Abstract: An electroplating solution analyzer includes an analysis container for housing an electroplating solution containing additives including an accelerator and a suppressor, a working electrode that is immersed in the electroplating solution housed in the analysis container to exchange electrons therewith, a reference electrode immersed in the electroplating solution and serves as a reference for determining a potential of the working electrode, a counter electrode immersed in the electroplating solution, a rotation drive unit for rotating the working electrode at a constant speed, a current-generating unit for supplying a current with a constant current density between the working electrode and the counter electrode, a potential measuring unit for measuring a potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode, and an analyzing unit for determining a condition of the electroplating solution in one or more measurement sections at an elapsed time after the current starts to be supplied.

Abstract: An electrolytic copper plating solution analyzer comprises an analysis container for accommodating a part of an electrolytic copper plating solution containing additives including a promoter, an inhibitor and a leveler, a working electrode immersed in the electrolytic copper plating solution accommodated in the analysis container, a reference electrode immersed in the electrolytic copper plating solution and used as a reference when a potential of the working electrode is determined, a counter electrode immersed in the electrolytic copper plating solution, a rotation drive unit for rotating the working electrode at a given speed, a current generation unit passing an electric current with a given current density between the working electrode and the counter electrode, a potential measurement unit for measuring the potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode, and an analysis unit for analyzing the relationship between an elapsed time after the current passage and the potential.

Abstract: The biosensor of the present invention includes two or more electrodes and a support supporting the two or more electrodes. One or more of the electrodes each include a substrate having a metal surface, and a protective layer covering at least part of the surface. The protective layer is a continuous film made of carbon and having a thickness of at least 1 ?m.

Abstract: An electroplating solution analyzer includes an analysis container for housing an electroplating solution containing additives including an accelerator and a suppressor, a working electrode that is immersed in the electroplating solution housed in the analysis container to exchange electrons therewith, a reference electrode immersed in the electroplating solution and serves as a reference for determining a potential of the working electrode, a counter electrode immersed in the electroplating solution, a rotation drive unit for rotating the working electrode at a constant speed, a current-generating unit for supplying a current with a constant current density between the working electrode and the counter electrode, a potential measuring unit for measuring a potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode, and an analyzing unit for determining a condition of the electroplating solution in one or more measurement sections at an elapsed time after the current starts to be supplied.

Abstract: There is provided a wiring substrate including an electrode including Cu or a Cu alloy, a plating film having a film including at least Pd, formed on the electrode, and a solder which is bonded onto the plating film by heating, has a melting point of lower than 140° C., and includes Pd dissolved therein, a Pd concentrated layer being absent between the solder and the electrode.

Abstract: A wiring substrate includes an electrode including Cu or a Cu alloy, and a plated film including an electroless nickel-plated layer formed on the electrode and an electroless gold-plated layer formed on the electroless nickel-plated layer. The electroless nickel-plated layer is formed by co-precipitation of Ni, P, Bi, and S, the electroless nickel-plated layer includes a content of P of 5% by mass or more and less than 10% by mass, a content of Bi of 1 ppm by mass to 1,000 ppm by mass, and a content of S of 1 ppm by mass to 2,000 ppm by mass, and a mass ratio of the content of S to the content of Bi (S/Bi) is more than 1.0.

Abstract: An electrolytic copper plating solution analyzer comprises an analysis container for accommodating a part of an electrolytic copper plating solution containing additives including a promoter, an inhibitor and a leveler, a working electrode immersed in the electrolytic copper plating solution accommodated in the analysis container, a reference electrode immersed in the electrolytic copper plating solution and used as a reference when a potential of the working electrode is determined, a counter electrode immersed in the electrolytic copper plating solution, a rotation drive unit for rotating the working electrode at a given speed, a current generation unit passing an electric current with a given current density between the working electrode and the counter electrode, a potential measurement unit for measuring the potential between the working electrode and the reference electrode, and an analysis unit for analyzing the relationship between an elapsed time after the current passage and the potential.

Abstract: There is provided a wiring substrate including an electrode including Cu or a Cu alloy, a plating film having a film including at least Pd, formed on the electrode, and a solder which is bonded onto the plating film by heating, has a melting point of lower than 140° C., and includes Pd dissolved therein, a Pd concentrated layer being absent between the solder and the electrode.

Abstract: A wiring substrate includes an electrode including Cu or a Cu alloy, and a plated film including an electroless nickel-plated layer formed on the electrode and an electroless gold-plated layer formed on the electroless nickel-plated layer. The electroless nickel-plated layer is formed by co-precipitation of Ni, P, Bi, and S, the electroless nickel-plated layer includes a content of P of 5% by mass or more and less than 10% by mass, a content of Bi of 1 ppm by mass to 1,000 ppm by mass, and a content of S of 1 ppm by mass to 2,000 ppm by mass, and a mass ratio of the content of S to the content of Bi (S/Bi) is more than 1.0.

Abstract: Effective fillability and the uniformity electrodeposition of a copper electroplating solution is judged by determining the time-dependent potential change thereof at a cathode current density of 0.1-20 A/dm2. The potential change is determined at a working electrode rotation of 100-7500 rpm, and the fillability with the solution is judged from the curve profile. In an embodiment of the present invention, the fillability is judged by obtaining the potential change speed in the initial stage of electrolysis and the potential convergent point from the time-dependent potential change curve for a predetermined period of time after the start of the electrolysis.

Abstract: To provide an AC-DC converter that is highly efficient in a broad load current range from a light load to a heavy load. An AC-DC converter 1 has a main circuit and a control means 4; the main circuit includes a diode bridge circuit 3, a main inductor L1, a main switching element S1, a main diode D1, an auxiliary inductor L2, an auxiliary switching element S2, an auxiliary diode D2, and a smoothing capacitor C1 connected to a DC load 12. The AC-DC converter 1 supplies electric power from an AC power supply 11 to the DC load 12. In a period during which the instantaneous value of an input current from the AC power supply 11 is smaller than a prescribed value Ith, the AC-DC converter 1 stops the main switching element S1 and performs electricity conversion in hard switching by the operation of the auxiliary switching element S2.

Abstract: A small and efficient DC-DC converter is provided. In this DC-DC converter, passive elements such as an inductor and a capacitor can be reduced in size by reducing switching loss by a soft switching technology and increasing the drive frequency of a switching element. The DC-DC converter has a main switching element, a main diode and an auxiliary circuit that discharges the electric charges of the capacitance between the ends of the main switching element. The DC-DC converter includes an auxiliary inductor magnetically coupled with the main inductor, an auxiliary switching element that stores energy in the auxiliary inductor, and an auxiliary diode that discharges energy stored in the auxiliary inductor to the direct-current power source or the output side. The auxiliary inductor is coupled with the main inductor in the direction in which backward voltage is applied to the auxiliary diode when the main inductor discharges energy.

Abstract: A bi-directional DC-DC converter uses a transformer for both step-down and step-up operations. A switching frequency for operating a switching device is set separately for the step-down and step-up operations. When, for example, the switching frequency during the step-up operation is lower than the switching frequency during the step-down operation, the range in which the duty ratio in PWM control can be controlled is widened, compensating for step-up ratio insufficiency. Conversely, step-down ratio insufficiency is compensated for by making the switching frequency during the step-down operation lower than the switching frequency during the step-up operation.

Abstract: Effective fillability and the uniformity electrodeposition of a copper electroplating solution is judged by determining the time-dependent potential change thereof at a cathode current density of 0.1-20 A/dm2. The potential change is determined at a working electrode rotation of 100-7500 rpm, and the fillability with the solution is judged from the curve profile. In an embodiment of the present invention, the fillability is judged by obtaining the potential change speed in the initial stage of electrolysis and the potential convergent point from the time-dependent potential change curve for a predetermined period of time after the start of the electrolysis.

Abstract: Effective fillability and the uniformity electrodeposition of a copper electroplating solution is judged by determining the time-dependent potential change thereof at a cathode current density of 0.1-20 A/dm2. The potential change is determined at a working electrode rotation of 100-7500 rpm, and the fillability with the solution is judged from the curve profile. The time-dependent potential change curve within a predetermined period of time after the start of electrolysis is approximated according to the Boltzmann's function, and the potential change speed dx and the potential convergent point A2 are obtained to judge the fillability with a plating solution.

Abstract: A bi-directional DC-DC converter uses a transformer for both step-down and step-up operations. A switching frequency for operating a switching device is set separately for the step-down and step-up operations. When, for example, the switching frequency during the step-up operation is lower than the switching frequency during the step-down operation, the range in which the duty ratio in PWM control can be controlled is widened, compensating for step-up ratio insufficiency. Conversely, step-down ratio insufficiency is compensated for by making the switching frequency during the step-down operation lower than the switching frequency during the step-up operation.

Abstract: A bi-directional DC-DC converter uses a transformer for both step-down and step-up operations. A switching frequency for operating a switching device is set separately for the step-down and step-up operations. When, for example, the switching frequency during the step-up operation is lower than the switching frequency during the step-down operation, the range in which the duty ratio in PWM control can be controlled is widened, compensating for step-up ratio insufficiency. Conversely, step-down ratio insufficiency is compensated for by making the switching frequency during the step-down operation lower than the switching frequency during the step-up operation.

Abstract: A small and efficient DC-DC converter is provided. In this DC-DC converter, passive elements such as an inductor and a capacitor can be reduced in size by reducing switching loss by a soft switching technology and increasing the drive frequency of a switching element. The DC-DC converter has a main switching element, a main diode and an auxiliary circuit that discharges the electric charges of the capacitance between the ends of the main switching element. The DC-DC converter includes an auxiliary inductor magnetically coupled with the main inductor, an auxiliary switching element that stores energy in the auxiliary inductor, and an auxiliary diode that discharges energy stored in the auxiliary inductor to the direct-current power source or the output side. The auxiliary inductor is coupled with the main inductor in the direction in which backward voltage is applied to the auxiliary diode when the main inductor discharges energy.

Abstract: The inventive bi-directional DC-DC converter addresses a problem of an insufficient step-up ratio during the step-up operation that is caused when a turns ratio of the transformer is determined to, for example, match the step-up operation and also address a contrary problem of an insufficient step-down ratio during the step-down operation that is caused when a turns ratio is determined to match the step-up operation. In the inventive bi-directional DC-DC converter that uses a transformer for both step-down and step-up operations, a switching frequency for operating a switching device is set separately for the step-down and step-up operations. For example, when the switching frequency during the step-up operation is lower than the switching frequency during the step-down operation, the range in which the duty ratio in PWM control can be controlled is widened, compensating for step-up ratio insufficiency.

Abstract: Effective fillability and the uniformity electrodeposition of a copper electroplating solution is judged by determining the time-dependent potential change thereof at a cathode current density of 0.1-20 A/dm2. The potential change is determined at a working electrode rotation of 100-7500 rpm, and the fillability with the solution is judged from the curve profile. The time-dependent potential change curve within a predetermined period of time after the start of electrolysis is approximated according to the Boltzmann's function, and the potential change speed dx and the potential convergent point A2 are obtained to judge the fillability with a plating solution.