An example embodiment may involve discovering a plurality of printing devices on a local area network. The example embodiment may also involve determining a registration status for each of the plurality of printing devices on the local area network, where the registration status indicates whether each of the plurality of printing devices is registered with a registration server located outside the local area network. The example embodiment may further involve attempting to register each of the plurality of printing devices for which the registration status indicates the printing device is not registered with the registration server.

In recent years, various types of printing devices have become popular for both business and consumer use. Many printing devices are capable of being registered to a registration server that may provide users information about the printing devices. In order to globally register numerous printing devices, registration servers may employ cloud-based services that can be accessed over the Internet. As printing devices have grown more prevalent, certain businesses and organizations may have a large number of printing devices that need to be registered to a registration server. Therefore, it may be desirable to improve the efficiency of service and maintenance on devices by massively connecting them to global cloud-based services.
Furthermore, when registering a printing device to a registration server, technical problems may arise. For example, registration may fail if an IP address or DNS host name cannot be determined or if the printing device's firmware is out of date. Therefore, it may be desirable to diagnose and troubleshoot problems that arise during registration of the printing device.

Systems and methods for registering, configuring, and troubleshooting printing devices


A method of removing photoresist and residue from a substrate begins by maintaining supercritical carbon dioxide, an amine, and a solvent in contact with the substrate so that the amine and the solvent at least partially dissolve the photoresist and the residue. Preferably, the amine is a tertiary amine. Preferably, the solvent is selected from the group consisting of DMSO, EC, NMP, acetyl acetone, BLO, acetic acid, DMAC, PC, and a mixture thereof. Next, the photoresist and the residue are removed from the vicinity of the substrate. Preferably, the method continues with a rinsing step in which the substrate is rinsed in the supercritical carbon dioxide and a rinse agent. Preferably, the rinse agent is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol, a mixture thereof, and acetone. In an alternative embodiment, the amine and the solvent are replaced with an aqueous fluoride.

The present invention relates to the field of removal of photoresist and residue from a substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of removal of photoresist and residue from a substrate using supercritical carbon dioxide.
Semiconductor fabrication uses photoresist in ion implantation, etching, and other processing steps. In the ion implantation steps, the photoresist masks areas of a semiconductor substrate that are not implanted with a dopant. In the etching steps, the photoresist masks areas of the semiconductor substrate that are not etched. Examples of the other processing steps include using the photoresist as a blanket protective coating of a processed wafer or the blanket protective coating of a MEMS (micro electro-mechanical system) device.
Following the ion implantation steps, the photoresist exhibits a hard outer crust covering a jelly-like core. The hard outer crust leads to difficulties in a photoresist removal.
Following the etching steps, remaining photoresist exhibits a hardened character that leads to difficulties in the photoresist removal. Following the etching steps, photorcsist residue mixed with etch residue coats sidewalls of etch features. Depending on a type of etching step and material etched, the photoresist residue mixed with the etch residue presents a challenging removal problem since the photoresist residue mixed with the etch residue often strongly bond to the sidewalls of the etch features.
Typically, in the prior art, the photoresist and the photoresist residue are removed by plasma ashing in an O2 plasma followed by stripping in a stripper bath.
FIG. 1 illustrates an n-p-n FET (field effect transistor) structure 10 subsequent to an ion implantation and prior to a photoresist removal. The n-p-n FET structure 10 includes a source region 12, a gate region 14, and a drain region 16 with isolation trenches 18 separating the n-p-n FET structure 10 from adjacent electronic devices. A first photoresist 20 masks all but the source and drain regions, 12 and 16. In the ion implantation, a high energy ion source implanted an n-dopant into the source and drain regions, 12 and 16. The high energy ion source also exposed the first photoresist 20 to the n-dopant which creates a hard crust on an upper surface 22 of the first photoresist 20. In the prior art, the first photoresist 20 is removed by the plasma ashing and the stripper bath of the prior art.
FIG. 2 illustrates a first via structure 30 of the prior art subsequent to an RIE (reactive ion etching) etch and prior to a photoresist and residue removal. The first via structure 30 includes a via 32 which is etched into a first SiO2 layer 34 to a first TiN layer 36. In the first via structure 30, the via 32 stops at the first TiN layer 36 because the first TiN layer 36 provides an etch stop for the RIE etch of the first SiO2 layer 34. Etching through the first TiN layer 36 complicates the RIE etch by requiring an additional etch chemistry for the first TiN layer 36; so for this particular etch, the TiN layer 36 is not etched. The first TiN layer 36 lies on a first Al layer 38, which lies on a first Ti layer 40. A first residue, which comprises photoresist residue 42 mixed with SiO2 etch residue 44, coats sidewalls 46 of the via 32. Second photoresist 48 remains on an exposed surface 50 of the first SiO2 layer 34. In the prior art, the second photoresist 48, the photoresist residue 42, and the SiO2 etch residue 44 are removed using the plasma ashing and the stripper bath of the prior art.
Note that specific layer materials and specific structure described relative to the first via structure 30, and to other thin film structures discussed herein, are illustrative. Many other layer materials and other structures are commonly employed in semiconductor fabrication.
FIG. 3 illustrates a second via structure 60 of the prior art subsequent to the RIE etch and prior to the photoresist and residue removal. The second via structure 60 includes a second via 62 which is etched through the first SiO2 layer 34 and the first TiN layer 36 to the first Al layer 38. By etching through the first TiN layer 36, a device performance is improved because a contact resistance with the first Al layer 38 is lower than the contact resistance with the first TiN layer 36. The second via structure 60 also includes the first Ti layer 40. The first residue, which comprises the photoresist residue 42 mixed with the SiO2 etch residue 44, coats second sidewalls 64 of the second via 62. A second residue, which comprises the photoresist residue 42 mixed with TiN etch residue 66, coats the first residue. The second photoresist 48 remains on the exposed surface 50 of the first SiO2 layer 34. In the prior art, the second photoresist 48, the photoresist residue 42, the SiO2 etch residue 44, and the TiN etch residue 66 are removed using the plasma ashing and the stripper bath of the prior art.
Note that the first residue (FIGS. 2 and 3) and the second residue (FIG. 3) are worst case scenarios. Depending upon a specific etch process, the first residue or the second residue might not be present.
FIG. 4 illustrates a metal line structure 70 subsequent to a metal RIE etch and prior to a residue removal. The metal line structure 70 includes a second TiN layer 72 on a second Al layer 74 which is on a second Ti layer 76. The second TiN layer 72, the second Al layer 74, and the second Ti layer 76 form a metal line. The second Ti layer 76 contacts a W via 78, which in turn contacts the first Al layer 38. The W via 78 is separated from the first SiO2 layer 34 by a sidewall barrier 80. A third residue, which comprises a halogen residue 82 mixed with metal etch residue 84, lies on the exposed surface 50 of the first SiO2 layer 34. The third residue, which comprises the halogen residue 82 and the metal etch residue 84, also lies on a second exposed surface 86 of the second TiN layer 72. A fourth residue, which comprises a combination of the photoresist residue 42 mixed with metal etch residue 84, coats sides 88 of the metal line. Skirts 90 of the fourth residue extend above the second exposed surface 86 of the second TiN layer 72. In the prior art, the photoresist residue 42, the halogen residue 82, and the metal etch residue 84 are removed using the plasma ashing and the stripper bath of the prior art.
FIG. 5 illustrates a dual damascene structure 100 of the prior art subsequent to a dual damascene RIE etch and prior to the photoresist and photoresist residue removal. The dual damascene structure 100 includes a dual damascene line 102 formed above a dual damascene via 104. The dual damascene line 102 is etched through a second SiO2 layer 106 and a first SiN layer 108. The dual damascene via 104 is etched through a third SiO2 layer 110 and a second SiN layer 112. The dual damascene via is etched to an underlying Cu layer 114.
In processing subsequent to the photoresist and residue removal, exposed surfaces of the dual damascene line and via, 102 and 104, are coated with a barrier layer and then the dual damascene line and via, 102 and 104, are filled with Cu.
Returning to FIG. 5, a fifth residue, which comprises the photoresist residue 42 mixed with the SiO2 etch residue 44, coats line sidewalls 116 and via sidewalls 118. A sixth residue, which comprises the photoresist residue 42 mixed with SiN etch residue 120, coats the fifth residue. A seventh residue, which comprises the photoresist residue 42 mixed with Cu etch residue 122, coats the sixth residue. The photoresist 48 remains on a second exposed surface of the second SiO2 layer 106. In the prior art, the photoresist 48, the photoresist residue 42, the SiO2 etch residue 44, the SiN etch residue 120, and the Cu etch residue 122 are removed by the plasma ashing and the stripper bath of the prior art.
Note that the fifth, sixth, and seventh residues are worst case scenarios. Depending upon a specific etch process, the fifth, sixth, or seventh residue might not be present.
Recent developments in semiconductor technology have led to proposed replacement of the second and third dielectric layers, 106 and 110, of the dual damascene structure 100 with low dielectric constant materials. Replacing the second and third dielectric layers, 106 and 110, with the low dielectric constant materials enhances an electronic device speed. Current efforts to develop the low dielectric constant materials have led to first and second categories of the low dielectric constant materials. The first category of low dielectric constant materials is a Cxe2x80x94SiO2 material in which C (carbon) lowers an SiO2 dielectric constant. The second category of dielectric materials are spinon polymers, which are highly cross-linked polymers specifically designed to provide a low dielectric constant. An example of the spin-on polymers is Dow Chemical""s SILK. SILK is a registered trademark of Dow Chemical.
Via and line geometries are progressing to smaller dimensions and larger depth to width ratios. As the via and line geometries progress to the smaller dimensions and larger depth to width ratios, the plasma ashing and the stripper bath of the prior art are becoming less effective at removal of photoresist and photoresist residue. Further, replacement of SiO2 with low dielectric constant materials raises difficulties with continued use of the plasma ashing. For the Cxe2x80x94SiO2 material, the O2 plasma attacks the C. For the Cxe2x80x94SiO2 material, the O2 plasma can be replaced with a H2 plasma but this reduces an overall effectiveness of the plasma ashing. For the spin-on polymers, especially Dow Chemical""s SILK, the plasma ashing is not a feasible method for removing the photoresist or the photoresist residue since the plasma ashing attacks the spin-on polymers.
What is needed is a more effective method of removing photoresist.
What is needed is a more effective method of removing residue.
What is needed is a more efficient method of removing photoresist.
What is needed is a more efficient method of removing residue.
What is needed is a method of removing photoresist from a substrate in which via and line geometries have small dimensions.
What is needed is a method of removing residue from a substrate in which via and line geometries have small dimensions.
What is needed is a method of removing photoresist from a substrate in which via and line geometries have large depth to width ratios.
What is needed is a method of removing residue from a substrate in which via and line geometries have large depth to width ratios.
What is needed is a method of removing photoresist from a substrate in which features are etched into a Cxe2x80x94SiO2 low dielectric constant material.
What is needed is a method of removing residue from a substrate in which features are etched into a Cxe2x80x94SiO2 low dielectric constant material.
What is needed is a method of removing photoresist from a substrate in which features are etched into a spin-on polymer low dielectric constant material.
What is needed is a method of removing residue from a substrate in which features are etched into a spin-on polymer low dielectric constant material.
The present invention is a method of removing photoresist and residue from a substrate. Typically, the photoresistxe2x80x94or the photoresist and the residue, or the residuexe2x80x94remains on the substrate following a preceding semiconductor processing step such as ion implantation or etching. The method begins by maintaining supercritical carbon dioxide, an amine, and a solvent in contact with the substrate so that the amine and the solvent at least partially dissolve the photoresist and the residue.
Preferably, the amine is a secondary amine or a tertiary amine. More preferably, the amine is the tertiary amine. Even more preferably, the amine is selected from the group consisting of 2-(methylamino)ethanol, PMDETA, triethanolamine, triethylamine, and a mixture thereof. Most preferably, the amine is selected from the group consisting of the 2-(methylamino)ethanol, the PMDETA, the triethanolamine, and a mixture thereof. Preferably, the solvent is selected from the group consisting of DMSO, EC, NMP, acetylacetone, BLO, acetic acid, DMAC, PC, and a mixture thereof.
Next, the photoresist and the residue are removed from the vicinity of the substrate. Preferably, the method continues with a rinsing step in which the substrate is rinsed in the supercritical carbon dioxide and a rinse agent. Preferably, the rinse agent is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol, acetone, and a mixture thereof. More preferably, the rinse agent is a mixture of the alcohol and the water. Preferably, the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, and other low molecular weight alcohols. More preferably, the alcohol is the ethanol.
In a first alternative embodiment, the amine and the solvent are replaced with an aqueous fluoride. In a second alternative embodiment, the solvent is added to the aqueous fluoride of the first alternative embodiment. In a third alternative embodiment, the amine is added to the aqueous fluoride and the solvent of the second alternative embodiment.

