Abstract: After an organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12) is deposited on an underlying film (11), a resist pattern (15) is formed on the organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12). Dry etching is performed with respect to the organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12) masked with the resist pattern (15) to form an anti-reflective coating pattern. The dry-etching of the organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12) is performed by using etching gas containing gas having the S component such as SO2/O2-based etching gas or COS/O2-based etching gas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing method using a grindstone comprising abrasive grains and a bonding resin for bonding the abrasive grains, as well as to a polishing apparatus to be used for the polishing method. By using a resin for bonding abrasive grains, it is possible to obtain a grindstone having a desired modulus of elasticity. With such a grindstone, the surface of a substrate having concave and convex portions can be rendered uniformly flat, irrespective of the size of the concave and convex portions. Further, by first polishing the substrate surface with a polishing tool of a small elastic modulus and thereafter polishing it with a polishing tool of a large elastic modulus, it is possible to obtain a polished surface of reduced damage. The method of the invention is effective in planarizing various substrate surfaces having concave and convex portions.

Abstract: A method for producing an ink jet printing head comprising a substrate having plural discharge energy generating elements for generating energy to be utilized for discharging an ink and a ceiling plate of a resinous material to be joined to the substrate to constitute, between the ceiling plate and the substrate, ink paths including discharge openings for discharging the ink and plural grooves communicating with the discharge openings and formed in positions corresponding respectively to the discharge energy generating elements is provided which comprises the steps of preparing the substrate provided with the plural discharge energy generating elements, positioning and contacting the ceiling plate and the substrate in such a manner that the discharge energy generating elements are respectively positioned in the grooves, and thermally fusing the contacting portions of the ceiling plate with the substrate while pressing the substrate and the ceiling plate in the positioned state, thereby joining the substrate a

Abstract: A plasma etch reactor having interior surfaces facing the plasma composed of boron carbide, preferably principally composed of B.sub.4 C. The boron carbide may be a bulk sintered body or may be a layer of boron carbide coated on a chamber part. The boron carbide coating may be applied by thermal spraying, such as plasma spraying, by chemical vapor deposition, or by other layer forming technique such as a surface converting reaction. The boron carbide is highly resistant to high-density plasma etchants such as BCl.sub.3. The plasma sprayed coating is advantageously applied to only a portion of an anodized aluminum wall. The boron carbide may be sprayed over the exposed portion of the aluminum over which the anodization has been removed. A band of the aluminum substrate at the transition between the anodization and the boron carbide is roughened prior to anodization so that the boron carbide sticks to the correspondingly roughened surface of the anodization.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of forming a barrier layer for contacting a metal interconnect layer to one or more exposed N and P type silicon regions on a wafer. The wafer is heated with a direct radiation source, such as a lamp. To equalize the differing emissivities of the N type and P type silicon regions, an opaque layer of refractory metal is first formed on the regions at a temperature below approximately 100.degree. C. A refractory metal deposition process is then conducted at temperatures between 230.degree. C.-425.degree. C. During this higher temperature deposition process, the reducing gas is ramped up with time to increase the deposition rate of the refractory metal as the exothermic reducing reactions increasingly heat the contact areas.

Abstract: Apparatus responsive to an input image for forming an optical structure such as a lens array on a receiver including a fluid delivery chamber having a fluid capable of forming the optical structure. The apparatus enables the fluid chamber to deliver fluid to the receiver to form the optical structure; fluid channel for delivering fluid to the fluid delivery chamber; and fluid flow regulation for regulating the fluid flow to the fluid delivery chamber and from the delivery chamber to the receiver in response to the values of the input image and for positioning the receiver relative to the delivery chamber so as to form the desired optical structure.

Abstract: A small, light-weight and highly maintainable etching system and an etching method for etching a large substrate with a homogeneous etching rate are provided. The etching system comprises an agitating electric field system disposed around the substrate, an agitating power source of high frequency, medium frequency or low frequency, agitating electrodes, amplifiers and a phase controller to agitate electrons or ions to increase the etching speed and the uniformity of the etching rate by promoting activation of reactive gas and uniformalizing a plasma density.

