Abstract: A processing apparatus is disclosed which is capable of switching supplies of a raw material gas and a reducing gas alternately, while continuously forming a plasma of the reducing gas. An excitation device (12) excites a reducing gas supplied thereinto, and the excited reducing gas is supplied into a process chamber (2). A switching mechanism (20) is arranged between the excitation device (12) and the process chamber (2), and a bypass line (22) is connected to the switching mechanism (20). The switching mechanism (20) switches the flow of the excited reducing gas from the excitation device (12) between the process chamber (2) and the bypass line (22).

Abstract: A heating means is disclosed which comprises a reflector plate composed of an opaque quartz and a quartz tube welded to the surface of the reflector plate. A carbon wire which generates heat when a current is applied is inserted in the quartz tube.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing vessel provided with a stage holding thereon a substrate to be processed and evacuated at an evacuation port, and a source gas supplying system that supplies plural source gases to the processing vessel separately in the form of a laminar flow, wherein the evacuation port has a slit-form shape extending in a direction generally intersecting perpendicularly to a direction of the laminar flow, the evacuation port is engaged with a valve having a valve body formed with a slit-form opening corresponding to the slit-form shape of the evacuation port, the slit-form opening being provided so as to cause a displacement with respect to the evacuation port in a direction generally intersecting perpendicularly to an extending direction of the evacuation port, the valve changing a degree of valve opening thereof via displacement of said slit-form opening.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film on a substrate using a showerhead includes forming an atomic layer deposition (ALD) film and a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) film continuously, or forming a thermal ALD film and a plasma ALD film continuously, by using a showerhead including an upper compartment and a lower compartment which is disposed underneath and overlapped by the upper compartment as viewed in an axial direction of the showerhead and is not gas-communicated with the upper compartment.

Abstract: A gas-feeding apparatus configured to be connected to an evacuatable reaction chamber includes a gas-distribution head for introducing gases into the chamber through a head surface. The gas-feeding head includes a first section for discharging a gas through the head surface toward a susceptor and a second section for discharging a gas through the head surface toward the susceptor. The first and the second sections are isolated from each other in the gas-distribution head, at least one of which section is coupled to an exhaust system for purging therefrom a gas present in the corresponding section without passing through the head surface.

Abstract: A heating means is disclosed which comprises a reflector plate composed of an opaque quartz and a quartz tube welded to the surface of the reflector plate. A carbon wire which generates heat when a current is applied is inserted in the quartz tube.

Abstract: A processing apparatus is disclosed which is capable of switching supplies of a raw material gas and a reducing gas alternately, while continuously forming a plasma of the reducing gas. An excitation device (12) excites a reducing gas supplied thereinto, and the excited reducing gas is supplied into a process chamber (2). A switching mechanism (20) is arranged between the excitation device (12) and the process chamber (2), and a bypass line (22) is connected to the switching mechanism (20). The switching mechanism (20) switches the flow of the excited reducing gas from the excitation device (12) between the process chamber (2) and the bypass line (22).

Abstract: A gas-feeding apparatus configured to be connected to an evacuatable reaction chamber includes a gas-distribution head for introducing gases into the chamber through a head surface. The gas-feeding head includes a first section for discharging a gas through the head surface toward a susceptor and a second section for discharging a gas through the head surface toward the susceptor. The first and the second sections are isolated from each other in the gas-distribution head, at least one of which section is coupled to an exhaust system for purging therefrom a gas present in the corresponding section without passing through the head surface.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing vessel provided with a stage holding thereon a substrate to be processed and evacuated at an evacuation port, and a source gas supplying system that supplies plural source gases to the processing vessel separately in the form of a laminar flow, wherein the evacuation port has a slit-form shape extending in a direction generally intersecting perpendicularly to a direction of the laminar flow, the evacuation port is engaged with a valve having a valve body formed with a slit-form opening corresponding to the slit-form shape of the evacuation port, the slit-form opening being provided so as to cause a displacement with respect to the evacuation port in a direction generally intersecting perpendicularly to an extending direction of the evacuation port, the valve changing a degree of valve opening thereof via displacement of said slit-form opening.

Abstract: When a substrate 30 is to be subjected to a magnetron plasma process, a dipole ring magnet 21 is provided, in which a large number of anisotropic segment magnets 22 are arranged in a ring-like shape around the outer wall of a chamber 1. A magnetic field gradient, wherein the magnetic field strength decreases from the E pole side toward the W pole side in a direction perpendicular to a magnetic field direction B, is formed in a plane perpendicular to the direction of an electric field between a pair of electrodes separated from each other. The anisotropic segment magnets have a first section a including anisotropic segment magnets arranged in the vicinity of a region A located outside an E pole side end of the process substrate with an N pole thereof being directed toward this region, and a second portion b including anisotropic segment magnets arranged with an S pole thereof being directed toward this region, to locally increase the magnetic field strengths of the first and second regions.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus has a central processing chamber, an upper exhaust chamber thereabove, and a lower exhaust chamber therebelow. The processing chamber, the upper exhaust chamber, and the lower exhaust chamber are airtightly formed by a central casing part, an upper casing part, and a lower casing part which are separably combined. The upper and lower exhaust chambers are respectively connected to upper and lower exhaust pumps. A susceptor having a support surface for supporting a target object, and an upper electrode or shower head opposing it are arranged in the processing chamber. A processing gas spouted through the shower head flows upward and downward toward the upper and lower exhaust chambers via the processing chamber.

