Abstract: A graphite nanofiber material herein provided has a cylindrical structure in which graphene sheets each having an ice-cream cone-like shape whose tip is cut off are put in layers through catalytic metal particles; or a structure in which small pieces of graphene sheets having a shape adapted for the facial shape of a catalytic metal particle are put on top of each other through the catalytic metal particles. The catalytic metal comprises Fe, Co or an alloy including at least one of these metals. The material can be used for producing an electron-emitting source, a display element, which is designed in such a manner that only a desired portion of a luminous body emits light, a negative electrode carbonaceous material for batteries and a lithium ion secondary battery. The electron-emitting source (a cold cathode ray source) has a high electron emission density and an ability of emitting electrons at a low electric field, which have never or less been attained by the carbon nanotube.

Abstract: A chuck equipment which can hold insulating substrates is provided. First and second electrodes are provided to be exposed on the base the surface of which is insulated. The insulating substrate is placed in contact with or in close proximity to the surfaces of the first and second electrodes. Since an electric field having a high rate of spatial change is established between the first and second electrodes, the substrate is held against the surface of the chuck equipment by the gradient force. Since the magnitude of the gradient force depends on that of the rate of change of the electric field, a voltage may be applied between the first and second electrodes to establish an electric field of 1.0×106V/m or greater.

Abstract: A thin nitrode film having a low resistance is formed at a low film-forming temperature. In the step of forming a thin nitride film of a high temperature-melting point metal by introducing a feedstock gas having the high temperature-melting point metal and a reductive nitrogen-containing gas having a nitrogen atom into a vacuum atmosphere; an auxiliary reductive gas free from nitrogen is also introduced. The high temperature-melting point metal deposited due to the auxiliary reductive gas compensates for the deficiency of the high temperature-melting point metal of the deposited nitride; and thus enable the growth of the thin nitride film having a low resistance.

Abstract: An electron-emitting source includes a substrate and a coating film. The substrate is made of a material containing a metal serving as a growth nucleus for nanotube fibers as a main component, and has a plurality of through holes. The coating film is constituted by nanotube fibers formed on a surface of the substrate and wall surfaces of the through holes. A method of manufacturing an electron-emitting source is also disclosed.

Abstract: A vacuum display device for enabling the manufacture of high quality plasma display device with high throughput. A front panel 6 constituting a plasma display device is carried into a film deposition chamber 22; and a MgO thin film is deposited in a vacuum atmosphere. The front panel 6 is then carried into an alignment chamber 11 without being exposed to the atmosphere and aligned with a rear panel 7 that has been subjected to degassing in a vacuum atmosphere. There is no absorption of gas, such as moisture; and the quality of the thin film is not degraded. After alignment, aging processing is carried out without exposure to the atmosphere, followed by gas encapsulation and hermetic sealing, which further increases throughput.

Abstract: An electron-emitting source includes a substrate and a coating film. The substrate is made of a material containing a metal serving as a growth nucleus for nanotube fibers as a main component, and has a plurality of through holes. The coating film is constituted by nanotube fibers formed on a surface of the substrate and wall surfaces of the through holes. A method of manufacturing an electron-emitting source is also disclosed.

Abstract: An inactive gas is introduced into an organic material evaporation source to place a thin organic film material in the organic material evaporation source in an atmosphere having a relatively high pressure, and the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased up to a certain temperature. Then, the organic material evaporation source is evacuated to lower the pressure around the thin organic film material for thereby causing the thin organic film material to emit a vapor. Since no wasteful vapor is emitted from the thin organic film material, the thin organic film material is effectively utilized. Because the inactive gas acts as a heating medium, the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased at a high rate, and the thin organic film material is uniformly heated. When the temperature of the thin organic film material is lowered in an inactive gas atmosphere, it can be lowered at a high rate.

Abstract: A discharge plasma processing device comprising a chamber with an evacuation system, a magnetic field generation system and an electric field application system with which the feature of operation is first to form a magnetic neutral line in the vacuum chamber and second to produce a plasma along the magnetic neutral line by controlling the shape of the line, its position related to an object to be processed and the plasma parameters is presented as useful device for many kinds of plasma processing like as sputtering, etching and plasma enhanced CVD as freely programmed, for instance extremely in uniform on the surface of the object.

