Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming connection holes reliably by making contact resistance low and uniform in semiconductor devices. Insulating layer 3, that includes SOG layer 7, is plasma etched using an etching gas with a small quantity of a gas with a low C/F ratio, such as CHF3, mixed with a gas with a high C/F ratio, such as C4F8/Ar/O2 at a ratio of 1:3.

Abstract: A substrate is disposed in a reactor kept to be a vacuum state, a material gas is supplied into a space in front of the substrate, high-frequency electric power is supplied to the material gas to generate plasma based on electric discharge excitation in the front space of the substrate, and an amorphous silicon thin film is deposited on the substrate by chemical vapour deposition. Further, an electrode section comprising tubular electrodes supplying the material gas through a plurality of gas discharge openings, and tubular electrode sucking and evacuating gases to the outside through a plurality of gas suction openings. Thereby, a higher silane gas and the like generated during the film deposition can be removed from a reactive region immediately, and a thin film is deposited on the substrate surface with the same condition of the film deposition at any spot of the substrate surface. Consequently, the amorphous silicon thin film with film quality may be deposited on the large-area substrate.

Abstract: A catalyst for the oxidative condensation of a lower aliphatic hydrocarbon ncluding a carrier of a solid, oxide superacid, and at least one transition metal compound and at least one alkali metal compound supported on the carrier. By contacting a lower aliphatic hydrocarbon with oxygen in the presence of the above catalyst, a hydrocarbon with an increased carbon number can be obtained.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, such as a dynamic RAM, and method of making it. A number of stacked cell capacitors are placed at a prescribed spacing in an alignment direction on top of a p.sup.- -type silicon substrate (1). Each capacitor has a nearly perpendicular cylindrical lower electrode (cylindrical polysilicon layer (96)), a dielectric film (silicon nitride film (77)), and upper electrode (plate electrode (78) made of polysilicon). The spacing in the alignment direction is smaller than the inner diameter of the lower electrode.

Abstract: The etch-back amount of a silicon oxide film of a memory array which is a higher altitude portion is increased when etching back and flattening the silicon oxide film by arranging a first-layer wiring on a BPSG film covering an upper electrode of an information-storing capacitative element only in a peripheral circuit but not arranging it in the memory array.Thus, a DRAM having a stacked capacitor structure is obtained such that the level difference between the memory array and peripheral circuit is decreased, and the formation of wiring and connection holes are easy.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image support medium; a charging member for charging the surface of the image support medium in contact with the surface of it; an exposure device for irradiating with light the surface of the image support medium charged by the charging member to form a static latent image; a developing device for supplying developer to the static latent image formed on the image support medium to develop the latent image and for removing the leftover developer on the image support medium; a transfer device for transferring the developer image, which has been developed on the image support medium by the developing device, to a member to be transferred; and a scraping member for scraping foreign matter such as dust and paper particles on the image support medium.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, when a transferred material exists in a transfer position between a photoreceptor drum and a transfer unit during an image forming operation, a transfer voltage, which has opposite polarity to that of a voltage applied to a brush charger and is used for transferring a developer image on the photoreceptor drum onto the transferred material is applied to the transfer unit. Meanwhile, when a transferred material does not exist in the transfer position during the image forming operation, a non-transfer voltage, which is lower than the transfer voltage, is applied to the transfer unit. As a result, defects on an image due to returning of a developer from the brush charger to the photoreceptor drum can be prevented from being generated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus adopting a cleaningless process using contact-type charging means, includes developer scattering means which is located between the charging means and an exposure position in contact with the surface of an image carrier. For example, the developer scattering means is a conducting brush which scatters, catches and temporarily holds the residual toner on the image carrier. With this structure, even in an image forming apparatus adopting the cleaningless process using the contact-type charging means, the residual toner on the image carrier is scattered and caught by developer catching means before the residual toner reaches the exposure position. Thus, a lowering of the image quality which is caused if the residual toner is patterned by the charging means is prevented, thereby improving the image quality.

Abstract: A photoconductor coupled liquid crystal light valve comprising at least a pair of transparent electrode, a liquid crystal layer and a photoconductive layer showing blocking properties both sandwiched between said transparent electrodes, wherein said photoconductive layer includes a light absorbing layer and a blocking layer having a band gap wider than said light absorbing layer, both said light absorbing layer and said blocking layer being formed of non-alloy a-Si; and a method for manufacturing said photoconductor coupled light valve wherein said photoconductive layer is prepared with electron cyclotron resonance method.

