Abstract: An electron-emitting device contains a lower conductive region (22), a porous insulating layer (24A, 24B, 24D, 24E, or 24F) overlying the lower conductive region, and a multiplicity of electron-emissive elements (30, 30A, or 30B) situated in pores (281) extending through the porous layer. The pores are situated at locations substantially random relative to one another. The lower conductive region typically contains a highly conductive portion (22A) and an overlying highly resistive portion (22B). Alternatively or additionally, a patterned gate layer (34B, 40B, or 46B) overlies the porous layer. Openings (36, 42, or 541) corresponding to the filaments extend through the gate layer at locations generally centered on the filaments such that the filaments are separated from the gate layer.

Abstract: An electron-emitting device contains an emitter electrode (12), a group of sets of electron-emitting elements (24), a group of control electrodes (28), and a focusing system (37) for focusing electrons emitted by the electron-emissive elements. The sets of electron-emissive elements are arranged generally in a line extending in a specified direction. Each control electrode has a main portion (30) and a gate portion (32). the electron-emissive elements are exposed through gate openings (36) in the gate portion. The main portion of each control electrode crosses over the emitter electrode and has a large control opening (34) which laterally circumscribes one of the sets of electron-emissive elements. The focusing system has a group of focus openings (40) located respectively above the control openings. Each control opening is largely centered on, or/and is no more than 50% as large as, the corresponding focus opening in the specified direction.

Abstract: A process controller implements an overall, user-developed control strategy in a process control network that includes distributed controller and field devices, such as Fieldbus and non-Fieldbus devices. A user defines the control strategy by building a plurality of function blocks and control modules and downloading or installing user-specified portions of the control strategy into the Fieldbus devices and the non-Fieldbus devices. Thereafter, the Fieldbus devices automatically perform the downloaded portions of the overall strategy independently of other portions of the control strategy. For example in a process control system that includes distributed field devices, controllers and workstations, portions of the control strategy downloaded or installed into the field devices operate independently of and in parallel with the control operations of the controllers and the workstations, while other control operations manage the Fieldbus devices and implement other portions of the control strategy.

Abstract: A superscalar complex instruction set computer (“CISC”) processor having a reduced instruction set computer (“RISC”) superscalar core includes an instruction cache which identifies and marks raw x86 instruction start and end points and encodes “pre-decode” information, a byte queue which is a queue of aligned instruction and pre-decode information of the “predicted executed” state, and an instruction decoder which generates type, opcode, and operand pointer values for RISC-like operations (ROPs) based on the aligned pre-decoded x86 instructions in the byte queue and determines the number of possible x86 instruction dispatch for shifting the byte que. The instruction decoder includes in each dispatch position a logic conversion path, a memory conversion path, and a common conversion path for converting CISC instructions to ROPs.

Abstract: A repeater interface controller (“RIC”) integrated circuit with integrated filters and buffer drivers is provided for use in a repeater. In one embodiment, the RIC uses two filters to filter link pulse signals and data signals for a plurality of ports. Thus, the RIC is able to concurrently provide filtered link pulses to some ports and filtered data signals to other ports. Further, because only two filters are used, the area required to implement the plurality of ports is reduced relative to conventional repeaters that use a filter for each port. In another embodiment of the present invention, a RIC includes a logic circuit and a plurality of analog multiplexers and twisted pair buffer drivers. The analog multiplexers receive signals on their input lines and select which of these signals are passed to the buffer drivers to be outputted.

Abstract: A liquid chemical formulation suitable for making a thin solid polycarbonate film of highly uniform thickness is formed with polycarbonate material, a liquid that dissolves the polycarbonate, and possibly one or more other constituents. The liquid is typically capable of dissolving the polycarbonate to a concentration of at least 1% at 20° C. and 1 atmosphere. The liquid also typically has a boiling point of at least 80° C. at 1 atmosphere. Examples of the liquid include pyridine, a ring-substituted pyridine derivative, pyrrole, a ring-substituted pyrrole derivative, pyrrolidine, a pyrrolidine derivative, and cyclohexanone. In forming the polycarbonate-containing film, a liquid film (36A) of the liquid chemical formulation is formed over a substructure (30). The liquid film is processed to largely remove the liquid and convert the polycarbonate into a solid film (38).

Abstract: Pick-up tools and other devices for handling semiconductor wafers are require to be capable of withstanding corrosive chemical substances and extreme temperatures, and the valve unit for use in such devices must meet these requirements. The valve unit is also desired to be free from electrostatic charging. To this end, the valve unit comprises a valve main body, having a valve seat defined therein, which is made of relatively electroconductive and self-lubricating material such as PTFE, and a valve case which is injection molded around the valve unit and made of a material having some electroconductivity and a high resistance against deformation such as PEEK mixed with carbon fibers. Provision of annular grooves on the outer surface of the valve main body improves the attachment between the valve main body and the valve case so as to improve both the sealing performance and the mechanical integrity of the valve unit.

Abstract: An ozone containing gas is injected into a portion of top soil that was previously oversaturated with water, to stimulate the propagation and growth of living organisms. The injected ozone oxidizes at least one molecule (also called “parent molecule”) in the top soil to create at least one byproduct that is smaller than the parent molecule. The small size of such byproducts allows the byproducts to cause the growth of living organisms (such as plants including fungi and tomatoes). The byproducts can be used to grow a fungi (such as Trichoderma, spp.) that is (1) parasitic to detrimental fungi such as fusarium or is (2) a stimulant for chlorophyll-bearing plants, or is both. The byproducts can also be used to directly grow the chlorophyll-bearing plants. An ozone containing gas can be injected via a soil injector connected to an ozone supplier that is either stationary or is moved over a field, e.g. by a vehicle.

