Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a first waveguide that propagates light by total reflection; and a second waveguide. The second waveguide includes: a first multilayer reflective film; a second multilayer reflective film that faces the first multilayer reflective film; and a first optical waveguide layer directly connected to the first waveguide and located between the first and second multilayer reflective films. The first optical waveguide layer has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index and propagates the light transmitted through the first waveguide. The first multilayer reflective film has a higher light transmittance than the second multilayer reflective film and allows part of the light propagating through the first optical waveguide layer to be emitted to the outside. By changing the thickness of the first optical waveguide layer and/or its refractive index, the direction of the part of the light emitted from the second waveguide is changed.

Abstract: A light detecting device is provided with: a filter array including filters arranged two-dimensionally, each of the filters having a light-incident surface and a light-emitting surface, the filters including multiple types of filters having mutually different transmission spectra; and an image sensor having a light-detecting surface facing the light-emitting surface, the image sensor being provided with light-detecting elements arranged two-dimensionally on the light-detecting surface, wherein the distance between the light-emitting surface and the light-detecting surface is different for each of the filters.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: first and second mirrors; an optical waveguide layer disposed between the first and second mirrors; a pair of electrodes sandwiching the optical waveguide layer; and a driving circuit that applies a voltage to the pair of electrodes. The first mirror emits part of light propagating through the optical waveguide layer to the outside. The optical waveguide layer contains a liquid crystal material or an electrooptical material. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal material or the direction of a polarization axis of the electrooptical material is parallel or perpendicular to the direction in which the optical waveguide layer extends. The driving circuit applies the voltage to the pair of electrodes to change the refractive index of the liquid crystal material or the electrooptical material to thereby change the light emission direction.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a first waveguide that propagates light by total reflection; and a second waveguide. The second waveguide includes: a first multilayer reflective film; a second multilayer reflective film that faces the first multilayer reflective film; and a first optical waveguide layer directly connected to the first waveguide and located between the first and second multilayer reflective films. The first optical waveguide layer has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index and propagates the light transmitted through the first waveguide. The first multilayer reflective film has a higher light transmittance than the second multilayer reflective film and allows part of the light propagating through the first optical waveguide layer to be emitted to the outside. By changing the thickness of the first optical waveguide layer and/or its refractive index, the direction of the part of the light emitted from the second waveguide is changed.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a first waveguide that propagates light by total reflection; and a second waveguide. The second waveguide includes: a first multilayer reflective film; a second multilayer reflective film that faces the first multilayer reflective film; and a first optical waveguide layer directly connected to the first waveguide and located between the first and second multilayer reflective films. The first optical waveguide layer has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index and propagates the light transmitted through the first waveguide. The first multilayer reflective film has a higher light transmittance than the second multilayer reflective film and allows part of the light propagating through the first optical waveguide layer to be emitted to the outside. By changing the thickness of the first optical waveguide layer and/or its refractive index, the direction of the part of the light emitted from the second waveguide is changed.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a waveguide array including a plurality of waveguides arranged in a first direction. Each waveguide includes: an optical waveguide layer that propagates light supplied to the waveguide in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a first mirror having a first reflecting surface intersecting a third direction; and a second mirror having a second reflecting surface that faces the first reflecting surface. The optical waveguide layer is located between the first and second mirrors and has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index for the light. The width of the first mirror and the width of the second mirror are each larger than the width of the optical waveguide layer. The first mirror has a higher light transmittance than the second mirror and allows part of the light propagating through the optical waveguide layer to be emitted in the third direction.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a waveguide array including a plurality of waveguides arranged in a first direction. Each waveguide includes: an optical waveguide layer that propagates light supplied to the waveguide in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a first mirror having a first reflecting surface intersecting a third direction; and a second mirror having a second reflecting surface that faces the first reflecting surface. The optical waveguide layer is located between the first and second mirrors and has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index for the light. The width of the first mirror and the width of the second mirror are each larger than the width of the optical waveguide layer. The first mirror has a higher light transmittance than the second mirror and allows part of the light propagating through the optical waveguide layer to be emitted in the third direction.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: first and second mirrors; an optical waveguide layer disposed between the first and second mirrors; a pair of electrodes sandwiching the optical waveguide layer; and a driving circuit that applies a voltage to the pair of electrodes. The first mirror has a higher light transmittance than the second mirror and emits part of light propagating through the optical waveguide layer to the outside. The optical waveguide layer contains a liquid crystal material or an electrooptical material. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal material or the direction of a polarization axis of the electrooptical material is parallel or perpendicular to the direction in which the optical waveguide layer extends. The driving circuit applies the voltage to the pair of electrodes to change the refractive index of the liquid crystal material or the electrooptical material to thereby change the light emission direction.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes: a first waveguide that propagates light by total reflection; and a second waveguide. The second waveguide includes: a first multilayer reflective film; a second multilayer reflective film that faces the first multilayer reflective film; and a first optical waveguide layer directly connected to the first waveguide and located between the first and second multilayer reflective films. The first optical waveguide layer has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index and propagates the light transmitted through the first waveguide. The first multilayer reflective film has a higher light transmittance than the second multilayer reflective film and allows part of the light propagating through the first optical waveguide layer to be emitted to the outside. By changing the thickness of the first optical waveguide layer and/or its refractive index, the direction of the part of the light emitted from the second waveguide is changed.

