Stable topical emulsions for cosmetic/pharmaceutical purposes can be made from a two component system of a powdered ascorbic acid phase and a liquid phase, the liquid phase containing an emulsion stabilizingly effective amount of an organoclay material.

The present invention relates to stable topical cosmetic/pharmaceutical emulsion compositions containing ascorbic acid. More particularly, the invention relates to topical emulsion compositions containing ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which are stabilized by means of certain clay/cationic surfactant combinations.
Considerable effort has been expended to find ways to prevent adverse changes in the skin brought about by environmental conditions such as ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Ascorbic acid has many known biological functions from enzymatic co-factor to "sparing" agent against vitamin E depletion. The latter function may partly account for its "anti-oxidant" status. Additionally, at higher concentrations, ascorbic acid is known to react with both superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Superoxide and the subsequently generated hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical are oxygen-containing free radicals now known to be generated in vivo under a variety of normal and pathological conditions. Quite simply, these radicals have been implicated as causative agents for everything from sunburn to aging. These radicals destroy lipid membranes, break down DNA, inactivate enzymes and so forth. An immense amount of work has been done in the last two decades documenting the deleterious behavior of oxygen radicals.
L-Ascorbic acid (or vitamin C) is chemically defined as an .alpha.-keto-lactone with the following structure: ##STR1## The number 2 and 3 carbons are double-bonded and contain an acid-ionizable hydrogen in water (pK=4.2). Ascorbic acid is also a moderately strong reductant. These properties, which lead to instability in the ascorbic acid structure, are well known and have been burdensome to pharmacologists when attempting to formulate active ascorbic acid solutions. Thus, at higher pH's, the ascorbic acid increasingly becomes the notoriously unstable ascorbate anion. This instability may be due to several causes not restricted to:
a) Stereochemical strain due to polar repulsive forces. Thus, when the 2-hydroxy group ionizes, it places two negative charges (the other being on the carboxyl oxygen) in close proximity which favors ring disruption. PA1 b) Oxidative degradation due to the ascorbate anion's propensity to act as a reductant. The one-electron oxidation product (dehydroascorbate free radical) tends to disproportionate, forming another ascorbate molecule and the two-electron oxidation product, dehydroascorbate, which is extremely unstable in aqueous solution and breaks down to ultimately form species such as L-threonic acid and oxalic acid. Transition metal ions can catalyze these reactions. PA1 c) Degradation due to water attack. At lower ascorbic concentrations or ionic strength, water itself can react with and degrade the ascorbate molecule.
For these reasons, among others, scientists working in the field have had difficulty in formulating stable solutions of ascorbic acid which would be useful for cosmetic or dermatological needs. Nevertheless, because of the many beneficial pharmaceutical effects attributed to ascorbic acid, numerous attempts have been made to overcome these difficulties.
Thus, the literature describes ascorbic acid compositions formed by using a very low weight percent ascorbic acid, or a nonaqueous solvent, or by using derivatives of ascorbic acid, usually in a solution buffered to a pH above 4.0. Also, see, for example, Takashima et al, "Ascorbic Acid Esters and Skin Pigmentation," Am. Perfumer & Cosmetics 86: 29 (July 1971) (esterifying the hydroxyl group to form ascorbic acid-3-phosphate and maintaining an alkaline pH); Ciminera and Wilcox, "Stable Ascorbic Acid Solution for Parenteral Use", J. Am. Pharm. Assoc. Sci. Ed. 35: 363 (1946) (buffering an aqueous solution with an alkaline sodium salt). See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,157 which discloses stabilizing an aqueous ascorbic acid solution by adding monothioglycerol and maintaining the pH between 4 and 7; U.S. Pat. No. 2,400,171 which discloses stabilizing ascorbic acid by converting it to its calcium or zinc salt and preferably maintaining the pH at 7 to 7.3; U.S. Pat. No. 2,442,461 which discloses stabilizing calcium ascorbate by adding an aliphatic thiocarboxylic acid and maintaining the pH between 5.2 and 5.6; U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,580 which discloses stabilizing ascorbic acid with thio-sugars and maintaining the pH between 4.0 and 6.5; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,874 which discloses actually removing the water to below 0.5 wt. % by using a desiccant. In many cases, these techniques have been successful in obtaining stable solutions but have been reasonably expensive and have yielded a product with less desirable properties than ascorbic acid in its unmodified form.
In addition, many of the cosmetic and dermatological topical formulations are in the form of emulsions. In addition to the known instability of ascorbic acid in water, the acidity introduced by the ascorbic acid has the effect of breaking down emulsions almost immediately at elevated temperature and over a few days at room temperature.
One method of overcoming the tendency of the ascorbic acid to break emulsion is by the use of a carrier containing a hydrophilic gelling agent in the water phase of the emulsion. The product is designed so that upon use, the ascorbic acid powder is added to an aqueous carrier containing the hydrophilic gelling agent and the product is shaken to mix the two. The hydrophilic gelling agents used generically include polysaccharides, synthetic polymers, and celluloses, e.g., carrageenan, guar, xanthan, celluloses such as hydroxyalkylcellulose and sodium carboxycellulose, gelatin, agar--agar, and amidon. This is disclosed in EP 0 679 387.

Stable topical cosmetic/pharmaceutical emulsion compositions containing ascorbic acid


A fault tolerant three port communications module has two control ports for receiving commands from two computers, and a communications port for transferring data over a communications channel in response to the commands. Each control port includes a select line which carries a select signal with true and false states, mode lines which carry codes that represent the commands, and a write line which carries a respective pulse in sync with each of the codes. The select line, mode lines, and write line of each control port are coupled in the module to a respective inter-processor command decoder having a lead stage and a trail stage. The lead stage detects when a predetermined code occurs on the mode lines and the select signal is false during a first one of the pulses; and, the trail stage generates an output signal that indicates the receipt of an inter-processor command for the module if, during a second pulse that immediately follows the first pulse, the compliment of the predetermined code occurs on the mode lines and the select line is true.

This invention relates to the structure and operation of communication modules which have two control ports that are coupled to respective computers, and one communications port that is coupled to a communications channel.
With such a communications module, each of the computers can send an intra-processor command to a respective control port which initiates some action in the communication module that directly effects the computer which sent the intra-processor command. Also, each of the computers can send an inter-processor command to a respective control port which initiates some action in the communication module that directly affects the other computer which did not send the command.
For example, one intra-processor command can initiate the passage of data from the communications channel through the module to the computer which sent the command. By comparison, an inter-processor command to the communication module can stop the passage of data between the communications channel and the computer which did not send the command.
Since an inter-processor command from one processor directly affects the other processor, it is very desirable to have some sort of security built into the communications module whereby any erroneously generated inter-processor commands are detected and the corresponding operations are inhibited from being carried out. Otherwise, if a processor has a certain fault which causes it to erroneously send bogus inter-processor commands, the effect on the other processor can be disastrous.
Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a three port communications module which is immune from inter-processor commands that are sent due to certain types of faults.

Fault tolerant three port communications module


The present invention pertains to a method for recovering a selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst and a method for reusing the recovered selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst. The method for recovering a selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst comprises: a step for synthesizing cyclododecene by selectively hydrogenating a first reaction solution containing cyclododecatriene, triphenylphosphine, formaldehyde, and ruthenium chloride, wherein a selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst is prepared during the selective hydrogenation reaction from the triphenylphosphine, formaldehyde, and ruthenium chloride to synthesize the cyclododecene; and a step for distilling and separating unreacted cyclododecatriene and cyclododecadiene, as well as the product cyclododecene, from a second reaction solution in which the cyclododecene synthesis has been completed, and recovering the selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst.

Synthesis of cyclododecene (CDEN) by selective hydrogenation starting from cyclododecatriene (CDT) has frequently been described in literatures, and many studies have been conducted to increase a yield of cyclododecene.
In order for the selective hydrogenation to proceed, a metal ligand catalyst known as Wilkinson's catalyst, that is, a catalyst in which a ligand such as triphenylphosphine (TPP) or CO and a halogen atom bind to a metal such as rubidium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), cobalt (Co), or nickel (Ni), has been used.
In general, a catalyst is a substance that accelerates activation of the whole reaction in a certain reaction system without reacting itself, and is an indispensable substance in the chemical industry. The catalyst is usually present in a small amount in a reaction system and plays its role. In accordance with development of the chemical industry, a use amount of catalysts has increased, and the amount of waste catalysts generated has also rapidly increased. In Korea, which does not have natural resources and relies entirely on imports for industrial raw materials related to precious metals, it is urgently needed to carry out recycling for reusing the precious metals as industrial raw materials by recovering the precious metals from the waste catalysts.
A method for recovering a catalyst after selective hydrogenation performed depending on a state and conditions of the catalyst has been known.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,118 discloses a technology for separating a catalyst in which triphenylphosphine and a halogen atom as ligands bind to Group VIII metal by interacting the catalyst with a substance containing a C═S bond. However, there are disadvantages in that a significant time is required for the interaction process and cooling is required to around 0° C.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,405 discloses the fact that when a [Co(CO)3P(n-C4H9)3]2 catalyst is used in selective hydrogenation for producing cyclododecene from cyclododecatriene, the catalyst may be recovered through a phase separation after the reaction without an additional separation technology. However, there are disadvantages in that the amount of catalyst required is large and a solvent is required for the phase separation.
Therefore, methods for recovering and reusing a selective hydrogenation catalyst capable of separating and recovering a selective hydrogenation catalyst by a relatively simple method within a short process time while maintaining both a conversion ratio of cyclododecatriene and a selectivity of cyclododecene at high levels when reusing the recovered selective hydrogenation catalyst, are required.

