Abstract: This electroplating apparatus includes a substrate disposed above an insoluble anode and a filter disposed between the insoluble anode and the substrate for removing oxygen generated from the insoluble anode. The above construction can provide a plating apparatus using an insoluble anode that allows easy placing and removal of the substrate and prevents poor deposition and poor filling caused by accumulation, on the substrate, of oxygen generated at the insoluble anode.

Abstract: Disclosed is an active material for constituting a nickel electrode for alkaline storage batteries which has a high utilization at high ambient temperatures and therefore realizes a battery of higher energy density and a longer cycle life. The nickel electrode active material comprises a nickel hydroxide powder prepared from nickel sulfate and contains SO42− at 0.4 wt % or less in the crystal of the powder. The nickel hydroxide is preferably solid solution nickel hydroxide incorporating therein at least one element selected from the group consisting of cobalt, cadmium, zinc and magnesium.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device comprising a polymetal gate electrode that can prevent formation of a silicide layer at the interface between metal and conductive silicon and also exhibit low resistance property and ohmic property, and a method for manufacturing the same. Specifically, a polymetal gate electrode is formed via a gate insulating film (2), e.g., an oxide film, on a semiconductor substrate (1), e.g., a silicon substrate. The polymetal gate electrode has such a structure that a conductive silicon film (3), e.g., a poly-Si film, a silicide film (4), e.g., a WSi film, a barrier film (5), e.g., a WSiN film, and a metal film (6), e.g., a W film, are stacked over the semiconductor substrate (1) in the order named.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device comprising a polymetal gate electrode that can prevent formation of a silicide layer at the interface between metal and conductive silicon and also exhibit low resistance property and ohmic property, and a method for manufacturing the same. Specifically, a polymetal gate electrode is formed via a gate insulating film (2), e.g., an oxide film, on a semiconductor substrate (1), e.g., a silicon substrate. The polymetal gate electrode has such a structure that a conductive silicon film (3), e.g., a poly-Si film, a silicide film (4), e.g., a WSi film, a barrier film (5), e.g., a WSiN film, and a metal film (6), e.g., a W film, are stacked over the semiconductor substrate (1) in the order named.

Abstract: The instant specification discloses a method for producing nickel hydroxide from an aqueous solution containing an ammonium ion and dissolved nickel hydroxide in an alkaline state, which is characterized in that pH of the solution is controlled by supplying a hydroxide ion generated by water electrolysis thereto. The method of the invention is an environmentally friendly one for producing nickel hydroxide, which enables an easy control of physical properties of nickel hydroxide.

Abstract: In a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising a PLL circuit including an LC resonance type voltage-controlled oscillator which oscillates at the oscillation frequency depending on the control voltage applied, a phase comparator PHC for comparing the phase of an oscillation output signal &phgr; b of said voltage-controlled oscillator with the phase of the reference clock &phgr; r, and a loop-filter LPF for outputting a voltage depending on the phase difference based on an output of the phase comparator PHC, this semiconductor integrated circuit further comprises a plurality of voltage-controlled oscillators VCO1, VCO2, . . . which include different center frequencies of the frequency variable range and the selecting unit for selecting only one oscillator from a plurality of said voltage-controlled oscillators VCO1, VCO2, . . .

Abstract: Disclosed is an active material for constituting a nickel electrode for alkaline storage batteries which has a high utilization at high ambient temperatures and therefore realizes a battery of higher energy density and a longer cycle life. The nickel electrode active material comprises a nickel hydroxide powder prepared from nickel sulfate and contains SO42− at 0.4 wt % or less in the crystal of the powder. The nickel hydroxide is preferably solid solution nickel hydroxide incorporating therein at least one element selected from the group consisting of cobalt, cadmium, zinc and magnesium.

Abstract: An active material for a positive electrode of an alkaline storage battery comprising particles containing nickel hydroxide and provided with pores, and a conductive material filled in the pores. The conductive material includes a cobalt compound and at least one element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements and zinc.

Abstract: Disclosed is a nickel positive electrode which can best utilizes the effects of plural additives and exhibits a high capacity and a long cycle life. The nickel positive electrode contains a nickel hydroxide powder and a plurality of additives including cobalt oxide and a secondary additive, the secondary additive being encapsulated in a capsule of cobalt oxide.

