Disclosed is an auto-feed built-in a paper shredder, including a pair of bisecting lids that are each provided at an inside thereof with a paper press, a paper receiving compartment, an auto-feed, and a paper shredding device located exactly below the auto-feed, wherein the auto-feed includes a paper tray, a paper inlet and two roller assemblies; the paper inlet and the paper shredding device located therebelow are aligned along an identical central axis; the two roller assemblies are provided at opposing sides of the paper inlet in parallel and project into the paper tray, whereby after placing a pile of paper into the paper receiving compartment to be supported by the paper tray, and closing the bisecting lids, the paper presses provided at the insides of the lids would apply a force against the pile of paper, such that a bottommost paper of the pile of paper would be folded in half by the two rollers rotating towards each other and then fed into the paper inlet to be subsequently shredded by the paper shredding device located below the paper inlet.

It is widely known that paper shredders for shredding incorporate plural cutting blades and spacers passing through rotary shafts that are driven to rotate towards each other by a motor and gear box so as to shred paper passing through the rotary shafts into strips by shear forces.
The maximum sheet capacity of the conventional paper shredders is dependent on the motor load and the limitations of the cutting blades and rotary shafts. Thus, when a large amount of paper is to be destroyed, the user must continuously feed the paper that is within the maximum sheet capacity of the paper shredded into the paper shredder manually in order to destroy the entire batch of documents.
Paper shredders may provide a peripheral auto-feed that would allow automatic feeding of multiple pieces of paper into paper shredder for shredding, such as that disclosed in TW414725 disclosing a paper feeder capable of automatically feeding documents or piles of paper into a shredder for shredding. The paper includes a pivotal driving roller assembly and a swingable top support. The pivotal driving roller assembly includes a driving roller and a pivotal roller for providing a driving force below a pile of paper, thereby separating a small pile of paper from the entire pile, and advancing the small pile of paper into a paper shredder located at downstream for shredding. U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,002 discloses a paper shredder with automatic paper feeding device The feeding device includes a tray which is mounted to the casing adjacent to the shredding roller assembly, a rotary shaft which is mounted rotatably on the tray, a tension spring which is connected to the rotary shaft and the tray, and at least one push rod, each of which having two pivotally connected rod sections. A first one of the rod sections is mounted on the rotary shaft, while a second one of the rod sections is provided with a press piece which presses against a stack of paper sheets on the tray. The feeding device further includes a pinion which is mounted securely on one end of the rotary shaft, and a wheel which has a sector portion formed with gear teeth and which is driven rotatably by the motor driving unit so as to drive rotatably and intermittently the pinion to rotate correspondingly the rotary shaft against action of the tension spring to cause movement of the press piece and some of the paper sheets toward the shredding roller assembly. Further, the co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,855 discloses a paper feed structure for paper shredders having a paper bearing device and paper feed adjustment device. The paper feed structure includes oblique paper bearing plate disposed above wheel cutters of the paper shredder, a paper feed adjustment device, an infrared shielded switch having the function of actuating the paper shredder, a paper feed roller, and slidable plates. Paper need not be fed one by one into the paper shredder manually, and the paper feed amount is adjustable. A pile of paper can be placed on the paper bearing device and the paper is automatically fed into the paper shredder one by one.
The paper feeders and paper shredders described above are in fact independent devices. That is, the paper shredders are peripheral devices that are added to the paper shredders and adopt structure that is similar to the paper feeding tray adopted by the conventional printers. Thus, upon placing a pile of paper in a paper tray, the paper feeder will utilize gear boxes, rods or conveyors to advance the leading edge of the bottommost paper into an inlet of the paper shredder. In other words, such paper feeders require the use of additional motor driving units. and driving components and thus involve higher manufacturing cost. In addition, they require space that is beyond that occupied by the paper shredder casing, such that they lack a unified appearance while failing to fulfill their maximum efficacy within minimum space.
Thus, it is essential to provide an auto-feed that is built-in a paper shredder casing so as to reduce the space as occupied by the paper shredder and paper feeder.


A vehicle HVAC system delivers airflow to a vehicle occupant cabin having a front row and a rear row. The vehicle HVAC system includes a casing, a front duct, a shifter base assembly and a distribution duct. The front duct defines an airflow passageway that is fluidly coupled to the casing. The shifter base assembly is disposed in the vehicle occupant cabin and includes a base housing defining an airflow passageway that is fluidly coupled to the front duct. The distribution duct defines an airflow passageway that is fluidly coupled to the shifter base assembly and the rear row of the vehicle occupant cabin. The airflow passageways of the casing, the front duct, the base housing and the distribution duct form a continuous passageway through which air flows into the rear row of the vehicle occupant cabin.

This section provides background information relates to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Some vehicles include an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system that provides airflow to a front row and a rear row (e.g., second row and/or third row) of a vehicle occupant cabin to heat and cool vehicle occupants therein. The HVAC system of these vehicles includes a large number of parts (e.g., duct lines) to provide the airflow to the front row and rear row of the vehicle cabin. Furthermore, such vehicles require ample packaging space to allow the HVAC system to be installed therein. The HVAC system of the present disclosure provides airflow to the front row and rear row(s) of the vehicle while reducing the number of parts and allows the HVAC system to be installed in a smaller packaging space.


A ring oscillator has an odd number of NOR-gates greater than or equal to three, each with first and second input terminals, a voltage supply terminal, and an output terminal. The first input terminals of all the NOR-gates are interconnected, and each of the NOR-gates has its output terminal connected to the second input terminal of an immediately adjacent one of the NOR-gates. During a stress mode, a voltage supply and control block applies a stress enable signal to the interconnected first input terminals, and an increased supply voltage to the voltage supply terminals. During a measurement mode, this block grounds the interconnected first input terminals, and applies a normal supply voltage to the voltage supply terminals. Also included are an analogous NAND-gate based circuit, a circuit combining the NAND- and NOR-aspects, a circuit with a ring oscillator where the inverters may be coupled directly or through inverting paths, and circuits for measuring the bias temperature instability effect in pass gates.

The degradation of device threshold voltage under the presence of constant electrical and thermal stress is becoming a significant reliability issue in current complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies. Bias temperature stress under constant voltage results in the generation of interface traps between the gate oxide and silicon substrate, which causes the threshold voltage of the device to increase, resulting in a reduced drive current for the device. Until recently, the NBTI (Negative Bias Temperature Instability) effect was considered to be more severe for p-type field effect transistors (PFETs) than the corresponding PBTI (Positive Bias Temperature Instability) effect on n-type field effect transistors (NFETs). However, with the use of metal gates and high-k gate dielectrics, PBTI is becoming an equivalently important concern. These phenomena were identified by S. Zafar, et al. in "A Comparative Study of NBTI and PBTI (Charge Trapping) in SiO2/HfO2 Stacks with FUSI, TiN, Re Gates," Symposium of VLSI Technology, June 2006.
Presently, NBTI test-circuits employ a simple ring oscillator circuit 100, as shown in FIG. 1. The frequency of ring oscillator 100 is measured before stress. In stress mode, the ring is disabled from oscillation and the supply voltage and/or temperature are increased to facilitate an accelerated stressing of the devices. Since PBTI has been considered insignificant, the impact of stress on the NFETs 102 has been ignored. After suitably stressing the ring-oscillator circuit 100, its frequency is measured again, and the difference in the pre- and post-stress frequencies is a direct indication of the extent of NBTI related degradation of the PFET devices 104 in the circuit. Note that circles 106 indicate PMOS devices under stress while circle 108 indicates and NMOS device under stress. Note also that the connection between output 110 and input 112 is omitted for clarity, and that transistors are referred to herein generically as devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,476,632 to La Rosa, et al. discloses a ring oscillator design for metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) device reliability investigations and its use for in-line monitoring. A method of determining the effect of the degradation of MOSFETs on the frequency of a Ring Oscillator (RO) consisting of an odd prime number of inverter stages, each of the inverters stages having an NMOS and a PMOS field-effect transistor, is described. The method includes the steps of: a) selecting one inverter from the inverter stages of the RO, the selected inverter having testable nodes, the testable nodes being connected to inputs and outputs of the NMOS and a PMOS field-effect transistor (FET) forming the selected inverter; b) simultaneously stressing under a set of stress conditions 1) all of the NMOS FETs of each of the inverter stages, 2) all of the PMOS FETs, and 3) all of the NMOS FETs and PMOS FETs in the RO; c) measuring a shift in selected device parameters in the selected inverter; d) measuring a frequency degradation of the entire RO; and e) establishing a relationship between the shift in the device parameters and the frequency degradation and relating the relationship to a known degradation mechanism. Furthermore, on-chip pass gates controlled by appropriate off-chip DC voltage signals, allow parallel DC stressing, as well as forcing an off-chip AC voltage waveform to a given MOSFET type device (either PMOSFET or NMOSFET) on every inverter stage of the RO. The RO circuit makes it possible to investigate the effect on the RO frequency degradation, caused by any DC MOSFET degradation mechanism as well as by any external AC voltage waveform known to be representative of a critical circuit operation. Thus, the dependence of the RO frequency on device degradation mechanisms activated during a critical circuit operation can be carefully investigated and quantified.

