Abstract: A slider tester includes a driving unit that rotates a test medium, a set plate that detachably supports a slider as a single body, and an investigating apparatus that is electrically connected to the slider supported by the set plate and investigates the characteristics of the slider. A movable support part 30 that tiltably supports the slider is provided on the set plate. There is also provided a pressing mechanism that elastically presses the slider via the movable support part toward a surface of the medium to dispose the slider floating over the surface of the medium. The pressing mechanism includes an elastic body 56 composed of a plate spring that contacts the movable support part and elastically presses the movable support part.

Abstract: In the method of forming a multi-piled bump, metal balls can be stably and securely piled so as to form the multi-piled bump having a prescribed height. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: holding a metal wire by a capillary; sparking and melting the wire so as to form metal balls; piling a plurality of the metal balls with applying a load and ultrasonic vibrations thereto, and characterized in that a tail length of the metal wire, which is held by the capillary, is controlled to make a gap between a center of the metal wire and a center of the metal ball one half of a diameter of the metal wire or less.

Abstract: In a scanning optical system, a partial light blocking member having an annular light blocking part (for blocking off part of the incident laser beam entering the annular area around the central axis of the laser beam) is placed on an optical path between the laser light source and the polygon mirror. The scanning optical system including such a partial light blocking member is installed in a printer. By the effect of the partial light blocking member, the intensity of side lobes (several rings of light accompanying the main beam) is prevented from exceeding a threshold value even when optical surfaces of an imaging optical system of the scanning optical system have certain microscopic undulations, by which black stripes occurring in halftone printing can be eliminated.

Abstract: An objective lens for recording data to and/or reproducing data from first and second optical discs. The objective lens is provided with at least one surface including a plurality of annular zones divided by steps. The steps has functions of phase shifting a wavefront of light passing through the plurality of annular zones so that a beam spot formed at a converging point of an average wavefront of the wavefront phase shifted by the steps is used for the first and second optical discs. The plurality of annular zones of the at least one surface includes at least one annular zone structure which includes first and second annular zone groups, each of which has at least three steps for phase shifting the wavefront in a first direction, and a first return step which is a step formed at a boundary between the first and second annular zone groups. The first return step phase shifts the wavefront in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: An objective lens for two or more types of optical discs of different standards is provided. A surface of the objective lens is formed with a diffracting structure, and has an inner area including an optical axis and an outer area. The outer area is configured such that part of a first beam (having a first wavelength for a first optical disc of relatively lower data density) passed through the zones will be substantially in phase (within a prescribed phase difference) with part of the first beam that passed through the inner area. A convergence angle ? of part of the first beam incident on the outermost part of the inner area measured after emerging from the objective lens and a design numerical aperture NAref for the first optical disc satisfy: 0.9<sin ?/NAref<1.0, while the effective NA is substantially equal to the design numerical aperture NAref.

Abstract: There is provided a scanning optical system including a collimator lens being placed on an optical path between a light source and a deflecting system. At least one of a front surface and a rear surface of the collimator lens includes a central area through which part of the laser beam in the vicinity of a central axis of the laser beam passes, at least one first outer area having an effect on the laser beam so that the laser beam after passing through said at least one first outer area is given a first phase difference not including a phase difference of zero, and at least one second outer area having an effect on the laser beam so that the laser beam after passing through said at least one second outer area is given a second phase difference being different from the first phase difference and including a phase difference of zero.

Abstract: The semiconductor device of the present invention is capable of restricting alloying metals and improving electrical connection between a semiconductor chip and a mount board. The semiconductor device comprises: the semiconductor chip having terminal sections; and bumps for electrical connection, the bumps being formed at the terminal sections. Each of the bumps is made of a two-layer wire, which includes a core member and a jacket member, and formed by a stud bump bonding process.

Abstract: A scanning optical system includes a deflector that deflects a light beam toward an object surface such that the light beam is scanned over the object surface in a main scanning direction. A mirror system reflects back the light beam so that the light beam travels toward the object surface after being deflected twice by the deflector. The mirror system reflects back the light beam such that a projection of the light beam on an auxiliary scanning section, which is a plane perpendicular to the main scanning direction, is incident on the reflection surface for a first time at an incident angle different from an incident angle at which the projection of the light beam is incident on the reflection surface for a second time. A blocking member is provided to prevent the unwanted light flux from striking the object surface while allowing the light beam scanning the object surface.

Abstract: A phase shift element having a central area (for transmitting part of an incident laser beam in the vicinity of the beam central axis) and a first area (giving the laser beam incident thereon a phase difference ? relative to a beam passing through the central area) is placed on an optical path between a laser light source and a polygon mirror of a scanning optical system. The scanning optical system including such a phase shift element is installed in a printer. By the effect of the phase shift element, the intensity of side lobes (several rings of light accompanying the main beam) is prevented from exceeding a threshold value even when optical surfaces of an imaging optical system of the scanning optical system have certain microscopic undulations, by which black stripes occurring in halftone printing can be eliminated.

Abstract: The invention provides a sample observation method capable of understanding the three-dimensional shape of a sample in a wider range. The observation method of the invention calculates heights (height differences) in the whole domain of an image, from plural sheets of images of different field-of-view angles, being in focus over the whole image, attained by means of the focal depth expanding function to thereby create a map (Z map) of the height information by each pixel, and displays a three-dimensional image as a bird's-eye view. The method also displays to superpose a Z map attained from image signals reflecting the surface structure on a Z map attained from image signals reflecting the composition information with different colors, which makes it possible to clearly understand the spatial distribution of a substance of unique composition inside the sample.

