A method for forming an interlayer insulating film, which involves a first oxide film deposition, a GeBPSG film deposition, a thermal treatment and a second oxide film deposition all being carried out in a continuous manner in an LPCVD device. In accordance with this method, it is possible to form an interlayer insulating film having a superior planarization characteristic in a single pass. The deposition and thermal treatment of the interlayer insulating film are carried out in a continuous manner in a single processing device. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively suppress the degradation of the GeBPSG film caused by a moisture absorption. Since a protective oxide film is deposited over the GeBPSG film in a continuous manner after the thermal treatment of the GeBPSG film, the degradation of the GeBPSG film caused by the moisture absorption can be affectively suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming an interlayer insulating film of a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method for forming an interlayer insulating film of a semiconductor device, in which a first oxide film, a Ge boro phospho silicate glass (GeBPSG) film and a second oxide film are sequentially formed over a semiconductor substrate having a topology using a low pressure chemical vapor deposition process, to form the interlayer insulating film.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As semiconductor devices have an increased integration degree, their surface irregularity increases. That is, the topology of such semiconductor devices increases. For this reason, planarization techniques for planarizing a surface having a high topology using an insulating film have been highlighted as an important technique used in the fabrication of highly integrated semiconductor devices. Generally, a BPSG film added with boron (B) and phosphor (P) in a high concentration is used to planarize a surface having a high topology. For the planarization, the BPSG film is thermally treated at a high temperature.
However, the addition of impurities in a high concentration involved in the planarization using the BPSG film results in a degradation in film stability and a formation of crystal defects (BPO.sub.4). Furthermore, the thermal treatment at a high temperature results in a damage of shallow junctions. As a result, there is a limitation on the planarization.
Another planarization method has also been proposed which involves the steps of depositing a GeBPSG film added with Ge as another impurity at a temperature of 350.degree. to 450.degree. C. in accordance with an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) process, and thermally treating the GeBPSG film at a temperature of 750.degree. to 850.degree. C. The addition of Ge results in a formation of GeO.sub.2 which serves to lower the viscous flow temperature of the BPSG film. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a planarization using the thermal treatment at a temperature of 750.degree. to 850.degree. C.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a conventional method for forming an interlayer insulating film.
In accordance with this method, a patterned conductive layer 2, which is to be used as a bit line or word line, is formed on a semiconductor substrate 1. An oxide film 3 is then deposited over the entire exposed surface of the resulting structure in order to prevent moisture and impurities from penetrating into the layer disposed beneath the oxide film when a subsequent process is carried out. In order to planarize the resulting structure, a GeBPSG film 4 is deposited as a planarizing insulating film over the oxide film 3 at a temperature of 350 .degree. to 450.degree. C. The GeBPSG film 4 is then thermally treated at a temperature 750.degree. to 850.degree. C. so that it has a planarized surface.
Where the GeBPSG film 4 deposited at a temperature of 350.degree. to 450.degree. C. is thermally treated at a temperature of 750.degree. to 850.degree. C., as mentioned above, crystal defects (BPO.sub.4) are formed at regions (a) and (c) shown in FIG. 1. As a result, the GeBPSG film 4 has protruded surface portions at the regions (a) and (c). The GeBPSG film 4 is also damaged at a region (b) due to its moisture absorption. As a result, the oxide film 3 is exposed at the region (b).
Since the GeBPSG film exhibits a weakness against moisture and has a porous film structure, it reacts easily with moisture existing in the atmosphere even in a short period after its deposition and before its thermal treatment. As a result, hazes and acid oxide defects are produced. Furthermore, the GeBPSG film may be partially lost, thereby exposing the under layer.
Even after the thermal treatment at a temperature of 750.degree. to 850.degree. C., the moisture absorption property of the GeBPSG film is not improved. Rather, crystal defects (BPO.sub.4) are formed while the thermally-treated GeBPSG film is cooled. Such crystal defects result in a short circuit of a wiring which is subsequently formed. Due to such a degradation, it is impossible to use the conventional method practically.

Method for forming interlayer insulating film of semiconductor devices

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


An epitaxial growth method of a single crystal of III-V compound semiconductor on the surface of a semiconductor substrate by supplying a molecular beam of a group III source material and a molecular beam of a group V source material onto the surface of the substrate in a chamber held in vacuum. With this method, the molecular beams comprises a molecular beam of a first group III source material composed of an organic metal compound of a group III element not having a halogen, a molecular beam of a second group III source material having a halogen chemically bonded to atoms of the group III element, and a molecular beam of a group V source material making a compound semiconductor with the group III element of the first group III material. By setting a substrate temperature at, for example, about 500.degree. C. a single crystal of III-V compound semiconductor can be satisfactorily selectively grown. As the first source material, an organic metal compound of a group III element having an alkyl, for example, trimethyl gallium (TMGa) or triethyl gallium (TEGa) is employed and as the second source material, for example, diethyl gallium chloride (DEGaCl), ethyl gallium di-chloride (EGaDCl) or trichlorogallium (GaCl.sub.a), which has a chlorine, or diethyl gallium bromide (DEGaBr) having a bromine is employed. As the group V source material, for example, As, P or Sb is employed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of epitaxially growing a single or mixed crystal of III-V compound semiconductor such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) and the like on a semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previously, a metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE) has been known as an example of crystal growth methods of a III-V compound semiconductor such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) and the like. In the MOMBE method, group III and V materials each as a molecular beam are supplied on the surface of a semiconductor substrate in a growth chamber held at an ultra-high level of vacuum as in the case of a general molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), but different therefrom in that the MOMBE method uses an organic metal compound as the group III material. Compared with the MBE method, the MOMBE method is advantageous in that such a crystal layer that has reduced surface defect can be obtained at a superior selective growthability. Compared with a metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), the MOMBE method is also advantageous in that the composition and thickness of a layer to be formed can be highly controlled as well as the uniformity thereof can be made superior, which means that the method offers an extremely effective technique as the crystal growth method of compound semiconductor.
The MOMBE method has been used for producing various semiconductor devices. For example, in the case of growing a single crystal of gallium arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor, alkyl compounds such as trimethyl gallium (TMGa), triethyl gallium (TEGa) and the like, each having an alkyl chemically bonded to the gallium atoms, are used as a gallium source material. In the case of growing a single crystal of aluminum arsenide (AlAs), alkyl compounds such as trimethyl aluminum (TMAl), triethyl aluminum (TEAl) and the like, each having an alkyl chemically bonded to the aluminum atoms, are used as an aluminum source material. In any case, as an arsenic source material, metallic arsenic (As4) or arsenic hydrides such as arsine (AsH.sub.a) and the like are used. In making a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), as the group III source material, for example, TEGa, TMGa or TEAl is used and as the group V source material, for example, AsH.sub.a is used.
On the other hand, as the group III source material, such an organic metal compound that has a methyl chemically bonded to the metal atoms as TMGa is used, the carbon contained in the methyl is taken during crystal growth into an epitaxially grown layer, thus being inclined that the epitaxially grown layer is susceptible to exhibit a p-type electroconductivity. For this, investigation results were reported, for example, by N. Furuhata and other researchers in "Journal of Crystal Growth", Vol.102, p.814, 1990, in which TEGa having an ethyl is used as the group III source material and As.sub.4 was used as the group V source material, and a single crystal of GaAs was epitaxially grown. This report reveals that under such growth conditions that a temperature of the substrate is 500.degree. C., flow rate of TEGa is 0.8 cc/min and pressure of As.sub.4 is 1.5.times.10.sup.-4 Torr, such a high purity GaAs single crystal can be obtained that has a p-type electroconductivity, a carrier concentration of 1.5.times.10.sup.14 cm.sup.-3 and a carrier mobility at room temperature of 400 cm.sup.2 /V.s.
A single crystal of III-V compound semiconductor with a low dopant concentration or with a high purity, as the group III source material, an organic metal compound having an alkyl (for example, ethyl) which is easy to be desorbed from the group III element atoms compared with the methyl is generally used in general. When such an organic metal compound that has an alkyl as shown above is used, if an n-type impurity such as silicon (Si) and the like is doped during growth, an n-type single crystal can be obtained which is low in compensation ratio.
With the conventional MOMBE method, in case that an organic metal compound such as TEGa as the group III source material is used to grow a single crystal of high purity (low impurity concentration) or n-type GaAs semiconductor, there arises such a problem that a good selective growthability of the single crystal cannot be obtained unless the growth temperature, that is, temperature of the substrate exceeds 600.degree. C. Namely, when organic metal compound molecules as TEGa and As molecules are supplied from the upper side of a mask (for example, made of a silicon dioxide) formed on the surface of a GaAs substrate thereby to epitaxially grow a single crystal of GaAs semiconductor only on the unmasked area of the surface of the substrate, if only one kind of organic metal compound is supplied as the group III source material as in the conventional MOMBE method, the single crystal of GaAs semiconductor can be grown on the unmasked surface of the substrate at a temperature not exceeding 600.degree. C., however, polycrystalline GaAs semiconductor is deposited simultaneously on the mask, thus being unobtainable a satisfactory selective growthability. Such a phenomenon is outstanding when an organic metal compound having an ethyl as TEGa is used as the group III source material.
Detailed and concrete explanations will be made below. When a high purity GaAs single crystal is grown using TEGa only as the group III source material using the MOMBE method, the temperature of a substrate is preferably to be set at about 500.degree. C. This is based on the fact that if it exceeds 500.degree. C., a p-type GaAs crystal with a high impurity concentration is grown thereby being unobtainable a high purity GaAs crystal. In addition, even when an n-type GaAs crystal having a low compensation ratio is to be grown by this method, it is preferable to set the temperature of the substrate at about 500.degree. C. This is based on the fact that at a higher temperature than 500.degree. C., a high purity GaAs crystal cannot be grown on the substrate as already shown above. As a result, even if the single crystal of GaAs is grown while doping an n-type impurity at a high concentration, only the single crystal of n-type GaAs semiconductor extremely high in compensation ratio is grown.
Then, if using TEGa only as the group III source material, a high purity GaAs single crystal or low compensation ratio n-type GaAs single crystal is grown on the surface of a GaAs substrate with a mask formed thereon using the MOMBE method at a substrate temperature of about 500.degree. C., it can be grown on the unmasked area of the surface of the substrate and at same time, polycrystalline GaAs is deposited on the masked area thereof. This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, on the surface of a GaAs substrate 1 is formed a mask 2 made of a silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) film. On the exposed surface of the GaAs substrate 1 where the mask 2 is not provided to form an opening, a single-crystalline GaAs layer 3 is grown and a thick polycrystalline GaAs layer 4 is grown on the mask 2.
As explained above, with the conventional MOMBE method, if the temperature of a substrate is set at a low level of about 500.degree. C., it is impossible to selectively grow a high purity GaAs single crystal or n-type GaAs single crystal having a low compensation ratio on the substrate and as a result, with the conventional MOMBE method, devices such as, for example, a heterojunction field effect transistor having a low source resistance cannot be produced by selectively growing an n-type single-crystalline GaAs layer having a high impurity concentration only at an ohmic electrode portion.
Thus, an object of this invention is to provide a crystal growth method of a III-V compound semiconductor in which a single crystal of III-V compound semiconductor can be satisfactorily selectively grown on a substrate by setting a temperature of the substrate at a lower level (for example, at about 500.degree. C.) than would be set conventionally.

