Abstract: In a case where reactive ion etching using a gas containing an oxygen atom is used for etching or a magnetoresistive element, a magnetic film becomes damaged due to oxidation. Such damage to the element by the oxidation becomes a factor which causes deterioration in element properties. In the etching of the magnetoresistive element according to one embodiment of the present invention, a magnetoresistive film is subjected to ion beam etching and thereafter to reactive ion etching. A side deposition formed by the ion beam etching coats a sidewall of the magnetoresistive film and reduces damage by the oxygen atom during the later reactive ion etching. Also, a time during which the element is exposed to plasma of the gas containing the oxygen atom can be reduced.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method which enable a material to be fully embedded into a recess portion with a deposition film left in the recess portion. A method in one embodiment comprises: a first irradiation step of irradiating a deposition film formed on an opening portion of a recess portion in a substrate with a particle beam in a direction at a first angle with respect to a substrate in-plane direction, to remove part of the deposition film in a thickness direction; and a second irradiation step of, after the first irradiation step, irradiating the deposition film with the particle beam in a direction at a second angle which is closer to perpendicular to the substrate in-plane direction than the first angle is, to remove part of the remaining deposition film in the thickness direction.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method which enable a material to be fully embedded into a recess portion with a deposition film left in the recess portion. A method in one embodiment comprises: a first irradiation step of irradiating a deposition film formed on an opening portion of a recess portion in a substrate with a particle beam in a direction at a first angle with respect to a substrate in-plane direction, to remove part of the deposition film in a thickness direction; and a second irradiation step of, after the first irradiation step, irradiating the deposition film with the particle beam in a direction at a second angle which is closer to perpendicular to the substrate in-plane direction than the first angle is, to remove part of the remaining deposition film in the thickness direction.

Abstract: Provided are a method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element and a manufacturing system which are capable of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element achieving further downscaling, i.e., further increase in the degree of integration of the magnetoresistive element while having high magnetic properties. The method includes: preparing a stacked film including one of the two magnetic layers, a layer to form the tunnel barrier layer, and the other of the two magnetic layers, on a substrate; forming multiple separated stacked films on the substrate by separating the stacked film into the multiple stacked films by etching; irradiating side portions of the multiple separated stacked films with ion beams in a pressure-reducible process chamber; and after the irradiation with the ion beams, forming oxide layers or nitride layers on surfaces of the multiple stacked films by introducing an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas into the process chamber.

Abstract: In fin FET fabrication, side walls of a semiconductor fin formed on a substrate have certain roughness. Using such fins having roughness may induce variations in characteristics between transistors due to their shapes or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a fin FET fabrication method capable of improving device characteristic by easily reducing the roughness of the side walls of fins after formation. In one embodiment of the present invention, side walls of a semiconductor fin are etched by an ion beam extracted from a grid to reduce the roughness of the side walls.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing the functional element, a protective film covering an underlayer, a patterned multilayer film, and a patterned cap layer are formed, and the underlayer is then processed without newly forming a resist. Thereby, an electrode can be formed in steps less than ever before. Since the protective film formed on the patterned multilayer film and the patterned cap layer is used as a mask, the problem of the misregistration can be prevented.

Abstract: In fin FET fabrication, side walls of a semiconductor fin formed on a substrate have certain roughness. Using such fins having roughness may induce variations in characteristics between transistors due to their shapes or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a fin FET fabrication method capable of improving device characteristic by easily reducing the roughness of the side walls of fins after formation. In one embodiment of the present invention, side walls of a semiconductor fin are etched by an ion beam extracted from a grid to reduce the roughness of the side walls.

Abstract: A plasma apparatus includes: a chamber which can be evacuated into vacuum; first electrode disposed within the chamber; a magnet mechanism having a magnet provided apart from and above the first electrode; a second electrode provided facing the first electrode; and a magnetic shield member provided in at least one of gaps between the first electrode and the magnet mechanism and between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: In a case where reactive ion etching using a gas containing an oxygen atom is used for etching or a magnetoresistive element, a magnetic film becomes damaged due to oxidation. Such damage to the element by the oxidation becomes a factor which causes deterioration in element properties. In the etching of the magnetoresistive element according to one embodiment of the present invention, a magnetoresistive film is subjected to ion beam etching and thereafter to reactive ion etching. A side deposition formed by the ion beam etching coats a sidewall of the magnetoresistive film and reduces damage by the oxygen atom during the later reactive ion etching. Also, a time during which the element is exposed to plasma of the gas containing the oxygen atom can be reduced.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing the functional element, a protective film covering an underlayer, a patterned multilayer film, and a patterned cap layer are formed, and the underlayer is then processed without newly forming a resist. Thereby, an electrode can be formed in steps less than ever before. Since the protective film formed on the patterned multilayer film and the patterned cap layer is used as a mask, the problem of the misregistration can be prevented.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma treatment apparatus capable of uniform substrate treatment by correction of unevenness in a plasma density distribution. The apparatus has a configuration such that a substrate is treated with plasma, and an evacuated container is provided with an annular antenna arranged around an outer periphery of the container, and is formed of a power supply container, and a process container where the substrate is placed, which communicates with an internal space of the power supply container. The plasma is generated in the power supply container by radio-frequency power supplied to the antenna. The plasma is diffused into the process container by a magnetic field of solenoid coils arranged around an outer periphery of the antenna. The inclination of the magnetic field is adjusted by an inclination adjustment means for adjusting the inclination of the solenoid coils with respect to the process substrate.

