A sample analyzer for analyzing a biological sample is disclosed that comprising: a measurement specimen preparation section for preparing a measurement specimen by using a reagent and the biological sample; a irradiator for irradiating the measurement specimen with a light; a first light receiving section for receiving a light from the measurement specimen and converting the received light into an electrical signal; a analysis section for analyzing the measurement specimen based on the electrical signal output by the first light receiving section; and a selection section for selecting an intensity of light to be irradiated by the irradiator, wherein the irradiator is configured to irradiate with a light of an intensity corresponding to the light intensity selected by the selection section.

An analyzer for measuring components of a biological sample is conventionally known (see e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-275163).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-275163 discloses a particle analyzer, including a measurement section for performing measurement through electrical resistance method and a measurement section for performing measurement through flow cytometry method, for measuring platelets in the blood (biological sample).
In the measurement through the flow cytometry method, consideration is made in increasing the irradiating intensity of the irradiator to enhance the measurement accuracy of small particles such as platelet.
However, if the irradiating intensity of the irradiator is increased to enhance the measurement accuracy of small particles such as platelet, it is sometimes difficult to measure other particles (particles larger than platelet) such as white blood cells.


The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a MOS transistor of an embedded memory. The method of the present invention involves first defining a memory array area and a periphery circuit region on the surface of the semiconductor wafer and to deposit a gate oxide layer, an undoped polysilicon layer and a dielectric layer, respectively. Next, the undoped polysilicon layer in the memory array area is implanted to form a doped polysilicon layer followed by the removal of the dielectric layer in the memory array area. Thereafter, a metallic silicide layer and a passivation layer are formed, respectively, on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The passivation layer, the metallic silicide layer and the doped polysilicon layer are then etched to form a plurality of gates in the memory array area. Next, the passivation layer, the metallic silicide layer and the dielectric layer in the periphery circuit region are removed. Finally, the undoped polysilicon layer is etched to form a plurality of gates in the periphery circuit region, followed by the formation of spacers, sources and drains of each MOS transistors, respectively, in the periphery circuit region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a MOS transistor of an embedded memory, and more particularly, to a manufacturing method of a MOS transistor of an embedded memory to simultaneously form a periphery circuit region and a memory array area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With increasing integration, the present trend of manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuits is to integrate memory cell arrays and high-speed logic circuit elements onto a single chip. An embedded memory composed of memory arrays and logic circuits significantly reduces the circuit area and increases the signal processing speed. The high-speed logic circuit element is also called a periphery circuit region.
Because the MOS transistors formed in the periphery circuit region requires low resistance and high speed, the present semiconductor process primarily uses a self-alignment silicide (salicide) process to form a silicide layer on each gate, source and drain of the MOS transistors formed on the periphery circuit region for reducing the surface resistance of each gate, source and drain of the MOS transistors. However, the self-aligned-contact (SAC) process developed for solving the electrical connection problem of memory cells in the memory array area involves forming a silicon nitride layer, as a cap layer, and a spacer on the top and side surfaces of a gate of a pass transistor formed in the memory array area as an isolation mask in the subsequent SAC process. Therefore, in the prior art method, the two processes conflict and are not performed simultaneously, resulting in increased time and cost.
Please refer to FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 are cross-sectional diagrams of a prior art method for manufacturing a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor of an embedded memory on a semiconductor wafer 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the surface of the silicon substrate 16 is divided into a memory array area 12 and a periphery circuit region 14, and each region is separated by several shallow trench isolation structures 11. The prior art method involves forming a dielectric layer 18, a polysilicon layer 20 and an etching barrier layer 22, respectively, on the surface of the semiconductor wafer 10. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, a mask layer 24 is formed over the etching barrier layer 22 in the periphery region 14. The etching barrier layer 22 and the polysilicon layer 20 in the memory array area 12 are removed using an isotropic wet etching operation.
As shown in FIG. 3, the mask layer 24 above the etching barrier layer 22 is removed, and then the dielectric layer 18 in the memory array region 12 is stripped away to expose the substrate surface 16. As shown in FIG. 4, a dielectric layer 26 is formed over the exposed substrate 16, and serves as a gate oxide layer in the memory array area 12. Thereafter, a polysilicon layer 28, a tungsten silicide layer 30 and a silicon nitride layer 32 are formed, respectively, over the surface of the semiconductor wafer 10.
In the next step, as shown in FIG. 5, a photoresist layer 34 is deposited over the silicon nitride layer 32 and a lithographic process is performed to define gate patterns in the memory array area 12 and periphery circuit region 14. Next, using the photoresist layer 34 as a mask, the silicon nitride layer 32, the tungsten silicide layer 30 and the polysilicon layer 28 are etched, thereby exposing portions of the dielectric layer 26 in the memory array area 12 and portions of the etching barrier layer 22 in the periphery circuit region 14. As shown in FIG. 6, the photoresist layer 34 is removed. Thereafter, another photoresist layer 36 is deposited over the memory array area 12 for protecting the gate 33 structure, which includes the dielectric layer 26, the polysilicon layer 28, the tungsten silicide layer 30 and the silicon nitride layer 32.
As shown in FIG. 7, the photoresist layer 36 and the silicon nitride layer 32 of the periphery circuit region 14 are used as hard masks to remove the etching barrier layer 22 and the polysilicon layer 20 not covered by the silicon nitride layer 32 in the periphery circuit region 14. A gate 35 structure of the periphery circuit region 14 is formed, and the silicon nitride layer 32, the tungsten silicide layer 30, the polysilicon layer 28 and the photoresist layer 36 are then removed.
As shown in FIG. 8, an ion implantation process is performed to form lightly doped drain (LDD) 38 structures of the MOS transistors. Next, a silicon nitride layer 43 is deposited over the semiconductor wafer 10, followed by an anisotropic etching process to form spacers 44 on the walls of the gate 35 structures in the periphery circuit region 14. The remaining etching barrier layer 22 is removed after the formation of the spacers 44. A source 40 and a drain 42 of the MOS transistors are then formed in the periphery circuit region 14. Finally, as shown in FIG. 9, a self-aligned silicide operation is carried out to form a salicide layer 46 above each source 40, drain 42 and gate 35 structure in the periphery circuit region 14.
However, in FIG. 5 of the prior art method, the etching process is simultaneously performed in the memory array area 12 and in the periphery circuit region 14 to simultaneously form patterns of the gates. The density of the gates in the memory array area 12 is normally greater than that of the periphery circuit region 14, resulting in the etching process causing both a proximity effect and a loading effect. As well, in FIG. 7, an extra step is needed to remove the silicon nitride layer 32 in the periphery circuit region 14, when the silicon nitride layer 32 is not necessary for the gates 35 in the periphery circuit region 14.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a MOS transistor of an embedded memory to solve the above-mentioned problems.
The method of the present invention involves first defining a memory array area and a periphery circuit region on the surface of the semiconductor wafer and to sequentially deposit a gate oxide layer, an undoped polysilicon layer and a dielectric layer. Next, the undoped polysilicon layer in the memory array area is implanted to form a doped polysilicon layer, followed by the removal of the dielectric layer in the memory array area. Thereafter, a metallic silicide layer and a passivation layer are formed, respectively, on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, and the passivation layer, the metallic silicide layer and the doped polysilicon layer are then etched to form a plurality of gates in the memory array area. Next, the passivation layer, the metallic silicide layer and the dielectric layer in the periphery circuit region are removed. Finally, the undoped polysilicon layer is etched to form a plurality of gates in the periphery circuit region, followed by the respective formation of spacers, sources and drains of each MOS transistor in the periphery circuit region.
There are two advantages of the present invention, the first of which is the simultaneous formation of the silicon nitride layer necessary for the gates in the memory array area and removal of the silicon nitride layer not necessary for the gates in the periphery circuit region. In the prior art method, after etching the gates in both the memory array area and in the periphery circuit region, an extra step is needed to remove the silicon nitride layer not necessary for the gates in the periphery circuit region to increase time cost. The second advantage is that the present invention performs the etching process to form separately the gates in the memory array area and those in the periphery circuit region to reduce both the proximity effect and the loading effect since the density of gate patterns of the DRAM is higher in the memory array than in the periphery circuit region.

