A gamma ray detector ring for a combined positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is integrated into a radio frequency (RF) coil assembly such that the detector ring is integrated with a RF shield. Each gamma ray detector in the detector ring includes a scintillator component that emits light when a gamma ray is detected and a photodetector component designed to be sensitive to the frequency of light produced by the scintillator. A RF shield may be integrated into a detector ring such that the RF shield is positioned between the scintillator and photodetector components of each detector, thereby saving valuable radial space within the imaging system. Multiple such detector rings may be located adjacent to one another to increase axial coverage and enable three-dimensional PET imaging techniques.

PET imaging involves the creation of tomographic images of positron emitting radionuclides in a subject of interest. A radionuclide-labeled pharmaceutical, i.e., a radiopharmaceutical, is administered to an imaging subject. The subject is positioned within a PET imaging system which includes a detector ring and detection electronics. As the radionuclides decay, positively charged photons known as "positrons" are emitted. For commonly used radiopharmaceuticals such as FDG, (i.e., 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose), these positrons travel only a few millimeters through the tissues of the subject before colliding with an electron, resulting in mutual annihilation. The positron/electron annihilation results in a pair of oppositely-directed gamma rays that are emitted with approximately 511 keV energy.
It is these gamma rays that are detected by the scintillator components of the detector ring. When struck by a gamma ray, the scintillating material in these components emits light, which is detected by a photodetector component, such as a photodiode or photomultiplier tube. The signals from the photodetectors are processed as incidences of gamma rays. When two gamma rays strike oppositely positioned scintillators at approximately the same time, a coincidence is registered. Data sorting units process the coincidences to determine which are true coincidence events and sort out data representing dead times and single gamma ray detections. The coincidence events are binned and integrated to form frames of PET data which may be reconstructed as images depicting the distribution of the radionuclide-labeled pharmaceutical in the subject.
MRI is a medical imaging modality that can create pictures of the inside of a human body without using x-rays or other ionizing radiation. MRI uses a powerful magnet to create a strong, uniform, static magnetic field (i.e., the "main magnetic field"). When a human body, or part of a human body, is placed in the main magnetic field, the nuclear spins that are associated with the hydrogen nuclei in tissue water become polarized. This means that the magnetic moments that are associated with these spins become preferentially aligned along the direction of the main magnetic field, resulting in a small net tissue magnetization along that axis (the "z axis", by convention). An MRI system also comprises components called gradient coils that produce smaller amplitude, spatially varying magnetic fields when current is applied to them. Typically, gradient coils are designed to produce a magnetic field component that is aligned along the z axis and that varies linearly in amplitude with position along one of the x, y or z axes. The effect of a gradient coil is to create a small ramp on the magnetic field strength and concomitantly on the resonant frequency of the nuclear spins, along a single axis. Three gradient coils with orthogonal axes are used to "spatially encode" the MR signal by creating a signature resonance frequency at each location in the body. Radio frequency (RF) coils are used to create pulses of RF energy at or near the resonance frequency of the hydrogen nuclei. These coils are used to add energy to the nuclear spin system in a controlled fashion. As the nuclear spins then relax back to their rest energy state, they give up energy in the form of an RF signal. This signal is detected by the MRI system, and combined with multiple additional such signals may be used to reconstruct an MR image using a computer and known algorithms.
Combining PET and MRI in a single scanner presents difficult technical challenges. An MRI scanner is typically designed to have the gradient coils, RF coils, shielding and cooling systems packed as close together as possible. Prior combined systems have located the PET detector components outside of an RF shield and within the gradient coil and magnet space of the MR magnet assembly. For example, prior solutions have included splitting the gradient coil to make space for a ring of PET detectors, splitting the gradient coil and magnet to make space for a ring of PET detectors or within the gradient coil and magnet space, separating the crystal and detector electronics used in the PET detector with fiber optic cables. However, these arrangements can take up significant radial space. In addition, the PET and MRI systems must not interfere with one another electrically. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a solution for integrating a PET detector, for example a ring of PET detectors, into a MRI magnet assembly by integrating the PET detector with the RF hardware components of the magnet assembly.

System and apparatus for detecting gamma rays in a PET/MRI scanner


Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A base station may transmit, and a user equipment (UE) may receive a group physical control channel signaling, which may configure grant uplink transmissions for a set of UEs including the receiving UE. The group physical control channel signaling may indicate allotted resources for configured grant uplink transmissions. The group physical control channel signaling may further indicate a group physical control channel which a UE may monitor for control messages. The UE may transmit a configured grant uplink transmission in accordance with the group physical control channel signaling. The base station may receive the configured grant uplink transmission and may determine a control message which it may transmit in the group physical control channel based on the configured grant uplink transmission. The UE may receive the control message, and may determine whether to retransmit a configured grant uplink transmission based thereon.

The following relates generally to wireless communications, and more specifically to group physical control channel for autonomous uplink transmissions.
Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform-spread-OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include a number of base stations or network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).
In some cases, a base station may allocate resources for autonomous uplink (AUL) transmissions to a number of UEs concurrently and configure a UE to autonomously transmit uplink communications using the allocated resources. In AUL transmission schemes, a UE may transmit an AUL transmission without first receiving a grant from a base station to transmit the AUL transmission. In such cases, the base station may not know when a UE is going to transmit an AUL transmission, but rather a UE may autonomously determine when to transmit using the allocated resources. In some cases, UEs may be configured to retransmit an AUL transmission one or more times within the allocated resource, and such retransmissions may result in network congestion.

Group physical control channel for autonomous uplink transmissions


An improved motor controller for driving polyphase alternating current dynamoelectric machines from a direct current power source that employs two inverter bridges controlled with a state vector modulation symmetrical state sequence that has a desired “chop” frequency so that each of their outputs produce a fundamental component that is exactly in phase but chop frequency components that are exactly 180 degrees out of phase with each other, with their outputs combined through respective interphase transformers to average the potentials of the chop frequency components.

A MC is used in conjunction with an AC dynamoelectric machine to provide variable and controllable speed for a multiplicity of applications. It converts a DC power source to polyphase AC of suitable power and frequency to drive the AC dynamoelectric machine for such applications.
In aircraft, a MC has uses for both low power and high power applications. One high power application is main engine starting, which may be accomplished with a MC and a dynamoelectric machine that functions as a starter motor and a main electrical power generator. Another such aeronautical high power application is the use of a MC for an electric motor driven hydraulic pump (HP). In aircraft, it is common practice to use the main engine starting MC to serve another function after the engine is started, such as controlling other motor drives, also requiring high power ratings.
It is common for the HPs and other aeronautical motor drives to operate a very high rotational speed to minimize size and weight of the motor. Associated with this high speed is a relatively high frequency required from the MC. Speeds of 42 krpm and 84 krpm are not unusual with operating frequencies up to 1300 or 1400 Hz. On the other hand, at the associated power levels of 100 kW to 200 kW needed for these applications, the switching frequencies for the MC power transistors, typically insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), are typically limited to about 10 kHz maximum.
It is well known that motors need the low order harmonic potentials and currents up to about the 7th harmonic minimised or eliminated to provide efficient operation of the motor. With switching inverter type motor drives, it is also known that control of frequency components in terms of being able to produce or eliminate them requires a switching frequency at least two times the highest frequency of concern. Thus, for effective minimisation of the 7th harmonic of 1400 Hz motors, 9800 Hz, we need about 20 kHz for the switching frequency. Operating IGBTs at this frequency and the requisite power levels will result in unacceptable losses. Ten kHz is considered an acceptable maximum switching frequency for these applications.
Another requirement for airborne applications is filtering of the MC's input and output. In the non-aeronautical industrial field, it is customary to filter the input, but not the output, of the MC. This is because the MC is generally dedicated to a single motor and is either located in extremely close proximity to the motor, or shielding over the wiring between the MC and motor is used. In aircraft applications, the MC may be required to serve more than one motor and/or located at relatively large distance from the motor. Shielding of the MC-to-motor wiring is generally not acceptable because of increased weight and increased heating in the wiring caused by the close bundling and reduced air circulation that shielding causes.
It is known that filtering applied to the output of the motor drive is detrimental to the system performance because it inherently extracts a portion of the fundamental torque producing potential and current delivered to the motor. It is also generally accepted that higher MC switching frequencies result in an output filter design that reduce the loss of fundamental potential and current delivered to the motor. It is further known if the MC inverter switching frequency is insufficient to eliminate the 5th and 7th harmonics potentials, then the addition of an output filter is not a practical solution and it can increase the presence of those unwanted harmonics.

