Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor pressure sensor, the sensor having a diaphragm to be deformed by pressure, including: a step of preparing a semiconductor substrate having front and rear surfaces, both of the surfaces being mirror surfaces; a thermally oxidizing step of forming a thermally-oxidized film on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate; a detecting part forming step of forming a detecting part on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, the detecting part including a gauge resistance layer; a patterning step of forming an etching mask on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, the etching mask including the thermally-oxidized film; and an etching step of etching the semiconductor substrate from its rear surface with the etching mask to form a concave portion, the concave portion having a bottom portion functioning as a diaphragm.

Abstract: A first interconnection is formed along a groove of a substrate and on a bottom surface of the groove, and has a first thickness. A second interconnection is electrically connected to the first interconnection and has a second thickness larger than the first thickness. An acceleration sensing unit is electrically connected to the second interconnection. A sealing unit has a portion opposed to the substrate with the first interconnection therebetween, and surrounds the second interconnection and the acceleration sensing unit on the substrate. A cap is arranged on the sealing unit to form a cavity on a region of the substrate surrounded by the sealing unit. Thereby, airtightness of the cavity can be ensured and also an electric resistance of the interconnection connected to the acceleration sensing unit can be reduced.

Abstract: First and second semiconductor layers are attached to each other with an insulation layer sandwiched therebetween. An acceleration sensor device is formed in the first semiconductor layer. A control device for controlling the acceleration sensor device is formed on the second semiconductor layer. Through holes are formed in the second semiconductor layer, and an insulation layer is formed to cover the wall surfaces of the through holes. Through interconnections are formed within the through holes for electrically connecting the acceleration sensor device and the control device to each other. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an acceleration sensor having excellent detection accuracy while having a reduced size, and a fabrication method thereof.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a receiving unit for receiving data encrypted with a first encryption method and sent from a host device; a decryption unit for decrypting the data thus encrypted; an embedded data generation unit for re-editing the data thus decrypted to generate embedded information; an embedded information encryption unit for encrypting the embedded information with a second encryption method; and an image forming unit for forming the embedded information thus encrypted on a medium as a base emblem pattern.

Abstract: A material to be treated containing solid particles in a liquid is stirred together with milling media, and irradiated with ultrasonic waves during stirring to finely mill the solid particles to nanometer size and disperse the solid particles in the liquid. The ultrasonic waves create cavitation in the liquid and upon decay of the cavitation, shock waves are produced that cause the solid particles to vigorously collide with one another and with the milling media and these collisions, together with the shearing forces created by collision of the milling media, can produce on a commercial scale nano particles having an average particle size of at most 100 nm.

Abstract: In a front fork in a two-wheeled vehicle or motor vehicle, a partition wall member sectioning an oil reservoir chamber into upper end lower sides is provided in an upper portion of a hollow pipe. A center hole and an expansion and compression common flow passage are formed in the partition wall member. The expansion and compression common flow passage is provided with a deflection valve in a state of being supported in an inner periphery, and a check valve in a state of being supported in an outer periphery, in such a manner that an outer periphery of the deflection valve and an inner periphery of the check valve are at least partially overlapped. A first spring supporting the deflection valve in a back surface and a second spring supporting the check valve in a back surface are provided. A small gap is provided in the overlapping portion between the deflection valve and the check valve.

Abstract: Multi-color image data received from a host device are divided into blocks. The brightness of at least a first color in each block is tested to determine whether the block is watermarkable. An electronic watermark is embedded into each watermarkable block by modifying the image data of at least a second color. The image data of the second color can then be combined with image data of the other colors to generate watermarked output image data or print a watermarked image. The electronic watermark can be read from the watermarked image with a low error rate.

Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor pressure sensor, the sensor having a diaphragm to be deformed by pressure, including: a step of preparing a semiconductor substrate having front and rear surfaces, both of the surfaces being mirror surfaces; a thermally oxidizing step of forming a thermally-oxidized film on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate; a detecting part forming step of forming a detecting part on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, the detecting part including a gauge resistance layer; a patterning step of forming an etching mask on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, the etching mask including the thermally-oxidized film; and an etching step of etching the semiconductor substrate from its rear surface with the etching mask to form a concave portion, the concave portion having a bottom portion functioning as a diaphragm.

Abstract: A fin member is installed in an oil accumulating room. The fin member causes lubrication oil to follow rotation of the oil accumulating room so that the lubrication oil can be forcibly rotated. In this manner, a rotational speed difference between the oil accumulating room and the lubrication oil is made small, and an adequate oil supplying pressure is generated by the centrifugal force. As a result, a sufficient quantity of the lubrication oil can be supplied. Therefore, estimation of a supplying oil quantity becomes easy, and accuracy in prediction of the lubrication oil quantity actually used for the bearing lubrication can be improved.

Abstract: In a front fork in a two-wheeled vehicle or motor vehicle, a partition wall member sectioning an oil reservoir chamber into upper end lower sides is provided in an upper portion of a hollow pipe. A center hole and an expansion and compression common flow passage are formed in the partition wall member. The expansion and compression common flow passage is provided with a deflection valve in a state of being supported in an inner periphery, and a check valve in a state of being supported in an outer periphery, in such a manner that an outer periphery of the deflection valve and an inner periphery of the check valve are partially overlapped. A first spring supporting the deflection valve in a back surface and a second spring supporting the check valve in a back surface are provided. A small gap is provided in the overlapping portion between the deflection valve and the check valve.

Abstract: A fin member is installed in an oil accumulating room. The fin member causes lubrication oil to follow rotation of the oil accumulating room so that the lubrication oil can be forcibly rotated. In this manner, a rotational speed difference between the oil accumulating room and the lubrication oil is made small, and an adequate oil supplying pressure is generated by the centrifugal force. As a result, a sufficient quantity of the lubrication oil can be supplied. Therefore, estimation of a supplying oil quantity becomes easy, and accuracy in prediction of the lubrication oil quantity actually used for the bearing lubrication can be improved.

Abstract: A base of a low breakdown voltage npn bipolar transistor has p+ diffusion layers. A field insulating layer is formed on the p+ diffusion layer located between the p+ diffusion layer and an emitter, while the p+ diffusion layer encloses the surface of the emitter and has a window part immediately under the emitter. Thus, a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same capable of suppressing dispersion of a current amplification factor hFE in a wafer plane of the low breakdown voltage transistor and fabricating the low breakdown voltage transistor and a high breakdown voltage transistor through simple steps are obtained.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a first insulating layer formed on a substrate; a resistor layer formed on the first insulating layer and having a prescribed electrical resistance; a second insulating layer formed on the resistor layer; a plurality of wirings electrically connected, at positions spaced apart from each other on the resistor layer, to the resistor layer through holes formed in the second insulating layer. Further the semiconductor device comprises a heat storage layer formed in the vicinity of the resistor layer for storing heat generated when a current flows in the resistor layer Hence, even if a large current such as a surge current flows in the resistor layer, heat generated in the resistor layer can be stored in the heat storage layer provided in the vicinity of the resistor layer. Therefore, a stable and reliable semiconductor device free of the breakdown of the resistor layer can be provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a first insulating layer formed on a substrate; a resistor layer formed on the first insulating layer and having a prescribed electrical resistance; a second insulating layer formed on the resistor layer; a plurality of wirings electrically connected, at positions spaced apart from each other on the resistor layer, to the resistor layer through holes formed in the second insulating layer. Further the semiconductor device comprises a heat storage layer formed in the vicinity of the resistor layer for storing heat generated when a current flows in the resistor layer.