Disclosed is a shell side contactor which can be used to form ozonated water. The contactor includes a shell and a plurality of porous perfluoroalkoxy resin thermoplastic hollow fibers that are potted at each end of the shell. The perfluoroalkoxy resin hollow fibers can be unskinned, skinned on their inner surface, or skinned on their outer surfaces. The contactor is provided with a spacer that spreads the hollow fibers adjacent an inlet to the shell, thereby permitting liquid flow at desirably high flow rates with acceptable pressure drop through the shell. The mass transfer efficiency of the contactor can be enhanced by jetting water into the fiber bundle and introducing gaps into the bundle.

Liquid-gas contactors are used to transfer one or more soluble substances from one phase to another. Examples of conventional contactors are packed towers, plate columns and wetted wall columns. In these systems, gas absorption of one or more components from a gas stream is accomplished by dispersing the gas as bubbles in packed towers and plate columns in a countercurrent flow to a liquid stream. Absorption efficiency is controlled apart from solubility considerations by the relative rate of the flows and the effective surface area of the gas flow bubbles. In wetted wall contactors the gas stream flows past a downward flow of liquid on the inside wall of a vertical tube. Gas stripping is used to transfer a gas dissolved in liquid into a gas stream. Similar contactors are used for gas stripping.
Conventional contactors have several deficiencies. Primary among these is the fact that the individual gas and liquid flows cannot be varied independently over wide ranges. Tray columns are prone to such problems as weeping at low gas flows and flooding at high liquid flows. Packed towers can flood at high flow rates. The use of low liquid flow rates in a packed tower can lead to channeling and reduced effective surface area Excessive frothing or foam formation can lead to process inefficiency. Wetted wall contactors have inherently low mass transfer coefficients, and can flood at high gas flow rates. The development of membrane contactors has overcome these deficiencies.
Membrane contactors are devices through which two fluid phases flow separated by a membrane permeable to the gas being transferred. If a microporous membrane is being used, the preferred method relies on the non-wetting characteristic of the membrane material and the pore size to prevent liquid from intruding into the pores and filling them. Gas transfer then occurs through the gas filled pores to or from the liquid, depending on whether the process is absorption or stripping. If a non-porous membrane is used, gas transfer is controlled by the diffusion rate in the non-porous layer of the membrane. While other membrane geometries are available for this use, hollow fiber membranes are ideally suited as contactors.
A hollow fiber porous membrane is a tubular filament comprising an outer diameter, an inner diameter, with a porous wall thickness between them. The inner diameter defines the hollow portion of the fiber and is used to carry one of the fluids. For what is termed tube side contacting, the liquid phase flows through the hollow portion, sometimes called the lumen, and is maintained separate from the gas phase, which surrounds the fiber. In shell side contacting, the liquid phase surrounds the outer diameter and surface of the fibers and the gas phase flows through the lumen.
The outer or inner surface of a hollow fiber membrane can be skinned or unskinned. A skin is a thin dense surface layer integral with the substructure of the membrane. In skinned membranes, the major portion of resistance to flow through the membrane resides in the thin skin. The surface skin may contain pores leading to the continuous porous structure of the substructure, or may be a non-porous integral film-like surface. In porous skinned membranes, permeation occurs primarily by connective flow through the pores. Asymmetric refers to the uniformity of the pores size across the thickness of the membrane; for hollow fibers, this is the porous wall of the fiber. Asymmetric membranes have a structure in which the pore size is a function of location through the cross-section, typically, gradually increasing in size in traversing from one surface to the opposing surface. Another manner of defining asymmetry is the ratio of pore sizes on one surface to those on the opposite surface.
Manufacturers produce membranes from a variety of materials, the most general class being synthetic polymers. An important class of synthetic polymers is thermoplastic polymers, which can be flowed and molded when heated and recover their original solid properties when cooled. As the conditions of the application to which the membrane is being used become more severe, the materials that can be used become limited. For example, the organic solvent-based solutions used for wafer coating in the microelectronics industry will dissolve or swell and weaken most common polymeric membranes. The high temperature stripping baths in the same industry consist of highly acid and oxidative compounds, which will destroy membranes made of common polymers. Perfluorinated thermoplastic polymers such as poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoro(alkylvinylether)) (poly(PTFE-CO-PFVAE)) or poly(tetrafluoro-ethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (FEP) are not adversely affected by severe conditions of use, so that membranes made from these polymers would have a decided advantage over ultrafiltration membranes made from less chemically and thermally stable polymers. These thermoplastic polymers have advantages over poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), which is not a thermoplastic, in that they can be molded or shaped in standard type processes, such as extrusion. Perfluorinated thermoplastic hollow fiber membranes can be produced at smaller diameters than possible with PTFE. Fibers with smaller diameters, for example, in the range of about 350 micron outer diameter to about 1450 micron outer diameter, can be fabricated into contactors having high membrane surface area to contactor volume ratios. This attribute is useful for producing compact equipment, which are useful in applications where space is at a premium, such as in semiconductor manufacturing plants.
Being chemically inert, the Poly(PTFE-CO-PFVAE) and FEP polymers are difficult to form into membranes using typical solution casting methods as they are difficult to dissolve in the normal solvents. They can be made into membranes using the Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) process. In one example of the TIPS process a polymer and organic liquid are mixed and heated in an extruder to a temperature at which the polymer dissolves. A membrane is shaped by extrusion through an extrusion die, and the extruded membrane is cooled to form a gel. During cooling the polymer solution temperature is reduced to below the upper critical solution temperature. This is the temperature at or below which two phases form from the homogeneous heated solution, one phase primarily polymer, the other primarily solvent. If done properly, the solvent rich phase forms a continuous interconnecting porosity. The solvent rich phase is then extracted and the membrane dried.
Hydrophobic microporous membranes are commonly used for contactor applications with an aqueous solution that does not wet the membrane. The solution flows on one side of the membrane and a gas mixture preferably at a lower pressure than the solution flows on the other. Pressures on each side of the membrane are maintained so that the liquid pressure does not overcome the critical pressure of the membrane, and so that the gas does not bubble into the liquid. Critical pressure, the pressure at which the solution will intrude into the pores, depends directly on the material used to make the membrane, inversely on the pore size of the membrane, and directly on the surface tension of the liquid in contact with the gas phase. Hollow fiber membranes are primarily used because of the ability to obtain a very high packing density with such devices.
Packing density relates to the amount of useful membrane surface per volume of the device. It is related to the number of fibers that can be potted in a finished contactor. Also, contactors may be operated with the feed contacting the inside or the outside surface, depending on which is more advantageous in the particular application. Typical applications for contacting membrane systems are to remove dissolved gases from liquids, degassing; or to add a gaseous substance to a liquid. For example, ozone is added to very pure water to form a solution used to wash semiconductor wafers. Many processing steps involved in chip manufacturing use very aggressive chemicals such as hot sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, phosphoric acid, etc. for etching purpose. Since these chemicals are toxic and dangerous, transport, storage and proper disposal of these chemicals pose serious health and safety hazards to the workers in this industry. New processing technologies have been developed in the last few years by a number of chip tool manufacturers. Unlike the conventional process which uses many aggressive chemicals, the new processing technology utilizes only two chemicals—ozonated DI water and HF water. It has been demonstrated that almost all existing processing bath can be replaced using only these two chemicals.
While HF water can easily be produced, a good source for ozonated water has been a challenge. Although ozonated water is being used in chip plants today, most uses are for cleaning operations where only a couple of parts per million (ppm) of ozone concentration are needed in the fluid stream. However, to replace aggressive etch baths, much higher ozone concentration is needed. In general, the concentration ranges between 10-80 ppm. The water flow rate ranged between 5-40 liters per minute (lpm). Typical requirement is about 15 ppm at 20 lpm.
Prior to the present invention, a tube side contacting device has been provided wherein the hollow fibers are formed of a polyfluorinated alkoxyvinylether (PFA) polymer. This device is characterized by undesirably limited gas mass transfer through the hollow fibers. In addition, contact devices have been provided wherein the hollow filter membranes or spirally pleated membranes are formed of PTFE.
Ohmi et al., J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol. 140, No. 3, March 1993, pp. 804-810, describe cleaning organic impurities form silicon wafers at room temperature with ozone-injected ultrapure water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,480 shows that ozone diffused through a subambient temperature deionized water will quickly and effectively remove organic materials such as photoresist from waters without the uses of other chemicals. It is believed that lowering the temperature of the solution enables a sufficiently high ozone concentration in solution to substantially oxidize all of the organic material on the wafer to insoluble gases. The means for diffusing a gas can be any means which provides fine bubbles of ozone or other gases into the tank and uniformly distributes the gas throughout the tank.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,480, preferably, the bubbles that are provided by the diffuser are initially about 25 to about 40 microns in diameter. The gas diffusers preferably are initially about 25 to about 40 microns in diameter. The gas diffusers preferably are made from a mixture of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluoroalkoxylvinylether. By varying the temperature and pressure under which the mixture is prepared by methods known in the art, both porous and nonporous members are formed. The impermeable and permeable members are preferably comprised of about 95% PTFE and about 5% perfluoroalkoxylvinylether. The permeable member and the impermeable member may be joined by any number of methods as long as the result is a composite member that will not come apart under the stresses in the tank. Preferably, the members are heat sealed together, essentially melting or fusing the members together using carbon-carbon bonds. Once the permeable member is formed, a trench is bored out of the PTFE in the top portion of the member. The resulting diffuser has on the order of about 100,000 pores of a size of about 25 to about 40 microns in diameter through which gas may permeate into the treatment tank. The use of the trench in the diffuser allows the gas to diffuse into the tank as very fine bubbles. In applications for the semiconductor manufacturing industry, a device that supplied homogeneous bubble free ozone dissolved in ultrapure water would provide more efficient oxidation reactions because the reaction would not be localized at the bubbles. The more homogeneous solution would provide for a more uniform cleaning reaction. Furthermore, the high surface area to volume ratio inherent in hollow fiber devices would give a compact system, suitable for semiconductor operations.
Dissolved oxygen in ultrapure water is another problem in semiconductor device manufacturing. Oxygen removal to less than one part per billion (ppb) is required to prevent uncontrolled oxide growth. Potential problems associated with uncontrolled oxide growth are prevention of low temperature epitaxy growth, reduction of precise control of gate-oxide films, and increased contact resistance for VIA holes. This uncontrolled growth can be overcome by stripping dissolved oxygen to less than 1 ppb from the ultrapure water used in the manufacturing process. The high packing density and cleanliness associated with an all perfluorinated thermoplastic contactor are advantages in such applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,094 provides an oxidized water producing method in which a pressurized ozone gas is generated by an electric discharge type ozonator is dissolved in water to be treated through a hollow fiber membrane, characterized in that the water pressure inside the membrane is maintained higher than the pressure of the ozone gas supplied to the outside of the hollow fiber membrane to prevent tiny bubbles and impurities from getting mixed into the water being treated, and the ozone concentration in the treated water is controlled on the basis of the concentration of the ozone gas. This reference discloses only PTFE membranes and does not contemplate the use of an all perfluorinated thermoplastic contactor.
Commercially all available PTFE hollow tube contactors are referred to as "hollow tubes", probably because they are relatively large. Patent PJ7213880A discloses the fiber manufacturing process for making composite PTFE hollow tubes for ozonizing applications. The first step of this process involves extruding PTFE paste derived from a mixture of PTFE powder and lubricants. After the tube is formed, the lubricants are extracted and the powder sintered into a slightly porous PTFE solid tube. The tube is then stretched longitudinally to make it porous. This is different than typical PTFE sheet membranes made by a similar process. To generate very fine microporous structures, characterized by a node to fibrils network, most PTFE membranes are made by biaxial stretching. For hollow fibers, the equivalent process would have been stretching the fiber radially. Probably because of the impracticality of such a step, this radial stretching step is missing from the disclosed process. Consequently, the pores in this tube are only "half-formed", i.e., it did not attain the "node to fibril network" of flat sheet membrane. To compensate for this deficiency, the tube underwent a second step of laminating a regular microporous flat sheet membrane on top of the external surface of the porous tube. This step involves lamination of a long narrow strip of PTFE microporous membrane spirally on the surface of the tubing. This is a tedious, labor intensive process. Also, with the membrane laminated to the outside of the hollow tube, the resistance to mass transfer in tube-side flow could be higher in cases were the fluid partially intrudes into the support layer. This arrangement diminishes the potential of housing the membrane as the barrier for separating the two fluid phases. These deficiencies are overcome with the hollow fiber membranes of the present invention.
An advantage for contacting applications is that the very low surface tension of these perfluorinated polymers allows use with low surface tension liquids. For example, highly corrosive developers used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry may contain surface tension reducing additives, such as surfactants. These developers could not be degassed with typical microporous membranes because the liquid would intrude the pores at the pressures used and permeate, causing solution loss and excess evaporation. In addition, liquid filling the pores would greatly add to the mass transfer resistance of gas transport. U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,941 describes how conventional follow fiber membranes of polypropylene or polyethylene cannot be used in carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide absorption into aqueous solutions containing an organic solvent without the use of a solution additive to prevent leakage. While PTFE membranes would work in these applications, presumably because of their lower surface tension, they are difficult to process into hollow fibers. The membranes of the present invention are made from polymers having similar surface tension properties to PTFE and are more readily manufactured into small diameter hollow fiber membranes.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hollow fiber membrane contactor apparatus for forming a liquid solution from a gas and a liquid which provides high mass transfer rates of gas through the hollow fiber membranes. Such an apparatus can be formed of a suitably small size to permit its use with currently available apparatus for delivering a reagent to a conventional etching process for making electronic devices.

