Abstract: There is provided a steel sheet having a chemical composition comprising, in mass %, C: 0.05 to 0.25%, Si: 0.2 to 2.0%, Mn: 1.2 to 3.0%, P: 0.030% or less, S: 0.050% or less, Al: 0.01 to 0.55%, N: 0.0100% or less, and Ti: 0.010 to 0.250%, with the balance: Fe and impurities, wherein a random intensity ratio of a texture in a near-surface portion of the steel sheet is 8.0 or less, and a minimum angle formed between a maximum strength orientation in a {110} pole figure of the texture and a normal direction of a rolled surface of the steel sheet is 10° or less.

Abstract: A clutch control method is provided for a four-wheel-drive vehicle in which the main drive wheels are connected to a drive source, and the auxiliary drive wheels are connected via a friction clutch to the drive source. When the vehicle starts off due to an accelerator depressing operation, the friction clutch is engaged to distribute, a drive torque from the drive source to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels. In this clutch control method, when the vehicle switches from a traveling state to a stopped state while maintaining in a travel shift position, a control is preformed to apply initial torque as an engagement torque control of the friction clutch while the vehicle is stopped. A magnitude of the initial torque is set to a magnitude that maintains a drive-system torsion state by transmitting torque to an auxiliary-drive-wheel drive system before the vehicle is stopped.

Abstract: A clutch control method is provided for a four-wheel-drive vehicle in which the main drive wheels are connected to a drive source, and the auxiliary drive wheels are connected via a friction clutch to the drive source. When the vehicle starts off due to an accelerator depressing operation, the friction clutch is engaged to distribute, a drive torque from the drive source to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels. In this clutch control method, when the vehicle switches from a traveling state to a stopped state while maintaining in a travel shift position, a control is preformed to apply initial torque as an engagement torque control of the friction clutch while the vehicle is stopped. A magnitude of the initial torque is set to a magnitude that maintains a drive-system torsion state by transmitting torque to an auxiliary-drive-wheel drive system before the vehicle is stopped.

Abstract: A method for producing an aroma composition from an animal or plant material, including: holding an adsorbent in a bag and putting the bag in a bag holder inside an aroma compound adsorbing device, fragmenting an animal or plant material to give crude fragmented pieces of the material containing minor fragments, removing the minor fragments from a gas containing aroma compounds emitted from the material in its fragmentation and minor fragments, introducing the gas from which the minor fragments have been removed into the adsorbent to adsorb the aroma compounds, taking out the bag from the bag holder, and collecting the aroma compounds from the adsorbent to prepare an aroma composition containing the aroma compounds, and the bag holder has a mesh lid at its both ends, and the bag has pores not passable by the adsorbent; the method is excellent in handleability of the adsorbent.

Abstract: A four-wheel drive electric vehicle control device is provided for a four-wheel drive electric vehicle that has a motor/generator as a drive source, and an electronically controlled coupling provided on the drive power transmission path leading from the drive source to the front and rear wheels. The four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle has a 4WD control unit that outputs to the electronically controlled coupling a transmission torque command value to bring about the four-wheel drive state, in accordance with the vehicle state. The 4WD control unit has a regenerative control intervention-coordinating controller that, when regenerative control by the motor/generator has intervened during the four-wheel drive state, brings the transmission torque of the electronically controlled coupling to zero before initiating regenerative control.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes first and second second-conductivity-type region groups containing multiple second-conductivity-type regions that are disposed on a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, arrayed in parallel following one direction with a space between each other, and first and second electrodes disposed on the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer and forming a Schottky junction with the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer. The first electrode covers a position where a distance from adjacent first and second second-conductivity-type regions included in a first second-conductivity-type region group, and a distance from a third second-conductivity-type region included in a second second-conductivity-type region group and adjacent to the first and second second-conductivity-type regions, are equal.

