Abstract: A power supply apparatus 200 comprises an energy supplying circuit 210 for supplying energy at a predetermined timing, and an energy preserving circuit 220 for receiving the energy supplied from the energy supplying circuit 210 and preserving the energy. The energy preserving circuit 220 includes an inductor 221, a capacitance 223 connected to one end of the inductor 221 at a node 222, and a capacitance 225 connected to the other end of the inductor 221 at a node 224. Energy is supplied to a load via at least one of the node 222 and the node 224.

Abstract: In order to reduce power consumption, a power supply for a digital circuit portion is shut off, so that the output voltage of the power supply becomes the zero level. A CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) inverter has a P-channel FET (field effect transistor) with a gate electrode formed of P-type polysilicon. A source electrode of the P-channel FET is connected to the power supply and a back gate electrode of the P-channel FET is in direct connection with the aforesaid source electrode. The P-channel FET is placed in a state of not functioning as a transistor when the power supply is shut off in a low power consumption mode. However, in order to prevent the P-channel FET from undergoing characteristic degradation in that mode, there is the provision of a pull-down switch capable of fixing, in the mode, the voltage of the gate electrode of the P-channel FET at the zero level.

Abstract: Disclosed is an ink-jet recording head improving relative positional accuracy between a piezoelectric element and a pressure generating chamber to improve ink ejection characteristics and stability thereof, capable of arraying pressure generating chambers in high density, and reducing cross talk between the pressure generating chambers. Moreover, disclosed are a manufacturing method of the same and an ink-jet recording apparatus having the ink-jet recording head built therein.

Abstract: A piezoelectric thin film element is provided that functions well as an actuator, that yields the desired composition, and that exhibits good piezoelectric thin film distortion characteristics. A lower electrode is formed on a substrate, a piezoelectric thin film precursor thin film layer is formed on the lower electrode, this is subjected to patterning, and a heating solution is applied to the substrate to implement hydrothermal processing, thereby selectively crystallizing the precursor thin film layer and yielding a piezoelectric thin film layer.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus 200 comprises an energy supplying circuit 210 for supplying energy at a predetermined timing, and an energy preserving circuit 220 for receiving the energy supplied from the energy supplying circuit 210 and preserving the energy. The energy preserving circuit 220 includes an inductor 221, a capacitance 223 connected to one end of the inductor 221 at a node 222, and a capacitance 225 connected to the other end of the inductor 221 at a node 224. Energy is supplied to a load via at least one of the node 222 and the node 224.

Abstract: A logic circuit includes: a main switching means for changing conduction state between at least two terminals in accordance with a voltage supplied to a control terminal; and a voltage converting means for converting a voltage at an input terminal and outputting the converted voltage to the control terminal.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus 200 comprises an energy supplying circuit 210 for supplying energy at a predetermined timing, and an energy preserving circuit 220 for receiving the energy supplied from the energy supplying circuit 210 and preserving the energy. The energy preserving circuit 220 includes an inductor 221, a capacitance 223 connected to one end of the inductor 221 at a node 222, and a capacitance 225 connected to the other end of the inductor 221 at a node 224. Energy is supplied to a load via at least one of the node 222 and the node 224.

Abstract: Provided is a time counting circuit which can measure the time taken from the rising edge to the falling edge of a pulse signal and the time from the falling edge to the rising edge thereof. The time counting circuit according to the present invention comprises a measuring circuit for measuring the time between either of the rising and falling edges of the pulse signal, and a pulse converting circuit for converting a pulse signal to be measured to a pulse signal having either of the edges in accordance with the rising edge of the pulse signal to be measured and having either of the edges in accordance with the falling edge of the pulse signal to be measured. The time between either of the edges of the pulse signal converted by the pulse converting circuit is measured by the measuring circuit. The time obtained by measurement is the time taken from the rising edge to the falling edge of the pulse signal to be measured or the time taken from the falling edge to the rising edge thereof.

Abstract: Lower electrodes are disposed independently of each other for respective ink cavities through a silicon oxide film on a silicon substrate. PZT films and upper electrodes are disposed on the respective lower electrodes, and then an interlayer insulating film or a passivation film is disposed on top of the whole layer.

Abstract: An image sensing element for providing a series of voltage signals corresponding to a two-dimensional image, a two-dimensional analog DCT (discrete cosine transform) circuit for performing a two-dimensional DCT on the voltage signal series from the image sensing element in pixel blocks, and a quantization circuit for quantizing a result of the DCT are provided. The two-dimensional analog DCT circuit is formed of a row of analog sum-of-products arithmetic units for one-dimensional DCT and an analog memory array for matrix transposition. The quantization circuit converts a voltage representing a result of the DCT carried out by the two-dimensional analog DCT circuit into a digital value according to a given quantization coefficient Q=2.sup.N .multidot.S(1.ltoreq.S<2) wherein a voltage S.multidot.Vref that is S times greater than a fixed voltage Vref serves as a reference voltage, and performs a process of right-shifting the digital value N bits in order to provide a quantized digital value.

