Abstract: To provide a method for manufacturing a power storage device which enables improvement in performance of the power storage device, such as an increase in discharge capacity. To provide a method for forming a semiconductor region which is used for a power storage device or the like so as to improve performance. A method for forming a crystalline semiconductor region includes the steps of: forming, over a conductive layer, a crystalline semiconductor region that includes a plurality of whiskers including a crystalline semiconductor by an LPCVD method; and performing heat treatment on the crystalline semiconductor region after supply of a source gas containing a deposition gas including silicon is stopped. A method for manufacturing a power storage device includes the step of using the crystalline semiconductor region as an active material layer of the power storage device.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an SOI substrate in which crystal defects of a single crystal semiconductor layer are reduced is provided. An oxide film containing halogen is formed on each of surfaces of a single crystal semiconductor substrate and of a semiconductor substrate provided with a single crystal semiconductor layer separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate, whereby impurities that exist on the surfaces of and inside the substrates are decreased. In addition, the single crystal semiconductor layer provided over the semiconductor substrate is irradiated with a laser beam, whereby crystallinity of the single crystal semiconductor layer is improved and planarity is improved.

Abstract: A larger substrate can be used, and a transistor having a desirably high field-effect mobility can be manufactured through formation of an oxide semiconductor layer having a high degree of crystallinity, whereby a large-sized display device, a high-performance semiconductor device, or the like can be put into practical use. A first multi-component oxide semiconductor layer is formed over a substrate and a single-component oxide semiconductor layer is formed thereover; then, crystal growth is carried out from a surface to an inside by performing heat treatment at 500° C. to 1000° C. inclusive, preferably 550° C. to 750° C. inclusive so that a first multi-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions and a single-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions are formed; and a second multi-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions is stacked over the single-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions.

Abstract: A larger substrate can be used, and a transistor having a desirably high field-effect mobility can be manufactured through formation of an oxide semiconductor layer having a high degree of crystallinity, whereby a large-sized display device, a high-performance semiconductor device, or the like can be put into practical use. A single-component oxide semiconductor layer is formed over a substrate; then, crystal growth is carried out from a surface to an inside by performing heat treatment at 500° C. to 1000° C. inclusive, preferably 550° C. to 750° C. inclusive so that a single-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions is formed; and a multi-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions is stacked over the single-component oxide semiconductor layer including single crystal regions.

Abstract: A metal oxide nanoporous material comprises two or more kinds of first metal oxides selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, titania, iron oxide, rare-earth oxides, alkali metal oxides and alkaline-earth metal oxides. The metal oxide nanoporous material has nanopores, each with a diameter of 10 nm or smaller, in which the metal oxides are dispersed homogeneously in the wall forming the nanopores.

Abstract: An object is to provide an oxide semiconductor layer having a novel structure which is preferably used for a semiconductor device. Alternatively, another object is to provide a semiconductor device using an oxide semiconductor layer having the novel structure. An oxide semiconductor layer includes an amorphous region which is mainly amorphous and a crystal region containing crystal grains of In2Ga2ZnO7 in a vicinity of a surface, in which the crystal grains are oriented so that the c-axis is almost vertical with respect to the surface. Alternatively, a semiconductor device uses such an oxide semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A hydrogen fuel feeding system of a fuel cell system that has: a switching device for switching a reactor, that can carry out a reforming process and a regeneration process, between alternate statuses of a first status of feeding a reactant to the reactor while exhausting a fuel gas and a second status of feeding a gas for regeneration to the reactor while exhausting a regeneration exhaust gas; and a control apparatus for switching the switching device so that residual reforming gas, which is still remaining in the reactor before switching, is combusted in an exhaust air processor and not exhausted as the residual reforming gas without treatment when switching from the first status to the second status.

Abstract: In a hydrogen generation device according to the invention, PSR reformers have a heat capacity smaller than that of the other PSR reformers. Therefore, the temperature of the catalyst reaches to a reforming-start temperature more quickly in the PSR reformers than in the other PSR reformers. When the hydrogen generation device is started and the reforming reaction is carried out, the mixture of gasoline vapor and water vapor is selectively and preferentially supplied to the PSR reformers so that the reforming reaction is carried out in the PSR reformers.

Abstract: A nanoporous metal oxide material comprising two or more metal oxides, wherein the nanoporous metal oxide material has ceria content of 10 to 60 weight %, zirconia content of 20 to 90 weight %, and alumina content of 70 weight % or less, and has nanopores whose diameters are 10 nm or less, and the metal oxides are homogeneously dispersed in a wall constituting the nanopores.

Abstract: A heat exchanger heat-utilization device is obtained that can efficiently store heat and dissipate heat in or from a chemical thermal storage medium, and a manufacturing method of the heat exchanger heat-utilization device. A heat exchanger heat-utilization device includes: chemical thermal storage medium composite molded formed by organizing chemical thermal storage medium particles into a porous structural body having flow channels; and a heat exchanger body. The heat exchanger body has thermal storage medium containing portions in which the chemical thermal storage medium composite molded bodies are accommodated, and fluid flow channels that are partitioned from the thermal storage medium containing portions by partition walls and through which a heat exchange medium flows for heat exchange with the chemical thermal storage medium composite molded bodies.

Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a gate insulating layer covering a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer in contact with the gate insulating layer, and impurity semiconductor layers which are in contact with part of the semiconductor layer and which form a source region and a drain region. The semiconductor layer includes a microcrystalline semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulating layer and a microcrystalline semiconductor region containing nitrogen in contact with the microcrystalline semiconductor layer. The thin film transistor in which off-current is small and on-current is large can be manufactured with high productivity.

Abstract: The object is to suppress deterioration in electrical characteristics in a semiconductor device comprising a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer. In a transistor in which a channel layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor, a p-type silicon layer is provided in contact with a surface of the oxide semiconductor layer. Further, the p-type silicon layer is provided in contact with at least a region of the oxide semiconductor layer, in which a channel is formed, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are provided in contact with regions of the oxide semiconductor layer, over which the p-type silicon layer is not provided.

Abstract: To suppress deterioration in electrical characteristics in a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer or a semiconductor device including the transistor. In a transistor in which a channel layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor, a silicon layer is provided in contact with a surface of the oxide semiconductor layer. Further, the silicon layer is provided in contact with at least a region of the oxide semiconductor layer, in which a channel is formed, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are provided in contact with regions of the oxide semiconductor layer, over which the silicon layer is not provided.

Abstract: An object is to suppress deterioration in electric characteristics in a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer or a semiconductor device including the transistor. In a transistor in which a channel layer is formed using an oxide semiconductor, a silicon layer is provided in contact with a surface of the oxide semiconductor layer, an impurity semiconductor layer is provided over the silicon layer, and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are provided to be electrically connected to the impurity semiconductor layer.

Abstract: An object is to provide a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer and has high electric characteristics. An oxide semiconductor layer including SiOx is used in a channel formation region, and in order to reduce contact resistance with source and drain electrode layers formed using a metal material with low electric resistance, source and drain regions are provided between the source and drain electrode layers and the oxide semiconductor layer including SiOx. The source and drain regions are formed using an oxide semiconductor layer which does not include SiOx or an oxynitride film.

Abstract: A secondary battery system comprises a secondary battery which receives regenerative electric power from a motor, a heat storage unit (heat storage device) which converts a part of electric power stored in the secondary battery or the regenerative electric power from the motor into heat and stores the heat, and which supplies the stored heat to the secondary battery when a temperature of the secondary battery is less than a low-temperature-side threshold value which is set in advance when the electric power is extracted from the secondary battery, and an electric power distribution controller (ECU) which distributes the regenerative electric power from the motor to the secondary battery and the heat storage unit (heat storage device) when the temperature of the secondary battery is less than the low-temperature-side threshold value when the secondary battery receives the regenerative electric power from the motor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a thin film transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer and has high electric characteristics and reliability. Film deposition is performed using an oxide semiconductor target containing an insulator (an insulating oxide, an insulating nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxynitride, or the like), typically SiO2, so that the semiconductor device in which the Si-element concentration in the thickness direction of the oxide semiconductor layer has a gradient which increases in accordance with an increase in a distance from a gate electrode is realized.

Abstract: A technology for preventing degradation of a hydrogen permeable metal layer in a fuel cell 210 is provided. A fuel cell system 200 including a fuel cell 210 with an anode which has the hydrogen permeable metal layer comprises a fuel cell controller 230 for controlling the operation status of the fuel cell system 200, a temperature parameter acquisition section for acquiring a temperature parameter of the hydrogen permeable metal layer, and a hydrogen permeable metal layer degradation prevention section which reduces the hydrogen partial pressure in an anode channel 212 for supplying fuel gas to the anode. If a temperature of the hydrogen permeable metal layer represented by the temperature parameter deviates from a specified temperature range, the fuel cell controller 230 cause the hydrogen permeable metal layer degradation prevention section to operate for preventing degradation of the hydrogen permeable metal layer.

Abstract: A method of producing a catalyst support comprising a substrate, and coating formed on the surface of the substrate and including powder of a first metal oxide of at least one member selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, titania, iron oxides, oxides of rare earth elements, alkali metal oxides and alkali earth metal oxides, wherein the coating is obtained by heat treating the substrate after applied with a coating composition obtained by mixing the first metal oxide powder together with a fluid raw material composition containing raw material of a second metal oxide of at least one member selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, titania, iron oxides, oxides of rare earth elements, alkali metal oxides and alkali earth metal oxides, at a shear rate of 1000 sec?1 or higher.

Abstract: An object is to provide an SOI substrate with excellent characteristics even in the case where a single crystal semiconductor substrate having crystal defects is used. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device using such an SOI substrate. A single crystal semiconductor layer is formed by an epitaxial growth method over a surface of a single crystal semiconductor substrate. The single crystal semiconductor layer is subjected to first thermal oxidation treatment to form a first oxide film. A surface of the first oxide film is irradiated with ions, whereby the ions are introduced to the single crystal semiconductor layer. The single crystal semiconductor layer and a base substrate are bonded with the first oxide film interposed therebetween. The single crystal semiconductor layer is divided at a region where the ions are introduced by performing thermal treatment, so that the single crystal semiconductor layer is partly left over the base substrate.