Abstract: An image forming device has: a supporting/conveying member that supports a sheet-shaped recording medium from a bottom surface of the recording medium, and conveys the recording medium while rotating; an abutment member that abuts a leading end portion of the recording medium and stops the leading end portion of the recording medium; and a pushing roller that is provided at an upstream side in a conveying direction of the recording medium so as to face the supporting/conveying member, and pushes the leading end portion of the recording medium against the abutment member by rotating while contacting the recording medium and sliding on the recording medium.

Abstract: Substrate processing uniformity is improved in the surfaces of wafers and between the wafers. An inner tube for a substrate processing apparatus for forming a high-k film, includes: a gas exhaust outlet formed at a sidewall of the inner tube; and a gas injection hole located at position spaced outward from the sidewall of the inner tube, wherein a distance of an outer edge of a substrate accommodated in the inner tube and the gas exhaust outlet is greater than a distance between the outer edge of the substrate accommodated in the inner tube and the gas injection hole.

Abstract: Substrate processing uniformity is improved in the surfaces of wafers and between the wafers. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: loading a substrate holder into an inner tube, the substrate holder holding a plurality of substrates in a state where the plurality of substrates are horizontally oriented and stacked; forming thin films on the plurality of substrates by supplying a source gas to an inside of the inner tube; and unloading the substrate holder from the inner tube, wherein the forming the thin films is performed in a state where a conductance of a space between an inner wall of the inner tube and a gas penetration preventing cylinder is smaller than a conductance of a region where the plurality of substrates are stacked.

Abstract: A tape printer that includes a tape cassette having a housing, a tape, a head holder insertion portion, and a first support receiving portion that is a first indentation extending from the bottom surface in a direction toward the top surface, a cassette housing portion in which the tape cassette is inserted or removed, a head holder extending from the cassette housing portion in a direction of insertion and removal of the tape cassette with respect to the cassette housing portion and supporting a printhead, the head holder being adapted to be inserted in the head holder insertion portion, and a first supporting portion provided on the head holder to support a ceiling wall portion of the first indentation as the first support receiving portion, the first supporting portion being provided on an upstream side of the printhead in a feed direction of the tape.

Abstract: Substrate processing uniformity is improved in the surfaces of wafers and between the wafers.

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus compares a back-side background region of print data to be previously printed and a front-side background region of print data to be subsequently printed upon receipt of plural print data including background. If they are different, the tape printing apparatus creates a front-side color mixture tolerance region and a back-side color mixture tolerance region based on the front-side background region and the back-side background region, respectively, so that the front-side color mixture tolerance region and the back-side color mixture tolerance region are arranged continuously. The apparatus sets cut positions at a front edge border and a back edge border of each print data and cut the tape off at those portions while carrying out full-color print on the tape based on respective print data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrier; an intermediate transfer member having a first portion and a second portion that has a higher glossiness than that of the first portion; a primary transfer member; a light source to emit light to the intermediate transfer member side; a detector to detect intensity of reflected light emitted from the light source and then reflected from the intermediate transfer member and a density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member; a processor including a light-emission intensity adjuster to adjust light-emission intensity from the light source based on detected intensity of light reflected from the second portion of the intermediate transfer member; and an image forming condition controller to control image forming conditions for forming a toner image based on the detected intensity of the light reflected from the density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber for storing and processing substrates stacked in multiple stages in horizontal posture; at least one processing gas supply nozzle which extends running along an inner wall of the processing chamber in the stacking direction of the substrates and supplies a processing gas to the inside of the processing chamber; a pair of inactive gas supply nozzles which are provided so as to extend running along the inner wall of the processing chamber in the stacking direction of the substrates and so as to sandwich the processing gas supply nozzle from both sides thereof along the circumferential direction of the substrates and which supply the inactive gas to the inside of the processing chamber; and an exhaust line for exhausting the inside of the processing chamber.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a transferor, a fixing unit, and a guide. The image carrier carries a toner image. The transferor opposes the image carrier to form a transfer nip and transfers the toner image on the image carrier onto a recording medium at the transfer nip. The fixing unit fixes the toner image on the recording medium. The guide guides the recording medium bearing the toner image from the transferor toward the fixing unit and includes a surface portion directly contacting the recording medium. The surface portion includes a material for charging the recording medium to have a polarity opposite to the polarity of a toner forming the toner image.

