All The Claims

1. A heat treatment apparatus for successive heat treatment of substrates, comprising:
a hot plate portion for subjecting the substrate to which a coating liquid is applied to heat treatment;
a cooling plate for cooling said substrate;
a drive mechanism for moving said cooling plate between a home position where said substrate is passed between said cooling plate and an external transfer mechanism and a position above said hot plate portion where said substrate is passed between said cooling plate and said hot plate portion;
a heating mechanism for heating said cooling plate;
a temperature detection portion for detecting a temperature of said cooling plate; and
a control unit outputting a control signal for controlling an amount of heat received by said cooling plate from said heating mechanism such that a temperature value detected by said temperature detection portion is set to a prescribed temperature before start of successive treatment of said substrate, said control unit outputting said control signal such that a surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated first after start of the successive treatment of said substrates and a surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated second are brought closer to each other.
2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
temperature difference between the surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated first after start of the successive treatment and the surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated second is within a range of 10\xb0 C.
3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
said heating mechanism is included in said hot plate portion, and said control signal includes a signal for controlling said drive mechanism in order to adjust a time period during which said cooling plate stays above said hot plate portion.
4. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
said heating mechanism is provided in said cooling plate, and said control signal includes a signal for controlling an amount of heat generated by said heating mechanism.
5. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling mechanism for forcibly cooling said cooling plate.
6. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
said substrates include a first substrate and a second substrate treated next to the first substrate, and
if a temperature for heat treatment of said second substrate by said hot plate portion is lower than that of said first substrate, said control unit outputs said control signal such that the cooling plate is cooled by said cooling mechanism by a time when said cooling plate receives said second substrate from said external transfer mechanism, after said first substrate is passed from said cooling plate to said external transfer mechanism.
7. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
said cooling mechanism cools said cooling plate by blowing a gas.
8. A heat treatment method of performing successive heat treatment of substrates using a heat treatment apparatus, said heat treatment apparatus including a hot plate portion for subjecting said substrate to which a coating liquid is applied to heat treatment, a cooling plate for cooling said substrate, a drive mechanism for moving said cooling plate, and a heating mechanism for heating said cooling plate, comprising the steps of:
moving said cooling plate, by means of said drive mechanism, between a home position where said substrate is passed between said cooling plate and an external transfer mechanism and a position above said hot plate portion where said substrate is passed between said cooling plate and said hot plate portion; and
heating said cooling plate with said heating mechanism before start of successive treatment of said substrate, in order to bring closer to each other a surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated first after start of the successive treatment of said substrates and a surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated second.
9. The heat treatment method according to claim 8, wherein
temperature difference between the surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated first after start of the successive treatment and the surface temperature of said cooling plate immediately before reception from said hot plate portion, of said substrate to be treated second is within a range of 10\xb0 C.
10. The heat treatment method according to claim 8, wherein
said step of heating said cooling plate with said heating mechanism includes the step of heating said cooling plate by positioning said cooling plate above said hot plate portion serving as said heating mechanism.
11. The heat treatment method according to claim 8, wherein
said step of heating said cooling plate with said heating mechanism includes the step of heating said cooling plate with said heating mechanism provided in said cooling plate.
12. The heat treatment method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of forcibly cooling said cooling plate.
13. The heat treatment method according to claim 12, wherein
said substrates include a first substrate and a second substrate treated next to the first substrate, and
if a temperature for heat treatment of said second substrate by said hot plate portion is lower than that of said first substrate, said cooling plate is forcibly cooled by a time when said cooling plate receives said second substrate from said external transfer mechanism, after said first substrate is passed from said cooling plate to said external transfer mechanism.
14. The heat treatment method according to claim 12, wherein
said step of forcibly cooling said cooling plate includes the step of cooling said cooling plate by blowing a gas.
15. A recording medium storing a computer program used in a heat treatment apparatus,
said heat treatment apparatus including a hot plate portion for subjecting a substrate to which a coating liquid is applied to heat treatment, a cooling plate for cooling said substrate, a drive mechanism for moving said cooling plate, and a heating mechanism for heating said cooling plate, and
said computer program being configured to carry out the heat treatment method according to claim 8.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for correcting a disc type determination, comprising the steps of:
detecting a tracking error signal; and
verifying accuracy of a disc type determination according to the tracking error signal.
2. The method of claim 1, before verifying the accuracy of a disc type determination, further comprising low-pass filtering of the tracking error signal and producing a low-pass filtered signal.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein verification of the accuracy of the disc type determination is performed by comparing the low-pass filtered signal with a predetermined threshold.
4. The method of claim 2, before verifying the accuracy of a disc type determination, further comprising a normalization process of the tracking error signal.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein verification of the accuracy of the disc type determination is performed by comparing a real gain produced in the normalization with a predetermined threshold gain.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein verification of the accuracy of the disc type determination is performed by determination of whether normalization time exceeds a predetermined limit.
7. A method for correcting an erroneous disc type determination, comprising:
low-pass filtering a tracking error signal and producing a low-pass filtered signal; and
verifying accuracy of a disc type determination according to the low-pass filtered signal.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein verification of the accuracy of the disc type determination is performed by identifying whether a highest filtered peak value of the low-pass filtered signal is less than a predetermined threshold.10. The method of claim 7, further comprising normalization of the track error signal.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein verification of the accuracy of the disc type determination is performed by identifying whether a real gain produced in the normalization excess a predetermined threshold gain.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein verification of the accuracy of the disc type determination is performed by identification of whether normalization time exceeds a predetermined limit.

