Abstract: An SiO2 film layer formed at a wafer placed inside a process chamber of an etching device is etched by generating plasma from a process gas containing fluorocarbon which has been introduced into the process chamber. The contents of an etchant and the byproducts are measured through infrared laser absorption analysis. The individual contents thus measured are compared with the contents of the etchant and the byproducts in the plasma corresponding to the increase in the aspect ratio of a contact hole set in advance. The quantity of O2 added into the process gas is adjusted to match the measured contents with the predetermined contents. The quantity of O2 added into the process gas is continuously increased as the aspect ratio becomes higher. As a result, a contact hole is formed at the SiO2 film layer without damaging the photoresist film layer or inducing an etch stop.

Abstract: A monitoring method, includes: delineating a monitor resist pattern on an underlying film, the monitor resist pattern having a tilted sidewall slanted to a surface of the underlying film at least at one edge of the monitor resist pattern; measuring a width of the monitor resist pattern in an orthogonal direction to a cross line of the tilted sidewall intersecting with the underlying film; delineating a monitor underlying film pattern by selectively etching the underlying film using the monitor resist pattern as a mask; measuring a width of the monitor underlying film pattern in the orthogonal direction; and obtaining a shift width in the monitor underlying film pattern from a difference between the width of the monitor resist pattern and the width of the monitor underlying film pattern.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a valve element with a spherical surface on a tip end thereof by first molding a tip end portion 3 of a material 14 into a truncated cone-like shape and then cold-forging the end portion 3 with a die having a semi-spherical recessed surface thereby to mold a tip end of the end portion 3 into a spherical surface. At this time, the previously truncated cone-like shaped end portion 3, starting with the tapered tip end portion, is pressure-welded to the semi-spherical recessed surface, so that the tip of the material 14 is all plastically deformed along the semi-spherical recessed surface, thereby completing the molding of the spherical surface.

Abstract: A telecommunications network provides efficient switching for voice-over-data lines by having access units coupled to the sources and destinations of telephone calls using virtual channels created in a packet switch to connect to a channel switch that converts incoming packets into the outgoing packets and causes the packet switch to route the outgoing packets to the proper access units.