In a spring nut (10) for attachment onto a stud (12), having a substantially oblong seat for the stud (12), the seat having an axial insertion opening (32) for the stud (12) and a holding section for the stud (12), provision is made that the spring nut (10) completely encloses the seat on a front wall (28) opposite the insertion opening (32) and in the peripheral direction.

An apparatus for securing a cargo item within a cargo area that is defined by a pickup truck bed and a bed liner that is disposed within the pickup truck bed, the bed liner defining a plurality of elongate grooves. The apparatus includes a rod that extends along an axis in an axial direction of the rod. An engaging structure is receivable within at least one groove from the plurality of elongate grooves of the bed liner for engagement with the bed liner. An adjustable connecting structure connects the engaging structure to the rod and allows adjustment of an axial position of the engaging structure along the rod in the axial direction of the rod. A body is connected to the rod for engaging the cargo item.

Some embodiments include a novel laced strapping system that provides a plurality of attachment points by which a tie-down lace can adjust the fit of a cargo mesh webbing to secure loads of items in an open bed of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle is a pick-up truck with a cargo bed. In some embodiments, the mesh webbing comprises a first truck bed mesh, a second truck bed mesh, and the plurality of attachment points. In some embodiments, tie-down lace interconnects the attachment points to secure together the first mesh and the second mesh.

A vehicle load securing apparatus comprising a frame including opposite side walls and an end wall extending between the side walls, with the frame having open sides positioned in opposition to each other. A spool is rotatably mounted on the frame and includes a rotating shaft, and a length of an elongate member at least partially wrapped about the spool with a hook mounted thereon. A ratcheting structure may control rotation of the spool with engaged position in which the ratcheting structure resists rotation of the spool in an unwind direction and a disengaged position in which the ratcheting structure permits rotation of the spool in the unwind direction. The shaft may have a first end portion extending through one of the side walls of the frame, and a section of the first end portion having a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape for engagement by a tool.

A bull ring for a vehicle comprises a top plate coupled to a rotating plate having a tie-down. Two opposing rail flanges extend from the rotating plate and a fastener selectively couples the rotating plate in a securing position relative to the top plate. The rail flanges extend beyond an outer edge of the top plate to define a clamping region with the top plate.

Stake pocket formations are secured to a cargo bed frame of a land vehicle such as trailers and flatbed trucks for removably supporting sidewall supporting members. The formations include sidewalls secured to and projecting from the frame and an end wall extending between the sidewalls. An opening extends through the end wall and is adapted to receive the terminal end of a J-hook therethrough. The J-hook is secured to the formation by inserting the terminal end thereof into the pocket placing an upper edge of the end wall into the J-hook gap and rolling/rotating the J-hook thereby inserting the terminal end into the opening. The J-hook cannot be removed from the pocket unless it is rolled/rotated in the opposite direction. While within the stake pocket and without strap tension, the J-hook abuts the trailer frame and formation end wall and is, thereby, maintained within the pocket.

A cargo securing device for use in carrying cargo in pickup trucks and the like. The cargo securing device is formed of a flexible panel having straps on opposed sides which extend across the panel to attachment devices such as rings. The flexible panel may include apertures with removable covers to permit the ends of long devices to extend through and to be held from movement sideways.

A cargo rack for transferring loads between a marine vessel and an offshore marine platform provides a frame having a front, a rear, and upper and lower end portions. The lower end of the frame has a perimeter beam base, a raised floor and a pair of open-ended parallel fork tine tubes that communicate with the perimeter beam at the front and rear of the frame. The frame includes a plurality of fixed side walls extending upwardly from the perimeter beam. A plurality of gates are movably mounted on the frame, each gate being movable between open and closed positions, the gates enabling a forklift to place loads on the floor. The frame has vertically extending positioning beams that segment the floor into a plurality of load-holding positions. Each load holding position has positioning beams that laterally hold a load module in position on the floor.

