Abstract: A pickup lens with a phase compensator is composed of a condenser lens and a phase compensator. At least one surface of the condenser lens has a step-like annular zone structure to compensate wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t1 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?1 and wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t2 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?2. The phase compensator compensates wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t3 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?3.

Abstract: An optical pickup lens focuses laser beams having different wavelengths ?1, ?2 and ?3 on at least three kinds of optical discs. At least one side of the optical pickup lens has a concentric loop zonal structure for compensating wavefront aberration occurring when recording or reproducing an optical disc having a substrate thickness t1 by the laser beam having the wavelength ?1 and wavefront aberration occurring when recording or reproducing an optical disc having a substrate thickness t2 by the laser beam having the wavelength ?2. When recording or reproducing an optical disc having a substrate thickness t3 by the laser beam having the wavelength ?3, a phase difference given to the laser beam having the wavelength ?3 due to the concentric loop zonal structure is about 0.15? or smaller.

Abstract: When a nickel (Ni) layer is formed on an electrode pad made of aluminum-silicon (Al—Si) by an electroless plating method, prior to the precipitation of zinc (Zn) which becomes a catalyst, copper (Cu) is formed in the form of discontinuous spots or islands on the surface of the electrode pad, thereby providing a copper (Cu) thin layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing semiconductor device which includes forming a first metal film over an electrode pad disposed on a substrate, forming a second metal film on the first metal film, forming a first oxide film on a surface of the first metal film and a second oxide film on a surface of the second metal film by oxidizing the surfaces of the first metal film and the second metal film, removing the first oxide film, and melting the second metal film after removing the first oxide film.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes an electric motor, a temperature sensor, and a control unit. The electric motor produces an assist steering effort in a steering system. The temperature sensor measures a temperature of a first portion subject to thermal influence of operation of the electric motor. The control unit determines an estimated temperature of a second portion in accordance with a value of a motor current, the second portion being subject to thermal influence of operation of the electric motor. The control unit determines a first upper limit value in accordance with the measured temperature; determines a second upper limit value in accordance with the estimated temperature; limit the motor current to a smaller one of the first and second upper limit values, when determining that the temperature sensor is normal; limit the motor current to the second upper limit value, when determining that the temperature sensor is abnormal.

Abstract: A pickup lens with a phase compensator is composed of a condenser lens and a phase compensator. At least one surface of the condenser lens has a step-like annular zone structure to compensate wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t1 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?1 and wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t2 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?2. The phase compensator compensates wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t3 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?3.

Abstract: An objective lens of this embodiment is used in an optical head in which a distance between a DVD laser and a CD laser is fixed. The objective lens focuses a laser beam emitted from the DVD laser on a DVD by a numerical aperture of 0.60, and focuses a laser beam emitted from the CD laser on a CD by an numerical aperture of 0.47. The wavefront aberration in design for CD is set greater than the wavefront aberration in design for DVD.

Abstract: A pickup lens has a plurality of ring zones on at least one surface, and steps are formed respectively between the plurality of ring zones. The plurality of steps have step differences causing laser light to have a phase difference to reduce aberration occurring in the pickup lens due to a change in ambient temperature. Further, when a numerical aperture of the pickup lens is NA, a focal length is f (mm) and a working distance is WD (mm), the pickup lens is fabricated to satisfy NA=0.85, 1.1=f=1.8 and WD=0.3.

Abstract: A pickup lens with a phase compensator is composed of a condenser lens and a phase compensator. At least one surface of the condenser lens has a step-like annular zone structure to compensate wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t1 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?1 and wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t2 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?2. The phase compensator compensates wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t3 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?3.

Abstract: A failure detection apparatus for a resolver outputting a sine signal indicative of sin ? and a cosine signal indicative of cos ? according to a rotational angle ? of a rotator, includes an inspection value calculating section configured to calculate an inspection value based on at least one of the sine signal and the cosine signal; a failure detecting section configured to judge whether the resolver is in a failure state or not on the basis of the inspection value; a counting section configured to gradually increase a count value with a lapse of time when the failure detecting section is determining that the resolver is in the failure state, and configured to gradually decrease the count value with a lapse of time when the failure detecting section is determining that the resolver is not in the failure state; and a failure deciding section configured to finally decide that the resolver has caused the failure on the basis of the count value.

Abstract: A process for producing a semiconductor device, includes: first melting by heating only a superior portion of a bump formed on an electrode on one principle surface of a semiconductor substrate; and second melting the entire bump by also heating an inferior portion of the bump.

