A polarized organic photonics device, including an LED or photovoltaic device, is comprised of a first conductive layer or electrode coated with a friction transferred alignment material, a photoactive material, and a second electrically conductive layer or electrode. The alignment material provides for the orientation of the subsequently deposited photoactive material such that the photoactive material interacts with or emits light preferentially along a selected polarization axis. Additional layers and sublayers optimize and tune the optical and electronic responses of the device.

Photonics is the science and technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of technical applications of photonics to devices extends from energy generation to detection to communications and information processing and storage. In addition to its other properties, the polarized nature of light can be exploited to expand or improve the efficiency, utility, and specificity of photonics devices.
Organic based photonics devices have been under development for more than 12 years and offer many potential advantages and opportunities for improved devices. For example, organic electroluminescence (the emission of light in response to an electrical current) has been used in display technology. In such a device, organic materials which posses the ability to emit light when electric current is passed through them are organized as thin layers between two electrodes. The emitters used in light emitting diodes (LEDs) such as these can be either small organic molecules or conjugated polymers.
Organic materials are useful for other photonics devices as well. For example, the need to develop efficient low-cost photovoltaic devices (devices that convert light into electrical energy) has stimulated research efforts using organic materials as or as part of the photoactive media. Photovoltaic devices based on organic materials such as organic molecules and conjugated polymers are emerging as an alternative technology to more conventional approaches based on inorganic semiconductors. Compared to inorganic semiconductor counterparts, organic materials offer the advantages of high photosensitivity, high optical absorption coefficients, and compatibility with vacuum deposition, thereby possessing the potential for large area, thin-film devices that can be produced at a modest cost. Furthermore, organic materials can be deposited on flexible or shaped substrates, which may eventually lead to the development of lightweight and conformal devices.
One fascinating feature of organic materials is their potential for controlling macroscopic material properties by manipulating the order or orientation of the molecules. For example, alignment of an organic material along a given axis can yield preferential absorption and emission along that axis. LEDs using aligned photoactive materials which can emit polarized light will be particularly useful as backlights for conventional liquid crystal displays (LCDs), since in these systems 50% of the emission of an unpolarized light sources is typically lost due to polarization based filtering. In addition, control of the alignment of emissive molecules in LEDs is quite important for future advancement in emission devices, such as LEDs integrated with microcavities and waveguide structures.
Research efforts directed at achieving polarized electroluminescence by aligning the organic emitters have been reported. However, all of these approaches are non-general, have difficulty controlling film thickness and uniformity, and are time consuming. For example, there is the liquid crystal approach. Devices based on this method are inherently limited to being made from materials that are liquid crystals. Epitaxial growth on rubbed substrates is another approach that has been attempted. This method is only applicable to use with small organic molecules which can be vapor deposited. An elongation approach has also been tried; but this method is complicated and film thickness and uniformity are difficult to control. The Langmuir-Blodgett method has also been used to develop polarized electroluminescent devices; but it has limited applicability and is specifically limited to materials that are amphiphilic and are capable of forming Langmuir-Blodgett films.
Electronic organic devices developed using a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) oriented film as a template to provide alignment and orientation of subsequently deposited films have been reported. See Katsuya Wakita, U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,889. Such devices are, however, fundamentally limited to electronic devices such as field effect transistors because, among other reasons, the electrodes used in these devices are necessarily co-planar and hence are inapplicable to photonics devices. Moreover, because the electrodes are co-planar, it is not feasible to prepare multiple stacked layers between the electrodes. Furthermore, Wakita is limited to purely electronic devices and does not enable photonics devices since it provides for neither photoactive materials nor for any electrodes to be transparent. Absent these and other features, such a device is not suitable for photonics applications. The electronic device developed by Wakita is also unsuitable for photonics applications because it fails to overcome the problem of charge conduction through the PTFE alignment layer, which is electrically insulating. That is, it fails to answer the question of how to use a polymer, such as PTFE, for alignment without completely insulating charge conduction in an organic electronic device.
To date, polarization sensitive organic photovoltaic devices have not been reported.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for polarized organic photonics devices. Moreover, there is a need for a processing method that is simple and fast, applicable to a variety of organic and polymeric materials, yields high optical quality films, and easily achieves thickness of a few tens of nanometers.
The present invention is directed to polarized organic photonics devices, and process for production thereof, that satisfies the need for polarized organic photonics devices, and processes for production thereof, as well as other needs.
The process for fabricating a polarized organic photonics device beings with preparing a alignment layer on top of a first conducting layer or conducting substrate. The first conducting layer or conducting substrate serves as a first electrode in the photonics device. The alignment layer, typically a thin layer of an insulating, electron transporting or hole transporting material, is deposited by a friction transfer method. This layer provides for the alignment of subsequently deposited organic and polymeric layers, necessary for polarized emission and absorption. Following the alignment layer, a conducting polymer may be deposited onto the alignment layer. This step may be carried out at elevated temperatures to enhance the uniformity of the deposited layer. Next, a photoactive material is deposited. As used herein, a photoactive material is a material that interacts with or emits light. This step may also be carried out at elevated temperature, to enhance uniformity and to further increase the alignment of the photoactive material to the preferred direction defined by the alignment layer. Finally, a second conductive layer is added to yield a polarized organic photonics device. The second conductive layer serves as a second electrode in the photonics device.
Specific advantages of the present invention include, among others, the following:
(i) A simple method of generalized applicability for creating polarized organic photonics devices.
(ii) Organic photonics devices with enhanced efficiency due to the polarized response of aligned photoactive material.
(iii) Organic photonics devices with enhanced selectivity due to the polarized response of the aligned photoactive material.
(iv) The ability to simultaneously align organic or polymeric species using a layer of a alignment material that may be electrically insulating without eliminating charge conduction through the alignment layer.

Process for fabricating polarized organic photonics devices


Provided is a door fitting, with an outer doorplate and with an inner doorplate, wherein the outer doorplate has a first opening on an inner side facing the inner doorplate, into which a shaft of a first screw can be screwed to fasten the outer doorplate to the door, and a second opening at a distance from the first end section in the lengthwise direction of the door fitting, into which a shaft of a second screw can be screwed to fasten the outer doorplate to the door. The door fitting can be adapted to various fitting situations if the first opening and/or the second opening is/are arranged on the outer doorplate so as to be displaceable in the lengthwise direction of the door fitting to allow different relative positions to be set between the outer doorplate and the first opening and/or the second opening.

Doors which are equipped with such a door fitting or such a door locking mechanism may be normal house entrance doors. In such cases, however, they are preferably balcony doors or terrace doors.
A door fitting usually comprises an outer doorplate for mounting on the outside of the door and an inner doorplate for mounting on the inside of the door. Each doorplate covers openings that have been created in the door, through which a door locking mechanism fitted in the door can be accessed. Such a door locking mechanism typically comprises a mortise lock with a follower, which is equipped with a rectangular opening for actuating at least one latch of the mortise lock. An actuator rod may be pushed through the follower or the rectangular opening therein, and may be used to rotate the follower. This actuator rod expediently has a rectangular cross section. Then, said actuator rod must be pushed through the aforementioned openings formed in the door. The actuator rod also passes through further openings which are formed in the respective doorplate. The respective door fitting may then have one or two door openers, which are connected in non-rotating manner with the respective lengthwise end of the actuator rod at the respective doorplate. Such door openers may be designed as latches or as round handles or rotating knobs.
In this context, a central component of the door locking mechanism is the mortise lock, which is fitted in the narrow face of the door panel and includes said follower and the latch coupled thereto. Modern door locking mechanisms have at least one further latch, which is also coupled with the follower for drive purposes, and is arranged at a distance from the mortise lock in the door panel. In addition, the door locking mechanism may typically also be equipped with at least one bolt, which can be actuated with a barrel lock. In this context, the bolt and the latch may be separate components. Embodiments are also conceivable in which the latch may serve at the same time as the bolt, for example by extending it beyond its normal closure position additionally into a bolting position. This bolt is practically also conformed in the aforementioned mortise lock. Here too, it is conceivable to equip the door locking mechanism with at least one further bolt, which is integrated in the door at a distance from the mortise lock. Here too, it is conceivable to integrate the latch and the bolt in each other. In order to be able to insert such a barrel lock through the door and into the mortise lock and the door locking mechanism, openings are also necessary in the door. The respective doorplate may also have an opening suitable for a barrel lock, to enable the barrel lock to be actuated. Such a barrel lock may be actuated with a key, preferably on the outside of the door, and with a toggle which may preferably be provided on the inner side of the door. Accordingly, the door fitting may include the door openers, the barrel lock, and optionally a toggle as further components.
In order to fasten the doorplates to the door, an internal fastening may be used for reasons of security, to make it more difficult to remove the outer doorplate. For such an internal fastening, threaded connections are preferred in which the head of a screw bears on the inner doorplate, extends through the door and is screwed into a screw-in opening conformed on the outer doorplate. The door has two further passthrough openings to allow these screws to pass through. The positions of these passthrough openings relative to each other and relative to the door may vary depending on the respective door locking mechanism. Some mortise locks require that the passthrough openings for the screws are routed outside the mortise lock. In other mortise locks it is provided that one of two passthrough openings is routed through the mortise lock, while the other passthrough opening must be routed outside the mortise lock. Still other types require that both passthrough openings must pass through the mortise lock. In addition to all the above, depending on the type of mortise lock the follower may be positioned above the lock cylinder or below the lock cylinder, which means that the relative positions of the threaded joints on the door may also be varied. The logistical expense and the costs of providing a large number of different door fittings are relatively high.