Method for fabricating a MOS transistor of an embedded memory


An apparatus for releasably clamping a substrate to a support platform, or other support means, at a face of the substrate is described. In one embodiment, a retractable clamp holds a substrate near its edges on a support platform when the clamp is in its fully extended position. One or more leaf springs are mounted to the clamp and apply force to the substrate at respective points in the event the substrate adheres to the clamp, thereby releasing the substrate from the clamp. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more activators are positioned in cooperative relationship to the leaf springs to cause the leaf springs to retract into recesses in the clamp when the clamp is extended against the substrate. In their retracted position, the leaf springs do not contact the substrate so as to minimize the generation of particle contamination and the chance of the release leaf springs themselves adhering to the substrate.

In the semiconductor wafer and substrate processing fields various types of processing equipment are now commonplace which provide for automated handling of wafers in a vacuum environment. A paramount concern in the handling and processing of such wafer substrates is the need to minimize particle generation that could contaminate the wafers damaging the devices being formed thereon. For this reason, most semiconductor device fabrication is conducted within a "clean room" environment where extreme measures are taken to minimize the presence of particulate matter.
It is known that the mechanical movement of machine parts is responsible for generation of unwanted particles and, accordingly, the movement of various automated wafer transport and stationing mechanisms within wafer processing equipment is carefully controlled. Many types of wafer processing equipment are designed to process wafers individually, i.e., one at a time or serially, as opposed to batch processing. In such equipment, wafers are typically loaded in the processing system by a cassette and individually and automatically transferred from the cassette to one or more processing stations. A number of systems have recently been developed with a plurality of processing stations housed within a single vacuum environment. The stations may perform processing steps such as, for example, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma etching, heating, etc. These systems typically include one or more load-lock chambers where the wafers are introduced and removed from the vacuum environment. In so-called "cluster tool" systems, the wafers are typically transferred by means, such as robot arms, between the load-lock chamber and the process stations within the vacuum environment.
At a process station, it may be necessary to hold the wafer firmly against a support surface with a clamp during processing, such as for example to maintain the position of the wafer relative to the processing equipment or to maintain good thermal contact to a heat transfer element. A common technique for maintaining the temperature of a wafer undergoing processing in a vacuum environment is to introduce a conductive gas in a narrow space at the backside of the wafer, thereby thermally coupling the wafer to a temperature control element. When using a backside gas, which is introduced at a pressure higher than the ambient pressure of the processing chamber, clamp means are required to ensure that the backside gas does not move the wafer off of the support surface.
In most cluster tool systems, and many other types of semiconductor processing equipment, the wafers are loaded onto and removed from the process platform in a horizontal orientation. This allows gravity to be used to hold the wafer in place on the surface of the platform while the wafer is clamped and unclamped. Thus, unclamping normally involves simply translating the clamp mechanism in an upward direction, relying on gravity to cause separation of the wafer and the clamp.
Unfortunately, the particular process used in a process chamber may cause the clamp to adhere to a wafer after completion of processing of the wafer at the process station, thus preventing the wafer from being picked up by the robot arm or other transport mechanism. This may occur, for example, when depositing a metal layer over a wafer which causes the wafer to stick to the clamp. Another example is when a wafer having a top layer of a material which melts or becomes plastic at an elevated temperature used in a processing step, causing the top layer to adhere to the clamp.
When a wafer sticks to a clamp, the processing system typically must be shut down to free the stuck wafer, a procedure that normally involves manual intervention at atmospheric pressure. After the process chamber is vented to atmosphere to permit manual wafer removal, it can take several hours before the chamber can be placed back in service due to the need to pump down the chamber and allow outgassing of contaminants (e.g., water vapor, etc.) that have become adsorbed to the chamber surfaces. Thus, it can easily take four to five hours to recover from a stuck wafer.
Of particular concern to the present invention are sputtering systems where a layer of metal is formed over a wafer or substrate at a controlled elevated temperature. As described above, when sputter coating a silicon wafer, it is advantageous to clamp the wafer to the heater table or platform to allow the introduction of a backside gas. This gas serves as a heat transfer medium in the vacuum system to maintain the temperature of the wafer within a desired temperature range during the sputtering operation. On occasion, the wafer sticks to the clamp when the sputtering system tries to un-clamp the wafer, thereby preventing the transfer of the wafer to the robot arm which will carry the wafer to the load-lock station or to the next process station. The above-described manual intervention operation must be used, usually causing several hours of lost processing time. The lost time decreases the wafer throughput of the system, typically causing revenues losses for the user due to the decreased throughput.
Prior art processing systems have either not addressed this problem or have addressed it in a way which is not entirely satisfactory. One approach to minimize the possibility of sticking uses clamps having contact surfaces which are slightly beveled to cause the clamp to only contact at the outside edge of the wafer, as far away from the deposition process as possible. An overhang formed by the projection of the beveled edge may be used to block sputtered material from being deposited in the area where the clamp makes contact with the wafer. However, the beveled surface does not completely eliminate the possibility of sticking because, with time, sputtered material makes its way under the clamp's edge and back to the area of the clamp surface which contacts the wafer's edge. It has been found that such a system may experience one wafer sticking per one thousand wafers processed. This level is in need of improvement. Moreover, as indicated above, there are some instances where material has been previously deposited at the edge of the wafer. When such wafers are clamped for further processing, the possibility of sticking can be considerably higher. Accordingly, there is a need to substantially reduce the number of incidents in which a wafer or substrate becomes stuck to a clamp in such systems.

Clamp with wafer release for semiconductor wafer processing equipment


The invention relates to a composite structure of a sample carrier 20 and a sample holder 30 for use in a TEM, for example. The sample carrier is hereby separately embodied from the sample holder. Although such compositions are already known, the known compositions are very fragile constructions. The sample carrier according to the invention can be formed from a strip of metal, and is a simple and cheap element. Using resilient force, it clamps onto or into the sample holder. The portion of the sample holder to which the sample carrier couples also has a simple form. The sample carrier can couple to the sample holder in vacuum using a coupling tool.

