Abstract: A processing gas is introduced to remove an oxide film on the surface of a silicon substrate 5. F radicals are allowed to act on the surface of the silicon substrate to etch a silicon layer. Then, NH3 gas, N2 gas and NF3 gas are introduced, allowing NHxFy to act on the oxidized surface of the silicon substrate 5, thereby forming (NH4)2SiF6. The resulting (NH4)2SiF6 is sublimated to remove by-products (SiOF, SiOH) on the surface of the silicon substrate 5.

Abstract: [Task] In a proposed protection method, re-oxidation of a semiconductor wafer is prevented. The method is appropriate for fine patterned semiconductor device. A wafer is dry etched and is subjected to a next step of forming an electrode material film. The dry-etched wafer is maintained not re-oxidized until the next step. The dry etching reaction products are appropriately removed. [Means for Solution] A wafer, on which the dry etching reaction products remain, is protected by the reaction products. The wafer is held in an inert gas protective atmosphere having a pressure of 50 Pa or more and an atmospheric pressure or less, or is held in air equivalent to the air of a clean room or in a gas-mixture atmosphere of said air and an inert gas. The reaction products are decomposed and removed by heating immediately before the formation of an electrode-material film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus that allows easy exchange of processing chambers. A vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention has a processing chamber and a carrying-in-and-out chamber. The carrying-in-and-out chamber is fixed and located at a position above the processing chamber. The processing chamber can be lowered by a vertically moving mechanism. Therefore, the processing chamber is separated from the carrying-in-and-out chamber by lowering the processing chamber. A conveying means is connected to the processing chamber so that it is possible to easily convey the processing chamber after being removed from the carrying-in-and-out chamber. The operation for exchanging the processing chambers can be simpler than in the conventional systems.

Abstract: There are provided a pharmaceutical raw material capable of exhibiting a uniform functionality and producing magnetic particle-containing drugs for diagnosis and medical treatments with a high reproducibility. The pharmaceutical raw material comprises a monodisperse colloid sterile aqueous solution of magnetic iron oxide fine particles having an average particle diameter of 5 to 30 nm, a saturation magnetization of 50 to 90 Am2/kg and a coercive force of 0.1 to 1.6 kA/m. The pharmaceutical raw material can be produced by forming magnetic iron oxide fine particles in the form of a colloid aqueous solution, purifying the resultant colloid aqueous solution of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles by water-washing and removing water-soluble salts by-produced upon the reaction from the reaction solution by an ordinary method, and replacing a dispersing medium of the purified colloid aqueous solution with ultrapure water.

Abstract: The present invention provides a film forming apparatus capable of removing a natural oxide film of a silicon substrate W at a very low temperature, as compared to the related art. The natural oxide film is removed at a low temperature by converting the natural oxide film on the silicon substrate W into a volatile material and evaporating the volatile material. The natural oxide film can be converted into volatile ammonium fluorosilicate by reaction with ammonium fluoride. A single crystal SiGe film can be grown on the silicon substrate W from which the natural oxide film is removed. The film forming apparatus includes an etching chamber, a SiGe growing chamber, and a substrate transport chamber that transports the silicon substrate in a controlled atmosphere.

Abstract: [Task] Native oxide film on a semiconductor silicon wafer(s) is dry etched at a temperature of 50° C. or less. Hydrogen treatment is then carried out a temperature of 100° C. or more to bond the dangling bonds with hydrogen. A jig 9 that has been used is again used for loading new semiconductor silicon wafer(s) 10. The wafer(s) on the jig 9 is subjected to removal of a native oxide film and then hydrogen bonding. The resultant heat remains in jig and makes it difficult to maintain the wafers to temperature appropriate to removal of a native oxide film. [Means for Solution] After treatment of hydrogen bonding, inert gas having temperature of from 0 to ?30° C. is injected into reaction vessel 5 and/or treatment preparing vessel 21, in which a native oxide film has been removed.

