Author: claimsbot

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate;
a ferroelectric capacitor formed above said substrate;
an interlayer insulating film which covers said ferroelectric capacitor and through which a hole reaching an electrode of said ferroelectric capacitor is formed; and
a wiring formed above said interlayer insulating film and connected to said electrode through said hole,
a planar shape of said hole being any one type selected from a group consisting of:
(1) a polygon with an interior angle of each angle thereof being obtuse;
(2) a closed curve with a bending direction thereof being constantly inward with respect to said hole; and
(3) a shape which consists of a line segment and a curve with a bending direction thereof being constantly inward with respect to said hole, an angle between a tangent of said curve and said line segment at an intersection of said line segment and said curve being obtuse, and an interior angle of an intersection of two of said line segments being obtuse.
2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a shortest diameter of said hole is 1.0 \u03bcm or more.
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said wiring is an aluminum wiring, and a barrier metal film is formed between said wiring and said electrode.
4. The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein said barrier metal film is a titanium nitride film.
5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said electrode contains a metal of a platinum family or an oxide thereof.
6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a planar shape of said hole is a circle, or a regular polygon whose number of angles is identical to or more than five.
7. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
forming a ferroelectric capacitor above a substrate;
forming an interlayer insulating film which covers said ferroelectric capacitor;
forming a hole reaching an electrode of said ferroelectric capacitor through said interlayer insulating film; and
forming a wiring which is connected to said electrode through said hole above said interlayer insulating film,
in the step of forming said hole, a planar shape of said hole being any one type selected from a group consisting of:
(1) a polygon with an interior angle of each angle thereof being obtuse;
(2) a closed curve with a bending direction thereof being constantly inward with respect to said hole; and
(3) a shape which consists of a line segment and a curve with a bending direction thereof being constantly inward with respect to said hole, an angle between a tangent of said curve and said line segment at an intersection of said line segment and said curve being obtuse, and an interior angle of an intersection of two of said line segments being obtuse.
8. The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein a shortest diameter of said hole is 1.0 \u03bcm or more.
9. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein said wiring is an aluminum wiring, and a barrier metal film is formed between said wiring and said electrode before forming such a wiring.
10. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein said wiring is an aluminum wiring, and a barrier metal film is formed between said wiring and said electrode before forming such a wiring.
11. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein said barrier metal film is a titanium nitride film.
12. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein said barrier metal film is a titanium nitride film.
13. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein said electrode contains a metal of a platinum family or an oxide thereof.
14. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, wherein said electrode contains a metal of a platinum family or an oxide thereof.
15. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, wherein said electrode contains a metal of a platinum family or an oxide thereof.
16. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein said electrode contains a metal of a platinum family or an oxide thereof.
17. The manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein said electrode contains a metal of a platinum family or an oxide thereof.
18. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, wherein said electrode contains a metal of a platinum family or an oxide thereof.
19. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein a planar shape of said hole is a circle, or a regular polygon whose number of angles is identical to or more than five.
20. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the step of forming said hole comprises the steps of:
forming a mask having an opening portion, a planar shape of which being identical to that of said hole to be formed;
performing etching of said interlayer insulating film by using said mask; and
removing said mask.

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

1-5. (canceled)
6. A composite pipe to metal end fitting joint comprising:
a metal inner sleeve configured on one end with an annular flange and projecting distally therefrom to be formed with an annular shell configured with a distally extending, continuous inwardly tapering conical inner sleeve surface;
a metal outer sleeve received over the inner sleeve abutted on one end with the flange and further configured with a distally projecting outer shell concentric with the inner shell and formed with a distally radially outwardly expanding continuous outer shell surface cooperating with the inner sleeve surface to form an annulus distally expanding in thickness:
a composite pipe configured on one extremity with a connector ring formed with inner and outer surfaces, the tapering proximally inwardly and the inner surface tapering proximally outwardly to form a proximally narrowing connector ring received complimentarily in the annulus; and
a bond on the interface between the connector ring and shell surfaces.
7. The joint of claim 6 wherein:
the inner sleeve includes a proximal end including a mechanical connector.
8. The joint of claim 7 wherein:
the connector is formed with threads.
