Abstract: A thermal processing station is provided with a first conveyor that conveys a wafer from a first conveyor access portion and a second conveyor that conveys another wafer from a second conveyor access opening portion. The wafer conveyed from the first conveyor is conveyed along a route consisting of the second conveyor, a washing portion, the second conveyor again, the first conveyor, and a thermal processing portion. On the other hand, the wafer conveyed from the second conveyor is conveyed along a route consisting of the washing portion, the second conveyor again, the first conveyor, and the thermal processing portion. An intermediate transfer portion that is free to rotate and rise and lower is provided between the first and second conveyor. A control section does not rotate the intermediate transfer portion while the wafer is being transferred along the former route, but it does rotate the intermediate transfer portion through 180.degree.

Abstract: A pusher which pushes up semiconductor wafers has wafer fixing grooves to which they are fixed. Wafer detecting sensors which detect whether the semiconductor wafers are present are positioned in side walls of the wafer fixing grooves. The pusher is composed of an grounded aluminum base material and a resin coat formed on the base material. The surface of the aluminum base material is alumite-treated. The resin coat has a thickness of approximately 20 .mu.m. The resin coat is made of Teflon.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cleaning treatment apparatus wherein two neighboring treatment chambers are allowed to communicate through a communicating opening provided in a lower portion of a separating wall that separates the two treatment chambers, and a movable treatment tank containing a treatment liquid is arranged in a movable manner within the two treatment chambers. The liquid contained in the movable treatment tank and the separating wall are in contact and the two treatment chambers are covered. This configuration ensures that the atmospheres in the two treatment chambers are mutually isolated so that the movable treatment tank can be used in both treatment chambers, the overall apparatus can be made more compact, and also the amount of treatment liquid used can be reduced. In addition, there is no need for a wafer conveyor means, so throughput can also be improved.

Abstract: A treatment system is disclosed, which has a treatment apparatus for performing a predetermined treatment for a planar workpiece contained in a carrier, and an first air-tight carrier storage chamber for storing the carrier. The treatment apparatus may also have an air-tight second carrier storage chamber. An inert gas supply and an exhaust means are connected to each of the treatment apparatus, the first carrier storage chamber, and the second carrier storage chamber. A valve device is provided for the inert gas supply and exhaust means.

Abstract: A treating device of the closed system structure in which semiconductor wafers are conveyed from a load lock chamber to a process tube comprises a gas feed pipe for feeding inert gas into a load lock chamber, and a gas circulating cleaning system which lets out the inert gas in the load lock chamber, removes gaseous impurity and particulate impurities in the let out gas by a gas cleaning filter, and returns the cleaned gas into the load lock chamber. Thus, ambient atmosphere of the inert gas in the load lock chamber can be maintained at high purity, a consumption amount of the inert gas can be small, which contributes to suppression of generation of particles and preclusion of chemical contamination. The treating device can have high achievement and can be economical.

Abstract: A method for positioning and testing an object to be tested wherein the surface of an object to be tested for electrical characteristics is brought into contact with a test probe. The side of the object opposite the surface to be tested is held by a suction device on the end of one of many arms which are attached to a rotating shaft. The object is then transported to a position to bring it into contact with the test probe where testing is performed to determine whether or not the object is faulty. If necessary, the arms are manipulated in an up and down and an in and out direction with respect to the shaft, and the suction device rotated, to maintain the object to be tested in a proper orientation.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus having a heat treatment boat with a plurality of wafers held thereon, which is to be loaded in a reaction vessel which has one end opened. Once loaded, the boat effects a seal of the reaction vessel, in preparation for subjecting the wafers to heat treatment. The boat also has a heat-insulator disposed on its lower end for heat-insulating the interior of the reaction vessel during the heat-treatment. The heat-insulator includes composite plates having a metal film layer on an upper surface for reflecting heat rays generated during the heat treatment of the reaction vessel, and a cylinder enclosing the composite plates. Thus, sufficient heat-insulating effect for the heat treatment can be obtained, and stable heat-treatment can be conducted with the sufficient heat-insulating effect secured. Furthermore, the generation of particles can be suppressed, and yields of the heat treatment can be improved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus comprising a plurality of processing tanks containing cleaning liquids, a conveyor mechanism for conveying an object to be cleaned and immersing the object to be cleaned into the processing tanks, a dilutent liquid supply device for supplying a dilutent liquid through a piping-system in order to dilute waste liquid from the processing tanks, and a waste liquid sump for collecting diluted waste liquid. The waste liquid sump is provided with a temperature measurement device for detecting the temperature of waste liquid in the waste liquid sump, and the amount of dilutent liquid supplied from the dilutent liquid supply device is controlled by a temperature control device in accordance with a temperature measurement result from the temperature measurement device. The cleaning apparatus is also provided with a fixing device for joints of the piping system.

