Abstract: A method includes: supporting a rear surface of a substrate with a front surface thereof oriented upward to form a gap between the rear surface and a guide surface facing the rear surface; exhausting the gas outward of the substrate; and forming a thin film on the rear surface through vapor deposition by supplying a raw material gas from a side of the guide surface into the gap via a gas ejection port and heating the gas. The method has at least one of conditions including (a) the forming includes changing, during film formation, a height of the gap from one of a first value and a second value smaller than the first value to the other, and (b) the forming includes changing, during film formation, a ratio of flow rates of the gas ejected from first and second gas ejection ports formed at different radial positions on the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus for applying a coating solution to a front surface of a substrate and developing an exposed coating film on the front surface of the substrate, includes a film forming unit configured to form a friction reducing film on a rear surface of the substrate before exposure processing, the friction reducing film reducing friction between the rear surface of the substrate and a holding surface for holding the rear surface of the substrate in the exposure processing.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a hydrophobizing part configured to perform a hydrophobizing process of forming a hydrophobic film on a front surface of a substrate through vapor deposition of a hydrophobizing gas, an ultraviolet radiation part configured to radiate ultraviolet rays to a removal area on a rear surface of the substrate so as to remove the hydrophobic film formed in the removal area in the hydrophobizing process, and a resin-film forming part configured to form a fluororesin film in the removal area after the hydrophobic film is removed.

Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus for applying a coating solution to a front surface of a substrate and developing an exposed coating film on the front surface of the substrate, includes a film forming unit configured to form a friction reducing film on a rear surface of the substrate before exposure processing, the friction reducing film reducing friction between the rear surface of the substrate and a holding surface for holding the rear surface of the substrate in the exposure processing.

Abstract: Provided are a plant management system and a plant management method, which do not entail a substantial workload, cost, construction period, or installation space; enable a system to be easily constructed, altered and expanded; have a small maintenance load; enable processing systems to be distributed and arranged in geographically separate locations and in locations where connecting the processing systems is not easy; and are capable of preventing the occurrence of large-scale problems. A plant management system 100 has: a plurality of processing systems 140, 150; and memory tags 112, 122, wherein processing systems 140, 150 include reader-writers 142, 152, 153 and processing devices 141, 151, and, by writing plant management data into the memory tag 112 by means of the reader-writer 142 and then reading the plant management data by the reader-writer 152 of the processing system 150, the plant management data is transferred between the processing systems 140, 150.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a processing system for spin-coating a substrate with Molecular Self-assembly (MSA) chemicals to form photoresist films and/or low dielectric constant (low-k) films on the substrate. The spin-coating processing system may include a spin-coating chamber that can receive and spin-coat MSA chemicals onto the substrate and an annealing chamber to thermally treat the substrate after the spin-coat process. In certain embodiments, the spin-coating processing system may also pre-treat or pre-wet the substrate prior to the spin-coating process.

Abstract: Provided are a plant management system and a plant management method, which do not entail a substantial workload, cost, construction period, or installation space; enable a system to be easily constructed, altered and expanded; have a small maintenance load; enable processing systems to be distributed and arranged in geographically separate locations and in locations where connecting the processing systems is not easy; and are capable of preventing the occurrence of large-scale problems. A plant management system 100 has: a plurality of processing systems 140, 150; and memory tags 112, 122, wherein processing systems 140, 150 include reader-writers 142, 152, 153 and processing devices 141, 151, and, by writing plant management data into the memory tag 112 by means of the reader-writer 142 and then reading the plant management data by the reader-writer 152 of the processing system 150, the plant management data is transferred between the processing systems 140, 150.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a processing system for spin-coating a substrate with Molecular Self-assembly (MSA) chemicals to form photoresist films and/or low dielectric constant (low-k) films on the substrate. The spin-coating processing system may include a spin-coating chamber that can receive and spin-coat MSA chemicals onto the substrate and an annealing chamber to thermally treat the substrate after the spin-coat process. In certain embodiments, the spin-coating processing system may also pre-treat or pre-wet the substrate prior to the spin-coating process.

Abstract: A polyvinylacetal resin powder with a low metal content, being excellent in transparency, moisture resistance and electrical insulating properties and having a large specific surface area, and a process for its production, are presented. A polyvinylacetal resin powder obtained by reacting polyvinyl alcohol and an aldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst, which has an acetalization degree of at least 60 mol %, a specific surface area of from 1.50 to 3.50 m2/g, a bulk density of from 0.12 to 0.19 g/cm3, an average particle diameter of from 0.5 to 2, 5 ?m and a metal content of at most 80 ppm.

Abstract: A polyvinylacetal resin powder with a low metal content, being excellent in transparency, moisture resistance and electrical insulating properties and having a large specific surface area, and a process for its production, are presented. A polyvinylacetal resin powder obtained by reacting polyvinyl alcohol and an aldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst, which has an acetalization degree of at least 60 mol %, a specific surface area of from 1.50 to 3.50 m2/g, a bulk density of from 0.12 to 0.19 g/cm3, an average particle diameter of from 0.5 to 2, 5 ?m and a metal content of at most 80 ppm.

Abstract: The invention provides a positive-negative type high frequency switching power supply unit which provides a high frequency output of an ideal sine waveform to allow reliable switching with very low switching loss without being influenced by a leakage inductance of the load side, a parasitic capacitance and a parasitic inductance produced by a wiring line or the like, and a load condition.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a defect in a sheet like material, comprising: a photodetector provided opposite to a textile sheet in the vicinity of the weaving line of a weaving machine, and a prime mover for slidably driving said photodetector in the lateral direction throughout the width of the weaved textile sheet, characterized in that normally the said prime mover is adapted to convert the moving direction whenever the photodetector reaches either side edge of the weaved textile sheet but is further adapted to reverse the moving direction whenever the photodetector detects a defect in the weaved textile sheet, whereby said photodetector is caused to detect repeatedly the same defect and the weaving machine is controlled to stop the weaving operation whenever the photodetector detects the same defect more times than a predetermined number of times.