Abstract: An ultrasonic tool, for bonding two materials to each other by joining a face of one of the materials to a face of the other material using the action of ultrasonic waves applied to one of the materials through another face of the one of the materials, wherein the ultrasonic tool has a coating layer comprising chromium oxide as a main component formed on at least the surface of the tool that is in contact with the face of the one of the materials through which the ultrasonic waves are applied to the one of the materials. An ultrasonic bonder provided with the ultrasonic tool is also disclosed.

Abstract: A light source unit, which is employed in an optical head for an optical disc drive, is provided with a laser diode having a plurality of light emitting points. The plurality of light emitting points are spaced from each other by a predetermined minute amount. One of a plurality of laser beams having different wavelengths is selectively emitted from the plurality of light emitting points. The light source unit further includes a collimating lens that collimates each of the plurality of laser beams respectively emitted from the plurality of light emitting points. The plurality of laser beams passed through the collimating lens proceeds in different directions. The light source unit further includes a transparent optical path compensation element having a predetermined dispersion characteristic. Each of the plurality of laser beams emerging from the collimating lens is emerged from the transparent optical path compensation element along the same optical path.

Abstract: An objective lens for recording data to and/or reproducing data from first and second optical discs. The objective lens is provided with at least one surface including a plurality of annular zones divided by steps. The steps has functions of phase shifting a wavefront of light passing through the plurality of annular zones so that a beam spot formed at a converging point of an average wavefront of the wavefront phase shifted by the steps is used for the first and second optical discs. The plurality of annular zones of the at least one surface includes at least one annular zone structure which includes first and second annular zone groups, each of which has at least three steps for phase shifting the wavefront in a first direction, and a first return step which is a step formed at a boundary between the first and second annular zone groups. The first return step phase shifts the wavefront in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A pain inferring device for designing a shape giving a subject as little pain as possible when the subject touches the shape. The pain inferring device includes an input unit, an output unit, a main control unit, a learning storage unit, and a neural network. The neural network learns the relationship between the input value of shape data and the output value of the data on the degree of pain when a subject touches a shape. By the learning, an input/output function (namely, the coefficient of coupling of neurons in layers) representing the relationship between the input and output values is defined and stored in the learning storage unit. When the shape data is inputted through the input unit, the neural network infers the degree of pain by using the function stored in the learning storage unit.

Abstract: There is provided an optical system for an optical disc which requires a numerical aperture larger than or equal to 0.60. The optical system is provided with a light source, an objective lens, and a driving system that controls a position and an attitude of the objective lens. The driving system operates to move the objective lens in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the objective lens for a tracking operation, and to change the attitude of the objective lens during the tracking operation so that the central axis on a light source side tilts toward the light source.

Abstract: An optical system of an optical pick-up for a plurality of types of optical discs with a corresponding plurality of light sources. A first coupling lens that is used at least for the first optical disc, and an objective lens that is used for the plurality of types of optical discs. A beam for the first optical disc emitted by the plurality of light sources passes through the first coupling lens and is incident on the objective lens as a diverging beam. The diverging beam being given spherical aberration by the coupling lens. When the objective lens shift occurs, a coma component relating to the spherical aberration of the diverging beam which is shifted with respect to the objective lens due to the shift of the objective lens is canceled by a coma generated by the objective lens and the cover layer of the first optical disc.

Abstract: A projection optical system, which is telecentric with respect to an object side and an image side, projects a pattern onto an image plane, which is substantially parallel with the pattern, at a substantial equi-magnification. The projecting optical system is provided with first and second condenser lenses having a common (first) optical axis which is perpendicular to the pattern and the image plane. The projection optical system further includes an imaging lens having a second optical axis that intersects with the first optical axis at an intermediate position between the first and second condenser lenses. A first mirror reflects a beam from the pattern and passed through the first condenser lens toward the imaging lens. A second mirror reflects the beam passed through the imaging lens to the imaging lens, and a third mirror reflects the beam passed through the imaging lens toward the second condenser lens.

Abstract: A coma compensating element has two refraction surfaces. The refraction surfaces provide, as a whole, no aberration with respect to rays perpendicularly incident thereon, while the refraction surfaces provide coma with respect to rays obliquely incident thereon.

Abstract: In the method of forming a multi-piled bump, metal balls can be stably and securely piled so as to form the multi-piled bump having a prescribed height. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: holding a metal wire by a capillary; sparking and melting the wire so as to form metal balls; piling a plurality of the metal balls with applying a load and ultrasonic vibrations thereto, and characterized in that a tail length of the metal wire, which is held by the capillary, is controlled to make a gap between a center of the metal wire and a center of the metal ball one half of a diameter of the metal wire or less.

Abstract: An objective lens used for recording data to and/or reproducing data from a plurality of types of optical discs having different thicknesses of cover layers. The objective lens satisfies a condition 0.02<M2?M1<0.15, where M1 represents a magnification of the objective lens when recording/reproducing for a first optical disc is performed using the first light beam, and M2 represents a magnification of the objective lens when the recording/reproducing for a second optical disc is performed using the second light beam. Further, at least one of lens surfaces of the objective lens is provided with a diffracting structure having a plurality of annular zones configured to correct spherical aberrations for both of the first and second optical discs.