Author: claimsbot

1. A circuit for eliminating pop noise including a power PMOS transistor having a source to which a first power supply voltage is applied and a drain connected to an output terminal, a power NMOS transistor having a drain connected to the output terminal and a source to which a second power supply voltage is applied, a gate controller that controls a gate of the power PMOS transistor and a gate of the power NMOS transistor, and an output-terminal filter having an inductor and a capacitor, the circuit comprising:
a first switch, which is connected between the first power supply voltage and the gate of the power PMOS transistor;
a second switch, which is connected between the second power supply voltage and the gate of the power NMOS transistor; and
a switch controller, which directly senses the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage and generates a first control signal for controlling the first switch and a second control signal for controlling the second switch,
wherein the switch controller turns on the first switch and the second switch until the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage reach respective threshold voltages and turns off the first switch and the second switch after the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage reach respective threshold voltages.
2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first switch comprises:
a PNP-type bipolar transistor, which has an emitter to which the first power supply voltage is applied and a base to which the first control signal is applied; and
a diode, which has one terminal connected to a collector of the PNP-type bipolar transistor and the other terminal connected to the gate of the power PMOS transistor.
3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second switch comprises:
an NPN-type bipolar transistor, which has an emitter to which the second power supply voltage is applied and a base to which the second control signal is applied; and
a diode, which has one terminal connected to a collector of the NPN-type bipolar transistor and the other terminal connected to the gate of the power NMOS transistor.
4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first switch comprises a PMOS transistor having a source to which the first power supply voltage is applied, a gate to which the first control signal is applied, and a drain connected to the gate of the power PMOS transistor.
5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second switch comprises an NMOS transistor having a source to which the second power supply voltage is applied, a gate to which the second control signal is applied, and a drain connected to the gate of the power NMOS transistor.
6. The circuti of claim 1, wherein the swich controller comproses:
a first control portion, which senses the first power supply voltage and generates the first control signal; and
a second control portion, which senses the second power supply voltage and generates the second control signal.
7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the first control portion comprises:
a first resistor, which has a terminal connected to the first power supply voltage;
a second resistor, which has one terminal connected to the other terminal of the first resistor and the other terminal connected to a ground voltage;
a third resistor, which has a terminal connected to the first power supply voltage;
a diode, which has one terminal connected to the other terminal of the first resistor and the other terminal connected to the other terminal of the third resistor; and
a PNP-type bipolar transistor, which has an emitter to which the first power supply voltage is applied, a base connected to the other terminal of the third resistor, and a collector that outputs the first control signal; and
a fourth resistor, which has one terminal connected to the collector of the PNP-type bipolar transistor and the other terminal connected to the ground voltage.
8. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the second control portion comprises:
a first resistor, which has a terminal connected to the second power supply voltage;
a second resistor, which has one terminal connected to the other terminal of the first resistor and the other terminal connected to the ground voltage;
a third resistor, which has a terminal connected to the second power supply voltage;
a diode, which has one terminal connected to the other terminal of the first resistor and the other terminal connected to the other terminal of the third resistor; and
a NPN-type bipolar transistor, which has an emitter to which the second power supply voltage is applied, a base connected to the other terminal of the third resistor, and a collector that outputs the second control signal;
and a fourth resistor, which has one terminal connected to the collector of the NPN-type bipolar transistor and the other terminal connected to the ground voltage.

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. A metal-based film decarbonizing method comprising: performing a decarbonizing process on a metal-based film formed on a substrate in an oxidizing atmosphere under existence of a reducing gas inside a processing chamber.
2. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 1, wherein the metal-based film is formed by a CVD by using a film forming material containing a metal compound including at least a metal and carbon.
3. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 2, wherein the decarbonizing process is a thermal oxidation process performed at a processing temperature greater than or equal to about 650\xb0 C. and a processing pressure of about 2 to 1.1\xd7105 Pa under existence of H2 and H2O or O2.
4. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 3, wherein a partial pressure ratio of H2OH2 or O2H2 is smaller than or equal to about 0.5.
5. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 2, wherein the decarbonizing process is a radical oxidation process performed by using a plasma at a processing temperature of about 250 to 450\xb0 C. and a processing pressure of about 2 to 5000 Pa under existence of O2 and H2.
6. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 5, wherein a partial pressure ratio of O2H2 is smaller than or equal to about 0.5.
7. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 5, wherein the plasma is a microwave-excited high-density plasma generated by introducing microwaves into the processing chamber by using a planar antenna having a plurality of slots.
8. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 2, wherein the decarbonizing process is a UV process performed at a processing temperature of about 250 to 600\xb0 C. and a processing pressure of about 2 to 150 Pa under existence of O2 and H2.
9. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 8, wherein a partial pressure ratio of O2H2 is smaller than or equal to about 0.1.
10. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 2, wherein the metal-based film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of W, Ni, Co, Ru, Mo, Re, Ta and Ti.
11. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 2, wherein the film forming material further contains at least one of a Si-containing source material and a N-containing source material, and forms a metal compound film including the metal of the metal compound and at least one of Si and N.
12. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 11, wherein the Si-containing source material is silane, disilane or dichlorosilane.
13. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 11, wherein the N-containing source material is ammonia or mono-methyl-hydrazin.
14. The metal-based film decarbonizing method of claim 1, wherein the metal-based film is formed on a semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film.
15. A film forming method comprising:
forming a metal film on a substrate disposed in a processing chamber by a CVD method by introducing into the processing chamber a film forming material containing a metal compound including at least a metal and carbon; and
performing a decarbonizing process on the metal-based film in an oxidizing atmosphere under existence of a reducing gas.
16. The film forming method of claim 15, wherein the decarbonizing process is a thermal oxidation process performed at a processing temperature greater than or equal to about 650\xb0 C. and a processing pressure of about 2 to 1.1\xd7105 Pa under existence of H2 and H2O or O2.
17. The film forming method of claim 16, wherein a partial pressure ratio of H2OH2 or O2H2 is smaller than or equal to about 0.5.
18. The film forming method of claim 15, wherein the decarbonizing process is a radical oxidation process performed by using a plasma at a processing temperature of about 250 to 450\xb0 C. and a processing pressure of about 2 to 5000 Pa under existence of O2 and H2.
19. The film forming method of claim 18, wherein a partial pressure ratio of O2H2 is smaller than or equal to about 0.5.
20. The film forming method of claim 18, wherein the plasma is a microwave-excited high-density plasma generated by introducing microwaves into the processing chamber by using a planar antenna having a plurality of slots.
21. The film forming method of claim 15, wherein the decarbonizing process is a UV process performed at a processing temperature of about 250 to 600\xb0 C. and a processing pressure of about 2 to 150 Pa under existence of O2 and H2.
22. The film forming method of claim 21, wherein a partial pressure ratio of O2H2 is smaller than or equal to about 0.1.
23. The film forming method of claim 15, wherein the metal-based film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of W, Ni, Co, Ru, Mo, Re, Ta and Ti.
24. The film forming method of claim 15, wherein the film forming material further contains at least one of a Si-containing source material and a N-containing source material, and forms a metal compound film including the metal of the metal compound and at least one of Si and N.
25. The film forming method of claim 24, wherein the Si-containing source material is silane, disilane or dichlorosilane.
26. The film forming method of claim 24, wherein the N-containing source material is ammonia or mono-methyl-hydrazin.
27. The film forming method of claim 15, wherein the metal-based film is formed on a semiconductor substrate via a gate insulating film.
28. A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising:
forming a metal-based film on a gate insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate by the film forming method described in claim 15; and
forming a gate electrode by using the metal-based film.
29. A computer readable storage medium storing therein a computer-executable control program, wherein, when executed, the control program controls a processing chamber to perform a decarbonizing process on a metal-based film formed on a substrate in an oxidizing atmosphere and under existence of a reducing gas inside the processing chamber.

