A novel process is described for forming a gate member for an SOS device wherein the objectionable point that appears at the top of the silicon island is removed. The point results when an anisotropic etch is utilized to form the island. The process includes first forming a relatively thick layer of CVD oxide around sides at the base portion of the island while the remainder of the sides of the island, including the objectionable point, remain exposed for further processing in order to remove the point. The point is then heavily oxidized to form a bird beak which bird beak joins the gate oxide with the CVD oxide to produce a rounded edge.

This invention relates in general to semiconductor processing and, more particularly, to an improved method for processing silicon-on-sapphire semiconductor devices to produce an improved gate structure.
In the normal processing of a silicon-on-sapphire semiconductor device, the classic method of forming the island utilizes an anisotropic etch. This etch is usually done with a potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution which, by its nature, will produce islands havng sloped sides wherein the base of the island is longer and broader than the top surface thereof. However, when this island is utilized to form a semiconductor device without any further treatment, it has been noted that the gate dielectric breakdown voltage is consistently lower than in edgeless devices. The cause of this low gate dielectric breakdown voltage was investigated and found to have occurred at the upper edge of the island where a peak or point was produced as a result of the anisotropic etch. For a more detailed discussion of the structure near the top edge of the island, the reader is directed to an article entitled "The Study of Microcircuits by Transmission Electron Microscopy" by W. E. Ham et al. appearing in RCA Review, Vol. 38, September 1977, pp. 351-389. Particular attention is directed to FIGS. 12-15 wherein a high magnification cross section transmission electron microscopy shows an image of an island edge after an anisotropic etch. It was theorized that the formation of the sharp edge otherwise known as "interface tilt", appearing at the upper edge of the silicon island, also causes the oxide formed around this point to be thinner than that in other parts of the island. Consequently, the low gate breakdown voltage would most likely occur at the top edge adjacent the point.
One method that was tried, in order to remove the objectionable point at the top edge of the silicon island, was to heavily oxidize the side of the island. However, since thermal oxidation of a given volume of silicon produces approximately twice that value of oxide, it will be seen that to produce an oxide thickness of approximately 1000 angstroms, only 500 angstroms of silicon would be oxidized. This would not be enough to remove the objectionable point and in any event would introduce still another discontinuity. A heavy oxidation of this sort would only appear on the side of the silicon island and would provide a noticeable and undesirable separation or lifting of silicon oxide from the sapphire surface.

Method for forming an improved gate member utilizing special masking and oxidation to eliminate projecting points on silicon islands


A system for inputting, receiving and transmitting information and data includes a plurality of portable casings that are each formed with a card slot for selectively receiving memory cards of the dual-chip type. The portable casings are further provided with a keyboard, a display screen, an infrared transmitter and receiver, an optical scanner, and an acoustic assembly composed of a speaker and a microphone. The portable casings are capable of transmitting and receiving information with a computer center, via a specialized terminal, and with other portable casings, either optically by virtue of infrared transmitters and receivers or acoustically over a telephone network.

The evolution of society has led to an exponential increase in the input and transmission of data via all types of communication systems.
Despite the remarkable advances made by technology, paper still plays much too important a role, both for the input and for the use of data The advances made in computer science have not yet gotten rid of the order form, the plane ticket, the receipt, etc.

System for inputting, processing and transmitting information and data


A sheet unloading apparatus is used for rotary drum rotatable in one direction along with a paper sheet which is wound around a peripheral surface of the rotary drum and at rear end mechanically engaged in an engagement groove formed in the peripheral surface. The sheet unloading apparatus includes a separation paws for separating a front end of the paper sheet from the rotary drum by contacting the peripheral surface of the rotary drum while the rotary drum rotates in the one direction, and a pair of pinch rollers for rotating to pinch and feed out the paper sheet supplied according to the rotation of the rotary drum in a state where the front end of the paper sheet is separated from the rotary drum by the separation pawl and the rear end of the paper sheet is engaged in the engagement groove. Particularly, the unloading apparatus further include a removal assisting mechanism for assisting the paper sheet to be pulled out from the engagement groove by bending the paper sheet spanning between the rotary drum and the pair of pinch rollers.

The present invention relates to a sheet unloading apparatus for a rotary drum rotatable in one direction along with a sheet which is wound around a peripheral surface of the rotary drum.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-138520 discloses a rotary drum ink-jet printer which can print a large number of pages in a short period of time. The rotary drum ink-jet printer comprises a rotary drum rotatable in one direction and a print head for printing an image on a paper sheet wound around the rotary drum and rotated along with the rotary drum. The print head has a plurality of ink-jet nozzles arranged in a line across a paper sheet in the axial direction of the rotary drum. The print head jets ink through the ink-jet nozzles to the paper sheet which moves relative to the print head as the rotary drum rotates. This structure allows high-speed print, since it does not require that the print head move across the paper sheet as in the conventional serial ink-jet printer.
In general, a paper sheet is held on the rotary drum by a combination of vacuum attraction, electrostatic attraction, mechanical engagement, etc. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-193719 discloses a technique of mechanically engaging the front and rear ends of an externally supplied paper sheet on the peripheral surface of a rotary drum to prevent positional deviation of the paper sheet. According to this technique, engagement grooves are formed in the peripheral surface of the rotary drum at positions corresponding to the front and rear ends of the paper sheet. The front and rear ends of the paper sheet are engaged in the engagement grooves by clamping claws. The technique of engaging the rear end of a paper sheet is also disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-329375.
In the rotary drum ink-jet printer, at the time of unloading the paper sheet, the front end of a paper sheet is separated from the drum by a separation pawl which is brought into contact with the rotary drum, and then guided to a pair of pinch rollers. These pinch rollers are disposed near the rotary drum to pinch the front end of the paper sheet in a state where the rear end thereof is engaged in the engagement groove, and rotate in one direction at the same circumferential speed as the circumferential speed of the rotary drum to feed out the pinched paper sheet.
However, since the shapes of the engagement grooves and the rigidity of the paper sheet are determined to gain sufficient sheet holding force, it is possible that the rear end of the paper sheet may not be removed from the engagement groove by the sheet pulling force of the pinch rollers. If the rotary drum is further rotated together with the paper sheet whose the rear end is engaged in the engagement groove, the paper sheet will be pulled out of the pinch rollers in the reverse direction and wound around the rotary drum inside out, causing a paper jam. This problem can be overcome by increasing the rotation speed of the pinch rollers. However, since the paper sheet is easily waved by shock resulting from a difference in circumferential speed between the rotary drum and the pinch rollers, it is necessary to change the circumferential speed of the pinch rollers after the rear end of the paper sheet passes by the print head for printing an image on the paper sheet. This change of speed requires a complicated structure for a pinch roller driving circuit, resulting in an increase in cost, restriction on the layout and an increase in power consumption. Further, it is not easy to determine the optimal speed of the pinch rollers, which provides sheet pulling force slightly greater than the sheet holding force on the rotary drum. If the shape of the engagement grooves, such as the depth or the slope angle, or the rigidity of the paper sheet is to be changed, the optimal speed must be reset in accordance with such a change.


The present invention relates to a handheld radar apparatus. The apparatus comprises an antenna (22,23) adapted to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals, a direction sensor (24, 25) that outputs an orientation signal indicative of the orientation of the antenna, and a radar (21) coupled to the antenna (22, 23), the radar (21) adapted to generate an electromagnetic signal for transmission via the antenna (22, 23), and adapted to receive a reflected version of the electromagnetic signal via the antenna (22, 23) reflected from an object. The radar (21) comprises a processor (30) for generating location information indicative of the location of the object using the received reflected electromagnetic signal and the orientation of the antenna (22,23) as indicated by the orientation signal, and a screen (4) adapted to display indicia (e.g. 43a to 43c) representing the object and its location based on the location information.

Radar is a valuable collision avoidance and navigation tool, typically used on vessels large enough to carry the required transmission and reception equipment. It is typically used by ocean going and coastal vessels to assist their navigation in fog and in the dark and to avoid collisions.
There are many other situations in which use of radar equipment would be beneficial, but due to the cost, complexity and size of the required equipment, generally it is not feasible to utilise radar. For example, small boats do not have the space to fit the antenna, nor the capacity for a suitable power source. There would be a range of new applications for radar if the installation and operation of radar was more practicable.


This invention relates to a copper alloy for reliable electrical connection comprising 0.5-3.0 wt% of Fe, 0.3-0.8 wt% of Zn and the balance being composed of Cu and impurities thereof, which is characterized by that it excels in connecting characteristics relative to connection by compression and, particularly does not permit a glow discharge and growth of cuprous oxide.

This invention relates to a copper alloy for reliable electrical connection comprising 0.5-3.0 wt% preferably 0.6-2.3 wt% of Fe, 0.3-0.8 wt% of Zn and the balance being composed of Cu and unavoidable impurities contained in electrolytic copper, and furthermore relates to a reliable connecter and a reliable connecting method using a copper alloy thereof.

Copper alloy for reliable electrical connection


Various acceleration sensors are disclosed. In some cases, an inertial mass may be formed during back-end-of-line (BEOL). In other cases, a membrane may have a bent, undulated or winded shape. In yet other embodiments, an inertial mass may span two or more pressure sensing structures.

