Abstract: A method of cleaning a semiconductor substrate conductive layer surface that can remove a residual organic material and a natural oxide satisfactorily and does not adversely affect a k value without damaging the side-wall insulation film of a via hole. A semiconductor device, including insulation films formed on the surface of a conductive layer of a semiconductor substrate and a via hole formed in an insulation film to partly expose the conductive layer, is carried into a reaction vessel, plasma including hydrogen is generated in the reaction vessel to clean the surface of the conductive layer at the bottom of the via hole, a residual organic material is decomposed and removed by ashing, and a copper oxide film on the surface of the conductive layer is reduced to Cu.

Abstract: An insulting film is modified by subjecting the insulting film to a modification treatment comprising a combination of a plasma treatment and a thermal annealing treatment. There is provided a method of enhancing the characteristic of an insulating film by improving deterioration in the characteristic of the insulating film due to carbon, a suboxide, a dangling bond or the like contained in the insulating film.

Abstract: In a process involving the formation of an insulating film on a substrate for an electronic device, the insulating film is formed on the substrate surface by carrying out two or more steps for regulating the characteristic of the insulating film involved in the process under the same operation principle. The formation of an insulating film having a high level of cleanness can be realized by carrying out treatment such as cleaning, oxidation, nitriding, and a film thickness reduction while avoiding exposure to the air. Further, carrying out various steps regarding the formation of an insulating film under the same operation principle can realize simplification of the form of an apparatus and can form an insulating film having excellent property with a high efficiency.

Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus configured to perform a predetermined process on a target substrate accommodated in a process chamber, the process chamber is cleaned by alternately performing an operation of generating plasma of a gas containing oxygen within the process chamber, and an operation of generating plasma of a gas containing nitrogen within the process chamber.

Abstract: In a process involving the formation of an insulating film on a substrate for an electronic device, the insulating film is formed on the substrate surface by carrying out two or more steps for regulating the characteristic of the insulating film involved in the process under the same operation principle. The formation of an insulating film having a high level of cleanness can be realized by carrying out treatment such as cleaning, oxidation, nitriding, and a film thickness reduction while avoiding exposure to the air. Further, carrying out various steps regarding the formation of an insulating film under the same operation principle can realize simplification of the form of an apparatus and can form an insulating film having excellent property with a high efficiency.

Abstract: An insulting film is modified by subjecting the insulting film to a modification treatment comprising a combination of a plasma treatment and a thermal annealing treatment. There is provided a method of enhancing the characteristic of an insulating film by improving deterioration in the characteristic of the insulating film due to carbon, a suboxide, a dangling bond or the like contained in the insulating film.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of lowering dielectric constant of an insulating film including Si, O and CH formed by a chemical vapor deposition process. A process gas containing hydrogen atoms is supplied into a reaction vessel. A microwave is introduced into the reaction vessel to supply a uniform electromagnetic wave, thereby a plasma containing a hydrogen radical is generated in the reaction vessel. The structure of the insulating film is modified by the hydrogen radical contained in the plasma irradiated to the insulating film, lowering the dielectric constant of the film. The microwave is supplied into the reaction vessel through a radial-slot antenna.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma etching method capable of controlling an etching shape readily and properly during a plasma etching process. The plasma etching method includes: holding a semiconductor substrate W on a holding table 14 installed in a processing chamber 12; generating a microwave for plasma ignition; generating plasma in the processing chamber 12 by setting a gap between the dielectric plate 16 and the holding table 14 to be equal to or greater than about 100 mm and setting a pressure inside the processing chamber 12 to be equal to or higher than about 50 mTorr, and introducing the microwave into the processing chamber 12 via the dielectric plate 16; and performing a plasma etching process on the semiconductor substrate W by the plasma generated by supplying a reactant gas for plasma etching process into the processing chamber 12.

Abstract: Provided is a reflective optical circulator capable of improving characteristics by preventing the occurrence of PDL and non-uniformity of insertion losses of reciprocating optical paths. The reflective optical circulator includes: an optical element unit having a first polarization separating element, a 45° non-reciprocal polarization plane rotating element, a phase element for rotating a polarization plane of an incident light by 90°, and a second polarization separating element; a light incidence/emission unit; a lens; and a reflector. All waveguides are disposed at an equivalent distance from a central point, and a shift amount of an extraordinary ray in the second polarization separating element is set to be larger than a shift amount of an extraordinary ray in the first polarization separating element. In addition, the phase element is constructed with two phase optical elements, and only one polarization component is allowed to transmit through the two phase optical elements.

Abstract: The surface of an insulating film disposed on an electronic device substrate is irradiated with plasma based on a process gas comprising at least an oxygen atom-containing gas, to thereby form an underlying film at the interface between the insulating film and the electronic device substrate. A good underlying film is provided at the interface between the insulating film and the electronic device substrate, so that the thus formed underlying film can improve the property of the insulating film.

Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a semiconductor light emitting device, a thermally conductive portion which is in contact with the semiconductor light emitting device, a heatsink which dissipates heat generated by the semiconductor light emitting device, and a housing in which the semiconductor light emitting device, the thermally conductive portion and the heatsink are accommodated. The heatsink includes a base and plate fins arranged at intervals to protrude from the base. Each of the plate fins includes a plate surface facing the plate surface of an adjacent one of the plate fins and upwardly extending in a direction along the base. A plane parallel to at least one of the plate surfaces of the plate fins may be oblique with respect to a vertical direction. An inner surface of the housing may be oblique with respect to the vertical direction in a region above the plate fins.

Abstract: The plasma processing apparatus includes a holding table disposed in a processing chamber, for holding thereon a target substrate; a dielectric plate disposed at a position facing the holding table, for introducing a microwave into the processing chamber; a plasma igniting unit for carrying out plasma ignition in a state in which an electric field is generated inside the processing chamber by the introduced microwave, thereby generating the plasma inside the processing chamber; and a control unit, which includes an elevating mechanism, for performing control operations to alter a distance between the holding table and the dielectric plate to a first distance, to drive the plasma igniting unit, to alter the distance between the holding table and the dielectric plate to a second distance different from the first distance, and to carry out the plasma process on the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing apparatus featuring highly improved plasma ignition property and ignition stability by defining a positional relationship between a dielectric and the slots. A plasma processing apparatus 11 includes a processing chamber 12 having a top opening; a dielectric 15 which has inclined surfaces 16a and 16b on a bottom surface thereof so that a thickness dimension is successively varied, and is disposed so as to close the top opening of the processing chamber 12; and an antenna 24 disposed on a top surface of the dielectric 15, for supplying microwave to the dielectric 15, thereby generating plasma at the bottom surface of the dielectric 15. Further, the antenna 24 is provided with a plurality of slots 25 positioned uprightly above the inclined surfaces 16a and 16b.

Abstract: An electronic device material comprising at least an electronic device substrate and a silicon oxynitride film disposed on the substrate is provided. The silicon oxynitride film is characterized by containing nitrogen atoms in a large amount in the vicinity of the oxynitride film surface when the nitrogen content distribution in the thickness direction of the silicon oxynitride film is examined by SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry) analysis. By virtue of this constitution, an electronic device material comprising an oxynitride film having an excellent effect of preventing penetration of boron and having excellent gate leak properties can be obtained.

Abstract: A substrate processing method includes the step of forming an oxide film by oxidizing a silicon substrate surface and the step of nitriding the oxide film to form an oxynitride film, wherein there is provided a step of purging oxygen after the oxidizing step but before said nitriding step from an ambient in which said nitriding processing is conducted.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent an increase in film thickness and inhibit a reduction in capacity of a capacitor. In a semiconductor device having a capacitor, the capacitor includes a lower electrode, an upper electrode, and an insulating film interposed between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. A surface of the lower electrode on an insulating layer side is nitrided. If the lower electrode is made of polysilicon, nitriding the surface thereof increases oxidation resistance at the time of heat treatment in a post process. Particularly in a DRAM, the capacity of the capacitor is large, and therefore, this effect is significant. Further, leakage current inside the capacitor is also reduced.

Abstract: A substrate processing method includes the step of forming an oxide film by oxidizing a silicon substrate surface and the step of nitriding the oxide film to form an oxynitride film, wherein there is provided a step of purging oxygen after the oxidizing step but before said nitriding step from an ambient in which said nitriding processing is conducted.

Abstract: A plasma oxidation processing method is performed, on a structural object including a silicon layer and a refractory metal-containing layer, to form a silicon oxide film. A first plasma oxidation process is performed by use of a process gas including at least hydrogen gas and oxygen gas and a process pressure of 1.33 to 66.67 Pa. A second plasma oxidation process is performed by use of a process gas including at least hydrogen gas and oxygen gas and a process pressure of 133.3 to 1,333 Pa, after the first plasma oxidation process.

Abstract: A substrate processing method comprises the step of forming an oxide film on a silicon substrate surface, and introducing nitrogen atoms into the oxide film by exposing the oxide film to nitrogen radicals excited in plasma formed by a microwave introduced via a planar antenna.

Abstract: In a process involving the formation of an insulating film on a substrate for an electronic device, the insulating film is formed on the substrate surface by carrying out two or more steps for regulating the characteristic of the insulating film involved in the process under the same operation principle. The formation of an insulating film having a high level of cleanness can be realized by carrying out treatment such as cleaning, oxidation, nitriding, and a film thickness reduction while avoiding exposure to the air. Further, carrying out various steps regarding the formation of an insulating film under the same operation principle can realize simplification of the form of an apparatus and can form an insulating film having excellent property with a high efficiency.