Abstract: A problem of a decrease in transmissive light, which partly occurs at a boundary between two polarization modulation regions of a polarized phase shift mask, is solved. A photomask for use in an exposure apparatus which forms an exposure pattern by illumination includes at least two polarization modulation regions which produce mutually incoherent polarized light components and adjoin each other, at least two phase modulation regions which impart a phase difference of 180° and adjoin each other, and amplitude modulation regions which decrease transmittance. A contact line between the polarization modulation regions and a contact line between the phase modulation regions are located at a corresponding position, and the amplitude modulation regions are provided on both sides of the common contact line, with a predetermined distance from the common contact line.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a phase shifter for laser annealing which is capable of effectively preventing the sticking of particles. A first layer and a third layer are made of quartz glass, and a two-dimensional pattern of fine grooves is formed in the surfaces of the layers. The first layer and the third layer are arranged so that a second layer is sandwiched between the layers in a state in which the surfaces provided with the grooves face each other. A peripheral edge portion of the first layer is laminated on that of the third layer by a spacer. The second layer is made of an inactive gas introduced between the first layer and the third layer.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination system which illuminates a phase-shift mask and an image-forming optical system arranged in an optical path between the phase-shift mask and a semiconductor film. The semiconductor film is irradiated with a light beam having a light intensity distribution of inverted peak patterns whose light intensity is the lowest in portions corresponding to phase shift sections to form a crystallized semiconductor film. The image-forming optical system is located to optically conjugate the phase-shift mask and the semiconductor film and has an aberration corresponding to the given wavelength range to form a light intensity distribution of inverted peak patterns with no swell of intensity in the middle portion.

Abstract: An antitussive agent. A composition for relieving, preventing and/or treating cough includes a sufficient amount of Cynanchi Atrati Radix extract as an active component. The effective Cynanchi Atrati Radix extract is prepared by extracting Cynanchi Atrati Radix with water, ethanol, hexane, ethyl acetate or a combination thereof. The crude extract can be further fractioned by ultrafiltration or reverse phase column.

Abstract: According to a crystallization method, in the crystallization by irradiating a non-single semiconductor thin film of 40 to 100 nm provided on an insulation substrate with a laser light, a light intensity distribution having an inverse peak pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate, a light intensity gradient of the light intensity distribution is controlled, a crystal grain array is formed in which each crystal grain is aligned having a longer shape in a crystal growth direction than in a width direction and having a preferential crystal orientation (100) in a grain length direction, and a TFT is formed in which a source region and a drain region are formed so that current flows across a plurality of crystal grains of the crystal grain array in the crystal growth direction.

Abstract: A laser anneal apparatus is provided with a laser source; a homogenizing optical system disposed in an optical path of laser light emitted from the laser source to homogenize an intensity distribution of the laser light in a section which is perpendicular to the optical path; a phase shifter disposed in the optical path of the laser light passed through the homogenizing optical system to produce an intensity distribution pattern of the laser light in the section which is perpendicular to the optical path; a photoreceptor device disposed in the optical path of the laser light passed through the phase shifter to intercept a part of the laser light and to measure a quantity of the intercepted laser light; and an image-forming optical system disposed in the optical path of the laser light passed through the photoreceptor device to focus the laser light on a substrate to be treated.

Abstract: A phase modulation element according to the present invention has a first area having a first phase value based on a phase modulation unit having a predetermined size and a second area having a second phase value based on the phase modulation unit having the predetermined size, and each phase distribution is defined by a change in area shares of the first area and the second area depending on each position.

Abstract: A crystallization method includes wavefront-dividing an incident light beam into a plurality of light beams, condensing the wavefront-divided light beams in a corresponding phase shift portion of a phase shift mask or in the vicinity of the phase shift portion to form a light beam having an light intensity distribution of an inverse peak pattern in which a light intensity is minimum in a point corresponding to the phase shift portion of the phase shift mask, and irradiating a polycrystalline semiconductor film or an amorphous semiconductor film with the light beam having the light intensity distribution to produce a crystallized semiconductor film.

Abstract: A polygalatenoside useful as an antidepressant agent having the formula is disclosed: wherein R, R? and R? independently are H or R1, provided that R, R? and R? are not all H, wherein R1 is wherein R2 is hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 alkoxy or halogen; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Preferably, R2 is H.

