Abstract: A comparator which can operate stably against an absolute value distribution of a threshold voltage among MOS transistors and has a wide allowable range against the threshold voltage dispersion and besides allows reduction in power consumption. The comparator employs a single MOS transistor, and a resistance element is connected between the drain electrode of the MOS transistor and a power supply. A capacitor is connected between the gate electrode of the MOS transistor and a dc potential point, and a switch is connected between the gate electrode and the drain electrode. A comparison reference level and comparison input data are inputted in a time series to the source electrode of the MOS transistor, and the MOS transistor performs a comparation operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a silicon oxide film which has a process chamber and is for thermally oxidizing a surface of a silicon layer by introducing water vapor into the process chamber, and which further has dew-formation prevention/evaporation means for preventing dew formation in the process chamber and/or evaporating dew in the process chamber.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having a thin-film transistor formed on a substrate for driving an pixel electrode comprises a holding capacitor line underlying a thin-film semiconductor layer which forms the thin-film transistor, and a first holding capacitor dielectric film formed between the holding capacitor line and the thin-film semiconductor layer, a first holding capacitor element being made up of the thin-film semiconductor layer and the holding capacitor line interposing the first holding capacitor dielectric film therebetween.

Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing apparatus for a disc-shaped recording medium having a rotary shaft and a driving pin provided at an offset position relative to this driving shaft, the rotary shaft being passed through a rotary shaft inserting opening formed in the disc-shaped recording medium and the driving pin being engaged in a driving pin engagement opening bored in the disc-shaped recording medium to set the rotational position of the disc-shaped recording medium run in rotation to record and/or reproduce information signals.

Abstract: A semiconductor nonvolatile memory device improving reproducibility and reliability of insulation breakage of a silicon oxide film and capable of reducing the manufacturing cost and a method for production of the same, wherein each of the memory cells arranged in a matrix form has an insulating film breakage type fuse comprising an impurity region of a first conductivity type formed on a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate while covering the impurity region, an opening formed in the first insulating film so as to reach the impurity region, and a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second insulating film, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type successively stacked in the opening from the impurity region side, or has an insulating film breakage type fuse comprising an impurity region of a first conductivity type in the first semiconductor layer having an SOI structure, a first insulating film on the SOI layer, an op

Abstract: This invention is directed to a tape cassette in which a tape body is wound across a pair of tape reels rotatably supported by the cassette body. At the cassette body, there are provided a first write protect mechanism provided in correspondence with the position where there is provided a write protect mechanism provided at other tape cassette loaded with compatibility with respect to a recording/reproducing apparatus into which tape cassette is loaded, and a second write protect mechanism provided at the position which is not in correspondence with the position where write protect mechanism provided at the other tape cassette is provided, wherein the first write protect mechanism is in write protect state at all times.

Abstract: A guide member for accommodating a removable module is formed from a thermally conductive material having at least one thermally conductive element to provide a new primary heat dissipation path to manage thermal energy generated by operation of the module. The guide member may also be used to guide the module into proper connection with a module connector which electrically connects the circuit on the module with other circuitry. A plurality of thermally conductive elements, such as spring fingers, ribs and fins, provide additional thermal heat dissipation paths and enhance the rigidity of the guide members.

Abstract: A data transferring method for a nonvolatile memory composed of a flash memory. The flash memory allows a gaplessly read process to be performed unless a transfer error takes place. The flash memory comprises a first shift register, a second shift register, and a switching circuit. The first shift register stores data of the first half area of one page for a data re-transfer process in the case that a transfer error takes place. The second shift register stores data of the second half area of one page for a data re-transfer process in the case that a transfer error takes place. The switching circuit switches between output data of a memory cell array and output data of the first and second shift registers. As a result, data can be transferred at the logically maximum speed. In addition, a transfer error is detected page by page. When a transfer error is detected, the data re-transfer process is performed using the shift registers. Thus, the throughput can be suppressed from deteriorating.

Abstract: A flat-type display comprising a first panel having electron-emitting portions; a second panel having an electron irradiation surface; and an electron-emitting-portion driving circuit for driving the electron-emitting portions, wherein an electron-emitting-portion cutoff circuit is provided between the electron-emitting portions and the electron-emitting-portion driving circuit for preventing a discharge between the electron-emitting portions and the electron irradiation surface.

Abstract: A parallel processing apparatus capable of flexibly solving at a high speed the problem of synchronization wait when a plurality of tasks are generated, wherein a processor element PE12 specifies pipe counters and calls up a plurality of tasks with respect to processor elements PE13 to PE15 and waits for synchronization according to need by a synchronization wait command, an arbiter 56 increases a count value of a corresponding pipe counter when a task is called up and decreases the count value of the corresponding pipe counter when the task is ended, and the processor element PE12 compares the count value contained in the synchronization wait command and the count value of the corresponding pipe counter of the arbiter 56 when executing the synchronization wait command, releases the synchronization wait when they coincide, and enters the synchronization wait when they do not coincide.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cathode ray tube and a intensity controlling method achieving a reduced amount of factors for correcting intensity prepared and capable of performing proper intensity control so that the joint portion of split picture planes is inconspicuous from a viewpoint of intensity. With respect to the direction of overlapping a plurality of split picture planes, only correction factors at representative signal levels are pre-stored as a basic factor table. Any of the factors at the other signal levels is obtained by performing an interpolating operation using the basic factors in the basic factor table. The value of the signal level of a video signal referred to when the correction factor in the overlapping direction is obtained is changed by using a shift factor associated with the pixel position in the direction orthogonal to the overlapping direction. The basic factor is thereby changed according to the pixel position in the orthogonal direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor thin film includes an underlying semiconductor layer in which a plurality of facets are arranged, and a selectively grown/buried semiconductor layer formed to cover the underlying semiconductor layer, wherein the facets are formed by planes tilted with respect to the disposition plane of the underlying semiconductor layer. In this semiconductor thin film, threading-dislocations are formed in the selectively grown/buried semiconductor layer in such a manner that each of the threading-dislocations bendingly extends from one of the facets of the underlying semiconductor layer in the direction substantially along the disposition plane of the underlying semiconductor layer, being joined to another of the threading-dislocations bendingly extending from the opposed one of the facets, and bendingly extends from the joined portion in the direction crossing the disposition plane of the underlying semiconductor layer.

