The equipment of the present invention can implement high-speed hybridization with a simple construction and is configured as described below.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hybridization method and hybridization equipment for achieving higher speed and higher efficiency hybridization for biopolymers such as deoxyribonucleic acid (hereafter called DNA), or ribonucleic acid (hereafter called RNA) or proteins attached to DNA, RNA, or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In measuring gene sequences of biopolymers such as DNA, RNA, or proteins attached to RNA or DNA, or the like, DNA chips for hybridization have been used until now.
DNA chips used for hybridization include the one constructed such that multiple electrodes are provided on a substrate and a current source is connected to each electrode, as mentioned, for example, in Michael J. Heller, "An Active Microelectronics Device for Multiplex DNA Analysis," IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, 1996, March/April, pp.P100-101. The number of electrodes is about 100 to 10000 and, in general, known different DNAs are fixed to each electrode.
By causing hybridization by passing unknown DNA on a substrate on which such known DNAs are fixed, the unknown DNA is bonded to corresponding DNA sequences. If a fluorescent reagent is bonded to unknown DNA in advance, the sequence of the unknown DNA bonded to known DNA can be known.
The above will be further described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 1(a), a positive voltage is applied to an electrode 81 on which known DNA 82 is fixed. A solution in which unknown DNA 83 can flow is stored (not shown in the drawing) in a region on electrode 81. Unknown DNA 83 is negatively charged and attracted to electrode 81, to which DNA 82 is fixed, moving in the solution as shown in FIG. 1(b). This action increases the concentration of unknown DNA 83 around electrode 81, thus increasing the speed of hybridization.
In addition, if known and unknown DNAs are bonded causing sequence mismatching by mistake, this bonding can be cut off by applying a slight negative voltage to electrode 81 on the contrary after hybridization as shown in FIG. 2(b). As a result, a difference of only one base such as for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can be measured with high precision.
However, such conventional method has the following problems:    (1) The method requires individual electrodes to be provided for every site on a DNA chip. This is expensive as well as complicated in construction and it is necessary to ensure wide electrode spaces. Accordingly, this method cannot increase the number of sites and the site pattern on the chip has less degree of freedom.    (2) If a kind of unnecessary DNA having a sequence different from that of the known DNA is once gathered to a site, it is bonded to the known DNA but defectively. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, assume that both unknown DNA (A2) and unknown DNA (B2) are gathered to site A on which known DNA (A1: not shown in the drawing) is fixed. Then, if known DNA (A1) bonded with unknown DNA (A2) causes the appropriate hybridization, unknown DNA (B2) is unnecessary for site A.
On the other hand, assume that both unknown DNA (B2) and unknown DNA (A2) are gathered to site B on which known DNA (B1: not shown in the drawing) is fixed. Then, if known DNA (B1) bonded with unknown DNA (B2) causes the appropriate hybridization, unknown DNA (A2) is unnecessary for site B.

Hybridization method and hybridization equipment

Abstract: The equipment comprises a biochip prepared by fixing biopolymers onto a plurality of sites on a substrate, positive and negative electrodes for generating an electric field along the surface of this biochip substrate, and a magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field along the surface of the above biochip substrate, and is configured to move biopolymers movable in the fluid stored over the above-mentioned biochip substrate along the surface of the above biochip substrate as well as to attract the above described biopolymers towards the surface of the above biochip substrate during hybridization of the above biopolymers, by making the above-mentioned electric and magnetic fields act along the surface of the above biochip substrate.


A multi-shaft driving apparatus includes a plurality of motors each for rotating one of a plurality of shafts to be synchronously rotated, an encoder, provided for each motor, for detecting a rotational state of the shafts, a pulse generator for generating a pulse signal for rotating the shafts, and a motor control circuit, provided for each motor, for inputting the pulse signal generated by the pulse generator for rotating the shafts and a pulse signal detected by the encoder and used as a feedback signal. The motor control circuit has a PLL control section and a rotational angle phasing section so that a rotational angle phasing control loop is generated to perform a rotational angle phasing operation by the rotational angle phasing section so to as place the shafts in position at a driving start and after performing the rotational angle phasing operation, a rising and steady control loop is generated to perform an operation from a rise state to a steady state by the PLL control section. A fluid rotary apparatus includes a plurality of rotors accommodated in a housing, a plurality of shafts each for rotating one of the rotors to be synchronously rotated, and a fluid drawing opening formed in the housing and a fluid discharge opening formed therein, in addition to the structure of the multi-shaft driving apparatus so that the volume change of a space formed by the rotors or by the rotors and the housing is utilized to draw and discharge fluid.

The present invention relates to a multi-shaft driving apparatus and a fluid rotary apparatus.
Conventionally, equipment is provided with multi-shaft driving apparatus for driving a plurality of shafts synchronously by a plurality of motors.
In order for the multi-shaft driving apparatus to rotate a plurality of shafts synchronously with a high accuracy, it is proposed that an encoder, a pulse generator, and a motor control circuit are provided for each motor. The encoder detects the rotational state of each. The pulse generator generates pulse signals for rotating the shafts. The motor control circuit, having a PLL control section, inputs the pulse signals outputted from the pulse generator and pulse signals fed back by the encoder as a result of the detection of the rotational states of each shaft. In the above construction, a PLL control loop which passes through the PLL control section is formed.
According to the above multi-shaft driving apparatus, the shafts are driven synchronously in a steady state by the PLL control section, but they do not rotate synchronously during transient states such as rise time and fall time in the rotations of the shafts because PLL control is not performed during such transient states.
Vacuum technology is used in a very wide range from a technological field closely relating to daily life to a high technological field. Thus, vacuum technology is indispensable for technological progress.
Recently, an oil-free dry pump which forms a clean vacuum has become noteworthy in view of the progress of semiconductor industry.
The dry pumps now used includes screw type, scroll type, and claw type pumps. A positive-displacement vacuum pump is normally used in a low vacuum degree ranging from atmospheric pressure to 10.sup.-2 -10.sup.-3 torr. The positive-displacement vacuum pump comprises a plurality of rotors accommodated in a housing; a plurality of driving shafts which rotate the rotors synchronously; and a fluid suction opening and a fluid discharge opening formed in the housing. Utilizing the volume change of a space formed by the rotors or by the housing and the rotors, the drive pump draws and discharges fluid.
In order to make the pump oil-free, the conventional pump comprises a timing gear for rotating a motor shaft for driving synchronously a plurality of rotors; an oil chamber provided in a space accommodating a bearing; and a mechanical seal provided between the oil chamber and a space (suction chamber) formed by the rotors and the housing so as to prevent oil from penetrating into the space.
However, according to the conventional pump of the above construction, it is necessary to periodically replace oil and the mechanical seals and in addition, it is difficult to prevent the leakage of oil from the oil chamber.
The inventors of the present invention have already proposed a fluid rotary apparatus (oil-free vacuum pump) comprising two rotors synchronously rotated without contacting each other by the above-described multi-shaft synchronous control. However, the proposal does not describe the method for synchronously rotating the rotors during the starting and stopping of the vacuum pump.

Multi-shaft driving apparatus and fluid rotary apparatus

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A sphygmomanometer includes an expandable/contractable air bag supplied with air; a bag-shaped cover body for accommodating the air bag and for attaching the air bag to a site to be measured; an expansion and contraction mechanism for expanding and contracting the air bag; and a power supply unit arranged in the bag-shaped cover body. The power supply unit includes a battery for supplying driving power to the expansion and contraction mechanism, and a non-contact power reception unit for receiving power for charging the battery. The non-contact power reception unit is supplied with power through an electromagnetic inductive action from a non-contact power transmission unit arranged in a non-contact state with the non-contact power reception unit.

The conventional sphygmomanometer includes a cuff-integrated sphygmomanometer (patent document 1) disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-163531 aimed to prevent the cuff from moving around and shifting when attaching the cuff and enable the cuff to be easily attached. In the sphygmomanometer disclosed in patent document 1, a case body including a main body lower case and a main body upper case is fixed to the cuff. A battery, a pressurization pump, an electromagnetic valve, a circuit substrate, a display, or the like are arranged inside the main body upper case.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-314181 discloses a non-contact type charging device aimed to simultaneously charge using one non-contact type power transmission device of a plurality of portable electronic devices attached to a non-contact type power reception module (patent document 2). The non-contact type charging device disclosed in patent document 2 includes a non-contact type power transmission device with a primary coil connected to a regulator circuit, and a non-contact type power reception module in which rectifying means connected to a secondary coil that magnetically couples with the primary coil is modularized, where the secondary batteries in a plurality of portable electronic devices are charged through the rectifying means.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-323657 discloses a micro-robot aimed to provide a system for performing charging and communication of a built-in battery (patent document 3). The micro-robot disclosed in patent document 3 includes two micro-drive units, each micro-drive unit including a distributed stepping motor. The charging of the secondary power supply built in the robot and the communication between the coils are performed using an excitation coil of the motor.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-163531    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-314181    Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-323657

