To decrease the area of a chip, improve the manufacturing efficiency and decrease the cost in a semiconductor device such as a driver integrated circuit having a number of output pads, and an electronic circuit device such as electronic clock. There are disposed output pads superposed in two dimensions on driving transistors or logic circuits connected thereto, respectively. Further, not only aluminum interconnection but also bump electrodes or barrier metals are used for the interconnection of the semiconductor device. In a case where a semiconductor integrated circuit is electrically adhered on to a printed circuit board in a face down manner, a solder bump disposed on the semiconductor integrated circuit and the interconnection of the printed circuit board are directly connected to each other, thereby realizing the electrical connection. On this occasion, the bump electrode as the external connecting terminal of the semiconductor integrated circuit is laminated on the transistor.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device for driving a liquid crystal of a liquid crystal display panel, for a thermal head used for a printer of a facsimile, for driving a step motor of a quartz clock, and for a nonvolatile memory, and to a manufacturing method therefor.
The present invention relates to an electronic circuit using the above semiconductor integrated circuit, and to a manufacturing method therefor.
The present invention relates to an insulating gate field effect type semiconductor integrated circuit having a high withstand voltage construction, more specifically to a driver integrated circuit for driving a liquid crystal, for driving a thermo-sensitive register, and the like.
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, more specifically to a semiconductor device having a plurality of driving transistors such as a semiconductor integrated circuit for a thermal head, and having output pads for the driving transistors, respectively.
The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit device having an external electrically connecting terminal on an electronic circuit.
The present invention relates to a stable operation of a semiconductor integrated circuit device.
The present invention specifically relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having bump electrodes on an electronic circuit,
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a built-in protecting circuit for protecting internal elements.
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having bump electrodes.
More specifically, the present invention relates to semiconductor integrated circuit, such as a semiconductor integrated circuit for driving a thermal head, in which the side of a chip is remarkably long as compared with the area of the chip.
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, more specifically to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, such as a semiconductor integrated circuit for driving a thermal head, which is remarkably elongated, and having a long periphery length.
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a plurality of transistors are integrated on the same substrate, particularly to a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a pad portion as an external connecting terminal is disposed on a transistor.
The present invention relates to an electronic circuit and a manufacturing method therefor, particularly to an electronic circuit including an integrated circuit which is implemented on a printed circuit board in a face down manner, more specifically to an electronic circuit used for an electronic clock.
The conventional semiconductor device (semiconductor integrated circuit) for a thermal head has a switching function for applying an electric current of about 10 mA through a plurality of resistors of several kxcexa9 arranged in line along a thermal-sensitive paper corresponding to a printing information. The respective thermal-sensitive resistors are electrically connected to an external connecting terminal disposed on a surface of the semiconductor device.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an output portion of a general semiconductor device for a thermal head. Thermal-sensitive resistors and semiconductor devices are disposed away from each other in two dimensions on a thermal head substrate. The thermal-sensitive resistors are directly connected to bonded wires 11. The bonded wire 11 is mechanically and electrically connected to a pad region made of an aluminum interconnection by a bonding process. The pad region is comprised of an aluminum film pattern formed, used for connection to the external circuit, by perforating a final passivation film 10 on an aluminum interconnection 9. Below the pad region are disposed an intermediate insulating film 8 and a field insulating film 6 which bear mechanical stress at the bonding process. The aluminum interconnection 9 of the pad region is electrically connected to a drain region of a resistor driving insulating gate field effect transistor arranged in two dimensions through a contact region 12. The drain region, being of a high withstand voltage construction, is comprised of a first drain region 3B comprising a low density impurity region, and a second drain region 3A comprising a high density impurity region. A high voltage of about 30 V is added to the thermal-sensitive resistors in order to apply a large electric current of about 10 mA thereto. Accordingly, when the transistor which functions as a switch is turned off, a high voltage of about 30 V is added to the drain region. A plurality of the transistors for switching the respective thermal-sensitive resistors are arranged along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor by the number of the resistors in a row as shown in FIG. 3.
An example of the conventional semiconductor device is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a plane view of a semiconductor integrated circuit for a thermal head. Output pads O1, O2, . . . , ON and electric source pads P1, P2 and the like are arranged on a periphery of a chip 50. The circuit on which transistors are integrated is arranged away from an external leading electrode in two dimensions. In other words, driving transistors T1, T2, . . . , TN are arranged so as to be electrically connected to the corresponding output pads, and further logic circuits L1, L2, . . . , LN for controlling the respective driving transistors are arranged cycle-periodically along a longitudinal direction of the chip 50. The external leading electrode is comprised of a perforation 92 disposed on the final protecting film and a bump 93 is disposed on the perforation 92. The bump in FIG. 3 may be replaced by a bonding.
FIG. 4 shows a conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device. A plurality of pad electrodes 603 as terminals which are to be connected to the external circuit are disposed on a semiconductor substrate 601. The pad electrodes 603 are connected to an internal electronic circuit 602 through protecting circuits 604, respectively. The protecting circuit 604 aims to discharge an eddy-current in order to prevent the breakdown of the internal electronic circuit 602 due to the eddy-current caused by static electricity and noise inputted to the internal electronic circuit 602 from the external circuit. Basically, one protecting circuit 604 is required for one pad electrode 603. Also, in order to discharge the eddy-current, the protecting circuit 604 is required to be sufficiently away from the internal circuit 602 in such a manner that the discharging electric charge does not reach the internal circuit 602.
However, the conventional semiconductor device for the thermal head has the problems described below. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the transistors and the bonding pads are required to be disposed away from each other in two dimensions, so that the area of the semiconductor device becomes large, which makes it difficult to lower the manufacturing cost.
Also, the conventional high withstand voltage MOS transistor has a shallow diffusion depth of a low density drain region used for obtaining the high withstand voltage characteristic, which requires the transistor having a large area in order for a large electric current to flow therethrough against the increase of the resistance thereat. Further, when raising the density of the low density drain region for obtaining the high withstand voltage characteristic in order to reduce the resistance thereof, the withstand voltage of the drain region is excessively reduced down to not greater than 10 V. Otherwise, when the diffusion depth is made deeper while remaining the low density, the low density drain region for obtaining the high withstand voltage characteristic excessively becomes large in a lateral direction also, which makes the transistor excessively large.
The conventional semiconductor device shown in FIG. 2 has an disadvantage that, since the active element region on which the transistors are arranged and the external leading electrode are located separately on the individual locations, the area of the chip is large, thereby preventing the reduction in the cost of the chip.
The conventional semiconductor device has a problem that, since the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is formed larger than the size of the opening portion of the passivation film, on the region in which the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode exists cannot be formed thereover the interconnection of the same metal, thereby preventing the reduction in the chip size.
In the technique of directly implementing a semiconductor integrated circuit on a glass substrate such as COG (Chip on Glass), the semiconductor integrated circuit used for a liquid crystal and the like is exposed to the light entering through the glass of the liquid crystal panel, thereby failing to function properly. As a result, the light shielding is required, and therefore the metal interconnections in the integrated circuit are used as the light shielding film. In a case where the metal interconnections are used in the semiconductor integrated circuit used for the liquid crystal panel, there are caused gaps between the interconnections and the light shielding film region, which makes it impossible to shield the light effectively, since the interconnections are essentially used for the connection between the elements. Also, there are easily caused a case that the voltage of the light shielding film cannot be stabilized, since the light is shielded at a location between the interconnections. In this case, there is unexpectedly caused a floating state, which is not preferable in view of the stable operation.
In the conventional semiconductor device, a pressure is applied to a portion between the external circuit and the semiconductor substrate in order to connect the bump electrode with the external circuit. On this occasion, if the passivation film and the polysilicon resistor are formed below the bump electrode, the passivation film and the polysilicon resistor also are applied with a force, thereby causing cracks on the passivation film to lower the reliability of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and deforming the polysilicon resistor to change the resistance value and therefore lowering the characteristic of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
In the conventional semiconductor device, a pressure is applied to a portion between the bonded wire and the semiconductor substrate in order to connect the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode with the bonded wire. On this occasion, if the passivation film and the polysilicon resistor are formed below the bump electrode, the passivation film and the polysilicon resistor also are applied with a force, thereby causing cracks on the passivation film to lower the reliability of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and deforming the polysilicon resistor to change the resistance value and therefore lowering the characteristic of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
The conventional semiconductor device requires the protecting circuits 604 which is identical in number with the pad electrodes 603 as shown in FIG. 4. Then, the protecting circuits 604 are required to be located away from the internal electronic circuits 602, thereby enlarging the area of the protecting circuits 604 which occupy the semiconductor substrate 601 to increase the size of the chip of the semiconductor integrated circuit device, which excessively increases of the cost of the semiconductor integrated circuit device.
The conventional semiconductor integrated circuit, having a dummy bump region, therefore has an drawback to increase the chip size and then increases the cost of the chip.
In the corner portion of the conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device, the silicone substrate on the chip is, before implementation, cut to be shaped like a rectangular. The diffusion region constituting the semiconductor integrated circuit is disposed inside the chip about 40 xcexcm away from the scribed surface.
However, the conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device has a drawback that, since the diffusion region is designed/manufactured to be located not less than 40 xcexcm away from the scribed surface, the chip size is large and therefore the cost of the chip cannot be reduced.
It is found out that the conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device has a drawback to excessively change the characteristic of the integrated circuit due to the static electricity when the pad portion is disposed on the separation region. In other words, when a high voltage is applied to the pad portion as the external connecting terminal, a small amount of electric current unexpectedly flows between electrically separated different N+impurity regions formed in a construction of sandwiching the separation region therebetween, although the detail mechanism is still unclear.
It is known from our experiments that the small amount of electric current is recovered by applying ultraviolet irradiation and high temperature to the semiconductor device. However, there is a problem that it is practically impossible to execute the ultraviolet irradiation on all such occasions.
