Abstract: There is provided a deposition head capable of discharging a material gas having a uniform flow rate and equi-thermal property from each component in a large-sized substrate as well as a conventional small-sized one for forming a uniform thin film. A deposition apparatus including the deposition head is also provided. The deposition head is provided within a deposition apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate and configured to discharge a material gas toward the substrate. The deposition head includes an outer casing, and an inner casing provided within the outer casing and into which the material gas is introduced. In the inner casing, an opening configured to discharge the material gas toward the substrate is formed, and a heater configured to heat the material gas is provided at an outer surface of the outer casing or in a space between the outer casing and the inner casing.

Abstract: A component for a semiconductor processing apparatus includes a matrix defining a shape of the component, and a protection film covering a predetermined surface of the matrix. The protection film consists essentially of an amorphous oxide of a first element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, hafnium, zirconium, and yttrium. The protection film has a porosity of less than 1% and a thickness of 1 nm to 10 ?m.

Abstract: A pattern forming method includes (a) forming pairs of deposits on sidewalls of mask portions in first mask patterns by forming a thin film thereon, etching it to leave deposits, and exposing a top surface of a second-layer film between the deposits; (b) forming second mask patterns formed of mask portions corresponding to the deposits by removing the mask portion, plasma etching the second-layer film, and removing the deposits; (c) forming a thin film thereon, and etching it to leave deposits on sidewalls of mask portions facing each other and to expose a third-layer film between the deposits while leaving deposits between adjacent mask portions; and (d) forming grooves thereon by removing the second mask portion, and etching off the third-layer film.

Abstract: In a cleaning method, a substrate having a pattern formed on the surface thereof can be cleaned by using a cleaning fluid, while preventing the pattern protrusions from being flattened when the cleaning fluid is removed or dried. The cleaning method includes the steps of: loading a substrate onto a loading platform inside a processing chamber; heating the substrate; and supplying a cleaning fluid onto the surface of the substrate. The substrate is heated in the substrate heating step so that the Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs and steam of the cleaning fluid is interposed between the substrate and droplets of the cleaning fluid supplied to the substrate in the cleaning fluid supply step.

Abstract: Provided is an atmosphere cleaning device comprising a means for establishing a down-flow in the atmosphere, in which a treating object is positioned, a plurality of ionizers arranged at positions above the treating object and symmetrically in the layout, as viewed downward, across the treating object, for feeding either cation or anion transversely of the down-flow, and a means for applying such a DC voltage to the treating object as has the same polarity as that of the voltage being applied to those ionizers. The atmosphere cleaning device is characterized in that the symmetrically arranged ionizers are arranged to face each other.

Abstract: A source gas generating device includes a liquid accommodation unit that accommodates therein the liquid source obtained by liquefying the solid source; a first energy feed unit that supplies energy to raise a temperature of a first region within the liquid accommodation unit to a melting point of the solid source; a second energy feed unit that supplies energy to raise a temperature of a second region within the liquid accommodation unit to a temperature higher than the temperature of the first region, the second region being distanced apart from the first region via a liquid flowing region; a solid source feed unit that supplies the solid source into the first region of the liquid accommodation unit; and an outlet port that discharges the source gas produced by the evaporation of the liquid source within the second region of the liquid accommodation unit.

Abstract: Any particle adhesion onto the surface of a substrate to be processed is prevented. There is provided a substrate processing apparatus characterized by including a transfer chamber for, via a gate to which a substrate accommodating container for accommodation of the substrate is set, performing transfer of the substrate between the same and the substrate accommodating container, a processing chamber for applying a specific process to the substrate, a load-lock chamber for linking the processing chamber with the transfer chamber, and a temperature control unit for at the stage of transferring the substrate into at least one of the transfer chamber and the load-lock chamber, so as for the temperature of the substrate just before the transfer thereof to be higher than the temperature of the interior of the chamber, into which the substrate will be transferred, controlling at least one of the temperature of the substrate and the temperature of the interior of the chamber.

Abstract: A vertical CVD apparatus is arranged to process a plurality of target substrates all together to form a silicon germanium film. The apparatus includes a reaction container having a process field configured to accommodate the target substrates, and a common supply system configured to supply a mixture gas into the process field. The mixture gas includes a first process gas of a silane family and a second process gas of a germane family. The common supply system includes a plurality of supply ports disposed at different heights.

Abstract: A method of using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes processing by a cleaning gas a by-product film deposited on an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus. This step is arranged to supply the cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and set an interior of the reaction chamber at a first temperature and a first pressure. The by-product film mainly contains a high-dielectric-constant material. The cleaning gas contains chlorine without containing fluorine. The first temperature and the first pressure are set to activate chlorine in the cleaning gas.

Abstract: In a substrate inspection method, it is inspected whether the metal electrode is electrically connected to the conductive film by radiating electron beams onto a surface of the substrate to detect the number of secondary electrons emitted therefrom. The method includes placing the substrate onto a mounting table; inspecting the metal electrode by radiating electron beams onto an area of the substrate including the metal electrode at a first acceleration voltage and detecting secondary electrons emitted from the metal electrode; and radiating electron beams onto an area of the substrate not including the metal electrode at a second acceleration voltage. The second acceleration voltage is set such that a difference between the number of electrons entering the insulation film and the number of secondary electrons emitted from the insulation film is smaller at the second acceleration voltage than at the first acceleration voltage.

