Abstract: A frame unit for a video display device includes a frame and a polarizer. The frame has a frame body and a plurality of mutually facing legs. The frame body is disposed around a light emitting unit and the legs extend from the frame body and are fitted along side surfaces of the light emitting unit. The polarizer extends between the mutually facing legs of the frame.

Abstract: Disclosed is an Al alloy film for wiring, which consists of, by atom, 0.2 to 1.5% Ge and 0.2 to 2.5% Ni and the balance being essentially Al, wherein a total amount of Ge and Ni is not more than 3.0%. The invention is also directed to a sputter target material having the same chemical composition as that of the Al alloy film.

Abstract: Provided is a silver alloy film for which good properties of corrosion resistance, heat resistance and adhesiveness are required in thin-film electronic components such as a flat panel display, various semiconductor devices, a thin-film sensor and a magnetic head, a display device having the silver alloy film, and a sputtering-target material for forming the silver alloy film. The silver alloy film consists of, by atomic %, 0.1 to 1.0% Si, 0.1 to 0.7% in total of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cu, Ti and Ge, and the balance of Ag and unavoidable impurities, wherein a total amount of all the additive elements to Ag is not more than 1.5%.

Abstract: Disclosed is an Al alloy film for wiring, which consists of, by atom, 0.2 to 1.5% Ge and 0.2 to 2.5% Ni and the balance being essentially Al, wherein a total amount of Ge and Ni is not more than 3.0%. The invention is also directed to a sputter target material having the same chemical composition as that of the Al alloy film.

Abstract: There is provided a method of making a high-melting metal powder which has high purity and excellent formability and, particularly, of a metal powder of spherical particles made of Ta, Ru, etc. having a higher melting point than iron. There is also provided a target of high-melting metal or its alloy, which is made by the sintering under pressure of these powders and which has high purity and a low oxygen concentration and shows high density and a fine and uniform structure. A powder metal material mainly composed of a high-melting metal material is introduced into a thermal plasma into which hydrogen gas has been introduced, thereby to accomplish refining and spheroidizing. Further, an obtained powder is pressed under pressure by hot isostatic pressing, etc.

Abstract: A composition of an Ag alloy film as a thin film for electronic devices and target material to form thereof by a sputtering process are disclosed. The Ag alloy film consists of 0.1 to 0.5 atomic % of any one element selected from the group of Sm, Dy and Tb, 0.1 to 1.0 atomic % in total of at least one element selected from the group of Au and Cu, and the balance of Ag and incidental impurities. The Ag alloy film may be used as a wiring film or a reflective film for flat panel display devices. The sputtering-target material for forming the Ag alloy film consists of 0.1 to 0.5 atomic % of any one element selected from the group of Sm, Dy and Tb, 0.1 to 1.0 atomic % in total of at least one element selected from the group of Au and Cu, and the balance of Ag and incidental impurities.

Abstract: There is provided a method of making a high-melting metal powder which has high purity and excellent formability and, particularly, of a metal powder of spherical particles made of Ta, Ru, etc. having a higher melting point than iron. There is also provided a target of high-melting metal or its alloy, which is made by the sintering under pressure of these powders and which has high purity and a low oxygen concentration and shows high density and a fine and uniform structure. A powder metal material mainly composed of a high-melting metal material is introduced into a thermal plasma into which hydrogen gas has been introduced, thereby to accomplish refining and spheroidizing. Further, an obtained powder is pressed under pressure by hot isostatic pressing, etc.

Abstract: There is provided a method of making a high-melting metal powder which has high purity and excellent formability and, particularly, of a metal powder of spherical particles made of Ta, Ru, etc. having a higher melting point than iron. There is also provided a target of high-melting metal or its alloy, which is made by the sintering under pressure of these powders and which has high purity and a low oxygen concentration and shows high density and a fine and uniform structure. A powder metal material mainly composed of a high-melting metal material is introduced into a thermal plasma into which hydrogen gas has been introduced, thereby to accomplish refining and spheroidizing. Further, an obtained powder is pressed under pressure by hot isostatic pressing, etc.

