 has suggested extrinsic gettering in which a carbon-doped polysilicon layer formed on a bottom surface of a semiconductor substrate is used to capture heavy metals. For another instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-47836 has suggested another extrinsic gettering in which a supersaturated oxygen-doped polysilicon layer is formed at a bottom surface of a semiconductor substrate for capturing heavy metals. In these extrinsic gettering techniques, carbon and oxygen contained in each of the polysilicon layers are diffused in a silicon semiconductor substrate. The thus diffused oxygen and carbon facilitate precipitation of oxygen contained in a substrate to thereby carry out gettering for capturing heavy metals.
Conventional intrinsic gettering has problems in that mechanisms for precipitating oxygen include extremely various and complicated factors, and it is quite difficult to completely control oxygen precipitation with the result of insufficient formation of a defective layer, and that there occurs defectiveness in a device formation region which should not have any defectiveness, thereby a production yield of a semiconductor device being reduced. Other problem is that mechanical strength of a silicon semiconductor substrate is remarkably reduced by reduction in interstitial oxygen concentration and occurrence of dislocation accompanied with oxygen precipitation, when oxygen is much precipitated, thereby there occurring a slip in a silicon semiconductor substrate during semiconductor device fabrication process, resulting in reduction in production yield of a semiconductor device.
Extrinsic gettering has a problem that crystal defects and crystal grains of polysilicon both acting as a core for gettering are eliminated in thermal treatment carried out during semiconductor device fabrication process, or crystal grains of polysilicon are grown up, and hence the gettering effects cannot last until the semiconductor device fabrication process is completed.
In the method of facilitating precipitation of oxygen contained in a substrate by means of supersaturated oxygen-doped polysilicon layer as suggested in the above mentioned Publication No. 2-47836, there can be obtained only small gettering effects against heavy metals when the oxygen concentration is low. In the method of facilitating precipitation of oxygen contained in a substrate by means of heavily oxygen- or carbon-doped polysilicon film as suggested in the above mentioned Publication No. 3-238825, similarly to the above mentioned intrinsic gettering, mechanical strength of a silicon semiconductor substrate is remarkable reduced by occurrence of dislocation accompanied with oxygen precipitation out of a silicon semiconductor substrate, thereby slip occurring in a silicon semiconductor substrate during semiconductor device fabrication process, resulting in reduction in production yield of a semiconductor device.

Silicon semiconductor substrate and method of fabricating the same


The present invention provides a metal purse having an interior electroluminescent lighting system. The metal purse includes: a first metal shell, a second metal shell, an optional handle, a closure system, an on/off switch, a battery power pack, and one or more electroluminescent light panels. The metal purse may include a clutch, a tote, a briefcase, a handbag, a shoulder bag, or a makeup bag.

Women often carry their wallets, cosmetics, combs, and the like in their purses. Likewise, men often carry briefcases. Typically, purses and briefcases have an attractive soft fabric or leather exterior and come in various shapes and styles. However, these purses and briefcases do not protect their contents from being crushed, illuminate their interiors, nor protect the wallets and passports contained within, from unauthorized radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers.
What is needed is a purse that is stylish while solving those problems.

