All The Claims

1. A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus for recording information to, andor reproducing information from, a magnetic tape accommodated in a cassette, the magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus comprising:
a main chassis on which a rotatable head cylinder for recording information to, andor reproducing information from, the magnetic tape is mounted;
a sub chassis on which the cassette is mountable, the sub chassis being movable relative to the main chassis; and
a first guide section for guiding the sub chassis to move relative to the main chassis;
wherein:
the first guide section includes:
a first guide groove provided in one of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the first guide groove extending in a direction in which the sub chassis is movable relative to the main chassis; and
a first projection provided on the other of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the first projection being engageable with the first guide groove and movable along the first guide groove; and

the first guide groove has two opposing sidewalls and two ends between which the first projection is movable, the first projection is contactable with at least one of the two ends at two points on said opposing sidewalls oppsite to each other with respect to a line which is drawn by a center of gravity of the first projection by the movement of the first projection along the first guide groove and the at least one end is formed such that the movement of the first projection toward the at least one end is stopped by the contact with the two points, and the two points have a distance therebetween which is shorter than a width of the first guide groove in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the sub chassis is movable.
2. A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second guide section for guiding the sub chassis to move relative to the main chassis;
a third guide section for guiding the sub chassis to move relative to the main chassis;
wherein:
the second guide section includes:
a second guide groove provided in one of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the second guide groove extending in the direction in which the sub chassis is movable relative to the main chassis; and
a second projection provided on the other of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the second projection being engageable with the second guide groove and movable along the second guide groove; and

the third guide section includes:
a third guide groove provided in one of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the third guide groove extending in the direction in which the sub chassis is movable relative to the main chassis; and
a third projection provided on the other of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the third projection being engageable with the third guide groove and movable along the third guide groove;

the main chassis includes a bottom section, a first side section vertical to the bottom section, and a second side section vertical to the bottom section and facing the first side section;
the sub chassis includes a bottom section, a first side section vertical to the bottom section, and a second side section vertical to the bottom section and facing the first side section;
the first guide section is provided on the first side sections of the main chassis and the sub chassis;
the second guide section and the third guide section are each provided on the second side sections of the main chassis and the sub chassis; and
the second guide groove has two ends between which the second projection is movable, the second projection is contactable with at least one of the two ends at two points and the at least one end is formed such that the movement of the second projection toward the at least one end is stopped by the contact with the two points, and the two points have a distance therebetween which is shorter than a width of the second guide groove in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the sub chassis is movable.
3. A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
a fourth guide section for guiding the sub chassis to move relative to the main chassis; and
a fifth guide section for guiding the sub chassis to move relative to the main chassis;
wherein:
the fourth guide section includes:
a fourth guide groove provided in one of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the fourth guide groove extending in the direction in which the sub chassis is movable relative to the main chassis; and
a fourth projection provided on the other of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the fourth projection being engageable with the fourth guide groove and movable along the fourth guide groove; and

the fifth guide section includes:
a fifth guide groove provided in one of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the fifth guide groove extending in the direction in which the sub chassis is movable relative to the main chassis; and
a fifth projection provided on the other of the main chassis and the sub chassis, the fifth projection being engageable with the fifth guide groove and movable along the fifth guide groove; and

the fourth guide section and the fifth guide section are each provided on the bottom sections of the main chassis and the sub chassis.
4. A magnetic recording and reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two ends of the first guide groove is V-shaped.