Crystal growth method of III - V compound semiconductor


A system and method are disclosed for digitally compositing an object from an input image onto a destination image. The object is composited from an image having an arbitrary or non-uniform colored background containing some non-static elements onto a destination image with reduced effects from shadows cast by the object and with reduced gaps or holes within the object. Various improvements in the compositing procedure such as shadow reduction and hole filling, and less restrictive requirements regarding the object's surroundings are disclosed. A background model is created and a frame of an input image containing the object is obtained. An alpha image is created in which each pixel is either a zero, indicating it is not part of the object, or a one, indicating that it is part of the object. The effect of shadows emanating from the object is reduced so that the composited object in the destination image contains only the object clearly outlined by the object's physical boundaries without the effect of shadows cast by the object. A set of templates is then derived in which each template fits entirely within a designated part of the object. The templates allow holes or gaps in the object created during the compositing process to be filled to a large extent. The object is blended onto a destination image using the alpha image as a blending coefficient.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for compositing objects from an input image to a destination image. More particularly, the present invention relates to reducing extraneous clutter and holes from the object being composited and, in addition, reducing the effect of shadows emanating from the composited object in the destination image.
2. Background
An important procedure in the field of film and video editing is taking an object in one image, e.g. an input image, and compositing that object onto another image, e.g. a destination image, with minimal distortion of the object. For example, this procedure could be used for taking an object such as a human figure in one video and placing that human figure into another video without distorting or altering the image of the person. One video image may have a person standing or moving around in a typical living room and another video can be of an outdoor scene such as a jungle or desert. The compositing procedure would take the image of the human figure in the living room and place the figure in the other video thereby providing the effect of the human figure standing or moving around in the given outdoor setting.
One well-known and widely used prior art method for compositing objects from a input image to a destination image is from the field of digital effects and chroma-keying. This method is commonly referred to as blue-screening and involves placing a blue or other fixed-color screen behind the object being composited, typically the image of a person (the color blue is a hue that strongly contrasts all colors of human skin). In blue-screening, the system checks to see which pixels in the input image are not blue and labels those pixels as foreground pixels. Normally, the foreground pixels will only be those pixels that are part of the object being composited since there are typically no other objects in the image and the background is solid blue. The system then composites, or blends, the object (i.e. collection of all foreground pixels) onto a destination image. One of the disadvantages of using blue-screening for object compositing is that it requires a fixed color screen behind the object. Another disadvantage is that if any of the colors on the object, such as an item of clothing, is blue, holes will appear in the object in the destination image. This occurs because the pixels in the blue areas on the object will not be labeled as foreground pixels and thus will not be composited with the rest of the object, resulting in the object having holes when composited onto the destination image.
Other prior art background subtraction procedures, from the field of computer vision, are used to eliminate the fixed color screen requirement. One procedure involves building an average background image by taking a predetermined number of sample images of a (multi-colored) background and creating a background model. For each new sample image taken, each pixel in the new image is compared to its corresponding pixel in the background model being formed. This is done to determine whether the pixel in the current sample image is a foreground pixel, i.e. an object pixel. Pixels that are determined to be part of the foreground are then blended or composited onto the destination image. One disadvantage with this procedure is if a foreground pixel happens to match its corresponding background model pixel color, it will not be considered a foreground pixel. This will introduce holes into the composited object. Another disadvantage is that shadows cast by the object often make the object, when composited, appear to have its original form plus extraneous appendages (as a result of the shadows). The procedure mistakenly labels the "shadow" pixels as foreground pixels. Yet another disadvantage is if any portion of the background changes or if the camera is moved while the background model is being built, certain portions of the background (e.g. the portions that moved) will be incorrectly labeled as part of the foreground and be composited onto the destination image. Although there are prior art techniques for updating the background model to reflect changes, they cannot account for a constantly changing background such as one that includes a changing television screen or a window looking out onto a busy street.
Another prior art method of compositing objects, taken from the field of computer vision and z-keying, involves the use of stereo cameras. The method involves calculating, or extracting, a depth value for each pixel. Pixels that are closer than a certain depth from the camera are labeled as foreground pixels and eventually composited onto a destination image. The image processing algorithms involved in computing the depth values in real time require immense computation making them impractical to implement on typical home personal computers. In addition, the procedure requires the use of two cameras.
An important sub-function of the broader procedure of compositing objects from an input image to a destination image is reducing the effect of shadows emanating from the object in the input image in the compositing procedure. For example, if the object is a person standing in a room in which the lighting causes the person to cast shadows on the floors or walls around him, the goal is to reduce the effect of the shadow in the destination image (i.e., the shadow should not appear as part of the person in the destination image). The procedure should determine which pixels belong to the actual object and which pixels make up a shadow.
One prior art method of reducing the effect of shadows in the destination image, referred to as intensity-based shadow filtering, involves building an average model of the background image. Once this average background image is entered, the system knows the approximate brightness of each pixel in the background. Thus, if a pixel becomes somewhat darker in the input image, the system assumes that the pixel is now within a shadow. However, if the pixel in the average background image is now "covered" by the object being composited and also happens to be darker than the "covered" pixel, the same method will create a hole in the object once composited onto the destination image (the size of the hole depending on the number of pixels that are darker and are part of the object). Thus, the problem with the prior art method of reducing the undesirable effect of shadows in the destination image is that the shadow removal process itself may create more holes in the body of the object being composited.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus for compositing objects from an input image to a destination image such that the object is composited with the least amount of distortion from shadows or a constantly changing background, and has a reduced number of holes and gaps after composited onto the destination image.

Computer-implemented digital video object compositing


There is provided systems and methods for mapping of text phrases to a taxonomy. In an aspect, the method including: receiving the corpus and the taxonomy; mapping the text phrases in the corpus to a set of word embeddings in a word embedding space, where each sequence of word embeddings corresponds to individual words in one of the text phrases; vectorizing the taxonomy to a set of node embeddings in a node embedding vector space; mapping the set of word embeddings to the set of node embeddings using a mapping function, the mapping function outputting points in the node embedding space associated with sequences in the word embeddings; and outputting the mapping function.

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Electronic health and medical record (EHR/EMR) systems are steadily gaining in popularity. Ever more facets of healthcare are recorded and coded in such systems, including patient demographics, disease history and progression, laboratory test results, clinical procedures and medications, and even genetics. This trove of information is a unique opportunity to learn patterns that can help improve various aspects of healthcare. However, the sheer number of various coding systems used to encode this clinical information is a major challenge for anyone trying to analyze structured EHR data. Even the most widely used coding systems have multiple versions to cater to different regions of the world. Software developed to analyze one version of the coding system may not be used for another version, let alone a different coding system. In addition to the public and well documented coding systems, a multitude of private coding mechanisms that have no mappings to any public coding systems are used by insurance companies and certain hospitals.
The efforts to solve this problem range from the development of mapping dictionaries between coding systems to machine learning driven approaches. One example of the former is cTAKES, a project that uses annotated lookup tables to map clinical entities to concepts in a controlled vocabulary such as SNOMED CT (Systematised Nomenclature of Medicine—Clinical Terms). The reliance of cTAKES and similar systems on symbolic natural language processing techniques makes them hard to generalize and scale, especially in view of regular updates and changes to the target vocabulary. An example of the latter approach is work where word embeddings have been used in a hierarchical structure to annotate and map medical concepts to a reference taxonomy. Their method is based on classification learning and limited in its ability to be applied on controlled vocabularies such as SNOMED CT due to the large size of these vocabularies and small number of terms or phrases associated with each concept.