Removal of photoresist and residue from substrate using supercritical carbon dioxide process


A process of producing a multiple-layer glass-ceramic circuit board having a copper conductor, comprising the steps of: forming throughholes in a glass-ceramic green sheet at sites where via-contacts will be formed; filling the throughholes with a powder mixture of a copper powder blended with a ceramic powder, the copper powder and the ceramic powder having a powder particle size providing a packing density comparable with or greater than that of the glass-ceramic green sheet when filled in the throughholes; printing a conductor paste on the green sheet having the throughholes filled with the powder mixture, to form a circuit conductor pattern on the green sheet; laminating a plurality of the green sheets having the conductor pattern formed thereon, to form a laminate body; heating the laminate body to thereby remove a binder therefrom and preliminary-fire the laminate body; and firing the preliminary-fired body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process of producing a multiple-layer glass-ceramic circuit board, more particularly to an improvement in the forming of via-contacts of a multiple-layer glass-ceramic circuit board.
To quickly process a large amount of information, the information processing machines are progressively made smaller in size and larger in processing capacity and LSIs and VLSIS, which are high integrated by miniaturization of electronic elements, are provided for practical use as semiconductor devices occupying the major part of an information processing machine.
These integrated circuits are packaged in such a manner that a plurality of chips of integrated circuits are mounted on a chip-mounting board (interposer) made of ceramic to form an LSI module to be used as a replacement unit mounted on a printed circuit board. Particularly, all of the flip-flop type semiconductor integrated circuits are mounted on a ceramic circuit board.
The ceramic circuit boards on which semiconductor integrated circuits are mounted, are generally used in laminated form, and currently, multiple-layer circuit boards having 20 to 60 laminated layers are provided for practical use. These multiple-layer circuit structures have a via-contact formed of an electroconductive material extending through layers and providing electrical connection between electronic circuits formed in different layers.
Recently, it has been increasingly required that electric signals be transmitted more rapidly between semiconductor devices, and therefore, the circuit conductor be made of a material having a lower electric resistivity and that via-contacts formed in a circuit board be finer to increase the element density of semiconductor devices.
These requirements have led to the development of a glass-ceramic circuit board. To form a circuit conductor of a low resistivity material such as gold, silver, copper or the like, the shrinking temperature during firing of the glass-ceramic board is adjusted to be from 700.degree. to 1000.degree. C. by blending a ceramic with a glass having a softening temperature of 600.degree. to 900.degree. C. To provide high density packaging, the circuit boards have fine via-contacts with a diameter of about 100 .mu.m.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multiple-layer glass-ceramic circuit board is conventionally produced by making a green sheet from a glass-ceramic and an organic binder, forming throughholes in the green sheet at positions at which via-contacts are to be formed, and filling the throughholes with a conductor paste to form via-contacts. A plurality of green sheets composing the respective layers of a multiple-layer circuit board are prepared in the same way.
Each of the thus-prepared green sheets is screen-printed with a conductor paste on the portions including those of the via-contacts or filled throughholes to form an electric circuit pattern, and is then dried.
The dried green sheets are aligned, laminated, and pressed to form an integral laminate body, which is then heated to remove a binder therefrom and fired to provide a multiple-layer glass-ceramic circuit board. The heating for the removal of a binder is carried out at a temperature lower than that at which the subsequent firing is carried out, and is herein referred to as "preliminary firing".
FIG. 1 shows a conventional arrangement for forming via-contacts by using a green sheet 3 having a large number of throughholes or perforations 2 formed therethrough and through a polyethylene terephthalate sheet 1 (commonly called "Mylar sheet") covering the green sheet 3. A suction paper 4 is placed on a filling table 5 provided with an evacuating system (not shown) and the green sheet 3 together with the Mylar sheet 1 placed on the upper surface thereof is overlaid on the suction paper 4.
A conductor paste 15 is placed on the Mylar sheet 1, the evacuating system is actuated, and a squeegee is passed over the Mylar sheet 1 to sweep the conductor paste 15, so that the conductor paste 15 is sucked through the perforations of the Mylar sheet 1 to fill the throughholes 2 of the green sheet 3.
After removing the Mylar sheet 1, the green sheet 3 is screen-printed with a circuit conductor pattern and then dried.
Green sheets 3 corresponding to the respective layers of a multiple-layer circuit board are prepared in the same way, aligned, laminated, and pressed to form an integral laminate body, which is then heated at a relatively lower temperature to effect a preliminary firing and remove a binder from the green sheets 3 and from the conductor paste 15.
The laminate body is then fired at a higher temperature to sinter a glass-ceramic and a conductor metal and form a multiple-layer glass-ceramic circuit board having via-contacts in the laminated layers at the desired positions.
The above-mentioned conventional process uses a conductor paste of a mixture of a conductor metal powder and an organic binder.
The conventional process, however, has the following problems:
(1) Via-contacts frequently contain pores and cracks because of the difference in the shrinkage factors of the conductor metal and the substrate ceramic during sintering thereof because of different sintering behaviors thereof.
(2) Throughholes are difficult to completely fill with the conductor paste because the solvent or binder component of a conductor paste is absorbed by the throughhole wall of a porous green sheet.
(3) When an easily oxidizable metal such as copper is used as the conductor metal, an oxidizing atmosphere cannot be used in the heating for removing a binder, and a reducing atmosphere, such as a humidified atmosphere, must be used instead, under which the removal of a binder is not successful. Accordingly a binder that is not easily thermally decomposed cannot be used in either a conductor paste or a green sheet.
Measures were proposed to solve these problems.
To eliminate the difference between or equalize the shrinking behaviors of the conductor metal and the substrate ceramic, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 61-89839, 62-133002, 63-260199, 63-271995 and 1-201996 proposed the addition of an organic metal to a conductor paste. It is commonly known that the metal powder of a conductor paste is not sintered until the organic binder of the paste is decomposed and dissipated, and is sintered later than the metal powder alone, i.e., the occurrence of sintering and accompanying shrinkage is shifted to a higher temperature region. Moreover, the sintering of the conductor metal occurs abruptly when the organic binder is decomposed and dissipated at a temperature of from 700.degree. to 900.degree. C., and this sintering behavior is quite different from that of the substrate ceramic. The above-recited publications delay the sintering shrinkage of the conductor metal, i.e., shift the occurrence thereof to a higher temperature so that it occurs at the same time as that of the substrate ceramic because the added organic metal is decomposed to form a metal oxide during the preliminary low temperature firing (or the removal of binder) and the subsequent high temperature firing, and the thus-formed metal oxide impedes the sintering of the conductor metal powder in a high temperature region of from 700.degree. to 900.degree. C. Thus, the shrinkage of a conductor paste occurring in a high temperature region of from 700.degree. to 900.degree. C. is controlled by the addition of an organic metal thereto.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 61-89839 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2-9018 (by the same assignee as the present application) proposed a process utilizing the same principle, in which a metal oxide, instead of an organic metal, is directly added to a conductor paste.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 2-18991, 1-281795 and 61-101096 proposed another process in which a conductor metal powder directly fills the throughholes instead of a conductor paste, to avoid an organic substance remaining in the via-contacts and also to improve the packing of the throughholes. Because these processes do not use an organic binder, the dissipation of an organic binder does not occur in the drying and firing steps, the formed via-contacts do not contain pores, and via-contacts of a sufficient packing density can be relatively easily formed in a porous green sheet.
