Abstract: A semiconductor element includes a first electrode having at least one convex feature, a second electrode having a concave feature opposed to the convex feature, and a variable resistance layer including an element whose absolute value of standard reaction Gibbs energy for forming oxide is larger than the corresponding value of an element included in the first electrode, and being disposed between the convex feature and the concave feature or on the outer circumference of the convex feature of the first electrode.

Abstract: A spark plug includes a tubular housing, a tubular insulator retained in the housing, a center electrode secured in the insulator with a distal end portion of the center electrode protruding outside the insulator, and an annular ground electrode fixed to a distal end of the housing. The housing has, at the distal end thereof, a small-inner diameter portion that has a smaller inner diameter than other portions of the housing. The annular ground electrode is arranged on a distal end surface of the small-inner diameter portion of the housing so that an inner circumferential surface of the ground electrode faces an outer circumferential surface of the distal end portion of the center electrode through a spark gap formed therebetween. The outer diameter of the ground electrode is less than the outer diameter of the distal end surface of the small-inner diameter portion of the housing.

Abstract: A method is for manufacturing a group 13 nitride crystal by a flux method. The method includes: placing a seed crystal and a mixed melt that contains an alkali metal or an alkali-earth metal and a group 13 element in a reaction vessel; and rotating the reaction vessel to stir the mixed melt. The reaction vessel includes a structure to stir the mixed melt. More than one seed crystals are installed point-symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the reaction vessel at positions other than the central axis such that a c plane of each of the seed crystals is substantially parallel to a bottom of the reaction vessel. The structure is installed point-symmetrically with respect to the central axis at at least part of the reaction vessel other than the central axis.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device includes: a first conductive layer; a second conductive layer; a first resistance change layer provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer and having an electrical resistance changing with at least one of an applied electric field and a passed current; and a first lateral layer provided on a lateral surface of the first resistance change layer and having an oxygen concentration higher than an oxygen concentration in the first resistance change layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a ferroelectric memory includes a semiconductor layer, an interfacial insulating film formed on the semiconductor layer, a ferroelectric film formed on the interfacial insulating film, and a gate electrode formed on the ferroelectric film, wherein the ferroelectric film is a film which includes a metal that is hafnium (Hf) or zirconium (Zr) and oxygen as the main components and to which an element selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al).

Abstract: A simulation method run on a computer simulating the characteristics of a real controlled device including a heating apparatus that changes a heating value in accordance with a first manipulated value, includes creating a controlled-device model representing the real controlled device where a first manipulated value is an input and a process value for the real controlled device is an output, acquiring a first time-related characteristic as input to the controlled-device model, and calculating a second time-related characteristic from the output from the controlled device model with respect to the input of the first time-related characteristic. The controlled-device model includes a heating component corresponding to the heating apparatus for increasing the process value in accordance with the size of a first manipulated value.

Abstract: A spark plug includes a tubular housing, a tubular insulator retained in the housing, a center electrode secured in the insulator with a distal end portion of the center electrode protruding outside the insulator, and an annular ground electrode fixed to a distal end of the housing. The housing has, at the distal end thereof, a small-inner diameter portion that has a smaller inner diameter than other portions of the housing. The annular ground electrode is arranged on a distal end surface of the small-inner diameter portion of the housing so that an inner circumferential surface of the ground electrode faces an outer circumferential surface of the distal end portion of the center electrode through a spark gap formed therebetween. The outer diameter of the ground electrode is less than the outer diameter of the distal end surface of the small-inner diameter portion of the housing.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, forming a metal film on an underlying layer, and depositing an oxide film on the metal film using plasma of a mixed gas induced above the metal film. The mixed gas includes a gaseous material source, a gaseous oxidant, and a gaseous reductant.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory element includes: a first electrode layer; a second electrode layer; and a memory layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the memory layer including a plurality of first oxide layers in a second oxide layer, a resistivity of each of the plurality of first oxide layers being higher than a resistivity of the second oxide layer.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device includes: a first conductive layer; a second conductive layer; a first resistance change layer provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer and having an electrical resistance changing with at least one of an applied electric field and a passed current; and a first lateral layer provided on a lateral surface of the first resistance change layer and having an oxygen concentration higher than an oxygen concentration in the first resistance change layer

