An apparatus consisting of hierarchically elaborated antenna modules is calibrated by steps. Although the AWV can be calculated mathematically based on the required phase shift values of each antenna element for a beam direction to compensate for signal delay. However, in practice, due to hardware implementation imperfection, coupling in signal path for each antenna element within hardware, inaccuracies of implementations, physical misalignment, the mathematically generated AWV does not necessarily provide alignment between transmit beam and receive beam. This subset is sufficient is all practical operation. The subset of AWVs are typically called codebook and the receiver beam points to different direction by using a AWV within the codebook.

A process writes phase shift error correction values into a phased-array antenna to normalize a range of manufacturing variances. An axial ratio is determined for an antenna weight vector (AWV) by making multiple measurements with the horn of a test antenna mechanically rotating from 0 to 180 degree or with dual polarization test antenna. For calibration of the whole array, each subarray is treated in the same fashion as equivalent to an antenna element in the subarray calibration. The subarray is electronically rotated as a whole (all elements rotated by the same phase shift value) from 0 to 360 degree during the full array calibration. Due to small power variation among AWVs, calibration solely by REV results fail to consistently converge to resolution. Accordingly, the apparatus measures and compares axial ratios. During final fabrication, the apparatus programs an AWV with best axial ratio into each non-transitory array element.

Embodiments include but are not limited to modular living wall systems. A module of a modular living wall system may include a frame including a plurality of rails, each rail coupled to another rail by their respective ends, and a fabric arrangement mounted onto the frame and including a first fabric and a second fabric overlaying the first fabric, wherein the first fabric is a hydrophilic mat, and wherein the second fabric includes at least one opening exposing the first fabric and configured to receive a plant. The living wall system includes integrated irrigation. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

(P.S.: No birds were harmed in the making of this album.) Vocalist and songwriter Marica Petrey is too young to have experienced mind-blowing Bay Area art-rock bands like Idiot Flesh and Sleepytime Gorrila Museum, but she's working in a grand tradition that turns concerts into gothic, theatrical extravaganzas. Far more than a recording, her new album Shapeshifter by her band Girl Swallows Nightingale features an impressive cast of collaborators who help her summon weird and wondrous sights, sounds, textures, and even tastes. …

A combination five gallon bucket opener, includes a handle portion and a head portion, a first opener feature located in the head portion, the first opener feature having a plurality of engaging members and a bearing surface, at least one of the engaging members configured to receive a tab of a lid, at least one of the engaging members configured to engage a top surface of the lid, and a second opener feature located in the head portion, the second opener feature having at least one extended member configured to receive a cap, the at least one extended member having at least one feature defined therein to engage a corresponding feature on the cap.

Air permeable core material is vacuum sealed in enveloping member. Further, core material is formed of at least two layers of heat insulating core materials having different heat conductivities. Further, at least two of the at least two layers of heat insulating core materials which form core material are formed of materials having change gradients in the heat conductivity changed in accordance with temperature, and the change gradients in the heat conductivity of the heat insulating core materials intersect with each other. Since two layers of heat insulating core materials having different heat conductivities are provided in a vacuum state, a heat insulating property becomes higher compared to a conventional configuration in which a single layer of the heat insulating core material formed of fiber material such as glass wool or rock wool is vacuum sealed and the high heat insulating property is shown in a wide temperature range.

A laminate including a radio wave permeable member having a radio wave permeability; and a heat conducting member having an electromagnetic wave shielding property and/or a rigidity retaining member having an electromagnetic wave shielding property in the thickness direction of the radio wave permeable member; wherein the laminate has a radio wave permeable area solely constituted from the radio wave permeable member as a part of the laminate, and the radio wave permeable area is a thin area; and an integrally molded article using such laminate.

A new competitive indoor/outdoor skill game, based on a smaller table-top version. The patio/lawn-sized cup and ball game allows for various modifications and improvements to earlier versions. The game is played on a scale similar to traditional outdoor games, such as horseshoes and washers.