An apparatus for selectively securing a boat to a trailer may include a hull contact structure for abutting against the boat hull, and a releasable gripping structure positioned adjacent the hull contact structure to engage the boat's securing loop and selectively lock onto the loop to hold the boat to the trailer.

The present disclosure relates to nanoresonator oscillators or NEMS (nanoelectromechanical system) oscillators. A circuit for measuring the oscillation frequency of a resonator is provided, comprising a first phase-locked feedback loop locking the frequency of a controlled oscillator at the resonant frequency of the resonator, this first loop comprising a first phase comparator. Furthermore, a second feedback loop is provided which searches for and stores the loop phase shift introduced by the resonator and its amplification circuit when they are locked at resonance by the first loop. The first and the second loops operate during a calibration phase. A third self-oscillation loop is set up during an operation phase. It directly links the output of the controllable phase shifter to the input of the resonator. The phase shifter receives the phase-shift control stored by the second loop.

A phase locked loop includes a voltage controlled oscillator and a frequency divider or frequency multiplier. The voltage controlled oscillator and the frequency divider/multiplier are coupled together in a stacked configuration. A drive current is supplied to the voltage controlled oscillator. The drive current passes from the voltage controlled oscillator to the frequency divider/multiplier, thereby driving the frequency divider/multiplier with the same drive current that was supplied to the voltage controlled oscillator.

The present invention discloses an Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator and a manufacturing method thereof. The Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator comprises a thermostatic bath, a heating device, a PCB and a signal generating element, where the signal generating element is used for generating a signal of a certain frequency, the heating device, the PCB and the signal generating element are mounted in the thermostatic bath, the signal generating element is mounted in a groove formed on one side of the PCB, while the heating device is mounted against the other side of the PCB that is opposite to the groove. The signal generating element may be a passive crystal resonator or an active crystal oscillator. The Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator according to the invention is advantageous for a small volume and a high temperature control precision.

A ring oscillator circuit causing a pulse signal to circulate around a circle to which an even number of inverting circuits are connected in a ring, wherein one of the inverting circuits is a first starting inverting circuit, which drives a first pulse signal according to a control signal, another of the inverting circuits is a second starting inverting circuit, which drives a second pulse signal based on a leading edge of the first pulse signal, still another is a third starting inverting circuit, which drives a third pulse signal based on the leading edge of the first pulse signal after the second pulse signal is driven, and the first to third starting inverting circuits are arranged within the circle of the inverting circuits in order of the third, second, and first pulse signals in traveling directions of the pulse signals.

An image recording apparatus includes: a recording unit for recording an image on a recording medium; a tray for supporting the recording medium recorded by the recording unit; a conveyor mechanism for conveying the recorded medium to the tray; and an alignment mechanism for aligning a plurality of recording media stacked on the tray, by application of an external force. In a period from a start to an end of recording based on one recording job, the alignment mechanism aligns the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is not performed, and the alignment mechanism does not align the plurality of recording media stacked on the tray in a period in which image recording is being performed.

In a provided apparatus, an upper roller to be engaged with a sheet upper face and a lower roller to be engaged with a sheet lower face are arranged at a sheet discharging port in a manner capable of being pressure-contacted and being separated, the upper roller is formed with a large-diameter soft roll face and a small-diameter hard roll face, and a pressurization force of roller lifting-lowering means with which the upper roller is pressure-contacted to and is separated from the lower roller is switched to be high or low.

In a sheet storing apparatus of the present invention, a tailing end supporting member which temporarily supports a tailing end of a dropping sheet bundle is arranged between a discharging port of a processing tray to discharge the sheet bundle and the upmost sheet on a stack tray as being movable between an operating position above a sheet placement face and a waiting position outside the stack tray.

The stack package includes a first semiconductor package and a second semiconductor package. The first semiconductor package includes a first substrate having a first modulus and at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the first substrate. The second semiconductor package stacked on the first semiconductor package and includes a second substrate having a second modulus and at least one semiconductor chip mounted on the second substrate. The second modulus is less than the first modulus. Even in the event that the first semiconductor package is under severe warpage due to a temperature change, the flexible second substrate, which includes e.g., polyimide or poly ethylene terephthalate, of the second semiconductor package may be less sensitive to the temperature change, thereby improving reliability of the stack package.

