A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a recess channel structure is provided. A first recess is formed in a substrate. A liner and a filling layer are formed in the first recess. A portion of the substrate adjacent to the first recess and a portion of the liner and the filling layer are removed to form trenches. An insulation layer fills the trenches to form isolation structures. The filling layer is removed, using the liner as an etching stop layer, to expose the insulation layer. A portion of the exposed insulation layer is removed to form a second recess having divots adjacent to the sidewalls of the substrate. The liner is removed. A dielectric layer and a gate are formed over the substrate covering the second recess. Source and drain regions are formed in the substrate adjacent to the second recess.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a recess channel structure therein.
2. Description of Related Art
As a dimension of a MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor) device is getting smaller, a channel length of a semiconductor device becomes shorter as well. Such a short channel length may somehow increase the OFF leakage current of the device. An increase dosage of ion implantation can solve the above-mentioned problem, but this will also increase the leakage current in a storage node junction, and thus shorten data retention time.
One of the known methods for increasing the channel length effectively is to apply a recess channel structure to a MOSFET device.
FIGS. 1A to 1E are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process flow of fabricating a conventional MOS (metal-oxide-semiconductor) device having a recess channel structure.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the method of fabricating a MOS device having a recess channel structure includes forming shallow trench isolation structures in a substrate 100, and then forming a recess having a recess channel structure by an etching process. A patterned pad oxide layer 102 and a patterned pad silicon nitride layer 104 are initially formed on the substrate 100. An etching process is performed for forming trenches 106 in the substrate 100 by using the patterned pad silicon nitride layer 104 as an etching mask. An insulation material fills the trenches 106 to form shallow trench isolation structures 108. After the shallow trench isolation structures 108 are formed, a patterned hard mask layer 110 and a patterned photoresist layer 112 are formed on the substrate. The patterned hard mask layer 110 and the patterned photoresist layer 112 have an opening 114. The opening 114 exposes a portion of the patterned pad silicon nitride layer 104 and the adjacent insulation layer of the shallow trench isolation structures 108.
Referring to FIG. 1B, a first etching process is performed, using the patterned photoresist layer 112 as an etching mask, to remove the exposed patterned silicon nitride layer 104 and the adjacent insulation layer of the shallow trench isolation structures 108 so as to form a recess 116. The bottom of the recess 116 is supposed to be at a position depicted by the dotted line 118, which is predetermined to be a recess channel. However, after the first etching process, the recess 116 formed can not reach the original position shown by the dotted line 118 (i.e. the predetermined recess channel). Silicon horns 100a remain above the dotted line in the substrate 100.
Referring to FIG. 1C, a CDE (corner device extent) process is performed to remove the silicon horns 100a because the silicon horns 100a tend to lower the breakdown voltage and cause the leakage current problems. A CDF (corner device formation) process is then performed to remove the insulation layer of the shallow trench isolation structures 108 on sidewalls of the recess 116 so as to form a recess 122 with divots 120. Hence, the recess channel region 118 is exposed, as shown in FIG. 1D. The formation of the divots 120 can improve the performance of the device.
Referring to FIG. 1E, the patterned photoresist layer 112 and the patterned hard mask layer 110 are removed. A gate dielectric layer 124 is formed on the recess channel region 118 of the recess 122. A conductive layer fills into the recess 122 and a patterning process is performed thereon so as to form a gate 126. Thereafter, an ion implant process is performed to form source and drain regions. The source and drain regions are not shown in FIG. 1E because they can only be shown in a different direction.
In the above-mentioned method, the recess 116 extends outwardly to become the recess 122 when the CDF process is performed to form the divots 120. If the recess 122 is excessively extended, the gate 126 may connect with the adjacent contact plugs, such as the contact plugs of the word lines. Ultimately, a short current problem occurred.
To avoid the problem of excessively extending outwardly caused by the lateral over-etching during the CDF process, the insulation layer is usually formed as a sandwich structure including a liner when a conventional shallow trench isolation structure is fabricated. Referring to FIG. 1A, a first silicon oxide layer 108a is formed in the trenches 106. Thereafter, a silicon nitride liner 108b and then a second oxide layer 108c are formed. In the CDF process, the etching proceeds only through the first silicon oxide layer 108a and stops on the silicon nitride liner 108b. Thus, the lateral over-etching problem can be avoided. However, this method requires a plurality of layers of materials, so the process becomes very complicated. Moreover, the thickness of the first silicon oxide layer 108a is so thin that the first silicon oxide layer 108a has high aspect ratio and the depth of the divots 120 is not deep enough after the CDF process. If a deeper depth of the divots 120 is necessarily required, the recess 122 formed may excessively extend outwardly, as shown in FIG. 1D.
Also, if a misalignment occurs during the patterning process of the photoresist layer 112, the position of the patterned photoresist layer 112 may shift. Hence, the depths and sizes of the divots 120 may be different beside the recess channel region 118, and deviations among devices are resulted.

Method of fabricating semiconductor device having a recess channel structure therein


A method and apparatus are described for providing a user with contextually relevant content from a library of information. According to one embodiment of the present invention, metadata tagged information about a user's work profile and working context, and content within a library of information are read. The metadata tagged information about content within the library of information to metadata tagged information about one or more of the user's work profile, the user's working context, or other content within the library of information is matched using one or more programmable rules. A rank ordered set of the most contextually relevant content from the library of information is then delivered to the user based on the matching of the metadata tagged information.

Companies typically generate a large amount of information, for example, related to marketing. Historically, companies have developed hard-copy binders of work information, with specific guidelines and information, and descriptions of responsibilities for individual workers. These hard-copy binders are cumbersome to update and to distribute. In addition, the information is presented in one or more volumes without regard to the context of a user's specific work tasks at a particular point of time. As a result, users typically underutilize these materials.
Of course, this information may be organized in an electronic database. This database may constitute a large corpus of knowledge and templated work processes organized, for example, in a hierarchical manner. Such data may reside in a corporate intranet or knowledge management system. However, such a database is typically cumbersome to maintain and utilize, has many limitations, and typically produces limited adoption for the intended user base. For example, a user must perform a sufficiently specific query to generate results relevant to his work to be of use. A more useful system would be one that automatically generates results based on a user's working context so that the user need not generate queries or rely on a set of one-size-fits-all queries.
There are technologies available to personalize a web site visit according to the needs and interests of a known or anonymous website visitor. These technologies may be used for corporate portals to present a customized and personalized view into a set of corporate data sources or for tailored and customized delivery of relevant documents to a user's computing device. However, none of these approaches is focused on the automatic delivery of contextually relevant work information, supporting the completion and execution of specific work projects, tasks, and sub-tasks, drawing upon a large corpus of hierarchically organized knowledge and templated work processes.
Therefore, a method to automatically assemble workbooks "on the fly", in real-time, electronically, across an enterprise, and to present job-related information, in context, when a user is executing a task and needs access to specific work information would be useful. Such an approach would accelerate the user's access to work information to support completion of work tasks in a unique and powerful manner. Additionally, such an approach would also allow for centralizing and distributing knowledge for an extended enterprise workforce that is subject to high levels of attrition, turnover, dispersion, and reorganization.

Contextual relevance engine and knowledge delivery system


An aft facing step situated across the span of an airfoil. A chemical or thermal deicing or running wet anti-icing device is located in or on the airfoil upstream of the step, and causes water to run back towards the step. The step suddenly reduces the thickness of the airfoil chord section, which causes a disturbance in the boundary layer across the span of the airfoil downstream of the step. The aforementioned disturbance causes runback water to form droplets and be blown clear of the airfoil surface downstream of the step, thereby preventing ice from being formed on the airfoil surface downstream of the step.

