Abstract: Provided are an etching gas and an etching method, which are capable of selectively etching an etching object having silicon nitride in comparison with a non-etching object. The etching gas contains nitrosyl fluoride and also contains nitryl fluoride as an impurity, in which the concentration of nitryl fluoride is 0.0001 ppm by mass or more and 100 ppm by mass or less. The etching method includes an etching step of bringing this etching gas into contact with a member to be etched (12) having an etching object, which is an object of etching by the etching gas, and a non-etching object, which is not an object to be etched by the etching gas, and selectively etching the etching object in comparison with the non-etching object. The etching object has silicon nitride.

Abstract: A thermal treatment apparatus includes a treatment tank including a treatment chamber to perform thermal treatment on toner particles; a toner particle supply unit configured to supply toner particles into the treatment chamber; and a hot air supply unit including a supply port to supply hot air into the treatment chamber. The supply port of the hot air supply unit is disposed on a ceiling of the treatment chamber. The treatment tank further includes: a columnar member that is vertically disposed at the center inside of the treatment chamber; and a protruded member that is disposed at an upper end of the columnar member and has an approximately conical shape protruding toward the ceiling. The columnar member has a cylindrical shape and a radius of curvature RCP (mm) of an upper end edge in a vertical cross-section thereof is 5<RCP<75.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, memory device includes a first, second, and third conductive layers in this order, a resistance change layer between the first and the second conductive layers, and a switching layer between the second and the third conductive layers. The switching layer contains: at least one first substance from a group consisting of oxide of at least one element from a group consisting of Cr, La, Ce, Y, Sc, Zr, and Hf, nitride of the at least one element, and oxynitride of the at least one element; a second substance being at least one metal from a group consisting of Te, Se, Sb, Bi, Ge, and Sn; and at least one third substance from a group consisting of oxide of the second substance, nitride of the second substance, and oxynitride of the second substance.

Abstract: An electric power supply system includes an electric power reception apparatus and an electric power supply apparatus adapted to supply electric power to the electric power reception apparatus when the electric power reception apparatus is placed on the electric power supply apparatus. The electric power supply apparatus includes a plurality of electric power supply units adapted to supply electric power by electromagnetic induction to the electric power reception apparatus. A selection unit of the electric power supply apparatus selects, from the total plurality of electric power supply units, a plurality of electric power supply units whose location corresponds to a position where the electric power reception apparatus is placed, and a control unit controls the supply of electric power such that electric power is supplied to the electric power reception apparatus from the selected plurality of electric power supply units.

Abstract: Provided is a toner that expresses all of low-temperature fixability, transferability, and scratch resistance at high levels. The toner is a toner including a toner particle containing a binder resin, a wax, and an inorganic fine particle, wherein when an outflow start temperature measured with the toner is represented by T1 (° C.), the inorganic fine particle always has a thermal expansion coefficient of ?0.1×10?6 (/K) or less in a temperature range of from 30° C. or more to T1° C. or less, the thermal expansion coefficient being determined by X-ray diffraction and wherein a content of the wax is 3.0 mass % or more and 20.0 mass % or less with respect to a mass of the toner particle.

Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle comprising a binder resin including a polyester resin, and a polyolefin resin having a sulfonic acid group, wherein the polyolefin resin having a sulfonic acid group is a polymer in which a vinyl polymer is bonded to a polyolefin, a content ratio of a monomer unit containing a sulfonic acid group in the vinyl polymer is from 1.0 mass % to 20.0 mass %, in a FT-IR spectrum obtained through measurement of a large particle size toner and a small particle size toner resulting from dividing, on a number basis, the toner into two substantially equal parts, a ratio of an intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1130 cm?1 to 1170 cm?1 with respect to an intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1713 cm?1 to 1723 cm?1 exhibits a specific relationship.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a toner including supplying powder particles containing a binder resin via a plurality of powder-particle supplying units to a treating chamber, the treating chamber having a cylindrical inner peripheral surface, heat treating the powder particles in the treating chamber by supplying hot air into the treating chamber, wherein a temperature of the hot air supplied into the treating chamber is 100.0° C. or higher and 200.0° C. or lower, and adjusting a humidity of the hot air so that a relative humidity of the hot air supplied into the treating chamber is 3.0% or more and 80.0% or less.