Abstract: An inactive gas is introduced into an organic material evaporation source to place a thin organic film material in the organic material evaporation source in an atmosphere having a relatively high pressure, and the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased up to a certain temperature. Then, the organic material evaporation source is evacuated to lower the pressure around the thin organic film material for thereby causing the thin organic film material to emit a vapor. Since no wasteful vapor is emitted from the thin organic film material, the thin organic film material is effectively utilized. Because the inactive gas acts as a heating medium, the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased at a high rate, and the thin organic film material is uniformly heated. When the temperature of the thin organic film material is lowered in an inactive gas atmosphere, it can be lowered at a high rate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inductively coupled RF plasma source that can improve the nonuniformity in substrate treatment by canceling out the radial electric fields generated between a plasma and an antenna coil. The inductively coupled RF plasma source comprises a plurality of one-turn antenna coils, each having one end connected to a RF supply along a circumferential side wall of a plasma generating chamber and the other end connected to a grounding potential, arranged at intervals in the longitudinal axial direction of the plasma generating chamber. One end of each one-turn antenna coil displaced at equal angles from each other in a circumferential direction.

Abstract: A chuck equipment which can hold insulating substrates is provided. First and second electrodes are provided to be exposed on the base the surface of which is insulated. The insulating substrate is placed in contact with or in close proximity to the surfaces of the first and second electrodes. Since an electric field having a high rate of spatial change is established between the first and second electrodes, the substrate is held against the surface of the chuck equipment by the gradient force. Since the magnitude of the gradient force depends on that of the rate of change of the electric field, a voltage may be applied between the first and second electrodes to establish an electric field of 1.0×106 V/m or greater.

Abstract: A sputtering device that efficiently guides sputtering particles ejected from a target to a film deposition subject and prolongs the interval at which a stick preventive member requires replacement. The sputtering device 1 has a vacuum chamber in which a specified sputtering target is placed so as to face a substrate 4 that is also placed in the vacuum chamber 2, and deposits a film on a surface of the substrate 4 using sputtering particles 20 ejected from the sputtering target 6; and particle ejection sections 60 constructed so as to slope at a specified angle of 30° to 60° with respect to the surface of the substrate 4, and respectively facing each other in the shape of a funnel are provided on the sputtering target 6. Lines of magnetic force 13 run from an N pole of a magnet 7a arranged at a rear surface of the target 6 to an S pole of a magnet 7b arranged around the target 6.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes a vacuum housing, a substrate holder disposed in the vacuum housing for holding a substrate thereon, and a composite sputtering cathode assembly disposed in the vacuum housing. The composite sputtering cathode assembly has a plurality of targets and a plurality of shields each disposed between adjacent ones of the targets. The targets are disposed in confronting relation to the substrate held on the substrate holder. Those sputtering particles expelled from the targets which are directed obliquely to the substrate hit the shields and do not reach the substrate. Only those sputtering particles which are directed substantially perpendicularly to the substrate are applied to the substrate. The distribution of film thicknesses on the substrate is made uniform when the substrate and the targets rotate relatively to each other.

Abstract: An inactive gas is introduced into an organic material evaporation source to place a thin organic film material in the organic material evaporation source in an atmosphere having a relatively high pressure, and the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased up to a certain temperature. Then, the organic material evaporation source is evacuated to lower the pressure around the thin organic film material for thereby causing the thin organic film material to emit a vapor. Since no wasteful vapor is emitted from the thin organic film material, the thin organic film material is effectively utilized. Because the inactive gas acts as a heating medium, the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased at a high rate, and the thin organic film material is uniformly heated. When the temperature of the thin organic film material is lowered in an inactive gas atmosphere, it can be lowered at a high rate.