Method and system for mapping text phrases to a taxonomy


A system management module (SMM) for a host server system includes a system management processor (SMP) connected to a system management local bus. The system management local bus connects to the system PCI bus through a system management central (SMC). The SMC includes the main arbitration unit for the PCI bus and also includes the arbiter for the system management local bus. The SMM includes a video controller and keyboard and mouse controller connected to the system management local bus to support remote consoling of the SMM. The SMC includes logic to monitor PCI cycles and to issue error signals in the event of a system error. The SMC also isolates failed components by masking request, grant and interrupt lines for the failed device. Further, if a spare component is provided, the SMC permits dynamic switching to the spare. In addition to detecting errors and performing survival and maintenance operations, the SMC enhances system performance during normal operations by supporting master-target priority determinations to more efficiently arbitrate mastership of system busses such as the PCI bus.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a host computer that functions as a server for a distributed computing system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a diagnostic subsystem for the host computer that can be directly or remotely accessed by a system administrator, and which permits the system administrator to enter commands to the host system and to view operation of the host system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a diagnostic subsystem for a host server computer that monitors the host server for errors, and in response, takes appropriate action, including alarm generation, error diagnosis, and in some instances, corrective action to restrict or minimize the error condition to permit continued operation of the distributed computing system.

PCI hot spare capability for failed components


A collar press apparatus which in some embodiments may comprise a first casing member, a second casing member, a first press element, and a second press element. The first press element may comprise a first garment contacting surface which may be configured to be in thermal communication with a first side of a shirt collar, such as the exterior surface of a shirt collar, and which may be positioned proximate to the first casing member. The second press element may comprise a second garment contacting surface which may be configured to be in thermal communication with a second side of a shirt collar, such as the neck contacting or interior surface of a shirt collar, and which may be positioned proximate to the second casing member.

One of the more difficult operations in the laundering of dress shirts and other such garments comprising a collar is the pressing and preserving of the garment's collar. Maintaining the look of a pressed collar after laundering a dress shirt poses a challenge to the average individual. After being laundered and specifically after removal from a conventional clothes dryer, the collar is often deformed in shape and/or texture. To regain the pressed collar appearance, an individual may attempt to use a clothes iron to press and reshape the collar. Due to the curved nature of collars, this process often requires a significant amount of time, effort, and even frustration.
In order to avoid the time and effort required for pressing and reshaping the collars on garments, individuals may resort to using a laundry service. Typically, the laundry service uses a dedicated pressing machine to press these collars after washing and prior to pressing of the remaining portions of the garment resulting in a well pressed collar appearance. Unfortunately, laundry services tend not only to be relatively expensive, but they also require a relatively large amount of time from the garment's owner due to the laundering process and the required travel to drop off and pick up the garment.
Therefore, a need exists for novel apparatuses configured to press the collar of a shirt. There also exists a need for novel apparatuses which do not require a significant amount of time and effort in order to press the collar of a shirt. There is a further need for novel apparatuses configured to press the collar of a shirt that are able to produce a well pressed collar appearance without the time and expense associated with using a laundry service. Finally, there exists a need for novel apparatuses configured to press the collar of a shirt that are able to produce a well pressed collar appearance using a conventional clothes dryer.


At the time of transporting a substrate into or from a space where a film formation process is performed, the space where the film formation process is performed, a space where a lower heater 16 is provided, and a space where an upper heater 19 is provided are made in an inert gas atmosphere.

There is known SiC (silicon carbide) as a material that is recently expected for use in a high breakdown-voltage power semiconductor device. When SiC is epitaxially grown to obtain an SiC single-crystal thin film, it is necessary to heat a substrate at a high temperature equal to or higher than 1500° C. ("film formation temperature"). To heat the substrate, a lower heater heating the substrate from below and an upper heater heating the substrate from above are provided.
To protect these heaters from corrosive gas such as reactive gas, the corrosive gas is purged from the surroundings of these heaters to make the heaters in an atmosphere of, for example, inert gas such as argon gas. It is particularly necessary to make a space where the lower heater is provided into a perfect atmosphere of inert gas during a film formation process because the lower heater made of carbon is corroded by the corrosive gas such as the reactive gas at a temperature of about 1000° C.
However, the conventional technique has the following problems. During the film formation process, the space where the lower heater is provided is isolated from a space where the film formation process is performed by the substrate mounted on a susceptor, and the corrosive gas is purged from the space of the lower heater and the lower heater is made into the inert gas atmosphere. However, at the time of transporting the substrate into or from the space where the film formation process is performed before or after the film formation process, the space is continuous to the space where the lower heater is provided and the corrosive gas such as the reactive gas enters the space of the lower heater because the substrate is not mounted on the susceptor. Thereafter, when the substrate is heated up to the film formation temperature, the corrosive gas that enters the space corrodes the lower heater. Furthermore, it is necessary to set a temperature at the time of transporting the substrate into or from the space where the film formation process is performed ("transport temperature") to be equal to or lower than a temperature at which the corrosive gas corrodes the lower heater. It is disadvantageously impossible to improve productivity by increasing the transport temperature at the time of transporting the substrate into or from the space where the film formation process is performed before or after the film formation process.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the conventional problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a film formation apparatus and a film formation method capable of preventing corrosive gas from entering a space where a lower heater is provided and preventing the lower heater from being corroded by the corrosive gas at the time of transporting a substrate into or from a space where a film formation process is performed, and capable of improving productivity by enabling the substrate to be transported in a high temperature atmosphere.

Film formation apparatus and film formation method


A silver halide color photographic light sensitive material is disclosed, containing a coupler highly soluble in organic solvents and superior in dispersibility and dispersion stability in a silver halide emulsion, which is represented by the following formula: ##STR1## The coupler includes a pyrazolotriazole coupler reprepresented by the following formula: ##STR2##

In a silver halide color photographic light sensitive material (hereinafter, also denoted as a color photographic material or photographic material), which incorporates a coupler in a silver halide emulsion layer, an oleophilic ballast group is introduced into the coupler molecule, and the coupler is dissolved in an organic high boiling solvent and dispersed in a hydrophilic colloid to be incorporated in the layer.
Basic properties required for the coupler are that it be highly soluble in a high boiling organic solvent, that it can be readily dispersed in a silver halide emulsion and its dispersion stability be excellent and resist precipitation, that a clear dye image superior in spectral absorption characteristics and having a broad color reproduction region can be formed, which is fast to light, heat and humidity, and that it can be made from inexpensive materials through a fairly simple process, with high reproducibility and yield.
The role of the coupler in the above performance is extensive and specific ballast groups are proposed in Japanese Patents 44-3660, 48-25655, 48-25932, 48-25934, 49-16057, 51-40804, JP-A 47-4481, 49-8228, 50-19435, 51-126831, 52-86333, 56-30126, 57-146251, 58-42045, 59-177557, and 60-24547, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,908,573, 2,920,961 and 3,227,544.
However, these ballast groups were proved to be insufficient for satisfying the above properties.
In particular, a pyrazolotriazole type cyan coupler requires further improvements in terms of high solubility in a high boiling organic solvent, excellent color reproduction in a high density region and capable of being produced from inexpensive materials through a relatively simple synthesis method with high reproducibility and high yield.

