A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type, a trench capacitor, provided in the semiconductor substrate, having a charge storage region, a gate electrode provided on the semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film, first and second impurity regions, provided at both ends of the gate electrode, respectively, having a second conductivity type, an isolation insulating film provided adjacent to the trench capacitor in the semiconductor substrate to cover an upper surface of the charge storage region, a buried strap region having the second conductivity type, the buried strap region being provided to electrically connect an upper portion of the charge storage region to the first impurity region in the semiconductor substrate, and a pocket implantation region having the first conductivity type, the pocket implantation region being provided only under the second impurity region and being spaced apart from the strap region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to a memory device structure in which a trench capacitor and a MOSFET are connected via a diffusion layer and a manufacturing method thereof. The present invention will be applied to, e.g., a dynamic semiconductor memory (DRAM) and a DRAM/logic-embedded device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With recent development of information communication, the high operating speed and the high integration density of various devices have been required in the semiconductor device technical field. Of such devices, a DRAM/logic-embedded device in which a DRAM and logic circuit are integrated into one chip can realize a large-capacity memory and high data transfer speed, and is growing in demand. A recent DRAM/logic-embedded device structure includes a DRAM array region where a buried strap type trench cell is formed, and a logic region where a MOSFET having a salicide structure in gate/source/drain regions is formed.
As described above, the logic region adopts a salicide structure in which a metal silicide layer is formed on the upper surface of a MOSFET gate electrode/drain region/source region. High performance is realized using a thin film for a MOSFET gate oxide film.
To realize a high integration density and high speed also in the DRAM array region, the MOS polysilicon gate of a cell must be shrunk as much as possible, reducing the cell size. Simple shrinkage degrades the cell performance due to the short channel effect.
As a technique of suppressing the short channel described previously, there has been proposed a technique of pocket-implanting impurity which is the same type as that of the semiconductor substrate under a source/drain. However, as in a prior art, when pocket implantation is simply carried out under the source/drain of the cell transistor, a boron concentration of a BS junction becomes high to increase the junction leak. As a result, such an increased junction leak will deteriorate a charge retention characteristic of DRAM.

Semiconductor device having a trench capacitor and a MOSFET connected by a diffusion layer and manufacturing method thereof


When the coordinates of multiple primaries are set within specific ranges in a chromaticity diagram (e.g. the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram), the proportion of the contrast ratio of one primary to the contrast ratio of the other primary should conform to some requirements to achieve the white balance of dark-state, so as to effectively display the natural color and mitigate the color shift of low-luminance images.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a display. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-primary color display.
2. Description of Related Art
With the fast development of technology, the application of displays has become more popular. Users look forward to displays that show varied and saturated colors. In general, displays usually only use the three primaries (e.g. red, blue, green) for mixing colors. However, the display using the three primaries does not completely display all of the natural colors, such as sky blue or gold. In conventional technology, to solve this problem, the above-mentioned three primaries are saturated to extend the color space. However, the solution has limited effectiveness and does not satisfy. Additionally, the solution may reduce the illumination of the display because of the characteristics of the display. On the other hand, the traditional display using the three primaries may add the other new primary. The new primary falls outside the triangular color space in the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram, where the triangular color space is formed by the three primaries. Thus, it is effective for the display to extend the color space. Besides, the display may maintain or enhance the illumination thereof.

Multi-primary color display and color filter


Authentication and key exchange functions, such as those conforming to the Digital Transmission Licensing Authority's (DTLA) Digital Transmission Content Protection (5C) Specification, are incorporated into a link-layer access device of a conventional processing system. Because of the suitability of IEEE 1394 for transferring audio/video information, these functions are preferably embodied in an IEEE 1394 compatible link-layer access device. The link-layer access device of this invention is configured to support, for example, the elliptic curve multiplication functions of a Diffie-Hellman key exchange process, as well as digital signature generation and digital signature verification. By incorporating the authentication and key exchange functions into a link-layer access device, the system architecture and devices that are commonly used in conventional processing systems can be used, thereby providing an incremental path toward increased protection of copyright material. In a preferred embodiment, the conventional link-layer controller is configured to implement the authentication and key exchange processes, via calls to the link-layer access device to perform the complex mathematical operations, thereby eliminating the need for each application-layer program or device to implement these processes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of communications, and in particular to secure communications via an IEEE 1394 (firewire) interface.
2. Description of Related Art
Secure communications between and among devices is becoming increasingly important for the protection of copyright material and other communiqués. An organization known as the Digital Transmission Licensing Authority (DTLA) has created the Digital Transmission Content Protection Specification, commonly known as the "5C" specification. The 5C specification defines a cryptographic system comprising a number of cryptographic components, including methods for enciphering and deciphering content material, and methods for determining secure cryptographic keys for use in this enciphering and deciphering of the content material.
A commonly used protocol for the transmission of audio/visual material among audio/visual applications is the IEEE 1394 protocol and interface. Special purpose controllers have been developed to support the transfer of enciphered material between an application program and the IEEE 1394 bus interface, including the enciphering and deciphering of the content material being transferred in accordance with the 5C specification, based on cryptographic keys that are provided by the application program. As is known in the art, given a sufficiently robust key, the enciphering and deciphering of information can provide a high level of security, and can be effected with relatively little overhead, being based primarily on a "shift and add" or similar operation. The complexity required to generate the keys that are used to perform the enciphering and deciphering, on the other hand, is substantial. To minimize the potential damage caused by a breach of security of keys, the 5C specification calls for the generation of unique keys by the devices involved in the transfer of the information. A discovery of the keys that are used by one pair of devices provides no information concerning the keys used by another pair of devices. When a communication of protected information is required, the devices generate a unique set of keys for ciphering and deciphering the information. The generation of unique keys for each session of information transfer is effected via a "key exchange", which is an exchange of parameters that are used to generate keys within each device.
In the 5C specification, an elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman key exchange, and an elliptic curve Digital Signature algorithm is specified for full authentication. The elliptic curve computations are known in the art, and are mathematically complex. For sufficient security, the computations use relatively large numbers, in the order of 160 or more bits. The 5C specification requires that these operations be completed in a limited amount of time, for operation effectiveness, as well as security reasons. Because of the mathematical complexity and required efficiency, a conventional implementation of these tasks includes a software program that is executed on a high-performance microprocessor. For example, on a home computer system with an IEEE 1394 interface, the application program that is used to transfer the information to other devices contains the sub-programs that compute or verify digital signatures, and, if the signatures are verified, effect a key exchange. These sub-programs are typically run on a Pentium® or similar high performance processor, via, for example, a "C" program that includes complex operations that are known to be computationally irreversible. That is, a knowledge of the output of the complex operation provides little or no information regarding the parameters that were used to generate the output. For example, in the context of the 5C specification, elliptic curve cryptography is based on a determination of a point on an elliptic curve based on another point on the curve.
As the name "key exchange" implies, both the device that will be transmitting the protected information, and the device that will be receiving the protected information must participate in this exchange, and therefore both devices must contain sufficient capabilities to effect the above described key exchange computations. Although the execution of a key exchange on a home computer is feasible, the cost of a high performance microprocessor can be prohibitive in many applications, specifically consumer electronic equipment, such as video recorders, CD players, and the like. Additionally, each application program on a computer, and each component device that is expected to comply with the 5C specification, must incur the cost of developing and testing, or purchasing and testing, the software required to effect the digital signing and key exchange tasks required by the 5C specification. As an alternative to a high-performance processor running a software program, a special purpose processor can be provided to facilitate the 5C authentication functions, but such a special purpose processor can be expected to require a substantial modification to existing processing systems designs and architectures, and will add costs to each device that is expected to comply with the 5C specification.

IEEE 1394 link layer chip with “5C” authentication and key exchange accelerator


A unitized seal assembly for vehicle wheel hubs and the like. The seal assembly includes a primary seal component and a wear sleeve component. The primary seal component includes an elastomeric seal body with a primary sealing lip contacting a first portion of the wear sleeve component, an intermediate excluder lip facing another portion of the wear sleeve, and an outer, excluder seal portion with a cylindrical contact surface. The wear sleeve component has a casing with providing an interior cylindrical contact surface and an elastomeric exterior excluder lip with a seal band portion facing the cylindrical contact surface portion of the outer excluder seal. The seal body is reinforced by a stiffener that engages one part of the wheel hub and the wear sleeve casing is mounted on the other part of the hub.

