Abstract: A measuring device for measuring an inspection target on the basis of vibration generated when the inspection target has been irradiated with laser light includes a condensing position deriving portion configured to derive an amount of adjustment of a distance between condensing lenses of a laser condensing unit configured to condense the laser light on the basis of a distance between a laser device configured to radiate the laser light and an irradiation location of the laser light and a communicating portion configured to transmit control information including information representing the amount of adjustment to the laser condensing unit.

Abstract: On a major surface of an n-type silicon carbide inclined substrate (2) is formed an n-type voltage-blocking layer (3) made of silicon carbide by means of epitaxial growth. On the n-type voltage-blocking layer (3) is formed a p-type silicon carbide region (4) rectangular when viewed from above. On the surface of the p-type silicon carbide region (4) is formed a p-type contact electrode (5). In the p-type silicon carbide region (4), the periphery of the p-type silicon carbide region (4) that is parallel with a (11-20) plane (14a) of the silicon carbide crystal, which is liable to cause avalanche breakdown, is located on the short side. In this manner, the dielectric strength of a silicon carbide semiconductor device can be improved.

Abstract: On a major surface of an n-type silicon carbide inclined substrate (2) is formed an n-type voltage-blocking layer (3) made of silicon carbide by means of epitaxial growth. On the n-type voltage-blocking layer (3) is formed a p-type silicon carbide region (4) rectangular when viewed from above. On the surface of the p-type silicon carbide region (4) is formed a p-type contact electrode (5). In the p-type silicon carbide region (4), the periphery of the p-type silicon carbide region (4) that is parallel with a (11-20) plane (14a) of the silicon carbide crystal, which is liable to cause avalanche breakdown, is located on the short side. In this manner, the dielectric strength of a silicon carbide semiconductor device can be improved.

Abstract: There is provided a low dielectric constant material, which is excellent in thermal resistance, has low dielectric constant, and is applicable to a semiconductor device or electric appliances, an insulation film between semiconductor layers using the same, and the semiconductor device. The material is the low dielectric constant material having thermal resistance, which contains borazine skeletal molecules shown by the following formula (1) and the like in an inorganic or organic material molecule.

Abstract: There is provided a low dielectric constant material, which is excellent in thermal resistance, has low dielectric constant, and is applicable to a semiconductor device or electric appliances, an insulation film between semiconductor layers using the same, and the semiconductor device. The material is the low dielectric constant material having thermal resistance, which contains borazine skeletal molecules shown by the following formula (1) and the like in an inorganic or organic material molecule.

Abstract: There is provided a low dielectric constant material, which is excellent in thermal resistance, has low dielectric constant, and is applicable to a semiconductor device or electric appliances, an insulation film between semiconductor layers using the same, and the semiconductor device. The material is the low dielectric constant material having thermal resistance, which contains borazine skeletal molecules shown by the following formula (1) and the like in an inorganic or organic material molecule.

Abstract: An underlayer film-forming material for copper, a method for forming the underlayer, an underlayer film for copper, and a semiconductor device including a substrate, the underlayer and copper wiring film, which prevents copper diffusion as well as provides superior adhesion to a copper wiring film, even if the film is thinner than conventional barrier metals. The underlayer film-forming material for copper is formed from a compound represented by a (R1R2)P—(R)n—Si(X1X2X3), wherein at least one of X1, X2, and X3 represents a hydrolysable group; each of R1 and R2 represents an alkyl group; R represents a divalent linear organic group which is selected from an alkylene group, an aromatic ring, and an alkylene group including an aromatic ring; and n is an integer from 1 to 6.

Abstract: The present invention provides an underlayer film-forming material for copper, a method for forming the underlayer, an underlayer film for copper, and a semiconductor device including a substrate, the underlayer and copper wiring film, which enable the prevention of copper diffusion as well as provide superior adhesion to a copper wiring film, even if the film is thinner than conventional barrier metals. The underlayer film-forming material for copper includes a compound represented by a following general formula [I]: (R1R2)P—(R)—Si(X1X2X3), wherein at least one of X1, X2, and X3 represents a hydrolysable group; each of R1 and R2 represents an alkyl group; R represents a divalent linear organic group which is formed of an alkylene group, an aromatic ring, or an alkylene group including an aromatic ring; and n represents an integer of 1 to 6.

Abstract: There is provided a film, which is excellent in thermal resistance, has low dielectric constant, and is applicable to a semiconductor device or electric appliances. The low dielectric constant film having thermal resistance comprises molecules comprising boron, nitrogen, and hydrogen, wherein the number of the nitrogen atom is 0.7 to 1.3 and the number of the hydrogen atom is 1.0 to 2.2 based on one boron atom, and of which dielectric constant is at most3 2.4.

Abstract: A semiconductor device such as DRAM including a capacitor, wherein a lower electrode of the capacitor is a metal electrode, the metal electrode being mainly composed of ruthenium or iridium, and being connected directly to a capacitor dielectric film through no oxide layer of materials of the metal electrode formed on the surface of the metal electrode. The lower electrode made of iridium or ruthenium can easily be processed as compared with the conventional case where platinum is employed to form the electrode and also can not be oxidized when the capacitor dielectric film is formed, thus reduction in the capacitance can be prevented.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a first insulating layer having a first copper wiring, a second insulating layer having a via of copper communicating with the first copper wiring, a third insulating layer having a second copper communicating with the via, and wherein either of the insulating layers is made of a material containing boron and nitrogen as a main component. Diffusion of copper into the insulating layer is prevented and, at the same time, wiring capacitance is reduced so that a high speed operation of the semiconductor device is enabled.