Circuits and design structures for monitoring NBTI (negative bias temperature instability) effect and/or PBTI (positive bias temperature instability) effect

International Business Machines Corporation


A figure encoder is disclosed which is particularly suitable for closed figures and which requires considerably reduced amount of information to be supplied by an operator and which is capable of registering the correct figures even when the original images contains some errors. The figure encoder may includes an image memory, a display, a device for specifying points on a displayed images, a device for extracting figures in accordance with the specified points, and a device for symbolizing the extracted figures. The figure encoder may include an image memory, a display, a device for specifying points on a displayed images, a device for thinning displayed images, a device for interpolating end points in the thinned figure, and a device for symbolizing the thinned figure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a figure encoder for encoding figures primarily comprised of lines, such as drawings or maps, so as to facilitate registration of such figures to computers and, more particularly, to such a figure encoder especially suitable for closed figures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, much effort has been made to develop computerized administration systems for figures primarily comprised of lines, such as logical circuit diagrams, architectural drafts, or maps, by encoding such figures to store them in a data-base, and utilizing the recorded information for CAD, CAM, or other computerized operations.
One conventional method for executing the registration of the figures is to record the figures in an image memory by means of an imaging device and to extract figure data automatically by methods of pattern recognition. In this method, a sufficiently high standard of accuracy in the pattern recognition has not yet been achieved, so that corrections of recognition errors which requires enormously cumbersome procedures are indispensable. Moreover, the types of images that can be handled by this method are still extremely limited.
Registration of those images whose complexity prohibit application of the method just described have conventionally been accomplished by manual operations of specifying each point on the figures, representing the figures by the sets of coordinates of the specified points, and registering these sets of coordinates as figure data to computers by means of a digitizer. A variation of this method in which images are scanned by a scanner, stored in an image memory and displayed on a display on which coordinate points are specified by means of a pointing device is also conceivable. Both of these methods require a large number of points to be specified manually, which poses serious problems concerning the time required and the accuracy of the procedure.


A system is described for analyzing and automatically recognizing content of packet streams intercepted over a communication link. The system comprises an interface and a packet stream analyzer. The interface is configured to receive packets over the communication link and assemble the received packets into one or more packet streams. The packet stream analyzer is configured to receive respective packet streams from said interface and analyze each packet stream to generate selected types of information regarding the packet stream. The packet stream analyzer comprises an analyzer module graph comprising a plurality of analyzer modules interconnected in a graph. Respective ones of the analyzer modules are configured to perform at least one analysis operation in connection with at least a portion of a packet stream provided thereto to determine the likelihood that the packet stream is of one of a plurality of predetermined types, and generate at least one selected type of information in relation thereto.

Wiretapping, including interception and recording of communications, can be quite useful in investigations by governmental agencies such as law enforcement, as well as private investigative agencies. Although originally developed to intercept analog telephonic communications, more recently agencies have discovered that wiretapping can also be useful in intercepting message packets transmitted by a computer or other packet source device, or received by another computer or other packet destination device, over, for example, a digital data network such as the Internet, World Wide Web, or the like.
Message packets may contain a variety of types of information in a variety of different formats. For example, message packets may contain information in textual form, information that defines an image, information that defines a Web page, or other types of information as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Textual information may be in plain text form or in a format that is used by a word processing program. Textual information may also be in a format such as that defined by, for example, the HyperText Markup Language ("HTML"), which is used to defined a Web page. Information that defines an image may be in any of a number of formats, including the well-known bitmap, GIF (Graphics Interchange Format),JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), and MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) formats, the first three being used for still images and the last being used for moving images. Message packets may also contain audio files, which are intended to be played by the device that receives the respective message packets, in any of a number of formats, including the well-known MP3 (MPEG version 3), RM (Real Media) formats.
The information in a message packet may also be compressed using, for example, the well known ZIP compression methodology, or any of a number of other well-known compression methodologies. Alternatively or in addition, the information may be encoded using, for example, the well-known UUENCODE encoding methodology, which converts binary data to ASCII characters, which can, for example, be sent in Email, or using any of a number of other well-known encoding methodologies. In addition, the information may be encrypted using any of a number of well-known encrypting methodologies.
Given the wide variety of types of information that may be contained in message packets that have been intercepted during a wiretap session, it is often difficult to efficiently recognize the content of message packets and information streams contained in a series of message packets associated with a particular connection.

System and method for intercepting and authenticating packets during one or more communication sessions and automatically recognizing content


A photomask blank is for fabricating a phase shift mask having a light-transmissive substrate provided with a phase shift part adapted to give a predetermined phase difference to transmitted exposure light. The phase shift part is a dug-down part formed by digging down the light-transmissive substrate from a surface thereof to a digging depth adapted to produce the predetermined phase difference with respect to exposure light transmitted through the light-transmissive substrate at a portion where the phase shift part is not provided. The photomask blank includes a light-shielding part formed in a peripheral area around a transfer pattern area of the surface of the light-transmissive substrate and adapted to shield exposure light and further includes an etching mask film formed in the transfer pattern area of the surface of the light-transmissive substrate and made of a material being substantially dry-etchable with a chlorine-based gas, but not substantially dry-etchable with a fluorine-based gas, the etching mask film serving as an etching mask at least until the digging depth is reached when forming the dug-down part.

The miniaturization of semiconductor devices and the like is advantageous in bringing about an improvement in performance and function (higher-speed operation, lower power consumption, etc.) and a reduction in cost and thus has been accelerated more and more. The lithography technique has been supporting this miniaturization and transfer masks are a key technique along with exposure apparatuses and resist materials.
In recent years, the development of the DRAM half-pitch (hp) 45 nm to 32 nm generations according to the semiconductor device design rule has been progressing. This corresponds to ¼ to ⅙ of a wavelength 193 nm of ArF excimer laser exposure light. Particularly, in the hp45 nm and subsequent generations, only the application of the resolution enhancement technology (RET) such as the conventional phase shift method, oblique illumination method, and pupil filter method and the optical proximity correction (OPC) technique has been becoming insufficient and the hyper-NA technique (immersion lithography) and the double exposure (double patterning) technique have been becoming necessary.
The phase shift method is a technique of giving a predetermined phase difference to exposure light transmitted through a phase shift part, thereby improving the resolution of a transfer pattern using interference of light.
As photomasks improved in resolution by the phase shift method, there are a substrate dug-down type in which a phase shift part is provided by digging down a quartz substrate by etching or the like, and a type in which a phase shift part is provided by patterning a phase shift film formed on a substrate.
As photomasks of the substrate dug-down (carved) type, there are a Levenson-type phase shift mask, an enhancer-type phase shift mask, a chromeless phase shift mask, and so on. As chromeless phase shift masks, there are a type in which a light-shielding layer on lines is completely removed, and a type in which a light-shielding layer on lines is patterned (so-called zebra type). A Levenson-type phase shift mask or a chromeless phase shift mask of the type in which a light-shielding layer in a transfer area is completely removed is also called an alternative phase shifter which is a phase shift mask of the type in which exposure light incident on a phase shift part is transmitted at 100%. An enhancer-type phase shift mask is provided with a light-shielding part, a transmittance control part (phase 360° inversion=0°), and a 180° inversion part formed by digging down a glass. In any type, it is necessary to form a light-shielding part (light-shielding band) in an edge area (peripheral area) along four sides in the photomask (reticle).
As photomasks of the type in which a phase shift part is provided by patterning a phase shift film formed on a substrate, there are a halftone phase shift mask and so on.
As a photomask blank for fabricating such a chromeless phase shift mask described above, there is known a mask blank for a chromeless phase shift mask, having a structure in which, for example, a light-shielding film (having sufficient light-shielding performance (optical density: 3.0 to 4.0) for forming a light-shielding band) comprising a first layer (corresponding to an etching mask film) containing Cr and a second layer mainly composed of MoSi, which are laminated in this order, is formed on an upper surface of a substrate (see JP-A-2007-241136 (Patent Document 1)).
As a photomask blank for fabricating such a halftone phase shift mask described above, there is known a mask blank for a halftone mask, having a stacked structure in which, for example, there is formed, on an upper surface of a phase shift film (MoSi-based film or the like), an etching mask film (Cr-based film or the like) made of a material having etching selectivity to an etching gas (fluorine-based gas or the like) to be used for etching the phase shift film, there is formed, on an upper surface of the etching mask film, a light-shielding film (MoSi-based film or the like) having etching selectivity to the etching mask film and having sufficient light-shielding performance for forming a light-shielding band alone or in a laminated structure with the etching mask film, and further, an antireflection film (Cr-based film or the like) is formed on the light-shielding film (see JP-A-2007-241065 (Patent Document 2)).

