Abstract: The present invention provides an irregularly-shaped display panel having a display region with a contour section having a good appearance, which is easily designed and produced. The present invention is a display panel comprising a display region including: an array of a plurality of pixels each constituted by a plurality of sub-pixels; and a plurality of wirings provided along boundaries of the plurality of sub-pixels, wherein a plurality of pixels include a pixel for a contour located in a contour section of the display region; the sub-pixels constituting the pixel for a contour have aperture regions having similar aperture areas to one another and contour lines each running in parallel with a drawing direction of one of the wirings at least on the side of a frame region; and the aperture area of the pixel for a contour is smaller than an aperture area of a pixel located at an inner side of the contour section of the display region.

Abstract: This invention provides a resist removing apparatus for removing a resist comprising a deteriorated layer and an undeteriorated layer from a substrate. The apparatus carries out the step of bringing radicals, reduced by subjecting any one of or a mixture of two or more of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and steam to plasma treatment under a low pressure, into contact with the substrate to remove the resist, and the step of bringing ozone water into contact with the substrate to remove the resist. In the step of removing the resist by radicals, a large part of the undeteriorated layer is allowed to remain by regulating the radical contact time depending upon conditions for the formation of the deteriorated layer on the resist surface. Alternatively, a large part of the undeteriorated layer may be allowed to remain by conducting process control according to the results of analysis of a reactant gas discharged during the removal of the resist.

Abstract: To provide a method for producing a high-performance semiconductor device by a simple and low-temperature process. The method for producing a semiconductor device, in accordance with the present invention, is a production method of a semiconductor device including a first insulating film, a semiconductor layer, and a second insulating film in this order on a substrate, the method including the steps of: forming a first insulating film including a hydrogen barrier layer; forming a semiconductor layer on a region where the hydrogen barrier layer of the first insulating film is formed; injecting hydrogen into the semiconductor layer; forming a second insulating film, the second insulating film including a hydrogen barrier layer on at least a region where the semiconductor layer is formed; and subjecting the semiconductor layer to hydrogenation annealing.

Abstract: An optical integrated unit of the present invention includes: a semiconductor laser that is a light source; at least one light receiving element; a light dividing section which divides outgoing light from the semiconductor laser and returning light from an optical disc, and reflects the returning light so as to guide it to the light receiving element; and a support substrate, and a second support substrate is concave, the light dividing section includes at least three prisms, the prisms on both sides of the light dividing section are respectively adhered to two protrusions of the concave second support substrate, and the light receiving element is adhered to the light dividing section via a cover glass. With this, it is possible to solve a problem of a conventional technology, that is, such a problem that the light receiving element cannot be adjusted highly accurately because of the thickness errors of the support substrate and the relay substrate.

Abstract: A nitride semiconductor laser device with a reduction in internal crystal defects and an alleviation in stress, and a semiconductor optical apparatus comprising this nitride semiconductor laser device. First, a growth suppressing film against GaN crystal growth is formed on the surface of an n-type GaN substrate equipped with alternate stripes of dislocation concentrated regions showing a high density of crystal defects and low-dislocation regions so as to coat the dislocation concentrate regions. Next, the n-type GaN substrate coated with the growth suppressing film is overlaid with a nitride semiconductor layer by the epitaxial growth of GaN crystals. Further, the growth suppressing film is removed to adjust the lateral distance between a laser waveguide region and the closest dislocation concentrated region to 40 ?m or more.

Abstract: The method of the present invention includes the steps of: (A) providing a first substrate, and a second substrate, wherein the first substrate includes a first light shielding layer provided within a non-display region, the first light shielding layer including a light-transmitting portion provided near an outer boundary of the first light shielding layer, the light-transmitting portion comprising a recess or an opening; (B) drawing a seal pattern with a sealant, the seal pattern being drawn outside the first light shielding layer so as to surround the display region, comprising the substeps of: (B1) beginning application of the sealant near the light-transmitting portion, (B2) applying the sealant along an outer periphery of the first light shielding layer, and (B3) forming a junction with the sealant having been applied near the light-transmitting portion; (C) applying a liquid crystal material within the display region surrounded by the sealant; (D) attaching the first substrate and the second substrate;

Abstract: A fuser unit for an image forming apparatus including: a tape-like cleaning member that abuts on a fuser roller and cleans its peripheral surface; a press roller that presses the fuser roller via the cleaning member; a feed roller that feeds said cleaning member; a wind roller that winds the cleaning member therearound; and a controller that actuates a fixing function before an image formation, stops it after said image formation, and rotates and stops the wind roller and/or the feed roller to control a winding quantity of the cleaning member, wherein said controller calculates a toner image amount based on the prescribed number of pages by tracking from a page on which an image is formed just before the image formation is completed, and determines whether or not said cleaning member is wound around the wind roller during a non-fixing period based on the calculated toner image amount.