Abstract: In a semiconductor wafer heat-treating apparatus, there is provided a piping connection device on a gas inlet pipe leading to the heat-treating apparatus and a gas outlet pipe derived from the heat-treating apparatus. The piping connection device has a spherical convex connecting element, and a concave connecting element having a concave spherical surface into which the spherical element is snugly fitted. A pair of presser plates are placed on the outer surfaces of the two connecting elements and clamped by bolts so as to press confronting sealing surfaces of the convex and concave connecting elements against each other. Because the outer surfaces of the two connecting elements to be engaged with the pair of presser plates are spherically fashioned, the connection surfaces can present a satisfactory sealing condition without subjecting the pair of the pipes connected by the piping connection device to excessive biasing forces even though the two pipes are angled to each other.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus has a reaction vessel being adapted for performing a heat process for a workpiece to be treated and having a joint pipe portion and an outer pipe jointed to the joint pipe portion and of the reaction vessel. A sealing member is disposed between the outer pipe and the joint pipe portion. The sealing member has a relatively soft core member and a film harder than the core member. The film is disposed on the surface of the core member and has a heat resistance and a chemical resistance. Since the core member of the sealing portion has flexibility, it easily deforms corresponding to the shape of the sealing portion. The film provided on the core member prevents the sealing member from thermally adhering to the sealing portion and from thermally deteriorating.

Abstract: A wafer boat rotating apparatus is disclosed, which includes a boat holding portion for holding both ends of the wafer boat, a vertical rotation drive mechanism for rotating the boat holding portion on a vertical plane, and a horizontal rotation drive mechanism for rotating the boat holding portion on a horizontal plane. A wafer holding member is disposed on the boat holding portion and adapted to keep the wafers held in the wafer boat apart from a bottom portion of the wafer boat by a small distance. Thus, compensation for the difference of coefficients of thermal expansion between the wafers and wafer boat during heat treatment can be made easily.

Abstract: A device for detecting a semiconductor wafer in a non-contact manner irrespective of transparency or opacity thereof. At positions corresponding to a plurality of wafers loaded on a carrier, a plurality of light emitting/receiving sensors and a plurality of light receiving sensors are correspondingly provided in pairs in such a manner that their respective light emitting/receiving surfaces and their respective light receiving surface in pairs confront each other. The light emitting/receiving sensors and light receiving sensors are alternately arranged in two rows lengthwise on a sensor support board. In the case of a transparent wafer, a light sent out from a light emitting section of the light emitting/receiving sensor strikes on and is reflected by the surface of the wafer. The thus reflected light is then detected by a light receiving section of the same light emitting/receiving sensor.

Abstract: In conducting a plurality of kinds of surface-treatments on objects to be treated, concentration of produced gases in exhaust gas discharged from a reaction vessel are detected, and data of the detected concentrations are compared with reference data stored in a control unit to continuously control and process the respective surface-treatments. As a result, processing control can be performed suitably for the respective kinds of surface-treatments, and different kinds of surface-treatments can be continuously conducted by one and the same surface-treatment device.