Photomask blank, photomask, and methods of manufacturing the same


A polyurethane foam created from a formulation comprising from about 1 percent to about 70 percent of a vegetable oil polyol is disclosed. The polyurethane foam is made from a formulation comprising an isocyanate, a surfactant, and a polyol blend comprising a vegetable oil polyol. Also disclosed is a polyurethane foam made from a formulation comprising a polyol blend comprising a petrochemical polyol and a vegetable oil polyol, and an isocyanate blend comprising a 2, 4 toluene diisocyanate (TDI) isomer and a 2, 6 TDI isomer, wherein the ratio of petrochemical polyol to vegetable oil polyol in the polyol blend is about equal to the ratio of the 2, 4 TDI isomer to the 2, 6 TDI isomer in the isocyanate blend.

Polyurethane foam is produced by mixing isocyanate, polyol, and water to create two simultaneous reactions: a gelling or polymerization reaction and a blowing or gas-producing reaction. The gelling reaction occurs when the isocyanate reacts with the polyol to form urethane chains. The blowing reaction occurs when the isocyanate reacts with the water to form carbon dioxide gas. The urethane chains make up the structure of the foam, while the carbon dioxide gas creates porosity within the foam by expanding the polyurethane polymer. Numerous additives may be mixed with the isocyanate, polyol, and water to control the rate and duration of the gelling and blowing reactions, while also providing a mechanism for urethane chain cross-linking and chain extension. By controlling the rate and duration of the gelling and blowing reactions, the polyurethane foam production facility can control the physical properties of the foam such that the resultant product has a desired set of characteristics. When the gelling and blowing reactions are completed and the foam has had sufficient time to fully cure, the resulting polyurethane foam bun may be processed into various polyurethane foam products.
It is desirable for the resultant foam product to have certain advantageous properties. For example, the foam may be required to be substantially white with little to no yellowing. Additionally, depending on the end-use application, the foam may be required to have substantially no odor associated with it. It is also preferable that the foam minimize its volatile organic compound (VOC) content or emissions. Finally, it is advantageous for the foam to be made from renewable energy sources so that the foam can be marketed as environmentally friendly or "green."

Prime foam containing vegetable oil polyol


A method for providing virtual private networks for voice over data network users. A location server is provided that has more than one routing information database. A virtual private network is defined within that location server for each of the routing information databases. As registration information from gateways is received, they are associated with the appropriate virtual private network.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to voice applications over data networks, more particularly to providing virtual private network services for voice applications over data networks.
2. Background
Data networks have given rise to many alternatives to traditional phone service. Enterprises of all kinds can use the capacity of their intra-enterprise data network to route packets of all kinds of data, such as voice and video. Voice over data networks have rapidly developed. The data network may follow one of many standardized protocols for establishing connections between nodes on the network to pass packets between end users. These include Internet Protocol (IP), Frame Relay (FR), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), among others. Voice over these networks is referred to typically as Voice-over-IP, Voice-over-FR, or Voice-over-ATM. Generally, these will all be referred to as Voice-over-X, or VoX. One of the features offered in the telephone realm is that of a virtual private network (VPN). In regard to telephones, a VPN allows a private network to be set up and administered over public wires in the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Recently, some network providers have begun offering VPNs for data networks. Using a VPN from a network provider allows the enterprise to have a secure, authorized-user only data network without having to buy, administer and maintain all of the equipment necessary for a truly private network. The enterprise need only have servers that allow their users to connect to the network provider servers.
However, the VoX area is one in which VPNs are not currently being offered. Generally, these VoX networks require interfaces to the PSTN, as well as specialized equipment to enable VoX calls. Many end users that may be recipients of a VoX call will use standard telephones, hence the requirement that the VoX network interface with PSTN equipment. Currently, no solution to the problem of offering virtual private network services for voice applications over data networks has been identified.

Virtual private networks for voice over networks applications


Vapor phase alkylation of an aromatic substrate in a multi-stage alkylation reaction zone having a plurality of series-connected catalyst beds providing mixing zones between adjacent catalyst beds. An aromatic substrate and a C2-C4 alkylating agent is supplied to an inlet side of a gas phase reaction zone causing vapor phase alkylation of the aromatic substrate as the aromatic substrate and the alkylating agent flow through the reaction zone from one catalyst bed to the next. A quench fluid comprising one or both of the aromatic substrate and the alkylating agent is supplied into the interior of the mixing zone through a plurality of flow paths. One portion of the flow paths is directed upwardly and another portion downwardly within the mixing zone. The quench fluid is supplied to the mixing zone through a plurality of dispersion channels spaced laterally from one another.

