Abstract: A lithium secondary battery of the present invention comprises a positive electrode formed by disposing a positive-electrode mixture layer containing a positive-electrode active material and a positive-electrode binder, on a surface of a positive-electrode current collector; a negative electrode formed by sintering a negative-electrode mixture layer containing a negative-electrode binder and a negative-electrode active material containing silicon and/or a silicon alloy, disposed on a surface of a negative-electrode current collector; a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and a nonaqueous electrolyte; wherein an electrode unit obtained by setting the positive electrode and the negative electrode opposed to each other through the separator and rolling them in spirally rolled state is placed in a cylindrical battery container and wherein a curvature radius of the negative-electrode mixture layer opposed to the positive-electrode mixture layer through the separator in the

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: (a) forming an interlayer insulating film on a substrate; (b) forming an interconnect in the interlayer insulating film; (c) applying an organic solution to an upper surface of the interconnect and an upper surface of the interlayer insulating film; (d) after (c), applying a silylating solution to the upper surface of the interconnect and the upper surface of the interlayer insulating film; (e) after (d), heating the substrate; and (f) forming a first liner insulating film at least on the upper surface of the interconnect.

Abstract: An input device includes an input section formed of a display sheet and a coordinate input sheet, and a switch section allowing a push-input and placed on a substrate at a place corresponding to a display section of the display sheet. A foamed layer containing air and working as an insulating resin layer is placed between the input section and the substrate. The input section is supported via the foamed layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing pad which can improve qualities of an object to be polished by improving the flatness of the object. A polishing surface 1a of a polishing pad 1 is subjected to a mechanical process, such as buffing, so that the flatness of the surface is improved, and corrugations on the polishing surface have a cycle of 5 mm-200 mm and a largest amplitude of 40 ?m or less. As a result, the flatness of the object polished by the polishing pad 1, such as a silicon wafer, is improved.

Abstract: A solar cell module and a method of manufacturing the solar cell module are disclosed. The method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes forming a conductive bump on a conductive pad formed on one surface of a solar cell, forming a circuit pattern on one surface of a transparent substrate, in which the circuit pattern corresponds to a position of the conductive bump, adhering the solar cell to the transparent substrate in such a way that the conductive bump is in direct contact with the circuit pattern, and forming a protective resin layer on one surface of the transparent substrate in such a way that the solar cell is covered. By using the above steps, a thinner solar cell module can be implemented while improving the manufacturing efficiency.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a photovoltaic device that includes spherical photovoltaic elements and a support with a large number of recesses for receiving the elements one by one and to the photovoltaic device. Each of the spherical photovoltaic elements comprises a spherical first semiconductor and a second semiconductor layer covering the surface of the first semiconductor. A conductive adhesive is applied in advance to the bottoms of the recesses of the support serving as a second conductor layer. The elements are disposed in the bottoms of the recesses with the conductive adhesive applied thereto, to fix the elements to the support and electrically connect their second semiconductor layers to the support. An electrical insulator layer, which has through-holes serving as conductive paths, is bonded to the backside of the support, and a first conductor layer, which interconnects the electrodes of the first semiconductors of the respective elements, is formed thereon.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device having a nonvolatile memory function capable of shortening an erase time and executing data access efficiently. When, under the control of a command register/control circuit, an erase voltage is applied to an embedded erase gate wiring disposed in a memory cell boundary region, and an electrical charge is transferred between a floating gate and an embedded erase gate to thereby perform an erase operation, a read selection voltage is applied to a memory gate line and an assist gate line during the application of the erase voltage to thereby carry out the reading of data.

Abstract: Configurations providing a reusable context model for a user interface over SMS for interacting with different levels of a user interface (UI) within an interactive system are described. An SMS server can implement the reusable context model in which an available number from a sequence of numbers (e.g., a block of numbers) is assigned to a first level of the UI. The first level of the UI can include a set of options corresponding to different operations within the interactive system. When an SMS message, which includes a selected option from the set of options from the first level of the UI, is received over the assigned number, the SMS server can determine whether to assign an additional number from the sequence of phone numbers for responding to the received SMS message. The additional assigned number can correspond with a second level of the UI within the interactive system.

Abstract: A system of hardware and software provides a systematic and systemic method for performing assessment of the effectiveness of different levels within an institution. The system includes template driven definitions that span multiple tiers of hierarchically arranged operating units within the institution thereby providing flexibility and customization to handle a user-definable model of the institution's organization. In particular, one or more concurrently active assessment projects may be associated with an assessment initiative. In this way, portions of data collection and reporting may be shared within the program initiative and its various, associated assessment projects.