This invention relates to new and improved fluid seal assemblies. The seal assemblies of the present invention are particularly adapted for use as seals for bearings running in an oil bath, and may be installed in the wheel housing of tractors, trailers, semi-trailers, and the like.
Seal assemblies of the invention are provided with an elastomeric sealing element and a casing which provides the primary surface against which the elastomeric element bears to form the primary seal. The assembly of this invention includes, in addition, means which operate to exclude or minimize the ingress of dirt into the assembly to an extent that the effective lubricant action initially established is effectively maintained throughout operation, even under a conditions of an adverse nature.
In preferred embodiments of this invention, a wet or primary seal acts to retain lubricate within the bearing area, and an outer excluder seal and an inner excluder seal act to exclude dirt and other damaging foreign materials from the primary seal area.
Oil seal assemblies of the unitized type are well known and have enjoyed outstanding commercial success. Such oil seal assemblies are highly regarded for their dependability, even under the most adverse operating conditions. However, a finite probability still exists that dirt and other contaminants may penetrate the seal assembly and contaminate the primary seal, leading to eventual failure. When such a failure occurs, related components may be damaged, and contamination of the bearing assembly may also occur.
A failure resulting in leakage can cause brake shoes and/or drums to become oiled, in turn causing erratic stopping control and performance. Brake failure in heavy trucks or other vehicles can create great risks to persons and property. In addition, lubricant leakage can cause dry running and lubricant failure. Eve if the bearings do not run dry, reduced oil levels can cause undesirably increased operating temperatures. Seal failures can therefore cause failure of or damage to adjacent or associated parts of the vehicle.
In most cases, the costs associated with such a failure are much higher than the cost of the oil seal assembly itself. As such, any improvement which reduces the likelihood of failure or shortened life is highly desirable. Seals made in accordance with the present invention provide a substantial improvement over certain heretofore available oil seals of this general type because of a great potential increase in the operating life and other advantages can be achieved.
It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a new and improved seal assembly having a prolonged operating life.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved unitized oil bath seal assembly which provides prolonged life for the inner excluder seal and for the primary seal.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an unitized oil bath seal assembly which combines an elastomeric sealing element which is fixed to and in fluid-tight engagement with a first of a pair of movable parts, and a casing element in fixed, fluid-tight engagement with a second of said pair of parts, wherein one element has a sealing surface engaging said elastomeric element, wherein an elastomeric lip is bonded to a portion of one casing element, and in which the sealing element includes an axially extending collar which rotatably engages a portion of an exterior excluder lip body bonded to the casing element.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a unitized oil bath seal assembly which includes first and second casing units, one of which provides a running surface for an elastomeric seal lip and the other of which is bonded to an elastomeric sealing lip and wherein the parts are constructed and arranged so that each of the components includes a generally axially extending collar or like element, with the two collar elements having mutually opposed surfaces in facing relation and molded, cut or otherwise formed to a size such that, upon initial installation, there is sealing contact between the opposed surfaces.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitized oil bath seal arrangement wherein the elastomeric seal body includes a primary lip portion, an excluder lip portion, and a collar-like element having a circumferentially extending radially outwardly directed area thereof adapted for sealing contact with an opposed circumferentially radially inwardly directed sealing surface on a lip or collar element extending axially outwardly from the casing unit with which the primary and inner excluder lips make sealing contact.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an oil bath type seal for oil hub or like applications wherein two excluder seals are provided, one being a rubber-to-rubber exterior excluder seal and wherein the other is a rubber-to-metal intermediate excluder seal formed between the outer seal and the primary seal.
Another object of the invention is to provide a composite oil bath type seal of unitized construction which may be made at low cost.
Other objects and advantages, and the manner of their attainment will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and by reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout.

Unitized seal for heavy duty application


A disk drive is disclosed for optimizing write current settings relative to drive operating characteristics and an ambient temperature reading. Test data is written to and read from the disk using different write current settings to generate a plurality of corresponding quality metrics. The quality metrics are evaluated to generate an optimized write current setting for the ambient temperature reading. In one embodiment, the first write current setting is selected relative to a previously optimized write current setting that corresponds to the ambient temperature reading. This embodiment expedites the optimization process by testing write current settings surrounding a previous write current setting rather than testing the entire range of write current settings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives for computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk drive optimizing write current settings relative to drive operating characteristics and ambient temperature readings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art has suggested to compute nominal write current settings over a plurality of ambient temperatures relative to the coercivity of the media used for a plurality of disk drives in a product line. Typically a lower write current is used for higher ambient temperatures to help minimize inter-track interference, whereas a higher write current is used for lower ambient temperatures to ensure the media saturates. During normal "in-the-field" operation, a write driver circuit is programmed with the appropriate nominal write current setting relative to the ambient temperature of the disk drive. However, computing nominal write current settings relative to the coercivity of the media may not provide the optimal write current settings for each ambient temperature. Further, using static, nominal write current settings does not compensate for changes in the drive operating characteristics occurring over time while in-the-field (e.g., environmental changes and electrical and mechanical changes).
There is, therefore, a need to better optimize the write current in a disk drive relative to drive operating characteristics and the ambient temperature.

Disk drive for optimizing write current settings relative to drive operating characteristics and ambient temperature readings


A bidet apparatus for use with a typical toilet is shown. The bidet apparatus comprises a height-adjustable sub-seat for housing movable liquid and air delivery systems. The air and liquid supplies may be located next to or remotely from the toilet. Controls are fully adjustable for control of on/off, pressure, sub-seat location of liquid and air delivery mechanisms, and temperature and pressure of liquids. Air and liquid delivery systems move out of the way of defecation, urination and the like. A hand-held controller on a flexible stalk provides finger tip control of functions.

Extensive time, expense, and efforts have been expended in the development of bidet toilets and their related counterparts which are designed to either wash or wash and dry a person's genital area and anus. Needs for such devices may be either needs of convenience or of necessity, such as for use with the physically impaired, or even purely for improved hygiene.


The present invention is an alternating current rotary sputter cathode in a vacuum chamber. The apparatus includes a housing containing a vacuum and a cathode disposed therein. A drive shaft is rotatably mounted in the bearing housing. A rotary vacuum seal is located in the bearing housing for sealing the drive shaft to the housing. An at least one electrical contact is disposed between a power source and the cathode for transmittal of an oscillating or fluctuating current to the cathode. The electrical contact between the power source and the cathode is disposed inside of the vacuum chamber, greatly reducing, and almost eliminating, the current induced heating of various bearing, seals, and other parts of the rotatably sputter cathode assembly.