Parallel inverter motor drive with improved waveform and reduced filter requirements


A method for treating the surface of a substrate with a surface treatment composition, wherein the surface treatment composition comprises a liquid medium containing a complexing agent as a metal deposition preventive.

In accordance with high integration of various devices represented by VLSI, TFT liquid crystals and the like, cleanliness levels of substrate surfaces used for these devices are demanded to be higher and higher. Contaminations with various materials disturb to achieve higher cleanliness, and among the contaminations, a metallic contamination particularly deteriorates electric properties of a device, and it is therefore necessary to utmostly lower a metal impurity concentration on a substrate surface for forming a device in order to prevent the above-mentioned deterioration. For this purpose, it is generally conducted to clean a substrate surface with a cleaning agent.
Heretofore, for this type cleaning agent, there are generally used water, electrolyzed ionic water, acid, alkali, oxidizing agent, surfactant aqueous solution or organic solvents and the like. The cleaning agent is demanded not only to have excellent cleaning performances but also to have an impurity concentration of such an extremely low level as to prevent a substrate from being contaminated with a metal impurity from the cleaning agent. In order to satisfy these demands, cleaning chemicals for semiconductors are highly purified, and a metal impurity concentration in the chemicals immediately after purification reaches a level of hardly detectable by present analytical techniques.
Although an impurity in a cleaning agent is lowered to such a low level as to be hardly detectable, it is still difficult to provide a highly clean substrate surface. This is because it can not be avoided that a cleaning agent itself is contaminated with a metal impurity removed from a substrate in a cleaning tank. Thus, a metal impurity separated from a metal surface is incorporated into a cleaning agent and the metal impurity in the contaminated cleaning agent is then deposited on a substrate (reverse contamination).
In a step of cleaning semiconductors, cleaning (SC-1 cleaning) with "ammonia+hydrogen peroxide+water" solution is widely used (see RCA Review, p 187-206, June (1970) etc.). This cleaning is usually conducted at 40.degree.-90.degree. C., and the composition ratio of a cleaning solution usually used is (30 wt % aqueous ammonia):(31 wt % hydrogen peroxide):(water)=0.05:1:5 to 1:1:5. However, this cleaning method has high performances to efficiently remove particles and organic materials, but when metals such as Fe, Al, Zn and Ni are present even in a very small amount in the solution, they are deposited on a substrate surface, thus raising a problem of reverse contamination. For this purpose, in the step of cleaning semiconductors, after cleaning with "ammonia+hydrogen peroxide+water" solution, cleaning with an acid cleaning agent such as "hydrochloric acid+hydrogen peroxide+water" solution (SC-2 cleaning) is usually conducted to remove metal contamination on a substrate surface.
Therefore, in the cleaning step, a technique to prevent the reverse contamination has been demanded in order to stably and efficiently provide a highly clean surface.
Further, a problem of deposition of metal impurities in a liquid onto a substrate surface is generally a large problem not only in the cleaning step but also in substrate surface treatment steps using a solution such as an alkali etching step of a silicon substrate, an etching step of a silicon oxide film with dilute hydrochloric acid, and the like. In the etching step with dilute hydrofluoric acid, when noble metal impurities such as Cu and Au are present in the solution, they are deposited on the silicon surface and extremely deteriorate electric properties of devices such as carrier lifetime. Although, in the alkali etching step, when a small amount of metal impurities such as Fe and Al are present in the solution, they are easily deposited on the substrate surface and adversely affect on its quality. Thus, a technique to prevent contamination in a surface treatment step with a solution is strongly demanded.
In order to solve these problems, there is proposed a method for preventing metal impurities from being deposited on a substrate surface by adding a complexing agent such as a chelating agent to a surface treatment agent to trap the metal impurities in the solution as stable water-soluble complexes. For example, JP-A-50-158281 proposes to prevent deposition of metal impurities on a semiconductor substrate surface by adding a complexing agent such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or ammonium cyanide to a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide aqueous solution. JP-A-3-219000 proposes a chelating agent such as catechol and Tiron, JP-A-5-275405 proposes a phosphonic acid type chelating agent or a complexing agent such as condensed phosphoric acid and JP-A-6-163495 proposes a complexing agent such as hydrazone derivative, and they are respectively added to an alkaline cleaning solution such as "ammonia+hydrogen peroxide+water" solution to prevent metal impurity deposition on a substrate, thereby providing a substrate surface not contaminated with particles, organic materials and metals.
However, when these complexing agents are added, deposition of a specific metal (such as Fe) can be prevented or a removal effect can be recognized, but there are problems that the effect of the above-mentioned complexing agent is extremely small with regard to metals other than Fe (such as Al) which easily contaminate a treating solution or a substrate and that the effect can not be sufficiently achieved even by adding a large amount of complexing agents. In order to solvent these problems, JP-A-6-216098 proposes to clean a substrate with "ammonia+hydrogen peroxide+water" cleaning solution containing a chelating agent such as a phosphonic acid type chelating agent and then to rinse with a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution of at least 1 ppm. According to this method, since the cleaning solution containing the phosphonic acid type chelating agent does not substantially reduce Al contamination on the substrate surface, Al is removed by etching with the hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution of at least 1 ppm at the later step. Thus, the effect achieved by the conventional method for preventing metal deposition is not satisfactory, and the metal contamination must be removed at the later stage when the substrate is required to be cleaner. Consequently, the number of steps must be increased, thereby making a production cost large.
Under these circumstances, various complexing agents have been tried to be added in order to prevent a substrate surface from being contaminated with metal impurities from a surface treatment composition, but a satisfactory improvement can not be made and a satisfactory technique for preventing contamination can not be achieved up to now.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a surface treatment composition which prevents a substrate surface from being contaminated with metal impurities from the surface treatment composition and stably produces an extremely clean substrate surface, and also provides a method for treating the surface of a substrate by using the same.

Method for treating surface of substrate


An electronic device such as a wristwatch device or other device may have a display. The display may be used to continuously display information such as watch face information. A watch face image on the display may contain watch face elements such as watch face hands, watch face indices, and complications. To reduce burn-in risk for watch face elements, control circuitry in the electronic device may impose burn-in constraints on attributes of the watch face elements such as peak luminance constraints, dwell time constraints, color constraints, constraints on the shape of each element, and constraints on element style. These constraints may help avoid situations in which static elements such as watch face indices create more burn-in than dynamic elements such as watch face hands.

Electronic devices such as televisions contain displays. Some displays such as plasma displays and organic light-emitting diode displays may be subject to burn-in effects. Burn-in may result when a static image is displayed on a display for an extended period of time. This can cause uneven wear on the pixels of the display. If care is not taken, burn-in effects can lead to the creation of undesired ghost images on a display.

