Abstract: A KrF (248 nm) photoresist patterning process flow is disclosed wherein photoresist patterns having a sub-100 nm CD are formed on a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC) thereby lowering cost of ownership by replacing a more expensive ArF (193 nm) photoresist patterning process. A key feature is treatment of a DARC such as SiON with a photoresist developer solution that is 0.263 N tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) prior to treatment with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) in order to significantly improve adhesion of features with CD down to about 60 nm. After the HMDS treatment, a photoresist layer is coated on the DARC, patternwise exposed, and treated with the photoresist developer solution to form a pattern therein. Features that were previously resolved by KrF patterning processes but subsequently collapsed because of poor adhesion, now remain upright and intact during a subsequent etch process used to transfer the sub-100 nm features into a substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for producing structures in a substrate. The system includes a projection exposure system. The projection exposure system includes a projection optical unit and an illumination system.

Abstract: Provided is a lithography apparatus that includes a plurality of patterning devices each of which is configured to perform patterning for a substrate supplied from a preprocessing apparatus; and a controller configured to control the plurality of patterning devices such that a plurality of substrates respectively belonging to a plurality of lots is subjected to parallel processings by the plurality of patterning devices based on a plurality of recipe information respectively corresponding to the plurality of lots, and transmit information regarding a schedule of the parallel processings to the preprocessing apparatus.

Abstract: A method for producing a capping layer (18) composed of silicon oxide SiOx on a coating (16) of a mirror (13), the coating reflecting EUV radiation (6) e.g. for use in an EUV lithography apparatus or in an EUV mask metrology system. The method includes irradiating a capping layer (18) composed of silicon nitride SiNx or composed of silicon oxynitride SiNxOy for converting the silicon nitride SiNx or the silicon oxynitride SiNxOy of the capping layer (18) into silicon oxide SiOx. An associated mirror (13) includes a capping layer comprised of silicon oxide SiOX, and can be provided in an associated EUV lithography apparatus.

Abstract: The invention provides an image forming apparatus and an electrophotographic photoreceptor, comprising: a conductive support; and at least a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer on the conductive support, wherein said charge generation layer contains a hydroxygallium phthalocyanine synthesized using a halogen solvent, said charge transport layer contains a polyester resin having a specific structural unit, and said charge transport layer is formed using a non-halogen solvent.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a toner including a toner particle, the method including: a granulation step of mixing a polymerizable monomer composition containing a polymerizable monomer and an aqueous medium to form a suspension of particles of the polymerizable monomer composition; and a polymerization step of polymerizing the polymerizable monomer in each of the particles of the polymerizable monomer composition in the presence of a metal phosphate containing aluminum as a metal element to provide the toner particle, the content ratio of aluminum in the metal phosphate containing aluminum being 1.0 mol % or more and 95.0 mol % or less with respect to all metal elements, the metal phosphate containing aluminum being obtained by adding an aluminum compound to the aqueous medium and/or the suspension.

Abstract: Toner that includes a polyester resin, fluorine and aluminum. The toner satisfies formulae (1) and (2), 1.00?AB/B?0.50??(1) 0?(A?AB)/A?0.25??(2) where A represents an area where the fluorine exists measured by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), B represents an area where the aluminum exists measured by Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and AB represents an overlapping area between A and B. Toner stored unit, image forming apparatus, and image forming method.

Abstract: An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes toner particles containing a binder resin and a release agent and an external additive containing fatty acid metal salt particles and abrasive particles, wherein a ratio (B/A) of an isolation amount B of the abrasive particles isolated from the toner particles after an ultrasonic isolation treatment to an isolation amount A of the fatty acid metal salt particles isolated from the toner particles after the ultrasonic isolation treatment is from 0.3 to 2.0.

Abstract: A liquid developer set of the present invention includes a first liquid developer including an insulating liquid and first toner particles and a second liquid developer including an insulating liquid and second toner particles, the first toner particles include carbon black and a first resin, the second toner particles include a coloring agent other than carbon black and a second resin, without including carbon black, the first resin and the second resin each include a hydrocarbon long chain which is a hydrocarbon group having a carbon number of 8 to 30, and a mass ratio of the hydrocarbon long chain to the first toner particles is higher than a mass ratio of the hydrocarbon long chain to the second toner particles.