Methods for recovering and reusing selective homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst


A method of controlling a dimming operation of an organic light emitting display device that includes an organic light emitting element, a first transistor connected to a data line and a gate line, and a second transistor connected to the first transistor and the organic light emitting element, is provided. By the method, image data is compensated using a plurality of look-up tables respectively corresponding to a plurality of dimming modes, to be outputted compensation data. The compensation data are converted to a data voltage to be provided the organic light emitting element with the data voltage. A level of a current applied to the organic light emitting element is adjusted according to the dimming.

1. Field of the Invention
An embodiment of the present invention relates generally to an organic light emitting display device, and more particularly, to a method of controlling a dimming operation and an organic light emitting display device performing the method of controlling the dimming operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an organic light emitting display device includes an organic light emitting display panel. The organic light emitting display panel includes a plurality of organic light emitting elements respectively corresponding to a plurality of sub-pixels.
Each organic light emitting element includes two electrodes and an organic light emitting layer. The organic light emitting layer is disposed between the electrodes and emits by an electric field caused between the electrodes. One of the electrodes is a transparent electrode so that the organic light emitting element emits light to an outside through the transparent electrode in order to display an image. Generally, the organic light emitting element is driven in a current driving mode.
The organic light emitting display panel further includes two transistors which are electrically connected to the organic light emitting element and drive the organic light emitting element. An image displayed on the organic light emitting display panel may include a display stain occurred by a threshold voltage distribution according to voltage-current characteristic of the transistors in the organic light emitting display panel.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Method of controlling a dimming operation and organic light emitting display device performing the same

Samsung-ro, Giheung-Gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-Do


An input device includes a capacitance type touch panel sensor configured to detect positional coordinates of multiple pressing points that are simultaneously pressed on an operation face, load detection sensors configured to detect barycentric coordinates of and a barycentric load on the pressing points, and a controller configured to calculate loads on the pressing points on the basis of the positional coordinates of, the barycentric coordinates of, and the barycentric load on the pressing points.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input device mounted on a mobile device or another electronic device and operated with a finger or the like which touches an operation panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009-87311, 2010-146206, 2010-211399, and 2010-244514 describes an input device capable of detecting the positional coordinates of and a load on a pressing point upon operating an operation face with a finger or the like.
In these Patent Application Publications cited above, there is only one pressing point whose positional coordinates and load are detectable, and nothing is described about detection of the positional coordinates of and loads on multiple pressing points that are simultaneously pressed.

Input device and method for detecting loads on multiple points using the input device


A phase-shifting lithographic mask is made by a procedure involving only a single patterned electron, ion, or photon beam bombardment of a resist layer. The bombardment is arranged to produce three kinds of regions in the resist: no dosage, low dosage, and high dosage. These three regions in the resist are then utilized--in conjunction with an ordinary wet development step followed by either a silylation or an optical flooding technique, and thereafter by another ordinary wet development step--to pattern the resist layer and thereby to enable forming, by dry or wet etching, an underlying double layer consisting of a patterned opaque layer and a patterned transparent phase-shifting layer, the phase-shifting layer being located on, or being part of, a transparent substrate.

FIG. 1 shows a typical optical lithographic fabrication system 200 for delineating features in a wafer (substrate) 100 or in one or more layers of material(s) (not shown) located on a top major surface of the wafer, typically a semiconductor wafer (substrate). More specifically, optical radiation from an optical source 106, such as a mercury lamp, propagates through an aperture in an opaque screen 105, an optical collimating lens 104, a mask or reticle 103, and an optical focusing lens 102. The optical radiation emanating from the reticle 103 is focused by the lens 102 onto a photoresist layer 101 located on the top major surface of the wafer 100 itself or, alteratively, on the layer(s) on the top surface of the wafer 100. Thus, the pattern of the reticle 103--that is, its pattern of transparent and opaque portions--is focused on the photoresist layer 101. Depending upon whether this photoresist is positive or negative, when it is subjected to a developing process, typically a wet developer, the material of the photoresist is removed or remains at and only at areas where the optical radiation was incident. Thus, the pattern of the mask is transferred to ("printed on") the photoresist layer 101. Subsequent etching processes, such as wet etching or dry plasma etching, remove selected portions of the substrate or of the layer(s) of material(s) (not shown) located between the top major surface of the wafer and the bottom surface of the photoresist layer, or of both the substrate and the layer(s). Portions of the substrate or of the layer(s) of material thus are removed from the top surface of the wafer 100 at areas underlying where the photoresist layer 101 was removed by the developing process but not at areas underlying where the photoresist remains. Thus, the pattern of the mask 103 is transferred to the wafer 100 or to the layer(s) of material(s) overlying the wafer 100, as is desired, for example, in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication.
In fabricating such circuits, it is desirable to have as many devices, such as transistors, per wafer. Hence it is desirable to have as small a transistor or other feature size as possible, such as the feature size of a metallization stripe--i.e., its width W--or of an aperture in an insulating layer which is to be filled with metal, in order to form electrical connections, for example, between one level of metallization and another. Thus, for example, if it is desired to print the corresponding isolated feature having a width equal to W on the photoresist layer 101, a feature having a width equal to C must be located on the mask (reticle) 103. According to geometric optics, if this feature of width equal to C is a simple aperture in an opaque layer, then the ratio W/C=m, where m=L2/L1, and where m is known as the lateral magnification. When diffraction effects become important, however, the edges of the image become fuzzy (lose their sharpness); hence the resolution of the mask features when focused on the photoresist layer deteriorates.
In a paper entitled "New Phase Shifting Mask with Self-Aligned Phase Shifters for a Quarter Micron Lithography" published in International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM) Technical Digest, pp. 57-60 (3.3.1-3.3.4) (December, 1989), A. Nitayama et al. taught the use of masks having transparent phase-shifting portions in an effort to achieve improved resolution--i.e., improved sharpness of the image of the mask features focused on the photoresist layer 101. More specifically, these masks contained suitably patterned transparent optical phase-shifting layers, i.e., layers having edges located at predetermined distances from the edges of the opaque portions of the mask. Each of these phase-shifting layers had a thickness t equal to .lambda./2(n-1), where .lambda. is the wavelength of the optical radiation from the source 106 (FIG. 1) and n is the refractive index of the phase-shifting layers. Thus, as known in the art, these layers introduced phase shifts (delays) of .pi. radians in the optical radiation. By virtue of diffraction principles, the presence of these phase-shifting layers should produce the desired improved resolution. Such masks are called "phase-shifting" masks.
The mask structure described by A. Nitayama et al., op. cit., was manufactured by a single-alignment-level process involving a step of wet etching an opaque chromium layer located underneath a phase-shifting layer of PMMA which is resistant to the wet etching, whereby the etching of the chromium layer undercut the PMMA layer and formed a phase-shifting mask. However, the lateral etching of the chromium layer is difficult to control, so that the positioning of the edges of the chromium layer is likewise difficult to control. Yet this positioning of the edges of the opaque chromium must be carefully controlled in order to yield the desired improved resolution for the mask.
Moreover, the method taught by A. Nitayama et al. is not sufficiently versatile to make masks having arbitrary features, such as clustered line-space features or isolated apertures having relatively narrow-sized phase-shifting assistslots. Clustered line-space features, as well as apertures having phase-shifting slots, can be made in accordance with the teachings in a paper by M. D. Levenson et al. entitled "Improved Resolution in Photolithography with a Phase-Shifting Mask," published in IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. ED-29, pp. 1828-1836 (1982). The technique taught therein to make such mask devices, however, required two alignment steps (two-alignment-level method), and is therefore undesirable from the standpoints of accurate alignment and decreased throughput of the mask-making procedure (typically electron beam lithography).
Isolated apertures with phase-shifting assist-slots have been taught in a paper by T. Terasawa et al. entitled "0.3 .mu.m Optical Lithography Using Phase-Shifting Mask," published in SPIE, Vol. 1088, Optical/Laser Microlithogaphy II (1989), pp. 25-33, at FIG. 2. But that method also requires a two-level alignment and is therefore likewise undesirable.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a more versatile and more controllable single-alignment-level method of manufacturing phase-shifting masks. More generally, it would be desirable to have a more versatile and more controllable single-alignment-level lithographic technique for achieving self-aligned features.

Single-alignment-level lithographic technique for achieving self-aligned features


An exercise machine component comprises a cable connection base adapted to attach to an end of a cable, a chamber adapted to receive a key through an opening of the chamber, a biasing mechanism within the chamber, and a receiving groove within the chamber wherein the biasing mechanism biases the key against the receiving groove so that the key is securely fixed within the chamber.

