Abstract: The present invention relates to a technique, in the inspection of a defect of a semiconductor memory or the like, in which chip comparison is separated from repetitive pattern comparison in a region of a wafer to be inspected whereby both the comparisons are rendered possible to perform in parallel in one and the same scanning.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a processing chamber and an insertion jig for inserting an object to be processed into the processing chamber. The processing chamber and the insertion jig are adapted to be individually movable relative to a heating section, so that the operation of loading and unloading the object into and from the processing chamber effected by the insertion jig is conducted outside the heating section, thereby preventing the outside air from being induced to enter the heated processing chamber, together with the object of the processing, and thus avoiding the occurrence of various problems, for example, the object of processing being disorderly oxidized by the oxygen contained in the outside air, and the foreign matter contained in the outside air being undesirably attached to the surface of the object, so as to obtain excellent processing results.

Abstract: This invention concerns a production method and a processing apparatus for semiconductor devices, as well as an evacuating apparatus used for the processing apparatus. According to this invention, since the evacuation system of pressure-reduction processing apparatus for conducting various wafer processings during production steps of semiconductor devices is constituted only with oil-free vacuum pump, deleterious oil contaminations or carbonation products of oils produced from oils upon heating are not present in the pressure-reducing processing chamber as compared with conventional pressure-reducing processing apparatus using a vacuum oil pump as an evacuation pump and the production method of semiconductor devices using such apparatus.

Abstract: A wire bonding method and apparatus comprising a comparator wherein a difference between a position command signal for displacing a moving member such as, for example, a wire bonding tool, and a position signal obtained from a sensor for detecting the position of the moving member is compared with a predetermined threshold or reference value so that a stopping of the moving member, caused by an external force such as a contact therewith with another member can be rapidly and accurately electrically detected. A wire bonding method and apparatus is useable for producing a semiconductor device.

Abstract: The present invention is characterized in that, in a ball wedge bonding using a fine bonding wire precoated with a thin insulating layer, ultrasonic vibration is applied to a capillary to effect the delivery of the wire smoothly during movement of the capillary to a second bonding point while delivering the wire after ball bonding at a first bonding point.

Abstract: A small-sized thin frequency sensor developed for prevention of theft of an article. The frequency sensor comprises a receiving antenna portion to receive high frequency waves, and a transmitting antenna portion which is shaped into a closed loop with a diode incorporated therein and is disposed linearly to the receiving antenna portion to form an oblong rectangular contour as a whole.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer, including an evacuable vessle, mass separation means provided in the evacuable vessel for separating ions in accordance with the mass thereof, and ion detection means provided in the evacuable vessel for detecting ions emitted from the mass separation means to convert the emitted ions into an electric signal, in which the ion detection means includes an electron-multiplier for detecting positive ions and a photo-multiplier for detecting negative ions. According to this mass spectrometer, positive ions can be detected at high sensitivity, and negative ions are readily detected.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a processing chamber and an insertion jig for inserting an object to be processed into the processing chamber. The processing chamber and the insertion jig are adapted to be individually movable relative to a heating section, so that the operation of loading and unloading the object into and from the processing chamber effected by the insertion jig is conducted outside the heating section, thereby preventing the outside air from being induced to enter the heated processing chamber, together with the object of the processing, and thus avoiding the occurrence of various problems, for example, the object of processing being disorderly oxidized by the oxygen contained in the outside air, and the foreign matter contained in the outside air being undesirably attached to the surface of the object, so as to obtain excellent processing results.

Abstract: This invention concerns a production method and a processing apparatus for semiconductor devices, as well as an evacuating apparatus used for the processing apparatus. According to this invention, since the evacuation system of pressure-reduction processing apparatus for conducting various wafer processings during production steps of semi-conductor devices is constituted only with oil-free vacuum pump, deleterious oil contaminations or carbonation products of oils produced from oils upon heating are not present in the pressure-reducing processing chamber as compared with conventional pressure-reducing processing apparatus using a vacuum oil pump as an evacuation pump and the production method of semiconductor devices using such apparatus.

Abstract: A container for electrical components is formed of an elongated tube of a plastic material. A top wall of the tube consists of a lengthwise-extending transparent window, and electrically conductive portions sandwiching the transparent window. In order to prevent the electrostatic breakdown of the electrical components, which occurs when the electrical components contact the transparent window, the window is made thinner than the electrically conductive portions of the top wall of the tube so that the plane including the lower surface of the window and the plane including the lower surfaces of the conductive portions are spaced at a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A projection aligner wherein light from a light source is passed through a mask so as to focus an image of a pattern of the mask on a wafer, characterized in that at least one sensor for monitoring a luminosity and a distribution thereof is disposed in an optical path between the light source and the mask, whereby a luminosity and a distribution thereof on the wafer can be controlled to proper values. The projection aligner is effective for application to minute processing technologies for the production of semiconductor devices, etc.