An audio system for multimedia computer systems and method for use are provided including an audio module having speakers, a microphone and associated circuitry. The audio module is adapted to be interposed between a monitor and a monitor pedestal such that the audio module swivels and tilts in concert with the monitor. The circuitry is adapted to drive the audio module speakers and to drive only one speaker and the microphone in a speaker phone mode.

The invention relates to an audio system for a personal computer.
A recent trend in personal computing has been toward the multimedia computer, which provides high quality audio as well as video output. Such systems have typically included a pair of add-on speakers which are placed near the monitor and plugged into a sound board in the computer. In some cases, a microphone is also placed near the monitor to provide an input to the sound board. However, in such systems, the mobility of the speakers and the microphone relative to one another tends to frustrate attempts at echo cancellation, resulting in undesirable feedback.
As noted, upgrading an existing computing system to multimedia functionality typically requires a pair of add-on speakers and a plug-in sound board. However, use of add-on speakers consumes valuable desktop space and requires separate re-orientation of the monitor and speakers as the user changes position. Typically, over-the-counter multimedia computer systems have speakers that are built into the computer housing or built into the monitor or, in systems such as those currently marketed by IBM, built into the pedestal of the monitor. However, the audio components of these over-the-counter systems are not readily upgraded or replaced without replacing expensive associated equipment, such as a monitor.
In one aspect of the invention, an audio circuit for a multimedia computer is provided that comprises two speakers and a microphone. A driver is provided for driving the two speakers. A controller is connected to the driver for causing only one of the speakers to be driven while the computer is operating in a mode in which feedback through the microphone would otherwise occur.
In another aspect of the invention, an audio module for a computer monitor is provided which comprises a housing containing two speakers and a microphone which are mounted in fixed positions in the housing. The housing also contains circuitry having ports for receiving audio signals for the speakers and for delivering audio signals from the microphone.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a multimedia computer system is provided which includes a monitor and an audio module which is affixed to the monitor. The audio module contains a first speaker, a second speaker, and a microphone mounted in the audio module in a fixed relationship. The computer also contains a sound board comprising a means for driving both the first speaker and the second speaker when the system is in a speaker mode and for driving only one of the speakers when the system is in a speaker phone mode. The computer further comprises a means for applying a signal generated by the microphone to the sound board.
The invention also relates to a method of controlling an audio circuit of a multimedia computer which contains a first speaker, a second speaker, and a microphone. The method includes the step of controlling an audio circuit by supplying drive signals to both the first speaker and the second speaker when the audio circuit is in. a speaker mode. The method also includes the step of driving only one of the the speakers and receiving signals from the microphone when the audio circuit is in a speaker phone mode.


The profile simulation method of predicting a processed profile of a surface of a substrate to be changed by physically or chemically processing a film on the substrate to be processed comprises a step of changing a processing speed in correspondence with a convex portion and a recessed portion of the film on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a profile simulation method for predicting a processed profile obtained by development, etching, or the like, and to a mask design method and a mask design apparatus for designing an exposure mask with use of the simulation method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case of manufacturing a semiconductor element and the like by lithography steps, an image of a mask pattern is projected onto a wafer coated with a resist, and thereafter, the wafer is subjected to development, to form a resist pattern. For example, in a case of a positive tone resist, the resist of the portion where the exposure is great is dissolved by a developer, thereby forming a resist pattern.
The resist pattern obtained after the development varies depending on defocus conditions, exposure conditions (e.g., a numerical aperture, a coherence factor, a light source shape, a pupil filter, and the like), a development time, and a mask pattern.
Therefore, a great number of exposure experiments must be carried out in order to obtain conditions and a mask pattern in a projection optical system used for finishing a desired pattern which has a predetermined depth of focus, from experiments. Hence, it is desirable to carry out a simulation using a computer, to obtain conditions in which the resist profile after development has an optimal condition.
Thus, a method of predicting a resist profile after development has been known as a resist profile simulation. Various methods have been proposed as a conventional resist profile simulation method. In the following, those methods will be briefly explained.
There is a string model in which the profile of a resist is expressed as a sequence of fine line segments in a case of dealing with only two-dimensional profiles, while the profile of a resist is expressed as a sequence of fine area segments in a case of dealing with a three-dimensional profile. In this string model, the direction in which fine line segments or area segments are moved is a direction vertical to the surface. In contrast, a method of obtaining a moving direction with use of a differential equation to solve a similar differential equation is called a ray-tracing model.
There is known a cell model as a method in which an object is divided into an aggregate of fine cells and a change in profile is expressed by elimination or adhesion of cells on the surface of the object. In addition, there is a distribution function method in which the profile of an object is expressed as an equivalent area of a distribution function and a differential equation similar to a diffusion equation is solved to obtain a time-based change of the profile.
Further, as a simplified method, there is a simplified development model. In this simplified development model, the development processing is arranged such that an aggregate of end points is the profile after development, supposing that the development proceeds in a direction vertical to the substrate from a start point which is the point on the resist surface where the solution speed is fastest, that the development then proceeds in a direction parallel to the substrate from the point where the development has proceeded for a certain distance, and that the developing direction is changed at all the points vertical to the substrate.
However, these kinds of methods include the following problems. Specifically, in the conventional techniques as described above, the solution speed of resist does not depend on the profile of the portion to be dissolved, but depends on only the photo-sensitive characteristics and processing conditions.
For example, in a case of developing a hole pattern, the amount of resist to be dissolved by a developer for a unit volume in a hole is large, so that the solution speed is extremely reduced. Regardless of the extremely reduced solution speed, the simulation is performed with use of a solution speed equal to a solution speed used for a flat resist profile as supposed in exposure of an entire surface. Therefore, in a hole pattern, the resist profile actually obtained is different from the profile as a simulation result.
In addition, ends of a pattern and a bent portion thereof lead to problems in a case of using an equal solution speed, in addition to the hole pattern. In these portions, the amount of resist to be dissolved by a developer for a unit volume is larger (or smaller) than in the other portions, and the solution speed changes accordingly, so that a simulation result different from an exposure result is obtained.
Meanwhile, a mask pattern is not completely equal to a resist pattern actually finished, and therefore, a mask must be designed estimating the mask to be actually finished, in order to obtain a desired resist pattern. In this case, it is not possible to design a mask with a high accuracy if the actual profile is different from a profile obtained by performing a simulation as described above. Therefore, the procedures are very complicated since it is necessary to actually perform exposure, observe a resist pattern finished by development with use of an electronic microscope, correct the mask pattern in accordance with the observation result, and repeat performing experiments until a desired pattern is obtained.
Thus, in conventional profile simulation methods, there is a problem that a pattern actually obtained is different from a simulation result in the regions of ends and a bent portion of a pattern. In addition, an experiment consisting of a series of exposure, development, observation, and correction must be repeated in order to perform accurate mask designing, and the procedures are thus complicated.

Profile simulation method, dependent on curvature of processed surface, and mask design method utilizing simulation


A prefabricated insulation panel is provided by identical L-shaped panel halves where a lip on one panel half is secured to a sleeve of a second panel half, the lip of the second panel half similarly engaging the sleeve of the first panel half, providing a double sided panel which can accommodate an insulation layer between the assembled panel halves.

This invention relates to a building panel, and more particularly to a prefabricated insulation panel.
There is a need for a quality, prefabricated insulation panel which can be easily installed, secures the insulation from damage and environmental degradation, is aesthetically pleasing and is stronger than that found in the prior art.


The present disclosure relates to production of double-coated lactic acid bacteria using peptides and polysaccharide. Double-coated lactic acid bacteria show improved heat-resistance, acid-resistance, bile-resistance, storage stability and excellent survival rate when reaching intestine.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to coating lactic acid bacteria with peptides and polysaccharide and the product by the same.
2. Discussion of Related Technology
It is well known that lactic acid bacteria has many physiological effects in improving and activating the functions of the intestines thereby maintaining good health. Non-coated lactic acid bacteria powder can be obtained by cultivating lactic acid bacteria, concentrating the culture and lyophilizing the concentrated culture. The non-coated lactic acid bacteria powders, however, are vulnerable to air, moisture and/or temperature. Therefore, when the lactic acid bacteria passes through the stomach after ingestion, almost all the lactic acid bacteria is killed by the gastric juice before reaching the intestine. Also, the non-coated culture powder has difficulty in maintaining stability during storage, distribution and processing for secondary products.
In order to overcome such problems, proposed have been a method for coating the lactic acid bacteria and a micro-encapsulation process using gelatins, sugars, gums, etc. The conventional process for coating the lactic acid bacteria usually comprises the step of introducing a specified coating material to the dried lactic acid bacteria culture as shown in FIG. 1. The lactic acid bacteria is cultivated M1, M2 within an anaerobic fermentation apparatus (herein after a "fermenter") using a fermentation medium containing peptones, meat extracts, yeast extracts, glucose and inorganic ions. Such components contained in the medium are water-soluble and used only for proliferation of the lactic acid bacteria.
The concentrated cultures M3 are obtained by means of centrifugal separation or ultra-filtration, the purpose of which is solely separation and concentration of the cultures. During deep freezing and lyophilization processes M4, a cryoprotectant is generally added to prevent the lactic acid bacteria from being killed. In turn, a coating composition in an aqueous solution MS is applied to the obtained lactic acid bacteria culture, followed by lyophilization. Alternatively, a micro-spherical bead type coating composition may be applied to the dried lactic acid bacteria culture, followed by a nozzle-injection in a micro-encapsulation process. Such conventional processes for coating the lactic acid bacteria include the steps for introduction of the coating composition or micro-encapsulation after concentrating and drying the cultures, which requires an expensive coating agent and additional steps thereby increasing production costs. Furthermore, materials and individual steps may overlap since the lyophilization process after coating it un a liquid state requires a cryoprotectant and a stabilizer to ensure improved viability and stability.

