A sheet-like probe has a porous film. In the sheet-like probe, a contact film is penetratingly supported at each position of through-holes formed in the porous film, and a peripheral edge of the contact film and the porous film are integrated such that a flexible resin insulation layer is included in a fine hole of the porous film. Electrode structure bodies are supported in a penetrating manner in the insulation layer. Each electrode structure body includes a surface electrode section exposed to the front surface of the insulation layer and projecting from the front surface of the insulation layer, a back surface electrode section exposed to the back surface of the insulation layer, a short-circuit section continuously extending from the base end of the front surface electrode section, penetrating the insulation layer in its thickness direction, and connected to the back surface electrode section, a holding section extending outward, along the front surface of the insulation layer, from the base end section of the front surface electrode section, and a supporting body supporting the insulation layer.

For example, in an electrical inspection for a wafer on which a large number of integrated circuits are formed or a circuit device such as an electronic component, for example, a semiconductor device, there has been used a probe for an inspection which has inspection electrodes arranged in accordance with a pattern corresponding to a pattern of electrodes to be inspected in a circuit device to be inspected.
Conventionally, there has been used a probe for an inspection in which the inspection electrodes formed by a pin or a blade are arranged.
However, in the case in which the circuit to be inspected is a wafer having a large number of integrated circuits formed thereon, it is necessary to arrange a large number of inspection electrodes when fabricating a probe for an inspection to inspect the wafer. Therefore, the probe for an inspection is very expensive. Moreover, in the case in which the pitch of the electrodes to be inspected is small, it is hard to carry out the fabrication of the probe for an inspection itself.
Furthermore, a warpage is generally generated on the wafer and the state of the warpage is also varied for each product (wafer) For this reason, it is practically hard to cause each of the inspection electrodes of the probe for an inspection to come in contact with a large number of electrodes to be inspected in the wafer stably and reliably.
For the above reasons, in recent years, there has been proposed a probe for an inspection which serves to inspect an integrated circuit formed on a wafer, comprising a circuit board for an inspection on which a plurality of inspection electrodes is formed in accordance with a pattern corresponding to a pattern of electrodes to be inspected on a surface, an anisotropically conductive sheet disposed on a surface of the circuit board for an inspection and a sheet-like probe in which a plurality of electrode structures extended to penetrate in a direction of a thickness thereof is arranged in a flexible insulating sheet (for example, see Patent Document 1).
FIG. 34 is an explanatory sectional view showing a structure according to an example of a conventional probe card comprising a circuit board 85 for an inspection, an anisotropically conductive sheet 80 and a sheet-like probe 90.
In the probe card, there is provided a circuit board 85 for an inspection having a large number of inspection electrodes 86 formed in accordance with a pattern corresponding to a pattern of electrodes to be inspected in a circuit device to be inspected over a surface, and a sheet-like probe 90 is disposed on the surface of the circuit board 85 for an inspection through the anisotropically conductive sheet 80.
The anisotropically conductive sheet 80 has a pressurizing conducting portion exhibiting a conductivity in only a direction of a thickness or exhibiting the conductivity in only the direction of the thickness when a pressurization is carried out in the direction of the thickness. There have been known the anisotropically conductive sheets having various structures. For example, Patent Document 2 and the like have disclosed an anisotropically conductive sheet obtained by uniformly dispersing a metal particle in an elastomer (which will be hereinafter referred to as a "dispersion type anisotropically conductive sheet").
Moreover, Patent Document 3 and the like have disclosed an anisotropically conductive sheet obtained by unevenly distributing a conductive magnetic particle into an elastomer, thereby forming a large number of conductive portions extended in a direction of a thickness and an insulating portion for mutually insulating them (which will be hereinafter referred to as an "an uneven distribution type anisotropically conductive sheet"). Furthermore, Patent Document 4 and the like have disclosed the uneven distribution type anisotropically conductive sheet in which a step is formed between a surface of a conducting portion and an insulating portion.
The sheet-like probe 90 has a flexible insulating sheet 91 formed of a resin, for example, and has such a structure that a plurality of electrode structures 95 extended in a direction of a thickness is disposed on the insulating sheet 91 in accordance with a pattern corresponding to a pattern of electrodes to be inspected in a circuit device to be inspected.
Each of the electrode structures 95 has such a structure that a projected surface electrode portion 96 exposed from a surface of the insulating sheet 91 and a plate-shaped back electrode portion 97 exposed from a back of the insulating sheet 91 are integrally coupled through a short circuit portion 98 extended to penetrate through the insulating sheet 91 in a direction of a thickness thereof.
Such a sheet-like probe 90 is generally manufactured in the following manner.
First of all, a laminate material 90A obtained by forming a metal layer 92 over a surface of the insulating sheet 91 is prepared as shown in FIG. 35(a) and a through hole 98H penetrating in a direction of a thickness is formed on the insulating sheet 91 as shown in FIG. 35(b).
As shown in FIG. 35(c), subsequently, a resist film 93 is formed on the metal layer 92 of the insulating sheet 91, and furthermore, an electrolytic plating treatment is carried out by setting the metal layer 92 to be a common electrode. Consequently, the through hole 98H of the insulating sheet 91 is filled with a metal deposit so that the short circuit portion 98 coupled integrally with the metal layer 92 is formed, and furthermore, a projected surface electrode portion 96 coupled integrally with the short circuit portion 98 is formed on a surface of the insulating sheet 91.
Then, the resist film 93 is removed from the metal layer 92, and furthermore, as shown in FIG. 35(d), a resist film 94A is formed on the surface of the insulating sheet 91 including the surface electrode portion 96 and a resist film 94B is formed on the metal layer 92 in accordance with a pattern corresponding to a pattern of a back electrode portion to be formed, thereby carrying out an etching treatment over the metal layer 92. As shown in FIG. 35(e), consequently, an exposed portion in the metal layer 92 is removed so that the back electrode portion 97 is formed. Thus, the electrode structure 95 is formed.
Thereafter, the resist film 94A formed on the insulating sheet 91 and the surface electrode portion 96 is removed, and furthermore, the resist film 93 formed on the back electrode portion 97 is removed. Consequently, the sheet-like probe 90 is obtained.
In the probe for an inspection, the surface electrode portion 96 of the electrode structure 95 in the sheet-like probe 90 is provided so as to be positioned on an electrode to be inspected in the wafer over a surface of the wafer, for example, in the circuit device to be inspected.
In this state, the wafer is pressed by the probe for an inspection. Consequently, the anisotropically conductive sheet 80 is pressed by the back electrode portion 97 of the electrode structure 95 in the sheet-like probe 90.
Consequently, a conducting path is formed in a direction of a thickness between the back electrode portion 97 and the inspection electrode 86 of the circuit board 85 for an inspection over the anisotropically conductive sheet 80. As a result, an electrical connection between the electrode to be inspected in the wafer and the inspection electrode 86 of the circuit board 85 for an inspection can be achieved.
Then, a predetermined electrical inspection is executed for the wafer in this state.
According to such a probe for an inspection, the anisotropically conductive sheet 80 is deformed according to the degree of the warpage of the wafer when the wafer is pressed by the probe for an inspection. Therefore, it is possible to reliably achieve an excellent electrical connection for each of a large number of electrodes to be inspected in the wafer.
However, the probe for an inspection has the following problems.
In a process for forming the short circuit portion 98 and the surface electrode portion 96 in the method of manufacturing the sheet-like probe 90 described above, a plated layer formed by the electrolytic plating grows isotropically. As shown in FIG. 36, therefore, a distance W from a peripheral edge of the surface electrode portion 96 to that of the short circuit portion 98 is equivalent to a projection height h of the surface electrode portion 96 in the surface electrode portion 96 which is obtained.
Accordingly, a diameter R of the surface electrode portion 96 which is obtained exceeds a double of the projection height h and is considerably great.
For this reason, in the case in which the electrode to be inspected in the circuit device to be inspected is minute and is disposed at a very small pitch, a distance between the adjacent electrode structures 95 cannot be maintained sufficiently. As a result, in the sheet-like probe 90 which is obtained, the flexibility of the insulating sheet 91 is lost. For this reason, it is hard to achieve a stable electrical connection to the circuit device to be inspected.
In the electrolytic plating treatment, moreover, it is actually difficult to supply a current having an even current density distribution to the whole surface of the metal layer 92. Due to the uneven current density distribution, a growth speed of a plated layer is varied for each through hole 98H of the insulating sheet 91. Therefore, a great variation is generated in the projection height h of the surface electrode portion 96 which is formed and the distance W from the peripheral edge of the surface electrode portion 96 to that of the short circuit portion 98, that is, the diameter R.
In the case in which the projection height h of the surface electrode portion 96 has a great variation, it is hard to carry out a stable electrical connection to the circuit device to be inspected. On the other hand, in the case in which the diameter of the surface electrode portion 96 has a great variation, there is a possibility that the adjacent surface electrode portions 96 might be short-circuited.
Therefore, as a means for solving the above described problems, there is means for reducing the projection height h of the surface electrode portion 96 and for reducing the diameter of the surface electrode portion 96 which is thus obtained. That is a means for reducing a diameter r of the short circuit portion 98 (which indicates the smallest length in the case in which a sectional shape is not circular), that is, a diameter of the through hole 98H of the insulating sheet 91 to reduce a diameter of the surface electrode portion 96. In a sheet-like probe obtained by the former means, however, it is hard to reliably achieve a stable electrical connection to the electrode to be inspected.
On the other hand, it is hard to carry out the formation itself of the short circuit portion 98 and the surface electrode portion 96 through the electrolytic plating treatment by the latter means.
In order to solve such problems, there have been proposed sheet-like probes obtained by disposing a large number of electrode structures having a tapered surface electrode portion which has a smaller diameter from a base end toward a tip respectively in Patent Document 5 and Patent Document 6.
The sheet-like probe described in the Patent Document 5 is manufactured in the following manner.
As shown in FIG. 37(a), there is prepared a laminate material 90B obtained by forming a resist film 93A and a surface side metal layer 92A on a surface of an insulating sheet 91 in this order and laminating a back side metal layer 92B on a back face of the insulating sheet 91.
As shown in FIG. 37(b), then, there is formed a through hole communicating with each of the back side metal layer 92B, the insulating sheet 91 and the resist film 93A in the laminate material 90B and extended in a direction of a thickness.
Consequently, a concave portion 90K for forming an electrode structure which has a tapered configuration adapted to a short circuit portion and a surface electrode portion in an electrode structure to be formed is provided on a back face of the laminate material 90B.
As shown in FIG. 37(c), subsequently, a plating treatment is carried out by setting the surface side metal layer 92A in the laminate material 90B to be an electrode so that the concave portion 90K for forming an electrode structure is thus filled with a metal to form a surface electrode portion 96 and a short circuit portion 98.
Then, the back side metal layer 92B in the laminate material is subjected to an etching treatment and is thus removed partially. Consequently, a back electrode portion 97 is formed as shown in FIG. 37(d). Thus, the sheet-like probe 90 is obtained.
Moreover, the sheet-like probe described in the Patent Document 6 is manufactured in the following manner.
As shown in FIG. 38(a), there is prepared a laminate material 90C obtained by forming a surface side metal layer 92A on a surface of an insulating sheet material 91A having a greater thickness than an insulating sheet in a sheet-like probe to be formed and laminating a back side metal layer 92B on a back face of the insulating sheet material 91A.
As shown in FIG. 38(b), then, there is formed a through hole communicating with each of the back side metal layer 92B and the insulating sheet material 91A in the laminate material 90C and extended in a direction of a thickness. Consequently, a concave portion 90K for forming an electrode structure which has a tapered configuration adapted to a short circuit portion and a surface electrode portion in an electrode structure to be formed is provided on a back face of the laminate material 90C.
By carrying out a plating treatment with the surface side metal layer 92A in the laminate material 90C set to be an electrode, subsequently, the concave portion 90K for forming an electrode structure is thus filled with a metal to form a surface electrode portion 96 and a short circuit portion 98 as shown in FIG. 38(c).
Subsequently, the surface side metal layer 92A in the laminate material 90C is removed, and furthermore, the insulating sheet material 91A is subjected to an etching treatment, thereby removing a surface side portion of the insulating sheet. As shown in FIG. 38(d), thus, the insulating sheet material 91 having a predetermined thickness is formed and the surface electrode portion 96 is exposed.
Then, the back side metal layer 92B is subjected to the etching treatment so that the back electrode portion 97 is formed. Thus, the sheet-like probe 90 is obtained as shown in FIG. 38(e).
According to such a sheet-like probe 90, the surface electrode portion 96 is tapered. Therefore, the surface electrode portion 96 having a small diameter and a great projection height can be formed in a state in which a distance from the surface electrode portion 96 of an adjacent electrode structure is maintained sufficiently. Furthermore, each of the surface electrode portions 96 of the electrode structure 95 is formed by setting, as a cavity, the concave portion 90K for forming an electrode structure which is provided on the laminate material. Consequently, it is possible to obtain the electrode structure 95 having a small variation in the projection height of the surface electrode portion 96.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 39, a plate ring-shaped support plate 99 formed of ceramics, for example, is provided in the peripheral edge portion of the insulating sheet 91 of such a sheet-like probe 90 in order to support the insulating sheet 91 with the rigidity thereof. As shown in FIG. 40, a support plate 99 and the insulating sheet 91 are bonded and fixed by an adhesive 100.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1995-231019    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1976-93393    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1978-147772    Patent Document 4: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1986-250906    Patent Document 5: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 1999-326378    Patent Document 6: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-196018    Patent Document 7: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-172589

