Abstract: A method is provided for guaranteeing generation of 2D sketches based upon a 3D sheet metal part shape created by any type of sheet metal feature operation. The method includes performing a sheet metal feature operation to create the 3D sheet metal shape. The 3D sheet metal shape will have multiple flanges. Then an editable 2D sketch is created for each flange by obtaining geometric parameters of the 3D sheet metal shape, and linking the parameters with the appropriate generated sketch. The constraint parameters can include line segment lengths and angles between selected adjoining two line segments of the 3D sheet metal shape.

Abstract: An optical system includes a fluoride compound and has surfaces facing and exposed to plasma installed in an optical equipment which has an inner zone where the plasma exists. A 2 nm-20 nm protective film of a highly plasma-resistant material is formed on the surface of the fluoride compound that is exposed to the plasma.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit device of the invention comprises feeding oxidation species containing a low concentration of water, which is generated from hydrogen and oxygen by the catalytic action, to the main surface of or in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, and forming a thin oxide film serving as a gate insulating film of an MOS transistor and having a thickness of 5 nm or below on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer at an oxide film-growing rate sufficient to ensure fidelity in formation of oxide film and uniformity in thickness of the oxide film.

Abstract: The short-circuit current of a photovoltaic device is improved by optimizing the transparent conductive layer. A photovoltaic device comprising a first transparent electrode layer, an electric power generation layer, a second transparent electrode layer and a back electrode layer on a substrate, wherein the film thickness of the second transparent electrode layer is not less than 80 nm and not more than 100 nm, and the light absorptance for the second transparent electrode layer in a wavelength region from not less than 600 nm to not more than 1,000 nm is not more than 1.5%. Also, a photovoltaic device wherein the film thickness of the second transparent electrode layer is not less than 80 nm and not more than 100 nm, and the reflectance for light reflected at the second transparent electrode layer and the back electrode layer is not less than 91% in the wavelength region from not less than 600 nm to not more than 1,000 nm.

Abstract: After silicon oxide film (9) is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate (1), the silicon oxide film (9) in a region in which a gate insulation film having a small effective thickness is formed is removed using diluted HF and after that, high dielectric constant insulation film (10) is formed on the semiconductor substrate (1). Consequently, two kinds of gate insulation films, namely, a gate insulation film (12) comprised of stacked film of high dielectric constant insulation film (10) and silicon oxide film (9) and gate insulation film (11) comprised of the high dielectric constant insulation film (10) are formed on the semiconductor substrate (1).

Abstract: A large surface area photovoltaic device having high conversion efficiency and excellent mass productivity is provided. A photovoltaic device 100 having a photovoltaic layer 3 comprising a crystalline silicon layer formed on a substrate 1, wherein the crystalline silicon layer has a crystalline silicon i-layer 42, and the crystalline silicon i-layer 42 has a substrate in-plane distribution represented by an average value for the Raman peak ratio, which represents the ratio of the Raman peak intensity for the crystalline silicon phase relative to the Raman peak intensity for the amorphous silicon phase, that is not less than 4 and not more than 8, a standard deviation for the Raman peak ratio that is not less than 1 and not more than 3, and a proportion of regions in which the Raman peak ratio is not more than 4 of not less than 0% and not more than 15%.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photovoltaic device and a process for producing such a photovoltaic device that enable a stable, high photovoltaic conversion efficiency to be achieved by using a transparent electrode having an optimal relationship between the resistivity and the transmittance. At least one transparent electrode (12, 16) is either a ZnO layer containing no Ga or a Ga-doped ZnO layer in which the quantity of added Ga is not more than 5 atomic % relative to the Zn within the ZnO layer, and the ZnO layer is formed by a sputtering method using a rare gas containing added oxygen as the sputtering gas, wherein the quantity of oxygen added to the sputtering gas is not less than 0.1% by volume and not more than 5% by volume relative to the combined volume of the oxygen and the rare gas.

Abstract: Objects are to reduce the burden on an operator and to improve fabrication efficiency. A transparent conductive film or a transparent optical film formed on a substrate W is irradiated with line illumination light by means of a line illumination device 3, line reflected light reflected at the transparent conductive film or the transparent optical film is detected with a camera, a color evaluation value of the detected reflected light is measured, and a film thickness corresponding to the measured color evaluation value is obtained using a film-thickness characteristic in which the color evaluation value is associated with the film thickness.

Abstract: An object is to reduce film thickness measurement error. Illumination light having different wavelengths is radiated onto a plurality of samples in which thin films having different film qualities and film thicknesses are provided on substrates, evaluation values related to the amounts of transmitted light when the illumination light of each wavelength is radiated are measured, film thickness characteristics, showing the relationship between the evaluation values and the film thicknesses for each film quality, are formed at each wavelength based on the measurement results, and among the film thickness characteristics, a wavelength at which a measurement difference between the evaluation values caused by the film qualities is in a predetermined range is selected.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device having improved conversion efficiency as a result of an increase in the open-circuit voltage is provided. The photovoltaic device comprises a photovoltaic layer having a stacked p-layer, i-layer and n-layer, wherein the p-layer is a nitrogen-containing layer comprising nitrogen atoms at an atomic concentration of not less than 1% and not more than 25%, and the crystallization ratio of the p-layer is not less than 0 but less than 3. Alternatively, the n-layer may be a nitrogen-containing layer comprising nitrogen atoms at an atomic concentration of not less than 1% and not more than 20%, wherein the crystallization ratio of the n-layer is not less than 0 but less than 3. Alternatively, an interface layer may be formed at the interface between the p-layer and the i-layer, wherein the interface layer is a nitrogen-containing layer comprising nitrogen atoms at an atomic concentration of not less than 1% and not more than 30%.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device with improved cell properties having a photovoltaic layer comprising microcrystalline silicon-germanium, and a process for producing the device. A buffer layer comprising microcrystalline silicon or microcrystalline silicon-germanium, and having a specific Raman peak ratio is provided between a substrate-side impurity-doped layer and an i-layer comprising microcrystalline silicon-germanium.

