Abstract: A focus detection apparatus includes first-type and second-type pixels and an image-formation-state detector. Each first-type pixel includes a photoelectric converter that receives light from an image-pickup optical system and first and second optical members arranged on an optical path from the optical system to the photoelectric converter and having different refractive indices, and outputs a first charge signal corresponding to an amount of light received by the photoelectric converter. Each second-type pixel includes the photoelectric converter and the first and second optical members arranged such that a positional relationship relative to the photoelectric converter differs from that in each first-type pixel, and outputs a second charge signal corresponding to an amount of light received by the photoelectric converter. The detector detects an image formation state of the image-pickup optical system on the basis of the first and second charge signals.

Abstract: There is provided a wiring substrate for connecting a mounting board on one surface thereof and mounting an integrated circuit chip on the opposite surface to the surface. The wiring substrate has a conductive connecting portion penetrating the substrate for connecting to at least a portion of a wiring layer of the integrated circuit chip, with the portion of a wiring layer formed on the substrate, and an insulating portion formed at a lateral side of the connecting portion for surrounding the connecting portion via a portion of the wiring substrate.

Abstract: A focus detection apparatus includes first-type and second-type pixels and an image-formation-state detector. Each first-type pixel includes a photoelectric converter that receives light from an image-pickup optical system and first and second optical members arranged on an optical path from the optical system to the photoelectric converter and having different refractive indices, and outputs a first charge signal corresponding to an amount of light received by the photoelectric converter. Each second-type pixel includes the photoelectric converter and the first and second optical members arranged such that a positional relationship relative to the photoelectric converter differs from that in each first-type pixel, and outputs a second charge signal corresponding to an amount of light received by the photoelectric converter. The detector detects an image formation state of the image-pickup optical system on the basis of the first and second charge signals.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor apparatus, wherein a technique for manufacturing one semiconductor region by dividing the one semiconductor region into a plurality of divisional regions in regard of a step is applied, and one-side device portions formed simultaneously by a one-side treatment conducted primarily for the divisional region on one side and other-side device portions formed simultaneously by an other-side treatment conducted primarily for the divisional region on the other side are mixedly present in a joint region joining a boundary between the divisional regions.

Abstract: There is provided a wiring substrate for connecting a mounting board on one surface thereof and mounting an integrated circuit chip on the opposite surface to the surface. The wiring substrate has a conductive connecting portion penetrating the substrate for connecting to at least a portion of a wiring layer of the integrated circuit chip, with the portion of a wiring layer formed on the substrate, and an insulating portion formed at a lateral side of the connecting portion for surrounding the connecting portion via a portion of the wiring substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a wiring substrate for connecting a mounting board on one surface thereof and mounting an integrated circuit chip on the opposite surface to the surface. The wiring substrate has a conductive connecting portion penetrating the substrate for connecting to at least a portion of a wiring layer of the integrated circuit chip, with the portion of a wiring layer formed on the substrate, and an insulating portion formed at a lateral side of the connecting portion for surrounding the connecting portion via a portion of the wiring substrate.

Abstract: A casting apparatus has a melting pot (4) in which pieces of metal (8) to be melted is placed. A RF induction heater coil (10) is disposed in association with the melting pot (4) to heat the metal pieces (8). An inverter (18) supplies the coil (10) with high-frequency power to melt the metal pieces (8) in the melting pot (4), and the resulting molten metal is poured into a die (6). A control unit (36), after all of the metal pieces (8) having various sizes and shapes are melted, causes the operation of the inverter (18) to continue for a first time period and, after that, to suspend the operation of the inverter (18) for a second time period so that the heating can be stopped. After that, the control unit (36) causes the inverter (18) to resume its operation to heat the melted metal (8) in the melting pot (4) until the molten metal (8) assumes a predetermined state and, a third predetermined time after that, operates a melting pot driver (9) to cause the molten metal (8) to be poured into the die (6).

Abstract: There is provided a wiring substrate for connecting a mounting board on one surface thereof and mounting an integrated circuit chip on the opposite surface to the surface. The wiring substrate has a conductive connecting portion penetrating the substrate for connecting to at least a portion of a wiring layer of the integrated circuit chip, with the portion of a wiring layer formed on the substrate, and an insulating portion formed at a lateral side of the connecting portion for surrounding the connecting portion via a portion of the wiring substrate.

Abstract: The invention achieves the fine processing of an information writing device, which includes a multilayered element obtained by stacking ferromagnetic/semiconductor/ferromagnetic layers, without increasing the resistivity and power consumption of the device and lowering the reliability thereof. The invention provides an information storage apparatus (1) having write word lines (11), bit lines (21) formed in such a way as to intersect with the write word lines (11) at predetermined intervals, and information storage devices (31) each comprising a multilayered film including a magnetic layer provided in an intersection region, in which each of the write word lines (11) intersects with an associated one of the bit lines (21), between the write word lines (11) and the bit lines (21).

Abstract: A casting apparatus has a melting pot (4) in which pieces of metal (8) to be melted is placed. A RF induction heater coil (10) is disposed in association with the melting pot (4) to heat the metal pieces (8). An inverter (18) supplies the coil (10) with high-frequency power to melt the metal pieces (8) in the melting pot (4), and the resulting molten metal is poured into a die (6). A control unit (36), after all of the metal pieces (8) having various sizes and shapes are melted, causes the operation of the inverter (18) to continue for a first time period and, after that, to suspend the operation of the inverter (18) for a second time period so that the heating can be stopped. After that, the control unit (36) causes the inverter (18) to resume its operation to heat the melted metal (8) in the melting pot (4) until the molten metal (8) assumes a predetermined state and, a third predetermined time after that, operates a melting pot driver (9) to cause the molten metal (8) to be poured into the die (6).