Abstract: A four-wheel drive electric vehicle control device is provided for a four-wheel drive electric vehicle that has a motor/generator as a drive source, and an electronically controlled coupling provided on the drive power transmission path leading from the drive source to the front and rear wheels. The four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle has a 4WD control unit that outputs to the electronically controlled coupling a transmission torque command value to bring about the four-wheel drive state, in accordance with the vehicle state. The 4WD control unit has a regenerative control intervention-coordinating controller that, when regenerative control by the motor/generator has intervened during the four-wheel drive state, brings the transmission torque of the electronically controlled coupling to zero before initiating regenerative control.

Abstract: This silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: a silicon carbide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer which is arranged over the silicon carbide semiconductor layer and which includes a silicon oxide film; a gate electrode which is arranged on the gate insulating layer; and a carbon transition layer which is interposed between the silicon carbide semiconductor layer and the silicon oxide film and which has a carbon atom concentration is 10% to 90% of a carbon atom concentration of the silicon carbide semiconductor layer. In a region of the carbon transition layer which is located closer to the silicon oxide film than a position where a nitrogen atom concentration becomes the highest is, a ratio of an integral of nitrogen atom concentrations to an integral of carbon atom concentrations is equal to or greater than 0.11.

Abstract: This silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: a silicon carbide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer which is arranged over the silicon carbide semiconductor layer and which includes a silicon oxide film; a gate electrode which is arranged on the gate insulating layer; and a carbon transition layer which is interposed between the silicon carbide semiconductor layer and the silicon oxide film and which has a carbon atom concentration is 10% to 90% of a carbon atom concentration of the silicon carbide semiconductor layer. In a region of the carbon transition layer which is located closer to the silicon oxide film than a position where a nitrogen atom concentration becomes the highest is, a ratio of an integral of nitrogen atom concentrations to an integral of carbon atom concentrations is equal to or greater than 0.11.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes first and second second-conductivity-type region groups containing multiple second-conductivity-type regions that are disposed on a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, arrayed in parallel following one direction with a space between each other, and first and second electrodes disposed on the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer and forming a Schottky junction with the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer. The first electrode covers a position where a distance from adjacent first and second second-conductivity-type regions included in a first second-conductivity-type region group, and a distance from a third second-conductivity-type region included in a second second-conductivity-type region group and adjacent to the first and second second-conductivity-type regions, are equal.

Abstract: This semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide layer of a first conductivity type having first and second principal surfaces and including an element region and a terminal region surrounding the element region on the first principal surface. The silicon carbide layer includes a first dopant layer of the first conductivity type contacting with the first principal surface and a second dopant layer of the first conductivity type located closer to the second principal surface than the first dopant layer is. The terminal region has, in its surface portion with a predetermined depth under the first principal surface, a terminal structure including respective portions of the first and second dopant layers and a ring region of a second conductivity type running through the first dopant layer to reach the second dopant layer. The dopant concentration of the first dopant layer is twice to five times as high as that of the second dopant layer 22.

Abstract: In a semiconductor element, a body region of a second conductivity type includes a first body region in contact with a surface of a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer, and a second body region in contact with a bottom surface of the body region of the second conductivity type. The impurity concentration of the first body region is twice or more the impurity concentration of the second body region. A second silicon carbide semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, which is a channel layer, has an impurity concentration distribution in a direction perpendicular to a semiconductor substrate, and an impurity concentration on a side in contact with the gate insulating film is lower than an impurity concentration on a side in contact with the first body region.

Abstract: This semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide layer of a first conductivity type having first and second principal surfaces and including an element region and a terminal region surrounding the element region on the first principal surface. The silicon carbide layer includes a first dopant layer of the first conductivity type contacting with the first principal surface and a second dopant layer of the first conductivity type located closer to the second principal surface than the first dopant layer is. The terminal region has, in its surface portion with a predetermined depth under the first principal surface, a terminal structure including respective portions of the first and second dopant layers and a ring region of a second conductivity type running through the first dopant layer to reach the second dopant layer. The dopant concentration of the first dopant layer is twice to five times as high as that of the second dopant layer 22.

