Abstract: A semiconductor device having favorable electrical characteristics is provided.

Abstract: An ophthalmic apparatus includes: a main unit including a unit for observing or photographing an examinee's eye; a movable part in which the main unit is mounted; a vertical movement mechanism provided with a drive part to move the movable part up and down; an operating member to be operated by an examiner to move the movable part up and down; a sensing part to detect an operation signal of the operating member; and a driving control part to convert the operation signal detected by the sensing part to a drive signal to move the movable part up and down, and drive the drive part based on the drive signal, wherein the drive part includes a motor having a hollow portion about a rotation axis thereof, the motor being controlled by the driving control part to rotate.

Abstract: An object is to provide an SOI substrate provided with a semiconductor layer which can be used practically even when a glass substrate is used as a base substrate. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device having high reliability using such an SOI substrate. An altered layer is formed on at least one surface of a glass substrate used as a base substrate of an SOI substrate to form the SOI substrate. The altered layer is formed on at least the one surface of the glass substrate by cleaning the glass substrate with solution including hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or nitric acid. The altered layer has a higher proportion of silicon oxide in its composition and a lower density than the glass substrate.

Abstract: An object is to provide an SOI substrate provided with a semiconductor layer which can be used practically even when a glass substrate is used as a base substrate. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device having high reliability using such an SOI substrate. An altered layer is formed on at least one surface of a glass substrate used as a base substrate of an SOI substrate to form the SOI substrate. The altered layer is formed on at least the one surface of the glass substrate by cleaning the glass substrate with solution including hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or nitric acid. The altered layer has a higher proportion of silicon oxide in its composition and a lower density than the glass substrate.

Abstract: An object is to provide an SOI substrate provided with a semiconductor layer which can be used practically even when a glass substrate is used as a base substrate. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device having high reliability using such an SOI substrate. An altered layer is formed on at least one surface of a glass substrate used as a base substrate of an SOI substrate to form the SOI substrate. The altered layer is formed on at least the one surface of the glass substrate by cleaning the glass substrate with solution including hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or nitric acid. The altered layer has a higher proportion of silicon oxide in its composition and a lower density than the glass substrate.

Abstract: An ophthalmic apparatus includes: a main unit including a unit for observing or photographing an examinee's eye; a movable part in which the main unit is mounted; a vertical movement mechanism provided with a drive part to move the movable part up and down; an operating member to be operated by an examiner to move the movable part up and down; a sensing part to detect an operation signal of the operating member; and a driving control part to convert the operation signal detected by the sensing part to a drive signal to move the movable part up and down, and drive the drive part based on the drive signal, wherein the drive part includes a motor having a hollow portion about a rotation axis thereof, the motor being controlled by the driving control part to rotate.

Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing an SOI substrate provided with a semiconductor layer which can be used practically even when a substrate having a low heat-resistant temperature, such as a glass substrate or the like is used. The semiconductor layer is transferred to a supporting substrate by the steps of irradiating a semiconductor wafer with ions from one surface to form a damaged layer; forming an insulating layer over one surface of the semiconductor wafer; attaching one surface of the supporting substrate to the insulating layer formed over the semiconductor wafer and performing heat treatment to bond the supporting substrate to the semiconductor wafer; and performing separation at the damaged layer into the semiconductor wafer and the supporting substrate. The damaged layer remaining partially over the semiconductor layer is removed by wet etching and a surface of the semiconductor layer is irradiated with a laser beam.

Abstract: A non-contact ultrasonic tonometer for measuring an intraocular pressure of an examinee's eye in non-contact manner by use of an ultrasonic wave, comprises: an ultrasonic transducer including a transmitter which emits an ultrasonic transmission pulse wave to the eye and a receiver which detects an ultrasonic reflection pulse wave from the eye, the transducer being arranged to be placed in a position apart from the eye and to transmit and receive the pulse wave with respect to the eye through the medium of air; and a calculation part being arranged to obtain a peak amplitude level of the reflection pulse wave based on an output signal from the ultrasonic transducer and measure the intraocular pressure based on the obtained peak amplitude level.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an SOI substrate provided with a single-crystal semiconductor layer which can be practically used even when a substrate having a low heat-resistant temperature, such as a glass substrate or the like, is used, and further, to manufacture a semiconductor device with high reliability by using such an SOI substrate. A semiconductor layer which is separated from a semiconductor substrate and bonded to a supporting substrate having an insulating surface is irradiated with electromagnetic waves, and the surface of the semiconductor layer is subjected to polishing treatment. At least part of a region of the semiconductor layer is melted by irradiation with electromagnetic waves, and a crystal defect in the semiconductor layer can be reduced. Further, the surface of the semiconductor layer can be polished and planarized by polishing treatment.

Abstract: Suppression of generation of a stripe pattern (unevenness) when an SOI substrate is manufactured by a glass substrate and a single crystal semiconductor substrate bonded to each other. A single crystal semiconductor substrate is irradiated with ions so that a fragile region is formed in the single crystal semiconductor substrate; a depression or a projection is formed in a region of a surface of an insulating layer provided on the single crystal semiconductor substrate, the region corresponding to the periphery of the single crystal semiconductor substrate; the single crystal semiconductor substrate is bonded to a base substrate; thermal treatment is performed thereon to separate the single crystal semiconductor substrate at the fragile region, so that a single crystal semiconductor layer is formed over the base substrate; and the single crystal semiconductor layer in the region corresponding to the periphery is removed.