9. The joint of claim 6 wherein:
the inner and outer sleeves are configured at their proximal ends with concentric barrels.
10. The joint of claim 6 wherein:
the outer sleeve is welded to the inner sleeve.
11. A composite pipe to metal end fitting joint comprising:
an elongated metal inner sleeve configured with first and second annular extremities, the sleeve projecting distally from the first extremity to form the second extremity with an inner shell configured with an exterior bonding surface tapered distally inwardly;
an elongated metal outer sleeve formed with a first annular extremity received over the first mentioned annular extremity and further configured with a distally projecting outer shell concentric with the inner shell and formed interiorly with a distally, radially outwardly expanding conical outer sleeve surface cooperating with the inner bonding surface to form an annulus distally expanding in thickness;
a composite pipe configured on one extremity with a connector ring formed with inner and outer surfaces, the tapering proximally inwardly and the inner surface tapering proximally outwardly to form a proximally narrowing connector ring received complimentarily in the annulus; and
a bond on the interface between the connector ring and shell surfaces.
12. The joint of claim 6 wherein:
the inner sleeve surface is configured with a continuous uninterrupted taper.
13. The joint of claim 6 that includes:
a weld welding the outer stem to the inner sleeves.
14. A composite to metal joint comprising:
a composite tube wall formed at one extremity with annular, concentric inner and outer bonding surfaces tapering distally outwardly and inwardly, respectively, to form a double tapered connector ring;
a metal fitting configured with concentric inner and outer shells formed with respective concentric inner and outer conical surfaces cooperating to form a proximally extending radially expanding, annular cavity receiving the connector ring;
a bond between the respective bonding surfaces and conical surfaces.
15. The composite to metal joint of claim 14 wherein:
the tube wall is formed with a constant diameter body terminating in the connector ring.
16. The composite to metal joint of claim 14 that includes:
means affixing the inner sleeve to the outer sleeve.
17. The composite to metal joint of claim 14 wherein:
the concentric bonding surfaces are formed symmetrical about a cylindrical median.
18. The composite to metal joint of claim 17 wherein:
conical surfaces angle proximally away from one another toward respective inner and outer surfaces of the respective inner and outer sleeves to form respective flexible annular edges.
19. A composite pipe to metal end fitting joint comprising:
a metal inner sleeve configured on one end with an exterior annular flange and projecting distally therefrom to be configured with a barrel and then stepping down in diameter at a selected point to form a distally facing annular abutment shoulder and projecting further distally to form an annular sleeve formed with an exterior surface tapering conically inwardly to form an inner sleeve surface;
a metal outer sleeve received over the inner sleeve, abutting the flange and formed with a collar embracing the barrel and expanded in diameter at the selected point to cooperate with the inner sleeve to form an annular nest and further configured with a distally, projecting outer shell concentric with the inner shell and formed interiorly with a distally radially outwardly expanding continuous outer shell bonding surface cooperating with the inner sleeve surface to form a distally expanding annulus;
a composite pipe received in the annulus and formed with a blunt end abutting the combined abutment shoulder; and
a bond on the interface between the respective bonding surfaces and the composite pipe.
20. The composite pipe to metal end fitting joint of claim 19 wherein:
the inner sleeve includes a mechanical connector.
21. The composite pipe to metal end fitting joint of claim 19 wherein:
the bond is an epoxy resin.
22. A composite pipe to metal end fitting joint comprising:
a metal inner sleeve configured exteriorly on one end with an exterior annular flange formed with a first distally facing annular abutment shoulder and projecting distally from the shoulder to form an annular barrel formed and then stepped down in diameter to form a second distally facing abutment shoulder and projecting further distally to form a distally extending exterior annular bonding surface;
a metal outer sleeve defining a torque tube received over the inner sleeve, abutting the first distally facing abutment shoulder and formed with a collar embracing the barrel and expanded in diameter in alignment with the second distally facing abutment shoulder to cooperate therewith in forming a combined abutment shoulder and further configured with a distally projecting outer shell concentric with the inner shell and formed interiorly with a distally, radially outwardly expanding continuous outer shell bonding surface cooperating with the exterior annular bonding surface to form a distally expanding annulus;
a composite pipe received in the annulus and formed with a blunt end abutting the combined abutment shoulder; and
a bond on the interface between the respective bonding surfaces and the composite pipe whereby, application of torque loads to the pipe will be carried through the composite of the inner sleeve and torque tube.
