Author: claimsbot

1. A method of determining the cleaning interval for the interior walls of an RF-powered plasma processing chamber subject to unwanted material build-up, the method comprising:
(a) after cleaning the walls, running a given baseline plasma process on the chamber and determining the corresponding magnitude of a characteristic of the delivered RF power at the fundamental frequency,
(b) repeating step (a) at intervals between production runs, and
(c) cleaning the walls at a time which is a function of the said magnitude.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the walls are cleaned when the said magnitude reaches a predetermined threshold level.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including establishing a trend line for changes in the said magnitude over time, the walls being cleaned at a time indicated by the trend line crossing a predetermined threshold level.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the baseline process uses a gas plasma inert to the built-up material.
5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the built-up material comprises a polymer resulting from use of the plasma chamber during the said production runs as an etch chamber using polymer-forming chemistry.
6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the characteristic of the delivered RF power at the fundamental frequency is the phase.
7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the baseline recipe is carried out on a test substrate.
8. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the baseline process is run in the absence of a substrate.

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 semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface that face each other, and having an element region and an isolation region, the element region including a transistor in the first surface, and the isolation region including an element isolation layer surrounding the element region; and
a contact plug extending from the first surface to the second surface in the isolation region of the semiconductor substrate.
2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a storage element provided on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate with an insulating layer in between,
wherein a first end of the contact plug is connected to the storage element.
3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the storage element is a spin transfer torque-magnetic tunnel junction storage element (STT-MTJ element).
4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein
the transistor includes
a pair of diffusion layers configuring a part of the semiconductor substrate,
a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to the respective diffusion layers, and
a gate electrode, and
the gate electrode, the source electrode, or the drain electrode is connected to a second end of the contact plug.
5. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein a periphery of the contact plug is covered with a part of the insulating layer, and the contact plug and the semiconductor substrate are isolated from each other.
6. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein
the semiconductor substrate includes an opening in a part of the isolation region,
the insulating layer is connected to the element isolation layer through the opening of the semiconductor substrate, and
the contact plug passes through a connection portion between the insulating layer and the element isolation layer.
7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an occupancy area of the contact plug increases from the first surface toward the second surface.
8. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein
the semiconductor substrate includes a laminate configuration including a first semiconductor layer, a buried oxide film, and a second semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer being provided in the element region, the buried oxide film with which the first semiconductor layer is covered, and the second semiconductor layer with which both the buried oxide film and the element isolation layer are covered, and
a periphery of the contact plug is covered with a part of the insulating layer, and the contact plug and the second semiconductor layer are isolated from each other.
9. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein
the semiconductor substrate includes, in the element region, a buried oxide film with which the transistor is covered, and
both the buried oxide film and the element isolation layer are covered with the insulating layer.
10. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein
the transistor includes a fin extending in a first direction, a gate wiring line extending in a second direction, a source wiring line, and a drain wiring line, the gate wiring line with which surfaces other than a back surface of the fin are covered, and
the source wiring line or the drain wiring line is connected to a second end of the contact plug.
11. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein
the transistor includes a fin extending in a first direction, a gate wiring line extending in a second direction, a source wiring line, and a drain wiring line, the gate wiring line with which surfaces other than a back surface of the fin are covered, and
the semiconductor substrate includes a laminate configuration including a buried oxide film and a semiconductor layer, the buried oxide film with which back surfaces of the fin, the gate wiring line, the source wiring line, and the drain wiring line are covered, and the semiconductor layer with which both the buried oxide film and the element isolation layer are covered, and
a periphery of the contact plug is covered with a part of the insulating layer, and the contact plug and the semiconductor layer are isolated from each other.
12. A semiconductor device comprising:
an element formation layer in which a transistor is formed, the transistor including a fin extending in a first direction, a gate wiring line extending in a second direction, a source wiring line, and a drain wiring line, the gate wiring line with which surfaces other than a back surface of the fin are covered;
a buried oxide film with which the transistor is covered;
an insulating layer with which the buried oxide film is covered; and
a contact plug passing through a region other than a region where the transistor is formed of the element formation layer.
13. The semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein the part with which the periphery of the contact plug is covered of the insulating layer is made of a material having a lower dielectric constant than SiO2.
14. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an occupancy area of the contact plug decreases from the first surface toward the second surface.
15. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the contact plug is configured by connecting a portion with an occupancy area decreasing from the first surface toward the second surface and a portion with an occupancy area decreasing from the second surface toward the first surface.
16. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein
a wiring line is included, the wiring line extending from the element region to the isolation region to come into contact with the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and
the source electrode or the drain electrode and the second end of the contact plug are connected to each other through the wiring line.
17. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a wiring configuration in which a plurality of wiring layers are laminated on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate,
wherein a first end of the contact plug is connected to one of the wiring layers in the wiring configuration.
18. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising:
preparing a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface that face each other, and having an element region and an isolation region, the element region including a transistor in the first surface, and the isolation region including an element isolation layer surrounding the element region; and
forming a contact plug by forming a through hole from the second surface to the first surface in the isolation region and then filling the through hole with a metal material.
19. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein
an insulating layer is formed after an opening is formed in the semiconductor substrate, the insulating layer with which the semiconductor substrate is covered, and a part of the insulating layer being in contact with the element insulation layer through the opening, and
the through hole is formed in a portion where the element isolation layer and the insulating layer are connected to each other.
20. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the through hole is obtained by digging the element isolation layer from the first surface to pass through the element isolation layer.
21. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the through hole is obtained by excavating the element isolation layer from the first surface to leave a part of the element isolation layer, and then excavating and removing the remaining part of the element isolation layer from the second surface.
22. A semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface that face each other, and having a first region, a second region, and a third region, the first region including a transistor in the first surface, the second region including an element isolation layer surrounding the first region in the first surface, and the third region isolated from the first region by the second region,
wherein a first conductive semiconductor portion is provided in the first region,
a second conductive semiconductor portion is provided in the third region, and
an insulating layer is provided in the second region, the insulating layer being sandwiched between the first conductive semiconductor portion and the second conductive semiconductor portion in the second surface.
23. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the element isolation layer and the insulating layer are in contact with each other in the second region.
24. The semiconductor device according to claim 23, further comprising a contact plug extending from the first surface to the second surface in the second region to pass through the element isolation layer and the insulating layer.
25. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the element isolation layer and the insulating layer are isolated from each other in the second region.
26. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the second region includes a portion where the element isolation layer and the insulating layer are in contact with each other and a portion where the element isolation layer and the insulating layer are isolated from each other.
27. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein the insulating layer includes a trench in the second region.
28. The semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein
a first insulating film and a second insulating film are included, the first insulating film with which the first conductive semiconductor portion is covered, and the second insulating film with which the second conductive semiconductor portion is covered,
the first insulating film is a first band-structure modulation film functioning to limit trapping of free electrons in proximity to a valence band by shifting upward an energy band of the first conductive semiconductor portion, and
the second insulating film is a second band-structure modulation film functioning to limit trapping of free electrons in proximity to a conduction band by shifting downward an energy band of the second conductive semiconductor portion.
29. The semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein
the first insulating film is made of a high-dielectric constant material having a positive flat band, and
the second insulating film is made of a high-dielectric constant material having a negative flat band.
30. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the high-dielectric constant material having the positive flat band is Al2O3, HfO2, TiO2, ZrO2, MgO, or an oxide or an oxynitride including Al, Hf, Ti, Zr or Mg.
31. The semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein the high-dielectric constant material having the negative flat band is Y2O3, La2O3, OeO2, Lu2O3, or SrO.
32. A semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface that face each other, and having an element region and an isolation, the element region including a transistor region in the first surface, and the isolation region including, in the first surface, an element isolation layer surrounding the element region;
a contact plug extending from the first surface to the second surface in the isolation region of the semiconductor substrate;
a block layer provided to stride across a boundary between the element region and the isolation region in the first surface; and
a wiring line with which the block layer is covered in the first surface and that connects the contact plug and the transistor to each other.
33. The semiconductor device according to claim 32, wherein the block layer is provided to stride across a boundary between a diffusion region of the transistor and the element isolation layer.
34. A semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface that face each other, and having an element region and an isolation region, the element region including a transistor in the first surface, and the isolation region including, in the first surface, an element isolation layer surrounding the element region;
a contact plug extending from the first surface to the second surface in the isolation region of the semiconductor substrate; and
a metal layer provided to stride across a boundary between the element region and the isolation region in the first surface and to connect the contact plug and the transistor to each other.
35. A semiconductor unit provided with a semiconductor device and an image pickup device laminated on the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface that face each other, and having an element region and an isolation region, the element region including a transistor in the first surface, and the isolation region including an element isolation layer surrounding the element region; and
a contact plug extending from the first surface to the second surface in the isolation region of the semiconductor substrate.
36. The semiconductor unit according to claim 35, wherein
the semiconductor device includes a first wiring line as an uppermost layer thereof,
the image pickup device includes a second wiring line as a lowermost layer thereof, and
the semiconductor device and the image pickup device are laminated to allow the first wiring line and the second wiring line to come into direct contact with each other.
