Abstract: The improved method comprises contacting a substrate 5 at least once by a liquid containing the elements that compose a pure metal or an alloy with which the small holes or recesses 3a in the substrate 5 are to be filled or covered, whereby the liquid wets the inner surfaces of said small holes or recesses 3a while, at the same time, said pure metal or said alloy is deposited on the surface of said substrate 5. The method is capable of filling small holes or covering small recesses in the surface of the substrate 5 with improved efficiency while, at the same time, it improves the heat resistance and materials stability of the part that contains the formed filling or covering layer.

Abstract: An ozone generating apparatus produces highly pure ozone gas which can be used in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The ozone generating apparatus comprises a high voltage source, an ozone generating cell which generates ozone gas by supplying a material gas while applying a high voltage from the high voltage source, and a passage for delivering the generated ozone gas from the ozone generating cell to a desired location. The passage comprises a material which has a passivation film formed by a passivation treatment in a dry process. The oxide passivation film comprises chromium oxide film, iron oxide film or a composite film of chromium oxide and iron oxide.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a workpiece includes a housing unit, a partition wall partitioning an interior of the housing unit into a first chamber and a second chamber, a polishing section disposed in the first chamber and having a turntable with an abrasive cloth mounted on an upper surface thereof and a top ring positioned above the turntable for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the abrasive cloth, and a cleaning section disposed in the second chamber and cleaning the workpiece which has been polished. The polishing apparatus further includes a transferring device for transferring the workpiece which has been polished from the polishing section to the cleaning section through an opening and an exhaust system for exhausting ambient air from each of the polishing section and cleaning section separately and independently.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention, for example, an insulating film is deposited on a silicon substrate, and a concave groove is formed in the insulating film in accordance with a predetermined wiring pattern. Titanium and palladium are deposited in sequence on the insulating film to form a titanium film and a palladium film, respectively. A silver film is formed on the palladium film by electroplating, and a groove-shaped silver wiring layer is formed by polishing. The resultant structure is annealed at a temperature of about 700.degree. C., and an intermetallic compound is formed by alloying the titanium film and palladium film with each other. Consequently, a burying type wiring layer whose resistance is lower than that of aluminum, is constituted by the silver wiring layer and intermetallic compound.

Abstract: Ozonizer (10) which supplies a feed gas to ozone generating cell (11) under application of a high voltage and which delivers an ozone gas through an ozone gas transport path (consisting of pipes (14) and (15)) as it has been generated in said ozone generating cell (11) is characterized in that the ozone gas transport path is furnished with means for removing at least one of NOx, HF and SOx (in the drawings, the means is for removing NOx) and that the ozone gas from the ozone generating cell (11) is passed through said removing means, whereby at least one of NOx, HF and SOx in said ozone gas is removed before it is delivered to a subsequent stage. The product ozone is not contaminated with Cr compounds at all or insufficiently contaminated to cause any practical problems in the fabrication of highly integrated semiconductor devices.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention, for example, an insulating film is deposited on a silicon substrate, and a concave groove is formed in the insulating film in accordance with a predetermined wiring pattern. Titanium and palladium are deposited in sequence on the insulating film to form a titanium film and a palladium film, respectively. A silver film is formed on the palladium film by electroplating, and a groove-shaped silver wiring layer is formed by polishing. The resultant structure is annealed at a temperature of about 700.degree. C., and an intermetallic compound is formed by alloying the titanium film and palladium film with each other. Consequently, a burying type wiring layer whose resistance is lower than that of aluminum, is constituted by the silver wiring layer and intermetallic compound.

Abstract: A workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer is supported on a top ring and polished by an abrasive cloth on a turntable while the top ring is being pressed against the turntable and the turntable and the top ring are being rotated. The top ring is coupled to a top ring drive shaft, coupled to a pressure cylinder for pressing the top ring, and to a motor for rotating the top ring. A spherical bearing is interposed between the top ring and the top ring drive shaft for allowing the top ring to align with the upper surface of the moving turntable. A torque transmitting mechanism is operatively coupled between the top ring and the top ring drive shaft for rotating the top ring in synchronization with the top ring drive shaft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for discharging hydrogen from a vacuum vessel using a roughing vacuum pump and a turbo-molecular pump. During discharge of hydrogen from the vacuum vessel, a material which has excellent reactivity with hydrogen, such as a material which has been excited or ionized by microwave or laser radiation, is introduced into the exhaust system. The material reacts with hydrogen to convert hydrogen into another substance of large molecular weight, whereby the evacuating performance of the vacuum exhaust system is improved with respect to discharging of hydrogen.

Abstract: An evacuation apparatus and method using a turbomolecular pump having a rotor provided with a plurality of rotor blades and a spacer provided with a plurality of stator blades so that gas molecules are sucked in from a suction port, compressed and discharged from an exhaust port of the turbomolecular pump is disclosed. A heat exchanger is provided at the suction port side of the turbomolecular pump to freeze-trap gas molecules from being cooled by a helium refrigerator.The gate valve is disposed upstream of the heat exchanger and is provided in a suction pipe which extends between the vacuum vessel and the turbomolecular pump. In exhausting the vacuum vessel, the gate valve is opened and, in this state, the turbomolecular pump and the helium refrigerator are run.

Abstract: A turbomolecular pump having a rotor provided with a plurality of rotor blades and a spacer provided with a plurality of stator blades so that gas molecules are sucked in from a suction port, compressed and discharged from an exhaust port. The pump further has a heat exchanger provided inside the suction port, the heat exchanger being connected to a refrigerator through a refrigerant pipe and a gate valve provided on the upstream side of the suction port. Gases having low molecular weights, particularly water vapor, are freeze-trapped on the heat exchanger. Thus, it is possible to efficiently exhaust gases having low molecular weights, particularly water vapor, and hence to obtain a high vacuum of good quality. In addition, it is easy to start and suspend operation of the system and possible to run it on a continuous basis.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for treating waste gas from semiconductor manufacturing equipment with a dry solid absorbent. A bypass pipe which is equipped with a bypass valve is provided between inlet and outlet pipes of a container packed with the absorbent, and when a reaction chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is evacuated to a level below that of atmospheric pressure, the bypass valve is opened to prevent the large amount of non-toxic gas that is discharged from the reaction chamber during the evacuation from being fed to the absorbent-packed container. Large variations in the flow rate of the gas are thus avoided and safe and efficient waste gas treatment with a dry solid absorbent having a relatively small particle diameter is possible.