Abstract: A magneto-resistive device is provided for contributing to a higher MR ratio and a reduced cleaning time for cleaning the surface of a cap layer. In the magneto-resistive device, a cap layer which serves as a protection layer is formed on a free layer which is the topmost layer of a magneto-resistive layer constituting a TMR devise. An upper electrode which is additionally used as an upper magnetic shield is electrically connected to the free layer through an upper metal layer. The cap layer comprised of a two-layer film made up of a conductive layer closer to the free layer and a topmost conductive layer. The conductive layer closer to the free layer is made of a material having higher oxygen bond energy than Ru, such as Zr, Hf, or the like. The topmost conductive layer is made of a material having lower oxygen bond energy, such as a noble metal or the like.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes charging means for being supplied with an AC voltage and for electrically charging a member to be charged; current measuring means for measuring a current flowing between the charging means and the member to be charged when the AC voltage Is supplied the charging means; and particular current extraction means for extracting from the current a particular current in having a particular frequency.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging roller cooperable with the image bearing member to form a nip therebetween, for charging the charging roller is rotatable for counterdirectional peripheral movement relative to the image bearing member at the nip; a developing unit for developing with a developer an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member; wherein the potential of a potential changing portion of the image bearing member changes with respect to the peripheral moving direction of the image bearing member; and wherein at tA (sec) after arrival at an upstream end of the nip, of the potential changing portion, the developing unit is supplied with a voltage for collecting particles from the image bearing member to the developing unit, where tA (sec) is a sum of a time duration required for a surface of the charging roller to move from the upstream end of the nip to a downstream end of the nip and a time duration required for a surface of the image bearing member

Abstract: A magneto-resistive device has a magneto-resistive layer laminated between electrodes. The magneto-resistive layer has a non-magnetic layer, a pinned layer and a free layer sandwiching the non-magnetic layer, and a pin layer formed on the pinned layer on the opposite side to the free layer. The pin layer is formed in a region which substantially overlaps with an effective region in a film plane direction in which a current flows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the film plane between the electrodes in a predetermined thickness, and is formed in a region which does not substantially overlap with the effective region substantially in the same thickness as the predetermined thickness or in a thickness smaller than the predetermined thickness, continuous from the region which substantially overlaps with the effective region.

Abstract: A module circuit board for a semiconductor device by a solder reflow process includes a plurality of pads on which the semiconductor device to be mounted, a plurality of terminals formed on a side edge of the board, a resist film covering an area between said pads and said terminal on the board, and a barrier formed between said pads and said terminals.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a charging member for charging a member to be charged while forming a nip with the member to be charged, and electroconductive particles disposed in the nip. The charging member is supplied with a voltage of a certain polarity, a surface of the member to be charged is triboelectrically charged by a surface of the charging member so as to have a polarity opposite from that of the voltage, and the electroconductive particles are triboelectrically charged in the nip so as to have a polarity opposite from that of the voltage.

Abstract: Permanent magnets are arranged to be supported by the provision of permanent magnet position-locating projections (12) in permanent magnet embedding holes (5). By optimizing the shape of thin-wall regions (18) and (19) within rotor core (4), leakage of flux generated from the permanent magnets is reduced and the strength of the thin-wall regions where stress is concentrated is ensured.

Abstract: To provide a high-chromatic flaky pigment with good colorability, and to provide a method for producing the flaky pigment in a simple and inexpensive plant. A high-chromatic flaky pigment of which the entire surface of the flaky substrate coated with a metal oxide having an interference color is further coated with a semi-transparent thin metal film to enhance the interference color of the pigment.

Abstract: A transaction program 120 supplies a container 100 with data 1001 containing transaction identifying information. The container 100 holds an attribute value indicating a component control method corresponding to the transaction identifying information. A transaction determining section 101, an individual process decision section 102 and an attribute value acquisition section 103 are used for acquiring an attribute value corresponding to the transaction. The container 100 carries out a process in accordance with the acquired attribute value.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive device is provided for reducing the deterioration in the characteristics of the device due to annealing. The magneto-resistive device has a magneto-resistive layer formed on one surface side of a base, and an insulating layer formed of two layers and deposited around the magneto-resistive layer. The layer of the insulating layer closest to the base is made of a metal or semiconductor oxide. This layer extends over end faces of a plurality of layers made of different materials from one another, which make up the magneto-resistive device, and is in contact with the end faces of the plurality of layers with the same materials.

Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a charging member for charging a member to be charged while forming a nip with the member to be charged, and electroconductive particles disposed in the nip. The charging member is supplied with a voltage of a polarity, a surface of the member to be charged is triboelectrically charged by a surface of the charging member so as to have a polarity opposite from that of the voltage, and the electroconductive particles are triboelectrically charged in the nip so as to have a polarity opposite from that of the voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a charging roller cooperable with the image bearing member to form a nip therebetween, for charging the charging roller is rotatable for counterdirectional peripheral movement relative to the image bearing member at the nip; developing means for developing with a developer an electrostatic image formed on the image bearing member; wherein tA (sec) after arrival, at an upstream end of the nip, of a potential changing portion at which a potential of the image bearing member changes with respect to a peripheral moving direction of the image bearing member reaches an upstream end of the nip, the developing means is supplied with a voltage for collecting particles from the image bearing member to the developing means, where tA (see) is a sum of a time duration required for a surface of the charging roller to move from the upstream end of the nip to a downstream end of the nip and a time duration required for a surface of the image bearing member to move

Abstract: A data transforming method is provided which can perform a transforming process of transforming collective order data for a plurality of products into individual order data for each individual product and a transforming process in which order data is inherited to a response data transforming process. For each combination of transform source and destination protocols, various designation information is stored beforehand in a mapping definition information area and transaction data is transferred in accordance with the designation information. Designation information includes information of a request for an individual order data division process and a collective response data collection process and information of a correspondence between data items of transaction data.

Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a tabular base metal having an insulating layer provided on a bottom surface thereof, and the insulating layer includes a plurality of wiring patterns, each of which is provided with a connecting pad at one end thereof. A semiconductor chip is adhered at a substantial center of the insulating layer with an adhesive. Electrodes provided on a bottom surface of the semiconductor chip are connected to the other ends of the wiring patterns by wire bonding via wires. The semiconductor chip is molded with a resin. The connecting pads are connected to solder balls via an interposer substrate provided with conductors.

Abstract: A module circuit board for a semiconductor device by a solder reflow process includes a plurality of pads on which the semiconductor device to be mounted, a plurality of terminals formed on a side edge of the board, a resist film covering an area between said pads and said terminal on the board, and a barrier formed between said pads and said terminals.

Abstract: A charging device for electrically charging a member to be charged includes charging particles including electroconductive particles having particles diameters in the range of 10 nm-10 &mgr;m; and a charging particles carrying member, which has a nip with the member to be charged forming a nip with said member to be charged, for carrying the charging particle to the nip; wherein said charging particles have resistances in the range of 10−1-1012 &OHgr;cm; wherein (an amount, per unit area, of said charging particles carried by said charging particles carrying member)/(an average roughness Ra of a surface of said charging particles carrying member) is in the range of 0.005-1 mg/cm2/&mgr;m.

Abstract: To provide a high-chromatic flaky pigment with good colorability, and to provide a method for producing the flaky pigment in a simple and inexpensive plant. A high-chromatic flaky pigment of which the entire surface of the flaky substrate coated with a metal oxide having an interference color is further coated with a semi-transparent thin metal film to enhance the interference color of the pigment.

Abstract: A magneto-resistive device has a magneto-resistive layer laminated between electrodes. The magneto-resistive layer has a non-magnetic layer, a pinned layer and a free layer sandwiching the non-magnetic layer, and a pin layer formed on the pinned layer on the opposite side to the free layer. The pin layer is formed in a region which substantially overlaps with an effective region in a film plane direction in which a current flows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the film plane between the electrodes in a predetermined thickness, and is formed in a region which does not substantially overlap with the effective region substantially in the same thickness as the predetermined thickness or in a thickness smaller than the predetermined thickness, continuous from the region which substantially overlaps with the effective region.

Abstract: A selling terminal sends an enterprise ID and article detail information as article information together with allocation point information, and an electronic commerce system stores the article information and the allocation point information in correspondence with each other. A purchase terminal sends article information and transaction information as article transaction information, and the electronic commerce system stores the article transaction information. The electronic commerce system calculates a point number with reference to the enterprise ID and transaction information from the article transaction information, and stores the enterprise ID and the point number in correspondence with each other as point information. Referring to the allocation point information in correspondence with the article information, an incentive is provided to a seller enterprise by discounting an intermediation fee of the article transaction.

Abstract: A module circuit board for a semiconductor device by a solder reflow process includes a plurality of pads on which the semiconductor device to be mounted, a plurality of terminals formed on a side edge of the board, a resist film covering an area between said pads and said terminal on the board, and a barrier formed between said pads and said terminals.