Abstract: A light guiding plate guides light from a light source to illuminate a display. A reflector reflects light from the light source. A first surface and a second surface selectively transmits or reflects light. A first region is formed on the first surface at a location that is relatively near the light source. The first region includes a first inclined face and a second inclined face. The first inclined face reflects light from the light source to guide light to the reflector. The second inclined face reflects light from the light source to guide light to the second surface. A second region is formed on the first surface at a location that is relatively far from the light source. The second region includes a third inclined face and a fourth inclined face. The third inclined face reflects light from the light source to guide light to the second surface. The fourth inclined face reflects light reflected by the reflector to guide to the second surface.

Abstract: In an optical disk which includes a recording film having a laminated construction, and which records information by changing optical characteristics of the recording film by applying a laser beam, there are laminatedly formed a WO3 film 2 as a second layer, the WO3 requiring energy by about 470 kJ when it dissociates 1 mol of oxygen molecules, an Sn—43 atomic % Bi film 3 which includes Sn as a first layer, the Sn generating energy by about 610 kJ when it bonds with 1 mol of oxygen molecules and having a melting point of about 139° C., and a resin film 4 in this order on a guide groove 1c forming surface 1b of a substrate 1. When a recording laser beam is applied, a part of Sn—43 atomic % Bi film 3 is turned into a liquid phase, both of the films 2 and 3 react, and the optical characteristics of the recording film 10 vary so that information is recorded. As a result, the retention characteristic of the recorded data is secured, and the reactivity of the recording film is enhanced.

Abstract: A recording medium includes a first substance and a second substance at least in which the first and second substances undergo an oxidation-reduction reaction when an external energy is applied, thereby recording information by varying the optical characteristics. In the recording medium, the reaction of the first and second substances is suppressed, reaction which degrades the recording characteristics other than the case where the recording medium is subjected to recording. In an optical disk 100 (i.e., the recording medium), a WO3 film 2 (i.e., a second substance), a C film 3 (i.e., a third substance) and an Sn-10 atomic % Sr film 4 (i.e., a first substance) are formed successively on a substrate 1. When the recording medium is irradiated with a recording laser beam as an external energy, the WO3 forming the film 2 is reduced to WO2.

Abstract: A recording medium which includes a first substance and a second substance, wherein an external energy is applied to at least one of the first and second substances to react them in order to change the optical characteristics of the substances for recording information, the recording medium including: a first layer composed of a first substance including at least one of S and Se, a second layer composed of a second substance including a metal, and a barrier layer being disposed between the first and second layers, which allows the reaction between the first and second layers when laser beam for recording is irradiated as an external energy, and suppresses the reaction between the first and second layers when laser beam for recording is not irradiated. Alternatively, the recording medium can be free from the barrier layer, and the second substance can be arranged to have two or more compositionally different portions or two or more phases with a different crystalline state.

Abstract: A recording medium is for recording information by varying optical characteristic thereof by application of an external energy thereto, and includes a first substance and a second substance. When the external energy is applied to the recording medium, the first and second substances react with each other to form a third substance having a tungsten-bronze crystalline structure, thereby varying the optical characteristic. The third substance absorbs the external energy and varies the reflectivity of the external energy. Thus, the recording medium records information thereon. The recording medium is good in environmental resistance and information retention, because the third substance is stable energetically.

Abstract: By providing a normally deposited layer as a buffer layer between a substrate and an obliquely deposited layer, it is possible to prevent contaminants on the substrate from diffusing into the obliquely deposited layer. Also, by providing a normally deposited layer as a passivation layer on the uppermost obliquely deposited layer, absorption of water vapor in the air by the obliquely deposited layer is prevented. Further, by forming a laminated object comprising obliquely deposited layers and dense normally deposited layers, strength of each obliquely deposited layer itself is increased and relaxation of its columnar structure can be suppressed with certainty because both the diffusion of contaminants from the substrate and the absorption of water in the air is prevented. Thus, by removing factors to accelerate the relaxation of columnar structure in the obliquely deposited layer, clouding of the obliquely deposited film layer can be prevented.

Abstract: An anisotropic nanophase composite material and a method of producing same. The composite material comprises a nanophase composite structure containing a multiplicity of particulates of at least one material. The particulates of one material are spaced from each other three-dimensionally and anisotropically oriented in a given direction. The particulates have an average thickness of 1 to 10 nanometers and an average length of not less than 10 nanometers, the length being larger than the thickness. Since the particulates of dimensions on the order of nanometers are oriented only in a given direction, the composite material produces an intensified nonlinear optical effect and is excellent in polarizing characteristics, birefringent characteristics, or photovoltaic characteristics.

Abstract: An anisotropic nanophase composite material and a method of producing same. The composite material comprises a nanophase composite structure containing a multiplicity of particulates of at least one material. The particulates of one material are spaced from each other three-dimensionally and anisotropically oriented in a given direction. The particulates have an average thickness of 1 to 10 nanometers and an average length of not less than 10 nanometers, the length being larger than the thickness. Since the particulates of dimensions on the order of nanometers are oriented only in a given direction, the composite material produces an intensified nonlinear optical effect and is excellent in polarizing characteristics, birefringent characteristics, or photovoltaic characteristics.

Abstract: A plasmid and a DNA fragment each of which contains a gene for tetracycline resistance derived from a glutamic acid-producing coryneform bacterium, and a coryneform bacterium containing said DNA fragment. The gene for tetracycline resistance derived from a glutamic acid-producing coryneform bacterium is a useful selective marker in effecting the breeding of a glutamic acid-producing coryneform bacterium by genetic recombination. Using the plasmid, the DNA fragment or the coryneform bacterium of the present invention, breeding of the glutamic acid-producing coryneform bacterium can be easily and effectively conducted by means of recombinant DNA technique.

Abstract: A heat-pipe type solar collector comprises as its principal portion a plurality of heat pipes arranged in parallel with each other and having vaporizing portions and condensing portions, and a plurality of heat collector plates traversing the heat pipes and arranged in parallel with each other, the vaporizing portion of each heat pipe penetrating through and fixedly mounted to the collector plates in intimate heat conductive relation therewith, and each collector plate having a lower portion bent substantially perpendicular to the remaining portion to cover a space between itself and an adjacent collector plate.According to this arrangement, solar heat can be effectively collected by the collector plates and transmitted to the heat pipes with a negligible heat loss. Thus the heat collecting efficiency of the water heater can be remarkably enhanced.