Silver halide color photographic light sensitive material


When image data sets are inserted in image data insertion areas in a template, the image data sets can be set preferably in the insertion areas with easy operation. A user connects a user terminal to a print order reception center via a network, and uploads the image data sets to be used. The user specifies reference points in the respective image data sets by using instruction input means. An order reception server displays composite images generated by matching the image data reference points with reference points predetermined in each of template data candidates at the time the template candidates are displayed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for composite image generation by inserting image data in an insertion area of a template or the like, and to a program that causes a computer to execute the composite image generation method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been known digital photograph service systems for carrying out various types of digital photograph services such as storing photographs obtained by users in image servers after digitization thereof, recording the photographs in CD-Rs to be provided to the users, printing images photographed by users with digital cameras, and receiving orders for additional prints. As one form of such digital photograph service systems, a network photograph service system for receiving print orders or the like via a network such as the Internet has also been proposed.
In such a network photograph service system, a user installs viewer software in his/her personal computer, which acts as a user terminal, for reproducing image data recorded in a CD-R or obtained by a digital camera. The user reproduces images represented by the image data, and generates order information describing the content of an order by using an ordering function built-in to the viewer software if the user wishes to place an order. The user transfers the order information and the image data representing the images to be printed, from the user terminal to an order reception server via the network such as the Internet.
The order reception server transfers the order information and the image data to a print server installed in a laboratory or in a mini-laboratory of a DPE store. The print server prints the image data for generating printed matter such as an additional print, a picture postcard as a composite image generated from a template and a photograph inserted in the template, or a photograph album, based on the order information. In the case where the order reception server and the print server are located at the same place, printing is carried out immediately after reception of the image data and the order information.
The printed matter generated in the above manner is delivered to an agency specified by the user at the time of placing the order. In this manner, the user can receive the printed matter by paying a charge at the agency.
The order information herein referred to is information such as a processing number for specifying the content of a printing service (generation of ordinary prints or picture postcards or the like), an image number for specifying a photograph (a number representing an image data file), a print size, a quantity of prints, specification of printing paper (such as glossy or non-glossy), thickness of the printing paper, the content of photographic processing, and trimming specification, for example. The order information further includes information regarding the name, the address, the zip code and the phone number of the user, for example.
In the case where a picture postcard is ordered from the network photograph service system described above, image data representing a photograph to be used therefor are prepared and a template to be combined with the image data is selected from a selection page in which templates used for picture postcard generation are displayed. Each of the templates has an insertion area for the image data, and a position and an enlargement ratio are specified for insertion of the photograph represented by the image data in the insertion area. Furthermore, if necessary, an enlargement ratio and a rotation angle are also specified for the image data displayed in the image insertion area in the template, at the time of actually placing an order. In the case where the photograph represented by the image data is too large for the insertion area, the photograph is trimmed according to the size of the image insertion area. For this purpose, a range of the photograph displayed for insertion is specified as desired, by dragging the range with a mouse. In the network photograph service system described above, personal information such as the name the address, and the E-mail address of the user can be inserted in the picture postcard. A print image representing the picture postcard is generated in the above manner, and the user places the order if he/she is satisfied with the print image.
However, in the method described above, the print image of the picture postcard is not clearly understood before the photograph is inserted in the template. Furthermore, if the user is not satisfied with the print image after generating the composite image from the photograph and the template, the user needs to reselect another template to carry out the same procedures again, which is troublesome for the user. For this reason, there has been proposed a method wherein composite images generated by insertion of image data in templates are displayed so that a user can easily understand how the composite images look at the time of template selection. However, this method does not necessarily guarantee preferable display of the composite images, since each of the templates may have a different shape of the insertion area therein.

Method, apparatus and program for composite image generation


A method and system for reducing the inductance on an integrated circuit. The method and system comprises providing a first differential line, including a first input and a first output, the first differential line including at least two bondwire traces which are coupled in parallel. The method and system also comprises providing a second differential line including a second input and a second output, the second differential line including at least two bondwire traces which are coupled in parallel, the first differential line being of opposite polarity to the second differential line. The method and system further comprises cross-coupling of the first input with the second input and the first output with the second output to reduce the inductance caused by bondwire traces. A technique in accordance with the invention uses the coupling factor K to help to further reduce the inductance. By changing the input ordering of differential bondwires/traces, the bondwire/trace magnetic coupling factor K can be used to reduce the line inductance.

Integrated circuits and/or packages include a plurality of traces for coupling different components together. The chip package bondwires (or onchip or on-board traces) usually has a large inductance. At high frequencies, this large inductance will cause a large RF swing. Furthermore, the large inductance will make the matching wideband applications more difficult.
The conventional way to reduce the inductance of the traces is to parallel multiple bondwires/traces. In this traditional approach, the magnetic coupling factor K has a negative effect on reducing the parallel bondwires/traces inductance. FIG. 1 illustrates the conventional technique to reduce the bondwire/trace inductance. L1-L4 are the chip bondwires, on-chip layout trace or board traces. In the case that L1-L4 are bondwires, P1 and P2 are connected to bondpads on die and P3 and P4 are connected to package pins. In the case that L1-L4 are differential traces on chip or on board, P1 and P2 are differential inputs and P3 and P4 are differential outputs. The conventional way to reduce the inductance is to parallel L1 and L2 (or L3 and L4) to make the effective inductance from P1 to P3 (or P2 to P4) smaller.
Let L1=L2=L3=L4=L, and inductance coupling factor is K. If coupling factor K=0, the effective inductance from P1 to P3 (or P2 to P4) Lpp=L1*L2/9L2+L2)=L/2. If K is not 0, the magnetic fields of the bondwires/traces will strengthen each other and the Lpp>L/2. Accordingly, the larger K is, the larger the Lpp. So the reduction from parallel bondwire approach does necessarily reduce the inductance.
Therefore the traditional method in some instances sometimes does not reduce the inductance. The larger K is, the larger the inductance. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method to overcome the above-identified issues. The present invention addresses such a need.

System and method to reduce the bondwire/trace inductance

Ralink Technology (Singapore) Corporation


Substrates having increased thermal conductivity are provided, comprising a body having opposed surfaces and a cavity that opens on at least one surface, the cavity containing at least one material having a greater thermal conductivity than the body. Devices are provided comprising a substrate and a semiconductor over a surface of the substrate. Methods of forming devices according to the invention are also provided.

1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed to semiconductor devices that have reduced thermal resistance.
2. Description of Related Art
Some semiconductor devices experience poor performance because the heat that is generated during operation is not able to flow out of the semiconductor device efficiently. This leads to an increase in temperature that is detrimental to the performance of the semiconductor device. In many cases the temperature rise (ΔT) is proportional to the heat per unit time (ΔW) that is generated by the semiconductor device, i.e., ΔT=RΔW. Here, the proportionality factor R is the thermal resistance of the semiconductor device.
The inefficient heat flow out of the semiconductor device is often attributable to those parts of the device that have low thermal conductivity. In some semiconductor devices, during operation, heat must flow from the point where the heat is generated to an external heat sink. The heat sink has a sufficiently large thermal mass so that its temperature remains equal to the ambient air. However, to reach the heat sink, the heat must often flow through a region of the device that has a low thermal conductivity. In this case, the thermal resistance R of the semiconductor device will be high. As a result, the temperature in the semiconductor device will be much higher than the temperature of the heat sink.
In light emitting diodes and lasers, heat is generated in the active region of the device and in the p- and n-contacts. This heat must usually flow through the substrate to reach the external heat sink. Light emitting diodes and lasers can be formed on substrates that have poor thermal conductivities. Sapphire, a commonly used substrate, has, for example, a thermal conductivity (Kth) of 0.42 W/cmK at room temperature.
The light output intensity of a light emitting device depends on the temperature at which the light emitting device operates. With a constant current flowing through such a light emitting device, the light output intensity is reduced as the temperature increases. In some cases, high temperatures will prevent lasing in laser diodes and the like. In semiconductor devices that have two or more light emitting devices adjacent to each other, the light ouput intensity of the first light emitting device is affected by the output power of the adjacent light emitting devices. This occurs because the temperature in the first device is affected by the amount of dissipated power, and therefore the amount of heat, that is generated by the adjacent devices. This effect is known as thermal cross-talk. For many applications, e.g., laser printing, cross-talk between adjacent light emitting devices is highly undesirable, because the light emitting devices are desirably separately addressable and completely independent from each other.

Substrates having increased thermal conductivity for semiconductor structures


Compositions and methods are provided for incorporating processed oils with high monoacylglyceride (MAG) content into products and food products. Methods are specifically provided for generating high MAG content processed oils.