When an airplane is flown during certain atmospheric conditions, ice can accumulate on its exterior surfaces. The formation of this ice can be precipitated either by impingement of atmospheric supercooled water droplets or by leakage of water from internal systems. The formation of ice gives rise to four areas of concern. Firstly, exterior surface ice can break loose and cause damage to engines, protruding surfaces such as antennas, wings and moveable control surfaces, and structures on the ground, as well as result in injury to people on the ground. Secondly, ice accumulations on airfoil sections such as wings and stabilizers can seriously degrade the airfoil's aerodynamic performance by adversely affecting both its lift and drag characteristics.
Thirdly, the weight of ice changes the overall weight of the airplane and also its center of gravity. Finally, water can run back, or downstream, from the leading edge where it impinges or is formed when ice is melted by deicing means, and subsequently freeze on moveable surfaces and interfere with their operation. Consequently, the airplane industry has focused a great deal of attention on the development of devices to either prevent the formation of ice on airplane surfaces or to remove the ice from such surfaces.
Ice protection apparatus are generally categorized as either deicing or anti-icing. Deicing devices allow ice to form and periodically remove it. Anti-icing apparatus prevent the formation of ice on the airplane surfaces. The three general approaches to deicing are thermal, chemical and mechanical.
Thermal deicing raises the temperature of the airfoil surface by heating. One thermal deicing apparatus is a heating element either contained in an elastomeric boot located on a leading edge to be deiced or integrally incorporated into the leading edge. The heating element is powered by electrical energy from a generating source usually driven by the aircraft engine. The leading edge is heated by the heating element until some of the ice melts and the remaining ice is dislodged and swept away by the airstream.
Another thermal deicing approach involves the circulation of gases at elevated temperatures through passageways in the leading edge of an airfoil. The hot gases are supplied by the compressor stages of a turbine engine, resulting in reduced fuel economy and lower turbine power output. Another drawback inherent to all thermal deicing devices is the formation of water from melted ice, called runback water, which runs back and refreezes to form runback ice on downstream surfaces. Runback ice may cause unwanted and unpredictable aerodynamic forces, added weight, interference with the operation of movable surfaces, and damage if a mass of runback ice breaks loose.
Chemical deicing, also known as freezing point depression, is achieved by application of a chemical to the ice through pores in the leading edge. The freezing point of the ice is lowered and it turns to slush, which is swept away by the airstream. The application of the chemical must be repeated as ice reforms and thus the store of chemical must be replenished after each icing flight. Further adding to the maintenance burden is the ongoing requirement to check the application apparatus to ensure its proper operation. Another drawback is the formation of runback water from melted ice, which can form runback ice downstream of the leading edge.
Mechanical deicing devices deform the exterior surface of the airplane to break up the ice and allow it to be swept away by the airstream. Pneumatic boots are the original and most popular device in this class. The boots are expandable tube-like structures typically used to cover the leading edge of an airfoil. The structures are inflated with pressurized fluids and cause the ice to crack. However, the distortion occasioned in an airstream profile by inflation of the tube-like structures can substantially alter the airstream pattern over the airfoil and adversely affect the airfoil's lift characteristics. All of the various mechanical deicing devices remove the ice without melting it, thereby avoiding the creation of runback water and, concomitantly, runback ice.
Two anti-icing approaches are used to protect airplanes from the formation of ice on their external surfaces: evaporative and running wet. Evaporative anti-icing systems completely evaporate all impinging water by heating the leading edge or other area of water impingement to a high temperature. This solution eliminates the problem of runback water and ice, but requires using excessive thermal energy and is costly. Running wet systems melt all of the ice forming in the area where the water is impinging by the use of freezing point depressants or thermal energy provided by heating means, but do not evaporate the resulting water, instead allowing it to run downstream. Although less costly to operate than evaporative anti-icing systems, running wet systems have an inherent drawback in that the runback water flows back over unheated or untreated surfaces of the airfoil to possible form runback ice.
Several techniques are used to avoid the formation of runback water and ice attendant to the use of running wet anti-icing systems. Heating the entire surface from the leading edge to the trailing edge to keep the surface temperature above the freezing temperature will prevent refreezing of the runback water, but requires a very high expenditure of thermal energy and also increases the mechanical complexity of the underlying structure. Using excessive freezing point depressant in the area of impingement tends to prevent refreezing of runback water, but the chemicals inevitably wear off and evaporate, and thus the foregoing solution cannot ensure that runback water will not subsequently begin freezing without intermittent reapplications of the depressant. The process thus requires constant monitoring by the crew of the airplane, and is always limited by the finite reservoir of depressant that can be carried.


A method for manufacturing a circuit board with a small size a communication unit comprising a radio frequency (RF) component, an antenna, and an encapsulation layer. The RF component is embedded in the encapsulation layer, the antenna is positioned on the encapsulation layer and electrically connected to the RF component. A rigid substrate is formed on a flexible substrate, and a receiving groove is defined in the rigid substrate to expose the flexible substrate. The communication unit is in the receiving groove, thus causing connection between the RF component and the flexible substrate, thereby the circuit board is formed.

Mobile communications require signal transmission of higher quality. 5G network can provide a higher speed of signal transmission compared to 4G network. Since 5G uses multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) technology, a number of antennas are presently included in a single circuit board, which increases the size of the circuit board.

Circuit board and method for manufacturing the same

QING DING PRECISION ELECTRONICS (HUAIAN) CO., LTD


A memory module connector includes a memory module receiving slot configured to receive a memory module. The memory module connector further includes a restraining mechanism configured to release the memory module if a force applied by the memory module to the restraining mechanism is above a pre-determined force threshold.

Computer systems have an ever-increasing demand for volatile memory. For example, in server systems, volatile memory may be used to speed up system performance. Specifically adapted software, such as e.g. in-memory databases, may use vast amounts of volatile memory to perform with an increased performance. Such volatile memory is often provided by memory modules, which may be statically or removably connected to the computer system. If the memory modules are removably connected to the computer system, a memory module connector may be used to host the memory modules.

Memory module connector, memory module, and pivotable latch


A coaxial plug and socket connector includes a coaxial plug and a bulkhead socket. The socket has: an outer conductor shell, and coaxial cable and mating ends. The shell inside wall, adjacent the mating end, has a latching edge groove. The plug has: an outer conductor shell having mating and coaxial cable ends, a latching sleeve fitting round and axially displaceable relative to the plug shell. The latching sleeve has axial slots at its mating end forming elastically resilient latching tongues having, at their mating ends, a latching edge extending radially outwardly to latch onto the socket groove latching edge. An unlocking sleeve surrounding and displaceable axially relative to the latching sleeve has a ramp sloping radially outwardly toward the cable end. The ramp cooperates with a groove on an inside face of the unlocking sleeve so unlocking sleeve displacement relative to the latching sleeve bends the tongues inwardly.

Co-axial plug and socket connectors comprise a co-axial plug and a co-axial bulkhead socket which, when plugged together and connected to one another, produce co-axial plug-in contact. To allow a plug and socket to be connected in the case of co-axial plug and socket connectors of the so-called N type, the socket has a thread on its outer circumference. The plug is fitted with a union nut which likewise has a thread, on its inner circumference. An N plug and an N socket are connected by being plugged together and a union nut of the N plug is screwed, by its inside thread, onto an outside thread on the N socket. The connection of co-axial plug and socket connectors of the N type in this way has long been known and provides a good and secure HF contact between the plug and socket. However, it is often felt to be a disadvantage that a screwing operation which takes a relatively large amount of manual effort and a relatively long time has to be performed to connect the plug and socket. In applications where, for example, a large number of co-axial connections have to be made between plugs and sockets, the manual effort and time spent adds up to a considerable total.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bulkhead socket for a co-axial plug and socket connector

Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG


A method for reducing the effect of a noise impulse in a digitizing panel which includes a resistive layer is disclosed. The method includes the steps of generating a signal when an object is in proximity to the digitizing panel, amplifying the signal with an amplifier, detecting the presence of the noise impulse coupled to the resistive layer, and disconnecting an input of the amplifier from the resistive layer in response to detecting the noise impulse. In addition, a digitizing panel is disclosed which includes a resistive layer for providing a signal when an object is in proximity to the digitizing panel.

The present invention relates generally to digitizing tablets, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for reducing noise in an electrostatic digitizing tablet or panel associated with a computer.
Electrostatic digitizing panels having a resistive layer covered with a non-conductive plate such as glass, are known in the art. The known electrostatic digitizing tablets may operate in one of two modes, namely a touch mode or a pen mode. When operating in the touch mode, a computer is conventionally configured so as to bias the resistive layer with an AC signal. An object such as a user's finger that approaches and is in proximity to the non-conductive plate acts as a load that is capacitively coupled to the resistive layer. The capacitively coupled load causes electric current to flow through the corners of the resistive layer. The computer may determine a Cartesian coordinate (X, Y) position of an object relative to the digitizing panel, based on the current flow in each of the corners of the resistive layer in a manner known to one of ordinary skill in the art. More particularly, the position of the stylus relative to the digitizing panel may be determined based upon a ratio of the corner currents or signals that flow through the corners of the resistive layer due to the object being capacitively coupled to the resistive layer.
When operating in the pen mode, the computer is conventionally configured so as to be receptive to a signal transmitted from a hand-held pen or stylus. In particular, a stylus typically includes a battery portion which supplies power to an oscillator portion for stimulating a coil associated with a transmitter portion to transmit an AC signal from a tip of the stylus. The AC signal may be transmitted from the stylus tip when the tip is in proximity to the resistive layer associated with the digitizing panel. The transmitted AC signal is typically capacitively coupled to the resistive layer associated with the electrostatic digitizing panel. The capacitively coupled AC signal induces an electric current flow through each of the corners of the resistive layer in a known manner. As in the touch mode, the position of the stylus relative to the digitizing panel may then be determined in a known manner. The stylus position determination in the pen mode is based upon a ratio of the corner currents or signals that flow through the corners of the resistive layer due to the AC signal transmitted from the stylus.
One problem with known electrostatic digitizing panels is their susceptibility to the presence of large impulse-type noise sources that may be coupled to the resistive layer. It should be appreciated that the magnitude of the corner signals attributable to an object that is capacitively coupled to the resistive layer is very small compared to external noise sources that couple to the resistive layer. Typically, external noise sources are of two types, namely synchronous noise sources and asynchronous noise sources. Synchronous noise sources may be generated by subassemblies within or adjacent to the computer. For instance, digitizing panels typically overlay a display screen such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) or active matrix screen. The LCD screen generates switching noise which is caused by an M-field or commutating clock that produces a 30-40 Hz square wave for driving the LCD screen. When the square wave changes states, a relatively high (30 volt) signal transient may be coupled onto the resistive layer. On the other hand, asynchronous noise occurs randomly and is attributable to sources such as static electricity, EMI (electromagnetic interference), and the like. As with synchronous noise sources, asynchronous noise sources may also be coupled to the resistive layer.
Ideally, the digitizing panel should amplify the very small corner signal component (of a known frequency) attributable to an object that is in proximity to the digitizing panel, and should reject all other signals (such as the above-mentioned synchronous and asynchronous noise sources) outside a given bandwidth. The digitizing panel should also measure the amplitude of the corner signal with a high degree of precision in order to accurately determine the position of the object relative to the digitizing panel.
However, when amplifying very small signals in a noisy environment, large impulse-type noise sources may cause a high gain amplifier stage to enter a non-linear state thus affecting the ability of the digitizing panel to accurately determine the position of the object relative to the digitizing panel. This is because impulse-type noise may be several orders of magnitude larger than the intended input signal. The slow recovery time of the amplifier stage further increases the detrimental effect of noise impulses by extending the duration of the noise event beyond the time when the noise event is over.
What is needed therefore is an electrostatic digitizing panel that reduces, compensates for, or otherwise filters out, external noise signal components which would otherwise detrimentally affect a reported position of an object.

