Abstract: An encoder according to the present invention is an encoder for encoding an optical wavelength-multiplexed signal compliant with optical CDMA into a code having a code pattern, including: L optical fibers 36 and 42 (where L is an integer equal to or greater than two) each having a plurality of gratings 37 to 47; and a circulator 52 for coupling the plurality of optical fibers 36 and 42. The code pattern contains time bins t1 to t3. A plurality of wavelengths ?1, ?4 and ?5 are assigned to the time bin t1. If a sum of an optical path difference in each optical fiber from the grating which reflects the optical signal of the wavelength ?1 to the grating which reflects the optical signal of the wavelength ?4 is calculated for all of the optical fibers 36 and 42, the sum equals zero.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer provided with columnar electrodes which have plated nickel, palladium, and gold films successively formed at the top thereof, or have a plated solder film at their top. The semiconductor wafer can be preferably used for producing a chip-sized semiconductor device provided with columnar electrodes to which an external connection terminal, such as a solder ball, is to be bonded. Methods of producing the semiconductor wafer and device by use of plating are also disclosed.

Abstract: An interposer to be interposed between a semiconductor chip to be mounted thereon and a packaging board has an interposer portion made of a semiconductor and an interposer portion provided around the foregoing interposer portion integrally therewith. On both surfaces of the interposer portions, wiring patterns are formed via insulating layers. The wiring patterns are electrically connected via through holes formed at required positions in the interposer portions. The outer interposer portion is made of an insulator or a metal body. Further, external connection terminals are bonded to one surface of the interposer.

Abstract: An encoder according to the present invention is an encoder for encoding an optical wavelength-multiplexed signal compliant with optical CDMA into a code having a code pattern, including: L optical fibers 36 and 42 (where L is an integer equal to or greater than two) each having a plurality of gratings 37 to 47; and a circulator 52 for coupling the plurality of optical fibers 36 and 42. The code pattern contains time bins t1 to t3. A plurality of wavelengths ?1, ?4 and ?5 are assigned to the time bin t1. If a sum of an optical path difference in each optical fiber from the grating which reflects the optical signal of the wavelength ?1 to the grating which reflects the optical signal of the wavelength ?4 is calculated for all of the optical fibers 36 and 42, the sum equals zero.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for performing, by optical code division multiplex access, at least one of encoding and decoding of wavelength-division-multiplexed light. The apparatus includes: an optical input/output section 203 for handling input/output of the wavelength-division-multiplexed light; and N fiber gratings (where N is an integer equal to or greater than two) 101 to 103, which are in a series connection to the optical input/output section 203. Each of the N fiber gratings has a sampled grating structure having an alternating array of first regions (11 to 14; 21 to 24; and 31 to 34) which provide a refractive index modulation with a relatively large amplitude and second regions (201) which provide a refractive index modulation with a relatively small amplitude, the first and second regions being disposed with a constant period P.

Abstract: A silver electroplating solution containing a cyanide as a silver source, said silver electroplating solution characterized by containing at least one type of compound of As, Tl, Se, and Te as a brightener and a brightness adjuster having a benzothiazole skeleton or benzoxazole skeleton. This plating solution utilizes the high speed property of gloss agents to the maximum, does not have an effect on the current density, gives stable non- or semi-gloss plating appearance, and facilitates control.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for performing, by optical code division multiplex access, at least one of encoding and decoding of wavelength-division-multiplexed light. The apparatus includes: an optical input/output section 203 for handling input/output of the wavelength-division-multiplexed light; and N fiber gratings (where N is an integer equal to or greater than two) 101 to 103, which are in a series connection to the optical input/output section 203. Each of the N fiber gratings has a sampled grating structure having an alternating array of first regions (11 to 14; 21 to 24; and 31 to 34) which provide a refractive index modulation with a relatively large amplitude and second regions (201) which provide a refractive index modulation with a relatively small amplitude, the first and second regions being disposed with a constant period P.

Abstract: An interposer to be interposed between a semiconductor chip to be mounted thereon and a packaging board has an interposer portion made of a semiconductor and an interposer portion provided around the foregoing interposer portion integrally therewith. On both surfaces of the interposer portions, wiring patterns are formed via insulating layers. The wiring patterns are electrically connected via through holes formed at required positions in the interposer portions. The outer interposer portion is made of an insulator or a metal body. Further, external connection terminals are bonded to one surface of the interposer.

Abstract: An optical delay line of a configuration in which a number of components such as a circulator and an optical coupler is reduced is to be provided. To this end, the optical delay line has a configuration in which, after an optical fiber diffraction grating having a core subjected to refractive index modulation and a cladding partly cleared of its outer circumference and an optical fiber having a cladding partly cleared of its outer circumference are brought close to each other so that the cores have mutually parallel directions of an optical axis to fabricate a directional coupler, both ends of the optical fiber are connected into an optical fiber loop. In this way, an optical delay line to generate a specific time delay for controlling optical signals can be provided in small dimensions and with a small number of components.

Abstract: An interconnection substrate comprises an uppermost interconnection layer having a plurality of terminal pads located at positions corresponding to a plurality of solder bumps (external connection terminals) provided on a semiconductor element which is to be mounted on the interconnection substrate. The interconnection substrate also has a metal column formed on each of the terminal pads and has a resin film covering a side surface of the metal column. The interconnection substrate further has an insulating layer formed on the uppermost interconnection layer so that a gap is formed between the insulating layer and an outer peripheral surface of the resin film.

