Abstract: A plasma processing method and a plasma processing apparatus in which a stable process region can be ensured in a wide range, from low microwave power to high microwave power. The plasma processing method includes making production of plasma easy in a region in which production of plasma by continuous discharge is difficult, and plasma-processing an object to be processed, with the generated plasma, wherein the plasma is produced by pulsed discharge in which ON and OFF are repeated, radio-frequency power for producing the pulsed discharge, during an ON period, is a power to facilitate production of plasma by continuous discharge, and a duty ratio of the pulsed discharge is controlled so that an average power of the radio-frequency power per cycle is power in the region in which production of plasma by continuous discharge is difficult.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a stage configured to hold a substrate, a stage-rotating mechanism configured to rotate the stage, and a polishing head configured to polish a periphery of the substrate held by the stage. The polishing apparatus also includes a controller configured to control operations of the stage, the stage-rotating mechanism, and the polishing head, an image-capturing device configured to capture an image of the periphery of the substrate through at least one terminal imaging element arranged so as to face the periphery of the substrate, an image processor configured to process the image captured by the image-capturing device, and a liquid ejector configured to eject a light-transmissive liquid toward the periphery of the substrate to fill a space between the periphery of the substrate and the terminal imaging element with the liquid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing an activated carbon having a small average particle diameter, a uniform particle size and a relatively large specific surface area suitable for an electric double layer capacitor electrode, in an easy and cost effective manner. The process comprises calcining an easily graphitizable carbon material such as petroleum coke or coal coke, used as the raw material under an oxidizing gas atmosphere, adjusting the particle size of the carbon material, and then activating the carbon material. The use of the activated carbon produced by the process of the present invention in an electrode can provide an electric double layer capacitor having a large capacitance per unit volume.

Abstract: An electric leakage sensing apparatus includes a coupling capacitor having one end connected to a DC power supply, a pulse generator that supplies a pulse to the other end of the coupling capacitor, a voltage detector that detects a voltage at the coupling capacitor charged by the pulse, an electric leakage determination part that compares the voltage detected by the voltage detector to a threshold value, and makes a determination of existence or non-existence of an electric leakage of the DC power supply based on a comparison result, and a booster circuit that applies a boosted pulse voltage to the coupling capacitor. The pulse generator converts an output voltage of the booster circuit into the pulse voltage. The voltage detector includes an offset voltage generating circuit that generates an offset voltage.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing an activated carbon for an electric double layer capacitor electrode comprising adjusting a carbon material (including a calcined product of a carbon material) in particle size, followed by mixing the carbon material with an alkali activator, and then activating the mixture, wherein the mixing is carried out so that the particle size distribution composed of particles with a size of 300 ?m or greater in the mixture of the carbon material and alkali activator is 5 percent or less so that the mixing state of the carbon material and alkali activator can be improved, resulting in a reduction in the ratio of the alkali activator.

Abstract: A plasma processing method and a plasma processing apparatus in which a stable process region can be ensured in a wide range, from low microwave power to high microwave power. The plasma processing method includes making production of plasma easy in a region in which production of plasma by continuous discharge is difficult, and plasma-processing an object to be processed, with the generated plasma, wherein the plasma is produced by pulsed discharge in which ON and OFF are repeated, radio-frequency power for producing the pulsed discharge, during an ON period, is a power to facilitate production of plasma by continuous discharge, and a duty ratio of the pulsed discharge is controlled so that an average power of the radio-frequency power per cycle is power in the region in which production of plasma by continuous discharge is difficult.

Abstract: A solar battery cell and related methodology are provided which enable a TAB wire to be accurately connected to an intended position, thus allowing a possible increase in manufacturing costs to be suppressed. The solar battery cell can include a substrate, a plurality of finger electrodes formed on a light receiving surface of the substrate, and a back surface electrode on a back surface of the substrate, the back surface electrode to be connected to a plurality of finger electrodes on an adjacent cell by applying a first TAB wire via a conductive adhesive, wherein the back surface electrode has omitted portions arranged to define at least one alignment marking indicative of a position where the first TAB wire is to be applied, the at least one alignment marking having a width less than a width of said first TAB wire.

Abstract: An electric leakage sensing apparatus includes a pulse generator that supplies a pulse to a coupling capacitor, a voltage detector that detects a voltage at the coupling capacitor, an electric leakage determination unit that compares the voltage detected by the voltage detector to a threshold and determines existence or non-existence of an electric leakage of a DC power supply based on a comparison result, a pre-check circuit that puts the DC power supply into a pseudo electric leakage state, a diagnostic unit that diagnoses whether the electric leakage determination unit determines that the electric leakage exists when the DC power supply is put into the pseudo electric leakage state, and terminals to which cables are connected. A current route from the pulse generator to the pre-check circuit through the coupling capacitor and the cables is formed when the DC power supply is put into the pseudo electric leakage state.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an activated carbon for an electric double layer capacitor, with which the wettability of a carbon material with an alkali activator is improved, thereby improving contact efficiency between the carbon material and the alkali activator and efficiently promoting reaction between the carbon material, which is a starting material and the activator. The method comprises adjusting a carbon material as it is or after having been calcined to produce a carbon powder having an average particle diameter of 0.5 to 15 ?m, oxidizing the carbon powder to contain 3 percent by mass or more of oxygen, and activating the oxidized product with an alkali activator.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process of producing an activated carbon for an electric double layer capacitor, which can produce easily and inexpensively an activated carbon free from fusing of carbon particles during activation and having a small diameter, a uniform particle diameter, and a relatively large specific surface area on a commercial scale. The process comprises the steps of calcining an easily graphitizable carbon material so that the reduction rates of the hydrogen/carbon atomic ratio (H/C) and the volatile components in the carbon material are 4 percent or more and 5 percent or more, respectively after calcination and activating the carbon material thereby producing an activated carbon for an electric double layer capacitor, having an average particle diameter of 0.5 to 7 ?m and a BET specific surface area of 1500 to 3000 m2/g.