Abstract: An optical scanning device includes a waveguide array including a plurality of waveguides arranged in a first direction. Each waveguide includes: an optical waveguide layer that propagates light supplied to the waveguide in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a first mirror having a first reflecting surface intersecting a third direction; and a second mirror having a second reflecting surface that faces the first reflecting surface. The optical waveguide layer is located between the first and second mirrors and has a variable thickness and/or a variable refractive index for the light. The width of the first mirror and the width of the second mirror are each larger than the width of the optical waveguide layer. The first mirror has a higher light transmittance than the second mirror and allows part of the light propagating through the optical waveguide layer to be emitted in the third direction.

Abstract: A charging device of an aspect of the present disclosure includes couplers and control circuitry that controls a charging operation. If the number of one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged is smaller than a set number, the control circuitry charges each of the one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged with a continuous current. If the number is greater than or equal to the set number, the control circuitry intermittently repeats charging of each of the one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged with a stopping interval placed between charging operations while selectively and sequentially switching the one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to which a charging current is supplied at the same time, and the control circuitry increases the charging current and shortens an application duration of the charging current per charging with an increase in the number of secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged.

Abstract: A secondary battery system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of secondary batteries; a power source; and a control circuitry. The control circuitry is operative to intermittently charges each of the plurality of secondary batteries plural times with a pause between charges while repeating a cycle including (a) selecting a secondary battery to be charged next from among the plurality of secondary batteries and (b) charging the selected secondary battery at a charging current not less than a standard current. The standard current is defined to reduce a charging capacity of each secondary battery decreases by 20% from a maximum charging capacity in a case where the secondary battery is continuously charged at the standard current.

Abstract: A secondary battery system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of secondary batteries; a power source; and a control circuitry. The control circuitry is operative to intermittently charges each of the plurality of secondary batteries plural times with a pause between charges while repeating a cycle including (a) selecting a secondary battery to be charged next from among the plurality of secondary batteries and (b) charging the selected secondary battery at a charging current not less than a standard current. The standard current is defined to reduce a charging capacity of each secondary battery decreases by 20% from a maximum charging capacity in a case where the secondary battery is continuously charged at the standard current.