Method of double-coating lactic acid bacteria


A stilt comprises a floor platform, a shoe platform, a first substantially vertical support, a second substantially vertical support, and a toe assembly. The shoe platform is superposed above the floor platform. The first substantially vertical support connects a front portion of the floor platform with a front portion of the shoe platform. The second substantially vertical support connects a back portion of the floor platform with a back portion of the shoe platform. The first and second substantially vertical supports connect the shoe platform and the floor platform in a parallelogram configuration. The toe assembly is hingedly connected to a front end portion of the floor platform. A spring biases the toe assembly into alignment with the floor platform. A leg support extends upwardly from the second vertical support. A calf brace is pivotally connected to an upper end portion of the leg support.

It is desirable that stilts for industrial or live performance applications be lightweight and allow for unrestricted and as natural of a range of motion as possible while conforming to and remaining securely attached to the user.
One generally suitable type of stilts is of the general type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,515 as well as a variation of such stilts in which the capture springs mechanism is substituted with freely pivoting horizontal supports attaching to both the front and rear vertical support columns in a trapezoidal nature. Another suitable type is the "Leg brace for stilts" shown in US20070232459, especially the double side pole variation thereof.


A passive processing device (D) is adapted to be interfaced in a full integrated way on at least a first audio signal path defined between a first audio signal source and an audio signal processing means of an electronic device, such as a mobile communication device. This device (D) comprises a first protection means (DE11; DE12) for rejecting electrostatic discharges on the first path, a first rejection means (CR11, R11; CR12) for rejecting radio signals at least in a chosen frequency band on the first path, and a first AC-coupling means (CC1) for interfacing voltage levels between the first audio signal source and the audio signal processing means.

As it is known by one skilled in the art, certain electronic devices, such as mobile communication devices, and notably mobile phones, have one or more audio signal amplification paths, such as microphone and audio accessory amplification paths that are subjected to a burst noise, which disturbs the audio signals. This burst noise mainly comes from the radio signals that are transmitted by the device antenna through bursts at different frequencies, such as 900 MHz and 1800 MHz (square-wave signal with Tcycle=4.615 ms Cyclic ratio ⅛ modulated by radio signal at a frequency of 900 MHz, for instance). This modulated signal is picked up by the microphone and/or audio accessory, but also by the conductive lines connecting the microphone and/or audio accessory connector to a baseband processor.
This burst noise is usually demodulated by the baseband processor's inner amplifiers and/or the microphone, which pollutes the audio signals to be transmitted.
For rejecting the burst noise one generally uses single or differential capacitor components (with chosen capacitances). These capacitor components are generally connected differentially between the two lines of each microphone path and single-ended between each line and a ground line, just before the baseband processor inputs but also just after the microphone outputs.
These capacitor components comprise packages that act as parasitic inductances and resistors, so that the capacitor components act as RLC serial cells. Now, the resonant frequencies of these RLC serial cells are approximately equal to the radio signal frequencies (900 MHz and 1800 MHz), so that they act as short-circuits.
Moreover, since the tracks where the components are soldered bring additional resistive (R) and inductance (L) components to their RLC model, new capacitance values must be computed for each capacitor component each time the layout of the mobile phone Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is modified, which is time-consuming and, therefore, expensive for mobile phone development. Moreover, the computed capacitance values may differ from the ones that are effectively adapted to the device, so that a lot of empiric tests are generally needed to get the required performance. The work and number of PCB-trials needed for tuning the burst noise immunity of microphone paths with discrete solution are one of the most, and sometimes the most, critical steps in terms of planning during a mobile phone development.
Moreover, when the amplification paths are protected against the burst noise, they usually need additional specific protection for the electrostatic discharges (ESD) and interface cells for AC-coupling and biasing purposes that are ensured by extra components.
Finally, these capacitor components, in addition to components needed for interfacing the microphones and the baseband component, such as AC-coupling capacitor for DC level adaptation, biasing resistor for biasing the microphones and Electro Static Discharge (ESD) protections, can occupy a substantial area on the board. This area occupancy prevents efficient layout of the PCB.

Passive processing device for interfacing and for ESD and radio signal rejection in audio signal paths of an electronic device


A method for planning a bone implant ascertains a condition of a bone to be treated, and identifies a dysfunctional part of the bone. A free-form area then can be ascertained and registered, wherein the free-form area lies below the dysfunctional part. A control data set then is produced that forms the basis for ablating the bone on the ascertained free-form area.

In order to provide a joint replacement in the human body, it is necessary to prepare the bone and/or implant such that a proper fit is achieved. Further, the implant must fulfil the requirements of bio-functionality and, therefore, must be accurately arranged and orientated.
Prior to the availability of image-assisted or navigation-assisted surgery, the only way to orientate an implant was to predefine its modification by producing five planes with the aid of different positioning instruments such as, for example, an intramedullary pin. This technique is illustrated in FIG. 2, which shows a bone 1′ that has been ablated on a sequence of five planes 3′. An implant 2′ provided with a inner contour corresponding to the ablated bone 1′ is shown placed onto the bone 1′.
The above method is very invasive, e.g., a great deal of bone material is ablated. Moreover, the orientation of the implant often is not very accurate.
Nowadays, navigated cutting blocks are used such that predefined areas on the bone can be ablated or produced. This improves the orientation of the implant, but smooth cuts still require significant bone removal.

Planning method and system for free-form implant modification


A papermaking fabric includes a system of warp yarns interwoven with a system of weft yarns. The system of weft yarns includes groups of weft yarns, each of the groups being formed by a plurality of adjacent weft yarns weaving in the group side-by-side the same weave path with the warp yarns. A method of manufacturing such a papermaking fabric is also provided.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to papermaking fabrics for use in papermaking machines, in particular for use in the dryer section of a papermaking machine.
2. Description of Prior Art
Papermaking fabrics commonly are made by weaving weft yarns with warp yarns. During weaving on the weaving loom, the shafts together with its corresponding warp yarns are alternately lifted and lowered to enable the insertion of weft yarn shoots extending in cross direction to the warp yarns. The rate of weaving and therefore the weaving speed mainly is limited by the insertion rate of the weft yarns and the number of weft yarns in a fabric design. As the weaving is a very labour intensive manufacturing method the manufacturing costs are significantly influenced by the weaving speed and the number of weft yarns per unit of running length.


An image forming apparatus having: an image supporting member; a developing device configured to supply a developer to the image supporting member to develop a latent image; a transfer member configured to transfer the developed image from the image supporting member to a transfer medium; a blade configured to remove the developer left on the image supporting member after transfer therefrom; a storing member located downstream from the transfer member and upstream from the blade, the storing member configured to temporarily store a part of the developer left after transfer therein; and a control unit. The storing member is controlled by the control unit to release the temporarily stored developer therefrom toward the image supporting member after a lapse of a predetermined time from when an image density of an image to be formed becomes lower than a predetermined value.