Abstract: A toner containing a toner particle that contains a binder resin including a polyester resin, and a polyolefin resin having —COOM that is a neutralized carboxy group with a monovalent metal ion M, wherein the polyolefin resin having —COOM is a polymer in which a vinyl polymer is bonded to a polyolefin, a content of a monomer unit containing —COOM in the polyolefin resin having —COOM is 1 to 20 mass %, and in a FT-IR spectrum obtained through measurement of a large particle size-side particle group and a small particle size-side particle group obtained by dividing the toner into two substantially equal parts, on a number basis, a ratio of the intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1545 cm?1 to 1555 cm?1 with respect to the intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1713 cm?1 to 1723 cm?1 exhibits a specific relationship.

Abstract: A toner melt-kneading apparatus to perform melt-kneading includes a kneading chamber, a discharge member connected to the kneading chamber, and a pressure gauge provided to the discharge member. The discharge member includes a flow passage having a substantially cylindrical shape and configured to pass a kneaded material. The pressure gauge includes a thermometer and includes a pressure-measuring portion disposed in the flow passage. D, d, and ? satisfy the following relationship, where a length of the flow passage is denoted as D, a distance from a discharge port in a downstream-side end portion of the discharge member to the pressure-measuring portion is denoted as d, and an inner diameter of the flow passage is denoted as ?, 0.020?(d/D)/? (herein, D>d).

Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle comprising a binder resin including a polyester resin, and a polyolefin resin having a sulfonic acid group, wherein the polyolefin resin having a sulfonic acid group is a polymer in which a vinyl polymer is bonded to a polyolefin, a content ratio of a monomer unit containing a sulfonic acid group in the vinyl polymer is from 1.0 mass % to 20.0 mass %, in a FT-IR spectrum obtained through measurement of a large particle size toner and a small particle size toner resulting from dividing, on a number basis, the toner into two substantially equal parts, a ratio of an intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1130 cm?1 to 1170 cm?1 with respect to an intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1713 cm?1 to 1723 cm?1 exhibits a specific relationship.

Abstract: A damper structure provided in a steering wheel of a vehicle to be able to achieve an improved effect of reducing vibration in a low frequency region and structurally prevent noise generation. The damper structure includes a plate member which faces the steering wheel and to which an airbag module is to be attached, an insulator attached to the plate member, a connector inserted into the insulator and having one end fixed to the steering wheel to be oscillated by vibration of the steering wheel, an elastic member surrounding the connector in the insulator, a ring provided with the elastic member to transmit the oscillation of the connector to the elastic member, a stopper provided around another end of the connector to face the elastic member, and a coil spring which brings the elastic member of the insulator into pressure contact with the stopper.

Abstract: The present invention provides a white toner which has high charge uniformity and enables stable print-out of high-quality images irrespective of its usage environment. The above object can be solved by a white toner including a white toner particle containing a binder resin, a white pigment and an inorganic fine particle, in which the white pigment has a work function of 5.80 eV or more and 6.10 eV or less, the content of the white pigment is 15.0 parts by mass or more and 60.0 parts by mass or less relative to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin, and the inorganic fine particle has a work function of 6.15 eV or more.

Abstract: A steering wheel includes a decorative component and a surface skin on a surface of the rim. The decorative component is formed into a band and a leading-end portion of the decorative component has a tapered form in which an inner edge curves towards an outer circumference of the rim and serves as a curving edge. The surface skin includes a curved-side section adjoining the curving edge and a non-curved-side section adjoining a non-curving edge of the leading-end portion. The curved-side section includes a main body that includes a curving portion which corresponds to the curving edge of the leading-end portion in shape, and an extended portion that extends beyond an apex of the leading-end portion and extends towards the non-curving edge of the leading-end portion of the decorative component. A region of the extended portion beyond the apex is joined to a leading edge of the non-curved-side section.

