Abstract: A phosphor layer of a radiation image storage panel produced by vapor phase deposition method under such condition that the phosphor layer is composed of a phosphor of a cesium chloride crystalline structure which is grown on a crystal face of (110) or (100) shows an increased sensitivity.

Abstract: A thermal head lapping apparatus includes a pallet for holding at least one thermal head, a transport device for transporting the thermal head held on the pallet successively to a specified processing position, and a lapping device for forcing a lapping material being moved onto the thermal head that has been transported to said processing position. As a result, the apparatus is capable of advantageously performing lapping treatment with a good efficiency on surfaces to be coated with protective layers or the formed protective layers in a process of fabricating a thermal head, thereby improving the production efficiency of the thermal head and fabricating with a food productivity the suitably lapped thermal head of high quality that ensures high quality image recording.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel having a phosphor layer which is composed of a phosphor having a matrix component and an activator component is prepared by the steps of forming on a substrate a lower prismatic crystalline layer composed of the matrix component by vapor deposition; and forming on the lower prismatic crystalline layer an upper prismatic crystalline layer composed of the matrix component and the activator component by vapor deposition.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel composed of a substrate and a phosphor film of an europium activated cesium bromide phosphor containing an europium element at an atomic ratio in the range of 0.0001 to 0.01 in terms of Eu/Cs and having been formed by vapor deposition shows specifically high sensitivity. The phosphor film is favorably deposited on the substrate by electron beam-evaporation method using plural evaporation sources.

Abstract: The vacuum deposition apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a plurality of evaporation positions set in the vacuum chamber and provided with film-forming materials in such a way that a film-forming material is placed at a evaporation position, a heating device for heating each of the film-forming materials, and arranged in correspondence with each of the plurality of evaporation positions, and a feeding device for feeding one of the film-forming materials into one of the plurality of evaporation positions during film deposition, and arranged in correspondence with at least one of the plurality of evaporation positions. Accordingly, the vacuum deposition apparatus is able to form a thick deposited film by multiple-source vacuum deposition independently heating two or more film-forming materials.

Abstract: The thermal head fabricating method forms a lower protective layer made of ceramics for protecting a plurality of heat-generating resistors and electrodes, subjects the lower protective layer to etching processing by a plasma and forms a carbon protective layer on the thus subjected lower protective layer. The etching processing is performed using a mask which defines an area where the carbon protective layer is formed, a protective layer is formed on a surface of the mask, and the protective layer is made of a material which is etched at an extremely slow rate or substantially not etched compared with ceramics composing the lower protective layer and/or which does not impart an adverse effect to the carbon protective layer that is subsequently formed.

Abstract: The invention provides an improved thermal head having a protective film of a heater which comprises a carbon-based protective layer having a hardness difference in its thickness direction. The invention also provides an improved method of manufacturing the thermal head. A thermal head is thus obtained having a protective layer which is significantly protected from corrosion and wear, also from cracks and peeling-off due to heat and mechanical impact, and which allows the thermal head to have a sufficient durability to exhibit a high reliability over an extended period of time, thereby ensuring that the thermal recording of high-quality images is performed consistently over an extended period of operation.

Abstract: The method of forming a carbon layer by vapor phase deposition starts a film deposition process of the carbon layer after a surface to be coated with the carbon layer is heated while adjusting a partial pressure of moisture in a film deposition system of the carbon layer to 5×10−6 Torr or less. This carbon layer forming method by means of a vapor phase deposition technique such as sputtering ensures that a high-quality carbon layer having high adhesion to the lower layer and significantly reduced pinholes or cracks is obtained.

Abstract: The thermal head fabrication method provides a thermal head having a lower protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer on heat generators and electrodes, an intermediate protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer on the lower protective layer and an upper protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer with carbon as a main component on the intermediate protective layer. At least one of surfaces of the lower and intermediate protective layers is cleaned by ion irradiation processing, by polishing with a lapping tape or an adhesive tape, or by heating processing in vacuum before forming a higher protective layer. This allows the thermal head to have excellent adhesion between any individual layers and sufficient durability to ensure that the thermal recording of high-quality images is consistently performed over an extended period of time.

Abstract: The improved thermal head of the invention is the one having a protective film of a heater formed on the heater, the protective film comprising a ceramic-based lower protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer and a carbon-based upper protective layer formed on the lower protective layer, wherein a surface of the lower protective layer on which the upper protective layer is to be formed has a surface roughness value Ra of 0.005 to 0.5 &mgr;m; or the one in which the depth of a depression step which may be formed on the surface of the lower protective layer due to the thickness of the electrodes used for supplying power to the heater (or heat-generating resistor) was reduced to 0.2 &mgr;m or less.

Abstract: The improved thermal head has a protective film of a heater formed on the heater, the protective film comprising a ceramic-based lower protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer, an intermediate protective layer also composed of at least one sub-layer and formed on the lower protective layer, and a carbon-based upper protective layer formed on the intermediate protective layer. The thermal head of the invention has a protective film which has significantly reduced corrosion and wear, which is advantageously protected from cracking and peeling due to heat and mechanical impact and which allows the thermal head to have a sufficient durability to ensure that the thermal recording of high-quality images is consistently performed over an extended period of operation.

