Abstract: A vehicle windshield wiper blade comprising: a blade support portion; and a lip portion, wherein the lip portion has a tapered portion having a cross section that is taken along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade and that has a width that gradually decreases from a side closer to the blade support portion towards a direction farthest away from the blade support portion, the lip portion has a tip surface and first and second tapered surfaces constituting the tapered portion, and, in a specific observation region of the first and second tapered surfaces, the average value of the elastic modulus measured at a 0.1 ?m pitch is 15-470 MPa and the coefficient of variation of the elastic modulus is at most 17.6%.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte for secondary battery, secondary battery having the same and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes an electrolytic salt having an electrolytic salt concentration of about 0.5 M (mol/L) to about 3.8 M (mol/L) in the non-aqueous electrolyte, a first solvent having a solubility of the electrolytic salt in a range from about 100 g to about 400 g, and a second solvent having a solubility of the electrolytic salt of less than or equal to about 1 g. The first solvent includes a coordination solvent coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt and a free solvent that is not coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt, and a peak area ratio of the free solvent determined by a Raman spectrum is less than about 20%.

Abstract: An electrolyte solution, a rechargeable battery including the same and a method of preparing the same are provided. The electrolyte solution includes an electrolytic salt having a concentration of greater than or equal to about 2.0 M (mol/L) and less than or equal to about 5.0 M (mol/L) with respect to the electrolyte solution and a cyclic carbonate-containing solvent. The cyclic carbonate-containing solvent includes a base solvent and a cyclic carbonate. The cyclic carbonate is included in an amount of about 1 volume % to about 15 volume % based on a total volume of the base solvent and the cyclic carbonate. The cyclic carbonate-containing solvent includes a coordination solvent coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt and a free solvent that is not coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt, and a peak area ratio of the free solvent is from about 1% to about 25%.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte for secondary battery, secondary battery having the same and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes an electrolytic salt having an electrolytic salt concentration of about 0.5 M (mol/L) to about 3.8 M (mol/L) in the non-aqueous electrolyte, a first solvent having a solubility of the electrolytic salt in a range from about 100 g to about 400 g, and a second solvent having a solubility of the electrolytic salt of less than or equal to about 1 g. The first solvent includes a coordination solvent coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt and a free solvent that is not coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt, and a peak area ratio of the free solvent determined by a Raman spectrum is less than about 20%.

Abstract: An electrolyte solution, a rechargeable battery including the same and a method of preparing the same are provided. The electrolyte solution includes an electrolytic salt having a concentration of greater than or equal to about 2.0 M (mol/L) and less than or equal to about 5.0 M (mol/L) with respect to the electrolyte solution and a cyclic carbonate-containing solvent. The cyclic carbonate-containing solvent includes a base solvent and a cyclic carbonate. The cyclic carbonate is included in an amount of about 1 volume % to about 15 volume % based on a total volume of the base solvent and the cyclic carbonate. The cyclic carbonate-containing solvent includes a coordination solvent coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt and a free solvent that is not coordinated with an ionized ion from the electrolytic salt, and a peak area ratio of the free solvent is from about 1% to about 25%.

Abstract: A finder function of an imaging unit for taking an entire image including a cornea for transplantation displays a high-quality image. There are provided a support table for supporting an observation container containing a cornea for transplantation as an observed target, a specular optical system that includes a first light source and a first imaging unit, and includes an illuminating optical system and an imaging optical system for acquiring and observing a magnified image of a cornea for transplantation from above or below the observation container in the vertical direction by specular reflection, a second imaging unit for taking an entire image including a region in which the cornea for transplantation is contained from above or below the observation container in the vertical direction, and a switch for selectively switching between the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit to acquire the magnified image and the entire image.

Abstract: Provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which, even in the case of using a low-viscosity solvent having a narrow potential window, can increase the electrochemical stability of the nonaqueous electrolyte solution and suppress side reactions of the nonaqueous electrolyte solution during charge and discharge to reduce the degradation of the battery characteristics and has an excellent storage characteristic in high-temperature environments and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution for the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

Abstract: The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which can significantly improve battery characteristics by suppression of decrease in discharge capacity at an initial cycle stage and by improvement in high-temperature charge storage characteristics. A negative electrode for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a negative electrode mixture layer including a negative electrode active material which contains SiOx (0.8?x?1.2) and graphite; and a negative electrode collector having at least one surface on which the negative electrode mixture layer is formed, and on the surface of the SiOx, a coating film derived from a compound having an isocyanate group is formed.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode having a positive-electrode active material, a negative electrode having a negative-electrode active material, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution having a nonaqueous solvent dissolving a solute. The negative-electrode active material includes powdered silicon and/or a silicon alloy, the nonaqueous electrolytic solution includes additives composed of at least one fluorinated lithium phosphate selected from the group consisting of lithium monofluorophosphate, lithium difluorophosphate, and lithium trifluorophosphate and a diisocyanate compound, and the nonaqueous solvent includes a chain carbonate compound.

