Abstract: The invention provides a substrate processing apparatus including a processing tank for processing substrates, a transporting path provided along the processing tank, a substrate transporting device moving along the transporting path for transporting the substrates, wherein the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate transporting device mounted thereto may realize the improvement of the throughput of substrate processing without increasing the area for installing the substrate processing apparatus. There are provided at least two substrate transporting devices that are capable of moving on the identical transporting path. The movable ranges of the respective substrate transporting devices for transporting the substrates are overlapped with respect to each other. When transportation of the substrates is required simultaneously at a plurality of processing tanks in scheduling data prepared by a scheduler, the scheduling data is determined by referencing substrate transportation sharing conditions.

Abstract: A wire loop comprises a wire connecting a first bonding point and a second bonding point therethrough, wherein the wire has a crushed part formed therein by crushing the part of the wire and a top of a ball bonded to the first bonding point with a capillary. The wire loop is formed by a wire bonding method which includes: bonding the wire to the first bonding point; moving the capillary horizontally and vertically while carrying out loop control; bonding the wire to the vicinity of the top of the ball bonded to the first bonding point; and thereafter, moving the capillary horizontally and vertically to the second bonding point while delivering the wire and carrying out loop control, and then bonding the wire to the second bonding point.

Abstract: A method of measuring a thickness of a ball bonded to a pad is disclosed. The method includes: taking an image of the pad and the ball at each step position through an image taking means being shifted in a vertical direction at predetermined step intervals; obtaining luminance variations at an edge portion of the pad in each taken image to determine an in-focus height of the pad based on an image taking height position at which the taken image has the largest luminance variation at the edge portion of the pad; obtaining luminance variations on an upper surface of the ball in each taken image to determine an in-focus height of the upper surface of the ball based on an image taking height position at which the taken image has the largest luminance variation on the upper surface of the ball; and calculating the thickness of the ball by finding a difference between the obtained in-focus heights of the pad and the upper surface of the ball.

Abstract: The invention provides a cleaning device for cleaning or rinsing a wafer disposed in a cleaning bath by cleaning fluid in the cleaning bath including a front wall that configures the cleaning bath by being in abutment with a device body and is formed with an opening corresponding to a contour of the target object; a wafer holding device being capable of holding a rear face of the target object carried into the inner side of the one side wall through the opening from the outside of the one side wall and holding the target object in a vertically upright position; and a pins provided on a circumference of the opening on an inner surface of the one side wall for defining a clearance between the wafer and the circumference of the opening by being in contact with the rear face of the target object.

Abstract: A wire loop comprises a wire connecting a first bonding point and a second bonding point therethrough, wherein the wire has a crushed part formed therein by crushing the part of the wire and a top of a ball bonded to the first bonding point with a capillary. The wire loop is formed by a wire bonding method which includes: bonding the wire to the first bonding point; moving the capillary horizontally and vertically while carrying out loop control; bonding the wire to the vicinity of the top of the ball bonded to the first bonding point; and thereafter, moving the capillary horizontally and vertically to the second bonding point while delivering the wire and carrying out loop control, and then bonding the wire to the second bonding point.

Abstract: A chemical concentration control device for a semiconductor processing apparatus being capable of keeping processing chemicals at constant concentrations, and of maintaining the liquid level required for processing is provided. A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a concentration measuring unit, a drift observation unit, a replenishment quantity calculating unit, a concentration estimating unit, a fixed-quantity replenishment processing unit, and a replenishment control unit for controlling replenishment of chemicals based on the replenishment quantities calculated by the fixed-quantity replenishment processing unit, so that the replenishment quantity calculating unit calculates the replenishment quantities of the respective chemicals with respect to the predetermined reference replenishment quantity based on data measured by the concentration measuring unit and the drift observation unit, and estimated concentration data supplied from the concentration estimating unit.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning method and an apparatus therefor capable of increasing a particle removal ratio at which particles firmly adhering to a substrate are removed therefrom and increasing a throughput. A substrate such as a wafer or the like placed in a cleaning tank filled therein with a cleaning liquid is cleaned by an ultrasonic vibration. Cleaning of the substrate is carried out in such a manner that an ultrasonic vibration is applied to the substrate from a bottom of the cleaning tank, during which application the substrate is kept at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction of acoustic streaming in the cleaning liquid formed by propagation of an ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: A method for drying washed objects which is capable of drying the objects in a reduced period of time, effectively preventing contamination of the objects, and preventing energy loss. The apparatus for carrying on the method of drying washed objects includes a drying tank having an opening on the upper portion thereof so that the washed objects can be placed or taken out from above, and a rinsing tank formed integrally with the drying tank, and is capable of being sealed hermetically by closing an openable and closable lid. The drying tank includes a mist-straightening vane for supplying organic solvent mist at normal temperatures to the washed objects, so that the washed objects are dried by organic solvent mist emitted from the mist-straightening vane.