Method and apparatus for reducing noise in an electrostatic digitizing tablet


Methods and devices are provided for actuating and/or articulating a surgical stapler. In one embodiment, a surgical stapler is provided having a stapling mechanism or end effector that is movably coupled to a distal end of an elongate shaft. An electrically expandable and contractible actuator, such as an electroactive polymer actuator, can be used to pivotally or angularly adjust a position of the stapling mechanism relative to the elongate shaft by delivering energy to the electroactive polymer actuator. In another embodiment, an electroactive polymer actuator can be used to actuate the staple applying assembly, thereby driving one or more staples, and preferably at least two linear rows of staples, into tissue. The actuator can alternatively or additionally drive a blade distally to cut tissue being stapled.

Endoscopic surgical instruments are often preferred over traditional open surgical devices since a smaller incision tends to reduce the post-operative recovery time and complications. Consequently, significant development has gone into a range of endoscopic surgical instruments that are suitable for precise placement of a distal end effector at a desired surgical site through a cannula of a trocar. These distal end effectors engage the tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect (e.g., endocutter, grasper, cutter, staplers, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapy delivery device, and energy device using ultrasound, RF, laser, etc.).
Known surgical staplers include an end effector that can articulate relative to the staple shaft, and that can be actuated to apply staples to tissue. Some linear end effectors simultaneously make a longitudinal incision in tissue and apply lines of staples on opposing sides of the incision. The end effector includes a pair of cooperating jaw members that, if the instrument is intended for endoscopic or laparoscopic applications, are capable of passing through a cannula passageway. One of the jaw members receives a staple cartridge having at least two laterally spaced rows of staples. The other jaw member defines an anvil having staple-forming pockets aligned with the rows of staples in the cartridge. Some current staplers also use reciprocating wedges which, when driven distally, pass through openings in the staple cartridge and engage drivers supporting the staples to effect the firing of the staples toward the anvil.
One drawback to current stapling devices is that a large force is required to effect articulation and actuation, and the force changes throughout the course of the firing stroke. Most current stapling devices utilize one or more hand-squeezed triggers. During articulation, the load is low when the end effector is close to linearly aligned with the shaft, and it increases as the end effector is articulated. During actuation, the load is low during early portions of the stroke when the staples are advancing out of the cartridge and piercing the tissue. Once the staples enter into the anvil pockets, the resistance and load rises rapidly as the staple legs buckle. Then the resistance and load drop down and rise again as the staples are formed. In contrast, the operator has maximum effective strength at the early and mid-stages of the firing stroke, whereas the effective strength is minimized during the final stages of closure. The large force necessary to effect articulation and actuation, as well as the variations in the force, can often exceed the surgeon's hand strength and could potentially result in binding or other malfunctions that may occur when an unexpectedly higher force is required.
The large force required to effect firing can also interfere with the flexibility or adjustability of the shaft. Currently, the end effector can be pivotally coupled to the shaft, or the shaft can be flexible to allow the shaft to travel through a curved pathway. The transfer of force from the handle to the end effector can necessarily interfere with the pivoted or curved orientation of the shaft, potentially causing it to straighten.
Accordingly, there remains a need for methods and devices for actuating and/or articulating a surgical stapler, and in particular for methods and devices that require a low force to effect actuation and/or articulation of a surgical stapler.

Electroactive polymer-based actuation mechanism for linear surgical stapler


A switch reconfigures a plurality of closed loop systems by the introduction of an element or sub-closed loop system into the closed loop system while maintaining the closed loop format of the systems not receiving the element or sub-closed loop system. This switch includes an input and output associated with the element or sub-closed loop system and a plurality of input and output pairs, each pair being associated with a distinct closed loop system. The switch, in response to control signals, connects an input from one of the closed loop systems to the output associated with the element or sub-closed loop system. The switch also connects the input associated with the element or sub-closed loop system to the output associated with the input of the system. While making these connections, the switch also provides connections between the input and output pairs of the other closed loop systems not being connected to the element or sub-closed loop system so that these closed loop systems maintain their closed loop format and remain operative.

In the conventional systems, if one desired to reconfigure a plurality of closed loop systems such that an element could be freely inserted or withdrawn from one of the plurality of closed loop systems, a person reconfiguring these closed loop systems would utilize one of two options.
The first option would require the person to physically disconnect and reconnect (recable) the cables or connections of the various closed loop systems so that the element could be introduced into one of the closed loop systems, and the other closed loop systems, not receiving the element, would maintain their closed loop format. This option required a large amount of time and effort in accomplishing the physical recabling of the various systems. Moreover, the large amount of recabling needed to realize the reconfiguration also promotes a higher chance of error.
The other option, that a person could utilize in the conventional systems to reconfigure a plurality of closed loop systems with the insertion or removal of an element, utilizes a switch which enables the insertion or removal of an element in conjunction with one of the plurality of closed loop systems. However, this switch does not allow the closed loop systems, not receiving the element, to remain operative because the switch does not provide a means to close the loop format of these closed loop systems. Thus, a person utilizing the second option is capable of switching a single element between a plurality of closed loop systems; however, the closed loop systems, not receiving the element, would become inoperative because when the switch removes the element from the closed loop system, the switch would leave the closed loop system in an open format, thereby rendering the system inoperative.
In summary, when utilizing the conventional system for reconfiguring closed loop systems, a person either has to exert a large amount of time and effort in recabling the closed loop systems in order to add or remove an element or the person can utilize a switch to accomplish the addition or removal operations but would lose the use of the closed loop systems, not receiving the element, because these systems would remain in an open format and thus inoperative. These various disadvantages with the conventional systems are overcome or substantially eliminated by the present invention.

Switch and system for reconfiguring a plurality of closed loop systems


A method and apparatus are provided in which a host device and a peripheral device are adapted to perform efficient data transfers. The host receives one or more bytes in a memory transfer from the peripheral device, and determines an operation for modifying the memory transfer without reading the one or more bytes. Rather, the modification may be performed based on information in a header accompanying the transferred bytes. The host device modifies the memory transfer based on the determination, and writes the modified memory transfer to memory.

Before an Ethernet network interface controller (NIC) receives a packet, the host has pre-allocated a fixed size memory buffer for the NIC to transfer the packet into. After the packet arrives at the NIC, the NIC transfers the packet to host memory via a direct memory access (DMA) write. The host computer looks only at the packet data written by the NIC, and ignores the state of memory outside the packet in its receive buffers.
Host memory systems must by written to in units of a cacheline size, typically 64 or 128 bytes. To write a smaller value to memory, a host must read the cacheline, modify the data, and write it back to memory. This is called read-modify-write operation.
When a peripheral device, such as a peripheral component interface express (PCIe) based NIC, performs a DMA write to a host computer system and the DMA transfer is to an address which is not aligned on a cacheline boundary, or the DMA transfer is not a multiple of the cacheline size in length, the host system must perform a read-modify-write cycle where it first reads the cacheline surrounding the modified data, and modifies the cacheline to include the DMA transfer, and then writes the modified cacheline back to memory. This read-modify-write cycle is wasteful of host memory bandwidth, and can itself become a bottleneck preventing a device from working at full speed, since the host system is using twice as much memory bandwidth as would otherwise be required.
If a NIC wishes to avoid these read-modify-write operations on the host, it must pad received frames so that they are a multiple of cacheline size in length and start aligned on a cacheline boundary. This wastes PCIe bandwidth, as the device may be forced to send nearly 49% of its traffic as padding, in the worst case (65 byte packets padded to 128 bytes to accommodate a host with a 64 byte cacheline size).

