In a patterning method according to this invention, a surface region of a resist layer is solution-retarded by a developer, and, then, the resist layer is patterned. Therefore, a desired shape of a side wall of the resist layer may be obtained by varying a solubility of the resist layer, with the result that a resist pattern with the side wall orthogonal to a surface of the substrate or the overhung side may be formed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of patterning a resist layer, and more particularly to a method of forming micro patterns.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional method of patterning a material layer will be described by referring to FIGS. 1A-1C. As shown in FIG. 1A, a material layer denoted as 15, for example, an SiO.sub.2 film, is formed on semiconductor substrate 14 of, for example, silicon Resist layer 16 is formed on material layer 15. As shown in FIG. 1B, an exposing device is used, and resist layer 16 is irradiated with light rays projected through a mask pattern or a reticule (not shown) having a predetermined pattern. The resultant structure is subjected to a development process, to form a resist pattern as shown in FIG. 1C. Further, material layer 15 is etched with a mask of the resist pattern. In this way, material layer 15 is patterned.
When using the conventional patterning method as mentioned above, a cross sectional configuration of the side wall of the developed resist pattern varies with respect to the kind of resist material, developer, and the type of the exposing device used. It is, therefore, very difficult, to obtain a resist pattern having a desired side wall shape. Ideally, the side wall of the resist pattern should be orthogonal to the surface of semiconductor substrate 14. In the case of a resist pattern type wherein a difference between the solubility of the exposed part of the pattern and that of the unexposed part thereof is small, the configuration of the side wall of resist pattern 16 is shaped such that when viewed in the drawing, the configuration flares upwards, as shown in FIG. 1C. In other words, the cross sectional shape of the side wall resembles a reversed trapezoid. This resultant shape of the side wall is due to the fact that the amount of exposing light which reaches the edges of the etched portion of resist layer 16 is smaller than the amount of exposing light which reaches the central part thereof, and the fact that the amount of exposing light decreases towards the deep portion of resist layer 16. Particularly, in forming a micro pattern, it is difficult to form a resist pattern having a side wall which is orthogonal to the surface of semiconductor substrate 14. When the lift-off process is used for the patterning of the resist layer, it is desirable that the side wall of the resist layer be shaped to have an overhang If the side wall of the resist layer is so shaped, it will be easier to disconnent a metal layer to be later layered over the resist layer. The conventional patterning method as mentioned above, however, cannot form the resist pattern so as to have such an overhanging side wall.
As described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C, the conventional method of forming micro patterns includes the process steps of resist coating, exposure, and development, which are executed in this order. In the conventional method, the shape of the side wall of the resist pattern varies with respect to the kind of resist material, developer, and the type of the exposing device used. This makes it difficult to form resist patterns having side walls of a desired shape.


The structures and process of both forming and trimming the blind set include the provision of a channel extension or channel plug utilized in a blind set which has the louver manipulation components significantly inward to permit a reasonable amount of outboard removal while maintaining the balance and regular appearance of the blind set. The channel plug acts to stabilize the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped upper channel by having an insertion portion which not only fills a structurally significant extent of the channel, but fully upwardly engages a pair of oppositely oriented curved inwardly and downwardly lips. An extension portion of the channel plug has a pair of upper rails which match and blend with the terminus of the pair of oppositely oriented curved inwardly and downwardly lips to provide both stability, visual continuity, and continuous upper, frontal, rear, and bottom support as will be had from the particular mounting method employed. The plug is typically made from a material as soft as the material from which the louvers or slats are made, such as wood, plastic, polyethylene, polyurethane, nylon, fiber glass, polypropylene, or the like.

The present invention relates to an improvement in the window covering which is efficient and enables individuals to have the facilitated ability to customize the width of horizontal blinds and reduce injury and damage to the horizontal blinds being custom fitted, as well as to reduce the danger to the individual performing the custom sizing of the blind sets.
Horizontal blind systems typically have an upper channel made of metal and configured to support movement and bearing components for horizontal blind operation. The two main operations are the elevation of the bottom horizontal which automatically collects the suspended horizontals above it and clears the window opening, and the angular movement of the slats utilized to allow light into the room at high or low angle or to close the louvers completely. The first operation is typically had by simply pulling a set of two or more suspension strings downward to, in a pulley fashion cause the bottom member to rise to collect the louvers. The second operation may be actuated by a pair of pull strings, or more recently by a control wand, to enable the louvers to change their angle. Thus the inside channel has to support bearing members for raising of the louver and a rotational drum for adjusting the angle of the louvers by raising and lowering two louver support verticals relative to each other.
Typically the louvers or slats are made of a soft material such as wood, plastic, nylon or other carbon based material. Further, in most horizontal blind sets, the upper channel is made of steel or aluminum. Even where very expensive and high precision saws are available, the cutting of the complex shape of the channel is extremely problematic. The saw used for metal and the saw used for the soft material, as a practical matter, have to be different. Cutting the soft material with a metal cutting saw would burn or melt the soft material, while cutting the metal with a soft material saw would rip and tear the metal, bending the upper channel and leaving sharp bits of metal torn away from the channel. The so-called soft material is in reality a material of soft cutting consistency which takes to account the fact that a saw typically takes larger bites of the material, proceeds much more quickly through the material, with the saw blade being typically configured to avoid generation of friction on the material at points past the cutting front. Metal saws are generally characterized as having teeth which take much smaller bites, and since the material to be cut is metal, any friction generated by the saw blade, as well as by the cutting teeth, are assumed to be readily dissipated especially by the metallic material, as well as by extended length of the cutting blade, especially in the case of a band saw. These are general characteristics of commonly available saw blades, and it is understood that a given blade may or may not have combinations of the specific characteristics enumerated.
The reaction to these problems has not been satisfactory. Attempting to select an intermediate type saw still carries the dangers of burn to the soft material and ripping to the channel. Further, any attempt to cut both the metal channel and the soft louver material simultaneously would be dangerous to the operator. Both the metal and the soft material have their own blades and the cutting operation proceeds at different speeds for each. The further unacceptable result is in trying to cut them separately. This means that the louvers or slats have to become dis-aligned from the channel, and that the cutting operation of each has to come within inches of the other. Further, when dis-aligned, or xe2x80x9cfannedxe2x80x9d to a small extent, and thus when not stacked together, the likelihood of a mis-match in dimension is high. The point of customization is not only for the blind set to fit an odd sized window, or even that the channel simply clear the width in which it is to be mounted. The point is to have a blind set which fits squarely into a window opening, and in which the louvers or slats have a fit within the window which appears custom and which shuts out light. Blind sets which are mounted outside of an opening and which are not custom fit can overlap the opening to affect the shutting out of light, however, this orientation is more likely to leave a gap between the side wall facings and the closed louvers or slats to thus provide an even greater impediment to sealing off of light.
What is therefore needed is a mechanism which allows blind sets having relatively soft louver or slat material to be more safely, rapidly and easily customized, and without the need for using different types of saw blades, and without the need to separate the channel from the louvers to cause either a mismatch in size or to cause an angled cut due to xe2x80x9cfanningxe2x80x9d. The needed solution should strengthen and stabilize the blind set while reducing the changes for size error and mis-match.
The structures and process of both forming and trimming the blind set include the provision of a channel extension or channel plug utilized in a blind set which has the louver manipulation components significantly inward to permit a reasonable amount of outboard removal while maintaining the balance and regular appearance of the blind set. The channel plug acts to stabilize the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped upper channel by having an insertion portion which not only fills a structurally significant extent of the channel in a shape which is substantially continuous with the external dimensions of the channel, but fully upwardly engages a pair of oppositely oriented curved inwardly and downwardly lips and fully downwardly engages the floor of the channel to form a rigid fit with respect to the channel. Moreover, the act of closely engaging the internal aspects of a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped channel by a rigid block structure even further bolsters the strength and stability of the channel alone, as well as further providing an even stronger structure at the end or ends of the channel. The strength bolstered end, regardless of the length to which it is cut, enables a more creative variety of wall supports, especially supplanting wall supports which were believed necessary to completely surround and engage the channel on a plurality of its corners or sides.
An extension portion of the channel plug has a pair of upper rails which match and blend with the terminus of the pair of oppositely oriented curved inwardly and downwardly lips to provide both stability, visual continuity, and continuous upper, frontal, rear, and bottom support as will be had from the particular mounting method employed. The plug is typically made from a material as soft as the material from which the louvers or slats are made, such as wood, plastic, polyethylene polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, medium density fiber board, plywood, fiber glass, polypropylene, paper or the like. The plug contains a pair of internal guide ribs to assist the engagement of a small threaded member which extends through the lower floor of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped upper channel, and then engaging the plug at a surface adjacent such lower floor. The plug may have one or more edges or corners removed to reduce the effective perimeter of the end of the insertion portion to facilitate quicker insertion of the plug into the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped upper channel.

