Shincron Co., Ltd.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Masafumi Yamasaki

Shigeharu Matsumoto

Kazuo Kikuchi

Qi Tang

Shigetaro Ogura

Mikio Suzuki

There is disclosed a method and apparatus for forming a thin film of a composite metal compound. Independent targets formed of at least two different metals are sputtered so as to form on a substrate an ultra-thin film of a composite metal or an incompletely-reacted composite metal. The ultra-thin film is irradiated with the electrically neutral, activated species of a reactive gas so as to convert the composite metal or the incompletely-reacted composite metal to a composite metal compound through the reaction of the ultra-thin film with the activated species of the reactive gas. The formation of the ultra-thin film and the conversion to the composite metal compound are sequentially repeated so as to form on the substrate a thin film of the composite metal compound having a desired thickness.

Method for forming a thin film of a composite metal compound and apparatus for carrying out the method

A spark timing control system for an internal combustion engine features an ignition device, a power increase detector, a control device, and a temperature detector. The ignition device produces a spark in a combustion chamber of the engine. The power increase detector senses an increase in the output power required of the engine. The control device is connected to the ignition device for controlling timing of the spark, and is also connected to the power increase detector for retarding the spark timing in terms of engine crank angle when the engine is required to increase its output power. The temperature detector senses the temperature of engine coolant and suspends the retardation of the spark timing due to the engine power increase in response to the temperature of engine coolant.

Spark timing control system for an internal combustion engine

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Masafumi Yamasaki