All The Claims

1. A thermally assisted magnetic head comprising a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face arranged within a medium-opposing surface opposing a magnetic recording medium; a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part arranged within the medium-opposing surface, the generating end part generating near-field light for heating the magnetic recording medium; and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer,
wherein the near-field light generating layer has a near-field light generating part in a triangle shape with the generating end part being one vertex, and is formed in a triangle pole shape extending from the medium-opposing surface in a depth direction intersecting with the medium-opposing surface,
wherein the optical waveguide is formed to be opposed to a ridge part of the near-field light generating layer via an interposed layer, the ridge part extending from the generating end part in the depth direction,
wherein the magnetic pole end face of the main magnetic pole layer is formed to be opposed to the generating end part via the interposed layer, on a side closer to the medium-opposing surface than is the optical waveguide, and
wherein the thermally assisted magnetic head comprises a heat radiating layer in contact with an opposite side of the near-field light generating layer from the optical waveguide.
2. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 1,
wherein the heat radiating layer is arranged at a position distant from the medium-opposing surface, and
wherein the thermally assisted magnetic head further comprises a protective insulating layer arranged between the heat radiating layer and the medium-opposing surface.
3. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 1,
wherein the heat radiating layer is formed wider than the near-field light generating layer over the entire depth direction.
4. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 1,
wherein the near-field light generating part is formed in an isosceles triangle with two sides connected to the generating end part having equal lengths and a bottom side part opposing the generating end part being arranged on a side of the heat radiating layer.
5. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 4,
wherein the ridge part of the near-field light generating layer is formed along a direction orthogonal to the medium-opposing surface.
6. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 1,
wherein the main magnetic pole layer has a magnetic pole end part layer including the magnetic pole end face, and the magnetic pole end part layer is in contact with a front end face of the optical waveguide which is located along the medium-opposing surface.
7. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 6,
wherein the main magnetic pole layer has a yoke magnetic pole layer in contact with an opposed region of an upper face of the optical waveguide which is opposed to the ridge part, the upper face being located on a side distant from the near-field light generating layer, and the yoke magnetic pole layer is junctioned to the magnetic pole end part layer.
8. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 6,
wherein the magnetic pole end face is formed in a downward narrowing shape with a width gradually getting smaller as approaching to the generating end part.
9. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 6,
wherein the magnetic pole end part layer has a symmetrical structure formed to be bilaterally symmetrical about a portion of the magnetic pole end part layer opposed to the generating end part.
10. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 7,
wherein the magnetic pole end part layer and the yoke magnetic pole layer have a symmetrical structure formed to be bilaterally symmetrical about portions of the magnetic pole end part layer and the yoke magnetic pole layer opposed to the generating end part.
11. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 1, further comprising:
a return magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face arranged within the medium-opposing surface;
a linking magnetic pole layer magnetically linking the main magnetic pole layer to the return magnetic pole layer; and
a thin-film coil wound about one of the main magnetic pole layer, the return magnetic pole layer, and the linking magnetic pole layer,
wherein the heat radiating layer is arranged between the near-field light generating layer and the thin-film coil and is in contact with the thin-film coil via an interlayer insulating layer.
12. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 1,
wherein the optical waveguide is formed along a direction orthogonal to the medium-opposing surface.
13. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 1,
wherein a lower face of the optical waveguide opposed to the ridge part via the interposed layer is a flat face.
14. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 11,
wherein assuming that a portion of the thin film coil arranged at a position most distant from the medium-opposing surface is a most distant conductive part, the heat radiating layer is formed in a rectangular plate shape having a size reaching a position more distant from the medium-opposing surface than is the most distant conductive part.
15. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 2,
wherein the heat radiating layer is formed using a non-magnetic material higher in thermal conductivity and lower in coefficient of thermal expansion than the protective insulating layer.
16. A thermally assisted magnetic head according to claim 2,
wherein the protective insulating layer is formed using an insulating material lower in hardness than the heat radiating layer.
17. A head gimbal assembly comprising a slider having a thermally assisted magnetic head formed thereon,
the thermally assisted magnetic head comprising a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face arranged within a medium-opposing surface opposing a magnetic recording medium; a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part arranged within the medium-opposing surface, the generating end part generating near-field light for heating the magnetic recording medium; and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer,
wherein the near-field light generating layer has a near-field light generating part in a triangle shape with the generating end part being one vertex, and is formed in a triangle pole shape extending from the medium-opposing surface in a depth direction intersecting with the medium-opposing surface,
wherein the optical waveguide is formed to be opposed to a ridge part of the near-field light generating layer via an interposed layer, the ridge part extending from the generating end part in the depth direction,
wherein the magnetic pole end face of the main magnetic pole layer is formed to be opposed to the generating end part via the interposed layer, on a side closer to the medium-opposing surface than is the optical waveguide, and
wherein the thermally assisted magnetic head comprises a heat radiating layer in contact with an opposite side of the near-field light generating layer from the optical waveguide.
