Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to microfluidic devices that allow for scalable on-chip screening of combinatorial libraries and methods of use thereof. Droplets comprising individual molecular species to be screened are loaded onto the microfluidic device. The droplets are labeled by methods known in the art, including but not limited to barcoding, such that the molecular species in each droplet can be uniquely identified. The device randomly sorts the droplets into individual microwells of an array of microwells designed to hold a certain number of individual droplets in order to derive combinations of the various molecular species. The paired droplets are then merged in parallel to form merged droplets in each microwell, thereby avoiding issues associated with single stream merging. Each microwell is then scanned, e.g., using microscopy, such as high content imaging microscopy, to detect the optical labels, thereby identifying the combination of molecular species in each microwell.

Drug and genetic screens, for example, often require the screening of large combinatorial spaces. There is a need for increasingly powerful and scalable methods for searching these vast combinatorial spaces that can otherwise be prohibitive to discovery. Droplets formed on a microfluidic device enable the manipulation of volumes equal to or exceeding the capacity of well-plates, such as 96 and 384 well-plates. However, current strategies for screening combinatorial libraries comprise merging droplets comprising different molecular species using a single-stream approach. When working at the scale of complex combinatorial screening suitable for pharmaceutical screening, a single clog can disrupt and ruin an entire experimental run. Therefore, what is needed are more robust and scalable methods for merging multiple droplets for combinatorial screens of various molecular species.

Massively parallel on-chip coalescence of microemulsions


Described is a system and mechanism by which a client computer may issue a conventional request for a resource on the Web. A response to that request is annotated with information indicating that metadata is available for the resource. Specifically, a special tag or instruction may be included in the response document that indicates the existence and location of a discovery document containing metadata about the resource. The client computer may then retrieve the metadata from the location identified in the response.

The Internet and the World Wide Web are gaining widespread acceptance. Today, users routinely take advantage of a plethora of information and of very many services offered on the Web. So many different individuals, organizations, and entities make information and services available over the Web that it is difficult to easily identify exactly what kind of information or service is being offered. For example, one site may be dedicated to providing different types of information about automobiles or some other item of consumer interest. Unfortunately, there is no simple way for the user to determine what type of information is available at a particular site without manually investigating the site.
In another instance, a company may offer a financial service at its site with a well defined protocol for interacting with the service. If a user wishes to take advantage of the service, the user's computer system most likely must use the defined protocol to communicate with that service. Until now, special services or controls must be installed on the user's computer system before the communication can be made possible. A simple mechanism for making information available about resources that may be found at a site has eluded those skilled in the art.

System and method for discovering information about web resources


An efficiency-maximization motor controller that includes a use method has power conveyance to an induction motor (1) with a digital signal processor (DSP) (8) that calculates and optimizes supply of current for existent motor loading from a power supply (2) and mains voltage through a control element (5). The control element can include a standard triac, a field-effect transistor, an insulated gate bipolar transistor, a 3 quadrant triac or other select control element. Digital calculation and motor-control feedback of current requirements for motor loading and other motor parameters are calculated in millionths of seconds to provide motor-current optimization for all motor-use conditions. Calculation of motor-load requirement for current and supply of that current are effectively simultaneous.

This invention relates to control of electrical current for efficiency increase and protective powering of electrical motors.
Potential for increase in efficiency of electrical motors by regulation of current for their operation has resulted in a variety of motor-electric controllers for its accomplishment. None, however, computes on a microsecond basis the motor-loading needs of electrical motors for electrical current and, accordingly, optimizes the electrical current supplied for predetermined rotational speeds of the motors and, in addition, provide operational analyses and fault protection against hazzards to motors and to rotationally coupled devices in a manner taught by this invention.
Examples of most-closely related known but yet different motor-electric controllers are described in the following patent documents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,118, issued to Smith on Sep. 28, 1993, described input control of current for a rotational-speed controller that also controlled rate of increase and decrease of rotational speed for computer-controlled machinery. It is representative of a plurality of patents and prior art that relate to control of speed with control of input current in contrast to Applicants"" invention for optimization-control of current for predetermined rotational speed of motors. In the Smith patent, as in other variable-speed motors, current to the motors is not optimized at the variable speeds in a manner taught by this invention. Logic, methods and features for accomplishing speed control differ accordingly from the current-optimization control for predetermined speed described by Applicants.
Current control for economizing power of motors at operational speeds by control of input current with yet different logic, methods and features are described in the following patent documents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,212, issued to Parker on Sep. 5, 1989, described a sine wave power source connected through a triac to a control system with a gate electrode which is energized by a train (sequence) of sawtooth-shaped control signals having a repetition rate which is twice the frequency of the sine wave power source for providing short bursts of energy to decrease total power input for low power requirements at low fixed rates for variable rates of low-speed operation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,702, issued to Hedges on Jan. 13, 1987, described a sample transformer operative to generate a voltage pulse related to inrush-current parameters for control of portions of sine waves of power input to stator windings for diminishing electrical current to a motor during low loading. It is limited further to a xe2x80x9cmanually settable meansxe2x80x9d for selecting a maximum value of motor torque during start mode of operation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,223, issued to Hedges on May 3, 1983, and an improvement thereof, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,499 issued to Hedges on Nov. 8, 1983, described use of a small AC generator coupled to a rotor of an electric motor to produce a signal for controlling a sine wave modifier to regulate current to the motor in accordance with load requirements. The load requirements were determined by a difference between an optimal RPM for the motor and an RPM indicated by the small AC generator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,984, issued to Parker, et al. on Jul. 27, 1982, is based on a frequency controller to produce at least two output frequencies for different speeds of operation of a motor. Other U.S. patents issued to Parker and/or Hedges, have employed variations of those indicated above.
Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide an efficiency-maximizing motor controller and method which:
provides soft starts of motors for eliminating extra power consumption, for decreasing motor wear and for decreasing wear of devices coupled to the motors from full-power, fast startups of motors. The time duration of the ramp-up is user configurable in software to suit the application;
provides consumption of bare minimum amounts of electrical power for selectively no-load and part-load operation of motors at design motor speeds in order to save up to seventy percent of electrical power required for full-load operation;
provides motor-parameter off-switching and selective on-switching for fault protection against power surges by use of semiconductor transient suppressors, power deficiencies including low and high mains voltages, motor stalling by sensing both current and phase difference between voltage and current, overload over time and based on previously acquired data known, that characterizes the motor being controlled, excessive heat or cold and other extraneous problems;
provides analyses of motor-operation factors and efficiencies by communicating comprehensive monitored parameters to a personal computer connected individually by wired or wireless means or via a network connected by wired or wireless means and running a variety of protocols listed elsewhere in this document. The following list includes but not limited to the parameters and conditions available for observation or record:
1) Mains Volts (true RMS)
2) Mains Volts DC offset
3) Mains Current (true RMS)
4) True Watts
5) Volt Ampers
6) Power Factor
7) Reactive Factor
8) Motor Volts (true RMS)
9) Motor Volts DC offset
10) Motor Peak Volts
11) Motor Peak Current
12) Motor Hours Duration Run
13) Calculation of power savings (user KWH rate selected)
14) Manual Parametric adjustment of controller
15) Manual selection of start options (soft start and random start)
16) Manual selections of Fault condition Options
17) Calibration of:
a Mains Volts
b Mains Volts offset
c Motor volts
d. Motor Volts offset
18) Power savings method selection, Managed or Fixed Voltage reduction
19) Bar graph to indicate savings using 8 LED red to indicate no savings, amber to indicate moderate savings, 6 green to indicate degree of savings e.g. all on maximum savings
20) Use of both digital and analog gauges for display decreases motor power use and costs;
decreases [w]World need and consumption of electrical power; and
can be used on both single-phase and three-phase motors and on nearly all sizes of motors for nearly all consumer, commercial and industrial applications of motors.
This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with an efficiency-maximizing motor controller and method in which an induction motor has a 40 MIPS (40 million instructions per second) digital signal processor (DSP) that calculates and optimizes supply of current for existent motor loading from a mains voltage through a current-control element. The current-control element can include a standard triac, a field-effect transistor, an insulated gate bipolar transistor, a 3 quadrant triac or other select control element together with an additional back EMF (Electro Motive Force) clamping device that is connected across the motor itself. This device has to be an IGBT or Field Effect Transistor since the DSP needs to control the on and off point of this device within the back EMF portion of the motors induction cycle every half cycle period of the mains. This novel technique assures that the energy contained in the motor (the back EMF) is contained in the motor and not returned to the mains as is presently the case. This technique obviously improves the efficiency since mains power is not used at all during the back EMF cycle. Moreover, the power factor, clearly, is improved as a result. When an IGBT or a field effect transistor is employed as the energy control element further savings are possible and a further improvement of power factor will result. Application of this class of device, as previously stated, has the ability to turn on and off under the control of the DSP. This means that, unlike the Triac or SCR (Thyristor) the energy supplied to the motor, which is the xe2x80x9carea under the curvexe2x80x9d, can be placed at a user""s discretion during the sine wave half-cycle of the mains. Such control allows a more constant power factor to be achieved, similar to the motor under conditions of direct connection to the mains, at all motor loads.
An induction motor rotating unloaded is predominately an inductor. In this state, the only work being done is to overcome frictional losses and inertial kinetic energy necessary to maintain rotation. Being largely inductive in this state, current lags voltage by nearly ninety degrees. As the motor is loaded increasingly, a phase difference of current lag diminishes. This is a change in phase angle from near ninety degrees to an angle approaching zero degrees of current lag, Accurately computed with artificial intelligence, this change in phase angle is an accurate measure of motor load for which current is required for operation at an optimum rotational speed.
This invention uses this and other motor characteristics, including DC offset and current to calculate optimum firing angles, firing durations and firing current for dynamically adaptive triacs and other control elements in order to achieve motor horsepower adaptively to its work loading at the optimum rotational speed. Digital calculation and motor-control feedback of this and other motor parameters in millionths of seconds with this invention provide motor-current optimization for all motor-use conditions of loading. Calculation of motor-load requirement for current and supply of that current are effectively simultaneous. Every calculation and control instruction are done within the half cycle period of the mains.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.

