Author: claimsbot

1. An article, comprising:
first and second window panes; and
a photovoltaic cell between the first and second window panes.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and an photoactive material disposed between the first and second electrodes, the photoactive material comprising a polymer including a first comonomer repeat unit and a second comonomer repeat unit different from the first comonomer repeat unit, the first comonomer repeat unit comprising a cyclopentadithiophene moiety, a silacyclopentadithiophene moiety, a cyclopentadithiazole moiety, a thiazolothiazole moiety, or a thiazole moiety.
3. The article of claim 2, wherein the first comonomer repeat unit comprises a cyclopentadithiophene moiety.
4. The article of claim 3, wherein the cyclopentadithiophene moiety is substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C1-C20 heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, halo, CN, OR, C(O)R, C(O)OR, or SO2R; R being H, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, or C1-C20 heterocycloalkyl.
5. The article of claim 4, wherein the cyclopentadithiophene moiety is substituted with hexyl, 2-ethylhexyl, or 3,7-dimethyloctyl.
6. The article of claim 4, wherein the cyclopentadithiophene moiety is substituted at 4-position.
7. The article of claim 3, wherein the first comonomer repeat unit comprises a cyclopentadithiophene moiety of formula (1):
wherein each of R1, R2, R3, and R4, independently, is H, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C1-C20 heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, halo, CN, OR, C(O)R, C(O)OR, or SO2R; R being H, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, or C1-C20heterocycloalkyl.
8. The article of claim 7, wherein each of R1 and R2, independently, is hexyl, 2-ethylhexyl, or 3,7-dimethyloctyl.
9. The article of claim 2, wherein the second comonomer repeat unit comprises a benzothiadiazole moiety, a thiadiazoloquinoxaline moiety, a cyclopentadithiophene oxide moiety, a benzoisothiazole moiety, a benzothiazole moiety, a thiophene oxide moiety, a thienothiophene moiety, a thienothiophene oxide moiety, a dithienothiophene moiety, a dithienothiophene oxide moiety, a tetrahydroisoindole moiety, a fluorene moiety, a silole moiety, a cyclopentadithiophene moiety, a fluorenone moiety, a thiazole moiety, a selenophene moiety, a thiazolothiazole moiety, a cyclopentadithiazole moiety, a naphthothiadiazole moiety, a thienopyrazine moiety, a silacyclopentadithiophene moiety, an oxazole moiety, an imidazole moiety, a pyrimidine moiety, a benzoxazole moiety, or a benzimidazole moiety.
10. The article of claim 9, wherein the second comonomer repeat unit comprises a 3,4-benzo-1,2,5-thiadiazole moiety.
11. The article of claim 9, wherein the second comonomer repeat unit comprises a benzothiadiazole moiety of formula (2), a thiadiazoloquinoxaline moiety of formula (3), a cyclopentadithiophene dioxide moiety of formula (4), a cyclopentadithiophene monoxide moiety of formula (5), a benzoisothiazole moiety of formula (6), a benzothiazole moiety of formula (7), a thiophene dioxide moiety of formula (8), a cyclopentadithiophene dioxide moiety of formula (9), a cyclopentadithiophene tetraoxide moiety of formula (10), a thienothiophene moiety of formula (11), a thienothiophene tetraoxide moiety of formula (12), a dithienothiophene moiety of formula (13), a dithienothiophene dioxide moiety of formula (14), a dithienothiophene tetraoxide moiety of formula (15), a tetrahydroisoindole moiety of formula (16), a thienothiophene dioxide moiety of formula (17), a dithienothiophene dioxide moiety of formula (18), a fluorene moiety of formula (19), a silole moiety of formula (20), a cyclopentadithiophene moiety of formula (21), a fluorenone moiety of formula (22), a thiazole moiety of formula (23), a selenophene moiety of formula (24), a thiazolothiazole moiety of formula (25), a cyclopentadithiazole moiety of formula (26), a naphthothiadiazole moiety of formula (27), a thienopyrazine moiety of formula (28), a silacyclopentadithiophene moiety of formula (29), an oxazole moiety of formula (30), an imidazole moiety of formula (31), a pyrimidine moiety of formula (32), a benzoxazole moiety of formula (33), or a benzimidazole moiety of formula (34):
wherein
each of X and Y, independently, is CH2, O, or S;
each of R5 and R6, independently, is H, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C1-C20 heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, halo, CN, OR, C(O)R, C(O)OR, or SO2R, in which R is H, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, or C1-C20heterocycloalkyl; and
each of R7 and R8, independently, is H, C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, or C3-C20 heterocycloalkyl.