Sphygmomanometer and charging unit for sphygmomanometer


A flexible display device includes: a flexible substrate having a lower substrate including a prominence pattern, a barrier layer pattern on the prominence pattern, and a planarization film; a gate line on the flexible substrate; a data line crossing the gate line with having a gate insulation film therebetween to define a pixel region; a thin film transistor formed at an intersection of the gate line and the data line; and a passivation layer on the flexible substrate including the thin film transistor. With this configuration, the flexible substrate and the flexible display device can be enhanced by preventing property deterioration of the elements due to bending stresses.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present application relates to a flexible display device and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the present application relates to a flexible display device which allows elements to be stably formed on a flexible substrate and enhances flexibility of the flexible substrate and reliability, and to a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, the world has seen rapid advances in the electronic display field for visually representing an information. As a result, a variety of flat panel display devices that are slim, light weight, and with low power consumption have been developed. Also, the flat panel display devices have been rapidly replacing the existing cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
As examples of the flat panel display devices, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, organic light emitting display (OLED) devices, electrophoretic display (electric paper display (EPD)) devices, plasma display panel device (PDPs), field emission display(FED) devices, electroluminescence display devices (ELDs), elector-wetting display (EWD) devices, and so on have been introduced. Such flat panel display devices commonly include a flat display panel, as a necessary component, to display images. The flat display panel is configured with a pair of combined substrates which face each other with having an inherent light emitting or polarizing material layer therebetween.
Also, as the display devices are actively developed, may have enhanced esthetics and provide useful multi-functions to distinguish the products. In general, a related art display device includes a flat panel which uses a glass substrate. Due to this, it is difficult to diversify the design. Moreover, because of large flat areas, the related flat panel devices have a different distance between a main viewing area and its central portion and the main viewing area and its side portion. In other words, the flat panel designs have a different distance between its central portion and its side portion with respect to the main viewing area.
To address this matter, a flexible display device using a flexible material such as a plastic material and so on is developed. The flexible display device can be curved and designed in a variety of shapes, unlike the flat panel display devices of the related art. Such a flexible display device can be more attractive as a next generation display device to replace a monitor of a portable computer, an electronic newspaper, a smart card, and printed media such as books, newspapers, magazines and so on.
To be attractive, the flexible display device must maintain display performance when it is bent. However, the flexible display device can cause display defects when bent or curved. This results from the fact that the flexible display device includes multiple thin film layers and electronic elements which are formed on a flexible substrate. In other words, the thin film layers and the electronic elements can be formed by stacking inorganic materials.
When the flexible display device is severely bent or curved, a bending stress is transferred to the thin film layers and the electronic elements. The bending stress forces the thin film layers to be cracked or deteriorated. Due to this, physical and electrical properties of the electronic elements can deteriorate.

Flexible display device and manufacturing method thereof


A method for notifying a user that a link is enabled for activation through voice input. The method can display a visual marker for a hyperlink to indicate that the hyperlink is activatable thorough voice input. The visual marker is not displayed for the hyperlink when the hyperlink is not activatable through voice input even if the hyperlink is activatable through other forms of user input. Visual markers can include such indicators as double underlining the hyperlink, surrounding the hyperlink with a box, and altering the background color of the hyperlink.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer software and, more particularly, to the use of visual markers within browsers for identifying links enabled for activation through voice input.
2. Description of the Related Art
On the Internet, links contained within a Web page to other Web pages are marked by an underline and/or a different distinctive color, typically blue. The blue underlining places a user on notice that the text is a link, which can be selected. A user familiar with this visual marker for a link can assume that a Web browser will jump to a linked Web page whenever the user selects (clicks) the link.
Many Web pages are being enabled for speech technologies so that browser users can speak a reference to a link to access the linked Web page in place of or in addition to the conventional option of permitting a user to click upon the link with a mouse or other such device. Speech processing technologies for linking to referenced sites via voice commands are generally implemented on a Web site by Web site basis if not a Web page by Web page basis. Accordingly, some Web sites provide a capability to reference links by voice commands, while others do not. Links enabled for receiving voice commands can be referred to as speech enabled links.
Conventionally, the speech enablement of links occurs by overloading the visual indicator of the link to include voice command as well as click command enablement. This overloading of the links poses an ambiguity to a user since the user does not know if a link can be enabled through voice commands in addition to clicked commands. Accordingly, a user navigating from one Web page to another (as well as from one Web site to another) does not know when links can be activated by voice commands and when this functionality is unavailable. The user presently attempts to issue one or more voice commands to activate a link, and if the voice command repetitively fails, the user will click on the link to activate it instead. The ambiguity relating to whether links are enabled for voice commands or not leads to user confusion and frustration, often causing enabled speech technologies included within browsers to be under utilized. Until the day arrives when all Web links or hyperlinks within Web pages are automatically speech enabled, users will be confused as to which Web link can be voice activated and which cannot.

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus of setting-up configuration of a display device includes a display device and a configuration set-up device. The configuration set-up device downloads configuration data from an external device and stores the downloaded data. When the configuration set-up device uploads the configuration data to the display device, configuration of the display device is automatically set-up according to the uploaded configuration data, which define a set of options associated with operation of the display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display system, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus of setting-up configuration of display devices.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a remote controller is used to remotely control operation of a display device. The remote controller can remotely control various functions of the display device, such as external input option, channel option, volume option, and screen option (contrast, brightness, sharpness, tint, color, noise removal, and so on). Particularly, if a plurality of display devices are used in public places such as a hotel and an exhibition hall, since a plurality of users sometimes shift functions/options of the display devices using a remote controller, the shifted functions/options should be restored to the original functions/options. For example, functions/options of the display device setup/shifted by a guest of a hotel are initiated after the guest has checked out. Also, in case of the exhibition hall that uses the display device, video and audio of the display device are shifted to match an exhibition concept before the exhibition hall is opened. To shift and set-up functions/options of the display devices, a central computer connected to the display devices through a network controls the respective display devices. However, a problem arises in that much cost is required to construct a network for connecting the display devices to the central computer through a cable.

Method and apparatus of setting-up configuration of display devices


A band member forming apparatus including a rotary drum body having a rotary shaft, a drum driving device for rotating the rotary drum body about the rotary shaft, a plurality of moving members arranged in a peripheral direction of the rotary drum body, and radially and movably mounted to the rotary drum body, drum segments fixedly attached to the respective movable members for forming the outer periphery of the rotary drum, a continuous expansion and contraction device for simultaneously moving the movable members and drum segments in a radial directions of the rotary drum so as to expand and contract the diameter of the rotary drum, and a changer device for changing the continuous expansion and contraction device from an operation state to a suspension state and vice versa.

The present invention relates to a band member forming apparatus in which a tread is adhered on a breaker to form a band member.
In the production of a radial tire or other tire, in general, there has been employed a green tire production method in which a band member (or breaker band) is produced over a special drum in advance by adhering a tread on a breaker, and connected to a toroidal carcass which is formed over another drum.
A band member forming apparatus used in the above method are provided with a rotary drum as shown in FIG. 5 or 6. In the band member forming apparatus 60 shown in FIG. 5, a rotary drum 62 having a drum shaft 61 is made of a plurality of drum segments 63 each of which is in the form of an arc in a side view thereof. In addition, the band member forming apparatus 60 is provided with an air bag 64 in the form of a hollow which is an expansion and contraction means L for moving the drum segments 63 in radial directions. The air bag 64 is placed over the outer periphery of a supporter 66 attached to the drum shaft 61. When the drum is contracted, the air bag 64 is contracted so that the drum segments 63 are withdrawn inside as shown in an upper half portion of FIG. 5. When the air bag 64 is expanded, the drum segments 63 are pushed radially outward so that the outer diameter of the rotary drum 62 is expanded as shown in a lower half portion of FIG. 5. Then, a breaker and a tread are applied over the outer periphery of the rotary drum 62. The drum segment 63 is integrally provided with an engagement portion 67 of which cross section is hook-shaped so as to restrict the amount of the diameter expansion. The engagement portion 67 is engaged with a projection 69 of a restriction ring 68 to restrict the expansion diameter amount x.
A band member forming apparatus 70 shown in FIG. 6 is provided with air cylinders 71 as an expansion and contraction means in place of the air bag 64. The number of air cylinders 71 is the same as that of drum segments 72. In this case, the expanded length of the air cylinder 71 is considered as an expansion amount of the drum diameter. Furthermore, the band member forming apparatus 70 is provided with a restriction block 74 so as to keep a predetermined expansion length. An expansion length x defined by the restriction block 74 is considered as the expansion amount of the drum diameter.
In FIGS. 5 and 6, the breaker and tread are indicated at 75.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the positions of the drum segments 63 (72) when viewed in a direction of an arrow A of FIGS. 5 and 6. There is shown the positions of the drum segments 63 (72) at the time of contraction and expansion in upper and lower half portions of FIG. 7, respectively. As seen from FIG. 7, in the conventional apparatus, a peripheral surface is, at the time of contraction, formed with respective longitudinal end edges of the drum segments 63 (72) kept in contact with one another. On the other hand, at the time of expansion, a space a exists between the drum segments 63 (72) adjacent to each other.
According to the conventional apparatus, it is required to use the restriction ring 68 or restriction block 74 in order to keep the predetermined expansion diameter amount x. Moreover, it is necessary to provide variously sized restriction rings 68 or restriction blocks 74 for different kinds of tire. Furthermore, every time the diameter of a tire is changed, the restriction ring 68 or restriction block 74 should be replaced. Consequently, management of parts and preparatory working are complicated.
Furthermore, the air bag 64 or air cylinder 71 has a limited effective stroke. In the case where a tire having a greater size than the limited effective stroke is to be formed, it is required to use a rotary drum provided with expansion and contraction means having a greater effective stroke.
In the conventional apparatus, the spaces a exist between the drum segments at the time of expansion. Accordingly, a band-like material such as a breaker is likely to come into a polygonal form when applied over the rotary drum, which consequently causes an undesirable quality.