Efficiency maximizing motor controller and method


A method for determining a transmission direction for a communication of a network component of a radio communications network may include: determining a reference transmission direction based on a plurality of predetermined transmission directions that a network component of a radio communications network is configured to transmit at; selecting a plurality of candidate transmission directions in a spatial vicinity of the reference transmission direction, the plurality of candidate transmission directions being a subset of the plurality of predetermined transmission directions; and selecting a transmission direction for a communication of the network component from the reference transmission direction and the plurality of candidate transmission directions based on a selection criterion.

Precoding is a technique by which each data stream at a network component (e.g. a base station) is weighted. Precoding may increase or maximize data throughput in a communications channel between the network component and a terminal (e.g. a UE). In multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, precoding may be a component of closed-loop link adaptation, whereby a transmit signal at the network component may be modified based on channel state information.
Precoding may be achieved by means of a matrix-multiplication of a given signal vector with a precoding matrix prior to transmission (e.g. by the network component). The precoding matrix may be determined based on a codebook of candidate precoding matrices. A size of the codebook (namely, the number of candidate precoding matrices) may be large, e.g. for communication systems or operation modes that may require accurate precoding. Determining the precoding matrix based on a large codebook of candidate precoding matrices may result in a significant computation load for a device configured to determine the precoding matrix, especially for such devices with tight limits on computational capacity and power consumption budget. Therefore, efficient ways of determining the precoding matrix are needed.

Method for determining a transmission direction for a communication, a method for determining a precoding matrix for a communication, and a device configured to do the same


An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing element which outputs a captured image signal including pixels, a magnification setting unit which sets an electronic zoom magnification, a mode setting unit which sets one of reading modes which vary in a number of the pixels included in the captured image signal according to the electronic zoom magnification, an electronic zoom unit which performs an electronic zoom process on the captured image signal based on the electronic zoom magnification, and an image quality adjuster which performs an image quality adjustment on the captured image signal based on the electronic zoom magnification.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus and an electronic zoom method which can be applied to a digital camera having an electronic zoom function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image capturing apparatus having an electronic zoom function such as a digital camera is provided with the following technique for acquiring a partial image of an area corresponding to a zoom magnification. In order to read out an image signal from an image sensor, such as a charge coupled device (CCD), a pixel-thinning mode and pixel-addition modes are prepared as a reading mode in addition to a normal reading mode. In the pixel-addition modes, the number of pixels utilized for pixel-addition is varied. The image signal including the number of pixels (pixel size) corresponding to the zoom magnification is acquired by switching the reading modes depending on the electronic zoom magnification. A partial image of a preset area is extracted from an image based on the acquired image signal. Then the extracted image is scaled. The technique for acquiring a partial image of an area corresponding to the setting of the zoom magnification is described in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-172845, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-191867, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-72278, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-96611.
However, at the time of switching the reading modes, the image quality changes discontinuously. The change in the image quality is caused by factors such as a variation in the number of pixels utilized for the pixel-addition, a variation in the pixel-thinning rate or a variation in the enlargement or reduction ratio. Therefore, the image quality after the extraction and the scaling processes is greatly changed at the zoom magnification where the reading mode is switched.

Image capturing apparatus having electronic zoom function


A brake control system comprises a simulator (4) for disconnecting a master cylinder (1) from a wheel cylinder (3) to vary the volume of the master cylinder in response to output pressure from the master cylinder when a brake is applied, and a wheel cylinder pressure control device (10) for controlling pressure supplied to the wheel cylinder. The wheel cylinder pressure control device includes a first pressure chamber (23) connected to the wheel cylinder, and a pressure control piston (18) for varying the volume of the first pressure chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for controlling braking effect to slow or stop motor vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Attempts have heretofore been made to adjust a braking force in response to braking operation to improve the braking effect of a motor vehicle. Japanese patent publication Nos. 21982/90 and 46426/90, for example, disclose that a motor vehicle is decelerated in response to braking operation when the brake is applied. The prior art systems control a booster provided between a brake pedal and a master cylinder to assist in applying pressure to the brake pedal.
However, when the booster is controlled, reaction force is applied to the brake pedal. This deteriorates the brake feeling of a driver.
To this end, simulation means may be included to maintain the brake feeling when wheel cylinder pressure is adjusted. The simulation means is connected between the master cylinder and the wheel cylinder so as to vary the volume of the master cylinder in response to output pressure of the master cylinder and adjust pressure of the wheel cylinder in response to pedal pressure when the brake is applied. The simulation means controls wheel cylinder pressure in response to pedal pressure when the brake is applied. At that time, the master cylinder is disconnected from the wheel cylinder not only to control of the wheel cylinder simply in response to the pedal pressure, but also to effect anti-skid brake control in response to the speed of rotation of the wheels. In addition, when the pressure in the master cylinder is increased, the volume of a chamber communicated with the master cylinder is increased to ensure better brake feeling.
In order to control pressure of the wheel cylinder, the simulation control means typically includes a pump, an accumulator for accumulating output pressure from the pump, a reservoir, and a linear pressure control valve selectively connected to the accumulator and the reservoir so as to feed a predetermined pressure to the wheel cylinder. This type of means, however, requires frequent operation of the linear pressure control valve. Also, the pump needs be frequently operated in the event of a frequent leak in the linear pressure control valve.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brake control system which includes simulation control means and allows for less frequent operation of a pressure control means.


Waveguide structures in which light confinement strength varies along the direction of light propagation are described. The waveguides include a core adapted to propagate light along a path defined by the core and a cladding material that at least partially surrounds the core. The core and the cladding material each have a refractive index profile in the direction of light propagation. One or more of the profiles or lateral core dimensions are varied along the direction of light propagation, thereby causing the degree of light confinement to vary in the direction of light propagation. With such structures it is possible to tailor the velocity of the light propagating through the core and the confinement of the light to the core for any given core cross section. The structures may be used, for example, in mode-matching an input or output of a waveguide and in fabricating compact directional couplers.

