Abstract: There is disclosed a fitting-type connection terminal in which an insertion force for a terminal can be reduced while maintaining a stable contact resistance. If the thickness of a tin film on one of male and female terminals is 0.1 &mgr;m to 0.3 &mgr;m while the thickness of a tin film on the other terminal is not less than 0.1 &mgr;m, the hardness of the terminal is increasingly influenced by the hardness of a base material (of copper or copper alloy) with the decrease of the thickness of the tin film, so that the apparent hardness of the terminal increases. As a result, the adhesion of the tin film is suppressed, and the terminal insertion force can be reduced at least by more than 10% as compared with a reference value (1.0 &mgr;m for each of the male and female terminals). Particularly if the thickness of the tin film on the male terminal 10 is 0.1 &mgr;m while the thickness of the tin film on the female terminal 20 is 0.3 &mgr;m to 1.0 &mgr;m, the insertion force can be reduced by more than 30%.

Abstract: A method of forming a superconducting circuit comprises the steps of preparing a ceramics body which is changed from a non-superconductive phase not superconducting at the working temperature into a superconducting phase superconducting at the working temperature by heat treatment and performing the heat treatment on a part of the ceramics body by applying a laser beam to the ceramics body to change the same into the superconductive phase, thereby to form a superconducting circuit consisting of the superconductive phase and the non-superconductive phase on the ceramics body.

Abstract: A thin film of an oxide superconductor having a homogeneous composition and less oxygen defects is produced by independently vaporizing at least one material selected from the group consisting of the elements of Ia, IIa and IIIa groups of the periodic table and their compounds and at least one material selected from the group consisting of the elements of Ib, IIb and IIIb groups of the periodic table and their compounds in the presence of molecular oxygen and depositing the vaporized materials together with oxygen on a substrate to form a thin film of the oxide superconductor.

Abstract: A thin film of an oxide superconductor having a homogeneous composition and less oxygen defects is produced by independently vaporizing onto a substrate at least one material selected from the group consisting of the elements of Ia, IIa and IIIa groups of the periodic table and their compounds and one material selected from the group consisting of Cu and its compounds and irradiating the substrate with oxygen ions and depositing the vaporized materials together with oxygen on the substrate to form the thin film of the oxide superconductor.

Abstract: A carbon film having a larger electrical conductivity is produced on a substrate by an ion beam method comprising steps of ionizing an organic compound having at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of a carbonyl group, an aldehyde group, an acyl group, an acid anhydride group, an amino group, a nitro group, a hydroxyl group, an alkoxyl group, a thiol group and a halogen or a cluster of said organic compound with an ion beam which accelerates ionized species towards a substrate by an electric field and forming a carbon film on the substrate.

Abstract: A carbon film having a large electrical conductivity is produced at a comparatively low substrate temperature by a method comprising forming the carbon film from a hydrocarbon by an ion beam method and heating the substrate at a temperature of 400.degree. C. to 1,200.degree. C.

Abstract: A method for forming a conductive graphite film comprises the steps of forming a carbon film on substrate material heated to 700.degree. C. or higher through a plasma discharge using hydrocarbon gas as raw material and subjecting the film to heat treatment at temperatures exceeding 1,500.degree. C.