Abstract: The flow rate control device 10 includes a control valve 11, a restriction part 12 provided downstream of the control valve 11, an upstream pressure sensor 13 for measuring a pressure P1 between the control valve 11 and the restriction part 12, a differential pressure sensor 20 for measuring a differential pressure ?P between the upstream and the downstream of the restriction part 12, and an arithmetic control circuit 16 connected to the control valve 11, the upstream pressure sensor 13, and the differential pressure sensor 20.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an electrode pad formed on a pad forming surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and a step formed on the pad forming surface to surround the electrode pad. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device includes forming a metal film on a pad forming surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit chip, forming an electrode pad on a pad forming surface by selectively etching a metal film using a first mask pattern and forming a step to surround the electrode pad by selectively etching the pad forming surface using a second mask pattern.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an electrode pad formed on a pad forming surface of a semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and a step formed on the pad forming surface to surround the electrode pad. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided with a sealing ring 106 made of a metal which surrounds an integrated circuit part 102 and which is formed on a substrate 104 along an outer perimeter of the rectangular device. At least one corner part 108 of the sealing ring is formed to have a larger width than other parts of the sealing ring 106, so as to increase the rigidity and the strength of the corner part of the sealing ring 106. Thus, the strength of the corner part of the sealing ring is improved. Also, even if the corner part of the sealing ring is lost, the penetration of moisture into the integrated circuit side is inhibited.

Abstract: A virtual company acting as an intermediary for transactions manages accounts receivable and the accounts payable accrued between a seller organization and a buyer organization based on the ordering and order-receiving data, transfers funds and provides the financial services based on the accounts receivable. The virtual company relays the data from a party in transactions to the other party, prepares the accounts payable data and the payment management data for the buyer organization and sends them to the buyer organization, while preparing the inspected goods accounts receivable data and the receipts management data for the seller organization and sends them to the seller organization. The virtual company requests a bank to transfer funds, and notifies the seller organization that the financial services are available for the seller organization based on the accounts receivable accrued to the seller organization before the payment.

Abstract: A point exchange site receive point exchange request from a member as a customer via a member terminal in the point exchange site or via a terminal such as a personal computer near the member. The point exchange site notifies the exchange request to each card company for the exchange request. Each card company converts the exchange point value according to an exchange rate to update a point balance, increased or decreased, of the customer. Or, the card company notifies the new exchange point value resultant from the conversion to the point exchange site. According to responses from the card companies, the point exchange site completes the point exchange for the card of the customer and notifies the point exchange completion to the customer.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, accounting system terminals of companies having mutual transactions and a bond service handling server at a bond company are interconnected via a network. A company which intends to enter transactions opens, beforehand, a securities deposit account at the bond company by buying investment trust or the like. A company having trade accounts receivable or payable connects its accounting system terminal to the bond service handling server via the network, and requests the server to settle transactions utilizing the securities deposit account. In settling the trade accounts receivable and payable, the requested securities service handling server performs the fund transfer through sale and purchase of bonds, such as investment trust possessed by respective companies, from the proper deposit account, thus, increasing and reducing the balance of the respective securities deposit accounts.

Abstract: An optical disk is provided with a recording layer, and with an optical coupling layer on a light-incident side of the recording layer. An optical recording and reproducing device and method include an objective lens and a hemispherical lens, which converge a light beam from a light source and project the light beam onto the optical disk. The hemispherical lens is provided in close proximity to the optical coupling layer, in a position such that an interval therebetween is not more than the wavelength of the light produced by the light source. The light beam converged by the objective lens and the hemispherical lens is coupled with the optical coupling layer while substantially maintaining a direction of propagation in which it was propagating while inside the hemispherical lens.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor thin film is disclosed. The method includes the step of epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer made of a group II-VI compound semiconductor to have a thickness of at least one atomic layer or more, on a main plane of a single-crystal semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having one of a diamond structure and a zinc blende structure, the main plane being inclined by an angle in the range of 2 to 16 degrees with respect to a (100) plane.

Abstract: A semiconductor waveguide structure of the II-VI group compound semiconductor made of the II group element and the VI group element. The waveguide structure includes a waveguide layer and clad layers which puts the waveguide layer therebetween. The waveguide layer has a refractive index larger than a refractive index of each clad layer. At least one of the clad layers contains the element Cd. With such an arrangement, the refractive index of one clad layer is established to be different from that of the other clad layer. In such a case, it is preferable that the semiconductor waveguide structure comprises at least two waveguide layers which are adjacent to each other and that the structure has either one of the features as follows: each refractive index of the waveguide layers varies stepwise at each boundary surface of the layers; the refractive index of at least one of the waveguide layers varies so as to be inclined; and super lattice layers are formed between the clad layer and the waveguide layers.