The invention also relates to a method of removably attaching and separating such a co-operative composite structure.
Such a co-operative composite structure is known from Japanese patent document No. JP-A-H04-206333.
Such a co-operative composite structure is used, for example, in inspecting samples with the aid of a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), e.g. in biological or materials science research laboratories and in the pharmaceutical industry. Such a co-operative composite structure is also used, for example, in inspecting samples such as are extracted from semiconductors in the semiconductor industry.
In a TEM, for example, a parallel, high-energy beam of electrons with an energy of, for example, 300 keV is shot at the sample. As a result of interaction between the electrons and the sample, electrons in the beam will, for example, be deflected, lose energy or be absorbed, which can yield information about the sample. By arranging the electron beam to impinge in the correct manner upon, for example, a fluorescent screen and/or a CCD camera, the information can be rendered visible.
The sample can also be irradiated by a focused beam, which beam is moved across the sample. In this mode of operation of a TEM, the so-called Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy mode (STEM mode), position-dependent information in the form of secondary particles, such as secondary electrons and X-rays, is produced. In the case of inspection with a TEM, a very high resolution can be achieved. Nowadays, a resolution of better than 0.1 nm is achievable. In addition, it is, for example, possible to obtain position-dependent information about the material constitution using X-ray analysis in a TEM.
As a result of the strong interaction between electrons and material, a sample for a TEM should be very thin. If a sample is too thick, no or virtually no electrons will pass through it. A suitable thickness for a sample is less than, for example, 100 nm, and preferably less than 50 nm.
TEM samples with a thickness of, for example, less than 100 nm are of themselves too fragile to be manipulated with a manipulator, and are usually mounted on a thin round foil with a diameter of 3.05 mm and a thickness of, for example, less than 20 μm. The central portion of such a foil is embodied as a gauze, whereby the electrons can move through the sample and through the holes in the gauze without being absorbed by the material of the foil. This foil—the so-called grid—is subsequently mounted in a hollow of a sample holder, which sample holder in turn is attached to a manipulator of the TEM. Such grids, made from various materials and with various sizes of the meshes of the gauze and a thickness of, for example, about 15 μm, are commercially available.
So as to be able to properly study a sample, it is not only necessary to position the electron beam with respect to the sample, but it is often also necessary to be able to inspect the sample at an angle. To this end, not only does the manipulator move the sample holder—and, thereby, also the sample—in an x-y plane perpendicular to the electron beam, but it can also turn, for example, about the longitudinal axis of the sample holder, in the x-y plane (the so-called α-tilt). The sample holder can also be arranged in such a way that the extremity hereof, on which the sample is mounted, can also cant in a canting direction located in the x-y plane and perpendicular to the α-tilt—the so-called β-tilt. Moreover, one ensures in this manner that the middle of the sample stays at the same position, the so-called Eucentric position.
Because the space that is available between the pole pieces of the lenses of a TEM is very limited, this all has to fit into a very small space. One must realize here that the extremity of the sample holder in its un-canted state must fit within a cylinder with a diameter of, for example, 5 mm.
In view of the resolution of, for example, less than 0.1 nm that can be achieved with a TEM, sample holders must also be mechanically very stable. It should also be noted that the extremity of a sample holder, together with the facilities that are necessary to make the canting motion possible, has to operate in vacuum, which places restrictions on, for example, the use of lubricants and plastics. Finally, it should be noted that there are sample holders that must be able to operate at very low temperatures (e.g. the temperature of liquid helium) or very high temperatures (e.g. 500° C.).
Sample holders are therefore often expensive and fragile components, with a very specific form.
So as to give a sample a thickness of, for example, 50 nm, the sample will have to be thinned before it is studied in a TEM. This can, for example, be done by shooting an ion beam at it in vacuum in another apparatus, whereby so-called ion milling occurs.
In a method that is often used, the sample is first mounted on a TEM grid, after which the sample holder is introduced into an apparatus that comprises both a column of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and a column of a Focused Ion Beam (FIB). Such apparatus are commercially available, e.g. the DualBeam™ apparatus of the firm FEI Company in Hillsboro, USA.
In such a DualBeam™ apparatus, the sample is first localized on the grid with the aid of the SEM column, after which it is subsequently thinned to the desired thickness using the FIB column, while the progress of the thinning operation is monitored with the aid of the SEM column.
It should be clear that, in performing this method, it is preferable if the very fragile grid, which is only about ten micrometers thick, only has to be mounted on a sample holder once. Demounting the grid from a sample holder, and subsequent re-mounting on another sample holder, leads to a significant loss of time, and there is an additional significant risk that the grid, and the sample mounted thereon, will be damaged. However, the sample holder and manipulator of, for example, a DualBeam™ apparatus have a different form to those of a TEM, inter alia because the motional degrees of freedom in a DualBeam™ apparatus are much greater.
It should be noted that it may be desirable to study the sample in apparatus other than a TEM, such as an X-ray analyzer, an Auger spectroscope, or a SIMS apparatus (Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer). These apparatus usually have different sample holders and manipulators to those that are used in a TEM. However, it is also preferable in this case if the fragile grid only has to be mounted once. In general, a TEM will place the greatest restrictions on the sample holder as regards size.
The co-operative composite structure of sample holder and sample carrier known from JP-A-H04-206333 aims to improve the interchangeability of samples. To this end, the sample is first mounted on a grid, after which the grid is mounted on a sample carrier in the form of a thin plate, which sample carrier can be attached to the sample holder. This plate is sufficiently robust to be easily exchangeable between different apparatus.
The known co-operative composite structure is schematically shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The operation of the known co-operative composite structure will now first be discussed.
The grid 14, to which a sample can be attached, is laid within a hollow 13 of the sample carrier 12, and subsequently fixed in place using a pressing screw 15. The sample carrier 12 exhibits an extremity 12a with a hole 16. The sample holder 11 has an extremity 11a with a pin 17 thereon. The sample holder also exhibits a resilient element 19 that closes across the extremity 11a. By opening the resilient element 19 against the resilient force, the extremity 12a of the sample carrier 12 can be laid upon the extremity 11a of the sample holder 11, in such a manner that the hole 16 falls over the pin 17 in the sample holder. By now releasing the resilient element 19, this will close across the extremity 12a of the sample carrier 12, as a result of which the sample carrier 12 will be clamped between the resilient element 19 and the extremity 11a of the sample holder 11.
The known co-operative composite structure is a complex arrangement with many components. One must remember in this context that the maximal width and cross-section of both the sample carrier and the sample holder may only be a few millimeters, so as to have enough room in the TEM to be able to cant, for example. The screw with which the grid is mounted on the sample carrier is a fragile component, which is difficult to handle during assembly. The screw thread in the sample carrier is also fragile, and careless treatment will easily cause the screw, the sample carrier or both to be damaged. Manufacture of the screw and the screw thread requires precision mechanical techniques, which leads to high costs.
The axle of the turning mechanism via which the resilient element closes itself is small, and therefore fragile. The spring that yields the resilient force is very small, and should be enclosed in a small space. Consequently, jamming of the resilient element can easily occur, as a result of which the resilient element no longer easily closes, and damage to the spring, the resilient element or the axle easily occurs. It should be noted in this regard that, for use in vacuum, no or only a few lubricants can be employed.
As a result of the abovementioned fragility and the increase in friction in vacuum, the known co-operative composite structure is not suitable for mounting the sample carrier onto the sample holder in vacuum. The known co-operative composite structure therefore does not lend itself to the automatic exchange of samples in vacuum.
The invention aims to provide a co-operative composite structure of sample carrier and sample holder that has a simpler and more robust composition than the known co-operative composite structure.
To this end, the co-operative composite structure according to the invention is characterized in that the resilient element is part of the sample carrier.
The invention is based upon the insight that the method whereby the sample is first mounted on a grid (as has historically evolved in the course of many tens of years), this grid is subsequently mounted on the sample carrier, and the sample carrier is then coupled to the sample holder, is unnecessarily complicated. In addition, the construction that results herefrom, whereby a conventional TEM grid has to be fixed in place on a sample carrier with screw connections, is unnecessarily complicated and fragile.
By mounting the sample directly onto the sample carrier, the difficult operation of mounting the fragile grid on the sample carrier becomes unnecessary.
The invention is also based on the insight that it is possible to give a simple form to the sample carrier and the extremity of the sample holder, in such a manner that the sample carrier has a resilient portion that can be clamped onto or into the sample holder via clamping. This can, for example, be achieved by embodying the sample carrier to have a bent lip of resilient material at one extremity, which bent lip falls into a hollow in the sample holder, for example. In this manner, the extremity of the sample holder does not have any mutually movable discrete components. The sample carrier also does not have any mutually movable discrete components. As a result of the lack of such discrete components, the construction is much more robust.
In an embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier is formed as a single entity.
By forming the sample carrier to be a single entity, the sample carrier becomes more robust.
An attendant advantage is that this leads to a cheaper sample carrier than the sample carrier of the known JP patent document.
In another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier is arranged to be able to deform in such a manner that attachment or disconnection of the sample carrier to/from the sample holder can proceed without, or almost without, force.
