Abstract: There is provided a thyristor with desensitized gate sensitivity. In accordance with this, the third P-type semiconductor layer, which is connected to a gate electrode, has an impurity concentration higher than that of a second P-type semiconductor layer. A fourth P-type semiconductor layer, which is in contact with each of the second P-type semiconductor layer and the second N-type semiconductor layer, is disposed below the cathode electrode, and has an impurity concentration higher than that of the second P-type semiconductor layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a confirmer, a response receiver, and a controller. The confirmer causes the image forming device to stand by, without starting production of a printed material, upon deciding that a print request has been sent from a remote location distant from the image forming apparatus, and transmits, through a network I/F, a request for final confirmation just before starting, about whether the production of the printed material may be started, to a user of a terminal device that transmitted the print request. The response receiver receives a response to the final confirmation, from the terminal device owned by the user. The controller causes the image forming device to start the production of the printed material, upon deciding that the response from the user received by the response receiver indicates permission to start the production of the printed material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a confirmer, a response receiver, and a controller. The confirmer causes the image forming device to stand by, without starting production of a printed material, upon deciding that a print request has been sent from a remote location distant from the image forming apparatus, and transmits, through a network I/F, a request for final confirmation just before starting, about whether the production of the printed material may be started, to a user of a terminal device that transmitted the print request. The response receiver receives a response to the final confirmation, from the terminal device owned by the user. The controller causes the image forming device to start the production of the printed material, upon deciding that the response from the user received by the response receiver indicates permission to start the production of the printed material.

Abstract: In a manufacturing method for a gas diffusion sheet, when a first film is joined to a front end portion of a base material in a conveyance direction, a first joining material is made to penetrate a first overlapping portion where the first film and the base material are superimposed on each other, and the first film and the base material are thus joined to each other physically through the first joining material. When a second film is joined to a rear end portion of the base material in the conveyance direction, a second joining material is made to penetrate a second overlapping portion where the base material and the second film are superimposed on each other, and the base material and the second film are thus physically joined to each other through the second joining material.

Abstract: A maintenance apparatus for a cryocooler includes a glovebox, a container, and a lid. The glovebox is configured to be joined to a cooling subject coupled to a cylinder of the cryocooler. The glovebox defines a first glovebox chamber that accommodates a cryocooler part excluding the cylinder. The cryocooler part includes a displacer of the cryocooler dismounted from the cylinder. The container is disposed in the first glovebox chamber and configured to accommodate the cryocooler part. The lid is disposed in the first glovebox chamber. The lid is configured to disconnect a cylinder chamber of the cylinder from the first glovebox chamber when the cooling subject is joined to the glovebox.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator that ensures an improved corrosion resistance under usage environment of a fuel cell and restraining an increase of a contact resistance with a power generation unit by enhancing a sticking force of a conductive carbon film formed on a surface in contact with the power generation unit on a surface of a titanium substrate is provided. It is a method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator. The fuel cell separator includes a contact portion that is in contact with a power generation unit so as to partition the power generation units including electrodes of the fuel cell, and includes a conductive carbon film formed on the contact portion. First, a titanium substrate that has a plurality of projecting portions formed corresponding to a shape of the contact portion and recessed portions for gas flow channels formed between the projecting portions are prepared as a substrate of the separator.

Abstract: As a technique to improve processing efficiency of defect inspection by quickly adjusting a position of a detection system, provided is a defect inspection apparatus including: a stage that moves with a sample and a pattern substrate placed thereon; an illumination optical system that irradiates an object on the stage from a direction inclined from the normal direction of the pattern substrate; a first detection optical system that detects scattered light in the normal direction; a second detection optical system that detects scattered light in a direction different from the scattered light detected by the first detection optical system; a signal processing unit that processes both scattered light signals; and a control unit.

Abstract: In a defect inspection device that irradiates a surface of a sample or a surface of a pattern chip with an illumination light shaped to extend in a first direction, and detects a scattered light generated from the surface of the sample or the surface of the pattern chip by the illumination light to detect a defect on the surface of the sample, the pattern chip has a dot pattern area in which multiple dots are arrayed in multiple rows and multiple columns, a minimum interval between the dots corresponding to the lines aligned in the first direction among the multiple dots arrayed in the dot pattern area in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than a width of the illumination light, and a minimum interval between the multiple dots arrayed in the dot pattern area is larger than a resolution of the detection optical system.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium in a first operating mode. The image forming apparatus includes a detector, a determining section, a judging section, and a regulating section. The detector detects a detection target. The determining section determines, based on a detection result of the detector, to maintain a second operating mode in which power consumption is less than in the first operating mode. The judging section judges whether or not determination by the determining section is erroneous. The regulating section regulates, based on a judgement result of the judging section, the determination by the determining section of maintaining the second operating mode.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a communication device, a received data processing portion, a human detection sensor, a sensitivity setting portion, a rest control portion, and a return control portion. The sensitivity setting portion sets, based on content of the job data, the sensitivity of the human detection sensor for a time when specific devices including the received data processing portion are in a predetermined rest state. The rest control portion causes the specific devices to transit to the rest state when a predetermined rest condition is satisfied. The return control portion causes the specific devices to transit from the rest state to a return state when the human detection sensor detects a human body in the situation where the specific devices are in the rest state, wherein larger power is consumed in the return state than in the rest state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image formation section, an instruction input section, a storage section, and a control section. Upon every execution of a print job in accordance with the print job execution instruction inputted to the instruction input section by a user, the control section causes the storage section to store as history information, in association with the user who has instructed the execution of the print job, which of a normal mode and a silent mode has been set. When the print job execution instruction has been inputted to the instruction input section without the input of a mode setting instruction from the user, the control section reads out the history information associated with the user from the storage section, sets either of the normal mode and the silent mode based on the read history information, and controls the image formation section to execute the print job.