This invention relates to a multi-stage hydrocarbon treatment process with interstate injection of a quenching fluid and more particularly to vapor phase alkylation of an aromatic substrate with an alkylating agent with interstage injection of a quenching fluid comprising at least one of the aromatic alkylating agent and the aromatic substrate.
Hydrocarbon treatment processes in which a hydrocarbon reaction component is reacted with a second reaction component which may be a hydrocarbon or a non-hydrocarbon are well known in the chemical processing industry. An important aspect of such processes are aromatic conversion processes which are carried out over molecular sieve catalysts. Such aromatic conversion reactions include the alkylation of aromatic substrates such as benzene to produce alkyl aromatics such as ethylbenzene, ethyltoluene, cumene or higher aromatics and the transalkylation of polyalkyl benzenes to monoalkyl benzenes. Typically, an alkylation reactor which produces a mixture of mono- and poly- alkyl benzenes may be coupled through various separation stages to a downstream transalkylation reactor. Such alkylation and transalkylation conversion processes can be carried out in the liquid phase, in the vapor phase or under conditions in which both liquid and vapor phases are present.
Alkylation and transalkylation reactions may occur simultaneously within a single reactor. For example, where various series-connected catalyst beds are employed in an alkylation reactor as described below, it is a conventional practice to employ interstage injection of the aromatic substrate between the catalyst beds in order to control the temperature of the adiabatic process, which tends to enhance transalkylation reactions within the alkylation reactor. Without having cooling, the by-product (xylene) yield is too high. For example, in the ethylation of benzene with ethylene to produce ethylbenzene, the alkylation product within the reactor includes not only ethylbenzene but also polyethylbenzene, principally diethylbenzene with reduced amounts of triethylbenzene, as well as other alkylated aromatics such as cumene and butylbenzene. The interstage injection of the ethylene results not only further in alkylation reactions but also transalkylation reactions where, for example, benzene and diethylbenzene undergo transalkylation to produce ethylbenzene. Thus, even though a separate transalkylation reactor is connected downstream through a series of separation stages, it is the accepted practice to minimize polyalkylation within the alkylation reactor in order to facilitate the subsequent treatment and separation steps.
An example of vapor phase alkylation is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,224 to Dwyer. Here, vapor phase ethylation of benzene over a zeolite catalyst is accomplished in a down flow reactor having four series-connected catalyst beds. The output from the reactor is passed to a separation system in which ethylbenzene product is recovered, with the recycle of polyethylbenzenes to the alkylation reactor where they undergo transalkylation reactions with benzene. The Dwyer catalysts are characterized in terms of those having a constraint index within the approximate range of 1-12 and include, with the constraint index in parenthesis, ZSM-5 (8.3), ZSM-11 (8.7), ZSM-12 (2), ZSM-35 (4.5), ZSM-38 (2), and similar materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,220 to Watson et al discloses the use of silicalite catalysts having an average crystal size of less than 8 microns and a silica/alumina ratio of at least about 200 in the ethylation of an aromatic substrate such as benzene or toluene to produce ethylbenzene or ethyltoluene, respectively. As disclosed in Watson et al, the alkylation procedure can be carried out in a multi-bed alkylation reactor at temperatures ranging from about 350xc2x0-500xc2x0 C. and, more desirably, about 400xc2x0-475xc2x0 C., with or without a steam co-feed. The reactor conditions in Watson et al are such as provide generally for vapor phase alkylation conditions.
Another procedure employing silicalite and involving the ethylation of benzene under vapor phase reaction conditions coupled with the recycle of polyethylbenzene containing products back to the alkylation reactor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,053 to Wagnespack. Here, alkylation is carried out at temperatures generally in the range of 370xc2x0 C. to about 470xc2x0 C. and pressures ranging from atmospheric up to about 25 atmospheres over a catalyst such as silicalite or ZSM-5. The catalysts are described as being moisture sensitive and care is taken to prevent the presence of moisture in the reaction zone. The alkylation/transalkylation reactor comprises four series-connected catalyst beds. Benzene and ethylene are introduced into the top of the reactor to the first catalyst bed coupled by recycle of a polyethylbenzene fraction to the top of the first catalyst bed as well as the interstage injection of polyethylbenzene and benzene at different points in the reactor.
Another process involving the use of a silicalite as an alkylation catalyst involves the alkylation of an alkylbenzene substrate in order to produce dialkylbenzene of a suppressed ortho isomer content. Thus, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,214 to Butler et al, silicalite is employed as a catalyst in the alkylation of a monoalkylated substrate, toluene or ethylbenzene, in order to produce the corresponding dialkylbenzene, such as ethyltoluene or diethylbenzene. Specifically disclosed in Butler et al is the ethylation of toluene to produce ethyltoluene under vapor phase conditions at temperatures ranging from 350xc2x0-500xc2x0 C. As disclosed in Butler, the presence of ortho ethyltoluene in the reaction product is substantially less than the thermodynamic equilibrium amount at the vapor phase reaction conditions employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,255 to Ghosh et al discloses vapor phase alkylation with separate transalkylation in which the output from the transalkylation reactor is recycled to an intermediate separation zone. The Ghosh et al process employs a multi-stage alkylation reactor in which four or more series-connected catalyst beds are employed in a downflow vapor phase reactor. Both benzene and ethylene are applied to the inlet of the reactor along with interstage injection of ethylene and/or benzene between the catalyst stages. Here, a benzene separation zone, from which an ethylbenzene/polyethylbenzene fraction is recovered from the bottom with recycling of the overhead benzene fraction to the alkylation reactor, is preceded by a prefractionation zone. The prefractionation zone produces an overhead benzene fraction which is recycled along with the overheads from the benzene column and a bottom fraction which comprises benzene, ethylbenzene and polyethylbenzene. Two subsequent separation zones are interposed between the benzene separation zone and the transalkylation reactor to provide for recovery of ethylbenzene as the process product and a heavier residue fraction. The polyethylbenzene fraction from the last separation zone is applied to the transalkylation reactor and the output there is applied directly to the second benzene separation column or indirectly through a separator and then to the second benzene separation column. In Ghosh et al, the ratio of benzene (or other aromatics substrate) and alkylating agent can be varied along the length of the reactor with the introduction of one or both reactants into the reactor at locations between catalyst beds. Any suitable technique can be employed to accomplish the interstage introduction of reactants into the reactor, but a typical system comprises a sparger, comprising a header which supplies feed stock into a plurality of sparger tubes within the header.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a multi-stage hydrocarbon treatment process in a multi-stage reaction zone having a plurality of series-connected catalyst beds each containing a hydrocarbon reaction catalyst and spaced from one another to provide an intermediate mixing zone between adjacent catalyst beds. A processing feedstock containing a hydrocarbon substrate component and a normally gaseous-reacting component for reaction with said substrate component to produce a reaction product is supplied to the inlet side of the reaction zone. The reaction zone is operated under temperature and pressure conditions in which the hydrocarbon substrate component is in the gas phase to cause a gas phase reaction of the components to produce the desired reaction product in the presence of the catalyst. A quench fluid comprising at least one of the hydrocarbon substrate component and the reactant component is injected into at least one intermediate mixing zone between adjacent catalyst beds. This quench fluid is dispensed into the interior of the mixing zone through a plurality of flow paths in which one portion of the flow paths is directed upwardly within the mixing zone and another portion directed downwardly within the mixing zone. The reaction product produced by the reaction of the hydrocarbon substrate component and the reactant component is recovered from a down-stream outlet of the reaction zone.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a process for the vapor phase alkylation of an aromatic substrate in a multi-stage alkylation reactor employing intermediate mixing zones. In carrying out the invention, there is provided a multi-stage reaction zone having a plurality of series-connected catalyst beds containing a molecular sieve aromatic alkylation catalyst. The catalyst beds are spaced from one another to provide mixing zones between adjacent catalyst beds. A feedstock containing an aromatic substrate and a C2-C4 alkylating agent is supplied to an inlet side of the reaction zone. The reaction zone is operated at temperature and pressure conditions in which the aromatic substrate is in the gas phase and causing vapor phase alkylation of the aromatic substrate as the aromatic substrate and the alkylating agent flow through the reaction zone and pass from one catalyst bed to the next. In at least one intermediate mixing zone between adjacent catalyst beds a quench fluid comprising one or both of the aromatic substrate and the alkylating agent is supplied into the interior of the mixing zone through a plurality of flow paths. In the flow paths, one portion of the flow paths is directed upwardly within the mixing zone and another portion downwardly within the mixing zone. Alkylated product is then recovered from the downstream side of the reaction zone. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aromatic substrate is benzene and the alkylating agent is an ethylating agent such as ethylene. In a further embodiment of the invention, the quench fluid is supplied to the mixing zone through a plurality of dispersion channels which are spaced laterally from one another and extend transversely across the mixing chamber. At least some of the dispersion channels dispense the quench fluid alternately, upwardly and downwardly within the mixing zone. Preferably, the dispersion channels are located within the upper one-half of the mixing zone.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a multi-stage alkylation reaction zone is provided within an elongated reactor having an upper catalyst bed extending transversely of the reactor and at least three subsequent catalyst beds extending transversely of the reactor and spaced from one another. Spacing between the catalyst beds provides an upper mixing zone between the first catalyst bed and the next adjacent catalyst bed and subsequent mixing zones between the succeeding catalyst beds. Sparger systems are provided in the mixing zones incorporating a plurality of laterally-spaced dispersion channels. A mixture of the aromatic substrate and the alkylating agent is supplied to the sparger systems to provide a plurality of flow paths through linearly-spaced orifice outlets in the dispersion channels directed upwardly and downwardly within the mixing zone.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an alkylation reactor comprising an elongated reactor vessel having an inlet for the supply of reactants and an outlet for the withdrawal of product from the vessel. A plurality of catalyst beds are provided along the length of the reactor with a plurality of sparger systems each comprising a plurality of laterally displaced dispersion tubes and a manifold or header connecting the spaced dispersion tubes to provide for the supply of feedstock there too. At least some of the dispersion tubes have openings along the lengths thereof in which the openings alternately open in a downward and an upward orientation to dispense feedstock into the mixing zones.