Strength training, also referred to as resistance training or weight lifting, is an important part of any exercise routine. It promotes the building of muscles, the burning of fat, and the improvement of a number of metabolic factors including insulin sensitivity and lipid levels. Many users seek a more efficient and safe method of strength training, thus driving a need for mechanical components providing these features.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A pulse wave measuring apparatus is disclosed, in which a sensor unit can be fixed easily under an appropriate pressure at an appropriate position on a living organism. With the living organism fixed by a living organism fixing device, a pressure sensitive portion arranged on the sensor unit is pressed against the living organism thereby to measure the pulse wave. The living organism fixing device includes a fixing stand for fixing the living organism in position, and fastening bands for connecting the fixing stand and the sensor unit and fastening the living organism fixedly to the fixing stand while at the same time activating by pressing the sensor unit against the living organism. The fastening bands include a first band portion with one end mounted on the sensor unit and the other end mounted on the fixing stand and a second band portion with one end mounted on the sensor unit and the other end removably mounted on the fixing stand. The fixing stand has a constant force spring for pulling the other end of the first band portion with a constant force.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure-type pulse wave measuring apparatus for measuring the pulse wave by pressing a pressure sensitive portion against a living organism, or in particular to a pressure-type pulse wave measuring apparatus having a fixing stand for fixing the living organism in position.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pressure-type pressure measuring apparatus for measuring the contact pressure with an object of measurement by pressing the particular object is generally known. An application of the pressure-type pressure measuring apparatus is a pulse wave measuring apparatus. With this pulse wave measuring apparatus, the pulse wave generated from the artery located at a comparatively shallow position of the skin of a living organism is measured by pressing a board having a pressure sensitive part on the surface of the living organism. Measuring the pulse wave of a subject using this pulse wave measuring apparatus is very critical to know the health of the subject.
The pressure-type pulse wave measuring apparatus generally uses a semiconductor pressure detector having a distortion gauge or a diaphragm as a pressure sensitive part. In such a case, a pressure sensitive unit is configured in such a manner that the pressure sensitive part for detecting the pulse wave is located on the surface of a sensor unit mounted on the living organism.
In the pulse wave measuring apparatus having the configuration described above, the sensor unit is required to be activated by being mounted at an appropriate position on the living organism under an appropriate magnitude of pressure. A fastening band is generally used for mounting the sensor unit on the living organism. The fastening band is required to be mounted on the living organism with an appropriate fastening force not to give the subject any pain.
A pulse wave measuring apparatus realizing this appropriate fastening force is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-146027 (patent document 1). The pulse wave measuring apparatus disclosed in this patent publication is explained below with reference to FIG. 15.
FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pulse wave measuring apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned patent publication. In the pulse wave measuring apparatus shown in FIG. 15, the wrist is used as an object portion for measuring the pulse wave of the subject.
As shown in FIG. 15, the pulse wave measuring apparatus comprises, as main components, a sensor unit 140 having a pressure sensitive unit, an engaging portion 162 arranged adjacently to the sensor unit 140, a fastening band 130 mounted on the sensor unit 140 through a fitting 164, and a tension adjusting part 166 mounted on the other end of the fastening band 130. A fixing part such as a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown) is arranged on the upper surface of the engaging portion 162 and the inner peripheral surface of the fastening band 130.
The tension adjusting part 166 is configured of a holding member 167 secured to the fastening band 130, a grip member 168 mounted slidably on the holding member 167 along the longitudinal direction of the fastening band 130, and a coil spring (not shown) for connecting the holding member 167 and the grip member 168.
The pulse wave measuring apparatus having the structure described above is mounted on a living organism in the manner described below. First, the sensor unit 140 is set on the wrist 151 in such a position that the pressure sensitive portion is located just above the radial artery 153. Under this condition, the fastening band 130 is wound around the wrist 151 of the subject. In the process, the fastening band 130 is not held but the holding member 168 of the tension adjusting part 166, and wound on the wrist 151 while keeping the fastening band 130 pulled outward along the length thereof. The engaging portion 162 and the fastening band 130 are fixed by a fixing part not shown.
By use of the tension adjusting part 166 as described above, the fastening band 130 can be wound around the wrist 151 under a predetermined pressure range. This is by reason of the fact that a predetermined range of tension is imparted on the other end of the fastening band 130 through the holding member 167 with the elastic deformation of the coil spring by pulling the grip member 168 longitudinally of the fastening band 130. The employment of the aforementioned structure, therefore, makes it always possible to reproduce the state in which the sensor unit is kept activated by being pressed on the wrist under an appropriate pressure.
A pulse wave measuring apparatus with the sensor unit mountable at an appropriate position on the wrist is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 3-67606 (patent document 2), Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-261074 (patent document 3) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-33007 (patent document 4). The pulse wave measuring apparatuses disclosed in these patent publications have a fixing unit for fixing the wrist position, by use of which the wrist of the subject is fixed in position before the sensor unit is mounted. The use of the fixing unit stabilizes the wrist position and therefore makes it possible to mount the sensor unit at an accurate position just above the artery.
The problem of the pulse wave measuring apparatus disclosed in patent document 1, however, is that the job of winding the fastening band on the wrist following the above-mentioned procedure is so complicated that it is very difficult to mount the apparatus correctly.
With the pulse wave measuring apparatus disclosed in patent document 1, the fastening band is required to be wound entirely around the wrist. Also, in view of the fact that the wrist size is varied from one subject to another, the length of the fastening band is required to have some margin. This considerably lengthens the fastening band, and the job of winding this long fastening band by pulling it by an end thereof along longitudinally outward is very bothersome.
Also, when mounting the pulse wave measuring apparatus disclosed in patent document 1 on a living organism, it is always necessary to wind the fastening band on the wrist by holding only the grip member of the tension adjusting part. In the process, the grip member is required to be pulled with such a force as to generate the elastic deformation of the coil spring to obtain an appropriate tension at an end of the fastening band. The degree of tension to be applied is left up to the user, and an excessively small tension would loosen or twist the fastening band, thereby making it impossible to obtain an appropriate fastening force. An excessively large tension, on the other hand, would cause so strong a tension in the sensor unit that the sensor unit would be displaced from the predetermined position just over the artery. It is therefore very difficult and a complicated job is required on the part of the user to apply an appropriate fastening force to the fastening band by manual adjustment of the tension.
For the reason described above, the user may go so far as to wind the fastening band on the wrist directly by holding it in hand without following the above-mentioned procedure. In the case where the apparatus is mounted this way, however, an appropriate fastening force is not obtained and it is difficult to the measure the pulse wave accurately.
In the pulse wave measuring apparatuses disclosed in patent documents 2 to 4 described above, on the other hand, the fastening band cannot be easily wound with an appropriate fastening force although the sensor unit can be mounted at an appropriate position. Thus, the sensor unit cannot be activated by being pressed with an appropriate force against a living organism.


A method includes forming an ion implant layer in a fin defined on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate is annealed to convert the ion implant layer to a dielectric layer. A gate electrode structure is formed above the fin in a channel region after forming the ion implant layer. The fin is recessed in a source/drain region. A semiconductor material is epitaxially grown in the source/drain region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of semiconductor devices, and, more particularly, to a fin device with a blocking layer in the channel region.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern integrated circuits, such as microprocessors, storage devices and the like, a very large number of circuit elements, especially transistors, are provided and operated on a restricted chip area. In integrated circuits fabricated using metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) technology, field effect transistors (FETs) (both NMOS and PMOS transistors, or complementary MOSFET transistors or CMOS) are provided that are typically operated in a switching mode. That is, these transistor devices exhibit a highly conductive state (on-state) and a high impedance state (off-state). FETs may take a variety of forms and configurations. For example, among other configurations, FETs may be either so-called planar FET devices (at 20 nm or earlier CMOS nodes) or three-dimensional (3D) devices, such as finFET devices (at 20 nm or later 14 nm CMOS nodes).
A field effect transistor (FET), irrespective of whether an NMOS transistor or a PMOS transistor is considered, and irrespective of whether it is a planar or 3D finFET device, typically includes doped source/drain regions that are formed in a semiconductor substrate that are separated by a channel region. A gate insulation layer (e.g., dielectric) is positioned above the channel region and a conductive gate electrode is positioned above the gate insulation layer. The gate insulation layer and the gate electrode may sometimes be referred to as the gate structure or gate stack for the device. By applying an appropriate voltage to the gate electrode, the channel region becomes conductive and current is allowed to flow from the source region to the drain region. In a planar FET device, the gate structure is formed above a substantially planar upper surface of the substrate. The gate structures for such planar FET devices may be manufactured using so-called "gate-first" or "replacement gate" (gate-last) manufacturing techniques.
To improve the operating speed of FETs, and to increase the density of FETs on an integrated circuit device, device designers have greatly reduced the physical size of FETs over the years. More specifically, the channel length of FETs has been significantly decreased, which has resulted in improving the switching speed of FETs. However, decreasing the channel length of a FET also decreases the distance between the source region and the drain region. In some cases, this decrease in the separation between the source and the drain makes it difficult to efficiently inhibit the electrical potential of the source region (leading to large leakage current between source and drain in "off-state") and the channel from being adversely affected by the electrical potential of the drain. This is sometimes referred to as a so-called short channel effect, wherein the characteristic of the FET as an active switch is degraded.
In contrast to a planar MOSFET, a so-called finFET device has a three-dimensional (3D) structure. FIG. 1 is a side view of an illustrative prior art finFET semiconductor device 100 that is formed above a semiconductor substrate 105. In this example, the finFET device 100 includes three illustrative fins 110, a gate structure 115, sidewall spacers 120 and a gate cap 125. The gate structure 115 is typically made up of a layer of insulating material (not separately shown), e.g., a layer of high-k insulating material on a thin silicon dioxide interfacial layer, and one or more conductive material layers (e.g., metal, metal-nitride and/or polysilicon) that serve as the work-function material and gate electrode for the device 100. The fins 110 have a three-dimensional configuration. The portions of the fins 110 covered by the gate structure 115 define the channel region of the finFET device 100. An isolation structure 130 is formed between the fins 110, similar to the shallow trench isolation (STI) structure formed between planar transistors.
In a finFET device 100 formed above a bulk substrate, parasitic source and drain capacitances and resulting source-to-drain leakage are performance-limiting factors, similar to planar CMOS devices. To reduce source-to-drain leakage, a counter-doped implant region (i.e., using the opposite type of dopants as the source and drain), commonly referred to as a punch through stopper implant, may be provided in the lower portion of the channel region of the fin. This counter-doping of the fin reduces carrier mobility and damages to the fin due to the implantation through the fin regions. Even with a counter-doped region, the junction leakage from the source and drain to the substrate still significantly contributes to total device leakage at off-state.
Another approach involves locally implanting ions, such as oxygen, in the channel region during the gate replacement process after the sacrificial polysilicon is removed and prior to forming the replacement gate material. However, this localized oxygen ion implant often creates unbalanced strain in the device.
The present disclosure is directed to various methods and resulting devices that may avoid, or at least reduce, the effects of one or more of the problems identified above.

