Abstract: A serial communication device bridging between a parallel bus and a serial bus, includes (a) a check bit producer which applies an error correcting code to parallel data transmitted through the parallel bus, (b) a parallel-serial converter which converts the parallel data output from the check bit producer, into serial data, (c) a serial-parallel converter which converts serial data transmitted through the serial bus, into parallel data, and (d) an error detector which checks an error correcting code applied to the serial data, and detects an error in the error correcting code.

Abstract: There is disclosed an article positioning apparatus for positioning an article composed of an electric conductive material over a predetermined base, the apparatus comprising: levitating means for levitating the article over the base; driving force generating means including current generating means for inducing a current in the article and magnetic field generating means for generating a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the current induced by the current generating means, and the driving force generating means being for generating a driving force composed of Lorentz force to the article in the direction perpendicular to the current and the magnetic field; and displacement detecting means for detecting a displacement of the article, wherein the article is positioned through the driving force generating means in accordance with a result detected by the displacement detecting means.

Abstract: A circulating system (10) for cooling a shaft-type linear motor (12) is provided herein. The motor (12) includes a magnet array (22) and a coil assembly (16). The circulating system (10) includes coil housing (36) that encircles the coil assembly (16) and defines a fluid passageway (46) between the coil housing (36) and the coil assembly (16). Fluid (44) from a fluid source (42) is forced through an inlet (38) into the fluid passageway (46). The flow rate of the fluid (44) is controlled to maintain an outer surface (111) of the coil housing (36) at a set temperature to control the effect of the motor (12) on the surrounding environment and the surrounding components.

Abstract: On a sample stand having a chip levelling mechanism for amending the exposure plane of a wafer in relation to the image plane of a projection lens, a dynamic damper is provided for assigning to a holder table the appropriate rigidity in the moving direction of the holder table.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus positions a movable body 6 on which a wafer W (object to be positioned) is mounted, and includes; a magnetism generation body 8 incorporated in the movable body 6, a magnetic member 10, 15A, 15B, 16 formed so as to have the magnetism generation body 8 therebetween, and a drive unit 11 disposed between the magnetism generation body 8 and the magnetic member 10, for driving the magnetism generation body 8, and the movable body 6 is positioned by means of the magnetic member 10 etc. and the drive unit 11. The positioning apparatus can position a movable body (object to be positioned) at a high speed and with high precision, and is suitable for use for example with an exposure apparatus or the like for positioning a wafer at high precision.

Abstract: A transport apparatus for holding and transporting a conductive, planar object without contact is provided. The transport apparatus includes pairs of floating-use electrodes to which a certain potential difference is applied to produce electrostatic attraction force for attracting and floating the object in a non-contact state, pairs of driving-use electrodes to which suitable potential differences are applied to cause currents to flow in portions of the object that face these electrodes, and magnetic devices for generating magnetic fields that interact with the currents to produce drive forces or Lorentz forces acting on the object.

Abstract: A supporting apparatus for supporting a table having N degrees of freedom, where N is an integer greater than one. The apparatus includes a stage and a leaf spring mounted on the stage. The spring initially contacts the table at a contact point and has a coefficient of elasticity greater in the horizontal direction and smaller in the vertical direction. The spring also has a characteristic of positive rigidity. A pair of permanent magnets are mounted in an area between the stage and table in a vertical direction for counterbalancing the characteristic of positive rigidity of the leaf spring.

Abstract: A stage apparatus has a pair of permanent-magnets fixed to a magnet holder and a coil fixed to a coil holder and positioned between the permanent-magnets. When electric current is supplied to the coil, an attractive force is generated between the coil and the upper permanent-magnet, while a repulsive force is generated between the coil and the lower permanent-magnet, thereby moving the coil holder in the vertical direction relative to the magnet holder. When the attractive force and repulsive force act on the coil simultaneously, the resultant force has high linearity with respect to the electric current because the attractive force and the repulsive force cancel the nonlinear characteristics of each other.

Abstract: A powder coating composition is disclosed which includes (a) 100 parts by weight of a mixed epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent of 800-2000 and containing (a-1) a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having an epoxy equivalent of 180-2500 and (a-2) a rubber-modified epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent of 180-2500 and obtained by reaction of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with a carboxyl terminated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer; (b) a mixed curing agent consisting of (b-1) 0.05-5 parts by weight of an imidazole compound, (b-2) 0.5-10 parts by weight of dicyanodiamide and (b-3) 1-10 parts by weight of a dihydrazide of a dibasic carboxylic acid; and (c) 50-100 parts by weight of silica.

Abstract: A packaging container having an enhanced sealing performance includes a packaging material, an outside strip and a strip tape. The opposite side edges of the packaging material are overlapped with each other so that the outermost layer and the innermost layer of the packaging material face each other. The outside strip is interposed between the outermost layer and the innermost layer and is fused and joined with these layers so that a longitudinal sealing portion is formed. The outside strip has an outside layer and an inside layer. The strip tape is placed on the inner surface of the packaging container along the sealing portion, and is joined thereto by heat fusion. The innermost layer of the packaging material and the outside layer of the outside strip are made of a non-olefin flavor-retaining resin, and the outermost layer of the packaging material and the inside layer of the outside strip are made of a polyolefin resin.