Metal purse with interior electroluminescent lighting system


Disclosed is a computer system which can be powered on by at least a first and a second method wherein the first method is different from the second method. The computer system is operative to allow a user to select which one of at least two different pre-selected ordered lists of initial program load (IPL) devices are to be used depending on whether the system was powered on by the first method or the second method. The system includes a processor coupled to a local bus and an input/output (IO) bus. A non-volatile memory is coupled to the processor and the IO bus. The non-volatile memory has a basic input output system (BIOS) stored therein and the BIOS is effective for responding to the energization of the computer system by initiating a power on self test (POST). The non-volatile memory also stores a first pre-selected ordered list of IPL devices and a second pre-selected ordered list of IPL devices. The POST is operative to determine whether the system was powered on by the first power on method or the second power on method. If the first power on method was used, POST will attempt to boot from the first pre-selected ordered list of IPL devices and if the second power on method was used, POST will attempt to boot from the second pre-selected ordered list of IPL devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer systems and more particularly to a computer system having at least two different boot sequences that can be selected by a user depending on how the computer system is powered on.
2. Description of Related Art
Personal computer systems are well known in the art. Personal computer systems have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computers can typically be defined as a desktop, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that is comprised of a system unit having a single central processing unit (CPU) and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and basic input output system read only memory (BIOS ROM), a system monitor, a keyboard, one or more flexible diskette drives, a CD-ROM drive, a fixed disk storage drive (also known as a "hard drive"), a so-called "mouse" pointing device, and an optional printer. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's PC 300 series and IBM's Aptiva Series.
One of the first operations to be performed when a computer is turned on is to load initial programs into the main or system memory to provide the basic tools and utilities which define the operations of the computer system. Such initial programs include the BIOS, the operating system and particular applications defined by initialization control information. The initialization control information which causes an initial program load (IPL) includes Power On Self Test (POST) code, IPL control logic (often termed the boot record) and control data. The POST code can be stored in BIOS in a flash memory.
When the computer system is powered on from its power switch, the POST code is executed and the IPL can occur from a floppy diskette drive, a CD-ROM drive or the hard drive. In addition, if the computer is provided with a suitable adapter such as, for example, an IBM Auto Wake Token-Ring ISA Adapter and is connected to a computer network such as, for example, a local area network (LAN), there can be another potential source for the IPL operation. Namely, the IPL can occur from a remote storage location in a LAN server computer system (often called a remote IPL or RIPL).
Using the computer's ROM setup utility, a user can select which storage devices to IPL from and in what order to try each storage device when the system is powered on by the power switch. For example, the user can enter the configuration/setup utility by depressing the "F1"0 key during POST, select Start Options and then select Startup Sequence. From the Startup Sequence the user can choose the first, second, third, etc. startup devices. The user selections would be stored in a non-volatile memory of the computer system. If the user chose the following sequence 1-diskette drive, 2-hard drive and 3-network, then when the power switch is pressed, the POST code will first interrogate the floppy disk drive to test whether the drive contains a bootable diskette (i.e., whether a diskette is present and whether a valid boot record is held thereon). If it does, then the boot record on the diskette is used to control the initialization of the system. If there is not a bootable diskette in the floppy disk drive, then POST next interrogates the hard disk drive to test whether it has a valid boot record. If the hard drive does, then its boot record is used to control system initialization. If there is not a valid boot record stored on the hard drive, then POST next transfers control to RIPL ROM logic in the network adapter. The RIPL ROM logic will then attempt to establish a connection with a remote network server and enable the remote IPL of the operating system in a conventional manner. If after all these tests no valid boot record is found in any of the IPL devices an error message is displayed.
Current computer systems, however, have the ability to be powered on by several methods other than the power switch. For example, systems today can be powered on when a telephone ring is detected by a modem connected to the computer's serial port. In addition, the system can be programmed to turn on at a specific alarm time (wake on alarm). If the system is connected to a network, it can be remotely powered on across the LAN (wake on LAN). Current computer systems use the same ordered list of IPL storage devices regardless of whether the system is powered on by the power switch or by one of the other methods just mentioned. However, this is a disadvantage for users that want to use a different sequence when the system is powered on by other than the power switch.
For example, when powering on using the power switch a user may want to try the diskette drive first, and if there is no diskette inserted, IPL from the hard drive. However, when powering on because of being turned on by receipt of a "wake up" packet from the LAN, a user might want to RIPL from the LAN instead of booting from the diskette or hard drive. Currently, to do this, the user would need to invoke the ROM setup utility and change the boot sequence to have RIPL from the LAN as the first choice. However, once this is done, the system will attempt RIPL for all power on methods including if the system is powered on by the power switch.
It is therefore desirable to provide a computer system that allows a user to set the order of at least two different lists of IPL devices and select which list is to be used depending on the manner in which the computer system is powered on.

Computer system having at least two boot sequences

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of forming a polycide gate of a semiconductor device, including the steps of etching all the metal silicide layer by using a plasma, and etching the polysilicon layer by relatively decreasing power for increasing the energy of a particles constituting the plasma, as compared with that in the step of etching the metal silicide layer. A physically and functionally stable polycide gate can be simply and rapidly formed.