Abstract: A plurality of ring trays supporting loaded treatment objects are arranged in parallel at predetermined spacing in the vertical axis direction and are supported by rods at a minimum of three locations separated from the rod couplings. Cutouts are provided in each ring tray that do not extend to the ring tray center open area. Supporting teeth are provided on the arms driven by drive devices and are inserted via the cutouts. The supporting teeth straddle the ring tray and are shifted relatively on both sides of the vertical direction, and can exchange the wafers between the ring tray and the supporting teeth. By this, problems occurring with regard to various types of heat treatment of the treatment objects, such as treatment object slippage, can be prevented. In addition, a plurality of treatment objects can be exchanged at one time, thereby allowing the exchanging time to be shortened.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface processing apparatus which performs heating processing of an object of heating which is mounted on a mounting device provided inside a process container, and which includes a plural number of lamps provided so as to oppose a rear surface of a processing surface of an object of processing, a rotating unit which has the plural number of lamps mounted to it in a ring shape, and a drive unit which drives the rotating unit. Also, the present invention relates to a processing apparatus for leading a process gas from a gas supply tube to a gas chamber partitioned inside a process container, and which blows process gas from an outlet of the gas chamber and onto an object of processing which is mounted on a mounting device provided inside the process container, and which includes a plural number of partition plates each provided with a plural number of through holes, being provided at required intervals in a direction of gas flow and inside the gas chamber.

Abstract: A heater body or a circulation path for a heating gas is provided in an inner surface of a lid body that opens and closes an opening portion of a process tube. The circulation path is formed in such a manner that it passes through a gap between the lid body and the shaft of a rotation mechanism that rotates a quartz boat holding semiconductor wafers within the process tube. A heating gas at a temperature at least as high as the vaporization temperature of reaction products is made to circulate through this circulation path. Since the inner surfaces of the lid body are heated, reaction products do not adhere to the inner walls of the lid body and the lower portions of the process tube. Since there no source of contamination is generated thereby, the semiconductor wafers and the clean room are not contaminated. Since the circulation gas is made to flow in the reverse direction in the gap, there is no leakage of reaction gas therefrom.

Abstract: In order to remove oxides produced as a result of natural oxidation, from a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer is transported into a preparatory chamber filled with an inert gas via a loading/unloading passage and held by open/close pins of a loading platform atop an intermediate cover lowered in the preparatory chamber; the intermediate cover then raises, the preparatory chamber and an intermediate chamber located immediately above the preparatory chamber are isolated; and the loading platform and the semiconductor wafer thereon are positioned in the intermediate chamber. Thereafter, a closed open/close cover located at the upper part of the intermediate chamber opens upward; a treatment gas from a treatment gas atmosphere chamber located immediately above the intermediate chamber flows into the intermediate chamber; and a process is performed for removing oxidation film from the semiconductor wafer surface.

Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a rotating and holding mechanism which holds and rotates an object to be coated, a container which encloses the rotating and holding mechanism and prevents the dispersion of coating liquid supplied to the object, a washing fitting provided to the rotating and holding mechanism and which supplies washing liquid for washing off coating liquid which has attached to the inside of container. This washing fitting has a collection pool for collecting the washing liquid, and discharge holes through which the washing liquid in the collection pool is discharged by rotation of the rotating and holding mechanism. Thus, it is possible to evenly wash off coating liquid which has attached to the inside of the container in a short time with a small amount of washing liquid.

Abstract: A vertical type of heat treatment apparatus which houses objects for treatment loaded on a wafer boat, in a process tube and performs heat treatment, and including a cap which opens and closes an opening portion of a manifold and which is disposed on the side of an opening portion of the process tube, a support mechanism which elastically supports the cap and which is provided to a vertical motion mechanism of the wafer boat, and an expandable and contractible airtightness maintenance means which maintains airtightness on the side of the cap, and which is provided between the cap and the vertical motion mechanism.