A coupling device intended to prevent impurities such as dust and particles adhering to the end face of a solution supplying male pipe 2 from being mixed with a high purity chemical solution N, which will be supplied through the device, not to degrade the purity of the solution. It includes a check valve 7 arranged in that end portion of a solution passage 5 in the male pipe 2 which is inserted into a cleaning chamber 15, a valve pusher 44a arranged in that end portion of a solution passage 43 in a solution supplied female pipe 3 which is connected to the passage 5 in the male pipe 2 to push the check valve 7 to open the passage 5, a valve system for opening and closing the passage 43 when the female pipe 3 is reciprocated in the axial direction, and a check valve 51 located on the outlet side of a cleaning liquid passage 48.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling device suitable for transferring various kinds of solution such as corrosive and high purity chemical ones and ultra-pure water from the transportation tank to the storage tank and vice versa.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Patent Disclosure Sho 63-91188, for example, discloses a coupling device of this type wherein those portions of male and female pipes which are to be connected together are washed and cleaned and then connected to each other.
According to this coupling device, the front end of the male pipe is inserted into a cleaning chamber and then into a spray ring hung in the cleaning chamber and it is fixed adjacent to the front end of the female pipe fixed in the cleaning chamber and held in the spray ring. While keeping these front ends of the male and female pipes under this state, cleaning liquid is jetted against them through apertures in the inner circumference of the spray ring to wash off impurities such as dust and particles from them. An air cylinder is then driven to connect the male and female pipes together.
In the case of this coupling device, however, cleaning liquid is jetted only to outer circumferences of those front ends of the male and female pipes which are connected to each other. This makes it difficult to remove impurities from that front end face of the male pipe which is to be contacted with the front end face of the female pipe. When the male and female pipes are connected together while leaving the front end face of the male pipe under this state, therefore, impurities such as dust and particles left are mixed with a solution supplied through the pipes to thereby degrade the purity of the solution. Particularly in the case of chemical solutions whose purity must be kept high, their qualities are remarkably degraded while being supplied through the pipes. The coupling device is not suitable for high purity chemical solutions, accordingly. It is therefore used only in a limited field.


An actuator device has a drive section including a plurality of actuators arranged in a plane on a substrate, and a single first plate member to which drive forces from the actuators of the drive section are transmitted. A plurality of spacers are disposed between the first plate member and the substrate, forming m cells. Each of the actuators has a cavity, a vibrating section and a fixed section formed on the substrate. The rigidity of the first plate member is greater than the rigidity of the vibrating section of the actuator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actuator device which is applicable to a display device and which is also applicable to various applications including an optical modulator, a variable capacitor, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art that an actuator device having a plurality of actuators can be applied to a display device, and can also be applied to various applications including an optical modulator, a variable capacitor, etc. (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-339561, for example). With regard to the display device, for example, the applicant of the present application has proposed a novel display device in order to achieve the following advantages:
(1) A clearance (gap) between an optical waveguide plate and a picture element assembly can easily be formed, and can be formed uniformly over all pixels.
(2) The size of the gap can easily be controlled.
(3) The optical waveguide plate can be prevented from sticking to the picture element assembly, and the response speed can effectively be increased.
(4) The contact surface of the picture element assembly (the surface thereof contacting the optical waveguide plate) can smoothly be formed in order to introduce light efficiently into the picture element assembly when the picture element assembly contacts the optical waveguide plate.
(5) The response speed of pixels can be maintained.
(6) A uniform level of luminance can be obtained over all pixels.
(7) The luminance of pixels can be increased.
As shown in FIGS. 52 and 53, a display device 200 has an optical waveguide plate 204 into which light 202 is introduced, an actuator substrate 208 facing one surface of the optical waveguide plate 204 and having as many actuators 206 as the number of pixels, picture element assemblies 210 formed on the actuators 206 of the actuator substrate 208, and spacers 212 disposed between the optical waveguide plate 204 and the actuator substrate 208 in regions other than the picture element assemblies 210 (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-161896). Light shield layers 218 are interposed between the optical waveguide plate 204 and the spacers 212.
Applications using piezoelectric actuators are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-252333, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-52181, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-314381, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-74475, and WO 02/084751 A1.
In the display device 200, one pixel may be made up of six actuators positioned in two rows and three columns. If one actuator 206 is defective in such a configuration, then a spot corresponding to that actuator 206 is displayed as a black or white dot regardless of an image displayed by the display device 200, tending to cause a disadvantage to increase the image quality.
Specifically, even if one actuator is defective in the conventional actuator device, then since the defective actuator adversely affects the quality of the actuator device, it tends to pose a limitation to increase the yield. Another problem is that the area of a region that is displaced by an actuator, i.e., an effective area, cannot be increased.


A PET-MR apparatus includes an MR imaging system for acquiring MR signals and a PET system for acquiring PET emissions of the patient. The PET-MR apparatus also includes an anterior surface coil configured to receive MR signals from a volume-of-interest of the patient in the bore and resulting from the emitted RF pulse sequence and a coil positioning structure mounted to the PET-MR apparatus and configured to receive the anterior surface coil thereon and position the anterior surface coil proximate to the volume-of-interest of the patient without coming in contact with the patient, with the coil positioning structure being configured to provide both a vertical adjustment of the anterior surface coil relative to a coronal plane of the patient and an angular adjustment of the anterior surface coil relative to the coronal plane of the patient.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and more specifically, to a combined PET-MR system incorporating a stationary anterior phased array surface coil that can be positioned stationary relative to a patient or patient table, with the coil being constructed so as to enable isolation of the coil from the patient and so as to minimize any affect on PET-MR image acquisition.
PET imaging involves the creation of tomographic images of positron emitting radionuclides in a subject of interest. A radionuclide-labeled agent is administered to a subject positioned within a detector ring. As the radionuclides decay, positively charged photons known as "positrons" are emitted therefrom. As these positrons travel through the tissues of the subject, they lose kinetic energy and ultimately collide with an electron, resulting in mutual annihilation. The positron annihilation results in a pair of oppositely-directed gamma rays being emitted at approximately 511 keV.
It is these gamma rays that are detected by the scintillators of the detector ring. When struck by a gamma ray, each scintillator illuminates, activating a photovoltaic component, such as a photodiode. The signals from the photovoltaics 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 deadtimes and single gamma ray detections. The coincidence events are binned and integrated to form frames of PET data which may be reconstructed into images depicting the distribution of the radionuclide-labeled agent and/or metabolites thereof in the subject.
MR imaging involves the use of magnetic fields and excitation pulses to detect the free induction decay of nuclei having net spins. When a substance such as human tissue is subjected to a uniform magnetic field (polarizing field B0), the individual magnetic moments of the spins in the tissue attempt to align with this polarizing field, but process about it in random order at their characteristic Larmor frequency. If the substance, or tissue, is subjected to a magnetic field (excitation field B1) which is in the x-y plane and which is near the Larmor frequency, the net aligned moment, or "longitudinal magnetization", MZ, may be rotated, or "tipped", into the x-y plane to produce a net transverse magnetic moment Mt. A signal is emitted by the excited spins after the excitation signal B1 is terminated and this signal may be received and processed to form an image.
When utilizing these signals to produce images, magnetic field gradients (Gx, Gy, and Gz) are employed. Typically, the region to be imaged is scanned by a sequence of measurement cycles in which these gradients vary according to the particular localization method being used. The resulting set of received NMR signals are digitized and processed to reconstruct the image using one of many well known reconstruction techniques.
In MRI, it is desirable for the excitation and reception to be spatially uniform in the imaging volume for better image uniformity. In a standard MRI system, the best excitation field homogeneity is usually obtained by using a whole-body volume RF coil for transmission. The whole-body transmit coil is the largest RF coil in the system. A large coil, however, produces lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) if it is also used for reception, mainly because of its greater distance from the signal-generating tissues being imaged. Because a high signal-to-noise ratio is the most desirable in MRI, "surface coils" are commonly employed for reception to enhance the SNR from a particular volume-of-interest. Such surface coils are relatively small and are constructed to receive the MR signal from a localized portion of the patient. For example, different surface coils may be employed for imaging the head and neck, legs and arms, or various internal organs. One particular type of surface coil that is often employed is an anterior array surface coil that is used to image a region-of-interest located in an anterior portion (i.e., a frontal portion) of the patient.
Currently, the industry standard is to place the anterior array surface coil on top of the patient, such that it rests on the patient. As a result, this surface coil moves as the patient breaths or moves. However, this movement of the surface coil creates a number of challenges with regards to a PET-MR hybrid system, namely because the positioning of ancillary devices on the patient (e.g., surface coils) has never been a requirement for PET imaging since conventional PET imaging systems eliminate all random-placed accessories relative to the patient to reduce artifact. In employing a surface coil for acquiring MR image data during a PET-MR imaging acquisition, the motion of the surface coil makes the attenuation correction process challenging, as there would be a need to know the position of surface coil real-time during imaging. And while patient motion correction is not new to either PET or MR, the combination of the two imaging modalities in one simultaneous process creates completely unique challenges. Namely, conventional "patient breath-holds" or special MR scan sequences that are often employed for stand-alone MR imaging will not be adequate for PET-MR imaging.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a surface coil for use in a PET-MR system that can be positioned stationary relative to a patient or patient table, such that movement of the coil that might be caused by patient movement is eliminated. It would also be desirable for the surface coil to have a construction that minimizes any affect on PET-MR image acquisition, such as by forming the surface coil from a material having a low proton density and material density.

