Abstract: An improved sputtering apparatus is provided which can judge whether or not a normal thin film has been satisfactorily deposited on the surface of a substrate to be processed in a film deposition apparatus. The judgment is made immediately after the sputtering process on the basis of the detection results of the pressure in a vacuum chamber and the waveform of discharge output power supplied from a discharge power source.

Abstract: A dielectrically isolated structure for use in an SOI-type semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a substrate having an element-forming region formed therein on a first insulating film, the region being made of a first material, at least one trench formed in the element-forming region and extending to the first insulating film, second insulating films formed on side walls of the trench, and a film made of a second material, and embedded in only an upper portion of the trench such that a bottom portion of the trench is hollow.

Abstract: An apparatus for swelling and drying foods under reduced pressure in which the apparatus comprises a reduced pressure treating chamber connected to a vacuum pump directly or through a reservoir tank, a drying chamber having a pressure reducing means, a heating means and a conveying means, and an outlet chamber having a pressure reducing means and in which said reduced pressure treating chamber, said drying chamber and said outlet chamber are continuously arranged in this order.