Abstract: Anode active materials, anodes, and batteries are provided. In one embodiment, an anode active material includes particles consisting essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon and an alloy of silicon. An average degree of circularity of the particles is 90% or less.

Abstract: A separator is provided and includes a functional resin layer containing a resin material and an inorganic oxide filler, having a porous interconnected structure in which many pores are mutually interconnected and having a contact angle against an electrolytic solution of not more than 11 degrees.

Abstract: A battery including a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution is impregnated in a separator provided between the cathode and the anode. The anode has an insulative coat on an anode active material layer provided on an anode current collector. The coat contains an insulating material such as a meal hydroxide and a metal oxide. The coat is in a form of plate divided into a plurality of portions. The insulation property of the coat prevents internal short circuit. A plurality of portions of the coat prevent separation of the anode active material layer and decomposition of the electrolytic solution. Further, even when short circuit occurs, heat generation is prevented by heat absorption characteristics of the coat.

Abstract: A separator is provided and includes a functional resin layer containing a resin material and an inorganic oxide filler, having a porous interconnected structure in which many pores are mutually interconnected and having a contact angle against an electrolytic solution of not more than 11 degrees.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an amplifier includes a first inverter which inverts and delays a first signal to generate a second signal. A second inverter inverts and delays a third signal to generate a fourth signal. A first transistor includes a gate electrode supplied with the second signal. A second transistor includes a gate electrode supplied with the fourth signal. An output terminal is coupled to one terminal of the second transistor and outputs a fifth signal. A third inverter inverts and delays the fifth signal to generate a sixth signal. A first discharge circuit discharges one terminal of the first transistor and the one terminal of the second transistor based on the first, sixth, or fourth signal, and includes one terminal coupled to the other terminal of each of the first and second transistors.

Abstract: A valve reference position-learning device for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of accurately learning the reference position of a valve both before and after the warm-up of the engine, while properly reflecting thereon a deviation of the reference position caused by the thermal elongation of the valve and drive system after the warm-up of the engine. The valve reference position-learning device calculates and updates a learned value of the reference position of the wastegate valve both at and after the start of the engine, by first and second learnings, respectively. The learned value calculated by the first learning is stored as an existing learned value. Further, at the start of the engine, if the calculation of the learned value is not completed, the learned value is set to the existing stored learned value.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an amplifier includes a first inverter which inverts and delays a first signal to generate a second signal. A second inverter inverts and delays a third signal to generate a fourth signal. A first transistor includes a gate electrode supplied with the second signal. A second transistor includes a gate electrode supplied with the fourth signal. An output terminal is coupled to one terminal of the second transistor and outputs a fifth signal. A third inverter inverts and delays the fifth signal to generate a sixth signal. A first discharge circuit discharges one terminal of the first transistor and the one terminal of the second transistor based on the first, sixth, or fourth signal, and includes one terminal coupled to the other terminal of each of the first and second transistors.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy has high thermal conductivity without requiring an addition of metal elements such as iron and a method for producing the aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloy is obtained from a semi-solid material with a chemical composition containing 2 to 6 wt % of silicon (Si) and 0.7 wt % or less of magnesium (Mg), with the balance being aluminum (Al) and unavoidable impurities. It has a granular crystalline structure. The aluminum alloy is produced by a heating step of semi-solid material. A forming step is performed with semi-solid material obtained in the heating step S1. After the forming step, a heat treatment step is performed at 190° C. to 290° C. for 1 to 5 hours.

Abstract: A negative electrode including a negative electrode collector and a negative electrode active material layer on the collector. The layer contains a negative electrode active material capable of occluding and releasing lithium. The material in a fully charged state satisfies a conditional expression (1) in 7Li-MAS-NMR analysis: 0?(B/A)<0.1??(1), where A represents a sum of integrated area of a first peak and integrated area of a side band peak of the first peak, the first peak indicating a chemical shift in a range of ?1 ppm or more and 25 ppm or less with respect to a reference position where a resonant peak of a LiCl aqueous solution having a concentration of 1 mol/dm3 appears. B represents integrated area of a second peak indicating a chemical shift in a range of 25 ppm or more and 270 ppm or less with respect to the reference position.

Abstract: A battery including a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution is impregnated in a separator provided between the cathode and the anode. The anode has an insulative coat on an anode active material layer provided on an anode current collector. The coat contains an insulating material such as a meal hydroxide and a metal oxide. The coat is in a form of plate divided into a plurality of portions. The insulation property of the coat prevents internal short circuit. A plurality of portions of the coat prevent separation of the anode active material layer and decomposition of the electrolytic solution. Further, even when short circuit occurs, heat generation is prevented by heat absorption characteristics of the coat.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a ZQ calibration circuit comprises a replica buffer controller configured to apply electric stress to a replica buffer circuit with a circuit configuration substantially identical to a circuit configuration of an output buffer circuit according to a usage status of the output buffer circuit during a period when no calibration operation is performed.

