Abstract: A vehicle equipment rack that includes first, second and third rotatably interconnected members. The second and third members rotate between a first position in which all three members are aligned and a second position in which the second and third members are angularly offset from the first member. The second and third members may also angularly offset from one another when the second and third members are in the second position. The vehicle equipment rack may also include a drive train operatively connected between the second and third members. The drive train is configured to rotate one of these moveable members upon rotation of the moveable member.

Abstract: A tube for use in a thermal processing furnace. The tube comprises an elongated cylindrical tube having an inner surface with a plurality of dimples disposed thereon. In one preferred version of the invention, the dimples are formed as an integral part of the inner surface of the cylindrical tube. In another aspect of the invention, the dimpled furnace tube is incorporated into a thermal processing furnace. In this aspect of the invention, the furnace includes a furnace tube having an inner surface describing an elongated cylindrical heated chamber for receiving and processing a plurality of axially aligned spaced apart semiconductor wafers. The inner surface has a plurality of dimples disposed thereon. The furnace further includes an inlet for introducing reactant and/or inert gases into one end of the cylindrical chamber to flow axially within the chamber by the wafers and an outlet for removing the gases from the cylindrical chamber.

Abstract: A novel modular muffle etch injector assembly for use in a gas blanketed down-flow chemical vapor deposition apparatus of the type having a muffle and a modular gas injector assembly for introducing chemical vapors into a deposition chamber, the muffle being adapted for receiving and supporting the gas injector assembly, wherein deposition material residue collects on a lower surface of the muffle. The etch injector assembly of the present invention comprises an etch chamber having vertical sidewalls, a closed top end and an open bottom end, a supply mechanism for introducing a liquid etchant into the etch chamber, and a sealing device disposed along the open end of the etch chamber for providing a seal between the etch chamber and the lower surface of the muffle to confine the etchant to the etch chamber. The etch injector assembly preferably also includes an exhaust means for removing chemical vapors from the etch chamber.

Abstract: A wafer lift for lifting a series of vertically oriented wafers arranged parallel to one another in a cassette. The wafer lift comprises a lift plate and an actuator mechanism for raising the lift plate. The lift plate has a contact surface for engaging the edge of each of the wafers. The contact surface extends upward at a predetermined angle so that, when the lift plate is raised and the contact surface engages the edges of the wafers, each wafer is lifted incrementally higher than the preceding wafer. The actuator mechanism includes a bell crank rotatable about a pivotal axis for transforming rotational motion into translational motion. The bell crank has first and second crank arms that extend radially from the pivotal axis and an arcuate member that extends circumferentially between and joining the crank arms. Thus, the arcuate member forms the circumferential perimeter of the bell crank.

Abstract: A system ling client computers, particularly client notebook computers, to communicate with a computer local area network (LAN) using infrared or other transparent links. The system includes a pseudo nic driver, transparent communication hardware, and a transparent link in a network interface unit. The pseudo nic driver hides the technical details of the transparent communications by presenting itself as a traditional nic driver to the client networking software. The network interface unit bi-directionally communicates via the transparent link with an, for example, an infrared enabled client computer and performs the necessary bridging between the low level infrared signals and traditional LAN system such as Ethernet.

Abstract: A pair of thin film transistors formed in adjacent layers of polysilicon. The gate of the first TFT and the source, drain and channel regions of the second TFT are formed in the first polysilicon layer. The source, drain and channel regions of the first TFT and the gate of the second TFT are formed in the second polysilicon layer. A dielectric layer is interposed between the first and second polysilicon layers. The first TFT gate overlaps the second TFT drain region in the first polysilicon layer and the second TFT gate overlaps the first TFT drain region in the second polysilicon layer. In another aspect of the invention, two TFTs are incorporated into a SRAM memory cell.