The conventional integrated circuit using the wire bonding has a problem that the chip size cannot be reduced since the active element region and the pad portion are located on separate regions. Further, there is a problem that, since the pad and the printed circuit board are electrically connected through the bonded wire and the lead, the printed circuit board on which the chips are implemented cannot be sized down. Besides, there are problems that the pad and the printed circuit board are connected by a connection method including three-times connection manner, which cannot be carried out simultaneously, thereby be capable of reducing the manufacturing time. Accordingly, as apparent from the above, the chip and the implemented device cannot be sized down and further the manufacturing processes are long and complicated, whereby the implemented electronic circuit cannot be manufactured at a low cost.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to reduce the area of the transistor and the pad and therefore to reduce the manufacturing cost of the device, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to obtain a semiconductor device which is capable of applying a large electric current even with the small area in a high withstand voltage MOS transistor in which a high voltage of not less than 10 V is applied to a drain region.
Still further, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacks then providing a semiconductor device which is capable of reducing the cost of the device due to the reduction of the chip size.
Also, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacks then providing a semiconductor integrated circuit which is capable of reducing the size of the chip, on which an external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is formed on an electronic circuit even with the small area without changing the characteristic of the circuit.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacks then providing a semiconductor device which, being superior in reliability, has a bump electrode at an electronic circuit without changing the characteristic of the circuit.
Still further, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacks then providing a semiconductor integrated circuit which, being superior in reliability, has an external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode at an electronic circuit without changing the characteristic of the circuit.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacks then providing a semiconductor integrated circuit which, being superior in reliability, has an external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode at an electronic circuit without changing the characteristic of the circuit.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacks then providing a semiconductor integrated circuit which prevents the enlargement of the area of the protecting circuit.
Still further, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above drawbacks then providing a semiconductor integrated circuit device which is capable of reducing the cost of the device due to the reduction of the chip size.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device which is capable of reducing the cost of the device due to the reduction of the chip size, more specifically to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device which is capable of reducing the area of the chip of an integrated circuit for a thermal head, or a minute integrated circuit such as a closely contact type line sensor integrated circuit.
Besides, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device which prevents the increase of the leak electric current even if the static electricity, which is optionally applied to the pad electrode at the time of the implementation, is applied, in the semiconductor device in which the pad portion is laminated on the transistors in order to reduce the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
In is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems then reducing the chip size, sizing down the implemented electronic circuit, improving the manufacturing efficiency of the electronic circuit, and reducing the cost of the device.
The present innovation uses the following means in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.
That is, in a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a first conductive type semiconductor substrate region disposed on a surface of a support substrate, and a second conductive type insulating gate field effect transistor disposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate region, and an external electrically connecting terminal disposed so as to be electrically connected to a drain region of the insulating gate field effect transistor through a metal film; the drain region is of a high withstand voltage construction, comprising a first drain region of a second conductive type deep impurity region of low density, and a second drain region of a second conductive type shallow impurity of high density disposed on an inside surface of the first drain region, and the external electrically connecting terminal is partially superposed on the drain region. Also, the external electrically connecting terminal comprises a bump electrode of not less than 10 xcexcm in height, then a gate insulating film of the insulating gate field effect transistor has a film thickness of 100 to 250 xc3x85.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising high withstand insulating gate field effect transistors electrically connected between a plurality of output pads and an earth electrode in open drain construction manner, respectively, a plurality of preamplifier circuits for controlling voltages of gate electrodes of the high withstand voltage insulating gate field effect transistors, and a plurality of latch circuits for supplying signals to a plurality of the preamplifiers, and flip-flip circuits for supplying in order signals to a plurality of the latch circuits; the output pads, the high withstand insulating gate field effect transistors, the preamplifier circuits, the latch circuits, and the flip-flop circuits are arranged in two dimensions cycle-periodically along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and the high withstand voltage insulating gate field effect transistors each is arranged between the output pads.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a plurality of output pads to which a voltage greater than an electric source voltage, and high withstand voltage driving insulating gate field effect transistors directly electrically connected to drain regions through an extended conductive film of the output pad, respectively; the high withstand voltage driving insulating gate field effect transistors, each having a gate insulating film thickness of 100 to 250 xc3x85 in film thickness, are arranged around the output pad. Also, the high withstand voltage driving insulating gate field effect transistors are arranged line-symmetrically on both sides of the output pads, then the high withstand voltage driving insulating gate field effect transistors are arranged on four sides around the output pad. There is a case that the output pad has a bump. The output pads are arranged in series or in a staggered form along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising driving insulating gate field effect transistors electrically connected between a plurality of output pads and an earth electrode in open drain construction form, and a plurality of logic circuit cells for controlling voltages of gate electrodes of the driving insulating gate field effect transistors; the output pads, the driving insulating gate field effect transistors and the logic circuit cells are arranged cycle-periodically along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor device, and the output pads are superposed on the driving insulating gate field effect transistors and the logic circuit cells. Also, there is a case that the output pad comprises a bump electrode disposed on a drain electrode of the driving insulating gate field effect transistor through a barrier metal. There is a case that source electrodes of the driving insulating gate field effect transistors are electrically connected to the barrier metal, respectively. The barrier metal is used as portions of interconnections of the logic circuit cells.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a semiconductor electronic circuit having insulating gate field effect transistors, an interconnection region and a separation region disposed in the vicinity of a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and an external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode superposed on the semiconductor electronic circuit; a protecting film opening portion for electrically connecting a metal interconnecting layer constituting the electronic circuit and the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode has a size of not greater than 900 xcfx80xcexcm2 in area. Also, the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode comprises a bump electrode of not less than 10 xcexcm in height. The protecting film opening portion for electrically connecting the metal interconnecting layer constituting the electronic circuit and the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode is disposed outside on a location except a center portion of the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode. The protecting film opening portion for electrically connecting the metal interconnecting layer constituting the electronic circuit and the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode is superposed on an inside surface of the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode at one or more locations. The external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode is disposed on the metal interconnecting layer through a barrier metal.
In other words, the area of the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is made not greater than 400xcfx80 xcexcm2, which realizing the semiconductor integrated circuit device in which the occupied area of the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is reduced.
On this occasion, the semiconductor electronic circuit comprises an integrated circuit for driving an exothermic body of a thermal printing head. Further, the semiconductor electronic circuit comprises an integrated circuit for driving a liquid crystal of a liquid crystal display panel. The semiconductor electronic circuit comprises an integrated circuit for driving a step motor of a quartz clock. The semiconductor electronic circuit comprises a nonvolatile memory integrated circuit.
When the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is constructed as described above, the metal interconnecting layer can be superposed on a lower surface of the solder bump external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode or gold bump electrode, which realizing the semiconductor integrated circuit device having a small chip size.
A semiconductor integrated circuit comprises first and second metal electrodes disposed away from each other on a substrate, a metal interconnection made of the same metal as the first and second metal electrodes, a final protecting film disposed on a surface of the substrate including the metal interconnection, a perforation region of the final protecting film disposed on the first and second electrodes, and a barrier metal film interconnected on the perforation region of the final protecting film and the final protecting film between the first and second metal electrodes so as to electrically connect the first and second metal electrodes. Also, a metal of a bump construction is disposed on the barrier metal film. The barrier metal film has a plane pattern in which a plurality of circle patterns are connected in series.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit having a bump and a barrier metal film below the bump; the barrier metal film is disposed also on a semiconductor element. In other words, the bump, and the barrier metal used for preventing the counter diffusion with the pad are arranged not only below but also on the semiconductor element, thereby enabling the light shielding.
A bump electrode arranged on an electronic circuit comprises a plurality of matrix-like bump electrodes for a single electric electrode, then a bump electrode arranged on an electronic circuit comprises a plurality of line-like bump electrodes for a single electric electrode. Also, a bump electrode arranged on an electronic circuit has a gap therein. A bump electrode arranged on an electronic circuit is shaped like a comb.
In other words, (1) the bump electrode is divided into a plurality of pieces, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the bump electrodes in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed;
(2) two dimensional gaps are formed in the bump electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the bump electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed; and
(3) gaps are formed on the periphery portion of the bump electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the bump electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed.
In an external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode disposed on an electronic circuit element, the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode has a gap, or is shaped like a lattice, a continuous rectangle, or a curve.
In other words, (4) gaps are formed in the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed;
(5) the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode is shaped like a plurality of continuously rectangle, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed; and
(6) the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode is shaped like a plurality of protrusions, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit having an external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode disposed on an electronic circuit element, the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode has a convexoconcave portion at a surface thereof, a convexoconcave portion on a surface of the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode is formed by a construction film just below the external electrically connecting terminal, is formed by a separation insulating film just below the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode, or is formed by another interconnecting material just below the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode, or a convexoconcave portion on a surface of the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode is shaped like one or more polygons, or like concentric circles or spiral.