Hollow fiber membrane contact apparatus and process


The present invention provides a method of producing a liquid crystal display device which enables suppression of the occurrence of an electric double layer on a horizontal photo-alignment film before a polymer is formed, and exhibits reduced deterioration of display quality such as image sticking, or reduced display unevenness. The present invention is a method of producing a liquid crystal display device including the steps of (1) forming a liquid crystal layer containing a polymerizable monomer between a first substrate and a second substrate; (2) thermally annealing the liquid crystal layer at a temperature higher by 10° C. or more than the liquid crystalline phase-isotropic phase transition temperature of the liquid crystal layer; (3) forming horizontal alignment films to which the alignment treatment is performed by light irradiation on the first substrate and the second substrate by the time of the step (2); and (4) polymerizing the polymerizable monomer after the step (2).

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is a display device which controls the transmission/shielding of light (on/off of the display) by controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules having birefringent properties. Examples of the display mode of LCD include a vertical alignment (VA) mode in which liquid crystal molecules having negative anisotropy of dielectric constant are vertically aligned with respect to the substrate surface; an in-plane switching (IPS) mode and a fringe field switching (FFS) mode in which liquid crystal molecules having positive or negative anisotropy of dielectric constant are horizontally aligned with respect to the substrate surface, and a horizontal electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer.
Among these, particularly liquid crystal display devices of the IPS mode or the FFS mode have an advantage of having a wide viewing angle, and the like, while these liquid crystal display devices are known to be likely to have the occurrence of display defects such as image sticking (refer to, for example, Patent Literature 1 and Non Patent Literature 1). Furthermore, it is known that in a liquid crystal display device, when an electric double layer is generated between an alignment film and a liquid crystal layer, image quality deterioration occurs (for example, Patent Literature 2).

Method of producing liquid crystal display device


An apparatus for generating round-key words in accordance with a Rijndael algorithm. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes (a) a key expansion register block, having a key expansion register adapted to receive a final cipher key of a key expansion schedule in accordance with the Rijndael algorithm; (b) a round constant generator; (c) a first XOR adder adapted to add a first word of the key expansion register to a second word to generate and provide a first sum to the key expansion register block; (d) a transformation block adapted to generate a transformed word based on the first sum and the current round constant over four counts of a first cyclical counter; and (e) a second XOR adder adapted to add the transformed word to the first word of the key expansion register to generate and provide a second sum to the key expansion register block.