1. Field of the Art
The present invention relates generally to a sputter cathode assembly and more particularly to a high current rotating sputter cathode assembly in which the power is supplied to the cathode at a point within the sputter chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Direct current ("DC") reactive sputtering is often used for large area commercial coating applications, such as the application of thermal control coatings to architectural and automobile glazings. In this process, the articles to be coated are passed through a series of in-line vacuum chambers isolated from one another by vacuum locks. Such a system may be referred to as a continuous in-line system, or simply a glass coater.
Inside the chambers, a sputtering gas discharge is maintained at a partial vacuum pressure of about three millitorr. The sputtering gas comprises a mixture of an inert gas, such as argon, with a small proportion of a reactive gas, such as oxygen, for the formation of oxides.
Each chamber contains one or more cathodes held at a negative potential of about 200 to 1000 volts. The cathodes may be in the form of elongated rectangles, the length of which spans the width of the line of chambers. The cathodes are typically 0.10 to 0.30 meters wide and a meter or greater in length. A layer of material to be sputtered is applied to the cathode surface. The surface layer or material is known as the target or the target material. The reactive gas inside the chamber forms the appropriate compound with the target material.
Ions from the sputtering gas discharge are accelerated into the target and dislodge, or sputter off, atoms of the target material. These atoms, in turn, are deposited on a substrate, such as a glass sheet, passing beneath the target. The atoms react at the substrate surface or during passage from the target to the substrate with the reactive gas in the sputtering gas discharge to form a thin film.
The above glass coating process was made commercially feasible by the development of the magnetically-enhanced planar magnetron. This magnetron has an array of magnets arranged in the form of a closed loop and mounted in a fixed position behind the target. A magnetic field in the form of a closed loop is thus formed in front of the target plate. The field causes electrons from the discharge to be trapped in the field and travel in a spiral pattern, which creates a more intense ionization and higher sputtering rates. Appropriate water cooling may be provided to prevent overheating of the target. The planar magnetron is further described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,018 which is herein incorporated by reference for everything it teaches.
The rotary or rotating cylindrical magnetron was developed to overcome some of the problems inherent in the planar magnetron. The rotating magnetron uses a cylindrical cathode and target. The cathode and target are rotated continually over a magnetic array which defines the sputtering zone. As such, a new portion of the target is continually presented to the sputtering zone, which eases the cooling problem and allows higher operating powers to be utilized. The rotation of the cathode also insures that the target erosion zone comprises the entire circumference of the cathode covered by the sputtering zone. This increases target utilization. The rotating magnetron is described further in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,356,073 and 4,422,916, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The rotating magnetrons, while solving some problems, present others. Particularly troublesome has been the development of suitable apparatus for driving and supporting the magnetron in the coating chamber. Conventional rotating cathode bodies consist of a rotating cylinder supported within a fixed housing. The housing is connected with a vacuum chamber in which the sputtering process takes place. In order to maintain the integrity of the vacuum chamber, it is necessary to provide a seal between the rotating cathode body and the fixed housing. Vacuum and rotary water seals have been used to seal around a drive shaft and cooling conduits which extend between the coating chamber and the ambient environment. However, such seals have a tendency to develop leaks under conditions of high temperature and high mechanical loading. Various mounting, sealing, and driving arrangements for cylindrical magnetrons are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,443,318; 4,445,997; and 4,466,877, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. These patents describe rotating magnetrons mounted horizontally in a coating chamber and supported at both ends.
A preferred seal used to solve the above problems is one which uses a ferro-fluid to make the seal. This consists in part of a fluid suspension of microscopic-magnetic particles in a carrier liquid. The fluid is held in place by a magnetic field provided by an assembly of permanent magnets and steel.
Another troublesome sputtering problem has been an arcing phenomena, which is particularly troublesome in the DC reactive sputtering of silicon dioxide and similar materials such as aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. As DC power, and therefore voltage, is increased, the charge on the rotating cathodesc tends to build up. Once the charge has built to a certain level, the charge will dissipate by arcing. Insulating materials like silicon dioxide are particularly useful to form high quality, precision optical coatings such as multilayer, antireflection coatings and multilayer, enhanced aluminum reflectors. In addition, when faster sputtering is desired, the power supplied must also be increased, resulting again in undesirable arcing.
Perturbation of the sputtering conditions due to arcing is especially detrimental to a cost effective operation, as any article being coated when an arc occurs will most likely be defective. For instance, the article may be contaminated by debris resulting from the arc, or it may have an area with incorrect film thickness caused by temporary disruption of the discharge conditions. Furthermore, the occurrence of arcs increases with operating time, and eventually reaches a level which requires that the system be shut down for cleaning and maintenance.
One way to avoid the problem of arcing is to avoid using a high DC current and instead to use fluctuating power sources, such as an alternating current ("AC") source or a square or pulsed DC power source. Oscillating current constantly switches the power supplied to the rotating member, as fast or faster than 50 KHz, constantly relieving the charge build up before it can cause an arc. Arcing is thereby minimized or eliminated.
Utilizing a fluctuating electrical current, however, gives rise to other types of problems. When the rotating cathodes are powered by an oscillating current power supply, any electrically conductive part near the path of the electrical current will be subject to heating via magnetic induction. This is generally not a problem at relatively low current. However, as frequency and/or current are increased, the rate of inductive heating becomes more and more significant and problematic. High frequency and current may be desired because some materials require a higher power density to be sputtered efficiently, such as when sputtering TiO2, SiO2 or Al2O3. Furthermore, to maintain the same power density over a long cathode requires more current, further exacerbating the heating problem. Finally, a higher current and frequency increases the overall sputter rate, and therefore the line speed, of the sputtering operation, resulting in a more efficient production rate.
The electrical induced heating effect is even more of a problem when ferro-fluid seals are used. Ferro-magnetic materials, like the seal, magnify the induced inductive heating effect by focusing the induced magnetic field within themselves. As the current and frequency of the oscillating power supply increases, the seal is heated. If the currency and frequency are high enough, the seal overheats and fails. This failure is usually catastrophic to the sputtering process and thus costly to manufacturing. Additionally, the inductive heating represents a waste of energy and thus reduced efficiency in the sputtering process.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved sputtering cathode assembly and process which minimizes or eliminates inductive heating when using an fluctuating power supply, thereby facilitating the use of higher oscillation frequencies and currents. This in turn facilitates the more efficient sputtering of materials which require high power densities, such as the reactive sputtering of TiO2, SiO2 and Al2O3, and significantly increases the sputter rate, and thus the line speed, of sputtering operations.

Alternating current rotatable sputter cathode


A tissue examination device includes a plurality of sensors, each of which produces a signal in response to pressure imposed on the sensor in accordance with the properties of different types of underlying tissue structures as the sensor is pressed against the tissue. A plurality of processing tests are performed on the signals, and the different types of the underlying tissue structures are discriminated from each other based on the results of the tests.

This invention relates to tissue examination, and in particular to detecting foreign structures in, e.g., breast tissue.
One traditional way of examining breast tissue to detect foreign structures such as lumps is to palpate the breast manually. For example, the patient firmly presses on the breast with three fingers while moving the fingers in a circular palpating motion. Typically, such manual breast self-examinations can detect lumps as small as a few centimeters in diameter.
Instruments for electronically examining the breast are available. One such instrument includes an array of pressure sensors which is pressed against the breast. Each pressure sensor in the array generates an electrical signal proportional to the local pressure imposed on the sensor when the array is pressed against the breast. When adjacent sensors are positioned across the boundary of a lump within the breast tissue, the sensor that lies over the lump generates an electrical signal indicating the detection of greater local pressure than the adjacent transducer element, which is located over soft tissue alone. The instrument determines whether a lump is present by analyzing the differences between the electrical signals generated by the sensors.


A home device controller can include one or more touch grooves, a touch slider operatively coupled to each of the one or more touch grooves, and one or more processors. The processor(s) can receive signals from each touch sensor, each signal corresponding to a touch gesture performed by a user interacting with the one or more touch grooves. The processor(s) can generate control commands executable by a home device based at least in part on the signals, and transmit the control commands to the home device for execution.

Home control systems, such as lighting control systems used for lighting fixtures, include binary analog switches and analog dimmer switches that enable users to control one or more lights wired to an electrical box upon which such switches are connected. Control of these switches can be cumbersome and/or unattractive, and it would therefore be useful to have improved means of controlling them.

Home device controller with touch control grooves


A flexible probe constructed using a flexible circuit having a small cross-sectional profile. In the various disclosed embodiments of the flexible circuit, a flexible substrate includes a plurality of conductive traces that extend along opposite surfaces of the substrate. Light emitting devices (or other electronic devices) are mounted at spaced-apart intervals along the length of the conductive traces using a conductive adhesive/solder. A conductor couples a terminal on the outwardly facing side of each of the light emitting devices to the conductive trace that is disposed on the opposite side of the substrate. In one embodiment, this conductor comprises a short conductive bar that extends between the terminals of pairs of the light emitting devices that are mounted on opposite sides of the flexible substrate so that the pair of light emitting devices are connected in series. In another embodiment, the flexible substrate includes an outwardly extending arm of the conductive trace that wraps around the edge of the flexible substrate to connect to the light emitting device mounted on the opposite side thereof. In each embodiment, a substantially smaller cross-sectional profile is achieved compared to a previous approach in which the conductive traces providing power to a light emitting device were located on the same side of the flexible substrate and fly wires were used to connect the light emitting devices to the conductive traces.