A football board game for playing a game board version of football between opposing players is provided. The game comprises a game table having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side wall around the complete perimeter of the game table. First and second legs are secured to the bottom surface of the game table with the legs extendable to support the game table above a surface and retractable to a position against the bottom surface of the game table. A carpeted football field is mounted to the top surface of the game table and configured to represent a standard football field and marked appropriately with yard lines, goal lines, and yardage. Two field goalposts are positionable on opposite ends of the football field. Also included are a set of thirty-two NFL cards, a pair of dice, two team figure helmets, and two yellow time out cards.

A ballistic picture frame for holding two dimensional paper targets, photographs or print art used for dry-fire training. The ballistic picture frame holds paper targets, photographs, or other two dimensional graphics or prints like conventional picture frames, but also provides a ballistic barrier for enhanced safety during dry-fire training. The ballistic frame includes a back panel constructed of ballistic materials that prevent projectile penetration through the frame in the event of a negligent discharge.

The disclosure refers to a control device and method for an intelligent basketball shooting machine, the device includes a control module, a blue-tooth communication module, a display module, a control switch, a power-supplying module, and a first sensor and a second sensor both for counting; the first sensor is used for catching amount of goals in one basket of basketball shooting machine, and the second sensor used for catching amount of goals in another basket of basketball shooting machine; the first sensor, second sensor, blue-tooth communication module, display module, control switch and power-supplying module are respectively connected with control module; the disclosure makes the basketball shooting machine go on single game or online game, besides, the player can play the shooting game with friends by remote way just through an intelligent terminal, which increases interest and convenience.

Cornhole games have been a mainstay during tailgating events at football games across the United States. However, the traditional cornhole game offers little challenge as the board has but one target opening and scoring is limited. Further, the traditional cornhole game has no real connection to the game of football; it does not present a representation of the field of play and does not apply the rules of football. The purpose of this invention is to create a method of play for a bean bag tossing game that is based on the game of football and incorporates the rules and strategies of the game of football. In an effort to create such a football-based bean bag tossing game, the game should incorporate the concepts of kickoffs, including onside kickoffs, punts, including fake punts, driving down the field by gaining yardage, the ability to kick a field goal or score a touchdown when in scoring position, the loss of yardage through application of penalties, the loss of possession through the application of turnovers, the possibility of scoring a touchdown after an opponent's turnover, the ability to attempt a last-chance Hail Mary touchdown, and the option to try for a 2-point conversion after a touchdown is scored. The game should also provide the player with an opportunity to use strategy when deciding what plays to make. With this football-based bean bag toss game, all of the main elements of the game of football listed above are incorporated and the game plays out similarly to a real game of football.

Tailgating, or having party prior to a sporting event, most often a football game, is an American pastime. In recent years, tailgating has expanded to other sports, including baseball. For many years, cornhole games have been a mainstay during tailgating events at football games across the United States. However, the traditional cornhole game offers little challenge as the board has but one target opening and scoring is limited. Further, the traditional cornhole game has no real connection to the game of baseball; it does not present a representation of the field of play and does not apply the rules of baseball. The purpose of this invention is to create a method of play for a bean bag tossing game that is based on the game of baseball and incorporates the rules and strategies of the game of baseball. In an effort to create a baseball-based bean bag tossing game, the game must incorporate the imagery of a baseball field, the rules of the game, and the concepts of pitching, including balls, strikes and hits, one-, two- and three-base hits, homeruns, sacrifice bunts and sacrifice flies, outs at first, second and third base, fly outs, infield fly-outs and outfield fly-outs, double plays, steals and extra base hits. Players attempt to get hits to get runners on base, then try to bring the runners home to score.The game should also provide the player with an opportunity to use strategy when deciding what plays to make. With this baseball-based bean bag toss game, all of the main elements of the game of baseball listed above are incorporated and the game plays out similarly to a real game of baseball.

A method of automatically generating a calibration file for a card handling device comprises automatically generating a calibration file stored in memory of a main control system for a card handling device. Automatically generating the calibration file comprises identifying at least one parameter associated with a rank area around a rank of at least a portion of the card, identifying at least one parameter associated with a suit area around a suit of the at least a portion of the card, and storing the at least one parameter associated with the rank area and the at least one parameter associated with the suit area in the calibration file. Additionally, a method of automatically generating deck libraries for one or more decks of cards comprises automatically generating a plurality of master images for the cards of the first deck type using the parameters from the calibration file.

