Abstract: An inventive a method for manufacturing a microelectronic structure for use in computer memory applications, sensors, capacitors and various communications applications, the microelectronic structure including a stoichiometric ferroelectric and/or dielectric layer containing lead or bismuth formed on top of an electrode, the method comprising the steps of: forming a lower electrode; forming a self diffusion barrier on top of the lower electrode; heat-treating the self diffusion barrier at a first temperature; forming a ferroelectric and/or dielectric layer on top of the self diffusion barrier; heat-treating the ferroelectric and/or dielectric layer at a second temperature; and forming an upper electrode to thereby form the microelectronic structure, wherein a chemical composition of the self diffusion barrier is the same as that of the ferroelectric and/or dielectric layer after the second heat-treatment.

Abstract: A luminaire, and in particular an arm-mounted spotlight or a picture light, having a long slim stem with a lighting head at one end and fixing elements at the other end. The fixing elements have clamping ends which engage at least partially around the stem and which can be operated by hand between a clamping position and a loosening position. In one embodiment, the clamping elements are each formed as clamping sleeves which embrace the stem annularly and have open ends which have flanges which can be moved toward each other by a finger grip in order to achieve the clamping action. In another embodiment, clamping elements are biased into a closed position by a spring and finger grips are provided to open the clamping elements when pressed.

Abstract: A phase change optical disk having excellent corrosion resistance, recording signal properties and overwrite cyclability, which contains a first dielectric layer, a recording layer, a second dielectric layer, a reflection layer and a protection layer, characterized in that the reflection layer comprises a first reflection layer made of a metal or an alloy thereof having an electronegativity ranging from 1.9 to 3.0 and a second reflection layer made of Cu, Ag or an alloy thereof, said first reflection layer being in closed contact with the second dielectric layer, and the second reflection layer, with the first reflection layer and the protection layer.

Abstract: A high-speed communications system which permits high-speed communication services to be implemented with minimum modification to the existing communications facilities. A multiplexer/demultiplexer unit multiplexes outgoing signals to a network and demultiplexes incoming signals from the network separately for voice and data signals. A first voice processing unit, being linked to a voice service subscriber who only uses voice communication services, processes voice signals for bidirectional communications over a subscriber line. A second voice processing unit, being linked to a voice/data service subscriber who uses both voice and data communication services, processes voice signals for bidirectional communication. An office-side modem unit has modulator/demodulator functions to support high-speed bidirectional data communication for the voice/data service subscriber. An office-side splitter splits incoming signals from the voice/data service subscriber into separate voice and data signals.

Abstract: A sealed rolling bearing comprising inner rings which can be divided in the axial direction and have a wall portion for defining part of a seal space therebetween, outer rings which can be divided in the axial direction to define a bearing space together with the inner rings between the outer rings and the inner rings, rolling elements provided in the bearing space, end face seal members provided at the opposite ends in the axial direction of the bearing space, respectively, and an intermediate seal member provided in the seal space, and the intermediate seal member comprising a seal body which can be eccentric due to centrifugal force during rotation, and a seal which comes into contact with the wall portion for defining the part of the seal space during halt.

Abstract: In a fluorescent display device having control electrodes and anodes, each anode having an anode electrode and a fluorescent layer formed thereon, a filament is installed between the control electrodes and the anode electrodes. When an anode is selected to be turned on to emit light, a first voltage (V1) is applied to the filament, a second voltage (V2) is applied to the selected anode and a third voltage (V3) is applied to a control electrode facing the selected anode, wherein V2 is greater than V1 and V3 is equal to or greater than V1. When a voltage applied to a target control electrode is lower than a voltage applied to the filament by more than a predetermined voltage difference, an anode facing the target control electrode is not turned on to emit light even when V2 is applied thereto.

