Abstract: An object is to reduce the effect of a film thickness variation on the substrate surface of a thin film and improve the measuring accuracy. Provided are a light source that radiates single-wavelength light to an inspection-target substrate (W), which is formed by forming a thin film on a glass substrate from the glass substrate side; a light receiving element that is disposed such that the light receiving axis intersects with the optical axis of illumination light emitted from the light source at a predetermined inclination angle and that receives diffused transmitted light that has been transmitted through the inspection-target substrate W; and a computer (7) that obtains a haze ratio of the thin film on the basis of the intensity of the light received by the light receiving element.

Abstract: A thin-film inspection apparatus calculates a film thickness of a first transparent thin film and a second transparent thin film of an inspection-target substrate including the first and second transparent thin films and a transparent conductive film on a transparent glass substrate.

Abstract: A large surface area photovoltaic device having high conversion efficiency and excellent mass productivity is provided. A photovoltaic device 100 having a photovoltaic layer 3 comprising a crystalline silicon layer formed on a substrate 1, wherein the crystalline silicon layer has a crystalline silicon i-layer 42, and the crystalline silicon i-layer 42 has a substrate in-plane distribution represented by an average value for the Raman peak ratio, which represents the ratio of the Raman peak intensity for the crystalline silicon phase relative to the Raman peak intensity for the amorphous silicon phase, that is not less than 4 and not more than 8, a standard deviation for the Raman peak ratio that is not less than 1 and not more than 3, and a proportion of regions in which the Raman peak ratio is not more than 4 of not less than 0% and not more than 15%.

Abstract: The invention provides a crystalline polyamide-type resin composition comprises (a) a crystalline polyamide resin composition comprising (i) 50 to 90% by weight of crystalline polyamide resin (A) having a relative viscosity in 96% sulfuric acid of not less than 3.5 and (ii) 50 to 10% by weight of a crystalline polyamide resin (B) having a melting point lower than the melting point of polyamide resin (A) by 20° C. or more and a relative viscosity dissolved in 96% sulfuric acid of not more than 3.6, and (b) 1 to 10 part(s) by weight of a modified polyolefin resin (C) having a reactive functional group being able to react with the terminal group and/or main-chain amide group of the polyamide resin. The invention also provides a door checker for automobiles prepared from the crystalline polyamide-type resin composition.

Abstract: Provided is a heat treatment apparatus that is high in thermal efficiency and can reduce surface roughness of a substrate to be treated even when a specimen is heated at 1200° C. or higher. The heat treatment apparatus heating the specimen includes a heating plate heated by plasma formed in an area of a gap to heat the specimen.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat treatment apparatus which can reduce a surface roughing of a processed substrate while keeping a heat efficiency high, even in the case of heating a sample to be heated to 1200° C. or higher. The present invention is a heat treatment apparatus carrying out a heat treatment of a sample to be heated, wherein a plasma generated by a glow electric discharge is used as a heating source, and the sample to be heated is indirectly heated.

Abstract: In a solid-state image sensor device, the efficiency of light collection to a light-receiving region of a photodiode PD through a microlens is enhanced by arranging a wiring line configuration. Each of the first metal layer and the second metal layer is arranged to have a ring-like portion formed along a profile of the light-receiving region of the photodiode PD in a fashion that an upper position over the photodiode PD is surrounded by the first and second metal layers and a third metal layer.

Abstract: An image processor comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit includes an obtaining unit that obtains image data generated as a result of reading a document by a reader in which a predetermined document reading condition is set; a selecting unit that allows a user to select an use of the image data obtained by the obtaining unit out of a plurality of the uses set in advance; a processing unit that processes the image data obtained by the obtaining unit according to an image processing condition suitable for the use selected by the selecting unit; and a transferring unit that transfers the image data after being processed by the processing unit to an application suitable for the use selected by the selecting unit.

Abstract: A vehicle light can include an optical system for controlling a light distribution pattern, and the optical system is a light guide (being a lens body having an inner reflecting surface). The vehicle light can project illumination light with a low bean light distribution pattern. The vehicle light can include an LED light source and a lens body serving as a light guide. The lens body can include a light incident surface, a reflecting surface, and a light exiting surface. The LED light source can have a rearmost end light emitting point from which light beams are emitted to form a bright-dark boundary line.

Abstract: In a region of a weak internal electric field, photocharges generated in a region deeper than the photodiode are diffused laterally to lower the sensitivity by photoelectrons flowing into adjacent pixels, etc (crosstalk). An anti-crosstalk layer is disposed in the photodiode forming portion, and between a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region. Crosstalk between a pixel and a pixel or between a pixel region and a peripheral circuit region is decreased to improve the photosensitivity.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes a first frequency division portion that frequency-divides a clock signal by a first frequency division ratio, a second frequency division portion that frequency-divides the first clock signal which has been frequency-divided by the first frequency division portion by a second frequency division ratio, and a regulation frequency division portion that performs logical regulation of the clock signal using a second clock signal which has been frequency-divided by the second frequency division portion.

