Abstract: In an ultrasonic joining method for joining a flange portion of a first member to a portion of a second member, a first horn and a second horn are arranged on the flange portion on a side opposite to the second member, and the first horn is vibrated in a condition that the second horn is biased against the first horn and the first horn and the second horn are pressed against the flange portion such that the flange portion is vibrated while being pressed against the portion of the second member. Because the first horn is vibrated in a condition that the first horn and the second horn are pressed against each other at press-contact portions thereof, vibration of the first horn is transferred to the second horn through the press-contact portions.

Abstract: An ultrasonic welding method and an ultrasonic welding device are provided to join a first member having a substantial pipe shape and a second member at a joining surface by pressure-applying and vibration-exciting. In an arranging process, each of a first horn member and a second horn member is slantways arranged in such a manner that a part of a pressure-applying surface thereof which is nearer to a division surface thereof becomes nearer to the joining surface, according to deformation in a joining process. Thus, in the joining process, the pressure-applying surfaces are disposed substantially parallel to the joining surface due to a pressure-applying reaction force, so that the first horn member and the second horn member can be pressed against each other at the division surfaces thereof.

Abstract: The variable transconductance circuit includes: a voltage-current conversion circuit for outputting a current signal linear with an input voltage signal; first and second MOS transistors for converting the current signal received to a square-root compressed voltage signal; and third and fourth MOS transistors for converting the square-root compressed voltage signal to a linear current signal. A bias current at the first and second MOS transistors and a bias current at the third and fourth MOS transistors are varied to control transconductance.

Abstract: A wobble signal extraction circuit for extracting a wobble signal from a first optical disk signal containing a wobble signal component caused by a wobble formed on a surface of an optical disk and a second optical disk signal containing a wobble signal component of a reversed phase to that of the first optical disk signal, wherein signal level fixing sections (24a and 24b) fix the first and second optical disk signals to a predetermined level when a discontinuity of the wobble is detected.

Abstract: A plating solution including a copper salt, an organic phosphonic acid compound, and at least one compound or ions selected from an amine, ?-amino acid, ammonium ions, carbonic acid ions, carboxylic acid ions, dicarboxylic acid ions, sulfuric acid ions, and thiosulfuric acid ions and a method of treating the surface of a conductive material using this plating solution.

Abstract: A phase comparator performs phase comparison and amplitude detection on an RF signal component remaining in an output signal of a subtracter and a signal obtained by binarizing, with reference to a reference voltage, an RF signal component included in the output signal of a first VGA. A charge pump feedback controls a gain of a second VGA on the basis of the results of the phase comparison and the amplitude detection obtained by the phase comparator so as to eliminate a difference between the RF signal component remaining in the output signal of the subtracter and the RF signal component included in the output signal of the first VGA.

Abstract: A first member and a second member have end portions overlapped and welded by irradiating a laser beam on an outer surface of a lap portion. A front end surface of a fused portion slants at an obtuse angle larger than 90° with respect to a naked outer surface of the second member. A dilution rate S=B/(A+B) is equal to or less than 45%, where “A” represents a cross-sectional area of the fused portion merging into the first member and “B” represents a cross-sectional area of the fused portion merging into the second member.