Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the depth of a buried structure in a semiconductor wafer. According to the invention, the layer behavior of the semiconductor wafer which is brought about by the buried structure when the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range and arises as a result of the significantly longer wavelengths of the radiation used in comparison with the lateral dimensions of the buried structure is utilized to determine the depth of the buried structure by spectrometric and/or ellipsometric methods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a direct smelting plant and a direct smelting process for producing molten metal from a metalliferous feed material, such as ores, partly reduced ores, and metal-containing waste streams, the latter of which comprising the steps of (a) pretreating metalliferous feed material in a pretreatment unit and producing pretreated feed material having a temperature of at least 200° C., (b) storing pretreated metalliferous feed material having a temperature of at least 200° C. under pressure in a hot feed material storage means, (c) transferring pretreated metalliferous feed material having a temperature of at least 200° C. under pressure in a hot feed material transfer line to a solids delivery means of a direct smelting vessel, and (d) delivering pretreated metalliferous feed material into the direct smelting vessel and smelting metalliferous feed material to molten metal in the vessel.

Abstract: A direct reduction process for a metalliferous material includes supplying a solid carbonaceous material and an oxygen-containing gas into a fluidized bed in a first vessel and generating heat by reactions between the oxygen-containing gas and the solid carbonaceous material and any other oxidizable solids and gases in the fluidized bed and discharging a hot off-gas stream containing entrained solids. The process also includes supplying the metalliferous material to a fluidized bed in a second vessel and supplying the hot off-gas stream containing entrained solids from the first vessel to the fluidized bed in the second vessel and partially reducing the metalliferous feed material in the solid state in the fluidized bed and discharging a product stream of partially reduced metalliferous material and an off-gas stream containing entrained solids.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a plant for the heat treatment of solids containing iron oxide, in which fine-grained solids are heated to a temperature of 700 to 1150° C. in a fluidized bed reactor (8). To improve the utilization of energy, it is proposed to introduce a first gas or gas mixture from below through at least one gas supply tube (9) into a mixing chamber region (15) of the reactor (8), the gas supply tube (9) being at least partly surrounded by a stationary annular fluidized bed (12) which is fluidized by supplying fluidizing gas. The gas velocities of the first gas or gas mixture and of the fluidizing gas for the annular fluidized bed (12) are adjusted such that the Particle-Froude-Numbers in the gas supply tube (9) are between 1 and 100, in the annular fluidized bed (12) between 0.02 and 2, and in the mixing chamber (15) between 0.3 and 30.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a plant for producing low 15 temperature coke, in which granular coal and possibly further solids are heated to a temperature of 700 to 1050° C. in a fluidized-bed reactor (2) by means of an oxygen-containing gas. To improve the utilization of energy it is proposed to introduce a first gas or gas mixture from below through at least one gas supply tube (3) into a mixing chamber region (8) of the reactor (2), the gas supply tube (3) being at least partly surrounded by a stationary annular fluidized bed (6) which is fluidized by supplying fluidizing gas. The gas velocities of the first gas or gas mixture and of the fluidizing gas for the annular fluidized bed (6) are adjusted such that the Particle-Froude-Numbers in the gas supply tube (3) are between 1 and 100, in the annular fluidized bed (6) between 0.02 and 2 and in the 25 mixing chamber (8) between 0.3 and 30.

Abstract: Memory and method for fabricating it A memory formed as an integrated circuit in a semiconductor substrate and having storage capacitors and switching transistors. The storage capacitors are formed in the semiconductor substrate in a trench and have an outer electrode layer, which is formed around the trench, a dielectric intermediate layer, which is embodied on the trench wall, and an inner electrode layer, with which the trench is essentially filled, and the switching transistors are formed in the semiconductor substrate in a surface region and have a first source/drain doping region, a second source/drain doping region and an intervening channel, which is separated from a gate electrode by an insulator layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for fabricating a memory cell, a substrate (101) being provided, a trench-type depression (102) being etched into the substrate (101), a barrier layer (103) being deposited non-conformally in the trench-type depression (102), grain elements (104) being grown on the inner areas of the trench-type depression (102), a dielectric layer (202) being deposited on the surfaces of the grain elements and the inner areas of the trench-type depression, and a conduction layer being deposited on the dielectric layer, the grain elements (104) growing selectively on the inner areas (105) of the trench-type depression (102) in an electrode region (301) forming a lower region of the trench-type depression (102) and an amorphous silicon layer continuing to grow in a collar region (302) forming an upper region of the trench-type depression (102).

Abstract: In a method for fabricating trench capacitors, in particular for memory cells having at least one selection transistor for integrated semiconductor memories, a trench for the trench capacitor is formed. The trench has a lower trench region, in which the capacitor is disposed, and an upper trench region, in which an electrically conductive connection from an electrode of the capacitor to a diffusion zone of the selection transistor is disposed. The method reduces the number of process steps for the fabrication of memory cells and enables fabrication of buried collars in the storage capacitors with an insulation quality as required for the fabrication of very large-scale integrated memory cells (<300 nm trench diameter).

Abstract: The invention provides a method for fabricating a memory cell, a substrate (101) being provided, a trench-type depression (102) being etched into the substrate (101), a barrier layer (103) being deposited non-conformally in the trench-type depression (102), grain elements (104) being grown on the inner areas of the trench-type depression (102), a dielectric layer (202) being deposited on the surfaces of the grain elements and the inner areas of the trench-type depression, and a conduction layer being deposited on the dielectric layer, the grain elements (104) growing selectively on the inner areas (105) of the trench-type depression (102) in an electrode region (301) forming a lower region of the trench-type depression (102) and an amorphous silicon layer continuing to grow in a collar region (302) forming an upper region of the trench-type depression (102).