Stationary anterior phased array coil for simultaneous PET-MR imaging


This invention discloses a process for forming a pouch having an evacuated headspace containing a flowable material. The process relates to optimizing both, the evacuation of the headspace in the pouch and the accuracy of the flowable material filled in the pouch. Specifically, the present invention employs a process that includes a multiple-step or a continuous compression of the pouch headspace to accomplish the goals. Also disclosed is a vertical form-fill-seal apparatus for forming a pouch containing a flowable material and having an evacuated headspace.

Flexible liquid-packaging is used to package many consumer goods, particularly food and beverages, which are often packaged in pouches made from flexible materials. The term "liquid-packaging" is understood by those of skill in the art to refer to both liquids and other flowable materials or product.
Two aspects are important in flexible liquid-packaging: (i) optimal headspace in the pouch; and (ii) optimal fill-accuracy of the flowable material contained in each pouch. By "optimal" or "optimized" is meant that the two important factors—headspace over the product in the pouch, and fill-accuracy of the product amount in the pouch—are minimized without sacrificing one over the other such that both factors remain acceptable for packaging use. It should be noted that minimizing one factor tends to adversely affect the other factor. Ideally the goal is fill-accuracy of 100% of target weight and a headspace of 0 cm3. Practically, however, there is a trade off between good fill-accuracy and the amount of headspace in the pouch. Typically an improvement in fill-accuracy will result in a larger headspace volume. Similarly, lower headspace generally results in poor fill-accuracy. Therefore, optimizing and controlling these two parameters is the challenge for vertical form-fill-seal technology.
During pouch formation, oxygen is commonly trapped in the headspace above the product. However, many pouch products are particularly sensitive to oxygen degradation. Specifically in the food industry, many products require minimal oxygen exposure to protect their flavor, color, nutritive value, texture, and/or shelf-life. Oxygen reacts readily with some of these product components forming "off-flavors" and "off-colors". If oxygen is removed during the packaging process, then, for example, shelf-life of the food can be extended without loss of flavor. Thus, minimizing oxygen, and in turn, minimizing headspace in a pouch, is a desired objective in pouch formation.
Besides minimizing oxygen exposure, minimal headspace facilitates pouch insertion into a secondary container—a common packaging arrangement in which the flexible pouch is inserted in a cardboard box ("bag-in-box"). A slack pouch is easier to insert into a box and will better form to shape than an inflated pouch (that is, one with a large, air-filled headspace).
Fill-accuracy, that is reducing over-fill and under-fill of the pouch, is important because it can have economic or government regulatory implications. For example, many jurisdictions require that the advertised product quantity must be the minimum product quantity. Stated another way, the laws of the jurisdiction require that the amount of product in the pouch may be more than what is advertised, but not less. Thus, if the fill-accuracy is poor, a vendor, to comply with the law, must fill the pouch with product amount more than what is advertised. Therefore, poor fill-accuracy raises business cost for the vendor. Consequently, both limiting headspace and fill-accuracy should be adequately controlled. One known method for minimizing headspace involves filling the tube for making a pouch above the level of the pouch and sealing through the product. However, this method can suffer from poor fill-accuracy and product interfering with seal formation.
Thus, achieving good fill-accuracy and/or minimal headspace would help minimize product waste, minimize oxygen in the formed pouch, and allow for the final product to fit more easily into smaller packaging.
Several methods have been used to minimize fill-accuracy and headspace. The best fill-accuracy can be achieved by limiting interaction on the pouch in a way that relies only on the delivery system and non-critical pouch making devices. However, this results in unacceptably large headspace for production runs. On the other hand, minimal headspace can be achieved by having the product completely fill the current pouch and overfill into the next upstream pouch, so when the final seal is made, there is little or no air in the first pouch. Typical devices either press above or below the product zone after the pouch has indexed. Devices that press on the pouch above the product zone results in a minor reduction of headspace while maintaining good fill-accuracy. Devices that press on the pouch around the product zone can effectively raise the product above the sealing apparatus minimizing and/or eliminating headspace, but sacrificing fill-accuracy. It is important to note that cautious control of any device must be exercised while film is indexing to avoid film hang-up which would result in machine shutdown.
It is an object of the present invention to limit the above-mentioned disadvantages. Specifically, the present invention provides a process, apparatus, and a pouch in which the headspace has been minimized with a simultaneous increase in the accuracy of filling of the flowable material into the pouch. In addition, the present invention will also provide for higher pouch production rates. The asynchronous deflation process (one of the embodiments of the invention described infra) will allow the user to accommodate variations in film runnability, allowing for variety in film conditions without being limited by the speed of the machine.

Process for pouch forming with optimized fill-accuracy and headspace


The concept of variability pertains to whether users exhibit consistent search interaction patterns, for example, in terms of interaction flow or information targeted. Methods are provided for analyzing variability, and then adapting search-related functionality (e.g., processes and/or interfaces) to account for variability characteristics, for example, to account for predictable search interaction behavior.

Currently, World Wide Web ("Web") search systems generally adopt a "one-size-fits-all" approach, where the same search interfaces are presented to all users for each query they submit. There may be good reasons for this. For example, users can benefit from familiarity, and the cost on interface designers is likely minimized. However, as users perform more tasks using search engines, standard search interfaces are increasingly proving to be inadequate and/or unreasonably inflexible.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Accounting for behavioral variability in web search


A method for manufacturing a diaphragm for use in an electroacoustic transducer in a multi-layer structure which includes a first diaphragm layer of synthetic resin molded in a predetermined shape by injection molding and a second diaphragm layer layered in intimate contact on the first diaphragm layer and made of substance different from the first diaphragm layer, includes executing successively a pre-molding step and an injection-molding step, thereby providing the multi-layer structure. The pre-molding step includes attaching a non-molded sheet-like material which is a raw material of the second diaphragm layer to a mating surface of one of the die part of an injection molding die, and closing thereafter the injection molding die to give the sheet-like material a predetermined diaphragm shape. The injection molding step includes injecting synthetic resin material constituting the first diaphragm layer into the injection molding die thus closed thereby to form the first diaphragm layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for manufacturing a diaphragm for use in an electroacoustic transducer (hereinafter also referred to as an electroacoustic-transducer-use), and more particularly to a method for manufacturing an electroacoustic-tranducer-use diaphragm in a multi-layer structure including a first diaphragm layer of synthetic resin molded in a predetermined shape by injection molding and a second diaphragm layer (skin layer) layered or stacked in intimate contact on the first diaphragm layer and made of a different material from the first diaphragm layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
The physical properties required for the electroacoustic-tranducer-use diaphragm such as a speaker or microphone are large specific modulus (E/ρ) or specific bending modulus (E/ρ3), suitable internal loss, endurance to mechanical fatigue and good weatherability. Further, in recent years, moisture resistance is also an important property for mainly a vehicle application.
In order to satisfy these demands, as the material for the diaphragm, metal, ceramics, synthetic resin, synthetic fiber, natural cellulose fiber, etc. have been proposed. In recent years, various raw materials such as a microbe cellulose fiber made by biotechnology have been also proposed. The materials thus proposed have been machined by various machining techniques.
However, each raw material has its own property. The raw materials proposed have merits and demerits from the standpoint of view of the physical property of the diaphragm. Therefore it is actually difficult to cause the diaphragm formed of a single material to exhibit many physical properties required as the diaphragm in good balance.
For example, "paper diaphragm" using the cellulose fiber such as wooden pulp as the raw material is relatively light in weight, and has an appropriate elasticity and internal loss. The paper diaphragm presented merits of being manufactured by various techniques and of high freedom of design, but presented demerits of difficulty of assuring the waterproof and of providing high elasticity to ensure high input endurance.
On the other hand, the synthetic-resin diaphragm or metallic diaphragm has merits of easiness of assuring the waterproof and of providing the high elasticity to ensure high input endurance, but demerits of a high density and small internal loss. Therefore, the synthetic-resin diaphragm and metallic diaphragm are not optimum as the diaphragm for a low-to-midi range or all bands which requires light weight and high rigidity.
In view of the above circumstances, it has been proposed to provide the diaphragm with a good balance in the physical properties by adopting a multi-layer structure consisting of a plurality of raw materials with different physical properties to compensate for the demerits of the individual raw materials.
FIG. 1 shows an example of such a diaphragm for use in an electroacoustic transducer.
An electroacoustic-transducer-use diaphragm 1 illustrated herein has a double layer structure consisting of a first diaphragm layer 3 made of synthetic resin molded in a predetermined shape by injection molding and a second diaphragm layer (skin layer) 5 layered in intimate contact on the first diaphragm layer 3 and made of a different material from the first diaphragm layer 3.
By compensating for the demerit of e.g. woven cloth of aramid fiber used as a raw material of the second diaphragm layer 5 by the characteristic of the resin layer, the diaphragm having various physical properties in good balance can be obtained.
Meanwhile, as a method for manufacturing such an elecroacoustic-transducer-use diaphragm in a multi-layer structure, there has been proposed a method in which after the first diaphragm layer 3 and the second diaphragm layer 5 have been individually made, both layers are integrated using e.g. adhesive as required or another method in which with the second diaphragm layer 5 having been previously molded in a predetermined size/shape by a separate press molding machine, the second diaphragm layer 5 thus molded is insert-molded in molding the first diaphragm layer 3 so that it is integrated to the first diaphragm layer 3 (e.g. see JP-A-2000-4496).
However, the above conventional method has a problem that the number of manufacturing steps is increased because of the step of independently molding the second diaphragm layer 5, thus increasing the production cost.
Further, when the second diaphragm layer 5 molded is set in a die for injection-molding the first diaphragm layer 3 (hereinafter referred to as an injection-molding die), or when the first diaphragm layer 3 and the second diaphragm layer 5 which have been individually made are stacked, it was difficult to provide uniform contact over the entire region of a stacking plane because of a fine size error therebetween and was impossible to ensure a uniform physical property over the entire region of the diaphragm, thus giving possibility of occurrence of changes in the acoustic characteristic.
The problems that this invention intends to solve are the problems involved in the above conventional technique, for example, a problem of an increase in cost due to the increase in the number of manufacturing steps and a problem of partial fluctuation in intimate contact due to a size error between the first diaphragm layer and the second diaphragm layer, thus leading to a fluctuating vibrating characteristic.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for manufacturing diaphragm for use in electroacoustic transducer


