Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Hitoshi Yamanishi

Isamu Aokura

Hiroshi Sakakima

Koichi Osano

Kumio Nago

Youichi Ohnishi

Masahiro Yamamoto

Takafumi Okuma

Isao Muragishi

Toshiyuki Suemitsu

Takeshi Koiwasaki

Takahiro Takisawa

Tomohiro Okumura

Ichiro Nakayama

Mitsuo Satomi

Kunio Tanaka

Tadashi Kimura

Masahide Yokoyama

Hiroshi Hayata

Hirokazu Nakaue

Keita Ihara

Takayuki Kai

Nobuyuki Kamikihara

Hideki Yamashita

Tanejiro Ikeda

Yasushi Inoue

Yoshihisa Ohido

Mitsuhiro Yoshinaga

Fumio Sakai

Daishiro Saito

Disclosed is a polycrystalline-type silicon solar cell which can be produced at low cost by forming a polycrystalline silicon film having a PN junction in a simple manner. Specifically, an amorphous silicon film produced by sputtering using a dopant-containing silicon target is polycrystallized with plasma, and a PN junction is formed in the amorphous silicon film, thereby producing a polycrystalline silicon film having a PN junction. The polycrystalline silicon film having a PN junction is used as a silicon substrate for a polycrystalline-type silicon solar cell. Also disclosed is a technique for producing a dopant-containing silicon target from a silicon ingot.

Polycrystalline-type solar cell panel and process for production thereof

A semiconductor device includes a second oxide film and a pad electrode on a first oxide film that is formed on a front surface of a semiconductor substrate, a contact electrode and a first barrier layer formed in the second oxide film and connected to the pad electrode, a silicide portion formed between the contact electrode and a through-hole electrode layer and connected to the contact electrode and the first barrier layer, a via hole extending from a back surface of the semiconductor substrate to reach the silicide portion and the second oxide film, a third oxide film formed on a sidewall of the via hole and on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a second barrier layer (H) and a rewiring layer formed inside the via hole and on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the silicide portion.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device

A deposition apparatus includes a processing chamber internally having a reduced-pressure space for deposition process to be carried out therein, a base material holding member for holding a base material to be subjected to the deposition process, a target support member for supporting a target thereon, and a power supply unit for applying electric power to the target support member to generate a plasma in the reduced-pressure space. In the deposition apparatus, deposition process is carried out by using the target, which has a recess portion in its surface and in which a powder target formed of a powder material is placed in an inner surface of the recess portion. Thus, the in-plane uniformity of deposition rate is improved and a stable film deposition is fulfilled.

Deposition method by physical vapor deposition and target for deposition processing by physical vapor deposition

The present invention is to provide a sputtering apparatus and a sputtering method, specifically, a magnetron sputtering apparatus having a magnetron electrode capable of generating plasma in a wide region near the surface of a target, and a sputtering method using the apparatus. Thereby, a magnetic field shape enabling to generate plasma in a wide region near the surface of a target is realized, the use efficiency of the target material is increased, and dusts and abnormal electric discharges may be prevented. Magnetic circuitof a magnetron electrode is set as 'magnetic circuitin which center perpendicular magnet, inside parallel magnet, outside parallel magnet, and perimeter perpendicular magnetare arranged' from the central part of targettoward the perimeter part, and inside parallel magnetis brought close to target

Sputtering apparatus and sputtering method

Provided is a partial pressure measuring method and a partial pressure measuring apparatus by which a partial pressure distribution is easily measured in a vacuum chamber. The partial pressure measuring method and the partial pressure measuring apparatus includes: moving a local plasma source dedicated to partial pressure measuring provided in the vacuum chamber, to a location at which the measuring is to be performed; and measuring a partial pressure distribution in the vacuum chamber, by receiving emission of plasma generated by the local plasma source through a window which is formed in a wall part of the vacuum chamber and through which the emission passes, and thereby performing emission spectral analysis on intensity of the emission.

Partial pressure measuring method and partial pressure measuring apparatus

A magnetic head includes a back core made of ferrite and a magnetic alloy film arranged in a vicinity of a magnetic gap and having an average composition expressed by TxMyNz wherein T is Fe or Co; M is at least one metal selected from a group consisting of Nb, Zr, Ta, Hf, Cr, W and Mo; N is nitrogen; and x, y and z are atomic percentages holding 65.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.94, 5.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.25, 0&lt;z.ltoreq.20 and x+y+z=100. The head includes an oxygen diffusion prevention part of a higher concentration of nitrogen than included in the whole magnetic alloy film which is provided at the magnetic alloy film at an interfacial part to the ferrite core.

