Abstract: A technique capable of removing a natural oxide film formed on a surface of a semiconductor layer which contains a compound of indium and an element other than indium as a main ingredient, without making a temperature of the semiconductor layer relatively high. The technique includes supplying a first etching gas which is ?-diketone to the semiconductor layer and heating the semiconductor layer to remove an oxide of the indium constituting the natural oxide film; and supplying a second etching gas to the semiconductor layer and heating the semiconductor layer to remove an oxide of the element constituting the natural oxide film. By using the first etching gas, it is possible to remove the indium oxide even if the temperature of the semiconductor layer is relatively low. This eliminates the need to increase the temperature to a relatively high level when removing the natural oxide film.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flat-shaped battery including: a power generation element including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte; a cylindrical case formed of a conductor, housing the power generation element, and having a circular bottom and a circular opening; a sealing plate formed of a conductor and closing the opening; an insulating member interposed between the case and the sealing plate; and a plate-shaped current collector disposed between the case and the positive electrode. The current collector is welded to the case and is in contact with the positive electrode. A welding point where the current collector is welded to the bottom is set so as to allow contact between the positive electrode and a center portion of the current collector to be maintained when the case is deformed such that a center portion of the bottom is displaced outward of the case.

Abstract: In an image reading device, a sync signal outputting portion alternately outputs a first sync signal and a second sync signal while the document sheet is moving in a range including a first position and a second position in a conveyance path. A first image sensor and a second image sensor read images from both sides of a document sheet and output image signals in synchronization with the first sync signal and the second sync signal, respectively. An AFE performs a predetermined signal processing in sequence to the image signals that are output alternately.

Abstract: A display processing device includes a display section, a touch location acquiring section, a magnification determining section, and an enlarging and displaying section. The display section has a display surface and displays a preview image based on image data. The touch location acquiring section acquires a touch location where a user touches the display surface. The magnification determining section determines a magnification based on the touch location. The enlarging and displaying section enlarges the preview image at the magnification to obtain an enlarged preview image and causes the display section to display a portion of the enlarged preview image.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a notification processing portion is capable of suspending execution of a copy process by a process executing portion, and notifying a determination result of a size determining portion, in a case where an operation to execute the copy process has been performed and where the size determining portion has determined that documents having a size smaller than or equal to a size of a sheet on which a image forming portion can form an image, and having a width, in the document width direction, larger than a width, in the sheet width direction, in which the image forming portion can form an image, are placed on the document placement portion.

Abstract: A lithium battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode containing lithium, and a non-aqueous electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity. The positive electrode includes at least one of a manganese oxide and a fluorinated graphite. A powdery or fibrous carbon material adheres to at least part of a surface of the negative electrode, the surface facing the positive electrode. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes a non-aqueous solvent, a solute, and an additive. The solute includes LiclO4, and the additive is LiBF4. The ratio of LiBF4 is, for example, 1 to 100 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the solute.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a notification processing portion is capable of suspending execution of a copy process by a process executing portion, and notifying a determination result of a size determining portion, in a case where an operation to execute the copy process has been performed and where the size determining portion has determined that documents having a size smaller than or equal to a size of a sheet on which a image forming portion can form an image, and having a width, in the document width direction, larger than a width, in the sheet width direction, in which the image forming portion can form an image, are placed on the document placement portion.

Abstract: In an image reading device, a sync signal outputting portion alternately outputs a first sync signal and a second sync signal while the document sheet is moving in a range including a first position and a second position in a conveyance path. A first image sensor and a second image sensor read images from both sides of a document sheet and output image signals in synchronization with the first sync signal and the second sync signal, respectively. An AFE performs a predetermined signal processing in sequence to the image signals that are output alternately.

Abstract: A display processing device includes a display section, a touch location acquiring section, a magnification determining section, and an enlarging and displaying section. The display section has a display surface and displays a preview image based on image data. The touch location acquiring section acquires a touch location where a user touches the display surface. The magnification determining section determines a magnification based on the touch location. The enlarging and displaying section enlarges the preview image at the magnification to obtain an enlarged preview image and causes the display section to display a portion of the enlarged preview image.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flat-shaped battery including: a power generation element including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte; a cylindrical case formed of a conductor, housing the power generation element, and having a circular bottom and a circular opening; a sealing plate formed of a conductor and closing the opening; an insulating member interposed between the case and the sealing plate; and a plate-shaped current collector disposed between the case and the positive electrode. The current collector is welded to the case and is in contact with the positive electrode. A welding point where the current collector is welded to the bottom is set so as to allow contact between the positive electrode and a center portion of the current collector to be maintained when the case is deformed such that a center portion of the bottom is displaced outward of the case.

