Abstract: A final area retrieving apparatus, an information reproducing apparatus, a final area retrieving method, and a final area retrieving program are provided, which are capable of decreasing a period of time necessary for acquiring information necessary for reproduction of optical disc. When a final area of optical disc D is retrieved, a system control unit 6 stores a start address of the area, and the like in a flash memory 5. When the optical disc D is inserted again, and a final area is newly retrieved, it is determined whether a final area retrieved at the last time exists on the optical disc D, based on a starting address of final area stored in the flash memory 5. In a case where it is determined that a final area retrieved at the last time exists on the optical disc D, the acquisition of start address of next area, and the like is started from a final area retrieved at the last time, and a final area is retrieved.

Abstract: A vehicle diagnosis system includes an electronic control unit, which executes a diagnosing process for determining whether any abnormality is present in a vehicle based on signals from vehicle devices. When any abnormality is detected, the electronic control unit stores in an EEPROM a diagnosis result indicative of the abnormality when a storage permission flag in the EEPROM is in the on-state. The storage permission flag is turned on from the off-state when receiving a storage permission command from an external unit. Thus, the storage of the diagnosis result into the EEPROM may be permitted at the time of transmitting the storage permission command externally to the ECU.

Abstract: A technology capable of improving receiver sensitivity and improving insulation withstand voltage in an ultrasonic transducer is provided. An ultrasonic transducer comprises: a lower electrode; an insulator covering the lower electrode; a cavity portion disposed on the insulator so as to overlap with the lower electrode; and an upper electrode disposed so as to overlap with the cavity portion. In this ultrasonic transducer, an insulator is inserted between the upper and lower electrodes in a part not having the cavity portion. By this means, sum total of thickness of insulators between the upper and lower electrodes in a part not having the cavity portion is larger than sum total of thickness of insulators between the upper and lower electrodes in a part having the cavity portion.

Abstract: An insulating film on a semiconductor substrate has a first titanium nitride film, an aluminum film, and a second titanium nitride film formed thereon, and an insulating film is formed so as to cover a lower electrode wiring. Then, the insulating film is dry-etched anisotropically so that the insulating film on the lower electrode wiring is removed, and a portion of the insulating film on the lower electrode wiring is left as a sidewall. A deposit deposited during the etching of the insulating film on the lower electrode wiring is removed by radical etching without using ion bombardment. The deposit contains Ti that is a metal element forming the second titanium nitride film. Subsequently, the second titanium nitride film is nitrided through ammonium plasma, and an insulating film to cover the lower electrode wiring is formed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes a first electrode, a second electrode, an insulating film disposed between the first and second electrodes, and a cavity disposed between the first and second electrodes. The insulating film includes a projection extending in the cavity, and a portion of the cavity is disposed between the projection and the first electrode. A portion of one of the first electrode and the second electrode has an opening corresponding to a position of the projection of the insulating film when viewed in plan view.

Abstract: The performance of a sensor in a semiconductor device can be improved. A plurality of oscillators forming an ultrasonic sensor are arranged on a main surface of a semiconductor chip. A negative-type photosensitive insulating film which protects the oscillators is deposited on an uppermost layer of the semiconductor chip. At the time of exposure for forming an opening in the photosensitive insulating film, the semiconductor chip is divided into a plurality of exposure areas and exposed, and then, the exposure areas are jointed so that the entire area is exposed. At this time, a stitching exposure area is arranged so that a center of the stitching exposure area in a width direction in the joint portion of the adjacent exposure areas is positioned at a center of a line which connects centers of oscillators located above and below the stitching exposure area.

