Abstract: There is disclosed a fuel cell system according to the invention comprising; a material gas feeder (1); a reformer (3); a fuel cell (4); a combustor (5); communication passages (6A-6E); and a controller (20), wherein during a shutdown period of the fuel cell (4), the controller (20) determines whether the fuel cell system is in a normal condition where a shutdown operation of the fuel cell (4) is performed; and wherein if the controller (20) determines that the fuel cell system is not in the normal condition, the controller (20) controls the material gas feeder (1) to execute a material gas feed process before a next ignition of the combustor (5), the material gas feed process being performed such that the material gas is supplied to a hydrogen-containing gas flow path constituted by the reformer (3) and the communication passages (6A-6E) located between the reformer (3) and the combustor (5).

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 hydrogen generating apparatus or the like is able to detect an excess water state or an excess steam state in the interior of a shift converter or a selective oxidation device.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes metal interconnects made from a multi-layer film composed of a first metal film formed on a semiconductor substrate with an insulating film sandwiched therebetween and a second metal film deposited on the first metal film. An interlayer insulating film having a via hole is formed on the metal interconnects. A third metal film is selectively grown on the second metal film within the via hole, so that a plug can be formed from the third metal film.

Abstract: To avoid pressure variation in a cooling water channel, extend a life of an ion exchange resin used to maintain quality of cooling water and reduce power consumption by auxiliary machinery at low cost. There is provided a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a cooling water tank, a cooling water channel, a cooling water pump, a heat exchanger, a fuel-side condenser and an oxidizer-side condenser that cool exhaust fuel gas and exhaust oxidizer gas discharged from the fuel cell to condense content water vapor, a condensed water tank that stores the water condensed in the fuel-side condenser and the oxidizer-side condenser, a water supply channel having a water supply pump for feeding the condensed water to the cooling water tank, and a water discharge channel for the cooling water tank.

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 power generation system has inert gas supply means of supplying a particular inert gas at least to the reformer; and alternative gas supply means of supplying an alternative gas other than the particular inert gas at least to the reformer, wherein when the operation of the fuel cell is stopped, the alternative gas supply means is used to discharge hydrogen rich gas staying at least in the reformer if the stop of the operation of the fuel cell is an ordinary stop, and the inert gas supply means is used to perform the discharge if the stop of the operation of the fuel cell is an emergency stop.

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 generation system, in which an interior of a package is partitioned into a gas path compartment and a non gas compartment with a partition wall, a component through which flammable gas flows is placed within the gas path compartment, a part of the frame member of the package constituting the gas path compartment is provided with gas path compartment inlets, a gas path compartment outlet and a ventilation fan, a component through which the flammable gas does not flows is placed within the non gas compartment, and a part of the frame member of the package of the non gas compartment is provided with a non gas compartment inlet, allowing a blower inlet to open into an interior of the non gas compartment and allowing an air outlet to open into an exterior of the package.

Abstract: A hydrogen producing apparatus comprising: a reforming section having a reforming catalyst which causes a reaction between a carbon-containing organic compound as a feedstock and water; a feedstock supply section for supplying the feedstock to the reforming section; a water supply section for supplying water to the reforming section; a heating section for heating the reforming catalyst; a shifting section having a shift catalyst which causes a shift reaction between carbon monoxide and water contained in a reformed gas supplied from the reforming section; and a purifying section having a purifying catalyst which causes oxidation or methanation of carbon monoxide contained in a gas supplied from the shifting section, wherein the shift catalyst comprises a platinum group metal and a metal oxide.

Abstract: After a plurality of grooves are formed in an insulating film and in an anti-reflection film on the insulating film, a barrier metal film and a conductive film are deposited on the anti-reflection film such that each of the grooves is filled therewith. Subsequently, the portions of the conductive film outside the grooves are removed by polishing and then the portions of the barrier metal film outside the grooves are removed by polishing. Thereafter, respective foreign matters adhered to a polishing pad and to a surface to be polished during polishing are removed and then a surface of the anti-reflection film is polished.