Electronic devices with display burn-in mitigation


Fluorinated macromonomers, a PCTFE-g-poly(M) graft copolymer, and moisture barrier films and articles formed therefrom are provided. The PCTFE-g-poly(M) graft copolymers have a PCTFE backbone component and a plurality of pendant groups attached to the PCTFE backbone component.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of graft copolymers. Provided are macromonomers, graft copolymers made from macromonomers, moisture barrier films, and articles formed therefrom. Also provided are processes for the synthesis of graft copolymers, and monomers used in said processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of thermoplastic polymers and films formed from such thermoplastic polymers are known. Important physical characteristics of such films include barrier properties, such as barriers to gas, aroma, and moisture, toughness, such as wear and weathering resistances, and light-transmittance. These properties are especially important in film applications, including use as packaging material for food or medical products.
Demand for flexible packaging materials with high moisture and oxygen barrier properties is constantly growing due to the advent of new drugs and drug-coated diagnostic devices. Conventionally, it has been desirable to use or incorporate fluoropolymer films in packaging applications, as they are known for their barrier properties, inertness to most chemicals, resistance to high temperatures, and low coefficients of friction. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,146,521; 4,659,625; 4,677,017; 5,139,878; 5,855,977; 6,096,428; 6,138,830; and 6,197,393, which teach multilayer fluoropolymer-containing films. Films including polychlorotrifluoroethylene ("PCTFE") homopolymer or copolymers are particularly advantageous due to their excellent moisture barrier properties. Such films also exhibit high thermal stability, excellent toughness, and clarity at room temperature.
As fluoropolymer performance demands have increased, there has been a particular focus in the art on the relationship between fluoropolymer architecture and fluoropolymer properties. The study of structured fluoropolymers, such as fluorotelomers, fluorotelechelics, alternated copolymers, block copolymers, gradient copolymers, graft copolymers, and dendrimers has found that fluoropolymer properties may be directly affected by polymer architecture. With particular regard to graft polymerization, it is known that the properties of a fluoropolymer may be modified by grafting co-monomer pendant chains onto the fluoropolymer backbone. Depending on the nature of the co-monomers, these graft copolymers often retain the desirable properties of the parent fluoropolymer "backbone" while adding the desirable properties of the co-monomer pendent chains. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,359, which teaches polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) graft copolymers formed with ethylenically unsaturated co-monomers, such as a vinyl monomer, acrylonitrile, styrene, or an olefin. These graft copolymers have certain physical characteristics, such as better solvent resistance, workability, and adhesiveness than were previously known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,258 teaches fluorine-containing graft copolymers having a fluorine-containing elastomer copolymer backbone, for example a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride, chlorotrifluoroethylene (CTFE) and t-butyl peroxyallylcarbonate, and fluorine-containing crystalline polymer branches, for example copolymers of CTFE and ethylene. These graft copolymers are useful as a fluororesin intermediate between fluororubbers and crystalline fluororesins.
U.S. patent application publication 2007/0244262 teaches graft copolymers having a crystalline backbone such as poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene), poly(ethylene-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene), copolymers of chlorotrifluoroethylene with alkyl vinyl ether or alkyl vinyl ester, and poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene-co-vinylidene fluoride-co-tetrafluoroethylene), having amorphous side chains grafted thereto, such as polystyrene, poly(acrylic acid), or poly(tert-butyl acrylate). U.S. patent application publication 2007/0244262 specifically teaches away from graft copolymers having a PCTFE backbone due to the insolubility of PCTFE in the solvents required by their polymerization process.
As demand has grown, it has been met mainly by enhancing existing products. For example, PCTFE films are now available up to 150 μm thick, more than doubling their barrier properties relative to traditional 50 μm structures. However, while these thicker materials may meet the desired barrier properties, they are not cost effective and their use is restricted to specialty packaging applications. Such thicker films are also difficult to process as packaging films. One suitable way to reduce the cost of a packaging material fabricated from a costly polymer is to form multilayer structures in which the polymer film is laminated with other, less costly polymer films. However, fluoropolymers do not adhere strongly to most other polymers. In fact, most fluoropolymers are known for their non-stick characteristics. This is very disadvantageous, because poor bond strength between layers can result in the delamination of multilayer films. As a result, specialized intermediate adhesive layers that increase the cost of the packing structure are generally needed to attach most other polymer films to fluoropolymer films.
As such, there remains a need in the art for cost effective packaging films having improved moisture and oxygen barrier properties that meet present and future performance demands.

Process, properties, and applications of graft copolymers


A method of processing a highly viscous material comprises the steps of spinning the material in a homogenizer to reduce it to a creamy fluent consistency, flowing the creamy material wholly by gravity down into an upper centrifuge stage, centrifuging the creamy material in the upper centrifuge stage into a solids fraction and a liquid fraction, flowing the solids fraction wholly by gravity down into a lower centrifuge stage, and centrifuging the solids fraction in the lower centrifuge stage. These steps can all take continuously with the material being fed in at one end and the solid and liquid fractions obtained at the opposite lower end. Prior to spinning the material a liquid is added to it to reduce its viscosity and increase its homogeneity. This liquid can be the recirculated liquid fraction obtained in the first centrifuge stage. In accordance with this invention the recirculated liquid fraction is heated to 40.degree. C. to 70.degree. C. before introducing it into the homogenizer.

Processing a highly viscous material such as a sugar byproduct which tends to form clumps is fairly difficult. Use of a continuous sieve-type centrifuge such as described in German patent document 3,415,519 filed 26 Apr. 1984 by Bernhard Fiedler having two stages is typically ruled out because the material forms lumps that in turn constitute offcenter masses that create so much throw as to overload the device. Such a centrifuge can only be used for relatively easy-to-handle type B sugar.
In an alternative system described in German patent document 3,622,959 filed 09 Jul. 1986 (equivalent to European patent application 252,341 published 13 Jan. 1988) also by Bernhard Fiedler the two coaxial drums are suspended from their drive motor so as to minimize offcenter vibrations. This arrangement also is not suitable for type C sugar.
Thus to separate highly viscous clump-forming suspensions such as C-sugar byproducts it is necessary to move the material manually from a single-stage centrifuge to another and to carefully load it into the downstream centrifuge. There is no known way to use a space-efficient two-stage coaxial centrifuge of the types described above.

Double centrifuge for highly viscous material


Systems, including methods, apparatus, and kits, for fixing bones, such as rib bones, with bone plates.

The human skeleton is composed of 206 individual bones that perform a variety of important functions, including support, movement, protection, storage of minerals, and formation of blood cells. These bones can be grouped into two categories, the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton consists of 80 bones that make up the body's center of gravity, and the appendicular skeleton consists of 126 bones that make up the body's appendages. The axial skeleton includes the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum, among others, and the appendicular skeleton includes the long bones of the upper and lower limbs, and the clavicles and other bones that attach these long bones to the axial skeleton, among others.
To ensure that the skeleton retains its ability to perform its important functions, and to reduce pain and disfigurement, fractured bones should be repaired promptly and properly. Typically, fractured bones are treated using fixation devices, which reinforce the fractured bones and keep them aligned during healing. Fixation devices may take a variety of forms, including casts for external fixation and bone plates for internal fixation, among others. Casts are minimally invasive, allowing reduction and fixation of simple fractures from outside the body. In contrast, bone plates are internal devices that mount under the skin of a plate recipient and directly to bone to span a fracture.
Trauma to the torso may result in fracture of one or more ribs. Frequently, a simple rib fracture is nondisplaced, so that reduction and/or internal fixation of the fracture may not be required. However, in cases of more severe trauma to the chest, a single rib may be fractured more severely and/or multiple rib fractures may occur. With multiple rib fractures, a section of the thoracic wall may become detached from the rest of the chest wall, a condition known to medical practitioners as "flail chest". A flail chest condition often results in paradoxical motion of the injured area, in which the freely floating thoracic section is drawn in during inspiration, and pushed out during expiration. This condition may result in severe respiratory distress, possibly requiring the patient to be sedated and/or intubated during early stages of healing. Fixing single or multiple rib fractures internally may alleviate paradoxical motion, reduce pain, and/or help to prevent secondary injuries.
Internal fixation of a rib fracture may be accomplished using a bone plate to span the fracture. A bone plate suitable for treating fractured ribs may be custom-contoured (i.e., bent) by a surgeon to conform to a region of a rib spanning a fracture, and then fastened to the rib on both sides of the fracture. The plate thus fixes the rib to permit healing. The plate may be fastened to the fractured rib using fasteners, such as bone screws, wires, and/or suture material, among others. Alternatively, a bone plate may be used that has prongs disposed along its length. The prongs may be crimped so that they grasp the rib to fasten the bone plate to the rib.
Each of these plating techniques may have disadvantages for rib fixation. For example, some or all of these techniques may not sufficiently stabilize the rib to provide adequate flexural and torsional support for the rib at the fracture site. Alternatively, or in addition, some or all of these techniques may be too slow for installation of bone plates in trauma patients.


A process for densifying annular porous substrates by chemical vapour infiltration, includes providing a plurality of unit modules including a support plate on which is formed a stack of substrates, the support plate including a central gas inlet opening communicating with an internal volume formed by the central passages of the stacked substrates and gas outlet openings distributed angularly around the central opening, and a thermal mass cylinder disposed around the stack of substrates having a first end integral with the support plate and a second free end, forming stacks of unit modules in the chamber of a densification furnace, and injecting into the stacks of unit modules a gas phase including a gas precursor of a matrix material to be deposited within the porosity of the substrates.