System and method for efficient DMA transfers


A retort cup includes a tubular barrel portion formed of a barrel portion forming blank having a paper layer and thermoplastic resin layers; and a bottom portion which seals one of the openings of the barrel portion. The bottom portion has a downwardly bent peripheral edge portion. The barrel portion has an attached barrel overlap portion where both end edges of the blank are overlapped with each other and sealed, a lower fold-back portion which is formed at a lower end of the barrel portion by folding back the blank inwardly, and an upper fold-back portion which is formed by folding back the ends of the fold-back blank inwardly. The lower end of the barrel portion, the upper fold-back portion, and the peripheral edge portion of the bottom portion are sealed together. The peripheral edge portion is inserted into the lower fold-back portion.

Regarding paper cups which are used after being filled with drinks, such as juice, and for which an upper opening portion is sealed with a lid member, paper cups formed with a joining portion provided to a barrel portion having a blank have generally been used. This blank is formed by punching a laminated material in a predetermined shape. In this laminated material, thermoplastic resin layers, such as polyethylene, are provided on both surfaces of the paper which is the base.
Additionally, when a barrier property against gas, such as oxygen or steam, is required, paper containers, such as a paper cup which is formed using a laminated material with a configuration including a layer having an excellent barrier property, have often been used. As this laminated material, for example a polyethylene film, paper, a polyethylene film, an aluminum foil, a polyethylene terephthalate film, and a polyethylene film, or a polyethylene film, paper, a polyethylene film, a plastic film having a metal oxide vapor-deposited layer, and a polyethylene film are used from the front side.
As a method of securing the barrier property of the joining portion of the paper cup, for example, there is known a method of performing end surface processing (edge protection) which protects end surfaces of both lateral ends of a joining portion of a barrel member which constitutes the barrel portion of the paper cup. This method is a method referred to as skive hemming as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C.
In this method, a barrel member 100 made of a laminated sheet in which thermoplastic resin 102 is laminated on a paper base 101 is used (refer to FIG. 2A). An outermost layer end edge of the barrel member 100 is skived (cut) by approximately half of the thickness of the barrel member 100 by a cutting milling method or a cutting bell knife method (refer to FIG. 2B). Next, the barrel member 100 of the remaining skived (cut) half is hemmed such that the cut surface is placed inside (folded back), and a paper end surface is protected by the thermoplastic resin (refer to FIG. 2C).
As above, in order to perform skive-hemming process of the paper end surface, it is necessary to perform the skive-hemming process of the paper end surface using a special working machine before the barrel member (blank), which is punched in advance, is formed into a paper cup. Additionally, in order to trim a skived end surface on a straight line, it is difficult to perform cup forming simultaneously when a cup forming machine performs the skive-hemming process. As such, the skive-hemming process involves complicated working processes. Moreover, complete removal of debris generated by skiving (cutting) the paper base 101 is difficult.
Since management of skive depth is difficult in the skive-hemming process, there is a case where a scrap from the skived portion is generated after the forming. As a result, there is a problem in that side sealing or the like is not stable. In addition, in order to use glue for fold-back bonding after skiving in the skive hemming, management of the amount, position, or the like of the glue is difficult.
As a method of producing a cup-like paper container having an excellent barrier property without performing the skive-hemming process, a method of using a blank in which end surfaces of a paper base are covered with a film is proposed (for example, refer to the below Patent Documents 1 to 5).
In the cup-like paper container having a barrier property which protects the end surfaces of this paper base, a thermoplastic resin layer is prepared so as to extend from the paper base, over the whole inner end edge of an attached barrel overlap portion. Thus, the film of the thermoplastic resin layer extending from the paper base in this way will be irregularly formed during cup forming. For this reason, the original purpose of covering the end surfaces of the paper base cannot be sufficiently achieved. Additionally, since the finish as a cup-like paper container is poor, there is a problem in that a defect is caused in the appearance.
Moreover, a method of punching a laminated sheet based on paper in which a thermoplastic resin layer is provided at least on the inner surface in a predetermined shape, and then closely overlapping a resin portion extending outwardly from one lateral end edge of a blank such that the resin portion becomes the inside of the other end edge, thereby forming an attached barrel overlap portion is proposed (refer to the below Patent Document 2). This resin portion is closely covered with the blank along the end surfaces of the base.
Moreover, in an opening portion of the cup-like paper container, a flange portion is formed by winding an upper end edge of the barrel member one round or more.
By providing the flange portion at the opening portion of the cup-like paper container in this way, deformation of the paper container can be suppressed even when a force is applied thereto from the outside. Thus, it is possible to provide a paper container which is suitable for use as the mouthpiece of a drink container.
Moreover, since sealing can be performed by overlapping the top surface of the flange portion with a lid member, the cup-like paper container is suitable as a cup-like paper container for an application which requires sealing.
Additionally, in order to more easily perform sealing using the lid member, a flange portion prepared by winding an upper end edge of the barrel member is pressed from an up-and-down direction, and is brought into a flat state.
Ultrasonic means other than ordinary heating and pressing means can be used as the means for bringing the flange portion into the flat state.
As such, when the upper end edge of the barrel member is wound in the opening portion to form the flange portion, a stepped portion caused by the thickness of the paper which is the base is generated in the flange portion. Therefore, when the lid member is overlapped with the top surface of the flange portion, and is heated and sealed, sealing cannot be reliably performed due to the stepped portion. Particularly, when the flange portion is in a flat state, the influence caused by the thickness of the base is great.
Additionally, in order to fill the stepped portion of the top surface of the flange portion to reliably perform sealing, it is necessary to provide a filling member made of a separate resin or the like to eliminate the stepped portion, and partially perform sealing of the position of the stepped portion.
As such, when the lid member is overlapped with the top surface of the flange portion and sealed, a gap may be generated in the sealed portion of the lid member due to the level difference of the flange portion if the upper end edge is wound while the flange portion of the upper portion of the attached barrel overlap portion overlaps the paper base of the attached barrel overlap portion. Additionally, there are problems such as the finish as a cup-like container being poor, and a defect is caused in the appearance.
In order to solve this problem, in a cup-like paper container in which a tubular barrel member and a bottom member below this barrel member are integrated, a configuration in which the lateral end edge located inside the overlap portion of the blank has a resin portion extending from the lateral end edge of the base, and a cutout portion is provided in an upper portion of the lateral end edge which is not provided with the resin portion is suggested in the below Patent Document 5. This blank is made up of, for example, a laminated sheet based on paper which has a thermoplastic resin layer provided at least on the inner surface thereof. This tubular barrel member is formed with an attached barrel overlap portion obtained by overlapping one lateral end edge of the blank with the other lateral end edge, and a flange portion obtained by winding an upper end edge one round or more.
In this method, by providing a cutout portion in an upper portion of the lateral end edge of the barrel member, the barrel member is not wound while being overlapped in the flange portion of the upper portion of the attached barrel overlap portion. Therefore, a flange portion with a small level difference is formed, so that a gap of a sealed portion can be made small when sealed by the lid member.
However, the amount of resin required for bonding the lid member may be insufficient merely by providing the cutout portion in the upper portion of the lateral end edge of the barrel member which does not provide the resin portion. Moreover, the problem that the sealing using resin of the end surface of the barrel member in the upper flange portion of the attached barrel overlap portion becomes easily imperfect is left unsolved.
Moreover, a paper container in which a laminated sheet based on paper in which a thermoplastic resin layer is provided on the inner surface is punched in a predetermined shape, and then, a fold-back resin portion of the blank is closely overlapped with the base such that the resin portion becomes the inside of the other end edge, thereby forming an attached barrel overlap portion is proposed (refer to the below Patent Document 3). This fold-back resin portion is formed as the resin portion which extends outwardly from one lateral end edge and is folded back to the outer surface side.
This paper container is protected as the inner-surface-side base end surface in the attached barrel overlap portion is covered with the thermoplastic resin layer. Additionally, in the case of the cup-like container, the upper end edge of the barrel member is wound in the opening portion to form the flange portion. Therefore, a stepped portion caused by the thickness of the paper which is a base is generated in the flange portion. For this reason, when the lid member is overlapped with the top surface of the flange portion, and is heated and sealed, sealing cannot be reliably performed due to the stepped portion. The below Patent Document 3 suggests a solution to confront this problem.
However, a problem that the barrier property of the end surface of the lower end edge of the barrel member in a container bottom surface portion of the cup-like container is insufficient is left unsolved in terms of the protection of the end surface of the paper base. That is, while the end surface of the peripheral edge portion of the bottom member of the cup is pinched by the fold-back of the lower end of the barrel member, the lower end of the barrel member is fixed in the state of being folded back to the inside of the container, and the end surface is exposed to the air. Therefore, the cup is weak in terms of penetration of water through the paper end surface.