1. Filed of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus having a structure for removing developer left on an image supporting member therefrom with a blade.
2. Description of Related Art
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a toner image is formed on a photoreceptor surface, which serves as an image supporting member. The toner image is transferred from the photoreceptor surface to a transfer member such as an intermediate transfer belt or the like. Developer, which contains toner, left on the photoreceptor surface after the image transfer, is removed therefrom with a blade arranged to contact with the photoreceptor surface.
In this regard, while the developer left on the photoreceptor surface after the image transfer is removed with the blade, the developer serves as a lubricant between the photoreceptor surface and the blade. Therefore, there is a possibility that a shortage of developer on the photoreceptor surface would cause curling of the blade. Image forming apparatuses taking measures to avoid this trouble are known. For example, in an image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-257787, a brush temporarily storing a part of developer left after image transfer is arranged immediately upstream from a blade in a rotating direction of the photoreceptor. In such a conventional image forming apparatus, when the image density that is the ratio of the square measure of an image area to the square measure of a print medium becomes low, that is, when the amount of developer supplied from a developing device to a photoreceptor surface decreases, the developer stored in the brush is released.
Incidentally, only a limited amount of developer can be stored in the brush. In the conventional image forming apparatus, therefore, in such cases as a case of forming low-density images continuously, a shortage of developer on the photoreceptor surface cannot be resolved by the release of developer from the brush, thereby causing trouble such as curling of the blade.

Image forming apparatus with a structure for removing residual developer


A grill device includes a connecting unit which pivotally connects upper and lower grill units. A restricting unit includes a spring-biased restricting element disposed movably in the connecting unit, and is movable between a limiting position, in which, the restricting element is disposed above and is vertically aligned with pivots of the upper grill unit so as to prevent vertical movement of the upper grill unit relative to the lower grill unit, and a non-limiting position, in which, the upper grill unit is permitted to move vertically

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a grill device, more particularly to a grill device having a restricting unit to prevent upward movement of an upper grill unit relative to a lower grill unit during the grilling operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional grill device 1 is shown to include a lower grill unit 11 with a rear end 113, an upper grill unit 12 with a rear end 123, and a connecting unit which interconnects the rear ends 123,113 of the upper and lower grill units 12,11 in such a manner that the upper grill unit 12 can be turned rearward relative to the lower grill unit 11 from a closed position to an open position, in which the upper grill unit 12 is generally perpendicular to the lower grill.. unit 11. The upper and lower grill units 12, 11 respectively have upper and lower cooking members 121, 111.
As illustrated, the connecting unit includes a pivot seat 131 which is fixed on and which extends upwardly from the rear end 113 of the lower grill unit 11 and which has opposite left and right sides 130 that are respectively formed with vertical slots 132, and left and right cylindrical pivots 133 which are fixed on the rear end 123 of the upper grill unit 12 and which extend into the slots 132 in the lower grill unit 11. By virtue of the connecting unit, the upper grill unit 12 is movable vertically relative to the lower grill unit 11 so as to accommodate the thickness of food, e.g., a piece of meat, confined between the upper and lower grill units 12, 11.
One disadvantage encountered during use of the aforesaid conventional grill device 1 is that, though the upper cooking member 121 can be adjusted to prevent vertical movement relative to the lower cooking member 111, a sandwich placed on the lower cooking member 111 can not be cut into two halves due to lack of cutting blades in the cooking members 111, 121, thereby resulting in purchase of another set of cooking members which cooperatively can cut a piece of bread being grilled therebetween.
The object of this invention is to provide a grill device with a restricting unit that can eliminate the occurrence of the aforesaid disadvantage which result during use of the conventional grill device.
Accordingly, a grill device of the present invention includes a lower grill unit, an upper grill unit, a connecting unit, and a restricting unit.. The lower grill unit has a rear portion and an upper surface that is indented to form a recess, and includes a lower cooking member detachably mounted in the recess. The rear portion of the lower grill unit is formed with a horizontally extending rear notch, and has an abutment wall that separates the rear notch from the recess, that confines a rear side of the recess, and that is formed with a horizontal slot in spatial communication with the recess and the rear notch. The upper grill unit has a rear portion that is pivoted to the lower grill unit so as to rotate relative to the lower grill unit between open and closed positions. The connecting unit includes a hollow pivot seat secured to the rear portion, disposed in the rear notch in the lower grill unit, and confining a receiving space. The pivot seat has left and right open ends in spatial communication with the receiving space. Left and right pivots are fixed to the rear portion of the upper grill unit, and respectively extend into the receiving space via the left and right open ends of the pivot seat so as to permit rotation of the upper grill unit relative to the lower grill unit and vertical movement of the upper grill unit together with the left and right pivots along vertical lengths of the left and right open ends of the pivot seat when the upper grill unit is positioned at the closed position. The restricting unit includes a pressing element and a spring-biased restricting element. The pressing element projects from the lower cooking member, and is extendible into the receiving space in the pivot seat via the horizontal slot when the lower cooking member is mounted in the recess. The restricting element is disposed above the left and right pivots, and is pressable by the pressing element when the lower cooking member is disposed in the recess so as to move in a transverse direction relative to the length of the pivot seat to a limiting position, in which, the restricting element is vertically aligned with the left and right pivots, thereby restricting vertical movement of the upper grill unit and the left and right pivots when the upper grill unit is positioned at the closed position.

Grill device having a restricting unit to prevent upward movement of an upper grill unit relative to a lower grill unit


The present invention relates to projection and schlieren optical measurement technology, and more particularly to an integrated projection-schlieren optical system. The system includes a parallel light source system, a first positive lens, a diaphragm, a second positive lens, an image sensor, a negative lens, a knife edge device and a sample stage. In the system, a projection telescopic optical system and a schlieren camera optical system are respectively formed through the combination of optical characteristics of two movable lenses, enabling the integration functions of the projection optical system and the schlieren optical system.

Striae, whether in visible-light optical materials or infrared optical materials, show adverse effects on the imaging quality of optical components. The material defect is generally qualitatively measured using a projection measurement apparatus, and for the purpose of detailed analysis, a schlieren measurement apparatus is further employed to perform a semi-quantitative measurement. The above two apparatuses have different optical principles, where the projection measurement apparatus adopts the principle of a telescopic optical system or parallel light, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B; and the schlieren measurement apparatus adopts the principle of a camera optical system, as shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the projection measurement apparatus and the schlieren measurement apparatus need to be designed separately. The two kinds of apparatuses are required in the measurement of the striae in optical materials with different purposes.
Given the above, it is necessary to have both the projection measurement apparatus and the schlieren measurement apparatus for the qualification and semi-quantification measurements of the striae in optical materials. However, this will lead to high cost and occupy more space for the apparatuses, and the operation is complicated and time-consuming.

Integrated projection-schlieren optical system


The present invention describes an aperture including: an opaque plate; two sliver openings located in the opaque plate, the two sliver openings having rectangular shapes, the two sliver openings being parallel to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, and more specifically, to a method of and an apparatus for using plane waves to control critical dimension (CD) for photolithography.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An IC device, such as a microprocessor, may be fabricated on a substrate, such as a wafer. The wafer may include many layers that have been formed by adding or removing material. The material may include semi-conducting material, such as silicon, or insulating material, such as silicon oxide, or conducting material, such as copper. Some processes that may be used to add material to the wafer may include chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sputtering, electroplating, oxidation, and ion implantation. Other processes that may be used to remove material, partly or completely, from the wafer may include wet etching, dry etching, and chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP).
Photolithography may be used in conjunction with certain processes to limit processing to a pattern of features on the wafer. A thin film of a light-sensitive material, such as a photoresist, is first coated on the wafer. A mask is used at each layer to define the pattern of features. The mask is aligned to the wafer in an imaging tool, such as a stepper or a scanner. The imaging tool couples light from a source with projection optics to expose a latent image in the photoresist. Dose is the amount of light energy that is delivered per unit area. Then, a developer solution selectively removes the photoresist to form a pattern that is a function of the portions that have been exposed. Subsequently, a dry or wet etchant may replicate the pattern printed in the photoresist into the material on the wafer.
The yield of the microprocessor fabricated on the wafer may depend on CD of the features in the pattern. When the CD of the feature is about the same size as the wavelength of the exposure light, diffraction of the exposure light will degrade the CD.
Thus, a need exists for a method of improving control of CD and an apparatus for improved control of CD.

Plane waves to control critical dimension

Abstract: The present invention further describes a method including: decomposing a pattern into horizontal sub-features and vertical sub-features; forming a first mask corresponding to the horizontal sub-features; forming a second mask corresponding to the vertical sub-features; forming a first aperture with two parallel horizontal sliver openings corresponding to the first mask; forming a second aperture with two parallel vertical sliver openings corresponding to the second mask; exposing a wafer using the first aperture and the first mask; exposing the wafer using the second aperture and the second mask; and exposing the wafer with the third mask.


This invention relates to stable liquid biuret modified toluene diisocyanates, prepolymers thereof, stable liquid biuret allophanate modified toluene diisocyanates, prepolymers thereof, and to processes for the preparation of these compositions. The stable liquid biuret modified toluene diisocyanates comprise a secondary amine based biuret modified TDI having an NCO group content of about 12 to about 46% by weight.

