For the ignition of briquets and charcoal for grills up till now ignescent fluid has been the dominating and sole accepted ignition aid for producing in an acceptably short time embers for broiling. Among the drawbacks of ignescent fluid are the hazards of the ignition procedure. At times, ignescent fluid has been confused with other fluids and caused severe burns in children and in some known instances children have been poisoned by drinking the fluid. In addition, the ignescent fluid is bulky and generally difficult to bring along. It sometimes also imparts obtrusive flavours to the food being broiled. The use of ignescent fluid is also expensive.
To light a fire in fireplaces, furnaces, and suchlike, one normally uses newspaper leaves and the like, in conjunction with wood chips. This is a time-consuming method. Ignition aids known as `fire lighters` may also be used. A method for producing fire lighting aids was described in SE-A-No. 41 897, in 1914. According to this method, paper, sulphite or sulphate pulp, is impregnated with a combustible substance which is either liquid or solid, such as resin, resin dissolved in some combustible substance such as spirits, turpentine, raw or refined petroleum, tar, or some other suitable substance. After being impregnated, the paper or the pulp is rolled onto spindles, and fire lighting aids then prepared from the strips, whether wet or dry, the final product being in the form of small reels. According to SE-A-No. 96 174 fire lighters are produced from lumbering or wood mill debris, which is cut into chips, defibrated, mixed with water to achieve a suitable consistency and lastly formed into a plate, which is dewatered by pressing and then dried. This plate is dipped in molten paraffin, stearin, or tallow or a mixture of these at a temperature of 80.degree.-100.degree. C. After drying, the plate is cut into pieces of a certain width and length. Before being impregnated, the plate is provided with grooves, to facilitate the cutting of the plate into small square blocks.
A drawback which is common to these and other known fire lighting aids is that the area of combustion is small, the product thus having to be ignited at a very small area. Therefore, it is not at all uncommon to fail at the ignition of these products, even if the burning time may be long. In addition, the positioning of the lighter is critical, for instance when lighting a fire on a grill, since the lighter, being very small, may easily fall down through the grid.
Another known lighting aid consists of cubes of a brittle material which easily crumbles and has a strong odour, so that the product must be carefully packed and gently handled.
Paraffin impregnated cellulose pulp is a better lighting aid. The area of combustion of this product in relation to its volume is greater, and hence the product burns more intensely and over a larger area. Even though its burning time is shorter than that of a more compact product of the same volume, the fire or the bed of briquettes or coal to be ignited is lit more effectively and more safely. Another desirable property of the lighter is that it is free of tackiness. Nor should it crumble when broken, as is the case if not all paraffin has become absorbed into the pulp. At the same time it must be water-repellent and inflammable. These demands have caused considerable manufacturing problems.


A process of color separating a transmitted light or reflected light from a color original into so-called three primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) by an ordinary optical method using, for example, red, green and blue-purple color filters, making negative or positive films for blue printing (cyan), red printing (magenta), and yellow printing (yellow) basing on the lights of three colors of R, G, and B, and then making each color separated printing plate using each film thus obtained has hitherto been widely performed. In the process, photographic light-sensitive materials having light-sensitive characteristics in the whole wavelength region of visible light of from 400 n.m. to 700 n.m. are required.
Hitherto, as the light-sensitive materials having such light-sensitive characteristics, silver salt light-sensitive films are used. However, the silver salt light-sensitive films are expensive as compared to ordinary films and in the case of using such silver salt light-sensitive films, it is difficult to handle the films in bright room. In the case of using a silver salt light-sensitive material, it cannot be directly used as a printing plate but a process of developing and fixing the silver salt light-sensitive film and then printing the positive or negative images formed on the silver salt film onto an original printing plate such as a presensitized printing plate (PS printing plate), etc., to make a printing plate is required.
These sequential operations per se, are troublesome and require specific apparatuses for each operation. An expense for these apparatuses, and personnel, as well as material cost for light-sensitive films cannot be disregarded.
This invention has been achieved in view of forgoing problems to provide color separating printing plate directly from the color originals in a short time.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to pumps, and more particularly to positive-displacement rotary pumps.
2. Description of the Related Art
Positive displacement pumps displace a known quantity of liquid with each revolution of the pumping elements (e.g., vanes). Positive displacement pumps displace liquid or gas by creating a space between the pumping elements and trapping the liquid or gas within the space. Rotation of the pumping elements then reduces the volume of the space and moves the liquid out of the pump. A rotary vane pump is an example of a positive-displacement pump.
Rotary vane pumps operate through the action of a number of rotating vanes or blades. A conventional rotary vane pump includes a rotor assembly eccentrically positioned within a pumping chamber. The number of vanes are spaced around the rotor to divide the pumping chamber into a series of cavities. As the rotor rotates, these cavities rotate around the pumping chamber continually changing in volume due to movement of the vanes and the eccentric alignment of the rotor and pumping chamber. An inlet communicates with the pumping chamber on the side of the pump where the volume of the cavities expand. Similarly, an outlet communicates with the pumping chamber on the side of the pump where the volume of the cavities contract. As each cavity expands, a partial vacuum is created to draw fluid into the pump through the inlet. As the cavity contracts, the pressure within the cavity increases forcing the fluid out of the pump through the outlet. This expansion and contraction process continues for each cavity to provide a continuous pumping action.
There is a desire to improve upon the currently available rotary pumps. For example, there is a desire to reduce the cost of manufacturing rotary pumps while maintaining (and possible increasing) the vacuum level produced by a pump of specific dimensions. There is also the desire to increase the volume of fluid that can be displaced during a period of time by a pump of specific dimensions (i.e., without increasing the overall dimensions of the pump). Further, there is the desire to simplify the manufacturing and assembly required for producing rotary pumps.
The present invention is directed to a dual chamber or double sided rotary pump that includes a stator housing and a rotor.
In accordance with an embodiment, the stator housing has an oblong inner surface. The rotor, which is disposed in the stator housing, has a substantially circular outer surface within which a plurality of vane slots are defined. A first chamber is defined between a first half of the oblong inner surface and the outer surface of the rotor. Similarly, a second chamber is defined between a second half of the oblong inner surface, diametrically opposite the first half, and the outer surface of the rotor. Resting within each of the plurality of vane slots is a corresponding sliding vane. A first inlet port and a first outlet port provide access to the first chamber. Similarly, a second inlet port and a second outlet port provide access to the second chamber. The vane slots are arranged about the outer surface of the rotor such that there is always at least one of the vanes separating each of the first inlet port, the first outlet port, the second inlet port and the second outlet port from one another.
As the rotor is rotated within the stator housing, centrifugal force pushes or urges the vanes radially outward against the inner surface of the stator housing. As this occurs, each of the first and second inlet ports draws in fluid (i.e., gas and/or liquid), and each of the first and second outlet ports expels fluid. More specifically, fluid drawn into the first inlet port is expelled out of the first outlet. Similarly, fluid drawn into the second inlet port is expelled out of the second outlet port. This occurs as described below.
At any given time there exists multiple cavities formed between adjacent pairs of the vanes. For example, there are eight cavities in the embodiment of the present invention where there are eight vane slots and eight vanes. During each full rotation of the rotor, each formed cavity expands and contracts in volume twice. More specifically, each cavity expands in volume as it passes the first inlet port, shrinks in volume as it passes the first outlet port, expands in volume as it passes the second inlet port, and shrinks in volume as it passes the second outlet port. When a cavity expands in volume it creates a partial vacuum, as it passes one of the inlets ports, and thereby draws fluid into the cavity. When the same fluid filled cavity shrinks in volume, as it passed one of the outlet ports, it expels that fluid. Thus, at any given time (while the rotor is rotating at a sufficient speed) two chambers are drawing fluid in and two other chambers are expelling fluid. The remaining chambers are in the process of transferring fluid that has just be drawn in (by one of the input ports) toward one of the outlet ports, so that the fluid can be expelled.
The rotary pump further includes first and second side plates (also referred to as end caps) located opposite one another at axial ends of the stator housing. The first and second side plates together with the stator housing form a hollow oblong cylinder within which the rotor is disposed. One of the side plates may be integrally formed with the stator housing.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, most or all of the rotary pump is manufactured out of plastic. This can significantly reduce the cost and weight of the rotary pump. In accordance with an embodiment, the stator housing and side plates are manufactured from polyetherimide, the rotor is manufactured from polyphenylene sulfide, and the vanes are manufactured from thermoplastic polyimide. For strength, durability and lubrication: the polyethermide can include a carbon fill of about 25-35 percent and a polytetrafluoro ethylene fill of about 10 to 20 percent; the polyphenylene sulfide can include a carbon fill of about 35-45 percent; and the polyimide can include a carbon fill of about 25-35 percent and a polytetrafluoro ethylene fill of about 10 to 20 percent.
Further embodiments, features and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hard floor panels.
2. Related Technology
In the first instance, the invention is intended for so-called laminated floors, but generally it can also be applied for other kinds of floor covering, consisting of hard floor panels, such as veneer parquet, prefabricated parquet, or other floor panels which can be compared to laminated flooring.
It is known that such floor panels can be applied in various ways.
According to a first possibility, the floor panels are attached at the underlying floor, either by glueing or by nailing them on. This technique has a disadvantage that is rather complicated and that subsequent changes can only be made by breaking out the floor panels.
According to a second possibility, the floor panels are installed loosely onto the subflooring, whereby the floor panels mutually match into each other by means of a tongue and groove coupling, whereby mostly they are glued together in the tongue and groove, too. The floor obtained in this manner, also called a floating parquet flooring, has as an advantage that it is easy to install and that the complete floor surface can move which often is convenient in order to receive possible expansion and shrinkage phenomena.
A disadvantage with a floor covering of the above-mentioned type, above all, if the floor panels are installed loosely onto the subflooring, consists in that during the expansion of the floor and its subsequent shrinkage, the floor panels themselves can drift apart, as a result of which undesired gaps can be formed, for example, if the glue connection breaks.
In order to remedy this disadvantage, techniques have already been through of whereby connection elements made of metal are provided between the single floor panels in order to keep them together. Such connection elements, however, are rather expensive to make and, furthermore, their provision or the installation thereof is a time-consuming occupation.
Examples of embodiments which apply such metal connection elements are described, among others, in the documents WO 94/26999 and WO 93/13280.
Furthermore, couplings are known which allow coupling parts to snap fit into each other, e.g., from the documents WO 94/1628, WO 96/27719 and WO 96/27721. The snapping-together effect obtained with these forms of embodiment, however, does not guarantee a 100-percent optimum counteraction against the development of gaps between the floor panels, more particularly, because in fact well-defined plays have to be provided in order to be sure that the snapping-together is possible.
From GB 424.057, a coupling for parquetry parts is known which, in consideration of the nature of the coupling, only is appropriate for massive wooden parquetry.
Furthermore, there are also couplings for panels known from the documents GB 2.117.813, GB 2,256.023 and DE 3.544.845. These couplings, however, are not appropriate for connecting floor panels.


