Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate insulating film which at least includes a first insulating film formed on the main surface of a semiconductor substrate and a first ferroelectric film formed on the first insulating film, containing a compound of a preset metal element and a constituent element of the first insulating film as a main component and having a dielectric constant larger than that of the first insulating film, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film and containing one of Cu and a material containing Cu as a main component, and source and drain regions separately formed in the semiconductor substrate to sandwich the gate electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a guard ring formed in an inter-level insulating film on a semiconductor substrate to surround an element forming region on the semiconductor substrate and containing Cu as a main component. And the device further includes a first barrier film formed on an interface between the inter-level insulating film and the guard ring and containing a compound of a preset metal element and a constituent element of the inter-level insulating film as a main component.

Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed, which includes a first interlayer insulating film, a lower-layer interconnection in a first groove in the first film, a second interlayer insulating film over the first film, having a normal via hole opening to the lower-layer interconnection, a normal plug in the normal hole, a third interlayer insulating film over the second film, having a second groove opening to the normal plug, an upper-layer interconnection in the second groove, and a first dummy plug in a first dummy via hole in the second film, the first dummy via hole opening to one of the lower-layer and upper-layer interconnections, wherein a short side of the first dummy plug is larger than a minimum width of a minimum width interconnection and smaller than a minimum diameter of a minimum diameter via hole and a long side is larger than a shortest length of a shortest length interconnection.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a substrate, a plurality of dielectric films formed on the substrate, laid one upon another, and a fuse interconnect-wire formed above the substrate and covered with a predetermined one of the dielectric films, and including a fuse main body which is to be blown to electrically disconnect the fuse interconnect-wire, which is smaller than a bottom of a fuse-blowing recess made in the predetermined dielectric film, which has a length not less than the diameter of a fuse-blowing laser beam and which opposes the bottom of the fuse-blowing recess.

Abstract: At least one electrode pad is formed above the surface of a semiconductor substrate. A multilevel interconnection configuration is formed between the electrode pad and the semiconductor substrate. The multiple levels of interconnections in the multilevel interconnection configuration are insulated from one another by an insulating film of low dielectric constant. A dummy interconnection configuration is formed at least within the insulating film around the periphery of the electrode pad.

Abstract: A semiconductor device which comprises a wiring structure capable of reducing stress concentration at a boundary between a wiring and a low dielectric constant insulator even when the low dielectric constant insulator is used as an interlevel or interwiring insulator in a multilevel wiring, suppressing peeling-off of the insulator and having increased heat radiation efficiency is provided by comprising an insulator formed on a semiconductor substrate, a wiring formed in the insulator, and a network dummy formed in the insulator and disposed to be apart from the wiring.

Abstract: An ink jet printer including a stationary frame; a tank supporter which is provided in the stationary frame and which supports at least one ink storing tank storing at least one sort of ink; a recording head which records an image on a recording medium by ejecting a droplet of the ink, and which has at least one ink flow inlet; at least one ink delivering tank which delivers the ink and has at least one ink flow outlet; at least one ink supply tube which is provided between the tank supporter and the ink delivering tank and through which the ink is supplied from the ink storing tank to the recording head via the ink delivering tank, wherein the delivering tank provides at least a portion of at least one ink delivering channel connecting between the ink supply tube and the recording head; a head holder which includes a main portion holding the recording head and the ink delivering tank, and which is movable relative to the stationary frame so that the recording head records the image on the recording medium; a

Abstract: An ink jet printer including a carriage which is movable relative to a sheet of paper, a recording head which is mounted on the carriage and records an image on the sheet by ejecting a droplet of ink toward the sheet, one or more ink tanks which store the ink or inks to be supplied to the recording head, a buffer tank which is mounted on the carriage, and one or more ink flow passages in which the inks are supplied from the ink tanks to the recording head via the buffer tank. The buffer tank has, at a height position higher than a height position where the recording head is provided, one or more air buffer chambers which accommodate respective amounts of the inks, and collect air bubbles produced in the ink flow passages. The printer further includes one or more air bubble discharging passages which communicate, at one ends thereof, with upper portions of the air buffer chambers, and discharge, via the other ends thereof, the air bubbles collected by the air buffer chambers.

Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a multilevel wiring with a small interwiring capacitance is provided by comprising a wiring, a conductive film formed on an upper surface of the wiring to prevent diffusion of a wiring material, and an insulating film which is constituted of low dielectric constant insulating films stacked to form at least two layers, an interface thereof being positioned in a side face of the wiring.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer including: a buffer tank; an air-discharging valve device; and a valve opening-and-closing device. The ink-jet printer father includes an operating member which is arranged to be interposed between the air-discharging valve device and the valve opening-and-closing device. The valve opening-and-closing device operates the air-discharging valve device via the operating member, such that the air-discharging valve device is placed in a valve-open state and a valve-close state. The ink-jet printer is arranged to execute a first discharge operation in which the air separated from the ink in the buffer tank is discharged while placing the air-discharging valve device in the valve open state, and a second discharge operation in which an inside of the air-discharging valve device is exhausted to remove the ink remaining in the air-discharging valve device while placing the air-discharging valve device in the valve-close state.

