Abstract: A solid state image pickup device of high integration, high photoelectric conversion and high transfer performances is made of: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a matrix shape on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, the photoelectric conversion elements in an even column being shifted by about a half of a photoelectric conversion element pitch in the even column from the photoelectric conversion elements in an odd column, and the photoelectric conversion elements in an even row being shifted by about a half of a photoelectric conversion element pitch in the even row from the photoelectric conversion elements in an odd row; a plurality of transfer channel regions formed on the semiconductor substrate, each being disposed near a corresponding photoelectric conversion element column, having a stripe plan shape, and extending and weaving along the column direction; and a plurality of transfer electrodes traversing the transfer channel regions and extending as a whole in the row di

Abstract: A method for forming an image contains steps of: transferring a toner having a volume average particle diameter of 5 ?m or less to a recording medium as a toner image having a monochromatic maximum toner mass per area of 0.35 mg/cm2 or less; and fixing the toner image at a surface temperature of a fixing roll which is 130° C. or less. The toner preferably has 0.02 log(Pa)/° C. or less of a gradient of a storage, elasticity per temperature in a temperature range of from Tm+20° C. to Tm+50° C. Here, Tm represents a melting temperature of a crystalline resin contained in the crystalline toner.

Abstract: To provide a sialon-based phosphor capable of forming a thin film by mixing it with a resin, and giving a uniform photoluminescent light with high light emission intensity, and to provide a method for producing a sialon-based phosphor not having excessively large agglomerated particles and a wide particle size distribution, there is provided a method for producing an ?-sialon based phosphor represented by the formula: MxLnySi12-(m+n)Al(m+n)OnN16-n wherein M is at least one metal selected from Ca, Mg, Y and Li, Ln is at least one lanthanide metal selected from Eu, Dy, Er, Tb, Yb and Ce, ax+by=m (assuming that the valence of metal M is a and the valence of lanthanide metal Ln is b), 0<x?1.5, 0.3?m?4.5, and 0<n<2.25), wherein the silicon nitride raw material used as the raw material is a silicon nitride raw material powder comprising amorphous silicon nitride and crystalline silicon nitride.

Abstract: In a solid-state image pick-up device comprising a plurality of light receiving sensor sections, a vertical transfer path 12 formed close to each of the light receiving sensor sections, and a channel stopper 13 provided between the adjacent vertical transfer paths 12 and formed by an insulating layer having a trench structure, a conductive substance 15 to which a predetermined voltage is applied is buried in the insulating layer 14. The predetermined voltage is a negative voltage if a signal charge is an electron, and is a positive voltage if the signal charge is a hole. Alternatively, the predetermined voltage is a pulse having an opposite phase to that of a read pulse to be applied to a transfer electrode 17 of the vertical transfer path 12.

Abstract: A pit (52) is formed in a substrate comprising a silicon wafer (51) on a surface of which a silicon oxide thin layer (53) is formed. A sandwich structure (60) comprising a piezoelectric layer (62) and lower and upper electrodes (61, 63) joined to both surfaces of the piezoelectric layer is disposed so as to stride over the pit (52). The upper surface of the lower electrode (61) and the lower surface of the piezoelectric layer (62) joined to the upper surface of the lower electrode are treated so that the RMS variation of the height thereof is equal to 25 nm or less. The thickness of the lower electrode (61) is set to 150 nm or less. According to such a structure, there is provided a high-performance thin film bulk acoustic resonator which are excellent in electromechanical coupling coefficient and acoustic quality factor.

Abstract: In the obtainment of image signals by receiving emitted light, generated by a stimulable phosphor sheet due to irradiation thereof by an excitation light, at the light receiving surfaces of photoelectric conversion elements, then obtaining an electrical image signal based on the charges stored in the photoelectric conversion elements by an image signal obtainment means comprising a charge transfer path and an output circuit, the area surrounding the light receiving surfaces of the photoelectric conversion elements have been covered by a filter that absorbs only blue light, and the emitted light is received.

