Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes an ingot holding unit holding an ingot in a hanging state where a portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer is directed downwardly, a water container containing water therein, an ultrasonic unit immersed in the water in the water container, a moving unit moving the ingot holding unit vertically into a position where the ingot holding unit faces the ultrasonic unit and at least the portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer is immersed in the water in the water container, and a nozzle ejecting water to the portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer thereby to promote the peeling of the wafer from the ingot.

Abstract: An SiC ingot forming method includes: a holding step of holding by a chuck table a cut section of a primitive SiC ingot cut from an SiC ingot growth base; a planarization step of grinding an end surface of the primitive SiC ingot held by the chuck table, to planarize the end surface; a c-plane detection step of detecting a c-plane of the primitive SiC ingot from the planarized end surface; a first end surface forming step of grinding the planarized end surface, to form a first end surface inclined at an off angle relative to the c-plane; and a second end surface forming step of holding the first end surface by the chuck table and grinding the cut section of the primitive SiC ingot in parallel to the first end surface, to form a second end surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer producing method for producing a hexagonal single crystal wafer from a hexagonal single crystal ingot. The wafer producing method includes a modified layer forming step of setting the focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the ingot inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the ingot, which depth corresponds to the thickness of the wafer to be produced, and next applying the laser beam to the upper surface of the ingot as relatively moving the focal point and the ingot to thereby form a modified layer parallel to the upper surface of the ingot and cracks extending from the modified layer. In the modified layer forming step, the focal point of the laser beam is relatively moved from a radially inside position inside the ingot toward the outer circumference of the ingot.

Abstract: A method for producing a wafer from a hexagonal single crystal ingot includes: planarizing an upper surface of the hexagonal single crystal ingot; applying a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the ingot, with a focal point positioned in an inside of a region not to be formed with devices of a wafer to be produced from the upper surface of the ingot which has been planarized, to form a production history; and applying a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the hexagonal single crystal ingot with a focal point of the laser beam positioned at a depth corresponding to a thickness of the wafer to be produced from the upper surface of the hexagonal single crystal ingot which has been planarized, to form an exfoliation layer.

Abstract: An energy recovery apparatus which is used in a seawater desalination system includes a cylindrical chamber (CH) being installed such that a longitudinal direction of the chamber is placed in a vertical direction, a concentrated seawater port (P1) for supplying and discharging the concentrated seawater, a seawater port (P2) for supplying and discharging the seawater, a flow resistor (23) provided at a concentrated seawater port (P1) side in the chamber (CH), and a flow resistor (23) provided at a seawater port (P2) side in the chamber (CH). The flow resistor (23) provided at the concentrated seawater port (P1) side and the flow resistor (23) provided at the seawater port (P2) side comprise at least one perforated circular plate, and the perforated circular plate has holes formed at an outer circumferential area outside a predetermined diameter of the circular plate.

Abstract: An SiC wafer producing method includes setting a focal point of a pulsed laser beam to a single crystal SiC inside an ingot at a predetermined depth from an end surface of the ingot, the predetermined depth corresponding to the thickness of the wafer to be produced. The pulsed laser beam is applied to the ingot, thereby forming a small circular modified portion on a c-plane present in the ingot at the predetermined depth, in which the modified portion is a region where SiC has been decomposed into Si and C. A separation layer is formed for separating the wafer from the ingot, the separation layer being composed of a plurality of continuous modified portions and a plurality of cracks isotropically formed on the c-plane so as to extend from each modified portion.

Abstract: A silencer includes: a housing that has a draw-in portion drawing in fluid, and a plurality of sound attenuating portions arranged in a flowing direction of the fluid; a first partition provided with an intermediate communicating portion communicating the most downstream attenuating portion with the adjacent attenuating portion located adjacent to the most downstream attenuating portion; a valve portion disposed in the most downstream attenuating portion, the valve portion being capable of closing the intermediate communicating portion; a valve holding portion holding the valve portion, the valve holding portion being detachably attached to the housing; and a draw-out portion provided in a portion of the most downstream attenuating portion other than the valve holding portion, the draw-out portion drawing out the fluid from the most downstream attenuating portion.

