Abstract: A placement/net wiring processing system uses an interactive editor which eases and simplifies operations for placing or moving cells and adding, deleting or modifying wiring. The placement/net wiring processing system comprises a control means for controlling the execution of a placement and wiring operating and processing program, a display means for displaying placement and wiring information on a screen, an operating and processing means for operating the placement and wiring on the screen, and an information management means for managing the placement and wiring information. The control means copies the program read out Thereby and afterwards executes the program.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device comprises a magnetoresistive element, two bias field applying layers that apply a longitudinal bias magnetic field to the magnetoresistive element, and two electrode layers that are located adjacent to one of the surfaces of each of the bias field applying layers and overlap one of the surfaces of the magnetoresistive element. The magnetoresistive element incorporates a protection layer located on a soft magnetic layer. A sacrificial coating layer is formed on the protection layer. Before forming the electrode layers, the coating layer and an oxide layer, formed through natural-oxidizing part of the top surface of the coating layer, are removed through etching. After the electrode layers are formed, the portion of the protection layer located in the region between the two electrode layers is oxidized, and a high resistance layer is thereby formed.

Abstract: In a power supply device including a full-wave rectifying and smoothing circuit powered from a commercial AC power supply via two power supply lines, a switching regulator for separating and stepping down the output from the full-wave rectifying and smoothing circuit to output a desired DC voltage, and two capacitors after the full-wave rectifying and smoothing circuit for the terminal noise suppression purpose, a zero-cross detection circuit includes a transistor of which the emitter is connected to the low-voltage output terminal of the full-wave rectifying and smoothing circuit for outputting a zero-cross detection signal from the collector; a first resistor is connected between the base and emitter of the transistor; a second resistor is connected between one of the power supply lines and the base of the transistor; and a third resistor is connected between the other power supply line and the emitter of the transistor.

Abstract: A soft magnetic layer constituting a spin valve type magnetoresistance effect film comprises a multilayered body having at least two layers and including a first soft magnetic layer substantially made of Co or CoFe, and a second soft magnetic layer substantially made of NiFeX (wherein X represents at least one selected from Ta and Nb) in the order named from the side of a non-magnetic metal layer. More preferably, the soft magnetic layer comprises a multilayered body having at least three layers and including a first soft magnetic layer substantially made of Co or CoFe, a third soft magnetic layer substantially made of NiFe, and a second soft magnetic layer substantially made of NiFeX (wherein X represents at least one selected from Ta and Nb) in the order named from the side of the non-magnetic metal layer. Therefore, the detection sensitivity of a magnetic signal and the output of the magnetic head can be improved. Further, the linearity of the derived signal is also excellent.

Abstract: A first and a second longitudinal bias-applying films are formed via a first mask at both sides of a magnetoresistive effective element film so that the difference in surface level between the magnetoresistive effective element film and the first and the second longitudinal bias-applying films is set within ±20 nm. Then, a first and a second electrode films are formed so as to cover edge portions of the magnetoresistive effective element film and the first and the second longitudinal bias-applying films.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material, comprising a sliding member and a supporting member for holding the sliding member and a pressure member which forms a nip part, wherein a portion of said supporting member which forms the nip part projects from a surface of the sliding member on the nip part side. The image heating apparatus can suppress a decrease in durability of a flexible rotary body.

Abstract: A read head comprises an MR element, two bias field applying layers, and two conductive layers. The two bias field applying layers are adjacent to both side portions of the MR element, and apply a bias magnetic field to the MR element along the longitudinal direction. The two conductive layers feed a sense current to the MR element, each of the conductive layers being disposed to be adjacent to one of surfaces of each of the bias field applying layers and to overlap one of surfaces of the MR element. The conductive layers are each made of a gold alloy having a resistivity of less than 22 &mgr;&OHgr;·cm and a hardness as high as or higher than the hardness of a material used for making the bias field applying layers.

Abstract: When a logical block is built in an LSI logic design stage, a maximum delay value between pins of a block is set based on a designer's estimation, or information of a netlist after the netlist is generated. Pins can be grouped. A delay value in a connection between pins is represented by the largest value. Additionally, a plurality of internal memory elements within a logical block are represented by one or a plurality of internal latches. Also as a delay value between a pin and an internal latch, or between an internal latch and a pin, the largest value is selected from among a plurality of delay values, and set as a representative value.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive device comprises: an MR element; two bias field applying layers that apply a longitudinal bias magnetic field to the MR element; and two electrode layers that are located adjacent to one of the surfaces of each of the bias field applying layers and overlap one of the surfaces of the MR element. The MR element incorporates a protection layer located on a soft magnetic layer. In the method of manufacturing the magnetoresistive device, a coating layer that will be removed in a later step is formed on the protection layer in advance. Before forming the electrode layers, the coating layer and an oxide layer that is formed through natural-oxidizing part of the top surface of the coating layer are removed through etching. After the electrode layers are formed, the portion of the protection layer located in the region between the two electrode layers is oxidized, and a high resistance layer is thereby formed.