Multistage reaction system with interstage sparger systems


A noise control system comprises a feedforward module, a feedback module, an error pre-processing module, and a signal integrating module. The feedforward module is configured to receive a reference signal and output a feedforward anti-noise signal by performing feedforward processing to the reference signal. The feedback module is configured to receive an error signal and output a feedback anti-noise signal by performing feedback processing to the error signal. The error pre-processing module is configured to receive the error signal and output a first pre-processing signal to the feedforward module and a second pre-processing signal to the feedback module. The signal integrating module is configured to output an integrated anti-noise signal integrated from the feedforward anti-noise signal and the feedback anti-noise signal. Wherein the first pre-processing signal corresponds to the first part of the error signal which belongs to the first frequency region; the second pre-processing signal corresponds to the second part of the error signal which belongs to the second frequency region.

Modern people pursue a higher quality of life. For this reason, they also pursue a quieter and more comfortable environment. One example is that the demand for improved noise reduction when riding on or driving vehicles or using audio-visual equipment such as headphones has been increasing. Another example is, when using medical equipment and other applications susceptible to noise, the quality of the results can be improved if noise is reduced.
Currently, common noise reduction methods can be divided into passive noise reduction and active noise reduction. Passive noise reduction can be, for example, using sound-absorbing materials or sound-insulating materials to reduce the transmission of sound. However, passive noise reduction may be limited by the environment where it is conducted or the frequency band of the noise. Hence, active noise reduction is often used to improve the effect of reducing noise.
Active noise reduction is, for example, offsetting sounds by generating offset sounds of similar amplitude but opposite phase (with phase difference being 180°). However, generating offset sounds based on noise requires considerable processing speed of the hardware and/or software. Besides, to offset sounds needs repeated calculation to achieve convergence in order to achieve the best noise reduction effect. When the convergence time is too long, the effect of noise reduction will also be affected. Therefore, how the convergence speed of the noise control system may be improved is one of the issues for the development of this field.

Noise control system, a noise control device and a method thereof


A transport device with a transport vehicle. The transport device includes an elongated worktable and a worktable attachment interface provided on the transport vehicle by means of which the elongated worktable can be attached in a vertical orientation on the transport vehicle in order to assume a transport position in which the elongated worktable can be transported by the transport vehicle.

The invention relates to a transport device with a transport vehicle. The transport vehicle comprises:                a lower section having a support surface on which a box-shaped container can be placed, and a container attachment interface for attaching the at least one box-shaped container to the lower section,        two wheels located in a rearward area of the transport vehicle at the lower section, with which wheels the transport vehicle can be supported and moved relative to a floor, and        a frame section extending vertically upwards from the lower section, which frame section is located in the rearward area and on which there is a handle with which the transport vehicle can be manually put into a tilted position and moved relative to the floor.
Such a transport vehicle is known from the state of the art. For example, the product "Sys-Roll" available from the company TANOS GmbH is known as a transport vehicle for the transport of box-shaped containers.
The transport vehicle mentioned at the beginning is typically used to transport one or more box-shaped containers to a job site, for example a construction site. The box-shaped container is usually used to store tools, for example a power tool, and/or tool accessories. In particular, the box-shaped containers are designed in such a way that they can be stacked on top of each other and coupled together in a vertically tension-proof manner to form a stable vertical, in particular cuboid, stack. To this end, each box-shaped container has the same horizontal outline and has couplers enabling them to be coupled together. The stack can be placed with the lowest box-shaped container on the support surface of the transport vehicle and attached by means of the container attachment interface. Expediently, the stack is attached to the transport vehicle with only the lowest box-shaped container.
The transport vehicle can be manually moved to a tilted position in which the transport vehicle is tilted with respect to the floor about a tilting axis defined by the wheels. In this position, the transport vehicle can be moved, especially pushed or pulled, in the manner of a sack truck.
The transport vehicle can also be referred to as a "sack truck like" or as sack truck.
A combination of the transport vehicle and the goods to be transported with it, for example the box-shaped container mentioned above, shall be referred to as the transport device.

TANOS GmbH Verpacken Ordnen Präsentieren


An apparatus includes semiconductor processing equipment. A particle detecting integrated circuit is positioned in a vacuum environment, the particle detecting integrated circuit containing a device having a pair of conductive lines exposed to the vacuum environment. The pair of conductive lines is spaced at a critical pitch corresponding to diameters of particles of interest. A computer system is linked to the particle detecting integrated circuit to detect a change in an electrical property of the conductive lines when a particle becomes lodged between or on the lines.

A microprocessor is an integrated circuit (IC) built on a tiny piece of silicon. A microprocessor contains millions of transistors interconnected through fine wires made of aluminum or copper.
Microprocessor fabrication is a complex process involving many steps. Microprocessors are typically built by layering materials on top of thin rounds of silicon, called wafers, through various processes using chemicals, gases and light. In chip making, very thin layers of material, in carefully designed patterns, are put on the blank silicon wafers. The patterns are computerized designs that are miniaturized so that up to several hundred microprocessors can be put on a single wafer.
Because the patterns are so small, it is nearly impossible to deposit material exactly where it needs to be on the wafer. Instead, a layer of material is deposited or grown across an entire wafer surface. Then, the material that is not needed is removed and only the desired pattern remains.
The microprocessor fabrication process begins with "growing" an insulting layer of silicon dioxide on top of a polished wafer in a high temperature furnace. Photolithography, a process in which circuit patterns are printed on the wafer surface, is next. A temporary layer of a light sensitive material called a "photoresist" is applied to the wafer. Ultraviolet light shines through clear spaces of a stencil called a "photomask" or "mask" to expose selected areas of the photoresist. Masks are generated during a design phase and are used to define a circuit pattern on each layer of a chip. Exposure to light chemically changes the uncovered portions of the photoresist. The machine used to do this is typically called a "scanner" because it scans one die or a few die at a time, then steps to the next die or set of die until it has exposed the entire wafer.
An active area of the mask is exposed to a vacuum environment of a scanner and is at high risk of accumulating particles. If a particle lands in a critical part of the active area then it will lead to a printed defect on the wafer. This defect causes decreased yields, or increased wafer cost in rework if the defect is fortuitously caught prior to further wafer processing by wafer defect metrology.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Real-time monitoring of particles in semiconductor vacuum environment


A valveless percussive pneumatic drill includes a housing, a piston in the housing, reciprocating along the axis of the housing, a piston support bearing in the housing and an air distributor in the housing, the air distributor being mounted in the housing for flexible elastic movement therein, to permit slight misalignment of the piston with respect to the axis of the housing.

This invention relates generally to pneumatic percussive drills, and more particularly to air distributors in valveless, percussive air drills.
Valveless percussive air drills consist basically of a main housing, a reciprocal piston in the housing, a bearing supporting the piston and an air distributor that distributes air via various passageways to activate the piston between a drive stroke and a return stroke. As the drill operates, the piston reciprocates due to the cycling of air pressure differentials across the head of the piston. The alignment of the piston in such a device consists of three bearing points of contact for the piston: contact with the air distributor, contact with the housing and contact with the bearing. This three point contact demands extremely high manufacturing tolerances in order to assure proper function characteristics of the cycle.
Misalignment of any one these components may cause premature failure of the drill because of the loss of alignment of three contact points spaced along the length of the longitudinal axis of reciprocation of the piston. This condition is made more difficult because the piston has an elongated tail stem that can exaggerate any misalignment problems during the cycle.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present devices and methods. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of charging an electric vehicle. The method comprises receiving at an electric vehicle, a wireless signal associated with an electric vehicle charging apparatus. Upon receiving the signal the method comprises controlling an actuator to open, in dependence on receiving the wireless signal, an enclosure housing a socket for receiving the charging plug. Embodiments of the invention also provide an enclosure for a charging socket of an electric vehicle.

Electric vehicles may comprise a battery which is charged from an external power source. The power source may be charging station at a user's home or office, for example, or one available to the public for example at a parking location or a service station. Such external power sources may provide an AC or DC electrical supply for charging the battery of the electric vehicle. The electrical supply of the charging station is coupled to an electrical system of the vehicle via a plug of the charging station which is releaseably received in a charging socket of the vehicle. A person, usually an occupant of the vehicle, obtains the plug from the charging station. The charging socket of the vehicle is often located within an enclosure about an exterior of the vehicle. A plurality of electrical sockets may be provided in the enclosure for connecting to different electrical supplies, such as different voltages, current ratings and electrical types e.g. AC or DC. The enclosure may comprise a door openable by the user to allow access to the one or more charging sockets of the vehicle. The door may form an exterior surface of the vehicle i.e. an exterior of the enclosure door may, when closed, be co-planar with adjacent body-panels of the vehicle. The door provides an aesthetic enclosure for the socket. The person may then open a cover of the socket before inserting the plug into the socket to begin charging the electric vehicle. The cover may be hingeably connected to a side of the socket and biased to substantially seal the socket in a closed position. The cover of the socket is provided to prevent water and dirt ingress into the socket and to protect electrical connections of the socket.
It is an object of embodiments of the invention to facilitate a charging process of an electric vehicle. It is an object of embodiments of the invention to at least mitigate one or more of the problems of the prior art.

