Abstract: A method of processing a semiconductor substrate involves etching a SiOF layer with HF or HF+H2O. The method can be used to form hollow structures in semiconductor substrates and thus provides a way to make interlayer insulators.

Abstract: A plasma CVD apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a showerhead, and a susceptor characterized in that an insulation ring is placed and embedded in a peripheral portion of the susceptor to increase the electrically effective distance between the showerhead and the susceptor, both of which functions as electrodes.

Abstract: A plasma CVD film-forming device forms a film on a semiconductor substrate in such as way that the film quality and film thickness of a thin film becomes uniform. The plasma CVD film-forming device to form a thin film on a semiconductor substrate includes a vacuum chamber, a showerhead positioned within the vacuum chamber, and a susceptor positioned substantially in parallel to and facing the showerhead within the vacuum chamber and on which susceptor the object to be processed is loaded and the central part of the showerhead and/or the susceptor constitutes a concave surface electrode.

Abstract: A compact single-wafer-processing semiconductor-manufacturing apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates is characterized in that at least two units, each of which comprises a reactor for growing a film on a semiconductor substrate and a load lock chamber for having the semiconductor substrate wait in a vacuum and which is directly connected with the reactor via a gate valve, are modularized and these modularized reactor units can be configured as a cluster through an atmospheric front end (AFE). Inside the load lock chamber, a substrate transfer mechanism comprising a thin link arm for transferring a semiconductor substrate into the reactor is provided.

Abstract: Low hydrogen-content silicon nitride materials are deposited by a variety of CVD techniques, preferably thermal CVD and PECVD, using chemical precursors that contain silicon atoms, nitrogen atoms, or both. A preferred chemical precursor contains one or more N—Si bonds. Another preferred chemical precursor is a mixture of a N-containing chemical precursor with a Si-containing chemical precursor that contains less than 9.5 weight % hydrogen atoms. A preferred embodiment uses a hydrogen source to minimize the halogen content of silicon nitride materials deposited by PECVD.

Abstract: A method of forming an interlayer insulation film on a semiconductor substrate using plasma CVD includes introducing a source gas into a reaction chamber, applying radio-frequency power after the source gas is brought in, introducing an oxidizing gas with or without an additive gas into the reaction chamber after the completion of supplying the source gas and applying the radio-frequency power, and applying the radio-frequency power again. The concentration of the oxidizing gas may be 0.3% or higher and a processing time period by the oxidizing gas may be three seconds or longer.

Abstract: An insulation film is formed on a semiconductor substrate by vaporizing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound to provide a source gas, introducing a reaction gas composed of the source gas and an additive gas such as an inert gas and oxidizing gas to a reaction space of a plasma CVD apparatus. The silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound includes a cyclosiloxan compound or a linear siloxan compound, as a basal structure, with reactive groups for form oligomers using the basal structure. The residence time of the reaction gas in the reaction space is lengthened by reducing the total flow of the reaction gas in such a way as to form a siloxan polymer film with a. low dielectric constant.

Abstract: A plasma CVD apparatus for forming a thin film on a semiconductor substrate by plasma reaction includes: (i) a reaction chamber; (ii) a reaction gas inlet for introducing a reaction gas into the reaction chamber; (iii) a lower stage on which a semiconductor substrate is placed in the reaction chamber; (iv) an upper electrode for plasma excitation in the reaction chamber; and (v) an electrically conductive intermediate plate with plural pores disposed between the upper electrode and the lower stage. The intermediate plate divides the interior of the reaction chamber into an upper region and a lower region, wherein the lower region has no significant presence of plasma.

Abstract: An insulation film is formed on a semiconductor substrate by a method including the steps of: (i) introducing a source gas comprising a compound composed of at least Si, C, and H into a chamber; (ii) introducing in pulses an oxidizing gas into the chamber, wherein the source gas and the oxidizing gas form a reaction gas; and (iii) forming an insulation film on a semiconductor substrate by plasma treatment of the reaction gas. The plasma treatment may be plasma CVD processing.

Abstract: There is described a method of forming a fine pattern aimed at depositing a silicon-nitride-based anti-reflection film which is stable even at high temperature and involves small internal stress. The method is also intended to preventing occurrence of a footing pattern (a rounded corner) in a boundary surface between a photoresist and a substrate at the time of formation of a chemically-amplified positive resist pattern on the anti-reflection film. The method includes the steps of forming a silicon-nitride-based film directly on a substrate or on a substrate by way of another layer; and forming a photoresist directly on the silicon-nitride-based film or on the silicon-nitride-based film by way of another layer. The silicon-nitride-based film is deposited while the temperature at which the substrate is to be situated is set so as to fall within the range of 400 to 700° C., through use of a plasma CVD system.

Abstract: A plasma CVD apparatus conducting self-cleaning comprises a reaction chamber, a susceptor, a showerhead, a temperature controlling mechanism for directly controlling the temperature of the showerhead at a temperature of 200° C. to 400° C., a remote plasma discharge device provided outside the reaction chamber, and a radio-frequency power source electrically connected to either of the susceptor or the showerhead.

