Abstract: Provided are a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device and a substrate processing apparatus.

Abstract: A cooling method of a thick-gauge steel plate by spraying water from a plurality of spray nozzles on the top and bottom surfaces of the thick-gauge steel plate conveyed between the adjoining pairs of constraining rolls, each comprising a top roll and bottom roll, constraining and conveying the steel plate so as to efficiently cool the top and bottom surfaces of thick-gauge steel plate to secure symmetry of temperatures of the top and bottom surfaces and uniformity of temperature in the plate width direction and achieve improvement of flatness of thick-gauge steel plate and uniformity of quality.

Abstract: Provided are carbon fibers with low metal ion elution amount without subjecting to high-temperature heat treatment, in which the metal ion may be sometimes precipitated on an electrode of electrochemical devices such as batteries and capacitors to cause short-circuit. The carbon fibers comprises Fe, at least one catalyst metal selected from the group consisting of Mo and V, and a carrier; wherein the carbon fibers have an R value (ID/IG) as measured by Raman spectrometry of 0.5 to 2.0 and have an electrochemical metal elution amount of not more than 0.01% by mass.

Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductive resin composition containing at least two kinds of conductive fillers, wherein the difference in threshold values of percolation between at least two kinds of the conductive fillers is within a range of 10 to 50 mass %. The semiconductive resin composition of the present invention can be used widely in various form of molded products, such as component used for transport in a clean room, spin chuck, IC test socket, various rollers installed in copier, seamless belt, bearing, antistatic fiber, member for electrostatic coating, fuel tube, part around fuel or chemical tube.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing composite carbon fibers in which two or more carbon fibers are dispersed in a nearly homogenous state, the composite carbon fibers capable of being easily dispersed in a matrix such as a resin without leaving aggregate, and imparting low resistance. Disclosed is a method for producing composite carbon fibers, which comprises imparting a cavitation effect to slurry containing 6% by mass or less of two or more carbon fibers each having a different average fiber diameter under a pressure of 100 MPa or more and less than 245 MPa thereby to form a composite.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide composite carbon fibers in which multiwalled carbon nanotubes are homogeneously dispersed between graphitized carbon nanofibers and near the surface of the graphitized carbon nanofibers, the composite carbon fibers being capable of easily being dispersed in a matrix such as resin without leaving aggregates, and also imparting low resistance. Disclosed are composite carbon fibers comprising multiwalled carbon nanotubes having a fiber diameter of 5 nm or more and 30 nm or less and graphitized carbon nanofibers having a fiber diameter of 50 nm or more and 300 nm or less, wherein the multiwalled carbon nanotubes are homogeneously dispersed between the graphitized carbon nanofibers and near the surface of the graphitized carbon nanofibers.

Abstract: A feeding apparatus includes an apparatus main body; a feeding section which feeds sheets in a feeding orientation; a feed tray which has a first tray to load some of the sheets, and a second tray provided above the first tray to load the rest of the sheets, and which is movable relative to the apparatus main body along the feeding orientation; and a guide which guides the sheets by contact with the sheets fed by the feeding section. At an end portion of the first tray on the downstream side in the feeding orientation, a first projective portion is formed to project upward and have a supporting portion capable of supporting the second tray on its upper end, and a second projective portion is formed to project upward from a different position from the first projective portion in a width direction perpendicular to the feeding orientation.

Abstract: An oxide film is formed, having a specific film thickness on a substrate by alternately repeating: forming a specific element-containing layer on the substrate by supplying a source gas containing a specific element, to the substrate housed in a processing chamber and heated to a first temperature; and changing the specific element-containing layer formed on the substrate, to an oxide layer by supplying a reactive species containing oxygen to the substrate heated to the first temperature in the processing chamber under a pressure of less than atmospheric pressure, the reactive species being generated by causing a reaction between an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrogen-containing gas in a pre-reaction chamber under a pressure of less than atmospheric pressure and heated to a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a thin film on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times. The cycle includes supplying a source gas to the substrate, and supplying excited species from each of a plurality of excitation units provided at a side of the substrate to the substrate. Each of the plurality of excitation units generates the excited species by plasma-exciting a reaction gas. In supplying the excited species from each of the plurality of excitation units, an in-plane distribution of the excited species supplied from at least one of the plurality of excitation units in the substrate differs from an in-plane distribution of the excited species supplied from another excitation unit, other than the at least one excitation unit, among the plurality of excitation units, in the substrate.

Abstract: A method includes: forming a thin film on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including: (a) supplying a source gas to the substrate in a process chamber; and (b) supplying a reactive gas to the substrate in the process chamber, wherein at least one of (a) and (b) includes: (c) supplying the source gas or the reactive gas at a first flow rate with exhaust of an inside of the process chamber being suspended until an inner pressure of the process chamber reaches a predetermined pressure; and (d) supplying the source gas or the reactive gas at a second flow rate less than the first flow rate with exhaust of the inside of the process chamber being performed while maintaining the inner pressure of the process chamber at the predetermined pressure after the inner pressure of the process chamber reaches the predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A power supply circuit comprises a power transistor, a differential amplifier, an I/V converter circuit, and an inverting amplifier, wherein the differential amplifier comprises a first current path in which a first resistor element, a first current mirror transistor, and a first control transistor are connected in series, and a second current path in which a second resistor element, a second current mirror transistor, and a second control transistor are connected in series, and the power supply circuit comprises a phase compensating capacitor element connected in parallel with the inverting amplifier, and a ripple removal rate improving capacitor element which is connected between ground and a connection point between the first resistor element and the first current mirror transistor, or between the ground and a connection point between the second resistor element and the second current mirror transistor.

Abstract: A drive control device for a vehicle drives an engine at a desired fuel consumption. The drive control device includes a map which correlates each engine rotation speed with an evaluation value indicating a fuel consumption when driving the engine at that engine rotation speed. The drive control device calculates a targeted evaluation value Etg between a first evaluation value Elim1 indicating a fuel consumption when driving the engine in the fuel economy mode and a second evaluation value Elim2 indicating a fuel consumption when driving the engine in the acceleration responsive mode. The drive control device calculates a target engine rotation speed Stg correlated to the targeted evaluation value Etg by referring to the map.

Abstract: A fine carbon fiber having linearity, each fiber filament of the carbon fiber having a bending angle of 30° or less with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fiber filament, and including a hollow space extending along its axis, and having an outer diameter of 1 to 1,000 nm, an aspect ratio of 5 to 1,000, and a BET specific surface area of 2 to 2,000 m2/g, wherein the average interlayer distance (d002) of the carbon fiber at a (002) plane is 0.345 nm or less as measured by means of X-ray diffractometry, and the ratio of the peak height (Id) of the band at 1,341 to 1,349 cm?1 in a Raman scattering spectrum of the carbon fiber to that of the peak height (Ig) of the band at 1,570 to 1,578 cm?1 in the spectrum (Id/Ig) is 0.1 to 2. The fiber exhibits excellent dispersibility in a matrix.

Abstract: An electrode for a lithium battery, which electrode includes an electrode active material which can charge and discharge lithium ions (A), a carbonaceous conductive additive (B) and a binder (C). The carbonaceous conductive additive contains carbon fiber, the carbon fiber including a mixture of two kinds of carbon fibers having different diameter distributions on a number basis; and the fiber diameter distribution of the carbon fiber in the electrode has one or more maximum values at 5-40 nm and at 50-300 nm, respectively. Also disclosed is a lithium battery using the electrode. The electrode enables production of a lithium battery having a reduced discharge capacity decline.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus, including a reaction tube to process a substrate therein, wherein the reaction tube includes an outer tube, an inner tube disposed inside the outer tube, and a support section to support the inner tube, the inner tube and the support section are made of quartz or silicon carbide, and a shock-absorbing member is provided between the support section and the inner tube.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vapor grown carbon fiber having a mean fiber diameter of 80 to 500 nm, an aspect ratio of 100 to 200 and preferably a bulk density of 0.02 g/cm3 or less, wherein filaments having a diameter within ±20% of the mean fiber diameter occupies 65% (on a number basis) or more of the total. The production method involves thermal decomposition of a carbon source at 800 to 1,300° C. in the presence of, as a catalyst, a transition metal compound having a vapor pressure of 0.13 kPa (1 mmHg) or more at 150° C. and spraying of the carbon source and the transition metal compound in gas form toward the reactor inner wall to allow reaction to proceed. The vapor grown carbon fiber having a larger aspect ratio has excellent dispersibility, and when added in a resin, a smaller amount contributes to enhancement in electroconductivity and thermal conductivity, as compared with a case using conventional one.

Abstract: Favorable visual appearance and ease of operation are required in the user interface of digital home appliances using a television screen. An array of function icons including multiple function icons representing respective types of media that can be played and an array of content icons including multiple content icons representing items of contents that can be played are displayed practically at the center of an on-screen menu such that the arrays intersect. A moving image icon, which is a function icon displayed in an area of intersection in which the array of function icons and the array of content icons intersect, is highlighted by a color different from that of the other function icons and by an enlarged view. In the array of content icons, the hierarchy of the contents is visually represented.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of arranging and setting spray nozzles in a cooling apparatus comprising a plurality of pairs of constraining rolls for constraining and conveying a hot steel plate and one or more lines of spray nozzles between the pair of constraining rolls, each line having a plurality of spray nozzles and is disposed in a direction perpendicular to processing, and to the cooling apparatus and the method of cooling. The invention is characterized in that the spray nozzles are arranged such that a distribution of values ?Pn between two edges of the steel plate in the direction perpendicular to processing is not less than 80% of its highest value, with P being cooling water impact pressure on the cooling surface, ?Pn being the value of n power of P integrated in the processing direction between the pairs of constraining rolls, and 0.05?n?0.2.

Abstract: A fine carbon fiber having linearity, each fiber filament of the carbon fiber having a bending angle of 30° or less with respect to the longitudinal direction of the fiber filament, and including a hollow space extending along its axis, and having an outer diameter of 1 to 1,000 nm, an aspect ratio of 5 to 1,000, and a BET specific surface area of 2 to 2,000 m2/g, wherein the average interlayer distance (d002) of the carbon fiber at a (002) plane is 0.345 nm or less as measured by means of X-ray diffractometry, and the ratio of the peak height (Id) of the band at 1,341 to 1,349 cm?1 in a Raman scattering spectrum of the carbon fiber to that of the peak height (Ig) of the band at 1,570 to 1,578 cm?1 in the spectrum (Id/Ig) is 0.1 to 2. The fiber exhibits excellent dispersibility in a matrix.

Abstract: When an output of an overall output terminal (18) of a power supply circuit (10) is switched from a series regulator section (14) to a switching regulator section (12), a fifth switch (55) is switched OFF, to temporarily open a feedback loop of the switching regulator section (12), a sixth switch (56) is maintained at an ON state, to output the output of the series regulator section (14) to the overall output terminal (18), and an artificial feedback loop is formed between an output terminal of an error amplifier (24) and a second terminal of the error amplifier (24), to output a voltage corresponding to the output of the series regulator section (14) to the output terminal of the error amplifier (24) and charge a phase compensating capacitor (26) of the switching regulator section (12).