Abstract: The ultraviolet-curable liquid developer contains a hydrophobic cationically polymerizable liquid monomer, a photopolymerization initiator, a toner particle insoluble in the liquid monomer, and a toner particle dispersing agent, wherein the toner particle contains a binder resin that has an acid value of at least 5 mg KOH/g; the toner particle dispersing agent is a polymer that contains at least both a monomer unit represented by general formula (1) and a monomer unit represented by general formula (2); and the toner particle dispersing agent has a monomer unit represented by general formula (1) at a position other than the terminal position.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including: an image bearing member; a charging member configured to charge the image bearing member; a voltage applying device configured to apply a voltage to the charging member; and a control unit configured to control the voltage applying device so as to perform a cleaning mode for applying an AC voltage to the charging member with the voltage applying device while moving a surface of the image bearing member during non-image formation of the image forming apparatus, wherein a period of time during which the cleaning mode is performed includes a first time-period during which a first AC voltage is applied and a second time-period during which a second AC voltage is applied, and a period of the first AC voltage is different from a period of the second AC voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cleaning device located, in a direction in which an intermediate transfer belt rotates, downstream of a second transfer position and upstream of a first transfer position, at which a first transfer device transfers a toner image onto the intermediate transfer belt, the cleaning device cleaning the intermediate transfer belt; and a charging member located upstream of the first transfer position and downstream of the cleaning device in the direction in which the intermediate transfer belt rotates, the charging member having a shape of a roller having a diameter smaller than a diameter of a driving roller that drives the intermediate transfer belt to rotate the intermediate transfer belt, the charging member charging the intermediate transfer belt by holding the intermediate transfer belt between the charging member and the driving roller and touching an outer surface of the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises a plurality of image forming units that respectively form an image, and a plurality of voltage generation circuits that respectively generate voltages for driving the plurality of image forming units. Each of the plurality of voltage generation circuits comprises a voltage generation circuit having a transformer, and generates a voltage by a switching operation that is driven by changing an input voltage of primary side of the transformer, an oscillation circuit that generates a clock signal of a frequency that becomes a reference frequency of the switching operation and a setting unit that sets the frequency of the clock signal that the oscillation circuit generates. The setting units of the plurality of voltage generation circuits set the frequencies of the respective clock signals.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a power supply, a detection member, a plurality of band-pass filters, and a setting unit. The power supply outputs a first charging bias having a first frequency or a second charging bias having a second frequency that is an integral submultiple of the first frequency. The detection member detects a current flowing through a charging member. Each of the plurality of band-pass filters receives an output of a current detected by the detection member. The setting unit uses the band-pass filters for both setting of a peak-to-peak voltage of the first charging bias and setting of a peak-to-peak voltage of the second charging bias.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for electrifying a surface of a photoreceptor with the use of an electrification member includes: a first output unit configured to output a first AC voltage; a second output unit configured to output a second AC voltage having the same frequency as a frequency of the first AC voltage and having a phase different from a phase of the first AC voltage; a superimposition unit configured to superimpose, on a DC component, an AC component containing at least one of the first AC voltage and the second AC voltage; and an application unit configured to apply a voltage that has been subjected to superimposition by the superimposition unit to the electrification member, wherein the superimposition unit changes the AC component to be superimposed on the DC component at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a photoconductor; an electric charging device charging the photoconductor; an exposure device exposing a portion of the photoconductor charged by the electric charging device to light based on image information, to form an electrostatic latent image; a first charge eliminating device emitting light to the photoconductor so as to eliminate an electric charge on a surface of the photoconductor; a second charge eliminating device emitting light to the photoconductor so as to eliminate an electric charge on a surface of the photoconductor, a wavelength of the light emitted by the first charge eliminating device being different from a wavelength of the light emitted by the second charge eliminating device; and a controller selectively operating the first and second charge eliminating devices depending on an image content of the electrostatic latent image in an image forming process.

