Abstract: An interconnects forming method and an interconnects forming apparatus are useful for embedding a conductive material (interconnect material), such as copper or silver, into interconnect recesses provided in a surface of a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, to thereby form embedded interconnects, and selectively covering the surfaces of embedded interconnects with a metal film (protective film) to provide a multi-level structure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for forming a protective film selectively on metal interconnects, such as copper interconnects, of a substrate having an embedded interconnect structure, without causing the problem of contamination of the interconnects with an-alkali metal. The method for forming a protective film according to the present invention comprises: providing a substrate having embedded interconnects formed in a surface of the substrate; and bringing the surface of the substrate into contact with an electroless plating bath, thereby forming a protective film having a film thickness of 0.1 to 500 nm selectively on the exposed surface of the embedded interconnects; wherein the electroless plating bath contains cobalt ions, phosphinate ions and a complexing agent, uses cobalt phosphinate as a main supply source of the cobalt ions and the phosphinate ions, and does not substantially contain alkali metal ions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for forming a thin metal film of copper, silver, or the like on a surface of a semiconductor or another substrate. A method of forming a thin metal film, comprises preparing a dispersed liquid having a metal-containing organic compound dispersed in a predetermined solvent, coating the dispersed liquid on a surface of a substrate and evaporating the solvent to form a coating layer, and applying an energy beam to the coating layer to decompose away an organic substance contained in the coating layer in an area irradiated with the energy beam and bond metal contained in the coating layer.According to the present invention, it is possible to form a thin metal film of good quality efficiently and stably. The thin metal film used as metal interconnects in highly integrated semiconductor circuits contributes to the progress of a process of fabricating semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A method for polishing a thin film formed on a substrate includes planarizing a thin film formed on a reference substrate by a CMP process such that the thin film remains on the reference substrate. After the planarizing, the thin film is cleaned, and then values of ? and ? with respect to the cleaned thin film are measured by ellipsometry. A physical property of the thin film is determined based on the ? and ? which have been measured by ellipsometry, and a polishing condition for an other substrate having a thin film to be polished is set based on physical property data which are obtained by the determining of the physical property.

Abstract: A substrate processing method can securely form a metal film by electroless plating on an exposed surface of a base metal, such as interconnects, with increased throughput and without the formation of voids in the base metal. The substrate processing method includes: cleaning a surface of a substrate having a base metal formed in the surface with a cleaning solution comprising an aqueous solution of a carboxyl group-containing organic acid or its salt and a surfactant as an additive; bringing the surface of the substrate after the cleaning into contact with a processing solution comprising a mixture of the cleaning solution and a solution containing a catalyst metal ion, thereby applying the catalyst to the surface of the substrate; and forming a metal film by electroless plating on the catalyst-applied surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate wet-processing method can carry out uniform chemical processing of the surface of a substrate while easily preventing a gas from remaining on the surface of the substrate and preventing difference in the concentration and the temperature of a chemical solution between the end portion and the central portion of the substrate. The substrate wet-processing method includes: providing an acidic solution whose concentration is previously adjusted within a predetermined concentration range; continuously spraying the acidic solution having the adjusted concentration toward a substrate at a predetermined pressure to bring it into contact with a surface of the substrate; and then forming a film of an insulating material, a metal or an alloy on the exposed surface of a metal formed in the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A reaction probe chip which is prepared by loading a reactive probe on fine pieces of carrier such as particles, tile-like plates and then arraying and immobilizing the reactive probe-loaded carrier on a base material. The carrier fine pieces such as particles, tile-like plates and the like are porous or have a reactive surface, and the base material is preferably a thin inorganic plate or a thin organic plate is disclosed. The inorganic base material is preferably a glass slide or silicon wafer, and the organic base material is preferably a polyester film or polyethylene film. In case the porous carrier pieces are used, the reactivity of the inner surfaces of the porous carrier pores should be maintained during array or immobilization process of the reactive probe-loaded carrier.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus can process a substrate having a metal film formed thereon. The substrate processing apparatus has a process unit configured to remove a native oxide of a metal film formed on a surface of a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus also has a planarization unit configured to planarize the metal film of the substrate. The process unit may comprise a wet process unit configured to dissolve the native oxide of the metal film in a chemical liquid or a dry process unit configured to reduce or etch the native oxide of the metal film with a gas.

Abstract: A reaction probe chip which is prepared by loading a reactive probe on fine pieces of carrier such as particles, tile-like plates and then arraying and immobilizing the reactive probe-loaded carrier on a base material. The carrier fine pieces such as particles, tile-like plates and the like are porous or have a reactive surface, and the base material is preferably a thin inorganic plate or a thin organic plate is disclosed. The inorganic base material is preferably a glass slide or silicon wafer, and the organic base material is preferably a polyester film or polyethylene film. In case the porous carrier pieces are used, the reactivity of the inner surfaces of the porous carrier pores should be maintained during array or immobilization process of the reactive probe-loaded carrier.

