Abstract: An apparatus has a cross connection circuit, first switching sections located on the input side of the cross connection circuit to switch a presently-used transmission path and a reserve transmission path, and second switching sections located on the output side of the cross connection circuit to switch the presently-used transmission path and the reserve transmission path and comprises slot sections, first selecting section selectively connecting any one of the slot sections to the input side of the first switching section, second selecting section connecting the output side of the first switching section to the input side of the cross connection circuit, third selecting section selectively connecting the output side of the cross connection circuit to the input side of any of the second switching sections, and fourth selecting section connecting the output side of the second switching section to any one of the slot sections.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. In the method, a thin film is formed on an Si substrate having face orientation (100), that part of the thin film, which lies on an element-isolating region, is removed. Then, the Si substrate is subjected to selective etching, making a trench in the substrate to isolate an element, by using the thin film as mask and a mixture solution of hydrofluoric acid and ozone water.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wafer cleaning method comprising supplying a cleaning water to a wafer cleaned with a chemical solution, measuring the resistivity of a solution including the chemical solution and cleaning water, and differentiating the measured value with respect to time, and cleaning the wafer continuously with the cleaning water until the time differential value of the resistivity becomes equal to or less than a preset value and is held at that values for preset time.

Abstract: An apparatus includes plural combinations of a clock supplier and a clock supply destination supplied with a clock from the clock supplier. The clock supply destination includes a return route through which the clock supply destination returns a clock to a corresponding clock supplier. The clock supplier includes a variable delay unit that adds a delay to the clock to be supplied to a corresponding clock supply destination; a comparison-reference-clock supply unit that supplies a comparison reference clock having the same phase as that of a comparison reference clock supplied from other clock supplier; a phase comparator that compares the phase of a return clock returned from a corresponding clock supply destination with that of the comparison reference clock; and a phase-difference control unit that controls the delay, so that the phases of the return clock and the comparison reference clock coincide with each other, based on the comparison result.

Abstract: An etching method of subjecting a base material to an etching process using an etching agent containing hydrogen fluoride and ozone is disclosed. The base material has a first region constituted from silicon as a main material and a second region constituted from SiO2 as a main material. The etching method includes the steps of: preparing the base material; and supplying the etching agent onto the base material to form a step between the first and second regions using a feature that an etching rate of silicon by the etching agent is higher than an etching rate of SiO2 by the etching agent, so that the height of the surface of the first region is lower than the height of the surface of the second region.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator is constructed by forming a common electrode 27 of Cr, a piezoelectric layer 29 of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, a cover layer 31 of BaTiO3, and an individual electrode 33 of Pt in this order into a laminate. The thickness of the piezoelectric layer 29 in the lamination direction (T1) and the thickness of the cover layer 31 in the lamination direction (T2) satisfy the relationship of 0.08?T2/T1?1. The relative dielectric constant of the piezoelectric layer 29 (?r1) and the relative dielectric constant of the cover layer 31 (?r2) satisfy the relationship of ?r2/?r1?0.2.

Abstract: An electronic paper file with an advantage like a book or a notebook can settle a conventional problem regarding the displaying that appears at a time of communicating by a portable information terminal. And the electronic paper file is provided with a receiving electronic paper displaying data sent from the other electronic paper and a sending electronic paper sending the display content to the other electronic paper.

Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes serially connected arms U and X, serially connected arms V and Y, serially connected arms W and Z, and a capacitor, the pairs of serially connected arms and the capacitor all connected in parallel to one another. The input-side arms U and X and the output-side arms W and Z are subjected to PWM control so that the arms W and Z are controlled to have a voltage that is lower than that of the arms U and X, thereby providing a step down operation. A step up operation also can be provided by an opposite relation in which the arms W and Z are controlled to have a voltage that is higher than that of the arms U and X, thereby to expand the range within which the output voltage is controlled with the effect of reducing distortion.

Abstract: A device including a line interface for additionally installing a line is installed in a terminal repeater device which takes a work and protection redundancy configuration based on a criterion such as SONET, SDH, or the like. Within the device additionally installed, the clocks supplied from work and protection devices are each compared. The respective clocks are variably delayed based on the comparison result so as to allow the device additionally installed to perform clock phase control as to the work and protection lines.

Abstract: A printer includes: a recording section for recording information on a recording medium; a medium carrying mechanism provided in an apparatus casing having an eject port that is opened in an upward direction or in a slanted upward direction; a medium accommodating section extending in a vertical or slanted vertical direction that defines a medium accommodating space that is continuous with the eject port; and an upward medium carrying mechanism that carries the recording medium upward by an amount according to the size of the recording medium stored in a size memory device, so that the re cording medium projects from the eject port by a predetermined constant length.

