Abstract: A forming method of a water-soluble protective film on a front surface of a plate-shaped object includes a water-soluble sheet arrangement step of arranging a water-soluble resin sheet having thermoplasticity on a side of the front surface of the plate-shaped object, and an integration step of heating the water-soluble resin sheet to melt or soften the same, and integrating the water-soluble resin sheet and the plate-shaped object, to form the water-soluble protective film on the plate-shaped object. Preferably, the water-soluble resin sheet may contain a light absorber. A processing method of a plate-shaped object includes the water-soluble sheet arrangement step and integration step.

Abstract: A polishing pad including a disc-shaped base to be mounted to a tip end of a rotatable spindle and a pad portion fixed to one end surface of the base has at least a polishing surface of the pad portion coated with a resin film until before the polishing pad is mounted to the spindle. A polishing method for polishing a wafer with a polishing pad includes a polishing pad mounting step of mounting the polishing pad to the tip end of the spindle, a separating step of separating the resin film from the pad portion, a holding step of holding the wafer on a holding surface of a chuck table, and a polishing step of polishing the wafer by individually rotating the polishing pad and the chuck table while the pad portion and the wafer are brought into contact with each other.

Abstract: A method of laying a protective sheet on a face side of a wafer includes preparing a first protective sheet having, on one surface thereof, a non-adhesive portion to be coextensive with a device region of the wafer and an adhesive portion to be positioned along an outer circumferential excessive region of the wafer, affixing the one surface of the first protective sheet to the face side of the wafer, dropping a liquid resin onto a surface of a second protective sheet that has surface irregularities ranging from Ra 0.2 to 7 ?m and is free of an adhesive layer, bringing another surface of the first protective sheet into facing relation to the surface of the second protective sheet onto which the liquid resin has been dropped, and curing the liquid resin.

Abstract: A setting method of a protective component includes a resin supply step of supplying a thermoplastic resin to a flat support surface of a support table, and a protective component forming step of shaping the thermoplastic resin into a sheet shape through pressing and spreading the thermoplastic resin along the support surface while heating and softening the thermoplastic resin to form a protective component of the thermoplastic resin in the sheet shape on the support surface. The setting method includes also a protective component bonding step of bringing a front surface that is one surface of the workpiece into tight contact with one surface of the protective component in the sheet shape and heating the protective component in tight contact to bond the protective component to the workpiece, and a post-bonding cooling step of cooling the protective component heated in the protective component bonding step.

Abstract: A method of placing a protective member on a workpiece includes a sheet producing step of heating a plate-shaped thermoplastic resin to soften or melt the same while gripping and pulling outer edges of the thermoplastic resin in at least four directions to produce a sheet-like protective member, and after the sheet producing step, an integrating step of heating and bringing the sheet-like protective member into intimate contact with the workpiece to integrate the workpiece and the protective member with each other.

Abstract: A rotating electrical machine may include a stator and a rotor. The stator may include a plurality of iron cores and a plurality of windings. The plurality of windings may include a first phase winding, a second phase winding, and a third phase winding connected in a delta connection. The first phase winding, the second phase winding, and the third phase winding may each be connected in series with a respective crossover wire. The first and third phase windings may be wound in a first winding direction. The second phase winding may be wound in a second winding direction. A first crossover wire connecting the first phase winding and/or a third crossover wire connecting the third phase winding may be arranged on a first side of the stator. A second crossover wire connecting the second phase winding may be arranged on a second side of the stator.

Abstract: There is provided a manufacturing method of a protective-component-provided workpiece. The manufacturing method of a protective-component-provided workpiece includes a step of dissolving a thermoplastic resin whose solubility parameter is equal to or higher than 8.5, in a liquid ultraviolet-curable resin, to prepare a liquid mixed resin, a step of supplying the mixed resin to a support surface of a support table to form a resin layer with a predetermined thickness, a step of irradiating the resin layer with ultraviolet rays and curing the resin layer to form a protective component with a sheet shape, and a step of heating the sheet-shaped protective component before or after one surface of the sheet-shaped protective component and one surface of the workpiece are brought into close contact with each other, and causing the sheet-shaped protective component to come into close contact with the workpiece and integrate with the workpiece.

Abstract: A setting method of a protective component includes a resin supply step of supplying a thermoplastic resin to a flat support surface of a support table, and a protective component forming step of shaping the thermoplastic resin into a sheet shape through pressing and spreading the thermoplastic resin along the support surface while heating and softening the thermoplastic resin to form a protective component of the thermoplastic resin in the sheet shape on the support surface. The setting method includes also a protective component bonding step of bringing a front surface that is one surface of the workpiece into tight contact with one surface of the protective component in the sheet shape and heating the protective component in tight contact to bond the protective component to the workpiece, and a post-bonding cooling step of cooling the protective component heated in the protective component bonding step.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel includes a vibration actuator that drives a focusing lens which brings a subject image into focus; an amplifying section that applies a pair of driving signals amplified to the vibration actuator; a phase shifting section that changes a phase difference between the pair of the driving signals; and a control section that, when a signal for giving an instruction to drive the vibration actuator is input, executes a first processing of causing the phase shifting section to perform an operation which periodically changes the phase difference of the pair of the driving signals.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator comprises a first piezoelectric element, a second piezoelectric element, a first set of a first member that is mounted with the first piezoelectric element which is deformed in a first direction with an application of a first voltage, and a second set of a second member that is mounted with the second piezoelectric element which is deformed in the opposite direction of the first direction with the application of the first voltage.

Abstract: Provided is a lens barrel includes a vibration actuator that drives a focusing lens which brings a subject image into focus; an amplifying section that applies a pair of driving signals amplified to the vibration actuator; a phase shifting section that changes a phase difference between the pair of the driving signals; and a control section that, when a signal for giving an instruction to drive the vibration actuator is input, executes a first processing of causing the phase shifting section to perform an operation which periodically changes the phase difference of the pair of the driving signals.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator comprises a first piezoelectric element, a second piezoelectric element, a first set of a first member that is mounted with the first piezoelectric element which is deformed in a first direction with an application of a first voltage, and a second set of a second member that is mounted with the second piezoelectric element which is deformed in the opposite direction of the first direction with the application of the first voltage.

Abstract: A load sharing system composed of a plurality of servers that are interconnected over a network for providing optimum and efficient operations at high reliability. The system employs a plurality of servers and a communication controller. A state manager in the communication controller first establishes connection paths on the network to reach the state management agents. The state manager then performs a centralized management of activity status of the servers based on status information collected from the state management agents via the established connection paths. A distribution processor disposed in the communication controller receives service requests from user terminals via a network and determines their respective destinations according to management data provided by the state manager. The distribution processor then forwards the service requests to the servers over the communication medium to direct their execution.