In other words, (7) a plurality of protrusions are disposed in the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit at the time of the implementation of the bonded wire can be distributed. (8) A plurality of protrusions are disposed on a film just below the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode, thereby forming a convexoconcave portion on a surface of the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit at the time of the implementation of the bonded wire can be distributed. (9) A line-like or curved convexoconcave portion is formed on a surface of the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit at the time of the implementation of the bonded wire can be distributed.
The external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode is constructed by one or a combination of the above constructions, thereby distributing the stress on the implementation of the device, which is capable of providing a semiconductor integrated circuit of high reliability, having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode on the elecronic circuit which does not change the characteristic of the circuit.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit having a bump electrode, the bump electrode is disposed on an electronic circuit, the bump electrode has a hollow portion, the hollow portion of the bump electrode is embedded by a material softer than that of the bump electrode. The hollow portion of the bump electrode is embedded by a polyimide resin, or the hollow portion of the bump electrode is embedded by a photoresist.
In other words, (10) a hollow portion is disposed in the bump electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the bump electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed; and (11) a region made of a materiel softer than that of the bum electrode is disposed in the bump electrode, which provides the semiconductor integrated circuit device having the bump electrode in which the stress applied to the integrated circuit can be distributed.
According to the above construction, the stress on the implementation of the device is distributed, which is capable of providing a semiconductor integrated circuit of high reliability, having the bump electrode on the elecronic circuit which does not change the characteristic of the circuit.
A semiconductor integrated circuit having an external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode is disposed on an electronic circuit element, and then an insulating film just below the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode is made of a polyimide resin.
In other words, a layer of a polyimide resin is disposed between the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode and the plasma nitride film for the passivation film.
According to the above construction, the stress at the time of the implementation of the device is absorbed, which is capable of providing a semiconductor integrated circuit of high reliability, having the external electrically connecting terminal-use aluminum electrode on the elecronic circuit which does not change the characteristic of the circuit.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a semiconductor electronic circuit having insulating gate field effect transistors an interconnection region and a separation region disposed in the vicinity of a surface of a semiconductor substrate, and an external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode superposed on the semiconductor electronic circuit; a metal interconnecting layer constituting the semiconductor electronic circuit has a film thickness of 2 to 4 xcexcm, then a bump electrode of not less than 10 xcexcm in height is disposed on the external electrically connecting terminal-use electrode. The aluminum interconnecting layer serves as the electrode of the external electrically connecting terminal. The semiconductor electronic circuit comprises an integrated circuit for driving an exothermic body of a thermal printing head. The semiconductor electronic circuit comprises an integrated circuit for driving a liquid crystal of a liquid display panel. The semiconductor electronic circuit comprises an integrated circuit for driving a step motor of a quartz clock. The semiconductor electronic circuit comprises a nonvolatile memory integrated circuit.
In other words, the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is formed so as to have a thick film of not less than 2 xcexcm, which provides a semiconductor integrated circuit having the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode in which the stress applied to the semiconductor integrated circuit at the time of the implementation of the bonded wire can be reduced.
The external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is constructed according to the above-mentioned construction, thereby distributing the stress at the time of the implementation, which is capable of providing a semiconductor integrated circuit of high reliability, having the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode on the elecronic circuit which does not change the characteristic of the circuit.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a plurality of pad electrodes to which a signal is inputted from an external portion, a plurality of protecting circuits connected to the pad electrodes, respectively, for discharging an eddy-current generating due to the signal inputted from the pad electrode, and an internal circuit for processing the external portion signal from the external portion inputted through a plurality of the pad electrodes and a plurality of the protecting circuits; another circuit element is interposed between at least one out of a plurality of the pad electrodes and the protecting circuit corresponding to the pad electrode. In a semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising a plurality of pad electrodes to which a signal is inputted from an external portion, a plurality of protecting circuits connected to the pad electrodes, respectively, for discharging an eddy-current generating due to the signal inputted from the pad electrode, and an internal circuit for processing the external portion signal inputted from the external portion through a plurality of the pad electrodes and a plurality of the protecting circuits; at least two out of a plurality of the protecting circuits are arranged as one or more blocks. Further, an interconnection connecting the pad electrode and the protecting circuit is arranged on a portion of a surface of the internal circuit through an insulating film.
In other words, the protecting circuit and the pad electrode are separated from each other, thereby laying out the protecting circuit freely, which groups a plurality of the protecting circuits into a block to provide the semiconductor integrated circuit device in which the area of the protecting circuits is small.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit device having bump electrodes and dummy bump electrodes; the dummy bump electrodes are arranged on an electronic circuit, then an area of the dummy bump electrode is greater than that of the bump electrode. An area of the dummy bump electrode is less than that of the bump electrode, and the dummy bump electrodes are arranged in a matrix-like manner. Further, dummy electrode has one or more gaps.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit device having bump electrodes and dummy bump electrodes; the dummy bump electrodes are arranged on an electronic circuit, and the dummy bump electrodes are arranged on a periphery of a semiconductor substrate.
In other words, the dummy bumps are disposed on the semiconductor integrated circuit so as to be, irrespective of whether the diffusion region or the interconnection region, superposed on a part of, or all of it.
(12) In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising the steps of forming a plurality of transistors on a surface of a semiconductor region of a wafer, metal-interconnecting electrodes of the transistors, forming a protecting film on the metal interconnection, and cutting the wafer along a scribe region of the water; the wafer cutting step comprises a first cutting step and a second cutting step, and a cutting speed in the first cutting step is less than that in the cutting step.
(13) There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit described in (12), characterized in that the cutting in the first cutting step is carried out by a chemical means. (13) There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit described in (12), a surface of the semiconductor region is cut more deeply than the transistor at the first cutting process. (14) There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit described in (12), a surface of the semiconductor region is cut in a V-like form at the first cutting process. (15) There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit described in (12), an average width of the semiconductor region cut at the first cutting process is made greater than that of the semiconductor region cut at the second cutting process.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit having an electronic circuit on a surface of a first conductive type semiconductor region of a substrate, the substrate being separated into chips by scribe; a stepped region is disposed on the substrate along a scribed surface on a side surface of the chip. The stepped region is deeper than a second conductive type diffusion region constituting the electronic circuit. Further, an external electrically connecting terminal is disposed on a transistor constituting the electronic circuit.
In a semiconductor integrated circuit having a plurality of field effect transistors disposed on a surface of a substrate so as to separated electrically by a separation region, and an external connecting terminal laminated on a part out of a plurality of the field effect transistors; a shield electrode is disposed on the separation region below the external connecting terminal. Also, the external connecting terminal comprises a bump electrode. Further, in a semiconductor integrated circuit having a plurality of field effect transistors disposed on a surface of a substrate so as to be separated electrically by a separation region, and an external connecting terminal laminated on a part out of a plurality of the field effect transistors; an inversion preventing high density impurity region is disposed at an intermediate location of the separation region below the external connecting terminal. Further, in a semiconductor integrated circuit having a plurality of field effect transistors disposed on a surface of a substrate so as to be separated electrically by a separation region, and an external connecting terminal laminated on a part out of a plurality of the field effect transistors, there is included a separation construction in which the separation region below the external connecting terminal and the separation region below a portion except the external connecting terminal.
In an electronic circuit comprising a printed circuit board in which a metal interconnection is disposed on a surface of an insulating substrate, and a semiconductor integrated circuit in which an external connecting terminal is electrically connected to the metal interconnection on a surface of the printed circuit substrate; the external connecting terminal is disposed on active element region of the semiconductor integrated circuit. The external connecting terminal comprises a bump electrode. In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising the steps of working an integrated circuit on a surface of a semiconductor wafer, forming a protecting film on a surface of the integrated circuit, perforating a portion of the protecting film to form a pad possession as an external connecting terminal region, forming a solder bump electrode on the pad portion, and scribing the semiconductor electrode to be made into a chip, spaying a resin flux cored solder on a surface of the solder bump electrode located on a surface of the chip, adhering the chip to the printed circuit board to be implemented, in a face down manner at a predetermined location at which the solder bump electrode and a metal interconnection of the printed circuit board are superposed to each other, heating the chip from a rear surface of the chip, and forming a shielding film on a surface of the chip. The chip heating step comprises a step of applying a heated wind to the rear surface of the chip.
As described above, a portion of the transistor and the pad region as the output terminal can be superposed in two dimensions, which has an effect to reduce the area of the chip to reduce the manufacturing cost. Also, the distance between the gate electrode of the transistor and the contact hole of the drain region can be increased, which has an effect to reduce the electrostatic withstand voltage.
Further, even in the metal interconnection comprising one layer, the area of the external electrically connecting terminal-use metal electrode is made small, thereby superposing the metal interconnecting layer on a lower surface of the external electrically connecting terminal-use solder bump electrode or the gold bump electrode, which is capable of providing the semiconductor integrated circuit device in which the chip size is small.
Moreover, the light is shielded by the barrier metal even in the metal interconnection comprising one layer, so that the semiconductor never fail to function properly.
The bump electrode is constructed by one or a combination of the above constructions, thereby distributing the stress at the time of the implementation of the device, which is capable of providing a semiconductor integrated circuit of high reliability, having the bump electrode on the elecronic circuit which does not change the characteristic of the circuit.
Besides, in the semiconductor integrated circuit device constructed as above, the dummy bumps are arranged freely, thereby reducing the size of the semiconductor integrated circuit device.
In the semiconductor integrated circuit constructed as above, the crystal defect in the vicinity of the scribed surface induced by scribing is hard to be caused up to the diffusion region. Accordingly, the distance between the scribed surface and the diffusion region in two dimensions can be reduced.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and manufacturing method therefore