Several embodiments of light emitting probes designed to be transcutaneously introduced into the body of a patient and positioned at a desired treatment site to administer photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a plurality of light sources are taught in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,608, the drawings and disclosure of which are specifically incorporated herein by reference. Several different embodiments of such probes are illustrated and discussed il this prior patent. Each of the probes disclosed in this reference includes a plurality of light sources that are mounted on a relatively stiff or inflexible substrate and enclosed within a transparent envelope through which light emitted by the light sources is transmitted to irradiate a tumor or other cells that are to be destroyed by PDT. The light sources used on the probes taught by this reference are preferably light emitting diodes (LEDs); however, almost any light source capable of emitting light in a waveband corresponding to an absorption waveband of a photoreactive agent that has been applied to the tumor or other tissue to be destroyed can be used. By inserting one of these probes into a patient's body, moving the probe to an internal treatment site, and using the probe for applying PDT, abnormal cells or other organisms at the treatment site can be destroyed without significant adverse impact on adjacent normal tissue.
None of the implantable light emitting probes disclosed in the above-referenced patent include light sources mounted on flexible substrates. There are many applications for PDT in which it would be advantageous to use a flexible substrate for mounting the LEDs or other light sources on a probe employed to administer the PDT, e.g., so that the probe can be threaded into a treatment site through a curved passage within the patient's body without risk of perforation of the wall of the passage. In contrast to the relatively inflexible substrate used in the probes disclosed in the above-referenced patent, a flexible PDT probe having a small cross-sectional size, e.g., less than 2 mm, can be more readily maneuvered through body passages using conventional endoscopic techniques, enabling the flexible probe to be inserted to provide a medical therapy, such as the administration of PDT, to a treatment site. In addition, a small cross-sectional area flexible probe is less likely to cause bleeding upon insertion interstitially at a treatment site and become infected after insertion. The prior art does not disclose a flexible probe capable of providing these capabilities.
To address the need for such devices, commonly assigned U.S. patent applications, Ser. No. 08/613,390 filed Mar. 7, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,478, and a continuation-in-part thereof, Ser. No. 08/633,171 filed Apr. 16, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,234, both entitled "Flexible Microcircuits for Internal Light Therapy," disclose several different embodiments of flexible probes. These embodiments include a relatively small diameter, elongate flexible probe. The elongate probe comprises a flexible substrate on which are mounted a plurality of light emitting devices, in a spaced-apart array. The light emitting devices are mounted on each side of the substrate, and are electrically connected to two flexible conductive traces that extend along the surface of each side. The light sources each include terminals disposed on opposite sides of the device. One terminal is electrically connected using solder or a conductive adhesive to one of the two traces. A fly wire (very small gage) couples the other terminal to the other conductive trace. While this arrangement provides a workable flexible probe that is able to bend without damage as the probe is inserted through a small diameter passage, the probe has a larger diameter than desired because the width of the flexible substrate required for this configuration is slightly greater than the sum of the width of the light emitting devices and the width of the two conductive traces. The resulting configuration is also subject to damage when handled before final fabrication of the probe is completed, because the fragile fly wires are exposed until the substrate and mounted light sources are encapsulated in a flexible, optically transparent, biocompatible material. Thus, a more compact arrangement that is more robust and capable of automated fabrication is desirable. Ideally, it should be possible to fabricate a flexible elongate probe having a cross-sectional diameter of less than 0.15 cm, i.e., the width of the substrate should be only slightly greater than the width of the light sources mounted thereon.
It will also be apparent that a flexible probe having a smaller diameter so that it can more readily be introduced to a treatment site has utility for implementing medical therapies other than PDT. For example, a small diameter flexible probe that includes an ultrasonic transmitter and/or ultrasonic receiver can readily be inserted into an organ or through a lumen to carry out an ultrasound scan of surrounding tissue. Furthermore, a small diameter flexible probe that is used to administer PDT can be provided with electronic components capable of carrying out additional functions. For example, a sensor to determine the efficacy of the PDT treatment might be included on the flexible probe, in addition to the plurality of light sources that are used to provide light to a treatment site.
A relatively smaller diameter flexible probe on which one or more electrical circuits for administering a medical treatment or a sensing device is mounted can more readily be threaded into an internal site within a patient's body than a larger diameter probe, and the insertion procedure can be implemented with less trauma to the patient. In addition, a configuration that eliminates use of the fly wires to couple the terminal of a device to a conductive trace should improve the durability of the probe. Producing a smaller diameter probe that is more robust than that of previous designs is clearly a desirable objective.


A process and apparatus for rapidly screening materials using, for example, mass spectrometry has been developed. More specifically, an array of materials on a fluid permeable support contained within a reaction cell having a semipermeable membrane can be rapidly screened for characteristics such as catalytic activity, selectivity, and adsorption and desorption properties.

With the growth of combinatorial methodologies has come a need for rapid, high throughput, evaluation of combinatorially formed materials. Rapid screening methods that require only small quantities of material are increasingly in demand. Recently, Cong, P.; Doollen, R. D.; Fan Q.; Gianquinta, D. M.; Guan, G.; McFarland, E. W.; Poojary, D. M.; Self, K.; Turner, H. W.; Weinberg, W. H. Agnew Chem. Int. Ed. 1999, 38, 4, 484 reported a quadrupole mass spectrometer screening method for heterogeneous catalysis libraries in a sequential fashion. In Cong et al., each catalyst site of the library of catalysts was sequentially heated to a desired reaction temperature by a carbon dioxide laser. Reactant gases were then transported to the catalyst site through the annular section of a double concentric probe in a stagnation-flow manner.
A similar quadrupole mass spectrometer based screening technique was also reported in Orschel, M.; Klein, J.; Schmidt, H-W.; Maier, W. F.; Agnew Chem, Int, Ed. 1999, 38, 18, 2791, where the library consisted of an open structure where catalyst powders, prepared by the sol gel method, were placed in a spatially addressable configuration on a heated substrate. Screening was achieved by sequentially flowing a feed gas onto the surface of a catalyst spot through a capillary feed line and by withdrawing the products through another capillary line.
WO 99/19724 describes a method for rapid screening for activities and selectivities of catalysts by contacting potential catalysts at the test sites with a reactant stream to form product plumes. The product plumes were screened by passing a radiation beam to promote the formation of specified photoions and photoelectrons which are detected by microelectrode collection in situ in proximity to the respective test site.
WO 00/29844 describes a method of screening for activities and selectivities of catalyst libraries by contacting the catalysts at the test sites with a reactant stream to form product plumes. The product plumes are screened by translating a sample probe and/or the library to sample the product plumes and to conduct the plumes to a mass spectrometer where they are analyzed. One drawback to each of the above technologies is the extensive requirement for moving parts within the apparatus. Besides adding to the cost of the equipment, moving parts require a greater degree of maintenance, become a likely cause for mechanical failure, and, most importantly, may limit the speed with which the apparatus may be used to screen materials.
Still others have tried methods for screening libraries of materials using mass spectrometers; see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,959,297 B1 and 6,248,540 B1 where one embodiment shows a small volume created next to a library and filled with reactant gas. Selective IR heating of a thin substrate activates a library element of interest resulting in products which flow to a detector. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,959,297 B1 and 6,248,540 B1 also state that a flow-through geometry can be employed.
The present invention provides a rapid screening method and apparatus that requires no moving parts and permits easy relative determination of a variety of characteristics. The present invention is a heat activated selective membrane introduction cell and detector for high throughput screening of materials such as inorganic solids, adsorbents, and heterogeneous catalysts. Advantages of the present invention include separating the effluent using a semipermeable membrane prior to conducting the effluent to a detector and using an array support as a thermal barrier to protect the semipermeable membrane from thermal degradation.

Heat activated membrane introduction apparatus and method for screening materials


The methods and systems of the invention utilize limited data to yield information about the validity of any given interaction with a website. Once validity information is available, an operator can determine whether or not to continue offering interactions to a given user. The determination could also relate to whether to report website interaction statistics based on undesired interactions, how to handle billing or payment for such undesired interactions, and what type of content to send to users who are interacting with the website in an undesirable manner.

