Abstract: The present invention relates to an aqueous plating bath composition and a method for depositing a palladium layer by electroless plating onto a substrate. The aqueous plating bath composition according to the present invention comprises a source for palladium ions, a reducing agent for palladium ions and an aromatic compound. The aqueous plating bath composition has an increased deposition rate for palladium while maintaining bath stability. The aqueous plating bath composition has also a prolonged life time. The aromatic compounds of the present invention allow for adjusting the deposition rate to a constant range over the bath life time and for electrolessly depositing palladium layers at lower temperatures. The aromatic compounds of the present invention activate electroless palladium plating baths having a low deposition rate and reactivate aged electroless palladium plating baths.

Abstract: A positioning device may be used to peripherally position copper rods about a center axis that defines an axial direction. Each of the copper rods may be generally U-shaped and may have a first leg portion and a second leg portion. The positioning device may include a positioning body, a rotary body, locking means, and a rotary drive. Grooves of an outer peripheral surface of the positioning body may receive the first leg portions of the copper rods, which can be locked in place by the locking means. The rotary body may be rotatable about the positioning body and may include guide channels that receive the second leg portions of the copper rods. The rotary drive can cause the rotary body and the positioning body to rotate relative to one another, to pivot the second leg portions inwardly into the grooves of the positioning body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a heat exchanger for a refrigerant dryer such as a compressed air refrigerant dryer comprising at least one first inflow surface element, past which a fluid to be dried such as compressed air can flow during operation of the heat exchanger, and comprising at least one second inflow surface element, past which a refrigerant fluid can flow as required during operation of the heat exchanger, wherein the first and second inflow surface elements are or can be coupled at least in some areas to at least one cold store chamber that is provided for filling with a cold accumulator medium, and wherein the first and/or second inflow surface element(s) (is) are connected to at least one heat transfer element which extends into the cold store chamber, e.g. penetrates the cold store chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aqueous plating bath composition and a method for depositing a palladium layer by electroless plating onto a substrate. The aqueous plating bath composition according to the invention comprises a source for palladium ions, a reducing agent for palladium ions and a cyanide group containing aromatic compound. The aqueous plating bath composition according to the invention has an improved stability against undesired decomposition due to the cyanide group containing aromatic compounds while keeping the deposition rate for palladium at the desired satisfying value. The aqueous plating bath composition has also a prolonged life time. The cyanide group containing aromatic compounds of the invention allow for adjusting the deposition rate to a satisfying range over the bath life time and for electrolessly depositing palladium layers at lower temperatures.

Abstract: The invention relates to an aqueous plating bath composition and a method for depositing a palladium layer by electroless plating onto a substrate. The aqueous plating bath composition according to the invention comprises a source for palladium ions, a reducing agent for palladium ions and an unsaturated compound. The aqueous plating bath composition according to the invention has an improved stability against undesired decomposition due to the unsaturated compounds while keeping the deposition rate for palladium at the desired satisfying value. The aqueous plating bath composition has also a prolonged life time. The unsaturated compounds of the invention allow for adjusting the deposition rate to a satisfying range over the bath life time and for electrolessly depositing palladium layers at lower temperatures.

Abstract: Testing of a vehicle battery in a state removed from a vehicle, using a testing device that is fashioned for testing the vehicle battery installed in the vehicle using an on-board diagnostic interface of the vehicle. The device has: an interface to which a plug of the testing device can be connected, the plug being for connection to the on-board diagnostic interface of the vehicle; an electrical connecting device via which at least one electrical vehicle battery terminal of the vehicle battery is connectable to the device; and an adapter device by which signals receivable from the electrical vehicle battery terminal of the vehicle battery via the connecting device are conductible to the interface in such a way that the signals at the interface for the testing device are capable of being tested via the plug corresponding to a configuration of the on-board diagnostic interface of the vehicle.

Abstract: A clutch for a motor vehicle with a wear compensation mechanism which includes a sensor element for detecting wear, wherein the sensor element is formed of a plurality of parts, and at least two sensor component parts are rotatably connected to one another.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an aqueous plating bath composition and a method for depositing a palladium layer by electroless plating onto a substrate. The aqueous plating bath composition according to the present invention comprises a source for palladium ions, a reducing agent for palladium ions and an aldehyde compound. The aqueous plating bath composition has an increased deposition rate for palladium while maintaining bath stability. The aqueous plating bath composition has also a prolonged life time. The aldehyde compounds of the present invention allow for adjusting the deposition rate to a constant range over the bath life time and for electrolessly depositing palladium layers at lower temperatures. The aldehyde compounds of the present invention activate electroless palladium plating baths having a low deposition rate and reactivate aged electroless palladium plating baths.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a state of a rechargeable battery based on a state value which characterizes the respective state of the rechargeable battery, characterized in that, during at least one time interval, an electrical energy which is output by the rechargeable battery and an electrical energy which is received by the rechargeable battery are detected, and in that an instantaneous state of charge or an instantaneous no-load voltage of the rechargeable battery is detected, wherein the detected electrical energy which is output by the rechargeable battery, the detected electrical energy which is received by the rechargeable battery and the respectively detected instantaneous state of charge or the respectively detected instantaneous no-load voltage of the rechargeable battery are evaluated in order to generate the state value.