Abstract: A wafer producing apparatus for producing an SiC wafer from a single-crystal SiC ingot includes an ingot grinding unit, a laser applying unit that applies a pulsed laser beam having a wavelength that is transmittable through the single-crystal SiC ingot while positioning a focal point of the pulsed laser beam in the single-crystal SiC ingot at a depth corresponding to the thickness of the SiC wafer to be produced from an upper surface of the single-crystal SiC ingot, thereby forming a peel-off layer in the single-crystal SiC ingot, a wafer peeling unit that peels the SiC wafer off the peel-off layer in the single-crystal SiC ingot, and a delivery unit assembly that delivers the single-crystal SiC ingot between the ingot grinding unit, the laser applying unit, and the wafer peeling unit.

Abstract: A gas cooler effectively prevents or suppresses an outflow of drain water to the outside. The gas cooler includes a casing, a cooling unit, a seal plate, a lead-in port, a lead-out port, and a drain scattering prevention member. The cooling unit is accommodated within the casing and cools gas. The seal plate is provided in the cooling unit and partitions an inside of the casing into an upper space thorough which the gas before passing through the cooling unit flows and a bottom space through which the gas after passing through the cooling unit flows. The gas is led from the lead-in port into the upper space, and the gas is led out of the bottom space via the lead-out port. The drain scattering prevention member is disposed in the bottom space, and collects the drain water, while allowing the gas to pass therethrough.

Abstract: A SiC wafer producing method produces an SiC wafer from a single crystal SiC ingot. The method includes a separation layer forming step of setting a focal point of a pulsed laser beam having a transmission wavelength to single crystal SiC inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from an end surface of the ingot, the predetermined depth corresponding to the thickness of the wafer to be produced, and next applying the pulsed laser beam to the ingot, thereby forming a plurality of modified portions on a c-plane present in the ingot at the predetermined depth and also forming cracks isotropically on the c-plane so as to extend from each modified portion, each modified portion being a region where SiC has been decomposed into Si and C, the modified portions and the cracks constituting a separation layer along which the wafer is to be separated from the ingot.

Abstract: A SiC wafer is produced from a single crystal SiC ingot. Wafer producing apparatus includes a holding unit for holding the ingot, a flattening unit for grinding the upper surface of the ingot, thereby flattening the upper surface, a laser applying unit for setting the focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the ingot inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the ingot, the predetermined depth corresponding to the thickness of the wafer to be produced, and next applying the laser beam to the ingot to thereby form a separation layer for separating the wafer from the ingot, a wafer separating unit for holding the upper surface of the ingot to separate the wafer from the ingot along the separation layer, and a wafer storing unit for storing the wafer separated from the ingot.

Abstract: A screw compressor includes: a screw compressor main body; a motor for driving the screw compressor main body; a gearbox interposed between the screw compressor main body and the motor to transmit a driving force of the motor to the screw compressor main body; and a gas cooler positioned below either the screw compressor main body or the motor and attached as a separate body to a side surface of the gearbox.

Abstract: An SiC wafer is produced from a single crystal SiC ingot by a method that includes forming a plurality of breakable layers constituting a separation surface in the SiC ingot, each breakable layer including a modified layer and cracks extending from the modified layer along a c-plane, and separating part of the SiC ingot along the separation surface as an interface to thereby produce the SiC wafer. In forming the separation surface, the energy density of a pulsed laser beam is set to an energy density not causing the formation of an upper damage layer above the breakable layer previously formed due to the reflection of the pulsed laser beam from the breakable layer and not causing the formation of a lower damage layer below the breakable layer previously formed due to the transmission of the pulsed laser beam through the breakable layer.

