Abstract: A furnace of heat treatment capable of keeping a stable nitriding quality for a long period of time is provided. The furnace of heat treatment performs a halogenation treatment and a nitriding treatment by heating a steel material under a predetermined atmosphere. An alloy containing Ni ranging between 50 mass % or more and 80 mass % or less and Fe ranging between 0 mass % or more and 20 mass % or less is used as a material of surfaces of core internals exposed to a treatment space where the nitriding treatment is performed. Accordingly, a nitriding reaction is hardly caused on the surfaces of the core internals, and the halogenation treatment and the nitriding treatment to an article to be treated can be stably executed for a long period of time. Further, a nitrided layer can be stably formed according to purposes on any types of steel materials including a steel type hard to be nitride.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion device, groups of unit pixels are arranged in a well, where each of the unit pixels includes photoelectric conversion elements, an amplifier transistor, and transfer transistors. The photoelectric conversion device includes a line used to supply a voltage to the well, a well-contact part used to connect the well-voltage-supply line to the well, and transfer-control lines used to control the transfer transistors. The transfer-control lines are symmetrically arranged with respect to the well-voltage-supply line in respective regions of the unit-pixel groups.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment is a photoelectric conversion device having a photoelectric conversion portion, and a transfer portion. The transfer portion transfers charges of the photoelectric conversion portion. The photoelectric conversion portion includes first and second semiconductor regions of a first conductivity type. Charges generated by photoelectric conversion are accumulated in the first and second semiconductor regions. According to the structure of the first and second semiconductor regions of the exemplary embodiment or the method for manufacturing them, the transfer efficiency of charges can be improved while improving the sensitivity of the photoelectric conversion portion.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a fixing apparatus that heats a recording material having a toner image while conveying the recording material at a nip portion to make the toner image fix onto the recording material includes a cylindrical belt having a heat generating layer that generates heat by being energized and a contact for supplying electricity to the heat generating layer. The contact is in contact with one of an outer surface and an inner surface of an end of the belt in the generatrix direction of the belt. An electrically conductive layer is provided, along the direction of rotation of the belt, on a surface of the heat generating layer opposite to a surface of the heat generating layer at which the contact is present.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion apparatus including a charge holding portion, a part of an element isolation region contacting with a semiconductor region constituting the charge holding portion extends from a reference surface including the light receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion element into a semiconductor substrate at a level equal to or deeper than the depth of the semiconductor region in comparison with the semiconductor region.

Abstract: An imaging device includes first and second photoelectric conversion portions, a charge holding portion, first and second transfer transistors, and an amplifier portion, wherein in a first control operation, from a state in which the first and the second transfer transistors are off, the first transfer transistor is turned on while the second transfer transistor remains off, in a second control operation, the first and the second transfer transistors are being on, and a difference between a control voltage provided in the first control operation to the first transfer transistor to turn on and a control voltage provided to the first transfer transistor to turn off is smaller than difference between a control voltage provided in the second control operation to the first transfer transistor to turn on and the control voltage provided to the first transistor to turn off.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor is provided. The sensor includes a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a charge accumulation portion having a second conductivity type. The semiconductor region includes a first semiconductor region, and a second semiconductor region formed below the first semiconductor region and having an impurity concentration higher than that of the first semiconductor region. The charge accumulation portion has a side and a bottom covered with the semiconductor region, and includes at least three regions arranged along a depth direction. A first region formed in a shallowest position has a width larger than that of each of the at least three regions. An impurity concentration of a second region formed in a deepest position is higher than that of each region between the first and second region of the at least three regions.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member; a charging member for electrically charging the image bearing member in contact with the image bearing member; and a developing member for supplying developer in contact with the image bearing member. The developer remaining on the image bearing member after transfer is collected by the developing member. A Martens hardness HMR of a surface of the charging member and a Martens hardness HMD of a surface of the developer satisfy the following relationship: HMD>HMR.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion apparatus including a charge holding portion, a part of an element isolation region contacting with a semiconductor region constituting the charge holding portion extends from a reference surface including the light receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion element into a semiconductor substrate at a level equal to or deeper than the depth of the semiconductor region in comparison with the semiconductor region.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, when a storage status of a first storage unit is recognized as a protected state, a control unit writes data to a second storage unit. When a read target address is recorded in a data migration log area, the control unit reads data from the second storage unit. When the read target address is not recorded in the data migration log area, the control unit reads data from the first storage unit.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a fixing apparatus that heats a recording material having a toner image while conveying the recording material at a nip portion to make the toner image fix onto the recording material includes a cylindrical belt having a heat generating layer that generates heat by being energized and a contact for supplying electricity to the heat generating layer. The contact is in contact with one of an outer surface and an inner surface of an end of the belt in the generatrix direction of the belt. An electrically conductive layer is provided, along the direction of rotation of the belt, on a surface of the heat generating layer opposite to a surface of the heat generating layer at which the contact is present.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided that includes a light-emitting unit which emits light to an image bearing member which bears a developer image and that detects presence or absence of a developer container storing developer or a shape of the developer container on the basis of the number of electrons discharged from or received by the image bearing member when the light-emitting unit emits the light.

