Seiko Instruments Inc

Other

Research Development Corporation of Japan

Toshihiko Sakuhara

Tatsuaki Ataka

Masayuki Suda

Fumiharu Iwasaki

Masataka Shinogi

Akito Ando

Hiroshi Takahashi

Akira Tsugita

Kingo Itaya

Toyoaki Uchida

Keiji Takamoto

Reiko Irie

Manabu Ooumi

Kazutoshi Watanabe

Masatoshi Yasutake

Kazutoshi Kaji

Tatsuya Miyatani

Katsunori Honma

Masamichi Fujihira

Tetsuo Uchiyama

Eisuke Tomita

Fumiki Sakai

Mari Wakabayashi

Shueh Lin Yau

A part fabricating apparatus has a holder for holding an object to be machined immersed in an electrolytic solution. A machining electrode subjects a surface of the object to an electrochemical reaction to electrolytically machine the surface of the object. The machining electrode has a sharp-edged tip and is coated with an insulator except for the sharp-edged tip. A spacing changing unit detects and changes a spacing between the surface of the object and the machining electrode. A potential/current control unit controls a potential/current on the machining electrode. An electrolytic solution changing unit supplies a first electrolytic solution for subjecting the surface of the object to be machined to a removal process to fabricate a cast mold, supplies a second electrolytic solution for depositing a first metal on a surface of the cast mold to form a first metal layer, and supplies a third electrolytic solution for depositing a second metal inside the cast mold to form a part.

Part fabricating apparatus

A piezoelectric device having improved characteristics is accomplished by restricting degradation and variance of vibration characteristics resulting from an adhesive, and a production process is simplified. The piezoelectric device has a construction in which a ultra-fine particle layer made of substantially the same main component and having the same crystal structure as those of a piezoelectric layer is formed on a substrate, and the piezoelectric layer is formed on the ultra-fine particle layer.

Piezoelectric device and production method thereof

A part fabricating method comprises the steps of machining an object to fabricate a part cast mold, depositing a first metal on a surface of the cast mold to form a first metal layer, and depositing a second metal different in kind from the first metal inside the cast mold to form a part. The first metal layer is then selectively removed to take out the part formed inside the cast mold.

Part fabricating method and part fabricating apparatus

A signal having a resonant frequency of a cantilever is output by a first oscillator, and supplied to a vibrating element and a control unit to oscillate a probe. A low frequency signal having a large amplitude is output by a second oscillator and supplied to a piezoelectric scanning apparatus. The probe is periodically and relatively moved with respect to the sample between a position where the sample surface is penetrated by the probe and another position where the probe does not penetrate the sample surface and is outside the range of atomic forces caused by the sample. During this movement, the probe movement may be analyzed to obtain a plurality of physical characteristics about the sample, e.g., hardness information of the sample, surface shape information, information related to an adsorption layer of the sample, and information related to physical qualities (for example, electromagnetic field, adsorption force, surface reaction force, electric double layer force in fluid) irradiated from the sample surface along a depth direction.

Three-dimensional scanning probe microscope

An electrochemical machining method in which a work piece and a machining electrode are opposed to each other and dipped in an electrolyte solution, and a surface of the work piece is machined by causing an electrolytic reaction between the surface of the work piece and a tip of the machining electrode in a state where a separating distance between the surface of the work piece and the tip of the machining electrode is adjusted and a desired separating distance is maintained, wherein a zero contact reference position where the surface of the work piece and the tip of the machining electrode are brought into contact with each other and the separating distance between the work piece and the machining electrode is nullified is electrically detected, moving distances of the work piece and the machining electrode from the zero contact reference position are detected, a relative separating distance between the surface of the work piece and the tip of the machining electrode is calculated based on a result of the detection and the work piece is machined in a state where the desired separating distance is maintained.

Electrochemical machining method and electrochemical machining equipment

A process is disclosed for sequencing proteins or peptides from the C-terminal end. The process comprises the steps of reacting the peptide or protein with an alkyl acid anhydride to convert the carboxy-terminal thereof into oxazolone, liberating the C-terminal amino acid by reaction with acid and alcohol or with ester, and identifying the liberated amino acid or amino acid derivative.

Method for amino acid sequencing of protein or peptide from carboxy

A protein or peptide which has an amino-terminus serine or threonine which has an acetylated alpha-amino group is allowed to react with an acid, and then allowed to react with an isothiocyanate under acidic conditions to thereby obtain a thiocarbamyl compound. Then the compound is to be analyzed using Edman degradation. Analysis can be performed with fewer operation steps and without using enzymes.

Method for sequencing of protein or peptide

A method for performing fine working of a material by electrochemical reaction comprises a two-step scanning operation in which a surface topography of the material is obtained during a first scan which is used to control the position of a probe during a second scan in which an electrochemical reaction is performed. During the first scan, an electrochemical cell is constructed with a four-electrode system, including the probe, a material to be worked, a reference electrode and a counter electrode. The potential of each of the probe and the material to be worked is set so that no electrochemical reaction occurs during the first scan. Data representative of the surface topography is stored and used to control the position of the probe during the second scan in which an electrochemical cell is constructed with a three-electrode system, including the probe, the material, and the reference electrode. The potential of the material with respect to the probe is set such that the electrochemical reaction occurs during the second scan, and the probe is maintained at a distance determined based on the stored topographical data.