Abstract: The invention provides a cleaning method and a cleaning apparatus in which the quantity of cleaning solvent used may be reduced, and high cleaning property is achieved. The cleaning method of the invention includes a first step of transporting a plate-shaped object to be processed on a support stand by a transporting unit and making hydrophiling preparation on at least one surface thereof, a second step of forming a liquid film on a surface of the object to be processed, on which hydrophiling preparation has made, and a third step of irradiating ultrasonic energy from an ultrasonically oscillating surface provided in the vicinity of the liquid film formed on the surface of the object to be processed so as to be capable of coming into contact therewith onto the object to be processed for cleaning.

Abstract: A method for drying washed objects which is capable of drying the objects in a reduced period of time, effectively preventing contamination of the objects, and preventing energy loss. The apparatus for carrying on the method of drying washed objects includes a drying tank having an opening on the upper portion thereof so that the washed objects can be placed or taken out from above, and a rinsing tank formed integrally with the drying tank, and is capable of being sealed hermetically by closing an openable and closable lid. The drying tank includes a mist-straightening vane for supplying organic solvent mist at normal temperatures to the washed objects, so that the washed objects are dried by organic solvent mist emitted from the mist-straightening vane.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for drying washed objects being capable of drying the objects in a reduced period of time, effectively preventing contamination of the objects, and preventing energy loss are provided. The apparatus for drying washed objects includes a drying tank having an opening on the upper portion thereof so that the washed objects can be placed or taken out from above, and a rinsing tank formed integrally with the drying tank, and is capable of being sealed hermetically by closing the openable and closable lid. The drying tank includes a mist-straightening vane for supplying organic solvent mist at normal temperatures to the washed objects, so that the washed objects are dried by organic solvent mist emitted from the mist-straightening vane.

Abstract: A flow rate measuring apparatus capable of accurately measuring a flow rate of fluctuating fluid. A mode setting circuit selectively sets any one of a plurality of predetermined transmission modes different in transmission timing. The mode setting circuit sets any one of a first transmission mode which permits an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted at a predetermined timing for every period of a flow waveform of exhaust gas, a second transmission mode which permits an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted at a timing shifted by a predetermined time for every period of the flow waveform of the exhaust gas and a third transmission mode which permits an ultrasonic wave to be transmitted at predetermined intervals.

Abstract: The invention provides a substrate processing apparatus including a processing tank for processing substrates, a transporting path provided along the processing tank, a substrate transporting device moving along the transporting path for transporting the substrates, wherein the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate transporting device mounted thereto may realize the improvement of the throughput of substrate processing without increasing the area for installing the substrate processing apparatus. There are provided at least two substrate transporting devices that are capable of moving on the identical transporting path. The movable ranges of the respective substrate transporting devices for transporting the substrates are overlapped with respect to each other. When transportation of the substrates is required simultaneously at a plurality of processing tanks in scheduling data prepared by a scheduler, the scheduling data is determined by referencing substrate transportation sharing conditions.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for rinsing a cleaned object whereby cleaning chemical liquid adhered to the object is substantially removed therefrom while substantially reducing the amount of pure water used for rinsing. The object with cleaning chemical liquid adhered thereto is immersed in a rinse bath filled with pure water, so that the cleaning chemical liquid may be rinsed off therefrom while pure water is continuously fed to the rinse bath. A neutralizing chemical liquid of alkalinity or acidity opposite that of the cleaning chemical liquid is added to the pure water in the rinse bath by feeding the neutralizing chemical liquid using a feed pump and a pump controller. Thus, the cleaning chemical liquid is neutralized by the neutralizing chemical liquid, to thereby be converted into a salt readily soluble in pure water, which salt is then discharged together with the pure water by overflowing the rinse bath.