Abstract: In ink containing a colorant, a humectant, a penetrant, water, and a water-soluble substance that is condensation-polymerized in the absence of the water (e.g., hydrolyzable silane compound), the surface tension of the ink at 25° C. before the water-soluble substance is condensation-polymerized is set to 20–50 mN/m, or the ink further contains a fluoroalkyl monoalcohol whose boiling point is lower than 100° C.

Abstract: Ink for ink-jet recording contains an oil soluble dye, a humectant, a penetrant, water, and an amphiphilic star block polymer of which the outer portion is hydrophilic. The surface tension of the ink at 25° C. is in the range of 20 to 50 mN/m.

Abstract: The invention has an object to provide the electronic paper file, which an electronic paper can be attached to or detached from by providing a connecting terminal including the physical or electrical connecting function to both the electronic paper and the main unit. Since the display data is to be displayed on the nonvolatile display medium fitted to the display of the electronic paper, the electronic paper detached from the main unit can retain the display content. Since the connecting terminal fitted to the main unit is fixed to the rotatable rotatable axis, it is possible to retain the desired page with keeping double-pages spread.

Abstract: A printer includes: a recording section for recording information on a recording medium; a medium carrying mechanism for carrying the recording medium on which information has been recorded by the recording section; a medium accommodating section extending in a vertical direction or in a slanted vertical direction for accommodating the recording medium carried by the medium carrying mechanism; and pusher means for pushing the recording medium carried by the medium carrying mechanism into the medium accommodating section.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate treating method is disclosed that can selectively remove contaminants or unnecessary substances present on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. Also disclosed are a semiconductor component of enhanced reliability produced by this method and an electronic appliance incorporating the semiconductor component. The semiconductor substrate treating method comprises the step of treating a semiconductor substrate with a treating fluid containing NH4OH and HF wherein the relationships 0.30?X/Y?0.78 and 0.03?Y?6.0 are satisfied, where X represents a concentration [mol/L] of NH4OH in the treating fluid and Y represents a concentration [mol/L] of HF in the treating fluid. Preferably, the treating fluid is substantially free from H2O2. The semiconductor substrate has a surface, at least a part of which is composed of high melting point metal.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. In the method, a thin film is formed on an Si substrate having face orientation (100), that part of the thin film, which lies on an element-isolating region, is removed. Then, the Si substrate is subjected to selective etching, making a trench in the substrate to isolate an element, by using the thin film as mask and a mixture solution of hydrofluoric acid and ozone water.

Abstract: An etching method of subjecting a base material to an etching process using an etching agent containing hydrogen fluoride and ozone is disclosed. The base material has a first region constituted from silicon as a main material and a second region constituted from SiO2 as a main material. The etching method includes the steps of: preparing the base material; and supplying the etching agent onto the base material to form a step between the first and second regions using a feature that an etching rate of silicon by the etching agent is higher than an etching rate of SiO2 by the etching agent, so that the height of the surface of the first region is lower than the height of the surface of the second region.

Abstract: In an ink for ink jet recording use including a water-soluble dye, a humectant, a penetrant, water and a hydrolyzable organic silicon compound, silicon atoms (62) are contained in the ink at a ratio of 3.3 or more with respect to one hydrophilic group (52) in the water-soluble dye molecules (50) so that at least the whole hydrophilic groups (52) in the water-soluble dye molecules (50) are surrounded by silicon atoms (62) as a result of a condensation and polymerization reaction of said organic silicon compound.

Abstract: A first line head 1 and a second line head 2 are arranged in a scanning direction X. In each of the line heads 1 and 2, actuator blocks 40 are arranged at a constant interval in a head longitudinal direction Y so as to be spaced apart from one another. The actuator block 40 of the second line head 2 is located between the actuator blocks 40 and 40 of the first line head 1 with respect to the head longitudinal direction Y. The actuator block 40 of the first line head 1 and the actuator block 40 of the second line head 2 partially overlap with each other with respect to the head longitudinal direction Y.

Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes serially connected arms U and X, serially connected arms V and Y, serially connected arms W and Z, and a capacitor, the pairs of serially connected arms and the capacitor all connected in parallel to one another. The input-side arms U and X and the output-side arms W and Z are subjected to PWM control so that the arms W and Z are controlled to have a voltage that is lower than that of the arms U and X, thereby providing a step down operation. A step up operation also can be provided by an opposite relation in which the arms W and Z are controlled to have a voltage that is higher than that of the arms U and X, thereby to expand the range within which the output voltage is controlled with the effect of reducing distortion.