1. A solenoid device comprising:
at least one electromagnetic coil that generates a magnetic flux when the electromagnetic coil is energized;
a yoke made of soft magnetic material, in which the magnetic flux flows; and
a plurality of plungers, each of which includes at least a part made of soft magnetic material, and reciprocates when the electromagnetic coil is switched between energization and interruption of energization,
wherein the number of the plurality of plungers is larger than the number of the electromagnetic coil, and
wherein the plurality of plungers reciprocate independently from each other.
2. The solenoid device according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of plungers are magnetically connected in parallel with each other via the yoke.
3. The solenoid device according to claim 2, further comprising:
at least one magnetic saturation part, which locally saturates the magnetic flux when the electromagnetic coil is energized,
wherein the at least one magnetic saturation part is disposed in the yoke or a corresponding plunger, and
wherein an amount of the magnetic flux flowing in each plunger is regulated by the at least one magnetic saturation part.
4. The solenoid device according to claim 3,
wherein the yoke includes a pillar-shaped yoke penetrating a center of turns of the electromagnetic coil and a plate-shaped yoke having a plate shape and connected to one end of the pillar-shaped yoke,
wherein the plurality of plungers reciprocate in parallel to an axial direction of the electromagnetic coil,
wherein the plate-shaped yoke includes a connection part connected to the pillar-shaped yoke and a plurality of plunger insertion holes, through which the plungers pass, respectively,
wherein the yoke further includes a plurality of through holes penetrating the plate-shaped yoke in a thickness direction of the plate-shaped yoke,
wherein each through hole is disposed between the connection part and a corresponding plunger insertion hole, and
wherein a width direction is defined to be perpendicular to both of the axial direction and an arrangement direction from the connection part to the corresponding plunger insertion hole, and
wherein a part of the plate-shaped yoke disposed on both sides of a corresponding through hole in the width direction provides the at least one magnetic saturation part,
5. The solenoid device according to claim 1,
wherein at least one of the plurality of plungers is disposed on an outside of the electromagnetic coil.
6. The solenoid device according to claim 1,
wherein at least one of the plurality of plungers is disposed on an outside of the electromagnetic coil, and other plungers are disposed on an inside of the electromagnetic coil.
7. The solenoid device according to claim 1,
wherein the electromagnetic coil includes a plurality of coil parts, which are adjacent to each other along a direction in parallel to a reciprocating direction of each plunger.
8. The solenoid device according to claim 1,
wherein the yoke includes a plurality of attraction yokes, each of which faces a corresponding plunger in a reciprocating direction of the corresponding plunger,
wherein the plurality of plungers include a first attraction plunger and a second attraction plunger,
wherein the first attraction plunger is attracted by a corresponding attraction yoke prior to the second attraction plunger when the electromagnetic coil is switched from the interruption of energization to the energization,
wherein the yoke further includes a magnetic saturation part for saturating the magnetic flux locally,
wherein the magnetic saturation part is disposed on a path of the magnetic flux flowing into the first attraction plunger, and
wherein an amount of the magnetic flux flowing into the first attraction plunger is regulated by the magnetic saturation part.
9. The solenoid device according to claim 1,
wherein the yoke includes a plurality of attraction yokes, each of which faces a corresponding plunger in a reciprocating direction of the corresponding plunger,
wherein the plurality of plungers are attracted by the plurality of attraction yokes, respectively, when the electromagnetic coil is energized,
wherein amounts of the magnetic flux flowing into the plurality of plungers are different from each other when the plurality of plungers are attracted, and
wherein, when the energization of the electromagnetic coil is interrupted, attraction of the plurality of plungers is terminated in increasing order of the amounts of the magnetic flux under a condition that the plurality of plungers are attracted.
10. The solenoid device according to claim 9,
wherein, when the energization of the electromagnetic coil is interrupted, a voltage applied to the electromagnetic coil is decreased in a step-by-step manner.