Optical waveguides are structures that confine the optical field in one or two spatial dimensions and allow propagation of light in the third dimension. Confinement of the light is achieved by surrounding a core region of given refractive index with materials of lower refractive index to allow light in the core to be totally internally reflected at the interface with the surrounding materials. The geometric size and shape of the core and surrounding regions, as well as their respective refractive indices, define the distribution of light energy and the light propagation velocity in the waveguide.
Integrated waveguide structures are attractive because they are capable of integrating complex functionalities into a relatively small chip. The basic building block of integrated optics is essentially the waveguide circuit provided in a single plane parallel to a supporting wafer or substrate. A variety of planar fabrication techniques have been adopted from the semiconductor industry for fabricating integrated optic devices because such techniques are well established and understood. The typical process of fabricating integrated optic devices starts with layer deposition by, for example, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), metalographic vapor phase epitaxy (MOPE), flame hydrolysis deposition (FHD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or spin coating of polymers or sol-gels. The layer is then patterned by, for example, reactive ion etching (RIE), reactive ion beam etching (RIBE), or ultra-violet (UV) patterning followed by development of the exposed layer by a wet dissolution process. The patterned layer, which forms the core, is then typically covered with a cladding layer by using one of the layer deposition processes mentioned above.
An optical waveguide realized by planar techniques typically includes a generally rectangular core region of a given refractive index surrounded by a cladding material of a lower refractive index. The thickness (y-dimension) of the core is defined by the layer deposition process employed, or in some instances a diffusion step, and is thus typically constant over the chip area within the limitations of the process equipment. Only the lateral dimension (x-direction) of the core region can easily be varied by using an appropriately designed photomask for the planar lithography involved in the layer patterning step, which also defines the layout and routing of the waveguides formed on the optical chip.
The number of waveguides, or channels, provided on an integrated optical chip is limited by the chip area, the amount of horizontal spacing provided between the channels, and the minimum bending radii that produces an acceptable amount of loss within the bend. The spacing between channels can be limited, for example, by the geometry of a fiber ribbon to be interfaced with an input and/or output facet of the optical chip or by the spacing required to prevent unwanted coupling between individual channels.
Waveguide structures that exhibit strong light confinement to the core, the so called "strongly guiding" waveguide structures, offer the possibility of smaller bending radii, as well as more closely spaced waveguides, than waveguide structures with weak light confinement. As a result, strongly guiding waveguide structures offer the possibility of realizing smaller devices and increased packing density. A problem arises, however, when strongly guiding waveguide structures have to be interfaced with standard fibers employed in optical communication networks. Strongly guiding waveguide structures that only support propagation of the fundamental mode (a strong requirement in most optical communication networks) have a much smaller mode-field diameter and larger Numerical Aperture than standard fibers used in optical communication networks. This mismatch reduces coupling efficiency and causes strong losses at the optical interface when light is launched from the fiber into the waveguide or vice versa.
Currently known waveguide technologies do not adequately address the competing goals of achieving increased packing density and low loss interfaces with standard optical communication network fibers. One attempt has been to provide a lateral taper at the end of the waveguide, as illustrated in FIG. 1, therefore increasing the lateral dimension of the waveguide mode. This design can be realized by using a modified mask layout with standard planar processing techniques, therefore ensuring good production yield. The disadvantage of this design is threefold: it does not address the mismatch in vertical direction, the structure will not be single-mode in the horizontal direction in the tapered region, and the Fresnel loss at the interface from the high-index waveguide to the low-index fiber remains unchanged.
More advanced structures using a three dimensional adiabatic taper, such as illustrated in FIG. 2, have been demonstrated, which deviate from standard planar processing by attempting to either deposit layers with thickness variations and index variations, or to locally modify parts of the structure. These structures typically transform the guide from a large core, low Δn type at the fiber input to a small core, high Δn type in the optical circuit. However, currently known approaches have the disadvantage of requiring non-standard fabrication techniques, which are hard to control and thus adversely affect the overall production yield. For example, the structure shown in FIG. 2 is accomplished through a modification of the standard flame hydrolysis deposition technique. The gas composition and scan pattern are gradually varied to deposit a thinner, higher Δn guiding layer near the center of the circuit. The core width is then varied by lithography. Further, the patterned core may then be over-coated with a cladding layer as illustrated. In another approach to forming an adiabatic taper, a small-core, high Δn waveguide is first fabricated with uniform parameters, and then modified by local diffusion of dopants included in the core so as to radially expand the core. This is done by clamping one end of the substrate in a cooled holder and heating the other to a high temperature. In yet another approach, a small-core, high Δn type waveguide is fabricated that is physically tapered to create a larger mode field at the interface. As illustrated in FIG. 3, this taper has to be applied in both the x and y-directions of the core to maintain a circular field shape. While the lateral size variation can be achieved relatively easily using standard planar techniques, the taper in the core thickness is very hard to control in the manufacturing process.
While the first approach has the advantage of not requiring a modification of the vertical core size, thus offering higher production yields, the small optical improvement, as discussed above, limits its usefulness. In view of the difficulties of physically tapering the core in the y-direction consistently, the second and fourth approaches described above are not widely practiced. The third approach has also not taken hold due to the high temperatures required to locally diffuse the dopants in the core, in addition to the issues created by applying a large thermal gradient across the optical chip by heating one end of the optical chip while cooling the other end.
In view of the shortcomings of current interface technologies, the desire to achieve a high coupling efficiency between integrated waveguides and standard fibers usually defines the waveguide dimension and guiding strength. As a result, most integrated waveguides manufactured today are weakly guiding and have a relatively large mode-field diameter to match the mode-field diameter of standard optical communication network fibers.
Another approach for increasing packing density is to stack the waveguide structures to make three-dimensional integrated optic devices. Basically, this approach relies on the use of two or more waveguiding layers with vertical separation between each. However, if adjacent waveguiding layers are coupled together by a directional coupler, the number of waveguides that may be provided in a particular waveguiding layer is severely limited by the number of waveguides included in the immediately adjacent waveguiding layer. This is because the vertical separation between the guiding layers must be defined to permit evanescent coupling between select guides in adjacent layers. As a result, however, waveguides in the adjacent guiding layers must be carefully laid out to avoid crossing paths or from even coming too close to the same path in order prevent crosstalk between channels in the respective guiding layers.


The present invention relates to methods and structures for the metallization of semiconductor devices. One aspect of the present invention is a method of forming a semiconductor device having copper metallization. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a patterned wafer having a diffusion barrier for copper; depositing a copperless seed layer on the diffusion barrier effective for electrochemical deposition of gapfill copper. The seed layer is formed by a conformal deposition process and by a nonconformal deposition process. The method further includes electroplating copper gapfill onto the seed layer. Another aspect of the invention includes electronic devices made using methods and structures according to embodiments of the present invention.

This invention relates to improved methods and systems for the metallization of semiconductor devices such as integrated circuits, memory cells, and the like that use copper metallization; more specifically this invention relates to methods and systems for copper-based metallization of silicon integrated circuits.
An important part of the fabrication of semiconductor devices is the metallization of the devices to electrically interconnect the device elements. For many such devices, the metallization of choice includes the use of copper metal lines. Metallization systems that use copper metal lines also must use a barrier material to isolate the copper from copper sensitive areas of the electronic devices. Some of the commonly used barrier layers for copper metallization are materials such as tantalum, such as tantalum nitride, and such as combined layers of tantalum and tantalum nitride.
The usual fabrication process for metallization systems that use copper involves the deposition of copper onto the barrier layers. Typically, a seed layer of copper is deposited onto the barrier layer; the seed layer of copper is then followed by a copper gapfill layer which provides the bulk copper for filling trenches and vias for the metallization. A preferred process for depositing the copper gapfill is electrochemical plating which typically uses a seed layer of copper.
One problem that occurs in the standard technology used for copper metallization is that many of the preferred barrier materials such as tantalum and tantalum nitride, if exposed to air for extended periods of time, can form oxides such as tantalum oxide and tantalum oxynitride on the surface of the barrier layer. It is known that electroless deposition of copper onto the barrier layer for use as a seed layer is inhibited if there is oxide present on the barrier layer. In addition, copper does not adhere to the oxide on the barrier layer as well as it adheres to the pure barrier metal or metal rich barrier layer surface, such as tantalum and tantalum-rich surface on tantalum nitride.
Another problem that occurs for the standard technology is that the requirements for new device technologies include using thinner copper layers as seed layers. These seed layers are often deposited by a physical vapor deposition process which has poor step coverage and produces an overhang for trenches and vias that can significantly narrow the opening of vias and trenches. Each of these problems can contribute to degrading the quality of electroplated gapfill copper. The overhang produced by deposition of copper by physical vapor deposition can cause pinch off for the electroplated copper, possibly leaving a liquid filled void in the gapfill copper. The requirements for a thinner copper layer for the seed layer may result in very thin copper layers on the sidewalls of features to be coated. The copper layer may even be discontinuous along the sidewall and can further contribute to formation of voids in the gapfill copper. The poor quality copper gapfill that may result from the new requirements for seed layers can have a significant impact on the reliability of the electronic devices using such copper metallization systems.
Clearly, there are numerous applications requiring high-performance, high reliability electronic devices. The problems that occur for the standard technology for fabricating electronic devices using copper metallization indicate there is a need for methods and structures that can allow the fabrication of electronic devices using copper metallization with improved performance and improved reliability. More specifically, there is a need for copper metallization systems that do not require standard technology copper seed layers for deposition of copper gapfill. There is also a need for metallization processes that avoid the problems associated with oxide formation on the barrier materials.

Methods of fabricating electronic devices using direct copper plating


A control arrangement for a multilevel convertor employs an AC reference signal which is locked to the AC system frequency and is compared with a number of DC threshold levels. Intersections of the reference signal and threshold levels triggers the firing and turning-off of GTOs within the convertor to produce the desired multilevel voltage output. Normal changes in system voltage, for example, are compensated by variation of the phase relationship of the reference signal with respect to the system voltage, and/or of the voltage values of the threshold levels. Sudden and drastic changes, especially reductions, in system voltage level are sensed and used to alter the amplitude of the reference signal so as to reduce the difference between the convertor multilevel voltage and the system voltage, thereby reducing the stress on the GTOs during faults.