Abstract: An anode as a workpiece, and a cathode opposed to the anode with a predetermined spacing are placed in ultrapure water. A catalytic material promoting dissociation of the ultrapure water and having water permeability is disposed between the workpiece and the cathode. A flow of the ultrapure water is formed inside the catalytic material, with a voltage being applied between the workpiece and the cathode, to decompose water molecules in the ultrapure water into hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions, and supply the resulting hydroxide ions to a surface of the workpiece, thereby performing removal processing of or oxide film formation on the workpiece through a chemical dissolution reaction or an oxidation reaction mediated by the hydroxide ions. Thus, clean processing can be performed by use of hydroxide ions in ultrapure water, with no impurities left behind on the processed surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: The present invention relates to composite metallic ultrafine particles which have excellent dispersion stability and can be produced on an industrial scale, and a process for producing the same, and a method and an apparatus for forming an interconnection with use of the same. A surface of a core metal produced from a metallic salt, a metallic oxide, or a metallic hydroxide and having a particle diameter of 1 to 100 nm is covered with an organic compound including a functional group having chemisorption capability onto the surface of the core metal.

Abstract: The present invention provides an interconnects-forming method and an interconnects-forming apparatus which can minimize the lowering of processing accuracy in etching, light exposure or the like processing for the formation of interconnect recesses in the production of multi-level interconnects, can improve the electromigration resistance of interconnects without impairing the electrical properties of the interconnects, and can enhance the reliabilityof the device.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method which is capable of lowering the initial cost and the running cost of an apparatus, does not require a wide installation space, does not degrade electrical characteristics such as an interconnect resistance and a leakage current, and is capable of efficiently forming a high-quality alloy film on the surface of a metal region. The substrate processing method including; preparing a substrate having a metal region on a surface thereof, performing a pre-plating treatment by bringing a pretreatment liquid into contact with the surface of the substrate to modify the entire surface thereof, removing the pretreatment liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate in a rinsing treatment, performing an electroless plating process on the surface of the substrate to selectively form an alloy film on the surface of the metal region, and post-cleaning the substrate after the electroless plating process and drying the substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method and apparatus which can measure and monitor the thickness and/or properties of a film formed on a substrate as needed, and quickly correct a deviation in the process conditions, and which can therefore stably provide a product of constant quality. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate with a metal and an insulating material exposed on its surface in such a manner that the film thickness of the metal portion with the exposed surface of the metal as a reference plane is selectively or preferentially changed, including measuring a change in the film thickness and/or a film property of the metal portion during and/or immediately after processing, and monitoring the processing and adjusting the processing conditions based on the results of measurement.

Abstract: The present invention discloses affinity reaction probe beads having a structure comprising probe molecules immobilized on porous bead carriers provided with one or more individual identification signals among individual identification signals including optical signals such as digital signals using optical graphics, for example, bar codes or dot matrix bar codes, and color signals based on color information; and radio or electronic signals which issue individual information, such as IC tags, or tuning circuits or oscillation circuits for radio waves or electricity, a method for producing the affinity reaction probe beads, and an analyte detection system using the affinity reaction probe beads. By using the affinity reaction probe beads, the invention provides a reaction detection system which can be utilized for various physiological function diagnoses such as a diagnosis of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs).

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate having a metal layer formed on a surface of the substrate is set forth. The method first preprocesses a surface of the metal layer, deposits a protective film selectively on a surface of the metal layer by an electroless plating process, cleans the substrate after depositing the protective film, and dries the substrate after cleaning. These processes are repeated a plurality of times to process a plurality of substrate. The deposition rate in the deposition process is 10˜600 Å/min, and a variance of deposition rate for the plurality of substrate is controlled within ±10%.

Abstract: A damaged layer which is necessarily produced on the exposed surface of an interconnect by flattening of a surface of a substrate for forming interconnect according to a damascene process is restored, making it possible to manufacture semiconductor devices with a high yield. A semiconductor device is manufactured by preparing a substrate having an interconnect recess formed in an interlevel dielectric, depositing an interconnect material on the surface of the substrate to embed the interconnect material in the interconnect recess, removing the interconnect material excessively formed on the surface of the substrate to flatten the surface of the substrate, thereby forming an interconnect of the interconnect material, and restoring a damaged layer formed on the exposed surface of the interconnect.

Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus which has reproducibility over a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and between substrates and can manufacture semiconductor devices or the like with a high yield. According to the present invention, a substrate processing method of forming a protective film selectively on bottom surfaces and side surfaces or exposed surfaces of embedded interconnects formed in a surface of a substrate is characterized by performing a pre-plating process on the substrate, carrying out electroless plating on the surface of the substrate after the pre-plating process to form the protective film selectively on the bottom surfaces and the side surfaces or the exposed surfaces of the interconnects, and bringing the substrate into a dry state after the electroless plating.

Abstract: The present invention relates to composite metallic ultrafine particles which have excellent dispersion stability and can be produced on an industrial scale, and a process for producing the same, and a method and an apparatus for forming an interconnection with use of the same. A surface of a core metal produced from a metallic salt, a metallic oxide, or a metallic hydroxide and having a particle diameter of 1 to 100 nm is covered with an organic compound including a functional group having chemisorption capability onto the surface of the core metal.

Abstract: A plating apparatus comprises a plating unit having a plating bath for holding a plating liquid therein, and a plating liquid monitoring unit having a liquid chromatography device and an arithmetical unit. The liquid chromatography device serves to separate and quantify an additive in a sample of the plating liquid. The arithmetical unit serves to compare a quantified value of the additive with a given concentration predetermined for the additive and to produce an output signal representing the compared result. The plating apparatus further comprises an additive replenishing unit for adding a solution including the additive from an additive tank to the plating liquid in the plating bath based on the output signal from the arithmetical unit in the plating liquid monitoring unit.