Abstract: With a scanning probe microscope, if a plurality of sample properties are measured using a scanning scheme of allowing a probe to approach and withdraw from a sample, the sample properties need to be accurately and reliably detected in the minimum required measurement time. Further, the acting force between the probe and the sample varies depending on the type of the probe and the wear condition of a probe tip. Thus, disadvantageously, property values acquired using different probes cannot be compared with one another unless the artifactual effect of the measuring probes are eliminated. In accordance with the present invention, with a scanning probe microscope, the probe is brought into intermittent contact with the sample, while driving means repeatedly allows the probe to approach and withdraw from the sample with a variable amplitude. The sample property is thus acquired at a high speed.

Abstract: In a wafer processing apparatus, wafers are sequentially placed one by one on a ceramic plate of a wafer stage within a vacuum chamber. The pressure of a heat-conductive gas introduced at this time between the wafer and the ceramic plate is adjusted to control the temperature of the wafer, and the wafer is processed by use of plasma. In this case, the user can select any one of a process for regulating the pressure of the heat-conductive gas each time the wafers are sequentially placed on the wafer stage, a process for optimizing aging conditions, and a process for optimizing heater conditions so that the wafer temperature variation within lot can be reduced by performing the selected process. The selected process is performed on the basis of its conditions that are computed to determine by a control-purpose computer of the processing apparatus.

Abstract: A plasma etching method for a plasma etching apparatus including: a processing chamber for performing plasma etching on an object to be processed; a first gas supply source; a second gas supply source; a first gas inlet for introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber; a second gas inlet for introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber; a flow rate regulator for regulating the flow rate of the processing gas; and a gas shunt for dividing the first processing gas into a plurality of portions, wherein the second processing gas is merged with at least one part between the gas shunt and the first gas inlet and between the gas shunt and the second gas inlet.

Abstract: The downtime of a vacuum processing apparatus due to wet cleaning is reduced. In a vacuum processing apparatus that requires aging for its chamber or process container after vacuum evacuation of the apparatus and before actual processing of a workpiece, when the chamber has been opened to atmosphere for the purpose of wet cleaning or component replacement, the apparatus comprises a high precision absolute pressure gauge for use in processing, a wide range gauge capable of measuring a wide range of pressures, and a controller, wherein the controller uses a pressure trend during vacuum evacuation to determine whether the vacuum evacuation is satisfactory, and starts aging upon determining that the vacuum evacuation is satisfactory even if the actual pressure is not below a prescribed value.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus capable of generating a stable and uniform-density plasma includes a processing chamber whose one surface is formed by a flat-plate-like insulating-material manufactured window, a sample mounting stage in which a sample mounting plane is formed on a surface opposed to the insulating-material manufactured window of the processing chamber, a gas-inlet for introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber, a flat-plate-structured capacitively coupled antenna formed on an outer surface of the insulating-material manufactured window with slits provided in a radial pattern, and an inductively coupled antenna formed outside the insulating-material manufactured window and performing an inductive coupling with a plasma via the window, the plasma being formed within the processing chamber. The inductively coupled antenna is configured by a coil which is wound a plurality of times with a direction defined longitudinally, the direction being perpendicular to the sample mounting plane.

Abstract: The downtime of a vacuum processing apparatus due to wet cleaning is reduced. In a vacuum processing apparatus that requires aging for its chamber or process container after vacuum evacuation of the apparatus and before actual processing of a workpiece, when the chamber has been opened to atmosphere for the purpose of wet cleaning or component replacement, the apparatus comprises a high precision absolute pressure gauge for use in processing, a wide range gauge capable of measuring a wide range of pressures, and a controller, wherein the controller uses a pressure trend during vacuum evacuation to determine whether the vacuum evacuation is satisfactory, and starts aging upon determining that the vacuum evacuation is satisfactory even if the actual pressure is not below a prescribed value.

Abstract: In a wafer processing apparatus, wafers are sequentially placed one by one on a ceramic plate of a wafer stage within a vacuum chamber. The pressure of a heat-conductive gas introduced at this time between the wafer and the ceramic plate is adjusted to control the temperature of the wafer, and the wafer is processed by use of plasma. In this case, the user can select any one of a process for regulating the pressure of the heat-conductive gas each time the wafers are sequentially placed on the wafer stage, a process for optimizing aging conditions, and a process for optimizing heater conditions so that the wafer temperature variation within lot can be reduced by performing the selected process. The selected process is performed on the basis of its conditions that are computed to determine by a control-purpose computer of the processing apparatus.

Abstract: The invention provides an inductively coupled plasma apparatus capable of disposing a parallel coil with a large number of total turns in a relatively small space.

Abstract: At least one control parameter such as power supplied to a plasma, process pressure, gas flow rate, and radio frequency bias power to a wafer is changed for an extremely short time as compared with an entire plasma processing time, to the extent that such a change does not affect the result of plasma processing on the wafer, to monitor a temporal change of a plasma state which occurs at the time of changing. A signal resulting from the monitoring method is used to control or diagnose the plasma processing, thereby making it possible to accomplish miniature etching works, high quality deposition, surface processing.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus capable of performing processing with excellent in-plane uniformity on an object to be processed having a large diameter is provided.