98-1, Show-Tsuo St., Show-Tsuo Village, Fu-Hsing Hsiang


A photographing method and apparatus for photographing a fluorescent image, composed of fluorescent light emitted by a living tissue that has been illuminated by a stimulating light, as an image having a higher S/N ratio. Fluorescent light emitted by a living tissue that has been illuminated by a stimulating light emitted from a light source and propagated along an endoscope enters an image fiber. The fluorescent light entering the image fiber is propagated along the image fiber to the output face of the image fiber and focused on the light-receiving zone of a photographing element, under photographing conditions set so that the relation between the pixels of aforementioned output face, upon which the fluorescent image is formed, to the pixels receiving the light of the fluorescent image within aforementioned light-receiving zone satisfies the condition expressed by the formula: Nfxc3x974 greater than Nd.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a photographing method and apparatus, and more particularly to a photographing method and apparatus for photographing a fluorescent image of the fluorescent light emitted by a subject and a reflected light-image, etc. of a subject illuminated by a faint light.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been expressed a desire for photographing a fluorescent image of the fluorescent light emitted by a subject and a reflected-light image of a subject illuminated by a faint light as clear images, and much discussion has ensued in regard to development of a high-sensitivity photographing system therefor.
For example, research has been conducted on an apparatus which, by analyzing fluorescent light-images obtained by photographing the fluorescent light emitted by the inherent dye of the structures of a living tissue illuminated by a stimulating light, facilitates the distinguishing of changes, etc. in the state of each type of disease. In a fluorescent endoscope, the image of the fluorescent light emitted by a subject is propagated along an image fiber and guided to the end thereof. The size of the image guided into the image fiber is magnified to a larger size than that at which it entered the image fiber, focused on a photographing element and photographed.
The fluorescent light emitted by the structures of a living tissue is faint, and a high-sensitivity photographing element is used to detect this light as an image. When the quantity of light received by the photographing element is large, the fluorescent image is photographed at the resolution corresponding to the number of pixels provided on the photographing element, however, when the quantity of light received by the photographing element is small, the signal charge of a plurality of pixels is multiplied, readout, subjected to a pixel binning processing, and the fluorescent image is photographed. For example, if an image fiber of a 2 mm diameter is constituted of 10,000 strands and the image formed by fluorescent light at the end of this fiber is formed of 10,000 pixels, the light-receiving zone of the photographing element for receiving this image is provided with 4 times the number of pixels (40,000 pixels or more). When, for example, the phosphor image received uses 25,000 or 38,000, etc. substantially all of the light-receiving zone of the photographing element, and when the quantity of fluorescent light received is small, the number of pixels to be subjected to pixel binning processing; that is, the number of pixels corresponding to 1 pixel is multiplied and increased, the quantity of light received corresponding to one pixel is increased and the resolution decreased, and conversely, when the quantity of fluorescent light received is large, the number of pixels to be subjected to pixel binning processing is reduced, the resolution increased and the image photographed.
More specifically, a desire has been expressed to obtain an image of a cancerous portion, which is located 50 mm away from the point on which the stimulated light is emitted, as an image signal having a S/N ratio of 1 or higher under standard photographing conditions, in which the structures of a living tissue are illuminated by a 120xc2x0 wide, 100 mw stimulating light and exposed for {fraction (1/30)} of a second over the entire light-receiving zone.
When photographing is performed using a front-exposure type photographing element under aforementioned standard photographing conditions, because the normal charge of the image signal representing the fluorescent image of aforementioned cancerous portion stored on 1 pixel of the light-receiving zone is substantially 10 electrons, by controlling the sum of the number of electrons of the readout noise of each pixel of the light-receiving zone and the number of electrons of dark noise to 10 electrons or less, a S/N ratio of 1 or higher can be obtained for the image signal representing the fluorescent light-image of the cancerous portion. In addition, for cases in which a rear-exposure type photographing element, which has a quantum efficiency substantially twice that of aforementioned front-exposure photographing element, is used, because the charge of the image signal representing the fluorescent image stored on 1 pixel under the settings of aforementioned standard photographing conditions is substantially 20 electrons, by controlling the sum of the number of electrons of the readout noise of each pixel of the light-receiving zone and the number of electrons of dark noise to 20 electrons or less, a S/N ratio of 1 or higher can be obtained for the image signal representing the fluorescent light-image of the cancerous tissue.
However, even if the above described method of employing a processing such as pixel binning is used, when the signal charge that has been stored on a plurality of pixels receiving the fluorescent light the fluorescent image is multiplied within the photographing element, because the signal charge generated due to reception of fluorescent light is in the end simultaneously multiplied together with the signal charge stored due to the dark noise, even if the charge of the image signal stored on a plurality of pixels is grouped together as a unit by being subjected to pixel binning processing and are and treated as corresponding to 1 pixel, the ratio of the dark noise component is not reduced, and an improvement in the S/N ratio cannot be hoped for. At this point, a photographing system in which the S/N ratio can be improved by reducing the dark noise component is desired.
The present invention has been developed in consideration of the circumstances described above, and it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a faint light photographing method and apparatus in which, by reducing the dark noise, the light-image of a subject can be photographed as an image having a high S/N ratio.
According to the photographing method of the present invention, in which fluorescent light emitted by a living-tissue subject illuminated by stimulating light enters an image fiber and is guided toward the output face of the image fiber, and the fluorescent image formed at the output face of the image fiber is focused on the light-receiving zone of the photographing element and photographed by the photographing element, the relationship between the number of pixels Nf forming the fluorescent image on the output face of the image fiber and the number of pixels Nd receiving the light of the fluorescent image assembled within the light-receiving zone of the photographing element satisfy the condition expressed by the formula: Nfxc3x974 greater than Nd.
For cases in which a front-exposure type photographing element is used, at normal temperature or lower, it is preferable that the fluorescent image be photographed under photographing conditions set so that the sum of the number of electrons of the readout noise produced on each pixel within the light-receiving zone receiving the light of a fluorescent image and the number of electrons of dark noise be 10 or less.
For cases in which a rear-exposure type photographing element is used, at normal temperature or lower, it is preferable that the fluorescent image be photographed with the photographing conditions set so that the sum of the number of electrons of the readout noise produced on each pixel within the light-receiving zone receiving the light of a fluorescent image and of dark noise be 20 or less.
It is preferable that the fluorescent image be focused on an imaged focusing means in which the number of pixels of the light-receiving zone receiving the light of the fluorescent image is 40,000 or less.
For cases in which the photographing element is capable of reading out, in a random manner, the signal charge stored on each pixel, it is preferable that a readout zone narrower than the light-receiving zone and which includes the fluorescent image is set within the light-receiving zone, and that readout of the readout zone be performed prior to readout of other zones within the light-receiving zone.
For cases in which the photographing element reads out the signal charge stored on each pixel sequentially, it is preferable that the fluorescent image be assembled at the closest position to the readout port of the photographing element, within the light-receiving zone.
A photographing apparatus according to the present invention comprises an optical system for directing fluorescent light emitted from a living-tissue subject illuminated by stimulating light into an image fiber and guiding it to the output face of the image fiber, an image focusing means for focusing on the light-receiving zone of the photographing element the fluorescent image formed by the fluorescent light guided to the output face of the image fiber, and a photographing means for photographing the fluorescent image assembled at the light-receiving zone thereof, wherein the relationship between the number of pixels Nf forming the fluorescent image on the output face of the image fiber and the number of pixels Nd receiving light of the fluorescent image assembled within the light-receiving zone of the photographing element satisfy the condition expressed by the formula: Nfxc3x974 greater than Nd.
For cases in which the photographing element of the photographing means is provided as a front-exposure type photographing element, at normal temperature or lower, it is preferable that the fluorescent image be photographed under photographing conditions set so that the sum of the number of electrons of the readout noise produced on each pixel within the light-receiving zone receiving the light of a fluorescent image and the number of electrons of dark noise be 10 or less.
For cases in which the photographing element of the photographing means is provided as a rear-exposure type photographing element, at normal temperature or lower, it is preferable that the fluorescent image be photographed under photographing conditions set so that the sum of the number of electrons of the readout noise produced on each pixel within the light-receiving zone receiving the light of a fluorescent image and the number of electrons of dark noise be 20 or less.