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 memory device comprising:
a plurality of memory blocks each having a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns;
a plurality of sense amplifier bands arranged in correspondence to said plurality of memory blocks so as to be shared between adjacent memory blocks, each sense amplifier band including a plurality of sense amplifiers each sensing and amplifying data in a memory cell in a corresponding memory block when activated;
a plurality of bit line isolation circuits, arranged in correspondence to said plurality of sense amplifier bands, for electrically connecting, when made conductive, corresponding sense amplifier bands to corresponding memory blocks; and
a bit line isolation control circuit for setting at least the bit line isolation circuit provided for a specific memory block to be nonconductive in a standby mode of operation, said specific memory block invariantly being designated.
2. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein
said bit line isolation control circuit maintains said plurality of bit line isolation circuits to be nonconductive in said standby mode of operation, to isolate said plurality of memory blocks from the corresponding sense amplifier bands.
3. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein
said bit line isolation control circuit includes a program circuit generating a signal for specifying said specific memory block, and the memory blocks other than said specific memory block are electrically connected to the corresponding sense amplifier bands through the corresponding bit line isolation circuits in said standby mode of operation.
4. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein
said semiconductor memory device has a normal operation mode for making data access and a data holding mode for holding data stored in the memory cells, and
said bit line isolation control circuit sets said plurality of bit line isolation circuits to be nonconductive at a standby state during activation of a refresh mode instruction signal designating said data holding mode.
5. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 4, wherein
said bit line isolation control circuit controls the bit line isolation circuits so as to electrically connect said plurality of memory blocks to the corresponding sense amplifier bands at said standby state when said refresh mode instruction signal designating said data holding mode is deactivated.
6. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein
said bit line isolation control circuit includes
a plurality of bit line isolation select control circuits, arranged in correspondence to said bit line isolation circuits, each for selecting one of a first bit line isolation control signal generated on the basis of a first memory block select signal specifying the memory block arranged for a corresponding bit line isolation circuit and a second bit line isolation control signal generated on the basis of a second memory block select signal specifying the memory block sharing the corresponding sense amplifier band in accordance with a mode selection signal, to apply a selected one to the corresponding bit line isolation circuit as a isolation control signal, said first bit line isolation control signal and said second bit line isolation control signal being opposite in logic to each other.
7. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6, wherein
each of said bit line isolation control circuits selects said second bit line isolation control signal in accordance with said mode selection signal in a data holding mode for holding data of the memory cells, said second isolation control signal being equal in logic level to said isolation control signal when selected.
8. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6, wherein
said mode selection signal is an operation mode designation signal designating a data holding mode.
9. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6, wherein
said mode selection signal is a combined signal of an isolation select activation signal set for each memory block and a mode instruction signal designating a data holding mode, and is programmed for each of said plurality of memory blocks.
10. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6, wherein
said mode selection signal is generated for each memory block by a program circuit arranged for each of said plurality of memory blocks.
11. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein each memory block includes a plurality of word lines arranged corresponding to the rows of the memory cells and connecting to the memory cells on corresponding rows, each word line being kept at a negative potential when nonselected.

