A dried, ready-to-eat pet food product comprising a gelatinized starch matrix which includes a coating or filling which contains a probiotic micro-organism. The cereal product is in the form of a pet food. The product may be produced by cooking a starch source to form a gelatinized starch matrix; forming the gelatinized matrix into pieces; drying the pieces; and coating or filling the pieces with a carrier which contains probiotic micro-organisms.

Probiotic micro-organisms are micro-organisms which beneficially affect a host by improving its intestinal microbial balance (Fuller, R; 1989; J. Applied Bacteriology, 66: 365-378). In general, probiotic micro-organisms produce organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid which inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens and Helicobacter pylori. Consequently, probiotic bacteria are believed to be useful in the treatment and prevention of conditions caused by pathogenic bacteria. Further, probiotic micro-organisms are believed to inhibit the growth and activity of putrefying bacteria and hence the production of toxic amine compounds. It is also believed that probiotic bacteria activate the immune function of the host.
Therefore there is considerable interest in including probiotic micro-organisms into foodstuffs. For example, many fermented milk products which contain probiotic micro-organisms are commercially available. Usually these products are in the form of yogurts and an example is the LC1.RTM. yogurt (Societe des Produits Nestle SA). Several infant and follow-up formulas which contain probiotic micro-organisms are also commercially available; for example the BIO NAN.RTM. formula (Societe des Produits Nestle SA).
Similarly, for animals, there has been interest in including probiotic micro-organisms into animal feeds. For example, Russian patent 2018313 discloses a powdered, spray-dried animal feed which is based upon milk and which contains certain bifidobacteria and streptococci. The animal feed is aimed primarily at live stock although it is mentioned that the feed may be fed to pets.
However, there are two main issues in incorporating probiotic micro-organisms into foodstuffs. First, the foodstuff must be in a form which is palatable to a consumer. Secondly, the probiotic micro-organism must remain viable during storage. The second issue is particularly problematic for ready-to-eat cereal products. These cereal products, unlike fermented milks, are required to have long storage lives; for example at least a year while the cell counts for many probiotic micro-organisms may fall away completely within one or two days. This is particularly the case if the water activity of the foodstuff is above about 0.5. This is usually the case for dried pet foods.
Therefore there is a need for a ready-to-eat cereal product which contains a probiotic micro-organism, is highly palatable, and which is storage stable.


The invention is directed to VESPR polypeptides as a purified and isolated protein, the DNA encoding the VESPR polypeptide, host cells transfected with cDNAs encoding VESPR, and methods for preparing VESPR polypeptides.

The semaphorin gene family includes a large number of molecules that encode related transmembrane and secreted glycoproteins known to be neurologic regulators. The semaphorins are generally well conserved in their extracellular domains which are typically about 500 amino acids in length. Semaphorin family proteins have been observed in neuronal and nonneuronal tissue and have been studied largely for their role in neuronal growth cone guidance. For example, the secreted semaphorins known as collapsin-1 and Drosophila semaphorin II are selectively involved in repulsive growth cone guidance during development. Flies having semaphorin II genes that are mutated so that their function is reduced exhibit abnormal behavior characteristics.
Another semaphorin gene has been identified in several strains of poxvirus. This semaphorin is found in vaccinia virus (Copenhagen strain) and is encoded in an open reading frame (ORF) known as A39R. The A39R encoded protein has no transmembrane domain and no potential membrane linkage and is known to be a secreted protein. A variola virus ORF also contains sequences that share homology with the vaccinia virus ORF A39R at the nucleotide level and the amino acid level. Another viral semaphorin, AHV-sema, has been found in the Alcelaphine Herpesvirus (AHV).
Genes encoding mammalian (human, rat, and mouse) semaphorins have been identified, based upon their similarity to insect semaphorins. Functional studies of these semaphorins suggest that embryonic and adult neurons require a semaphorin to establish workable connections. Significantly, the fast response time of growth cone cultures to appropriate semaphorins suggests that semaphorin signaling involves a receptor-mediated signal transduction mechanism. To date, one semaphorin receptor, designated neuropilin, has been isolated using mRNA from rat spinal cord. Another receptor, designated neuropilin-2, has been suggested (Kolodkin et al. Cell 90:753–762, 1997)
Semaphorin ligands that are secreted into the extracellular milieu signal through receptor bearing cells in a local and systemic fashion. In order to further investigate the nature of cellular processes regulated by such local and systemic signaling, it would be beneficial to identify additional semaphorin receptors and ligands. Furthermore, because virus encoded semaphorins are produced by infected cells and are present in viruses that are lytic (poxviruses) and viruses that are not known to be neurotropic (AHV), it is unlikely that their primary function is to modify neurologic responses. It is more likely that the virus encoded semaphorins function to modify the immunologic response of the infected host and it is likely that mammalian homologues to virus encoded semaphorins function to modify the immunologic response. In view of the suggestion that viral semaphorins may function in the immune system as natural immunoregulators it would be beneficial to identify semaphorin receptors as therapeutic agents for enhancing or downregulating the immune response.

Viral encoded semaphorin protein receptor DNA and polypeptides


A substrate processing apparatus includes a base with a process-side surface and a substrate support arranged on the process-side surface and designed to carry a substrate at its periphery. The periphery, more specifically the plane defined by the periphery, is spaced apart from the process-side surface. The substrate processing apparatus also includes a radiation sensor adapted to measure electromagnetic radiation arranged on a side of a back-side surface of the base. A radiation channel is arranged between the radiation sensor and the periphery of the substrate support, more specifically between the radiation sensor and the plane defined by the periphery, wherein the radiation channel is at least partially permeable to electromagnetic radiation.

Substrate processing apparatuses and methods of processing substrates or manufacturing processed workpieces in a substrate processing apparatus are wildly known. It is also known that there is a plurality of parameters, such as pressure, temperature, processing time and so on, influencing the quality of the processed product, i.e. the processed substrate or workpiece. However, controlling such parameters in real life, and in particular in real time, can be rather challenging. Consequently, there is a constant need of controlling such parameters in a more reliable and precise way in order to enhance the quality of the processed product, e.g. by providing improved substrate processing apparatuses and/or improved methods of processing substrates. In particular for apparatuses where the substrate is treated from one side and heated from a side opposite to said one side, it is very difficult to detect the actual conditions of the substrate during its processing. This is in particular caused by a limited access to the substrate during its processing.

Substrate processing apparatus and method of processing a substrate and of manufacturing a processed workpiece


An oscillating displacement pump, particularly a diaphragm pump (P) for liquid or gaseous delivery media, having a delivery space which on the one side is delimited by a pump head and on the other side by a delivery element, particularly formed by a diaphragm (6). The delivery element is drivingly connected to an eccentric drive, and an inlet valve connected to an inlet connection and an outlet valve connected to an outlet connection are connected to the delivery space. The pump has a pulsation damper (45) on the pressure side, and also an excess pressure limiting device (27) between the pressure and suction sides, these devices being integrated into the pump head. In use as a liquid pump, an oscillation chamber (16) is integrated into the suction side of the pump head. Pressure peaks are thereby diminished both on the suction side and the pressure side, and a pressure rise on the pressure side is limited to a predeterminable value.

The invention relates to an oscillating displacement pump for liquid or gaseous delivery media, with a delivery space which is delimited on one side by a pump head and on the other side by a delivery element which is drivingly connected to an eccentric drive, an inlet valve with an inlet connection and an outlet valve with an outlet connection being connected to the delivery space, the pump having a pulsation damper at least on the pressure side, and also an excess pressure limiting device between the pressure side and the suction side; in particular, a diaphragm pump with a delivery element formed by a diaphragm.
Diaphragm pumps, which are used as liquid pumps or else as gas pumps, work on the principle of oscillating displacement pumps. This principle naturally causes pulsation on both the suction and the pressure sides. Pulsation on the pressure side in diaphragm pumps, and in particular in fast-running diaphragm pumps, can cause cavitation, pressure peaks, and vibrations.
The harmfulness of cavitation in liquid pumps is known. In addition it causes noise and leads to unstable delivery amounts.
Pressure peaks can damage, or affect the functioning of, devices fitted in the suction conduit. Vibrations cause noise and are transmitted to peripheral devices or to the same device.
In diaphragm pumps, pulsation on the pressure side causes pressure peaks and vibrations. The effects are the same as on the suction side but more radical, since on the pressure side—in contrast to the suction side—the pressure peaks can rise much higher.
With a closed or blocked system, diaphragm liquid pumps compress a liquid until the weakest link in the chain yields. This leads to damage to this element.
From U.S. Pat. No. 2,405,466, a pump of the above-mentioned type is known. This has a suction-side and a pressure-side damper, respectively with a damping chamber filled with air. A disk with one or more apertures, or of porous material, is provided between the damping chamber and respectively the inlet chamber or the outlet chamber. This partially permeable disk between the air filling and the liquid delivery medium in the inlet chamber or respectively the outlet chamber is to prevent the damping air cushion being entrained with the liquid stream.
Such a damping device can only work with the pump used in a position in which the damping chambers are oriented upwardly. Furthermore, the pump is only provided for delivery of liquids, and finally the damping chambers are comparatively quite voluminous for sufficient damping.