Sheet-like probe, method of producing the probe, and application of the probe


A processing apparatus for performing work operations on a sheet material includes a frame, and an advancing mechanism for feeding the sheet material through the apparatus. Additionally, an elongated tool head support is provided on the frame carries a tool head which moves along the support's length during a work operation. A retaining device such as, a magnetic or spring actuated clamp is also attached to the frame for retaining the sheet material as it is fed out of the processing apparatus. The use of the retaining device combined with the advancement of the sheet material causes the formation of a vertical loop in the material. The vertical loop causes the speed at which the advancing material approaches the floor or other horizontal surface to be reduced, thereby causing a concomitant reduction in the impact force of the sheet material with the floor. In addition, the vertical loop formed by the retained sheet provides a cushioning effect, further reducing the generated impact force. Accordingly, shock waves generated in the sheet material as a result of the impact with the floor are minimized.

The present invention has particular utility in connection with the prevention of shock waves in sheet materials as well as in preventing sheet material backup as the material is advanced out of a processing apparatus, and is described herein as applied to such use.
Material processing apparatus such as, drum plotters typically operate by performing work operations on elongated sheets of material fed from a roll. In known plotters, a tool carrying tool head is mounted on an elongated support located above and extending across the elongated sheet of material. The tool head moves in one (y) coordinate direction back and forth across the support's length as the sheet of material itself is advanced by the plotter in another (x) coordinate direction perpendicular to the first coordinate direction and longitudinal of itself so that the entire surface of the work material can be reached by the tool head with the tool moving along straight or curved lines relative to the sheet of material.
Subsequent to the performance of the work operation the elongated sheet of material is typically advanced out of the plotter in a vertically downward direction towards the floor or other horizontal surface such as, for example, a table top. Often, the sheet materials being processed are somewhat stiff and therefore do not immediately collapse when the leading edge of the sheet material contacts an obstruction. Therefore, a problem sometimes occurs when the edge of the sheet material, as it is being fed out of the plotter, contacts a floor or other horizontal surface. When this happens, the sheet material, rather than simply collecting on the floor, tends to kink and may back up or send a shock wave through the sheet material to the particular area upon which the tool head is performing the work operation. This can detrimentally affect the operation of the tool head and thereby damage the item being made.
In addition to the foregoing, the speed at which the sheet material is fed out of the plotter is directly proportional to the magnitude of the shock wave that will be generated when the leading edge of the sheet material impacts the floor. Therefore, there is a current need for a means by which the plotting speed can be maximized, and the impact speed of the sheet material minimized.
Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which prevents kinking, or the generation of shock waves in a sheet material as it is being processed.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a device which decreases the speed at which the sheet material contacts a horizontal surface as it is advanced out of the plotter while maximizing the speed at which the sheet material is plotted.

Apparatus for retaining sheet material as it is advanced out of a processing apparatus


The utilization amount of steam generated by heat recovery tends to decrease in a production process of an organic acid when the concentration of an organic acid solution obtained in a step of collecting an organic acid with a solvent such as water becomes high. The purpose of the invention is to find an advantageous method for effectively utilizing reaction heat and contribute to global environmental preservation and saving product costs. The present invention provides a production method of an organic acid comprising carrying out a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction of raw material gas at the temperature from 250° C. to 450° C., recovering at least a part of reaction heat and/or heat generated in combustion of a waste as high pressure steam at a pressure of 1 MPaG or higher, supplying at least a part of the high pressure steam to a back pressure steam turbine connected with a blower to drive the blower, and supplying at least a part of discharged gas from the back pressure steam turbine, low pressure steam A at a pressure lower than 1 MPaG, to an absorption type refrigerator to utilize the low pressure steam A as a heat source of the absorption type refrigerator.

