Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, including the steps of forming a metal wire on a circuit formed on a semiconductor substrate, forming an insulating film on the metal wire, forming a via hole in the insulating film so as to expose a surface of the metal wire by selectively etching the insulating film by a plasma dry etching method, measuring a first level difference between the surface of the metal wire and the surface of the insulating film by a non-contact measurement method, removing the metal oxide film on the surface of the metal film by cleaning the surface of the metal film, measuring a second level difference between the surface of the metal film and the surface of the insulating film by a non-contact measurement method, and determining an amount of oxidation of the metal wire from a difference between the first and the second level differences.

Abstract: A pixel electrode substrate includes a glass substrate, parallel signal lines formed on the glass substrate, parallel gate lines formed perpendicularly to the signal lines on the glass substrate, and a plurality of TFTs disposed near the intersections of the signal lines and gate lines. A color filter layer and pixel electrodes are formed in that order over pixel regions defined by the signal lines and the gate lines on the glass substrate. The pixel electrodes and the color filter layer form color stripes. Each of the signal lines has offset sections formed near the intersections of the signal line and the gate lines with their center axes dislocated laterally from a center axis of the signal line such that the switching devices are disposed in dark regions outside color regions corresponding to the color layer. The pixel electrodes have projections projecting from the color regions into the dark regions, respectively, and the projections are connected to the switching devices in the dark regions.

Abstract: An IC element layout data displaying system includes a magnetic disk unit for storing IC element layout data, and a preprocessor capable of reading the IC element layout data from the magnetic disk unit, of dividing the IC element layout data into a plurality of pattern sets each having an optional number of successive pieces of graphic information on the basis of the IC element layout data in the IC element layout data, and of generating map information including position information representing respective positions of pattern sets. A pattern retrieving unit accesses the IC element layout data by using the map information generated by the preprocessor to obtain graphic information corresponding a display area specified by an input unit. A display unit displays the graphic information retrieved by the pattern retrieving unit.

Abstract: An A/D converter comprises a pipeline stage array in which plural pipeline stages are connected in series, each pipeline stage performing a pipeline operation on an inputted analog voltage to output a digital voltage; a number-of-bits control circuit for outputting a number-of-bits selection signal which indicates whether the operation of each pipeline stage should be carried out or halted, according to a number-of-bits control signal which indicates a resolution; and a correction circuit for compensating a digital value to be output, according to the number-of-bits control signal. Therefore, when resolution of the A/D converter, which is requested by the system, is changed, only the pipeline stages required for realizing the requested resolution are operated while the other pipeline stages are halted, whereby a reduction in power consumption of the A/D converter is realized and, simultaneously, a breakdown of an output from the A/D converter is avoided.

Abstract: A reformer is disposed in the flow path of a reactant fluid. The reformer includes an electrically heatable heater unit of honeycomb structure, in the upstream of the flow path of a reactant fluid, and a catalyst unit of honeycomb structure capable of generating hydrogen from a reactant fluid containing an organic compound or carbon monoxide, by catalysis, in the downstream of the above heater unit. The heater unit and catalyst unit satisfy the following relationship: Cell density of the heater unit≦Cell density of the catalyst unit. The reformer improve efficiency for production of hydrogen and reduce CO as the by-product.

Abstract: This invention relates to a corrosion-resistant member comprising a ceramic substrate and a silicon carbide film formed through a chemical vapor deposition process and having a resistivity at room temperature of 20-500 &OHgr;·cm, and a method of manufacturing the same as well as an heating apparatus using the same.

Abstract: A film formed of an ethylenic copolymer having Mw/Mn of 1.5 to 4, Mw of 3,000 to 1,000,000, and a resin density of 0.85 to 0.95 g/cm3. In the copolymer compositional distribution curve, the relationship between the half width at the half maximum [W/2] of the Gaussian distribution curve, and the average, n, of short-chain branches in the copolymer satisfies the equation, 0.704+0.147n≦W/2≦−0.055+0.577n. The tear strength (TS, kgf/cm) of the copolymer satisfies equations, TS≧131.5−155×log[{(B+C+D)/A}+0.1], and 0.1≦(B+C+D)/A≦1 where A is the area surrounding the Gaussian distribution curve and the base line of the compositional distribution curve; B is the area surrounding the compositional distribution curve, the curve obtained through Gaussian distribution approximation, and the base line, B being at an elution temperature higher than 32° C.

Abstract: Provided is a CO sensor which comprises a solid electrolyte 11 having oxygen ion conductivity and a standard electrode 15 and a sensing electrode 16 for measurement of carbon monoxide and at least one standard electrode 15 and sensing electrode 17 for measurement of at least one different gas other than carbon monoxide, especially sulfur dioxide, these electrodes being formed on at least a part of the surface of the solid electrolyte 11. This CO sensor is excellent in selectivity for carbon monoxide, can exclude the influence of the coexisting sulfur dioxide and oxygen on the carbon monoxide measured value, and, besides, can be used at high temperatures. A method for making the sensor and a method of using it are also provided.

Abstract: A thin-walled honeycomb structure includes: a circumferential wall, numerous partition walls disposed inside the circumferential wall, and numerous cell passages defined by the partition walls. A circumferential portion of the honeycomb structure is reinforced wholly or in a part within a certain distance from an extremity surface of the honeycomb structure by a reinforcing material that dissipates or evaporates at a high temperature, and a method for producing the same.

Abstract: A decoding method includes using a plurality of first bitstreams that are obtained by dividing a main bitstream with a hierarchical structure as inputs, successively arranging the plurality of first bitstreams and arranging selected second bitstreams before first hierarchical information of specified bitstreams among bitstreams constituting a specified hierarchy in the main bistream. Each second bitstream includes at least one of a plurality of codes including portions of the second bitstreams that do not corresond to specified code tables that are used for decoding bistreams, thereby forming a third bitstream.

