Abstract: An electrode substrate and a recording medium having a smooth surface with surface unevenness of 1 nm or less and a size of 1 &mgr;m/or more are disclosed. An electrode substrate and a recording medium having a concave-shaped groove for tracking on the surface, which groove has a depth which can detect of the tunnel current from the bottom thereof by a probe electrode for scanning the surface are also disclosed. Information processing devices equipped with the smooth recording medium, an electroconductive probe arranged approximate to the recording medium and a pulse voltage application circuit for recording are also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrode substrate and a recording medium having a smooth surface with surface unevenness of 1 nm or less and a size of 1 &mgr;m□ or more are disclosed. An electrode substrate and a recording medium having a concave-shaped groove for tracking on the surface, which groove has a depth which can detect of the tunnel current from the bottom thereof by a probe electrode for scanning the surface are also disclosed. Information processing devices equipped with the smooth recording medium, an electroconductive probe arranged approximate to the recording medium and a pulse voltage application circuit for recording are also disclosed.

Abstract: An liquid crystal apparatus, includes: (a) a liquid crystal device including: a pair of substrates each provided with a uniaxial alignment axis, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy disposed between the pair of substrates and capable of forming a higher-temperature bistable alignment state and a lower-temperature bistable alignment state in its chiral smectic C phase, the chiral smectic liquid crystal being further placed in the lower-temperature bistable alignment state formed by cooling from the higher-temperature bistable alignment state; and (b) voltage application means including: an AC voltage application means for applying to the chiral smectic liquid crystal an AC voltage insufficient to cause a switching from one to the other or from the other to one of the bistable alignment state, and a switching voltage application means for applying to the chiral smectic liquid crystal a voltage of one polarity sufficient to cause a switching from one to the other of the bis

Abstract: A method for positioning an information processing head at a predetermined position on a recording medium includes detecting a predetermined magnetization pattern on a magnetic material having a predetermined positional relation to a recording region of the recording medium by a magnetization detector having a predetermined positional relation to the information processing head, generating a signal indicative of a relative position of the information processing head with respect to the recording medium based on a result of the detecting step and moving the information processing head and the recording medium relatively to position the information processing head at the predetermined position with respect to the recording medium based on the generated signal, and a process for forming a cantilever-type probe capable of indicating a magnitude of a magnetic force between the probe and a recording medium and capable of performing at least one of a recording operation and a reproducing operation on the recording m

Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus includes a liquid crystal cell comprising a pair of substrates each having thereon a transparent electrode with a thickness of 840 .ANG. or less, 1320-1680 .ANG., 1960-2470 .ANG. or 3180-3850 .ANG., and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates in a thickness of 10 microns or less; and a fluorescent light source comprising at least two types of fluophors having different emission peak wavelengths. The liquid crystal may preferably be a ferroelectric liquid crystal having a thickness of 5 microns or less. A dielectric film of, e.g., Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 or TiO.sub.2 having a larger refractive index than the transparent electrode may be disposed.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope is used to observe a sample. The same portion of a surface of the sample is scanned forward and backward using a probe. A first signal corresponding to a structure of the sample is detected from the probe during a period in which the probe scans the surface of the sample forward. A second signal corresponding to the structure of the sample is detected from the probe during a period in which the probe scans the surface of the sample backward. When a difference is caused in at least a portion between the first and second signals, the portion of one of the first and the second signals is replaced by a portion of the other signal to generate a corrected signal. An image of the sample is formed using the corrected signal.

Abstract: A method for detecting a slope of a surface of an information record medium in an apparatus for detecting/writing information using one or a plurality of probes from/in the information record medium. The surface of the information record medium is scanned using the probe. The information from the surface of the information record medium is detected through the probe when the scanning is executed, and the slope of the surface of the information record medium is detected on the basis of the detected information.

Abstract: A memory apparatus for effecting the writing or reading of information on a recording medium by a probe has a base having the probe attached thereto, a substrate supporting the recording medium thereon and movable relative to the base, and a frame containing the base and the substrate therein, and the coefficients of linear expansion of the base and the substrate are made approximate to each other since the coefficients of linear expansion of the base and the substrate are approximate to each other, any relative positional deviation between the probe and the recording medium will not occur even if temperature changes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording information on an information recording medium and/or reproducing information from the recording medium. Probes for recording and/or reproducing information and a support for supporting the probes are arranged so that the probes are positioned to face the information recording medium. The support and the information recording medium are relatively moved by sliding on sliding surfaces thereof. The distance between the support and the recording medium is roughly set by projections formed between the support and the recording medium, and is finely adjusted during operation by a mechanism for moving the probes.

Abstract: A recording medium includes a substrate electrode, a recording layer constituted of a monomolecular film of an organic compound or a built-up film thereof, and a photoconductive thin film, laminated in this order on a substrate. The photoconductive thin film may preferably be divided to a plurality of isolated sectors. The recording medium is used in an ultra high density information processing apparatus with a probe electrode disposed close to the medium, a power source for applying a voltage between the medium and the probe electrode, and a light source for irradiating the medium.