In spite of these improvements, recent refinements in the circuit pattern requires a minute via-contact to have a diameter of about 100 .mu.m and raised the following new problems.
When a conductor paste is used, a complete packing of a 100 .mu.m throughhole is so difficult that neither the addition of an organic metal nor the direct addition of a metal oxide improves the packing density in the throughholes and the pores that occurred during the filling of throughholes remain substantially unchanged in the fired via-contacts. Moreover, because generally having a high thermal decomposition (thermal deterioration) temperature, organic metals often remain in the form of an incomplete chemical compound after the binder removal step or preliminary firing. Particularly, when a conductor metal is composed of an easily oxidizable metal such as copper, a heating must be carried out in a reducing atmosphere unfavorable for removing a binder and the binder remains even after the final firing is completed.
When a conductor metal powder directly fills the throughholes, a refined powder particle is advantageously used to provide a complete packing of minute throughholes. The use of a metal powder alone, however, has a problem in that shrinkage occurs at a temperature lower than that of a substrate ceramic and still lower than that of a conductor paste during the binder removal and the firing, thereby frequently causing a gap between the thus-formed via-contacts and the ceramic substrate because of the different shrinkage factors thereof. Particularly, when the conductor is composed of copper, the heating for removing a binder is carried out in a humidified nitrogen gas atmosphere to prevent oxidization of the copper, and under this atmosphere, the shrinkage of a copper powder begins at a temperature of from 300.degree. to 400.degree. C., which is still lower than that which occurs in a dry nitrogen gas atmosphere. This causes the formation of a gap between the via-contact and the substrate ceramic in a low temperature region of from 400.degree. to 500.degree. C. and the thus-formed gap is larger than that formed when via-contacts are formed with a conductor paste.
To solve this problem, the present inventors have proposed a process in Japanese Patent Application No. 2-9018, in which a conductor metal powder blended with a ceramic powder fills the throughholes. This process effectively prevents the formation of pores at the via-contact/substrate ceramic interface by suppressing the occurrence of shrinkage in a low temperature region of 700.degree. C, or lower, particularly 400.degree. to 700.degree. C., which disadvantageously occurs when a copper powder alone fills the throughholes. This process, however, has a disadvantage in that via-contacts are embrittled and weakened because of the unstable bond between the fired metal particles when a ceramic powder is added in an excessive amount or a ceramic powder has an excessively large particle size.
To solve the problem that a good adhesion cannot be obtained when a conductor particle directly fills the throughholes because of poor wettability thereof with a ceramic, the above-recited Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2-18991 proposed the addition of chromium oxide to the metal powder. This process, however, has a problem in that the corrosion of the via-contact easily occurs during the firing step and the toxicity of chromium oxide results in low operation efficiency.
It is also noted that the above-recited Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2-18991 describes the particle size of the copper powder and the chromium oxide (Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3) powder as one tenth (1/10) the throughhole diameter or less, particularly from about one tenth (1/10) to about five-hundredth (1/500).

Process of producing multiple-layer glass-ceramic circuit board


Two-coordinate AO laser scanner for 355 and 266-nm UV wavebands utilizing AO cells with specially shaped TeO2 and KDP AO crystals, and equipped with LiNbO3 pulse-fed transducers of special configuration that allows enlarging scanning angle. This technology is utilized in computer-controlled UV laser analyzer of micro-objects, which performs florescent and reflected light analysis of any chosen micro-spot of a sample, and UV laser micro-machining unit that can process a sample with simultaneous control of the operation by built-in CCD camera. The technical solution utilized in the analyzer and micro-machining unit allows precisely matching coordinates of the processed sample and CCD matrix.

UV laser radiation is widely utilized now in variety of application fields including biology, chemistry, medicine, micromachining and photolithography. Some of these applications require very precise positioning of the micron-size focused laser beam on a micro-object. Today's commonly used scanning systems utilize electromechanical and mirror-based scanners, such as moving table and galvanometric scanning heads. Such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,057,525 issued May 2, 2000. Here, a laser beam of visible wavelength is scanned by two—X and Y—mirrors angularly turned by electromechanical actuators. According to the patent, such scanning device provides accuracy of 1 micro-radian in scanning frequency range from 1 Hz to 1,000 Hz.
Such electromechanical scanners have very significant disadvantage, such as low scanning speed and other related to mechanical moving elements (inertia, low lifetime, etc.). Another, not-mechanical scanning method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,269 issued Nov. 1, 1994. Here, a variable-wavelength laser beam enters a diffraction grating. One-dimensional angular scanning is performed here by changing the laser wavelength that changes diffraction angle. According to the patent, such system provides single axis deflection only. Therefore, to perform two-axis deflection, this scanner has to have additional mechanical scanning device. Such solution, obviously, can not provide fast scanning speed too.
There is another solution, where scanning devices uses two-coordinate acousto-optical (AO) deflector working in UV waveband, such as one described in the article: "Anisotropic Bragg light deflector without midband degeneracy", T. Yano et al. APL v.26, No 12, June 1975. The deflector comprises two TeO2 AO cells that work at 633-nm wavelength. RF signal feeding transducers of AO cells has the range of 38-88 MHz and provides deflection angle of 2.5 arc degrees.
There are some attempts to create AO deflector for UV radiation. To achieve deflection angle of 2 arc degrees these deflectors require higher frequency of RF signal, such as 140-240 MHz. Such high frequency, because of high-frequency acoustic signal absorption, causes overheating problems and requires special low-sickness transducer. Also, TeO2 crystal has to have trapezoidal shape, wherein the angle of input and output window inclination has to be 92.28 and 91.63 arc degrees respectively.
For example, Electro-Optical Products (EOPC), Inc. provides two-coordinate AO scanners DTXY-100, DTXY-250 and DTXY-400 based on TeO2 AO cells. These scanners work at 355-1,600-nm wavelength and provide 2.3-arc degree deflection at 1,064 nm. The efficiency of these deflectors does not exceed 50%.
Another UV scanner—UV266K—produced by EOPC comprises AO cells based on fused silica, which allows working with shorter wavelength (less than 180 nm), but drastically diminish angle of deflection (less than 0.4 arc degrees).
Therefore, higher deflection angles and shorter wavelength require high frequency and power of RF signal feeding the AO cell that cause distortion of deflected laser beam, overheating the crystal and, finally, causes the cell failure.
Thus, described above AO scanners do not allow completely utilizing all advantage of AO technology in UV waveband.
A laser scanner is commonly utilized as a core element of complex devices for scientific research and material processing, such as interactive microscopes and micromachining units. One of such application is a florescent analyzer that receives florescence induced by UV laser beam scanning a sample of biological or chemical substance. Another application of such device is an interactive microscope—the combination of optical microscope and laser scanner built in a single unit, wherein a sample that is visible in optical microscope can be controllably affected by focused laser beam precisely positioned on the sample by the laser scanner. Such device also allows controlling the processing in real time. Because the laser scanner is the main part of such devices, its characteristics determine the characteristics of whole device.