Abstract: A forming method of an electrode includes the steps of providing an electrode material on a conductive part; exposing the electrode material at a temperature equal to or higher than a melting point of the electrode material in an oxidizing atmosphere; and exposing the melted electrode material, in a reducing atmosphere, at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the electrode material and lower than the temperature at which the electrode material is exposed in the oxidizing atmosphere.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes an electric motor, a temperature sensor, and a control unit. The electric motor produces an assist steering effort in a steering system. The temperature sensor measures a temperature of a first portion subject to thermal influence of operation of the electric motor. The control unit determines an estimated temperature of a second portion in accordance with a value of a motor current, the second portion being subject to thermal influence of operation of the electric motor. The control unit determines a first upper limit value in accordance with the measured temperature; determines a second upper limit value in accordance with the estimated temperature; limit the motor current to a smaller one of the first and second upper limit values, when determining that the temperature sensor is normal; limit the motor current to the second upper limit value, when determining that the temperature sensor is abnormal.

Abstract: There is provided an optical pickup system which includes a first light source emitting first light having a wavelength ?1, a second light source emitting second light having a wavelength ?2 longer than the wavelength ?1, a third light source emitting third light having a wavelength ?3 longer than the wavelength ?2, and an objective lens focusing the first light on an information recording surface of a first optical recording medium, focusing the second light on an information recording surface of a second optical recording medium, and focusing the third light on an information recording surface of a third optical recording medium. In the optical pickup system, at least one lens surface of the objective lens is divided into a plurality of concentric sections with an optical axis, having a step at each boundary between the sections, each of the sections has a different aspherical shape and m1>m2>0 and ?0.060?m3??0.

Abstract: When a nickel (Ni) layer is formed on an electrode pad made of aluminum-silicon (Al—Si) by an electroless plating method, prior to the precipitation of zinc (Zn) which becomes a catalyst, copper (Cu) is formed in the form of discontinuous spots or islands on the surface of the electrode pad, thereby providing a copper (Cu) thin layer.

Abstract: An objective lens of this embodiment is used in an optical head in which a distance between a DVD laser and a CD laser is fixed. The objective lens focuses a laser beam emitted from the DVD laser on a DVD by a numerical aperture of 0.60, and focuses a laser beam emitted from the CD laser on a CD by an numerical aperture of 0.47. The wavefront aberration in design for CD is set greater than the wavefront aberration in design for DVD.

Abstract: In a composite multiplexer circuit designed to multiplex plural frequency bands by interconnecting plural multiplexer circuits in parallel, a multiplexer circuit for extracting a frequency band of a GPS reception system includes a matching network including an inductor and a capacitor, and a surface acoustic wave filter connected in series with the matching network. The multiplexer circuit for the GPS reception system can be so set as to have infinite impedances at the other frequency bands than the frequency band thereof. This prevents signals in the other frequency bands from leaking into the multiplexer circuit for the GPS reception system.

Abstract: A lens surface of an objective lens is divided into a plurality of zones concentric about an optical axis. The lens surface includes an inner area and an outer area located outside the inner area. The inner area focuses the first light beam on the information recording surface of the first optical recording medium and focuses the second light beam on the information recording surface of the second optical recording medium. The outer area causes the first light beam to become flare and focuses the second light beam on the information recording surface of the second optical recording medium.

Abstract: An optical pickup lens focuses laser beams having different wavelengths ?1, ?2 and ?3 on at least three kinds of optical discs. At least one side of the optical pickup lens has a concentric loop zonal structure for compensating wavefront aberration occurring when recording or reproducing an optical disc having a substrate thickness t1 by the laser beam having the wavelength ?1 and wavefront aberration occurring when recording or reproducing an optical disc having a substrate thickness t2 by the laser beam having the wavelength ?2. When recording or reproducing an optical disc having a substrate thickness t3 by the laser beam having the wavelength ?3, a phase difference given to the laser beam having the wavelength ?3 due to the concentric loop zonal structure is about 0.15 ? or smaller.

Abstract: A pickup lens with a phase compensator is composed of a condenser lens and a phase compensator. At least one surface of the condenser lens has a step-like annular zone structure to compensate wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t1 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?1 and wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t2 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?2. The phase compensator compensates wavefront aberration generated when recording and reproducing data on an information recording medium having a substrate thickness of t3 with a laser beam having a wavelength ?3.