Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises a processing section for performing processing for a substrate, a substrate carrier transfer section into/out of which a substrate carrier holding a plurality of substrates is carried, and a substrate transfer mechanism for taking an unprocessed substrate out of the substrate carrier carried into the substrate carrier transfer section to deliver it to the processing section and for receiving a processed substrate from the processing section to deliver it into the substrate carrier placed on the substrate carrier transfer section. The substrate carrier transfer section shifts the position of the substrate carrier between a first position at which the substrate carrier is carried to/from the outside and a second position at which the substrate in the substrate carrier is delivered to/from the substrate transfer mechanism.

Abstract: A thermophotovoltaic power generating apparatus that heats an emitter by a combustion gas produced by fuel and air, and converts light radiated from the emitter into electric power by using photoelectric conversion elements. An air pipe is disposed in an internal hollow portion of the emitter, and a combustion gas supplier for supplying the combustion gas toward the emitter is disposed outside the emitter. The photoelectric conversion elements that receive radiated light are disposed further outside of the emitter. Therefore, residual heat of the combustion gas that has heated the emitter is utilized to heat the air needed for the combustion of fuel, and light radiated from the heated emitter is received by the photoelectric conversion elements. Thus, electric power generating efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: A networked printing system has the capability of selecting a particular paper feeding slot of a printer by designating a paper name assigned to that particular paper feeding slot. Thus, an optimum printing operation is performed by the printer assigned that paper name. A controller communicates with the respective printers and produces a paper name information table. A paper name list is then produced according to this paper name information table. In accordance with the paper name list, a list of selectable paper names is displayed on a printing operation control screen. If a particular paper name is selected by a user from this list, then a printer assigned the selected paper name is retrieved from the paper name information table, and the retrieve printer is employed as the destination to which printing information is output.

Abstract: A solution having a photosensitive radical is applied onto a resist film, a developing solution is applied thereonto, and the entire surface of the solution having the photosensitive radical is exposed all at once. Developing of the resist film progresses all at once after a coating film of the solution having the photosensitive radical dissolves in the developing solution, and hence time difference in the start time of developing does not occur in the surface of a substrate, thereby enabling uniform developing and an improvement in line width uniformity (CD value uniformity) in the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The system comprises a multistage spin unit having a plurality of compartments stacked vertically in a multistage, a main arm mechanism comprising a wafer holder and driving means for causing the wafer holder to advance and retreat longitudinally, moving the wafer holder up and down along a vertical shaft and turning the wafer holder around the vertical shaft, a spin chuck provided on each of the compartments for holding and spin-rotating the wafer delivered by the main arm mechanism, a cup for surrounding the spin chuck to receive and discharge a treatment solution separated from the substrate by centrifugal force, a shared nozzle for supplying the treatment solution toward the substrate held by the spin chuck in the compartment, a nozzle moving passageway provided along the multistage spin unit for communicating with each compartment to move the shared nozzle therethrough, and a nozzle moving mechanism for moving the shared nozzle.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises a processing section for performing processing for a substrate, a substrate carrier transfer section into/out of which a substrate carrier holding a plurality of substrates is carried, and a substrate transfer mechanism for taking an unprocessed substrate out of the substrate carrier carried into the substrate carrier transfer section to deliver it to the processing section and for receiving a processed substrate from the processing section to deliver it into the substrate carrier placed on the substrate carrier transfer section. The substrate carrier transfer section shifts the position of the substrate carrier between a first position at which the substrate carrier is carried to/from the outside and a second position at which the substrate in the substrate carrier is delivered to/from the substrate transfer mechanism.

Abstract: A hair clip comprises a first clip body with one end thereof formed as a first handling portion and the other end formed as a first hair clipping portion, a second clip body with one end thereof formed as a second handling portion and the other end formed as a second hair clipping portion, a coupler for coupling the first clip body and the second clip body with each other so that the first hair clipping portion and the second hair clipping portion are made opened and closed by operating the first handling portion and the second handling portion, and an urging device for urging the first hair clipping portion and the second hair clipping portion in a direction of closing them, and at least one of the first handling portion and the second handling portion has a first part made of a first material and a second part made of a second material as a flexible material more flexible than the first material.