The inventor of the present invention has been producing organic acids (for example, acrylic acid) by a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction. Since a large quantity of waste heat is generated in a large scale chemical plant as well as in a chemical plant for carrying out a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction, efforts have been made to use the waste heat as efficiently as possible by introducing heat utilization techniques.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) H7-65818 discloses a technique concerning to a method for recovering waste heat from cooling water in a fuel cell equipment. According to this technique, steam is obtained from cooling water used for heat removal at the time of a fuel cell generating power, and then the steam is supplied to a waste gas turbine power generator, and at the same time the steam is supplied to an absorption type refrigerator to obtain cold water. JP-A-2002-266656 discloses a technique concerning to a gas turbine cogeneration system. According to this technique, warm water produced by using waste gas passed through a waste heat recovery boiler is utilized to a driving heat source for an adsorption type refrigerator. In the technique of JP-A-2002-266656, cold water is used for cooling air sucked into the turbine.
Waste heat is also utilized in an organic compound production plant. JP-A-S57-93946 discloses a technique of driving an absorption type refrigerator or the like by using a heat source of 90° C. or less, which obtained in an ammoxidation process at the temperature of about from 100° C. to 130° C., as a driving source. JP-A-H5-17377 discloses a technique of utilizing heat on production of styrene.
Further, waste heat utilization in a waste incinerator, although not in a chemical plant, has been discussed. JP-A-H11-83232 discloses a technique of producing steam by a boiler using combustion gas generated in a waste incinerator, driving a turbine of a power generator by the steam to generate electric power, at the same time using a part of low temperature steam exhausted from the turbine as a driving heat source for a lithium bromide absorption type refrigerator, and using a part of high temperature steam at the inlet of the turbine as a driving heat source for an ammonia absorption type refrigerator.
However, the techniques described in the above-mentioned JP-A-H7-65818, JP-A-2002-266656, JP-A-S57-93946, JP-A-H5-17377, and JP-A-H11-83232 are not methods for utilizing waste heat in an organic acid production by a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction. Thus, it cannot say that it is appropriate to apply these techniques to an organic acid production plant as they are.
In the case of carrying out a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction, it is required to supply a raw material in gas phase. For example, propylene liquid as a raw material is gasified through an evaporator and supplied to a reactor in the case of acrylic acid production. When a raw material such as propylene or the like is subjected to a gas-phase catalytic oxidation with molecular oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction catalyst, produced gas containing an aimed organic acid and by-products as well is obtained and at the same time a large quantity of reaction heat is generated. Generally, the reaction heat is recovered by heat exchange.
In the successive step, the gas produced by the gas-phase catalytic oxidation is led to an absorbing column of an organic acid and contacted with a solvent (generally water is used) for collecting the organic acid to be cooled, absorbed, and collected. The obtained solution containing the organic acid and by-products is successively refined by a method such as distillation and crystallization to obtain the refined organic acid.
With respect to utilization of reaction heat generated in an organic acid production by such gas-phase catalytic oxidation reaction, the inventor has already been examining. For example, the inventor applied an invention for a patent of JP-A-2003-73327 which discloses a method of recovering heat (including reaction heat) generated in an acrylic acid production plant as steam and using the heat as heat energy, mechanical energy, or electric energy. The inventor also applied an invention for a patent of JP-A-2003-268011 which discloses a method of using steam or cold liquid, which is generated in a production process of acrylic acid, in a poly(acrylic acid) production plant.
Recently, collecting efficiency in an absorbing column of an organic acid has been improved to obtain high concentration acrylic acid aqueous solution. Conventionally, as a post-process of collecting acrylic acid, refining has been carried out by steps which are combined of dehydration distillation, distillation for removing high boiling point impurities, acrylic acid recovery distillation, aldehyde-removal distillation and the like, and low pressure steam recovered in a reaction step and the like has been utilized for the distillation steps. However, when the high concentration acrylic acid aqueous solution comes to be obtained, the number of the succeeding distillation steps and time taken for the steps can be saved, and used amount of the steam recovered in an acrylic acid production plant tends to be decreased accordingly.
In an organic acid ester production step or in a crystallization step which is involved in the refining steps, a large quantity of cold water (brine) is required. To produce the cold water, a refrigerator has been driven by using commercial electric power or by generating electric power by rotating a turbine of a power generator by steam. However, in the first case, cost becomes high, and in the other case, electric power generation efficiency cannot be high. The above-mentioned JP-A-2003-268011 implies use of an absorption type refrigerator, however, it is not mentioned how to use the refrigerator.
Accordingly, the purpose of the invention is to find a more specific and practical method of an effective utilization of reaction heat than methods disclosed in JP-A-2003-73327 and JP-A-2003-268011, and to provide a production method of an organic acid that is favorable to global environmental preservation and saving production cost.


A polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device includes a top substrate and a bottom substrate. First electrodes are provided on the top substrate and second electrodes are provided on the bottom substrate. Orientation are provided on the top and the bottom substrates. The orientation films are respectively rubbed in predetermined directions. A polymer material, a liquid crystal material and a predetermined amount of a chiral agent are interposed between the top and bottom substrates. The polymer material is separated from the liquid crystal material through irradiation by ultraviolet rays. The liquid crystal material and polymer material have a mutually orientated and dispersed structure. The liquid crystal material has a predetermined twisting angle in a predetermined twist direction. As a result, light is scattered when substantially normal to the liquid crystal display device and the surface of the top substrate. Thus, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal display device is obtained that is particularly bright in a specific direction.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing it. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device comprising the display component of an information equipment terminal, television or home appliance product, and a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, as information equipment has become more compact and lightweight, display devices to be mounted on such equipment have been sought which consume less power. Liquid crystal display devices using the twist nematic (TN) mode are utilized as reflective displays in small display capacity equipment, while liquid crystal display devices using the film compensate super twist nematic (FTN) mode are utilized in the mid-range display capacity equipment. Furthermore, uses wherein an information input apparatus such as a tablet or the like is included on the reflective-type display are also expanding. All these reflective-type liquid crystal display devices require brightness and good visibility.
However, TN-format and FTN-format liquid crystal display devices that use conventional polarizing plates have low light utilizing efficiency. A problem then arises in that the TN- and FTN-format liquid crystal displays become dark when made reflective. Moreover, an extremely dark display results when an information input apparatus such as a tablet or the like is included. In addition, because a reflective plate is placed over the polarizing plate on the back surface of the substrate to make a reflective model with the TN format or FTN format, double images occur in the display, small characters are unclear, and there are problems with visibility.
On the other hand, bright reflective-type displays that do not use polarizing plates have come to be developed recently. For example, a liquid crystal display device that uses a polymer dispersion liquid crystal in which liquid crystal and polymer are mutually dispersed, and which is controlled so that the display is transparent when an electric field is impressed and the light is scattered when no electric field is impressed has been disclosed (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 58-501631). Other liquid crystal display devices, which are controlled so that the light is scattered when an electric field is impressed, and the display is transparent or light is absorbed when no electric field is impressed have been also been disclosed (European Patent Application EPO 488116A2, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 4-227684, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 5-119302).
In particular, in the polymer dispersion-type liquid crystal display device using a polymer dispersion liquid crystal, disclosed in European Patent Application EPO 488116A2, in which the liquid crystal and polymer are mutually orientation dispersed, it is possible to also use the electrodes as light reflecting surfaces because no polarizing plate is used. In this case, good visibility, high precision and brightness, which cannot be achieved in the TN and FTN modes that require polarizing plates, are obtained, and it is possible to obtain a reflective display with superior display quality.
However, with the conventional art that has been disclosed with regard to polymer dispersion-type liquid crystal display devices that use polymer dispersion liquid crystal in which the liquid crystal and polymer are mutually orientation dispersed, no control method for the light scattering properties that influence the field angle properties and brightness has been disclosed. In particular, when the device is used as a reflective-type display, the influence that the usage environment and the display positioning has on the display quality is large, but no design method for a liquid crystal display device which takes these points into consideration has been disclosed.
When the liquid crystal display device is mounted on portable equipment, the usage environment can roughly be separated into indoor and outdoor environments. Outdoors, a brightness approximately 100 times that of a general office exists. Because the scattering-type reflective display has an extremely bright display state, brightness is not an important factor in a design that assumes an outdoor environment. In contrast, in a design that assumes an indoor environment, brightness is an important factor. Furthermore, efficient scattering is required in environments that have a large incident light component coming from the upward direction.
In addition, when the liquid crystal display device is mounted on portable equipment, control of the viewing angle properties is necessary to provide privacy protection.
In consideration of the foregoing, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device that controls the light scattering properties of a polymer dispersion-type liquid crystal display device using a polymer dispersion liquid crystal with the liquid crystal and polymer mutually orientation dispersed such that the display is particularly bright in a specific direction, and for which the contrast ratio is high. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a method for producing such a device.

Liquid crystal display device and method for producing such


A fuel cell stack includes a stack body formed by stacking a plurality of solid oxide fuel cells in a stacking direction. The fuel cell stack includes wall plate members and fuel cell support members. The wall plate members are provided in the stacking direction of the stack body around the sides of the stack body. Each of the fuel cell support members includes a composite layer made of composite material of alumina fiber and vermiculite. The fuel cell support members are interposed between the wall plate members and the sides of the stack body, and apply a load to the sides of the stack body in directions of a separator surface.

