Abstract: A metal film-forming method is capable of forming a metal film on a surface of a base metal film, formed on a surface of a substrate, with sufficient adhesion to the base metal film even when a natural oxide film is formed on the surface of the base metal film. The metal film-forming method includes: preparing a substrate having a base metal film formed on a surface; and carrying out electroplating of the substrate using the base metal film as a cathode and another metal as an anode while immersing the substrate in a solution containing a metal complex and a reducing material, both dissolved in a solvent, to form a metal film, deriving from a metal contained in the metal complex, on the surface of the base metal film.

Abstract: A surface treatment apparatus of a substrate can clean a substrate surface in the air without employing a vacuum apparatus, and can remove a natural oxide film or an organic material, such as BTA, from the substrate surface without resorting to plasma cleaning. The surface treatment apparatus includes: an inert gas supply section for supplying an inert gas to the whole or part of a substrate surface to form an oxygen-blocking zone; a heating section for keeping the substrate surface at a predetermined temperature; and a cleaning gas supply section for supplying a cleaning gas to the oxygen-blocking zone to clean the substrate surface.

Abstract: A metal film-forming method is capable of forming a metal film on a surface of a base metal film, formed on a surface of a substrate, with sufficient adhesion to the base metal film even when a natural oxide film is formed on the surface of the base metal film. The metal film-forming method includes: preparing a substrate having a base metal film formed on a surface; and carrying out electroplating of the substrate using the base metal film as a cathode and another metal as an anode while immersing the substrate in a solution containing a metal complex and a reducing material, both dissolved in a solvent, to form a metal film, deriving from a metal contained in the metal complex, on the surface of the base metal film.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate having an insulation film and a metal layer thereon comprises the steps of supplying a carboxylic acid anhydride to the substrate, and heating the substrate during the step of supplying the carboxylic acid anhydride to the substrate.

Abstract: A film thickness measuring method can carry out measurement of a thickness of an oxide film more simply in a shorter time. The film thickness measuring method includes determining a thickness of an oxide film or thin film of a metal or alloy by solely using a phase difference ?, measured by ellipsometry, based on a predetermined relationship between the phase difference ? and the thickness of the oxide film or thin film of the metal or alloy.

Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a first step of forming a metal complex by allowing a processing gas containing an organic compound to be adsorbed by a metal layer formed on a target substrate while setting the target substrate to be kept at a first temperature, and a second step of sublimating the metal complex by heating the target substrate to maintain it at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.

Abstract: An surface treatment apparatus of a substrate can clean a substrate surface in the air without employing a vacuum apparatus, and can remove a natural oxide film or an organic material, such as BTA, from the substrate surface without resorting to plasma cleaning. The surface treatment apparatus includes: an inert gas supply section for supplying an inert gas to the whole or part of a substrate surface to form an oxygen-blocking zone; a heating section for keeping the substrate surface at a predetermined temperature; and a cleaning gas supply section for supplying a cleaning gas to the oxygen-blocking zone to clean the substrate surface.

Abstract: To provide an apparatus and a method capable of supplying a gas containing an evaporated reducing organic compound while strictly controlling the flow rate thereof to process a surface of a metal on a substrate without causing any deterioration of various types of films forming a semiconductor element with a simple apparatus configuration. The apparatus includes a process chamber 10 for keeping a substrate W therein, the process chamber 10 being gastight, an evacuation control system 20 for controlling the pressure in the process chamber 10, and a process gas supply system 30 for supplying a process gas containing a reducing organic compound to the process chamber 10.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate having an insulation film and a metal layer thereon comprises the steps of supplying a carboxylic acid anhydride to the substrate, and heating the substrate during the step of supplying the carboxylic acid anhydride to the substrate.

Abstract: A new and improved control system architecture using a combination of standard function blocks and new flexible function blocks eliminates the need for expensive and difficult to maintain custom control software and special I/O gateways for discrete/hybrid/batch and PLC applications. The end user builds application-specific flexible function blocks by configuring the number and type of inputs and outputs, and the block algorithm. Flexible function blocks and gateway flexible function block interconnect and interoperate with each other and with standard function blocks in a distributed control architecture.

