Abstract: A mold manufacturing method of an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: (a) providing a mold base; (b) partially anodizing the aluminum layer to form a porous alumina layer, the porous alumina layer having a porous layer which defines a plurality of minute recessed portions and a barrier layer which is provided at a bottom of each of the plurality of minute recessed portions; and (c) after step (b), performing etching, thereby enlarging the plurality of minute recessed portions of the porous alumina layer, wherein in step (c) the etching is performed such that an average depth of the plurality of minute recessed portions increases but does not exceed a 1/7 of an average thickness of the barrier layer before the etching.

Abstract: A battery pack may include a drainage device provided at a bottom portion of the housing case. The drainage device may include a drain hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the housing case, so that water introduced into the housing case is discharged to the outside of the housing case. The drainage device may be disposed between two of the terminal members that are connected to electrodes of the battery cells.

Abstract: An electrode structure of the present invention includes: an aluminum electrode which is to be in contact with a surface of an aluminum base; a fixing member for fixing the aluminum electrode on the surface of the aluminum base; an elastic member provided between the fixing member and the aluminum base; a lead wire which is electrically connected to the aluminum electrode at least under a certain condition; and a cover member which is tightly closed with the lead wire penetrating through an opening.

Abstract: In a DC-DC converter that can be operated in an asynchronous manner with a rectification diode connected to an external terminal, a conducting path through a transistor that is turned on and off according to a clock signal is provided between a bootstrap circuit, which is composed of a bootstrap diode and a bootstrap capacitor, and a ground terminal.

Abstract: A battery pack may include a drainage device provided at a bottom portion of the housing case. The drainage device may include a drain hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the housing case, so that water introduced into the housing case is discharged to the outside of the housing case. The drainage device may be disposed between two of the terminal members that are connected to electrodes of the battery cells.

Abstract: One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method for readily manufacturing a seamless mold in the form of a roll which has a porous alumina layer over its surface. The mold manufacturing method of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a mold which has a porous alumina layer over its surface, including the steps of: providing a hollow cylindrical support; forming an insulating layer on an outer perimeter surface of the hollow cylindrical support; depositing aluminum on the insulating layer to form an aluminum film; and anodizing a surface of the aluminum film to form a porous alumina layer which has a plurality of minute recessed portions.

Abstract: A mold release processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: (a) providing a mold releasing agent, including a fluorine-based silane coupling agent and a solvent, and a mold of which the surface has a porous alumina layer; (b) applying the mold releasing agent onto the surface; and (c) heating, either before or after the step (b), the surface to a temperature not less than 40° C. and less than 100° C. in an ambient with a relative humidity of 50% or more.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, provided is a method for cleaning an imprinting mask including a template having an uneven pattern, a base layer disposed on the template, and a sacrificial film disposed on the base layer. In the method for cleaning the imprinting mask, the sacrificial film is removed, and a contaminant adhered on the sacrificial film is removed from the template pattern.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an anodized film according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: (a) providing a multilayer structure that includes a base, a sacrificial layer which is provided on the base and which contains aluminum, and an aluminum layer which is provided on a surface of the sacrificial layer; (b) partially anodizing the aluminum layer to form a porous alumina layer which has a plurality of minute recessed portions; and (c) after step (b), separating the porous alumina layer from the multilayer structure. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a self-supporting anodized film which includes a porous alumina layer can be manufactured more conveniently as compared with the conventional methods.

Abstract: An anodized layer formation method of an embodiment of the present invention includes the step a of providing an aluminum film which is formed on a first principal surface of a support and the step b of anodizing a surface of the aluminum film to form a porous alumina layer which has a plurality of minute recessed portions. In the step a, a second principal surface of the support which is opposite to the first principal surface is provided with a low heat conduction member that has a predetermined pattern. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a porous alumina layer can be formed which includes regions of different minute structures in the predetermined pattern.

