Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an underlying layer made of a group-III nitride containing at least Al and formed on. a substrate, and a group of stacked semiconductor layers including a first semiconductor layer made of a group-III nitride, preferably GaN, a second semiconductor layer made of AlN and a third semiconductor layer made of a group-III nitride containing at least Al, preferably AlxGa1-xN where x?0.2. The semiconductor device suppresses the reduction in electron mobility resulting from lattice defects and crystal lattice randomness. This achieves a HEMT device having a sheet carrier density of not less than 1×1013/cm2 and an electron mobility of not less than 20000 cm2/V·s at a temperature of 15 K.

Abstract: A case containing an optical interface section including a connector-fitting unit in its front portion, a printed board in its central portion, and an electrical interface section in its rear portion is accommodated in a housing. When a data link module is inserted in a cage, a housing tongue and a through hole both formed in a bottom plate of the housing are overlapped with a cage tongue and a lock pin both provided in and on a bottom plate of the cage, into and from which the data link module is inserted and removed, such that the lock pin is engaged in and locked by the lock hole. When removing the data link module from the cage, by angularly turning a bail pivotally supported by the connector-fitting unit, the cage tongue is pushed down following to the housing tongue with the camming operation of a plate cam, thus causing the lock hole to be disengaged from the lock pin.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a nitride film including a high-resistivity GaN layer includes a step of allowing a Group-III source gas containing an organic metal compound, a Group-V source gas containing ammonia, a carrier gas for the Group-III source gas, and a carrier gas for the Group-V source gas to flow over a predetermined monocrystalline wafer maintained at 1,000° C. or more and also includes a step of epitaxially growing a nitride film, including a GaN layer, on the monocrystalline wafer by a vapor phase reaction of the source gases. At least one of the carrier gases contains nitrogen while the wafer temperature is being increased before the reaction is carried out. At least one of the carrier gases contains hydrogen and nitrogen and has a total hydrogen and nitrogen content of 90 percent by volume or more in at least one part of the epitaxially growing step.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module having a large capacity and a curved surface which can be secured to a corresponding curved surface of a base member is manufactured by inserting N type and P type semiconductor strips into through holes formed in a honeycomb structural body, filling spaces between walls defining the through holes and the semiconductor strips with an electrically insulating filler members made of an easily deformable material such as polyimide resin and silicone resin, cutting the honeycomb structural body into a plurality of thermoelectric conversion module main bodies each having a desired surface configuration, and providing metal electrodes on both surfaces of a thermoelectric conversion module main body such that alternate N type and P type semiconductor elements are connected in cascade.

Abstract: A host apparatus of a financial auction system is disposed in a site that is accessible from user terminal apparatuses through the transmission line of a network. The host apparatus has a borrowing agent serving as the window for a potential borrower, a lending agent serving as the window for a potential lender, a screening section for extracting a potential lending offer matching a predetermined condition, a matchmaking section for selecting a successful bid from potential lending offers, and an information collection section for collecting background information of a potential borrowing request. A database is attached to the host apparatus, where a borrowing request file, lending offer file, and background information file are formed.

