Abstract: A turbocharger impeller is provided with a hub portion with a plurality of vane portions extending outwardly thereof. The hub portion is substantially shaped as a truncated cone with a diameter that gradually increases along a rotation axis. The vane portions are formed on a surface of the hub portion and guide a fluid flowing along the rotation axis radially outward relative to the hub portion. Grooves are formed in and/or on surfaces of the vane portions along a direction of the fluid flowing radially outward during rotation of the impeller. Protruding crest portions are formed between adjacent grooves. Crest portions in a central region near the rotation axis are lower in height than crest portions in an outer region further away from the rotation axis.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image acquirement section, a correction section, and an image production section. The image acquirement section acquires an image signal representing an image, the image signal is generated by light receiving elements that receive lights from a specific space preliminarily defined in a vicinity of a vehicle via a near infrared passing filter mainly transmitting near infrared lights and a visible light passing filter transmitting visible lights and near infrared lights, respectively. The image includes multiple areas and indicates the specific space projected onto a plane. The correction section corrects each area of the image by amplifying intensity of near infrared lights with an increasing amplification factor when a difference between the intensity of near infrared lights and intensity of visible lights and near infrared lights becomes smaller. The image production section produces a new image based on the corrected areas of the image.

Abstract: A night-vision device is provided with a projection unit, an image pickup unit, a luminance ratio determining unit, and a projection control unit. The luminance ratio determining unit determines whether a determination luminance ratio in a set region is within a predetermined luminance range as a luminance ratio at which a subject to be detected forms an emphasized image, said set region having been set at least in a part of an image obtained by means of the image pickup unit. In the cases where the determination luminance ratio is out of the predetermined luminance range, the projection control unit controls the intensity of near-infrared light emitted from the projection unit such that the determination luminance ratio is within the predetermined luminance range.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an image acquirement section, a correction section, and an image production section. The image acquirement section acquires an image signal representing an image, the image signal is generated by light receiving elements that receive lights from a specific space preliminarily defined in a vicinity of a vehicle via a near infrared passing filter mainly transmitting near infrared lights and a visible light passing filter transmitting visible lights and near infrared lights, respectively. The image includes multiple areas and indicates the specific space projected onto a plane. The correction section corrects each area of the image by amplifying intensity of near infrared lights with an increasing amplification factor when a difference between the intensity of near infrared lights and intensity of visible lights and near infrared lights becomes smaller. The image production section produces a new image based on the corrected areas of the image.

Abstract: A turbocharger impeller is provided with a hub portion with a plurality of vane portions extending outwardly thereof. The hub portion is substantially shaped as a truncated cone with a diameter that gradually increases along a rotation axis. The vane portions are formed on a surface of the hub portion and guide a fluid flowing along the rotation axis radially outward relative to the hub portion. Grooves are formed in and/or on surfaces of the vane portions along a direction of the fluid flowing radially outward during rotation of the impeller. Protruding crest portions are formed between adjacent grooves. Crest portions in a central region near the rotation axis are lower in height than crest portions in an outer region further away from the rotation axis.

Abstract: A night-vision device is provided with a projection unit, an image pickup unit, a luminance ratio determining unit, and a projection control unit. The luminance ratio determining unit determines whether a determination luminance ratio in a set region is within a predetermined luminance range as a luminance ratio at which a subject to be detected forms an emphasized image, said set region having been set at least in a part of an image obtained by means of the image pickup unit. In the cases where the determination luminance ratio is out of the predetermined luminance range, the projection control unit controls the intensity of near-infrared light emitted from the projection unit such that the determination luminance ratio is within the predetermined luminance range.

Abstract: A plurality of CVD silicon nitride film islands are formed on a lower electrode which is located over a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of CVD silicon nitride film islands are spaced apart from one another to define exposed regions of the lower electrode therebetween. The CVD silicon nitride film islands and the exposed regions of the lower electrode are then subjected to heat treatment in a nitride atmosphere to form thermal silicon nitride films in the exposed regions of the lower electrode. A capacitor insulating film is formed over the CVD silicon nitride film islands and the thermal silicon nitride films, and then an upper electrode is formed over the capacitor insulating film.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a capacitor comprises the steps of forming a silicon oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first silicon nitride layer on the silicon oxide layer, forming a polycrystalline silicon layer as a lower electrode layer of the capacitor on the first silicon nitride layer, subjecting the polycrystalline silicon layer to the natural outside atmosphere so as to form a native oxide layer on the polycrystalline silicon layer, removing the native oxide layer to expose the polycrystalline silicon layer to an inactive gas atmosphere, Forming a second silicon nitride layer on the exposed polycrystalline silicon layer subjecting the second silicon nitride layer to the outside atmosphere so as to form a capacitor oxide layer on the polycrystalline silicon layer, the second silicon nitride layer and the capacitor oxide layer working as a dielectric layer of the capacitor, and forming an upper electrode layer of the capacitor on the capacitor oxide layer.