Abstract: A light scanning device includes a light source, a deflector, a reflection mirror, and a light width regulating portion. The light source includes a plurality of light-emitting elements located at intervals one another. The deflector deflects to scan by reflecting a plurality of light beams. The plurality of light beams are emitted from the respective light-emitting elements. The reflection mirror is located in an optical path between the light source and the deflector and guides the plurality of light beams emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements to the deflector. The light width regulating portion regulates widths of the plurality of light beams reflected by the reflection mirror in a main-scanning direction. The light width regulating portion is located adjacent to a reflecting surface of the reflection mirror and includes a pair of regulating wall portions located opposed one another in the main-scanning direction.

Abstract: A nonporous semiconductive roller is provided, which constantly ensures proper image formation substantially without image density unevenness attributable to the roughness of an outer peripheral extrusion surface thereof when being used as a developing roller. The semiconductive roller (1) is made of a nonporous crosslinking product of a rubber composition which contains a rubber component including only four types of rubbers including an epichlorohydrin rubber, a chloroprene rubber, a butadiene rubber and an acrylonitrile butadiene rubber.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including an image carrier on which a latent image is developed, a developing roller that is provided to face the image carrier to perform development for the latent image of the image carrier, an urging unit that urges the image carrier and the developing roller so that the image carrier and the developing roller approach each other, and a distance regulating unit that includes a viscoelastic body that is deformed according to a change of a distance between the image carrier and the developing roller, and regulates at least one of a maximum value of the distance between the image carrier and the developing roller and a minimum value of the distance between the image carrier and the developing roller so that the distance between the image carrier and the developing roller falls within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device which forms an image on a recording medium and an image scanning device which transmits scanned image data to the image forming device. The image forming device includes a receiver, a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit, and a controller. The receiver receives at least one of external image data transmitted from an external device and the scanned image data as input image data. The first image forming unit forms a developer image based on the input image data on the recording medium. The second image forming unit forms a mark image on the recording medium. The controller determines whether to make the second image forming unit form the mark image or not depending on a type of a transmission source of the input image data.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes lock mechanisms, a second detection processing portion, and a second release processing portion. The lock mechanisms regulate attachment and detachment of the developer storage portions attached to the attachment portions. The second detection processing portion detects whether or not any of the image forming units has an abnormality. The second release processing portion can release a regulation on attachment and detachment of two or more developer storage portions corresponding to two or more image forming units that include at least an image forming unit adjacent to the image forming unit detected to have the abnormality.

Abstract: A toner container includes an elongated container main body, a toner discharge port, a first rotation member configured to convey the toner toward the toner discharge port, a support plate provided in the container main body and disposed in such a way as to face the wall surface, and an opening and closing member provided between the wall surface and the support plate and supported by the support plate in such a way as to be able to move between a closing position and an opening position. The support plate includes a first opening portion formed at a position corresponding to the toner discharge port and larger than the toner discharge port in size, and a film member attached to the support plate in such a way as to cover the first opening portion and including a second opening portion formed at a position corresponding to the toner discharge port.

Abstract: This disclosure provides a developer container in which a conductive resin sheet is used as an electrode for detecting an amount of developer by using electrostatic capacitance. A configuration in which an end of the conductive resin sheet in a longitudinal direction is provided outside an end of a sheet member in a longitudinal direction, or a configuration in which the sheet member starts contact with the conductive resin sheet from a second surface on the downstream side in a direction or rotation than a first surface are also provided.

Abstract: A transfer roller is provided and includes a support body, a foaming elastic layer that is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the support body, and a surface resin layer that contains polyimide or polyamide-imide and covers an outer circumferential surface of the foaming elastic layer, in which circumferential lengths of both end portions of the surface resin layer in a roller axial direction is shorter than that of a center portion of the surface resin layer in the roller axial direction.

Abstract: An image forming device includes a plurality of image formation units each configured to form an image of one of a plurality of colors, and a patch image transfer unit configured to control transfer conditions during transferring a patch group that is a pattern for detecting a position shift and formed on an intermediate transfer belt onto a secondary transfer belt. The patch image transfer unit is configured to transfer patches of at least single color for which a band of transfer efficiency is narrowest, of the patch group, onto the secondary transfer belt under transfer conditions for the color, and during transition to the transfer conditions for the color from other transfer conditions or during transition from the transfer conditions for the color to the other transfer conditions, patches of a color other than the color, of the patch group is transferred onto the secondary transfer belt.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus includes: one or more image formation units; one or more heaters; a first voltage converter which generates a direct first voltage based on an alternating external input voltage inputted from outside of the first voltage converter; a second voltage converter which generates an alternating second voltage based on the first voltage, the second voltage supplying alternating-current power to the one more heaters; a third voltage converter which generates a third voltage based on the first voltage, the third voltage being used to drive at least the one or more heaters; a controller which performs an operation control of reducing power consumption in at least the one or more heaters when the external input voltage decreases to a range of a first threshold or lower and higher than a second threshold and/or when a load change of the first voltage converter is lower than a third threshold.

