Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Tanah Process, Ltd.

Takanori Nakano

Masaichiro Tatekawa

Masakazu Tanahashi

Kazuo Nishimura

Shogo Matsubara

Hiroyuki Matsuo

Koji Ikeda

Atsushi Sogami

Yoshiyuki Nasuno

Shintaro Hara

Katsushi Kishimoto

Isaku Kanno

Osamu Watanabe

Hitoshi Sannomiya

Akira Shimizu

Katsuhiko Nomoto

Naoki Koide

Hiroshi Taniguchi

Kazunari Chikanawa

Shinsuke Tachibana

Shintarou Hara

Noriyoshi Kohama

Yasuaki Ishikawa

Mingju Yang

Yuji Komatsu

Seiji Tanahashi

Yasue Nagano

The portable device of the present invention for regulating the hardness of drinking water includes a collapsible electrode group () including ion-adsorbing electrodes () and () and a power supply () for applying a voltage between the ion-adsorbing electrode () and the ion-adsorbing electrode (). The first ion-adsorbing electrode () includes a first electrically conductive material capable of adsorbing ions. The second ion-adsorbing electrode includes a second electrically conductive material capable of adsorbing ions. In an example, a voltage is applied between the first ion-adsorbing electrode () and the second ion-adsorbing electrode (), with the first and second ion-adsorbing electrodes () and () being immersed in the drinking water (). The applied voltage regulates the amount of ions adsorbed on the first and second electrically conductive materials, and thereby the hardness of the drinking water is regulated.

Portable device for regulating hardness of drinking water

A method for manufacturing a thin film photoelectric conversion module comprising the steps of: (A) forming a plurality of divided strings by dividing a string, in which thin film photoelectric conversion elements provided by sequentially laminating a first electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer and a second electrode layer on the surface of an insulating substrate are electrically connected in series, into a plurality of strings by dividing grooves, electrically insulating and separating the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer one from the other and extending in a serial connection direction; and (B) performing reverse biasing by applying a reverse bias voltage to each of thin film photoelectric conversion elements of the divided string.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing thin film photoelectric conversion module

To provide a stacked photoelectric conversion device and a method for producing the same, in which an interlayer is provided between photoelectric conversion layers to obtain an effect of controlling the amount of incidence light, and carrier recombination at an interface between the interlayer and a semiconductor layer is decreased to enhance photoelectric conversion efficiency. The stacked photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises a plurality of silicon-based photoelectric conversion layers having a p-i-n structure stacked, wherein at least a pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion layers have an interlayer of a silicon nitride therebetween, the pair of the photoelectric conversion layers are electrically connected with each other, and a p-type silicon-based semiconductor layer constituting a part of the photoelectric conversion layer and contacting the interlayer contains a nitrogen atom.

Stacked photoelectric conversion device and method for producing the same

When reverse bias processing is performed on a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices connected in series, different potentials are applied to electrodes of three or more photoelectric conversion devices to simultaneously perform reverse bias processing on two or more reverse photoelectric conversion devices. Thereby, time taken to perform reverse bias processing on the photoelectric conversion devices can be reduced.

Reverse bias processing apparatus and reverse bias processing method for photoelectric conversion devices

A photoelectric conversion device includes a p-type layer, an i-type layer and an n-type layer each made of a silicon base semiconductor, stacked in this order, wherein the i-type layer contains n-type impurities in a concentration of 1.0&#xd7;10to 2.0&#xd7;10cm.

Photoelectric conversion device and method of producing the same

A piezoelectric actuator is constructed by forming a common electrodeof Cr, a piezoelectric layerof Pb(Zr,Ti)O, a cover layerof BaTiO, and an individual electrodeof Pt in this order into a laminate. The thickness of the piezoelectric layerin the lamination direction (T) and the thickness of the cover layerin the lamination direction (T) satisfy the relationship of 0.08&#x2266;T/T&#x2266;1. The relative dielectric constant of the piezoelectric layer(&#x3b5;r) and the relative dielectric constant of the cover layer(&#x3b5;r) satisfy the relationship of &#x3b5;r/&#x3b5;r

Piezoelectric actuator and ink-jet head, and ink-jet recorder

A piezoelectric actuatorhas: a piezoelectric actuator partmade up of a common electrode, a piezoelectric element, and an individual electrode; an electrical interconnection joint partformed on the individual electrode; an electrical interconnectionformed on the electrical interconnection joint part; a head blockfixed to a nozzle platethrough the electrical interconnection; and a PI tapedisposed within the head block. A closed spaceis defined between the head blockand the nozzle plate. The closed spaceis divided by the PI tapeinto two sections. Of these two sections of the closed space, the one on the side of the head blockconstitutes a first closed space. A moisture absorbentis sealed within the first closed space. Relative humidity within the closed spaceof the ink jet headis not less than 0% nor more than 20%.