Methods, systems and processor-readable media for modeling and optimizing multiple ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) strategies utilizing a systematic genetic algorithm. A traffic simulation model can be configured in conjunction with a genetic algorithm based optimization engine for optimizing the transportation models. An origin-destination matrix that minimizes discrepancies between a simulated and an observed link traffic count can be estimated by considering a road network and a traffic count with respect to a region. A driver behavior can then be determined utilizing the origin-destination matrix via calibration so that the simulation model can replicate a freeway traffic flow in the region. An optimal parameter with respect to the ITS strategies can be determined to optimize a set goal with respect to a given constraint. Such an approach meets a level of service (LOS) metric as well as a revenue target under the applied ITS strategies.

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are advanced applications which, without embodying intelligence as such, aim to provide innovative services relating to different modes of transport and traffic management and enable various users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and smarter use of transport networks. ITS strategies such as, for example, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/High Occupancy Toll (HOT) are introduced to reduce traffic congestion and maintain the service level on a freeway. Optimization of multiple ITS strategies independently and simultaneously is a challenge and increasingly impossible without a systematic algorithm.
Conventionally microscopic traffic simulation models are employed to capture the dynamics on a freeway and to model such systems, but they do not provide optimization capability. Also, prior art approaches may have a conflicting effect on the outputs of the system and do not address multiple objectives such as maximizing throughput, maintaining traffic speeds, maximizing revenue, etc.
Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for an improved method and system for modeling and optimizing multiple ITS strategies utilizing a systematic genetic algorithm, as will be described in greater detail herein.