Abstract: A system and methods for controlling the fuser heater of an electrophotographic imaging device, including initiating a preheating operation for preheating the fuser heater. Following a temperature of the fuser heater reaching a first predetermined temperature during the preheating operation, heater power is calculated based on a current temperature of the fuser heater and upon a second predetermined temperature. Current line voltage of a power supply line powering the electrophotographic device is also calculated, and a maximum heater power is determined based on the calculated current line voltage. The calculated heater power is then compared with the determined maximum heater power and the fuser heater is powered using the heater power equal to a lesser of the calculated heater power and the determined maximum heater power to heat the fuser heater from the first predetermined temperature to a second predetermined temperature.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a cylindrical film; a plate heater including an electrode portion, wherein a lubricant is applied in a region where the heater contacts the film; a supporting member; and a sealing member contacting a surface of the heater where the electrode portion of the heater is provided, the sealing member being provided at a position closer to a center of the heater than the electrode portion is. The sealing member includes an engaging portion engaging with an end portion of the supporting member with respect to a widthwise direction of the heater and a cantilever contact portion contacting the surface of the heater where the electrode portion is provided.

Abstract: In one example, a printing process includes: forming a first latent image on a photoconductor (24); applying a first LEP ink (30) to the photoconductor to develop the first latent image into a first ink image; forming a second latent image having a first part on the first ink image and a second part on the photoconductor; and applying a second LEP ink (32, 34, 36) to the first ink image and to the photoconductor to develop the second latent image into a second ink image and form a composite on the photoconductor in which some of the second ink image overlaps some of the first ink image.

Abstract: A light emitting device includes a light source, a light guide plate, a diffusion sheet, and a lens. The light source is configured to perform partial light emission. The light guide plate is configured to guide light from the light source. The diffusion sheet is stacked over the light guide plate with a gap defined between the light guide plate and the diffusion sheet, and is configured to diffuse the light guided by the light guide plate. The lens is stacked on the diffusion sheet and has an upper surface serving as a light emitting surface.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus including a storage portion that stores liquid developer where toner is dispersed in a carrier liquid, an image forming portion that forms an image on a recording medium with the liquid developer supplied from the storage portion, a recovery path that recovers the liquid developer from the image forming portion and returns the liquid developer to the storage portion, a dispersing mechanism that is provided in the recovery path and disperses recovered liquid developer by causing the recovered liquid developer to pass through a net member, and a replenishing unit that replenishes the liquid developer or the carrier liquid on the net member at least while the image forming portion does not form an image.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a main assembly; a holding unit detachably mountable to the main assembly; a portion-to-be-engaged provided on the main assembly; a rotatable member, provided in the holding unit, for feeding a sheet; and a guiding member for guiding feeding of the sheet. The guiding member is provided in the holding unit and includes an engaging portion engageable with the portion-to-be-engaged. The guiding member is movable between an engaging position where the portion-to-be-engaged and the engaging portion are engaged with each other to guide the sheet and a guiding position where the portion-to-be-engaged and the engaging portion are disengaged from each other to guide demounting and mounting of the holding unit.

Abstract: A print control apparatus receives a request for printing that contains a binding direction at the time of case binding using a signature, and determines whether the binding direction contained in the received request is a predetermined binding direction. The print control apparatus performs imposition processing so as to achieve a predetermined folding direction of the signature and issues an instruction to carry out the printing if the received binding direction is determined to be the predetermined binding direction, and performs the imposition processing in such a manner that a folding direction of the signature matches the predetermined folding direction of the signature and also issues an instruction to carry out the printing so as to reverse an order of discharging paper if the received binding direction is determined not to be the predetermined binding direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding unit; an image forming unit; a conveying unit; sheet detectors disposed on a conveyance path to detect a sheet; a sheet ejection unit which, if a jam occurs on the conveyance path, ejects a remaining sheet on the conveyance path after a sheet that has caused the jam is removed; and a control unit which stores, in a storage unit, information representing a confirmed section of the conveyance path, the confirmed section being a section confirmed to have no remaining sheet as a result of ejection of the remaining sheet, and which, if one of the sheet detectors detects a first sheet that has reached the confirmed section after recovery from the jam, allows the sheet feeding unit to feed second and subsequent sheets.