Magnetic head and manufacturing method therefor

A sputtering apparatus uses a plurality of rectangular targets to form a thin film on a substrate, and includes a plurality of magnets disposed along both side edges of each target in such a manner that the polarities of adjacent magnets along the side edges of the targets are opposite, and polarities of the magnets confronting each other across the targets are opposite. The surfaces of at least two targets are inclined to a surface of the substrate at an angle not smaller than 30.degree. and not larger than 60.degree..

Sputtering apparatus and method

A sputtering apparatus for performing sputtering operation by using a rectangular target made of ferromagnetic material, the apparatus includes an electrode in which one first permanent magnet is disposed on each side edge of a front surface of the target, polarities of the first magnets confronting each other with the target interposed between the first magnets are opposite to each other, one second permanent magnet is disposed on each side edge of a rear surface of the target, polarities of the second magnets confronting each other with the target interposed between the second magnets are opposite to each other, and the polarity of each second magnet disposed on the rear surface of the target is the same as that of the first magnet disposed on the front surface of the target.

Sputtering apparatus

In a laminated magnetic head core, Fe--M--N system soft magnetic thin films (M being at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Zr, and Hf) and non-magnetic insulating films are alternately laminated. Each of the soft magnetic thin films is 0.2-10 .mu.m thick. Each of the non-magnetic insulating films is 10 through 1000 nm thick. One of the soft magnetic thin films shows high magnetic permeability in a different direction from that of an adjacent soft magnetic thin film via the non-magnetic insulating film within a film surface of the soft magnetic thin film.

Laminated magnetic head core

A magnetron sputtering electrode assembly which is used in a sputtering system having a rectangular flat-plate target, includes permanent magnets arranged along the longitudinal edges of the target to pass lines of magnetic forces in parallel to the surface of the rectangular flat-plate target, and a driving device for reversing polarity of the magnets to change by 180 degrees the direction of the lines of magnetic force caused by the permanent magnets passing in parallel to the surface of the rectangular flat-plate target.

Sputtering electrode

The present invention relates to a method for forming a layer of isotropic soft magnetic nitride alloy even by means of mass-production apparatus wherein a target size is large in comparison to a distance between a substrate and a target, by using a bias sputtering method wherein a negative bias voltage is continuously applied to a substrate and sputtering is carried out in Ar atmosphere mixed with nitrogen gas or periodically mixed with nitrogen gas. Furthermore, the present invention may include a heat treatment of the soft magnetic nitride alloy layer deposited on the substrate in a temperature of more than 300.degree..degree.C. to less than 800.degree. C. to improve a soft magnetic characteristic.

Method for forming a soft magnetic nitride layer on a magnetic head

The method of the invention provides a soft magnetic film having a high saturation magnetic flux density and an anisotropy of high magnetic permeability suitable for use in various types of magnetic heads at a high production yield by use of a sputtering apparatus provided with a sputtering electrode, which has permanent magnets arranged above a target 1 mainly of Fe or Co in such a way that lines of magnetic force 3 generated by said permanent magnets are in parallel to the surface of said target 1 and to the center line of said target 1 and have a magnetic strength pattern symmetric with respect to said center line while the lines of magnetic force to the right of said center line are of a reverse direction to those to the left of said center line.

Method for making soft magnetic film

A reactive sputtering apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a cathode fixed to an inner surface of the chamber, a power source for applying a voltage to the cathode, a magnetic circuit, installed in the cathode and having magnets for generating a magnetic field, a target, installed adjacent the magnets, having an opening at a portion corresponding to a region between the magnets of the magnetic circuit, a vacuum device for evacuating air inside the chamber to obtain vacuum, a first gasintroducing device, disposed at a wall of the chamber, for supplying reactive gas into the chamber, a second gas-introducing device for supplying discharge gas from the opening of the target into the chamber, a first gas flow rate control device for controlling the supply of the reactive gas, a second gas flow rate control device for controlling the supply of the discharge gas, and a substrate holder, disposed in opposition to the target inside the chamber, for securing a substrate thereto.

Growing community of inventors

Higashiosaka, Japan

Hitoshi Yamanishi