This invention relates to stable liquid biuret modified toluene diisocyanates, prepolymers thereof, stable liquid biuret allophanate modified toluene diisocyanates, prepolymers thereof, and to processes for the preparation of these compositions. The stable liquid biuret modified toluene diisocyanates comprise a secondary amine based biuret modified TDI having an NCO group content of about 16 to about 46% by weight.
Modified isocyanates, including aromatic diisocyanates are known and described in the art. Various modifications include, for example, allophanate modified, biuret modified, carbodiimide modified, isocyanurate modified, uretdione modified, urethane modified, oxadiainetrione modified and various combinations thereof.
Biuret modified diisocyanates including those based on aromatic diisocyanate and prepolymers thereof, are known and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,618,706, 4,677,136, 4,703,100, 4,837,359, 5,212,275, 5,428,124 and 5,994,491.
More specifically, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,136 and 4,703,100 describe urea and/or biuret group containing polyisocyanates prepared by reacting an organic polyisocyanate and a high molecular weight (500 to 20,000) polyether or polyester containing at least two isocyanate-reactive groups which may be primary and/or secondary hydroxyl and/or amine groups and mixtures thereof), and optionally, a low molecular weight compound comprising one or more of aromatic diamines or triamines, (cyclo)aliphatic diamines of triamines, organic compounds containing at least one hydroxyl group and at least one amine group, organic compounds containing at least two alcoholic hydroxyl groups (and optionally an ether or ester group), and a hydrazine containing at least two reactive NH groups. Processes for the preparation of these urea and/or biuret modified isocyanates are also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,359 discloses biurets prepared from a (cyclo)aliphatic diisocyanate and a (cyclo)aliphatic primary diamine compound. Biurets based on aromatic diisocyanates and diamines having aromatically attached amino groups and processes for their preparation are described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,618,706 and 5,994,491.
Urea and biuret prepolymers of diphenylmethane diisocyanates are known and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,212,275 and 5,428,124. U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,275 describes liquid prepolymers of ureas and/or biurets prepared by reacting a polyfunctional secondary amine group containing compound corresponding to a specific structure with a polyisocyanate of the diphenylmethane series. Storage stable, liquid prepolymers of MDI containing urea and/or biuret groups are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,124. These are prepared by reacting an aminocrotonate with a mixture of MDI having a specified isomer distribution.
Allophanate modified diphenylmethane diisocyanates, prepolymers thereof, etc. are known and described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,310,053 and 5,310,054. The liquid stable products of U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,053 are characterized by an NCO group content of 12 to 32.5%, and comprise the reaction product of an aliphatic alcohol and a specified mixture of isomers of diphenylmethane diisocyanate. This reference also discloses stable liquid MDI prepolymers which comprise the reaction product of the allophanate-modified MDI as described above, with an organic material containing two or more active hydrogen groups. U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,054 describes liquid allophanate modified MDI compositions which are storage stable at 25° C. The diphenylmethane diisocyanate has a specific isomer distribution requiring 2 to 60% by weight of 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate.
Allophanate modified diphenylmethane diisocyanate prepolymers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,003. These products are stable liquids at 25° C., and comprise the reaction product of an isomeric mixture of diphenylmethane diisocyanate and an aromatic alcohol such as phenol, with the resultant product being converted to the allophanate having an NCO group content of 12 to 32% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,279 discloses flexible foams prepared from toluene diisocyanate diol allophanates and the process for the preparation of flexible foams from these. These allophanate modified polyisocyanates are liquids and storage stable, and characterized by an NCO group content of about 20 to 42%.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,028,158 and 6,063,891 are directed to freeze-stable allophanate modified toluene di- or poly-isocyanate partial trimers; to freeze-stable blends of these allophanate modified toluene di- or polyisocyanate partial trimers with polymethylene poly(phenylisocyanates); to freeze-stable urethane prepolymers of these allophanate modified, partially trimerized toluene di or polyisocyanates; to freeze-stable blends of the urethane prepolymers of the allophanate modified, partially trimerized toluene di- or polyisocyanates with polymethylene poly(phenylisocyanates); and to processes for the preparation of these products.
Another trimer of toluene diisocyanate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,709. These are also described as being liquid and storage stable at room temperature. The polyisocyanates of the '709 patent are mixtures characterized by an NCO group content of 36.5 to 45% by wt., and consist essentially of (a) 25 to 70 parts by wt. of a mixture having an NCO group content of 22 to 36% by wt. of (i) isocyanurate group containing trimers of 2,4-diisocyanatotoluene and (ii) 2,4-diisocyanateotoluene, and (b) from 30 to 75 parts by wt. of 2,4- and/or 2,6-diisocyanatotoluene.
Advantages of the present invention include stable liquid products having unique structures and higher functionalities than other biuret modified isocyanates, biuret-allophanate modiified isocyanates and prepolymers thereof. Higher functionalities are expected to result in faster cure rates in foams.

Stable liquid biuret modified and biuret allophanate modified toluene diisocyanates, prepolymers thereof, and processes for their preparation


A method for selectively controlling deposition rate of a catalytic material during a catalytic bulk CVD deposition is disclosed herein. The method can include positioning a substrate in a processing chamber including both surface regions and gap regions, depositing a first nucleation layer comprising tungsten conformally over an exposed surface of the substrate, treating at least a portion of the first nucleation layer with activated nitrogen, wherein the activated nitrogen is deposited preferentially on the surface regions, reacting a first deposition gas comprising tungsten halide and hydrogen-containing gas to deposit a tungsten fill layer preferentially in gap regions of the substrate, reacting a nucleation gas comprising a tungsten halide to form a second nucleation layer, and reacting a second deposition gas comprising tungsten halide and a hydrogen-containing gas to deposit a tungsten field layer.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to methods for processing a substrate during semiconductor manufacturing. Specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to methods of treating a nucleation layer prior to a CVD deposition process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reliably producing nanometer-sized features is one of the key technologies for the next generation of semiconductor devices. The shrinking dimensions of circuits and devices have placed additional demands on processing capabilities. The multilevel interconnects that lie at the heart of integrated circuit technology require precise processing of high aspect ratio features, such as vias and other interconnects. Reliable formation of these interconnects is very important to future success and to the continued effort to increase circuit density and quality of individual substrates.
Metallization of features formed on substrates includes CVD deposition of metals such as tungsten. Tungsten can be used for metal fill of source contacts, drain contacts, metal gate fill and gate contacts as well as applications in DRAM and flash memory. As feature dimensions shrink, it becomes increasingly difficult to fill features with cross-sectional dimensions of less than 20 nm while maintaining the filled regions void-free. Additionally, post-processing steps such as CMP of the tungsten layer and tungsten etchback (dry and wet) can open voids or even seams to create integration problems if tungsten fill is not near-perfect.
Re-entrant features, in which the upper part of the feature is smaller than the lower part, cannot be filled seam-free by current techniques, even with 100% conformal tungsten processing. Tungsten CVD fill has evolved to near 100% conformality over the last 20 years. However, current techniques fail to achieve more fill inside features than on the field with conventional ALD-tungsten nucleation followed by tungsten halide and H2 bulk CVD fill. The resulting seams are exposed to slurry during tungsten CMP, or tungsten etch chemistry during tungsten etchback. The CMP slurry or etchback chemistry enters seams from tungsten CVD processing, enlarges them, and can lead to significant integration issues down-stream.
Therefore, there is much effort in the art to create a tungsten deposition process with enhanced bottom-up tungsten growth for seam-free tungsten fill of features.

Tungsten growth modulation by controlling surface composition


A pen-based portable personal computer utilizes a passive stylus. In order to conserve battery power, the system automatically goes into a low-power state after a predetermined period of inactivity. In the low-power state, minimal power is provided to a digitizer panel in order to enable the digitizer panel to sense contact by the passive stylus. Once the passive stylus comes in contact with the digitizer panel, the pen-based portable computer system is awakened and placed in a full-power state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pen-based computer system, and more particularly to a pen-based computer system which has the ability to go into a low-power state after a predetermined time period of inactivity, which can be awakened from the low-power state by way of contact of a passive stylus with the digitizer panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various portable personal computer systems are known. In order to conserve battery power, such systems normally go into a low-power state after a predetermined period of activity. For portable personal computers which include a keyboard, normally depression of a key on the keyboard awakens the system from the low-power state.
Pen-based portable computer systems are also known. Such systems are also known to go into a low-power state after a predetermined period of activity. For portable pen-based computer systems which utilize an active stylus, a signal from the active stylus is generally used to wake up the computer system from the low-power state.
Pen-based portable computer systems that utilize a passive stylus are also known. However, in such systems, the passive stylus has not heretofore been known to wake up the system from a low-power state. With systems that utilize a passive stylus, other means, such as a switch or key, must be provided to wake up the system from a low-power state. Such switches not only add to the cost of the computer system, but also make it cumbersome for the user to wake the system up from a low-power state.