Abstract: The present invention is made to improve charge-discharge cycle performances under high temperature environment in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material of particulate silicon and/or silicon alloy and a binding agent.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to prevent deterioration and expanding of anode active material and to improve charge-discharge cycle characteristics in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising an anode of which current collector has thereon a thin layer of an anode active material containing a metal. To solve this problem, in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery wherein a thin layer of anode active material containing a metal which absorbs and discharges lithium is formed on a current collector and the thin layer of the anode active material is divided into columns by a gap formed along the thickness thereof, a compound represented by the following formula is contained in the non-aqueous electrolyte. A-N?C?O In the above formula, A represents an element or a group other than hydrogen.

Abstract: Provided is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which, even in the case of using a low-viscosity solvent having a narrow potential window, can increase the electrochemical stability of the nonaqueous electrolyte solution and suppress side reactions of the nonaqueous electrolyte solution during charge and discharge to reduce the degradation of the battery characteristics and has an excellent storage characteristic in high-temperature environments and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution for the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery.

Abstract: Disclosed is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which has a negative electrode containing silicon as a negative active material, a positive electrode containing a positive active material, a nonaqueous electrolyte and a separator. Characteristically, an additive which retards oxidation of silicon during operation of the battery is contained either in an interior or surface portion of the positive electrode, in an interior or surface portion of the negative electrode, or in an interior or surface portion of the separator.

Abstract: A device and a device manufacturing process. First, a gettering layer is formed on the bottom surface of a silicon substrate. Gates having a MOS structure are then formed on the principal surface of the silicon substrate, and the gettering layer is removed. According to this manufacturing method, the formation of the gates having a MOS structure is performed such that the gettering layer getters dissolved oxygen present in the silicon substrate. This reduces the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the silicon substrate, resulting in improved device characteristics.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery has a positive electrode (1), a negative electrode (2), a separator (3) interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution in which a solute is dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent. The negative electrode contains a negative electrode active material capable of alloying with lithium and the non-aqueous solvent of the non-aqueous electrolyte solution contains one ore more fluorinated cyclic carbonates and a carboxylic ester. In addition, the non-aqueous electrolyte solution contains a nitrile compound having a chain saturated hydrocarbon group having two or more carbon atoms.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to prevent deterioration and expanding of anode active material and to improve charge-discharge cycle characteristics in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising an anode of which current collector has thereon a thin layer of an anode active material containing a metal. To solve this problem, in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery wherein a thin layer of anode active material containing a metal which absorbs and discharges lithium is formed on a current collector and the thin layer of the anode active material is divided into columns by a gap formed along the thickness thereof, a compound represented by the following formula is contained in the non-aqueous electrolyte. A-N?C?O In the above formula, A represents an element or a group other than hydrogen.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to prevent deterioration and expanding of anode active material and to improve charge-discharge cycle characteristics in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising an anode of which current collector has thereon a thin layer of an anode active material containing a metal. To solve this problem, in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery wherein a thin layer of anode active material containing a metal which absorbs and discharges lithium is formed on a current collector and the thin layer of the anode active material is divided into columns by a gap formed along the thickness thereof, a compound represented by the following formula is contained in the non-aqueous electrolyte. A-N?C?O In the above formula, A represents an element or a group other than hydrogen.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material, and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing a nonaqueous solvent. The positive electrode active material contains a lithium-containing transition metal oxide represented by general formula (1), Li1+xMnyMzO2 (where x, y, and z satisfy 0<x<0.4, 0<y<1, 0<z<1, and x+y+z=1; and M represents at least one metal element and contains at least one of Ni and Co). The nonaqueous solvent contains a fluorinated cyclic carbonate having two or more fluorine atoms directly bonded to a carbonate ring.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode having a positive-electrode active material, a negative electrode having a negative-electrode active material, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution having a nonaqueous solvent dissolving a solute. The negative-electrode active material includes powdered silicon and/or a silicon alloy, the nonaqueous electrolytic solution includes additives composed of at least one fluorinated lithium phosphate selected from the group consisting of lithium monofluorophosphate, lithium difluorophosphate, and lithium trifluorophosphate and a diisocyanate compound, and the nonaqueous solvent includes a chain carbonate compound.

Abstract: Disclosed is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which has a negative electrode containing silicon as a negative active material, a positive electrode containing a positive active material, a nonaqueous electrolyte and a separator. Characteristically, an additive which retards oxidation of silicon during operation of the battery is contained either in an interior or surface portion of the positive electrode, or in an interior or surface portion of the negative electrode, or in an interior or surface portion of the separator.