Abstract: An inspection apparatus for inspecting electric characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a target object includes a vertical drive mechanism for lifting and lowering a movable mounting table and a control unit for controlling the vertical drive mechanism. The vertical drive mechanism includes an elevation shaft connected to the mounting table and a servo motor for driving the elevation shaft to lift and lower the mounting table. Further, the control unit has a servo driver which includes a position control part for controlling a position of the servo motor, a torque control part for controlling a torque of the servo motor as a probe card is expanded or contracted by a change in temperature and a switching part for switching the position control part and the torque control part.

Abstract: A probe apparatus includes a plurality of prober chamber arranged in a straight line; and a loader chamber having a substrate transfer mechanism that takes out a test target substrate from a container provided in an upper area of the prober chamber, lowers the test target substrate to a height corresponding to a loading/unloading port of the prober chamber, moves in front of a row of the prober chambers in parallel to the row of the prober chambers and transfers the test target substrate into the prober chamber. A reading mechanism for reading information recorded on the test target substrate held on the substrate transfer mechanism is installed at a horizontal moving mechanism that moves the substrate transfer mechanism in front of the row of the prober chambers in parallel to the row of the prober chambers.

Abstract: A process for preparing an optically active (S or R)-?-amino acid represented by formula (II): wherein R represents an alkyl group, alkenyl group, alkynyl group, cycloalkyl group, aralkyl group, aryl group or heteroaryl group each of which may have a substituent(s), and * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, and an optically active (R or S)-?-amino acid ester represented by formula (III): wherein R has the same meaning as defined above, R1 represents an alkyl group which may have a substituent(s), and * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, provided that it has a reverse absolute configuration to that of the compound of the formula (II), which comprises selectively hydrolyzing water and one of enantiomers of a ?-amino acid ester represented by formula (I): wherein R and R1 have the same meanings as defined above, which is a racemic mixture, in the presence of a hydrolase in an organic solvent.

Abstract: A probe apparatus is capable of being scaled-down and reducing a manufacturing cost thereof in a probe apparatus having a plurality of probe apparatus main bodies. A loader unit for transferring a wafer between carriers accommodating therein wafers and the probe apparatus main bodies includes: an upper camera for imaging the arrangement of chips to be inspected of the wafer; a lower camera for imaging probe needles; an X-Y-? stage for moving the position of the wafer W in a horizontal direction and a second loader mechanism for moving the wafer in a vertical direction. Accordingly, a fine alignment of the wafer is performed by the loader unit to adjust the position of the wafer.

Abstract: A test device includes a movable mounting table having a temperature controlling mechanism therein; a probe card provided with a plurality of probes positioned above the mounting table; and a first temperature control unit for controlling the temperature controlling mechanism so that a target object on the mounting table can be heated to a predetermined temperature to test electrical characteristics of the target object. The mounting table is provided with a heater facing a plurality of probes protruding from the mounting table in the high-temperature test on the target object.

Abstract: A probe apparatus includes an imaging unit imaging probes and a first and a second imaging unit imaging the wafer surface. The apparatus further includes a control unit obtaining positions of a mounting table at which focuses of the imaging unit and the first imaging unit are made to coincide with each other and then the focuses of the image unit and the second imaging unit are made to coincide with each other by moving the mounting table; obtaining positions of the mounting table at which the images of the wafer are sequentially taken by the first and the second imaging unit by moving the mounting table; obtaining a position of the mounting table at which the probes are imaged by the imaging unit, and calculating a position of the mounting table at which the wafer contacts with the probes based on the obtained positions of the mounting table.

Abstract: A prove apparatus includes a first and a second loading port for mounting therein two carriers facing each other, a wafer transfer mechanism having a rotation center between the loading ports, and a first and a second inspection unit being symmetrical to each other and disposed in accordance with the arrangement of the loading ports. In this configuration, wafers are directly transferred between the carrier and a wafer chuck of the inspection unit by the wafer transfer mechanism. The wafer transfer mechanism has three arms for unloading two wafers from the carrier. The prove apparatus has a compact size and achieves a high throughput.

Abstract: A probe apparatus is capable of being scaled-down and reducing a manufacturing cost thereof in a probe apparatus having a plurality of probe apparatus main bodies. A loader unit for transferring a wafer between carriers accommodating therein wafers and the probe apparatus main bodies includes: an upper camera for imaging the arrangement of chips to be inspected of the wafer; a lower camera for imaging probe needles; an X-Y-? stage for moving the position of the wafer W in a horizontal direction and a second loader mechanism for moving the wafer in a vertical direction. Accordingly, a fine alignment of the wafer is performed by the loader unit to adjust the position of the wafer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a carboxylic acid using a surfactant-modified enzyme which comprises selectively reacting water and a carboxylic acid ester, provided that triglyceride is excluded, in an organic solvent in the presence of a surfactant-modified enzyme.

Abstract: A test device includes a movable mounting table having a temperature controlling mechanism therein; a probe card provided with a plurality of probes positioned above the mounting table; and a first temperature control unit for controlling the temperature controlling mechanism so that a target object on the mounting table can be heated to a predetermined temperature to test electrical characteristics of the target object. The mounting table is provided with a heater facing a plurality of probes protruding from the mounting table in the high-temperature test on the target object.