Method and apparatus for performing fine working

A silicon substrate is etched by dipping it in a NH.sub.4 F solution while charging it with a potential more negative than an open-circuit potential. The NH.sub.4 F solution preferably has NH.sub.4 F concentration of 10M or less. The potential applied to the silicon substrate is controlled within the range of from the open-circuit potential to a more negative potential by -1.5 V vs. SCE. Since the etched silicon substrate has flatness in atomic order, it is suitable for the precise fabrications to manufacture high-density ir high-functional semiconductor devices.

Etching method using NH.sub.4 F solution to make surface of silicon

A photosensitive microcapsule which contains a polymerizable monomer and a polymerization initiator has increased sensitivity due to the displacement of soluble water in the monomer photosensitive microcapsule comprises a polymerizable monomer contained in a microcapsule; a photopolymerization initiator comprising a hydrophobic sensitizer for initiating polymerization of the polymerizable monomer in response to incident light energy; and an image producing material such as a dye or a precursor; wherein the hydrophobic sensitizer includes at least one of 3,7-bis (octadecylmethylamino) phenothiazoniumchloride which reacts on a red color light energy, 3,7-di(octadecylmethylamino)-5-phenylphenaziniumchloride which reacts on a green color light energy, and 3,6-di(octadecylmethylamino)-acridinechloride which reacts on a blue color light energy.

Photosensitive microcapsule for photoimaging and thermal development

An electrochemical fine processing method for forming a pattern of a substance having different etching resistance against an etching solution from that of an article by bringing the minute forward end of the counter electrode close to the surface of the article. The counter electrode is applied a predetermined electric potential and the electrochemical reaction is repeating in a minute region of the article in the vicinity of the counter electrode to form an optional pattern. After forming the pattern, the article is etched in an etching solution having a property of different etching rate for the pattern forming portion and a portion other than the pattern forming portion. It become possible to form a fine pattern directly onto the surface of an article to be processed having surface unevenness.

Method of electrochemical fine processing

An electrochemical fine processing apparatus for electrochemically performing an adding processing and a removing processing of a substance such as a metal or a polymer in a solution in order to produce a structure having a high aspect ratio. Removing electrodes for applying an electric potential opposite to that applied to an addition electrode are disposed around the addition electrode, whereby an excess portion of metal or polymer film pattern can be scraped electrochemically. In addition, alternate electric potential pulses are applied successively to the addition electrode and then to the removing electrodes. It becomes possible to form on the support a structure with sharp pattern edge portions and a high aspect ratio.

Electrochemical fine processing apparatus

A method of producing a photosensitive microcapsule which contains a polymerizable monomer and a polymerization initiator. Soluble water is displaced in the polymerizable monomer by performing one or both of distilling the polymerizable monomer and adding a dehydrating agent to the polymerizable monomer. The polymerization initiator and a first microcapsule-forming material are added to the water-displaced polymerizable monomer to produce a solution. Soluble oxygen in the polymerizable monomer is displaced by performing one or both of bubbling an inert gas and adding an oxygen absorbent to the polymerizable monomer. Soluble oxygen may also be displaced in an ionic surfactant by performing the bubbling and adding of oxygen absorbent. The ionic absorbent is added to the solution containing the polymerizable monomer and polymerization initiator, and then the solution is emulsified. A microcapsule membrane is produced by adding a second microcapsule-forming material to the emulsion.

Method of producing photosensitive microcapsules

An optical fine processing apparatus for forming a structure having a high aspect ratio even on a workpiece having high heat conductivity. Light, such as a laser beam, is irradiated onto the workpiece in an electrolytic solution through a light guide to deposit a substance such as a metal or a polymer. A plurality of removal electrodes are allowed to have an electric potential for removing a part of the deposited substance. The removal electrodes are disposed in a rotation ring which is rotatable about the optical axis of the irradiating light onto the sample so as to adjust the width of a predetermined pattern to be scraped by changing the rotation angle of the removal electrodes with respect to the optical axis. By scanning the light guide and the removing electrodes above the workpiece surface, it is possible to form any desired pattern on the workpiece.

Optical fine processing apparatus

In a method of making a cantilever for atomic force micoscopes, to provide a method of manufacturing a high-resolution cantilever having a sharpened metal needle by introducing an electrolytic polishing process. In the method of making a cantilever, an erect metal structure, an electrode layer and an electric insulation layer are formed, and they are subjected to the electrolytic polishing process to allow a large number of erect metal structures formed on a silicon wafer to be formed into sharpened metal needles at a time. The cantilever having a sharpened metal needle manufactured by the method of this invention makes it possible to measure with high resolution specimen surface with deep grooves and holes and high projections that cannot be measured by the conventional cantilever having a pyramidal needle.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Toshihiko Sakuhara