Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes forming a resist underlayer film on a substrate using a resist underlayer film-forming composition. The resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a base component, and a crosslinking agent. A content of hydrogen atom in the resist underlayer film is from 0 to 50 atom %. The crosslinking agent has a partial structure represented by a following general formula (i). X represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or —NR—. R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms. n1 is an integer from 1 to 6. R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes forming a resist underlayer film on a substrate using a resist underlayer film-forming composition. The resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a base component, and a crosslinking agent. The crosslinking agent has a partial structure represented by a following general formula (i). X represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or —NR—. R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms. n1 is an integer from 1 to 6. R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to suppress degradation of a PM sensor and a decrease in detection accuracy of the amount of PM in a configuration in which a urea addition unit and a selective reduction-type NOx catalyst (NOx catalyst) are provided downstream of a particulate filter (filter) in an internal corn engine exhaust passage, the PM sensor being disposed downstream of the filter. According to the present invention, in an exhaust passage (2) of an internal combustion engine (1), a first NOx catalyst (4) and a second NOx catalyst (5) are disposed downstream of a fitter (3) successively from the upstream side along the flow of exhaust. A urea addition unit (6) is disposed between the filter (3) and the first NOx catalyst (4). A PM sensor (7) is disposed between the first NOx catalyst (4) and the second NOx catalyst (5).

Abstract: In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine which is provided with a selective reduction type catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine, a reducing agent supply device for supplying an ammonia derived reducing agent to a portion of the exhaust passage at the upstream side of the selective reduction type catalyst, and a mixing device disposed in a portion of the exhaust passage at the upstream side of the selective reduction type catalyst and at the downstream side of the reducing agent supply device, the present invention has a problem to remove solid matter derived from the reducing agent, which is adhered to or deposited on the mixing device, in a suitable manner. In order to solve this problem, the present invention has a temperature raising device disposed in a portion of the exhaust passage upstream of said mixing device so as to blow a flame to said mixing device.

Abstract: A composition for forming a resist underlayer film includes a polymer having a repeating unit represented by a following formula (1), and a solvent. R1 represents a hydroxy group, or the like. n is an integer of 0 to 5. X represents a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or an alkanediyloxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms. m is an integer of 1 to 7. A sum of m and n is no greater than 7. R2 represents a single bond or an alkanediyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. R3 represents an alicyclic group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms or an arylene group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms. A part or all of hydrogen atoms included in the alicyclic group or the arylene group represented by R3 are unsubstituted or substituted.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to satisfactorily remove solid materials derived from reducing agent and depositing on a wall of an exhaust passage in an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine equipped with a selective reduction catalyst provided in the exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and a reducing agent supply apparatus that supplies reducing agent derived from ammonia into the exhaust passage upstream of the selective reduction catalyst. To achieve the object, according to the invention, a fuel supply apparatus that supplies fuel into the exhaust passage upstream of the reducing agent supply apparatus and an ignition apparatus that ignites fuel supplied by the fuel supply apparatus to generate flame are provided. Solid materials derived from the reducing agent are removed by the flame generated by the fuel supply apparatus and the ignition apparatus.

Abstract: A resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0 to 180° C. The resist underlayer film-forming composition is used for a multilayer resist process. The multilayer resist process includes forming a silicon-based oxide film on a surface of a resist underlayer film, and subjecting the silicon-based oxide film to wet etching.

Abstract: A resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a polymer including a repeating unit shown by a formula (1), and having a polystyrene-reduced weight average molecular weight of 3000 to 10,000, and a solvent. Each of R3 to R8 individually represent a group shown by the following formula (2) or the like. R1 represents a single bond or the like. R2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like.

Abstract: The portable device of the present invention for regulating the hardness of drinking water includes a collapsible electrode group (20) including ion-adsorbing electrodes (21) and (22) and a power supply (13) for applying a voltage between the ion-adsorbing electrode (21) and the ion-adsorbing electrode (22). The first ion-adsorbing electrode (21) includes a first electrically conductive material capable of adsorbing ions. The second ion-adsorbing electrode includes a second electrically conductive material capable of adsorbing ions. In an example, a voltage is applied between the first ion-adsorbing electrode (21) and the second ion-adsorbing electrode (22), with the first and second ion-adsorbing electrodes (21) and (22) being immersed in the drinking water (25). The applied voltage regulates the amount of ions adsorbed on the first and second electrically conductive materials, and thereby the hardness of the drinking water is regulated.

Abstract: A resist underlayer film-forming composition includes (A) a polymer that includes a repeating unit shown by a formula (1), and has a polystyrene-reduced weight average molecular weight of 3000 to 10,000, and (B) a solvent, wherein R3 to R8 individually represent a group shown by the following formula (2) or the like, —O—R1?R2??(2) wherein R1 represents a single bond or the like, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like.

