Abstract: An arrangement for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool is provided. The arrangement includes means for receiving a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator on an on-screen graphical representation of the plasma cluster tool. The arrangement also includes means for ascertaining data pertaining to a set of paths between the first user-provided location indicator and the second user-provided location indicator. The arrangement further includes means for forming the set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to the data pertaining to the set of paths, the set of wafer transfer instructions being configured to transfer the wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with one of the set of paths.

Abstract: An arrangement for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool is provided. The arrangement includes means for receiving a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator on an on-screen graphical representation of the plasma cluster tool. The arrangement also includes means for ascertaining data pertaining to a set of paths between the first user-provided location indicator and the second user-provided location indicator. The arrangement further includes means for forming the set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to the data pertaining to the set of paths, the set of wafer transfer instructions being configured to transfer the wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with one of the set of paths.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool, which has a plurality of wafer-holding locations. The method includes receiving a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator, which graphically identify the origination wafer-holding location and the destination wafer-holding location respectively on the on-screen graphical representation of the plasma cluster tool. The method further includes ascertaining data pertaining to a path between the first user-provided location indicator and the second user-provided location indicator. The method further includes forming the set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to the data pertaining to the path. The set of wafer transfer instructions is configured to transfer the wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with the path.

Abstract: A display, typically an electroluminescent display, of the type having both an activated, “on”, state and an inactivated, “off”, state, and being switchable between the two, which display incorporates a capacitance sensor, able to detect the near presence of a user, together with means able to utilise the output of this sensor to effect activation of the display accordingly. Preferably, the capacitance sensor comprises a pair of electrodes, one of which may be a front electrode of the electroluminescent display. The capacitance may be sensed by determining the time taken to charge a capacitance; the capacitance may be charged at two or more rates so as to decrease the time taken to measure the capacitance and so reduce the energy consumed.

Abstract: Certain materials are electroluminescent, and this electroluminescent effect has been used in the construction of backlights for displays. Such a backlight commonly consists of a transparent front layer (11) known as the substrate carrying its rear face a transparent electrically-conductive film (12) forming the backlight's front electrode and covered by a layer of electro-luminescent/phosphor material (13) over the rear face of which is a high-dielectric layer (16) bearing on its rear face a conductive film (17) forming the back electrode. The whole is positioned behind a mask (18) that defines whatever characters the display is to show. This use of a mask has some disadvantages, some of which can be overcome by utilising an array of suitably shaped individual electrodes (21) instead of a continuous one, and by shaping the electroluminescent material itself in discrete areas (43) each tightly matching in shape and size the relevant individual shaped back electrode (21).

Abstract: A light-emitting display having display areas (14), which may be lit or unlit, comprising a sensor (13) for ambient light, in which the display is arranged to use an output of the sensor (13) to modify the brightness of the display areas (14) when lit in dependence upon the ambient tight conditions, the sensor being hidden behind an unlightable section of the display. The display is particularly advantageously an electroluminescent display.

Abstract: A control circuit for an electro luminescent display in which a flyback converter and an H-bridge are used to provide a high voltage alternating current to a capacitive load from a low voltage DC source. Each time the polarity of the capacitive load is reversed, the capacitive load discharges. This high voltage discharge is stored on a low voltage capacitor and subsequently used as an auxiliary power supply to power the switching elements of the control circuit.

Abstract: A controller for use with a multi-segment electroluminescent display 1. Control signals C1-CN control a plurality of half H-bridges H and Hc, the terminals of the half H-bridges being connected respectively to ground and to a high voltage DC supply 9. One of said half H-bridges provides a common output Vcommon and the remaining H-bridges provide drive voltages V1-VN for the segments of the display. The H bridges are driven by an oscillator 14 so that an AC voltage is selectively applied to the segments of the display. A power supply 24 provides a predetermined amount of power per unit area of the display. This is controlled by an area summation engine 22 having a segment data input, a segment counter and a memory containing area data corresponding to the segment(s) of the display. Based on the input from the segment data input, the area(s) of the segment(s) that are to be lit are obtained from the memory and summed to provide the total area to be lit.

Abstract: A controller 2 is provided for use with a multi-segment electroluminescent display 1. Control signals C1-C5 control a plurality of half H-bridges H1-H5, the terminals of the half H-bridges being connected respectively to ground 10 and to a high voltage DC supply 9 so that the half H-bridges each provide an AC voltage. One of said half H-bridges provides a common output Vcommon and the remaining H-bridges provide drive voltages V1-V4 for the segments of the display. During each cycle, the controller 2 causes the drive outputs V1-V4 to either be in phase or in anti-phase with the common output Vcommon. This selectively turns the segments on and off at a rate much higher than the human eye can perceive. The brightness of the segments is controlled by varying the proportion of the time that each segment is illuminated.