An optical system for measuring in real-time the spatial distribution of aerosol particles, such as pesticides or the like, sprayed from a vehicle over an agricultural field. An optical sensor is mounted directly on the vehicle and sends an excitation light beam through the aerosol as it is being sprayed. The resulting scattered light is received and analyzed to deduce therefrom information on the spatial distribution of the particles. This information is relayed to a processing unit, which in turn provides spraying instructions, for example a warning signal, to the operator of the system. The spraying of the aerosol can therefore be controlled in real-time to avoid contamination of sensitive areas.

It is a common agricultural practice to spray products in aerosol form, such as pesticides, over agricultural fields to improve culture of crops of various types. One major problem with this practice is the lack of control over, and knowledge of, the final destination of the sprayed aerosol. The cloud of sprayed particles are easily carried away from the immediate vicinity of the sprayer by winds, and may land in is locations where they are damageable to the environment or the population, such as nearby streams, fields, residential areas, etc. Traditionally, qualified personnel rely on weather information, in particular wind direction and velocity, in order to estimate where the sprayed particles will go, but this technique lacks precision and there is no way to quickly verify if the operator's assumptions are correct.
One partial solution to this problem using optical technology has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,862,083 (McCONNELL Sr. et al). McCONNELL suggests the use of a rangefinder, an optical sensor using a pulsed laser beam to measure the distance of solid objects. The rangefinder can detect the presence of trees and classify them according to height, width and tree foliage volume. This information is used to map an orchard or grove and determine what amount of chemical products such as pesticides or the like should be applied to each tree. This system is not however appropriate for crops where solid objects cannot be found. In addition, it does not take into consideration the drift of the aerosol particles when applied.
Research in recent years has demonstrated that control of sprayed pesticides requires the direct measurement of the progression of the sprayed aerosol particles, not a measurement of surrounding vegetation. It is known, in the context of such research, to use traditional long-range LIDAR systems for measuring the drift of pesticides over a field. For example, in the publication by Miller D. R. et al entitled "Remote measurement of spray drift from orchard sprayers using LIDAR"(ASAE paper n. 031093 St-Joseph Mich. 2003), there is shown such a use where the long-range, expensive LIDAR sensor is positioned at one corner of a field and scanned over this field as the pesticide is sprayed. Although this document and other similar research provide valuable information on the parameters influencing the drift of pesticides and their effect on the environment, they do not provide a solution to the control of day-to-day spraying operations.
There is therefore a need for a system allowing the real-time measurement and control of the drift of aerosol particles sprayed over a field.

Real-time measuring of the spatial distribution of sprayed aerosol particles


A flat-panel display is fabricated by a process in which a spacer (24) having a rough face (54 or 56) is positioned between a pair of plate structure (20 and 22). When electrons strike the spacer, the roughness in the spacer's face causes the number of secondary electrons that escape the spacer to be reduced, thereby alleviating positive charge buildup on the spacer. As a result, the image produced by the display is improved. The spacer facial roughness can be achieved in various ways such as providing suitable depressions (60, 62, 64, 66, 70, 74, or 80) or/and protuberances (82, 84, 88, and 92) along the spacer's face.

A flat-panel CRT display basically consists of an electron-emitting component and a light-emitting component. The electron-emitting component, commonly referred to as a cathode, contains electron-emissive regions that emit electrons over a relatively wide area. The emitted electrons are suitably directed towards light-emissive elements distributed over a corresponding area in the light-emitting component. Upon being struck by the electrons, the light-emissive elements emit light that produces an image on the display's viewing surface.
The electron-emitting and light-emitting components are connected together to form a sealed enclosure normally maintained at a pressure much less than 1 atm. The exterior-to-interior pressure differential across the display is typically in the vicinity of 1 atm. In a flat-panel CRT display of significant viewing area, e.g., at least 10 cm2, the electron-emitting and light-emitting components are normally incapable of resisting the exterior-to-interior pressure differential on their own. Accordingly, a spacer (or support) system is conventionally provided inside the sealed enclosure to prevent air pressure and other external forces from collapsing the display.
The spacer system typically consists of a group of laterally separated spacers positioned so as to not be directly visible on the viewing surface. The presence of the spacer system can adversely affect the flow of electrons through the display. For example, electrons coming from various sources occasionally strike the spacer system, causing it to become electrically charged. The electric potential field in the vicinity of the spacer system changes. The trajectories of electrons emitted by the electron-emitting device are thereby affected, often leading to degradation in the image produced on the viewing surface.
More particularly, electrons that strike a body, such as a spacer system in a flat-panel display, are conventionally referred to as primary electrons. When the body is struck by primary electrons of high energy, e.g., greater than 100 eV, the body normally emits secondary electrons of relatively low energy. More than one secondary electron is, on the average, typically emitted by the body in response to each high-energy primary electron striking the body. Although electrons are often supplied to the body from one or more other sources, the fact that the number of outgoing (secondary) electrons exceeds the number of incoming (primary) electrons commonly results in a net positive charge building up on the body.
It is desirable to reduce the amount of positive charge buildup on a spacer system in a flat-panel CRT display. Jin et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,056, describes one technique for doing so. In Jin et al, each spacer in the display's spacer system is a pillar consisting of multiple layers that extend laterally relative to the electron-emitting and light-emitting components. The layers in each spacer pillar alternate between an electrically insulating layer and an electrically conductive layer. The insulating layers are recessed with respect to the conductive layers so as to form grooves. When secondary electrons are emitted by the spacers in Jin et al, the grooves trap some of the secondary electrons and prevent them from escaping the spacers. Because fewer secondary electrons escape the spacers than what would occur if the grooves were absent, the amount of positive charge buildup on the spacers is reduced.
The technique employed in Jin et al to reduce positive charge buildup is creative. However, the spacers in Jin et al are relatively complex and pose significant concerns in dimensional tolerance and, therefore, in reliability. Manufacturing the spacers in Jin et al could be problemsome. It is desirable to have a relatively simple technique, including a simple spacer design, for reducing charge buildup on a spacer system of a flat-panel CRT display.

Fabrication of flat-panel display having spacer with rough face for inhibiting secondary electron escape

Candescent Intellectual Property Services, Inc.


A new Pelargonium plant particularly distinguished by having semi-double flowers with a white color, compact growth habit and strong branching, is disclosed.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Pelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium sp. and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'KLEIZ13338'. 'KLEIZ13338' originated from a controlled cross between the female Pelargonium variety 'Cassandra' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,220), having white flowers with medium branching and a strong growth habit, and the proprietary male Pelargonium variety 'PP 06 086' (unpatented), having orange flowers, with small branching and a small growth habit.
In June 2008 the two Pelargonium parental lines 'Cassandra' and 'PP 06 086' were crossed in Stuttgart, Germany and seeds were obtained. The seeds were sown and plants were grown for evaluation. A plant line was selected in June 2009 and named 'KLEIZ13338'. In June 2009 'KLEIZ13338' was first vegetatively propagated by vegetative cuttings. 'KLEIZ13338' was found to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation via vegetative cuttings in Stuttgart, Germany.


An integrated mirror/display assembly includes a flip down display integrated with a rearview mirror. The mirror may be mounted to the display and the mirror/display is movable on a pivot between a retracted non-viewing position during normal vehicle operation and an extended viewing position when the vehicle is not in an operating mode.

Displays in vehicles are becoming commonplace. For example, DVD or other video screens are commonly used in family vehicles to display movies or the like for passengers while the vehicle is moving. LCD displays and the like are also used in navigation systems and mapping systems designed to be used while the vehicle is in motion. These fixed, drop down, or flip down displays are typically mounted to seatbacks, or flip down from the ceiling of a vehicle.
Displays for a driver of a vehicle are typically placed in a position which is viewable from the driver's seat, but do not obstruct a field of view for driving. However, such displays are typically in awkward positions for use when the vehicle is not in driving operation.


The present invention provides imprint bead compositions useful for capturing, isolating, detecting, analyzing and/or quantifying molecules in a sample. The imprint bead compositions comprise a matrix material having imprint cavities of a template molecule or molecules imprinted thereon wherein a substantial number of the imprint cavities are located at or near the surface of the matrix material.

