Abstract: Arranged in a series are an electrolyte tank capable of holding one of a number of substrates, each substrate having a conducting film thereon, and a cathode so that the cathode and substrate face each other in an electrolyte, an anodizing chamber for anodizing the substrate, a pretreatment chamber for calcining a photoresist mask put on part of the conducting film, and a post-treatment chamber for washing and drying the anodized substrate. A substrate transportation mechanism is provided for serially transporting the substrates one by one from the pretreatment chamber to the post-treatment chamber via the anodizing chamber. In the anodizing chamber described above, a formation voltage is increased to a value such that an oxide film with a desired thickness is formed so that the value of a current flowing through an aluminum alloy film as the conducting film is kept constant with the current density ranging from 3.0 mA/cm.sup.2 to 15.0 mA/cm.sup.2.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus according to the present invention is used as a sound source, an effecting machine and/or a communication equipment, which simultaneously generates or processes a plurality of musical tones and sounds on the basis of a plurality of input data such as performance data, musical tone data and/or communication data. This signal processing apparatus stores a program prepared for controlling operation to generate or process musical tones and sounds only for one channel. The program is read out in accordance with a lower bit of a readout counter. A upper bit of the readout counter is used to designate a channel to which the generated or processed musical tones and sounds are assigned in accordance with the read out program. As a result, only a small area is required for storing the program and a simple construction may be employed in the apparatus.

Abstract: Shock absorbing members are attached to an outer rim of a back surface of a wristwatch case body at 6- and 12-o'clock portions thereof, and they extend outward and curve downward. Each of the shock absorbing members has rising portions extending from its both side ends and which are freely swingably attached to the wristwatch case body to a circumferential surface of the wristwatch case body. In addition, a part of a front surface and the circumferential surface of the wristwatch case body are covered by a first cover member made of soft synthetic resin, and the first cover is partly covered by a metal-made second cover member. When shock is applied to the front and circumferential surfaces of the wristwatch case body, the shock is reduced or absorbed by the rising portions of the shock absorbing members. When shock is applied to the back surface of the case body, the shock is reduced or absorbed by the shock absorbing member.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece includes the function of indicating the current time and a plurality of other different functions. Data provided by at least one of the plurality of other different functions is displayed by the turning of a pointer with a pointer display control unit within a predetermined range of angles. Data provided by at least one of the other functions is displayed on an electro-optical display. While data provided by the at least one of the other functions is being displayed on the electro-optical display, a function designating control unit moves the pointer to a predetermined position outside the predetermined range of angles to indicate the at least one of the function.

Abstract: A memory assembly, comprises a wiring board having wiring patterns, the wiring patterns having a plurality of electrodes, each of the wiring patterns having a connecting terminal formed on a single main surface of the wiring board, a memory device mounted to the wiring board and having a plurality of electrodes connected to the electrodes of the wiring patterns, and an electrical insulator mounted to the main surface of the wiring board and having a shape to expose the connecting terminal to the atmosphere. The insulator insulates the wiring patterns, the electrodes of the wiring patterns and the connecting terminal from possible electrical charges on a surface of the memory assembly to protect the memory device from being electrically charged and discharged. Even if the exterior surface of the memory assembly is charged with possible static electricity, the interior of the memory assembly is protected from being electrically charged and discharged.

Abstract: A polarizer and an analyzer are respectively arranged on the incident and exit sides of a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell, and at least one biaxial retardation plate is arranged between the polarizer and the analyzer. The biaxial retardation plate is arranged such that its phase delay axis is parallel or perpendicular to the aligning treatment direction of an aligning film on the incident side of the liquid crystal cell. The polarizer is arranged such that its light-transmitting axis is parallel or perpendicular to the incident-side aligning treatment direction. The light-transmitting axis of the analyzer is set to be perpendicular to the light-transmitting axis of the polarizer. A liquid crystal material sealed in the twisted nematic liquid crystal cell is twisted at about 90.degree.. The biaxial retardation plate has a refractive index n.sub.X in an extending direction of the retardation plate, a refractive index n.sub.Y in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction, and a refractive index n.