The invention relates to a control arrangement for a multilevel convertor having a plurality of energy storage elements and a plurality of switching means, in particular, but not exclusively, such a multilevel convertor for connection to an AC system as a static var compensator (SVC).
Static var compensators are used in ratings typically from 1 MVar to 100 MVar or more in AC power transmission and distribution systems to control and stabilize AC voltage. These are devices normally connected in shunt to the AC system and can generate variable lagging or leading reactive current (or reactive volt-amperes--Vars) in dependence on a control system. Since the effective source impedance of an AC power system is almost always inductive, the AC voltage can thereby be changed, or alternatively it can, for example, be held constant in the presence of varying AC system load currents, by appropriate control of SVC current.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a typical arrangement as an SVC in elementary form for a single-phase system in which the AC source is represented as an equivalent of emf 1 behind a reactance 2 supplying a busbar 3. An attenuated version 9 of the voltage at busbar 3 is fed via a voltage transformer 8 to the control system 20. A load 4 is shown, and this may draw a varying current from busbar 3 such that the voltage of the latter varies. A power convertor 5 is shown connected in shunt to the busbar via a reactance 6. The control system 20 can, by suitable adjustment of the gating signals 10, change the convertor reactive current to effectively hold the voltage magnitude on busbar 3 constant, for example.
Alternative system arrangements and control functions other than constant voltage can also be implemented. For example, an SVC connected in shunt to the centre of a long transmission line connecting two AC generating systems can be controlled to change AC voltage, and consequently transmitted power, in such a manner as to dampen electromechanical oscillations and thereby stabilise the overall system.
Practical forms of SVC behave effectively as variable inductive or capacitive reactance, drawing variable reactive current but practically zero real current (neglecting SVC component losses). One well-known form of such a device is the thyristor-controlled reactor (TCR). Another is the force-commutated (voltage-source or current-source) convertor using electronic switching devices with turn-off capability; for high ratings these are normally gate-turn-off thyristors (GTOs). The SVC is then referred to as a GTO SVC.
The SVCs described above can be considered to comprise a variable reactive impedance connected in shunt to the AC system. It is also known to connect such a variable reactive impedance in series with a transmission line in an AC system, usually to interconnect two parts of the AC system, so as to improve system stability by control of AC system voltages. The general arrangement of this is shown in FIG. 2, in which one AC system is represented by emf 1 and impedance 2, the other similarly by emf 13 and impedance 12. The variable series impedance is shown as block 11.
The power converter block 5 is expanded in FIG. 3 to show possible power circuit connections to create a "multilevel circuit" using "H" bridges with which the control system of the present invention can be used. FIG. 3a shows the arrangement for a voltage-source convertor and FIG. 3b for a current-source convertor. Such a voltage-source convertor is the subject of the applicants'co-pending patent application GB 9422263.5. Multilevel circuits need a number of energy storage elements 14, which for the voltage-source convertor may be constituted by a capacitor or a battery, and for the current-source convertor may take the form of an inductor. Other more complex forms of energy storage element are also possible.
For the particular voltage-source convertor shown in FIG. 3a, each "H" bridge 15 has two AC terminals 16 and two DC terminals 17. Connected across the DC terminals 17 is, for example, a capacitor, and the three capacitors represented by the elements 14 can be connected in series in an appropriate switching pattern via switching elements 18, which may take the form of GTOs, to produce at the outer AC terminals 7, 35 of the convertor an AC waveform having a number of voltage levels equal to 2.times.(number of capacitors)+1, in this case 7. The waveform is therefore a stepped waveform which in most cases will be an approximation to a sine wave. Clearly, the greater the number of capacitors, the closer the sinusoidal approximation. The AC terminal 7 is connected to the AC system busbar via the inductor 6 (see FIG. 1).
The same principle applies to the current-source convertor shown in FIG. 3b, except that in this case the DC terminals of the "H" bridges are interconnected by inductors 13 and the bridges are connected not in series, but in parallel in the required switching sequence. This time the multilevel sinusoid is a current waveform which leads or lags the voltage on the busbar 3 by 90 electrical degrees.
A further example of a multilevel convertor which is suitable for control by the present invention is that which forms part of the subject-matter of an earlier co-pending patent application of the applicant, namely GB 9400285.4, which was published on Jul. 12, 1995.
The operation of a multilevel voltage-source convertor as an SVC is described with reference to FIG. 4. The convertor produces an almost sinusoidal voltage-source, V.sub.C, made up of a number of nominally equal DC voltage levels and is approximately in phase with the AC system voltage, V.sub.S. The coupling impedance L is usually the leakage reactance of a step-down transformer. By controlling the voltage V.sub.L across this inductance the SVC can vary the reactive current flow.
If V.sub.C and V.sub.S are in phase with each other, only reactive current can flow, as shown in the vector diagrams (a) and (b). In this case the magnitude of I.sub.L is proportional to the voltage difference V.sub.L between V.sub.C and V.sub.S. If V.sub.L is zero, there is no current flow. The sign of V.sub.L determines whether I.sub.L is leading (capacitive), as in FIG. 4(a) or lagging (inductive), as in FIG. 4(b).
If a phase shift is introduced between V.sub.C and V.sub.S, a component of real current will flow as shown in the vector diagrams (c) and (d). In this case the magnitudes of V.sub.C and V.sub.S are equal but there is a phase shift between them so only a component of real current flows. The magnitude of I.sub.L is proportional to the phase difference between V.sub.C and V.sub.S and the sign of this phase difference determines whether real current flows out of (FIG. 4(c)) or into (FIG. 4(d)) the convertor.
The capability to transiently exchange real current and hence power between the convertor and the AC system by introducing a phase shift between V.sub.C and V.sub.S is one means of controlling the level of SVC reactive current output. This is possible because, as the convertor cannot generate or absorb real current without the subsequent discharging or charging (respectively) of the capacitive storage elements, any real current flow will cause a change in the capacitor voltage levels and consequently a change in the reactive current output. Vector diagram (e) shows the case where there is both real and reactive power flowing through the convertor--in this case, the reactive power is inductive and real power flow is out of the convertor into the system.
Various methods of controlling the operation of switching devices are known, one of which is the zero-crossing detector. This was an early technique which related the instants at which the devices were fired to measurements with respect to the voltage zero crossings of the AC system to which the SVC was connected. An example is shown in FIG. 5, where .alpha. is the firing angle of a thyristor-controlled reactor (TCR). The reference waveform could be the actual measured voltage or the output of a phase-locked loop directly locked to the zero crossings of the measured voltage.
Another technique which was developed is Ainsworth's classic design of the phase-locked oscillator control system, illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 shows how this system is utilized for the control of a TCR. This is an indirectly phase-locked oscillator which generates firing instants from a half-cycle integral of the measured voltage, not from zero crossings, and is very stable. FIG. 7 shows the waveforms associated with this control system. Changes in firing instants occur if the integral of the error signal (the shaded areas in FIG. 7) changes.
Drawbacks are associated with these known control methods. In the first case, if the AC system to which the SVC is connected is a so-called weak system, i.e. one having a high series system inductance, the SVC could actually influence the zero crossings of the system itself with resultant instability of control. A problem with the second method mentioned, and which applies also to the zero-crossing method, is that control of the switching devices is slow. This means that, when AC system faults (e.g. short-circuits) occur, the switching devices used (e.g. GTOs) can be subjected to high transient overcurrents which can damage the devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a control system which can rapidly adapt to abnormal AC system conditions.

Control arrangement for a multilevel convertor


1. A non-magnetic mono-component developer comprising:. toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a coloring agent and having a volume mean particle size D of 4 to 10 .mu.m; PA1 first inorganic fine particles having a mean primary particle size of 1 to 40 nm, the quantity of addition of the first inorganic fine particles being 0.1 to 2% by weight relative to the quantity of the toner particles; PA1 second inorganic fine particles having a mean primary particle size of 40 to 100 nm and not less than 10 nm larger than the first inorganic fine particles, the quantity of addition of the second inorganic fine particles being 0.1 to 2.5% by weight relative to the quantity of the toner particles, the total quantity of addition of the first and second inorganic fine particles being 0.8 to 3% by weight relative to the quantity of the toner particles; and PA1 third inorganic fine particles having a mean primary particle size of 100 nm to 1000 D/16 nm and not less than 10 nm larger than the second inorganic fine particles, the quantity of addition of the third inorganic fine particles being 0.3 to 3% by weight relative to the quantity of the toner particles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer for developing an electrical latent image in electrophotography and electrostatic printing, and more particularly to a non-magnetic mono-component developer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a two-component developing system and a mono-component developing system are known for developing apparatuses. From the standpoints of prevention of deterioration of chargeabiity and size reduction of an image-forming apparatus, the mono-component developing system has often been employed.
The mono-component developing system is classified into a magnetic mono-component system and a non-magnetic mono-component system. The magnetic mono-component developing system usually requires addition of black magnetic powder to the toner. Therefore, the non-magnetic mono-component developing system can be advantageously employed in a full-color image-forming apparatus. In the non-magnetic mono-component developing system, a developer-regulating member is disposed so as to contact against a developer-supporting member to permit the non-magnetic mono-component developer to pass through a clearance between the developer supporting ember and the developer-regulating member, so that a toner thin layer is formed on the supporting member and the toner is electrically charged at the same time. The thin layer of the charged toner is transported as it is to a developing region in which the electrostatic latent image formed on an electrostatic latent image-support member is developed by the toner.
Generally, a toner is added with inorganic fine particles (externally) as a fluidizing agent, such as silica and titania. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Hei 7-43930 discloses a non-magnetic mono-component toner which is externally added with a hydrophobic silica and a hydrophobic titanium oxide having a mean particle size of 0.02 to 0.5 .mu.m, a hydrophobicity of 20 to 95%, and an optical transmission of not less than 40% at 400 nm. In the mono-component developing system, however, because toner particles are forced to pass through the clearance (regulating portion) between the developer-supporting member and the developer-regulating member so as to be electrically charged, some stress is exerted upon the toner particles in the electrical charging process. With the technique described in the above cited publication, it is difficult to satisfactorily solve the problem of deterioration of fluidity which will occur when the toner is repeatedly used. Another problem is that as the fluidizing agent is buried in the toner surface, the surface conditions of the toner will change, it being thus difficult to maintain stably the properties of the toner.