By reducing the force with which the sample carrier clamps onto or into the sample holder during attachment or disconnection, i.e. reducing the force at those moments that the sample holder and sample carrier are in contact with one another and have to move with respect to one another, wear of, for example, the sample holder will reduce. It is hereby also possible to perform attachment or disconnection in vacuum in such a manner that the lack of lubricating means will not lead to undesired jamming (vacuum welding) of components.
This way of attaching or disconnecting can be realized by, for example, depressing the resilient portion of the sample carrier when mounting the sample carrier on the sample holder, so that the sample carrier can be applied to the sample holder without, or almost without, force.
In yet another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier and sample holder are formed in such a way that, when the sample carrier is attached to the sample holder, at least five degrees of freedom are reproducibly fixed.
By reproducibly fixing degrees of freedom, the position of a given location on the sample carrier with respect to the sample holder is better defined. This is of advantage when a sample carrier, on which a sample with a given region of interest is located, is fixed to the sample holder. This is because only a small portion of the sample carrier need be searched when at least five degrees of freedom—e.g. two translation vectors and three angular dependencies—between the sample carrier and the sample holder are fixed.
It should be noted that, even if not all degrees of freedom are reproducibly fixed, once the sample carrier is affixed to the sample holder, the friction that occurs as a result of the resilient force with which the two portions are clamped to one another will prevent mutual movement of the portions.
In a further embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the number of degrees of freedom is reproducibly fixed by using a combination of a contact plane between the two portions, a ridge in one of the portions and a groove in the other portion.
Using this combination, a rotational freedom (in the longitudinal direction of the ridge) and a translational freedom (transverse to the ridge) are, in principle, reproducibly fixed. Together with the requirement of contact at a contact plane between sample carrier and sample holder (as a result of the clamping), five degrees of freedom are thus reproducibly fixed: all rotational freedoms and two of the three translational freedoms.
In another, further embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the number of degrees of freedom is reproducibly fixed by using a contact plane between the two portions, a spherical protrusion in one of the portions and a hole in the other portion.
Using the combination of a sphere and a hole, two translational freedoms are, in principle, fixed. Together with the requirement of contact at a contact plane between sample carrier and sample holder (as a result of the clamping), five degrees of freedom are thus reproducibly fixed: all translational freedoms and two of the three rotational freedoms.
In yet another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier is arranged so that a conventional TEM grid can be mounted thereon.
So as to obtain compatibility with sample holders from other apparatus, which generally use the conventional TEM grids, it is desirable to embody the sample carrier in such a way that a conventional TEM grid can be mounted hereon. This can, for example, be achieved by equipping the sample carrier with lips, which can be folded across the grid so as to attach the grid to the sample carrier.
In another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier is arranged in such a manner that a conventional TEM grid mounted thereon can be demounted.
After a conventional TEM grid has been mounted on the sample carrier according to the invention, if this grid is also to be re-used in apparatus that cannot deal with the sample carrier according to the invention, then it is desirable to be able to remove the TEM grid again. This can, for example, be achieved by using an appropriate punch to cut loose from the sample carrier lips that are folded across the sample so as to attach the grid to the sample carrier, so that the grid is separated from the sample carrier.
In another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier is equipped to attach samples at an edge portion. This embodiment is especially attractive when attaching samples such as are extracted from semiconductor wafers in the semiconductor industry. Such samples are cut out of a semiconductor wafer with the aid of an ion ray. By holding the sample carrier against the sample and administering a gas in the vicinity of the sample, material originating from the gas can be deposited onto the sample and the sample carrier using a focused electron beam or a focused ion beam (Electron Beam Induced Deposition (EBID) and Ion Beam Induced Deposition (IBID)). As a result of this deposition, the sample is adhered to the sample carrier. This adhesion can best be performed at a (protruding) edge portion of the sample carrier, because the sample carrier can then be maneuvered to the sample in the best manner.
In yet another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier contains a metal.
The sample carrier should be made from an electrically conducting material, so as to avoid charging of the sample and the sample carrier as a result of bombardment with charged particles. Such charging can otherwise cause unwanted influencing of, for example, the electron beam or secondary electrons. The sample carrier should also be made from elastic material. By using a metal, one can easily satisfy these requirements.
It should be noted that the whole sample carrier does not have to be made from the same material, but that, for example, the portion on which the sample can be mounted can, for example, be made from an electrically conductive plastic, or can consist of a thin layer of carbon.
In yet another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier contains Mo, Cu, Be, C and/or Si.
The use of sample carriers with a beryllium or carbon extremity, or at least an extremity that is coated with these materials, is known per se, and occurs in those situations involving the study of the X-ray radiation that is emitted as a result of bombarding a sample with electrons. Beryllium and carbon generate relatively little X-ray radiation, because they are materials with few protons in the nucleus. Beryllium and carbon are also good electrically conducting materials, so that charging is prevented.
The use of molybdenum is attractive when, for example, studying semiconductor samples, because these usually do not comprise any molybdenum of themselves. All radiation detected from molybdenum can therefore be neglected and can be attributed to molybdenum present in the sample carrier. Molybdenum is also an elastic and good electrically conducting material, so that charging is prevented.
The use of a copper alloy is attractive because such alloys are often elastic and good electrically conducting materials, which can be processed easily.
The use of silicon is predominantly attractive when studying samples such as are extracted from semiconductor wafers in the semiconductor industry, using X-ray analysis, for example. This is because these samples consist to a large extent of silicon, whereas the structures that are to be studied consist, for example, of metals. The presence of silicon can then be ignored during the X-ray analysis.
In yet another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier demonstrates a perforated portion on which the sample can be mounted.
The perforated portion makes it possible to attach samples in a manner that is known from the use of conventional TEM grids.
In a further embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the perforated portion has a thickness of at most 50 μm.
By embodying the sample carrier at the location of the perforated portion to be thin, e.g. 50 μm or less, the perforated portion, for a given separation of its bars, will also demonstrate good transparency when the sample carrier is canted, so that a sample mounted thereon can be studied at a canting angle.
In another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier is attached to the sample holder with a coupling tool. The use of a coupling tool offers great advantages, in view of the tiny size of the sample carrier.
In another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the coupling tool is an automatic coupling tool.
An automatic coupling tool makes it possible to automate processes, and it also makes it possible to attach the sample carrier to a sample holder in vacuum. The latter is of particular importance in so-called cryo applications, where a sample carrier that has already been pre-cooled has to be attached to a sample holder at cryogenic temperatures, e.g. temperatures in the vicinity of that of liquid nitrogen or of liquid helium.
In another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample holder is arranged to co-operate with a positioning unit.
Co-operation with a positioning unit, such as a goniometer, makes it possible, for example, to position the co-operative composite structure with respect to an ion beam, so as to thin the sample, or with respect to a electron beam, so as to study the sample.
In yet another embodiment of the co-operative composite structure according to the invention, the sample carrier is provided with an identification code.
The presence of an identification code makes it easy to distinguish between different sample carriers with different samples, though these might otherwise appear to be identical.
In an aspect of the method according to the invention, the sample carrier couples to the sample holder, which method comprises the following steps:                Picking up the sample carrier using a tool;        Deforming the sample carrier in such a manner as to greatly reduce the force that, during insertion, is exerted by one portion on the other portion as a result of the resilient force of the resilient element;        Mutually moving the sample holder and the sample carrier towards one another;        Coupling the sample carrier to the sample holder, and;        Releasing the sample carrier from the tool.
In another method according to the invention, the sample carrier decouples from the sample holder, which method comprises the following steps:                Applying a tool to the sample carrier, which sample carrier is connected to the sample holder;        Deforming the sample carrier in such a manner as to greatly reduce the force that, during disconnection, is exerted by one portion on the other portion as a result of the resilient force of the resilient element;        Disconnecting the sample carrier from the sample holder;        Mutually moving the sample carrier and the sample holder away from one another, and;        Releasing the sample carrier from the tool.
In a further method according to the invention, coupling of the sample carrier to the sample holder or decoupling of the sample carrier from the sample holder occurs in vacuum.
In a yet further method according to the invention, the vacuum is part of a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), a Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), an Electron Microprobe Analyzer (EPMA), a Focused Ion Beam apparatus (FIB), an Auger analyzer, a Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (SIMS), a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM), an X-ray analyzer, a sputter coater, a plasma cleaner or an evaporative deposition unit.
In another method according to the invention, the sample is applied to the sample carrier by at least partially coating the sample carrier with a liquid or powdery material.
In a further method according to the invention, before attaching the sample to the sample carrier, at least a portion of the sample carrier is provided with a sticky layer, after which the sample is adhered to the sticky layer.
The invention will now be elucidated on the basis of figures, whereby the same reference numerals indicate corresponding structures.

