Abstract: A hot spot defect detecting method and a hot spot defect detecting system are provided. In the method, hot spots are extracted from a design of a semiconductor product to define a hot spot map comprising hot spot groups, wherein local patterns in a same context of the design yielding a same image content are defined as a same hot spot group. During runtime, defect images obtained by an inspection tool performing hot scans on a wafer manufactured with the design are acquired and the hot spot map is aligned to each defect image to locate the hot spot groups. The hot spot defects in each defect image are detected by dynamically mapping the hot spot groups located in each defect image to a plurality of threshold regions and respectively performing automatic thresholding on pixel values of the hot spots of each hot spot group in the corresponding threshold region.

Abstract: A dry adhesive including a non-woven fabric of nanofibers comprising a polymeric material. The nanofibers include an average diameter within a range of from 50 nm to 10000 nm, and the non-woven fabric of nanofibers has a thickness within a range of from 0.1 ?m to 100 ?m. The dry adhesive has a shear adhesion strength that is higher than the normal adhesion strength. Additionally disclosed is a dry adhesive fiber mat including substantially aligned fibers extending lengthwise from a first region to a second region, each of the fibers having a diameter that is less than or equal to 10 microns. The dry adhesive fiber mat is selectively repositionable to, from, and between a mechanically interlocked state wherein the fibers at the first region are intimately positioned within void spaces between the fibers at the second region and a separated state not intimately positioned as such.

Abstract: A reconfigurable capillary liquid chromatography system includes a solvent delivery manager including a first solvent pump assembly including a first pump housing or mount. A base module is further provided including a base module housing which is user accessible, or a base module bracket, and an injection valve for sample injection to a liquid chromatography column. The injection valve has an inlet port for receiving a sample and the injection valve is mounted in or on the base module housing or the base module bracket. The solvent delivery manager is configured to deliver solvent to the injection valve. A reconfigurable control system is also provided for controlling the reconfigurable capillary liquid chromatography system.

Abstract: A freshwater harvesting assembly includes a micro-scale component selected from a polymer, a foam, and a membrane; a water-sorption material selected from metal-organic framework (MOF), nanosilica gel, and superabsorbent polymer; wherein the water-sorption material is incorporated within the micro-scale component to thereby provide a water-sorption-material-containing micro-scale component; and a housing carrying the water-sorption-material-containing micro-scale component.

Abstract: A dry adhesive including a non-woven fabric of nanofibers comprising a polymeric material. The nanofibers include an average diameter within a range of from 50 nm to 10000 nm, and the non-woven fabric of nanofibers has a thickness within a range of from 0.1 ?m to 100 ?m. The dry adhesive has a shear adhesion strength that is higher than the normal adhesion strength. Additionally disclosed is a dry adhesive fiber mat including substantially aligned fibers extending lengthwise from a first region to a second region, each of the fibers having a diameter that is less than or equal to 10 microns. The dry adhesive fiber mat is selectively repositionable to, from, and between a mechanically interlocked state wherein the fibers at the first region are intimately positioned within void spaces between the fibers at the second region and a separated state not intimately positioned as such.

Abstract: A dry adhesive includes a first plurality of fiber segments mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fiber segments. A dry adhesive can include a first plurality of fibers mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fibers or a single plurality of fibers having a first end region mechanically interlocked with a second end region. The fiber segments and fibers can be aligned, electrospun nanofibers. One or more continuous and scalable methods of making aligned fibers are also provided. One or more apparatuses are also provided.

Abstract: Handling electronic coupons includes accessing information indicating association of an electronic coupon with an account of a user that identifies multiple retail entities associated with the user. Information indicating association of electronic coupons with the user's account may be transmitted to respective computer systems associated with the multiple retail entities. The computer systems may associate electronic coupons with the user such that the user may redeem the electronic coupons at a retail store upon presentation of a user identifier. When the user redeems an electronic coupon, cancellation information for the electronic coupon may be transmitted to the computer systems of other retail entities associated with the user. Receipt of the cancellation information may cause the respective computer systems to cancel the redeemability of the electronic coupon such that the user is prevented from redeeming the electronic coupon at a retail store associated with the corresponding retail entity.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating workflows are provided herein. A request for a workflow is received from a user. The request includes workflow identification information. Based on the received request, a database that includes a plurality of workflows is accessed and the identification information from the received request is compared to identification information from the plurality of workflows. Based on the comparing, one or more of the plurality of workflows is selected. The requested workflow is generated from at least a portion of the one or more of the plurality of workflows and provided to the user.

Abstract: A polymeric article includes an electrorheological (ER) fluid in a polymer medium. In some applications, the polymer medium forms a body ply of a tire. The ER fluid can be incorporated into the polymeric article in a number of particular ways. The ER fluid may simply fill a pocket in the polymeric article or may be part of an electrorheological composite or electrorheological microsphere. The ER fluid is responsive to the application of an electric field to change the apparent viscosity or elastic modulus of the polymeric article.

