Abstract: In a connector provided with a slider for detecting a half-engagement with respect to a mating connector in accordance with a state of the slider, a resin housing includes a slider receiving section for accommodating the slider and a terminal receiving section for accommodating a terminal connected with an electric wire, which are vertically arranged so as to oppose to each other while defining a gap therebetween. A reinforcing wall member is integrally molded with the housing so as to bridge the slider receiving section and the terminal receiving section in at least one side portion of the housing.

Abstract: A method of using a substrate transport pod is provided, which is suitable for manufacturing semiconductor devices with copper wiring and low dielectric insulating film having dielectric constants of less than 3. The method is based on loading the substrates into a pod from an atmosphere of a first process, and circulating a gaseous atmosphere through interior of the pod in such a way to selectively remove at least one contaminant including moisture, particulate substances or chemical substances, and to expose the substrates to a controlled atmosphere intermittently or continually while the substrates are held in the pod before unloaded from the pod and introduced into a second process. For a pod that is used to house the substrates for the purpose of retaining or transporting, the pod has a pod main body and a door that provides a hermetic sealing, and the pod is made primarily of a materiel that has moisture absorption factor of less than 0.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator has a base and a movable body disposed over a surface of the base for undergoing movement relative thereto. The movable body has a frame and at least one cantilever having a first end integrally connected to the frame and a second free end. A piezoelectric element is disposed on the cantilever for undergoing expansion and contraction movement in response to application of an alternating voltage to bring the second free end of the cantilever into and out of contact with the surface of the base to thereby move the movable body relative to the surface of the base. Spring members are connected to the frame of the movable body for regulating a direction of movement of the movable body relative to the surface of the base.

Abstract: A substrate transport container having a carrier box including a container body and a door hermetically sealably covering an opening provided in the front of the container body. Partitions form a circulating flow path in the carrier box. The circulating flow path has a flow path in which air flows toward substrates and a flow path in which air flows toward a fan. A substrate carrying section is disposed in the flow path in which air flows toward the substrates to carry the substrates in such a way that the principal surfaces of the substrates are approximately parallel to the flow path in which air flows toward the substrates. A particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter are placed on the upstream side of the substrate carrying section in the flow path in which air flows toward the substrates. A fan motor for driving the fan is incorporated in the carrier box to form an air current for circulating through the circulating flow path.

Abstract: A fine drive unit comprises a suspension arm having a head portion and a support member supporting the suspension arm for undergoing pivotal movement. The support member has a coupling portion connected to the suspension arm, a spring portion connected to the coupling portion, at least one pair of bi-directional cantilevers, and piezoelectric members each disposed on a respective one of the cantilevers. When a voltage having a preselected frequency is applied to the piezoelectric members, the cantilevers are vibrated to cause the cantilevers to contact the suspension arm and thereby finely drive the head portion.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator has a rotational moving member and a supporting member disposed opposite to the rotational moving member and having cantilever portions. Each of the cantilever portions of the supporting member has a fixed end and a free end opposite to the fixed end for contacting the rotational moving member when the supporting member is oscillated. A piezoelectric member is disposed on a respective one of the cantilevers of the supporting member. A power source supplies a voltage to each of the piezoelectric members to oscillate the supporting member in a vibration mode higher than a secondary mode of vibration so that the free ends of the cantilevers make sufficient contact with the rotational moving member to thereby rotate the rotational moving member.

Abstract: A substrate container includes a container housing having an opening for storing a substrate therethrough and a cover sealingly covering the opening, a fan motor mounted in the container housing for producing a circulating path of air in contact with the substrate in the container housing, and a particle removing filter and a gaseous impurity trapping filter which are disposed in the a portion of the circulating path which extends toward the substrate. A dehumidifying unit for dehumidifying a space in the container housing comprises a solid polymer electrolyte film disposed in the circulating path and voltage applying means for applying a voltage to the solid polymer electrolyte film to decompose water in air flowing in the circulating path thereby to dehumidify a space in the container housing.

Abstract: An X-ray inspection apparatus and method in which an object to be inspected is irradiated with characteristic X-rays containing at least one wavelength which affords a high X-ray absorbance in the object to be inspected. A transmitted X-ray image which has passed through the object to be inspected is detected, and the object to be inspected is inspected on the basis of the transmitted X-ray image. The method and apparatus are utilized to fabricate a multi-layer printed circuit board.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining glucose-6-phosphate, including the step of dehydrogenating glucose-6-phosphate and NAD or NADP in the presence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase to produce 6-phosphogluconate and NADH or NADPH, wherein the determination is carried out in the presence of 6-phosphogluconolactonase. Also provided is a composition for determining glucose-6-phosphate, characterized by containing 6-phosphogluconolactonase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and NAD or NADP.