A pneumatic tire with a rubber tread which contains at least three resins with spatially-defined softening point ranges.

Pneumatic rubber tires are composed of elements which conventionally include a tread of a rubber composition. The tread rubber is often desirably compounded (blended or mixed with compounding ingredients) to provide a tire with a relatively low rolling resistance and a tread with reasonable wear and traction.
However, where tires are intended to be used for purposes where traction (skid resistance) is a primary consideration such as, for example, may be desired for high performance tires, the tread rubber may be compounded to enhance traction where a possibility of reduced treadwear and increased tire rolling resistance may be considered to be of somewhat lesser importance.
For such purpose of emphasizing tread rubber traction, the tread may be compounded to have a relatively high ratio of resin and processing oils to rubber (e.g. a range of about 15 to about 40 weight percent in the rubber composition) which may be more conventionally expressed in terms of 100 parts by weight rubber (phr) as being, for example, in a range of about 45 to about 120 phr.
The resin may typically have a softening point (Ring and Ball) in a range of about 20.degree. C. to about 110.degree. C.
The purpose of the resin, among other purposes, is to enhance traction of the tread. While the tread rubber may normally contain such a resin, in instances where tread traction itself is to be emphasized or enhanced, the resin content in the tread rubber may be increased to the aforesaid amount.
While the traction enhancing feature(s) of the resin may be due to various factors, the softening point of the resin is normally considered important because, as the resin softens, it undergoes a phase transition and its mechanical properties change.
Indeed, it is usually considered that the resin in the rubber compound acts to soften the rubber compound and increase its hysteresis at a rubber temperature equivalent to or immediately above the resin's softening point.
Such softening point property of the resin is desirably taken advantage of in practice where, for example, as the tire is run from a stationary, resting position to vehicle driving speeds, the temperature of the tread may increase from its stationary ambient temperature (e.g. 23.degree. C.) to a temperature of 100.degree. C. or even higher at high vehicular speeds (>80 mph).
Thus, in such a circumstance, a resin with a softening point of about 30.degree. C. would be expected to soften and become very hysteretic at a tread temperature of about 20.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C. and, thus, aid in tire traction at such tread temperatures. Thereafter, as the tread temperature increases to 100.degree. C., for example, the resin would be expected to be in a softened or perhaps liquid state and the tread traction would, accordingly, be expected to be affected only to a very limited degree by the aforesaid 30.degree. C. softening point resin as the rubber temperature increased and moved further above 30.degree. C.
A considerably higher softening point resin would be desirable to enhance tread traction at the higher tread temperature associated with the higher vehicular speed.
It is suggested herein that as the resin softens, the cured rubber compound containing the resin becomes hysteretic. This means the rubber compound transfers the energy generated in the tread as it rolls into heat, which in turn results in improved traction performance.
It is recognized that various resins are typically used in formulating a tire tread for various purposes, and resins are heretofore often used in somewhat larger amounts in tire treads, particularly where tread traction on the road is a primary or large consideration.
Representative examples of such resins which, as it is understood, are or may be used to aid in tire tread traction are hydrocarbon-derived synthetic resins, coumarone-indene resins, rosin, rosin derivatives and dicyclopentadiene based resins such as, for example, dicyclopentadiene/diene resins.
Such resins may typically have softening points (Ring and Ball) within the aforesaid range of about 20.degree. C. to about 110.degree. C. and even up to about 170.degree. C.
However, few if any, of such resins are normally used in rubber tire treads which have a softening point higher than about 110.degree. C.
In practice, it is desired to take advantage of the described softening point property of the resin(s) to formulate a tire tread in a manner designed to enhance the tread traction over a relatively wide range of tire tread temperatures.
In another aspect of tire tread rubber considerations, it should be pointed out that viscoelastic properties of a rubber, or a rubber blend, for tire tread applications, are important. For example, a tangent delta viscoelastic property is the ratio of the viscous contribution to the elastic contribution for a viscoelastic rubber article subjected to a cyclic deformation. The term "tangent delta" is often referred to herein as "tan. delta". Its characterization of viscoelastic properties of rubber is well known to those skilled in such art. Such property is typically represented in the form of a curve as a temperature sweep plot of tangent delta values on a y, or vertical, axis versus temperature on an x, or horizontal, axis.
Although various rubber compositions are taught to provide various benefits, some for tire treads, it is desired to provide a pneumatic tire having a rubber tread having enhanced traction qualities over a relatively wide temperature range and, thus, a tan. delta characteristic which maintains a high tan. delta as the temperature increases.
In the description of this invention, rubber compound, sulfur-cured rubber compound, rubber composition, rubber blend and compounded rubber are used somewhat interchangeable to refer to rubber which has been mixed with rubber compounding ingredients. Such terms are well known to those having skill in such art.

Tire with tread which contains spatially-defined resins


A pressure package system for providing a working pressure on a fluid included in a pressure package, the system being provided with a pressure package in which a product chamber is included for holding the fluid and in which a working pressure chamber is included for keeping a propellant at the working pressure, the system being further provided with a pressure controller and a high-pressure chamber connected with the pressure controller for keeping the propellant in supply at a relatively high pressure, the pressure package system being further provided with a wall which is of elastic and/or flexible design, a first side of the wall bounding the working pressure chamber at least partly and a second side of the wall, facing away from the working pressure chamber, bounding the product chamber at least partly.

The invention relates to a pressure package system for providing a working pressure on a fluid included in a pressure package, the system being provided with a pressure package in which a product chamber is included for holding the fluid and in which a working pressure chamber is included for keeping a propellant at the working pressure, the system being further provided with a pressure controller and a high-pressure chamber connected with the pressure controller for keeping the propellant in supply at a relatively high pressure, the system being further arranged to supply the propellant from the high-pressure chamber to the working pressure chamber with the aid of the pressure controller on the basis of a reference pressure, for maintaining the working pressure in the working pressure chamber.
Such a pressure package system is known from WO 99/62791. In this known system, the pressure controller with the high-pressure chamber connected thereto, is included in the pressure package as a pressure control device. The pressure package is of elongate and substantially cylindrical design. The pressure control device is so designed as to align with the inner walls of the cylinder jacket. The pressure control device can move in an axial direction of the pressure package under the influence of pressure differences in the pressure package. In this known system, the pressure control device constitutes the separation between the product chamber and the working pressure chamber. It will be clear that a "high-pressure chamber connected with the pressure controller" is understood to mean a high-pressure chamber and a pressure controller between which a fluid communication can be effected for the purpose of controlling the working pressure with the aid of a propellant from the high-pressure chamber.
The reference pressure is slightly lower than a predetermined working pressure which it is desired to apply to the fluid operatively included in the product chamber. The working pressure is a pressure to be kept substantially constant. The known system works as follows. When the pressure in the product chamber starts to decrease to a new pressure in the product chamber because, for instance, a user has allowed fluid to flow from the pressure package, the pressure control device moves, as a result of the pressure difference between the working pressure chamber and the product chamber, in the direction of the product chamber. The volume of the working pressure chamber thereby increases and, as a result, the pressure in the working pressure chamber decreases. In that case, the reference pressure is higher than the new pressure in the working pressure chamber. The pressure control device is arranged in that case to allow propellant to flow from the high-pressure chamber to the working pressure chamber. As a result, the pressure in the working pressure chamber increases until in the working pressure chamber the pressure has become slightly higher than the reference pressure. The working pressure is then higher than the pressure in the product chamber again, and under the influence of the pressure difference between the product chamber and the working pressure chamber the pressure control device moves a little further in the direction of the product chamber. Since the volume of the product chamber thereby decreases slightly, the pressure in the product chamber will increase slightly. With the decrease of the volume of the product chamber, the volume of the working pressure chamber increases again. The pressure in the working pressure chamber is then a bit lower again than the reference pressure, and the pressure control device will again allow a bit of propellant to flow to the working pressure chamber, etc.
When the pressure prevailing in the working pressure chamber is slightly higher than the reference pressure, the supply of propellant from the high-pressure chamber to the working pressure chamber will block. The pressure control device will then assume such a position that the pressure in the working pressure chamber and the pressure in the product chamber are equal to each other. In that case, this pressure will be the intended working pressure which is slightly higher than the reference pressure.
In the known system, for separating the working pressure chamber and the product chamber, the pressure control device is provided with sealings which abut the inner wall of the cylindrically designed pressure package in such in way as to provide a gas-tight closure between the working pressure chamber and the product chamber. Further, the sealings abut the inner wall in such a way that the pressure control device is still movable in the axial direction of the pressure package under the influence of a pressure difference between the working pressure chamber and the product chamber. As a consequence, in order for the pressure control device to move, much friction is to be overcome. As a consequence of this, in turn, the pressure difference between the working pressure chamber and the product chamber must be relatively great before this difference is annulled.


