Abstract: In a method of estimating wire length allowing highly precise estimation of the estimated wire length of a net, an object net is selected. Thereafter, the object net is developed into pin pairs. For each of the pin pairs, a subcircuit satisfying a prescribed relation with the pin pair is extracted from the semiconductor integrated circuit. From the subcircuit, information necessary for estimating wire length of the pin pair (number of nets in the subcircuit and total area of macro cells in the subcircuit) is extracted. Based on the extracted information of the subcircuit, estimated wire length of the pin pair is estimated. Based on the estimated wire length of the pin pair, estimated wire length of the object net is estimated.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to minutely roughen a surface of a substrate, e.g. a glass plate, by an etching method for the purpose of enhancing adhesion of a coating film to the substrate surface or preventing sticking of a certain article to the substrate surface. An easily vaporizable material such as a fat or wax as a masking material is used as a masking material, and the substrate surface is scattered with numerous microscopic droplets of the masking material by exposing the substrate surface to vapor of the masking material and simultaneously to vapor of another material, e.g. water or an alcohol, which is immiscible with the masking material and serves the purpose of preventing agglomeration of droplets of the masking material on the substrate surface. After that the substrate is etched with a suitable etching fluid, and then the masking material is removed. As the result the etched surface of the substrate is scattered with numerous microscopic, islet-like land regions.

Abstract: A tire formed of steel tire cords, in which each steel tire cord is provided with five strands of steel cords extending in the longitudinal direction and being twisted together, the strands being embedded in a belt layer, and only two of the strands extending in a zig-zag manner along the longitudinal direction thereof so as to form sharp angles therealong, the sharp angles of the different strands being in alignment with each other.

Abstract: The invention provides a heat insulating glass plate with a multilayer coating which is fairly low in transmittance for solar radiation and fairly high in transmittance for the visible light and also for radio waves. The multilayer coating is a lamination of transparent and dielectric layers and has three essential layers in which the middle layer is higher or lower in refractivity than the inner and outer layers. The coating may have five layers in which the second and fourth layers are higher or lower in refractivity than the remaining three layers. Each layer of the multilayer coating is a metal compound film deposited by sputtering or CVD. In a first embodiment of the three-layer coating each of the inner and outer layers is formed of SnO.sub.x, ZrO.sub.x, TaO.sub.x or AlN.sub.x having a refractive index of 1.8-2.1 and the middle layer is formed of TiO.sub.x having a refractive index of 2.2-2.5. In a second embodiment, each of the inner and outer layers is formed of SnO.sub.x, TiO.sub.x, ZrO.sub.x, TaO.

Abstract: A radiant type heater for use in a heating furnace has inner and outer concentric tubes. The tubes have a structure in which silicon carbide particles are joined to each other by a sintering aid such as an aluminum compound sintering aid or a boron compound sintering aid.

Abstract: A thin liquid coating film is coated on a surface of a solid substrate, e.g. a glass plate, by using an incomplete liquid container having an opening of a shape similar to the shape of the surface of the substrate on one side thereof. First the substrate and the incomplete container are brought into tight contact with each other such that the side opening of the container is closed by the surface of the substrate, whereby the container is completed. Next, a coating liquid is fed into the container to thereby wet the substrate surface, and then liquid is extracted from the container so as to lower the liquid level in the container at a predetermined rate while keeping both the container and the substrate stationary. By this method a submicron coating film of uniform thickness can easily be formed even on large-sized substrate, and it is easy to form a coating film on only a limited area of the substrate surface without using any masking.

Abstract: A preamplifier for a wide range neutron flux monitoring system is disclosed. The preamplifier contains first to fifth amplifiers and a selection switch. The first amplifier for high frequency band amplification has a low input impedance circuit. The second amplifier for low frequency band amplification has a high input impedance circuit. Either of the first and second amplifiers can provide a path for the neutron flux level signal derived from a detector according to the frequency of the neutron flux level signal. The third amplifier (pulse amplifier) amplifies the output signal of the first amplifier and transfers the amplified signal to a pulse signal counting system. The lower frequency band Campbell signal is applied to the Campbelling system, through the second amplifier, the fourth amplifier (low frequency band Campbelling amplifier), and the selection switch.

Abstract: A refractory material, which comprises 78-94 Wt % of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and 15-6 Wt % of B.sub.2 O.sub.3 to have 9Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.2B.sub.2 O.sub.3 phase and is highly resistant to spalling and corrosion by a B.sub.2 O.sub.3 -containing vapor, is produced by electrofusion of a powder mixture of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and B.sub.2 O.sub.3 with the addition of at least one alkali metal oxide or carbonate to adequately lower the electrical resistance of the material. The amount of the alkali metal compound is controlled so that the product may not contain more than 2 Wt % of Li.sub.2 O, Na.sub.2 O and/or K.sub.2 O thereby to accomplish the object without adversely affecting the spalling and corrosion resistance of the product.