Conventional techniques of molecular imprinting have provided useful methods for the preparation of matrices that are capable of selectively capturing a target molecule. To prepare a molecular imprint, a matrix is formed around a template molecule. After the matrix has formed and the template molecule has been removed, the resulting molecular imprint can then be used to selectively capture the template molecule. As early as 1949, a silica gel was created that selectively bound a dye (Dickey, 1949, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 35:227–229). Recently, an imprint prepared with phenyl-α-D-mannopyranoside was sufficiently selective to resolve a racemic mixture of the saccharide (Wulff, 1998, Chemtech 28:19–26).
Current methods form imprints of template molecules in organic polymers (Wulff, 1998, supra). To create cavities of defined shape, polymerizable molecules are bound, covalently or noncovalently, to a template molecule (Wulff, 1998, supra). The resulting complex is then copolymerized in the presence of a large amount of a cross-linking reagent (Wulff, 1998, supra). The templates are then removed, leaving cavities having defined shapes (Wulff, 1998, supra). Molecular imprints made by such a technique display selective binding for the template molecule. Molecular imprints have been used for chromatographic separation, immunoassays, chemosensors, and even catalysis (Wulff, 1998, supra).
However, failings of conventional techniques limit the broad application of molecular imprints. According to a recent review, two issues "of great importance" that limit the application of conventional molecular imprints are their limited capacity and the heterogeneity of imprint cavities (Cormack and Mosbach, 1999, Reactive and Functional Polymers 41:115–124). When conventional imprints are used to capture the template molecule, it is believed that their random distribution of imprint cavities limits their accessibility to the template molecules. Typically, the majority of cavities are localized in the interior of the molecular imprint. These interior cavities are less accessible to the template molecule than cavities localized at the surface of the imprint. This effect not only reduces the number of cavities available for binding, but also limits the types of molecules that can be bound or captured. In particular, large molecules that cannot penetrate the matrix material of a molecular imprint can bind only at surface cavities. Thus, conventional molecular imprints are not advantageous for specifically capturing large molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and other macromolecules.
The binding capacity of conventional imprints is also reduced by the random orientations of their cavities. In forming a molecular imprint by conventional techniques, the template molecules are randomly oriented within the matrix. Thus, the corresponding molecular imprint cavities are also randomly oriented. If a particular orientation of an imprint cavity binds a target molecule more efficiently than other orientations, then only the fraction of cavities that are properly oriented will display efficient binding. The random orientation of the cavities, combined with their random distribution throughout the imprint, exacerbates the poor binding capacity of conventional molecular imprints.
Finally, conventional techniques suffer from leakage of the template molecule (Wulff, 1999, supra). When the imprint is formed, many template molecules are trapped deep within the imprint matrix. Trapped template molecules that are not removed may leak during the use of the molecular imprint. Leakage of the template molecule contaminates the sample and hinders application of conventional molecular imprints, particularly applications that involve binding or capturing minute amounts of the template molecule. For instance, this shortcoming of conventional molecular imprints has particularly limited their application in the pharmaceutical industry (Wulff, 1999, supra).
What is needed are novel molecular imprints that overcome the shortcomings of conventional molecular imprints. Novel methods of making molecular imprints with oriented and accessible binding cavities, and less leakage of the template molecule, will have improved capacity, specificity, and application, particularly for large molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides.

Inverse emulsion methods of making polymeric imprint beads


In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an ingestible medication device is a self-contained electronic device that stores an active agent, and that controls release of the active agent using an on board processor. The ingestible medication device embodies one or more ingestible device identifiers, including personal identifiers and active agent identifiers, which are compared with external device identifiers to determine whether to release the active agent. A method for managing an ingestible medication device detects proximity to a limited range, RFID-enabled patient wristband, indicating that the wristband is worn by the patient that ingested the ingestible medication device. Various methods enable a nurse to track medication information to monitor compliance with medication regimen and dosage information. Other methods track an ingestible medication device selected for filling a prescription at a pharmacy of the health care provider, including transfer to a caregiver station using a transport cart.

Medication errors (e.g., errors that occur in the ordering, dispensing, and administration of medications) are a significant consideration in the delivery of healthcare in an institutional setting, regardless of whether those errors cause injury. Various systems and methods are being developed at present to reduce the frequency of occurrence and severity of preventable adverse drug events and other medication errors. The administration of medication typically focuses on the following five factors: the right patient, the right drug, the right route, the right amount, and the right time.
In many healthcare facilities a bracelet device having the patient's identification, such as his or her name printed thereon, is affixed to a patient upon admittance to the facility in order to identify the patient during his or her entire stay. Despite this safeguard, opportunities arise for patient identification error. For example, when a blood sample is taken from a patient, the blood sample must be identified by manually transcribing the patient's name and other information from the patient's identification bracelet. In transferring the patient's name, a care-giver may miscopy the name or, instead of actually reading the patient's bracelet, rely on memory or a different data source which may be in error.
Several studies have documented that most medications in a hospital are given to the correct patient. However, the small percentage of medications that are given to the wrong patient is cause for great concern. This can happen if a patient is moved from one room to another and a new patient is now in the former patient's bed. Occasionally, the former patient's name may be left written on a board near the bed or by the doorway. While nurses are supposed to verify the patient's name or identification number written on a bracelet each time they administer a medication, this may not always happen. The nurse may receive a call to go to an emergency while giving a medication and thus be rushed, the patient may be unable to speak to identify themselves, or the nurse may not want to disturb a patient who is sleeping. Errors in giving medication to the wrong patient can cause a variety of reactions that can sometimes lead to death.
Additionally, errors can occur in verification and control of medication in an institutional setting. In some instances, prescription drugs are identified merely by a simple prescription slip, a slip of paper on which the patient's name and identification number have been hand-written by a care-giver who is to administer the treatment. In other cases, orders for prescription drugs are entered into an automated system, such as a computerized physician order entry ("CPOE") system. The prescription slip or the electronic prescription from the CPOE system is routed to the pharmacy, where the order is filled. Typically, pharmacies check the physician order against possible allergies of the patient and for possible drug interactions in the case where two or more drugs are prescribed, and also check for contraindications. Depending on the healthcare facility, the medication may be identified and gathered within the pharmacy and placed into a transport carrier or cart for transport to a nurse station. Once at the nurse station, the prescriptions are again checked against the medications that have been identified for delivery to ensure that no errors have occurred.
As the processing power of computers allow for greater computer functionality and the Internet technology era allows for interconnectivity between computing systems, many healthcare institutions store medical records electronically. However, since the implementation of these more sophisticated online tools, several shortcomings in these technologies have been identified. First, existing and conventional methods fail to provide fast and efficient analysis due to a high volume of healthcare information existing on different networks and computing infrastructures. Managing such information on different platforms is difficult due to number, size, content, or relationships of the data associated with the users. Second, information stored in a database may be susceptible to risk and/or fraudulent modification. Third, access to healthcare databases may be limited due to security concerns.