23. A composite pipe to metal end fitting joint comprising:
an elongated metal inner sleeve configured with first and second extremities, the sleeve projecting distally from the first extremity to form the second extremity and an inner shell configured with an annular exterior bonding surface;
an elongated metal outer sleeve defining a torque tube formed with a first annular extremity received over the first mentioned annular extremity and affixed thereto, the outer sleeve further configured with a distally projecting outer shell to carry torque loads, concentric with the inner shell and formed interiorly with a distally, radially outwardly expanding conical outer sleeve annular interior bonding surface cooperating with the exterior bonding surface to form an annulus distally expanding in radial thickness;
a composite pipe having one extremity received in the annulus;
and a bond on the interface between the exterior and interior bonding surfaces and the composite pipe whereby torque loads applied to the outer sleeve will be carried through the outer and inner shells to the pipe.
24. The joint of claim 23 wherein:
the first extremity of the inner sleeve is formed with an annular ring; and
extremity of the outer sleeve is formed with a collar applied to the ring.
25. The joint of claim 23 wherein:
the inner and outer sleeves are configured to form the annulus with an interior abutment shoulder; and
the composite tube is formed with a blunt end abutted against the shoulder.
26. The joint of claim 23 that includes:
a weld affixing the torque tube to the inner sleeve.
27. The end fitting of claim 19 wherein:
the inner sleeve is configured with the exterior surface of the barrel in the form of a cylinder.
28. The joint fitting of claim 22 wherein:
the inner sleeve is configured with the exterior surface of the barrel in the form of a cylinder.
29. The end fitting joint of claim 23 wherein:
the inner sleeve is configured with the exterior surface of the barrel in the form of a cylinder.
30. A method of making a metal to composite joint including:
selecting an inner cylindrical sleeve device with a sleeve having an outside bonding surface;
selecting an outside metal sleeve device with an inner diameter, the outside surface and inner diameter being sized to form an annulus of a predetermined radial thickness;
forming at least one of the devices with a first distally facing annular shoulder disposed in the annulus;
selecting a cylindrical composite pipe formed with a wall thickness of the predetermined thickness;
inserting the barrel into the pipe;
fitting the sleeve over the exterior of the pipe and positioning the pipe relative to the devices to abut the end of the pipe against the distally facing annular shoulder; and
selecting a bond and bonding the pipe to the barrel and shell.
30. The method of making a metal to composite joint of claim 30 wherein:
at least one of the devices selected is formed to taper distally to, when assembled, expand the annulus distally.

1. A ball screw apparatus, comprising:
a screw shaft having a screw groove in a spiral shape at an outer peripheral face thereof;
a nut having a screw groove in a spiral shape in correspondence with the screw groove of the screw shaft at an inner peripheral face thereof and screwed to the screw shaft, the nut having holes formed at an outer peripheral portion thereof;
a number of balls rollably charged into a rolling passage that is defined by the screw groove of the screw shaft and the screw groove of the nut; and
a ball circulating member formed substantially in a U-like shape and having end portions to be fitted to the holes to infinitely circulate the balls by scooping up the balls rolling on the rolling passage at a middle thereof and returning the balls to the rolling passage;
wherein the ball circulating member comprises a side cap which includes leg portions at both end portions thereof to be fitted into the holes, each of the leg portions containing at least one of a scooping up path for scooping up the balls and a returning path for returning the balls, the scooping up path and the retuning path being inclined with respect to respective outer peripheral faces of the leg portions;
the holes include a slot substantially in parallel with directions of the screw grooves of the screw shaft and the nut; and
the scooping up path and the returning path are directed substantially in a tangential direction of the screw shaft and inclined substantially toward a lead angle direction of the screw grooves of the screw shaft and the nut.
2. The ball screw apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein a sidewall of the slot is used as a portion of a path for circulating the ball.
3. The ball screw apparatus according to claim 2,
wherein a width dimension of the slot substantially the same as a diameter of the scooping up path and the returning path at a vicinity of a scoop up point where the balls are separated from the screw groove of the screw shaft.