Abstract: A charging device of an aspect of the present disclosure includes couplers and control circuitry that controls a charging operation. If the number of one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged is smaller than a set number, the control circuitry charges each of the one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged with a continuous current. If the number is greater than or equal to the set number, the control circuitry intermittently repeats charging of each of the one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged with a stopping interval placed between charging operations while selectively and sequentially switching the one or more secondary battery-equipped devices to which a charging current is supplied at the same time, and the control circuitry increases the charging current and shortens an application duration of the charging current per charging with an increase in the number of secondary battery-equipped devices to be charged.

Abstract: In order to increase the photoelectric conversion efficiency of a photoelectric conversion device, a photoelectric conversion device (400), obtained by layering semiconductor layers consisting of a p-type layer (42), an i-type layer (46) and an n-type layer (50), is provided with a first intermediate layer (44) and a second intermediate layer (48), which abut the i-type layer (46) and have refractive indices that increase from the side that abuts the i-type layer (46) to the side that does not abut the i-type layer (46) within a range of refractive indices lower than that of the i-type layer.

Abstract: In order to increase the photoelectric conversion efficiency of a photoelectric conversion device, the photoelectric conversion device (200) is provided with a first intermediate layer (44), which is arranged between a p-type layer (42) and an i-type layer (46) and which has a lower refractive index than refractive indices of the p-type layer (42) or the i-type layer (46), and a second intermediate layer (48), which is arranged between an n-type layer (50) and the i-type layer (46) and which has a lower refractive index than refractive indices of the n-type layer (50) or the i-type layer (46).

Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of inhibiting a fabricating process from complication while inhibiting the dielectric strength voltage of a insulating film from reduction is obtained. This semiconductor device includes a groove portion, an insulating film formed on a surface of the groove portion, a gate electrode and a source impurity region, wherein upper ends of the gate electrode, which are portions in contact with the insulating film, are each located at a position identical with or deeper than the range of an impurity introduced from a surface of a semiconductor substrate with respect to the insulating film in order to form the source impurity region and above a lower surface of the source impurity region.

Abstract: The invention provides a trench gate type transistor in which the gate capacitance is reduced, the crystal defect is prevented and the gate breakdown voltage is enhanced. Trenches are formed in an N? type semiconductor layer. A uniformly thick silicon oxide film is formed on the bottom of each of the trenches and near the bottom, being round at corner portions. A silicon oxide film is formed on the upper portion of the sidewall of each of the trenches, which is thinner than the silicon oxide film and round at corner portions. Gate electrodes are formed from inside the trenches onto the outside thereof. The thick silicon oxide film reduces the gate capacitance, and the thin silicon oxide film on the upper portion provides good transistor characteristics. Furthermore, with the round corner portions, the crystal defect does not easily occur, and the gate electric field is dispersed to enhance the gate breakdown voltage.

Abstract: The invention provides a trench gate type transistor in which the gate leakage current is prevented and the gate capacitance is reduced. A trench is formed in an N? type semiconductor layer. A thin silicon oxide film is formed on a region of the N? type semiconductor layer for the active region of the transistor in the trench. On the other hand, a silicon oxide film which is thicker than the silicon oxide film is formed on a region not for the active region. Furthermore, a leading portion extending from inside the trench onto the outside thereof forms a gate electrode contacting the silicon oxide film. This provides a long distance between the gate electrode at the leading portion and the corner portion of the N? type semiconductor layer, thereby preventing the gate leakage current and reducing the gate capacitance.

Abstract: The invention provides a trench gate type transistor in which the gate leakage current is prevented and the gate capacitance is reduced. A trench is formed in an N? type semiconductor layer. A thin silicon oxide film is formed on a region of the N? type semiconductor layer for the active region of the transistor in the trench. On the other hand, a silicon oxide film which is thicker than the silicon oxide film is formed on a region not for the active region. Furthermore, a leading portion extending from inside the trench onto the outside thereof forms a gate electrode contacting the silicon oxide film. This provides a long distance between the gate electrode at the leading portion and the corner portion of the N? type semiconductor layer, thereby preventing the gate leakage current and reducing the gate capacitance.