Abstract: A negative electrode for an electrical device includes: a current collector; and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, an electrically-conductive auxiliary agent and a binder and formed on a surface of the current collector, wherein the negative electrode active material contains an alloy represented by a following formula (1): SixZnyMzAa (in the formula (1) M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of V, Sn, Al, C and combinations thereof, A is inevitable impurity, and x, y, z and a represent mass percent values and satisfy 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, 0?a<0.5 and x+y+z+a=100), and elongation (?) of the electrode layer is 1.29<?<1.70%.

Abstract: The negative electrode for an electric device includes a current collector and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, a conductive auxiliary agent and a binder and formed on a surface of the current collector, wherein the negative electrode active material contains an alloy represented by the following formula (1): SixSnyMzAa (in the formula (1), M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Al, V, C and a combination thereof, A is inevitable impurities, and x, y, z and a represent mass percent values and satisfy the conditions of 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, 0?a<0.5, and x+y+z+a=100), and elastic elongation of the current collector is 1.30% or greater.

Abstract: Provided are an anode capable of preventing an increase in impedance and variations in characteristics and a battery using the anode. An anode active material layer includes at least one kind selected from the group consisting of simple substances, alloys and compounds of silicon and the like capable of forming an alloy with Li. The anode active material layer is formed by a vapor-phase deposition method or the like, and is alloyed with an anode current collector. A coating including lithium carbonate is formed on at least a part of a surface of the anode current collector. Thereby, an increase in impedance can be prevented. Moreover, the anode is less subject to an influence by a difference in a handling environment or storage conditions, so variations in impedance can be prevented.

Abstract: [TECHNICAL PROBLEM] To provide a negative electrode for an electric device such as a Li ion secondary battery, which shows good balanced characteristics where Initial capacity is high while maintaining high cycle characteristics. [SOLUTION TO PROBLEM] The negative electrode for an electric device includes: a current collector; and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, an electrically-conductive auxiliary agent and a binder and formed on a surface of the current collector. The negative electrode active material is a mixture of a carbon material and an alloy represented by the following formula (1): SixZnyMzAa ??(1) (in formula (1), M is at least one of metal selected from the group consisting of V, Sn, Al, C, and combinations thereof, A is inevitable impurity, and x, y, z and a represent mass percent values and satisfy 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, and 0<a<0.5, and x+y+z+a=100).

Abstract: The negative electrode for an electric device includes a current collector and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, an electrically-conductive auxiliary agent and a binder and formed on a surface of the current collector, wherein the negative electrode active material contains an alloy represented by the following formula (1): SixSnyMzAa (in the formula (1), M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Al, V, C and a combination thereof, A is inevitable impurities, and x, y, z and a represent mass percent values and satisfy the conditions of 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, 0?a<0.5, and x+y+z+a=100), and the binder contains a resin having an E elastic modulus of greater than 1.00 GPa and less than 7.40 GPa.

Abstract: The negative electrode for an electric device includes a current collector and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, a conductive auxiliary agent and a binder and formed on a surface of the current collector, wherein the negative electrode active material contains an alloy represented by the following formula (1): SixZnyMzAa (in the formula (1), M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of V, Sn, Al, C and a combination thereof, A is inevitable impurities, and x, y, z and a represent mass percent values and satisfy the conditions of 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, 0?a<0.5, and x+y+z+a=100), and elongation (?) in the electrode layer satisfies 1.29%<?<1.70%.

Abstract: The negative electrode for an electric device includes: a current collector; and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, an electrically-conductive auxiliary agent and a binder and formed on a surface of the current collector. The negative electrode active material is a mixture of a carbon material and an alloy represented by the following formula (1): SixSnyMzAa . . . (1) (in formula (1), M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Al, V, C, and combinations thereof, A is inevitable impurity, x, y, z, and a represent mass percent values and satisfy 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, and 0?a<0.5, x+y+z+a=100).

Abstract: A negative electrode for an electrical device includes: a current collector, and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, an electrically-conductive auxiliary agent and a binder, wherein the negative electrode active material contains an alloy represented by a following formula (1): SixSnyMzAa (where M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Al, V, C and combinations thereof, A is inevitable impurity, and x, y, z and a are values of mass %, where 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, 0?a<0.5 and x+y+z+a=100), and elongation (?) of the electrode layer is 1.29<?<1.70%.

Abstract: The negative electrode for an electric device includes a current collector and an electrode layer containing a negative electrode active material, an electrically-conductive auxiliary agent and a binder and formed on a surface of the current collector, wherein the negative electrode active material contains an alloy represented by the following formula (1): SixZnyMzAa (in the formula (1), M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of V, Sn, Al, C and a combination thereof, A is inevitable impurities, and x, y, z and a represent mass percent values and satisfy the conditions of 0<x<100, 0<y<100, 0<z<100, 0<a<0.5, and x+y+z+a=100), and the binder contains a resin having an E elastic modulus of greater than 1.00 GPa and less than 7.40 GPa.