Abstract: A capacitor is provided that is optimal for use in DRAM and has high dielectric constant, and allows leakage current flowing therethrough to be maintained at a low level, and further, permits dependence of the leakage current on temperatures to be small. That is, capacitor openings are formed in an inter layer silicon oxide layer and a TiN film is patterned so that TiN films are left only within the openings to form lower electrodes within the openings. Subsequently, a Zr- and/or Hf-containing oxide film (represented by the formula, multicomponent Zr.sub.x.Hf.sub.1-x.O.sub.2 film (0?x?1)) formed from a metal-containing organic compound as a reactant and a Ti-containing oxide film are laminated to form capacitor dielectrics.

Abstract: The illumination device comprises at least one light source, and a light pipe positioned at the front side of a license plate, and a light diffusing means. A light of the light sources is led, the light pipe emitting a leading light from the surface of the license plate face. The light emitted from the observed face is diffused by the light diffusing means. The light diffusing means is provided with, rugged portions of an observed face opposite to a light emitting face, or, a light diffusing layer composed of two or more kinds of light transmitting materials, refractive indexes of which are different each other, on the observing face, and a light led from a light leading face is reflected and diffused on the light diffusing layer.

Abstract: A portable electronic equipment is capable of preventing warpage of an internal substrate accommodated therein due to pressing operations of button keys to thereby improve the mechanical strength thereof and contribute a downsizing thereof. To this end, a stopper 14 is provided on a front case 1 for limiting the amount of depression of each button key 8. The stopper 14 has a shape to support an entire outer periphery of a flange 15 of each button key or a shape to support an outer periphery of a flange 15 of each button key radially in a plurality of directions. Also, key seats 19 for the button keys are connected with each other in a bridge-shaped configuration, or formed separately or independently from each other. In addition, the front cover is provided with a case cover for preventing the button keys from popping out therefrom.

Abstract: When data is transferred from a controller of a liquid crystal display device to each driver through a predetermined number of signal lines, the Transferring Data are divided into a plurality of groups by forming the signal lines into groups beforehand. For each group, the combination of inversion/non-inversion of the data to be transmitted is examined, a well-balanced combination is selected so as to reduce EMI.

Abstract: A mobile communication system is composed of a plurality of base stations, a mobile terminal, and a base station controller. The base station controller selects a communication base station from among the plurality of base stations based on a velocity of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal establishes a channel with the communication base station.

Abstract: In an LED device, an opening portion of a package in which a plurality of five light-emitting elements are mounted is filled with a transparent epoxy resin and sealed with the resin. The transparent epoxy resin is shrunk when cured. Hence, the surface of the transparent epoxy resin is dented in the center portion so that the outer edge portion becomes higher than the center portion. The light-emitting elements located at opposite ends are the highest in element height among the five light-emitting elements. Hence, when the light-emitting elements are mounted at opposite ends of a single row, distances from light-emitting surfaces of the five light-emitting elements to the surface of the transparent epoxy resin are made uniform and luminous intensity distribution characteristics thereof are made uniform. Tips of leads are further bent up along side surfaces of the package.

Abstract: An undercoat layer inclusive of a metal nitride layer is formed on a substrate. Group III nitride compound semiconductor layers are formed on the undercoat layer continuously.

Abstract: A steering control unit (3) employs the detected results of environmental conditions given by an environmental-condition detecting unit (5) and issues an operating command to a steering motor (M1) attached to a steering mechanism (1) as a steering actuator when, for example, an object approaching from behind at a speed exceeding a predetermined speed is detected and when the steering control unit (3) decides there is the possibility that the object may collide with one's own vehicle. Then the steering control unit (3) causes the steering motor (M1) to make the steering mechanism (1) perform forcible steering in order to avoid danger.

Abstract: A tape optical fiber cord with an optical fiber array has, at its one end, a half pitch fiber array connected to an optical waveguide. Connectors are connected respectively to connector-side optical fibers located at the other end of the tape optical fiber cord. A branching case for branching the connector-side optical fibers is provided in a position between both ends of the cord. One end of a tape fiber comprising tapes arranged in two columns of two stages is fixed to the half pitch fiber array, and the other end is fixed in a fixation section within the branching case to the case. In the portion intermediate between the two fixed portions, the connector-side optical fibers are separated one by one, and the outside of the separated optical fibers is covered with a protective tube while leaving a space between the protective tube and the separated optical fibers.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device including an interconnection is provided. The method is composed of covering a substrate with a metal film stack including a lower refractory metal film over the substrate, a lower protective layer of a first compound including metal disposed on an upper surface of the lower refractory metal film, a core metal film of the metal on an upper surface of the lower protective layer, an upper protective layer of a second compound including the metal disposed on an upper surface of the core metal film, and an upper refractory metal film disposed on an upper surface of the upper protective layer, patterning the metal film stack; and forming a side protective layer of a third compound including the metal on a side of the patterned core metal film.