Abstract: A display medium includes a pair of substrates, an electrophoretic medium, and a partitioning medium. The pair of substrates is disposed in spaced-apart relation and substantially parallel to each other. The electrophoretic medium is disposed between the pair of substrates and contains charged particles. An electric field generated between the pair of substrates causes the charged particles contained in the electrophoretic medium to migrate for switching a display state. The partitioning medium has fluidity and is phase-separated from the electrophoretic medium at least at room temperature. The partitioning medium is in a phase-separated state phase-separated from the electrophoretic medium. The partitioning medium is disposed between the pair of substrates as a partition to partition the electrophoretic medium.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved construction of an ultrasonic transducer, wherein a charge is not easily injected into an insulating film even when the bottom of a membrane comes in contact with a lower electrode, and a manufacturing method thereof without using the wafer laminating technique. The ultrasonic transducer includes a lower electrode; a cavity layer formed on the first electrode; an insulating film covering the cavity layer; and an upper electrode formed on the insulating film, wherein, the cavity layer includes projections formed into an insulating film protruded from the cavity layer. In addition, an opening is formed into the upper electrode, and this upper electrode having the opening formed therein is deposited at a position not being superposed with the projections of the insulating film when seen from the top.

Abstract: A method for improving productivity when manufacturing a semiconductor device. A lower electrode, insulating films, an upper electrode and insulating films are formed on a semiconductor substrate in a sensor region. A cavity is formed between the insulator films above the lower electrode. The lower electrode, insulating film, the cavity and insulating film, and an upper electrode form a variable capacity sensor. The cavity is formed by etching a sacrificial pattern between the insulation films by way of a hole formed in a pair of insulation films. Other than in the above sensor region, a dummy lower electrode and four insulating films are formed on the TEG region on the semiconductor substrate; and a dummy cavity is formed between a pair of insulation films above the lower electrode however no conductive layer on the same layer as the upper electrode is formed on the dummy cavity.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic transducer including a gap between an upper electrode and a lower electrode on a silicon substrate, it is made possible to reduce or adjust warpage of an above-gap membrane vibrated by electrostatic actuation due to internal stress. A fourth insulating film and a fifth insulating film of films positioned above the gap which is a cavity required for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic are respectively a silicon oxide film for compression stress and a silicon nitride film for tensile stress. Therefore, compression stress and tensile stress cancel each other, so that warpage of the above-gap membrane is reduced. An amount of warpage can be adjusted by adjusting a film thickness of the fourth insulating film and a film thickness of the fifth insulating film.

Abstract: [Problems] In an objective lens driving device used for an optical disc and the like, a moving speed of the objective lens is changed corresponding to amount of vertical deviation of the optical disc, and when the vertical deviation is small, time for aligning the focus is reduced. [Means for Solving Problems] In a case that an objective lens is moved from a bottom limit to an upper limit in a specific range for aligning the focus, when the objective lens is positioned nearer a point (basic focusing position) where light is focused on an optical disc 11 having no vertical deviation than a position away from the basic focusing position, the servo signal processor 5 moves the objective lens faster.

Abstract: In an electronic control system for a vehicle, an ECU performs diagnosis, and attaches a flag to abnormality data DTC upon detection of abnormality. The flag value is 0 or 1, when a specified condition is not satisfied and satisfied, respectively. When an ignition switch is turned off, the DTC with the attached flag is stored in an EEPROM. The flag value is switched in response to a specified condition that arises between completion of assembly of the ECU to a vehicle and use of the vehicle by a user. The specified condition is set to correspond to start of telematics service to the vehicle.

Abstract: An electronic control unit performs self-diagnosis based on signals received from various sensors, and stores abnormality data in an EEPROM when abnormality is detected. The DTC is stored in a first memory area and a second memory area of the EEPROM, if a condition flag stored in the EEPROM is OFF and ON, respectively. The condition flag is switched from OFF (initial value) to ON, when service start data is received from a telematics service center in a period from the completion of assembling the electronic control unit to the vehicle to the start of use of the vehicle by a user.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display medium, the manufacturing apparatus including an image data storing unit that stores image data for text or image to be displayed on the display medium; an electrode pattern generating unit that generates an electrode pattern based on the image data stored in the image data storing unit so that when the text or image is configured of a plurality of independent regions, the electrode pattern has a plurality of integrally and electrically connected electrodes corresponding to a plurality of regions; an electrode forming unit that forms the first electrode on either an electrophoretic medium integrally configured of the second substrate, the second electrode, and the electrophoretic layer or the first substrate based on the electrode pattern generated by the electrode pattern generating unit; and a bonding unit that bonds the electrophoretic medium to the first substrate after the electrode forming unit has formed the first electrode.