Embodiments of a controlled odor emission system and device include an odor presentation port tube and an odor tray securely retained against a platform, a valve housing securable to the platform adjacent the tray, a valve secured within the valve housing and an actuator for moving the valve. By controlling movement of the valve, precise amounts of an odor can be dispensed under programmatic control for training animals. Further, a system incorporating a central control unit and a reward dispenser in communication with an odor emission device to facilitate animal training.

Many law enforcement and military operations benefit from the detection of odors that may be indicative of unscrupulous activities or targeted substances. Oftentimes, animals such as rats or dogs are trained for such odor detection purposes. Separately, cosmetics and food developers can employ odor detection systems and devices to facilitate odor signature development for various products.
Unfortunately, current odor-emitting devices and systems used for training are not controllable or automated, require significant human attention, do not always dispense precise amounts of odor(s), blend odors in an unintended way, cannot predictably repeat desired odors, may cross-contaminate odors and/or may leak in ways that compromise training. Further, present devices and systems are generally not portable or suitable for field use. Additionally, present devices and systems do not have an effective means of cleaning or purging odors that may adhere to surfaces over repeated use.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a computer-controlled system including one or more portable modular devices that dispense precise amounts of odor(s) and/or rewards under programmatic control to imprint desired behaviors such as search and marking of desired compounds on animals. The present disclosure also facilitates the collection and analysis of extensive data that permits monitoring of animal performance and comparison across animals.
Embodiments of the device as described herein minimize leakage of odors, which is of particular importance with explosive materials that are designed to be detected in very low concentrations. Embodiments of the present device also provide known and highly repeatable odor concentrations at known levels for consistent scientific validation studies and training in animals. Further, embodiments of the present device allow mixing of multiple odors at various concentrations to test animals' abilities to discriminate odors amid a stronger background scent. The device is versatile and can be adapted in size to suit different animal trainees. Programming associated with the present disclosure assists in acquiring animal behavioral information and performing detailed analyses and comparisons between animals and over time. In various embodiments, algorithms are employed to predict animal success at later stages given data only from early training.
In various embodiments, the system as described herein can train small animals to locate and detect explosive odors through behavioral conditioning. Devices as disclosed herein present odor as the only unique cue presented to the animal. In various embodiments, the devices have identical audible and visual appearance whether they are emitting target odor, distractant odor, or control odor. The system is highly modular and reconfigurable to suit a variety of training scenarios and objectives.


A process for polymerizing propylene is provided. The process comprises contacting propylene and optionally one or more monomers with a catalyst system comprising a bis-indenyl Group 4 metallocene compound supported on silica, the silica treated with one or more organoaluminum compounds and one or more heterocyclic compounds, under slurry conditions in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature of about 50° C. to about 160° C. and a pressure of from about 3 MPa to about 5 MPa to provide a catalyst activity of greater than 30,000 pounds of product per pound of catalyst; and then recovering isotactic polypropylene having a melt flow rate of 20 dg/min or less as measured according to ASTM D-1238 at 230° C. and 2.16 kg.

Metallocene catalyst systems for olefin polymerization typically use an activator (also called a co-catalyst) to generate the active catalytic species. In general, there are two catalyst activator families: partially hydrolyzed aluminum alkyl complexes and non-coordinating anions (NCA's). Some of the more commonly employed partially hydrolyzed aluminum alkyl complexes include alumoxanes, such as methylalumoxane (MAO), for example. NCA-type activators are typically more active than their MAO counterparts, but are also quite costly and much more sensitive to poisons. NCA-type activators also cause problems with catalyst synthesis, handling, storage and reactor operation. MAO-based systems are more robust than their NCA-type counterparts, but MAO-based systems suffer from high costs of production, specifically, the large excess (relative to the amount of metallocene) of MAO used and its limited shelf life.
Alternative activators for metallocenes and other single-site polymerization catalysts have been the subject of numerous research efforts in recent years. For example, perfluorophenyl aluminum and borane complexes containing one anionic nitrogen-containing group have been studied. For example, R. E. Lapointe, G. R. Roof, K. A. Abboud, J. Klosin, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, 9560-9561, and WO 01/23442 A1 report the synthesis of (C6F5)3Al(imidazole)[Al(C6F5)3][HNR′R″]. In addition, G. Kehr, R. Frohlich, B Wibbeling, G. Erker, Chem. Eur. J. 2000, 6, No.2, 258-266 report the synthesis of (N-Pyrrolyl)B(C6F5)2. Supported activators for polymerization catalysts containing a Group 13 element and at least one halogenated, nitrogen-containing aromatic group ligand have also been reported. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,173 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,105.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,338 discloses teal treated indole modified silica used in combination with bis(1,3-methyl,butyl-cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dimethyl to polymerize ethylene, however does not disclose use of treated modified supports in combination with bis indenyl group 4 metallocene compounds to polymerize propylene to obtain good molecular weights at high yields.
Other references of interest include: US 2003-104928, WO 2003/064433, U.S. Pat. No. 6,489,480, US 2002-038036, WO 2002/102811, U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,162, U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,261, U.S. Pat. No. 6,239,062, U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,629, U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,724, JP 2002-069116A, JP 2002-0253486A, US 2003-0027950A1, JP 2002-037812A, JP 2002-020415A, JP 2002-060411A, JP 2001-316415A, JP 2001-316414A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,531,552, JP 2001-200010A, JP 2001-163909A, JP 2001163908A, WO 2001-30864A1, JP 2001-026613A, JP 2001-031720A, JP 2000-198812A, WO 2000/22010A1, JP 2000072813A, WO 2000/11044A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,063, U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,416, JP 11255816A(1999-09-21), JP 11166012A(1999-06-22), JP 11166011A(1999-06-22), U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,817, JP 05025214A(1993-02-02), WO 2003/064433A1, WO 2003/0644435A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,748, U.S. Pat. No. 6,894,131, US 2005-0075242, US 2004-0236045, US 2005-0182210, U.S. Pat. No. 6,841,501, US 2004-0127348, US 2005-0165183, WO 2004/003031, EP 0 849 292, US 2003-0171211, U.S. Pat. No. 6,395,846, WO 2005/068515, U.S. Pat. No. 6,858,689 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,903.
To enhance polymer morphology, metallocene polymerization catalysts operated in industrial slurry and gas phase processes are typically immobilized on a carrier or a support, such as alumina or silica. Metallocenes are supported to enhance the morphology of the forming polymeric particles such that the particles achieve a shape and density that improve reactor operability and ease of handling. However, the supported versions of metallocene polymerization catalysts tend to have lower activity as compared to homogeneous counterparts.
There is a need, therefore, for new, catalyst systems to polymerize propylene to good molecular weights at high catalyst yields, while preferably using lower catalyst loadings.

Preparation of polymerization catalyst activators utilizing indole-modified silica supports


Modeling a process chain includes mapping processes in the process chain to control cycles, defining states for the control cycles, and defining couplings between states in different control cycles such that a state change in one control cycle causes a state change in another control cycle. The control cycles may be Kanban control cycles.

"Kanban" is a Japanese term that means signal. Kanban is one of the primary tools of a just-in-time manufacturing system (meaning a planning system for manufacturing processes that optimizes availability of material inventories at a manufacturing site to only what, when and how much is necessary). Kanban signals a replenishment process for production and materials, and maintains a generally orderly and efficient flow of materials throughout a manufacturing process. Kanban may be implemented via a printed card that contains specific information such as item name, description, quantity, etc.
Kanban control cycles define a replenishment process in terms of operational states. A Kanban control cycle can be characterized as a sequence of different operational states. Kanban control cycles occur between a supplier and a consumer, i.e., the one replenishing an item and the one requesting that the item be replenished, respectively. The item can be any kind of material, such as a component or an assembly, that needs to be replenished. In a Kanban control cycle, a signal indicating that the material needs to be replenished is sent from the customer to the supplier. This signal, called the Kanban, may be part of an electronic message or an actual physical device, such as a card. The operational state of the Kanban may be modified to provide item-related information, as described below.
By way of example, a material may be needed by a consumer for use in a machine or process. As a result of this need, an operational state of the Kanban is set from "full" to "empty". The consumer therefore sends a Kanban to a supplier instructing the supplier to provide more of (e.g., a specified amount of) the material. In this example, the Kanban identifies the material, the amount of the material, and the consumer. After the Kanban arrives at the supplier, the supplier processes the order and sends the material to the consumer. The state of the Kanban is then changed from "empty" to "full".
States of a Kanban correspond to states of a cycle that is performed to replenish an item. Electronic Kanban systems associate a state change of a Kanban with related electronically-controlled actions, such as printing Kanban cards, visualizing replenishing scenarios, creating and sending replenishment orders (e.g. electronically transmitting a purchase order to a supplier), and updating inventory levels.
Existing Kanban control cycles operate on an item-by-item basis, making it difficult to address more than one item at a time. This can be problematic, particularly in situations, such as supply chains, where the supply of one item depends on the supply of another item.


