Abstract: A reactive-species supply device is configured to supply a treatment gas to an electric discharge space, for thereby supplying at least a reactive species formed in a plasma, to an object. The reactive-species supply device includes (a) at least one pair of electrodes configured to form the electric discharge space and (b) an electrode protection device configured to protect the electrodes from the treatment gas. Also disclosed is a surface treatment apparatus that includes the reactive-species supply device.

Abstract: An image taking system including: (a) a CMOS or CCD image sensor; (b) an interest-region setter configured to set regions of interest within an image taking area of the image sensor; (c) an acquiring-condition determiner configured to determine an image-data acquiring condition required for acquiring at least two image data generated in at least two of the regions of interest; and (d) an image-data acquirer configured to acquire the at least two image data. The acquiring-condition determiner includes an exposure-time determining portion configured to determine, as the image-data acquiring conditions, at least two different exposure times required for acquiring the at least two image data generated in the at least two regions of interest. The image-data acquirer includes an exposure-time-based-image-data acquiring portion configured to acquire the at least two image data, such that the acquired at least two image data are based on the at least two different exposure times.

Abstract: A reactive-species supply device is configured to supply a treatment gas to an electric discharge space, for thereby supplying at least a reactive species formed in a plasma, to an object. The reactive-species supply device includes (a) at least one pair of electrodes configured to form the electric discharge space and (b) an electrode protection device configured to protect the electrodes from the treatment gas. Also disclosed is a surface treatment apparatus that includes the reactive-species supply device.

Abstract: An image taking system including: (a) a CMOS or CCD image sensor; (b) an interest-region setter configured to set regions of interest within an image taking area of the image sensor; (c) an acquiring-condition determiner configured to determine an image-data acquiring condition required for acquiring at least two image data generated in at least two of the regions of interest; and (d) an image-data acquirer configured to acquire the at least two image data. The acquiring-condition determiner includes an exposure-time determining portion configured to determine, as the image-data acquiring conditions, at least two different exposure times required for acquiring the at least two image data generated in the at least two regions of interest. The image-data acquirer includes an exposure-time-based-image-data acquiring portion configured to acquire the at least two image data, such that the acquired at least two image data are based on the at least two different exposure times.

Abstract: A circuit component supplying system including a plurality of feeders each of which stores a plurality of circuit components of at least one sort and supplies the circuit components of the one sort, one by one, a feeder holder including a plurality of feeder holding portions which hold the plurality of feeders, respectively, and a managing device which manages the supplying of the circuit components by the each of the feeders, the each feeder including a code holder which holds at least a feeder identification code distinguishing the each feeder from the other feeders, and the managing device managing the supplying of the circuit components by the each feeder, based on the feeder identification code held by the code holder of the each feeder.