Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, an insulating region provided on the semiconductor substrate, a first capacitor provided above the insulating region, a second capacitor provided above the insulating region and adjacent to the first capacitor, a conductive hydrogen-barrier film which prevents diffusion of hydrogen into the first and second capacitors and connects a bottom electrode of the first capacitor with a bottom electrode of the second capacitor, the conductive hydrogen-barrier film having a first portion interposing between the insulating region and the first capacitor and between the insulating region and the second capacitor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a semiconductor substrate, a ferroelectric capacitor, a protective film and an auxiliary capacitor. The ferroelectric capacitor is provided above the semiconductor substrate and comprises an upper electrode, a lower electrode and a ferroelectric film interposed between the upper and lower electrodes. The protective film is formed, covering the ferroelectric capacitor. The auxiliary capacitor is provided in a circuit section peripheral to the ferroelectric capacitor and uses the protective film as capacitor insulating film.

Abstract: There is disclosed a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and a capacitor provided above the semiconductor substrate, and including a bottom electrode, a dielectric film formed on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode formed on the dielectric film and having a plurality of hole patterns.

Abstract: There is disclosed a semiconductor device comprising a capacitor comprising a lower electrode provided above a substrate, a capacitor insulating film selectively provided on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode selectively provided above the lower electrode so that the capacitor insulating film can be interposed between the upper and lower electrodes, an electrode protection film formed of oxide conductors containing at least one of metal elements such as Sr, Ti, Ru, Ir and Pt, and provided on the upper electrode, an interlayer insulating film provided on the electrode protection film, an upper layer interconnect wire for the lower electrode provided on the interlayer insulating film, and electrically connected to the lower electrode, and an upper layer interconnect wire for the upper electrode provided on the interlayer insulating film, and electrically connected to the upper electrode.

Abstract: A toner having high mechanical strength and being capable of exhibiting a sufficient fixing property in a wide temperature range is provided. Further, a fixing device and an image forming apparatus in which such a toner can be suitably used are also provided. The toner is composed of a material containing a resin as a main component and rutile-anatase type titanium oxide. The resin is mainly composed of polyester-based resin. The polyester-based resin includes block polyester mainly composed of a block copolymer, and amorphous polyester having crystallinity lower than that of the block polyester. The block polyester has a crystalline block obtained by the condensation of a diol component with a dicarboxylic acid component, and an amorphous block having crystallinity lower than that of the crystalline block. The compounding ratio between the block polyester and the amorphous polyester is in the range of 5:95 to 45:55 in weight ratio.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device equipped with a capacitor in which a dielectric film is used, wherein a complex oxide is used as a mask material when the dielectric film is etched.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and a capacitor provided above the semiconductor substrate and including a film which contains Pb, Sr, Zr, Ti, Ru and O and a dielectric film which contains Pb, Zr, Ti and O and which is provided on the film containing Pb, Sr, Zr, Ti, Ru and O.

Abstract: A toner having high mechanical strength and being capable of exhibiting a sufficient fixing property in a wide temperature range is provided. Further, a fixing device and an image forming apparatus in which such a toner can be suitably used are provided. The toner contains polyester-based resin as a main resin component, and the acid value of the toner is 8.0 KOHmg/g or less. The polyester-based resin includes block polyester mainly composed of a block copolymer, and amorphous polyester having crystallinity lower than that of the block polyester. The block polyester has a crystalline block obtained by the condensation of a diol component with a dicarboxylic acid component and an amorphous block having crystallinity lower than that of the crystalline block.

Abstract: A toner having high mechanical strength and being capable of exhibiting a sufficient fixing property in a wide temperature range is provided. Further, a fixing device and an image forming apparatus in which such a toner can be suitably used are also provided. The toner contains polyester-based resin as a main resin component. The polyester-based resin includes block polyester mainly composed of a block copolymer, and amorphous polyester having crystallinity lower than that of the block polyester. The block polyester has a crystalline block obtained by the condensation of a diol component with a dicarboxylic acid component, and an amorphous block having crystallinity lower than that of the crystalline block. The compounding ratio between the block polyester and the amorphous polyester is in the range of 5:95 to 45:55 in weight ratio.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, wherein an Si3N4 film is formed as a mask member on the surface of a silicon substrate, then etched to form an STI trench. A solution of perhydrogenated silazane polymer is coated on the surface of the silicon substrate having an STI trench formed thereon to deposit a coated film (PSZ film) thereon. The PSZ film deposited on the mask member is removed, leaving part of the PSZ film inside the trench, wherein the thickness of the PSZ film is controlled to make the height thereof from the bottom of the STI trench become 600 nm or less. Thereafter, the PSZ film is heat-treated in a water vapor-containing atmosphere to convert the PSZ film into a silicon oxide film through a chemical reaction of the PSZ film. Subsequently, the silicon oxide film is heat-treated to densify the silicon oxide film.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing a toner comprising: a step of preparing a powder for production of the toner from a raw material containing a resin as a main component, a coloring agent, and a crystalline polyester having higher crystallinity than the resin as an accessory component, and a thermal conglobation step of conglobating the powder for production of the toner with heat. The invention also provides a method for producing a toner from a kneaded material obtained by kneading a raw material containing a resin and a coloring agent, wherein the resin comprises at least a first polyester resin and a second polyester resin different from the first polyester resin, and wherein when the coefficient of static friction of the first polyester resin is taken as &mgr;1, the coefficient of static friction of the second polyester resin as &mgr;2, the softening point of the first polyester resin as Ts1 (° C.) and the softening point of the second polyester resin as Ts2 (° C.

Abstract: Presented is an etching method capable of easily etching an oxide containing an alkaline-earth metal. One method is to etch the oxide by using an etching gas containing a halogen gas except for fluorine, an interhalogen compound consisting of only a halogen element except for fluorine, or a halogen hydride consisting of a halogen element except for fluorine and hydrogen. Particularly chlorides, bromides, and iodides of alkaline-earth metals have relatively high vapor pressures, so a thin film containing an alkaline-earth metal can be etched by using chlorine gas, bromine gas, or iodine gas. When a halogen gas containing fluorine is used, damages to SiO2 portions used in a film formation apparatus are prevented by coating these SiO2 portions with a fluoride of an alkaline-earth metal.

Abstract: Presented is an etching method capable of easily etching an oxide containing an alkaline-earth metal. One method is to etch the oxide by using an etching gas containing a halogen gas except for fluorine, an interhalogen compound consisting of only a halogen element except for fluorine, or a halogen hydride consisting of a halogen element except for fluorine and hydrogen. Particularly chlorides, bromides, and iodides of alkaline-earth metals have relatively high vapor pressures, so a thin film containing an alkaline-earth metal can be etched by using chlorine gas, bromine gas, or iodine gas. When a halogen gas containing fluorine is used, damages to SiO2 portions used in a film formation apparatus are prevented by coating these SiO2 portions with a fluoride of an alkaline-earth metal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device with a charge holding capacitor comprises a lower electrode connected via a plug to one of the source and drain of an MIS transistor, a capacitor insulating film formed the lower electrode, an upper electrode formed on the capacitor insulating film. The lower electrode includes a first constituting portion that is embedded in a hole in which the plug has been embedded and so formed that it self-aligns with the plug and a second constituting portion which is formed on the first constituting portion and on regions outside the fist constituting portion and whose cross section is larger than that of the first constituting portion. The first constituting portion and the second constituting portion are formed integrally by a continues film.