Typically, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) employ an electrolyte of ion-conductive oxide such as stabilized zirconia. The electrolyte is interposed between an anode and a cathode to form an electrolyte electrode assembly (MEA). The electrolyte electrode assembly is interposed between a pair of separators (bipolar plates). In use, generally, a predetermined numbers of the separators and the electrolyte electrode assemblies are stacked together to form a fuel cell stack.
In the fuel cell stack of this type, when flat plate stack type solid oxide fuel cells are used, it is required to reliably position the fuel cells relative to each other in the stacking direction. For this purpose, in a fuel cell stack disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-086232 (hereinafter referred to as the conventional technique 1), as shown in FIG. 11, end plates 1a are provided at both ends of the fuel cell stack in the stacking direction. Insulating plates 2a and current collection plates 3a are provided inside the end plates 1a, and a stack body formed by stacking MEAs 4a and separators 5a alternately is sandwiched between the current collection plates 3a.
At the time of producing the fuel cell stack, components of the fuel cell stack are stacked successively such that end surfaces of respective components of the fuel cell stack are aligned to a plurality of positioning guides 7a of an assembling jig 6a. Then, a pair of end plates 1a are fixed together using bolts (not shown) to apply a tightening load to the fuel cell stack in the stacking direction.
Further, in a method of assembling a fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-079024 (hereinafter referred to as the conventional technique 2), as shown in FIG. 12, pin holes 2b are formed at four corners and intermediate portions in respective sides of a separator 1b as a component of the fuel cell. Then, pins 3b provided in a jig (not shown) are inserted into the pin holes 2b to position the separator 1b.
Further, as shown in FIG. 13, a fuel cell disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-179935 (hereafter referred to as the conventional technique 3) includes a stack 1c formed by stacking stack components including rectangular cells. A first cutout portion 2c extending in the stacking direction of cells is formed in a first side wall of the stack 1c, and a second cutout portion 3c extending in the stacking direction of the cells is formed in a second side wall of the stack 1c opposite to the first side wall. As viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first side wall, the first cutout portion 2c and the second cutout portion 3c are not overlapped with each other.
Cylindrical guide shafts (not shown) contact the first cutout portion 2c and the second cutout portion 3c of the end plate to position the end plate. Then, an insulator is stacked on the end plate. Then, a terminal is provided on the insulator, unit cells are provided on the terminal, another terminal is provided on the unit cells, another insulator is provided on the terminal, and another end plate is provided on the insulator successively in the same manner.

SOFC stack with temperature adapted compression force means


An electronic power device of improved structure is fabricated with MOS technology to have a gate finger region and corresponding source regions on either sides of the gate region. This device has a first-level metal layer arranged to independently contact the gate region and source regions, and has a protective passivation layer arranged to cover the gate region. Advantageously, a wettable metal layer, deposited onto the passivation layer and the first-level metal layer, overlies said source regions. In this way, the additional wettable metal layer is made to act as a second-level metal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to the electric connection of an electronic power device to its package.
In particular, but not limited to, the invention relates to a device which is fabricated with MOS technology to have at least one gate finger region and source regions on either sides of the gate region, the device also having at least one first-level metal layer arranged to independently contact said gate region and said source regions, and a protective passivation layer on top of the gate region.
The invention further relates to an advantageous method of electrically bonding the power device to its package. For convenience of explanation, the description below will make reference to discrete power components.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, factors of prime importance in electronic power devices are minimized resistive contributions (Ron) and enhanced heat dissipation from the device when in its conduction mode.
At present, an assembly technique whereby the bonding wires are replaced with suitably shaped metal strips, or bridging strips, has met both requirements. This technique has proved itself in the instance of bipolar power devices. Also, European Patent No. 0179714 is evidence of a mixed bonding technique, whereby bonding wires are used along with bridging strips as shown in FIG. 1, being known since 1985.
Recently, an effort has been made to extend the mixed bonding technique to small packages, i.e., packages that enclose small-size integrated circuits, where contacting a pad with a clip would use up an unacceptably large amount of area. As an example, with a 7 mm2 device, contacting a gate termination by means of a clip would expend some 0.5 mm2, or 7%, of the active area. On the other hand, if a gate termination were contacted by means of a standard-gage bonding wire, the pad bulk would be brought down five times or less, i.e., to occupy less than 1% of the active area.
For a small-size package, or micro-package, the advantages brought about by the above mixed technique are as tabulated here below:
Resistive ContributionsDevice-to-Distribution ofThermalAssemblyPackageCurrent acrossResistance toTechniqueConnectionDevice SurfaceHeat DissipationStandard  2 mΩ1.5 mΩ10° C./WBridge0.5 mΩ0.1 mΩ 7° C./WGain1.5 mΩ(75%)1.4 mΩ(93%) 3° C./W (30%)
However, this mixed bonding technique is subject to certain constraints when used with MOS devices, due to the presence of considerable fingered gate and source metal lines on the device front.
Bonding fingered structures by means of bridges currently involves breaking the wettable metal line short of the gate fingers, e.g., as shown schematically in FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is reproduced from U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,626, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, to show a vertical cross-section taken through a gate finger. The following layers are recognizable: gate metal (19a), source metal (18), passivation (27), wettable metal (25), conductive adhesive (46), and bridge (30) layers. The lack of wettable metal in the gate finger structure results, especially in structures that are considerable fingered, in a substantial loss of contact area that reflects significantly on the device output resistance (Ron).
In view of most of the applications on demand today favoring devices with a very low Ron and high speed for high frequency operation, avoidance of conflicting fingered structure requirements and resistive contributions is of primary concern.

Method for enhancing the electric connection between a power electronic device and its package


A camera tracing and surveillance system and method for security using a thermal image coordinate, whereby an image having high resolution for identification in which a person can be accurately identified within a surveillance area and identity of the person can be accurately checked, can be obtained using a simple algorithm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera tracing and surveillance system and method for security, and more particularly, to a camera tracing and surveillance system and method for security, whereby an image having high resolution for identification in which a person can be accurately identified within a surveillance area and identity of the person can be accurately checked, can be obtained.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of types of surveillance systems using cameras have been recently used in the field of industry, and such camera surveillance systems have been actively utilized for security and crackdown.
Although some cameras for car crackdown are installed on the road in order to capture an image of a necessary area by controlling the position of a camera (adjusting an image-capturing direction), most security surveillance cameras that surveil a visitor or an invader by capturing an image of a current particular place are whole area surveillance cameras that capture an image of the whole of a surveillance area at a particular distance and within the range of a viewing angle.
Since such whole area surveillance cameras as fixed cameras surveil a predetermined wide area, they have a limitation in resolution. Thus, in most cases, a face of a person within a surveillance area cannot be accurately identified using only an image captured by a whole area surveillance camera.
Thus, a system for dynamically tracing a person using a camera has been recently developed. However, the level of tracing technology is still low and thus it is not easy to apply the tracing technology in an actual site. It is not possible to effectively trace only a person using tracing algorithms that depend on a charge-coupled device (CCD) image according to the related art, because there are a wide variety of objects that move on a screen.
As a result, technology for accurately tracing only a person and capturing an image of the person is necessary. In addition, when there are several surveillance objects, the development of technology for surveiling multiple targets is a serious problem.
Representative tracing methods according to the related art and their technical problems are as follows.
1) Representative method relating to background and object distribution (difference picture algorithm/background model)
Difference Picture Algorithm
This is a method of separating an object from a background by comparing two images delayed for a predetermined amount of time, whereby an object that moves in a fixed background can be effectively detected.
FIG. 1 illustrates an object distributed image obtained using a difference picture algorithm according to the related art.
Background Model
This is a method of adding an image of a current frame to a background image as a base by checking every previous frame of a current image, and the method is mainly used in generating a background image.                Temporal mean: it uses a mean value of pixel values of previous frames        Temporal median: it uses a value shown in a previous frame at an arbitrary pixel
Technical Problems
When there is a minute motion or no motion, object detection is not possible (recognized as a background), and when a boundary between objects is similar to a background, false recognition occurs, and when a camera and a background move simultaneously or when only the background moves, background and object distribution is not possible.
2) Detection and tracing of moving object (feature-based method/area-based method)
Feature-Based Method                Method Using Optical Flow: it uses a feature that there is only a spatial change in two continuous frames obtained within a short time and light energy of a pixel itself is preserved.        Method Using Straight Line: it has a feature that the number of straight lines in one image is small and the straight lines themselves are clear, and thus a number of occasions of potential matching can be reduced.        Method Using Corner Point: it traces an object by featuring the shape of a moving object based on feature flow-based information.        Area-based Method: it traces an object using correlation between an image and the next image using a piece of the image in a predetermined area including a feature point of the image.        Block Matching Method: correlation is obtained using differences between mean squares and the sum of differences between absolute values of a pixel
FIG. 2 illustrates a tracing method using extraction of feature points of an object according to the related art.
Technical Problems
An arithmetic operation for feature or block matching is complicated (delay in real-time processing), and a database relating to features of an object is required to be made on a system in order to detect the object.
3) Stereo-based object tracing (Optical JTC tracing/BPEJTC tracing)
This is technology for tracing an object by obtaining information regarding a distance between a left/right stereo input image and an object to be traced and by controlling both cameras using coordinates.                Optical Joint Transform Correlator (JTC) Tracing System: it traces a movement trajectory of an image based on measurement of a change in positions of frames by locating two target image signals on an optical JTC input plane.        Binary Phase Extraction JTC (BPEJTC) Tracing System: it uses an optical JTC having the shape of a binary phase having excellent discrimination on similar images.
FIG. 3 illustrates a tracing method using stereo according to the related art.
Technical Problems
When there are much background noise, or backgrounds of left and right images are different from each other, or a change in background occurs due to movement of a camera, tracing is not possible.
As mentioned above, problems of tracing methods according to the related art are summarized; first, in tracing methods according to the related art, tracing is performed by detecting movement, and second, movement is traced using a difference between frames.
Consequently, it is not easy to perform these conventional methods in real-time due to the use of mathematic approach or complicated algorithms, and when there is no movement, person recognition and tracing is not possible.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a tracing calculation equation according to the related art, wherein L indicates a Gaussian blurring image, and G indicates a Gaussian function, and D indicates a Difference of Gaussian (DoG) function, and m indicates the size of a feature point, and θ indicates a directional vector.
Thus, the development of technology for accurately identifying an object in real-time using a simple tracing calculation equation is needed.

