Abstract: By reflecting physical information extracted from layout information on hierarchical circuit information while maintaining its hierarchical structure and creating the hierarchical circuit information with the physical information, to reflect the physical information with its accuracy kept on the hierarchical circuit information, thereby realizing high speed of circuit simulation and reduction in a quantity of data. This invention includes a physical information extracting step of extracting, from layout information, information on a physical status i.e. physical information of a single unit e.g.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for producing a ceramic catalyst body that can directly support a catalyst on a ceramic support without disposing a coating layer on the ceramic support. In the invention, a catalyst solution containing a catalyst component consisting of a negative complex ion resulting from a catalyst precursor is prepared, and a pH of the catalyst solution is adjusted in such a manner as to satisfy the relation E1>E2 and E1>0 where E1 is a surface potential of a matrix phase consisting of a cordierite-W composite body relative to the pH of the catalyst solution and E2 is a surface potential of a dispersed phase consisting of compounds other than the cordierite-W composite body. After the ceramic support is brought into contact with the catalyst solution to support the catalyst component, heat-treatment is conducted to bond the matrix phase consisting of the cordierite-W composite body and the catalyst component to support the catalyst on the ceramic support.

Abstract: (i) In a ceramic catalyst body which comprises a ceramic carrier which has a multitude of pores capable of supporting a catalyst directly on the surface of a substrate ceramic and a catalyst supported on the ceramic carrier, a layer containing an anti-evaporation metal such as Rh is formed on the outer surface of catalyst metal particles such as Pt or Rh. The layer containing the anti-evaporation metal protects the catalyst metal and prevents evaporation thereof, thereby suppressing the deterioration; and/or (ii) A ceramic catalyst body is made by having a main catalyst component and a promoter component directly on a ceramic carrier which can directly support the catalyst by substituting a part of the constituent elements of cordierite, and a trap layer is provided in the upstream thereof for trapping sulfur which is a catalyst poisoning component included in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: A catalyst-loaded ceramic filter made of a ceramic material capable of directly supporting a catalyst component thereon is capable of providing early activation of the catalyst with a low coefficient of thermal expansion and light weight, without compromising the high porosity of the filter substrate. A catalyst-loaded ceramic filter is made of a ceramic material of which one or more kinds of element among its constituent elements is substituted with an element other than the constituent elements, for example a ceramic material with a part of Si or other elements included in cordierite is substituted with W or Co, as a filter substrate of honeycomb structure having a number of cells separated by porous walls, and supporting a catalyst such as a noble metal directly on the W.

Abstract: To realize an equivalence verification between an analog circuit and its function model unit. From a circuit topology and a functional description, there is extracted contained in the circuit. A test circuit capable of inputting a verification vector according to the extracted circuit function is created, and a verification is made to provide a result. In case the equivalence is to be verified, a similar verification is made by replacing only a compared circuit of the test circuit created. After the result was obtained, its difference from the aforementioned result is made. If this difference is within an allowable range, the equivalence is decided. By using the configuration of the invention, the analog circuit or the function model can be verified on itself. Moreover, the equivalence can be verified with the minimum configuration.

Abstract: A laminated seamless belt having at least a base layer and an outer layer. The base layer contains a polyester thermoplastic elastomer as its main component. The base layer has a volume resistivity set to not less than 1.0×106(?·cm) nor more than 1.0×1011(?·cm). A volume resistivity of the outer layer is set to not less than 1.0×1011(?·cm) and not less than 10 times as large as that of the base layer. The base layer and the outer layer are formed by laminated extrusion.

Abstract: This invention aims at achieving early activation by use of a catalytic body having a low thermal capacity, and a low pressure loss, without using a coating layer to reduce exhaust emission. The invention is directed also to improve exhaust purification performance by improving the combination of catalytic bodies and performance of each catalytic body. In the invention, a start catalyst 1 is arranged at an upstream portion of an exhaust pipe P of a car engine E and a three way catalyst 2 is disposed on the downstream side. The start catalyst 1 can directly support catalytic components through chemical bonds by incorporating replacing elements into a substrate ceramic having high heat resistance such as cordierite. Because a coating layer is not necessary, the catalyst of the invention has a low heat capacity and a large open area and achieves reduction of exhaust emission, and reduction of a pressure loss, through early activation.

Abstract: This invention provides a method for producing a ceramic catalyst body that can directly support a catalyst on a ceramic support without disposing a coating layer on the ceramic support. In the invention, a catalyst solution containing a catalyst component consisting of a negative complex ion resulting from a catalyst precursor is prepared, and a pH of the catalyst solution is adjusted in such a manner as to satisfy the relation E1>E2 and E1>0 where E1 is a surface potential of a matrix phase consisting of a cordierite-W composite body relative to the pH of the catalyst solution and E2 is a surface potential of a dispersed phase consisting of compounds other than the cordierite-W composite body. After the ceramic support is brought into contact with the catalyst solution to support the catalyst component, heat-treatment is conducted to bond the matrix phase consisting of the cordierite-W composite body and the catalyst component to support the catalyst on the ceramic support.

Abstract: A physical design method optimizes the performance of an integrated circuit much more efficiently. After an initial layout is obtained for an integrated circuit, a set of process steps, including evaluating the overall performance of the integrated circuit, selecting a candidate cell and changing the performance of the cell, is carried out a number of times. In the step of selecting a candidate cell, a cell, which should have its performance changed, is selected from multiple cells included in the integrated circuit based on the performance evaluation result obtained. Then, by reference to a library, a characteristic representing the performance of the candidate cell is determined in accordance with an external condition imposed thereon.