1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fuel cell and to a method of manufacturing the fuel cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a fuel cell, the output voltage that can be provided by an individual cell may be a fixed value, determined by the electrochemical reactions. As such, in order to supply the operating power required by an electronic product, it may be necessary to use a DC-DC converter or serially connect the individual cells to increase the output voltage.
According to the method of arranging the individual cells for connection, a fuel cell can be divided into a bipolar stack or a monopolar stack.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel cell according to the related art, in which a bipolar stack structure is shown. In the case of medium- or large-sized fuel cells, most of the fuel cells take the form of a bipolar stack. As illustrated in the drawing, cells which include anodes 2, 3 and cathodes 2, 4 formed in contact with a membrane 1, and separation plates may be stacked alternately in layers.
The bipolar stack structure may entail a large volume for the fuel cell, and are thus applied more often in medium- to large-sized fuel cells. Since the power supply used in portable electronic equipment may desirably be given a thin shape, it can be problematic to employ a fuel cell of a bipolar stack structure for such a power supply, due to the large thickness involved. As such, there can be problems in implementing a compact size and in providing a high output.
To overcome these problems of the bipolar stack structure, a fuel cell can be implemented to have a monopolar stack structure. The fuel cell of a monopolar stack structure can provide a higher output density per volume, and enables the supply of fuel without external power, so that the form of the fuel cell may be varied relatively freely. As such, the monopolar stack structure is often employed in small-sized fuel cells.
The monopolar stack structure can in turn be divided into a banded structure or a flip-flop structure.
The banded structure may require a connection crossing the membrane, while the flip-flop structure may be of a simple shape, having only a single-layer connection.
While the banded structure may simplify the method of supplying fuel and air, the banded structure may require additional complicated equipment for connecting the electrodes in serial.
With the flip-flop structure, it is possible to naturally form a serially connected stack by having adjacent unit cells share a common electrode. However, the fuel cell thus formed may entail an extremely complicated flow path for supplying the fuel and air.


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an extraction cleaning machine and, more particularly, to an upright extraction cleaning machine.
2. Description of Related Art
Upright extraction cleaning machines have been used for removing dirt from surfaces such as carpeting, upholstery, drapes and the like. The known extraction cleaning machines can be in the form of a canister-type unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,720 to Blase et al. or an upright unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,977 to McAllise et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,665 to Fitzwater.
Current upright extraction cleaning machines can be made easier to use by limiting the weight and number of components, such as fluid storage tanks, on the pivoting handle of the upright cleaning machine. Reducing the weight that a user must support as the handle is tilted rearwardly can also lower the center of gravity for the machine, which results in a better feel to the user.
Furthermore, the current extraction cleaning machines can be made easier to use and better adapted for a variety of cleaning conditions. For example, none of the current extraction cleaning machines includes an elevator responsive-to-handle position for restraining a floating roller-type agitation brush, which is automatically height adjustable in response to changes on the surface being cleaned. Another problem inherent with the known extraction cleaning machines is the difficulty of filling and emptying the fluid supply chamber and fluid recovery chamber, particularly with bladder-within-a-tank type assemblies. Further, none of the current upright extraction cleaning machines are simply convertible to a pre-spray applicator for directing cleaning solution to and agitating the surface to be cleaned without applying suction. Finally, current extraction cleaning machines do not use a the same motor to drive an agitation brush as well as an impeller. Is some cases a separate motor is used. In other cases, a turbine is used to drive the agitation brush or brushes which diminishes the suction power available to extract the dirty solution from the floor surface.
A more recent development in the extraction cleaning industry is the use of steam or hot water as a cleaning agent. The cleaning machine incorporates a boiler or other means for generating steam or hot water, which is pumped to an applicator where it is brought into contact with the surface being cleaned. Because the steam is airborne, it may be unsafe to include detergents and the like in the cleaning solution. Further, while the steam systems have the advantage of creating a temperature that effectively kills a wider range of microbes, bacteria, microorganisms, and mites, the steam systems generally suffer from poor cleaning performance. Additionally, the high power requirement for generating steam may not be sufficient with ordinary 120V power supplies for running a vacuum motor as well as the steam generator, so cleaning performance is further hindered. Also, by adding a heater to a fluid supply chamber, the user may be inconvenienced by the amount of time required to heat the contents of the supply chamber to the desired temperature. Conversely, conventional detergent cleaning systems are somewhat effective at cleaning surfaces, but could be made more effective by raising the temperature of the cleaning solution to some temperature below the boiling point. There is an optimal temperature at which cleaning performance is maximized without causing damage to carpets or setting stains. This temperature is around 150.degree. Fahrenheit.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to nanoimprint technology, and more particularly, to a method of fabricating a nanoimprint mold which is essential to nanoimprint technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Representative nanolithographic techniques for creating nanostructures with dimensions of less than 100 nm include electron beam (E-beam) lithography (EBL), focused ion beam lithography (FIBL), nanoimprint lithography (NIL), and deep UV (DUV) lithography. Recently, next-generation lithographic techniques such as extreme UV (EUV) lithography, X-ray lithography, hologram lithography, and laser interference lithography (LIL) have been developed.
EBL or FIBL with a resolution of several nanometers (nm) has disadvantages in that accelerated electrons or ions are greatly affected by the conductivity or structure of a substrate, and throughput is low due to raster or vector scanning.
DUV or EUV lithography which is mainly used in a semiconductor fabrication process and can generate wafer-scale patterns over a large area in a single step has disadvantages in that manufacturing equipment is expensive, costs of a photomask are high, and it is difficult to use a flexible substrate or material which is affected by a developer used for pattern formation after exposure.
X-ray lithography which is considered as next generation lithography can provide a diffraction limited resolution of several nanometers, which is higher than that of optical lithography and similar to that of the EBL or FIBL. However, the X-ray lithography is not suitable for forming patterns over a large area because it uses a very large synchrotron as an X-ray source and it is difficult to increase the size of the X-ray source.
LIL which is often used in forming repetitive patterns such as gratings can be easily applied to a large area, is rarely affected by the characteristics of a substrate, and can be achieved at low cost. Despite the advantages, the LIL cannot be widely used because it is difficult to form various patterns and requires strict overlay accuracy while performing a process of forming multi-layers.
Imprint lithography for forming patterns using a mold is largely divided into a thermal method and a UV curing method. The imprint lithography can be applied to a general semiconductor substrate, such as a silicon substrate, a plastic substrate requiring a low temperature process, and also to a non-conductive glass or quartz substrate.
Recently developed nanoimprint lithography has become an attractive alternative to hot embossing lithography because of its easy control of pressure or temperature, and particularly, UV nanoimprint lithography can produce patterns even at room temperature and under normal pressure.
However, the UV nanoimprint lithography requires a transparent substrate or mold which is generally formed of quartz. It is difficult to form sub-100 nm fine patterns over a large area of the quartz mold or substrate, thereby increasing manufacturing costs.