Abstract: On a semiconductor substrate is formed an insulating layer having a gate insulating region, which is coated with a first polysilicon layer having a first portion and a second portion which contacts the gate insulating region. The first portion of the first polysilicon layer is then doped with an impurity such as phosphorous. The first polysilicon layer is coated with a second insulating layer on which is formed a second polysilicon layer. A first selective etching process is provided so that a capacitive insulating layer and an upper polysilicon electrode are successively formed on the first portion of the first polysilicon layer and the second portion of the first polysilicon layer is exposed. A second selective etching process is performed so that the first and second portions of the first polysilicon layer define a lower polysilicon electrode and a gate electrode, respectively.

Abstract: A reference carrier generator device includes a phase error detection unit which detects a phase error between a reference carrier and a carrier of a quadrature modulated wave and outputs a phase error signal indicating the phase error. A loop filter passes the phase error signal from the phase error detection unit through the loop filter and converts the phase error signal into a control voltage. A voltage-controlled oscillator outputs a reference carrier synchronous with the carrier of the quadrature modulated wave based on the control voltage. A sweep unit changes the control voltage output to the oscillator when pulling the reference carrier into synchronism in response to an out-of-sync alarm signal. The sweep unit outputs a staircase sweep signal having a selected level, the sweep signal being added to the phase error signal such that the control voltage output to the oscillator is changed by the staircase sweep signal.

Abstract: Herbicidal fluorovinyloxyacetamide compounds of formula (I) are useful for protecting crops from weeds: wherein: R1 is a phenyl group optionally having one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of C1-6 alkyl, halogen-substituted C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkoxy and halogen; R2 is a C1-6 alkyl; or R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound form a 5-, 6- or 7-membered nitrogen heterocycle optionally having one or more ring oxygen atoms, double bonds and C1-6 alkyl substituents; R3 is a phenyl or thiophen-2-yl group optionally having one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of C1-6 alkyl, halogen-substituted C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkoxy, methylenedioxy and halogen; and R4is a perfluoro C1-6 alkyl group.

Abstract: By a process for the production of 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) by reaction of ethylene with chlorine in the liquid phase (direct chlorination), the heavy ends being separated from the obtained 1,2-dichloroethane in a heavy-ends column and in a downstream vacuum column and, for the purpose of heat recovery and heating of the column bottoms, a 1,2-dichloroethane part-stream from the direct chlorination passing through a heat exchanger (one attributed to each column) for indirect heat exchange with the bottom product of each column, the aim of the invention is to provide a solution in which the reaction enthalpy of the direct chlorination can be used in a variable manner, thus precluding the above-described disadvantages. This is achieved by using at least one falling-film evaporator for heating the column bottoms, the bottom product of the respective column being routed to the distributor at the head of the column.

Abstract: A random prize awarding system associated with a gaming console is provided in which the gaming console is arranged to play a first game or a second game, the first game being a standard game normally offered on the console and the second game being a jackpot game offered for play when the player has achieved a trigger condition where the trigger means is arranged to test for the trigger condition and to initiate an instance of the second game when the trigger condition occurs. The second game is divided into a plurality of sub-games, each having an incremental prize such that a sum of the un-won incremental prizes equals the total currently available jackpot prize value of the second game. The player is awarded each sub-game after the first, only if the incremental prize was won in the previous sub-game. The jackpot prize value being decremented by the incremental prize value awarded with the occurrence of each winning sub-game.

Abstract: A multilayered helical antenna for mobile communication units includes a first dielectric sheet, a plurality of second dielectric sheets, a plurality of second and third dielectric sheets. All of the second dielectric sheets, except one, have a starting hole and an ending hole, with the exception having the starting hole only. Each of the second dielectric sheet is provided with a partially opened circular metallic pattern. Each of the third dielectric sheets has a via hole. Each of the dielectric sheets has a through-hole at a center thereof in order to allow a whip antenna to be slid upward and downward along a center axis of a helical antenna which is formed by stacking the dielectric sheets in a predetermined order.