37. The semiconductor unit according to claim 35, wherein
the semiconductor device includes a first wiring line as an uppermost layer thereof,
the image pickup device includes a second wiring line as an uppermost layer or an intermediate layer thereof, and
the first wiring line and the second wiring line are connected to each other through a connection section passing through the image pickup device in a thickness direction.

1. A method of configuring an enterprise application, the method comprising:
providing, in a computer system, a framework for defining a set of relationships between a plurality of business units, the framework comprising a business unit definition that is used to define representations of a plurality of business units, a business function definition that is used to define one or more business functions, and a relationship definition that is used to define a relationship between one or more business units and one or more business functions;
providing, from the computer system, a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function;
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a control to be implemented with respect to the business function agency relationship;
configuring an enterprise application to reflect the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, wherein configuring the enterprise application comprises storing, in a database, a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit;
receiving, at the enterprise application, a transaction pertaining to the first business function;
determining, based on the set of data stored in the database, that the business function agency relationship governs processing of the transaction; and
processing the transaction according to the business function agency relationship.
2. In an enterprise application, a method of defining relationships between two or more business units in an enterprise, the method comprising:
providing a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
storing a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of data is stored in a database.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
displaying, for a user, a confirmation of the defined business function agency relationship.
5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
providing for the user to define, via the user interface, one or more business functions to be performed by the first business unit;
wherein receiving a selection of a first business function of the first business unit comprises receiving a selection of one of the one or more business functions defined by the user.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a control to be implemented with respect to the business function agency relationship.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control comprises a service level agreement pertaining to the business function agency relationship.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the control comprises a limitation on performance of the business function.
9. The method of claim 2, wherein the business function agency relationship is a client relationship, such that the first business unit performs the first business function on behalf of the second business unit.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
receiving a request, at the enterprise application, for the first business function to be performed for the second business unit;
determining, based on the set of data, that the first business unit should perform the first business function on behalf of the second business unit; and
providing for the first business unit to perform the first business function on behalf of the second business unit.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
implementing, with respect to a performance of the first business function, a control defined with respect to the business function agency relationship.
12. The method of claim 2, wherein the business function agency relationship is a related business function relationship, such that a transaction processed by the first business function in the first business unit is further processed by a second business function in the second business unit.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
identifying a transaction that has been processed by the first business function in the first business unit;
determining, based on the set of data, that the transaction should be further processed by the second business function; and
providing for the second business unit to perform the second business function to further process the transaction.
14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a second business function agency relationship between the first business unit and a third business unit, the second business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
storing, in the database, a set of data representing the second business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the third business unit.
15. A computer system, comprising:
a database for storing data used by an enterprise application;
one or more processors in communication with the database; and
one or more computer readable storage media in communication with the one or more processors, the one or more computer readable storage media having encoded thereon a computer program comprising a set of instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising:
instructions for providing a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
instructions for storing, in the database, a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit.
16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising a web server configured to transmit one or more webs page for display in a web browser operated by the user, the one or more web pages comprising the user interface.
17. A computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon a computer program for defining, in an enterprise application, relationships between a plurality of business units, the computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer system to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising:
instructions for providing a user interface for a user to define a relationship between a plurality of business units;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a first business function of the first business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, an identification of a second business unit;
instructions for receiving, via the user interface, a definition of a business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit, the business function agency relationship pertaining to the first business function; and
instructions for storing, in the database, a set of data representing the business function agency relationship between the first business unit and the second business unit.
18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the enterprise application comprises the computer program.
19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computer program is integrated with a configuration utility for the enterprise application.
20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the configuration utility is an installation program for the enterprise application.
21. A method of configuring an enterprise application, the method comprising:
providing, in a computer system, a framework for defining a set of relationships between a plurality of business units, the framework comprising a business unit definition that is used to define representations of a plurality of business units, a business function definition that is used to define one or more business functions, and a relationship definition that is used to define a relationship between one or more business units and one or more business functions;
providing, from the computer system, a user interface to receive, from a user, first input for selecting a first representation of a first business unit, second input for selecting a second representation of a second business unit, third input for selecting a business function, and fourth input for defining a relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit, and the business function; and
configuring an enterprise application to reflect the defined relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit and the business function.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring an enterprise application comprises storing, in a database, a set of data representing the defined relationship.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the relationship is a business function client relationship, such that the first business unit performs the business function on behalf of the second business unit.