Method and apparatus for electric vehicle charging


An LPG canister connector for a combustion appliance having a flow path from a canister containing liquid fuel and having a cap with outlet means at the upstream end of the flow path, a valve assembly adapted to be connected to the cap and equipped with a conduit adapted to be connected to a combustion appliance at the downstream end of the flow path, and promoters for vaporization of said fuel being located intermediate the ends of the flow path.

This invention relates to an LPG canister connector for a combustion appliance and, more particularly, to a connector which embodies a number of unique components providing operating convenience.
The invention has advantageous application to a variety of combustion appliances such as blow torches, heaters, soldering irons and lanterns with one especially advantageous use being for a portable camp stove. Therefore, the illustration herein is such a stove. Illustrative of prior art stove connectors are those in the commercial Atone CB-55E and that of Camping Gaz as seen in EPO publication 0 278 873 A1.
The inventive connector includes means providing a flow path from a canister containing liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and having a cap with outlet means at the upstream end of the flow path, a valve assembly adapted to be connected to the canister cap and equipped with conduit means adapted to be connected to a combustion appliance at the downstream end of the flow path, the flow path being equipped with means for promoting vaporization of the LPG from liquid phase fuel intermediate the ends of the flow stream.
The invention also includes starting from the source of LPG, a unique dip tube for the canister, a unique slot and ear coupler for engaging and locking the valve assembly and canister together, a unique cam means in the valve assembly for achieving a seal with the canister cap, a unique conduit between the valve assembly and the burner assembly, an advantageously constructed burner assembly, and, for the camp stove application, a unique frame for supporting the burner assembly or assemblies and which is collapsible to compact and light weight condition for back-pack transport or the like. The invention provides a lightweight, compact/folding construction for a liquified petroleum fuel (LPG) such as butane or butane/propane mix fuel which is easy to light, and possesses operating convenience including good lighting, instantaneous flame control and good simmer characteristics.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the ensuing specification.

LPG canister connector for combustion appliance


Methyl tertiary butyl ether is prepared from tertiary butyl alcohol and methanol in a plural stage process by (a) reacting tertiary butyl alcohol with methanol in a primary MTBE reaction zone containing a cationic ion-exchange resin catalyst to form a primary reaction product, (b) fractionating the primary reaction product in a primary distillation zone to provide a first lighter, lower boiling distillation fraction comprising isobutylene, methanol and methyl tertiary butyl ether and a first heavier, higher boiling distillation fraction comprising methanol, tertiary butyl alcohol and water, c) contacting the first heavier distillation fraction in a second stage reactor containing a second stage acidic, fluoride-treated Y-zeolite having a silica:alumina ratio of 100:1 to 10:1 and a unit cell size of from 24.20 to 24.45 .ANG. or a fluoride-treated silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) molecular sieve having a pore size of from 5 .ANG. to 8 .ANG., under conversion conditions including a temperature of from 20.degree. to 300.degree. C. and a pressure of from 0 to 1000 psig to form a second stage reaction product rich in isobutylene and also containing methyl tertiary butyl ether; and (d) converting the isobutylene to additional methyl tertiary butyl ether.