This invention presents a MIMO wireless sensor networks communication, which is expected to utilize a larger of size sensor nodes in commercial environments, potentially hostile and militarily sensitive environments. Every sensor node of the MIMO sensor networks communication is to support data collection, signal processing and analysis, and transmission fashion. The present invention also develops novel approaches of advanced space-time processing with the MIMO sensor-antenna architecture, spread spectrum, and adaptive communication signal processing that simultaneously exploit temporal and spatial diversity for seamless sensor networks communications, thereby converting spatially distributed sensor nodes into efficient, robust, reliable, and secure wireless sensor networks communications.

This invention is generally relative to a Multiple Input Multiple Output Multiple-Input Multiple-Output wireless sensor networks communication.
Conventional deployments of sensor networks communication often scatter multiple sensors over a limited geographic region in order to collect data of interest. The collected data is then analyzed to expeditiously achieve or facilitate a given mission objective. It does not matter whether the collected data is continued surveillance, reconnaissance, target identification, registration and disposition, or anything else along those lines. In the sensor networks communication, each sensor device is expected to reliably and securely transmit its data to a communication receiver for further analysis, pattern recognition, coordination, and processing during various time intervals. Usually, each sensor has a single antenna while the communication receiver is equipped with an antenna array, which has many elements. Different sensors in the sensor networks communication may be responsible for different levels of throughput and fidelity depending on a particular task. In addition, some sensors in the sensor networks communication may have to provide several transmissions within a short-time interval while as other sensors may only transmit at irregular intervals or even not at all. Thus, resource allocations of the sensor networks communication need be determined and continually reassessed so that accommodations of such versatility can be achieved in performance.
The further sensor networks communications are envisioned to contain a large number of sensor nodes, each capable of some limited computation, communication and sensing capabilities, operating in an unattended mode with limited energy. They are also characterized by severe energy constraints because the sensor nodes will often operate with finite battery resources and limited recharging. Generally speaking, they have the following properties: (1) A sensor network communication is composed of a large number of sensor nodes that are densely deployed either inside the phenomenon or very close to it; (2) Sensor nodes in the sensor networks communications are prone to failures; (3) A topology of the sensor networks communications changes very frequently; (4) Sensor nodes in the sensor networks communications mainly use a broadcast communication paradigm; (5) Sensor nodes in the sensor networks communications are limited in power, computational capacities, adaptive communication signal processing, transmission, and memory; and (6) in addition, in some cases, sensor nodes of the sensor networks communications may not have global identification because the sensor networks communications use a larger amount of overhead and large number of sensors.
A sensor networks communication has numerous applications. One of the applications is used to monitor and control safely critical military and governmental environments such as domestic infrastructure systems. In this case, the application may include battlefield detection and protection systems for biological, chemical and/or radiological weapons, aiding areas hit by disasters. Another of the applications is used for homeland security at airports, bridges, public building, and major subway train systems. A third-one of the applications is used for tracking. For example, a ship in the ocean emits sounds that may be detected and characterized by several underwater senor networks. As the ship moves, the bearing measurements slowly change. A fourth-one of the applications is in smart spaces that may include semiconductor and/or manufactory facilities, smart building, cities, and even sensitive laboratories. A fifth-one of the applications is used to monitor ground temperature such as a forest to detect fast moving forest fires. A sixth-one of the applications is in entertainment environments including amusement parks and/or museums. In addition, other applications are in health case systems such as higher-age health monitor and/or patient health and movement status at home environment. As can be seen, the sensor networks communication has tremendous application value not only in military battlefield but also in commercialization.
Recent advances in integrated circuits technology have enabled mass production of tiny, cost-effective, and energy-efficient seamless sensor devices with processing capabilities. The seamless sensor devices are usually equipped with a sensor module in which detects via electrical/electromagnetic fields, acoustics, optical, movement, chemicals, biological agents, radiation, environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, and so on. Characteristics of the seamless sensor devices to be considered are size, battery consumption, energy level, lifetime, movement whether a sensor is mobile or must remain stationary, position that the sensor may be embedded or may be independent of its surroundings, redundancy for checking integrity, and failure modes. The malfunctions may indicate that the sensor has failed, is degrading slowly, or possesses a bad behavior such as going up and down randomly.
Advanced sensor networks communication is expected to utilize a larger of size sensor nodes, such as 1000, or even more individual sensor nodes in potentially hostile and militarily sensitive environments. Every sensor node of the sensor networks communication is likely to support data collection and transmission in an efficient, robust, reliable and secure communication fashion. The sensor network communication will encounter to have multipath propagation because sensor network elements are not likely to be guaranteed a line-of-sight transmission path to a communication receiver, which is not promised to remain at a fixed position for any period of time. The multipath propagation arises from scattering, reflection, refraction or diffraction of the radiated energy off objects in the environment. Thus, received signals from sensor nodes are much weaker than transmitted signals due to mean propagation loss. In addition to a mean path loss, the received signals exhibit fluctuations in a signal level that is referred to fading. Moreover, the sensor networks communication may also have interference, such as co-channel interference (CCI), adjacent-channel interference (ACI), and intersymbol interference (ISI). On the other hand, the sensor networks communication may likely have jam resistant in a hostile and militarily sensitive or a battlefield. Therefore, to effectively operate under the abovementioned constraints, we invent using adaptive novel communication signal processing approaches of space-time processing along with MIMO-based multi-sensor code division multiple access (CDMA) architecture for the sensor networks communication.
The present invention of the MIMO-based wireless sensor networks communication is not only responsible for frequency selection, carrier frequency generation, interleaver, error coding, channel estimate, signal detection, modulation, and source data encryption as well as strategies that overcome signal multipath propagation effects, but also responsible for architecture schemes including tiny, low-power, low-cost communication transceiver, sensing, analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters, and computing processing units and low power-efficient methods. Thus, there is a continuing need of the MIMO-based wireless sensor networks communication.

Multiple-input multiple-output wireless sensor networks communications


In one embodiment, an optical system for amplifying space-multiplexed optical signals includes an input fiber that propagates multiple spatially-separated optical signals and a bulk amplifier formed of a doped material that receives the multiple spatially-separated optical signals and simultaneously amplifies those signals to generate multiple amplified signals.

Fueled by emerging bandwidth-hungry applications and increases in computer processing power, internet traffic has sustained exponential growth in recent years. Different multiplexing techniques such as time-, wavelength-, and polarization-division multiplexing have been investigated in detail, both theoretically and experimentally, to manage this growth. Another technique for a higher link capacity that has been considered is increasing the fiber count in a fiber cable. Recently, space-multiplexed optical transmission, for example using multimode and multi-core fibers, has attracted great interest due to its ability to multiply fiber capacity. Multimode fibers comprise a single large area core that enables many spatial modes to travel inside, and multi-core fibers comprise several cores. Unfortunately, space-multiplexed optical transmission remains limited to several tens of kilometers due to the lack of a practical amplification technique.
It is clear that commercial erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) cannot be used in space-multiplexed transmission. The basic reason for this is that commercial EDFAs are based on single-mode fibers, which have only one degree of freedom (i.e., one spatial mode) while multimode and multi-core fibers have multiple (e.g., many) degrees of freedom. A straightforward way to provide signal amplification for a multi-core fiber is to separate the cores and then amplify each core individually using separate, dedicated single-mode EDFAs. This method increases the degrees of freedom but also increases the number of components that are required by a factor equal to the number of cores (N). This means that there needs to be N times the pump sources, N times the wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), N time the erbium-doped fibers (EDFs), and N times the electronics. It would be desirable to avoid such multiplicity of components.