A reflective diffraction grating having grooves and ridges and providing high throughput efficiency in the minus-first diffraction order. All but the zeroth diffraction order and the minus-first diffraction order may be prevented from existence by directing the radiation onto the grating at an appropriate angle. The radiation having a TM polarization is eliminated from the zeroth order by destructive interference by appropriate selection of a the groove width of the grating, and radiation having a TE polarization is eliminated from the zeroth order by destructive interference by depositing an overcoat of an appropriate thickness. A dielectric material may be deposited in the grooves.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates in general to free-space, reflective diffraction gratings, and more particularly to free-space, reflective diffraction gratings having a high throughput efficiency.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Diffractive elements are used in many application areas to spatially separate the component wavelengths of polychromatic light. For example, in telecommunications applications, diffractive elements may be used to spatially separate the channels of a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal for subsequent processing (e.g., gain equalization or switching). Examples of diffractive elements for achieving spatial separation, include fiber Bragg gratings (FBG), and reflective and transmissive free-space diffraction gratings. Each of these diffractive elements offers performance advantages and disadvantages. A diffractive element's suitability for a specific application is dependent on characteristics such as throughput efficiency, dispersion, polarization-dependent loss (PDL), as well as the diffrative element's size, manufacturability, expense, and sensitivity to environmental conditions.
As is well known, reflective diffraction gratings are comprised of a reflective surface having a plurality of spatially-separated, reflective grooves and intervening ridges that induce a spatial, periodic phase delay on a wavefront of a beam of light. The phase delay causes diffraction of the beam of light and angularly separates the beam into its component wavelengths of light. Conventional reflective, free-space diffraction gratings offer unique characteristics that make them suitable for many applications. However, as discussed below, they have performance shortcomings. Reflective, free-space diffraction gratings are referred to herein below as diffraction gratings or simply as gratings.
The term "throughput efficiency" is defined herein to mean the logarithm of the ratio of the useable portion of the output optical power to the total optical power incident on the diffraction grating. In many applications, the useable portion of the output power corresponds to a single diffraction order. This diffraction order is referred to herein as the diffraction order of interest. A high throughput efficiency typically means greater than approximately 85%.
In telecommunications applications, higher throughput efficiency often translates to a reduced need for amplifiers to boost the signal. Further, in many systems, a signal is first demultiplexed by the grating and then re-multiplexed by the grating. In such systems, the desirability of gratings having high throughput efficiency is compounded by the fact that the effects of low throughput efficiency are doubled.
The term "Polarization Dependent Loss" (PDL) is defined herein to mean the logarithm of the ratio of the throughput efficiency of the TE-polarized portion light (expressed in power) to the throughput efficiency of the TM-polarized light (expressed in power). In many applications, unpolarized light is incident upon a grating. Further, in such systems it is typically desirable that the transmission of light be independent of polarization so as to avoid producing a polarized output (i.e., it desirable that the PDL be as near to zero as possible). However, conventional diffraction gratings typically transmit light in a highly polarization-dependent manner, particularly when they provide a high dispersion.
The term "angular dispersion" is defined herein to mean a variation of the wavelength of light as a function of angle. For example, processing of a polychromatic signal by a diffraction grating gives rise to a corresponding dispersion. Dispersion by free-space reflective diffraction gratings may be characterized using the well known grating equation,
                              sin                                (                          θ              m                        )                          =                              sin                                      (                              θ                1                            )                                +                      m                                      λ              d                                                          (        1        )            where θi is the angle of the incident beam with respect to the grating normal, m indicates a diffractive order, θm is the angle of the mth diffractive order with respect to the grating normal, λ is the wavelength of the light, and d is the period of the grating.
More particularly, for a plurality of wavelengths incident on a diffraction grating at a single angle, angular dispersion is given by the equation,
                                          ⅆ                          θ              m                                            ⅆ            λ                          =                  m                                    d                                                                                cos                                                                                θ                m                                                                                (        2        )
The term "linear dispersion" is defined as the product of angular dispersion and a selected length. Devices that process the spatially-separated channels of a WDM signal typically require a specific linear dispersion. Accordingly, it is typically desirable to have angular dispersion be as large as possible to minimize the space necessary to achieve a given amount of linear separation. As used herein below, the term "dispersion" refers to angular dispersion.
Traditional free-space diffraction gratings (i.e., gratings having a plurality of grooves and ridges without the use of any of the enhancement techniques described below) may be selected to provide a suitable throughput efficiency, dispersion, and PDL for a particular application. However, in many instances, a single traditional grating is not capable of producing suitable amounts of each. For example, a grating having a grating frequency of 1800 lines/mm is known to have a 90% throughput efficiency for TM-polarized light in a wavelength range of 0.8 to 0.9 μm. However, the efficiency of the TE-polarized light in this wavelength range is below 50%.
Traditional free-space diffraction gratings having a 1800 lines/mm grating frequency also provide high throughput efficiency for the TE-polarized light in a very narrow band around λ=0.5 μm; however, the efficiency of the TM-polarization in this wavelength range is below 50% (see pg. 78 of Diffraction Gratings and Applications, by Loewen, published by Marcel and Dekker, 1997). Additionally, traditional free-space gratings may be selected to provide high efficiency for both TE-polarized and TM-polarized light in a selected wavelength range; however, the dispersion in the selected range is low.
One example of an enhancement technique that may be applied to a diffraction grating is the addition of a blaze angle to the ridges comprising of the grating. A blazed grating has ridges shaped to maximize the efficiency of the grating at the blaze angle. For example, in the range 1525 nm to 1570 nm (i.e., the C-band)), a gold-coated grating having a frequency of 600 lines/mm, a blaze angle of 28–34°, and which is aligned in a Littrow mounting arrangement (i.e., an arrangement in which light in the minus-first diffraction order traces back over the path of the incident light), provides a throughput efficiency in the range of 80 to 85%, a PDL below 0.3 dB, and a dispersion of 680 μrad/nm for the first diffraction order.
The dispersion of such a blazed grating is relatively low thus requiring a large package size to achieve adequate linear dispersion. For example, for a WDM channel spacing of 0.8 nm in wavelength (100 GHz in frequency), the path length necessary to achieve a linear dispersion of 100 μm between channels, is on the order of 360 mm (180 mm to a lens and a further 180 mm to the focus). While a grating may be selected which provides greater dispersion, such gratings also produce increased PDL.
Other modification techniques have been employed to provide increased dispersion. For example, the ridges and grooves may be configured such that the diffraction order of interest is a second (or higher) diffraction order, which provides an increase in dispersion relative to a grating for which the diffraction order of interest is the first diffraction order. Such gratings are referred to as echelle gratings. While echelle gratings provide increased dispersion, they are limited by their throughput efficiency. Yet another example of modified grating is a "grism" (a combination of grating and prism). Grisms are known to provide high throughput efficiency and dispersion, but for only a single polarization.
Grating systems which "work around" the limitations of traditional gratings have provided improved dispersion, throughput efficiency, and PDL. However, such systems have been complicated and expensive to produce. Examples of such systems include systems employing polarization diversity techniques, and systems using multiple dispersive elements.
Polarization diversity is a technique in which the TE-polarized light and the TM-polarized light are spatially separated and one of the polarizations is rotated 90-degrees, such that all of the light is either TE-polarized or all of the light is TM-polarized. Accordingly, systems based on polarization diversity provide an opportunity to avoid limitations arising from reduced throughput efficiency of either the TE-polarized or TM-polarized light.
One example of a system based on polarization diversity includes components to spatially separate the TE-polarized portion of light from the TM-polarized portion of light, and components that convert the TE-polarized light to TM- polarized light. Subsequently, all of the light (now TM-polarized) is processed by a traditional diffraction grating selected to have a high-efficiency and high-dispersion for TM-polarized light. Drawbacks to polarization diversity techniques include the added expense resulting from the increased number of optical components, increased system size arising from the increased number of components, and an increase in alignment demands resulting from the increase in the number of the optical components.
An alternative "work around" technique employs multiple dispersive elements (each element having a relatively low dispersion) to achieve a relatively large aggregate dispersion. For example, in some systems, multiple prisms or multiple gratings may be placed in series to increase dispersion. Typically, each such element is selected to have a low PDL. Similar to the polarization diversity-based systems, drawbacks to the use of multiple dispersive elements include added expense resulting from the increased number of optical components, increased system size arising from the increased number of components, and an increase in alignment demands resulting from the increase in the number of the optical components; in addition, the use of multiple dispersive elements also results in a substantial decrease in throughput efficiency.
While some of the above grating systems may provide appropriate throughput efficiency, dispersion or PDL dependent loss for some applications, there remains a need for grating elements providing appropriate combinations of each characteristic, as well as providing appropriate size, manufacturability, and expense.

