Abstract: An aromatic compound represented by the general formula Ar1X is reacted with a palladium compound and a phosphine derivative, in the presence of a first basic substance, thereby producing a palladium-complex compound represented by the general formula Ar1—PdL2X. This palladium-complex compound is reacted with a benzoic acid represented by the general formula Ar2—COOH, in the presence of a second basic substance, thereby producing another palladium-complex compound represented by the following general formula. The above palladium-complex compounds are useful as catalysts and can be produced easily by the above reactions. In the above general formulas, Ar1 is an aryl group; and X is a halogen that is fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine, trifluoromethanesulfonate group, an alkylsulfonate group having a carbon atom number of 1-4, or a substituted or unsubstituted arylsulfonate group; each L is independently a phosphine ligand; and Ar2 is an aryl group.

Abstract: Provided is a process for preparing an optically active ruthenium-phosphine complex represented by the following formula (1): wherein L represents a bidentate ligand compound of a tertiary phosphine; X represents a halogen atom; and * means chiral center (L* is an optically active substance), which comprises reacting a ruthenium-phosphine complex represented by: RumXnLpAq or [RuX(D)(L)]X wherein, X and L have the same meanings as described above (L is a racemic modification); A represents triethylamine (Et3N), etc.; and m, n, p and q each stands for an integer and D represents benzene, etc. with ½ equivalent of a specific optically active chiral diamine, thereby inactivating one of the enantiomers; and then with a specific optically active diamine derivative, thereby activating the other enantiomer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a novel optically active compound represented by the general formula [IV]. This method includes the step of reacting a vinyl ether with a halogenated acetaldehyde in the presence of an optically active binaphthol-titanium complex. With this, the novel optically active compound can be produced very easily. Furthermore, the novel optically active compound can easily be oxidized to a novel optically active &agr;,&bgr;-dihydrexyketone represented by the general formula [V]. These novel optically active compounds can each be used as useful intermediates.

Abstract: Provided is a process for preparing an optically active ruthenium-phosphine complex represented by the following formula (1): 1

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing novel optically active titanium alkoxide complexes which are excellent in catalytic activity and enantio-selectivity in carbon-carbon bond forming reactions (for example, Ene reaction, hetero-Diels-Alder reaction, Aldol reaction) and have high stability. The present process comprises reacting (R),(S),(RS)-catalysts or mixtures thereof selected from among optically active or racemic titanium alkoxide complexes represented by the following general formula (1), etc.: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a methyl, lower alkoxy or trihalogeno group; R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen or halogen atom; R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and R.sup.4 represents a lower alkyl group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may form together a cyclo ring;with chiral activators [(R),(S),(RS)-diols or mixtures thereof, but excluding reactions between a racemic modification and another racemic modification] to thereby activate exclusively one of the enantiomers.

Abstract: A phase shift mask, e.g. a halftone phase shift mask, which need not to form an ultra-fine pattern and is capable of suppressing during exposure the occurrence of a sub-peak of light intensity, which has an adverse effect on the image formation, and which has a light-blocking pattern with a reduced transmittance at a region outside a device pattern area which corresponds to a region subjected to multiple exposure during transfer effected by using the mask. The halftone phase shift mask has on a transparent substrate (101) a halftone phase shift film (102) comprising a single layer or a plurality of layers. The composition of the halftone phase shift film (102) is changed in a region (107) outside a device pattern area on the transparent substrate (101) which corresponds to a multiple-exposure region by a method wherein the region (107) is irradiated with an electromagnetic wave, a particle beam, heat rays, etc.

Abstract: An apparatus for bending a workpiece comprises a stretching device for stretching the workpiece. In the process for bending the workpiece, an inclination angle made by a direction a tension force is acted to the workpiece and a direction a stretching forth is applied to the workpiece by the stretching member is detected. The tension force acted to the workpiece is controlled in such a manner that the stretching force from the stretching member is controlled in consideration of the inclination angle. Accordingly, the amount of the spring back after bending is uniform and an accuracy of the dimension of the bent workpiece is improved.

Abstract: A phase shift mask, e.g. a halftone phase shift mask, which need not to form an ultra-fine pattern and is capable of suppressing during exposure the occurrence of a sub-peak of light intensity, which has an adverse effect on the image formation, and which has a light-blocking pattern with a reduced transmittance at a region outside a device pattern area which corresponds to a region subjected to multiple exposure during transfer effected by using the mask. The halftone phase shift mask has on a transparent substrate (101) a halftone phase shift film (102) comprising a single layer or a plurality of layers. The composition of the halftone phase shift film (102) is changed in a region (107) outside a device pattern area on the transparent substrate (101) which corresponds to a multiple-exposure region by a method wherein the region (107) is irradiated with an electromagnetic wave, a particle beam, heat rays, etc.