Abstract: A composite wall system that uses fiber bales or other quasi-structural building blocks in conjunction with a bracing system that stabilizes vertical rods to create columns capable of transferring the gravity compressive loads on the wall to the foundation. Rod columns are installed vertically along a line between the inside and outside faces of the wall. The rods extend from a foundation at the bottom end to a header at the top end. The rods are operatively connected to trusses or beams integrated into the layers of bales. The trusses or beams braces and thereby immobilizes the rods in all horizontal directions at every bale interface.

Abstract: A method of forming a transistor in a peripheral circuit of a random access memory device wherein a transistor gate, capacitor electrode or other component in the memory cell array is formed simultaneously with the formation of a transistor gate in the periphery.

Abstract: A novel batch processing system used, for example, in plasma etching and chemical vapor deposition, wherein the pressure in the reactor is cycled through a varying pressure to increase the transfer of the reactant materials to the center of the wafer. One version of the invention provides a method that includes the steps of (i) feeding reactant gases into a reaction vessel, (ii) exhausting unused reactive gases and/or reaction by-products from the reaction vessel, and (iii) cycling the pressure in the reaction vessel between a higher pressure P.sub.high and a lower pressure P.sub.low. Another version of the invention provides an apparatus that comprises (i) a reaction vessel, (ii) a feed means for feeding reactive gases into the reaction vessel, (iii) an exhaust means for exhausting unused reactive gases and/or reaction by-products from the reaction vessel, and (d) a pressure control means for cycling the pressure in the reaction vessel between a higher pressure P.sub.high and a lower pressure P.sub.low.

Abstract: A swivel seat for a vehicle that provides a fixed seating platform surrounding a swivel seating platform and a smooth transition from the edge of the vehicle seat to the seating platform. In one version of the invention the swivel seat includes a rotatable inner portion and a fixed outer portion surrounding the inner portion. Preferably, the inner portion is elevated above the surrounding outer portion only enough to allow the inner portion to rotate freely. That is, the inner and outer portions are nearly flush with one another. In a second version, the seat includes a rotatable seating platform and a curved lip disposed adjacent to and extending away from the seating platform. The lip is configured to conform generally to the edge of a vehicle seat to provide a smooth transition from the edge of the vehicle seat to the seating platform. These two novel features may be combined in a swivel seat that includes the two piece seating platform and the lip.

Abstract: An extended travel wire bonding machine that includes a first positioning table movable along an X axis in a first horizontal plane, a second positioning table movable along X and Y axes in a second horizontal plane, the second positioning table being supported on the first positioning table, and a bond head supported on the second positioning table. The wire bonding machine may also include a bonding tool attached to the bond head and a carrier for supporting the leadframe strip under the bonding tool. The first positioning table is moveable for substantially the entire length of the leadframe strip to allow the bonding tool to be successively moved over each semiconductor die on the leadframe strip.

Abstract: A bicycle carrier and a vehicle mounted bicycle rack that carries bicycles vertically across the back of the vehicle, rather than horizontally out from the back of the vehicle as in conventional carriers. The bicycle carrier includes a cradle arm that cradles the front tire of the bicycle and one or both of a tray positioned at an angle of 45.degree. to 135.degree. with respect to the cradle arm and a bicycle frame holder that is configured to receive a frame member of the bicycle. The cradle arm extends out from the back of the vehicle when it is mounted to a rack at the rear of a vehicle. Most of the weight of the bicycle is supported by the cradle arm as the bicycle "hangs" from its front wheel. The bicycle rack of the present invention combines a vertical orientation bicycle carrier with a rear mounted swing out type vehicle equipment rack available commercially under the name REVA Rack.TM..

Abstract: A pivot punch that has no explicit pivot point. In one embodiment, the tool includes a die, a punch holder pressable along a path toward the die and a punch supported by the punch holder. The punch extends through and is pivotable in an opening in the holder to move the lower part of the punch laterally toward the center of the die. In another embodiment, the upper part of the punch is held tightly in the holder. The lower part of the punch is flexible to move laterally toward the center of the die. A pivot punch that has no explicit pivot point. The punch is flexible and the punch pivot is permitted by the flexibility of the punch.

