A method and system for transmitting data along one or more communication channels to a receiving device having addressable memory units, the data having a known size and being split into two or more data packets each having a respective header and each sent along one of said communication channels to a respective memory unit. The joint is isolated using a three contact point stabilization system. Further, this invention also provides a process for producing a 5-hydroxy-3-oxopentanoic acidwhich comprises treating a mixture of an acetic acid ester and a 3-hydroxypropionic acid derivative with a Grignard reagent to prepare a mixture of a compound and an acetic acid ester of the above formula ,and permitting a lithium amide to act upon the mixture at a temperature not below \u221220\xb0 C. The spacer is disposed on the substrate and the nitride layer.