Author: claimsbot

We claim:

1. A two-stage retrofit filter adapted for use with an electrical discharge machine (EDM) of the type wherein a one-stage filter is placed in a tank over an apertured standpipe such that a fluid being filtered flows through the apertured standpipe and filter, the retrofit EDM filter comprising:
a plurality of nested filter elements, including an inner element and an outer element, the physical configuration of the elements being such that the retrofit filter may be placed in the same tank and over the apertured standpipe used for the one-stage filter, so that the fluid to be filtered now flows through the apertured standpipe and each of the filter elements.
2. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 1, wherein the fluid being filtered flows from the EDM work table tank to the apertured standpipe, and into the inner filter element.
3. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 1, wherein the filter elements are cylindrical.
4. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 1, wherein the filter elements are pleated.
5. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 1, wherein the filter elements are composed of a technical grade filter paper.
6. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 1, wherein the fluid to be filtered flows through the inner element and the outer element substantially at different times.
7. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 6, further comprising:
a pressure-operated valve associated with the inner filter, the valve being such that when a predetermined pressure is reached due to the entrapment of contaminants by the inner filter, the valve opens to allow the fluid to be filtered to flow through the outer filter.
8. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 7, wherein:
at least the inner filter element is pleated; and
the pleatings are reinforced at least in the vicinity of the pressure-operated release valve to ensure that the pleatings do not interfere with the opening or flow through the valve.
9. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 6, further comprising:
a pressure-operated arrangement wherein the inner filter element moves relative to the outer filter element when a predetermined pressure is reached due to the entrapment of contaminants by the inner filter, thereby allowing the fluid to be filtered to flow past the inner filter and through the outer filter.
10. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 6, wherein the construction of the inner filter element is such that it tears, decomposes, or disintegrates when a predetermined pressure is reached due to the entrapment of contaminants by the inner filter, thereby allowing the fluid to be filtered to flow past or through the inner filter and through the outer filter.
11. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 1, wherein:
the fluid to be filtered flows through the filter elements at substantially the same time; and
the construction or composition of the elements is such that the fluid is filtered to a first level by the inner element, then filtered to a second level by the outer element.
12. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 11, wherein:
the inner element includes apertures or perforations allowing a portion of the fluid to flow therethrough without being filtered; and
the portion is filtered by the outer filter.
13. A two-stage retrofit filter adapted for use with an electrical discharge machine (EDM) of the type wherein a one-stage filter is placed in a tank over an central, apertured standpipe, such that a fluid to be filtered flows up through the bottom of the tank, out the apertured standpipe, and into the filter, the retrofit EDM filter comprising:
a plurality of nested cylindrical pleated filter elements, including an inner element and an outer element, the physical configuration of the elements being such that the retrofit filter may be placed in the same tank and over the apertured standpipe used for the one-stage filter, so that the fluid to be filtered now flows through the apertured standpipe and each of the filter elements.
14. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 13, wherein the filter elements are composed of a technical grade filter paper.
15. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 13, further comprising:
a pressure-operated valve associated with the inner filter, the valve being such that when a predetermined pressure is reached due to the entrapment of contaminants by the inner filter, the valve opens to allow the fluid to be filtered to flow through the outer filter.
16. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 15, wherein:
the pleatings are reinforced at least in the vicinity of the pressure-operated release valve to ensure that the pleatings do not interfere with the opening or flow through the valve.
17. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 13, further comprising:
a pressure-operated arrangement wherein the inner filter element moves relative to the outer filter element when a predetermined pressure is reached due to the entrapment of contaminants by the inner filter, thereby allowing the fluid to be filtered to flow past the inner filter and through the outer filter.
18. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 13, wherein the construction of the inner filter element is such that it tears, decomposes, or disintegrates when a predetermined pressure is reached due to the entrapment of contaminants by the inner filter, thereby allowing the fluid to be filtered to flow past or through the inner filter and through the outer filter.
19. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 13, wherein:
the fluid to be filtered flows through the filter elements at substantially the same time; and
the construction or composition of the elements is such that the fluid is filtered to a first level by the inner element, then filtered to a second level by the outer element.
20. The retrofit EDM filter of claim 19, wherein:
the inner element includes apertures or perforations allowing a portion of the fluid to flow therethrough without being filtered; and
the portion is filtered by the outer filter.
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 semiconductor device comprising:
at least one SRAM cell,
wherein the SRAM cell includes a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor, and a pass-gate transistor, and
an inversion-layer thickness (Tinv) of a gate stack of the pass-gate transistor is different from a Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-up transistor and Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-down transistor, and
wherein a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pass-gate transistor is different from a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pull-up transistor and a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pull-down transistor.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the gate insulating film of each of the transistors comprises a high-k material.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein an interface film is formed between a substrate and the gate insulating film of each of the transistors, and
a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pass-gate transistor is different from a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pull-up transistor and a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pull-down transistor.
4. The semiconductor device comprising:
at least one SRAM cell,
wherein the SRAM cell includes a pull-up transistor, a pull-down transistor, and a pass-gate transistor, and
an inversion-layer thickness (Tinv) of a gate stack of the pass-gate transistor is different from Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-up transistor and Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-down transistor, and
wherein a gate electrode of each of the transistors comprises a first metal electrode formed on the gate insulating film and a second metal electrode formed on the first metal electrode, and
a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pass-gate transistor is different from a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pull-up transistor and a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pull-down transistor.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein the first metal electrode of each of the transistors comprises LaO, Y2O3, Lu2O3, SrO, or a combination thereof.
6. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein the second metal electrode of each of the transistors comprises TiN, TaN, or a combination thereof.
7. A semiconductor device comprising:
at least one SRAM cell, comprising:
a pull-up transistor,
a pull-down transistor, and
a pass-gate transistor,