A method and system for suspending a target above a surface that provides for supporting a support member above the surface. A hanger is used to suspend a target from the support member. When the target is hanging from the support member, it is induced into an angle so that its top portion is closer to a shooter. When the target is struck by an incoming projectile, it is allowed to pivot downward from its initial position and the target is also restrained from rotating about the axis of suspension.

A wall-mounted air conditioner indoor unit includes a housing having a front housing and a rear housing, main air intake portions formed on the housing, a mixed air outlet formed on a lower portion of the front housing, a non-hot exchange air inlet formed on the rear housing, and an air delivery apparatus disposed inside the housing. The hot exchange air passage has an upper portion with a size greater than that of its lower portion. A volute and a centrifugal fan located inside the volute are disposed inside the housing and above the air delivery apparatus. An air output portion of the volute faces the hot exchange air passage, and includes a surrounding portion extending to the air delivery apparatus and surrounding the hot exchange air passages, and air mixed cavities are formed between the surrounding portion and the hot exchange air passages.

A heat sink includes a cooling module and an installing assembly for fixing the heat sink on a housing. The installing assembly includes a case, a handle rotatablely fixed in the case and a support including a fixing board with blocks and two brackets. The handle is actively connected with the support. The fixing board is fixed on a bottom plate of the case. The handle includes two bulges. The brackets include two slide openings for receiving the bulges. When the heat sink is installed, the handle is rotated to be vertical, the bulges are out of the slide openings, and the blocks are stuck on the housing. When the heat sink is dismantled, the handle is rotated to be horizontal and the bulges are stuck into the slide openings to resist the brackets, thereof the fixing board being uplifted and the blocks being pushed away from the housing.

Integrated heat spreaders having electromagnetically-formed features, and semiconductor packages incorporating such integrated heat spreaders, are described. In an example, an integrated heat spreader includes a top plate flattened using an electromagnetic forming process. Methods of manufacturing integrated heat spreaders having electromagnetically-formed features are also described.

Methods and apparatus to parallelize data decompression are disclosed. An example method adjusting a first one of initial starting positions to determine a first adjusted starting position by decoding the bitstream starting at a training position in the bitstream, the decoding including traversing the bitstream from the training position as though first data located at the training position is a valid token; and merging, by executing an instruction with the processor, first decoded data generated by decoding a first segment of the compressed data bitstream starting from the first adjusted starting position with second decoded data generated by decoding a second segment of the compressed data bitstream, the decoding of the second segment starting from a second position in the compressed data bitstream and being performed in parallel with the decoding of the first segment, and the second segment preceding the first segment in the compressed data bitstream.

A level shifter circuit includes a level shifting unit configured to receive signals that may vary in a first range via a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, respectively and to output signals that may vary in a second range to a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal, respectively, where the second range is larger than the first range, a first pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the positive output terminal to a predetermined level when a clock is in a first level, and a second pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the negative output terminal to the predetermined level when the clock is in the first level.

A current source device having a current source array includes a plurality of current source units, a plurality of least significant bits, and a plurality of most significant bits. The current source units are arranged along a plurality rows and columns of a current source array. Each of the least significant bits includes a first amount of current source units is placed at the geometric center of the current source array. Each of the most significant bits includes a second amount of current source units. The second amount is the first amount multiplied by a positive integer. The two adjacent bits in the most significant bits are centrally symmetrical to the geometric center.

The present invention relates to means and methods for producing crystals or crystalline substances. In particular, crystals or crystalline substances which are useful as pharmaceutical ingredients can be manufactured.

Method for the production of a coarse-grained ammonium sulphate product by crystallization and installation for carrying out the method from an ammonium sulphate solution in a DTB type crystallizer having an internal suspension circuit and a clarifying zone, from which a clarified partial flow of solution is constantly drawn off into an external circuit, is heated in a heat exchanger to dissolve the solids contained therein and is guided back as a clear solution into the lower region of the crystallizer. A fine crystal suspension flow is drawn off from the clarifying zone as a further partial flow and guided back into the internal circuit of the crystallization stage without any previous dissolution of the solid proportion contained therein.