Abstract: A process solution supplying apparatus for supplying a process solution onto a substrate to be processed, comprising a process solution supply source, a process solution supply tube having its upstream end connected to the process solution supply source and serving to discharge the process solution from the downstream end thereof onto the substrate, a fluid passageway opening-closing valve device mounted on a downstream side of the process solution supply tube for opening-closing the process solution supply tube, and a temperature adjusting solution tube, through which flows a temperature adjusting solution, arranged continuously through the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device in a downstream portion of the process solution supply tube including the fluid passageway opening-closing valve device for adjusting the temperature of the process solution within the process solution supply tube.

Abstract: A solution having a photosensitive radical is applied onto a resist film, a developing solution is applied thereonto, and the entire surface of the solution having the photosensitive radical is exposed all at once. Developing of the resist film progresses all at once after a coating film of the solution having the photosensitive radical dissolves in the developing solution, and hence time difference in the start time of developing does not occur in the surface of a substrate, thereby enabling uniform developing and an improvement in line width uniformity (CD value uniformity) in the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A TiCN-based cermet comprises 5-25 weight % of a binder phase mainly composed of Co and/or Ni, the balance being substantially a hard phase and inevitable impurities, the hard phase being mainly composed of carbide, nitride and/or carbonitride and containing at least Ti and W, the cermet having a cross-section microstructure in which the number of Ti-rich particles having an area of 0.02 &mgr;m2 or more is 1000 or less per a unit area of 1000 &mgr;m2.

Abstract: In case a file is prepared by executing an application, the fee for the use of the application is charged according to whether such file is subjected to an output process. Thus the user of the application need not pay the fee for the use of the application for the mere preparation of the file by using the application.

Abstract: A gas supplied from a gas source is exposed to an atmosphere above a liquid surface in a tank saving the liquid and thereafter is supplied around a wafer in a treatment chamber through a gas supply passage and a supply port. The gas supplied around the wafer uniformly flows from around the wafer toward above the center of the wafer and thereafter is discharged from an exhaust port which is formed at the top of the treatment chamber. Meanwhile, with respect to the wafer, heat treatment is performed by a heating mechanism and a predetermined PEB is carried out. The humidified gas is supplied into the treatment chamber, thereby preventing drying in the treatment chamber. Therefore, water in resist is not taken out, resulting in that a required resist pattern can be formed on the wafer.

Abstract: A resist pattern forming apparatus comprising a controller having a controlling portion that controls a processing of a coating and developing apparatus with a coating unit and a developing unit being provided therewith and an aligner being connected thereto, while an inspecting portion and the like measures at least one of a plurality of measurement items selected from, a reflection ratio and a film thickness of a base film and a resist film, a line width after the development, an accuracy that the base film matches with a resist pattern, a defect after the development, and so on. The measured data is transmitted to the controller. At the controller, a parameter subject to an amendment is selected based on the corresponding data of each of the measurement item such as the film thickness of the resist and the line width after the development, and the amendment of the parameters subject to the amendment is performed.

Abstract: A cassette station, a processing station having a coating unit and a developing unit, and an inspecting station having a film thickness inspecting apparatus and a defect inspecting apparatus are disposed in the direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the disposition of cassettes of the cassette station in such a manner that the inspecting station is disposed midway between the cassette station and the processing station. In the structure, the inspecting station and the processing station are connected and wafers are automatically transferred among the stations, operations from the substrate process to the inspection can be simplified and the time period necessary therefore can be shortened.

