Abstract: An optical semiconductor device with a semiconductor laser formed over a semiconductor substrate, and a modulator formed over the semiconductor substrate and continuously arranged with the semiconductor laser, wherein the semiconductor laser includes a first region having a diffraction grating with a phase shift, a second region arranged between the first region and the modulator, and in which the diffraction grating is not formed, and a common active layer formed over the first region and the second region, a first electrode injecting a current into the common active layer.

Abstract: An optical waveguide structure formed over a substrate defines an optical waveguide for guiding light along a direction parallel to the substrate surfaces, and biasing a light intensity distribution of transverse modes of guided wave toward a first side of the optical waveguide path. A main diffraction grating is disposed at least on a second side opposite to the first side, and coupled with the guided wave propagating along the optical waveguide. A subsidiary diffraction grating is disposed on the first side, and diffracts the guided wave coupled with the main diffraction grating and propagating along the optical waveguide, to a direction different from an extending direction of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A 1.3-?m wavelength band buried-heterostructure semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor substrate, a multiple quantum well active layer including quantum well layers and barrier layers, a buried layer in contact with side faces of the multiple quantum well active layer, wherein the barrier layers are made from AlGaInAsP or AlGaInAs, and an Al composition of the barrier layers is 0.275 or less.

Abstract: A cleaning blade which wipes a liquid discharge area by being moved relatively with respect to the liquid discharge area of a liquid discharge head having the liquid discharge area in which liquid discharge nozzles are arranged to discharge a liquid is disclosed. The cleaning blade includes: a supporting plate which has an adhesive agent layer on its front surface; and a wipe part which is slid and contacted with the liquid discharge area, the wipe part formed in which an elastic part formed of a synthetic resin is formed in one piece on the adhesive agent layer, and a tip end thereof is cut in a predetermined shape.

Abstract: An optical waveguide propagates a laser beam. Main diffraction grating and sub-diffraction grating couple light propagating in the optical waveguide. The main diffraction grating and the sub-diffraction grating couple the light in such a manner that propagation in a second order transverse mode of the light propagating in the optical waveguide when both the main diffraction grating and the sub-diffraction grating are disposed, is suppressed more than propagation in the second order transverse mode of the light propagating in the optical waveguide when only the main diffraction grating is disposed.

Abstract: A liquid ejection head includes an energy-generating element arranged on a semiconductor substrate, a barrier layer deposited on the semiconductor substrate for forming a liquid chamber in the periphery of the energy-generating element, and a nozzle sheet bonded on the barrier layer and having a nozzle formed at a position opposing the energy-generating element, in which the liquid ejection head ejects liquid contained in the liquid chamber from the nozzle as liquid droplets by the energy-generating element, and the barrier layer is provided with a plurality of depressions, each having an independent contour, arranged within a range, which is separated from the border of the barrier layer, on an adhesive region adhering to the nozzle sheet.

Abstract: Apparatus for collecting information pertaining to a driver of the vehicle includes a unit for determining if the current load on the driver is a “low-load” in terms of satisfaction of one or more specific conditions. Driver information is stored and supplemented by answers to question scenarios communicated to the driver only when a “low-load” state is determined. A question information storage unit contains various question scenarios correlated with different items of driver information and from which a question scenario, corresponding to driver information not yet obtained, is retrieved for output when a “low load” is determined.

Abstract: In a semiconductor laser, in order to realize a desired oscillation wavelength efficiently by adjusting the oscillation wavelength of the laser with sufficient accuracy even when the oscillation wavelength of a manufactured laser deviates from a design value, for example, due to the manufacturing errors and the like in the manufacturing of the laser, there is provided a semiconductor laser comprising a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor stacking body including a waveguide formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a diffraction grating, wherein the diffraction grating is formed along the waveguide so as to appear in the surface of the semiconductor stacking body.

Abstract: An agent apparatus has a system capable of executing, periodically or when a particular condition is satisfied, processing to judge whether or not a condition to autonomously start (automatically present) an agent is satisfied based on scenario data created by a scenario creating apparatus, and automatically presenting the agent when the condition is satisfied. Thus, in the scenario creating apparatus, regardless of whether having knowledge of programming or not, it is possible to create and edit scenario data of an agent which automatically appears and responds when a particular condition is satisfied by having a scenario editor.

Abstract: On a vehicle, a device for estimating a present position such as a GPS device and a communication device such as a cell phone are installed. The vehicle transmits a detected present position to an information center at specified intervals. On the other hand, the information center sets a plurality of areas in a region to which information is transmitted, and sets information for transmission for each area. When receiving data indicating the present position of the vehicle from the vehicle, the information center specifies, by using the data, an area where the vehicle is located, and transmits the information set for the area to the vehicle.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a quantum well lamination structure having at least one quantum well layer and at least two barrier layers alternately laminated, the quantum well layer forming a quantum well relative to electron and hole and the barrier layer forming a potential barrier relative to electron and hole. The height of the quantum well layer and the height of the potential barrier of a valence band at the interface between the quantum well layer and the barrier layer are set so that the number of quantum levels relative to hole on the valence band side of the quantum well layer is two or three in the state that the intensity of an electric field generated in the quantum well layer is zero. The semiconductor device is provided with a means for applying an electric field in the quantum well lamination structure in a thickness direction.