Methyl tert-butyl ether is finding increasing use as a blending component in high octane gasoline as the current gasoline additives based on lead and manganese are phased out. Currently most commercial processes for the manufacture of methyl tert-butyl ether are based upon the liquid-phase reaction of isobutylene and methanol (Eq. 1), catalyzed by a cationic ion-exchange resin (see, for example: Hydrocarbon Processing, October 1984, p. 63; Oil and Gas J., Jan. 1, 1979, p. 76; Chem. Economics Handbook-SRI, September 1986, p. 543-7051P). The cationic ion-exchange resins used in MTBE synthesis normally have the sulfonic acid functionality (see: J. Tejero, J. Mol. Catal., 42 (1987) 257; C. Subramamam et al., Can. J. Chem. Eng., 65 (1987) 613). ##STR1##
The dehydration reaction can be represented by: ##STR2##
With the expanding use of MTBE as an acceptable gasoline additive, a growing problem is the availability of raw materials. Historically, the critical raw material has been isobutylene (Oil and Gas J., Jun. 8, 1987, p. 55), however, recently, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,099,072, 5,169,592 and 5,081,318, inter alia, assigned to Texaco Chemical Inc., disclose a one-step method for producing methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from t-butanol (tBA) over various catalysts. It would be advantageous to obtain additional conversion of the t-butanol in the crude feedstock without having to recycle unconverted tertiary butanol.
"Preparation of Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) Over Zeolite Catalysts" is an article by Pochen Chu and Gunther H. Kuhl, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 26, 365, 1987. Chu et al. disclose work which identifies ZSM-5 and ZSM-11 to be selective for the preparation of MTBE. Compared to the conventional Amberlyst 15 resin, the zeolites are thermally stable, and give no acid effluent; they provide high selectivity to MTBE with little or no diisobutene yield, are less sensitive to the CH.sub.3 OH/i-C.sub.4 H.sub.8 ratio and exhibit good selectivity even at ratios approaching unity. They provide high MTBE output, despite the unfavorable thermodynamic equilibrium, since the process utilizing these zeolites can be operated at high temperature and high space velocity. In addition, deactivation is not observed in the present short catalytic tests and reactivation is not required. The excellent selectivity of these two zeolites is believed to be effected by the size of their pore structure, which provides easy access to methanol and restricted access to isobutene. Zeolite beta was also tested, giving the poorest results and small pore zeolites were inactive. As expected, large pore zeolites did not exhibit shape selectivity.
An extensive body of knowledge of zeolite properties and catalytic potential has developed in recent years. Different types of zeolites are known in the art, including natural and synthetic zeolites. Research has opened up a spectrum of new opportunities in the field of molecular shape selective catalysis, where the intracrystalline space accessible to molecules has dimensions near those of the molecules themselves. This field is discussed in an article titled "Molecular Shape Selective Catalysis", P. B. Weisz, New Horizons in Catalysis, Part A, 1980. For example, it is possible to catalyze the dehydration of n-butanol over a Linde 5 .ANG. zeolite without reacting isobutanol which may be present. Such research has led to the concept of molecular engineering.
Another good reference for familiarization with the relationship between molecular shapes, structures of zeolites and selectivity for certain catalysis is an article titled "Industrial Application of Shape Selective Catalysis", N. Y. Chen et al., Catal. Rev.-Sci. Eng., 28 185 (1986).
The zeolites of interest for shape-selective catalysis may be divided into three major groups according to their pore/channel systems. The first group includes 8-membered oxygen ring systems such as, for example, Linde A, erionite, chabazite, zeolite alpha, ZK-4, ZK-21, ZK-22 and several other less common natural zeolites.
The second group includes 10-membered oxygen ring systems such as, for example, ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-48 and laumontite, which has a puckered 10-membered oxygen ring. The rest of the medium pore zeolites are usually synthetic in origin; they are sometimes known as pentasils. They have a predominance of silicon.
The third group of zeolites is those having dual pore systems which have interconnecting channels of 12- and 8-membered oxygen ring openings. Examples include mordenite, offretite, clinoptilolite, ferrierite, etc.
In an article titled "Clays, Zeolites and other Microporous Solids for Organic Synthesis," by John M. Thomas et al., in Modern Synthetic Methods, 1989, Vol. 5, p. 249, it is stated at page 263 that the valency or the size of the exchangeable cation can be adjusted, thus fine-tuning the molecular sieving and shape-selective properties. For example, in the Na.sup.+ form of zeolite-alpha, the effective void space within the zeolite can be enlarged by replacement of Na.sup.+ by Ca.sup.2+ ions.
Dealumination of a zeolite can enhance the meso-porosity of a zeolite by increasing the Si/Al ratio of the anionic framework and can be represented by the following: ##STR3##
Hydrothermal treatment will result in ultra-stabilization of the zeolite and recent work indicates Si:Al ratios can be increased to greater than 1000.
In addition to Y-zeolites, silicoaluminophosphates (SAPOs) are useful in the instant invention. SAPOs are one type of new materials to which increasing attention has been devoted recently. These materials include: aluminophosphate-based molecular sieves (AlPO.sub.4 -n), silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO-n), and metal-containing aluminophosphates (MeAPO-n and MeAPSO-n).
The AlPO.sub.4 molecular sieves exhibit an invariant framework composition with an Al/P atomic ratio of 1 and a wide structural diversity. Their product composition expressed as an oxide formula, is xR.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.1.0.-+.0.2P.sub.2 O.sub.5.yH.sub.2 O, where R is an amine or quaternary ammonium template, and x, and y represent the amounts needed to fill the microporous voids. Upon calcination at temperatures of 773-873 K, the molecular sieves are expressed as AlPO.sub.4 or a TO2 formula of (Al.sub.0.50 P.sub.0.50)O.sub.2. The microporous AlPO.sub.4 materials have novel structures, 5, 11, 14, 16, 18, 31, and 33. For example, the as-synthesized ALPO.sub.4 -11 has a typical composition of 1.0 Pr.sub.2 NH:1.0 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :1.0 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 : 4O H.sub.2 and consists of an open framework containing unidimensional 10-ring channels (3.9.times.6.3 .ANG.).
The major structures crystallized in the new generations of AlPO.sub.4 -based molecular sieves include at least 30 stable three-dimensional novel structures. Some are topological analogs of zeolites such as faujasite, A, chabazite and erionite.
The materials are classified into binary, ternary, and quaternary compositions based on the number of elements contained in the cationic framework sites of any given structure. Classes of these materials comprise compositions crystallized in the AlPO.sub.4, silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO), metal aluminophosphates (MeAPO) and non-metal element incorporated aluminophosphates (ElAPO) families.
SAPO molecular sieves were first reported by Lok et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,871). SAPO are defined as silicoaluminophosphates with the following general chemical formula EQU nR.(Si.sub.x Al.sub.y P.sub.z)O.sub.2.bH.sub.2 O
They involve a three-dimensional arrangement of SiO.sub.4, PO.sub.4, and AlO.sub.4 tetrahedral connected through shared oxygen atoms. This arrangement results in an open structure containing channels and cages with near atomic dimensions. The structures include large-pore (7-8 .ANG.), medium-pore (.about.6 .ANG.) and small pore (3-4 .ANG.) materials. The silicoaluminophosphates (SAPO) are made by the substitution of silicon for phosphorus and with some substitution of two silicons for an aluminum plus phosphorus into a hypothetical aluminophosphate framework. The general formula of the anhydrous SAPO composition is 0-0.3R (Si.sub.x Al.sub.y P.sub.z)O.sub.2 where the mole fraction of silicon, x, typically varies from 0.04 to 0.20 depending on synthesis conditions and structure type. The typical SAPO-11 framework composition is (Si.sub.0.14 Al.sub.0.44 P.sub.0.42)O.sub.2 with (x+z) greater than y.
More than 40 distinct species of zeolite materials have been identified and there are at least 130 synthetic species. The pore sizes and compositions of typical commercially available zeolites are shown in Table A.
TABLE A __________________________________________________________________________ COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ZEOLITES Composition Sorportion Capacity (wt %) Zeolite Pore Size/nm Si/Al Cation H.sub.2 O nC.sub.6 H.sub.14 C.sub.6 H.sub.12 __________________________________________________________________________ Faujasite x 0.74 1-1.5 Na 28 14.5 16.6 Y 0.74 1.5-3 Na 26 18.1 19.5 US-Y 0.74 >3 H 11 15.8 18.3 A 0.3 1.0 K,Na 22 0 0 A 0.4 1.0 Na 23 0 0 A 0.45 1.0 Ca,Na 23 12.5 0 Chabazite 0.4 4 * 15 6.7 1 Clinoptilite 0.4 .times. 0.5 5.5 * 10 1.8 0 Erionite 0.38 4 * 9 2.4 0 Ferrierite 0.55 .times. 0.48 5-10 H 10 2.1 1.3 L-type 0.6 3-3.5 K 12 8 7.4 Mazzite 0.58 3.4 Na,H 11 4.3 4.1 Mordenite 0.6 .times. 0.7 5.5 * 6 2.1 2.1 Mordenite 0.6 .times. 0.7 5-6 Na 14 4.0 4.5 Mordenite 0.6 .times. 0.7 5-10 H 12 4.2 7.5 Offretite 0.58 4 K,H 13 5.7 2.0 Phillipsite 0.3 2 * 15 1.3 0 Silicalite 0.55 ** H 1 10.1 ZSM-5 0.55 10-500 H 4 12.4 5.9 __________________________________________________________________________ *Denotes a mineral zeolite: cations variable, but usually Na, K, Ca, Mg **Very large Si:Al
Another important aspect regarding zeolites involves methods of generating acidity. Several ways of introducing acidity into a zeolite are known in the art and they result in the formation of Bronsted acid sites. The total acidity of a zeolite catalyst depends on both the concentration of acidic sites and the strength of the individual sites. The number and nature of active sites in a zeolite catalyst can be determined in several ways, including .sup.27 Al solid state NMR, uptake of base and poisoning experiments. Maximum overall acidity is often found for Si/Al ratios in the range of 5 to 20. Bronsted acid sites formed by various methods can form Lewis acid sites by dehydroxylation: ##STR4##
Where shape selectivity by size exclusion is the key to zeolite function, it can be accomplished either through reactant selectivity or product selectivity. It is believed Columbic field effects may also play a part. Another phenomenon which has been observed to contribute is configurational diffusion which occurs in situations where structural dimensions of the catalyst approach those of molecules; even subtle changes in dimensions of molecules can result in large changes in diffusivity, see Chen et al., Catal. Rev.-Sci. Eng., supra, p. 198.
Another type of selectivity which has been observed is spatiospecificity or restricted transition state, where both the reactant molecule and the product molecule are small enough to diffuse through channels, but the reaction intermediates are larger than either the reactants or the products and are spatially constrained.
Reactants which are of particular interest in shape selective catalysis include straight-chain and slightly branched paraffins and olefins, naphthenes and aromatics.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,545, to Chang et al., there is suggested modification of Y-zeolites having Si:Al ratio of at least 4 with a very dilute (0.001.fwdarw.0.1N) solution of HF in a cracking catalyst as a means of reactivation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,697 there is disclosed a catalyst for synthesis of MTBE from t-BuOH comprising hydrogen fluoride modified zeolites.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,078, there is disclosed a catalyst for MTBE synthesis comprising fluorophosphoric acid-modified zeolites.
In the art, where the feedstock for producing MTBE is t-butanol, the conversions are not as high as would be desirable.
It would be a distinct advance in the art if there were a catalyst available which could withstand sustained operating temperatures of greater than 200.degree. C. and which could be used in a second stage reactor to improve the percentage of conversion of t-butanol to methyl tertiary butyl ether without the necessity of recycling.
It would be a substantial advance in the art if such a catalyst made it possible to obtain greater than 90% conversion of t-butanol, crude t-butanol/methanol feedstocks at low energy cost.