Two semi-annular members form an annular coupling. Each semi-annular member has a flexible center. A semi-annular shoe extends from each axial end of the flexible center. The shoes are bonded to the flexible center. The circumferential ends of the shoes have an axially extending cut-out embedded in the flexible center.

This invention relates to couplings for joining a driving shaft and a driven shaft which are approximately aligned on a central axis. More particularly, this invention is a flexible annular coupling made up of at least two members in the form of sectors of an annulus.
A flexible elastomeric coupling connects the shafts of rotating equipment. It is primarily made up of a center flexible elastomeric member bonded to a steel shoe on each axial end. The elastomeric member is usually made of a synthetic material, such as rubber, urethane, or their derivatives. Connection between the shafts is established by attaching the steel shoes of the coupling to hubs mounted on the shafts. The main requirement of a coupling is to transmit power from the driving shaft to the driven shaft, smoothly and efficiently, with minimum loss and fluctuations. It should also be capable of accommodating different loads and shaft misalignments produced by the equipment it is connected to, and at the same time, provide enough damping to absorb fluctuations in loads. Some of the major loads that have been identified are-torsional, axial and radial loads. Torsional loads have two components- impulse or shock loads, produced during startup of the equipment, and steady state loads, produced when the equipment is running. These loads are dynamic in nature and vary with the type of equipment being used and the magnitude of misalignment between the shafts connecting the coupling. Axial and radial loads are normally caused due to misalignment between shafts connecting the coupling, and produce (1) large vibratory forces during startup and running/loading of the equipment (2) fatigue loads on the elastomeric element, due to repeated radial and axial flexing. High tensile and compressive forces, acting at different angles, are produced in the elastomer.
When the shaft is in motion, a combination of the above dynamic loads act on the coupling, causing the elastomeric element to flex. The amount of flex is proportional to the magnitude of the forces acting on the coupling. Since the behavior of the elastomeric material is non-linear in nature, for any given cross-section of the elastomer in a three dimensional plane, the amount of flex varies with the geometry of the elastomer and the direction of shaft forces. The flexing of the elastomer causes three dimensional shear, tensile and compressive stresses which may be either distributed or localized across the cross-section, at different planes, depending on the geometry. An ideal coupling would be one in which the stresses are distributed uniformly across the cross-section of the elastomer. Localized stress zones tend to magnify the stresses and are sensitive to load fluctuations caused by torque and misalignment. The elastomer in these areas is constantly subject to repeated tensile and compressive stresses, much higher than the average stress values, causing it to fail prematurely.
It has been observed that the behavior of the elastomeric material changes significantly with the change in geometry and cross-section, and is non-linear in nature. The coupling is usually made up of two halves and is therefore discontinuous. High shear stress zones are caused across the circumferential end faces of the elastomer. Also, high peel stresses are caused at the bond line which are proportional to the applied torque. Using thicker elastomer cross-section to offset the high shear stress zones does not always give better results, but on the contrary, may form localized high stress zones, causing the material to fail prematurely, or cause higher peel stresses in the bond line, causing bond failure. Also, it has been observed that for most cross-sections the stresses in the elastomer tend to peak near the shoe area of the coupling, the maximum concentration being just slightly above the shoe, decreasing gradually as you move away from the shoe-elastomer interface. These stresses vary with the geometry of the elastomer, especially near the shoe area, and are mainly caused due to unequal stretching of the elastomer, stretch/stress propagation between the elastomer and steel at the shoe area is very low and uneven. This causes high stress zones in the elastomer and at the bond line resulting in fatigue and bond failures. Away from the shoe area, the stretch propagation across the elastomer is more or less uniform and the stress distribution is somewhat normal, depending upon the geometry of the elastomer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,400 dated Jan. 6, 1987 in the name of Niel W. Butzow, et. al. shows and describes a flexible coupling made of two halves with the circumferential end faces made with a particular structure in an attempt to distribute the stress evenly across the cross-section, and away from the shoe. Nevertheless, the coupling described by the Butzow, et. al. patent develops high stress concentrations at the bond line and certain areas of the elastomer above the bond line, These stresses cause the coupling to fail, either due to fatigue in the elastomer or failure of the bond.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present devices and methods.
Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.

Flexible coupling with end stress relief structure


The present disclosure relates to an IC chip extractor for removing an IC chip from a panel. The IC chip extractor includes a base plate and a heating head arranged on the base plate. The heating head includes a protrusion protruded from an end of the heating head and a hook arranged at an end of the protrusion, the hook is capable of being in contact with a bottom of a portion the IC chip adjacent to a center of the panel.

In the related art, an operator holds a panel, and after an IC chip is in contact with a heating head of an IC chip extractor, the operator pushes the panel, so as to press the IC chip against the heat, thereby to remove the IC chip. However, during the extraction, the IC chip may easily be broken, and an electrode of the panel may be damaged by resultant debris. At this time, the panel has to be scrapped.

HEFEI BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


The instant invention relates to a method and an apparatus of monitoring nuclear radiation. The method utilizes a diamond radiation sensor element having a nitrogen impurity concentration of less than 150 ppm. The sensor element is subjected to nuclear radiation, while being stimulated with light of a selected wavelength or range of wavelengths, preferably in the ultraviolet or near-ultraviolet range, resulting in light emissions from the sensor element. Typically, the sensor element is fixed to the end of an optical fibre, the far end of the fibre being used to channel stimulating light to the sensor element and to feed resultant light emissions from the sensor element to a photomultiplier tube.

This invention relates to a method of monitoring nuclear radiation and to a sensor and apparatus for monitoring such radiation.
It has become common to treat patients, for example, cancer patients, with nuclear radiation from selected radiation sources. To maximise the effectiveness of such treatment and to minimise its side effects, it is important to monitor the radiation dose delivered and also to ensure that the dose is delivered to the correct site.
It has also become increasingly common to use radiation from Co 60 sources and electron beams in the sterilisation of medical products, and in the processing of food products to increase their shelf life. To maximise the effectiveness of such treatment, it is important to monitor the radiation dose delivered to each product or package and also to ensure that the dose delivered to all the products inside a package is within internationally accepted prescribed limits.


A charged particle beam deflector has a simple structure for providing a uniform potential distribution over each blanking aperture. The deflector is easy to operate, and stabilizes the shape of a charged particle beam component passing through each blanking aperture even with a low deflection voltage. A pair of deflecting electrodes are arranged on opposing inner walls of each blanking aperture. A voltage applied to the deflecting electrodes is controlled to correctly deflect the charged particle beam component passing through the blanking aperture. A pair of resistance films are arranged on the other opposing inner walls of the blanking aperture, to connect both sides of the deflecting electrodes.. The deflector may employ patterned beam generating apertures. A pair of deflecting electrodes are formed on opposing inner walls of each of the apertures. A voltage applied to the deflecting electrodes is controlled to correctly deflect a charged particle beam component passing through the aperture.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charged particle beam deflector, and particularly to an improvement of a blanking aperture used on an electron beam deflector, electron beam exposure apparatus, etc., that is capable of collectively drawing patterns using multiple beams or patterned beams.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electron beam exposure techniques used for manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuits must have a pattern drawing accuracy of submicron order. To draw a pattern at this accuracy, it takes a long time if a very fine variable rectangular beam is employed. To shorten the time, various studies have been made to employ a line beam that realizes a plurality of simultaneous shots.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of a charged particle beam deflector used for an electron beam exposure apparatus.
A blanking aperture array 1 includes a plurality of apertures 1'a, 1'b, and so on. Each of the apertures has a pair of blanking electrodes for deflecting (turning on and off) a charged particle beam (an electron beam). An electron gun 42 emits an electron beam, which passes through the blanking apertures 1'a, 1'b, and so on, as well as a main deflector 43 and a subdeflector 44, and draws patterns on a wafer 46 placed on a stage 45.
A CPU 47 provides drawing data stored in a memory 48 to a bit map generator 52, which provides a bit map. According to the bit map, a group of blanking generators 53 control the electrodes of the apertures 1'a, 1'b, and so on to turn on and off components of the beam passing through the apertures, respectively.
A sequence controller 54 receives data from an interface 50 and sequentially controls the bit map generator 52, a blanking controller 55, a deflector controller 56, and a stage controller 57. The blanking controller 55 controls the blanking generators 53, and the deflection controller 56 controls the main deflector 43 and subdeflector 44. The stage controller 57 controls the position of the stage 45 with a step motor 60.
FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) are views showing an example of a conventional blanking aperture, in which FIG. 7(A) is a top view and FIG. 7(B) a sectional view along a line X--X of FIG. 7(A).
A conductive or semiconductive substrate 2 has an opening of, for example, a square shape. Insulation films 3 are formed on inner walls S and S' of the opening, and deflecting electrodes 10 and 11 are formed on the insulation films 3. Lead metalized pattern 14 and 15 are provided for the deflecting electrodes 10 and 11, respectively. Each of the blanking apertures 1'a, 1'b, and so on of FIG. 6 is formed in this way.
This arrangement is insufficient, even with a predetermined voltage applied to the deflecting electrodes 10 and 11, to deflect and completely move a beam out of an aperture corresponding position on the wafer 46. Namely, the beam may remain on the wafer 46 to blur a pattern drawn on the wafer 46. This problem may be solved by increasing the voltage applied to the deflecting electrodes 10 and 11. This, however, increases costs.
FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) are views showing an example of a conventional blanking aperture for generating a patterned beam, in which FIG. 8(A) is a top view and FIG. 8(B) a sectional view along a ling X--X of FIG. 8(A).
This blanking aperture is used for repeatedly drawing a relatively large pattern on a wafer. The blanking aperture is made from an aperture board 200 having an aperture 101 for providing a patterned beam, and a deflecting board 201 having substantially the same arrangement as that of the blanking aperture shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B).
In FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), opposing inner walls L and L' where the deflecting electrodes 10 and 11 do not exist are at a ground potential level. Accordingly, lines H of electric force from one of the deflecting electrodes (for example, 11) are curved to enter the inner walls L and L', thereby reduce the quantity of lines of electric force reaching the electrode 10. As a result, a uniform electric field is not provided. To compensate for this insufficient electric field formed inside the aperture, the deflection voltage must be increased.
In FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B), the aperture board 200 and deflecting board 201 for generating a patterned beam must be separately prepared and combined after axially aligning them. This deteriorates operability.
In recent years, many apertures are prepared and collectively controlled to simultaneously expose many positions of a wafer to expedite the exposing process. For this purpose, a number of blanking apertures are densely arranged (1'a, 1'b, and so on in FIG. 6), sometimes in a plurality of lines. In these cases, the distance between adjacent apertures is very small, so that electric fields generated in the adjacent apertures may interfere with each other to inaccurately deflect components of a beam passing through the apertures.


