Abstract: Provided is a mode converter capable of efficiently coupling or emitting light having a single-peaked spot, and has high flexibility of the shape to be easily manufactured. The mode converter is formed of multiple single-mode waveguides optically coupling areas 1 and 2; when an axis parallel to a light propagation direction is z axis, an axis perpendicular to the z axis in a direction crossing the single-mode waveguides is x axis, an axis perpendicular to the x and z axes is y axis, and a plane passing through a center of the mode converter and includes the z axis is plane 1, the multiple single-mode waveguides are arranged reflection-symmetrically with respect to the plane 1; and the mode converter converts light entering from the area 1 into the even mode to cause the light of the even mode to propagate and couple optically with the area 2.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes a semiconductor layer having photoelectric conversion portions, and a wiring structure arranged on a side of a first face of the semiconductor layer, and receives light from a side of a second face of the semiconductor layer. The wiring structure includes a reflection portion having a reflection surface reflecting light transmitted through the semiconductor layer from the second face toward the first face, toward the semiconductor layer, and an insulation film located between the reflection surface and the first face. The sensor includes a first dielectric film arranged to contact the first face, and a second dielectric film arranged between the insulation film and the first dielectric film and having a refractive index different from refractive indices of the first dielectric film and the insulation film.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor comprises a pixel unit having a substrate including therein a photoelectric conversion section and an optical waveguide arranged on a light incident side of the substrate so as to guide an incident light converted into a guided mode of the optical waveguide and being propagated through the optical waveguide to the photoelectric conversion section. The optical waveguide has a mode conversion section for changing a propagation state of the incident light such that the incident light being propagated through the optical waveguide has an electric field amplitude distributed with the same sign at a light incident surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, an interlayer insulating film arranged on the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, a protective insulating film that is arranged in contact with the interlayer insulating film and has a refractive index different from that of the interlayer insulating film, recesses arranged in a light-receiving surface of each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, and embedded regions embedded in the recesses. When a wavelength of incident light to each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions is denoted by ? and a refractive index of the embedded regions is denoted by n, a depth d of the recesses is represented by an expression d??/4n.

Abstract: A light condensing member focuses light, which is incident upon a first area of the light condensing member corresponding to an opening portion of an insulation film, in an upper portion region of a light path member arranged within the opening portion, the insulation film having an upper face extending from the opening portion, and the light path member having a lower face in a region corresponding to a light receiving face of an photoelectric conversion portion.

Abstract: A member for light path to a photoelectric conversion portion includes a middle portion, and a peripheral portion having a refractive index different from the refractive index of the middle portion, and within some plane in parallel with the light receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion portion, and within other plane closer to the light receiving surface than the some plane in parallel with the light receiving surface, the peripheral portion is continuous with the middle portion and surrounds the middle portion, and also the refractive index of the peripheral portion is higher than the refractive index of an insulator film, and the thickness of the peripheral portion within the other plane is smaller than the thickness of the peripheral portion within the some plane.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a solid-state image pickup device is provided. The image pickup apparatus includes a photoelectric conversion portion disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a first insulating film over the photoelectric conversion portion, functioning as an antireflection film, a second insulating film on the first insulating film, disposed corresponding to the photoelectric conversion portion, and a waveguide having a clad and a core whose bottom is disposed on the second insulating film. The method includes forming an opening by anisotropically etching part of a member disposed over the photoelectric conversion portion, thereby forming the clad, and forming the core in the opening. In the method, the etching is performed under conditions where the etching rate of the second insulating film is lower than the etching rate of the member.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having a photoelectric conversion portion. An insulator is provided on the semiconductor substrate. The insulator has a hole corresponding to the photoelectric conversion portion. A waveguide member is provided in the hole. An in-layer lens is provided on a side of the waveguide member farther from the semiconductor substrate. A first intermediate member is provided between the waveguide member and the in-layer lens. The first intermediate member has a lower refractive index than the in-layer lens.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus at least includes an insulating film, a plurality of high-refractive-index members provided so as to correspond respectively to individual photoelectric conversion portions, being surrounded by the insulating film and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and a high-refractive-index film provided on the insulating film so as to connect the plurality of high-refractive-index members to one another and having a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the insulating film, and lens portions lying next to each other from among a plurality of lens portions border each other.

Abstract: Provided is a mode converter capable of efficiently coupling or emitting light having a single-peaked spot, and has high flexibility of the shape to be easily manufactured. The mode converter is formed of multiple single-mode waveguides optically coupling areas 1 and 2; when an axis parallel to a light propagation direction is z axis, an axis perpendicular to the z axis in a direction crossing the single-mode waveguides is x axis, an axis perpendicular to the x and z axes is y axis, and a plane passing through a center of the mode converter and includes the z axis is plane 1, the multiple single-mode waveguides are arranged reflection-symmetrically with respect to the plane 1; and the mode converter converts light entering from the area 1 into the even mode to cause the light of the even mode to propagate and couple optically with the area 2.

Abstract: A refrigerant compressor includes: an electric motor including a stator and rotor inside a sealed vessel; a compressing mechanism driven by a crank shaft in the rotor; a lower portion oil pool storing in the sealed vessel lubricating oil that lubricates the compressing mechanism; an upper counterweight on an upper end of the rotor. Refrigerant gas compressed by the compressing mechanism is discharged inside the sealed vessel, passes through a gas channel formed on the electric motor, moves from a lower space to an upper space with respect to the electric motor, and is discharged outside the sealed vessel. An oil return flow channel is formed on the upper end of the rotor toward a lower end from a vicinity of a leading end portion of the upper counterweight in a direction of rotation, and oil expressed in a vicinity of the rotor is directed to the oil return flow channel.