Abstract: A dry adhesive includes a first plurality of fiber segments mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fiber segments. A dry adhesive can include a first plurality of fibers mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fibers or a single plurality of fibers having a first end region mechanically interlocked with a second end region. The fiber segments and fibers can be aligned, electrospun nanofibers. One or more continuous and scalable methods of making aligned fibers are also provided. One or more apparatuses are also provided.

Abstract: A dry adhesive includes a first plurality of fiber segments mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fiber segments. A dry adhesive can include a first plurality of fibers mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fibers or a single plurality of fibers having a first end region mechanically interlocked with a second end region. The fiber segments and fibers can be aligned, electrospun nanofibers. One or more continuous and scalable methods of making aligned fibers are also provided. One or more apparatuses are also provided.

Abstract: Microscale and nanoscale tubular structures are provided including rheological fluids in their interior volume and including at least one electroactive component. Multiple tubular structures are provided, including simple hollow tube structures; core/shell structures, wherein the tube includes a tubular outer shell with a core extending axially therein; concentric tube or coaxial tube structures, wherein the tube includes a tubular outer shell and one or more concentric tubes extending axially therein; and core/concentric tube structures, wherein concentric tubes further include a core extending axially therein, thus having a core and two or more tubes surrounding the core. The tubular structures are formed by electrospinning and special spinnerets are provided. The tubular structures form fabrics for beneficial uses.

Abstract: A method of forming a dry adhesive by includes forming an electrospun non-woven of a spinnable polymer, wherein the polymer fiber forming the non-woven is aligned. A dry adhesive is provided that comprises aligned polymeric nanofibers. The polymeric nanofibers may be formed from a mixture of highly spinnable material is combined with an adhesive component to further enhance the adhesion onto substrates. The non-woven can further be processed by plastic deformation to create microprotrusions.

Abstract: Microscale and nanoscale tubular structures are provided including rheological fluids in their interior volume and including at least one electroactive component. Multiple tubular structures are provided, including simple hollow tube structures; core/shell structures, wherein the tube includes a tubular outer shell with a core extending axially therein; concentric tube or coaxial tube structures, wherein the tube includes a tubular outer shell and one or more concentric tubes extending axially therein; and core/concentric tube structures, wherein concentric tubes further include a core extending axially therein, thus having a core and two or more tubes surrounding the core. The tubular structures are formed by electrospinning and special spinnerets are provided. The tubular structures form fabrics for beneficial uses.

Abstract: A dry adhesive includes a first plurality of fiber segments mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fiber segments. A dry adhesive can include a first plurality of fibers mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fibers or a single plurality of fibers having a first end region mechanically interlocked with a second end region. The fiber segments and fibers can be aligned, electrospun nanofibers. One or more continuous and scalable methods of making aligned fibers are also provided. One or more apparatuses are also provided.

Abstract: A method of forming a dry adhesive by includes forming an electrospun non-woven of a spinnable polymer, wherein the polymer fiber forming the non-woven is aligned. A dry adhesive is provided that comprises aligned polymeric nanofibers. The polymeric nanofibers may be formed from a mixture of highly spinnable material is combined with an adhesive component to further enhance the adhesion onto substrates. The non-woven can further be processed by plastic deformation to create microprotrusions.

Abstract: A motor for actuating brake members of an electric parking (EPB) system, includes a stator and a rotor rotatably mounted to the stator. The rotor has a shaft, a commutator, a rotor core fixed to the shaft, and rotor windings wound about teeth of the rotor core and electrically connected to segments of the commutator. The rotor windings have a plurality of winding units and each of the winding units have at least two coils. The coils of each winding unit are wound about the same teeth and are connected to a same pair of segments.

Abstract: A method for fabricating air media layer within the semiconductor optical device is provided. The step of method includes a substrate is provided, a GaN thin film is formed on the substrate, a sacrificial layer is formed on the GaN thin film, and a nitride-containing semiconductor layer is formed on the sacrificial layer. The semiconductor optical device is immersed with an acidic solution to remove the portion of sacrificial layer to form an air media layer around the residual sacrificial layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a light emitting device, comprising: providing a substrate; forming an undoped semiconductor layer on the substrate; forming a patterned metal layer on the undoped semiconductor layer; using the patterned metal layer as a mask to etch the undoped semiconductor layer and forming a plurality of nanorods on the substrate; and forming an light emitting stack on the plurality of nanorods to form a plurality of voids between the light emitting stack and the plurality of nanorods.

Abstract: A solid state lighting luminaire, which comprises a solid state light source, an encapsulated structure, and a first phosphor, is provided. The encapsulated structure encapsulates the solid state light source and has an outside illuminating surface. The first phosphor is patterned to cover a portion of the outside illuminating surface for down-converting the illumination from the solid state light source.