Abstract: An apparatus for the coating treatment comprises a coating section for coating a substrate with a process solution, a heating section for heating the substrate coated with the process solution, and a recovery section for recovering at least a part of the solvent vapor contained in the hot exhaust gas discharged from the heating section. The recovery section includes a cooling apparatus, and the hot exhaust gas containing a solvent vapor generated from the substrate when the substrate is subjected to a heating treatment is passed through the cooling apparatus so as to cool and condense at least a part of the solvent vapor contained in the hot exhaust gas so as to recover the solvent in the form of a liquid.

Abstract: Discharge holes and suction holes having shapes that suppress the turbulence of a refrigerant gas flow are disclosed. The shape of the discharge hole according to the present invention has a tapered surface wall, such that the circumference of the discharge hole increases from the piston cylinder surface to the discharge chamber surface. Similarly, the shape of the suction hole according to the present invention has a tapered surface wall such that the circumference of the suction hole increases from the suction chamber surface to the piston cylinder surface. The present invention allows the flow path of the refrigerant gas to flow approximately tangential to the valve reed by providing a tapered surface wall. The flow resistance of the discharge hole or the suction hole is reduced such that the volume efficiency of the compressor is improved and compressor noise is suppressed.

Abstract: A process solution supply system, comprising a process solution supply source from which a process solution is supplied, an intermediate storage mechanism for temporarily storing the process solution supplied from the process solution supply source and for supplying the process solution with predetermined pressure applied thereto, and a fluid supply mechanism for supplying the intermediate storage mechanism with a fluid which applies pressure to the process solution stored in the intermediate storage mechanism, the intermediate storage mechanism including a vessel which has an introduction port and a discharge port for the process solution, stores the process solution supplied through the introduction port and can discharge the process solution, and a compressing member, arranged inside the vessel to be located between the process solution and the fluid supplied from the fluid supply mechanism, for permitting pressure of the fluid to act on the process solution.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprises a cassette station for loading and unloading a cassette storing a plurality of substrates, a sub-transfer arm mechanism arranged in the cassette station, for loading/unloading a substrate into/from the cassette, and a process station for processing a plurality of substrates unloaded from the cassette station, simultaneously in parallel, in which the process station comprises a front-stage station block adjoined to the cassette station and having a plurality of first process units for processing a substrate, a first main transfer arm mechanism arranged in the front-stage station block, for transferring a substrate to/from the sub-transfer arm mechanism and loading/unloading the substrate into/from the first process unit, a rear-stage station block adjoined to the front-stage station block and having a plurality of second process units for processing a substrate, and a second main transfer arm mechanism arranged in the rear-stage station block for transferring

Abstract: In order to increase productivity of spiral machining, to provide a low-cost scroll member for a scroll type of fluid machinery, and to provide a scroll type of fluid machinery that does not generate a burr in a base plate surface at the time of finishing, a scroll member (39) has a spiral element (43) formed in a spiral shape around an axis and a base plate (41) provided in one piece in an end face of the spiral element (43) in an axial direction. In addition, the scroll member (39) compresses fluid with forming a fluid pocket between the spiral elements by performing swing motion that is prevented from relatively rotating to a counterpart of scroll member having a spiral element meshing with the spiral element (43) and a base plate facing to the base plate (41).

Abstract: A scroll-type fluid displacement apparatus comprises a housing having an inlet port and outlet port and is made of non-ferrous metal. The housing has a first casing and second casing that is connected to the first casing. A fixed scroll is fixedly disposed within the housing and has a first circular end plate from which a first spiral element entered into the housing. An orbiting scroll has a pair of parallel first grooves formed on a second circular end plate. A second spiral element extends from the second circular end plate such that the first spiral element interfits the second spiral element at an angular and radial offset to make a plurality of line contacts to define a pair of fluid pockets within the housing. A driving mechanism is connected to the orbiting scroll to effect orbital motion of the orbiting scroll. An Oldham ring is coupled to the orbiting scroll for preventing rotation of the orbiting scroll during orbital motion.