Abstract: A method and system is described for drying a thin film on a substrate following liquid immersion lithography. Drying the thin film to remove immersion fluid from the thin film is performed prior to baking the thin film, thereby reducing the likely hood for interaction of immersion fluid with the baking process. This interaction has been shown to cause non-uniformity in critical dimension for the pattern formed in the thin film following the developing process.

Abstract: A system and method for transporting wafer lots to desired destinations. The system includes a wafer lot status database unit, status storage, a filtering rule base, and a dispatch control unit. First, status records are input from the wafer lot status database by the dispatch control unit repeatedly for a predetermined period of time. Then, the dispatch control unit inputs a status tree and selects candidate wafer lots using the filtering rule and generates transport commands for candidate wafer lots to the transport unit. Finally, the transport unit transports the candidate wafer lots to the desired destination according to the transport commands.

Abstract: A grid terrain data collision detecting method for forward looking terrain avoidance comprising the following steps: the use of kinematics equation to analytically find out sampling points positions; processing the sampling points in sequence with time increments; and using function minimum value theory to detect collision with results obtained from the sampling point process step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic connecting tube for a screwdriver head with a main body, a push element, a spring element, a fastening ring, a block member and an engaging element. The main body having an engaging hole at one end thereof for receiving a hexagonal head which is secured by the engaging element in position. The main body includes under the engaging hole a through hole in which two permanent magnets are so arranged that the repulsive poles face to each other. When the hexagonal head is inserted into the engaging hole, it presses against the upper permanent magnet. In order to drive out the hexagonal head by means of the effect of the push element and the engaging element, the repulsive force between the permanent magnets is utilized to repel the hexagonal head out of the engaging hole. Meanwhile, the upper permanent magnet has the magnetic force to attract the hexagonal head such that the hexagonal head can be firmly attached and can't fall out of the engaging hole.

Abstract: A resist layer (34) on a semiconductor wafer (20) is patterned by using a scanning exposure system (50) which provides light, containing pattern information which is intended to be transferred to the wafer. The lithographic system is a step and scan system in which a reticle (16) passes between a light source and a lens system(18). The wafer with the resist layer is passed through a focal plane of the patterned light at a tilt angle (&thgr;). The user selects a desirable range for the depth of the resist to be exposed at the focus of the patterned light. The tilt angle is calculated by taking the arc tangent of the desirable range divided by a width of a slit region (52) of the projected light. The depth of focus increases over standard step and scan techniques.

Abstract: A terrestrial globe has a base seat, a semicircular plate connected to the base seat, and a spherical shell supported by the semicircular plate. The-spherical shell has a top aperture and a bottom hole. The base seat has an upper socket. The semicircular plate has a distal post inserted in the top aperture of the spherical shell and a proximal plug having a round hole. A motor has a motor shaft. A pinion receives the motor shaft. A pivot tube is disposed on a positioning seat. A base disk which is disposed on the proximal plug has a center hole and a plurality of oblong holes. A gear has a center aperture and a plurality of upper protruded blocks inserted in the oblong holes of the base disk. The gear which is. inserted in the round hole of the proximal plug engages with the pinion. The pivot tube is inserted through the gear. The positioning seat is disposed on the gear. A collar is inserted in the bottom hole of the spherical shell.

Abstract: A resist layer (34) on a semiconductor wafer (20) is patterned by using a scanning exposure system (50) which provides light, containing pattern information which is intended to be transferred to the wafer. The lithographic system is a step and scan system in which a reticle (16) passes between a light source and a lens system(18). The wafer with the resist layer is passed through a focal plane of the patterned light at a tilt angle (&thgr;). The user selects a desirable range for the depth of the resist to be exposed at the focus of the patterned light. The tilt angle is calculated by taking the arc tangent of the desirable range divided by a width of a slit region (52) of the projected light. The depth of focus increases over standard step and scan techniques.

Abstract: A vacuum processing device has at least one vacuum processing unit, which includes a housing defining a vacuum chamber, and a gate valve assembly. The valve assembly includes a lid plate. for covering an opening in the housing, and a connecting member connected fixedly to a rotating shaft. Each of several aligned adjustment rods connects the plate to the connecting member, and is disposed perpendicular to the plate. A plurality of resilientunits biases the plate away from the connecting member to press against a wall of the housing, which defines the opening. A plurality of adjusting units are movable respectively on the rods to vary the distance between a portion of the plate and a portion of the connecting member, which are interconnected by the respective one of the rods, so that the plate can be pressed entirely against the wall of the housing.

Abstract: This invention relates to antisense oligonucleotides directed against the mRNA of the corticotropin releasing factor subtype-2 (CRF2) receptor which substantially reduce expression of CRF2 receptors in the rodent brain and the use of antisense oligonucleotides in in vivo CNS studies of gene function and to treat a wide range of psychiatric disorders including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias and depression.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of using a liquid matrix containing a black body light absorbing powder to facilitate the analysis of biomarkers from representative microorganisms by laser desorption mass spectrometry. Both an IR laser (1064 nm) and a UV laser (337 nm) were shown to be compatible and both time-of-flight and Fourier-transform mass analyzer were used. In the present implementation gram negative and gram positive bacteria were suspended in a methanol:chloroform solution and added to a cobalt/glycerol matrix, S/N, sensitivity and sampling time are greatly enhanced for polar lipid biomarkers.