The present invention relates to a method of forming a polycide gate of a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to an etching method for forming such a polycide gate.
Among semiconductor devices, in a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) type of a semiconductor device, a gate is formed on a thin gate oxide film. At this time, the gate is formed of a conductor such as a polysilicon, a polycide or the like. The polycide is formed as a stacked structure in which a portion coming into contact with the gate oxide film consists of a polysilicon layer and a refractory metal silicide layer stacked on the polysilicon layer. As the refractory metal silicide, tungsten silicide (WSi) is mainly used.
As the scale of integration of semiconductor devices is increased and the critical dimension is decreased, the resistance of the polysilicon mainly used hitherto is increased, so that its function as a conductor causes a problem. At the same time, metal silicide is suitable to be used as a conductor such as for the gate of a semiconductor device, because damage caused due to the high temperature of its production process is small and its conductivity is high. However, since its adhesion to an insulating film is poor, the metal polycide structure is formed by using a method where the polysilicon is formed on the insulating film and the metal silicide is stacked thereon.
In a conventional method of forming the gate, as a material constituting the gate, a film is formed on the entire surface or a part of a semiconductor substrate including a portion where the gate will be formed. After forming an etching mask by using photolithography, a gate film which is in a part excluding the gate is removed by using an etching technique. At this time, as a method of forming the etching mask by using photolithography, there are two methods. One method is that a film is formed of a material constituting the gate, a photoresist is directly formed thereon, and a pattern is formed in the photoresist layer, thereby adapting the photoresist to function as an etching mask. The other method is that a film is formed of a material constituting the gate, an oxide film is formed thereon, a photoresist is formed thereon, a gate pattern is formed in the oxide film by etching the photoresist and oxide film, and the gate film is etched by using the above referenced pattern. The two methods are selectively used according to the necessity of the process, because they have respective merits and demerits.
In case of using the oxide film as the etching mask, the etching selectivity between the etching mask and film to be etched is improved. In case of performing the etching process by using the photoresist pattern, there is a merit that a problem of controlling the critical dimension is removed, due to a polymer which adheres to the sidewall of the pattern as by-product. Thus, it is suitable for the manufacturing of highly integrated semiconductor devices.
FIG. 1 shows a polycide gate structure formed through the conventional etching process, using a silicon oxide film as an etching mask 11, and a tungsten silicide 15 as the metal silicide. A gate oxide film 17, or a field oxide film 20, is formed on a semiconductor substrate 10. A polycide gate composed of a polysilicon layer 13 and a tungsten silicide layer 15, and an etching mask 11 consisting of a silicon oxide film, constitute the stacked structure.
Since no protection for the etching is provided in the sidewall part of the polycide gate, in case of using the conventional etching technique such as plasma etching or reactive ion etching (RIE), the undercutting occurs in the polysilicon layer 13, due to the characteristics of isotropic etching. The sidewall of the stacked structure constituting the polycide becomes rough due to particles such as ions or radicals which collide with the sidewall of the polycide gate. There is seriously generated a phenomenon such as a consuming or notching, in which the films of the metal silicide and polysilicon are removed during etching. Thus, it is difficult to control the uniformity of the semiconductor device, so that the function of the device is deteriorated. Reference numeral 19 in FIG. 1 shows the consumption of tungsten silicide 15.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section of a detail of the structure shown in FIG. 1, showing the roughness and defect of the polycide gate sidewall. The undercut part 23 of the polysilicon layer 13 and the consumed part 25 of the metal silicide layer 15 are shown.
The polycide gate structure consists of the films of metal silicide and polysilicon, and the layer located thereunder is composed of the thin oxide film. Accordingly, through a single etching process under constant conditions, it is very difficult to form a gate at a proper etching speed, sufficient etching selectivity for the etching mask and a plurality of material layers located thereunder, and a sidewall which has few defects and maintains good vertical morphology.
As another conventional method for solving such problems, there was used a method in which the etching is performed under the process condition beyond the above described two kinds, in which the conditions such as the plasma source gas for carrying out the etching process, the power of the equipment applying the plasma, and the pressure and temperature of the process chamber are changed. However, in case of performing the process with two kinds of steps or more, even if the process conditions of each step are changed minutely, the result of the process shows a very large difference. The aforementioned defect of the gate sidewall or the poor vertical profile shows a difference in one semiconductor substrate as well as between substrates. It was very difficult to maintain the stability of the process.

Method of forming a polycide gate of a semiconductor device


The invention relates to a light-output device (1; 10; 30) controllable to provide different light-output functions. The light-output device comprises a light-source arrangement (12; 31) configured to emit light; and a light-guiding system (10; 32) arranged to receive the light and configured to guide the light to at least one light-output surface of the light-guiding system. The light-guiding system (10; 32) comprises at least a first light-guide (11b; 37) and a second light-guide (11a; 40, 41); and the light-guiding system (10; 32) is movable relative to the light-source arrangement (12; 31) between at least a first position where light output by the light-source arrangement is guided by the first light-guide (11b; 37) to provide a first light-output function, and a second position where light output by the light-source arrangement is guided by the second light-guide (11a; 40, 41) to provide a second light-output function, different from the first light-output function. The present invention is based on the realization that different light-output functions conveniently and intuitively can be achieved by moving a light-guiding system comprising at least two light-guides relative to a stationary light-source arrangement. Hereby, different light-output functions can be achieved with a single stationary light-source arrangement.

