Author: claimsbot

1. A computer implemented method of selling digital contents, comprising the steps performed by a computer of:
receiving as an input to said computer identification information of digital contents selected by a customer;
confirming that a payment of a charge for said digital contents selected by the customer is completed;
generating digital contents by setting identification information for identifying said customer and information for indicating a complete payment confirmation of the charge for said selected digital contents in said selected digital contents as status information for permitting said customer to replay said selected digital contents;
selling said generated digital contents as an output from said computer to said customer,
wherein said identification information of said digital contents, identification information of said customer and identification information of a sales staff are read by a device for selling said generated digital contents,
authenticating a sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents; and
recording identification information of said sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents,
wherein in said confirming step, a payment confirmation from said sales staff is input, and
wherein said recording of identification information of said sales staff is used to prevent unauthorized processing of said digital contents by said sales staff.
2. A computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said identification information of said digital contents, said identification information of said customer and said identification information of said sales staff are read by a same device.
3. An apparatus for selling digital contents, comprising:
a select processing unit for receiving identification information of digital contents selected by a customer; and
a sales processing unit for confirming that a payment of a charge for said selected digital contents is completed, setting identification information for identifying said customer and information for indicating a complete payment confirmation of the charge for said selected digital contents in said selected digital contents as status information for permitting only said customer to replay said selected digital contents to generate digital contents, selling said generated digital contents, authenticating a sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents, and recording identification information of said sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents,
wherein in said confirming, a payment confirmation from said sales staff is input,
wherein said recording of identification information of said sales staff is used to prevent unauthorized processing of said digital contents by said sales staff, and
wherein said identification information of said digital contents, identification information of said customer and identification information of a sales staff are read by a device for selling said generated digital contents.
4. A medium for recording a program for causing a computer when executed to function as a digital contents vending machine for selling digital contents, said medium comprising:
a program code for causing said computer to function as a select processing unit for receiving identification information of digital contents selected by a customer and as a sales processing unit for confirming that a payment of a charge for said selected digital contents is completed, for setting identification information for identifying said customer and information for indicating a complete payment confirmation of the charge for said selected digital contents in said selected digital contents as status information for permitting only said customer to replay said selected digital contents to generate digital contents, for selling said generated digital contents, for authenticating a sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents, and for recording identification information of said sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents,
wherein in said confirming, a payment confirmation from said sales staff is input,
wherein said recording of identification information of said sales staff is used to prevent unauthorized processing of said digital contents by said sales staff, and
wherein said identification information of said digital contents, identification information of said customer and identification information of a sales staff are read by a device for selling said generated digital contents.
5. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program for selling digital contents, said program when executed causes a computer to perform the steps of:
receiving as an input to said computer identification information of digital contents selected by a customer;
confirming that a payment of a charge for said digital contents selected by the customer is completed;
generating digital contents by setting identification information for identifying said customer and information for indicating a complete payment confirmation of the charge for said selected digital contents in said selected digital contents as status information for permitting said customer to replay said selected digital contents;
selling said generated digital contents as an output from said computer to said customer;
authenticating a sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents; and
recording identification information of said sales staff who confirms the payment of the charge for said selected digital contents,
wherein in said confirming step, a payment confirmation from said sales staff is input,
wherein said recording of identification information of said sales staff is used to prevent unauthorized processing of said digital contents by said sales staff, and
wherein said identification information of said digital contents, identification information of said customer and identification information of a sales staff are read by a device for selling said generated digital contents.

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 plasma processing method comprising the steps of:
locating a sample inside a processing chamber in which a vacuum-processing space is constituted,
processing a layer to be processed which is disposed on a surface of said sample using plasma inside of said processing chamber which is generated by an electric field from a high-frequency power source, and
supplying and halting supply of high-frequency power into said processing chamber from said high-frequency power source between processing of samples in said processing chamber under a condition that no plasma is generated inside said processing chamber while exhausting the inside of said processing chamber.
2. The plasma processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
performing a plasma cleaning of said inside of said processing chamber; and
after said plasma cleaning, performing said supplying and halting supply of said high-frequency power into said processing chamber from said high-frequency power source under said condition that no plasma is generated inside said processing chamber.
3. A plasma processing method according to claim 2, wherein said high-frequency power is supplied to a wall of said processing chamber facing said vacuum-processing space in which said plasma is generated, and a surface of said wall being covered by a film of dielectric material.
4. A plasma processing method according to claim 1, wherein said high-frequency power is supplied to a wall of said processing chamber facing said vacuum-processing space in which said plasma is generated, and a surface of said wall being covered by a film of dielectric material.
5. A plasma processing method comprising the steps of:
locating a sample inside a processing chamber in which a vacuum-processing space is constituted;
processing a layer to be processed which is disposed on a surface of the sample using plasma inside of the processing chamber which is generated by an electric field from a high-frequency power source; and
supplying and halting supply of high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source into the processing chamber between processings of samples under a condition of performing no discharge inside of the processing chamber while exhausting the inside of the processing chamber.
6. A plasma processing method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
performing a plasma cleaning of the inside of the processing chamber; and
after the plasma cleaning from the high-frequency power source, performing the supplying and halting supply of the high-frequency power into the processing chamber under the condition of performing no discharge inside the processing chamber.
7. A plasma processing method according to claim 6, wherein the high-frequency power is supplied to a wall of the processing chamber facing the vacuum-processing space in which the plasma is generated, and a surface of the wall being covered by a film of dielectric material.
8. A plasma processing method according to claim 5, wherein the high-frequency power is supplied to a wall of the processing chamber facing the vacuum-processing space in which the plasma is generated, and a surface of the wall being covered by a film of dielectric material.