A symmetric cryptosystem is a method of encrypting (also called encoding) and decrypting (also called decoding) information involving the use of an identical secret key for both the encryption and decryption. The Rijndael algorithm, which is a substitution linear transformation block cipher, can support a symmetric cryptosystem. The Rijndael algorithm processes plain text in blocks of 128, 192, or 256 bits, and uses cipher keys of length 128, 192, or 256 bits. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a standardized implementation of the Rijndael algorithm used for securing sensitive material. The AES is defined by the United States' National Institute of Standards and Technology in Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 197, available at <http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips197/fips-197.pdf; retrieved Jan. 3, 2006>, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The AES algorithm, as currently defined, processes data in blocks sizes of 128 bits. Data block size is represented by Nb, where Nb is the number of 32-bit words in a block. Thus, for 128-bit blocks, Nb=4. The length of the cipher key used is represented by Nk, where Nk is the number of 32-bit words in the cipher key. The AES standard, as currently defined, allows use of cipher keys with lengths of 128 bits (wherein Nk=4), 192 bits (Nk=6), or 256 bits (Nk=8). A particular implementation of the AES standard must support at least one of the standard cipher key lengths. A block of unencrypted data (i.e., plaintext) is transformed over a series of rounds, where the number of rounds, represented by Nr, is dependent on the length of the cipher key. There are 10 rounds when using 128-bit keys, 12 when using 192-bit keys, and 14 when using 256-bit keys. The AES standard recognizes that, in the future, the specific values for key length, block size, and number of rounds are subject to change.
The working data block, or intermediate cipher result, of AES encryption and decryption is known as the State, and can be represented as a rectangular array of bytes having four rows and four columns of 8-bit bytes (for a total of 128 bits). The bytes can be viewed as finite field elements. They can be added and multiplied, but those operations are different from those used for numbers. For example, both addition and its inverse are implemented by performing an exclusive-OR (XOR) operation, while multiplication involves modulo reduction. Unless otherwise noted, references herein to addition mean the performance of an XOR operation. Similarly, adders referenced herein perform an XOR operation on the quantities added. Encryption and decryption start with the copying of a block of data into the State array, where the bytes will be transformed over the requisite number of rounds, and then the State's final value will be copied to a corresponding output block.
The AES algorithm takes the cipher key, and performs a key expansion routine to generate a key schedule with a total of Nb(Nr+1) 32-bit words, which are used for both encryption and decryption. Each round of encryption or decryption uses a different set of Nb words from the key schedule. The first Nk words, equivalent to one cipher key length, of the expanded key schedule are filled with the cipher key. Every subsequent word, w[i], is equal to the XOR of the previous word, i.e., w[i−1], and the word Nk positions earlier, i.e., w[i−Nk]. For words in positions that are a multiple of Nk, prior to the XOR with w[i−Nk], a transformation is applied to w[i−1], followed by an XOR with a 32-bit round constant, Rcon[i]. The above transformation consists of a cyclic shift (RotWord( )) of the bytes in the word, followed by the application of a table lookup substitution (SubWord( )) to all four bytes of the word. The key expansion routine for 256-bit cipher keys (Nk=8) is slightly different, wherein the SubWord( ) transform is also applied to w[i−1] prior to the XOR with w[i−Nk] when [i−4] is a multiple of Nk.
For both its encryption and decryption, the AES algorithm uses a round function that is composed of four different byte-oriented transformations: (1) byte substitution using a substitution table (S-box), (2) shifting rows of the State array by different offsets, (3) mixing the data within each column of the State array, and (4) adding a round key to the State.
Encryption starts with an initial stage in which an initial round key is added to the State. This initial stage is sometimes referred to as round zero. The initial stage is then followed by Nr rounds of transformations. The first Nr−1 rounds include the above four transformations, represented as SubBytes( ), ShiftRows( ), MixColumns( ), and AddRoundKey( ), respectively. The final round, i.e., round Nr, does not include the MixColumns( ) transformation. After the final round, the State, containing encrypted data (i.e., ciphertext), is copied to the output. Each round uses a new 128-bit round key, which is derived from the cipher key using a set of transformations as described above. Thus, a total of Nr+1 round keys are used in encrypting information under the AES standard. The size of the round key is dependent on the size of the State, which is 128 bits under the AES standard, and which differs from the size of the cipher key if, for example, the 192-bit or 256-bit cipher keys are used. If, for example, a 256-bit cipher key is used, then the key schedule is expanded until there are 60 words in the schedule, for each of the four words used as a round keys in the initial stage and the 14 rounds of encryption or decryption (i.e., 60=4*(1+14)).
Straightforward AES decryption uses the inverse transformations of the encryption transformations. The decryption algorithm involves the following sequence of transformations: (1) InvShiftRows( ), (2) InvSubBytes( ), (3) AddRoundKey( ) (since XOR is its own inverse), and (4) InvMixColumns( ). Like encryption, decryption proceeds for an initial stage followed by Nr rounds using the same Nr+1 round keys used for encryption; however, the round keys are used in reverse order, starting with the final round key of the key schedule, stepping backwards through the expanded key schedule, and ending with the initial round key. The expanded key schedule is created in the same way as in the encryption process. Decryption starts with the copying of a block of encrypted data (i.e., ciphertext) to the State and the addition of the final round key of the key schedule to the State. This is followed by Nr−1 identical rounds of transformation, which include the above four inverse transformations, and wherein the AddRoundKey( ) transformation steps backwards through the key schedule. The final round (round Nr) does not include the InvMixColumns( ) transformation.
The AES standard also provides an equivalent decryption process that allows a reordering of the inverse procedures based on commutative and distributive properties of combinations of the procedures, and which is particularly beneficial for systems that perform both encryption and decryption. The equivalent decryption process requires the transformation of the round keys for rounds 1 to Nr−1 using an InvMixColumns( ) procedure, which can be accomplished by using the expanded key schedule and transforming the appropriate round keys therein. The equivalent decryption process starts with the addition of the final round key, i.e., the last Nb words of the key expansion schedule, followed by Nr−1 identical rounds of InvSubBytes( ), InvShiftRows( ), InvMixColumns( ), and AddRoundKey( ) transformations, respectively, stepping backwards through the key expansion schedule. The final round does not include the InvMixColumns( ) transformation for the State. After the final round, the State, containing deciphered data (i.e., plaintext), is copied to the output.
Current approaches for implementing the AES-Rijndael algorithm in semiconductor devices typically use Nk·(Nr+1) registers to store the entire key expansion table on chip. This storage requires an undesirably large number of gates and consequent large chip area.

Key generation for advanced encryption standard (AES) Decryption and the like


A controller for an electric vehicle having an electric motor is provided. The controller includes a motor control processor (MCP) module configured to control torque output of the electric motor. The controller also includes a first main processor monitor (MPM) module and a second MPM module. The first MPM module and the second MPM module are configured to separately determine a state of health of the MCP module, and to generate a first fault signal and a second fault signal, respectively, after determining the MCP module is not functional. The controller further includes a voting control module configured to receive at least one of the first fault signal from the first MPM module, and the second fault signal from the second MPM module, and to generate an override command when it receives both the first fault signal and the second fault signal. The override command overrides the MCP module.

An electric vehicle, such as a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and the like, generally utilizes one or more electric motors that may alone, or together with an internal combustion engine, propel the vehicle. The electric motors typically are three-phase alternating current (AC) motors, such as a permanent magnet motor. The AC motors are controlled by three-phase AC currents, which in turn are controlled by three-phase AC inverters within electric motor controllers. A processor or primary module is used to control the inverter, and therefore the torque output of the electric motor.
The electric vehicle may include secondary modules that monitor the state of health of the primary module. The state of health of the primary module may refer to whether the primary module is operating appropriately and/or has one or more faults. The secondary modules may perform diagnostic tests on the primary modules to determine the state of health of the primary modules. A module is determined to be healthy if it functions in a predetermined way for its intended purpose.

Controller for an electric motor, and a method thereof


An apparatus is provided for securing a trim frame to a housing member in a recessed lighting fixture. The apparatus includes a spring associated with the trim frame having a top edge, a left edge, a right edge, and a bottom edge, a left portion, a right portion, and a center portion between the left portion and the right portion. The left portion is connected to the center portion along a first bend, and the right portion is connected to the center portion along a second bend. The left portion includes a first lead-in portion formed by a third bend and a first retention portion formed by a fourth bend, and the right portion includes a second lead-in portion formed by a fifth bend and a second retention portion formed by a sixth bend.

Typical recessed lighting fixtures include a recessed housing and a trim frame that is received in the recessed housing. Numerous types of devices have been used in an effort to securely and firmly retain the trim frame in the recessed housing.
One commonly used method for retaining the trim frame in the housing member are torsion springs. However, a significant amount of labor is required to install or remove a trim frame when using the torsion springs. For example, torsion springs must be "engaged" in a slot or bracket before pushing the trim into place, and "disengaged" before completely removing the finishing trim from the recessed housing. Torsion springs also tend to interfere with compact recessed housings leading to insufficient retention in certain applications.
Another known method for retaining a trim frame is using horizontal mounted flat springs. These types of springs exert forces on the sidewall of the recessed housings to retain the finishing trims in place. Horizontal mounted flat springs tend to remain where initially positioned, and do not allow for vertical housing flex when installing. Finishing trims equipped with these style springs are also difficult to remove since considerable force is often required to overcome the spring and reverse it's direction. This can lead to distortion of the trim and/or housing. Typically, these types of springs can also only be used with a smooth recessed housing since various holes and mounting slots can interfere with the spring, resulting in the springs sticking in the housing.
Another known method for retaining a trim frame is to use vertical mounted tall thin flat springs. These springs hold the finishing trim in the housing through spring pressure applied on the sidewall of the recessed housing around 2″ up from the bottom of the housing. These springs typically include sharp edges that gouge the recessed housing to improve retention of the trim. These springs are also usually only compatible with straight wall solid recessed housing cans and any holes or edges in the recessed housing will catch on the spring resulting in the trim getting stuck upon removal. Finishing trims that contain these type of springs also cannot typically contain features to "pull up" the trim towards the housing, so there is a better chance for a gap between the ceiling and the trim.
Yet another method for retaining a trim frame to a housing member are vertical mounted short acute angle flat springs. These type of springs are usually under 2″ high, and are made from a uniform width strip formed over 90° so the portion of the spring that provides tension is lower and towards the base of the finishing trim. These types of springs retain the finishing trim in the recessed housing by spring pressure in the lower portion of the recessed housing sidewall. As these springs are formed into an inverted "v" shape, the surface acts as a lead in when installing the finishing trim into a recessed housing, so they are aligned without additional preforming or manually lining up the springs. However, trims containing these type of springs do not typically contain features to "pull up" the trim towards the housing, so there is a better chance that a gap between the ceiling and the trim will be present. The styles of trims, which use this style of spring, are also somewhat limited. In order for this type of spring to be used, there must be a generous gap between the lamp retainer/reflector and the housing sidewall. The spring does not fully flatten, therefore finishing trims with reflectors or lamp holder rings that are close to the sidewall of the housing cannot be equipped with this type of spring.
Finally, another common means for retaining the trim frame are vertical mounted wide flat springs. These springs are usually made from a wide strip of thin material, where the width of the spring is larger than the height. When finishing trims are installed into recessed housings with this type of spring, they are held in place by the spring pressure on the sidewall of the housing after cylindrical compression of the spring for insertion. Various designs contain forms or bends to increase retention, ease installation and removal, and increase the "pull up" towards the ceiling. Although trims with this style of spring usually have good retention, these springs require secondary alignment and pre-compression of the spring prior to installation into the recessed housing.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device for retaining a trim frame in a recessed housing that overcomes the drawbacks of the various springs described above.