1. Field of Invention
The present invention is directed to a lubricant system for medical devices. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a non-volatile lubricious coating for hypodermic needles, catheters, and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
It has become commonplace in the medical field to provide medical devices with lubricants for ease of use. For example, hypodermic needles are widely used in delivering and withdrawing fluids in medical practice. As originally used, hypodermic needles were used many times, the needles being sterilized between usages. A practitioner would sharpen the needles when they became dull, and then sterilize them prior to the next usage. Since the needles were reused, and often may have needed sharpening, the presence or absence of any lubrication on the outer surface of the needle had little effect on the penetration force or the pain perceived by the patient who was the recipient of the needle. With the development of commercially manufactured disposable needles that always have a fresh well-sharpened point, there was recognition that lubrication of the needle substantially reduced the pain perceived by the patient when a needle was administered to them.
A convention is followed in this disclosure wherein the portion of a device toward the practitioner is termed proximal and the portion of the device toward the patient is termed distal.
A tissue penetration by a hypodermic needle involves a sequence of events that collectively are perceived by the patient as whether or not the penetration causes pain. A distal point of the needle first touches the skin surface, stretches it, the point then cuts into the surface and begins penetration into the tissue. As the shaft of the needle passes through the original cut and into the tissue, there is also sliding friction of the tissue against the needle surface. In the hypodermic needle art when the forces for performing a hypodermic needle penetration are measured, the force measured prior to the needle point cutting the tissue is termed the “peak penetration force”, also called “F2” and the force required to continue the penetration into the tissue is called the “drag force” or “F4”. One primary component of the drag force is the sliding friction of the tissue against the surface of the needle shaft.
Insertion of intravenous (IV) catheters into a patient causes similar issues regarding ease of insertion and patient discomfort. For example, IV catheters are designed to infuse normal intravenous solutions, including antibiotics and other drugs, into a patient. These catheters are also used to withdraw blood from the patient for normal blood-gas analysis as well as other blood work. The most common type of IV catheter is an “over the needle” catheter, in which a catheter is disposed over an introducer needle or cannula, which is used to insert the IV catheter into a patient. The needle is typically stainless steel and is hollow. Its distal tip is ground to a sharp tip for easy insertion into the patient. The catheter is also hollow and is disposed such that the sharpened tip of the needle is extended from the catheter for piercing of the patient's skin during use. Once the skin and vein have been pierced, the catheter is advanced over the needle and the needle is removed from the catheter. The catheter is typically extruded out of suitable plastic material such as TEFLON material (polytetrafluoroethylene), polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyurethane or polyether urethane.
The use of lubricants on the surface of such hypodermic needles and IV catheters significantly reduces both the peak penetration force and the drag force. As a result, almost all single-use sterile disposable needles and IV catheters are supplied with a lubricant already applied to substantially the entire outside surface. A number of lubricants have been developed for use in such applications. Typically, such lubricants involve a medical grade polydimethylsiloxane which is commonly applied to the surface through a volatile carrier solvent which rapidly evaporates. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,711 to Pelkey discloses a lubricant system for hypodermic needles which includes a first layer formed from an at least partially cured organosiloxane copolymer and a polydimethylsiloxane that has a viscosity greater than about 1000 centistokes, and a second layer over the first layer that includes a polydimethylsiloxane having a viscosity of 50-350 centistokes. The coating compositions of the first and second layers are applied through a volatile carrier solvent such as a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), and the first layer is thermally cured by applying heat. Unfortunately, volatile solvents such as CFC's raise significant environmental concerns.
There is a need in the medical industry for lubricants for medical devices such as catheters and needles which are environmentally friendly, which are easy to apply, and which do not involve the use of volatile organic solvents such as CFC's.


1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a structure for welding airport concrete steel mesh, wherein each separate transversely extending reinforcing rod in the steel mesh is simultaneously welded to all the longitudinally extending spaced apart reinforcing rods, the separate transversely extending rods are automatically fed onto the longitudinally extending reinforcing rods of a welding position, and the welded transverse and longitudinal rods are automatically indexed away from the welding position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior automatic mesh welders have usually not been capable of welding heavy reinforcing rods such as 3/4" reinforcing rods into steel mesh such as that required for airport concrete runway reinforcement. Further, wherein steel mesh welding has been accomplished in the past, welding has been limited as to spacing between the reinforcing members due to welding gun diameter limitations, and welds have not always been satisfactory due to low welding gun pressures available. Wherein satisfactory mesh welding has been accomplished in the past, the equipment necessary therefor and the methods used have been complicated and therefore uneconomical.


1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to the electrical arts, and more particularly, to concepts and techniques for measuring the voltage of a power source.
2. Background
Determining the voltage of a single cell battery is a straightforward procedure. A conventional voltmeter is simply placed across the terminals of the cell and the voltage measured. This procedure, however, poses various technological challenges when measuring the cell voltages of a multiple cell battery. In particular, the voltmeter must be switched between the cells to determine the voltage of each cell. Moreover, the voltmeter, which is generally composed of relatively low voltage breakdown semiconductor based electronic components, must withstand the voltage measured at each cell in the battery with respect to ground. This voltage, which is often referred to as “common mode voltage,” can reach hundreds of volts in large series connected battery stacks, such as those found in automobiles and other high voltage applications. These high voltage applications are beyond the voltage breakdown capabilities of most semiconductor components. Semiconductor based switches suffer from similar problems due to voltage breakdown limitations. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for isolated measurement techniques for batteries and other power sources.


This application claims the priority of German Patent Application No. 101 54 669.6, filed Nov. 7, 2001, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine having at least two cylinder banks and more particularly, to an internal combustion engine whose cylinder heads are sealed by cylinder head covers, wherein to ventilate the crankcase from the so-called blow-by gases, ventilation lines are connected to the cylinder head covers and communicate with a negative pressure source, e.g., an intake pipe, and on the inside of the cylinder head cover means are provided for pre-separating the oil from the blow-by gases.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,617 discloses a device for crankcase ventilation of an internal combustion engine with two cylinder banks in which ventilation lines mounted above the cylinder head housing or the cylinder head cover remove the blow-by gases located in the crankcase volume and return them to the intake system of the internal combustion engine in a closed circuit. In addition, sheet metal guide elements are mounted on the inside of the cylinder head cover. The blow-by gases flow past these guide elements and a portion of the oil carried along by the blow-by gases is deposited thereon.


The present invention relates to temperature-producing conductive-resistive medium and to a method of producing a variety of articles therefrom.
There have been many attempts to produce electrically-conductive coatings such as paints. Generally, there are two types of electrically-conductive coatings. The first is a low resistivity, high conductivity paint that contains a pigmentation of metal particles while the second is a high resistivity, low conductivity paint that is formed from compositions containing carbon or graphite.
Low resistivity paints have traditionally been used to provide coatings having a high conductivity for connecting conductors that require a superior electrical bond with a minimum resistance. Generally, low resistivity paints cannot be applied to materials in order to produce temperature adjustable heating elements because the low resistivity paint requires a high volume of current to generate a reasonable output of heat. In contrast, the resistivity of traditional highly resistive paints is often so high that a relatively high voltage drop is required in order to generate sufficient heat. As a result, the use of high resistivity paints usually sacrifices safety. Furthermore, when either of the above-identified traditional conductive paints are applied to various substrates, cracks and flaking of the paint often develop over a period of time. This causes a breakdown in the temperature adjustable property of the article.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for generating an electrical resistance temperature adjustable substance for application to a variety of substrates in order to provide temperature controllable properties.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for generating an electrical resistance temperature adjustable substance for application to a variety of materials wherein the electrical resistance temperature adjustable substance does not inhibit the inherent flexibility of the substrate to which it is applied.
Other and further objects will be made known to the artisan as a result of the present disclosure and it is intended to include all such objects which are realized as a result of the disclosed invention.


