Abstract: The flow channel chip includes: a substrate including an inlet for introduction of a suspension containing a plurality of types of dielectric particles including a specific type of dielectric particles, and a flow channel for allowing a flow of the plurality of types of dielectric particles of the suspension introduced from the inlet; a separation electrode positioned inside the flow channel to cause a dielectrophoretic force for causing the specific type of dielectric particles of the plurality of types of dielectric particles to move in a predetermined direction; and a sensor electrode positioned inside the flow channel to measure an electric resistance of the suspension.

Abstract: A current measurement method for measuring a tunneling current in biopolymers passing through between a pair of electrodes includes arranging the electrodes in a liquid that contains an electrolyte and, while applying a voltage between the electrodes, measuring a current flowing between the electrodes via an electric double layer formed along surfaces of the electrodes. This enables measuring the current in consideration of the electric double layer. As a result, it is possible to more accurately measure the tunneling current in the biopolymers included in a liquid sample that contains an electrolyte.

Abstract: A cell potential measurement device has a measuring plane on which a cell suspension is dropped. The cell potential measurement device includes a plurality of working electrodes and a reference electrode. The plurality of working electrodes are two-dimensionally arranged in a working region of the measuring plane. The reference electrode is provided outside the working area of the measuring plane. A contact angle in a hydrophobic region between the working region and the reference electrodes of the measuring plane is larger than a contact angle in the working region.

Abstract: A cell potential measurement device has a measuring plane on which a cell suspension is dropped. The cell potential measurement device includes a plurality of working electrodes and a reference electrode. The plurality of working electrodes are two-dimensionally arranged in a working region of the measuring plane. The reference electrode is provided outside the working area of the measuring plane. A contact angle in a hydrophobic region between the working region and the reference electrodes of the measuring plane is larger than a contact angle in the working region.

Abstract: A current measurement method for measuring a tunneling current in biopolymers passing through between a pair of electrodes includes arranging the electrodes in a liquid that contains an electrolyte and, while applying a voltage between the electrodes, measuring a current flowing between the electrodes via an electric double layer formed along surfaces of the electrodes. This enables measuring the current in consideration of the electric double layer. As a result, it is possible to more accurately measure the tunneling current in the biopolymers included in a liquid sample that contains an electrolyte.

Abstract: A cell retainer has a measuring surface that includes a work region in which a plurality of working electrodes are arranged, a reference electrode arranged outward of the work region, a plurality of first regions provided between the work region and the reference electrode, and a second region arranged between each two of the first regions, the two being adjacent to each other in a radial direction. A contact angle in the first region is greater than a contact angle in the work region and a contact angle in the second region. Thus, any of the first regions arranged outward of the work region or the second region serves to restrict the spread of a cell suspension. Moreover, the first regions arranged in multiple tiers enable selection of a drop region and a drop area from a plurality of drop regions and a plurality of drop areas. Accordingly, it is possible to adjust the thickness of a cell layer by selecting the drop area of the cell suspension.

Abstract: After a development liquid on a substrate is washed away with a rinse liquid, the rotational speed of the substrate is reduced, so that a liquid layer of the rinse liquid is formed over a top surface of the substrate. Thereafter, the rotational speed of the substrate is increased. The increase in the rotational speed of the substrate causes a centrifugal force to be slightly greater than tension, thereby causing the liquid layer to be held on the substrate with the thickness thereof in its peripheral portion increased and the thickness thereof at the center thereof decreased. Then, gas is discharged toward the center of the liquid layer from a gas supply nozzle, so that a hole is formed at the center of the liquid layer. This causes tension that is balanced with a centrifugal force exerted on the peripheral portion of the liquid layer to disappear. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the substrate is further increased while the gas is discharged. Thus, the liquid layer moves outward from the substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus capable of eliminating occurrence of a development failure when a DI water discharge nozzle 20 is scanned to dry a substrate by spinning. A substrate is held in a horizontal posture by a spin chuck and rotated about a vertical axis by a rotation motor, and when an outlet of the nozzle is scanned from a position opposed to a center of the substrate W to a position opposed to a circumferential edge while a cleaning solution being discharged, immediately after the nozzle has started to move, only one dried core is produced in the vicinity of the center of the substrate, and thus production of not less than two dried cores in the vicinity of the center of the substrate is prevented. The dried region is spread all over the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A catalyst layer in which a plurality of supported catalysts each including a particulate catalyst support and catalyst particles having a smaller diameter than the catalyst support and supported in a dispersed manner on a surface of the catalyst support are bound by a binder is provided. Thereby a specific surface area can be drastically improved and a catalyst function can be enhanced.