Abstract: A process of making hermetically sealed glass semiconductor packages by injecting molding an electronic device within a body of molten thermoplastic glass which is solidified by cooling. The glass has a sealing temperature not over 350.degree. C. and a CTE not over 110.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C. and may be made of tin-phosphorus oxyfluoride or lead sealing glasses.

Abstract: A liquid removal conveyor system that includes a liquid permeable conveyor belt, a vertically movable agitator and an air suction plenum. The agitator is positioned below and adjacent to the conveyor belt so that, when the agitator moves up and down, it intermittently deflects the conveyor belt. The air suction plenum is positioned below and adjacent to the conveyor belt near the agitator. As the agitator intermittently deflects the conveyor belt, it jostles the material carried on the conveyor belt and the air suction plenum sucks the liquid off the jostled material. The agitator consists of a rotatable shaft and a lobe attached to the shaft. As the shaft rotates, the lobe intermittently deflects the conveyor belt. The agitator lobe may be constructed as a single elongated member that extends across substantially the full width of the conveyor belt, or it may be constructed as two or more discontinuous segments.

Abstract: An electronic storage and computing system wherein raw point of sale data is transformed into a predefined standardized configuration from which object values representing select business activities are derived and compared to predefined reference values for the selected activities. The system includes an electronic storage device for storing raw point of sale data, a data interpreter for transforming the raw data into a predefined standardized configuration, and a processor for deriving object values from the transformed data according to a set of mathematical/relational functions, the object values being representative of selected business activities, and comparing the object values to predefined reference values for the selected business activities. The data interpreter operates according to a set of control programs to selectively transfer point of sale data from a set of raw databases into a set of standard databases having a predefined standardized configuration.

Abstract: An isolation structure providing electrical isolation in two dimensions between memory cells in semiconductor memory devices. The isolation structure comprises a trench formed in a substrate of a semiconductor memory device such as a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). The trench is lined with an insulating material and filled with polysilicon to form a floating gate. An electrical charge is then injected into the polysilicon floating gate. The isolation structure is located between memory cells in an array to provide isolation between cells in sub-micron spacing by combining the characteristics of trench and field isolation. The electrical charge is injected into the polysilicon floating gate by applying a charging voltage to the wordlines of the memory cell array. The charging voltage is applied periodically as necessary to maintain effective isolation. Two dimensional isolation is achieved by extending the trench to surround each pair of memory cells sharing a common bitline contact.

Abstract: An oscillating fluid flow motor and an in-stream fluid flow power system that converts the energy in the flowing fluid to mechanical energy through a vane that automatically sweeps back and forth across the flow. The oscillating fluid flow motor consists of (1) a vane having a concave front face confronting the flow of fluid, (2) an elongated swing arm attached at one end to the vane, and (3) a direction control mechanism operatively coupled to the swing arm. The direction control mechanism is configured to rotate the swing arm about its longitudinal axis to re-orient the vane and thereby change the direction the vane moves across the stream.

Abstract: A vehicle equipment rack that includes first, second and third rotatably interconnected members. The second and third members rotate between a first position in which all three members are aligned and a second position in which the second and third members are angularly offset from the first member. The second and third members may also angularly offset from one another when the second and third members are in the second position. The vehicle equipment rack may also include a drive train operatively connected between the second and third members. The drive train is configured to rotate one of these moveable members upon rotation of the moveable member.

Abstract: An etch process for increasing the alignment tolerances between capacitor components and an adjacent contact corridor in Dynamic Random Access Memories. The etch process is implemented in a capacitor structure formed over a semiconductor substrate. The capacitor structure includes a first conductor, a dielectric layer on the first conductor and a second conductor on the dielectric layer. The second conductor has a horizontal region laterally adjacent to and extending away from the first conductor.