Abstract: A humidity sensor including an insulating substrate, and a lower electrode formed from a noble metal, a moisture sensitive layer formed of a porous body predominantly containing alumina and containing predetermined amounts of TiO2 and SnO2 and an upper electrode formed of a noble metal porous body successively formed on the insulating substrate. The upper electrode is connected to the moisture sensitive layer and a portion of the insulating substrate. Preferably, the lower electrode is formed of a porous body. More preferably, the lower and upper electrodes are formed from Pt. Furthermore, preferably, a heater and a temperature measurement resistor are provided in the insulating substrate and are located directly below the moisture sensitive layer.

Abstract: To provide a Sialon-based phosphor having a high photoluminescent intensity, which can realize a high brightness LED, particularly a white LED using a blue LED as the light source, and a production method of the Sialon-based phosphor. The ?-Sialon based phosphor of the present invention is represented by the formula: LixMyLnzSi12?(m+n)Al(m+n)OnN16?n ??(I) wherein M is at least one metal selected from Ca, Mg and Y, Ln is at least one lanthanide metal selected from Eu, Dy, Er, Tb, Yb and Ce, x+ay+bz=m (assuming that the valence of metal M is a and the valence of lanthanide metal Ln is b), 0<x?0.8, 0<y, 0<z, 0.3?m<4.5, and 0<n<2.25.

Abstract: A pit (52) is formed in a substrate comprising a silicon wafer (51) on a surface of which a silicon oxide thin layer (53) is formed. A sandwich structure (60) comprising a piezoelectric layer (62) and lower and upper electrodes (61, 63) joined to both surfaces of the piezoelectric layer is disposed so as to stride over the pit (52). The upper surface of the lower electrode (61) and the lower surface of the piezoelectric layer (62) joined to the upper surface of the lower electrode are treated so that the RMS variation of the height thereof is equal to 25 nm or less. The thickness of the lower electrode (61) is set to 150 nm or less. According to such a structure, there is provided a high-performance thin film bulk acoustic resonator which are excellent in electromechanical coupling coefficient and acoustic quality factor.

Abstract: A humidity sensor comprising an insulating substrate, a detection electrodes and a moisture-sensitive layer, wherein the moisture-sensitive layer is a porous layer and has a thickness not greater than 200 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An electric charge transfer apparatus comprises a plurality of vertical charge transfer devices, each of which transfers a signal electric charge, a plurality of charge-discharging circuits formed next to each vertical transfer device, each charge-discharging circuit discharging the signal electric charge transferred by at least either one of the adjoining vertical transfer devices, and an output circuit that outputs the signal electric charge transferred by the vertical charge transfer devices to an outside of the electric charge transfer apparatus. Appearance of a longitudinal line caused by left-behind electric charge which causes an electric potential barrier or an electric potential unevenness which exists in a transfer channel of a vertical electric charge transfer device included in an charge-discharging device with probability can be controlled.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device, having: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of pixels formed on the semiconductor substrate, each pixel having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements inclusive of a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element electrically separated; and a light shielding film formed over the semiconductor substrate, the light shielding film having an opening above each pixel, wherein the first and second photoelectric conversion elements have different saturated exposure amounts. A solid state image pickup device is provided which has a high sensitivity and a broad optical dynamic range.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having:a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each generating an electric signal through photoelectric conversion; a plurality of signal storage elements for storing the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion elements; a plurality of gates for reading the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion elements and storing the read electric signals in the signal storage elements; a controller for performing a first image pickup operation by making the photoelectric conversion elements generate the electric signals, reading the generated electric signals and storing the read electric signals in the signal storage elements, thereafter performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by making the photoelectric conversion elements generate the electric signals, thereafter outputting the electric signals generated by the first image pickup operation and stored in the signal

Abstract: An &agr;-sialon-based oxynitride phosphor characterized in that the content of &agr;-sialon represented by the general formula: MxS12−(m+n)Al(m+n)OnN16−n:Lny (wherein M is at least one metal selected from among Li, Ca, Mg, Y or lanthanide metals excluding La and Ce, Ln is at least one lanthanide metal selected from among Ce, Pr and La or at least one lanthanide metal selected from among Eu, Dy, Er, Tb and Yb, 0.3≦x+y<1.5, 0<y<0.7, 0.3≦m<4.5, 0<n<2.

