Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing process wherein an organic antireflective coating is etched with an O2-free sulfur containing gas which provides selectivity with respect to an underlying layer and/or minimizes the lateral etch rate of an overlying photoresist to maintain critical dimensions defined by the photoresist. The etchant gas can include SO2 and a carrier gas such as Ar or He and optional additions of other gases such as HBr. The process is useful for etching 0.25 micron and smaller contact or via openings in forming structures such as damascene structures.

Abstract: A system and method for updating a filtering system which controls access to a website/page between a local area network (LAN) and an Internet. The LAN includes an Internet gateway system coupled to a workstation and configured to receive a URL request. The system controls access to the website/page associated with the URL based on one or more categories that are associated with the URL. The Internet gateway system can determine the category that is associated with the URL by referencing a master database or requesting the category from a database factory. The database factory can receive URLs from multiple Internet gateway systems. The database factory determines whether the identifier was previously categorized by the database factory and provides the category to the Internet gateway system. Once the Internet gateway system has the category, it applies rules associated with the category and user to filter access to the requested website/page.

Abstract: An optical head comprises an optical head body having a proximal face and a distal face. Eight optical fibers extend through the optical head body. Each of the optical fibers has fiber ends on the proximal face and the distal face. The fiber ends on the proximal face are grouped in two fiber end arrays each comprising four fiber ends evenly spaced from each other. Each of the fiber end arrays is in optical alignment with a transmitter chip or a receiver chip. The fiber ends on the distal face are evenly spaced from each other in a single array of eight fiber ends.

Abstract: The invention provides a chemical compound library containing a collection of chromatographic fractions purified from biological sources suitable for high-throughput screening for biological activity, wherein: (a) the chromatographic fractions contain primarily from about 1 microgram to 100 micrograms of primarily one to five chemical compounds; (b) the compounds have log P of greater than-1 and less than 5 and molecular weights less than 3,000 Daltons; (c) the library can include chemical compounds produced from at least fifty different biological sources; and (d) the library can contain at least about 200 different chemical compounds from each different biological source.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing process wherein an organic antireflective coating is etched with an O2-free sulfur containing gas which provides selectivity with respect to an underlying layer and/or minimizes the lateral etch rate of an overlying photoresist to maintain critical dimensions defmed by the photoresist. The etchant gas can include SO2 and a carrier gas such as Ar or He and optional additions of other gases such as HBr. The process is useful for etching 0.25 micron and smaller contact or via openings in forming structures such as damascene structures.

Abstract: A conformally coated structure includes a component of an electronic assembly, such as a microelectronic device, a part of a package, or an electrically conductive trace, and a conformal coating applied to a surface of the structure. The conformal coating is a cured polymer blend of a base polymer and an electrically conductive polymer. The polymer blend has an electrical resistivity of from about 109 to about 1013 ohm-centimeter. The polymer blend contains from about 0.5 percent to about 4 percent by weight of the electrically conductive polymer, with the remainder the base polymer. The electrically conductive polymer may be a polyaniline, and the base polymer may be a urethane.

Abstract: Connector and guidewires connectable thereto are disclosed which enable for the connection of guidewires requiring electrical connection to an external electrical source. These guidewires may be used for MRI imaging and the external source could be an MRI scanner. An embodiment of a guidewire is provided with enables for easier connection through improved dimensions and mechanical strength at the proximal end. An embodiment of a connector is provided which can attach to any guidewire or coaxial cable. These connectors provide for desirable mechanical and electrical properties while still enabling catheters and other tools to be used in conjunction with guidewires and other cables.

Abstract: Three alternate fiber ribbon interconnections are described for optically interfacing two 4-channel optoelectronic transceiver modules, each module having separate, spaced apart transmitter and receiver diode arrays. In each instance the optical interconnection is made by either an 8 fiber or a 12 fiber ribbon and associated fiber end connectors.

Abstract: A method of soldering a circuit board comprises moving a circuit board through various stations including a preheater station and a solder station.

Abstract: A wave soldering apparatus includes a frame having a first end and wave solder equipment supported with respect to the frame. The wave solder equipment is configured to apply solder to a circuit board. A circuit board transporter is supported with respect to the frame, and is configured to receive a circuit board adjacent the first end of the frame, to move the circuit board away from the first end of the frame and over the wave solder equipment which applies solder to the circuit board, and to return the circuit board for retrieval adjacent the first end of the frame.