Abstract: A flame-retardant seamless belt is formed by molding a thermoplastic composition containing a polyester thermoplastic elastomer as a main component thereof; at not less than 15 wt % nor more than 40 wt % of melamine cyanurate for a whole weight of the thermoplastic composition; and not less than 0.01 parts by weight nor more than three parts by weight of an anion-containing salt, shown by a chemical formula 1, for 100 parts by weight of an entire polymer component. The thermoplastic composition has a volume resistivity of not less than 1.0×106 &OHgr;·cm nor more than 1.0×1012 &OHgr;·cm. The flame-retardant seamless belt is used as an intermediate transfer belt (33) or the like for use in an image-forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus, a facsimile, a printer, and the like.

Abstract: Delay distribution in an integrated circuit is calculated while taking into account a correlation of performance between interconnects or elements in the integrated circuit, thereby improving estimation accuracy. Circuit information, performance distribution information of the interconnects or elements in the integrated circuit, and correlation information of performance between the interconnects or elements are input. A vertex is selected for calculation, and a correlation between delay distribution at the selected vertex and delay distribution in a partial circuit including the selected vertex is calculated based on the performance distribution information and the correlation information.

Abstract: A conductive layer of a conductive member for an image-forming apparatus is composed of a conductive polymer composition containing an ionic-conductive addition salt. The conductive polymer composition has a continuous phase and one or more uncontinuous phases including at least one first uncontinuous phase. The continuous phase and the uncontinuous phase form a sea-island structure. A salt capable of dissociating into cations and anions is unevenly distributed to the first uncontinuous phase. A polymer composing the first uncontinuous phase has a higher degree of affinity for the salt capable of dissociating into cations and anions than a polymer composing the continuous phase to prevent the salt (or the cations, the anions) from shifting out of the first uncontinuous phase or out of the polymer composition. The conductive polymer composition can contain melamine cyanurate so that it is flame-retardant.

Abstract: A purification catalyst for exhaust gas is provided that uses a hexagonal cell monolithic carrier which is able to demonstrate purification performance that is superior to the case of using a square cell monolithic carrier. This purification catalyst for exhaust gas comprises a monolithic carrier (10) provided with hexagonal cells (15) of 200 cells/in2 or more in which the porosity of partition walls (11) that form the cells (15) is 25% or more; and, a catalyst layer (2) arranged on the surface of the partition walls (11) of the monolithic carrier (10) that contains a catalyst component for purification of exhaust gas. The thickness of catalyst layer (2) is 10-70 &mgr;m at its thin portion (21), and its thick portion (22) has a thickness of no more than 12 times that of thin portion (21).

Abstract: Delay distribution in an integrated circuit is calculated while taking into account a correlation of performance between interconnects or elements in the integrated circuit, thereby improving estimation accuracy. Circuit information, performance distribution information of the interconnects or elements in the integrated circuit, and correlation information of performance between the interconnects or elements are input. A vertex is selected for calculation, and a correlation between delay distribution at the selected vertex and delay distribution in a partial circuit including the selected vertex is calculated based on the performance distribution information and the correlation information.

Abstract: A conductive belt having a base layer (3) electroconductive and made of a resin, an intermediate layer (5) ionic-conductive and made of an elastomer, and a surface coating layer (7). The base layer (3) has a tensile modulus of elasticity of not less than 500 Mpa and a volume electric resistance value not less than 106&OHgr;·cm nor more than 1011&OHgr;·cm. The intermediate layer (5) has a JIS A hardness less than 70, a thickness not less than 50 &mgr;m nor more than 600 &mgr;m, and a volume electric resistance value not less than 108&OHgr;·cm nor more than 1014&OHgr;·cm.

Abstract: The present invention can realize a catalyst body which can efficiently achieve a catalytic reaction with a minimum required amount of catalyst and can exhibit high catalytic performance at low cost.

Abstract: A semiconductor device trimming method or apparatus is proposed for use with a semiconductor device which includes at least a regular cell array, a spare cell array, a fuse array, and a spare decoder. In the method or apparatus, a trimming table is prepared which lists all address modes of address signals for row or column address lines to be replaced in the regular cell array and the blow mode of the fuse array corresponding to each of the address modes. Then, fuses are selectively blown in the fuse array according to the blow mode corresponding to row or column lines of which the selection has been inhibited in the regular cell array in accordance with the trimming table. The spare decoder inhibits selection of cells in the regular cell array and permit selection of cells on the spare lines in the spare cell array in order to replace the inhibited row or column lines in the regular cell array.

Abstract: This invention aims at providing a direct support ceramic support having less degradation of a catalyst due to thermal durability, and capable of keeping a high catalyst performance for a long time and suppressing a change of characteristics of a substrate ceramic. According to the invention, one or more kinds of constituent elements of a substrate ceramic such as cordierite are replaced by an element such as W to form a ceramic body having at least one kind of elements and fine pores each capable of directly supporting a catalyst component. These elements or fine pores are arranged at only an outermost surface layer portion (a depth corresponding to 1,000 unit crystal lattices or below) of the substrate ceramic. A catalyst body undergoing less thermal degradation and having small influences on the characteristics of the substrate ceramic is thus obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a laser trimming program without causing errors due to development by human hands in a time that does not depend on experiences etc. of a person who generates a program, as well as a recording medium on which a program for execution of such a method is recorded and a laser trimming apparatus using such a program. Fuse coordinate calculation programs are stored in advance in a coordinate calculation program database on a memory core basis and a common portion of an LT program is stored in advance in a common program database. At the time of generating an LT program, type information of a memory core incorporated in a target IC chip is input and a corresponding fuse coordinate calculation program is selected from the fuse coordinate calculation programs stored in the coordinate calculation program database and then loaded.

Abstract: The present invention provides a ceramic catalyst body having low thermal capacity and low pressure loss, is capable of demonstrating various catalytic actions according to the application, and has high catalyst performance and practical usefulness.