Methods, systems and processor-readable media for optimizing intelligent transportation system strategies utilizing systematic genetic algorithms


The present invention is directed to licensing data structures for telecommunication systems. The data structures comprise (a) a lock setting or status to permit the contents of the license file for an operational feature to take precedence over the corresponding translation information for the operational feature or to be used as a default setting if there is not corresponding translation information for the operational feature; (b) first and second value settings for an operational feature to permit a value associated with the operational feature to be set anywhere in the range defined by the first and second value settings; and (c) a right-to-use field for an operational feature that is separate from a setting field for the operational feature to provide flexibility in altering the setting field without deleting the operational feature. The present invention further provides a methodology for providing temporary licenses having different features enabled/disabled than a permanent license.

To protect software manufacturers' copyrights in software sold to the public, manufacturer's commonly license software to the purchaser. Additionally, in many applications the purchaser has elected to pay only for certain features of software which must be selectively enabled by the manufacturer. In particular, each release or version of a particular software package for a customer premise telecommunication switching system contains a large number of features, and most customers elect to pay for only a subset of the total number of features. Features in a telecommunications switching system refer to certain specialized operations such as call hold, call transfer, automatic route selection, etc. An ongoing problem in the art is to prevent newer versions of software from being pirated and used on unauthorized hardware and/or otherwise authorized customers from actuating features for which the customer has not paid.
A number of methods have been developed to protect against such unauthorized use of software.
In one method, passwords, that allow only authorized individuals to have access to the telecommunication switching system, are used to control enablement of features or new software versions. This method is inflexible and inconvenient for customers as an authorized technician must be scheduled to enable the features, can be circumvented by a person misappropriating or misusing the password, and does not provide for periodic license verification during system operation.
In another method, a key is required to enable the software program. This solution does not solve the copying problem because the key is normally printed on the packaging of the software, and anyone can install the software as many times as they wish, however illegal it may be.
In yet another method, a special piece of hardware or "dongle" is used. The dongle is a special piece of hardware that connects to the serial or parallel port of the computer. The software running on the computer sends a random number to the dongle. The dongle performs a secret computation and returns a result. The software makes a like computation; if the two computations match, the software continues to run. To work satisfactorily, the response must include feature and version information. The use of the dongle is cumbersome when it fails. In the event that the dongle fails, the system is down until a new dongle can be physically obtained on site. Also, once made the dongle is fixed. If it was used for feature activation, a new dongle is required for each additional feature that is purchased.
A further method is to freely distribute CD-ROM disks. When the CD-ROM is inserted into a computer, the computer automatically connects to a remote server via the Internet or a dial-up connection to receive a machine-specific key. The key unlocks the software so that it can be utilized on that computer. The remote server also obtains the necessary payment information from the computer user. This method does not function well for a telecommunication switching system since it does not provide for the authorization to use different features of the same software application nor is it dependent on the version of the software being requested. In addition, it does not provide the necessary authorization of personnel to make such a request.
Another method requires the software, upon installation or first execution, to record serial number information (e.g., medium access control or MAC address) regarding predetermined hardware components of the computer system. The software permits the user a specified number of hardware serial number changes before it disables itself. This method, though effective, is unfair to users who, over time, legitimately exceed the number of permitted serial number changes through reuse of the software on a number of different systems and/or periodic replacement of some of the predetermined hardware components in a given system to upgrade or maintain the system.
The drawbacks of the various licensing methods discussed above are addressed by the licensing method discussed in detail in copending U.S. patent application entitled "Securing Feature Activation in a Telecommunication System", Ser. No. 09/357,679, filed Jul. 20, 1999, to Serkowski, which is incorporated herein by this reference. In this method, a valid license file is required to run a computational component. The license file contains a serial number that must be present on the hardware that is to execute the licensed software for the license to be valid and the software to be executable. In telecommunication applications, for example, the serial number of the control processor must be in the license file for the control processor to run the licensed software.
The license file also contains a name and/or version of the licensed telecommunication application and licensed features. The data structures corresponding to the features are of two types. In a type 1 feature, the data structures reflected enablement or disablement of the corresponding feature using a simple on/off state. When a feature is assigned the "on" state in the license file, the feature is set to "on" in the system regardless of current settings and cannot be turned off. When a feature is assigned the "off" state in the license file, the feature is set to "off" in the system regardless of current settings and cannot be turned on. In a type 1 feature, the data structures reflected enablement or disablement of the corresponding feature using a simple on/off state. Examples of features falling into this category include abbreviated dialing enhanced list, audible message waiting, vectoring, answer supervision by call classifier, ATM trunking, agent states, dial by name, DCS call coverage, echo cancellation, multifrequency signaling, and wideband switching. In a type 2 feature, the data structures include a single numeric value and/or a name kind of entry for defining feature and capacity settings for various telecommunication applications. Examples of features falling into this category include logged-in agents, offer category, maximum numbers of concurrently registered IP stations, administered IP trunks, ports, and concurrently administered remote office stations/trunks, and call center release.
The licensing method described in the above patent application file can have drawbacks in certain applications. In one example, it is desirable to have more flexible feature controls, particularly for troubleshooting, development work, and certain customer scenarios. Examples of cases where more flexible license feature and capacity controls are needed include turning a feature on based on the license file setting only when the feature has no current setting on the switch and permitting a capacity setting in the license file to use more than one value. In another example, it is desirable to permit a user, whether a customer or service personnel, to log in and change the settings of features from off to on and vice versa and to alter capacity settings without suffering the inconvenience of placing an entirely new order or compromising entitlement to a feature or capacity level. When a customer has paid for and is entitled to a feature or capacity, the customer needs the ability to enable and disable the feature and alter the capacity settings at its convenience. When service personnel are troubleshooting a system, they often wish to turn features (whether paid for by the customer or not) on or off or to increase capacity beyond entitlement levels to assess the source and/or solution to the problem. This needs to be done without losing track of customer entitlements.


Described herein are methods for enhancing airway dilation and/or relieving bronchoconstriction, e.g., to treat obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, by administering bitter tastants to subjects in need thereof. Also described herein are methods for identifying compounds that modulate function of bitter tastant receptors.

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) together affect 300 million individuals worldwide. The major source of morbidity and mortality from both diseases is airway obstruction, which often is due to actively constricted smooth muscle of the bronchi/bronchial tree1. Although airway resistance in COPD has variable degrees of reversibility due to structural changes from smoking, therapies for COPD and asthma both include antagonists directed to broncho-constrictive receptors, and agonists directed to receptors that relax airway smooth muscle (ASM)2,3.
The major receptor signaling family of ASM that regulates contraction and relaxation are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs)3. There is an ongoing effort to identify GPCR pathways leading to regulation of airway tone, thereby providing for new treatment strategies for asthma and COPD. Such efforts are needed because the incidence of both diseases is increasing and at least one-half of all patients are not well controlled with currently available agents4,5.
There is an unmet need for additional therapeutic options in the treatment of obstructive airway diseases such as asthma and COPD. While there has been some progress in refining drugs that antagonize a particular Gq-coupled pathway, thereby potentially decreasing bronchospasm, β-agonists remain the only practical direct bronchodilators. The discovery and development of new means for treating obstructive lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD, are urgently needed.

Methods of treating obstructive lung diseases using bitter tastants


Web based installation of a printer in a printers folder on a workstation for peer-to-peer communication over a network between the workstation and the printer, by downloading a printers html page to the workstation, the printers html page providing hyperlinks of printers that can be added to the workstation, selecting a hyperlink for a printer to be added to the workstation, in response to the selecting step, extracting identification information of the selected printer from the selected hyperlink and executing a component object to install the printer, wherein, the component object calls a function that automatically obtains printer configuration information and print driver information based at least in part on the extracted identification information, automatically configures the printer and installs a print driver based on the obtained printer configuration information and print driver information, and creates a locally managed instance of the printer on the workstation. In a case where the component object is not installed on the workstation, an executable file (CAB) that includes the component object and the function (DDI) is downloaded such that, when the CAB file is executed, the DDI is installed and the component object is executed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns creation of printer instances in a printers folder on a workstation. More particularly, the present invention concerns creating a printer instance in the printers folder of a workstation for peer-to-peer communication over a local network between the workstation and the printer by accessing a website listing of printers that can be added to the printers folder of the workstation and selecting a printer from the website listing, whereby in response to the selection, identification information of the selected printer and command information is transmitted via the Internet to the workstation such that printer configuration information and print driver information of the printer are automatically obtained and installed on the workstation and the instance of the printer is created in the printers folder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, printer instances are created in a windows operating system by a user performing operations at the workstation. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,111 to Marbry et al. (hereinafter referred to as the "'111 patent") describes a process in which a user adds a new server based printer of a local network in the windows registry of their workstation by browsing the local network and selecting the server based printer that he/she wants to add. Upon selecting the server based printer, printer configuration files and print driver files for the selected printer are retrieved from the network bindery and are installed on the user's workstation, after which an instance of the server based printer is created in the user's windows registry. This process works well for installing printers that are part of, for example, a local area network serviced by a print server where the user is connected to the local area network. However, this technique requires that the user's workstation have network client software installed on the workstation and that the user be logged-in to the network before the user is able to install the printer. As a result, if the user's workstation does not have the necessary network client software installed, or the user is unable to log-in to the network, for example, due to a lack of administrative rights, the user is unable to install and/or print to the printer. Another problem with the '111 patent is that, because the printer is part of a server based printing system, the printer is required to be set-up on the print server before a user is able to install the printer on their workstation and submit a print job to the printer. Accordingly, what is needed is an easier way for a user to install a printer on a workstation.

Web based creation of printer instances on a workstation


In an image forming apparatus, a patch image is formed on the surface of a belt-like image support for supporting a toner image on the surface and is detected with a patch sensor placed facing a placing part on a roller for stretching the belt-like image support. An angle adjustment mechanism for adjusting the attachment angle of the patch sensor rotates the patch sensor with an intersection point of an optical axis of the patch sensor and a sensing face as the center for adjusting the attachment angle of the patch sensor. The patch sensor is attached to one member forming a part of a support frame of the image support and the attachment angle of the member is adjusted, whereby the attachment angle of the patch sensor is adjusted.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile, or a copier using electrophotography for forming a toner image on a record material of paper, etc., and more particularly to an art of forming a toner image (patch image) of a predetermined pattern on the surface of a toner image support to adjust the density (and gradation) of a toner image and measuring the density with a density sensor (patch sensor).
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus in a related art, a patch image is formed on the surface of a belt-like image support for supporting a toner image on the surface and is detected with a patch sensor placed facing a placing part on a roller for stretching the belt-like image support. (Refer to Japanese Patent Publication JP-A-2002-214854.)
According to the configuration, it can be expected that it will be made possible to detect the patch image on the surface of the belt-like image support with good accuracy in the placing part on the roller where a flutter does not occur on the belt.
On the function of the patch sensor, the distance and the angle relative to a measured object largely affect the sensing performance of the patch sensor. Particularly, if the measured object is a curved surface, the angle accuracy needs to be managed strictly.
The image forming apparatus in the related art described above is not provided with an adjustment mechanism of the angle which the patch sensor forms with the measured object (patch image on the image support), and the position of the patch sensor is guaranteed by the parts accuracy.
Thus, in the image forming apparatus in the related art, variations in patch sensor attachment angle easily occur, resulting in large density variations after sensing; this is a problem.