Abstract: An ink jet printer uses a print head that has at least one ink nozzle and performs printing on a recording medium by ejecting ink from the ink nozzle. An air chamber is connected to the print head to trap air generated in an ink passage. A purge device discharges the air trapped in the air chamber from the ink nozzle. A filter member divides the lower portion of the air chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber. The air chamber traps and stores air in the top portion of the air chamber and the filter member passes ink there through when the print head performs printing. The air trapped in the air chamber is discharged when the purge device generates an ink flow that goes over the filter member.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an interlevel insulating film disposed on a semiconductor substrate and having an opening formed therein. An interconnection main layer, which contains Cu as a main component, is embedded in the opening. A barrier film is interposed between the interlevel insulating film and the interconnection main layer within the opening. The barrier film contains, as a main component, a compound of a predetermined metal element with a component element of the interlevel insulating film.

Abstract: An ink-jet printer, including: a printing head for performing printing on a print medium by ejecting ink from nozzles; an ink tank for storing the ink to be supplied to the printing head; an ink passage through which the ink is supplied from the ink tank to the printing head; a buffer tank which stores the ink supplied through the ink passage; and an air-discharging device which discharges an air accumulated in the buffer tank through an air-discharge passage and which includes a valve member operable to open and close a communication opening that is provided in the air-discharge passage a part of which functions as a valve chamber and having: a valve portion which opens and closes the communication opening and which includes a sealing member; and a rod portion connected to the valve portion, wherein the air-discharging device further includes air-discharge-flow assuring means for assuring a discharge flow of the air flowing from the buffer tank through the air-discharge passage.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing semiconductor device which comprises the steps of forming an insulating film on an Si substrate provided with a wiring layer, forming a contact hole connected to the wiring layer and a wiring groove in the insulating film, filling the contact hole with an Si film, successively forming an Al film and a Ti film all over the substrate, performing a heat treatment thereby to substitute the Al film for the Ti film, and to allow the Si film to be absorbed by the Ti film, whereby filling the contact hole and wiring groove with the Al film, and removing a Ti/Ti silicide which is consisting of Ti silicide formed through the absorption of the Si film by the Ti film and a superfluous Ti, whereby filling the contact hole with an Al plug and filling the wiring groove with an Al wiring.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: a recording head which ejects ink to perform recording; and an ink-extracting member which has an ink-extract passage as an inner passage formed therein and which is to be removably connected to an ink cartridge that stores ink for extracting the ink from the ink cartridge to supply the ink to the recording head. The ink-extracting member is to be connected to the ink cartridge including an ink-outlet valve member which shuts off a flow of the ink from the ink cartridge and which establishes a state in which the ink can be extracted from the ink cartridge by the ink-extracting member when the ink-outlet valve member is pressed by the ink-extracting member which abuts on the ink-outlet valve member upon connection of the ink-extracting member to the ink cartridge.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device comprising a Cu film provided above a main surface of a semiconductor substrate and used as a wiring, an intermediate layer formed at least on the Cu film, and an Al film formed on the intermediate layer and used as a pad, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a refractory metal nitride film and a refractory metal film formed on the refractory metal nitride film.

Abstract: An ink path through which ink is delivered from an ink source to a printhead unit includes an ink tube and a joint. The ink tube has a first layer formed of a material with low vapor and gas permeability and a second layer radially thicker than the first layer and formed of a flexible material. The joint has a maximum-diameter portion whose outer diameter is larger than an inner diameter of the ink tube. The joint is inserted into the ink tube. Further, a locking member is fitted over the ink tube. The locking member has an inner-diameter portion whose inner diameter is smaller than an outer diameter of a connection between the maximum-diameter portion of the joint and the ink tube.

Abstract: An ink jet printer including a housing; a carriage which is movable in the housing relative thereto; an ink jet recording head which is mounted on the carriage and which has a plurality of ink supply channels; a damping device which is mounted on the carriage and which includes a plurality of damping chambers corresponding to the ink supply channels, respectively; an ink-tank supporting portion which is provided in the housing and which supports a plurality of ink tanks: and a plurality of ink supply tubes each of which supplies an ink from a corresponding one of the ink tanks to a corresponding one of the ink supply channels of the ink jet recording head via a corresponding one of the ink supply tubes and a corresponding one of the damping chambers. The damping device further includes a primary partition wall which separates at least one first damping chamber of the damping chambers, from at least one second damping chamber of the damping chambers.