Abstract: An electrode catalyst for a fuel cell, the electrode catalyst having high initial activity and being capable of long-term retention of said activity; and a fuel cell using the electrode catalyst for a fuel cell. The electrode catalyst for a fuel cell includes catalyst metal particles that include platinum or a platinum alloy, and carrier particles that carry said catalyst metal particles, wherein the carrier particles are a carbonaceous material having a cumulative pore volume of 0.10 cc/g or less in the diameter range of 2 nm or less, and a BET specific surface area of greater than 900 m2/g; and a fuel cell comprising the electrode catalyst for a fuel cell.

Abstract: It is possible to inspect scratches and staining on a wafer surface on the basis of an LPD map obtained from a particle counter 11, by providing a means 21 for detecting aggregation of clustered point defects (LPD) from two-dimensional distribution information 30 for such fine LPD on the surface of a silicon wafer, and an improvement in the inspection efficiency and the precision of judgements of “defective” status can be achieved. Furthermore, the system is devised so that the trend of generation of scratches and staining in a specified process can easily be detected by accumulating wafer surface information such as scratch information, staining information and the like for the wafer surface detected by a wafer surface inspection device 11 (especially as image information or numerical information), and superposing sets of information thus accumulated. Plans for improving processes can be made by both the wafer supplier and wafer consumer by sharing such information with both parties.

Abstract: It is possible to inspect scratches and staining on a wafer surface on the basis of an LPD map obtained from a particle counter 11, by providing a means 21 for detecting aggregation of clustered point defects (LPD) from two-dimensional distribution information 30 for such fine LPD on the surface of a silicon wafer, and an improvement in the inspection efficiency and the precision of judgements of “defective” status can be achieved. Furthermore, the system is devised so that the trend of generation of scratches and staining in a specified process can easily be detected by accumulating wafer surface information such as scratch information, staining information and the like for the wafer surface detected by a wafer surface inspection device 11 (especially as image information or numerical information), and superposing sets of information thus accumulated. Plans for improving processes can be made by both the wafer supplier and wafer consumer by sharing such information with both parties.

Abstract: In a laser marking method for making a dot mark on a semiconductor wafer by using laser beam, molten splashes which arise at the laser marking are prevented from adhering to a surface of the wafer and a shape of the dot mark is kept in a stable posture with its visibility being ensured even after the marking made throughout various and multistage steps in a manufacturing process by the semiconductor apparatus. The method comprises forming a transparent thin film on at least a dot mark-formation area of a semiconductor wafer body of the wafer; irradiating the dot mark-formation area with laser beam having a wavelength selected in advance, on the transparent thin film; melting and deforming the wafer body by the laser beam transmitting the transparent thin film to form a dot mark; and by utilizing the heat generated when the wafer body is melted, deforming the transparent thin film, along with the deformation of the dot mark, into the same shape as the dot mark without a breakdown of the transparent thin films.