System and method for ingestible drug delivery

MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY


A method for utilizing whole crude oil as a feedstock for the pyrolysis furnace of an olefin production plant wherein the feedstock is subjected to vaporization conditions until substantially vaporized with minimal mild cracking but leaving some remaining liquid from the feedstock, the vapors thus formed being subjected to severe cracking in the radiant section of the furnace, and the remaining liquid from the feedstock being mixed with at least one quenching oil.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the formation of olefins by thermal cracking of whole crude oil. More particularly, this invention relates to utilizing whole crude oil as a feedstock for an olefin production plant that employs a hydrocarbon cracking process such as steam cracking in a pyrolysis furnace.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thermal cracking of hydrocarbons is a petrochemical process that is widely used to produce olefins such as ethylene, propylene, butenes, butadiene, and aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes.
Basically, a hydrocarbon feedstock such as naphtha, gas oil or other fractions of whole crude oil that are produced by distilling or otherwise fractionating whole crude oil, is mixed with steam which serves as a diluent to keep the hydrocarbon molecules separated. The steam/hydrocarbon mixture is preheated to from about 900 to about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (° F. or F), and then enters the reaction zone where it is very quickly heated to a severe hydrocarbon cracking temperature in the range of from about 1,450 to about 1,550 F.
This process is carried out in a pyrolysis furnace (steam cracker) at pressures in the reaction zone ranging from about 10 to about 30 psig. Pyrolysis furnaces have internally thereof a convection section and a radiant section. Preheating is accomplished in the convection section, while severe cracking occurs in the radiant section.
After severe cracking, the effluent from the pyrolysis furnace contains gaseous hydrocarbons of great variety, e.g., from one to thirty-five carbon atoms per molecule. These gaseous hydrocarbons can be saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, and can be aliphatic, alicyclics, and/or aromatic. The cracked gas also contains significant amounts of molecular hydrogen (hydrogen).
Thus, conventional steam cracking, as carried out in a commercial olefin production plant, employs a fraction of whole crude and totally vaporizes that fraction while thermally cracking same. The cracked product can contain, for example, about 1 weight percent (wt. %) hydrogen, about 10 wt. % methane, about 25 wt. % ethylene, and about 17 wt. % propylene, all wt. % being based on the total weight of said product, with the remainder consisting mostly of other hydrocarbon molecules having from 4 to 35 carbon atoms per molecule.
The cracked product is then further processed in the olefin production plant to produce, as products of the plant, various separate individual streams of high purity such as hydrogen, ethylene, propylene, mixed hydrocarbons having four carbon atoms per molecule, fuel oil, and pyrolysis gasoline. Each separate individual stream aforesaid is a valuable commercial product in its own right. Thus, an olefin production plant currently takes a part (fraction) of a whole crude stream and generates a plurality of separate, valuable products therefrom.
The starting material from which a feedstock for a conventional olefin production plant, as described above, normally has first been subjected to substantial, expensive processing before it reaches that plant. Normally, whole crude is distilled or otherwise fractionated into a plurality of fractions such as gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, gas oil (vacuum or atmospheric) and the like, including a high boiling residuum. Thereafter any of these fractions, other than the residuum, can be passed to an olefin production plant as the feedstock for that plant.
It would be desirable to be able to forego the capital and operating cost of a refinery distillation unit (whole crude processing unit) that processes crude oil to generate a crude oil fraction that serves as feedstock for conventional olefin producing plants. However, the prior art, until recently, taught away from even hydrocarbon cuts (fractions) that have too broad a boiling range distribution. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,226 to Lenglet.
Recently, U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,961 issued to Donald H. Powers. This patent relates to cracking whole crude oil by employing a vaporization/mild cracking zone that contains packing. This zone is operated in a manner such that the liquid phase of the whole crude that has not already been vaporized is held in that zone until cracking/vaporization of the more tenacious hydrocarbon liquid components is maximized. This allows only a minimum of solid residue formation which residue remains behind as a deposit on the packing. This residue is later burned off the packing by conventional steam air decoking, ideally during the normal furnace decoking cycle, see column 7, lines 50-58 of that patent. Thus, the second zone 9 of that patent serves as a trap for components, including hydrocarbonaceous materials, of the crude oil feed that cannot be cracked or vaporized under the conditions employed in the process, see column 8, lines 60-64 of that patent.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/244,792, filed Sep. 16, 2002, having common inventorship and assignee with U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,961, is directed to the process disclosed in that patent but which employs a mildly acidic cracking catalyst to drive the overall function of the vaporization/mild cracking unit more toward the mild cracking end of the vaporization (without prior mild cracking)—mild cracking (followed by vaporization) spectrum.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/616,839, filed Jul. 10, 2003, having common inventorship and assignee with U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,961, is directed to the process disclosed in that patent but which removes at least part of the liquid hydrocarbons remaining in the vaporization/mild cracking unit that are not yet vaporized or mildly cracked. These liquid hydrocarbon components of the crude oil feed are drawn from near the bottom of that unit and passed to a separate controlled cavitation device to provide additional cracking energy for those tenacious hydrocarbon components that have previously resisted vaporization and mild cracking. Thus, that invention also seeks to drive the overall process in the vaporization/mild cracking unit more toward the mild cracking end of the vaporization—mild cracking spectrum aforesaid.