The present invention relates generally to the field of solid state electrochemical devices, and more particularly to substrate, electrode and cell structures for solid state electrochemical devices.
Solid state electrochemical devices are often implemented as cells including two porous electrodes, the anode and the cathode, and a dense solid electrolyte and/or membrane which separates the electrodes. For the purposes of this application, unless otherwise explicit or clear from the context in which it is used, the term “electrolyte” should be understood to include solid oxide membranes used in electrochemical devices, whether or not potential is applied or developed across them during operation of the device. In many implementations, such as in fuel cells and oxygen and syn gas generators, the solid membrane is an electrolyte composed of a material capable of conducting ionic species, such as oxygen ions, or hydrogen ions, yet has a low electronic conductivity. In other implementations, such as gas separation devices, the solid membrane is composed of a mixed ionic electronic conducting material (“MIEC”). In each case, the electrolyte/membrane must be dense and pinhole free (“gas-tight”) to prevent mixing of the electrochemical reactants. In all of these devices a lower total internal resistance of the cell improves performance.
The ceramic materials used in conventional solid state electrochemical device implementations can be expensive to manufacture, difficult to maintain (due to their brittleness) and have inherently high electrical resistance. The resistance may be reduced by operating the devices at high temperatures, typically in excess of 900° C. However, such high temperature operation has significant drawbacks with regard to the device maintenance and the materials available for incorporation into a device, particularly in the oxidizing environment of an oxygen electrode, for example.
The preparation of solid state electrochemical cells is well known. For example, a typical solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is composed of a dense electrolyte membrane of a ceramic oxygen ion conductor, a porous anode layer of a ceramic, a metal or, most commonly, a ceramic-metal composite (“cermet”), in contact with the electrolyte membrane on the fuel side of the cell, and a porous cathode layer of a mixed ionically/electronically-conductive (MIEC) metal oxide on the oxidant side of the cell. Electricity is generated through the electrochemical reaction between a fuel (typically hydrogen produced from reformed methane) and an oxidant (typically air). This net electrochemical reaction involves charge transfer steps that occur at the interface between the ionically-conductive electrolyte membrane, the electronically-conductive electrode and the vapor phase (fuel or oxygen). The contributions of charge transfer step, mass transfer (gas diffusion in porous electrode), and ohmic losses due to electronic and ionic current flow to the total internal resistance of a solid oxide fuel cell device can be significant. Moreover, in typical device designs, a plurality of cells are stacked together and connected by one or more interconnects. Resistive loss attributable to these interconnects can also be significant.
In work reported by de Souza and Visco (de Souza, S.; Visco, S. J.; De Jonghe, L. C. Reduced-temperature solid oxide fuel cell based on YSZ thin-film electrolyte. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, vol. 144, (no. 3), Electrochem. Soc, March 1997. p.L35-7. 7), a thin film of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is deposited onto a porous cermet electrode substrate and the green assembly is co-fired to yield a dense YSZ film on a porous cermet electrode. A thin cathode is then deposited onto the bilayer, fired, and the assembly is tested as an SOFC with good results. In work reported by Minh (Minh, N. Q. (Edited by: Dokiya, M.; Yamamoto, O.; Tagawa, H.; Singhal, S. C.) Development of thin-film solid oxide fuel cells for power generation applications. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC-IV), (Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC-IV), Proceedings of Fourth International Symposium Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Yokohama, Japan, 18-23 Jun. 1995.) Pennington, N.J., USA: Electrochem. Soc, 1995. p. 138-45), a similar thin-film SOFC is fabricated by tape calendaring techniques to yield a good performing device. However, these Ni—YSZ supported thin-film structures are mechanically weak, and will deteriorate if exposed to air on SOFC cool-down due to the oxidation of Ni to NiO in oxidizing environments. Also, nickel is a relatively expensive material, and to use a thick Ni—YSZ substrate as a mechanical support in a solid state electrochemical device will impose large cost penalties.
Solid state electrochemical devices are becoming increasingly important for a variety of applications including energy generation, oxygen separation, hydrogen separation, coal gasification, and selective oxidation of hydrocarbons. These devices are typically based on electrochemical cells with ceramic electrodes and electrolytes and have two basic designs: tubular and planar. Tubular designs have traditionally been more easily implemented than planar designs, and thus have been preferred for commercial applications. However, tubular designs provide less power density than planar designs due to their inherently relatively long current path that results in substantial resistive power loss. Planar designs are theoretically more efficient than tubular designs, but are generally recognized as having significant safety and reliability issues due to the complexity of sealing and manifolding a planar stack.
Thus, solid state electrochemical devices incorporating current implementations of these cell designs are expensive to manufacture and may suffer from safety, reliability, and/or efficiency drawbacks. Some recent attempts have been made to develop SOFCs capable of operating efficiently at lower temperatures and using less expensive materials and production techniques. Plasma spray deposition of molten electrolyte material on porous device substrates has been proposed, however these plasma sprayed layers are still sufficiently thick (reportedly 30-50 microns) to substantially impact electrolyte conductance and therefore device operating temperature.
Accordingly, a way of reducing the materials and manufacturing costs and increasing the reliability of solid state electrochemical devices would be of great benefit and, for example, might allow for the commercialization of such devices previously too expensive, inefficient or unreliable.


Modern farmers strive to improve the management of increasing amounts of farm acres. Improving management requires farmers to be able to quickly prepare the soil for each season's farming operations. This haste has driven the need for more efficient and larger farming equipment.
Implements such as harrows, packers, or combined harrow-packers were some of the earliest implements to be made with widths exceeding sixty feet in the field operating position. As tractor horsepower has increased over time, larger tillage implements have been made available. These larger implements require a mechanism for compactly folding the implement for practical and safe transport over the highway. U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,809, patented by Summach et al., discloses a convenient mechanism for such folding.
The conventional method of folding tillage implements is by folding wing sections along forward aligned axes such that the wings are folded to a generally upright position. Double folding wing sections may have outer sections that fold inwardly and downwardly from the ends of inner wing sections in five section winged implements. In the case of these conventional wing implements, the minimum implement width that can be achieved by such folding is limited by the width of the center section. As a result, road transport may still be somewhat restricted as these implements often exceed twenty feet or more in transport width.
Road transport standards in North America are beginning to follow the standards set in Europe in which maximum road transport widths and heights for agricultural implements are being defined. Large implements that have conventional folding wing sections are not able to be folded such that they fall within width and height limits that may be generally 3 meters wide and 4 meters high. Some U.S. states have adopted transport width limits of 13.5 ft.
Forward or rear folding implements provide some relief with respect to such transport limits. However, implements must also be made to function with the accurate seeding ability that conventionally folded implements have become capable of. Although some rear or forward folding multibar tillage implements have been developed, they do not demonstrate the accurate depth control required for farming operations.
One problem is that a tillage-packer combination for drill seeding requires the gang supporting tillage elements to be maintained parallel to the ground through a range of adjustable operating levels. The drawbar disclosed in Summach '809 raises or lowers the first attached gang of elements in a rotatable manner through its field and transport ranges of motion. A level manner of height adjustment is required for tillage elements.
Another problem that must be overcome for compact folding is the avoidance of the packer elements of the second gang striking the tillage elements of the first gang when raised to the transport position. If compact folding is not required, then the downward rotation of the suspended second gang may be limited so as not to impact the elements of the first gang. But when compact folding is desired, the elements of the second gang are in direct alignment with the ground elements of the first gang so that alignment is achieved.
Therefore, a multibar implement is required for the tillage of high acre farms with both speed and efficiency.


The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Abelia of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘ABENOV41’. ‘ABENOV41’ represents a new Abelia, a shrub grown for landscape use.
The new cultivar is the result of a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Angers-Beaucouzé, France. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new cultivars of Abelia twith increased cold hardiness and unique flower colors and plant habits.
The new cultivar arose from a cross made by the Inventor in June of 2004 between Abelia schumannii ‘Bumblebee’ (not patented) as the female parent and Abelia×grandiflora ‘Semperflorus’ (not patented) as the male parent. The Inventor selected ‘ABENOV41’ as a single unique plant amongst the seedlings that resulted from the above cross in 2006.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood stem cuttings by the Inventor in Angers-Beaucouzé, France in September of 2006. Asexual propagation by softwood stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.


Photocatalysts employing titanium oxide are widely used by virtue of low price; high chemical stability, high photocatalytic activity (organic compound degradability, anti-bacterial property, etc.); non-toxicity to the human body; etc.
It has been known that a mixture of titanium oxide with metallic copper or a copper compound, or a product of titanium oxide on which copper or a copper compound has been deposited, serves as an excellent photocatalyst or an excellent anti-viral agent.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses use of nano particles of a compound MnXy for suppression and/or prevention of infection with viruses. Examples of the nano-particle compound include TiO2, Cu2O, CuO, and combinations thereof.
Regarding the aforementioned combinations of titanium oxide with metallic copper or a copper compound, particularly, the anti-viral performance of the photocatalysts has been enhanced by use of anatase-type titanium oxide.
For example, Patent Document 2 discloses an anti-bacterial photocatalytic aqueous coating material in which a metal such as copper is deposited on a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide. Patent Document 2 also discloses that titanium oxide preferably has an anatase-type crystal structure.
Patent Document 3 discloses a phage/virus inactivating agent formed of anatase-type titanium oxide containing copper at a CuO/TiO2 (ratio by mass %) of 1.0 to 3.5. The invention of Patent Document 3 was accomplished with respect to the finding that copper-containing anatase-type titanium oxide can inactivate phages/viruses.
Regarding the aforementioned combinations of titanium oxide with metallic copper or a copper compound, it have been known that a monovalent copper compound has particularly used as a copper compound, and the monovalent copper exhibits excellent microorganism- and virus-inactivating performance.
For example, Patent Document 4 discloses an anti-viral coating material, characterized by containing a monovalent copper compound as an active ingredient which can inactivate viruses. Patent Document 4 also discloses that the monovalent copper compound inactivates a variety of viruses through contact therewith.
Patent Document 5 discloses a microorganism inactivating agent which contains a monovalent copper compound as an active ingredient for use in inactivation of microorganisms in a short time. Patent Document 5 also discloses another microorganism inactivating agent which contains a monovalent copper compound and a photocatalytic substance. The photocatalytic substance may be a titanium oxide catalyst. Patent Document 5 further discloses that a monovalent copper compound exhibits a remarkably strong microorganism-inactivating effect, as compared with a divalent copper compound.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Kohyo (PCT) Patent Publication No. 2009-526828    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2000-95976    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 4646210    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2010-168578    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2011-190192