Abstract: A wire bonding method, a bump forming method and a bump which are capable of preventing contact of a wire with a substrate or a conductive lead after the wire is bonded to a bump, and which are capable of preventing generation of bending in the wire during bonding of the wire to the bump are disclosed. When a first conductor and a second conductor are wire bonded, a bump is previously formed on the second conductor by ball bonding. An inclined surface is formed on an upper end of the bump by moving a capillary along a predetermined path to operate the capillary. First bonding of a wire to the first conductor is carried out, then the wire is looped from the first conductor to the bump, and second bonding of the wire onto the inclined surface of the bump is carried out.

Abstract: A wire bonding method, a bump forming method and a bump which are capable of preventing contact of a wire with a substrate or a conductive lead after the wire is bonded to a bump, and which are capable of preventing generation of bending in the wire during bonding of the wire to the bump are disclosed. When a first conductor and a second conductor are wire bonded, a bump is previously formed on the second conductor by ball bonding. An inclined surface is formed on an upper end of the bump by moving a capillary along a predetermined path to operate the capillary. First bonding of a wire to the first conductor is carried out, then the wire is looped from the first conductor to the bump, and second bonding of the wire onto the inclined surface of the bump is carried out.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for drying washed objects being capable of drying the objects in a reduced period of time, effectively preventing contamination of the objects, and preventing energy loss are provided. The apparatus for drying washed objects includes a drying tank having an opening on the upper portion thereof so that the washed objects can be placed or taken out from above, and a rinsing tank formed integrally with the drying tank, and is capable of being sealed hermetically by closing the openable and closable lid. The drying tank includes a mist-straightening vane for supplying organic solvent mist at normal temperatures to the washed objects, so that the washed objects are dried by organic solvent mist emitted from the mist-straightening vane.

Abstract: An ultrasonic vibrating apparatus and an ultrasonic cleaning apparatus capable of permitting ultrasonic cleaning of a wafer to be carried out using an existing cleaning tank and while keeping the object immersed in cleaning liquid. An ultrasonic wave is irradiated to a cleaned object while keeping it immersed in cleaning liquid stored in a cleaning tank formed with an upper opening. A vibrating plate is securely mounted thereon with an ultrasonic transducer through a wave transmission element and arranged so as to close the upper opening of the cleaning tank in a cover-like manner. The vibrating plate is so arranged that a vibrating surface thereof downwardly faces and is immersed in the cleaning liquid.

Abstract: A chemical concentration control device for a semiconductor processing apparatus being capable of keeping processing chemicals at constant concentrations, and of maintaining the liquid level required for processing is provided. A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a concentration measuring unit, a drift observation unit, a replenishment quantity calculating unit, a concentration estimating unit, a fixed-quantity replenishment processing unit, and a replenishment control unit for controlling replenishment of chemicals based on the replenishment quantities calculated by the fixed-quantity replenishment processing unit, so that the replenishment quantity calculating unit calculates the replenishment quantities of the respective chemicals with respect to the predetermined reference replenishment quantity based on data measured by the concentration measuring unit and the drift observation unit, and estimated concentration data supplied from the concentration estimating unit.

Abstract: An object levitating apparatus, an object transporting apparatus, and an object levitating process are described which, simultaneous to not placing restrictions on the material and so forth of the objects handled, are able to handle objects having relatively large weights and dimensions, while also being compact in size, inexpensive, preferable in terms of safety and so forth, and easy to control. The above effects are obtained by exciting a vibrator and levitating or transporting an object above the surface of the vibrator by the radiation pressure of the sound waves of the vibrator, and in particular, since there are no vibration nodes present as a result of in-phase piston mode vibration, the dimensions of the object to be levitated and transported can be small.