Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus has an atmospheric loader having a plurality of cassette tables and a transport unit for carrying wafers, a vacuum loader equipped with vacuum wafer-processing chambers and a vacuum transport chamber communicating with the processing chambers via gate valves, and a locking unit provided with a loading lock chamber and unloading lock chambers that have gate valves for connecting the atmospheric transport unit and vacuum transport chamber; wherein two etching chambers, formed by UHF-ECR reactors, are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial line passing through the middle of the vacuum transport chamber and locking unit, only at the opposite side of the locking unit across the vacuum transport chamber, and at an acute angle with respect to the vacuum transport chamber, and UHF-ECR antennas, almost parallel to the foregoing axial line, are opened at the opposite side to that of the vacuum transport chamber.

Abstract: A wafer stage 2 for holding a semiconductor wafer in a plasma treatment apparatus by setting the wafer on the wafer stage, said wafer stage 2 comprising a base material 26 equipped with refrigerant flow paths for allowing a refrigerant for temperature adjustment to flow; a stress-reducing member 28 provided on the wafer setting side of said base material 26 and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material; a dielectric film 30 provided on the wafer setting side of said stress-reducing member; and a deflection-preventing member 29 provided on the wafer non-setting side of said base material and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material. When the wafer stage is used, the temperature of the wafer as a substrate to be processed can be controlled uniformly and very accurately.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for treating samples, and a method of using the apparatus. The apparatus includes processing apparatus (a) for treating the samples (e.g., plasma etching apparatus), (b) for removing residual corrosive compounds formed by the sample treatment, (c) for wet-processing of the samples and (d) for dry-processing the samples. A plurality of wet-processing treatments of a sample can be performed. The wet-processing apparatus can include a plurality of wet-processing stations. The samples can either be passed in series through the plurality of wet-processing stations, or can be passed in parallel through the wet-processing stations.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for treating samples, and a method of using the apparatus. The apparatus includes processing apparatus (a) for treating the samples (e.g., plasma etching apparatus), (b) for removing residual corrosive compounds formed by the sample treatment, (c) for wet-processing of the samples and (d) for dry-processing the samples. A plurality of wet-processing treatments of a sample can be performed. The wet-processing apparatus can include a plurality of wet-processing stations. The samples can either be passed in series through the plurality of wet-processing stations, or can be passed in parallel through the wet-processing stations.

Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus has an atmospheric loader having a plurality of cassette tables and a transport unit for carrying wafers, a vacuum loader equipped with vacuum wafer-processing chambers and a vacuum transport chamber communicating with the processing chambers via gate valves, and a locking unit provided with a loading lock chamber and unloading lock chambers that have gate valves for connecting the atmospheric transport unit and vacuum transport chamber; wherein two etching chambers, formed by UHF-ECR reactors, are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial line passing through the middle of the vacuum transport chamber and locking unit, only at the opposite side of the locking unit across the vacuum transport chamber, and at an acute angle with respect to the vacuum transport chamber, and UHF-ECR antennas, almost parallel to the foregoing axial line, are opened at the opposite side to that of the vacuum transport chamber.

Abstract: A wafer stage 2 for holding a semiconductor wafer in a plasma treatment apparatus by setting the wafer on the wafer stage, said wafer stage 2 comprising a base material 26 equipped with refrigerant flow paths for allowing a refrigerant for temperature adjustment to flow; a stress-reducing member 28 provided on the wafer setting side of said base material 26 and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material; a dielectric film 30 provided on the wafer setting side of said stress-reducing member; and a deflection-preventing member 29 provided on the wafer non-setting side of said base material and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material. When the wafer stage is used, the temperature of the wafer as a substrate to be processed can be controlled uniformly and very accurately.