An example is provided to calculate calibration data for or print quality data of a printer, in one example, image data on printed elements of a plurality of patches printed at different powers or intensities by a print device may be determined.

Calibration of a printer can result in an increase in the accuracy of print activities. Calibrating a print device may use calibration data, which may be obtained in calibration sessions. In a calibration session, a print of special characters or patches may be performed, and data associated to the printed characters or patches may be acquired and analysed to obtain the calibration data

Obtaining printed element data of patches to determine calibration data of a printer


An installer for installing a software program on a computing device can be executed. The installer can perform a set of dependency checks before installing the software program. The set of dependency checks can include the validation of a pre-requisites associated with the proper execution of the software program. The pre-requisites can be a portion of a dependency content. The content can be a checklist. Before the software program is installed on the device and responsive to executing the installer, the installer can update dependency content using a custom dependency checklist. The updating of the dependency content can be performed without updating code of the software program to be installed on the device. The execution of the installer can continue using the updated dependency content for performing the set of dependency checks responsive to automatically updating the dependency content.

The present invention relates to the field of software deployment and, more particularly, to enabling dynamic software installer requirement dependency checks.
Enterprise software solutions are usually dependent on third party components installed within an operating system to function properly. Components can often include databases, application servers, and/or operating systems. In many instances, these components and/or environments are constantly updated. These updates may occur out of cycle with updates to the enterprise software solutions. There are many execution environment configurations in which the software solution can be deployed. The large number of potential environments and continual updates of related components presents a challenge for software developers of installation tools.
To elaborate, installation tools typically perform pre-requisite checks during an install to ensure enterprise software can execute correctly. The dependency checks can be for specific versions of dependent third party components. When a pre-requisite check fails, the installer can fail to install the software. However, enterprise software requires release cycle development to update option lists and dependency checkers before a release statement about supporting the new versions can be made.
The enterprise software installer can fail for reasons ranging from component version incompatibility to component configuration incompatibility, even though the software being installed can execute correctly. To diagnose/debug installer failures, users frequently have to manually report failures to support entities. Consequently, there is little shared understanding of deployment across these groups, no shared automations, and no reuse of previous successful cycles, leading to configuration errors. This current approach is inefficient and static which results in lost productivity and decreases the quality of the user experience. It also severely hampers installation agents, who may be tasked with installation responsibilities, which these agents are unable to complete in a timely fashion. The disclosure provides these installation agents with needed and heretofore unavailable tools.

Enabling dynamic software installer requirement dependency checks

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A process and apparatus for recalculating the contents of a spreadsheet's cells when they are affected by a modification of one or more cells in the spreadsheet is disclosed. After a spreadsheet has been modified, each cell in the spreadsheet is examined only once to determine the order of the cell recalculation and only the affected cells are recalculated. A list indicating which cells have been modified is maintained at all times in the computer prior to recalculation. When the computer is instructed to update the values in the spreadsheet cells, the recalculation method begins by placing an indication of cells affected by modification, one by one, on either of two lists independently maintained by the computer in storage: the final list (L LIST) if all cells in its Dependency Set (the set of cells affected by a modification to this cell) are already in the final list, or the intermediate list (R LIST) if it has a cell in its Dependency Set which is not already in the final list.

This invention relates to computerized spreadsheet technology. A method of using a digital computer for the of recalculating the contents of spreadsheet's cells when they are affected by a modification of one or more cells in the spreadsheet is disclosed. The reader is directed to the DEFINITIONS section for the meaning of certain terms used herein.
A spreadsheet is an accounting tool which is typically used to model business, economic and other similar systems. A spreadsheet (also referred to generically as a "worksheet") is represented by a two-dimensional array with individual array elements, defined by row and column placement, referred to as "cells." Each cell in a spreadsheet can contain one of several information types, including text strings, mathematical formulas, numbers, and links or references to other cells. In a spreadsheet which models a small business, for example, a first cell might contain a number representing the business's revenue for a given year. A second cell might contain a formula for calculating the business's costs for the same year. A third cell in the spreadsheet might contain a formula which subtracts the value resulting from the formula in the second cell (costs) from the value of the first cell (revenue) with the result being the business's gross profit for the year. Additional cells containing data or formulas to calculate taxes and other business expenses may be added to expand the model. Together, the contents of the cells form a financial model of the business.
An important aspect of computerized spreadsheet technology is recalculation of the contents of the spreadsheet's cells after one or more cells have been modified. (As explained above, each cell in a spreadsheet is of a distinct information type, whether it be a number, formula, or otherwise. A cell which contains a formula or a number has a value associated with it which is simply the value of the number or the mathematical result of the formula. The term "recalculation" refers to the determination of a cell's new value after it or a cell upon which it depends for its value has been modified.)
Initially, the spreadsheet user enters various formulas and data in the spreadsheet cells to create a model. Thereafter, a spreadsheet user will often want to test several possible outcomes of a particular problem by modifying the parameters of his model, i.e., by modifying formulas or data in the spreadsheet cells. Modifications are also often made to correct errors in the model. Each cell modification potentially affects the value of several other cells in the spreadsheet. For example, a cell may contain a number representing a business's net profit. That cell may be referenced by many other cells in the spreadsheet which use it to calculate, for instance, taxes or dividends. Each of those cells may, in turn, be referenced by multiple other cells. Thus, a change in the contents of even a single spreadsheet cell can have wide-ranging effects on cells throughout the entire spreadsheet. Multiple cell modifications can, therefore, make recalculation of a sophisticated spreadsheet model a complex and time consuming process. Recalculation of a complete spreadsheet can involve not only moving data between numerous memory locations in the microprocessor, but also the performance of mathematical operations by the microprocessor on large quantities of data. These operations require large numbers of clock cycles and intensive use of the microprocessor, thereby slowing down other computer activities. Thus, a quick and efficient recalculation method presents a distinct advantage to the spreadsheet user.
The recalculation invention described herein performs recalculation in an optimal manner by maintaining an indication of which cells have been modified, examining each occupied cell in the spreadsheet only once in determining which cells have been affected by modification (and, thus, require recalculation), creating an ordered list of cells requiring recalculation, and visiting and recalculating only those cells which require recalculation.


A device for converting a radio frequency signal directly to a baseband signal includes: a receiving section having a tuner for providing a tuned radio frequency signal and a phase-locked loop for providing a phase-locked signal in response to the tuned radio frequency signal; a frequency oscillating section having a voltage controlled oscillator for providing a specific frequency signal, with a same phase and frequency as the tuned radio frequency signal, in response to the phase-locked signal and a control voltage, and a phase comparator providing the control voltage by comparing the phase of the tuned radio frequency signal and the phase of the specific frequency signal; a baseband section for producing the baseband signal by mixing the tuned radio frequency signal and the specific frequency signal; and a gain control section generating a gain control signal fed back to the baseband section and a delayed gain control signal fed back to the receiving section.