4. The ball screw apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein an apparent scoop up angle is set from 20\xb0 to 45\xb0, wherein the apparent scoop up angle is an angle of scooping up the balls viewed in an axis direction of the, screw shaft at a scoop up point where the balls are separated from the screw groove of the screw shaft.
5. A ball screw, comprising:
a screw shaft having a ball screw groove formed on an outer peripheral face thereof;
a nut having a ball screw groove formed on an inner peripheral face thereof so as to be opposed to the ball screw groove of the screw shaft;
a number of balls provided between the ball screw groove of the screw shaft and the ball screw groove of the nut; and
a ball circulating member made of a resin for circulating the balls rolling between the ball screw grooves of the screw shaft and the nut in accordance with a rotational movement of the screw shaft or the nut at an exterior of the nut;
wherein the ball circulating member includes:
a tongue portion for scooping up the ball rolling between the ball screw grooves of the screw shaft and the nut in a direction of a tangential line that is in contact with a center track circle of the balls,
a ball return path for circulating the ball, and
a pair of return path inlet and outlet forming portions for forming inlet and outlet portions of the ball return path;
the nut includes a circulating member inserting hole fitted to the return path inlet and outlet forming portion; and
a circulating member inserting hole is formed in an oval shape that is longitudinal along a longitudinal direction of the ball screw groove; and
a thickness of the tongue portion along a length direction of the ball screw groove is equal to or larger than \xbd of a diameter of the ball.
6. The ball screw according to claim 5,
wherein a shape of the tongue portion is formed substantially the same as a shape of the ball screw groove of the screw shaft.
7. The ball screw according to claim 5,
wherein an angle of intersecting a straight line passing a point of scooping up a ball scooped up from the screw groove of the screw shaft and a center of the screw shaft with a center line of the circulating member inserting hole is made to be 45\xb0 through 80\xb0.
8. The ball screw according to claim 5,
wherein the ball return path includes linear path portions having a length equal to or larger than \xbd of the diameter of the ball at both end portions thereof.
9. A ball screw, comprising:
a screw shaft having a first screw groove in a spiral shape at an outer peripheral face thereof;
a nut having a second screw groove in a spiral shape at an inner peripheral face thereof in correspondence with the first screw groove and screwed to the screw shaft, the nut having slots;
a plurality of balls rollably provided into a rolling passage that is defined between the first screw groove and the second screw groove; and
a side cap having leg portions to be fitted into the slots to infinitely circulate the balls by scooping up the balls rolling on the rolling passage at a middle thereof and returning the balls to the rolling passage;
wherein the slots are longitudinal in a direction inclined toward an apparent scoop up angle so that a longitudinal direction of each of the slots is substantially equal to a tangent scooping up direction, wherein the apparent scoop up angle is an angle of scooping up the balls viewed in an axis direction of the screw shaft at a scoop up point where the balls are separated from the first screw groove; and
the apparent scoop up angle is set from 20\xb0 to 45\xb0.
10. The ball screw according to claim 9,
wherein the side cap includes a circulating path for circulating the balls, and a tongue portion for guiding the balls from the rolling passage to the circulating path;
the tongue portion extends in a direction substantially equal to the longitudinal direction of at least one of the slots; and
the tongue portion has a length equal to or more than a half of a diameter of each of the balls.
11. The ball screw according to claim 9,
wherein the side cap has a linear portion extending from the scoop up point toward the circulating path; and
the linear portion has a length equal to or more than a half of a diameter of each of the balls.