It is preferable that the fluorescent image be focused on an imaged focusing means in which the number of pixels of the light-receiving zone receiving the light of the fluorescent image is 40,000 or less.
The image focusing means can be a means capable of changing, corresponding to the quantity of fluorescent light received by the photographing element, the size of the fluorescent image assembled within the light-receiving zone thereof.
The image focusing means is provided with a zooming optical system, and by use of the zooming optical system, can be a means capable of changing the size of the fluorescent image assembled within the light-receiving zone thereof.
The photographing apparatus can also be a photographing element that changes the readout frequency of the photographing element, corresponding to the zooming rate of the zooming optical system.
For cases in which the photographing element is capable of reading out in a random manner the image signal charge stored on each pixel, it is preferable that the photographing means be provided with a readout control means for setting a readout zone narrower than the light-receiving zone and which includes the fluorescent image within the light-receiving zone, and causing readout of the readout zone to be performed prior to readout of other zones within the light-receiving zone.
For cases in which the photographing element is capable of reading out in a random manner the image signal charge stored on each pixel, it is preferable that the photographing means be provided with a readout control means for setting a readout zone narrower than the light-receiving zone and which includes the fluorescent image within the light-receiving zone, which is also capable of changing the size of the readout zone and causing readout of the readout zone to be performed before readout of other zones within the light-receiving zone.
For cases in which the photographing element is a photographing element that sequentially reads out the image signal charge stored on each pixel, it is preferable that the photographing element is structured so that the fluorescent image is assembled at the closest position to the readout port of the photographing element, within the light-receiving zone.
For cases in which the photographing element is a photographing element that sequentially reads out the image signal charge stored on each pixel, it is preferable that the photographing element be provided with an focusing-position changing means for changing the position at which the fluorescent image is assembled within the light-receiving zone.
According to a photographing method of the present invention: a photographing element in which the charge stored on each pixel is sequentially transferred and readout is utilized; the light-image of the subject is focused on the light-receiving zone of the photographing element; the assembled light-image is photoelectrically converted on each light-receiving pixel within the light-receiving zone and stored within each light-receiving pixel as an image charge; and the signal charge stored within each light-receiving pixel is converted to an image signal and readout. In addition, the light-image is focused on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and the readout signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the readout zone is readout as aforementioned image charge and the residual signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone is readout as a null change.
According to aforementioned photographing method, the sequentially transferred readout signal charge can be subjected to binning processing before it is readout.
According to another photographing method of the present invention: a photographing element in which the charge stored on each pixel is sequentially transferred and readout is utilized; the light-image of the subject is focused on the light-receiving zone of the photographing element; the assembled light-image is photoelectrically converted on each light-receiving pixel within the light-receiving zone and stored within each light-receiving pixel as an image charge; and the signal charge stored within each light-receiving pixel is converted to an image signal and readout. In addition, the light-image is focused on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and the readout signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the readout zone is readout as aforementioned image charge and the residual signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone is discarded through a clearing drain.
According to a further photographing method of the present invention: a photographing element in which the charge stored on each pixel is sequentially transferred and readout is utilized; in which the light-image of the subject is focused on the light-receiving zone of the photographing element; the assembled light-image is photoelectrically converted on each light-receiving pixel within the light-receiving zone and stored within each light-receiving pixel as an image charge; and the signal charge stored within each light-receiving pixel is converted to an electric image signal and readout. In addition, the light-image is focused on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and after the readout signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the readout zone is readout as aforementioned image charge, the residual signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone, or aforementioned residual signal charge and the image signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the light-receiving zone after the readout signal charge has been read out are grouped together and read out as null for each block or one pixel at a time.
A photographing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a photographing element and an image focusing means for focusing the light-image of a subject in the light-receiving zone of the photographing element. The photographing element is provided with a photoelectric converting portion for photoelectrically converting and accumulating as an image signal the received light on each light-receiving pixel within the light-receiving zone, a charge transfer portion for sequentially transferring the image charge stored on each light-receiving pixel, and a sequential-readout portion for converting the sequentially transferred image charge to an electric image signal and reading out said image charge, wherein said image focusing means focuses the light-image on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and a sequential-readout control means is provided for controlling the readout as an image signal of the readout charge stored on the light-receiving pixels of the readout zone by the sequential-readout portion and the readout as null of the residual signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone by the sequential-readout portion.
Aforementioned photographing apparatus can be provided with a gate between the charge transfer portion and the sequential-readout portion for controlling passage of the signal charge from the charge transfer portion to the sequential-readout portion, and a gate control means for controlling aforementioned gate so as to facilitate the subjecting of said readout signal charge to binning processing before the readout signal charge is transferred by the charge conversion portion and read out by the sequential-readout portion.
A further photographing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a photographing element and an image focusing means for focusing the light-image of the subject in the light-receiving zone of the photographing element, and the photographing element is provided with a photoelectric converting portion for photoelectrically converting and storing as an image signal the received light on each light-receiving pixel within the light-receiving zone, a charge transfer portion for sequentially transferring the image charge stored on each light-receiving pixel, and a sequential-readout portion for converting the sequentially transferred image charge to an electric image signal and reading out said image charge, wherein said image focusing means focuses the light-image on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and is further provided with a clearing drain for discarding the signal charge sequentially transferred by the charge transfer portion, and a sequential-readout control means for controlling readout of the readout signal charge, which is stored on the light-receiving pixels of the readout zone, by the sequential readout means and the discarding of the residual signal charge, which is stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone, into the clearing drain.
A still further photographing apparatus of the present invention comprises a first gate provided between the charge transfer portion and the sequential-readout portion for controlling passage of the signal charge from the charge transfer portion to the sequential-readout portion, a second gate provided between the charge transfer portion and aforementioned clearing drain for controlling passage of the signal charge from the charge transfer portion to the clearing drain, and a gate control means for controlling gate 1 and gate 2 so as to facilitate the subjecting of the readout signal charge to binning processing before the readout signal charge is transferred by said charge conversion portion and read out by the sequential-readout portion.
Yet another photographing apparatus of the present invention comprises a photographing element and an image focusing means for focusing the light-image of the subject in the light-receiving zone of the photographing element, and the photographing element is provided with a photoelectric converting portion for photoelectrically converting and accumulating as an image signal the light received on each light-receiving pixel within the light-receiving zone, a pixel selecting means capable of randomly selecting pixels from among the light-receiving pixels, and a random readout portion for photoelectrically converting the signal charge of the selected light-receiving pixels to an electric image signal and reading it out, wherein the image focusing means focuses the light-image on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and the pixel selecting portion selects light-receiving pixels of the readout zone, and after the random readout portion reads out the image charge stored on the selected light-receiving pixels, the pixel selecting means selects light-receiving pixels contained in the non-readout zone outside the readout zone, or the pixels contained in the non-readout zone and the readout zone, and a random readout control means is provided to control the pixel selecting portion and the random readout portion so as to facilitate readout as a null change for each block or one pixel at a time by the random readout means of the residual signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels in the non-readout zone or aforementioned residual signal charge grouped together with the image signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the light-receiving zone.
