Abstract: A semiconductor includes a gate electrode having a SiGe film on a a gate dielectric film that is on a silicon substrate. The gate dielectric film includes an underlying interfacial layer on the substrate and a high-k dielectric film having higher dielectric constant than the underlying interfacial layer. The gate electrode includes a seed Si film on the high-k dielectric film and a SiGe film on the seed Si film. The seed Si film has a thickness of 0.1 nm or more and smaller than 5 nm.

Abstract: A semiconductor includes a gate electrode having a SiGe film on a a gate dielectric film that is on a silicon substrate. The gate dielectric film includes an underlying interfacial layer on the substrate, and a high-k dielectric film having higher dielectric constant than the underlying interfacial layer. The gate electrode includes a seed Si film on the high-k dielectric film and a SiGe film formed on the seed Si film. The seed Si film has a thickness of 0.1 nm or more and smaller than 5 nm.

Abstract: An electrochemical etching system has an etching bath for holding an n-type silicon substrate with a first surface of the substrate in contact with hydrofluoric acid, an electrode positioned in the hydrofluoric acid, a power source having a positive pole connected to the silicon substrate and a negative pole connected to the electrode, and an illumination unit having a light source for illumination of a second surface of the silicon substrate. The illumination unit illuminates the second surface of the silicon substrate with an illumination intensity of 10 m W/cm2 or more. A ratio of a maximum illumination to a minimum illumination of the second surface of the silicon substrate is 1.69:1 or less. With the etching system, pores and/or trenches of a certain size and shape can be formed in an entire area of the silicon substrate having a diameter of more than three inches.

Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a first diaphragm having a first surface receiving pressure, a first thermal detection section located opposite a central section of the first diaphragm, and a second thermal detection section having little displacement by pressure, and located opposite the first diaphragm The pressure sensor amplifies and outputs a difference between the first thermal detection section for pressure measurement and the second thermal detection section for reference output. Since the diaphragm to which the second thermal detection section is opposed is equal in thickness to the diaphragm to which the first thermal detection section is opposed, pressure can be accurately measured relative to a sudden change in atmospheric temperature.

Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a diaphragm having a first surface receiving pressure, and a first thermal detection section opposed to a central section of the diaphragm through a spacer and having a thermo-sensitive resistance section, and a second thermal detection section opposed to an end section of the diaphragm and having a thermo-sensitive resistance section, wherein the first thermo-sensitive resistance section and second thermo-sensitive resistance section are connected to independent, adjustable constant-current sources, respectively, and are connected to a differential amplifier which amplifies a difference between (i) a voltage of the first thermal detection section, which detects a displacement quantity of the diaphragm due to pressure change as a displacement quantity of a thermal equilibrium state by the thermal detection section, and (ii) a voltage of the second thermal detection section, which does not change according to pressure. The sensor can measure pressure with high accuracy.

Abstract: Providing a columnar structure having a uniform shape and excellent heat resistance and mechanical strength that is formed on a substrate of silicon, a method of preparing the structure, and a DNA separation device prepared by the method.

Abstract: A pressure sensor of the present invention comprises a diaphragm 6 having a first surface which receives pressure and a thermal detecting portion 3 with a heat sensitive portion disposed as to oppose the diaphragm through a spacer, wherein displacement values of the diaphragm owing to variations in pressure are detected at the thermal detecting portion as variation values of thermal equilibrium state. With this arrangement, a surface of the diaphragm which directly receives pressure from measuring fluid does not need to undergo film forming or photolithographic processes whereby main portions of thermal pressure detecting elements might be formed onto a silicon substrate by large quantities in a lump sum through simple manufacturing processes so that it is possible to improve accuracy and reliability of the thermal pressure detecting elements and to obtain a pressure sensor of low cost.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a silicon device with a single crystal structure, including forming etching start patterns on a surface of a silicon substrate; etching the silicon substrate by applying a voltage to the silicon substrate while the silicon substrate is immersed in a solution containing fluorine ions, with the silicon substrate used a positive electrode, to form narrow etched portions that extend into the substrate from the etching start patterns; and accelerating etching of the silicon substrate by increasing current flowing through the silicon substrate after the narrow etched portions have reached a predetermined depth, so that neighboring etched portions are in communication with each other below the narrow etched portions and a free standing structure including part of the silicon substrate is formed, and a hollow portion is formed below the free standing structure.

Abstract: An inertia force sensor having a mass body (11) which moves when force is applied to the sensor, at least one holding beam (12) for holding the mass body (11), and an anchor portion (13) for fixing an end portion of the holding beam (12), the sensor being designed to detect inertia force, which acts on the mass body (11), on the basis of a movement of the mass body (11). The sensor is characterized in that the mass body (11) is composed of a free standing structure (9) which is formed by removing an inner part of a silicon substrate (1) therefrom by means of an etching process within a single step, and the anchor portion (13) is composed of at least a part of a main body of the silicon substrate. Because the inertia force sensor is composed of single crystal silicon, its mechanical properties and reliability may be highly improved.

Abstract: A multilayered soft magnetic film including a substrate, and a cyclic structure formed on the substrate and comprised of a main magnetic film composed of either Fe or an alloy containing the same as a main component thereof and a base film composed of either Ni-Fe alloy or an alloy containing the same as a main component thereof which are stacked alternately and repeatedly. The main magnetic film is 500 nm thick or thinner per film, while the base film is 20 nm thick or thinner per film. A thickness ratio of the main magnetic film to the base film per film is 1 or larger. The multilayered soft magnetic film exhibits good soft magnetic properties form the very beginning while maintaining a high initial permeability even after subjected to a heat treatment at a high temperature.

Abstract: The drain region of a memory cell transistor is constituted of a drain diffusion layer and a p.sup.- diffusion layer to provide a steep gradient of the impurity concentration. The source region of the memory cell transistor is constituted of a source diffusion layer and an n.sup.- diffusion layer to provide a gentle gradient of the impurity concentration. The LDD structure is employed in the source and drain regions of a peripheral transistor.