Disclosed are methods and systems for using a rigid-stem assembly comprising a plurality of interconnected rigid stems in a marine survey. An embodiment discloses a geophysical survey method comprising: deploying a rigid-stem assembly from a survey vessel into a body of water, wherein the rigid-stem assembly comprises a plurality of rigid stems that are interconnected and each comprise a stem body defining one or more interior chambers; towing the rigid-stem assembly from the survey vessel through the body of water; and either (1) detecting a geophysical signal with a sensor towed by the survey vessel, and/or (2) activating a geophysical source that is towed by the survey vessel. Also disclosed are survey systems and rigid-stem handling systems.

The present invention relates generally to the field of marine surveying. More particularly, in one or more embodiments, this invention relates to using a rigid-stem assembly comprising a plurality of interconnected rigid stems in a marine seismic survey.
Techniques for marine surveying include marine geophysical surveying, such as seismic surveying and EM surveying, in which geophysical data may be collected from below the Earth's surface. Geophysical surveying has applications in mineral and energy exploration and production to help identify locations of hydrocarbon-bearing formations. Marine geophysical surveying is typically performed using one or more "streamers" towed below or near the surface of a body of water. The streamers are typically cables that include a plurality of sensors disposed thereon at spaced apart locations along the length of the cable. The sensors may be configured to generate a signal that is related to a parameter being measured by the sensor. An energy source may also be towed through the water by the same or a different vessel. At selected times, the energy source may be actuated to generate, for example, seismic or EM energy that travels downwardly into the subsurface rock. Seismic or EM energy that interacts with interfaces, generally at the boundaries between layers of rock formations, may be returned toward the surface and detected by the sensors on the streamers. The detected energy may be used to infer certain properties of the subsurface rock, such as structure, mineral composition and fluid content, thereby providing information useful in the recovery of hydrocarbons.
In geophysical surveying, the streamer is typically a cable that is stored on a drum. The streamers are typically made of multiple components, such as electrical conductors, fiber optics, and stress-supporting members, all bundled together and covered with a protective outer skin. The streamer may be up to several kilometers in length. A lead-in is typically a cable that couples the streamer to the survey vessel. The lead-in may also be stored on a drum, typically the same drum as the streamer. To deploy, retrieve, and store the cables, cable-handling systems are employed that may include a storage drum in combination with sheaves, blocks, and other turns where a smaller angle of cable direction changes occurs are used. When one section of the streamer is taken off, repaired, or replaced, drums often with a smaller diameter are used. In operation, one of the drums is holding back the tension in the deployed cable with its turning moment. In order to avoid load concentration on the cable, it may be beneficial to have many rounds of cable inside the drum while applying force. Thus, the innermost drum, which is the storage drum, is often used to hold back the tension.
The drum causes a number of restrictions and costly features on the streamers, especially in combination with rigid elements such as connectors, electronics housing, and sensor spacers. For example, the streamer typically should be capable of handling large deformations as a result of storage on the drums, thus limiting the available alternatives for the outer skin of the streamer. Accordingly, options for treating the streamer for drag reduction and antifouling may be limited. In addition, certain streamers, such as gel-filled cables, may encounter large, undesired deformations in shape due to storage on the drum, preventing their re-use. For various reasons, some of the streamer components may be external to the cable and attached via connection points to the outside. These external components typically cannot be attached to the cable until the cable is unwound from the drum during deployment. To reduce the complexity associated with this attachment process, there has been an ongoing effort to place these components inside the outer skin of the cable. However, placement of the equipment inside the outer skin is not always practical as adapting a solution for incorporating these components into a cable that is wound onto a drum can be challenging.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and systems for deploying and recovering streamers and other equipment in marine seismic surveys.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A socket connector includes an insulating housing defining an inserting chamber in the front thereof and a receiving groove in the back face thereof, a plurality of conductive terminals disposed in the insulating housing, and a latch. Two sides of the receiving groove further extend forward to form two inserting grooves of which each front end is communicated with the inserting chamber. The latch has a first base plate positioned in the receiving groove. Two opposite side edges of the first base plate are bent and extend forward to form two first clamping portions inserted in the inserting grooves with front ends thereof projecting into the inserting chamber. Two opposite outer sides of the first clamping portions protrude outward to form a pair of bumps located in the rear of the first clamping portions and resisting against outmost two inner sidewalls of the inserting grooves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a socket connector.
2. The Related Art
Currently, with the development of modern information technology, various connectors have been widely used in electronic products for connecting with a matching plug connector to realize signal transmission. A conventional socket connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of conductive terminals disposed in the insulating housing, and a shielding shell enclosing the insulating housing and the conductive terminals. The socket connector is mounted in an electronic product. In use, the matching plug connector is inserted into the socket connector to realize the signal transmission between the plug connector and the electronic product.
However, in the process of inserting and extracting the plug connector with respect to the socket connector, the action point between the plug connector and the socket connector is likely to be unstable owing to the unstable force resulted from improper insertion and extraction. Accordingly, some structures connecting the socket connector with the electronic product are easy to loose, and the signal transmission is unexpectedly disconnected.


An aircraft control or interface unit with a programmable controller includes an isolated, non-volatile command memory containing the complete, fixed set of non-compiled, text-format commands used for every application programmed into an instance of the aircraft control or interface unit. A command interpreter automatically and sequentially interprets and executes the command set in a continuous loop, where the command set encompasses all commands necessary for the ability to activate, implement and disable all available input, output and processing capabilities within the hardware configuration of the aircraft control or interface unit. A command parser that process and stores the entire command set into executable commands for automatic and sequential execution in a continuous loop, where the command set encompasses all commands necessary for the ability to activate, implement and disable all available input, output and processing capabilities within the hardware configuration of the aircraft control or interface unit.

Numerous regulations are applicable to the software programming within an aircraft control or interface device, primarily controlled by a strict development regimen dictated by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) DO-178, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification specification. The FAA applies DO-178 as the guidance for determining whether software will perform reliably in an airborne environment when certification of a software-controlled product is sought. The FAA requires DO-178 compliance before aircraft containing software-controlled components can fly, with different levels of compliance applicable based on the criticality of the software-controlled system to safety.

Command interpreter or command parser based control architecture for aircraft control, interface units and/or illuminated pushbutton switches


There is provided a method for manufacturing a light emitting diode, LED, matrix (100) comprising the steps of providing with a maintained integrity a conductor sheet (150) with a plurality of component areas (111) interconnected with meandering connection tracks (116), mounting a plurality of LEDs (120) to a respective component area thereby forming a subassembly (100′), trimming and stretching the subassembly thereby straightening the connection tracks such that an m×n LED conductor matrix is formed during the step of stretching.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) in large area lighting devices have been used for some time, where a large number of LEDs are arranged as an array or matrix to evenly provide lighting over a large area. Typically, LEDs have been arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB) by means of traditional surface mounting techniques. However, recently there has been proposed other types of solutions to provide large area LED arrays.
WO 2007/125566 A1 discloses a method for manufacturing a LED array in which N electrically conducting wires are arranged in parallel creating an array of wires having a width D perpendicular to the length direction of the wires. Further, LED components are arranged to the array of wires such that each LED component is electrically connected to at least two adjacent wires, and subsequently the array of wires is stretched such that the width of the array is increased. To connect to the wires, the LED components are each arranged with a printed circuit board or lead frame with snap locks, or by means of soldering, gluing, insulation displacement connection (IDC) or similar. The proposed method provides a low cost solution for applications where large lighting area is important. However, mounting of small components is difficult on wires, and the proposed method requires that the wires have to be placed on a temporary carrier which is removed after mounting of the components.


The object with the funtionalized hydrogel surface for detection of analyte molecules is obtainable by a process including (1) providing a hydrogel layer on a base surface; (2) bonding organic molecules to the hydrogel layer, each including a chain of atoms with a chain length of at least 8 atoms and a terminal group, which is an amine group, a carboxylic acid group, or a derivative thereof, and (3) reacting the terminal group with a receptor molecule that contains at least three groups, each of which is an amine group, a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, a phosphonic acid group, or a derivative thereof. The receptor molecule can be a protein and the hydrogel can include a water-swellable organic polymer. A method of detecting analyte molecules, for example by surface resonance spectroscopy, is also part of the invention.

