Abstract: A tubular reaction chamber is mounted on an annular insulating plate disposed on a grounded metallic base plate. A cylindrical outer electrode connected to a high-frequency power supply is disposed around said tubular reaction chamber, and a cylindrical inner electrode is disposed in said reaction chamber coaxially with said cylindrical outer electrode. The cylindrical inner electrode has a plurality of inlet holes defined therein, and a lower end disposed in an opening defined in the metallic base plate and fixed to said metallic base plate. A holder is disposed in said cylindrical inner electrode for supporting a plurality of wafers at spaced intervals.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for etching, ashing, or otherwise processing silicon wafers has a pair of spaced reaction chambers each for processing a silicon wafers in a plasma, a pair of spaced cassette table mechanisms each for supporting a wafer cassette which houses a plurality of wafers therein, and a transfer robot disposed between the pair of spaced reaction chambers and the pair of spaced cassette table mechanisms, for transferring the wafers, one at a time, between the wafer cassette supported by one of the workpiece table mechanisms and one of the reaction chambers. Each of the cassette table mechanisms has a turntable for placing the wafer thereon, the turntable being rotatable to orient the wafer cassette out of physical interference with the robot arm of the transfer robot.

Abstract: An object handling device successively transfers objects such as semiconductor wafers. The object handling device includes first and second collapsible arm units having hands for holding objects, a first drive shaft for selectively extending and contracting the first arm unit, a second drive shaft for selectively extending and contracting the second arm unit, a third drive shaft for turning the first and second arm units while keeping the first and second arm units in a relative positional relationship, the first, second, and third drive shafts being disposed coaxially with each other, and an actuator mechanism for angularly moving the first, second, and third drive shafts about their own axes independently of each other.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for processing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer in a plasma includes a downstream- or coaxial-type chamber for housing the workpiece. A first sheet-like electrode is mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the chamber and electrically connected to a high-frequency power supply, and a second sheet-like electrode is mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the chamber and connected to ground. The first and second sheet-like electrodes are spaced in confronting relationship from each other circumferentially of the chamber across or along the axis thereof. The first and second sheet-like electrodes have respective axial or circumferential arrays of successive teeth, such as rectangular comb teeth, extending circumferentially or axially of the chamber and respective axial or circumferential arrays of successive recesses which complementarily receive the teeth, respectively, in an interdigitating pattern.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for ashing semi-conductors wafers has a vertically elongate cylindrical chamber for generating a plasma for processing a workpiece housed therein with heat applied thereto. The cylindrical chamber has upper and lower open ends closed respectively by upper and lower chamber plates. A cooling coil is positioned above the upper chamber plate. A temperature controller actuates a fan unit to force an air flow over the cooling coil to the upper chamber plate for keeping the temperature in the cylindrical chamber within a predetermined range. The plasma processing apparatus includes inner and outer electrodes disposed inside and outside, respectively, of the cylindrical chamber, and a Radio Frequency generator for generating the plasma between the inner and outer electrodes.

Abstract: An electron cyclotron resonance plasma chemical vapor deposition system has a reaction chamber for introducing a reaction gas therein, the reaction chamber housing a table for supporting a semiconductor wafer. A microwave oscillator is connected to the reaction chamber through a waveguide for generating and introducing a microwave into the reaction chamber to produce a plasma in the reaction chamber for activating the reaction gas to etch or deposit a film on the semiconductor wafer in the reaction chamber. A pair of upper and lower coils is disposed around the reaction chamber for generating respective magnetic fields in opposite directions in the reaction chamber. The magnetic fields cancel out each other creating a region with substantially no flux density in the magnetic fields between the coils. A bias voltage is applied to the table to attract the plasma to the table in a uniform manner.

Abstract: An object handling device successively transfers objects such as semiconductor wafers. The object handling device includes first and second collapsible arm units having hands for holding objects, a first drive shaft for selectively extending and contracting the first arm unit, a second drive shaft for selectively extending and contracting the second arm unit, a third drive shaft for turning the first and second arm units while keeping the first and second arm units in a relative positional relationship, the first, second, and third drive shafts being disposed coaxially with each other, and an actuator mechanism for angularly moving the first, second, and third drive shafts about their own axes independently of each other.

Abstract: The adhesiveness of a silicone-based coating film on a substrate to an overcoating layer, e.g., a photoresist layer, can be improved without causing cracks when the silicone-based coating film is subjected to a plasma treatment at a temperature of 120.degree. C. or below in an atmosphere of a gas mainly composed of oxygen. Similar conditions of plasma treatment are applicable when patterning of a silicone-based coating film is desired in a procedure comprising the steps of forming a photoresist layer thereon, patterning of the photoresist layer in a photolithographic method, selectively etching the silicone-based coating film with the patterned resist layer serving as a mask and removing the photoresist layer by the plasma treatment.

Abstract: An equipment (100; 200) for thermal stabilization process of photoresist pattern on semiconductor wafer comprises an ultraviolet lamp (20) by which a photoresist pattern formed on a semiconductor wafer (W) put in a process chamber (S) under vacuum pressure is irradiated with ultraviolet rays of a predetermined strength, and a heater (10) for heating the wafer to a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: Liquid compositions suitable for providing silica-based coating films on to various substrate surfaces are prepared by the reaction of an alkoxy-containing silane, a lower carboxylic acid and an alcohol in the presence of a reaction accelerator which is an organic acid different from the above mentioned lower carboxylic acid. The reaction proceeds very smoothly even in the absence of any halogen-containing compounds, and the resultant liquid coating compositions are free from the problem of corrosion due to the presence of a halogen-containing ingredient.