Abstract: A toner containing a toner particle that contains a binder resin including a polyester resin, and a polyolefin resin having —COOM that is a neutralized carboxy group with a monovalent metal ion M, wherein the polyolefin resin having —COOM is a polymer in which a vinyl polymer is bonded to a polyolefin, a content of a monomer unit containing —COOM in the polyolefin resin having —COOM is 1 to 20 mass %, and in a FT-IR spectrum obtained through measurement of a large particle size-side particle group and a small particle size-side particle group obtained by dividing the toner into two substantially equal parts, on a number basis, a ratio of the intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1545 cm?1 to 1555 cm?1 with respect to the intensity of a maximum absorption peak in a range from 1713 cm?1 to 1723 cm?1 exhibits a specific relationship.

Abstract: A toner that is suppressed from deteriorating owing to its long-term use and can maintain high transferability. The toner includes: a toner particle containing an amorphous polyester serving as a binder resin and a polymer A; and inorganic fine particles, wherein the polymer A includes a graft copolymer of a polyolefin and a vinyl-based polymer unit having a carboxylate anion group, and a metal ion having a valence of 2 or more.

Abstract: Provided is an aluminum nitride single crystal which is easier to cut than conventional ones. The presently disclosed aluminum nitride single crystal 1 has a matrix region M constituting a matrix of the aluminum nitride single crystal, and at least one domain region D included in the matrix region M.

Abstract: A steering wheel includes a decorative component and a surface skin on a surface of the rim. The decorative component is formed into a band and a leading-end portion of the decorative component has a tapered form in which an inner edge curves towards an outer circumference of the rim and serves as a curving edge. The surface skin includes a curved-side section adjoining the curving edge and a non-curved-side section adjoining a non-curving edge of the leading-end portion. The curved-side section includes a main body that includes a curving portion which corresponds to the curving edge of the leading-end portion in shape, and an extended portion that extends beyond an apex of the leading-end portion and extends towards the non-curving edge of the leading-end portion of the decorative component. A region of the extended portion beyond the apex is joined to a leading edge of the non-curved-side section.

Abstract: A toner comprising a toner particle including a binder resin and a crystalline polyester resin, wherein the binder resin is an amorphous polyester resin having a linear alkyl group at a molecular chain terminal; the crystalline polyester resin is a polycondensate of a diol and a dicarboxylic acid; the number of carbon atoms CaPES of the linear alkyl group, the number of carbon atoms COH of the diol, and the number of carbon atoms CAc of the dicarboxylic acid, excluding carbon that belongs to carboxyl groups, satisfy the following relationships; and a glass transition temperature of the toner as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is from 40.0° C. to 55.0° C. 8?CaPES?20??(1) CAc/COH?3.5 and 0?|CAc?CaPES|?3??(2) COH/CAc?3.

Abstract: A damper structure provided in a steering wheel of a vehicle to be able to achieve an improved effect of reducing vibration in a low frequency region and structurally prevent noise generation. The damper structure includes a plate member which faces the steering wheel and to which an airbag module is to be attached, an insulator attached to the plate member, a connector inserted into the insulator and having one end fixed to the steering wheel to be oscillated by vibration of the steering wheel, an elastic member surrounding the connector in the insulator, a ring provided with the elastic member to transmit the oscillation of the connector to the elastic member, a stopper provided around another end of the connector to face the elastic member, and a coil spring which brings the elastic member of the insulator into pressure contact with the stopper.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a positive electrode material for a battery, wherein the material is a complex oxide whose overall composition is LiaNibMcNdLeOx, M: is selected from the group consisting of Mn and Co, N: is one, two, or more chemical elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Ti, Cr, and Fe, L: is one, two, or more chemical elements selected from the group consisting of B, C, Na, Si, P, S, K, Ca, and Ba, and where a/(b+c+d): 0.80 to 1.30, b/(b+c+d): 0.30 to 0.95, c/(b+c+d): 0.05 to 0.60, d/(b+c+d): 0.005 to 0.10, e/(b+c+d): 0.0005 to 0.010, b+c+d=1, and x: 1.5 to 2.5, the method including mixing raw material chemical elements or compounds containing raw material chemical elements, baking the resultant raw materials at a temperature of 700° C. or higher and 950° C. or lower in a baking process, and thereafter performing a treatment using a water-washing process.