1. A gas supply device disposed oppositely to a substrate in a process chamber and adapted to supply process gases to the substrate so as to process the substrate, the device comprising:
a device body having a gas-conducting space therein, the gas-conducting space having a diametrally reduced end and a diametrally enlarged end and being formed into a substantially conical shape to thereby conduct the gases from the diametrally reduced end through the gas-conducting space to the diametrally enlarged end;
gas introduction ports provided near the diametrally reduced end of the gas-conducting space in the device body to introduce the gases into the gas-conducting space; and
a plurality of partitioning members provided in the gas-conducting space of the device body to partition the gas-conducting space concentrically;
wherein the partitioning members arranged adjacently to each other at a radially outer side of the gas-conducting space are greater than those of a radially inner side in dimensionally diverging rate per partitioning member.
2. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein:
a gas introduction route is formed at an upstream side of the gas-conducting space in the device body, the gas introduction route that extends in an axial direction of the gas-conducting space; and
the gas introduction ports are provided at an upstream side of the gas introduction route.
3. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the partitioning members are each supported by support members that extend from an inner circumferential surface of the device body, towards a radially inward side of the gas-conducting space.
4. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the partitioning members partition the gas-conducting space into a plurality of flow channels, the flow channels each being formed so that radially inner flow channels have lower gas conductance than radially outer ones.
5. The gas supply device according to claim 4, further comprising:
an airflow control member disposed in a radially central region of the gas-conducting space to prevent the gases from flowing into the central region.
6. The gas supply device according to claim 2, further comprising:
a divider member provided in the gas introduction route to divide the gas introduction route into a radially inner region thereof and a radially outer region thereof, the divider member including a plurality of orifices to diffuse the gases supplied to the inner region towards the outer region;
wherein the gases from the gas introduction ports are supplied to the inner region.
7. The gas supply device according to claim 6, wherein the divider member is connected to upstream ends of the partitioning members.
8. A gas supply device disposed oppositely to a substrate in a process chamber and adapted to supply gases to the substrate so as to process the substrate, the device comprising:
a device body having a gas-conducting space therein, the gas-conducting space having a diametrally reduced end and a diametrally enlarged end and being formed into a substantially conical shape to thereby conduct the gases from the diametrally reduced end through the gas-conducting space to the diametrally enlarged end;
gas introduction ports provided near the diametrally reduced end of the gas-conducting space in the device body to introduce the gases into the gas-conducting space; and
a plurality of partitioning members provided in the gas-conducting space of the device body to partition the gas-conducting space in a circumferential direction thereof.
9. The gas supply device according to claim 8, wherein:
a gas introduction route is formed at an upstream side of the gas-conducting space in the device body, the gas introduction route that extends in an axial direction of the gas-conducting space; and
the gas introduction ports are provided at an upstream side of the gas introduction route.
10. The gas supply device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of partitioning members are each constructed so that the gases supplied from the diametrally enlarged end of the gas-conducting space will flow while forming a vortex flow that rotates in the circumferential direction of the device body.
11. The gas supply device according to claim 8, wherein the partitioning members extend radially from the central region of the gas-conducting space.
12. The gas supply device according to claim 8, wherein the partitioning members are provided to range from the diametrally reduced end to the diametrally enlarged end, in the gas-conducting space.
13. A gas supply device disposed oppositely to a substrate in a process chamber and adapted to supply gases to the substrate so as to process the substrate, the device comprising:
a device body with a gas-conducting space for conducting the gases therethrough;
gas introduction ports provided near an upstream end of the gas-conducting space in the device body to introduce the gases into the gas-conducting space; and
a plate-like member provided near a downstream end of the gas-conducting space in the device body, the plate-like member having a plurality of concentrically opened slits for supplying the gases to the substrate through the gas-conducting space.
14. The gas supply device according to claim 13, wherein:
a gas introduction route is formed at an upstream side of the gas-conducting space in the device body, the gas introduction route that extends in an axial direction of the gas-conducting space; and
the gas introduction ports are provided at an upstream side of the gas introduction route.
15. The gas supply device according to claim 13, wherein the slits are formed to increase in interslit width as they go radially from a central portion of the plate-like member, towards an outer edge of the member.
16. The gas supply device according to claim 1, further comprising temperature control means in the device body.
17. A processing apparatus comprising:
a mounting table for mounting a substrate thereon;
a process chamber with the mounting table provided therein;
a gas supply device provided oppositely to the mounting table, for supplying plural kinds of process gases to the process chamber interior to process the substrate; and
means for evacuating the process chamber interior;
wherein the gas supply device includes
a device body having a gas-conducting space therein, the gas-conducting space having a diametrally reduced end and a diametrally enlarged end and being formed into a substantially conical shape to thereby conduct the gases from the diametrally reduced end through the gas-conducting space to the diametrally enlarged end;
gas introduction ports provided near the diametrally reduced end of the gas-conducting space in the device body to introduce the gases into the gas-conducting space, and
a plurality of partitioning members provided in the gas-conducting space of the device body to partition the gas-conducting space concentrically; and
the partitioning members arranged adjacently to each other at a radially outer side of the gas-conducting space are greater than those of a radially inner side in dimensionally diverging rate per partitioning member.
18. The processing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:
a plurality of process gas flow channels connected to the gas introduction ports of the gas supply device, the process gas flow channels each being formed to supply any one of the plural kinds of process gases;
a purging gas flow channel connected to any one of the gas introduction ports of the gas supply device, the purging gas flow channel being formed to supply an inert gas for purging; and
a supply gas control device that controls a supply state of the gases in the process gas flow channels and in the purging gas flow channel; and
a control unit that controls the supply gas control device to conduct the step of, in addition to supplying the plural kinds of process gases in order and cyclically, supplying the inert gas between the step of supplying one of the plural kinds of process gases and the step of supplying the other kind of process gas;
wherein layers that include reaction products of the plural kinds of process gases are sequentially stacked on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film thereon.
19. A processing method comprising the steps of;
mounting a substrate on a mounting table provided in a process chamber;
supplying process gases for processing the substrate, from a gas supply device opposed to the mounting table, to the process chamber interior; and
evacuating the process chamber interior;
wherein the gas supply device includes
a device body having a gas-conducting space therein, the gas-conducting space having a diametrally reduced end and a diametrally enlarged end and being formed into a substantially conical shape to thereby conduct the gases from the diametrally reduced end through the gas-conducting space to the diametrally enlarged end,
gas introduction ports provided near the diametrally reduced end of the gas-conducting space in the device body to introduce the gases into the gas-conducting space, and