Abstract: The invention provides a thin film magnetic head including a first pole portion having depressed portion that is formed therein. The depressed portion descends, backward within the first pole portion, at a first inclination angle &thgr;1 from a first inclination starting point P1. Then, an insulating film is filled up in the depressed portion so that it can be located up to the upper side of the surface of the first pole and have an inclined surface in the side of a medium opposing surface. Additionally, a first magnetic film of a second pole portion can have a larger saturated magnetic flux density than a second magnetic film of the second pole portion, and can include an inclined portion with a second inclination angle &thgr;2 from a second inclination starting point P2.

Abstract: Provided are a thin film magnetic head and a method of manufacturing the same, which is capable of high density recording and obtaining stable output. The thin film magnetic head comprises an MR film sandwiched in between first and second shield layers. The first shield layer includes an inner layer, a magnetization stabilizing layer, an underlayer, and an outer layer laminated in order from the MR film. The second shield layer includes an inner layer, a magnetization stabilizing layer, an isolating layer, and an outer layer laminated in order from the MR film. The magnetization stabilizing layers are formed of antiferromagnetic material, so as to control the direction of magnetization of the inner layers.

Abstract: A method for forming a photoresist pattern, includes a step of forming a photoresist pattern having a certain width, and a step of performing thereafter ion milling with respect to side walls of the formed photoresist pattern by using an ion beam with a large incident angle so as to reduce the width of the formed photoresist pattern.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a laminated composite including an optical layer having a light reflectivity, and a latent image formation layer containing a liquid crystalline polymer material and provided on one of major surfaces of the optical layer, wherein the latent image formation layer includes at least one oriented portion in an orientation state and at least one non-oriented portion in a non-orientation state, and the oriented and non-oriented portions constitute a latent image which is unrecognizable by a direct visual observation and recognizable by a visual observation through a polarizing member. Also, according to the present invention, there is provided an information recording medium and a member of imparting a forgery-preventing characteristic including such a latent image formation layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a photoresist pattern, includes a step of forming a photoresist pattern having a certain width, and a step of performing thereafter ion milling with respect to side walls of the formed photoresist pattern by using an ion beam with a large incident angle so as to reduce the width of the formed photoresist pattern.

Abstract: The present invention provides a placement/net wiring processing system using an interactive editor which eases and simplifies operations for placing or moving cells and adding, deleting or modifying wiring.

Abstract: The SVMR element has a non-magnetic metallic thin-film layer, first and second ferromagnetic thin-film layers (free and pinned layers) formed to sandwich the non-magnetic metallic thin-film layer and an anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer formed in contact with a surface of the second ferromagnetic thin-film layer. This surface is opposite to the non-magnetic metallic thin-film layer. The first ferromagnetic thin-film layer has a two-layers structure of a NiFe layer and a CoFe layer. The manufacturing method includes a step of depositing the first ferromagnetic thin-film layer, the non-magnetic metallic thin-film layer, the second ferromagnetic thin-film layer and the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer, and a step of annealing, thereafter, the deposited layers so that change in magnetostriction depending upon variation of a thickness of the NiFe layer becomes small.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head with an MR element, includes an MR film, under films each having a multilayer structure with a first under layer and a second under layer laminated on the first under layer, and magnetic domain control films joined to side end faces of the MR film through the under films.

Abstract: A circuit designing apparatus of an interactive type which enables a simplified and highspeed circuit design process while largely reducing a burden on a designer, having a speed analyzing unit for conducting a delay computation for each wiring path on a circuit to be designed and a display control unit for displaying a result of the delay computation by the speed analyzing unit on a display unit. When the speed analyzing unit conducts a delay computation, a delay value of each logic component forming the circuit that is an object of the design is set and altered according to a dullness of a signal waveform inputted to the logic component. The circuit designing apparatus of an interactive type may be applied to a system for conducting a circuit design of an integrated circuit such as an LSI or the like or a printed circuit board.

Abstract: The invention concerns a technique of a wiring processing method used in designing, for example, a large scale integrated circuit.

Abstract: A GMR head comprising a spin valve GMR film, which has a free layer containing a Co containing magnetic layer, and a hard magnetic biasing film for inputting a bias magnetic field to the spin valve GMR film. The hard magnetic biasing film is constituted of a film formed by laminating a hard magnetic layer on the magnetic under layer. The hard magnetic layer is disposed adjoining to edge portion of the spin valve GMR film through the magnetic under layer. The magnetic under layer has saturation magnetization Ms.sup.under which satisfies at least one condition of Ms.sup.under .gtoreq.Ms.sup.free and Ms.sup.under .gtoreq.Ms.sup.hard when saturation magnetization of the free layer is Ms.sup.free and saturation magnetization of the hard magnetic layer is Ms.sup.hard. In a MR head of this abutted junction structure, even when the track width is narrowed, occurrence of Barkhausen noise can be effectively suppressed.