Apparatus for securing a trim frame to a recessed housing member and a method of making thereof


A method and system for decoupling a central processing unit (CPU) of a plurality of hot CPUs from its assigned tasks. The hot CPUs are managed by an operating system of a computer system. A special flag is set, denoting that the CPU is to be decoupled from its assigned tasks. A special task coupled to the CPU is given a suitable scheduling policy and priority, wherein the special task gets enough continuous execution time to finish its job before another task executes on the CPU. The special task examines the special flag and decouples the first CPU from its assigned tasks after determining that the special flag has been set, wherein the special task does not relinquish control of the CPU. The decoupling of tasks from the CPU leaves at least one remaining CPU and occurs while the at least one remaining CPU is hot.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for decoupling a central processing unit from its assigned tasks.
2. Related Art
Decoupling a central processing unit from its assigned tasks is currently implemented inefficiently, resulting in performance degradation. Thus, there is a need for a method and system for decoupling a central processing unit from its assigned tasks in a more efficient manner than is currently accomplished in the related art.

Decoupling a central processing unit from its tasks

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention concerns cancer therapy related to the targeting of at least one core transcription factor. In particular, the compositions and methods of the invention concern targeting TFIIS, GDOWN1, or both for cancer therapy. In specific aspects, TFIIS and/or GDOWN1 inhibitors are employed for breast, prostate, pancreatic, and/or lung cancer.

Cancer presents a major public health issue concerning the significant number of affected individuals and the relatively high mortality rates, including for many diseases of origin. Breast and prostate cancers rank among the cancers with the highest incidence and morbidity (Weir et al, 2003). Both cancers are initially hormone-dependent with prostate cancer cells activated by androgen, which binds the androgen receptor (AR), and breast cancer cells activated by estrogen, which binds the Estrogen receptor (ER). Both forms of cancer respond to anti-hormone therapy. In time, though, hormone-independent cancers develop and remain a serious challenge to therapy. Clearly, a key underlying mechanism of breast and prostate cancer, including the switch of breast and prostate cancer to hormone independence, is improper control of transcription. This results in increased levels of c-myc in both prostate and breast cancers (Chrzan et al., 2001; Ellwood-Yen et al., 2003). Numerous other genes are also upregulated or downregulated (Gelmann and Semmes, 2004).
Considering the key function of transcription, it is no surprise that several best-selling drugs approved in the United States target transcription regulatory circuits (Emery et al., 2001). However, methods for directed targeting of core transcription components by therapeutic agents have yet to be established. The challenge thereof is in the complexity of the machinery, and in purification of large amounts of high-quality RNA mammalian Polymerase II (RNAP). To date RNAP, the eukaryotic motor of transcription involved in generating all mRNA, has been produced with low yields and in a relatively impure state (Thompson et al., 1990). However, assay development involving RNAP and its interacting factors require high yields and highly pure proteins.
Mammalian RNAP comprises 12 polypeptides with a mass of over 500 kD. Regulation of this complex can occur during initiation, elongation of the RNA transcript, or termination of the process. In addition, gene expression is dependent upon the structure of DNA, such as the positioning of nucleosomes, which is a basic structural unit comprised of DNA and histones (Belotserkovskaya et al., 2004; Khorasanizadeh, 2004). DNA-binding transcription factors are also involved in effectuating an increase or decrease in gene expression.
One such DNA-binding transcription factor over-expressed in breast and prostate cancers is the c-myc oncogene (Jenkins et al., 1997). Myc is a major player in prostate cancer, as evidenced by transgenic mice expressing human c-Myc in the mouse prostate. All transgenic mice developed murine prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia followed by invasive adenocarcinoma (Ellwood-Yen et al., 2003). Indeed, growth of human androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) cells, androgen recepter (AR)-positive or -negative, requires c-myc expression (Bernard et al., 2003). In breast cancer c-myc plays an equally important role and is also amplified and overexpressed (Blancato et al., 2004).
C-myc may have its effect by altering downstream cellular processes. For example, it was suggested that up-regulation of telomerase activity observed in prostate tumors might be conferred through stimulation of telomerase catalytic sub-unit expression by c-myc. (Latil et al., 2000). It was also shown that the involvement of myc may be directly on the androgen receptor gene, as a Myc consensus site in the AR coding region is involved in androgen-mediated up-regulation of AR messenger RNA (Grad et al, 1999).
Since over-expression of c-myc exists in uncontrolled breast and prostate cancer proliferation, gene therapy strategies that employ expression of c-myc antisense have been attempted. In one such case, a single direct injection of MMTV-antisense c-myc viral media into established DU145 tumors in nude mice resulted in a 94.5% reduction in tumor size compared to controls, with two animals having complete regression. The mechanism for the anti-tumor effects was suppression of c-myc mRNA resulting in down-regulation of the bcl-2 protein. (Steiner et al., 1998). Other efforts include the use of antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers directed against c-myc in a PC-3 androgen-independent human prostate cancer xenograft murine model and testing for safety in a Phase I human clinical study. A 75-80% reduction in tumor size was observed in treated animals compared with control groups. Safety trials in humans showed no toxicity or serious adverse events, and phase II trials are underway (Iversen et al., 2003).
TFIIS: A Putative Transcription Factor Target Upstream of c-myc
C-myc is overexpressed in breast and prostate cancer and is targeted for therapy. Interestingly, regulation of c-myc expression can occur during elongation of the growing RNA strand (Keene et al., 1999). During transcription of the Myc gene, RNAP must traverse polyT stretches in the DNA, which are known to cause arresting of transcription. This arresting is regulated by the transcription factor TFIIS, which directly binds RNAP allowing for read through of the PolyT stretch. Arresting of c-myc during transcription elongation has been shown, and poly T sequences that are TFIIS responsive in c-myc are the key intrinsic factor in arresting (Keene et al., 1999; Bains et al., 1997; Kerppola and Kane, 1988; Kerppola and Kane, 1990; Astrom et al., 1999). In addition, TFIIS is considered a candidate gene for human malignancies involving deletions in the chromosomal region, 3p21.3→3p22 TFIIS (Astrom et al., 1999). TFIIS is therefore a good target for cancer drug development, including breast and prostate cancer drug development.
Another overexpressed breast cancer-related protein is c-fos. c-fos is critical for MCF7 breast cancer cell growth and is an effective target for a breast cancer vaccine (Lu et al., 2005; Luo et al., 2003). c-fos is reported to contain a poly T arrest site similar to that of c-myc (Plet et al., 1995). TFIIS allows for readthrough of poly T tracts and, as a result, its inhibition may reduce c-fos expression.
Targeting Transcription and Potential Toxicology of Non-cancerous Cells
A fair question concerning toxicological effects of inhibiting higher order transcription factors is in place. By inhibiting transcription factors, both normal and cancer cells may be affected. Insight from clinical trials involving the inhibition of higher order transcription factors sheds light on this issue.
One such case involves the HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitors. As mentioned above, nucleosome positioning is a key part of chromosomal structure, and acetylation or de-acetylation of the histone component of nucleosomes affects transcription. Inhibitors to HDACs cause cell cycle arrest, differentiation and/or apoptosis of many tumors, which may be useful for chemotherapy (Yoshida et al., 2003), and they are in clinical trials (Leone et al., 2003). Apparently, HDAC inhibitors have shown impressive antitumor activity in vivo with remarkably little toxicity in preclinical studies (Vigushin and Coombes, 2002). Other chromatin-remodeling transcription factors may therefore also be valid targets for cancer therapy, such as the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex (Reyes et al., 1997). As such, a global regulator is shown to present clinically with little toxicity despite affecting transcription of numerous genes.
A second case is Flavopiridol, a kinase and higher order transcription inhibitor (Kelly et al., 2002). One of its targets, pTEFb, like TFIIS, is a transcription elongation factor that directly interacts and phosphorlyates RNAP. Flavopirodol inhibits transcript elongation, effectively eliminating transcription, yet it is well tolerated in clinical trials as an anti-cancer agent (Aklilu et al., 2003). Flavopiridol, though, inhibits several cell cycle kinases, and a search for drugs that specifically affect transcription elongation alone is in need. Interestingly, even siRNA inhibition of RNAP itself is tolerated in animal models (Fluiter et al., 2003).
One reason why transcription inhibition may be tolerated is that normal cells can maintain homeostasis after transcription factor inhibition for some period of time, whereas cancer cells may require the state of aberrant transcription to survive. Disrupted transcriptional homeostasis or reduced amounts of oncogenic proteins may cause either differentiation or apoptosis as it has in the case of a conditional Myc model (Jain et al., 2002). In addition, inhibiting specific transcription factors may shut down only a subset of genes. For example, yeast cells with TFIIS deletions are viable (Nakanishi et al., 1995).
WO 98/41648 concerns methods of inhibiting growth of a cell by administering inhibitors active on an allele of a gene that is vital for cell growth and viability, and the reference provides a list of potential genes, including some transcription factors.
WO 01/72777 relates to methods for treating disease associated with decreased or increased expression of a transcription factor by administering an antagonist or agonist to a particular polypeptide, including transcription factors.
WO 02/22660 is directed to methods to treat individuals by administering an antibody to particular gene products, including transcription factors.
The present invention satisfies a need to provide novel targets in the challenging field of cancer therapeutics.

TFIIS and GDOWN1 as targets for cancer therapy


A slide fastener is provided. A pair of fastener element rows respectively provided along opposing one side edge portions of pair of fastener tapes. A slider is configured to engage and disengage the pair of fastener element rows. Tape members are respectively provided in parallel along another side edge portions of the pair of fastener tapes, that are opposite to the one side edge portions. The tape members are respectively sewn to the another side edge portions of the fastener tapes with sewing threads which bridge over the fastener tapes and the tape members.