1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for multiple exposure at least of one substrate coated with a photosensitive layer, a microlithography projection exposure installation for multiple exposure at least of one substrate coated with a photosensitive layer, and a projection system having an illumination system and a projection objective.
2. Description of the Related Art
The efficiency of projection exposure installations for the microlithographic fabrication of semiconductor components and other finely patterned devices is substantially determined by the imaging properties of the projection objectives. Moreover, the image quality and the wafer throughput that can be achieved with the installation are influenced substantially by properties of the illumination system arranged upstream of the projection objective. Said system must be capable of preparing the light of a primary light source, for example a laser, with the highest possible efficiency, and in the process of producing as uniform as possible a distribution of intensity in an illumination field of the illumination system.
Depending on the nature and size of the patterns to be produced on the wafer, suitable exposure parameters can be set on the illumination system and/or the projection objective. For example, conventional illumination with different degrees of coherence and annular field illumination or polar illumination can be set on the illumination system in order to produce an off-axis, oblique illumination. The numerical aperture can be set on the projection objective.
Given a prescribed wavelength of the primary light source, the selection of suitable exposure parameters can serve, inter alia, for imaging structures that it would not be possible to image with satisfactory quality by using other exposure parameters because of their small structural sizes. However, a long exposure time is frequently associated with a selection of exposure parameters for which such fine structures can be resolved, and so the wafer throughput turns out to be low. Such fine structures frequently cannot be correctly resolved given a selection of exposure parameters for which a higher wafer throughput is achieved, although structures with larger structural sizes can be.
Since the structures to be produced on the wafer can frequently be subdivided into fine and coarse structures, it can be favorable to carry out a double exposure of the wafer for which a first set of exposure parameters is used for imaging the coarse structures, while a second set of exposure parameters different from the first one is used for imaging the fine structures. The exposure parameters of the first set can be selected, for example, such that only a short exposure time is required for imaging the coarse structures. The exposure parameters of the second set can be optimized such that only those structures are imaged that are so fine that they cannot be imaged with the first set of exposure parameters. Of course, multiple exposures with more than two exposures are also possible.
In a known type of double exposure, an exposure by means of an amplitude mask is carried out with a first set of exposure parameters. It is possible in this way to make use of oblique illumination such as, for example, annular, dipole or quadrupole illumination in order to increase the resolution. A second exposure with a second set of exposure parameters is carried out with the aid of a phase mask. A coherent illumination with a low degree of coherence σ is normally set thereby at the illumination system. Such a method is described, for example, in the article entitled “Improving Resolution in Photolithography with a Phase-Shifting Mask” by M. D. Levenson, N. S. Viswanathan, R. A. Simson in IEEE Trans. Electr. Dev., ED-29(12), pp. 1828-1836, 1982, and in the article entitled “Performance Optimization of the Double-Exposure” by G. N. Vandenberghe, F. Driessen, P. J. van Adrichem, K. G. Ronse, J. Li, L. Karlaklin in Proc. of the SPIE, Vol. 4562, pp. 394-405, 2002. In the method for multiple exposure that is described there, a first set of exposure parameters is initially set on the projection system for the first exposure. Thereafter, a second set of exposure parameters is set on the projection system for the second exposure, and this requires a reconfiguration of the projection system. This reconfiguration of the projection system from the first to the second set of exposure parameters results in a time loss and in mechanical wear of the parts whose position and/or shape need to be varied in the reconfiguration.


From DE 1 103 216 a device for distributing cut tobacco to cigarette-making machines is known, wherein the cut tobacco is fed from a conveyor onto a rotary table from which the tobacco is drawn by stationary sucking pipes spaced at the periphery of a table constituting a distributing element, the cut tobacco fed from the conveyor falling onto a cone located centrally relative to the rotary table. The cut tobacco slides down along the cone onto the rotary table gravitationally and then it is transported due to the centrifugal force as a layer towards the periphery of the table, from where it is sucked by vertical pipes to deliver the cut tobacco to the cigarette-making machines.
DE 198 23 873 presents a similarly operating device for feeding cut tobacco to many machines. The cut tobacco is fed via a vertical channel onto a bowl performing a composed, rotary and circulating, motion. The sucking channels, picking up the cut tobacco from the uniformly formed layer, are arranged vertically within the bowl cover at the bowl periphery.
In GB 959 343 a device is described in which the cut tobacco is fed, as previously, from above onto a rotary distribution disk and is directed by the centrifugal force towards receiving channels arranged radially in the side wall of the distribution chamber.
In a slightly different arrangement, known from DE 300 90 000, cut tobacco is fed through a charging hopper onto a linear vibrational conveyor. The vibrational conveyor transfers the fed cut tobacco to a place above which sucking pipes are situated. The cut tobacco is transported in the form of a layer and the sucking pipes are arranged vertically just above the surface of this layer.
Usually the bottom of the distribution chamber is flat or has the shape of a bowl and it is a surface of revolution and posses a centrally located rotational cone.
The process of feeding the cut tobacco to the cigarette-making machines is discontinuous, the result of which is that the more receiving channels are connected, the more frequent changes of the flow rate of the tobacco through the distributing device will occur. The discontinuity of the feeding process results from the fact that after filling the cut tobacco container located within the machine, the feeding is stopped until the amount of the cut tobacco in the container drops below a certain predefined level, afterwards the feeding is started again. Devices for distributing cut tobacco, employed in the tobacco industry, usually feed a lot of cigarette-making machines. Every change in a total throughput of the receiving channels will result, as a consequence, in a change of the efficiency of the conveyor feeding the distributing device.
All the solutions presented above relate to devices for distributing cut tobacco to cigarette-making machines using gravitational feeding, usually in the form of a feeding channel and a couple of pneumatic receiving channels transferring the cut tobacco to the cigarette-making machines, the receiving channels being connected to the distributing chamber or being located at the periphery of the distributing element for uniform distributing the cut tobacco into the inlets of the receiving channels. For proper operation of all the above devices it is necessary to collect some amount of the cut tobacco in the distribution chamber, which is transferred to the space from which it is received by the receiving channels. During transferring the layer of the cut tobacco gains its optimal thickness in order to ensure repeatable conditions of receiving the cut tobacco by the receiving channels. Therefore the receiving channels are distant from the feeding channel. In each of the devices in the case of temporary stopping the process of feeding the cigarette-making machines, the amount of the cut tobacco, which has been already delivered to the distributing device but has not been yet received, is an excess of the cut tobacco present in the device relative to the amount necessary for its operation. The cut tobacco tends to agglomerate, i.e., to create bundles, the effect of the agglomeration being particularly strong if the cut tobacco is stored in a high layer, as in the vertical channel feeding the distributing device.
If the process of receiving the cut tobacco by the cigarette-making machines, connected to a single distributing device, is stopped, one must stop the conveyor feeding the device, which was operating with a rate adjusted for feeding all the cigarette-making machines. However, due to inertia of the system, the distribution chamber will be filled anyway as well as, partially or fully, then vertical feeding channel. Restarting the device after a longer downtime may occur difficult, since the bulk density of the cut tobacco collected and stored under a pressure within the feeding channel increases and it is significantly more difficult to form a uniform layer of the cut tobacco and to suck the agglomerated tobacco through the receiving channels. Sometimes, in order to restart the feeding system the agglomerated tobacco must be removed from the lower portion of the feeding channel and partially from the distribution chamber.
If a couple of receiving channels will be shut off simultaneously, i.e., in the case of a rapid drop of the received amount of the cut tobacco, an excess of the cut tobacco will arise within the distribution chamber. The efficiency of the conveyor feeding the distributing device will be adjusted to the throughput of the cigarette-making machines that are still working, and the excess of the collected cut tobacco will be used by those machines, however if the excess is relatively large, disturbances in the receiving process may arise.
Frequently, cigarette manufacturers must face the task of producing short series of new cigarette brands. Large distributing devices with rotary tables or vibrational conveyors are expensive and there is no economical justification for using them in the case of frequent changes of the brand of tobacco fed to one or two cigarette-making machines.


Die stacking integrates semiconductor devices vertically in a single package in order to directly influence the amount of silicon that can be included in a given package footprint. Die stacking simplifies the surface-mount pc-board assembly and conserves pc-board real estate because fewer components are placed on the board. Die stacking has included different memory combinations that place flash memory with SRAM and RAM. Die stacking has evolved to multiple die stacks and side-by-side combinations of stacked and unstacked dies within a package.
The dies are mounted on a substrate which may then be bumped to create either a Chip Scale Package (CSP) or a Ball Grid Array (BGA) as the final package. Present die stacking techniques include mounting smaller dies onto larger ones to enable wire bonding of both, as well as techniques for stacking same-size die. To further increase the memory density and memory bandwidth available in a given size footprint, Package-on-Package (PoP) may be utilized to vertically connect multiple packages such as a logic package with a memory package, where each package may contain one or more die. Still, improvements in packaging are needed as the number of stacked-die in a package is expanded.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.