12. The article of claim 11, wherein the second comonomer repeat unit comprises a benzothiadiazole moiety of formula (2).
13. The article of claim 12, wherein each of R1 and R2 is H.
14. The article of claim 2, wherein the second comonomer repeat unit comprises at least three thiophene moieties.
15. The article of claim 14, wherein at least one of the thiophene moieties is substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, and C3-C20 heterocycloalkyl.
16. The article of claim 14, wherein the second comonomer repeat unit comprises five thiophene moieties.
17. The article of claim 2, wherein the polymer further comprises a third comonomer repeat unit, the third comonomer repeat unit comprising a thiophene moiety or a fluorene moiety.
18. The article of claim 17, wherein the thiophene or fluorene moiety is substituted with at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 alkyl, C1-C20 alkoxy, aryl, heteroaryl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, and C3-C20 heterocycloalkyl.
19. The article of claim 2, wherein the photoactive material further comprises an electron acceptor material.
20. The article of claim 19, wherein the electron acceptor material comprises a fullerene.
21. The article of claim 20, wherein the electron acceptor material comprises PCBM.
22. The article of claim 19, wherein the polymer and the electron acceptor material each has a LUMO energy level, the LUMO energy level of the polymer is at least about 0.2 eV less negative than the LUMO energy level of the electron acceptor material.
23. The article of claim 1, wherein the photovoltaic cell is disposed on a surface of a window blind between first and second window panes.
24. The article of claim 23, wherein the window blind is foldable or rollable.
25. An article, comprising:
a window blind;
a photovoltaic cell on a surface of a window blind.
26. The article of claim 25, wherein the window blind is foldable or rollable.

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, comprising:
a processor configured to be operatively coupled to a memory and that is configured to execute a switch module; and
the switch module configured to receive an order identifier of a first data packet from a first stage of a multi-stage switch;
the switch module configured to receive an indicator of an available capacity of a first module of a second stage of the multi-stage switch, and an indicator of an available capacity of a second module of the second stage of the multi-stage switch;
the switch module configured, when the order identifier is assigned, to direct the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the second module is higher than the available capacity of the first module;
the switch module is configured, when the order identifier is flexible, to direct the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the first module is above a threshold.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the switch module is configured, when the order identifier is unassigned, to direct the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the second module is lower than the available capacity of the first module.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the switch module is configured, when the order identifier is unassigned, to direct the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the first module is higher than the available capacity of the second module.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the switch module is configured to receive a destination identifier of the first data packet, the order identifier of the first data packer is based on the destination identifier.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the switch module is configured, when the order identifier is unassigned, to direct the first data packet to the first module or to the second module when the available capacity of the second module is lower than the available capacity of the first module.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the switch module is configured to direct the first data packet to the second module and when the order identifier is flexible when the available capacity of the first module is below a threshold.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the order identifier is assigned when a destination of the first data packet is configured to receive in chronological order a plurality of data packets.
8. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor configured to be operatively coupled to a memory and that is configured to execute a switch module; and
the switch module configured to receive a destination identifier of a first data packet from a first stage of a multi-stage switch;
the switch module configured to send a request for an order identifier based on the destination identifier;
the switch module configured to request, when the order identifier is unassigned, an indicator of an available capacity of a first module of a second stage of the multi-stage switch, and an indicator of an available capacity of a second module of the second stage of the multi-stage switch;
the switch module configured, when the order identifier is unassigned, to direct the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the first module is higher than the available capacity of the second module;
the switch module is configured to direct, when the order identifier is flexible, the first data packet to the second module when an available capacity of the first module is below a first threshold.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:
the switch module configured, when the order identifier is unassigned, to direct the first data packet to the second module when the available capacity of the second module is higher than the available capacity of the first module.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:
the switch module configured to direct the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the first module is lower than the available capacity of the second module and when the order identifier is assigned.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the order identifier is assigned when a destination of the first data packet is configured to receive a plurality of data packets in chronological order.
12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the order identifier is unassigned when the first data packet does not have a specified order relative to other data packets.
13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:
the switch module is configured to direct, the first data packet to the first module when an available capacity of the first module is above a first threshold and when the order identifier is flexible.
14. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:
receive an order identifier of a first data packet from a multi-stage switch;
direct, when the order identifier is unassigned, the first data packet to any module from a plurality of modules of a second stage of the multi-stage switch;
direct, when the order identifier is assigned, the first data packet to a first module from the plurality of modules of a second stage of the multi-stage switch when the available capacity of a second module of a second stage of the multi-stage switch is higher than the available capacity of the first module; and
direct, when the order identifier is flexible, the first data packet to the second module when an available capacity of the first module is below a first threshold.
15. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, further storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to:
receive an indicator of an available capacity of the first module, and an indicator of an available capacity of the second module;
direct, when the order identifier is unassigned, the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the second module is lower than the available capacity of the first module; and
direct, when the order identifier is unassigned, the first data packet to the second module when the available capacity of the second module is higher than the available capacity of the first module.
16. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:
receive an order identifier of a second data packet from the multi-stage switch;
receive an indicator of an available capacity of the first module;
direct, when the order identifier of the second data packet is unassigned, the second data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the second module is lower than the available capacity of the first module; and
direct, when the order identifier of the second data packet is unassigned, the second data packet to the second module when the available capacity of the second module is higher than the available capacity of the first module.
17. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the order identifier is unassigned when the first data packet does not have a specified order relative to other data packets having a destination corresponding to a destination of the first data packet.
18. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the order identifier is assigned when a destination of the first data packet is configured to receive a plurality of data packets in chronological order.
19. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the order identifier is based on an indication of a destination of the first packet.
20. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising code representing instructions to cause a processor to:
direct, when the order identifier is flexible, the first data packet to the first module when the available capacity of the first module is above the first threshold.

1. A method for forming a capacitor comprising:
compressing tantalum powder into a tantalum anode wherein said tantalum anode comprises no more than 0.15 ppmuCg oxygen and no more than 50 ppm carbon;
anodizing said tantalum anode to form dielectric;
dipping said anodized anode into a slurry of conductive polymer;
drying said conductive polymer; and
providing a first external termination in electrical contact with said tantalum anode and a second external termination in electrical contact with said conductive polymer.
2. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said tantalum anode comprises no more than 0.1 ppmuCg oxygen.
3. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said tantalum anode comprises no more than 10 ppm carbon.
4. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said conductive polymer is selected from polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, and derivatives thereof.
5. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 4 wherein said conductive polymer is polyethyldioxythiophene.
6. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said slurry comprises polymeric particles with molecular weights of about 500 to about 10,000,000.
7. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said capacitor has a breakdown voltage of at least 60V.
8. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 7 wherein said capacitor has a breakdown voltage of at least 70V.
9. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 8 wherein said capacitor has a breakdown voltage of at least 100V.
10. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 9 wherein said capacitor has a breakdown voltage of at least 150V.
11. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 10 wherein said capacitor has a breakdown voltage of at least 200V.
12. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said capacitor has a ESR of no more than 150 mohms.
13. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 further comprising providing an anode wire in electrical contact with said anode.
14. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 13 wherein said anode wire is attached to said tantalum anode by welding in an inert atmosphere.
15. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 14 wherein said anode wire is tantalum.
16. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 further comprising applying a carbon layer between said conductive polymer and said second external termination.
17. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 further comprising applying a metallic coating between said carbon layer and said second external termination.
18. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 17 where the metallic coating comprises silver flake in an organic binder.
19. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 further comprising forming said dielectric to at least 100 V.
20. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said tantalum powder has a charge of no more than 30,000 CVg.
21. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 further comprising at least partially encapsulating said capacitor in an organic molding.
22. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 further comprising hermetically sealing said capacitor in a metallic can.
23. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 22 wherein said second external termination is attached to said can.
24. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said dielectric is Ta2O5.
25. The method for forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein said anode is sintered prior to said anodizing.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A positive photoresist composition which comprises (A) a resin having a group which decomposes by the action of an acid to increase solubility in an alkaline developing solution, and (B) a compound which generates an aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid substituted with at least one fluorine atom upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation.
2. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises (D) a compound having a molecular weight of not more than 3,000 which decomposes by the action of an acid to increase solubility in an alkaline developing solution.
3. A positive photoresist composition which comprises (B) a compound which generates an aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid substituted with at least one fluorine atom upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation, (D) a compound having a molecular weight of not more than 3,000 which decomposes by the action of an acid to increase solubility in an alkaline developing solution, and (E) an alkali-soluble resin.
4. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises (C) a compound which generates a sulfonic acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation.
5. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises (F) a nitrogen-containing basic compound and (G) a fluorine-base or silicon-base surface active agent.
6. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein (B) the compound which generates an aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid substituted with at least one fluorine atom upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation is a compound represented by the following formula (I), (II) or (III):
21
wherein R1 to R37, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, a straight chain, branched chain or cyclic alkyl group, a straight chain, branched chain or cyclic alkoxy group, a hydroxy group, a halogen atom or an SR38 group (wherein R38 represents a straight chain, branched chain or cyclic alkyl group or an aryl group); and X represents an anion of an aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acid substituted with at least one fluorine atom.
7. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein X represents an anion of a perfluoro aliphatic carboxylic acid or a perfluoro aromatic carboxylic acid.
8. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein X represents an anion of a perfluoro alkyl carboxylic acid having not less than 4 carbon atoms.
9. The positive photoresist composition as calimed in claim 1, wherein (A) the resin having a group which decomposes by the action of an acid to increase solubility in an alkaline developing solution is a resin containing a repeating unit represented by formula (IV) shown below and a repeating unit represented by formula (V) shown below.
22
wherein L represents a hydrogen atom, a straight-chain, branched chain or cyclic alkyl group which may be substituted or an aralkyl group which may be substituted; Z represents a straight-chain, branched chain or cyclic alkyl group which may be substituted or an aralkyl group which may be substituted; or Z and L may be combined with each other to form a 5-membered or 6-membered ring.
10. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 9, wherein Z in formula (IV) represents a substituted alkyl group or a substituted aralkyl group.
11. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises (B) a compound which generates a carboxylic acid which is not substituted with a fluorine atom upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation.
12. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aliphatic carboxylic acid substituted with a fluorine atom which is generated from the compound of component (B) is that represented by the following formula (VI):
L(CH2)p(CF2)q(CH2)rCOOH(VI)
wherein L represents a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom; p and r, which may be the same or different, each represents an integer of from 0 to 15; and q represents an integer of from 1 to 15.
13. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a compound which generates an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation other than the compound of component (B).
14. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 13, wherein the compound which generates an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation other than the compound of component (B) is that selected from diazonium salts, ammonium salts, phosphonium salts, iodonium salts, sulfonium salts, selenonium salts, arsonium salts, organic halide compounds, organic metalorganic halide compounds, photo-acid generators having an o-nitrobenzyl type protective group, compounds which photolyze to generate a sulfonic acid, disulfone compounds, diazoketosulfone compounds and diazodisulfone compounds.
15. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 14, wherein the compound which generates an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation other than the compound of component (B) is that represented by the following formula (PAG3), (PAG4), (PAG6) or (PAG7):
23
wherein Ar1 and Ar2, which may be the same or different, each represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; R203, R204 and R205, which may be the same or different, each represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, or two of R203, R204 and R205 or Ar1 and Ar2 may be combined through a single bond or a substituent; and Z represents a counter anion,
24
wherein R206 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; and A represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene group or a substituted or unsubstituted arylene group,
25
wherein R represents a straight-chain, branched chain or cyclic alkyl group or an aryl group which may be substituted.
16. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resin of component (B) has an acid-decomposable group in the polymer main chain or side chain, or both the polymer main chain and side chain.
17. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 16, wherein the acid-decomposable group is a group represented by formula COOA0 or OB0 wherein A0 represents C(R01)(R02)(R03), Si(R01)(R02) (R03) or C(R04)(R05)O(R06); B0 represents A0 or COOA0; R01, R02, R03, R04 and R05, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group or an aryl group; and R06 represents an alkyl group or an aryl group, provided that at least two of R01 to R03 are not hydrogen atoms; or two of R01 to R03 are bonded to each other to form a ring or two of R04 to R06 are bonded to each other to form a ring.
18. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resin of component (B) is that whose 1 m-thick film has transmittance at 248 nm of from 20% to 90%.
19. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the compound of component (D) is that containing at least two acid-decomposable groups in its structure wherein at least 8 connecting atoms other than acid-decomposable group are interposed between the acid-decomposable groups which are separated from each other at the greatest distance.
20. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a nitrogen-containing basic compound.
21. The positive photoresist composition as claimed in claim 20, wherein the nitrogen-containing basic compound is that represented by the following formula (A), (B), (C), (D) or (E):
26
wherein R250, R251 and R252, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an aminoalkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a hydroxyalkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having from 6 to 20 carbons atoms, or R251 and R252 may be combined with each other to form a ring;
27
wherein R253, R254, R255 and R256, which may be the same or different, each represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.