Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging device, including a rotatable magnetic particle carrying member and electroconductive magnetic particles carried on the rotatable magnetic particle carrying member, for charging the image bearing member by contacting the magnetic particles to the image bearing member; a measuring device for measuring magnitudes of a first force in a first direction and a second force in a second direction which are produced in a contact region between the image bearing member and the magnetic particles, wherein the first direction and second direction are independent from each other; and a control device for controlling an image forming operation on the basis of the forces measured by the measuring device.

Abstract: The selection range of antenna candidates effective for MIMO communication is widened in a base station to increase the throughput of MIMO communication. A terminal sends a sounding signal at given time intervals with the maximum transmission power or with an antenna selection transmission power threshold or larger. With this transmission, since the number of antenna candidates that receive the signal is increased at a base station in the distributed antenna system, the radio propagation channel state between the terminal and the base station apparatus is checked to select the combination of antennas having good orthogonality. Before the terminal sends the sounding signal, the terminal reserves beforehand the transmission timing of the sounding signal or performs carrier sensing to determine whether a surrounding terminal is sending a signal to avoid the collision/interference of packets of sounding signals between terminals.

Abstract: A robot apparatus includes: an image pickup device; a goal-image storing unit that stores, according to sensitivity represented by an amount of change of a pixel value at the time when a target aligned with a goal position on an image at a pixel level is displaced by a displacement amount at a sub-pixel level, goal image data in a state in which the target is arranged; and a target detecting unit that calculates a coincident evaluation value of the target on the basis of comparison of image data including the target and the goal image data stored by the goal-image storing unit and detects positional deviation of the target with respect to the goal position on the basis of the coincidence evaluation value.

Abstract: A robotic device includes an imaging section adapted to take an image of an object having a hole, and generate an image data of the object including an inspection area of an image of the hole, a robot adapted to move the imaging section, an inspection area luminance value detection section adapted to detect a luminance value of the inspection area from the image data, a reference area luminance value detection section adapted to detect a luminance value of a reference area adjacent to the inspection area from the image data, and a determination section adapted to determine a state of the inspection area based on one of a ratio and a difference between the luminance value of the inspection area detected by the inspection area luminance value detection section and the luminance value of the reference area detected by the reference area luminance value detection section.

Abstract: The present invention is a particle removing member of a substrate processing equipment including a particle removing layer in which a time necessary for a signal intensity of free induction decay measured by a pulse NMR-Solid Echo method to decay to 37% of an initial value at a measurement temperature of 100 degrees centigrade is 1000 ?s or less, in particular, a particle removing sheet including the above-constituted particle removing layer on a support, and a conveying member with particle removing function formed by adhering the above-constituted particle removing sheet on the conveying member, and furthermore a method of removing particle of a substrate processing equipment, including conveying the above-constituted conveying member with particle removing function into a substrate processing equipment.

Abstract: A semiconductor element 100 including an MISFET according to the present invention is characterized by having diode characteristics in a reverse direction through an epitaxial channel layer 50. The semiconductor element 100 includes a semiconductor layer 20 of a first conductivity type, a body region 30 of a second conductivity type, source and drain regions 40 and 75 of the first conductivity type, an epitaxial channel layer 50 in contact with the body region, source and drain electrodes 45 and 70, a gate insulating film 60, and a gate electrode 65. If the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the MISFET is smaller than a threshold voltage, the semiconductor element 100 functions as a diode in which current flows from the source electrode 45 to the drain electrode 70 through the epitaxial channel layer 50. The absolute value of the turn-on voltage of this diode is smaller than that of the turn-on voltage of a body diode that is formed of the body region and the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a particle removing member of a substrate processing equipment which can be assuredly conveyed into the substrate processing equipment and can conveniently and assuredly remove an adhered foreign matter, and a particle removing method of a substrate processing equipment that uses the particle removing member.

