Abstract: In a treatment apparatus, a collimator is insulated electrically from the other equipment to be rendered electrically floating, and also the potential of the collimator is variably controllable by a variable DC power source. Therefore, the thickness in plane of the layer to be produced can be uniformalized by controlling the voltage applied to the collimator, without changing both layout and figure of the hardware, e.g., permanent magnet, without process, and further without both beginning and end of a target.

Abstract: The sputtering system of the present invention includes a spare collimator storage chamber for accommodating one or more spare collimators and a processing chamber, which are provided in one-piece or in communication with each other through a gate valve. A used collimator in the processing chamber is quickly and readily replaced with a new collimator stored in the spare collimator storage chamber by a collimator exchanging device without exposing the interior of the processing chamber to atmospheric air.

Abstract: A processing apparatus wherein a collimator which restricts sputtering directions of sputtered particles from a target comprises a plurality of slats arranged substantially parallel with each other. The respective slats constitute a louver mechanism in which rotatable rods are rotated to replace the side thereof facing the target and the side thereof facing the object-to-be-processed with each other. Because of the louver mechanism, the portion of the interior of a processing vessel belonging to the target and the portion thereof belonging to the object-to-be processed can be closed off from each other, and a side of the collimator facing the target and a side thereof facing the object-to-be-processed can be replaced with each other. As a result, the collimator has also a shutter function, and can suppress generation of particles.

Abstract: A cassette carrier unit for carrying a cassette, in which a plurality of substrates are housed, into and out of cassette chambers of the multi-chamber system including a hand on which the cassette is mounted. A multi-joined arm for supports the swingable hand, and a base supports the multi-joined swingable arm. The multi-joined arm includes a first shaft member rotatably attached to the hand, a second shaft member rotatably attached to the base, a third shaft member rotated associating with the first shaft member but in a direction reverse to the direction in which the first shaft member is rotated, and a fourth shaft member rotatably attached to the base and to which rotation drive force is transmitted. A first arm is rotatably attached to the first shaft member at the front end thereof and to the second shaft member at the base end thereof.

Abstract: A control system includes a first estimation section for estimating a first state variable of a plant object such as a semiconductor wafer temperature control arrangement on the basis of a control input supplied to the plant object and an output from the plant object, a second estimation section for estimating a second state variable of the plant object on the basis of the control input alone, a switching section for selecting one of the first and second estimation sections, and a servo section for adjusting the control input by feeding back the state variable from the first or second estimation section to an input section of the plant object.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing apparatus comprises a vacuum processing chamber and a lamp house provided thereunder. A susceptor is provided in the processing chamber, and a semiconductor wafer is mounted thereon. The processing chamber and the lamp house are partitioned by a widow plate made of quartz glass in an airtight state. Eight light sources for heating are arranged in a circumferential form on a rotatable table at the portion which is in the lamp house and under the window plate. A sensor comprising a thermocouple for detecting energy of transmitted light is provided between the susceptor and the window plate. The sensor is connected to a measuring section comprising an A/D converter, and thereby detected data is converted from a digital signal to an observed value. The observed value is sent to a comparator to be compared with a predetermined reference model. A comparative result obtained by the comparator is transmitted to a controlling section.