During the last ten years, there has been a great development in the technology of optical biosensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, so that a range of such devices have now gained an established market position (Biacore, Texas Instruments, Intersens, BioTuL). The sensor surfaces of these and other biosensors, which are responsible for the transduction of a biospecific recognition reaction of an analyte, are often provided with a functionalized polysaccharide layer or a layer of another hydrophilic polymer, which on the one hand make it possible to bind receptor molecules covalently via functional groups (B. Johnsson, S. Löf{dot over (a)}s & G. Lindquist, Anal. Biochem. 198 (1991), 268) and, on the other hand, fulfill the function of preventing non-specific adsorption of sample components (EP-B-589 867 or German Patent Application 198 17 180.3). The nature of the hydrophilic polymer layer on the surface is that of a hydrogel, so that it is swellable as well as flexible. Both properties are desirable for the function of this layer, since on and in it receptor molecules are fixed which need to be bound so flexibly that, after immobilization, they are still capable of binding analyte molecules.
Besides the use of hydrogels, it is also customary to covalently bind receptor molecules via flexible molecules—so-called spacers—directly to sensor surfaces. From binding experiments on monolayer systems, which, owing to the principle of their construction, are substantially less flexible than hydrogels, it is known that the spacer length is crucial both for the reactivity of functional groups and for the specific binding behavior (D. D. Schlereth, J. Electroanal. Chem. 425 (1997), 77; L. Bertilsson, H. J. Butt, G. Nelles, D. D. Schlereth, Biosensors & Bioelectronics 12 (1997), 839; T. Wink, S. J. van Zuilen, A. Bult, W. P. van Bennekom, Analyst 122, 43R (1997)).
Other than in such non-swellable and only moderately flexible monolayer systems, the spacer length between the hydrogel and receptors has not hitherto received attention. No influence of the chain length on the binding behavior of the ligand molecules to the receptor was suspected, since the hydrogel per se is in any event flexible. The hitherto known hydrogels on biosensor surfaces therefore have the schematic structure shown in FIG. 1. The surface of the sensor comprises a metal layer 14, to which optionally one or more interlayers 13 are applied. The receptor 11 is bound to the hydrogel 12 via a short, inflexible spacer.
The binding of receptor molecules to the hydrogel layer may be either directed or undirected. In the case of directed binding, the receptor molecule usually has only one residue, or possibly only a few (for example fewer than three) residues of the same type, which can be reacted with the optionally derivatized hydrogel. The resulting directed binding is therefore accurately defined spatially. The receptor molecules often need to be derivatized before the reaction, so that they have a suitable reactive residue. In the case of undirected binding, however, the receptor molecule has a plurality of (for example at least three) residues of the same type, which can be reacted with the optionally derivatized hydrogel. Since only one of these residues reacts with the hydrogel, the position of the binding is spatially unpredictable. As a consequence, the binding site, or the binding sites, of the receptor is in an undefined steric arrangement with respect to the hydrogel, which in turn compromises the accessibility of these binding sites for analyte molecules and can therefore influence the binding kinetics of the analyte/receptor interactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,587 uses short- and long-chained spacers for binding biotin as a receptor molecule. However, no influence of the length of the spacer is described. Furthermore, only directed binding of receptor molecules is studied, and not undirected binding.

Surfaces comprising a hydrophilic spacer, covalently bonded to hydrogels


Document distribution system 10 receives user record documents 10R containing record data 10D for distribution and storage throughout a user network 10N. Controller 10C controls the operation of the document distribution system. A transmittal sheet 10T carrying transmittal symbol accompanies each record document for directing the distribution. Document scanner 10S has a document port 10P for receiving the user documents and transmittal sheets. The document scanner is responsive to the controller for scanning the transmittal symbols on the transmittal sheet and the record data on the documents. The scanner provides an electronic pixel image of the record data for distribution and storage throughout the user network. The scanner also provides a pixel image of the transmittal symbols for directing the distribution and storage. Controller display 12 is responsive to the controller for displaying operational information about the document distribution system to the user. User response device 14 is connected to the controller for permitting the user to initiate and operate the document distribution system.

Heretofore information has been hand entered into forms by placing an "X" or a check (or even just a smudge) within a box, indicating the selection of a particular option offered by the form. The entries on the form were then reviewed by a clerk (or scanned by a data processing system). The clerk (or computer) merely detected the presence or absence of an entry in the box next to each option, regardless of the shape of the hand entered marks. This prior "fill in the box" approach is a single symbol technique, incapable of supporting complex options involving a set of different hand entered symbols.
Bar codes have been employed on labels for processing documents. However bar codes are not generally human readable, and do not offer the human interface convenience and flexibility of hand entered symbols.
Multiple symbol data has been hand entered into a string of box sites. The writer prints each character of routine information such as his name and address into a separate box site. The box sites located and confined the characters, which assisted in line and character segmentation. However, the lack of a uniform hand printing font among various writers creates complex OCR problems.
US patent x,xxx,xxx issued Month Day, Year (application Ser. No. 08/524,996 filed Sept. 8, 1995) and assigned to the present assignee, teaches a data entry system for distributing record data throughout a user network. Transmittal information for directing the distribution is presented to the system on a magnetic disk which is read by the system through a disk drive.

Apparatus and method of network distribution of record data using transmittal symbols hand entered on a transmittal sheet


A DC offset correction system for a direct-conversion receiver is disclosed that may include a DC feedback correction servo-loop in signal communication with a baseband section, where the DC feedback correction servo-loop is coupled to both the input and output of the baseband section and an attenuator within the DC feedback correction servo-loop.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to radio frequency ("RF") receivers and in particular to direct-conversion receivers with direct current ("DC") offset correction.
2. Related Art
In today's society, telecommunications systems are evolving at a rapid pace in response to the demands of society for more wireless communication systems, higher performance entertainment medium transmissions (via airwave, wired or satellite based) and broadband access whether wired or wireless. This evolution typically involves improving the performance of the communication system receivers or transceivers (i.e., which includes a receiver) while at the same time simplifying their manufacture.
Integrated circuit ("IC") technology has lead to numerous advances in receiver technology through both transistor scaling and layout by increasing the density of active circuits that may be integrated into a receiver. Additionally, there are numerous architectural approaches for designing the receivers. At present, the two most commonly utilized architectural approaches include superheterodyne receivers and direct-conversion receivers.
FIG. 1 shows a superheterodyne receiver 100, which is an architecture typically utilized in most telecommunication applications. It is therefore appreciated by those skilled in the art that superheterodyne receiver architectures are well known in the art. In FIG. 1, the superheterodyne receiver 100 may include a radio frequency ("RF") section 102, mixer 104, intermediate frequency ("IF") section 106, demodulator 108 and local oscillator ("LO") 110. In operation, an input signal 112 is first amplified by the RF section 102 and then mixed down to an IF frequency by mixer 104 utilizing a frequency reference 114 produced by the LO 110. The mixed output 116 is then filtered and potentially amplified by the IF section 106 and demodulated by demodulator 108 producing a baseband signal 118.
Direct-conversion receivers (also generally known as "homodyne" receivers) differ from superheterodyne receivers by eliminating the IF section 106 and are therefore typically known as "zero-frequency" receivers. A direct-conversion receiver operates by performing a direct conversion on a received RF signal producing a baseband signal. The direct-conversion receiver utilizes a mixer that mixes the received RF signal with a frequency signal produced by a LO operating at a frequency that is approximately equal to the RF frequency.
In FIG. 2, an example implementation of a direct-conversion receiver front-end 200 is shown. An input RF signal 202 is received by an amplifier 204 (such as a low-noise amplifier generally known as a "LNA"). The amplifier 204 amplifies the input RF signal 202 to produce an amplified signal 206 that is input into two mixers 208 and 210. The mixers 208 and 210 then mix the amplified signal 206 with a reference signal 212 and phase-shifted signal 214 produced by a local oscillator 216 and quadrature (i.e., 90 degrees) phase-shifter 218. The reference signal 212 has a frequency that is approximately centered at the channel frequency of the received input RF signal 202. A quadrature phase-shifter 218 produces the phase-shifted signal 214 by phase shifting the reference signal 212 by approximately 90 degrees.
The mixer 208 produces in-phase ("I-channel") output signal 220 and mixer 210 produces quadrature-phase ("Q-channel") output signal 222. The in-phase output signal 220 is then filtered with a low-pass filter ("LPF") 224 to produce the in-phase output signal 226. Similarly, the quadrature-phase output signal 222 is filtered with LPF 228 to produce the quadrature-phase output signal 230.
Unfortunately, direct-conversion receivers have a number of problems that include spurious LO leakage, distortion and direct current ("DC") offset. Of these problems, typically the DC offset is the most serious because the DC offset may appear in the middle of the down-converted signal spectrum and may be larger than the received signal itself. Additionally, the DC offset is typically larger than the thermal and flicker noise. The DC offset is unavoidable because it is caused by the transistor level amplifiers and filters due to mismatches in the signal path and spurious LO leakage.
Spurious LO leakage in a direct-conversion receiver is typically caused by the LO 216 being tuned to approximately the center frequency of the received RF signal 202. As a result, some LO energy may make its way back through the mixers 208 and 210 and amplifier 204, and travel out via the signal path of the received RF signal 202 (potentially an antenna or transmission line). This LO energy may then become an in-band interferer with other receivers (not shown) that are tuned to the same frequency.
If LO energy is reflected back from the signal path of the received RF signal 202 (as shown in reflected LO energy paths 232 and 234), the LO energy will again enter the mixers 208 and 210 and self-down-convert to produce DC output signals (not shown) at the output of the mixers 208 and 210 and input to the baseband section of the direct-conversion receiver. This LO leakage may result in a large DC offset because of self-mixing. The LO leakage may often be in the order of several tens of millivolts at the input of the baseband section. This may drive any active components within the baseband section out of their dynamic range causing distortion to the desired baseband signals. As a result, it is typically difficult to achieve high performance in integrated direct-conversion receivers because of the effects of the DC offset problem.
As an example, a typical high-performance satellite receiver may have a large gain in the range of approximately 40 to 70 decibels ("dB") within its baseband section. Such a large gain in the baseband typically amplifies any received DC offsets and intrinsic circuit DC offsets to a signal level that may saturate the baseband circuitry in the satellite receiver. The saturated circuitry may resultantly generate harmonics and inter-modulation tones that would unfortunately increase the implementation loss of the satellite receiver. Therefore, in order to improve the performance of direct-conversion receivers, there is a need for a system and method capable of correcting for the DC offset produced in direct-conversion receivers.
An attempted solution in the past included removing the DC offset by capacitive coupling (also known as alternating current "AC" coupling) the baseband
An attempted solution in the past included removing the DC offset by capacitive coupling (also known as alternating current "AC" coupling) the baseband section of the direct-conversion receiver. This approach typically introduces AC coupling in the down-converted signal path to build a high-pass filtering section to block the DC offset and usually requires a large external capacitor to produce a low high-pass corner frequency for negligible signal loss. Unfortunately, large capacitors may lower the response time of the direct-conversion receiver. Additionally, large capacitors in a direct-conversion receiver would make implementing the direct-conversion receiver within a monolithic IC difficult because typically large capacitors consume correspondingly large areas of the IC.
The input impedance of the baseband section may determine the corner frequency but usually large variations of the input impedance may also make it difficult to control the value of the corner frequency. Furthermore, the DC offset in the baseband section, after AC coupling, is not eliminated and this typically limits the total allowable gain allocated to the analog baseband section. Additionally, multiple AC couplings in the baseband section may reduce the robustness of receiver system design.
An attempted solution to the problems associated with the AC coupling approach is shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, a DC offset correction servo-loop 300 is shown with a negative feedback loop that loops around the baseband section 302 where the feedback loop may include a resistive and capacitive ("RC") integrator 304. The baseband section 302 may include a LPF 306 and a low-noise variable-gain amplifier 308 ("LN-VGA"). The integrator 304 may include an amplifier 310 (such as an operational amplifier "Op Amp") with a pair of capacitors (each of value "C") 312 and 314 and a pair of resistors (each of value "R") 316 and 318 configured as an integrator.
As an example of operation, if the baseband section 302 has a forward gain of Aff, the resulting high-pass transfer function for the DC offset correction loop 300 would be defined by the following relationship:
                    V        o                    V        i              =                  A        ff                          s                  s          +                                    A              ff                        RC                                ,where Vi is the input voltage 320 of the baseband section 302, Vo is the output voltage of the baseband section 302, and "s" is the well-known Laplace transform operator, which is equal to σ+jω. Additionally, the 3 dB high-pass corner frequency for the DC offset correction loop 300 would be defined by the following relationship:
      f          3            db_hp        =                    A        ff                    2                π                                                  RC              .
Unfortunately, while this approach does help compensate for DC offset in a direct-conversion receiver in some situations, it does so by typically requiring higher resistor R and capacitor C values for low corner frequencies because of the effects of the forward gain Aff. As a result, large external resistors and capacitors are usually required which in turn increases the overall direct-conversion receiver cost. Additionally, the DC offset resulting from the feedback path impairment typically will be amplified by the forward gain Aff to the point of potentially causing the feedback correction to fail.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method that improves upon the performance of currently known direct-conversion receivers by correcting for DC offset.

