Oki Data Corporation

Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Takanori Mimura

Shinichi Otani

Yasushi Nakasone

Masayuki A Suzuki

Atsushi Kobayashi

Junichi Ito

Hiroshi Funakubo

Tetsu Koyama

Hideaki Ishimizu

Shigenori Koido

Takao Shimizu

Tetsuji Kojima

Yoichi Umezawa

Yoshiko Nakamura

Takuya Goto

Katsuyuki Ito

Mitsuru Kishimoto

Atsushi Hori

Hirokazu Andou

Masahiko Shimosugi

Kuniyuki Kakushima

Kentaro Hasegawa

Hiroshi Sakaino

Toshiyuki Asaka

Ichiro Fujiwara

Shun-ichiro Ohmi

Joel Molina Reyes

Reijiro Shimura

Yu-ki Tashiro

Provided is a method for forming a ferroelectric film of a metal oxide having a fluorite-type structure at a low temperature of lower than 300° C., and a ferroelectric film obtained at a low temperature. The present invention provides a production method of a ferroelectric film comprising a crystalline metal oxide having a fluorite-type structure of an orthorhombic crystal phase, which comprises using a film sputtering method comprising sputtering a target at a substrate temperature of lower than 300° C., to deposit on the substrate a film of a metal oxide which is capable of having a fluorite-type structure of an orthorhombic crystal phase, and having a subsequent thermal history of said film of lower than 300° C.; or applying an electric field to said film after said deposition or after said thermal history of lower than 300° C. Also provided are the ferroelectric film, which is formed on an organic substrate, glass, or metal substrate, which can be used only at low temperatures, and a ferroelectric element and a ferroelectric functional element or device using the ferroelectric film.

Method for producing ferroelectric film, ferroelectric film, and usage thereof

The invention provides a non-volatile storage element and non-volatile storage device employing a ferroelectric material with low power consumption, excellent high reliability, and especially write/erase endurance, which can be mixed with advanced CMOS logic. The non-volatile storage element has at least a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a ferroelectric layer composed of a metal oxide between both conductive layers, with a buffer layer having oxygen ion conductivity situated between the ferroelectric layer and the first conductive layer and/or second conductive layer. An interface layer composed of a single-layer film or a multilayer film may be also provided between the first conductive layer and the ferroelectric layer, the interface layer as a whole having higher dielectric constant than silicon oxide, and when the buffer layer is present between the first conductive layer and the ferroelectric layer, the interface layer is situated between the first conductive layer and the buffer layer. The non-volatile storage device comprises at least a memory cell array comprising low-power-consumption ferroelectric memory elements formed in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional configuration, and a control circuit. The ferroelectric layer is scalable to 10 nm or smaller and is fabricated at a low temperature of ≤400° C., and is subjected to low temperature thermal annealing treatment at ≤400° C. after the buffer layer has been formed, to provide high reliability.

Non-volatile ferroelectric storage element and devices comprising them

A developer container includes a body, an agitating bar, and an agitating film. The body includes a bottom plate; a first side wall; a second side wall facing the first side wall; a developer chamber defined by the bottom plate, the first side wall, and the second side wall, the developer chamber storing developer; and an opening formed in the bottom plate to allow the developer chamber to communicate with an outside of the developer chamber and allow the developer to be supplied from the developer chamber to the outside of the developer chamber. The agitating bar is configured to rotate to agitate the developer stored in the developer chamber. The agitating film is attached to the agitating bar and configured to, when rotation of the agitating bar stops, stop in a state where the agitating film abuts the first side wall and the second side wall.

Developer container, image forming unit, image forming apparatus, and developer container control method

A contact pressure setting method of setting a contact pressure between contact members of an image forming apparatus. A film member is inserted into a gap between the contact members and the contact pressure is set so that a pulling force to pull out the film member lies within a predetermined range. Thus, the contact pressure can be accurately and easily recognized and the contact pressure can be set to be uniform.

Contact pressure setting apparatus for an image forming apparatus

Contact pressure setting method and image forming apparatus

A developing unit is provided, which includes a developer accommodating section to accommodate developer; a developing member to provide the developer accommodated in the developer accommodating section to an image carrying body by rotating; a developer layer forming member to forming a developer layer by shaving the developer on surface of the developing member; and a restricting member to restrict fluidity of the developer at a upstream side in a rotating direction of the developing member in front of a contact part of the developer layer forming member and the developing member.

Developing unit and image forming apparatus

Toner cartridge

Image drum cartridge

A developing device includes a developing roller that faces a drum , a supplying roller that supplies the toner to the developing roller , and a toner container for storing the toner. A toner layer forming roller contacts the developing roller and rotates in the same direction as the developing roller . A part of the toner is transferred from the developing roller to the peripheral surface of the toner layer forming roller to form a toner layer. The thickness of the toner layer on the toner layer forming roller is regulated by a blade . According to the rotation of the toner layer forming roller , the toner layer is carried outside the toner container , where the toner layer is transferred to the peripheral surface of the developing roller

Developing device and electrophotographic apparatus

Resiliency of a flat spring 7 corresponding to an end print wire 12 is set to be greater than that corresponding to a central print wire 12 by varying width of an effective spring portion 7b of a flat spring piece 7A to which an armature 13 is attached depending on positions of corresponding tips of the print wires 12. Distance between a magnet yoke 5 and a core 15 provided between the flat spring 7 and a permanent magnet 4 at a position corresponding to a central print wire 12 side is set to be smaller than that at a position corresponding to an end print wire 12 side by varying it depending on positions of corresponding tips of the print wires 12.

Wire dot print head with print wires fixed to tip portions of armatures

An impact printer having a print head, the print head having a movable armature, a printing wire fixed to the armature, and sensor for detecting movement of the armature. The position of the armature is monitored based on an output of the sensor. A home sensor detects whether the print head is at a home position. A paper end sensor detect whether a printing medium is between the platen and the print head. A gap motor means adjusts a gap between the printing wire and the platen. A gap controller is responsive to detection signals output by said home sensor and said paper end sensor, for controlling the print head to swing the armature so as to cause the tip of said printing wire to strike the platen, determining a time of impact of the tip with the platen based on the monitored position of the armature, performing a comparison of the time of impact with a predetermined impact time, and outputting a drive signal to the gap motor for adjusting the gap according to a result of the comparison.

Print gap setting in an impact printer

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Takanori Mimura