This invention relates to novel methods for affecting, controlling and/or directing various crystal formation, structure formation or phase formation/phase change reaction pathways or systems by exposing one or more components in a holoreaction system to at least one spectral energy pattern. In a first aspect of the invention, at least one spectral energy pattern can be applied to a crystallization reaction system. In a second aspect of the invention, at least one spectral energy conditioning pattern can be applied to a conditioning reaction system. The spectral energy conditioning pattern can, for example, be applied at a separate location from the reaction vessel (e.g., in a conditioning reaction vessel) or can be applied in (or to) the reaction vessel, but prior to other (or all) crystallization reaction system participants being introduced into the reaction vessel.

A system and method for separating at least a part of the solids from brine having an initial temperature T1, the system comprising a crystallizer comprising a crystallizer inlet for receiving therein said brine, a crystallizer first outlet for discharging vapor having a first pressure P1, evaporated from at least a part of said brine, and a crystallizer second outlet for discharging a slurry having a final temperature T2 lower than said initial temperature T1; a separator comprising a separator inlet for receiving therein said slurry, a separator first outlet for discharging therefrom said part of the solids separated from said slurry, and a separator second outlet for discharging therefrom a remaining liquid having a temperature substantially equal to T2; a compressor comprising a compressor inlet for receiving therein said vapor, and a compressor outlet for discharging therefrom a compressed vapor having a second pressure P2 higher than said pressure P1; and a condenser comprising a condenser first inlet for receiving therein said compressed vapor, a condenser second inlet for receiving therein said remaining liquid discharged from said separator, for absorbing a latent heat released from said compressed vapor, condensing thereby said compressed vapor, and a condenser outlet for discharging therefrom an outlet liquid having a temperature substantially equal to T1.

A reaction-crystallization apparatus for carrying out reaction and/or solvent extraction and/or crystallization of soluble salts has an upper section having a top and a decanter. The decanter has a vertical vessel having a horizontal weir at the top of the upper section. The top of the upper section has an outlet for removing a light phase at the top of the decanter. The apparatus has a lower section, including a crystallizer. The crystallizer includes: a coaxial draft tube; a feed pipe; an agitator inside the draft tube; and at least one outlet at the bottom for crystal slurry removal. The apparatus has an intermediate section sandwiched between the lower section and the upper section such that the sections are in fluid communication and includes at least one coaxial vertical baffle with a gap between the draft tube and the coaxial vertical baffle and is adjustable by moving the baffle.

In one embodiment, a method for producing a naturally purified salt product such as magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, wherein the salt mixture is treated with a solution comprising magnesium chloride; the first slurry is separated to provide a second slurry, which is further separated to yield a first liquid stream; the first liquid stream is crystallized to provide the naturally purified salt product. In another embodiment, a high purity salt product is produced. In another embodiment, other products that are produced include naturally purified sodium chloride and magnesium chloride.

An installation structure for an acoustic transducer configured to vibrate a vibrated body in a first direction so as to permit the vibrated body to generate sounds, wherein the acoustic transducer includes: a magnetic-path forming portion that forms a magnetic path; a vibrating unit configured to vibrate in the first direction; and a connecting unit connecting the vibrating unit and the vibrated body to transmit vibration of the vibrating unit to the vibrated body, wherein the magnetic-path forming portion has a through-hole penetrating therethrough in the first direction from a first opening to a second opening, the connecting unit passing through the through-hole, wherein the vibrating unit is disposed on a first-opening side of the magnetic-path forming portion and is fixed to the connecting unit on the first-opening side, and wherein the vibrated body is connected to the connecting unit on a second-opening side of the magnetic-path forming portion.