Abstract: A projection type image display device using, in a projection optical system thereof, a flat mirror, which is easy to design and manufacture, as a projection mirror is provided. The projection optical system is a diagonal projection optical system and includes plural lenses. Among the plural lenses, the one disposed closest to the flat mirror has an effective area, along the vertical direction of an image, through which a light beam passes and which is off an optical axis of the other plurality of lenses, shared by the most lenses so as not to allow light reflected from the projection mirror to return to the projector body. A polarization converter using, for example, a quarter wavelength plate is provided at an output surface of a crossed prism to decrease reflectance differences between differently colored light and to thereby prevent the occurrence of color unevenness.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory element includes a current controlling element having a non-linear current-voltage characteristic, a resistance variable element which changes reversibly between a low-resistance state and a high-resistance state in which a resistance value of the resistance variable element is higher than a resistance value of the resistance variable element in the low-resistance state, in response to voltage pulses applied, and a fuse. The current controlling element, the resistance variable element and the fuse are connected in series, and the fuse is configured to be blown when the current controlling element is substantially short-circuited.

Abstract: In a method of scanning a charged particle beam which can position the scan position to a proper location inside a deflectable range of the scan position of charged particle beam, the scan position of charged particle beam is deflected to a plurality of target objects inside a scan position deflectable region and on the basis of a shift of a target object at a scan location after deflection, the deflection amount at the scan location is corrected.

Abstract: A sample holder capable of holding samples is provided which comprises a plurality of probes in contact with a sample, fine movement mechanisms for moving the plural probes, and a driver connected to the fine movement mechanisms, wherein the plural fine movement mechanisms move the plural probes independently of one another and the driver moves the plural probes simultaneously.

Abstract: In order to significantly improve power generation efficiencies for the fuel cells, the present invention provides a method for fabricating a polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a surface with an array of a plurality of fine convex portion with a depth of not less than 3 ?m and not more than 12 ?m and an aspect ratio of not less than 0.4 and not more than 2.0, said method comprising the steps of (A) to (E), (A) preparing a mold comprising a surface with an array of a plurality of fine concave portions, wherein, each of said fine concave portions comprises a bottom and a side wall, each of said bottoms and said side walls are hydrophilic, each of side walls is smooth, each of said concave portions has a depth of not less than 3 ?m and not more than 12 ?m and an aspect ratio of not less than 0.4 and not more than 2.

Abstract: This invention provides a monitor device capable of detecting possible abnormalities in body fluid withdrawal by a body fluid sampler and variations in the dilution when a withdrawn body fluid is diluted, and a living organism-measuring device with this monitor device. The former device includes a first optical sensor disposed on a diluent channel through which a diluent is introduced into a body fluid sampler for withdrawing a body fluid; a second optical sensor disposed on a diluted body fluid channel through which the diluted body fluid is transferred to a living organism-measuring sensor, and close to the first optical sensor; and a controlling unit for judging whether variations in a dilution to which the body fluid is diluted are within predetermined limits, from data outputted by the first optical sensor and data outputted by the second optical sensor. The latter device has the monitor device incorporated thereto.

Abstract: There is provided an LED driving circuit including: at least one ladder network circuit including: (n+1) number of first branches connected in parallel with one another by n number of first middle junction points between a first junction point and a second junction point, where n denotes an integer satisfying n?2, (n+1) number of second branches connected in parallel with one another by n number of second middle junction points between the first junction point and the second junction point, the (n+1) number of second branches connected in parallel with the first branches; and n number of middle branches connecting the first and second middle junction points of an identical m sequence to each other, respectively, wherein each of the first and second, and middle branches comprises at least one LED device.

Abstract: Generated is a template edition screen on which to display components of a report as modules by OSD by use of icons. One of the icons is selected by use of a pointing device including a mouse. By a drag-and-drop operation, the icon is placed at a desired position in an output format setup area formed in the same screen. The icon is set in a desired size by another drag-and-drop operation. Details of a module shown by the icon thus placed can be set up in a detail setup area in the same screen. Information on a format thus set up is retained as a template through a retention function, and accordingly can be used easily by simply calling the information. Moreover, the retained template can be edited as well. This makes it possible not only to create a new template, but also to modify an existing template.

Abstract: A battery (3) includes a battery case (10) having an opening sealed with a sealing plate (13). The sealing plate (13) has a protrusion (13a) extending in a direction toward the outside of the battery case (10), and a ring-shaped insulator (32) is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the protrusion (13a). An inner circumferential portion (32e) of the insulator (32) is in contact with the outer circumferential surface (13b) of the protrusion (13a), and an outer circumferential portion (32d) of the insulator (32) is extended to be positioned on an opening end (10a) of the battery case (10).

Abstract: In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a system for storing data is provided. The system includes a processor that receives an application request to update a file on a server storage device, and generates, based on the request, a command to update the file on a server storage device. The system also includes a communications module that provides, to the server storage device, the command to update the file on the server storage device. The request is formatted for a file storage protocol of a client storage device, and the command is formatted for a file storage protocol of the server storage device. The command to update the file on the server storage device is not specific to the application generating the application request. Methods and computer-readable mediums are also provided.