Abstract: A wafer stage 2 for holding a semiconductor wafer in a plasma treatment apparatus by setting the wafer on the wafer stage, said wafer stage 2 comprising a base material 26 equipped with refrigerant flow paths for allowing a refrigerant for temperature adjustment to flow; a stress-reducing member 28 provided on the wafer setting side of said base material 26 and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material; a dielectric film 30 provided on the wafer setting side of said stress-reducing member; and a deflection-preventing member 29 provided on the wafer non-setting side of said base material and having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than does said base material. When the wafer stage is used, the temperature of the wafer as a substrate to be processed can be controlled uniformly and very accurately.

Abstract: A plasma etching method of a wafer includes the steps of electrostatically attracting the wafer which has a gate oxide film onto a wafer mounting electrode in a vacuum processing chamber, introducing a mixed gas into the vacuum processing chamber on the basis of an etching recipe, generating a magnetic field inside the vacuum processing chamber, generating a plasma in the vacuum processing chamber, applying a bias power to the wafer to accelerate ions in the plasma toward the wafer, and setting an impedance as viewed from a bias power supply relative to an outer periphery of the wafer to a value which is greater than that of a wafer center portion using the electrode which is formed under an insulating film for electrostatically attracting the wafer.

Abstract: In the plasma processing device for supplying electromagnetic waves to the first plate, generating plasma in the vacuum atmosphere between the first plate and the second plate which is arranged opposite to it, and processing the board loaded on the second plate, wherein the dielectric window for propagating electromagnetic waves is installed in the outer periphery of the first plate and in the window, the electromagnetic wave distribution corrector composed of an electrical conductor or a dielectric is embedded away from the first plate so that at least the side and bottom of the electromagnetic wave distribution corrector are not exposed in the aforementioned vacuum atmosphere. The electromagnetic wave distribution corrector corrects one-siding of the plasma density distribution at the center.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus processes high-speed semiconductor circuits by using plasma with an increased yield. The plasma processing apparatus has a vacuum vessel including an exhaust device, a starting material gas supplying device, an electrode for installing a workpiece (wafer) and a device for applying radio frequency power to the wafer. This apparatus converts the starting material gas to plasma inside the vacuum vessel and plasma-processes a wafer surface, wherein an insulating film is interposed between the electrode for installing the wafer and the wafer and has a conductive material at a part thereof, and the conductive material is electrically grounded through an impedance regulating circuit.

Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus has an atmospheric loader having a plurality of cassette tables and a transport unit for carrying wafers, a vacuum loader equipped with vacuum wafer-processing chambers and a vacuum transport chamber communicating with the processing chambers via gate valves, and a locking unit provided with a loading lock chamber and unloading lock chambers that have gate valves for connecting the atmospheric transport unit and vacuum transport chamber; wherein two etching chambers, formed by UHF-ECR reactors, are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial line passing through the middle of the vacuum transport chamber and locking unit, only at the opposite side of the locking unit across the vacuum transport chamber, and at an acute angle with respect to the vacuum transport chamber, and UHF-ECR antennas, almost parallel to the foregoing axial line, are opened at the opposite side to that of the vacuum transport chamber.

Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus has an atmospheric loader having a plurality of cassette tables and a transport unit for carrying wafers, a vacuum loader equipped with vacuum wafer-processing chambers and a vacuum transport chamber communicating with the processing chambers via gate valves, and a locking unit provided with a loading lock chamber and unloading lock chambers that have gate valves for connecting the atmospheric transport unit and vacuum transport chamber; wherein two etching chambers, formed by UHF-ECR reactors, are arranged symmetrically with respect to an axial line passing through the middle of the vacuum transport chamber and locking unit, only at the opposite side of the locking unit across the vacuum transport chamber, and at an acute angle with respect to the vacuum transport chamber, and UHF-ECR antennas, almost parallel to the foregoing axial line, are opened at the opposite side to that of the vacuum transport chamber.