Fin device with blocking layer in channel region


When color reversal materials are developed by a process that comprises prolonged contact with the first, or black-and-white developer, images with a color mismatch or speed deficiency can occur. Such undesirable results can be reduced or eliminated by including in the reversal material, a layer of colloidal elemental silver. The layer can be adjacent to a light sensitive, silver halide-containing layer, which is present within a color record who's speed is to be increased in order to reduce the color mismatch. The amount of colloidal elemental silver employed is less than that used in the art to protect an underlying light sensitive, silver halide layer from exposure by unwanted light.

It is quite common for a photographer to intentionally expose a film at a speed faster than the speed for which the film was designed. For example, a photographer may expose a slow film at a faster speed at an athletic event, in order to photograph a participant or an object in rapid motion. In such instances, the exposed film will be developed for a longer time in order to compensate for the comparatively small amount of silver that was exposed. In color reversal processing, the prolonged development occurs in the first development, i.e. in the black and white development step. However, in many instances when such "push" processing is used, a mismatch of colors occurs in the resultant image. The degradation of color balance arises from differences in the relative developability of the three color sensitive layers in the film. For example, push processing can result in less speed gain in the green sensitive layer, resulting in an objectionable magenta color balance.
In the prior art, it is quite common for a color record in a color reversal film to achieve a speed by push processing which is different from the speed that is achieved by normal processing. This invention comprises the discovery that, when an efficacious amount of colloidal silver is in a layer that is operatively associated with a silver halide-based, light sensitive layer in a color record, push processing will confer a speed on the record, which is faster than that which would result if the colloidal silver layer was absent. The colloidal silver can be in a layer having a hydrophilic dispersing agent, such as gelatin.
Prior to this invention, it was not known that colloidal, elemental silver can overcome problems caused by push processing. In other words, it was not previously known that colloidal elemental silver in a color reversal film could reduce or eliminate color mismatches that result from black-and-white development of color reversal material for a prolonged time.
The improvements of this invention are considered to be a significant advance in the art. The invention provides photographic elements that have good push processing characteristics. This discovery was unexpected. Furthermore, the improved elements of this invention are readily prepared from known materials. In addition, the development methods of this invention are akin to those which are commonly employed throughout the world. Hence, this invention is readily adaptable by both the film manufacturing, and the film processing industries.

Use of colloidal silver to improve push processing of a reversal photographic element


The present invention relates to S-tenatoprazole monohydrated sodium salt, represented by the following formula

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a tenatoprazole salt, and more particularly a monohydrated salt of the (−) enantiomer of tenatoprazole, or S-tenatoprazole, a method for its preparation as well as its use in human or veterinary therapeutics, namely as proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to treat gastro-oesophageal reflux, digestive bleeding and dyspepsia.
2. Description of the Related Art
Different sulfoxide derivatives, and notably pyridinyl-methyl-sulfinyl benzimidazoles, have been described in the literature for their therapeutic properties allowing for their use as medicinal products presenting proton pump inhibiting properties to be envisaged, that is to say medicinal products which inhibit the secretion of gastric acid and are useful in the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers.
Omeprazole, or 5-methoxy-2-[[(4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl]sulfinyl]-1H-benzimidazole described in patent EP 005.129, is one of the first known derivatives of the series of PPIs, possessing gastric acid secretion inhibiting properties, and is widely used as an anti-ulcerative in human therapeutics. Rabeprazole, pantoprazole and lansoprazole can also be found among the other known derivatives of pyridinyl-methyl-sulfinyl-benzimidazoles with a similar structure.
Tenatoprazole, or 5-methoxy-2-[ [(4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridyl)methyl]sulfinyl]imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine, is described in Patent No. EP 254.588. It also belongs to the group of drugs classified under the name of "proton pump inhibitors" (PPIs), and can be used for the treatment of conditions such as gastro-oesophageal reflux, digestive bleeding and dyspepsia.
These sulfoxides have an asymmetry at the level of the sulphur atom, and can therefore generally take the form of a mixture (racemic mixture or racemate) of two enantiomers or of one or the other enantiomer. These enantiomers can classically be used under the form of salts, such as magnesium, potassium or sodium salts, which are generally easier to handle than the bases.
Patent EP 652.872 describes the magnesium salt of esomeprazole, (−) enantiomer of omeprazole, as well as a method for its preparation, the separation of the diastereo-isomers and the solvolysis in an alkaline solution. The enantioselective preparation of the (−) enantiomer of omeprazole or of its sodium salts, by oxidation of the corresponding sulphide by a hydroperoxide in the presence of a titanium complex and a chiral ligand is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,789. The method described in this patent produces a mixture enriched in one or the other of the (−) and (+) enantiomers, according to the ligand used.
Different formulations have been proposed in order to improve the properties or the activity of PPIs. In the case of omeprazole, for example, PCT application WO 01.28558 describes a stable liquid formulation obtained by forming the sodium or potassium salts in situ in solution in polyethylene glycol, by action of a hydroxide on omeprazole. The medicinal product thus formulated can be used in the usual indications of PPIs.

Monohydrated sodium salt of S-tenatoprazole and the use thereof in therapy

Abstract: and the use thereof in therapy for the treatment of digestive diseases.


A method for reconstructing corroded pipes is disclosed in which a long, new pipe can be inserted smoothly and without excessive force, into an older pipe. The method involves the insertion of a new pipe into an old pipe using a dolly to transfer the reaction force. The tail end of the new pipe is attached to the dolly, and the front end of the new pipe is sealed off. A plug is inserted into the dolly from the tail end of the new pipe, which is filled with pressurized water. The dolly is then moved in the direction of the old pipe to insert the new pipe into the old pipe.

Several methods have been developed for repairing corroded pipes (such as those laid on the ocean floor) by inserting new pipes into existing structures. The following published unexamined Japanese patent applications relate to pipe repair: JP No. Showa 63 (1988)-23578, JP No. Heisei 1 (1989)-54595, JP No. Heisei 3 (1991)-4027, and JP No. Heisei 3 (1991)-30757.
Conventional methods of reconstructing corroded pipes have several limitations. Efficient insertion of a new pipe into a pre-existing pipe requires that the length of new pipe being inserted be longer than the old pipe. However, there are limits regarding the distance to which a jack can be extended in order to advance a new pipe into a pre-existing pipe. In addition, during insertion the new pipe can lurch forward if the frictional resistance between the inner surface of the old pipe and the outer surface of the new pipe is broken. Thus there is a need for an improved method of reconstructing pipes.

Method for reconstructing corroded pipes


A fuel catalyst for improving combustion efficiency is provided that includes at least one hydride producing element, and at least one element of greater activity on the electrolytic scale than the hydride producing element and at least one element of lesser activity on the electrolytic scale than the hydride producing element. The hydride producing element preferably includes an element from at least one of a Group IV and Group V of the periodic table. The element of greater activity and the element of lesser activity preferably includes at least one of zinc, magnesium, aluminum, palladium, silver, copper and cerium. Preferred formulations of the catalyst element include: a) 20-60% wt antimony, 10-30% wt tin, 10-80% wt zinc and 1-5% wt silver; b) 40% wt antimony, 18% wt tin, 40% wt zinc and 2% wt silver; c) 20-60% wt antimony, 10-30% wt tin, 20-80% wt magnesium, 1-8% wt cerium and 0.1-1.0% wt palladium; d) 40% wt antimony, 25% wt tin, 30% wt magnesium, 4.8% wt cerium and 0.2% wt palladium; and e) 25% wt antimony, 25% wt tin, 39% wt zinc and 11% wt aluminum.

