International Business Machines Corporation

Wayne J Rothschild

Brian John Cragun

Joseph Paul Kuczynski

Gordon James Smith

Eric Vance Kline

Mark Kenneth Hoffmeyer

Christopher Guild Keller

Bruce John Chamberlin

Kevin Albert Splittstoesser

Matthew Stephen Kelly

Ahmad D Katnani

Thomas A Gregory

Brian L Carlson

Jeffrey A Taylor

Donald C Buettner

Bruce A Murray

Bruce E Kennedy

Gregory S Killinger

Two test coupons are utilized in an apparatus, method and design process/structure for determining the moisture content in an electronic circuit board (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB) or panel). The first coupon has a laminate stack-up with voltage planes separated from each other by dielectric material. These voltage planes include etched clearances with neither plated through holes (PTHs) nor drilled holes extending therethrough. The second coupon is substantially identical to the first coupon except that each of the voltage planes of the first coupon includes PTHs extending through etched clearances corresponding to the etched clearances of the first coupon. In one embodiment, an alarm indicating unacceptably high moisture content is generated if a delta capacitance calculated as a difference between capacitance measurements acquired from the respective coupons is greater than a threshold. Preferably, the alarm notifies a user that at least one aqueous process related to PTH formation is implicated.

Non-destructive determination of the moisture content in an electronic circuit board using comparison of capacitance measurements acquired from test coupons, and design structure/process therefor

Sensors are located on first and second regions of a heat sink, with a portion of the heat sink interposed between the first and second region sensors. The heat sink is connected to a component by an attachment that conducts heat from the component to the heat sink, and a third sensor is located on the component or the attachment with a portion of the attachment disposed between the third sensor and the first and second heat sink region sensors. Temperature readings from the sensors are compared to identify a failing one of the heat sink, the attachment portion, and the component with respect to heat conduction, which includes identifying the interposed heat sink portion as failing in response to a divergence between temperature inputs from the first and second heat sink region sensors. Rate-of-rise temperature readings may also be observed and compared, including to historical values.

Heat sink

A client computer with a scanner capable of scanning objects for a code. The client computer scans the object of interest and translates the code into a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that specifies both a server computer and the location within the server of information that is relevant to the object. The client computer transmits the URL to the server computer, receives the information related to the object from the server computer, and communicates the information to the customer.

Mechanism for retrieving information using data encoded on an object

To reduce disk drive power consumption, a reduced disk rotational velocity idle mode is used wherein in-situ components of the drive calibrate the landing (or take-off) speed of each head/disk combination and establish a transition speed incrementally above the highest landing speed to assure that the heads both fly above the confronting disk surfaces and avoid substantially all the asperities projecting from the disk surfaces. This can be accomplished using digital harmonic ratio flyheight (HRF) measurement techniques. This system optimizes the power savings to the characteristics of the particular drive. The power saving can be imposed in stages, initially to maintain the capability of quick return to operating conditions and a final stage that realizes maximum power savings. The transition speed is recalibrated periodically, which enables monitoring of the device for degradation or future imminent failure as sequential transition speeds change. Adaptive control can be implemented by extending the time between recalibration cycles when little change occurs during a series of transition speed calculations and reducing the time between recalibration cycles when significant change occurs in the sequence of transition speeds.

Optimization of disk drive spindle speed during low power mode

In a magnetic disk file having a plurality of disks and a source of organic lubricant mounted within a housing, an air flow stream recirculates within the housing. The vapor pressure of the lubricant source is controlled to provide vapor phase transport of lubricant molecules between the source and the disks' recording surfaces. The lubricant molecules bidirectionally transfer between the air stream and the source, and between the air stream and the surface of the disks, as is needed to maintain a mono-molecular lubricant film, in the range of about 3 to 15 angstroms, on the disks in accordance with the principle of Langmuir kinetics. The disks are rigid disks and their recording surface includes a carbon overcoat. This overcoat has an affinity for the airborne organic lubricant molecules. In a first embodiment, the vapor pressure of the lubricant is controlled by mounting the material at the coolest location within the housing. In a second embodiment, the lubricant is carried as a mono-molecular layer of lubricant on granular carbon particles which have a surface area that is many times greater than the surface area of the disks. In a third embodiment, the vapor pressure is controlled by combining the lubricant with a vapor pressure diluent.

Method and apparatus for lubricating a magnetic disk continuously in a

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Wayne J Rothschild