Abstract: Notching equipment for a steel strip, a method of notching a steel strip, a cold rolling equipment, and a method of cold rolling that make it possible to perform cold rolling on a material without weld breaks, even if the material is a brittle material or a high alloy material such as a silicon steel sheet or a high-tensile steel sheet with high Si and Mn contents. The notching equipment includes a shearing device and a grinding device. The shearing device performs shearing on both edge portions in the steel-strip width direction including the joint to form a first notch. The grinding device grinds end surfaces of both the edge portions of the joint in the steel-strip width direction to form a second notch.

Abstract: Notching equipment for a steel strip, a method of notching a steel strip, a cold rolling equipment, and a method of cold rolling that make it possible to perform cold rolling on a material without weld breaks, even if the material is a brittle material or a high alloy material such as a silicon steel sheet or a high-tensile steel sheet with high Si and Mn contents. The notching equipment includes a shearing device and a grinding device. The shearing device performs shearing on both edge portions in the steel-strip width direction including the joint to form a first notch. The grinding device grinds end surfaces of both the edge portions of the joint in the steel-strip width direction to form a second notch.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an epitaxial growth apparatus and an epitaxial growth method that can suppress variation in in-face temperature of a semiconductor wafer caused by deflection of a susceptor and manufacture an epitaxial wafers of high quality. Specifically, the present invention provides an epitaxial growth apparatus for forming an epitaxial film on a semiconductor wafer placed in a chamber having a supply port and an exhaust port for a treatment gas, the apparatus comprising: a susceptor for placing the semiconductor wafer thereon within the chamber; and a susceptor support shaft for supporting the susceptor at an underneath portion of the susceptor, wherein the susceptor support shaft has a support column located substantially coaxial with the center of the susceptor, and at least four support arms extending radially from the top end of the support column with equal intervals therebetween.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an epitaxial growth apparatus and an epitaxial growth method that can suppress variation in in-face temperature of a semiconductor wafer caused by deflection of a susceptor and manufacture an epitaxial wafers of high quality. Specifically, the present invention provides an epitaxial growth apparatus for forming an epitaxial film on a semiconductor wafer placed in a chamber having a supply port and an exhaust port for a treatment gas, the apparatus comprising: a susceptor for placing the semiconductor wafer thereon within the chamber; and a susceptor support shaft for supporting the susceptor at an underneath portion of the susceptor, wherein the susceptor support shaft has a support column located substantially coaxial with the center of the susceptor, and at least four support arms extending radially from the top end of the support column with equal intervals therebetween.

Abstract: A susceptor for an epitaxial growth apparatus, which can maximize the surface utilization of the susceptor and increase the number of semiconductor wafers in a single run. The shape of the pocket for loading a semiconductor wafer at a specific position is similar to and slightly larger than that of the semiconductor wafer with an orientation flat. In addition, the pocket is so located that the orientation flat will be close to adjacent semiconductor wafers. Therefore, compared with the conventional one, the distance between centers of adjacent pockets can be reduced and the total number of the semiconductor wafers that can be loaded on the susceptor in the same surface area can be increased. After the epitaxial growth process, the semiconductor wafers can be removed from the susceptor using the notchs on the periphery of the pockets.