Abstract: A plating method includes holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder; performing a first-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by producing a vacuum in the internal space and checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time; and if the substrate holder has passed the first-stage leakage test, performing a second-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by closing off the internal space after producing the vacuum therein and checking whether a change in the pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode includes a titanium and niobium-containing composite oxide. The nonaqueous electrolyte includes at least one compound selected from compounds represented by the formulas (1) and (2).

Abstract: The present invention improves the hydrophilicity of a substrate surface, and suppresses variation in the degree of hydrophilicity with each substrate. A plating apparatus is provided that performs a plating process on a substrate having a resist pattern. This plating apparatus includes a pretreatment bath that performs hydrophilic treatment by bringing a pretreatment liquid into contact with a surface to be plated of the substrate, and a plating bath that performs a plating process on a substrate that has undergone the hydrophilic treatment. The pretreatment bath includes a pretreatment liquid supplying device that supplies the pretreatment liquid into the pretreatment bath, and an ultraviolet light irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet light onto the surface to be plated of the substrate.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonaqueous electrolyte battery is provided. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material layer, a separator layer, an intermediate region, and a gel nonaqueous electrolyte. The separator layer and the intermediate region hold at least a part of the gel nonaqueous electrolyte. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery satisfies a volume ratio VA/VB of 5 or more. VA is a volume of the intermediate region. VB is an average volume of gaps among the particles of the niobium-and-titanium-containing composite oxide in the negative electrode active material layer.

Abstract: A polishing-pad laminated structure which allows for easy alignment of a through-hole of a polishing pad with a sensor head installed in a polishing table is disclosed. The polishing-pad laminated structure includes a polishing pad and a release sheet. The polishing pad has a through-hole located at a position corresponding to a position of a sensor head disposed in the polishing table. The release sheet covers an adhesive surface of the polishing pad. The release sheet is divided into at least a first release sheet and a second release sheet. The first release sheet has a surface area smaller than a surface area of the second release sheet.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a secondary battery is provided. The secondary battery includes a negative electrode. The negative electrode includes an active material composite. The active material composite includes active material particles and a layer covering at least a portion of surfaces of the active material particles. The active material particles include titanium-containing oxide particles. The layer contains N and Si. The layer includes a first surface facing the at least the portion of surfaces of the active material particles and a second surface defining a layer thickness from the first surface. An N concentration in the layer decreases from the first surface to the second surface. A Si concentration in the layer increases from the first surface to the second surface.

Abstract: A plating method includes holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder; performing a first-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by producing a vacuum in the internal space and checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time; and if the substrate holder has passed the first-stage leakage test, performing a second-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by closing off the internal space after producing the vacuum therein and checking whether a change in the pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

