Abstract: A method of assessing a probe by measuring a known sample whose shape is known with the probe in an electronic microscope, the known sample having a projection part on a surface thereof, and the projection part having a shape tapered toward a vertex thereof, the method comprising a step of measuring circle equivalent radius of the projection part, a step of comparing the circle equivalent radius with a first threshold value, and a step of determining that the probe is satisfactory when the width is less than the first threshold value, and a step of determining that the probe is unsatisfactory when the width is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

Abstract: A design workflow construction apparatus is provided for supporting design of an object having a plurality of design elements. In constructing the design workflow, the apparatus uses input variables, design variables, and intermediate variables. The design workflow construction apparatus includes means for acquiring object design elements and means for determining an order of designing the object design elements. The apparatus also includes means for determining the important design variables.

Abstract: A design system (1) is provided with a function of acquiring a design specification of an object to be designed and an evaluation index for evaluating a value of the object to be designed in the design specification; a function of acquiring profile data of the object to be designed; a function (design order determining section (12)) of extracting entity design elements and important design variables from the profile data and prioritizing the entity design elements and the important design variables so as to construct a design workflow; a function (evaluation approach construction section (13)) of constructing an evaluation formula for performance/evaluation of a design result of each of the entity design elements in conformity with the design workflow; a function of finding an appropriate solution by performing automatic optimization while evaluating the design result with use of the evaluation index in accordance with the design workflow with which the evaluation formula is associated; and a function of outp

Abstract: The exothermic instrument for firing an explosive comprises a circuit board 1 having a heat resist layer 6 on a substrate 11 and an exothermic resistance 4, which connects to a pair of through hole conductive electrodes 13 passing through the substrate 11, contacting with the explosive 19 on the heat resist layer 6, a pair of electrode pins 8, each one thereof is inserted into each one of the through hole conductive electrodes, and an insulator for holding the circuit board 1 through which the electrode pins 8 pass.