Chronic deficiency in the secretion of digestive enzymes by the pancreas is termed Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI). Without these digestive enzymes, patients suffering from EPI cannot properly digest nutrients in food and may suffer from malnutrition and abdominal disorders. EPI is prevalent in individuals with chronic pancreatitis and several other chronic gastrointestinal disorders. EPI also manifests in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis. The effects of EPI can be mitigated by Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT), in which the individual administers enzyme capsules each time food is consumed. Conventionally, PERT treatment comprises pancreatic enzymes extracted from porcine pancreas.
Lipids are energy-dense compounds that are the source of essential long chain fatty acids. Consumed lipids, typically comprising a high percentage of triacylglyceride (TAG) are digested with lipases secreted from the pancreas into free fatty acids (FFA) and monoacylglyceride (MAG). Blockage of lipase release from the pancreas results in very poor digestion of triacylglyceride-containing fats and oils. For patients suffering from EPI, this can lead to significant malnutrition because the calories, essential fatty acids and fat-soluble nutrients are trapped in the un-digested lipid particles and pass through the system.
There is an un-met clinical need for alternative sources of nutrition that can be consumed without needing to supplement with PERT by individuals with EPI.
Partially hydrolyzed fats and oils, in the form of MAGs are readily absorbed by individuals with EPI, without the requirement of PERT. MAG oil-based products have been evaluated in the clinic as capsule-based nutritional supplements; however, capsules were utilized to avoid the bad taste. For conventional sources of MAG oils, the starting oil is treated chemically or enzymatically to make MAGs, which are then extracted with solvents and distilled to fractionate the MAGs away from other components of the starting oils. These MAG products are sold as relatively pure products containing only negligible amounts of contaminating free fatty acid (FFA), diacylglycerides (DAGs) and TAGs, and with virtually no other compounds. Thus, conventional sources of MAG oil often lack the other natural compounds found in the oil, such as tocopherol.
There is clinical need for nutritional products with very-high-energy caloric density that can be consumed by individuals with inefficient or compromised digestive systems. In addition to individuals with pancreas pathologies (e.g., cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer patients) other patients with diagnosed or undiagnosed Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) would benefit from the products. In addition, individuals with bile dysfunction (cholestasis) may benefit from "pre-digested" fats that do not require bile acids for emulsification. There are high calorie "energy bars" and drinks on the market. But, these products are not suitable for individuals who are unable to digest (hydrolyze) the fats in the product. Until now, no one has formulated lipids into liquid (shakes) and solid (bar) forms that are suitable for "PERT-free" use. These formulations can be a source of "Complete Nutrition", suppling all the caloric and essential fatty acid requirements of individuals. Liquid nutrition can be in the form of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) products of products for enteral feeding.
Accordingly, there is need for high caloric density foods that can be consumed by individuals with inefficient or compromised digestive systems. The present application describes a method to produce an edible enzyme-modified oil (EMO) that is substantially free of TAGs.
Monochloropropandiol (MCPD) and glycidyl esters are formed during the refining of edible oils. These compounds are toxic to humans and need to be minimized in food products. 3-MCPD is currently classified as a possible human carcinogen (group 2B) according to The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Glycidol is categorized as probably carcinogenic for humans (group 2A) by IARC and the US National Toxicology program. Current standards recommend exposure of less than 2 ug/kg body weight per day, which is less than 140 ug per day for a 70 kg man, and only 10 ug/day for a 5 kg (˜10 lb) baby.
MCPD compounds were first detected in acid (HCl) hydrolyzed protein, but in 2008 the presence of MCPD esters in refined vegetable oils was discovered. It turned out the problem was widespread. Many edible oils are processed to remove components that negatively impact appearance, taste, shelf stability, safety and consumer acceptance. Mono- and di-acyl glycerols (MAGs and DAGs) in the oils can react with chlorine ions in the deodorization process to produce 3-Monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) esters and glycidyl esters (GEs).
Table 1 below shows the levels of MCPD compounds in a sampling of edible oils in the United States (from Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 2013 Vol. 30, No. 12, 2081-2092).
Refined Oilmg/kgAlmond2.14Canola0.39Coconut0.97Corn0.85Cottonseed0.93Grape seed2.88Olive1.04Palm6.69Palm Kernel0.64Palm Olein10.17Palm Stearin6.82Peanut0.98Soybean0.36Sunflower0.94
The estimated US infant exposures to 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters consumption of infant formula was recently reported (J. Spungen et al. Food Additives & Contaminants: Part T A 2018, VOL. 35, NO. 6, 1085-1092). In this analysis, US FDA data on 3-MCPD and Glycidyl Ester concentrations (as 3-MCPD and glycidol equivalents, respectively) in a small convenience sample of infant formulas were used to estimate exposures from consumption of formula by infants 0-6 months of age. 3-MCPD and GE exposures based on mean concentrations in all formulas were estimated at 7-10 and 2 μg/kg bw/day, respectively. Estimated mean exposures from consumption of formulas produced by individual manufacturers ranged from 1 to 14 μg/kg bw/day for 3-MCPD and from 1 to 3 μg/kg for GE.
Accordingly, there is need for methods to reduce and eliminate these compounds in edible oils. The method of the present application to produce an edible enzyme-modified oil (EMO) that is substantially free of TAGs and contaminants such as MCPD and therefore addresses this need.
Some vegetable oils are rich in oleic acid. These oils have demonstrated health benefits. Some of this can be attributed to the oleic acid and oils that are rich in this fatty acid such as olive oil, almond oil and canola (rapeseed) oil. Triolein is a TAG that is very rich in oleic acid, as illustrated below. Triolein is 100% oleic acid esterified to glycerol at all three positions. The three positions are defined as "sn-1, sn-2 and sn-3". Sn is "stereo number."

Given the health benefits of these oils, there is a need for compositions and methods that can provide the health benefits of these oils for individuals suffering from EPI, and to enhance and make the beneficial components of the oils more available.

Method of making monoacylglyceride oils and food products containing monoacylglyceride oils


The bins are situated in locations at one or more sites. A monitoring station located remotely from the bins is operably connected to each of the bins. Each bin includes an internal compartment having a given capacity for retaining paper to be shredded. An IR-LED distance measuring sensor is mounted within each bin for generating an output which is a function of the level of paper present in the compartment. The bin electronics monitors the status of the sensor and the power input to the bin. Signals are transmitted the monitoring station when the output of the sensor indicates that bin is filled to a pre-set percentage of its capacity and when a sensor or power failure are detected. At the monitoring station, information as to the remaining capacity and operational state of each bin is displayed and stored.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bins for retaining paper products to be shredded for collection and more particularly to a system and method for monitoring the remaining capacity and operational state of multiple shred bins in locations at one or more sites.
2. Description of Prior Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Paper shredders are well known in the art for disposing of paper containing confidential or otherwise sensitive material. Paper is commonly shredded in one of two ways. It can be shredded on site using self-contained portable shredders located on the premises, such as in offices or homes. However, paper is often collected and shipped to a remote location for shredding by larger machines in order to increase efficiency and reduce cost or for security concerns and requirements.
In the latter instance, containers into which paper to be shredded can deposited for collection are located throughout a facility. For example, in a multiple floor office building, containers or multiple containers could be positioned various points or at a central location on each floor or within each office suite. Locations of containers can be spread out in every department and have multiple containers at high use areas. The collection of containers is very time consuming and drivers do not know the specific area where containers are located in every building and every floor. The amount of time needed to locate every container and to empty same is a huge waste of valuable labor and equipment use if the container is not at a high enough fill level. Conventional collection systems do not direct drivers to specific containers and provide their location in a building. Paper deposited in those containers would be collected periodically and sent by vehicle or other means of transport to a remote location for shredding. Today the collection of paper from containers is typically done according to a weekly, biweekly of monthly schedule.
The containers themselves are usually box-like and often referred to as a "shred bin." The shred bin commonly consists of a cabinet with an internal paper retaining compartment and an entrance slot or opening on or near the top of the cabinet through which paper can be deposited into the compartment. A fabric bag or form fitting plastic insert is placed in the container to catch the paper and as a means to remove the paper from the container. Further, an access door is provided, typically at the front of the cabinet, for removing the paper retained in the compartment. The removed paper is collected and transported to a remote facility for shredding.
Presently, collection vehicles are dispatched to each site where the shred bins are located on a scheduled basis, regardless of whether the shred bins are full to capacity or not. Accordingly, many of the bins will not have been filled to capacity when the contents are collected.
Further, when the scheduled collection occurs, many of the bins may have been full to capacity for some time. Those bins have been unable to accept additional materials and thus have been unusable for that time period.
The present invention is intended to increase the efficiency of the collection of the contents of multiple shred bins by equipping each shred bin with a sensor capable measuring the remaining capacity of the bin compartment and means for ascertaining the operational state of the electronics of the bin. That information is transmitted from the bin, preferably using the Internet, to a remote central monitoring station. At the monitoring station, the capacity and operational information for each of the bins in the system is displayed such that vehicles can be dispatched to the bin sites only when the bins are approaching full capacity or require repair.

System and method for monitoring the remaining capacity and operational state of multiple shred bins


A protective window assembly and its use with a focusing assembly lens in a laser beam generating apparatus, the protective window assembly contains a window to protect the focusing lens against contamination and the like.

