Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and a gate insulating film of a P-channel MOS transistor, formed on the semiconductor substrate. The gate insulating film has an oxide film (SiO2), and a diffusion preventive film (BN) containing boron and nitrogen atoms.

Abstract: A photo device condenses the bright spot on the display to project the spot light onto the projection plane, thereby projecting it onto photo detectors the projection plane. A counter counts the time from the time of a vertical sync signal and supplies its output to AND gates. A correspondence detector brings bright spot display positions on the display at multiple times into correspondence with their projection positions on the photo device in accordance to recording time. An extrinsic parameter calculator calculates the 3-D translation and rotation of the photo device with respect to the bright spot scanning surface of the display from at least three sets of the bright spot display positions and their corresponding projection positions.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and a gate insulating film of a P-channel MOS transistor, formed on the semiconductor substrate. The gate insulating film has an oxide film (SiO2), and a diffusion preventive film (BN) containing boron and nitrogen atoms.

Abstract: It is made possible to reduce the interface resistance at the interface between the nickel silicide film and the silicon. A semiconductor manufacturing method includes: forming an impurity region on a silicon substrate, with impurities being introduced into the impurity region; depositing a Ni layer so as to cover the impurity region; changing the surface of the impurity region into a NiSi2 layer through annealing; forming a Ni layer on the NiSi2 layer; and silicidating the NiSi2 layer through annealing.

Abstract: The discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes a power section operating to generate a high voltage to be applied to a discharge lamp to trigger electrical discharge within the discharge lamp and to generate an AC voltage to be supplied to the discharge lamp to keep the discharge lamp in a stable lighting state, and a control section controlling operation of the power section. The power section and the control section are installed separately within an enclosure of the discharge lamp lighting apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging device configured to uniformly charge a surface of the image carrier with a charging member applied with a bias of a first polarity (e.g. a negative polarity) for charging. A latent image forming device forms a latent image on the surface of the image carrier uniformly charged. A developing device develops a latent image by depositing toner grains of the first polarity on the latent image to thereby form a corresponding toner image. A transferring device forms an electric field between the image carrier and a moving member that serves as a movable contact with the image carrier to thereby transfer the toner image from the surface of the image carrier to the moving member or to a recording member nipped between the image carrier and the moving member. A polarity controlling device sets residual toner to a second polarity (e.g.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of introducing nucleic acids into cells by electroporation, comprising the step (A) of loading nucleic acids to the surface of an electrode; the step (B) of adhering cells on the obtained nucleic acid-loaded electrode surface; and the step (C) of applying electric pulses to the adhering cells. According to this method, not only efficient introduction of a gene into cells but also gene introduction at desirable timing and at desirable sites can be performed without damaging the adhering cells.

Abstract: It is made possible to form a silicon nitride film, an aluminum oxide film and a transition metal high-k insulation film of high quality. A manufacturing method includes: forming an insulation film having at least one kind of bonds selected out of silicon-nitrogen bonds, aluminum-oxygen bonds, transition metal-oxygen-silicon bonds, transition metal-oxygen-aluminum bonds, and transition metal-oxygen bonds on either a film having a semiconductor as a main component or a semiconductor substrate, and irradiating the insulation film with pulse infrared light having a wavelength corresponding to a maximum intensity in a wavelength region depending upon the insulation film and having a wavelength absorbed by the insulation film.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention includes; a silicon oxynitride film having an oxynitride layer which is formed on at least the surface of a silicon substrate and in which nitrogen atoms are in a three-coordinate bond state, and a silicon oxide layer which is formed between said oxynitride layer and said silicon substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; an insulation film provided on the semiconductor substrate; and an electrode provided on the insulation film, and containing boron and a semiconductor material, wherein at least one element of the group V and carbon is introduced into an interface between the insulation film and the electrode.

Abstract: When multiple cameras (CAM1) to (CAM8) for shooting the periphery of a local vehicle are mounted on the vehicle, and when obtained camera images are to be synthesized to display a synthesized image on the screen of a display device (16), the pixel data for the camera images constituting the synthesized image are compensated for, so that differences in the pixel data for adjacent camera images is reduced. For example, the pixel data are corrected so their values equal the average values of the pixel data for the adjacent camera images. Therefore, an easily viewed image, produced by synthesizing the images obtained by the multiple vehicle cameras, can be displayed on the monitor device (16).