The present disclosure provides a deep submicron electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure for a deep submicron integrated circuit (IC) and a method for forming such a structure. The structure includes at least two electrodes separated by a dielectric material, such as a thin gate oxide layer. In some examples, the thin gate oxide may be less than 25 Å thick. A source and drain are positioned proximate to and on opposite sides of one of the electrodes to form a channel. The drain is covered with a silicide layer that enhances the ESD protection provided by the structure. The source may also be covered with a silicide layer. In some examples, the drain may be floating.

The present disclosure relates generally to integrated circuit devices and, more particularly, to electrostatic discharge protection structures for integrated circuit devices.
Integrated circuit (IC) devices are vulnerable to electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage. An ESD is generated by a high field potential, which causes 'charge-and-discharge' events (e.g., a rapid flow of electrons between two bodies of unequal charge or between one charged body and ground, with an electronic circuit being the path of least resistance between the two). An ESD may damage an IC by causing leakage currents or functional failures, and may even destroy an IC.
Various ESD simulation models exist, including the Human Body Model (HBM) and the Machine Model (MM). Since the human body has a charge-storage capacitance and a highly conductive sweat layer, the discharge from a person's touch may be simulated with the HBM using a resistor-capacitor (or RC) circuit. A IC device should generally survive an ESD of 2000V or higher with the HBM. The MM uses an ESD simulation test based on a discharge network consisting of a charged capacitor and (nominally) zero ohms of series resistance to approximate the electrostatic discharge from a machine. An IC device should generally survive an ESD of 200V or higher with the Machine Model.
The reliability challenge presented to ICs by an ESD is complicated by the shallower junction and relatively thin gate oxide used in metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) devices. This is particularly true as IC materials and fabrication processes enable the fabrication of ICs using deep sub-micron complementary MOS (CMOS) technologies. Generally, to sustain a reasonable ESD stress in submicron CMOS ICs, ESD protection circuits are added to the ICs. In order to sustain the desired ESD voltage levels, a conventional ESD protection circuit design may use an n-type MOS transistor with a resist-protection-oxide (RPO) layer. The RPO layer blocks silicidation (e.g., an anneal that results in the formation of a low resistance metal-Si alloy that acts as a contact) on the drain region to enhance ballasting resistance for an ESD protection circuit.
To further enhance ESD protection, the channel width of ESD protection devices may be designed with larger dimensions so that more ESD current can be discharged. However, if the current does not flow through the channel uniformly (e.g., if no uniform turn-on effect occurs), a larger channel width may not provide additional protection. This may be a problem in both single and multiple finger devices. For example, if current flows through only a portion of a wider drain of a single fingered device, then the IC may be destroyed even though the drain is relatively wide. In an ESD protection device implemented using multiple fingers, damage may occur if some of the fingers fail to turn on. The failure of some fingers to turn on increases the current through the remaining fingers and may destroy the associated IC.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved ESD protection structure for IC devices.

Electrostatic discharge protection structure for deep sub-micron gate oxide

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A resistance welding controller for supplying a substantially constant level of AC current to a resistance welder is provided. In one embodiment, the resistance welding controller automatically switches modes to provide compatibility with both AC and DC resistance welders.

The present invention relates to a resistance welding controller which supplies a given level of alternating ("AC") current to a resistance welder.
A resistance welder welds a workpiece sandwiched between two electrodes as current flows. The current flow heats the workpiece and forms a molten metal weld "nugget." After the welding current stops flowing, the weld nugget solidifies to form the weld.
There are two types of resistance welders: AC and direct ("DC") current. A DC resistance welder and an associated resistance welding controller provide the advantage that the current supplied to resistance welder (and, in turn, to the electrodes) can be controlled within stringent limits. However, there are two major disadvantages: the equipment required is expensive and the electrodes wear out quickly because current flows in one direction only during welding. In contrast, an AC resistance welder and an associated resistance welding controller provide the advantages that the equipment required is inexpensive and the electrodes wear out very slowly. However, a disadvantage is that current supplied to the AC resistance welder 80 (and, in turn, to the electrodes) can be controlled only within fairly loose limits.
One way to control both types of resistance welders is to install a separate resistance welding controller for each. However, having two separate controllers is costly.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a resistance welding controller which can control both AC and DC resistance welders while using electricity efficiently and improving welding performance.


In a method or system for generation of a document, at least personal data and a characteristic value are stored in at least one data bank, at least the characteristic value being associated with the personal data. Document data are selected dependent on the stored characteristic value, at least a portion of the document being generated with aid of the selected document data. Information about a point in time is associated with at least a portion of the document data. A time span is preset so that the document data are only selected to generate the document when the time span comprises the point in time associated with the document data.

The preferred embodiment concerns methods and arrangements for generation of a document in which at least personal data of a person and a characteristic value are stored in at least one databank, whereby at least the characteristic value is associated with the personal data. The document data are selected dependent on the stored characteristic value, whereby at least a portion of the document is generated with the aid of the selected document data.
Via modern printing systems (in particular via electrophotographic high-capacity printers) a possibility has been achieved to also presently generate non-personal print products (and in the future personal print products such as, for example, a personal newspaper).
However, the selection of information for generation of a personal document is difficult. A targeted selection of this information is, however, required in order to generate a document with information suitable for the recipient and thereby to efficiently utilize the advantages of a personal or personified document.
A system and a method for production of a customer-individual print product dependent on a topic selection and the specification of a purchase price by the customer are known from the document DE 101 61 684. A dynamic adaptation of a customer profile associated with the customer is also provided.

Method and assembly for creating a document


The present invention is method and apparatus for preventing overflow and underflow of an encoder buffer in a video compression system. A virtual buffer is created in a rate controller to model the decoder buffer fullness (102). A sequence of bits is generated by an encoder (104). The encoder is controlled by the rate controller to prevent a decoder buffer underflow and overflow. Then, the sequence of bits is received by the encoder buffer to produce a bitstream (106). The bitstream corresponds to an instantaneous channel bitrate. The bitstream is transmitted from the encoder buffer to a decoder buffer following a delay (108). The delay is controlled by a rate controller to synchronize an encoder buffer fullness with a virtual buffer fullness (110). The synchronization prevents overflow and underflow of the encoder buffer.

