Abstract: A power amplifier includes: an amplifying element having a base into which input signals are inputted, a collector to which a collector voltage is applied, and an emitter; and a bias circuit supplying a bias current to the base of the amplifying element. The bias circuit includes a bias current lowering circuit which lowers the bias current when the collector voltage is lower than a prescribed threshold value.

Abstract: A film formation method of forming a silicon oxide film on a surface of an object to be processed in a process chamber includes absorbing a seed gas comprising a silane-based gas on the surface of the object to be processed by supplying the seed gas into the process chamber, forming a silicon film having an impurity by supplying a silicon-containing gas as a material gas, and an addition gas including the impurity into the process chamber, and oxidizing the silicon film to convert the silicon film into the silicon oxide film. Accordingly, the silicon oxide film having the high density and the high stress is formed on the surface of the object to be processed.

Abstract: A skew correction device includes a first conveying unit arranged in a sheet conveying path; a second conveying unit arranged downstream of the first conveying unit in a conveying direction of a sheet; and a skew correction unit. When the sheet is unfolded paper, the skew correction unit performs a first skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts on the second conveying unit that is stopped. When the sheet is fold paper, the skew correction unit performs a second skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts the second conveying unit and the second conveying unit is driven in a reverse direction to the conveying direction at a predetermined operational timing.

Abstract: A power amplifier includes an input matching circuit, an amplifier transistor for amplifying an input signal received through the input matching circuit, an element for varying the collector voltage of the amplifier transistor, a bias circuit for varying the idle current in the amplifier transistor, and a compensation circuit for varying capacitance of the input matching circuit to maintain the phase shift and the input reflection in the power amplifier constant when the collector voltage and the idle current are varied, to prevent a decrease in the efficiency of the power amplifier due to changes in the output power of the amplifier transistor.

Abstract: In a fuel cell including an electrolyte layer allowing an anion component to migrate, and a fuel-side electrode and an oxygen-side electrode arranged to face each other while sandwiching the electrolyte layer, the oxygen-side electrode contains a first catalyst containing a first transition metal and polypyrrole, and a second catalyst containing a second transition metal and a porphyrin ring-containing compound so that the mixing ratio of the first catalyst relative to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the first catalyst and the second catalyst is more than 10 parts by mass, and below 90 parts by mass.

Abstract: A power amplifier includes: an input terminal at which an input signal is input; a first amplifier element amplifying the input signal; a second amplifier element amplifying an output signal of the first amplifier element; an output terminal from which an output signal of the second amplifier element is output; a matching circuit connected between an output of the second amplifier element and the output terminal; a first switch connected between an output of the first amplifier element and an input of the second amplifier element; and a second switch having a first end connected to the output of the first amplifier element, and a second end. The matching circuit includes a first inductor and a first capacitor connected in series between the output of the second amplifier element and a grounding point. The second end of the second switch is connected to a connecting point of the first inductor to the first capacitor.

Abstract: A power amplifier includes: an amplifying element having a base into which input signals are inputted, a collector to which a collector voltage is applied, and an emitter; and a bias circuit supplying a bias current to the base of the amplifying element. The bias circuit includes a bias current lowering circuit which lowers the bias current when the collector voltage is lower than a prescribed threshold value.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes an image reading control unit and a print control unit . The print control unit includes: a first communication control unit connected to the image reading control unit; and a power supply control unit configured to control power supply to the image reading control unit. The image reading control unit includes: a second communication control unit connected to the first communication control unit. When completing a process to transition to a power save mode in accordance with an instruction from the print control unit, the image reading control unit cuts off the communications through the second communication control unit. After sending the image reading control unit the instruction to transition to the power save mode, the print control unit detects the cutoff of the communications and then cuts off the power supply to the image reading control unit through the power supply control unit.

Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus includes a sheet reception unit configured to receive a sheet; an alignment unit configured to align the sheet in a conveying direction of the sheet, a trailing edge of the sheet in the conveying direction coming into contact with the alignment unit; and a moving unit configured to move the alignment unit along the sheet reception unit in the conveying direction. A first position for aligning and binding sheets and a second position located above the first position in the sheet reception unit are set for the alignment unit as receiving positions at which the sheet is received from the sheet reception unit.

Abstract: A skew correction device includes a first conveying unit arranged in a sheet conveying path; a second conveying unit arranged downstream of the first conveying unit in a conveying direction of a sheet; and a skew correction unit. When the sheet is unfolded paper, the skew correction unit performs a first skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts on the second conveying unit that is stopped. When the sheet is fold paper, the skew correction unit performs a second skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts the second conveying unit and the second conveying unit is driven in a reverse direction to the conveying direction at a predetermined operational timing.

