Abstract: A turbine includes a turbine wheel, a housing having a flow path for a gas, a variable geometry device to guide the gas from the flow path to the turbine wheel, and a biasing member. The variable geometry device includes one or more nozzle vane member, each having a nozzle vane, a nozzle shaft and a nozzle link plate. The biasing member is in contact with the nozzle link plate of the nozzle vane member, to urge the nozzle vane member against a contact surface of the turbine.

Abstract: An X-ray spectroscopic analyzer having a mechanism for observing a sample surface, for analyzing a sample 3 by irradiating X-ray 4 thereupon within a chamber 2, comprises: a viewer apparatus 11 for letting the sample to be viewed; and an illumination means 31 for illuminating a surface of the sample 3, by irradiating an illuminating light B upon the surface of the sample 3 obliquely, while suppressing an incidence of a reflecting light of the illuminating light B upon the viewer apparatus 11. With such the construction, a shape of a contaminated portion, a residue or the like, upon the sample surface, can be clearly observed under dark field on the viewer apparatus 11, while keeping the sample 3 set within the x-ray spectroscopic analyzer 1.

Abstract: A patterned structure including a plurality of patterned sheet members which have respective configurations and which are partially superposed on each other and which cooperate with each other to define a plurality of voids. At least one of the sheet members includes a thin-walled portion whose thickness is smaller than a thickness of the other portion. The thin-walled portion is formed by etching the appropriate sheet member or members. The thin-walled portion of one sheet member engages the corresponding thin-walled portion or the other portion of the other sheet member or members.

Abstract: A patterned structure including a plurality of patterned sheet members which have respective configurations and which are partially superposed on each other and which cooperate with each other to define a plurality of voids. At least one of the sheet members includes a thin-walled portion whose thickness is smaller than a thickness of the other portion. The thin-walled portion is formed by etching the appropriate sheet member or members. The thin-walled portion of one sheet member engages the corresponding thin-walled portion or the other portion of the other sheet member or members.