Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a stacked body, a fluid manifold, a first terminal plate, a first insulator, a first end plate, a terminal electrode, and a heat pipe assembly. The first terminal plate is provided on a first end of the stacked body in a stacking direction. The first insulator is provided on the first terminal plate in the stacking direction. The first end plate is provided on the first insulator in the stacking direction. The terminal electrode is connected to the first terminal plate and protrudes from the first end plate in the stacking direction. The heat pipe assembly includes a heat receiving portion and a heat dissipation portion. The heat receiving portion is disposed in the fluid manifold to receive heat from a fluid. The heat dissipation portion is connected to the terminal electrode to release heat received at the heat receiving portion to the terminal electrode.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes fuel cells, a reactant gas channel, a reactant gas inlet manifold, a reactant gas outlet manifold, an inlet buffer portion, and an outlet buffer portion. A reactant gas flows through the reactant gas channel along a surface of a separator. The reactant gas flows through the reactant gas inlet manifold and the reactant gas outlet manifold in a stacking direction. The inlet buffer portion connects an inlet of the reactant gas channel to the reactant gas inlet manifold. The inlet buffer portion includes linear inlet guide protrusions. Inlet guide channels are provided between the linear inlet guide protrusions and connect the reactant gas inlet manifold to the reactant gas channel. A pitch between the linear inlet guide protrusions increases in accordance with an increase in a distance from the reactant gas inlet manifold to the linear inlet guide protrusions.

Abstract: A power generation unit of a fuel cell stack includes a first metal separator, a first membrane electrode assembly, a second metal separator, a second membrane electrode assembly, and a third metal separator. A first oxygen-containing gas flow field includes a plurality of wavy flow grooves. An outlet merging area is provided at the end of the wavy flow grooves on the outlet side. The outlet merging area is connected to a plurality of straight connection flow grooves. The groove depth of the straight connection flow grooves is smaller than the groove depth of the wavy flow grooves.

Abstract: A normally-off transistor having an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation layer is provided. The transistor comprises: a first oxide semiconductor layer functioning as a channel formation region; a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which overlap with the first oxide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer which is provided over and in contact with the first oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer; a second oxide semiconductor layer which is provided over and in contact with the gate insulating layer and overlaps with the first oxide semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode layer provided over the second oxide semiconductor layer. A manufacturing method thereof is also disclosed.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion efficiency of a photoelectric conversion device is improved. A photoelectric conversion device comprises an electrode layer, a first semiconductor layer disposed on the electrode layer and including a group I-III-VI compound and oxygen element, and a second semiconductor layer disposed on the first semiconductor layer and forming a pn junction with the first semiconductor layer, and an atomic concentration of the oxygen element in the first semiconductor layer is lower in a surface portion on the electrode layer side than in a central portion of the first semiconductor layer in a lamination direction thereof.

Abstract: In order to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of a photoelectric conversion device, this photoelectric conversion device is provided with an electrode layer, a first semiconductor layer that is positioned on the electrode layer and contains a polycrystalline semiconductor, and a second semiconductor layer that is positioned on/above the first semiconductor layer and forms a p-n junction with the first semiconductor layer, and an average grain diameter of crystal grains in the first semiconductor layer is larger near the surface on the electrode layer side of the first semiconductor layer than the center of the first semiconductor layer in a thickness direction of the first semiconductor layer. Furthermore, the average grain diameter of the crystal grains in the first semiconductor layer is larger in a surface portion on the second semiconductor layer side of the first semiconductor layer than in the central portion.

Abstract: The silicon nitride layer 910 formed by plasma CVD using a gas containing a hydrogen compound such as silane (SiH4) and ammonia (NH3) is provided on and in direct contact with the oxide semiconductor layer 905 used for the resistor 354, and the silicon nitride layer 910 is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer 906 used for the thin film transistor 355 with the silicon oxide layer 909 serving as a barrier layer interposed therebetween. Therefore, a higher concentration of hydrogen is introduced into the oxide semiconductor layer 905 than into the oxide semiconductor layer 906. As a result, the resistance of the oxide semiconductor layer 905 used for the resistor 354 is made lower than that of the oxide semiconductor layer 906 used for the thin film transistor 355.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly, a separator, a fluid channel, a fluid manifold, a plurality of protruding elastic members, and a plurality of sealing members. A fluid is to flow in a stacking direction through the fluid manifold. A connection channel is provided between the plurality of protruding elastic members to connect the fluid channel and the fluid manifold. The plurality of sealing members are provided adjacent to the plurality of protruding elastic members in the stacking direction and extend in a direction to cross a flow direction in which the fluid flows along the connection channel. Each of the plurality of protruding elastic members has overlapping regions that overlap the plurality of sealing members as seen from the stacking direction. The overlapping regions are separated from each other in the flow direction.