Abstract: A p-type thermoelectric converting substance used as a p-type semiconductor in a thermoelectric converting module consisting essentially of a substance expressed by a chemical formula CoSbxSny or CoSbxGey (2.7<x<3.4, 0<y<0.4, x+y>3), and containing a small amount of oxygen z defined by 2(x+y−3)≧z. The amount of oxygen z is preferably limited such that it is not higher than 0.1 molecules per 1 molecule of Co. An alloy ingot consisting essentially of CoSbxSny or CoSbxGey (2.7<x<3.4, 0<y<0.4, x+y>3) is ground to obtain a raw material powder. Then, the powder is cast into a mold, and the mold is sintered under a non-oxidizing or reducing atmosphere. The thus obtained substance reveals p-conductivity in a stable manner over a wide temperature range, and has excellent thermoelectric converting properties.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module including a honeycomb structural body 3 made of an electrically insulating material, N type and P type semiconductor elements 1 and 2 inserted into through holes formed in the honeycomb structural body 3, electrically insulating filler members 4 filled in spaces between the semiconductor elements and inner walls of the through holes such that the semiconductor elements are fixed in position within respective through holes, and electrodes 7 connecting end surfaces of the semiconductor elements on polished end surfaces of the honeycomb structural body such that N type and P type semiconductor elements are alternately connected in series. According to the invention, the electrically insulating filler members are made of an inorganic adhesive of alkali metal silicate or sol-gel glass.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module having a large capacity and a curved surface is manufactured by immersing a honeycomb structural body having a number of through holes, openings of every other through holes being closed by clogging members, into a semiconductor material melt of one conductivity type to suck the semiconductor material melt into through holes whose openings are not closed, cooling the thus sucked semiconductor material melt to form semiconductor elements of one conductivity type, immersing again the honeycomb structural body after removing said clogging members into a semiconductor material melt of the other conductivity type to suck the semiconductor material melt into the through holes, cooling the thus sucked semiconductor material melt to form semiconductor elements of the other conductivity type, cutting the honeycomb structural body into a plurality of thermoelectric conversion module main bodies, and providing metal electrodes of both surfaces of a thermoelectric conversion module main

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material includes a sintered body composed mainly of cobalt and antimony, wherein cobalt and antimony as main components form a compound of cubic CoSb.sub.3, a phase composed mainly of an Sb phase is contained as a secondary phase, and a volumetric rate of the phase closed mainly of the Sb phase is less than 10 vol % with respect to 100 vol % of the thermoelectric conversion material.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module having a large capacity and a curved surface which can be secured to a corresponding curved surface of a base member is manufactured by inserting N type and P type semiconductor strips into through holes formed in a honeycomb structural body, filling spaces between walls defining the through holes and the semiconductor strips with an electrically insulating filler members made of an easily deformable material such as polyimide resin and silicone resin, cutting the honeycomb structural body into a plurality of thermoelectric conversion module main bodies each having a desired surface configuration, and providing metal electrodes on both surfaces of a thermoelectric conversion module main body such that alternate N type and P type semiconductor elements are connected in cascade.

Abstract: Thermoelectric material for high temperature use made of a sintered body of a relative density of at least 75% consisting mainly of cobalt antimony compounds having an elemental ratio Sb/(Co+additives)=x of 2.7<x<3 is produced by a method of firing a shaped body of powders consisting mainly of cobalt and antimony in a non-oxidizing atmosphere under an environmental pressure, wherein the shaped body before the firing is constituted from crystal phases composed of a cubic crystal system compound CoSb.sub.3 (A phase), a monoclinic crystal system compound CoSb.sub.2 (B phase) and a hexagonal crystal system compound CoSb (C phase), and constitutional ratio of these crystal phases is (I.sub.B +I.sub.C)/(I.sub.A +I.sub.B +I.sub.C)<0.15 (wherein, I.sub.X (X is A, B or C) is a relative intensity by X-ray diffraction).

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module having a large capacity and a curved surface is manufactured by immersing a honeycomb structural body having a number of through holes, openings of every other through holes being closed by clogging members, into a semiconductor material melt of one conductivity type to suck the semiconductor material melt into through holes whose openings are not closed, cooling the thus sucked semiconductor material melt to form semiconductor elements of one conductivity type, immersing again the honeycomb structural body after removing the clogging members into a semiconductor material melt of the other conductivity type to suck the semiconductor material melt into the through holes, cooling the thus sucked semiconductor material melt to form semiconductor elements of the other conductivity type, cutting the honeycomb structural body into a plurality of thermoelectric conversion module main bodies, and providing metal electrodes of both surfaces of a thermoelectric conversion module main

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion module having a large capacity and a curved surface which can be secured to a corresponding curved surface of a base member is manufactured by inserting N type and P type semiconductor strips into through holes formed in a honeycomb structural body, filling spaces between walls defining the through holes and the semiconductor strips with filler members, cutting the honeycomb structural body into a plurality of thermoelectric conversion module main bodies each having a desired surface configuration, providing metal electrodes on both surfaces of a thermoelectric conversion module main body such that alternate N type and P type semiconductor elements are connected in cascade, and removing the filler members or the honeycomb structural body and filler members.