Abstract: A first layer of InP is deposited on a diffraction grating so as to cover it, by MOCVD in which PH3 or organophosphorus is used as a source material of P and in which H2 is used as a carrier gas. The substrate is heated up to a temperature which is higher than the substrate temperature during the first layer deposition, and then a second layer is deposited on the first layer. An active layer is deposited on the second layer. Found out is such a growth rate of an InP layer as to cause the photoluminescence intensity of a layer corresponding to the active layer to be one tenth as small as that when the InP layer is deposited at a growth rate of 0.

Abstract: By setting a width of an active layer larger than a cut-off width of a higher-order transverse mode in a distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode, laser emission in the higher-order transverse mode is restrained as well as a unevenness in an emission wavelength caused by a unevenness in the active layer can be minimized.

Abstract: A first layer of InP is deposited on a diffraction grating so as to cover it, by MOCVD in which PH3 or organophosphorus is used as a source material of P and in which H2 is used as a carrier gas. The substrate is heated up to a temperature which is higher than the substrate temperature during the first layer deposition, and then a second layer is deposited on the first layer. An active layer is deposited on the second layer. Found out is such a growth rate of an InP layer as to cause the photoluminescence intensity of a layer corresponding to the active layer to be one tenth as small as that when the InP layer is deposited at a growth rate of 0.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an optical semiconductor device includes the steps of irradiating a substrate by a first optical beam and a second optical beam such that the first and second optical beams form interference fringes on the substrate, exposing a resist film provided on the substrate by the interference fringes to form a resist pattern, and forming a diffraction grating pattern on the substrate in accordance with the interference fringes by using the resist pattern as a mask. The first and second optical beams are irradiated such that a wavefront of the first optical beam and a wavefront of the second optical beam intersect at an intersection line parallel to the substrate, and the irradiating step is conducted by refracting the first and second optical beams by an optical element having a smooth surface inclined with respect to a plane parallel to the substrate in the direction of the foregoing intersection line and further inclined in a perpendicular direction.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an optical semiconductor device includes the steps of irradiating a substrate by a first optical beam and a second optical beam such that the first and second optical beams form interference fringes on the substrate, exposing a resist film provided on the substrate by the interference fringes to form a resist pattern, and forming a diffraction grating pattern on the substrate in accordance with the interference fringes by using the resist pattern as a mask. The first and second optical beams are irradiated such that a wavefront of the first optical beam and a wavefront of the second optical beam intersect at an intersection line parallel to the substrate, and the irradiating step is conducted by refracting the first and second optical beams by an optical element having a smooth surface inclined with respect to a plane parallel to the substrate in the direction of the foregoing intersection line and further inclined in a perpendicular direction.

Abstract: An optical transmission and reception device comprises an optical transmission region including an active layer which oscillates and outputs laser beam of a wavelength .lambda.1 on a transmission state, and guides received light of a wavelength .lambda.2 different from the wavelength .lambda.1 on a reception state and an optical reception region including a light detecting device for detecting the received light guided by the active layer and converting the received light into electric signals. The optical transmission and reception device having an optimum structure for the transmission and reception can be realized. Accordingly an optical transmission and reception device having good characteristics, which are suitably used in bidirectional communications by optical subscribers' systems, and optical parallel link data transmission in computers.

Abstract: An optical switching device includes a transparent optical waveguide, a plurality of light emitting elements provided on the optical waveguide for producing wavelength-multiplex optical signals, a plurality of diffraction gratings provided on the optical waveguide in correspondence to the light emitting elements for causing a diffraction of the wavelength-multiplex optical signals supplied thereto, and a plurality of photodetection elements provided on the optical waveguide in correspondence to the paths of the optical beams diffracted by the diffraction gratings, wherein the pitch of the diffraction gratings is optimized with respect to the position of the photodetection elements such that optical signal components having the same wavelength reach the same photodetection elements from the plurality of diffraction gratings.

Abstract: A current constriction layer surrounding a vertical-cavity region is formed in a cladding layer of a surface emitting laser. The forbidden band width of the material forming this current constriction layer is wider than the forbidden band width of a material forming the cladding layer. Further, the current constriction layer and the cladding layer are formed of semiconductors, and conduction types thereof are different from each other. Further, the upper surface of the cladding layer covering the current constriction layer has a step in the periphery of vertical-cavity region.

Abstract: A distribution feedback laser diode, comprises a substrate, a waveguide layer provided on the substrate, an active layer provided on the waveguide layer, a diffraction grating provided at an interface between the substrate and the waveguide layer for reflecting an optical radiation formed in the active layer back and forth, a clad layer provided on the active layer for confining the optical radiation within the active layer, a plurality of segmented electrodes provided on the top surface of the clad layer along an elongated direction of the laser diode for injecting the carriers into the active layer, wherein at least one of the segmented electrodes is provided in correspondence to a part of the active layer in which the optical radiation formed in the active layer has a maximum intensity level, and a backside electrode provided at the bottom surface of the substrate for injecting the carriers into the active layer through the substrate.