Abstract: A resistance change element includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and a memory layer. The memory layer is provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The memory layer is capable of reversibly transitioning between a first state and a second state due to at least one of a voltage and a current supplied via the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. A resistance of the second state is higher than a resistance of the first state. The memory layer includes niobium oxide. One of a (100) plane, a (010) plane, and a (110) plane of the memory layer is oriented in a stacking direction from the first conductive layer toward the second conductive layer.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device includes: a first conductive layer; a second conductive layer; a first resistance change layer provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer and having an electrical resistance changing with at least one of an applied electric field and a passed current; and a first lateral layer provided on a lateral surface of the first resistance change layer and having an oxygen concentration higher than an oxygen concentration in the first resistance change layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an interconnect provided on a first interlayer insulating film covering a semiconductor substrate in which an element is formed, a cap layer provided on the upper surface of the interconnect, and a barrier film provided between the interconnect and a second interlayer insulating film covering the interconnect. The interconnect includes a high-melting-point conductive layer, and the width of the interconnect is smaller than the width of the cap layer. The barrier film includes a compound of a contained element in the high-melting-point conductive layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor element includes a first electrode having at least one convex feature, a second electrode having a concave feature opposed to the convex feature, and a variable resistance layer including an element whose absolute value of standard reaction Gibbs energy for forming oxide is larger than the corresponding value of an element included in the first electrode, and being disposed between the convex feature and the concave feature or on the outer circumference of the convex feature of the first electrode.

Abstract: According one embodiment, a memory element includes: a first electrode layer; a second electrode layer including a metal element; and a memory layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, the memory layer including an oxide layer, and a platinum group metal being dispersed in at least part of the oxide layer, an absolute value of a standard Gibbs free energy of formation of an oxide of an element included in the oxide layer being larger than an absolute value of a standard Gibbs free energy of formation when the metal element changes to an oxide.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory element includes: a first electrode layer; a second electrode layer; and a memory layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, and the memory layer including a plurality of first oxide layers in a second oxide layer, a resistivity of each of the plurality of first oxide layers being higher than a resistivity of the second oxide layer.

Abstract: A group 13 nitride crystal of hexagonal crystal including at least one or more metal atom selected from the group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In, and Tl, and a nitrogen atom, the group 13 nitride crystal comprises: a first region provided on the inner side of a cross section crossing a c-axis; a third region provided on an outermost side of the cross section; a second region provided between the first region and the third region at the cross section and having characteristics different from characteristics of the first region and the third region, wherein a shape formed by a boundary between the first region and the second region at the cross section is non-hexagonal.

Abstract: A group 13 nitride crystal having a hexagonal crystal structure contains at least a nitrogen atom and at least one metal atom selected from a group consisting of B, Al, Ga, In and Tl. Dislocation density of basal plane dislocations in a cross section parallel to a c-axis is 104 cm?2 or more.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a ferroelectric memory includes a gate insulation film formed on a semiconductor substrate, a ferroelectric film formed on the gate insulation film, and a control electrode formed on the ferroelectric film. The ferroelectric film is a film containing a metal, which is hafnium or zirconium, and oxygen, and contains an element other than the metal at a concentration lower than a concentration of the metal.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a ferroelectric memory includes a semiconductor layer, an interfacial insulating film formed on the semiconductor layer, a ferroelectric film formed on the interfacial insulating film, and a gate electrode formed on the ferroelectric film, wherein the ferroelectric film is a film which includes a metal that is hafnium (Hf) or zirconium (Zr) and oxygen as the main components and to which an element selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al).