Abstract: A siloxan polymer insulation film has a dielectric constant of 3.1 or lower and has —SiR2O— repeating structural units with a C atom concentration of 20% or less. The siloxan polymer also has high thermal stability and high humidity-resistance. The siloxan polymer is formed by directly vaporizing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound of the formula Si&agr;O&agr;−1R2&agr;−&bgr;+2(OCnH2n+1)&bgr; wherein &agr; is an integer of 1-3, &bgr; is 2, n is an integer of 1-3, and R is C1-6 hydrocarbon attached to Si, and then introducing the vaporized compound with an oxidizing agent to the reaction chamber of the plasma CVD apparatus. The residence time of the source gas is lengthened by reducing the total flow of the reaction gas, in such a way as to form a siloxan polymer film having a micropore porous structure with low dielectric constant.

Abstract: A CVD apparatus includes (i) a reaction chamber; (ii) a reaction gas inlet; (iii) a lower stage on which a semiconductor substrate is placed; (iv) an upper electrode for plasma excitation; (v) an intermediate electrode with plural pores through which the reaction gas passes, wherein a reaction space is formed between the upper electrode and the intermediate electrode; and (vi) a cooling plate disposed between the intermediate electrode and the lower stage, wherein a transition space is formed between the intermediate electrode and the cooling plate, and a plasma-free space is formed between the cooling plate and the lower stage.

Abstract: A siloxan polymer insulation film has a dielectric constant of 3.3 or lower and has —SiR2O— repeating structural units. The siloxan polymer has dielectric constant, high thermal stability and high humidity-resistance on a semiconductor substrate. The siloxan polymer is formed by directly vaporizing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound expressed by the general formula Si&agr;O&bgr;CxHy (&agr;, &bgr;, x, and y are integers) and then introducing the vaporized compound to the reaction chamber of the plasma CVD apparatus. The residence time of the source gas is lengthened by reducing the total flow of the reaction gas, in such a way as to form a siloxan polymer film having a micropore porous structure with low dielectric constant.

Abstract: In a plasma CVD apparatus including a reaction chamber and a susceptor to form a thin film on a semiconductor substrate, a pretreatment step is conducted to form a surface layer on the surface of the susceptor so that the surface layer can prevent the semiconductor substrate from electrostatically adhering to the surface of the susceptor. The pretreatment step includes steps of introducing into the reaction chamber a gas containing, the same gas as the gas for use in a film-forming treatment, and forming a surface layer on the susceptor surface by a CVD process.

Abstract: A siloxan polymer insulation film has a dielectric constant of 3.1 or lower and has —SiR2O— repeating structural units with a C atom concentration of 20% or less. The siloxan polymer also has high thermal stability and high humidity-resistance. The siloxan polymer is formed by directly vaporizing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound of the formula Si&agr;O&agr;−1R2&agr;−&bgr;+2(OCnH2n+1)&bgr; wherein &agr; is an integer of 1-3, &bgr; is 2, n is an integer of 1-3, and R is C1-6 hydrocarbon attached to Si, and then introducing the vaporized compound with an oxidizing agent to the reaction chamber of the plasma CVD apparatus. The residence time of the source gas is lengthened by reducing the total flow of the reaction gas, in such a way as to form a siloxan polymer film having a micropore porous structure with low dielectric constant.

Abstract: A semiconductor-manufacturing device is equipped with a load-lock chamber and a reactor, which are directly connected, wherein a semiconductor wafer is transferred by a transferring arm provided inside the load-lock chamber from the load-lock chamber onto a susceptor provided inside the reactor. The device includes a buffer mechanism for keeping a semiconductor wafer standing by inside the reactor. The buffer mechanism includes at least two supporting means, which are provided around the susceptor to support the semiconductor wafer and which rotate in a horizontal direction, a shaft means for supporting the supporting means in a vertical direction, a rotating mechanism for rotating the supporting means coupled to the shaft means, and an elevating means for moving the shaft means up and down.

Abstract: A batch-processing type semiconductor-manufacturing device includes a cylindrical reaction chamber with its upper end closed and its bottom end open, a substrate-supporting boat loading multiple substrates, which are inserted within the reaction chamber, and an injector for spraying a reaction gas to the substrates, which injector is provided parallel to the substrate-supporting boat within the reaction chamber. The injector is supported by an injector holder, and both the injector and the injector holder are fitted by a male-female fitting structure.

Abstract: A siloxan polymer insulation film has a dielectric constant of 3.1 or lower and has —SiR2O— repeating structural units with a C atom concentration of 20% or less. The siloxan polymer also has high thermal stability and high humidity-resistance. The siloxan polymer is formed by directly vaporizing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound of the formula Si&agr;O&agr;−1R2&agr;−&bgr;+2(OCnH2n+1)&bgr; wherein &agr; is an integer of 1-3, &bgr; is 2, n is an integer of 1-3, and R is C1-6 hydrocarbon attached to Si, and then introducing the vaporized compound with an oxidizing agent to the reaction chamber of the plasma CVD apparatus. The residence time of the source gas is lengthened by reducing the total flow of the reaction gas, in such a way as to form a siloxan polymer film having a micropore porous structure with low dielectric constant.

Abstract: Chemical precursors that contain carbon atoms and fluorine atoms can be activated under a variety of conditions to deposit fluorine-containing materials. Chemical precursors of the formula (F3C)4−m−nMXmRn, are preferred, wherein M is Si or Ge; X is halogen; R is H or D; m is 0, 1, 2 or 3; and n is 0, 1, 2, or 3; with the proviso that (m+n)≦3.