Acousto-optical laser scanner and UV laser analyzer of micro-objects based on it


The example embodiments disclose devices and methods to prevent silicide strapping of the Source/Drain to Body in semiconductor devices with S/D stressor. We provide isolation regions in the substrate and a gate structure over the substrate. We form recesses in the substrate adjacent to the gate structure with disposable spacers and adjacent to the isolation regions. We provide stressor regions filling the recesses. The stress region can have a pit adjacent the isolation regions. We form stressor spacers at least partially in the pit on the sidewalls of the stressor regions. We form silicide regions over the stressor regions. The spacer on the stressor regions sidewalls inhibit the formation of silicide at the stressor region edge during the silicide process, thus preventing silicide strapping of the Source/Drain to Body.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fabrication of semiconductor devices and more particularly to the fabrication of semiconductor devices having reduced silicide strapping of source/drain to body.
2) Description of the Prior Art
It is now well known that strained silicon channels allow higher carrier mobilities, thus improving device performance, and are compatible with mainstream CMOS processing. One emerging technology is the use of SiGe or SiC that is embedded in PFET or NFET devices, respectively, to induce an uniaxial strain in the transistor channel. In a typical process, a recess etch is first performed in the silicon substrate, exposing the STI sidewall. This recess is subsequently filled with epitaxial SiGe or SiC.
The importance of overcoming the various deficiencies is evidenced by the extensive technological development directed to the subject, as documented by the relevant patent and technical literature. The closest and apparently more relevant technical developments in the patent literature can be gleaned by considering the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,318: Semiconductor transistor having a stressed channel—Semiconductor transistor for integrated circuits, comprises source and drain formed in source and drain recesses, respectively, source and/or drain being made of film material, which is formed to have second lattice having second spacing Inventor: Murthy, Anand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,531,347: Method of making recessed source drains to reduce fringing capacitance—Manufacture of semiconductor device involves forming source and drain regions that are recessed at prescribed depth below semiconductor substrate surface. Inventor: Huster, Carl.
US20050035409A1: Structure and method of a strained channel transistor and a second semiconductor component in an integrated circuit—Inventor: Ko, Chih-Hsin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,710,413 and US 20020137295A1: Salicide field effect transistors with improved borderless contact structures and a method of fabrication—Salicide FET fabricating method comprises performing thermal annealing on ion-implanted borderless contact openings formed by over-etching deposited dielectric layer. Inventor: Thei, Kong-Beng.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,593: Method of forming a gate which provides a reduced corner recess in adjacent shallow trench isolation—Gate formation for semiconductor fabrication has resist protect layer and silicide regions on source and drain. Inventor: Jang, Syun-Ming

Method and structure to prevent silicide strapping of source/drain to body in semiconductor devices with source/drain stressor

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)


A scene recognition device detects the state of the environment around a vehicle. Risk is determined based on the detected state of the environment. Based on the detected state of the environment and/or the determined risk, an actuator coupled to an accelerator selects one out of different reaction force characteristics of varying of reaction force with different positions of the accelerator. Based on the detected state of the environment and/or the determined risk, an engine output modifier modifies an engine output characteristic of varying of engine output with different positions of the accelerator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for assisting a driver of a vehicle traveling on a road.
2. Description of Related Art
The conventional art describes various methods and systems for assisting a driver of a vehicle.
One example of such a system is described in U.S. 2003/0060936 A1, published Mar. 27, 2003. This system comprises a data acquisition system acquiring data including information on status of a vehicle and information on environment in a field around the vehicle, a controller, and at least one actuator. The controller determines a future environment in the field around the vehicle using the acquired data, for making an operator response plan in response to the determined future environment, which plan prompts the operator to operate the vehicle in a desired manner for the determined future environment. The actuator is coupled to a driver controlled input device to mechanically affect operation of the input device in a manner that prompts, via a haptic input from the driver controlled input device, the driver to operate the vehicle in the desired manner.
Another example of such a system is described in JP2003-063430. This system transmits the relationship between a vehicle and an obstacle in front of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle via a continuous change in reaction force from an accelerator pedal. In this system, the reaction force varies continuously with different stages of the relationship.
Still another example of such a system is described in JP10-166889. This system alerts a driver by regulating reaction force from an accelerator pedal when a distance to an obstacle becomes shorter than a predetermined value.
These systems are satisfactory to some extent. However, a need remains for a less complicated and less expensive system.
An object of the present invention is to provide a less complicated and less expensive system and method for assisting a driver operating a vehicle traveling on a road.

Assisting a vehicle driver via changes in reaction force and engine output characteristic


A CAM bank is functionally divided into two or more sub-banks, without replicating CAM driver circuits, by disabling all match line discharge circuits in the bank, and selectively enabling the discharge circuits in entries comprising sub-banks. At least one selectively actuated switching circuit is interposed between the virtual ground node of each discharging comparator in the discharge circuit of a sub-bank and circuit ground. When the switching circuit is in a non-conductive state, the virtual ground node is maintained at a voltage level sufficiently above circuit ground to preclude discharging a connected match line within the CAM access time. When the switching circuit is placed in a conductive state, the virtual ground node is pulled to circuit ground and the connected match line may be discharged by a miscompare. Control signals, which may be decoded from address bits, are distributed to the switching circuits to define the CAM sub-banks.

The present invention relates generally to the field of digital electronics and in particular to a circuit and method for subdividing a CAMRAM bank via a virtual ground.
Microprocessors perform computational tasks in a wide variety of applications, including embedded applications such as portable electronic devices. The ever-increasing feature set and enhanced functionality of such devices requires ever more computationally powerful processors, to provide additional functionality via software. Another trend of portable electronic devices is an ever-shrinking form factor. A major impact of this trend is the decreasing size of batteries used to power the processor and other electronics in the device, making power efficiency an increasingly important design consideration. Hence, processor improvements that increase execution speed and reduce power consumption are desirable for portable electronic device processors in particular as well as processors in general.
Most modern processors capitalize on the spatial and temporal locality properties of most programs by storing recently executed instructions and recently accessed data in one or more cache memories for ready access by an instruction execution pipeline. A cache is a high-speed, usually on-chip, memory structure comprising a Content Addressable Memory (CAM) and corresponding Random Access Memory (RAM), known as a CAMRAM. The instructions or data reside in a cache "line" stored in the RAM. To determine whether a particular datum resides in the RAM, a portion of its address is applied to the CAM.
A CAM is a particular memory structure wherein an applied compare input (referred to herein as the key) is simultaneously compared to data stored in each CAM entry (referred to herein as a key field), and the output of the CAM is an indication of which, if any, key field matches the key. In a cache, the key and key fields are portions of (virtual or physical) addresses, and if a match occurs (i.e., the access "hits" in the cache), the location of the match indexes the RAM, and the corresponding cache line is accessed.
The CAMRAM circuit may also be employed in a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) for fast address translation. In this application, an applied virtual address is the key, previously translated virtual addresses are stored as key fields in the CAM, and associated RAM locations store corresponding physical addresses. CAMRAMs may also be deployed in other applications, such as a memory board that queues write requests. In this case, the address of a read request may be a key, searching against queued write addresses. A hit indicates write data more recent than that stored in the memory, which must be used to service the read request to ensure coherency. In general, CAMRAMs are useful in a variety of applications.
FIG. 1 depicts a functional block diagram of a portion of one entry of a CAM structure, indicated generally by the numeral 100. The CAM entry j includes a match line 102 that spans all bit positions of the jth key field 110. The match line 102 is pulled high by a PRECHARGE signal turning on the gate of a pass transistor 104 connecting the match line 102 to power. At each bit of the jth CAM entry, a discharge circuit 105 may selectively discharge the match line 102. FIG. 1 depicts a functional block diagram of the discharge circuit 105, including a switching circuit 106 such as a pass transistor interposed between the match line 102 and circuit ground. The gate of the discharge transistor 106 is the logical XOR 108 of a key bit 112 and the corresponding key field bit 110. At each ith bit position, if the key bit 112 and the key field bit 110 match, the output of the XOR gate 108 is low and the transistor 106 does not conduct charge from the match line 102 to ground. If the key bit 112 and the key field bit 110 mismatch, the output of the XOR gate 108 is high, turning on the transistor 106 and pulling the match line 102 low.
In this manner, if any bit of the key 112 mismatches with any corresponding bit of the key field 110, the match line 102 is pulled low. Conversely, only if every bit of the key 112 and the key field 110 match is no path to ground established, and the match line 102 remains high. A sense circuit 114 detects the level of the jth match line 102 at a time determined by the worst-case match line 102 discharge time. If each key field 110 is unique, which is the case in normal cache and TLB operation, then only one key field 110 should match the key 112. In that case, only one match line 102 within the CAM will remain high. To ensure this is the case, the output of each match line sense circuit 114 goes to a collision detection circuit 116, which detects multiple matches, and generates an error if they occur.
A high performance processor may include large cache memories, for example, having 512 entries or more. Comparing a key 112 to all 512 entries presents several problems. Capacitive loading due to large fan-out, such as in distributing the key bits 112 to all CAM entries 100 reduces the speed of operation. Additionally, precharging and discharging at least 511 match lines 102 for each access consumes excessive power. To address these concerns, the CAMRAM of a large cache may be divided into banks, as shown in FIG. 2 (depicting four banks, although any number of banks may be implemented in any given application).
A CAMRAM 120 comprises a plurality of CAM banks 122, and a corresponding plurality of RAM banks 124. In the case of a cache, the banks may be selected by decoding predetermined address bits. Each CAM bank comprises a set of CAM driver circuits 126 that buffer and distribute signals to the CAM entries 100 within the CAM bank 122. The CAM driver circuits 126 may include "overhead" circuits such as clock drivers, write drivers and control signals for the key field memory cells 110, sense amps and buffers for reading the key field memory cells 110, and the like (not shown). One component of the CAM driver circuits 126, depicted in FIG. 2, are key drivers 127 for distributing the key bits 112 to CAM entries 100 within each CAM bank 122. In this example, the key drivers 127 comprise AND gates that gate the key bits 112 with a CAM clock signal.
A CAM bank 122 may include, for example, 64 CAM entries 100. In general, higher performance and lower power consumption may be achieved by reducing the number of CAM entries 100 per CAM block 122. However, this requires a larger number of CAM banks 122, replicating the CAM driver circuits 126, which wastes silicon area. Thus, a means for functionally subdividing a CAM bank 122 to activate fewer CAM entries 100 at a time, while not replicating the CAM driver circuits 126, would be advantageous.