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 image processing apparatus, comprising:
an input device configured to receive image data of a given data size and transmit the image data in N data blocks, with N representing a first given number;
an encoder configured to encode the N data blocks transmitted from the input unit;
a memory configured to store the N data blocks encoded by the encoder;
a first allocator configured to allocate, before encoding, N memory areas of a specified memory size within the memory;
a data block size determination mechanism configured to determine whether each of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size;
a second allocator configured to dynamically allocate an additional memory area within the memory when the determination mechanism determines that one of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size; and
a processor configured to retrieve the image data from the memory for processing thereof.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the N data blocks are sequentially stored in the memory, the determination mechanism determines that one of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size when a first count is different from a second count, and the second allocator calculates a difference between the first count and the second count to dynamically allocate M additional memory areas,
the first count representing a number of data blocks stored in the memory and the second count representing a number of memory areas consumed by the stored data blocks, M representing a number corresponding to the calculated difference.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first allocator specifies, as the memory size, a first size and a second size based on a given compression ratio, the first given number N, and the given data size to allocate N\u22122 compression areas and two non-compression areas, with the N data blocks sequentially stored first in the N\u22122 compression areas and then in the two non-compression areas,
the first size being an expected size of one data block compressed by the given compression ratio and the second size being an uncompressed size of one data block,
the compression area being a memory area of the first size and the non-compression area being a memory area of the second size.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an interrupt generator configured to generate an interrupt indicating that each of the N data blocks is input to be stored,
wherein the determination mechanism determines whether each of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size in response to each interrupt.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an interrupt generator configured to generate an interrupt indicating that each of the N data blocks is input to be stored,
wherein the determination mechanism determines whether each of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size in response to each interrupt.
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an interrupt generator configured to generate an interrupt indicating that each of the N data blocks is input to be stored,
wherein the determination mechanism determines whether each of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size after a given second number of data blocks are stored in the memory.
7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second allocator assigns one non-compression area when dynamically allocating one additional memory area, and assigns two non-compression areas and M\u22122 compression areas when dynamically allocating M additional memory areas, with M representing a number equal to or larger than 2.
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the non-compression areas is divided into a sequence of segments of a third size, each of the sequence of segments capable of serving as one memory area, and the N data blocks are sequentially stored first in the N\u22122 compression areas and then in the sequence of segments within the two non-compression areas.
9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the third size is determined to be equal to the first size.
10. An image processing method, comprising:
inputting image data of a given data size transmitted in N data blocks, with N representing a first given number;
encoding the N-data blocks;
allocating, before the encoding, N memory areas within a memory;
storing the encoded N data blocks in the memory;
determining whether each of the N data blocks is larger than a specified memory size;
dynamically allocating an additional memory area within the memory when determining that one of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size; and
retrieving the image data from the memory for processing thereof.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the N data blocks are sequentially stored in the memory, one of the N data blocks is determined to be larger than the memory size when a first count is different from a second count, and a difference between the first count and the second count is calculated to dynamically allocate M additional memory areas,
the first count representing a number of data blocks stored in the memory and the second count representing a number of memory areas consumed by the stored data blocks,
M representing a number corresponding to the calculated difference.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein a first size and a second size are specified as the memory size based on a given compression ratio, the first given number N, and the given data size to allocate N\u22122 compression areas and two non-compression areas, with the N data blocks sequentially stored first in the N\u22122 compression areas and then in the two non-compression areas,
the first size being an expected size of one data block compressed by the given compression ratio and the second size being an uncompressed size of one data block,
the compression area being a memory area of the first size and the non-compression area being a memory area of the second size.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating an interrupt indicating that each of the N data blocks is input to be stored,
wherein whether each of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size is determined in response to each interrupt.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating an interrupt indicating that each of the N data blocks is input to be stored,
wherein whether each of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size is determined in response to each interrupt.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating an interrupt indicating that each of the N data blocks is input to be stored,
wherein whether each of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size is determined after a given second number of data blocks are stored in the memory.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein one non-compression area is assigned when dynamically allocating one additional memory area, and two non-compression areas and M\u22122 compression areas are assigned when dynamically allocating M additional memory areas,
M representing a number equal to or larger than 2.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the non-compression areas is divided into a sequence of segments of a third size, each of the sequence of segments capable of serving as one memory area, and the N data blocks are sequentially stored first in the N\u22122 compression areas and then in the sequence of segments within the two non-compression areas.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the third size is determined to be equal to the first size.
19. A program for causing a computer to perform an image processing method, the image processing method comprising:
inputting image data of a given data size transmitted in N data blocks, with N representing a first given number;
encoding the N data blocks;
allocating, before the encoding, N memory areas within a memory;
storing the encoded N data blocks in the memory;
determining whether each of the N data blocks is larger than a specified memory size;
dynamically allocating an additional memory area within the memory when determining that one of the N data blocks is larger than the memory size; and
retrieving the image data from the memory for processing thereof.