Abstract: A high-efficiency triple-junction thin-film photovoltaic device in which the haze ratio is high and the short-circuit current values obtained from each of the photovoltaic layers are equalized. A thin-film photovoltaic device comprises a transparent electrode layer and three silicon-based photovoltaic layers stacked in sequence on a substrate. The transparent electrode layer has at least one opening formed by an etching treatment that exposes the surface of the substrate, and the haze ratio of the transparent electrode layer relative to light of a broad wavelength region is at least 60%.

Abstract: Provided is a photoelectric conversion device fabrication method that realizes both high productivity and high conversion efficiency by rapidly forming an n-layer having good coverage. The fabrication method for a photoelectric conversion device includes a step of forming a silicon photoelectric conversion layer on a substrate by a plasma CVD method. In the fabrication method for the photoelectric conversion device, the step of forming the photoelectric conversion layer includes a step of forming an i-layer formed of crystalline silicon and a step of forming, on the i-layer, an n-layer under a condition with a hydrogen dilution ratio of 0 to 10, inclusive.

Abstract: A method of bending sheet metal uses a test work piece of the same thickness and material as a finished piece. The test piece is bent into an angled form having an interior angle of any size. The interior angle is measured as are the height of each exterior edge above its opposite leg and the height of the apex of the angled form. Using these measurements, the interior radius of the angled form can be calculated as can the inner and outer lengths of the legs. Using these values the depth of a neutral line, which will have the same length in a work piece whether bent or not, can be determined. Once the depth of the neutral line has been calculated, a bend deduction for the final work piece may be determined and thus the required starting length is determined for any desired interior angle or leg lengths.

Abstract: An acceleration detecting device operable in a power-saving mode, including an acceleration detecting section for detecting acceleration in a first direction and a second direction independent from the first direction. The device includes a sampling period reducing section for reducing a sampling period used for detecting the acceleration in the first direction when the magnitude of the acceleration in the first direction exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: A multi junction photovoltaic device and an integrated multi junction photovoltaic device, having a two-terminal structure, in which subsequent layers can be stacked under conditions with minimal restrictions imposed by previously stacked layers. Also, processes for producing these photovoltaic devices. A plurality of photovoltaic cells having different spectral sensitivity levels are stacked such that at least the photovoltaic cells (2, 4) at the light-incident end and the opposite end have a conductive thin-film layer (5a, 5d) as the outermost layer that undergoes connection, the remaining photovoltaic cell (3) has conductive thin-film layers (5b, 5c) as the outermost layers that undergo connection, and the outermost layers are bonded via anisotropic conductive adhesive layers (6a, 6b) containing conductive microparticles within a transparent insulating material.

Abstract: An object is to obtain a high-efficiency photoelectric conversion device having a crystalline silicon i-layer in a photoelectric conversion layer. Disclosed is a fabrication method for a photoelectric conversion device that includes a step of forming, on a substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer having an i-layer formed mainly of crystalline silicon. The method includes the steps of determining an upper limit of an impurity concentration in the i-layer according to the Raman ratio of the i-layer; and forming the i-layer so as to have a value equal to or less than the determined upper limit of the impurity concentration. Alternatively, an upper limit of impurity-gas concentration in a film-formation atmosphere is determined according to the Raman ratio of the i-layer, and the i-layer is formed while controlling the impurity-gas concentration so as to have a value equal to or less than the determined upper limit.

Abstract: Objects are to reduce the burden on an operator and to improve fabrication efficiency. A transparent conductive film or a transparent optical film formed on a substrate W is irradiated with line illumination light by means of a line illumination device 3, line reflected light reflected at the transparent conductive film or the transparent optical film is detected with a camera, a color evaluation value of the detected reflected light is measured, and a film thickness corresponding to the measured color evaluation value is obtained using a film-thickness characteristic in which the color evaluation value is associated with the film thickness.

Abstract: The invention is intended to prevent sunburn of a user. A CPU prompts the user to perform sunburn preventing treatment after an elapse of a first period, and notifies the elapse of a second period after the elapse of the second period from the prompt.

Abstract: A power supply unit includes: a first power supply circuit that supplies a voltage to a load driving unit that drives a load unit; a second power supply circuit that supplies a voltage to circuits other than the load driving unit; and a control unit that switches the voltage supplied to the first power supply circuit and the voltage supplied to the second power supply circuit in accordance with properties of the load driving unit.