Abstract: Plugging of the effluent line of an apparatus comprising CVD chamber is prevented or substantially reduced by injecting a hot gas into the effluent line during processing. In CVD tungsten processing, including preconditioning the reaction chamber, deposition, and cleaning, a hot gas, such as dried air or nitrogen, is injected into the effluent line downstream of the vacuum pump to maintain the temperature of the internal walls of the effluent line below that at which condensation of WOF.sub.4 occurs. In another embodiment, periodic high bursts of a hot gas into the effluent line removes WO.sub.3 deposits proximate the inlet of the downstream wet scrubber.

Abstract: In a plasma etching apparatus, a process gas is supplied into a process chamber and converted into plasma by means of RF discharge, and a semiconductor wafer placed on a lower electrode is etched by the plasma. An RF power supply mechanism is connected to the lower electrode for applying thereto a superposed RF power for forming an RF electric field in the process chamber. The RF power supply mechanism has first and second RF power supplies for respectively oscillating a low frequency RF component and a high frequency RF component having a higher frequency than the low frequency RF component. The high frequency RF component from the second frequency RF component supply has its wave form modulated by a modulator on the basis of the wave form of the low frequency RF component from the first frequency RF power supply. Thereafter, the modulated high frequency RF component and the low frequency RF component are superposed upon each other.

Abstract: In performing plasma etching or plasma CVD, a gas containing an interhalogen compound gas or a XeF.sub.2 gas is used as a process gas. Such a process gas generates, in the state of non-plasma and with activation energy lower than a specified level, a volatile material from a deposition species generated in the above etching so as to contribute to the suppression of film formation. For example, the XeF.sub.2 gas, a BrF.sub.3 gas, a BrCl gas are used in the cases of etching a silicon dioxide film, a silicide film, and a polysilicon film, respectively. On the surface of a substrate is formed a non-volatile protective film so as to improve the profiles of an opening. At the wall surface of a reaction chamber which is barely influenced by the plasma, the deposition species is turned into a volatile material (e.g., SiF.sub.4) so as to suppress the deposition of reaction products thereon. If the interhalogen compound gas, XeF.sub.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing a function of plasma etching apparatuses and a method for estimating selectivity in an actual etching process in fabrication of semiconductor devices involves generating plasma of a gas mixture including halogen and oxygen in a predetermined condition. An intensity of one of first emissions from the plasma at a first wavelength and an intensity of one of second emissions from the plasma at a second wavelength is measured A ratio of the intensity of the one of first emissions to that of the one of second emissions is obtained. The obtained emission intensity ratio is compared with an emission intensity ratio which is previously measured for a plasma condition when the plasma etching apparatus operates normally.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a halogen-doped oxide film having a low dielectric constant that is resistant to moisture absorption and outgassing of the halogen dopant, and that retains these qualities despite subsequent processing steps. The method begins by introducing process gases (including a halogen-containing source gas) into a processing chamber. A halogen-doped layer is then deposited. The combination of process gases is then changed and a sealing layer deposited which seals the dopant into the halogen-doped layer. The sealing layer may, for example, be a carbon-rich layer or an undoped layer. These steps are repeated until the film reaches a selected thickness.

Abstract: A heat treatment jig with a silicon carbide coating for production of a semiconductor includes a base material and a silicon carbide film formed on the surface of the base material by a CVD method. The silicon carbide film is formed from a plurality of layers substantially parallel to the surface of the base material, and at least one of the layers is formed as a nucleus formation layer while the other layers are formed as ordinary crystal layers so that crystal growth between the ordinary crystal layers across the nucleus formation layer is discontinuous while crystal growth of the silicon carbide in the ordinary crystal layers are continuous in a direction of thickness of the ordinary crystal layers.