The present invention relates to a broadcasting signal receiving apparatus. More particularly, it relates to a broadcasting signal direct-receiving circuit which generates a signal having the same frequency as that of a received radio frequency (RF) signal and then mixes the generated signal with the received RF signal to output a baseband signal.
In a conventional broadcasting signal receiving apparatus such as a television set or video tape recorder, the RF signal received by the apparatus is converted into an intermediate frequency IF signal which is then converted into a baseband signal in a demodulator so as to be provided to other devices in the apparatus.
The conventional broadcasting signal receiving circuit as shown in FIG. 1 is a broadcasting signal receiving circuit of a heterodyne reception system in which an IF is used in converting the received RF signal into a baseband signal. In FIG. 1, an input tuner 10 consisting of a band-pass filter is tuned to a wide bandwidth and receives a wide band RF signal among radio waves which are transmitted, the band-pass filter having its frequency bandwidth determined by the frequency of the signal generated by a phase-locked loop portion (hereinafter referred to as PLL).
The received wide band RF signal is amplified to a specific gain in an RF amplifier 20 according to the control signal AGC supplied from an automatic gain controller (not shown).
Thereafter, the RF signal amplified in the RF amplifier 20 is received as a high frequency signal corresponding to the user's desired channel by an interstage tuner 30 in which a frequency band to be tuned is varied according to the frequency of the signal generated by the PLL 40.
Thereafter, the RF signal output from the interstage tuner 30 is mixed in a mixer 60 with a signal of a specific frequency which is generated by a local oscillator 50 under the control of the PLL 40, so as to be an IF signal. This IF signal is then filtered by a band-pass filter 70, amplified by an IF amplifier 80 and thereafter demodulated by a demodulator 90, to be output as a baseband signal.
However, such a conventional broadcasting signal receiving circuit of a heterodyne reception system has a noise problem such as a phenomenon wherein many pictures overlap each other when the received broadcasting signals are displayed on the screen, due to a mutual interference of an image frequency component signal generated by the noise component included in the RF signal input to the mixer 60 and the IF signal during output or the IF signal from the mixer 60. Also, the conventional receiving circuit requires the demodulator 90 in order to convert the IF signal output from the mixer 60 into a baseband signal, and accordingly circuit construction becomes complicated, resulting in difficulties in making the receiving circuit compact and light.

Circuit and method for converting a radio frequency signal into a baseband signal


Elongated processing elements are anchored at opposite ends thereof between holding discs retained within rigid seal rings enclosing a chamber within a cylindrical module housing, through which a flow of contaminate-laden bilgewater is conducted. Such discs are formed within the seal rings with the elongated elements positioned therein by deposit and curing of epoxy resin. Such elements are then assembled within the module housing to seal the chamber thereby established therein. Spacing between the bundled elements is maintained by spacers to accommodate filtration of the bilgewater during flow thereof through the chamber and lateral outflow of a cleansed filtered portion from the elements through a drain outlet.

The processing of contaminate laden fluid such as oily wastewater collected within marine vessels, by passage through ultra-filtration membranes for fluid cleansing purposes is generally known in the art, involving a module containing one or more of such filtration membranes having pores through which the oily wastewater percolates during passage through a tubular module housing. Various problems arise with respect to providing a suitable arrangement of apparatus for the performance of such wastewater cleansing operation in such installationson board marine vessels, imposing different handling requirements and dimensional restrictions. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a more efficient and less costly arrangement of bundled elements such as filter membranes within modules for cleansing of contaminate laden fluids such as oily wastewater by filtration through the filter membranes.

Arrangement and construction of an element bundling module

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


The present invention reveals a needle set of laparoscopic surgery and knotting device thereof, the needle set comprising a body and an axis sleeve. Near the body side is formed a barrier, and the other side have a concave groove. The axis sleeve is hollow tube and fixedly run through the body. Therefore the needle set can axial insert into to the axis sleeve, and achieve the effect that minimizing the complicate of overall structure, reducing the length of a knotting device, and more convenient to operate.

The process and the art of tying a surgical knot in a laparoscopic surgery is disclosed in the patent literature, Taiwanese Patent No. 1551261, entitled "Novel Laparoscopic Extracorporeal Knotting Pusher Device". The preferred embodiment described in the '261 patent is directed to having a surgical knot that is partially tied and is attached to a carrier assembly of the described device connected to a control apparatus. The device is inserted into a patient's body via the abdominal cavity and is adapted for facilitating the suturing process for a surgeon in an operation wherein the applied surgical material can be tightened via the control apparatus. Once the surgical material is tightened at the treatment site, deployment of the partially tied surgical material from the described device is then cut to provide a fixed and secure surgical knot at the treatment site to help recovery.
However, the device of the '261 Patent has the following drawbacks:
1. The device disclosed by the '261 patent has the carrier assembly inserted into a sleeve of the control apparatus along a lateral direction for operation, and a recess is defined in the sleeve of the control apparatus for holding the carrier assembly. However, the carrier assembly is easily disengaged from the recess in the course of operation due to the configuration and malleability of the device. To retain the carrier assembly in the recess and to prevent from the disengagement, an outer layer of sleeve is slidably interconnected to the sleeve of the control apparatus, and such configuration of the apparatus is superfluous and less desirable.
2. The insertion direction of the carrier assembly is solely limited to a lateral direction as a bar of the control apparatus is configured at an end of the sleeve impeding axial loading or insertion of the carrier assembly. Consequently, the sleeve of the device has to be lengthened to accommodate the interconnected outer sleeve making the configuration of the apparatus cumbersome and inconvenient.

Needle set of laparoscopic surgery and knotting device thereof


To make a soft magnetic underlayer of a double layered perpendicular magnetic recording medium thinner than heretofore while avoiding saturation. Assuming that Tb1 is the thickness of the soft magnetic underlayer of the double layered perpendicular magnetic recording medium, BS2 the saturation flux density of the same, Tm the thickness of a magnetic recording head's main pole 1 along a track direction in the vicinity of its floating surface, TWW the track width of the same, and BS1 the saturation flux density of the same, then Tb1<(BS1×Tm×TWW)/2(BS2×(Tm+TWW)) is satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a perpendicular magnetic recording system using a perpendicular magnetic recording medium (double layered perpendicular magnetic recording medium) having a soft magnetic underlayer.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
In perpendicular magnetic recording systems using a double layered perpendicular magnetic recording medium, magnetic flux extending from a main pole of a recording head follows a magnetic path that runs through a soft magnetic underlayer of the double layered perpendicular recording medium to enter an auxiliary pole of a magnetic head and then returns to the main pole. Conventional perpendicular magnetic recording media have adopted soft magnetic underlayers of greater design thicknesses so as to avoid magnetic saturation of the soft magnetic underlayers.
FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the cross section of a path through which magnetic flux flows on a conventional model. As shown in FIG. 4, in order to prevent a soft magnetic underlayer 6 of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium from being saturated by the magnetic flux from a main pole 1 of a magnetic head, it is considered that the limit of the prevention is determined by both the area of the cross section 11 of the magnetic flux inside the soft magnetic underlayer, through which the magnetic flux extending from a top face 10 of the main pole passes, and the saturation flux density of the soft magnetic underlayer 6, and it is necessary to satisfy the following relational expression:Tww×Tb1×BS2>Tww×Tm×BS1,i.e.,Tb1×BS2>Tm×BS1,  (1)wherein Tww is the track width of the main pole 1, BS1 the saturation flux density of the main pole 1, Tm the thickness of the main pole 1, BS2 the saturation flux density of the soft magnetic underlayer 6, and Tb1 the thickness of the soft magnetic underlayer. In view of this, perpendicular magnetic recording media have been provided with a thick soft magnetic underlayer.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-283624 describes a double layered perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a soft magnetic underlayer of 600 nm in thickness.
In conventional ideas, for example, the saturation flux density Bs of a main pole of 1.6 T, the thickness Tm of the same of 0.5 μm, and the saturation flux density BS of a soft magnetic underlayer of 1.2 T combine to require, according to the expression (1), the thickness Tb1 of the soft magnetic underlayer as great as 0.67 μm or more. This is no less than ten times the thickness of the magnetic recording layers of current in-plane magnetic recording media which is no greater than several tens of nanometers. Given here that the growth rates are nearly equal, the growth time becomes more than ten times, causing a drop in production efficiency and a rise in cost. Moreover, the consumption of the target used in the sputtering also increases for a cost increase. Besides, greater thicknesses deteriorate surface roughness because of inhomogeneous grain growth. This causes a problem since high-density magnetic recording media require low surface roughness for the sake of reducing head-medium spacing. Accordingly, conventional double layered perpendicular magnetic recording media were disadvantageous as compared with in-plane magnetic recording media and single layered perpendicular magnetic recording media.
To avoid the saturation of a soft magnetic underlayer without thickening the soft magnetic underlayer, it is necessary to thin the main pole of the magnetic head or raise the saturation magnetization (Bs) of the soft magnetic underlayer significantly. Nevertheless, when the recording layer of the medium has a relatively high coercivity (Hc), the intensity of write magnetic field must be increased, and the thinning of the main pole produces a problem of main pole saturation.
Furthermore, there are other problems including that no material has been found which can increase the saturation magnetization of soft magnetic underlayers considerably.

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Japan, Ltd.


A scratch measurement system employs a class I or class II laser and digital signal processing in conjunction with a vision system to measure scratch depth. Video data acquired by a vision system is processed to determine threshold values wherein the scratch surface is detected and scratch depth computed. Hard copy graphic results as well as numerical scratch depth measurements are provided on a printer. The unit may be calibrated to a certifiable standard and is provided in a low-cost portable package, suitable for use in manufacturing and repair situations as well as in the laboratory.