Camera tracing and surveillance system and method for security using thermal image coordinate

Abstract: To this end, the person within the surveillance area is identified and a position coordinate of the person is extracted from a thermal image captured by a thermal image camera, and a tracing and surveillance camera traces the person, enlarges an image of the person, and captures the enlarged image based on the extracted position coordinate so that an image having high resolution for identification can be obtained.

Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science


A resin composite for use in the manufacture of slide bearings is formed of a resin and fine particles of RBC or CRBC dispersed in the resin. The resin composite can be molded into slide bearings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to synthetic resin composites having singular tribological properties for bearings, and more particularly to bearings such as slide bearings molded therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bearing is defined as a means of positioning one part with respect to another in such a way that relative motion is possible. This relative motion and its type are dictated by how the bearing will be used. Bearings are designed by determining the mechanical functions in which the bearings must perform, the bearing's life and reliability requirements, and the bearing's ambient conditions, including temperature, corrosive atmospheres, and vibration.
One type of bearings is a slide bearing, in which the bearing elements are usually separated by a film of lubricant (e.g., oil or grease) and in which a sliding motion is the predominant element. Another type of bearing is a rolling-element bearing.
Slide bearings include all varieties of bearings in which the primary motion is a sliding of one surface over another. A sleeve bearing which is used to position a shaft or movable part in a radial direction is an example of a slide bearing.
Rolling-element bearings include ball bearings, roller bearings, and needle bearings. Both ball and roller bearings are made and designed to carry either radial or thrust loads or both. Needle bearings, in general, are restricted to radial loads.
Slide bearings, in general, require relatively large amounts of lubricant (e.g., oil) in order to maintain a lubricant film between the surfaces. Lubricants vary widely from fluids of all types, including water, oil, soaps, greases and air, to solid lubricants such as graphite and molybdenum disulfide. Unless the loads are very low, the pressure that is generated in the lubricant film to support the load also drives lubricant out of the bearing. Lubricant lost in this manner must be continuously replenished.
Synthetic resins, such as polyamides, polyesters, and polyolefins, e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene and polyacetals are known to be used in the manufacture of sliding members, such as slide bearings. Polyamides, particularly nylon 66, are preferred for their mechanical, chemical, and physical properties, which are especially useful for slide bearings. See, for example, Official Publication of Toku Kai Hei 5-32797.
RBC (RB ceramics) and CRBC (CRB ceramics) are also known as moldable carbon materials. See, for example, Kazuo Hokkirigawa, Kino Zairyo "Functional Materials", Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 24–28 (May 1997).
Lubricant resin composites are also known. These composites are prepared by adding from 5 to 40 parts by volume of a solid lubricant to 100 parts by volume of a fiber-reinforced resin made of from 60 to 95 volume percent synthetic resin and from 40 to 5 volume percent carbon fibers. See, for example, Official Publication of Toku Kai Hei 7-268126.

Synthetic resin composites and bearings formed therefrom and method


A package includes a base body to which an electronic device is fixed, a lid body that faces the electronic device, and a frame body that encloses at least one of a space between the electronic device and the lid body, and the electronic device. The frame body has a first portion located at a side of an inner edge of the frame body with respect to an outer edge of the base body, and a second portion located at a side of an outer edge of the frame body with respect to the outer edge of the base body, in an X direction from the inner edge of the frame body toward the outer edge of the frame body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to conduction of heat generated at an electronic device in an electronic component.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic component including a package that houses an electronic device such as an image pickup device is required to have a structure for radiating heat generated at the electronic device.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-245244 discloses a support body that includes a main body part made of a ceramic material and a mount part made of a metal material and that has high heat radiation performance.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-245244, the mount part is jointed at the outer circumference of the main body part. Hence, the contact area between the mount part and the main body part is not sufficient. Owing to this, thermal conduction from the main body part to the mount part is inefficient.

Electronic component and electronic apparatus


A process and apparatus for the electrolytic separation of fluorine from a mixture of gases is disclosed. Also described is the process and apparatus for the generation of fluorine from fluorine/fluoride containing solids, liquids or gases.

The present invention relates generally to the field of fluorine separation and fluorine generation devices, and more particularly to a novel electrolytic device having unusual and unexpected electrochemical performance.
The semiconductor industry makes extensive use of gas mixtures that contain fluorine. Many of these substances are harmful and expensive, and must therefore be removed or scrubbed from the exhaust gas stream. Accordingly a need exists for a device and method to separate fluorine from gas mixtures, and to generate the fluorine needed for the industry.
There are several approaches to separate fluorine (F2) from other gases, including cryogenic distillation, permeation membranes, and electrolytic separation. Electrolytic separation offers the potential advantages of producing high purity fluorine at room temperature at high flux in a compact unit. Methods are known for the electrochemical separation of gas mixtures. One technique, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,405 teaches the separation of halides from high temperature gas mixtures using an electrochemical cell, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Another technique known as the "outer-cell" method the gaseous component of a waste gas to be stripped are first absorbed in an absorption column in a wash solution; then the wash solution containing the polluting component is cathodically reduced or anodically oxidized in a connected electrolysis cell. This arrangement requires two different devices, namely one for the absorption and one for the electrolysis. Another technique is the "inner-cell" method in which absorption and electrochemical conversion take place in an electrolysis cell, and because the concentration of pollutants is always kept low by electrochemical conversion. Yet another method is the "indirect" electrolysis processes where the oxidizing or reducing agent used in a wet-chemical waste-gas treatment is regenerated by electrolysis of the wash solution used.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,071,401 and 5,840,174, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety disclose an electrolysis cell with a fixed-bed electrode for the purification of waste gases. In reductive purification hydrogen is supplied to the gas diffusion electrode and in oxidative purification oxygen is used.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,591, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety discloses the separation of fluorocompounds by cryogenic processing, membrane separation and/or adsorption.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,514,314 and 5,820,655, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety disclose a ceramic membrane structure an oxygen separation method.
One disadvantage of the inner cell method is the high residual content of impurities in the purified gas. In the case of chlorine the residual content is approximately a factor of ten above the limit value of 5 ppm. In general, the purity of gases generated by solid state devices is much higher than that of liquid (or melt) containing cells.
Another disadvantage of the prior art methods is the fact that the apparatus comprising an electrolysis cell requires two liquid circuits,, namely a cathode circuit and an anode circuit, as a result of which the device is rendered complicated and trouble-prone.
Solid-state electrochemical devices are often implemented as cells including two porous electrodes, the anode and the cathode, and a dense solid electrolyte and/or membrane, which separate the electrodes. For the purposes of this application, unless otherwise explicit or clear from the context in which it is used, the term "electrolyte" should be understood to include solid oxide membranes used in electrochemical devices, whether or not potential is applied or developed across them during operation of the device. In many implementations the solid membrane is an electrolyte composed of a material capable of conducting ionic species, such as fluorine ions, yet has a low electronic conductivity. In other implementations, such as gas separation devices, the solid membrane may be composed of a mixed ionic electronic conducting material ("MIEC"). In each case, the electrolyte/membrane must be dense and as pinhole free as possible("gas-tight") to prevent mixing of the electrochemical reactants. In all of these devices a lower total internal resistance of the cell improves performance.
Solid-state electrochemical devices are typically based on electrochemical cells with ceramic electrodes and electrolytes and have two basic designs: tubular and planar. Tubular designs have traditionally been more easily implemented than planar designs, and thus have been proposed for commercial applications. However, tubular designs provide less power density than planar designs due to their inherently relatively long current path that results in substantial resistive power loss. Planar designs are theoretically more efficient than tubular designs, but are generally recognized as having significant safety and reliability issues due to the complexity of sealing and manifolding a planar stack.

Fluorine separation and generation device

The Regents of the University of California


A silver halide photographic material comprising a support having provided thereon a silver halide emulsion layer, in which said silver halide emulsion layer contains at least one sensitizing dye selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by formula (I): ##STR1## and a compound represented by formula (II): ##STR2## and at least one of said silver halide emulsion layer and other hydrophilic colloidal layers contains a dye represented by formula (III): ##STR3## wherein the substituents of the formulas (I), (II) and (III) are as described in the specification. The photographic material exhibits excellent performance properties in terms of sensitivity to light emitted from an Hc-Ne laser or an LED, safety from safelight, and freedom from color remaining after processing.