Abstract: In a photoelectric conversion apparatus including a charge holding portion, a part of an element isolation region contacting with a semiconductor region constituting the charge holding portion extends from a reference surface including the light receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion element into a semiconductor substrate at a level equal to or deeper than the depth of the semiconductor region in comparison with the semiconductor region.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a photoelectric conversion region having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a first MOS transistor configured to read a signal in response to an electric charge of each photoelectric conversion element; and a peripheral circuit region having a second MOS transistor configured to drive the first MOS transistor and/or amplify the signal read from the photoelectric conversion region, the photoelectric conversion region and the peripheral circuit region being located on the same semiconductor substrate, wherein an impurity concentration in a drain of the first MOS transistor is lower than an impurity concentration in a drain of the second MOS transistor.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a fixing apparatus that heats a recording material having a toner image while conveying the recording material at a nip portion to make the toner image fix onto the recording material includes a cylindrical belt having a heat generating layer that generates heat by being energized and a contact for supplying electricity to the heat generating layer. The contact is in contact with one of an outer surface and an inner surface of an end of the belt in the generatrix direction of the belt. An electrically conductive layer is provided, along the direction of rotation of the belt, on a surface of the heat generating layer opposite to a surface of the heat generating layer at which the contact is present.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a pixel portion in which pixels are arranged, the pixels each including a first semiconductor region of first conductivity type having signal charges as majority carriers and a second semiconductor region of second conductivity type having signal charges as minority carriers, the second semiconductor region being contiguous to the first semiconductor region, the first semiconductor region being disposed between a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The pixel portion includes a class I pixel and a class II pixel located near a reference contact. A distance between the surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor region of the class I pixel is smaller than a distance between the surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor region of the class II pixel.

Abstract: A solid-state image sensor may include a first substrate and a second substrate that are combined with each other. The first substrate may include a photoelectric conversion portion, a holding portion which holds a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion portion, a transfer portion which transfers the charge generated in the photoelectric conversion portion to the holding portion, and a first electrode connected to the holding portion. The second substrate may include a second electrode and an amplifier portion which is connected to the second electrode and amplifies a signal in the holding portion. The holding portion and the amplifier portion may be electrically connected to each other by a capacitance formed by the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: In a developing apparatus, a cartridge, and an image forming apparatus, the positions of a regulating section, an opening, a bottom section of a development chamber, and a bottom section of a storage chamber are in a specific positional relationship, an optical discharging section is provided in a specific position, or the structure of a regulating member is a specific structure.

Abstract: In a rotating device, a recording disk is mounted on a hub. A base rotatably supports the hub via a bearing unit. A core is fixed to the base with a ring portion and a plurality of teeth, with coils wound there around. The bearing unit includes a cylindrical portion that surrounds a radial dynamic pressure groove. The base includes an integrated surrounding portion protruding toward the hub, with the ring portion glued there around. The base further includes an integrated increasing-thickness portion arranged outside of the surrounding portion such that the increasing-thickness portion becomes thicker the closer it is to the surrounding portion. The cylindrical portion is surrounded by the surrounding portion, the surrounding portion is surrounded by the increasing-thickness portion, and a surface of the increasing-thickness portion at least partly overlaps the radial dynamic pressure groove in the axial direction.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus including a plurality of pixels each including: a first holding portion for holding signal carriers from a photoelectric conversion portion; an amplifying portion for amplifying and reading a signal based on the signal carriers generated in the photoelectric conversion portion; and a carrier discharging control portion for discharging charge carriers in the photoelectric conversion portion to an OFD region, and having a carrier path between the photoelectric conversion portion and the first carrier holding portion, in which the solid-state imaging apparatus further includes a second carrier holding portion electrically connected with the first carrier portion in parallel through a first transfer unit, when viewed from an output node of the photoelectric conversion portion, thereby smoothing an movie imaging without causing discontinuous frame while suppressing generation of noise mixing into the charge carrier holding portion.