According to the random readout control means, at the same time a plurality of light-receiving pixels within the light-receiving zone are selected by the pixel selecting means, binning processing can be performed on the readout signal charge so that the multiplied signal charge of each readout signal charge stored on the selected light-receiving pixels can be converted to an electric image signal and readout.
According to aforementioned photographing apparatus, the image focusing means is provided with a zooming optical system, and said zooming optical system can be a means capable of changing the size of the light image focused on the light-receiving zone.
The photographing apparatus can also be a photographing element that changes the readout frequency of the photographing element, corresponding to the zooming rate of the zooming optical system.
Aforementioned photographing apparatus can be loaded in a fluorescent endoscope.
According to the photographing method and apparatus described above, the photographing element can be a charge amplification type for amplifying the charge by impact ionization.
Note that the xe2x80x9ccharge-amplification type photographing elementxe2x80x9d for amplifying the charge by impact ionization is a photographing element having a shift-resistor provided with a charge amplifying function and which is disposed between the horizontal CCD readout shift-resistor and the output amplifier. The operating principle by which the shift-resistor provided with a charge amplifying function amplifies the charge is the impact ionization phenomenon, which forms 2-dimensional electrons, occurring when the signal charge is transferred in deep potential formed at a sufficient strength (the charge collides with Si, and electron holes are formed). By transferring the signal charge, which has been transferred from the horizontal readout shift-resistor, by the multi-step shift-resistors of the shift-resistor provided with a charge amplifying function, each having deep potential, the 2-dimensional electrons are repeatedly formed, the readout noise level is not substantially increased and the signal charge is amplified. In relation to this charge-amplification type photographing element for amplifying a charge by use of impact ionization, refer to the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,340 (name of invention: Charge Multiplying Detector  less than CMD greater than  suitable for small pixel CCD image sensor).
According to the photographing method and apparatus of the present invention, in photographing of a fluorescent image focused on the light-receiving zone of the photographing element, because the fluorescent image is focused on the light-receiving zone wherein the relationship of the pixels Nf, which represent the fluorescent image formed on the output face of the image fiber, to the pixels Nd, which are the pixels in the light-receiving zone receiving the light of the fluorescent image assembled therein, satisfies the condition expressed by the formula: Nfxc3x974 greater than Nd. That is, because the number of pixels of the light-receiving zone of the photographing element focusing the fluorescent image formed at the output face of the image fiber has been kept not unnecessarily high, the quantity of dark noise produced per each pixel is not changed and quantity of fluorescent light received per pixel is increased, and because the fluorescent image, having a relatively reduced ratio of dark noise, can be read out from the photographing element, the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image having a high S/N ratio.
Note that for cases in which a front-exposure type photographing element is used, if the photographing conditions are set so that the sum of the number of noise and dark noise electrons produced on each pixel in the light-receiving zone receiving the light of the fluorescent image, at normal temperature or lower, is 10 or less, in aforementioned standard photographing state, an image of a cancerous tissue, for example, can be photographed having an S/N ratio of 1 or higher.
In addition, for cases in which a rear-exposure type photographing element is used, if the photographing conditions are set so that the sum of the number of noise and dark noise electrons produced on each pixel in the light-receiving zone receiving the light of the fluorescent image at normal temperature or lower is 20 or less, because the quantum efficiency of a rear-exposure photographing element becomes twice that of a front-exposure photographing element, in aforementioned standard photographing state, an image of a cancerous tissue, for example, can be photographed having an S/N ratio of 1 or higher.
Further, if the fluorescent image is assembled and photographed in a light-receiving zone in which and the number of pixels receiving the light of the fluorescent image is 40,000 or less, even for cases, for example, in which there are sufficiently plentiful pixels to represent the image formed at the output face of the image fiber, there are not an excess number of unnecessary pixels receiving the light of the fluorescent image in the light-receiving zone, and by controlling the number of pixels receiving the light of the fluorescent image to 40,000 or less, which is a number of pixels providing for the capability for distinguishing the change, etc. in the state of diseased tissues of various diseases by analyzing the photographed fluorescent image, a fluorescent image in which the quantity of light received per pixel is further increased can be read out from the photographing element, and the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image with a higher S/N ratio.
Further yet, if the size of the fluorescent image focused on the photographing element is changed, corresponding to the amount of light received at the photographing element, by use of a zooming optical means, etc., in a case, for example, when the quantity of received light of the fluorescent image is small, the fluorescent image is assembled small on the photographing element, and by photographing the fluorescent image by use of few pixels, the quantity of light received per pixel increases and the resolution of the image deteriorates, and for cases in which the quantity of received light of the fluorescent image is large, the fluorescent image assembled large on the photographing element, and by photographing the fluorescent image by use of many pixels, because adjustment can be made so that the quantity of received light is ensured while increasing the resolution, the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image having both the appropriate quantity of received-light and resolution.
Still further, if the photographing element is provided so that it is capable of reading out, in a random manner, the image charge stored on each pixel and with a readout zone including the fluorescent image and narrower than the light-receiving zone, if readout of the readout zone is performed prior to readout of the other zones, the time for dark noise to accumulate on each pixel of the readout zone, which are read out before the pixels of the other zones, can be shortened, and the fluorescent image can be read out as an image having a high S/N ratio.
Further still, if the photographing element is provided so as to sequentially read out the signal charge stored on each pixel and assemble the fluorescent image at the point closest to the readout port of the photographing element within the light-receiving zone thereof, compared to other cases, because the light of the fluorescent image received at each pixel is read out faster and the time for dark noise to accumulate can be reduced, the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image having a higher S/N ratio.
In addition, if the photographing element is provided so that it is capable of reading out, in a random manner, the signal charge stored on each pixel, and a readout zone, which is read out prior to other zones and whose size it is possible to change, is set within the light-receiving zone of the photographing element, in a case, for example, in which the size of an image to be assembled is changed corresponding to the quantity of received light, the position at which the fluorescent image is to be assembled can be set close to aforementioned readout port corresponding to the change in size thereof, by which efficient early readout of the fluorescent image becomes possible, and the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image having a higher S/N ratio.
Further, if the photographic element is provided so that it sequentially reads out the signal charge stored on each pixel, and so that it is possible to change the position at which the fluorescent image is assembled within the light-receiving zone thereof, in a case, for example, in which the size of an image to be assembled is changed corresponding to the quantity of received light, the position at which the fluorescent image is to be assembled can be set close to aforementioned readout port corresponding to the change in size thereof, by which efficient early readout of the fluorescent image becomes possible, and the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image having a higher S/N ratio.
According to a photographing method and apparatus of the present invention, a photographing element for sequentially transferring and reading out the signal charge stored on each pixel is utilized, and in converting the signal charge stored in each pixel to an electric image signal and reading out said image signal, the light-image is focused on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and accompanying the conversion and readout of the readout signal charge, which has been transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the readout zone, as an image charge, because the residual signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone has been read out as null, the quantity of dark noise produced per each pixel is not changed and quantity of fluorescent light received per pixel can be increased twofold or greater, and because the ratio of dark noise of the fluorescent image can be relatively reduced, the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image having a high S/N ratio.
Note that upon converting the signal charge stored on each light receiving pixel image signal charge and reading out said image signal, the light-image of the subject is focused in a readout zone formed of a number of light-receiving pixels equal to less than half of the total number of light-receiving pixels of the light-receiving zone. Accompanying the conversion to an image signal of the readout signal charge that has been transferred to the readout zone and readout of said image signal, if the residual signal charge that has been transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels of the no-readout zone outside of the readout zone is read out as a null change, because the quantity of dark noise produced per pixel does not change and the quantity of light received per pixel can be increased by more than double and the ratio of dark noise can be relatively reduced, the light-image can be photographed as an image having a higher S/N ratio.
