Abstract: A brine supply unit for supplying brine to at least one load after controlling the brine so as to meet a target temperature of the load comprises: a heat exchanger disposed at a brine-cooling channel, through which the brine returned from the load flows, for cooling the brine with water for industrial use; a heater disposed at a brine-heating channel formed in parallel with the brine-cooling channel, through which the brine flows, for heating the brine; a mixing section disposed at a connecting portion between the brine-cooling channel and the brine-heating channel, for mixing the cooled brine and the heated brine; and a tank disposed between the mixing section and the load, which has a capacity of about 10 liters or more and is constructed so that the brine can pass therethrough slowly to relieve a sudden temperature change of the brine.

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 optimum total thickness of the ESC stage, optimum volume ratio of composite which the moderation layer is made of, and an optimum range of the thermal expansion coefficient of the composite. 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.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to realize a heat exchanger which efficiently and uniformly cools or heats portions to be controlled to a prescribed temperature, and then to provide a surface processing apparatus which makes it possible to continuously carry out stable processing.

Abstract: This application discloses the technique of the RF plasma processing using two RF waves of different frequencies, where plasma is generate and retained sufficiently and stably. The first frequency is for generating plasma by igniting a discharge, and the second frequency is for generating self-biasing voltage at a substrate to be processed. The wave of the second frequency is applied with a time-lag after applying the RF wave of the first frequency. This application also discloses the impedance matching technique in the RF plasma processing, where impedance to be provided is optimized both for igniting the discharge and for stabilizing the plasma.

Abstract: A method of substrate temperature control for plasma processing apparatus in which a substrate which is being held on a substrate holder in a process chamber is being processed, and He gas is passed through the gap between the substrate and the substrate mounting surface during the processing of the substrate, the substrate temperature is controlled by the thermal transfer characteristics of the gas and the substrate is cooled to the prescribed temperature, and the pressure of the He gas is preset by a pressure setting part 50a, the actual pressure is measured with a pressure gauge 49, and the gas flow rate is controlled in such a way that the measured pressure becomes equal to the set pressure by a pressure control valve 46. Furthermore, the substrate temperature controllability is assessed by monitoring the gas flow rate with a substrate temperature controllability assessment part 50b.

Abstract: The invention is to realize a gas ejection mechanism, which makes it possible to form a uniform gas flow and to control the temperature and its distribution over a gas plate, and thereby to provide a surface processing apparatus which can continuously carry out uniform processing. A surface processing apparatus of this invention comprises: a process chamber in which a substrate holding mechanism and a gas ejection mechanism are arranged to face each other; an exhaust means; and a gas supply means; wherein a gas distribution mechanism, a cooling or the heating mechanism provided with a coolant channel or a heater to cool or heat a gas plate and a number of gas passages, and the gas plate having a number of gas outlets communicated with the gas passages are arranged in that order from the upper stream to construct the gas ejection mechanism, and wherein the gas plate is fixed to the cooling or heating mechanism with a clamping member or with an electrostatic chucking mechanism.

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 second interlayer film is etched by an etching gas including fluorocarbon gas after a switch box is switched so that high frequency electricity is applied to an upper electrode. Then, the switch box is switched so that low power electricity is applied only to a lower-electrode/wafer-holder to generate plasma with using only fluorocarbon gas. The generated plasma etches a first interlayer film, and fluorine radicals dissociated from the fluorocarbon removes a hardened resist surface layer. It realizes etching with less damage on bases, because energy of incident ions is low.

Abstract: This invention presents an ESC mechanism for chucking an object electro-statically on a chucking surface, comprising a stage having a dielectric block of which surface is the chucking surface, and a chucking electrode provided in the dielectric block. A temperature controller is provided with the stage for controlling temperature of the object. A chucking power source to apply voltage to the chucking electrode is provided so that the object is chucked. The chucking surface has concaves of which openings are shut by the chucked object. A heat-exchange gas introduction system that introduces heat-exchange gas into the concaves is provided. The concaves include a heat-exchange concave for promoting heat-exchange between the stage and the object under increased pressure, and a gas-diffusion concave for making the introduced gas diffuse to the heat-exchange concave. The gas-diffusion concave is deeper than the heat-exchange concave.

Abstract: A method of substrate temperature control for plasma processing apparatus in which a substrate which is being held on a substrate holder in a process chamber is being processed, and He gas is passed through the gap between the substrate and the substrate mounting surface during the processing of the substrate, the substrate temperature is controlled by the thermal transfer characteristics of the gas and the substrate is cooled to the prescribed temperature, and the pressure of the He gas is preset by a pressure setting part 50a, the actual pressure is measured with a pressure gauge 49, and the gas flow rate is controlled in such a way that the measured pressure becomes equal to the set pressure by a pressure control valve 46. Furthermore, the substrate temperature controllability is assessed by monitoring the gas flow rate with a substrate temperature controllability assessment part 50b.

Abstract: A method of substrate temperature control for plasma processing apparatus in which a substrate which is being held on a substrate holder in a process chamber is being processed, and He gas is passed through the gap between the substrate and the substrate mounting surface during the processing of the substrate, the substrate temperature is controlled by the thermal transfer characteristics of the gas and the substrate is cooled to the prescribed temperature, and the pressure of the He gas is preset by a pressure setting part 50a, the actual pressure is measured with a pressure gauge 49, and the gas flow rate is controlled in such a way that the measured pressure becomes equal to the set pressure by a pressure control valve 46. Furthermore, the substrate temperature controllability is assessed by monitoring the gas flow rate with a substrate temperature controllability assessment part 50b.

Abstract: A silencer is adapted to be mounted on an air duct. The silencer includes a noise detecting microphone for detecting a noise transmitted through the air passage of the duct, a loud speaker for delivering on the basis of the noise detected by the microphone into the air passage a sound which is substantially the same as the noise except that the phase of the sound is the reverse of that of the noise to thereby enable the sound to be superimposed on the noise and attenuate the noise, and vibration shield provided between the microphone and the wall of said duct for shielding any vibrations transmitted through the wall to the microphone. The vibration shield includes a duct element made from a sound absorbing material which element forms a part of the duct and the noise detecting microphone is mounted to the duct element.

Abstract: A surface of ceramic plate is roughened uniformly by immersing in a mixed solution comprising NH.sub.4 F, (NH.sub.4).sub.2 SO.sub.4, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and H.sub.2 O, followed by immersion in molten NaOH, and the resulting surface roughened ceramic plate can be used for producing a ceramic wiring board.

Abstract: A metallic film can be formed on a ceramic surface with high adhesive strength by roughening the ceramic surface by (a) dissolving and removing a vitreous substance and (b) roughening a substance constituting mainly a first surface layer, followed by conventional electroless plating.

Abstract: Films, sheets or foils are given a gas-barrier coating of an aromatic polyamide, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polyhydrazide, polyamide-hydrazide, or polyazomethine by direct vapor-phase condensation polymerization of their respective monomers. The monomers are introduced in an inert diluent gas, mixed and reacted in the presence of the surface to be coated. The surface is maintained above the critical minimum deposition temperature of the monomers but below about 300.degree. C. The coating is formed to a thickness between about 0.1 and 0.6 mil.