Abstract: The thermal head having a protective film of a heating element, the protective film comprising at least one protective layer including a carbon-based carbon protective layer, wherein an oxygen amount in an interface between the carbon protective layer and a lower layer formed under the carbon protective layer is not more than 20 atm %. The thermal head includes a protective film which has significantly reduced corrosion and wear, which is free from cracking and peeling due to heat and mechanical impact and which allows the thermal head to have sufficient durability to ensure that the thermal recording of high-quality images is consistently performed over an extended period of time. Even for an application in which recording under high-energy and high-pressure conditions is performed on a thermal film using a high rigid substrate to be employed in the medical use and the like, the thermal head also has sufficient durability to exhibit high reliability over an extended period of time.

Abstract: The improved thermal recording system uses both a thermal head having a layer to protect heaters and a thermal recording material in which a thermal recording layer unit has a water content of no more than 6 wt. %, the protective layer of the thermal head comprising at least one ceramic-based lower sub-layer which is overlaid with a carbon-based upper sub-layer. This thermal recording system improves the wear resistance and electrical insulation of the protective layer on the thermal head so markedly that high operational reliability is insured for an extended period of time.

Abstract: The improved thermal head of the invention is the one having a protective film of a heater formed on the heater, the protective film comprising a ceramic-based lower protective layer composed of at least one sub-layer and a carbon-based upper protective layer formed on the lower protective layer, wherein a surface of the lower protective layer on which the upper protective layer is to be formed has a surface roughness value Ra of 0.005 to 0.5 .mu.m; or the one in which the depth of a depression step which may be formed on the surface of the lower protective layer due to the thickness of the electrodes used for supplying power to the heater (or heat-generating resistor) was reduced to 0.2 .mu.m or less.

Abstract: There is provided a thermal head having protective layers comprising a lower protective layer, an intermediate layer and a carbon-based protective layer which is composed of a plurality of sub-layers, wherein the carbon-based protective layer has stress values that become sequentially higher from one of the sub-layers located undermost toward another of the sub-layers located uppermost. The protective layers have significantly reduced corrosion and wear and is protected from cracking and peeling, whereupon the thermal head obtained can have sufficient durability and reliability to ensure that thermal recording of high-quality images is consistently performed over an extended period of operation.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium 101 constituted by a nonmagnetic support 101 made from a high polymer film having a thickness in a range of from 10 .mu.m to 200 .mu.m, a nonmagnetic subbing layer 102 made from a Cr alloy and formed on at least one of opposite surfaces of the nonmagnetic support 101 in the form of a film by sputtering, and a magnetic layer 103 made from a Co alloy and formed on the nonmagnetic subbing layer 102 in the form of a film by sputtering. Preferably, the magnetic recording medium 101 further has a protective layer 104 made from diamond-like carbon, and a lubricating layer 105 made from a hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon lubricant.

Abstract: The improved thermal head comprises heating elements which were provided with heating histories to previously change their resistance values by predetermined values; and a carbon-based protective layer which was formed after the heating elements were provided with the heating histories. The invention provides the thermal head in which corrosion and wear of the protective film, and the resistance variation of the heating elements due to thermal recording were significantly reduced, and which has a sufficient durability and stability with the passage of time to perform thermal recording of high-quality images in a consistent manner over an extended period of operation.

Abstract: A film-forming apparatus for making it possible to form a thin film on a web-like high-molecular film substrate, comprising: a vacuum chamber provided with an evacuator; a gas introducing member for introducing a thin-film-forming gas into the vacuum chamber; a plasma generating member for generating plasma in the vacuum chamber; a substrate carrying member for carrying the substrate to the neighborhood of the plasma generated by the plasma generating member; and a bias voltage applying member for applying a desired bias voltage to the substrate.

Abstract: A magneto-optical recording medium comprises a recording layer and a reflection metal layer, which are overlaid in this order on a transparent substrate. The reflection metal layer primarily contains Al or an alloy of Al and is formed by carrying out a sputtering process in an atmosphere, in which the content of residual hydrogen gas is not higher than 10,000 ppm with respect to the amount of an inert gas. Alternatively, a recording layer is formed by carrying out a sputtering process in an inert gas atmosphere, in which the content of residual hydrogen gas is not higher than 1,000 ppm with respect to the amount of an inert gas. As another alternative, a magneto-optical recording medium comprises a first protective dielectric layer, a recording layer, and a second protective dielectric layer, which are overlaid in this order on a transparent substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a magnetic recording medium in which production of flakes in a film-forming process and the occurrence of arc discharge in the film-forming surface of a substrate are prevented to thereby attain improvement in the quality of the resulting film and in producing efficiency. A web-like substrate is made to run in a vacuum chamber while the substrate is arranged opposite to a sheet-shaped plasma stream. At the same time, a reactive gas is supplied to the plasma stream while an electric field is generated in a direction crossing the plasma stream and the substrate, which are arranged opposite to each other to thereby form a thin film on the plasma stream side surface of the substrate. Accordingly, the production of flakes is prevented, so that the occurrence of arc discharge in the film-forming surface of the substrate is prevented.