Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad by which optical materials such as lenses, reflecting mirrors etc., or materials requiring a high degree of surface planarity, as in the polishing of silicone wafers, glass substrates or aluminum substrates for hard disks, or general metal polishing, can be flattened with stability and high polishing efficiency. The invention also provides a polishing pad for semiconductor wafers, which is superior in planarizing characteristic, is free from scratches and can be produced at low cost. There is provided a polishing pad which is free from dechucking error so that neither damage to wafers nor decrease in operating efficiency occurs. There is provided a polishing pad which is satisfactory in planarity, within wafer uniformity, and polishing rate and produces less change in polishing rate. There is provided a polishing pad which can make planarity improvement and scratch decrease compatible.

Abstract: A polishing pad includes at least a polishing layer and a cushion layer and is characterized in that the difference in hardness in Shore D hardness between the polishing layer and the cushion layer is 3 or more.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a polishing pad capable of high precision optical detection of an endpoint during polishing in progress and prevention of slurry leakage from between a polishing region and a light-transmitting region during the use thereof even after the polishing pad has been used for a long period. It is a second object of the invention to provide a polishing pad capable of suppression of deterioration of polishing characteristics (such as in-plane uniformity) and generation of scratches due to a difference in behavior of a polishing region and a light-transmitting region during polishing. It is a third object of the invention to provide a polishing pad having a polishing region and a light-transmitting region with a concentration of a specific metal equal to or lower than a specific value (threshold value).

Abstract: According to the present invention, a phosphorus-doped diamond film allowing a significantly reduced electron emission voltage, a method for producing the same, and a diamond electron source using the same, such diamond electron source exerting stable and excellent electron emission characteristics, which can be used for a cold cathode surface structure operable with low voltage, are provided. Also, a method for producing a phosphorus-doped diamond film, comprising growing a diamond film on a diamond substrate by a microwave CVD method in an atmosphere containing gases (methane and hydrogen) and phosphorus with the use of tertiary butyl phosphorus as a source of addition of phosphorous, such diamond film containing phosphorus at a concentration of 1015 cm?3 or more, having a resistivity of 107 ?cm or less, and allowing a voltage for initiation of electron emission to be 30 V or less, and a diamond electron source using the same are provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a diamond electron source exerting stable and excellent electron emission characteristics, which can be used for a cold cathode surface structure operable with low voltage and a method for producing the diamond electron source. Specifically, the diamond electron source having a carbon-terminated structure has a structure composed of an electrode and a diamond film and emits electrons or electron beams from the diamond film when voltage is applied to the electrode. The diamond film is made of diamond having a carbon-terminated structure. The method for producing the diamond electron source is also provided herein.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a polishing pad excellent in polishing rate and superior in longevity without generating center slow. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with the polishing pad. Disclosed is a polishing pad having a polishing layer consisting of a polyurethane foam having fine cells, wherein a high-molecular-weight polyol component that is a starting component of the polyurethane foam contains a hydrophobic high-molecular-weight polyol A having a number-average molecular weight of 550 to 800 and a hydrophobic high-molecular-weight polyol B having a number-average molecular weight of 950 to 1300 in an A/B ratio of from 10/90 to 50/50 by weight.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a polishing pad which hardly generates a scratch on a surface of a polishing object, and is excellent in planarization property. In addition, an object of the invention is to provide a polishing pad which has a high polishing rate and is excellent in planarization property. In addition, an object of the invention is to provide a polishing pad in which a groove is scarcely clogged with abrasive grains or polishing swarf during polishing and, even when continuously used for a long period of time, a polishing rate is scarcely reduced.

Abstract: The invention provides a polishing pad by which optical materials such as lenses, reflecting mirrors etc., or materials requiring a high degree of surface planarity, as in the polishing of silicone wafers, glass substrates or aluminum substrates for hard disks, or general metal polishing, can be flattened with stability and high polishing efficiency. The invention also provides a polishing pad for semiconductor wafers, which is superior in planarizing characteristic, is free from scratches and can be produced at low cost. There is provided a polishing pad which is free from dechucking error so that neither damage to wafers nor decrease in operating efficiency occurs. There is provided a polishing pad which is satisfactory in planarity, within wafer uniformity, and polishing rate and produces less change in polishing rate. There is provided a polishing pad which can make planarity improvement and scratch decrease compatible.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing pad which imparts excellent planarity and uniformity thereof to a material to be polished, such as a semiconductor wafer, without forming scratches. The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer polishing pad comprising a polishing layer and a cushion layer, wherein the polishing layer is formed from foamed polyurethane, has a flexural modulus of 250 to 350 MPa, the cushion layer is formed from closed-cell foam and has a thickness of 0.5 to 1.0 mm and a strain constant of 0.01 to 0.08 ?m/(gf/cm2).

Abstract: The first and second materials of the diffraction element are selected such that the first material's refraction indexes n1(?1), n1(?2) and n1(?3) for the first, second and third wavelengths ?1, ?2 and ?3 and the second material's refraction indexes n2(?1), n2(?2) and n2(?3) for the first, second and third wavelengths ?1, ?2 and ?3 satisfy one of the conditions (1) or (2).