Abstract: A solar battery cell and related methodology are provided which enable a TAB wire to be accurately connected to an intended position, thus allowing a possible increase in manufacturing costs to be suppressed. A solar battery cell includes a plurality of finger electrodes arranged on a light receiving surface of a photovoltaic substrate, and an alignment marking indicating a position where a TAB wire is to be connected to the finger electrodes via a conductive adhesive. The alignment marking has portions discontinuously provided on the light receiving surface along a line crossing two of the finger electrodes positioned nearest opposite ends of the light receiving surface.

Abstract: An electric leakage detection apparatus may quickly detect an electric leakage. An electric leakage detection apparatus includes a pulse generator that supplies a pulse to a coupling capacitor, a voltage detector that detects a voltage at the coupling capacitor, an electric leakage determination unit that compares the voltage detected by the voltage detector to a first threshold and determines presence or absence of the electric leakage of a DC power supply based on a comparison result. The electric leakage detection apparatus also includes a discharge determination unit that compares the voltage detected by the voltage detector to a second threshold lower than the first threshold and determines whether the detection voltage becomes lower than the second threshold by a discharge of the coupling capacitor. The pulse generator generates a new pulse when the discharge determination unit determines that the detection voltage becomes lower than the second threshold.

Abstract: An electric leakage detection apparatus may quickly detect an electric leakage. An electric leakage detection apparatus may include a pulse generator that supplies a pulse to a coupling capacitor, a voltage detector that detects a voltage at the coupling capacitor, an electric leakage determination unit that compares the voltage detected by the voltage detector with a threshold, and determines presence or absence of the electric leakage of a DC power supply based on a comparison result. The electric leakage detection apparatus may also include a discharge circuit that is operated for a constant time after the pulse falls and forcedly discharges a charge of the coupling capacitor. The pulse generator generates a new pulse when the constant time elapses.

Abstract: The present invention provides a raw coke having such a structure that the graphitized product resulting from graphitization of the raw coke at a temperature of 2800° C. under an inactive gas atmosphere will have ratios of the crystallite size to the lattice constant of 360 or less in the (002) plane and 1500 or less in the (110) plane, as a raw coke providing active carbon produced by alkali-activating the raw coke, which is reduced in remaining alkali content and can simplify washing operation because washing liquid can easily pass through the activated carbon, or as a raw coke for the production of needle coke.

Abstract: The present invention provides a raw coke having such a structure that the graphitized product resulting from graphitization of the raw coke at a temperature of 2800° C. under an inactive gas atmosphere will have ratios of the crystallite size to the lattice constant of 360 or less in the (002) plane and 1500 or less in the (110) plane, as a raw coke providing active carbon produced by alkali-activating the raw coke, which is reduced in remaining alkali content and can simplify washing operation because washing liquid can easily pass through the activated carbon, or as a raw coke for the production of needle coke.

Abstract: The amorphous carbon material for the negative electrode of a lithium ion secondary battery of the invention has a true density of 1.800-2.165 g/cm3, but has a true density of 2.255 g/cm3 or greater when subjected to graphitizing in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature of 3000° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a carbon material for an electric double layer capacitor, having a low internal resistance and a high capacitance per unit volume. The method comprises activating a graphitizable carbon material used as the raw material with 3 or more alkali metal compounds to produce an activated carbon having a BET specific surface area of 1500 to 3000 m2/g and a pore diameter corresponding to the maximum value in the pore size distribution as determined by the MP method within the range of 1 to 2 nm.

Abstract: Communication with less noise is to be performed. A voltage value control signal functioning as an instruction to change the voltage value supplied from a voltage converting section to an LFI is output from a CPU. A driving section for the LFI outputs the control signal at 125 kHz that drives an FET circuit section according to the voltage value supplied from an ECU. The FET circuit section outputs the driving current for an antenna under the control of the driving section. A connecter terminal that connects to a harness is connected to a connecter terminal for GND connection along with the GND terminal of the voltage converting section. A connecter terminal that connects to a harness is connected to a connecter terminal for GND connection along with the GND terminal of the FET circuit section.

Abstract: The present invention provides a raw coke having such a structure that the graphitized product resulting from graphitization of the raw coke at a temperature of 2800° C. under an inactive gas atmosphere will have ratios of the crystallite size to the lattice constant of 360 or less in the (002) plane and 1500 or less in the (110) plane, as a raw coke providing active carbon produced by alkali-activating the raw coke, which is reduced in remaining alkali content and can simplify washing operation because washing liquid can easily pass through the activated carbon, or as a raw coke for the production of needle coke.

Abstract: A photo detection device, which is disposed in a vehicle, includes a first photo detection element that detects light and a first signal processing unit that performs a predetermined process based on a detection result of the first photo detection element. The photo detection device also includes a first board on which the first photo detection element is mounted and a second board on which the first signal processing unit is mounted. Additionally, the photo detection device includes a holding member that holds the first board and the second board and a housing that accommodates the holding member. The holding member holds the first board and the second board such that the second board is arranged in a second plane different from a first plane in which the first board is arranged.