Abstract: The invention is based on a patient recruitment system (10) having at least one patient recruitment server (16), which comprises at least one search routine (70) that is provided to search for patient data records (32) on the basis of recruitment characteristics (66). It is proposed that the patient recruitment server (16) comprises a notification routine (82) which is provided to send a recruitment notification (76) regarding at least one patient data record (32) found on the basis of the recruitment characteristics (66).

Abstract: Testing of a vehicle battery in a state removed from a vehicle, using a testing device that is fashioned for testing the vehicle battery installed in the vehicle using an on-board diagnostic interface of the vehicle. The device has: an interface to which a plug of the testing device can be connected, the plug being for connection to the on-board diagnostic interface of the vehicle; an electrical connecting device via which at least one electrical vehicle battery terminal of the vehicle battery is connectable to the device; and an adapter device by which signals receivable from the electrical vehicle battery terminal of the vehicle battery via the connecting device are conductible to the interface in such a way that the signals at the interface for the testing device are capable of being tested via the plug corresponding to a configuration of the on-board diagnostic interface of the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacture of wire bondable and solderable surfaces on noble metal electrodes. The noble metal electrodes are activated by depositing a seed layer of palladium or a palladium alloy layer by electroless plating at 60 to 90° C. Next, an intermediate layer is deposited onto the seed layer followed by deposition of the wire bondable and/or solderable surface finish layer(s) onto the intermediate layer. This method is particularly suitable in the production of optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Abstract: A method for specifying a malfunction of an exhaust gas recirculation system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, including: setting a first operating point of the engine and a first operating state of the fresh air/exhaust gas system as vehicle conditioning in a first measurement setting; measuring volumetric efficiencies of the engine for the first measurement setting and for at least one additional measurement setting, and comparing the measured volumetric efficiencies with an engine characteristics map stored in a memory unit for volumetric efficiency values of the engine, and ascertaining whether a malfunction is present during the exhaust gas recirculation process based on the comparison; and specifying the malfunction of the exhaust gas recirculation system while taking into account the measuring results for the first measurement setting and for the at least one additional measurement setting and the stored engine characteristics map for volumetric efficiency values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of veterinary parasitology, especially of canine Babesiosis. In particular the invention relates to a polypeptide being a novel canine Babesia antigen (CBA), or fragments thereof, and to compositions comprising this antigen, to nucleic acids encoding the antigen, antibodies against the antigen, and medical uses of this antigen, fragments, antibodies, or encoding nucleic acids. In particular the invention relates to the use of such components in vaccines against canine Babesiosis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a copper pillar on a semiconducting substrate, the copper pillar having an underbump metallization area comprising a metal less noble than copper and optionally a solder bump on the top portion, and having a layer of a second metal selected from tin, tin alloys, silver, and silver alloys deposited onto the side walls of said copper pillar. A layer of a first metal which is more noble than copper is deposited onto the entire outer surface of the copper pillar prior to deposition of the second metal layer. The layer of a second metal then has at least a reduced number of undesired pin-holes and serves as a protection layer for the underlying copper pillar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacture of wire bondable and solderable surfaces on noble metal electrodes. The noble metal electrodes are activated by depositing a seed layer of palladium or a palladium alloy layer by electroless plating at 60 to 90° C. Next, an intermediate layer is deposited onto the seed layer followed by deposition of the wire bondable and/or solderable surface finish layer(s) onto the intermediate layer. This method is particularly suitable in the production of optoelectronic devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a copper pillar on a semiconducting substrate, the copper pillar having an underbump metallization area comprising a metal less noble than copper and optionally a solder bump on the top portion, and having a layer of a second metal selected from tin, tin alloys, silver, and silver alloys deposited onto the side walls of said copper pillar. A layer of a first metal which is more noble than copper is deposited onto the entire outer surface of the copper pillar prior to deposition of the second metal layer. The layer of a second metal then has at least a reduced number of undesired pin-holes and serves as a protection layer for the underlying copper pillar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of veterinary parasitology, especially of canine Babesiosis. In particular the invention relates to a polypeptide being a novel canine Babesia antigen (CBA), or fragments thereof, and to compositions comprising this antigen, to nucleic acids encoding the antigen, antibodies against the antigen, and medical uses of this antigen, fragments, antibodies, or encoding nucleic acids. In particular the invention relates to the use of such components in vaccines against canine Babesiosis.

Abstract: A method for specifying a malfunction of an exhaust gas recirculation system of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, including: setting a first operating point of the engine and a first operating state of the fresh air/exhaust gas system as vehicle conditioning in a first measurement setting; measuring volumetric efficiencies of the engine for the first measurement setting and for at least one additional measurement setting, and comparing the measured volumetric efficiencies with an engine characteristics map stored in a memory unit for volumetric efficiency values of the engine, and ascertaining whether a malfunction is present during the exhaust gas recirculation process based on the comparison; and specifying the malfunction of the exhaust gas recirculation system while taking into account the measuring results for the first measurement setting and for the at least one additional measurement setting and the stored engine characteristics map for volumetric efficiency values.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a state of a rechargeable battery based on a state value which characterizes the respective state of the rechargeable battery, characterized in that, during at least one time interval, an electrical energy which is output by the rechargeable battery and an electrical energy which is received by the rechargeable battery are detected, and in that an instantaneous state of charge or an instantaneous no-load voltage of the rechargeable battery is detected, wherein the detected electrical energy which is output by the rechargeable battery, the detected electrical energy which is received by the rechargeable battery and the respectively detected instantaneous state of charge or the respectively detected instantaneous no-load voltage of the rechargeable battery are evaluated in order to generate the state value.