Abstract: An example dielectric information apparatus is provided with a plurality of electrodes for recording information in a small area of a dielectric substance and an earthed electrode. The electrodes are placed such that the dielectric substance is sandwiched therebetween. The dielectric information apparatus reads out the information recorded in the small area of a dielectric thin film by applying alternating current signals to the first electrodes. The polarization direction of the small area and the direction of an applied electric field decide the dielectric constant of the small area, and the oscillation frequency of an oscillator is determined by a capacitance Cs corresponding to the dielectric constant. An oscillation signal of the oscillator is demodulated at an FM demodulator, and the information is detected from the demodulated signal at a signal detector. When recording, record signals are applied to the first electrodes, and the polarization direction is set to correspond to the record signals.

Abstract: A dielectric recording/reproducing apparatus is provided with: a probe for applying an electric field to a dielectric material; a return electrode for returning the high frequency electric field for data reproduction; an inductor placed between the probe and the return electrode; an oscillator which oscillates at a resonance frequency determined according to the inductor and a capacitance formed in the dielectric material just under the probe; a switch for switching circuit connections depending on whether data recording is performed and data reproducing is performed; a recording signal input device for converting data to be recorded to generate a recording signal; a direct current voltage generation device for generating a direct current bias voltage to be applied to the dielectric material; a frequency-amplitude demodulator for demodulating an oscillation signal of the oscillator having the frequency that is changed depending on the capacitance owned by the dielectric material just under the probe; and a si

Abstract: An example pickup device is provided with: an arm; a gimbal holding device disposed on one end portion of the arm; a gimbal held by the gimbal holding device with a probe set in its center portion; and a motor of rotational type for rotating the arm around a rotating shaft. The probe, which is disposed on one end of the arm, is rotated in the radial direction of a dielectric recording medium by the rotation of the motor, causing accurate and quick tracking control and track access control.

Abstract: A dielectric constant measuring apparatus for measuring a dielectric constant of a dielectric substance is provided with: a cantilever having a small projection on a tip side of a cantilevered electric conductor; an electrode which is placed around the cantilever and is earthed; an inductor (L) placed so as to constitute a resonance circuit together with a capacitance (Cs) in a small area of the dielectric substance that the cantilever contacts; an oscillating device connected to the resonance circuit; a demodulating device for demodulating an oscillation frequency of the oscillating device; and a dielectric constant detecting device for detecting a dielectric constant information from a demodulation signal of the demodulating. The dielectric constant measuring apparatus can be applied to an information recording/reproducing apparatus using a dielectric record medium.

Abstract: There is provided a circular guard so as to surround the vicinity of a tip portion of a probe mounted on an information recording/reading head, in order to prevent dusts from touching and colliding with the probe.

Abstract: A phase-change recording/reproduction head includes: a probe consisting of a recording/reproduction electrode, an insulation layer arranged on the tip portion of the recording/reproduction electrode, and a resistor arranged on the insulation layer; and a return electrode arranged around the probe. During recording, voltage corresponding to the recording data is applied to the resistor so that the phase change recording medium is changed from a crystalline state to an amorphous state. During reproduction, FM-modulated frequency of an oscillator oscillating according to the capacity corresponding to the dielectric constant of the crystalline state and the amorphous state is demodulated, thereby reproducing data with a high SN ratio.

Abstract: A dielectric recording/reproducing head is provided with: a probe; a return electrode for returning a high-frequency component of an electric field applied from the probe; and bias electrodes, which are placed under the return electrode. By applying a voltage stronger than a coercive electric field between the probe and each of the bias electrodes, polarization domains are formed which have polarization directions parallel to a surface of a dielectric recording medium. The polarization directions are determined by selecting the bias electrode to which the voltage is applied, and four types of data are recorded on a predetermined site of the dielectric recording medium, which allows multivalued recording. Moreover, the polarization directions of the polarization domains are detected by an electric field which is formed by applying a voltage between the bias electrodes and which is parallel to the surface of the dielectric recording medium, causing data to be read out.

Abstract: A dielectric recording medium in a disc form is provided with: a center hole; an inner area; a recording area; and an outer area, arranged concentrically from the inside in this order. The inner area, the recording area, and the outer area contain a uniform and flat dielectric material and are polarized with the polarization direction of the recording area opposite to that of the inner area and the outer area in their initial condition. The recording area in which data is recorded has tracks and spaces, each of which is between two of the tracks, and is provided with areas in which control information about the recording/reproducing is recorded, in the track and the space.

Abstract: The probes of an information recording/reading head (110) are arranged such that if the positions of their tip portions are A, B, C, and D, a parallelogram is formed in which a line segment AB is parallel to a line segment CD, and a line segment AC is parallel to a line segment BD, and that if a ratio of the length of the line segment AB to the length of the line segment AC is ? and the height of the parallelogram is H when the line segment AC is regarded as a base, the following relationship is satisfied: H=?·P.

Abstract: A ferroelectric thin-film production method produces a ferroelectric crystal thin film by using a ferroelectric crystal having first and second surfaces opposed to each other and having an etching rate of the first surface greater than that of the second surface and etching the first surface of the ferroelectric crystal. While etching, a predetermined voltage is applied to the ferroelectric crystal. When the etching progresses and the thickness of the ferroelectric crystal reaches a target value, the direction of polarization of the ferroelectric crystal are inverted and the progress of the etching automatically stops. Consequently, a ferroelectric crystal thin film extremely thin and uniform in thickness over a wide area can be produced.