Diffraction grating having high throughput efficiency


A developing device unit has a developing device unit main body which rotates about a rotary shaft. Plural developing devices are disposed on the developing device unit main body. The developing devices respectively have developing device main bodies, and developing agent cartridges containing four color developing agents are respectively loaded into the developing device main bodies. The developing agent cartridges are attached/detached in a direction substantially tangential to the rotating direction of the developing device unit main body when a grip section is gripped and operated by the operator in the case where the developing agent cartridges are at a location substantially opposite an image carrier with respect to the rotary shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known image forming apparatuses include those wherein four developing agent cartridges which contain developing agents of the four colors yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively, are attached to a developing device unit which has four developing devices rotatably disposed, to thereby develop color images.
Such an image forming apparatus has a problem that an operator may touch a developing roller exposed out of a developing device when attaching/detaching a cartridge containing developing agent, with the result that his hand, or the like, is stained with the developing agent. To this end, there has been known a technique to cover a developing roller in the developing device with a shutter during attachment/detachment of a cartridge which is provided with a developing device and in which developing agent is contained, thereby preventing an operator's hand, or the like, from touching the developing roller (see JP-A-11-149211).

Image forming apparatus having a development agent cartridge attachable in a direction tangential to a rotating direction of a development device


Provided are a front impurity-removing device with a compressor for compression of the exhaust gas from an oxyfuel combustion device to make impurities in the exhaust gas water-soluble and with a cooler for cooling of the exhaust gas compressed by the compressor to condense moisture in the exhaust gas to discharge drainage with the impurities dissolved, and at least a single rear impurity-removing device with a rear compressor for compression of the exhaust gas to a pressure higher than that of the compressor and a rear cooler to discharge drainage. A water sprayer for humidifying the exhaust gas from the oxyfuel combustion device and a front cooler are provided for producing and discharging drainage with impurities dissolved therein upstream of the compressor in the front impurity-removing device.

Recently, an oxyfuel combustion device has been studied as one of techniques for reducing emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is the to be one of reasons for global warming; attention is attracted to, for example, a coal burning boiler for oxyfuel combustion of pulverized coal in which oxygen is used as an oxidizing agent in lieu of air to produce exhaust gas mainly comprising CO2. It has been conceived that such exhaust gas with high CO2 concentration is compressed, cooled and recovered as liquefied carbon dioxide for disposal; alternatively, the exhaust gas may be pressurized and stored in the ground. Such exhaust gas treatment system for a coal burning boiler for oxyfuel combustion is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
As shown in Patent Literature 1, the exhaust gas from the coal burning boiler for oxyfuel combustion of coal contains not only CO2 but also impurities derived from coal feedstock such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), hydrargyrum (Hg), hydrogen chloride (HCl) and dust. The NOx as impurities may include nitrogen dioxide (NO2) which is contacted with and dissolved in water into nitric acid. However, in the exhaust gas from the coal burning boiler having less oxygen (O2), NOx exists substantially in the form of nitrogen monoxide (NO) which is water-insoluble and unremovable, for example, by spraying; the SOx is contacted with and dissolved in water into sulfuric acid; and the HCl is dissolved in water into hydrochloric acid. Such impurities are to be preferably removed at an early stage especially because the sulfuric acid is known to have a problem of eroding appliances in an exhaust gas treatment system and the Hg is known to damage low-temperature aluminum members in a heat exchanger. There is also a problem that commingling of the impurities lowers a purity of CO2 and makes it difficult to liquefy the same through compression and cooling. Thus, for example in a coal burning boiler for oxyfuel combustion, an exhaust gas treatment system is required for removal of impurities.
Thus, it may be conceived that an exhaust gas treatment system, for example, for a coal burning boiler for oxyfuel combustion is provided with a so-called wet desulfurization device for removal of SOx as shown in FIG. 2 of Patent Literature 1 which is of a spray- or a packed-column type and which has been used for a conventional air burning boiler or the like. NOx derived from coal feedstock is produced in the exhaust gas from, for example, the coal burning boiler for oxyfuel combustion so that a denitration device for removal of NOx is required, though it is not disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
It is known that provision of the wet desulfurization device as mentioned above brings about removal of not only SOx but also dust as well as a certain level of Hg and HCl. When the exhaust gas with the impurities being removed therefrom by the exhaust gas treatment has a high Hg concentration, a Hg-removing column is arranged for removal of Hg by adsorbent or the like.

Exhaust gas treatment system for oxyfuel combustion device


Integrated circuits are provided that have volatile memory elements. The memory elements produce output signals. The integrated circuits may be programmable logic device integrated circuits containing programmable core logic including transistors with gates. The core logic is powered using a core logic power supply level defined by a core logic positive power supply voltage and a core logic ground voltage. When loaded with configuration data, the memory elements produce output signals that are applied to the gates of the transistors in the core logic to customize the programmable logic device. The memory elements are powered with a memory element power supply level defined by a memory element positive power supply voltage and a memory element ground power supply voltage. The memory element power supply level is elevated with respect to the core logic power supply level.

This invention relates to volatile memory elements, and more particularly, to volatile memory elements that operate at elevated power supply levels on integrated circuits such as programmable logic device integrated circuits.
Integrated circuits often contain volatile memory elements. Typical volatile memory elements are based on cross-coupled inverters (latches) and are used to store data. Each memory element can store a single bit of data.
Volatile memory elements are often used to store configuration data in programmable logic devices. Programmable logic devices are a type of integrated circuit that can be customized in relatively small batches to implement a desired logic design. In a typical scenario, a programmable logic device manufacturer designs and manufactures uncustomized programmable logic device integrated circuits in advance. Later, a logic designer uses a logic design system to design a custom logic circuit. The logic design system uses information on the hardware capabilities of the manufacturer's programmable logic devices to help the designer implement the logic circuit from the resources available on a given programmable logic device.
The logic design system creates configuration data based on the logic designer's custom design. When the configuration data is loaded into the memory elements of one of the programmable logic devices, it programs the logic of that programmable logic device so that the programmable logic device implements the designer's logic circuit. The use of programmable logic devices can drastically reduce the amount of effort required to implement a desired integrated circuit design.
Conventional programmable logic device memory elements are powered using a positive power supply voltage and a ground. The positive power supply voltage that is used to power conventional programmable logic device memory elements is typically referred to as Vcc or Vcc-core and is the same power supply voltage used to power the core logic in the programmable logic device. The ground voltage that is used to power conventional, programmable logic device memory elements is referred to as Vss and is the same ground power supply voltage that is using in powering the core logic.
Integrated circuits such as programmable logic device integrated circuits that operate at low values of Vcc offer benefits over integrated circuits that operate at higher values of Vcc. For example, reductions in Vcc generally lead to reduced power consumption. Because of these benefits, the semiconductor industry is continually striving to produce processes and circuit designs that support reductions in Vcc. Previous generations of programmable logic devices operated at Vcc levels of 2.0 volts, 1.8 volts, and 1.5 volts. More recently, Vcc levels of 1.2 volts have been used in programmable logic devices. It is expected that future programmable logic devices will support Vcc levels of less than 1.2 volts (e.g., 1.1 volts or 1.0 volts).
The memory elements in a programmable logic device produce static output signals that reflect the configuration data that has been loaded into the memory elements. The static output signals drive the gates of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors. Some of the transistors are n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistors that are used as pass transistors in multiplexers and other logic components. Other transistors are p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistors that are used as power-down transistors that selectively turn off unused blocks of circuitry.
The NMOS pass transistors in a programmable logic device will only operate properly if they are driven at a large enough voltage. If the pass transistors in a programmable logic device are driven at an insufficient voltage level because, for example, the Vcc level on the device is too low, the data signals passing through the pass transistors will suffer excessive voltage loss and may no longer be recognizable as valid logic signals on the device.
The PMOS power-down transistors will only operate satisfactorily if they can be turned off completely. If a PMOS transistor is turned of insufficiently, undesirable leakage currents will be produced.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide programmable logic device integrated circuits whose NMOS pass transistors and PMOS power down transistors perform satisfactorily, particularly in operating environments with low core logic power supply voltages.

