Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus has a reaction vessel (11) provided with a top electrode (13) and a bottom electrode (14), and the first electrode is supplied with a VHF band high frequency power from a VHF band high frequency power source (32), while the bottom electrode on which a substrate (12) is loaded and is moved by a vertical movement mechanism. The plasma treatment system has a controller (36) which, at the time of a cleaning process after forming a film on the substrate (12), controls a vertical movement mechanism to move the bottom electrode to narrow the gap between the top electrode and bottom electrode and form a narrow space and starts cleaning by a predetermined high density plasma in that narrow space. In the cleaning process, step cleaning is performed. Due to this, the efficiency of utilization of the cleaning gas is increased, the amount of exhaust gas is cut, and the cleaning speed is raised. Further, the amount of the process gas used is cut and the process cost is reduced.

Abstract: This invention presents a magnetic recording disk where an anisotropy-allowing layer to allow magnetic anisotropy to a magnetic recording layer is provided between a substrate and the magnetic recording layer. This invention also presents a magnetic-recording-disk manufacturing method comprising a step to prepare an anisotropy-allowing layer to allow magnetic anisotropy to a magnetic recording layer, prior to a step to prepare the magnetic recording layer. This invention also presents a magnetic-recording-disk manufacturing system comprising an anisotropy-allowing-layer preparation chamber, in which an anisotropy-allowing layer to allow magnetic anisotropy to a magnetic recording layer is prepared on a substrate, prior to preparation of the magnetic recording layer. In this invention, the anisotropy-allowing layer is made of; nitride of niobium, tantalum, niobium alloy or tantalum alloy, or nitride-including niobium, tantalum, niobium alloy or tantalum alloy.

Abstract: A heat exchanger efficiently and uniformly cools or heats portions to be controlled to a prescribed temperature, and then provides a surface processing apparatus which makes it possible to 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 display substrate manufacturing method includes a placing step of placing a dummy substrate on a clamping surface, an evacuating step of evacuating the interior of a space formed between the clamping surface and dummy substrate, in order to bring the dummy substrate into tight contact with the clamping surface, a heating step of heating a base in order to facilitate removing, from the clamping surface, foreign particles sticking to the clamping surface, a transferring step of transferring the foreign particles sticking to the clamping surface from the clamping surface to the dummy substrate in tight contact with the clamping surface, and a removing step of removing, from the clamping surface, the dummy substrate to which the foreign particles are transferred in the transferring step.

Abstract: The magnet assembly includes one rotatable dipole magnet subassembly, which is formed from a permanent magnet and a magnetically permeable convex end portion coupled to each of both ends of the permanent magnet, and at least two magnetically permeable flux guide subassemblies, which are configured so as to be magnetically coupled to the dipole magnet subassembly. The flux guide subassembly has a concave end portion that fits into the convex end portion. The flux guide assemblies guide a flux from the dipole magnet subassembly and generate a flux outside. The condition of fitting into the flux guide subassemblies is reversed by rotating the dipole magnet subassembly, whereby it is possible to easily reverse the direction of a magnetic field generated outside.

Abstract: An inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus according to the present invention prevents debris formed through a sputter etching operation from forming a film on an inner face of a side wall part 14 of a dielectric wall container 11 and a high-frequency power from being hindered to be supplied. All of straight lines which start from any one point on the outermost perimeter of an article to be processed 2 and pass through a plasma introduction port 12 form an intersecting point with the bottom part 13 of the dielectric wall container 11 on the inner face of the bottom part 13, in the inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus.

Abstract: A target structure is provided which enables sputtering of gallium or gallium-containing material in a molten state to be achieved even when the film deposition rate is increased by increasing the input electric power. A sputtering apparatus including such a target structure is also provided. The target structure includes: a holding section formed from a metal material; and gallium or gallium-containing material placed on the holding section, wherein a surface of the holding section which forms an interface with the gallium or gallium-containing material is formed thereon with a thin film having an angle of contact of not more than 30° to the gallium or gallium-containing material in a molten state. The sputtering apparatus includes this target structure.

Abstract: A copper film vapor phase deposition method includes the steps of exposing high-purity copper to a plasma of a gas containing chlorine gas to etch the high-purity copper, thereby generating active CuxCly, wherein x is 1 to 3, y is 1 to 3, gas, and forming a copper film by transporting the CuxCly gas onto the surface of a substrate to be processed. By using inexpensive high-purity copper and inexpensive chlorine, hydrogen chloride, or chlorine and hydrogen as source gases, a copper film containing no residual impurity such as carbon and having high film quality can be formed with high reproducibility.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus includes a first magnetic member placed in a carrier, and a second magnetic member placed in a carrier supporting unit to oppose the first magnetic member from a position below the first magnetic member in the vertical direction, and having the same polarity as that of the first magnetic member. The repulsive force generated between the first and second magnetic members vertically pulls up the carrier, thereby reducing the weight of the carrier supported by the carrier supporting unit.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect thin-film magnetic head including a magnetoresistive effect element having a CPP structure in which the gap length can be precisely optimized and a method for fabricating the magnetoresistive effect thin-film magnetic head are provided. The stacked magnetoresistive effect thin-films having the cap layer as the top layer are formed on the bottom shield layer. The soft magnetic layer consisting of any soft magnetic material is then formed on the cap layer, and the micro fabrication process is performed. Subsequently, at least one insulating layer is formed on the stacked magnetoresistive effect thin-films after the micro fabrication process, having the cap layer as the top layer, on which the soft magnetic layer is formed. Then, the soft magnetic layer is exposed by removing a part of the insulating layer formed on the soft magnetic layer and the top shield layer is formed on the surface of the exposed soft magnetic layer.

