Abstract: The stability of a step of processing a wiring formed using copper, aluminum, gold, silver, molybdenum, or the like is increased. Moreover, the concentration of impurities in a semiconductor film is reduced. Moreover, the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device are improved. In a transistor including an oxide semiconductor film, an oxide film in contact with the oxide semiconductor film, and a pair of conductive films being in contact with the oxide film and including copper, aluminum, gold, silver, molybdenum, or the like, the oxide film has a plurality of crystal parts and has c-axis alignment in the crystal parts, and the c-axes are aligned in a direction parallel to a normal vector of a top surface of the oxide semiconductor film or the oxide film.

Abstract: A stencil printer includes an ink drum having a hollow cylindrical porous support and a pair of flanges supporting opposite ends of the support. Annular elastic members are respectively affixed between the inner periphery of the porous support and the outer circumferences of the flanges. When the ink drum is pressed against a press roller, the elastic members deform and cause an ink roller disposed in the ink drum to be displaced. As a result, the ink roller contacts the inner periphery of the porous support brought into contact with and positioned by the press roller. The ink roller and the inner periphery of the ink drum can therefore contact each other under uniform pressure without the rigidity of the drum being reduced and without any shaking.

Abstract: A paper feeder for feeding papers to an image forming apparatus and a paper tray elevation device therefore are disclosed. A first tray is movable up and down with a plurality of papers stacked thereon. A paper feed member feeds the papers from the first tray in a preselected direction of paper feed. A second tray is positioned beside the first tray in substantially the horizontal direction and movable up and down with a plurality of papers stacked thereon. A shifting device shifts the entire paper stack from the second tray to the first tray. A horizontal elevating mechanism elevates the first tray while maintaining it in substantially the horizontal position. An interlocking mechanism at least elevates, when papers of greater in size than the papers to be stacked on the first or second tray are stacked over the first and second trays in a single stack, the second tray in interlocked relation to the elevation of the first tray while maintaining the second tray in substantially the horizontal position.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a sheet stacking device for stacking sheets sequentially driven out of the apparatus body has a stack tray including a base, and a pair of side fences mounted on the base and each having an inclined portion. The side fences are moved to positions matching the width of sheets beforehand. When the sheet driven out of the apparatus body falls onto the base, the opposite widthwise edges of the sheet are reshaped in an inverted arch configuration by the inclined portions of the side fences. Hence, sheets sequentially stacked on the base have their opposite edges accurately aligned with each other.

Abstract: A document reading apparatus comprises a contact type image sensor having a protection glass located at a surface where a document is to be read, first roller mechanism for supplying a document which is to be read in a document transport direction on the protection glass of the contact type image sensor, a platen roller which is rotatably supported at a position confronting the protection glass, a support mechanism for rotatably supporting the platen roller, and a restricting mechanism. The support mechanism permits a movement of the platen roller in a predetermined direction which is approximately perpendicular to a surface of the protection glass depending on a thickness of the document which is supplied between the platen roller and the protection glass by the first roller mechanism.

Abstract: In a printing-plate preparation apparatus employed in a screen printing machine comprising a thermal printhead provided with a heating-element portion, a rotatably supported platen roller for delivering a stencil paper and urging the same against a surface of the heating-element portion of the thermal printhead, and a manuscript-reading unit movable back and forth between a first position and a second position an improvement resides in that an outer peripheral surface of the platen roller is made of non-adhesive material while urged against a surface of the heating-element portion of the thermal printhead, whereby the stencil paper is clamped between the platen roller and the thermal printhead so as to be delivered while subjected to a perforation operation conducted by the heating-element portion of the thermal printhead.