The transfer of information over computer networks has become an increasingly important means by which institutions, corporations, and individuals communicate and conduct business. Computer networks have grown over the years from independent and isolated entities established to serve the needs of a single group into vast Internets that interconnect disparate physical networks and allow them to function as a coordinated system. Currently, the largest computer network in existence is the Internet. The Internet is a worldwide interconnection of computer networks that communicate using a common protocol. Millions of computers, from low end personal computers to high end super computers, are connected to the Internet.
Many network operators, such as operators of commercial websites on the Internet, have reason to determine the validity of a given user interaction with the network or website. For example, with the recent growth of commercial enterprises conducting business on the Internet, a website operator may want to determine which interactions users have with the website are invalid or even criminally fraudulent. Four examples of website operators who have a compelling interest in the validity of interactions with a website are a website operator offering a trivia contest, the website operator who attempts to determine unique users without requiring detailed identifying information from its users, a search engine operator, and a pay for placement website operator.
First, the website operator offering a trivia contest in which prizes are awarded to participants who correctly answer a set of questions may be faced with participants who mask their true identity and enter the contest multiple times. The website operator is at risk of having the website's users abuse the process by which prizes are awarded and thereby is at risk both financially and in terms of credibility. If the website operator wants to allow for relatively anonymous use of the website while maintaining a fair contest, the operator must find some means of assessing which entries in the trivia contest are the entries of legitimate contestants and which entries are repeat entries of contestants attempting to gain an unfair advantage.
Second, many website operators attempt to count unique users visiting a site to establish rates for placing advertisements on the site. Although the user of user cookies is common, the cookie mechanisms offered by most browsers and web servers easily can be thwarted by even unsophisticated website users. A website operator who attempts to charge for advertising based on the number of unique visitors has a responsibility to be as accurate as possible when reporting the number of unique visitors, and would be well served to have non cookie based mechanisms to validate or invalidate the counts of unique users as established by user cookies. Failing to do so could result in lost advertising revenue.
Third, a search engine provider may be interested in determining and reporting the number of times certain search terms were requested by the search engine's users. If the search engine operator provides relatively anonymous access, it would be exceedingly simple for somebody to write a script which queries the same search term on a continuous basis. If the search engine operator cannot identify such illegitimate queries from actual user queries, the search engine operator can misreport the actual number of queries users (as opposed to software robots or bots) presented to the search engine. Such a misreporting of search term frequencies could undermine the overall credibility of the search engine as the search engine operator is presented with the risk of reporting a particular search term as popular, when in fact it was just the work of one user.
Fourth, a pay for placement and performance website operator leases space on a website to advertisers, charging them only when the space the advertiser is leasing gets used by the website's users, such as following a link to the advertiser's website. A pay for placement and performance website operator needs to be able to guarantee the validity of the pay for performance interactions which occur on the operator's website. A malicious user easily could generate interactions on the operator's website which would create charges for advertisers (buyers of the pay for placement and performance space) when such a user has no interest in the advertiser's products or services.
All of the above examples illustrate scenarios in which being able to ascertain valid from invalid interactions with a website are important to the website's operator. Those skilled in the art will recognize that known measures of uniqueness and authenticity, such as user cookie, client IP address, or user agent identification are mechanisms that can be easily thwarted. Thus, there is a need for a system to validate website interactions that overcome these deficiencies.

System and method to determine the validity of an interaction on a network


The invention is embodied in a heavy duty drill bit for hard/soft rock drilling comprising a high fatigue-resistant, high alloy steel bit body having a PCD cutter member and an enlarged shank portion constructed to accommodate torsional forces at high thrust pressures, and reamer means for compensating the effect of bore hole rifling. The invention further involves the method of forming a roof bolting matrix in extremely hard rock formations having a compression strength up to about 50,000 psi using PCD wafers on a high tensile strength steel body coupled by a heavy duty shank through high fatigue-resistant reamer means to a high strength drive steel member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to improvements in roof drilling systems used in the industry, mining and construction fields.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) has become widely used in making cutting tool inserts. PCD materials are formed of fine diamond powder sintered by intercrystalline synthesis technology into a predetermined layer or shape; and such PCD layers are usually bonded to a substrate of "precemented" tungsten carbide to form a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) or insert (e.g. cutting element). The term "high density ceramic" (HDC) is sometimes used to refer to a mining tool having an insert with a PCD layer. The term "chemical vapor deposition" (CVD) is a form of pure PCD used for inserts, and "thermally stable product" (TSP) is another form of pure diamond that can be bonded to a carbide substrate or directly to a steel bit body using new vacuum furnace techniques by GE and Sandia Laboratories. Still other superhard surfacing and layered materials, such as "advanced diamond composite (ADC)" and "nitride" compositions of titanium (TiN) and carbon (C2N2), are gaining acceptance in the mining field. All such superabrasive or superhard materials—PCD, TSP, CVD, ADC and nitride compositions are applicable to the present invention, and the terms "PCD" and "PCD" shall be considered inclusive of all.
Drag bits are one class of drill bits used in rotary drilling operations. Drag bits have PCD or like cutting elements which act to cut or shear the earth material. The action of some flushing medium (fluid drilling mud, water, a compressed air or vacuum system) is important in all types of drilling operations to cool the cutting elements and to flush or transport cuttings away from the cutting site to prevent accumulation of debris. The cooling action is particularly important in the use of PCD cutters to prevent carbon transformation of the diamond material at about 1250° F.
The prior art is replete with various cutting element designs directed by a desire to form structurally stronger, tougher and more wear-resistant and fracture-resistant tools. It is well-known for example, that superabrasive (PCD) cutting elements can fail caused by the fact that the materials comprising the superabrasive portion, or diamond table, and the substrate have different coefficients of thermal expansion, elastic moduli and bulk compressibilities. Thus the table and substrate materials of a PCD wafer shrink at different rates during cooling after formation and the diamond table tends to be in residually stressed tension while the substrate material tends to be in residually stressed compression when subjected to cutting loads during drilling operations which may result in fracturing of the cutting element. My prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,932 addressed these heat management problems.
My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,180,022; 5,303,787 and 5,383,526 disclose substantial improvements in HCD roof drill bits using PCD cutting elements constructed in a non-coring arrangement, and also teach novel drilling methods that greatly accelerated the speed of drilling action as well as substantially reduced bit breakage and change-over downtime. These prior HCD non-coring drill bits are capable of drilling over 100-300 holes of 4 foot depth for a roof bolting matrix with a single bit and in shorter times with less thrust than the standard carbide bits in certain hard rock or sandstone formations of 22,000-28,000 psi compressive strength. Although these prior HCD bits drilled through such earth structures, it was discovered that some drill bits might plug in drilling through mud seams and other soft shale or broken earth formations and PCD cutting inserts may even shatter in working through stratus of extremely hard or fractured earth conditions. My U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,839 discloses another HCD roof drill bit designed to operate more efficiently in broken and muddy earth formations. It should be noted that in some metal/non-metal mining, and particularly in tunnel construction there is frequently extremely hard rock formations in the compressive strength range of 25,000 to 50,000 together with seams of other mud, shale and the like. My prior PCD bits are capable of achieving some success in these conditions, but drilling speeds are slow and fracturing of drill steel, couplers and drill bits frequently occurs.


A memory management apparatus suitable for reducing amount of memory usage and simplifying programs is provided. When an area allocation request has been inputted, an unused area having a size that is determined by area size information included in the area allocation request is searched for as a candidate area on the basis of a memory management table 400. And overlap flag corresponding to an adjoining area that is contiguous with the candidate area in its lower address orientation is read from the memory management table 400, and, based on the overlap flag, it is determined whether or not the adjoining area is an area that allows overlapped allocation. If it is determined the area is an area allowing overlapped allocation, a used area that overlaps with the adjoining area is allocated.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system, program, and method for managing usage of memory on the basis of a memory management table, and more specifically, to a memory management apparatus, program, and method suitable for reducing amount of memory usage and simplifying programs.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Real Time OS (Operating System) (hereinafter referred to as RTOS) performs a plurality of tasks in parallel. Typically, memory management capability of a microprocessor-based system in which a RTOS is implemented is realized as a feature of the RTOS. As well, memory allocation functions and memory freeing functions typified by malloc function and free function of C language are often implemented such that they wrap memory functions of a RTOS.
Each task running on a RTOS calls a memory allocation function to obtain memory area necessary for processing. The memory allocation functional locates necessary used area from available memory areas of memory on the basis of a memory management table, registers the start pointer to the allocated used area to the memory management table and passes it to the requesting task.
Techniques for reading to/writing from memory area as a virtual two-dimensional space include a memory usage method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-222117 (JP2002-222117A), for example.
The invention described in JP2002-222117A assumes a predefined two-dimensional memory space that arranges a virtual minimum two-dimensional memory space in the vertical and horizontal orientations, and allocates in advance each address of the virtual minimum two-dimensional memory space to each address of n physical memory blocks that are determined relative to the virtual minimum two-dimensional memory space. When reading data, a read address of the virtual minimum two-dimensional memory space is specified and also the vertical or horizontal direction of data reading is specified with the read address as the reference. Based on both of the specifications, contiguous data stored in the vertical or horizontal orientation of the virtual minimum two-dimensional memory space is read from each of the addresses corresponding to the n memory blocks.
In such a conventional RTOS as described above, if different tasks need to share data, the tasks may share the same used area. If different tasks use a memory area for distinct purposes, however, there has been a problem of amount of memory usage increasing since different used areas are to be allocated for each of the tasks.
In addition to the problem above, the invention described in JP2002-222117A has also a problem of a program becoming complex because, in order to allocate a used area as a two-dimensional memory space, a program on the task side has to calculate the maximum width of the two-dimensional memory space and request a required size from a memory allocation function.
Thus, the invention has been made in view of such unsolved problems of prior art, and has an object of providing a memory management apparatus, program, and method suitable for reducing amount of memory usage and simplifying programs.

