Abstract: In an inspecting method of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator having a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element and two or more electrodes, the frequency response characteristics is picked up when a vibration is given to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator, and the amount of displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator is predicted by the frequency response characteristics. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator is precisely inspected without dissolution and destruction and without actual driving as a product.

Abstract: A multi-color luminous fluorescent display device includes therein a vacuum-sealed vessel having a glass substrate, an anode disposed on the glass substrate, a cathode installed in the vacuum-sealed vessel, a first phosphorescent layer containing a phosphor emitting yellow to red light, and a second phosphorescent layer containing a phosphor emitting blue to green light. The first phosphorescent layer contains a Ln2O2S:Eu phosphor (Ln is at least one selected from a group consisting of La, Gd, Lu and Y) which emits yellow to red light, and the second phosphorescent layer contains at least one phosphor selected from ZnO:Zn phosphor, ZnGa2O4 phosphor and ZnGa2O4:Mn phosphor which emit blue to green light.

Abstract: A multilayer film-coated substrate having the stress of the film relaxed by depositing a multilayer film comprising a metal oxide film and a silicon oxide film on a substrate at a high speed by a sputtering method using a conductive sputtering material, and a process for producing a multilayer film-coated substrate having such a low stress, are presented. A multilayer film-coated substrate comprising a substrate and at least a metal oxide film and a silicon oxide film laminated thereon repeatedly at least once, wherein at least one layer of said metal oxide film is a metal oxide film deposited by sputtering by using, as the target material, a metal oxide MOX which is deficient in oxygen than the stoichiometric composition, to have the oxygen deficiency resolved, and the stress of the multilayer film is from ?100 MPa to +100 MPa.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus and a sputter film deposition method, which includes a conventional magnetron and an AC magnetron for deposition of a low refractive index film, and a conventional magnetron and an AC magnetron for deposition of a high refractive index film, performs film deposition by each of the AC magnetrons until having achieved 90% of a designed film thickness, and then performs the film deposition only by each of the conventional magnetrons, and which can control the film thickness with high precision and have excellent productivity.

Abstract: A near-field light generating structure for generating near-field light has a pattern of a fine metal structure comprising a light blocking layer or a pattern of a fine opening provided in the light blocking layer. The fine metal structure or the fine opening has a size of not more than a wavelength of incident light. The fine metal structure or the fine opening has a sectional shape, in a plane parallel with the incident light, which is asymmetrical in terms of a member adjacent to the fine metal structure or the fine opening.

Abstract: Disclosed are a near-field light source device as well as an optical head, an optical device, an exposure apparatus and a microscope device having such near-field light source device. As an example, the near-field light source device has a semiconductor laser having a ring-type optical resonator with a plurality of wave guides connected via mirror portions, a light blocking film formed in one of the mirror portions and having a small opening not greater than a wavelength size, and a diffraction grating formed on the light blocking film, wherein light oscillated from the semiconductor laser is diffracted by the diffraction grating, and the diffracted light is coupled to a rotation mode in the ring-type optical resonator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of detecting an attraction force between substrates, and a near-field exposure method and apparatus, wherein, in the attraction force detecting method, an elastically deformable first substrate is intimately contacted to a second substrate which is not elastically deformable as compared with the first substrate and, when the first and second substrates so contacted are separated from each other, an attraction force acting between the first and second substrates is detected.

Abstract: A surface treatment method includes a step of forming a metal layer on at least a part of a surface of a structural member, and a step of exposing the metal layer to a plasma based on SF6 to effect surface treatment.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus and a sputter film deposition method, which includes a conventional magnetron and an AC magnetron for deposition of a low refractive index film, and a conventional magnetron and an AC magnetron for deposition of a high refractive index film, performs film deposition by each of the AC magnetrons until having achieved 90% of a designed film thickness, and then performs the film deposition only by each of the conventional magnetrons, and which can control the film thickness with high precision and have excellent productivity.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing device using a magneto-optical disc as a recording medium having a holder for holding a magneto-optical disc and moving the magneto-optical disc between a disc unloading position and a disc loading position, a turntable for rotating the magneto-optical disc, an optical pickup for casting a light beam onto a signal recording surface of the magneto-optical disc, a magnetic head arranged to face the optical pickup on the opposite sides side of the magneto-optical disc and moving toward and away from the magneto-optical disc, and a rotating ejection lever positioned on a base for ejecting the magneto-optical disc held by the holder. Since the ejection lever is arranged on the side of the base where the optical pickup is arranged, the space within the device body is effectively used, thus realizing miniaturization.