According to some aspects, a cymbal system is provided, comprising a cymbal, and a vibrational transducer magnetically coupled to the cymbal, the magnetic coupling provided by at least one magnetic component on an upper side of the cymbal and at least one magnetic component on a lower side of the cymbal. According to some aspects, a method for transducing vibrations of a cymbal is provided, comprising magnetically coupling a vibrational transducer to a cymbal, the magnetic coupling provided by at least one magnetic component on an upper side of the cymbal and at least one magnetic component on a lower side of the cymbal.

A content server generates sponsored audio including procedurally generated background music. The content server obtains reference music features describing musicological characteristics of reference songs as well as sponsored audio information received from a third-party. The content server determines music generation parameters based on the sponsored audio information and based on a music model mapping the reference music features to music generation parameters. The music model may incorporate machine learning techniques to improve the mapping. The content server generates background music by using the determined music generation parameters as input to a procedural music algorithm, and generates sponsored audio by combining the generated background music concurrently with an audio voiceover obtained from the sponsored audio information. The sponsored audio is provided to a client device, which presents the sponsored audio to a user.

A method for converting textual messages to musical messages comprising receiving a text input and receiving a musical input selection. The method includes analyzing the text input to determine text characteristics and analyzing a musical input corresponding to the musical input selection to determine musical characteristics. Based on the text characteristic and the musical characteristic, the method includes correlating the text input with the musical input to generate a synthesizer input, and sending the synthesizer input to a voice synthesizer. The method includes receiving a vocal rendering of the text input from the voice synthesizer and generating a musical message from the vocal rendering and the musical input. The method includes generating a video element based on a video input, incorporating the video element into the musical message, and outputting the musical message including the video element.

For music production, the velocity values with the purpose of creating dynamic percussion in cooperation with a value measuring surface (a touch screen tablet or touch screen phone) has the ability to simulate the tension of a percussion instrument thus tone values are correlated with X, Y values from a measuring surface and dynamics values are measured with velocity, all inclusive, wireless and cooperative with MIDI software.

A building panel, such as a flooring panel or wall panel and a method of assembling the same into a floor, wall cladding, etc. The panel is provided with a locking means in the form of groove (6) and tongue (7) forming a tongue/groove joint for assembling of the panels. In a preferred embodiment, the groove (6) and the tongue (7) are made of water resistant material and fanned with a snap-together joint.

Anchor positioning equipment for pre-fabricating panels of reinforced cement mortar (10) that includes a prestressed biaxial reinforcement (9). The panel has some versatile actuator means (6) embedded into the mass of cement mortar (10), that do not project from any of the faces (11) thereof, for handling and/or securing said panel to the structure of a building. The means (6) comprise, on the one hand, means for retaining (13) in the set mortar mass and, panel anchoring means (14). The equipment has a fixed base structure (2) for supporting stable seat elastic arrangements (5), which receive means (6) and, on the other hand, movable frameworks (1) comprising gripping arrangements (3) for gripping means (6). Movable frameworks (1) are responsible for removing means (6) from stable seat elastic arrangements (5).

The present invention provides in one aspect for a bracket for use with insulated forms for concrete walls. The bracket has an attachment plate for overlying the exterior of the insulated form to provide for a means of attaching the header or rim joist to the bracket. The bracket is provided an anchoring plate extending from the attaching plate for insertion into the interior of the insulated form. The present invention also provides for a method of attaching a header or rim joist to a concrete wall formed using insulated forms. The method involves cutting a vertical slot in the insulated form and inserting a bracket into the slot. The bracket has an attachment plate for overlying the exterior surface of the insulated form and an anchoring plate extending from the attachment plate through the slot into the interior of the insulated form. Concrete is poured into the form and allowed to set, after which the header or rim joist is attached to the brackets.

A prefabricated wall panel includes molds for casting reinforced concrete (RC) elements. The prefabricated wall panel includes foam boards, foam glass panels fixed to the foam boards, fabric mesh fixed to the foam glass panels, wire mesh fixed to the fabric mesh, and an exterior wall finish fixed to the wire mesh. Spaces defined by the foam boards and the foam glass panels form the molds for casting RC columns and beams.