Abstract: In this etching method, since an etching gas is introduced before introduction of free radicals into a processing chamber, the etching gas has been adsorbed on the surface of substrates when the free radicals are introduced. Accordingly, the free radicals react with the etching gas adsorbed on the surface of the substrates, and the reaction proceeds uniformly on the surface of the substrate. As a result, nonuniform etching does not occur on the surface of the substrate. Moreover, since the reaction between the etching gas and the free radicals occurs on the surface of the substrate, an intermediate product produced according to the reaction between the etching gas and the free radicals reacts with an etching object promptly. Therefore, the intermediate product is not exhausted from the processing chamber 12 excessively, and hence the etching efficiency is high.

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a silicon wafer; a redistribution layer formed on the silicon wafer and including a plurality of pads to be connected with a solder bump and a plurality of redistribution lines to be connected with the pads, the pads being exposed at an upper surface; and a semiconductor chip placed in an opening which is formed through the silicon wafer and to which a rear surface as the opposite surface to the pads of the redistribution layer is exposed, and connected to the redistribution lines (lands) exposed to the opening.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum processing apparatus that allows easy exchange of processing chambers. A vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention has a processing chamber and a carrying-in-and-out chamber. The carrying-in-and-out chamber is fixed and located at a position above the processing chamber. The processing chamber can be lowered by a vertically moving mechanism. Therefore, the processing chamber is separated from the carrying-in-and-out chamber by lowering the processing chamber. A conveying means is connected to the processing chamber so that it is possible to easily convey the processing chamber after being removed from the carrying-in-and-out chamber. The operation for exchanging the processing chambers can be simpler than in the conventional systems.

Abstract: A switching power supply circuit reduces the time from start-up driving to normal operation while a soft-start is carried out with an output voltage Vout. A soft-start capacitor is charged during the start-up time. After a soft-start voltage Vz has reached a predetermined signal-output starting voltage Vlow, soft start of the output voltage Vout is carried out by controlling the operation based on the soft-start voltage Vz. A time constant for charging the soft-start capacitor is set as a time constant that causes the charge voltage of the soft-start capacitor to sharply increase at least until the soft-start voltage Vz reaches the signal-output starting voltage Vlow after the circuit has started driving, and is switched to a time constant that causes a rising trend of the charge voltage of the soft-start capacitor to become gentle with a predetermined time-constant switching timing.

Abstract: There are provided a pharmaceutical raw material capable of exhibiting a uniform functionality and producing magnetic particle-containing drugs for diagnosis and medical treatments with a high reproducibility. The pharmaceutical raw material comprises a monodisperse colloid sterile aqueous solution of magnetic iron oxide fine particles having an average particle diameter of 5 to 30 nm, a saturation magnetization of 50 to 90 Am2/kg and a coercive force of 0.1 to 1.6 kA/m. The pharmaceutical raw material can be produced by forming magnetic iron oxide fine particles in the form of a colloid aqueous solution, purifying the resultant colloid aqueous solution of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles by water-washing and removing water-soluble salts by-produced upon the reaction from the reaction solution by an ordinary method, and replacing a dispersing medium of the purified colloid aqueous solution with ultrapure water.

Abstract: A switching power supply circuit reduces the time from start-up driving to normal operation while a soft-start is carried out with an output voltage Vout. A soft-start capacitor is charged during the start-up time. After a soft-start voltage Vz has reached a predetermined signal-output starting voltage Vlow, soft start of the output voltage Vout is carried out by controlling the operation based on the soft-start voltage Vz. A time constant for charging the soft-start capacitor is set as a time constant that causes the charge voltage of the soft-start capacitor to sharply increase at least until the soft-start voltage Vz reaches the signal-output starting voltage Vlow after the circuit has started driving, and is switched to a time constant that causes a rising trend of the charge voltage of the soft-start capacitor to become gentle with a predetermined time-constant switching timing.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus is provided with: a vacuum processing tank; a first gas introduction section that is constructed such that a first processing gas in a radical state is introduced into the vacuum processing tank and is guided to a semiconductor wafer; and a second gas introduction section that is constructed such that a second processing gas that reacts with the first processing gas is introduced into the vacuum processing tank and is guided to the semiconductor wafer. The second gas introduction section has two shower nozzles provided at positions on either side of an introduction pipe provided for the first gas introduction section. According to this vacuum processing apparatus, high speed processing of a number of processing objects can be achieved. Moreover, the in-plane uniformity of the processing objects after processing can be ensured.