Volatile memory elements with elevated power supply levels for programmable logic device integrated circuits


A sheet conveyer for conveying a sheet so that an image of a document is duplicated on both sides of the sheet by an image forming machine such as a photocopy machine. The sheet conveyer has; a first conveyance path for conveying the sheet to an image forming section of the image forming machine; a second conveyance path for conveying the sheet from the image forming section to a tray; the tray for holding the sheet; a third conveyance path for conveying the sheet from the tray to the image forming section; and, a pair of nip rollers, located at the vicinity of the tray, for holding the sheet conveyed through the second conveyance path, and forwarding the sheet into the third conveyance path; in which the sheet conveyance apparatus has a first mode that the sheet is forwarded into the third conveyance path by the nip rollers without being placed on the tray, and a second mode that the sheet is once placed on the tray and forwarded into the third conveyance path by the nip rollers.

The present invention relates to a recording sheet conveyance apparatus used for an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copier and laser printer, and more particularly relates to improvements in a recording sheet conveyance apparatus used for an image forming apparatus which can record an image on both sides of a recording sheet.
In an image recording apparatus such as an electrophotographic copier and laser printer, various techniques of an automatic two-sided recording apparatus by which not only one-sided recording but also two-sided recording can be carried out, have been proposed. In an automatic two-sided recording apparatus of the prior art, an image is formed on one side of a recording sheet in an image forming section, then the recording sheet is once stocked in an intermediate section, and after that, the recording sheet is conveyed again to the image forming section so that an image can be formed on the other side of the recording sheet. The aforementioned automatic recording sheet circulating apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection Nos. 82247/1984, and 114227/1984.
In the case of a two-sided copy mode for a single recording sheet, after an image has been recorded on one side of the recording sheet, the recording sheet is discharged outside of the apparatus by a discharging roller and reversed, and then the recording sheet is supplied to the image forming section again so that an image is formed on the opposite side to the recorded side of the recording sheet.
In the case of a two-sided copy mode for a plurality of recording sheets, recording sheets on which an image has been transferred and fixed, are supplied again to the image forming section so that an image is formed on the opposite side.
The aforementioned conventional two-sided copier in which one sheet and a plurality of sheets of recording sheets are circulated and conveyed, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Open to Public inspection Nos. 111955/1983 and 183471/1987.
According to Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 111955/1983, in order to form an image on one side of a recording sheet, on the other side of which an image has already been formed, the recording sheet is guided to a sheet supply means and then conveyed to the recording section again without passing through a two-sided intermediate tray. Further, according to the aforementioned patent application, when the number of recording sheets is one, the recording sheet does not pass through the intermediate tray, and when the number of recording sheets is plural, the recording sheets are once stacked on the intermediate tray and then conveyed to the image forming section again.
In the case where the number of recording sheets is not more than the number of recording sheets which can be accommodated in the sheet conveyance passage in the apparatus, the recording sheets are conveyed without passing through the intermediate tray so as to improve the recording sheet conveyance efficiency.
In the same manner as Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 111955/1983, Japanese Patent Application Open to Public Inspection No. 183471/1987 discloses a copier which includes at least two sheet passages: one is the first sheet passage having no tray, in which a recording sheet on which an image has already been formed, is directly sent to the image forming section and the other is the second sheet passage in which a recording sheet is first stocked on a tray and then sent to the image forming section.
According to the aforementioned patent application, in the case where the number of copies to be made is not more than a predetermined value, the recording sheets are conveyed through the first passage in which they are directly returned to the copy station.
That is, selection can be made between the aforementioned first and second passages according to the number of recording sheets. Further, a predetermined number of recording sheets are conveyed through the aforementioned second passage to the recording section, and other recording sheets are conveyed through the aforementioned first passage.
In the case of the aforementioned conventional copier, there are provided two sheet conveyance passages: one is a sheet conveyance passage in which recording sheets are stacked on the intermediate tray and conveyed to the copy section; and the other is a sheet conveyance passage in which recording sheets are directly conveyed without being stacked on the intermediate tray. Therefore, the following problems are caused.
(1) The structure of the two-sided copier becomes complicated, so that the manufacturing cost is increased.
(2) Changing-over operations of the recording sheet conveyance passage are complicated. Accordingly, mechanical breakdowns are caused.
(3) It is difficult to adjust the timing of sheet conveyance since it is complicated.
(4) Reliability of the apparatus is lowered.
The present invention solves the aforementioned various problems. It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a recording sheet conveyance apparatus for an image forming apparatus characterized in that: in the case of a two-sided copy mode, sheet conveyance and intermediate stacking are smoothly conducted so that recording sheets can be correctly and stably conveyed. As a result, the reliability of recording sheet circulation can be improved, and the conveyance efficiency can be improved. Further, the copying speed can be increased.

Recording sheet conveyance device for use with an image forming apparatus


If, upon an occurrence of a jam, a sheet is detected by a sensor disposed downstream of a fixing portion or the leading end thereof has not reached this sensor and a coverage rate is high, the jam is judged to have occurred in the fixing portion. A number (x) of blank sheets to be passed is determined from a coverage rate of the entire sheet, and a cleaning mode is automatically executed if the automatic execution of the cleaning mode is selected, whereas a notification urging the input of an instruction as to whether or not to execute the cleaning mode is given if the automatic notification is selected. Therefore, toner adhered to the fixing portion can be simply and properly cleaned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus as exemplified by a printer, a copier, and a facsimile machine and particularly to a cleaning technique for a fixing device upon a recovery from a sheet jam.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a jam has frequently occurred in a fixing portion in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Upon an occurrence of the jam in the fixing portion, there is a strong possibility of adherence of unfixed toner, which is not fixed to a sheet yet, to a heating roller and a pressure roller. For example, in the case of a jam of a sheet that has not yet passed the fixing portion after passing a registration roller, the sheet may be accordion-folded before fixing rollers. This accordion-folded sheet is pressed against the fixing rollers to smear the fixing rollers. Further, in the case of a fixing-portion residence time overrun jam where a sheet remains in the fixing portion for longer than a predetermined period, the apparatus stops with the sheet stuck in the fixing portion. Therefore, there is a likelihood that the unfixed toner on the sheet is adhered to the fixing rollers.
Most of cases where the heating roller and the pressure roller constituting the fixing rollers are smeared are caused by jams occurring in the vicinity of the fixing portion. In the case of the smear caused by a jam, there is a problem of smearing several sheets to be printed immediately after the jam is removed, thereby reducing print quality.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-149979 discloses a cleaning method according to which residual toner is removed not by applying an oil or the like to fixing rollers to prevent the toner from remaining thereon, but by passing blank sheet(s) to transfer the residual toner from the fixing rollers.
In this publication, there are proposed a method according to which a cleaning operation is manually performed upon being instructed by section of an operation section by a user or a service person, and a method according to which the cleaning operation is automatically performed after the lapse of a predetermined period or after a specified number of sheets are printed. According to either method, the cleaning operation is performed in a standby state where an apparatus main body does not perform printing.
Accordingly, in the case of manually performing the cleaning operation, if the user is not aware of the cleaning operation, no cleaning operation is performed, wherefore there is a problem of smearing several sheets immediately after the jam is removed as with the conventional practice, thereby reducing the print quality. Even in the case of automatically performing the cleaning operation, there is no effect on image smears immediately after an occurrence of a jam since the cleaning operation is performed after the lapse of the predetermined period or after the specified number of sheets are printed. Further, in spite of differing degrees of smearing the rollers depending on a frequency of occurrence of jams during the predetermined period or within a period during which the specified number of sheets are printed, the cleaning operation is performed at constant intervals. This causes a problem that it is continued to perform no cleaning operation despite the gross smear, thereby reducing the print quality, and a problem that the cleaning operation is performed despite only a small degree of smearing, thereby wasting sheets.
Further, since the cleaning operation is performed only in the standby state, if a jam occurs during a job, the cleaning operation is performed after the remaining job is carried out upon a recovery from the jam. Therefore, there is a problem of reducing the print quality in the remaining job.