Abstract: As a technique to improve processing efficiency of defect inspection by quickly adjusting a position of a detection system, provided is a defect inspection apparatus including: a stage that moves with a sample and a pattern substrate placed thereon; an illumination optical system that irradiates an object on the stage from a direction inclined from the normal direction of the pattern substrate; a first detection optical system that detects scattered light in the normal direction; a second detection optical system that detects scattered light in a direction different from the scattered light detected by the first detection optical system; a signal processing unit that processes both scattered light signals; and a control unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording medium in a first operating mode. The image forming apparatus includes a detector, a determining section, a judging section, and a regulating section. The detector detects a detection target. The determining section determines, based on a detection result of the detector, to maintain a second operating mode in which power consumption is less than in the first operating mode. The judging section judges whether or not determination by the determining section is erroneous. The regulating section regulates, based on a judgement result of the judging section, the determination by the determining section of maintaining the second operating mode.

Abstract: To keep up with achievement of the TEC value and suppressing the wear-out of hardware. An image forming apparatus of the present disclosure, which is configured to transit, after an elapse of a sleep-transition time, to enter a power-saving state in which power supply destinations are limited when compared to a normal state, includes a power amount prediction unit and an extension control unit. The power amount prediction unit acquires, whenever a state-transition is made, a power-consumption amount during an immediate preceding power-saving state to calculate a predicted power-consumption amount in a specific period based on the power-consumption amount. The extension control unit gives priority to the sleep-transition to enter the power-saving state if the predicted power-consumption amount exceeds the TEC value corresponding to the specific period, while extends the sleep-transition time if the predicted power-consumption amount fails to exceed the TEC value corresponding to the specific period.

Abstract: In a manufacturing method for a gas diffusion sheet, when a first film is joined to a front end portion of a base material in a conveyance direction, a first joining material is made to penetrate a first overlapping portion where the first film and the base material are superimposed on each other, and the first film and the base material are thus joined to each other physically through the first joining material. When a second film is joined to a rear end portion of the base material in the conveyance direction, a second joining material is made to penetrate a second overlapping portion where the base material and the second film are superimposed on each other, and the base material and the second film are thus physically joined to each other through the second joining material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus operates in a normal mode in a first electric power state and in a power saving mode in which more electric power is saved than in the first electric power state. The image forming apparatus includes a motion sensor, an operation section, and a controller. The controller executes a first timer process in response to receipt of the detection signal and executes a second timer process in response to receipt of the operation signal. At a time when a first period elapses indicating that the first timer process times out, the controller transitions from the normal mode to the power saving mode. At a time when a second period elapses indicating that the second timer process times out, the controller transitions from the normal mode to the power saving mode. The first period is shorter than the second period.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a gas diffusion layer includes: a coating step of coating a carbon paste on a front surface of a porous base material in a sheet shape; and a blowing step of injecting a gas onto a back surface of the porous base material opposite to the front surface on which the carbon paste is coated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image formation section, an instruction input section, a storage section, and a control section. Upon every execution of a print job in accordance with the print job execution instruction inputted to the instruction input section by a user, the control section causes the storage section to store as history information, in association with the user who has instructed the execution of the print job, which of a normal mode and a silent mode has been set. When the print job execution instruction has been inputted to the instruction input section without the input of a mode setting instruction from the user, the control section reads out the history information associated with the user from the storage section, sets either of the normal mode and the silent mode based on the read history information, and controls the image formation section to execute the print job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a communication device, a received data processing portion, a human detection sensor, a sensitivity setting portion, a rest control portion, and a return control portion. The sensitivity setting portion sets, based on content of the job data, the sensitivity of the human detection sensor for a time when specific devices including the received data processing portion are in a predetermined rest state. The rest control portion causes the specific devices to transit to the rest state when a predetermined rest condition is satisfied. The return control portion causes the specific devices to transit from the rest state to a return state when the human detection sensor detects a human body in the situation where the specific devices are in the rest state, wherein larger power is consumed in the return state than in the rest state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sensor, an operation section, and a controller. The sensor detects a sensor target. The operation section receives an operation instruction. The controller executes a setting process for controlling the sensor. The setting process is a process to adjust a sensitivity of the sensor according to detection precision. The detection precision is a relationship in a first unit period between the number of times the sensor detects the sensor target and the number of times of the operation section receives the operation instruction.