Abstract: A separator-type lithium ion secondary battery having large capacity and charge-discharge performance not destroying the separator, even with an active material layer having concavo-convex structure of high aspect ratio. The battery comprises a first electrode comprising a first current collector, and a first active material layer formed by plural convex first active material parts provided on the first current collector, a second electrode comprising a second current collector, and a second active material layer formed by plural convex second active material parts provided on the second current collector, and a separator provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are integrated so that the convex first active material part is faced between the adjacent convex second active material parts, and the convex first active material part does not enter between the convex second active material parts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus capable of eliminating occurrence of a development failure when a DI water discharge nozzle 20 is scanned to dry a substrate by spinning. A substrate is held in a horizontal posture by a spin chuck and rotated about a vertical axis by a rotation motor, and when an outlet of the nozzle is scanned from a position opposed to a center of the substrate W to a position opposed to a circumferential edge while a cleaning solution being discharged, immediately after the nozzle has started to move, only one dried core is produced in the vicinity of the center of the substrate, and thus production of not less than two dried cores in the vicinity of the center of the substrate is prevented. The dried region is spread all over the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method capable of eliminating occurrence of a development failure when a DI water discharge nozzle 20 is scanned to dry a substrate by spinning is provided. A substrate W is held in a horizontal posture by a spin chuck 10 and rotated about a vertical axis by a rotation motor 14, and when an outlet of the nozzle 20 is scanned from a position opposed to a center of the substrate W to a position opposed to a circumferential edge while a cleaning solution being discharged, immediately after the nozzle 20 has started to move, only one dried core is produced in the vicinity of the center of the substrate W, and thus production of not less than two dried cores in the vicinity of the center of the substrate W is prevented. The dried region is spread all over the surface of the substrate W.

Abstract: A negative-electrode active material layer formed between a negative-electrode current collector and a solid electrolyte layer has a line-and-space structure in which a plurality of stripe-shaped pattern elements extending in a Y direction are arranged while being separated from each other. A gradient at each contact point where the stripe-shaped pattern element, the negative-electrode current collector and the solid electrolyte layer are in contact with each other is made smaller than 90°.

Abstract: A negative-electrode active material layer 12 contains Li4Ti5O12 as a negative-electrode active material, and a positive-electrode active material layer 14 contains LiCoO2 as a positive-electrode active material. A solid electrolyte layer 13 contains polyethylene oxide and polystyrene as an electrolyte material. Gradients of surfaces of stripe-shaped pattern elements 121 forming the negative-electrode active material layer 12 are smaller than 90° when viewed from a surface of the negative-electrode current collector 11. By such a construction, it is possible to construct a battery having a high capacity in relation to the used amount of the active materials and good charge and discharge characteristics.

Abstract: A negative-electrode active material layer having an uneven pattern is formed on a surface of a copper foil as a negative-electrode current collector by applying an application liquid by a nozzle-scan coating method. Subsequently, an application liquid containing a polymer electrolyte material is applied by a spin coating method, thereby forming a solid electrolyte layer in conformity with the uneven pattern. Subsequently, an application liquid is applied by a doctor blade method, thereby forming a positive-electrode active material layer whose lower surface conforms to the unevenness and whose upper surface is substantially flat. A thin and high-performance all-solid-state battery can be produced by laminating an aluminum foil as a positive-electrode current collector before the application liquid is cured.

Abstract: After a substrate is cleaned, a liquid layer of a rinse liquid is formed so as to cover one surface of the substrate. Then, a liquid supply nozzle moves outward from above the center of the substrate. The liquid supply nozzle is stopped once at the time point where it moves by a predetermined distance from above the center of the substrate. In this time period, the liquid layer is divided within a thin layer region by a centrifugal force, so that a drying core is formed at the center of the liquid layer. Thereafter, the liquid supply nozzle moves outward again, so that a drying region where no rinse liquid exists expands on the substrate with the drying core as its starting point.

Abstract: A tip section of a discharge nozzle 31 is shaped like a wedge, and projections 310 which further protrude are formed at the tip of the wedge. Lower surfaces 310b of the projections 310 define a substrate-facing-surface which is brought into proximity to the substrate, and discharge outlet bearing surfaces 310c, which gradually retract back from the substrate W, are formed as if to rise from the edges of the lower surfaces 310b. At adjacent positions within the discharge outlet bearing surface 310c which are adjacent to the substrate-facing-surface 310b, discharge outlets 311 for discharging an application liquid are opened. Areas around the discharge outlets 311 and a wall around a fluid feeding path 312 are integrated with each other.

Abstract: The invention aims at reducing unevenness at the intersections of mutually crossing electrodes with a method of and an apparatus for forming electrodes on a substrate. After forming a number of finger electrodes on a substrate, wide bus electrodes intersecting them are formed by application of an application liquid. Upon applying the application liquid which contains an electrode material and a photo-curing resin to the substrate, the application liquid is irradiated with UV light after a predetermined time and the application liquid is thus made to harden. A time difference since applying until light irradiation is set based on the result of measurement on changes of the height of the application liquid experimentally applied.

Abstract: An electrode 10 for battery comprises: a base member 11 which serves as a current collector; and an active material layer 12 of an active material which is formed by a plurality of active material lines extending on a surface of the base member 11 along a predetermined longitudinal direction, wherein the active material lines include first lines 121 whose width in orthogonal cross section to the longitudinal direction is a first width W1 and second lines 122 whose width is a second width W2 which is wider than the first width W1 and whose height H2 measured from the surface of the base member is equal to or higher than a height H1 of the first lines.

Abstract: A nozzle N which moves in a scan direction Ds along a surface Wf of a substrate W discharges an application liquid which contains a photo-curing material, and a light emitter E moving as if to follow the nozzle N irradiates light (UV light for instance) upon the application liquid. Arriving at an application end position, the nozzle N stops discharging the application liquid and retracts in a direction away from the substrate surface Wf. Meanwhile, the light emitter E keeps moving in the scan direction Ds, thereby irradiating even the terminating end of the application liquid with the light without fail.