Abstract: A semiconductor element mounting member is arranged to infiltrate a matrix metal into a porous body that is formed by sintering diamond particles being in direct contact with each other and that has an infiltration auxiliary layer selectively formed only on the exposed surface of each diamond particle. A production method includes a step at which a mixture of diamond particles, a powder of a chemical element out of which the infiltration auxiliary layer is made, and an ammonium chloride powder is compressed and molded, is then heated to 900° C. or more, and is formed into the porous body. A semiconductor device has a semiconductor element mounted on an element mounting surface of the semiconductor element mounting member with a connecting layer therebetween.

Abstract: A semiconductor element mounting member is arranged to infiltrate a matrix metal into a porous body that is formed by sintering diamond particles being in direct contact with each other and that has an infiltration auxiliary layer selectively formed only on the exposed surface of each diamond particle. A production method includes a step at which a mixture of diamond particles, a powder of a chemical element out of which the infiltration auxiliary layer is made, and an ammonium chloride powder is compressed and molded, is then heated to 900° C. or more, and is formed into the porous body. A semiconductor device has a semiconductor element mounted on an element mounting surface of the semiconductor element mounting member with a connecting layer therebetween.

Abstract: A control unit controls the use of a flash memory in which a recording area is divided into a plurality of blocks. The control unit includes a SRAM for storing management information regarding history that blocks have been used for recording information, the management information being updated every time each block has been used, and a selecting controller for selecting, with reference to the management information stored in the SRAM, a block in which information is to be written from among the plurality of blocks in the recording area of the flash memory so that all the blocks of the flash memory are uniformly used, wherein the information is recorded in the block selected by the selecting means in the flash memory. A facsimile machine has the flash memory for temporally recording image data to be transmitted and/or received, and the above control unit for controlling the flash memory so that the image data is recorded in a block of the flash memory.

Abstract: A composite substrate comprises a metal substrate, an electrically insulating ceramic layer formed on the metal substrate, a metal layer formed on the ceramic layer, a first mixed layer formed in an area near the interface between the metal substrate and the ceramic layer, and a second mixed layer formed in an area near the interface between the ceramic layer and the metal layer, each of the mixed layers being composed of the materials of the layers situated on both sides thereof. The composite substrate may comprise a plurality of electrically insulating dissimilar ceramic layers between the metal substrate and the metal layer, and a mixed layer formed in an area near the interface between any two of the adjacent ceramic layers.

Abstract: A document reading apparatus comprises a light source part for generating a light beam which scans a document being transported to a reading position along a main scan line by a predetermined scan width, a photoconductive part for supplying a signal outputted when illuminated by a light beam from the light source part, the photoconductive part having a plurality of photoconductive elements aligned within a predetermined width parallel to the main scan line, an optical part for focusing a light beam reflected from the document at the reading position into a reduced light beam and for irradiating the reduced light beam to the photoconductive part by an optical width in a direction parallel to the main scan line. The photoconductive elements extend in a direction parallel to the main scan line by a width difference by which the predetermined width of the photoconductive elements is greater than the optical width of the optical part.

Abstract: A method of forming a diamond film on a substrate comprises the steps of depositing carbon on said substrate in vacuum by vapor deposition, and irradiating accelerated ions onto said substrate, said ions being obtained by ionizing a gas composed of at least one of a hydrogen gas, inert gases, hydrocarbon gases, organic compound gases and silicon base gases.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of sintering ceramics and ceramics obtained by said method. According to the present invention, the synthesis and sintering of ceramics can be simultaneously carried out by utilizing the reaction heat generated when at least one metallic element selected from metallic elements of IIb, IVb, Vb and VIb groups of the Periodic Table is combined with at least one nonmetallic element such as B, C N and Si without heat or by preliminarily heating the ceramics at temperatures remarkably lower than the usual sintering temperature ceramics thus-produced are superior in abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance.

Abstract: A process for producing a superconducting thin film on a surface of a substrate of the present invention comprises the steps of: sputttering a target made of a group IIIa metal and/or an oxide thereof, a group IIa metal and/or an oxide thereof and copper and/or an oxide theref with an ion beam or a neutral beam to allow the sputtered particles from the target to be deposited on the substrate; and impinging an oxygen neutral beam on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a diamond film on a substrate wherein hydrogen, a hydrocarbon series gas, an inert gas, an organic compound series gas or a mixture of such gases is introduced into a vacuum vessel to contact a substrate and carbon is evaporated by are discharge at a carbon cathode while applying a voltage to the substrate to deposit carbon on the substrate thus forming a diamond film on the substrate. A silicon series gas, a germanium series gas or a mixture thereof may be also introduced into the vessel with the foregoing gas or gases. While the carbon is being deposited on the substrate, thermoelectrons may also be supplied onto the substrate, and, further, high frequency discharge may be generated in a space between the substrate and the cathodes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of sintering ceramics and ceramics obtained by said method. According to the present invention, the synthesis and sintering of ceramics can be simultaneously carried out by utilizing the reaction heat generated when at least one metallic element selected from metallic elements of IIIb, IVa, Vb and VIb groups of the Periodic Table is combined with at least one nonmetallic element such as B, C, N and Si without heat or by preliminarily heating the ceramics at temperatures remarkably lower than the usual sintering temperature ceramics, thus-produced are superior in abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance.

