Abstract: A method for laying out wires in a semiconductor integrated circuit at intervals corresponding to potential differences between nets. A CPU uses a netlist stored in a first file, names and voltages of power supply nets that are stored in a second file, and names and power supply voltages of external input nets stored in a third file to search for nets of equal potentials. The CPU forms groups from nets of equal potentials and obtains the potential at each net. The CPU calculates the potential difference between the nets and sets wire intervals in accordance with the calculated potential differences. The CPU generates wire layout data so that the set intervals are provided.

Abstract: A reaction vessel including an oxygen-containing gas chamber separated from a source gas chamber by an oxygen-permeable membrane that allows oxygen selectively to pass therethrough to contact and react with source gas contained in the source gas chamber. The ratio of at least one of (i) the volume of the oxygen-containing gas chamber to the total volume of the vessel and (ii) the volume of the source gas chamber to the total volume of the vessel, is outside a range within which explosion would occur if the oxygen-containing gas and source gas were allowed to combine directly. Preferably, the ratio also is outside a range within which explosion would occur if the oxygen-containing gas and products resulting from reactions between oxygen supplied through the oxygen-permeable membrane and the source gas were allowed to combine directly. The vessel is safer to operate in that the risk of explosion, due to direct mixing of the gases when the oxygen-permeable membrane is damaged or cracked, is greatly reduced.

Abstract: An electric discharge is generated between an electric discharge surface treatment electrode and a wire electrode, and an electric discharge surface treatment material is stuck on the surface of the wire electrode by the energy of the electric discharge. An electric discharge is then generated between a work piece and the wire electrode on which the electric discharge surface treatment material is stuck, and a surface modified layer is formed on the surface of the work piece by the energy of the electric discharge.

Abstract: Powder of a simple substance or a combination of a plurality of carbides of metals belonging to the IVa, Va and VIa families in the Periodic Table is mixed with a ferrous-family metal powder or non-ferrous metal powder having the same composition as the treatment target (2) as a simple substance or a combination of a plurality of metals, and this is compressed and molded, and then preliminarily sintered to form a sintered electrode (12) serving as a discharge processing electrode; and said device is provided with a switching unit which alters electrical conditions at the time when the base member of the treatment target (2) is directly subjected to a discharging surface treatment and the electrical conditions at the time when a hard coat film (13) that has been formed is subjected to a discharging surface treatment according to the characteristics of the treatment target material.

Abstract: The electrical discharge machining device includes storage apparatus for storing the two-dimensional contour pass of the machined shape formed by the primary machining operation, the dimension of the taper of the side surface of the workpiece to be machined, the amounts of feed of the electrode in a given Z direction with respect to the movements of the electrode in the X and Y direction under respective machining conditions; information adding apparatus for adding offset information to the above-mentioned contour pass; machining operation number calculating apparatus, in accordance with a previously obtained machining depth per round about an electrode pass, for calculating the number of machining operations to be repeatedly executed around the electrode pass until a target depth is obtained; offset displacement amount calculating apparatus for calculating an offset displacement amount per round about the electrode pass in accordance with the length in the above-mentioned side surface direction of the side s

Abstract: A method for making a rare earth superconductive composite which includes a matrix of REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x grains and fine particles of RE.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5 dispersed therein. The method includes a step of forming a compacted mass of powder particles of REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x and powder particles of RE.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5, each of which has an average diameter not greater than 6 .mu.m, and a maximum diameter not greater than 20 .mu.m. The compacted mass is heated to temperature higher than an incongruent melting temperature of the REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x and lower than an incongruent melting temperature of RE.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5, and is gradually cooled such that fine particles of RE.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5 are dispersed in REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x grains. The mass is annealed in an atmosphere containing oxygen.

Abstract: A RE-Ba-Cu-O type oxide superconducting material (RE represents Y, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu or a combination of two or more of them) having a phase structure including a REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y phase and a RE.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5 phase of 20 .mu.m or less in diameter dispersed in the REBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.y phase, in which superconducting material RE consists of at least two elements selected from Y, Cl, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. Said oxide superconducting material can be produced by melt processing.

Abstract: An yttrium-barium-copper oxide powder consisting of a powdery mixture of Y.sub.2 BaCuO.sub.5 with Ba.sub.3 Cu.sub.5 O.sub.8, which can be formed into a dense sintered body having excellent superconducting characteristics. An yttrium-barium-copper oxide superconducting body is manufactured by firing the above powder preferably at 820.degree.-980.degree. C. under oxidizing atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure of 0.01-0.5 atm.

Abstract: The superconducting structure for magnetic shielding according to the present invention comprises at least two layers of a superconducting layer and a substrate. This superconducting structure for magnetic shielding can be formed in a plate-like shape or a cylindrical shape. When the structure is prepared in three-layers by providing an intermediate layer between the superconducting layer and the substrate, the three-layered structure has improved superconducting properties. When a protective layer is provided on the superconducting layer to protect the layer, the resulting structure has improved thermal shock resistance. The intermediate layer preferably consists of a ceramic or a noble metal and the ceramic preferably consists of a glass.

Abstract: The present process for producing a Bi-based superconducting oxide includes the steps of molding a material powder and subjecting the molded article to partial melting and then to crystallization in the presence of oxygen. In that case, the molded article is annealed, after the partial melting, to the crystallization temperature and subjected to crystallization at that temperature. Also, the article after the crystallization is cooled and the cooled article is heat-treated in an inert gas atmosphere. According to the above process, there can be obtained a Bi-based superconducting oxide having excellent superconducting properties.

Abstract: A solar cell module having a CdS/CdTe junction as a photovoltaic portion comprises a glass substrate, a metal foil, a layer of resin bonding the glass substrate and the metal foil together at a peripheral region of the module. For minimizing the reduction in conversion efficiency, an oxygen releasing agent is filled in the space delimited by the glass substrate, the metal foil and the resin layer.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device such as a solar cell in which electrodes formed from a conductive paste make ohmic contact with the surfaces of impurity diffused layers respectively formed in a semiconductor substrate. The conductive paste contains ultrafine particles of silver and gold as its principal solid components. The conductive paste further contains, as its additional principal solid components, ultrafine particles of a metal having a eutectic temperature lower than that of silver when alloyed with the semiconductor and a powdery glass material not containing any lead oxide glass component. The electrodes provided by the conductive paste exhibit excellent electrical properties when the conductive paste is subjected to firing treatment at a temperature of about 600.degree. C. Thus, when, for example, the semiconductor substrate is of n-type silicon and a p.sup.+ -type diffused layer is formed in one of its major surfaces to form a p.sup.

Abstract: A photoelectric punched card reading device adapted to insert the punched card by hand, for reading the punched card photoelectrically in a static state comprising a matrix of light sensors each adapted to be in register with a hole in a punched card, an aperture mask in close contact with the light sensor matrix a card loading section having, a punched card insertion slot for holding a punched card in correct position with respect to the light sensor matrix and aperture mask, and a light source for uniformly illuminating the light sensor matrix, wherein the card loading section, the light sensor matrix and the light source are assembled integrally.