Abstract: Document data stored in a document storage area are extracted line by line to analyze the structure of the document data. The document layout information is extracted from the analysis result. The extracted layout information is stored, as learning data, in a document layout information learning area. In format conversion, the document data to be output, which is extracted in the same manner as described above, is converted on the basis of the learning data. Document data having a consistent layout is output to a CRT or a printer in accordance with the converted layout information.

Abstract: Data input from a key switch is displayed on a liquid crystal display, and whether to store the data in a RAM or an EEPROM is selected by a selection switch. If the EEPROM is selected, a CPU turns on a power switch to apply a high voltage to the EEPROM to write the input data therein. Data stored in the RAM and the EEPROM are read out upon operation of a search switch and are sequentially displayed on the liquid crystal display. It is clearly indicated on the display whether the currently displayed data is read out from the RAM or the EEPROM. With this operation, if data which is required to be protected against disconnection of a power supply voltage or a drop in power supply voltage is stored in the RAM, the data can be stored in the EEPROM.

Abstract: A slip producing apparatus and method for producing a slip having a variable number of word names and respectively corresponding word data, wherein a plurality of slip types and a variable arbitrary number of word names corresponding to each slip type are stored in advance in a word name storage device; an input device is provided for inputting data designating the slip type and for sequentially inputting word data respectively corresponding to the variable number of word names of the designated slip type; and the inputted word data is stored in a word data storage device.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin-film transistor which comprises the steps of forming a gate electrode on an insulating substrate, a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode, and an i-type a-Si layer on the gate insulating film, forming a blocking film made of metal such as Cr or the like on a channel-forming region of the i-type a-Si layer, and forming an n-type a-Si layer covering the i-type a-Si layer and the blocking film, forming a metal layer on the n-type a-Si layer, and etching a predetermined portion of the n-type a-Si layer and a predetermined portion of the metal layer, thereby forming a source electrode and a drain electrode. That portion of the blocking film which is located below a gap between the source electrode and the drain electrode is removed from the i-type a-Si layer.

Abstract: An amorphous silicon hydride thin film is deposited on an insulating body by a plasma CVD method, and is then heated for dehydrogenating the amorphous silicon thin film so that a dehydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film containing hydrogen of 3 atomic % or less is formed. The insulating body may be an insulating substrate (such as a glass substrate) alone, or a combination of an insulating substrate with an intermediate insulating base layer thereon. Impurity ions are injected into the dehydrogenated amorphous silicon hydride thin film to form source and drain regions. Excimer laser beams are applied to the dehydrogenated amorphous silicon thin film, thereby polycrystallizing the amorphous silicon thin film into a polysilicon thin film and activating the injected impurity ions.

Abstract: An apparatus of this invention is designed to output document data including ruled line data upon proportionally arranging the data on one page to prevent the disruption of the relationship between the column and row positions of the ruled line data on the page. A document arranging section sequentially changes the character sizes stored in text and table format memories to develop document data of a designated page in a layout development memory. If the developed document data occupies 3/4 or more of a printable region, the data is printed according to the current format by a printing section. If the character size exceeds a limit value set in a format table before the area of the data becomes 3/4 or more of the printable region, the line spacing and the upper margin are sequentially changed in the same manner. If a ruled line causes overflow when the character size of ruled line data is changed, the character size is decreased by one step to prevent line feed of the ruled line.

Abstract: A display device has first and second substrates, a liquid-crystal layer, pixel electrodes arranged on the first substrate, a plurality of semiconductor active elements connected to the pixel electrodes, signal lines for supplying drive signals to the active elements, and a plurality of opposing electrodes arranged on the second substrate. Each pixel electrode, that portion of each opposing electrode which overlaps the pixel electrode, and that portion of the liquid-crystal layer which is sandwiched between the pixel electrode and said that portion of the opposing electrode form a pixel. A voltage having a positive or negative value according to the image data is applied between the input terminal of the semiconductor active element and said at least one of the opposing electrode, for a selecting period.

Abstract: A TFT panel is manufactured by a process of forming an oxide voltage-apply lines, gate lines, and capacitor lines on an insulating substrate, and a process of forming thin-film transistors, pixel electrodes, data lines, and ground lines. In a state that one end of the gate line and both ends of the capacitor line are connected to the oxide voltage-apply line, oxide films are formed on the surfaces of the gate line and the capacitor line by anodization. After forming the oxide film, the gate line and the capacitor line are electrically separated from the oxide voltage-apply line.