Abstract: This invention provides a technique whereby, even if a step is produced by splitting a lower electrode into component elements, resistance increase of an upper electrode, damage to a membrane and decrease of dielectric strength between an upper electrode and the lower electrode, are reduced. In an ultrasonic transducer comprising plural lower electrodes, an insulation film covering the lower electrodes, plural hollow parts formed to overlap the lower electrodes on the insulation film, an insulation film filling the gaps among the hollow parts, an insulation film covering the hollow parts and insulation film, plural upper electrodes formed to overlap the hollow parts on the insulation film and plural interconnections joining them, the surfaces of the hollow parts and insulation film are flattened to the same height.

Abstract: This invention provides a technique whereby, even if a step is produced by splitting a lower electrode into component elements, resistance increase of an upper electrode, damage to a membrane and decrease of dielectric strength between an upper electrode and the lower electrode, are reduced. In an ultrasonic transducer comprising plural lower electrodes, —an insulation film covering the lower electrodes, —plural hollow parts formed to overlap the lower electrodes on the insulation film, —an insulation film filling the gaps among the hollow parts, an insulation film covering the hollow parts and insulation film, plural upper electrodes formed to overlap the hollow parts on the insulation film and plural interconnections joining them, —the surfaces of the hollow parts and insulation film are flattened to the same height.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display medium, the manufacturing apparatus including an image data storing unit that stores image data for text or image to be displayed on the display medium; an electrode pattern generating unit that generates an electrode pattern based on the image data stored in the image data storing unit so that when the text or image is configured of a plurality of independent regions, the electrode pattern has a plurality of integrally and electrically connected electrodes corresponding to a plurality of regions; an electrode forming unit that forms the first electrode on either an electrophoretic medium integrally configured of the second substrate, the second electrode, and the electrophoretic layer or the first substrate based on the electrode pattern generated by the electrode pattern generating unit; and a bonding unit that bonds the electrophoretic medium to the first substrate after the electrode forming unit has formed the first electrode.

Abstract: A vehicle diagnosis system includes an electronic control unit, which executes a diagnosing process for determining whether any abnormality is present in a vehicle based on signals from vehicle devices. When any abnormality is detected, the electronic control unit stores in an EEPROM a diagnosis result indicative of the abnormality when a storage permission flag in the EEPROM is in the on-state. The storage permission flag is turned on from the off-state when receiving a storage permission command from an external unit. Thus, the storage of the diagnosis result into the EEPROM may be permitted at the time of transmitting the storage permission command externally to the ECU.

Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a display medium, the manufacturing apparatus including an image data storing unit that stores image data for text or image to be displayed on the display medium; an electrode pattern generating unit that generates an electrode pattern based on the image data stored in the image data storing unit so that when the text or image is configured of a plurality of independent regions, the electrode pattern has a plurality of integrally and electrically connected electrodes corresponding to a plurality of regions; an electrode forming unit that forms the first electrode on either an electrophoretic medium integrally configured of the second substrate, the second electrode, and the electrophoretic layer or the first substrate based on the electrode pattern generated by the electrode pattern generating unit; and a bonding unit that bonds the electrophoretic medium to the first substrate after the electrode forming unit has formed the first electrode.

Abstract: A method for improving productivity when manufacturing a semiconductor device. A lower electrode, insulating films, an upper electrode and insulating films are formed on a semiconductor substrate in a sensor region. A cavity is formed between the insulator films above the lower electrode. The lower electrode, insulating film, the cavity and insulating film, and an upper electrode form a variable capacity sensor. The cavity is formed by etching a sacrificial pattern between the insulation films by way of a hole formed in a pair of insulation films. Other than in the above sensor region, a dummy lower electrode and four insulating films are formed on the TEG region on the semiconductor substrate; and a dummy cavity is formed between a pair of insulation films above the lower electrode however no conductive layer on the same layer as the upper electrode is formed on the dummy cavity.