Abstract: A deposition mask for depositing a thin film and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The deposition mask is configured to ensure a positioning accuracy and a pattern size accuracy and is suitable for use in manufacturing a high definition display device. The deposition mask includes at least one pattern mask having the same patterns as the patterns that are to be formed on a substrate and a frame mask which has at least one opening. The pattern mask is individually and non-detachably fixed to the frame mask at a region of the frame mask corresponding to the opening.

Abstract: The shower plate is arranged to seal an upper opening of a process container that is configured by a chamber, a spacer, and an upper plate. A plasma excitation gas is spurted into the chamber through the opening portions of the shower plate. Microwaves are supplied to a slot antenna arranged outside the shower plate, thereby generating plasma. Atmospheric air in a first gap between the inner wall of the spacer and the outer circumferential surface of the shower plate and a second gap between a radiation surface of the slot antenna and the dielectric cover plate is sucked by a gas suction unit through gas exhaust holes. The toxic gas is purified by a gas purification unit. Thus, the toxic gas is prevented from leaking out of the plasma processing apparatus even when the shower plate is broken.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus that processes a wafer in a process vessel by plasma generated by the supply of a microwave, a transmissive window has, in a center area of its lower surface, a hanging portion made of the same material as a material of the transmissive window. Between an outer peripheral surface of the hanging portion and a sidewall inner surface continuing from a support part, a gap is formed, the gap having a gap length of 0.5 to 10 mm, more preferably 0.5 to 5 mm. The generation of a strong electric field and plasma at a contact point is inhibited and an amount of sputtered particles, radicals, or the like reaching the wafer is also reduced.

Abstract: A surface activation device comprises a holding compartment, a nozzle support, and a sealing assembly. The holding compartment defines a receiving chamber and defining a plurality of recesses for holding workpieces therein. The nozzle support is rotatably received in the receiving chamber and comprises an outer barrel, an inner barrel is received in the outer barrel, and at least one ultraviolet (UV) lamp is embedded in the outer barrel. The outer barrel and the inner barrel cooperatively define a first chamber therebetween, and the inner barrel defines a second chamber therein. The sealing assembly seals the first chamber and the second chamber, and comprises at least one first inlet tube communicated with the first chamber and at least one second inlet tube communicated with the second chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus, which performs a plasma process on a target substrate by using plasma, includes first and second electrodes in a process chamber to oppose each other. An RF field, which turns a process gas into plasma by excitation, is formed between the first and second electrodes. An RF power supply, which supplies RF power, is connected to the first or second electrode through a matching circuit. The matching circuit automatically performs input impedance matching relative to the RF power. A variable impedance setting section is connected to a predetermined member, which is electrically coupled with the plasma, through an interconnection. The impedance setting section sets a backward-direction impedance against an RF component input to the predetermined member from the plasma. A controller supplies a control signal concerning a preset value of the backward-direction impedance to the impedance setting section.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for generating highly-uniform and stable plasma. In an apparatus for generating plasma by using a ? wave, concerning a method for rotating the ? wave in terms of time, a plurality of (larger than two and smaller than four) waveguides are used, then forming an angle between the respective waveguides, and setting a phase difference between respective electric fields therein. This configuration allows introduction of the circularly polarized wave into a processing chamber. At this time, there are provided configuration components such as a waveguide locating method, a unit therefor, a ?-wave merging box, and a reflective-wave control unit using a reflection control chamber.

Abstract: A microwave plasma processing apparatus performs plasma processing on a substrate by exciting a gas by electric field energy of microwaves emitted from a radial line slot antenna (RLSA). The microwave plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container in which plasma processing is performed; a microwave source outputting microwaves; a rectangular waveguide transmitting the microwaves outputted from the microwave source; a coaxial converter converting a mode of the microwaves transmitted to the rectangular waveguide; a coaxial waveguide including an inner conductor slidably and electrically connected to the coaxial converter by a first contact member; the first contact member fixed to the coaxial converter and slidably contacting the inner conductor; and a first spring member absorbing displacement, which is caused by thermal expansion, of the RLSA and a member disposed above the RLSA.

Abstract: A plasma generator is provided which includes: a microwave generation portion which generates a microwave; a wave guide for propagating the microwave; a plurality of plasma generation nozzles which are attached to the wave guide so as to be apart from each other in the direction where the microwave is propagated, receive the microwave, and generate and emit a plasmatic gas based on the energy of this microwave; and a plurality of stabs which correspond to a part or the whole part of the plasma generation nozzles and are each disposed in the wave guide so as to lie in a rear position a predetermined distance apart from each other in the direction where the microwave is propagated.

Abstract: Processing equipment for an object to be processed is provided with a process container, the internal of which can be evacuated, a gas introducing means for introducing a prescribed gas into the process container, a supporting table provided in the process container, a ring-shaped supporting part provided on the supporting table, a mounting plate for mounting the object to be processed and supported by the supporting part, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion elements provided on an upper plane of the supporting table on an inner side of the supporting part, an element storing space evacuating means for evacuating inside the element storing space formed by a lower surface of the mounting plate, which is supported by the supporting part, an upper plane of the supporting table and the supporting part.