According to another photographing method and apparatus of the present invention, a photographing element for sequentially transferring and reading out the signal charge stored on each pixel is utilized, and in converting the signal charge stored in each pixel to an electric image signal and reading out said image signal, the light-image is focused on the light-receiving pixels of a readout zone formed from less than less of the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and accompanying the conversion of the readout signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the readout zone to an image signal and readout of said image signal, because the residual signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone has been discarded via a clearing drain, the quantity of dark noise produced per each pixel is not changed and quantity of fluorescent light received per pixel can be increased twofold or greater the quantity of dark noise produced per each pixel is not changed and quantity of fluorescent light received per pixel can be increased twofold or greater, the ratio of dark noise of the fluorescent image can be relatively reduced, and it is not necessary to convert the residual signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone to an image signal and read out and discard the thus converted image signal as in the prior art, and because the residual signal charge transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels outside the readout zone in the non-readout zone has been discarded at a high speed via the clearing drain, the processing time for one section of the display is shortened, and readout of the signal charge stored in the readout zone can be completed rapidly, the quantity of dark noise can be further reduced with the passage of time and the fluorescent image can be photographed as an image having a high S/N ratio.
Note that upon converting the signal charge stored on each light receiving pixel image signal charge and reading out said image signal, the fluorescent image o the subject is focused in a readout zone formed of a number of light-receiving pixels equal to less than half of the total number of light-receiving pixels of the light-receiving zone. Accompanying the conversion to an image signal of the readout signal charge that has been transferred to the readout zone and readout of said image signal, if the residual signal charge that has been transferred to and stored on the light-receiving pixels of the no-readout zone outside of the readout zone is discarded via a clearing drain, the quantity of dark noise produced per pixel does not change, and by increasing the quantity of light received per pixel by more that double, the ratio of dark noise can be relatively reduced, and because the residual signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels of the non-readout zone outside the readout zone is not converted to an image signal and readout and discarded as in conventional processing, but is discarded via a clearing drain at a high speed, readout of the signal charge of the readout zone can be completed rapidly, an because the quantity of dark noise, which accumulates with the passage of time, can be further reduced, the light image can be photographed as an image having a higher S/N ratio.
According to yet another photographing method and apparatus of the present invention, a photographing element for sequentially transferring and reading out the signal charge stored on each pixel is utilized, and in converting the signal charge stored in each pixel to an electric image signal and reading out said image signal, the light-image is focused on the light-receiving pixels forming the readout zone, which account for xc2xd or less of the total number of pixels of the light-receiving zone, and after readout of the readout signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels contained within the readout zone as an image signal, because the residual signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels contained in the non-readout zone outside the readout zone, or said residual signal charge together with the signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels contained in said readout zone after readout of the readout signal charge have been read out from said random readout portion as null for each block or one pixel at a time, readout of the signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels in the readout zone can be completed more rapidly and the quantity of dark noise, which accumulates with the passage of time, can be further reduced. Also, the blooming that occurs in cases in which the residual signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels of the non-readout zone is not discarded, that is, the phenomenon wherein a signal charge continues to accumulate on the light-receiving pixels of the non-readout zone and overflows onto the light-receiving pixels of the readout zone can be prevented.
According to a still further readout method and apparatus of the present invention, employing a photographing element capable of reading out, in a random manner, the signal charge stored on each light-receiving pixel, upon conversion of the signal charge stored on each light-receiving pixel to an electric image signal and readout of said image signal, the light-image of the subject is focused in a readout zone formed of a number of light-receiving pixels equal to less than half of the total number of light-receiving pixels of the light-receiving zone, and after readout of the readout signal charge, as an image signal, stored on each of the light-receiving pixels of said readout zone, if the residual signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels of the non-readout zone outside the readout zone, or said residual signal charge grouped together with the signal charge stored on the readout zone after the readout signal charge has been readout therefrom is readout as empty for each block or each pixel, readout of the signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels of the readout zone can be completed more rapidly, and the quantity of dark noise, which accumulates with the passage of time, can be reduced. Further, the blooming occurring for cases in which discarding of the residual signal charge stored on the light-receiving pixels of the non-readout zone has not been performed, that is, the phenomenon wherein the signal charge continuing to be accumulated on the light-receiving pixels of the non-readout zone overflows onto the light-receiving pixels within the readout zone, can be prevented.
Further, if aforementioned readout signal charge is subjected to binning processing, because the signal charge stored on a plurality of pixels can be grouped together as a unit and converted to an image signal, the readout noise produced when a signal charge is converted to an electric image signal can be further reduced and image signal carrying the light-image of a subject can be photographed as an image having an even higher S/N ratio.
Still further, if the image focusing means is provided with a zooming optical means, by use of which it becomes a means capable of changing the size of the light-image to be focused on the light-receiving zone, for cases in which the quantity of light received from the light-image is insufficient and an image signal having a low S/N ratio is read out, by focusing the light image in a small area within the light-receiving zone, the quantity of light received per pixel is increased and the light-image can be read out as an image signal having a high S/N ratio. In addition, for cases in which the quantity of light received from the light-image is sufficiently large and an image signal having a high S/N ratio has been read out, by focusing the light-image on a larger area of the light-receiving zone, the number of light-receiving pixels receiving the light of the light-image is increased, and an image signal carrying a light-image having a higher resolution can be read out.
In addition, if the photographing apparatus is a photographing element that changes the readout frequency, corresponding to the zooming rate of the zooming optical system, the level of readout noise mixed in the images to be readout can be more precisely made to be low. That is to say, for cases in which a normal photographing element is used, because the quantity of readout noise produced is proportional to the horizontal base of the readout frequency, if the readout frequency is lowered, the quantity of readout noise can be caused to be low. For example, if the zooming rate of the zooming optical system is set low, and a predetermined observation zone is focused smaller on the photographing element and the number of readout pixels reduced, the readout frequency can be lowered by only the portion of the number of pixels read out for 1 frame and the quantity of readout noise produced can be precisely made to be small.
More specifically, for example, in a case in which a normal photographing element is employed under a photographing condition of 30 frames/second, the readout noise is more controlled than the dark noise, and reducing the readout noise becomes a means of improving the sensitivity (improving the S/N ratio). Because the quantity of readout noise produced is proportional to the horizontal base of the readout frequency, if the readout frequency is lowered, it is possible to raise the sensitivity (S/N). Here, if the predetermined observation zone is focused smaller on the photographing element by the zooming optical means and the number of pixels read out is reduced, the readout frequency can be lowered by only the portion of the number of pixels read out for 1 frame and the quantity of readout noise produced can be precisely made to be small. If the readout frequency becomes low, the quantity of readout noise produced is reduced, and the sensitivity (S/N) can be improved.
If the photographing apparatus is implemented in an endoscope apparatus, because the quantity of light received per pixel is increased and the dark noise can be reduced, a reflected light-image produced by the light reflected from inside a living-tissue subject illuminated by an illuminating light, the fluorescent light image produced by the fluorescent light emitted by a living-tissue subject illuminated by a stimulating light, etc. can be observed as a light-image having a high S/N ratio.
In addition, if the photographing apparatus is a charge-amplification type photographing element that amplifies the charge by impact ionization, the readout noise is lowered, and the signal charge can be read out as an image signal having an even higher S/N ratio.