The present invention relates to the general field of processes for densifying annular porous substrates by chemical vapour infiltration (CVI). In order to densify such substrates, processes are known in particular in which stacks of substrates are placed in the heated chamber of a densification installation, and a gas phase comprising a matrix material precursor is introduced into the interior of the stacks of substrates so as to form the matrix in the porosity of the substrates. The document FR 2834713 describes such a process and an installation for its implementation.
When a large number of substrate stacks are to be densified, a larger installation is usually used. A known example of a load that can be used in the chamber 1 of a densification furnace is shown in FIG. 1. The chamber 1 is cylindrical around an axis X. The load consists of a plurality of stacks of annular porous substrates 2 carried by a single lower support plate 3. Each stack consists of several sections 4 of stacks superimposed and separated by intermediate support plates 5 common to all stacks. The plates 3 and 5 include openings aligned with central passages in the substrates 2 in order to circulate in each stack a reactive gas phase which then passes through the substrates 2 to densify them. An upper plate 6 sits atop the load and closes the internal volume of each stack. The intermediate support plates 5 are held in place by vertical posts 7.
Such loading has several drawbacks: it is long and complex to perform, temperature gradients may be present within the chamber, and seals between the support plates and stack sections are difficult to guarantee. In addition, it is difficult to control the residence time of the precursor gas that has not been consumed within the chamber, resulting in the formation of undesirable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
There is thus a need for a chemical vapour infiltration densification process that does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Method for densifying porous annular substrates by chemical vapour infiltration


A projection type video display has a sensor which includes an image pick up device to take a projected image and the projection type video display projects an adjustment image to automatically implement the focus adjustment and the keystone distortion correction on the basis of output of the sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projection type video display such as a liquid crystal projector.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an adjustment content of a projection type video display at the setting of projection, there are a focus adjustment, a keystone distortion correction, and so on (see JP2003-78842).
To implement the focus adjustment or the keystone distortion correction described above, it is thought as a way that the projection type video display projects a stripe image which has white lines and black lines displayed alternately as an adjustment image and that an image pickup device takes the stripe image and that an output signal of the image pickup device which corresponds to the position of white lines and black lines is obtained. In this case, to implement the focus adjustment and the keystone distortion correction precisely, it is necessary that the stripe image is properly focused on the image pickup device.


A fixture for connecting rotors of a rotary machine includes: an axial member provided with a column-like fitting portion which is disposed inside of a first bolt hole and fits the first bolt hole; and a sleeve provided with a cylindrical fitting portion which is disposed inside of a second bolt hole and fits the second bolt hole. The axial member further includes a tapered portion which is formed on an end portion of the column-like fitting portion, and is gradually reduced in diameter from the first bolt hole toward the second bolt hole. The cylindrical fitting portion of the sleeve is formed with a tapered hole which is gradually expanded in diameter from the second bolt hole toward the first bolt hole around an axis of the sleeve.

A rotor of a rotary machine such as a gas turbine and a steam turbine, for example, is divided into a turbine side and an electric generator side in the axial direction, and the rotor is configured by connecting the divided rotors with each other. One example of such a rotor connection, for example, is disclosed in Patent: Document 1.
When connecting the rotors which are divided in a plural number in this manner, each rotor is suspended by an overhead crane, and an axial alignment between the rotors is performed by operating the crane while each rotor is suspended by the crane. Patent Document 2 is cited as another example of the connection of rotors.

Fixture for connecting rotors of rotary machine and method of connecting rotors


A cell assembly is formed by stacking a first cell and a second cell. In the cell assembly, oxygen-containing gas flow passages are connected in series by an intermediate oxygen-containing gas flow passage, and fuel gas flow passages are connected in series by an intermediate fuel gas flow passage. An additional oxygen-containing gas is supplied to an oxygen-containing gas passage which includes the intermediate oxygen-containing gas flow passage. An additional fuel gas is supplied to a fuel gas passage which includes the intermediate fuel gas flow passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell stack including a cell assembly of unit cells stacked together, and a method of supplying reactant gases to the fuel cell stack. Each of the unit cells has a membrane electrode assembly including an anode, a cathode, and an ion exchange membrane of solid polymer electrolyte interposed between the anode and the cathode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell employs a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) which comprises two electrodes (anode and cathode) and an electrolyte membrane interposed between the electrodes. The electrolyte membrane is a polymer ion exchange membrane (proton exchange membrane). Each of the electrodes comprises a catalyst and a porous carbon sheet. The membrane electrode assembly is interposed between separators (bipolar plates). The membrane electrode assembly and the separators make up a unit of the fuel cell (unit cell) for generating electricity. A plurality of unit cells are connected together to form a fuel cell stack.
In the fuel cell, a fuel gas such as a hydrogen-containing gas is supplied to the anode. The catalyst of the anode induces a chemical reaction of the fuel gas to split the hydrogen molecule into hydrogen ions (protons) and electrons. The hydrogen ions move toward the cathode through the electrolyte, and the electrons flow through an external circuit to the cathode, creating a DC electric current. An oxygen-containing gas or air is supplied to the cathode. At the cathode, the hydrogen ions from the anode combine with the electrons and oxygen to produce water.
In the fuel cell, if the ion exchange membrane is dried, it is not possible to keep the operation of high output density. Therefore, it is desirable to moisten the ion exchange membrane suitably. Further, the water produced in the electrochemical reaction should be discharged from the fuel cell stack, particularly from the cathode in order to prevent the voltage drop of unit cell due to the condensation of water vapor, for example.
In an attempt to provide a solution for the problems, for example, Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 11-312531 (prior art) discloses a fuel cell device which includes cell stacks connected in series. The cell stack includes a plurality of unit cells stacked together. Each of the unit cells includes separators and a membrane electrode assembly interposed between the separators. The membrane electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, and an ion exchange membrane of solid polymer electrolyte interposed between the anode and the cathode. Reactant gases flow through the cell stacks operated at low, middle, and high temperatures. The temperature of cell stacks increases in the flow direction of the reactant gases. The reactant gases are humidified according to the operating temperature of the cell stack flowing at first, and supplied to the cell stacks.
In the prior art, the fuel cell stacks are operated at the low, middle, and high temperatures, such that the temperature of the fuel cell stack increases in the flow direction of reactant gases. Therefore, even if water vapor is condensed in the fuel cell stack operated at the low temperature, the condensed water is vaporized in the fuel cell stack operated at the middle or high temperature. Therefore, reaction of the oxygen-containing gas is carried out suitably.
In the prior art, the fuel cell stacks need to be controlled at different temperatures, for example, at 50°, 60°, 65°. Therefore, the temperature control is difficult, and a complicated device is needed for the temperature control.

Fuel cell stack and a method of supplying reactant gases to the fuel cell stack


A lens system composed of a first lens unit which is composed of at least a positive lens component and at least a negative lens component, and a second lens unit which comprises at least one positive lens component. The lens system is composed of a small number of lens components and configured to be compact by disposing at least one radial type gradient index lens component in the second lens unit and selecting an adequate refraction index distribution for the radial type gradient index lens component.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens system which is to be used in video cameras, TV telephones, etc. and uses a radial type gradient index lens component.
b) Description of the Prior Art
In the recent years where there are prevailing video cameras and TV telephones using solid-state image pickup devices such as CCDs, there is a demand to reduce the number of lens components disposed in a lens system which is to be used in these optical apparatus for configuring the optical apparatuses more compact and lowering manufacturing costs thereof.
On the other hand, it is demanded to enhance optical performance of such a lens system as picture elements are arranged at higher densities on image pickup devices.
A lens system disclosed by Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. Hei 7-181376, for example, is generally known as a lens system which has high optical performance and is usable in video cameras, TV telephones, etc. This conventional example is composed of ten to twelve lens elements so as to be a lens system having high optical performance.
Further, a lens system disclosed by Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. Hei 5-134172 or Hei 6-230273 is known as another conventional example which uses a radial type gradient index lens component for reducing a number of lens components while maintaining high optical performance, and is composed of three lens components.
However, the conventional example mentioned above is configured for use in silver salt cameras and makes an amount of marginal rays insufficient when it is used in a lens system which uses a solid-state image pickup device since it has an exit pupil located extremely close to an image surface and does not allow nearly telecentric incidence of offaxial rays onto the image surface.
Further, a lens system disclosed by Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. Hei 7-159697 is known as a conventional example of lens system which uses a gradient index lens component and is composed of three lens components. However, this conventional example is an objective lens system for microscopes using a radial type gradient index lens component and has a narrow field angle.
Furthermore, a lens system disclosed by Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. Hei 4-97309 is known as a conventional example of lens system which has a relatively large field angle and is configured while taking telecentric incidence of offaxial rays into consideration. However, this conventional example has an extremely large difference in refractive index between an axial portion and a marginal portion of the gradient index lens component, whereby it is difficult to manufacture a material for the gradient index lens component.
Moreover, lens systems disclosed by Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. Sho 52-29238 and No. Hei 5-107471 are known as conventional examples each of which is composed of two to five lens components. However, these conventional examples are objective lens systems for endoscopes which use radial type gradient index lens components and produce distortion in extremely large amounts.