The present invention pertains to a scratch measuring method and apparatus and more particularly to a portable scratch measurement system which provides a visual display of a scratch together with information regarding scratch depth.
There are many situations where it is desirable to measure the depth of the scratch on a surface. For example, in airplane surfaces scratches can cause structural problems, or, in the case of a stealth-type aircraft, scratches in the surface coating may reduce the stealth effectiveness, when the scratches extend beyond a certain depth. Various methods have been employed heretofore to measure scratch depth. For instance, chemical methods have been employed, but are undesirable in that they can be disorderly and dangerous, employing hazardous materials which give rise to safety and environmental concerns. Further, the chemical processes typically affect areas adjacent the scratched portion. Eddy current testing is an alternative but is unsuitable when the surfaces are formed of non-metal or composite materials. Ultrasound typically requires that sensors be placed on the opposite side of the surface containing the scratch and this method may therefore be impractical. Moreover, reflected ultrasound is often not effective because a rough scratch bottom will provide inconsistent readings.
Optical microscopes have been utilized in the past to view the extent of a scratch, but the equipment can be bulky and difficult to operate, especially in locations requiring an operator to assume an awkward position underneath a plane fuselage. Furthermore, measurement is subjective, based upon the operator's interpretation of the view provided. Mechanical probes are undesirable for scratch measurement inasmuch as the probe can become embedded in the surface, worsening the scratch by increased penetration. Further, the radius of the probe tip may be larger than the scratch width and hence not reach the bottom of the scratch. Other mechanical methods include the use of replication putty together with an optical comparator. Such a method is labor-intensive and the putty may not form into the crack, or may remain behind in the crack and complicate repair. Some radiographic methods are theoretically possible, but it may not be feasible to position a sensor on a back surface of a scratched area. Also, backscatter methods of radiographic testing are expensive.

Scratch measurement apparatus and method


Disclosed is a multi-function actuator comprising: a case having an internal space; a vibrating coil installed in the case for generating vibration; a diaphragm for generating sound with an outer end being fixed to the upper end of the case; a voice coil fixedly installed in the bottom of the diaphragm for generating sound according to a sound source and having an notch filter; a vertically magnetized magnet; an upper plated attached to the magnet for constituting a magnetic circuit; a yoke for constituting the magnetic circuit together with the magnet; a weight for constituting a vibrator body together with the magnet, the upper plate and the yoke; and a suspension spring for supporting the vibrator body. In generating sound, sound quality is improved without influencing sound while vibration is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-function actuator for performing both sound and vibration generating functions, and in particular, which can remarkably reduce vibration without influencing sound features in output of sound in the actuator.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a speaker is a sound generating apparatus which outputs an audible sound from an electrically or electronically received sound signal or a previously inputted bell or melody. Such speaker function has been adopted in mobile communication means such as a mobile telephone, however, causes noise in public places crowed with people. Thus, the speaker is restricted in use so as not to generate such noise. Instead, a vibration mode is frequently used for producing a call-incoming signal, and thus the necessity of a multi-function actuator is gradually increasing to meet such a function.
In the latest, accordingly, development has been actively made about the multi-function actuator which can faithfully perform basic functions while reducing the spatial size through integration of components such as a vibration motor, buzzer, receiver, speaker and the like.
However, the relative degradation of function is inevitably incurred in order to enable several functions, and accordingly various methods are being attempted to overcome the degradation. In particular, since a vibration function is executed by a vibration structure for generating vibration through resonance of a vibrator which is dependent from a spring, vibration is created even in output of sound.
Accordingly, the present invention is proposed to provide a multi-function actuator which has such a structure that can be used without great influence to sound and vibration output.
Hereinafter, detailed description will be made about the structure of a typical multi-function actuator of the prior art in reference to FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the typical multi-function actuator comprises a case 10 with an internal space; a sound-generating diaphragm 1 with an outer end fixed to the upper end of the case 10; a voice coil 2 fixedly wound around the lower end of the diaphragm 1; a vertically magnetized magnet 4; an upper plate 3 attached to the magnet 4 for constituting a magnetic circuit; a yoke 5 for constituting the magnetic circuit together with the magnet 4; a weight 6 for constituting a vibrator body together with the upper plate 3 and the yoke 5; upper and lower suspension springs 7 and 8 for respectively supporting the vibrator body at upper and lower positions; and a vibrating coil 9 arranged on a grill 11 at the bottom of the case 10 for generating vibration.
The vibrating coil 9 is additionally provided as above so that a current is externally applied through lead lines 14 to 17. In this case, a method is adapted in which the four lines are connected to signal sources. Typically, the lines are connected to the signal sources designated as +, −, + and −.
Therefore, in the foregoing structure, when the current is applied through the lead lines 14 and 15, an electromagnetic force is generated to the voice coil 2 in the magnetic circuit constituted by the upper plate 3, the vertically magnetized magnet 4 and the yoke 5.
In other words, a magnetic field is produced to the voice coil 2 in the magnetic circuit constituted by the upper plate 3, the vertically magnetized magnet 4 and the yoke 5, in which a magnetic line from the N pole of the magnet 4 faces again to the S pole of the magnet through the upper plate 3, the voice coil 2 and the yoke 5 in sequence to produce the magnetic field. In this case, the voice coil 2 executes a speaker function by using a magnetic flux of the magnetic circuit due to the magnetic field.
Meanwhile, the yoke 5 is thinner in the lower part than in the side so that the magnetic flux partially leaks toward the vibrating coil 9 positioned at the bottom. The leaked magnetic flux incurs an electromagnetic force to the vibrating coil 9 when the current is applied through the lead lines 16 and 17.
In other words, the typical multi-function actuator in the prior art has the voice coil in a magnetic circuit unit at the diaphragm side so that the voice coil is applied with the signal when outputting sound. The lower magnetic circuit has the vibrating coil so that the lower coil is applied with the current when generating vibration.
In this case, in vibration of the multi-function actuator, the resonance frequency exists in the band of 100 to 200 Hz and the sound is outputted in the frequency band at least 350 Hz, and thus sound output can be considered regardless of vibration output due to the difference in band. However, since sound is obtained using an FM modulation mode in practice, sometimes the resonance frequency is simultaneously inputted in generating vibration different from the original intention so that the amount of vibration in the sound mode may be as large as in the vibration mode.


A system for providing a labyrinth seal and a contact seal between a housing and a shaft is formed of a stator and a rotor connected to each other. The stator includes a flange biased toward the rotating shaft to prevent fluid from exiting the housing. The rotor rotates frictionlessly relative to the stator, creating a two-piece non-contact labyrinth seal to prevent contaminants from entering the housing. The rotor and stator may be held together by an annular protrusion located within a recess.

The present invention relates to a device for providing a seal between a shaft and a housing. In particular, the present invention relates to a static and dynamic seal device for preventing lubricant from leaking out of a housing and/or for preventing contaminants from traveling into the housing.
Prior art devices for sealing a rotating shaft are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,479 (Orlowski) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,451 (Borowski). Seal devices of this type may be used to prevent lubricant from escaping out of a bearing housing and/or to prevent contaminants from working their way into the housing. The prior art devices are formed of at least two ring-shaped members that rotate with respect to each other when the shaft is rotated. One of the members is fixed to the housing and does not rotate. The other member rotates with the rotating shaft.
The two ring members should be located very close together, particularly when the seal device is used to isolate the bearing from small particulate contaminants. Even small quantities of such contaminants are capable of significantly deteriorating the bearing. To prevent such contamination, the two relatively rotatable ring members must be held together very closely, with only a very narrow space therebetween.
The ring members of the Orlowski seal device are connected together by a separate securing means, not shown in the prior art patent. The ring members themselves have no means for establishing and maintaining a narrow spacing therebetween. Therefore, the prior art seal device cannot be manufactured as a unit with a preset, fixed spacing. The spacing between the ring members has to be set when the seal device is installed into the housing. This leaves room for human error outside the control of the device manufacturer. In particular, the Orlowski device can be improperly installed, with the ring members located too far apart to perform satisfactorily. Another problem with the Orlowski device is that the ring members may be separated subsequent to installation, for example by high pressure cleaning spray.
The ring members of the Borowski device are held together by a bead and a groove provided on the ring members themselves. The bead fits within the groove with an interference fit. This arrangement is an improvement over the Orlowski system in the sense that no separate securing means is needed. But the Borowski device is still unsatisfactory because the bead must be resiliently deformed to be positioned within the groove, and the groove must be correspondingly enlarged to receive the deformed bead. The deformation of the bead during assembly makes it difficult to achieve the desired close positioning between the two ring members, as explained in more detail below.
Furthermore, neither the Orlowski system nor the Borowski device provide satisfactory static sealing in flooded conditions as well as dynamic sealing during operation.
Prior art devices showing labyrinth and/or contact seals are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,628 (Nisley), U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,054 (Peach), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,600 (Muller). The device referred to in Muller is a dust seal between an inner race and an outer race. The dust seal is accomplished either through a labyrinth arrangement of L-shaped rings or through a contact seal. The device of Muller provides no mechanism for sealing, either dynamically or statically, fluid from exiting the device.
The device disclosed by Nisley is a seal assembly with a rotor, a housing, a V-ring and a metal ring. The housing and the rotor have alternating teeth and grooves which intermesh to form a labyrinth seal. The metal ring fits within an angular groove in the housing. The V-ring is positioned on the rotor and makes contact with the metal ring. The device as disclosed by Nisley is, thus, formed of four separate machined pieces, and is relatively expensive to manufacture. Such a seal device, since it has four separate parts which must be fit together, will have correspondingly greater leakage points than a seal device with fewer parts. Further, the V-ring is positioned to make contact with a metal ring, which may wear the V-ring, leading to an opening between the housing and the rotor through which contaminants and fluid may travel.
The device referred to in Peach has, like Nisley, numerous separately machined or formed parts, thus increasing the device's expense, complexity and possibility of leakage.