Abstract: A directional coupler includes capacitive elements electrically connected to a coupled port and an isolated port, respectively, for a coupled line on a chip (on-chip). The capacitive elements serve as matching capacitive elements and may be MIM (Metal Insulator Metal) capacitors on a substrate. A first end of a first of the capacitive elements is connected between the coupled port and the coupled line and a second end is grounded. A first end of a second of the capacitive elements is connected between the isolated port and the coupled line and a second end is grounded.

Abstract: A facsimile machine receives image data, generates a password for received image data, assigns the generated password to the received image data, and stores the received image data. Information indicating a notification destination is extracted from the received image data, and the notification destination is notified of the password. The received image data are output responsive to subsequent input of the password at the facsimile machine. This scheme provides password protection without forcing users to register and remember passwords, and without the risk that a compromised password may be used for unauthorized output of facsimile data received later.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a stacking unit that stacks conveyed sheets; an aligning unit that aligns the sheets stacked on the stacking unit in a sheet conveying direction; a binding unit that moves along an end portion of a bundle of the sheets on a binding portion side and performs a binding process for the bundle of the sheets that have been aligned by the aligning unit; a pressing unit that presses the bundle of the sheets at the end portion thereof on the binding portion side; and an interlocking unit that moves the pressing unit in association with a motion of the binding unit.

Abstract: A disclosed film deposition method comprises alternately repeating an adsorption step and a reaction step with an interval period therebetween. The adsorption step includes opening a first on-off valve of a source gas supplying system for a predetermined time period thereby to supply a source gas to a process chamber, closing the first valve after the predetermined time period elapses, and confining the source gas within the process tube, thereby allowing the source gas to be adsorbed on an object to be processed, while a third on-off valve of a vacuum evacuation system is closed. The reaction step includes opening a second on-off valve of a reaction gas supplying system thereby to supply a reaction gas to the process chamber, thereby allowing the source gas and the reaction gas to react with each other thereby to produce a thin film on the object to be processed.

Abstract: A power amplifier comprises: an amplifying transistor for amplifying an input signal; a reference voltage generating circuit which generates a reference voltage; a bias circuit generating a bias voltage based on the reference voltage and supplying the bias voltage to the amplifying transistor; and a booster elevating an enable voltage input from outside and outputting the enable voltage. The reference voltage generating circuit is turned ON/OFF in correspondence with an output voltage of the booster. The booster includes: an enable terminal to which the enable voltage is applied; a power source terminal connected to a power source; a transistor having a control electrode connected to the enable terminal, a first electrode connected to the power source terminal, and a second electrode that is grounded; and a FET resistor connected between the first electrode of the transistor and the power source terminal. A gate electrode of the FET resistor is open.

Abstract: A plasma-assisted ALD method using a vertical furnace and being performed by repeating a cycle until a desired film thickness is obtained is disclosed. The cycle comprises introducing a source gas containing a source to be nitrided, adsorbing, purging, introducing a nitriding gas and nitriding the source, and then, purging. A flow rate of a second carrier gas during introduction of the nitriding gas is reduced relative to that of a first carrier gas during introduction of the source gas. Particularly, a flow ratio of NH3 gas as the nitriding gas to N2 gas as the second carrier gas is 50:3 or less.

Abstract: A control unit heats a reaction pipe to a load temperature by controlling a temperature-raising heater 16, and then makes semiconductor wafers received in the reaction pipe. Next, the control unit heats the reaction pipe in which the semiconductor wafers are received to a film formation temperature by controlling the temperature-raising heater, and then forms thin films on the semiconductor wafers by supplying a film forming gas into the reaction pipe from a process gas introducing pipe. Also, the control unit sets the load temperature to a temperature higher than the film formation temperature.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet stacking unit on which sheets are accommodated and stacked as a sheet bundle; an aligning member that is movable along a trailing end, in a conveying direction, of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking unit and that aligns the trailing end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveying direction by abutting thereon; a binding unit that moves along the trailing end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveying direction and binds the aligned sheet bundle; and a moving unit that moves the aligning member in the sheet conveying direction. A distance from the trailing end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveying direction to a binding position is adjusted by moving the aligning member in the sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: A power amplifier includes a first amplifier unit, a second amplifier unit, and an attenuator. The second amplifier receives a signal from the first amplifier unit and amplifies the signal. The attenuator is provided between the first and second amplifier units. The attenuator has arms, including at least one parallel arm and at least one series arm, and has switches connected to the arms to switch the electrical connection states of the arms with respect to the first and second amplifier units. The at least one parallel arm and the at least one series arm are alternately arranged, in the order named, as viewed in the direction from the first amplifier unit to the second amplifier unit.

Abstract: An anion exchange membrane includes a quaternary ammonium salt group in which two methyl groups, and one alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms are bonded to a nitrogen atom.