Abstract: It has been difficult to reduce a waste of energy in a fuel cell power generating process when, for example, a temporary rise or drop of a power load occurs. A fuel cell power generation system includes: load detection means of detecting power requested by a load; and output control means of accumulating a time at which a detected power requested by the load is equal to or larger than a predetermined value when a fuel cell body does not generate power to be supplied to the load, and allowing the fuel cell body to start generating power to be supplied to the load according to a predetermined rule based on an accumulation result.

Abstract: It has been difficult to reduce a waste of energy in a fuel cell power generating process when, for example, a temporary rise or drop of a power load occurs. A fuel cell power generation system includes: load detection means of detecting power requested by a load; and output control means of accumulating a time at which a detected power requested by the load is equal to or larger than a predetermined value when a fuel cell body does not generate power to be supplied to the load, and allowing the fuel cell body to start generating power to be supplied to the load according to a predetermined rule based on an accumulation result.

Abstract: After a plurality of grooves are formed in an insulating film, a barrier metal film and a conductive film are deposited successively on the insulating film such that each of the grooves is filled completely therewith. Subsequently, the portions of the conductive film outside the grooves are removed by polishing and then the portions of the barrier metal film outside the grooves are removed by polishing. Thereafter, a foreign matter adhered to the surface to be polished during polishing is removed and then a surface of the insulating film is polished.

Abstract: A carpet for use in vehicles includes an upper surface layer 2, a nonwoven fabric sound absorption layer 3 and an adhesive resin layer 4 integrally securing the upper surface layer and the sound absorption layer. The adhesive resin layer is an air permeable resin layer formed by extruding melted thermoplastic into filament-like resin pieces by an extruder, and a thickness direction air permeability of the carpet falls within the range of 1 to 50 cm3/cm2·second. This carpet can secure excellent silence.

Abstract: A fuel cell system is disclosed, comprising, within a package, a fuel cell stack; a hydrogen-rich gas supply means configured to supply a hydrogen-rich gas; a combustible gas detector configured to detect leakage of a combustible gas which is the hydrogen-rich gas or a raw fuel gas which is a raw material of the hydrogen-rich gas within the package; a combustible gas guide pipe through which the combustible gas is guided into the package; and a controller; wherein the controller is configured to inject the combustible gas intermittently through the combustible gas guide pipe, and to perform a self-diagnostic process as to whether or not the combustible gas detector is functioning properly.

Abstract: A cogeneration system of the present invention includes: a power generation system equipped with a power generator; waste heat utilization system for recovering waste heat from the power generator, storing the heat, and utilize the waste heat as an effective output thermal energy; and a waste heat utilization promoting system for promoting utilization of the effective output thermal energy in the waste heat utilization system to avoid a stop of the system associated with a heat storage amount reaching a full amount. The waste heat utilization promoting system is equipped with a stop predicting function to predict an operation stop of the power generation system by comparing a current operating state with a reference pattern and computing an operation sustainable time, and a stop warning function to give the user a warning of the operation stop with an image or sound according to stop prediction information obtained.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes metal interconnects made from a multi-layer film composed of a first metal film formed on a semiconductor substrate with an insulating film sandwiched therebetween and a second metal film deposited on the first metal film. An interlayer insulating film having a via hole is formed on the metal interconnects. A third metal film is selectively grown on the second metal film within the via hole, so that a plug can be formed from the third metal film.

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: After a plurality of grooves are formed in an insulating film and in an antireflection film on the insulating film, a barrier metal film and a conductive film are deposited on the anti-reflection film such that each of the grooves is filled. Subsequently, the portions of the conductive film outside the grooves are removed by a first polishing step and then the portions of the barrier metal film outside the grooves are removed by polishing. Thereafter, foreign matter adhered to the surface of the anti-reflection film is removed and a third polishing step is conducted on the surface of the anti-reflection film using an abrasive agent of the same type as used in the first polishing step of the conductive film.