An exhaust gas cleaning system comprises a first sub system including a scrubber unit comprising a scrubber arranged to wash the exhaust gas with a scrubber fluid, and a centrifugal separator arranged in communication with the scrubber unit for receiving the scrubber fluid after washing and separate it into a first and a second fraction, which second fraction is more polluted than the first fraction. The exhaust gas cleaning system further comprises a second sub system including a membrane filter arranged in communication with the centrifugal separator for receiving the first fraction output from the centrifugal separator and separating it into a third and a fourth fraction, which fourth fraction is more polluted than the third fraction. A method for cleaning exhaust gas onboard a ship involves cleaning an exhaust gas onboard a ship.

Large ships are typically driven by engines operating on sulphur containing fuel. In the combustion of such fuel, exhaust gas containing sulphur oxides (SOX) is formed. The exhaust gas typically also contains particulate matter, such as soot, oil and heavy metals, and nitrogen oxides (NOX). In order to reduce the impact of the exhaust gas on the environment, the exhaust gas should be cleaned before it is released into the atmosphere. For example, the exhaust gas could be passed through a scrubber to be washed with a scrubber fluid whereby pollutants in the exhaust gas are caught in the scrubber fluid.
The scrubber could be a so-called open loop scrubber, which uses the natural alkalinity of seawater to wash out the sulphur oxides from the exhaust gas. Seawater is then fed from the sea through the scrubber for absorption of SOX and particulate matter from the exhaust gas before it is discharged directly back to the sea.
Alternatively, the scrubber could be a so-called closed loop scrubber which uses circulating freshwater or seawater in combination with an alkaline agent like sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) to wash out sulphur oxides and particulate matter from the exhaust gas. In such a scrubber, the amounts of aqueous sulphite, sulphate salts and particulate matter in the circulating freshwater or seawater are gradually increasing. Thus, to control the quality of the circulating freshwater or seawater a small amount of it may occasionally or continuously be replaced by clean freshwater or seawater and either be stored on the ship or be discharged overboard after cleaning from particulate matter.
WO 2011/104302 describes an exhaust gas cleaning equipment comprising a closed loop scrubber and a centrifugal separator for separating polluted scrubber fluid into a pollutant phase, which contains most of the particulate matter, and cleaned scrubber fluid. Although this exhaust gas cleaning equipment functions well, it may not be capable of producing cleaned scrubber fluid sufficiently free from particulate matter to be discharged overboard, especially if the flow of scrubber fluid is high. If the cleaned scrubber fluid cannot be discharged overboard, it must be stored on board the ship for later discharge.

Exhaust gas cleaning system and method for cleaning exhaust gas


An injection device (10) comprises an injection solution receptacle (30) and a plunger (70) at least a portion of which is slidably received in the injection solution receptacle (30), wherein the plunger (70) is displaceable relative to the injection solution receptacle (30) in a distal direction in order to expel an injection solution contained in the injection solution receptacle (30) from the injection solution receptacle (30). A first plunger stop mechanism (140) is adapted to stop a displacement of the plunger (70) relative to the injection solution receptacle (30) in the distal direction at a first dosing position (P1). A second plunger stop mechanism (140) is adapted to stop a displacement of the plunger (70) relative to the injection solution receptacle (30) from the first dosing position (P1) in the distal direction at a second dosing position (P2), wherein the first and the second dosing position (P2) of the plunger (70) are selected in such a manner that the plunger (70), upon being displaced relative to the injection solution receptacle (30) between the first and the second dosing position (P2) is adapted to expel a desired dose of the injection solution contained in the injection solution receptacle (30) from the injection solution receptacle (30).

Typically, an injection solution to be administered to a patient for medical treatment is stored within a syringe having a container for accommodating the injection solution and a plunger which is displaceable relative to the container in order to expel the injection solution from the container. In case the medical treatment plan for a patient provides for the administration of a dose of the injection solution which corresponds to the filling volume of the syringe or in case the dosage of the injection solution is of minor importance for the desired therapeutic effect, the injection solution may be administered to the patient directly from the syringe. However, in case the medical treatment plan for a patient requires the administration of a dose of the injection solution which differs from the filling volume of the syringe and/or in case an accurate dosage of the injection solution is necessary, the injection solution, prior to administration, may be transferred from the syringe to an injection device which finally is used to inject the desired dose of the injection solution into the patient.
US 2002/052578 A1 describes an injection device for injection of set doses of medicine from a cartridge. The injection device comprises a housing, a threaded piston rod which is linearly displaceable in the housing and a displaceable nut that moves relative to the housing and engages the thread of the piston rod so that the nut can screw along the thread of the piston rod. The displacement of the nut along the piston rod defines a quantity of medication to be injected by the injection device.

Injection device and injection solution transferring system


The present disclosure provides a display substrate, a display panel, a touch display device and a method for fabricating the same. The display substrate includes a display area, a non-display area, signal lines in the display area, first ones of first binding pins in the non-display area for binding to a flexible circuit board, second ones of first binding pins in the non-display area for binding to the flexible circuit board; and second binding pins in the non-display area for binding to a touch panel. The second ones of first binding pins are coupled with the signal lines; and the second binding pins are coupled with the first ones of first binding pins in a one-to-one manner.

An add-on touch display device is to attach an add-on touch screen to an outside of a display panel. In the related art, when performing the bonding process for the add-on touch display device, the display panel is first bound to a chip on film (COF) with a driver IC and a main flexible printed circuit (MFPC), a touch panel is bound to a touch flexible printed circuit (TFPC) with a touch IC, and then the touch panel is bound to the display panel, finally, the main flexible printed circuit is bound to touch flexible printed circuit. It can be seen that in the binding process, multiple bindings are required and thus the binding process is complicated.

Display substrate, display panel, touch display device and method for fabricating the same

Chengdu Boe Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A registration system suited to use in an imaging system, such as an inkjet printer, includes a first measuring device, such as an encoder, which provides information for monitoring a speed of a moving image receiving surface of the imaging system, such as a paper web. A second measuring device, such as a second encoder or a tension measuring device, provides information for monitoring a tension in the image receiving surface. A control system determines an actuation time for one of two marking stations, based on the information from the first and second measuring devices. This enables a registration of images applied to the image receiving surface by the two marking stations to take into account both changes in speed of the web and changes in tension in the web.

The exemplary embodiment relates to registration of images in printing systems. It finds particular application in connection with a registration system for a multicolor printing system which compensates for fluctuations in the position of an image receiving surface between marking stations.
To provide accurate printing of images, multicolor digital marking systems need to maintain adequate color to color registration. In systems that utilize an elongate image receiving surface, such as a paper web or a belt, the receiving surface reaches a first marking station where a marking material of a first color is applied to the surface, e.g., by firing ink jets, exposing an image on a photoconductive material, or applying toner particles to a selectively imaged photoconductive member. The receiving surface then moves on to a second marking station, where an image or marking material of a second color is applied, and so forth, depending on the number of colors. The timing of the actuation of the second marking station is controlled as a function of the speed of the image receiving surface so that the images applied by the two marking stations are registered one on top of the other to form a composite, multicolor image. A high degree of process direction alignment can be achieved by implementing what is generally known as reflex printing, where the speed or position of the image receiving surface is measured with an encoder at a certain location and then the images are timed accordingly. For example, an encoder is associated with a drive nip roller. The rotational speed of the roller is used to calculate the speed of the image receiving surface passing through the nip. The time for actuating the first, second, and subsequent marking stations is then calculated, based on their respective distances from the drive nip roller and the determined speed of the image receiving surface.
In the case of an electrophotographic printer, an encoder may be placed on the photoreceptor belt to measure the exact speed of the belt at each instant of time. The timing from this signal can then be used to time the firing of the laser raster output scanner (ROS) or light emitting diode (LED) bar so that an even spacing of lines is imaged on the photoreceptor, thus compensating for any variability in the photoreceptor speed from a set speed. In a multicolor system, the timing from the encoder can also be used to determine the exact time to fire successive color images to obtain good color on color registration, again compensating for any photoreceptor speed variations.
An implicit assumption of such reflex printing systems is that the belt or web is infinitely stiff (i.e., it does not stretch or change length) such that the encoder measurement of the web or belt velocity enables an exact prediction of correct registration. In situations where the belt or web exhibits any sizeable amount of stretch or deformation, reflex printing techniques may still be subject to misregistration errors.


