Abstract: A glass-ceramic has a hexacelsian as a primary crystal phase and is characterized by satisfying a relation of 0≦I(101)/I(110)≦1.5 when a diffraction intensity of (101) face of hexacelsian in an X-ray diffraction is I(101) and a diffraction intensity of (110) face thereof is I(110).

Abstract: A wound and laminated iron core is formed by winding a soft magnetic thin strip into a circular ring shape or elliptical ring shape. A coil is then wound around almost an entire outer periphery of the ring of wound and laminated iron core. A cross sectional shape of the wound and laminated iron core vertical to a peripheral direction of the ring is any one of: (i) a circular shape, (ii) an elliptical shape, (iii) a substantially regular polygon of at least 6 sides, (iv) a shape encircled by a pair of point-symmetrically positioned circular arcs or elliptical arcs with a nearly straight line connecting respective edges of the pair of circular arcs or elliptical arcs on both sides of the pair of circular arcs or elliptical arcs, and (v) a shape of a substantially regular polygon of at least 4 sides whose apexes comprise a circular arc or an elliptical arc.

Abstract: A crystallized glass has a main crystal phase of petalite (Li2O.Al2O3.8SiO2) phase and lithium disilicate (Li2O.2SiO2) phase and an auxiliary crystal phase of &agr;-quartz phase. In the crystallized glass, a crystal phase composition measured by Rietvelt method is as follows: 20 wt %≦petalite phase≦40 wt %, 25 wt %≦lithium disilicate phase≦45 wt %, and 10 wt %≦&agr;-quartz phase≦25 wt %.

Abstract: A crystallized glass has a main crystal phase of &agr;-quartz (SiO2) and lithium disilicate (Li2·2SiO2) and has a thermal expansion coefficient of (90˜130)×10−7/K at −50° C.˜70° C. The crystallized glass mentioned above, has a following chemical composition; 70 wt %≦SiO2≦80 wt %, 5 wt %≦Al2O3≦9 wt %, 7 wt %≦Li2O≦10 wt %, 1 wt %≦P2O5≦3 wt %, 0 wt %≦K2O≦3 wt %, 0 wt %≦CaO≦3 wt %, 0 wt %≦BaO≦4 wt %, 0 wt %≦ZnO≦4 wt %, 0 wt %≦Sb2O3≦1 wt %, 0 wt %≦ZrO2≦6 wt %, 0 wt %≦Nb2O5≦6 wt %, 0 wt %≦SnO2≦4 wt %, 0 wt %≦MoO3≦3 wt %, 0.7 wt %≦(Nb2O5+SnO2+MoO3)≦6 wt %.

Abstract: The travelling speed of a magnetic tape is controlled without considering a detection error caused by the slackening of a magnetic tape or the like. A microcomputer 10, immediately after starting a fast-feeding operation, starts a running rotation of feeding and winding reels 44, 45 (step S205), calculates an N value based on reel pulses and sets an acceleration target (step S210, S215) and simultaneously reads the N value immediately before the previous stop of the rotation from RAM and compares the read N value with the current N value (step S225, S230), prohibits the acceleration of the feeding and winding reels 44, 45 after confirming that the error does not fall within 25% (step S235) whereby when the videotape is rotated to the leader or the trailer, the videotape is prevented from being applied with an excessive load so that damages on the videotape can be reduced.

Abstract: A double side cleaning apparatus includes a pair of roll-like brushes and at least one cleaning brush. The roll-like brushes are driven to rotate in opposite directions, and a semiconductor wafer is arranged between them in a non-contact manner. The cleaning brush is arranged near the pair of roll-like brushes. While the semiconductor wafer is arranged between the pair of roll-like brushes and its upper and lower surfaces are being cleaned, the cleaning brush brushes the side surface of the semiconductor wafer. A cleaning agent is supplied from the pair of roll-like brushes to the semiconductor wafer to clean it. Since the upper and lower surfaces of the semiconductor wafer are cleaned in a non-contact manner, dust can be removed efficiently (within a short period of time and a small space).

