Abstract: In a breaking prediction method of predicting a breaking portion of a component, which is obtained by forming a metal sheet, by using a finite element method, the breaking portion is easily and reliably extracted.

Abstract: A stretch flange crack prediction method of predicting initiation of stretch flange cracks that occurs in a flange end section during stretch flange forming of a deformable sheet, includes: a measurement value acquisition process of acquiring, for each of a plurality of sheet-shaped test pieces, a fracture strain measurement value, a normal strain gradient measurement value, and a circumferential strain gradient measurement value; a CAE analysis process of acquiring a maximum major strain maximum element having a highest maximum major strain, a normal strain gradient of the maximum major strain maximum element, and a circumferential strain gradient of the maximum major strain maximum element; a fracture determination threshold acquisition process of acquiring a fracture determination threshold by converting the fracture strain measurement value; and a prediction process of predicting that stretch flange cracks will be initiated, when the maximum major strain is equal to or higher than the fracture determinati

Abstract: A blank shape determining method includes: a process of making a forming analysis of forming a reference blank into a reference formed product and a acquiring sheet thickness distribution and a plastic strain distribution; a process of acquiring a forming failure evaluation index for the reference blank; a process of estimating a region, which includes an end edge portion at which the forming failure evaluation index exceeds a predetermined threshold, within the reference blank as a forming failure region; a process of generating a plurality of corrected blanks; a process of making a forming analysis of forming the corrected blanks into corrected formed products and acquiring a sheet thickness distribution and a plastic strain distribution; a process of acquiring the forming failure evaluation index for the corrected formed product; and a process of determining a shape of the corrected blank having a smallest maximum value of the forming failure evaluation index as a shape of a blank provided for press formin

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a press-formed product includes: a first step of preparing a long material having a bending portion; and a second step of decreasing curvature of the bending portion while restricting both ends of the long material in a longitudinal direction.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a press-molding apparatus capable of appropriately thickening a vertical wall portion while preventing the occurrence of buckling. [Solution] Provided is a press-molding apparatus configured to mold a press-molded product by performing press working on a work, the press-molding apparatus including: a support member that supports the work with a first thickness having a hat-shaped cross-section or a U-shaped cross-section; a punch member that moves relative to the support member to execute press working so as to reduce a height of a vertical wall portion of the work and thicken the vertical wall portion to a second thickness; and a pad member that faces the support member with the vertical wall portion to be thickened placed therebetween, the pad member being biased by a biasing member and having its distance to the support member kept equal to or smaller than the second thickness during the press working.

Abstract: A pump unit can achieve significant size reduction while maintaining the performance thereof. Micropumps are arranged in a lattice pattern with rows and columns, and a discharge port of at least a micropump arranged in the most downstream row is directly connected to an integrated discharge port. The pump unit further includes: a discharge direct-connection mechanism for connecting respective discharge ports of a plurality of micropumps in a middle row directly to the integrated discharge port; an intake direct-connection mechanism for connecting respective intake ports of the micropumps directly to a fluid to be supplied first; a series-connection mechanism for connecting a discharge port of a micropump in an upstream row directly to an intake port of a micropump in a downstream row; and a controller for controlling the discharge direct-connection mechanism, the intake direct-connection mechanism, and the series-connection mechanism.

Abstract: When discretizing an analysis target part into plural elements and performing analysis, sheet thickness reduction rate or maximum principal strain at an equivalent position including a same element is compared by either a manner of combining two adjacent elements after the analysis or a manner of changing an element discretization size with two types and performing the analysis, and the element where the difference is large is extracted as a fracture risk portion. With this structure, a fracture risk portion can be extracted reliably when a fracture is predicted by a finite element method.

Abstract: A pump unit can achieve significant size reduction while maintaining the performance thereof. Micropumps are arranged in a lattice pattern with rows and columns, and a discharge port of at least a micropump arranged in the most downstream row is directly connected to an integrated discharge port. The pump unit further includes: a discharge direct-connection mechanism for connecting respective discharge ports of a plurality of micropumps in a middle row directly to the integrated discharge port; an intake direct-connection mechanism for connecting respective intake ports of the micropumps directly to a fluid to be supplied first; a series-connection mechanism for connecting a discharge port of a micropump in an upstream row directly to an intake port of a micropump in a downstream row; and a controller for controlling the discharge direct-connection mechanism, the intake direct-connection mechanism, and the series-connection mechanism.

Abstract: When discretizing an analysis target part into plural elements and performing analysis, sheet thickness reduction rate or maximum principal strain at an equivalent position including a same element is compared by either a manner of combining two adjacent elements after the analysis or a manner of changing an element discretization size with two types and performing the analysis, and the element where the difference is large is extracted as a fracture risk portion. With this structure, a fracture risk portion can be extracted reliably when a fracture is predicted by a finite element method.

Abstract: When the surface of a semiconductor wafer, a photomask or the like sample is charged by irradiation with a charged particle beam, the charging is liable to hamper image observation, inspection and handling. Therefore, the sample and the surface or vicinity of the sample being charged by an electron beam or the like is held in an atmosphere or a reduced pressure atmosphere or in a predetermined gaseous atmosphere within a preliminary evacuation chamber, a sample chamber or the like, containing a soft X-ray generator which irradiates the sample or the vicinity thereof with soft X-rays which are controlled to generate positive ions and negative ions and remove charges on the surface of the sample.

Abstract: A method of deciding the quality of a measurement value of the line width, the line interval or the like of a pattern on an object to-be-measured, including acquiring the signal intensity distribution of the pattern on the object to-be-measured, detecting the edge positions of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, detecting the taper widths of the edge parts of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, and deciding that the measurement value calculated on the basis of the detected edge positions is correct, when the detected taper widths fall within a predetermined range set beforehand. In this way, it is permitted to automatically decide the defective measurement of the line width of the pattern, or the like, attributed to an unclear image due to inferior focusing in an image photographing mode, an unclear image due to an image drift ascribable to charging-up, or the like.