Abstract: The invention relates to a phase shift photomask in which the peripheral region portion of a phase shift layer is removed by a relatively simple procedure and which has no or little defect and is inexpensive, a blank therefor, and a process for fabricating them. The process includes the steps of forming phase shift layer 23 all over the surface of one side of transparent substrate 21, and immersing only the peripheral region of substrate 21 in etching solution 25 to etch away the peripheral region of phase shift layer 23, whereby phase shift layer 27 is confined within an area smaller than that of substrate 21.

Abstract: The present invention relates particularly to a process for producing phase shift layer-containing photomasks, which can produce phase shift photomasks through a reduced or limited number of steps to reduce or limit the incidence of phase shifter pattern deficiencies or other defects and at lower costs as well.For instance, a photomask blank of the structure that a substrate is provided thereon with an electrically conductive layer and a light-shielding thin film in this order is used to coat a starting material for spin-on-glass uniformly on a light-shielding pattern formed thereon. A pattern is directly drawn on the coaxed-spin-on-glass layer with energy beams emanating from electron beam exposure hardware, etc., and the substrate is developed with a solvent after pattern drawing with energy beams to wash off an excessive spin-on-glass portion other than the spin-on-glass layer irradiated with the ionizing radiations. Finally, the post-development substrate is baked to form a phase shifter pattern.

Abstract: The present invention relates particularly to a process for producing phase shift layer-containing photomasks, which can produce phase shift photomasks through a reduced or limited number of steps to reduce or limit the incidence of phase shifter pattern deficiencies or other defects and at lower costs as well.For instance, a photomask blank of the structure that a substrate is provided thereon with an electrically conductive layer and a light-shielding thin film in this order is used to coat a starting material for spin-on-glass uniformly on a light-shielding pattern formed thereon. A pattern is directly drawn on the coated spin-on-glass layer with energy beams emanating from electron beam exposure hardware, etc., and the substrate is developed with a solvent after pattern drawing with energy beams to wash off an excessive spin-on-glass portion other than the spin-on-glass layer irradiated with the ionizing radiations. Finally, the post-development substrate is baked to form a phase shifter pattern.

Abstract: The invention provides a halftone phase shift photomask that is of much more simplified structure and so can be fabricated much more easily, which comprises a transparent substrate 10 and a single halftone light-blocking and phase shift layer 11 that is formed on the surface thereof according to a predetermined pattern and is made up of a material of homogeneous composition, characterized in that:said single halftone light-blocking and phase shift layer has a film thickness d that is virtually equal to a value defined byd=.lambda./{2(n-1)}where .lambda. is the wavelength at which the photomask is used, and n is the index of refraction of the single layer, or that is an odd-numbered multiple of said value, and has a transmittance lying substantially in the range of 5 to 30%. The layer 11 may be made up of any of CrO.sub.x, CrN.sub.x, CrO.sub.x N.sub.y and CrO.sub.x N.sub.y C.sub.z.

Abstract: A process for producing an optically active .beta.-hydroxyketone represented by formula (I): ##STR1## by catalytic asymmetrical aldol reaction is disclosed, comprising reacting a silyl-enol ether represented by formula (II): ##STR2## with a substituted aldehyde represented by formula (III):R.sup.5 CHO (III)in the presence of a binaphthol-titanium complex represented by formula (IV): ##STR3## An optically active .beta.-hydroxyketone is efficiently produced with diastereo-specificity and enantio-specificity.

Abstract: A process for producing an optically active dihydropyran derivative represented by formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 each represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a tri-lower alkylsilylmethyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonylamino group, or an --OR.sup.5 group, wherein R.sup.5 represents a lower alkyl group, a lower acyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, a di-lower alkylcarbamoyl group, or a tri-lower alkylsilyl group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are taken together to form a 5- to 7-membered cyclic hydrocarbon group or to form a condensed heterocyclic group with an oxygen atom, or R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are taken together to form a 5- to 7-membered cyclic hydrocarbon group or to form a condensed heterocyclic group with an oxygen atom, provided that all of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, and R.sup.4 do not represent hydrogen atoms at the same time; and R.sup.6 represents a lower alkyl group, which comprises reacting a diene compound represented by formula (2): ##STR2## wherein R.

Abstract: A process for preparing an .alpha.-hydroxycarboxylate represented by formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; R.sup.2 represents a lower alkyl group, a phenyl group or a cycloalkyl group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are bonded to each other to form a five- to seven-membered cycloalkenyl or bicycloalkenyl ring which may be substituted with a lower alkyl group; and R.sup.3 represents a lower alkyl group,which comprises reacting an olefin compound represented by formula (II): ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1 ' represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; and R.sup.2 ' represents a lower alkyl group, a phenyl group or a cycloalkyl group, or R.sup.1 ' and R.sup.2 ' are bonded to each other to form a five- to seven-membered cycloalkyl or bicycloalkyl ring which may be substituted with a lower alkyl group,with a glyoxylate represented by formula (III): ##STR3## wherein R.sup.