Abstract: A SiC wafer is produced from a single crystal SiC ingot. A focal point of a pulsed laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the ingot is set inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from a flat surface of the ingot, the predetermined depth corresponding to the thickness of the wafer to be produced. The pulsed laser beam is applied to the ingot to thereby form a separation layer for separating the wafer from the ingot. The wafer is separated from the ingot along the separation layer, and a flat surface is formed by grinding an upper surface of the ingot as a rough separation surface left after separating the wafer, thereby removing the roughness of the upper surface of the ingot to flatten the upper surface of the ingot.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an SiC substrate separating method for separating an SiC substrate into at least two parts in a planar manner. The SiC substrate separating method includes an adhesive tape attaching step of attaching a transparent adhesive tape to a first surface of the SiC substrate, a support member attaching step of attaching a support member to a second, opposite surface of the SiC substrate, and a separation start point forming step of setting the focal point of a laser beam at a predetermined depth from the adhesive tape and next applying the laser beam to the adhesive tape while relatively moving the focal point and the SiC substrate to thereby form a modified layer parallel to the first surface of the SiC substrate and cracks propagating from the modified layer, thus forming a separation start point.

Abstract: A wafer is produced from a compound single crystal ingot having end surface. A separation plane is formed by setting the focal point of a laser beam inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from the end surface. The depth corresponds to the thickness of the wafer to be produced. The laser beam is applied to the end surface to form a modified layer parallel to the end surface and cracks extending from the modified layer, thus forming the separation plane. The ingot has first atoms having a larger atomic weight and second atoms having a smaller atomic weight, and the end surface of the ingot is set as a polar plane where the second atoms are arranged in forming the separation plane. After producing the wafer from the ingot, the first end surface is ground to be flattened.

Abstract: A wafer is produced from an ingot having an end surface. The method includes an end surface measuring step of measuring undulation present on the end surface, and a separation plane forming step of setting the focal point of a laser beam inside the ingot at a predetermined depth from the end surface, which depth corresponds to the thickness of the wafer to be produced, and next applying the laser beam to the end surface to thereby form a separation plane containing a modified layer and cracks extending from the modified layer. The height of an objective lens for forming the focal point of the laser beam is controlled so that the focal point is set in the same plane to form the separation plane, according to the numerical aperture NA of the lens, the refractive index N of the ingot, and the undulation present on the end surface.

Abstract: A crystal wafer is produced from a hexagonal crystal ingot. A separation start point is formed by setting the focal point of a laser beam inside the ingot at a predetermined depth, which depth corresponds to the thickness of the wafer to be produced. The laser beam is applied to the upper surface of the ingot while relatively moving the focal point and the ingot to form a modified layer parallel to the upper surface of the ingot and cracks extending from the modified layer along a c-plane in the ingot, thus forming the separation start point. First the laser beam is scanned from a scanning start point to a scanning end point on the ingot. Then the laser beam is scanned from the scanning end point to the scanning start point. The first and second steps are alternately repeated to separate the cracks from the modified layer.

Abstract: A focusing unit of a laser processing apparatus includes: a focusing lens that focuses a laser beam oscillated from a laser beam oscillating unit; and a spherical aberration extending lens that extends the spherical aberration of the focusing lens. A pulsed laser beam is applied from the focusing unit to a workpiece held on a chuck table, to form shield tunnels each composed of a fine hole and an amorphous region shielding the fine hole, the shield tunnels extending from an upper surface toward a lower surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an inspecting method for a semiconductor ingot in which modified layers parallel to an upper surface of the ingot and cracks extending from each modified layer are previously formed as a separation start point. The inspecting method includes a light applying step of applying light from a light source to the upper surface of the ingot, the light impinging on the upper surface at a predetermined incidence angle, a projected image forming step of reflecting the light on the upper surface of the ingot to obtain reflected light and then forming a projected image from the reflected light, the projected image showing the emphasis of asperities generated on the upper surface of the ingot due to the formation of the modified layers and the cracks inside the ingot, an imaging step of detecting the projected image to form a detected image, and a determining step of comparing the detected image with preset conditions to determine the condition of the modified layers and the cracks.