In recent years, scanner systems have been widely employed in the field of photomechanical process. Light sources of the scaner include a glow lamp, a xenon lamp, a tungsten lamp, an LED, an He-Ne laser, an argon laser, and a semi-conductor laser. Among the scanner systems, a dot generator system which directly forms a dot image through electrical signals has been spreading, and an argon laser has conventinally been used as a light source for the scanner of the dot generator system because of its high output, Since an argon laser, however, makes the recording apparatus bulky and expensive, scanners using an He-Ne laser (wavelength: 632.8 nm) as a light source which are more compact and cheaper have recently been developed.
On the other hand, since an LED (wavelength: 660 to 680 nm) is more small-sized and lightweight as compared with other light sources, light-emitting elements thereof can be integrated so that a plurality of lines may be scanned at once to thereby achieve speeding up of the process. Besides, since the light-emitting elements of the LED are solid and can therefore be directly modulated, they are lighted only at the time of recording. Accordingly, the elements have a long life and are of low cost as compared with semi-conductor lasers, etc. From these reasons, scanners using an LED light source are also undergoing developments.
Light-sensitive materials for use in these scanners are required to satisfy various characteristics. That is, they are required to have high spectral sensitivity to the wavelength of the respective light source and to exhibit high sensitivity and high contrast even when exposed at a high intensity of illumination for a short time of from 10.sup.-3 to 10.sup.-7 sec. In the field of facsimile, the light-sensitive materials are required to have resistance to high-temperature and high-speed processing from the standpoint of preferential demand for rapid response and also safety against a bright green safelight from the standpoint of working efficiency.
In order that high sensitivity and high contrast may be assured in the high-intensity and high-speed exposure (10.sup.-3 to 10.sup.-7 sec) using an He-Ne laser or an LED as a light source, the sensitivity of a silver halide emulsion or the spectral sensitivity of a spectrally sensitized silver halide emulsion should be high on the high-intensity and high-speed exposure. For this purpose, a method for increasing sensitivity of an emulsion by introducing an iridium salt to silver halide is frequently adopted as disclosed in JP-A-48-60918, 58-211753, 61-29837 and 61-201233 ( the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexaminee published Japanese patent application) and JP-B-48-42172 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined published Japanese patent application"). Spectral sensitizing dyes for general purpose of obtaining a red-sensitive emulsion are described in JP-B-43-4933, 48-42172 and 55-39818 and JP-A-50-62425 and 54-18726.
It has been turned out that such a highly sensitive emulsion exhibits high sensitivity and high contrast on actual exposure, but, in turn, frequently shows an increased sensitivity at a low intensity of illumination, resulting in significant reduction of safety from the above-described bright green safelight.
In order to solve this problem, dyes absorbing light in a specific wavelength region are frequently used for coloring a photographic emulsion layer or other layers. Because the layer to be colored, in many cases, comprises a hydrophilic colloid, a water-soluble dye is generally incorporated in the layer. Such a dye should satisfy the following conditions:
1) The dye should have a proper spectral absorption according to the end use. PA0 2) The dye should be photochemically inactive. Namely, it should not give any adverse influences, in a chemical sense, to a silver halide photographic emulsion layer, such as reduction in sensitivity, regression of the latent image, and fog. PA0 3) The dye should be discolored or removed by dissolution during photographic processing, thus leaving no harmful color in the processed photographic material.
Much efforts have been made in the art to discover a dye meeting these requirements.
Of various dyes so far developed, oxonol dyes having two pyrazolone nuclei are discolored in a developer containing a sulfite and have been used as dyes giving reduced adverse influences to a photographic emulsion. For example, oxonol dyes having a sulfoaryl group at the 1-position of the pyrazolone nucleus are described in JP-B-39-22069, 51-46607, 55-10061, 60-53304, and 51-1419; and those having a sulfoalkyl group at the 1-position of the pyrazolone nucleus are described in JP-A-49-99620 and 55-10059. Although the dyes of these types do not seriously affect a photographic emulsion per se, they have been proved disadvantageous for an emulsion having been spectrally sensitized. Namely, they cause spectral sensitization in an undesired region or reduction in sensitivity which is assumably attributed to desorption of a sensitizing dye.
In addition, some of these dyes remain in the photographic material after processing depending on the type of rapid processing which is currently employed. In order to overcome the problem of color remaining, it has been proposed to use a dye highly reactive with a sulfite ion. Such a dye, however, causes reduction of density with time due to insufficient stability in photographic layers, failing to attain desired photographic effects.
On the other hand, dyes having a sulfoaralkyl group at the 1-position of the pyrazolone nucleus and a specific substituent at the 3-position of the pyrazolone nucleus as disclosed in JP-A-50-145125, 50-147712, and 52-20830 are not sufficiently discolored, causing color remaining.


A method for structured application of a laminatable intermediate layer (9) to a substrate (1) for a semiconductor module, wherein a separating layer is indirectly or directly applied to the substrate (1) over a large surface, the intermediate layer (9) is applied to the substrate (1), including the separating layer(s), by lamination, over a large surface, the intermediate layer (9) is opened in places on the substrate (1), where recesses are provided for the intermediate layer (9), and the separating layer (8) is removed in these places.

In many power applications, semiconductors are used in the form of so-called power semiconductor modules which contain one or more semiconductor components or, if appropriate, additional components. Depending on the purpose of application, the individual modules have different packaging. However, irrespective of the type of packaging, it is necessary in every case to connect the semiconductor components and, if appropriate, further components to one another electrically. Furthermore, the components are intended for connection to external connecting elements. The technology for connecting between the individual components represents a significant problem here.
Frequently applied connecting technology in this context is so-called wire bonding. In this context, wires made of aluminum are attached to a contact face made of aluminum or copper by means of ultrasonic energy, an intermetallic connection being produced. In addition, by way of example, ThinPak, MPIPPS or flip-chip technologies are also used to a greater or lesser extent. All these connection techniques have their specific advantages and disadvantages, with the disadvantages predominating in most application cases.
Disadvantages of the most frequently used connection technology, wire bonding, are, for example, the very slow, very costly and thus cost-intensive process per se as well as the high susceptibility to faults both during manufacture and during operation of the module itself. What is certainly the greatest disadvantage of wire bonding is here the fact that in particular semiconductor components are subjected to large mechanical stresses during the bonding process, and these lead to a high rejection rate. Furthermore, wire bonds can also easily break during the subsequent manufacturing steps or during operation of the semiconductor module, which in turn increases the rejection rate and reduces the reliability of the semiconductor module.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, so-called wire bondless modules, which are frequently based on the application of lamination techniques, have frequently been used in recent times. An example of such a module and its manufacturing method are described, for example, in DE 196 17 055 C1.
Such a power semiconductor module comprises at least one electrically insulating substrate on which surfaces made of an electrically conductive material are patterned. Semiconductor components are electrically connected to these surfaces, the surfaces and/or semiconductor components being additionally connected to connecting elements which lead to the outside. The semiconductor components are electrically connected to the patterned surfaces here on one side by soldering or by means of pressure contact and are in contact on the other side with a flexible printed circuit board by soldering or by means of pressure contact. The arrangement is insulated by means of lamination using patterned insulation intermediate layers, cutouts being provided for the semiconductor components in order to make contact. These cutouts can already be provided in advance, in which case very good fitting accuracy has to be achieved. Another method is to laminate an insulating intermediate layer without cutouts and to remove the insulation at the locations provided for that purpose, for example by means of mechanical processing or preferably by means of lasers. Although significantly higher precision is achieved here there is then the risk either of parts remaining on the underlying surface, which make the formation of contacts more difficult or even prevent it entirely, or else of material which lies under the intermediate layer, that is to say a contacting face or a component, being damaged. Consequently, precise erosion is relatively time consuming.

Method for the structured application of a laminatable film to a substrate for a semiconductor module


An audio playing device includes an audio player and a soft speaker. The soft speaker has features such as light weight and flexibility, and a combination of the soft speaker and the audio player is convenient for carrying and accommodation, such that diversified structures, for example, fan, umbrella, or flag etc. are designed by reason of the flexibility.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an audio playing device, and more particularly to an audio playing device applying a soft speaker.
2. Related Art
Recently, a common audio playing device, for example, an MP3 player, usually uses an earphone or a hard speaker to play music. However, the earphone cannot wholly show the music effect, and is harmful to human ears after long time of use. The hard speaker has problems of relatively heavier weight and fixed appearance. For the audio playing device, it is inconvenient for the user to carry due to the heavier weight, and in convenient in accommodation due to the fixed appearance. Moreover, the appearance is undiversified.
Recently, in this field, a flexible soft speaker is developed by combining the flexible electronic technique with an electrostatic speaker. For example, in Word Patent No. WO0219764, a flexible soft speaker is disclosed. Different from the principle of the conventional speaker, the flexible soft speaker applies an electrostatic force to cause a conductive diaphragm generate various resonance frequencies, such that the flexible soft speaker efficiently serves as a loudspeaker, has the features of light weight and flexibility, and has a great market competitiveness.
However, recently the soft speaker is still in the experimental stage, and is not further applied to products. Therefore, if the soft speaker is efficiently applied to the audio playing device, the audio playing device may have reduced weight and be convenient in carrying, so as to solve the problem of the recent common audio playing device.


A configurable printed circuit board can be used with a bussed electrical center in a vehicle and has a dielectric body. The dielectric body defines an array of plated through-holes that are constructed to receive a terminal of an electrical adaptor. A conductive trace is also adhered to a surface of the dielectric body and is routed through some of the plated through-holes for carrying current between them. An aperture is defined through a portion of some of the plated through-holes and the respective conductive traces to electrically isolate one side of the conductive trace from another side; and thus the printed circuit board can accommodate more than one electrical device in a single section.