18. A hard disk drive comprising a head gimbal assembly having a thermally assisted magnetic head, and a magnetic recording medium opposing the thermally assisted magnetic head,
the thermally assisted magnetic head comprising a main magnetic pole layer having a magnetic pole end face arranged within a medium-opposing surface opposing the magnetic recording medium; a near-field light generating layer having a generating end part arranged within the medium-opposing surface, the generating end part generating near-field light for heating the magnetic recording medium; and an optical waveguide guiding light to the near-field light generating layer,
wherein the near-field light generating layer has a near-field light generating part in a triangle shape with the generating end part being one vertex, and is formed in a triangle pole shape extending from the medium-opposing surface in a depth direction intersecting with the medium-opposing surface,
wherein the optical waveguide is formed to be opposed to a ridge part of the near-field light generating layer via an interposed layer, the ridge part extending from the generating end part in the depth direction,
wherein the magnetic pole end face of the main magnetic pole layer is formed to be opposed to the generating end part via the interposed layer, on a side closer to the medium-opposing surface than is the optical waveguide, and
wherein the thermally assisted magnetic head comprises a heat radiating layer in contact with an opposite side of the near-field light generating layer from the optical waveguide.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method for certifying contracts utilizing a network, comprising:
(a) receiving a first contract including a plurality of terms utilizing the network;
(b) receiving a second contract including a plurality of terms utilizing the network; and
(c) certifying that the terms of the second contract are consistent with the terms of the first contract wherein at least a portion of the terms of at least one of the contracts are obfuscated.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising receiving proof that the terms of the second contract are consistent with the terms of the first contract utilizing the network, wherein the certification is based on the proof.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the proof is generated by comparing the terms of the first and second contract.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first contract involves an agreement between a first party and a second party, and the second contract involves a subsequent agreement between the second party and a third party.
5. The method as recited in claim 4, and further comprising generating a certifier if it is certified that the terms of the second contract are consistent with the terms of the first contract.
6. The method as recited in claim 5, and further comprising sending the second contract and the certifier to the third party.
7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first contract is received with a certifier indicating that the terms of the first contract are consistent with terms of a previous contract.
8. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising sending the second contract with obfuscated terms utilizing the network.
9. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for certifying contracts utilizing a network, comprising:
(a) a code segment for receiving a first contract including a plurality of terms utilizing the network;
(b) a code segment for receiving a second contract including a plurality of terms utilizing the network; and
(c) a code segment for certifying that the terms of the second contract are consistent with the terms of the first contract wherein at least a portion of the terms of at least one of the contracts are obfuscated.
10. The computer program as recited in claim 9, and further comprising a code segment for receiving proof that the terms of the second contract are consistent with the terms of the first contract utilizing the network, wherein the certification is based on the proof.
11. The computer program as recited in claim 10, wherein the proof is generated by comparing the terms of the first and second contract.
12. The computer program as recited in claim 9, wherein the first contract involves an agreement between a first party and a second party, and the second contract involves a subsequent agreement between the second party and a third party.
13. The computer program as recited in claim 12, and further comprising a code segment for generating a certifier if it is certified that the terms of the second contract are consistent with the terms of the first contract.
14. The computer program as recited in claim 13, further comprising a code segment for sending the second contract and the certifier to the third party.
15. The computer program as recited in claim 9, wherein the first contract is received with a certifier indicating that the terms of the first contract are consistent with terms of a previous contract.
16. The computer program as recited in claim 9, and further comprising a code segment for sending the second contract with obfuscated terms utilizing the network.
17. A system for certifying contracts utilizing a network, comprising:
(a) logic for receiving a first contract including a plurality of terms utilizing a network;
(b) logic for receiving a second contract including a plurality of terms utilizing the network; and
(c) logic for certifying that the terms of the second contract is consistent with the terms of the first contract wherein at least a portion of the terms of at least one of the contracts are obfuscated.
18. A computer-controlled method for obfuscating terms of a document, comprising:
(a) receiving the document including a plurality of terms;
(b) identifying at least one of the terms of the document;
(c) obfuscating the at least one identified term of the document; and
(d) providing the document with the at least one obfuscated term.
19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the document is a contract.
20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the contract is received from a first party, and wherein the step of providing further comprises sending the contract with the at least one obfuscated term to a second party.
21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the contract is received and sent utilizing a network.
22. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the at least one term of the document is identified based on a list of terms.
23. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for obfuscating terms of a document, comprising:
(a) a code segment for receiving the document including a plurality of terms;
(b) a code segment for identifying at least one of the terms of the document; and
(c) a code segment for obfuscating the at least one identified term of the document.
24. The computer program as recited in claim 23, wherein the document is a contract.
25. The computer program as recited in claim 24, wherein the contract is received from a first party, and further comprising a code segment for sending the contract with the at least one obfuscated term to a second party.
26. The computer program as recited in claim 25, wherein the contract is received and sent utilizing a network.
27. The computer program as recited in claim 23, wherein the at least one term of the documents is identified based on a list of terms.
