Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of lower interconnections at intervals in a first insulating film; removing a portion of the first insulating film located between the lower interconnections, thereby forming an interconnection-to-interconnection gap; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film in which the lower interconnections and the interconnection-to-interconnection gap are formed such that an air gap is formed out of the interconnection-to-interconnection gap; and forming, in the second insulating film, a connection portion connected to one of the lower interconnections and an upper interconnection connected to the connection portion. The connection portion is formed to be connected to one of the lower interconnections not adjacent to the air gap.

Abstract: A resin sealed semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor switching device having a first emitter terminal and a first collector terminal bonded to its top and bottom surfaces respectively, a second semiconductor switching device having a second emitter terminal and a second collector terminal bonded to its top and bottom surfaces respectively, a first heat sink directly or indirectly bonded to the first collector terminal, a second heat sink directly or indirectly bonded to the second collector terminal, and a molding resin integrally covering the first and second semiconductor switching devices. The first and second heat sinks are exposed from the molding resin. The first emitter terminal faces and is spaced apart from the second emitter terminal.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of lower interconnections at intervals in a first insulating film; removing a portion of the first insulating film located between the lower interconnections, thereby forming an interconnection-to-interconnection gap; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film in which the lower interconnections and the interconnection-to-interconnection gap are formed such that an air gap is formed out of the interconnection-to-interconnection gap; and forming, in the second insulating film, a connection portion connected to one of the lower interconnections and an upper interconnection connected to the connection portion. The connection portion is formed to be connected to one of the lower interconnections not adjacent to the air gap.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell cogeneration system comprises the steps of cooling a fuel cell by circulating an internal heat transfer medium through the fuel cell while the fuel cell is generating electric power, storing an external heat transfer medium in a heat utilization portion, detecting remaining calories of the heat utilization portion by a first detector provided at the heat utilization portion, increasing a temperature of the fuel cell to an operating temperature by carrying out a first temperature increasing operation, and increasing the temperature of the fuel cell to the operating temperature by carrying out a second temperature increasing operation.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes step a) of providing a package accommodating a fuel cell stack and a hydrogen-rich gas supply configured to supply hydrogen-rich gas, step b) of detecting leakage of a combustible gas, comprised of the hydrogen-rich gas or a raw fuel gas, using a combustible gas detector, step c) of injecting the combustible gas intermittently into the package through a combustible gas guide pipe, and step d) of determining whether or not detection sensitivity of the combustible gas is proper based on an output value of the combustible gas detector when step c) is preformed.

Abstract: A cogeneration system of the present invention includes: an electric power generator (5); a cooling circuit (10) configured to cool the electric power generator (5) with a first heat transfer medium; a heat exchanger (16) provided on the cooling circuit (10); an exhaust heat recovery circuit (12) through which a second heat transfer medium that exchanges heat with the first heat transfer medium via the heat exchanger (16) flows; a heat storage unit (20) connected to the exhaust heat recovery circuit (12) and configured to store the second heat transfer medium that has undergone a heat exchange by the heat exchanger (16); and a controller (21), wherein a first temperature sensor (17), and a heater to which electric power is supplied from the electric power generator (5), are connected, in this order, downstream of the heat exchanger (16) in a direction in which the second heat transfer medium flows, and the controller (21) controls a flow rate of a circulating pump (13) so that, based on a temperature detected

Abstract: A transmission line microwave apparatus includes at least one nonreciprocal transmission line part, which includes a series branch circuit equivalently including a capacitive element and a shunt branch circuit equivalently including an inductive element. The nonreciprocal transmission line part has gyrotropic characteristic by being magnetized in a magnetization direction different from the propagation direction of a microwave, and has an asymmetric structure to a plane formed by the propagation direction and the magnetization direction. The nonreciprocal transmission line part has a propagation constant and an operating frequency set in a dispersion curve that represents a relation between the propagation constant and the operating frequency so that the propagation constant in the forward direction and the propagation constant in the backward direction have nonreciprocal phase characteristics different from each other.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of lower interconnections at intervals in a first insulating film; removing a portion of the first insulating film located between the lower interconnections, thereby forming an interconnection-to-interconnection gap; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film in which the lower interconnections and the interconnection-to-interconnection gap are formed such that an air gap is formed out of the interconnection-to-interconnection gap; and forming, in the second insulating film, a connection portion connected to one of the lower interconnections and an upper interconnection connected to the connection portion. The connection portion is formed to be connected to one of the lower interconnections not adjacent to the air gap.