Abstract: In accordance with a substrate processing method according to the present embodiment, ultrapure water is supplied to a surface of a substrate. A fluoroalcohol-containing solvent is supplied to the surface of the substrate, to which the ultrapure water has been attached. A first solvent, which has solubility in the fluoroalcohol-containing solvent and is different from the fluoroalcohol-containing solvent, is supplied to the surface of the substrate, to which the fluoroalcohol-containing solvent has been attached. The substrate, to which the first solvent has been attached, is introduced into a chamber, the first solvent on the surface of the substrate is substituted with a supercritical fluid, and then, a pressure within the chamber is reduced and the supercritical fluid is changed into gas. The substrate is brought out from the chamber.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate comprises introducing a semiconductor substrate, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with a water-soluble organic solvent, to the inside of a chamber, hermetically sealing the chamber and increasing a temperature inside the chamber to not lower than a critical temperature of the water-soluble organic solvent, thereby bringing the water-soluble organic solvent into a supercritical state, decreasing a pressure inside the chamber and changing the water-soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state to a gas, thereby discharging the water-soluble organic solvent from the chamber, starting a supply of an inert gas into the chamber as the pressure inside the chamber decreases to atmospheric pressure, and cooling the semiconductor substrate in a state where the inert gas exists inside the chamber.

Abstract: An anodized layer formation method includes: providing an aluminum film provided on a support or an aluminum base; and forming a porous alumina layer which has minute recessed portions by applying a voltage between an anode which is electrically coupled to a surface of the aluminum film or the aluminum base and a cathode which is provided in an electrolytic solution with the surface of the aluminum film or the aluminum base being in contact with the electrolytic solution. The forming of the porous alumina layer includes increasing the voltage to a target value and, before the voltage is increased to the target value, increasing the voltage to a first peak value which is lower than the target value and thereafter decreasing the voltage to a value which is lower than the first peak value. As such, an anodized layer with reduced variation of recessed portions can be formed.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate comprises introducing a semiconductor substrate, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with a water-soluble organic solvent, to the inside of a chamber, hermetically sealing the chamber and increasing a temperature inside the chamber to not lower than a critical temperature of the water-soluble organic solvent, thereby bringing the water-soluble organic solvent into a supercritical state, decreasing a pressure inside the chamber and changing the water-soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state to a gas, thereby discharging the water-soluble organic solvent from the chamber, starting a supply of an inert gas into the chamber as the pressure inside the chamber decreases to atmospheric pressure, and cooling the semiconductor substrate in a state where the inert gas exists inside the chamber.

Abstract: This is a mold repairing method for removing a resin material deposited on a mold, of which the surface is a porous film with a plurality of recesses that have been created through anodization. The mold repairing method includes the steps of: (I) removing the resin material that is exposed on the surface of the mold over the plurality of recesses without performing atmospheric pressure plasma processing; and (II) removing at least partially the resin material that is still left inside the plurality of recesses by the atmospheric pressure plasma processing, after the step (I) has been performed, thereby recovering the original function of the mold.

Abstract: A battery pack may include a drainage device provided at a bottom portion of the housing case. The drainage device may include a drain hole communicating between the inside and the outside of the housing case, so that water introduced into the housing case is discharged to the outside of the housing case. The drainage device may be disposed between two of the terminal members that are connected to electrodes of the battery cells.

Abstract: A mold release treatment method of the present invention includes: the step of providing a mold releasing agent and a mold which has a porous alumina layer over its surface, the mold releasing agent containing a fluoric compound which has mold releasability and a solvent; the step of applying over the surface of the mold a solvent that is capable of dissolving the fluoric compound; and thereafter, the step of applying the mold releasing agent over the surface of the mold according to a spray coating method. According to the present invention, a mold release treatment can be performed over a surface of the mold which has the porous alumina layer over its surface, without causing uneven application.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate, comprises introducing the semiconductor substrate into a chamber in a state, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with alcohol, substituting the alcohol on the semiconductor substrate with a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide by impregnating the semiconductor substrate to the supercritical fluid in the chamber, and discharging the supercritical fluid and the alcohol from the chamber and reducing a pressure inside the chamber. The method further comprises performing a baking treatment by supplying an oxygen gas or an ozone gas to the chamber after the reduction of the pressure inside the chamber.

Abstract: A tool battery pack can include a current detection element for detecting a discharge current or a charge current, a monitoring section for inputting a current signal of the discharge current or the charge current through the current detection element and for inputting voltage signals of each cell battery, and a control microcomputer for performing discharge control or charge control based on the signals from the monitoring section. Further, the tool battery pack is constructed such that the current signal through the current detection element is input to both the monitoring section and the control microcomputer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate, comprises introducing the semiconductor substrate into a chamber in a state, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with alcohol, substituting the alcohol on the semiconductor substrate with a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide by impregnating the semiconductor substrate to the supercritical fluid in the chamber, and discharging the supercritical fluid and the alcohol from the chamber and reducing a pressure inside the chamber. The method further comprises performing a baking treatment by supplying an oxygen gas or an ozone gas to the chamber after the reduction of the pressure inside the chamber.