Video systems are known to include a plurality of communication devices and communication channels, which provide the communication medium for the communication devices. For example, the communication channel may be wireline connections or RF frequency carders. To increase the efficiency of the video system, video that needs to be communicated over the communication medium is digitally compressed. The digital compression reduces the number of bits needed to represent the video while maintaining perceptual quality of the video. The reduction in bits allows more efficient use of channel bandwidth and reduces storage requirements. To achieve digital video compression, each communication device may include an encoder and a decoder. The encoder allows a communication device to compress video before transmission over a communication channel. The decoder enables the communication device to receive and process compressed video from a communication channel. Communication devices that may use digital video compression include high definition television transmitters and receivers, cable television transmitters and receivers, video telephones, computers and portable radios.
Several standards for digital video compression have emerged, including International Telecommunications Union ITU-T Recommendation H.261, the International Standards Organization/International Electrotechnical Committee, ISO/IEC, 11172-2 International Standard, MPEG-1, and the forthcoming ISO/IEC 13818-2 standard, MPEG-2. These standards designate the requirements for a decoder by specifying the syntax of a bit stream that the decoder must decode. This allows some flexibility in the creation of the encoder, but the encoder must be capable of producing a bit stream that meets the specified syntax.
To maximize usage of the available channel bandwidth and the quality of the video, the encoder seeks to match the number of bits it produces to the available channel bandwidth. This is often accomplished by selecting a target number of bits to be used for the representation of a video frame or picture. The target number of bits is referred to as the target bit allocation. The target bit allocation may be substantially different from picture to picture, based upon picture type and other considerations. A further consideration for the encoder in generating bits is the capacity of any buffers in the system. Generally, since the bitrates of the encoder and decoder are not constant, there are buffers placed at both ends of the channel, one following the encoder prior to the channel and one at the end of the channel preceding the decoder. The buffers absorb the fluctuation in bitrates. The encoder often must insure that the buffers at the encoder and decoder will not overflow or underflow as a result of the bit stream generated.
Generally, and in particular in the case of emerging video compression standards, more than one picture type is used for encoding the pictures. For example, MPEG uses intracoded pictures, predicted pictures, and bidirectionally predicted pictures. Intracoded pictures use only the information contained within the current picture itself for encoding. Predicted pictures use the current picture and a previously encoded picture as a reference to encode the current picture. By using the previously encoded picture as a reference, fewer bits are generally generated since only differences between the current picture and the previously encoded picture need to be encoded. Similarly, bidirectionally encoded pictures may use a past and/or previously encoded picture as a reference in addition to the current picture to encode the current picture. The different picture types inherently generate a varying number of bits. Since intracoded pictures do not use a reference picture for creating the current picture, they inherently use more bits than a bidirectionally encoded picture. Also, predicted pictures generally produce more bits than bidirectionally encoded pictures but less bits than intracoded pictures. The different picture types add a level of complexity to the problem of matching the encoder rate to the channel rate since different pictures inherently need to use more or less bits. In addition, the use of different picture types further complicates the control of underflow and overflow of any buffers resident in the system.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus to prevent overflow and underflow of an encoder buffer in a video compression systems and yet maintain visual quality.

Method and apparatus for preventing overflow and underflow of an encoder buffer in a video compression system


An apparatus for detecting the in-focusing conditions is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a light guide member having light incident end arranged along a plane which is placed at an angle of inclination against a predetermined focal plane of an optical system; a light receiver arranged near a light outlet end of the light guide member and consisting of a plurality of charge transfer elements arranged to receive light from the outlet end as a picture element array; means for deriving illuminance signals from the picture element array of the light receiver; and means for treating the illuminance signals to detect the in-focused position of the optical system.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting the in-focusing conditions used for an optical machinery such as cameras, microscopes, endoscopes and the like.
As one of the conventional apparatus for detecting the in-focusing conditions, photo-electro transducer elements such as CdS cell or the like are arranged in front and in the rear of a predetermined focal plane of an optical system, illuminance signals from these two elements are compared with each other and an in-focusing position is detected. In this apparatus, however, when the optical system is at the in-focusing position, it is necessary to make levels of these illuminance signals of two photo-electro transducer elements equal, so that it is difficult to arrange these two elements in correct position, and a precision is worse since the illuminance signals are compared at a fixed position. In case of changing a depth of a focus by modifying or exchanging an optical system, if the setting positions of two photo-electro transducer elements in front and in the rear of a predetermined focal plane are not changed accordingly, it is impossible to detect a precise in-focusing position.
There is another apparatus for detecting the in-focusing conditions which is so constructed that photo-electro transducer elements such as CdS cell or the like are arranged in front and in the rear of a predetermined focal plane in the same manner as described above, images focused on these two elements are scanned by a rotary mirror, contrasts of images on these elements are sought and compared with each other, thereby to detect an in-focusing position. Even in this apparatus, however, when the optical system is at the in-focusing position, it is necessary to arrange two elements so as to make respective contrasts of images on two photo-electro transducer elements equal to each other, so that it is also difficult to arrange these elements in correct position. This disadvantage also arises in case of changing depth of focus of the optical system. Moreover, in order to seek the contrasts, it is necessary to obtain an illuminance signal of a picture element array by scanning an image formed on a plane orthogonal to an optical axis at an arranged position to respective photo-electro transducer elements on the light receiving surfaces of respective elements, so that a rotary mirror for scanning and its driving device are required, and thus, an apparatus itself becomes disadvantageously large as a whole.
A further apparatus is also proposed which is so constructed that a light receiver consisting of image sensors such as CCD (charge coupled device) or the like is provided on a predetermined focal plane of an optical system, the magnitudes of contrasts for the images focused on the light receiver are compared with each other in succession thereby to detect the in-focusing conditions. In this apparatus, however, in successive comparison of the magnitudes of the contrasts, the in-focusing position is detected by the change of a polarity of the result obtained by the comparison, so that the detected position of the in-focusing does not meet with the actual in-focusing position of the optical system and thus the precision of the in-focusing detection becomes worse. In case of automatically moving and adjusting the optical system to an in-focusing position based on the result of comparison, even if the direction of the deviation of the in-focusing position is found by a polarity of the result of comparison, an amount of the deviation cannot be found, so that its control becomes complicated and troublesome, and its response becomes also a problem.

Apparatus for detecting the in-focusing conditions


An articulated ultrasonic probe for endoscopic examination comprises a transducer head, for example, having one or more rows of independently actuable transducer elements extending along the surface of the probe, parallel to the axis thereof. The probe comprises an articulable section while the transducer head is journaled for rotation with respect to the tip of the probe. In use the tip of the probe is juxtaposed to a structure to be examined; the articulated section of the probe and the rotation of the transducer are controlled separately, such that the transducer elements can be juxtaposed to the structure to be examined. A series of angularly-spaced images may be formed by rotation of the transducer about its axis after articulation of the probe.

