Abstract: A color image sensor has a white fluorescent tube as a light source, a microlens array with three rows of microlenses arranged vertically, a three-layer optical waveguide array and a three-line color CCD with color filters. The waveguides in each waveguide array layer are bent so that the interval between successive waveguides becomes narrower from the input end toward the output end. The three-line color CCD has three lines of light-receiving elements (photodiodes) as the light sensing portion. These lines in the light-receiving element array are arranged vertically at the same intervals as the waveguide layers are arranged. Further, a cylindrical lens is attached to cover the microlens array. Because of the presence of this cylindrical lens, the images of light beams incident on different microlenses of the microlens array corresponding to different waveguide layers are the same image from an identical area on the original.

Abstract: In an optical waveguide reduction optical image sensor constituted by a polymeric optical waveguide array having a plurality of cores arranged into a one-dimensional array in a cladding substrate, and a photoelectric conversion element array for detecting light propagating through the polymeric optical waveguide array and converting the detected light into an electrical signal, a hollow thermal expansion suppressing member (jig) is mounted on the joint portion between the polymeric optical waveguide array and the photoelectric conversion element array, and the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of the thermal expansion suppressing member in the core array direction of the polymeric optical waveguide array is smaller than that of the polymeric optical waveguide array in the same direction.

Abstract: A method for preparing an oxide dielectric thin film, for use in a dielectric thin film device, is described. Briefly, a film forming chamber is heated, and a thin film of dielectric, about 200 nm thick, is formed by sputtering or another deposition method. After the film is formed, evacuation of the film forming chamber is suspended, and oxygen gas is introduced into the chamber. The film is oxidized after its formation by maintaining the film in the oxygen atmosphere for a period of time, which can include cooling steps. The resulting dielectric thin film has excellent dielectric properties, such as a high dielectric constant and great dielectric strength.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a thin film of metal-oxide dielectric, a precursor solution in a sol state is synthesized in a first step. This precursor solution is composed of component elements of materials of the composite metal-oxide dielectric to be manufactured. In a second step, this precursor solution is made a thin film by spin coating. In a third step, this thin film in the sol state is dried to convert it into a thin film of dry gel. Thereafter, in a fourth step, the thin film of dry gel is subjected to a heat treatment for thermally decomposing and removing organic substances in the dry gel thin film and simultaneously crystallizing this gel state thin film.