Abstract: A plating method includes holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder; performing a first-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by producing a vacuum in the internal space and checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time; and if the substrate holder has passed the first-stage leakage test, performing a second-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by closing off the internal space after producing the vacuum therein and checking whether a change in the pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided an electrode group including an electrically insulating layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The second electrode is stacked in a first direction on the first electrode with the electrically insulating layer interposed therebetween. The first electrode includes plural first end portions in one or more second directions among directions orthogonal to the first direction. The plural first end portions are disposed at different positions in at least one of the second directions.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a solid electrolyte separator is provided. The solid electrolyte separator is a sheet containing a solid electrolyte having a lithium ion conductivity. A first lithium ion conductivity in a peripheral edge region along an in-plane direction of the sheet is lower than a second lithium ion conductivity in a central region along the in-plane direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A resistance measuring module for measuring electric resistance of a substrate holder is provided. The substrate holder has an electric contact configured to feed a current to a held substrate and contactable with the substrate. The substrate holder is able to hold a testing substrate for measurement of electric resistance of the substrate holder, and is configured such that the electric contact comes into contact with the testing substrate in a state where the testing substrate is held. The resistance measuring module includes: a test probe contactable with the testing substrate held in the substrate holder; and a resistance measuring instrument for measurement of a resistance value between the electric contact and the probe via the testing substrate.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte solution secondary battery of the embodiment includes an exterior material, a nonaqueous electrolyte solution, a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator sandwiched between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The nonaqueous electrolyte solution is charged in the exterior material. The nonaqueous electrolyte solution contains at least one of sulfone-based compounds represented by formula 1, a partially fluorinated ether represented by a molecular formula of formula 2, and at least one of lithium salts. The positive electrode is housed in the exterior material. The positive electrode contains a composite oxide represented by L1?xMn1.5?yNi0.5?zMy+zO4 as a positive electrode active material (wherein 0?x?1, 0?(y+z)?0.15, and M represents one, or two or more selected from Mg, Al, Ti, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Nb, Sn, Zr and Ta). The negative electrode is housed in the exterior material.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode includes at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of a first oxide having a spinel structure and represented by LixNi0.5Mn1.5O4, a second metal phosphate having an olivine structure and represented by LixMn1-wFewPO4, and a third oxide having a layered structure and represented by LixNiyMnzCo1-y-zO2. The nonaqueous electrolyte includes a first solvent. The first solvent includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of trimethyl phosphate, triethyl phosphate, tripropyl phosphate, tributyl phosphate, and fluorinated phosphate ester.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode includes at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of a first oxide having a spinel structure and represented by LixNi0.5Mn1.5O4, a second metal phosphate having an olivine structure and represented by Lix9 Mn1?wFewPO4, and a third oxide having a layered structure and represented by LixNiyMnzCo1?y?zO2. The nonaqueous electrolyte includes a first solvent. The first solvent includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of trimethyl phosphate, triethyl phosphate, tripropyl phosphate, tributyl phosphate, and fluorinated phosphate ester.

Abstract: There is provided a plating apparatus for performing plating treatment on a substrate having a resist pattern. The plating apparatus includes: a pretreatment unit for causing a surface of the substrate to be brought into contact with a pretreatment solution; and a plating bath in which the plating treatment is performed on the substrate having a surface to be treated which is brought into contact with the pretreatment solution. The pretreatment unit includes: a holding table for holding the substrate with the surface to be treated facing upward; a motor for rotating the holding table; a hydrophilizing treatment portion for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the surface to be treated; and a pretreatment solution supply portion for supplying the pretreatment solution to the surface to be treated which is hydrophilized by the hydrophilizing treatment portion.

Abstract: Soluble copper oxide powder capable of preventing a decrease in quality of a copper film formed by plating is disclosed. The copper oxide powder contains copper and impurities including sodium. A concentration of the sodium is not more than 20 ppm. The copper oxide powder is regularly supplied into a plating solution. A voltage is applied between an insoluble anode and a substrate immersed in the plating solution, thereby plating the substrate.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonaqueous electrolyte battery is provided. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material layer, a separator layer, an intermediate region, and a gel nonaqueous electrolyte. The separator layer and the intermediate region hold at least a part of the gel nonaqueous electrolyte. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery satisfies a volume ratio VA/VB of 5 or more. VA is a volume of the intermediate region. VB is an average volume of gaps among the particles of the niobium-and-titanium-containing composite oxide in the negative electrode active material layer.

Abstract: A plating method includes holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder; performing a first-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by producing a vacuum in the internal space and checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time; and if the substrate holder has passed the first-stage leakage test, performing a second-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by closing off the internal space after producing the vacuum therein and checking whether a change in the pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

Abstract: A plating method includes holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder; performing a first-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by producing a vacuum in the internal space and checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time; and if the substrate holder has passed the first-stage leakage test, performing a second-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by closing off the internal space after producing the vacuum therein and checking whether a change in the pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode includes a titanium and niobium-containing composite oxide. The nonaqueous electrolyte includes at least one compound selected from compounds represented by the formulas (1) and (2).