Abstract: Induction coils of an induction coupling type plasma processing apparatus are divided into a plurality of coil elements and a plurality of lead wire portions for effecting connection between the coil elements. The coil elements are disposed inside of a process chamber, while the lead wire portions which effect connection between the coil elements are disposed outside of the process chamber. The coil elements disposed in the process chamber are in the form of short arcs as a result of the division thereof, so that they can be easily arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the process chamber, whereby a uniform plasma distribution can be easily achieved.

Abstract: A plasma is generated by feeding an antenna with radio-frequency electric power generated by a radio-frequency power source, and one end of the antenna is grounded to the earth through a capacitor of variable capacitance. A Faraday shield is electrically isolated from the earth, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor is determined to be such a value that the voltage at the two ends of the antenna may be equal in absolute values and inverted to reduce the partial removal of the wall after the plasma ignition. At the time of igniting the plasma, the capacitance of the capacitor is adjusted to a larger or smaller value than that minimizing the damage of the wall.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a structure that surrounds a space where plasma is generated, a sample stage disposed in the chamber on which a sample to be processed is placed and coil antenna providing an electric field to the space. The structure has a non-conductive member surrounding the space and a conductive member covering the non-conductive member, both of which are disposed between the antenna and the space. The conductive member is electrically floated at least when the plasma is generated.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing apparatus for processing a semiconductor in a processing chamber separated from the air wherein the processing chamber contains a wafer stage on which there is positioned a wafer sensor module equipped with sensor probes, each sensor probe capable of detecting at least one of electric current, voltage and temperature of an article to be processed and placed on the wafer sensor module, which is carried into the processing chamber by a transporting means for the article to be processed, and detected values by the sensor probes being converted to optical signals and led to outside of the processing chamber, can optimize conditions for processing the article easily and in a short time without lowering throughput.

Abstract: A plasma-assisted processing apparatus has a vacuum vessel defining a processing chamber, a gas supply line for carrying gases into the processing chamber, a workpiece support disposed in the processing chamber and serving as an electrode, a disk antenna for radiating a high-frequency wave having a frequency in the VHF or the UHF band into the processing chamber, a high-frequency waveguide for guiding a high-frequency wave to the disk antenna, and a window made of a dielectric material isolating the disk antenna from the processing chamber. A conductive ring is disposed between the disk antenna and the window such that one surface thereof is in contact with a peripheral part of the disk antenna.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus including an electrode 6 provided within a processing chamber 1, an induction coil 10 and a ring-shaped electrically conductive cover 11 in contact with the induction coil both provided through an insulating material 9 in an upper portion of the processing chamber 1, and a high-frequency power supply 13 to supply power to the induction coil 10, an induced current is generated in the ring-shaped conductor 11 by the induction coil 10 and a plasma is subjected to induction heating by the induced current flowing through the conductor 11. An induction field generated by the induction coil 10 is shielded so that the induction field does not leak to a region in which a plasma is generated. The current which performs the induction heating of the plasma is the current flowing through the ring-shaped conductor 11, and because unlike a usual coil this conductor has no end, complete circumferential uniformity of a plasma is realized.

Abstract: The main purpose of the present invention is to suppress deposition of byproducts on an inner wall of a vacuum chamber during wafer processing using plasma generated by an inductive coupling antenna and an electrostatic capacitive coupling antenna which are connected in series at a connection point. Deposition of byproducts on the inner wall of the vacuum chamber can be suppressed by grounding the connection point of the inductive coupling antenna and the electrostatic capacitive coupling antenna via a variable-impedance load and varying an impedance of the variable-impedance load, thereby controlling a ratio of plasma produced in the chamber by electrostatic capacitive coupling discharge.

Abstract: A heater function and an electrostatic chuck function are incorporated in a ceramic plate for placing a wafer, and the ceramic plate is fixed to a cooling jacket with ceramic bolts having a low coefficient of thermal conductivity with an intervening heat insulating member. In order to transmit heat input in the wafer to the water-cooling jacket with high repeatability, a heat-conducting member having elasticity in the vertical direction is sandwiched between the ceramic plate and the cooling jacket. The degradation of temperature distribution of wafers due to the radiant heat radiation from the sidewall of the ceramic plate to the chamber can be minimized by covering the circumference of the ceramic plate with a radiation insulator.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus having a process chamber, a process gas feeding pipe for introducing a process gas into the process chamber, a holding electrode for receiving and holding a sample placed in the process chamber, a bias-potential-generating radio-frequency power source for supplying a bias potential to the sample, and an induction coil to produce a plasma, wherein the process chamber comprises a conductor member, disposed to face a portion of an internal surface of the process chamber, for supplying a bias potential to the portion, and a detachable trap member having a surface for deposition of reaction products formed at another portion of the internal surface of the process chamber.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing apparatus for processing a semiconductor in a processing chamber separated from the air wherein the processing chamber contains a wafer stage on which there is positioned a wafer sensor module equipped with sensor probes, each sensor probe capable of detecting at least one of electric current, voltage and temperature of an article to be processed and placed on the wafer sensor module, which is carried into the processing chamber by a transporting means for the article to be processed, and detected values by the sensor probes being converted to optical signals and led to outside of the processing chamber, can optimize conditions for processing the article easily and in a short time without lowering throughput.