Olefin production utilizing whole crude oil feedstock


An inspection apparatus by an electron beam comprises: an electron-optical device 70 having an electron-optical system for irradiating the object with a primary electron beam from an electron beam source, and a detector for detecting the secondary electron image projected by the electron-optical system; a stage system 50 for holding and moving the object relative to the electron-optical system; a mini-environment chamber 20 for supplying a clean gas to the object to prevent dust from contacting to the object; a working chamber 31 for accommodating the stage device, the working chamber being controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; at least two loading chambers 41, 42 disposed between the mini-environment chamber and the working chamber, adapted to be independently controllable so as to have a vacuum atmosphere; and a loader 60 for transferring the object to the stage system through the loading chambers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron beam based inspection apparatus for inspecting defects in patterns formed on the surface of an object to be inspected, and more particularly, to an inspection apparatus useful, for example, in inspecting defects on a wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing process, which includes irradiating an object to be inspected with an electron beam, detecting secondary electrons which vary in accordance with the properties of the surface thereof to form image data, and inspecting patterns formed on the surface of the object to be inspected based on the image data at a high throughput, and a method of manufacturing devices at a high yield rate using the inspection apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to a projection type electron beam inspection apparatus which adopts a area beam and a method of manufacturing devices using the inspection apparatus.
2. Field of the Invention
In semiconductor processes, design rules are reaching 100 nm and the method of production form is evolving from mass production, with a few models, such as a DRAM, into small-lot production with a variety of models such as a SOC (Silicon on chip). This has resulted in an increase in the number of processes, and an improvement in yield for each process is essential; which makes it more important to inspect for defects occurring in each process. The present invention relates to an apparatus to be used in the inspection of a wafer after particular steps in the semiconductor fabrication process, and in particular to an inspection method and apparatus using an electron beam and also to a device manufacturing method using the same.
3. Description of the Related Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention
4. Description of the Prior Art
In conjunction with a high level of integration of semiconductor devices and a micro-fabrication of patterns thereof, an inspection apparatus with higher resolution and throughput is desired. In order to inspect a wafer substrate with 100 nm design rules for any defects, a resolution equal to or finer than 100 nm is required, and the increased number of processes resulting from large-scale integration of devices calls for an increase in the number of inspections, which consequently requires higher throughput. In addition, as multilayer fabrication of devices has advanced, the apparatus is further required to have a function for detecting contact failures in vias for interconnecting wiring between layers (i.e., electrical defects). In the current trend, an inspection apparatus using optical methods has been typically used, but it is expected that an inspection apparatus using an electron beam may soon enter the mainstream, substituting for inspection apparatus using optical methods, given the requirements of higher resolution and detection of contact failures. The electron beam method, however, has a weak point in that it is inferior to the optical method in throughput.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have an apparatus having higher resolution and throughput and being capable of detecting the electrical defects. It has been known that the resolution of the optical method is limited to ½ of the wavelength of the light to be used, and it is about 0.2 .mu.m in a typical case of visible light being put to practical use.
On the other hand, in the method using an electron beam, typically a scanning electron microscopy method (SEM method) has been put to use, wherein the resolution thereof is 0.1 .mu.m and the inspection time is 8 hours per wafer (20 cm wafer). The electron beam method has the distinctive feature that it is able to inspect for any electrical defects (breaking of wires in the wirings, bad continuity, bad continuity of via). However, the inspection speed (sometimes also referred to as inspection rate) thereof is very low, and so the development of an inspection apparatus with higher inspection speed has been eagerly anticipated.
Generally, since an inspection apparatus is expensive and the throughput thereof is rather lower as compared to other processing apparatuses, the inspection apparatus has been used after an important process, for example, after the process of etching, film deposition, CMP (Chemical-mechanical polishing) flattening or the like.
The scanning method (SEM) using an electron beam will now be described. In the inspection apparatus of SEM method, the electron beam is contracted to be finer (the diameter of this beam corresponds to the resolution thereof) and this fined beam is used to scan a sample so as to irradiate it linearly. On the other hand, moving a stage in the direction normal to the scanning direction allows an observation region to be irradiated by the electron beam as a plane area. The scanning width of the electron beam is typically some 100 .mu.m. Secondary electrons emanating from the sample by the irradiation of said contracted and fined electron beam (referred to as a primary electron beam) are detected by a detector, either a scintillator plus photo-multiplier (i.e., photoelectron multiplier tube) or a detector of semiconductor type (i.e., a PIN diode) or the like. The coordinates for the irradiated locations and an amount of the secondary electrons (signal intensity) are combined and formed into an image, which is stored in some recording medium or displayed on a CRT (a cathode ray tube). The above description illustrates the principles of the SEM (scanning electron microscopy), and defects in a semiconductor wafer (typically made of Si) in the course of processes may be detected from the image obtained in this method. The inspection rate (corresponding to the throughput) is varied depending on the amount (the current value), beam diameter, and speed of response of the primary electron beam. A beam diameter of 0.1 .mu.m (which may be considered to be equivalent to the resolution), a current of 100 nA, and a detector speed of 100 MHz are currently the highest values, and in using those values the inspection rate has been about 8 hours for one wafer having a diameter of 20 cm. This inspection rate, which is extremely low compared to the optical method (not greater than 1/20), has been a serious production problem (drawback).
Also, in regard to the prior art of inspection apparatus related to the present invention, an apparatus using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been commercially available. This apparatus involves scanning an object to be inspected with a fine electron beam at very narrow intervals of scanning width, detecting secondary electrons emitted from the object to form a SEM image, and comparing such SEM images of different dies at the same locations to extract defects of the object being inspected.
Conventionally, however, there has been no electron beam based defect inspection apparatus which is completed as a general system.
A defect inspection apparatus which applies SEM requires a long time for defect inspection. In addition, increasing the beam current to improve throughput would cause a degradation of the beam due to the space-charge effect and charging on the wafer with insulating material formed on the surface thereof, thereby failing to produce satisfactory SEM images.
Hitherto, no proposal has been made for the overall structure of an inspection apparatus which takes into account the combination of an electron-optical device for irradiating an object to be inspected with an electron beam, with other subsystems associated therewith for positioning the object to be inspected to for irradiating by the electron-optical device in a clean state, and for aligning the object to be inspected. Further, with the trend of increasing diameters of wafers to be subjected to inspection, the subsystems are also required to cope with wafers of such large diameters.
In view of the problems mentioned above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inspection apparatus which employs an electron beam based electron-optical system, and achieves harmonization of the electron-optical system with other components, which constitute the inspection apparatus, to improve the throughput.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an inspection apparatus which is capable of efficiently and accurately inspecting an object by improving a loader for carrying the object to be inspected between a cassette for storing objects under inspecting and a stage device for aligning the object to be inspected with respect to the electron-optical system, and devices associated with the loader.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an inspection apparatus which is capable of solving the problem of charging, experienced in the SEM, to accurately inspect an object.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing devices at a high yield rate by inspecting an object such as a wafer, using the inspection apparatus as mentioned above.
Also, with increasing integration of semiconductors, there has been a need for a sensitive inspection apparatus to be used in the semiconductor device manufacturing process for defect inspection in the pattern or the likes in semiconductor wafers. In this regard, there have been electron microscopes used as the inspection apparatus for such defect inspections, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publications Nos. Hei 2-142045 and Hei 5-258703.
For example, in the electron microscope as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 2-142045, an electron beam emitted from an electron gun is converged by an objective lens to irradiatea sample to be inspected, and secondary electrons emitted from the sample are detected by a secondary electron detector. In addition, in this electron microscope, a negative voltage is applied to the sample, and further an E.times.B type filter is arranged between the sample and the secondary electron detector, said filter having an electric field and a magnetic field crossed at right angles.
With such a configuration, this electron microscope allows a high resolution to be obtained by decelerating the electrons irradiated onto the sample by way of the negative voltage applied to the sample.
Further, the application of the negative voltage to the sample helps accelerate the secondary electrons emitted from the sample, and the accelerated secondary electrons are further deflected by the E.times.B type filter toward the secondary electron detector, thus to be efficiently detected by the secondary electron detector.
In those conventional apparatuses using the electron microscope as described above, the electron beam from the electron gun is kept accelerated to be highly energized until just before it impinges onto the sample, by a lens system such as an objective lens with a high voltage applied. Then, the negative voltage applied to the sample decelerates electrons impinging upon the sample, thus allowing a high resolution to be achieved.
However, since the high voltage is applied to the objective lens, while the negative voltage is applied to the sample, there has been a risk that an electric discharge may occur between the objective lens and the sample.
Further, in the electron microscope in the prior art, even in the case where no negative voltage is applied to the sample, if there is a great potential difference between the objective lens and the sample, then it is again feared that the electric discharge may occur between the objective lens and the sample.
Still further, if the voltage applied to the objective lens is set lower in order to deal with a possible electric discharge to the sample, the electrons aren't sufficiently energized, resulting in a poor resolution.
An explanation will be further given for a case where the sample to be inspected is a semiconductor wafer having a via, that is a wiring pattern extending in the approximately vertical direction to the upper-layer and lower-layer wiring planes for providing an electrical connection between the upper layer wiring and the lower layer wiring.
When the semiconductor wafer with the via is inspected for defects by using a conventional electron microscope, a high voltage, for example, a voltage of 10 kV is applied to the objective lens as in the above description. Further, in this case, it is assumed that the semiconductor wafer is grounded. Accordingly, an electric field is generated between the semiconductor wafer and the objective lens.
These conditions could make the electric field more intense in the vicinity of the via on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, thus forming a high electric field. Then, when the electron beam is irradiated onto the via, a large number of secondary electrons is emitted from the via, which is further accelerated by the high electric field in the vicinity of the via. Those accelerated secondary electrons have a sufficient energy (>3 eV) to ionize a residual gas generated by the irradiation of the electron beam onto the semiconductor wafer. Accordingly, the secondary electrons ionize the residual gas so as to generate ionized charged particles.
Then, said ionized charged particles, i.e., the positive ions, are accelerated by the high electric field in the vicinity of the via toward the via to impinge against the via, so that more secondary electrons are emitted from the via. Through a series of these positive feedback, eventually an electric discharge occurs between the objective lens and the semiconductor wafer and damages the pattern or the like on the semiconductor wafer, which has been problematic in the prior art.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an electron gun apparatus which can prevent an electric discharge to a sample being inspected and a method for manufacturing a device by using said electron gun apparatus.
Also, as stated above, an inspection for defects in a mask pattern used in manufacturing a semiconductor device or in a pattern formed on a semiconductor wafer has been performed by the steps of detecting secondary electrons emitted from a sample upon irradiation of a primary electron beam against a surface of the sample, obtaining a pattern image of the sample, and comparing said image with a reference image. Typically, such defect inspection apparatus has been equipped with an E.times.B separator for separating the primary electrons and the secondary electrons.
FIG. 52 shows schematically a typical configuration of a projective electron beam inspection apparatus having an E.times.B separator. An electron beam emitted from an electron gun 721 is formed to be rectangular in shape with a forming aperture (not shown) and reduced in size by the electrostatic lenses 722, thus to be a formed beam of 1.25 mm square at the center of an E.times.B separator 723. The formed beam is deflected by the E.times.B separator 723 so as to be normal to a sample W, and reduced to be ⅕ in size with an electrostatic lens 722, which is then irradiated against the sample W. A beam of the secondary electrons emitted from the sample W has a certain intensity corresponding to the pattern data on the sample W, which is expanded by the electrostatic lenses 724, 741, and then enters into a detector 761. The detector 761 generates an image signal corresponding to the intensity of the received secondary electrons, which is compared with a reference image, thereby detecting any defects in the sample.
The E.times.B separator 723 has a configuration in which an electric field and a magnetic field cross at right angles within a plane orthogonal to the normal of the surface of the sample W (the upward direction on paper), so that it advances the electrons straight forward when the relationship of the electric field, the magnetic field, and the energy and speed of the electrons meets certain criteria, while it deflects the electrons in any case other than the said case. In the inspection apparatus of FIG. 44, the conditions are set so that the secondary electrons are advanced straight ahead.
FIG. 53 shows more precisely the movements of the secondary electrons emitted from the rectangular area on the surface of the sample W, which has been exposed to the primary electron beam. The secondary electrons emitted from the sample surface are magnified with the electrostatic lens 724, and imaged onto a central area 723a of the E.times.B separator 723. Since the electric field and the magnetic field of the E.times.B separator 723 have been set such that the secondary electrons are allowed to be advanced straight ahead, the secondary electrons are thus advanced straight ahead to be magnified with the electrostatic lenses 741-1, 741-2 and 741-3, and then imaged on a target 761a within the detector 761. Then, the electron in the image is multiplied by MCP (Multi Channel Plate, not shown) and is formed into an image by a scintillator, CCD (Charge Coupled Device), or the like (not shown). Reference numerals 732 and 733 respectively designate aperture diaphragms arranged in a secondary optical system.
