Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly of a gas-tight compartment and an optical voltage sensor that further comprises a module. The module comprises an electro-optic crystal and electrodes, wherein the electro-optic crystal is the only element of the module to mechanically connect the two electrodes and to bridge the potentials of the two electrodes. The assembly is particuarly suited to measure direct current voltages.

Abstract: A fiber-optic current sensor uses a highly-birefringent spun fiber as sensing fiber. The light is fed through a retarder, which is a detuned quarter-wave or half-wave retarder. It is shown that such detuning can be used to compensate for temperature dependencies of the sensing head.

Abstract: In order to measure the contrast of interference in an interference-based, closed-loop, phase-modulating optical sensor device, the gain of the feedback loop in a feedback controller is evaluated. This gain is found to be a measure for the contrast. The contrast evaluated in this way can e.g. be used for period-disambiguation when determining the measurand of the sensor device. The sensor device can e.g. be a high-voltage sensor or a current sensor.

Abstract: The optical interferometric sensor device comprises an integrated beam splitter having a first facet and a second facet with optical ports arranged therein. On the beam splitter, the beam splitting junctions as well as the optoelectronics-side ports and the sensing-side port are arranged with a mutual displacement along the direction of the first facet. This displacement reduces undesired interference effects caused by stray light. Also, a quarter-wave retarder is provided in a recess of the beam splitter with layers of soft adhesive adjacent to it in order to reduce stress.

Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly of a gas-tight compartment and an optical voltage sensor that further comprises a module. The module comprises an electro-optic crystal and electrodes, wherein the electro-optic crystal is the only element of the module to mechanically connect the two electrodes and to bridge the potentials of the two electrodes. The assembly is particuarly suited to measure direct current voltages.

Abstract: In order to measure the contrast of interference in an interference-based, closed-loop, phase-modulating optical sensor device, the gain of the feedback loop in a feedback controller (12) is evaluated. This gain is found to be a measure for the contrast. The contrast evaluated in this way can e.g. be used for period-disambiguation when determining the measurand of the sensor device. The sensor device can e.g. be a high-voltage sensor or a current sensor.

Abstract: In order to measure a voltage, an electro-optic element is placed in an electrical field generated by the voltage, and light is passed from a light source through a Faraday rotator and the electro-optic element onto a reflector and from there back through the electro-optic element and the Faraday rotator, thereby generating a voltage-dependent phase shift between two polarizations of the light. The interference contrast as well as a principal value of the total phase shift between said polarizations are measured and converted to a complex value having an absolute value equal to the contrast and a phase equal to the principal value. This complex value is offset and scaled using calibration values in order to calculate a compensated complex value. The voltage is derived from the compensated complex value.

Abstract: In a fiber-optic current sensor, a 22.5° Faraday rotator, which is part of the sensing fiber coil, determines the working point of the sensor. The coil is operated with substantially linearly polarized light or incoherent substantially left and right circularly polarized light waves. In one arrangement, a polarization beam splitter generates two optical signals that vary in anti-phase with changing current. A signal processor determines the current from the two anti-phase signals. Appropriately detuned and oriented fiber-optic half-wave or quarter-wave retarders before the fiber coil are used to reduce or cancel the adverse effects of temperature and bend-induced birefringence on the measurement signal. Moreover, the temperature may be derived from the difference in the bias of the anti-phase signals and may be used to cancel temperature effects in the signal processor.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and semiconductor-device manufacturing method that make it possible to improve the contact between an insulating film and a wiring member and the reliability thereof. This method for manufacturing a semiconductor device (100) includes a step in which a CF film (106) is formed on top of a semiconductor substrate (102), a step in which grooves (C) corresponding to a wiring pattern (P) are formed in the CF film (106), and a step in which a copper wiring member (114) is embedded in the grooves (C).

Abstract: An interferometric sensor and related methods are provided, with a sensing element whereby a measurand induces a relative phase shift between two waves, at least one detector measuring an interference signal between the two waves, and further including a phase shift detection unit having as input the interference signal and determining a first measure representative of the principal value of the relative phase shift, and a contrast detection unit having as input the interference signal for determining a second measure representative of the cross-correlation between the two waves, and a further a processing unit for converting the first and second measures to a measurand value.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for etching a group III-V semiconductor, including irradiating, under an atmosphere of an organic gas, neutral particles to a group III-V semiconductor layer formed on a substrate to cause a complex reaction, thereby etching the group III-V semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A fiber-optic current sensor uses a highly-birefringent spun fiber as sensing fiber. The light is fed through a retarder, which is a detuned quarter-wave or half-wave retarder. It is shown that such detuning can be used to compensate for temperature dependencies of the sensing head.

