Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus includes a capacitor capable of being connected in parallel with a first battery, first switches that switch the connection state between a plurality of the first batteries and the capacitor, a detection circuit, a second switch that switches the connection state between the capacitor and the detection circuit, a changeover switch that switches the connection state between a second battery and the capacitor, a controller, and a diagnostic unit. The controller turns on the changeover switch to apply a voltage to the capacitor from the second battery, the detection circuit subsequently detects a potential difference or a discharge current, and the diagnostic unit diagnoses at least one of the capacitor, a lowermost first switch, and the second switch.

Abstract: A door handle includes door handle case, a first detection electrode and a second detection electrode disposed in the door handle case, and a controller connected to the first detection electrode and the second detection electrode. The controller separately measures a first capacitance between the first detection electrode and an operation body and a second capacitance between the second detection electrode and the operation body, and the controller determines whether a locking operation is performed by the operation body based on one or both of the first capacitance and the second capacitance.

Abstract: An operation detection device includes an electrostatic sensor accommodated inside a casing and including a first conductor and a second conductor, and a controller electrically connected to the first conductor and the second conductor, and applies a voltage to each of the first conductor and the second conductor, to measure an electrostatic capacitance of each of the first conductor and the second conductor. The first conductor is arranged in and the second conductor is not arranged in a detection region in which an operating body is detected by the electrostatic sensor. The first conductor and the second conductor are arranged in a non-detection region in which the operating body is not detected.

Abstract: A door handle includes a door handle case and an electrostatic sensor provided in the door handle case. The electrostatic sensor includes a detection electrode that is formed of a flat conductor plate, or that is formed on a surface of a flat substrate or within a flat substrate. The detection electrode includes a middle portion in a longitudinal direction of the detection electrode and includes peripheral portions proximal to both end portions of the detection electrode in the longitudinal direction. For a width of the detection electrode in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each peripheral portion is wider than the middle portion, and the width of the detection electrode gradually increases toward each end portion in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a partition plate, an antenna, and a high frequency power supply. The partition plate has a plurality of holes and partitions an inside of the processing container into a plasma generation chamber and a processing chamber. The antenna generates plasma of the plasma excitation gas supplied into the plasma generation chamber. The high frequency power supply generates plasma of a precoating gas supplied into the plasma generation chamber and introduced into the processing chamber through the plurality of holes of the partition plate. The plasma processing apparatus performs a precoating on a surface of a partition plate on a side of the processing chamber by causing the high frequency power supply to generate plasma of the precoating gas before a plasma processing using the plasma of the plasma excitation gas is performed.

Abstract: A controller identifies, when a contact position of a finger is detected by a detector, an object on a screen of a display device designated by the contact made on an input surface, on the basis of the contact position detected by the detector. When the object on the screen is identified, the control unit selects the object as an object to be moved, according to pressing force detected by the detector. When the contact position detected by the detector moves, with the object on the screen kept selected as the object to be moved, the controller moves such object to be moved on the screen, according to the movement of the contact position.

Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing including: a plasma generation source configured to generate the plasma within the processing container; a substrate holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate within the processing container; a separation plate disposed between the plasma generation source and the substrate holding mechanism and having a plurality of openings formed therein, in which the plurality of openings are configured to neutralize the plasma generated in the plasma generation source so as to form neutral particles, and to irradiate the neutral particles onto the substrate; and a directivity adjusting mechanism configured to adjust directivity of the neutral particles irradiated onto the substrate such that a plurality of peak values of an incident angle distribution of the neutral particles on the substrate are distributed at positions which are deviated from a normal direction of the substrate and located on both sides of the normal direction.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a partition plate, an antenna, and a high frequency power supply. The partition plate has a plurality of holes and partitions an inside of the processing container into a plasma generation chamber and a processing chamber. The antenna generates plasma of the plasma excitation gas supplied into the plasma generation chamber. The high frequency power supply generates plasma of a precoating gas supplied into the plasma generation chamber and introduced into the processing chamber through the plurality of holes of the partition plate. The plasma processing apparatus performs a precoating on a surface of a partition plate on a side of the processing chamber by causing the high frequency power supply to generate plasma of the precoating gas before a plasma processing using the plasma of the plasma excitation gas is performed.

Abstract: A drive circuit for a semiconductor switching element includes an overcurrent protection circuit, a short-circuit protection circuit, and a determination time changing circuit. The overcurrent protection circuit judges that a principal current become an overcurrent when a sense voltage proportional to magnitude of the principal current excesses over a first threshold value, and then reduces the principal current. The short-circuit protection circuit reduces a gate voltage of the semiconductor switching element more quickly than the reduction of the principal current by the overcurrent protection circuit when the principal current becomes a greater overcurrent. The determination time changing circuit makes a determination time needed for determining whether or not to operate the overcurrent protection circuit longer when the magnitude of the principal current gets smaller based on a comparison result between the judgement result of the overcurrent protection circuit and a second threshold value.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming a low dielectric constant film on a substrate placed in a processing chamber inside a processing container. The method includes: generating plasma using microwaves by supplying at least a noble gas to a plasma generation chamber, which is formed above the processing chamber inside the processing container; forming a low dielectric constant film on the substrate by supplying particles from the plasma generation chamber to the processing chamber and supplying a precursor gas to the processing chamber through a shield unit provided between the plasma generation chamber and the processing chamber, the shield unit having a plurality of openings configured to communicate the plasma generation chamber with the processing chamber, and having a shielding property against ultraviolet light; and then, performing a heat treatment on the substrate.