Abstract: The invention relates to carbon deposition by decomposing gaseous compounds with the aid of the SHF discharge plasma. Said invention ensures a high speed deposition of the high quality diamond films (having a loss-tangent angle ? equal to or less than 3×10?5 on supports whose diameter is equal to or higher than 100 mm. For this purpose, a SHF discharge is initiated in a gas mixture which is arranged in a reaction chamber having a frequency f which is many times higher than a commonly used frequency of 2.45 GHz, for example 30 GHz. In order to localize the plasma, a standing wave is formed near the carrier and plasma layers are formed in the antinodes thereof in such a way that the sizes thereof are adjustable.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing apparatus capable of generating a uniform plasma by preventing a nonuniformity of a current flow in a slot antenna. A dielectric plate is disposed to close a top opening of a plate cover and a slot antenna for generating plasma is disposed on the dielectric plate. By allowing an outer periphery of the slot antenna to make direct contact with an inner wall portion of the plate cover by using a conductive member having elasticity, when a microwave is supplied to slot antenna, it is possible to make an electrical resistance between the inner wall portion of the processing vessel and the outer periphery of the flat plate antenna substantially the same at any point in the entire circumference of the processing vessel, so that magnitude of the microwave current flowing in the slot antenna can be made approximately the same.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a decompression chamber of which the inside is depressed; a gas supply unit that supplies process gas into said chamber; a microwave supply unit that supplies a microwave into the chamber to generate plasma; an object-placing electrode where a processing material, is placed and which holds the processing material in the chamber; and a vacuuming unit that is connected to the chamber to discharge the gas in the chamber, in which the chamber, a part for providing gas into the chamber of the gas supply unit, a part for introducing a microwave into the chamber of the microwave supply unit, the object-placing electrode, and the vacuuming unit are disposed coaxially with the center axis of the chamber, and the part for introducing a microwave includes a microwave rotation generator that rotates a polarization plane of the input microwave and supplies the microwave to the chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for applying plasma-resistant coatings for use in semiconductor processing apparatus. The coatings are applied over a substrate which typically comprises an aluminum alloy of the 2000 series or the 5000 through 7000 series. The coating typically comprises an oxide or a fluoride of Y, Sc, La, Ce, Eu, Dy, or the like, or yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG). The coating may further comprise about 20 volume % or less of Al2O3. The coatings are typically applied to a surface of an aluminum alloy substrate or an anodized aluminum alloy substrate using a technique selected from the group consisting of thermal/flame spraying, plasma spraying, sputtering, and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). To provide the desired corrosion resistance, it is necessary to place the coating in compression. This is accomplished by controlling deposition conditions during application of the coating.

Abstract: A masking apparatus includes a mask base body and a mask plate. The mask base body includes at least one spacer plate, and a cavity in which an electronic component can be housed. The mask plate is disposed on an upper surface and/or a lower surface of the mask base body. The mask plate includes a film-forming opening with a shape corresponding to the shape of an external structural body to be formed on an outer surface of the component. The mask plate thus allows a film-forming operation to be selectively performed on the outer surface of the component through the film-forming opening. The cavity includes, in an inner surface thereof, a film-forming groove communicating with the film-forming opening so that the external structural body can be formed at once on an upper surface and/or a lower surface of, and also on a peripheral surface of the component.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a barrier wall member disposed between a plasma generation chamber and a processing chamber to separate the plasma generation chamber from the processing chamber. The barrier wall member assumes a fin structure achieved by disposing in a radial pattern numerous plate-like fin members extending from a central area thereof toward a peripheral edge. An upper end portion of each fin member overlaps a lower end portion of an adjacent fin member. The fin members are disposed with gaps formed between them and are made to range upward with a tilt along the circumferential direction.

Abstract: An arc suppression arrangement suppresses arcs in a gas discharge device that is operated with an alternating voltage from a power supply. The arc suppression arrangement includes an arc suppression device and an arc identification device that controls the arc suppression device. The arc suppression device includes at least one controllable resistor that is connected in series in an electrical line that extends from an alternating voltage source to an electrode of the gas discharge device. An arc can thereby be prevented from being provided with energy.

Abstract: An inductively coupled plasma source is provided with a peripheral ionization source for producing a high-density plasma in a vacuum chamber for semiconductor wafer coating or etching. The source includes a segmented configuration having high and low radiation segments and produces a generally ring-shaped array of alternating high and low energy concentrations in the plasma around the periphery of the chamber. Energy is coupled from a segmented low inductance antenna through a dielectric window or array of windows and through a segmented shield or baffle.

Abstract: Installation for depositing, by means of a microwave plasma, a barrier coating on thermoplastic containers (5), this installation comprising treatment stations (1) each comprising a treatment enclosure (2) and a cover (3) and including a vacuum pumping chamber in which connection means (4) for sealed connection to the container comprise a sleeve (6) co-axial with the neck (7) of the container, each cover (3) also supporting an injector (8) co-axial with the sleeve (6) for injecting a reactive fluid into the container; the sleeves (6) and/or the injectors (8), of several adjacent stations are fastened to a single support plate (15, 20) that extends in the form of a bridge over the covers (3) of these stations (1), whereby the plate (15, 20) and the sleeves and/or injectors of the stations (1) constitute a unitary assembly (16, 21) that can be maneuvered as one piece.

Abstract: A plasma processing system is described for generating plasma with a ballistic electron beam using a surface wave plasma (SWP) source, such as a radial line slot antenna (RLSA) during semiconductor device fabrication. The antenna comprises a resonator plate having a partially open, electrically conductive layer coupled to a surface of the resonator plate. For example, the electrically conductive layer is formed at an interface between the resonator plate and the plasma, and a direct current (DC) voltage is applied to the electrically conductive layer.

Abstract: A substrate support useful for a plasma processing apparatus includes a metallic heat transfer member and an overlying electrostatic chuck having a substrate support surface. The heat transfer member includes one or more passage through which a liquid is circulated to heat and/or cool the heat transfer member. The heat transfer member has a low thermal mass and can be rapidly heated and/or cooled to a desired temperature by the liquid, so as to rapidly change the substrate temperature during plasma processing.