Through the increasing availability of more compact light-sources that may not need to be replaced over the lifetime of a luminaire, new design and functionality has become possible.
For example, it should be possible to provide different lighting functions, such as general illumination and concentrated task lighting using a single light-output device with several sets of light-sources, such as LEDs, that are appropriately arranged and that are individually controllable. However, this might result in a relatively complicated and costly light-output device.

Light output device with movable lightguide system


A dark color (for example, cyan) ink dot formed by preliminary ejection can be made less noticeable, and the influence on the printing quality can be reduced, even in a case where the dark color ink is preliminarily ejected onto a light color (for example, yellow) image area. For this purpose, in a case where the dark color ink is preliminarily ejected onto the image area of high lightness, the amount of the ink applied for printing the area is reduced. For example, in a case where a cyan ink is preliminarily ejected onto an area to be formed of yellow dots, a piece of data for forming the yellow dot in the preliminary ejection position is deleted. This reduces an overlapping area of the yellow area and the ink dot formed by the preliminary ejection, and thus makes the ink dot formed by the preliminary ejection less noticeable.

In an ink jet printing apparatus, generally, not all print data use all the plurality of nozzles provided on a printing head, and there is a case where a particular nozzle is not used for a long time. Water or solvent in such a nozzle evaporates, and thus the viscosity thereof increases. As a result, in some cases, ink is not ejected properly from such a nozzle, even when a drive signal is applied to an element generating energy used for ejecting the ink. This causes a deflection of the ejecting direction, and allows only an insufficient amount of ink to be ejected, or in extreme cases, ink is not ejected at all (hereinafter, these poor conditions are called an ejection failure). As a result, a desired image cannot sometimes be obtained.
An operation called a preliminary ejection is performed as one of treatments for eliminating the factors causing the ejection failure and for restoring a favorable ink ejection performance of a printing head. In this operation, ink is ejected by driving an element generating energy used for ejecting the ink, for the purpose of refreshing the ink in a nozzle, in addition to the purpose of forming an image in a printing operation. In particular, this operation is aimed at ejecting, from a nozzle, ink in an inadequate condition to secure the ejection performance and printing quality when the partial evaporation of volatile constituents such as water or solvent contained in the ink results in the inadequate condition.
Conventionally, a certain arbitrarily chosen method has been used in order to perform the preliminary ejection. For example, the preliminary ejection is performed in a state where the printing head faces a cap provided outside a printing area of the printing head. In this case, however, the printing head is required to move away from the printing area, but this movement needs a longer time of suspending the printing operation. As a result, the throughput of printing decreases.
In contrast, there is a method in which the preliminary ejection operation is performed by ejecting thickened ink in nozzles directly onto a printing medium without suspending the printing operation (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-40042 (1994) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-139269 (1980)). In this preliminary ejection operation, ink is ejected onto a printing medium such as a sheet of paper. This preliminary ejection has an advantage of avoiding a decrease in the throughput of printing, since the preliminary ejection operation can be performed during the printing operation.
In this preliminary ejection operation, ink is ejected directly onto a printing medium on which an image is actually printed. Accordingly, when an ink dot with a certain size and a certain density is formed on the printing medium with the ink of the preliminary ejection, the ink dot may be noticeable, and may deteriorate the printing quality. There is a method to solve this problem by making the dot formed with the ink of the preliminary ejection less noticeable. To make the dot less noticeable, the ink is ejected onto an area with a high optical reflection density, such as a black letter, in the image.
Nevertheless, in the circumstance in which various kinds of printing are performed to meet the demands of users as the use of ink jet printing apparatuses is increasing, a printing image does not necessarily include an area with a high optical reflection density, such as a black letter. In this case, the preliminary ejection of ink has to be done onto a color image on a printing medium.
The inventors of the present invention, however, found that the printing quality is deteriorated in a case where the color image and the ink that is ejected preliminarily have a certain relationship. In addition, the present inventors also found that the deterioration in the printing quality is particularly remarkable in a case where a dot of low lightness is formed by preliminarily ejecting ink which presents relatively low lightness on a printing medium, such as a cyan ink, on an image area formed with ink which presents relatively high lightness on a printing medium, such as a yellow ink.
This finding will be explained by using FIGS. 12A to 12D. First, assume that there is a yellow (Y) ink image data covering an area extending from the coordinates n to n+2 in a main-scan direction and from the coordinates m to m+1 in a sub-scan direction, as shown in FIG. 12A. Then, assume that a cyan (C) ink is to be preliminarily ejected onto the set of coordinates (n+1, m+1), as shown in FIG. 12B. As a result, a cyan ink dot is formed in the set of coordinates (n+1, m+1) on the printing medium, overlapping a yellow ink dot, as shown in FIG. 12C. In this position, the dot has a green color that is a secondary color made by the yellow ink dot and the cyan ink dot.
However, a problem arises here. The problem is that the cyan ink dot, which is landed on the set of coordinates (n+1, m+1), expands widely (to an area circled with a dashed line), as shown in FIG. 12D. To be more precise, the cyan ink dot (hereinafter called "a later-landed dot") overlaps the yellow ink dot (hereinafter called "an earlier-landed dot"), and expands, thereby forming a dot with a large diameter. In other words, the later-landed cyan ink dot expands into areas of the yellow ink dots formed in other sets of coordinates surrounding the set of coordinates where the cyan ink dot is landed.
The lightness of the yellow area formed on the printing medium is high, and the area is light and bright to the human eye. For this reason, if the large dot of low lightness exists in the yellow area, the contrast between the large dot of low lightness and the yellow color background becomes very noticeable, and thus the visual detectability thereof is increased. This results in the deterioration in the printing quality.
This problem arises not only in the relationship between yellow and cyan, but also in a case where a dark color ink, such as a magenta ink or a black ink, is preliminarily ejected onto an image area formed with the yellow ink. In addition, nowadays, there is a printing apparatus using a light cyan ink and a light magenta ink. This problem also arises in a case where an ink of low lightness is preliminarily ejected onto an area printed with any of these light color inks. In other words, when an ink of low lightness is preliminarily ejected onto an image area formed of ink dots of high lightness, the dot of low lightness that is preliminarily ejected becomes very noticeable.