Abstract: A probe apparatus includes an imaging unit imaging probes and a first and a second imaging unit imaging the wafer surface. The apparatus further includes a control unit obtaining positions of a mounting table at which focuses of the imaging unit and the first imaging unit are made to coincide with each other and then the focuses of the image unit and the second imaging unit are made to coincide with each other by moving the mounting table; obtaining positions of the mounting table at which the images of the wafer are sequentially taken by the first and the second imaging unit by moving the mounting table; obtaining a position of the mounting table at which the probes are imaged by the imaging unit, and calculating a position of the mounting table at which the wafer contacts with the probes based on the obtained positions of the mounting table.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for inspecting electric characteristics of a plurality of devices formed on a target object includes a vertical drive mechanism for lifting and lowering a movable mounting table and a control unit for controlling the vertical drive mechanism. The vertical drive mechanism includes an elevation shaft connected to the mounting table and a servo motor for driving the elevation shaft to lift and lower the mounting table. Further, the control unit has a servo driver which includes a position control part for controlling a position of the servo motor, a torque control part for controlling a torque of the servo motor as a probe card is expanded or contracted by a change in temperature and a switching part for switching the position control part and the torque control part.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for preparing an optically active (S or R)-?-amino acid represented by the formula (II): wherein R represents an alkyl group, alkenyl group, alkynyl group, cycloalkyl group, aralkyl group, heteroarylalkyl group, aryl group or heteroaryl group, each of which may have a substituent(s), and * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, and an optically active (R or S)-?-amino acid ester represented by the formula (III): wherein R1 represents an alkyl group which may have a substituent(s), and * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, provided that it has an opposite absolute configuration to that of the compound of the formula (II), which comprises selectively reacting water with one of enantiomers of an ?-amino acid ester which is a racemic mixture and represented by the formula (I): wherein R and R1 have the same meanings as defined above, in the presence of a lipase or a protease in an organic solvent.

Abstract: A prove apparatus includes a first and a second loading port for mounting therein two carriers facing each other, a wafer transfer mechanism having a rotation center between the loading ports, and a first and a second inspection unit being symmetrical to each other and disposed in accordance with the arrangement of the loading ports. In this configuration, wafers are directly transferred between the carrier and a wafer chuck of the inspection unit by the wafer transfer mechanism. The wafer transfer mechanism has three arms for unloading two wafers from the carrier. The prove apparatus has a compact size and achieves a high throughput.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a process which comprises selectively hydrolyzing one enantiomer of racemic mixtures of an N-substituted ?-amino acid alkyl ester or N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid ester represented by the formula (I): wherein Ar, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are the same as defined in the specification, in the presence of a hydrolase to form an optically active ((R) or (S))—N-substituted ?-amino acid or optically active ((R) or (S))—N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid represented by the formula (II): and simultaneously to obtain an unreacted optically active ((S) or (R))—N-substituted ?-amino acid alkyl ester or unreacted optically active ((S) or (R))—N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid ester represented by the formula (III): which has a reverse steric absolute configuration to that of the compound represented by the formula (II).

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a mounting table movable in X and Y directions and an alignment mechanism which performs an alignment of a target object placed on the mounting table. Further, the alignment mechanism includes an image pickup device which is movable in either one of the X and Y directions and is capable of being stopped at a desired position and a controller for performing a preliminary alignment of the target object by moving the image pickup device and the mounting table in respectively movable directions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing an optically active (S or R)-?-amino acid represented by the formula (II): wherein R represents an alkyl group, alkenyl group, alkynyl group, cycloalkyl group, aralkyl group, aryl group or heteroaryl group each of which may have a substituent(s), and * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, and an optically active (R or S)-?-amino acid ester represented by the formula (III): wherein R has the same meaning as defined above, R1 represents an alkyl group which may have a substituent(s), and * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, provided that it has a reverse absolute configuration to that of the compound of the formula (II), which comprises selectively hydrolyzing water and one of enantiomers of a ?-amino acid ester represented by the formula (I): wherein R and R1 have the same meanings as defined above, which is a racemic mixture, in the presence of a hydrolase in an organic solvent.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide an n-alkyl 3-amino-3-arylpropionate represented by the formula (I): wherein Ar1 represents an aryl group which may have a substituent(s), provided that a phenyl group and 4-methoxyphenyl group are excluded, R1 represents an n-propyl group or an n-butyl group, and a process for preparing the same, and its optically active compound and an optically active (S or R)-3-amino-3-arylpropionic acid represented by the formula (III-a): wherein Ar represents an aryl group which may have a substituent(s), and * represents an asymmetric carbon, and a process for preparing an optically active n-alkyl (R or S)-3-amino-3-arylpropionate represented by the formula (IV-a): wherein Ar and R1 have the same meanings as defined above, * represents an asymmetric carbon, provided that it has a reverse absolute configuration to the compound of the formula (III-a).

Abstract: The present invention discloses a process which comprises selectively hydrolyzing one enantiomer of racemic mixtures of an N-substituted ?-amino acid alkyl ester or N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid ester represented by the formula (I): wherein Ar, R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are the same as defined in the specification, in the presence of a hydrolase to form an optically active ((R) or (S))-N-substituted-?-amino acid or optically active ((R) or (S))-N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid represented by the formula (II): and simultaneously to obtain an unreacted optically active ((S) or (R))-N-substituted ?-amino acid alkyl ester or unreacted optically active ((S) or (R))-N-substituted 2-homopipecolic acid ester represented by the formula (III): which has a reverse steric absolute configuration to that of the compound represented by the formula (II).

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a process for producing a 2?-O-acetyl-4?-O-formyl-8,9-anhydroerythromycin A 6,9-hemiketal compound 4, and it provide a process for producing an erythromycin compound which comprises reacting a formylating agent with a 2?-O-acetylerythromycin A compound 2 to obtain 2?-O-acetyl-4?-O-formylerythromycin A compound 3, then, acting an acid on Compound 3 to subject to hemiketalation, and then adding an aqueous basic solution in an aqueous solution to precipitate Compound 4 as free crystals.