FIG. 54 shows a schematic configuration of a conventional E.times.B separator and the distribution of an electric field generated by said separator. A pair of parallel plate electrodes 723-1 and 723-2 is used to generate an electric field, and a pair of magnetic poles 723-3 and 723-4 is used to generate a magnetic field orthogonal to said electric field. In this configuration, since the magnetic poles 723-3 and 723-4 are made of metals having the ground potential, the electric field is forced to bend toward the ground sides. Accordingly, the distribution of the electric field is as shown in FIG. 54, and the parallel pattern of the electric field may only be obtained in the small central region.
In the case where an E.times.B separator having such a configuration as described above has been applied to a defect inspection apparatus such as a projective electron beam inspection apparatus, there has been a problem of efficiency in inspection in that the irradiated region of the electron beam cannot be enlarged, in order to perform a precise inspection.
Thus, an another object of the present invention is to provide an E.times.B separator which allows a region including both the electric field and the magnetic field having uniform intensities and cross at right angles to each other, to be expanded in a plane parallel to a sample, and which also allows the outer diameter of the whole body to be reduced. Further, another object of the present invention is to reduce the aberration for the detected image obtained, by means of said E.times.B separator applied to a defect inspection apparatus, thus to conduct the precise defect inspection efficiently.
Also, as stated above, there is a conventional apparatus which, in an inspection of a pattern on a semiconductor wafer or a photo mask with an electron beam, reveals a defect in the following way: primarily it scans the surface of a sample such as the semiconductor wafer or the photo mask, or it scans the sample, by sending the electron beam thereto; secondarily it detects secondary charged particles generated from the surface of said sample to generate image data based on the detected result; and lastly it compares the data per cell or die.
However, the above defect inspection apparatus in the prior art has been problematic in that the irradiation of the electron beam causes the surface of the sample to be charged, and carriers from this charging cause a distortion in the image data, which makes it difficult to detect any defects accurately. When alternatively the electron beam current is reduced to make the distortion by the carriers small enough to resolve the problem of said distortion in the image data, the S/N ratio for the secondary electron signal is adversely affected, so that the possibility of invalid error detection is increased, which has been another problem. Further, it has also been a problem in the prior art that multiple scanning and averaging processes for improving the S/N ratio causes a decrease in throughput.
Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which prevents any distortion from being caused by charging, or which minimizes such distortions if any, and thereby allows a highly accurate defect inspection to be performed, and also to provide a method for manufacturing a device by using said apparatus.
Also, there has been known an apparatus for inspecting a substrate for any defects in an image formed on the substrate in such a manner that the apparatus irradiates a charged particle beam against a surface of the substrate to scan said surface by said charged particle beam, detects secondary electrons emanated from the surface of the substrate, generates image data from the detected result, and then compares the data for each die to one another to detect those defects.
However, this type of imaging apparatus according to the prior art, including the above-described apparatus that has been disclosed in the publication, has been problematic in that the potential distribution on the surface of the substrate or the object to be inspected is not necessarily uniform and the contrast of the image is insufficient, which may cause distortion.
Therefore, a further object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus having an improved performance in defect detection without any loss of throughput.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus having an improved performance in defect detection by improving the contrast in an image obtained by the detection of secondary electrons from the object to be inspected.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus having improved performance in defect detection by making uniform the potential distribution on the surface of an object to be inspected and thereby improving the contrast, thus reducing distortion, in an image obtained by the detection of secondary electrons from said surface of the object to be inspected.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device manufacturing method in which a sample in the course of processes is evaluated by using such an imaging apparatus as described above.
There has also been one such prior art defect inspection apparatus used conventionally in a semiconductor manufacturing process or the like, which inspects a sample such as a wafer or the like for any defects by detecting secondary electrons emanated by irradiating a primary electron beam onto the sample.
Japanese patent Application Public Disclosure No. 11-132975, for example, discloses a defect inspection apparatus which comprises: an electron beam irradiating section for irradiating an electron beam against a sample; a projecting optical section for image-forming a one-dimensional and/or a two-dimensional image of secondary or reflected electrons, said secondary electrons being emanated in response to shape, material, and variation in potential on the surface of the sample; an electron beam detecting section for outputting a detection signal based on a formed image; an image display section for receiving said detection signal and displaying an electron image of the surface of the sample based thereon; and an electron beam deflecting section for changing the angle of incidence of the electron beam irradiated from the electron beam irradiating section onto the sample and the angle of intake of the secondary or reflected electrons into the projecting optical section. According to this inspection apparatus, the primary electron beam is irradiated onto a surface in a specified rectangular region of the sample wafer of the real device.
However, if the electron beam is irradiated on the surface in a relatively large area of the sample wafer of the real device, due to the sample surface being made of an insulating material such as silicon dioxide or silicon nitride, the electron beam irradiation against the sample surface and associated emanation of secondary electrons from the sample surface causes the sample surface to be positively charged, and an electric field produced by this potential has problematically caused a variety of image disorders in the secondary electron beam image.
The present invention has been made in the light of above-mentioned facts, and an object thereof is to provide an defect inspection apparatus and a defect inspection method that enable an inspection of a sample to be performed with higher accuracy by reducing positive charge build-up in the surface of the sample, thereby overcoming the problem of disorder associated with this charge-up.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing method that can improve the yield of devices and prevent delivery of any defective products to market by using an inspection apparatus described above to carry out a defect inspection of a sample.
Further, a stage for accurately positioning a sample in a vacuum atmosphere has been used in an apparatus in which a charged particles beam such as an electron beam is irradiated onto the surface of a sample such as a semiconductor wafer so as to expose the surface of the sample to a pattern of a semiconductor circuit or the like, or so as to inspect a pattern formed on the surface of the sample, or in another apparatus in which the charged particles beam is irradiated onto the sample so as to apply an ultra-precise processing thereto.
When said stage is required to be positioned highly accurately, one structure has been conventionally employed, in which the stage is supported in non-contact manner by a hydrostatic bearing. In this case, the vacuum level in a vacuum chamber is maintained by forming a differential exhausting mechanism for exhausting a high pressure gas in an area of the hydrostatic bearing so that the high pressure gas supplied from the hydrostatic bearing may not be directly exhausted into the vacuum chamber.
FIG. 55 shows one of the examples of such a stage according to the prior art. In the configuration of FIG. 55, the tip portion of an optical column 71 or a charged particles beam irradiating section 72 of a charged particles beam apparatus for emitting and irradiating a charged particles beam against a sample is attached to a housing 98 which makes up a vacuum chamber C. The interior of the optical column is exhausted to vacuum through a vacuum pipe 710, as in the chamber C through a vacuum pipe 911. Herein, the charged particles beam is irradiated from the tip portion 72 of the optical column 71 against a sample W such as a wafer or the like placed thereunder.
The sample W is detachably held on a sample table 94, and the sample table 94 is mounted on the upper face of a Y directionally movable unit 95 of an XY stage (hereafter referred to as a stage for simplicity). The above Y directionally movable unit 95 is equipped with a plurality of hydrostatic bearings 90 attached on planes (on both of the right and left faces and also on a bottom face in FIG. 55[A]) facing to guide planes 96a of an X directionally movable unit 96 of the stage 93, and is allowed to move in the Y direction (lateral direction in FIG. 55[B]) with a micro gap maintained between the guide planes and itself by said hydrostatic bearings 90. Further, a differential exhausting mechanism is provided surrounding the hydrostatic bearing so that a high-pressure gas supplied to the hydrostatic bearing does not leak into the vacuum chamber C. This is shown in FIG. 56. Doubled grooves 918 and 917 are formed surrounding the hydrostatic bearings 90, and are regularly exhausted to vacuum through a vacuum pipe by a vacuum pump (not shown). Owing to such structure, the Y directionally movable unit 95 is allowed to move freely in the Y direction in the vacuum atmosphere as supported in the non-contact manner. Those doubled grooves 918 and 917 are formed in a plane of the movable unit 95 in which the hydrostatic bearing 90 is arranged, so as to circumscribe said hydrostatic bearing. The structure of the hydrostatic bearing may be any of those conventionally known and its detailed explanation can be omitted here.
The X directionally movable unit 96 having said Y directionally movable unit 95 loaded thereon is formed to be concave in shape with the top face opened, as obviously seen from FIG. 55, and said X directionally movable unit 95 is also provided with completely similar hydrostatic bearings and grooves, and further the unit 96 is supported in a non-contact manner with respect to the stage 97 so as to be movable freely in the X direction.
Combining said Y directionally movable unit 95 with the X directionally movable unit 96 allows the sample W to be moved to a desired position in the horizontal direction relative to the tip portion of the optical column or the charged particles beam irradiating section 72, so that the charged particles beam can be irradiated to a desired location of the sample.
With the stage including a combination of the hydrostatic bearing and the differential exhausting mechanism as described above, the guide plane 96a or 97a facing the hydrostatic bearing 90 makes a reciprocating motion between a high-pressure atmosphere in the electrostatic bearing portion and a vacuum environment within the chamber while the stage moves. During this reciprocating motion, such gas supply cycle is repeated in which while the guide plane is exposed to the high-pressure atmosphere, the gas is adsorbed onto the guide plane, and upon being exposed to the vacuum environment, the adsorbed gas is desorbed into the environment. Because of this gas supply cycle, every time when the stage moves, it has happened that the vacuum level in the chamber C is lowered, which has caused such problems that the exposure, inspection, or processing with the charged particles beam described above could not be carried out stably, and the sample might be contaminated.
Therefore, an another object of the present invention is to provide a charged particles beam apparatus capable of preventing the degradation of the vacuum level and thereby allow a process such as inspection or processing by a charged particles beam to be carried out stably.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a charged particles beam apparatus having a non-contact supporting mechanism by means of a hydrostatic bearing and a vacuum sealing mechanism by means of a differential exhausting so as to produce a pressure difference between the charged particles beam irradiating region and a supporting section of the hydrostatic bearing.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a charged particles beam apparatus capable of reducing a gas desorbed from the surface of a part facing to the hydrostatic bearing.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting the surface of a sample or an exposure apparatus for delineating a pattern on a surface of a sample, by using such a charged particles beam apparatus as described above.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing method for manufacturing a semiconductor device by using a charged particles beam apparatus such as described above.
Also, in the conventional stage including a combination of the hydrostatic bearing and the differential exhausting mechanism shown in FIG. 55, there have been such problems that because of the differential exhausting mechanism having been added, the structure has become more complicated and its reliability as a stage has decreased while its cost has increased over that of a stage having a hydrostatic bearing used in the atmospheric pressure.
Therefore, another object of the present invention is to provide a charged particles beam apparatus having a simple structure capable of being made compact without employing a differential exhausting mechanism for the XY stage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a charged particles beam apparatus with a differential exhausting mechanism for exhausting a region on a surface of a sample to which a charged particles beam is to be irradiated, as well as for exhausting the inside of a housing containing an XY stage to vacuum.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting the surface of a sample for defects or an exposing apparatus for delineating a pattern on the surface of the sample by using either of the charged particles beam apparatuses described above.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device by using either of the charged particles beam apparatuses described above.
Also, as stated above, there has been used in the semiconductor manufacturing processes or the like a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting a sample such as a semiconductor wafer for defects by detecting secondary electrons emitted upon an irradiation of a primary electrons against said sample.
In such defect inspection apparatus, there has been employed a technology in which an image recognition technique is put into practical use to accomplish an automated inspection and to achieve higher efficiency in the inspection. In this technology, a computer carries out a matching operation between pattern image data for a region to be inspected in the sample surface obtained by detecting the secondary electrons and reference image data for the sample surface stored in advance, so that it is automatically determined if there are any defects existing in the sample, based on the operation results.
Recently, especially in the semiconductor manufacturing field, patterns are increasingly miniaturized, and consequently requiring detection of finer defects with high precision and efficiency. Under such condition, even the defect inspection apparatus taking advantage of the image recognition technique described above must further improve its recognition accuracy.
However, there has been such a problem associated with the prior art described above, which is that a position mismatch occurs between the image of the secondary electron beam obtained upon irradiating the primary electron beam against the region to be inspected in the sample surface and the reference image prepared in advance, which decreases the accuracy in defect detection. This position mismatch becomes a serious problem especially when the irradiation region of the primary electron beam is offset to the wafer resulting in the inspection pattern partially being out of the detection image of the secondary electron beam, which could not be handled only with the technology for optimizing a matching region within the detection image. This problem could be a fatal drawback especially in the inspecting of patterns of high precision.
Therefore, a still further object of the present invention is to provide a defect inspection apparatus which can prevent a loss of accuracy in the defect detection possibly caused by a position mismatch between the image of an inspection sample and a reference image.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing method used in semiconductor device manufacturing processes, which attempts to improve the yield of devices and to prevent any faulty products from being delivered to market by using a defect inspection apparatus as described above for performing a defect detection of a sample.

