Abstract: In a film heating system, since a heating body is in contact with the conductive ring at an end portion of the heating body, heat body through the conductive ring, with the result that the quantity of heat imparted to the object to be heated is uneven inside the nip. This causes low quality of an image since it leads to faulty end-portion fixing, uneven fixing and uneven glossy. In order to solve this problem, a heater capable of suppressing faulty image heating is provided.

Abstract: A developing device including a housing, a developer bearing member rotatably provided in the opening portion of the housing, a developer containing chamber, and a developer supplying and removing member being in contact with the developer bearing member, and having the function of supplying a developer in the developer containing chamber to the developer bearing member and the function of removing the developer from the developer bearing member, wherein the developer bearing member is disposed above the developer containing chamber, and the developer supplying and removing member has the function of upwardly carrying the developer in the developer containing chamber.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image fixing apparatus for fixing an image formed on a recording material, which has a heating member, a back-up roller cooperating with the heating member to form a nip therebetween for conveying the recording material, and control device for controlling generation of heat by the heating member, wherein the control device is capable of effecting first control for permitting the heating member to generate heat in a state where an image fixing process is completed and the back-up roller is stopped, and second control for maintaining the heating member at a target temperature, differing from a fixing temperature, during a warm-up period from when the heating member starts to generate heat until the temperature of the heating member reaches the fixing temperature.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image fixing apparatus for fixing an image formed on a recording material, which has a heating member, a back-up roller cooperating with the heating member to form a nip therebetween for conveying the recording material, and control device for controlling generation of heat by the heating member, wherein the control device is capable of effecting first control for permitting the heating member to generate heat in a state where an image fixing process is completed and the back-up roller is stopped, and second control for maintaining the heating member at a target temperature, differing from a fixing temperature, during a warm-up period from when the heating member starts to generate heat until the temperature of the heating member reaches the fixing temperature

Abstract: A sealing device to be inserted between a unit-side connection surface and a block-side connection surface, and providing a sealing performance therebetween, includes a first connection surface configured to be suitable to a first sealing feature of the unit-side connection surface, and a second connection surface configured to be suitable to a second sealing feature of the block-side connection surface. The first sealing feature being different from the second sealing feature.

Abstract: In a film heating system, since a heating body is in contact with the conductive ring at an end portion of the heating body, heat body through the conductive ring, with the result that the quantity of heat imparted to the object to be heated is uneven inside the nip. This causes low quality of an image since it leads to faulty end-portion fixing, uneven fixing and uneven glossy. In order to solve this problem, a heater capable of suppressing faulty image heating is provided.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate includes the steps of determining an allowable margin of process condition such that a substrate is processed without forming particles, selecting a process condition of a substrate for a production process such that the process condition falls in the allowable margin in the production process, and carrying out a processing of the substrate in the production process at the selected process condition, wherein the step of determining the allowable margin includes the steps of introducing an optical beam to an atmosphere in which the substrate is processed in the step of determining the allowable margin, and detecting scattering of the optical beam.

Abstract: An etching system for processing a semiconductor wafer has a processing chamber and a load lock chamber. The load lock chamber includes an airtight casing having openings through which the wafer is transferred, and each of the openings is openably and airtightly closed by a gate valve. A transfer arm for carrying the wafer is provided within the casing. A gas supplying system for supplying an inert gas and an exhausting system are connected to the casing. A gas supplying head is connected to the inner end of the gas supplying system, and has an outlet filter which is made of a porous ceramic plate formed into a cylinder. The porous ceramic plate has a multi-layer structure consisting of supporting, intermediate and filtering layers. The average pore diameter of the filtering layer is from 0.8 .mu.m to 0.1 .mu.m, and the porosity thereof is from 10% to 50%.

Abstract: A plasma process system for producing gas plasma in an air-tight chamber by high frequency power to process a substrate with the gas plasma comprising a lower electrode on which the substrate to be plasma-processed is mounted, an upper electrode arranged above the lower electrode, a plasma generator circuit for generating plasma between the upper and the lower electrode, a power source for supplying high frequency power to the plasma generator circuit, and bias generator for generating negative voltage in the upper or lower electrode when high frequency power is supplied from the power source to the upper or lower electrode, wherein the plasma generator circuit includes transformer for supplying a part of high frequency power, which is supplied from the power source, to the bias generator.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus includes a heat treatment unit for performing a heat treatment process to a semiconductor wafer using a gas and a gas supply unit for supplying the gas to the heat treatment unit. The gas supply unit includes a plurality of gas controlling instruments having a plurality of gas flow control devices, a gas controlling instruments-storage vessel for storing the instruments, and a plurality of electrical parts arranged outside the storage vessel and belonging to the instruments, and an electrical parts-storage vessel for storing the electrical parts, and the plurality of gas flow control devices are integrated with each other by block-like joints.

Abstract: There is disclosed a flow control apparatus including a base body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and a flow path for causing the inlet to communicate with the outlet, a flow adjustment means for adjusting a flow rate of the fluid in the flow path of said base body, a flow-rate detection means for detecting the flow rate of the fluid in the flow path, and a flow control means for outputting a flow-rate control signal to the flow adjustment means on the basis of a detection result of the flow-rate detection means to control the flow rate of the fluid to a predetermined value. At least one of the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is positioned such that the flow direction of the fluid at a corresponding one of the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet is perpendicular to the flow path.

Abstract: A flow control apparatus comprises a base body, first and second gas passages provided in the base body for passing gas therethrough, gas flow adjusting mechanism, provided so as to connect the first and second gas passages to each other, for adjusting the flow of gas passing therethrough, and gas flow control unit for outputting a flow control signal to the gas flow adjusting mechanism so as to control the flow of gas passing through the first or second gas passage. In the base body, a bypass passage is formed in the base body for connecting the first and second gas passages to each other, and a valve mechanism is employed for opening and closing the bypass passage. When a trouble has occurred, the valve mechanism is opened, and a purging gas is supplied through the bypass passage to purge a flammable or noxious gas. Thereafter, the gas flow control apparatus is removed and repaired.

Abstract: A gas measuring device includes a dissolving unit for dissolving gas to be measured in solvent medium, a measuring unit for measuring the amount of ions generated when the gas to be measured is ionized in the liquid medium, and a calculating unit for calculating the amount of the gas to be measured from a value measured by the measuring unit.