1. A method for drying a surface defining at least one well comprising the following steps:
providing a drying apparatus comprising a moveable platform coupled to an actuator configured to displace the movable platform, an aspiration tube having open first and second ends, the second end of the aspiration tube being connected to the moveable platform, and a vacuum source connected to the second end of the aspiration tube for applying a vacuum through said tube, said aspiration vibe defining a length and defining a longitudinal bore along said length;
placing the first end of the aspiration tube in proximity to a center of said at least one well;
removing bulk fluid from said at least one well by:
applying a first vacuum through said aspiration tube; and
moving the aspiration tube along an XYZ plane from the center of said at least one well to a peripheral edge of said at least one well and about the periphery of said at least one well;

removing the aspiration tube from said at least one well;
moving said aspiration tube so that the first end of the aspiration tube is a predetermined distance above said at least one well; and
removing vapor from said at least one well by applying a second vacuum through said aspiration tube;
wherein said bore has a tapered diameter such that said first end has a larger diameter than said second end.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising a plurality of tubes, the at least one well comprising a plurality of wells, each of said tubes being adapted to interact with one of said wells.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined distance is from 50 \u03bcm to 2 mm.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said length is sufficient to maintain an aspect ratio of about 18 derived in concert with opening diameters aspect ratio of about 1.7 based on cone angle pitch at 3.5 degrees.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said aspiration tube has a thickness of about 400 \u03bcm at said first end.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the diameter of the aspiration tube at said second end is about 2 mm.

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

1. A communication apparatus, comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) signal processing device, for processing a plurality of RF signals transmitted to or received from a serving cell;
a baseband signal processing device, for processing a plurality of baseband signals; and
a processor, for controlling operations of the RF signal processing device and the baseband signal processing device,
wherein the processor determines whether performing a circuit switch fallback (CSFB) procedure is required, and when performing the CSFB procedure is required, the processor further determines a plurality of weighting values each associated with one of a plurality of frequencies to be measured during the CSFB procedure, determines a frequency measurement sequence for scheduling the frequencies to be measured in sequence according to the determined weighting values and measures a signal quality on the frequencies according to the frequency measurement sequence.
2. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor determines the frequency measurement sequence such that a frequency with a higher weighting value is measured earlier.
3. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor determines the weighting values according to at least one network configuration recorded when performing one or more previous CSFB procedure(s).
4. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor determines the weighting values according to at least one execution result obtained when performing one or more previous CSFB procedure(s).
5. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor determines the weighting values according to a time required to complete a measurement for each frequency.
6. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor determines the weighting values according to a data throughput supported by a radio access technology corresponding to each frequency.
7. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor determines the weighting values according to a preferred radio access technology set by a public land mobile network associated with the serving cell.
8. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network configuration comprises a target frequency having a cell that has been successfully camped on during the previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
9. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network configuration comprises a radio access technology of a target frequency having a cell that has been successfully camped on during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a radio access technology of a frequency among the frequencies matches the radio access technology of the target frequency, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
10. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network configuration comprises a band of a target frequency having a cell that have been successfully camped on during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a band of a frequency among the frequencies matches the band of the target frequency, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
11. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the network configuration comprises a measurement configuration set in the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a measurement configuration associated with a frequency among the frequencies matches the measurement configuration set in the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
12. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the execution result is determined by whether a handover, a redirection, or a cell change order with respect to a target frequency was triggered upon receiving a measurement report associated with the target frequency during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency and the handover, the redirection, or the cell change order with respect to the target frequency was triggered during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
13. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the execution result is determined by whether the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s) with respect to a target frequency succeeded, and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency and the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s) with respect to the target frequency succeeded, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
14. The communication apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the execution result is determined by whether a location area update with respect to a target frequency and the serving cell was performed during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency and the location area update with respect to the target frequency and the serving cell was performed, the weighting value associated with the frequency is decreased.
15. A method for shortening circuit switch fallback (CSFB) performance time, executed by a communication apparatus camping on a serving cell, comprising:
determining a plurality of weighting values, each associated with one of a plurality of frequencies to be measured during a CSFB procedure;
determining a frequency measurement sequence for scheduling the frequencies to be measured in sequence according to the determined weighting values; and
measuring a signal quality on the frequencies according to the frequency measurement sequence.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein a frequency with a higher weighting value is measured earlier.
17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the weighting values are determined according to at least one network configuration recorded when performing one or more previous CSFB procedure(s).
18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the weighting values are determined according to at least one execution result obtained when performing one or more previous CSFB procedure(s).
19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the weighting values are determined according to a time required to complete a measurement for each frequency.
20. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the weighting values are determined according to a data throughput supported by a radio access technology corresponding to the each frequency.
21. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the weighting values are determined according to a preferred radio access technology set by a public land mobile network associated with the serving cell.
22. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the network configuration comprises a target frequency having a cell that have been successfully camped on during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
23. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the network configuration comprises a radio access technology of a target frequency having a cell that has been successfully camped on during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a radio access technology of a frequency among the frequencies matches the radio access technology of the target frequency, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
24. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the network configuration comprises a band of a target frequency having a cell that has been successfully camped on during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a band of a frequency among the frequencies matches the band of the target frequency, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
25. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the network configuration comprises a measurement configuration set in the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a measurement configuration associated with a frequency among the frequencies matches the measurement configuration set in the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
26. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the execution result is determined by whether a handover, a redirection, or a cell change order with respect to a target frequency was triggered upon receiving a measurement report associated with the target frequency during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency and the handover, the redirection or the cell change order with respect to the target frequency was triggered during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
27. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the execution result is determined by whether the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s) with respect to a target frequency succeeded, and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency and the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s) with respect to the target frequency succeeded, the weighting value associated with the frequency is increased.
28. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the execution result is determined by whether a location area update with respect to a target frequency and the serving cell was performed during the one or more previous CSFB procedure(s), and when a frequency among the frequencies matches the target frequency and the location area update with respect to the target frequency and the serving cell was performed, the weighting value associated with the frequency is decreased.