a plurality of partitioning members provided in the gas-conducting space of the device body to partition the gas-conducting space concentrically; and
the partitioning members arranged adjacently to each other at a radially outer side of the gas-conducting space are greater than those of a radially inner side in dimensionally diverging rate per partitioning member.
20. The processing method according to claim 19, wherein;
the step of supplying the process gases includes the substep of, in addition to supplying the plural kinds of process gases in order and cyclically, supplying an inert gas between the step of supplying one of the plural kinds of process gases and the step of supplying the other kind of process gas; and
layers that include reaction products of the plural kinds of process gases are sequentially stacked on the surface of the substrate to form a thin film thereon.
21. A storage medium having stored therein a computer program that operates on a computer, the storage medium being used in a processing method,
wherein the processing method comprises the steps of:
mounting a substrate on a mounting table provided in a process chamber;
supplying plural kinds of process gases for processing the substrate, from a gas supply device opposed to the mounting table, to the process chamber interior; and
evacuating the process chamber interior;
wherein the gas supply device includes a device body having a gas-conducting space therein, the gas-conducting space having a diametrally reduced end and a diametrally enlarged end and being formed into a substantially conical shape to thereby conduct the gases from the diametrally reduced end through the gas-conducting space to the diametrally enlarged end,
gas introduction ports provided near the diametrally reduced end of the gas-conducting space in the device body to introduce the gases into the gas-conducting space, and
a plurality of partitioning members provided in the gas-conducting space of the device body to partition the gas-conducting space concentrically, and
wherein the partitioning members arranged adjacently to each other at a radially outer side of the gas-conducting space are greater than those of a radially inner side in dimensionally diverging rate per partitioning member.
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 for determining a location of an edge feature of a three-dimensional workpiece using a machine vision inspection system, wherein the machine vision inspection system comprises a control system, a light stripe projection system, an imaging system, and a user interface usable to define a sequence of operations usable to determine the location of the edge feature, the method comprising:
(a) positioning the edge feature of the three-dimensional workpiece in a field of view of the machine vision inspection system;
(b) focusing the imaging system at an imaging focus plane at a height corresponding to the edge feature;
(c) defining a region of interest including the edge feature using the user interface;
(d) determining an edge direction corresponding to a direction along the edge feature in the region of interest; and
(e) determining the edge feature location, wherein determining the edge feature location comprises:
(e1) operating the light stripe projection system to project at least one light stripe having a longitudinal axis oriented transverse to the determined edge direction in the region of interest, and extending across the edge feature;
(e2) operating the light stripe projection system to focus the at least one light stripe at a light stripe focus plane at a height corresponding to the edge feature such that a surface height change across the edge feature causes a changing light stripe intensity profile along the light stripe due to defocus, which varies with the edge feature surface height along the light stripe without changing the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the light stripe;
(e3) operating the imaging system to acquire an image of the at least one light stripe at the imaging focus plane; and
(e4) analyzing the acquired image of the at least one light stripe in the region of interest and determining the location of at least a portion of the edge feature based on a changing characteristic of the changing light stripe intensity profile along the at least one light stripe.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light stripe focus plane is coincident with the imaging focus plane.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light stripe focus plane corresponds to a plane of the workpiece surface in the region of interest.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an edge detection video tool comprising a region of interest indicator and the step (c) comprises defining the region of interest by displaying and configuring the region of interest indicator.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an edge detection video tool and the step (d) comprises determining the edge direction by aligning a displayed feature of the video tool to correspond to the direction along the edge feature in the region of interest.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein in step (e1) orienting the at least one light stripe transverse to the determined edge direction comprises automatically orienting the at least one light stripe relative to the alignment of the displayed feature of the video tool.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one light stripe is oriented nominally perpendicular to the displayed feature of the video tool, and a scan line of the video tool is aligned with the at least one light stripe.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the edge detection video tool includes a region of interest indicator, and the displayed feature that is aligned to correspond to the direction along the edge feature comprises at least a portion of the region of interest indicator.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (e2) comprises adjusting the brightness of the at least one light stripe such that the brightness of the light stripe is within a detection range of the imaging system, at least in the vicinity of the edge feature.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the step (e) for at least a first set of light stripes arranged laterally along the edge direction in the region of interest at a first time.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising repeating the step (e) for at least a second set of light stripes arranged laterally along the edge direction in the region of interest at a second time, wherein the second set of light stripes includes light stripes arranged laterally along the edge direction at different locations than light stripes in the first set of light stripes.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the edge feature is curved and the edge direction follows a corresponding curve and the first set of light stripes comprises light stripes which are not parallel to each other.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the workpiece is a representative workpiece and the method is performed in association with a learn mode of operation of the machine vision inspection system, which is used for creating a part program to be used for determining the location of an edge feature on a workpiece that is similar to the representative workpiece.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed in association with a run mode of operation of the machine vision inspection system by executing a part program that includes determining the location of an edge feature on a workpiece that is similar to a representative workpiece used to create the part program.
15. A machine vision inspection system operable to determine a location of an edge feature of a three-dimensional workpiece, the machine vision inspection system comprising:
a control system;
a light stripe projection system;
an imaging system operable to focus at an imaging focus plane at a height corresponding to an edge feature of the three-dimensional workpiece in a field of view of the machine vision inspection system; and
a user interface operable to define a region of interest including the edge feature and determine an edge direction corresponding to a direction along the edge feature in the region of interest, wherein:
the light stripe projection system:
includes an adjustable element that can be adjusted such that a projected light stripe having a longitudinal axis is oriented transverse to the determined edge direction in the region of interest and extends across the edge feature, and
is configurable to project the light stripe such that it is focused such that a workpiece surface height change across the edge feature causes a changing light stripe intensity profile along the light stripe due to defocus, which varies with the edge feature surface height along the light stripe without changing the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the light stripe; and