This disclosure provides therapeutic compositions and methods for inducing an anti-inflammatory response and/or treating inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and/or accumulating gut microbial antigen-specific anti-inflammatory T cells in a patient in need thereof.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is the name of a group of disorders that cause the intestines to become inflamed (red and swollen). More than 600,000 Americans have some kind of inflammatory bowel disease every year. This group of diseases is often chronic in nature and associated with symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, severe internal cramps/muscle spasms in the region of the pelvis, and weight loss. The symptoms associated with IBD can limit the quality of life and affect those afflicted on a daily basis.
Treatment modalities of IBD mainly include immunosuppressives that lower the overall immunity of the patient. Such treatment is risky and often puts the patient at risk for infection and disease due to compromised immunity.
There is a need in the art for target therapies that treat the disease but do not compromise the overall immunity of the patient. This disclosure satisfies this need and provides related advantages as well.

Methods and compositions for treating inflammation


A rotating assembly 79 includes an anode assembly 55 coupled to a shaft 70 and a rotor 75 including a rotor body 77. The anode assembly 55 includes an elongated neck portion 58 and is rotated via the shaft 70 about an axis of rotation 65 in an x-ray tube 12. The shaft 70 is mounted by a straddle bearing assembly 68 having a bearing housing 100. The bearing housing 100 includes a first elongated portion 101 and second elongated portion 102, and a base portion 103. The first elongated portion 101 and the second elongated portion 102 each pass through a center of mass C of the rotating assembly 79 and define an cooling duct 119 for removing heat from the anode assembly 55 during operations. A first bearing 90a and a second bearing 90b are disposed in the bearing housing 100 on opposite sides of the center of mass C of the rotating assembly 79. The first bearing 90a and the second bearing 90b are received between inner races 82a, 82b defined by the shaft 70 and outer races 92a, 92b defined by an outer bearing member 94 adjacent the second elongated portion 102. The second bearing 90b is positioned such that it is always in a closer thermal conductive path to a peripheral edge of the anode assembly 55 than the first bearing 90a regardless of an amount of load of the rotating assembly 79 supported by the first or second bearing.

Conventional diagnostic use of x-radiation includes the form of radiography, in which a still shadow image of the patient is produced on x-ray film, fluoroscopy, in which a visible real time shadow light image is produced by low intensity x-rays impinging on a fluorescent screen after passing through the patient, and computed tomography (CT) in which complete patient images are electrically reconstructed from x-rays produced by a high powered x-ray tube rotated about a patient's body.
In a typical x-ray tube, electrons are generated from a filament coil heated to thermionic emission. The electrons are accelerated as a beam from a cathode through an evacuated chamber defined by a glass envelope, toward an anode. When the electrons strike the anode with large kinetic energies and experience a sudden deceleration, x-radiation is produced. An x-ray tube assembly is contained in a housing which includes a window transmissive to x-rays, such that radiation from the anode passes through the window toward a subject undergoing examination or treatment.
Most x-ray tube designs employ filaments as a source of electrons. A filament is a coil of wire which is electrically energized so that electrons are thermionically emitted from the filament. The electrons are accelerated toward the anode due to a DC electrical potential difference between the cathode and the anode. Often this electrical potential difference is of the order of 150,000 volts, (.+-.75,000 volts to ground) necessitating significant electrical insulation between the various tube components.
In some low power x-ray tubes, electrons from a cathode filament are drawn at a high voltage to a stationary target anode. The impact of the electrons causes the generation of x-rays as well as significant thermal energy. In higher power x-ray tubes the thermal energy produced at the stationary target anode often becomes so large that the generated heat became a limiting factor in x-ray tube performance.
In order to distribute the thermal loading and reduce anode temperature a rotating anode configuration has been adopted for many applications. In this configuration, an electron beam is focused near a peripheral edge of the anode disk at a focal spot. As the anode rotates, a different portion of a circular path around the peripheral edge of the anode passes through the focal spot where x-rays are generated. Each portion along the circular path is heated to a very high temperature during the generation of x-rays and cooled as it is rotated before returning for the generation of x-rays. As higher power x-ray tubes are developed, the diameter and the mass of the rotating anode continues to grow. Further, when x-ray tubes are combined with conventional CT scanners, a gantry holding the x-ray tube is rotated around a patient's body in order to obtain complete images of the patient. Today, typical CT scanners revolve the x-ray tube around the patient's body at a rate of between 60-120 rotations-per-minute (RPM). In order for the x-ray tube to properly operate, the anode needs to be properly supported and stabilized from the effects of its own rotation and, in some instances, from centrifugal forces created by rotation of the x-ray tube about a patient's body.
Typically, the anode is mounted on a stem and rotated by a motor. The anode, stem and other components rotated by the motor are part of a rotating assembly which is supported by a bearing assembly. The bearing assemblies found in most x-ray tubes today utilize either a cantilevered bearing arrangement or a straddle bearing arrangement. In a cantilevered bearing arrangement, all bearings are located on the same side of the rotating assembly's center of mass. In a straddle bearing arrangement, bearings are located on both sides of the rotating assembly's center of mass.
One drawback to using the cantilevered bearing arrangement is that a bearing closest to the anode experiences a much greater load than the bearing(s) further from the anode. The bearing closest to the anode therefore has greater contact stresses which deleteriously effects the life of the entire bearing assembly and thus the x-ray tube life. If the size of the bearings closest to the anode were increased to distribute the contact stresses, the internal surface speeds of this bearing would increase and the bearing life would decrease due to a faster wear rate. Thus, the bearing closest to the anode would still typically fail first.
In an effort to more equally distribute the load of the rotating assembly among the bearings, the straddle bearing arrangement was developed. Typical straddle bearing arrangements employ a large bearing-to-bearing distance. The bearing-to-bearing distance is sometimes referred to as a straddle or wheelbase. The large wheelbase is required to thermally insulate the bearings from the anode which is typically very hot. The anode is often in the range of 1200 degrees C. Heat from the anode is thermally conducted to the bearings through the predominantly metal bearing assembly.
In conventional straddle bearing designs, heat transferred from the anode substantially equally effects each bearing on either side of the anode. This is the case since the bearings are typically symmetrically spaced an equidistance from the anode's center of mass in order to share the load equally, and since the thermally conductive path between the anode and each bearing is the same length. Because each bearing on either side of the anode must be moved out an equal distance from the anode's center of mass for thermal insulation purposes, the wheelbase of a conventional straddle bearing assembly is typically much larger than a wheelbase found in a cantilevered bearing arrangement. As discussed above, bearings in a cantilevered bearing arrangement are all on the same side of the anode. Thus, in a cantilevered bearing arrangement, once the bearing closest to the anode is thermally insulated the other bearing(s) can be placed at an appropriate distance further away from the bearing closest to the anode. This is possible since the thermally conductive path to the other bearings is always further than the thermally conductive path to the bearing closest to the anode. Therefore, thermal insulation does not require the large wheelbase in a cantilevered bearing arrangement that it does in a conventional straddle bearing arrangement.
An unfortunate drawback to having a large wheelbase is that thermal compensation becomes much more difficult. Thermal compensation relates to the accommodations made in the bearing assembly in both the radial and axial directions to account for changes in bearing tolerances caused by temperature variances. The larger the wheelbase, the more thermal growth and shrinkage the bearing assembly design must be able to withstand. Thus, designing for thermal compensation in a straddle bearing assembly is extremely difficult given the large wheelbases dictated by the need to thermally insulate the bearings.
One common technique used in both cantilevered and straddle bearing arrangements to ensure predictability in the effect temperature swings have on the bearing assembly is to only allow thermal movement in the bearing assembly to occur in one direction as opposed to compensating for thermal movement symmetrically about the bearing. This is typically done by securing in place at least one end of each component of the bearing assembly such that thermal shrinkage and growth occurs in a known direction at the opposite end. As a consequence, as components coupled to the bearing assembly expand and contract due to temperature variances, the anode also moves thereby creating changes to the focal spot. More specifically, as most conventional bearing assemblies restrict thermal expansion and contraction to occur in a direction substantially parallel with an axis of rotation of the anode, thermal movements typically cause the focal spot to change is size. Such change in size to the focal spot is undesirable as it causes blurring to images taken from the x-rays radiating from the anode. Further, such thermal expansion and contraction also causes undesired movement of the focal spot with respect to x-ray detectors outside of the x-ray tube which may additionally deleteriously effect the quality of the images taken.
Typical implementations of straddle bearing designs also employ an outer bearing race rotation. Inner bearing race rotation is not available in straddle bearing designs as aligning bearings on opposite sides of the anode to handle such inner bearing race rotation has not been achievable. Aligning the bearings is difficult primarily because outer races for each bearing must be independently positioned on opposite sides of the anode in conventional straddle bearing designs and slight deviations from perfectly symmetrically placement of the outer bearings causes the anode supported by the bearing assembly to wobble during operation. Unfortunately, outer bearing race rotation increases surface speeds in the bearing and therefore increases the wear on the bearings. Further, because bearings in a straddle bearing assembly are physically located on both sides of the anode, difficulties arise in electrically isolating the bearings from high voltages. Specifically, if an x-ray tube is configured in a bi-polar arrangement, the cathode would be at a -75,000 volt potential while the anode would be at a +75,000 volt potential. As the bearing assembly is coupled to the anode assembly, the bearings are at the anode voltage potential. However, in a conventional straddle bearing assembly, at least one of the bearings is in close proximity to the cathode and therefor needs to be electrically insulated from the cathode voltage potentials in order to avoid undesirous arcing from occurring. As insulating the bearing from the cathode voltage potential is normally too difficult to accomplish, x-ray tube having a straddle bearing assembly typically implement a single ended configuration where the anode is at ground potential and the cathode is at -150,000 volts. Unfortunately this makes it difficult for such x-ray tubes to be used in a retrofit manner since most x-ray tube generators are configured to handle only a bi-polar topology.
Therefore, what is needed is a bearing assembly wherein each bearing of the bearing assembly is capable of supporting a substantially equal load while still overcoming the shortfalls discussed above related to both cantilevered and straddled bearing assemblies.


