Abstract: Provided is a method of forming a semiconductor thin film. The method may include forming, on a substrate, a thin film that contains one of Ge, Si, and a SiGe mixture, and Sn in a content of 0.1 atomic % or more to 20 atomic % or less, and applying pulsed laser light to the thin film.

Abstract: A catalyst holding filter reducing a pressure loss. A catalyst holding filter (10) is made of a ceramic support (4) of SiC covered with a catalyst layer (2). An average pore size of the ceramic support is 10-250 ?m, and a porosity of the ceramic support is 40-80%. The catalyst layer contains a catalyst, a cocatalyst and a support material.

Abstract: A honeycomb filter for purifying exhaust gases that can almost completely burn and remove particulates accumulated on a wall portion by a regenerating process allowing residual ashes on the wall portion to easily move inside a through hole because the ashes are easily separated from the wall portion.

Abstract: A ceramic filter assembly that resists cracking. The ceramic filter assembly is formed by integrating a plurality of columnar honeycomb filters made of a porous ceramic sintered material with a ceramic sealing material layer and formed to have a substantially elliptical cross sectional shape. The honeycomb filters includes square columnar honeycomb filters in which the ratio between the lengths of their long sides and short sides is between 1.1 and 3.0. The honeycomb filters are arranged so that the long sides and the short sides are respectively parallel to the major axis and the minor axis of the assembly.

Abstract: The invention is a catalyst formed by covering each surface of particles in a ceramic support with an alumina thin film and holding an active catalyst component with the surface of the thin film, which is large in the pore size and porosity and small in the pressure loss irrespectively of forming the alumina thin film on the surface and is produced, for example, by immersing the ceramic support in an aluminum-containing metallic compound, preliminarily firing, immersing in hot water, drying, firing and finally holding the active catalyst component on the alumina thin film on the surface of the support.

Abstract: A ceramic filter assembly (9) that resists cracking. The ceramic filter assembly is formed by integrating a plurality of columnar honeycomb filters (F1) made of a porous ceramic sintered material with a ceramic sealing material layer and formed to have a substantially elliptical cross sectional shape. The honeycomb filters includes square columnar honeycomb filters in which the ratio between the lengths of their long sides and short sides is between 1.1 and 3.0. The honeycomb filters are arranged so that the long sides and the short sides are respectively parallel to the major axis and the minor axis of the assembly.

Abstract: A substrate for epitaxial growth includes a silicon-containing substrate, a silicon-germanium film, and a network-shaped structure. The silicon-germanium film is formed lamellarly on the silicon-containing substrate. The network-shaped structure is disposed adjacent to an interface between the silicon-containing substrate and the silicon-germanium film, and is composed of a 90-degree-dislocation dislocation line elongating continuously. The 90-degree-dislocation dislocation line making the network-shaped structure elongates remarkably long without being broken to short lengths interruptedly so that the 90-degree dislocation is disposed cyclically in planes parallel to the interface. Accordingly, the 90-degree dislocation is present uniformly in planes parallel to the interface. Consequently, strains in the crystal lattice of the silicon-germanium film have been uniformly relaxed more securely.

Abstract: It is provide a filter for an exhaust gas having a high thermal conductivity irrespective of a relatively high porosity or showing characteristics that the whole of the filter containing a high refractive index substance or pigment is easily warmed but hardly cooled while making low the thermal conductivity of the filter as a whole. This filter is provided with a catalyst coat layer formed by carrying a catalyst active component on a surface of a porous ceramic carrier, in which a porosity of the porous ceramic carrier is 40-80% and a substance or a pigment indicating a thermal conductivity as the filter of 3-60 W/mk or having a large refractive index at a thermal conductivity of 0.3-3 W/mk.

Abstract: A honeycomb filter for purifying exhaust gases that can almost completely burn and remove particulates accumulated on a wall portion by a regenerating process allowing residual ashes on the wall portion to easily move inside a through hole because the ashes are easily separated from the wall portion. In the honeycomb filter a columnar body made of porous ceramics, having parallel through holes in the length direction with a wall portion interposed therebetween, is designed so that part or all of the wall portion that separates the through holes from each other functions as a filter collecting particulates, wherein a length l of the longest side in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the through hole and a length L in the length direction of the columnar body satisfy: 60?L/l?500, and a surface roughness Ra (according to JIS B 0601) of the through hole inner wall satisfies: Ra?100 ?m.

Abstract: There are proposed a diesel particulate filter being small in the pressure loss in the deposition of soot and high in the filtering efficiency and a ceramic sintered body constituting a main body thereof and a method of producing the same. The porous ceramic sintered body constituting the diesel particulate filter has communicated pores consisting of large pores 21 and small pores 22. The large pores are existent on at least surface layer portion of the sintered body, and the small pores 22 have a size relatively smaller than that of the large pore 21 and are existent on the surface layer and inside of the sintered body. Also, NOx occlusion catalyst is carried on the surface of the ceramic sintered body and the inner surfaces of the communicated pores.

Abstract: A catalyst holding filter reducing a pressure loss. A catalyst holding filter (10) is made of a ceramic support (4) of SiC covered with a catalyst layer (2). An average pore size of the ceramic support is 10-250 &mgr;m, and a porosity of the ceramic support is 40-80%. The catalyst layer contains a catalyst, a cocatalyst and a support material.

Abstract: A regeneration system for an exhaust gas cleaning device disposed in an exhaust emission path of an internal combustion engine includes an exhaust gas cleaning honeycomb filter and a heating device for the filter, wherein the filter is a checkered SiC honeycomb filter having a given cell structure, and the heating device is a heater or a glow plug when using a fuel containing fuel additive.

Abstract: A regeneration system for an exhaust gas cleaning device disposed in an exhaust emission path of an internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust gas cleaning honeycomb filter and a heating means for the filter, wherein the filter is a checkered SiC honeycomb filter having a given cell structure, and the heating means is a heater or a glow plug when using a fuel containing fuel additive.

Abstract: A regeneration system for an exhaust gas cleaning device disposed in an exhaust emission path of an internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas cleaning honeycomb filter and a heating element for the filter, wherein the filter is a checkered SiC honeycomb filter having a given cell structure, and the heating element is a heater or a glow plug when using a fuel containing fuel additive.

Abstract: A regeneration system for an exhaust gas cleaning device disposed in an exhaust emission path of an internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust gas cleaning honeycomb filter and a heating means for the filter, wherein the filter is a checkered SiC honeycomb filter having a given cell structure, and the heating means is a heater or a glow plug when using a fuel containing fuel additive.