the control system is configured to perform operations comprising:
(a) adjusting the adjustable element to orient the light stripe transverse to the determined edge direction in the region of interest and extending across the edge feature;
(b) operating the light stripe projection system to project a light stripe at a light stripe focus plane at a height adjusted to correspond to the edge feature;
(c) operating the imaging system to acquire an image of the light stripe at the imaging focus plane at a height corresponding to an edge feature; and
(d) analyzing the acquired image of the light stripe in the region of interest and determining the location of at least a portion of the edge feature based on a changing characteristic of the changing light stripe intensity profile along the light stripe.
16. The machine vision inspection system of claim 15, wherein the adjustable element of the light stripe projection system comprises a controllable spatial light modulator.
17. The machine vision inspection system of claim 16, wherein the controllable spatial light modulator comprises one of a controllable LCD array and a controllable micro-minor array.
18. The machine vision inspection system of claim 15, wherein the light stripe projection system is configured to use an objective lens of the imaging system to project the light stripe.
19. The machine vision inspection system of claim 15, wherein the machine vision inspection system comprises an edge detection video tool including a graphical user interface element which is user configurable to set parameters that define the region of interest including the edge feature and the edge direction corresponding to a direction along the edge feature in the region of interest.
20. The machine vision inspection system of claim 19, wherein the control system is configured to perform at least the operation (a) based on the parameters set using the edge detection video tool.
21. The machine vision inspection system of claim 15, wherein the imaging system comprises a configurable pupil filter that is located between an objective lens and a camera of the imaging system at a Fourier plane of the objective lens, and that includes a pupil shape that is configurable such that it is aligned with the light stripe, which spatially filters light from the light stripe.
22. The machine vision inspection system of claim 21, wherein the pupil filter is provided by a spatial light modulator that modifies at least one of an amplitude and a phase of (a) light which forms the light stripe, or (b) light which is reflected from the workpiece to form the image of the light stripe on an image sensor of the camera system.
23. A method for determining a location of an edge feature of a three-dimensional workpiece using a machine vision inspection system, wherein the machine vision inspection system comprises a control system, a light stripe projection system, an imaging system, and a user interface usable to define a sequence of operations usable to determine the location of the edge feature, the method comprising:
(a) positioning the edge feature of the three-dimensional workpiece in a field of view of a machine vision inspection system;
(b) focusing the imaging system at an imaging focus plane at a height corresponding to the edge feature; and
(c) determining the edge feature location, wherein determining the edge feature location comprises:
(c1) operating the light stripe projection system to project at least one light stripe having a longitudinal axis, oriented to extend across the edge feature, and focused such that a height change across the edge feature causes at least one of a changing width and a changing intensity along the light stripe due to defocus, which varies with the edge feature surface height along the light stripe without changing the orientation of the longitudinal axis of the light stripe;
(c2) operating the imaging system to acquire an image of the at least one light stripe at the imaging focus plane; and
(c3) analyzing the acquired image of the at least one light stripe and determining the location of at least a portion of the edge feature based on a changing characteristic along the light stripe that corresponds to at least one of the changing width and the changing intensity along the light stripe.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein (c1) comprises adjusting the brightness of the at least one light stripe such that the brightness of the light stripe is within a detection range of the imaging system, at least in the vicinity of the edge feature.