Abstract: There is provided a pyroelectric infrared sensor being capable of changing its shape and having high sensitivity. The sensor comprises the substrate 11 made of a polymer material such as polyimide or polyethylene terephthalate and having flexibility, the layer 13 comprising vinylidene fluoride (VDF), and the flexible electrodes 12 and 14 comprising an Al-deposited film and provided on and under the VDF oligomer layer 13. The pyroelectric infrared sensor of the present invention has flexibility as a whole due to flexibility of each component elements and can be formed into desired shapes. In addition, since a substrate made of a polymer material has heat capacity and heat conductivity lower than those of Si substrates used on conventional pyroelectric infrared sensors, sensitivity of the sensor can be increased.

Abstract: A totally new method for manufacturing a thin film wherein only an arbitrary small region is structurally controlled. The structure of a film is controlled by applying a force to the entire film or an arbitrary region of the film using a part having a sharp tip during the film-forming process or after finishing the film formation. At this time, the temperature of the film is set at the glass transition point of the amorphous region or higher. An atomic force microscope can be used as an apparatus for realizing this manufacturing method.

Abstract: There are provided a method of soldering a lead-free solder which lowers a melting point of the lead-free solder and prevents deterioration of a joining strength at a portion joined by the lead-free solder, and a joined object soldered with the use of the soldering method. The lead-free solder as an alloy of tin with no lead contained is melted, and ultrasonic vibration is acted at least either to the join object to be joined by the lead-free solder or to the lead-free solder when the molten lead-free solder is solidified. Therefore crystals of contained components in the lead-free solder are made fine and the contained components are prevented from being segregated at a joining interface of the joined object, so that the joining strength at the joining interface can be increased.

Abstract: There are provided a method of soldering a lead-free solder which lowers a melting point of the lead-free solder and prevents deterioration of a joining strength at a portion joined by the lead-free solder, and a joined object soldered with the use of the soldering method. The lead-free solder as an alloy of tin with no lead contained is melted, and ultrasonic vibration is acted at least either to the join object to be joined by the lead-free solder or to the lead-free solder when the molten lead-free solder is solidified. Therefore crystals of contained components in the lead-free solder are made fine and the contained components are prevented from being segregated at a joining interface of the joined object, so that the joining strength at the joining interface can be increased.