The present invention relates to shaft coupling and is particularly concerned with the temporary coupling of shafts using fluid coupling. It finds particular applications in gas turbine engines where shafts may be rotating at very different speeds but may equally find utility in other applications.
It is commonplace in gas turbine engines used for aircraft propulsion to remove power from a shaft of an engine during flight to drive aircraft systems and accessories including cabin systems, in-flight entertainment systems and cabin air pressurisation systems. In a three-shaft gas turbine engine it is known to take power from the high pressure (HP) shaft. Since more power is usually available from the intermediate pressure (IP) shaft than the HP shaft, it is beneficial to take power from the IP shaft, particularly during engine descent, and hence reduce fuel consumption compared to the condition if power is taken from the HP shaft. There is a consequent reduction in the amount of fuel required for a flight and thus the cost of that flight. However, there is a requirement to drive the high pressure compressor during engine starting meaning it may be desirable to transfer starting torque from the IP to the HP shaft. Furthermore, under high power off-take conditions when the engine is at idle it may be necessary to transfer power from the HP to the IP shaft. Therefore, there may be a need to couple the high pressure and intermediate pressure shafts for some periods in the engine cycle.
A conventional method of temporarily coupling two shafts is to use fluid coupling. A typical arrangement is shown in FIG. 1 in which a first, intermediate pressure shaft 10 and a second, high pressure shaft 12 are coupled by fluid couplings 14. Typically the fluid couplings 14 comprise two or more ball chambers annularly arrayed around the ends of shafts 10, 12. The chambers 14 are linked by fluid passages 16 so that the working fluid, for example oil, can be distributed into and between the chambers 14 or removed from them. Each chamber 14 and the associated passages 16 is formed in two sections, connected to the IP and HP shafts 10, 12 respectively. When the chambers 14 and passages 16 are filled with oil the two sections of the chambers 14a, 14b are compelled to rotate in approximate synchronicity and thus the shafts 10, 12 are coupled. When decoupling is required, the oil is drained from the chambers 14 and passages 16 so that the two sections are no longer constrained to rotate together but are free to rotate in synchronicity with their respective shafts, which may be rotating at different speeds. Hence the two sections of each chamber 14 rotate independently at different speeds to each other.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods and systems for inspection of an entire wafer surface using multiple channels. Certain embodiments relate to detecting light scattered from different portions of the entire wafer surface using different detection channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fabricating semiconductor devices such as logic and memory devices typically includes processing a specimen such as a semiconductor wafer using a number of semiconductor fabrication processes to form various features and multiple levels of the semiconductor devices. For example, lithography is a semiconductor fabrication process that typically involves transferring a pattern to a resist arranged on a semiconductor wafer. Additional examples of semiconductor fabrication processes include, but are not limited to, chemical-mechanical polishing, etch, deposition, and ion implantation. Multiple semiconductor devices may be fabricated in an arrangement on a semiconductor wafer and then separated into individual semiconductor devices.
Wafers may contain defects both in central portions of the wafers as well as in edge portions of the wafers, which includes a relatively narrow region around the periphery of the wafers, and on the outer edge of the wafers. Examples of defects that may be found in the edge portion and on the outer edge of wafers include, but are not limited to, chips, cracks, scratches, marks, particles, and residual chemicals (e.g., resist and slurry). As wafer sizes continue to increase, both wafer and integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers are becoming more concerned about defectivity at or near the wafer edge. The main concerns are that edge defects could fall onto the central part of the wafer thereby causing untraceable yield loss, cross contamination during processing, and/or catastrophic wafer breakage. These yield loss mechanisms are experienced by most wafer and IC manufacturers at one time or another.
Traditionally, wafer inspection tools are designed to inspect a central portion of the wafers (i.e., a surface area of the wafer on which electrical elements will be formed or a surface area of the wafer opposite that on which electrical elements will be formed). Since these areas of the wafer reflect or scatter relatively small amounts of light, such wafer inspection tools are designed to detect relatively small amounts of light. However, near the outer edge of the wafer, relatively large amounts of light may be reflected or scattered from the wafer due to edge features such as a bevel formed at or near the outer edge. As a result, these large amounts of light will saturate the detectors of traditional wafer inspection systems. Consequently, any output signals generated near or at the edge of wafers by such wafer inspection tools are generally unusable. In some instances, the wafer inspection systems may be designed to block the light from reaching the detectors when inspecting near the edge of the wafer to protect the detectors from damage that may be caused by the relatively high intensity light.
Some edge inspection systems are being developed to detect defects at or near the outer edge of wafers. Examples of apparatuses for detecting defects along the edge of electronic media such as semiconductor wafers are illustrated in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2003/0030050 by Choi and 2003/0030795 by Swan et al., which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Due to the substantially different reflecting and scattering characteristics of the outer edge of wafers in comparison to the inner portion of the wafer, such edge inspection systems have substantially different configurations than the traditional wafer inspection tools. Therefore, the edge inspection systems are not optimized to, or even able to, detect defects in the central portion of the wafers. Consequently, if wafer or IC manufacturers want to detect defects in both the central and outer portions of wafer (as is usually the case since defects in either portion may result in expensive yield losses and other problems), they will need to purchase two separate tools. Using two different wafer inspection tools instead of just one inspection tool will obviously increase costs in many ways such as increases in clean room real estate and operating costs, increases in tool maintenance costs, and increases due to reduced throughput. However, since a tool that is capable of inspecting both the inner and outer portions of wafers is not currently available, and due to the increasing costs associated with defect-based yield losses, wafer and IC manufacturers may not be able to avoid the costs associated with multiple, different inspection tools.
Accordingly, it may be advantageous to develop a wafer inspection system that is capable of inspecting substantially an entire surface of wafers including both center and edge portions of the wafers.


This invention relates generally to a method and system for facilitating the identification, investigation, assessment and management of legal, regulatory financial and reputational risks (“risks”). In particular, the present invention relates to a computerized system and method for banks and non-bank financial institutions to manage risks associated with maintaining investment accounts for a politically identified person (PIP).
Risk associated with maintaining an investment account can include factors associated with financial risk, legal risk, regulatory risk and reputational risk. Financial risk includes factors indicative of monetary costs that the financial institution may be exposed to as a result of opening a particular account and/or transacting business with a particular client. Monetary costs can be related to fines, forfeitures, cost to defend an adverse position, or other related potential sources of expense. Regulatory risk includes factors that may cause the financial institution to be in violation of rules put forth by a regulatory agency such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Reputational risk relates to harm that a financial institution may suffer regarding its professional standing in the industry. A financial institution can suffer from being associated with a situation that may be interpreted as contrary to an image of honesty and forthrightness.
Risk associated with an account for a PIP can be greatly increased due to the nature of a position held by the PIP along with the power and knowledge associated with that position. PIPs can include an elected official, a bureaucrat, a political appointee, a World Bank Official, a military person, or other individual associated with a sovereign power or international organization. In addition, a PIP can be a person who holds a position in the private sector wherein the position is associated with politically sensitive influences. As part of due diligence associated with managing financial accounts, it is imperative for a financial institution to “Know their Customer” including such attributes as a position held by the customer and the magnitude of risk associated with that position.
Compliance officers and other financial institution personnel typically have few resources available to assist them with the identification of present or potential risks associated with a particular investment or trading account associated with a PIP. Risk can be multifaceted and far reaching. The amount of information that needs to be considered to evaluate whether an individual is a PIP, and whether a particular PIP poses a significant risk, is substantial, if not overwhelming. A multi-agency working group drawn from the U.S. Justice and Treasury Departments and various federal agencies issued guidelines to meet the perceived threat arising from the transmission of the proceeds of foreign political corruption to U.S. financial institutions. These guidelines are designed to counsel banks, broker-dealers, and other financial institutions on their obligations with regard to funds that appear to be related to the theft of sovereign assets by foreign political leaders. The guidelines follow in the wake of embarrassing disclosures relating to the transmission of funds to U.S. financial institutions by a long list of foreign leaders including the Marcos family of the Philippines, Raul Salinas of Mexico, and General Abacha of Nigeria.
However, financial institutions do not have available a mechanism which can provide real time assistance to assess a risk factor associated with a PIP, or otherwise qualitatively manage such risk. In the event of investment problems, it is often difficult to quantify to regulatory bodies, shareholders, newspapers and/or other interested parties, the diligence exercised by the financial institution to properly identify and respond to risk factors. Absent a means to quantify good business practices and diligent efforts to contain risk, a financial institution may appear to be negligent in some respect.
While the guidelines offered by the U.S. federal government are only advisory and therefore not a law, rule or regulation, according to the guidelines, deficiencies in a financial institution's anti-money laundering controls may prompt a regulator to require that the guidance be integrated into the institutions policies and procedures.
What is needed is a method and system to assist with risk management and due diligence related to financial accounts associated with a PIP. A new method and system should anticipate offering guidance to personnel who interact with clients and help the personnel identify PIP. In addition, it should be situated to convey risk information to a compliance department and be able to demonstrate to regulators that a financial institution has met standards relating to risk containment.