Systems and methods for amplifying space-multiplexed optical signals

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


A CMOS image sensor includes a first conductive type semiconductor substrate having an active region and a device isolation region, a device isolation film formed in the device isolation region of the semiconductor substrate, a second conductive type diffusion region formed in the active region of the semiconductor substrate, and an ion implantation prevention layer formed in the vicinity of the device isolation film, including a boundary portion between the device isolation film and the second conductive type diffusion region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and more particularly, to a CMOS image sensor and a method for fabricating the same in which a dark current is prevented from occurring, thereby improving performance of the image sensor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, an image sensor is a semiconductor device that converts optical images to electrical signals. Image sensors can be classified as a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a CMOS image sensor.
The CCD includes a plurality of photodiodes arranged in a matrix to convert optical signals to electrical signals, a plurality of vertical charge coupled devices (VCCDs) formed between the photodiodes to transfer charges generated by the respective photodiodes in a vertical direction, a plurality of horizontal charge coupled devices (HCCDs) for transferring the charges transferred by the VCCDs in a horizontal direction, and a sensing amplifier for sensing the charges transferred in a horizontal direction to output electrical signals.
However, the aforementioned CCD has drawbacks in its fabrication process because of a complicated driving mode, high power consumption, and multistage photolithographic processes. Moreover, it is difficult for a signal processing circuit and an analog-to-digital converter to integrate on a chip of the CCD. Moreover, a slim product size is difficult to obtain.
The CMOS image sensor attempts to overcome the drawbacks of the CCD. The CMOS image sensor employs a switching mode that sequentially detects outputs of unit pixels using MOS transistors by forming the MOS transistors corresponding to the number of the unit pixels on a semiconductor substrate. The CMOS technology uses a control circuit and a signal processing circuit as peripheral circuits. The CMOS image sensor sequentially detects electrical signals of each unit pixel using the switching mode to display images by forming photodiodes and MOS transistors in the unit pixels.
The CMOS image sensor can have a low power consumption and a simple fabrication process due to the relatively small number of photolithographic process steps. Further, since the CMOS image sensor allows a control circuit, a signal processing circuit and an analog-to-digital converter to be integrated on one chip, a slim sized product can be obtained. Therefore, the CMOS image sensor is widely used for various applications, such as digital cameras and digital video cameras.
A conventional CMOS image sensor will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 2.
FIG. 1 is a layout illustrating a unit pixel of a 3T type CMOS image sensor including three transistors. As shown in FIG. 1, the unit pixel of the 3T type CMOS image sensor includes a photodiode 20 and a transistor region 10. The transistor region 10 includes three transistors, i.e., a reset transistor Rx 120 for resetting optical charges collected in the photodiode, a drive transistor Dx 130 serving as a source follower buffer amplifier, and a select transistor Sx 140 for switching addressing.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II—II of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a P− type epitaxial layer 101 is formed on a P++ type semiconductor substrate 100, and a device isolation film 103 is formed in a device isolation region formed on the a P− type epitaxial layer 101. A gate 123 is formed above a portion of the epitaxial layer 101 by interposing a gate insulating film 121 therebetween. An insulating spacer 125 is formed at both sides of the gate 123. An N− type diffusion region 131 is formed on an active region of the epitaxial layer 101 defined by the device isolation film 103, and a P° type diffusion region 132 is formed on the N− type diffusion region 131. A heavily doped N type diffusion region (N+) and a lightly doped N type diffusion region (N−) are formed. The heavily doped N type diffusion region (N+) and the lightly doped N type diffusion region (N−) serve as source and drain regions S/D.
However, the conventional CMOS image sensor has drawbacks in that the sensor and its charge storage ability performance deteriorates are a result of dark current.
Dark current refers to current generated by electrons moving from the photodiode to another region such that light does not enter the photodiode. The dark current is generally caused by various defects or dangling bonds generated in a portion adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a boundary portion between the device isolation film and the P° type diffusion region, a boundary portion between the device isolation film and the N− type diffusion region, a boundary portion between the P° type diffusion region and the N− type diffusion region, the P° type diffusion region, and the N− type diffusion region. The dark current may cause serious problems under low illumination conditions.
Therefore, in the conventional CMOS image sensor, the P° type diffusion region is formed on the surface of the photodiode to reduce the dark current, particularly the dark current generated in the portion adjacent to the surface of the silicon substrate. However, the conventional CMOS image sensor is affected greatly by the dark current generated in the boundary portion between the device isolation film and the P° type diffusion region and the boundary portion between the device isolation film and the N− type diffusion region.
In more detail, as shown in FIG. 2, a photoresist pattern (not shown) is formed on the semiconductor substrate 100 as an ion implantation mask layer to form the N− type diffusion region 131 and the P° type diffusion region 132. At this time, the entire active region for the photodiode is exposed from an opening of the photoresist pattern. In this state, if impurity ions for the N− type diffusion region 131 and the P° type diffusion region 132 are implanted into the active region of the photodiode, the impurity ions are also implanted into the boundary portion between the active region and the device isolation film 103.
Therefore, the boundary portion between the device isolation film 103 and the N− type diffusion region 131, and the boundary portion between the device isolation film 103 and the P° type diffusion region 132 are damaged by ion implantation of the impurity ions, thereby causing defects. The defects cause electron-hole carriers and recombination of the electrons. As a result, the leakage current of the photodiode is increased, and the dark current of the CMOS image sensor is increased.
As described above, the conventional CMOS image sensor has a structure in which the impurity ions are implanted into the boundary portion between the device isolation film and the active region for the photodiode during ion implantation of the impurity ions for the formation of the diffusion regions of the photodiode. As a result, in the conventional CMOS image sensor, it is difficult to prevent an increase in dark current generated in the boundary portion between the device isolation film and the active region for the photodiode. This limits the performance of the CMOS image sensor.

CMOS image sensor and method for fabricating the same


An infrared spectrometer disperses a radiation ray from a catalyst which has been exposed to a gas for evaluation to adsorb adsorbates thereon, and outputs spectral data in accordance with a wavenumber of the radiation ray to a computer storing reference data. The computer normalizes the spectral data and the reference data, and then, it calculates a product of the normalized spectral data and the reference data. Thereafter, a function of the product is differentiated with respect to the wavenumber to obtain a differential function. Accordingly, a specified wavenumber for which the differential function is zero is determined, so that the common peak of the spectral data and the reference data at the specified wavenumber is accurately determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining kinds of adsorbates on the basis of spectral data, which is dispersed in accordance with a wavelength or a wavenumber, of an infrared ray, an ultraviolet ray, or the like radiated from the adsorbates.
2. Related Arts
Conventionally, for example, kinds of adsorbates adsorbed on a solid object such as a catalyst are determined on the basis of peaks of spectral data detected by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer in the following two methods. In a first method, spectral data of materials similar to the adsorbates are collected from various kinds of documents as collection data, and the spectral data obtained from the adsorbates are analyzed by using the collection data. In a second method, at first, materials similar to the adsorbates are experimentally measured by the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer as well to obtain those reference spectral data. Thereafter, the spectral data obtained from the adsorbates are analyzed on the basis of the reference spectral data of the expected materials.
However, the above-mentioned first and second methods need too much time to determine the kinds of the adsorbates. Especially, the first method needs much time to search the spectral data from the documents. In the second method, for example, when various kinds of catalysts carrying adsorbates thereon are analyzed, several times experiments more than the number of the catalysts need to be performed. In addition, a catalyst is usually exposed to a gas so that adsorbates are produced and adsorbed on the catalyst. In this case, even though the gas flowing through the catalyst includes only one component, several kinds of adsorbates may be adsorbed on the surface of the catalyst. Moreover, there is a case where the catalyst is exposed to a mixture gas to observe reactions thereon. In such a case, the number of the adsorbates on the catalyst further increases. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately and efficiently determine the kinds of the adsorbates only by using a commercial database on the basis of a single component.

Apparatus for determining kinds of adsorbates


The invention relates to a method for checking the integrity of a message transmitted between a sender in a transmitting end and a recipient in a receiving end, in which method an authentication value is calculated for the first message and a random string is generated. According to a method in the transmitting end an authentication value is generated from a message to be sent and the random string. A check code is formed from the authentication value and the random sting. The first message is transferred from a sender to a recipient through a first channel, and the check code is transferred through a second secure channel. In the receiving end a message is received through a first channel and the check code is received through a second secure channel. In the receiving end an authentication check formed at least based of the received message. The integrity of the received message is checked by comparing the predetermined check values in the receiving end.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for checking the integrity of data transmitted. More closely the invention relates to a method for checking the integrity of data transmitted with an out-of-band check code.
2. Description of Related Art
Data transmission through different kinds of networks is increasing very rapidly. As a result, more and more private and secret data is transferred through the networks. This kind of data is for example credit card numbers and such. It is very important to be sure that data or a message received is from a correct sender. In addition, it is very important to be sure that nobody has changed the data in the transmission path so that the correct information is transmitted to the recipient.
Many times data is meant for devices connected to a network for controlling the operation of the devices. These kinds of devices can for example be network elements and terminals. Especially, in many cases it is necessary to distribute so called bootstrap information to network devices. Here the bootstrap information means data, which is used for bringing a certain system into a desired state for a certain operation. This kind of information is for example provisioned data, which contain information relating to network operation, like server addresses and Certification Authority certificates. When transmitting this kind of information the security becomes very important. If a person not entitled to the information changes the data and forwards it to the terminal, the consequences can be serious in the network. When transmitting this kind of information it is also very important to be sure that data is correct.
Generally, the requirements from a security point of view are that the data comes from a correct sender and that the data has not been changed in the transmission path, as said earlier. Usually, a term verify the authenticity is used to represent the verification of the sender and a term integrity to represent if the message or data has been changed in the transmission path or not. These terms are also used in the following parts of this description.
Different kinds of methods have been developed to transmit data in a secure way from the sender to the recipient. Almost without exception these methods are always based on algorithms, which are used for encrypting and decrypting the message so that only the correct sender and the correct recipient are able to find out the content of the message. Many times these algorithms are based on so called private and public key pair method. In this method the sender creates both of the keys and delivers the public key to persons concerned. The private key is kept secret from everybody. A message, which is encrypted with a public key, is possible to decrypt only with a corresponding private key.
Different other kinds of methods have been developed as well to achieve a needed security in data transmission. If we consider for example provisioning of the bootstrap type data, especially over the air, as in mobile telecommunication, a MAC (Message Authentication Code) based verification method has been proposed. In the MAC based verification method a MAC code is appended to the message. Typically MAC is a string of bits, which depends in some specified way on the message to which it is to be appended and on a secret key known both by the sender and by the recipient of the message. The code to be appended to the message can for example be a block, which is formed with a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA). The combination of the message and the MAC code is transmitted through an unreliable channel. By the term unreliable channel it is meant a channel, which is not secure for data transmission because anyone can monitor the data sent through the transmission path. For decrypting the received data a MAC key is also delivered to the recipient. Advantageously, the MAC key is delivered through an out-of-band channel and it is based on a user input. In a typical situation the user input is a password.
This kind of MAC based verification method has a problem that if the password is not long enough, it can be processed from the combination of the message and the MAC code by means of computer by an attacker. A possible way to do this is to try all possible passwords until one is found with which the calculated MAC code based on the password and the MAC code transmitted along with the message match with each other. When the password is found the attacker can generate a new message, which will be successfully verified by the recipient. If the original data is changed and the new data is used for original purposes, it can cause serious consequences.
To minimize the risk that an attacker finds out the password the length of the password can be increased. If the number of bits in the password is big enough it takes a longer time to find out the MAC code and the objective is that it takes too long a time to find out the content of the message and change it.
Another problem in the MAC based verification method, especially applied in the bootstrap information type data, is that in many cases the bootstrap information is global (e.g. provisioning addresses, Certification Authority certificate), but the MAC code requires that the message is personalized, because of the passwords.
One method in practice, which is used for checking the validity of certification authority certificates, is to display a fingerprint, like a complete hash code, of the Certification Authority certificates and ask the user to check it. The user can check the displayed fingerprint by comparing it to a certificate, which is gotten from a newspaper or from the Internet or such. This method is quite secure in principle, but requires activity from the user.