Abstract: An optical wavelength filter having one or more bands of transmission wavelengths of light, within a reflection spectrum of the filter, is formed using a section of an optical fiber as an optical fiber grating. The optical fiber core is configured with a periodically varying diffraction coefficient structure formed such that the grating pitch continuously varies in a fixed direction, with that structure containing one or more regions of interruption of the continuous variation of pitch, whereby the bands of transmission wavelengths are respectively defined by these interruption regions.

Abstract: An apparatus 1 for fabricating a component-embedded board according to the present invention comprises: a detecting unit 11 for detecting, before the board 21 is covered with an insulating layer 23, the actual position of an electronic component 22 formed on the surface of the board 21; a holding unit 12 for calculating a displacement between the design position of the electronic component 22 and the actual position of the electronic component 22 on the surface of the board 21, and for holding the displacement as displacement data; and a correcting unit 13 for correcting, based on the displacement data, design data to be used for processing the board 21 after the board 21 is covered with the insulating layer 23.

Abstract: An adaptive dispersion compensation device offered performs stably the dispersion compensation, inclusive of waveform shaping, for an optical fiber transmission line. The device comprises a plurality of basic units each including a chirp-bragg fiber grating which is formed in an optical waveguide, a reflection mirror which is disposed on the light input side of the chirp-bragg fiber grating by being detachable and an optical circulator which is connected to the reflection mirror, means of connecting the basic units in series, and means of controlling the dispersion characteristics of each chirp-bragg fiber grating by applying a temperature gradient to it along its axis. The individual chirp-bragg fiber gratings with the application of temperature gradients vary the dispersion quality of the lights passing through the basic units, thereby controlling the dispersion quality of the input signal light stably and releasing the compensated signal light.

Abstract: A wiring forming system comprises: maskless exposure unit which directly exposes an unexposed board by using exposure data generated based on design data relating to an wiring board; post-development inspect unit which tests the board after development, by using the exposure data and the image data of the board exposed and developed by the maskless exposure unit; etching unit which etches the developed board; and post-etching inspect unit which tests an etching pattern formed on the etched board, by using etching inspect data generated based on the design data and the image data of the board etched by the etching unit.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a device that performs dispersive compensation in an optical fiber transmission path, such as performing waveform shaping in optical fiber transmission. This adaptive dispersion compensating element is provided with a chirp Bragg grating 104 formed in an optical fiber, a temperature gradient impressing means 105 that impresses a temperature gradient along the longitudinal direction of the chirp Bragg grating, a spectral resolving means 106 that spectrally resolves the output light from the chirp Bragg grating, a detecting means 107 that detects the output light from the spectral resolving means, and a control means 108 that performs feedback control of the temperature gradient impressing means based on the output from the detecting means and provides a compact and high-stability device that performs the dispersive compensation in the optical fiber transmission path, such as performing the waveform shaping in the optical fiber transmission.

Abstract: An optical delay line of a configuration in which a number of components such as a circulator and an optical coupler is reduced is to be provided. To this end, the optical delay line has a configuration in which, after an optical fiber diffraction grating having a core subjected to refractive index modulation and a cladding partly cleared of its outer circumference and an optical fiber having a cladding partly cleared of its outer circumference are brought close to each other so that the cores have mutually parallel directions of an optical axis to fabricate a directional coupler, both ends of the optical fiber are connected into an optical fiber loop. In this way, an optical delay line to generate a specific time delay for controlling optical signals can be provided in small dimensions and with a small number of components.

Abstract: An adaptive dispersion compensation device offered performs stably the dispersion compensation, inclusive of waveform shaping, for an optical fiber transmission line. The device comprises a plurality of basic units each including a chirp-bragg fiber grating which is formed in an optical waveguide, a reflection mirror which is disposed on the light input side of the chirp-bragg fiber grating by being detachable and an optical circulator which is connected to the reflection mirror, means of connecting the basic units in series, and means of controlling the dispersion characteristics of each chirp-bragg fiber grating by applying a temperature gradient to it along its axis. The individual chirp-bragg fiber gratings with the application of temperature gradients vary the dispersion quality of the lights passing through the basic units, thereby controlling the dispersion quality of the input signal light stably and releasing the compensated signal light.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer provided with columnar electrodes which have plated nickel, palladium, and gold films successively formed at the top thereof, or have a plated solder film at their top. The semiconductor wafer can be preferably used for producing a chip-sized semiconductor device provided with columnar electrodes to which an external connection terminal, such as a solder ball, is to be bonded. Methods of producing the semiconductor wafer and device by use of plating are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lead frame, including an inner lead, an outer lead connected to the inner lead, and an insulating film covered on the inner lead, the insulating film having an opening formed on a predetermined area of the inner lead electrically connected to a semiconductor chip.

Abstract: An optical wavelength filter having one or more bands of transmission wavelengths of light, within a reflection spectrum of the filter, is formed using a section of an optical fiber as an optical fiber grating. The optical fiber core is configured with a periodically varying diffraction coefficient structure formed such that the grating pitch continuously varies in a fixed direction, with that structure containing one or more regions of interruption of the continuous variation of pitch, whereby the bands of transmission wavelengths are respectively defined by these interruption regions.