Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust gas duct connected to the engine through which the exhaust gas containing NOx gas passes and a catalyst so disposed in the exhaust gas duct that it contacts with the exhaust gas. The catalyst chemically adsorbs NOx under the condition that a stoichiometric amount of a gaseous oxidizing agent present in the exhaust gas is larger than that of a gaseous reducing agent present in the exhaust gas for reducing NOx, while NOx being adsorbed is catalytically reduced in the presence of the reducing agent under the condition that the stoichiometric amount of the oxidizing agent is not larger that of the reducing agent. Thereby, NOx, the lean burn exhaust gas in the engine can be effectively made harmlessly.

Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus comprises a liquid processing section for applying a liquid processing to wafers W, a carrier delivery section for delivering the carrier housing the wafers W, a carrier stock section capable of storing a plurality of carriers, an interface section for transferring the wafers W between the carrier stock section and the liquid processing section, a carrier transfer device for transferring the carrier, a wafer inspecting device for inspecting the wafers W within the carrier, and a carrier transfer device control section for controlling the carrier transfer device. The carrier transfer device control section controls the carrier transfer device such that the carrier, which has been judged to be capable of a liquid processing on the basis of the result of the inspection of the wafers W, is stored in the carrier stock section, and the liquid processing is started after completion of the inspection of a predetermined number of carriers.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a plurality of fluid suppliers 61, 61, 63 for supplying different processing fluids. In processing a wafer W, the substrate processing apparatus moves the fluid suppliers 61, 62, 63 along the peripheral part of the wafer W relatively. The fluid suppliers 61, 62, 63 are arranged in a direction extending from the circumference of the wafer W to its inside. With the arrangement, the apparatus is capable of stable processing of the wafer W in spite of rotating the wafer W at a low speed. Further, it is possible to improve a throughput of the apparatus in resist processing.

Abstract: An apparatus for purifying an exhaust gas of a diesel engine, characterized in that it has an NOx adsorption and reduction type catalyst and a diesel particulate filter for oxidizing and removing particulate matters in the exhaust gas, which are provided in the flow route for the exhaust gas and are arranged in the above described order from the upstream of the flow of the exhaust gas. The above arrangement allows the elevation of the temperature of the catalyst with ease and the precise control of the temperature and atmosphere therein, resulting in the achievement of satisfactory NOx purification performance, and the employment of the NOx adsorption and reduction type catalyst allows the enhancement of the rate of reduction of the NO2 captured, which shortens the time to keep a stoichiometric-rich atmosphere to a time of several seconds to several minutes.

Abstract: When cassettes are placed on a conveyor disposed in a cassette loader and detectors disposed on a support plate on the conveyor detect information of identification strips on side walls of the cassettes, the cassettes are judged as being loaded properly in the cassette loader. When the detectors fail to detect the identification strips, the cassettes are judged as not being loaded in a desired state in the cassette loader.

Abstract: A cassette is delivered from a cassette loader through a stock unit to a releasing unit. After a stimulable phosphor panel is supplied from the cassette to a reading unit by an unlocking mechanism and a panel ejecting mechanism, the cassette is fed to a position below an erasing unit so as to wait for the stimulable phosphor panel. After recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor panel by the reading unit, the stimulable phosphor panel is fed to the erasing unit, which erases remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor panel. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor panel is stored back into the waiting cassette, which is delivered to a cassette discharger.

