Abstract: After an element isolation region is formed using a field-forming silicon nitride film, the silicon nitride film and a semiconductor substrate are patterned. Thereafter, the silicon nitride film and the semiconductor substrate are patterned, thereby forming a gate trench reaching the semiconductor substrate in an active region. Next, after a gate electrode is formed within a gate trench, the silicon nitride film is removed, thereby forming a contact hole. A contact plug is buried into this contact hole. Accordingly, a diffusion layer contact pattern becomes unnecessary, and the active region can be reduced. Because a gate electrode is buried in the gate trench, a gate length is increased, and a sub-threshold current can be reduced.

Abstract: After an isolation region is formed using a field-forming silicon nitride film, this silicon nitride film is patterned, thereby a gate trench is formed. Next, a gate electrode material is buried into the gate trench, and this is etched back. Thereafter, the silicon nitride is removed, thereby a contact hole is formed. A contact plug is buried into this contact hole. With this arrangement, the contact plug can be formed without using a diffusion layer contact pattern. At the same time, the periphery of the contact plug substantially coincides with a boundary between the element isolation region and the active region. Accordingly, the active region can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device which comprises active components, passive components, wiring lines and electrodes and are satisfactory in terms of mechanical strength, miniaturization and thermal stability. In the semiconductor device, openings are formed just below active components. These openings are filled with conductor layers. Conductor layers are also formed where openings are not formed.

Abstract: A memory cell of a DRAM is reduced in size by making the width of a bit line finer than the minimum size determined by the limit of resolution of a photolithography. The bit line is made fine by forming a silicon oxide film on the inside wall of a wiring trench formed in a silicon oxide film and by forming the bit line inside the silicon oxide film. The silicon oxide film formed in the trench is deposited so that the silicon oxide film has a thickness thinner than half the width of the wiring trench and in the fine gap inside the silicon oxide film is buried a metal film to be the material of the bit line.

Abstract: A cellular phone has a black-and-white LCD that displays characters and communication information and a color LCD that displays an image. The image and the characters are displayed on the separate LCDs. Thus, the characters are not superimposed on the image, and they are easy to see. When the image is not needed (the user is not using the phone or the user is talking on the phone), only the black-and-white LCD displays the characters and the color LCD is turned off to save energy.

Abstract: A portable health check apparatus incorporating a highly sensitive and compact expiration analysis sensor and an expiration analysis service offered to a specified user at a specified time. Hydrogen is detected using tungsten oxide produced through metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process. The apparatus has a unit for performing personal authentication by using, for example, a voiceprint of a user. The apparatus is also arranged to call up a user at a predetermined time through a cellular phone. Further, a center server receives detection information of an expiration component via a communication circuit, analyzes or statistically processes the detection information, collates a result of the analysis or statistic process with advice information stored in a database and transmits advice information based on a result of the collation from the server to the cellular phone of the user.

Abstract: A large area dummy pattern DL is formed in a layer underneath a target T2 region formed in a scribe region SR of a wafer. A small area dummy pattern in a lower layer and a small area dummy pattern Ds2 in an upper layer are disposed in a region where the inter-pattern space of a pattern (active regions L1, L2, L3, gate electrode 17), which functions as an element of a product region PR and scribe region SR, is wide. The small area dummy pattern Ds2 in the upper layer is offset by ½ pitch relative to the small area dummy pattern Ds in the lower layer.

Abstract: A biological sensor utilizing no label, such as a fluorescent material, and that does not require the setting of any marker to a sample. The sensor can make measurement easily and quickly. Molecules to be coupled with an object substance contained in a sample are oscillated, and state changes of the oscillating molecules are measured before and after the coupling, thereby measuring the weight of the object molecules. As a result, the influence of impurities that differ among oscillation states may be suppressed. Periodical signals caused by the oscillation of molecules are subjected to lock-in measurement to reduce the 1/f noise generated by the combination of the object substance with the receptor on the surface of a solid body to improve measurement sensitivity.

Abstract: When an oxidation treatment for regenerating a gate insulating film 6 is performed after forming gate electrodes 7A of a polymetal structure in which a WNx film and a W film are stacked on a polysilicon film, a wafer 1 is heated and cooled under conditions for reducing a W oxide 27 on the sidewall of each gate electrode 7A. As a result, the amount of the W oxide 27 to be deposited on the surface of the wafer 1 is reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus for decreasing plasma-induced damage caused by exposure to plasma is provided in an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices using plasma. An apparatus is used for irradiating the semiconductor surface with as least one of X-rays and UV-rays in a vacuum or in an inert atmosphere after plasma processing.

Abstract: Image data obtained through an image sensor is written in a memory. When printing an image, a printing head is driven in accordance with the image data read out from the memory in a line sequential fashion, and is synchronously moved in a sub scan direction, thereby exposing the instant film line by line. The image appears on the exposed instant film as a developing solution is developed by developing rollers while the instant film is advanced out through the developing rollers. Alternatively, the printing head is driven synchronously with the instant film being advanced. Thereby an image is printed at one sub scanning without the need for moving the printing head. The printing head is provided with an array of three color light emitting elements, and three color light beams are simultaneously projected onto the instant film.

Abstract: Image data obtained through an image sensor is written in a memory. When printing an image, a printing head is driven in accordance with the image data read out from the memory in a line sequential fashion, and is synchronously moved in a sub scan direction, thereby exposing the instant film line by line. The image appears on the exposed instant film as a developing solution is developed by developing rollers while the instant film is advanced out through the developing rollers. Alternatively, the printing head is driven synchronously with the instant film being advanced. Thereby an image is printed at one sub scanning without the need for moving the printing head. The printing head is provided with an array of three color light emitting elements, and three color light beams are simultaneously projected onto the instant film.

Abstract: A gas detection method capable of solving the problem with respect to the operation at normal temperature that was impossible so far in the existent catalyst type sensor and detection with high sensitivity that was impossible by the light absorption type sensor. A multi-layered film formed of a first layer adsorbing a specified gas and a second layer having less adsorption are utilized as a detection film, and the detection film is disposed in the direction perpendicular to the optical channel and optically detects the change of stress caused in the detection film by gas adsorption as coupling loss. Alternatively, the stress generated in the detection film caused by gas adsorption is electrically detected by a piezoelectric element or capacitance element.

Abstract: A large area dummy pattern DL is formed in a layer underneath a target T2 region formed in a scribe region SR of a wafer. A small area dummy pattern in a lower layer and a small area dummy pattern Ds2 in an upper layer are disposed in a region where the inter-pattern space of a pattern (active regions L1, L2, L3, gate electrode 17), which functions as an element of a product region PR and scribe region SR, is wide. The small area dummy pattern Ds2 in the upper layer is offset by ½ pitch relative to the small area dummy pattern Ds in the lower layer.

Abstract: An inexpensive MEMS switch which stably operates at low voltage and its fabrication method are provided. The switch comprises: a first anchor 7-2-1 formed over a substrate 3; a first spring 7-3-1 connected to the first anchor; an upper electrode 7-1 which is connected to the first spring and makes a motion above the substrate, elastically deforming the first spring; a lower electrode 1 formed over the substrate, positioned under the upper electrode; a second spring 7-3-2 connected to the upper electrode; and a second anchor 7-2-2 connected to the second spring. When voltage is applied to between the upper electrode and the lower electrode and the upper electrode makes a downward motion, the second anchor is brought into contact with the substrate. As a result, the second spring is elastically deformed. When the upper electrode is subsequently brought into contact with the lower electrode, thereby the upper electrode and the lower electrode are electrically connected with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for reducing the leak current by reducing contamination of metal composing a polymetal gate of a MISFET: Of a polycrystalline silicon film, a WN film, a W film, and a cap insulating film formed on a gate insulating film on a p-type well (semiconductor substrate), the cap insulating film, the W film, and the WN film are etched and the over-etching of the polycrystalline silicon film below them is performed. Then, a sidewall film is formed on sidewalls of these films. Thereafter, after etching the polycrystalline silicon film with using the sidewall film as a mask, a thermal treatment is performed in an oxidation atmosphere, by which a light oxide film is formed on the sidewall of the polycrystalline silicon film. As a result, the contamination on the gate insulating film due to the W and the W oxide can be reduced, and also, the diffusion of these materials into the semiconductor substrate (p-type well) and the resultant increase of the leak current can be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compact printer that can print images of high quality even if the images are printed successively. A temperature at the time of turn-on is detected by a temperature sensor, and a CPU estimates the temperature of an exposure head at the start of exposure based on the detected temperature. The CPU creates print data by referring to a look-up table in accordance with the estimated temperature and drives the exposure head in accordance with the print data, thereby forming a latent image on an instant film sheet.

Abstract: A memory cell of a DRAM is reduced in size by making the width of a bit line finer than the minimum size determined by the limit of resolution of a photolithography. The bit line is made fine by forming a silicon oxide film on the inside wall of a wiring trench formed in a silicon oxide film and by forming the bit line inside the silicon oxide film. The silicon oxide film formed in the trench is deposited so that the silicon oxide film has a thickness thinner than half the width of the wiring trench and in the fine gap inside the silicon oxide film is buried a metal film to be the material of the bit line.

Abstract: The technical subject of the invention is to inhibit disconnection of electrodes caused by a step and bursting caused by residual air. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device capable of overcoming a drawback due to the shape of a concave portion present in the zinc blende type compound semiconductor substrate in which the area of the bottom is larger than the surface in the cross sectional shape, as well as a manufacturing method thereof. According to the invention, a hole or step present in the semiconductor substrate constituting the semiconductor device is formed into a normal mesa shape irrespective of the orientation of the crystals on the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Accordingly, the present invention uses a novel wet etching solution having an etching rate for a portion below the etching mask higher than that in the direction of the depth of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: In a photographic printing system, image data of an image plane size (ishot L, ½x×½y) smaller than a print size (x×y) of a printer is transmitted from a portable telephone to the printer on an infrared communication basis. The transmitted image data is subjected to an expansion processing with expansion magnifications of 1.4 times to 1.8 times, and then converted to print data suitable for printing of the printer. A latent image is recorded on a recording medium in accordance with the print data. The recording medium is delivered out of the printer while it is developed. When a VGA size of image data is transmitted, the image data is directly printed out. When 1 mega size image data is transmitted, the image data is converted into image data of the number of pixels of the VGA size and then printed out.