Ink jet printing apparatus and printing method


An RF power FET amplifier is designed using parasitic resonant matching to reduce low intermodulation distortion. An input inductor is connected in parallel with the capacitance of the common-source input capacitance, an output inductor is connected in parallel with the common-source output capacitance. Feedback provided by the common-source capacitance between gate and drain is utilized to improve linearization and stability. The field effect transistor is designed so that the feedback signal resulting from the feedback capacitance is 180.degree. with respect to the forward gain.

This invention relates generally to radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers, and more particularly the invention relates to an RF power amplifier field effect transistor (FET) suitable for communications networks where low intermodulation distortion (IMD) products are a key design parameter.
Impedance matching is an important criteria of amplifier design and performance. Optimum gain is realized when the maximum available source power is delivered to the amplifier and the maximum available output power is extracted from the amplifier.
The impedance matching topography may take on a number of forms. Low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass techniques are typically employed using various combinations of lumped and distributed components. However, one dominant feature consistent throughout all prior designs is the impedance seen at the transistor terminals is simplified to an easily manageable two-port network. The two-port network design might be characterized by S-parameters, Y-parameters, Z-parameters, or any of the other known network design parameters.
FIG. 1 shows a typical low-pass matching topology that has been used to match a field effect transistor (FET) amplifier. The FET model, T1, includes a common-source input capacitance (Ciss), a common-source output capacitance (Coss), and a common-source capacitance between the gate and drain (Crss). An input resistor, Z.sub.s, is equal to the input resistance of the gate and source when the field effect transistor is conducting. In accordance with prior art design techniques, a designer merely presents a conjugate impedance to the respective terminal once the terminal impedance has been appropriately characterized. For example, the input inductor, L1, in FIG. 1 matches the equivalent amplifier input impedance to the source impedance. Similarly, the output inductor, L2, matches the equivalent amplifier output impedance to the load impedance.
While the conjugate-matching technique will optimize the amplifier power gain, intermodulation distortion (IMD) products can be unpredictable. Intermodulation distortion is characterized by the appearance in the output of frequencies equal to the sums and differences of integral multiples of the two or more component frequencies present in an input wave. Most often, the amplifier must be mismatched at the output terminals to minimize unwanted IMD products. The tradeoffs between gain, efficiency and spectral purity compromise the optimum design.
The present invention is directed to providing a high gain, low IMD product, high efficiency RF power amplifier.