Abstract: A drive transmission device includes a first rotary body coupled to a drive source, a second rotary body that receives a drive force transmitted from the drive source, a coupling that couples the first rotary body and the second rotary body, and a spring that presses the coupling toward the second rotary body. Each of the first rotary body and the second rotary body includes a plurality of grooves. The coupling has axially opposed first end and second end coupled to the first rotary body and the second rotary body, respectively. The coupling includes a plurality of couplers on a circumferential surface of each of the first end and the second end. The plurality of couplers are axially movable into and out of the plurality of grooves of each of the first rotary body and the second rotary body. The coupling has a spherical end face at the second end.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a motor, a cleaning portion, a measurement processing portion, and a cleaning control portion. The image carrier is configured to carry an electrostatic latent image. The motor is configured to rotate the image carrier. The cleaning portion is configured to clean the image carrier. The measurement processing portion is configured to measure a transition time that is a time required for the motor to transition from a stationary state to a driving state in which the motor rotates at a predetermined speed. The cleaning control portion is configured to control a cleaning time of the cleaning portion or whether or not to cause the cleaning portion to clean the image carrier.

Abstract: Provided is a cleaning blade including an elastic member, wherein a spin-spin relaxation time (T2) of the elastic member obtained by a solid echo method in a pulse NMR analysis is longer than or equal to 0.60 msec but shorter than or equal to 1.0 msec, and wherein the elastic member has a contact part to contact a surface of a cleaning target member, and the contact part contains a cured product of a curable composition.

Abstract: A container for accommodating a developer collected from an image forming apparatus includes a container body for accommodating the collected developer; a closing member, dividingly separable from the container body, for closing the container body; a rotatable feeding member for feeding the developer accommodated in the container body; and a holding portion, provided on the closing member, for holding the feeding member so that when the closing member and the container body are dividingly separated, the closing member and the feeding member are integrally separable from the container body.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electric wire and an electric box. The electric box extends substantially horizontally and includes a wire connector coupled to the electric wire. A body face exposes the wire connector. An outer cover covers the body face. The outer cover includes a slot and a wire accommodator. The slot is disposed opposite the wire connector to expose the wire connector to an outside of the image forming apparatus. The wire accommodator accommodates the electric wire.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus provided with a cover opening and closing mechanism, a cover opening and closing mechanism includes a button, an operating pin, and a belt-like elastic body that takes a first posture and a second posture, both of which have shape stability, by a snap-through buckling phenomenon. The belt-like elastic body takes the first posture in a state in which the cover has been closed and prevents the operating pin from being pressed to a side of the image forming apparatus body, and is pushed by a pushing operation of the button to take the second posture, operates the operating pin to be pressed to the side of the image forming apparatus body, and opens the cover by reaction force thereof.

Abstract: A drum unit, to which a developer cartridge with a developer roller and a protrusion protruding in an axial direction of the developer roller is attachable, is provided. The drum unit includes a casing, a photosensitive drum to contact the developer roller, a first guide arranged to confront the protrusion along a direction orthogonal to the axial direction when the developer cartridge is attached to the casing to guide the protrusion, a second guide movable between a first position and a second position to guide the protrusion and arranged to confront the protrusion along the orthogonal direction when the developer cartridge is attached to the casing, and an urging member to urge the second guide in a direction from the first position toward the second position. The second guide includes a contact part to contact the first guide when the second guide is in the second position.