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:
a first substrate including an active area in the shape of a rectangle having a first end portion, a second end portion, a third end portion and a fourth end portion surrounding the active area;
a second substrate facing the first substrate; and
a liquid crystal layer held between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein
the first substrate includes
a gate line extending in a first direction and a source line extending in a second direction orthogonally crossing the first direction in the active area,
a source driver electrically connected with one end of source lines drawn to the first end portion from the active area,
a source control circuit electrically connected with the other end of the source lines drawn to the third end portion from the active area,
a first common terminal and a second common terminal of a common potential formed in the first end portion,
a power supply line electrically connected with the first common terminal and extending along the second, third and fourth end portions in this order, and connected with the second common terminal, and
a branch wiring electrically connected between an intermediate portion of the electric power supply line along the third end portion and the source control circuit through a first bridge wiring, and extending in the first direction,
the branch wiring includes a pair of first projection portions arranged adjacently and projecting toward the power supply line,
the power supply line includes a pair of second projection portions arranged adjacently and projecting toward the first projection portions, respectively, and
the first bridge wiring is sandwiched between the pair of first projection portions and between the pair of second projection portions.
2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein
a first corner in which the second end portion and the third end portion cross, and a second corner in which the third end portion and the fourth end portion cross,
the portion of the power supply line extending along the second end portion and the portion of the power supply line extending along the third end portion form a curved shape where they meet in the first corner, and
the portion of the power supply line extending along the third end portion and the portion of the power supply line extending along the fourth end portion form a curved shape where they meet in the second corner.
3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate portion of the power supply line is located substantially in a center portion between the first corner and the second corner.
4. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:
a first substrate including an active area in the shape of a rectangle having a first end portion, a second end portion, a third end portion and a fourth end portion surrounding the active area;
a second substrate facing the first substrate; and
a liquid crystal layer held between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein
the first substrate includes
a gate line extending in a first direction and a source line extending in a second direction orthogonally crossing the first direction in the active area,
a source driver electrically connected with one end of source lines drawn to the first end portion from the active area,
a source control circuit electrically connected with the other end of the source lines drawn to the third end portion from the active area,
a first common terminal and a second common terminal of a common potential formed in the first end portion,
a power supply line electrically connected with the first common terminal and extending along the second, third and fourth end portions in this order, and connected with the second common terminal,
a branch wiring electrically connected with an intermediate portion of the electric power supply line along the third end portion and the source control circuit through a first bridge wiring, and extending in the first direction, and
an insulating layer covering the gate line, the power supply line, the branch wiring, and a drawing wiring pulled out from the source control circuit, and wherein
the branch wiring includes a pair of first projection portions arranged adjacently and projecting toward the power supply line,
the power supply line includes a pair of second projection portions arranged adjacently and projecting toward the first projections, respectively, and
the first bridge wiring is sandwiched between the pair of first projection portions and between the pair of second projection portions,
a first corner in which the second end portion and the third end portion cross, and a second corner in which the third end portion and the fourth end portion cross,
the intermediate portion of the power supply line is located substantially in a center portion between the first corner and the second corner,

the first substrate includes a second bridge wiring to connect one end portion of the branch wiring and the drawing wiring,
the first and second bridge wirings are formed on the insulating layer,
the first bridge wiring is electrically connected with the other end portion of the branch wiring and the intermediate portion of the power supply line through a first contact hole, and
the second bridge wiring is electrically connected with the one end portion of the branch wiring and the drawing wiring through a second contact hole.
5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the first bridge wiring and the second bridge wiring are formed in the same layer as the source line.
6. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:
a first substrate including an active area in a shape of a square having a first end portion, a second end portion, a third end portion and a fourth end portion surrounding the active area;
a second substrate facing the first substrate; and
a liquid crystal layer held between the first substrate and the second substrate; wherein
the first substrate includes
a gate line extending in a first direction and a source line extending a second direction orthogonally crossing the first direction in the active area,
a source driver electrically connected with one end of source lines drawn to the first end portion from the active area,
a first common terminal and a second common terminal of a common potential formed in the first end portion,
a power supply line electrically connected with the first common terminal and extending along the second, third and fourth end portions in this order, and electrically connected with the second common terminal,
a circuit device arranged between the third end portion of the power supply line and the active area, and
a branch wiring electrically connected with an intermediate portion of the electric power supply line along the third end portion and the circuit device through a first bridge wiring, and extending in the first direction,
the branch wiring includes a pair of first projection portions arranged adjacently and projecting toward the power supply line,
the power supply line includes a pair of second projection portions arranged adjacently and projecting toward the first projections, respectively, and
the first bridge wiring is sandwiched between the pair of first projection portions and between the pair of second projection portions.
7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein a first corner in which the second end portion and the third end portion cross, and a second corner in which the third end portion and the fourth end portion cross,
the portion of the power supply line extending along the second end portion and the portion of the power supply line extending along the third end portion form a curved shape where they meet in the first corner, and
the portion of the power supply line extending along the third end portion and the portion of the power supply line extending along the fourth end portion form a curved shape where they meet in the second corner.
8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate portion of the power supply line is located substantially in a center portion between the first corner and the second corner.
9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein
the first substrate includes a second bridge wiring to electrically connect one end portion of the branch wiring and a drawing wiring pulled out from the source control circuit,
an insulating layer covers the gate line, the power supply line, the branch wiring, and the drawing wiring,
the first and second bridge wirings are formed on the insulating layer,
the first bridge wiring is electrically connected with the other portion of the branch wiring and the intermediate portion of the power supply line through a first contact hole, and
the second bridge wiring is electrically connected with the one end portion of the branch wiring and the drawing wiring through a second contact hole.
10. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, wherein the first bridge wiring and the second bridge wiring are formed in the same layer as the source line.
11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein
the first substrate includes a second bridge wiring to connect one end portion of the branch wiring and a drawing wiring pulled out from the circuit device,
an insulating layer covers the gate line, the power supply line, the branch wiring, and the drawing wiring,
the first and second bridge wirings are formed on the insulating layer,
the first bridge wiring is electrically connected with the other end portion of the branch wiring and the intermediate portion of the power supply line through a first contact hole, and
the second bridge wiring is electrically connected with the one end portion of the branch wiring and the drawing wiring through a second contact hole.
12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first bridge wiring and the second bridge wiring are formed in the same layer as the source line.

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. A protective pad comprising:
a cap defining opposing surfaces, a first of said surfaces adapted to contact a support surface;
a casing attached to a second or interior of said surfaces;
a fabric member attached to the cap; and
a resilient member disposed within the cap having at least one mound formed thereon, wherein said resilient member is adapted to partially deform in response to a force applied thereto.
2. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the resilient member is integrally molded with the cap.
3. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the resilient member is removably attached to the cap.
4. The protective pad of claim 3 wherein the resilient member further comprises a thin planar member.
5. The protective pad of claim 4 wherein the thin planar member defines a first surface and a second surface wherein at least one mound having a hemispherical profile is formed on the first surface.
6. The protective pad of claim 5 wherein the first surface incorporates two columns of mounds wherein each column in separated by a space.
7. The protective pad of claim 5 wherein the mound provides increasing resistance in response to increasing load applied to the mound.
8. The protective pad of claim 6 wherein the space defines a fluid channel wherein fluid circulates through the channel.
9. The protective pad of claim 6 wherein the mounds are integrally molded into the first surface.
10. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the first surface comprises a slip resistant, non-marring, and scratch-resistant material.
11. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the first surface comprises a tread pattern formed on a first surface of the cap.
12. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the fabric member further comprises one or more straps adapted to removably attach the fabric member to the wearer.
13. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the straps include fastening members and wherein said fastening members comprise elastic material, or hook-and-loop fasteners.
14. The protective pad of claim 1 wherein the fabric member is removably attached to the protective pad.
15. The protective pad of claim 13 wherein the fabric member is washable.