Abstract: In accordance with a substrate processing method according to the present embodiment, ultrapure water is supplied to a surface of a substrate. A fluoroalcohol-containing solvent is supplied to the surface of the substrate, to which the ultrapure water has been attached. A first solvent, which has solubility in the fluoroalcohol-containing solvent and is different from the fluoroalcohol-containing solvent, is supplied to the surface of the substrate, to which the fluoroalcohol-containing solvent has been attached. The substrate, to which the first solvent has been attached, is introduced into a chamber, the first solvent on the surface of the substrate is substituted with a supercritical fluid, and then, a pressure within the chamber is reduced and the supercritical fluid is changed into gas. The substrate is brought out from the chamber.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate comprises introducing a semiconductor substrate, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with a water-soluble organic solvent, to the inside of a chamber, hermetically sealing the chamber and increasing a temperature inside the chamber to not lower than a critical temperature of the water-soluble organic solvent, thereby bringing the water-soluble organic solvent into a supercritical state, decreasing a pressure inside the chamber and changing the water-soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state to a gas, thereby discharging the water-soluble organic solvent from the chamber, starting a supply of an inert gas into the chamber as the pressure inside the chamber decreases to atmospheric pressure, and cooling the semiconductor substrate in a state where the inert gas exists inside the chamber.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate comprises introducing a semiconductor substrate, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with a water-soluble organic solvent, to the inside of a chamber, hermetically sealing the chamber and increasing a temperature inside the chamber to not lower than a critical temperature of the water-soluble organic solvent, thereby bringing the water-soluble organic solvent into a supercritical state, decreasing a pressure inside the chamber and changing the water-soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state to a gas, thereby discharging the water-soluble organic solvent from the chamber, starting a supply of an inert gas into the chamber as the pressure inside the chamber decreases to atmospheric pressure, and cooling the semiconductor substrate in a state where the inert gas exists inside the chamber.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a semiconductor substrate includes forming a water repellant protection film using a chemical liquid including a silane coupling agent on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; substituting the chemical liquid including the silane coupling agent with an alcohol; substituting the alcohol with a diluted alcohol; and substituting the diluted alcohol with pure water.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate, comprises introducing the semiconductor substrate into a chamber in a state, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with alcohol, substituting the alcohol on the semiconductor substrate with a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide by impregnating the semiconductor substrate to the supercritical fluid in the chamber, and discharging the supercritical fluid and the alcohol from the chamber and reducing a pressure inside the chamber. The method further comprises performing a baking treatment by supplying an oxygen gas or an ozone gas to the chamber after the reduction of the pressure inside the chamber.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate, comprises introducing the semiconductor substrate into a chamber in a state, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with alcohol, substituting the alcohol on the semiconductor substrate with a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide by impregnating the semiconductor substrate to the supercritical fluid in the chamber, and discharging the supercritical fluid and the alcohol from the chamber and reducing a pressure inside the chamber. The method further comprises performing a baking treatment by supplying an oxygen gas or an ozone gas to the chamber after the reduction of the pressure inside the chamber.

Abstract: In one embodiment, after rinsing a semiconductor substrate having a fine pattern formed thereon with pure water, the pure water staying on the semiconductor substrate is substituted with a water soluble organic solvent, and then, the semiconductor substrate is introduced into a chamber in a state wet with the water soluble organic solvent. Then, the water soluble organic solvent is turned into a supercritical state by increasing a temperature inside of the chamber. Thereafter, the inside of the chamber is reduced in pressure while keeping the inside of the chamber at a temperature enough not to liquefy the pure water (i.e., rinsing pure water mixed into the water soluble organic solvent), and further, the water soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state is changed into a gaseous state, to be discharged from the chamber, so that the semiconductor substrate is dried.

Abstract: An electromagnetically actuated valve including a solenoid with a coil that generates a magnetic field upon being energized, a tubular member made of a non-magnetic material and disposed on an inner circumferential side of the coil, a movable valve body disposed within the tubular member and movable in an axial direction of the tubular member by an attraction force that is generated upon energizing the coil to thereby open and close a fluid passage, a first member made of a resin material and including a seat portion that is brought into contact with the movable valve body to close the fluid passage, and a first biasing member that biases the movable valve body toward the seat portion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, after rinsing a semiconductor substrate having a fine pattern formed thereon with pure water, the pure water staying on the semiconductor substrate is substituted with a water soluble organic solvent, and then, the semiconductor substrate is introduced into a chamber in a state wet with the water soluble organic solvent. Then, the water soluble organic solvent is turned into a supercritical state by increasing a temperature inside of the chamber. Thereafter, the inside of the chamber is reduced in pressure while keeping the inside of the chamber at a temperature enough not to liquefy the pure water (i.e., rinsing pure water mixed into the water soluble organic solvent), and further, the water soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state is changed into a gaseous state, to be discharged from the chamber, so that the semiconductor substrate is dried.

Abstract: A substrate processing method and apparatus for preventing evaporation of an anti-drying fluorine-containing organic solvent from a substrate during transportation of the substrate into a processing container and can prevent decomposition of a fluorine-containing organic solvent in the processing container. A substrate, the surface of which is covered with a first fluorine-containing organic solvent, is carried into a processing container. The first fluorine-containing organic solvent is removed from the substrate surface by forming a high-pressure fluid atmosphere of a mixture of the first fluorine-containing organic solvent and a second fluorine-containing organic solvent, having a lower boiling point than the first fluorine-containing organic solvent, in the processing container e.g. by supplying a high-pressure fluid of the second fluorine-containing organic solvent into the processing container.