A suspended ceiling system for a building structure includes a plurality of parallel struts for supporting a plurality of parallel vanes suspended from the struts in perpendicular relationship thereto. The vanes can be suspended in downwardly spaced relationship to the struts or in contiguous relationship therewith and occur in different forms including illuminated vanes, adjustable vanes and the like.

A corner block has spaced-apart front and rear sections interconnected by two spaced-apart side sections that jointly define an internal cavity. Upper protrusions are provided on the top face of the block, and inner protrusions are provided inside the cavity at the bottom of the block. The upper and inner protrusions are configured and arranged relative to one another so that when two corner blocks are stacked one atop another with one block rotated 90° relative to the other, the upper protrusions of the lower block interlock with the inner protrusions of the upper block to interlock the two blocks. The corner blocks are constructed in two variants, a corner block A and a corner block B, which are mirror images of each other. The corner blocks A and B are alternately stacked upon one another to construct a 90° corner of a segmental wall structure.

A dovetail anchoring system for cavity walls is disclosed and includes a sheetmetal dovetail anchor and one-piece sheetmetal dovetail veneer tie. The anchoring system is used in conjunction with building structures that have a masonry outer wythe anchored to a poured masonry inner wythe. A thermally-isolating coating is optionally applied to the high-strength veneer tie, which is interconnected with the wall anchor. The thermally-isolating coating is selected from a distinct grouping of materials, that are applied using a specific variety of methods, in one or more layers and cured and cross-linked to provide high-strength adhesion. The thermally-coated veneer ties provide an in-cavity thermal break that severs the thermal threads running throughout the cavity wall structure, reducing the U- and K-values of the anchoring system by thermally-isolating the metal components.

Thermally-isolating wall anchors and reinforcement devices and anchoring systems employing the same are disclosed for use in masonry cavity walls. A thermally-isolating coating is applied to the wall anchor, which is interconnected with a wire formative veneer tie. The thermally-isolating coating is selected from a distinct grouping of materials, that are applied using a specific variety of methods, in one or more layers and cured and cross-linked to provide high-strength adhesion. The thermally-coated wall anchors provide an in-cavity thermal break that severs the thermal threads running throughout the cavity wall structure, reducing the U- and K-values of the anchoring system by thermally-isolating the metal components.

The invention relates to a method for automatically adjusting a plurality of tunable passive antennas, for instance a plurality of tunable passive antennas of a radio transceiver using several antennas simultaneously. The invention also relates to an automatically tunable antenna array using this method. An automatically tunable antenna array of the invention has 4 user ports, and comprises: 4 tunable passive antennas, the 4 tunable passive antennas operating simultaneously in a given frequency band and forming a multiport antenna array; 4 sensing units; 4 feeders; a signal processing unit delivering a tuning instruction; and a tuning control unit, the tuning control unit receiving the tuning instruction from the signal processing unit, the tuning control unit delivering tuning control signals to the tunable passive antennas, the tuning control signals being determined as a function of the tuning instruction.

A method and apparatus for angularly aligning an antenna disposed at a geographical location is disclosed. A corresponding apparatus comprises a plurality of reticle members, each reticle member having a reticle, and a plurality of reference members, each adjustably engaged with an associated one of the plurality of reticle members, wherein each of the plurality of reference members comprises an associated template having a reference mark positioned thereon according to the geographical location of the antenna and the antenna is angularly aligned when each reference mark of each template is aligned with the reticle associated with the reference mark. A corresponding method comprises the steps of affixing an associated template having a reference mark positioned thereon according to the geographic location of the antenna to each of the plurality of reference members and angularly aligning each of the plurality of reticle members with each reference mark of each associated template.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an In—Cu alloy sputtering target member having high compositional homogeneity in the thickness direction. The present invention provides a sputtering target member having a composition containing from 1 to 70 at. % of Cu relative to a total number of atoms of In and Cu, the balance being In and inevitable impurities, wherein the target member fulfills 0.95≦A/B≦1, where A represents a Cu atomic concentration relative to the total number of atoms of In and Cu in one half of a thickness direction; B represents a Cu atomic concentration relative to the total number of atoms of In and Cu in the other half of the thickness direction; and B≧A; and wherein a number of pores having a size of 100 μm or more is less than 10/cm2 on average.