It has long been an objective of many individuals within different industries to develop devices and methods for improving the combustion efficiency of hydrocarbon fuel burning systems. A major breakthrough in improving fuel efficiency was the development of a fuel catalyst described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,359 that could be used to treat fuel prior to combustion. While the fuel catalyst has proven to be effective, the underlying mechanism of operation has not been previously understood. It is therefore an object of the present invention to determine the underlying mechanism of operation of the fuel catalyst so that additional catalysts can be analytically developed.

Advanced Power Systems International, Inc.


On a sleeve for a gardening tool, for example a quick coupling (12), surface parts of a flexible, soft and grip-promoting material (24) are provided in differing individual sections. These are applied in a two-component injection molding method and may also comprise special bump rims (27). By a differing color design and alternating exposure of the surface of the two composite materials of base body (17) and additional element (24) lettering, marking or configuring the surface may be achieved.

The invention relates to a sleeve of a gardening tool, particularly an actuatable coupling sleeve of a quick hose coupling comprising a base body of a relatively hard plastics material and an additional element of flexible, rubber-like material constituting a surface section of the sleeve.
From DE-U-90 10 211.8 one such sleeve is known on which a ring-shaped band of a soft material is wound on a ring-shaped recess. This material may be a rubber material and feature a rough outer surface.

Sleeve of a gardening tool, particularly coupling sleeve of a quick hose coupling


Method for forming a solder bump on a substrate include the steps of forming an under bump metallurgy layer on a substrate, forming a solder bump on the under bump metallurgy layer, and forming an intermetallic portion of the under bump metallurgy layer adjacent the solder bump. In particular, the solder bump has a predetermined shape and this predetermined shape is retained while forming the intermetallic portion of the under bump metallurgy layer. This predetermined shape preferably has a flat surface opposite the substrate thus providing a uniform thickness of solder during the formation of the intermetallic portion. Related structures are also disclosed.

High performance microelectronic devices often use solder balls or solder bumps for electrical and mechanical interconnection to other microelectronic devices. For example, a very large scale integration (VLSI) chip may be electrically connected to a circuit board or other next level packaging substrate using solder balls or solder bumps. This connection technology is also referred to as "Controlled Collapse Chip Connection--C4" or "flip-chip" technology, and will be referred to herein as "solder bumps".
A significant advance in this technology is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,257 to Yung entitled "Solder Bump Fabrication Method" and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In this patent, an under bump metallurgy is formed on the microelectronic substrate including contact pads, and solder bumps are formed on the under bump metallurgy opposite the contact pads. The under bump metallurgy between the solder bumps and the contact pads is converted to an intermetallic which is resistant to etchants used to etch the under bump metallurgy between solder bumps. Accordingly, the base of the solder bumps is preserved.
In many circumstances, it may be desired to provide a solder bump on the substrate at a location remote from the contact pad and also form an electrical connection between the contact pad and the solder bump. For example, a microelectronic substrate may be initially designed for wire bonding with the contact pads arranged around the outer edge of the substrate. At a later time it may be desired to use the microelectronic substrate in an application requiring solder bumps to be placed in the interior of the substrate. In order to achieve the placement of a solder bump on the interior of the substrate away from the respective contact pad, an interconnection or redistribution routing conductor may be necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,013 to Moore et al. entitled "Solder Bumping of Integrated Circuit Die" discloses a method for forming a runner and solder bump on an integrated circuit die. This method includes forming a terminal of an electrically conductive, solder-wettable composite material. The terminal includes a bond pad overlying the passivation layer remote from a metal contact and a runner that extends from the pad to the metal contact. A body of solder is reflowed onto the bond pad to form a bump bonded to the pad and electrically coupled through the runner.
Notwithstanding the above mentioned references, there continues to exist a need in the art for methods of producing redistribution routing conductors and solder bumps efficiently and at a reduced cost.

Methods for forming an intermetallic region between a solder bump and an under bump metallurgy layer and related structures


A multiple-core planar optical waveguide comprises: a substantially planar waveguide substrate; a lower waveguide core; an upper waveguide core; lower cladding between the substrate and the lower waveguide core; middle cladding between the waveguide cores; and upper cladding above the upper waveguide core. Overlapping portions of the waveguide cores are positioned one above the other and substantially parallel. The lower, middle, and upper claddings have refractive indices less than refractive indices of the lower and upper waveguide cores. The widths of the waveguide cores are substantially larger their thicknesses along their overlapping portions. The overlapping portions of the waveguide cores jointly support a propagating optical mode.

The field of the present invention relates to optical waveguides. In particular, multiple-core planar optical waveguides are disclosed herein, as well as methods of fabrication and use thereof.
This application is related to U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No. 10/609,018 filed Jun. 27, 2003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,798), said non-provisional application being hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Planar optical waveguides fabricated on waveguide substrates may be incorporated into a variety of optical assemblies. Such optical waveguides may be fabricated with multiple cores. The use of such multiple-core planar optical waveguides may be advantageous in a variety of ways, as set forth hereinbelow.

Multiple-core planar optical waveguides and methods of fabrication and use thereof


An improved fuel injector for providing precise control over injection timing, quantity and rate shape is provided which includes a fuel pressure balancing device for balancing the fuel pressure forces acting on a needle valve element while the element is in both the closed and open positions thereby permitting an actuator to more precisely and predictably control the movement of the needle valve element. The fuel pressure balancing device includes a cavity formed in the needle valve element and pressure balancing surfaces formed on the needle valve element and positioned in the cavity. The actuator may be a piezoelectric actuator for compressing actuating fluid in an actuating fluid circuit which includes a fluid chamber positioned adjacent a needle valve element and fluidically separate from a fuel supply circuit for supplying high pressure fuel for injection. Actuating fluid pressure in the chamber acts on the needle valve element to initiate injection. In another embodiment, the needle valve element is directly controlled by a solenoid actuator.

In most fuel supply systems applicable to internal combustion engines, fuel injectors are used to direct fuel pulses into the engine combustion chamber. A commonly used injector is a closed-nozzle injector which includes a nozzle assembly having a spring-biased nozzle valve element positioned adjacent the nozzle orifice for resisting blow back of exhaust gas into the pumping or metering chamber of the injector while allowing fuel to be injected into the cylinder. The nozzle valve element also functions to provide a deliberate, abrupt end to fuel injection thereby preventing a secondary injection which causes unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust. The nozzle valve is positioned in a nozzle cavity and biased by a nozzle spring to block fuel flow through the nozzle orifices. In many fuel systems, when the pressure of the fuel within the nozzle cavity exceeds the biasing force of the nozzle spring, the nozzle valve element moves outwardly to allow fuel to pass through the nozzle orifices, thus marking the beginning of injection. However, these conventional injectors rely on injector or system components upstream of the nozzle assembly to determine the injection timing, metering and rate shape, and, therefore, may not provide the optimum control over the fuel injection event necessary for certain applications and to achieve certain objectives.
Internal combustion engine designers have increasingly come to realize that substantially improved fuel supply systems are required in order to meet the ever increasing governmental and regulatory requirements of emissions abatement and increased fuel economy. It is well known that the level of emissions generated by the diesel fuel combustion process can be reduced by optimizing the fuel injection timing, metering and injection flow rate for a particular application or set of operating conditions. For example, emissions may be minimized by decreasing the volume of fuel injected during the initial stage of an injection event while permitting a subsequent unrestricted injection flow rate. In other applications, pilot and multiple injections produce the optimal combustion event. As a result, many closed nozzle assemblies have been proposed for enabling more precise control of injection timing, quantity and flow rate throughout engine operation.
One way of more precisely controlling the movement of the needle valve element of a closed nozzle assembly and, therefore, more precisely controlling the fuel injection event, is to utilize a piezoelectric actuator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,886 to Igashira et al. discloses a piezoelectric actuator controlled fuel injector where the amount of fuel delivered by the operation of the injector is determined by the driving voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator. The actuated piezoelectric actuator acts upon a piston which compresses the fuel inside a pump chamber, wherein the compressed fuel is supplied to an injection valve. The reference further discloses that the injection valve includes a needle valve having a step-shaped portion that includes a small diameter portion under a larger diameter portion. The pressure of the compressed fuel acts upon the stepped portion of the injection valve to overcome forces biasing the valve shut thereby raising the needle valve to open the nozzle of the injector. However, the injection fuel, metered by a check valve, is used lift the needle valve to the open position and this metered fuel is then injected from the nozzle. Therefore, the opening of the needle valve element and, therefore, the timing of the injection event is undesirably dependent on the pressure of the fuel to be injected. Moreover, it has been found that the piezoelectric actuators are incapable of effectively and efficiently generating the high fuel pressures desired in many fuel system applications.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,728,074, 4,784,102, 4,909,440 and 5,452,858 and PCT Publication No. WO 96/37698 all disclose fuel injectors which utilize a piezoelectric actuator to relieve pressure in a chamber so as to cause a needle valve element to open. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,858 discloses the use of a piezoelectric actuator to drive a piston which changes the pressure of a working fluid, separate from the injected fuel, in a pressure chamber to control the opening and closing of a needle valve. However, the injectors disclosed in each of these references disclose that the piezoelectric actuator is energized to expand a pressure chamber located adjacent to the injector needle, thus decreasing the pressure within the pressure chamber, in order to relieve the forces biasing the injector needle closed. Also, this injector is not fuel pressure balanced in the closed position and thus the piezoelectric stack be maintained in the expanded state to maintain the hydraulic pressure in the pressure chamber at a high level to hold the element in the closed position.
PCT Patent Publications WO 93/06625 and WO 94/19598 each disclose fuel injection valves using a piezoelectric actuator for moving a piston to controllably vary the pressure of fluid in a hydraulic chamber which is fluidically separate from a fuel supply. The hydraulic chamber is positioned at one end of a needle valve element biased by a spring toward the piezoelectric actuator into a closed position. Pressurization of the fluid in the hydraulic chamber forces the needle valve element into an open position to begin injection of fuel supplied to a nozzle cavity. However, each of these injection systems requires the needle valve to be an outwardly opening valve. Also, the needle valve elements do not appear to be fuel pressure balanced in both positions.
Another way of controlling the movement of a needle valve element is to use a solenoid actuator assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,521 to Gibson et al. discloses a solenoid actuated fuel injection nozzle assembly including a needle element having an axial passage integrally formed therein for directing fuel, during an injection event, from the orifice end of the assembly to the actuator end. The element is reciprocally mounted in a guide bore section and situated for abutting a valve seat wherein the guide bore section and valve seat have substantially equal diameters for balancing fuel pressure forces. The actuator end of the needle element includes a radial passage for directing fuel from the axial passage to a cavity, surrounding the actuator end, to permit fuel pressure to act on the outer surface of the actuator end of the element so that pressure on the element remains equal at both ends of the element during movement. However, fuel must be drained from the cavity at the actuator end of the element back to the supply which may undesirably result in increased parasitic losses and unacceptable heating of fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,360 to Nichols discloses a nozzle valve element having an axial passage formed therein and a cross passage connecting the inner end of the axial passage to the nozzle cavity for diverting fuel from the nozzle cavity into an expansible chamber formed in the nozzle valve element. A plunger is positioned in the chamber to form a differential surface creating a fuel pressure induced seating force on the nozzle valve element to aid in rapidly seating the valve element. This additional differential surface may be equal in area to the additional surface area exposed when the valve has been unseated, thereby providing complete offsetting. However, this valve is not solenoid operated and movement of the valve element is controlled by varying the fuel pressure of the fuel to be injected between a high injection pressure and low pressure. Therefore, this injection valve could not be effectively used with a high pressure common rail system supplying fuel at a substantially constant high pressure level to the valve.
Italian Patent No. 450,866 discloses a closed nozzle injector including a needle valve element having a passage formed therein for directing fuel to a pressure chamber formed by a piston. This arrangement is designed to cause the needle valve element to open during an initial stage, then momentarily close to interrupt injection, and subsequently reopen to continue injection thereby carrying out injection in two separate stages. The fuel pressure in the pressure chamber, formed by a spring loaded piston positioned in the needle valve element, necessarily increases to a high level to cause the closing of the needle valve element and thus the separate stages of injection. However, the surfaces of the valve element in the pressure chamber are sized to create a pressure induced closing force. Moreover, the valve element is actuated by fuel pressure.
Consequently, there is a need for an improved closed nozzle fuel injector assembly operated by an actuator which permits the actuator to effectively, precisely and selectively controlling the rate and degree of opening of a needle valve element independent of fuel pressure.