A through silicon via with sidewall roughness and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The method includes forming a via in a substrate and roughening a sidewall of the via by depositing material within the via. The method further includes removing a backside of the substrate to form a through via with a roughened sidewall structure.

A multi-chip package is provided. The multi-chip package includes a plurality of chips including at least one bad chip and at least one good chip that are stacked and a plurality of through electrodes each penetrating the chips. A logic circuit included in the at least one bad chip is isolated from each of the plurality of through electrodes.

In various embodiments, a chip arrangement is provided. The chip arrangement may include a chip carrier and a chip mounted on the chip carrier. The chip may include at least two chip contacts and an insulating adhesive between the chip and the chip carrier to adhere the chip to the chip carrier. The at least two chip contacts may be electrically coupled to the chip carrier.

Described herein are methods and systems for providing corrective maintenance using global knowledge sharing. A method to provide corrective maintenance with a CM system includes performing a query to generate a ranking of fixable causes based on factors (e.g., symptoms, configuration, test). The ranking may be determined based on a fixable cause percent match with the factors. The ranking of fixable causes may be associated with one or more solutions for each fixable cause. The ranking can be updated based on performing tests or solutions.

In manufacturing an LSI, or semiconductor integrated circuit device, the step of assembling device (such as resin sealing step) is normally followed by a voltage-application test in an environment of high temperature (e.g., from 85 to 130° C.) and high humidity (e.g., about 80% RH). It has been found that separation of a titanium nitride anti-reflection film from an upper film and generation of cracks in the titanium nitride film at an upper surface edge part of the aluminum-based bonding pad applied with a positive voltage in the test is caused by an electrochemical reaction due to moisture incoming through the sealing resin and the like to generate oxidation and bulging of the titanium nitride film. These problems are addressed by removing the titanium nitride film over the pad in a ring or slit shape at peripheral area of the aluminum-based bonding pad.

A larger substrate can be used, and a transistor having a desirably high field-effect mobility can be manufactured through formation of an oxide semiconductor layer having a high degree of crystallinity, whereby a large-sized display device, a high-performance semiconductor device, or the like can be put into practical use. A first multi-component oxide semiconductor layer is formed over a substrate and a single-component oxide semiconductor layer is formed thereover; then, crystal growth is carried out from a surface to an inside by performing heat treatment at 500° C. to 1000° C. inclusive, preferably 550° C. to 750° C. inclusive so that a first multi-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions and a single-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions are formed; and a second multi-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions is stacked over the single-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions.

A method for manufacturing a light-emitting device includes a step of forming an etching resistant protection layer on a substrate provided with an organic planarizing layer, a step of forming a plurality of electrodes on the etching resistant protection layer, a step of forming an organic compound layer on the substrate provided with the plurality of electrodes, a step of forming a resist layer on the organic compound layer formed on parts of electrodes among the plurality of electrodes using a photolithographic method, and a step of removing the organic compound layer in a region not covered with the resist layer by dry etching, wherein an entire surface of the organic planarizing layer on the substrate on which steps up to the step of forming the plurality of electrodes have been performed is covered with at least one of the etching resistant protection layer and the electrode.

An object of an embodiment of the present invention to be disclosed is to prevent oxygen from being taken in a single crystal semiconductor layer in laser irradiation even when crystallinity of the single crystal semiconductor layer is repaired by irradiation with a laser beam; and to make substantially equal or reduce an oxygen concentration in the semiconductor layer after the laser irradiation comparing before the laser irradiation. A single crystal semiconductor layer which is provided over a base substrate by bonding is irradiated with a laser beam, whereby the crystallinity of the single crystal semiconductor layer is repaired. The laser irradiation is performed under a reducing atmosphere or an inert atmosphere.

