Abstract: Provided is an evaporation apparatus which reduces deformation of a mask, improves adhesion between a substrate and an evaporation mask, and improves accuracy of dividing a region on which a film is to be formed and a region on which the film is not to be formed. The evaporation apparatus includes a pressing mechanism for pressing a film forming substrate disposed on an evaporation mask including a magnetic material against the evaporation mask. The pressing mechanism includes a magnet for attracting the mask toward at least a corner portion of the film forming substrate.

Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed having a charging step, an exposure step, a developing step and a transfer step. This method uses a toner which includes toner particles containing a binder resin and a colorant, and inorganic fine powder, and uses a photosensitive member which has on its surface depressed portions which are independent of one another. The depressed portions have openings having an average minor-axis diameter Lpc satisfying the relationship of Dg<Lpc<Dt (Dt represents the weight-average particle diameter of the toner, and Dg represents the maximum number-average particle diameter among number-average particle diameter(s) of one or two or more types of inorganic fine powder constituting the inorganic fine powder, and the toner has an average circularity of from 0.925 to 0.995.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed which is excellent in cleaning performance, has improved durability, and suppresses image defects in various environments. The electrophotographic photosensitive member has a support and a photosensitive layer provided on the support. Depressed portions independent of one another are formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member so that the number of the depressed portions per 100 ?m square is 76 or more and 1,000 or less. The openings of the depressed portions have an average major axis diameter of more than 3.0 ?m and 14.0 ?m or less.

Abstract: A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, which has the step of bringing i) the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member having at least a charge transport layer on a cylindrical support and ii) a mold having a fine unevenness surface profile into pressure contact with each other to transfer the fine unevenness surface profile to the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The mold and the support are so temperature-controlled as to be T3<T1<T2 where the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer is represented by T1 (°C.), the temperature of the mold by T2 (°C.), and the temperature of the support by T3 (°C.).

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member has a surface having a plurality of depressed portions, having a major-axis diameter Rpc of 0.1 to 10 ?m, a minor-axis diameter Lpc of 0.1 to 10 ?m and a deepest-part to opening distance Rdv of 0.1 to 10 ?m. Where the surface is equally divided into 4 regions in the rotational direction, which are then equally divided into 25 regions in the direction falling at right angles with the rotational direction, to obtain 100-spot regions A in total, and, in each thereof, square regions B of 50 ?m each per side one side of which is parallel to the rotational direction are provided and the regions B are each equally divided into 500 zones by straight lines parallel to the rotational direction, 400 to 499 lines among the straight lines pass through the depressed portions in each of the regions B.

Abstract: A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive support and a surface layer provided thereon containing at least a resin. The process has the step of forming a plurality of depressed portions on the surface layer by irradiation with laser light having a wavelength of 400 nm or less and having an output characteristic of a pulse width of 100 ns or less.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member has, on the surface of its photosensitive layer, has a plurality of depressed portions which are independent from one another, and, where the major-axis diameter of each depressed portion is represented by Rpc and the depth that shows the distance between the deepest part of each depressed portion and the opening thereof is represented by Rdv, the depressed portions each have a ratio of depth to major-axis diameter, Rdv/Rpc, of from more than 1.0 to 7.0 or less.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member has a surface having a plurality of depressed portions, having a major-axis diameter Rpc of 0.1 to 10 ?m, a minor-axis diameter Lpc of 0.1 to 10 ?m and a deepest-part to opening distance Rdv of 0.1 to 10 ?m. Where the surface is equally divided into 4 regions in the rotational direction, which are then equally divided into 25 regions in the direction falling at right angles with the rotational direction, to obtain 100-spot regions A in total, and, in each thereof, square regions B of 50 ?m each per side one side of which is parallel to the rotational direction are provided and the regions B are each equally divided into 500 zones by straight lines parallel to the rotational direction, 400 to 499 lines among the straight lines pass through the depressed portions in each of the regions B.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed which is excellent in cleaning performance, has improved durability, and suppresses image defects in various environments. The electrophotographic photosensitive member has a support and a photosensitive layer provided on the support. Depressed portions independent of one another are formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member so that the number of the depressed portions per 100 ?m square is 76 or more and 1,000 or less. The openings of the depressed portions have an average major axis diameter of more than 3.0 ?m and 14.0 ?m or less.

Abstract: A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member is disclosed. The electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive support and a surface layer provided thereon containing at least a resin. The process has the step of forming a plurality of depressed portions on the surface layer by irradiation with laser light having a wavelength of 400 nm or less and having an output characteristic of a pulse width of 100 ns or less.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member has, on the surface of its photosensitive layer, has a plurality of depressed portions which are independent from one another, and, where the major-axis diameter of each depressed portion is represented by Rpc and the depth that shows the distance between the deepest part of each depressed portion and the opening thereof is represented by Rdv, the depressed portions each have a ratio of depth to major-axis diameter, Rdv/Rpc, of from more than 1.0 to 7.0 or less.