Sample carrier comprising a deformable strip of material folded back upon itself and sample holder


An alarm unit is adapted to cooperate by radio transmission with a plurality of other such units arranged in a cluster. Each alarm unit includes a radio transmitter and receiver; a modulator for the transmitter and a demodulator for the receiver; an identifying pre-settable switch for identifying the particular alarm unit in the cluster; multiple alarm transducers for identifying a particular one of a plurality of types of alarm; an encoder coupled to the alarm transducers for controlling the modulator, whereby the transmitter can transmit an encoded transmission identifying the particular alarm unit and the particular alarm type; a decoder for decoding the identification of another of the units in the cluster which is transmitting and the type of its present alarm; and a display for displaying the other unit's identification and the alarm type.

Conventional electronic security systems provide detection alarm enunciation and reporting. Such systems include an alarm bell with a control unit reporting to the local police authorities via telephone lines and radio transmission, and an alarm bell and control unit reporting to a commercial or private central station via telephone lines or radio transmission. These conventional alarm security systems are limited by not having the ability to respond to alarm conditions efficiently and effectively. When an alarm condition exists, the response time of a conventional system is determined by the work load of the police and security departments, the priorities of the police and security departments, highway conditions leading to the protected property, communication difficulties to inform the patrol personnel, and the efficiency, security and reliability of the communication lines connecting the alarm unit to the central station. These factors substantially influence the reliability and integrity of conventional electronic security systems.


The embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and apparatus for promoting bubble-free circulation of processing fluids in a recirculation system. Certain disclosed techniques involve passive, mechanical valve designs that promote variable resistance to flow in a drain. Other techniques involve automated flow control schemes that utilize feedback from flow meters, level sensors, etc. to achieve a balanced and bubble-free flow. The disclosed embodiments greatly reduce the incorporation of gas into a processing fluid, in particular as the processing fluid returns from a processing cell to a reservoir.

Floor space in a semiconductor clean room manufacturing facility can be very expensive from a footprint (area) prospective. To minimize the cost of fabrication, some processing tools increasingly employ a more compact design having a stacked module vertical architecture. Such a stacked approach of electrochemical plating cells may increase the effective tool output per unit area and reduce the effective implementation costs when amortized over the life of the tool. The Sabre3D™ plating system by Lam Research Corporation of Fremont, Calif., is an example of a two level stacked plating module architecture. Wafer processing systems using condensed fluid in a mixed phase environment (e.g., air/gas exposed to liquid) often use circulation to recycle and reuse the operating fluids. This circulation may entrap and create bubbles and foam in the liquid during circulation of the fluid from one portion or region of the tool to another. While certain techniques have been developed to minimize the impact of these bubbles (e.g., including a degasser in a fluid feed line), these techniques are generally costly to implement. As such, methods and apparatus for preventing the introduction of gas into the processing fluid are desired.

Bubble and foam solutions using a completely immersed air-free feedback flow control valve


A hand-held probe assembly, suitable for monitoring a radioactive fibrinogen tracer, is disclosed comprising a substantially cylindrically shaped probe handle having an open end. The probe handle is adapted to be interconnected with electrical circuitry for monitoring radioactivity that is sensed or detected by the probe assembly. Mounted within the probe handle is a probe body assembly that includes a cylindrically shaped probe body inserted through the open end of the probe handle. The probe body includes a photomultiplier tube that is electrically connected with a male connector positioned at the rearward end of the probe body. Mounted at the opposite end of the probe body is a probe head which supports an optical coupler therewithin. The probe head is interconnected with a probe cap which supports a detecting crystal. The probe body assembly, which consists of the probe body, the probe head, and the probe cap is supported within the probe handle by means of a pair of compressible O-rings which permit the probe assembly to be freely rotatable, preferably through 360.degree., within the probe handle and removable therefrom without requiring any disassembly.

The present invention relates to a probe assembly for detecting radiation, such as nuclear and X-ray radiation. In particular, the probe assembly has particular utility as a fibrinogen monitor probe assembly, although broader uses, such as a detector for thyroid uptake, should be readily apparent.
Several devices are known which are designed for the early detection of deep vein thrombosis. The devices include hand-held detector probes sensitive to radiation, and electronics to convert the detected radiation to meaningful data. Typically, such devices are operated in the leg region.
In this procedure, an I-125 labeled fibrinogen is intravenously injected into the patient. Then, the leg is marked with a map to guide the operator in sequentially positioning the detector probe. Once the injected fibrinogen tracer has dispersed throughout the body (in the neighborhood of three hours), radiation readings are taken with the deep vein thrombosis detection apparatus. First, a precordial count is made, and then, with the markings previously positioned on the leg, radiation counts are made along the leg, generally as a percent of the precordial count, and the readings are plotted. Localized excesses of the radioactive fibrinogen tracer are indicative of clot formations.
Hand-held detector probes are known in the art. Such probes are generally cylindrically shaped, not unlike ordinary cylindrically shaped flashlights, and include a detecting head at one end, inclined to the major axis of the cylinder, and interconnected with electrical circuitry for monitoring the radioactive fibrinogen tracer. Such prior art hand-held probes have a number of disadvantages. For example, the probe head is generally fixed in position with respect to the probe handle and the head is not rotatable with respect to the handle. This makes the correct positioning of the probe head adjacent to various areas of the body sometimes difficult.
The probe heads of the prior art, such as those described above, are oftentimes difficult to service in that the head is a unitary one-piece assembly that requires mechanical disassembly in order to work on the internal mechanical or electrical apparatus.
Further, prior art probe heads have no indicator or meter that is mounted directly on the probe handle. Thus, the operator cannot visually determine the maximum precordial count, nor the position where the clot formations occur in the body, without also viewing a remote electronic monitor assembly that is electrically connected with the probe handle.