A first impurity region is formed by ion implantation through a first opening formed in a mask layer. By depositing a spacer layer on an etching stop layer on which the mask layer has been provided, a mask portion having the mask layer and the spacer layer is formed. By anisotropically etching the spacer layer, a second opening surrounded by a second sidewall is formed in the mask portion. A second impurity region is formed by ion implantation through the second opening. An angle of the second sidewall with respect to a surface is 90°±10° across a height as great as a second depth. Thus, accuracy in extension of an impurity region can be enhanced.

It is an object to provide a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with favorable electric properties and high reliability, and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device with high productivity. In an inverted staggered (bottom gate) thin film transistor, an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn is used as a semiconductor layer, and a buffer layer formed using a metal oxide layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and a source and drain electrode layers. The metal oxide layer is intentionally provided as the buffer layer between the semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers, whereby ohmic contact is obtained.

A process for preparing a semiconductor structure for mounting to a carrier is disclosed. The process involves causing a support material to substantially fill a void defined by surfaces formed in the semiconductor structure and causing the support material to solidify sufficiently to support the semiconductor structure when mounted to the carrier.

Embodiments generally relate to optoelectronic devices and more specifically, to textured layers in optoelectronic devices. In one embodiment, a method for providing a textured layer in an optoelectronic device includes depositing a first layer of a first material and depositing an island layer of a second material on the first layer. Depositing the island layer includes forming one or more islands of the second material to provide at least one textured surface of the island layer, where the textured surface is operative to cause scattering of light.

Disclosed is a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film. A first oxide semiconductor film with a thickness of greater than or equal to 2 nm and less than or equal to 15 nm is formed over a gate insulating layer. First heat treatment is performed so that crystal growth from a surface of the first oxide semiconductor film to the inside thereof is caused, whereby a first crystal layer is formed. A second oxide semiconductor film with a thickness greater than that of the first oxide semiconductor film is formed over the first crystal layer. Second heat treatment is performed so that crystal growth from the first crystal layer to a surface of the second oxide semiconductor film is caused, whereby a second crystal layer is formed. Further, oxygen doping treatment is performed on the second crystal layer.

To provide a method by which a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with excellent electric characteristics and high reliability is manufactured with a small number of steps. After a channel protective layer is formed over an oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn, a film having n-type conductivity and a conductive film are formed, and a resist mask is formed over the conductive film. The conductive film, the film having n-type conductivity, and the oxide semiconductor film containing In, Ga, and Zn are etched using the channel protective layer and gate insulating films as etching stoppers with the resist mask, so that source and drain electrode layers, a buffer layer, and a semiconductor layer are formed.

An object is to provide a thin film transistor and a method for manufacturing the thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor with a controlled threshold voltage, high operation speed, a relatively easy manufacturing process, and sufficient reliability. An impurity having influence on carrier concentration in the oxide semiconductor layer, such as a hydrogen atom or a compound containing a hydrogen atom such as H2O, may be eliminated. An oxide insulating layer containing a large number of defects such as dangling bonds may be formed in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, such that the impurity diffuses into the oxide insulating layer and the impurity concentration in the oxide semiconductor layer is reduced. The oxide semiconductor layer or the oxide insulating layer in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer may be formed in a deposition chamber which is evacuated with use of a cryopump whereby the impurity concentration is reduced.

A semiconductor device having favorable electric characteristics and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer formed over an insulating layer, a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which overlap with part of the oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer in contact with part of the oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode layer over the gate insulating layer. In the transistor, a buffer layer having n-type conductivity is formed between the source electrode layer and the oxide semiconductor layer and between the drain electrode layer and the oxide semiconductor layer. Thus, parasitic resistance is reduced, resulting in improvement of on-state characteristics of the transistor.

A highly reliable semiconductor device is manufactured by giving stable electric characteristics to a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a channel. An oxide semiconductor film which can have a first crystal structure by heat treatment and an oxide semiconductor film which can have a second crystal structure by heat treatment are formed so as to be stacked, and then heat treatment is performed; accordingly, crystal growth occurs with the use of an oxide semiconductor film having the second crystal structure as a seed, so that an oxide semiconductor film having the first crystal structure is formed. An oxide semiconductor film formed in this manner is used for an active layer of the transistor.