1. An intravascular device adapted for treatment of a vascular occlusion, comprising:
a coiled member formed from a plurality of first shape coil segments alternatingly longitudinally connected with a plurality of second shape coil segments, the first shape coil segments having an inner lumen and a first cross sectional shape, and the second shape coil segments having an inner lumen and a second cross sectional shape that is different from said first cross sectional shape, the coiled member having a first generally linear configuration and a secondary complex three dimensional configuration; and
a tether having a distal tether portion connected to the coiled member at an attachment point, an intermediate tether portion slidingly disposed generally longitudinally inside the inner lumen of at least one of said plurality of first shape coil segments and outside the inner lumen of at least one of said plurality of second shape coil segments, and a proximal tether portion extending proximally beyond a proximal end of the coiled member, said tether being configured to cause said coiled member to change from said first generally linear configuration to said secondary complex three dimensional configuration upon tensioning of said tether by application of a proximal longitudinal force to said tether.
2. The intravascular device of claim 1, wherein said first cross sectional shape is generally cylindrical.
3. The intravascular device of claim 1, wherein said second cross sectional area is U-shaped.
4. The intravascular device of claim 1, wherein the attachment point is disposed at a distal end of the coiled member.
5. The intravascular device of claim 1, wherein the attachment point is disposed between the proximal end of the coiled member and a distal end of the coiled member.
6. The intravascular device of claim 1, wherein the first shape coil segments and the second shape coil segments have different flexibilities.

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 method of measuring the depth of a region having a high aspect ratio that protrudes into a surface of a semiconductor wafer, comprising steps of:
providing the semiconductor wafer comprising a first major surface, a second major surface opposing the first major surface and a region protruding into the first major surface, the region having a width and a depth and a high aspect ratio,
illuminating at least one of the first major surface and the second major surface with light comprising multiple wavelengths;
measuring light of multiple wavelengths that is reflected by the semiconductor wafer as a function of wavelength, the light reflected by the semiconductor wafer forming an interference pattern, wherein the light is emitted from a swept source or the intensity of the light of the multiple wavelengths is determined by a spectrometer, the spectrometer having a detector with a plurality of pixels, each of which is assigned to collect light of a certain predetermined wavelength;
analysing the measured light by applying a Fourier transform, according to a Fourier domain optical coherence tomography, to the interference pattern and generating a graphical representation having peaks associated with different interfaces of the semiconductor wafer, wherein performed, and
determining the depth of the region from at least one of the peaks.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intensity of the light of multiple wavelengths that is reflected by the semiconductor wafer is measured as a function of the inverse of the wavelength.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the graphical representation comprises intensity as a function of optical depth.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein an optical depth of the region is determined by the position of the peak in the graphical representation.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one peak corresponds to an optical thickness of a layer defined by two interfaces.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second major surface of the semiconductor wafer is illuminated with light comprising multiple wavelengths and a geometrical depth of the region is determined by dividing the optical depth of the region by the refractive index of the semiconductor wafer.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measured light is analysed to determine an optical thickness t1 of a layer defined by the interface between the first major surface of the semiconductor wafer and an environment and the interface between a base of the region and the environment.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measured light is analysed to determine an optical thickness t2 of a layer defined by the interface between the second major surface of the semiconductor wafer and an environment and the interface between a base of the region and the environment.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor wafer is moved relative to the light illuminating the semiconductor wafer and the light reflected by the semiconductor wafer is measured at at least one further position.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the semiconductor wafer is moved in two perpendicular dimensions relative to the light illuminating the semiconductor wafer and the reflected light is analysed and a three-dimensional map of the semiconductor wafer is produced.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor wafer is a silicon wafer and the region is one of the group consisting of a through-hole, a closed end via and a trench.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor wafer is illuminated with light comprising multiple wavelengths emitted from one of the group consisting of a light emitting diode, a superluminescent diode, a swept source superluminescent diode, an electric or laser-driven Xenon lamp and a super continuum provided by a single fibre source.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light of multiple wavelengths is passed through an optical beam splitter having an input arm, an output arm and a measuring arm before impinging the semiconductor wafer.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light of multiple wavelengths is passed through an input arm and a measuring arm of an optical beam splitter.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reflected light is passed through a measuring arm and an output arm of an optical beam splitter.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reflected light is directed to a spectrometer coupled to an output arm of an optical beam splitter.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein depth of the region is an optical depth.
18. An apparatus for determining a depth of a region having a high aspect ratio that protrudes into a surface of a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
a multi-wavelength light source;
a semiconductor wafer holder having a front side for holding the semiconductor wafer;
a head for directing the light source onto the semiconductor wafer;
a swept source for emitting light;
a spectrometer for collecting light comprising multiple wavelengths reflected from the semiconductor wafer, the spectrometer having a detector with a plurality of pixels, each of which is assigned to collect light of a certain predetermined wavelength, and
an analysis device configured to determine a depth of the region from an interference pattern of light reflected from the semiconductor wafer by performing Fourier domain optical coherence tomography.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the head is positioned adjacent the front side of the semiconductor wafer holder.
20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the head is positioned adjacent a side of the semiconductor wafer holder that opposes the front side.
21. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising an optical beam splitter comprising an input arm coupled to the light source, an output arm coupled to the spectrometer and a measuring arm coupled to the head.
22. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the semiconductor wafer holder is movable in at least one direction perpendicular to the head.
23. The apparatus according to claims 18, wherein the head is movable in a least one direction parallel to the semiconductor wafer holder.
24. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the head is movable in a least one direction perpendicular to the semiconductor wafer holder.
25. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein Fourier domain optical coherence tomography is used to determine the depth of at least one region in a surface of a semiconductor wafer.
26. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the Fourier domain optical coherence tomography is used to determine the depth of a closed end via or an open-ended via positioned in a semiconductor wafer.