Abstract: An information carrier for performing information recording and/or reproducing through a probe provided in an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes an information recording medium having a recording plane for recording and/or reproducing through the probe, and a frame which is formed detachably in the information recording and/or reproducing apparatus to accommodate the information recording medium airtightly. A mechanism is provided in the frame which can be opened or closed to allow the recording plane of the information recording medium to be open when the frame is mounted in the information recording and/or reproducing apparatus.

Abstract: An information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a recording medium having a plurality of segmented planar electrodes, a plurality of probe electrodes respectively facing and electrically connected to the plural planar electrodes, and a circuit for independently applying a voltage for recording and/or reproducing between each pair of the planar electrodes and the probe electrodes. The information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a circuit for inputting information to be recorded on the recording medium. A memory other than the recording medium is used for temporarily storing the input information, and a control circuit applies the recording voltages between the plurality of probe electrodes and the segmented planar electrodes in correspondence with the information stored in the memory.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprising a pair of substrates each having an electrode, and a liquid crystal layer having a chiral smectic phase, provided between the substrates, wherein a first substrate which is one of the substrates comprises; i) a plurality of first electrodes dividedly disposed, the plurality of first electrodes being covered with a monomolecular film or monomolecular built-up film in such a way that the monomolecular film or monomolecular built-up film provided on the first electrodes and between the first electrodes is formed in a continuous film; and ii) a second electrode provided on the monomolecular film or monomolecular built-up film in such a way that an MIM device is formed at the part where the first electrodes, the monomolecular film or monomolecular built-up film and the second electrode overlap in layers.

Abstract: An information carrier for performing information recording and/or reproducing through a probe provided in an information recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes an information recording medium having a recording plane for recording and/or reproducing through the probe, and a frame which is formed detachably in the information recording and/or reproducing apparatus to accommodate the information recording medium airtightly. A mechanism is provided in the frame which can be opened or closed to allow the recording plane of the information recording medium to be open when the frame is mounted in the information recording and/or reproducing apparatus.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus of driving a ferroelectric liquid crystal display device are provided having N scanning electrodes, and M data electrodes arranged in the form of an N.times.M matrix, N and M being positive integers, and a pixel being formed at each intersection of the scanning electrodes and the data electrodes of the matrix. The method comprises the step of applying a selected scanning signal to a Kth selected scanning electrode in a time period, wherein K is a positive integer and K.ltoreq.N. A selected data signal is applied to a data electrode in the time period to form a synthetic voltage at a selected pixel, and an auxiliary signal voltage is applied to a (K-A) scanning electrode in the time period, wherein A is a positive integer and 1<A<N.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus including a recording medium, a magnetic material having a predetermined magnetization pattern with respect to the recording medium, a first device for detecting the magnetization pattern of the magnetic material, a second device for detecting a change of the recording medium and a third device for driving the recording medium and the second device relative to each other, based on a signal from the first device.

Abstract: An information transfer method comprises connecting a plurality of MIM devices comprising a monomolecular film of an organic compound or built-up films thereof as the insulating layer and having the switching memory function, and transferring the information on the side nearer to the oscillation source of the information every second bit or every second line or every second picture face successively to the side farther from the oscillation source. An information transfer apparatus comprises using an array or a plurality of arrays of circuits with devices having rectifiability connected in series with the rectifying directions being aligned, connecting one terminal of a two-terminal circuit having an MIM device having switching memory function to each connecting point A, connecting the other terminal of every odd number to provide a second terminal, and having a voltage application means capable of taking a disconnected state relative to the connecting point A.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprises a pair of opposing substrates and a liquid crystal rendering a chiral smectic phase, disposed between said pair of substrates, wherein at least one of the substrates is provided with an alignment film comprising a polymer containing a skeleton selected from the group consisting of acetylene, phenylene, phenylenevinylene, phenylenexylidene, benzyl, phenylene sulfide, dimethylparaphenylene sulfide, thienylene, furan, selenophene, vinylpyridine, vinylnaphthalene, vinylferrocene, vinylcarbazole, phenylene oxide, phenylene selenide, heptadiyne, benzothiophene, thiophene, pyrrole, aniline and naphthylene. The liquid crystal device is used for a display system and effects a high contrast display without after-image.

Abstract: An apparatus for reading information from an information medium and/or inputting information to the information medium through a probe electrode includes a voltage application circuit for applying voltage between the probe electrode and the information medium, information reading from the information medium and/or information inputting to the information medium being performed by the voltage application by the voltage application circuit, and a charge removing device to perform a charge removing process for the information medium to which voltage is applied by the voltage application while maintaining the information in the information medium, making it possible to perform highly precise information reading and/or inputting at all times without producing any adverse effects on the information medium due to the charge deposition resulting from the voltage application.

Abstract: A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal device having an improved impact resistance and an improved contrast is provided by using a pair of substrates provided with uniaxial alignment axes which are parallel and identical in direction with each other. A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is disposed between the pair of substrates so as to assume a higher-temperature alignment state and a lower-temperature alignment state on temperature decrease in its ferroelectric smectic phase placed in a bistable alignment state. The ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is further placed in the lower-temperature alignment state which is characterized by having an inclination of forming a connected pair of a lightning defect and a hair pin defect coming after the lightning defect.