Abstract: A position control area (76A) is partly formed in the recording area (75) of a recording medium (70) and position information is recorded only in the position control area (76A). To record data in the recording medium (70) by a head (60) having a plurality of cantilevers (62A), (62B), . . . , the position information is read by the cantilever (62E) corresponding to the position control area (76A) and, based on the position information, the positioning control or moving control of all the other cantilevers is performed.

Abstract: A dielectric recording medium is provided with three layers of: a dielectric material, an electric conductor, and a substrate, and has a groove on the recording surface of the dielectric material. The groove is provided with one or a plurality of grooves. When a voltage is applied to a probe, the dielectric material just under the probe is polarized depending on an electric field generated between the electric conductor and the probe, which allows recording. Moreover, the groove facilitates the probe tracking since the probe scans along this groove.

Abstract: The dielectric material is, for example, a ferroelectric single crystal having a uniform thickness, and its one surface is used for a recording and reproducing surface on which a probe for recording and reproducing works. LiTaO3 is used as the dielectric material. The conductive thin film, which is, for example, about 1000 to 2000 ? thick, is placed on a surrounding portion of a recording and reproducing surface, a back surface, and a side surface of the dielectric material. This conductive thin film, to which aluminum is added by a method of deposition, is connected to a common electrode of a recording and reproducing apparatus. The substrate is intended to preserve the dielectric material, which is thin, and it uses silicon or the like in a predetermined thickness, for example. A conductive paste is a material for sticking to the substrate the dielectric material having the conductive thin film thereon, and indium and silver paste are used for it.

Abstract: A transmitter, a communication system, and a communication method capable of realizing communication of more than a set bandwidth with respect to a packet communication with a bandwidth guarantee set therefore by using a set bandwidth as the minimum guaranteed bandwidth, wherein when a transmitter transmits packet data, it decides whether or not packet communication guarantees a bandwidth based on a guaranteed bandwidth set in advance, and adds a first identifier to the packet data when guaranteeing bandwidth, and adds a second identifier when not guaranteeing the bandwidth.

Abstract: A transmitter, a communication system, and a communication method capable of realizing communication of more than a set bandwidth with respect to a packet communication with a bandwidth guarantee set therefore by using a set bandwidth as the minimum guaranteed bandwidth, wherein when a transmitter transmits packet data, it decides whether or not packet communication guarantees a bandwidth based on a guaranteed bandwidth set in advance, and adds a first identifier to the packet data when guaranteeing bandwidth, and adds a second identifier when not guaranteeing the bandwidth.

Abstract: A transmitter, a communication system, and a communication method of the same capable of realizing communication of more than a set bandwidth with respect to packet communication with a bandwidth guarantee set therefor by using the set bandwidth as the minimum guaranteed bandwidth, wherein when a transmitter transmits packet data, it decides whether or not packet communication guarantees a bandwidth based on a guaranteed bandwidth set in advance and, when guaranteeing the bandwidth, adds a first identifier to the packet data, while when not guaranteeing the bandwidth, adds a second identifier to the packet data and transmits the same to the network and wherein a relay unit connected to the network decides, in accordance with identifiers registered in advance and guaranteed bandwidths corresponding to same, whether or not the received packet data are bandwidth guaranteed, adds the first or second identifier to the packet data in accordance with the result of the decision, and transfers them to the next relay u

Abstract: A transmitter, a communication system, and a communication method of the same capable of realizing communication of more than a set bandwidth with respect to packet communication with a bandwidth guarantee set therefor by using the set bandwidth as the minimum guaranteed bandwidth, wherein when a transmitter transmits packet data, it decides whether or not packet communication guarantees a bandwidth based on a guaranteed bandwidth set in advance and, when guaranteeing the bandwidth, adds a first identifier to the packet data, while when not guaranteeing the bandwidth, adds a second identifier to the packet data and transmits the same to the network and wherein a relay unit connected to the network decides, in accordance with identifiers registered in advance and guaranteed bandwidths corresponding to same, whether or not the received packet data are bandwidth guaranteed, adds the first or second identifier to the packet data in accordance with the result of the decision, and transfers them to the next relay u

Abstract: A transmitter, a communication system, and a communication method capable of realizing communication of more than a set bandwidth with respect to a packet communication with a bandwidth guarantee set therefore by using a set bandwidth as the minimum guaranteed bandwidth, wherein when a transmitter transmits packet data, it decides whether or not packet communication guarantees a bandwidth based on a guaranteed bandwidth set in advance, and adds a first identifier to the packet data when guaranteeing bandwidth, and adds a second identifier when not guaranteeing the bandwidth.

Abstract: A transmitter, a communication system, and a communication method capable of realizing communication of more than a set bandwidth with respect to a packet communication with a bandwidth guarantee set therefore by using a set bandwidth as the minimum guaranteed bandwidth, wherein when a transmitter transmits packet data, it decides whether or not packet communication guarantees a bandwidth based on a guaranteed bandwidth set in advance, and adds a first identifier to the packet data when guaranteeing bandwidth, and adds a second identifier when not guaranteeing the bandwidth.

Abstract: A transmitter, a communication system, and a communication method capable of realizing communication of more than a set bandwidth with respect to a packet communication with a bandwidth guarantee set therefore by using a set bandwidth as the minimum guaranteed bandwidth, wherein when a transmitter transmits packet data, it decides whether or not packet communication guarantees a bandwidth based on a guaranteed bandwidth set in advance, and adds a first identifier to the packet data when guaranteeing bandwidth, and adds a second identifier when not guaranteeing the bandwidth.