Apparatus, program, and method for managing usage of memory


A phenomenon pattern extraction unit extracts a phenomenon pattern of a past sensor signal of a facility. A related information correlation unit correlates the sensor signal based on maintenance history information. A phenomenon pattern classification reference creation unit creates a classification reference for classifying a phenomenon pattern based on the extracted phenomenon pattern and a work keyword included in the maintenance history information correlated with the sensor signal as the source of the phenomenon pattern. A phenomenon pattern classification unit classifies the phenomenon pattern based on the classification reference. A diagnosis model creation unit creates a diagnosis model for estimating a work keyword suggested to a maintenance worker based on the classified phenomenon pattern and the work keyword.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a diagnosis method, and a program. This application claims the priority based on the Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-020024 filed on Feb. 5, 2014. The entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purpose.
Related Art
In a plant or a facility, it is important to detect the abnormality at an early timing based on multi-dimensional time-series data output therefrom and to diagnose the cause thereof. For this reason, a plurality of sensors are attached to the facility or the plant as a target, and the abnormality thereof is determined based on the monitoring reference of each sensor.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,952,662 discloses a method of individually calculating the similarity between observation data and past learned data, calculating an estimation value by a linear combination of data weighted in response to the similarity, and detecting abnormality based on a deviation degree between the estimation value and the observation data. Further, JP 2009-110066 A discloses a maintenance chart display device that easily recognizes long-term maintenance work information of an apparatus.

Information processing apparatus, diagnosis method, and program


A lithographic apparatus includes a mask or reticle masking device configured to block radiation. The masking device includes a reflective blade. The reflective blade may include a mirrored blade, which may be used in the scanning (Y) direction, and which moves across the beam of radiation in use. The reflective blade provides within an illumination system an effective slit for a mask or reticle within the lithographic apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a device manufacturing method. The present invention also relates to a mask or reticle masking device for use in a lithographic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. including part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the beam of radiation in a given direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
A prior art lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to provide a beam of radiation, wherein the illumination system defines a focal plane through which, in use, the beam of radiation passes; a support configured to support a patterning device at a location, the patterning device configured to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a masking device for obscuring at least a part of the patterning device from the beam of radiation, the masking device including a first masking device arranged to obscure part of the location in a first direction with respect to the location, a second masking device arranged to obscure part of the location in a second different direction with respect to the location; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate.
The term "patterning device" should be broadly interpreted as referring to a device that can be used to endow an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section, corresponding to a pattern that is to be created in a target portion of the substrate; the term "light valve" has also been used in this context. Generally the pattern will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit or other device (see below). Examples of such patterning device include a mask. The concept of a mask is well known in lithography, and includes mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. Placement of such a mask in the radiation beam causes selective transmission (in the case of a transmissive mask) or reflection (in the case of a reflective mask) of the radiation impinging on the mask, according to the pattern on the mask. In the case of a mask, the support will generally be a mask table, which ensures that the mask can be held at a desired position in the incoming radiation beam, and that it can be moved relative to the beam if so desired.
A programmable mirror array is another example of a pattering device. The array is a matrix addressable surface having a viscoelastic control layer and a reflective surface. The basic principle behind such an apparatus is that addressed areas of the reflective surface reflect incident light as diffracted light, whereas unaddressed areas reflect incident light as undiffracted light. Using an appropriate filter, the undiffracted light can be filtered out of the reflected beam, leaving only the diffracted light behind; in this manner, the beam becomes patterned according to the addressing pattern of the addressable surface. An alternative embodiment of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of small mirrors, each of which can be individually tilted about an axis by applying a suitable localized electric field, or by employing piezoelectric actuators. Once again, the mirrors are matrix-addressable, such that addressed mirrors will reflect an incoming radiation beam in a different direction to unaddressed mirrors; in this manner, the reflected beam is patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable mirrors. The required addressing can be performed using suitable electronic means.
Another example of a pattering device is a programmable LCD array. As above, the support in this case may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required.
For purposes of simplicity, the rest of this text may, at certain locations, specifically direct itself to examples involving a mask and mask table; however, the general principles discussed in such instances should be seen in the broader context of the patterning device as hereinabove set forth.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the "projection lens" or "lens"; however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types to direct, shape or control the beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a "lens". Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such "multiple stage" devices the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory processes may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures.
Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the patterning device may generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (including one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In prior art apparatus, employing patterning by a mask on a mask table, a distinction can be made between two different types of machine. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion in one go; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a wafer stepper. In an alternative apparatus, commonly referred to as a step-and-scan apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the beam of radiation in a given reference direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table parallel or anti-parallel to this direction; since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally <1), the speed V at which the substrate table is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table is scanned.
It is often desirable or necessary to ensure that only a certain part of the mask is imaged by the beam of radiation to the substrate. For example, the mask may contain more than one pattern of which only one is used for a given exposure. It is also often desirable or necessary to stop stray light from impinging on the substrate. In lithographic projection systems using this function such is typically achieved by providing a reticle masking device at an intermediate plane in the illuminator.
There are currently two types of reticle masking schemes: masking for static exposure in a stepper system and masking for scanning exposure in a step-and-scan apparatus. In a stepper system where the mask is fixed with respect to the illuminator, the reticle masking device is provided adjacent to the mask and is also fixed with respect to the illuminator and the mask. In static exposure, part of the mask is blocked from the illumination beam for the duration of an exposure. In a step-and-scan system where the mask is movable with respect to the illuminator, the reticle masking device is provided adjacent to the mask and is also movable with respect to the illuminator and the mask. In scanning exposure, a part of the mask is blocked for a predetermined length of time.
A reticle masking device may include at least one movable blade. In certain devices two sets of moveable blades are provided. Typically the two sets of blades are mechanically coupled to a support frame and each support is mounted on a common frame. Thus the sets of blades are mechanically coupled to each other.
FIGS. 17(a) and 17(b) depict a conventional masking device MD, which may be used in a lithographic apparatus. The masking device MD is disposed in an XY plane, X being substantially perpendicular to Y and the XY plane being substantially perpendicular to the Z-direction. The masking device MD includes four movable blades arranged in two pairs X1 and X2, disposed along the X axis, and Y1 and Y2 disposed along the Y axis. As shown in plan view in FIG. 17(a), each blade forms an L-shape, with a rectangular portion disposed close to the Z-axis and an arm which extends away from the Z-axis so that the blades may be connected to suitable actuators. Blades X1 and X2 are movable in the X-direction, and blades Y1 and Y2 are moveable in the Y-direction.
The cross-sectional view in FIG. 17(b) shows how the blades are arranged in the Z-direction to allow them to overlap. Note that in practice the blades are made very thin in the Z-direction, and the X and Y blades are very close together in Z such that the four blades form a rectangular slit SL lying in an optical position along the Z-direction.
FIG. 17(b) also shows an embodiment of the masking device lens MDL, including two lenses LS1 and LS2, where a lens may be a single optical element or a group of optical elements.
In step mode, the position and size of the masking slit (SL, FIG. 17(a)) is chosen such that the beam of radiation PB will be incident upon the required circuit pattern of the patterning device MA. The masking device MD is kept relatively stationary and the entire circuit pattern is projected onto the target portion C in a single static exposure.
In scan mode, the masking device MD is configured to form a masking slit SL having a larger dimension in the X-direction than the Y-direction. For scanning exposures, Y1 and Y2-blades are arranged to be movable during the exposure, and X1 and X2-blades, although movable, are generally arranged to be stationary during the exposure. For scanning exposures, the Y1 and Y2-blades in particular are arranged to perform additional movements to allow scanning of the patterning device MA with respect to the beam of radiation PB.
Before a scanning cycle starts, the Y-blades are arranged to prevent any radiation impinging on the patterning device MA. At the beginning of the scanning cycle, the Y-blades open to a scanning distance. At the end of the scanning cycle, the Y-blades move into a position in which light is prevented from impinging on the patterning device MA.
In case a different portion of the patterning device needs to be masked, the X-blades are generally moved between consecutive exposures.
With conventional masking devices, as higher scanning speeds are demanded, conventional masking devices fail. In particular, with some conventional masking devices the mass of the coupled blades creates inertia, preventing the scanning blades from being able to be accelerated and decelerated fast enough to open to their scanning position, and close at the end of the scan position, respectively. Further, the high moving mass cannot be satisfactorily moved at high enough scanning speeds by conventional motors without causing disturbances to be transferred to other parts of the apparatus.
Additionally, at the start and end of the scans the X- and Y-blades, collectively referred to as reticle masking blades, respectively open and close an illumination slit. For this purpose, two scanning blades are used in the Y-direction. When blocking radiation the blades must absorb a substantial amount of energy from an illumination source, e.g. a laser source. This gives rise to thermal problems. Further, two Y-blades must be moved requiring two motors, amplifiers, etc.
Motors for driving the blades are controlled by software which includes a list of instructions to control the motors. In conventional reticle masking devices it is possible for blades to collide with one another in the case of a malfunction. This may not only damage the blades, but will affect production if the apparatus is shut down for repairs.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method