Low intermodulation distortion FET amplifier using parasitic resonant matching


A flexible OLED display panel is disclosed. The panel includes a flexible substrate, multiple pixel units disposed on the flexible substrate and arranged as a matrix, and a thin-film encapsulation covering on the multiple pixel units, wherein the flexible substrate is provided with a water-oxygen barrier layer, the multiple pixel units are located on the water-oxygen barrier layer, a spacer wall is disposed between any two adjacent pixel units, the spacer wall is integrally formed with the water-oxygen barrier layer, in a thickness direction of a flexible OLED display panel, and the spacer wall is extended to the thin-film encapsulation layer from the water-oxygen barrier layer. The present invention also discloses a manufacturing method for flexible OLED display panel and a display device including the flexible OLED display panel as described above. The invention can improve the stress release capability of the flexible OLED display panel when being bent.

The Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel has the advantages of self-luminescence, high contrast, thin thickness, wide viewing angle and fast response speed. The OLED display panel is a representative of the new generation of flat display technology and increasingly being accepted by the industry. The flexible OLED display panel is an important development trend among them.
The flexible OLED display panel not only can be thinner and lighter in volume, but also can reduce power consumption, thereby helping to improve the endurance of the corresponding product. At the same time, because the bending ability and flexibility of the flexible OLED display panel, it is also more durable than ordinary hard display panels. The flexible OLED display panel can be widely used in various products with display functions, such as tablet computers, televisions, mobile terminals, and various types of wearable devices.
Generally, when the flexible OLED display panel is bent, a stress is generated, wherein the tensile stress is generated toward the convex outer surface and the compressive stress is generated toward the concave inner surface. How to improve the stress release capability of a flexible OLED display panel when it is bent is a problem that needs to be solved in the industry.

Flexible OLED display panel, manufacturing method for the same and display device