wherein a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pass-gate transistor is different from a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pull-up transistor and a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pull-down transistor.
8. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the gate insulating film of each of the transistors comprises a high-k material.
9. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein:
an interface film is formed between a substrate and the gate insulating film of each of the transistors, and
a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pass-gate transistor is different from a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pull-up transistor and a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pull-down transistor.
10. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein:
a gate electrode of each of the transistors includes a first metal electrode formed on a gate insulating film and a second metal electrode formed on the first metal electrode, and
a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pass-gate transistor is different from a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pull-up transistor and a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pull-down transistor.
11. The semiconductor device of claim 10, wherein the first metal electrode of each of the transistors comprises LaO, Y2O3, Lu2O3, SrO, or a combination thereof.
12. The semiconductor device of claim 10, wherein the second metal electrode of each of the transistors comprises TiN, TaN, or a combination thereof.
13. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein an inversion-layer thickness (Tinv) of a gate stack of the pass-gate transistor is different from a Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-up transistor and Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-down transistor.
14. An electronic system comprising a semiconductor device, including:
at least one SRAM device comprising:
a pull-up transistor,
a pull-down transistor, and
a pass-gate transistor, wherein the nitrogen characteristics of the pass-gae transistor are different from nitrogen characteristics of the pull-up transistor and pull-down transistor;

a controller;
an inputoutput (IO) device;
an interface; and
a bus configured to interconnect one or more of the controller, the IO device, and the interface.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pass-gate transistor is different from a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pull-up transistor and a nitrogen concentration of a gate insulating film of the pull-down transistor.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the gate insulating film of each of the transistors comprises a high-k material.
17. The system of claim 14, wherein:
an interface film is formed between a substrate and the gate insulating film of each of the transistors, and
a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pass-gate transistor is different from a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pull-up transistor and a nitrogen concentration of the interface film of the pull-down transistor.
18. The system of claim 14, wherein:
a gate electrode of each of the transistors includes a first metal electrode formed on a gate insulating film and a second metal electrode formed on the first metal electrode, and
a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pass-gate transistor is different from a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pull-up transistor and a thickness of the second metal electrode of the pull-down transistor.
19. The system of claim 14, wherein an inversion-layer thickness (Tinv) of a gate stack of the pass-gate transistor is different from a Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-up transistor and Tinv of a gate stack of the pull-down transistor.

1. An apparatus (10) for the processing of substantially planar workpieces (14), which can be moved in a transport plane (34) relatively to the apparatus (10), the apparatus containing at least one grinding head (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) with a tool carrier (20) rotatable around a carrier axis (22) which is orthogonal with respect to the transport plane (34) and with several grinding brushes (24, 40, 46) drivable by a planetary gear drive and containing a brush body (30, 44, 50) and bristles attached thereto (32, 42, 48) being mounted to the tool carrier so that they can be rotated individually around their individual brush axes (26) which are orthogonal with respect to the transport plane (34), wherein the ends of the bristles (32, 42, 48) of each single grinding brush (24, 40, 46) are arranged at various distances to the transport plane (34).
2. An apparatus (10) according to claim 1, further characterized in that the bristles (32) of each single grinding brush (24) differ in length.
3. An apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that the brush bodies (44) are tilted with respect to the transport plane (34).
4. An apparatus (10) according to claim 1, further characterized in that the distances between the ends of the bristles and the transport plane (34) differ by 1 to 2 cm.
5. An apparatus (10) according to claim 1, further characterized in that the apparatus contains several grinding heads (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d) which are arranged in two rows extending transversely to the transport direction of the workpiece (14), which rows are arranged one behind the other in the feed direction (16) of the workpiece (14) with the two rows of grinding heads being offset to each other in a direction transversely to the transport direction (16) of the workpieces (14) in such a manner that the grinding heads (18b resp. 18c) of one row\u2014when viewed in the transport direction (16) of the workpiece (14)\u2014close the gaps between the grinding heads (18c, 18d resp. 18a, 18b).
6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the bristles of at least one of the grinding brushes differ from the bristles of the other grinding brushes in at least one of the their material characteristics, structure, texture, hardness, thickness and trimming length.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the infeed of at least some of the grinding brushes can be adjusted individually.
8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the infeed can be adjusted for sets of grinding brushes of the same type.