A method and apparatus for optimizing melting of titanium for processing into ingots or end products. The apparatus provides a main hearth, a plurality of optional refining hearths, and a plurality of casting molds or direct molds whereby direct arc electrodes melt the titanium in the main hearth while plasma torches melt the titanium in the refining chambers and/or adjacent the molds. Each of the direct arc electrodes and plasma torches is extendable and retractable into the melting environment and moveable in a circular pivoting or side to side linear motion.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the melting of titanium or titanium alloys in a plasma cold hearth furnace. More particularly, this invention relates to a plasma cold hearth melting method and apparatus for providing a titanium ingot of commercial quality. Specifically, the invention is a method and apparatus for optimizing melting using a combination of plasma torches and direct arc electrodes, each of which is extendable and retractable into the melting environment and moveable in a circular pivoting or side to side linear motion.
2. Background Information
For many decades, aircraft engines, naval watercraft hulls, high tech parts for machinery and other critical component users have used substantial amounts of titanium or titanium alloys or other high quality alloys in the engines, the hulls, and other critical areas or components. The quality, tolerances, reliability, purity, structural integrity and other factors of these parts are critical to the performance thereof, and as such have required very high quality, advanced materials such as ultra-pure titanium or titanium alloys.
For decades, titanium usage was only where critical to meet very high quality, tolerances, reliability, purity, structural integrity and other factors because of the high cost of the manufacturing process which was typically a vacuum arc re-melting (VAR) process. However, high density inclusions and hard alpha inclusions were still sometimes present presenting the risk of failure of the component—a risk that is to be avoided due to the nature of use of many titanium components such as in aircraft engines. High-density inclusions, also called HDIs, are particles of significantly higher density than titanium and are introduced through contamination of raw materials used for ingot production where these defects are commonly molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, and tungsten carbide. Hard alpha defects are titanium particles or regions with high concentrations of the interstitial alpha stabilizers, such as nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon. Of these, the worst defects are usually high in nitrogen and generally result from titanium burning in the presence of oxygen such as atmospheric air during production. It is well known in the industry that the VAR process, even with the inclusion of premelt procedural requirements and post-production nondestructive test (NDT) inspections has proven unable to completely exclude hard alpha inclusions and has shown only a minimal capability for eliminating HDIs. Since both types of defects are difficult to detect, it is desirable to use an improved or different manufacturing process.
In more recent years, the addition of cold hearth or "skull" melting as an initial refining step in an alloy refining process has been extremely successful in eliminating the occurrence of HDI inclusions without the additional raw material inspection steps necessary in a VAR process. The cold hearth melting process has also shown promise in eliminating hard alpha inclusions. However, in many applications the plasma cold hearth-melting step is followed by a final VAR process since it provides known results. This is detrimental however as it risks reintroducing inclusions or impurities into the ingot. It is clear that a cold hearth melt only process would be more economical as a source for pure titanium than a VAR process or a hearth melting and VAR combination process.
The cold hearth melting processes currently being used incorporate either plasma or electron beam (EB) energy. It has been discovered that the cold hearth melt process is superior to VAR melting since the molten metal must continuously travel through a water cooled hearth before passing into the ingot mold. Specifically, separation of the melting and casting zones produces a more controlled molten metal residence time which leads to better elimination of inclusions by mechanisms such as dissolution and density separation.
However, additional improvements are needed to reach the ultimate potential that cold hearth melting using plasma or electron beam energy has to offer. Numerous issues still exist that result in a lack of optimization of the cold hearth melts process.
In electron beam cold hearth melting, a sophisticated and expensive "hard" vacuum (a vacuum at 10-6th millibars) system is still critical since electron beam energy guns will not operate reliably under any atmosphere other than a "hard" or "deep" vacuum. This vacuum also far exceeds the vapor pressure point of aluminum, which is often an element in titanium alloys. As a result evaporation of elemental aluminum results in potential alloy inconsistency and furnace interior sidewall contamination. Often sophisticated modeling and very thorough and costly scrap preparation are necessary due to the aluminum evaporation, as well as the addition of master alloys to make up for alloy evaporation losses. It is known that significant guesswork is often involved in making this process work.
In both plasma and electron beam cold hearth melting, many stirring and mixing inefficiencies exist. It is known that the more vigorous the stirring in a melting hearth the faster high melting point alloy additions go into solution, that a good homogeneous mixture requires enough stirring to reduce the potential for alloy segregation and that vigorous stirring insures against temperature variations in the melt hearth. It is also known that these temperature variations can make it difficult to reach a useful superheat.
The removal of high-density inclusions and hard alpha inclusions in a plasma and electron beam cold hearth melting process is also challenging. In operation, the residence time in the bath and a certain level of bath agitation resulting from the heat source are counted upon to "sink" the HDIs to the "mushy" zone at the bottom and "breakup" the LDIs to non-detectable levels. Experience has shown this to be an effective method of removing inclusions, however the process is certainly far from perfect and failure to remove the inclusions can be catastrophic.
Plasma and electron beam cold hearth melting are both continuous processes. From a practical standpoint, it is very difficult to sample the process as it occurs and therefore the results of the melt campaign are generally not known until the entire process is completed where product can be removed and physically sampled after cool-down. This has a number of associated drawbacks. First, it takes time before the plant knows whether the product is saleable. If the results are negative often the ingot is scrapped or must be cut up and re-melted again. Second, if the product can be salvaged it is usually downgraded and sold for less. Third, there are typically variations in chemistry throughout the product, which may be acceptable in an application but clearly point out the weakness in continuous operations of this nature. Even with good modeling capability the process is, at best, hit or miss. This is the primary reason most hearth melts require subsequent melting a second or third time in a conventional VAR furnace.
The continuous process also often does not yield a satisfactory surface finish. The result is the end user machining down the ingot prior to use. This is a large waste of resources—both in time and effort to machine the ingot, and in wasted titanium that is machined off into generally worthless titanium turnings or shavings.
It is thus very desirable to discover a method of re-using the inexpensive and readily available scrap or processed titanium turnings which have in the past been unusable in any quantity due to the high levels of surface oxygen contained therein as well as the potential and/or likelihood of molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, and tungsten carbide contamination from machining with tool bits made of these materials.

Method and apparatus for melting titanium using a combination of plasma torches and direct arc electrodes


A non-invasive blood vessel occlusion device includes a pair of pressure-applying members with opposed tissue-contacting surfaces, a supporting shaft configured to adjust the distance between tissue-contacting surfaces, and at least one sensor for locating a blood vessel disposed on at least one pressure-applying member. Blood vessels may be occluded by indirectly compressing the artery by compressing tissue near to an artery. The occlusion device finds use in, for example, treating uterine disorders and conditions which may be treated by occlusion of the uterine arteries. A uterine artery may be accessed via a body cavity, such as a patient's vagina, and may be occluded by compressing a portion of the vaginal wall around a portion of a uterine artery.

Hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) is performed on approximately 600,000 women annually in the United States. Hysterectomy is often the therapeutic choice for the treatment of uterine cancer, adenomyosis, menorrhagia, prolapse, dysfunctional uterine bleeding (abnormal menstrual bleeding that has no discrete anatomic explanation such as a tumor or growth), and muscular tumors of the uterus, known as leimyoma or uterine fibroids.
However, hysterectomy is a drastic treatment, having many undesirable characteristics. Thus, any method which can approximate the therapeutic result of a hysterectomy without removing the uterus would be a significant improvement in this field. Newer treatment methods have been developed for some diseases which may spare these women a hysterectomy.
In 1995, it was demonstrated that uterine fibroids could be treated without hysterectomy using a non-surgical therapy, specifically comprising bilateral intraluminal occlusion of the uterine arteries (Ravina et al., "Arterial Embolization to Treat Uterine Myomata", Lancet Sep. 9, 1995; Vol. 346; pp. 671-672, incorporated in its entirety herein). This technique is known as "uterine artery embolization". In this technique, uterine arteries are accessed via a transvascular route from a common femoral artery into the left and right uterine arteries.
The uterus has a dual (or redundant) blood supply, the primary blood supply being from the bilateral uterine arteries, and the secondary blood supply from the bilateral ovarian arteries. Consequently, when both uterine arteries are occluded, i.e. bilateral vessel occlusion, the uterus and the fibroids contained within the uterus are both deprived of their blood supply. However, as demonstrated by Ravina et al., the effect on the fibroid is greater than the effect on the uterus. In most instances, the fibroid withers and ceases to cause clinical symptoms.
However, many physicians do not possess the skill or equipment necessary to perform catheter-based uterine artery embolization under radiologic direction. Accordingly, only thousands of uterine artery embolizations have been performed, worldwide, over the past three years, whereas hundreds of thousands of hysterectomies have been performed each year for uterine fibroids which are symptomatic.
What is needed, therefore, are devices and methods to detect blood vessels and blood flow in blood vessels, and devices and methods to occlude blood flow in blood vessels such as the uterine arteries that can be used by physicians of ordinary skill in a simple medical setting or environment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for the detection and occlusion of blood vessels


The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to devices and methods for controlled delivery of a stent, such as a self-expanding stent, and more particularly for controlling the full deployment of a stent in incremental steps from a sheath and for controlling the reconstrainment of a stent in incremental steps within a sheath.