Abstract: The invention relates to a Co-base target made of a sintered powder, having a restrained amount of oxygen, and a producing method thereof. The target contains from more than 10 to not more than 25 at % of B and not more than 100 ppm of oxygen. It may contain 30≧Pt≧5 at%, 30≧Cr≧10 at%, 10≧Ta>0 at% and/or 30≧Ni>0 at%. It may contain also from more than 0 (zero) to not more than 15 at% in total of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Mo, W, Cu, Ag, Au, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and rare earth elements. The target is produced by melting a Co-base alloy together with an additive B in an amount of from more than 10 to not more than 25 at% whereby deoxidizing, rapidly cooling the molten metal to produce an alloy powder and sintering the alloy powder.

Abstract: A method for forming a lamination structure of a tantalum nitride film and a tantalum thin film free of nitrogen overlying the tantalum nitride film, which have reduced resistivities, wherein a gas pressure during sputtering for growing the tantalum nitride film is limited to a predetermined value not more than about 0.5 pa so that the tantalum nitride film has a hexagonal crystal structure and the tantalum thin film free of nitrogen has a BCC structure with lattice spacing close to that of the tantalum nitride film hexagonal crystal structure.

Abstract: In a image pickup apparatus having three cameras for use in picking up a seamless panoramic image for a multi-screen, angles of view of the three cameras are jointed with each other without any overlapping or dead areas by making a side boundary line of one camera match with a complimentary side boundary line of another camera, the two outside cameras receiving an image in reverse through two reflection mirrors. The two reversed images are electrically or optically inverted by inversion sections to obtain original images.

Abstract: Provided are a titanium target material which can easily form a film in a narrow and deep contact hole and reduce the generation of PARTICLES. The present invention relates to a titanium target for sputtering, wherein X-ray diffraction intensity ratios on a sputtering plane are (0002)/(1011).gtoreq.0.8, (0002)/(1010).gtoreq.6; a recrystallized structure which has an average crystal grain size of 20 .mu.m or less and in which the proportion of crystal grains in which an acicular structure is present is 20% or less in terms of an area rate is formed.

Abstract: A chromium target is disclosed for use in the formation of chromium films or sheets of reduced thickness by means of sputtering. The target has a recrystallized structure represented by the equation, A/B.ltoreq.0.6, where A is the diffraction intensity of the (110) planes as determined by X-ray diffraction of a sputtered surface, and B is the diffraction intensity as determined from the sum of the (110), (200) and (211) planes. The target preferably has a deflective strength of above 500 MPa and an average crystal grain of below 50 .mu.m. The chromium target is produced by subjecting a starting chromium material to at least one stage of plastic working at a temperature of not higher than 1,000.degree. C., and subsequently by heat-treating the resulting chromium material for recrystallization at a temperature of higher than the recrystallization temperature of the chromium material but not higher than 1,200.degree. C.

Abstract: A sputtering target preferably having an average crystal-grain diameter of 300 .mu.m or less and a maximum magnetic permeability of 100 or less is formed of an alloy consisting essentially of, by atom, 5- 30% Ni, 5- 14% Cr, not more than 6% V, and balance of Co and unavoidable impurities. It is preferable for the target to keep a working-strain remaining therein to reduce the maximum magnetic permeability. A method of producing a sputtering target for magnetic recording and reproducing, in which warm working or cold working is applied to the alloy.

Abstract: The magnetic encoder of the present invention includes a magnetic signal generating drum having plural magnetic pole lines respectively having different magnetization pitches. Magnetic signals are repeatedly generated from the plural magnetic pole lines. A magnetic sensor is provided which includes plural magnetic resistant effect elements for converting the respective magnetic signals generated from the plural magnetic pole lines into electric signals. The plural magnetic resistant effect elements respectively confront the plural magnetic pole lines and output electric signals of different pulse numbers in accordance with incident magnetic signals. The magnetic signals generated from the plural magnetic poles lines and incident on the magnetic resistant effect elements are less that an anisotropic magnetic field level of the respective magnetic resistant effect elements.

Abstract: A process for preparing artificial bed blocks for "Shiitake" mushroom cultivation, comprising culturing lumps of spawn (mycelia) in a bottle or other containers, taking out the grown-up mycelia from the container to be kept in a closed space, keeping culturing while raising humidity in the space close to saturation to form a new aerial hypha layer on the whole surface of the lumps of spawn for higher resistance to weed fungi, then sprinkling with water over the lumps in open space to prevent weed fungi from depositing.