Abstract: There are provided a small-section catalyst (8) arranged in an exhaust passage (3) in an internal combustion engine and formed so that an exhaust gas flows between an outer peripheral surface of the small-section catalyst and a wall surface of the exhaust passage, a fuel injection valve (7) for injecting liquid fuel toward the exhaust passage upstream the small-section catalyst (8), a collision plate (19) provided in the exhaust passage upstream the small-section catalyst (8) and provided in a position where the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve (7) collides, and a heating device (21) capable of igniting the fuel injected from the fuel injection valve (7), wherein the small-section catalyst (8) and the collision plate (19) are decentered in a predetermined direction in the exhaust passage, and the fuel injection valve (7) injects the fuel in the predetermined direction toward the collision plate (19).

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device including a substrate and a pin type photoelectric conversion layer disposed on the surface of the substrate is provided. The pin type photoelectric conversion layer includes a first pin type photoelectric conversion layer formed by stacking a p type semiconductor layer, an i type semiconductor layer serving as an amorphous semiconductor layer and an n type semiconductor layer. The first pin type photoelectric conversion layer includes the first portion located on a part of the surface of the substrate and the second portion located on another part of the surface of the substrate. The first portion is higher in concentration of at least one impurity element selected from oxygen, nitrogen and carbon than the second portion. The first portion is less in thickness than the second portion.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin film photoelectric conversion module comprising the steps of: (A) forming a plurality of divided strings by dividing a string, in which thin film photoelectric conversion elements provided by sequentially laminating a first electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer and a second electrode layer on the surface of an insulating substrate are electrically connected in series, into a plurality of strings by dividing grooves, electrically insulating and separating the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer one from the other and extending in a serial connection direction; and (B) performing reverse biasing by applying a reverse bias voltage to each of thin film photoelectric conversion elements of the divided string.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor film formed on a surface of a substrate and containing a crystalline substance, wherein the semiconductor film has a central region including a center of a surface of the semiconductor film and a peripheral region located around the central region, and a crystallization ratio in the peripheral region of the semiconductor film is higher than a crystallization ratio in the central region. There is also provided a photoelectric conversion device including the semiconductor film.

Abstract: A resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a polymer including a structural unit shown by a formula (1), and having a polystyrene-reduced weight average molecular weight of from 3000 to 10000, and a solvent. Each of R3 to R8 independently represents a group shown by a formula (2), a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 14 carbon atoms, or a glycidyl ether group having 3 to 6 carbon atoms, wherein at least one of R3 to R8 represents the group shown by the formula (2).

Abstract: A resist underlayer film-forming composition includes (A) a polymer that includes a repeating unit shown by a formula (1), and has a polystyrene-reduced weight average molecular weight of 3000 to 10,000, and (B) a solvent, wherein R3 to R8 individually represent a group shown by the following formula (2) or the like, —O—R1?R2 ??(2) wherein R1 represents a single bond or the like, and R2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like.

Abstract: A radiation-sensitive resin composition includes a compound shown by a formula (1) in which R1 represents a divalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or R1 and R2 form a heterocyclic structure having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, R3 represents a monovalent acid-dissociable group, n is an integer from 1 to 6, each of R4A, R4B, and R4C represents one of an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and a monovalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or R4A represents one of an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and a monovalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms and R4B and R4C form a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms.

Abstract: To provide a stacked photoelectric conversion device and a method for producing the same, in which an interlayer is provided between photoelectric conversion layers to obtain an effect of controlling the amount of incidence light, and carrier recombination at an interface between the interlayer and a semiconductor layer is decreased to enhance photoelectric conversion efficiency. The stacked photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises a plurality of silicon-based photoelectric conversion layers having a p-i-n structure stacked, wherein at least a pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion layers have an interlayer of a silicon nitride therebetween, the pair of the photoelectric conversion layers are electrically connected with each other, and a p-type silicon-based semiconductor layer constituting a part of the photoelectric conversion layer and contacting the interlayer contains a nitrogen atom.

Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes forming a resist underlayer film on a substrate using a resist underlayer film-forming composition. The resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a base component, and a crosslinking agent. The crosslinking agent has a partial structure represented by a following general formula (i). X represents an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, or —NR—. R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms. n1 is an integer from 1 to 6. R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms.

Abstract: When reverse bias processing is performed on a plurality of photoelectric conversion devices connected in series, different potentials are applied to electrodes of three or more photoelectric conversion devices to simultaneously perform reverse bias processing on two or more reverse photoelectric conversion devices. Thereby, time taken to perform reverse bias processing on the photoelectric conversion devices can be reduced.