1. A thermal developing equipment comprising:
a conveying unit for conveying a thermal development photosensitive material;
a heating unit for heating a latent image formed on an image forming layer of the material to be conveyed by the conveying unit, thereby visualizing the latent image, wherein
the heating unit is divided into plural regions which can be independently temperature controlled in a width direction of the material perpendicular to a conveying direction of the material, and
the heating unit comprises plural position detection sensors aligned along the width direction in an upstream side of the heating unit; and
a temperature control unit for controlling a temperature of the heating unit which controls a temperature of each of the plural regions corresponding to an output of the position detection sensor.
2. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control unit determines a size of the material by the output of the position detection sensor and controls the temperature of each of the plural regions based on the size.
3. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 2, which further comprises a display unit for displaying the size of the material obtained by the output of the position detection sensor.
4. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, which further comprises a monitor unit for detecting at least one of a starting end and a terminal end of the material based on the output of the position detection sensor, thereby monitoring a conveying state of the material.
5. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the position detection sensor to an inlet of the heating unit is set up longer than a product of a conveying rate of the material and a temperature control response time of the heating unit.
6. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the position detection sensor to a position on the heating unit where the material reaches a development temperature is set up longer than a product of a conveying rate of the material and a temperature control response time of the heating unit.
7. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, which further comprises: plural light emitting units aligned in the width direction in an insertion port for the material into the conveying unit; and a lighting control unit which lighting controls the light emitting units corresponding to a developable region kept at a value of the temperature of the heating unit.
8. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, wherein the position detection sensor comprises an optical sensor capable of emitting light having a wavelength at which the material is non-sensitive.
9. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, wherein the position detection sensor comprises a mechanical sensor.
10. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 9, wherein the mechanical sensor is a limit switch.
11. The thermal developing equipment according to claim 1, wherein the thermal development photosensitive material is a sheet-like material.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films containing Bi, metallic element A (which is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Bi, Pb, Ba, Sr, Ca, Na, K and rare earth elements) and metallic element B (which is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Mo, Fe, Co and Cr), wherein it contains metal alkoxides of Bi, metallic element A (A as defined hereabove) and metallic element B (B as defined hereabove) respectively, and an organometallic compound obtainable by hydrolyzing composite metal alkoxides, formed by any two or more of said metal alkoxides, with water alone or in combination with a catalyst, and contains Bi in a molar amount 1-1.1 times as great as the stoichiometric amount.
2. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 1, wherein said Bi-based ferroelectric thin films are represented by the general formula (I):
AaBixBbOy(I)
where A is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Bi, Pb, Ba, Sr, Ca, Na, K and rare earth elements; B is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Mo, Fe, Co and Cr; and 1×4, 0.5 a2, 2b5, and y3xa (valency of metallic element A)b (valency of metallic element B)2.
3. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 1, wherein said coating solution contains the organometallic compound obtainable by reacting the composite metal alkoxides with a stabilizer, followed by hydrolyzing them with water alone or in combination with a catalyst.
4. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 1, wherein said coating solution contains the organometallic compound obtainable by hydrolyzing the composite metal alkoxides with water alone or in combination with a catalyst, followed by reacting them with a stabilizer.
5. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 3, wherein said organometallic compound is further reacted with the stabilizer.
6. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the stabilizer is at least one selected from the group consisting of carboxylic anhydrides, dicarboxylic acid monoesters, -diketones, and glycols.
7. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 6, wherein the carboxylic anhydride is at least one of carboxylic anhydrides represented by the general formula (II):
R1(CO)2O(II)
where R1 is a divalent saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1-6 carbon atoms.
8. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 6, wherein the dicarboxylic acid monoester is at least one of the dicarboxylic acid monoesters represented by the general formula (III):
R2OCOR3COOH(III)
where R is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1-6 carbon atoms; and R3 is a divalent saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1-6 carbon atoms.
9. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 6, wherein the -diketone is at least one of the -diketones represented by the general formula (IV):
R4COCR5HCOR6(IV)
where R4 is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1-6 carbon atoms; R5is H or CH3; and R6 is an alkyl or alkoxyl group having 1-6 carbon atoms.
10. A coating solution for use in forming Bi-based ferroelectric thin films according to claim 6, wherein the glycol is at least one of the glycols represented by the general formula (V):
HOR7OH(V)
where R7 is a divalent saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1-6 carbon atoms.
11. A ferroelectric thin film formed by applying the coating solution of either one of claims 1, 3, 4 and 5 onto an electrode on a substrate and then annealing the applied coating.
12. A ferroelectric thin film formed by applying the coating solution of either one of claims 1, 3, 4 and 5 onto an electrode on a substrate, exposing the applied coating to a humidified atmosphere, and then annealing said coating.
13. A ferroelectric capacitor having an electrode formed on the ferroelectric thin film of claim 11.
14. A ferroelectric memory using the ferroelectric capacitor of claim 13.
15. A ferroelectric capacitor having an electrode formed on the ferroelectric thin film of claim 12.
16. A ferroelectric memory using the ferroelectric capacitor of claim 15.
17. A process for producing a ferroelectric thin film by the steps of:
(I) forming an electrode over a substrate;
(II) applying a coating solution for use in forming a ferroelectric thin film onto said electrode; and
(III) annealing the applied coating;
wherein said process uses, as said coating solution for use in forming ferroelectric thin films, a Bi-based coating solution for use in forming ferroelectric thin films, containing Bi, metallic element A (which is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Bi, Pb, Ba, Sr, Ca, Na, K and rare earth elements) and metallic element B (which is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Mo, Fe, Co and Cr), wherein it contains metal alkoxides of Bi, metallic element A (A as defined hereabove) and metallic element B (B as defined hereabove) respectively, and an organometallic compound obtainable by hydrolyzing composite metal alkoxides, formed by any two or more of said metal alkoxides, with water alone or in combination with a catalyst, and contains Bi in a molar amount 1-1.1 times as great as the stoichiometric amount.
18. A process for producing a ferroelectric capacitor by the steps of:
(I) forming an electrode over a substrate;
(II) applying a coating solution for use in forming a ferroelectric thin film onto said electrode;
(III) annealing the applied coating to form a ferroelectric thin film; and
(IV) forming an electrode onto said ferroelectric thin film;
wherein said process uses, as said coating solution for use in forming ferroelectric thin films, a Bi-based coating solution for use in forming ferroelectric thin films, containing Bi, metallic element A (which is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Bi, Pb, Ba, Sr, Ca, Na, K and rare earth elements) and metallic element B (which is at least one metallic element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Nb, Ta, W, Mo, Fe, Co and Cr), wherein it contains metal alkoxides of Bi, metallic element A (A as defined hereabove) and metallic element B (B as defined hereabove) respectively, and an organometallic compound A obtainable by hydrolyzing a composite metal alkoxides, formed by any two or more of said metal alkoxides, with water alone or in combination with a catalyst, and contains Bi in a molar amount 1-1.1 times as great as the stoichiometric amount.
19. A process for producing a ferroelectric capacitor according to claim 18, wherein said step (IV) includes an annealing (secondary annealing) step.
20. A process for producing a ferroelectric capacitor according to claim 19, wherein said annealing (secondary annealing) is performed at a temperature of about 700 C.