Abstract: Chamber components for an epitaxial growth apparatus are disclosed. A reaction chamber defined and formed by a ceiling plate. A reactant gas is rectified in a reactant gas supply path disposed in the side wall, so that a horizontal component in a flow direction of the reactant gas in the reaction chamber corresponds to a horizontal component in a direction extending from the center of an opening of the reactant gas supply path. Improvements to the upper side wall, susceptor and rectification plate of the epitaxial growth apparatus have resulted in improvements to the uniformity and formation speed of the epitaxial layer formed on substrates resulting in higher throughput and lower defects.

Abstract: A processing chamber for processing a substrate is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the processing chamber includes a support shaft assembly. The support shaft assembly has a ring shaped susceptor, a disc shaped heat plate, and a support shaft system. The support shaft system supports the susceptor and the heat plate, such that the susceptor is supported above the heat plate defining a gap between the heat plate and the susceptor. In another embodiment, the heat plate includes a plurality of grooves and the susceptor includes a plurality of fins. The fins are configured to sit within the grooves such that the susceptor is supported above the heat plate, defining a gap between the heat plate and the susceptor. In another embodiment, a method of processing a substrate in the aforementioned embodiments is disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method of estimating an ideal air-fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine, comprises receiving an output of an upstream air-fuel ratio sensor and an output of a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor, the upstream air-fuel ratio sensor being attached to an exhaust gas passage such that it is positioned upstream of a catalyst provided in the exhaust gas passage to purify an exhaust gas, the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor being attached to the exhaust gas passage such that it is positioned downstream of the catalyst; detecting a state in which the catalyst does not store or release oxygen based on the output of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor; and deciding as an estimated ideal air-fuel ratio in the internal combustion engine an air-fuel ratio detected by the upstream air-fuel ratio sensor when the state in which the catalyst does not store or release oxygen is detected.

Abstract: A ceiling portion for use in a processing apparatus and an epitaxial growth apparatus having the ceiling portion are disclosed herein. In one embodiment the ceiling portion includes a ring shaped support and a ceiling plate. The ring shaped support includes an inner surface having a first slope portion decreasing from a top surface of the ring shaped support towards a center of the ring shaped support and a protrusion, protruding from the inner surface, having a second slope portion decreasing in a protruding direction towards the center of the ring shaped support. The ceiling plate is coupled to the support. In another embodiment, the first slope portion and the second slope portion meet at a point, wherein an angle formed by the first slope portion and the second slope portion is less than 90 degrees.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a lower side wall for use in a processing chamber. In one embodiment, the lower side wall includes an annular body. The annular body as an inner circumference, an outer circumference, a plurality of flanges projecting from the inner circumference, and a first concave portion formed in the outer circumference. The outer circumference has a plurality of grooves arranged in a circumferential direction of the lower side wall. In another embodiment, the annular body further includes a top surface having a mounting surface formed thereon and a second concave portion formed opposite the first concave portion. The second concave portion has a plurality of purge holes. In another embodiment, each groove of the plurality of grooves formed in the first concave portion has an arc shape.

Abstract: A susceptor support portion of the present invention includes a susceptor shaft and a substrate lift portion. The susceptor shaft includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the substrate lift portion includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the arm of the susceptor shaft includes a first arm, a second arm coupled to the first arm, and a third arm coupled to the second arm, from the support column side of the susceptor shaft, the second arm being provided with a through hole which passes through the second arm in a vertical direction, and a width of the first arm of the susceptor shaft is smaller than a width of the second arm of the susceptor shaft.

Abstract: A susceptor support portion of the present invention includes a susceptor shaft and a substrate lift portion. The susceptor shaft includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the substrate lift portion includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the arm of the susceptor shaft includes a first arm, a second arm coupled to the first arm, and a third arm coupled to the second arm, from the support column side of the susceptor shaft, the second arm being provided with a through hole which passes through the second arm in a vertical direction, and a width of the first arm of the susceptor shaft is smaller than a width of the second arm of the susceptor shaft.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system of an internal combustion engine comprises a fuel amount determiner for determining a fuel command value. The fuel amount determiner has a feedback control mode in which the fuel amount determiner determines a running state reference coefficient corresponding to a running state detected by a running state detector based on a first correspondence stored in the memory, determines a running state compensation coefficient corresponding to the running state detected by the running state detector based on a second correspondence stored in the memory, determines a feedback compensation coefficient used to cause an air-fuel ratio to reach a value closer to a theoretical air-fuel ratio based on an output of the air-fuel ratio sensor, and determines the fuel command value using a formula including the determined running state reference coefficient, the determined running state compensation coefficient, and the determined feedback compensation coefficient.

Abstract: A method of estimating an ideal air-fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine, comprises receiving an output of an upstream air-fuel ratio sensor and an output of a downstream air-fuel ratio sensor, the upstream air-fuel ratio sensor being attached to an exhaust gas passage such that it is positioned upstream of a catalyst provided in the exhaust gas passage to purify an exhaust gas, the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor being attached to the exhaust gas passage such that it is positioned downstream of the catalyst; detecting a state in which the catalyst does not store or release oxygen based on the output of the downstream air-fuel ratio sensor; and deciding as an estimated ideal air-fuel ratio in the internal combustion engine an air-fuel ratio detected by the upstream air-fuel ratio sensor when the state in which the catalyst does not store or release oxygen is detected.

Abstract: A susceptor support portion of the present invention includes a susceptor shaft and a substrate lift portion. The susceptor shaft includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the substrate lift portion includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the arm of the susceptor shaft includes a first arm, a second arm coupled to the first arm, and a third arm coupled to the second arm, from the support column side of the susceptor shaft, the second arm being provided with a through hole which passes through the second arm in a vertical direction, and a width of the first arm of the susceptor shaft is smaller than a width of the second arm of the susceptor shaft.