Abstract: In a package comprising a chip mounting base and a cap to be fitted on the base, the base comprises a metal substrate, an electrically insulating ceramic layer formed on the metal substrate, a patterned metal layer formed on the ceramic layer in a selected area thereof, a first mixed layer formed in an area near the interface between the metal substrate and the ceramic layer, and a second mixed layer formed in an area near the interface between the ceramic layer and the metal layer, and the cap comprises a metal substrate, an electrically insulating ceramic layer formed in at least the marginal portion of the side of the metal substrate which faces the base, and a mixed layer that is formed in an area near the interface between the metal substrate and the ceramic layer.

Abstract: A coated material comprises: a substrate; and a film containing boron, nitrogen and one selected from a group consisting of silicon and germanium, the film being formed on the substrate. An X-ray exposure mask of the present invention comprises: an X-ray absorbent layer; an X-ray permeable support layer for supporting the absorbent layer; and a mask support member for supporting the support layer; wherein the support layer contains boron and nitrogen and one element selected from a group consisting of silicon and germanium.

Abstract: A process for producing a superconducting thin film of the present invention comprises: supplying onto a substrate a group IIa metal and/or an oxide thereof, a group IIIa metal and/or an oxide thereof, and copper and/or an oxide thereof; and irradiating the substrate with an oxygen neutral beam, to thereby form a thin film of IIa-IIIa-Cu oxide.

Abstract: In a package comprising a chip mounting base and a cap to be fitted on the base, the base comprises a metal substrate, an electrically insulating ceramic layer formed on the metal substrate, a patterned metal layer formed on the ceramic layer in a selected area thereof, a first mixed layer formed in an area near the interface between the metal substrate and the ceramic layer, and a second mixed layer formed in an area near the interface between the ceramic layer and the metal layer, and the cap comprises a metal substrate, an electrically insulating ceramic layer formed in at least the marginal portion of the side of the metal substrate which faces the base, and a mixed layer that is formed in an area near the interface between the metal substrate and the cermaic layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of hot rolling copper or copper alloys such as copper wires and coppr plates. The present invention has succeeded in remarkably prolonging useful life of the tools used for hot rolling, and improving the surface quality of the rolled products by replacing the conventional methods of hot rolling copper using tools made of cemented carbide, die steel, high-speed steel, etc. by a method using tolls made essentially of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4. Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 tools used in the present invention contain at least one kind of sintering aid selected from the group consisting of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, AlN, MgO, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and ZrO.sub.2, have a sintering density of 90% or more, Rockwell hardness of 88 or more and an average particle diameter of 2.mu. or less, and contain .beta.-type Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 as a main ingredient.

Abstract: A novel method of hot rolling iron and iron alloy rods, using a hot rolling tool comprising .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and a sintering aid selected from the group consisting of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, AlN, MgO, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and ZrO.sub.2, and having a sintered density of 90% or more, Rockwell hardness of 88 or more and a mean particle size of 2.mu. or less.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced silicon carbide or silicon nitride ceramic sintered body having silicon carbide or silicon nitride ceramic whiskers dispersed therein, which method involves mixing together silicon carbide or silicon nitride ceramic powder, whisker formation agents made up of at least one material selected from metal Si or an inorganic compound containing Si, an organic containing Si, amorphous silicon ceramic powder or a mixture of SiO.sub.2 and carbon, or Si, sintering additives, and a whisker accelerating amount of a whisker formation accelerator selected from Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, V, Ti, Ta, W or Mo; molding the mixture into a predetermined shape; heat treating the molded body at a temperature of 1300.degree. C. to 1750.degree. C. to produce silicon carbide or silicon nitride whiskers in the molded body and thereafter densifying and sintering the molded body at sintering temperatures in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

Abstract: Less dispersion and more homogenized ceramics are produced by sintering ceramic materials, in particular, containing silicon nitride or silicon carbide as a predominant component with other assistants or additives, machining the surface of the resulting sintered compact and then subjecting the sintered compact to a heat treatment for homogenizing in a non-oxidizing atmosphere such as nitrogen or argon gas at a temperature of from the mass-transfer temperature at which the mass-transfer takes place in the interior of the ceramics to blunt the fine point of a crack to the sintering temperature of the ceramics.

Abstract: A novel thin film magnetic head is provided characterized by the use of a new substrate material excellent in mechanical property as well as machinability. This substrate is composed of a ceramic compact comprising 4 to 45% by volume of Component A, 55 to 96% by volume of Component B and at most 3% by volume of unavoidable impurities:Component A: at least one member selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides, carboxides, oxynitrides and carboxynitrides of Group IVa, Va and VIa elements of Periodic Table and mixtures or solid solutions thereof.Component B: ZrO.sub.2 consisting of at least 70% by weight of tetragonal and/or cubic system and the balance of monoclinic system, in which at least one member selected from the group consisting of oxides of Group IIIa elements of Periodic Table, CaO and MgO, and mixtures thereof is dissolved to form a solid solution.

Abstract: An electrically-conductive sintered compact of silicon nitride which is machinable by electrical discharge machining and a process to produce the same. TiN and/or TiC powder is added to a powder of silicon nitride in an amount 15-40% by volume to act as a conductivity-supplying agent while 0.01-3.0% by volume MgO and/or Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 powder is added as a sintering assistant. The mixed powders are then preformed in a desired shape and sintered in a nonoxidizing environment at 1,600.degree. C.-2,000.degree. C. to obtain a compact of silicon-nitride machinable by electrical discharge machining due to its electrical conductivity being at least 1 S.multidot.cm.sup.-1.