DC offset correction for direct-conversion receiver


An apparatus and method for inspecting skived glue, hemming and skew, and backfold of cartons by means of real time image comparison. The apparatus comprises channel sensors, means for measuring conveyor travel distance, a system controller coupled to the channel sensors, a memory for storing images, a processor coupled to the outputs of the system controller and the memory and a bad carton locator means. A known good carton is passed through the channel sensors and a reference synthetic image is stored in a memory. A test carton is passed through the channel sensors producing a real time image which is compared to the stored reference synthetic image for detecting defects.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of paper box folding and sealing and more specifically to an apparatus and method for inspecting carton blanks moving along an assembly line using a real time synthetic image processing system for inspecting skived glue, hemming and skew, and backfold of cartons.
2. Description of Related Art
During the manufacture of paper boxes, paper blanks advance along a paper line pathway for diverse folding and gluing or sealing operations. The paper blanks may have "score lines" that divide the blank into sections called "panels" and "flaps". During folding operations, the sections are folded about the score lines to produce the sides, top and bottom of a completed box. In one such folding and gluing operation, a portion of the edge flap thickness is cut away and then folded back on itself. It is then folded into a partially overlapping relationship over central, adjoining panels of a blank along certain score lines. The flaps and panels of the blank are glued or otherwise sealed to produce a completed structure in the form of a folded box. After a paper box has been assembled, a sample of such boxes is tested for defects by observation or by testing in a dark room by shining a light and looking for light passages in the box. These methods are time consuming and do not include 100% testing.
Various video inspection systems are known in the prior art. A box inspection device and method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,656, issued May 15, 1993, to Michael W. Chang et al. and assigned to Prime Technology, Inc. This patent discloses a box inspection device and method. A quality monitoring system employing vision processing equipment to photograph at least one of the edges of every folded-over box blank as it is conveyed through a box forming machine is used to determine in-line whether the blanks, when unfolded, will produce square boxes having essentially all angles between adjacent box side panels. The electronic images are electronically digitized and the resulting data processed by computer to calculate critical parameters of the folded-over blank, including gap width, longitudinal taper of the gap width, and alignment of the lateral edges of the panels surrounding the gap in relation to the lateral edge of the gap. Comparison of these measured critical parameters with corresponding parameters for an idealized box stored in the computer indicates the quality of the formed box and whether the quality falls within acceptable parameters. However, a video means is used to obtain a picture of a box blank which is then digitized and analyzed. The primary disadvantage of this approach is speed of data acquisition and analysis. At typical line speeds of 2000 belt feet/minute, between 33 to 67 boxes per second would have to be inspected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,091, issued on Feb. 19, 1991, to Hoshimi Shimbara, and assigned to Mazda Motor Manufacturing (USA) Company describes a method and apparatus for identifying marking holes in an object moving along a conveyor or the like, in which television image signals of the identifying marking holes are classified into signals above and below a threshold level voltage and then made into a monochrome image of the identifying marking holes which is then compared with a pre-memorized image of the marking hole. However, this apparatus also cannot operate at the above indicated line speeds.

Apparatus and method for inspecting box blanks

International Paper Box Machine Company, Inc.


An improvement in a method of extruding a plasticized inorganic powder mixture having a plasticizing organic binder carried in an aqueous vehicle, by passing the mixture through an extruder and then through a die to produce an extrudate. The improvement involves homogeneously blending in the extruder as part of the mixture, carbon dioxide in the supercritical and/or liquid form, to lower the viscosity of the mixture and produce an extrudate that is stiffer in a shorter time than it would be, absent the carbon dioxide, without increasing the extrusion pressure.

Powder mixtures having a cellulose ether binder are used in forming articles of various shapes. For example ceramic or metal powder mixtures are formed into honeycombs which are used as substrates in catalytic and adsorption applications. The mixtures must be well blended and homogeneous in order for the resulting shaped body to have good integrity in size and shape and uniform physical properties. The mixtures have organic additives in addition to the binders. These additives can be surfactants, lubricants, and dispersants and function as processing aids to enhance wetting thereby producing a uniform batch.
A major and ongoing need in extrusion of bodies from highly filled powder mixtures, especially multicellular bodies such as honeycombs is to extrude a stiffer body without causing higher pressures. The need is becoming increasingly critical as thinner walled cellular structures are becoming more in demand for various applications. Thin walled products with current technology are extremely difficult to handle without causing shape distortion. Rapid-setting characteristics are important for honeycomb substrates. If the cell walls of the honeycomb can be solidified quickly after forming, the dimension of the greenware will not be altered in subsequent cutting and handling steps. This is especially true for a fragile thin-walled or complex shaped product, or a product having a large frontal area.
The present invention fills the need for rapid setting of extruded bodies which is especially beneficial for thin walled honeycombs.

Method for improving the stiffness of extrudates


A digital/analog television signal receiver includes a tuner which receives television signals in an ATSC system and an NTSC system. An analog television signal in the NTSC system is received by an automatic frequency tuning (AFT) at a time of an automatic pre-setting, and a frequency deviation amount for each receivable channel is detected by a CPU. Upon completion of the automatic pre-setting, the CPU calculates an average value of the frequency of deviation amounts of respective channels, and stores the average value in a memory as fine tuning data. Therefore, channel data is set by utilizing the fine tuning data when receiving a digital television signal in the ATSC system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog/digital television signal receiver, and more specifically, to a digital/analog television receiver capable of receiving television signals in an ATSC and an NTSC system by a single tuner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One example of such a kind of digital/analog television signal receiver is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 5-347736 [H04N 5/46, H04N 5/44, H04N 9/00] laid-open on Dec. 27, 1993 and Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2000-59707 [H04N 5/44, H04B 1/16, H04B 1/26] laid-open on Feb. 25, 2000.
In such the digital/analog television signal receiver, due to a fact that a local oscillation frequency varied depending on an ambient temperature and a change over time in a case of receiving an analog television signal in the NTSC system, for example, an intermediate frequency signal was extracted after adjusting to an appropriate frequency by applying an automatic frequency control (AFC) (or an automatic frequency tuning (AFT)).
On the other hand, in a case of receiving a digital television signal in the ATSC-system, that is, an American standard, it did not require more than adjusting channel data of a frequency defined by the standard.
In this prior art, in a case of receiving the digital television signal, although the channel data defined by the standard was set, it was not possible to confirm whether or not a reception was made at a correct frequency. However, a digital television signal such as of the ATSC system is capable of reproducing (demodulating) and normally outputting images, sounds and etc. even if the frequency was deviated slightly. However, if a frequency deviation amount exceeds a permissive range, it was not possible to demodulate a television signal, and therefore, this led to a problem that a user could not enjoy a program on a channel selected by the user