Glucose-regulating peptides are critical regulatory components of human metabolism. Various peptides have been described with biological effects that result in either an increase or decrease in serum glucose levels. These peptides tend to be highly homologous to each other, even when they possess opposite biological functions. Many glucose regulating peptides, including those used as therapeutics, are typically labile molecules exhibiting short shelf-lives, particularly when formulated in aqueous solutions. In addition, many glucose regulating peptides have limited solubility, or become aggregated during recombinant productions, requiring complex solubilization and refolding procedures. Various chemical polymers can be attached to such peptides and proteins to modify their properties. Of particular interest are hydrophilic polymers that have flexible conformations and are well hydrated in aqueous solutions. A frequently used polymer is polyethylene glycol (PEG). These polymers tend to have large hydrodynamic radii relative to their molecular weight (Kubetzko, S., et al. (2005) Mol Pharmacol, 68: 1439-54), and can result in enhanced pharmacokinetic properties. However, the chemical conjugation of polymers to proteins requires complex multi-step processes; typically, the protein component needs to be produced and purified prior to the chemical conjugation step and the conjugation step can result in the formation of heterogeneous product mixtures that need to be separated, leading to significant product loss. Alternatively, such mixtures can be used as the final pharmaceutical product, but are difficult to standardize. Some examples are currently marketed PEGylated Interferon-alpha products that are used as mixtures (Wang, B. L., et al. (1998) J Submicrosc Cytol Pathol, 30: 503-9; Dhalluin, C., et al. (2005) Bioconjug Chem, 16: 504-17). Such mixtures are difficult to reproducibly manufacture and characterize as they contain isomers with reduced or no therapeutic activity.
Albumin and immunoglobulin fragments such as Fc regions have been used to conjugate other biologically active proteins, with unpredictable outcomes with respect to increases in half-life or immunogenicity. Unfortunately, the Fc domain does not fold efficiently during recombinant expression and tends to form insoluble precipitates known as inclusion bodies. These inclusion bodies must be solubilized and functional protein must be renatured. This is a time-consuming, inefficient, and expensive process that requires additional manufacturing steps and often complex purification procedures.
Thus, there remains a significant need for compositions and methods that would improve the biological, pharmacological, safety, and/or pharmaceutical properties of glucose regulating peptides.


It is known to fill containers while they are arranged in a space that is separated from the environment by a housing. It is also known to expose the containers to laminar flow of sterile air directed from the top down while the containers are in this space. Doing so helps to avoid contamination of the containers with foreign particles, such as dust, germs, or other unwanted substances.
It is also known to have transport sections between container handling machines or assemblies. These container-handling machines convey containers from one container-handling machine to a subsequent container-handling machine along a container-transport direction. A disadvantage of known transport sections is that any empty containers, or containers that have bee filled but not yet sealed, remain un protected against contamination while being transported along a transport section.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a channel allocation method of a wireless network and a system thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a distributed channel allocation method of a wireless mesh network and a system thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, there is a rapid development in the field of wireless broadband access techniques including Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 series), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 series) and 3G, etc. The wireless mesh network (referred to hereinafter as WMN, IEEE 802.11s) is one of the key techniques integrated with the wireless broadband network. The structure of the WMN illustrated in FIG. 1 is a mesh network based on a wireless transmission interface, and the WMN has a similar operation mode to that of an Ad-hoc network. Since the operation of the WMN is based on the wireless transmission interface, it has the advantage of rapid deployment without restriction of the geographical landforms. The WMN is generally applied to a community network, a temporary network of exhibition halls or shopping stalls, networks established in disaster areas or areas having special geographical environments, and so on.
The operation of the WMN is based on the wireless transmission interface. Taking the IEEE 802.11a/g for an example, its transmission bandwidth of data is 54 Mbps (mega bytes per second), which is the maximum possible transmission bandwidth. However, influenced by a MAC (media access control) contention, 802.11 headers, 802.11 ACK signals and packet errors, an average applicable bandwidth is usually less than half of the maximum bandwidth.
Furthermore, the most serious issue lies in that a data transmission rate of a network link layer may be decreased greatly due to signal interference. Two possible interference problems are shown in FIG. 2: (1) interference in the same transmission path, (2) interference in the adjacent transmission paths. Referring to FIG. 2, the signal coverage of a node 3 includes nodes 2, 4 and 9. Similarly, the node 3 is simultaneously in the signal coverage of the nodes 2, 4 and 9. A first transmission path and a second transmission path are paths for data transmission. The first transmission path is taken for an example. When the node 2 and the node 3 are transmitting data, the node 4 may receive signals from the node 3, resulting in the fact that node 4 cannot transmit data to a node 5 provisionally. Therefore, the bandwidth of the first transmission path is reduced, which refers to the so-called interference in the same transmission path.
On the other hand, referring to the node 9 on the second transmission path, since the node 9 is in the signal coverage of the node 3, the node 9 may receive signals from the node 3 when the node 2 and the node 3 are transmitting data, resulting in the fact that the node 9 cannot transmit data to a node 8 or a node 10 provisionally. The phenomenon indicating an interference of data transmission through the first transmission path with that through another transmission path (a second transmission path) represents the so-called interference in the adjacent transmission paths. Therefore, many studies are performed on the WMN to learn how to improve an applicable bandwidth of the WMN by advancing a structural design thereof.
According to the IEEE 802.11s WiFi Mesh standard, a plurality of wireless transmission interfaces is allowed to use different non-overlapping channels for transmission, so as to increase the transmission bandwidth. Therefore, some studies have been developed to increase a network flow by applying multi-network interface cards (referred to hereinafter as Multi-NIC). A method of increasing the network flow includes allocating a plurality of NICs on each node, and each of the NICs may employ a different non-overlapping channel to communicate with other nodes. The advantage of this method lies in that it is unnecessary to modify any existing hardware structures. Only is an integral channel allocation method required for assisting the existing hardware structure, and the network flow can be substantially improved.
A method and a system for assigning channels in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2006/0072502 A1, in which the WLAN infrastructure mode (i.e. a client to hub communication mode) is provided. A mobile node (referred to hereinafter as MN) in the network is connected to an access point (referred to hereinafter as AP) by means of one hop, and the other end of the AP is connected to a wired network, wherein each AP has at least two applicable channels, and each AP is at least adjacent to another AP.
Each AP constantly collects the traffic load information and forecasts a possible throughput on each channel. Thereafter, the AP determines an optimal channel for connecting with the MN within the signal coverage of the AP. However, this channel allocation method only takes the optimal channel within one hop between the AP and the MN into account. Therefore, the application of the method is limited.
Most of the early studies focus on modifying an MAC layer protocol of the network to support a multiple channel transmission. The studies aim to find the optimal channel for transmitting every single packet, so as to avoid the interference. On the other hand, a concept of a Multi-NIC disclosed by V. Bahl et al. and P. H. Hsiao et al. in two articles has drawn attention and discussions recently. One of the articles was authored by V. Bahl, A. Adya, J. Padhye, A. Wolman, entitled “Reconsidering the Wireless LAN Platform with Multiple Radios” Workshop on Future Directions in Network Architecture (FDNA-03), while another one was authored by P. H. Hsiao, A. Hwang, H. T. Kung, and D. Vlah, entitled “Load-Balancing Routing for Wireless Access Networks” Proc. of IEEE Infocom 2001. The method disclosed therein is to install a plurality of the NICs on each node of the Ad-hoc network, and each NIC may dynamically determine a channel for communicating with other nodes. The advantage of this method lies in that it is unnecessary to modify any existing hardware structures. Only is the integral channel allocation method required for assisting the existing hardware structure, and the network flow can be substantially improved. Sequentially, a channel allocation method based on a centralize structure was disclosed by A. Raniwala, K. Gopalan, T. Chiueh, entitled “Centralized channel assignment and routing algorithms for multi-channel wireless mesh networks,” ACM Mobile Computing and Communications Review 8 (2) (2003), which is one of the earliest articles having a formal definition of the channel allocation. In the method, a load-aware channel assignment is performed by an evaluation matrix defined by the authors themselves, the entire network is calculated in overall, and a preferable channel allocation is obtained. Thus, a maximum network flow is then achieved.
In recent studies, a channel allocation technique based on a dynamic & distributed structure has been disclosed, wherein channel allocation information is exchanged by using a common channel framework according to the IEEE 802.11s standard. This technique is based on IEEE 802.11 WLAN standard, wherein a plurality of wireless NICs is installed to support a multi-channel transmission. However, the interference still cannot be avoided in the aforementioned techniques.


When a service provider of communications deploys a communications network, there can be many challenges. Among them include without limitation the cost of deployment, the cost of adding network equipment to accommodate subscriber growth, maintenance of the network, serviceability of the network, and managing the addition of new subscribers to the network—just to mention a few.


