Abstract: A film forming method is provided in which, when a dielectric film is formed by sputtering a target, the number of particles to get adhered to the surface of a to-be-processed substrate immediately after film formation can be decreased to the extent possible without impairing the function of effectively suppressing the induction of abnormal discharging. A film forming method, according to this invention, of forming a dielectric film on a surface of a to-be-processed substrate by sputtering a target inside a vacuum chamber includes: at the time of sputtering the target, applying negative potential to the target in the form of pulses; and a frequency of applying the negative potential in the form of pulses is set to a range of 100 kHz or more and 150 kHz or below and an application time (Ton) of the negative potential is set to a range of 5 ?sec or longer and 8 ?sec or shorter.

Abstract: The power supply apparatus for the electrostatic chuck of this invention has: DC power source units for applying DC voltage to electrodes of the electrostatic chuck; and an AC power source unit for causing AC current to flow through an electrostatic capacitance of the electrostatic chuck. Provided that: a circuit for charging an electrode, from DC power source unit, with chuck voltage in order to attract and hold in position the to-be-processed substrate with the electrostatic chuck, be defined as a first circuit and that; a circuit for clearing charges of the to-be-processed substrate be defined as a second circuit, the power supply apparatus further includes switching means for switching between the first circuit and the second circuit. The second circuit is provided with an AC power source unit and a voltmeter for measuring AC voltage.

Abstract: A silicon dry etching method of the invention, includes: preparing a silicon substrate; forming a mask pattern having an opening on the silicon substrate; forming a deposition layer on the silicon substrate in accordance with the mask pattern while introducing a first gas; carrying out a dry etching process with respect to the silicon substrate in accordance with the mask pattern while introducing a second gas, and thereby forming a recess pattern on a surface of the silicon substrate; and carrying out an ashing process with respect to the silicon substrate while introducing a third gas.

Abstract: A magnet unit for a magnetron sputtering apparatus is disposed above the target has: a yoke made of magnetic material and is disposed to lie opposite to the target; and plural pieces of magnets disposed on a lower surface of the yoke, wherein a leakage magnetic field in which a line passing through a position where the vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero is closed in an endless manner, is caused to locally act on such a lower space of the target as is positioned between the center of the target and a periphery thereof, the magnet unit being driven for rotation about the center of the target. In a predetermined position of the yoke there is formed a recessed groove in a circumferentially elongated manner along an imaginary circle with the center of the target serving as a center.

Abstract: A magnet unit for a magnetron sputtering apparatus is disposed above the target has: a yoke made of magnetic material and is disposed to lie opposite to the target; and plural pieces of magnets disposed on a lower surface of the yoke, wherein a leakage magnetic field in which a line passing through a position where the vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero is closed in an endless manner, is caused to locally act on such a lower space of the target as is positioned between the center of the target and a periphery thereof, the magnet unit being driven for rotation about the center of the target. In a predetermined position of the yoke there is formed a recessed groove in a circumferentially elongated manner along an imaginary circle with the center of the target serving as a center.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus SM has: a vacuum chamber in which a substrate and a target are disposed to lie opposite to each other; a plasma generating means generating a plasma inside the vacuum chamber; and a magnet unit disposed above the target. The magnet unit has a plurality of magnets with different polarities on a substrate side. A leakage magnetic field in which a line passing through a position where a vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero is closed in an endless manner, is caused to locally act on such a space below the target as is positioned between the center of the target and a periphery thereof. The magnet unit is divided, on an imaginary line extending from the center of the target toward a periphery thereof, into a plurality of segments each having a plurality of magnets.

Abstract: A gate structure for effective work function adjustments of semiconductor devices that includes a gate dielectric on a channel region of a semiconductor device; a first metal nitride in direct contact with the gate dielectric; a conformal carbide of Aluminum material layer having an aluminum content greater than 30 atomic wt. %; and a second metal nitride layer in direct contact with the conformal aluminum (Al) and carbon (C) containing material layer. The conformal carbide of aluminum (Al) layer includes aluminum carbide, or Al4C3, yielding an aluminum (Al) content up to 57 atomic % (at. %) and work function setting from 3.9 eV to 5.0 eV at thicknesses below 25 ?. Such structures can present metal gate length scaling and resistance benefit below 25 nm compared to state of the art work function electrodes.