Circuit and method for subdividing a CAMRAM bank by controlling a virtual ground


A system and method of performing re-synchronization for a Digital Video Broadcasting over Handheld (DVB-H) receiver comprises performing a time division multiplexing (TDM) data burst transmission sequence on bits of data received by the DVB-H receiver; performing a data bit re-synchronization sequence on the DVB-H receiver; and reducing a re-acquisition time at every stage of the data bit re-synchronization sequence, wherein the reducing process results in a reduction in the time to perform the re-synchronization for the DVB-H receiver, wherein the reduction in the time to perform the re-synchronization for the DVB-H receiver is greater than one-half of the time required to perform the re-synchronization for the DVB-H receiver absent the reducing of the re-acquisition time at every stage of the data bit re-synchronization sequence.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments herein generally relate to wireless technologies, and, more particularly, to mobile television (TV) technologies.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Digital Video Broadcasting over Handheld (DVB-H) device systems, time division multiplexing (TDM) based scheme, so called time-slicing, is introduced to reduce the average power consumption in DVB-H receiver. The concept of time-slicing is to send data in bursts using a significantly higher bit rate compared to the bit rate required if the data was transmitted continuously. Within a burst, the time to the beginning of the next burst (ΔT) is indicated. Between the bursts, the data of the elementary stream is not transmitted, allowing other elementary streams to use the bit rate otherwise allocated. This enables a receiver to stay active for only a fraction of the time, while receiving bursts of a request service.
Before the arrival of the next burst, the receiver has to wake up slightly earlier to synchronize some PHY parameters; e.g., carrier and timing offset, transmit parameter signaling (TPS) information to determine the scattered pilots location for channel equalization, etc. The time needed to re-synchronize these parameters determines how much earlier the receiver has to wake up before the arrival of the next burst. The longer the re-synchronization time, the longer the receiver active time is during the burst reception, and thus, the higher the average receiver power consumption is. To reduce the average power consumption, it is essential to reduce the receiver re-synchronization time between bursts.
Generally, fast re-synchronization is essential to the low power consumption for DVB-H receivers. Conventional DVB-H receivers generally take two complete orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) frames to acquire TPS information and detect the OFDM symbol number re-synchronization which contributes approximately 49% of the total re-synchronization time. Accordingly, reducing OFDM symbol number detection time and assuming fast scattered plots location is critical to achieve low power consumption in DVB-H receivers. Therefore, there exists a need for a fast re-synchronization technique for DVB-H systems.

Fast re-synchronization techniques for DVB-H systems


The invention relates to a process for decomposing a mixture containing cycloalkyl hydroperoxide with an aqueous phase containing alkali metal hydroxide where, besides the alkali metal hydroxide, there is also at least 10 wt. % of the aqueous phase of one or more alkali metal salts. The alkali metal salts are preferably alkali metal carbonates, or alkali metal salts of mono- and poly-carboxylic acids, with the carboxylic acid moiety containing 1-24 carbon atoms.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for decomposing a mixture containing cycloalkyl hydroperoxide with an aqueous phase containing alkali metal hydroxide where, besides the alkali metal hydroxide, there is also at least 10% by weight of the aqueous phase of one or more alkali metal salts.
2. Description of the Related Art
A process for decomposing cycloalkyl hydroperoxide has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,415, which disclosed the decomposition of cycloalkyl peroxide in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The disclosure of this patent, as well as any other printed publication cited by the present specification, is incorporated by reference herein. Although high conversions to cycloalkanones and cycloalkanols were achieved, the reaction velocity is relatively low.
The reaction velocity constant, a measure of the reaction velocity, is an important parameter to increase. The larger this constant, the more efficient is the decomposition reaction. In many cases, this also implies that the contributions of side reactions yielding undesired products is less. In addition, the decomposition reaction can be carried out in a smaller reactor, which means a lower investment, or in an existing reactor in which more of the desired decomposition products, i.e. cycloalkanones and cycloalkanols, can be formed. The cycloalkanones and cycloalkanols can be used in the preparation of caprolactam, which in turn can be used as a raw material in the production of nylons.

Process for decomposing cycloalkyl hydroperoxide


A system for performing multiple input/multiple output tests on a device under test has a central control unit and a least two antenna modules connected to the central control unit via a signal line, wherein the antenna modules comprise a radio-frequency antenna, a signal generation unit and at least one power measurement unit. Further, a test setup and a method for performing MIMO tests are shown.

With the advent of 5G wireless telecommunication networks, MIMO tests with a large number of parallel channels have to be performed to test communication devices quickly and reliably.
Firstly, costs of the equipment for MIMO tests increase with the number of parallel channels. Further, the test quality decreases with increasing number of channels due to interference and crosstalk between cables extending from the central control unit with a signal generator to the plurality of antennas in an anechoic chamber.
Thus, there is the need to provide an easy to use and high quality system, test setup as well as method for performing MIMO tests on devices under test.

System, test setup as well as method for performing MIMO tests


New and useful method of installing furnace walls for a boiler that does not require dedicated temporary lifting mechanism and reduces the installation work period significantly is disclosed. The method of installing furnace walls for a boiler configured with an upper portion of boiler proper 30 and a lower portion of boiler proper 40, temporally suspending two left and right face furnace water wall panels 48 among four furnace water wall panels, the upper portion of boiler proper is assembled while it is hanged from a top girder module 28 positioned on the top portion of a center portion in a boiler frame, a furnace rear wall 44 and a furnace front wall 42 among the furnace water wall panels are hanged sequentially, the temporally suspended two left and right face furnace water wall panels 48 are moved to designated positions, and the upper ends of the furnace water wall panels 48, 44 and 42 are connected with the lower end of the upper portion of boiler proper 30.

The present invention relates to a method of installing furnace walls of a boiler, more specifically a method of installing a furnace wall of a boiler suitable for constructing a large-scale boiler such as one for a thermal power plan.
FIG. 24 shows the exemplary side view of the schematic diagram of coal fired large-scale boiler for a thermal power plant. A boiler 1 chiefly consists of a central portion 3 with a boiler furnace wall 2 and a convection pass wall 7, a front portion 5 with a coal bunker 4, and a rear portion 6 enclosing an air pre-heating device (not shown). The boiler furnace wall 2 and the convection pass wall 7 and others are suspended to a large beam 8 that is located on the top of a boiler frame, so as to release the thermal expansion during the burning operation.
Accordingly, in a general construction process for the construction of the boiler furnace wall 2 and the convection pass wall 7, the large beam 8 is attached on top of the established boiler frame that is as high as 60 to 100 meters. After that, by hanging various parts for constructing the boiler furnace wall 2 and the convection pass wall 7 from the large beam 8, those walls are assembled from the upper portion toward lower portion in sequence. However, this construction process does not have high operating efficiency because of the dangerous operation in high altitude. Especially, as the boiler furnace wall 2 has a shape with large length in the lengthwise direction, with the process of constructing from upper portion toward lower portion, the necessary period for the installation work becomes long since the lower portion can not be assembled until the upper portion is assembled. Therefore, the largest factor to prolong the entire construction period for the boiler facility was the installation work for the boiler furnace wall 2.
In order to alleviate the problem, Japanese patent laid-open publication H5-240405 discloses a boiler furnace wall installation method dividing the boiler furnace wall 2 into three portions of an upper portion of boiler proper, left and right lower portions of boiler proper, suspending the upper portion of boiler proper to the desired position after assembling each portion at the bottom position inside of the boiler frame, then connecting the left and right lower portions of boiler proper by translating them to the upper portion of boiler proper. With this method, the construction period is expected to be shortened since there is less operation in high altitude and the upper portion of boiler proper and the lower portions of boiler proper can be assembled in parallel.
However, the method disclosed requires a large space in the boiler frame premise for assembling the upper and lower portions of boiler proper since the operation takes place at the bottom position inside of the boiler frame, which introduces large restriction to the establishment of the boiler frame. Additionally, as the upper and lower portions of boiler proper are assembled in suspension in the same way as the conventional method, a dedicated temporary suspension mechanism for each portion of boiler proper is required.