Abstract: The image processing system includes: an image pickup apparatus (10) including image pickup elements of a color difference line sequential system that outputs, as video signals, a luminance signal (Y) and a line sequential, color difference signal (U/V); and an image processing apparatus (20) which includes a signal interpolator (21) for interpolating the line sequential color difference signal (U/V) to separate the line sequential color difference signal (U/V) into two color difference signals (V) and (U). With this configuration, only two video signal lines are required to connect the image pickup apparatus (10) and the image processing apparatus (20), and even though the number of signal lines is reduced, image quality deterioration is suppressed.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes a transformer unit, a casing for housing the transformer unit, and a circuit board including circuit components. In the casing, the circuit board is joined to the casing and the transformer unit is fixed to the circuit board through a heat conductive member having thermal conductivity of more than 0.1 W/(m·k). Heat produced by the transformer unit is transferred to the casing through the heat conductive member and released through the casing effectively. In the lighting apparatus, therefore, while the transformer unit is arranged relatively close to the circuit components, the heat can be prevented from affecting the circuit components.

Abstract: There is provided a DNA supporting fiber capable of maintaining the stability of DNA and efficiently expressing the adsorption property of DNA. Also provided is a DNA supporting sheet useful in a variety of applications, the sheet that utilizes the fiber. The DNA supporting fiber is produced by fusing and fixing, onto the surface composed of a thermoplastic resin of a fiber, particles where DNA as an adsorbent is immobilized in a porous matrix containing an inorganic oxide.

Abstract: The discharge lamp lighting apparatus includes a power section operating to generate a high voltage to be applied to a discharge lamp to trigger electrical discharge within the discharge lamp and to generate an AC voltage to be supplied to the discharge lamp to keep the discharge lamp in a stable lighting state, and a control section controlling operation of the power section. The power section and the control section are installed separately within an enclosure of the discharge lamp lighting apparatus.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and a gate insulating film of a P-channel MOS transistor, formed on the semiconductor substrate. The gate insulating film has an oxide film (SiO2), and a diffusion preventive film (BN) containing boron and nitrogen atoms.

Abstract: A method is provided with: arranging nitrogen atoms on a surface of a silicon substrate; performing a heat treatment in a hydrogen atmosphere so that the nitrogen atoms and silicon atoms existing on the surface of the silicon substrate are brought into a three-coordinate bond state; and forming a silicon oxide film on the silicon substrate with the three-coordinate bond state of nitrogen atoms and the silicon atoms being maintained.

Abstract: In a discharge lamp apparatus for lighting a discharge lamp, a ballast is disposed outside of a lamp housing of a discharge lamp and is electrically connected to the discharge lamp through a connector. A ballast housing of the ballast is connected to a bottom wall of the lamp housing. In the ballast housing, a ballast circuit board is arranged along a top wall of the ballast housing that is opposed to the lamp housing. Accordingly, it is less likely that the ballast circuit board will be wetted by condensation or water vapor entered the ballast housing. Additionally, a partition wall can be provided in the ballast housing between the connector and the ballast circuit board to block the condensation or water vapor from flowing toward the ballast circuit board.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a developing device bifunctioning as a cleaning device for collecting toner grains left on a photoconductive drum after the transfer of a toner image from the drum to a paper sheet or similar image transfer medium. In the event of toner collection, a DC voltage is applied that causes the residual toner to move from the drum toward a developing sleeve. A main-pole magnet generates, at a position where the developing sleeve faces the drum, a magnetic field of between 100 mT and 200 mT in a direction normal to the surface of the sleeve.

Abstract: An apparatus including and a method using a fixing device including a fixing member, a pressure member, a heater, and a pressure controller. The fixing member and the pressure member face with each other to form a nip. The heater heats a surface of the fixing member when the fixing member rotates. The pressure controller is configured to change a pressure generated at the nip, according to an operation of the fixing device.