Abstract: A method includes forming an amorphous magnetic film on a film formation subject by sputtering a target that includes any one selected from a group consisting of Mn3Sn, Mn3Ge, and (Mn1-xFex)Ge as a main component and crystalizing the amorphous magnetic film by heating the amorphous magnetic film. The crystalizing includes heating the amorphous magnetic film to a temperature that is greater than or equal to 225° C. and less than or equal to 400° C.

Abstract: A thin film formation method includes setting a film formation subject to 200° C. or higher. A first step includes changing a first state, in which a film formation material and a carrier gas are supplied so that the film formation material collects on the film formation subject, to a second state, in which the film formation material is omitted. A second step includes changing a third state, in which a hydrogen gas and a carrier gas are supplied to reduce the film formation material, to a fourth state, in which the hydrogen gas is omitted. The film formation material is any one of Al(CxH2x+1)3, Al(CxH2x+1)2H, and Al(CxH2x+1)2Cl. The first step and the second step are alternately repeated to form an aluminum carbide film on the film formation subject such that a content rate of aluminum atoms is 20 atomic percent or greater.

Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus SM of this invention has: a vacuum chamber which performs a predetermined processing on a to-be-processed substrate that is set in position in the vacuum chamber. Inside the vacuum chamber there is disposed a deposition preventive plate) which is made up of a fixed deposition preventive plate and a moveable deposition preventive plate which is moveable in one direction. Further provided are: a metal block body disposed in a vertical posture on an inner wall surface of the vacuum chamber; and a cooling means for cooling the block body. In a processing position in which a predetermined vacuum processing is performed on the to-be-processed substrate, a top surface of the block body is arranged to be in proximity to or in contact with the moveable deposition preventive plate.

Abstract: An analyzing apparatus includes a sample chamber, a measurement apparatus, and a gas cluster ion beam apparatus. A cooling body separates an ionization chamber of the gas cluster ion beam apparatus from a nozzle support to prevent heat emitted by an ionization filament from being transmitted to the nozzle support, and a temperature of a source gas emitted from a nozzle is kept at a constant temperature by a gas heating device while a sputtering rate is kept constant. A pressure of the source gas supplied to the nozzle is kept at constant pressure by a pressure controller, and a size of gas cluster ions is kept at a constant value. Because the sputtering rate is a constant value, highly accurate depth surface profiling can be performed.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus (SM) has a vacuum chamber in which is disposed a target. A plasma atmosphere is formed inside the vacuum chamber to thereby sputter the target. The sputtered particles splashed from the target are caused to get adhered to, and deposited on, a surface of a substrate disposed in the vacuum chamber, thereby forming a predetermined thin film thereon. At such a predetermined position inside the vacuum chamber as is subject to adhesion of the sputtered particles splashed from the target, there is disposed an adhesion body whose at least the surface of adhesion of the sputtered particles is made of a material equal in kind to that of the target. The adhesion body has connected thereto a bias power supply for applying a bias voltage having negative potential at the time of forming the plasma atmosphere.

Abstract: A freeze vacuum drying apparatus includes: a spraying unit; a pipe unit; a heating unit; and a collection unit. The spraying unit sprays a raw material liquid into a vacuum chamber. The pipe unit has a non-linear shape, includes a first opening end and a second opening end, and traps frozen particles via the first opening end, the frozen particles being formed by self-freezing of liquid droplets formed by spraying the raw material liquid into the vacuum chamber. The heating unit heats the frozen particles in the pipe unit for sublimation drying, the frozen particles moving in the pipe unit from the first opening end toward the second opening end by kinetic energy produced during spraying. The collection unit collects dried particles that are formed by sublimation drying of the frozen particles in the pipe unit and released from the second opening end of the pipe unit.