A stowable harness fan assembly for a low-back divan is disclosed. In embodiments, the stowable harness fan assembly includes one or more vertical support members, a horizontal support member, and a repositionable harness fan. The horizontal support member is coupled to the one or more vertical support members. The horizontal support member includes an opening and a pivot disposed at one end of the opening. The repositionable harness fan is coupled to the horizontal support member by the pivot and is at least partially disposed within the opening so that the repositionable harness fan can rotate between an open (e.g., raised) configuration and a closed (e.g., stowed) configuration with respect to the opening.

Modern business and executive aircraft may incorporate, in addition to or instead of conventional forward-facing single-passenger seating associated with commercial aircraft, convertible seating configurations able to be reconfigured to allow the occupying passengers to sleep in a prone or near-prone position while inflight. For example, divans (e.g., sofas, couches, settees) may accommodate one or more passengers in a forward-facing, aft-facing, or inboard-facing orientation. Such an aircraft divan may be configured for compliance with any applicable seating regulations, e.g., equipped with seatbelts or harnesses to restrain the occupying passengers in an upright position during taxi, takeoff, and landing (TToL) phases or flight segments.
Some business and executive aircraft are configured with pairs of emergency exits located above the side ledge of the aircraft. Seating arrangements that position side-facing divans in front of these exits are required to support emergency egress through the exits. To achieve this access, the divan's backrest structure must be limited to no taller than the side ledge to allow for emergency egress (although backrest cushions may be taller than the ledge if they are made removable to clear the exit path). This backrest structure height restriction prohibits the shoulder harness restraint system anchor to be positioned at the optimal height to restrain the occupant and provide proper occupant protection. FAA Policy PS-ANM-25-03-R1 introduced neck injury requirements (along with additional occupant protection requirements) that warrants the use of inflatable restraint systems (i.e. an airbag in each shoulder harness) to provide this enhanced level of occupant protection. The stowable harness fan assembly described herein is used to position the inflatable shoulder harness at the optimal height for TToL and can be stowed after an emergency event to allow for egress through the exit once the backrest cushions are removed.

Stowable harness fan assembly for a low-back divan


A catalyst for purification of exhaust gases comprising: a support substrate; an active alumina coating layer comprising at least one of nickel oxide and cobalt oxide formed on the surface of the support substrate; a composite oxide comprising cerium oxide and zirconium oxide formed in the active alumina coating layer; and noble metal catalyst ingredients comprising at least one of platinum, palladium and rhodium loaded on the active alumina coating layer. The catalyst offers a decreased hydrogen sulfide H.sub.2 S emission and conversion ratios for hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) equivalent to or superior to those of conventional catalysts.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a catalyst for purification of exhaust gases capable of purifying exhaust gases containing carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbon (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx) from internal combustion engines of automobiles and the like, and more particularly the catalyst also capable of preventing sulfur oxides deposited on the catalyst from being reduced by hydrogen, hydrocarbon and so on and being exhausted as hydrogen sulfide.
2. Prior Art
As a conventional catalyst for purification of exhaust gases, there has generally been known a catalyst comprising a support substrate, an active alumina coating layer formed on surface of the support substrate and catalyst ingredients loaded on the active alumina coating layer.
This catalyst for purification of exhaust gases oxidizes and decreases HC and CO contained in exhaust gases exhausted from internal combustion engines, and reduces and decreases NOx contained in the exhaust gases. Sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2 ), generated by burning sulfur in fuel, is deposited and stored on the active alumina coating layer or a catalyst carrier layer as sulfur trioxide (SO.sub.3) by oxidation reaction in oxidizing atmosphere. Under a condition where a catalyst bed temperature is more than about 600.degree. C. and exhaust gases are rich in unburnt hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide, however, reductive hydrogen is generated by a noble metal catalyst and hydrogen-sulfide is generated by reducing the sulfur trioxide deposited on the catalyst carrier layer with the reductive hydrogen. As a result, exhaust gases having malodor is often exhausted when the fuel is a sulfur-rich fuel.
As a method for controlling the hydrogen sulfide exhaustion, an additional catalyst has been provided for reducing the hydrogen sulfide a disclosed in Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication (KOKOKU) No. 31210/1979.
Also, SAE Technical Paper Series 872134 November 2-5, 1987 discloses a 3-way catalyst controlling exhaustion of the hydrogen sulfide by reducing the hydrogen sulfide with added nickel. The 3-way catalyst is a catalyst capable of purifying CO, HC and NOx simultaneously.
However, it is not preferred to provide the additional catalyst for reducing the hydrogen sulfide because of increasing cost and weight. In another method, in which nickel is added to the 3-way catalyst, the surface area of the active alumina decreases and the catalytic activity decreases, because the active alumina loading the noble metal catalyst ingredients thereon reacts with nickel at elevated temperature, to form NiAl.sub.2 O.sub.4 having a spinel-type structure, for example.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a catalyst having high activity for purification of exhaust gases, and being capable of suppressing the reaction of nickel with active alumina as well as being capable of suppressing the emission of the hydrogen sulfide.

Catalyst for purification of exhaust gases

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Cataler Industrial Co. Ltd


A generally horizontal forwardly opening U-shaped frame is provided including a pair of front to rear extending elongated opposite side members and a rear cross member extending and secured between the rear ends of the side members. The forward ends of the side members may be removably anchored to transversely spaced rear portions of a forward implement and an elongated front-to-rear extending draw bar is provided and pivot structure pivotally anchors the draw bar to the cross member for oscillation relative thereto about an upright axis disposed intermediate the opposite ends of said cross member and the front and rear ends of said draw bar. The front and rear ends of the draw bar project forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, of the cross member, the rear end of the draw bar may have a rear implement coupled thereto and a hydraulic cylinder is operatively connected between the front end of the draw bar and the frame for adjustably laterally shifting the draw bar front end and thus variably canting the draw bar. The pivot structure is operative to adjustably shift the axis of oscillation of the draw bar along the latter and thus lateral swinging of the rear end of the draw bar for a given extension or retraction of the hydraulic cylinder may be varied.

Various forms of implement hitches heretofore have been provided for use with tandem earthworking implements. However, most tandem implement hitches do not include structure whereby the rear implement of a tandem implement assembly may be shifted laterally relative to the forward implement thereof. Further, while some implement hitches are constructed in a manner whereby the implement trailed therebehind may be laterally shifted relative to the towing vehicle, in many instances a need arises for a tandem implement hitch operable to automatically limit lateral shifting of the rear implement.
Examples of hitch constructions including some of the general structural and operational features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,210,735, 1,962,423, 1,998,032, 2,600,016, 2,992,660, 3,398,975 and 3,487,448.