A ceramic, metal, or metal alloy surface is covered with lithium permangae which is then thermally decomposed to produce a corrosion resistant coating on the surface. This coating serves as a primer coating which is preferably covered with an overcoat of a sealing paint.

This invention relates to coatings and more particularly to metal oxide coatings.
Chromate coatings have been employed widely in corrosion protection of aluminum alloys and steel. The waste products of these processes are poisonous and carcinogenic materials which pose a danger to the environment. This is particularly true for the hexavalent chromium ion which is an especially potent carcinogen. As a result, chromate forming processes require expensive equipment and processing steps to protect the environment.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a new corrosion resistant coating that could be produced without harmful waste products. Such a coating would not only be less expensive, but it could also be produced on site with mobile equipment rather than in special plant facilities.

Corrosion-resistant coating prepared by the thermal decomposition of lithium permanganate

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A method (400) for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The method includes immersing (420) a wafer in a liquid comprising water. The wafer has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A step of introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance during the providing step (450) also is included. The cleaning enhancement substance dopes the liquid which is attached to the front face and the back face to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of the attached liquid off of the wafer.

The present invention relates to the filed of semiconductor integrated circuits. The invention illustrated in an example with regard to a semiconductor integrated circuit cleaning technique, including a method and apparatus, but it will be recognized that the invention has a wider range of applicability. Merely by way of example, the invention can also be applied to the manufacture of raw wafers, lead frames, medical devices, disks and heads, flat panel displays, microelectronic masks, and other applications requiring high purity wet processing such as steps of rinsing, cleaning, drying, and the like.
Industry utilizes or has proposed various techniques to rinse and dry a semiconductor wafer. An example of a conventional technique used to rinse a wafer is a cascade rinse. The cascade rinse utilizes a cascade rinser which includes inner and outer chambers, each separated by a partition. Rinse water flows from a water source into the inner chamber. An in-process wafer such as an etched wafer is typically rinsed in the cascade rinser by dipping the etched wafer into the rinse water of the inner chamber. This process if often used to neutralize and remove acid from the etched wafer.
A limitation with the cascade rinser is that xe2x80x9cdirty waterxe2x80x9d often exists in the first chamber. The dirty water typically includes residual acid as well as xe2x80x9cparticlesxe2x80x9d which often often attach to the wafer. These particles often cause defects in the integrated circuit, thereby reducing the number of good dies on a typical wafer. Another limitation with the cascade rinser is wafers from the cascade rinser must still undergo a drying operation. A subsequent drying operation often introduces more particles onto the integrated circuit. More particles on the integrated circuit typically further decrease the number of good dies on the wafer. Accordingly, the cascade rinse often cannot clean or remove particles from the wafer.
Another technique often used to rinse wafers is the xe2x80x9cquick dumpxe2x80x9d method. The quick dump method relies upon the rapid deployment of water from the rinse tank to remove water and impurities from the semiconductor wafer. A limitation with this method is its inability to actually clean or remove particles from the wafer. In fact, the rapid deployment of water from the tank often transfers more particles onto the wafer. In addition, the wafers from the quick dump tank must still undergo a drying operation, further increasing the number of particles on the wafer. As previously noted, more particles often relates to lower die yields on the semiconductor wafer.
A further technique used to both rinse and dry wafers relies upon a spin rinse/dryer. The spin rinse/dryer uses a combination of rinse water spray to rinse and centrifugal force to remove water from the semiconductor wafer. The dry step often removes the water from the semiconductor wafer substantially by centrifugal force and evaporation. However, the spin rinse/dryer often introduces more particles onto the wafer. In fact, initially dissolved or suspended contaminants such as particles in the water are often left on the semiconductor wafer, thereby reducing the number of good dies on the wafer. Another limitation with the spin rinse/dryer is its complex mechanical design with moving parts and the like. The complex mechanical design often leads to certain problems such as greater downtime, wafer breakage, more spare parts, greater costs, among others. A further limitation is static electricity often builds up on the wafers during the spin cycle, thereby attracting even more particles onto the surface of the semiconductor. Accordingly, the spin rinse/drying does not clean or remove particles from the wafer.
Other techniques used to dry wafers include an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor dryer, full displacement IPA dryer, and others. These IPA-type dryers often rely upon a large quantity of a solvent such as isopropyl alcohol and other volatile organic liquids to facilitate drying of the semiconductor wafer. An example of such a technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,761, and its related applications, in the name of McConnell et al. and assigned to CFM Technologies, Inc. McConnell et al. generally describes the use of a superheated or saturated drying vapor as a drying fluid. This superheated or saturated drying vapor often requires the use of large quantities of a hot volatile organic material. The superheated or saturated drying vapor forms a thick organic vapor layer overlying the rinse water to displace (e.g., plug flow) such rinse water with the drying vapor. The thick organic vapor layer forms an azeotropic mixture with water, which will condense on wafer surfaces, and will then evaporate to dry the wafer.
A limitation with this type of dryer is its use of the large solvent quantity, which is hot, highly flammable, and extremely hazardous to health and the environment. Another limitation with such a dryer is its cost, which is often quite expensive. In fact, this dryer needs a vaporizer and condenser to handle the large quantities of hot volatile organic material. Still further, it has been determined that large quantities of hot volatile organic material are typically incompatible with most photoresist patterned wafers, and are also detrimental to certain device structures.
Still another technique relies upon a hot deionized (DI) process water to rinse and promote drying of the semiconductor wafer. By way of the hot DI water, the liquid on the wafer evaporates faster and more efficiently than standard room temperature DI water. However, hot water often produces stains on the wafer, and also promotes build-up of bacterial and other particles. Hot water can also damage the semiconductor, thereby reducing the amount of good dies on the wafer. Another limitation is water is often expensive to heat, and hot DI water is also an aggressive solvent. As an aggressive solvent, it often deteriorates equipment and facilities, thereby increasing maintenance operation costs.
As line size becomes smaller and the complexity of semiconductor integrated circuits increases, it is clearly desirable to have a cleaning technique, including a method and apparatus, that actually removes particles, prevents additional particles, and does not introduce stains on the wafers. The cleaning technique should also dry the wafers, without other adverse results. A further desirable characteristic includes reducing or possibly eliminating the residual water left on wafer surfaces and edges when water is removed (a meniscus). The water left on such surfaces and edges often attracts and introduces more particles onto the semiconductor wafer. The aforementioned conventional techniques fail to provide such desired features, thereby reducing the die yield on the semiconductor during wet processes.
From the above, it is seen that a cleaning method and apparatus for semiconductor integrated circuits that is safe, easy, and reliable is often desired.
The present invention provides a safe, efficient, and economical method and apparatus to clean an article (or object) such as a semiconductor wafer. In particular, the present method provides an improved technique that actually removes or reduces the amount of particles from the semiconductor substrate and also effectively cleans the substrate. The present method also provides an in situ cleaning system with substantially no mechanical movement of the substrate.
One aspect of the present invention provides a method for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The present method includes immersing a wafer in a liquid comprising water. The wafer has a front face, a back face, and an edge. The method also includes providing a substantially particle free environment (e.g., ultra-clean gas, ultra-clean non-reactive gas, etc.) adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A step of introducing a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance (e.g., trace amount of polar organic compound, helium, surfactants, carbon dioxide, etc.) during the providing step also is included. The cleaning enhancement substance dopes the liquid which is attached to the front face and the back face to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of the attached liquid off of the wafer.
Another aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor wafer. The present apparatus includes a vessel adapted to immerse a wafer in a liquid comprising water. This wafer includes a front face, a back face, and an edge. The apparatus also includes a first control valve operably coupled to the vessel, and adapted to provide a substantially particle free environment adjacent to the front face and the back face as the liquid is being removed. A second control valve operably coupled to the vessel also is provided. The second control valve is adapted to introduce a carrier gas comprising a cleaning enhancement substance. The cleaning enhancement substance dopes the liquid which is attached to the front face and the back face to cause a concentration gradient of the cleaning enhancement substance in the attached liquid to accelerate fluid flow of the attached liquid off of the wafer.
A further alternative embodiment provides an apparatus for holding a plurality of substrates. The apparatus includes a lower support. The lower support comprises a plurality of first ridges, where each of the first ridges provides a support for a lower substrate portion. The apparatus also includes an upper support. The upper support comprises a plurality of second ridges, were each of the second ridges provides a support for an upper substrate portion. The lower substrate portion and the upper substrate portion are defined on a substrate. The first ridges and the second ridges draw liquid from the substrate.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the latter portions of the specification and attached drawings.