Abstract: Provided is a method of etching a transition metal-containing film using a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing container configured to define a processing chamber and a plasma generation chamber; and a shielding unit provided between the processing chamber and the plasma generation chamber and formed with a plurality of openings to communicate the processing chamber and the plasma generation chamber with each other. The shielding unit has a shielding property against ultraviolet rays. The method includes: supplying neutral particles of oxygen atoms to the processing chamber in which a workpiece is accommodated by generating plasma of a first gas containing oxygen in the plasma generation chamber; supplying a second gas to complex a transition metal oxidized while supplying the neutral particles of oxygen to the processing chamber; and supplying neutral particles of rare gas atoms to the processing chamber by generating plasma of a rare gas.

Abstract: In a fiber-optic current sensor, a 22.5° Faraday rotator, which is part of the sensing fiber coil, determines the working point of the sensor. The coil is operated with substantially linearly polarized light or incoherent substantially left and right circularly polarized light waves. In one arrangement, a polarization beam splitter generates two optical signals that vary in anti-phase with changing current. A signal processor determines the current from the two anti-phase signals. Appropriately detuned and oriented fiber-optic half-wave or quarter-wave retarders before the fiber coil are used to reduce or cancel the adverse effects of temperature and bend-induced birefringence on the measurement signal. Moreover, the temperature may be derived from the difference in the bias of the anti-phase signals and may be used to cancel temperature effects in the signal processor.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and semiconductor-device manufacturing method that make it possible to improve the contact between an insulating film and a wiring member and the reliability thereof. This method for manufacturing a semiconductor device (100) includes a step in which a CF film (106) is formed on top of a semiconductor substrate (102), a step in which grooves (C) corresponding to a wiring pattern (P) are formed in the CF film (106), and a step in which a copper wiring member (114) is embedded in the grooves (C).

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of a multilayer wiring structure that comprises a CFx film as an interlayer insulating film, that can make the most of the advantage of the CFx film having a low dielectric constant, and that can prevent degradation of the properties of the CFx film due to CMP. The method of this invention includes (a) forming a CFx film, (b) forming a recess of a predetermined pattern on the CFx film, (c) providing a wiring layer so as to bury the recess and to cover the CFx film, and (d) removing the excess wiring layer on the CFx film other than in the recess by CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing), thereby exposing a surface of the CFx film, wherein (e) nitriding the surface of the CFx film is provided before or after (b).

Abstract: Provided is a method of etching a transition metal-containing film using a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing container configured to define a processing chamber and a plasma generation chamber; and a shielding unit provided between the processing chamber and the plasma generation chamber and formed with a plurality of openings to communicate the processing chamber and the plasma generation chamber with each other. The shielding unit has a shielding property against ultraviolet rays. The method includes: supplying neutral particles of oxygen atoms to the processing chamber in which a workpiece is accommodated by generating plasma of a first gas containing oxygen in the plasma generation chamber; supplying a second gas to complex a transition metal oxidized while supplying the neutral particles of oxygen to the processing chamber; and supplying neutral particles of rare gas atoms to the processing chamber by generating plasma of a rare gas.

Abstract: During the production of a semiconductor device having a Cu wiring line of a damascene structure, diffusion of fluorine from a CF film that serves as an interlayer insulating film is prevented in cases where a heat treatment is carried out, thereby suppressing increase in the leakage current. A semiconductor device of the present invention having a damascene wiring structure is provided with: an interlayer insulating film (2) that is formed of, for example, a fluorine-added carbon film; and a copper wiring line (4) that is embedded in the interlayer insulating film. A barrier metal layer (6) close to the copper wiring line and a fluorine barrier film (5) close to the interlayer insulating film are formed between the interlayer insulating film and the copper wiring line.

Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of a multilayer wiring structure that comprises a CFx film as an interlayer insulating film, that can make the most of the advantage of the CFx film having a low dielectric constant, and that can prevent degradation of the properties of the CFx film due to CMP. The method of this invention includes (a) forming a CFx film, (b) forming a recess of a predetermined pattern on the CFx film, (c) providing a wiring layer so as to bury the recess and to cover the CFx film, and (d) removing the excess wiring layer on the CFx film other than in the recess by CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing), thereby exposing a surface of the CFx film, wherein (e) nitriding the surface of the CFx film is provided before or after (b).

Abstract: [Problem] To improve polishing efficiency while lowering shear force added to semiconductor wafers while increasing polishing speed, without damaging the wafer's processing surface or the membrane under it. [Solution Method] Pressing the revolving head or carrier 34 that holds fixed the semiconductor wafer 10 to the polishing pad or polishing cloth 30 attached to rotating polishing table 32 in this CMP device and while rotating carrier 34 and polishing table 32 respectively, and supplying liquid slurry to polishing pad 30 from nozzle 36, planarization by chemical processes and mechanical processes is carried out by removing membranes of the lower face of semiconductor wafer 10 (the processing surface). The chemical mechanical polishing process of the present invention in regard to the size of the relationship between the rotation rate of semiconductor wafer 10 fW and the number of rotations of polishing pad 30 fP has 3 fp<fW as its lower limit and 4 fp<fW<8 fp is ideal conditions.