Power amplifiers for cellular handsets are optimized for efficiency at, or close to, maximum output power. However, in the field, they may only be called upon to operate near maximum output power for a very small percentage of the time. The rest of the time, they may be operating at back-off output power levels, where their direct current (DC) to radio-frequency (RF) conversion efficiency is very much reduced. This reduced efficiency under practical conditions results in wasted battery power in the handset and, therefore, reduced talk time.


1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to the general field of Integrated Circuit (IC) devices and fabrication methods, and more particularly to multilayer or Three Dimensional Integrated Circuit (3D IC) devices and fabrication methods.
2. Discussion of Background Art
Performance enhancements and cost reductions in generations of electronic device technology has generally been achieved by reducing the size of the device, resulting in an enhancement in device speed and a reduction in the area of the device, and hence, its cost. This may be generally referred to as ‘device scaling’. The dominant electronic device technology in use today may be the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) technology.
Performance and cost are driven by transistor scaling and the interconnection, or wiring, between those transistors. As the dimensions of the device elements have approached the nanometer scale, the interconnection wiring now dominates the performance, power, and density of integrated circuit devices as described in J. A. Davis, et. al., Proc. IEEE, vol 89, no. 3, pp. 305-324, March 2001 (Davis).
Davis further teaches that three dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs), i.e. electronic chips in which active layers of transistors are stacked one above the other, separated by insulating oxides and connected to each other by metal interconnect wires, may be the best way to continue Moore's Law, especially as device scaling slows, stops, or becomes too costly to continue. 3D integration would provide shorter interconnect wiring and hence improved performance, lower power consumption, and higher density devices.
One approach to a practical implementation of a 3D IC independently processes two fully interconnected integrated circuits including transistors and wiring, thins one of the wafers, bonds the two wafers together, and then makes electrical connections between the bonded wafers with Thru Silicon Vias (TSV) that may be fabricated prior to or after the bonding. This approach may be less than satisfactory as the density of TSVs may be limited, because they may require large landing pads for the TSVs to overcome the poor wafer to wafer alignment and to allow for the large (about one to ten micron) diameter of the TSVs as a result of the thickness of the wafers bonded together. Additionally, handling and processing thinned silicon wafers may be very difficult and prone to yield loss. Current prototypes of this approach only obtain TSV densities of 10,000 s per chip, in comparison to the millions of interconnections currently obtainable within a single chip.
By utilizing Silicon On Insulator (SOI) wafers and glass handle wafers, A. W. Topol, et. al., in the IEDM Tech Digest, p363-5 (2005), describe attaining TSVs of tenths of microns. The TSV density may be still limited as a result from misalignment issues resulting from pre-forming the random circuitry on both wafers prior to wafer bonding. In addition, SOI wafers are more costly than bulk silicon wafers.
Another approach may be to monolithically build transistors on top of a wafer of interconnected transistors. The utility of this approach may be limited by the requirement to maintain the reliability of the high performance lower layer interconnect metallization, such as, for example, aluminum and copper, and low-k intermetal dielectrics, and hence limits the allowable temperature exposure to below approximately 400° C. Some of the processing steps to create useful transistor elements may require temperatures above about 700° C., such as activating semiconductor doping or crystallization of a previously deposited amorphous material such as silicon to create a poly-crystalline silicon (polysilicon or poly) layer. It may be very difficult to achieve high performance transistors with only low temperature processing and without mono-crystalline silicon channels. However, this approach may be useful to construct memory devices where the transistor performance may not be critical.
Bakir and Meindl in the textbook “Integrated Interconnect Technologies for 3D Nanosystems”, Artech House, 2009, Chapter 13, illustrate a 3D stacked Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) where the silicon for the stacked transistors is produced using selective epitaxy technology or laser recrystallization. This concept may be unsatisfactory as the silicon processed in this manner may have a higher defect density when compared to single crystal silicon and hence may suffer in performance, stability, and control. It may also require higher temperatures than the underlying metallization or low-k intermetal dielectric could be exposed to without reliability concerns.
Sang-Yun Lee in U.S. Pat. No. 7,052,941 discloses methods to construct vertical transistors by preprocessing a single crystal silicon wafer with doping layers activated at high temperature, layer transferring the wafer to another wafer with preprocessed circuitry and metallization, and then forming vertical transistors from those doping layers with low temperature processing, such as etching silicon. This may be less than satisfactory as the semiconductor devices in the market today utilize horizontal or horizontally oriented transistors and it would be very difficult to convince the industry to move away from the horizontal. Additionally, the transistor performance may be less than satisfactory as a result from large parasitic capacitances and resistances in the vertical structures, and the lack of self-alignment of the transistor gate.
A key technology for 3D IC construction may be layer transfer, whereby a thin layer of a silicon wafer, called the donor wafer, may be transferred to another wafer, called the acceptor wafer, or target wafer. As described by L. DiCioccio, et. al., at ICICDT 2010 pg 110, the transfer of a thin (about tens of microns to tens of nanometers) layer of mono-crystalline silicon at low temperatures (below approximately 400° C.) may be performed with low temperature direct oxide-oxide bonding, wafer thinning, and surface conditioning. This process is called “Smart Stacking” by Soitec (Crolles, France). In addition, the “SmartCut” process is a well understood technology used for fabrication of SOI wafers. The “SmartCut” process employs a hydrogen implant to enable cleaving of the donor wafer after the layer transfer. These processes with some variations and under different names may be commercially available from SiGen (Silicon Genesis Corporation, San Jose, Calif.). A room temperature wafer bonding process utilizing ion-beam preparation of the wafer surfaces in a vacuum has been recently demonstrated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. This process allows room temperature layer transfer.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data problem diagnosing tools and, more particularly, to a method and system for systematically diagnosing data problems in a database.
2. Description of the Related Art
DataBase Administrators (DBAs) monitor and maintain databases to ensure accurate and consistent storage of data in the databases. DBAs load and retrieve data to and from the database using a programming language called SQL (Structured Query Language) which is well known to DBAs. In a database, data are stored in tables. Each table has a set of rows and fields (columns). Each row in the table is identifiable by one or a combination of unique identifiers known as “keys” and each field in the table is identifiable by a field name. A field containing the keys is known as a “key field.” DBAs and database programmers utilize keys and field names to retrieve particular data from a database table.
Conventionally, when the integrity of data stored in a database is questioned, the DBA attempts to diagnose the nature of the problem and/or the exact location of the problem using one of the standard SQL statements known as “SELECT.” A SELECT statement is an SQL command for retrieving data from one or more tables of the database. Without knowing the exact nature or location of the data problem in the database, the DBA must speculate on where the problem may lie and use the SELECT statement to retrieve data from the potential problem areas of the database. The DBA compares the retrieved data with some source to determine whether inaccurate or inconsistent data are stored in the database, and whether any data is missing from a particular location in the database. This process is repeated until the DBA can diagnose properly the data problem in the database. As a result, the conventional process of diagnosing data problems in the database can be extremely time consuming and inefficient. Furthermore, the DBA must keep track of any data retrieved during this process and manually compare data sets to determine the exact nature and/or location of the data problem. This also can be tedious and is prone to human error.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved technique by which data integrity problems or other problems in a database can be diagnosed more quickly and more systematically, thereby overcoming problems encountered in conventional data problem diagnosing techniques for databases.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to microelectronic structures and fabrication methods, and more particularly to the formation of interconnect insulation having low dielectric constants.
2. Background
Advances in semiconductor manufacturing technology have led to the development of integrated circuits having multiple levels of interconnect. In such an integrated circuit, patterned conductive material on one interconnect level is electrically insulated from patterned conductive material on another interconnect level by films of material such as silicon dioxide.
A consequence of having of patterned conductive material separated by an insulating material, whether the conductive material is on a single level or multiple levels, is the formation of undesired capacitors. The parasitic capacitance between patterned conductive material, or more simply, interconnects, separated by insulating material on microelectronic devices contributes to effects such as RC delay, power dissipation, and capacitively coupled signals, also known as cross-talk.
FIGS. 1(a)-(b) illustrate a conventional approach to providing an insulating material between interconnect lines. A layer of conductive material is deposited onto the surface of a substrate 102 and then patterned to provide interconnect lines 104, as shown in FIG. 1(b). An inter-layer dielectric 106 is then formed as shown in FIG. 1(b). Inter-layer dielectric 106 generally fills the space between and above interconnect lines 104. The parasitic capacitance seen by an interconnect line is a function of the distance to another conductor and the dielectric constant of the material therebetween.
One way to reduce the unwanted capacitance between the interconnects is to increase the distance between them. Increased spacing between interconnect has adverse consequences such as increased area requirements, and corresponding increases in manufacturing costs. Another way to reduce the unwanted capacitance between the interconnects is to use an insulating material with a lower dielectric constant.
What is needed is a structure providing low parasitic capacitance between patterned conductors, and methods of making such a structure.