Abstract: A bonding apparatus can bond contacts of electronic components directly to each other without the need for solder. The bonding apparatus include a hermetically sealed processing chamber, a plurality of bases for holding at least two workpieces having respective bonding regions in the processing chamber, a gas inlet for introducing a processing gas to clean the bonding regions into the processing chamber, a pressure controller for controlling a predetermined pressure to be developed in the processing chamber, a heater for heating the workpieces in the processing chamber, and a bonding unit for pressing and bonding the bonding regions of the workpieces to each other in the processing chamber.

Abstract: A new and improved control system architecture using a combination of standard function blocks and new flexible function blocks eliminates the need for expensive and difficult to maintain custom control software and special I/O gateways for discrete/hybrid/batch and PLC applications. The end user builds application-specific flexible function blocks by configuring the number and type of inputs and outputs, and the block algorithm. Flexible function blocks and gateway flexible function block interconnect and interoperate with each other and with standard function blocks in a distributed control architecture.

Abstract: A sputtering process and an apparatus for carrying out the same for forming a film of a film forming material over the surface of a substrate. A target formed of the film forming material is held on a sputtering electrode receiving a voltage, and the substrate is disposed at a predetermined distance and opposite to the target. A high-density plasma is produced by producing a cusp field between the target and the substrate and a bias voltage is applied to the surface of the substrate to make ions of the high-density plasma fall on the surface of the substrate in order to make the particles of the film forming material sputtered from the target deposit in a thin film over the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A continuous sputtering apparatus comprising a main vacuum chamber, one loading station and a plurality of process stations capable of having their pressures controlled separately. The process station includes a sub vacuum chamber capable of being in communication with the main vacuum chamber through an opening and an evacuation port. The loading station and the process stations are arranged to be spaced with equal angles. Substrate holders are provided to face the stations and are rotated by said equal angle in a time. The substrate holder opens and closes the opening of the sub vacuum chamber to serve as a gate valve.

Abstract: A pair of magnets for producing a mirror magnetic field are disposed outside of an electrode structure carrying a target. Microwaves from a microwave source are introduced toward and into a space defined by the mirror magnetic field for generating high-density plasma. While maintaining this high-density plasma over a wide area of the surface of the target, an electric field substantially perpendicular to the surface of the target is applied for sputtering of the target material. The optimized conditions for plasma generation can be selected when the high-density plasma formed outside of a processing chamber is guided to migrate toward an area above the target in the processing chamber. Capability of sputtering of the material from the entire surface of the target increases the rate of film deposition on a substrate and improves the target utilization rate (the quantity of the material deposited on the substrate/the usable area of the target).

Abstract: An apparatus for performing continuous treatment in vacuum including an inlet chamber, a first intermediate chamber, at least one vacuum treating chamber, a second intermediate chamber and a withdrawing chamber arranged in the indicated order in a direction in which base plates are successively transferred. An opening device normally closed and opened when a base plate is transferred therethrough is mounted on a wall at the inlet of the inlet chamber, between the adjacent chambers and on a wall at the outlet side of the withdrawing chamber. A conveyor device for conveying each base plate in a horizontal direction through the opening device is mounted in each of the chambers, and an evacuating device is also mounted in each chamber. A base plate storing device for storing a plurality of base plates in a magazine is mounted in the first and second intermediate chambers. At least one vacuum treating device is mounted in the vacuum treating chamber.

Abstract: A sputtering apparatus of the planar magnetron type is disclosed, in which a low-pressure gas is ionized by glow discharge, ions in the plasma are accelerated by a voltage applied between a cathode and an anode to bombard a target structure, atoms or particles of a target material sputtered from the planar target plate by the bombardment of ions are deposited on a substrate disposed on the anode side, and thus a thin film made of the same material as the target material is formed on the substrate.