Abstract: A resin sealed semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor switching device having a first emitter terminal and a first collector terminal bonded to its top and bottom surfaces respectively, a second semiconductor switching device having a second emitter terminal and a second collector terminal bonded to its top and bottom surfaces respectively, a first heat sink directly or indirectly bonded to the first collector terminal, a second heat sink directly or indirectly bonded to the second collector terminal, and a molding resin integrally covering the first and second semiconductor switching devices. The first and second heat sinks are exposed from the molding resin. The first emitter terminal faces and is spaced apart from the second emitter terminal.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of lower interconnections at intervals in a first insulating film; removing a portion of the first insulating film located between the lower interconnections, thereby forming an interconnection-to-interconnection gap; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film in which the lower interconnections and the interconnection-to-interconnection gap are formed such that an air gap is formed out of the interconnection-to-interconnection gap; and forming, in the second insulating film, a connection portion connected to one of the lower interconnections and an upper interconnection connected to the connection portion. The connection portion is formed to be connected to one of the lower interconnections not adjacent to the air gap.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes step a) of providing a package accommodating a fuel cell stack and a hydrogen-rich gas supply configured to supply hydrogen-rich gas, step b) of detecting leakage of a combustible gas, comprised of the hydrogen-rich gas or a raw fuel gas, using a combustible gas detector, step c) of injecting the combustible gas intermittently into the package through a combustible gas guide pipe, and step d) of determining whether or not detection sensitivity of the combustible gas is proper based on an output value of the combustible gas detector when step c) is preformed.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell cogeneration system comprises the steps of cooling a fuel cell by circulating an internal heat transfer medium through the fuel cell while the fuel cell is generating electric power, storing an external heat transfer medium in a heat utilization portion, detecting remaining calories of the heat utilization portion by a first detector provided at the heat utilization portion, increasing a temperature of the fuel cell to an operating temperature by carrying out a first temperature increasing operation, and increasing the temperature of the fuel cell to the operating temperature by carrying out a second temperature increasing operation.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of lower interconnections at intervals in a first insulating film; removing a portion of the first insulating film located between the lower interconnections, thereby forming an interconnection-to-interconnection gap; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film in which the lower interconnections and the interconnection-to-interconnection gap are formed such that an air gap is formed out of the interconnection-to-interconnection gap; and forming, in the second insulating film, a connection portion connected to one of the lower interconnections and an upper interconnection connected to the connection portion. The connection portion is formed to be connected to one of the lower interconnections not adjacent to the air gap.

Abstract: It has heretofore been practiced upon the occurrence of abnormalities on the equipment to make tentative conditioned operation disregarding abnormalities on the assumption that the abnormalities shall be coped with by servicemen. Thus, troubles having insignificant contents of abnormality could not be readily coped with by a simple method. There are provided a fuel cell, a fuel gas supplying unit, an oxidizer gas supplying unit, a state detecting unit of detecting the temperature of the fuel gas supplying unit, an operation controlling unit of detecting abnormalities of predetermined functions performed by the fuel gas supplying unit utilizing the results detected by the state detecting unit and performing operation control in an operation mode corresponding to the contents of abnormalities, and an operation mode switching unit of switching to an operation mode corresponding to the contents of abnormalities.

Abstract: A cogeneration system of the present invention includes: an electric power generator (5); a cooling circuit (10) configured to cool the electric power generator (5) with a first heat transfer medium; a heat exchanger (16) provided on the cooling circuit (10); an exhaust heat recovery circuit (12) through which a second heat transfer medium that exchanges heat with the first heat transfer medium via the heat exchanger (16) flows; a heat storage unit (20) connected to the exhaust heat recovery circuit (12) and configured to store the second heat transfer medium that has undergone a heat exchange by the heat exchanger (16); and a controller (21), wherein a first temperature sensor (17), and a heater to which electric power is supplied from the electric power generator (5), are connected, in this order, downstream of the heat exchanger (16) in a direction in which the second heat transfer medium flows, and the controller (21) controls a flow rate of a circulating pump (13) so that, based on a temperature detected

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a plurality of lower interconnections at intervals in a first insulating film; removing a portion of the first insulating film located between the lower interconnections, thereby forming an interconnection-to-interconnection gap; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film in which the lower interconnections and the interconnection-to-interconnection gap are formed such that an air gap is formed out of the interconnection-to-interconnection gap; and forming, in the second insulating film, a connection portion connected to one of the lower interconnections and an upper interconnection connected to the connection portion. The connection portion is formed to be connected to one of the lower interconnections not adjacent to the air gap.

Abstract: A fuel cell electric power generating system is provided which does not occupy a large space, which requires a lower initial cost for equipment than the prior art, and of which the running cost is low. The system includes a reformer producing hydrogen-rich gas by utilizing a source gas, source gas supplying means of supplying the source gas to the reformer, air supplying means of supplying purging air to the reformer, and a fuel cell generating electric power by utilizing the hydrogen-rich gas produced at the reformer and air for electric power generation supplied from outside, wherein in stopping the operation of the fuel cell, the supply of the source gas to the reformer is stopped and the hydrogen-rich gas remaining within the fuel cell electric power generating system, steam and the purging air are passed in this order.

Abstract: An inventive semiconductor device includes: a lower interlayer dielectric film provided on a substrate; a lower interconnect made up of a lower barrier metal layer formed along a wall surface of a lower interconnect groove in the lower interlayer dielectric film, and a copper film; and an upper plug and an upper interconnect. The upper plug passes through a silicon nitride film and comes into contact with the copper film of the lower interconnect. The lower interconnect is provided with a large number of convex portions buried in concave portions of the lower interconnect groove. Thus, voids in the lower interconnect are also gettered by the convex portions. Accordingly, the concentration of voids in the contact area between the lower interconnect and the upper plug is relieved, and an increase in contact resistance is suppressed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a MIM capacitor including a first insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate, a lower electrode composed of a first metal film formed on the first insulating film, a capacitor insulating film formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode composed of a second metal film formed on the capacitor insulating film. The semiconductor device further has a lower interconnect composed of the first metal film formed on the first insulating film and an upper interconnect composed of the second metal film formed on the lower interconnect. The upper interconnect and the upper electrode are formed integrally.

Abstract: A fuel cell power generation system includes: a sensor unit (1) capable of sensing an abnormality in operation states; a protection controller device (2) configured to output a predetermined protective operation command signal based on at least an output signal from the sensor unit; a protective operation unit (4) configured to perform a predetermined protective operation based on the protective operation command signal that is output from the protection controller device; and a simulation signal generator (5) configured to output a simulation signal for causing the protection controller device to output the protective operation command signal; the fuel cell power generation system having an abnormality self-diagnostic function to check the protective operation of the protective operation unit by inputting the simulation signal into the protection controller device by the simulation signal generator and thereby causing the protection controller device to output the protective operation command signal; and the