Abstract: A semiconductor substrate is annealed after forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate and prior to forming a gate insulator film, at an annealing temperature T between 980° C. and 1150° C. in an atmosphere of a gas mixture containing a rare gas and hydrogen, in which the content of hydrogen is 1.3×10?18 exp(0.043T) % or lower in volume, to planarize the side wall of the trench and to round the corners of the trench at the curvature of 0.003 nm?1 or smaller. Alternatively, a semiconductor substrate with a trench formed therein is annealed prior to forming a gate insulator film, at an annealing temperature T between 980° C. and 1040° C. in an atmosphere of a gas mixture containing a rare gas and hydrogen, in which the content of hydrogen is 6.11×10?14 exp(0.0337T) % or higher in volume, to planarize the side wall of the trench but so as not to round the corners of the trench such that the curvature thereof is 0.006 nm?1 or higher.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of: exposing a semiconductor surface of a substrate; annealing the substrate in a hydrogen atmosphere at a hydrogen pressure between 200 Torr and 760 Torr and a temperature between 1000° C. and 1050° C. to planarize the exposed semiconductor surface; and forming a gate insulator film on the planarized semiconductor surface.

Abstract: A fabrication method of a semiconductor wafer can fill trenches formed in a semiconductor substrate with an epitaxial film with high crystal quality without leaving cavities in the trenches. The trenches are formed in the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate. Planes exposed inside the trenches are made clean surfaces by placing the substrate in a gas furnace, followed by supplying the furnace with an etching gas and carrier gas, and by performing etching on the exposed planes inside the trenches by a thickness from about a few nanometers to one micrometer. The trenches have a geometry opening upward through the etching. Following the etching, a second conductivity type semiconductor is epitaxially grown in the trenches by supplying the furnace with a growth gas, etching gas, doping gas and carrier gas, thereby filling the trenches. Instead of making the trenches slightly-opened upward, their sidewalls may be made planes enabling facet formation.

Abstract: In the case that data such as AV data is recorded in a recording apparatus and/or in the case that data is reproduced by a reproduction apparatus, there is no concrete mechanism that protects copyright.

Abstract: A magnetic disk apparatus has: a head (2) that performs data recording and playback while moving relative to a magnetic disk (26) rotating at the prescribed speed; an actuator (3) that positions said head relative to said magnetic disk (26); and a controller (4) that detects the position of said head by means of servo sector that have positioning information recorded magnetically on said magnetic disk (1) and performs control to position said actuator (3) by means of this detection signal, wherein said magnetic disk (1) has at least a part in which the arrangement of tracks is spiral. The magnetic patterns on the disk include a servo sector and a data sector both formed on the same spiral track. The servo sector includes burst patterns for servo control.

Abstract: A reformed gas composed mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to be used for a fuel cell is produced by using a multi-tubular reformer provided with bayonet type double-wall catalyst tubes and feeding hydrocarbon gas such as natural gas and steam to the reformer. Porous media of a ceramic material are arranged in such a manner in a shell side flue gas inlet part of the interior of the reformer as to envelop the leading end parts of the catalyst tubes. The transfer of heat from the flue gas to the catalyst tubes is enhanced because the porous media accumulate the heat from the flue gas and radiate the accumulated heat in the direction of the walls of the outer tubes of the catalyst tubes. The otherwise possible uneven transfer of heat to the catalyst tubes is prevented because the wall effect and the channelling of the flue gas are repressed. This invention, therefore, permits effective utilization of the thermal energy of the flue gas for the reforming reaction and enables the reformer to be stably operated.

Abstract: A disk-shaped recording medium includes a transparent substrate, and an optical recording layer and a magnetic recording layer formed at one side of the transparent substrate. An optical head applies light to the optical recording layer from a light source via the transparent substrate, and focuses the light on the optical recording layer and reproduces information from the optical recording layer. A magnetic head records information on the magnetic recording layer or reproduces information from the magnetic recording layer. An optical head moving device serves to move the optical head by a movement amount so as to focus the light on an optical track on the optical recording layer which has specified address information. A magnetic head moving device serves to move the magnetic head to a specified magnetic track on the magnetic recording layer by referring to the movement amount of the optical head.