The invention relates to a three-dimensional measuring device, comprising a rotating 360 degree sensor head, a laser scanner and an extendable mast system. The sensor head contains a 360 degree rotating multi-faceted mirror, which determines total path distance from the laser scanner to a particular target. Angular orientations on both the scanner and the faceted mirrors are calculated by a precision encoding system. The measured total path distance, mast system extension, scanner head rotation, mirror rotation angles, and mast deflection are all used to calculate the location of a target point in 3-D space relative to the scanner. The sensing device can be utilized in the construction and nuclear power areas. In the nuclear power area, the mast system can be extended into a contaminated area which the sensor remains outside the contaminated area, thereby avoiding contamination problems.

The uses for three-dimensional metrology are expanding rapidly. In the construction industry, there are increased demands for prompt information concerning the status of a job site. The immediate impediment to the effective use of scanning technology is the xe2x80x9cLine of Sight limitationsxe2x80x9d. If a pile of dirt is in front of an existing stationary scanner anything behind the pile invisible. There is no present ability to look over or around the obstacle. This problem also extends to the interior of buildings thereby preventing the development of as-built scans. Therefore, all such interior scans presently are 2xc2xdD images and not true 3D.
In the nuclear industry the current approach to developing interior geometry of hot cells generally involves the use of time-consuming techniques. For example, in a hot cell environment the accurate location of nozzle positions is critical for the fabrication of remotely handled piping jumpers. Because of the critical nature of the work workers cannot depend upon the accuracy of shop drawings. In addition, these areas have high levels of radioactivity thus preventing long-term exposure by workers. Surveying is impossible because of the limited space available for equipment and instruments. Photogrammetry is sometime used to develop a 3D image of hot cell areas. 3D coordinate measurements can be made from stereo pair photographs. It is a system adapted from aerial photography mapping.
In this method, a scanner reads the photographs and a computer calculates the coordinates. The use of Photogrammetry is limited in that when used in a hot cell environment the camera lenses will fog and target grids must be developed for each item needing to be surveyed. The use of target grids is untenable because the items are constantly moved by remote manipulators. The use of laser scanning devices could also be used to image the inside of the hot cell, but these suffer from the problems previously pointed out. Such as, line of sight limitations, limited field of view of a stationary laser, and the fact that lasers are not radiation hard, that is radiation causes the equipment to malfunction.
Another reference which provides laser scanning techniques but do not overcome line of sight limitations, nor hot cell contamination problems is U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,226 to Goodwin et al. which discloses a 3-dimensional vision system, comprising scanner optics, a laser head, receiver circuitry, and a control system microprocessor. The scanning optics may include a facet wheel with a galvanometer scanner.
Field discloses in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,790,402, 4,846,297, and 4,996,468 an automated guided vehicle, comprising a laser scanner mounted on a platform. The angle of elevation of the light beam emitted by the laser scanner is controlled by a linear actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,820 to Reinaud discloses a vehicle guidance system involving a laser beam, horizontal and vertical scanning motors, and targets. Through control of the scanning motors, the laser beam can be moved through a desired scanning pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,846 issued to Villarreal discloses an optical scanning apparatus comprising a light source, a camera, and a conical mirror. The scanner apparatus is employable in radioactive environments.
What is needed but not provided in the prior art is an apparatus for laser scanning that has a telescoping mast and the ability to take scans at multiple positions and a method for developing a real-time 3D image and overcoming line of sight problems associated with hot cells and construction sites. Additionally, it would also be helpful to provide such features in a compact, inexpensive, and simple design. Finally, it would be helpful to have a system which works in conjunction with the global positioning system.
The inventor has overcome the problems remaining from the prior art by devising a 3-degree-of-freedom scanning device for the creation of a precise 3-dimensional stereo range image. The device employs a standard single point diode pulsed or continuous wave laser ranging system being operated in a non-cooperative target mode. The laser source and range determination electronics are located in an environmentally secure chamber at one end of a hollow telescoping nested mast and are oriented such that the outgoing laser pulse/beam is directed down the center of the hollow mast system. The mast is deployed (extended) by a precision extension mechanism to accurately determine the instant extension length of the telescoping mast. There may be two or more elements to the telescoping mast assembly. The mast system includes a displacement feedback means, which precisely determines the instant deflections and slopes of the sensor head, which is attached to the end of the furthest extended telescope tube. The sensing head is modular and is capable of being detached from the mast. In addition, the sensing head is capable of being rotated a full 360xc2x0 degrees about a longitudinal centerline of the extension mast tube by a precision encoding system which provides a real time feedback on the angular orientation of the sensing head relative to a reference position on the telescoping mast system.
The advantages of the present invention are achieved with a multi-faceted precision rotating mirror which serves to deflect the ranging laser pulse/beam towards a presumed non-cooperative target scene point. The light reflected from the target point is picked up by the rotating mirror and returned down the hollow core of the telescoping mast where it is sensed by the ranging element receiver and used to determine a total path distance from the laser source to the target. The rotating mirror may have one or more reflecting surfaces and also contains a precision encoding system means, which provides real-time feedback on the angular orientation of the mirror.
It is an object of the invention to provide a 3 degree of freedom laser scanner system.
It is another object of the invention to provide a mast mounted 3D laser scanner.
Another object of the invention is to provide a 3D laser scanner for use in radiation contaminated areas.
It is another object to provide a 3D laser scanner where the scanning head can be remotely placed in a high radiation area with the electronics located outside the contamination area.
It is yet another object to provide a 3D scanner in conjunction with a global coordinate system.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent that the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in conjunction with the accompanying drawings

Three degree-of-freedom telescoping geometry scanner

National Institute of Science and Technology U.S. Dept of Commerce


An artificial pericardium is a sac formed with an opening into which an artificial blood pumping device is positioned. Apertures with collars are secured to blood inlets and outlets as well as operation signal lines. The sac is closed and a fluid is injected into the sac to urge the sac outwardly against the surrounding tissue.

1. Field:
This invention relates to artificial organs, and more particularly to artificial blood pumping devices including artificial hearts. More specifically, this invention relates to an artificial pericardium within which an artificial blood pumping device is positioned.
2. State of the Art:
In late 1982, an artificial heart was implanted in Dr. Barney Clark, bringing to national attention artificial organs in general and the utility of an implantable total artificial heart. The artificial heart implanted in Dr. Barney Clark is generally illustrated and described in Newsweek, "An Incredible Affair of the Heart," Dec. 13, 1982, pages 70-74, 79. In addition to the artificial heart, there are also other implantable artificial blood pumping devices known to those skilled in the art including an artificial ventricle or right heart assist device to assist the heart or to even replace one of the two ventricles in given circumstances.
Presently, artificial hearts are powered by air supplied by a driver via tubes which penetrate through the chest wall for connection to the artificial heart or the artificial ventricle. Electrically powered hearts are presently being considered but are not yet known to be in clinical use. Scientific American, January 1981, vol. 244, no. 1, pages 74-80.
Presently, a right heart assist device or artificial ventricle and an artificial heart are simply positioned within the chest of the patient and connected for operation. The body naturally has formed a pericardial membrane about the heart which membrane is surgically opened in order to provide access to the patient's natural heart and to facilitate placement of an artificial blood pumping device adjacent to or in the location of the natural heart, should the natural heart be removed. The natural pericardium is not thereafter closed, typically because it is not large enough. The surface of the artificial blood pumping device is thus exposed to the various body fluids and organs in the immediate vicinity. The substantial surface area of the artificial blood pumping device also provides an increased surface area for chemical interaction with the body, and in turn may exacerbate the potential for foreign body rejection. The surface area over which infection and other undesirable bacteriological developments may occur after the placement of the artificial blood pumping device is also increased. Also, one or more small voids, abscesses, spaces or pockets may be formed by the artificial blood pumping device and the body tissue in which bacteria may be deposited and thereafter grow into an infection.
At present, there is no structure or procedure available to minimize the surface area of the artificial blood pumping device exposed to living tissue to reduce infection and to otherwise enhance the survivability of the artificial blood pumping device within the body cavity.