A slide fastener is provided with fastener element rows provided at one side edge portions of fastener tapes. The slide fastener is attached to a garment or the like by sewing such that the slide fastener can be opened and closed only by operating a slider of the slide fastener, thereby making it easy to put on or take off the garment.
In addition to garments, the use of slide fasteners is increasing. For example, covers for electric cords can be included. While covers typically protect electric cords, slide fasteners are required since a certain portion is required to be opened for the purpose of periodic inspection or repair.
In addition, some fields require slide fasteners to have waterproof property and water resistance. In this case, fastener tapes are provided with resin layers on one or both sides thereof. When fastener element rows are engaged with each other, the resin layers are brought into contact with or pressed against each other, thereby realizing waterproof property and water resistance. This type of slide fastener is used, for example, in a wet suit or the like.

Slider fastener and method for manufacturing same


The present invention provides a plasma evaluation system and method for evaluating plasma, including: a treatment target material and a weak current measurement unit including a resistor unit and a differential amplifier, wherein the treatment target material is connected to the weak current measurement unit via a treatment target side measurement terminal, the resistor unit of the weak current measurement unit is connected to a ground side of a plasma generation current source, and the system and method evaluate plasma by receiving plasma generated by a plasma treatment equipment with the treatment target material, measuring a current by measuring a voltage across resistors of the resistor unit through the differential amplifier, and measuring an output voltage of the plasma generation power source.

Recently, studies for application of plasma generated under atmospheric pressure conditions to medical operations have become active, and development of plasma technologies as medical equipments has been accelerated worldwide. However, introduction of plasma technologies has been being promoted without measurement of characteristics of the plasma to be used, and evaluation of safety of the plasma. In fact, when the energy of the plasma is high, tissues may be damaged.
As characteristics of plasma, electron temperature, electron density, ion temperature, ion density, and space potential have been measured in, particularly, vacuum. Meanwhile, as for non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma under an atmospheric pressure, measurements such as emission spectrometric measurement and electron temperature measurement have just been started. Among the parameters to be measured, the level of the current value to flow through a living body (a human body) is the most influential to the safety. Therefore, it is necessary to measure a current to actually flow, and to control and adjust the plasma treatment equipment.
As common methods for measuring a current, a method of incorporating resistors on a current path, measuring a voltage across the resistors, and evaluating a current based on the resistance values and the voltage value, a method using a Rogowski coil, and a method using a current transformer have been discovered and used traditionally. However, it has not been easy to measure a current of a plasma jet generated by a plasma generation equipment under atmospheric pressure conditions or a current flowing through a living body. The reason is as follows. To generate a non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma under an atmospheric pressure, it is common to fluctuate a plasma generation electrode over time. The current of an electrode of the plasma generation equipment temporally fluctuates at a phase difference from the voltage of the electrode. The current flowing between the voltage application electrode and a ground electrode of the plasma equipment is joined by a current flowing through a living body. The current flowing through the living body has a pulsed shape fluctuating temporally sharply, and there is also a displacement current component to join them, which makes it likely for the voltage applied to the electrode to fluctuate according to the plasma state, which consequently results in fluctuation of the plasma state. In this way, the plasma state, the voltage across the electrodes of the plasma generation equipment, the current between the electrodes of the plasma generation equipment, and the current flowing through the living body are related with each other. Even though it has been possible to measure the current of the supply-side power source of the plasma generation equipment, it has not been easy to separate the current flowing through the living body therefrom, because the current is superposed with the current between the electrodes of the plasma generation equipment.
Hence, the problems are the inability to easily measure and evaluate plasma characteristics of medical plasma treatment equipments expected to spread at home and abroad, and unavailability, particularly at the medical front, of a user-friendly system taking into consideration operability, hygiene, and compactness. That is, there has not been an evaluation system that can maintain and manage the initial performance of the plasma equipments for safety and security, and in addition, it has not been possible to perform a plasma treatment while easily monitoring (measuring or evaluating) the plasma state.
As such, a system and a method for easily measuring and objectively evaluating the state of plasma generated by a plasma treatment equipment, such as those of PTL 1 and NPL 1, under atmospheric pressure conditions have been strongly demanded.
Meanwhile, PTL 2 describes a plasma treatment equipment that, with a photon detecting sensor for measurement of an ultraviolet-induced current provided on a wafer stage, detects an abnormal electrical discharge phenomenon to occur in the plasma chamber real-time simultaneously with an ongoing semiconductor wafer treatment. However, this equipment is an industrial plasma treatment equipment for wafer fabrication, etc. configured to measure a photoelectron current attributable to an abnormal electrical discharge to occur in a region different from a region for a main electrical discharge, and not configured to measure a current to flow through a treatment target of medical plasma treatment equipments, particularly, a living body, etc. Therefore, this equipment can neither be applied to medical purposes, nor used conveniently at the medical front.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


An implant includes a tube for permitting fluid flow. A flow controlling rod may be inserted within the tube passage. One or more holes around the circumference of the tube may be selectively permanently or temporarily occluded to give desired flow characteristics.

Medical implants used to regulate the flow of fluids within the human body are known and used.
One application for the use of such implants is in the treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye condition characterized by an increase in the intraocular pressure (IOP) of the eye to an abnormal level. A normal eye maintains a proper IOP by the circulation within the eye of aqueous humor—aqueous humor is secreted from the ciliary body, passes through the pupil into the anterior chamber of the eyeball, and is filtered out of the eyeball via the trabeculum and the Canal of Schlemm. With glaucoma, the aqueous humor excretory pathway is blocked, the aqueous humor cannot pass out of the eyeball at an adequate rate, the IOP rises, the eyeball becomes harder, and the optic nerve atrophies by the pressure applied on its fibers leaving the retina. A characteristic optic neuropathy develops, resulting in progressive death of the ganglion cells in the retina, restriction of the visual field, and eventual blindness. Advanced stages of the disease are characterized also by significant pain.
Glaucoma treatment, if initiated early in the course of the disease, can prevent further deterioration and preserve most of the ocular functions. The goal of glaucoma treatment is to reduce the IOP to a level which is considered safe for a particular eye, but which is not so low as to cause ocular malfunction or retinal complications.
One type of glaucoma treatment is filtration surgery, which provides an alternate route for aqueous humor to exit the anterior chamber of the eyeball and enter the sub-conjunctival space, thereby lowering the IOP. In full thickness operations a fistula is created through the limbal sclera, connecting directly the anterior chamber of the eyeball and the sub-conjunctival space. Full thickness operations provide long-lasting control of IOP; however, excessive loss of aqueous humor from the eyeball during the early postoperative period frequently leads to hypotony.
In guarded filtration surgery (trabeculectomy), a fistula created through the limbal sclera is protected by an overlying partial thickness sutured scleral flap. The scleral flap provides additional resistance to excessive loss of aqueous humor from the eyeball, thereby reducing the risk of early postoperative hypotony. However, trabeculectomy may result in higher eventual IOP and increased risk of late failure of filtration, compared with full thickness operations.
In accordance with one recently introduced procedure, a full thickness filtering fistula may be created by a holmium laser probe, with minimal surgically induced trauma. After retrobulbar anesthesia, a conjunctival incision (approximately 1 mm) is made about 12-15 mm posterior to the intended sclerostomy site, and a laser probe is advanced through the sub-conjunctival space to the limbus. Then, multiple laser pulses are applied until a full thickness fistula is created. This technique has sometimes resulted in early hypotony on account of a difficulty in controlling the sclerostomy size. In addition, early and late iris prolapse into the sclerostomy has resulted in abrupt closure of the fistula and eventual surgical failure. Further, despite its relative simplicity, the technique still necessitates the use of retrobulbar anesthesia to avoid pain caused by the laser applications. The injection of anesthetic material close to the already damaged optic nerve may sometimes lead to further visual damage. A further disadvantage of this procedure, as well as other types of glaucoma filtration surgery, is the propensity of the fistula to be sealed by scarring.
Various attempts have been made to overcome the problems of filtration surgery, for example, by using ophthalmic implant devices. Typical ophthalmic implants utilize drainage tubes so as to maintain the integrity of the openings formed in the eyeball for the relief of the IOP.
Typical ophthalmic implants suffer from several disadvantages. For example, the implants typically utilize a valve mechanism for regulating the flow of aqueous humor from the eyeball; defects in and/or failure of such valve mechanisms could lead to excessive loss of aqueous humor from the eyeball and possible hypotony. The implants also tend to clog over time, either from the inside by tissue, such as the iris, being sucked into the inlet, or from the outside by the proliferation of cells, for example by scarring. Additionally, the typical implant insertion operation is complicated, costly and takes a long time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,327 to Donowitz et al. shows a prior art implant utilizing a valve mechanism for regulating the flow of aqueous humor from the eyeball. As stated above, defects in and/or failure of such a valve mechanism could lead to excessive loss of aqueous humor from the eyeball and possible hypotony. Additionally, both the inlet opening and the outlet opening in the implant shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,327 may be susceptible to clogging—the inlet opening by the iris and the outlet opening by scarring. Finally, implantation of an implant according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,327 may involve the separate steps of first providing a tract for receiving the implant and/or suturing the implant once it is in place, which add time and possible complications to the operation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Abstract: A delivery device for implanting the implant may include a central bore in which a retractable wire is located. The retractable wire penetrates a tube passage of the implant when the implant is attached to the delivery device. A hook on the delivery device prevents the implant from moving down the wire. After the implant is in position in the eye, the retention wire is retracted out of the implant. With the retention wire retracted, the implant is then free to slide away from the hook, allowing the delivery device to be withdrawn, leaving the implant in place.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing an implant, two tubes of different diameters are utilized. The smaller tube fits inside the longitudinal bore of the larger tube. When the tubes are cut, the smaller tube forms the tube of the implant and the remaining portions of the larger tube form the retention projection and/or disk of the implant.