Abstract: In a case where a developer bottle is not attached to a bottle attachment portion, a movable support portion is kept to be at a support position, by an elastic force of a second spring, at which to support the bottle attachment portion to be higher than a reference level in position. In a case where the developer bottle is attached to the bottle attachment portion, a movable arm portion extending from the movable support portion toward an attachment space contacts the developer bottle and is displaced to outside the attachment space, which causes the movable support portion to be displaced from the support position to a release position at which to release a support of the bottle attachment portion. A control portion prohibits an image forming process when the position of the bottle attachment portion is not equal to or lower than the reference level.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has an improved structure which avoids additional expenses associated with packing a developing unit and allows the developing unit to be stably stored. The image forming apparatus may include a body, a first developing unit accommodating portion and a second developing unit accommodating portion disposed at different positions in the body, and a developing unit which is allowed to be detachably accommodated in the first developing unit accommodating portion and the second developing unit accommodating portion. When accommodated in the first developing unit accommodating portion, the developing unit may be disposed such that it does not perform image formation. When accommodated in the second developing unit accommodating portion, the developing unit may be disposed to perform image formation.

Abstract: A process cartridge includes: a photosensitive drum; a rotatable developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum; a rotatable roller having a rotation shaft in a position deviated from an axis of the developing roller, for transmitting a driving force to the developing roller; a coupling member disposed at an end portion of the shaft of the developing roller; a driving force receiving portion, provided on the coupling member and movable in a direction crossing the shaft of the rotatable roller, for receiving a driving force to be transmitted to the developing roller; an urging member for urging the drive receiving portion in the direction crossing the shaft of the rotatable roller; a supporting portion for rotatably supporting the drive receiving portion so as to be movable together with the drive receiving portion toward the rotatable roller in the direction crossing the shaft of the rotatable roller; and an abutting portion for receiving the supporting portio

Abstract: A process cartridge is provided. The process cartridge includes a housing, a rotation member rotatably mounted in the housing, and a support mounted on the housing. The rotation member includes a station unit and a drive unit coupled to the rotation unit. The drive unit further comprises a drive transmission device and an actuating rod coupled to the drive transmission device. The support includes a notch allowing the actuating rod to pass through. When the actuating rod receives an applied force, the actuating rod swings in a plane defined by a longitudinal direction and a horizontal direction of the process cartridge.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus includes a transfer unit, a detector, a supplying unit, and a controller. The transfer unit transfers a toner image onto an object onto which transfer is to be performed. The detector detects humidity. The supplying unit includes a constant voltage supplying unit that supplies a transfer voltage that is a constant voltage to the transfer unit, and a constant current supplying unit that supplies a transfer current that is a constant current to the transfer unit. The controller controls the supplying unit such that the transfer voltage is supplied from the constant voltage supplying unit to the transfer unit when transfer is performed in a case where the detected humidity is not greater than a threshold, and the transfer current is supplied from the constant current supplying unit to the transfer unit when transfer is performed in a case where the detected humidity exceeds the threshold.

Abstract: A dial including first indicia where each indicium of the first indicia is disposed on the dial at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to adjacent first indicia, and wherein the first indicia represent a first 12-hour period of time. The dial further including second indicia where each indicium of the second indicium is disposed on the dial at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to adjacent second indicia, and where the second indicia represents a second 12-hour period of time sequentially following the first 12-hour period of time.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a component in a substrate including: a) modifying a structure of at least one region of the substrate to make the at least one region more selective; and b) chemically etching the at least one region to selectively manufacture the component.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a time reference device is provided. In the embodiment, the time reference device, includes a corrodible element, wherein a corrosion of the corrodible element advances with advancing time, and a sensor configured for providing a sensor signal, the sensor signal depending on a physical property of the corrodible element; wherein the physical property of the corrodible element changes with a corrosion of the corrodible element and the physical property of the corrodible element is at least one of an electrical property, a magnetic property, and an optical property. A barrier may be provided for defining a permeability for a corrosive substance to the corrodible element.

Abstract: A watch type mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a position of an hour hand and a position of a minute hand can be automatically changed to prevent an object contained in an application running screen from being blocked. A watch type mobile terminal in which time is indicated by at least one hand, the mobile terminal comprising: a display; and a controller configured to: cause the display to display a face screen; cause the at least one hand to point to a current time while the face screen is displayed; cause the display to display an execution screen of an application when the application is executed; and cause the at least one hand to move from a first position to a second position, deviating from the current time, to not block an area of the execution screen at which an object is displayed.