Abstract: An image forming device has: a supporting/conveying member that supports a sheet-shaped recording medium from a bottom surface of the recording medium, and conveys the recording medium while rotating; an abutment member that abuts a leading end portion of the recording medium and stops the leading end portion of the recording medium; and a pushing roller that is provided at an upstream side in a conveying direction of the recording medium so as to face the supporting/conveying member, and pushes the leading end portion of the recording medium against the abutment member by rotating while contacting the recording medium and sliding on the recording medium.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image carrier; an intermediate transfer member having a first portion and a second portion that has a higher glossiness than that of the first portion; a primary transfer member; a light source to emit light to the intermediate transfer member side; a detector to detect intensity of reflected light emitted from the light source and then reflected from the intermediate transfer member and a density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member; a processor including a light-emission intensity adjuster to adjust light-emission intensity from the light source based on detected intensity of light reflected from the second portion of the intermediate transfer member; and an image forming condition controller to control image forming conditions for forming a toner image based on the detected intensity of the light reflected from the density adjustment pattern formed on the intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided, which forms a releasing agent absorption toner image on an in-between printed sides area of a moving surface of an image carrier in the duplex printing mode. When the in-between printed sides area of the moving surface enters a transfer position at which a toner image is transferred from the image carrier to a recording medium, the transferring operation of transferring the toner image from the image carrier to a recording medium is interrupted to keep the releasing agent absorption toner image on the in-between printed sides area of the moving surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: An object of the disclosure is to provide a print cassette for producing a print tape comprising a structure which can avoid a bad effect on a feeding performance of a film tape in the print cassette and handling of a print tape when stuck to an adherend even when an adopted to-be-printed medium is a thin-film. A print tape 5 produced in a print cassette is composed of a first tape 11 and a second tape 13. In the first tape 11, a first base material 31 and a to-be-printed medium 33 are stacked via a first adhesive layer 32. In the second tape 13, a second adhesive layer 51 is stacked to a second base material 52. Then, a printing surface 11A of the first tape 11 on which ink 41 is put and the second adhesive layer 51 are overlapped with each other, so that the second tape 13 adhered to the first tape 11 to compose the print tape 5.

Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber for storing and processing substrates stacked in multiple stages in horizontal posture; at least one processing gas supply nozzle which extends running along an inner wall of the processing chamber in the stacking direction of the substrates and supplies a processing gas to the inside of the processing chamber; a pair of inactive gas supply nozzles which are provided so as to extend running along the inner wall of the processing chamber in the stacking direction of the substrates and so as to sandwich the processing gas supply nozzle from both sides thereof along the circumferential direction of the substrates and which supply the inactive gas to the inside of the processing chamber; and an exhaust line for exhausting the inside of the processing chamber.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for recommending a disposable incontinence device to be used by an incontinent person. The method comprises the steps of: (a) receiving information, from a user, about incontinence devices which are currently used by the incontinent person; (b) receiving information about the situation which is experienced by the user; and (c) selecting at least one device, based on the information received, among predetermined disposable incontinence devices. By this method, an appropriate disposable incontinence device(s) to be used are recommended depending on the user's situation. The present invention is also directed a method for evaluating the quality of life of a caregiver who takes care of an incontinent person.

Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a box-shaped cassette case whose outline being defined by a bottom wall, a top wall, and a side wall and including a plurality of corner portions, at least one tape contained within a tape containment area defined within the outline, a pair of cavities extending from the bottom wall and being provided between the tape containment area and the outline at opposite ends of a diagonal line connecting one of the corner portions to another of the corner portions, and a side face indicator portion provided in the side wall, indicating a type of the tape, and including a plurality of indicator portions disposed in a pattern in accordance with the type of the tape, each of the indicator portions being one of a switch hole and a surface portion.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method, comprising the steps of: supplying source gas into a processing chamber in which substrates are accommodated; removing the source gas and an intermediate body of the source gas remained in the processing chamber; supplying ozone into the processing chamber in a state of substantially stopping exhaust of an atmosphere in the processing chamber; and removing the ozone and the intermediate body of the ozone remained in the processing chamber; with these steps repeated multiple number of times, to thereby form an oxide film on the surface of the substrates by supplying the source gas and the ozone alternately so as not to be mixed with each other.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for recommending a disposable incontinence device to be used by an incontinent person. The method comprises the steps of: (a) receiving information, from a user, about incontinence devices which are currently used by the incontinent person; (b) receiving information about the situation which is experienced by the user; and (c) selecting at least one device, based on the information received, among predetermined disposable incontinence devices. By this method, an appropriate disposable incontinence device(s) to be used are recommended depending on the user's situation. The present invention is also directed a method for evaluating the quality of life of a caregiver who takes care of an incontinent person.