Abstract: A light-condensing method of irradiating light whose electric field vectors show two or more than two different directions onto a member having apertures arranged at least at two positions and forming a light-condensing section having a strong electric field between the apertures arranged at two positions.

Abstract: A content reproduction apparatus includes a CPU 18, and the CPU measures a power-on time period Ton, which is from a point of time that a main power switch 42 is turned-on until a point of time that it is turned-off, and a power-off time period Toff, which is from a point of time that the main power switch 42 is turned-off until a point of time that it is turned-on once again. Furthermore, a total sum T of the measured time periods Ton and Toff is evaluated, and the audio data is rendered invalid (not reproducible) when the evaluated total sum T exceeds a term of validity Ta of the audio data recorded in a memory card 12.

Abstract: A micro-structure is manufactured by a step of irradiating light onto a member having a modulation profile smaller than the wavelength of irradiated light and forming a distribution of optical near-field corresponding to said modulation profile on the surface of said member, a step of introducing material gas to be used for a photochemical reaction into a space containing said member and a step of causing said material gas to give rise to a photochemical reaction by means of optical near-field and forming a micro-structure on the surface of said member.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing device using a magneto-optical disc as a recording medium having a holder for holding a magneto-optical disc and moving the magneto-optical disc between a disc unloading position and a disc loading position, a turntable for rotating the magneto-optical disc, an optical pickup for casting a light beam onto a signal recording surface of the magneto-optical disc, a magnetic head arranged to face the optical pickup on the opposite side of the magneto-optical disc and moving toward and away from the magneto-optical disc, and a rotating ejection lever positioned on a base for ejecting the magneto-optical disc held by the holder. Since the ejection lever is arranged on the side of the base where the optical pickup is arranged, the space within the device body is effectively used, thus realizing miniaturization.

Abstract: A position sensor has an interface structure between negative dielectrics and a dielectric, and is provided with a configuration in which the plasmon intensity with respect to a microstructure in a surface including the interface structure or in the vicinity thereof is detected by the interface structure, and the positional relationship between the interface structure and the microstructure is thereby detected.

Abstract: A directly-heated oxide cathode and a fluorescent display tube using the same, which works with low power consumption, is provided. In a filament cathode, an alkaline earth oxide having an average grain size of 0.1 &mgr;m to 2.0 &mgr;m is coated in a thickness of 0.5 &mgr;m to 4.0 &mgr;m on the surface of a core metal wire. This structure reduces the power consumption of the filament cathode. The filament cathodes mounted in a fluorescent display tube can reduce the power consumption of the fluorescent display tube.

Abstract: A near field light probe is capable of emanating a near field light having a sufficient intensity while allowing reduction of aperture size to improve resolution. The near field light probe can be incorporated in a near-field optical microscope, a near field light lithography apparatus, and a near field light storage apparatus. A near field light probe has a configuration in which a light-blocking film is formed with an aperture having slits surrounding the major opening. Light emitted from a light source is coupled into the probe from one side of the light-blocking film, the light being polarized in a predetermined direction with respect to the slits so that a near field light emanates from the major opening.

Abstract: A signal recording apparatus including a battery voltage detecting circuit. The battery voltage detecting circuit detects the voltage value of a battery. When a record button provided on an operation panel is pressed, a syscon detects, for 160 ms, voltage values given from the battery voltage detecting circuit. The detected voltage values are stored to a DRAM. An average calculated of the voltage values of for 160 ms by using the DRAM. The syscon compares the averaged voltage value with a threshold A that makes it possible for recording for one disk. When the averaged voltage value is equal to or higher than the threshold A, the syscon directly starts recording. When the averaged voltage value is lower than the threshold A, an insufficient remaining capacity of the battery is displayed on a liquid crystal panel by a display controller.

Abstract: A content reproducing apparatus includes a CPU. The CPU executes an authentication process with a memory card at a time of starting reproduction. The reproducing apparatus, when succeeding in the authentication process, can obtain from the memory card a decryption key of encrypted music data. Accordingly, by decrypting encrypted content data separately obtained by use of the decryption key, it is possible to reproduce the music data. In such the authentication process, certificate data is utilized in an order which starts from registered identification numbers and, every time failing in the authentication process, is renewed to a next identification number.

Abstract: In a fluorescent display device wherein light is emitted by impinging a low speed electron beam on a phosphor layer formed on an anode, the phosphor layer comprises a compound containing W and/or a compound containing P, K and/or Na. The compound containing P, K and/or Na may be a compound selected from the group consisting of K3PO4, P2O5 and Na2SiO3, the compound being added in an amount of 0.01 to 10.00 wt % to the phosphor layer, to provide a higher luminance residual ratio and a higher high temperature exposure characteristic than those of a convention fluorescent display device.