Lasers are a common and important mechanism for cutting, marking, welding, and surface modifying substrates such as metals including stainless steel. The term "Laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The most common stimulating media are carbon dioxide gas and neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG).
Maximizing laser productivity depends on output power, laser beam quality, and ease of operation of the device for its intended purpose. One of the more common reasons for poor laser performance is the result of contamination of the laser apparatus, particularly the focusing lens. Sources of laser contamination include impurities in the laser gases or in the nozzle pressurizing gas, vacuum-system leaks, back-streaming of vacuum pump oil into the laser cavity, sputtering of metal atoms from electrodes, fingerprints and vacuum grease, and contaminants present where optics are stored, and the like.
Most laser systems use some type of nozzle in front of the final focusing lens. The nozzle delivers a pressurized gas to the workpiece and is designed to prevent debris from spraying onto the focusing lens. Contamination of the focusing lens is one of the prime reasons for poor laser performance and downtime of laser operations. However, no nozzle system is perfect and some debris, fume or backspatter will occasionally reach the lens.
More recently laser systems have employed a protective window to protect the focusing lens against contamination. The protective window is positioned in front of the focusing lens both of which are contained within a lens assembly. This system is disadvantageous because the protective window, requires modification or disassembly of the lens assembly to replace or renew the protective window which can alter the focal length of the laser beam. Such a system is frequently impractical because the lens holder is not designed to accommodate a protective window.
Lasers are a widely used means for cutting steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, plastic wood and other substances. They are also used for welding. In many cutting applications high pressure gas, known as assist gas, is used to aid in the cutting process. Oxygen under pressure is used to cut carbon or mild steel. Nitrogen assist gas is commonly used to cut stainless steel and argon and helium are used to cut titanium. Gases used to cut substances other than mild steel tend to be used under higher pressures than oxygen used to cut mild steel. The assist gases perform various functions depending upon the material being cut.
Oxygen reacts with the iron in mild steel and releases energy which causes more rapid melting of the steel than the laser alone would cause at the same power level. The reaction of oxygen with iron effectively doubles the energy output of the laser. Stainless steel is cut with inert assist gas because oxygen cutting leaves an undesirable dark adherent scale on the surface and produces rough edges on thicker pieces. Due to the absence of the oxygen-iron reaction, higher power must be used to cut stainless steel.
The high viscosity of stainless steel melted by CO.sub.2 laser cutting causes dross adherence to the bottom edge of the material. To solve this problem, very high assist gas pressures are blown through the kerf to drive off the dross. Assist gases may also be used to blow the "spatter" generated by the cutting process away from the laser's focusing lens and for cooling the focusing lens. Assist gas is introduced to the cutting area through the cutting head of the laser and is delivered to cutting area by the same nozzle through which the laser beam passes. When the assist gas is introduced into the cutting head it is in the same chamber in which the focusing lens is situated and the gas therefore applies pressure to the lens.
The smoke and steel particles arising out of CO.sub.2 laser cutting and welding processes are known as "spatter". Spatter can damage a laser focusing lens or the anti-reflective coating that is deposited on the lens to enhance the transmission of energy through the lens. Spatter tends to be small particles which adhere to the focusing lens or the anti-reflective coating on the lens. Spatter can burn and pit the lens and the coating. The energy that a focusing lens transmits decreases as spatter damage and contamination build up on the lens, until the point is reached that insufficient energy is transmitted to the focal point of the laser for the efficient cutting to continue. At that point the lens must be replaced. CO.sub.2 laser focusing lenses are quite expensive.
Recently, users of certain laser systems have employed protective windows in front of the focusing lens to protect the focusing lens from spatter. These protective windows are normally added by the user and, to date, no means of using them is provided by any laser system manufacturer. However, users with systems with sufficient room in the focusing lens mount have placed protective windows in front of the lens with limited success. Many users have laser systems in which the lens mount will not accommodate a protective window unless the focusing lens is moved. But, moving the lens alters the focal point of the laser beam. If the system does not provide the focusing flexibility to accommodate movement of the focusing lens or if there is not sufficient room in the lens mount for another optic, then the protective window cannot be inserted without some modification or addition to the lens mount that will accommodate a protective window. For this reason many users of laser welding and cutting systems have been prevented from using protective windows.
NaCl and KCl are the materials that are most practical to use as protective windows. Unfortunately, protective windows made from these materials will break under pressure. Accordingly, the use of protective windows has been largely confined to CO.sub.2 laser welding systems where assist gases are not used and pressure on the protective window is not a factor.
Since most cutting lasers operate at high pressure at least part of the time, a means must be devised to deal with the pressure to make use of protective windows practical in cutting applications. Merely making room for the protective window in the lens mounting system does not deal with the pressure.
The typical protective window used in a CO.sub.2 laser is a crystal material made of NaCl or KCl. These window materials are economical and they will transmit 90% or more of the available energy in a CO.sub.2 laser system without an expensive anti-reflective coating, but these materials will not withstand the high pressure assist gases used for cutting.
As noted above, there are no laser cutting systems on the market made by any major laser manufacturer that accommodate protective windows. The employment of a method or apparatus that allows a protective window to operate in pressure neutral environment or is otherwise protected from assist gas pressure is constrained by the geometry and other design features of industrial lasers in which it is desirable to employ a protective window. Certain laser systems employ lens mounting configurations which do not leave enough room to employ means for use of protective windows in the presence of high assist gas pressures, and other laser systems employ proprietary designs incorporating features such as automatic focusing that make it impractical to alter or add to the manufacturer's lens mount design. According to a recent survey published by Industrial Laser Review, there are many thousands of industrial laser welding and cutting systems in the field and 1200 new cutting systems are being sold annually. Since none of the laser systems mentioned provide means for use of protective windows and since the cost of replacing damaged focusing lenses in such systems is material, it would be a significant advance in the art to provide a method and device for protecting focusing lenses in such laser systems from spatter.
Apparatus for holding protective windows in front of laser focusing lens is known in the art. Cosmescu (U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,397) and Diakuzno (U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,353) disclose devices intended to protect the optics of lasers employed in surgical processes from blood and body fluids that would impair their operation during procedures such as laser laparoscopy. These devices are employed in systems which are entirely different than industrial CO.sub.2 laser cutting systems. The devices disclosed by Cosmescu and Diakuzno are used in low power lasers. The device disclosed by Diakuzno relates to fiber optic systems for Nd:YAG and Argon lasers, not high power industrial lasers such as CO.sub.2 lasers.
More important, the blood and body fluids that foul the optics in a surgical procedure are considerably different from such substances as molten metals and molten plastics that attack the optics in a CO.sub.2 laser cutting system. The latter are mostly solids which do permanent damage by adhering to the lens or burning and pitting the lens, whereas the former are mostly water and can be wiped off. The economical protective windows that are practical to use for CO.sub.2 cutting lasers, such as NaCl and KCl, could not be used in surgery because they are water soluble; whereas in a surgical procedure an expensive insoluble crystal such as sapphire can be used and reused as a protective window. It would not be practical to use sapphire in a cutting laser because it is considerably more costly than NaCl and KCl. In fact, sapphire is just as costly as Zinc Selenide (ZnSe), the material from which focusing lenses are made. It makes no economic sense to sacrifice a sapphire protective window for a ZnSe lens in an industrial laser. Although a sapphire protective window could be cleaned and reused in the surgical setting, it would be quickly destroyed in an industrial cutting or welding setting.
Another significant difference between high power CO.sub.2 laser cutting systems and the low power surgical laser systems in which the devices disclosed by the prior art are intended to be used, is the use of assist gas at pressures of 30 psig or higher to cut stainless steel and other substances in the CO.sub.2 laser cutting systems. High pressure assist gas is not used to cut human tissue during surgery. The high pressure assist gas used in CO.sub.2 laser cutting systems is not addressed by Cosmescu or Diakuzno. The use of inexpensive materials as protective windows in CO.sub.2 laser cutting systems requires use of a method of employing an optical mounting device or an apparatus that neutralizes assist gas pressure to provide support for the protective window such as the method and apparatus disclosed in this application.
Finally, the devices disclosed in the prior art are intended to be incorporated into systems and apparatus that are designed to accommodate protective windows whereas the instant invention is intended to be suitable for retrofitting into existing systems as well as to be incorporated into new designs.

Protective window assembly and method of using the same for a laser beam generating apparatus


