Abstract: A method of forming an inorganic alignment film made substantially of an inorganic material on a base substrate is provided comprising a milling process of irradiating ion beams onto the surface of the base substrate, on which the inorganic alignment film is to be formed, from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?b with respect to a direction vertical to the surface, and a film-forming process of forming the inorganic alignment film on the base substrate onto which the ion beams are irradiated. In the milling process, the predetermined angle ?b is preferably 2° or more. In the milling process, an acceleration voltage of the ion beams during the irradiation of the ion beams is preferably 400 to 1400 V.

Abstract: A method for forming an oriented film is provided for forming an oriented film on a base material by irradiating the surface of the base material where the oriented film will be formed with an ion beam comprising nitrogen ions from a direction inclined at a prescribed angle ?a with respect to the direction perpendicular to the surface, while evaporating carbon from an evaporation source. The prescribed angle, ?a, is preferably 45-89°. The accelerating voltage of the ion beam comprising nitrogen ions is preferably 100-500 V. The electric current of the ion beam comprising nitrogen ions is preferably 10-500 mA.

Abstract: A method of forming an inorganic alignment film on a base substrate is provided comprising forming a film made substantially of an inorganic material on the base substrate, and irradiating ion beams onto the surface of the film from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?b with respect to the direction vertical to the surface. By irradiating the ion beams onto the film, concave portions having a predetermined directivity are formed on the film. The predetermined angle ?b is preferably 2° or more.

Abstract: A method of forming an inorganic alignment film on a base substrate is provided comprising forming a film made substantially of an inorganic material on the base substrate, and irradiating ion beams onto the surface of the film from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?b with respect to the direction vertical to the surface. By irradiating the ion beams onto the film, concave portions having a predetermined directivity are formed on the film. The predetermined angle ?b is preferably 2° or more.

Abstract: A method of forming an inorganic alignment film is provided comprising a first milling step of irradiating ion beams to a surface of a base substrate, on which the inorganic alignment film is to be formed, from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?a with respect to a direction orthogonal to the surface of the base substrate, a film-forming step of forming a film made substantially of an inorganic material on the base substrate to which the ion beams are irradiated, and a second milling step of irradiating ion beams to a surface of the film from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?b with respect to the direction orthogonal to the surface of the film.

Abstract: A method for forming an oriented film is provided for forming an oriented film on a base material by irradiating the surface of the base material where the oriented film will be formed with an ion beam comprising nitrogen ions from a direction inclined at a prescribed angle ?a with respect to the direction perpendicular to the surface, while evaporating carbon from an evaporation source. The prescribed angle, ?a, is preferably 45-89°. The accelerating voltage of the ion beam comprising nitrogen ions is preferably 100-500 V. The electric current of the ion beam comprising nitrogen ions is preferably 10-500 mA.

Abstract: A method of forming an inorganic alignment film on a base substrate is provided comprising forming a film made substantially of an inorganic material on the base substrate, and irradiating ion beams onto the surface of the film from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?b with respect to the direction vertical to the surface. By irradiating the ion beams onto the film, concave portions having a predetermined directivity are formed on the film. The predetermined angle ?b is preferably 2° or more.

Abstract: A method of forming an inorganic alignment film made substantially of an inorganic material on a base substrate is provided comprising a milling process of irradiating ion beams onto the surface of the base substrate, on which the inorganic alignment film is to be formed, from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?b with respect to a direction vertical to the surface, and a film-forming process of forming the inorganic alignment film on the base substrate onto which the ion beams are irradiated. In the milling process, the predetermined angle ?b is preferably 2° or more. In the milling process, an acceleration voltage of the ion beams during the irradiation of the ion beams is preferably 400 to 1400 V.

Abstract: A method for forming an inorganic oriented film is provided for forming an inorganic oriented film on a base material by a magnetron sputtering method. The method comprises the steps of reducing the pressure of an atmosphere in the vicinity of the base material to 5.0×10?2 Pa or below, causing a plasma to collide with a target provided opposite the base material, drawing out the sputtered particles, irradiating the base material with the sputtered particles with an inclination at a prescribed angle, ?s, with respect to the direction perpendicular to the surface of the base material where the inorganic oriented film will be formed, and forming an inorganic oriented film composed substantially of an inorganic material on the base material. The prescribed angle ?s is preferably 60° or more. The distance between the base material and the target is preferably 150 mm or more.

Abstract: A method of forming an inorganic alignment film is provided comprising a first milling step of irradiating ion beams to a surface of a base substrate, on which the inorganic alignment film is to be formed, from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?a with respect to a direction orthogonal to the surface of the base substrate, a film-forming step of forming a film made substantially of an inorganic material on the base substrate to which the ion beams are irradiated, and a second milling step of irradiating ion beams to a surface of the film from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle ?b with respect to the direction orthogonal to the surface of the film.

Abstract: A technique for improving properties of polarizing beam splitters and polarizing conversion elements, and a projection display apparatus having high light utilization efficiency using such polarizing beam splitters are provided. A polarizing beam splitter in accordance with the present invention includes a light transmissive substrate having a refractive index ranging from approximately 1.48 to 1.58, and a polarization separating film formed on the light transmissive substrate. The polarization separating film includes a multilayered structural section formed by alternately arranging MgF2 layers and MgO layers. The polarization separating film in accordance with the present invention can improve the transmission property and the reflection property with respect to two types of polarized light.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing resonant elements such as piezoelectric elements, quartz resonators and other resonant elements while monitoring and regulating the resonance frequencies of the elements are disclosed. A radiation source such as an ion gun provides a plasma to selectively remove portions of an electrode on the resonant element to increase the resonance frequency. The distance between the radiation source and the electrode may be varied while monitoring the resonance frequency and the distance adjusted based on the measured resonance frequency. Different stages with increasing distances between different radiation sources and the resonant element to provide consecutively finer adjustment may be used to consecutively bombard the electrode with ions, with the resonant element being conveyed to the different stages. Oscillators and related devices using the resonant elements are also disclosed.

Abstract: An oscillation frequency control device which comprises a voltage control local oscillator; a generator for giving forth an output having a predetermined referential frequency; means for periodically generating a gate pulse whose time width is equal to an integral multiple of the period of an output signal from said generator; a gate circuit for permitting the passage of an output signal from the local oscillator only during the time width of said gate pulse, wherein, while the local oscillator continues oscillation at a desired frequency, the number k of waves running through the gate circuit is chosen to be equal to an integral multiple of the counting capacity or the scale type n of a counter; said n-scale counter counts signals which have traveled through the gate circuit in at least one cycle for each supply period of the gate pulse, starting with the prescribed count at which said counter is initially reset; a count obtained in the final cycle is changed into an analog signal; comparison is made between