Fuel injector with pressure balanced needle valve


A method and apparatus for real time imaging and monitoring of radiation therapy beams is designed to preferentially distinguish and image low energy radiation from high energy secondary radiation emitted from a target as the result of therapeutic beam deposition. A detector having low sensitivity to high energy photons combined with a collimator designed to dynamically image in the region of the therapeutic beam target is used.

Different types of radiation therapy beams, including electron beams, gamma rays, high energy X-rays and protons are used in the treatment of various cancer states. Verification of the location and magnitude of the radiation dose delivered to target volume in the body in such treatments is an important requirement and in-situ/in-vivo tracking of these beams is an important challenge for radiation therapy today.
While radiation therapy procedures are very carefully planned, specifically addressing a selected target volume in each patient, and each radiation session planned using available simulation tools and prior experimental clinical data, there is no standard technique available at this time to provide real time monitoring and assurance that the procedure is indeed delivering the desired/lethal dose to the cancer tissue, while sparing the neighboring organs and tissues that might be at risk.
There thus remains a need for a method for verifying the location and magnitude of the radiation dose delivered to target volume in the body in such treatments as well as for the in-situ/in-vivo tracking of these treatment beams.

Method and apparatus for real time imaging and monitoring of radiotherapy beams


To achieve stable multimode output even when driven by a drive current near a threshold value, provided is a laser apparatus comprising a semiconductor laser element; a wavelength selecting element that performs laser oscillation by forming a resonator between itself and a reflective surface of the semiconductor laser element to output oscillated laser light; and an optical system that is optically coupled to an emission surface of the semiconductor laser element with a coupling efficiency η and inputs to the wavelength selecting element light output from the emission surface. The optical system causes a value that is correlated with a minimum light output within a linear light output region in which light output is linear with respect to an injection current injected to the semiconductor laser element to be less than this value occurring when the coupling efficiency η is at a maximum.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a laser apparatus.
2. Related Art
With a conventional semiconductor laser module, a lensed fiber formed by performing lens processing on the top of an optical fiber is used to focus light output from a semiconductor laser element, and this light is propagated to the outside of the semiconductor laser module through the optical fiber, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-235638
However, when such a semiconductor laser module is driven by a relatively low drive current near a threshold value, single mode oscillation begins. When the drive current is increased, the oscillation results in unstable output light that mixes single mode and multimode oscillation. When the drive current is further increased, multimode oscillation is realized and the output light stabilizes. Accordingly, the semiconductor laser module requires use of a drive current that is in a range greater than or equal to a predetermined current value that enables stable multimode oscillation.


Aspects of the present disclosure describe methods and apparatuses for executing operations on a client device platform that is operating in a low-power state. A first analysis may be used to assign a first confidence score to a recorded non-tactile input. When the first confidence score is above a first threshold an intermediate-power state may be activated. A second more detailed analysis may then assign a second confidence score to the non-tactile input. When the second confidence score is above a second threshold, then the operation is initiated. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Many electronic devices, such as, but not limited to computers, televisions, gaming consoles, and stereo systems, utilize low-power states in order to reduce energy consumption when not in use. Low-power states are able to reduce the power consumption of the electronic devices by cutting off power to unnecessary subsystems and placing the random access memory (RAM) into a minimum power state that is just sufficient to retain its data. The state information of each subsystem is stored in the RAM. Therefore, once the electronic device is brought out of the low-power state, the device may be immediately ready for use again without having to reboot or load applications that were running before the low-power mode was initiated. Low-power states, such as the S3 Sleeping State, are described in further detail in the "Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification", Hewlett-Packard Corp. et al., Revision 4.0a, April 2005, and incorporated herein by reference.
However, once in a low-power state, a device typically requires an affirmative tactile input to "wake up" the electronic device and return to the normal full-power state. By way of example, affirmative tactile inputs may include pressing a power button, or striking a key on a keyboard or a button on a remote control. An affirmative tactile input is needed to restore the electronic devices to their normal operating state because the processing power is greatly reduced in the low-power state. Alternative inputs, such as audio or visual cues have not been options because complex speech and gesture recognition require too many CPU cycles to function as a reliable indication of an affirmative desire to awaken the electronic device. As such, if a user wants to wake up an electronic device from a low-power state, then the user must physically touch the electronic device or a remote control for the electronic device. If the electronic device is located across the room and the remote control is lost, then the user must exert extra physical motion to move across the room in order to activate the electronic device.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for systems and methods that reduce the burden on the user by allowing electronic devices to be woken up from a low-power state with inputs that do not require physically touching the electronic device or the remote control.
It is within this context that aspects of the present disclosure arise.

Speech recognition system for performing analysis to a non-tactile inputs and generating confidence scores and based on the confidence scores transitioning the system from a first power state to a second power state


A Cu(hfac) precursor with a substituted ethylene ligand has been provided. The substituted ethylene ligand includes bonds to molecules selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 haloalkyl, H, and C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkoxyl. One variation, the 2-methyl-1-butene ligand precursor has proved to be stable at room temperature, and extremely volatile at higher temperatures. Copper deposited with this precursor has low resistivity and high adhesive characteristics. Because of the volatility, the deposition rate of copper deposited with this precursor is very high. A synthesis method has been provided which produces a high yield of the above-described precursor.