Abstract: A charging device for use in an image forming apparatus is disclosed which charges an object to be charged by contacting a conductive charging member with the surface of the object and then applying a voltage across the charging member and the object,wherein at least a contact portion of the charging member comprises a conductive material having a hygroscopic degree of 0.2% or less.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus including a cleaning means for selectively removing foreign matters other than developer remaining on the surface of a photoconductor drum therefrom after a transferring process. The cleaning means is provided with a foreign-matter removing roller which comes into contact with the surface of the photoconductor drum. Foreign matters, which are charged by a transferring device to have a polarity reversed to that of the charged electric potential of toner through an electric field that is exerted between the surfaces of the roller and the photoconductor drum, are allowed to adhere to the surface of the foreign-matter removing roller. As for the surface of the foreign-matter removing roller, the surface electric potential of the foreign-matter removing roller is biased farther toward the polarity of the charged toner than the surface electric potential of the photoconductor drum at the contact portion between the photoconductor drum and the foreign-matter removing roller.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus including a charging element, a charged element, a developing element, and a cleaning element the dimensions of those elements satisfy either or both of the following relations:C+D<A<B-DC<E<A+Dwhere A denotes a longitudinal dimension of the charging element; B denotes an effective longitudinal width of a photoconductive layer coated range on the charged element; C denotes a developing width in the longitudinal direction of a developing element; D denotes a vibrating width of the charging member; and E denotes a longitudinal dimension of a cleaning element for the charged element.

Abstract: A charging member comprised of a conductive shaft and conductive fibers planted thereon is brought into contact with a charged member with a photoconductor provided on the surface thereof. The conductive shaft is applied with a combined voltage of d.c. voltage and a.c. voltage having a peak-peak value lower than two times the discharge starting threshold voltage that is determined by the surrounding atmosphere around the charged member. While the charging member and the charged member rotate at different surface velocity, the charged member is charged through the contact area in which impedance is low due to the influence of a.c. voltage, so that a stable surface potential close to the d.c. voltage may be charged onto the charged member. Further, it is effective that the frequency f of the a.c. voltage will be so set up as to suffice a relation: f>Vp/2R, where f is a frequency of the applied a.c. voltage, Vp(mm/s) is a moving velocity of the charged member, and R(mm) is a particle size of a developer used.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for an electrophotographic process, equipped with a charging device of a contact type using a conductive roller or brush, and the charging device used therefor.

Abstract: A photoconductor coupled liquid crystal light valve which comprises a pair of substrates opposite to each other, transparent electrodes arranged on each of the substrates, either one having a photoconductive layer and a carrier trapping layer formed over the transparent electrodes, a liquid crystal layer injected between the substrates and a voltage application means between the transparent electrodes.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a photoconductor coupled liquid crystal valve comprising the step of; deposing a transparent electrode on a transparent substrate; forming on said transparent electrode a photoconductive layer formed of amorphous silicon by the ECR; forming on said photoconductive layer an optical shielding layer formed of amorphous silicon by the ECR; forming on said optical shielding layer an optical reflection layer; forming an orientation film on said optical reflection layer; laminating on said orientation film a transparent substrate having a transparent electrode and another orientation film stoked thereon by the above method in such a manner that the two orientation films face each other with a spacer interposed therebetween; and disposing liquid crystals into said spacer.

Abstract: 2,3,5-Trimethyl-p-benzoquinone is prepared advantageously by the catalytic oxidation of 2,3,5- or 2,3,6-trimethylphenol with hydrogen peroxide in an organic solvent, which is preferably acetic acid, in the presence of a catalyst which is a heteropolyacid of silicon or phosphorus as the center atom selected from phosphomolybdic acid, silicomolybdic acid, phosphotungstic acid and silicotungstic acid. The reaction proceeds rapidly even at room temperature to give the product in a high yield so that the method is industrially advantageous in addition to the advantages in respect of the inexpensiveness of the reactants and catalyst and absence of any noxious byproducts which may cause environmental pollution.

Abstract: A photoconductor coupled liquid crystal light valve comprising a photoconductor layer, a liquid crystal layer and electrodes for applying voltage to the layers. The photoconductive layer is made of amorphous silicon containing hydrogen and/or halogen at more than 40 at%. The photoconductive layer preferably has a resistivity of between 10.sup.11 and 10.sup.12 ohm-cm and a photonconductivity of 10.sup.-8 and 10.sup.-6 cm.sup.2 /V. The photoconductive layer is preferably formed by electron cyclotron resonance.

Abstract: A photosensitive body for electrophotography has as its principal constituent a photoconductive layer having amorphous silicon with hydrogen, a surface layer having a greater optical band gap than the photoconductive layer formed on a photoconductive base member, and an intermediate layer sandwiched therebetween.