Method and apparatus for photographing fluorescent and reflected-light images


There is provided an image pickup apparatus having an image pickup element for dividing a photoelectrically converted video signal of one frame into first and second fields and for sequentially reading the fields out, wherein the apparatus has a suppression circuit to suppress the signal of a predetermined band in the video signal from the image pickup element by different magnitudes for the first and second fields.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for accumulating a still image of one frame and reading out the accumulated image.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, an interline type CCD or the like has been used as an image pickup element for dividing a still image of one frame into two fields and sequentially then reading out.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an interline type CCD which can be applied to the present invention. Reference numeral 41 denotes a photodiode; 42 indicates a switch consisting of an MOSFET; 43 a vertical transfer CCD; 44 a horizontal transfer CCD; and 45 an output amplifier.
It is now assumed that photoelectric conversion is executed by the photodiode 41 within a time which has been preset by mechanical shutter means or the like. Then, the photoelectrically converted signal charges are read out from the signal of the first field in a state in which the image pickup element is shut against the light by the shutter means. In this case, the signals of only the odd-number lines (the 1st, 3rd, . . . , (2n-1)th lines) are transferred to the vertical transfer CCD 43 through the switch 42 comprising an MOSFET. Further, the signals are transferred to the horizontal transfer CCD 44 every horizontal line by vertical transfer pulses .phi.V1, .phi.V2, .phi.V3, and .phi.V4. Then, the signals are transferred by horizontal transfer pulses .phi.H1, .phi.H2, .phi.H3, and .phi.H4 and are read out from the output amplifier 45 comprising a floating diffusion amplifier of two source follower type FETs. Next, in the case of reading out the signals of the second field, the signal charges of the even-number lines (the 2nd, 4th, . . . , 2nth lines) are read out in accordance with the same processes as mentioned above. In this manner, the image of one frame is divided into two fields and read out.
Such a conventional reading method has a problem that the dark current noise levels in the first and second fields differ. In other words, when considering the signal charges of the second field, the incident light is shut out by the shutter means for a period of time when the signal of the first field is read out. However, since the signal charges of the second field are held in the photodiode, the dark current increases by an amount corresponding to only such a period of time.
Consequently, there are problems that not only do the S/N ratios of the signals of the first and second fields differ, but also a difference occurs between the black levels, so that flicker occurs and it becomes very hard to see the still image.

Image pickup apparatus with supervision of noise level differences between fields


An embodiment of an Internet check according to the present invention is disclosed, it includes a check symbol for indicating a kind of a check, a bank symbol for indicating a bank issuing the check, an issued date symbol for indicating the issued date, an issued number symbol for indicating an issued number of the check, an issue-price symbol for indicating the price of the issued check, a password symbol for indicating a password of the issued check. And each of these symbols consists of characters or numbers or figures or symbols or a combination thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic check and an electronic card used in the Internet-based electronic commerce. And in this invention, an Internet based electronic commerce method using the electronic checks and electronic cards among customers, providers and a bank is disclosed too.
2. Description of the Related Arts
So far the, technologies on an electronic check and an electronic card for the Internet-based electronic commerce have not been provided. Furthermore, a transacting method of the electronic check and an electronic card between customers, providers and banks has not been provided. Especially, as the transacting method of the electronic check and an electronic card between customers, providers and banks of each country has not been provided, an international transaction has not been made easily although the Internet-based international transaction has been activated.
And until now, it was very difficult to confirm whether in the electronic commerce users use their real names or not, and then it was not easy to impose a correct tax and to confirm user""s identities.
Also, as there is no any international standardization, the international electronic commerce is inconvenient.
A preferable embodiment of an Internet check according to the present invention comprises a check symbol for indicating a kind of a check, a bank symbol for indicating a bank issuing the check, an issued date symbol for indicating the issued date, an issued number symbol for indicating an issued number of the check, an issue-price symbol for indicating the price of the issued check, a password symbol for indicating a password of the issued check. And each of these symbols consists of characters or numbers or figures or symbols or a combination of these, and these symbols do not have any real shape and are used in electronic commerce based on the Internet.
Another preferable embodiment of an Internet check according to the present invention comprises a check symbol for indicating a kind of a check, a bank symbol for indicating a bank issuing the check, an issued date symbol for indicating the issued date, an issued number symbol for indicating an issued number of the check, a first empty space for entering an issue-price, a issue-price limit symbol for indicating the limit of the issue-price of the check, a second empty space for entering a recipient""s identification and a password symbol for indicating a password of the issued check.
A preferable embodiment of an Internet card according to the present invention comprises a card symbol for indicating a kind of a card, an issue organization symbol for indicating an issue organization of the card, an issued date symbol for indicating the issued date, an issued number symbol for indicating an issued number of the card, an issue-price symbol for indicating the price of the issued card, a password symbol for indicating a password of the issued card.
A preferable embodiment of an electronic commerce method according to the present invention comprises a step for requesting a bank to issue the electronic check or an electronic card by a customer after the customer pays money to the bank and his real name is confirmed by the bank, a step for issuing the customer the electronic check or the electronic card according to the request by the bank, a step for paying in the electronic check or in the electronic card by the customer in order to pay in exchange for wares, that the customer purchased or used and providers provided, a step for asking the bank to pay in cash for the paid electronic check or the electronic card by the provider, a step for informing the provider examined results for payment after confirming whether the data of the electronic check or the electronic card coincides with the data stored in a check/card issuing database by the bank, a step for issuing the customer a receipt by the provider, a step for transferring into the provider""s deposit account in accordance with the examined result by the bank.
Another preferable embodiment of an electronic commerce method using an Internet based electronic check and an Internet based electronic card according to the present invention comprises a step for requesting a first bank to issue an electronic check or an electronic card by a customer after the customer pays money to a first bank and his real name is confirmed by a first bank, a step for issuing the customer an electronic check or in the electronic card by a first bank, a step for paying in the electronic check or in the electronic card by the customer in order to pay in exchange wares, that the customer purchased or used and providers provided, a step for asking a second bank to pay in cash for the paid electronic check or the electronic card by the provider, a step for requesting a first bank to exchange the electronic check or the electronic card by the second bank, a step for informing a second bank examined results for payment after confirming whether the data of the electronic check or the electronic card coincides with the data stored in a check/card issuing database by a first bank, a step for informing the provider the examined result by a second bank, a step for issuing the customer a receipt by the provider, a step for transferring money into a second bank for the electronic check or the electronic card by a first bank, a step for transferring money into the provider""s deposit account in accordance with the examined result by a second bank.

Check/card for internet based commerce and a method for dealing the check/card

118 dong 604 ho Hanjin Town Apt., 346 Haengdang-dong


A MR element with a magnetic sensing region and outside regions thereof which locate outside the magnetic sensing region along a track width direction, includes a multi-layered structure with an anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer, a first ferromagnetic thin-film layer constituted by a single layer of ferromagnetic material or by multi layers of ferromagnetic material, a non-magnetic metal thin-film layer and a second ferromagnetic thin-film layer constituted by a single layer of ferromagnetic material or by multi layers of ferromagnetic material which are sequentially formed on a substrate. The all layers in the multi-layered structure exist in the magnetic sensing region, and at least the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness exists in the outside regions.