Abstract: A crystallizing method of causing a phase shifter to phase-modulate a laser beam whose wavelength is 248 nm or 300 nm or more from an excimer laser unit into a laser beam with a light intensity profile having a plurality of inverted triangular peak patterns in cross section and of irradiating the pulse laser beam onto a substrate to be crystallized for crystallization. The substrate to be crystallized is such that one or more silicon oxide films which present absorption properties to the laser beam and differ in the relative proportions of Si and O are provided on a laser beam incident face.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a new use of a potent product extracted from rhizomes of Zingiber officinale in treating a disease associated with Helicobacter pylori such as gastritis, gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer in a patient. The potent product is prepared by a process including the steps of a) preparing a crude extract from rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, said crude extract comprising 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol; b) introducing the crude extract to a reverse phase chromatography column, and eluting the column with a first eluent having a polarity lower than water to obtain a first potent fraction or a second eluent having a polarity lower than that of the first eluent to obtain a second potent fraction. Preferably, the second potent fraction is substantially free of both 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol.

Abstract: A thin-film semiconductor substrate includes an insulative substrate, an amorphous semiconductor thin film that is formed on the insulative substrate, and a plurality of alignment marks that are located on the semiconductor thin film and are indicative of reference positions for crystallization.

Abstract: The present invention discloses new uses of 2-[piperidinyl]methyl-2,3-dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazolin-5(6H)-one in providing an analgesic effect in a patient, treating passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in a patient, and in eliciting a histamine H1 receptor antagonism effect in a patient to treat a disease or disorder, such as allergy.

Abstract: A crystallization apparatus includes an illumination system which applies illumination light for crystallization to a non-single-crystal semiconductor film, and a phase shifter which includes first and second regions disposed to form a straight boundary and transmitting the illumination light from the illumination system by a first phase retardation therebetween, and phase-modulates the illumination light to provide a light intensity distribution having an inverse peak pattern that light intensity falls in a zone of the non-single-crystal semiconductor film containing an axis corresponding to the boundary. The phase shifter further includes a small region which extends into at least one of the first and second regions from the boundary and transmits the illumination light by a second phase retardation with respect to the at least one of the first and second regions.

Abstract: A generation method of a light intensity distribution uses a first light modulation element and a second light modulation element which are arranged to be apart from each other by a distance D and face each other in parallel to optically modulate a light beam which enters the light modulation elements, thereby generating a light intensity distribution on a target surface. The first light modulation element has a pattern formed by repeating a basic unit having a pitch P. The distance D is set to a distance with which the light intensity distribution generated on the predetermined surface is not changed even if a relative position of the first light modulation element and the second light modulation element is shifted in a plane direction.

Abstract: A porous dressing is provided. The porous dressing includes a polymeric layer, a pharmaceutically active ingredient and a metal oxide. The polymeric layer has a porosity and a bio-compatibility, and the pharmaceutically active ingredient and the metal oxide distribute in one selected from a group consisting of in the polymeric layer, on a surface of the polymeric layer and a combination thereof.

Abstract: There are provided a display apparatus and a display method, with which compressed image data that is to be decompressed can be transmitted to the display apparatus in an environment in which a transmission capacity is not always secured, and good image display is realized. An example of the display apparatus is an active matrix display apparatus formed by using thin-film transistors formed on an insulating substrate. In the active matrix display apparatus, a circuit that receives an image data signal from an external system via a non-contact transmission path and amplifies the image data signal, a circuit that processes the image data signal, and a memory circuit that stores the processed image data are integrated on the insulating substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film transistor offering a higher electron (or hole) mobility, a method for manufacturing the thin-film transistor, and a display using the thin-film transistor. The present invention provides a thin-film transistor having a source region, a channel region, and a drain region in a semiconductor thin film with a crystal grown in a horizontal direction, the thin-film transistor having a gate insulating film and a gate electrode over the channel region, wherein a drain edge of the drain region which is adjacent to the channel region is formed in the vicinity of a crystal growth end position.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a pair of support substrates, a liquid crystal layer held between the substrates, and pixel circuits that are arrayed in a matrix on one of the substrates and control the alignment state of liquid crystal molecules. Each pixel circuit includes first and second power terminals, first and second pixel electrodes that apply a liquid crystal drive voltage to the liquid crystal layer to create a substantially lateral electric field, and first and second drive transistors that have gate electrodes for receiving a video signal, that are connected between the first power terminal and the first pixel electrode and between the second power terminal and the second pixel electrode, respectively, and that cause the liquid crystal drive voltage determined by conductances that vary in accordance with the video signal, to be retained in a liquid crystal capacitance between the first and second pixel electrodes.

Abstract: A thin-film transistor circuit includes a crystallized semiconductor thin film two-dimensionally partitioned into crystal-grain-defining areas each of which accommodates a crystal grain larger than a predetermined size, thin-film transistors each of which has a channel region placed at the center position of a corresponding one of the crystal-grain-defining areas, and wirings which interconnect the thin-film transistors.