The invention is directed to the treatment of prostate cancer by means of antibodies. Above all, the invention relates to the administration of an anti-alpha-v integrin (receptor) antibody to patients suffering from prostate cancer, especially castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), optionally accompanied by lymph node and bone tissue metastases (mCRPC). In particular, the invention relates to the therapy of said patients by means of the anti-angiogenic antibody DI17E6 and structural mutants thereof.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer aside skin cancer in the US, and is the second most common cause of male cancer deaths.
Prostate cancer is classified in four stages: Stage I prostate cancer is found in the prostate only and cannot be felt during a digital rectal exam nor is it visible by imaging. In stage II prostate cancer, the tumor has grown inside the prostate but has not extended beyond it, whereas in stage III, the cancer has spread outside the prostate, but to a minimal extent only. Often, prostate cancer in stage III will have spread only to nearby tissues, such as the seminal vesicles. Finally, in stage IV, the cancer has spread outside the prostate to other tissues, such as the lymph nodes, bones, liver, and/or lungs or brain.
The spectrum of prostate cancers that are progressing despite castrate levels of testosterone includes tumors that have shown varying degrees and durations of response to primary hormone treatment, and clinical manifestations that range from a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) alone, a rising PSA with osseous and/or soft-tissue spread, or a predominantly visceral disease pattern.
Currently approved treatment of prostrate cancer includes surgical castration, chemical castration, or a combination of surgical and chemical castration. Removal of the testes, the primary testosterone producing organ, reduces the levels of circulating androgens, to less than 5% of normal levels. This reduction in androgen levels inhibits prostate tumor growth. Although the anti-tumor effects of surgical castration are direct, the anti-tumor effects can be temporary. Surgical castration often leads to clonal selection of androgen-independent prostate tumor cells. This results in re-growth of the prostate tumor in a form that proliferates without testosterone or DHT Stimulation. Chemical castration (also called medical castration) is often substituted for surgical castration, as an initial treatment. Despite its high prevalence, treatment options for men having prostate cancer remain relatively limited and typically depend on the stage of the cancer.
Treatment options include surgical treatments such as radical prostatectomy, in which the prostate is completely removed and radiation, applied through an external beam that directs the dose to the prostate from outside the body or via low-dose radioactive seeds that are implanted within the prostate to kill cancer cells locally. Anti-androgen hormone therapy also is used in the treatment of prostate cancer, either alone or in conjunction with surgery or radiation. Hormone therapy typically aims at blocking the pituitary from producing hormones that stimulate testosterone production by use of castration or administration of hormone analogs and requires that patients have injections of these hormone analogs for protracted periods. Finally, chemotherapeutic approaches have been used to treat advanced prostate cancer, usually as a last resort when other approaches have failed. Since a couple of years, the combination of docetaxel and prednisone was established as the new standard of care for patients who have progressed on androgen deprivation.
None of the treatments described above are curative and prostate cancer being androgen dependent at first, often will progress despite surgical and hormonal-based therapies, and become resistant over time, leading to a cancer type which is called "hormone refractory cancer" or "castration resistant cancer" (CRPC).
Clinical disease manifestations of CRPC are commonly related to bone metastases and may include pain, pathologic fractures, and spinal cord compression, with local recurrences that may be associated with pelvic discomfort, renal dysfunction due to ureteral compression, bladder outlet obstruction, and sexual dysfunction. Further, while bone cancer is the predominant result of CRPC, patients may develop soft-tissue metastases (lymph node(s)) and visceral metastasis in liver, lung, brain, and other organs. Patients with CRPC are minimally responsive to chemotherapy and the majority of patients die due to progressive prostate cancer within 20 months of initiating treatment. Bisphosphonates are commonly used in patients with castrate-resistant prostate cancer who have bone metastases.
It has been shown that prostate tumors remain dormant and clinically undetectable until they begin to secrete angiogenic factors and down-regulate the expression of angiogenic inhibitors. In general, it can be stated that angiogenesis is critical to the genesis of prostate tumors. Therefore, it was not completely surprising that anti-angiogenic agents inhibit prostate cancer cell growth.
In prostate cancer, tumor cells express an abnormal integrin repertoire and are surrounded by a markedly aberrant extracellular matrix (ECM). These changes have profound consequences, given the ability of each integrin to regulate specific cell functions. Expression of β3 and β1 subunits activates specific signaling pathways and support distinct cancer cell functions. β3 is uniquely required in cancer cells for increasing cdc2 levels as well as cdc2 kinase activity. These effects are specific for β3 and are not observed for β6. Up-regulation of β3 and β6 integrin variants has been described. Zheng et al. (Cancer Research 1999; 59, 1655-1664) used human prostate cancer cells isolated from sixteen surgical specimens, to show that these cells express αvβ3, whereas normal prostate epithelial cells do not. Similarly, αvβ6 was found to be expressed in adenocarcinoma (Li et al.; Molecular and Cellular Biology 2007; 27, 4444).
The use of integrin inhibitors is likely to affect both cancer cell survival and angiogenesis since integrins are expressed by tumor cells as well as by endothelial cells. Although it is hard to discriminate between an effect on tumor growth and an effect on angiogenesis, a maximal response of these inhibitors can be predicted when the targeted integrin is expressed by both tumor and endothelial cells.
Bone is the most frequent metastatic site for prostate cancer. Bisanz et al. (Molecular Therapy 2005; 12, 634-643) illustrate a positive role for alpha-v integrins on prostate tumor survival in the bone. Analysis of human prostate cancer bone xenografts shows that intratumoral administration of liposome encapsulated human alpha-v siRNAs significantly inhibits the growth of PC3 tumors in bone and increases apoptosis of prostate tumor cells. Further studies (McCabe et al., Oncogene 2007; 26, 6238-6243) demonstrate that αvβ3 integrin activation on tumor cells is essential for the recognition of key bone specific matrix proteins. These data suggest that the αvβ3 integrin modulates prostate cancer growth in distant metastasis.
Since integrins mediate the interactions between tumor cells and bone microenvironment and facilitate growth in bone, a potential application of the use of integrin inhibitors is to prevent prostate cancer bone lesions. These lesions are osteoblastic and/or osteolytic and are frequently detected in prostate cancer patients (over 80% of prostate cancer patients have established bone metastasis at autopsy).
A recent study has shown that the αvβ3 integrin promotes bone gain mediated by prostate cancer cells that metastasize to the bone and point to αvβ3 as a potential therapeutic target to block prostate cancer osteoblastic lesions. Immunohistochemical analysis has demonstrated the presence of αv integrin in a large proportion of human prostate cancer tissues samples.
These and other results suggest that anti-integrin agents may have both direct and indirect antitumor activity. But there are only few clinical trials reporting that peptide or non-peptide integrin inhibitors are effective agents in prostate cancer therapy.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a potent anti-integrin agent for use in the therapy of prostate cancer, especially castration-resistant prostate cancer developing bone metastases.

Anti-alpha-V integrin antibody for the treatment of prostate cancer


A bow-mounted archery quiver having a twin-hood design provides improved noise reduction and balance features. Arrows are held in a vertical position and may be removed in either of two directions relative to the archer. An arrow-holding element is formed from an elastomeric material, preferably a viscoelastic polyurethane elastomer. The quiver is provided with an offset configuration so as not to interfere with operation of the bow. The quiver may be mounted to the side of the handle riser of a bow using a dovetail mounting arrangement. A quick release mechanism allows for positive one-hand push-button release of the quiver from the archery bow.

It is often advantageous in archery to use a quiver to hold spare arrows. For quivers that are to be used in hunting applications it is desirable that the quiver be bow-mounted to allow rapid fire and reload capability. Other desirable features of quivers used for hunting are that they have low weight, that they be balanced, and that they be quiet. A still further desirable feature is that the quiver, whether used in target archery or hunting, be quickly de-mountable, especially in the case of hunting quivers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,665 to Stinson teaches provision of a mount for mounting a quiver to a bow for optimal mass positioning and distribution, to dynamically balance the bow and quiver combination. The mount includes an elongated extension plate which is attached to the side of the bow handle riser and includes an offset longitudinal configuration, with a releasable attachment device for the quiver disposed outwardly from the bow. The offset configuration positions the quiver close to the plane in which the bowstring moves when shooting an arrow, so that the bow and quiver assembly have an optimum mass distribution that is dynamically balanced and thus minimizes vibration and torque forces acting on the bow when an arrow is shot, thus improving accuracy and shooting comfort.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,584 to Judson et al. describes a quiver for holding a plurality of arrows, the quiver including a base member and spaced arrow-holding assemblies. Each arrow-holding assembly includes a plurality of independently pivotable arrow-engaging tabs. An arrow is removed from the quiver by moving the arrow to pivot the tabs. The arrow-holding assemblies may be adjusted along the longitudinal dimension of the base member. The adjustment may be made by use of a mounting flange affixed to each arrow-holding assembly. The mounting flange has a groove corresponding to a tongue in a base member. Each arrow holding assembly may include a base plate having a stop plate upwardly extending therefrom, such that the stop plate limits the pivotable movement of the pivotable tabs. The quiver may also be provided with a mounting bracket for mounting the quiver to a bow. Arcuate slots in one end of the bracket allow pins to move within the arcuate slots to adjust the position of the quiver relative to the bow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,496 to Stinson teaches a bow-mounted arrow quiver that includes an elongated frame, a shaft holder and support, and an arrowhead-receiving housing and shield. A compartmentalized member of resilient material having a plurality of openings or recesses therein is disposed within the housing for engaging and retaining the arrowheads in a snug and secure manner to prevent the arrows from slipping out of place or falling from the quiver and also to prevent damage to the arrowheads while at the same time preventing any rattling or other such sounds. A mounting plate adapted for permanent securement to a bow handle or other surface cooperates with a mounting pad and latch means on the frame to releasably but positively mount the quiver to the bow. A forward stabilizing clip assembly may be included to further stabilize the mounting of the quiver. A special compartment is preferably included in the arrowhead-receiving member and contains a scent-retaining element for any of a variety of hunter's scented liquids. The shaft holder mounts to the frame between clamping elements having mating lugs which prevent over-compression of the holder which might otherwise distort the shaft-receiving portions and result in undesired loosening of the shafts.


An ankle foot orthosis that provides a patient with forward flexing, energy loading, and balance control. The orthosis may also be adjustable for size and fit. The orthosis couples opposing stabilization forces that help to provide optimal balance control.

Drop Foot or Foot Drop is an abnormal neuromuscular disorder that affects a patient's ability to raise his/her foot at the ankle. A patient experiencing Drop Foot will also be unable to point his/her toes toward the body (dorsiflexion) or move the foot at the ankle inward or outward. The loss of function may also be accompanied by pain, weakness, and numbness.
Drop Foot makes walking difficult, causing a person to either drag the foot and toes or to engage in a high-stepping walk called "steppage gait." The condition is not a disease, but a symptom of an underlying problem. It is often caused by an interruption in the signal from the brain to the peroneal nerve. This nerve runs along the outside of the lower leg below the knee. People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's Disease, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, cerebral palsy, and stroke may experience the effects of the condition.
The underlying cause of the patient's Drop Foot is what dictates the type of treatment to be used. Some patients may be fitted with an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO), brace, or splint that fits into the shoe to stabilize the ankle/foot. Currently used ankle foot orthosis designs have side struts, but none of these devices provide forward flexing, energy loading, or balance control. Therefore, a need exists for an ankle foot orthosis that provides a patient with forward flexing, energy loading, and balance control.