Inspection system by charged particle beam and method of manufacturing devices using the system


Reducing database fragmentation is disclosed. One embodiment includes determining whether the building of an index of data that is to be stored in a database has been initiated and determining whether the size of a sub-range of the index exceeds a predetermined size. A block of data storage space is pre-allocated contiguous to a block of data storage space allocated for the sub-range to accommodate subsequent inserts of data into the sub-range, if it is determined that the sub-range exceeds the predetermined size.

Data warehouses are repositories of all or parts of the data that an organization's various business systems collect. Data warehouses can include databases which can be used to maintain a collection of records or other information such that they can be easily accessed, updated and managed. The contents of such databases are many times organized into tables such as is shown in FIG. 1A that organize data by columns and rows.
Accessing information from databases can involve sequential scans over database indexes to tables. Database indexes specify the logical order of table contents. FIG. 1B shows one type of commonly used index called a B+ tree. A B+ tree can be constituted of a plurality of levels of indexing information. FIG. 1B shows a B+ tree that has internal and leaf levels. As shown in FIG. 1B, each level of the B+ tree can correspond to a set of linked pages (ranges of values from the table) which store rows of data in sorted key order. A sequential scan of a range of key values in a B+ index involves reading through a set of logically contiguous pages of data.
At each level of the B+ tree, the key order defines the logical order of the pages through a linkage system. However, the physical order of the pages in a file on disk (the location or offset of the pages in the underlying memory files) may or may not match the logical order of the pages as defined by the B+ tree. For example, although pages 100 and 30 may be logically adjacent and linked to each other based on key order defined in a B+ tree, they may reside at physical locations in memory that are widely separated.
Fragmentation refers to the degree of matching that exists between the physical and the logical orders of adjacent pages. There are two factors that decide fragmentation: (1) the degree of physical and logical order matching that exists between pages, and (2) page contiguity. When the physical order and the logical order of adjacent pages match, or are close, fragmentation is considered to be low. Conversely, where the physical and the logical order of adjacent pages are significantly different, fragmentation is considered to be high. Importantly, fragmentation detrimentally affects sequential index scan performance.
Fragmentation applies to any level in a B+ tree, including both leaf and internal levels. Internal level fragmentation can be consequential to a common performance enhancement feature for index scans in commercial database products called the read-ahead IO optimization which usually involves the scanning of internal nodes that point to leaf data pages.
Data warehouse queries generally involve the reading of large amounts of data (e.g., large numbers of leaf pages). Because of this, the data that is involved in such queries is generally stored on disks. Consequently, reading such data involves IOs that retrieve the data from disks. Such IOs generally involve disk head movements. Such disk head movement accounts for a significant portion of the cost associated with disk IOs. Importantly, the less disk head movement that is involved in an IO, the faster the IO can be completed.
It should be appreciated that if fragmentation is low, the disk head movement involved in executing a query can be minimal. This is because the disk head tends to move in one direction as the number of head movements back and forth over gaps of data not needed in the query is minimal as illustrated in FIG. 1C. Accordingly, where fragmentation is low, disk IOs can be completed quickly. However, when fragmentation is high, the disk head tends to move frequently back and forth over gaps in the process of locating data needed for the query as is illustrated in FIG. 1D. Accordingly, where fragmentation is high disk IOs complete more slowly. Furthermore, IO cost can mainly be attributed to disk head seek time. The less severe the fragmentation level of an index, the less time required for disk head seeks. Accordingly, IO completion time is better, and costs are reduced, when fragmentation is low.
Other benefits of low fragmentation include larger sized IOs. Larger sized IOs involve the reading of larger amounts of data. Larger sized IOs can reduce the number of total reads issued since data that is sought can be retrieved using fewer reads. Such a reduction in the number of total reads issued can reduce kernel overhead as kernel involvement is reduced.
A conventional approach to minimizing fragmentation involves pre-allocating physically contiguous pages to accommodate data contained in an index (both leaf and internal) at index build time. Because the size of an index is readily ascertainable at index build time, a block of contiguous pages that can accommodate data contained in the index can be pre-allocated for the index. However, since subsequent inserts of data are allocated pages on demand, the pages allocated for subsequent inserts can be separated from the originally allocated block of contiguous pages.
Conventional allocation systems receive requests for allocations from different concurrent users related to different indexes. Accordingly, page allocations for data inserts to a particular index typically can be separated by intervening page allocations for data inserts to other indexes. Moreover, page allocations for inserts of data to a particular index made after the index has been built can be from physical locations in the file that are widely separated from that of other pages allocated for the same index. Because such allocations do not maintain the contiguity of pages established when the original block of pages is allocated, index fragmentation is increased.
Conventional approaches such as the one discussed above are unsatisfactory as the detrimental affects of fragmentation on sequential index scan performance not adequately addressed thereby remains significant. In the above discussed approach when data inserts made after the index has been built reaches one percent of the rows that constitute an index, the sequential index scan performance is reduced by 27% due to fragmentation. It should be appreciated that this result is based on a specific test and the degradation of performance can vary for different cases.


A first conductor layer is provided on a first surface of an insulating plate, and has a first volume. A second conductor layer is provided on a second surface of the insulating plate, and has a second volume. A third conductor layer is provided on a second surface of the insulating plate, and has a second volume. The third conductor layer has a mounting region thicker than the second conductor layer. The sum of the second and third volumes is greater than or equal to 70% and smaller than or equal to 130% of the first volume. A semiconductor chip is provided on the mounting region. A sealing part is formed of an insulator, and seals the semiconductor chip within a case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a semiconductor device having a semiconductor chip provided on a circuit substrate.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the field of semiconductor devices, hopes for power devices that can contribute to enhanced energy efficiency have risen for achieving low carbon society. Semiconductor chips used in the field of power devices have been more integrated and have operated at higher speeds. Consequently, the semiconductor chips have had higher power densities and higher heat generation. In response to this, the semiconductor devices have been required to have a higher capability of heat radiation. A capability of heat radiation considerably depends on circuit substrates where the semiconductor chips are mounted.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-134563 discloses a circuit substrate including a ceramic substrate and a metal circuit pattern formed by etching. The ceramic substrate has a metal layer bonded on its back surface. The metal layer is used to bond a radiator plate onto the layer. Moreover, the publication indicates that a thick part and thin part of a metal circuit need to be formed on one substrate in view of the fact that a power part and a control part of a power module have different amounts of current flowing through an element.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-201346 indicates a problem when a metallized layer (metal layer) and a heat spreader (radiator plate) are bonded by soldering. Specifically, the publication indicates that presence of a solder layer causes the heat spreader to have an insufficient capability of heat radiation. Accordingly, in a technique described in the publication, a ceramic substrate has a thick-film heat-radiating conductor circuit formed on its surface, where the circuit is formed of a sintered body of metal particles.
In a circuit substrate, a circuit pattern and an insulating plate that supports the pattern are made of different materials. If temperature of a semiconductor device changes, warpage occurs in the circuit substrate due to a difference of thermal expansion coefficient between the different materials. Techniques described in the publications described above fail to consider preventing such warpage.