Abstract: A medium feeding device includes a feeding roller that is provided in a medium feeding path through which a medium is fed and that feeds a medium downstream by rotating in the forward direction in response to power of a motor, a nip roller that is provided in the medium feeding path and that nips a medium in cooperation with the feeding roller and rotates, and a controller configured to control the motor. Based on an increase in a variation value varying in accordance with a drive load of the motor, the controller controls the motor and causes the feeding roller to start a medium feeding operation.

Abstract: A steam supplying apparatus for supplying steam to an ashing process. The apparatus includes a closed water-containing vessel formed from a material having good heat conductive characteristics for evaporating water to provide steam to a vacuum chamber housing an on going ashing process. The closed vessel has a maximum horizontal cross sectional water evaporation area M and a minimum horizontal cross sectional water evaporation area S. The vessel is configured so that M/S<8, and the closed vessel has a submerged inside surface which is coated with a resin. The closed water-containing vessel is provided with a steam outlet connected thereto at a location above the surface of the water therein. The apparatus further includes a temperature-controlled liquid bath for the closed water-containing vessel and the vessel is at least partially submerged in the liquid bath.

Abstract: A method for removing a used organic resist in a downstream ashing apparatus on a silicon semiconductor wafer in which water vapor is added to an oxygen plasma gas generated by microwaves. The addition of the water vapor lowers an activation energy of the ashing reaction and increases the reactive species generated in the plasma. Accordingly, the ashing rate is increased even at a wafer processing temperature as low as 150.degree. C. The addition of water vapor increases the ashing rate for a wide range of the percentage of water content, such as 5 to 80%, allowing easy control of the process. The lowered operating temperature prevents contamination of the semiconductor wafer. Since CF.sub.4 is not used the SiO.sub.2 layer is protected from being undesirably etched and the semiconductor characteristics do not deteriorate.

Abstract: A downstream ashing apparatus for removing organic resist from a silicon semiconductor wafer. The apparatus includes a waveguide leading to a microwave cavity. A plasma generating chamber is a part of the cavity, which also includes a quartz plate that is transparent to the microwaves. A device feeds oxygen gas and water vapor to the plasma generating chamber. A plasma is generated by the microwaves from the gas mixture in the plasma generating chamber. On a wall opposite the quartz plate, a plurality of holes is provided which connects the plasma generating chamber to a reaction chamber. Only a reactive species, such as oxygen atoms, generated in the plasma, flows from the plasma generating chamber through the holes and into the reaction chamber. The microwaves do not pass into the reaction chamber. The reactive species chemically reacts with and removes the resist on the semiconductor wafer in the reaction chamber.

Abstract: A method for controlling an apparatus for supplying steam to an ashing process. The apparatus includes a closed water-containing vessel formed from a material having good heat conductive characteristics for evaporating water to provide steam to a vacuum chamber housing an ongoing ashing process. In accordance with the procedure, steam evaporated in a closed steam supply tank is introduced into a vacuum chamber via a pressure reducing mass-flow controller.