Acceleration sensors are used for many applications, for example in the automotive field. In some embodiment, acceleration sensors may simply be used as "wake up sensors" to detect when a vehicle like an automobile starts moving or reaches a certain speed and to activate other sensors or components in response to the detection of the movement via an acceleration.
In some cases, acceleration sensors may be needed together with pressure sensors, for example for tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) applications. In some conventional realizations of such a sensor combination, the pressure sensor and the acceleration sensor are manufactured separately, or are integrated using separate structures, for example differently structured micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) parts formed within a wafer.

Method for manufacturing an acceleration sensor


A trigger lock for a gun comprises a pair complimentary housings that overly opposite sides of the gun trigger guard. One of the housings has a connector shaft with a plurality of teeth thereon that extends through the trigger guard. The other of the housings has a latch plate with a plurality of teeth thereon engageable with the teeth on the connector shaft to effect locking of the housings to one another and to the gun. Each of the housings has an elastomeric pad that is compressible about the trigger of the gun to preclude movement thereof. The housings are separable from the gun upon opening of a lock and depression of a release button.

The present invention relates generally to a gun safety device, and more particularly to a trigger lock for a gun that precludes accidental discharge thereof due to shock as well as access to the trigger.
Locks that preclude access to the trigger of a gun are well known. However, a common characteristic of known trigger locks is that movement of the trigger itself due to shock is not positively inhibited. As a result, careless handling of the gun as by, for example, dropping the gun, can result in movement of the trigger and firing of the gun due to shock. Moreover, known trigger locks generally are opened by a key which in an emergency situation may be difficult to find and/or insert into the lock mechanism.


In aspects of gesture profiles and location correlation, a mobile device includes a wireless radio system to scan for location data from wireless-enabled devices within communication range of the mobile device. The mobile device implements a profile module to initiate the scan for the location data responsive to motion of the mobile device, and can determine from the location data, location coordinates corresponding to locations of the mobile device before and after the scan. The profile module can determine gesture profiles of gestures corresponding to a location of the mobile device, identify the gestures that occur at the location of the mobile device based on the determined gesture profiles, and correlate the identified gestures of the gesture profiles with the location of the mobile device.

Generally, a geo-fenced area can be established as a virtual perimeter around a boundary of any structure or environment, such as a building, an area of a building, a retail store, a warehouse, an airport terminal, a parking lot, an outdoor region, or other type of designated area. For example, an indoor positioning system for a geo-fenced area can be established with a server computing device and wireless devices, commonly referred to as the system anchors that establish the boundary edges of the indoor positioning system. A user may carry an object that is trackable with a wireless tag and/or carry a mobile device into the geo-fenced area, and the various devices may be implemented to communicate in the geo-fenced area using various wireless communication technologies, such as ultra-wideband (UWB), Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio-frequency identification (RFID), Real-time Locating System (RTLS), Bluetooth™, and/or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
Further, a mobile device, such as a smartphone carried into a geo-fenced area, may be used as part of a tracking system with sensors, cameras, and other devices for gesture detection, such as to detect package sorting in a distribution center, inventory control in a warehouse, product handling in a retail environment, use of gym equipment in a gym, baggage handling in an airport environment, and the like. However, gestures that may be attributed to the various activities of package sorting, inventory control, product handling, gym equipment use, baggage handling, etc. are too many in number, and can cause excessive power drain in a smartphone used for gesture pattern detection as part of a tracking system.

Gesture profiles and location correlation


Techniques are described for allocating computing resources to a task from a shared hardware structure. The techniques may involve receiving a request to execute a task for a tenant on shared hardware resources, and determining a set of computing resources for allocation to the task based on a service level agreement associated with the tenant. The set of computing resources can be allocated to the task based on the service level agreement associated with the tenant. In some aspects, one or more performance counters associated with one or more of the computing resources can be monitored to determine an activity level for the one or more computing resources during execution of the task, and one or more allocations of the computing resources for execution of the task can be adjusted based on the activity level for the one or more computing resources.

In a multi-tenant environment where multiple tenants or users may concurrently execute tasks on the same computing device, virtualization technologies can be used to provide each tenant with one or more virtual machines that act as discrete computing units within the same computing device. Each virtual machine may have its own dedicated computing resources allocated to the corresponding tenant. However, because each tenant may implement different services or functionalities on the same computing device, the amounts and types of computing resources that may be required by each tenant can be different and may change over time.

Allocating processor resources based on a service-level agreement


A linear motor for controlling motions of thread being woven on a weaving machine is disclosed. The linear motor contains a stator (1) which produces a magnetic field, an armature (2) which is arranged in the magnetic field, and two flexible mounting parts (3) which are arranged parallel to one another in such a manner that the armature which is connected to the mounting parts is movable relative to the stator. The linear motor drives a member that can contact the thread and thereby influence its motion.

The invention relates to a linear motor for a textile machine, an apparatus for influencing a sequence of movement of a thread using a linear motor, and a weaving machine with an apparatus of this kind.
A linear motor for a weaving machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,420 which has a stator with a ferromagnetic plate and a permanent magnet with different polarity as well as an armature with a winding. The stator is arranged at a fixed location and the armature is rotatably journalled on an axis of fixed location.
In this embodiment of the linear motor, the bearing friction which arises and also the bearing clearance prove to be disadvantageous.

Linear motor for a textile machine as well as an apparatus with a linear motor and a weaving machine with an apparatus


An input device detection system includes a foundation, a cover plate and a trajectory detection plate. The foundation includes a base plate and plural first retractable rods. The base plate has a top surface, a bottom surface and a detection hole. The input device is pushed by the plural first retractable rods along a horizontal direction. The input device is pushed by plural second retractable rods of the cover plate along a vertical direction. The trajectory detection plate is located under the base plate. An optical sensing module of the input device emits a light beam. The light beam is transmitted through the detection hole and projected to the trajectory detection plate. When the trajectory detection plate is moved relative to the foundation and the light beam is reflected to the optical sensing module by the trajectory detection plate, a trajectory signal is generated.

An input device such as a mouse is used to control a cursor on a computer screen in order to operate the computer. Since 1968, the United States of America has produced the world's first mouse. After then, the mouse is applied to paper processing operations, video games, industrial drawings, drawing design or media production. Consequently, the mouse has become an indispensable part of the computer system. In the early stage, the mouse uses a trackball to detect the displacement of the mouse. With increasing development of science and technology, an optical module or a laser module is used to detect the displacement of the mouse in order to enhance the working efficiency.
During the process of fabricating the mouse, the mouse is placed on a fixture with a different detection surface. By moving the mouse or moving the detection surface of the fixture, the detection system can realize whether the optical sensing module or the laser sensing module of the mouse is applicable to various surfaces. However, the conventional detection system still has some drawbacks. For example, when the mouse is placed on the fixture by the tester, the mouse is not accurately placed in the detection region or the mouse is not maintained in the horizontal status. Under this circumstance, an erroneous detection result is generated.
As mentioned above, if the input device is not accurately positioned when the optical sensing module or the laser sensing module of the input device is used, the detection result is possibly erroneous. For solving the above drawbacks, the present invention provides an input device detection system and an input device detection method for increasing the accuracy and the reliability of the detection result.

Input device detection system and method


Thiol compounds are employed in conjunction with compounds which modulate self proliferation, both as to plants and mammals. The thiol compounds find effect in enhancing the effectiveness of auxin like compounds, either as herbicides or in enhancing root formation. In addition, thiol compounds act in conjunction with cytotoxic agents in mammals to allow for lower dosages of the cytotoxic agents while retaining the cytotoxic effect against hyperproliferative diseases, such as cancer. The combination finds particular effect against cells dependent upon an isoform of a surface membrane NADH oxidase for proliferation.

There are many situations where one wishes to modulate cellular growth. Since all of life is dependent upon cellular regeneration, there is substantial interest in being able to modulate cellular growth in the plant and animal kingdoms. In the case of plants, one wishes to encourage the growth of desirable plants, such as plant crops and flowers, while at the same time one wishes to discourage the growth of weeds, both pre-germination and post-germination of the desired plant. In many situations one wishes to kill all vegetation, such as highway borders, pathways, graveled areas, and the like. However, many of the herbicides which are used today pollute the environment in introducing undesirable elements into the soil, which can then be leached into aquifers, streams and rivers. There is, therefore, substantial interest in being able to reduce the amount of herbicidal use without further pollution of the environment.
There is also the need to root stock to expand desired plants, particularly woody stock. Better methods are needed to increase the efficiency and reduce the time for rooting.
Finally, there is the proliferation of cells in the animal kingdom. The development of the various species from a single fertilized cell to the mature adult requires rapid proliferation. However, during the life of the organism, there are many situations where rapid proliferation is undesirable. Various diseases associated with rapid proliferation include cancers, psoriasis, restenosis, and the like. Many of the agents used for treating these diseases, are cytotoxic agents which attack all proliferating cells and frequently have substantial side effects in addition to their cytotoxic activity.
Various techniques have been employed to reduce the systemic influences of these cytotoxic drugs. Immunotoxins employ a toxin joined to an antibody, where the antibody is specific to varying degrees for a marker present on cancer cells. Another technique which is limited to physical access to the tumor employs the cytotoxic drug in a matrix which reduces the translocation of the cytotoxic drug from the site of the lesion. Other techniques have involved use of liposomes with agents, such as antibodies, to direct the liposomes to the target, where the lumen of the liposome comprises a cytotoxic agent. However, none of these techniques has found universal acceptance. So long as one continues to use the cytotoxic drugs in systemic fashion, there is substantial interest in finding ways to diminish the amount required for an effective dosage as a cytotoxic agent.