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 process for preparing 3-pentenenitrile by hydrocyanating 1,3-butadiene, which comprises the following process steps:
(b\u2032) distillation of 1,3-butadiene comprising water, 1- and 2-butenes and a stabilizer in a distillation apparatus K4 to obtain a stream 15 as the bottom product, which comprises dried 1,3-butadiene, 1- and 2-butenes and the stabilizer, and a stream 16 as the top product, which comprises an azeotropic 1,3-butadienewater mixture, condensation of the stream 16 in a condenser W, transfer of the resulting condensate (stream 17) into a phase separation apparatus, recycling of the upper liquid phase (stream 18) consisting of 1,3-butadiene as reflux to the column K4, and discharge of the lower liquid aqueous phase (stream 19),
(a) reaction of stream 15 in a reactor R1 with hydrogen cyanide over at least one catalyst (stream 6d) to obtain a stream 1 which comprises 3-pentenenitrile, 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile, the at least one catalyst in the form of homogeneously dissolved nickel complexes or nickel(0) complexes and phosphorus ligands, unconverted 1,3-butadiene, and 1- and 2-butenes, with or without residues of unconverted hydrogen cyanide,
(b) distillation of stream 1 in a distillation apparatus K1 to obtain a stream 2 as the top product, which comprises the predominant portion of the 1,3-butadiene from stream 1, and to obtain a stream 3 as the bottom product, which comprises 3-pentenenitrile, the at least one catalyst, 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile, 1- and 2-butenes and the remaining proportion of the 1,3-butadiene from stream 1 which has not been removed in stream 2,
(c) distillation of stream 3 in a distillation apparatus K2 to obtain a stream 5 at a side draw of the column, which 3-pentenenitrile and 2-methyl-3-butenertitrile, a stream 6 as the bottom product, which comprises the at least one catalyst, and a stream 4 as the top product,
(d) compression of stream 4 in the compressor V1, discharge of a gaseous substream 4b which comprises 1- and 2-butenes, transfer of the compressed stream 4a into the condenser W1, combined cond. With stream 2 from b) in combined condensation of this stream 2 from b) and transfer of the condensate as stream 9, partly as reflux to the column K1 (stream 9b), partly as return stream into the reactor R1 (stream 9a), and
(e) distillative separation of stream S to obtain 3-pentenenitrile and 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile.
7. A process for preparing 3-pentenenitrile by hydrocyanating 1,3-butadiene, which comprises the following process steps:
(a) reaction of dried 1,3-butadiene, which is passed as stream 14 from a side draw of column K1 into reactor R1, with hydrogen cyanide over at least one catalyst to obtain a stream 1 which comprises 3-pentenenitrile; 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile, the at least one catalyst in the form of homogeneously dissolved nickel complexes or nickel(0) complexes and phosphorus ligands, 1,3-butadiene, and 1- and 2-butenes, with or without residues of unconverted hydrogen cyanide,
(b) distillation of stream 1 in a distillation apparatus K1 by feeding 1,3-butadiene comprising water, 1- and 2-butenes and a stabilizer in the region between top and side draw of the column to obtain a stream 2 as the top product, stream 14 as the side draw and a stream 3 as the bottom product which comprises 3-pentenenitrile, the at least one catalyst, 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile and the remaining portion of the 1,3-butadiene from stream 1 which has not been removed in stream 2,
(c) distillation of stream 3 in a distillation apparatus K2 to obtain a stream 4 as the top product, which 1,3-butadiene and 1- and 2-butenes, a stream 6 at a side draw of the column, which 3-pentenenitrile and 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile, and a stream 6 as the bottom product, which comprises the at least one catalyst,
(d) condensation of stream 2 from distillation apparatus K1 and the stream 4a which has been compressed in one compressor V1 or a plurality of compressors from distillation apparatus K2 into a condenser W1 or a plurality of condensers, transfer of the resulting condensate as stream 9 into a phase separation apparatus, transfer of the upper liquid phase consisting of 1,3-butadiene as stream 11 to the top of the distillation apparatus K1, and discharge of the lower liquid aqueous phase as stream 12, and
(e) distillative separation of stream 5 to obtain 3-pentenenitrile and 2-methyl-3-butenenitrile.
8. The process according to claim 6, wherein, in process step (d), an aqueous solution of at least one butadiene stabilizer is introduced into the compressor(s) andor condenser(s).
9. The process according to claim 7, wherein, in process step (d), an aqueous solution of at least one butadiene stabilizer is introduced into the compressor(s) andor condenser(s).
10. The process according to claim 6, wherein a substream 6a which comprises the at least one catalyst and at least one butadiene stabilizer is discharged from stream 6.
11. The process according to claim 7, wherein a substream 6a which comprises the at least one catalyst and at least one butadiene stabilizer is discharged from stream 6.
12. The process according to claim 8, wherein a substream 6a which comprises the at least one catalyst and at least one butadiene stabilizer is discharged from stream 6.
13. The process according to claim 6, wherein unconverted hydrogen cyanide is discharged from the phase separation apparatus with stream 19.
14. The process according to claim 7, wherein unconverted hydrogen cyanide is discharged from the phase separation apparatus with stream 12.