Abstract: The aim of the present invention is to provide a method for silver plating that does not comprise the step of forming the nickel-underlayer and that can form a silver-plated layer having sufficient adherence directly on the difficult-to-plate substrates with the use of a halide-free plating bath under a good working environment. The present invention provides a silver plating method onto a substrate on which an oxide layer inhibiting adherence of a plated layer is prone to form, comprising at least the following steps of; (A) degreasing the substrate, (B) removing the oxide layer with a strongly acidic solution from the substrate, and (C) silver plating onto the substrate, without a step of nickel or nickel alloy strike plating in advance, utilizing a phosphines-containing acidic silver plating bath which essentially does not contain halide ion or cyanide ion.

Abstract: An optical power control apparatus includes a changing unit which changes, a plurality of number of times, the value of a current flowing to an optical beam output apparatus, and an obtaining unit which obtains, in correspondence with each current value, a peripheral optical power representing an optical power at the peripheral part of the spot of the optical beam output from the optical beam output apparatus. The optical power control apparatus also includes a correction unit which corrects the peripheral optical power so that the peripheral optical power and a central optical power representing an optical power at the central part of the spot have an approximately linear relationship in correspondence with each current value. The optical power control apparatus also includes a control unit which controls the optical power of the optical beam output from the optical beam output apparatus in accordance with the corrected peripheral optical power.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an image by laser beams from a plurality of lasers. The image forming apparatus includes a light amount control circuit that detects displacement in a sub-scanning direction of the main scanning line of a laser beam from the predetermined laser, from a reference position. The apparatus decides an allotted amount of light for each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the detected displacement and controls to drive each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the decided allotted amount of light for each laser.

Abstract: An optical scanning apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a plurality of laser beams from a plurality of light emitting parts, a beam shaping unit configured to shape the laser beams emitted from the light source, a detection unit provided outside the light source and configured to detect an amount of a laser beam that is not shaped by the beam shaping unit in the laser beams emitted from the light source in an area outside the beam shaping unit, and a light amount control unit configured to control amounts of the laser beams emitted from the light source based on a detection result detected by the detection unit. The detection unit includes a plurality of light-sensitive elements. The light amount control unit controls the light amounts of the laser beams emitted from the light source based on detection results of the light-sensitive elements.

Abstract: In an image formation method of an image formation apparatus for correcting uneven image formation on the basis of vibration property information corresponding to an operation sequence in image formation, vibration property information corresponding to a plurality of operation sequences are stored in a storage device. The uneven image formation is corrected on the basis of vibration property information corresponding to an operation sequence selected from the storage device. Vibration property information generated by driving a movable member is measured when the selected operation sequence is being executed while correcting the uneven image formation. It is determined whether the measured vibration property information is similar to the vibration property information selected from the storage device. The vibration property information stored in the storage device is rewrite-controlled in accordance with the measurement result or the determination result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an image by laser beams from a plurality of lasers. The image forming apparatus includes a light amount control circuit that detects displacement in a sub-scanning direction of the main scanning line of a laser beam from the predetermined laser, from a reference position. The apparatus decides an allotted amount of light for each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the detected displacement and controls to drive each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the decided allotted amount of light for each laser.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for silver plating using a non-cyanide acid silver plating bath to form a silver plating film exhibiting good adhesiveness while suppressing dissolution of resist in pattern plating. The method includes conducting strike plating using a non-cyanide acid strike plating bath prior to the silver plating.

Abstract: An optical power control apparatus includes a changing unit which changes, a plurality of number of times, the value of a current flowing to an optical beam output apparatus, and an obtaining unit which obtains, in correspondence with each current value, a peripheral optical power representing an optical power at the peripheral part of the spot of the optical beam output from the optical beam output apparatus. The optical power control apparatus also includes a correction unit which corrects the peripheral optical power so that the peripheral optical power and a central optical power representing an optical power at the central part of the spot have an approximately linear relationship in correspondence with each current value. The optical power control apparatus also includes a control unit which controls the optical power of the optical beam output from the optical beam output apparatus in accordance with the corrected peripheral optical power.

Abstract: A pretreatment solution for providing a catalyst for electroless plating and a pretreatment method using the solution are provided. The pretreatment solution comprises a silver colloidal solution containing, as essential components, at least the following components (I), (II) and (III): (I) silver colloidal particles, (II) one or more ions selected from an ion of a metal having an electric potential which can reduce a silver ion to metal silver in the solution and an ion oxidized at the time of reduction of the silver ion, and (III) one or more ions selected from a hydroxycarboxylate ion, a condensed phosphate ion and an amine carboxylate ion, the silver colloidal particles (I) being produced by the ion of the metal (II) having an electric potential which can reduce a silver ion to metal silver. When an object to be plated is pretreated by use of the pretreatment solution, provision of an effective catalyst for electroless plating is achieved.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an image by laser beams from a plurality of lasers. The image forming apparatus includes a light amount control circuit that detects displacement in a sub-scanning direction of the main scanning line of a laser beam from the predetermined laser, from a reference position. The apparatus decides an allotted amount of light for each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the detected displacement and controls to drive each of the plurality of lasers in accordance with the decided allotted amount of light for each laser.

