Abstract: A method of forming a doped portion of a semiconductor substrate includes: defining a plurality of protruding portions on the substrate surface, the protruding portions having a minimum height; providing a pattern layer above the substrate surface; removing portions of the pattern layer from predetermined substrate portions; performing an ion implantation procedure such that an angle of the ions with respect to the substrate surface is less than 90°, wherein the ions are stopped by the pattern layer and by the protruding portions, the predetermined substrate portions thereby being doped with the ions; and removing the pattern layer.

Abstract: A game playset includes at least one movable game piece object for a player to advance during game play. It also includes a game board which has a path provided thereon across which the at least one movable game piece object advances. The game board also including a plurality of components attached to a surface of the game board, and each of the plurality of components is pivotably mounted and has a manual trigger associated therewith. So when a first of the plurality of components pivots downwardly in a falling motion, it comes into contact with a corresponding trigger associated with a second of the plurality of components, thereby causing the second of the plurality of components to pivot downwardly by falling.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package includes at least two electronic circuits. A first of the at least two electronic circuits includes a digital input and a digital output and a test mode control line for setting the first integrated circuit chip into a determined test mode. The digital input includes at least two parallel input paths and the digital output includes at least two parallel output paths. The at least two parallel input paths and at least two parallel output paths provide a corresponding number of internal paths by which the first electronic circuit and a second electronic circuit can be tested essentially simultaneously.

Abstract: A flotation device includes an elongated and flexible member with a channel extending between longitudinal ends of the flexible member, where the flexible member is configured to support an individual within water during a recreational activity, and a nozzle member securable to the flexible member. The nozzle member includes a flexible bulb member with at least one opening and a shaft suitably dimensioned to fit within the channel of the flexible member to secure the nozzle member to the flexible member. The bulb member can be squeezed to establish a pressure differential between a location within the bulb member and a location near the at least one opening.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for generating a sequence of blocks of randomly permuted multi-bit data elements includes an input register (12) that produces a repeating block of distinct input data elements from which output blocks of permuted data elements are generated. A permutation logic unit (14) forms an output data element from each input data element in accordance with random data stored in random code memories (16). The output data element produced by the permutation logic unit is supplied to an output register (18). The manner in which the random data is selected and applied by the permutation logic unit ensures that each of the data elements in the input block will be mapped into an output position in the output block.

Abstract: In a transient electromagnetic or pulse induction type metal detecting apparatus having a receiving coil attached to a sensor, a method and apparatus is disclosed of determining a null point comprising determining a series of post transient output values for the sensor at predetermined times; forming a summation of the output values or their negatives; and altering the predetermined times so as to minimise the summation.