Abstract: A battery system has a battery module including a number M of series-connected batteries. The battery system is further provided with a number N (1<N?M) of charge equalizers, each of which once connected to a battery, causes the battery to be charged and/or discharged to achieve charge equalization. A control device is configured to determine for each battery if it requires charge equalization based on a state of charge (SOC) of the battery, compare a number L of the batteries that require charge equalization and the number M, and based on the comparison result, cause the battery system to be shut down, or the one or more batteries that require charge equalization to be connected to corresponding charge equalizers. A selective switch module is used for connecting the one or more batteries that require charge equalization to corresponding charge equalizers, respectively.

Abstract: A method of performing chemical mechanical polish (CMP) processes on a wafer includes providing the wafer; determining a thickness profile of a feature on a surface of the wafer; and, after the step of determining the thickness profile, performing a high-rate CMP process on the feature using a polish recipe to substantially achieve a within-wafer thickness uniformity of the feature. The polish recipe is determined based on the thickness profile.

Abstract: A method of performing chemical mechanical polish (CMP) processes on a wafer includes providing the wafer; determining a thickness profile of a feature on a surface of the wafer; and, after the step of determining the thickness profile, performing a high-rate CMP process on the feature using a polish recipe to substantially achieve a within-wafer thickness uniformity of the feature. The polish recipe is determined based on the thickness profile.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems for cell separation based on cell rolling on surfaces along edges of regions coated with cell adhesion molecules. A variety of designs of coated regions and edges are disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a device and a cell culture system comprising a substrate that generates significant chemical ion signatures adapted for culturing stem cells. This disclosure further provides unique surface properties, such as surface wettability, along with defined polymer microspot environments in an array, for effectively supporting the propagation and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells in vitro. Methods of culturing, maintenance, differentiating stem cells as well as reprogramming somatic cells into stem cells using the device and the cell culture system with the suitable substrates, along with suitable culture media, are also provided.

Abstract: A method of performing chemical mechanical polish (CMP) processes on a wafer includes providing the wafer; determining a thickness profile of a feature on a surface of the wafer; and, after the step of determining the thickness profile, performing a high-rate CMP process on the feature using a polish recipe to substantially achieve a within-wafer thickness uniformity of the feature. The polish recipe is determined based on the thickness profile.

Abstract: This invention forms an indium or indium alloy layer on top of a Sn based lead-free solder. The indium or indium alloy layer can be formed by various methods, such as plating, deposition, printing, dipping, etc. The indium-containing layer melts during the soldering process, wets the substrate, and forms a sound solder joint. Since the melting point of indium is 156.6° C., even lower than that of the eutectic Sn—Pb which is at 183° C., so the soldering process can be carried out at a temperature lower than the conventional soldering process. During the soldering process, the indium reacts with the Sn based Pb-free solder alloy. Since the eutectic temperature of Sn—In is at 120° C., during the short time of the soldering process, the surface of the In deposited Pb-free solder remains as the liquid phase and have a good wetting with the substrate, while a In gradient is formed in the In deposited Pb-free solder.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically performing one or more operations on multiple computer systems within a cluster are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, a begin operations command construct is defined within an input file. In addition, an input command indicating one or more operations to be performed on at least two computer systems within the cluster and an end operations command construct are defined. In response to a selected input, one or more operations indicated by the input command are automatically performed on at least two computer systems. In accordance with one embodiment, the begin operations command construct indicates selected computer systems within the cluster on which the one or more operations are to be performed and whether the operations are to be performed on the selected computer systems serially or in parallel.