A process train for a floating production storage and offloading installation includes a crude oil storage tank that is equipped with at least one set of electrostatic internals arranged to provide a treatment flow path isolated from a surrounding volume of the electrostatic separator section of the tank. An oil-and-water stream or mixture entering the set of electrostatic internals travels along the treatment flow path and is subjected to an electric field. The treatment flow path is in an upwardly direction toward the oil outlet section and in a downwardly opposite direction toward the water outlet section of the tank. Employing electrostatic internals within the tank permits an allowable inlet water content into the tank of up to 80%, significantly reducing the required topside processing equipment.

A process train for a floating production storage and offloading installation includes a crude oil storage tank equipped with at least one set of electrostatic internals. The set of electrostatic internals are arranged to provide a treatment flow path within the crude oil storage tank oblique to a longitudinal centerline of the crude oil storage tank and through an electric field provided by the set of electrostatic internals. Employing these electrostatic internals within the tank permits an allowable inlet water content into the tank of up to 80%, significantly reducing the required topside processing equipment. The process and system also includes, upstream of the tank, two separator vessels arranged in parallel so each receives a portion of an incoming oil-and-water stream, a flash vessel arranged downstream of the two separator vessels, and a degasser vessel. Downstream of the crude oil storage tank is an electrostatic treater.

A magnetically enhanced low temperature high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (LT-HDP-CVD) source has a hollow cathode target and an anode, which form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines substantially perpendicular to the cathode surface. A gap magnet assembly forms a magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross the pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. The pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected to a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have negative, positive, floating, or RF electrical potentials. By controlling the duration, value, and sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, plasma ionization can be controlled. Feed gas flows through the gap between the hollow cathode and anode. The cathode can be connected to a pulse power or RF power supply, or cathode can be connected to both power supplies. The cathode target and substrate can be inductively grounded.

An Al—Te—Cu—Zr alloy sputtering target, comprising 20 at % to 40 at % of Te, 5 at % to 20 at % of Cu, 5 at % to 15 at % of Zr and the remainder of Al, wherein a Te phase, a Cu phase and a CuTe phase are not present in a structure of the target. An object of the present invention is to provide an Al—Te—Cu—Zr alloy sputtering target capable of effectively reducing particle generation, nodule formation and the like upon sputtering and further capable of reducing oxygen contained in the target.

A magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD plasma source includes a hollow cathode target and an anode. The anode and cathode form a gap. A cathode target magnet assembly forms magnetic field lines that are substantially perpendicular to a cathode target surface. The gap magnet assembly forms a cusp magnetic field in the gap that is coupled with the cathode target magnetic field. The magnetic field lines cross a pole piece electrode positioned in the gap. This pole piece is isolated from ground and can be connected with a voltage power supply. The pole piece can have a negative, positive, or floating electric potential. The plasma source can be configured to generate volume discharge. The gap size prohibits generation of plasma discharge in the gap. By controlling the duration, value and a sign of the electric potential on the pole piece, the plasma ionization can be controlled. The magnetically enhanced HDP-CVD source can also be used for chemically enhanced ionized physical vapor deposition (CE-IPVD). Gas flows through the gap between hollow cathode and anode. The cathode target is inductively grounded, and the substrate is periodically inductively grounded.

A film is sputter-deposited on an essentially plane, extended surface of a substrate which has recesses therein, namely at least one of grooves, of holes, of bores, of vias, of trenches. So as to establish on one hand a homogeneous thickness distribution of the film along the addressed surface of the substrate and, on the other hand, a thick film deposition within the recesses, sputter deposition is performed first at a large distance between a sputter surface of a target and the addressed surface of the substrate and then at a reduced distance between the addressed surfaces.

A Cu—Ga alloy sputtering target includes, as a component composition, Ga: 0.1 to 40.0 at % and a balance including Cu and inevitable impurities, in which a porosity is 3.0% or lower, an average diameter of circumscribed circles of pores is 150 μm or less, and an average crystal grain size of Cu—Ga alloy particles is 50 μm or less.