It is relatively common to perform ultrasonic examination of body parts of patients. Ultrasonic examinations are, of course, commonly carried out using an external ultrasonic probe in contact with the body part to be examined, that is, external to the body. The present invention is directed more particularly to endoscopic ultrasonic examination. As used herein, "endoscopic" ultrasonic examination refers to examination performed using a ultrasonic probe inserted through a portal in the patient's body, either a naturally occurring portal, such as the esophagus or rectum, or a surgically-formed portal.
In endoscopic ultrasonic imaging processes, a probe comprising a transducer head is inserted through an appropriate portal and manipulated so that the transducer head contacts the body part to be examined. The ultrasonic transducer is then energized by high-frequency signals passed to the transducer head via electrical conductors running down the length of the probe, such that pulses of ultrasonic energy are transmitted into the body part to be examined. The ultrasonic energy is reflected differentially from structures within the body part to be examined. The reflected energy is detected, typically by the same transducer, which then provides an electrical signal responsive to detection of the reflected energy. These signals can be processed according to generally known techniques to yield images of the body part to be examined.
It will be apparent that the transducer head must be properly aligned with respect to the body part to be imaged in order that a useful image can be formed. The prior art shows many structures for thus juxtaposing transducers of ultrasonic probes to body structures to be examined, and also shows various types of transducers and transducer head assemblies, including single-element and multiple-element transducer heads. The elements of multiple-element transducer heads are typically separately excitable in order to transmit ultrasonic energy in a specific pattern, and are operated so as to separately detect reflected energy.
Probes that are controllably articulable in specific bending planes in order to dispose the transducer head in a particular orientation with respect to a structure to be imaged are shown in a number of patents. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,170,787 to Lindegren, 5,158,086 to Brown et al, and 5,105,819 to Wollschlager et al disclose specific structures for articulated probes. The probe structures shown by these patents typically comprise a series of "vertebrae" extending along the length of an articulable portion of the probe. The vertebrae are pivotally joined to one another, such that their peripheries can be brought toward one another along a line extending along the outer edge of the articulable portion of the probe, while being spaced farther from one another along a diametrically opposed line. In this case, the probe bends in a plane including the two lines. Typically, the articulated section of the probe is operated by flexible tension members running parallel to the diametrically opposed lines, and controlled by a push-pull control arrangement, so as to simultaneously exert tension on one tension member, and release tension on the other. Hand-grippable knobs may be provided to allow a user to exert tension on one of the tension members while correspondingly releasing tension on the other. Such a structure, as used for an optical endoscope, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,780 to Sato.
Articulable probe structures comprising vertebrae pivoted alternatingly to one another about orthogonal pivot axes are also known, for separately controllable articulation in orthogonal planes. In this case, two pairs of tension members and two push-pull control arrangements are provided, so as to provide separate articulation. Commonly, the push-pull control arrangements for such "four-way" articulated probes are operated by coaxial hand-grippable knobs; see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,050,610 and 5,207,225 to Oaks et al.
In the Brown et al patent, generally cruciform vertebrae are joined by ball and socket snap-fit elements on the probe's axis, while four tension members are maintained at radially outward, circumferentially equally spaced positions by bearings formed on the cruciform portions of the vertebrae. Flexible electrical conductors communicating excitation signals to the ultrasonic transducer head and returning detected signals responsive to the detected ultrasonic energy are disposed between the cruciform portions of each of the vertebrae. The Brown et al patent further discloses motor-driven control of the tension members, such that rather than rotate a hand-grippable knob operating a push-pull mechanism to exert tension on one tension member of each pair while releasing tension on the other, the operator simply presses a button accomplishing the same end through the intermediary of an electric motor.
As indicated above, a number of different transducer head designs are shown in the prior art, providing a number of different ultrasonic energy emission patterns. Commonly, the transducer is "end firing"; that is, the transducer emits ultrasonic energy essentially from the end of the probe, such that the axis of the center of the probe is normally perpendicular to the structure of interest. Other references show transducers for performing a circular scan centered on the axis of elongation of the probe. See, for example, Matsui et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,850, disclosing a transducer rotated about the axis of the probe tip by a motor located in a handpiece and driving the transducer by a flexible cable extending along a lumen of the probe.
The prior art also shows further types of ultrasonic transducers and further transducer positioning arrangements. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,191,890 to Hileman and 5,215,092 to Wray appear to relate to the same system, and show a side-firing ultrasonic transducer mounted at the tip of an articulable section of the probe. See, e.g., FIGS. 3-5 of the Hileman patent.
Also of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,313 to Terwilliger showing a side-firing transducer separately pivotable about two orthogonal axes, both perpendicular to the axis of elongation of a rigid probe, so that a "fan-shaped" scan pattern can be oriented in various positions with respect to a structure to be imaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,437 to Langberg teaches a transducer having a helical scan pattern, this being stated to improve the image processing capabilities.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,102 and 4,977,898 to Schwarzchild et al show a miniature encapsulated ultrasonic transducer, having a scanning mechanism including a motor disposed in the tip of an ultrasonic transducer head.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,181,514 to Solomon et al and 5,176,142 to Mason relate to a system wherein a transducer array disposed at the end of a probe is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the axis of elongation of the probe by a motor located at a proximal end of the probe, so as to allow controllable alignment of the scanning plane. A position feedback device provides a signal indicative of the position of the transducer for analysis of the reflected ultrasonic energy in generation of an image.
A number of patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,869,263 to Segal et al, 4,771,788 to Millar, 4,757,818 to Angelsen, and 4,582,067 to Silverstein et al show Doppler blood flow sensors for disposition at the end of a probe. The Silverstein et al patent combines this with an articulable endoscope for providing a visible image of a body part. U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,408, also to Silverstein et al, teaches a flexible endoscope providing both visible and ultrasonic imaging capabilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,793 to Takano et al shows an ultrasonic probe wherein a mirror inclined at 45 degrees to the axis of elongation of the probe is continuously rotated by a flexible cable connected to a motor. The mirror is disposed opposite an ultrasonic transducer, such that as the mirror rotates a circular scan is effected. U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,727 to Matsuo et al shows a similar structure in an articulated probe.
The Oaks et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,207,225 and 5,050,610 teach an ultrasonic scan head for transesophageal use wherein a side-firing transducer emitting a "fan-shaped" beam can be rotated about an axis transverse to the tip of the probe. Compare FIGS. 2A and 2B of the Oaks et al '225 patent. The Oaks et al patents also teach, as mentioned above, that the probe can be separately articulated in orthogonal planes by operation of co-axial control knobs. The axis about which the transducer of Oaks et al rotates is fixed with respect to the planes of articulation of the probe. Assuming access is possible, such "four-way" articulation, together with the capability of rotating the entire probe about its axis of elongation, is sufficient to allow the side-firing transducer of Oaks to be juxtaposed to all sides of structures to be imaged. However, given that standard surgical procedures dictate use of certain portals only, it can be difficult using the Oaks et al and other known probes to form desired images of numerous body structures of interest. Moreover, having achieved a desired relation between the Oaks et al probe and the structure of interest, it is in many circumstances difficult to move the transducer head to another desired position.
More particularly, using a probe with a side-firing transducer array, that is, having an array of individual transducer elements extending along a line on the outer surface of the probe and parallel to its axis of elongation, it is difficult to mimic the scanning movements a physician uses when the probe is held in his or her hand, e.g., for external ultrasonic examination. It would be desirable to allow physicians to use the same motions for external and endoscopic examinations, as this would assist them in interpreting the images formed.
Physicians often use an external ultrasonic imaging technique wherein the image plane is perpendicular to the tissue surface, that is, extends into the body structure to be examined, while the probe is systematically moved over the surface, the probe motion being perpendicular to the scan plane. For example, a side-firing transducer may be moved along the abdomen of a pregnant woman, emitting a fan-shaped beam perpendicularly into the abdominal cavity. As the transducer is moved slowly perpendicular to the scan plane, a sequence of cross-sectional images is displayed.
A surgeon using a side-firing linear array transducer together with a four-way articulating probe might desire to make a similar sequence of images of the liver, that is, to see a sequence of cross-sectional images perpendicular to the surface of the organ. The surgeon may typically start by manipulating the probe such that the image plane is perpendicular to the plane of articulation, so that he can image perpendicularly to the tissue when the contact point is far removed from the portal. If he moves in a direction perpendicular to the image plane, that is, by articulating the probe, the probe end ultimately comes into contact with the tissue beneath the portal. If he has not readjusted the probe, the transducer will be firing parallel to the tissue and will not obtain an image. Accordingly, in order to obtain the proper orientation, the surgeon is required to change the plane of the articulation, e.g., by simultaneously operating two push-pull control arrangements, while also rotating the probe 90 degrees about its axis. Thus, the surgeon must simultaneously adjust three parameters to mimic a simple hand-held scan, and must do so without being able to observe the motion of the tip of the probe. This requires substantial coordination and is difficult for many practitioners to perform effectively.
Furthermore, the degree of linear movement provided is often limited. For example, a surgeon imaging the common bile duct using laparoscopic ultrasonic techniques eventually reaches a location where the transducer cannot be inserted any further. If the surgeon is using a rigid side-firing probe, he or she may then rotate the probe about its axis to obtain a series of angularly-spaced images, including structures somewhat beyond the point of linear motion. If the surgical portal does not allow placement of a straight probe into the appropriate spot for imaging the structure of interest, the surgeon must use an articulated probe to obtain the proper placement. However, using a conventional articulated probe precludes rotation of the probe to obtain angularly-spaced images, as above.
It can therefore be seen that despite the existence of substantial prior art directed to ultrasonic imaging probes, including probes which are articulable in one or two planes, and probes which include transducers rotatable about various axes to alter the scan orientation, there remain substantial deficiencies in the prior art.
The prior art also includes U. S. Pat. No. 4,696,544 to Costella, disclosing an articulable fiber optic device for optical inspection of the interiors of jet engine parts and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,554 to Habib shows a fiber-optic optical imaging endoscope slidably disposed within an articulated sleeve, in one embodiment including a bellows in the articulated section thereof. The endoscope forms an image directly opposite its tip. The sleeve is articulated to be bendable in a single direction. Thus, in order to juxtapose the imaging tip to a structure of interest, the sleeve is rotated to a desired angular position, defining a desired bending plane, and is then articulated. See Habib at col. 5, lines 52-63.
The prior art also includes a number of instruments for purposes other than ultrasonic imaging, wherein a variety of different motions are provided for implements at the tips of probes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,130 to Poncet et al shows a surgical device wherein a cutting implement is disposed for rotation at the tip of a probe flexing responsive to a change in temperature of a shape memory element. U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,111 to Bilotti et al shows a surgical stapler comprising a stapling mechanism mounted on the end of an elongated shaft, the shaft being rotatable about its axis with respect to an actuating handle, and the stapling mechanism being pivotable about an axis normal to the shaft. See Col. 3, lines 19-24. A similar device is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 4,728,020 to Green et al. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,620, also to Green et al, and showing further positional possibilities for a surgical stapler.

Ultrasonic probe having articulated structure and rotatable transducer head


A core spray sparger assembly for supplying coolant to a nuclear reactor. The nuclear reactor includes fuel assemblies, a top guide, coolant supply pipes and a shroud head. The core spray sparger assembly includes at least one coolant manifold, at least one coolant coupling in fluid communication with the coolant manifold, and at least one mounting device configured to couple the coolant manifold to the nuclear reactor. The core spray sparger assembly further includes a plurality of fluid conductors in a parallel array positioned above the fuel assemblies, the fluid conductors in fluid communication with the coolant manifold, and a plurality of nozzles in fluid communication with the fluid conductors.