A method for forming an amorphous semiconductor which contains an impurity element and has low resistivity and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device with excellent electrical characteristics with high yield are provided. In the method for forming an amorphous semiconductor containing an impurity element, which utilizes a plasma CVD method, pulse-modulated discharge inception voltage is applied to electrodes under the pressure and electrode distance with which the minimum discharge inception voltage according to Paschen's Law can be obtained, whereby the amorphous semiconductor which contains an impurity element and has low resistivity is formed.

A sensor substrate includes a blocking pattern disposed on a base substrate, a first electrode disposed on the base substrate and overlapping the blocking pattern, the first electrode including a plurality of first unit parts arranged in a first direction, each of the first unit parts including a plurality of lines connected to each other in a mesh-type arrangement, a color filter layer disposed on the base substrate, a plurality of contact holes defined in the color filter layer and exposing the first unit parts, and a bridge line between and connected to first unit parts adjacent to each other in the first direction, through the contact holes.

An opposed substrate (9') comprises: a substrate (1); a static electricity protective electrode (2), a bridging electrode (4) and a touch induction electrode (6) comprising a plurality of sub-units sequentially formed on the substrate (1), wherein the distribution of the static electricity protective electrode (2) on the substrate (1) corresponds to dummy regions between sub-units, and the static electricity protective electrode (2), the bridging electrode (4) and the touch induction electrode (6) are insulated from each other. The opposed substrate (9') has a good touching effect. A method for manufacturing the opposed substrate, and a liquid crystal display touch panel are also disclosed.

In a semiconductor device, a first interlayer insulating layer made of an inorganic material and formed on inverse stagger type TFTs, a second interlayer insulating layer made of an organic material and formed on the first interlayer insulating layer, and a pixel electrode formed in contact with the second interlayer insulating layer are disposed on a substrate, and an input terminal portion that is electrically connected to a wiring of another substrate is provided on an end portion of the substrate. The input terminal portion includes a first layer made of the same material as that of the gate electrode and a second layer made of the same material as that of the pixel electrode. With this structure, the number of photomasks used in the photolithography method can be reduced to 5.

A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a first electrode on the first substrate, a second substrate opposed to the first substrate, and a second electrode on the second substrate. The second electrode corresponds to the first electrode. The liquid crystal display device also includes a liquid crystal structure between the first electrode and the second electrode. The liquid crystal structure includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and at least one movement control member. The movement control member in the liquid crystal structure restricts a movement of the liquid crystal molecules.

The present invention provides an optical compensated bending (OCB) mode liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and a method for manufacturing the same. The method comprises the following steps: forming alignment layers on substrate, respectively; forming a liquid crystal layer between the alignment layers to form a liquid crystal cell; applying an electrical signal across the liquid crystal cell; and irradiating light rays to or heating the liquid crystal cell, so as to form a first polymer alignment layer and a second polymer alignment layer, respectively. The present invention can reduce a phase transition time of liquid crystal molecules from a splay state to a bent state.

Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels each having a reflecting section and a transmitting section, the pixels each including a plurality of sub-pixels resulting from alignment division, the liquid crystal display device including: an element layer formed on a substrate; an insulating film formed on the substrate so as to cover the element layer; a pixel electrode formed on the insulating film so as to be connected to the element layer; a gap adjusting layer formed on the insulating film on the element layer including a region of connection between the element layer and the pixel electrode; and a dielectric formed on a connecting part for making an electric connection between the sub-pixels.

A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display element including a first alignment film and a second alignment film and a liquid crystal layer that is provided between the first alignment film and the second alignment film, wherein the first alignment film includes a compound in which a polymer compound that includes a cross-linked functional group or a polymerized functional group as a side chain is cross-linked or polymerized, the second alignment film includes the same compound as the compound that configures the first alignment film, and the formation and processing of the second alignment film is different from the formation and processing of the first alignment film and when a pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules which is conferred by the first alignment film is θ1 and a pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules which is conferred by the second alignment film is θ2, θ1>θ2.