Abstract: A method for removing a used organic resist in a downstream ashing apparatus on a silicon semiconductor wafer in which water vapor is added to an oxygen plasma gas generated by microwaves. The addition of the water vapor lowers an activation energy of the ashing reaction and increases the reactive species generated in the plasma. Accordingly, the ashing rate is increased even at a wafer processing temperature as low as 150.degree. C. The addition of water vapor increases the ashing rate for a wide range of the percentage of water content, such as 5 to 80%, allowing easy control of the process. The lowered operating temperature prevents contamination of the semiconductor wafer. Since CF.sub.4 is not used the SiO.sub.2 layer is protected from being undesirably etched and the semiconductor characteristics do not deteriorate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including the steps of: forming an insulating film on a silicon substrate; forming a resist pattern on the insulating film; etching the insulating film by using the resist pattern as an etching mask to expose a surface of the silicon substrate; and ashing the resist pattern and etching a surface layer at the exposed surface of the silicon substrate at the same time. The ashing/etching step may be performed first at a high temperature at or above 40.degree. C. and then at a lower temperature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including a process of removing a photoresist mask or a photosensitive polyimide mask remaining after implanting impurity ions into a semiconductor layer or the like, and has an object to prevent generation of oxides of impurities and photoresist explosion and arranging it so that no residue remains. The present invention comprises the steps of forming a mask composed of photosensitive organic matter on a layer, implanting impurity ions into the layer through the mask, and removing the mask through processing including three steps of: exposing the mask to a plasma activated gas containing hydrogen, exposing to the mask to a plasma activated gas containing oxygen, and exposing the mask to a solution containing nitric acid under conditions sufficient to dissolve alumina which had formed on the mask during exposure of the mask to oxygen.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the ashing treatment in which a plasma generated by activating a gas containing at least oxygen is applied to a material to be treated, on which a coating film of an organic is formed, through a plasma-transmitting plate for capturing charged particles in the plasma and allowing the transmission of neutral active species, to thereby ash the coating film of the organic substance. The material to be treated is placed at a position at which charged particles of a high energy, which have been transmitted through the plasma-transmitting plate without being captured by the plasma-transmitting plate, impinge thereon together with the neutral active species which have been transmitted through the plasma-transmitting plate. Also, the ashing treatment process and apparatus includes a distance-adjusting device for adjusting the distance between the plasma-transmitting plate and the material to be treated, by changing the position of the material to be treated.

Abstract: To prevent after-corrosion of wiring or electrodes formed by patterning films of aluminum or an alloy thereof by reactive ion etching (RIE) using an etchant containing chlorine gas or its gaseous compounds, residual chlorine on the surface of the wiring or electrodes is removed by exposing it to a plasma generated in an atmosphere containing water vapor or to neutral active species extracted from the plasma. This treatment is performed either at the same time or after an ashing operation, an operation for removing a resist mask used in the aforesaid RIE by adding water vapor to an atmosphere containing oxygen. To perform the latter separate treatment, an automatic processing system is disclosed in which an after-treatment apparatus for removing residual chlorine is connected, via a second load lock chamber, to an ashing apparatus connected to a RIE apparatus by a load lock chamber which is capable of making a vacuum.

Abstract: Plasma ashing methods, for moving a resist material formed on a ground layer of a semiconductor device during fabrication of said semiconductor, are performed by using one of three kinds of reactant gases each composed of three different gases. Plasma ashing is performed: at an ashing rate of 0.5 .mu.m/min at 160.degree. C. and with an activation energy of 0.4 eV when a reactant gas composed of oxygen, water vapor and nitrogen is used; at an ashing rate of 0.5 .mu.m/min at 140.degree. C., with an activation energy of 0.38 eV and without etching the ground layer when a reactant gas composed of oxygen, water vapor and tetrafluoromethane is used; and at an ashing rate of 0.5 .mu.m/min at 140.degree. C., with an activation energy of 0.4 eV when a reactant gas composed of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen is used.

Abstract: A process for stripping an organic material, which comprises forming gases including a gas containing oxygen and a gas containing a halogen into plasma in a plasma chamber, and supplying an active species of the halogen in the gas formed plasma to a reaction chamber to strip the organic material in the reaction chamber, wherein one mole or more of water vapor based upon two moles of the halogen molecule is fed to the reaction chamber, and the active species of the halogen are removed before contact thereof with the organic material.

Abstract: Plasma ashing methods, for moving a resist material formed on a ground layer of a semiconductor device during fabrication of said semiconductor, are performed by using one of three kinds of reactant gases each composed of three different gases. Plasma ashing is performed: at an ashing rate of 0.5 .mu.m/min at 160.degree. C. and with an activation energy of 0.4 eV when a reactant gas composed of oxygen, water vapor and nitrogen is used; at an ashing rate of 0.5 .mu.m/min at 140.degree. C., with an activation energy of 0.38 eV and without etching the ground layer when a reactant gas composed of oxygen, water vapor and tetrafluoromethane is used; and at an ashing rate of 0.5 .mu.m/min at 140.degree. C., with an activation energy of 0.4 eV when a reactant gas composed of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen is used.