Abstract: A film formation apparatus includes a target containing a magnetic material, a support that supports a substrate and locates the substrate in an arrangement region opposing the target, and a magnetic field formation unit located at a side of the arrangement region opposite to the target. The magnetic field formation unit forms a horizontal magnetic field parallel to an oscillation direction, which is one direction extending along the substrate, at a side of the arrangement region where the target is located. The magnetic field formation unit oscillates the horizontal magnetic field in the oscillation direction at least between one end of the arrangement region and another end of the arrangement region in the oscillation direction.

Abstract: A housing case for a crystal oscillator monitors a film thickness of a thin film to be formed on a surface of the crystal oscillator, the monitoring being performed by measuring a resonance frequency during film formation in a vacuum atmosphere. The housing case has: a case main body having disposed on an upper surface thereof a plurality of first recessed parts each being capable of housing therein a crystal oscillator in a horizontal posture with a main surface thereof facing in an up-and-down direction; a first cap body detachably mounted on the case main body from an upper side thereof; and an engaging means for engaging the first cap body relative to the case main body. The engaging means is so constructed and arranged that, in a state in which the first cap body is engaged with the case main body, the crystal oscillators housed in the first recessed parts are restrained from jumping out of position.

Abstract: A gate valve comprising a plurality of first force-applying units built in a valve box; a second force-applying unit disposed between a first movable valve and a second movable valve; and a third force-applying unit. The first force-applying units are driven by incompressible fluid and have a function of applying a force to the first movable valve to be directed to the first opening portion in the flow passage direction and thereby causing the seal portion to be in close contact with a valve box inner surface located at the periphery of the first opening portion. The gate valve includes an incompressible-fluid driver that drives, the first force-applying units by incompressible fluid.

Abstract: A magnet unit for a magnetron sputtering apparatus is disposed above the target has: a yoke made of magnetic material and is disposed to lie opposite to the target; and plural pieces of magnets disposed on a lower surface of the yoke, wherein a leakage magnetic field in which a line passing through a position where the vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero is closed in an endless manner, is caused to locally act on such a lower space of the target as is positioned between the center of the target and a periphery thereof, the magnet unit being driven for rotation about the center of the target. In a predetermined position of the yoke there is formed a recessed groove in a circumferentially elongated manner along an imaginary circle with the center of the target serving as a center.

Abstract: A magnet unit for a magnetron sputtering apparatus is disposed above the target has: a yoke made of magnetic material and is disposed to lie opposite to the target; and plural pieces of magnets disposed on a lower surface of the yoke, wherein a leakage magnetic field in which a line passing through a position where the vertical component of the magnetic field becomes zero is closed in an endless manner, is caused to locally act on such a lower space of the target as is positioned between the center of the target and a periphery thereof, the magnet unit being driven for rotation about the center of the target. In a predetermined position of the yoke there is formed a recessed groove in a circumferentially elongated manner along an imaginary circle with the center of the target serving as a center.

Abstract: There is provided a Cu alloy target including a Cap film alloy. In a case where the number of atoms of the Cap film alloy is 100 at %, when the Cap film alloy contains Cu of more than 50 at % and Al of 0.5 at % or more, the Cap film alloy contains an additive metal containing at least one metal material selected from the group consisting of Mg of 0.5 at % or more, Si of 0.5 at % or more, and Ni of 3 at % or more, or contains Ca of 0.5 at % or more as the additive metal. Adhesion between a Cap film and a Si oxide thin film formed on the Cap film by a CVD method is strong, and removal does not occur.

Abstract: A method of forming a film of this invention includes: rotating, inside a vacuum chamber, a to-be-processed substrate with a center of the to-be-processed substrate, while revolving the to-be-processed substrate on the same plane about a revolution shaft; and feeding a film-forming material from a film-forming source to form a predetermined thin film on a surface of the to-be-processed substrate.