This invention relates generally to integrated circuit processes and fabrication, and more particularly, to a precursor and synthesis method, having a substituted ethylene ligand, such as 2-methyl-1-butene, which improves liquid phase stability, and which is capable of depositing copper at high deposition rates, low resistivity, and with good adhesion on selected integrated circuit surfaces.
The demand for progressively smaller, less expensive, and more powerful electronic products, in turn, fuels the need for smaller geometry integrated circuits (ICs) on larger substrates. It also creates a demand for a denser packaging of circuits onto IC substrates. The desire for smaller geometry IC circuits requires that the interconnections between components and dielectric layers be as small as possible. Therefore, research continues into reducing the width of via interconnects and connecting lines. The conductivity of the interconnects is reduced as the area of the interconnecting surfaces is reduced, and the resulting increase in interconnect resistivity has become an obstacle in IC design. Conductors having high resistivity create conduction paths with high impedance and large propagation delays. These problems result in unreliable signal timing, unreliable voltage levels, and lengthy signal delays between components in the IC. Propagation discontinuities also result from intersecting conduction surfaces that are poorly connected, or from the joining of conductors having highly different impedance characteristics.
There is a need for interconnects and vias to have both low resistivity, and the ability to withstand process environments of volatile ingredients. Aluminum and tungsten metals are often used in the production of integrated circuits for making interconnections or vias between electrically active areas. These metals are popular because they are easy to use in a production environment, unlike copper which requires special handling.
Copper (Cu) would appear to be a natural choice to replace aluminum in the effort to reduce the size of lines and vias in an electrical circuit. The conductivity of copper is approximately twice that of aluminum and over three times that of tungsten. As a result, the same current can be carried through a copper line having nearly half the width of an aluminum line.
The electromigration characteristics of copper are also much superior to those of aluminum. Aluminum is approximately ten times more susceptible than copper to degradation and breakage due to electromigration. As a result, a copper line, even one having a much smaller cross-section than an aluminum line, is better able to maintain electrical integrity.
There have been problems associated with the use of copper, however, in IC processing. Copper pollutes many of the materials used in IC processes and, therefore barriers are typically erected to prevent copper from migrating. Elements of copper migrating into these semiconductor regions can dramatically alter the conduction characteristics of associated transistors. Another problem with the use of copper is the relatively high temperature needed to deposit it on, or removing it from, an IC surface. These high temperatures can damage associated IC structures and photoresist masks.
It is also a problem to deposit copper onto a substrate, or in a via hole, using the conventional processes for the deposition of aluminum when the geometries of the selected IC features are small. That is, new deposition processes have been developed for use with copper, instead of aluminum, in the lines and interconnects of an IC interlevel dielectric. It is impractical to sputter metal, either aluminum or copper, to fill small diameter vias, since the gap filling capability is poor. To deposit copper, first, a physical vapor deposition (PVD), and then, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique, have been developed by the industry.
With the PVD technique, an IC surface is exposed to a copper vapor, and copper is caused to condense on the surfaces. The technique is not selective with regard to surfaces. When copper is to be deposited on a metallic surface, adjoining non-conductive surfaces must either be masked or etched clean in a subsequent process step. As mentioned earlier, photoresist masks and some other adjoining IC structures are potentially damaged at the high temperatures at which copper is processed. The CVD technique is an improvement over PVD because it is more selective as to which surfaces copper is deposited on. The CVD technique is selective because it is designed to rely on a chemical reaction between the metallic surface and the copper vapor to cause the deposition of copper on the metallic surface.
In a typical CVD process, copper is combined with a ligand, or organic compound, to help insure that the copper compound becomes volatile, and eventually decomposes, at consistent temperatures. That is, copper becomes an element in a compound that is vaporized into a gas, and later deposited as a solid when the gas decomposes. Selected surfaces of an integrated circuit, such as diffusion barrier material, are exposed to the copper gas, or precursor, in an elevated temperature environment. When the copper gas compound decomposes, copper is left behind on the selected surface. Several copper gas compounds are available for use with the CVD process. It is generally accepted that the configuration of the copper gas compound, at least partially, affects the ability of the copper to be deposited on to the selected surface.
Copper metal thin films have been prepared via chemical vapor deposition by using many different kinds of copper precursors. In 1990, D. B. Beach et al. Chem. Mater. (2) 216 (1990) obtained pure copper films via CVD by using (.eta..sup.5 -C.sub.5 H.sub.5)Cu(PMe.sub.3), and later, in 1992, H. K. Shin et al., Chem. Mater. (4) 788 (1992) declared the same results by using (hfac)Cu(PR.sub.3).sub.n (R=methyl and ethyl and n=1 and 2). However, these copper precursors are solids, which can not be used in the liquid delivery system for copper thin film CVD processing. Furthermore, the copper films often contain contamination of carbon and phosphorus, which can not be used as interconnectors in microprocessors.
Cu.sup.2+ (hfac).sub.2, or copper (II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate, precursors have previously been used to apply CVD copper to IC substrates and surfaces. However, these Cu.sup.2+ precursors are notable for leaving contaminates in the deposited copper, and for the relatively high temperatures that must be used to decompose the precursor into copper.
The studies of copper precursors conducted in the early of 1990's were concentrated on the evaluation of a series of copper(I) fluorinated .beta.-diketonate complexes, which have been proven to be very promising sources for the use in the chemical vapor deposition of copper metal thin films. Copper(I) fluorinated .beta.-diketonate complexes were first synthesized by Gerald Doyle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,005 (1983) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,281 (1984), in which he presented the synthesis method and their application in the separation of unsaturated organic hydrocarbons. In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,737 (1992), Thomas H. Baum, et at., claimed the application of these copper(I) fluorinated .beta.-diketonate complexes as copper precursors for CVD copper thin film preparation. Copper thin films have been prepared via chemical vapor deposition using these precursors.
Among several liquid copper precursors, 1,5-dimethyl 1,5-cyclooctadiene copper(I) hexafluoroacetylacetonate mixed with 1,6-dimethyl 1,5-cyclooctadiene copper(I) hexafluoroacetylacetonate ((DMCOD)Cu(hfac)) and hexyne copper(I) hexafluoroacetylacetonate ((HYN)Cu(hfac)) were evaluated in detail. The copper thin films deposited using (DMCOD)Cu(hfac) have very good adhesion to metal or metal nitride substrates, but a high resistivity (2.5 .mu..OMEGA..multidot.cm) and a low deposition rate. (HYN)Cu(hfac) copper film has poor adhesion to a TiN substrate, and high resistivity (.about.2.1 .mu..OMEGA..multidot.cm). Another compound, butyne copper(I)(hfac), ((BUY)Cu(hfac)), gives a copper film with low resistivity (1.93 .mu..OMEGA. cm), but has poor adhesion and is relatively expensive. Also, the compound is a solid and, therefore, difficult to use in a liquid delivery system. The invention of copper(I)(hfac) stabilized with a series of trialkylvinylsilane (John A. T. Norman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,731 (1992)) improved the properties of copper thin films.
Copper films deposited using a liquid copper precursor, (hfac)Cu(TMVS), where TMVS=trimethylvinylsilane, have low resistivities and reasonably adhesion to substrates. This precursor is useful because it can be used at relatively low temperatures, approximately 200.degree. C. This liquid copper precursor has been used for the preparation of copper metal thin films via CVD for some time, but there are still some drawbacks: stability, the adhesion of copper films, and cost for the trimethylvinylsilane stabilizer. Also, the precursor is not especially stable, and can have a relatively short shelf life if not refrigerated. Various ingredients have been added to (hfac)Cu(tmvs) to improve its adhesiveness, temperature stability, and the rate at which it can be deposited on an IC surface. U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,192, entitled "Method Of Using Water To Increase The Conductivity Of Copper Deposited With Cu(HFAC)TMVS", invented by Nguyen et al., discloses a precursor and method of improving the electrical conductivity of Cu deposited with (hfac)Cu(tmvs).
It is generally acknowledged in the industry that (hfac)Cu(tmvs) becomes unstable, and begins to decompose, above 35.degree. C. Use of a (hfac)Cu(tmvs) precursor stored at this temperature leads to undesirable process results. The effectivity of (hfac)Cu(tmvs) stored at temperatures lower than 35.degree. C. is also unpredictable. A "fresh" batch of precursor, or precursor stored at temperatures well below room temperature, is used to guarantee predictable processes.
A Cu precursor comprising a ligand of methoxy and methyl groups is disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/779,640, filed Jan. 7, 1997, entitled "Precursor with (Methoxy)(methyl)silylolefin Ligands to Deposit Cu and Method for Same", invented by Senzaki et al., and assigned to the same assignee as the instant patent. The disclosed precursor permits either one or two methoxy groups to be bonded to the silicon atom of the ligand. That is, the precursor can be "fine tuned" using ligands having more methoxy groups than tmvs, but less than tmovs are provided. The oxygen atoms in the methoxy groups contribute electrons to the Cu atoms, to strengthen the Cu-olefin bond, and so, prevent the premature decomposition of the precursor in storage, or as the precursor is heated for the application of Cu to an IC surface. However, only hydrocarbon groups of one carbon atom, CH.sub.3 (methyl) and OCH.sub.3 (methoxy), are disclosed.
A Cu precursor comprising a ligand of alkyl and alkyl groups is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,301, entitled "Precursor with (Alkyloxy)(Alkyl)silylolefin Ligands to Deposit Copper", invented by Senzaki et al. The disclosed precursor describes alkyl groups bonded to the silicon atom of the ligand with alkoxyl groups. However, the search continues for even more effective copper precursors.
A Cu precursor comprising a ligand of a substituted phenylethylene ligand is disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/210,099, entitled "Substituted Phenylethylene Precursor and Synthesis Method", invented by Zhuang et al., and filed on Dec. 11, 1998. The disclosed precursor is practical for use in the deposition of CVD copper, but more volatile precursors are also desirable.
It would be advantageous if a copper precursor was found that effectively deposits copper with low resistivity and good adhesion properties.
It would be advantageous if an extremely volatile precursor was found to deposit low resistivity copper at high deposition rates.
It would be advantageous if a method were found of making a Cu(hfac) precursor stable over a wider range of temperatures, and to provide that the precursor remain in liquid phase during storage.
It would also be advantageous if water, H-hfac, H-hfac dihydrate (H-hfac.multidot.2H.sub.2 O) were no longer necessary to blend with a Cu precursor to improve the thermal stability of the Cu precursor.
Accordingly, a volatile metal (M) precursor compound for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of metal to selected surfaces is provided. The metal is selected from the group consisting of copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and iridium (Ir). The precursor compound comprises:
M.sup.+1 (hexafluoroacetylacetonate); and PA1 a substituted ethylene ligand with a first carbon atom including a first and second bond. The first and second bonds are selected from groups independent of each other. The first bond is selected from a group consisting of C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 haloalkyl, and C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkoxyl. The second bond is selected from a group consisting of H, C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 haloalkyl, and C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkoxyl. A second carbon atom includes a third and fourth bond. The third and fourth bonds are selected, independent of each other, from the group consisting of H, C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkyl, C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 haloalkyl, and C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 alkoxyl. In this manner, a stable precursor capable of high metal deposition rates is formed. PA1 less than approximately 10% substituted ethylene, as measured by weight ratio of the precursor compound, to facilitate a stable liquid phase precursor. Preferably, the precursor blend further comprises approximately 5.04% substituted ethylene, as measured by weight ratio of the precursor compound. PA1 a) forming a uniformly mixed solution of M.sub.2 O in a solvent, preferably the metal is selected from the group consisting of copper and silver; PA1 b) introducing a substituted ethylene to the solution of Step a), and forming a uniformly mixed solution, preferably the substituted ethylene is 2-methyl-1-butene; PA1 c) introducing hexafluoroacetylacetone (hfac) to the solution of Step b), and forming a uniformly mixed solution; PA1 d) filtering the solution to remove solid materials, whereby any excess M.sub.2 O is removed; PA1 e) removing the solvent from the solution; and PA1 f) filtering to remove the solid material, whereby a liquid phase precursor is formed. PA1 e.sub.1) adding less than approximately 10%, by weight ratio, of the substituted ethylene used in Step b) to the solution, whereby the liquid phase stability of the precursor is improved. Preferably, Step e.sub.1) includes adding approximately 5.04% substituted ethylene.
Preferably, the first bond is CH.sub.3, the second bond is CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3, and the third and fourth bonds are H, whereby an 2-methyl-1-butene ligand is formed.
In some aspects of the invention the compound includes an additive to create a precursor blend, and in which the precursor blend further comprises:
A method for synthesizing a metal(hfac) [M(hfac)] substituted ethylene precursor is also provided comprising the steps of:
One aspect of the invention includes a further step, following Step e), and preceding Step f), of:

Substituted ethylene precursor and synthesis method


Rider bar assembly for a product support beam of a reheat furnace of the type suitable for reheating steel product such as slabs, blooms, bar stock and semi-finished products. The assembly has a rider bar which defines an upper contact surface on which a product to be heated is receivable, a base component which has an upper region with which a lower region of the rider bar is contiguous and support means by which the base component and the rider bar thereon are mountable on a product support beam of the furnace in which the product is to be reheated. The rider bar is formed of a high temperature resistant, solid ceramic material which is a low porosity and which has sufficient compressive strength for supporting part of the load of the product when the letter is received thereon and also on the rider bar of other assemblies mounted on the same and other beams. The base component is formed of a solid ceramic material which also has high temperature resistance and a compressive strength sufficient for supporting that part of the product load. The ceramic material of which the base component is formed has a low thermal conductivity whereby conduction of heat energy from the product, to the beam on which the assembly is mounted, is reduced.

Steel product, such as slabs, blooms, bar stock and semi-furnished products are re-heated prior to hot working to produce hot rolled steel products. One conventional form of furnace used for such re-heating has been a low output top-fired furnace in which product to be heated sit on a refractory hearth; with the product conveyed through the furnace by pushers. Such furnaces have been improved to achieve higher outputs, by utilising top and bottom firing to reduce the time required for conduction of heat energy in the product to achieve a uniform temperature throughout the product.
A more recent development is the so-called walking beam furnace. This offers several advantages over the pusher furnace. The present invention principally is concerned with improvements applicable to the walking beam furnace. However, the invention can be used in at least some forms of pusher furnaces.
One benefit of the walking beam furnace is that it is self-conveying. This is achieved by having several fixed beams, extending through the furnace from the front or inlet to its exit, and several moving beams substantially parallel to the fixed beams. Product to be re-heated is supported on the fixed beams at successive locations along their length. The moving beams are actuated by hydraulic cylinders located under the heating chamber of the furnace, so as to be movable from, and back to, a lowered or ambush position so as to lift and index product forward, as required, from one to a next position on the fixed beams.
There was a major advance in walking beam furnaces in the mid-1960's when the Surface Combustion Co. of the United States of America developed a top- and bottom-fired furnace with moving beams comprising water-cooled lifting rails. This provided for supporting product alternately, and for substantially equal intervals, on the moving and stationary beams of the walking beam conveyor system. Also, by suitable design of support structure of the beams, it was possible to heat thick product slabs without the need for a soaking refractory hearth. Such hearth was used in pusher furnaces, and in early forms of walking beam furnaces, to enable regions of the lower surface of the product, cooled by contact with the support structure, to attain overall temperature uniformity throughout the product.
Over the last thirty (30) years, almost all new re-heating furnaces have been of the walking beam type. It is believed that about 50% of all furnaces for re-heating steel product are of that type, with about two hundred (200) such furnaces currently in operation throughout the world.
In the fixed and moving beams of the furnace based on the Surface Combustion Co. furnace, and in developments thereof, the water-cooled lifting rails comprising the beams have rider or skid bars mounted thereon. While designated as bars, the rider or skid bars can be of a variety of forms. Those based on the 1960's developments are in the form of buttons or cylinders about 75 mm high, 50 mm in diameter and located at about 300 mm spacing along the beam. However, other forms of rider bars in use are more rectangular in plan view, such as about 35 mm transversely, and about 140 mm longitudinally, of the beam and at a closer pitch interval so as to more closely resemble continuous rider bars. Usually, the rider bars are detachably mounted on their water-cooled pipes. This form of mounting may, for example, be by steel keeper plates which are welded to the pipe, and which are able to be ground off when replacement of rider bars is required.
The water-cooling of the pipes comprising the fixed and moving beams have a large cooling effect in the lower region of the furnace chamber. To reduce this, the cooled beams are insulated by shaped refractory insulation which encloses the beams except along the line of its rider bars. However, the insulation shields the bottom surface of the product from heating burner flames, thereby causing cold spots in the product. Also, as the product becomes hotter during its passage through the furnace, there is a further cooling effect as heat is conducted from the product to the beams, through the rider bars.
In an effort to increase furnace efficiency, there has been a trend towards operating the water-cooled pipes as part of an evaporative boiler system. In this way, steam can be generated in the pipes, and it can be used for process purposes elsewhere in the plant in which the furnace is located, or to generate electric power through a steam turbine. Even so, pipe temperatures are raised by only about 60.degree. C. above temperatures attained in water-cooled systems and, while this benefits overall energy utilisation, it has little effect on the problem of shielding of the product by pipe insulation and subsequent conductive cooling caused by the rider bars of the bottom surfaces of product being re-heated. As will be appreciated, cold spots on the product bottom surface result in imperfections in subsequent rolling of the product.
The design of the rider bars, and their attachable mounting on the pipes, can reduce the problem of conduction of heat from the product to a degree, relative to continuous rider bars integral with their pipes. Also, the spacing between rider bars relative to the distance through which the product is moved or indexed by the movable beams can, in some arrangements, vary the location at the bottom surface of the product at which heat loss by conduction occurs. However, the rider bars are of temperature resistant steel, frequently of high cost, high cobalt steels, such as with 30 to 50% cobalt. An example of a suitable metal is that available under the trade mark UMCO. The rider bars therefore inherently have a high thermal conductivity which precludes features of design and spacing from being able to significantly reduce the problem of thermal conduction.


A vinylidene chloride polymer composition comprising a vinylidene chloride polymer and a concentrate comprising a blend of a high viscosity, high molecular weight silicone polymer and a carrier polymer, e.g. high density polyethylene, the concentrate being present in an amount sufficient to improve the extrudability of the vinylidene chloride polymer. The vinylidene chloride composition can be fabricated into flexible and rigid containers, both in monolayer and multilayer structures for use in the preservation of food, drink medicine and other perishables.

This invention relates to vinylidene chloride polymer (PVDC) compositions having improved extrudability.
To control the generation of PVDC degradation products during melt processing, processing aids such as lubricants (e.g., internal and external types), olefinic waxes and oils have been blended with the vinylidene chloride polymer prior to fabrication into a final product. However, it has been found that, after prolonged periods of extrusion under desirable processing conditions, an excessive degree of adhesion develops between the vinylidene chloride polymer and the metal surfaces of the extruder screw and die. This adhesion increases the residence time of the vinylidene chloride polymer which promotes degradation, resulting in the formation of die face build up or die slough generation, and in the generation of carbon buildup on the screw and die metal surfaces
It would be desirable to provide a vinylidene chloride polymer composition which is capable of being extruded, in either powder or pellet form, without having an unacceptable level of degradation which results from excessive adhesion between the PVDC melt and the screw and die metal surfaces.

Extrudable vinylidene chloride polymer compositions