Abstract: A first and a second fluorescent dye are mixed into a solution, the first dye being positively ionized in the solution and the second dye being negatively ionized in the solution and having different fluorescence wavelengths from the first dye. The solution is flown onto a measured surface, and the surface is excited with an evanescent wave to produce a fluorescence intensity distribution of two colors. A fluorescence intensity of the surface is measured using a two-dimensional imaging element, the element providing a fluorescence intensity of each color separated from the other colors, thereby calculating a ratio of the fluorescence intensities of the colors. Using an equation expressing a relationship between the ratio of fluorescence intensities and a wall zeta potential, the ratio is converted to a two-dimensional distribution of wall zeta potentials. This achieves visualizing in real time and quantitatively evaluating the two-dimensional distribution of wall zeta potentials, and surface modifications.

Abstract: An antifouling article characterized by having a cured condensed coating film of a perfluoropolyether group-containing silane represented by general formula [1] on the surface of a substrate and by having a fluorine concentration of the cured condensed coating film of 0.2-2.0 ?g/cm2.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying apparatus comprises a chamber being hermetically sealable and configured to store a semiconductor substrate, a heater configured to heat an inner side of the chamber, a supply unit configured to supply carbon dioxide to the chamber, a discharge unit configured to discharge carbon dioxide from the chamber, and a rotation unit configured to rotate the chamber by an angle equal to or greater than 90 degrees and equal to or smaller than 180 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate comprises introducing a semiconductor substrate, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with a water-soluble organic solvent, to the inside of a chamber, hermetically sealing the chamber and increasing a temperature inside the chamber to not lower than a critical temperature of the water-soluble organic solvent, thereby bringing the water-soluble organic solvent into a supercritical state, decreasing a pressure inside the chamber and changing the water-soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state to a gas, thereby discharging the water-soluble organic solvent from the chamber, starting a supply of an inert gas into the chamber as the pressure inside the chamber decreases to atmospheric pressure, and cooling the semiconductor substrate in a state where the inert gas exists inside the chamber.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method comprises cleaning a semiconductor substrate with a chemical solution, rinsing the semiconductor substrate with pure water after the cleaning, changing a liquid covering a surface of the semiconductor substrate from the pure water to alcohol by supplying the alcohol to the surface after the rinsing, guiding the semiconductor substrate having the surface wetted with the alcohol into a chamber, discharging oxygen from the chamber by supplying an inert gas into the chamber, putting the alcohol into a supercritical state by increasing temperature in the chamber to a critical temperature of the alcohol or higher after the discharge of the oxygen, and discharging the alcohol from the chamber by lowering pressure in the chamber and changing the alcohol from the supercritical state to a gaseous state. The chamber contains SUS. An inner wall face of the chamber is subjected to electrolytic polishing.

Abstract: A contact structure has a probe and a housing disposed on an outer circumference thereof. The housing has a housing main body in which a hollow section vertically penetrating the same is formed, and a conductive coat film with which an inner wall surface of the hollow section is coated. The probe has a base end portion fixed in place on one end side of the housing, a conductive leading end portion that is movable in the hollow section while being in contact with the coat film and has, on a leading end thereof, a contact that comes into contact with a subject to be inspected, and an elastic portion that connects together the base end portion and the leading end portion, is disposed in the hollow section, and has elasticity.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate, comprises introducing the semiconductor substrate into a chamber in a state, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with alcohol, substituting the alcohol on the semiconductor substrate with a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide by impregnating the semiconductor substrate to the supercritical fluid in the chamber, and discharging the supercritical fluid and the alcohol from the chamber and reducing a pressure inside the chamber. The method further comprises performing a baking treatment by supplying an oxygen gas or an ozone gas to the chamber after the reduction of the pressure inside the chamber.

Abstract: A substrate processing method and apparatus which can remove an anti-drying liquid, which has entered a three-dimensional pattern with recessed portions formed in a substrate, in a relatively short time. The substrate processing method includes the steps of: carrying a substrate, having a three-dimensional pattern formed in a surface, into a processing container, said pattern being covered with an anti-drying liquid that has entered the recessed portions of the pattern; heating the substrate and supplying a pressurizing gas or a fluid in a high-pressure state into the processing container, thereby forming a high-pressure atmosphere in the processing container before the anti-drying liquid vaporizes to such an extent as to cause pattern collapse and bringing the anti-drying liquid into a high-pressure state while keeping the liquid in the recessed portions of the pattern; and thereafter discharging a fluid in a high-pressure state or a gaseous state from the processing container.

Abstract: An electromagnetically actuated valve including a solenoid with a coil that generates a magnetic field upon being energized, a tubular member made of a non-magnetic material and disposed on an inner circumferential side of the coil, a movable valve body disposed within the tubular member and movable in an axial direction of the tubular member by an attraction force that is generated upon energizing the coil to thereby open and close a fluid passage, a first member made of a resin material and including a seat portion that is brought into contact with the movable valve body to close the fluid passage, and a first biasing member that biases the movable valve body toward the seat portion.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method comprises cleaning a semiconductor substrate with a chemical solution, rinsing the semiconductor substrate with pure water after the cleaning, changing a liquid covering a surface of the semiconductor substrate from the pure water to alcohol by supplying the alcohol to the surface after the rinsing, guiding the semiconductor substrate having the surface wetted with the alcohol into a chamber, discharging oxygen from the chamber by supplying an inert gas into the chamber, putting the alcohol into a supercritical state by increasing temperature in the chamber to a critical temperature of the alcohol or higher after the discharge of the oxygen, and discharging the alcohol from the chamber by lowering pressure in the chamber and changing the alcohol from the supercritical state to a gaseous state. The chamber contains SUS. An inner wall face of the chamber is subjected to electrolytic polishing.