Abstract: A process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member, which has the step of bringing i) the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member having at least a charge transport layer on a cylindrical support and ii) a mold having a fine unevenness surface profile into pressure contact with each other to transfer the fine unevenness surface profile to the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The mold and the support are so temperature-controlled as to be T3<T1<T2 where the glass transition temperature of the charge transport layer is represented by T1 (° C.), the temperature of the mold by T2 (° C.), and the temperature of the support by T3 (° C.).

Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed having a charging step, an exposure step, a developing step and a transfer step. This method uses a toner which includes toner particles containing a binder resin and a colorant, and inorganic fine powder, and uses a photosensitive member which has on its surface depressed portions which are independent of one another. The depressed portions have openings having an average minor-axis diameter Lpc satisfying the relationship of Dg<Lpc<Dt (Dt represents the weight-average particle diameter of the toner, and Dg represents the maximum number-average particle diameter among number-average particle diameter(s) of one or two or more types of inorganic fine powder constituting the inorganic fine powder, and the toner has an average circularity of from 0.925 to 0.995.

Abstract: An organic thin film transistor utilizing an organic semiconductor film is composed of a first substrate, a gate electrode, a gate insulation film, an organic semiconductor film, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a protective film and a second substrate, and produced by forming a gate electrode, a gate insulation film, an organic semiconductor film, a source electrode, and a drain electrode on a first substrate, forming a protective film on a second substrate, and superposing a surface, bearing the organic semiconductor film, of the first substrate upon a surface, bearing the protective film, of the second substrate.

Abstract: There is provided an organic thin film transistor comprising: an organic substrate; a gate electrode; a gate insulating film; an organic semiconductor film; a source electrode; and a drain electrode, and in the organic thin film transistor, an average surface roughness Ra of the gate electrode which is in contact with the gate insulating film is 0.1 nm to 15 nm. The organic thin film transistor provides a stable performance characteristic even when a conductor film provided on a substrate whose shape is unstable and whose flatness is low as compared with a silicon wafer, such as a substrate made of a glass epoxy resin, is used as a gate electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetoresistive element in which a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer whose coercive forces are different, and a non-magnetic layer that is disposed between the magnetic layers, wherein edges of the magnetoresistive element are tapered, or a magnetoresistive element in which a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer, and a non-magnetic layer that is disposed between the magnetic layers, wherein the coercive force of the first magnetic layer is larger than the coercive force of the second magnetic layer, and wherein relation between a base area S1 of the first magnetic layer and a base area S2 of the second magnetic layer is S1>S2.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive film includes a nonmagnetic film, and a structure in which magnetic films are formed on the two sides of the nonmagnetic film. At least one of the magnetic films is a perpendicular magnetization film. A magnetic film whose easy axis of magnetization is inclined from a direction perpendicular to the film surface is formed at a position where the magnetic film contacts the perpendicular magnetization film but does not contact the nonmagnetic film. A memory, magnetic element, magnetoresistive element, and magnetic element manufacturing method are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetoresistive element in which a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer whose coercive forces are different, and a non-magnetic layer that is disposed between the magnetic layers, wherein edges of the magnetoresistive element are tapered, or a magnetoresistive element in which a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer, and a non-magnetic layer that is disposed between the magnetic layers, wherein the coercive force of the first magnetic layer is larger than the coercive force of the second magnetic layer, and wherein relation between a base area S1 of the first magnetic layer and a base area S2 of the second magnetic layer is S1>S2.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive film includes a nonmagnetic film, and a structure in which magnetic films are formed on the two sides of the nonmagnetic film. At least one of the magnetic films is a perpendicular magnetization film. A magnetic film whose easy axis of magnetization is inclined from a direction perpendicular to the film surface is formed at a position where the magnetic film contacts the perpendicular magnetization film but does not contact the nonmagnetic film. A memory, magnetic element, magnetoresistive element, and magnetic element manufacturing method are also disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect type memory in and from which information is recorded and reproduced by utilizing a magnetoresistance effect comprises a substrate, a magnetoresistance film provided on the substrate, which comprises a reproducing layer, a memory layer and a non-magnetic layer provided between the reproducing layer and the memory layer, and a magnetization-fixing layer provided on the substrate, which orients a magnetization of the reproducing layer to one direction. In the magnetoresistance effect type memory a conductor wire may be disposed on the magnetoresistance film on a side opposite to the substrate. A recording-reproducing method for the magnetoresistance effect type memory comprises the steps of applying any one of positive and negative electric current pulses to the conductor wire, and detecting a change in resistance of the magnetoresistance film to reproduce information recorded in the memory layer.