A lamp assembly is provided which includes a lamp such as an arc tube sealed within a sleeve which is attached to a pair of retainer members which are coupled to a base component. The sleeve includes a circumferential groove and the retainer members include curved detents. The retainer members are attached to the sleeve by causing the detents to engage the surface of the groove and mate therewith, the two retainer members being welded together. Respective segments of the retainer members are tensioned relative to a mounting portion of the base component and attached thereto.

It is known to provide a lamp assembly which generally includes a lamp coupled to a lamp sleeve which is coupled to a lamp base by a retainer member. It is known to provide a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp in this manner. The conventional sleeve used with such an HID lamp is typically fabricated from glass and is generally cylindrical in configuration. Typically, the sleeve is attached to the lamp base by engaging an outer surface of the sleeve with a retainer member which is coupled to the lamp base. One concern regarding such structure is that although the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve is round, it is often not consistently round enough to provide a surface which can be satisfactorily held in place by the retainer member. In addition, any imperfections, such as scratches and nicks in the glass which are proximate to the retainer member have a tendency to propagate cracks during lamp assembly, and this ultimately causes lamp failure. In some instances the lamp may even explode. If the glass sleeve is replaced with a plastic sleeve, it will be necessary for thermal reasons to limit the lamp wattage. In one known HID lamp, the retainer member is molded from plastic, and this also tends to limit the temperature capability of the lamp. In addition, processing of such plastic retainer member requires that the retainer member and the base be fabricated by metal insert molding. Further, it is necessary for three parts to be insert molded into such lamp base. An example of such a prior art lamp assembly is illustrated in FIG. 1. In this embodiment a lamp sleeve 2 is held in place by a molded plastic retainer member 4 which is attached to a molded plastic base 6. The retainer member 4 and base 6 contain a plurality of metal inserts 8 which must be provided by metal insert molding. Such a process is difficult and costly.


An apparatus has a processor and a memory connected to the processor. The memory stores instructions executed by the processor to receive a relational query at a semi-structured document database. An access permissions index is looked-up for available documents for a user submitting the relational query. The relational query is resolved against relational schema within a relational schema index for the available documents to produce secure relational query results. The secure relational query results are supplied.

Semi-structured documents do not have a formal structure, but they do contain tags or other markers to separate semantic elements and enforce hierarchies of records and fields. Extensible Markup Language (XML) documents and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) documents are examples of semi-structured documents. Different query tools are available for semi-structured document databases. For example, XML Path Language (XPath) is a query language for selecting nodes within an XML document. Nevertheless, many database administrators and users prefer the traditional relational database model and its popular query language, Structure Query Language (SQL).
Thus, it is desirable to augment the search capabilities associated with semi-structured document databases to include SQL queries. The SQL queries should enforce the same data access restrictions that are enforced by the semi-structured document database.

Apparatus and method for supplying secure relational query results from a semi-structured document database


A semiconductor device is disclosed which is directed to drastically reduce a conduction test time by reliably executing the conduction test of all terminals in a lump. The invention discloses the semiconductor device including a first power supply terminal, a second power supply terminal having a lower potential than the first power supply terminal, an internal circuit portion to which the first and second power supply terminals are connected, and an input signal terminal group and an output signal terminal group each connected to the internal circuit portion, wherein a first voltage supply source and a second voltage supply source having a predetermined potential difference from the first voltage supply source are disposed, a switching device is interposed between the first and second voltage supply sources, and the switching device is turned ON and OFF in accordance with the existence of a voltage applied to each of the terminals described above.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device such as a memory, and more particularly to a semiconductor device which can easily and reliably carry out a conduction test.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A semiconductor memory is known as a typical example of semiconductor devices.
Generally, a semiconductor memory includes power supply terminals Vcc and Vss, an input signal terminal, an output signal terminal and an internal logic circuit. FIG. 7 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a general example. In this drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes a chip of a semiconductor memory. A logic circuit 5 is formed on this chip. A high voltage power supply Vcc terminal 1 and a low voltage power supply Vss terminal 4 are also disposed on the chip. Reference numerals 2 and 3 denote an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, respectively. In this instance, a memory constituting an internal circuit outputs predetermined data to the output signal terminal 3 in accordance with the input signal applied to the input signal terminal 2 at a power supply voltage applied between the terminals 1 and 4 from outside.
Recently, test time has drastically increased in tests of semiconductor devices with the increase in memory capacity, and a test cost will become very high unless counter-measures are taken. To restrict the rise of the test cost, it is very important to discriminate as rapidly as possible rejected products. Furthermore, it is necessary to limit the increase of the test time by incorporating various specific test functions into the semiconductor devices so as to limit the rise of the test time.
The test items can be broadly classified into a DC test for checking a power supply current and an AC test for checking an access time, and the like. However, these performance guarantee tests are carried out on the assumption that all the terminals of the semiconductor devices to be tested (hereinafter referred to as the "devices") are in advance confirmed to have been reliably connected to the test terminals of a testing apparatus.
Unless the condition wherein all the terminals of the device are connected to the testing apparatus is guaranteed by this conduction test, performance of the device cannot be guaranteed even when the performance guarantee test is carried out. Conventionally, the following method has generally been employed in order to confirm that all the terminals of the device are reliably connected to the testing apparatus.
A diffusion layer made of an impurity having an opposite conductivity type to that of a substrate is connected to each terminal, and a diode is connected electrically. Therefore, the connection between the testing apparatus and the terminals of the device can be confirmed by forwardly biasing this diode. This test is repeated for each terminal of the device.
Speaking more definitely, various pins formed outside the device and connected to a pad portion of the device or in other words, its terminal portion, through leads, are brought into mechanical contact with a probe to be connected to these pins. Then, whether or not each pin is in complete contact with the probe is sequentially checked by use of a switching means disposed in the testing apparatus such as relay, and after all the pins are confirmed to be in perfect contact with the probe, the performance test of the device is commenced.
The time required for conducting such a conduction test has not been so long in the past because the number of terminals is not so great. Since the number of terminals has drastically increased in semi-conductor devices with the increase in their capacity in recent years, however, the time necessary for the conduction test has become longer and longer and has resulted in the increase of the test cost. Therefore, it has become very important to shorten the test time.
In other words, in the conduction test described above, the conduction test time increases in proportion to the number of terminals, and the test time will be ever-increasing unless measures are taken.
Therefore, a testing method which can efficiently conduct this conduction test has become essentially necessary.

Semiconductor device providing reliable conduction test of all terminals