Abstract: A plurality of stacked cassettes are loaded into a cassette loader, and the cassettes loaded in the cassette loader are changed in attitude and stocked in an erected state in a stock unit. After the cassettes are processed, they are discharged in an erected state into a cassette discharger.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for purifying exhaust gas exhausted from a diesel internal combustion engine and containing therein harmful substances including particulates, NOx, HC and CO, at least, comprises a removal part for trapping and removing particulates in the exhaust gas, a purification part for purifying NOx, HC and CO through contact, and a heat transfer part for transferring heat generated in the removal part to the purification part.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purification filter for a diesel internal combustion engine. In this filter, catalyst layers are not formed at portions to which a sealant of the filter is stuck so that a substrate of the honeycomb structure is exposed, but formed at portions to which a substrate of the honeycomb structure is exposed. If the sealant is stuck to catalyst layer portions, because the catalyst layers are brittle and the surfaces thereof have asperities, the fixing strength of the sealant is reduced, so that the sealing portions becomes prone to falling-off under shocks or the like. By exposing the substrate of the honeycomb structure and sticking the sealant to the exposed portions, it is possible to enhance the fixing strength of the sealant and thereby to prevent the sealing portions from falling off.

Abstract: In an exhaust gas purifying apparatus provided with a lean NOx catalyst supporting a catalyst layer, which contains a NOx trapping component, on a honeycomb substrate formed so as not to cause an alkali attack, the invention prevents trapped NOx from being dissociated and exhausted during the time of a rich spike. A NOx reducing catalyst with the function of reducing NOx by a reductant in a rich or stoichiometric condition, e.g., a three-way catalyst, is disposed downstream of the lean NOx catalyst. In the case of increasing the amount of the NOx trapping component in the lean NOx catalyst to enhance a NOx trapping capability, even if a part of trapped NOx is dissociated during the time of the rich spike, the dissociated NOx can be reduced by the NOx reducing catalyst disposed on the downstream side.

Abstract: After a housing of a cassette is opened by a suction cup, then a stimulable phosphor sheet is removed from the cassette by a shiftable roller and then fed in an auxiliary scanning direction by a feed mechanism. While being fed in the auxiliary scanning direction, the stimulable phosphor sheet is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a stimulating optical system. Light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet upon exposure to the laser beam is guided through a light guide to a photoelectric transducer. After the recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored back into the cassette, and erasing light from erasing light sources is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet in the cassette to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine comprises an exhaust gas duct connected to the engine through which exhaust gas containing NOx gas passes, and a catalyst disposed in the exhaust gas duct such that it contacts the exhaust gas. The catalyst chemically adsorbs NOx when a stoichiometric amount of a gaseous oxidizing agent present in the exhaust gas is larger than that of a gaseous reducing agent present in the exhaust gas for reducing NOx, adsorbed NOx is catalytically reduced in the presence of a reducing agent when the stoichiometric amount of the oxidizing agent is not larger that of the reducing agent.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for removing nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas of a lean-burn automobile, a CO adsorbent component, which may, for example be made of Pd, Ru or Ir, is contained in an exhaust gas cleaning catalyst which captures NOx when the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gas is higher than theoretical air-fuel ratio, and reduces the captured NOx when the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gad is less than or equal to the theoretical air-fuel ratio. The catalyst, which includes Rh, Pt, and element selected from among the alkaline and alkaline earth metals (Na, Mg, K, Li, Cs, Sr and Ca), and a CO adsorbent material comprising Pd, Ir or Ru, has a CO desorption capacity that reaches at maximum level at a temperature within the range from 200 to 220° C. when its temperature is increased in a He gas flow at the rate of 5 to 10° C./min, after said catalyst is saturated at 100° C.

Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a notch aligner. The notch aligner includes a rotating support device, a servomotor for rotating the rotating support device, a sensor for detecting a notch formed in a wafer, a wafer lifting device, a cylinder actuator for vertically moving the wafer lifting device, and a CPU. The rotating support device holds a wafer in a horizontal position. The sensor detects the notch to determine the orientation of the wafer. The wafer lifting device receives the wafer from the rotating support device and lifts up the wafer from the rotating support device. A notch detection signal provided by the sensor is given to the CPU. The CPU gives control signals to the servomotor and the pneumatic cylinder actuator to operate the servomotor and the cylinder actuator so that the wafer is aligned.