Abstract: In a thin film transistor which uses an oxide semiconductor, buffer layers containing indium, gallium, zinc, oxygen, and nitrogen are provided between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers.

Abstract: In a thin film transistor which uses an oxide semiconductor, buffer layers containing indium, gallium, zinc, oxygen, and nitrogen are provided between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers.

Abstract: An electrode formed using a transparent conductive oxide is likely to be crystallized by heat treatment performed in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. In the case of a thin film element using an electrode having a significantly uneven surface due to crystallization, a short circuit is likely to occur and thus reliability of the element is degraded. An object is to provide a light-transmitting conductive oxynitride which is not crystallized even if subjected to heat treatment and a manufacturing method thereof. It is found that an oxynitride containing indium, gallium, and zinc, to which hydrogen atoms are added as impurities, is a light-transmitting conductive film which is not crystallized even if heated at 350° C. and the object is achieved.

Abstract: In a thin film transistor which uses an oxide semiconductor, buffer layers containing indium, gallium, zinc, oxygen, and nitrogen are provided between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers.

Abstract: An object is to provide a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, in which the contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers is reduced and whose electric characteristics are stabilized. Another object is to provide a method for manufacturing the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is formed in such a manner that buffer layers whose conductivity is higher than that of the oxide semiconductor layer are formed and the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers are electrically connected to each other through the buffer layers. In addition, the buffer layers whose conductivity is higher than that of the oxide semiconductor layer are subjected to reverse sputtering treatment and heat treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere.

Abstract: A normally-off transistor having an oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation layer is provided. The transistor comprises: a first oxide semiconductor layer functioning as a channel formation region; a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which overlap with the first oxide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer which is provided over and in contact with the first oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer; a second oxide semiconductor layer which is provided over and in contact with the gate insulating layer and overlaps with the first oxide semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode layer provided over the second oxide semiconductor layer. A manufacturing method thereof is also disclosed.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an induction heating coil includes a heating conductor portion which is formed of a conductor member and has a zigzag shape in which a bent portion opened to one side in a first direction and a bent portion opened to the other side in the first direction are alternately continuously arranged in opposite directions along a second direction crossing the first direction.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a power storage device in which a crystalline silicon layer including a whisker-like crystalline silicon region is formed as an active material layer over a current collector by a low-pressure CVD method in which heating is performed using a deposition gas containing silicon. The power storage device includes the current collector, a mixed layer formed over the current collector, and the crystalline silicon layer functioning as the active material layer formed over the mixed layer. The crystalline silicon layer includes a crystalline silicon region and a whisker-like crystalline silicon region including a plurality of protrusions which project over the crystalline silicon region. With the protrusions, the surface area of the crystalline silicon layer functioning as the active material layer can be increased.

Abstract: An object is to provide a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor layer, in which contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers is reduced and electric characteristics are stabilized. Another object is to provide a method for manufacturing the thin film transistor. A thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor layer is formed in such a manner that buffer layers having higher conductivity than the oxide semiconductor layer are formed over the oxide semiconductor layer, source and drain electrode layers are formed over the buffer layers, and the oxide semiconductor layer is electrically connected to the source and drain electrode layers with the buffer layers interposed therebetween. In addition, the buffer layers are subjected to reverse sputtering treatment and heat treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere, whereby the buffer layers having higher conductivity than the oxide semiconductor layer are obtained.

Abstract: An object is to provide a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, in which the contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers is reduced and whose electric characteristics are stabilized. Another object is to provide a method for manufacturing the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is formed in such a manner that buffer layers whose conductivity is higher than that of the oxide semiconductor layer are formed and the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrode layers are electrically connected to each other through the buffer layers. In addition, the buffer layers whose conductivity is higher than that of the oxide semiconductor layer are subjected to reverse sputtering treatment and heat treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere.

Abstract: An object is to provide a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor layer, in which contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers is reduced and electric characteristics are stabilized. The thin film transistor is formed in such a manner that a buffer layer including a high-resistance region and low-resistance regions is formed over an oxide semiconductor layer, and the oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrode layers are in contact with each other with the low-resistance region of the buffer layer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: The silicon nitride layer 910 formed by plasma CVD using a gas containing a hydrogen compound such as silane (SiH4) and ammonia (NH3) is provided on and in direct contact with the oxide semiconductor layer 905 used for the resistor 354, and the silicon nitride layer 910 is provided over the oxide semiconductor layer 906 used for the thin film transistor 355 with the silicon oxide layer 909 serving as a barrier layer interposed therebetween. Therefore, a higher concentration of hydrogen is introduced into the oxide semiconductor layer 905 than into the oxide semiconductor layer 906. As a result, the resistance of the oxide semiconductor layer 905 used for the resistor 354 is made lower than that of the oxide semiconductor layer 906 used for the thin film transistor 355.