Stents, such as self-expanding stents, may be inserted to a target location in a body lumen while constrained within a sheath. Once located at the target site, the stent may be deployed by retracting the sheath proximally without any restriction on the proximal movement of the sheath. Undesirable consequences of this delivery system may include poor control over the amount of proximal movement by a user while retracting the sheath. A user may accidentally deploy more of the stent than intended as a result of too much withdrawing force being applied to the sheath. For example, the entire stent may be accidentally deployed with one proximal pulling motion of the sheath. The sheath may also be prematurely retracted proximally past a point where reconstrainment is no longer possible. These issues may result in a premature deployment of the stent in an undesirable location. Additionally, the existing mechanisms for deploying stents may require more than one user to actuate the mechanism, or both hands of one professional may be required to deploy a stent.
It may therefore be desirable to increase the amount of control available to a user for delivering a stent, and/or reducing the number of users, or hands of a single user, needed for a procedure. It is with these considerations in mind that the improvements of the present disclosure may be advantageous.

Devices and methods for controlled delivery of a stent


Methods are provided for delineating different layers and interfaces for inspection of a semiconductor wafer, wherein a sectioned portion of a wafer is subjected to a reactive ion etch process before inspection using a scanning electron microscope.

During the fabrication of semiconductor products, many processing steps are performed, including deposition, etching, patterning, implanting, reacting, and others, by which transistors and other electrical devices are formed and interconnected. Semiconductor manufacturers continually strive to reduce or streamline the number and duration of such processing steps, so as to increase product throughput and reduce product cost. The manufacturing processes are also optimized to improve device performance parameters and to increase device yields. In order to refine and optimize a given process flow, it is necessary to test or measure not only the electrical performance of the devices in a wafer, but also the physical properties of the structures being formed at any given point in the flow. For instance, it is often desirable to know the thicknesses of various material layers, to allow accurate adjustment of etching steps, planarization steps, or the like. In addition to optimizations, devices are often inspected to assess the continued performance of existing process flows, identify process drift, and/or the effects of material substitutions, etc.
Whereas device electrical performance in production wafers may be scrutinized to some extent using non-destructive wafer testing (e.g., prior to separation of individual device die and/or following device packaging), the physical characteristics of the structures being processed at any given point in the process flow are typically ascertained only by destructive testing of a sample wafer removed from the process. For example, where it is desired to know the extent to which a dielectric etch penetrates an etch-stop layer, a sample wafer may be removed from the process flow immediately following the etch step of interest, and sectioned for inspection using a scanning electron microscope or other metrology instrument.
The etch results may be desired to quantify etch selectivity of the process, etch rates, and/or remaining etch-stop layer thickness. Knowing the process performance, in turn, allows optimization, for instance, wherein the etch duration may be shortened according to the remaining etch-stop layer thickness. These inspections may occur, for example, in qualification of process flows prior to full scale manufacturing and/or periodically during production to verify whether process parameters are still within expected ranges. In addition to process optimization utility, the inspection of physical characteristics of a device during processing may be used to identify potential reliability problems, and to make process adjustments accordingly.
After sectioning, the exposed surface (cross-section) of the wafer is typically stained via a wet etch process, sometimes referred to as a standard oxide stain operation (SO staining). Other methods, including buffered oxide etch processing and mechanical polishing techniques, have been used in preparing the sectioned surface of interest for inspection. The sectioned surface preparation is done so as to facilitate accurate measurement of critical dimensions related to processing steps performed prior to sectioning, by delineating or differentiating the various layers of different materials from one another. The SO staining etch, for example, has been successfully employed in delineating silicon oxide (SiO2) dielectric layers from underlying silicon nitride (SiN) etch-stop layers to evaluate trench and/or via etch steps during damascene-type interconnect processing.
As device speeds continue to increase and as feature sizes and spacings continue to decrease, low-k dielectric materials are becoming more popular in forming inter layer dielectrics (ILD) in back-end interconnect processing. In addition, the dielectric constants of etch-stop layer materials are also being reduced, so as to increase operating speeds of the finished integrated circuit devices. For example, recent trends in ILD layer formation and processing include the use of carbon doped (C-doped) SiO2 for ILD layers and silicon carbide (SiC) type materials for etch-stop layers. In this case, the ILD and etch-stop layer materials are of more similar composition than were the previously popular SiO2 and SiN materials.
However, as the types of materials used in the ILD, etch-stop, hard mask, and other layers have become similar in composition, the conventional sample preparation techniques such as SO wet etch staining have become increasingly ineffective in delineating materials in different layers. Inspection of other types of layers at different points in the manufacturing flow has also suffered from the use of somewhat more similar compositions in adjacent layers in semiconductor wafers. Thus, difficulties are now arising in inspection of interconnect layers using other low-k dielectrics such as spin-on glass (SOG) films, and in other situations where adjacent layers need to be delineated. Thus, there is a need for improved sample preparation techniques by which features of interest can better be delineated for inspection in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

Methods for inspection sample preparation


To reduce the total ship resistance and to improve a propeller efficiency and cavitation performance due to the reduced thrust loading on the propeller for ships or vessels having a sonar dome or an equivalently shaped designs located below the baseline of the hull, a teardrop-shaped bulbous bow is attached to the ship stem bow between the forward perpendicular of the bow and 12.7 ft forward of the forward perpendicular of the vessel, inclusive, and between the ship design waterline and the baseline. The bulbous bow is separate and discrete, and spaced from the sonar dome and has a shaped of a teardrop. The teardrop shaped bulbous bow is mounted to the ship stem bow with the round end portion pointing in the forward direction and the pointed end portion pointing in the aft direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hullform configuration to improve efficiency and power of vessels or the like. In particular, the invention relates to improved performance for a Naval destroyer with a sonar dome positioned below the baseline of the hull.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of bulbous bow configuration have been contemplated in the past in attempting to minimize drag and wave resistances caused by a vessel moving through water, to increase speed and to save fuel. Weicker U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,262; Taylor et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,687; Allen U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,325; Inui U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,010; Ingvason U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,673; Langenberg U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,989; Stanford U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,352; and Eckert U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,603, and Re 26,997, for instance, disclose different types of bulbous bow configuration for commercial vessels. In general, these bulbous bows extend in front of the bow, between the vessel baseline (BL) and the vessel waterline (DWL) and continue toward the hull thereof.
A Naval ship, such a high speed Naval destroyer DDG-51 Flight I with an AN/SQS-53C sonar dome (hereafter the Naval destroyer) of the U.S. Navy, in contrast, has a relatively large teardrop-shaped sonar dome at the bow for housing a sonar equipment. The sonar dome is situated below the ship baseline to minimize any interfering noise caused by flow of water. Generally, the sonar dome is located in free stream flow ahead of any noise sources, such as the bow wave breaking, and below the Naval destroyer baseline. It has been found that the sonar dome of that type which are situated below the ship baseline generally increases the drag resistance of the ship at low and cruise speeds, while reducing the drag resistance by 1-2% at the maximum speed.
The naval destroyer has a 466 ft LBP, a 60 ft beam, 20.688 ft draft, and a displacement of 8500 tons. The principle scaled body plan (scale factor of 20.2609) for the Naval destroyer, also known as DTMB Model 5422, is represented in FIG. 1, with the forward end of the sonar dome (SD) located at 4.5 ft ship scale forward of the forward perpendicular. FIG. 1 shows a conventional ship body plan. The reference lines DWL and BL represents the design waterline and the baseline, respectively. The length of the ship from the forward perpendicular to the transom is divided into twenty equally spaced stations. The distance between each station is 23.3 ft ship scale. Each of the numbers 0, 1/2, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 is a cross sectional configuration of the hull at that station.
The sonar dome typically has a much smaller effect on the wavemaking resistance of the ship than a bulbous bow which is located close to the waterline and has a much greater impact on the ship wavemaking resistance.
Commercial vessels, including some Naval ships without the sonar domes, on the other hand, may utilize bulbous bows of the type described in the above patents, but not in combination with a sonar dome. Prior to the present invention, a combination of a near surface bulbous bow and a below baseline sonar dome has not been contemplated because the sonar dome and the bulbous bow are in relatively close proximity to each other and thus were theorized to have been mutually exclusive. In other words, the sonar dome would have substituted for the bulbous bow and vice-versa, but not in combination.

