Abstract: The fact is utilized that a threshold at which the degassing amount will steeply change upon variations in SiH content exists in the relation between the hydrophobic SiH content of an HSQ (Hydrogen SilsesQuioxane) film and the degassing amount from the HSQ film. An HSQ film having a relative SiH content or absolute H content so as to correspond to the threshold or more is used as one insulating layer in an insulating interlayer. The hygroscopicity of the HSQ film is reduced to suppress any line defects that are considered to be generated in an upper insulating layer owing to elimination of a hygroscopic component. Satisfied are both the demand for improving the reliability of a small contact hole and the demand for suppressing any interconnection delay. The integration degree of a semiconductor device can easily and reliably be increased.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating thereof, including an insulator layer having alternately layered insulator films and boundary layers, wherein the boundary layers are more dense than the insulator films to prevent expansion and elongation of string-like defects across the boundary layers. The method includes mixing a nitrogen containing gas and a silane group gas to form an insulator film; temporarily stopping a flow of the silane group gas for approximately one to fifteen seconds to form a boundary layer over the insulator film; restarting the flow of the silane group gas; and repeating the steps of temporarily stopping and restarting for a predetermined number of times to form the plurality of alternately layered insulator films and boundary layers. The plurality of alternately layered insulator films and boundary layers is also etched at an etching rate for the insulator films greater than an etching rate for the boundary layers to form a step-shaped sloped opening.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a lightning arrester having machinery built-in in which an axial length of an insulating tube which stores therein zinc oxide elements is reduced so that an attempt is made for miniaturization. The arrangement is as follows. That is, a metal cap with an inclination portion 11 which is fixed to one end of the insulating tube 4 which stores therein the zinc oxide elements 5 is made to a dish shape which projects toward the anti-side of the zinc oxide elements, openings 11a are formed in the inclined portion thereof so that the inside and the outside of the insulating tube 4 communicate with each other, an insulating medium is circulated through the openings 11a while a sufficient gap L is formed between the one end of the insulating container 4 and a ground bracket 15, and the zinc oxide elements 5 are cooled by the insulating medium.