Abstract: A plurality of projections 21 is disposed on a inner surface of a lid 20 which is detachably attached to a carrier body 10. Each projection 21 has a tapered end part 22 with inclined surfaces 23, 24. The surfaces 23, 24 are in the form of semitransparent mirror. A Light emitting device 47 projects light beam which travels horizontally to the projection 21 from outside of the lid 20. When a wafer is not present in slots 15 of the carrier body, the light beam travels to upper and lower adjacent photoelectric devices 48, 48 via the upper and lower adjacent projections 21. The semitransparent mirror 23, 24 changes the light beam traveling direction. When the wafer is present in the slots 15, the light beam is intercepted by the wafer, and the photoelectric devices 48 does not receive the light beam. In aforementioned manner, whether a wafer is present or not in the slots 15 can be detected.

Abstract: Vacuum process chambers are increased or decreased in number when the kind or order of processes is changed, and the shape and size of the transfer chamber are changed with the increase or decrease of the number of the vacuum process chambers, without entailing any change in a load-lock chamber and a transfer arm. The transfer arm has a minimum radius of rotation such that the arm can rotate in a transfer chamber of a minimum size corresponding to a minimum number of vacuum process chambers and a maximum arm reach such that the arm can deliver an object to-be-treated between each vacuum process chamber and a transfer chamber of a maximum size corresponding to a maximum number of vacuum process chambers. Thus, even though the number of the vacuum process chambers are increased or decreased with the change of the processes, it is necessary only that the shape and size of the transfer chamber be changed, and the other components, such as the load-lock chamber, transfer arm, etc.

Abstract: A cassette chamber according to the present invention comprises a housing defining a space stored with a cassette for holding a plurality of objects of treatment, a lift base having a rotatable shaft and located in the housing for up-and-down motion, an auxiliary base fixed to the shaft and inclined at a predetermined angle to the longitudinal direction of the shaft, a cassette support having a bottom support portion set on the lift base and bearing the bottom face of the cassette and a back support portion rotatably supported by the auxiliary base and bearing the back face of the cassette, a rotation mechanism for rotating the shaft as the lift base ascends or descends, thereby rotating the auxiliary base and the cassette support between a first position inside the housing and a second position outside the housing, and a support section for keeping the back support portion of the cassette support parallel to the shaft by engaging the back support portion being rotated to the second position by the rotation m

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer positioner including a rotating table on which a wafer is placed and a peripheral shape of the wafer is optically detected as a first peripheral shape signal. A control section combines two half cycle components of the first peripheral shape signal, the components being 180.degree. out of phase, to obtain a second peripheral shape signal exhibiting a characteristic feature of flat orientation. A peak in the second peripheral shape signal is detected, and data in the first peripheral shape signal corresponding to the peak and 180.degree. from the peak is invalidated. A curve approximation is utilized to approximate the invalidated data to produce a third peripheral shape signal from which an eccentricity amount and direction are calculated.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there are provided a self-bias measurement method of measuring the self-bias voltage of an object when the object is subjected to a plasma process by using a plasma generated between a pair of electrodes, the object being held, by means of electrostatic chucking means having an electrostatic chucking electrode, on one of the pair of electrodes situated in a processing chamber, the method including the steps of detecting a leak current between the object and the electrostatic chucking electrode while varying the DC voltage applied to the electrostatic chucking electrode, and calculating the self-bias voltage of the object on the basis of the leak current detected, an apparatus for measuring the self-bias, and an electrostatic chucking apparatus having means capable of measuring the self-bias.

Abstract: A heat sink fan has a fan motor provided with blades, a rectangular upper casing for holding the fan motor, and a rectangular lower casing fixed to the upper casing. The lower casing has a bottom portion and fin dissipating fins erected perpendicularly from the four side edges of the bottom portion. The upper and lower casings are fixed together by a mechanically interlocking mechanism consisting of a combination of pawls and pawl receiving portions, a combination of projections each having an inflated portion and cavities or a combination of hooks and engaging grooves formed or in the upper or lower casing. Fin portions are formed on the whole area or the area except for the fan motor and the blades to increase a heat dissipating efficiency.

Abstract: The plasma etching apparatus for a semiconductor wafer includes a susceptor provided in the vacuum process chamber. An electrostatic chuck for attracting and holding the wafer is provided on the susceptor. The electrostatic chuck comprises a chuck electrode provided on the susceptor via an insulative layer. The chuck electrode is connected to the positive terminal of the DC power supply via a switch. The chuck electrode is coated with a resistive layer, and the wafer is placed directly on the resistive layer. The resistive layer exhibits an electric resistivity of 1.times.10.sup.10 .OMEGA..multidot.cm to 1.times.10.sup.12 .OMEGA..multidot.cm in a temperature range for etching. The resistive layer is formed to have such a surface roughness that a center line average hight falls within a range of 0.1 to 1.5 .mu.m.

Abstract: A reduced pressure processing system includes a load lock chamber having an opening communicating with a process atmosphere in which a wafer is processed and/or the outer air atmosphere, a gate valve which is arranged at the opening to close/open the chamber with respect to the process atmosphere and/or the outer air atmosphere, a robot for loading/unloading the wafer into/from the chamber, an evacuation pump for evacuating the chamber, a heater for heating the wall of the chamber, and a controller for controlling the gate valve, the robot, the evacuation pump, and the heater.

Abstract: A reduced pressure processing system includes a load lock chamber having an opening communicating with a process atmosphere in which a wafer is processed and/or the outer air atmosphere, a gate valve which is arranged at the opening to close/open the chamber with respect to the process atmosphere and/or the outer air atmosphere, a robot for loading/unloading the wafer into/from the chamber, an evacuation pump for evacuating the chamber, a heater for heating the wall of the chamber, and a controller for controlling the gate valve, the robot, the evacuation pump, and the heater.

Abstract: The present invention is a vacuum processing apparatus provided with a vacuum processing chamber which implements a required processing to an object of processing, and a pre-vacuum chamber (load-lock chamber) configured so that it can be internally vacuum exhausted, with an object of processing being carried-in and -out of the vacuum processing chamber via the pre-vacuum chamber, in which a small space which can be airtightly sealed is provided inside the pre-vacuum chamber, so that the object of processing can be temporarily withdrawn into and housed in the small space when there is vacuum exhaust from the pre-vacuum chamber and when there is the introduction of air to the pre-vacuum chamber. Thus, it is possible to prevent the adhesion to the processing object of particles which rise when air is introduced to the load-lock chamber and when air is exhausted from the load-lock chamber, and without having to perform slow exhaust and slow venting, while increases the throughput and the yield at the same time.

Abstract: A fluid control valve which regulates a flow rate of a liquid and, more particularly, which controls a fluid by axially moving a valve body fixed to a valve shaft. The fluid control valve comprises a device for absorbing vibrations of the valve shaft in a direction perpendicular to the axis thereof. More specifically, there is provided a device for exerting a pressing force to lightly press the valve shaft against the inner walls of bearings. Alternatively, the valve shaft may be held between a plurality of elastic plates fixed on the inner surface of a valve casing.