Abstract: A test-target circuit is constructed of circuit blocks each comprising low-Vth MOS transistors including address buffers and a timing generator. A test enable signal for indication of a test, an operation selection signal for indication of an operation, and a block selection signal used to select a desired circuit block are provided. A high-Vth NMOS and a high-Vth PMOS transistor are provided in order to provide to a test circuit one of detected currents of the circuit blocks that was selected by placing a block selection signal and the test enable signal in the state of HIGH.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording head comprising: an elastic sheet providing pressure generating chambers; nozzle orifices, each communicating with the pressure generating chamber; piezoelectric vibrators formed on the elastic sheet, each of the piezoelectric vibrators having, a lower electrode formed on the elastic sheet, a piezoelectric layer formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric layer such that the upper electrode faces the respective pressure generating chamber, wherein the upper electrodes of the piezoelectric vibrators are positioned independently of each other; an electrical insulator layer having windows, wherein the electrical insulator layer covers the upper electrodes; and a conductor pattern connecting with the upper electrodes via the windows of the electrical insulator layer.

Abstract: An isolation is formed in a part of a P-well of a semiconductor substrate. A resistor film as a first conductor member is formed on the isolation. An insulating film covering the resistor film except for contact formation regions and an upper electrode film as a second conductor member are formed simultaneously with the formation of a gate electrode and a gate oxide film. Silicide films of a refractory metal are formed on the respective surfaces of the gate electrode, N-type high-concentration diffusion layers, the contact formation regions of the resistor film, and the upper electrode film. By utilizing a salicide process, a resistor and an inductor each occupying a small area can be formed without lowering the resistance of the resistor film. A capacitor, the resistor, and like component are selectively allowed to function.

Abstract: A logic circuit includes: a main switching means for changing conduction state between at least two terminals in accordance with a voltage supplied to a control terminal; and a voltage converting means for converting a voltage at an input terminal and outputting the converted voltage to the control terminal.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a signal transmission circuit for receiving an input signal and outputting an output signal corresponding to the input signal is provided. The signal transmission circuit includes: a first capacitance; an electric charge supply section for supplying electric charge corresponding to the input signal to the first capacitance; a second capacitance; and a transfer section for transferring the electric charge from the first capacitance to the second capacitance. In the signal transmission circuit, the second capacitance is larger than the first capacitance.

Abstract: A driver circuit which drives a signal line includes a first output section for outputting a reference voltage potential to the signal line during a first period and a second output section for outputting one of a first information voltage potential and a second information voltage potential in accordance with an input signal during a second period.

Abstract: There is provided a small-size time counting circuit which measures time with high accuracy and low power consumption. Around a differential inverter ring composed of an odd number of differential inverters of identical structure connected in a ring configuration, signal transition is caused to circulate by oscillation. A first signal group is composed of normal output signals from the odd-numbered differential inverters and inverted output signals from the even-numbered differential inverters, which rise and fall sequentially at equal time intervals corresponding to delay times in the individual differential inverters. A second signal group is composed of inverted output signals from the odd-numbered differential inverters and normal output signals from the even-numbered differential inverters, which similarly rise and fall sequentially at equal time intervals.

Abstract: Provided is a time counting circuit which can measure the time taken from the rising edge to the falling edge of a pulse signal and the time from the falling edge to the rising edge thereof. The time counting circuit according to the present invention comprises a measuring circuit for measuring the time between either of the rising and falling edges of the pulse signal, and a pulse converting circuit for converting a pulse signal to be measured to a pulse signal having either of the edges in accordance with the rising edge of the pulse signal to be measured and having either of the edges in accordance with the falling edge of the pulse signal to be measured. The time between either of the edges of the pulse signal converted by the pulse converting circuit is measured by the measuring circuit. The time obtained by measurement is the time taken from the rising edge to the falling edge of the pulse signal to be measured or the time taken from the falling edge to the rising edge thereof.

Abstract: There is provided a time counting circuit which measures a pulse spacing of a pulse signal with a high accuracy and exhibits high resistance to variations in power-source voltage.A delay circuit ring consists of a plurality of delay circuits connected in a ring configuration and signal transition is caused to circulate around the delay circuit ring by oscillation. A switch-signal generating circuit outputs first and second switch signals based on the time at which a pulse signal to be measured rises. A row of sampling circuits consists of a plurality of sampling circuits connected to the output terminals of the respective delay circuits and samples the output signals from the delay circuits in response to a direction indicated by the first switch signal.

Abstract: The A/D converter realizes a high-rate and high-precision A/D conversion using amplifier circuits. Each amplifier circuit amplifies a difference between the voltage of an analog signal to be converted and a predetermined reference voltage. Each bank of holding circuits holds the output signals of an oscillator circuit, the levels of which signals are variable with the passage of time, when the output voltage of the associated amplifier circuit exceeds a predetermined value. The signals held in each said bank of holding circuits are output as a value representing the amplification time of the associated amplifier circuit.