Digital/analog television signal receiver using analog signal channel fine-tuning data for setting digital signal channels


A semiconductor integrated circuit having an internal circuit which is tested based on a scanning method is provided. The internal circuit has: memory elements including a first memory element and a second memory element; combinational circuits including a first combinational circuit receiving an external input data, a second combinational circuit outputting an external output data and a third combinational circuit; a first selection circuit; and a second selection circuit. The first selection circuit receives the external input data and a stored data held by the first memory element, and outputs any of them to the first combinational circuit. The second selection circuit receives the external output data output from the second combinational circuit and an operation result data output from the third combinational circuit, and outputs any of them to the second memory element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test-specific circuit provided for detecting failures of a semiconductor integrated circuit, and a method of testing a semiconductor integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
An internal scanning method is known as one method of "design-for-testability" of a semiconductor integrated circuit. According to the internal scanning method, a sequential circuit provided in a semiconductor integrated circuit is expanded into combinational circuits and memory elements such as flip-flops, and signals are directly controlled and monitored by using external terminals. A test-specific path which penetrates through all sequential circuits (including memory elements) in a logic circuit of the semiconductor integrated circuit is provided, and the sequential circuits operate as a single shift register as a whole. It is possible to directly monitor internal signals by controlling the shift register. Such the single shift register is referred to as a "scan chain".
By using the scan chain, it is possible to control input-output terminals (ports) of the combinational circuits from the external terminals (pins/ports) of the semiconductor integrated circuit. As a result, a logic value of any of the memory elements can be set to "1" or "0". A sequence of the logic values set in the memory elements is referred to as a "pattern (test pattern)". When a test pattern is set in the memory elements and outputs of the memory elements are supplied as test input data to the combinational circuits, the test pattern is referred to as an "input pattern". On the other hand, when outputs of the combinational circuits are taken in the memory elements and a test pattern stored in the memory elements is output as test result data, the test pattern is referred to as an "output pattern". Since the logic pattern of any combinational circuit is known, it is possible to compute (estimate) an output pattern corresponding to an input pattern. Thus, an input pattern capable of detecting all failures which may occur in the combinational circuits can be automatically produced through a computer simulation.
In the meanwhile, a semiconductor integrated circuit with large scale integration and multiple functions is developing, and hence shared usage of a functional circuit (functional block) is activated. Such a circuit functional block that can be utilized in common and plays a role of foundation on a semiconductor chip is referred to as a "macro circuit" or an "IP (Intellectual Property) core".
Input/output terminals (ports) of the combinational circuits included in a semiconductor integrated circuit can be classified into the following three types:
Type-1: An input terminal of a combinational circuit which is connected to an output of a memory element.
Type-2: An output terminal of a combinational circuit which is connected to an input of a memory element.
Type-3: An input terminal or an output terminal of a combinational circuit which is not connected to a memory element but to another combinational circuit or external input/output terminals of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
In a case of a combinational circuit whose all input terminals are of the Type-1 and all output terminals are of the Type-2, the input pattern can be set in the memory elements connected to the all input terminals and the output pattern can be taken in the memory elements connected to the all output terminals. It is thus possible to detect all failures of the combinational circuit. However, in a case of a combinational circuit having an input terminal of the Type-3 or an output terminal of the Type-3, the input pattern can not be set appropriately or the output pattern can not be obtained. It is therefore impossible to detect a part of or all of failures which may occur in the combinational circuit.
With reference to FIG. 1, a case in which input/output terminals of the Type-1 to Type-3 are mixed will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a semiconductor integrated circuit 100. The semiconductor integrated circuit 100 has a macro circuit 123, combinational circuits 121, 125 and 127, and flip-flops 131, 132, 133, 134, 135 and 136. Signals (data) are input to the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 through external input terminals 111 and 112, and signals (data) are output from the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 through external output terminals 117, 118 and 119. Further, the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 is provided with a test-specific input terminal 114 and a test-specific output terminal 115.
External input data are input to the combinational circuit 121 through respective of the external input terminal 111 and the external input terminal 112. An output data of the combinational circuit 121 is input to the flip-flop 131 and held by the flip-flop 131. An output data of the flip-flop 131 is input to the macro circuit 123. Output data of the macro circuit 123 are input to respective of the flip-flops 132 to 134 and held by the flip-flops 132 to 134. Output data of respective of the flip-flops 132 to 134 are input to the combinational circuit 125. Output data of the combinational circuit 125 are input to respective of the flip-flops 135 and 136 and held by the flip-flops 135 and 136. Output data of respective of the flip-flops 135 and 136 are input to the combinational circuit 127. Output data of the combinational circuit 127 are output as external output data through respective of the output terminals 117 to 119 to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100.
The above-mentioned configuration (connection) is that in a "normal mode" in which the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 is set to operate normally. In addition to that, the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 can be set to a "test mode". In the test mode, the above-mentioned flip-flops 131 to 136 are connected serially one after another to form a shift register, which is a test circuit. In the test mode, an input test pattern is input to the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 through the test-specific input terminal (serial input terminal) 114. The input test pattern is shifted in the flip-flops 131 to 136 in order, and the input test pattern is set in respective of the flip-flops 131 to 136. Also, test result data held by respective of the flip-flops 131 to 136 are output as an output test pattern from the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 through the test-specific output terminal (serial output terminal) 115.
The input terminals of the combinational circuit 121 are classified as the Type-3 and the output terminal thereof is classified as the Type-2. The input terminals of the combinational circuit 125 are classified as the Type-1, and the output terminals thereof are classified as the Type-2. The input terminals of the combinational circuit 127 are classified as the Type-1, and the output terminals thereof are classified as the Type-3. In this case, failures as to the combinational circuits 121 and 127 can not be detected, although all failures of the combinational circuit 125 are detected. Therefore, an external test apparatus (not shown) is provided and connected to the external input terminals 111 and 112, and an input pattern is supplied to the combinational circuit 121 at the time when the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 is tested. Also, an external test apparatus (not shown) is provided and connected to the external output terminals 117 to 119 so that output data of the combinational circuit 127 can be derived from the semiconductor integrated circuit 100. As explained above, all failures which may occur in the combinational circuits 121 and 127 can be detected by connecting the external input/output terminals of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 with the external test apparatus.
When the macro circuit 123 is constituted only by combinational circuits, the test of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 is performed as follows. First, the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 is set to the test mode, and the flip-flops 131 to 136 are connected in series one after another. An input test pattern is input through the serial input terminal 114 and hence the input test pattern is set in respective of the flip-flops 131 to 136. The test pattern held by the flip-flops 131 to 136 is supplied to the macro circuit (combinational circuit) 123, the combinational circuits 125 and 127. Also, an input test pattern is input to the combinational circuit 121 from the external test apparatus through the external input terminals 111 and 112. Then, each of the combinational circuits 121, 123, 125 and 127 outputs an operation result data indicative of a result of logic operation.
Next, the connection with regard to the flip-flops 131 to 136 is switched from the above-mentioned serial connection to the normal connection. Then, the operation result data output from the combinational circuit 121 is held by the flip-flop 131. The operation result data output from the combinational circuit 123 are held by the flip-flops 132 to 134. The operation result data output from the combinational circuit 125 are held by the flip-flop 135 and the flip-flop 136. Also, the operation result data output from the combinational circuit 127 are stored in a memory in the external test apparatus which is connected to the external output terminals 117 to 119.
Next, the connection with regard to the flip-flops 131 to 136 is switched to the above-mentioned serial connection again. Then, the operation result data held by the flip-flops 131 to 136 are sequentially output from the serial output terminal 115. The operation result data obtained in the test mode (the operation result data output from the serial output terminal 115 or stored in the external test apparatus) are compared with predetermined expected values. In this manner, the normality of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 is checked. In the case when the macro circuit 123 is a combinational circuit, the failures can be detected with respect to all of the circuits in accordance with the above-described testing method.
Next, let us consider a case when the macro circuit 123 is constituted by sequential circuits. In this case, the output of the macro circuit 123 depends upon input history. Therefore, if an internal configuration of the macro circuit 123 is not disclosed, an output test pattern cannot be calculated only by an input test pattern. Thus, the internal circuits of the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 except for the macro circuit 123 is tested, which deteriorates failure detection rate (failure diagnosis rate).
In order to avoid the problem, the macro circuit 123 is expanded into combinational circuits if the internal configuration of the macro circuit 123 is disclosed. That is, circuits in the macro circuit 123 are separated into combinational circuits and flip-flops. The flip-flops are newly connected to the above-mentioned scan chain outside the macro circuit 123, and thus a new scan chain is constructed. By the use of the new scan chain, the semiconductor integrated circuit 100 can be tested in a similar manner to the above. In this case, a test pattern used for testing the macro circuit 123 must be prepared for every circuit. In particular, when the macro circuit 123 is a large scale one, burdens are increased. Moreover, according to the above method, a pattern design is performed after the scan chain is wired in the chip design. At this time, the circuit configuration of the macro circuit or the chip must be disclosed to a pattern designer. Therefore, the above-mentioned method can not be adopted if the circuit configuration of the macro circuit cannot be opened to the pattern designer.
When an internal configuration of a macro circuit is not opened, the macro circuit and the other circuits may be tested independently by separating the macro circuit from the other circuits. In this case, a terminal of the Type-3 appears in a boundary between the macro circuit and the other circuits. That is, a terminal to which an input test pattern can not be input or a terminal from which an output test pattern can not be derived appears in the boundary between the macro circuit and the other circuits. In the case when the circuit 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a semiconductor chip as in the above explanation, it is possible to supply the input test pattern and derive the output test pattern by connecting the external test apparatus with the external input and output terminals. However, in a case when the circuit 100 shown in FIG. 1 is assumed to be a macro circuit inside the semiconductor chip, the external test apparatus cannot be connected to input/output terminals of the macro circuit. That is, in the case when the macro circuit 100 and the peripheral circuit are tested independently, it is not possible to provide a device which is directly connected to the macro terminals 111, 112, 117, 118 and 119 of the macro circuit 100 for inputting the input test pattern and deriving the output test pattern. In this case, an input test pattern can not be set in the combinational circuit 121 provided between the macro terminals 111, 112 and the flip-flop 131. Moreover, an operation result data can not be derived from the combinational circuit 127 provided between the macro terminals 117 to 119 and the flip-flops 135 and 136. As a result, the failure detection rate is reduced.
FIG. 2 shows another example, which is for preventing the reduction of the failure detection rate. In FIG. 2, additional flip-flops are provided for respective of the macro terminals, and the additional flip-flops are incorporated into the above-mentioned scan chain. For example, a flip-flop 151 and a selecting circuit 161 are provided for the macro terminal 111. The selecting circuit 161 selects data from the macro terminal 111 in the normal mode, while selects the input test pattern set in the flip-flop 151 in the test mode. The selecting circuit 161 outputs the selected data to the combinational circuit 121. Similarly, a flip-flop 152 and a selecting circuit 162 are provided for the macro terminal 112. A flip-flop 153 is provided for the macro terminal 117 on the output side. An operation result data output from the combinational circuit 127 to the macro terminal 117 is held by the flip-flop 153. Similarly, a flip-flop 154 is provided for the macro terminal 118, and a flip-flop 155 is provided for the macro terminal 119. These flip-flops 154 and 155 hold operation result data, respectively. The flip-flops 151 to 155 are connected to the above-mentioned scan chain which is constituted by the flip-flops 131 to 136. As a result, a new scan chain is constructed which is constituted by the flip-flops 131 to 136 and 151 to 155. By using the new scan chain, it becomes possible to detect failures which may occur in the combinational circuits 121 and 127. However, a total number of the flip-flops are increased by the number of the macro terminals of the macro circuit 100, which enlarges an area occupied by the macro circuit. In particular, a macro circuit mounted on an LSI in recent years is equipped with multiple functions and hence a large number of macro terminals. Accordingly, if flip-flops are easily located, a wiring congestion degree is increased and a chip area is increased.
For example, in a case of a macro circuit having about 3000 flip-flops inside, the total number of the macro terminals is nearly 300. In this case, it is necessary to add another 300 flip-flops whose number is equal to the number of the macro terminals. That is to say, the number of flip-flops is increased by 10% in order to improve the failure detection rate, which has an adverse affect on the chip area.
A test technique is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application (JP-P2001-208810A), in which the test is performed for a circuit group including not only a macro circuit but also a part of combinational circuits outside the macro circuit, instead of separating the macro circuit from the other circuits. According to the conventional technique, a scan pattern used for testing the macro circuit is prepared with respect to the circuit group including the macro circuit and the combinational circuits outside the macro circuit. The prepared scan pattern is set in a scan flip-flop on the input side by using a scan-in terminal. An output data of the scan flip-flop is input to the macro circuit through a combinational circuit on the input side out of the combinational circuits outside the macro circuit. An operation result data of the macro circuit is taken in a scan flip-flop on the output side through a combinational circuit on the output side out of the combinational circuits outside the macro circuit. An output data of the scan flip-flop on the output side is output from a scan output terminal as a comparison data which is compared with a predetermined expected value. In this case, it is necessary to prepare a scan pattern used for testing the macro circuit every time the circuit outside the macro circuit is changed, although the macro circuit itself does not change.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and method of testing semiconductor integrated circuit