A generally rectangular game board block has a recessed arcuate part formed in a first end, and a protruding arcuate part formed in a second end. The arcuate parts share a common radius of curvature. In one embodiment, the complemental arcuate parts of contiguous game board blocks abut one another so that they are pivotal with respect to one another. In another embodiment, a retainer associated with the recessed arcuate part engages a rim of the protruding part of a contiguous game block so that the contiguous parts are positively held together as they are rotated with respect to one another. Another embodiment has a hinge-like interconnection and a bias member introduces play into the structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a piece shift type game board block. More specifically, it relates to a piece shift type game board block capable of adjusting its size by connecting a plurality of game boards by the number to be adapted to the number of players.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of conventional piece shift type game boards has been disclosed in Japanese utility model patent application Laid Open No. 73183 1991
FIG. 8 shows a piece shift type game board 800, where numerals 12 to 21 depict concaved holes which are used as steps for advancing playing ball pieces during the game.
In the conventional piece shift type game board 800, the number of the concaved holes can not be changed, so that there has been a problem that the different game boards must be prepared separately for few number of players (few number of concaved holes) and for a large number of players (a large number of concaved holes).
The game board for a larger number of players becomes large scale, therefore it is inconvenient for players to carry on.


Novel metallocene compounds are provided which are useful as polymerization catalysts, particularly in the polymerization of addition polymerizable monomers such as olefinic or vinyl monomers. Preferred polymer compositions prepared using the novel catalysts are bimodal or multimodal in nature, typically having a bimodal or multimodal molecular weight distribution. The metallocenes are binuclear or multinuclear, and contain two or more chemically distinct active sites. Methods for synthesizing the novel catalysts are also provided, as are methods for using the novel compounds as homogeneous or heterogeneous polymerization catalysts.

Many processes and catalysts are known for the preparation of homopolymeric or copolymeric olefins and other polymers. Ziegler-Natta catalyst compositions, developed in the 1950s, were found to be particularly useful in the preparation of polyolefins. These catalyst compositions comprise transition metal compounds such as titanium tetrachloride and an alkylaluminum (e.g., triethylaluminum) cocatalyst. The systems were found to be advantageous because of their high activity, and were largely consumed during polymerization.
More recent catalyst systems for use in preparing polyolefins and other polymers are "metallocenes." The term "metallocene" was initially coined in the early 1950s to refer to dicyclopentadienyliron, or "ferrocene," a structure in which an iron atom is contained between and associated with two parallel cyclopentadienyl groups. The term is now used to refer generally to organometallic complexes in which a metal atom (not necessarily iron) is coordinated to at least one cyclopentadienyl ring ligand.
In contrast to the traditional Ziegler-Natta catalysts, metallocenes can provide a polymer composition containing a plurality of polymer molecules of substantially the same molecular structure. That is, if one high purity metallocene catalyst is used, the variance in the composition or molecular weight of the individual polymer molecules produced is minimal. With metallocenes, then, it is possible to control compositional distribution and other aspects of polymer molecular structure with unprecedented precision. Metallocene catalysts have other advantages as well. For example, metallocenes: (a) can polymerize almost any vinyl monomer irrespective of molecular weight or steric considerations; (b) provide the ability to control vinyl unsaturation in the polymers produced; (c) enable polymerization of .alpha.-olefins with very high stereoregularity to give isotactic or syndiotactic polymers; and (d) can function as hydrogenation catalysts for polymers as well as monomers. A. D. Horton, "Metallocene Catalysis: Polymers by Design," Trends Polym. Sci. 2(5):158-166 (1994), provides an overview of metallocene catalysts and their advantages, and focuses on now-conventional complexes of Group IV transition metal complexes and cyclopentadienyl ligands (Cp.sub.2 MX.sub.2, wherein Cp represents a cyclopentadienyl ligand, M is Zr, Hf or Ti, and X is Cl or CH.sub.3).
Horton, supra, discusses the utility of "uniform site" metallocene catalysts relative to traditional "multi-site" Ziegler-Natta polymerization catalysts, and emphasizes the ability to control polymer structure and properties by simply varying the catalyst structure. The catalysts proposed by Horton are homogeneous in nature, in contrast to the typically heterogeneous catalysts used in the preparation of polyolefins.
In addition, certain types of metallocene catalysts have been used to produce polymer compositions that are bimodal (or "bimolecular") or multimodal (or "multimolecular"). A composition referred to as "bimodal" or "multimodal" is generally, although not necessarily, bimodal or multimodal with respect to molecular weight distribution, i.e., the composition has two or more different molecular weight distributions, as may be determined, for example, by the appearance of two or more peaks in a gel permeation chromatogram. However, bimodality or multimodality can refer to other characteristics of a polymer composition as well, e.g., compositional distribution (the distribution of comonomers within a copolymer), tacticity distribution (wherein a polymer contains at least two segments of differing tacticity, long-chain branching distribution, or the like. Polymeric compositions that are multimodal are frequently more useful than compositions that are not; for example, multimodal polymer compositions can have improved rheological behavior, higher mechanical strength and increased elasticity relative to corresponding compositions which are not multimodal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,678 to Mink et al. provides a supported catalyst composition for producing a polyolefin resin having a high molecular weight component and a low molecular weight component, wherein the catalyst composition contains a first catalyst which is a metallocene and a second catalyst which is a non-metallocene. The ratio of the high molecular weight and low molecular weight components in the polymeric product is determined by the ratio of the concentration of the two metals in the two-component catalyst composition. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,685 to Coleman, III et al. pertains to a two-component catalyst composition for preparing polyolefins having a molecular weight distribution which is multimodal, the catalyst composition comprising a mixture of a supported titanium compound and a separately supported or non-supported organometallic compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,562 to Lo et al. also relates to a supported olefin polymerization catalyst composition for producing high density polyethylene ("HDPE") having a multimodal molecular weight distribution. The catalyst composition comprises: (1) a catalyst precursor supported on a porous carrier, and (2) a catalyst activator in the form of a mixture of conventional Ziegler-Natta cocatalysts. Katayama et al., "The Effect of Aluminium Compounds in the Copolymerization of Ethylene/.alpha.-Olefins," in Macromol. Symp. 97:109-118 (1995), provides a similar system for preparing a polymer composition having a bimodal composition using a two-component catalyst comprised of a metallocene (Cp.sub.2 ZrCl.sub.2) and either Ph.sub.3 C.sup.+ !B(C.sub.6 F.sub.5).sub.4.sup.- ! or PhMe.sub.2 NH.sup.+ !B(C.sub.6 F.sub.5).sub.4.sup.- !.
PCT Publication No. WO92/00333, inventors Canich et al., and EP 416,815 A2, inventors Stevens et al., are also of interest insofar as the references describe metallocene catalysts for preparing polyolefins. Canich et al. describes metallocene catalyst compositions for producing high molecular weight polyolefins having a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution, wherein the catalyst composition is comprised of (1) a metallocene containing a Group IVB transition metal coordinated to a cyclopentadienyl ligand, and (2) a coordination complex such as an anionic complex containing a plurality of boron atoms, which serves as a catalyst activator. The metallocene catalysts described may be mononuclear or binuclear (i.e., containing one or two metal atoms which serve as the active sites); the binuclear compounds dissociate during polymerization. Stevens et al. also pertains to metallocene catalysts to prepare addition polymers, particularly homopolymers and copolymers of olefins, diolefins, "hindered" aliphatic vinyl monomers and vinylidene aromatic monomers. The Stevens et al. catalysts are metal coordination complexes having constrained geometry, and are used in conjunction with a cocatalyst compound or composition to form a complete catalytic system. The constrained geometry of the catalysts is stated to be of key importance insofar as the metal atom in the metallocene presumably is a more "exposed" active site.
Thus, the art provides metallocene catalyst compositions for producing polymers, particular polyolefins, which have a bimodal or multimodal molecular weight distribution. However, prior catalysts and catalyst compositions, as described above, either require two or more components, e.g., two catalysts used in combination, or involve binuclear compounds which break apart into two separate components during the polymerization process (as in the bimetallic catalyst disclosed by Canich et al.), giving rise to potential manufacturing problems, e.g., phase separation or the like, and/or loss of control over the molecular weight distribution of the polymer composition prepared. In addition, the known metallocene catalysts can be relatively difficult and time-consuming to synthesize, requiring expensive equipment, extreme reaction conditions, and multi-step processes which ultimately result in a low yield of the desired product.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simpler polymerization catalyst which does not require a second catalyst, retains its structure during the polymerization process, and is relatively simple to synthesize. The novel metallocene compounds of the invention address the aforementioned need in the art and represent a significant advance in the field of catalysis. The compounds are binuclear or multinuclear metallocenes, preferably although not necessarily containing two or more distinct and chemically different active sites, and can be used in a variety of contexts. A preferred use is in the production of polymer compositions that are bimodal or multimodal in nature, typically, although not necessarily, having a desired bimodal or multimodal weight distribution. The catalysts allow for a high degree of control over both the compositional distribution and molecular weight distribution of the final polymer composition, and provide for all of the advantages typically associated with metallocene catalysts, i.e., versatility and use in conjunction with a variety of monomer types, the ability to control the degree of vinyl unsaturation in the polymeric product, the capability of providing isotactic or syndiotactic polymers, and the like. In addition to their utility as polymerization catalysts, the novel metallocenes are also useful in catalyzing hydrogenation. The novel compounds may be supported or used as homogeneous catalysts.