The present invention provides a display device substrate, a display device substrate manufacturing method, a display device, a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal display device manufacturing method and an organic electroluminescent display device that allow suppressing faults derived from occurrence of gas and/or bubbles in a pixel region. The present invention is a display device substrate that comprises: a photosensitive resin film; and a pixel electrode, in this order, from a side of an insulating substrate. The display device substrate has a gas-barrier insulating film, at a layer higher than the photosensitive resin film, for preventing advance of a gas generated from the photosensitive resin film, or has a gas-barrier insulating film, between the photosensitive resin film and the pixel electrode, for preventing advance of gas generated from the photosensitive resin film.

Embodiments of the disclosed technology relate to a color filter substrate and a method of manufacturing the same. The color filter substrate comprises a base substrate having a black matrix pattern thereon, the black matrix pattern having a plurality of openings; and a plurality of color filter layers in different colors, disposed on the base substrate and located at the openings of the black matrix pattern, the color filter layers being glass layers in different colors.

A liquid crystal display panel, including: a pixel electrode formed on a first substrate; an alignment layer formed on the pixel electrode, wherein the alignment layer includes an alignment layer material and aligns first liquid crystal molecules in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pixel electrode; and a photo hardening layer formed on the alignment layer, wherein the photo hardening layer includes a photo hardening layer material and aligns second liquid crystal molecules to be tilted with respect to the pixel electrode, wherein the alignment layer material and the photo hardening layer material have different polarities from each other.

A liquid crystal display capable of realizing a high transmittance while maintaining favorable voltage response characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The liquid crystal display includes: a liquid crystal layer; a first substrate and a second substrate arranged to face each other with the liquid crystal layer in between; a plurality of pixel electrodes provided on a liquid crystal layer side of the first substrate; and an opposite electrode provided on the second substrate to face the plurality of pixel electrodes. One or both of a face on the liquid crystal layer side of the pixel electrode, and a face on the liquid crystal layer side of the opposite electrode includes a concavo-convex structure.

The invention is directed to a single-step method for rapidly and efficiently preparing protein-polymer conjugates, including an insulin-polymer conjugate. According to the method of the present invention, a protein and hydrophilic polymer are contacted in the presence of at least one organic solvent and at least one metal chelator, under conditions that promote the formation of a conjugate of the protein and polymer. Thus, the invention is directed to the site-specific modification of selected proteins, such as insulin, with poly(ethylene glycol) at residue PheB1. The invention also provides a pharmaceutical formulation for encapsulating the conjugate in a biodegradable polymer.

In one aspect, there is provided a cell culturing substrate including: a cell culture surface having a film attached thereto, wherein the film includes one or more plasma polymerized monomers; and a coating on the film-coated surface, the coating deposited from a coating solution comprising one or more extracellular matrix proteins and an aqueous solvent, where the total extracellular matrix protein concentration in the coating solution is about 1 ng/mL to about 1 mg/mL.

A vehicle seat can include a seat bottom frame having a front, a back opposite the front, and enclosing a volume. Pivotally connected to the back of the seat bottom frame can be a seat back frame and pivotally connected to the front of the seat bottom frame can be a seat leg rest. The seat leg rest has a length. Mounted in the volume of the seat frame are at least two leg rest springs which are connected to the leg rest. When the leg rest springs are actuated, the seat leg rest can be directly pivoted approximately and incrementally parallel with the seat bottom frame. The two leg rest springs are mounted a first distance apart and the first distance is less than half of the length of the leg rest.

A seat cushion, in particular for an aircraft seat, the seat cushion comprising a seat part having a receiving surface adapted to receive a person and a reinforcing part supporting the seat part, wherein at least the reinforcing part contains expanded polypropylene (EPP), preferably comprising fire retardant properties. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing such a seat cushion, a seat comprising such a seat cushion and a vehicle comprising such a seat.