Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus includes a retaining ring having a flexible lower portion and a rigid upper portion. A shim can be inserted between the retaining ring and a base of the carrier head to improve the retaining ring lifetime. A seal may be inserted between the retaining ring and a flexible membrane to seal the chamber between the flexible membrane and the base.

Abstract: A metering system provides a measuring level with multiple meters and a collection level with multiple collectors. Each meter periodically measures a parameter, such as electricity consumption, and stores measurement information. Each meter periodically transmits its stored measurement information to a collector by a wireless signal. When a collector receives a transmission, it determines which meter sent the transmission, and then extracts unprocessed measurement information. The collector then processes the measurement information to generate a metered function, such as a load profile, a time-of-use profile, or a demand profile. The collector can compensate for missed transmissions and power failures. The metered functions for each meter are transmitted from the collectors to a monitoring station.

Abstract: The invention is embodied in a coil antenna for radiating RF power supplied by an RF source into a vacuum chamber of an inductively coupled plasma reactor which processes a semiconductor wafer in the vacuum chamber, the reactor having a gas supply inlet for supplying processing gases into the vacuum chamber, the coil antenna including plural concentric spiral conductive windings, each of the windings having an interior end near an apex of a spiral of the winding and an outer end at a periphery of the spiral of the winding, and a common terminal connected to the interior ends of the plural concentric spiral windings, the RF power source being connected across the terminal and the outer end of each one of the windings.

Abstract: Methods, compositions and articles of manufacture are provided for conducting specific binding assays to determine the concentration or presence of at least one analyte in a sample. At least two dendrimer-reagent preparations with different analyte specificities may be immobilized on a solid phase. Alternatively, at least one dendrimer-reagent preparation having multiple specificities may be immobilized on a solid phase. Immobilization is facilitated by coupling specific binding assay reagents such as polypeptide receptors or analytes with water soluble polymers. Such water soluble polymers, for example star polymers such as dendrimers, provide production advantages of lot-to-lot uniformity and homogeneity, and can enhance sensitivity due to low non-specific binding to the solid phase.

Abstract: A method of treating a mammal suffering from benign or malignant proliferative skin disease, e.g., melanoma or malignant skin metastases of melanoma, by topically administering to the mammal at the site of said diseased skin an effective amount of a somatostatin analog containing six or more amino acids.

Abstract: A circuit for counting events occurring between two different clock domains includes a gray code counter having at least two stages. The gray code counter is incremented by the event to be counted. Dual rank synchronizer circuit and delay flip/flops are coupled to the counter. The circuit includes a comparison logic circuit fed by outputs from the dual rank synchronizers and the delay flip/flops to produce an output signal having a binary value corresponding to a number of events that occurred between transitions of the second clock.

Abstract: The invention relates to detecting leaks in a pipeline using enhanced methods of data sensing, digitally encoded transmission, and cross-correlation. A plurality of acoustic sensors are applied to the pipeline to sense a combination of signals from the leak and much greater quantities of noise. The sensed data is digitized at the sensor, encoded and digitally transmitted to a computerized base station. The encoded data from a plurality of sensors received at the base station is decoded, digitally filtered and cross-correlated. Enhanced methods of cross-correlation are performed to estimate the likely presence of a leak and the location and size of any leaks present. Participation in the leak detection procedure by an expert not present at the pipeline is facilitated by communication of data between the base station and a distant supervisory station.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a glass carafe (1) for storing a brewed beverage, comprising a glass vessel (2) having at its upper end (23) an opening (28) bounded by a rim (34). Affixed to the rim (34) is a plastic ring structure (30) provided with a pouring spout (39) and composed of a first (31), second (32) and third (33) ring. The third ring (33) serves as an outer boundary for the opening (28). The second ring (32) bears against the rim (34) of the glass vessel (2) from above. The first ring (31) engages from above within the opening (28) of the glass vessel (2) by resilient fastening elements (35). An annular circumferential neck (26) is formed on the glass vessel (2) below the rim (34). The fastening elements (35) resiliently engage the inside of the neck (26) from above, resting flush against the inner wall ( 27) in the area of the neck (26). Both the third ring (33) and the first ring (31) extend at a relative distance to the opening (28).

Abstract: An instruction eases exception handling in a data processing system having one or more parallel pipelined execution units by permitting the central processing unit to complete instructions currently being processed by the execution units, but preventing further instructions from being initiated until all currently executing instructions have been completed and all outstanding exception conditions have been resolved. After all the instructions preceding the DRAIN instruction of the present invention in the program instruction sequence have been executed, the central processing unit can continue to execute the sequential program instructions when no arithmetic exception has been identified, or can invoke an exception handling procedure when an arithmetic exception has been identified. The instruction is typically positioned in an instruction sequence after an instruction that has high degree of probability of resulting in the identification of an arithmetic exception condition.