Thermostatic control of an electric iron is achieved through utilizing the expansion and contraction of the iron's sole plate relative to a low expansion reference member. In one embodiment, a flexible reference member extends from a fixed mounting at the tip of the sole plate to a switch unit at the rear of the sole plate. The reference number is connected to, and held in tension by, a snap acting actuator within the switch unit, such that as the sole plate expands, the free end of a blade is pulled by the reference member to cause a contact carrying tongue to snap away from a contact to interrupt the power supply. In addition, the temperature of operation may be controlled by varying the effective length of the reference member such as, for example, by deflecting it laterally by a cam member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric irons, and more particularly to thermostatic controls for electric irons.
2. Description of Prior Art
A typical iron control consists of a bimetal actuator which actuates a microswitch which controls the electrical supply to the heating element. The bimetal is usually mounted by a screw on a boss on the sole plate, and is heated by conduction of heat from the sole plate. This results in a thermal lag which leads to the iron temperature overshooting its nominal, set temperature when heating up particularly on initial turn on. This is obviously undesirable as clothing may be damaged. Also, the sole plate temperature undershoots when the iron is cooling down before power is resupplied to the element. Thus the temperature variation of the sole plate is considerably larger than that measured for the thermostat alone.
Furthermore, depending on where the bimetal is mounted on the sole plate, it may experience a higher or lower temperature than the average sole plate temperature. For example if the bimetal is too close to the element, it will experience too high a temperature and the control will therefore initially trip at lower sole plate temperatures than desired and clothing will not be properly ironed.
Various steps have been taken to try to improve such controls, particularly with the advent of cordless irons where high wattages are employed to quickly bring the iron back to temperature when it is replaced on its stand, and where the problems of temperature overshoot are therefore greater.
One approach has been to introduce electronic controls. However these controls are inherently unsuitable for high temperature and high humidity conditions which are typical in steam irons. Other attempts have been made to improve the performance of the bimetals, but these have not been particularly successful.

Sole plate temperature control including differential expansion


A generator control unit includes a plurality of permanent magnet generator (PMG) inputs, a transformer including a multi-configuration input winding and at least one output winding. Each PMG input in the plurality of PMG inputs is connected to the multi-configuration input winding at a corresponding input winding input.

Commercial and military aircraft often include onboard electrical systems such as control computers, passenger environmental systems, and the like. In order to power the electrical systems, generators are included throughout the aircraft and utilize rotational inputs from corresponding aircraft components to generate electrical power. Each of the generators includes an internal permanent magnet generator that provides internal operational power to the generator control unit and to the generator.
The different permanent magnet generators used throughout the aircraft can include varied voltage and current outputs, and can require distinct generator control unit (GCU) internal transformer configurations to provide the correct control power to the corresponding generator. Existing aircraft usually achieve this normalization by either including a distinct generator control unit for each generator, or including a dedicated transformer for each permanent magnet generator within every generator control unit. As can be appreciated, the inclusion of multiple distinct generator control units increases system complexity and the inclusion of multiple distinct transformers within each generator control unit increases the weight carried by the aircraft.

Uniform generator control unit including multiple permanent magnet generator inputs


A semiconductor structure having improved carrier mobility is provided. The semiconductor structures includes a hybrid oriented semiconductor substrate having at least two planar surfaces of different crystallographic orientation, and at least one CMOS device located on each of the planar surfaces of different crystallographic orientation, wherein each CMOS device has a stressed channel. The present invention also provides methods of fabricating the same. In general terms, the inventive method includes providing a hybrid oriented substrate having at least two planar surfaces of different crystallographic orientation, and forming at least one CMOS device on each of the planar surfaces of different crystallographic orientation, wherein each CMOS device has a stressed channel.

In present semiconductor technology, CMOS devices, such as nFETs or pFETs, are typically fabricated upon semiconductor wafers, such as Si, that have a single crystal orientation. In particular, most of today's semiconductor devices are built upon Si having a (100) crystal orientation.
Electrons are known to have a high mobility for a (100) Si surface orientation, but holes are known to have a high mobility for a (110) surface orientation. That is, hole mobility values on (100) Si are roughly 2×-4× lower than the corresponding electron mobility for this crystallographic orientation. To compensate for this discrepancy, pFETs are typically designed with larger widths in order to balance pull-up currents against the nFET pull-down currents and achieve uniform circuit switching. pFETs having larger widths are undesirable since they take up a significant amount of chip area.
On the other hand, hole mobility on (110) Si is 2× higher than on (100) Si; therefore, pFETs formed on a (110) surface will exhibit significantly higher drive currents than pFETs formed on a (100) surface. Unfortunately, electrons mobility on (110) Si surfaces is significantly degraded compared to (100) Si surfaces.
As can be deduced from the above, the (110) Si surface is optimal for pFET devices because of excellent hole mobility, yet such a crystal orientation is completely inappropriate for nFET devices. Instead, the (100) Si surface is optimal for nFET devices since that crystal orientation favors electron mobility.
Hybrid oriented substrates having planar surfaces with different crystallographic orientation have recently been developed. See, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/250,241, filed Jun. 23, 2003 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/696,634, filed Oct. 29, 2003. Additionally, hybrid-orientated metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) have recently demonstrated significantly higher circuit performance at the 90 nm technology node. As discussed above, the electron mobility and hole mobility can be optimized independently by placing the nFET on a (100) surface and the pFET on a (110) surface.
Although hybrid oriented substrates having planar surfaces of different crystal orientation can increase the carrier mobility, further improvement is needed in order to keep the performance scaling as devices are being scaled.
Another means to enhance carrier mobility is to introduce a stress into the channel of a MOSFET. Stress can be introduced into a single crystal oriented substrate by several methods including, for example, forming a stress inducing layer on top of the substrate and around the gate region. Although stress inducing layers can be used as a means to enhance carrier mobility, further improvement is still needed.
In view of the drawbacks mentioned above with prior art techniques for improving the carrier mobility, there is still a need for providing a technique that is able to enhance the carrier mobility beyond that which can be achieved utilizing either hybrid oriented substrates, or stress inducing layers.

Stressed field effect transistors on hybrid orientation substrate

International Business Machines Corporation


A film is formed on a semiconductor substrate where a copper layer is to be formed and in contact with the film, by a method including the steps of: (i) introducing a first reaction gas comprising a deposition gas containing silicon, carbon, and hydrogen, and an inert gas, into a reaction space where a substrate is placed; (ii) depositing a silicon carbide film on the substrate by exciting the first reaction gas into a plasma; (iii) introducing a second reaction gas comprising a deposition gas containing silicon, carbon, and hydrogen, an oxidizing gas, and an inert gas, into the reaction space; and (iv) depositing a carbon-containing silicon oxide film on top of the silicon carbide film by exciting the second reaction gas into a plasma.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for forming a silicon carbide film using a plasma CVD apparatus, and particularly to a method for forming, as an etch stop layer, a silicon carbide film and a silicon oxide film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in LSI devices, e.g., CPU's, memories and system LSI's, aluminum alloy has been used for metal wiring. To insulate between the metal wiring, silicon oxide films are used. In some LSI devices, fluorine-containing silicon oxide films may be used.
In recent years, to strive for speeding up LSI devices, copper having smaller electric resistance has been adopted for metal wiring. To reduce wiring capacity causing delays in electronic signals, carbon-containing silicon oxide films having a low dielectric constant have begun to be adopted.
In the LSI device having copper wiring structure, an etch stop film is used for an insulation film for the carbon-containing silicon oxide film for making grooves or holes for installing copper wiring. Because the etch stop film has a slower dry etching rate as compared with the carbon-containing silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film, which has a function for preventing copper diffusion, has been used. In the case of the silicon nitride film, however, due to its dielectric constant of approximately 7, even if a carbon-containing silicon oxide film is used, wiring capacity in its entirety increases attributable to a high dielectric constant of the etch stop film.
Consequently, using the silicon carbide film as an etch stop film was developed as presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,878. A dielectric constant of the silicon carbide film is approximately 5. The silicon carbide films are applied to LSI devices using copper wiring in combination with carbon-containing silicon oxide films, whose dielectric constant is approximately 3.
There are several different types of composition for what is generally called silicon carbide films.
One type is a silicon carbide film comprising Si, C and H. This film has a characteristic of easily absorbing oxygen and moisture. Its stress and dielectric constant change if it is left in the atmosphere. Additionally, its current leakage is high and its insulating capability is poor. A dielectric constant of the silicon carbide film is approximately from 5 to 4.5.
Silicon carbide films comprising Si, C, N and H or Si, C, O and H are disclosed in P2001-30369A1, P2002-27286A1, P2001-51445A1 and P2001-31563A1 (Published U.S. patent applications). It can be said that the silicon carbide films have low current leakage and excellent insulating capability as compared with the above-mentioned SiCH film. Particularly, an SiCOH film can achieve a dielectric constant of nearly 4 (approximately 4.2) depending on a ratio of oxygen contained.
When the carbon-containing silicon oxide film is deposited directly above Cu wiring, however, there are problems described below. FIG. 6 is a cross section of device structure using Cu wiring and a low-k film, and etch stop layers. When the film is formed in etch stop layers 50, 51 and 52, and if a carbon-containing silicon oxide film is deposited directly at points 57, 58 and 59 at which the Cu wiring and the etch stop layers contact, Cu and oxygen react, and film peeling occurs.