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor trench structure includes forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate and filling it with a filler. A first thermal process having a first maximum temperature cures the filler. Removing the filler from an upper region of the trench as far as a boundary surface defines a collar region. In a second thermal process having a second maximum temperature that is not significantly higher than the first maximum temperature, a liner is deposited on the collar region and the boundary surface. The liner is removed from the boundary surface, thereby exposing the filler. The filler is then removed from a lower region of the trench.

Abstract: In a method for fabricating trench capacitors, in particular for memory cells having at least one selection transistor for integrated semiconductor memories, a trench for the trench capacitor is formed. The trench has a lower trench region, in which the capacitor is disposed, and an upper trench region, in which an electrically conductive connection from an electrode of the capacitor to a diffusion zone of the selection transistor is disposed. The method reduces the number of process steps for the fabrication of memory cells and enables fabrication of buried collars in the storage capacitors with an insulation quality as required for the fabrication of very large-scale integrated memory cells (<300 nm trench diameter).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for determining the depth of a buried structure in a semiconductor wafer. According to the invention, the layer behavior of the semiconductor wafer which is brought about by the buried structure when the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range and arises as a result of the significantly longer wavelengths of the radiation used in comparison with the lateral dimensions of the buried structure is utilized to determine the depth of the buried structure by spectrometric and/or ellipsometric methods.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor trench structure includes forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate and filling it with a filler. A first thermal process having a first maximum temperature cures the filler. Removing the filler from an upper region of the trench as far as a boundary surface defines a collar region. In a second thermal process having a second maximum temperature that is not significantly higher than the first maximum temperature, a liner is deposited on the collar region and the boundary surface. The liner is removed from the boundary surface, thereby exposing the filler. The filler is then removed from a lower region of the trench.

Abstract: According to the invention, a fluidizing gas is introduced upwards into the fluidized bed (3) through a valve grid (2), said stationary fluidized bed (3) containing solids with different grain sizes. A supply pipe (10) is disposed in the area of the fluidized bed, the mouth of said pipe being located above the valve grid (2) and its outlet (12) leading outwards from the fluidized bed (3). Part of the solids located above the valve grid (2) is blown into the supply pipe by a gas jet (13) which is directed upwards and fed separately from the fluidizing gas and pneumatically evacuated from the fluidized bed through the supply pipe (10). Normally, the flow speed of the gas in the supply pipe is at least two times higher than the speed of the fluidizing gas in the fluidized bed.

Abstract: The solids will first of all reach a first container under atmospheric pressure and then reach a second container of variable pressure, which is disposed thereunder, before they are introduced into the pressure vessel. The first and the second container each have a lower outlet passage and a movable shutter cooperating with the outlet passage. The outlet end of the outlet passage is disposed 20 to 400 mm above the shutter in the closed position, in the closed position the shutter forms the bottom of a chamber at least partly filled with solids. The chamber is connected with the outlet passage in a gastight way, and there is no gastightness between the chamber and the shutter. In the closed position, the shutter carries a solid bed, a vertical solid column having a height of at least 1 m is present in the outlet passage and in the container. In the closed position, seal gas is pressed into the chamber and into the solid column from the outside.

Abstract: A process for producing chlorine and iron oxide from iron chloride (which may be generated as a by-product of the direct chlorination of titaniferous ores) comprises the steps of converting ferrous chloride to ferric chloride by reaction with chlorine, separating the solids from the gaseous products, reacting the gaseous ferric chloride with oxygen, condensing unreacted ferric chloride onto iron oxide particles, separating the gaseous products from the iron oxide particles and recycling the iron oxide particles to the oxidation or condensation step.

Abstract: Granular coal and preheated granular iron ore are charged into a low-temperature carbonization reactor, in which temperatures in the range from 800 to 1050 ° C. are produced by supplying gas containing oxygen and by partial oxidation of the components of the coal. In the low-temperature carbonization reactor, the granular solids are maintained in a turbulent movement. From the upper region of the reactor, hot exhaust gas is supplied to a solids separator. The granular iron ore is preheated by means of the hot exhaust gas and hot, granular mixture of iron ore and low-temperature coke is withdrawn as product from the reactor and/or from the separator. The low-temperature carbonization reactor may be designed as fluidized-bed reactor or as pneumatic conveyor section. The granular mixture of iron ore and low-temperature coke is suitable e.g. for a melt reduction process.

Abstract: This invention describes a method of reprocessing zinc- and iron oxide-containing residual material. Zinc- and iron oxide-containing dust and/or sludge is granulated with water, granules and carbonaceous material are fed to a circulating fluidized bed system, the gas-solids suspension circulated in the circulating fluidized bed system is fed to a second fluidized bed reactor, the solids discharged from the second fluidized bed reactor are recycled to the reactor of the circulating fluidized bed system, 50 to 75% by volume of the oxygen required to gasify the carbonaceous material are fed as fluidizing gas to the reactor of the circulating fluidized bed system and 25 to 50% by volume of said required oxygen are fed as a fluidizing gas and secondary gas to the second fluidized bed reactor, iron oxide-containing material is discharged from the reactor of the circulating fluidized bed system and zinc-containing material is discharged with the exhaust gas from the circulating fluidized bed system.