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 carbon film formation method according to an exemplary embodiment includes supplying an aromatic hydrocarbon gas having a methyl group into a processing chamber that accommodates a workpiece; generating plasma of a noble gas in a plasma generating chamber that is isolated from the processing chamber by a shielding unit; supplying particles in the plasma into the processing chamber through an opening in the shielding unit; and irradiating the particles to the aromatic hydrocarbon gas to form a carbon film having a ?-conjugated ring structure or a ?-conjugated chain structure on the workpiece.

Abstract: In a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment, a processing container defines a space including a plasma generation chamber and a processing chamber disposed under the plasma generation chamber. A first gas supply system supplies noble gas to the plasma generation chamber. The plasma generation chamber is sealed by a dielectric window. An antenna supplies a microwave to the plasma generation chamber via the dielectric window. A second gas supply system supplies a precursor gas to the processing chamber. A shield portion is disposed between the plasma generation chamber and the processing chamber. The shield portion includes a plurality of openings providing communication between the plasma generation chamber and the processing chamber, and has ultraviolet ray shielding property. In this film forming apparatus, the pressure in the plasma generation chamber is set greater than the pressure in the processing chamber by a factor of 4 or more.

Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing including: a plasma generation source configured to generate the plasma within the processing container; a substrate holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate within the processing container; a separation plate disposed between the plasma generation source and the substrate holding mechanism and having a plurality of openings formed therein, in which the plurality of openings are configured to neutralize the plasma generated in the plasma generation source so as to form neutral particles, and to irradiate the neutral particles onto the substrate; and a directivity adjusting mechanism configured to adjust directivity of the neutral particles irradiated onto the substrate such that a plurality of peak values of an incident angle distribution of the neutral particles on the substrate are distributed at positions which are deviated from a normal direction of the substrate and located on both sides of the normal direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor switching element drive circuit includes a semiconductor that passes main current between first and second terminals when voltage is imposed to a gate terminal, and an over current protection circuit that decreases the main current when the main current is judged to become over current for a certain period when exceeding a predetermined current value when current value or voltage value proportional to an amplitude of the main current exceeds a threshold value. The circuit also includes a short circuit protection circuit that decreases gate voltage imposed to the gate terminal earlier than a fall of the main current produced by the over current protection circuit when the main current becomes larger than the over current in a period shorter than the certain period, and a threshold value change circuit that decreases a threshold value when the short circuit protection circuit decreases the main current.

Abstract: A method of forming metal carbide barrier layers for fluorocarbon films in semiconductor devices is described. The method includes depositing a fluorocarbon film on a substrate and depositing a metal-containing layer on the fluorocarbon film at a first temperature, where the metal-containing layer reacts with the fluorocarbon film to form a metal fluoride layer at an interface between the metal-containing layer and the fluorocarbon film. The method further includes heat-treating the metal-containing layer at a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature, wherein the heat-treating the metal-containing layer removes fluorine from the metal fluoride layer by diffusion through the metal-containing layer and forms a metal carbide barrier layer at the interface between the metal-containing layer and the fluorocarbon film, and wherein the metal-containing layer survives the heat-treating at the second temperature without blistering or pealing.

Abstract: A semiconductor switching element drive circuit includes a semiconductor that passes main current between first and second terminals when voltage is imposed to a gate terminal, and an over current protection circuit that decreases the main current when the main current is judged to become over current for a certain period when exceeding a predetermined current value when current value or voltage value proportional to an amplitude of the main current exceeds a threshold value. The circuit also includes a short circuit protection circuit that decreases gate voltage imposed to the gate terminal earlier than a fall of the main current produced by the over current protection circuit when the main current becomes larger than the over current in a period shorter than the certain period, and a threshold value change circuit that decreases a threshold value when the short circuit protection circuit decreases the main current.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe methods for forming fluorocarbon (CF) films for semiconductor devices. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate, depositing a CF film on the substrate, generating, in the absence of a plasma, a treatment gas containing a gaseous specie having a molecular dipole, and treating the CF film with the treatment gas containing the gaseous specie having the molecular dipole to reduce the number of dangling bonds in the CF film. According to some embodiments, the method further includes depositing a second CF film on the treated CF film. According to some embodiments, the CF films may be deposited using a microwave plasma source containing a radial line slot antenna (RLSA).

Abstract: A method of forming an amorphous carbon layer on an insulating layer includes the step of forming an amorphous carbon layer using a plasma reaction process. The amorphous carbon layer is formed in an atmosphere containing a plasma excitation gas, a CxHy series gas, a silicon-containing gas, and an oxygen-containing gas.

Abstract: A short-circuit protection circuit (12) configured to protect a switching element from an overcurrent includes: a potential decreasing means for decreasing a potential of a gate terminal when a main circuit current is an overcurrent; a feedback means for performing feedback control on an amount of a decrease in the gate potential caused by the potential decreasing means according to a current amount of the main circuit current; and a phase advancing means for performing phase advance compensation in a feedback loop under the feedback control.