Abstract: Any one of heat medium, hot water, steam, and high-temperature gas generated by solar heat collected in a solar thermal collector (68), and geotherm, or waste heat from co•generation system or other power plant is used as the driving heat source of a multiple-effect absorption chiller (58) of triple effects or more. The multiple-effect absorption chiller includes at least an absorber, an evaporator, a condenser, a solution heat exchanger, and n stages (n?3) of regenerators, and has multiple effects. By constructing in this manner, the invention presents a system of generating chilled water for air-conditioning reduced in the CO2 emission by utilizing solar heat, earth's heat, and waste heat from co•generation system or power plant.

Abstract: A magnetic head suitable for high-density recording is provided at a high yield by a method that suppresses a reduction in reproducing output signal due to ion-beam irradiation. After an air-bearing surface of a read element, a magnetic-head element, or a row bar is mechanically polished, the air-bearing surface is irradiated with an ion beam, such that an orthographic projection of an ion-beam incidence direction onto the air-bearing surface forms an in-plane incidence angle of 30 degrees to 150 degrees or of 210 degrees to 330 degrees with respect to a track-width direction. Thereby, the formation of a short circuit due to ion-beam irradiation may be hindered.

Abstract: In an information recording medium for recording and reproducing data thereon on a sector-by-sector basis, the recorded data being managed as at least one file by using a file structure, the file structure includes unused space management information for identifying a used region and an unused region. At least one defective region is registered as an unused region in the unused space management information, the at least one defective region being a region on the information recording medium which is incapable of proper reproduction of the recorded data.

Abstract: Since structural portions of a device made of a plurality of materials are different from one another in mechanical hardness, it is very difficult to uniformly lap the structural portions. This is attributable to generation of machining recessions due to differences in lapped amount when large fixed abrasive grains are used, and generation of lapping marks caused by that the dropped abrasive grains rotate. Accordingly, in order to cope with the disadvantage, it is essential to surely grip abrasive grains of small size to a surface of a surface plate.

Abstract: In an information recording medium for recording and reproducing data thereon on a sector-by-sector basis, the recorded data being managed as at least one file by using a file structure, the file structure includes unused space management information for identifying a used region and an unused region. At least one defective region is registered as an unused region in the unused space management information, the at least one defective region being a region on the information recording medium which is incapable of proper reproduction of the recorded data.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a lapping plate which has abrasive grains fixed in the plate and which is used for lapping of the air bearing surface of a magnetic head. Abrasive grains fixed in the lapping plate are subjected to an abrasive digging process to selectively lap the surface of the lapping plate in the vicinity of the abrasive grains, and the dug abrasive grains are subjected to an equalization process to make their abrasive grain heights equal.

Abstract: A conventional lapping process of executing element size control and surface roughness reduction at the same time is divided in the present invention into a lapping process for element size control and a lapping step for surface roughness reduction. In the lapping process for surface roughness reduction, a surface of a ceramic substrate portion is used as a stopper for limiting cut-in of abrasive grains to realize surface roughness reduction while maintaining productivity.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method of producing a magnetic head slider comprises the steps of forming, on the air bearing surface of the slider, an air bearing surface overcoat, removing the surface region from a hard amorphous carbon film by the irradiation with an ion beam which is tilted with respect to a normal to the air bearing surface, and forming a rail in the air bearing surface on which the air bearing surface overcoat has been formed. A high density and covering performance are obtained when the angle of irradiating the ion beam is not smaller than about 60 degrees from a normal to the air bearing surface of the magnetic head slider and when the acceleration voltage for the ion beam is not higher than about 300 V in the step of removing part of the air bearing surface overcoat.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a write element, a read element, and a heating element disposed between the write element and the read element. When power is applied to the heating element, either the read element or the write element projects beyond a plane of an air-bearing surface (ABS) of the magnetic head, and when power is not applied to the heating element, a portion of the ABS of the magnetic head facing a magnetic disk close to the heating element has a concave shape. In another embodiment, when power is applied to the heating element, at least one of a portion of the read element and a portion of the write element approaches a magnetic disk, and when power is not applied to the heating element, a portion of the ABS of the magnetic head facing a magnetic disk close to the heating element has a concave shape.

Abstract: A magnetic head suffers mechanical stresses by striking against a magnetic disc surface and dust, so that there are problems such as the reduction of reproduction output due to the mechanical stresses and the reversal of output polarity due to the mechanical stresses. Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to a method of testing reliability of reproduction elements of a magnetic head against outside stress. In a first step, a Giant Magnetoresistive (GMR) element on a row bar of the object of inspection, or a GMR element on a slider is measured for the output against external magnetic field. In the next step, prescribed shearing stress is applied with indenter to the edge where the GMR element-formed surface of the row bar or slider and the air-bearing surface are crossed. Then, output of the GMR element is measured again. Lastly, the outputs of the GMR element before and after application of stress are compared.