Two-stage etherification of tertiary butyl alcohol using second stage zeolite catalysts for the intermediate preparation of isobutylene

Huntsman Specialty Chemicals Corporation


An ion source has an arc chamber having first and second ends and an aperture plate to enclose a chamber volume. An extraction aperture is disposed between the first and second ends. A cathode is near the first end of the arc chamber, and a repeller is near the second end. A generally U-shaped first bias electrode is on a first side of the extraction aperture within the chamber volume. A generally U-shaped second bias electrode is on a second side of the extraction aperture within the chamber volume, where the first and second bias electrodes are separated by a first distance proximate to the extraction aperture and a second distance distal from the extraction aperture. An electrode power supply provides a first and second positive voltage to the first and second bias electrodes, where the first and second positive voltages differ by a predetermined bias differential.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, ion implantation is used to dope semiconductors with impurities. Ion implantation systems are often utilized to dope a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, with ions from an ion beam, in order to either produce n- or p-type material doping, or to form passivation layers during fabrication of an integrated circuit. Such beam treatment is often used to selectively implant the wafers with impurities of a specified dopant material, at a predetermined energy level, and in controlled concentration, to produce a semiconductor material during fabrication of an integrated circuit. When used for doping semiconductor wafers, the ion implantation system injects a selected ion species into the workpiece to produce the desired extrinsic material. Implanting ions generated from source materials such as antimony, arsenic, or phosphorus, for example, results in an "n-type" extrinsic material wafer, whereas a "p-type" extrinsic material wafer often results from ions generated with source materials such as boron, gallium, or indium.
A typical ion implanter includes an ion source, an ion extraction device, a mass analysis device, a beam transport device and a wafer processing device. The ion source generates ions of desired atomic or molecular dopant species. These ions are extracted from the source by an extraction system, typically a set of electrodes, which energizes and directs the flow of ions from the source, forming an ion beam. Desired ions are separated from the ion beam in a mass analysis device, typically a magnetic dipole performing mass dispersion or separation of the extracted ion beam. The beam transport device, typically a vacuum system containing a series of focusing devices, transports the ion beam to the wafer processing device while maintaining or improving desired properties of the ion beam. Finally, semiconductor wafers are transferred in to and out of the wafer processing device via a wafer handling system, which may include one or more robotic arms, for placing a wafer to be treated in front of the ion beam and removing treated wafers from the ion implanter.
Ion sources (commonly referred to as arc ion sources) generate ion beams used in implanters and can include heated filament cathodes for creating ions that are shaped into an appropriate ion beam for wafer treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,006 to Sferlazzo et al., for example, discloses an ion source having a cathode supported by a base and positioned with respect to a gas confinement chamber for ejecting ionizing electrons into the gas confinement chamber. The cathode of the Sferlazzo et al. is a tubular conductive body having an endcap that partially extends into the gas confinement chamber. A filament is supported within the tubular body and emits electrons that heat the endcap through electron bombardment, thereby thermionically emitting ionizing electrons into the gas confinement chamber.
Conventionally, the filament is located at one side of the chamber. In many popular ion sources, an indirectly heated cathode (IHC) is implemented, wherein a tungsten cap is positioned over the filament, and whereby the filament heats the cap, while the cap protects the filament in order to increase a lifetime of the ion source. The cap or cathode, however is sputtered away over time. As such, the thickness of cap is made large, whereby the filament is heated to high temperatures to emit a substantial amount lot of electrons. The cap in this instance thus acts like a filament to emit electrons, but because of its significant thickness, a longer life has been attainable.
One or more bias electrodes have been further provided within ion source chambers to increase beam currents in extracted ion beams at higher charge states. Various configurations of ion source chambers having bias electrodes have been previously provided, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,330,127 to Low et al., U.S. Pat. No. 9,691,584 to Tieger et al., and US Patent Publication 2018/0254166 to Kawaguchi. However, such conventional arc chambers typically provide one or more of the bias electrodes as being grounded to the arc chamber.
In a circumstance where no bias electrodes are provided, the cathode is biased negatively with respect to the arc chamber, and therefore, electrons that are thermally emitted by the cathode are driven away from the negative potential and into the arc chamber. By adding the bias electrodes, a positive voltage attracts those electrons, and a lifetime of the cathode is increased by grounding the cathode and only biasing the bias electrodes. However, again, at least one of the bias electrodes have been grounded in conventional systems.

Ion source with multiple bias electrodes


A first series combination of bit match circuits compares a predetermined bit position in data words that are involved in a compression operation. The first series combination compares the values in the predetermined bit position to determine if they are all a logical zero. A second series combination of bit match circuits compares the same predetermined bit position in the data words. The second series combination compares the values to determine if they are all a logical one. If either condition is true, the value of the bit is output through an output buffer. If both conditions are false, the output buffer is placed in a high impedance state to indicate an error condition exists in that bit position.

Integrated circuit memory devices typically include one or more arrays of memory cells that store data. The data is either read from or written to the memory cell using data communication connections. Some typical memory devices include random access memories (RAM), dynamic random access memories (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), and non-volatile memories such as FLASH.
A memory data array is often internally organized as a page of data containing n words with each word containing a number of bits equal to the number of data communication connections (DQ's). During production of the memory devices, the individual memory cells need to be tested. One of the tests may be a write verification test.
The write verification test involves writing a known pattern of data (e.g., a pattern of ones and zeroes) to the memory array. The data can be read one word at a time and compared bit-by-bit to the pattern of data originally input to the memory array. If each bit in a particular position of each word of the output data matches the corresponding bit of the input pattern, the devices passes the test. A mismatch between any bit of any word of the output data and the input pattern indicates a failure.
A problem with such a test is that as the density of the memory arrays increase, the time needed to fully test the memory array also increases. Since the memory manufacturer has to test a large number of memory devices, even a small increase in test time multiplied by the large number of memory devices, creates a problem for the manufacturer.
One technique that can be used to decrease test time is data compression. Data read from multiple memory cells are compressed into a smaller number of data bits. Thus, less time is required for a given number of memory cells when implementing data compression. Data compression read circuitry is usually designed in such a way that does not affect the performance of write or read non-test operations. The data compression read path only operates in test mode and is in parallel to the non-test read path.
Typical data compression techniques are based on a ratioed logic approach to data compression. The ratioed logic approach is well know in the art and is not discussed further. Ratioed logic is typically limited to perform compression in a range of ten words. This limits the amount of compression that can be accomplished in order to reduce the testing time.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an alternative data compression read scheme.

Data compression read mode for memory testing


Disclosed are a method and system for testing the isotropic sensitivity of a terminal, comprising: testing the received signal strength of a terminal at every theta/phi angle and antenna polarization direction, and generating a received signal strength pattern and a table of the correspondence between base station power and the received signal strength of the terminal; finding the best theta/phi angle and antenna polarization direction and testing the corresponding effective isotropic sensitivity; calculating the effective isotropic sensitivity at other theta/phi angles and polarization directions and integrating these to obtain the isotropic sensitivity of the terminal. The present invention thereby effectively reduces testing time and improves testing efficiency.

In a system for testing a terminal antenna, the Theta angle of a rotating table for testing needs to change from 0° to 180° at a step size of 30° (6 steps in total); and the Phi angle of the rotating table needs to change from 0° to 360° at a step size of 30° (12 steps in total). Furthermore, a horizontal polarization direction and a vertical polarization direction are used for a measuring antenna in the standard darkroom, so the total number of testing points are 6*12*2=144.
At each testing point, the testing system gradually decreases the transmitting power of the base station simulator, and then transmits data packets having a fixed length but random contents. After receiving these data packets, the terminal transmits these data packets back to a base station simulator via a transmitting path. The base station simulator compares each bit of the data packets that are transmitted with the data packets that are received so as to calculate a bit error rate (BER) until the BER exceeds a standard threshold. Then, the transmitting power of the base station simulator when the BER exceeds the standard threshold is just the Effective Isotropic Sensitivity (EIS) of the current testing point. According to the 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project) standard, for example, the BER standard threshold is 2.44% for GSM (Global System of Mobile communication) and 0.1% for WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access).
After the EIS of each of the testing points has been obtained, the path loss (which is a fixed deviation value for a fixed frequency point and a fixed polarization direction of the measuring antenna in the darkroom) in the darkroom is compensated for the EISs. Then, an integration operation is made according to a formula to obtain the final Total Isotropic Sensitivity (TIS).
Because the same operations are executed for each of the testing points, the time consumed in this step determines the final testing time of the whole system. Taking a standard WCDMA TIS test as an example, one BER test has to use 41 data blocks and 82 WCDMA data frames, and takes 82*10 ms=0.82 s. Averagely, 20 searches have to be made for one point, which takes 16.4 s. Therefore, a conventional 3-channel WCDMA TIS needs to take a time of about 16.4*144*3=118 minutes. Accordingly, the EIS searching time in the system for testing a terminal antenna of the prior art is relatively long, which leads to a low testing efficiency.

Method and system for testing isotropic sensitivity of a terminal

Huizhou TCL Mobile Communication Co., Ltd.