11. The solenoid device according to claim 1,
wherein, under a condition that the energization of the electromagnetic coil is interrupted, each plunger is movable in a reciprocating direction of the plunger,
wherein frequencies of movement of the plurality of plungers in the reciprocating directions are different from each other under the condition that the energization of the electromagnetic coil is interrupted.
12. An electromagnetic relay comprising:
the solenoid device according to claim 1;
a plurality of contact parts, each of which is switchable between an on state for flowing current and an off state for interrupting the current; and
an arc contact preventing plate made of an insulating material and disposed between the plurality of contact parts,
wherein the arc contact preventing plate prevents from contacting arcs, which are generated in the contact parts, respectively, when the contact parts are switched from the on state to the off state, and
wherein the arc contact preventing plate includes a through hole.
13. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 12,
wherein the plurality of contact parts are switched from the on state to the off state in a predetermined order.
14. The electromagnetic relay according to claim 12,
wherein the plurality of contact parts are switched between the on state and the off state independently from 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 fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a substrate;
forming a modified profile opening on the substrate, wherein the modified profile opening includes a first width proximate a surface of the substrate and a second width opposing the substrate, the second width being greater than the first width; and
forming a metal gate electrode, wherein the forming the metal gate electrode includes filling the modified profile opening with a conductive material.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified profile opening includes a first portion have arcuate sidewalls.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second width is disposed in the first portion.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
forming a dummy gate structure on the substrate, and wherein the forming the modified profile opening includes removing the dummy gate structure from the substrate.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the modified profile opening includes:
performing a first etch process, wherein the first etch process removes a portion of a spacer element; and
performing a second etch process, following the first etch process, wherein the second etch process removes a dummy gate electrode.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first etch process removes a portion of a contact etch stop layer.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
forming a high-k gate dielectric layer in the modified profile opening prior to forming the metal gate electrode.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
forming a dummy gate structure on the substrate, wherein the dummy gate structure includes:
forming a first layer of a dummy gate electrode;
forming an intermediate layer on the first layer; and
forming a second layer of the dummy gate electrode on the intermediate layer.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
forming a first spacer element abutting the dummy gate structure, wherein the first spacer element and the intermediate layer have substantially the same composition.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
forming a second spacer element adjacent the first spacer element, wherein the second spacer element has a different composition that the first spacer element.
11. A method, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate;
forming a dummy gate structure on the semiconductor substrate;
thereafter removing the dummy gate structure, wherein the removing the dummy gate structure forms a modified profile opening on the substrate, wherein the modified profile opening has a first width and a second width different from the first width; and
forming a metal gate electrode in the modified profile opening.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
forming a first spacer element and a second spacer element adjacent the dummy gate structure, and wherein the forming the dummy gate structure includes:
forming a first layer of a dummy gate electrode;
forming an intermediate layer on the first layer; and
forming a second layer of the dummy gate electrode on the intermediate layer, and wherein the first spacer element and the intermediate layer have substantially the same composition.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the removing the dummy gate structure includes:
removing the second layer of the dummy gate electrode;
thereafter, removing the intermediate layer of the dummy gate electrode and a portion of the first spacer element; and
thereafter, removing the first layer of the dummy gate electrode.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the intermediate layer is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide, fluoride-doped silicate glass (FSG), a low k dielectric material, and combinations thereof.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
forming spacer elements adjacent the dummy gate structure;
forming an etch stop layer on the spacer elements; and
etching the spacer elements and etch stop layer to provide a first opening of the first width prior to removing the dummy gate structure, wherein the removing the dummy gate structure provides a second opening of the second width, wherein the second width is less than the first width, and wherein the first and second opening are continual.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first width is greater than the second width.
17. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface; and
a metal gate structure disposed on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the metal gate structure includes a first width and a second width greater than the first width, wherein the first width is proximate the first surface.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein the metal gate structure includes a first portion having arcuate sidewalls and a second portion having sidewalls substantially perpendicular to the first surface.
19. The device of claim 17, wherein the metal gate structure includes a first portion abutting a first spacer element and a second portion abutting a second spacer element, wherein the first portion has the first width and the second portion has the second width.
20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first spacer element has a different composition than the second spacer element.