Abstract: The invention provides structure and method for achieving a uniformly polished or planarized substrate such as a semiconductor wafer including achieving substantially uniform polishing between the center of the semiconductor wafer and the edge of the wafer. In one aspect the invention provides a polishing apparatus including a housing, a carrier for mounting a substrate to be polished, a retaining ring circumscribing the carrier for retaining the substrate, a first coupling attaching the retaining ring to the carrier such that the retaining ring may move relative to the carrier, a second coupling attaching the carrier to the housing such that the carrier may move relative to the housing, the housing and the first coupling defining a first pressure chamber to exert a pressure force against the retaining ring, and the housing and the second coupling defining a second pressure chamber to exert a pressure force against the subcarrier. In one embodiment, the couplings are diaphragms.

Abstract: A reduced profile eyelid weight longer and wider than traditional eyelid weights but thinner so as to provide a less protruding profile.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer matching system used by a plurality of users and the method therefor, said system comprising a database; an offer creation program means for creating an entity for an offer input by each user in the database and storing said offer therein; and a search engine for comparing and matching a requirement input by a user with other users' offers stored in the database and returning matching results to said user. Advantageously, said requirement includes multiple elements as search criteria, each of said elements is assigned a weight of importance thereby each matching result has a search score indicating satisfaction level of said user, said search engine further perform ordering and ranking of said matching results according to the respective search scores thereof, and only the matching results have search scores above a predetermined satisfaction level are returned to said user.

Abstract: A pressure control apparatus for use with wireline pressure equipment. The pressure control apparatus has a first portion which may be located in close proximity to the wireline pressure equipment. The first portion has at least one fluid pressure outlet and at least one controlling mechanism to facilitate control of the fluid pressure outlet. The controlling mechanism is operable by a control system, at least a portion of which is located remote from the first portion in, for instance a control cabin. Also, a method of controlling pressure equipment used in the exploration, production and/or exploitation of hydrocarbons and a regulating device.

Abstract: A network analysis system obtains parameter data generated by telecommunications network equipment, in which the parameter data represents operational parameters of the network. The network analysis system processes the parameter data to generate symptom data from test procedures that are applied to the parameter data. Fault data is generated that is representative of faults that may have occurred, on the basis of the symptom data and relationship data representative of the relationship between the symptom data and the faults. The relationship between a symptom and a fault represents likelihood of the symptom being caused by the fault. The system also generates occurrence data that is representative of faults that probably have occurred, on the basis of the fault data.

Abstract: A lower frame structure of a foldable playyard comprises a hub which is operable to lock the lower frame structure at an erected state and to unlock the lower frame structure to allow it to collapse to a collapsed state; four hub legs, one end portion of each of the hub legs being pivotally coupled to the hub such that the hub legs is capable of pivotal in a longitudinal direction of the hub between a erected position and a collapsed position; and a first and a second auxiliary supporting units disposed between a first hub leg and a forth hub leg, and a second hub leg and a third hub leg respectively, each auxiliary supporting member comprising a first tube whose first end is pivotally coupled to a hub leg, a second tube whose first end is pivotally coupled to another hub leg, and an elbow joint member pivotally coupling a second end of the first tube and a second end of the second tube, whereby as the lower frame structure is extended to a erected state the hub legs and the first and second auxiliary support

Abstract: System for delivering an implant to tissue to be treated which includes a housing, a delivery head which carries the implant and is movable between extended and retracted positions relative to the housing, an actuator mounted in the housing and connected to the delivery head for moving the delivery head from the retracted position to the extended position and back to the retracted position, and a depth gauge mounted to the housing for determining how far the implant is inserted into the tissue when the delivery head is moved to the extended position.

Abstract: A technique for immobilizing biological molecules, in particular nucleic acid strands, is described. Biological molecules immobilized at surfaces can be used in electron-transfer detection techniques in which a binding partner of a biological molecule is brought into proximity of the surface-immobilized biological molecule, an electrical potential created between the two biologically-binding species, and electron transfer through the species determined. Another technique involves immobilizing a bioligical molecule such as a protein, DNA, etc. at a surface via a self-assembled monolayer, affecting the biological molecule via, for example, biological binding, inducing a change in conformation via a prion, etc., and detecting an electronic property change in the molecule via a change in inpedence associated with an electronic circuit addressed by the biological molecule. These technique facilitates combinatorial array detection articles.

Abstract: Immunocompromised or immunosuppressed non-primate chimeric mammalian hosts comprising a neuronal graft in the eye are provided for studying various events associated with humans. Particularly, the chimeric host may have solely human fetal neuronal xenografts or other fetal xenografts with other tissue, where the various tissues may be studied as to their response to a variety of agents, their response to pathogens or other diseased states, or their response to agents for the treatment of the various indications.

Abstract: A system, an IC chip, a test structure formed on the IC chip, and a corresponding method for modeling one or more target interconnect capacitances is disclosed. The test structure comprises an interconnect configuration comprising a test interconnect and one or more target interconnects. The interconnect configuration has, for each target interconnect, a corresponding target interconnect capacitance between the test interconnect and the target interconnect. The test structure also comprises a test interconnect charging circuit connected to the test interconnect. The test interconnect charging circuit is configured to place a test charge on the test interconnect. The test structure further comprises one or more target interconnect charging circuits. Each target interconnect charging circuit is connected to a corresponding target interconnect.