Abstract: A refrigerant compressor that enhances compressor efficiency by both reducing an amplitude of pressure pulsations and reducing pressure losses in a discharge muffler space into which is discharged a refrigerant compressed at a compression unit. A low-stage discharge muffler space is formed in the shape of a ring around a drive shaft. In the low-stage discharge muffler space, a discharge port rear guide is provided in the proximity of a discharge port through which is discharged the refrigerant compressed by a low-stage compression unit. The discharge port rear guide is provided at a flow path in one direction out of two flow paths from the discharge port to a communication port in different directions around the drive shaft, and prevents the refrigerant from flowing in that direction, thereby causing the refrigerant to circulate in a forward direction in the ring-shaped discharge muffler space.

Abstract: A device that enhances compressor efficiency by reducing pressure losses in a discharge muffler space into which is discharged a refrigerant compressed by a compression unit. A low-stage discharge muffler space is formed in the shape of a ring around a drive shaft. In the low-stage discharge muffler space, a communication port flow guide is provided so as to cover a predetermined area of an opening of a communication port from a side of a flow path in a reverse direction out of two flow paths in different directions around the drive shaft from a discharge port through which is discharged the refrigerant compressed by a low-stage compression unit to the communication port through which the refrigerant flows out. The communication port flow guide transforms a direction of a flow into a direction of a connecting flow path.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor includes first-color pixels and second-color pixels, each of the first-color pixels including a first antireflection film and a first color filter, and each of the second-color pixels including a second antireflection film and a second color filter, wherein the solid-state image sensor satisfies T1(?12)?0.95·Tmax1, and T2(?12)?0.95·Tmax2 where ?1 represents a wavelength at which a transmittance of the first color filter is maximized, ?2 represents a wavelength at which a transmittance of the second color filter is maximized, and ?12 represents a central wavelength between wavelengths ?1 and ?2, T1(?) and T2(?) respectively represent transmittances of the first antireflection film and the second antireflection film when a wavelength is represented by ?, and Tmax1 and Tmax2 represent maximum values of the transmittances T1(?) and T2(?), respectively.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor comprises a pixel unit having a substrate including therein a photoelectric conversion section and an optical waveguide arranged on a light incident side of the substrate so as to guide an incident light converted into a guided mode of the optical waveguide and being propagated through the optical waveguide to the photoelectric conversion section. The optical waveguide has a mode conversion section for changing a propagation state of the incident light such that the incident light being propagated through the optical waveguide has an electric field amplitude distributed with the same sign at a light incident surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, an interlayer insulating film arranged on the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, a protective insulating film that is arranged in contact with the interlayer insulating film and has a refractive index different from that of the interlayer insulating film, recesses arranged in a light-receiving surface of each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, and embedded regions embedded in the recesses. When a wavelength of incident light to each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions is denoted by ? and a refractive index of the embedded regions is denoted by n, a depth d of the recesses is represented by an expression d??/4n.

Abstract: A scroll compressor has an electric motor portion, a compression mechanism portion connected to the electric motor portion, and an oil sump for lubricating oil in a sealed container and compresses a refrigerant in the compression mechanism portion. A used refrigerant is a halogenated hydrocarbon or a hydrocarbon having a carbon double bond in the composition or is a mixture containing one of the same. A sliding surface of at least one of two components constituting a sliding portion having a relation of sliding to each other in a sealed container is structured in such a way that an iron metal or an aluminum metal is not directly exposed.

Abstract: There is provided a high performance compressor that causes no possibility of mixing foreign materials or of leaking refrigerant, that reduces strain otherwise generated in a compressor mechanism section and that is highly reliable even for a long-term use. The compressor mechanism section in which pairs of prepared holes are formed at a plurality of points on an outer peripheral face thereof is disposed within the closed container. Caulking punches are positioned to positions corresponding to those of the prepared holes and a region including the corresponding positions is heated. Then, when the punches are driven by pressing machines, portions of the container wall of the closed container plastically deform as the convex portions and enter the prepared holes. When the container wall cools down, the pair of convex portions of the container clamps a part between the prepared holes.

Abstract: There is provided a high performance compressor that causes no possibility of mixing foreign materials or of leaking refrigerant, that reduces strain otherwise generated in a compressor mechanism section and that is highly reliable even for a long-term use. The compressor mechanism section in which pairs of prepared holes are formed at a plurality of points on an outer peripheral face thereof is disposed within the closed container. Caulking punches are positioned to positions corresponding to those of the prepared holes and a region including the corresponding positions is heated. Then, when the punches are driven by pressing machines, portions of the container wall of the closed container plastically deform as the convex portions and enter the prepared holes. When the container wall cools down, the pair of convex portions of the container clamps a part between the prepared holes.

Abstract: An aluminum material for electrolytic capacitor electrodes, the aluminum material having aluminum purity of 99.9% or more, consisting of: Si: 2 to 50 ppm; Fe; 2 to 50 ppm; Cu: 15 to 150 ppm; Zn: 1 to 80 ppm; Pb: 0.1 to 3 ppm; at least one of Zr and V: 11 ppm or more, a total content of the at least one of Zr and V being 11 to 100 ppm; and the balance being Al and impurities, wherein a content of B is controlled to be 2 ppm or less. In the aluminum material, Ti: 1 to 30 ppm, Mn group composition (at least one of Mn, Ga, Mg and Ca): 1 to 50 ppm in total, and In group composition (at least one of In, Sn, Sb): 1 to 30 ppm in total are selectively added. A method for manufacturing an aluminum foil for electrolytic capacitor electrodes according to the present invention, comprises the steps of: rolling the aforementioned aluminum material into a foil; and performing final annealing of the foil at the temperature of 430 to 580° C.