Abstract: An a.c. elevator of the invention has a commercial power source (1), an inverter (3) operable with the power from the commercial power source (1) for generating a.c. power, and an electric motor to be driven with the a.c. power generated by the inverter (3). A power source device includes a rechargeable battery (E), a power source circuit (10) for charging and discharging the battery (E), and a control circuit (9) for controlling the voltage to be input to the inverter (3) by controlling the operation of the power source circuit (10). The battery (E) is charged with regenerative power from the motor, the power generated by the battery (E) is supplied to the inverter (3).

Abstract: A drill set for adjusting an implant hole for a self-tap dental screw implant fixture comprises with a diameter d2 at the point of a cutting blade equivalent to a diameter D3 Of the tip end of the fixture, a diameter d1 at the back end of the blade equivalent to the maximum root diameter of a first male screw 1e or smaller, and a length l1 of the blade larger than the entire length L1 of the fixture 1, and the second drill 3 with a diameter d5 at the point of a tapered tip end cutting blade 3b equivalent to the diameter D3, and a diameter d3 at the back end of a tapered back end cutting blade 3a equivalent to the maximum root diameter of the first male screw 1e and being smaller than the maximum crest diameter thereof, both the blades 3a, 3b forming two-step taper shape.

Abstract: The followings are disclosed herein: a biomaterial comprising calcium phosphate and a copolymer of lactic acid, glycolic acid and &egr;-caprolactone; a biomaterial for the induction of osteoanagenesis, characterized in that a periosteum is attached to the biomaterial comprising calcium phosphate and a copolymer of lactic acid, glycolic acid and &egr;-caprolactone; and a biomaterial for the prevention of adhesion comprising calcium phosphate and a copolymer of lactic acid, glycolic acid and &egr;-caprolactone where the molar ratio of lactic acid, glycolic acid and &egr;-caprolactone is within a range of 5-90:3-75:5-40.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an air filter having an inorganic material layer in which the following adsorbent is fixed on the surface of the supporter using powder of an inorganic substance as a binder. That is, the adsorbent is prepared by impregnating a salt of an inorganic acid to powder of an inorganic substance consisting of at least one of diatom earth, silica, alumina, a mixture of silica and alumina, aluminum silicate, activated alumina, porous glass, activated clay, activated bentonite, or synthetic zeolite. The air filter according to the present invention can adsorb and remove both of gaseous basic impurities and gaseous organic impurities, thus making a very effective filter for manufacturing semiconductor and LCD.

Abstract: The present invention offers biomaterials exhibiting excellent sustained-release property and degradation property such as that polypeptides or the like having a biological activity can be continuously released for a prescribed life span in vivo. The said biomaterials consist of a copolymer prepared by the reaction of lactic acid and/or glycolic acid and p-dioxanone with polyethylene glycol as main components.

Abstract: A method for producing a highly concentrated aqueous acrylic amide-based polymer dispersion which is inexpensive, good in fluidity and easy to handle is provided. The method comprises polymerizing a water-soluble monomer composition containing an acrylic amide monomer in an aqueous solution of an inorganic salt in the presence of a homopolymer of vinylpyrrolidone and/or a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone and other monomer(s).

Abstract: A method for detecting a target nucleic acid molecule hybridized with a nucleic acid probe, comprising the steps of: (a) hybridizing a target nucleic acid molecule having a specific sequence to be detected in a sample with a nucleic acid probe having a sequence complementary to the sequence of the nucleic acid molecule, the nucleic acid probe being selected such that the nucleic acid molecule and the probe are partially hybridized to represent a linear conformation in a hybridized region and to represent, in an non-hybridized region, a unique structure inherent to its nucleotide sequence; (b) measuring the conformation, structure and length of the nucleic acid molecule obtained in step (a); and (c) on the basis of the measurement data obtained in the step (b), detecting the nucleic acid containing both of the linear conformation and the unique structure, thereby detecting the nucleic acid molecule hybridized with the probe.