Abstract: There is disclosed a semiconductor device cleaning method involving placing a cleaning solution containing 24 wt. % sulfuric acid, 5 wt. % hydrogen peroxide, 0.02 wt. % hydrogen fluoride, 0.075 wt. % n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, and water into a quartz processing vessel and heating to no more than 100° C. A silicon wafer is immersed into the cleaning solution for 10 minutes and then washed by demineralized water for about 7 minutes. The surfaces of foreign particles on the wafer are etched by hydrogen fluoride, and n-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid combines with the etched surfaces by sulfate ester bonding. The apparent diameter of the foreign particles increases and the repulsive force caused by zeta potential etc. increases, so that the foreign particles are unlikely to adhere to the surface of the silicon wafer permitting the foreign particles to be easily washed away in a water cleaning step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mercury-free metal halide lamp with an increased lamp operating voltage and prolonged lamp life without enclosing mercury or excessively increasing an inner pressure of an arc tube. A lamp in accordance with the present invention contains, as a content of a fill material 202, 0.04 mg of ScI3, 0.21 mg of NaI, 7 atm of Xe at room temperature, and 0.1 mg of YI3, which is an iodide of Y, Y having an ionization potential as a simple substance being 5 to 10 eV and a vapor pressure at a temperature of lamp operation being 10−5 or higher.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a bag-in-carton using a forming jig to shape a side-sealed closed portion of the inner bag in accordance with the related shape of the carton. The forming jig helps form a bag-in-carton having an inner bag formed with high precision and constant volume, thus ultimately permitting good discharge of contents in the bag-in-carton with little content in the inner bag after discharge.

Abstract: A portable device includes a portable device body, a touch panel provided on a surface of the device body, and a cover pivotally coupled to the device body for covering the touch panel when it is closed and uncovering the touch panel when it is opened. The portable device further includes a window provided at the cover to allow the touch panel to be seen through the window when the cover is closed. The portable device further includes a button provided at a position on the cover corresponding to the touch panel. The button is operable from an outer side of the cover to control an operation of the touch panel while the cover is closed. A concentrator includes a concentrator body and a device receiving unit attached to the concentrator body for receiving therein the portable device so as to perform data transmission and reception and/or power feeding relative to the portable device.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor capable of reducing a loss as much as possible, and securing minimum vibration proof performance and reliability by definitely defining the upper and lower limits of a minimum shaft diameter in conformity with a disk load, the service number of revolutions or the like. In a shaft-fixed type motor of the fluid bearing specifications, the diameter d (mm) of a fixed shaft is set so as to satisfy the relation of &agr;3·M1 >d3>M1, where M1=J1·(N/1000)2·k2·D, J1 being a coefficient to be experimentally determined, N(rpm) the service number of revolutions, k the number of a disk-shaped recording media, D (inch) the diameter of the disk-shaped recording medium, and &agr; a ratio of the maximum diameter to the minimum diameter of the fixed shaft.

Abstract: A proxy server apparatus (APP) coupled to a network and a TEL network is disclosed, which comprises: a receiving portion for receiving a request, from a client terminal coupled to the network, for connection to a desired server APP therethrough via the TEL network, the request including a name of the server; an address table for storing the name and corresponding TEL NO.; a PPP connection portion for dynamically assigning an IP address to the desired server APP from the name according to the address table and for providing PPP connection between the desired server APP and the proxy server APP; and a COMM providing portion for providing communication between the client terminal and the desired server APP using the IP address. A proxy server system including a plural proxy server APP is also disclosed, wherein a request is forwarded to a desired server according to a proxy server arrangement table in each proxy server APP and communication is routed through other server APP.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a device to dissipate the thermal energy produced by electronic components embedded in a printed circuit card, such method consisting in depositing on the card a first layer of a first thermally conductive and electrically insulating material to cover at least the connecting tabs for the electronic components to be cooled, and putting this first layer in contact with a metallic drain connected to a thermal mass to drain the calories towards the exterior of the card, wherein the method consisting is making the drain in the form of a flexible porous metallic structure, and in depositing on the drain a second layer of a second material that adheres to the first layer through the pores of the drain to hold the latter in place on the card.

Abstract: An evaluation pattern and an evaluation method of devices capable of measuring with precision the unit capacitance and specific precision of passive devices necessary in analog circuits on a single semiconductor substrate, unit capacitors in such a quantity to overcome the measuring error of measuring instruments, arranged in an array by nx pieces in the X direction (nx being a natural number) and ny pieces in the Y direction (ny being a natural number), are connected by wiring to be capable of measuring the sum of capacitances in each column at least in one of the array directions in the X and Y directions of the unit capacitors.

Abstract: A helical coil and a top-helical type antenna using the same, wherein the helical coil has a plurality of either substantially U-shaped or nearly V-shaped branch portions made of a thin metallic sheet material. The branch portions are connected continuously in a manner to place their open ends alternately inversely, and the branch portions alternatively curve toward an obverse side and a reverse side of the metallic sheet to form each turn of the coil. A method for producing the helical coil includes continuously die cutting a member on a belt-shaped strip of electrically conductive metallic sheet, and alternately placing a plurality of either substantially U-shaped or substantially V-shaped branch portions with their open ends inversely. These substantially U or V-shaped branch portions are then connected with each other in the shape of a letter, with connection to the metallic sheet being held only by linkage portions at opposite sides.

Abstract: A Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Virunga’ characterized by its Large sized blooms with Yellow-Orange ray-florets and Yellow-Green disc florets.