A headrest support assembly for a recliner chair includes mirror-image right and left support subassemblies that each include first and second support links that are pivotally connected at their upper ends to mounting brackets that can support a headrest of the chair, and upper and lower swing links that are pivotally connectable to corresponding first ends to the backrest frame of the chair and at corresponding second ends to the first support link. A pin extending from a lower end of the second support link extends in an opening along the length of the upper swing link. An actuator link which is movable by a support carriage of the chair is connected to the lower swing link to cause the links to shift between a retracted condition wherein the supported headrest faces upwardly and a deployed condition wherein the supported headrest faces forwardly of the chair. A spring can be connected between the upper swing link and the lower end of the second support link of each support subassembly to assist in shifting of the respective subassembly into a deployed condition. The opening in the upper swing link of each support subassembly can be slot shaped to enable the support headrest to tilt when the respective support subassembly is in a deployed condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recliner chairs, and more particularly to headrest support assemblies which can be used in recliner chairs to move and orient a headrest between a retracted (non-use) positioning and a deployed (use) positioning when the chair is shifted between an upright and a reclined state.
2. The Prior Art
Movement chairs such as recliner and incliner chairs which include headrest support assemblies that can move supported headrests between retracted and deployed positionings when the chairs are shifted between upright and reclined states are well known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 369,558, 2,884,992, 2,975,826, 2,984,293, 2,996,332, 3,074,758, 3,140,117, 4,188,062 and 4,451,081. However, the known headrest support assemblies either operate to swing the headrests from a position within the backrest frame to a position above the frame by following an arc behind the frame, thus necessitating that the chair be located at a relatively large distance from a rearward wall, or they operate to move the headrests upwardly from within the backrest frame through an opening in the top of the backrest frame, which means that the frame will have an exposed opening that will be rather unsightly. Most of the known headrest support assemblies support the associated headrests in a rigid fashion, which means that the headrests cannot move or tilt in a resilient manner upon contact by the head of an occupant. Thus they cannot provide the ultimate in comfort to a user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a headrest support assembly for a recliner (incliner) chair that is constructed such that when in a retracted condition, it will support the headrest in a position over the top of the backrest frame of the chair (thus covering the opening constructed therein) and facing upwardly, and when in a deployed condition, will support the headrest in a position spaced above and forwardly of the top end of the backrest frame and reoriented so as to face forwardly of the chair.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a headrest support assembly which includes a spring means to assist in shifting the headrest support assembly into a deployed condition.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a headrest support assembly which, when deployed, can movably (tiltably) support the headrest such that it will resiliently tilt upon rearward pressure applied by the head of an occupant.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a headrest support assembly which is useable with the double-shift carriage mechanism for a full recline incliner chair as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,701.

Headrest support assembly for recliner chair


Sound picked up by a microphone of a first sound field is reproduced by a speaker of a second sound field, and a sound picked up by a microphone of the second sound field is reproduced by the speaker of the first sound field. Sound pressure detection section detects a sound pressure of a sound present in the second (or first) sound field picked up by the microphone of the second (or first) sound field, other than a sound reproduced by the speaker of the first (or second) sound field. Other sound pressure detection section detects a sound pressure with which the sound picked up by the microphone of the second (or first) sound field and reproduced by the speaker of the first (or second) sound field is picked up by the microphone of the first (or second) sound field. Sound-pressure-difference detection section adjusts a gain of an automatic gain adjustment section in such a manner that the two detected sound pressures assume a predetermined relationship. Thus, any sound picked up in one of the first and second sound fields can be reproduced in the other sound field with an enhanced sense of unity and connection between the two sound fields.

The present invention relates to picked-up-sound reproducing methods and apparatus for picking up a sound present in one sound field and reproducing the picked-up sound in another sound field, and more particularly relates to an improved picked-up-sound reproducing method and apparatus which achieve an enhanced sense of unity (togetherness) and connection between two separate sound fields.
As apparatus for picking up sounds picked up in one sound field and reproducing the picked-up sounds in another sound field, teleconference systems, such as TV conference systems, have been in actual use.
The conventionally-known TV conference systems are designed to adjust reproduced sound volumes in a soundreproducing field irrespective of sound volumes in a soundpicking-up field, and thus can not create an effect of a "virtual conference table" achieving a feeling as if the separate sound fields were united and connected. Therefore, the conventionally-known TV conference systems can not provide a sufficient sense of realism achieving a feel as if people or participants in the two separate sound fields were in a same conference room, and it is difficult to perform natural sound transfer among a great many people without entailing unnatural feelings. Further, sound volume adjustment has to be performed manually so that sounds can be reproduced with optimal volumes. In addition, because conditions for positioning microphones and speakers relative to each other are not fixed in advance, the sound volume adjustment is subject to limitations and inconveniences, such as a howling noise, depending on the positioning conditions.