24. The method of claim 21, wherein the relationship is a relationship is a related business function relationship, such that a transaction processed by the business function in the first business unit is further processed by another business function in the second business unit
25. A computer readable storage medium have encoded thereon a computer program comprising a set of instructions executable by a computer system to perform one or more operations, the computer program comprising:
a framework for defining a set of relationships between a plurality of business units, the framework comprising a business unit definition that is used to define representations of a plurality of business units, a business function definition that is used to define one or more business functions, and a relationship definition that is used to define a relationship between one or more business units and one or more business functions;
a user interface for receiving, from a user, first input for selecting a first representation of a first business unit, second input for selecting a second representation of a second business unit, third input for selecting a business function, and fourth input for defining a relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit, and the business function; and
a configuration engine for configuring an enterprise application to reflect the defined relationship among the first business unit, the second business unit and the business function.
26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the enterprise application comprises the computer program.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a polypropylene blend from a plastic mixture comprising high molecular weight polypropylene, other high molecular weight polymers and low molecular weight polymers, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) combining the plastic mixture with a first solvent in which at least one of the high molecular weight polymers is soluble;
(b) maintaining the solvent at an operating temperature at which essentially no high molecular weight polymer is dissolved, and adjusting the weight ratio of plastic mixture to solvent;
(c) extracting the low molecular weight polymers from the plastic mixture during a residence period;
(d) dissolving the plastic mixture resulting from step (c) in a second solvent, which is the same as or different from the first solvent, and separating insoluble components from the solution by solid-liquid separation;
(e) generating at least two liquid phases having different polymer compositions, and selectively precipitating polypropylene from at least one liquid phase using shearing or flow to form a polypropylene fraction;
(f) degassing the polypropylene fraction; and
(g) granulating the polypropylene fraction to form a polypropylene blend.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein prior to step b) at a temperature which is lower than the operating temperature, at least one of the polymers contained in the plastic mixture is dissolved and is separated from the remaining polymers and from at least a portion of soluble contaminants contained in the plastic mixture using one or more solid-liquid separation methods.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein, in steps (a) to (c), when the concentration of low molecular weight polymers in the solvent reaches a predetermined level, the solvent is removed from the process, cleaned through distillation, and reused for the extraction.
4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first and second solvents are independently selected from the group consisting of aliphatic, aromatic and cyclical hydrocarbons, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, alcohols, carboxylic acids, amines, esters, ketones, tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulphoxide, N-methyl pyrrolidone or mixtures thereof.
5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of plastic mixture to solvent is 10 to 20%.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the operating temperature in step (b) is 60 C. to 70 C.
7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the residence period in step (c) is 60 to 90 minutes.
8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plastic mixture used in step (a) consists of pellets that are so fine they can be drizzled.
9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the insoluble components that are separated in step (d) include one or more of paper, aluminum and polymers other than polypropylene.
10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein following step (d), the plastic mixture is dissolved in a third solvent, which is the same as or different from the second solvent, prior to the phase separation.
11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plastic mixture used in step (a) is derived from plastic packaging materials that have been collected for recycling.
12. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the high molecular weight polypropylene and other high molecular weight polymers has a weight average molecular weight of at least 10,000.
13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the other high molecular weight polymers include one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, LDPE, LLDPE, MDPE, HDPE and UHDPE.
14. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the solid-liquid separation comprises one or more of filtering, decanting or centrifuging.
15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the low molecular weight polymers have a weight average molecular weight of up to 5000.
16. A polypropylene blend produced by the method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the blend contains at least 95% by weight polypropylene.
17. The polypropylene blend in accordance with claim 16 having an average melt flow index measured in accordance with ISO 1133 at 230 C. and 2.16 kg load of 14.7 to 17.9 g10 min.
18. The polypropylene blend in accordance with claim 17 having an average yield stress of 29.5 to 36.1 Mpa.
19. An injection molded part made from a polypropylene blend in accordance with claim 18.
20. A polypropylene blend which has been recovered from a plastic mixture comprising high molecular weight polypropylene, other high molecular weight polymers and low molecular weight polymers, wherein the recovery method comprises the steps of:
(a) extracting the low molecular weight polymers from the plastic mixture using a first solvent at a temperature at which essentially none of the high molecular weight polymers is dissolved;
(b) dissolving the plastic mixture resulting from step (a) in a second solvent, which is the same or different from the first solvent, and separating insoluble components from the resulting solution by solid-liquid separation;
(c) generating at least two liquid phases having different polymer compositions, and selectively precipitating polypropylene from at least one liquid phase using shearing or flow to form a polypropylene fraction;
and wherein the polypropylene blend contains at least 95% by weight polypropylene, an average melt flow index measured in accordance with ISO 1133 at 230 C. and 2.16 kg load of 14.7 to 17.9 g10 min., and has an average yield stress of 29.5 to 36.1 Mpa.