Abstract: The hard disk apparatus has first and second skew adjust members 21 and 22 for adjusting inclinations or an inclination of a main guide shaft 16 and/or a sub-guide shaft 17. The first and second skew adjust members comprise: bearing parts 41 or a bearing part 41 provided such that the centers or center of shaft holes 43 or a shaft hole 43 in which ends or an end of a main guide shaft 16 and/or a sub-guide shaft 17 is inserted and supported is deviated from the centers or center of end surfaces or an end surface of the main guide shaft 16 and/or a sub-guide shaft 17, the end surfaces or end surface being substantially perpendicular to the axial directions or axial direction of the main guide shaft 16 and/or the sub-guide shaft 17; and first, second, and third contact surfaces A, B, and C that are brought into contact with a support base 8, the first, second, and third contact surfaces forming a substantially rectangular outer circumference.

Abstract: An optical disc capable of preventing damages on a printing plate and an injection compression molding die capable of producing such optical disc substrate without raising the accuracy of the die are provided. An optical disc substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention has a ring-formed projected portion on the outer periphery of the printable plane slightly recessed inwardly from the outer edge of the disc. Such optical disc substrate can be produced using a molding die in which a readout-side mirror has a ring-formed groove on the inner surface thereof in the vicinity of a sliding portion between such readout-side mirror and a cavity ring.

Abstract: For the purpose of a sufficient exposure tolerance and a sufficient lithographic process tolerance like the depth of focus while reducing the line width difference due to the pattern density of a resist pattern, correction is made to the overlapping width a1 of a translucent region of a phase shift mask and a shading region of a binary mask used upon high-resolution exposure (isolated pattern), the overlapping width a2 (L/S pattern), line width b1 in a phase shift mask (isolated pattern) and the line width b2 (L/S pattern) toward decreasing the line width difference among resist patterns when a resist pattern having patterns like an isolated pattern and an L/S pattern that are different in pattern density.

Abstract: A gamma corrector inputs a primary color signal as an image signal to each of the differential amplifiers which are connected in parallel to each other and mixes a plurality of output signals which are outputted from the four differential amplifiers to output an image signal to which a plurality of gamma correction is applied. Each of the differential amplifiers amplifies and outputs the inputted primary color signal with a different gain characteristic so that the gain characteristic of the signal obtained by mixing the output signals varies at two inflection points. The two-point gamma correction is applied to the inputted primary color signal so that a signal level at the side of a black level is turned down and the signal level at the side of a white level is turned up.

Abstract: An image input device or a solid-state image sensing device using a CCD linear sensor includes a main sensor array and a sub sensor array. A transfer register for the sub sensor array is provided with charge sweep means for sweeping away unnecessary charges. Thus, only signals in the main sensor array are selectively read out without being affected by signals in the sub sensor array.

Abstract: A focusing stage is provided on a slide table of a support mechanism portion on which a master is supported, at a position adjacent to the master. At the time of recording, first, the focusing stage is irradiated with an electron beam to thereby focus the electron beam, and thereafter recording is conducted by irradiating the master with the electron beam.

Abstract: A planar shape characteristic measuring apparatus and method, which can precisely and efficiently measure the characteristics relating to a surface shape of the measured surface of a disk such as a data recording surface of an optical disk including a laser Doppler speed meter which detects a perpendicular direction speed of a measured surface of a rotating disk; a tilt angle calculating unit which calculates a tilt angle in the rotational direction of an optical disk at each measuring position to a reference surface based on a linear speed at each measuring position detected by the laser Doppler speed meter and the detected perpendicular direction speed; a displacement calculating unit which calculates a perpendicular direction displacement of the optical disk at each measuring position; an acceleration calculating unit which calculates a perpendicular direction acceleration; and a focus servo error calculating unit which calculates a focus servo error which is predicted to occur in a focus servo system.

Abstract: A printed wiring board reduced in weight by reducing the size and the thickness of a substrate in its entirety. The printed wiring board includes a rigid substrate 2, comprised of a core material 11 at least one side of which carries a land 23, and flexible substrates 3, 4, 5 and 6 comprised of core materials 33, 36 on at least one surface of which a bump 32 for electrical connection to the land 38 is formed protuberantly. The rigid substrate 2 and the flexible substrates 3 to 6 are molded as one with each other, with the interposition of an adhesive in-between, so that the land and the bump face each other.