Picked-up-sound recording method and apparatus


Disclosed are systems and methods to provide a patient care recommendation. The systems and methods receive patient information and a plurality of patient physiological signals that are related to a patient. The systems and methods are then operable to produce at least one derived patient signal from at least one of the plurality of patient physiological signals. The systems and methods use the patient information, at least one of the plurality of patient physiological signals, and the at least one derived patient signal to provide at least one patient care recommendation.

Triage and diagnosis of patients can be problematic due to a lack of knowledge about the condition or status of the patient. Current physiological monitoring is confined to limited sets of conventional non-invasive measurements of physiological signs of the patient throughout the pre-hospital care phase such as, for example, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. Due to this limited information, treatment options are not based on empirical data, but rather typically rely on the experience of the patient care provider and the limited measurements of physiological signs available from the patients. Consequently, critical decisions may be made based on incomplete knowledge of the patient condition.
Furthermore, when dealing with multiple patients in a pre-hospital or hospital situation, the lack of accurate data becomes problematic when decisions on patient care prioritization and treatment options must be made for several patients in a short time frame. Thus, many patient care decisions may be incorrect and/or delayed.
Patient care decisions are further complicated by human compensatory mechanisms that result in adequate blood flow to the patient's core and head that can mask the patients true condition, as the conventional physiological signs that are used to determine the status of the patient do not take into account, and may even disregard, those compensatory mechanisms.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved system and method for making patient care decisions.

The United States of America as represented by The Secretary of the Army


A silicon wafer has an amorphous silicon layer formed on one main surface thereof. The amorphous silicon layer is formed by plasma chemical vapor deposition. The silicon wafer has a gettering layer that possesses high gettering capability and enhanced continuance of the gettering capability. Moreover, the stress acting on the silicon wafer due to the gettering layer is reduced so that the warpage of the silicon wafer decreases. The silicon wafer can be manufactured with high productivity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a silicon wafer and its manufacturing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a silicon wafer having an amorphous silicon layer, formed as a gettering layer, on the main surface (hereinafter referred to as a "reverse surface") opposite to the main surface (hereinafter referred to as a "front surface") on which semiconductor devices will be fabricated, as well as to a method of manufacturing the silicon wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
For various reasons, impurities such as heavy metals are generated during fabrication of a semiconductor device from a silicon wafer, and the thus-generated impurities contaminate the vicinity of the surface of a silicon wafer which will become an active area in the semiconductor device. If the vicinity of the surface of the silicon wafer which will become an active area is contaminated by impurities, the characteristics of the device are degraded, which in turn reduces the proportion of non-defective devices. To prevent such a problem, a technique of intentionally collecting impurities outside of the active area; namely, a gettering technique, is commonly used. A representative method of the gettering technique is the forming of a polycrystalline silicon layer as a gettering layer on the reverse surface of a silicon wafer.
According to this conventional method, a polycrystalline silicon layer is usually formed by growing polycrystalline silicon on the reverse surface of the silicon using a LPCVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) method.
The silicon wafer having a polycrystalline layer formed on the reverse surface thereof undergoes stress. Compared with a silicon wafer without a polycrystalline silicon layer, the silicon wafer having a polycrystalline layer becomes warped to a greater extent. If polycrystalline silicon is grown on the reverse surfaces of silicon wafers of different diameters under the same conditions, the warpage increases with the diameter of the silicon wafer. Associated with a recent tendency of a semiconductor device to be highly integrated with higher accuracy, the diameter of the silicon wafer is steadily increasing. Because of this, it is to be desired that the warpage of the silicon wafer be reduced to as small an extent as possible.
In order to reduce the warpage of the silicon wafer, a polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on a silicon wafer under conditions such that the stress acting on the silicon wafer decreases. For example, the polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on the silicon wafer at a high temperature such that the grain size of polycrystalline silicon becomes greater, or the polycrystalline silicon layer is formed so as to become thinner. In these cases, however, the gettering capability of the polycrystalline silicon layer is decreased, as shown in FIG. 1.
As a polycrystalline silicon layer is subjected to heat treatment during fabrication of semiconductor devices from a silicon wafer, the polycrystalline silicon layer is further crystallized into monocrystal, thereby resulting in a reduction in the gettering capability of the polycrystalline silicon layer.
There has been proposed a silicon wafer whose gettering capability is enhanced by formation of an amorphous layer instead of the polycrystalline silicon layer (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 4-2133). As shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the advantage of improved gettering capability, the amorphous silicon layer has the advantage of being resistant to crystallization into monocrystal relative to the polycrystalline silicon layer, even when it is subjected to heat treatment during the fabrication of semiconductor devices, thus providing the advantage of longer continuance of the gettering capability.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, if an amorphous silicon layer is formed (designated by (b) in FIG. 2) by growing amorphous silicon on the reverse surface of the silicon wafer using the low pressure chemical vapor deposition method in the same way as for polycrystalline silicon, the stress acting on the silicon wafer becomes larger than the stress resulting from formation of a polycrystalline silicon layer (designated by (a) in FIG. 2). As a result, the warpage of the silicon wafer becomes still greater. As illustrated in FIG. 1, as is the case of formation of a polycrystalline silicon layer, even if an amorphous silicon layer is formed using the low pressure chemical vapor deposition method, the stress acting on the silicon wafer increases so long as the gettering capability of the amorphous silicon layer increases.
To grow amorphous silicon on the reverse surface of the silicon wafer, it is necessary to reduce growth temperature. As a result of this, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a growth rate of the amorphous silicon (designated by (b) in FIG. 3) becomes extremely low as compared with that of the polycrystalline silicon (designated by (a) in FIG. 3), thereby resulting in a decrease in the productivity of a silicon wafer.

Silicon wafer including amorphous silicon layer formed by PCVD and method of manufacturing wafer


A radiation-hard isoplanar cryo-CMOS process suitable for submicron device fabrication reduces channel length to submicron levels. A channel stop (52) is formed after a first polysilicon gate (50) is formed to reduce the space between a n-/n+ source/drain region (67, 68) and the channel-stop region (52). Double gate oxidation steps are performed to increase polyoxide thickness. A thermal oxide masking step is carried out to obtain a thin layer of gate oxide under a second polysilicon gate (60A) for CMOS devices. The process includes two different second polysilicon masking steps to provide dimension control of second polysilicon gates (60A) and to remove bridging of the second polysilicon where the second polysilicon layer (58) is over the first polysilicon layer (48).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices which operate at cryogenic temperatures and which are radiation hard.
2. Description of Related Art
Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology is so named because it uses both p- and n-type (i.e., complementary) metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors in its circuits. CMOS has its origins in 1963, and the first CMOS integrated circuits (ICs) were fabricated in 1966. The earliest commercial application in volume was in digital watches in which power consumption is a primary concern. Later, CMOS was widely used in circuits for calculators in which low-power dissipation is important, and in circuits where very high noise margins are important, e.g., radiation-hard circuits.
With the dawning of the very large-scale integration (VLSI) era, power consumption in conventional n-type metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) circuits began to exceed tolerable limits. A lower power technology was needed to exploit the VLSI fabrication techniques. CMOS represented such a technology.
From 1968 to 1987, a 200-fold increase in functional density and a 20-fold increase in speed of integrated circuits took place. One example of this tremendous increase in density is the Intel 4004 4-bit microprocessor which in 1971 had 2,300 devices. By 1995, the well-known Intel 80386 16-bit processor had 275,000 devices.
Although CMOS has many advantages, CMOS is susceptible to short-channel and hot-carrier effects when device channel lengths drop below about 2 .mu.m. In addition, hot-electron effects in n-channel devices typically become more severe as channel lengths narrow. In addition, well contacts must be provided in CMOS circuits, which take up more chip area than in other IC technologies.
One application for CMOS devices is in focal plane array (FPA) technology. Focal plane arrays are used in night-vision devices which thermally image scenes using infrared radiation. The focal plane arrays are cooled to cryogenic temperatures in order to reduced unwanted thermal noise. Hence, the category of CMOS devices used at cryogenic temperatures is known as cryo-CMOS.
Current FPA processes require channel stops around each n-channel device for low-temperature radiation-hardening purposes. This process is not self-aligned and requires a large space between the channel stop and n+ implantation region. The active-area region is defined by a wet chemical oxide etch process and not by a local oxidation process (LOCOS) currently widely used in the IC industry.
Many applications in focal plane array technologies require radiation-hard, high-density, large-array read-outs. To do this, high-density, low-noise, and radiation-hard cryo-CMOS processes are required. Current FPA processes yield channel lengths in the neighborhood of 4 micrometers (.mu.m). Reducing the channel length further presents many difficulties.
Conventional fabrication processes may yield a minimum channel length of 2.5 .mu.m, which is usually the smallest achievable for these processes. Many new applications require device channel length to be in the submicron range (i.e., less than 1 .mu.m) to increase device speed, packing density, and read-out resolution while maintaining the same low-temperature radiation hardness and device performance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process which produces a radiation-hard cryo-CMOS device with channel lengths in the submicron region without experiencing any degradation in device radiation hardness or in device performance.

Radiation-hard isoplanar cryo-CMOS process suitable for sub-micron devices