Abstract: An inactive gas is introduced into an organic material evaporation source to place a thin organic film material in the organic material evaporation source in an atmosphere having a relatively high pressure, and the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased up to a certain temperature. Then, the organic material evaporation source is evacuated to lower the pressure around the thin organic film material for thereby causing the thin organic film material to emit a vapor. Since no wasteful vapor is emitted from the thin organic film material, the thin organic film material is effectively utilized. Because the inactive gas acts as a heating medium, the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased at a high rate, and the thin organic film material is uniformly heated. When the temperature of the thin organic film material is lowered in an inactive gas atmosphere, it can be lowered at a high rate.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus has a permanent, magnet for forming, in front of a target, a magnetic field for magnetron discharging. The permanent magnet is disposed behind the target and an RF induction discharge coil is disposed in front of the target. The permanent magnet is contained inside an evacuated cathode case which is in the form of a container and which is provided therein with a circulation passage for cooling water. The cathode case and the RF induction discharge coil are enclosed therearound by a metallic cover which has an aperture for emitting sputtered particles. To make an element for a magnetoresistance head, a substrate is transferred from a load lock chamber to a pre-treatment chamber to clean it therein by an etching apparatus. The substrate is then transferred to an ultrahigh vacuum film deposition chamber which is provided therein with a plurality of inductively coupled RF plasma-assisted magnetron sputtering apparatuses which are evacuated to an ultrahigh vacuum.

Abstract: A sputtering device enabling a small incident angle. A plurality of shield plates provided with holes at the same positions as targets are arranged in a vacuum chamber. Sputtering particles ejected diagonally from the targets 51-59 become attached to the shield plates 21-23 and only particles ejected vertically reach the surface of a substrate 12. As a result, it is possible to uniformly form a thin film inside microscopic holes of high aspect ratio. If sputtering gas is introduced close to the targets 51-59, reactant gas is introduced close to the substrate 12 and evacuation carried out close to the substrate 12, reactant gas does not reach the targets 51-59 side. Consequently, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the surfaces of the targets 51-59.

Abstract: A dispersion containing Cu ultrafine particles individually dispersed therein comprises an organic solvent which is hardly evaporated at room temperature, but can be evaporated during a drying-firing step upon forming Cu-distributing wires on a semiconductor substrate and metal Cu-containing ultrafine particles having a particle size of not greater than 0.01 &mgr;m, in which the surface of the individual Cu ultrafine particles is surrounded by or covered with the organic solvent, these particles are independently dispersed in the solvent, and the dispersion has a viscosity of not higher than 50 cP at 20° C. The individual Cu ultrafine particle dispersion permits the complete embedding or filling of, for instance, fine wiring grooves, via holes and contact holes of LSI substrates with a Cu-thin film and thus permits the formation of a conductive, uniform and fine pattern on a substrate.

Abstract: A method for forming a Cu-thin film includes the steps of coating a dispersion containing Cu-containing ultrafine particles individually dispersed therein on a semiconductor substrate having recessed portions, such as wiring grooves, via holes or contact holes, which have an aspect ratio ranging from 1 to 30; firing the coated semiconductor substrate in an atmosphere which can decompose organic substances present in the dispersion, but never oxidizes Cu to form a Cu-thin film on the substrate; then removing the Cu-thin film on the substrate except for that present in the recessed portions to thus level the surface of the substrate and to form the Cu-thin film in the recessed portions. The method permits the complete embedding or filling of the recessed portions of LSI substrates having a high aspect ratio with a Cu-thin film and thus permits the formation of a conductive, uniform and fine pattern, and further requires a low processing cost.

Abstract: An inactive gas is introduced into an organic material evaporation source to place a thin organic film material in the organic material evaporation source in an atmosphere having a relatively high pressure, and the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased up to a certain temperature. Then, the organic material evaporation source is evacuated to lower the pressure around the thin organic film material for thereby causing the thin organic film material to emit a vapor. Since no wasteful vapor is emitted from the thin organic film material, the thin organic film material is effectively utilized. Because the inactive gas acts as a heating medium, the temperature of the thin organic film material is increased at a high rate, and the thin organic film material is uniformly heated. When the temperature of the thin organic film material is lowered in an inactive gas atmosphere, it can be lowered at a high rate.