Abstract: There is provided a low dielectric constant material, which is excellent in thermal resistance, has low dielectric constant, and is applicable to a semiconductor device or electric appliances, an insulation film between semiconductor layers using the same, and the semiconductor device. The material is the low dielectric constant material having thermal resistance, which contains borazine skeletal molecules shown by the following formula (1) and the like in an inorganic or organic material molecule.

Abstract: There is provided a film, which is excellent in thermal resistance, has low dielectric constant, and is applicable to a semiconductor device or electric appliances. The low dielectric constant film having thermal resistance comprises molecules comprising boron, nitrogen, and hydrogen, wherein the number of the nitrogen atom is 0.7 to 1.3 and the number of the hydrogen atom is 1.0 to 2.2 based on one boron atom, and of which dielectric constant is at most 3 2.4.

Abstract: The inventive nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, rewriting stored information with the quantity of charges of a dielectric material, comprises a ferroelectric film having a hysteresis characteristic in a dependency of an electric field density and an-electric field and a nonlinear element electrically connected with the ferroelectric film. In this nonlinear element, the quantity of increase of a positive electric flux density with respect to an electric field is small in a low field region and large in a high field region in a dependency of the electric flux density and the electric field. Thus, it is possible to obtain a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device capable of suppressing dispersion in coercive filed and preventing reduction of voltage resistance without increasing the chip area.

Abstract: A semiconductor device such as DRAM including a capacitor, wherein a lower electrode of the capacitor is a metal electrode, the metal electrode being mainly composed of ruthenium or iridium, and being connected directly to a capacitor dielectric film through no oxide layer of materials of the metal electrode formed on the surface of the metal electrode. The lower electrode made of iridium or ruthenium can easily be processed as compared with the conventional case where platinum is employed to form the electrode and also can not be oxidized when the capacitor dielectric film is formed, thus reduction in the capacitance can be prevented.

Abstract: A semiconductor device such as DRAM including a capacitor, wherein a lower electrode of the capacitor is a metal electrode, the metal electrode being mainly composed of ruthenium or iridium, and being connected directly to a capacitor dielectric film through no oxide layer of materials of the metal electrode formed on the surface of the metal electrode. The lower electrode made of iridium or ruthenium can easily be processed as compared with the conventional case where platinum is employed to form the electrode and also can not be oxidized when the capacitor dielectric film is formed, thus reduction in the capacitance can be prevented.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device achieves a high capacitance value even when the elements are made extremely small as the degree of integration is increased. A method of producing such a semiconductor memory maintains a high capacitance value while achieving increased integration. A semiconductor memory device includes adjacent capacitor lower electrodes which are separated by a width of 0.2 &mgr;m while the ratio of the capacitor lower electrode height to the separation width is 1, the capacitor upper electrode covers the capacitor insulation film, and steps generated in the separated portion of the capacitor lower electrodes are filled by the upper electrode material. A method of manufacturing produces a semiconductor memory device wherein the capacitor upper electrode is formed in plasma which includes etchable gas by chemical or physical action.

Abstract: A thin film forming apparatus using laser includes a chamber (1), a target (5) placed therein, a laser light source (10) for emitting laser beam to target (5), and a substrate holder (3). When target (5) is irradiated with laser beam (16), a plume (15) is generated, and materials included in plume (15) are deposited on the surface of a substrate (2) held by substrate holder (3). The laser beam emitted from laser light source (10) has its cross section shaped to a desired shape when passed through a shielding plate (4804), for example, so that the surface of the target (5) is irradiated with the beam having uniform light intensity distribution. Therefore, a plume (15) having uniform density distribution of active particles is generated, and therefore a thin film of high quality can be formed over a wide area with uniform film quality, without damaging the substrate.

Abstract: A thin film capacitor structure of a random access memory includes plurality of capacitors formed on an interlayer insulating film. The capacitor structure includes a plurality of lower electrodes formed on the interlayer insulating film, a first dielectric film formed over the plurality of lower electrodes and portions of the interlayer insulating film between lower electrodes, a second dielectric film formed on the first dielectric film, and an upper electrode formed on the second dielectric layer. A silicon oxide film is formed at the step portions of the first dielectric film which result at the periphery of the lower electrodes to prevent leakage current between adjacent capacitors.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface; a first interlayer insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate and having an opening defined therein so as to open at the major surface of the semiconductor substrate; a connecting member made of Si as a principal component and embedded in the opening; a lower capacitor electrode connected electrically with the major surface of the semiconductor substrate through the connecting member; a capacitor dielectric film formed on the lower capacitor electrode; an upper capacitor electrode formed on the capacitor dielectric film; and a second interlayer insulating film formed on the capacitor upper electrode. The lower capacitor electrode referred to above is made of a principal component selected from the group consisting of ruthenium and iridium and contains oxygen in a quantity of 0.001 to 0.1% by atom and/or at least one impurity element in a quantity of 0.1 to 5% by atom.