Abstract: A defect detecting device includes: a block generating section dividing an inspection image in which a defective region will be detected into a plurality of blocks; an intra-block sum calculating section calculating an intra-block sum for each of the blocks generated by the block generating section, the intra-block sum being a sum of pixel data for pixels in that block; and a statistical processing section and a defect determining section determining whether there exists a defective region by determining through statistical processing whether the intra-block sums have an outlier. Accordingly, the device determines whether there is a defective region in a digital image quickly and using small circuitry.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and a toner replenishment control method according to the present invention are configured such that a concentration of toner in a developer detected by a toner concentration detection sensor is measured and the measured toner concentration value is stored. These are configured such that regions of image data corresponding to an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member to be developed by the developer are specified and an amount of toner to be consumed in the developer is predicted based on the image data of the specified regions, then a post-development concentration value of toner in the developer is estimated based on the measured toner concentration value and the predicted toner consumption amount, and control of replenishment of toner to the developer is carried out based on the estimated post-development toner concentration value and a toner setting concentration value that has been set in advance.

Abstract: Compounds of Formula I: are HIV reverse transcriptase inhibitors, wherein V, W, X, Y, Z, R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, ring A, ring B, j and k are defined herein. The compounds of Formula I, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and prodrugs thereof, are useful in the inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase, the prophylaxis and treatment of infection by HIV and in the prophylaxis, delay in the onset or progression, and treatment of AIDS. The compounds and their salts can be employed as ingredients in pharmaceutical compositions, optionally in combination with other antivirals, immunomodulators, antibiotics or vaccines.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds having the structure formula (I) useful as potassium channel inhibitors to treat cardiac arrhythmias, and the like.

Abstract: There is provided a layer forming apparatus for forming a photosensitive layer of an electrophotographic photoreceptor, containing no bubbles in a coating liquid. In the layer forming apparatus for forming the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor through the dip coating method, a lower end port of a dipping cylinder is distanced away in a horizontal direction from a coating liquid discharge port, and the coating liquid discharge port is disposed above the lower end port of the dipping cylinder, in order to prevent a bubble from moving into a coating liquid portion used for actual coating even when a bubble exits in the course of circulation of the coating liquid.

Abstract: For start of rotation of a fixing roller that is not currently being rotated, a control device causes a halogen lamp to heat an endless belt until a thermistor detects that a surface temperature of the endless belt has reached a first target temperature set at a temperature at which the endless belt is softened and is restored to its normal shape, from a deformed shape that the endless belt had while it was not rotated, to such an extent that the endless belt will never cause any rotation trouble during the rotation. This prevents the rotation trouble of the belt in a fixing apparatus in which a fixing member is heated by bringing the thus heated belt into contact with the fixing member.

Abstract: A toner manufacturing method that allows production of toner having desired characteristics with stability in accordance with fusion emulsification technique for obtaining a toner by granulating a resin kneaded product while dispersing it in an aqueous medium. A resin kneaded product containing at least a binder resin and a colorant is mixed with a dispersant/water-containing aqueous medium. The resultant admixture is stirred by an stirring apparatus including a screen with an admixture discharge hole disposed internally of a vessel and a rotor disposed in an stirring space created by the screen.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for selecting a display source light illumination level based on distortion parameters.

Abstract: A controller of a recording device issues a secure command to a storage device, and then waits the time estimated necessary for the storage device to execute the secure command before issuing the next secure command. When a controller of the storage device is executing the previous command, it notifies the recording device of being in process. When the previous command has been completed normally, the controller moves to the next process. Information for estimating the execution time of the command is obtained from the storage device in advance.

Abstract: A switching circuit for preventing malfunction of a switching device formed of a wide band-gap semiconductor used for switching a high-power main power supply includes a normally-off type FET having a gate electrode, a source electrode connected to the ground, and a drain electrode connected to a power supply potential Vdd, and a normally-on type FET having drain and source electrodes connected to the gate and source electrodes of the FET, respectively, and a gate electrode. In the absence of any power supply, the normally-on type FET turns on. As a result, the gate/source potential of FET attains to 0V, and FET is kept off.

Abstract: Pixel auxiliary capacitors (10) and pixel TFTs, which are thin-film elements, are formed on a substrate a lower electrode (Si) (3), insulating film, and an upper electrode (GE) (5) in this order. Each upper electrode (GE) (5) opposing to the corresponding lower electrode (Si) (3) is entirely enclosed within the outline of the lower electrode (Si) (3) in a plane view. Thus, it is possible to provide thin-film elements, which are not affected by edges of the lower electrode (Si) (3), a display device and a memory cell using the thin-film elements, and their fabrication methods.

Abstract: Rack gears of far-side paper guides are provided such that manners of meshing with pinion gears are made tighter at respective regions corresponding to locations for constraining paper of standard size, as compared to other regions. In addition, by constituting width guide plates which are upstream in a paper feed directions from far-side paper guides and width guide plates which are downstream in a paper feed directions therefrom such that respective areas of surfaces receiving paper, and respective distances from respective width guide plates to gear mesh locations, are respectively set so as to be substantially mutually equal. Impacts from stacks of paper produced during placement of paper within a paper supply apparatus may be received substantially equal at upstream and downstream from gear mesh of far-side paper guides, and torques acting on far-side paper guides upstream and downstream from gear mesh locations may be made substantially mutually equal.

Abstract: A method of adaptively encoding video in response to an estimation of bandwidth over a transmission channel, where bandwidth estimation uses feedback packets from a receiver acknowledging receipt of video packets transmitted during an interval when the transmitted packets are not stored in a buffer of a lower network layer.