This invention relates generally to nuclear reactors and more particularly, to core spray sparger assemblies within such reactors.
A reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of a boiling water reactor (BWR) typically has a generally cylindrical shape and is closed at both ends, e.g., by a bottom head and a removable top head. A shroud surrounds the core and is supported by a shroud support structure.
Boiling water reactors have numerous piping systems, and such piping systems are utilized, for example, to transport water throughout the RPV. For example, some BWR""s include an emergency core cooling system, configured to spray coolant over each fuel assembly in the event of a loss of coolant accident. Core spray piping is used to supply water from outside the RPV to core spray spargers inside the RPV. The core spray spargers supply coolant to the fuel assemblies. In some situations, the core spray sparger can supply coolant containing boron to the fuel assemblies to suppress fission.
Core spray spargers are generally classified as ring spargers or grid spargers. Both types require extensive, laborious efforts to ensure coolant is supplied to the fuel assemblies. Ring spargers generally include peripheral rings with adjustable spray nozzle units. Ring spargers nozzle units require time consuming field alignment of each nozzle unit. Such field alignment is particularly difficult if nozzle units must be replaced or temporally removed after reactor operation due to the radiation field. Grid spargers generally include a complex grid that can cause an undesirable pressure drop in the normal coolant flowpath and complicates inspection of RPV areas above the fuel assemblies. Further, grid spargers themselves require extensive inspection due to the number of components, welds, and joints presented by their construction.
In one aspect, a core spray sparger assembly is provided for a nuclear reactor that includes fuel assemblies, a top guide, coolant supply pipes and a shroud head. The core spray sparger assembly includes at least one coolant manifold, at least one coolant coupling in fluid communication with the coolant manifold, and at least one mounting device configured to couple the coolant manifold to the nuclear reactor. The core spray sparger assembly further includes a plurality of fluid conductors in a parallel array positioned above the fuel assemblies, the fluid conductors in fluid communication with the coolant manifold, and a plurality of nozzles in fluid communication with the fluid conductors.
In another aspect, a core spray sparger assembly is provided for a nuclear reactor that includes a top guide and fuel assemblies. The core spray sparger assembly includes a pair of independent, coaxial, substantially circular, coolant manifolds, joined by a plurality of resilient couplings. The core spray sparger assembly also includes at least one coolant coupling in fluid communication with each coolant manifold and at least one boron coolant coupling in fluid communication with each coolant manifold. The core spray sparger assembly further includes at least one mounting device, two parallel arrays, at least one stabilizing member, and a plurality of nozzles. The mounting device couples the coolant manifolds to the nuclear reactor. Two parallel arrays of fluidically independent, parallel fluid conductors are configured to be positioned above the reactor top guide, each array in fluid communication with one of the coolant manifolds. The stabilizing member is coupled to one of the coolant manifolds and at least one of the fluid conductors. The nozzles are in fluid communication with the fluid conductors.
In another aspect, a nuclear reactor is provided that includes a plurality of fuel assemblies, at least one coolant supply pipe, a top core guide above side fuel assemblies, a shroud head above the top core guide, and a core spray sparger assembly. The core spray sparger assembly includes at least one coolant manifold, at least one coolant coupling in fluid communication with the coolant manifold, at least one mounting device coupling the coolant manifold to the nuclear reactor, a plurality of fluid conductors in a parallel array, positioned above the top guide, in fluid communication with the coolant manifold, and a plurality of nozzles in fluid communication with the fluid conductors, configured to supply coolant to the fuel assemblies.


Provided herein are nucleic acid tags that are linked to, or capable of linking to, a protein of interest. In particular, the nucleic acid tags are oligonucleotides comprising a reporter function and a protein tagging function. Also provided herein, are nucleic acid tag compositions, kits and methods of use thereof.

Traditional techniques for quantifying and detecting the presence of proteins include gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, ELISA based immunoabsorbent assays and protein microarrays. Each of these methods are cumbersome and not amenable to high-throughput use. These traditional methods also suffer limitations in detection sensitivity and specificity. Provided herein is a nucleic acid tag and a new, highly sensitive and selective method of protein detection using the nucleic acid tags.


A main bearing for a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine has first and second half bearings forming an axial groove on an inner circumferential side of a butting portion. Each half bearing has a main cylinder portion including a central portion in a circumferential direction, and crush relief portions each extending toward the central portion from an end surface of the half bearing in the circumferential direction with a center angle of 3° to 15°. A plurality of crush relief grooves are formed in each crush relief portion to extend in the circumferential direction and communicate with the axial groove. The first half bearing has an oil groove extending in the circumferential direction and a transition region having an inward protruding curved surface with a wall thickness becoming thinner toward the crush relief portion from the main cylinder portion.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention of the present application relates to a main bearing for supporting a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A crankshaft of an internal combustion engine is supported at a journal section thereof by a cylinder block lower part of the internal combustion engine via a main bearing made of a pair of half bearings. For the main bearing, a lubricating oil that is discharged by an oil pump is fed into a lubricating oil groove that is formed along an inner circumferential surface of the main bearing through a through-port that is formed in a wall of the main bearing from an oil gallery that is formed in a cylinder block wall. Further, a first lubricating oil path is formed by being penetrated in a diameter direction of the journal section, and both end openings of the first lubricating oil path communicate with the lubricating oil groove of the main bearing. Furthermore, a second lubricating oil path passing through a crank arm section is formed by branching from the first lubricating oil path in the journal section, and the second lubricating oil path communicates with a third lubricating oil path that is formed by being penetrated in a diameter direction of a crankpin. In this manner, the lubricating oil which is fed into the lubricating oil groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the main bearing through the through-port from the oil gallery in the cylinder block wall passes through the first lubricating oil path, the second lubricating oil path and the third lubricating oil path, and is supplied between a sliding surface of the crankpin and a connecting rod bearing from a discharge port that is opened in a terminal end of the third lubricating oil path (for example, see JP-A-8-277831).
The lubricating oil which is fed to the lubricating oil groove of the main bearing from the oil gallery in the cylinder block wall is likely to be accompanied by residual foreign matters that are generated at a time of machining of respective components, for example. The foreign matters are likely to damage sliding surfaces between the journal section and the main bearing and sliding surfaces between the crankpin and the connecting rod bearing, and therefore, need to be discharged to an outside quickly from the flow of the lubricating oil.
Consequently, there has been conventionally provided a main bearing for supporting a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, wherein an inner circumferential surface of each of semi-cylindrical bearings that configure the main bearing is formed of two kinds of circular arcs with different curvatures, namely, a first curved surface (a main cylinder portion) including a circumferential central portion and a second curved surface (a crush relief portion), an axial groove is formed through an entire length in a width direction of both butting end surfaces of the semi-cylindrical bearings, the second curved surface is formed in a range of 20° to 50° as a circumferential angle (θ) measured from a circumferential end surface of each of the semi-cylindrical bearings, and a number of fine circumferential grooves are formed in the second curved surface (FIGS. 1 and 5 of JP-A-2011-58568), so that foreign matters that accompany the lubricating oil and enter a lubricating oil groove of one of the semi-cylindrical bearings are fed to and dispersed in a gap formed by the second curved surface and a surface of the crankshaft, are thereafter discharged to an outside of the main bearing from the axial groove, and are prevented from reaching an inner circumferential surface position of the other semi-cylindrical bearing and being locally embedded and accumulated in the same inner circumferential surface (paragraph 0011 of JP-A-2011-58568).

Main bearing for crankshaft of internal combustion engine


Techniques for providing an information image display method are described. One example method includes biometric information is received from a user at a client device. The received biometric information is determined whether it matches a predetermined biometric information from a plurality of stored predetermined biometric information. In response to determining the received biometric information matches one of the stored predetermined biometric information, data indicating an interface of an application is retrieved that corresponds to the stored predetermined biometric information. The data indicating the interface of the application on a display screen of the client device for a predetermined duration is displayed while the client device is in an unused mode. After the predetermined duration has elapsed, the data indicating the interface of the application from the display screen is removed while the client device remains in the unused mode.

With the development of the intelligent device technologies, a user's devices such as a mobile phone and a watch, can support many short-distance information exchange methods. Many application scenarios emerge accordingly, such as mobile payment, access control, and business card exchange.
Currently, when the user uses an intelligent device such as the mobile phone for two-dimensional (2D) code fast payment, a typical operation process can include taking out, waking up, unlocking the mobile phone, finding, running payment function APP, finding a 2D code functional subpage, and performing a 2D code display operation. It can be seen that, in practical application, performing a complete 2D code display operation takes several steps. The steps are inconvenient for a user to operate, and cannot adapt well to high user density scenarios, such as in supermarket or on public transportation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Information image display method and apparatus


A chip breaker for a milling center having a bedplate and a rotary cutting tool includes a support and an operative chip breaker element adjustably mounted on the support, the chip breaker element being movable tangentially relative to the cutting tool and the support being adjustable perpendicularly relative to the bedplate.

Because the milling cutter must use different cutting tools to cut different profiles on different workpieces, it is required to provide adjustment for the pressure pad and for the chip breaker shoe.
This is conventionally done by arranging the pad and shoe on brackets with provision for manual adjustment via guide slots and clamping screws both parallel to and perpendicularly to the bedplate. Adjustment is carried out by effecting each independent adjustment in turn and several times until the right combination of perpendicular and parallel movements is hit upon. The process is time consuming and only as accurate as the skill of the operator allows, and can lead to scrap components.


