Abstract: A carrier for electrophotographic developer comprises a resin carrier core comprising a binder resin and magnetic powder dispersed in the binder resin, and a coating layer comprising a coating resin on a surface of the core, the binder resin being a silicone resin obtained by curing of a polysiloxane compound (A) having an epoxy group and a polysiloxane compound (B) having a group capable of reacting with the epoxy group, due to a ring-opening addition reaction; the binder resin containing a functional group which is an epoxy group and/or a group capable of reacting with an epoxy group; the coating resin containing a functional group capable of reacting with the functional group of the binder resin; the functional group of the coating resin and the functional group of the binder resin forming a chemical bond.

Abstract: A ferrite carrier for the electrophotographic developer containing 40 to 500 ppm of zirconium; a method for preparing a ferrite carrier for the electrophotographic developer, comprising the steps for weighing, mixing, and pulverizing ferrite raw materials, and for granulating, drying, and firing the obtained slurry; wherein a zirconium raw material is added so that the zirconium content after firing becomes 40 to 500 ppm; and an electrophotographic developer using the ferrite carrier.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an opening degree of a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using a DC motor, in which a real opening degree of the throttle valve is detected, a target opening degree of the throttle valve is set in accordance with an operation state of the internal combustion engine, an output voltage of a DC power source is boosted, and one voltage of the boosted voltage and the output voltage of the DC power source is selected in accordance with an opening degree difference between the real opening degree and the target opening degree to apply the selected one voltage to the DC motor.

Abstract: A dry two-component developer for electrophotography comprising a carrier particle and a toner particle, wherein a toner water adsorption ratio (T) obtained by a following equation (1) for the toner particle ranges from 1.0 to 7.0 and a carrier water adsorption ratio (C) obtained by a following equation (2) is 20.0 or less, and a water adsorption ratio (T/C) expressed in a following equation (3) representing a relationship between the toner water adsorption ratio (T) and the carrier water adsorption ratio (C) is 5.0 or less; a toner water adsorption ratio (T)=a water adsorption amount (TH) of the toner particle/an N2 adsorption amount (TN) of the toner particle (1), a carrier water adsorption ratio (C)=a water adsorption amount (CH) of the carrier particle/an N2 adsorption amount (CN) of the carrier particle (2), and a water adsorption ratio (T/C)=a toner water adsorption ratio (T)/a carrier water adsorption ratio (C) (3).

Abstract: Provided are a carrier for electrophotography developers prepared with generating a slight amount of byproducts such as water, alcohol, etc, which carrier is free from release of a magnetic powder, has excellent mechanical strength and durability, and good environmental stability, and further can restrain occurrence of toner spent condition and has favorable fluidity and excellent capability of imparting charging to a toner, a two-component developer comprising the carrier and a method for forming an image using the developer.

Abstract: A carrier core material containing at least one metal oxide (MLO) having a melting point of not higher than 1000° C. and at least one metal oxide (MHO) having a melting point of not lower than 1800° C., wherein the metal (MH) for constituting the metal oxide (MHO) has an electrical resistivity of not less than 10−5 &OHgr;·cm. Also disclosed is a two-component developing agent comprising a coated carrier, which comprises the carrier core material coated with a resin, and toner particles. Further disclosed is an image forming method comprising developing an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive member with the two-component developing agent using an alternating electric field. The carrier core material and the coated carrier have high magnetization and are free from occurrence of leakage of electric charge over a wide range of electric field from low electric field to high electric field.

Abstract: Disclosed is a carrier core material for an electrophotographic developing agent, which comprises 100 parts by weight of a ferrite component represented by a formula (A) and 0.1 to 5.0 parts by weight of ZrO2 that is present in the ferrite component without forming a solid solution, and which has a magnetization, at 1000(103/4&pgr;·A/m), of 65 to 85 Am2/kg and an electrical resistance, at an applied voltage of 1000 V, of 105 to 109 &OHgr;.

Abstract: A silicon nitride film is first formed on a semiconductor substrate and serves as a polishing stopper film. Then, the silicon nitride film and the semiconductor substrate are etched in a predetermined region to form an isolating trench which partitions an active region. Next, a silicon dioxide film is deposited on the semiconductor substrate so that the isolating trench is filled with the silicon dioxide film. Next, first-stage chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is performed with a SiO2-contained slurry which can efficiently polish the surface of the silicon dioxide film regardless of level difference. Finally, second-stage CMP is performed with a CeO2-contained slurry ensuring a large polishing selectivity ratio of the silicon dioxide with regard to silicon nitride films.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ceramic structure for improving the resistance against a corrosive substance and to diffuse and supply a fluid over a larger area of the structure. A ceramic laminated article has a ceramic sintered body, and a ceramic film provided on the sintered body by means of chemical vapor deposition. A hollow surrounded by the sintered body and film, and holes in communication with the hollow and the outside are formed in the article. A filling material is filled in the recess of the sintered body and the holes are formed. The thus obtained assembly is heat treated to dissipate and remove the filling material through the communicating holes, so that the recess is left as the hollow.