Abstract: Nitrogen oxides contained in an exhaust gas emitted from a lean-burn engine-mounted internal combustion engines are eliminated with a high efficiency. In an exhaust gas purification apparatus and process for eliminating nitrogen oxides contained in a combustion exhaust gas emitted from an internal combustion engine with a reducing gas such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, etc. contained in the exhaust gas in the presence of a catalyst, a catalyst comprising all of Rh, Pt and Pd, at least one member selected from alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, and Mn or its compound, supported on a porous carrier is used.

Abstract: A moisture removal device for an internal combustion engine use exhaust gas purifying device with a trapped moisture amount estimation means which estimates amount of moisture exhausted from an internal combustion engine and trapped in the catalyst, a judgement means which judges whether the estimated value of the trapped moisture amount exceeds a predetermined amount, and means for controlling removal of the moisture trapped in the catalyst, wherein when the estimated value of moisture trapped in the catalyst exceeds the predetermined value, a control of removing the moisture in the catalyst is performed. Whereby, since the moisture trapped by the catalyst can be removed and a possible elution of the catalyst components can be prevented, reduction of exhaust gas purifying performance of the catalyst can be prevented.

Abstract: In one embodiment of a liquid processing apparatus, a cleaning unit (CLN) 12 includes a rotary plate 61, supporting members 64a, holding members 64b, a chemical nozzle 51 for supplying a wafer W with a chemical liquid, a spring 120 and a pressing mechanism 121 both of which moves each of the holding members 64b. The pressing mechanism 121 moves the corresponding holding member 64b so that the wafer W is held by the holding members 64b while the wafer W is apart from the supporting members 64a and conversely, the wafer W is supported by the supporting members 64a while the wafer W is apart from the holding members 64b. The spring 120 holds the corresponding holding member 64b so that the wafer W is held by the holding members 64b while the wafer W is apart from the supporting members 64a. By supplying the wafer W held by the holding members 64b with the cleaning liquid, it is possible to prevent an occurrence of unprocessed portions on the cleaned wafer W, accomplishing a uniform cleaning for the wafer W.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus (1) includes a wafer loading/unloading and arraying part (14) to remove substrates W from a container (C) where a plurality of unprocessed substrates W to be processed are accommodated at regular intervals, substrate arraying part (51a, 51b, 60) for arranging the substrates W having been removed from two containers (C) at the loading/unloading and arraying part (14) at pitches half the pitch to arrange the substrates in the container (C), a processing part (4) for applying a designated process on the substrates (W), a transfer mechanism (17) for transporting the substrates (W) arranged by the substrate array part (51a, 51b, 60) to the processing part (4) and a stand-by part (75) to allow the substrates arranged by the substrate array parts to stand in readiness temporarily.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus 11 includes a cleaning bath 30 for cleaning wafers W, a wafer guide 31 moving up and down to accommodate the wafers W in the cleaning bath 30, a motor 49 for moving the wafer guide 31 up and down, an absolute encoder 33 for detecting the position of the wafer guide 31, a driver 62 and a controller 63. The absolute encoder 33 detects a rotational angle of a rotating shaft 53 of the motor 49 and outputs a detection signal to the driver 62. Based on this detection signal, the driver 62 detects the position of the wafer guide 31 and further outputs the positional information of the wafer guide 31 to the controller 63. Thus, the invention provides a transferring apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus both of which allow of easy detection of the wafer guide and further facilitate their maintenance.

Abstract: A catalyst for use in purifying exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine. The active components of an exhaust gas purification catalyst for an internal combustion engine tend to be melted or softened and then to move outside the carrier, because the components become in contact with exhaust gas at a high temperature. Hence, anchoring materials are provided between carriers in order to suppress the moving of catalytically active components. Anchoring materials 22 do not form compounds with catalytically active components 24, and are selected from substances that do not melt even in contact with exhaust gas at a high temperature. When the active components contain sodium, potassium, cesium, lithium, strontium, barium, noble metals and the like, the best anchoring material is MgO. The anchoring material functions as a barrier that prevents the moving of active components.