Abstract: To improve bonding strength and improve reliability of an SOI substrate in bonding a semiconductor substrate and a base substrate to each other even when an insulating film containing nitrogen is used as a bonding layer, an oxide film is provided on the semiconductor substrate side, a nitrogen-containing layer is provided on the base substrate side, and the oxide film formed on the semiconductor substrate and the nitrogen-containing layer formed over the base substrate are bonded to each other. Further, plasma treatment is performed on at least one of the oxide film and the nitrogen-containing layer before bonding the oxide film formed on the semiconductor substrate and the nitrogen-containing layer formed over the base substrate to each other. Plasma treatment can be performed in a state in which a bias voltage is applied.

Abstract: An object is to provide an SOI substrate provided with a semiconductor layer which can be used practically even when a glass substrate is used as a base substrate. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device having high reliability using such an SOI substrate. An altered layer is formed on at least one surface of a glass substrate used as a base substrate of an SOI substrate to form the SOI substrate. The altered layer is formed on at least the one surface of the glass substrate by cleaning the glass substrate with solution including hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or nitric acid. The altered layer has a higher proportion of silicon oxide in its composition and a lower density than the glass substrate.

Abstract: A single crystal semiconductor separated from a single crystal semiconductor substrate is formed partly over a supporting substrate with a buffer layer provided therebetween. The single crystal semiconductor is separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate by irradiation with accelerated ions, formation of a fragile layer by the ion irradiation, and heat treatment. A non-single crystal semiconductor layer is formed over the single crystal semiconductor and irradiated with a laser beam to be crystallized, whereby an SOI substrate is manufactured.

Abstract: An object is to provide an SOI substrate provided with a semiconductor layer which can be used practically even when a glass substrate is used as a base substrate. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device having high reliability using such an SOI substrate. An altered layer is formed on at least one surface of a glass substrate used as a base substrate of an SOI substrate to form the SOI substrate. The altered layer is formed on at least the one surface of the glass substrate by cleaning the glass substrate with solution including hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or nitric acid. The altered layer has a higher proportion of silicon oxide in its composition and a lower density than the glass substrate.

Abstract: Suppression of generation of a stripe pattern (unevenness) when an SOI substrate is manufactured by a glass substrate and a single crystal semiconductor substrate bonded to each other. A single crystal semiconductor substrate is irradiated with ions so that a fragile region is formed in the single crystal semiconductor substrate; a depression or a projection is formed in a region of a surface of an insulating layer provided on the single crystal semiconductor substrate, the region corresponding to the periphery of the single crystal semiconductor substrate; the single crystal semiconductor substrate is bonded to a base substrate; thermal treatment is performed thereon to separate the single crystal semiconductor substrate at the fragile region, so that a single crystal semiconductor layer is formed over the base substrate; and the single crystal semiconductor layer in the region corresponding to the periphery is removed.

Abstract: Suppression of generation of a stripe pattern (unevenness) when an SOI substrate is manufactured by a glass substrate and a single crystal semiconductor substrate bonded to each other. A single crystal semiconductor substrate is irradiated with ions so that a fragile region is formed in the single crystal semiconductor substrate; a depression or a projection is formed in a region of a surface of an insulating layer provided on the single crystal semiconductor substrate, the region corresponding to the periphery of the single crystal semiconductor substrate; the single crystal semiconductor substrate is bonded to a base substrate; thermal treatment is performed thereon to separate the single crystal semiconductor substrate at the fragile region, so that a single crystal semiconductor layer is formed over the base substrate; and the single crystal semiconductor layer in the region corresponding to the periphery is removed.

Abstract: To improve bonding strength and improve reliability of an SOI substrate in bonding a semiconductor substrate and a base substrate to each other even when an insulating film containing nitrogen is used as a bonding layer, an oxide film is provided on the semiconductor substrate side, a nitrogen-containing layer is provided on the base substrate side, and the oxide film formed on the semiconductor substrate and the nitrogen-containing layer formed over the base substrate are bonded to each other. Further, plasma treatment is performed on at least one of the oxide film and the nitrogen-containing layer before bonding the oxide film formed on the semiconductor substrate and the nitrogen-containing layer formed over the base substrate to each other. Plasma treatment can be performed in a state in which a bias voltage is applied.

Abstract: To improve bonding strength and improve reliability of an SOI substrate in bonding a semiconductor substrate and a base substrate to each other even when an insulating film containing nitrogen is used as a bonding layer, an oxide film is provided on the semiconductor substrate side, a nitrogen-containing layer is provided on the base substrate side, and the oxide film formed on the semiconductor substrate and the nitrogen-containing layer formed over the base substrate are bonded to each other. Further, plasma treatment is performed on at least one of the oxide film and the nitrogen-containing layer before bonding the oxide film formed on the semiconductor substrate and the nitrogen-containing layer formed over the base substrate to each other. Plasma treatment can be performed in a state in which a bias voltage is applied.

Abstract: A single crystal semiconductor separated from a single crystal semiconductor substrate is formed partly over a supporting substrate with a buffer layer provided therebetween. The single crystal semiconductor is separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate by irradiation with accelerated ions, formation of a fragile layer by the ion irradiation, and heat treatment. A non-single crystal semiconductor layer is formed over the single crystal semiconductor and irradiated with a laser beam to be crystallized, whereby an SOI substrate is manufactured.

Abstract: A non-contact ultrasonic tonometer for measuring an intraocular pressure of an examinee's eye in non-contact manner by use of an ultrasonic wave, comprises: an ultrasonic transducer including a transmitter which emits an ultrasonic transmission pulse wave to the eye and a receiver which detects an ultrasonic reflection pulse wave from the eye, the transducer being arranged to be placed in a position apart from the eye and to transmit and receive the pulse wave with respect to the eye through the medium of air; and a calculation part being arranged to obtain a peak amplitude level of the reflection pulse wave based on an output signal from the ultrasonic transducer and measure the intraocular pressure based on the obtained peak amplitude level.