Abstract: In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a processing chamber, means for supplying gas to the processing chamber, evacuating means for decompressing the processing chamber, a transport chamber, means for supplying gas to the transport chamber, and evacuating means for decompressing the transport chamber, the pressure in the processing chamber is 10 to 50 Pa, the pressure in the transport chamber is set to positive pressure to the processing chamber, the differential pressure between the processing chamber and the transport chamber is 10 Pa or less, and the flow rate of the gas supplied to the processing chamber is twice or more the flow rate of gas supplied to the transport chamber.

Abstract: A dimension of a specific part of a semiconductor device is measured with high accuracy and at a high speed. The invention provides a dimension measuring apparatus used for measuring a dimension of a semiconductor device having a first pattern of repeated structure and a second pattern that is linear and formed on the first pattern to extend over the repeated structure.

Abstract: The invention provides a substrate processing apparatus capable of removing unnecessary deposition films attached to a bevel portion of a substrate to be processed with high efficiency and at low cost without causing damage to the inner areas of the substrate to be processed having patterns formed thereto and without causing heavy metal contamination.

Abstract: The present invention provides a temperature control unit for an electrostatic adsorption electrode that is capable of controlling the wafer temperature rapidly over a wide temperature range without affecting in-plane uniformity while high heat input etching is conducted with high wafer bias power applied. A refrigerant flow path provided in the electrostatic adsorption electrode serves as an evaporator. The refrigerant flow path is connected to a compressor, a condenser, and a first expansion valve to form a direct expansion type refrigeration cycle. A second expansion valve is installed between the electrostatic adsorption electrode and the compressor to adjust the flow rate of a refrigerant. This makes it possible to compress the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path of the electrostatic adsorption electrode and adjust the wafer temperature to a high level by raising the refrigerant evaporation temperature.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer edge cleaner which is capable of removing an undesired material that adheres to an outer periphery of an object to be processed at the low costs and with high throughput. The wafer edge cleaner according to the present invention irradiates a deposited material that has adhered to the rear surface outer periphery of the object to be processed with a laser beam that is at least 30 kW/mm2 in the peak power density.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber, a high-frequency power supply needed for plasma production, a unit that feeds a gas to the processing chamber, a shower plate, an exhausting unit that depressurizes the processing chamber, a stage on which a sample to be processed is placed, and a focus ring, the temperature of the focus ring can be regulated. A unit that measures a gas temperature distribution in the processing chamber is included. Based on the result of measurement of the gas temperature distribution, the temperature of the focus ring is controlled so that the gas temperature in the surface of the sample to be processed will be uniform.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma processing chamber mounted with a function capable of determining the state of a temperature rise in a processing chamber even if a thermometer is not mounted in the processing chamber. In a plasma processing apparatus including: a processing chamber for subjecting a sample to be processed to plasma processing; means for supplying the processing chamber with gas; exhaust means for reducing pressure in the processing chamber; a high-frequency power source for generating plasma; and an electrode on which the sample to be processed is placed, there is provided a plasma emission monitor for determining an end point of temperature raise discharge and means for determining an end point of temperature raise discharge, both of which are used for determining an end point of temperature raise discharge performed before the plasma processing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus which has the function of removing a deposit adhering to the periphery of the backside of a sample and has high throughput and low cost. That is, a deposit removal unit for removing the deposit on the periphery of the backside of the sample by pulsed laser irradiation is connected to an atmosphere-side transfer chamber of the plasma processing apparatus.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber encased in a vacuum vessel equipped with an evacuator; a sample stage located in the processing chamber and having an upper surface on which a sample as an object to be processed rests; a gas feeding unit for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber; a plurality of refrigerant ducts which are laid out in the internal of the sample stage and through which liquid refrigerant flows and can be evaporated; a cooling circuit including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and a set of pipelines to connect the compressor, the condenser and the expansion valve in this order; and a selecting unit for selectively feeding the refrigerant through the plural refrigerant ducts in the different steps of the processing. The sample is processed by using plasma while the temperature of the sample stage is being controlled by the cooling circuit.

Abstract: There is provided a means for uniformly controlling the in-plane temperature of a semiconductor wafer at high speed in a high heat input etching process. A refrigerant channel structure in a circular shape is formed in a sample stage. Due to a fact that a heat transfer coefficient of a refrigerant is largely changed from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant outlet port, the cross sections of the channel structure is structured so as to be increased from a first channel areas towards a second channel areas in order to make the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant constant in the refrigerant channel structure. Thereby, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from increasing by reducing the flow rate of the refrigerant at a dry degree area where the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is increased.