Abstract: A component (10) for a semiconductor processing apparatus includes a matrix (10a) defining a shape of the component, and a protection film (10c) covering a predetermined surface of the matrix. The protection film (10c) consists essentially of an amorphous oxide of a first element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, hafnium, zirconium, and yttrium. The protection film (10c) has a porosity of less than 1% and a thickness of 1 nm to 10 ?m.

Abstract: A gas purifying apparatus for removing particles from a gas. The gas purifying apparatus includes a first filter layer and a second filter layer, and the diameter of a fiber forming the first filter layer is larger than that of a fiber forming the second filter layer. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can use such a gas purifying apparatus.

Abstract: A pattern forming method includes (a) forming pairs of deposits on sidewalls of mask portions in first mask patterns by forming a thin film thereon, etching it to leave deposits, and exposing a top surface of a second-layer film between the deposits; (b) forming second mask patterns formed of mask portions corresponding to the deposits by removing the mask portion, plasma etching the second-layer film, and removing the deposits; (c) forming a thin film thereon, and etching it to leave deposits on sidewalls of mask portions facing each other and to expose a third-layer film between the deposits while leaving deposits between adjacent mask portions; and (d) forming grooves thereon by removing the second mask portion, and etching off the third-layer film.

Abstract: A vertical CVD apparatus is arranged to process a plurality of target substrates all together to form a silicon germanium film. The apparatus includes a reaction container having a process field configured to accommodate the target substrates, and a common supply system configured to supply a mixture gas into the process field. The mixture gas includes a first process gas of a silane family and a second process gas of a germane family. The common supply system includes a plurality of supply ports disposed at different heights.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a particle measuring method for irradiating light to a surface of a substrate to scatter the light so as to measure a condition of particles on the substrate based on the scattered light. The particle measuring method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: heating a certain liquid to obtain a steam; supplying the steam onto a substrate so that a content of the steam is absorbed by each particle, while a temperature of the substrate is maintained in such a manner that the steam does not condense on the substrate; cooling the substrate before the particle dries so that the content absorbed by the particle is solidified, while preventing generation of solidified substance on regions of the surface of the substrate to which no particle adheres; and irradiating light to the substrate to scatter the light and detecting the scattered light, under a condition in which the content absorbed by the particle has been solidified.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a particle measuring method for irradiating light to a surface of a substrate to scatter the light so as to measure a condition of particles on the substrate based on the scattered light. The particle measuring method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: heating a certain liquid to obtain a steam; supplying the steam onto a substrate so that a content of the steam is absorbed by each particle, while a temperature of the substrate is maintained in such a manner that the steam does not condense on the substrate; cooling the substrate before the particle dries so that the content absorbed by the particle is solidified, while preventing generation of solidified substance on regions of the surface of the substrate to which no particle adheres; and irradiating light to the substrate to scatter the light and detecting the scattered light, under a condition in which the content absorbed by the particle has been solidified.

Abstract: A method for subjecting target substrates to a heat process under a vacuum pressure includes a transfer step, heating-up and pressure-reducing step, and heat-processing step. The transfer step is arranged to transfer into a reaction chamber a holder that supports the substrates at intervals. The heating-up and pressure-reducing step following the transfer step is arranged to heat up the reaction chamber to a process temperature, and exhaust the reaction chamber to a process pressure. During the heating-up and pressure-reducing step, the reaction chamber is set at the process pressure after being set at the process temperature, to form a state where the reaction chamber has the process temperature under a pressure higher than the process pressure. The heat-processing step following the heating-up and pressure-reducing step is arranged to subject the substrates to the heat process at the process temperature and process pressure.

Abstract: A method of using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes processing by a cleaning gas a by-product film deposited on an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus. This step is arranged to supply the cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and set an interior of the reaction chamber at a first temperature and a first pressure. The by-product film mainly contains a high-dielectric-constant material. The cleaning gas contains chlorine without containing fluorine. The first temperature and the first pressure are set to activate chlorine in the cleaning gas.

Abstract: A silicon epitaxial layer is formed on the semiconductor underlayer of a target substrate (W) in the process chamber (2). This forming method includes a pressure reducing step of reducing the pressure inside the process chamber (2) accommodating the target substrate (W), a vapor phase growth step of introducing a film formation gas containing silane gas into the process chamber (2) to grow a silicon epitaxial layer on the semiconductor underlayer, and a hydrogen chloride treatment step and a hydrogen heat treatment step performed therebetween. The hydrogen chloride treatment step is arranged to introduce the first pre-treatment gas containing hydrogen chloride gas into the process chamber (2), thereby treating the atmosphere inside the process chamber (2). The hydrogen heat treatment step is arranged to introduce the second pre-treatment gas containing hydrogen gas into the process chamber (2), thereby treating the surface of the semiconductor underlayer.

Abstract: A vertical CVD apparatus is arranged to process a plurality of target substrates all together to form a silicon germanium film. The apparatus includes a reaction container having a process field configured to accommodate the target substrates, and a common supply system configured to supply a mixture gas into the process field. The mixture gas includes a first process gas of a silane family and a second process gas of a germane family. The common supply system includes a plurality of supply ports disposed at different heights.