Abstract: A thermal printing head in accordance with the present invention has a substrate formed of an electrical insulator, heating elements formed on the substrate, and conductive layers formed on the part of the heating elements that is adjacent to and on either side of heat generating portions of the heating elements. The resistivity of heating elements is set at a value of not less than 1000 .mu..OMEGA..cm and, simultaneously, the thickness of conductive layers is set at a value of not more than 300 nm. By virtue of this arrangement, it is possible to reduce the distance between the heat generating portions of the head and the printing paper or ink sheet, and the thin conductive layers contribute to minimizing diffusion of the heat. The thermal printing head is therefore capable of efficiently and accurately transferring heat generated by the heat generating portions to the printing paper or ink sheet.

Abstract: In an information recording medium having a recording layer for recording information by heating through incoming energy, at least one of an interference layer and an absorption layer for the incoming energy is provided on the energy-incoming side of the recording layer to reduce the reflected energy from the information recording medium and increase the quantity of heat input into the recording layer. The temperature of the recording layer is rapidly enhanced, and rapid writing is made possible thereby. Writing or erasing can be made with less incoming energy, and thus the writing sensitivity or erasing sensitivity of the information recording medium can be increased.

Abstract: A fuel cell electrode having a structure wherein at least one catalytic active component selected from noble metals belonging to the groups I and VIII in the periodic table is carried on surfaces and among lamellar crystalline layers of a donor-type graphite intercalation compound, is effective for improving cell performance when used in a fuel cell.