Piezoelectric actuator and method of manufacture therefor, and ink jet head and ink jet type recording device

A ferroelectric element is described which has a structure including a common electrodea ferroelectric filmformed on the common electrodean individual electrodeformed on the ferroelectric filma lead wirefor feeding electric power to the individual electrodewhich is formed on the same plane as of the individual electrodeand a protection filmentirely covering the exposed parts of the ferroelectric filmand the individual electrodeand covering the lead wireThe protection filmis preferably made of a material whose Young's modulus is smaller than that of the ferroelectric filmexactly 1/20 or smaller of the Young's modulus of the ferroelectric filmFurther, the ferroelectric film is formed with the insulation reinforcing film containing at least one of the elements constituting the ferroelectric film.

Ferroelectric element and actuator using the same, and ink jet head and ink jet recording device

A first line headand a second line headare arranged in a scanning direction X. In each of the line headsand, actuator blocksare arranged at a constant interval in a head longitudinal direction Y so as to be spaced apart from one another. The actuator blockof the second line headis located between the actuator blocksandof the first line headwith respect to the head longitudinal direction Y. The actuator blockof the first line headand the actuator blockof the second line headpartially overlap with each other with respect to the head longitudinal direction Y.

Ink jet head, method for inspecting actuator, method for manufacturing ink jet head, and ink jet recording apparatus

Ink jet head, actuator testing method, method of manufacturing ink jet head, and ink jet recording apparatus

A piezoelectric actuatorhas: a piezoelectric actuator partmade up of a common electrodea piezoelectric elementand an individual electrodean electrical interconnection joint partformed on the individual electrodean electrical interconnectionformed on the electrical interconnection joint parta head blockfixed to a nozzle platethrough the electrical interconnectionand a PI tapedisposed within the head blockA closed spaceis defined between the head blockand the nozzle plateThe closed spaceis divided by the PI tapeinto two sections. Of these two sections of the closed spacethe one on the side of the head blockconstitutes a first closed spaceA moisture absorbentis sealed within the first closed spaceRelative humidity within the closed spaceof the ink jet headis not less than 0% nor more than 20%.

To provide a piezoelectric thin film having an improved and stable characteristic by controlling stress applied during forming a piezoelectric thin film and providing the piezoelectric thin film having a perovskite structure. A thin film piezoelectric element in which a lower electrode is formed on a substrate, a piezoelectric thin film containing lead is formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode is further placed on the piezoelectric thin film, characterized in that the piezoelectric thin film is a dielectric with the perovskite structure having lead, zirconium, and titanium as the main ingredients, and is in a composition region in which, in the composition of the whole piezoelectric thin film, the. Zr/(Zr+Ti) ratio is not less than substantially 0.53, and has a crystal structure of the tetragonal system in which a c axis is longer than an a axis.

Thin film piezoelectric element

A stacked photoelectric conversion device comprising at least two photoelectric conversion element layers sandwiched between a first electrode layer and a light receiving second electrode layer, and at least one intermediate layer sandwiched between any two of said at least two photoelectric conversion element layers, wherein the intermediate layer has uneven surfaces on a light receiving side and a light outgoing side, the uneven surface on the latter having a greater average level difference than that on the former.

Stacked photoelectric conversion device

A plasma generation apparatus includes a high-frequency power source section; a reaction container to which a material gas is to be supplied; a pair of electrodes that are provided in the reaction container so as to be opposed to each other to generate plasma in between when supplied with high-frequency power by the high-frequency power source section; a conductive connection member that is part of an outer wall of the reaction container and that has, on one side, at least one power source connecting point that is connected to the high-frequency power source section and has, on the other side, at least one electrode connecting point that is connected to the one of the pair of electrodes; and high-frequency current transmitting means provided in the conductive connection member in the vicinity of the at least one power source connecting point, for adjusting impedance between the at least one power source connecting point and the at least one electrode connecting point.

Plasma generation apparatus with a conductive connection member that electrically connects the power source to the electrode

A photovoltaic device have a pin junction of a p-layer, an i-layer and an n-layer, wherein the p-layer includes a first p-layer and a second p-layer thereover, the first p-layer having a thickness of 5 nm or less and being uniformly doped with a p-type impurity, and the second p-layer being formed by decomposition of a gas which does not positively incorporate a p-type impurity.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takanori Nakano