Bussed electrical centers are commonly used in vehicles to package various electrical devices such as fuses, relays, and the like, in a central location. Some of the electrical devices, in turn, carry power to a vehicle's lights, horns, radios, and other components. Oftentimes, PCBs are provided as part of the BECs. Because a single design of a BEC is ordinarily used for a vehicle platform with different vehicle models (each having different electrical devices), the accompanying PCB has traditionally been designed with an unshared section to accommodate each of the different electrical devices, whether or not a particular electrical device is used in a particular vehicle model. This type of design can call for a larger PCB, and thus a larger BEC. Moreover, this is true even with two mutually exclusive electrical devices; meaning that if a BEC has one of the electrical devices, it does not have the other.


An arrangement for ensuring that a proper control level for a controlled unit is maintained when a supply voltage is removed from a control unit of a control system includes a switching circuit coupled between the control unit and the controlled unit. The controlled unit couples the control signal generated by the control unit to the controlled unit when the supply voltage is present and is responsive to the absence of the supply voltage for decoupling the output of the controlling unit from the input of the controlled unit. In this manner, a current path established by a protection circuit within the control unit when the supply voltage is removed is decoupled from the controlled unit and does not adversely affect the operation of the controlled unit.

Digital control systems are commonly employed in modern electronic equipment such as consumer products. Frequently, a software controlled microprocessor is the core of such a digital control system and controls various portions of the equipment through a common data bus. Peripheral control units may be coupled between the data bus and the controlled sections and are controlled by the microprocessor and in turn control the control units. A peripheral control unit may serve as a buffer between logic circuitry of the microprocessor and analog circuitry, such as a switch, of the controlled unit. In addition, a microprocessor has a limited number of input and output (called I/O) terminals. A peripheral control unit which has a number of I/O terminals can be used to increase the number of controlled units which can be used to increase the number of controlled units which can be controlled by the microprocessor and is therefore sometimes referred to an "I/O expander".
Commonly in electronic equipment, the control system is coupled to a "standby" power supply which continues to supply operating power even when the the equipment is "off". This allows status information to be maintained while the equipment is "off" and in consumer equipment, such as a television receiver, it allows a remote control command for turning the receiver "on" to be received and processed. While it is desirable that the control system be supplied with standby operating power, it is not always desirable or possible for the entire control be provided with standby operating power. For example, when a large number of peripheral control units are utilized, there may be an excessively heavy load on the standby power supply. For this reason or because of the specific configuration of the equipment, one or more peripheral control units may receive operating power from a power supply, sometimes called a "run power supply, which is turned "off" when the equipment is turned "off".
In certain equipment, the controlled unit is continuously supplied with operating power even while the equipment is off. For example, in an audio system, an audio power amplifier may continually receive operating power to avoid the need for a high power switch. In such arrangements, it is desirable to mute the power amplifier when the receiver is "off" in order to avoid the generation of audible noises. Turning off the power supply for a peripheral control unit which controls such a controlled unit may cause the controlled unit to operate improperly (for example, to not be "muted") when the equipment is turned off. This problem may be more fully understood with reference to FIG. 1.
As is shown in FIG. 1, a peripheral control unit integrated circuit (IC) 100 receives control data from a microprocessor IC 200 via a data bus 300 and in turn generates a control signal for a controlled unit 400. Peripheral control unit 100 may comprise an I/O bus expander. Data bus 300 may, for example, be of the well known two-wire I.sup.2 C type, including data and clock lines, which is described in detail in "Philips Technical Publication 110-I.sup.2 C Bus in Consumer Applications", published by Philips Export B.V., The Netherlands in 1983. The control signal generated by peripheral control unit 200 is coupled to a switching circuit 500 associated with a particular function of controlled unit 400. For example, controlled unit 400 may include an audio power amplifier of a television receiver and switch 500 may be associated with the audio muting function of the audio power amplifier. While there may be various other peripheral control units associated with respective controlled units, these other units are not shown for the sake of simplicity.
Peripheral control unit IC 100 includes a data decoder and storage register section 101 and an output stage 103 including a field effect transistor (FET) Q1. A control signal generated and thereafter stored by decoder section 101 in response to data supplied by microprocessor 200 is coupled to the gate of FET Q1. The drain of FET Q1 is coupled to an output terminal of peripheral control unit IC 100 and to an internal current source 105. The source of FET Q1 is coupled to ground. A first protection diode D1 is coupled between the output terminal and the positive voltage supply rail and a second protection diode is coupled between the output terminal and the ground rail. Diode D1 protects FET Q1 against positive-going transients coupled to the output terminal by limiting the voltage developed at the drain to the positive supply voltage plus a diode voltage drop. Diode D2 protects FET Q1 against negative-going transients coupled to the output terminal by limiting the voltage developed at the drain to the ground potential minus a diode voltage drop.
Switch 500 comprises a voltage divider including resistors R1, R2 and R3 connected in series between a supply voltage rail and ground and a NPN transistor Q2. The control signal generated at the output terminal of peripheral control unit IC 100 is coupled the junction of resistors R1 and R2 and the junction of resistors R2 and R3 is coupled to the base of transistor Q2. The collector of transistor Q2 is connected to a load circuit (the input impedance of which is represented by a load resistor R4) within controlled unit 400 which controls the associated function. The emitter of transistor Q2 is connected to ground.
Microprocessor 200 is coupled to a standby power supply (not shown) which continues to supply a positive standby operating voltage (STANDBY) even when the equipment in which the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 is included is "off". Peripheral control unit 100 is coupled to a "run" power supply (not shown) which supplies a positive operating voltage (RUN 1) when the equipment is turned on and which is turned off when the equipment is turned off, as is symbolically indicated by switch SW. This feature reduces the power consumption of the standby power supply. It also eliminates the need to connect the standby power supply to various points throughout the equipment, which is particularly advantageous when the various peripheral control units are located near respective controlled unit and remote from microprocessor 200. Additionally, it eliminates the need for a standby power supply which provides a particular supply voltage PG,5 required only by peripheral control unit 100. A resistor R5 represents various other loads, including other peripheral units, which receive the RUN 1 operating voltage. Load resistor R5 will be referred to later in connection with the description of a problem solved by the invention. Controlled unit 400 and switch 500 are coupled to another run power supply (not shown) which continually supplies another operating voltage (RUN 2) even when the equipment is off. The latter feature eliminates the need for a relatively expensive power switch.
The function of controlled unit 400 controlled by transistor Q2 is activated when FET transistor Q1 is non-conductive (cutoff) and NPN transistor Q2 is conductive (saturated). The function is inactivated when FET transistor Q1 is conductive (saturated) and NPN transistor Q2 is non-conductive (cutoff). In the example in which controlled unit includes an audio power amplifier of a television receiver and switch 500 controls the muting function of the audio power amplifier, the audio power amplifier is muted when FET transistor Q1 is non-conductive and NPN transistor Q2 is conductive. For example, the conduction of NPN transistor Q2 may cause a current source to be disabled from operating thereby turning the power amplifier off. It is desirable that the power amplifier be off when the receiver is off in order to mute unwanted audible responses due to electrical noise and also to reduce the power consumption of the receiver since controlled unit 400 is coupled to a run supply which continually supplies an operating voltage (RUN 2) even when the receiver is off. Such an arrangement is described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 511,295, entitled "Apparatus for the Muting of an Audio Power Amplifier in a Standby Mode", filed in the name of R. E. Morris, Jr. on Apr. 25, 1990 and which was allowed on Dec. 10, 1990. To mute the power amplifier, transistor Q2 should be conductive when the receiver is off. However, protection diode D1 tends to prevent such desirable condition in the following way.
When the receiver is turned off, microprocessor 200 transmits control data for causing FET transistor Q1 of peripheral control unit 100 to be rendered non-conductive shortly before causing the switched power supplies of the receiver, including the one which supplies the RUN 1 supply voltage, to be turned off. NPN transistor Q2 is supposed to be rendered conductive when FET transistor Q1 is caused to be rendered non-conductive when the receiver is turned off and is supposed to remain conductive thereafter. The impedance presented at the output terminal of peripheral control unit 100 would remain high if supply voltage RUN 1 was maintained after the receiver was turned off. However, even though transistor Q1 presents a high impedance at the output terminal of peripheral control unit 100 after the RUN 1 supply voltage is removed, a relatively low impedance current path is presented at the output terminal in the following manner. When the RUN 1 supply voltage is decoupled from peripheral control unit 100, protection diode D1, which has its cathode coupled to ground through the various loads (R5) of the RUN1 power supply and its anode coupled to the RUN 2 power supply voltage through resistor R1, is forward biased in response to the RUN 2 supply voltage. As a result, a current path is established between the output terminal of peripheral control unit 100 and ground through now conductive protection diode D1 and load resistor R5. This current path tends to keep the base voltage of NPN transistor so low that it is not rendered conductive as desired. The impedance of the current path is dependent on the nature of the load represented by resistor R5 and is not readily predictable and controllable. Accordingly, it is difficult to select values of resistors R1, R2 and R3 which would compensate for the presence of the unwanted current path.