Thiol activation of cytotoxic and auxin-herbicidal agents and root formation stimulation


A magnetic tape cassette comprises a locking means which is slidably placed between a locking position of coming into engagement with a pair of reels held in the magnetic tape cassette and a releasing position of disengagement from the reels. The locking means is provided with a pair of flexible pawls which are curved in an arch form in the direction of separation from each other; a guide rib is fixed to the inner bottom surface of a cassette casing and between the pair of flexible pawls, the width of the guide rib being decreased toward the root of the pair of flexible pawls; and a pair of guide pins are provided at the outside of the pair of flexible pawls.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cassette. Particularly, it relates to a magnetic tape cassette provided with a locking means for locking reels.
2. Description of Prior Art
There has so far been provided in a magnetic tape cassette, especially, in a video tape cassette a locking means for locking rotation of reels held in the tape cassette during non-use, for the purpose of preventing rewinding of the magnetic tape during preservation during non-use and transportation of the tape cassette.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional locking means. In the figure, a pair of reels 5, 7 for a magnetic tape 3 are put in a magnetic tape cassette body which is constituted by an upper half casing (not shown) and a lower half casing 1. The shaft of each of the reels 5, 7 is loosely fitted to a pair of through holes 9, 11 formed in the lower half casing 1 respectively. Each shaft is adapted to be driven by a driving shaft extending upwardly from a magnetic tape recorder. The outer peripheral edges of the lower flanges 13, 15 of the reels 5, 7 are respectively provided with saw-teeth like notches 14, 16. In the central part of the back wall 17 of the lower half casing 1, there are formed a pair of guide pieces 19, 21 between which a guiding channel 23 is formed extending between the front and back of the magnetic tape cassette. In the guiding channel 23, a locking means 27 is fitted with its rear part being pushed forwardly by a spring 25 as shown in FIG. 1 so that when the magnetic tape cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, the locking means 27 is slidingly moved backward. A pair of flexible pawls 29, 31 having elasticity are fitted to, or formed integrally with, the front part of the locking means 27. The flexible pawls are adapted to be normally opened in the directions shown by arrow marks. The opening of the flexible pawls 29, 31 is restricted by means of a pair of pins 33, 35 provided in the front of the guiding channel 23 of the lower half casing 1. When the magnetic tape cassette is not mounted on the tape recorder, the spring 25 pushes the locking means 27 forwardly open the flexible pawls 29, 31 so that the flexible pawls are engaged with the saw-teeth like notches 14, 16 of the lower flanges 13, 15 of the reels 5, 7. When the magnetic tape cassette is mounted on the tape recorder, the locking means is pushed backwardly by an operating means extending from a through hole formed in the bottom surface of the locking means 27 in the lower half casing 1. Backward movement of the locking means releases engagement of the flexible pawls with the reels 5, 7 and the pins 33, 35 close the flexible pawls inwardly.
Magnetic tape cassettes are often left for a long time while they are mounted on tape recorders, on account of which there results thermal deformation in the flexible pawls 29, 31 of the locking means in the closing state under application of stress. Accordingly, when the locking means is returned to the locking position, function of engagement of the flexible pawls to the reels may not be attained. In such cases, there results a trouble that a wound magnetic tape becomes loose and fitting operation of the magnetic tape to a tape running system of a tape recorder can not be performed smoothly.
The present inventors have previously proposed construction of a locking means having reliable function regardless of permanent deformation in the flexible pawls in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 4205/1984 corresponding to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 691,891 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,187, to eliminate the above-mentioned problem. Namely, the problem has been solved by providing a locking means 39 having a pair of flexible pawls 41, 43, the opposing surfaces of the pawls being provided with cylindrical raised portions 45, while a guide rib 51 having tapered guide surfaces 53, 55 is positioned in front of a pair of pins 33, 35 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3.
FIG. 2 shows a state of the locking means when a magnetic tape cassette is in use (it is mounted on a tape recorder). In this state, even though there results permanent deformation in the flexible pawls 41, 43 by a compressive force of the pins 33, 35, the pawls 41, 43 can be forcibly opened by the contacting of the raised portions 45, 45 with the guide surfaces 53, 55 of the guide rib 51 when the locking means is advanced (when the tape cassette is removed from the tape recorder) whereby the top ends of the pawls 41, 43 can be engaged with the saw-teeth like notches 14, 16 of the reels. In the locking means having the above-mentioned system, however, it has been found that satisfactorily smooth movement of the locking means can not be attained. More specifically, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the flexible pawls 41, 43 are always in contact with pins 33, 35 while the top ends of the pawls and the raised portions 45, 45 are brought into contact with the tapered surfaces 53, 55 at the time of advancing, with the result that compressive forces act on the pawls from the inside and the outside to cause a large frictional force whereby resistance against movement of the locking means becomes large, hence smoothing movement of the locking means is hindered.

Magnetic tape cassette having improved reel locking means


A hardware virtualizer establishes correspondence between the real process names of the processes executing on a general purpose host computer and the virtual resource names of virtual resources simulated within a plurality of reserved areas of memory of the host computer as duplicates of the real resources, the virtualizer including: (1) a register for controlling access to the individual virtual operating levels; (2) a .phi.-map for selectively associating process names with real resource names at the real level of operation, termed the 0 level; (3) an f-map for establishing correspondence between the names of virtual resources being simulated at various levels of virtual operation, termed level (n+1) through n and successively higher levels to level 1; and (4) a composer mechanism for combining information accessed from the .phi.-map and the f-map for establishing correspondence between the virtual resource names and the real resource names.

A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer systems, and more particularly to a hardware virtualizer and method for establishing correspondence between virtual resources simulated on a general purpose host computer and real processes executing on the host computer.
B. Description of the Prior Art
The emergence in the early 1960's of I/O processors and the use of multiprogramming to improve resource utilization and overall performance signalled the beginning of multiprocessor multiprogramming configurations, wherein main memory was shared among non-identical processors, and wherein a single processor was shared by several processes that were competing for common resources.
In order to avoid problems relating to system integrity a dual state architecture was adopted. Basically system operation was separated into two distinct modes--privileged/non-privileged. The privileged/non-privileged mode of operation (also known as master/slave, supervisor/problem, or system/user modes) restricted the performance of critical operations to the privileged mode, whereas the bulk of operations which were non-critical were performed in the non-privileged mode. (See Computer Structures: Readings and Examples, by C. Gordon Bell and Allen Newell, Page 597, published in 1971 by McGraw-Hill, Inc.)
Referring to FIG. 1a, there is shown a portion of the conventional dual state architecture. The entire conventional dual state architecture is described in the above-cited Bell and Newell book and another book entitled, Computer Organization and the System/370, by Harry Katzan, Jr., published in 1971 by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. For the understanding of the instant invention only that portion of the conventional dual state architecture shown in FIGS. 1a-1c need be discussed and considered herein. The bare machine 101 has a basic machine interface 103 which supports the privileged software nucleus 102. A basic machine interface is known in the art as the set of all software visible objects and instructions that are directly supported by the hardware and firmware of a particular system. This combination supports several extended machines 104, 105 etc., although only two are shown for clarity. The extended machines in turn can support several user programs such as 106 and 107.
Note, however, that since conventional systems of this type contain only one basic machine interface 103, they are capable of running only one privileged software nucleus 102 at any given time. Accordingly, since the only software which has complete access to and control of all functional capabilities of the hardware is the privileged software nucleus, several problems arise. Chief among these problems is in the area of program transportability, since non-privileged programs are actually written for the extended machine formed by the privileged software nucleus plus the non-privileged functions of the hardware.
Whereas the bare hardware machine is relatively easy the standardize, the extended machines are very difficult of standardization, because of the relative ease with which a system (including the privileged software nucleus) may be modified since the primitives (i.e. pseudo instructions) of such a system are in part implemented in software. A multiplicity of different extended machines running on a standard bare machine is the result. Therefore, a user desiring to run programs written for one extended machine, foreign to the user's extended machine, must either set aside some time on his extended machine to run the "foreign" software nucleus, or must convert the programs written for the foreign extended machine to his extended machine--a choice which most users do not relish.
Another problem arises because there is only one privileged software nucleus and, therefore, it is impossible to run two versions of the privileged software nucleus at the same time. Continued development and modification of the nucleus is, therefore, very difficult since it becomes necessary to have system programmers work at unusual hours to have the dedicated system at their disposal. Moreover, when system programmers do have the dedicated system at their disposal for debugging or modification purposes, a very light load is imposed on the system which results in inefficient utilization of resources.
Finally the amount of testing and diagnosis that can be performed without interferring with normal production schedules is limited, since diagnostic software must have access to and control of all the functional capabilities of the hardware, and thus, cannot be run simultaneously with the privileged software nucleus.
In order to avoid these problems, it is necessary to construct a virtual machine monitor VMM 122 on FIG. 1b, which can support several copies of the basic machine interface 124 on FIG. 1b rather than the extended machine interface. Then different privileged software nuclei, i.e., operating systems, 112, 113 on FIG. 1b, could be run on each of the additional basic machine interfaces 124 and the problems mentioned in the preceding paragraphs could be eliminated.
A basic machine interface which is not supported directly on a bare machine but is, instead, supported in a manner similar to an extended machine interface, is known as a virtual machine and is shown on FIG. 1b reference numerals 110, 111. (See Meyer, P. A. and Seawright, A Virtual Machine Time-Sharing System, IBM Systems Journal, 9, 3 (1970) pages 199-218, wherein the CP-67 virtual machine is described). Referring to FIG. 1b, there is shown the same bare machine 101 as in FIG. 1a; however, the privileged software now running on the basic machine interface 103 is now a virtual machine monitor (VMM) 122. The virtual machine monitor 122 now supports several copies of the basic machine interface 124. Accordinly a different privileged software nucleus 112, 113 can be run on each copy of the additional basic machine interface 124. Each privileged software nucleus 112, 113 can support its own set of extended machine interfaces 125 and 126 and, accordingly, its own user programs 118, 119 or 120, 121, respectively.
Since a basic machine interface, supported by a VMM, is functionally identical to the basic machine interface of the corresponding real machine, anv privileged software nucleus which runs on the bare machine will run on the virtual machine as well. Moreover, the privileged software nucleus has no way of determining whether it is running on a bare machine or a virtual machine. Accordingly, a virtual machine is, in essence, equivalent to and functionally indistinguishable from its real counterpart.
The VMM does not perform instruction-by-instruction interpretation of these programs, but rather permits them to run directly on the bare machine for a greater part of the time. However, occasionally the VMM will trap certain instructions and execute them interpretively in order to insure the integrity of the system as a whole; after the interpretive phase is completed, control is returned to the executing program. Thus, program execution on a virtual machine is quite similar to program execution on an extended machine, with the majority of the instructions executing directly without software intervention, but with occasional intervention by the controlling software in order to perform a necessary interpretive operation.
It will be noted that the virtual machine monitor VMM 122 of FIG. 1b runs directly on a bare machine. Systems of this type have been referred to as a Type I virtual machine. However, there can be virtual machine monitors which run on extended machines. This type of virtual machine is shown schematically on FIG. 1c and is termed a Type II virtual machine. Referring to FIG. 1c, there is shown the bare machine 101 having a basic machine interface 103 with the privileged software nucleus 151. The privileged software nucleus 151, in turn, supports extended machines 153, 154, having extended machine interfaces 157a, 157b, respectively. Extended machine 153, in turn, supports user program 155, whereas extended machine 154 supports virtual machine 158, which in turn can, support extended machine 161 which can in turn, run a user program 162.

