Abstract: A portable information terminal according to the present invention uses a main board and a memory sheet. The main board has a complicated configuration. The memory sheet has silicon chips for memory. The memory sheet comprises a film-shaped circuit board and the silicon chips mounted on the film-shaped circuit board. A contact for the memory sheet is connected to a connecting terminal of the main board. This configuration allows the mounting of a large capacity of memory while keeping the thickness of the portable information terminal in a thin state. As a result, a portability-improved portable information terminal can be obtained in which a large capacity of memory was contained and miniaturization, thickness reduction and weight reduction were achieved.

Abstract: A working process end point real time determination method by which a working process end point can be determined accurately without an error even if a working process measurement signal has such a great variation that; the variation cannot be removed fully from and still remains in resulting smoothed data is disclosed. In the method, a working process end point is estimated by extrapolation from the variation of the average gradient of the averaged data in a predetermined period of the working process measurement signal to perform determination of the end point.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a connection state of an electronic part and an apparatus for the same which permits judgement of the quality of the connection state at high accuracy without needing structural addition of through holes and pads for use in connection state inspection are provided. The has the steps of: heating a first specific position on the electronic part, measuring a temperature rise of a second specific position thermally coupled to the first specific position, and judging the quality of the connection state of the solder connecting portion by comparing the measured temperature rise and a reference temperature rise.

Abstract: A polishing process monitoring apparatus of a semiconductor wafer is provided, which is capable of monitoring correctly the process independent of various factors affecting optical measurement, such as the configuration, material, and size of a layered structure on the wafer, and the geometric shapes of patterns and their arrangement for respective semiconductor chips.

Abstract: In a semiconductor wafer polishing end point detection method, a polishing progress state distribution on the surface of a semiconductor wafer by chemical and mechanical polishing in forming a metal wire is measured by using one or more measurement systems. The end point of polishing is detected on the basis of a measurement result, thereby obtaining an optimal polishing result. A semiconductor wafer polishing end point detection apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer polishing endpoint detection system and a method therefor can detect a polishing endpoint accurately. A first polishing endpoint detecting means compares the value of the first averaged gradient data and the first endpoint judgment threshold value for making judgment of end of polishing of wafer when the value of the first averaged gradient data is greater than or equal to the first endpoint judgment threshold value continuously for a predetermined number of times, when the value of the first averaged gradient data is greater than or equal to the first endpoint judgment threshold value for a number of times greater than or equal to a given number of times in total after the absolute value of the first averaged gradient data becomes greater than or equal to a given value, or when a ratio that the value of the first averaged gradient data becomes greater than or equal to the first endpoint judgment threshold value is greater than or equal to a predetermined ratio.

Abstract: A wafer polishing apparatus has a rotary polishing bed, an abrasive cloth provided on the polishing bed, an abrasive supply supplying abrasives to a surface of the abrasive cloth, a wafer depressor depressing the wafer onto the abrasive cloth at a predetermined pressure, a ring shaped retainer arranged surrounding the wafer and provided with a plurality of grooves extending between an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge on a surface contacting with the abrasive cloth, a rotary driver driving the wafer and the retainer on the abrasive cloth, and a rotation speed difference generator providing a difference of rotation speeds between the wafer and the retainer.