Method of installing furnace walls of a boiler


An image forming apparatus detects an edge in image data and performs density correction so as to reduce the density of the detected edge. The apparatus then performs screen processing on the image data including the edge that has undergone the density correction, and performs smoothing processing on the edge in screen data obtained through the screen processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for reducing jaggies on edges in image data that has undergone halftone processing, and an image forming method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, several techniques for reducing jagged edges, called "jaggies", occurring around edges of characters or the like in an image forming apparatus have been proposed. There are various reasons as to why jaggies occur, and it can be thought that there are roughly two types of jagged edges, namely, jagged edges of pixels due to a low-resolution printer and jagged edges due to halftone processing such as screen processing.
As one example of a technique for reducing the former, there is a technique for detecting edges from a binary image through pattern matching and adding or removing pixels to or from places where pixels match, corresponding to the pattern (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-42141, for example). With this technique, smoothing processing is performed on edges by detecting places where jaggies occur through pattern matching and dividing a single pixel into multiple pixels in the case of a binary printer and adding halftone dots in the case of a multi-value printer.
Also, one example of a technique for reducing the latter is a technique for generating correction data from image data prior to halftone processing and adding the correction data to edges in the image data that has undergone halftone processing such that the edges are rimmed with the correction data (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-295877, for example). This technique reduces jaggies due to screen processing by determining whether or not each pixel is an edge pixel that requires smoothing processing, and if the pixel is an edge pixel, comparing the correction data and the image data that has undergone halftone processing and outputting the one with the greater value. With this technique, the former jagged edges of pixels due to a low-resolution printer can also be reduced, irrespective of a simple configuration.
However, although jaggies due to screen processing can be reduced with the above-described conventional method, the density of edges ends up simply increasing because, out of the correction data and the image data that has undergone halftone processing, the one with the greater value is output for edges. This phenomenon is not a great problem with original documents in which characters, lines or the like have regular edges at a uniform density, but it can cause image interference, such as a great change in coloration, with original documents such as a natural image that include irregularly packed edges.

Image forming apparatus and image forming method therefor


A bearing assembly including a bearing having an outer bearing ring and an inner bearing ring. The outer bearing ring is axially received in a bearing-receiving recess that includes a substantially cylindrical inner wall. An element that is radially flexible is located between at least one of the outer bearing ring and the inner wall of the recess, and the inner bearing ring and a rotatable member that is rotatably carried in the bearing assembly. The flexible element includes at least one annular element that is undulated in the radial direction, or is provided with projections. Flexible elements can also be disposed against a side surface of the bearing ring for damping axial vibrations.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bearing assembly for a rotatable shaft, particularly of a motor vehicle transmission. Furthermore, the invention pertains to a spring, particularly for use in a bearing assembly, and a transmission for use in an above-named bearing assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
The comfort requirements for motor vehicles are generally very high, particularly with respect to acoustics. Especially in the case of high-end motor vehicles, the driver and the passengers don't want to hear background noises arising from the operation of the motor vehicle's components during vehicle operation. However, internal combustion engines, as well as other components such as transmissions, generate noises, which might generally be perceived as a nuisance. In the case of steplessly adjustable transmissions, noise might arise when a plate link chain is used, because when such a plate link chain is made up of plate links and pins, it generates a recurring knocking sound as the pins touch the conical disks of the transmission.
DE 199 58 073 provides an acoustic vibration damping layer. As it turns out, these layers settle or undergo changes in their elastic properties during operation of the bearing and the transmission, so that they do not display the same acoustic properties and/or results over the course of their life.
An object of the present invention is damping the noise generated during operation, ideally at the point of origin or at least in the surrounding area, so that, to the extent possible, this noise does not make its way into the passenger compartment, whereby a bearing assembly is provided which does not display the prior state-of-the-art disadvantages, or does so only to a limited extent and which, nonetheless, allows for very good acoustic decoupling over the course of its life.

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG


A battery pack including a cell unit containing at least one cell and a contact unit connected to the cell unit. The contact unit includes a housing containing connector parts for connection to external complementary connector parts and conductors electrically connecting the connecting parts to the at least one cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to battery connectors.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Traditionally, battery contacts in electronic devices, such as cell phones, are connected to battery cell using large amounts of solder. This provides a strong contact. However, in order to increase the strength, the soldered connections are made as large as possible.
An example of this type of connection is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,143. The connector in this document is designed to have a large surface area at the soldering point to increase the strength of the connection. The connector is soldered to a circuit board that is then connected to the battery.
However, by increasing the soldered connection, the battery pack size increases. This is undesirable as there is a need to make electronic devices as small as possible.
Moreover, it is often the case that the battery design changes with the design of the cell phone. This is because each battery is designed to fit into a certain cell phone. Therefore, a large number of different batteries need to be sourced and stocked by cell phone manufacturers. This is expensive.
It is therefore desirable to further increase the strength of battery connectors whilst minimizing overall battery size and also to allow a degree of freedom in the design of cell phones so that bespoke battery design is not required.


A flocculent composition and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The flocculent composition has an excellent ability to adhere to suspended particles, does not cause an increase in the viscosity of sludge, provides good drainage during mechanical dewatering to allow a reduction in the water content of a cake, and is applicable to various types of sludge. These characteristics are obtained by utilizing advantages of a crosslinking water-soluble polymer and a linear water-soluble polymer and changing the compounding ratio of the crosslinking water-soluble polymer to the linear water-soluble polymer according to the form of the size distribution of sludge particles. The flocculent composition includes a vinyl crosslinking water-soluble polymer (A) having a charge inclusion ratio of 20% or more and a vinyl linear water-soluble polymer (B) having a charge inclusion ratio of 5% or more and less than 20%.

Conventionally, a cationic polymer flocculent is used as a retention aid in paper making and for dewatering sewage sludge and the like. In recent years, the amount of generated sludge is increasing, and the properties of the sludge are becoming worse. However, with conventional cationic polymer flocculants, the amount of treatable sludge is limited, and the treatment conditions are not satisfactory in terms of the water content of a dewatered cake, the SS recovery rate, the removability of a cake from filter cloth, and the like. Therefore, there is a strong demand to improve sludge dewatering agents. To improve the drawbacks of conventional cationic polymer flocculants, various amphoteric polymer flocculants have been proposed. However, such amphoteric polymer flocculants are not fully satisfactory.
Moreover, crosslinking ionic polymer flocculants have been disclosed for the purpose of reducing the water content of a dewatered cake and of improving the removability from filter cloth (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 02-219887 (European Patent Application Laid-Open No. 374458 A2) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 61-293510 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,346).
As described above, crosslinking water-soluble polymers have various characteristics and functions. However, disadvantageously, when such a crosslinking water-soluble polymer is used in a sludge dewatering agent, a retention aid in paper making, or the like, the amount required to be added is greater than those of linear polymers. This may be because the extension of crosslinking water-soluble polymer molecules in an aqueous solution is smaller relative to that of linear polymers. To improve such a drawback of the crosslinking water-soluble polymers, amphoteric polymer dewatering agents have been disclosed which contain quaternary ammonium salt groups and are produced by copolymerizing a methacrylate-based monomer, an acrylate-based monomer, and an anionic monomer in a certain ratio (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Hei 7-256299 and Hei 7-256300). However, these also do not fully satisfy the demand.
When a crosslinking water-soluble polymer is used as a sludge dewatering agent or a retention aid, such advantages can be obtained that the water content of a dewatered cake can be reduced and good formation can be easily maintained. However, the amount of the polymer added must be increased to achieve the advantages, and this results in an increase in cost.
To solve this problem, a technique has been disclosed in which a crosslinking water-soluble ionic polymer and a linear water-soluble ionic polymer are compounded to exploit the advantages of both the polymers (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-57837).
However, this technique does not describe the concept that the compounding ratio of the crosslinking water-soluble ionic polymer to the linear water-soluble ionic polymer is changed according to the size distribution of sludge particles.
It is an object of the present invention to develop a flocculant composition applicable to various types of sludge and a method for manufacturing the same. Specifically, the concept of exploiting the advantages of a crosslinking water-soluble ionic polymer and a linear water-soluble polymer is further extended, i.e., the compounding ratio of the crosslinking water-soluble polymer to the linear water-soluble polymer is adjusted according to the size distribution of sludge particles.