Abstract: A tubular furnace uses a fluid to be heated which is prevented from coking or a heating tube which is prevented from burning. Heat is provided through a smaller heat transfer area and problems of corrosion at low temperature of the heating pipe in the tubular furnace due to sulfur content in the fuel are solved, to thereby achieve a high efficiency. A coil path(3) is divided into a plurality of zones(2a,2b,2c,2d), each with at least one regenerative-heating-type alternate combustion system(4). The system supply combustion air to burners(5,6) through regenerative beds(7,7) and the discharge of combustion gas therefrom. Combustion is independently controlled in each zone to create a desired heat flux pattern such that a boundary layer temperature of the fluid to be heated in the zones(2a,2b,2c,2d) of the coil path(3) is lower than a coking temperature or lower than an allowable maximum temperature to be determined by the material of the heating pipe.

Abstract: In the head positioning apparatus of a disk-shaped information recording medium using the sector-servo-method, track codes are recorded in advance so as to be repeated every 12 tracks in the servo sectors of the disk-shaped information recording medium, the track are reproduced with a head, and a distance between the current position of the head and a target track is detected from the reproduced signal of the track codes with a resolution of 1/2.sup.7 of track width, then the head is moved to the target track so as to decrease the distance, when the head reaches the range of the width of .+-.6 tracks of the target track, an expanded head position signal having the resolution of 1/2.sup.7 is generated, and the head is controlled on the basis of the expanded head position signal and is finally settled to the target track.

Abstract: Track codes are recorded in advance so as to be repeated every 12 tracks, and burst signals .alpha. and .beta. are also recorded in advance so as to be repeated every 2 tracks, in the servo sectors of the disk-shaped information recording medium; the track codes and the burst signals .alpha. and .beta. are reproduced with a data head, and a distance between the current position of the data head and a target track is detected from the reproduced signal of the track codes with a resolution of 1/2.sup.2 of track width, then the data head is moved to the target track so as to decrease the distance; when the data head reaches the range of the width of .+-.6 tracks of the target track, an expanded data head position signal having the resolution of 1/2.sup.2 is generated; and thereby the data head is controlled.

Abstract: A head position recognition method, a speed calculation method, and a head movement speed control device which provide for an overall improvement in storage device performance without increasing the seek time of the data head. Discrete servo sectors are provided circumferentially to the recording medium, four servo patterns with a minimum repeat cycle of 24 tracks are written into each servo sector. The range of the head seek distance that should be obtained at the current servo sector is estimated based on the previously calculated head seek distance, and the calculated head seek speed is corrected to the true head seek distance.

Abstract: In a rotatable recording medium, three servo-patterns are discretely formed in the circular direction. A first servo-pattern is made of at least three-phase dibit patterns each having a period of 3 tracks; a second servo-pattern is made of two-phase dibit patterns having a period of 12 tracks and a shift of 3 tracks from each other; and a third servo-pattern is made of a dibit pattern having a period of 6 tracks and a shift of at least 1.5 tracks from the second servo-pattern. Based on reproduction signals derived from the three servo-patterns on the recording medium, relative position of a head against the recording medium is recognized with a precision up to (1/2.sup.N) of a track width using only a binary-valued process.

Abstract: An optical disc drive apparatus has a remarkably improved track accessing ability in comparison with conventional like apparatus. On a base are provided an optical system having a light emitting element and a light sensing element, as well as an optical path deflecting element which performs a precision tracking. Further, an objective lens and a light guide element are provided on a rotating element which performs track seek and rough tracking. The light guide element comprises two reflecting members which are opposed in parallel with each other.