Abstract: An air cleaning apparatus such as a clean room or the like having an air circulation mechanism which circulates the humidity controlled air through a predetermined air circulation path, wherein the air circulation path is provided with a filter which has a hydrophobic zeolite layer formed on its base filter media surface and another filter which is disposed downstream from the filter having a hydrophobic zeolite layer and is used for removing particulate impurities contained in the circulating air. According to this air cleaning apparatus, gaseous organic impurities and particulate impurities contained in the air circulating in the air cleaning apparatus can be removed without lowering the humidity of the circulating air. Furthermore, since this air cleaning apparatus includes no activated charcoal which is inflammable, the apparatus is excellent from the standpoint of disaster prevention.

Abstract: A cantilever has a probe on one side of the end portion and a mirror on the opposite side. The cantilever is fixed to a support member via a piezoelectric element. A semiconductor laser situated above the mirror has a reflection cleavage plane and constitutes a Fabry-Perot resonator between the mirror and the reflection cleavage plane. The output from the resonator varies in accordance with the amount of displacement of the end portion of the cantilever, that is, the surface configuration of the sample. This variation is detected by a detector via a photodetector. A control circuit controls a driving voltage applied to an XYZ-scanner so as to cancel the variation of the output from the resonator, thereby keeping constant the distance between the tip of the probe and the surface of the sample. The driving voltage provides height data of the sample surface. The driving voltage, along with a position signal relating to the sample surface output from the XYZ-scanner, is supplied to an image forming unit.

Abstract: A scanning tunneling potentio-spectroscopic microscope, includes a conductive probe and a circuit for selectively applying one of first, second and third bias voltages to a sample. A tunnel current flowing between the probe and sample is detected, and a tunnel current signal is produced upon detection thereof. A servo circuit controls a distance between the probe and sample on the basis of the tunnel current signal by producing a servo signal as a feedback signal. A hold circuit switches the servo circuit between operating and non-operating states. Configuration data on a surface of the sample is obtained, on the basis of the servo signal, with the first bias voltage applied to the sample and with the servo circuit in the operating state. A first dependence of the tunnel current on the bias voltage is obtained, from the tunnel current signal and the second bias voltage, with the second bias voltage applied to the sample and with the servo circuit in the non-operating state.

Abstract: A scanning tunneling microscope has an STM unit including a probe for scanning the surface of an object. The STM unit has at its outer peripheral surface a cylindrical enclosing member extending towards an object table. When the object is observed, the object table is elevated or the STM unit is lowered, so that the enclosing member is urged upon the table. The table and the STM unit constitute one body. As a result, relative movement between the object and the probe can be prevented, and also influence due to vibration can be prevented. In addition, the enclosing member isolates the object and the probe from the outside space, whereby electric noise, magnetic noise, sound noise and air flow are shielded. Thus, the influence due to external vibration can be reduced, and the stability is enhanced.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope comprises a cantilever having a conductive probe positioned near a sample, an actuator for moving the sample to and away from the probe, a circuit for applying a bias voltage between the probe and sample to produce a tunnel current therebetween, a circuit for detecting the produced tunnel current, a circuit for detecting the amount of displacement of the probe resultant from interatomic forces acting between atomics of the probe and sample, thereby producing signals, a circuit for providing the actuator for feedback in response to the output signals from the circuit to retain constant the distance between the probe and sample, thereby causing the actuator to move the sample, a circuit for forming an STS image data from the detected tunnel current, a circuit for forming an STM image data from the detected tunnel current, and a circuit for forming an AFM image data. Thus, the STS, STP and AFM images are separately obtained simultaneously.

Abstract: An STM memory medium comprising a substrate whose surface is smooth or even, a first insulating layer formed at a predetermined depth in the substrate by implanting first ion atoms from the smooth surface of the substrate into it under a certain condition, and a second insulating layer formed adjacent to the first insulating layer and at another predetermined depth in the substrate by implanting second ion atoms from the smooth surface of the substrate into it under another certain condition.