The present invention relates to a magnetoresistive effect (MR) element used as a magnetic sensor, a thin-film magnetic head with the MR element and a manufacturing method of the MR element. The present invention particularly relates to a MR element of a thin-film magnetic head for hard disk drive units, and to a manufacturing method of the MR element.
Recently, thin-film magnetic heads based on spin valve effect of giant magnetoresistive characteristics (GMR) are proposed as magnetic heads with high sensitivity and high output in order to satisfy the requirement for ever increasing data storage densities in today""s magnetic storage systems such as hard disk drive units.
The spin valve effect thin-film structure includes first and second thin-film layers of a ferromagnetic material separated by a thin-film layer of non-magnetic material, and an adjacent layer of anti-ferromagnetic material is formed in physical contact with the second ferromagnetic layer to provide exchange bias magnetic field by exchange coupling at the interface of the layers. The magnetization direction in the second ferromagnetic layer is constrained or maintained by the exchange coupling, hereinafter the second layer is called xe2x80x9cpinned layerxe2x80x9d. On the other hand the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer is free to rotate in response to an externally applied magnetic field, hereinafter the first layer is called xe2x80x9cfree layerxe2x80x9d. The direction of the magnetization in the free layer changes between parallel and anti-parallel against the direction of the magnetization in the pinned layer, and hence the magneto-resistance greatly changes and giant magneto-resistance characteristics are obtained.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 04-358310 discloses a spin valve MR sensor which consists of sequentially stacked layers of a bottom layer, a free layer, a non-magnetic layer, a pinned layer and an anti-ferromagnetic layer on a substrate. In this spin valve MR sensor, all the layers except for the bottom and free layers are partly removed to form a magnetic sensing region corresponding to a track width region in case the sensor is used in a magnetic head. In other words, the free layer that will operate as a magnetic sensor exceeds both ends of the magnetic sensing region or the track width region. Therefore, when this spin valve MR sensor is used in the magnetic head, the magnetic sensor will be overlapped on the neighboring tracks and hence this head structure is not effective in more high dense data sensing.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 08-221719 discloses a spin valve MR sensor in which a free layer exists only within the track width region. This type of spin valve MR sensor is fabricated by sequentially stacking on a substrate, a lower shield layer, a shield gap layer of an insulation material and a spin valve multi-layered structure which is constituted by a free layer, a non-magnetic metal layer, a pinned layer and an anti-ferromagnetic layer sequentially stacked from the bottom. Then, a specifically patterned resist layer is formed as a mask on the spin valve multi-layered structure by photo-lithographic technique, and ion milling process is implemented to form a specific shaped magnetic sensor of the spin valve multi-layered structure. Namely, the both end portions of the spin valve multi-layered structure, which exceed the magnetic sensing region, are removed away. After this process, magnetic domain control layers and lead conductor layers are formed.
However, according to this Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 08-221719, over-milling onto the spin valve multi-layered structure is necessary at the ion milling process of this structure in order that incomplete milled part of the structure does not exist in any area of the wafer. Namely, the milling process is to be done extending into the shield gap layer exceeding the spin valve multi-layered structure.
As a result of such ion milling, the released particles of the shield gap layer of insulation material such as Al2O3 are re-deposited on the interface area between the spin valve multi-layered structure, and the magnetic domain control layers and lead conductors to form high electrical resistive residual layers. This results in not only higher electrical resistance of the spin valve MR sensor, but also wider spread of the dispersion in electrical resistance values of such sensors. Furthermore, the over-milling may cause definite degradation of electrical insulation characteristic between the lower shield layer and the spin valve multi-layered structure due to the thinned shield gap layer.
In addition, according to this Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 08-221719, the electrical contact between the spin valve multi-layered structure, and the magnetic domain control layers and the lead conductor layers is only by the cross sectional side interfaces of the patterned spin valve multi-layered structure. More thinly spin valve multi-layered structure and lower height of the stripe from ABS (Air Bearing Surface) or lower MR height result in definite decrease of the electrical contact area and increase of the contact resistance. This increase of the contact resistance may cause shorter life of the sensor due to self-heating and/or electro-migration of the MR sensor. It is possible to enlarge the contact area by making the shape of the cross sectional side interfaces in a greatly tapered shape. However, such shape may invite increase in Barkhousen noise and also increase of the output signal fluctuations.
The above-mentioned problems may be caused not only in such spin valve MR element, but also in an usual anisotropic MR element.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a MR element, a thin-film magnetic head with the MR element and a manufacturing method of the MR element, whereby electric resistance at the interface between a spin valve multi-layered structure or other MR multi-layered structure and a magnetic domain control layer and a lead conductor layer becomes low and its dispersion can exist in a narrow range.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a MR element, a thin-film magnetic head with the MR element and a manufacturing method of the MR element, whereby electrical contact area at the interface between a spin valve multi-layered structure or other MR multi-layered structure and a magnetic domain control layer and a lead conductor layer becomes more larger.
According to the present invention, a MR element, with a magnetic sensing region and outside regions thereof which locate outside the magnetic sensing region along a track width direction, includes a multi-layered structure with an anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer, a first ferromagnetic thin-film layer constituted by a single layer of ferromagnetic material or by multi layers of ferromagnetic material, a non-magnetic metal thin-film layer and a second ferromagnetic thin-film layer constituted by a single layer of ferromagnetic material or by multi layers of ferromagnetic material which are sequentially formed on a substrate. The all layers in the multi-layered structure exist in the magnetic sensing region, and at least the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness exists in the outside regions.
In this multi-layered structure, the second ferromagnetic thin-film layer (free layer) is formed in the opposite (upper) side of the substrate, and at least the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with the initial thickness exists in the outside regions of the magnetic sensing region, and hence even when over milling process is implemented to pattern the free layer, an insulation layer under the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer is not attacked. Therefore, insulation material particles do not re-deposit on the cross sectional interface area of the spin valve multi-layered structure, the magnetic domain control layers and lead conductor layers, and the interface electrical resistance can become low and its dispersion can be restricted in a narrow range.
Particularly, according to the present invention, at least the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with initial thickness exists in the outside regions of the magnetic sensing region, and therefore re-deposition of particles during the milling process of this anti-ferromagnetic layer is not caused. In general, the resistivity of an anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer is larger than that of other thin-film layers, and this causes definite increase of the interface resistance when the particles are re-deposited on the interface surface area. When an anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer is formed of oxide material such as NiO, Fe2O3 or CoO, the interface resistance is usually degraded. By this reason, non re-deposition of particles of anti-ferromagnetic material gives a great advantage.
Furthermore, the electrical contact area between the spin valve multi-layered structure and the magnetic domain control layers and the lead conductor layers includes not only the tapered side areas at the both ends of the spin valve multi-layered structure, but also the interface area between a part of the upper surface of a layer in the spin valve multi-layered structure and the magnetic domain control layers. Thus, the electrical resistance of the spin valve MR element becomes smaller and the life of the element becomes longer.
It is preferred that, in the outside regions, only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness exists.
It is also preferred that, in the outside regions, only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness and the first ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its thinned thickness exist.
It is preferred that, in the outside regions, only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness and the first ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness exist.
It is also preferred that, in the outside regions, only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness, the first ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness and the non-magnetic metal thin-film layer with its initial thickness exist.
It is preferred furthermore that, in the outside regions, magnetic domain control layers which are contact with the second ferromagnetic thin-film layer and the lead conductor layers exist.
According to the present invention, also, a MR element with a magnetic sensing region and outside regions thereof which locate outside the magnetic sensing region along a track width direction, includes a multi-layered structure with a soft-magnetic adjacent layer for magnetic biasing constituted by a single layer or multi layers, a non-magnetic layer and a MR layer constituted by a single layer or multi layers which are sequentially formed on a substrate. The all layers in the multi-layered structure exist in the magnetic sensing region, and at least the soft-magnetic adjacent layer with its thinned thickness exists in the outside regions.
The MR layer is formed on the opposite (upper) side of the substrate, and in the outside regions of the magnetic sensing region, at least the soft-magnetic adjacent layer for magnetic biasing of its partial thickness exists. Therefore, even when over milling process is implemented to pattern the MR layer, an insulation layer under the soft-magnetic adjacent layer for magnetic biasing is not attacked. Thus, insulation material particles do not re-deposit on the cross sectional interface areas between the MR multi-layered structure, and the magnetic domain control layers and the lead conductor layers. As a result, the interface electrical resistance can be lowered and its dispersion can be restricted in a narrow range. Also, the electrical contact area between the MR multi-layered structure and the magnetic domain control layers and the lead conductor layers includes not only the tapered side areas at the both ends of the MR multi-layered structure, but also the interface area between a part of the upper surface of a layer in the MR multi-layered structure and the magnetic domain control layers. Thus, the electrical resistance of the MR element becomes smaller and the life of the element becomes longer.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, a method of manufacturing a MR element, with a magnetic sensing region and outside regions thereof which locate outside the magnetic sensing region along a track width direction, the method includes the step of sequentially forming, on a substrate, an anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer, a first ferromagnetic thin-film layer constituted by a single layer of ferromagnetic material or by multi layers of ferromagnetic material, a non-magnetic metal thin-film layer and a second ferromagnetic thin-film layer constituted by a single layer of ferromagnetic material or by multi layers of ferromagnetic material, and the steps of removing, in the outside regions, the layers except for at least the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness.
It is preferred that the removing step includes the step of removing, in the outside regions, the layers to leave only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness.
It is also preferred that the removing step includes the step of removing, in the outside regions, the layers to leave only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness and the first ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its thinned thickness.
It is preferred that the removing step includes the step of removing, in the outside regions, the layers to leave only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness and the first ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness.
It is also preferred that the removing step includes the step of removing, in the outside regions, the layers to leave only the anti-ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness, the first ferromagnetic thin-film layer with its initial thickness and the non-magnetic metal thin-film layer with its initial thickness
It is preferred furthermore that the removing step includes the step of executing ion milling the layers in the outside regions.
It is preferred that the method further includes the step of forming magnetic domain control layers which are contact with the second ferromagnetic thin-film layer and lead conductor layers in the outside regions.
Also, according to the present invention, a method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive effect element, with a magnetic sensing region and outside regions thereof which locate outside the magnetic sensing region along a track width direction, includes the step of sequentially forming, on a substrate, a soft-magnetic adjacent layer for magnetic biasing constituted by a single layer or multi layers, a non-magnetic layer and a magnetoresistive effect layer constituted by a single layer or multi layers, and the step of removing, in the outside regions, the layers except for at least the soft-magnetic adjacent layer with its thinned thickness.
The magnetic sensing region or track width region exactly means ABS side region of an upper surface of the second ferromagnetic thin-film layer of the spin valve MR element or an upper surface of the MR layer of the anisotropic MR element, which region is defined by the magnetic domain control layers and the lead conductor layers, and its outside regions along the track width direction mean ABS side regions outside the magnetic sensing region or track width region of the upper surface. However, the side surfaces at the both ends of the MR multi-layered structure are tapered. Thus, the ABS side region between the both sloped end surfaces of the second ferromagnetic thin-film layer or the MR layer is considered as its magnetic sensing or track width region, and the ABS side regions of each layer outside its magnetic sensing or track width region along the track width direction is considered as its outside region along the track width direction.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Magnetoresistive effect element with a magnetic sensing region and outside regions thereof, and manufacturing method of the element