Abstract: A semiconductor layer 102 having a drift region 132, a body region 103, and a source region 104 provided at a position next to the body region 103; an epitaxial layer 106 in contact with the body region; and a gate insulating film 107 provided on the epitaxial layer are formed on a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate 101. The epitaxial layer includes an interface epitaxial layer 106i in contact with the body region, a first epitaxial layer 106a on the interface epitaxial layer 106i, and a second epitaxial layer 106b on the first epitaxial layer 106a. An impurity concentration of the interface epitaxial layer is higher than an impurity concentration of the first epitaxial layer, and lower than an impurity concentration of the second epitaxial layer.

Abstract: In a semiconductor element, a body region of a second conductivity type includes a first body region in contact with a surface of a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer, and a second body region in contact with a bottom surface of the body region of the second conductivity type. The impurity concentration of the first body region is twice or more the impurity concentration of the second body region. A second silicon carbide semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, which is a channel layer, has an impurity concentration distribution in a direction perpendicular to a semiconductor substrate, and an impurity concentration on a side in contact with the gate insulating film is lower than an impurity concentration on a side in contact with the first body region.

Abstract: A semiconductor layer 102 having a drift region 132, a body region 103, and a source region 104 provided at a position next to the body region 103; an epitaxial layer 106 in contact with the body region; and a gate insulating film 107 provided on the epitaxial layer are formed on a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate 101. The epitaxial layer includes an interface epitaxial layer 106i in contact with the body region, a first epitaxial layer 106a on the interface epitaxial layer 106i, and a second epitaxial layer 106b on the first epitaxial layer 106a. An impurity concentration of the interface epitaxial layer is higher than an impurity concentration of the first epitaxial layer, and lower than an impurity concentration of the second epitaxial layer.

Abstract: As viewed along a normal to the principal surface of a substrate 101, this semiconductor element 100 has a unit cell region 100ul and a terminal region 100f located between the unit cell region and an edge of the semiconductor element. The terminal region 100f includes a ring region 103f of a second conductivity type which is arranged in a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer 102 so as to contact with a drift region 102d. The ring region includes a high concentration ring region 103af which contacts with the surface of the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer and a low concentration ring region 103bf which contains an impurity of the second conductivity type at a lower concentration than in the high concentration ring region and of which the bottom contacts with the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer. A side surface of the high concentration ring region 103af contacts with the drift region 102d.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an MIS type semiconductor device, including a channel layer between a semiconductor body region and a gate insulating film, the channel layer having an opposite semiconductor polarity to that of the semiconductor body region. Since Vfb of the semiconductor device is equivalent to or less than a gate rated voltage Vgcc? of the semiconductor device with respect to an OFF-polarity, density of carrier charge that is induced near the surface of the semiconductor body region is kept at a predetermined amount or less with a guaranteed range of operation of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: As viewed along a normal to the principal surface of a substrate 101, this semiconductor element 100 has a unit cell region 100ul and a terminal region 100f located between the unit cell region and an edge of the semiconductor element. The terminal region 100f includes a ring region 103f of a second conductivity type which is arranged in a first silicon carbide semiconductor layer 102 so as to contact with a drift region 102d. The ring region includes a high concentration ring region 103af which contacts with the surface of the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer and a low concentration ring region 103bf which contains an impurity of the second conductivity type at a lower concentration than in the high concentration ring region and of which the bottom contacts with the first silicon carbide semiconductor layer. A side surface of the high concentration ring region 103af contacts with the drift region 102d.

Abstract: A vehicle control system for an automatic transmission includes a range selector for outputting a range instruction signal representing the selected shift range and a range shifter for manually outputting a shift instruction signal, and a by-wire control part for controlling the change-over of the shift range according to the range instruction signal input from the range selector. The by-wire control part has a range control circuit, which uses the shift instruction signal input from the range shifter if the range instruction signal is abnormal while monitoring the range instruction signal input from the range selector.