Abstract: A ceramic sintered body has a dense portion and a porous portion. The dense portion is formed from sintered ceramic fine particles, and the porous portion is formed from sintered ceramic coarse particles. The fine particles and coarse particles are simultaneously subjected to pressure sintering to form the dense portion and porous portion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dry two-component type developer for electrophotography comprising a carrier particle and a toner particle, wherein a toner water adsorption ratio (T) obtained by a following equation (1) for the toner particle ranges from 1.0 to 7.0 and a carrier water adsorption ratio (C) obtained by a following equation (2) is 20.0 or less, and a water adsorption ratio (T/C) expressed in a following equation (3) representing a relationship between the toner water adsorption ratio (T) and the carrier water adsorption ratio (C) is 5.

Abstract: A resin-coated carrier to be mixed with a polymer toner obtained by suspension polymerization or emulsion polymerization to provide an electrophotographic developer, which exposes 2 to 20% of the surface area of the core thereof, the average exposed area ratio per exposed part of the core being 0.03% or less.

Abstract: Corrosion-resistive ceramic materials include a silicon based ceramic, wherein a percentage of respective metal elements other than metal elements constituting sintering agents and silicon is not more than 10 weight ppm. The corrosion-resistive ceramic materials show a high corrosion resistance with respect to corrosive substances and suppress particle generation due to an exposure to corrosive substances. Therefore, chippings and cracks do not occur easily during machining work.

Abstract: A carrier for an electrophotographic developer which has a flowability index F1, represented by formula (1), of 63 to 75 sec/(50·cm3) and a flowability index F2, represented by formula (2), of 30 to 100 Oe·g/cm3: F1=AD×FR  (1) F2=AD×Hc  (2) wherein AD is an apparent density (g/cm3); FR is a flow rate (sec/50 g); and Hc is a coercive force (Oe).

Abstract: A film structure including a silicon carbide film formed on a surface of an aluminum nitride substrate. The substrate has a first base plane, a second base plane positioned downward with respect to the first base plane and a step plane arranged in an intersecting direction between the first base plane and the second base plane. One or more chamfered planes are arranged between the first base plane and the step plane so as to form a plurality of corner portions each having an angle larger than 130°. Alternatively, at least one round portion having a curvature radium of larger than 0.05 mm is arranged between the first base plane and the step plane.

Abstract: A resin-coated carrier to be mixed with a polymer toner obtained by suspension polymerization or emulsion polymerization to provide an electrophotographic developer, which exposes 2 to 20% of the surface area of the core thereof, the average exposed area ratio per exposed part of the core being 0.03% or less.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic structure for improving the resistance against a corrosive substance and to diffuse and supply a fluid over a larger area of the structure. A ceramic laminated article 6 has a ceramic sintered body 1, and a ceramic film 3 provided on the sintered body 1 by means of chemical vapor deposition. A hollow 5 surrounded by the sintered body 1 and film 3, and communicating holes 1d, 4 communicated with the hollow 5 and the outside are formed in the article 6. A filling material 2 are filled in the recess 1c of the sintered body 1 and the holes 1d, 4 are formed. The thus obtained assembly 7 is heat treated to dissipate and remove the filling material 2 through the communicating holes 1d and 4, so that the recess 1c is left as the hollow 5.

Abstract: A method for reducing particles from an electrostatic chuck, wherein the difference between a wafer temperature before absorbing and a wafer maximum temperature after absorbing is 50° C. or below when the wafer is absorbed onto the electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: There is described a semiconductor device which has an isolation region, the isolation region being polished by means of chemical-and-mechanical polishing, and which prevents occurrence of variations in a finished state of active regions even in a case where a large isolation area is present. An isolation region for separating active regions is formed on a semiconductor wafer. An annular dummy pattern is formed in an inactive region of greater than a predetermined size, so as to surround the isolation region. An isolation region is ensured between the active regions surrounding the inactive region and the dummy pattern.

Abstract: There is disclosed a two-component developing agent for use in an mage formation based on electrophotography, which has high developability even at a high speed printing and good developability in the case of the image formation for a long period of time. The two-component developing agent includes a carrier comprising a magnetic particle and an insulating toner. A surface of the magnetic particle is coated with at least a resin. A mean particle size of the magnetic particle is between 30 and 90 &mgr;m and an aggregation degree of said carrier is between 2 and 15%.