Abstract: A calibration disk for calibrating the fly height of a head, includes spaced circumferencial bands on the disk extending in a concentric fashion from adjacent an outer diameter of the disk to near an inner diameter of the disk. Each of the bands include radial and circumferencial spaced asperity emulating bumps having a population sufficient to produce a constant and continuous output signal from a glide head when the glide head flies lower than a maximum height of the bumps. The height of the bumps within individual bands are substantially uniform, and the average heights of the bumps in each band differ from each other. The configuration of the bumps on the calibration disk advantageously avoids errors caused by disk waviness, runout, and contamination. Further, using the differing heights of the bumps on the calibration disk, a glide head can be calibrated on the glide tester without using an independent fly height measurements for the glide head.

Abstract: A non-volatile programmable latch (210) has a fuse (F1) connected between a non-ground voltage terminal (212) and an output terminal (OUT). A NMOS transistor (110) is connected between the output terminal and ground. An inverter (120) has an input connected to the output terminal and an output connected to the gate of the NMOS transistor. A diode connects the output terminal to the non-ground voltage terminal (212) to prevent a charge build up on the output terminal when the power is off.

Abstract: A pilot acquisition unit for code division multiple access (CDMA) communication systems is provided which includes a fast Hadamard transform (FHT) unit and a pre-Hadamard processing unit. The FHT unit determines the quality, in accordance with a metric, of each of a set of possible pseudo-random number (PN) loadings and the pre-Hadamard processing unit generates a vector u per set of PN loadings. The vector u defines a quality metric of a received pilot signal with the set of possible PN loadings, the pre-Hadamard processing unit providing the vector u to the FHT unit.

Abstract: A flat panel display contains a faceplate structure (174 or 350), a backplate structure (175 or 351), and a spacer (140, 340, 0r 341). A light-emitting structure (171 or 306) is located along a faceplate (170 or 302) in the faceplate structure. An electron-emitting structure (172 or 305) is located along a backplate (173 or 303) in the backplate structure. The spacer is situated between the light-emitting and electron-emitting structures. Transition metal oxide or transition metal in oxide state is present in a ceramic core (401, 501, 0r 601) or/and a resistive skin (402, 403, 502, 503, 602, or 603) of the spacer.

Abstract: A linear pad conditioning mechanism provides a linear in situ or ex situ conditioning for a polishing pad mounted on a polishing belt of a CMP apparatus. The linear pad conditioning mechanism includes a linear oscillation mechanism for driving a conditioning pad in a direction orthogonal to the polishing belt's direction of travel. In one example, multiple conditioning assemblies are provided to each provide a trapezoidal conditioning pad, and the conditioning assemblies are positioned such that a constant-width area in the polishing belt's direction of travel is provided. In that example, a rotational mechanism is provided to position the conditioning pad between a conditioning position against the polishing pad, and a cleaning position in a bath of cleaning fluid. Further, each conditioning assembly is provided a fluid delivery system to a conditioner block, so that a conditioner fluid can be delivered at the point of use.

Abstract: A tape cartridge for a debossing stamper includes a casing, a tape-containing supply spool and a tape take-up spool in the casing, the supply spool having at least one reflector pad visually accessible from the exterior of the casing by an optical reflective sensor for detecting and indicating an amount of tape remaining on the supply spool. In one embodiment the at least one reflector pad is a series of equally spaced reflector pads on an outer periphery of the supply spool. The sensor provides a feedback on each 1/4 revolution of said supply reel, the feedback being received by firmware to track the number of motor steps to drive the take-up spool and to rotate the supply spool a 1/4 turn, and wherein a computer calculates the amount of tape remaining on the supply spool based on supply spool core diameter, take-up spool core diameter and total tape length.

Abstract: An absorption spectroscopy device for determining the concentration of a gas (such as oxygen) in a sample cell includes a neutral density absorber or a quarter wave plate. Laser radiation from a laser diode passes through the neutral density absorber or the quarter wave plate, then passes through the sample cell, and then is incident upon a detector. In some embodiments, the laser diode is driven with a drive current having a stepped periodic waveform.

Abstract: A method and circuits for generating a start-up signal to force a bistable reference circuit into a conducting state. The start-up signal ensures that the reference circuit operates to provide a desired output signal when power is applied. The start-up signal is self-generated and self-canceled, rather than relying on an externally supplied pulse, and is input to the reference circuit via a hysteresis circuit (e.g., Schmitt inverter).

Abstract: An autofocus system for use for instance in a photolithography machine (but not so limited) uses oblique incident optics which transform a defocus of the plane of the wafer whose location is being detected to a lateral shear of the beam. A common path interferometer measures the lateral shear. The common path interferometer is for instance a triangular path interferometer. Since both the signal (object) light beam and the reference light beams transverse almost exactly the same optical path, the system is thereby independent of mechanical vibration or other environmental influence such as temperature variations. Compensation is provided for refractive effects caused by local atmospheric heating immediately above the wafer surface.