Abstract: A thin film bulk acoustic resonator comprises a substrate (12) of a silicon single crystal, a base film (13) formed on the substrate (12) and composed of a dielectric film mainly containing silicon oxide, and a piezoelectric stacked structure (14) formed on the base film (13). A vibratory section (21) composed of a part of the base film (13) and a part of the piezoelectric stacked structure (14). The piezoelectric stacked structure (14) includes a lower electrode (15), a piezoelectric film (16), and an upper electrode (17) formed in this order from below. The substrate (12) had a via hole (20) in the region corresponding to the vibratory section (21). The via hole forms a space for allowing vibration of the vibratory section (21). The piezoelectric film (16) is an aluminum nitride thin film containing 0.2 to 3.0 atom % of alkaline earth metal and/or a rare earth metal.

Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus includes: a solid-state image pickup device capable of taking a two-dimensional image, the device having a plurality of primary transfer paths and a secondary transfer path, wherein the plurality of primary first transfer each have a plurality of transfer stages each capable of storing electric charges and transfer the electric charges in a first direction, and the secondary transfer path has a plurality of transfer stages each capable of storing electric charges, receives electric charges in the plurality of primary transfer paths, and transfers the electric charges in a second direction; a reading unit for scanning the two-dimensional image on the solid-state image pickup device in a main scan direction corresponding to the second direction and in a sub-scan direction corresponding to the first direction and reading the electric charges in the secondary-transfer path as image signals; and an output unit for outputting the read image signals on a monitor by interchanging

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion element pairs are disposed in a row direction and a column direction, each pair constituting one unit including two adjacent photoelectric conversion elements disposed in the column direction, wherein a pitch of pairs in the row direction is generally equal to a pitch of pairs in the column direction.

Abstract: In a solid-state image pick-up device comprising a plurality of light receiving sensor sections, a vertical transfer path 12 formed close to each of the light receiving sensor sections, and a channel stopper 13 provided between the adjacent vertical transfer paths 12 and formed by an insulating layer having a trench structure, a conductive substance 15 to which a predetermined voltage is applied is buried in the insulating layer 14. The predetermined voltage is a negative voltage if a signal charge is an electron, and is a positive voltage if the signal charge is a hole. Alternatively, the predetermined voltage is a pulse having an opposite phase to that of a read pulse to be applied to a transfer electrode 17 of the vertical transfer path 12.

Abstract: A linear image sensor is constituted to include a red diode line 11, a green diode line 12 and a blue diode line 13, and the green diode line 12 positioned between the red diode line 11 and the blue diode line 13 is provided with a shift of an approximately ½ pitch in the vertical direction of a photodiode as shown. Electric charge transfer channels 21, 22 and 23 for transferring signal charges detected by the photodiodes are formed close to the red diode line 11, the green diode line 12 and the blue diode line 13 respectively, and take a winding shape extended in a main scanning direction. Signal charges read onto the electric charge transfer channels 21, 22 and 23 are transferred in the main scanning direction and are output from output ends OUT31, OUT32 and OUT33.

Abstract: A solid state image pickup device having: a semiconductor substrate having a light receiving area; a number of pixels formed in the light receiving area of the semiconductor substrate in a matrix shape, each of the pixels having a main photosensitive field having a relatively large area and a subsidiary photosensitive field having a relatively small area; a main color filter array formed above the semiconductor substrate and covering at least the main photosensitive fields in register with the respective pixels; and a micro lens array formed on the color filter array and covering at least the main photosensitive fields in register with the respective pixels, wherein an image signal can be selectively picked up from either one of the main and subsidiary photosensitive fields. A solid state image pickup device having a high resolution can be provided.