Flocculant composition and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract: The flocculant composition is preferably configured such that the compounding ratio of the vinyl crosslinking water-soluble polymer (A) having a charge inclusion ratio of 20% or more to the vinyl linear water-soluble polymer (B) having a charge inclusion ratio of 5% or more and less than 20% is changed according to a change in the percent by mass of 200-mesh particles in sludge based on the total mass of the suspended particles in the sludge.


In order to supply an air-fuel mixture composed of the fuel and compressed air to a combustion chamber of an engine, an air-fuel mixture valve is opened by a valve body which is moved via the core shifted by magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil. The invention provides a method of determining the magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil on the basis of the relationship defined by Fm.gtoreq.Fv-fa, where Fm denotes axial tension depending upon the magnetic force of the electromagnetic coil, Fv denotes force necessary for opening or closing the empty air-fuel mixture valve, and fa denotes force for compressed air to open the air-fuel mixture valve. The pressure of the compressed air is used as the auxiliary force to open the air-fuel mixture valve. This allows the air-fuel mixture valve to be made more compact and reduces power consumption of the electromagnetic coil.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of determining a magnetic force of an electromagnetic coil in an air-fuel mixture valve which supplies an air-fuel mixture to a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Background Art
An air-fuel mixture valve is used to intermittently inject an air-fuel mixture to a combustion chamber of a two-cycle engine. An example of the air-fuel mixture valve is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-256230, entitled "Fuel and Gas Mixing Unit". Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the above publication, the gas and fuel mixing unit is an electromagnetic solenoid assembly in which the armature is moved by the magnetic force of the coil winding. The poppet valve is shifted via the armature to open a spherical valve, thereby supplying an air-fuel mixture to the combustion cylinder of the engine body. Specifically, the armature and the upper end of the poppet valve are integrally formed. The armature is moved upward by resilience of a coil spring while the coil winding remains unenergized, thereby closing the spherical valve. When the coil winding is energized, the armature is moved downward by the magnetic force of the coil winding against the resilience of the coil spring, thereby opening the spherical valve.
The foregoing electromagnetic solenoid assembly is designed so as to open the spherical valve only by the magnetic force of the coil winding when no air-fuel mixture is supplied. In other words, the assembly is designed such that predetermined valve lift can be assured when the orifice of the air-fuel mixture is at atmospheric pressure in the assembly. The assembly is inspected and then incorporated into an engine. In such an inspection, the assembly is checked to determine whether the spherical valve reliably opens and closes by energizing the coil winding when the engine body is not being supplied with an air-fuel mixture.
In order to obtain a higher output of two-cycle engines, an amount of the air-fuel mixture to be injected tends to be increased. To meet this requirement, the poppet valve has recently been enlarged, thereby increasing the valve lift, or an opening or closing stroke of the valve.
Specifically, the solenoid assembly has to double its output, which means enlargement of the coil winding. In other words, the larger the solenoid assembly, the greater power consumption. This is inevitable when the assembly is manufactured assuming that the conventional inspection method is applied.

Air-fuel mixture valve and method of determining magnetic force of electromagnetic coil for opening the air-fuel mixture valve


A connector includes a contact insert (20), first and second contacts (43, 45), and a first plate (30). The contact insert has at least first and second contact channels (58) and at least a first plate receptacle (54) defined therein. The first plate receptacle is proximate the first contact channel and the second contact channel. The first contact is retained in the first contact channel. The second contact is retained in the second contact channel. The first plate (30) is retained in the first plate receptacle (54) to magnetically couple the first contact (43) and the second contact (45).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to a modular connector with capacitive plates to reduce cross-talk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modular connectors are widely used to provide electrical connections between devices. For example, modular plugs are typically found on telephone sets to connect the telephone to a modular jack. Modular plug and jack connectors are also commonly used to connect computer equipment.
Cables providing high speed digital signal transmission interfaces between computer equipment typically include a plurality of twisted-pair conductors. Modular connectors used at the ends of the cable are rated for their electrical performance under various operating conditions. The Telecommunications Industry Association and the Electronic Industries Association (TIA/EIA) have issued a telecommunications system bulletin specification entitled, "Additional Transmission Specifications for Unshielded Twisted-Pair connecting Hardware." The specification describes three increasing levels of performance, Category 3, Category 4, and Category 5. Category 5 connectors must meet performance specifications at up to 100 MHz frequencies and 100 Mbps transmission rates.
Industry specifications defining the cable and connector requirements have an inherent defect in the contact vs. twisted-pair arrangement. Some of the wires of the twisted-pair combinations are located in the connector next to other wires from other twisted-pairs. This arrangement increases the amount of cross-talk seen between the competing contacts. This propensity for cross-talk causes problems when trying to meet the Category 5 performance requirements.
Cross-talk can be generally described as the unwanted coupling of electrical signals on adjacent signal lines. Such cross-talk may result in portions of an electrical signal on one pair of lines appearing on a separate pair of lines as unwanted noise. Cross-talk between different pairs of wires is a source of interference that can cause signal degradation and negatively impact the ability of a communication system to process incoming signals. Cross-talk can also increase error rates and reduce signal strength. Problems associated with unwanted cross-talk are becoming even more problematic given the general increase in operating frequencies and data rates of modern communication systems. Additionally, cross-talk can be particularly problematic within electrical connectors that contain a plurality of wires that are generally parallel and spaced closely together. Such a configuration may lead to excessive cross-talk even over short conductor lengths.
Previous methods for reducing the cross-talk have included interleaving the contacts within the connector to cause coupling and reduce the amount of cross-talk. Other techniques have included using a printed-circuit board type capacitive laminate covering the parallel array of contacts. Both techniques involve costly manufacturing methods that become a major contributor to the cost of the connector.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

Modular connector with capacitive plates


One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for creating socially authored, or community authored, summaries of documents and/or for navigating a forum comprising such summaries. In one embodiment, at least some of the summaries are generated automatically when a document is written and/or discovered (e.g., by a web crawler), for example. In another embodiment, the documents are created by users of the forum. A plurality of summaries of a document may be created (e.g., by different users), and users can provide feedback, such as comments or ratings, that may assist other users in identifying which summary or summaries better describe the document. Moreover, the users can navigate the forum and retrieve summaries by browsing categories (and subcategories) to identify a topic of interest and/or by performing a search based upon user inputted search term(s).

Information is being produced in the world at a prodigious rate. For example, in the medical informatics field, the number of publications each year has more than doubled in the last decade. While such growth brings with it enormous possibilities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay current with advancements in a particular field. To decipher all of this information, numerous tools have been developed that help an interested party both understand the field and provide input into the field. For example, websites have been created that provide user generated, or society generated, encyclopedias. Such tools provide a starting point (and sometimes an ending point) for researching a particular area of interest. While these tools have proven very useful for synthesizing information, their features, and thus their utility, have been limited. For example, such tools typically do not inform readers where to go to find recently published articles on a topic and/or allow users to create multiple articles on the same topic.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Community authoring content generation and navigation


A preparative mass spectrometer system includes an ionizer which converts the mixture into gas phase ions of the molecules in the mixture, and a separator which separates the ions according to their mass to charge ratio or mobility. The separator is a linear ion trap mass analyzer that accumulates the ions based on their mass to charge ratio. A surface is in cooperative relationship with the separator so that the separated molecules are soft landed onto the surface at different locations such that the collected molecules can be stored or further processed/analyzed.

