Hitachi, Ltd.

Ken-ichi Natsui

Tadashi Sato

Osamu Koyanagi

Yoshio Yoshioka

Yukio Kurosawa

Youichi Ohshita

Yoshimi Hakamata

Kunio Hirasawa

Hiroaki Kojima

Eiji Setoyama

Mitsuhiro Kamei

Yasunori Ohno

Tomoe Kurosawa

Yukio Nakagawa

Hiroshi Chida

An apparatus for generating plasma by making use of electron cyclotron resonance employs permanent magnets for forming magnetic fields, and the permanent magnets are arranged in such a manner as to form stronger magnetic fields in peripheral portion of a plasma chamber than in a central portion of the same. in addition, a cross-sectional area of the plasma chamber is gradually increased. Furthermore, electrons are introduced into an additional plasma chamber in which an electric field is not applied so as to generate low-temperature plasma.

Plasma generating apparatus

A magnetron sputter apparatus according to the present invention is constructed so as to satisfy a predetermined optimum relationship between the size of the erosion area on the surface of the target and that of a film forming region. Further, the distance between the target and substrates has a value predetermined for the relationship between the size of the erosion area on the surface of the target and that of the film forming region. By using the magnetron sputter apparatus according to the present invention it is possible to form a homogeneous thin film excellent in step coverage and having a film thickness distribution in which variations are small over a large area.

Magnetron sputter apparatus and method for forming films by using the

A compressed-gas circuit interrupter includes a chamber in which SF.sub.6 gas is confined, shield members surrounding arc-extinguishing assemblages and heat transfer members connected to the shield members at their ends. Electric heaters are provided at the outside of the chamber and connected to the heat transfer members for heating the ends thereof.

Compressed-gas circuit interrupter with a heater

A puffer type gas-blast circuit breaker includes at least one interrupting unit mounted in a vessel filled with an arc-extinguishing gas of a unitary pressure. The interrupting unit comprises: a fixed contact; a movable contact movable toward and away from the fixed contact to be engaged with and to be disengaged from the fixed contact respectively, the movable contact having therein an axial hollow portion, wherein an arc is established between the contacts upon disengagement of the movable contact from the fixed contact; a compression chamber filled with an arc extinguishing gas; a suction chamber, wherein an arc extinguishing gas within the compression chamber is compressed and the volume of the suction chamber is enlarged upon movement of the movable contact away from the fixed contact, and wherein a pressure difference between the compression chamber and the suction chamber causes the arc extinguishing gas to be directed from the compression chamber through the axial hollow portion into the suction chamber thereby to be blown against an arc produced between the fixed contact and the movable contact; and means provided in the suction chamber for cooling an arc extinguishing gas introduced into the suction chamber to suppress a pressure rise within the suction chamber for maintaining a sufficiently large pressure difference between the compression chamber and the suction chamber, thereby shortening an arcing time and improving a breaking performance.

Puffer-type gas-blast circuit breaker

A puffer type gas-blast circuit breaker includes at least one interrupting unit mounted in a vessel filled with an arc-extinguishing gas of a unitary pressure. The interrupting unit comprises: a fixed contact; a movable contact movable toward and away from the fixed contact to be engaged with and to be disengaged from the fixed contact respectively, the movable contact having an axial hollow portion, wherein an arc is established between the contacts upon disengagement of the movable contact from the fixed contact; an insulating nozzle encompassing a free end portion of the movable contact and having a throat portion therein, which is substantially closed with the fixed contact; a compression chamber filled with an arc extinguishing gas; a suction chamber, wherein an arc extinguishing gas within the compression chamber is compressed and the volume of the suction chamber is enlarged upon movement of the movable contact away from the fixed contact, whereby a pressure difference between the compression chamber and the suction chamber causes the arc extinguishing gas to be directed from the compression chamber through the axial hollow portion into the suction chamber thereby to be blown against an arc produced between the fixed contact and the movable contact; and the suction chamber is brought into an open condition to or communication with a space in the vessel, simultaneously when the fixed contact is drawn out of the throat portion in the insulating nozzle.

Growing community of inventors

Hitachi, Japan

Ken-ichi Natsui