Hardware virtualizer for supporting recursive virtual computer systems on a host computer system


A damping device has a liquid vessel into which the liquid is injected having the flattening wave motion water surface formed in such a manner that the wave motion direction of the wave motion water surface is a strecher one, damping members are provided in order to damp the sloshing of liquid in the liquid vessel, and wave dissipation devices are disposed at the portion which isn't always soaked in liquid in the liquid vessel. Accordingly, the vibration in a construction occurring by wind, earthquake and the like is absorbed by means of viscosity resistence occurring between liquid and damping member, and the vibration is restricted. Moreover, damping performance can be efficiently exercised by providing various kinds of installation forms.

The present invention relates to a damping device for preventing the horizontal vibration of a structure from wind and earthquake, the device being disposed on an upper portion of the structure, and a damping structure and damping method using such a device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,554, the following proposal is advanced. Horizontal vibration of a structure from an earthquake, wind and the like is prevented by damping devices comprising liquid vessels into which a liquid having an open water surface is injected which are disposed on the upper portion of the structure.
However, the above technique does not provide a damping device having an internal constitution with a sufficiently efficient damping, and a technique providing such is desired.


A load-controlled brake compensator for a vehicle possessing a chassis and at least one axle, includes a fixed part (10) solidly attached to the chassis and comprising at least one compensating valve provided with a pivotingly mounted control lever (12) of which one end is associated with the axle via a preloaded spring device (18) whose length is preset by way of a temporary strut (22) before one of its ends (20) is fixed to the axle, the other end of the spring device being solidly attached to a rod (16) capable of sliding in an opening (14) made in the end of the lever (12). It further comprises an elastic mechanism (24) tending to restore the spring device (18) towards the lever and a locking means (28, 29, 30) allowing the sliding movement of the rod (16) in the opening (14) to be prevented after fixing of the spring device (18) to the axle and before removal of the temporary strut (22).

The present invention concerns load-controlled brake compensators for motor vehicles allowing the division of braking between the front axle and the rear axle to be modified as a function of the load on the vehicle assisted in this way.
These brake compensators are well known to persons skilled in the art and their operating modes will not be described here. In a conventional manner, such a compensator includes a fixed part solidly attached to the chassis comprising at least one compensating valve provided with a pivotingly mounted control lever of which one end is associated with an axle via a pre-loaded spring device whose length is preset by means of a temporary strut before one of its ends is fixed to this axle, the other end of the spring device being solidly attached to a rod sliding in an opening made at the end of the lever.
Such a compensator is for example described in FR-A-2,564,397. This compensator, however, is slow and awkward to fit in place in the vehicle that it is to equip. This is because the end hook of the spring device has to be arranged in an appropriate eyelet before removal of the temporary strut and the distance between the end of the lever and the hook has to be such that there is no risk of the spring device shaking when the vehicle moves, especially when empty, and that the lever stays in the appropriate position with respect to the compensator valve. To this end, according to the above-mentioned document, the spring device ends in a threaded rod and, after positioning of the assembly on the vehicle and before removal of the temporary strut, a nut is screwed onto the rod until it immobilizes the assembly. This operation is difficult to carry out and cannot easily be automated.

Load controlled brake compensator with a restoring spring and a locking device on a slidable rod


The present invention is directed to a method and system of intelligent dummy filling placement to reduce inter-layer capacitance caused by overlaps of dummy filling area on successive layers. The method and system treats each consecutive pair of layers together so as to minimize dummy filling overlaps between each layer. In particular, dummy fill features on each layer may be placed in a checkerboard pattern to avoid overlaps. As such, the present invention may eliminate large overlap area of the dummy patterns on consecutive layers by utilizing intelligent dummy filling placement.

In any integrated circuit, there is an inevitable capacitance that is introduced from electromagnetic interaction between electrical conductors, such as interconnect layers (metals). There are two components of such capacitance, a bulk (area) component and a fringe (peripheral) component. The bulk component is proportional to the overlap area of interconnect layers and the fringe component depends on the separation and the perimeter of adjacent interconnect layers. Referring now to FIG. 1, the bulk capacitance 102 and the fringe capacitance 104 between Metal 1 and Metal 2 of an exemplary integrated circuit 100 are shown. The bulk capacitance generated due to the overlap of signal carrying lines on Metal 1 and Metal 2 may not be easily avoided since the placement of signal carrying lines is dictated by circuit functionality. However, the bulk capacitance introduced due to the overlap of non-signal carry lines may be reduced by changing the placement of non-signal carry lines.
An example of non-signal carry lines includes "dummy" fills which are utilized to even the topography and pattern density across the chip, prevent etch, or the like. "Dummy" fills refer to additional features to an integrated chip layout. In a typical integrated chip layout, there are unused areas on a layer after the signal, power and clock segments have been routed. These unused areas can be large enough such that additional features (metals) should be added to satisfy minimum metal coverage requirements for manufacturing. The "dummy" fills may be added to the unused areas such that subsequent layers on the integrated circuit are substantially planar.
For example, a dummy fills methodology is utilized in chemical mechanical polishing or planarization (CMP) process. Often, the planer profile resulting from the CMP process is dependent on the pattern density of the underlying layer. The density may vary and thus result in CMP planer profile variation. Such CMP planer profile variation may be reduced by employing the dummy fills methodology. In particular, dummy fills (dummy features) are inserted into a wafer prior to the CMP process so as to make the pattern density more uniform in IC chips. Uniform feature density improves wafer-processing uniformity for certain operations such as CMP. Dummy fills are typically placed according to conventional dummy fills methodologies that locate dummy fills where space is available. However, the conventional dummy fills methodologies allow a large planer profile variation. Some sophisticated dummy fills methodologies are utilized to reduce the large planer profile variation by selectively inserting dummy fills to achieve an effective density to within a predetermined range.
While most dummy fills methodologies have focused on uniform feature density, the problems created by the inserted dummy fills such as adverse effects on the electric field, unwanted bulk capacitance, and the like have not been addressed. Further, the existing dummy fill methodologies treat each layer independently which results in a large overlap over dummy fill areas on successive layers. Referring now to FIG. 2, the overlaps 206 between Metal 1 dummy fill area 202 and Metal 2 dummy fill area 204 are shown. If the overlaps 206 are large, the unwanted bulk capacitance may be increased, thereby slowing down signals in the circuit and adversely affecting timing.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and system of intelligent dummy fill placement to reduce inter-layer capacitance caused by overlaps of dummy fill area on successive layers. It would be also desirable to provide a method and system for treating each consecutive pair of layers together when the intelligent dummy filling placement is performed.

Method and system for reducing inter-layer capacitance in integrated circuits


A one-piece body of thermal insulation comprises of a valve-coveting portion and a separable pipe-covering portion. A section of the pipe-covering portion is dimensioned and configured for engagement within a passage of the valve-coveting portion, enabling facile and complete coverage of a hot-water valve and its associated supply pipe.