At a virtualization host, an isolated run-time environment is established within a compute instance. The configuration of the isolated run-time environment is analyzed by a security manager of the hypervisor of the host. After the analysis, computations are performed at the isolated run-time environment.

Many companies and other organizations operate computer networks that interconnect numerous computing systems to support their operations, such as with the computing systems being co-located (e.g., as part of a local network) or instead located in multiple distinct geographical locations (e.g., connected via one or more private or public intermediate networks). For example, data centers housing significant numbers of interconnected computing systems have become commonplace, such as private data centers that are operated by and on behalf of a single organization, and public data centers that are operated by entities as businesses to provide computing resources to customers. Some public data center operators provide network access, power, and secure installation facilities for hardware owned by various customers, while other public data center operators provide "full service" facilities that also include hardware resources made available for use by their customers.
The advent of virtualization technologies for commodity hardware has provided benefits with respect to managing large-scale computing resources for many customers with diverse needs, allowing various computing resources to be efficiently and securely shared by multiple customers. For example, virtualization technologies may allow a single physical virtualization host to be shared among multiple users by providing each user with one or more "guest" virtual machines hosted by the single virtualization host. Each such virtual machine may represent a software simulation acting as a distinct logical computing system that provides users with the illusion that they are the sole operators of a given hardware computing resource, while also providing application isolation and security among the various virtual machines. Instantiating several different virtual machines on the same host may also help increase the overall hardware utilization levels at a data center, leading to higher returns on investment.
In many cases, virtualized resources may be used for applications that access or manipulate sensitive information. For example, financial applications, medical applications and the like may all deal with data sets that are intended to be kept confidential. Security-related artifacts such as cryptographic keys, digital certificates and the like may be utilized to ensure confidentiality and privacy of some applications.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to. When used in the claims, the term "or" is used as an inclusive or and not as an exclusive or. For example, the phrase "at least one of x, y, or z" means any one of x, y, and z, as well as any combination thereof.

Verified isolated run-time environments for enhanced security computations within compute instances


In the wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer of the present invention, a counting loss correcting unit (11), when correcting a counting rate of pulses determined by a counting unit (10) on the basis of a dead time of a detector (7), stores beforehand a correlation between a predetermined pulse height range, within which pulses are selected by a pulse height analyzer (9), and the dead time and determines the dead time so as to correspond to the predetermined pulse height range during a measurement on the basis of the stored correlation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.
2. Description of Related Art
In the fluorescent X-ray analysis of a wavelength dispersive method, a sample is irradiated with primary X-rays, fluorescent X-rays emitted from the sample are then monochromated by a spectroscopic device and the monochromated fluorescent X-rays are subsequently detected by a detector (such as, for example, a scintillation counter or a gas flow proportional counter to generate pulses. The voltage of those pulses, that is, the pulse height depends on the energy of the fluorescent X-rays and the number of pulses per unit time depends on the intensity of the fluorescent X-rays. In view of this, by selecting pulses of a pulse height within a predetermined pulse height range from those pulses with the use of a pulse height analyzer, a counting rate thereof (the number of pulses per unit time) has been determined by a counting unit (a counting circuit) such as, for example, a scaler or the like.
When one pulse is generated upon incidence of X-ray photon on the detector, no pulse is generated for a defined period of time subsequent thereto, that is, a so-called dead time, even though X-ray photons are incident on the detector. Also, if the counting rate becomes high, pulses become overlapped within the counting unit. In view of those, a counting loss of the pulses to be counted tends to occur.
Accordingly, it is a conventional practice that as regards to both of the counting loss resulting from the detector and that in the counting unit, with respect to the specific pulse height range the dead time τ is determined for each detector as one value and, using this dead time τ, by means of, for example, the following equation (1), the counting rate (counting intensity) Nm of the pulses determined by the counting unit is corrected, followed by determination of a counting loss corrected counting rate, that is, a counting loss correction intensity Nt. In this respect, see, for example, the patent documents 1 and 2 listed below.Nt=Nm/(1−τNm)  (1)
Also, an equation in which the counting rate different from the equation (1) above is used so as to avoid effects brought about by higher order reflection lines of inter-elements (See, for example, the patent document 1 listed below.), an equation in which a denominator of the equation (1) above is rendered to be an equation of higher degree with respect to Nm, different values of coefficients are employed and the equation thereof converted into a table (See, for example, the patent document 2 listed below.) have been suggested. According to those equations and tables for the counting loss correction, which are employed in the conventional art, even though the predetermined pulse height range, within which pulses are selected by the pulse height analyzer, is changed depending on a measurement, the counting loss correction intensity is determined while the coefficients of Nmn remain the same regardless of the change of the predetermined pulse height range.

Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer