Abstract: Provided are an etching method and an etching apparatus that allow etching processing of a silicon nitride film to be performed at a high etching rate, while maintaining high processing dimension controllability at an atomic layer level, high uniformity in a pattern depth direction, and high selectivity to silicon dioxide. An etching method includes a first step of supplying an etchant containing hydrogen to a sample having a surface at which a silicon nitride is exposed to form a first modified layer in which the hydrogen is bonded to the silicon nitride, a second step of supplying an etchant containing fluorine to the sample to form, over the first modified layer, a second modified layer in which the hydrogen and the fluorine are bonded to the silicon nitride, and a third step of irradiating the first modified layer and the second modified layer with an infrared ray.

Abstract: The present invention improves the performance of a thermoelectric conversion material and a thermoelectric conversion module. A thermoelectric conversion material has a mother phase containing a chimney ladder type compound comprising a first element of groups 4 to 9 and a second element of groups 13 to 15 and an additive phase existing at a grain boundary of the mother phase, the mother phase contains a third element to change a lattice constant of the chimney ladder type compound, and the additive phase contains the second element.

Abstract: Provided are a p-type thermoelectric conversion material, a thermoelectric conversion module, and a method of manufacturing a p-type thermoelectric conversion material that are capable of obtaining high thermoelectric conversion characteristics. The p-type thermoelectric conversion material has a full Heusler alloy having a composition represented by the following General Formula (1) and has a relative density of 85% or more, FexTiyMAaMBb . . . (1), wherein in Formula (1), MA is one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Sn, and Ge, MB is one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, and In, and x, y, a, and b are numbers set so that x+y+a+b=100, a+b=z, 50<x?52.5, 20?y?24.5, 24.5?z?29, a>0, and b>0 in atom %, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention improves the performance of a thermoelectric conversion material and a thermoelectric conversion module. A thermoelectric conversion material has a mother phase containing a chimney ladder type compound comprising a first element of groups 4 to 9 and a second element of groups 13 to 15 and an additive phase existing at a grain boundary of the mother phase, the mother phase contains a third element to change a lattice constant of the chimney ladder type compound, and the additive phase contains the second element.

Abstract: In order to provide an Fe2TiSi type full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material having a high dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT, the full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material is characterized in that: the full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material has secondary crystal grains having an Fe2TiSi type composition and a coating layer covering the circumference of the secondary crystal grains and containing an element other than Fe, Ti, and Si as a main component; and the coating layer has a composition containing an element being dissolvable in a crystal structure of the Fe2TiSi type composition and having an electric resistivity lower than the secondary crystal grains.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material includes a matrix phase configured from a semiconductor. A first grain-boundary phase and a second grain-boundary phase are provided at a grain boundary of the matrix phase. The first grain-boundary phase is configured from a material which does not form a compound with the matrix phase by a eutectic reaction, a eutectoid reaction, a peritectic reaction, a peritectoid reaction, an eccentric reaction, or a segregation reaction. The second grain-boundary phase is configured from a material having resistance which is lower than that of the matrix phase or the first grain-boundary phase. A ratio of a volume of the second grain-boundary phase to a volume of the first grain-boundary phase is smaller than 1.

Abstract: Provided is a thermoelectric conversion material formed from a full Heusler alloy represented by the composition formula: Fe2+?(Ti1??M1?)1??+?(Al1??M2?)1??. M1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Nb and Ta, and M2 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Group 13 elements except for Al and Group 14 elements. ? satisfies the relation: 0<??0.42, ? satisfies the relation: 0??<0.75, and ? satisfies the relation: 0??<0.5. The valence electron concentration, VEC, satisfies the relation: 5.91?VEC<6.16.

Abstract: Provided are a p-type thermoelectric conversion material, a thermoelectric conversion module, and a method of manufacturing a p-type thermoelectric conversion material that are capable of obtaining high thermoelectric conversion characteristics. The p-type thermoelectric conversion material has a full Heusler alloy having a composition represented by the following General Formula (1) and has a relative density of 85% or more, FexTiyMAaMBb . . . (1), wherein in Formula (1), MA is one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Sn, and Ge, MB is one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, and In, and x, y, a, and b are numbers set so that x+y+a+b=100, a+b=z, 50<x?52.5, 20?y?24.5, 24.5?z?29, a>0, and b>0 in atom %, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a thermoelectric conversion module with low toxicity, which exhibits conversion efficiency equivalent to that of BiTe. The thermoelectric conversion module of the present invention employs a full Heusler alloy as the material for forming the P-type thermoelectric conversion unit and the N-type thermoelectric conversion unit. The material for forming the N-type thermoelectric conversion unit contains at least any one of Fe, Ti, and Si and Sn.

Abstract: A thermoelectric material includes the crystal grains of a primary phase silicide and a secondary phase silicide. The average grain sizes of the primary phase silicide and the secondary phase silicide are larger than 0 nm and equal or smaller than 100 nm. The primary phase silicide includes: one kind of elements selected from Mn elements, Fe elements, and Cr elements; and Si elements, or one kind of elements selected from Mn elements, Fe elements and Cr elements; Si elements; and one or more kinds of elements selected from Al elements, Ga elements, and In elements. The secondary phase silicide includes: one kind of elements selected from Mn elements, Fe elements, and Cr elements; Si elements; and one or more kinds of metal elements selected from Al elements, Ga elements, and In elements. The crystal grains of the primary phase silicide and the secondary phase silicide are respectively oriented.

Abstract: Provided is a thermoelectric conversion element having a greater Seebeck coefficient (S) than the conventional ones. In a thermoelectric conversion element: a nonmagnetic Heusler alloy film (10), a ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film (11) and a nonmagnetic layer (12) are stacked in the named order; a pair of electrodes (23, 24) are disposed for deriving, in accordance with a temperature gradient occurring in parallel to the direction of magnetization (41) of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film, an electromotive force occurring perpendicularly to the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film; a pair of electrodes (21, 22) are disposed for deriving an electromotive force occurring in parallel to the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy film; and the electromotive forces occurring due to an ordinary Seebeck effect and a spin Seebeck effect are simultaneously derived.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion material includes a matrix phase configured from a semiconductor. A first grain-boundary phase and a second grain-boundary phase are provided at a grain boundary of the matrix phase. The first grain-boundary phase is configured from a material which does not form a compound with the matrix phase by a eutectic reaction, a eutectoid reaction, a peritectic reaction, a peritectoid reaction, an eccentric reaction, or a segregation reaction. The second grain-boundary phase is configured from a material having resistance which is lower than that of the matrix phase or the first grain-boundary phase. A ratio of a volume of the second grain-boundary phase to a volume of the first grain-boundary phase is smaller than 1.

Abstract: In order to provide an Fe2TiSi type full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material having a high dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT, the full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material is characterized in that: the full-Heusler thermoelectric conversion material has secondary crystal grains having an Fe2TiSi type composition and a coating layer covering the circumference of the secondary crystal grains and containing an element other than Fe, Ti, and Si as a main component; and the coating layer has a composition containing an element being dissolvable in a crystal structure of the Fe2TiSi type composition and having an electric resistivity lower than the secondary crystal grains.

Abstract: There is provided a thermoelectric conversion material made of a full-Heusler alloy and capable of enhancing figure of merit. In order to solve the above problem, the thermoelectric conversion material is made of the full-Heusler alloy represented by the following composition formula: (Fe1-xM1x)2+?(Ti1-yM2y)1+?(A1-zM3z)1+?. A composition in a ternary phase diagram of Fe—Ti-A is inside a hexagon having points (50, 37, 13), (45, 30, 25), (39.5, 25, 35.5), (50, 14, 36), (54, 21, 25), and (55.5, 25, 19.5) as apexes. Further, an amount of change ?VEC of an average valence electron number per atom VEC in the case of x=y=z=0 satisfies a relation 0<|?VEC|?0.2 or 0.2<|?VEC|?0.3.

Abstract: In order to provide a thermoelectric conversion element which has a high Seebeck coefficient, a low thermal conductivity, and a high performance, even if the material system that has a low environmental load and can reduce the cost is used, the thermoelectric conversion element in which lattice points are classified into two or more kinds (A site and B site), lattices of which the kinds are different are connected to each other, the numbers of lattices of which the kinds are different are different (A site: 2, and B site: 1), and a lattice structure is configured by arranging nanoparticles or semiconductor quantum dots, includes areas of which conductivity types are different.

Abstract: Provided is a thermoelectric conversion material formed from a full Heusler alloy represented by the composition formula: Fe2+?(Ti1??M1?)1??+?(Al1??M2?)1??. M1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Nb and Ta, and M2 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Group 13 elements except for Al and Group 14 elements, ? satisfies the relation: 0<??0.42, ? satisfies the relation: 0??<0.75, and ? satisfies the relation: 0??< 0.5. The valence electron concentration, VEC, satisfies the relation: 5.91?VEC<6.16.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion material that has low thermal conductivity and that is stable at a high temperature, and a thermoelectric conversion module using the same. The thermoelectric conversion material includes a granular base material including a semiconductor, a fine particle with a guest material distributed in the granular base material, and a binder with the guest material on a grain boundary of the granular base material. An amount of the binder is equal to or smaller than an amount of the fine particle, an amount of the granular base material is larger than a total amount of the binder and the fine particle, and the semiconductor and the guest material are in an isolated state not forming a compound by a eutectic reaction, a eutectoid reaction, a peritectic reaction, a peritectoid reaction, a monotectic reaction, or a segregation reaction.

Abstract: A thermoelectric conversion device includes a Heusler alloy film having a structure of B2 or L21 in notation of A2BC and a pair of electrodes on the Heusler alloy film to output an electromotive force generated by a thermal gradient in the Heusler alloy film. The thermoelectric conversion device further includes an electrode for applying an electric field or a voltage to the Heusler alloy film to increase and control an electric conductivity and a Seebeck coefficient S of the Heusler metal film. The device can control to increase an electric conductivity and Seebeck coefficient S by applying an electric field or a voltage through an insulation film to the Heusler alloy film. The device may have a shared connection to select one of outputs of a plurality of thermoelectric conversion devices arranged in a matrix or increase an electromotive force as an output.

Abstract: In order to provide a thermoelectric conversion unit capable of generating power with high thermoelectric conversion efficiency, in the thermoelectric conversion unit including: a plurality of thermoelectric conversion modules (1 to 3) including a plurality of pairs of n-type thermoelectric conversion material portions and p-type thermoelectric conversion material portions connected by electrodes; and a hot water pipe 201 and a cold water pipe 202 for generating a temperature difference in the thermoelectric conversion modules and generating power by using a Seebeck effect, at least one of the plurality of thermoelectric conversion modules is different from another thermoelectric conversion module in at least one of a thickness of the thermoelectric conversion material portions, the kind of thermoelectric conversion material, and a thickness of the electrodes.

Abstract: In order to provide a thermoelectric conversion element which has a high Seebeck coefficient, a low thermal conductivity, and a high performance, even if the material system that has a low environmental load and can reduce the cost is used, the thermoelectric conversion element in which lattice points are classified into two or more kinds (A site and B site), lattices of which the kinds are different are connected to each other, the numbers of lattices of which the kinds are different are different (A site: 2, and B site: 1), and a lattice structure is configured by arranging nanoparticles or semiconductor quantum dots, includes areas of which conductivity types are different.