To provide a light-emitting medium whereby different light-emitting forms can be realized that can easily be discriminated using a normal blacklight, and to provide a forgery prevention medium and a method for determining authenticity of the light-emitting medium. A light-emitting medium provided with a substrate and a first light-emitting region and a second light-emitting region disposed on both sides of the substrate, the substrate comprising a selective transmission region for transmitting non-visible light in a first wavelength region and essentially not transmitting non-visible light in a second wavelength region different from the first wavelength region, and the first light-emitting region and the second light-emitting region emitting light when irradiated by non-visible light in the first wavelength region and also emitting light when irradiated by non-visible light in the second wavelength region.

In media including securities such as an exchange ticket for money and a prepaid card, and identification cards such as a license which are necessary to prevent forgery, recently, micro characters, a copy prevention pattern, an infrared absorption ink, a fluorescent ink, or the like has been used to enhance security properties. Among these, the fluorescent ink is an ink containing a fluorescent substance that is not substantially visually recognized under visible light, and is visually recognized when being irradiated with non-visible light (ultraviolet rays or infrared rays). When using such fluorescent ink, it is possible to form a fluorescent image (light-emitting image), which appears only when the securities and the like are irradiated with non-visible light in a specific wavelength region, in the securities and the like. According to this, it is possible to prevent the securities from being easily forged with a general-purpose color printer or the like.
Recently, articles including a forgery prevention countermeasure as described above mainly include various transparent media containing a polymer compound such as plastic. For example, instead of paper, transparent plastic currency, a transparent card, and the like can be exemplified. For example, a plastic substrate that emits visually transparent fluorescence by adjusting a refractive index is disclosed (Patent Document 1).
In addition, to further enhance a forgery prevention effect, there is suggested a configuration in which a light-emitting image that is not visually recognized in accordance with naked eyes is formed in the securities by using a fluorescent ink. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a medium including a light-emitting image that is formed by using a first fluorescent ink and a second fluorescent ink. In this case, the first fluorescent ink and the second fluorescent ink are inks which are visually recognized as the same color under visible light and ultraviolet ray when being viewed with naked eyes, and are visually recognized as different colors when being viewed through a discrimination tool. According to this, it is difficult for the light-emitting image formed on the securities to be easily forged, and as a result, the forgery prevention effect due to the fluorescent inks is enhanced.
However, it is preferable to simply and rapidly carry out a procedure of discriminating whether or not the securities are forged. Accordingly, there is a demand for a medium with which discrimination as to whether or not the securities are forged can be easily and rapidly made by using normal blacklight without using an additional discrimination tool.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5681725
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4418881

Light-emitting medium, forgery prevention medium, and method for determining authenticity of same


Provided is a connection module for electrically connecting a plurality of power storage modules having a plurality of power storage elements, the connection module including: connection module-side wires; a bus bar that electrically connects the adjacent power storage modules; and an insulation protector having: an arrangement groove which extends along a first direction and in which the connection module-side wires are arranged; and a bus bar holding part that holds the bus bar. The bus bar has: a main body part that extends in the first direction; and extension parts that extend from the main body part in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, and the extension parts are disposed to extend over and across the arrangement groove.

Electric connection of a power storage module for an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle is established by a wiring module being attached to a power storage element group in which a plurality of flat-shaped power storage elements are arrayed. The wiring module collectively holds bus bars for connecting the electrodes of the power storage elements and detection wires for voltage detection.
Furthermore, a plurality of such power storage modules are electrically connected by external connection terminals provided in the power storage modules being mutually connected by bus bars. Also in mutually connecting such power storage modules, connection modules collectively holding bus bars and a plurality of detection wires drawn out from power storage modules may be used.

Connection module including bus bar extending over groove accomodating connection module-side wires


The present disclosure relates to an advanced digital baseband processor for a base station in a cellular communications network. In general, the advanced digital baseband processor integrates multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs). As used herein, a RAT is a radio access technology as defined by a corresponding standard. For example, in one embodiment, RATs integrated by the advanced digital baseband processor include a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) voice RAT (e.g., 3GPP2 CDMA 1xRTT or 3GPP2 CDMA 1xAdvanced) as well as a CDMA Data Only, or Data Optimized, (DO) RAT (e.g., 3GPP2 CDMA EV-DO or 3GPP2 CDMA EV-DO Rev B). In another embodiment, the RATs integrated by the advanced digital baseband processor also include 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE). The RATs given above are only examples. The advanced digital baseband processor may integrate additional or alternative RATs.

Multiple-standard base stations have become a major trend in cellular communications networks. A multiple-standard base station is a base station that supports multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs). A multiple-standard base station includes a digital baseband unit that supports multiple RATs and one or more radio units that wirelessly transmit and receive signals. Currently, the digital baseband unit for a multiple-standard base station includes separate resources for each of the RATs. More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional digital baseband unit 10 for a multiple-standard base station includes separate cards, or circuit boards, for each of the RATs. Specifically, the conventional digital baseband unit 10 of FIG. 1 supports 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) 1x Radio Transmission Technology (RTT) for voice and 3GPP2 Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) for data, where 3GPP2 1xRTT and 3GPP2 EV-DO are defined by separate Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standards and are separate RATs. The conventional digital baseband unit 10 includes a Control Module (CM) card 12-1 and a 1x card 12-2 that together support 3GPP2 1xRTT as well as a Data Only (DO) card 12-3 that supports 3GPP2 EV-DO. Each of the cards 12-1 through 12-3 has its own processing resources (e.g., Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)), its own memory resources, etc.
A primary concern for multiple-standard base stations is cost. Particularly for mature RATs such as CDMA RATs, the cards that support the RATs have been designed and re-designed to reduce cost and are now reaching the point where further reduction in cost is difficult to obtain. As such, there is a need for a new, or advanced, digital baseband unit that supports multiple RATs and significantly reduces the cost of the digital baseband unit and thus the cost of the multiple-standard base station.