Abstract: An ammunition cartridge for use with a gun which cartridge has a shotshell wad defining a rear charge receiving chamber and at least two forward shot or other projectile receiving chambers wherein a forward shot receiving chamber is formed of a solid disk including a plurality of shot pellets or similar projectiles embedded in a hardened binder material and wherein a rear shot or similar projectile receiving chamber houses unbound shot pellets or projectiles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a distinctive method and apparatus (20) for forming an article which includes one or more selectively configured strands of material. In particular aspects, the invention can provide a method and apparatus for wrapping a strand of material with selected filaments, and desirably, the filaments can be adhesive filaments. The technique of the invention can include a moving of a strand of material (22) at a selected speed along an appointed machine-direction (34). At least a first, substantially continuous filament (24) can be directed onto the strand of material (22) along a corresponding, oscillating filament path (26) to form a first plurality of filament threads (28) which extend from opposed lateral side regions (30) of the strand of material (22).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described that may be used to provide decoupled rotation of structures about different pivot points. The apparatus may include one or more fixed blades mounted to a frame or substrate, one or more movable blades mounted to each structure to be moved, and flexures on which the structures are suspended. Separate movable blades may be provided for each degree of freedom. When voltage is applied between the fixed and movable blades, the electrostatic attraction generates a force attracting movable blades toward blades that are fixed relative to the moveable blades, causing a structure to rotate about the flexures. The angle of rotation that results may be related to the size, number and spacing of the blades, the stiffness of the flexures and the magnitude of the voltage difference applied to the blades. The blades are fabricated using deep silicon etching.

Abstract: The present invention provides a distinctive method and apparatus (20) for forming an article which includes one or more selectively configured strands of material. In particular aspects, the invention can provide a method and apparatus for wrapping a strand of material with a selected filament, and desirably, the filament can be an adhesive filament. The technique of the invention can include a moving of a strand of material (22) at a selected speed along an appointed machine-direction (34). A substantially continuous filament (24) can be directed onto the strand of material (22) along an oscillating filament path (26) to form a plurality of filament threads (28) extending from opposed lateral side regions (30) of the strand of material (22). An air stream (32) is directed to operatively wrap the filament threads (28) around the strand of material (22).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for effecting an operation on at least one moving substrate web is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a rotatable bonding roll that is located adjacent the substrate web and configured to rotate about a bonding axis. A rotatable anvil roll has an anvil surface and is configured to rotate about an anvil axis to press the substrate web against an outer peripheral bonding surface of the bonding roll thereby bonding the substrate web. At least three support wheels are configured to contact the bonding surface of the bonding roll and to hold the bonding roll in a substantially fixed position.

Abstract: An absorbent article (10) which includes a backsheet layer (30) having a pair of laterally opposed and longitudinally extending side margins (20). Each side margin has an outwardly concave, terminal side edge contour 15 located at appointed leg opening regions (17) in an intermediate portion (16) of the side margin. Each concave side edge contour (15) has a selected longitudinal extent along a length dimension (26) of the article (10). A liquid permeable topsheet layer (28) is connected in a superposed facing relation to the backsheet layer (30), and an absorbent body (32) is sandwiched between the topsheet layer (28) and the backsheet layer (30). A separately provided gusset-flap composite member (19) is connected to at least one of the backsheet and topsheet layers along each of the leg opening regions (17). The gusset-flap member (19) provides a leg gusset section (142) and a containment flap section (144), and is distinctively configured to provide improved leakage resistance, fit and comfort.

Abstract: A distinctive method and apparatus for forming an article includes a moving of at least one first strand of material, such as strand (22), along an appointed machine-direction (34). The at least one first strand of material is attached to a base layer of material (42) to provide a substrate composite (40), and a laminate layer (44) can be placed adjacent the at least one first strand of material to provide a laminate composite web (48). In a particular aspect, at least one second strand of material, such as strand (56), can be moved along its appointed machine-direction, and the at least one second strand of material can be attached to the base layer (42). In another aspect, an appointed portion of the base layer (42) can be folded to substantially enclose the at least one second strand (56) with the base layer material.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for effecting an operation on at least one continuously moving substrate web is disclosed. In particular, the apparatus includes a patterned anvil roll which includes a plurality of projections arranged in a predetermined pattern for effecting an operation on the web such as, for example, bonding, cutting, embossing, perforating and the like. The anvil roll includes recesses between the projections and resilient release material located in the recesses to improve the release of the substrate web from the anvil roll.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus and methods for intermittently bonding a substrate web in fabricating a blank subassembly for an absorbent article. The invention comprises ultrasonic bonding apparatus including an anvil roll, a substrate web thereon, and at least one rotary ultrasonic horn. The substrate web can comprise at least first and second layers of material. The rotary ultrasonic horn, in combination with the anvil roll, ultrasonically bonds intermittent segments of the first and second layers of the substrate web to each other. Such intermittent bonds can comprise end seals for the absorbent articles. The ultrasonic horn and anvil roll are periodically separated from each other to provide the intermittent bonding of the substrate web. An actuator apparatus periodically moves the anvil roll and ultrasonic horn from engaging contact with each other preventing bond formation.

Abstract: A nozzle for generating a supercritical fluid from a cleaning fluid. The nozzle includes a mechanism for directing the supercritical fluid onto a surface of a part to be cleaned. The nozzle comprises a body having (a) an interior portion which includes a mechanism for generating the supercritical fluid by suitable temperature and pressure increase of the cleaning fluid; (b) an inlet portion for introducing the cleaning fluid into the interior portion; (c) an outlet portion for directing the supercritical fluid generated in the interior portion onto the surface of the part to be cleaned; and (d) counteracting mechanism for resisting high pressure that is produced during the generation of the supercritical fluid so as to permit the nozzle to be maintained a suitable distance from the surface of the part to be cleaned so that the supercritical fluid impinges on the surface.