Abstract: A susceptor support portion of the present invention includes a susceptor shaft and a substrate lift portion. The susceptor shaft includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the substrate lift portion includes a support column and a plurality of arms that extend radially from the support column, the arm of the susceptor shaft includes a first arm, a second arm coupled to the first arm, and a third arm coupled to the second arm, from the support column side of the susceptor shaft, the second arm being provided with a through hole which passes through the second arm in a vertical direction, and a width of the first arm of the susceptor shaft is smaller than a width of the second arm of the susceptor shaft.

Abstract: When a reaction chamber defined and formed by a ceiling plate as a top face, a substrate mounting portion as a bottom face, and a side wall as a lateral face is constructed, the ceiling plate is supported by a support at the circumferential edge of the ceiling plate from the upper side and the outer side of the circumferential edge, and the reactant gas is rectified in a reactant gas supply path disposed in the side wall so that a horizontal component in a flow direction of the reactant gas in the reaction chamber corresponds to a horizontal component in a direction extending from the center of an opening of the reactant gas supply path facing the reaction chamber to the center of the reaction chamber.

Abstract: An epitaxial growth device comprises a reaction chamber defined by a substrate setting portion, a ceiling board and a sidewall portion, a heating member and reactant gas-introduction member. The ceiling board is fixed to a ring-like support portion having a through-hole as viewed from above. A diameter of the through-hole becomes reduced gradually toward a substrate-side. The ceiling board is fixed to an end portion of the substrate-side of the through-hole.

Abstract: A liquefier system includes: a feed line configured to feed a raw material gas from a raw material supply source such that a pressure of the raw material gas in a predetermined portion of the feed line is kept higher than or equal to a predetermined pressure; a cooling medium circulation line configured to cause a cooling medium to circulate; a static pressure gas bearing configured to be supplied with the gas that has a pressure higher than or equal to the predetermined pressure and to rotatably support a rotating shaft of an expansion turbine; and a bearing supply line configured to connect the predetermined portion of the feed line and a gas inlet of the static pressure gas bearing, such that the gas is supplied to the static pressure gas bearing.

Abstract: A susceptor device includes: a placement section on which a substrate is placed; a lift pin which is provided in the placement section and protrudes further to the upper side than the placement section at the time of carrying-in or carrying-out of the substrate, thereby supporting the substrate placed on the placement section; and lift pin moving means for moving the lift pin up and down. At the time of carrying-in or carrying-out of the substrate, the substrate is moved up and down by moving the lift pin up and down by the lift pin moving means in a state where the substrate is supported by the lift pin, and the susceptor device further includes a control section which controls the lift pin moving means so as to reduce a movement speed immediately before the substrate and the lift pin come into contact with each other, in a case of moving the lift pin.

Abstract: In a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an epitaxial wafer with a wafer being mounted substantially concentrically with a susceptor, a center rod is provided to extend in an up-and-down direction on a side of a non-mounting surface of the susceptor so that its upper end is adjacent to the center of the susceptor. With this arrangement, part of radiation light irradiated toward the susceptor is diffusely reflected by the center rod before reaching the central portion of the susceptor, thereby reducing the amount of the radiation light irradiated to the central portion of the susceptor as well as lowering the temperature of the portion. Since the center rod and the susceptor are not in surface contact, the center rod does not take the heat from the susceptor, thereby suppressing the temperature from decreasing locally at the central portion of the susceptor.

Abstract: An ECU is used in a motorcycle including an engine E, which combusts in a combustion chamber a blended fuel in which gasoline and ethanol are blended, and a fuel injection device for injecting a fuel with a predetermined fuel injection amount such that an air excess ratio in the combustion chamber is a first predetermined value when an ethanol concentration of the blended fuel is zero. The ECU executes O2 feedback control based on an O2 concentration derived from an output of an O2 sensor. Further, the ECU calculates an actual fuel compensation ratio by dividing a fuel injection amount after the O2 feedback control by a predetermined fuel injection amount, and estimates the concentration of the alternative fuel based on this actual fuel compensation ratio and a first predetermined value stored in the ECU.

Abstract: An air-fuel ratio control system of an internal combustion engine comprises a fuel amount determiner for determining a fuel command value. The fuel amount determiner has a feedback control mode in which the fuel amount determiner determines a running state reference coefficient corresponding to a running state detected by a running state detector based on a first correspondence stored in the memory, determines a running state compensation coefficient corresponding to the running state detected by the running state detector based on a second correspondence stored in the memory, determines a feedback compensation coefficient used to cause an air-fuel ratio to reach a value closer to a theoretical air-fuel ratio based on an output of the air-fuel ratio sensor, and determines the fuel command value using a formula including the determined running state reference coefficient, the determined running state compensation coefficient, and the determined feedback compensation coefficient.

Abstract: An ECU is used in a motorcycle including an engine E, which combusts in a combustion chamber a blended fuel in which gasoline and ethanol are blended, and a fuel injection device for injecting a fuel with a predetermined fuel injection amount such that an air excess ratio in the combustion chamber is a first predetermined value when an ethanol concentration of the blended fuel is zero. The ECU executes O2 feedback control based on an O2 concentration derived from an output of an O2 sensor. Further, the ECU calculates an actual fuel compensation ratio by dividing a fuel injection amount after the O2 feedback control by a predetermined fuel injection amount, and estimates the concentration of the alternative fuel based on this actual fuel compensation ratio and a first predetermined value stored in the ECU.