Abstract: A scanning microscope probe in which a palladium covering film is formed on the surface of the protruding portion of a cantilever, and the base end portion of a nanotube is disposed in contact with the palladium covering film with the tip end portion of the nanotube protruding to the outside, thus allowing the tip end to be used as a probe needle end for detecting signals. A coating film is formed to cover all or part of the surface of this base end portion, and the nanotube is thus firmly fastened to the cantilever. Since the base end portion adheres tightly to the palladium covering film, both of them are electrically continuous. This palladium covering film allows, as an electrode film, the application of a voltage to the nanotube or the passage of an electric current through the nanotube, showing also good adhesion to the nanotube and cantilever.

Abstract: A catalyst for manufacturing carbon substances, such as carbon nanotube that has a diameter of 1000 nm or less, the catalyst containing at least iron, cobalt or nickel of a first element group and tin or indium of a second element group. The catalyst can be formed by at least tin and indium in addition to cobalt or nickel. The former catalyst provides a 2-component type catalyst and a multi-component type catalyst that is composed on the basis of the 2-component type catalyst, and the later catalyst provides a 3-component type catalyst and a multi-component type catalyst that is composed on the basis of the 3-component type catalyst.

Abstract: When measuring an edge region, a photo detector with an angle not influenced by the diffracted light, the diffracted light causing noise, is selected to thereby allow for inspection that minimizes the sensitivity reduction. This allows for the management of foreign matters in the outer peripheral portion, which conventionally could not be measured, and this also eliminates the oversight of critical defects on the wafer, thus leading to reduction of failures of IC.

Abstract: A catalyst for manufacturing carbon substances, such as carbon nanotube that has a diameter of 1000 nm or less, the catalyst containing at least iron, cobalt or nickel of a first element group and tin or indium of a second element group. The catalyst can be formed by at least tin and indium in addition to cobalt or nickel. The former catalyst provides a 2-component type catalyst and a multi-component type catalyst that is composed on the basis of the 2-component type catalyst, and the later catalyst provides a 3-component type catalyst and a multi-component type catalyst that is composed on the basis of the 3-component type catalyst.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing carbon nanocoils with high efficiency, by determining the structure of carbon nuclei that have been attached to the ends of carbon nanocoils and thus specifying a true catalyst for synthesizing carbon nanocoils is implemented. The catalyst for synthesizing carbon nanocoils according to the present invention is a carbide catalyst that contains at least elements (a transition metal element, In, C) or (a transition metal element, Sn, C), and in particular, it is preferable for the transition metal element to be Fe, Co or Ni. In addition to this carbide catalyst, a metal catalyst of (Fe, Al, Sn) and (Fe, Cr, Sn) are effective. From among these, catalysts such as Fe3InC0.5, Fe3InC0.5Snw and Fe3SnC are particularly preferable. The wire diameter and the coil diameter can be controlled by using a catalyst where any of these catalysts is carried by a porous carrier.

Abstract: The present invention realizes a nanotube probe with high durability that can be manufactured in short time with less impurities adhered to the holder sustaining the nanotube. The nanotube probe according to this invention is constructed by fastening a nanotube 8 on the protruded portion 4 of a cantilever by way of at least two partial coating films 12a and 12b. One or more additional partial coating films may be formed in the intermediate area between these two partial coating films. Each partial coating film is formed by irradiating electron beam 10 on the position where the nanotube 8 is in contact with the protruded portion 4 of the cantilever. The partial coating films are separated not to overlap each other. By minimizing the size of partial coating film as well as by narrowing down the beam diameter, coating time may be further shortened. With the beam diameter narrowed down, excessive deposit of impurities can be put under control.

Abstract: A negative electrode plate includes a conductive support and a first, a second and a third layer laminated on a surface of the support in this order from the support side. The first layer contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder and a first powder essentially made of a carbonaceous material. The second layer-contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder, the first powder and a second powder having conductivity. The third layer contains the second powder as a main component.

Abstract: A scanning microscope probe in which a palladium covering film is formed on the surface of the protruding portion of a cantilever, and the base end portion of a nanotube is disposed in contact with the palladium covering film with the tip end portion of the nanotube protruding to the outside, thus allowing the tip end to be used as a probe needle end for detecting signals. A coating film is formed to cover all or part of the surface of this base end portion, and the nanotube is thus firmly fastened to the cantilever. Since the base end portion adheres tightly to the palladium covering film, both of them are electrically continuous. This palladium covering film allows, as an electrode film, the application of a voltage to the nanotube or the passage of an electric current through the nanotube, showing also good adhesion to the nanotube and cantilever.

Abstract: Various high quality microwave dielectric composite compositions are prepared by replacing a part of Ba, La or Ti with another element in a dielectric material represented by BanLa4Ti3+nO12+3n. A first embodiment thereof comprises a ceramic composition represented by (Ba1?xAx)nLa4Ti3+nO12+3n, wherein A is an alkaline earth metal element except Ba, and 0.5<n<5 and 0<x<0.5, which is a composite composition being homologous as the former dielectric material and having a chemical formula obtained by replacing a part of Ba with an alkaline earth metal element except Ba. Similarly, a part of La and a part of Ti can be replaced with a rare earth element except La and an element except Ti, respectively. The above various microwave dielectric composite compositions can be used for adjusting microwave dielectric characteristics of a material through replacing a part of a constituent element with another element and thus increasing the variety of the material for a dielectric resonator.