This invention relates generally to a system and method for the preparation of arrays of separated molecules from a mixture of molecules.
Micro arrays having a matrix of positionally defined reagent target spots for performing chemical tests are known. Known reagents are deposited by spotting techniques well known in the art. In analyzing a sample, it is reacted with the array and separate chemical tests are performed with the reagent at each spot.
Mass spectrometers of various types have been used to identify molecules including proteins by mass analysis. The molecules are ionized and then introduced into the mass spectrometer for mass analysis. In recent years, mass spectrometers have been used by biochemists to identify both small and large molecules including proteins and to determine the molecular structure of the molecules including proteins.
Mixtures of biological compounds are normally separated by chromatographic techniques before the components of the mixture are mass analyzed. In some instances, chromatographically separated components of the mixture are used to create chips or arrays.
In proteomics the aim is to quantify the expression levels for the complete protein complement, the proteome, in a cell at any given time. The proteome is individual, environment and time dependent, and has an enormous dynamic range of concentration. Separation by two dimensional electrophoresis or electrophoresis and creation of spots on an array is cumbersome and slow. Modern analytical methods such as mass spectrometry are used for final analysis of the separated components of the protein complement.
Soft-landing of ions onto surfaces was proposed in 1977 [4] and successfully demonstrated two decades later [5]. Intact polyatomic ions were mass-selected in a mass spectrometer and deposited onto a surface at low kinetic energies (typically 5-10 eV). SIMS analysis was used to confirm the presence of a soft-landed species, C3H10Si2O35Cl+, on a fluorinated SAM surface. Evidence suggests that ions with sterically bulky groups have better deposition efficiencies than small ions [6]. Organic cations [7] and a 160-mer double-stranded DNA [8] (mass ca. 10 kDa) have also been soft-landed intact onto surfaces as have metal clusters [9]. In some of these cases there is evidence that the molecular entity on the surface is the ion, in others that it is the corresponding neutral molecule. There is even evidence [11] that intact viruses can be ionized, passed through a mass spectrometer under vacuum and collected and remain viable.
Separations are an inherent aspect of mass spectrometry; however, after mass separation of ions in vacuum, the resulting highly purified ionic materials are destroyed at the detector. Separations utilizing mass/charge ratios of gaseous ions have a different physical basis to those used in chromatography which are typically based upon chemical properties such as hydrophobicity, ionic strength in solution, and chemical functionality. This inherent difference indicates that mass spectrometric separation may be complementary to other forms of separation as a preparative technique, but previously developed mass spectrometry has not become a widespread method of collecting highly purified molecular species for preparation because of the overall inefficiency inherent in the ionization, ion transport, mass analysis, and ion collection processes.
The collection of materials from the mass spectrometer has been observed in a variety of experiments over several decades. Neutral species produced during electron impact of organic molecules [12] have been collected and characterized and used to examine mechanisms of fragmentation pathways. The collection of atomic ions as a result of collisions of mass-selected ions with surfaces is well-known from uranium isotope separations carried out during the Manhattan project. The collection of molecular ions at surfaces requires gentler conditions and ion soft landing was introduced for this purpose [13] (a variety of other phenomena [14] occur upon collision of molecular ions with surfaces, the best studied being surface induced dissociation [15-20]). Low kinetic energy (5-10 eV) beams of mass-selected organic ion beams can be collected at polyfluorinated self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surfaces [21]. Surface analysis confirmed the presence of deposited organic ion, such as the sterically bulky N,N-dimethylisothiocyanate cation. Organic cations [21,22], monomer cations to induce surface polymerization [24], polymers [25], and 160-mer double-stranded DNA [26] have also been soft-landed intact onto surfaces, as have metal clusters [27], and, in some experiments, virus particles have shown evidence of activity after in-vacuum deposition onto a collector plate following a gas-phase mass-selection [28]. In some of these cases there is evidence that the molecular entity on the surface is the selected ion [21], while in others it is the corresponding neutral molecule.
Growing demands from the proteomics and biotechnology fields for increased throughput of biological analyses have produced a rising interest in the production of protein microarrays from biological materials. Typically, fabrication of these arrays involves sample purification using various chromatographic techniques and micro-drop deposition methods [29-33]. The complementary separatory power of mass spectrometry to that of chromatography might allow experiments to address a broad range of problems in proteomics and related areas. Mass spectrometry using ion soft landing therefore appears to be a possible technology for the separation of biological compounds from mixtures and their storage in the array format for convenience of later analysis [34].
There is, therefore, a need for a new type of preparative mass spectrometer.

System and method for preparative mass spectrometry


A bracket allows controlled positioning of a bumper cover relative to a lamp housing (such as a headlamp housing) when the headlamp housing and bumper cover are mounted on a vehicle. The bracket has an elongated body having a first end and a second end, and attaches to the headlamp housing by temporary attachments, such as snap connections. The bracket further has bumper cover receiving slot configured to receive a portion of the bumper cover. The bracket may further include a pin receiving hole, positioned so as to receive a pin protruding from the headlamp housing for additional positioning accuracy. A temporary sub-assembly of the bracket and headlamp housing can be used in an improved vehicle assembly process, in which the sub-assembly is permanently mounted to the vehicle fender, and a portion of the bumper cover slid into bumper receiving slots on the bracket.

A vehicle, such as an automobile, typically may have a pair of headlamps and a bumper extending across the front of the vehicle. The appearance of the vehicle can be improved by providing a small and well controlled design gap between the bumper cover and the headlamps.
However, such a design gap is difficult to control without significantly adding to the manufacturing complexity of the vehicle. Hence, improved apparatus and methods are needed to allow improved vehicular appearance with minimal added manufacturing complexity.

Temporary set structure for headlamp to bumper datum

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A method executed at least in part by a computer and comprising responding to an instruction requesting an ultrasound exam by wirelessly communicating with an ultrasound system by transmitting a query signal and receiving a response signal from the ultrasound system. Response can determine whether or not the ultrasound system is configured with at least a suitable transducer for the requested ultrasound exam. The method determines whether or not an operator identified in the response signal is trained to administer the requested ultrasound exam. A schedule signal for the requested ultrasound exam is transmitted. A displayed message indicates progress of the requested ultrasound exam.

Ultrasound imaging systems/methods are known, such as those described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,995 (Poland), U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,120 (Oppelt), incorporated herein in their entirety.
Ultrasound utilizes sound waves at frequencies higher than those perceptible to the human ear. Ultrasonic images known as sonograms are generated as a result of pulsed ultrasonic energy that has been directed into tissue using a probe. The probe obtains echoed sound energy from the internal tissue and provides signal content that represents the different sound reflectivity exhibited by different tissue types. This signal content is then used to form images that visualize features of the internal tissue. Medical ultrasound, also known as diagnostic sonography or ultrasonography, is widely used as a diagnostic imaging technique used to help visualize features and operation of tendons, muscles, joints, vessels and internal organs of a patient.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary portable ultrasound system 10 that uses a cart/base/support, cart 12, a display/monitor 14, one or more input interface devices 16 (such as keyboard or mouse), and a generator 18. The display/monitor 14 can also be a touchscreen to function as an input device. As illustrated, the ultrasound system 10 can be a mobile or portable system designed to be wheeled from one location to another. As FIG. 2 shows, the ultrasound system 10 has a central processing unit CPU 20 that provides control signals and processing capabilities. CPU 20 is in signal communication with display 14 and interface device 16, as well as with a storage device 22 and an optional printer 24. A transducer probe 26 provides the ultrasound acoustic signal and generates an electronic feedback signal indicative of tissue characteristics according to the echoed sound.
FIG. 3 shows an example of an ultrasound system 10 in use with an image provided on display/monitor 14.
Different types of images, with different appearance, can be formed using sonographic apparatus. The familiar monochrome B-mode image displays the acoustic impedance of a two-dimensional cross-section of tissue. Other types of image can use color or other types of highlighting to display specialized information such as blood flow, motion of tissue over time, the location of blood and other fluid, the presence of specific molecules, tissue stiffness, or the anatomy of a three-dimensional region.
Accordingly, the ultrasound systems of FIGS. 1-3 are typically configured to operate within at least two different ultrasound modes. High-end systems can have capabilities not available in more portable, less fully featured equipment.
Continuing improvements in electronics packaging and miniaturization, component manufacture, processing technology, and ergonomic design have contributed to making ultrasound equipment more accessible and more readily usable, allowing the development of increasingly portable systems, including systems of laptop scale for bedside use. At the same time, specialized capabilities that may be used less frequently or require high operator skill may be available on some types of equipment but not other less complex systems. A particular hospital or other care facility may have a number of different ultrasound systems of varying capabilities, with particular systems primarily allocated to different functions.
Ultrasound imaging systems can be employed in mobile and ambulatory environments such as the emergency room, outpatient clinics and non-radiology settings. The environment in these settings can be fluid and dynamic, as compared to a traditional radiology clinic where procedures are planned, appointments are scheduled, and the workflow is pre-determined.
In a traditional radiology setting, depending on the clinical indications for a given ultrasound exam, a suitable ultrasound machine for a given imaging type is pre-selected (depending on its features) so that the clinical output from the exam is optimal and leads to correct follow-up for the patient. Planning and scheduling within the radiology department allocate equipment and staff resources to manage the ongoing workload. In contrast, in an ambulatory environment or emergency room setting, advance planning is necessarily limited. Decisions are typically made on the spot; accordingly, for a given patient condition an ultrasound system may need to be procured immediately or with short notice. Equipment allocation can vary from one hour or work shift to the next and it can be difficult for the medical team to determine what type of ultrasound system is currently available and would work best for handling a particular situation.
The use of portable ultrasound equipment for various types of testing allows improved distribution of this equipment within a medical facility and makes it possible to quickly deploy a system at a patient's bedside or other location not typically used for ultrasound imaging. However, resource allocation can present more complex problems, since systems can be configured differently and operators may not be as readily available or able to respond as desired in each case.
Thus, there exists a need for a method for allocating ultrasound resources more effectively, particularly in mobile and ambulatory environments.