Abstract: In an equalizing amplifier that equalizes an electric signal obtained from a light signal received via an optical transmission path, an AGC circuit generates first and second signals from the electric signal by referring to a threshold voltage. The first and second signals are complementary signals. An offset compensation circuit generates a first difference signal based on a difference between the first and second signals, compares the first difference signal with a first reference signal, and outputs, as the threshold voltage, a resultant error signal to the AGC circuit. The threshold voltage is varied so that it is located in the center of an amplitude of the electric signal whereby an offset of the AGC circuit can be compensated for.

Abstract: A variable assist power steering system comprises a control valve including valve elements relatively displaceable in response to a steering torque to define therebetween two parallel fluid flow paths connected between the fluid source (10) and the fluid reservoir to produce pressure difference in the power cylinder in response to the steering torque. The control valve includes a plurality of bypass paths, each arranged in parallel to one of plurality of serially arranged variable flow orifices forming the two flow paths and each provided with an externally controlled variable flow orifice valve which is operable responsive to a vehicle speed.

Abstract: A variable assist power steering system employing a fluid distributor circuit of the open center type is disclosed. The fluid distributor circuit includes two parallel fluid flow paths connected to both chambers of a power cylinder respectively to produce a pressure differential between the both cylinder chambers in response to steering torque. For modulating the valve characteristics, two additional variable flow restrictors are arranged in series with two main variable flow restrictors and two bypass paths are arranged to bypass the main variable flow restrictors, respectively. The bypass paths are provided with variable flow orifice valves, respectively, which valves are controlled in response to a turning direction of a steering wheel and also to some external signal, such as vehicle speed.

Abstract: A control valve includes valve elements relatively displaceable in response to a steering torque to define therebetween two parallel fluid flow paths connected between a fluid source and a fluid reservoir to produce pressure difference in a power cylinder. The control valve comprises a bypass path including a first externally controlled variable flow orifice and a variable flow orifice variable with steering torque and a first externally controlled variable flow orifice valve which are connected in series, a second externally controlled variable flow orifice valve, and a second variable flow orifice variable with steering torque. The bypass path is arranged in parallel with a portion of the two parallel fluid paths, the second externally controlled variable flow orifice valve is arranged in parallel with another portion of the parallel fluid paths, and the second variable flow orifice is arranged in series in the remaining portion of the parallel fluid paths.

Abstract: A control valve includes valve elements relatively displaceable in response to a predetermined variable (e.g., a steering torque) to define therebetween two parallel fluid flow paths connected between a fluid source and a fluid reservoir to produce pressure different in a power cylinder. The control valve a variable flow orifice that is arranged in series with regard to one of variable flow orifices of the parallel fluid flow paths, and a bypass path including has an externally controlled variable flow orifice valve that has an orifice area variable in response to a second predetermined variable which is different from the first predetermined variable.

Abstract: A power assist steering system comprises a control valve which defines a fluid flow distributor circuit which includes two parallel first and second fluid flow paths connected between the hydraulic fluid source and the fluid reservoir. Inflow control variable flow orifices are arranged in series with two auxiliary variable flow orifices, respectively, which are disposed downstream with regard to the power cylinder, and the outflow control variable flow orifices are arranged in series with another two auxiliary variable flow orifices which are disposed downstream with regard to the power cylinder.

Abstract: A power steering control valve can activate not only a power assist steering system but also a rear wheel steering system. The control valve includes valve elements relatively displaceable in response to a steering input torque to define therebetween parallel first and second fluid flow paths between an oil pump and a fluid reservoir to produce a first pressure difference in a front power cylinder in response to the steering torque. The valve elements define therebetween variable flow orifice means for producing a second pressure difference in a rear wheel power cylinder in response to the steering torque. The control valve also includes an externally controlled variable flow orifice valve. This orifice valve is arranged with respect to the variable flow orifice means such that it increases fluid flow passing therethrough in response to a second predetermined variable, such as a vehicle speed, to decrease the second pressure difference in the rear wheel power cylinder.