Abstract: A turbomolecular pump evacuates gas in an apparatus (or a chamber) by means of a rotor having blades and/or spiral grooves which rotates at a high speed. The turbomolecular pump includes a casing housing a rotor and a stator therein, a pumping section comprising the rotor and the stator, a valve element capable of opening or closing an intake port of the casing, and a supporting member for supporting the valve element. The supporting member extends through at least one of the rotor and the stator. The turbomolecular pump further includes an actuating mechanism for actuating the valve element, and the actuating mechanism is provided at a side opposite to the intake port with respect to the rotor.

Abstract: A process chamber apparatus includes a process chamber for processing a target such as a semiconductor wafer contained therein. The chamber includes an upper process chamber section having an annular contact surface at a lower end thereof and a lower process chamber section having an annular contact surface at an upper end thereof. A support mechanism supports the process chamber such that the lower section is movable against the upper section in a lateral direction between a process position where both sections are combined with each other and a separation position where both of the sections are separated apart from each other in a lateral direction. The contact surfaces of the upper and lower process chamber sections are inclined with respect to a plane including a movement direction of the lower process chamber section and are brought into contact with each other throughout entire circumferences of the contact surfaces at the process position.

Abstract: A plasma process device includes a process vessel having a plasma generating area therein, a susceptor provided in the process vessel for supporting a substrate having a process surface, and a gas inlet means for introducing a process gas into the plasma generating area. A dipole ring magnet is arranged around the outer periphery of the process vessel, for generating a magnetic field having a magnetic line of force in the plasma generating area, so that a plasma of the process gas is generated in the plasma generating area. The dipole ring magnet has a plurality of anisotropic segment magnets arranged on an oval track, which are cylindrical permanent magnets having the same shape and size and magnetized in the diameter direction.

Abstract: A one-by-one type heat-processing apparatus is disclosed. The one-by-one type heat-processing apparatus includes a processing vessel for processing a semiconductor wafer. A susceptor having a support surface for placing the semiconductor wafer is arranged in the processing vessel. A shower head section is arranged at an interval with respect to the support surface of the susceptor. Processing gas supply pipes for supplying a processing gas are independently connected to the shower head section. A plurality of gas injection holes are formed in the shower head section. First to third heating means for heating the susceptor are attached to the susceptor. The first heating means having a disk-like shape is arranged at almost the center on the lower surface side of the susceptor. The second heating means is concentrically arranged to surround the first heating means. The third heating means is arranged at the peripheral edge portion of the susceptor.

Abstract: A single wafer heat treatment apparatus in which an object to be treated placed on a susceptor supported on a heat insulating member is heat-treated by indirectly heating the object to be treated by means of heating lamps disposed under the susceptor, characterized in that a gas entry preventive member for preventing process gas from being turned about the back surface of the susceptor is provided on a peripheral edge portion of the back surface of the susceptor. With this, process gas having entered the back surface of the susceptor is consumed by the adherence of a formed film to the surface of the gas entry preventive member.

Abstract: A heating device is formed by a heating plate formed of silica and having a heating surface for heating an object to be heated, a heating element having a predetermined pattern and fixed to a surface opposing the heating surface of the heating plate, and a reflecting plate formed of silica and brought into tight contact with the surface of the heating plate on which the heating element is formed. This heating device is arranged in a processing vessel in a CVD apparatus, and a semiconductor wafer is placed on the heating device. A process gas is supplied into the processing vessel while the semiconductor wafer is heated, thereby forming a predetermined film on the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel magnetron plasma processing apparatus comprising the following, a vacuum chamber storing an etching object, the first electrode which is provided in the vacuum chamber and holds the etching object, the second electrode which is disposed in opposition from the first electrode, where the first and second electrodes are in parallel with each other, a gas-supply unit feeding etching gas to the vacuum chamber, a magnetic-field generating means which is disposed on the part opposite from the first electrode in opposition from the second electrode, and a power-supply unit which feeds power to either of these first and second electrodes and generates discharge between these parallel electrodes. Magnetic-field generating means is provided with a magnetic block whose both-end surfaces are provided with magnetic poles having polarity inverse from each other, and in addition, a plane recess opposite from the second electrode is provided between both-end surfaces of the magnetic block.

Abstract: A ceramic electrostatic chuck with a built-in heater having electrodes of an electroconductive ceramic bonded to a surface of a supporting substrate of an electrically conducting ceramic. A heat generating layer of an electroconductive ceramic is bonded to the other surface of the supporting substrate and a covering layer of an electrically insulating ceramic is provided thereon. Each of the supporting substrate, electrode for the electrostatic chuck and heat generating layer has a surface roughness Rmax of 5 .mu.m or larger.

Abstract: A magnetron plasma processing apparatus includes, a vacuum chamber storing an etching object, a first electrode which is provided in the vacuum chamber and holds the etching object, a second electrode which is disposed in opposition from the first electrode and parallel with the first electrode. A gas-supply unit feeding etching gas to the vacuum chamber while, a magnetic-field generating means is disposed on the part opposite from the first electrode in opposition from the second electrode, and a power-supply unit feeds power to either the first or second electrodes and generates discharge between the electrodes. The magnetic-field generating means is provided with a magnetic block whose both-end surfaces are provided with magnetic poles having polarity inverse from each other, and in addition, a plane recess opposite from the second electrode is provided between both-end surfaces of the magnetic block.