Method for checking the integrity of data, system and mobile terminal


The zoom lens system is used for forming an optical image of an object with a variable magnification, and, in order from the object side, comprises a first lens unit G1 of negative optical power, a second lens unit G2 of positive optical power and a third lens unit G3 of positive optical power. The lens units move respectively along the optical axis so that a magnification is changed with changing a distance between the respective lens units. The second lens unit G2 comprises at least three lens elements including an object side lens element of the second lens unit which is a positive lens element arranged on the most object side with the surface of strong curvature facing the object side, and an image side lens element of the second lens unit which is a positive lens element arranged on the most image side with the convex surface facing the object side.

In a digital still camera using a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), a lens system having a comparatively long back focus is necessary in order that a member such as an optical low-pass filter should be arranged between the rearmost part of the lens element and the solid-state image sensor. Further, in the shooting optical system of the digital still camera, a satisfactory telecentric property is required in order to avoid shading that could cause a reduction in the amount of light in the periphery on the image surface.
A large number of types of digital still cameras can be considered. One of these types is a compact type. As zoom lens systems suitable for digital still cameras of compact type, in the prior art, three-unit zoom lens systems have been proposed that, in order from the object side, comprise a first lens unit having negative optical power, a second lens unit having positive optical power and a third lens unit having positive optical power. The inventors of the present application have proposed a three-unit zoom lens system appropriate for a digital still camera of compact type (Patent Document 1).
[Patent document 1] International Publication No. 03/085440 Pamphlet

Zoom lens system, imaging device and camera


A new and improved method for inhibiting the precipitation of sodium oxalate crystals in a Bayer process liquor is provided. In an embodiment, the method comprises the step of adding to the Bayer process liquor, after red mud separation, a minor effective amount of a liquor oxalate stabilizer selected from hydrocarbon-substituted amine oxide compounds and/or hydrocarbon-substituted betaine compounds.

In the Bayer process for Bauxite ore beneficiation, crystallization and precipitation of solubilized alumina trihydrate values from caustic liquors, referred to herein as Bayer process liquor, is a critical step towards the recovery of aluminum values. Bayer process operators optimize their precipitation methods so as to produce the greatest possible yield from the Bayer process liquors. Production is often limited by processing conditions under which the crystallization and precipitation is conducted. These processing conditions vary from one plant to the next and include temperature profiles, seed charge, seed crystal surface area, liquor loading, liquor purity, and the like.
To obtain the maximum recovery of aluminum values from Bayer process liquor, a plant will typically attempt to maximize the liquor caustic level and minimize the final precipitation temperature. However, it is well known that sodium oxalate can co-precipitate with alumina trihydrate from Bayer process liquor, and that the solubility of sodium oxalate in Bayer process liquor is generally decreased by increasing caustic levels and decreasing precipitation temperatures. Uncontrolled co-precipitation of oxalate can cause a number of problems for a Bayer plant, which place restrictions on plant operating parameters and therefore on aluminum values recovery.
Well known adverse effects of co-precipitation of sodium oxalate include increasing product fines and soda levels, and interference with the efficient size classification of alumina trihydrate. High quality alumina trihydrate usually has a crystal coarseness specification of 90-95% of the crystals being at least 44 microns in diameter. It is known in the art that co-precipitating sodium oxalate can cause the alumina trihydrate crystals to precipitate as a very fine material which is below the usual quality specification of 90-95% of the crystals having 44 microns or greater in diameter.
Alumina trihydrate is precipitated from Bayer process liquor, which in essence is a concentrated sodium hydroxide solution. Typical soda levels in alumina levels are only 0.2-0.6% by weight as Na.sub.2 O. Nonetheless, it is desirable to produce alumina with soda levels at the lower end of this typical range. Modern smelters generally calculate their break-cven point for soda in alumina at 0.35% Na.sub.2 O. As smelter technology improves and as older smelters are replaced, the incentive will become greater for alumina producers to meet this low soda level. Furthermore, some markets (e.g. catalysts, catalyst supports, refractories, electroceramics) require even lower soda levels. It would be advantageous to provide a method and composition for reducing soda levels in alumina.

Method for inhibiting precipitation of sodium oxalate in a Bayer process liquor


A cellular reservoir flexible pressure vessel is formed as a series of closely packed tubes fitted into a pair of opposing end caps. The end caps have individual receptacles sized and shaped to receive the tube ends that are secured with adhesive or radio frequency welding. At least one end cap has a passageway for connection of the vessel. The flexible pressure vessel has a pressure relief device comprising a reduction in thickness of one end cap at a predetermined location. When subjected to overpressure it fails at the predetermined location. Other pressure relief devices include: a projecting member on the vessel surface, a weakened section of the passageway, a weakening or an absence of braiding material or hoop winding at a predetermined location on the vessel surface or along the passageway, a weakening or spreading of fibers in either the reinforcing panels or the flexible blankets covering the vessel.

Typically, pressure vessels capable of containing liquids or gases at significant pressures have involved fixed shape cylinders or spheres formed of high-strength metals such as steel or aluminum. Such pressure vessels, while successful for their designed applications, involve a number of problems. First, such metallic cylinders are relatively heavy compared to the gases or fluids that they contain. Second, pressure cylinders contain all of the gas or liquid in a single space. Should the vessel rupture, the entire vessel is destroyed, often with a violent explosion sending shards of metal in all directions. Third, metallic cylinders have a definite shape and cannot be adapted to fit readily in many space-constrained applications. The present invention involves a number of small cells of an elongated tubular shape linked to each other by collecting end caps. The result of this design is that the pressure vessel may be readily formed into a variety of useful shapes to accommodate special applications. A pressure vessel of this type can be lightweight, adaptable to a variety of spaces and unusual applications, and is inherently safer in rupture situations.
A particular problem associated with pressure vessels operated at high pressure is the conditions under which they fail. Metallic cylinders are particularly dangerous in this regard as they may fragment suddenly if aged or fatigued from many use cycles, even if equipped with overpressure release devices. The present invention provides for a number of controlled pressure release mechanisms that are easily incorporated into the flexible pressure vessels.
The use of numerous small linked pressure vessels also present problems related to effectively joining such vessels together. The present invention provides for novel manufacturing methods for joining such cells.
Various designs have been developed using elongated tubular shaped vessels, most in the area of radiators and heat exchangers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,187 issued to Marechal et al. discloses a heat exchanger with flexible tubes. The tubes may be made from a plastic material and are designed to carry a heat-exchanging fluid capable of cooperating with an air stream circulating through the exchanger. The invention is intended to describe the method by which the tubes are maintained in parallel rows. The tubes are made from a plastic material and communicate by way of their extremities with two manifolds. The manifolds include collector plates equipped with apertures that thus form a means for holding the tubes in place. The tubes are arranged in rows that are parallel to one another by a distance corresponding to the tube thickness so that the various rows are adjacent in pairs of respective tubes of two consecutive pairs. The tubes generally exhibit a sinusoidal shape and thus aligned for expanding and contraction so that the tubes may utilize the flexible characteristics and maintain the integrity of the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,902 issued to Bosne, is directed to a heat exchanger in particular for an atmospheric cooling tower. The exchanger utilizes synthetic plastic material for the tubes that has one fixed header while the remainder of the exchanger is mounted by suspension to allow for free expansion. A chamber has a heat exchanger with a series of tubes extending throughout the length of chamber. The exchanger comprises a battery of smooth tubes made of a synthetic material. The tubes of the heat exchanger are fixed to the support structure at one of the ends and is freely suspended by a suspension members to allow for expansion and contraction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,134, issued to Mongia et al., discloses a fully floating tube bundle. The exchanger comprises a plurality of fluid carrying tubes that is free floating with no direct contact between the end plates or center plate. Thus, the tubes are free to move with respect to the end plates and center plate as to eliminate damage by vibration and temperature changes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,683 issued to Verlinden describes a flexible tube type fluid-fluid heat exchanger. The exchanger comprises a plurality of flexible synthetic tubes extending in a curved path between a pair of headers. The tubes are connected to headers and are constructed of a flexible plastic material so they may easily conform to the curvature of the wall 11.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,474 issued to Callaghan et al is directed to cryogenic structures that are vessels made of a durable plastic material and are adapted to contain cryogenic materials such as fuel. The structures are made of a fiber network impregnated with a matrix of thermal set plastics and have three tank lobes of a composite plastic reinforced with fibers. The tank lobes may be filament-wound on a rotating mandrel while the fibers are pre-impregnated with resin. Another technique is to heat the tank skins allowing the pre-impregnated fiber layers to fuse together and then cool so as to set up a solid matrix that grips the fibers.
While other variations exist, the above-described designs involving elongated tubular shaped vessels are typical of those encountered in the prior art. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a flexible pressure vessel that is capable of maintaining gasses or liquids at relatively high pressures. It is a further objective to provide this capability in a vessel that is light in weight and that presents a significantly reduced risk of injury in rupture situations. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a pressure vessel that may be easily adapted to a variety of space constraints. It is yet a further objective to provide a pressure vessel that is durable, easily serviced, and that may be produced inexpensively.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.

