Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Hiromi Shizu

Noriaki Yagi

Mituo Kawai

Michio Satou

Takasi Yamanobe

Tooru Komatu

Takao Sawa

Hiroyuki Hasebe

Yoshiyuki Isozaki

Hiromichi Horie

Michio Sato

Shusuke Inada

Takashi Yamanobe

Takamichi Inaba

Toshihiro Maki

Yoshiharu Fukasawa

Yoshiko Kanazawa

Tohru Komatsu

Hiroshi Endo

Katsumi Hisano

Takashi Sano

Hideo Iwasaki

Tomiya Sasaki

Jun Momma

Naoyuki Sori

Kazumi Shimotori

Toshiya Sakamoto

Yoshinori Fujimori

A refractory metal silicide target is characterized by comprising a fine mixed structure composed of MSi (where M: refractory metal) grains and Si grains, wherein the number of MSi grains independently existing in a cross section of 0.01 mm of the mixed structure is not greater than 15, the MSi grains have an average grain size not greater than 10 &mgr;m, whereas free Si grains existing in gaps of the MSi grains have a maximum grain size not greater than 20 &mgr;m. The target has a high density, high purity fine mixed structure with a uniform composition and contains a small amount of impurities such as oxygen etc. The employment of the target can reduce particles produced in sputtering, the change of a film resistance in a wafer and the impurities in a film and improve yield and reliability when semiconductors are manufactured.

Refractory metal silicide target, method of manufacturing the target, refractory metal silicide thin film, and semiconductor device

A refractory metal silicide target is characterized by comprising a fine mixed structure composed of MSi,(where M: refractory metal) grains and Si grains, wherein the number of MSi,grains independently existing in a cross section of 0.01 mm,of the mixed structure is not greater than 15, the MSi,grains have an average grain size not greater than 10 &mgr;m, whereas free Si grains existing in gaps of the MSi,grains have a maximum grain size not greater than 20 &mgr;m. The target has a high density, high purity fine mixed structure with a uniform composition and contains a small amount of impurities such as oxygen etc. The employment of the target can reduce particles produced in sputtering, the change of a film resistance in a wafer and the impurities in a film and improve yield and reliability when semiconductors are manufactured.

A hydrogen-absorbing alloy for battery according to the present invention comprises an alloy having the composition represented by a general formula A Ni.sub.a Mn.sub.b M.sub.c �where, A is at least one kind of element selected from rare earth elements including Y (yttrium), M is a metal mainly composed of at least one kind of element selected from Co, Al, Fe, Si, Cr, Cu, Ti, Zr, Zn, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Ag, Pd, B, Ga, In, Ge and Sn, 3.5.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.5, 0.1.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.1, 0.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.1, 4.5.ltoreq.a+b+c.ltoreq.6!, wherein the alloy has columnar structures in which the area ratio of the columnar structures having the ratio of a minor diameter to a major diameter (aspect ratio) of 1:2 or higher is 50% or more. Further, an average minor diameter of the columnar structures is set to 30 microns or less. With this arrangement, there can be provided a nickel-metal hydride battery capable of satisfying the three leading characteristics of a high electrode capacity, long life and good rising-up all together.

Hydrogen-absorbing alloy for battery, method of manufacturing the same,

Thermal conductivity sheet

A hydrogen-absorbing alloy for battery according to the present invention comprises an alloy having the composition represented by a general formula A Ni.sub.a Mn.sub.b M.sub.c [where, A is at least one kind of element selected from rare earth elements including Y (yttrium), M is a metal mainly composed of at least one kind of element selected from Co, Al, Fe, Si, Cr, Cu, Ti, Zr, Zn, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Ag, Pd, B, Ga, In, Ge and Sn, 3.5.ltoreq.a.ltoreq.5, 0.1.ltoreq.b.ltoreq.1, 0.ltoreq.c.ltoreq.1, 4.5.ltoreq.a+b+c.ltoreq.6], wherein the alloy has columnar structures in which the area ratio of the columnar structures having the ratio of a minor diameter to a major diameter (aspect ratio) of 1:2 or higher is 50% or more. Further, an average minor diameter of the columnar structures is set to 30 microns or less. With this arrangement, there can be provided a nickel-metal hydride battery capable of satisfying the three leading characteristics of a high electrode capacity, long life and good rising-up all together.

According to the present invention, metal silicide grains are coupled with each other in a linked manner so as to provide a metal silicide phase, and Si grains forming a Si phase are dispersed in the gaps of the metal silicide phase discontinuously so as to provide a mixed structure of a sputtering target of high density and containing carbon at a rate less than 100 ppm. Because of the high density and high strength of the target, generation of particles at the time of sputtering can be reduced, and because of the reduced content of carbon, mixing of carbon in a thin film formed by the sputtering can be prevented.

Sputtered silicide film

According to the present invention, silicide grains are coupled with each other in a linked manner so as to provide a metal silicide phase, and grains forming a Si phase are dispersed in the gaps of the metal silicide phase discontinuously so as to provide a mixed structure of a sputtering target of high density and containing carbon at a rate less than 100 ppm. Because of the high density and high strength of the target, generation of particles at the time of sputtering can be reduced, and because of the reduced content of carbon, mixing of carbon in a thin film formed by the sputtering can be prevented.

Sputtering target and method of manufacturing the same

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Fujisawa, Japan

Hiromi Shizu