Abstract: A magnetic disc substrate is provided, which includes a magnetic disc substrate body made of glass and is characterized in that a metal element capable of absorbing light is present in at least a surface portion of the magnetic disc substrate body, and a texture is formed on a surface of the magnetic disc substrate body. Ions of the metal element are dispersed in the surface portion of the magnetic disc substrate, or the metal element is contained in a composition of the glass constituting the magnetic disc substrate in the form of an oxide. The glass is preferably a crystallized glass a Li.sub.2 O--Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --SiO.sub.2 based crystallized glass, which particularly preferably contains 65 to 85 wt % of SiO.sub.2, 8 to 15 wt % of Li.sub.2 O, 2 to 8 wt % of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 1 to 5 wt % of P.sub.2 O.sub.5 and 1 to 10 wt % of ZrO.sub.2 and has lithium disilicate (Li.sub.2 O.multidot.2SiO.sub.2) as a main crystalline phase.

Abstract: Chemical mechanical polisher is disclosed. A polishing slurry stored in a polishing slurry tank, used in this polishing contains a solvent and polishing particles dispersed in the solvent. The polishing particles are selected from silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and graphite. The material to be polished is polished by using a polishing slurry containing silicon nitride particles until a silicon nitride etch stop layer is reached.

Abstract: A magnetic disc substrate is provided, which includes a magnetic disc substrate body made of glass and is characterized in that a metal element capable of absorbing light in at least a surface portion of the magnetic disc substrate body, and a texture is formed on a surface of the magnetic disc substrate body. Ions of the metal element are dispersed in the surface portion of the magnetic disc substrate, or the metal element is contained in a composition of the glass constituting the magnetic disc substrate in the form of an oxide. The glass is preferably a crystallized glass a Li.sub.2 O--Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --SiO.sub.2 based crystallized glass, which particularly preferably contains 65 to 85 wt % of SiO.sub.2, 8 to 15 wt % of Li.sub.2 O, 2 to 8 wt % of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 1 to 5 wt % of P.sub.2 O.sub.5 and 1 to 10 wt % of ZrO.sub.2 and has lithium disilicate (Li.sub.2 O.2SiO.sub.2) as a main crystalline phase.

Abstract: An abrasive material is prepared by dispersing silicon nitride particles acting as abrasive particles in a solvent such as a pure water or an ultra pure water, followed by adding an adsorptive stickable to the abrasive particles to the dispersion. The resultant abrasive material permits diminishing the polishing rate of a silicon nitride film used as a stopper film, with the result that a CVD SiO.sub.2 film to be polished is selectively polished relative to the Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 film used as the stopper film. This makes it possible to make the stopper film as thin as possible and permits the CVD SiO.sub.2 film to be flattened efficiently without bringing about a dishing problem.

Abstract: An electrolytic ionic water generating apparatus that produces electrolytic ionic water having a desired pH value and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that uses the electrolytic ionic water. The invention includes an electrolytic tank with an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, an introducing conduit or line to introduce electrolytic solution, and a discharge conduit or line to supply the generated electrolytic ionic water to other apparatuses such as a semiconductor washing machine and a semiconductor polishing machine. To control the pH value of the electrolyzed ionic water, pH meters and pH controllers are disposed on the introducing or discharge conduit. The pH meters detect the pH values of the electrolyzed ionic water and provide the detected result to the pH controllers. The pH controllers control the pH values of the supplied ionic water by controlling and changing the temperature of the solution.

Abstract: A polishing slurry for use in chemical mechanical polishing is disclosed. The polishing slurry contains a solvent and polishing particles dispersed in this solvent. The polishing particles are selected from silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and graphite. The primary particle size of the polishing particles dispersed in the solvent is appropriately 0.01 to 1000 nm. When the polishing particles are colloidally dispersed in the solvent, the secondary particle size of the polishing particles is appropriately 60 to 300 nm.

Abstract: A sign language interpretation apparatus for performing sign language recognition and sign language generation generates easily read sign language computer graphics (CG) animation by preparing sign language word CG patterns on the basis of actual motion of the hand through the use of a glove type sensor to generate natural sign language CG animation, and by applying correction to the sign language word CG patterns. Further, in the sign language interpretation apparatus, results of translation of inputted sign language or voice language are confirmed and modified easily by the individual input persons, whereby results of translation of the inputted sign language or voice language are displayed in a combined form desired by the user to realize smooth communication. Also, candidates obtained as a result of translation are all displayed and can be selected easily by the input person with a device such as a mouse.