Combined bulbous bow and sonar dome for a vessel

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A corner brace which can support an inner cabinet shelf during shipping of the cabinet, and serves to secure a cabinet top in place, is disclosed. The brace is comprised of an angle member having a pair of arm members oriented substantially perpendicularly to one another. The arm members have a flat planar top edge portion oriented substantially parallel with one another. A shelf member interconnects each of the arm member front portions at a position spaced beneath the arm member top edge portions, the shelf member having a bottom portion and a flat planar top portion oriented parallel with the arm member top edge portions. The shelf member has an outer edge portion interconnecting the arm members, and also has an opening formed therein between the top portion and the bottom portion. An elongate reinforcing rib member is connected to the shelf member bottom portion adjacent the outer edge portion, the rib member interconnecting and extending continuously between the arm members. A reinforcing boss member is formed on the shelf member bottom portion around the opening to further rigidify the brace.

Cabinets, particularly kitchen cabinets, are frequently manufactured without the top surface or counter installed. This permits the cabinet to be delivered to a customer and the appropriate countertop custom installed. However, without the added rigidity provided by an installed top surface, the cabinets must be braced during shipping to prevent their collapse.
Cabinets are often shipped with an inner shelf. In this case, it would be desireable to have a corner brace which could also provide temporary support for the shelf during shipping. Prior corner braces do not serve well in this capacity.
When the top surface of a cabinet is installed, it is typically necessary to employ means such as an angle iron to fasten the top surface in place. It would be clearly desireable to eliminate the need for an angle iron or the like and, in this regard, desireable to employ a corner brace which could also serve as a means for fastening the cabinet top in place. Again, prior corner braces do not serve well in this capacity.
In view of the foregoing, a first object of the present invention is to provide a corner brace which will rigidify cabinets during shipping.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a corner brace which can be used as a support for an inner cabinet shelf during shipping.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a corner brace which can be used as a fastener to secure a cabinet top in place.


A collimator is disclosed for stray radiation, in particular for medical X-ray devices. In addition, a method is disclosed for producing the collimator. The collimator includes numerous absorption elements for X-ray radiation which are separated from one another by a filler and support material and are aligned approximately in parallel or oriented towards a common focus. In the collimator, the absorption elements are statistically distributed. A collimator of this type is extremely cost-effective to produce.

In typical fields of application of radioscopy such as, for example, X-ray inspection or medical X-ray diagnostics, the resolution which can be achieved in the radioscopy plays an important role. Good resolution is achieved when detector arrays with detector elements of small area which are as close to one another as possible and a device for closely limiting the wide solid angle at which the X-ray radiation can impinge on the respective detector element, which is arranged in front of these detector elements, are used. In the ideal case, this device, known as collimator, only allows the X-ray radiation propagating on a straight line connection between the focus of the X-ray tube used and the respective detector element to pass and absorbs X-ray radiation which is incident an another angle due to scattering.
Due to its history, the stray radiation does not contribute to the image information and leads to a distinct impairment of the signal/noise ratio and of the achievable resolution of the X-ray image if it impinges on the detector elements with full force. By using suitable collimators which, as a rule, are adapted to the geometric relationships of the respective X-ray system, particularly the arrangement of the X-ray tube and X-ray detectors,
the proportion of stray radiation reaching the detector elements can be clearly reduced so that, in many cases, usable X-ray images are only obtained by this.
Collimators include numerous absorption elements for X-ray radiation, which are separated from one another by a filler and support material and are aligned approximately in parallel or oriented towards a common focus, the focus of the X-ray tube. In present-day X-ray CT installations, collimators are still used, as a rule, which have lead strips extending approximately in parallel with one another or aligned towards the X-ray focus, between which paper strips are inserted as filler and support material. In many cases, the distance of the lead strips is adjusted during the production of the collimators in such a manner that the lead strips are located as accurately as possible above the partitions of the fluorescent arrays at the detector end when the collimator is used.
The collimators must, therefore, be produced with great mechanical precision. The alignment onto the focus of the X-ray tube implemented in part also requires an elaborate production process. Due to these high requirements for precision, the production of the collimators causes high costs. A two-dimensional collimation of the X-ray radiation as is required when two-dimensional detector arrays are used cannot be achieved with such collimators, either.
From DE 197 26 846 C1, a collimator is known in which the distance of the absorption elements which are also strip-shaped here and which are aligned in parallel with one another continuously increases from the center of the collimator towards the edge. At the same time, the width of the absorption elements is increased towards the edge. Constructing the collimator in this manner makes it possible to implement an absorption characteristic which is largely uniform over the entire collimator width.
However, the requirements for manufacturing precision are also high in this case.
From DE 199 20 301 C2, a further collimator is known in which the absorption elements extend essentially radially with respect to a center in spaced-apart rows. The variation and the arrangement of the absorption elements are predetermined in accordance with a particular rule in this collimator. The support material used is silicon into which holes are etched in accordance with the required variation of the rows of absorption elements. Into these holes, pin-shaped absorption elements of lead are inserted. This collimator, too, requires that very high precision is maintained during the production which is achieved, in particular, by the proposed manufacturing technique with silicon as support material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,075 A describes a collimator which allows two-dimensional collimation of the incident X-ray radiation. The collimator is produced from a glass fiber bundle from which individual disc-shaped sections are sawn out. The cores of the individual glass fibers are etched out so that capillary passage channels are produced for the X-ray radiation. The glass material is subsequently doped with up to 60% lead in the form of lead oxide so that an increased X-ray absorption is achieved outside the passage channels. Due to the etching and doping steps required in this arrangement, the production of this collimator is also relatively expensive.

Collimator for stray radiation, in particular for medical x-ray devices and method for producing said collimator


A tool for picking up and carrying dog dung excellent in appearance and capable of being easily carried in dog walk. The tool being is operable on hand in catching, carrying, and discharging the dog dung. At least one swinging support is provided at an end of a long shaft extending from a grip of a shank. A receiver and a lid swinging in directions opposing each other are provided with openings and peripherals supported by the swinging support. Bosses formed on parts of outer walls of the receiver and the lid are connected to operating rod vertically movable along the shaft via link. By an operation unit of the operating rod arranged adjacent to the grip, the receiver is upturned about at the right angle to the shaft when the lid is shut. The receiver and the lid are largely opened forwardly during discharge of the dung. At an intermediate opening position, the receiver is inclined in a direction suitable for catching the dung by the receiver.

Tools for catching and bringing back dog dung have been available. In most, they are mainly composed of a tool for scooping or pinching dog dung on the ground and a bag for containing the dung. A portable pet dung collector disclosed in Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3051160 includes a retaining ring supported to a hinge at the tip of a collapsible shaft for attaching a plastic film bag thereto. Such tools have disadvantages that the retaining ring must be touched by a hand and is inconvenient to carry it so as to give people repulsed feeling. In a sanitary device for removing animal droppings disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,269 and a portable canine commode in U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,132, a cup receiver is fixed to the end of a shank extending from a grip with an inclination suitable for catching the dung and above the receiver, a lid is supported by a hinge, which can be operated to open or close the lid from the grip. A flaw of such a tool is that since the receiver is fixed in an inclination suitable for catching the dung, the dung is difficult to be discharged. As a result, the bottom of the receiver must also be openable, complicating the tool. Also, when going out while carrying the tool in one's hand in a vertical direction after catching the dung, the opening of the receiver may be inclined, so that great care was required in designing the lid in structure and also in using the tool. Furthermore, it is difficult to remove and clean the dung adhered on the inside of the small receiver.
Tools for picking up and carrying dog dung available up to now have disadvantages that they are generally difficult to use and are awkward looking when they are carried, such disadvantages have been driving away the potential users.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool for picking up and carrying dog dung which is excellent in picking up, housing, and discharging the dog dung as well as having good appearance when carrying it for dog walk.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool for picking up and carrying dog dung in which a receiver can be opened in a direction easily picking up the dung by a simple operation of an operation unit so as to hold the receiver in a direction easily carrying the dung by closing a lid after picking up the dung as well as the receiver can be largely opened in a direction easily discharging the dung on a toilet by a simple operation while carrying the tool in one's hand.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a tool for picking up and carrying dog dung capable of pushing out and discharging the dung within a receiver by a simple operation while carrying the tool in one's hand.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool for picking up and carrying dog dung to which the dung is difficult to adhere and remain on insides of a receiver and a lid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool for picking up and carrying dog dung in which rain-water is difficult to infiltrate a receiver as well as odor of the dog dung cannot leak out.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool for picking up and carrying dog dung in which the inside and the outside of a receiver can be easily cleaned by washing them with water so as to maintain the tool clean and glossy, and the tool is compact with a large holding capacity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool for picking up and carrying dog dung which is easily carried during dog walking and has a grip and an operation unit which are easily operated in picking up and discharging the dung.


