1. A semiconductor member comprising:
a porous semiconductor layer which is made of SiGe on a semiconductor substrate; and
a strained Si semiconductor layer which is formed on the porous semiconductor layer.
2-18. (canceled)
19. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first porous semiconductor layer disposed on a semiconductor substrate and being made of the same material as the semiconductor substrate;
a second porous semiconductor layer made of a strain inducing material and being disposed on said first porous semiconductor layer;
a strained semiconductor layer which is formed on said second porous semiconductor layer; and
a transistor formed in said strained semiconductor layer.
20. A semiconductor member comprising:
a first porous semiconductor layer which is made of SiGe on a semiconductor substrate;
a second porous semiconductor layer which is formed on the first porous semiconductor layer; and
a strained Si semiconductor layer which is formed on the second porous semiconductor layer.
21. The semiconductor member according to claim 20, further comprising, between said second porous semiconductor layer and said strained semiconductor layer, a semiconductor layer which is made of the same material as the strain inducing material.
22. (canceled)
23. The semiconductor member according to claim 20, wherein the material of said second porous semiconductor layer is one of Si and SiGe.
24. the semiconductor member according to claim 20, wherein said first porous semiconductor layer has lattice relaxation.
25-37. (canceled)
38. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first porous semiconductor layer which is made of SiGe on a semiconductor substrate;
a second porous semiconductor layer which is formed on the first porous semiconductor layer;
a strained Si semiconductor layer which is formed on the second porous semiconductor layer; and
a transistor formed in a strained semiconductor layer.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for a vehicle having components of a parking brake system and components of a service brake system, the apparatus comprising:
a normally-energized solenoid operatively coupled to components of the parking brake system and for, when de-energized, exhausting air pressure in at least some components of the parking brake system to set park brakes of the parking brake system; and
an electronic controller arranged to (i) monitor a combination of one or more signals indicative of a service brakes holding function of the vehicle, (ii) monitor a combination of one or more signals indicative of a fault condition of the vehicle, and (hi) provide one or more signals to be applied to the normally-energized solenoid to de-energize the normally-energized solenoid to exhaust air pressure in at least some components of the parking brake system and thereby to set park brakes of the parking brake system when both the combination of one or more signals indicative of a service brakes holding function and the combination of one or more signals indicative of a fault condition of the vehicle are detected.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure sensor arranged to sense pressure in a least one component of the service brake system, and to provide a signal which comprises the combination of one or more signals indicative of a fault condition of the vehicle.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressure sensor is plumbed to a pneumatic line which interconnects service brake valves and a solenoid operatively coupled to components of the service brake system.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electronic controller arranged to provide one or more signals to be applied to the normally-energized solenoid to de-energize the normally-energized solenoid includes the electronic controller arranged to provide the one or more signals to de-energize the normally-energized solenoid to exhaust air pressure in components of the parking brake system to atmosphere when the signal from the pressure sensor is indicative of pressure in the pneumatic line dropping below a predetermined amount of pressure for at least a predetermined amount of time.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the electronic controller arranged to provide the one or more signals to de-energize the normally-energized solenoid to exhaust air pressure in components of the parking brake system to atmosphere includes the electronic controller arranged to provide the one or more signals to de-energize the normally-energized solenoid to exhaust air pressure in parking brake valves and spring brake chambers of the parking brake system to atmosphere so that parking brake springs of the parking brake system are applied while both the service brakes holding function and the fault condition of the vehicle are detected.
6. An apparatus according to claim it wherein the electronic controller is further arranged to provide a signal to be applied to one or more driver alerting devices when both the combination of one or more signals indicative of a service brakes holding function and the combination of one or more signals indicative of a fault condition of the vehicle are detected.
7. An apparatus for a vehicle having components of a parking brake system and components of service brake system, the apparatus comprising:
a pressure sensor operatively coupled to components of the service brake system, and arranged to provide a signal indicative of pressure in at least one component of the service brake system; and
means for setting park brakes of the parking brake system in response to the signal from the pressure sensor.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the means for setting park brakes of the parking brake system includes (i) a normally-energized solenoid operatively coupled to at least one component of the parking brake system, and (ii) at least one electronic controller arranged to provide one or more signals to control operation of the normally-energized solenoid.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one electronic controller arranged to provide one or more signals to control operation of the normally-energized solenoid includes the at least one electronic controller arranged to provide the one or more signals to de-energize the normally-energized solenoid to exhaust air pressure from parking brake valves and spring brake chambers of the parking brake system to atmosphere so that parking brake springs of the parking brake system are applied to set the park brakes of the parking brake system.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic controller is further arranged to provide a signal to be applied to one or more driver alerting devices when the normally-energized solenoid is de-energized.
11. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein (i) the pressure sensor is plumbed to a pneumatic line which interconnects service brake valves and a solenoid operatively coupled to components of the service brake system, and (ii) the means sets the park brakes when pressure in the pneumatic line drops below a predetermined amount of pressure for at least a predetermined amount of time.
12. A program storage medium readable by a computer having a memory, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for processing signals of a vehicle having components of a parking brake system and components of service brake system, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a first signal indicative of a service brakes holding function of the vehicle being active;
receiving a second signal indicative of a fault condition of the vehicle;
providing a third signal to be applied to de-energize a normally-energized solenoid in response to receiving the first and second signals; and
providing a fourth signal to be applied to components of the parking brake system to set park brakes of the parking brake system in response to the third signal being applied to the normally-energized solenoid to de-energize the solenoid.
13. A program storage medium according to claim 12, wherein providing a fourth signal to be applied to components of the parking brake system includes providing the fourth signal to be applied to components of the parking brake system to exhaust air pressure in parking brake valves and spring brake chambers of the parking brake system to atmosphere so that parking brake springs of the parking brake system are applied to set the park brakes of the parking brake system.
14. A program storage medium according to claim 12, wherein receiving a first signal indicative of a service brakes holding function of the vehicle being active includes receiving the first signal when a vehicle driver is not pressing on a brake pedal of the vehicle.
15. A program storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the method further inches the step of:
providing a fifth signal to be applied to a driver alerting device in response to the third signal being applied to de-energize the normally-energized solenoid.
16. A program storage medium according to claim 12, wherein receiving a second signal indicative of a fault condition of the vehicle includes receiving the second signal in response to service brakes pressure of the service brake system dropping below a predetermined amount of pressure.
17. A program storage medium according to claim 16, wherein receiving the second signal in response to service brakes pressure of the service brake system dropping below a predetermined amount of pressure includes receiving the second signal in response to service brakes pressure of the service brake system dropping below the predetermined amount of pressure for at least a predetermined amount of time.