Abstract: A front body structure for a vehicle has a pair of front side frames of a boxed-type which extend in a lengthwise direction from the front to the back of the vehicle at opposite sides of the front body. The front side frame has a closed rectangular cross section which has an approximately constant height over the length and has a height-to-width ratio gradually decreasing toward a ratio of 1 (one) as the front frame comes closer to the forward end thereof.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: A side air bag apparatus installed within a seat has an air bag unit containing an inflator and a folded air bag in an air bag unit housing which is placed on a side of the center of the seat with respect to and in close proximity to a frame member extending along a side section of the seat so as to direct an opening of the air bag unit housing in a specified direction. The air bag unit housing is secured to the frame member by a bracket frame.

Abstract: A chitin deacetylase gene encoding a protein, a plasmid vector containing said gene and a transformant transformed with the plasmid vector. An object of the present invention is to make contribution to the industrial production of said enzyme, by cloning the gene of said enzyme to elucidate the structure of the gene and express the gene.

Abstract: For providing an alkaline storage battery having a high energy density in a broader temperature range, the charge efficiency of a nickel positive electrode at the time of charging at high temperatures is enhanced by incorporating verbium and at least two elements selected from the group consisting of yttrium, and ytterbium in the form of a compound those and further at least one element selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, thulium, cerium, promethium, europium, and lutetium in the form of a compound into a positive electrode paste containing a major component of nickel oxide as an active material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polynucleotides encoding particular N-acetylmuramidases, which are cell wall lytic enzymes, of Streptomyces rutgersensis origin. The invention also relates to vectors comprising the polynucleotides encoding the N-acetylmuramidases, and also relates to host cells transformed with the vectors.

Abstract: A high-performance dioptric reduction projection lens and projection exposure apparatus and projection exposure method using same. The projection lens includes six lens groups and has a positive negative positive negative positive refractive power arrangement. The third and fifth lens groups have overall positive refractive power and include at least three lens elements having positive refractive power. The fourth lens group has negative refractive power and includes at least three lens elements having negative refractive power. At least one lens element in either the fourth lens group or the fifth lens group includes an aspheric surface. The projection lens preferably satisfies at least one of a number of design conditions.

Abstract: Disclosed is p-nitrophenyl 2-acetylamino-4-O-(2-amino-2-deoxy-.beta.-D-glucopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-.beta. -D-glucopyranoside of formula (1) and its acid-addition salts. ##STR1## The compound of formula (1) is produced by reacting a p-nitrophenyl derivative of chitin dimer with a microorganism-derived deacetylase. The compound and its salts do not act on exo-type chitinases, and are specific to only endo-type ones.

Abstract: In the paste type nickel positive electrode prepared by filling pores of a metal nickel plaque made of three-dimensional high porous sheet, or coating both sides or one side of a plaque made of either perforated nickel sheet or nickel plated steel sheet, with a paste type active material mainly composed of nickel hydroxide, by adding particles of cobalt hydroxide having the specific surface area of at least 10 m.sup.2 /g, average particle size of 1.7 microns or more, and content of fine particles with particle size of 1.0 micron or less of 20% or less, the utilization of positive electrode active material is enhanced, and by using this nickel positive electrode, the alkaline rechargeable battery, in particular, the nickel-metal hydride alkaline battery is enhanced in capacity and extended in service life.

Abstract: A battery electrode substrate which is constituted of a porous metallic body structure having communicating pores at a porosity of at least 90% and an Fe/Ni multilayer structure wherein the skeletal portion of the porous metallic body is composed mainly of Fe and has an Ni covering layer on the surface thereof while pores communicating with the inside and outside of Fe skeletal portion exist in the Fe skeletal portion and the inside of the pores is covered with Ni. The electrode substrate is produced by applying an iron oxide powder of at most 20 .mu.m in an average particle size on a porous resin core body; heat treating the core to remove an organic resin component while simultaneously sintering Fe to obtain a porous Fe body; and then covering the Fe skeletal portion with Ni by electroplating. In this process, the iron oxide can be used in combination with carbon powder. Further, a nickel porous sintered body can also be produced using nickel oxide in place of iron oxide.

Abstract: Di-N-acetyl-D-chitobiose, which is easily available as a chitin decomposate or a chemical reagent, is reacted with a microorganisms-derived deacetylase to produce 2-acetylamino-4-O-(2-amino-2-deoxy-.beta.-D-glucopyranosyl)-2-deoxy-D-gluc ose of formula (1). ##STR1## The method is quantitative and efficiently produces the compound (1). The compound (1) and its salts are usable as substrates for measuring enzymatic activities, and also as starting substances in the production of various food materials and in the field of glyco-chain engineering.