Abstract: In this etching method, since an etching gas is introduced before introduction of free radicals into a processing chamber, the etching gas has been adsorbed on the surface of substrates when the free radicals are introduced. Accordingly, the free radicals react with the etching gas adsorbed on the surface of the substrates, and the reaction proceeds uniformly on the surface of the substrate. As a result, nonuniform etching does not occur on the surface of the substrate. Moreover, since the reaction between the etching gas and the free radicals occurs on the surface of the substrate, an intermediate product produced according to the reaction between the etching gas and the free radicals reacts with an etching object promptly. Therefore, the intermediate product is not exhausted from the processing chamber 12 excessively, and hence the etching efficiency is high.

Abstract: A steering apparatus for a working vehicle is provided which is capable of steering dirigible wheels by increased steering angles while checking sideways sliding of the wheels on the ground. For this purpose, a pair of right and left intermediate cases are supported by right and left wheel supports of a vehicle body, each to be pivotable about a first steering axis extending substantially vertically. Each intermediate case supports an axle case in a position thereof opposed to the associated dirigible wheel, to be pivotable about a second steering axis extending substantially vertically. The axle case supports the associated dirigible wheel to be rotatable on an axle.

Abstract: A steering apparatus for a working vehicle is provided which is capable of steering dirigible wheels by increased steering angles while checking sideways sliding of the wheels on the ground. For this purpose, a pair of right and left intermediate cases are supported by right and left wheel supports of a vehicle body, each to be pivotable about a first steering axis extending substantially vertically. Each intermediate case supports an axle case in a position thereof opposed to the associated dirigible wheel, to be pivotable about a second steering axis extending substantially vertically. The axle case supports the associated dirigible wheel to be rotatable on an axle.

Abstract: A steel strip is degreased with low power consumption by subjecting the steel strip to electrolytic washing in a degreasing apparatus including an electrolytic washing apparatus in which electrodes confront each other across the steel strip located therebetween, and charge density and current density are maintained within a predetermined range. There is also provided a simple steel strip degreasing apparatus which is especially suitable for the method.

Abstract: A semiconductor device fabrication process includes forming a Schottky layer, a cap layer covering the surface of the Schottky layer, and a Schottky electrode of a two-level structure having a lower portion that penetrates through the cap layer and reaches the Schottky layer, and having an upper portion larger than the lower portion in cross-sectional area and that overlies the cap layer. With this construction, surface defects are unlikely to occur, so that a highly reliable semiconductor device can be fabricated.

Abstract: An interlayer insulating film, contacts, and wirings are formed on a MOS transistor formed on a silicon substrate. Another interlayer insulating film and contacts are formed thereon. Subsequently, as a first heat treatment, a heat treatment is performed in a hydrogen atmosphere or a nitrogen- or otherwise-diluted hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature of the order of 300-500° C. for about 5-60 minutes, thereby recovering defects that occur in the MOS transistor and insulating film forming steps and the like. Then, a ferroelectric capacitor connected to either diffusion layer of the MOS transistor is formed along with wirings, electrodes, and the like. Thereafter, as a second heat treatment, a heat treatment is performed in nitrogen at a temperature of the order of 300-500° C. for about 5-60 minutes. This recovers defects that occur after the first heat treatment step.

Abstract: A ferroelectric memory is composed of a wiring layer, a bottom electrode coupled to the wiring layer, a ferroelectric film formed on the bottom electrode, a top electrode formed on the ferroelectric film, and a metal silicide layer coupled to the top electrode and located above the ferroelectric film. The wiring layer includes substantially no silicon.