WUHAN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A contactor unit includes an input lead connectable to a first lead of an energy output device, an output lead connectable to a first lead of a voltage bus, a contactor that connects and disconnects the input lead from the output lead, a driver configured to operate the contactor, a serial data link connectable to a system controller that is external to the contactor unit, and an integrated circuit (IC) positioned within the contactor unit and configured to output a control command to the driver to open the contactor based on at least one of a current in either the input lead or the output lead and a voltage differential across the contactor, and output a contactor control status via the serial data link.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to an isolation and feedback system for an electrical energy storage system that, in one embodiment, is applicable to electric drive systems including hybrid and electric vehicles.
Hybrid electric vehicles may combine an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by an energy storage device, such as a traction battery, to propel the vehicle. Such a combination may increase overall fuel efficiency by enabling the combustion engine and the electric motor to each operate in respective ranges of increased efficiency. Electric motors, for example, may be efficient at accelerating from a standing start, while internal combustion engines (ICEs) may be efficient during sustained periods of constant engine operation, such as in highway driving. Having an electric motor to boost initial acceleration allows combustion engines in hybrid vehicles to be smaller and more fuel efficient.
A purely electric vehicle (EV) uses stored electrical energy to power an electric motor, which propels the vehicle and may also operate auxiliary drives. Purely electric vehicles may use one or more sources of stored electrical energy. For example, a first source of stored electrical energy may be used to provide longer-lasting energy (such as a low-voltage battery) while a second source of stored electrical energy may be used to provide higher-power energy for, for example, acceleration (such as a high-voltage battery or an ultracapacitor).
Plug-in electric vehicles (PHEV), whether of the hybrid electric type or of the purely electric type, are configured to use electrical energy from an external source to recharge the energy storage devices. Such vehicles may include on-road and off-road vehicles, golf carts, neighborhood electric vehicles, forklifts, and utility trucks as examples. These vehicles may use either off-board stationary battery chargers, on-board battery chargers, or a combination of off-board stationary battery chargers and on-board battery chargers to transfer electrical energy from a utility grid or renewable energy source to the vehicle's on-board traction battery. Plug-in vehicles may include circuitry and connections to facilitate the recharging of the traction battery from the utility grid or other external source, for example.
Thus, hybrids and EVs in general typically include at least one, and oftentimes several, low or high voltage storage devices or other sources of power. Known devices include but are not limited to a power battery that operates at 400 V or greater, an energy battery operating optimally at 120 V, or an auxiliary power unit (APU) that may include an internal combustion engine (ICE), a permanent magnet generator (PMG), or a fuel cell (FC). The APUs for use in an electric vehicle may have their own unique operating voltage which may be at 400 V or greater as well. For instance, at a desired operating condition an ICE may output a voltage that is different from that of, for instance, a power battery or from other operating voltages of high voltage devices in an EV. Or, a PMG may itself operate at an operating voltage that is different from other devices within a system. Further, EVs often include high voltage devices that vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from one type to another. For instance, one manufacturer may fabricate an ICE that outputs optimally 400 V while another manufacturer may fabricate an ICE that outputs 380 V optimally. As such, components and sub-systems may be designed into a hybrid or an EV having a wide variety of operating voltages.
During the design cycle of a hybrid or an EV, it is often desirable to be able to swap out different high voltage sub-systems in order to test the sub-system for eventual inclusion in the final design. That is, APUs that include ICEs, PMGs, or FCs may be tested and swapped out with other devices any number of times before settling on the final unit(s) to be used. Similarly, different high voltage power batteries and relatively low voltage energy batteries may likewise be tested during a lengthy and rigorous design and testing stage. As is known in the art, it is desirable to enable simple and quick connection and disconnection of such sub-systems during the design and test stage (i.e., during the experimental stage) of a hybrid vehicle or EV. Oftentimes the connection/disconnection functionality is provided by use of electro-mechanical contactors that are all controlled by a main processing unit.
Electro-mechanical contactors are used in a variety of environments for turning on and off a power source to a load electrically. The contactors include movable contacts and fixed contacts. The movable contacts are connected to an electromagnet and are controlled to selectively turn on or off power from the source to the load. The contacts are typically maintained in an open position by way of a spring and are caused to translate to a closed position when power to the electromagnet's coil is applied.
The contactors for high voltage operation typically include specific design parameters in order to provide the necessary operation capability. In systems where high voltage energy storage devices are being used, contactors are often included for safety purposes. It is often desirable for safety purposes to monitor voltages and currents in order to provide quick and safe shutdown in the event of a voltage or current excursion. In order to provide the safety features in early experimental hybrid and EV designs, it is therefore often necessary to provide supporting hardware to operate the contactors and monitor the currents and voltages particular to each voltage device. Thus, one set of contactors and supporting hardware may have hardware and control settings specific to a 400 V operation of a power battery, another set of contactors and supporting hardware may have control settings specific to a 120 V operation of an energy battery, and another set of contactors may be specific to a voltage of an auxiliary power unit. Subsequently, when it is desired to continue testing of the design by swapping out components, the 400 V power battery may be changed out for another power battery having a different operating voltage, or perhaps for a different energy storage device type altogether (such as, for instance, an ultracapacitor).
Because each device being tested may have unique performance capability and/or operating voltage, when components are swapped the contactors or their control settings may prove to be inadequate, as well as the additional hardware used to provide current and voltage monitoring. As such, each swap of a hardware component can result also in a need to swap out the contactors, to swap out the current and voltage monitoring, and/or to alter the control parameters for contactor operation.
When preparing a test setup of a hybrid or an EV, it is often necessary to include hardware connections and feedback monitoring capability of the specific devices being tested. That is, each device (storage, APU, etc. . . . ) typically includes its own contactors and feedback system that is specific to the device being tested. Thus, whenever re-arranging components, swapping out components, or adding new components, additional contactors and feedback monitoring capability is also included in order to provide the necessary functionality specific to each component. Because this functionality may be so specific, a significant amount of additional work is necessary when changing out components. That is, control schemes (overall current, rate of current change, contactor voltage, etc. . . . ) may change based on the type of component being used. Because the control scheme for testing the unit is typically implemented in a main control unit, changing out components can result in a need to make costly and time-consuming changes to both hardware and software control schemes.
In fact, more generally, when testing experimental systems having multiple energy storage and supply devices therein, such problems are also encountered as well. That is, in general when experimental systems are being tested in order to determine optimal system performance, and when such systems include potentially multiple different types of energy storage and supply systems, often the experimental stage is hindered because of the costly and time-consuming need to monitor and provide feedback from the sub-systems being tested. Such systems may include but are not limited to trains, aircraft, ships, wind-power systems, solar photovoltaic systems, to name but a few. Thus, the problem is not limited to hybrid vehicles or EVs, but includes any system that may require complex experimental systems having multiple energy storage and generating sub-systems associated therewith.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a contactor that is independently controllable without a need to change out hardware and control schemes when swapping out devices in a system having one or more devices that are selectively isolated.