Abstract: A thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyester containing two different recurring units with each of the units linked to another via an ester bond, the two different recurring units having the respective formulae ##STR1## in which X is ##STR2## wherein m is 4-10, inclusive; and Y is ##STR3## wherein n is 11-18, inclusive; and the molar ratio of X to Y in the copolyester ranging from 9:1 to 2:8.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the film correction of the thickness profile of a blown portion in the production of bubble film in which the flow of cooling air is varied in individual peripheral regions of the film bubble. According to the invention, at least part of the cooling air is taken via an exit slot which is divided into individual separately fed segments in the peripheral direction of the film bubble and the supply of additional cooling air via the exit slot is, for example, controlled per segment using radial blowers. In this manner it is possible accurately to regulate the cooling action and thus the film thickness in the individual peripheral regions of the film bubble.

Abstract: High heat-conductive, thick film multilayered circuit board for high speed signal transmission in a high frequency region, the circuit board comprising: a substrate having high heat conductivity; an oxidized layer formed on a surface of said substrate; an electrically conductive layer formed of a printed paste containing therein crystallized glass; and an insulating layer formed of a printed insulating paste comprised of crystallized glass as a principal constitutent, wherein at least one of said conductive layer and at least one of said insulating layer are alternately disposed by printing on the oxidized layer of said substrate, and said conductive and insulating layers have been heated to form solid layers. The substrate is AlN, SiC/BeO, SiC, Cu/W and/or ZrB.sub.2 having a heat conductively of 40-140 W/m.multidot.k at room temperature. The layers have high adhesion strength to the substrate and the insulating layer has a low dielectric constant.

Abstract: A track guiding guard for a crawler type vehicle which is mounted along the lower side of a track frame is disclosed. The track guiding guard comprises a pair of left and right guard members which rotatably support track rollers. Each guard member has a slanted bottom surface which defines a limit angle of inclination between the same and the upper surfaces of track shoes that face the bottom surface, the angle diverging laterally outward. Each guard member further defines a predetermined gap between the inner side surface of the lower end thereof and the outer ends of track pins that face the inner side surface. The gap is so set that when the bottom surface of the guard member is seated on the upper surfaces of the track shoes, the inner side surface of the lower end of the guard member substantially comes into contact with the outer ends of the track pins.

Abstract: An electrooptic modulator includes structure defining a single crystal substrate upon which are positioned, in succession, an inside reflector formed by a set of epitaxial single crystal layers, a resonator layer and an outside reflector formed by another set of epitaxial single crystal layers. A first part of the structure, including one or more of the inside reflector, substrate and resonator layer, is electrically conductive (either p-type or n-type conduction) and a second part, including the outside reflector and/or the resonator layer, is electrically conductive (either n-type or p-type conduction, but a different to the first part).

Abstract: A gel electrophoresis apparatus for separating DNA molecules of high molecular weight having means for generating at least two electric fields oriented transversely to each other, and a gel box, shaped, and contoured to simultaneously form both the electric fields into uniform electric fields.

Abstract: Substantially all available heat from a combustion gas stream is extracted by passing it through a cool, porous heat sink, which is thereby heated, and then releasing that heat into a cool air stream blown through the same porous heat sink in a second step (preferably in the opposite flow direction). The heat sink absorbs substantially all the available heat of combustion rather than merely scavenging what would otherwise be stack losses. The invention provides an improved means of recovering virtually all the available heat produced by combustion of a fuel gas. It permits recovery of the heat lost in a conventional single-zone furnace. The improved heat recovery is achieved without contamination of the ambient air with exhaust gas residues as occurs in direct-fired systems, and without incurring the problems of corrosion and waste disposal inherent in two-zone indirectly-fired systems.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for preparing hydroxybenzoic acid polyer resins with a high degree of heat resistance and a high degree of polymerization, and is characterized in that: with the aid of intermediate transformation of phenol and by means of esterification, polyester can directly be obtained by polycondensation from the only starting material hydroxybenzoic acid. The transfer medium phenol existing in the distillates mixture can directly and repeatedly be used without any compensation. The product obtained in this invention is low cost, having a high degree of polymerization, 80-90% yield and in less than 1 hr, with 3% weight loss percentage at 400.degree. C. It can be used for various industrial and engineering purposes wherever heat-resistant, abrasion-resistant, self-lubricating, good heat conducting, dielectric, solvent and radiation resisting properties are required.

Abstract: A screen bowl centrifuge having slots which have successive portions which slope lengthwise toward a common axis, and additionally, slots which slope laterally toward the common axis. The screen bowl centrifuge may also have slots which conform to the predominant path of solids through the centrifuge by providing helically shaped screen bowl elements.

Abstract: A circuit controls the sound pressure level produced by a separate bass transducer in a multi-channel audio system having a number of upper frequency channels such that the perceived frequency response of the system remains substantially constant.

Abstract: A large number (e.g., 20 or more) independent processors are connected by a network that provides high data throughput (e.g., 64 megabits/second). The network has redundant data, arbitration, and status/control buses. The buses extend across a plurality of microstripline backplanes connected together by impedance-matched twisted-pair cables. Data is transmitted in packets, along with status signals that provide error detection information.