Control system including a switching circuit for ensuring proper operation when operating power is removed from a portion of the control system


An optoelectronic circuit fabrication method and integrated circuit apparatus fabricated therewith. Integrated circuits are fabricated with an integral optical coupling transition to efficiently couple optical energy from an optical fiber to an integrated optical waveguide on the integrated circuit. Layers of specific materials are deposited onto a semiconductor circuit to support etching of a trench to receive an optical coupler that performs proper impedance matching between an optical fiber and an on-circuit optical waveguide that extends part way into the transition channel. A silicon based dielectric that includes at least a portion with a refractive index substantially equal to a section of the optical fiber is deposited into the etched trench to create the optical coupler. Silicon based dielectrics with graded indices are also able to be used. Chemical mechanical polishing is used finalize preparation of the optical transition and integrated circuit.

Integrated semiconductor devices that include one or more photonic devices, such as photodetectors, modulators, optical switches, and the like, require a mechanism to couple optical signals between the optical fibers used to communicate optical signals to and from the semiconductor device and the silicon based waveguides that are within the semiconductor devices and used to deliver the optical signals to the photonic devices within the integrated semiconductor devices. Coupling from an optical fiber to a photonic device with input and output waveguides often suffers from loss due to index and mode-profile mismatches.
Polymer couplers are one technique used to minimize losses in coupling between an optical fiber and input and output waveguides of a photonic device embedded in an integrated semiconductor device. Polymer couplers have been demonstrated to provide effective matching and to result in low coupling losses. Optoelectronic circuits, however, are often fabricated onto integrated semiconductor devices using conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques, such as techniques for fabricating CMOS circuits. Fabricating polymer couplers for use in applications wherein the photonic devices need to be encapsulated and annealed, as in many CMOS-compatible processes, presents fabrication difficulties that increases the complexity of device fabrication.
Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.

CMOS compatible integrated dielectric optical waveguide coupler and fabrication

International Business Machines Corporation


Method and plant for generating a synthesis gas which consists mainly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen and has been freed of acid gases, proceeding from a hydrocarbonaceous fuel, and air and steam, wherein low-temperature fractionation separates air into an oxygen stream, a tail gas stream and a nitrogen stream, wherein the tail gas stream and the nitrogen stream are at ambient temperature and the nitrogen stream is at elevated pressure, wherein the hydrocarbonaceous fuel, having been mixed with the oxygen stream and steam at elevated temperature and elevated pressure, is converted to a synthesis gas by a method known to those skilled in the art, and wherein acid gas is subsequently separated therefrom by low-temperature absorption in an absorption column, wherein the nitrogen stream generated in the fractionation of air is passed through and simultaneously cooled in an expansion turbine and then used to cool either the absorbent or the coolant circulating in the coolant circuit of the compression refrigeration plant.

The methods underlying the invention (cryogenic air fractionation, generation of synthesis gas from a carbonaceous fuel and cryogenic separation of acid gas from the (crude) synthesis gas) form part of the prior art.
Cryogenic air fractionation, also called low-temperature fractionation, has been known since the 1920s and is described in principle, for example, in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 6th Edition, vol. 10, p. 39, 40. In connection with synthesis gas production, the known air fractionation methods frequently make use of two-column rectification since this also generates, as well as the oxygen stream, a stream of pure nitrogen which can frequently be used in plants connected downstream of the synthesis gas production. One design of two-column rectification which is frequently used for synthesis gas production is described in the textbook "Gasification", Second Edition, Christopher Higman, Maarten van der Burgt, Gulf Professional Publishing, Else-vier, Burlington, USA.
In this design, the air stream sucked in from the environment is compressed and subjected to a preliminary purification in which moisture and long-chain hydrocarbon molecules are removed in an adsorption step and then carbon dioxide and the remaining hydrocarbons are removed by means of molecular sieve. The air stream thus treated is then made to exchange heat with the product streams (oxygen, nitrogen and tail gas) leaving the two-column rectification.
The heat exchange is conducted until the compressed air is cooled down to its condensation temperature and the product streams are warmed up to ambient temperature. This method is frequently conducted in such a way that the nitrogen product stream, after the exchange of heat and the simultaneous warming to room temperature, has an elevated pressure of about 5-6 bar. This nitrogen can be used as utility for other plants or, for example after expansion and cooling, for preliminary cooling of the air for the air fractionation plant.
The oxygen produced in the air fractionation is subsequently, together with a stream of steam, used for conversion, also called gasification, of a hydrocarbonaceous fuel to give synthesis gas consisting mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The fuel used is frequently coal, coke or natural gas, but also liquid hydrocarbons or biomass. A multitude of methods and reactor types have been developed for the respective fuels. An overview of these gasification methods is also given, for example, by the abovementioned textbook "Gasification". In principle, all these gasification methods are usable for the present invention.
For the further use of the synthesis gas, as a raw material for the production of methanol, ammonia or hydrogen, for example, or as fuel gas, it is necessary to separate carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, often referred to collectively as acid gases, therefrom. This is very effectively accomplished by a low-temperature absorption method, in which methanol cooled down to a low temperature is used as absorbent. This method has been known by the name "Rectisol process" since the 1950s. A description is given, for example, in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 6th edition, vol. 15, p. 399 ff. The acid gases are scrubbed out of the cryogenic methanol here in a column, in countercurrent. In what is called the standard Rectisol process, both acid gases, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, are scrubbed out in a column. The synthesis gas to be scrubbed enters the column at the base, mainly hydrogen sulfide is scrubbed out in the lower portion of the column and then, in the upper portion, mainly carbon dioxide is scrubbed out. In the regeneration of the methanol, the acid gases are obtained as a gas mixture and removed for further treatment. For the case of intending to obtain carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide separately, what is called the selective Rectisol method was developed. In this method, the synthesis gas to be cleaned flows through two scrubbing or absorption columns arranged in succession. Hydrogen sulfide is removed in the first, carbon dioxide in the second. The acid gases are thus kept separate and can then each be driven out of the laden methanol. For the present invention, it is possible to use both the standard and the selective Rectisol methods. The low temperature of the methanol required for the method is estab-lished by withdrawing a laden methanol stream which has been heated by the absorption from the absorption column, cooling it by heat exchange with a cooling medium and then feeding it back into the column. The cooling medium used is frequently ammonia or propylene, which is cooled down correspondingly in a compression cooling plant in each case.
For establishment of the low process temperatures required, the method of the invention for synthesis gas generation requires high expenditure of electrical energy which is needed for the compression of the air and the coolant.
The problem addressed by the invention is therefore that of providing a variant of the method having lower consumption of electrical energy for operation thereof.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and plant for generation of synthesis gas

L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude


An assembly includes a pre-filled syringe including a barrel with a first end and a second, open end, a plunger disposed within the barrel and spaced between the first end and the second, open end, a product disposed in the barrel between the first end of the barrel and the plunger, and an outwardly-directed rim disposed about the barrel at the second, open end. In addition, the assembly includes an identification tag secured to the outwardly-directed rim of the barrel of the syringe with an outwardly-facing surface of the tag overlying the second, open end of the barrel, the tag having an identifier disposed on the surface of the tag, the identifier including data regarding the pre-filled syringe, the product disposed in the barrel, or both.

This patent is directed to an identification tag, and, in particular, to an identification tag that is attachable to and removable from a pre-filled syringe.
The pre-filled syringe is a common device used for the delivery of pharmaceuticals to patients. The pre-filled syringe may be configured for use as a conventional syringe, with a needle at one end and a plunger rod at the other. Alternatively, the pre-filled syringe may be configured for use as part of an assembly, such as an auto-injector, for example.
During the manufacturing process, the empty syringes are filled and the plunger is put in place within the barrel. This pre-filled syringe may then be moved along the manufacturing line, shipped between manufacturing facilities, stored in a storage area, etc. before the pre-filled syringe is assembled into its final form (e.g., with a plunger rod or as part of an auto-injector) and placed into packaging that identifies the assembly and the product in the pre-filled syringe to the end user.
During the process of moving the pre-filled syringe along the line, between facilities, or into and out of storage, it is important to be able to distinguish one set of syringes from another, especially when the pre-filled syringe is being shipped from one manufacturing facility to another, the facilities being separated by hundreds or thousands of miles. Moreover, advances in process and inventory management require that considerable amounts of information be associated with each pre-filled syringe so that the pre-filled syringe may not only be distinguished from other syringes containing other pharmaceuticals, but so that the individual pre-filled syringe may be distinguished from other pre-filled syringes filled with the same pharmaceutical.
By their nature, syringes are difficult to mark. Most of the surface of the syringe is curved, which makes both the application of information to and reading of information from these surfaces problematic. As for those limited surfaces of the syringe, such as the finger flange, that may not be curved, they are so limited as to available or usable surface area that the amount of information that can be applied is generally insufficient to facilitate simple application and reading of the information applied to these areas. Also, the presence of silicone oil on the surfaces of the syringe may make certain forms of marking problematic. As to those marking methods that are not influenced by the presence of the oil, such as high-energy marking (e.g., laser etching), these methods may negatively affect the syringe barrel material or the product contained within the pre-filled syringe. On the other hand, if the pre-filled syringes were marked prior to filling, this may add further complexity to the inventory process control and the filling process control.
As set out in greater detail below, the present disclosure sets forth an improved identification tag embodying advantageous alternatives to the conventional devices and methods discussed above.