Abstract: After silicon oxide film (9) is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate (1), the silicon oxide film (9) in a region in which a gate insulation film having a small effective thickness is formed is removed using diluted HF and after that, high dielectric constant insulation film (10) is formed on the semiconductor substrate (1). Consequently, two kinds of gate insulation films, namely, a gate insulation film (12) comprised of stacked film of high dielectric constant insulation film (10) and silicon oxide film (9) and gate insulation film (11) comprised of the high dielectric constant insulation film (10) are formed on the semiconductor substrate (1).

Abstract: An optical system has fluoride compounds provided in an environment exposed by vacuum ultraviolet light or plasma light, which has higher photon energy than an absorption wavelength of a base stock of the optical system. 1-layer of a protective film of SiO2 or metal oxides having a film thickness of 2-20 nm is formed at least on the light irradiation side (inner side) of the optical system to prevent the stripping of the fluorine atoms from the surface of the optical system. In addition, the protective film is a 1-layer film selected from one of SiO2, MgO, TiO2, or ZrO2.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device and a process for producing the device that enables a higher level of performance to be achieved at low cost. The photovoltaic device includes at least two laminated photovoltaic layers, and an intermediate layer that is disposed between the two photovoltaic layers and connects the two photovoltaic layers electrically and optically, wherein the surface of the intermediate layer has a plasma-resistant protective layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a crystalline polyamide-type resin composition comprises (a) a crystalline polyamide resin composition comprising (i) 50 to 90% by weight of crystalline polyamide resin (A) having a relative viscosity in 96% sulfuric acid of not less than 3.5 and (ii) 50 to 10% by weight of a crystalline polyamide resin (B) having a melting point lower than the melting point of polyamide resin (A) by 20° C. or more and a relative viscosity dissolved in 96% sulfuric acid of not more than 3.6, and (b) 1 to 10 part(s) by weight of a modified polyolefin resin (C) having a reactive functional group being able to react with the terminal group and/or main-chain amide group of the polyamide resin. The invention also provides a door checker for automobiles prepared from the crystalline polyamide-type resin composition.

Abstract: An object is to improve production efficiency as well as reducing the burden on an operator. Light is radiated on a crystalline silicon film used for a thin-film silicon device, reflection light reflected by the crystalline silicon film is detected, a parameter of the luminance of the detected reflection light is measured, and film quality evaluation of the crystalline silicon film is performed in accordance with whether the parameter of the luminance is within a predetermined proper range or not.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an oxide film with the film quality almost equivalent to that of the thermal oxide can be formed by the low-temperature treatment. After removing an insulator on the active region of the substrate which constitutes a semiconductor wafer, an insulator made of, for example, silicon oxide is deposited on the main surface of the semiconductor wafer by the low pressure CVD method. This insulator is a film to form a gate insulator of MISFET in a later step. Subsequently, a plasma treatment is performed in an atmosphere containing oxygen (oxygen plasma treatment) to the insulator in the manner as schematically shown by the arrows. By so doing, the film quality of the insulator formed by the CVD method can be improved to the extent almost equivalent to that of the insulator formed of the thermal oxide.

Abstract: An object is to reduce film thickness measurement error. Illumination light having different wavelengths is radiated onto a plurality of samples in which thin films having different film qualities and film thicknesses are provided on substrates, evaluation values related to the amounts of transmitted light when the illumination light of each wavelength is radiated are measured, film thickness characteristics, showing the relationship between the evaluation values and the film thicknesses for each film quality, are formed at each wavelength based on the measurement results, and among the film thickness characteristics, a wavelength at which a measurement difference between the evaluation values caused by the film qualities is in a predetermined range is selected.

Abstract: In a process of forming MISFETs that have gate insulating films that are mutually different in thickness on the same substrate, the formation of an undesirable natural oxide film at the interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate insulating film is suppressed. A gate insulating film of MISFETs constituting an internal circuit is comprised of a silicon oxynitride film. Another gate insulating film of MISFETs constituting an I/O circuit is comprised of a laminated silicon oxynitride film and a high dielectric film. A process of forming the two types of gate insulating films on the substrate is continuously carried out in a treatment apparatus of a multi-chamber system. Accordingly, the substrate will not be exposed to air. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the inclusion of undesirable foreign matter and the formation of a natural oxide film at the interface between the substrate and the gate insulating films.

Abstract: An electrode and a vacuum processing apparatus are provided that are capable of improving the film deposition rate and the uniformity of the distribution of the deposited film. The electrode includes a plurality of electrodes (17A, 17B) extending from positions arranged at a predetermined interval along a surface of a substrate to be processed (3). Buffer chambers (25) each extend along and between two of the plurality of electrodes (17A, 17B). A plurality of first gas injection holes (27) are arranged in the direction in which the electrodes (17A, 17B) extend and which supply a reactant gas into the buffer chamber (25). A second gas injection hole (23) has a slit form extending in the direction in which the electrodes (17A, 17B) extend, and which supplies the reactant gas from the buffer chamber (25) toward the substrate to be processed (3).