Regulations in place in many municipalities require that the so-called "P-trap" assembly (i.e., the waste-water piping under sinks and the like), and the hot-water-supply piping, be insulated so as to prevent injury from contact with hot metal surfaces. Wheelchair-bound individuals are at particular risk.
The required thermal insulation may be supplied by wrapping or otherwise applying lengths of insulation (such as of foam rubber and the like) about the pipes. Such practices are however undesirable for a number of reasons: application is often difficult and time-consuming; the applied insulating material tends to become disoriented and displaced; the finished installation is typically unaesthetic; and often the result is simply ineffective.
The prior art suggest a wide variety of pipe covering techniques and structures. For example, Far et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,157 discloses preformed covering pieces made of foamed plastics and configured for various pipe fittings. Blundell U.S. Pat. No. 4.205,105 shows an elongated pipe-insulating structure that is axially slit along one side. and Martin U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,731 provides foamed insulating sleeves for pipe elements.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,650,180, 2,937,662, 3,153,546, 3,559,694, 4,441,743 and 4,840,201, to Walker, Green, Dunn, Volberg, Steenbergen and Botsolas, respectively, all show encased insulating structures applied to pipes and fittings; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,960,181, 4,463,780 and 4,669,509, to Baur et al, Schultz et al and Botsolas, respectively, provide one-piece covering wrappings fabricated from flexible plastic materials; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,177,528 and 3,719,209, to Flower et al and Rush et al, respectively, are directed to electrically insulated coatings for pipe fittings and to extruded plastic plumbing traps.
Despite the activity in the art indicated by the foregoing, there has been a need for means by which under-sink piping can quickly, easily, and inexpensively be thermally insulated. The inventions claimed in Applicants' U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,054,513, 5,163,469, and 5,259,410. and in their copending application Ser. No. 08/044,026, provlde thermal insulation systems and installations by and in which the foregoing needs are well satisfied; the invention hereof augments the foregoing.


A controller directing access points to default to a virtual cell service mode which allows seamless mobility for stations in motion around a wireless network is disclosed. Responsive to identifying a first station, the controller logic may dictate tighter controls for the first station by selecting a virtual port service mode. Some embodiments can also select a native cell service mode for devices due to a connection history of the station or a MAC OUI that is incompatible with virtual cell service mode. An initial service mode can be changed due to a condition. Also, the controller provides multiple BSSIDs to each access point.

Wireless computing technologies provide untethered access to the Internet and other networks. One of the most critical technologies for wireless networking (or Wi-Fi) is the IEEE 802.11 family of protocols promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Currently, the protocols are widely adopted in wireless devices such as laptop computers, tablet computers, smart phones, and network appliances.
One problem with mobile stations connected to a wireless network is the complexity of moving from a first access point to a second access point within the same wireless network. Once leaving the range of the first access point, the mobile station typically starts the connection process all over again by listening for beacon frames and requesting a new connection. Problematically, users of highly mobile devices such as smart cell phones may experience poor service due to constant reconnections while in motion.
Another problem with these wireless networks is the lack of network control over stations provided natively by wireless standards such as IEEE 802.11. More specifically, IEEE 802.11 allows a station the freedom to choose among available BSSIDs (Basic Service Set Identifiers) according to desired services. Unfortunately, unruly stations can connect to a BSSID and cause a burden or security threat to the wireless network. Conventional networks are helpless in monitoring and controlling particular stations under these standards.
Still another problem raised by multiple different stations on a wireless network is the varying services needed by different stations or users. Because state of the art access points utilize a single BSSID for all connected stations, they are unable to discriminate BSSID-based services.
What is needed is a robust technique to optimize a wireless network by providing a hybrid of virtual cell, native cell and virtual port service modes on a per-station basis.

Hybrid virtual cell and virtual port wireless network architecture


The present invention relates to a method of making a nanoscale electronic device wherein said device comprises a gap between about 0.1 nm and about 100 nm between at least two conductors, semiconductors or the combination thereof. The method features complete assembly of electrical contacts before addition of a molecular component thereby preserving the integrity of the molecular electronic component and maintaining a well-formed gap. The gap produced is within the nanoscale regime, has uniform width and is further characterized by surfaces that are uniformly smooth.

Since the inception of the computer, steady increases in computing performance have been enabled by making transistors (devices) smaller. In the case of integrated circuits, reduced device size increases the number of transistors and decreases the distance between them collectively resulting in increases in processing power and speed. Continued advances in computer power depend on making devices that approach the nanoscale. Such devices present numerous difficulties with respect to manufacturing, lithography and indeed physical laws that make the use of silicon transistors at the nanoscale subject to quantum tunneling effects. Because of these problems current CMOS transistors cannot easily be scaled to these dimensions.
Contemporary integrated circuits utilize a type of random access memory (RAM) known as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) for storing a bit of information as an electric charge. A typical DRAM comprises a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor for which the drain of said MOS transistor is connected to a capacitor, most often the gate of an adjacent transistor. The capacitor stores the charge and in this way, a bit of information can be retained and later recalled. The amount of charge that can be stored in a capacitor is a property dependent upon the plate area of the capacitor. DRAM requires frequent refresh to replenish charge that leaches from the capacitor. It remains a significant challenge to squeeze high performance from transistors of remarkably small dimensions; in particular, retaining charge in capacitors of diminishing area and reducing refresh frequencies represent nontrivial problems in the art.
Molecular electronics has the potential to augment or completely replace conventional devices with electronic elements fashioned from nanoscale entities. Such elements can be altered by externally applied voltages and have the potential to scale from micron-sized dimensions to nanometer-scale dimension with little change in the device concept. The molecular switching elements can be formed by inexpensive solution techniques. The self-assembled switching elements may be integrated on top of a silicon integrated circuit so that they can be driven by conventional silicon electronics in the underlying substrate. To address the switching elements, interconnections or wires are used.
Prior proposed nanoscale devices have invoked a number of methods, features and approaches. It has been suggested that fine scale lithography using X-rays, electrons, ions, scanning probes, or stamping could be used to print the requisite pattern for device components on a chip. Alternatively, these techniques could be used to directly carve such features into a chip. Another method utilizes chemical synthesis to link molecular device components via covalent bonds. The major problem with fine scale lithography is that the wafer on which the devices are built must be aligned to within a small fraction of the size of the device features in at least two dimensions for several successive stages of lithography, followed by etching or deposition to build the devices. This level of control does not scale well as device sizes are reduced to nanometer scale dimensions. The main problem with direct writing is that it is a serial process, and direct writing a wafer full of complex devices, each containing trillions of components, could well require years. Finally, with respect to chemical synthesis, high information content molecules are typically macromolecular structures such as proteins or DNA, and both have extremely complex, and, to date, unpredictable secondary and tertiary structures that cause them to twist into helices, fold into sheets, and form other complex 3D structures that will have a significant and usually deleterious effect on their desired electrical properties as well as make interfacing them to the outside world impossible.
Molecular electronic devices comprising crossed wire switches hold promise for future electronic and computational devices. Thin single or multiple atomic layers can be formed, for example, by Langmuir-Blodgett techniques or self-assembled monolayers at a specific site. A crossed wire switch may comprise two wires, or electrodes, for example, with a molecular switching species between the two electrodes.
The so-called crossbar technology of Hewlett-Packard has explored many of the issues associated with nanoscale electronic devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,459,095 B1 to Heath et al discloses a route to the fabrication of electronic devices wherein the devices consist of two crossed wires sandwiching an electrically addressable molecular species. The device can be used to produce crossbar switch arrays, logic devices, memory devices, and communication and signal routing devices. The route of the '095 patent enables construction of molecular electronic devices on a length scale that can range from micrometers to nanometers via a chemical assembly procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,432,740 B1 to Chen discloses a method of fabricating a molecular electronic device or crossbar memory that involves forming a top electrode after forming the molecular switch. The device comprises at least one pair of crossed wires and a molecular switch film therebetween. The method comprises: (a) forming at least one bottom electrode on a substrate by first forming a first layer on the substrate and patterning the first layer to form the bottom electrode by an imprinting technique; (b) forming the molecular switch film on top of the bottom electrode; (c) optionally forming a protective layer on top of the molecular switch film to avoid damage thereto during further processing; (d) coating a polymer layer on top of the protective layer and patterned the polymer layer by the imprinting method to form openings that expose portions of the protective layer; and (e) forming at least one top electrode on the protective layer through the openings in the polymer layer by first forming a second layer on the polymer layer and patterning the second layer. The imprinting method can be used to fabricate nanoscale patterns over a large area at high speeds acceptable in industrial standards.
U.S. patent application U.S. 2002/0176276 A1 to Zhang et al discloses molecular systems for electric field activated switches, such as a crossed-wire device or a pair of electrodes to which the molecular system is linked by linking moieties. The crossed-wire device comprises a pair of crossed wires that form a junction where one wire crosses another at an angle other than zero degrees and at least one connector species connecting the pair of crossed wires in the junction. The connector species comprises the molecular system, which has an electric field induced band gap change, and thus a change in its electrical conductivity that occurs via one of the following mechanisms: (1) molecular conformation change; (2) change of extended conjugation via chemical bonding change to change the band gap; or (3) molecular folding or stretching.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,119 B2 to Bratkovski et al discloses crossed-wire devices that comprise a pair of crossed wires that form a junction where one wire crosses another at an angle other than zero degrees and at least one connector species connecting the pair of crossed wires lies within the junction. The junction has a function dimension in nanometers, wherein at least one connector species and the pair of crossed wires form an electrochemical cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,905 to Chou discloses a lithographic method and apparatus for creating ultra-fine (sub-25 nm) patterns in a thin film coated on a substrate in which a mold having at least one protruding feature is pressed into a thin film carried on a substrate. The protruding feature in the mold creates a recess of the thin film. The mold is removed from the film. The thin film then is processed such that the thin film in the recess is removed exposing the underlying substrate. Thus, the pattern in the mold is replaced in the thin film, completing the lithography. The patterns in the thin film will be, in subsequent processes, reproduced in the substrate or in another material which is added onto the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,019 B1 to Kuekes et al discloses a molecular-wire crossbar interconnect for signal routing and communications between a first level and a second level in a molecular-wire crossbar. The molecular wire crossbar comprises a two-dimensional array of a plurality of nanometer-scale switches. Each switch is reconfigurable and self-assembling and comprises a pair of crossed wires which form a junction where one wire crosses another and at least one connector species connecting the pair of crossed wires in the junction. The connector species comprises a bi-stable molecule. Each level comprises at least one group of switches and each group of switches comprises at least one switch, with each group in the first level connected to all other groups in the second level in an all-to-all configuration to provide a scalable, defect-tolerant, fat-tree networking scheme.
One prior art method, as described in Reed et al. Applied Physics Letters, 2001, vol. 78, no. 23, pg. 3735-3737, involves a nanoscale electronic device made by depositing a second electrode by sputtering or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) atop a molecular electronic component that lies upon a first electrode. Both sputtering and CVD techniques involve the use of energetic metal atoms that may easily penetrate and destroy the delicate mono- or multi-layer of molecular electronic component and/or establish a contact through the molecular electronic component. The resulting direct interelectrode connection and consequent electrical short gives rise to a shorted, i.e. defective, electronic device.
Despite advances to date in making nanoscale electronic devices, there remains a need for methods of making nanoscale electronic devices wherein the method does not introduce features that can give rise to short circuits in the devices made. In addition, it remains desirable to provide methods of making nanoscale devices comprising molecules that preserve both the integrity of the molecular component and the surfaces to which they are adjoined. Furthermore, there remains a need for methods of making nanoscale electronic devices that are uniform with respect to device dimension and smoothness at the nanoscale regime. Notwithstanding the previous work, the need for methods of effectively and efficiently making nanoscale devices remains less than fully solved.