An automated machine is disclosed for grinding and polishing the terminated ends of the optical fibers in fiber optic cables. The machine utilizes abrasive material in strip form. The abrasive material is moved in a carriage along a linear path while the carriage is oscillated in a circle within a plane during polishing. There are three separate carriages operating concurrently, the first having a relatively course grade of abrasive while the others have finer grades. Fixtures holding the cables for polishing are held in fixture supports that are automatically fed toward the abrasive material during polishing and retracted after polishing is complete. The fixture engagement mechanism for the first carriage engages at a slower rate than do the mechanisms of the other carriages.

Polishing machines for grinding and polishing the ends of fiber optic cables are usually of the type having a rotating abrasive disk that is maintained relatively flat. The optical fiber is secured in a fixture having a flat bottom. The end of the optical fiber that is to be polished projects slightly below this bottom surface, sometimes under the urging of a spring mechanism to control the forces on the fragile optical fiber. The fixture, with its fiber optic cable attached, is carefully lowered onto the rotating abrasive disk and made to undergo a standard polishing pattern such as circular or figure eight. The polishing usually occurs in a particular segment of the rotating disk so that, as polishing continues, the same abrasive surface is continually presented to the tips being polished. There are usually three or more stages of polishing that must be done in sequence, from relatively course abrasive to very fine. Prior to machine polishing, however, it is usually necessary to hand polish the tips to remove the protruding fiber stubs to prevent damage. In certain prior art polishing machines, during the final stage the bottom surface of the fixture contacts the abrasive disk so that the end of the optical fiber is polished to a flat surface flush with the bottom surface of the fixture. Other prior art polishing machines rely upon the tips of the optical fibers themselves in contact with the abrasive surface to maintain the axes of the fixture and the cables somewhat perpendicular to the surface of the abrasive material. In these machines the fixture itself does not contact the abrasive material, therefore, the quality of the final polished surfaces of the cable is dependant upon the amount of ferrule projection below the bottom of the fixture. Such projections will vary due to variations in the manufacturing of the terminated cables. That is, when the cables are loaded into the fixture they are positioned with respect to some feature of the connector such as a shoulder. This results in the tips of the optical fibers extending below the bottom surface of the fixture by varying amounts, the three tips that extend the farthest being the ones that establish the initial angle between the axes and the abrasive surface. With such an arrangement some of the optical fibers are polished more than others resulting in inconsistency and varying quality.
What is needed is a polishing machine that controls the relative motion of the tips of the optical fibers with respect to the abrasive material so that fresh abrasive is always presented to the tips for efficient and high quality polishing. To eliminate the need for preparatory hand polishing, the machine should allow for relatively slow engagement during the initial stage of polishing with a more normal rapid engagement during later stages. Additionally, the tips of the optical fibers should be located in a plane that is parallel with the abrasive surface prior to polishing and the fixture that holds the fiber optic cables should be maintained in this plane during polishing, thereby obviating the alignment and quality problems mentioned above or the need for the fixture to contact the abrasive material to maintain vertical alignment.

Machine for grinding and polishing terminated fiber optic cables


A method and apparatus for producing silicon single crystals with reduced contamination is disclosed. In one embodiment the structural components constructed of graphite and located in the hot zone of the crystal pulling apparatus have two protective layers. The first protective layer is applied directly to the graphite component. The second protective layer is a silicon layer and is applied on top of the first protective layer and covers the first layer. In a second embodiment, the structural components constructed of graphite and located in the hot zone of the crystal pulling apparatus have a single protective layer. The single protective layer is applied directly to the graphite and consists of a mixture of silicon carbide and silicon.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the preparation of single silicon crystals having a reduced level of contamination. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the preparation of single silicon crystals wherein the structural graphite components in the crystal growth chamber of a Czochralski crystal pulling apparatus have been coated either with two protective layers including a first protective layer such as silicon carbide or glassy carbon, and a second protective layer of silicon, or coated with a single protective layer comprising a mixture of silicon carbide and silicon.
Single crystal silicon which is the starting material for most processes for the fabrication of semiconductor electronic components is commonly prepared with the so-called Czochralski process. In this process, polycrystalline silicon ("polysilicon") is charged to a crucible, the polysilicon is melted, a seed crystal is immersed into the molten silicon and a single crystal silicon ingot is grown by slow extraction to a desired diameter.
The crystal pulling apparatus commonly utilized in the Czochralski process contains numerous internal parts surrounding the molten silicon containing crucible. These internal parts are constructed of graphite and generally referred to as "hot zone" parts. These hot zone parts, such as susceptors, heaters, thermal shields, heat reflectors or insulation, control the heat flow around the crucible and the cooling rate of the growing crystal. It has been recognized in the art for some time that although the graphite components used in the crystal pulling apparatus are not in direct contact with the molten silicon or the growing crystal, the use of such components at the high temperatures necessary to melt the polysilicon and grow the resulting crystal can result in the outgassing of particles and resulting high level contamination of the melt and subsequently the grown crystal with molybdenum, iron, copper, nickel, and other unwanted contaminants. It is well known that metals such as iron and molybdenum reduce minority carrier lifetimes in silicon wafers and copper and nickel can lead to oxygen induced stacking faults in the resulting crystal. Also, oxygen produced during the crystal growing process through the interaction of the silicon melt and the crucible which is present around the graphite components can cause the graphite to undergo oxidation and cause the further release of particles from pores in the graphite, as well as weaken the graphite structure and cause the parts to buckle.
In order to reduce the risk of crystal contamination with contaminants which can be outgassed by graphite parts located around the growing crystal, it has been common for all graphite components contained in the hot zone to be coated with a protective barrier layer such as silicon carbide or a glassy carbon coating. Because of its high temperature oxidation resistance, silicon carbide is widely used to coat graphite parts used in the hot zone of a crystal pulling apparatus. Silicon carbide coatings provide a barrier to impurity outgassing by sealing the graphite surface, thus requiring impurities to pass through the coating by grain boundary and bulk diffusion mechanisms. This coating is used to contain unwanted contaminants that are generated by the graphite during the crystal pulling process. The silicon carbide layer is generally on the order of about 75 to about 150 micrometers thick, and covers the graphite surface. One method of depositing a silicon carbide layer over graphite is described by Scheiffarth and Wagner in Surface and Coatings Technology, 54/55 (1992) 13-18.
Similar to the silicon carbide coating the glassy carbon coating on graphite is used to contain unwanted contaminants that the graphite generates during exposure to high temperature. A method of providing a glassy carbon layer over a graphite body is described by Lewis et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,679.
Although the use of a silicon carbide coating or glassy carbon coating over graphite has reduced the amount of undesirable contaminants entering the silicon melt and/or the grown crystal, neither approach has been successful in totally eliminating the problem of particulate generation by graphite and the resultant contamination the grown crystal. Iron contamination from graphite remains a prominent problem even with the use of a silicon carbide or glassy carbon coating. Undesirable metals such as iron appear able to penetrate these coatings in an amount sufficient to degrade the resulting crystal. Also, it is believed that the typical silicon carbide coating provided by industry is itself contaminated with about 1 ppma iron. When this coating is heated in the silicon crystal growth environment, the iron can diffuse to the surface, evaporate, and become attached to the growing crystal.
Therefore, a need still exists in the semiconductor industry for a method which will further reduce the level of contaminants entering the silicon melt during the crystal growing process due to particulates generated from components within the hot zone of the crystal pulling apparatus.

Process and apparatus for preparation of silicon crystals with reduced metal content


A muzzle loading firearm in which firing is effected by a shot shell primer positioned within an ignition chamber and fired through a loosely locked but protective cup.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to muzzle loading firearms, and particularly to a firing system for such firearms.
2. General Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, and perhaps for over a hundred years, muzzle loading firearms have been fired or ignited by means of a percussion cap 80 (FIG. 5). Percussion cap 80 has a slightly tapered case 82 with a closed (smaller) end 84 and an explosive charge 86 which is positioned within case 82 adjacent to end 84. The opposite end 88 is open and is adapted to fit over a tubular holder 90 (in turn adapted to be screwed into the breech end of the barrel of a firearm) having an opening 91 which connects with the interior of the barrel of the firearm. Percussion cap 80 is fired by hammer 92 by simply compressing charge 86 between closed end 84 of the percussion cap and the top surface of holder 90. The resulting flame is then directed through opening 91 to the interior of the barrel of the rifle to fire a propellant therein. It is well known that the percussion cap system is not highly reliable and that misfires not infrequently occur. A further difficulty is that a part of the explosion can leak out between the wall of case 82 and holder 90, and it is necessaary to provide a shroud 94 on hammer 92 to provide a measure of protection for the user of the firearm. In a previous application, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,303, the applicant disclosed one device for utilizing a shot shell primer in an improved firing system, and it is basically illustrated in FIG. 2.
It is the object of this invention to provide a modification of the applicant's prior system, particularly enabling a shot shell primer to be useable with weapons which have a flat surfaced hammer, and to provide improved certainty and safety of firing.