A method for fabricating a T-shaped gate electrode includes the steps of: forming a fine gate pattern on a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate on which the gate pattern is formed, and forming a planarizing layer on the insulating layer to planarize the surface of the semiconductor substrate; etching the planarizing layer to expose the top of the insulating layer; isotropically etching the insulating layer to expose the gate pattern using the planarizing layer as a mask; etching the exposed gate pattern to selectively expose the semiconductor substrate; depositing a gate metal to cover the exposed substrate, the insulating layer and the planarizing layer, to form a T-shaped gate; and simultaneously removing the planarizing layer, thereby forming a T-shaped gate metal with improved productivity.

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a T-shaped electrode and metal layer having a low resistance, and more particularly, to a method for fabricating a T-shaped gate electrode and metal layer having a low resistance in which the T-shaped gate electrode is formed in self-alignment using a fine photoresist pattern, and the metal layer having a low resistance is formed on a fine gate electrode in self-alignment using the method for forming the T-shaped gate electrode, thereby simplifying the fabricating process and increasing mass productivity.
For the purpose of fabricating an ultra-high speed integrated circuit using a metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET), the MESFET should have many various high frequency characteristics. Generally, a MESFET formed using GaAs has a cutoff frequency over 25 GHz in a device having a gate length of below 0.5 .mu.m. Its frequency characteristic becomes higher as the gate width is decreased. However, the reduction of the gate width decreases the cross-section area of the gate, thus deteriorating noise characteristics. Accordingly, several methods are proposed, which are for reducing the gate length and, at the same time, decreasing the gate resistance using a T-shaped gate electrode. According to the first method for forming the T-shaped gate electrode, a T-shaped resist pattern is formed by using electron-beam lithography, and then a metal is deposited thereon and lifted off. By the second method, a fine resist groove is formed through lithography, and another resist pattern having an open portion wider than the groove is formed, to form a T-shaped groove. Then, the T-shaped gate electrode is formed using the resist groove and upper resist.
According to the third method for forming the T-shaped gate electrode, a temporary gate is formed using a photoresist, a fine groove is formed by using this temporary gate and a resist pattern having a large width is formed on the groove. Then, a metal having a low resistance is deposited over the resist pattern, and then is lifted off, thereby forming the T-shaped gate electrode. The fourth method is performed in a manner that a gate is formed, a planarizing layer is formed thereon and etched to expose the gate, and then a resist pattern having a width wider than that of the gate is formed over the gate. A metal is deposited thereon and is then lifted off, thereby forming the T-shaped gate electrode.
However, the first method requires very expensive equipment for E-beam lithography and second method requires two lithographic process sequences, reducing the productivity thereof. Also, in case of the third and fourth methods, the gate electrode is easily formed due to the misalignment of the top metal layer, and requires two lithographic process sequences.

Method for fabricating T-shaped electrode and metal layer having low resistance

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


An internal-combustion engine has cylinders 21 arranged preferably in a V-formation with corresponding cylinder heads (27) including connectors for the supply and discharge of fluids. The cylinders are mounted in a crankcase (41) and are supplied with air for combustion by a cast air manifold (51) running the length of the engine, the air manifold being located adjacent to the row of cylinders, preferably in the V. To reduce the amount of pipework the manifold has shaped connectors for at least one of the fluids, in particular the air intake (33) and the water coolant (55), these connectors connecting directly to the relevant connectors on the cylinder head and being pressed against them by the pressure in the manifold.

The present invention relates to internal-combustion engines, in particular large engines such as are used in fast boats such as ferries or generally for industrial power generation.
Manufacturers of engines are of course always trying to increase the specific power output of their engines. One way of doing this is by reducing the weight of the engine. Another important characteristic is the ease of maintenance of such engines, which is partly dependent upon the ease of access to the internal components. Also, of course, reducing the cost of manufacture is a constant requirement. The present invention aims to make improvements in all these areas.
For background on the layout of engines one can consult the following documents. U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,032 (G O Morris) describes a manifold for with separate passages for a multiple-barrel carburettor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,812 (Ford) shows a manifold system providing an integral mounting of an EGR cooler/carburettor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,491 (MTU) has an exhaust manifold system within the V of a V-engine. U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,634 (Hitachi) shows a multi-part engine air manifold system located on the engine, where two design options are provided for an optimised air charging system as well as providing cooling for the engine control unit. The manifold system includes a longitudinal partition wall and mounts other engine components such as the injectors. JP 10-030445A (Nissan) shows an intake manifold with an integral supercharger, mounted on top of the engine. EP 0162272 A1 (KHD) shows an enclosed assembly containing lubricant and fuel pipes. EP 0644326 A1 (Hitachi) is an air duct with integral air filter/throttle valve and a plurality of suction pipes. Described in EP 1069301 A2 (DDC) is a wedge-shaped cylinder head with integral air manifold mounted on top of and spanning the cylinder heads. Finally GB 2174454 A (Rover) shows an air induction system with variable plenum length. The design allows ease of manufacturing by plastic mouldings and metal pressing.


A system and method for characterizing, selecting, ordering and rendering discrete elements of digitized video content helpful to learn or teach various skills. Each of a plurality of observed or computer-generated instances of modeling of distinguishable skills are recorded as digitized assets. Microskills are identified and deconstructed in the abstract from one or more of the visual and audible recordings of skills modeling moments. Identifiers of microskills are associated by a human editor with recorded modeling instances and/or portions thereof. Modeling presentations are dynamically generated by a user asserting one or more microskill identifiers and a network-enabled selection, ordering and rendering of portions of modeling instances that are associated with the asserted microskill identifiers.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Observing a master craftsperson, artist, athlete, teacher, gardener, musician, or practitioner of any other art or skill practicing their art may be very educational and illuminating to the aspiring future hobbyist or professional. Fortunately, information technology enables the digitized capture of the techniques and methods of experts in any skill. These digitized assets may then be made available for viewing upon demand by prior art methods and means via electronics communications networks. Yet the prior art fails to adequately provide and make accessible this vast technological resource for anybody to learn from easily and productively.
Moreover, the prior art addresses teaching skills in the aggregate and fails to optimally apply a deconstruction of components of pedagogic skills for the object of characterizing and organizing digitized assets for personalized instruction in the field of teaching how to teach.
It is thus an object of the method of the present invention, hereinafter, "the invented method", to provide systems and methods to enable the identification and dynamic organization of digitized recordings of teaching actions to render presentations designed to sequentially present user-selected instances of elements of teaching skills. It is understood that the meaning of the term user as expressed within the present disclosure includes both an intended observer of rendered digital assets and additionally or alternatively a person or information technology process intending to generate presentations to improve teaching capabilities of observers of the rendered digital assets.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for personalized rendering of digitized instances of modeling of user identified microskills


A mid-shroud joint which improves the replaceability of the shroud is described. In one embodiment, the shroud includes a core shroud and a lower shroud. A core plate support flange is clamped between the core shroud and the lower shroud, and the core plate support flange supports a core plate. The mid-shroud joint is formed by a flange of the core shroud and a flange of the lower shroud. The core plate support flange is positioned between core shroud and lower shroud flanges, and openings in these flanges align so that bolts can be inserted through such aligned openings.

Boiling water nuclear reactors typically include a reactor core located within a reactor pressure vessel (RPV). A known RPV includes a substantially cylindrical shell. The shell, for example, can be about twenty feet in diameter and about seven inches thick. A substantially cylindrical core shroud is positioned within, and spaced from, the shell walls to restrain horizontal movement of the reactor core fuel bundles and provides flow separation between the downcomer and the upward core flow. Specifically, the shroud is a cylindrical, steel structure which surrounds the core and provides a barrier to separate the upward flow through the core from the downward flow in the annulus between the shroud and the reactor pressure vessel. The lower section of the shroud supports several components. For example, the core plate and two sets of in-core guide tube restraints are supported by the shroud lower section. The core plate also supports the top end of the in-core guide tubes.
Sections of the shroud are subjected to high fluence levels. For example, the upper section of the shroud, opposite the core, is in a high fluence area. The lower section of the shroud, below the core, is in a lower fluence area. Irradiation is known to assist in the cracking of some BWR materials. Thus, the upper shroud section may be more susceptible to irradiated assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) than the lower section of the shroud because of high fluence levels.
Some known shrouds include a bolted joint at the bottom of the core. Typically, however, the shroud is formed by welding a plurality of stainless steel cylindrical sections together. Specifically, respective ends of adjacent shroud sections are joined with a circumferential weld. Thus, if the upper section of the shroud needs to be replaced, the entire shroud may have to be removed. Removing the entire shroud requires the removal of the core plate and other components. In some known reactor configurations, the top grid is bolted to the top of the shroud, and the top grid can be removed and replaced without requiring removal of the shroud.
It would be desirable to provide a shroud which allows the removal of an upper section of the shroud without requiring that the lower section of the shroud and the core plate need to be removed. It also would be desirable that such a shroud provide the same functionality as known shrouds.

Mid-shroud joint for a boiling water reactor