Methods and systems for determining a rebalancing strategy for trim balancing one or more rotational components of a gas turbine. One or more noise, acoustics or vibrational signals may be received at a control device of an aircraft comprising the gas turbine engine while the aircraft is in operation. The one or more noise, acoustics or vibrational signals may be used for determining a rebalancing strategy for one or more unbalanced rotational components.

The rotational components of gas turbine engines may at times become unbalanced. This unbalancing may occur, for example, when foreign matter hits the rotational components, damaging or coating them. Rotational components may also become unbalanced during maintenance or repair procedures performed on the engine. When the rotational components become unbalanced, the result may be excess noise, acoustics and/or vibrations which may be uncomfortable and even unsettling to passengers and staff of the aircraft on which the engine is employed.
The rotational components of a gas turbine engine may have one or more weights attached in order to balance the component. When such a component needs to be re-balanced, weights may be moved, added and/or removed as necessary. The process of moving, adding and/or removing weights on rotational components of a gas turbine engine may be referred to as "trim balancing".
Conventionally, trim balancing is performed by ground maintenance crews using special trim balancing maintenance equipment that must be hooked to the engine to determine where weights can be positioned. This could be expensive, time consuming and/or inconvenient to the customer and/or mechanics. For example, it may require special maintenance equipment which may not be readily available, particularly in smaller or more remote airports. Moreover, since conventional trim balancing is done while the aircraft is on the ground (i.e., not during flight conditions), it may require several iterations to determine an optimal trim balance as conditions may be different during flight operations. Improvement in trim balancing procedures in gas turbine engines is desirable.

Method and system for integrating gas turbine trim balancing system into electronic engine controls


A microscope objective lens has an aspheric-surface lens, and a first lens nearest to an object side is a negative lens. It is desirable that at least any one surface of the first lens nearest to the object side is an aspheric surface. Moreover, it is desirable that the microscope objective lens satisfies the following conditional expression (1)−20<f1/f<−0.1  (1)                where,        f1 denotes a focal length of the first lens nearest to the object side, and        f denotes a focal length of the overall microscope objective lens system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microscope objective lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
In microscope objective lenses heretofore, higher the magnification of a microscope objective lens, larger is the number of lenses used therein.
For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2006-65030, a microscope objective lens which includes 13 lenses has been disclosed. The abovementioned microscope objective lens is a microscope objective lens with a magnification of 40 times, NA (numerical aperture) of 0.9, and a focal length of 4.5 mm.


The present invention relates to compounds of formula I

Serotonin plays a role in several psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, Alzheimer's disease, depression, nausea and vomiting, eating disorders, and migraine. (Rasmussen et al., "Chapter 1. Recent Progress in Serotonin (5HT), Receptor Modulators", in Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry, Section 1, 30, pp. 1–9, 1995, Academic Press). Serotonin also plays a role in both the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. (Sharma et al, Psychiatric Annals, 26 (2), pp. 88–92 (1996))
Numerous receptor subtypes have been classified according to their antagonist susceptibilities and their affinities for 5HT. The 5HT1B receptor was first identified in rats, where it has a distinct pharmacological profile. In humans, however, it shares an almost identical pharmacology with the 5HT1D receptor. In the CNS, the receptor is found in the striatum, medulla, hippocampus, frontal cortex and amygdala. In the periphery, it is found in vascular smooth muscle. The 5HT1B/5HT1D receptor may be the therapeutic substrate of the anti-migraine drug, sumatriptan; this receptor is also implicated in feeding behavior, anxiety, depression, cardiac function and movement. (Watson, S., and Arkinstall, S.)
Selective agonists and antagonists for 5HT1B receptors have until now been lacking, but indirect pharmacological evidence suggests that 5HT1B activation influences food intake, sexual activity, locomotion, and aggression. (Ramboz S., et al., Behav. Brain Res., 73: 305312 (1996)).
Accordingly, the present invention provides compounds that are antagonists of the serotonin 5HT1B receptor, and are effective for the treatment of disorders of the serotonin system, such as depression and related disorders.

Piperazinyl-aryloxy and piperazinyl-heteroaryloxy-n-aryl lactams

Abstract: wherein Ar, Y and G are as defined in the specification, a is 1 to 4, Z and W are carbon or nitrogen and n is 1, 2 or 3; and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compound of formula I and a pharmaceutically effective carrier; and to a method useful in treating or preventing in mammals, including humans, a disorder or condition selected from the group consisting of anxiety, depression, dysthymia, major depressive disorder, migraine, post-traumatic stress disorder, avoidant personality disorder, borderline personality disorder and phobias.


According to embodiments of the present invention, a wearable remote control for controlling one or more devices comprises a mounting base coupled with a garment. A retainer base is coupled with the mounting base on an outside of the garment. A multi-directional joint is coupled with the retainer base. A main support extends from the multi-directional joint on an opposite side of the multi-directional joint from the retainer base. An input device is coupled with an end of the main support opposite the multi-directional joint. A main support retainer extends from the retainer base and is adapted to engage and retain the main support in a non-use position in response to a user moving the garment.

For some individuals, a remote control for controlling one or more electrical or electronic devices is more than a convenience, it is a necessity. Those individuals who are paraplegics and quadriplegics relay upon remote controls of various types for controlling devices that they cannot otherwise manipulate. For example, wheelchairs may be fitted with a remote control for controlling movement of the chair. The chair may be controlled by way of a pressure pad, joystick or other input device.
However, the remote controls commonly in use are mounted in fixed positions on the chair. For example, a joystick used to control a wheelchair may be mounted on the arm of the chair or on a post or extension that holds the joystick in a fixed position relative to the user's head. As such, the user must move towards the input device to engage and manipulate it. This arrangement may be awkward, inconvenient, and difficult to use. It is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.


A hydraulic assembly of a traction control system of a hydraulic vehicle brake system includes a hydraulic block, a motor block, and a control device. The hydraulic block includes at least one electric hydraulic valve and at least one electric hydraulic pump arranged therein. The motor block includes an electric motor arranged therein. The electric motor is configured to drive the at least one hydraulic pump. The control device is configured to control the at least one hydraulic valve, the at least one hydraulic pump, and the electric motor. The control device has two structurally separate control units, which include a first control unit with signal components and a second control unit with power components.

The disclosure relates to a hydraulic assembly of a traction control system of a hydraulic vehicle brake system, having a hydraulic block in which at least one electric hydraulic valve and at least one electric hydraulic pump are arranged, a motor block in which an electric motor for driving the at least one hydraulic pump is arranged, and a control apparatus for controlling the at least one hydraulic valve, the at least one hydraulic pump and the electric motor.
Traction control system are used in the case of vehicles, in particular in the case of motor vehicles such as motorcycles, cars or heavy goods vehicles as anti-wheel locking, drive slip and/or driving dynamics control. The core of such traction control systems is a hydraulic assembly which has a hydraulic block which is fitted with hydraulic components of the traction control system and is connected by brake lines to a main brake cylinder and to which one or more hydraulic wheel brakes are connected by brake lines. Here, hydraulic components are solenoid valves or electric hydraulic valves, hydropumps or hydraulic pumps (usually configured as piston pumps) as well as check valves, hydraulic accumulators, damper chambers and pressure sensors. The hydraulic block is typically a cube-shaped metal block which serves the purpose of mechanical fastening and hydraulic wiring of the hydraulic components of the traction control system.
The term wiring here refers to a hydraulic connection of the hydraulic components in accordance with a hydraulic circuit diagram of the traction control system.
While the hydraulic pumps are normally fully incorporated in receivers in the hydraulic block, of the hydraulic valves, usually only a hydraulic part is incorporated in an associated receiver of the hydraulic block. What is known as the electromagnetic part of the hydraulic valve, in particular, its coil, is arranged on the outside on the hydraulic block.
Published patent application DE 10 2006 059 924 A1 discloses a cube-shaped hydraulic block for a hydraulic assembly of a traction control system, in the case of which all the receivers for solenoid valves are arranged in one valve side of the hydraulic block. A first circuit board for controlling the functions of the hydraulic valves and the associated hydraulic pumps is fitted externally on the coils of the hydraulic valves. An electric motor is fitted on the outside as a motor block on the opposite side of the hydraulic block, what is known as the motor side.

Hydraulic assembly of a traction control system of a vehicle brake system having two separate control units


A packaging system utilizes two sides of a loading carousel, which reduces both the height and footprint of the packaging system. Mass and inertia are also reduced, allowing higher operational speeds. The loading carousel receives opened cartons on a first side and lowers them over product groups on a second side.