Abstract: A semiconductor element 100 including an MISFET according to the present invention is characterized by having diode characteristics in a reverse direction through an epitaxial channel layer 50. The semiconductor element 100 includes a silicon carbide semiconductor substrate 10 of a first conductivity type, a semiconductor layer 20 of the first conductivity type, a body region 30 of a second conductivity type, a source region 40 of the first conductivity type, an epitaxial channel layer 50 in contact with the body region, a source electrode 45, a gate insulating film 60, a gate electrode 65 and a drain electrode 70. If the voltage applied to the gate electrode of the MISFET is smaller than a threshold voltage, the semiconductor element 100 functions as a diode in which current flows from the source electrode 45 to the drain electrode 70 through the epitaxial channel layer 50.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer including silicon carbide, which has been formed on a substrate; a semiconductor region 15 of a first conductivity type defined on the surface of the semiconductor layer 10; a semiconductor region 14 of a second conductivity type, which is defined on the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer so as to surround the semiconductor region 15 of the first conductivity type; and a conductor 19 with a conductive surface 19s that contacts with the semiconductor regions 15 and 14 of the first and second conductivity types. On the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor region 15 of the first conductivity type has at least one first strip portion 60 that runs along a first axis i. The width C1 of the semiconductor region 15 of the first conductivity type as measured along the first axis i is greater than the width A1 of the conductive surface 19s as measured along the first axis i.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is fabricated on an off-cut semiconductor substrate 11. Each unit cell 10 thereof includes: a first semiconductor layer 12 on the surface of the substrate 11; a second semiconductor layer 16 stacked on the first semiconductor layer 12 to have an opening 16e that exposes first and second conductive regions 15 and 14 at least partially; a first conductor 19 located inside the opening 16e of the second semiconductor layer 16 and having a conductive surface 19s that contacts with the first and second conductive regions 15 and 14; and a second conductor 17 arranged on the second semiconductor layer 16 and having an opening 18e corresponding to the opening 16s of the second semiconductor layer 16.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor layer 10; a semiconductor region 15s of a first conductivity type defined on the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer; a semiconductor region 14s of a second conductivity type defined on the surface 10s of the semiconductor layer to surround the semiconductor region 15s; and a conductor 19 with a conductive surface 19s to contact with the semiconductor regions 15s and 14s. The semiconductor layer 10 includes silicon carbide. At least one of the semiconductor region 15s and the conductive surface 19s is not circular. The semiconductor region 15s and the conductive surface 19s are shaped such that as the degree of misalignment between the conductive surface 19s and the semiconductor region 15s increases from zero through one-third of the width of the conductive surface 19s, a portion of the profile of the conductive surface 19s that crosses the semiconductor region 15s has smoothly changing lengths.

Abstract: The present invention intends to provide a particle removing member of a substrate processing equipment which can be assuredly conveyed into the substrate processing equipment and can conveniently and assuredly remove an adhered foreign matter, and a particle removing method of a substrate processing equipment that uses the particle removing member.

Abstract: An installation structure of a temperature sensor in a brush motor includes a holding plate; a metal-made fixing base; and a brush holder arranged on the fixing base to hold a brush in place. The metal-made fixing base is provided on the holding plate, and the fixing base includes a sensor attachment portion to which the temperature sensor is attached. Further, the sensor attachment portion is positioned outside the holding plate.

Abstract: A microscope capable of controlling the position and fluorescent recording of an object under observation such as cells is provided with the fluorescent observation method using the microscope.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention has a semiconductor element region 17 that is provided in part of a silicon carbide layer 3 and a guard-ring region 18 that is provided in another part of the silicon carbide layer 3 surrounding the semiconductor element region 17 when seen in a direction perpendicular to a principal surface of the silicon carbide layer 3.

Abstract: An electric power tool includes a tool body and a battery pack removably mounted to the tool body. The battery pack is used as a power source of the tool body. The electric power tool further includes a lock unit for keeping the battery pack mounted to the tool body and an interrupter switch for interrupting the operation of the tool body when the lock unit does not keep the battery pack mounted to the tool body. Accordingly, the electric power tool is not operable when the battery pack is not completely mounted to the tool body.

Abstract: A production method for a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type formed on a surface thereof; forming a first mask so as to cover a predetermined region of the semiconductor layer; (c) forming a well region of a second conductivity type by implanting impurity ions of the second conductivity type into the semiconductor layer having the first mask formed thereon; reducing the thickness of the first mask by removing a portion of the first mask; forming a second mask covering a portion of the well region by using photolithography; and forming a source region of the first conductivity type by implanting impurity ions of the first conductivity type into the semiconductor layer having the first mask with the reduced thickness and the second mask formed thereon.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate of silicon carbide of a first conductivity type; a silicon carbide epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type, which has been grown on the principal surface of the substrate; well regions of a second conductivity type, which form parts of the silicon carbide epitaxial layer; and source regions of the first conductivity type, which form respective parts of the well regions. A channel epitaxial layer of silicon carbide is grown over the well regions and source regions of the silicon carbide epitaxial layer. A portion of the channel epitaxial layer located over the well regions functions as a channel region. A dopant of the first conductivity type is implanted into the other portions and of the channel epitaxial layer except the channel region.

Abstract: A semiconductor encapsulation material of the present invention contains a glass for metal coating which has a strain point of 480° C. or higher, a temperature corresponding to a viscosity of 104 dPa·s of 1,100° C. or lower, and a thermal expansion coefficient at 30 to 380° C. of 70×10?7 to 110×10?7/° C. The semiconductor encapsulation material of the present invention contains no environmentally harmful substances, has a heat resistance temperature as high as 500° C. or above, and can be used for the encapsulation of metals susceptible to oxidation, e.g., Dumet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member and a charging device configured to charge the image bearing member. The charging device includes a magnetic particle carrier and a magnetic particle regulating member configured to regulate magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrier. The charging device causes the magnetic particles carried by the magnetic particle carrier to contact the image bearing member, and applies a voltage to the magnetic particle carrier to charge the image bearing member. An electrode has a contact area via which the electrode can contact magnetic particles stored in a particle pool defined by the magnetic particle carrier and the magnetic particle regulating member. The contact area is variable according to an amount of the magnetic particles stored in the particle pool. A current detection device detects a value of current flowing from the magnetic particle carrier to the electrode via the magnetic particles.