Abstract: A lower vehicle-body structure of a vehicle may include: a floor panel; a side sill; and a frame member that extends in the front-rear direction on the vehicle-width-direction inner side of the side sill and includes a front-rear extended portion that is in abutment against the side sill on the vehicle-width-direction inner side and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along the side sill. The front-rear extended portion may include: a bottom face portion; an inner wall portion; and an inner-side flange that extends to the vehicle-width-direction inner side from a distal end portion of the inner wall portion and is joined to the floor panel. Deformation facilitating facilitators that facilitate deformation of the bottom face portion in the vehicle width direction when a collision load in the vehicle width direction is input may be formed in the bottom face portion.

Abstract: Methods for forming openings in conductive layers and using the same are described. An example method includes: forming a conductive layer; forming a first hard mask on the conductive layer; forming a second hard mask on the first hard mask; providing an opening through the first and second masks; and removing a surface of the conductive layer under the opening. The first hard mask may have hardness greater than hardness of the second hard mask.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a substrate; a plurality of pillar-shaped bottom electrodes provided over the substrate; and an upper electrode covering side and top surfaces of the pillar-shaped bottom electrodes with an intervening capacitor insulating film therebetween. The pillar-shaped bottom electrodes have at least an upper portion and a lower portion. The diameter of the upper portion is smaller than the diameter of the lower portion.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a substrate; a plurality of pillar-shaped bottom electrodes provided over the substrate; and an upper electrode covering side and top surfaces of the pillar-shaped bottom electrodes with an intervening capacitor insulating film therebetween; wherein the pillar-shaped bottom electrodes have at least an upper portion and a lower portion, and the diameter of the upper portion is smaller than the diameter of the lower portion.

Abstract: Methods for forming openings in conductive layers and using the same are described. An example method includes: forming a conductive layer; forming a first hard mask on the conductive layer; forming a second hard mask on the first hard mask; providing an opening through the first and second masks; and removing a surface of the conductive layer under the opening. The first hard mask may have hardness greater than hardness of the second hard mask.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus that includes a plurality of cell capacitors arranged in a memory cell array region of a semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of cell capacitors having a first electrode, a second electrode and an insulating film therebetween to electrically disconnect the first and second electrodes, a first conductive member including the plurality of cell capacitors therein, the first conductive member being electrically connected in common to the first electrodes of the plurality of cell capacitors, and a second conductive member formed on an upper surface of the first conductive member, a material of the second conductive member being different from that of the first conductive member. A side surface of the first conductive member is free from the second conductive member.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a substrate; a plurality of pillar-shaped bottom electrodes provided over the substrate; and an upper electrode covering side and top surfaces of the pillar-shaped bottom electrodes with an intervening capacitor insulating film therebetween; wherein the pillar-shaped bottom electrodes have at least an upper portion and a lower portion, and the diameter of the upper portion is smaller than the diameter of the lower portion.

Abstract: One semiconductor device includes lower electrodes arranged in rows along first and second directions parallel to the surface of a semiconductor substrate and extending in a third direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, a first support film arranged on the upper end of the lower electrodes and having first openings, a second support film arranged in the middle of the lower electrodes in the third direction, and having second openings aligned in a plane in the same pattern as the first openings, a capacitance insulating film covering the surface of the lower electrodes, and upper electrodes covering the surface of the capacitance insulating film. A portion of each of eight lower electrodes contained in two lower electrode unit groups adjacent in the first direction are collectively positioned inside of the first and second openings. A lower electrode unit group is four lower electrodes adjacent in the second direction.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized by including a plurality of capacitors provided with: a plurality of lower electrodes which extend in a third direction orthogonal to a semiconductor substrate surface; a support film which is positioned flatly and in a manner so as to connect to the upper ends of the outer peripheral side surfaces of the lower electrodes, and which has openings that contain the plurality of lower electrodes; a capacitance insulating film which covers a surface of the lower electrodes; and an upper electrode which covers a surface of the capacitance insulating film.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes the following processes. A first groove is formed in a semiconductor substrate. A first conductive film is formed in the first groove and over the semiconductor substrate. The first conductive film is planarized over the semiconductor substrate. The planarized first conductive film is selectively etched to have the planarized first conductive film remain in a lower portion of the first groove.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a principal surface, a first conductor formed on the semiconductor substrate and including a conductive film having a first side wall portion and a first bottom surface portion both of which are continuously formed on a first trench having a first width in a direction parallel to the principal surface, and a second conductor formed on the semiconductor substrate and including a conductive film having a second side wall portion and a second bottom surface portion both of which are continuously formed on a second trench having a second width in a direction parallel to the principal surface, the second width being larger than the first width.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes the following processes. A first groove is formed in a semiconductor substrate. A first conductive film is formed in the first groove and over the semiconductor substrate. The first conductive film is planarized over the semiconductor substrate. The planarized first conductive film is selectively etched to have the planarized first conductive film remain in a lower portion of the first groove.

Abstract: The semiconductor device comprises a first region, a guard ring surrounding the first region, and a second region outside of the guard ring. The first region includes a first electrode made of a first film which has conductivity. A surface of the first electrode in the first region is not covered with the second film. The guard ring includes the first film covering an inner wall of a groove having a recess shape, and a second film as an insulating film covering at least one portion of a surface of the first film in the groove.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a hole in an insulating film, forming a first conductive film in the hole, removing at least a portion of the insulating film around the first conductive film, and reducing a thickness of the first conductive film to produce a second conductive film.

Abstract: An exemplary aspect of the invention provides a novel semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include, but is not limited to the following processes. A first etching process is performed to etch a layer using a resist mask and a hard mask. The resist mask covers the hard mask. The hard mask covers the layer. Then, a second etching process is performed to etch the layer using the hard mask, substantially in the absence of the resist mask.

Abstract: A map information system is provided which includes an electronic pen which reads a dot pattern in a form where map images are shown, to output handwriting information, and a processing unit including an association module which associates the output handwriting information with one of the map images where the handwriting information is written and stores it in a storage unit, a search module which searches for the associated handwriting information and map image using information to specify the map image as a search key, a pattern assignment module which when acquiring print request information including information to specify the map images to be printed, newly assigns a dot pattern, and an output instruction module which issues an output instruction so as to cause an output unit to visually output data including the retrieved associated handwriting information and map image and the newly assigned dot pattern.

Abstract: A map information system is provided which includes an electronic pen which reads a dot pattern in a form where map images are shown, to output handwriting information, and a processing unit including an association module which associates the output handwriting information with one of the map images where the handwriting information is written and stores it in a storage unit, a search module which searches for the associated handwriting information and map image using information to specify the map image as a search key, a pattern assignment module which when acquiring print request information including information to specify the map images to be printed, newly assigns a dot pattern, and an output instruction module which issues an output instruction so as to cause an output unit to visually output data including the retrieved associated handwriting information and map image and the newly assigned dot pattern.