Abstract: A [work] workpiece processing apparatus and a [work] workpiece measuring method are provided in which a [work] workpiece can be processed or planarized without decreasing a processing rate and/or an operating rate of the apparatus. The apparatus can be reduced in size, and can measure the state of planarization of the [work] workpiece at a high degree of accuracy. The apparatus includes a rotatable surface plate, and a carrier 6 for swinging or oscillating a [work] workpiece 200 in a radial direction of the surface plate 1 while pressing the [work] workpiece 200 against the surface plate 1. The surface plate 1 is divided into an inner surface plate member 11, an intermediate surface plate member 12, and an outer surface plate member 13 which are all disposed in a concentric relation and rotatable independently of each other. The intermediate surface plate member 12 is disposed between the inner and outer surface plate members 11 and 13.

Abstract: Provided are a susceptor for a plasma CVD equipment, characterized in that the surface of the susceptor has raised and depressed portions which are continuously formed, and a steep protrusion is completely removed in the raised portion, and a method of roughening a surface of a susceptor for a plasma CVD equipment, which comprises a step of mechanically flattening the surface of the susceptor, a step of shot-blasting the surface of the thus-flattened susceptor, and a step of polishing the shot-blasted surface of the susceptor chemically, electrochemically and/or mechanically, a steep protrusion being completely removed from the surface of the susceptor, and an Ra value of the susceptor surface being 1 .mu.m.ltoreq.Ra.ltoreq.8 .mu.m. Since the susceptor of the present invention reduces a rate of contact between a wafer substrate and the susceptor surface, adsorption due to charging can be prevented.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a plasma suitable for semiconductor processing at pressures in the low millitorr range. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber with a dielectric window, a generally planar coil disposed adjacent the window outside the chamber and coupled to an appropriate power source, and a plasma initiator disposed within the chamber. Once the plasma is initiated, the planar coil sustains the plasma by inductive power coupling. In one embodiment the plasma initiator is a secondary electrode disposed within the chamber and coupled to a second RF power source. In an alternative embodiment both the secondary electrode and a target pedestal are coupled to the secondary RF power source through a power splitter. In an alternative embodiment, the plasma initiator is used to ionize a portion of the process gas and provide a plasma that may then inductively couple with the planar coil.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for making fiducial marks for charged-particle-beam (CPB) exposure apparatus, especially for performing high-accuracy measurements of aberrations of the CPB optical system in such apparatus. The fiducial marks are made by forming multiple features in a monocrystalline Si substrate. The features are longitudinally extended and are preferably in two groups wherein the features in one group are longitudinally extended in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction in which the features in the other group are longitudinally extended. Where the (110) plane of the monocrystalline Si is the surface of the substrate, the longitudinal direction of each feature is oriented in the <112> direction of the (110) plane.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for depositing thin films on the surface of a device such as a spherical shaped devices. The apparatus includes an enclosure containing a plurality of apertures and two chambers. The apertures connect to conduits for inputting and outputting the devices as well as injecting and releasing different gases and/or processing constituents. A first chamber is formed within the enclosure and includes a plasma torch. A second chamber is formed within the enclosure and includes a heating coil. Devices move through the input conduit and into the first chamber where they are heated by the plasma torch. Because of this heating, radicals, electrons, and ions near the surface of the devices are generated. The heated devices then move into the second chamber where they are further heated by energy from the conductor coil. At this time, the gases and/or processing constituents react with the heated device thereby growing a thin film on its outer surface.

Abstract: Slurry is provided to the surface of the polishing pad by pumping the slurry up through a central port, or by dripping the slurry down onto the surface of the polishing pad from a slurry feed tube. A slurry wiper, which may have one or more flexible members, sweeps the slurry evenly and thinly across the polishing pad. A control system coordinates the distribution of slurry to the polishing pad with the motion of the carrier head.

Abstract: A plasma stream generator with a closed-configuration arc for achieving a stream comprising a central area at a uniform or very low temperature. The generator comprises a higher or even much higher number of electrode pairs than is usual, whereby rows may be formed and, in particular, an elongate stream, i.e. a curtain, may be achieved. The orientation problems resulting from the closeness of the jets and the increased attraction/repulsion therebetween are solved by means of magnetic devices (coils) of which there are generally three for a pair of electrode chambers.