Abstract: In a method of generating plasma by using a high frequency in VHF or UHF band and a magnetic field, a plasma processing apparatus has an antenna and an emitting port which are adapted to supply the high frequency in UHF or VHF band to a processing chamber and a magnetic field forming unit for forming a magnetic field in the processing chamber, wherein the ratio between the radius of the antenna and the effective length of the emitting port is 0.4 or more and 1.5 or less, whereby plasma of high density and high uniformity can be generated in a wide parameter region.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for treating samples, and a method of using the apparatus. The apparatus includes processing apparatus (a) for treating the samples (e.g., plasma etching apparatus), (b) for removing residual corrosive compounds formed by the sample treatment, (c) for wet-processing of the samples and (d) for dry-processing the samples. A plurality of wet-processing treatments of a sample can be performed. The wet-processing apparatus can include a plurality of wet-processing stations. The samples can either be passed in series through the plurality of wet-processing stations, or can be passed in parallel through the wet-processing stations.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for treating samples, and a method of using the apparatus. The apparatus includes processing apparatus (a) for treating the samples (e.g., plasma etching apparatus), (b) for removing residual corrosive compounds formed by the sample treatment, (c) for wet-processing of the samples and (d) for dry-processing the samples. A plurality of wet-processing treatments of a sample can be performed. The wet-processing apparatus can include a plurality of wet-processing stations. The samples can either be passed in series through the plurality of wet-processing stations, or can be passed in parallel through the wet-processing stations.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus processes high-speed semiconductor circuits by using plasma with an increased yield. The plasma processing apparatus has a vacuum vessel including an exhaust device, a starting material gas supplying device, an electrode for installing a workpiece (wafer) and a device for applying radio frequency power to the wafer. This apparatus converts the starting material gas to plasma inside the vacuum vessel and plasma-processes a wafer surface, wherein an insulating film is interposed between the electrode for installing the wafer and the wafer and has a conductive material at a part thereof, and the conductive material is electrically grounded through an impedance regulating circuit.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus processes high-speed semiconductor circuits by using plasma with an increased yield. The plasma processing apparatus has a vacuum vessel including an exhaust device, a starting material gas supplying device, an electrode for installing a workpiece (wafer) and a device for applying radio frequency power to the wafer. This apparatus converts the starting material gas to plasma inside the vacuum vessel and plasma-processes a wafer surface, wherein an insulating film is interposed between the electrode for installing the wafer and the wafer and has a conductive material at a part thereof, and the conductive material is electrically grounded through an impedance regulating circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for treating samples, and a method of using the apparatus. The apparatus includes processing apparatus (a) for treating the samples (e.g., plasma etching apparatus), (b) for removing residual corrosive compounds formed by the sample treatment, (c) for wet-processing of the samples and (d) for dry-processing the samples. A plurality of wet-processing treatments of a sample can be performed. The wet-processing apparatus can include a plurality of wet-processing stations. The samples can either be passed in series through the plurality of wet-processing stations, or can be passed in parallel through the wet-processing stations.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for treating samples, and a method of using the apparatus. The apparatus includes processing apparatus (a) for treating the samples (e.g., plasma etching apparatus), (b) for removing residual corrosive compounds formed by the sample treatment, (c) for wet-processing of the samples and (d) for dry-processing the samples. A plurality of wet-processing treatments of a sample can be performed. The wet-processing apparatus can include a plurality of wet-processing stations. The samples can either be passed in series through the plurality of wet-processing stations, or can be passed in parallel through the wet-processing stations.

Abstract: A post-etch treatment method capable of imparting high corrosion prevention performance to the aluminum-containing wiring films. The sample of aluminum-containing wiring material that is etched using the halogen-type gas is treated with the plasma of a gas that has the oxygen component, and the resist formed on the aluminum-containing wiring material is reacted with oxygen and is removed. Further, the plasma is generated using a gas having the hydrogen component or this gas is liquefied into droplets thereof on the sample surface, so that halogen components (Cl, Br, etc.) adhered to the aluminum-containing wiring material through the etching treatment are reacted with hydrogen and are effectively removed in the form of hydrogen chloride (HCl) or hydrogen bromide (HBr). This makes it possible to obtain the aluminum-containing wiring material having high corrosion prevention performance.