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus comprising a preparatory evacuation chamber (15 in FIG. 1A) into which a sample (12) is conveyed and which is preliminarily evacuated, an ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) which is disposed in the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) and which irradiates the surface of the sample (12) conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period, and a sample chamber (16) into which the sample (12) is conveyed in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) or from which the sample (12) is conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample (12) by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) is performed before the conveyance of the sample (12) into the sample chamber (16), or/and after the conveyance thereof from the sample chamber (16), thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample (12).

Abstract: A charged particle beam apparatus comprising a preparatory evacuation chamber (15 in FIG. 1A) into which a sample (12) is conveyed and which is preliminarily evacuated, an ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) which is disposed in the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) and which irradiates the surface of the sample (12) conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), with ultraviolet rays for a predetermined time period, and a sample chamber (16) into which the sample (12) is conveyed in the preliminarily evacuated state of the preparatory evacuation chamber (15) or from which the sample (12) is conveyed into the preparatory evacuation chamber (15), wherein the ultraviolet irradiation of the sample (12) by the ultraviolet irradiation unit (21) is performed before the conveyance of the sample (12) into the sample chamber (16), or/and after the conveyance thereof from the sample chamber (16), thereby to remove contamination on the surface of the sample (12).

Abstract: A method of deciding a measurement value as decides the quality of the measurement value of the line width, the line interval or the like of a pattern on an object to-be-measured, comprising the steps of acquiring the signal intensity distribution of the pattern on the object to-be-measured (2 in FIG. 1), detecting the edge positions of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, detecting the taper widths of the edge parts of the pattern from the acquired signal intensity distribution, and deciding that the measurement value calculated on the basis of the detected edge positions is correct, when the detected taper widths fall within a predetermined range set beforehand. In this way, it is permitted to automatically decide the defective measurement of the line width of the pattern, or the like, attributed to an unclear image due to inferior focusing in an image photographing mode, an unclear image due to an image drift ascribable to charging-up, or the like.

Abstract: A laser includes a first region with a first moveguide having a first diffraction grating, a second region with a second waveguide having a second diffraction grating, and a phase controlling region with a third waveguide and a phase control unit for controlling an effective refractive index of the third waveguide. The phase controlling region, the first region and the second region are coupled serially along a light propagation direction in this order, and are constructed such that light to the first region from the phase controlling region is enlarged relatively to light to the phase controlling region from the first region, or constructed such that a coupling coefficient of the first diffraction grating in the first region adjacent to the phase controlling region is smaller than a coupling coefficient of the second diffraction grating in the second region away from the phase controlling region.

Abstract: A personal information controlling method and apparatus for controlling pieces of personal information and for outputting a specific piece of personal information on a personal information registrant to a personal information referencer in response to a request by the personal information registrant. The invention provides that an inquiry code is issued by generating and outputting an inquiry code in accordance with an instruction from the personal information registrant. The inquiry code is to be used by the personal information referencer to acquire the specific piece of personal information as an identification of the specific piece of personal information. The invention also provides that personal information is acquired by requesting the personal information referencer to enter the inquiry code and outputting the specific piece of personal information identified by the inquiry code if the inquiry code entered by the personal information referencer matches the issued inquiry code.

Abstract: A personal information controlling method and apparatus for controlling pieces of personal information and for outputting a specific piece of personal information on a personal information registrant to a personal information referencer in response to a request by the personal information registrant. The invention provides that an inquiry code is issued by generating and outputting an inquiry code in accordance with an instruction from the personal information registrant. The inquiry code is to be used by the personal information referencer to acquire the specific piece of personal information as an identification of the specific piece of personal information. The invention also provides that personal information is acquired by requesting the personal information referencer to enter the inquiry code and outputting the specific piece of personal information identified by the inquiry code if the inquiry code entered by the personal information referencer matches the issued inquiry code.

Abstract: A cyber shop client defines cyber shop definition information by a shop layout defining unit, an electronic shopping cart electronic form defining unit, and a goods registering unit. A cyber mall server generates cyber shop information on the basis of the cyber shop definition information from the cyber client by a shop layout registering unit, an electronic shopping cart electronic form registering unit, and a goods storing unit. Further, the cyber mall server generates display information from the cyber shop information composed of a shop management database, a shop layout database, an electronic shopping cart electronic form database, an electronic shopping cart database, and a goods database by a parameter analyzing unit, a file retrieving unit, and a display data generating unit.

Abstract: An optical fiber apparatus includes an optical fiber, and a demultiplexing/multiplexing unit for demultiplexing or multiplexing at least a light wave of at least a wavelength with a sufficiently narrow wavelength spectrum that is determined by a resolving power thereof, such as a Fabry-Perot etalon. The demultiplexing/multiplexing unit is provided or formed directly on at least an end face of the optical fiber. An optical detector array including a plurality of optical detectors for detecting demultiplexed light waves may be provided on a light emergence surface of of the demultiplexing/multiplexing unit.

Abstract: In a gyro which has a ring resonator type laser diode, and which detects a beat signal attendant on rotation, a plurality of laser diodes are disposed on an identical substrate, thereby to exhibit a wide detection range for angular velocities. In the gyro, active layers of the laser diodes may be arranged separately from one another. A semiconductor device includes a plurality of ring resonator type laser diodes, each of which undergoes a voltage change or a change in a driving current in attendance on a magnitude of an applied angular velocity when subjected to constant-current drive, and which are disposed in a single frame or on a single substrate. In the semiconductor device, the ring resonator type laser diodes may be disposed on an identical surface of the single substrate.