The packaging of articles such as bottles, cans, and other similar articles in cartons or other containers is a highly automated process, with conventional automated packaging equipment generally being run at high packaging speeds in order to maximize output. In a typical packaging machine for packaging articles such as bottles, cans and the like, articles to be packaged are fed into the packaging machine in a line or series of lines along an infeed conveyor, after which the articles are grouped together in various standard configurations or groupings, such as four, six, eight, twelve, or twenty-four pack configurations. The groups of articles are then packaged into a box, a carton, or other type of container. The placement of the articles within a container can be done in a variety of ways, depending upon the type of package in which the articles are to be placed. For example, the bottoms of cartons can be opened and the cartons then placed over selected groups of articles as the articles are moved along a transport path.
A conventional packaging machine is shown in FIG. 1. The machine functions generally are performed in a line extending through the machine. As shown in FIG. 1, product metering is operated by star wheels at Station 1. At Station 2, product selection blocks separate the product into groups to be loaded into individual cartons. At Station 3, a carousel pick-up selects individual cartons for loading. At Station 4, a carton transport controls the carton through plows and an opening assembly. At Station 5, the carton opener opens the cartons between pairs of vacuum manifold assemblies. At Station 6, the carousel vertically lowers the opened cartons over and onto the product groups. At Station 7, a closing section closes the carton base about the bottle group contained therein and compression is applied on the underside of the discharge belt to secure the carton in a closed position.
Given the high speeds at which the packaging machine is operated, the linear footprint of the machine must be large in order to ensure that the path of travel of the cartons is sufficient to ensure that the cartons are fully opened before being placed over a group of articles. However, plant space often is at a premium and it is not always possible to extend machinery to an optimal size. To prevent jams or misfeeds, the speed at which the articles are packaged must then typically be reduced in order to ensure that the cartons are fully opened prior to packaging the articles therein. Output is accordingly reduced.
Even in cases where the linear extent of the packaging machine is not limited, a large loading carousel necessarily has a large mass of moving parts, which entails a correspondingly large inertia during operation. Drive mechanisms must therefore be larger, and high speed operation of the larger machine may result in higher maintenance costs, higher rates of failure, and other manufacturing problems.
The conventional packaging machine also has a large vertical height. As shown in FIG. 1, cartons are picked up at Station 3 at a raised position and lowered onto the bottles at Station 6. Because the carton pickup and carton loading steps are performed along a line, the height of the carousel must be sufficient to accommodate the highest point of the stroke (i.e., before pickup), and the lowest point of the stroke (i.e., at loading).

Packaging system having loading carousel


The present invention relates to coating compositions comprising a vinyl- or higher alkenyl-enblocked polydiorganosiloxane, a silicon-bonded hydrogen endblocked polydiorganosiloxane, a platinum catalyst, and an inhibitor which increase the release force of pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA's) adhered thereto. The compositions of the present invention can additionally comprise an organohydrogenpolysiloxane crosslinker. The present invention further relates to a method of release control by crosslink density (or bulk modulus) control.

The present invention relates to coating compositions which increase the release force of pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA's) adhered thereto. The present invention further relates to a method of release control by crosslink density (or bulk modulus) control.
In the field of pressure sensitive release materials a perennial problem has been achieving elevated release forces (tighter release) coupled with smooth nonrapsy release. Current technology uses an R.sub.3 SiO.sub.1/2 or SiO.sub.2 (wherein R is a monovalent hydrocarbon radical) resin to give elevated release. The problem with this approach is that the profile of release against delaminating speed is often totally unsatisfactory with release forces being lower at high speeds than at low. This leads to converting problems with small labels or high speed converting. This problem is especially pertinent to 100% solids materials.
There are instances when there is a need in the paper coatings industry for a composition which provides increased release values at high delamination speeds. For example, in a process for preparing pressure sensitive labels a laminate of adhesive-bearing label stock and silicone-bearing backing paper is die cut on its label stock side to provide a plurality of labels surrounded by a waste matrix, both still adhered to the backing paper. The waste matrix is typically rapidly stripped away and discarded, leaving only the die-cut labels adhered to the uncut backing paper. For such a process it is highly desirable that the force required to separate the adhesive from the coating be sufficiently low to allow easy stripping of the waste matrix but sufficiently high to retain the labels on the backing paper during the stripping operation. Another example of when high release force is required in the paper coatings industry is in the preparation of rolls of pressure sensitive adhesive tape a support material, such as paper or polymeric film, is provided with a cured silicone release coating and a pressure sensitive adhesive coating. The resulting stock is rolled into a roll configuration so that the adhesive coating is adhered to the silicone release coating over substantially its entire surface. In such a product the force required to separate the adhesive from the coating should be sufficiently low to allow the easy unwinding of the roll of tape, when desired, but sufficiently high to retain the tape in the roll configuration during the preparing, storing, and handling of the roll. Compositions which control the release force of silicone paper release coatings have been described in the art. For example, Mestetsky, U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,052, teaches a controlled release coating composition comprising an organic solvent solution of an organopolysiloxane and a solvent soluble polymer of a polymerizable unsaturated aliphatic dibasic acid or derivative thereof. Mestetsky also teaches that incremental changes in the proportion of said solvent soluble polymer lead to incremental changes in the release force of the coatings produced with such compositions. A typical composition of the '052 patent consists of toluene, polydimethylsiloxane, and a copolymer of maleic anhydride and alkylvinyl ether.
Traver et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,688 teaches a paper release coating emulsion composition comprising a vinyl-containing polymer, a hydride crosslinking agent, water, and an emulsifying agent which when applied to kraft paper gave release paper with good release properties.
Homan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,566, discloses moisture-curable silicone compositions for adhesive release coatings comprising an alkoxysilylorganosiloxane, a titanium ester, and an aminoorganosiloxane having an adhesive release force, when cured, which is directly related to the amount and type of aminoorganosiloxane. It is further disclosed that the compositions are useful for coating a flexible sheet material, such as paper or polymeric film, to provide a surface that will release pressure sensitive adhesive with a pre-selected release force of up to 400 g/in (154 N/m).
In unexamined published Japanese patent application No. (JP-A-No.) 2113015, it is disclosed that polyurethane resin release agents produced by reacting a polyol component containing at least partially copolymers comprising active hydrogen containing siloxane compounds and caprolactones, a polyisocyanate component, and chain extenders, are useful for rendering of releasability to the back faces of adhesive tapes and adhesive sheets, and the surface of release paper.
Hulme et. al., PCT Application No. 8912549, teaches a release liner for use with pressure sensitive adhesives comprising a liner substrate having a release coating derived from a blend of an aqueous emulsion of a curable vinyl addition silicone polymer and a particle component which is preferably a resin. The polymer system comprises vinyl silicone polymer and silicone hydride crosslinker, catalyzed by a group VIII metal catalyst, preferably platinum. Hulme et al. further teaches that the release force or peel at a variety of peel rates can be controlled by the silicon particle ratio, the nature of the particles used, the degree of interaction of the two, and the crosslink density of the cured silicone and coating weight.
Coating compositions having vinyl-endblocked polydiorganosiloxanes have been described in the art. Hockemeyer et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,714 teaches coating compositions which impart adhesive repellent or non-adherent properties to substrates coated therewith comprising (1) vinyl endblocked diorganopolysiloxanes having an average viscosity in excess of 10.sup.6 cP at 25.degree. C. in which from 3 to 39 percent of the nonterminal siloxane units are diphenylsiloxane units and at least 50 mole percent of the remaining organic radicals on the siloxane units are methyl radicals, (2) organopolysiloxanes having at least 3 Si-bonded hydrogen atoms per molecule, (3) catalysts which promote the addition of Si-bonded hydrogen atoms to the vinyl groups, and (4) an inert organic solvent. Also Jeram et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,709 discloses an addition curing silicone composition with a low viscosity in the uncured state and high physical strength in the uncured state comprising a vinyl-containing diorganopolysiloxane polymer, a platinum catalyst, a hydride crosslinking agent and a linear hydride coupler in which the viscosity of the linear hydride coupler varies from 1 to 500 centipoise at 25.degree. C.
Alkenyl polydiorganosiloxanes have also been taught. Okami et al., in European Patent Application No. EPO 409229 teaches an addition type curable silicone rubber composition comprising (a) 100 parts by weight organopolysiloxanes containing 2 or more alkenyl groups bonded to Si atoms in one molecule, (b) 3 to 70 parts by weight of organopolysiloxanes containing one alkenyl group bonded to Si atom in one molecule on average, (c) organohydrogenpolysiloxanes containing two or more H bonded to Si atoms in one molecule in an amount providing 0.5 to 5 H bonded to Si atoms per 1 alkenyl group of (a) and (b), and (d) a catalytic amount of a platinum compound.
Other release coatings described in the art which employ compositions containing olefinic hydrocarbon radicals, silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms, and inhibitors in a metal catalyzed reaction are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,562,096, 4,609,574, 4,774,111, and 5,036,117. However none of these references disclose a composition which includes olefinic hydrocarbon-endblocked and silicon-bonded hydrogen-endblocked polysiloxanes in combination to increase the release force of silicone paper release coatings at high delaminating speeds.
As stated hereinabove, there is a need for improved silicone release coatings wherein their adhesive-release forces can be increased when desired and also maintain release stability. The present invention is therefore directed to the use of siloxane polymers to increase the release force of solventless paper release coatings while maintaining stable release control.

