Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: Chip mounting is provided in which the pitch between bumps can be further narrowed without establishing contact between bumps. In a chip mounting structure in which a flip-chip bond has been established between a chip and a board via bumps, the bumps are provided so that the height position of the bumps from the connection surface of the chip or the connection surface of the board has a difference in height exceeding the thickness of adjacent bumps. This further narrows the pitch between bumps without establishing contact between the bumps.

Abstract: The service life of electrical equipment is predicted using a thermal history sensor mounted in the electrical equipment. At least one thermal history sensor is mounted inside or on an outer wall surface of electrical equipment. The thermal history sensor includes dissimilar metal joints, and the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints change in response to the amount of intermetallic compound growing in the dissimilar metal joints due to the temperature inside the electrical equipment or of the outer wall thereof during operation. A determining mechanism periodically or irregularly monitors and stores in memory the resistance values of the dissimilar metal joints from the thermal history sensor, and uses the stored history of resistance values to predict the service life of the electrical equipment.

Abstract: Chip mounting is provided in which the pitch between bumps can be further narrowed without establishing contact between bumps. In a chip mounting structure in which a flip-chip bond has been established between a chip and a board via bumps, the bumps are provided so that the height position of the bumps from the connection surface of the chip or the connection surface of the board has a difference in height exceeding the thickness of adjacent bumps. This further narrows the pitch between bumps without establishing contact between the bumps.

Abstract: A transfer layer on a surface of a mold has a thickness distribution along the radius direction that the layer is thick in an inner round portion but is gradually thinner toward an outer round portion. An adhesive layer is formed between a surface of a signal substrate which bears a signal recording film and the mold which seats the transfer layer. The adhesive layer has a thickness distribution that the layer is thin in an inner round portion but is gradually thicker toward an outer round portion. Since the thickness distributions along the radius direction of the transfer layer and the adhesive layer are opposite to each other, the thickness distribution of an isolation layer which comprises the two layers is uniform.

Abstract: An optical disk manufacturing apparatus which employs first and second signal layer forming mechanisms, a reflection layer forming mechanism, a light transmission layer forming mechanism and first, second and third transportation mechanisms. The apparatus further includes a liquid material supplying mechanism, a first and second rotation mechanism, first and second hardening light radiation apparatuses, a ring-shaped mask portion, and a mask transfer mechanism.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a main-information area in which a metal reflection film is formed on a substrate where a row of pits is formed as main data, and a sub-information area in which is recorded medium identification information, which is used to identify the optical recording medium individually, by removing the metal reflection film partially and forming a plurality of reflection-film removed areas. Information is reproduced by irradiating the metal reflection film with a beam of light. In the sub-information area, a row of pits or a guide groove is formed on the substrate, and a track pitch of the row of pits or the guide groove is at least 0.24 ?m wide and at most 0.45 ?m wide.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes a substrate, and particle portions arranged in isolated relation on the substrate and each including an information recording material. A width of each of the particle portions in an information recording direction is not more than 30 nm. The information recording medium further includes pillars arranged in isolated relation on the substrate. Each of the particle portions is formed of the information recording material formed on each of the pillars. A width of each of the pillars in the information recording direction is not more than 30 nm, and a height of each of the pillars is larger than a thickness of the information recording material.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a main-information area in which a metal reflection film is formed on a substrate where a row of pits is formed as main data, and a sub-information area in which is recorded medium identification information, which is used to identify the optical recording medium individually, by removing the metal reflection film partially and forming a plurality of reflection-film removed areas. Information is reproduced by irradiating the metal reflection film with a beam of light. In the sub-information area, a row of pits or a guide groove is formed on the substrate, and a track pitch of the row of pits or the guide groove is at least 0.24 ?m wide and at most 0.45 ?m wide.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium includes a substrate, n information recording layers provided on the substrate, and spacer layers, each of which is provided so as to be interposed between the information recording layers, wherein each of (n?1) or more of the information recording layers has a layer number information part that is formed in correspondence with one or more recording marks X and contains layer number information, where n represents an integer of not less than 2, and the layer number information is information used for determining which a given information recording layer is among the n information recording layers. Each recording mark X has a length in a circumferential direction longer than a length of a recording mark Y used for recording another information in the information recording layers.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a main-information area in which a metal reflection film is formed on a substrate where a row of pits is formed as main data, and a sub-information area in which is recorded medium identification information, which is used to identify the optical recording medium individually, by removing the metal reflection film partially and forming a plurality of reflection-film removed areas. Information is reproduced by irradiating the metal reflection film with a beam of light. In the sub-information area, a row of pits or a guide groove is formed on the substrate, and a track pitch of the row of pits or the guide groove is at least 0.24 ?m wide and at most 0.45 ?m wide.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical information recording medium to/from which signals can optically be recorded and reproduced. The recording medium includes a signal substrate (100), a signal recording layer (110), and a transparent cover layer (125) having a first transparent layer (115) and a second transparent layer (120), which is harder than the first transparent layer (115). Signals can be recorded and reproduced to and from the recording medium by a light transmitted to the signal recording layer through the transparent cover layer (125). The first transparent layer is formed so as to have a first predetermined distribution of thickness. The second transparent layer is formed so as to have a second predetermined distribution of thickness to make the total thickness of the transparent cover layer (125) uniform. The first transparent layer (115) may be made of a plurality of thin laminated transparent layers.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a main-information area in which a metal reflection film is formed on a substrate where a row of pits is formed as main data, and a sub-information area in which is recorded medium identification information, which is used to identify the optical recording medium individually, by removing the metal reflection film partially and forming a plurality of reflection-film removed areas. Information is reproduced by irradiating the metal reflection film with a beam of light. In the sub-information area, a row of pits or a guide groove is formed on the substrate, and a track pitch of the row of pits or the guide groove is at least 0.24 ?m wide and at most 0.45 ?m wide.

Abstract: An optical recording medium includes a main-information area in which a metal reflection film is formed on a substrate where a row of pits is formed as main data, and a sub-information area in which is recorded medium identification information, which is used to identify the optical recording medium individually, by removing the metal reflection film partially and forming a plurality of reflection-film removed areas. Information is reproduced by irradiating the metal reflection film with a beam of light. In the sub-information area, a row of pits or a guide groove is formed on the substrate, and a track pitch of the row of pits or the guide groove is at least 0.24 ?m wide and at most 0.45 ?m wide.