In a printing apparatus which performs printing by scanning a printhead having printing elements arrayed in a predetermined direction on a printing medium in a direction crossing to the array direction on the basis of information transmitted from a host apparatus, stores print data transmitted from the host apparatus, and has a buffer smaller in capacity than a print data amount printed on the printing medium by one scanning of the printhead, the buffer is divided into a plurality of blocks corresponding to rectangular regions printed by scanning. The use order of the blocks is so managed as to circularly store print data in the blocks along with the progress of printing. When print data representing non-driving of the printing elements successively exist in a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount of print data is represented by specific control data without storing the predetermined amount of print data in the blocks. High-speed, high-quality printing can be achieved with a low-cost arrangement having a memory smaller in capacity than a data amount printed by one main scanning.

At present, there are known various printing methods used to print characters, images, information, and the like on printing media. An inkjet printing method has widely been used in printing apparatuses, copying machines, and the like because of low noise, low apparatus cost, low running cost, and compact apparatus can be facilitated.
A conventional serial inkjet printing apparatus prints one page by alternately repeating main scanning by a printhead and sub-scanning of conveying a printing medium. A memory having a memory capacity enough to store all data to be printed by one main scanning at a main scanning printing width printable by a printing apparatus is used as a print buffer for storing data to be printed by the printhead. After all data to be printed by one main scanning are stored in the print buffer, main scanning of the printhead starts to perform printing.
Recently, in order to achieve color printing, higher image quality, higher resolution, and higher-speed printing, the number of printheads and the number of printing elements (ink discharge elements) arranged in each printhead tend to increase.
A larger number of printheads and a larger number of printing elements arranged in each printhead increase the data amount printed by one main scanning. The memory capacity necessary for the print buffer increases, resulting in a high apparatus cost.
To prevent this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-146929 discloses a technique of managing an address at which print data is stored, efficiently using a memory, and performing printing with a memory capacity smaller than a data amount printed by one main scanning.
This reference, however, does not disclose processing of null data as data representing no printing. The use of the memory is not optimally efficient. Also, this reference does not disclose printing operation when data transfer to the memory does not in time for printing operation.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-259248, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,499 discloses a technique of starting main scanning before the completion of receiving data of one main scanning.
The technique disclosed in this reference assumes that print data is received before actual printing by main scanning. A host apparatus such as a computer which transfers print data to a printing apparatus must continuously execute printing without any interrupt or interference of data transfer.
Windows System® which is widely used as the OS of recent computers is a general-purpose multitask system. In practice, the computer hardly performs only data transfer during printing. The program of a printer driver installed in a computer allows continuously executing printing without any interrupt or interference of data transfer. In this case, the merit of the multitask system is lost. This reference does not disclose processing of null data as data representing no printing. The use of the memory is not optimally efficient.
These problems are not unique to an inkjet printing apparatus but common to all serial printing apparatuses.

Printing apparatus printer driver, and buffer management method


A positioning system includes an actuator, valve (preferably pneumatic), position sensor and an electronic valve controller, integrated in a single unit. Continuously variable setpoints are possible within the range of operation. A preferred control circuit includes a signal converter, a ramp generator to smooth the shape of the command or target value signal applied, a position feedback sensor to report the actual position of the actuator, a controller, and a driver, containing an H-bridge, for controlling the pneumatic valve which feeds air into the actuator mechanism. Integration of all these components into a single unit shortens signal paths, improves resistance to electrical noise, and permits faster response time.

There are several so-called "integrated actuators" which contain the elements of a valve, fluid power cylinder, and even a sensor, but these prior art products are not in fact fully integrated. Examples include products offered by Enfield Technologies, assignee of the present invention, as well as those from other vendors such as Norgren or Allen Air.
There are also examples of vendors that provide some or all of these elements as individual items or in various forms of sub-assembly which can be assembled as a construction of separate components, but none are unified into a single product and offered as such. Examples include Bimba, Dyval (Parker Hannifin), Festo, Hoerbiger-Origa, and Si-Plan Electronics, Ltd., as well as in research laboratories such as at Vanderbilt, UC Berkeley, and McMaster to name a few academic institutions who have constructed such systems.
However, none provide for fully integrated on-board closed-loop signal processing and control. The commercial need for such a fully integrated product has not been recognized by others working in the art, and the technical challenges to constructing such a device have been formidable. The present invention has overcome these technical challenges.
Industry standard practice has been to configure systems with control systems and power drivers physically separate from actuators. This holds true for both fluid power (hydraulic and pneumatic) systems as well as electromechanical systems (such as linear motors and rotary motor/leadscrew drives).
The challenges have included: the number of valve and valve control devices required to create such a system, and coordination of those devices, control electronics small enough to be placed on-board the actuator itself, and schemes to provide command signals without degradation.


A clamping device includes two clamping members pivotally connected with each other and each having a first end and a second end, and a braking mechanism mounted between the second ends of the two clamping members to provide a stepless braking effect to the two clamping members. Thus, the braking mechanism provides a stepless braking effect to the two clamping members, so that the two clamping members are movable toward each other freely so as to shorten and adjust the open angle of the holding portion successively to hold a workpiece and are not movable outward relative each other to stop an outward movement of the two clamping members instantaneously so as to fix the holding portion to clamp the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clamping device, and more particularly to a clamping device having a stepless braking effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional clamping device comprises two opposite clamping members pivotally connected with each other and each having a first end and a second end. The two clamping members are pivotally connected with each other by a pivot shaft which is extended through a mediate portion of each of the two clamping members. The first ends of the two clamping members form a holding portion for holding an article, and the second ends of the two clamping members form a handle portion. An elastic member is mounted between the two clamping members to force the first ends of the two clamping members to move toward each other, so that the holding portion is closed at a normal state so as to clamp the article. However, the first ends of the two clamping members are easily forced to move away from each other by a foreign force or vibration to open the holding portion, so that the article is easily loosened from the holding portion.
A conventional clamping device having a braking mechanism is disclosed in the Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 386480 and 497527.
A conventional clamping device having a ratchet braking mechanism is disclosed in the Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 418767, 421119, 482070, 502684, and 512771.
Another conventional clamping device having a ratchet braking mechanism is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. D473,776, 6,240,815 and 6,550,738.

Clamping device having stepless braking effect