Abstract: A polyurethane composition containing solid beads dispersed therein, is formed of a microcellular polyurethane foam, and the composition has a storage modulus of elasticity at 40° C. of 270 MPa or more as measured by means of a dynamic elasticity measuring device. Another polyurethane composition of this invention contains solid beads dispersed therein, that are capable of swelling with or are soluble in an aqueous medium. The former composition has excellent flattening capability, and the latter composition can provide a polished surface which combines good flatness and good uniformity and can also reduce scratches on the surface.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a polishing pad made from a polyurethane resin foam having very uniform, fine cells therein and a polishing pad obtained by that method provides a polishing pad having better polishing characteristics (especially, in planarization) while providing improved dressability while maintaining the planarization characteristics and polishing speed of a conventional polishing pad. The polyurethane resin foam is a cured product obtained by reacting an isocyanate-terminated prepolymer with an aromatic polyamine chain extender having a melting point of 70° C. or lower, for example.

Abstract: A method of producing a polishing pad having a polishing layer is characterized in that the polishing layer is produced by a photolithographic method including: forming a sheet molding from a curing composition containing at least an initiator and an energy ray-reactive compound to be cured with energy rays; exposing the sheet molding to energy rays to induce modification thereof, to change the solubility of the sheet molding in a solvent; and developing the sheet molding after irradiation with energy rays, to partially remove the curing composition with a solvent thereby forming a concave and convex pattern at least one surface.

Abstract: The first and second materials of the diffraction element are selected such that the first material's refraction indexes n1(?1), n1(?2) and n1(?3) for the first, second and third wavelengths ?1, ?2 and ?3 and the second material's refraction indexes n2(?1), n2(?2) and n2(?3) for the first, second and third wavelengths ?1, ?2 and ?3 satisfy one of the conditions (1) or (2).

Abstract: An optical pickup includes: a light source that emits first, second and third wavelengths of optical beam; and an objective lens unit including a diffraction element whose one surface includes a first diffraction pattern where the first wavelength is diffracted while the second and third wavelengths pass through and whose other surface includes a second diffraction pattern where the second wavelength is diffracted while the first and third wavelengths pass through; and an objective lens that collects the optical beam from the diffraction element, wherein the second and third wavelengths traveling through the objective lens unit are on the optical axis of the objective lens unit while the first wavelength traveling through the objective lens unit have an angle with respect to the optical axis; and the first diffraction pattern is located at a position so as to minimize aberration of the first wavelength of optical beam.

Abstract: A diffraction element includes: an injection-molded transparent first member having two optical surfaces; and a second member firmly attached to one of the optical surfaces of the first member and provided with a first diffraction pattern on a surface, wherein the second member is a first ultraviolet curable resin having a refraction index in a range of ±0.013 with respect to a refraction index of the first member.

Abstract: A diffraction element for diffracting a particular wavelength of incident optical beam includes: a base section made from a first resin and provided with a predetermined diffraction pattern; and a cover section made from a second resin and covering the diffraction pattern, wherein a rate of change of refraction index of the first resin is substantially the same as a rate of change of refraction index of the second resin in a temperature range between a first temperature and a second temperature.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a polishing pad capable of maintaining high-precision end-point optical detection over a long period from the start of use to the end of use even if polishing is performed with an alkaline or acid slurry, as well as a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with this polishing pad. The polishing pad of the invention is used in chemical mechanical polishing and has a polishing region and a light-transmitting region, wherein the light-transmitting region satisfies that the difference ?T (?T=T0?T1) (%) between T0 and T1 is within 10(%) over the whole range of measurement wavelengths of from 400 to 700 nm, wherein T1 is the light transmittance (%) of the light-transmitting region measured at the measurement wavelength ? after dipping for 24 hours in a KOH aqueous solution at pH 11 or an H2O2 aqueous solution at pH 4 and T0 is the light-transmittance (%) measured at the measurement wavelength ? before the dipping.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing pad which imparts excellent planarity and uniformity thereof to a material to be polished, such as a semiconductor wafer, without forming scratches. The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer polishing pad comprising a polishing layer and a cushion layer, wherein the polishing layer is formed from foamed polyurethane, has a flexural modulus of 250 to 350 MPa, the cushion layer is formed from closed-cell foam and has a thickness of 0.5 to 1.0 mm and a strain constant of 0.01 to 0.08 ?m/(gf/cm2).

Abstract: The polishing pad of this invention is a polishing pad effecting stable planarizing processing, at high polishing rate, materials requiring surface flatness at high level, such as a silicon wafer for semiconductor devices, a magnetic disk, an optical lens etc. This invention provides a polishing pad which can be subjected to surface processing to form a sheet or grooves, is excellent in thickness accuracy, attains a high polishing rate, achieves a uniform polishing rate, and also provides a polishing pad which is free of quality variations resulting from an individual variation, easily enables a change the surface patterns, enables fine surface pattern, is compatible with various materials to be polished, is free of burrs upon forming the pattern. This invention provides a polishing pad which can have abrasive grains mixed at very high density without using slurry, and generates few scratches by preventing aggregation of abrasive grains dispersed therein.