Apparatus, systems, methods, and computer products suitable for use in an advanced digital baseband processor


A method of utilizing electroless copper deposition to form interconnects on a semiconductor wafer. Once a via or a trench is formed in a dielectric layer, a titanium nitride (TiN) or tantalum (Ta) barrier layer is blanket deposited. Then, a contact displacement technique is used to form a thin activation seed layer of copper on the barrier layer. An electroless deposition technique is then used to auto-catalytically deposit copper on the activated barrier layer. The electroless copper deposition continues until the via/trench is filled. Subsequently, the surface is polished by an application of chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) to remove excess copper and barrier material from the surface, so that the only copper and barrier material remaining are in the via/trench openings. Then an overlying silicon nitride (SiN) layer is formed above the exposed copper in order to form a dielectric barrier layer. The copper interconnect is fully encapsulated from the adjacent material by the TiN (or Ta) and the SiN layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing techniques and, more particularly, to a technique for fabricating copper interconnects by electroless metallization.
2. Prior Art
In the manufacture of devices on a semiconductor wafer, it is now the practice to fabricate multiple levels of conductive (typically metal) layers above a substrate. The multiple metallization layers are employed in order to accommodate higher densities as device dimensions shrink well below one micron design rules. Thus, semiconductor "chips" having three and four levels of metallization are becoming more prevalent as device geometries shrink to sub-micron levels.
One common metal used for forming metal lines (also referred to as wiring) on a wafer is aluminum. Aluminum is used because it is relatively inexpensive compared to other conductive materials, it has low resistivity and is also relatively easy to etch. Aluminum is also used as a material for forming interconnections in vias to connect the different metal layers. However, as the size of via/contact holes is scaled down to a sub-micron region, the step coverage problem appears, which has led to reliability problems when using aluminum to form the interconnection between different wiring layers. The poor step coverage in the sub-micron via/contact holes result in high current density and enhance the electromigration.
One approach to providing improved interconnection paths in the vias is to form completely filled plugs by utilizing metals, such as tungsten. Thus, many semiconductor devices fabricated utilizing the current state of VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) technology employ the use of aluminum for the wiring and tungsten plugs for providing the interconnection between the different levels of wiring. However, there are disadvantages of using tungsten as well. Mostly, tungsten processes are complicated and appreciably expensive. Tungsten also has high resistivity. The Joule heating may enhance the electromigration of adjacent aluminum wiring. Furthermore, tungsten plugs are susceptible to the presence of voids and form poor interface with the wiring layers which usually result in high contact resistance. Another solution for the plug interconnects is the use of aluminum plugs, which can be fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) at elevated temperatures. The CVD aluminum is proven to be expensive and the hot PVD aluminum usually requires very high process temperatures that sometimes is not compatible with the manufacturing of integrated circuits.
One material which has received considerable attention as a replacement material for VLSI interconnect metallizations is copper. Since copper has better electromigration property and lower resistivity than aluminum, it is a more preferred material for interconnect (plugs and wiring) formation than aluminum. In addition, copper has improved electrical properties than tungsten, making copper a desirable metal for use as plugs. However, one serious disadvantage of using copper metallization is that it is difficult to etch. Thus, where it was relatively easier to etch aluminum or tungsten after depositing them to form wiring lines or plugs (both wiring and plugs are referred to as interconnects), substantial additional cost and time are now required to etch copper.
One typical practice in the art is to fabricate copper plugs and wiring by inlaid (Damascene) structures by employing CMP (see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,648). However, since copper diffuse/drift easily in inter-level-dielectric (ILD) materials, such as SiO.sub.2 based ILD materials, copper interconnect structures must be encapsulated by diffusion barrier layers. (See for example, "Barriers Against Copper Diffusion into Silicon and Drift Through Silicon Dioxide;" Shi-Qing Wang; MRS Bulletin; August 1994; pp. 30-40; "Encapsulated Copper Interconnection Devices Using Sidewall Barriers;" Donald S. Gardner et al.;1991 VMIC Conference; Jun. 11-12, 1991; pp. 99-108; and "Copper Interconnection with Tungsten Cladding for ULSI;" J. S. H. Cho et al.; VLSI Symposium; 1991; pp. 39-40). Accordingly, it is a common practice to use diffusion barrier metals, such as titanium nitride (TiN) or titanium tungsten (TiW), as well as dielectric barrier materials, such as silicon nitride (SiN), to encapsulate copper. Typically, the use of diffusion barrier material to encapsulate copper is not limited to the copper-ILD interface, but also to interfaces with other metals as well, if there are other such metals.
To replace the tungsten and/or aluminum interconnect structures with copper interconnects in VLSI (or ULSI) manufacturing, another important factor to consider is the process cost. One technique of depositing copper, as well as other metals, is the use of electroless deposition (See for example, "Electroless Cu for VLSI;" James S. H. Cho et al.; MRS Bulletin; June 1993; pp. 31-38; "Selective Electroless Metal Deposition For Integrated Circuit Fabrication;" Chiu H. Ting et al.; J. Electrochem. Soc., 136; 1989; p. 456 et seq.; "Selective Electroless Metal Deposition For Via Hole Filling In VLSI Multilevel Interconnection Structures;" Chiu H. Ting et al.; J. Electrochem. Soc., 136; 1989; p.462 et seq.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,497).
In comparison to other copper deposition techniques, electroless copper deposition is attractive due to the low processing cost and high quality of copper deposited. The equipment for performing electroless metal deposition are relatively less expensive, as compared to other semiconductor equipment for depositing metals, and the technique allows for batch processing of wafers. Thus, overall cost can be reduced by using electroless deposition. However, electroless deposition requires the activation of a surface in order to electrolessly deposit the copper. (See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,095; "Electroless Copper Deposition on Metals and Silicides;" Cecilia Y. Mak; MRS Bulletin; August 1994; pp. 55-62; and "Development Of An Electroless Copper Deposition Bath For Via fill Applications On TiN Seed Layers;" Palmans et al.; Conference proceedings, ULSI-X, Materials research Society; 1995; pp. 87-94). Furthermore, since copper interconnects require isolation from adjacent material, the electroless deposition of copper must usually be performed on a barrier layer. Thus, where activation is required to electrolessly deposit copper, such activation will need to be performed on a barrier layer (such as TiN) or on a seed metal residing above such a barrier layer, in order to isolate the copper from the surrounding dissimilar material.
The present invention describes a technique of utilizing electroless metallization to form copper interconnect structures by employing copper as an activation agent on a barrier metal to initiate the autocatalytic process in fabricating multilevel semiconductor devices.

Electroless CU deposition on a barrier layer by CU contact displacement for ULSI applications


In some aspects, the invention provides compositions and methods of use for treating a variety of diseases. In some aspect, the compositions and methods involve combined modulation of transcriptional modulators.

Many genetic and epigenetic changes that cause defects in the regulation of cell survival, proliferation, or differentiation and contribute to the development or progression of cancer have been identified. Although some notable successes in applying this knowledge to develop new treatments have been achieved, there remains a need in the art for advances in therapy for cancer and other proliferative diseases.

Combination methods for treatment of disease

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research


A dispenser for a flowable product such as liquid soap is arranged to receive a can containing the liquid soap as well as two different propellants. Gaseous nitrogen under pressure acts as a primary propellant, while propane and/or butane in a liquid phase acts to foam the soap when it is released from the can. An electronically controlled valve is actuated when a sensor detects the presence of a user's hand adjacent an outlet, and a predetermined quantity of foamed soap is then dispensed.

THIS invention relates to a dispenser for a flowable product such as a liquid soap.
Soap dispensers are widely used in corporate and public washrooms, in preference to soap in bar form. Most such dispensers contain liquid soap, which may be refilled from bulk containers into an open receptacle, or they may accept sealed cartridge type refills. Although the former are generally less expensive to operate, the sealed cartridge type is generally preferred as the refill contents cannot be tampered with and are generally more hygienic. It is also generally less easy to pilfer the contents of the cartridge, other than by depressing the dispenser lever continuously. Of the latter kind of dispenser, a number generate a foam, rather than merely dispensing a liquid or gel. Customers generally prefer the superior cleansing effect of the foam, and pilferage is largely eliminated as the foam cannot usefully be collected in any quantity. Known foam soap dispensers work either by the operation of a lever which generates air pressure in the dispensing system, or by means of a motorised pump which generates sufficient pressure in a reservoir of liquid soap to create foam.
Although an automatically operated device is preferred, it will be appreciated that a motor driven pump is relatively energy inefficient, and that the device would therefore normally need to be mains operated or, if battery operated, the service intervals for such a device would inevitably be short.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative dispenser for flowable products such as soap, which is more energy efficient but nevertheless highly effective.


