Abstract: The processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a processing chamber for providing a predetermined processing to a processing object, a transfer chamber having transfer arm for transferring a holding member holding the processing object to/from the processing chamber, inactive gas supply and exhaust pipe for maintaining the inside of the transfer chamber to be in a predetermined inactive gas atmosphere, a holding member containing chamber, provided adjacent to the transfer chamber, having a capacity being capable of containing at least the holding member, and being capable of transferring the holding member to/from the transfer chamber in a state that an atmosphere of the transfer chamber is isolated from outside air, inside atmosphere substituting control for providing substitution so as to set the inside of the holding member containing chamber to be in a vacuum atmosphere or a predetermined inactive gas atmosphere, and an processing object transfer chamber, provided to be adjacent to the holdin

Abstract: An air cleaning apparatus according to the present invention includes an apparatus body having a suction port through which air in a processing space is sucked and a discharge port through which the air sucked through the suction port is discharged into the processing space. A blower is provided in the apparatus body for sucking the air from the processing space into the apparatus body through the suction port and discharging the sucked air into the processing space through the discharge port. In addition an impurity gas removing device in the apparatus body is provided for removing impurity gases contained in the air sucked through the suction port and harmful to processing in the processing space, and a particle removing device is provided on the exhaust side of the impurity gas removing device for removing particles in the sucked air cleared of the impurity gases by impurity gas removing device.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment system for heat treating a large number of semiconductor wafers housed in a boat at once includes a heat treatment unit having a boat loading/unloading port, a boat section communicating with the heat treatment unit through the boat loading/unloading port, an elevator mechanism for loading/unloading the boat between the boat section and the heat treatment unit through the boat loading/unloading port, a cassette section provided adjacent to the boat section, a wafer transfer mechanism for transferring wafers between a cassette and the boat, a gas supply mechanism for supplying a non-oxidization gas into the boat section, and a gas shower means for blowing the non-oxidization gas to the wafers in the vicinity of the boat loading/unloading port.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus includes a heat treatment unit for performing a heat treatment process to a semiconductor wafer using a gas and a gas supply unit for supplying the gas to the heat treatment unit. The gas supply unit includes a plurality of gas controlling instruments having a plurality of gas flow control devices, a gas controlling instruments-storage vessel for storing the instruments, and a plurality of electrical parts arranged outside the storage vessel and belonging to the instruments, and an electrical parts-storage vessel for storing the electrical parts, and the plurality of gas flow control devices are integrated with each other by block-like joints.

Abstract: A decompression apparatus comprises an exhaust line connected to a processing unit, an exhaust device connected to the exhaust line, whereby the processing unit is exhausted through the exhaust line, and an ambience in the processing unit can be set under a negative pressure, a main valve in the exhaust line for opening and closing the exhaust line, a bypass line having one end portion, connected to that portion of the exhaust line which is situated nearer to the processing unit than the main valve, and the other end portion connected to that portion of the exhaust line which is situated on the exhaust side of the main valve, the exhaust flow quantity of the bypass line per unit time being lower than that of the exhaust line, a sub-valve in the bypass line for opening and closing the bypass line, and a control unit adapted to close the main valve and the sub-valve as the pressure in the processing unit is increased from the negative pressure to the normal pressure and to open only the sub-valve to keep the ex

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprising a process tube for enclosing a plurality of semiconductor wafers, injectors for introducing process gas into the process tube, a vacuum pump for exhausting the process tube, RF electrodes arranged along the outer circumference of the process tube and serving to generate high frequency electric field, when power is supplied, in a process-gas-introduced region so as to make process gas into plasmas, a high frequency power source for supplying power to the RF electrodes, heaters arranged in the process tube to directly heat the plural wafers, a power supply for supplying power to the heaters, and a controller for controlling the amount of power supplied from the power supply to the heaters.

Abstract: A system for supporting and rotating substrates in a process chamber comprising a first exhaust vacuum pump for exhausting the process chamber, a shaft vertically extending into the process chamber to support wafers in it, bearings for supporting the shaft rotatable, a mechanism for rotating the shaft together with the wafers, a bearing casing for covering the bearings and communicated with the process chamber, a second exhaust vacuum pump for exhausting the bearing casing, and a controller for controlling the first and second exhaust vacuum pumps in such a way that the bearing casing is exhausted by the second exhaust vacuum pump before the process chamber is exhausted by the first exhaust vacuum pump.

Abstract: A wafer boat on which semiconductor wafers are placed is inserted into a process tube, and a process gas is supplied into the process tube to perform heat treating. In this case, prior to the heat treating, the process tube is evacuated to have a pressure lower than a pressure in the heat treating while a temperature in the process tube is kept to be higher than a temperature in the heat treating. After the heat treating is performed, the process tube is purged with an N.sub.2 gas.