Abstract: A polishing machine uses a polishing head having a movable pad to press a polishing tape for polishing beveled and edge parts of a disk-shaped object. A rotary shaft is connected to the polishing head in a direction of contact surface between the polishing tape and the object. A rotary-and-reciprocating motion device rotates the polishing head around the axial line of the rotary shaft and moves it reciprocatingly along its axial line. A moving device undergoes a reciprocating motion perpendicularly to the object surface while supporting the object. When in use, the polishing head is rotated while the pad causes the polishing tape to protrude from it while the object is rotated.

Abstract: A polishing machine uses a polishing head having a movable pad to press a polishing tape for polishing beveled and edge parts of a disk-shaped object. A rotary shaft is connected to the polishing head in a direction of contact surface between the polishing tape and the object. A rotary-and-reciprocating motion device rotates the polishing head around the axial line of the rotary shaft and moves it reciprocatingly along its axial line. A moving device undergoes a reciprocating motion perpendicularly to the object surface while supporting the object. When in use, the polishing head is rotated while the pad causes the polishing tape to protrude from it while the object is rotated.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a foamed layer of a porous material on the base sheet and a polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The foamed layer includes non-fibrous abrading particles and air bubbles. Such a cleaning sheet may be produced by preparing a paint having air bubbles dispersed inside by mechanically foaming a foaming material containing a foaming resin material and abrading particles, forming on the base sheet a foamed layer having abrading particles dispersed inside by coating a surface of the base sheet with this paint and drying it, and forming a polishing layer on the foamed layer. A probe having a tip may be cleaned with such a cleaning sheet by causing a surface of its polishing layer to be pressed against the tip of the probe and causing the tip of the probe to penetrate the polishing layer and further to be inserted into the foamed layer having abrading particles dispersed inside.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal comprising pouring a molten aluminum or magnesium alloy which contains a crystal grain refiner and which is superheated to less than 50° C. above a liquidus temperature of aluminum or magnesium, directly into a vessel without using a cooling jig, maintaining the alloy in the vessel for 30 seconds to 30 minutes as a resultant melt is cooled to a temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established such that a temperature of the poured alloy which is liquid and superheated to less than 10° C. above the liquidus temperature or which is partially solid, partially liquid and at a temperature of less than 5° C. below the liquidus temperature decreases from an initial level and passes through a temperature zone 5° C. below the liquidus temperature within at least 10 minutes, whereby fine primary crystals are generated in the alloy, recovering the alloy from the vessel, supplying the alloy into a mold, and shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a first polishing layer formed on the base sheet, a porous foamed layer having air bubbles inside formed on the base sheet, and a second polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The surface of the foamed layer may be flat or preferably porous with the second polishing layer having openings corresponding to those on the porous surface of the foamed layer. For cleaning a probe by using such a cleaning sheet, the tip of the probe is caused to penetrate the surface of the second polishing layer, to pass through the foamed layer and to be pressed against the first polishing layer.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a first polishing layer formed on the base sheet, a porous foamed layer having air bubbles inside formed on the base sheet, and a second polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The surface of the foamed layer may be flat or preferably porous with the second polishing layer having openings corresponding to those on the porous surface of the foamed layer. For cleaning a probe by using such a cleaning sheet, the tip of the probe is caused to penetrate the surface of the second polishing layer, to pass through the foamed layer and to be pressed against the first polishing layer.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal to provide shaped parts which are produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner, without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. The method includes feeding, without using a cooling jig, into an insulating vessel, a molten alloy containing an element for promoting generation of crystal nuclei and being held to be superheated to less than 100° C. above a liquidus temperature of the alloy; maintaining the molten alloy in the insulating vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as the alloy is cooled at a cooling rate of 0.01° C./s to 3.0° C./s thereby crystallizing fine primary spherical crystals in an alloy solution containing a specified liquid fraction; and feeding the alloy solution into a forming mold for shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A method of shaping a semisolid metal to provide shaped parts which are produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner, without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. The method includes feeding, without using a cooling jig, into an insulating vessel, a molten alloy containing an element for promoting generation of crystal nuclei and being held to be superheated to less than 100° C. above a liquidus temperature of the alloy; maintaining the molten alloy in the insulating vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as the alloy is cooled at a cooling rate of 0.01° C./s to 3.0° C./s thereby crystallizing fine primary spherical crystals in an alloy solution containing a specified liquid fraction; and feeding the alloy solution into a forming mold for shaping the alloy under pressure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the semisolid forming of alloys to enable shaped parts having a fine-grained, spherical thixotropic structure to be produced in a convenient, easy and inexpensive manner without relying upon the conventional mechanical or electromagnetic agitation. In the method, a molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than the liquidus temperature or a partially solid, partially molten alloy having crystal nuclei at a temperature not lower than a molding temperature is fed into an insulated vessel and is maintained in the insulated vessel for 5 seconds to 60 minutes as it is cooled to the molding temperature where a specified liquid fraction is established, thereby crystallizing fine primary crystals in the alloy solution, and the alloy is fed into a forming mold, where it is shaped under pressure.

Abstract: A polishing pad for polishing a notch on a circumferential edge portion of a wafer has a disk-shaped center pad of a synthetic resin material and holder plates secured to both surfaces of the center pad so as to expose circumferential portions of the center pad. The circumferential portion of the center pad is sectionally shaped so as to be fittingly insertable into the notch. A foamed resin such as foamed urethane is preferably used as the synthetic resin material. The average diameter of air bubbles in the foamed material is in the range of 10 &mgr;m-500 &mgr;m. The hardness of the foamed material is in the range of 25-95 degrees in the Shore hardness A scale. Such a polishing pad is rotated and the circumferential portion of its center pad is fittingly inserted into and pressed against the notch while slurry is supplied to their contact part through a nozzle to polish the notch.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a first polishing layer formed on the base sheet, a porous foamed layer having air bubbles inside formed on the base sheet, and a second polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The surface of the foamed layer may be flat or preferably porous with the second polishing layer having openings corresponding to those on the porous surface of the foamed layer. For cleaning a probe by using such a cleaning sheet, the tip of the probe is caused to penetrate the surface of the second polishing layer, to pass through the foamed layer and to be pressed against the first polishing layer.