A method for selectively arranging ferritin in a specified inorganic material part formed on a substrate is provided. The method for arranging ferritin of the present invention is characterized in that ferritin is selectively arranged on a part including titanium or silicon nitride (SiN) in an efficient manner by adding a nonionic surface active agent. Also, selective arrangement capability of ferritin can be markedly improved by modifying the N-terminus of ferritin with a certain peptide.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for selectively arranging ferritin.
2. Related Art
Fine particles (inorganic particles) which include a protein and an inorganic substance and which are arranged on a base material have attracted attention in industrial fields of catalysts, sensors, biochips, transistors, semiconductors lasers, magnetic discs, displays and the like. In particular, patterning techniques have been desired in which inorganic particles are selectively arranged in a specified region, or they are regularly arranged in a fine region of nano-size, when the inorganic particles are industrially applied. Furthermore, in recent years, aiming at miniaturization of total analysis systems including biosensors, applications to fine chemical substance analysis systems (Micro Total Analysis System (μTAS)) have also attracted attention. Behind such a situation, advantages such as improvement of biocompatibility, enablement of lowering of the cost by mass productivity and measurement in the place (portable) and the like are involved.
Techniques for selectively arranging proteins or inorganic particles on a solid surface involve extraordinary difficulty because it is very difficult to allow the surface of the protein and the inorganic substance to have a self-recognizing function. Known methods for forming a fine pattern using a protein that is a biomolecule include a method in which photolithography is utilized (see, A. S. Blawas, W. M. Reichert, Biomaterials, 19, 595 (1998)), microcontact printing (see, A. Bernard, J. P. Renault, B. Michel, H. R. Bosshard, E. Delamarche, Adv. Mater., 12, 1067), dip-pen nanolithography (see, K. B. Lee, S. J. Park, C. A. Mirkin, J. C. Smith, M. Mrksick, Science, 295, 1702 (2002)), and the like. However, in light of mass productivity and costs, techniques for carrying out patterning of fine particles in a nano-size region have been demanded.
Furthermore, a method for regularly arranging nano-size fine particles surrounded by protein molecules is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. H11-204774. In these methods, procedures of: subjecting the surface of a SAM membrane (self-assembled monomolecular membrane), an LB membrane (monomolecule accumulating membrane) or the like to a processing for selectively arranging the fine particles; executing patterning of the fine particles through further conducting photolithography in combination; forming a region in which the inorganic particles are selectively arranged on the surface of a base material by direct drawing or the like of a pattern on the base material with a nanoprobe such as AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) or the like; and thereafter arranging the inorganic particles.
Hereinafter, a method for arranging inorganic particles using an LB membrane (PBLH membrane) according to the conventional method (Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. H11-204774) is illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1H.
First, in the step shown in FIG. 1A, a buffer 11 is reserved in a water bath 10 made of Teflon (registered trade name), and native ferritin 21 including an inorganic particle 20 therein is dispersed in this buffer.
Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1B, a PBLH membrane 30 is overlaid on the liquid surface of the solution. Then, the pH is adjusted with an appropriate acid alkaline solution. Because the PBLH membrane surface is positively charged, the native ferritin 21 which is negatively charged is attached on the PBLH membrane.
Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1C, a base material (silicon substrate) 40 which had been subjected to a hydrophobic surface treatment is floated on the liquid surface on which the PBLH membrane 30 was overlaid, thereby allowing the PBLH membrane 30 on which the native ferritin 21 is attached to be adhered on the base material.
Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1D, the silicon substrate 40 having the adhered PBLH membrane 30 on which the native ferritin 21 is attached is removed from the water bath.
Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1E, after covering the surface on which the native ferritin 21 is attached with a buffer solution 11, ultraviolet irradiation is performed using a mask pattern 50. The native ferritin in the region on which ultraviolet ray was irradiated is decomposed, and dispersed in the solution.
Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1F, the silicon substrate 40 after executing the patterning shown in FIG. 1E is washed with water.
Next, in the step shown in FIG. 1G, the silicon substrate 40 is dried to obtain the pattern arrangement of the native ferritin including the inorganic particle therein.
Thereafter, in the step shown in FIG. 1H, a heat treatment at 500° C. is carried out in an inert gas 60 (for example, in nitrogen) to bake the native ferritin 21 including the inorganic particle therein and the PBLH membrane 30, thereby providing secondary pattern arrangement of the inorganic particles on the base material surface. This structure is further processed to give a structure required for the device as described above.
However, the SAM membrane is formed on the base material side, and patterning is executed on the SAM membrane using ultraviolet ray, or an LB membrane that is an adsorption membrane of the inorganic particle is utilized as the intermediate layer with respect to the a base material in the aforementioned conventional method. Therefore, there are possibilities that the steps may be complicated, or that impurities included in the constituents of the SAM membrane or the LB membrane, or in the solution remain on the arranged surface of the inorganic particles whereby causing adverse influences on the device.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for selectively and regularly arranging inorganic particles, in particular, those having a diameter of several to several ten nanometers in a necessary region and in a necessary amount with high mass productivity at low costs by allowing the inorganic particle to have a base material recognizing ability.

Method of selective arrangement of ferritin

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A self-aligning apparatus comprising a ball bearing assembly mounted on a base plate and supporting an axle on which is mounted a video camera. In response to the force of gravity, the axle rotates such that the camera maintains a line-of-sight parallel to the cable of a crane or similar heavy equipment such that the video camera constantly views the work site of the hook element of the equipment. The equipment operator can view in real time images transmitted by the camera there reducing dependency on ground observers and improving safety.

Cranes are used to lift, move, and position loads of over 300 mT. To avoid injury to workers and damage to both the load being moved and other structures and equipment, operators depend on observers to signal how, when, and where to move loads.
Two major elements of a crane, in addition to the power source, are the boom and cable. The boom is attached at its base to a platform and is capable of being raised by elevating the opposite end, by increasing the angle between the boom and the platform. The length of the boom and the angle to which it can be elevated determine the height to which the crane can lift a load within its design capacity. A heavy extendable/retractable cable is supported by the boom and actually connects the load to the boom by means of a hook or other device. The boom and integrated cable, supports, and pulleys are connected to base, or platform that includes the operator's station. The base of many cranes is rotatable, frequently in a full circle.
The cable and hook extend from the distal end of the boom, and in response to gravity unless physically prevented, the cable assumes an attitude vertical to the earth's surface. It is important to position the boom such that the cable is directly over a load so that the cable is at right angles to minimize potential harm arising from dragging the load.
If a load is not directly under the distal end of the boom, as the load is lifted, the load may be damaged by dragging as gravity forces the cable to its natural vertical position. As the load is lifted, the load may swing, potentially damaging its surroundings or injuring workers. Uncontrolled movement of the load may also damage the crane itself. Similarly, it is important to visually follow the load as it is moved and unloaded or disconnected from the cable.
Safety of operation of the lifting equipment depends to a significant extent on the Operator's view of the work site; the point a which a load will be connected and lifted, the path through the load will be moved by the boom, and the point at which the load will be delivered and the position in which it is to be placed.
Because of obstructions and similar conditions, crane operators frequently cannot directly view the site at which a load is to be picked-up, deposited, or the entire area through which the load is to be moved. As a result operators frequently dependent upon ground observers, or flagmen to indicate by common hand signals the location of the hook relevant to the load so that the hook can be properly connected to the load. Hand signals are used to guide the movement of the load and to position the load properly at its destination point. Delays in the flagman finding an appropriate position from which to signal, delays in signaling, misunderstandings in visual or oral communications may delay moving construction activities, may result in damage to the material to be moved or to structures adjacent, or most seriously, incorrect, misinterpreted, or delayed signals can result in serious injuries to the flagman, or to other workers. Accordingly, there remains room for variation and improvement in the art related to safety of certain construction equipment.

Vertically self-aligning camera mount apparatus


A bucket for crushing and screening stone and similar materials. The bucket has a scoop-shaped body defining an inlet opening for the stone to be crushed and an outlet opening for the crushed stone, between which a direction of flow of the stone is defined. The bucket further has a stone-crushing mechanism including a first jaw and a second jaw housed in the scoop-shaped body and movable relative to one another. The bucket still further has an element for moving the first jaw relative to the second jaw. The element imparts to the first jaw a combined rotational and translational movement relative to the second jaw in which a first component of the movement is away from and towards the second jaw and a second component of the movement is substantially parallel to the direction of flow.

In the technical field in question, self-propelled vehicles equipped with buckets for collecting material such as stone or the like, inside which a crushing mechanism is provided for crushing the material collected to the desired size, are known.
Amongst others, an example of a known crushing mechanism comprises two jaws, of which one moves pivotably relative to the other. The jaws are moved in a manner such as to compress between them, and hence to crush, the material which is introduced into the bucket. However, this crushing mechanism leads to some disadvantages which result in poor performance and non-homogeneity in the processing of the material treated. Known buckets therefore have high power consumption and are subject to blockage due to choking with the material introduced.
Stone crushing devices are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,897, U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,288 and DE 580475. The first document discloses an excavating bucket having a vibrating cutter head and a crusher including a pair of jaws that are moved toward one another by an eccentric oscillating shaft. The shaft oscillation is so limited as to produce just an up-and-down movement of the jaws.