Abstract: A holding case for holding a disc-like flat battery is disclosed. The flat battery is configured such that a sealing plate which also serves as a first electrode surface hermetically seals a battery case which also serves as a second electrode surface, with a ring-shaped gasket interposed therebetween. The holding case is in a resin-made box-like shape having an open end face through which the flat battery can be inserted and removed from an electrode surface of the flat battery. A side portion of the holding case is provided with a protrusion which protrudes radially inward from an edge of the side portion closer to the open end face. The protrusion is positioned at a location farther from a bottom portion of the holding case than the thickness of the flat battery.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a data acquisition unit, an instruction receiving unit, an image conversion pattern storage unit, and an image processing unit. The image conversion pattern storage unit stores a plurality of image conversion patterns having different dot thinning ratios and scaling ratios corresponding to the respective image conversion patterns, in which the image conversion patterns having smaller dot thinning ratios are mapped to greater scaling ratios. The image processing unit reads the image conversion pattern mapped to the scaling ratio designated for the n-up printing out of the image conversion pattern storage unit when the instructions to carry out the n-up printing and the toner-saving printing are received by the instruction receiving unit, and performs image processing on the image data acquired by the data acquisition unit using the image conversion pattern.

Abstract: A controlling section of an image processing apparatus performs a data conversion process on image data according to a type that is set with the image processing apparatus, stores obtained converted data as well as address information of the image processing apparatus in the predetermined network into a storage medium, and transmits, when requested by an image restoring apparatus, identifying information used for identifying a reverse conversion method to the image restoring apparatus. A controlling section of the image restoring apparatus reads the address information from the storage medium, obtains the identifying information from the image processing apparatus corresponding to the address information, identifies the identified reverse conversion method on the basis of the identifying information, and restores the image data by performing a reverse conversion process on the converted data by implementing the identified reverse conversion method.

Abstract: An image processing device includes a data acquisition unit, an instruction receiving unit, an image conversion pattern storage unit, and an image processing unit. The image conversion pattern storage unit stores a plurality of image conversion patterns having different dot thinning ratios and scaling ratios corresponding to the respective image conversion patterns, in which the image conversion patterns having smaller dot thinning ratios are mapped to greater scaling ratios. The image processing unit reads the image conversion pattern mapped to the scaling ratio designated for the n-up printing out of the image conversion pattern storage unit when the instructions to carry out the n-up printing and the toner-saving printing are received by the instruction receiving unit, and performs image processing on the image data acquired by the data acquisition unit using the image conversion pattern.

Abstract: A flat battery is configured such that a sealing plate which serves as a negative electrode surface seals a battery case which serves as a positive electrode surface, with a gasket interposed therebetween. The flat battery is held in a resin case, and in this state the flat battery is contained in a battery package. The resin case includes an open end face through which the battery is inserted and removed, a side portion and a bottom portion which hold a side surface and/or a bottom surface of the battery, and a ring-shaped protrusion which protrudes radially inward from an edge of the side portion. The protrusion is supported on the edge in a bendable manner, and an inner diameter of the protrusion is smaller than an inner diameter of an exposed portion of the gasket. An emetic agent is applied to an outer surface of the resin case.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate cleaning method capable of cleaning a substrate on which a fine pattern is being formed in a short time with a simple configuration without having a harmful influence on the fine pattern. In the method, the substrate is transferred from a processing chamber for performing a process on the surface of the substrate therein to a cleaning chamber for cleaning the substrate therein. The substrate is cooled to a temperature in the cleaning chamber. A superfluid is supplied to the surface of the substrate, and contaminant components in the fine pattern are flowed out along with the superfluid as the superfluid flows over from the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate cleaning method capable of cleaning a substrate on which a fine pattern is being formed in a short time with a simple configuration without having a harmful influence on the fine pattern. In the method, the substrate is transferred from a processing chamber for performing a process on the surface of the substrate therein to a cleaning chamber for cleaning the substrate therein. The substrate is cooled to a temperature in the cleaning chamber. A superfluid is supplied to the surface of the substrate, and contaminant components in the fine pattern are flowed out along with the superfluid as the superfluid flows over from the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: In a harmonica type head chip having a plurality of rows of channels (row A and row B), connection electrodes for row A and the connection electrodes for row B formed on the back surface of the head chip are connected to a multilayer member having an insulating layer on one surface of which are formed the lead wirings for row A and on the other surface of which are formed the lead wirings for row B, and the lead wirings for row B are made to protrude outwards more than the lead wirings for row A and drive interconnections are electrically connected to the lead wirings for row A and the lead wirings for row B.

Abstract: On the back surface of a head chip having a plurality of rows of channels (row A, row B), the connection electrodes for row A that are electrically connected to the drive electrodes of the channels of row A are arranged, a first connection electrodes for row B that are electrically connected to the drive electrodes of the channels of row B are arranged between the rows of channels of row A and the rows of channels of row B, and also, between neighboring connection electrodes for row A, a second connection electrodes for row B are separately placed from the first connection electrodes for row B, the first connection electrodes and the second connection electrodes are connected electrically by drawing out interconnections, and the drawing out interconnections are in contact only with the first connection electrodes, the second connection electrodes, and the back surface of the head chip.

Abstract: A computer system comprising a plurality of modules that transfer data in packets mutually, whose major feature is that each of the modules comprises an output controlling part for sending out a packet to transmit to the destination via each of a plurality of communication paths, and an input controlling part for receiving packets transmitted from a plurality of communication paths, identifying the identical packets transmitted from different communication paths, and capturing transmit data properly, wherein the input controlling part stores information for use for identifying the captured packets, identifies whether the packet received has already been captured or not, and newly captures a packet if the packet received is yet to be captured, and discards a packet if the packet received has already been captured.