Abstract: A magnetic head suitable for high-density recording is provided at a high yield by a method that suppresses a reduction in reproducing output signal due to ion-beam irradiation. After an air-bearing surface of a read element, a magnetic-head element, or a row bar is mechanically polished, the air-bearing surface is irradiated with an ion beam, such that an orthographic projection of an ion-beam incidence direction onto the air-bearing surface forms an in-plane incidence angle of 30 degrees to 150 degrees or of 210 degrees to 330 degrees with respect to a track-width direction. Thereby, the formation of a short circuit due to ion-beam irradiation may be hindered.

Abstract: A case main body and an upper plate are reliably fitted together, a seal is formed between the fitting surfaces, and a magnetic circuit is prevented from malfunctioning. A solenoid-controlled valve, which connects a solenoid section (2) and a valve section (30), comprises a cylindrical case main body (3) having a solenoid coil (4) housed therein and having a connecting section (3A) at one end, an upper plate (6) having a locking surface (6B) adapted to be fitted to the connecting section (3A), and a connector (5) integrally provided with the upper plate (6). A seal section (20) is joined to an outer surface between the fitting surfaces of the connecting section (3A) and the upper plate (6).

Abstract: In an information recording medium for recording and reproducing data thereon on a sector-by-sector basis, the recorded data being managed as at least one file by using a file structure, the file structure includes unused space management information for identifying a used region and an unused region. At least one defective region is registered as an unused region in the unused space management information, the at least one defective region being a region on the information recording medium which is incapable of proper reproduction of the recorded data.

Abstract: In an information recording medium for recording and reproducing data thereon on a sector-by-sector basis, the recorded data being managed as at least one file by using a file structure, the file structure includes unused space management information for identifying a used region and an unused region. At least one defective region is registered as an unused region in the unused space management information, the at least one defective region being a region on the information recording medium which is incapable of proper reproduction of the recorded data.

Abstract: In a cluster ion beam irradiation apparatus including an apparatus for measuring size and energy distribution of gas cluster ions by using the time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry, a unit for applying a retarding voltage is disposed in a stage preceding a TOF measuring instrument including a drift tube and a current measuring instrument. By measuring the size and energy distribution of the gas cluster ions and adjusting ionization conditions, cluster ions having predetermined energy and size are supplied to a work surface. In addition, a product of a pressure in an ion transportation device and an ion transportation length is controlled so as to satisfy the relation P×L?30/N2/3/E1/2 Pa·m, where N is the size of gas cluster ions used for irradiation, and E is kinetic energy (eV) of the gas cluster ions.

Abstract: A case main body and an upper plate are reliably fitted together, a seal is formed between the fitting surfaces, and a magnetic circuit is prevented from malfunctioning. A solenoid-controlled valve, which connects a solenoid section (2) and a valve section (30), comprises a cylindrical case main body (3) having a solenoid coil (4) housed therein and having a connecting section (3A) at one end, an upper plate (6) having a locking surface (6B) adapted to be fitted to the connecting section (3A), and a connector (5) integrally provided with the upper plate (6). A seal section (20) is joined to an outer surface between the fitting surfaces of the connecting section (3A) and the upper plate (6).

Abstract: Provided is a data recording/reproducing device and a method thereof, by which copy protection can be realized privately by an easy method using the established conventional unauthorized copy prevention functions. A data recording/reproducing device (100) (a) receives a pass-code corresponding to a user, (b) protect content data to be reproduced only by the user, and records the protected content data into a storage medium, using the pass-code which is obtained to record the content data, and (c) reproduces the content data, which has been protected to be reproduced only by the user and recorded in the storage medium, using the pass-code which is obtained to reproduce the content data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an air bearing surface protection film having good corrosive resistance, electrical insulative property and mechanical wear resistance in the state of an extremely thin film. In one embodiment, an air bearing surface protection film having good corrosive resistance, electrical insulative property and mechanical wear resistance in a state of an extremely thin film is obtained by disposing a thin silicon nitride film having high density, high electric resistance, chemical stability and high adhesion with a substrate as a lowermost air bearing surface protection film and disposing a film comprising tetrahedral amorphous carbon and nitrogen as an uppermost air bearing surface protection film.

Abstract: Different formats, whose defect management methods differ based on the presence or absence of a cartridge, are adopted for information storage media having the same physical characteristics. An information processing apparatus is capable of mounting a storage medium having a data recording area. The data recording area includes a user area to which logical addresses are allocated in accordance with recording units.

Abstract: A magnetic head suffers mechanical stresses by striking against a magnetic disc surface and dust, so that there are problems such as the reduction of reproduction output due to the mechanical stresses and the reversal of output polarity due to the mechanical stresses. Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to a method of testing reliability of reproduction elements of a magnetic head against outside stress. In a first step, a Giant Magnetoresistive (GMR) element on a row bar of the object of inspection, or a GMR element on a slider is measured for the output against external magnetic field. In the next step, prescribed shearing stress is applied with indenter to the edge where the GMR element-formed surface of the row bar or slider and the air-bearing surface are crossed. Then, output of the GMR element is measured again. Lastly, the outputs of the GMR element before and after application of stress are compared.