Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Takeo Yamazaki

Yasuhiro Shimada

Takeshi Imamura

Takashi Ushijima

Makoto Terui

Kazuhiro Hayakawa

Takayuki Yagi

Hideyuki Sugioka

Takahiro Ezaki

Toru Nakakubo

Takayuki Teshima

Takehiko Kawasaki

Atsunori Terasaki

Hideya Kumomi

Kiyoshi Takimoto

Tsutomu Ikeda

Susumu Yasuda

Masatoshi Watanabe

Hiroo Azuma

Naoto Mihashi

Satoko Omizu

A fluid-conveying apparatus conveys fluid using a channel for the fluid to flow. The apparatus includes a pressure-generating device for generating pressure for conveying the fluid, a plurality of processing areas for processing the fluid, a valve which is disposed between the processing areas and controls the fluid flow, and a pressure-relieving device for relieving the pressure in the channel.

Fluid-conveying apparatus and method for conveying fluid by using the same

A fluid-processing device is provided for bringing two kinds of fluids into contact to mix or react with each other. The device comprises a first supply path connected to a first feed inlet for feeding a first fluid for supplying the first fluid, and plural second supply paths connected to a second feed inlet for feeding a second fluid for supplying the second fluid; the second supply paths being arranged along supply direction of the first fluid, the second supply paths being surrounded by the first fluid, the second fluid discharged from fluid outlets of the second supply paths being brought into contact with the first fluid in the first supply path.

Fluid-processing device

A beam having a base material of silicon monocrystal and at least one projection which is integrally formed so as to be supported at least at one end thereof and which has two surfaces having an orientation plane (111), includes a bottom surface in a plane which is common with a plane of the base material; a groove penetrating from the bottom surface to a top of the projection; and a protecting member having a resistance property against a crystal anisotropic etching liquid and covering an inner wall of the groove.

Beam, ink jet recording head having beams, and method for manufacturing ink jet recording head having beams

A method for producing a crystalline film by melting and resolidifying a film, characterized in preparing a film having a specific region and obtained either by (A) a step of forming a film in which a 'specific region' and an 'region continuous to a periphery of the specific region and different in thickness from the specific region' co-exist, or by (B) a step of irradiating a film with an elecrtromagnetic wave or particles having a mass in mutually different conditions between a specific region and a peripheral region thereof, and melting and resolidifying at least a part of the film. As the spatial position of the specific region can be exactly and easily controlled, it is possible to obtain a crystalline film in which a crystal grain is formed in a desired position.

Producing method for crystalline thin film

A fluid delivery device is provided which comprises a microchannel device for cutting out a certain amount of a sample from a micorochannel by controlling a valve opening. The fluid delivery device has a valve for controlling a flow of a fluid, comprising a flow channel for the fluid, and a valve in the flow channel, wherein the valve operates in accordance with a pressure difference between the upstream side and downstream side of the valve caused by the flow of the fluid through the flow channel, allowing the fluid to flow when the pressure difference is lower than a prescribed value P, and intercepting the fluid not to flow when the pressure difference is Por more.

Liquid delivery device

A process for producing a mass transfer device is provided which enables packing of a packing material uniformly in a flow channel, and transfers a specified substance by flowing a fluid containing the specified substance through a flow channel on a substrate. A mass transfer device produced by the process is also provided. The process for producing a mass transfer device comprises steps of preparing a substrate, forming a flow channel on the surface of the substrate, applying a liquid drop composed of a packing material and a liquid medium, and packing the packing material in the flow channel by removing the liquid medium.

Process for producing mass transfer device and apparatus for production thereof

A micro liquid delivery device includes a flow channel for flowing a liquid, at least two pressure-generators for generating pressures provided in the flow channel, and a variable member placed between the pressure-generators and capable of transforming between a first stable state and a second stable state by a generated pressure. A branch of the flow channel is selected by transforming the variable member into the first stable state or the second stable state. A valve for changeover of flow channel branches includes a variable member placed between a pressure-generator and transformable between a first stable state and a second stable state by a generated pressure, with the valve serving to select a branch of flow channel branches by the variable member.