Abstract: In continuous sign language recognition, reference sign language patterns of good quality are generated. Continuous sign language patterns and reference sign language patterns are efficiently compressed. The compressed continuous sign language patterns are sequentially and directly matched with the compressed reference sign language patterns to recognize the sign language at high speed and with high precision. A reference sign pattern generating unit generates a reference sign language pattern by normalizing sample patterns while taking into consideration of their nonlinear compression/expansion and by calculating an average of the sample patterns. A continuous sign language recognition unit recognizes a continuous sign language at high speed by sequentially matching the continuous sign language of time sequential patterns with reference sign language patterns while allowing nonlinear expansion and compression in the time domain.

Abstract: A novel Li.sub.2 O--Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 --SiO.sub.2 series glass-ceramics for magnetic disc substrate use, which can prevent deformation of the substrate at a large temperature change and provide a strong, small and compact magnetic disc substrate without trouble and much reading and/or writing informations on the smoothened surface of the substrate, is provided. The glass-ceramics has a main crystal phase of lithium disilicate (Li.sub.2 O.2SiO.sub.2) phase, the peak intensity I of cristobalite phase (CRI) of at least 20 but not more than 50 when the peak intensity of I of lithium disilicate (L2S) phase measured by an X-ray diffraction analysis is taken as 100, and containing 1.0-3.0 parts by weight of Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 and 1.0-3.0 parts by weight of MnO when the sum of metal oxides other than Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 and MnO is taken as 100 parts by weight.

Abstract: A camera (10) captures a subject facial image. A unit (30) generates a tracking signal containing feature extraction data. In conjunction with a memory store (40), the unit (30) generates an output signal representing a substitute face having the features of the subject face. To generate the tracking signal, the facial area is detected (3103, 3107-8) initially and used in location of the mouth (3102, 3110-3114) and eyes (3104-6, 3115-3118). Only the H and S components are used for detecting the facial area; and only the S and V components for the mouth within the facial area. A face vector may be generated (50) using the tracking signals.

Abstract: A polishing slurry for use in chemical mechanical polishing is disclosed. The polishing slurry contains a solvent and polishing particles dispersed in this solvent. The polishing particles are selected from silicon nitride, silicon carbide, and graphite. The primary particle size of the polishing particles dispersed in the solvent is appropriately 0.01 to 1000 nm. When the polishing particles are colloidally dispersed in the solvent, the secondary particle size of the polishing particles is appropriately 60 to 300 nm.

Abstract: Disclosed is an alignment mark for the X directional alignment of a chip area on a semiconductor wafer, for example. The alignment mark comprises recesses and projections formed on a semiconductor substrate. The recesses or projections are repeatedly arranged in the X direction. The X directional width of the recesses or projections is set smaller than the X directional width of a grain on a metal film formed on the recesses and projections or the average particle size, as viewed from above the semiconductor substrate. The projections may be formed by an insulating layer formed on the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A continuous sign-language recognition apparatus and input apparatus which employ expressions of template patterns of sign-language word as well as the template patterns of sign-language word to realize high speed and highly accurate sign-language recognition. Each of component patterns constituting a template pattern of a sign-language word is expressed by a feature vector representing the pattern when the pattern is a static pattern, or by a time-series pattern of a feature vector when the pattern is a dynamic pattern. Also, using the template patterns of sign-language word, different matching methods are applied to the static and dynamic patterns for recognizing each component pattern, and the respective results are integrated on the basis of a temporal overlap of the respective component patterns to continuously recognize sign-language words.

Abstract: As shown in FIG. 4, a wiring pattern of a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the present invention comprises a wiring portion extending from a connection hole and a connection portion located on the connection hole and having a matching allowance with respect to said connection hole on said wiring portion side being formed wider than a predetermined matching allowance by a predetermined width with which a required yield of successful matching can be assured.