Abstract: An interior illuminating apparatus for a vehicle includes an interior rear-view minor which is connected and fixed to an interior ceiling of the vehicle for observing the rear. An LED is provided in a vicinity of the interior rear-view mirror at a forward position in a traveling direction of the vehicle and radiates ultraviolet light on a center part of an instrument panel. An operating unit adapted to receive the ultraviolet light from the LED is provided in the center part of the instrument panel. The apparatus includes a starting switch for actuating the LED on and off. The operating unit has fluorescent layers coated thereon and containing a substance which emits fluorescence when irradiated with the ultraviolet light from the LED.

Abstract: In a solid state image sensor having micro lenses, the micro lens and a bonding pad electrode are formed on a planarizing layer. Thus, it is no longer necessary to etch the planarizing layer for exposing the bonding pad under the planarizing layer, by use of a photolithography, and therefore, it is possible to avoid dissolution, deform and detachment of the micro lens, which would have otherwise been caused in the prior art by dissolving a photoresist which was used in the photolithography.

Abstract: A method (and system) for producing a halftoned image, includes calculating errors corresponding to a plurality of different viewing conditions of a halftone image, and minimizing a function of the errors, such that the halftoned image appears as a different image under different viewing conditions. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the halftoned image appears as the same image under different viewing conditions.

Abstract: A decoding circuit and a decoding method thereof can significantly reduce circuit scale and power consumption. The decoding circuit, in which a plurality of code words are transmitted in interleaved manner and a plurality of code words are simultaneously decoded on reception side, comprises a decoder which decodes a plurality of said code words simultaneously.

Abstract: The printer driver receives print data from an application software program. When the received print data is font data, the printer driver transmits the font data as it is to the printer. When the print data is other than font data, but is vector data, for example, the printer driver converts the received data into bitmap data of the host-based-type format. The printer driver then transfers the converted print data to the printer. In the printer, when the received print data is bitmap data, information on the bitmap data is registered in a packet structure, and is then set in a development buffer. When the received print data is font data, on the other hand, the font data is registered in the packet structure. The font data is then developed into bitmap data, and then set over the already-set bitmap data in the development buffer. Thus, composite bitmap data is created and printed out.

Abstract: A system (and method) includes a seating platform, at least one sensor for detecting a state of the seating platform connected to a first wireless communications device, the first wireless communications device for conveying information on the state of the seating platform, and a second wireless communications device for receiving information from the first wireless communications device, and a computing system. The second wireless communications device is for receiving the information carrying signal and is connected to the computing system. The computing system is for initiating an action based upon the information.

Abstract: In an LED unit, all of eight LEDs are connected in series. The voltage of a power supply, that is, a battery of a vehicle, 12 V, is insufficient for the eight LEDs. To cope with this, a boosting circuit is provided within the control unit to boost the voltage to about 16 V which is then applied to the eight LEDs. The front end of the LED unit is connected to a constant-current circuit, and a voltage detection circuit is provided near and connected to this constant-current circuit for detecting the voltage applied to the constant-current circuit. The voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit is compared with a reference voltage drawn from the power supply, is amplified in an amplifier, and is input as a boosting control signal into the boosting circuit. The boosting control signal is output so as to regulate the boosted voltage in such a manner that the voltage detected in the voltage detection circuit is a lowest possible voltage.

Abstract: A transparent electrode film containing gold for covering the uppermost layer of a group III nitride semiconductor device has a first layer formed on the uppermost layer and not thicker than 15 ?, and a second layer formed on the first layer and containing gold. The first layer contains a first metal having an ionization potential lower than that of gold, and the second layer further contains a second metal having an ionization potential lower than that of gold.

Abstract: An instrument panel is formed in such a manner as to be vertically divided into an upper panel and a lower panel along a transverse direction of the body of a vehicle. A steering support beam and a blower unit are integrally mounted on the lower panel to construct a unitized component before they are mounted on the vehicle body. After the unitized component is mounted on the vehicle body from an upper side of the lower panel, the upper panel is mounted on the vehicle body.

Abstract: A bridge (8) in conformity with a tooth opening angle of the stator (1) is provided between a permanent magnet (5) and a permanent magnet (5) in a rotor (4), so that a magnetic flux for a reluctance torque is made to pass an inner side of the permanent magnet (5). An opening angle of each of ribs (7) on both sides of the permanent magnet (5) is set to be equal to or smaller than the teeth interval opening angle and equal to or larger than a half thereof. Thereby, reluctance of the rib (7) against a magnetic flux in a circumferential direction is increased and leakage of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet (5) is prevented.