Abstract: A magnetic field generating apparatus which generates a cusped magnetic field on an electrode includes a magnet mechanism which is attached to the electrode and includes a plurality of magnets held on a holding plate, and a rotation mechanism which rotates the holding plate. The plurality of magnets (61) are regularly arrayed to be point-symmetrical about a specific point. The specific point is at a position shifted from the center of rotation of the holding plate by the rotation mechanism.

Abstract: A magnetron sputtering apparatus includes a cathode electrode having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a target attachable to the first surface of the cathode electrode, and a magnet unit which is adjacent to the second surface of the cathode electrode and forms a magnetic field on the target surface. The magnet unit includes a plurality of magnet pieces each having a first magnet member which is magnetized in a direction perpendicular to the target and is arranged with a magnetic pole end face oriented toward the target, and a second magnet member which is magnetized opposite to the first magnet member in the direction perpendicular to the target and is arranged in contact with the first magnet member with a magnetic pole end face being oriented toward the target.

Abstract: This surface processing apparatus has a reactor in which plasma is generated and a substrate whose surface is to be processed by the plasma is arranged, and a magnet plate for creating a point-cusp magnetic field distributed in an inner space of the reactor, in which the plasma is generated. The magnet plate has a plurality of magnets. These magnets are arranged by a honeycomb lattice structure in a circular plane facing in parallel a surface of the substrate. One magnetic pole end face of each of magnets is arranged at a position of each of the lattice points forming hexagonal shapes on the circular plane. The polarities of the magnetic pole end faces of two adjoining magnets are arranged to become opposite alternately. The magnet plate may be provided with a plurality of magnets arranged by a lattice structure forming a square and the magnetic force (coercive force) of some of the magnets arranged at the outermost region is reduced.

Abstract: This surface processing apparatus has a reactor in which plasma is generated and a substrate whose surface is to be processed by the plasma is arranged, and a magnet plate for creating a point-cusp magnetic field distributed in an inner space of the reactor, in which the plasma is generated. The magnet plate has a plurality of magnets. These magnets are arranged by a honeycomb lattice structure in a circular plane facing in parallel a surface of the substrate. One magnetic pole end face of each of magnets is arranged at a position of each of the lattice points forming hexagonal shapes on the circular plane. The polarities of the magnetic pole end faces of two adjoining magnets are arranged to become opposite alternately. The magnet plate may be provided with a plurality of magnets arranged by a lattice structure forming a square and the magnetic force (coercive force) of some of the magnets arranged at the outermost region is reduced.

Abstract: A method of using a heat exchanger efficiently and uniformly to cool or heats portions to be controlled to a prescribed temperature, and then continuously carry out stable processing. The heat exchanger is constructed by arranging partition walls between two plates to form a fluid channel and a fin parallel with the channel or inclined by a prescribed angle on each of the two plates insides the channel so that the plate or a member in contact with the plate is cooled or heated with the fluid flowing through the channel.

Abstract: A magnetic field generating apparatus which generates a cusped magnetic field on an electrode includes a magnet mechanism which is attached to the electrode and includes a plurality of magnets held on a holding plate, and a rotation mechanism which rotates the holding plate. The plurality of magnets (61) are regularly arrayed to be point-symmetrical about a specific point. The specific point is at a position shifted from the center of rotation of the holding plate by the rotation mechanism.

Abstract: A plasma apparatus includes: a chamber which can be evacuated into vacuum; first electrode disposed within the chamber; a magnet mechanism having a magnet provided apart from and above the first electrode; a second electrode provided facing the first electrode; and a magnetic shield member provided in at least one of gaps between the first electrode and the magnet mechanism and between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: There is provided a method or the like which safely generates fine metal particles at a low cost without using a chlorine gas. Fine copper particles (101a, 101b) are generated by placing a copper target (2) in a chamber (6) of a sputtering apparatus, generating a plasma (100) in the chamber (6) while setting the pressure in the chamber (6) at 13 Pa or more, and sputtering the copper target (2).

Abstract: This application discloses the structure of an ESC stage where a chucking electrode is sandwiched by a moderation layer and a covering layer. The moderation layer and the covering layer have the thermal expansion coefficients between the dielectric plate and the chucking electrode. This application also discloses the structure of an ESC stage where a chucking electrode is sandwiched by a moderation layer and a covering layer, which have internal stress directed oppositely to that of the chucking electrode. This application further discloses a substrate processing apparatus for carrying out a process onto a substrate as the substrate is maintained at a temperature higher than room temperature, comprising the electrostatic chucking stage for holding the substrate during the process.