Abstract: The invention achieves the fine processing of an information writing device, which includes a multilayered element obtained by stacking ferromagnetic/semiconductor/ferromagnetic layers, without increasing the resistivity and power consumption of the device and lowering the reliability thereof. The invention provides an information storage apparatus (1) having write word lines (11), bit lines (21) formed in such a way as to intersect with the write word lines (11) at predetermined intervals, and information storage devices (31) each comprising a multilayered film including a magnetic layer provided in an intersection region, in which each of the write word lines (11) intersects with an associated one of the bit lines (21), between the write word lines (11) and the bit lines (21).

Abstract: A molten metal pouring time determining apparatus determines a proper time for pouring molten metal into a die. A mass of metal is placed in a melting pot. The melting pot and the metal mass are radio frequency (RF) induction heated with RF signal modulated with a low frequency signal. A light receiver receives light emitted by the metal mass heated in the melting pot and develops a received-light representative signal. A high-pass filter extracts a high frequency component developed by a sudden change in the received-light representative signal caused by the melting of the metal mass. A comparator develops an output signal when the output signal of the high-pass filter exceeds a reference signal. When the comparator output signal remains above the reference signal for a predetermined time period, a timer generates a molten metal pouring command signal.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a subject surface of a thin-plate-like object that is held by a rotary polishing head with a polishing pad that is mounted on the surface of a rotary polishing surface table. The polishing head has sucking structures such as suction grooves and a through-hole. An elastic holding film that is formed with a plurality of through-holes are attached to the object holding surface of the polishing head. The object is polished in a state that it is sucked and held by the polishing head via the holding film by vacuum suction force.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a subject surface of a thin-plate-like object that is held by a rotary polishing head with a polishing pad that is mounted on the surface of a rotary polishing surface table. The polishing head has sucking structures such as suction grooves and a through-hole. An elastic holding film that is formed with a plurality of through-holes are attached to the object holding surface of the polishing head. The object is polished in a state that it is sucked and held by the polishing head via the holding film by vacuum suction force.

Abstract: A metal material is placed in a crucible 4. An inverter 16 outputs a voltage amplitude-modulated with a low frequency signal. The output voltage is used to RF induction heat the crucible. A photodiode 30 receives light emitted by the metal material in the crucible and develops a received-light-representative signal. A high-pass filter 34 extracts, from the received-light-representative signal, a frequency component having a frequency above the frequency of the low frequency signal. A comparator 40 develops an output signal when the output signal of the high-pass filter exceeds a reference signal provided from a peak sample-and-hold circuit 42 to which the output signal of the high-pass filter is applied as an input thereto.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polishing device including a polishing plate having an upper surface on which a polishing pad is attached, a polishing head having a lower surface opposed to an upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate, for holding a substrate to be polished on the lower surface, and a pressure source for applying a polishing pressure to the polishing head, whereby the substrate held by the polishing head is pressed against the upper surface of the polishing pad under the polishing pressure applied from the pressure source to perform polishing of the substrate. The polishing head is provided with a contact pressure adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting an in-plane contact pressure of the substrate against the upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate at every area of the substrate. Accordingly, the uniformity and the planarity in the plane of the substrate surface to be polished can be improved with a high throughput.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polishing device including a polishing plate having an upper surface on which a polishing pad is attached, a polishing head having a lower surface opposed to an upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate, for holding a substrate to be polished on the lower surface, and a pressure source for applying a polishing pressure to the polishing head, whereby the substrate held by the polishing head is pressed against the upper surface of the polishing pad under the polishing pressure applied from the pressure source to perform polishing of the substrate. The polishing head is provided with a contact pressure adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting an in-plane contact pressure of the substrate against the upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate at every area of the substrate. Accordingly, the uniformity and the planarity in the plane of the substrate surface to be polished can be improved with a high throughput.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polishing including a polishing plate having an upper surface on which a polishing pad is attached, a polishing head having a lower surface opposed to an upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate, for holding a substrate to be polished on the lower surface, and a pressure source for applying a polishing pressure to the polishing head, whereby the substrate held by the polishing head is pressed against the upper surface of the polishing pad under the polishing pressure applied from the pressure source to perform polishing of the substrate. The polishing head is provided with a contact pressure adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting an in-plane contact pressure of the substrate against the upper surface of the polishing pad on the polishing plate at every area of the substrate. Accordingly, the uniformity and the planarity in the plane of the substrate surface to be polished can be improved with a high throughput.

Abstract: A precision casting device especially suitable for dental use, which includes melting and casting chambers supported by a frame such that they are arranged coaxially up and down in the frame under a normal operating state and can be drawn horizontally out of the frame during service time in order to facilitate access to the interiors of them, and which is provided with evacuating apparatus and an inert gas supply and can carry out the casting process in which a casting material is molten in an inert atmosphere, the molten material is then supplied to a mold in a vacuum state and, therafter, casting is effected under a pressure of inert atmosphere.