Abstract: Methods for creating and using polypeptide probes with high affinity for any desirable coiled coil region are described, as well as heterospecific polypeptide probes directed to the coiled coil region of a target polypeptide. Core residue packing rules are provided for selective amino acid pairing and packing in the hydrophobic core of the interhelical interface.

Abstract: A stowable cargo restraining gate assembly (10, 10′, 10″, 10′″) for restraining cargo (100) in a cargo space (30) of a transport vehicle (40). The assembly preferably includes a bed liner structure (20, 20′, 20″, 20′″)that may be positioned on the bed of the cargo space (30) and at least one gate member (60, 60′, 60″, 60′″) that may be flexible or rigid. When not deployed to retain cargo, the gate member (60, 60′, 60″, 60′″) is storable in a gate storage cavity (70, 70′, 70″, 70′″)in the bed liner. In one embodiment, a flexible gate member (60) is rolled about an axle (110) and stored in a cavity (70) in the bed liner (20). During use, an end member (50) of the flexible gate member is pulled to unroll a length thereof that may be used to close a side of the cargo space (30), preferably the rear of aft end (31) of the storage space.

Abstract: An optical microswitch comprising a support body and first and second output fibers carried by the body. A rotary electrostatic microactuator is carried by the body and extends in plane. A micromirror is disposed out of the plane. The microactuator has a mirror holder coupled to the micromirror and at least one comb drive assembly coupled to the mirror holder for driving the micromirror about an axis of rotation extending perpendicular to the plane between a first position for reflecting a laser beam to the first output fiber and a second position for reflecting the laser beam to the second output fiber.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a playing card dispensing shoe apparatus, system and method wherein the shoe has a card scanner which scans the indicia on a playing card as the card moves along and out of a chute of the shoe by operation of the dealer. The scanner comprises an optical-sensor used in combination with a neural network which is trained using error back-propagation to recognize the card suits and card values of the playing cards as they are moved past the scanner. The scanning process in combination with a central processing unit (CPU) determines the progress of the play of the game and, by identifying card counting systems or basic playing strategies in use by the players of the game, provides means to limit or prevent casino losses and calculate the Theoretical Win of the casino, thus also providing an accurate quality method of the amount of comps to be given a particular player.

Abstract: A conduit connector and method for coupling a plurality of conduit sections together. The connector includes a conduit body having a first inlet, a second inlet and an interior cavity extending between the first and second inlets. The conduit body is split longitudinally between the inlets into a front member and a back member. The connector also includes a locking system for securing the front and back members together. The method includes the steps of providing a pair of connector sections, one having spaced apart first arcuate stretches and the other having spaced apart second arcuate stretches. The arcuate stretches are each shaped and positioned to engage the exterior end of a corresponding conduit section.

Abstract: Method and composition for making an expanded polyethylene material by forming a foamable melt of polyethylene, a nucleating agent, a material which retards migration of alkanes, and a blowing agent which comprises 10 to 100 mole percent ethane. In one disclosed embodiment, the melt is passed through an annular extrusion die to form an elongated tube of extruded material which is then expanded, slit lengthwise and laid flat to form a sheet of the expanded material.

Abstract: A system, an IC chip, a test structure formed on the IC chip, and a corresponding method for modeling one or more target interconnect capacitances is disclosed. The test structure comprises an interconnect configuration comprising a test interconnect and one or more target interconnects. The interconnect configuration has, for each target interconnect, a corresponding target interconnect capacitance between the test interconnect and the target interconnect. The test structure also comprises a test interconnect charging circuit connected to the test interconnect. The test interconnect charging circuit is configured to place a test charge on the test interconnect. The test structure further comprises one or more target interconnect charging circuits. Each target interconnect charging circuit is connected to a corresponding target interconnect.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treatment of a wafer is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating chamber having a heat source. A cooling chamber is positioned adjacent to the heating chamber and includes a cooling source. A wafer holder is configured to move between the cooling chamber and the heating chamber through a passageway and one or more shutters defines the size of the passageway. The one or more shutters are movable between an open position where the wafer holder can pass through the passageway and an obstructing position which defines a passageway which is smaller than the passageway defined when the shutter is in the open position.

Abstract: A flash memory circuit includes a word line decoder with even and odd word line latches and a source line decoder with a source line latch. The word line decoders and the source line decoder provide the capability of erasing the memory cells of two adjacent word lines in a flash memory simultaneously and a verifying the memory cells word line by word line. By erasing two adjacent rows simultaneously, the embodiments of this invention eliminate over-erasure and source disturbance problems associated with conventional flash memory circuits. The decoding architecture provides flexible erase size that may be from a pair to a large number of multiple pairs of word lines. By dividing the memory cells of a word line into a number of segments and having segmented source lines controlled by source segment control lines and transistors, the decoding circuit further provides the capability of selecting the memory cells of a word line segment for erasing.