Contactor isolation method and apparatus


A socket with integrated insulation displacement connection terminals is provided, which includes a base, a terminal pusher, a first pressing element, and a second pressing element. The base has two rows of insulation displacement connection terminals engaged in one side thereof. The terminal pusher has two rows of receiving holes corresponding to each of the IDC terminals, for a plurality of wires bridging across one of holes respectively. The first pressing element is pivoted to the base to be rotated to press the terminal pusher through first pressing portions, such that each IDC terminal is inserted into each receiving hole and each wire is introduced in a corresponding IDC terminal. The second pressing element is pivoted to the base to be rotated to press against the first pressing element through second pressing portions, so as to fix the terminal pusher to the base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connecting wires to a socket, and more particularly to a socket with integrated insulation displacement terminals for a plurality of wires to be introduced therein.
2. Related Art
FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 show a commonly used communication socket, which includes a socket base 10, a terminal pusher 11, and two pressing covers 12. The socket base 10 has two rows of inserted slot 13 on one side, and each inserted slot 13 is equipped with a insulation displacement terminal 14 (IDC terminals) disposed therein. The terminal pusher 11 has a plurality of clamping slots 15 on one side. The terminal pusher 11 has a through hole 16 and four hooks 17 on the other side, and a plurality of wires 20 pass through the terminal pusher 11 via the through hole 16 and are arranged in each clamping slot 15. Each pressing cover 12 is pivoted to the socket base 10 to be rotated relatively to the socket base 10. Each outer cover 12 is respectively opened with two hooked holes 18 corresponding to each hook 17 of the terminal pusher 11 respectively.
When it is intended to electrically connect the wires 20 to the socket base 10, each signal wire 20 is first placed in the clamping slots 15 socket base 10, such that the clamping slot 15 of the terminal pusher 11 and each signal wire 20 are made to align with each inserted slot 13 of the socket base 10. At this time, the two outer covers 12 opened to a certain position, and the terminal pusher 11 and the signal wires 20 are engaged to the socket base 10. Then, one of the pressing covers 12 is rotate towards the terminal pusher 11. The pressing cover 12 is rotated to cover and press against a half portion of the terminal pusher 11. As the terminal pusher 11 is pressed to close the socket base 10, the IDC terminals 14 is engaged into the terminal pusher 11, while the wires 20 are pressed into each inserted slot 13 of the socket base 10, such that the insulation layer of each signal wire 20 is cut by a corresponding IDC terminal and the wire 20 is introduced in the terminal 14 to accomplish an electrical connection. The other half portion of the terminal pusher 11 is then pressed, such that the terminal pusher 11 inclines relative to the socket base 10. Then, after the pressing cover 12 presses against the terminal pusher 11, each hook 17 of the terminal pusher 11 is engaged into the hooked holes 18 of the pressing cover 12, such that one of the pressing covers 12 is fixed on the socket base 10. Finally, the other pressing cover 12 is rotated to press against the other half portion of the terminal pusher 11, so as to completely introduce all the wires in the IDC terminals.
The outer covers 12 aforementioned are two separate elements, and when each outer cover 12 covers the terminal pusher 11 respectively, only half of the wires 20 are forced to be introduced in half of the IDC terminals 14, and the terminal pusher 11 inclines during the operation. As a result, a part of wires 20 are easily stripped off from the terminal pusher 11 due to the incautious operation of the user. Once a part of signal wires 20 are stripped off, the wires 20 should be re-arranged, which is inconvenient in operation and further affects the working efficiency of the wiring operation.
In view of the above problems, U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,720 has disclosed a socket, which uses two jaws to press the wires into the IDC terminals, so as to accomplish the electrical connection. However, although each jaw has two end branches as mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,720, each jaw only has one end branch directly aligned with the IDC terminals, and thus, one jaw can only exert force on one row of IDC terminals. This situation is similar to the above examples, which causes force exerted to the IDC terminals to be non-uniform, so as to cause inconveniences in the operation. Moreover, the jaw mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,720 lacks of the function of fixing the stranded wires, such that the wires are easily stripped off from the IDC terminals once the stranded wires are dragged, and the wires stranded into a cable is vertical to the socket base, so as to increase the additional space for allocating the socket base, which thus is not suitable for being used in the server host that occupies a small space.

Socket with integrated insulation displacement connection terminals