Method of making a nanoscale electronic device


An electrosurgical tip for the application of electromagnetic energy in either a monopolar or a bipolar circuit through the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human has a metallic electrically and thermally conductive electrode for connection to an electrosurgical generator proximally and for transmission of the electromagnetic electrosurgical energy to the tissue and the bodily fluids of the animal or human distally. A sheath of heat shrinkable fluorinated polymeric substance is an electrical and thermal insulator held about the electrode for preventing the flow of electromagnetic and thermal energy from the metallic electrically and thermally conductive electrode to the tissue and the bodily fluids. A smooth surface of the sheath contacts the tissue and the bodily fluids and has a low surface free energy. Openings through the sheath extend from the electrode to the surface for permitting the passage of energy. A wall of the sheath is of a thickness adequate to space the electrode from substantially any contact with the tissue and isolate heat due to the arcs. A ceramic substance is an electrical and thermal insulator about the conductive electrode for preventing the energy flow. A method of making the tip includes covering the electrode with the insulator, isolating physically the heat generated due to the passage of energy. A method of using the tip places the surface in close proximity to the tissue and the bodily fluids, transmits the electromagnetic energy through the openings, allows cleaning tissue and bodily fluids from the surface. The use includes first passing energy through openings in a wall of electrical and thermal insulation and application of electromagnetic energy by either a monopolar or a bipolar circuit relative to the tissue and the bodily fluids of an animal or human.

Tips for electrosurgical use are subject to high temperature at least whereat the electrosurgical arc emanates during, e.g. fulguration. The heat thus provided causes the proteins in the bodily fluids to coagulate and adhere to the tips.
Coatings have been used to increase the ease of cleanability of the electrosurgical tips. U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,807 has a primer and top coating of Teflon polymer over an etched or abraded stainless steel tip. The coating is thin and during application of electromagnetic energy it is said that there is capacitive coupling to allow passage of power to the tissue being treated. Thus, the Teflon polymer surface should remain largely intact and so the cleanability of the tip is good.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,231 discusses temperature, tip conductivity and sticking of desiccated blood in a bipolar forceps.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,232,676 and 4,314,559 assigned to Corning Glass Works, disclose tips that with areas for electrosurgery and other areas which do not conduct high frequency power. The '676 patent has bipolar electrodes on the same tip so that power passing therebetween will cauterize bleeders. The '559 patent is an electrically conductive tip with a rough surface finish filled with Teflon polymer to provide non-stick properties. Thus, portions of the tip are not covered and form an electrical connection between surgical tip and the tissue. The Teflon polymer only fills interstices, inclusions and the like at the surface, thus providing non-stick areas on the cutting or coagulating instrument. The '559 patent has a surface which provides areas of Teflon polymer and raw metal and so recognizes the conductive nature of the tip and permits energy flow without the need to overcome the electrical insulation of the coating. Specifically, interstices along the surface of the metal tip are filled with primer and a top coat of Teflon polymer. The surface is thus partly conductive metal and partly cleanable Teflon polymer.
Australian patent 637755 has a conductive shaft with insulation providing both electrical and thermal insulation and abrasion-resistance along the shaft between its ends, and is e.g., provided by a shrink fitted plastic tube. The purpose of this is strictly an electrical insulator with no appreciation of blade anti-coagulation.
No electrosurgical tips exist wherein a relatively thick sheath of fluorinated polymer having areas open to expose metallic conductor therewithin and provide an effective thermal and electrical barrier are known in the prior patents. It has been found that the cleanability of the electrosurgical tips is a function of surface temperature and surface free energy. The ability to provide electrosurgical energy while minimizing heat transfer to the tissue and significantly reducing adherence to the tip is presently not appreciated in the prior patents.

Technique for electrosurgical tips and method of manufacture and use


Carbon/carbon materials are joined together by the placement of a brazing alloy between the materials to be joined applying a clamping pressure and passing an electric current through the parts and brazing alloy until the brazing.multidot.k15H alloy melts and when allowed to solidify forms a unitary structure from the parts.

The invention is directed to the joining of carbon/carbon parts and more particulary to the joining of carbon/carbon parts by braze bonding the parts together with a brazing alloy.
One of the most pressing challenges in the development of refractory composite material as a structural material for high temperature aerospace application, is the joining and fastening of the various airframe elements.
Attempts have been made to use threaded fasteners for this purpose. A major problem involved in the use of threaded fastening members is that of oxidation and breakdown of oxidation resistant containers. Another problem is the fracturing or other damage to the materials to be joined by the fastener being tensioned.
Furnace brazing of carbon/carbon parts has satisfactorily been accomplished; However, due to the limited size of high temperature processing furnaces, only small parts can be fabricated.
Until the emergence of the present invention there has not been an entirely satisfactory method or means for braze bonding together parts to form large carbon/carbon assemblies.

Resistance brazed joints for carbon/carbon structures


The present invention is a maternal sound level device that functions to protect fetal hearing by alerting the mother whenever her fetus is exposed to sound pressure levels (SPL) which exceed predetermined levels. The device is comprised of a microphone (14) for SPL detection, preamplifier (2), weighting network (4), level detector (6), and alarm mechanism (8). This device is battery operated and can be easily clipped on a belt so as to be worn by pregnant women at the abdominal level to monitor SPL at the abdomen. SPLs are measured in the range of greater than 80 dB and less than 100 dB over a frequency range of greater than 30 Hz and less than 10,000 Hz. The mother is alerted to SPLs that are exceeding a predetermined level to protect the hearing of the mother's developing fetus by a visual and/or a mechanical alarm. A distinguishing feature of the invention is the weighting network which enhances low frequency SPLs (greater than 30 Hz and less than 1000 Hz) by greater than 5 dB and less than 15 dB and attenuates high frequency SPLs (greater than 1000 Hz). In a preferred embodiment, an alarm signal will be presented to the user of the device when sound pressure levels in the vicinity of the user are greater than 80 dB at frequencies between greater than 30 Hz and less than 1000 Hz, with gradually increasing SPLs required with higher frequency such that 100 dB SPL is required to produce an alarm at greater than 4000 Hz and less than 5000 Hz.

I. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a device that warns a pregnant woman when sound pressures are present that may be exceeding a predetermined level to protect the hearing of a pregnant woman's developing fetus.
II. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Seven million workers in the United States are currently exposed to occupational noise. A growing number of these workers are pregnant women. While rather rigid regulations are in force concerning hearing conservation in all workers, including pregnant women, no guidelines are yet available on level and duration of noise exposure for fetuses in utero. Furthermore, high levels of sound pressures are present during recreational activities such as boating and motorcycling. It is known that sounds readily penetrate the uterus, and that sounds of low frequencies can actually be louder inside than outside. Preliminary data suggest that intense sound pressures result in disruption of fetal sleep state and altered fetal hearing sensitivity.
Recent studies by Lalande ["Is Occupational Noise Exposure During Pregnancy a Risk Factor of Damage to the Auditory System of the Fetus?" Nicole M. Lalande, Ph.D., Raymond Hetu, Ph.D., and Jean Lambert, Ph.D. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1986; 10:427-435] showed hearing loss in children of mothers who were exposed to noise in the workplace. This hearing loss was greatest when low frequencies were present in the exposure.
Low frequencies can be enhanced within the abdominal cavity of humans as recently documented by Richards ["Sound Levels in the Human Uterus", Douglas S. Richards, M.D., Barbara Frentzen, M.S.N., Kenneth J. Gerhardt, Ph.D., Mary McCann, M.A., and Robert M. Abrams, Ph.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1992; 80:186-190], and the presence of low frequency sound pressures can be considered as more harmful to the developing ear than to the adult ear. However, significant attenuation above frequencies of 1000 Hz occurs in the fluid-filled inner ear structures of the fetus ["Cochlear Microphonics Recorded from Fetal and Newborn Sheep", Kenneth J. Gerhardt, Ph.D., Randal Otto, M.D., Robert M. Abrams, Ph.D., Joy J. Colle, M.A., David J. Burchfield, M.D., and Aemil J. M. Peters, American Journal of Otolaryngology, July-August, 1992; 13(4):226-233].
Existing sound level meters often incorporate a weighting network to calculate pressures that may be harmful to the human adult ear including higher frequencies. Regulations use dB(A) weighting networks that reduce the contribution of low frequencies for calculating sound pressure levels. Thus, existing sound level meters do not reflect the possible pressure in the vicinity of a human fetal head.

Maternal sound level device and method for protecting fetal hearing


The present invention relates to the identification of dual function fusion proteins comprising fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and Exenatide, Exendin-4, or GLP-1. Also disclosed are methods for treating metabolic, cardiovascular, and endocrine conditions related to glucose and/or lipid homeostasis.

The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family is characterized by 22 genetically distinct, homologous ligands, which are grouped into seven subfamilies. FGF-21 is most closely related to, and forms a subfamily with, FGF-19 and FGF-23. This FGF subfamily regulates diverse physiological processes uncommon to classical FGFs, namely energy and bile acid homeostasis, glucose and lipid metabolism, and phosphate as well as vitamin D homeostasis. Moreover, unlike other FGFs, this subfamily acts in an endocrine fashion (Moore, D. D. (2007) Science 316, 1436-8)(Beenken et al. (2009) Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 8, 235).
FGF21 is a 209 amino acid polypeptide containing a 28 amino acid leader sequence (SEQ ID NO:132). Human FGF21 has about 79% amino acid identity to mouse FGF21 and about 80% amino acid identity to rat FGF21. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been described as a treatment for ischemic vascular disease, wound healing, and diseases associated with loss of pulmonary, bronchia or alveolar cell function (Nishimura et al. (2000) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 1492:203-206; patent publication WO01/36640; and patent publication WO01/18172). Although FGF-21 activates FGF receptors and downstream signaling molecules, including FRS2a and ERK, direct interaction of FGFRs and FGF-21 has not been detected. Studies have identified β-klotho, which is highly expressed in liver, adipocytes and pancreas, as a determinant of the cellular response to FGF-21 and a cofactor which mediates FGF-21 signaling through FGFRs (Kurosu, H. et al. (2007) J Biol Chem 282, 26687-95). FGF21 is a potent agonist of the FGFR1(IIIc), FGFR2(IIIc) and FGFR3(IIIc) β-klotho signaling complexes.
FGF-21 has been shown to induce insulin-independent glucose uptake. FGF-21 has also been shown to ameliorate hyperglycemia in a range of diabetic rodent models. In addition, transgenic mice over-expressing FGF-21 were found to be resistant to diet-induced metabolic abnormalities, and demonstrated decreased body weight and fat mass, and enhancements in insulin sensitivity (Badman, M. K. et al. (2007) Cell Metab 5, 426-37). Administration of FGF-21 to diabetic non-human primates caused a decline in fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, insulin and glucagon levels, and led to significant improvements in lipoprotein profiles, including a nearly 80% increase in HDL cholesterol (Kharitonenkov, A. et al. (2007) Endocrinology 148, 774-81). Recent studies investigating the molecular mechanisms of FGF21 action have identified FGF21 as an important endocrine hormone that helps to control adaptation to the fasting state (Badman et al. (2009) Endocrinology 150, 4931)(Inagaki et al. (2007) Cell Metabolism 5, 415). This provides a previously missing link downstream of PPARa, by which the liver communicates with the rest of the body in regulating the biology of energy homeostasis (Galman et al. (2008) Cell Metabolism 8, 169)(Lundasen et al. (2007) Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 360, 437).
FGF21 regulates adipocyte homeostasis through activation of an AMPK/SIRT1/PGC1a pathway to inhibit PPARγ expression and increase mitochondrial function (Chau et al. (2010) PNAS 107, 12553). FGF21 also increases glucose uptake by skeletal muscle as measured in cultured human myotubes and isolated mouse tissue (Mashili et al. (2011) Diabetes Metab Res Rev 27, 286-97). FGF21 treatment of rodent islet cells leads to improved function and survival through activation of ERK1/2 and Akt pathways (Wente et al. (2006) Diabetes 55, 2470). FGF21 treatment also results in altered gene expression for lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation enzymes in rodent livers, likely through HNF4a and Foxa2 signaling. However, recent studies (Wei et al. (2012) PNAS 109, 3143-48) indicate that treatment of diet-induced obese mice with FGF21 induces bone loss, due to a diminished inactivation of PPARγ (via reduced sumoylation); a shift of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation from osteoblasts to adipocytes is seen in the presence of increased PPARγ activity in the bone following FGF21 treatment.
A difficulty associated with using FGF-21 directly as a biotherapeutic is that its half-life is very short (Kharitonenkov, A. et al. (2005) Journal of Clinical Investigation 115:1627-1635). In mice, the half-life of human FGF21 is 0.5 to 1 hours, and in cynomolgus monkeys, the half-life is 2 to 3 hours. FGF21 may be utilized as a multi-use, sterile pharmaceutical formulation. However, it has been determined that preservatives, e.g., m-cresol, have an adverse effect on its stability under these conditions.
Another potent metabolic regulator already represented in the clinic is Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) (Knudsen et al. (2004) Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 47, 4128). GLP-1 is a 36 amino acid incretin secreted by L-cells of the mammalian gut, acting on both alpha and beta cells to stimulate insulin secretion and inhibit glucagon release in a glucose-dependent manner (Hare et al. (2010) Diabetes 59, 1765; Meier et al. (2005) Diabetes-Metabolism Research and Reviews 21, 91). GLP-1 binds to and activates the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R), a seven-transmembrane helix protein of the class II family of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) (Mayo et al. (2003) Pharmacological Reviews 55:167). As a GLP-1 receptor agonist, GLP-1 has an important role in decreasing post-prandial blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin secretion from the pancreas in order to increase glucose absorption in the peripheral tissues and inhibiting glucagon secretion, resulting in reduced hepatic glucose release.
A second clinically important GLP-1 receptor agonist is Exendin-4. Exendin-4 is a 39 residue polypeptide produced in the salivary glands of the Gila Monster lizard (Goke et al. (1993) Diabetes 46:433-439; Fehmann et al. (1995) Endocrine Rev. 16:390-410). Although it is the product of a uniquely non-mammalian gene and appears to be expressed only in the salivary gland, Exendin-4 shares a 52% amino acid sequence homology with GLP-1, and in mammals interacts with the GLP-1 receptor (Goke, et al.; Thorens et al. (1993) Diabetes 42:1678-1682). In vitro, Exendin-4 has been shown to promote insulin secretion by insulin producing cells and, given in equimolar quantities, is more potent than GLP-1 at causing insulin release from insulin producing cells. Furthermore, Exendin-4 potently stimulates insulin release to reduce plasma glucose levels in both rodents and humans and is longer acting than GLP-1; however, because it does not occur naturally in mammals, Exendin-4 has certain potential antigenic properties in mammals that GLP-1 lacks.
The ability of GLP-1 and Exendin-4 analogues (e.g., Liraglutide and Byetta) to improve glucose control in humans is established in the clinic (Idris (2010) Diabetes Obesity & Metabolism 12, 89; Monami et al (2009) European Journal of Endocrinology 160, 909). GLP-1 has also been reported to increase beta cell mass both through induced proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis (Egan, A et al (2003) Diabetes-Metabolism Research and Reviews 19, 115; Farilla, L. et al. (2003) Endocrinology 144, 5149; Xu, G. et al. (1999) Diabetes 48, 2270). It also acts as an intestinal hormone to inhibit acid secretion and gastric emptying in the stomach while providing a satiety signal that decreases appetite (Vilsboll et al. (2009) Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 23, 453). These effects likely account for beneficial weight loss observed with administration of GLP-1 analogues to type 2 diabetes patients. GLP-1 has also been shown to be cardioprotective in postischemic rodent hearts (Ossum et al. (2009) Pharmacological Research 60, 411; Sonne, D. P. et al. (2008) Regulatory Peptides 146, 243; Nikolaidis, L. A. et al. (2004) Circulation 109, 962).
Additionally, GLP-1 can reduce the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to adipocytes by reducing the expression of PPARγ, and GLP-1 promotes cellular proliferation and cytoprotection of hMSCs (Sanz et al. (2010) Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 298, E634-E643).
In developing an FGF21 protein, including a variant or analogue thereof, for use as a therapeutic in the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and other metabolic conditions, an increase in half-life and stability would be desirable. FGF21 proteins having enhanced half-life and stability would allow for less frequent dosing of patients being administered the protein. Clearly, there is a need to develop a stable aqueous protein formulation for the therapeutic protein FGF21.
Furthermore, a significant challenge in the development of protein pharmaceuticals, such as metabolic regulators FGF21, GLP-1, and Exendin-4, is to cope with their physical and chemical instabilities. The compositional variety and characteristics of proteins define specific behaviors such as folding, conformational stability, and unfolding/denaturation. Such characteristics should be addressed when aiming to stabilize proteins in the course of developing pharmaceutical formulation conditions utilizing aqueous protein solutions (Wang, W., Int. J. of Pharmaceutics, 18, (1999)). A desired effect of stabilizing therapeutic proteins of interest, e.g., the proteins of the present invention, is increasing resistance to proteolysis and enzymatic degradation, thereby improving protein stability and reducing protein aggregation.