Ultra-low particle semiconductor cleaner


A method for producing a group of binoculars entails the use of injection molding to mold prism set housings with great uniformity. Prior to any production run, the mold is refined by iteratively producing and testing a prism set housing, altering the mold, and then molding another test prism set housing. This method is less time-consuming and less expensive than methods available until now. Moreover, it permits the production of binocular channels that are more thoroughly waterproof than previously available because no aperture in the binocular channel is necessary for the adjustment of individual prism set housings.

Each optical device produced generally has a set of prisms in each channel to reorient the otherwise upside-down image. The precision required in the placement and orientation of these prism sets has presented a problem. There is no manufacturing technology which can easily produce a prism set housing that conforms accurately enough to a detailed shape specification to satisfy the required accuracy of prism set orientation within the optical channel.
The accuracy of one candidate prism set housing production method, injection molding, is limited principally by two factors. The first factor is the machining of the mold. There is a limit, at the level of about 12 .mu.m (0.5 mil), to the accuracy of machining an article. The second factor is the shrinkage of the molded material. The resins commonly used for injection molding tend to shrink while cooling down from the injection temperature. The temperature and pressure at which the molding takes place affects the amount of shrinkage. Unfortunately, the more complex the molded shape the more difficult it is to predict the amount of shrinkage across a specified cut of the molded piece.
Because of the difficulty of precisely manufacturing a prism set housing to a specification, it is typical for the prism set to be held in place by an adjustable housing. This housing is secured into an optical device channel that is equipped with an aperture through which a technician may insert tools to adjust the orientation of the prisms. The prism set housing is adjusted until the prisms are oriented to within the required accuracy.
There are two problems with this type of procedure. The first problem is that it is time consuming and expensive to adjust the prism set orientation in each channel of every optical device produced. The second problem is that the aperture for tool insertion reduces the integrity of the optical channel. This is true even when efforts have been made to carefully reseal the tool insertion aperture. The reduction in optical channel integrity reduces the degree to which the device can be made watertight.

Method for producing a set of optical devices


A priming unit for a microfluidics device contains a pressurization unit and pressure and temperature detectors as part of a feedback loop that controls the pressure applied by the pressurization unit and the time during which the pressure is applied. This control feature is particularly useful in controlling the exposure time of the microchannels to dyes in the priming liquids since certain dyes tend to adhere to the walls of the channels and produce non-uniform results.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the field of microfluidics, and in particular to certain features of an automated priming unit designed to fill the channels of a microfluidics device with liquids or gels. The invention is of particular interest to "lab-on-a-chip" systems for automated electrophoresis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrophoresis is one example of a laboratory procedure that can be performed in an automated manner in a microfluidics device. Other examples are micro-scale binding assays and simulations of various processes and phenomena such as fluid dynamics, structural dynamics, thermal dynamics, and reaction kinetics. As a representative example, electrophoresis typifies the uses and advantages of microfluidics. The typical microfluidics device for electrophoresis is a small glass plate (or "chip") affixed to a plastic carrier. The glass plate contains an array of microchannels in a network pattern that has been designed for optimum effect in electrophoresis. The various procedures involved in an electrophoretic analysis are performed by directing materials through the microchannels for purposes such as sample injection, separation, staining, and destaining. All of these procedures, plus detection and data analysis, are performed without user intervention. The components of the system as a whole, in addition to the chip and carrier, typically include an electrophoresis station which houses the electrical, optical, and hardware components needed to perform the electrophoresis, a priming station on which chips are loaded with appropriate liquids or gels and prepared for electrophoresis, a vortex station where samples and loading buffers are mixed inside the wells of the chip, software for system operation and data processing, and analysis kits for specific types of separations.
The typical microfluidics device for electrophoresis is a chip or block that contains an interconnected network of microchannels. One such device is shown in an exploded perspective view in FIG. 1 and in a side view in FIG. 2. The device 11 has a planar, layered body structure consisting of at least two layers, an upper layer 12 and a lower layer 13, bonded together. The upper surface 14 of the lower layer 13 is etched or otherwise cut or molded to contain a pattern of grooves 15. When the two layers are joined, these grooves form the microchannels within the chip that will contain the gel or other separation medium in which electrophoresis is to be performed. Apertures 16 in the upper layer provide expanded openings for access to the microchannels when the two layers are combined. FIG. 1 shows sixteen apertures in a 4×4 array. When such a device is used for electrophoresis, the separation medium, frequently in the form of a viscous liquid, is placed in one of the sixteen apertures, typically an aperture in one of the four corners of the array. The other apertures are often reserved for other liquids used in the electrophoretic procedure, such as buffers, staining solutions, and samples.
In use, the microfluidics device 11 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is enclosed in a carrier 21, commonly termed a "caddy." A typical such carrier is shown in FIG. 3. The carrier fully encases the microfluidics device and thereby removes the device from visibility in this view. The shape of the carrier can vary and will be selected to coordinate its use with the remaining units and components with which the microfluidics device is used. The caddy shown in FIG. 3 is generally rectangular with two curved opposing edges 22, 23. The carrier contains an array of cylindrical extensions 24 with the same spacing and arrangement as the apertures 16 (FIG. 1) of the microfluidics device and these extensions are aligned with the apertures when the microfluidics device is inserted in the carrier. These extensions serve as reservoirs over the apertures to hold the gel or liquid that will pass through the apertures into the microchannels when pressure is applied. Although not shown, the carrier 21 also contains various structural and connecting features that permit electrophoresis (or other procedures) to be performed on the fluids that will be placed in the microchannels without removing the microfluidics device from the carrier.
One factor that affects the reliability, reproducibility, and ease of use of a microfluidics device is the manner in which the microchannels are primed with the gel or any of the liquids needed for the electrophoretic analysis. It is known, for example, that dyes in separation matrices tend to bind to the walls of the microchannels during priming. Wall-bound dye in the detection channel becomes background signal that adversely affects the detection sensitivity of the instrument and causes nonuniformity between different chips. Chips intended for use with matrices containing RNA, for example, are particularly susceptible to dye binding due to the cationic nature of the RNA dye. In general, differences in the amounts of dye bound to the walls can be minimized or eliminated by controlling the time during which the walls are exposed to dye. In chips used for protein analyses, for example, a common practice is to limit the priming time to a maximum of one minute. In chips used for analyses of other species, such as nucleic acids, a shorter maximum priming time may be required. The present invention offers several features that facilitate the priming process and provide improved control over the exposure time as well as the amounts of gel or liquid that are placed in the microchannels.