Metallocene catalysts and associated methods of preparation and use


A gas bottle for welding-type devices, a shielding gas system, and a method for providing shielding gas to a weld are disclosed. The gas bottle has a valve constructed to be connected to a welding-type device and is preferably formed to fit within a cavity of a welding-type device. The gas bottle is constructed to provide shielding gas to the welding-type device immediately upon connection of the gas bottle to the welding-type device thereby eliminating a manual valve.

The present invention relates generally to welding systems and, more particularly, to a gas cylinder for providing shielding gas to a weld.
Welder power sources have become increasingly portable in recent years. This portability is largely the result of lighter unit weight and improved electrical components. One advancement in the area of electrical components has been the incorporation of inverter-type power sources. The application of an inverter power source has reduced the size and weight of welders and created usable space within the confines of the housing, while maintaining the ability to generate the outputs required for welding.
Improvements in wire feeder technology have also improved the ease of use and portability of a welder. Wire welding is generally believed to be easier to learn than conventional stick welding and as such, relatively inexperienced artisans can produce adequate results in relatively little time. As a result, due to the ease of use and versatility of application, many users prefer wire welding over conventional stick welding.
Space in any work environment is always at a premium. Whether the welder is used in the hobbyist's garage or the machine shop of an industrial plant, the size of the unit is always a design consideration. The space used by a welder is not limited to the dimensions of the power source itself but includes the ancillaries related to welding processes such as cables, consumables, and gas cylinders. The space required for the storage and maintenance of these items is another consideration associated with many welders.
Shielding gas cylinders provide gas to the welding process. This gas essentially encapsulates the welding process in order to protect the integrity of the weld from contaminants and also enhances arc performance during a welding process. The shielding gas is generally provided in very large and very heavy cylinders. The cylinders are constructed ruggedly to withstand the high pressure of the gas contained therein and the rigors of the workplace. A regulator and valve assembly are typically attached to the gas cylinder and allow the operator of the welding power source to control the amount of gas supplied to the welding process.
The size and weight of the gas cylinders significantly detracts from the portability of the welder. Additionally, attempts to move the welder and gas cylinder together presents an opportunity for inadvertent damage to the gas cylinder or to the regulator attached thereto unless a cart is provided. Such carts however are large and typically constructed to accommodate bulky gas cylinders. As such, the portability of the welding apparatus is limited by the portability of the shielding gas cylinder.
It would therefore be desirable to design a system and method of providing a shielding gas container that is lightweight and highly portable.


A method for determining an adjacency relation for analyzing a business card containing data blocks. A target data block and a comparison data block is selected from the data blocks. Then, the method checks whether the comparison data block is topologically overlapped with the target data block. If they are topologically overlapped, then it checks whether the comparison data block has the shortest distance to the target data block, in comparison with data blocks that are topologically overlapped with the target data block. If the distance is shortest, then it checks whether there exists an interrupted data block between the comparison data block and the target data block. If there exists no interrupted data block, it is determined that there exists an adjacency relation between the comparison data block and the target data block. A computer readable recording medium is also disclosed, which executes the method as mentioned above.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for determining an adjacency relation and, more particularly, to a method for determining an adjacency relation between a target data block and a comparison data block selected from data blocks of a business card.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to the present time, the use of business cards is prevailed in the industrial and commercial world. Exchanging business cards has become a social etiquette and a way to introduce oneself. However, with the increasing number of business cards collected, it has become more and more difficult to manage them. Too many business cards make it hard to search and inconvenient to carry which become a torment to a user.
However, with the progress in technology, the above-mentioned problem can be resolved. That is, to digitize the information on the business cards and save it to a personal computer. Thus, not only does it become more convenient and fast to search and manage, after converting and storing information of a large number of business cards into a handheld electronic device, it is even more convenient to carry around without the restriction of carrying a heavy business card album. Furthermore, one can even transmit and exchange the digitized business card information, to achieve the object of fast information flow.
In order to digitize the information on a business card, firstly it is needed to identify data blocks on the business card, determine the adjacency relation between each data block, followed by subsequent processes such as the method of comparing keywords, special formats or conditions. In a conventional method, the distance between data blocks is checked, then a fixed value derived from experience is used to determine whether the distance is "close enough" to have an adjacency relation and need to be combined in subsequent processes. A drawback of this is that the determination for so called "close enough" is based on an experience value. The experience value is obtained from prior training. If the prior training is not sufficient, the judgement will not be accurate. Even if there is sufficient training, some unforeseeable problems may still happen because there is no set rules for the design and layout of a business card.
FIGS. 1a and 1b shows a business card 100 for "E Net Ltd. Co." as an example. The business card 100 includes thirteen data blocks 101 to 113, which includes the company name, employee name, department, title, company address, company phone number and extension, and e-mail address. A result that data blocks 101 and 102 are close enough and should be combined can be obtained by the conventional method. However, the conventional method does not determine the relative relations of the vertical and horizontal positions of the data blocks. Therefore, the combined result may become in reversed order, that is, "Net Ltd. Co. E".
Further, using data blocks 107 and 112 as an example, data blocks 107 and 112 may be determined to be close enough by the conventional method. Therefore, the two blocks 107 and 112 may be combined to get a wrong address of "12F, No. 118, Sec. 1, Roosevelt Road, No. 100, Keelung Road, Taipei City."
Therefore, it is needed urgently to provide a method which can accurately determine the adjacency relation in order to assist the succeeding process of business card information.

Method for determining an adjacency relation