A detachable blocking device, in particular on a clamping tool, having a blocking element, which blocks the displacement capability of a rod in at least one detachment direction in a blocking position, and a detachment member, which displaces the blocking element into a release position when moved from a default position into a detachment position, in which release position the rod can be displaced at least in the detachment direction. A brake element, in a braking position, acts on the rod so that the rod can only be displaced after neutralization of a braking force acting against the displacement direction of the rod, which braking force does not have to be neutralized in a sliding position of the brake element. The brake element has a brake lever and/or can be brought into its sliding position by pivoting an arm of the detachment member having a detachment lever.

The invention relates to a detachable blocking device, in particular on a clamping tool, for example on a clamp, comprising a blocking element, which blocks the displacement capability of a rod at least in a detachment direction in a blocking position, and a detachment member, which displaces the blocking element into a release position when moved from a default position into a detachment position, in which release position the rod can be displaced at least in the detachment direction.
Furthermore, the invention also relates to a clamp comprising a rod bearing a first clamping jaw and a housing bearing a second clamping jaw, said housing having a drive member which, when actuated several times one after the other, displaces the rod progressively in a clamping direction which is opposed to the detachment direction.
Such a clamp is described in EP 0 997 232 B1. A blocking element, which in a blocking position blocks the displacement capability of the rod in the detachment direction, is located inside the housing. The two clamping jaws can be brought into a clamping position by the drive member. To this end the two clamping jaws can be moved towards one another or away from one another. In the latter case the clamp operates as a spreader clamp. A detachment member is provided which, when it is displaced from a default position, displaces the blocking member into a release position in which the rod can be displaced both in the detachment direction and also in the clamping direction opposed thereto. The blocking element is formed there by a steel plate having a window through which the rod is guided. In the blocking position the window edges dig into surface portions of the rod. If the detachment member is actuated, the blocking element is brought out of the tilted position, so that the rod can be displaced through the window. The detachment member cooperates there with the blocking element in such a way that by means of a displacement, occurring several times one after the other, of the detachment member beyond the detachment position the rod can be displaced progressively in the detachment direction. In this case the blocking element is pushed by the detachment member in the clamping direction over the track, wherein a return displacement spring is tensioned. The return displacement spring is capable of bringing the blocking element into a tilted position, in order to displace the blocking element together with the rod fastened thereto.

Detachable blocking device, in particular on a clamping tool


A power regulation circuit includes at least a first regulator connected to a second regulator in series forming a first regulator pair and a third regulator connected to a fourth regulator in series forming a second regulator pair. The first regulator pair is connected in parallel with the second regulator pair. Each individual regulator is configured to separately regulate an input voltage to a predetermined regulated output voltage. The second regulator pair regulates the input voltage if a short condition occurs within the first regulator pair and the second and fourth regulators each regulate the input voltage if an open condition occurs within the first or third regulator respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of this invention relate generally to field of computer processing and more specifically relate to a power regulation scheme that may be utilized in computer processing systems or other electronic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A voltage regulator is an electrical component that outputs a constant voltage level. A voltage regulator may use an electromechanical mechanism, or passive or active electronic components, and depending on the regulator type, it may be used to regulate one or more AC or DC voltages.

Multiple branch alternative element power regulation

International Business Machines Corporation


A battery state estimation device for estimating a charged electric charge quantity of a rechargeable battery includes an impedance measurement unit configured to measure a plurality of complex impedances of the rechargeable battery by supplying measurement power to the rechargeable battery, a parameter calculation unit configured to calculate a parameter that includes a ratio of a difference between measurement angular velocities of two complex impedances in a diffusion region among the measured complex impedances to a difference between components of the two complex impedances, and an electric charge quantity estimation unit configured to estimate a charged electric charge quantity of the rechargeable battery based on the calculated parameter and preset correlated information between the charged electric charge quantity of the rechargeable battery and the parameter.

The present invention relates to a battery state estimation device and a battery state estimation method for estimating a battery state of a rechargeable battery such as a charged electric charge quantity and a battery temperature.
A nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery or a lithium ion rechargeable battery has high energy density and is thereby employed as an in-vehicle power source for vehicles such as an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle.
Complex impedance analysis is performed on the rechargeable battery to determine the battery state of such a rechargeable battery (for example, refer to International Publication No. 2014/054796).
International Publication No. 2014/054796 describes a device that measures deterioration of a rechargeable battery. The device includes a rechargeable battery, a storage unit configured to store inherent information, and a temperature measurement unit configured to measure a temperature of the rechargeable battery. The inherent information includes a measurement frequency, a measurement temperature, and an initial critical capacity of a rechargeable battery having the same specification as the measured rechargeable battery. The device also includes a power supply unit and a complex impedance measurement unit. Based on the information stored in the storage unit, the power supply unit applies an alternating current signal having a measurement frequency ranging from 0.5 mHz or greater to less than 10 mHz to the rechargeable battery at a temperature ranging from 40° C. or greater to 70° C. or less. The complex impedance measurement unit measures a complex impedance of the rechargeable battery (see vertical region dc of impedance curve L121 in FIG. 12) based on an alternating current signal applied by the power supply unit. Furthermore, the device detects deterioration from a critical capacity of the rechargeable battery calculated from a measurement value of the complex impedance measurement unit and the initial critical capacity stored in the storage unit.
As shown in FIG. 12, the impedance curve L121 in a Nyquist diagram generally contains a plurality of regions corresponding to bands of measurement frequencies. Specifically, in response to a change in frequency from a band on the high frequency side to a band on the low frequency side, the impedance curve L121 is divided into "region a" corresponding to a circuit resistance, "region b" corresponding to a solution resistance, "region c" corresponding to a complex impedance caused by the reaction resistance, and "diffusion region d" corresponding to a substantially linear diffusion resistance. According to the device described in International Publication No. 2014/054796, the "diffusion region d" is divided into a "linear region da" continuous from "region c," and a "vertical region dc" that is a region on the low-frequency side with respect to the "linear region da." Deterioration of the rechargeable battery is measured based on a value of an imaginary component of the "vertical region dc." However, in the "linear region da," a ratio of a change amount of the imaginary component to a change amount of a real component lies in a range of predetermined values close to "1." The imaginary component greatly changes in comparison with the real component in the "vertical region dc" and changes substantially vertically in the Nyquist diagram.
However, according to the above technology utilizing the "vertical region dc" on the lower frequency side in the "diffusion region d," a certain length of time is required for measurement of the complex impedance. In this case, timely acquisition of the battery state is difficult.

Battery state estimation device and battery state estimation method


A method of installing angle plates at the corners of ducts which has at the opposite ends of each panel of the duct channel shaped flanges into which is installed an angle plate with the angle plates being utilized to secure adjacent ducts together utilizing fasteners. The angle plates are configurated so as to be automatically fed by way of a supply hopper and associated machinery is constructed whereby a lowermost angle plate in a stack is automatically fed into position overlying duct channel flanges after the duct has been clamped in place followed by the forcing of the angle plate into the duct channel flanges and the securement of the angle plate in place. The method may comprise placing two angle flanges into two corners of one end of the duct and, further, simultaneously placing angle plates into the channel flanges at both the bottom and top of a duct. Finally, the duct may come with two portions joined by a seam which is automatically locked together at the time of the placement of the angle plates.

It is well known to connect the ends of sheet metal ducts by providing the ducts at opposite ends of the panels of the ducts which open towards one another and wherein there is disposed at the corners of the ducts angle plates which have opposite ends thereof seated in and connect together adjacent angle flanges. The ducts are then secured together by way of fasteners which connect together the angle plates.
Attention is here directed to the patents to Heilman et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,641, and La Crosse et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,923, which clearly disclose ducts formed with the channel flanges into which there are forced angle plates by way of which the ducts are connected together by bolts passing through the angle plates.
To date, the angle plates are manually secured to the ducts by manually forcing the angle plates into the duct channel flanges. This is time consuming and thus costly. Further, each angle plate must be positioned individually.

Automated method for placement of angle plates in transverse duct flanges