Abstract: A packaging container having an enhanced sealing performance includes a packaging material, an outside strip and a strip tape. The opposite side edges of the packaging material are overlapped with each other so that the outermost layer and the innermost layer of the packaging material face each other. The outside strip is interposed between the outermost layer and the innermost layer and is fused and joined with these layers so that a longitudinal sealing portion is formed. The outside strip has an outside layer and an inside layer. The strip tape is placed on the inner surface of the packaging container along the sealing portion, and is joined thereto by heat fusion. The innermost layer of the packaging material and the outside layer of the outside strip are made of a non-olefin flavor-retaining resin, and the outermost layer of the packaging material and the inside layer of the outside strip are made of a polyolefin resin.

Abstract: A packaging container having an enhanced sealing performance includes a packaging material, an outside strip and a strip tape. The opposite side edges of the packaging material are overlapped with each other so that the outermost layer and the innermost layer of the packaging material face each other. The outside strip is interposed between the outermost layer and the innermost layer and is fused and joined with these layers so that a longitudinal sealing portion is formed. The outside strip has an outside layer and an inside layer. The strip tape is placed on the inner surface of the packaging container along the sealing portion, and is joined thereto by heat fusion. The innermost layer of the packaging material and the outside layer of the outside strip are made of a non-olefin flavor-retaining resin, and the outermost layer of the packaging material and the inside layer of the outside strip are made of a polyolefin resin.

Abstract: A system for detecting yawing of an article movable in first and second orthogonal directions along a plane includes a first yawing detecting device for detecting any angular change of a first surface of the article opposed to the first yawing detecting device, during movement of the article in the first direction; and a second yawing detecting device for detecting any angular change of a second surface of the article different from the first surface and opposed to the second yawing detecting device, during movement of the article in the second direction.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and an exposure method capable of performing high-precision superposition exposure by preventing the thermal deformation of a position measurement target, for controlling positioning of a moved member, from influencing the correction of an error in the positioning of the moved member. The exposure apparatus projects an image of a pattern, formed on a mask, onto a photosensitive substrate through a projection optical system. A stage, on which the photosensitive substrate is mounted, is movable in at least X-axis and Y-axis directions in an imaging plane of the projection optical system. Position measuring devices measure the position of the stage in each of the two directions and are disposed so that the Abbe error is substantially zero with respect to the position at which the substrate is exposed to the pattern image.

Abstract: A powder coating composition useful for fixation of rotor and stator windings is disclosed, which includes100 parts by weight of an epoxy resin;5-35 parts by weight of an acid anhydride;2-30 parts by weight of a phenol resin;0.05-5 parts by weight of a curing accelerator; and130-270 parts by weight of an inorganic filler consisting of 99.7-87.0% by weight of a first filler component having an average particle size of 0.5-100 .mu.m and 0.3-13.0% by weight of a second filler component having an average particle size of 0.1 .mu.m or less.

Abstract: A powder coating composition includes one or more crystalline substances the lowest melting point of which is Mp and one or more non-crystalline substances the lowest glass transition point of which is Tg and is lower than Mp, wherein the crystalline and non-crystalline substances are selected from epoxy resins and curing agents and bonded to each other. The bonding is effected by maintaining a powdery mixture containing the crystalline and non-crystalline substances at a temperature higher than Tg but lower than Mp and the softening point of any of the the non-crystalline substances, optionally under a pressure, and cooling and pulverizing the resulting mixture.

Abstract: A powder coating composition is disclosed which includes a particulate material containing an epoxy resin and a curing agent, and fine powder of a charge controlling agent such as an acrylic resin, silica or a mixture thereof. The charge controlling agent is deposited on surfaces of the particles of the particulate material.

Abstract: A powder coating composition in which epoxy resin particles and curing agent particles are uniformly distributed is prepared by heating a specific powdery blend of (a) at least one crystalline epoxy resin, (b) at least one crystalline curing agent and (c) at least one non-crystalline epoxy resin and/or at least one non-crystalline curing agent at a specific temperature so that the crystalline particles are bonded with each other with the non-crystalline substance serving as a binder.

Abstract: A powder coating composition is disclosed which includes a particulate material containing an epoxy resin and a curing agent, and fine powder of a charge controlling agent such as an acrylic resin, silica or a mixture thereof. The charge controlling agent is deposited on surfaces of the particles of the particulate material. Additionally, a powder coating composition is disclosed in which two different charge controlling agents are used and are separately deposited on different particles of epoxy resin consisting particulate material.

Abstract: A composite material having a substrate and an expanded, cured layer of an epoxy resin composition which is provided over a surface of the substrate and in which a major portion of the cells are present in a location adjacent to the interface between the substrate and the expanded layer and substantially no cells are present on the top surface portion of the expanded layer. The epoxy resin composition includes an acid anhydride curing agent and an alkali metal carbonate blowing agent. The composition is coated over the substrate and the coating is heated to sure and expand the composition while maintaining the top surface of the coating below the expansion temperature.