1. A separator for a fuel cell, comprising an electrically conductive flat plate and two electrically conductive channel plates superposed on each other with said electrically conductive flat plate interposed therebetween, wherein a plurality of manifolds for passing a reaction fluid to the adjacent cell are formed in said electrically conductive flat plate; through-channels for permitting the flowing of the reaction fluid from said manifolds are formed in said two electrically conductive channel plates; any one of said two electrically conductive channel plates is disposed so as to overlap a portion of each of the through-channels with each of the manifolds in said electrically conductive flat plate; and the through-channels in the other electrically conductive channel plate are larger than the outside diameter of said electrically conductive flat plate.
2. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive flat plate is made of a metal, and a coating layer for preventing the corrosion of said electrically conductive flat plate or for suppressing the growth of a passivation film is provided on the whole of a surface of said electrically conductive flat plate, or at least an area of the surface of said electrically conductive flat plate, which is in contact with said through-channels.
3. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein one of said two electrically conductive channel plates, which is provided with the through-channels for permitting the passing of a cathode gas as said reaction gas, is formed so as to make said through-channels longer than the contour of said electrically conductive flat plate.
4. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein one of said two electrically conductive channel plates, which is provided with the through-channels through which fuel as said reaction gas flows, is formed so as to overlap a portion of each of said through-channels with each of the manifolds in said electrically conductive flat plate.
5. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein both of said two electrically conductive channel plates are formed of a porous material.
6. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 5, further comprising a gasket provided to surround the channel plate provided with the through-channels through which the fuel as said reaction gas flows.
7. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 6, further comprising sealing portions provided in the manifolds in the channel plate having the through-channels through which the cathode gas as said reaction gas flows.
8. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein said electrically conductive channel plate provided with said gasket is smaller than the contour of said electrically conductive flat plate, and the size of said electrically conductive channel plate when being combined with said gasket is equal or substantially equal to the contour of said electrically conductive flat plate.
9. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive flat plate is partially provided with slits, the positions of which are at such a portion that when said two electrically conductive channel plates are superposed on opposite sides of said electrically conductive flat plates, the through-channels in one of said electrically conductive channel plates are overlapped with the through-channels in the other electrically conductive channel plate.
10. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the whole of a surface of said electrically conductive flat plate, or at least an area of the surface of said electrically conductive flat plate, which is in contact with said through-channels, is formed of a metal selected from the group consisting of a stainless steel, nickel, a nickel-based alloy, titanium, a titanium-based alloy, niobium, a niobium-based alloy, tantalum, a tantalum-based alloy, tungsten, a tungsten-based alloy, zirconium, a zirconium-based alloy, aluminum and an aluminum-based alloy.
11. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the whole of a surface of said electrically conductive flat plate, or at least an area of the surface of said electrically conductive flat plate, which is in contact with said through-channels, has a coating layer which is formed of a binder containing a resin selected from a fluorine-based resin, a phenol-based resin, an epoxy-based resin, a styrene-based resin, a butadiene-based resin, a polycarbonate-based resin, a polyphenylene sulfide-based resin, or a mixture or a copolymer of two or more of them, and one or more types of carbon-containing conductive materials.
12. A separator for a fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive flat plate having said coating layer and at least one of said two electrically conductive channel plates are formed integrally with each other.
13. A fuel cell comprising a separator according to claim 1.
14. A fuel cell comprising a fuel cell stack constructed by laminating power-generating units which includes an electrolyteelectrode integrated structure formed of an electrolyte and electrodes integrated together, a pair of gas diffusion layers disposed on opposite surfaces of said electrolyteelectrode integrated structure, and a pair of separators disposed outside said gas diffusion layers; electric collector plates disposed outside said fuel cell stack; and end plates disposed outside said collector plates, wherein the separator disposed between the plurality of power-generating units is comprised of an electrically conductive flat plate, and two electrically conductive channel plates superposed on each other with said electrically conductive flat plate interposed therebetween; a plurality of manifolds for passing a reaction fluid to an adjacent cell are formed in said electrically conductive flat plate; through-channels for permitting the flowing the reaction fluid from said manifolds are formed in said two electrically conductive channel plates; any one of said two electrically conductive channel plates is formed so that the through-channels are partially overlapped with said manifolds in said electrically conductive flat plate; and the other electrically conductive channel plate is formed so that their through-channels are larger than the contour of said electrically conductive flat plate.
15. A fuel cell according to claim 14, wherein said electrolyteelectrode integrated structure and said gas diffusion layers are formed integrally with each other.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of processing a substrate with a conductive film formed thereover, comprising:
increasing a temperature of said substrate to a curing temperature;
reducing said temperature of said substrate to a stress-compensating temperature below room temperature;
maintaining said temperature of said substrate at said stress-compensating temperature for a period of time; and
increasing said temperature of said substrate above said stress-compensating temperature.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said conductive film is a copper film.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said stress-compensating temperature is less than about zero degrees Celsius.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said increasing said temperature of said substrate above said stress-compensating temperature includes increasing said temperature of said substrate to about room temperature.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said substrate is a silicon, glass, or ceramic substrate.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said reducing said temperature of said substrate includes gradually reducing said temperature of said substrate at rate of approximately one degree Celsius per minute.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said period of time is greater than about one hour and less than about 24 hours.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said increasing said temperature of said substrate above said stress-compensating temperature is performed over a period of time greater than about one hour and less than about two hours.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said conductive film is electroplated over said substrate.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising drying said substrate with an inert gas after increasing said temperature of said substrate above said stress-compensating temperature.
11. A method of forming a micromagnetic device, comprising:
forming an insulating layer over a substrate;
forming a conductive winding layer over said insulating layer;
forming another insulating layer over said conductive winding layer;
forming a magnetic core layer over said another insulating layer;
increasing a temperature of said micromagnetic device to a curing temperature;
reducing said temperature of said micromagnetic device to a stress-compensating temperature below room temperature;
maintaining said temperature of said micromagnetic device at said stress-compensating temperature for a period of time; and
increasing said temperature of said micromagnetic device above said stress-compensating temperature.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said conductive winding layer is formed from copper.
13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said stress-compensating temperature is less than about zero degrees Celsius.
14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said increasing said temperature of said micromagnetic device above said stress-compensating temperature includes increasing said temperature of said micromagnetic device to about room temperature.
15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said substrate is a silicon, glass, or ceramic substrate.
16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said reducing said temperature of said micromagnetic device includes gradually reducing said temperature of said micromagnetic device at rate of approximately one degree Celsius per minute.
17. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said period of time is greater than about one hour and less than about 24 hours.
18. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said increasing said temperature of said micromagnetic device above said stress-compensating temperature is performed over a period of time greater than about one hour and less than about two hours.
19. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein said forming said conductive winding layer over said insulating layer includes electroplating said conductive winding layer over said insulating layer.
20. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising drying said micromagnetic device with an inert gas after increasing said temperature of said micromagnetic device above said stress-compensating temperature.