A base station including a transmitting and receiving amplifier for amplifying CDMA signals exchanged with a mobile station; a radio stage connected to the transmitting and receiving amplifier for carrying out D/A conversion of a transmitted signal that undergoes baseband spreading, followed by quadrature modulation, and for carrying out quasi-coherent detection of a received signal, followed by A/D conversion; a baseband signal processor connected with the radio stage for carrying out baseband signal processing of the transmitted signal and the received signal; a transmission interface connected with the baseband signal processor for implementing interface with external channels; and a base station controller for carrying out control such as management of radio channels and establishment and release of the radio channels. The base station communicates with the external channels by mapping logical channels into physical channels. The CDMA signals are spread using a short code and a long code.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a base station in a mobile communications system, and more particularly to a base station capable of carrying out communications with mobile stations through high speed digital communication channels using CDMA.
2. The Relevant Technology
Recently, base stations in mobile communication systems have become increasingly faster owing to the development of novel communications methods such as CDMA (code division multiple access), which become possible with recent advances in digital communications techniques. In addition, fixed stations are also digitized, and come to use new switching networks such as ATM networks.
Thus, new base stations are required which meet such advances in technology.

Base station apparatus of mobile communication system


A work vehicle (1) including a suspended platform includes a work cage (10) to carry an operator, an arm mechanism (60) having a distal end, the distal end movable to an intended position by at least one of a rotating mechanism (30), an extension mechanism (40), or a derricking mechanism (50) installed on a vehicle body (20). The suspended platform (100) includes a support post (70) located at the distal end of the arm mechanism (60), a suspension frame (80), from which the work cage (10) is suspended, mounted on an upper end of the support post (70) to allow the operator to perform an operation above the upper end of the support post (70), and a lift mechanism (90) that raises or lowers the work cage (10) suspended from the suspension frame (80) with a plurality of lanyards (91) to a work position.

In the construction or maintenance of structures such as buildings, vessels, power plants, tanks, smokestacks, and bridges, suspended platforms including work cages have been used for safe and efficient high-rise operations on the wall surfaces. A suspended platform is installed on a rooftop, and has a work cage carrying an operator, which is suspended from the rooftop with lanyards such as wires.
The work cage of the suspended platform carries an operator who performs an operation on the wall surfaces while being lowered from the rooftop by changing the positions of the lanyards wound around the sheaves of endless winders (refer to, for example, Patent Literature 1).
For inspection or maintenance of road bridges or other structures, boom lift vehicles (bridge inspection vehicles) are used. A boom lift vehicle includes an arm mechanism and a work cage installed at the distal end of the arm mechanism, and moves the distal end of the arm mechanism to an intended position in combination with a rotating mechanism, an extension mechanism, and a derricking mechanism installed on the vehicle.
For example, an operator in the work cage of the boom lift vehicle moves the distal end of the arm mechanism to a work position from above the road to allow the operator in the work cage installed at the distal end to perform an operation (refer to, for example, Patent Literature 2).

Work vehicle including suspended platform


The present invention relates to a 5-(1,3-diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-ylmethylene)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivative or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, a method for preparing the same and an anticancer agent composition comprising the same as an active ingredient.

CDC25B is a phosphatase playing an important role in determining G2/M phase transition during cell division. Inhibition of CDC25B activity hinders cell division, and consequently, results in cell death; that is, it is related with anticancer action. Hyperexpression of CDC25B was observed in most tumors including stomach cancer (Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 1997, 88, 9947), colon cancer (Exp. Cell Res. 1998, 240, 236; Lab. Invest. 2001, 81, 465), lung cancer (Cancer Res. 1998, 58, 4082), brain cancer and laryngeal cancer (Cancer Res. 1997, 57, 2366), breast cancer (Cancer Statistics in Japan 1997 Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research, Tokyo, Jpn.), etc. Abnormal proliferations of mammary glands were observed in a transgenic mouse in which CDC25B was over-expressed (Oncogene 1999, 18, 4561). It was also reported that breast cancer is easily induced when treated with a carcinogen (9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene) to the transgenic mouse. Accordingly, CDC25B is an important target in developing an anticancer agent. That is, development of an anticancer agent capable of inhibiting CDC25B with little cytotoxicity to normal cells will be desirable.
EP 379979 A1 discloses that a 5-(substituted-1H-pyrazol-4-ylmethylene)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivative, with the pyrazole group at the 5-position of the thiazole having a pyrazolopyridine structure, can be used as adenosine antagonist.
Japanese Patent No. 55029804 discloses that the silver halide of a 5-(substituted-1H-pyrazol-4-ylmethylene)-thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivative, with the pyrazole group at the 5-position of the thiazole having a pyrazolone structure, is useful as a dye that inhibits blurring and photoemission in a photosensitizer.

5-(1,3-Diaryl-1H-pyrazol-4-ylmethylene)-thiazolidine,2,4-dione derivatives useful as anticancer agent

Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology


Oxidation and reduction reactions are carried out in a continuous aqueous solution having an acidic part and an alkaline part formed by electrolysis and electrodialysis of an acidic electrolyte separated by a cation permeable membrane from an alkaline electrolyte containing a soluble anion of an acid whereby hydrogen ions are electrotransported from an acidic electrolyte through a cation permeable membrane into said alkaline electrolyte to form the acidic part. Reactions are carried out in the acidic or alkaline part or simultaneously or successively in the acidic and alkaline parts by adding reactants to said alkaline electrolyte and passing electricity through said electrolysis and electrodialytic process. Chromium.sup.+6 in the alkaline part is reduced to chromium.sup.+3 in the acidic part by addition of sulfur dioxide to the alkaline part and the chromium.sup.+3 is precipitated by hydroxyl ions in the alkaline part.

The electrodialytic processes as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,288 provide a broadly applicable method for the electrodialytic conversion of multivalent metal salts in aqueous solutions into the acid or halogen of the salt anion and the hydroxide or insoluble salt of the metal cation. These salt splitting processes comprise the electrotransport of multivalent metal cations through a cation permeable membrane into an aqueous solution or catholyte containing a soluble salt of an acid which acid in a one normal solution would have a pH no greater than three and forms a water soluble salt of a multivalent metal cation and agents that insolubilize or ionically immobilize multivalent metal cations. The aqueous solutions receiving the multivalent metal cations are generally alkaline, having a pH greater than seven. These processes are used broadly for the purification and restoration of solutions containing chromic acid that are used for electroplating, anodizing, chromating and etching metals and plastics. At times trace quantities of chromate ions enter the alkaline catholyte and it is necessary to remove the chromate ions or to reduce the chromate ion to chromium.sup.+3 and to precipitate chromium.sup.+3 hydroxide to meet requirements for disposal of the alkaline catholyte. It is known that chromate ions can be reduced in acidic solutions, having a pH of about three, with reducing agents such as sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite and ferrous sulfate. The reactions are usually carried out in excess acid to complete the reactions and the reaction solution is then made alkaline to precipitate the chromium.sup.+3. It would be preferable that the chromate ions in the alkaline electrolyte be converted in the electrolyte without acidification and the electrolyte could be used continuously. It is an object of the instant invention to provide a method for conversion of chromate to chromium.sup.+3 ions in the alkaline electrolyte.
Oxidation and reduction reactions have been researched extensively and reported in literature. These reactions must always occur simultaneously. The element, compound or ion which has been reduced gains electrons from some element, compound or ion which is thereby oxidized. Every reaction involving an exchange of electrical charges is an oxidation-reduction reaction. It is not strictly accurate to describe the change merely as an oxidation or reduction reaction but often for simplicity reactions which involve oxidation-reduction are described as oxidation if the accompanying reduction is of subordinate interest. Hydrogen occupies an intermediate position in the electromotive series of elements. Consequently it acts as an oxidizing agent towards the metals which precede it and a reducing agent towards those which follow it in the series. The terms oxidizing agent and reducing agent depend upon the nature of the substance and the reaction environment with which it is brought into contact. It is known that pH of the reaction environment is an important variable in oxidation-reduction and most chemical reactions.
It is an object of this invention to provide a process for forming and maintaining with electricity a reaction environment that is a continuous liquid part acidic and part alkaline for carrying out oxidation-reductions and other chemical reactions.
Electrodialysis is a well know art (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,325,792; 4,439,293; 4,636,288; 4,652,351 and 4,684,453 the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference). Electrodialysis is the transport of ions through ion permeable membranes as a result of an electrical driving force. The process is commonly carried out in an electrochemical cell having a cathode compartment containing a cathode and a catholyte and an anolyte compartment containing an anode and anolyte, the catholyte and anolyte compartments being separated by ion permeable membranes. Electrodialysis can be carried out in cells containing more than two compartments and more than two electrolytes. When electricity is passed through an electrodialytic cell, cations tend to go to the cell cathode and anions to the cell anode. Oxidation occurs at the cell anode and reduction at the cell cathode. Water is electrolyzed to hydrogen ions and oxygen and hydroxyl ions and hydrogen. The electrodialytic conversion of multivalent metal salts is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,288.

Electrodialytic oxydation-reduction of metals