Abstract: A contaminant removing method of this invention has a step of emitting, in a vacuum, a directional beam to at least one of the lower surface edge and circumferential surface of a substrate to be processed having a thin film formed on its upper surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a magnetic recording disk includes a magnetic-film deposition chamber in which a magnetic film for a recording layer is deposited on a substrate; a lubricant-layer preparation chamber in which a lubricant layer is prepared on the substrate in vacuum; and a cleaning chamber in which the substrate is cleaned in vacuum after the magnetic-film deposition in the magnetic-film chamber and before the lubricant-layer preparation in the lubricant-layer chamber. The apparatus may further include a transfer system that transfers the substrate from the cleaning chamber to the lubricant-layer preparation chamber without exposing the substrate to the atmosphere.

Abstract: An oxidizing method and oxidizing apparatus in which a plasma generating chamber having an oxidizing gas supply port and a substrate processing chamber having an exhaust port and internally having a substrate susceptor are connected via a partition having a number of through holes, a plasma of an oxidizing gas supplied into the plasma generating chamber is generated, and an oxide layer is formed on a substrate surface by supplying the generated active species onto a substrate are characterized in that the partition is connected to a power supply via a switching mechanism such that a positive, negative, or zero voltage is applied to the partition, and an oxidation process is performed by changing the ratio of radicals, positive ions, and negative ions in the active species supplied onto the substrate by switching the voltages at least once during the oxidation process.

Abstract: In a hydrogen atom generation source in a vacuum treatment apparatus which can effectively inhibit hydrogen atoms from being recombined due to contact with an internal wall surface of a treatment chamber of the vacuum treatment apparatus and an internal wall surface of a transport passage, and being returned into hydrogen molecules, at least a part of a surface facing a space with the hydrogen atom generation means formed therein of a member surrounding the hydrogen atom generation means is coated with SiO2. In a hydrogen atom transportation method for transporting hydrogen atoms generated by the hydrogen atom generation means in the vacuum treatment apparatus to a desired place, the hydrogen atoms are transported via a transport passage whose internal wall surface is coated with SiO2.

Abstract: An insulating film deposition chamber 40 has a plasma generator 14 having a plasma generation chamber 21 separated from the film deposition chamber 13 in which the substrate is arranged. A material gas is directly supplied to the film deposition chamber, and radicals are introduced into the film deposition chamber from the plasma generator, and a thin film is deposited on the substrate. Further, a cleaning gas feeder is added to the plasma generator. A cleaning gas is introduced through the cleaning gas feeder to produce plasma at the plasma generator to generate radicals, and the radicals are introduced into the film deposition chamber and irradiate the substrate to clean it.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing high permittivity gate dielectrics for a device such as an MOSFET. A HfSiO film 104 is formed by sputtering a Hf metal film 103 on a SiO2 film (or a SiON film) 102 on a Si wafer 101. A TiO2 film 106 is formed by sputtering a Ti metal film 105 on the HfSiO film 104 and subjecting the Ti metal film 105 to a thermal oxidation treatment. A TiN metal film 107 is deposited on the TiO2 film 106. The series of treatments are performed continuously, without exposing the films and the wafer to atmospheric air. The resultant TiN/TiO2/HfSiO/SiO2/Si structure satisfies the conditions: EOT<1.0 nm, low leakage current, and hysteresis<20 mV.

Abstract: This invention provides a substrate structure capable of controlling the threshold voltage of a MOS transistor independently of the substrate concentration and easily suppressing a short channel effect caused by reducing the channel length. A first nanosilicon film formed from nanosilicon grains having the same grain size is formed on a silicon oxide film on the surface of a silicon substrate. A silicon nitride film is formed on the first nanosilicon film. Then, a second nanosilicon film having an average grain size different from that of the first nanosilicon film is formed. A semiconductor circuit device is formed on a thus manufactured nanosilicon semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive element includes an antiferromagnetic layer formed from a layer containing manganese, a layered magnetization fixed layer which includes a first magnetization fixed layer located over a side of the antiferromagnetic layer and formed from a layer containing a ferromagnetic material and a platinum group metal, a second magnetization fixed layer formed from a layer containing a ferromagnetic material, and a first nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the first magnetization fixed layer and the second magnetization fixed layer, a magnetic free layer formed from a layer containing a ferromagnetic material, and a second nonmagnetic intermediate layer located between the layered magnetization fixed layer and the magnetic free layer.

Abstract: A sputtering film forming method. which positions a target 4 and 5 at an incline to a surface of a substrate 10 whereupon a film is to be formed, and forms the film upon the surface of the substrate 10 whereupon the film is to be formed in an incline direction while the substrate 10 is rotated about a normal axis, terminates the forming of the film at a predetermined timing from the commencement of the forming of the film, wherein the forming of the film is terminated, when the substrate has rotated by 360 degrees×n+180 degrees+?, where n is a natural number, including 0, and ?10 degrees<?<10 degrees.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus includes a power supply mechanism which supplies, from an external power supply, electric power to be supplied to an electrostatic chuck. The power supply mechanism includes a first conductive annular member fixed to the end portion of a strut, and capable of rotating together with the strut, a second conductive annular member fixed to a housing, and brought into surface contact with the first conductive annular member, and a first power supply member which supplies a supplied first voltage to an electrode of the electrostatic chuck via the second conductive annular member and the first conductive annular member.