Abstract: An atomic force microscope comprises a probe having a sharply-pointed tip end. The probe is supported on the free end portion of a cantilever and is close to the surface of a specimen. When an interatomic force is produced, the cantilever is deformed, and the probe is displaced. The displacement of the probe is detected by an optical system. A light beam emitted from a light source is collimated by a lens, and reflected by a polarized beam-splitter, and also by a half-mirror. Then, the light beam passes through a quarter wavelength plate and an objective lens, such that the light is converged on the cantilever. The reflected light beam from the cantilever returns along the same optical path and passes through the splitter. The light beam is divided into two light beams at the splitter. These two light beams are reflected by respective prisms and are then incident on respective photodetectors. These photodetectors detect the displacement of the probe.

Abstract: An object to be inspected is, for example, a medical capsule having differently colored surface areas. A beam splitter divides light reflected by the surface of the object into two parts. Each of the divided parts of the light is passed through an optical filter whose transmission wavelength range is set according to the colors of the object, to adjust the quantity of transmitted light from a high-brightness part of the object surface and the quantity of transmitted light from a low-brightness part of the object surface to a reference level. Image pick-up elements pick up images of the object surface according to the divided parts of the light and provide image signals. One of the image signals is selected and provided outside. Unlike a prior art that adjusts levels of signals by amplifying the signals according to brightness of an inspected object, the method and apparatus of the invention do not involve amplification.

Abstract: A cantilever has a probe on one side of the end portion and a mirror on the opposite side. The cantilever is fixed to a support member via a piezoelectric element. A semiconductor laser situated above the mirror has a reflection cleavage plane and constitutes a Fabry-Perot resonator between the mirror and the reflection cleavage plane. The output from the resonator varies in accordance with the amount of displacement of the end portion of the cantilever, that is, the surface configuration of the sample. This variation is detected by a detector via a photodetector. A control circuit controls a driving voltage applied to an XYZ-scanner so as to cancel the variation of the output from the resonator, thereby keeping constant the distance between the tip of the probe and the surface of the sample. The driving voltage provides height data of the sample surface. The driving voltage, along with a position signal relating to the sample surface output from the XYZ-scanner, is supplied to an image forming unit.

Abstract: A lithography apparatus is provided with an SXM base, which has a plurality of cantilevers movably supporting probes at their free ends, respectively. The SXM base is secured to a mirror base by a support arm via inchworm devices, such that it faces a silicon wafer placed on a wafer stage. The silicon wafer has an alignment pattern formed thereon, while the SXM base has a reference alignment pattern formed thereon which is similar to the alignment pattern. A voltage is applied to the probes at a predetermined point of time under the control of a controller while a gas containing a film-forming material is being supplied onto the wafer, whereby the film-forming material is adsorbed in a desired portion of the surface of the wafer.

Abstract: A light beam from a light source is divided into two beams by a polarized beam splitter. The beam is reflected by a mirror, is converted into a P-polarized beam by a 1/4 .lambda. plate, passes through the beam splitter, is reflected by prisms, passes through a polarized beam splitter, is reflected by a mirror, is converted into a S-polarized beam by a 1/4 .lambda. plate, is reflected by the beam splitter, and is finally incident on a detector. The beam is converted into a S-polarized beam by a 1/2 .lambda. plate, is reflected by a polarized beam splitter, is reflected by the upper face of a cantilever supporting a probe, passes through a polarized beam splitter, is reflected twice in a prism, passes through the beam splitter, is reflected again by the cantilever, is converted into a S-polarized beam by a 1/4 .lambda. plate, is reflected by the beam splitter, is converted into a P-polarized beam by a 1/2 .lambda. plate, passes through the beam splitter, and is finally incident on the detector.