A liquid transport device capable of introducing and transporting a liquid and preventing a backward flow of the liquid in a small-sized analysis system is provided. The liquid transport device has a substrate, an ejection orifice, which is formed integrally with the substrateand through which a liquid is ejected, a space portion, which is formed so as to communicate with the ejection orificeand through which the liquid ejected from the ejection orifice flies, and a flow channel, which communicates with the space portionand which is positioned within such a distance range that the flying liquid can reach the flow channel.

Liquid transport device and liquid transporting method

A beam having a base material of silicon monocrystal and at least one projection which is integrally formed so as to be supported at least at one end thereof and which has two surfaces having an orientation plane (), includes a bottom surface in a plane which is common with a plane of the base material; a groove penetrating from the bottom surface to a top of the projection; and a protecting member having a resistance property against a crystal anisotropic etching liquid and covering an inner wall of the groove.

A liquid discharging head for discharging liquid droplets utilizing generated bubbles by heating liquid to bubble comprises discharge port for discharging liquid droplets, bubbling chamber communicated with the discharge port for filling liquid; heat-generating member arranged in the bubbling chamber, being supported in a state of having gaps on both sides to the inner wall faces of the bubbling chamber; and supporting portion for supporting the heat-generating member. Then, after the generation of bubble in liquid by the heat-generating member, the sufrace temperature of the heat-generating member is made lower than the bubbling temperature at the time of bubble extinction by the heat radiation from the heat-generating member to the supporting portion side. In this way, it is made possible to prevent liquid from being heated again to generate bubble subsequent to the bubble extinction.

Liquid discharge head and recording apparatus provided with the liquid discharge head

Probe including a cantilever having a movable end and formed from an elastic body, an electroconductive sensing needle arranged at the movable end of the cantilever, and a field effect transistor arranged at the movable end of the cantilever and having a gate electrode electronically connected to the electroconductive sensing needle. The probe may further comprise another field effect transistor formed on the cantilever and having its drain electrically connected to the sensing needle. The probe may be used in an information recording/reproduction apparatus.

Probe and information recording/reproduction apparatus using the same

A projection having a micro-aperture on the tip is formed. Firstly, a projection or a dent is formed on a substrate. Then, a film is formed on the surface of the projection or of the opposite side of the dent so as to make the film thin at and near the tip of the projection or the dent. The film is subsequently etched to expose the tip, which is further etched to produce a micro-aperture. Preferably, the film is formed of a thermo-plastic material such as glass, especially phospho-silicate glass to produce a viscous flow under heated conditions. The probe having a micro-aperture can be used for a surface scanner, an aligner or an information processor.

Projection having a micro-aperture, probe or multi-probe having such a projection and surface scanner, aligner or information processor comprising such a probe

A projection having a micro-aperture is formed by formiNg a dent having a pointed front end on a substrate, then depositing a light blocking material on the substrate except the front end of the dent, and peeling off the light blocking material from the substrate. The projection is suited as an optical probe of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) for detecting or emitting light through the micro-aperture. For this purpose, the projection is formed on the end of a cantilever or on the end of an optical fiber. The dent having a pointed front end can be formed typically by patterned crystal-axis-anisotropic etching of a silicon substrate and subsequent thermal oxidation of the silicon surface.

Method of forming a projection having a micro-aperture, projection

A probe for detecting minute physical behavior comprises a lever member, particularly in the form of a cantilever, formed of a monocrystalline silicon layer and a tip in the form of one-end-supported beam which is bowed and formed upon the lever member. The probe is manufactured by forming a film of a material with low density and high elasticity on the silicon layer of an SOI substrate, then oxidizing part of the silicon layer and removing the oxidized portion to form a tip with the material as a so-called bird's beak, and finally the SOI substrate is worked to form the cantilever shape of the lever member. The probe can be used for an information recording/reproducing device with good traceability even in high speed scanning over a recording medium.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Takeo Yamazaki