Abstract: In an image formation method of an image formation apparatus for correcting uneven image formation on the basis of vibration property information corresponding to an operation sequence in image formation, vibration property information corresponding to a plurality of operation sequences are stored in a storage device. The uneven image formation is corrected on the basis of vibration property information corresponding to an operation sequence selected from the storage device. Vibration property information generated by driving a movable member is measured when the selected operation sequence is being executed while correcting the uneven image formation. It is determined whether the measured vibration property information is similar to the vibration property information selected from the storage device. The vibration property information stored in the storage device is rewrite-controlled in accordance with the measurement result or the determination result.

Abstract: A method for forming a circuit pattern includes at least a step (a) of subjecting a non-conductor to electroless copper plating to form a copper film and a step (b) of etching the copper film so as to form a circuit pattern. As a catalyst for the electroless copper plating, a silver colloidal solution is used containing as essential components at least the following: (I) silver colloidal particles; (II) one or more of ions of metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver in the solution and/or ions which result from oxidation of the ion at the time of reduction of the silver ions; and (III) one or more of hydroxycarboxylate, condensed phosphate and/or amine carboxylate ions. The silver colloidal particles (I) are produced by the ion (II) of the metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver. The circuit pattern may be formed on a printed wiring board.

Abstract: A method for forming a circuit pattern includes at least a step (a) of subjecting a non-conductor to electroless copper plating to form a copper film and a step (b) of etching the copper film so as to form a circuit pattern. As a catalyst for the electroless copper plating, a silver colloidal solution is used containing as essential components at least the following: (I) silver colloidal particles; (II) one or more of ions of metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver in the solution and/or ions which result from oxidation of the ion at the time of reduction of the silver ions; and (III) one or more of hydroxycarboxylate, condensed phosphate and/or amine carboxylate ions. The silver colloidal particles (I) are produced by the ion (II) of the metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver. The circuit pattern may be formed on a printed wiring board.

Abstract: An image reading system constructed as in the following in order to shorten a time from a turn-on of an original illuminating lamp to a substantial image reading operation and perform a high speed scanning. A position and size of an original which do not require a stable light amount of the original illumination lamp are read during a forwards pre-scanning operation period (tps) during which the light amount is unstable after the start of the pre-scanning. During the period (tacs1) after a timing (t1) when the light amount becomes stable during the forwards pre-scanning operation, an original color information is read from an area of the original from which the color information cannot be read during the backwards pre-scanning operation. Accordingly, the total time required for the pre-scanning operation can be made shorter than that required by a conventional pre-scanning operation which reads the original information and color information only during the forwards pre-scanning operation.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus used for a motor to scan an original for image reading, includes a first damper mounted on the drive shaft of the motor to reduce vibration caused during acceleration for raising up to a target speed at the start of the load driving of the motor, and a second damper mounted on the drive shaft of the motor to reduce vibration caused during the constant speed driving of the motor to thereby reduce vibration caused during the driving of the motor.

Abstract: A pretreatment solution for providing a catalyst for electroless plating and a pretreatment method using the solution are provided.

Abstract: The present invention, as the construction of an image reading apparatus used for a motor to scan an original for image reading, provides first damper means mounted on the drive shaft of the motor to reduce vibration caused during acceleration for raising up to a target speed at the start of the load driving of the motor, and second damper means mounted on the drive shaft of the motor to reduce vibration caused during the constant speed driving of the motor to thereby reduce vibration caused during the driving of the motor.

Abstract: An image reading system constructed as in the following in order to shorten a time from a turn-on of an original illuminating lamp to a substantial image reading operation and perform a high speed scanning. A position and size of an original which do not require a stable light amount of the original illumination lamp are read during a forwards pre-scanning operation period (tps) during which the light amount is unstable after the start of the pre-scanning. During the period (tacs1) after a timing (t1) when the light amount becomes stable during the forwards pre-scanning operation, an original color information is read from an area of the original from which the color information cannot be read during the backwards pre-scanning operation. Accordingly, the total time required for the pre-scanning operation can be made shorter than that required by a conventional pre-scanning operation which reads the original information and color information only during the forwards pre-scanning operation.

Abstract: Color image data is stored while being added with an attribute associated with a copy limit of image data in correspondence with a type or level of secretary to be maintained (e.g., allowing only a specific person to make a full color copy, or to make any copy, of a particular image, or allowing only monochrome copies to be made of a specific image regardless of who is making the copy, etc.). When the color image data is output, an output mode is selected according to the designated type of secrecy to execute image processing and an image output operation, thereby maintaining the desired degree of secrecy of the color image.

Abstract: A step motor drive control circuit, which is suitably employed in an image scanner, reduces the uneven rotation characteristics of a step motor and improves the scanning quality in the image scanner. The step motor drive control circuit generates a phase signal for driving the step motor from a phase signal generator in accordance with a driving pulse signal. The step motor drive control circuit controls switching devices of a driver in accordance with the phase signal so as to perform bipolar driving of the step motor. The step motor drive control circuit includes at least two switching devices with different switching characteristics in order that bipolar driving of the step motor is performed. A constant-current signal from a constant-current signal generator is added to the switching devices, thereby setting switching characteristics of the switching devices to be uniform.