Cellular reservoir flexible pressure vessel, apparatus and method for making same


A reclining seating unit includes: a base configured to rest on an underlying surface; a seat; a backrest that includes a body and a headrest that is positioned above the body; a reclining mechanism that interconnects the base, seat and backrest that controls the movement thereof between an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed above the base and the backrest is generally vertically disposed at a first angle to the underlying surface above a rear portion of the backrest, and a fully reclined position, in which the backrest is disposed at a second angle to the underlying surface, the second angle being less than the first angle; and a headrest mechanism coupled to the reclining mechanism and attached to the body and headrest. In the upright position, a lower edge of the headrest is positioned at a first distance from an upper edge of the body, and in the reclined position, the lower edge of the headrest is positioned a second distance from the upper edge of the body, the second distance being greater than the first distance. The headrest moves generally parallel to the backrest as the chair moves from the upright to the reclined position.

Conventionally, a recliner chair will move from an upright position, in which the backrest is generally upright, to one or more reclined positions, in which the backrest pivots to be less upright. The movement of the seating unit between the upright and reclined positions is typically controlled by a pair of synchronized reclining mechanisms that are attached to the seat, backrest and base of the chair. Many recliners will have an extendable footrest or ottoman that provides support for the occupant's feet in the reclined position.
One particularly popular recliner is the "three-way" recliner, which has two reclined positions: an intermediate "TV position", in which the footrest or ottoman of the chair is projected forwardly from the chair while the backrest remains substantially upright relative to the seat; and a "fully reclined position", in which the backrest is less upright (i.e., it has been reclined to a shallower angle relative to the floor). In a "three-way" recliner, the backrest pivots relative to the seat as the chair takes its fully reclined position; this differs from a "two-way" recliner, in which the backrest and seat are rigidly fixed and do not pivot relative to one another as the chair moves to the fully reclined position, and from a "one-way" recliner, which typically has no intermediate "TV" position.
One recliner chair feature that has become popular in some models is a headrest that is retracted when the recliner chair is in its upright position and extends when the reclining chair moves to a reclined position. Such a headrest can provide support for the occupants head, which may increase comfort for a reclining occupant, particularly in chairs in which styling demands a relatively low backrest. An exemplary headrest is described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,277 to Holobaugh et al. The chair illustrated therein includes a headrest that is generally horizontally disposed atop the backrest when the chair is in the upright position and generally vertically disposed above the backrest when the chair is in a reclined position. A headrest that folds within a cavity in the rear surface of the backrest, then inverts as it extends, is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,125 to Rogers. The disclosures of each of these patents are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
As chair styling continues to evolve, it may be desirable to provide additional headrest configurations, particularly for certain types of chairs for which styling concerns dictate the size and shape of the backrest.


A modular system for erecting workbenches and equipped walls, in particular for use in laboratories, comprises a structure constructed of modular uprights and crosspieces to which beams can be fixed which permit supports for pieces of furniture, working tables, etc . . . , to be fitted in a slidable manner... M.!..Iadd., m.Iaddend.ounted to the wall are also panels including electrical connections, panels for fluid supply, etc . . . , which have all of the components entirely received inside the associated wall in a flush-relationship therewith.

Equipped walls and associated workbenches are already known and are, for example, used in laboratories or the like in order to obtain work stations each provided with the required utilities.
These equipped walls are constructed of structure units that are mounted in proper locations and to which the shelves and the pieces of furniture forming the workbenches are fitted.
The structure of said equipped walls includes ducts and passages for water and gas inlet pipes, for electricity supply means, and all what is necessary for the employed equipment to operate.
The fluid supply devices, in particular cocks, etc . . . , are fitted to the wall so as to slightly project therefrom. The discharge means are, therefore, generally built in the workbenches which are fixed and connected to discharge pipes in the wall.
This solution, which has been long known and used has, however, limitations particularly in that an assembly, when mounted, is poor in flexibility and cannot be modified unless expensive operations are performed.
This requires that a planning is made in advance about what the distribution of structure units inside a room and the arrangement of instruments on workbenches will have to be.
Once a bench or wall is constructed, no alterations can be performed thereto, unless works of substantial importance are undertaken. Thus, by way of example, should it be decided that a water inlet is to be displaced, this would mean that the entire bench with the relative water outlet is to be displaced and a proper connection to pipes in the wall created, which is certainly a very complicated operation.
The same holds when a working surface is to be displaced, such an operation requiring at present that change to the installation system should be made by skilled hands.
Also, once the structure units are mounted, it is not possible to change their arrangement in order, for example, to adapt them to new rooms or to make them fit to different conditions of work which would have occurred meanwhile.
For these reasons, a need is felt in this field for means permitting the above difficulties to be overcome by the obtention of modular structures which are easy to assemble and/or to alter without expensive operations or skilled hands being necessary.

Modular system for obtaining equipped walls and workbenches in particular for use in laboratories


To provide a polyester resin composition having a high crystallization rate and excellent moldability.

Polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate, polymethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polylactic acid, and the like are excellent in heat resistance, chemical resistance, dynamic characteristics, electric characteristics, and the like and also excellent in cost and performance, and are thus widely used as fibers and films in the industrial field. Further, the polyester resins are excellent in gas barrier property, sanitary property, and transparency and are thus widely used for beverage bottles, cosmetic and pharmaceutical containers, detergent and shampoo containers, and the like.
However, polyester resins generally have extremely low crystallization rates in spite of being crystalline resins, and thus have a very narrow range of molding conditions and difficulty in improving a processing cycle. Therefore, use as molding materials is still restricted. Further, molded products prepared by molding polyester resins have low heat distortion temperatures, and thus there is the problem of limiting operating temperatures.
A generally known method for improving the crystallization rates of polyester resins includes adding a nucleator. Such nucleators include a mineral, an organic acid metal salt, an inorganic salt, a metal oxide, or the like. General-purpose compounds used as the nucleator include metal salts, such as sodium benzoate, aluminum p-tert-butylbenzoate, aromatic phosphate metal salts, and the like; and compounds such as dibenzylidene sorbitol and the like.
Further, there is known a method of adding a resin oligomer for improving mobility at a resin processing temperature. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of adding a metal salt of an abietic acid compound in order to promote the crystallization rate of a polyester resin. Patent Document 2 discloses a method of adding 4-aminobenzenesulfonamide to an olefin resin. Patent Document 3 proposes a method of adding a phosphate metal salt and an aliphatic carboxylic acid metal salt to a crystalline polymer.
Patent Document 4 proposes a method using a transition metal salt of a carboxylic acid as a nucleator for a composition containing polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate. Patent Document 5 proposes a method of obtaining a polyester resin composition by using an alkylene bis fatty acid amide and a quinacridone as a nucleator.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 08-059968    Patent Document 2: U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,997    Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-162867    Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (translation of PCT Application) No. 2002-507955    Patent Document 5: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-113473

Abstract: A polyester resin composition comprising (a) a polyester resin,                (b) one or more sulfonamide compound metal salt having a structure represented by a general formula selected from the group consisting of the following general formula (1):

Abstract: the following general formula (2):

Abstract: and the following general formula (3):

Abstract: and (c) an aliphatic carboxylic acid diester compound of polyalkylene glycol represented by the following general formula (4):

Abstract: (in the formula (4), G represents an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms; R4 and R5 each independently represent an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1 to 14 carbon atoms; and m represents a integral number of 2 to 30).