Apparatus for priming microfluidics devices with feedback control


An embodiment of the present invention is a communications system for multiple users sharing the same maximal length code (MLC) in a code position modulation multiple access environment. A 1023 chip length code is transmitted with reference to an independent coordinated time source. The code repeats every time after 1023 chips have been transmitted. The MLC will begin each time period with the first through 1023.sup.rd chip, depending on the data to be sent and the identity of the user transmitting it. The chips belong to the MLC that were not sent at the beginning of a time period are sent at the end to complete the MLC each time period in a wrap around fashion. Each time period can be aribtrarily divided into subsections embracing, for example, sixteen chip times. When so divided, more than sixty subsections are possible from one 1023 chip MLC. Respective users are each assigned a subsection. If the transmitted MLC begins on one of the sixteen chip time slots in a particular user's assigned subsection, the chip time slot that the MLC does begin on will be interpreted as communicating four bits of data, 0000 . . . 1111.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to communications systems and more specifically to code position modulation multiple access schemes that use maximal length codes and exist to support several simultaneous users.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Radio communications system have evolved numerous ways to modulate information on a radio carrier. Amplitude, frequency, and phase modulation are some of the most common scheme. Both analog and digital techniques are used to communicate voice, video and computer data. The digital techniques are especially suited to computer data. Basically, communicating information over a radio carrier involves modulating the carrier. Some transmitted energy will be dispersed into sidebands by the modulation and it is these sidebands that carry the information. More power can be put into the sidebands if the carrier, which carries no information generally, it suppressed or eliminated. Similarly, only one of the two sidebands is strictly necessary, so single sideband (SSB) is an effective use of transmitter power.
Satellite communications are usually constrained by relatively low power levels because the generation of high power levels in an orbiting satellite is expensive and difficult to sustain. A class of communications called spread spectrum is particularly suited to satellite communications because it allows very small aperture (broad beam) antennas to be used on the ground without excessive interference to adjacent satellites other than the desired satellite. Spread spectrum communication uses the modulation to spread the radio carrier over a very wide range of frequencies.
Spread spectrum techniques have no special advantage or disadvantage with respect to operation under natural background noise conditions, except for the unique waveform of the present invention. A difficulty in all code division multiple access (CDMA) systems is control of the cross-user interference, which is the degrading or noise-like effects of undesired user signals on the signal to be received. To address a need for multiple user spread spectrum communication, code division multiple access (CDMA) evolved. However, cross-user noise remains a significant problem area in CDMA communications.
Horwitz describes in U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,523, issued Feb. 17, 1987, a way to improve the signal-to-noise radio in a CDMA receiver using a direct sequence spread spectrum wherein a plurality of transmitter and at least one receiver are synchronized to a common timing source. Each transmitter sends a data signal spread by a bipolar pseudo-random code which is a different assigned shift of a common bipolar code sequence. The receiver has a plurality of correlation detectors, each generating two local bipolar pseudo-random codes that are replicas of the transmitter codes. One of the locally generated codes has the same code sequence shift as the code assigned to the predetermined transmitter. Horwitz notes that in spread spectrum communications spreading of the signal bandwidth beyond the bandwidth normally required for data being transmitted is done by phase shift keyed (PSK) modulating a carrier waveform by the data to be transmitted. Then the resultant signal is modulated by a reference pseudo-random code of length L running at a repetition rate which is normally twice the data rate. Demodulating involves heterodyning or multiplying the signal by the same reference code used to spread the composite transmission. Assuming that the transmitted and locally generated receiver codes are synchronous, the carrier inversions caused by the code PSK modulation are removed and the original base-band modulated carrier is restored by the receiver.
Another way to support users is to separate them by assigning each a time slot period for communication. Such a scheme has been commonly used in satellite communications system. For example, Gilhousen, et al., were issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,170, on Dec. 18, 1990, which describes a message communication system having centralized communication stations that transmit messages through earth orbit repeater satellites to/from mobile terminals. The communication system uses time division multiple access (TDMA) with a number of channels designated address channels and the remaining channels used for data transfer. A primary problem of TDMA for small users is that since transmission is accomplished in a short, high-speed burst, the peak radio power must be high. In general, small, light-weight solid-state electronics are not able to generate transmit power this way.
CDMA systems can not support as many users as the number of code perturbations would seem to indicate as possible because of cross-user noise. Before all possible codes are being used, the cross-user noise becomes so great that all users' signals are degraded to the point of being unusable. Codes interact differently, depending on the particular codes involved. A great deal of study and experimentation has resulted in a limited set of codes and code combinations being preferred. The combinations that work best together are known to those skilled in the art as Gold Codes. The limited number of known Gold Codes constrains how many users can share the same channel, albeit with different codes. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to the cross-correlation of many codes against the desired receiver code does not exceed ##EQU1## where k is the number of simultaneous users and n is the length of the code. For example, with a code length of 511, the best possible SNR for ten simultaneous users is 3.5 dB. The number of Gold Codes that can actually be simultaneously used is insufficient for the number of simultaneous users in the field that are desirable to deploy, primarily because of cross-user interference.
A system and method of CDMA communication is needed that greatly expands the number of users possible in a single environment and that improves the signal separation between users and does not degrade the performance under natural background noise conditions.

Code position modulation system and method for multiple user satellite communications


A damper pulley assembly of vehicle may include a crankshaft rotating by a power transmitted from an engine, a hub including a hub body formed cylindrical hollow shape so that the crankshaft is inserted and a hub ring protruded outside of the hub body, a pulley coupled outside of the hub ring, a combining ring formed cylindrical hollow shape so as to be coupled outside of the hub body, and an oil seal provided between outside of the combining ring and inside of the cylinder block and preventing leakage of engine oil of the cylinder block, wherein the hub is made of low density material compared to the pulley, and the combining ring is made of high stiffness compared to the hub.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a damper pulley assembly of vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to damper pulley assembly that a material of a hub is formed as aluminum and separate combining ring is inserted into the hub in order to couple an oil seal for reducing in weight of the damper pulley assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a plurality of piston and connecting rod that is reciprocated is installed in a cylinder block of a vehicle. The connecting rod is fixed to both side of the cylinder block and connected to a crankshaft transforming linear motion of the piston to rotational motion. And a belt is provided at end portion of the crankshaft. A driving force of the crankshaft is transmitted to a generator or steering pump or air compressor through the belt.
FIG. 1 shows partially cut-away perspective view according to conventional damper pulley assembly of a vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 1, a damper pulley assembly 1 according to conventional art includes a crankshaft 10 rotating by a cylinder provided in a cylinder block 11, a hub 20 coupled to the crankshaft 10, and a pulley 40 coupled to outside of the hub 20 and monolithically rotating with the hub 20.
A damper 30 is provided between the hub 20 and the pulley 40 and absorbs an impact generated by a rotation of the hub 20.
And an oil seal 70 is provided between the hub 20 and the cylinder block 11. The oil seal 70 prevents leakage of engine oil in the cylinder block 11 to outside of the cylinder block 11.
The hub 20 and the pulley 40 are heaviest part among the hub pulley assembly 1 according to conventional art. Material of the hub 20 and the pulley 40 is used as high stiffness material such as cast iron (FC25) for a connection with other parts.
Such as, since most parts of the damper pulley assembly 1 are formed as cast iron, weight of the damper pulley assembly 1 is increased. And since heavy damper pulley assembly 1 is rotated by the crankshaft 10, there is a problem that fuel consumption of a vehicle is deteriorated.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.


A valve timing control device includes a rotational shaft, a rotational torque transmitting member attached to the rotational shaft, a plurality of vanes each attached to the rotational shaft or the rotational torque transmitting device, a plurality of fluid chambers formed between the rotational shaft and the rotational torque transmitting device, a plurality of first chambers and second chambers, the fluid chambers each divided by means of each vane into each first chamber and each second chamber, a plurality of first fluid passages through each of which fluid is supplied to or drained from the each first chamber, a plurality of second fluid passages through each of which the fluid is supplied to or drained from the each second chamber, passage opening/closing device for opening/closing the first fluid passage or the second fluid passage, and chamber opening/closing device for opening/closing the first chamber and the second chamber.

A known valve timing control device adapted to change an opening/closing timing of an intake valve or an exhaust valve in response to a driving condition of an internal combustion engine is attached to one end of a camshaft.
The valve timing control device disclosed in, for example, JPH09-151711A is a vane type control device adapted to an internal combustion engine, which transmits an engine torque from a crankshaft to a camshaft by means of a torque transmitting means such as a timing belt or a timing chain. Further, a rotor, to which plural vanes extending in a radial direction, is fixed to the camshaft, and a timing pulley is coaxially fitted to the rotor so as to form plural hydraulic pressure chambers therein roundly, and each vane is inserted into each hydraulic pressure chamber so as to function as a piston.
In this configuration, a valve timing control device is executed by changing a relative phase between the camshaft and the timing pulley by applying hydraulic pressure for an advancing angle or hydraulic pressure for a retarding angle into a first hydraulic pressure chamber or a second hydraulic pressure chamber of the hydraulic pressure chambers, the hydraulic pressure chambers being divided into the first hydraulic pressure chamber and the second hydraulic pressure chamber by means of the vane.
Specifically, the valve timing control device includes a rotor (17) having plural vanes (18) extending in a radial direction and a housing member (19) in which the rotor (17) is provided. Between the rotor (17) and the housing member (19), hydraulic pressure chambers, arranged so as to be in a round shape, are formed, and each vane (18) is positioned in each hydraulic pressure chamber, and fluid for the advancing angle and for the retarding angle flows therein.
A fluid passage including a main passage (27) extending in an axial direction of the camshaft and a branch passage (13) extending in a radial direction from the main passage (27) is provided at one of a first hydraulic pressure chamber (30) and a second hydraulic pressure chamber (31) formed by dividing the hydraulic pressure chamber by means of each vane (18), and the fluid is introduced through the fluid passage. Because the fluid is introduced through the branch passage (13) simultaneously and evenly into the each hydraulic pressure chamber, responsiveness and smoothness of the operation of the valve timing control has been improved.
Generally, when an engine speed is low, the amount of the hydraulic oil is low. Therefore, pressure applied to the hydraulic pressure chambers is small.
Thus, in order to secure a necessary rotation force, more hydraulic pressure chambers are needed. For example, at the valve timing control device, six chambers are provided. On the other hand, when the engine speed is high, the amount of the hydraulic oil is high. Therefore, rotation force at each chamber is relatively large. Thus, even when the number of the hydraulic pressure chambers is small, a necessary torque for the valve timing control operation can be obtained. However, when the rotation speed of the engine is high, the rotation speed of the camshaft is also high. Therefore, the operation speed of the valve timing control needs to be increased so as to be higher than that in the low rotation speed.
A need thus exists to provide a technology by which the drive torque of the valve timing control device is secured under a condition where the speed of the internal combustion engine is low, and where the amount of the supplied hydraulic oil is low. At the same time, the response speed of the valve timing control device is improved under a condition where the speed of the internal combustion engine is high, and where the amount of the supplied hydraulic oil is high.