Methods of treating metabolic disorders with dual function fibroblast growth factor 21 proteins


The present invention consists of two asymmetrical hulls connected by a crossbeam or deck structure to make up a catamaran. Each hull has a rounded or shallow angled outer surface below the water line. The inboard side presents a vertical, or near vertical surface below the water line to act as an effective leeway preventer, to resist sideways movement under normal sailing conditions. The vertical surface may have a winglet at the keel and a flow directing vane to prevent vortexes and to maintain parallel flow of water along the whole length of the surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sailboats and more particularly to the shape of hulls for larger sailing catamarans.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
One of the most perplexing problems encountered by sailboats is to find the ultimate shape to provide high speed while increasing the stability of the boat.
Several prior art boats have attempted to resolve the problems. First is Canadian Patent No. 307,326 to Mallison (U.S. Pat. No. 1,705,413) which describes a boat with a tunnel hull. Although "catamaran" is mentioned in the patent, it is closer to a monohull boat with twin keels, inasmuch as the complete tunnel is under water and the boat can therefore not be called a catamaran. The two appendages (twin bilges) are claimed to increase stability and there is a reference to "resisting drift" and "rapidity of travel". The boat will travel no faster than a monohull sailing boat in light wind and will be slower than a normal sailing boat with a single keel in higher winds due to the increased wetted area. This boat will not perform like a catamaran, since the bilges are too narrowly spaced to prevent heeling in any appreciable way.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,406, describes a boat which only carries the mast and the sail used to pull a person through the water. The "keel" of this boat is the body of the person which is submerged between the floats. The vertical insides of the floats are to prevent a bow wave, which would presumably be very small in any case, judging by the low weight of the assembly and the very low speed attainable while dragging a person through the water.
Canadian Patent Application Serial No. 2,043,801 describes a trimaran of unconventional configuration, tricycle style where the central pontoon (hull) is performing the steering function (no rudders in back) and is far ahead of the lateral pontoons. The sharply hooked lateral pontoons are described to function whereby leeway preventing function is relegated to the windward pontoon and the leeward pontoon presents a shallow angle to sideways movement. This "riding up" is supposed to prevent heeling. First, the pontoons as depicted do not have enough buoyancy to support the structure above water, and secondly, if leeway is efficiently prevented by the windward pontoon then there will be no generated lift from any sideways movement. If leeway is not prevented, then the whole concept will not work.


An exposure apparatus that includes a chamber in which an optical element, including a capping layer, is arranged, and that exposes a substrate to exposure light via the optical element. The apparatus includes a supply unit configured to supply a material into the chamber and a providing unit configured to provide electromagnetic waves to the capping layer. The apparatus is configured so that the electromagnetic waves provided by the providing unit cause a photochemical reaction of the material, to grow a layer on the capping layer, with at least one of a condition of supply of the material by the supply unit and a condition of provision of the electromagnetic waves by the providing unit being changed in accordance with each position of the capping layer, based on information of a decrease in an amount of the capping layer at each position, so as to repair the capping layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus comprising a chamber where an optical element having a capping layer is arranged, a control method for the exposure apparatus, and a device manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a lithography method to manufacture fine semiconductor devices, such as semiconductor memories and logic circuits, reduction projection exposure using ultraviolet rays has been performed. However, as the integration density of the semiconductor devices increases, the development of a technique has become a matter of great urgency, which can obtain a resolution with a minimum line width of 70 nm or less, which conventional photolithography arrangements employing ultraviolet light cannot achieve.
Recently, to transfer a very fine circuit pattern onto a photoresist, a photolithography technique that employs EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) light having a shorter wavelength of 11 nm to 15 nm, to replace ultraviolet rays, has been developed. The EUV lithography technique is expected to be promising as a technique that can obtain a resolution with a minimum line width of 70 nm or less.
In the EUV region, which covers a wavelength of 11 nm to 15 nm, all substances have strong absorption. In this region, an optical system including a transmissive optical element, which utilizes refraction as in lithography employing ultraviolet light as the exposure light, cannot be employed. Hence, an optical system comprising a reflective optical element, such as a thin film filter or mirror, is employed. The surface of such a reflective optical element has a multi-layer film obtained by alternately stacking two types of substances having different optical constants. For example, alternate stacking of molybdenum (Mo) and silicon (Si) on the surface of a glass substrate polished into an accurate shape can form the multi-layer film. Regarding the thicknesses of the respective layers, for example, each Mo layer has a thickness of about 3 nm, and each Si layer has a thickness of about 4 nm.
A gas component present in the atmosphere also absorbs light within the EUV region, which covers a wavelength of 11 nm to 15 nm, to attenuate the light greatly. Thus, the interior of the exposure apparatus is maintained to such a vacuum degree that exposure light will not attenuate. Gases mainly containing water and a carbon-based substance remain in the vacuum atmosphere in the exposure apparatus. The residual gases include a gas generated by a member, such as a cable used in the exposure apparatus, and a gas volatilizing from a resist applied on a wafer.
The residual gas components repeat physical adsorption in the surface of the optical element used in the exposure apparatus and desorption from it. The time duration of adsorption in the optical element surface varies depending on the substances, and ranges from a minimum of several tens of picoseconds to a maximum of several thousand seconds. Usually, the residual gas components merely adsorb physically, and neither chemically combine with the optical element surface nor cause a reaction.
When, however, EUV light irradiates the optical element, secondary electrons are generated on the optical element surface to dissociate the residual gas components that have adsorbed in the optical element surface. Particularly, when water has been physically adsorbed, active substances, such as oxygen radicals or hydroxide radicals generated by the dissociation, react on the optical element surface to undesirably oxidize it.
When the optical element surface oxidizes, it degrades the performance of the optical element, to decrease the throughput. Particularly, in an EUV exposure apparatus, if the optical element is a reflective multi-layer mirror, oxidation of the uppermost layer by merely several nm leads to a decrease in reflectance. In the EUV exposure apparatus, even a slight decrease in reflectance of each multi-layer mirror may adversely affect the throughput of the exposure apparatus very largely. If surface oxidation occurs locally, it causes nonuniform illuminance to degrade the image performance of the exposure apparatus.
To prevent the surface oxidation, a method of forming a capping layer, which covers the surface of the multi-layer mirror, has been proposed. As the material of the capping layer, a more inactive material should be selected. For example, groups including diamond-like carbon, boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, B, Pd, Ru, Rh, Au, MgF2, LiF, C2F4, and TiN, and their compounds and alloys are useful (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2001-59901 that corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,086 B1). By using such a resistant material to form the capping layer, the oxidation resistance can improve.
Formation of a capping layer on the optical layer in order to prevent surface oxidation is an effective way to prevent degradation of the optical element so as to prolong the service life of the optical element. It is, however, very difficult to prevent surface oxidation of the optical element semipermanently, to maintain the performance of the exposure apparatus.
Once the optical element oxidizes, it cannot be restored. Hence, to prolong the service life of the optical element, it is indispensable to avoid oxidation.
Particularly, when the capping layer is made of a substance which decreases by oxidation, oxidation of an underlying layer is also likely to progress. For example, when the capping layer is a carbon film, oxidized carbon forms carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or the like, to decrease the carbon content of the film. When the carbon film becomes thin or less dense, not only do the optical characteristics change due to the carbon film, but also, oxidation of the underlying layer is likely to progress.

Exposure apparatus, control method for the same, and device manufacturing method


A monochromator has three ports or slits including two entrance slits and an exit slit. A single mirror and a diffraction grating define a first, folded path between an entrance slit on one side of the housing and an exit slit on the opposite side of the housing. The mirror is movable in and out of a second path between the second entrance slit and the grating so that a second path may be completed from the second entrance slit to the grating and thence to the exit slit. Alternatively two of the ports may be used as exit slits and one as an entrance slit.

This invention relates to monochromators in which light from a source is diffracted in a spectrum and a narrow light wavelength is directed through an exit slit for example to measure the transmission of a specimen at that wavelength.
The object of the present invention is to provide a monochromator which increases the range of available wavelengths on the one hand, or which increases the number of specimens which may be examined by a light source.