28. A system for obfuscating terms of a document, comprising:
(a) logic for receiving the document including a plurality of terms;
(b) logic for identifying at least one of the terms of the document; and
(c) logic for obfuscating the at least one identified term of the document.

1. A method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal comprising:
producing a silicon melt in a chamber by melting a silicon raw material loaded into a silica glass crucible under a reduced pressure and high temperature;
removing gas bubbles from within the silicon melt by rapidly changing at least the pressure or temperature within the chamber; and
pulling up the silicon single crystal from the silicon melt after the gas bubbles are removed.
2. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
a pressure change ratio within the chamber when removing the gas bubbles within the silicon melt is larger than a pressure change ratio when reducing pressure within the chamber in order to melt the silicon raw material, and
a temperature change ratio within the chamber when removing the gas bubbles within the silicon melt is larger than a temperature change ratio when increasing temperature within the chamber in order to melt the silicon raw material.
3. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the pressure change ratio within the chamber when removing the gas bubbles within the silicon melt is 5 times or more and 1000 times or less than the pressure change ratio when reducing the pressure inside the chamber in order to melt the silicon raw material.
4. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
a pressure decrease rate inside the chamber when removing the gas bubbles from the silicon melt is 1.5 hPasec or more and 20 hPasec or less.
5. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the temperature change ratio within the chamber when removing the gas bubbles within the silicon melt is 5 times or more and 100 times or less than the temperature change ratio when increasing the temperature inside the chamber in order to melt the silicon raw material.
6. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
a temperature increase rate inside the chamber when removing the gas bubbles from the silicon melt is 0.5\xb0 C.sec or more and 5\xb0 C.sec or less.
7. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
pulling up the silicon single crystal is started after removing the gas bubbles with the silicon melt by rapidly changing at least the pressure or temperature within the chamber is repeated a plurality of times.
8. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
after producing the silicon melt and before removing the gas bubbles with the silicon melt by rapidly changing at least the pressure or temperature within the chamber, the silicon melt is left for awhile as the temperature and pressure within the chamber 11 are maintained at a constant rate and the gas within the silicon melt is discharged.
9. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 1, wherein
after the gas bubbles are removed, the temperature is adjusted until the temperature of the silicon melt is stable before pulling up the silicon single crystal from the silicon melt.
10. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 2, wherein
pulling up the silicon single crystal is started after removing the gas bubbles with the silicon melt by rapidly changing at least the pressure or temperature within the chamber is repeated a plurality of times.
11. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 2, wherein
after producing the silicon melt and before removing the gas bubbles with the silicon melt by rapidly changing at least the pressure or temperature within the chamber, the silicon melt is left for awhile as the temperature and pressure within the chamber 11 are maintained at a constant rate and the gas within the silicon melt is discharged.
12. The method for manufacturing a silicon single crystal as claimed in claim 2, wherein
after the gas bubbles are removed, the temperature is adjusted until the temperature of the silicon melt is stable before pulling up the silicon single crystal from the silicon melt.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A silicon carbide power device comprising:
a p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer including first and second opposing faces;
a silicon carbide power device structure on the second face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer; and
an ohmic contact directly on at least a portion of the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer.
2. A device according to claim 1, further comprising:
an n-type silicon carbide substrate on the first face, including at least one via that extends therethrough so as to expose at least the portion of the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer;
wherein the ohmic contact extends in the at least one via and directly on at least the portion of the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer that is exposed.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the ohmic contact comprises a metal contact.
4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the metal contact includes laser annealed portions therein.
5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the metal contact that includes laser annealed portions therein comprises a first layer comprising aluminum directly on the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer, a second layer comprising titanium on the first layer and a third layer comprising nickel on the second layer.
6. A device according to claim 4, wherein the metal contact that includes laser annealed portions therein comprises a layer comprising aluminum directly on the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer.
7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the silicon carbide power device structure comprises an n-channel silicon carbide DMOSFET structure directly on the second face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer, such that the n-channel silicon carbide DMOSFET structure and the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer provide an n-channel silicon carbide IGBT structure.
8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the silicon carbide power device structure comprises a p-type silicon carbide power device structure on the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer.
9. A device according to claim 7, further comprising:
an n-type silicon carbide substrate on the first face, including at least one via that extends therethrough so as to expose at least the portion of the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer;
wherein the ohmic contact extends in the at least one via and directly on at least the portion of the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer that is exposed.
10. A device according to claim 7, wherein the ohmic contact comprises a metal contact.
11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the metal contact includes laser annealed portions therein.
12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the metal contact that includes laser annealed portions therein comprises a first layer comprising aluminum directly on the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer, a second layer comprising titanium on the first layer and a third layer comprising nickel on the second layer.
13. A device according to claim 11, wherein the metal contact that includes laser annealed portions therein comprises a layer comprising aluminum directly on the first face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer.
14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the silicon carbide power device structure comprises an n-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer directly on the second face of the p-type silicon carbide epitaxial layer so as to form a p-n junction therebetween.