Abstract: There are proposed tweezers with grounding wire for grabbing a minute object containing an infinitesimal substance, which can discharge static electricity in the human body when it is used to grab a minute object, and which thus prevents the action of static electricity on the minute object and/or infinitesimal substance therein. The tweezers with grounding wire is constructed by connecting the grounding wire 2 for discharging the static electricity when a human operates the tweezers 1 The tweezers with grounding wire is particularly useful for handling a minute object 8 containing infinitesimal substance 7 of which shape is unrecognizable with naked eyes or an optical microscope. Since static electricity in the human body or in the object handled is discharged through the grounding wire 2 from the tweezers 1, the minute object 8 and the infinitesimal substance 7 to be handled are not subject to the action of static electricity, and thus are kept free from destruction or damage of static electricity.

Abstract: A first inventive microwave dielectric composition comprises a ceramic composition represented by AnR4Ti3+nO12+3n, where a is an alkaline earth metal element, R is a rare earth element and characterized in that a case satisfying A=Ba and a case of R=La is excluded and the compositional ratio n=1,2 or 4. A second inventive microwave dielectric composition comprises a ceramic composition represented by AXR4Ti3+XO12+3X, where A is an alkaline earth metal element, R is a rare earth element and characterized in that the compositional ratio X is within a range of 0.5<X<5 (excluding X=1,2, 4). A variety of small microwave dielectric resonators having excellent transmitting/receiving characters can be mass produced inexpensively from that composition.

Abstract: Various high quality microwave dielectric composite compositions are prepared by replacing a part of Ba, La or Ti with another element in a dielectric material represented by BanLa4Ti3+nO12+3n. A first embodiment thereof comprises a ceramic composition represented by (Ba1−xAx)nLa4Ti3+nO12+3n, wherein A is an alkaline earth metal element except Ba, and 0.5<n<5 and 0<x<0.5, which is a composite composition being homologous as the former dielectric material and having a chemical formula obtained by replacing a part of Ba with an alkaline earth metal element except Ba. Similarly, a part of La and a part of Ti can be replaced with a rare earth element except La and an element except Ti, respectively.

Abstract: A first inventive microwave dielectric composition comprises a ceramic composition represented by AnR4Ti3+nO12+3n, where a is an alkaline earth metal element, R is a rare earth element and characterized in that a case satisfying A=Ba and a case of R=La is excluded and the compositional ratio n=1,2 or 4.

Abstract: A dispersion of fluorocarbon resin in single particle state comprising a mixture of a liquid solvent and fluorocarbon resin particles is sprayed or coated on both sides of a negative electrode mainly composed of a hydrogen absorbing alloy to form a fluorocarbon resin layer in single particle state on both sides of the negative electrode.

Abstract: To provide nanotweezers and a nanomanipulator which allow great miniaturization of the component and are capable of gripping various types of nano-substances such as insulators, semiconductors and conductors and of gripping nano-substances of various shapes. Electrostatic nanotweezers 2 are characterized in that the nanotweezers 2 are comprised of a plurality of nanotubes whose base end portions are fastened to a holder 6 so that the nanotubes protrude from the holder 6, coating films which insulate and cover the surfaces of the nanotubes, and lead wires 10, 10 which are connected to two of the nanotubes 8, 9; and the tip ends of the two nanotubes are freely opened and closed by means of an electrostatic attractive force generated by applying a voltage across these lead wires.

Abstract: To provide nanotweezers and a nanomanipulator which allow great miniaturization of the component and are capable of gripping various types of nano-substances such as insulators, semiconductors and conductors and of gripping nano-substances of various shapes. Electrostatic nanotweezers 2 are characterized in that the nanotweezers 2 are comprised of a plurality of nanotubes whose base end portions are fastened to a holder 6 so that the nanotubes protrude from the holder 6, coating films which insulate and cover the surfaces of the nanotubes, and lead wires 10, 10 which are connected to two of the nanotubes 8, 9; and the tip ends of the two nanotubes are freely opened and closed by means of an electrostatic attractive force generated by applying a voltage across these lead wires.

Abstract: A conductive probe for a scanning type microscope that captures the substance information of the surface of a specimen by the tip end of a conductive nanotube probe needle fastened to a cantilever, in which the conductive probe is constructed from a conductive film formed on the surface of the cantilever, a conductive nonatube with its base end portion being fixed in contact which the surface of a predetermined of the cantilever, and a conductive deposit which fastens the conductive nanotube by covering from the base end portion of the nonatube to a part of the conductive film. The conductive nonatube and the conductive film are electrically connected to each other by the conductive deposit.

Abstract: A scanning type microscope that captures substance information of the surface of a specimen by the tip end of a nanotube probe needle fastened to a cantilever, in which an organic gas is decomposed by a focused ion beam in a focused ion beam apparatus, and the nanotube is bonded to the cantilever with a deposit of the decomposed component thus produced. With this probe, the quality of the nanotube probe needle can be improved by removing an unnecessary deposit adhering to the nanotube tip end portion using a ion beam, by cutting an unnecessary part of the nanotube in order to control length of the probe needle and by injecting ions into the tip end portion of the nanotube.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting foreign particle and defect on an object in detection by means of a laser beam, in which the laser beams of different wavelengths are irradiated onto the surface of the object in detection from different angles and the state of foreign particle and defect is separately detected according to the output level of the scattered light reflected from that surface. Further, it is arranged such that the scattered light reflected from the object onto which the laser beam is irradiated from the sole source or the plurality of sources is detected in plural directions, which detecting result is compared for the detection of the directivity of said scattered light in reflection.

Abstract: A cantilever for a vertical scanning type microscope that obtains substance information of a surface of a specimen by a tip end of a nanotube probe needle fastened to the cantilever, in which the cantilever has a fixing region to which a base end portion of a nanotube serving as a probe needle is fastened, and a height direction of the fixing region is set to be substantially perpendicular to a mean surface of the specimen when the cantilever is disposed in a measuring state with respect to the mean surface of the specimen; and the base end portion of the nanotube is bonded in the height direction of the fixing region.