Abstract: A substrate holder that forms a concavo-convex pattern on recording layers of both of front and back sides of a magnetic recording media is provided. The substrate holder includes an insulator member having a concave portion that holds the etching substrate and a through-hole formed just below the concave portion, and a conductive member having a convex portion that is engaged with the through-hole. A gap is defined between a front side of the convex portion and the bottom surface of the substrate in a state where the etching substrate is mounted on the concave portion, and a thickness of the gap is equal to or higher than 0.5 mm and equal to or lower than 1 mm, and a thickness of the insulator member is equal to or higher than 1 mm and equal to or lower than 15 mm.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a method for fabricating a semiconductor device in which the yield and productivity are improved. In the method for fabricating a semiconductor device according to the invention, a plasma etching system is prepared which includes a vacuum chamber 1, a susceptor 7 arranged in the vacuum chamber 1 to place a wafer 8, a gas introducing means 2 to introduce the material gas into the vacuum chamber and a high-frequency power introducing means 6. The gas introduced into the vacuum chamber by the gas introducing means 2 is converted into a plasma by the high-frequency power, and a plurality of holes are selectively formed in the oxide film 23 of a main wafer surface in a plasma atmosphere. In the hole forming step, light 15 having a continuous spectrum is irradiated on a flat portion and a hole portion of the main surface of the semiconductor wafer thereby to measure the reflectivity change in the flat portion and the hole portion.

Abstract: A condition without using Ar as plasma gas is applied to processing of an organic anti-reflection-coating, which suppresses a spatter effect and decreases the cleavage of C—H and OC—O bonds in a resist. As a result, roughness of the resist after processing the anti-reflection-coating can be suppressed, and pitting and striations after processing a next film to be processed, that is an insulating film, can be prevented. For a rare gas to be used at the time of processing the insulating film, any one of Xe, Kr, a mixed gas of Ar and Xe, and a mixed gas of Ar and Kr is applied in place of Ar, giving rise to reduction in pitting and striations after etching. In addition, a dry etching method with less critical-dimension shift and excellence in both apparatus cost and throughput can be provided by performing resist modification and etching by turns.

Abstract: After a polycrystalline silicon film (5) is formed on a semiconductor substrate via an insulating film for a gate insulating film (step S1), an organic antireflection film (21) is formed on the polycrystalline silicon film (5) (step S2), and a resist pattern (22) is formed on the antireflection film (21) (step S3). Then, a passivation film (23) is deposited on the antireflection film (21) so as to cover the resist pattern (22) by plasma using fluorocarbon gas while a bias voltage is being applied to the semiconductor substrate (step S4). Then, the passivation film (23) and the antireflection film (21) are etched by plasma using gas containing oxygen gas (step S5). Thereafter, the polycrystalline silicon film (5) is etched using the resist pattern (22) with reduced line edge roughness as an etching mask to form a gate electrode (step S6).

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided which processes a sample held on a sample table arranged in a process chamber in a vacuum container by using a plasma formed in the process chamber. The plasma processing apparatus comprises: paths arranged in the sample table in which a coolant is supplied and vaporized as it flows; a refrigeration cycle having the sample table, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve connected in that order and having the coolant circulate therein; coolant passages to cause the coolant that has passed through the expansion valve to branch and then merge with a coolant returning from the paths in the sample table toward the compressor; and a regulator to adjust an amount of coolant passing through the paths in the sample table and circulating in the refrigeration cycle and an amount of coolant branching and flowing through the coolant passages.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus which is equipped with: a process chamber; a unit for supplying gas to said process chamber; a exhausting unit to reduce pressure in said process chamber; a high frequency power source for plasma generation; a coil for generating a magnetic field; and a mounted electrode for mounting a substance to be processed, particles were transported in the circumference direction of said substance to be processed by thermo-phoretic force, by changing the magnetic field distribution, so as to make a plasma distribution at the surface of said substance to be processed, in a convex form, in ignition of the plasma or after completion of a predetermined processing, compared with the plasma distribution during said predetermined processing to said substance to be processed, and thus to generate temperature gradient of processing gas just above said substance to be processed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing technique of a semiconductor device that reduces fluctuation of electric characteristic and a working size of a semiconductor device and can manufacture semiconductor devices at high quality and at high yield.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus having enhanced plasma processing uniformity. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber 1, means 13 and 14 for supplying processing gas into the processing chamber, evacuation means 25 and 26 for decompressing the processing chamber 1, an electrode 4 on which an object 2 to be processed such as a wafer is placed, and an electromagnetic radiation power supply 5A, wherein at least two kinds of processing gases having different composition ratios of 02 or N2are introduced into the processing chamber through different gas inlets so as to control the in-plane uniformity of the critical dimension while maintaining the in-plane uniformity of the process depth.

Abstract: By subjecting a threaded joint for OCTG (oil country tubular goods) to surface conditioning with an aqueous solution of potassium tetraborate or sodium tetraborate prior to manganese phosphate chemical conversion treatment, a manganese phosphate chemical conversion coating having coarse crystal grains with an average crystal grain diameter of 10-110 micrometers is formed on the surface of the steel member which may be any steel including a high Cr steel. This manganese phosphate chemical conversion coating can hold a large amount of a liquid lubricant, and it is effective at preventing the occurrence of galling at the time of makeup of a threaded joint for OCTG.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus which can remove foreign particles over an object to be processed during or before/after the discharging is provided. The plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber; a processing gas supplying unit for supplying a processing gas into the processing chamber, an antenna electrode for supplying a radio frequency electric power into the processing chamber and forming a plasma, a vacuum evacuating unit for evacuating the inside of the processing chamber; a disposing electrode for disposing the object into the processing chamber and holding the object therein; and a DC power supply for supplying a negative electric potential to the antenna electrode.