Composition to increase the release force of silicone paper release coatings


An optical thin film includes: a transparent substrate including a first surface and a second surface which is opposite to the first surface; a first light-condensing layer formed on the first surface of the transparent substrate, the first light-condensing layer having a haze value ranging from 5% to 30% and a surface roughness ranging from 0.1 RMS to 1 RMS; and a second light-condensing layer formed on the second surface of the transparent substrate. The second light-condensing layer has a haze value ranging from 70% to 100% and a surface roughness ranging from 1 RMS to 10 RMS.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical thin film, more particularly to an optical thin film including first and second light-condensing layers having different haze values. This invention also relates to an edge-type backlight module containing the optical thin film.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional display normally includes a screen and a backlight module configured to project light on the screen.
FIG. 1 illustrates an edge-type backlight module 1 for a flat panel display (not shown). The edge-type backlight module 1 includes a light source 11, a light guide plate (LGP) 12 which is disposed at one side of the light source 11, a reflector 13 which is disposed at a bottom of the LGP 12, a diffuser 15 which is disposed on the LGP 12, a first prism sheet 16 which is disposed on the diffuser 15, and a second prism sheet 17 which is disposed on the first prism sheet 16.
When light generated by the light source 11 passes through the LGP 12 and into the diffuser 15, it is scattered by the diffuser 15 before passing through the first prism sheet 16 and the second prism sheet 17. The first and second prism sheets 16, 17 subsequently collect and condense the scattered light from the diffuser 15.
However, the first and second prism sheets 16, can only collect incident light which has an incident angle in the range of −40° to −60° and 40° to 60°. As such, a portion of the scattered light (with the incident angle being outside of the range) cannot be collected and used for projecting onto the screen, which results in a decrease in the lighting efficiency of the backlight module.

Optical thin film and edge-type backlight module containing the same


The rank of nodes in a graph may be inferred from a calculated probability that each node in the graph appears in a single random walk of the graph. Short random walks may be generated for each node in the graph. The generated random walks may be combined to form a longer single random walk. Multiple single random walks may be generated in this fashion. The probability of each node appearing in a single random may be calculated from the generated single random walks. The rank of each node may then be inferred from the calculated probabilities.

Modern search engines typically provide users with sets of search results that are responsive to a received query. The search results often include links to web pages or other resources that the search engine purports to be related to the received query. Typically, the search engine provides the search results in a ranked form, so that the user may focus on the search results that are deemed to be the best search results.
Many methods for ranking search results exist. For example, the rank of a web page may be based on the number of other web pages that link to it. Thus, a web page that has more web pages that link to it will have a higher rank then a web page that has fewer web pages that link to it.
The relationship between web pages in the Internet may be represented by a directed graph. The graph may include nodes that represent web pages and edges that represent links to web pages. The rank of the web pages represented by the nodes of the graph may then be calculated from the graph. Because the number of nodes in these graphs is often large, the graphs are typically not stored in main memory, but are presented as a graph stream. The rank of the nodes in the graph is then computed by making multiple passes over the graph stream. Current techniques for computing the rank of nodes from a graph stream having n nodes may use O(n) memory space and O(M) passes of the graph stream where M is the mixing time of the graph.


Disclosed herein is an apparatus. The apparatus includes a display module having a base member, an emissive component, and a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a first end and an opposite second end. The base member is proximate the first end. The emissive component is mounted on the second end. The second end of the flexible circuit is disposed between the base member and the emissive component.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a display and, more particularly, to a display having improved electromagnetic compatibility characteristics.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Some conventional display configurations are known to suffer from various electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues. For example, some configurations include a high-power power supply (meaning a power supply with high power) near the display module and provide relatively inexpensive flexible circuits and a limited amount of components. This tends to cause electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) problems as there is generally limited capability to solve the EMC issues with good design and component selections.
Additionally, achieving satisfactory EMC performance in some electronic device displays can be problematic as the display emission can cause a lack of radio frequency (RF) sensitivity in different handset radios (such as GPS, BT, GSM, and NFC for example). This may then affect operator approval, authority (type) approval and/or the quality of the end product.
Furthermore, some display types, such as organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays are being introduced into the mass market. This is increasing the risks for EMI issues. To some extent, EMI issues have hindered reducing the display cost, thus slowing down the speed to mass market introduction.

Display with improved electromagnetic compatibility characteristics


A system for simultaneously manufacturing more than one single crystal of a semiconductor material by physical vapor transport (PVT) includes a plurality of reactors and a common vacuum channel connecting at least a pair of reactors of the plurality of reactors. Each reactor has an inner chamber adapted to accommodate a PVT growth structure for growth of a single semiconductor crystal. The common vacuum channel is connectable to a vacuum pump system for creating and/or controlling a common gas phase condition in the inner chambers of the pair of reactors.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is extensively used as a semiconductor substrate material for electronic components in a wide range of applications, such as power electronics, radio frequency and light emitting semiconductors components. Physical vapor transport (PVT) is generally used for growing bulk SiC single crystals, and in particular, for commercial purposes. The SiC substrates are produced by cutting slices from the bulk SiC crystal (for e.g. using wire saws) and finishing the slice surface with a sequence of polishing steps. The finished SiC substrates are employed in the manufacturing of semiconductor components, such as in epitaxial processes where thin monocrystalline layers of a suitable semiconductor material SiC, GaN) are deposited onto the SiC substrate. The characteristics of the deposited monolayers and the components produced therefrom depend crucially on the quality and homogeneity of the underlying substrate. For this reason, the outstanding physical, chemical, electrical and optical properties of SiC makes it a preferred semiconductor substrate material for power device applications.
PVT is a crystal growing method that essentially involves sublimation of a suitable source material followed by re-condensation at a seed crystal, where the formation of the single crystal takes place. The source material and seed crystal are placed inside a growth structure, where the source material is sublimed by heating. The sublimed vapor then diffuses in a controlled manner due to a temperature gradient established between source material and seed crystal and deposits onto the seed to grow as a single crystal.
Conventional PVT-based growth systems generally employ either inductive or resistive heating systems for subliming the source material. In both cases, the core of the PVT-based growth system is the so-called reactor. The growth structure, conventionally made of insulating, graphite and carbon materials, is placed in the interior of the reactor and heated by either induction coils arranged outside the reactor or by resistive heaters arranged inside the reactor. The temperature within the growth structure is measured by one or more pyrometers or by one or more thermocouples installed close to an overture of the growth structure. The vacuum-sealed reactor is evacuated by one or more vacuum pumps and supplied with inert or doping gases via one or more gas feeds to create a controlled gas (gas mixture atmosphere). All process parameters (pressure, temperature, gas flow, etc.) can be adjusted, controlled, and stored by a computer-operated system controller, which communicates with all involved components (for e.g. inverter, pyrometer, vacuum control valve, MFC, and pressure gauges as will be detailed below with reference to FIG. 3).
In the case of inductively-heated PVT systems, the reactor usually includes one or more glass tubes, which are optionally cooled with water and provided at both ends with flanges to complete the interior of the reactor against the atmosphere. An example of such an inductively heated PVT system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,865,324 B2. The induction coil is mounted outside the glass tubes and usually surrounded by a "Faraday cage" to shield the electromagnetic radiation. In conventional resistively-heated PVT systems, the heating resistive elements are mounted inside the reactor. In case the reactor is made of metal, it can be cooled by water or air. Examples of resistively-heated PVT systems are described in published patent applications US 2016/0138185 and US 2017/0321345.
At present, these and other conventional PVT growth systems with components similar to those mentioned above are based on a single reactor concept which allows only one growth structure to be introduced at a time in the reactor. This limits the number of single crystals that can be produced at a time and leads to several disadvantages in terms of homogeneity in the quality of the obtained crystals as well as economic costs. Namely, growth rates associated with conventional PVT techniques are typically in the range of a few 100 μm/h, which is rather slow to meet the needs of large scale production. In order to increase the production rate of bulk single crystals, several "isolated" PVT systems could be run at the same time. However, this implies high costs associated with the need of providing separate vacuum, gas supply and control components for running each reactor, and space requirements.
Moreover, the concept of using "isolated" PVT growing systems also has a negative impact on the homogeneity of the crystals produced therein. For instance, doping of SiC crystals achieved by introducing nitrogen gas in the reactor chamber is highly dependent on pressure and flow parameters of the doping gas mixture. This might lead to significant differences in doping level due to process fluctuations in a same reactor system or process differences among reactor systems. The growth rate of SiC single crystals is also largely dependent on the pressure prevailing during crystal growth inside the reactor (in addition to temperature). Consequently, single crystals produced in such "isolated" reactor systems can greatly differ in their respective properties, such as doping level and crystal length, when produced in similar, independent reactor systems using a same set of control parameters (pressure, temperature, growth time, etc.) due to slight differences among reactor systems (for e.g. suction power of the pump, deviation or drift of the pressure measuring systems, etc.), or even on a same reactor at different runs due to fluctuations of the control parameters during the growth process. This results in undesirable rejections and quality loss of the produced single crystals.
The prior art describes systems for crystal growth, each consisting of only one reactor, which is provided for each PVT structure and each system is controlled or supplied individually with the corresponding vacuum, heating, gas supply and controls. So far, the disadvantages described above that such an "isolated" crystal growing system (single system) entails have been accepted.

System for efficient manufacturing of a plurality of high-quality semiconductor single crystals by physical vapor transport