Abstract: A device for cleaning the tip portion and the side surfaces of a probe has two or more different kinds of intermediate sheets affixed to a substrate in a side-by-side relationship with respect to each other. One of these intermediate sheets is an elastic sheet having an elastic property. Another intermediate sheet of a different kind is a plastic sheet which is less elastic. The tip portion of a probe is cleaned by a polishing layer affixed to the elastic sheet. The side surfaces of the probe are cleaned by a polishing layer affixed to the plastic sheet. A porous foamed sheet having openings on its surface and having air bubbles inside may be used as the elastic sheet. A polishing layer is formed on the surface of the foamed sheet, having a porous surface with openings corresponding to the openings on the foamed sheet. A spacer may be provided between the substrate and the plastic sheet for adjusting the heights of the polishing layers formed over the intermediate sheets.

Abstract: A cleaning sheet has a base sheet, a foamed layer of a porous material on the base sheet and a polishing layer formed on the foamed layer. The foamed layer includes abrading particles and air bubbles. Such a cleaning sheet may be produced by preparing a paint having air bubbles dispersed inside by mechanically foaming a foaming material containing a foaming resin material and abrading particles, forming on the base sheet a foamed layer having abrading particles dispersed inside by coating a surface of the base sheet with this paint and drying it, and forming a polishing layer on the foamed layer. A probe having a tip may be cleaned with such a cleaning sheet by causing a surface of its polishing layer to be pressed against the tip of the probe and causing the tip of the probe to penetrate the polishing layer and further to be inserted into the foamed layer having abrading particles dispersed inside.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for producing a semisolid shaping metal that has fine primary crystals dispersed in the liquid phase and which also has a uniform temperature distribution comprises a melt pouring section comprising a melting furnace which melts and holds a metal and a pouring device which lifts out the molten metal from said melting furnace, adjusts it to a specified temperature and pours it into a holding vessel, a nucleating section which generates crystal nuclei in the melt as it is supplied from said pouring device into said holding vessel, a crystal generating section which performs temperature adjustment such that the metal obtained from said nucleating section falls within a desired molding temperature range as it is cooled to a molding temperature at which it is partially solid, partially liquid, a holding vessel heating section which adjusts the temperature of the holding vessel when it is empty, a holding vessel conditioning section which inverts the holding vessel so that a partially molten m

Abstract: A magnesium or aluminum alloy melt having a composition within maximum solubility limits is poured into a mold at a temperature exceeding the alloy liquidus line, but not higher by more than 30.degree. C., the melt is cooled at a rate of at least 1.0.degree. C./sec to form a billet, the billet is heated at a rate of at least 0.5.degree. C./min in a range bound by the alloy solubility line and the alloy solidus line and further heated to a temperature above the alloy solidus line and is maintained at that temperature for 5 to 60 minutes, thereby spheroidizing primary crystals thereof, the billet is then further heated to a temperature below the alloy liquidus line and the semi-solid billet is shaped under pressure. Alternatively, a hypo-eutectic aluminum alloy melt having a composition at or above maximum solubility limits is poured into a billet-forming mold at a temperature exceeding the alloy liquidus line, but not higher by more than 30.degree. C. and the melt is cooled at a rate of at least 1.0.degree. C.

Abstract: A--Si containing magnesium alloy for casting with a melt thereof with a cast structure having eutectic compounds of Mg.sub.2 Si produced to improve creep strength of a cast product, preferably a Si-containing magnesium alloy of a Mg--Al--Zn system having either 0.01% to 2.0% or 6 to 12% of Zn and 6 to 12% of Al, is disclosed with the improvement in that the alloy contains 0.3 to 1.5% by weight of Si in combination with 0.005 to 0.2% of Sr added to effect refinement of the eutectic compounds to thereby reduce hot cracking and improve mechanical properties of the cast product, while the improved creep strength is preserved.

Abstract: A--Si containing magnesium alloy for casting with a melt thereof with a cast structure having eutectic compounds of Mg.sub.2 Si produced to improve creep strength of a cast product, preferably a Si-containing magnesium alloy of a Mg--Al--Zn system having either 0.01% to 2.0% or 6 to 12% of Zn and 6 to 12% of Al, is disclosed with the improvement in that the alloy contains 0.3 to 1.5% by weight of Si in combination with 0.005 to 0.2% of Sr added to effect refinement of the eutectic compounds to thereby reduce hot cracking and improve mechanical properties of the cast product, while the improved creep strength is preserved.

Abstract: At the surface of an insulating substrate there are provided a working electrode and an counter electrode with a set space from the working electrode and a gas-permeable, proton-conductive film with which the surfaces of the electrodes are overlaid in such a manner as to form an integrated whole with the electrodes. By applying a set voltage between the two electrodes, flammable gas which has permeated the gas-permeable, proton conductive film is made to undergo oxidation and reduction at a surface of the working electrode, and protons which have been produced thereby move toward the counter electrode in the gas-permeable, proton-conductive film, so that the concentration of the flammable gas can be measured. A reference electrode can be provided for the purpose of stabilizing potential of the working electrode. A mechanism which is described above can be applied to a gas sensor of field-effect transistor type.