Abstract: The disclosure is a heat treatment furnace which heats an element wire for a wire electrode to perform a heat diffusion treatment and includes: first, second and third rotary electrodes to which a voltage is applied; a motor that rotationally drives the rotary electrodes; and a control device. The first, second and third rotary electrodes are arranged in a manner that the element wire is laid in a V-shape or an I-shape in an order of the second rotary electrode, the first rotary electrode and the third rotary electrode from the upstream side in a travel direction of the element wire. The element wire is caused to travel, a voltage is applied to the first, second and third rotary electrodes, and a current flows through and heats the element wire which travels in a first heating section and a second heating section.

Abstract: The disclosure is a heat treatment furnace which heats an element wire for a wire electrode to perform a heat diffusion treatment and includes: first, second and third rotary electrodes to which a voltage is applied; a motor that rotationally drives the rotary electrodes; and a control device. The first, second and third rotary electrodes are arranged in a manner that the element wire is laid in a V-shape or an I-shape in an order of the second rotary electrode, the first rotary electrode and the third rotary electrode from the upstream side in a travel direction of the element wire. The element wire is caused to travel, a voltage is applied to the first, second and third rotary electrodes, and a current flows through and heats the element wire which travels in a first heating section and a second heating section.

Abstract: A low reflection film comprising silica fine particles and a binder in a weight ratio proportion of 60:40 to 95:5 is obtained by mixing starting fine particles comprising at least non-aggregated silica fine particles with a mean particle size of 40-1000 nm and/or linear (chain-like) aggregated silica fine particles with a mean primary particle size of 10-100 nm, a hydrolyzable metal compound, water, and a solvent, hydrolyzing the hydrolyzable metal compound in the presence of the starting fine particles, and then coating the prepared coating solution onto a glass base substrate and subjecting it to heat treatment. The obtained low reflection film is a single-layer low reflection film with low reflectivity, excellent abrasion resistance, high film strength and excellent contamination removal property, and coating of the low reflection film onto glass base substrates can give low reflection glass articles.

Abstract: A low reflection film comprising silica fine particles and a binder in a weight ratio proportion of 60:40 to 95:5 is obtained by mixing starting fine particles comprising at least non-aggregated silica fine particles with a mean particle size of 40-1000 nm and/or linear (chain-like) aggregated silica fine particles with a mean primary particle size of 10-100 nm, a hydrolyzable metal compound, water, and a solvent, hydrolyzing the hydrolyzable metal compound in the presence of the starting fine particles, and then coating the prepared coating solution onto a glass base substrate and subjecting it to heat treatment. The obtained low reflection film is a single-layer low reflection film with low reflectivity, excellent abrasion resistance, high film strength and excellent contamination removal property, and coating of the low reflection film onto glass base substrates can give low reflection glass articles.

Abstract: A surface of a glass plate is coated with a first n-type semiconductor film which is a 50 nm-thick niobium oxide film as a primer layer. The primer layer is coated with a 250 nm-thick photocatalyst film comprising titanium oxide. Thus, an article having a photocatalytically active surface is obtained. The two coating films can be formed by sputtering. The first n-type semiconductor film as the primer layer is selected so as to have a larger energy band gap than the titanium oxide. Due to this constitution, more holes are generated near the film surface. This article can be free from the problem of conventional titanium oxide films having photocatalytic activity that it is difficult to generate many surface holes contributing to photocatalytic activity, because electrons and holes generated by charge separation recombine within the film, making it impossible to effectively heighten catalytic activity.

Abstract: A microchemical system is provided according to which to which an apparatus that is used by the microchemical system can be reduced in size, and measurement accuracy can be improved. The microchemical system 1 has an irradiation part 1a that irradiates exciting light and detecting light onto a sample solution in a channel 204 that is inside a microchemical system chip 20. The irradiation part 1a has an exciting light source 106 that outputs the exciting light, which has a wavelength of 532 nm, and a detecting light source 107 that outputs the detecting light, which has a wavelength of 635 nm. The exciting light source 106 is comprised of a fiber laser 502 that lases laser light of wavelength 1064 nm, and a poled fiber 503 that converts laser light received from the fiber laser 502 into a second harmonic. The fiber laser 502 is comprised of a laser diode 501 that lases laser light of wavelength 810 nm, and a double clad fiber 601 having fiber Bragg gratings 602a and 602b formed at opposite ends thereof.

Abstract: A conductive sinter obtained from a mixture of titanium oxide particles and 2.5% by weight niobium oxide particles is used as a target in direct current sputtering to form a photocatalytically active film mainly comprising titanium oxide on a glass substrate. The target has a surface resistance of 500 &OHgr;/□ or lower and the sputtering is conducted while heating the substrate at 230° C. The photocatalytically active film is based on an amorphous matrix. This process is free from problems of a conventional process in which a photocatalytically active titanium oxide film is deposited by reactive sputtering using titanium metal as a target. The problems are that the substrate needs to be heated to 350° C. or higher and that the deposited film does not have high photocatalytic activity.

Abstract: A low reflection film comprising silica fine particles and a binder in a weight ratio proportion of 60:40 to 95:5 is obtained by mixing starting fine particles comprising at least non-aggregated silica fine particles with a mean particle size of 40-1000 nm and/or linear (chain-like) aggregated silica fine particles with a mean primary particle size of 10-100 nm, a hydrolyzable metal compound, water, and a solvent, hydrolyzing the hydrolyzable metal compound in the presence of the starting fine particles, and then coating the prepared coating solution onto a glass base substrate and subjecting it to heat treatment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing or manufacturing a high purity metallic silicon takes a process for generating silicon monoxide by causing reaction between a silicon dioxide containing material and molten state metallic silicon. The silicon monoxide thus generated is sucked for reduction by means of a reducing agent including a carbon containing material and a silicon containing material.