Abstract: An in-liquid plasma generation device includes a housing which holds a liquid in an internal space, a gas supply tube which includes an opening in the internal space and discharges a gas into the liquid through the opening, a first electrode which has projecting part projecting into the internal space via the opening from inside of the gas supply tube, the projecting part including a conductor covered by a dielectric, a second electrode which surrounds the projecting part of the first electrode and includes a conductor isolated from the liquid by a dielectric, and a voltage applier which applies a voltage to between the first electrode and the second electrode. A space between the projecting part and the second electrode is a flow passage in which the gas discharged from the opening flows.

Abstract: A liquid film of a processing liquid containing at least one of sulfuric acid, a sulfate, peroxosulfuric acid, and a peroxosulfate, or a processing liquid containing hydrogen peroxide is formed on a substrate. A plasma is radiated to the liquid film. Thereby, a substrate processing method in which substrate processing using an oxidizing power of the processing liquid can be efficiently performed is provided.

Abstract: An in-liquid plasma generation device includes a housing which holds a liquid in an internal space, a gas supply tube which includes an opening in the internal space and discharges a gas into the liquid through the opening, a first electrode which has projecting part projecting into the internal space via the opening from inside of the gas supply tube, the projecting part including a conductor covered by a dielectric, a second electrode which surrounds the projecting part of the first electrode and includes a conductor isolated from the liquid by a dielectric, and a voltage applier which applies a voltage to between the first electrode and the second electrode. A space between the projecting part and the second electrode is a flow passage in which the gas discharged from the opening flows.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus measure the amount of a metal catalyst supported on a sample that has a membrane of a metal catalyst layer containing the metal catalyst. The measuring apparatus includes a terahertz-wave emitting part that emits a terahertz wave in the range of 0.01 to 10 THz to the sample, a transmitted-terahertz-wave detection part that detects the electric field intensity of a transmitted terahertz wave that has passed through the sample, a storage that stores correlation information acquired in advance and indicating the correlation between the amount of the metal catalyst supported and the electric field intensity of the transmitted terahertz wave, and an amount-of-catalyst-supported acquisition module that acquires the amount of the metal catalyst supported on the sample, on the basis of the correlation information and the electric field intensity of the transmitted terahertz wave detected by the transmitted-terahertz-wave detection part.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus measure the amount of a metal catalyst supported on a sample that has a membrane of a metal catalyst layer containing the metal catalyst. The measuring apparatus includes a terahertz-wave emitting part that emits a terahertz wave in the range of 0.01 to 10 THz to the sample, a transmitted-terahertz-wave detection part that detects the electric field intensity of a transmitted terahertz wave that has passed through the sample, a storage that stores correlation information acquired in advance and indicating the correlation between the amount of the metal catalyst supported and the electric field intensity of the transmitted terahertz wave, and an amount-of-catalyst-supported acquisition module that acquires the amount of the metal catalyst supported on the sample, on the basis of the correlation information and the electric field intensity of the transmitted terahertz wave detected by the transmitted-terahertz-wave detection part.

Abstract: In a surface voltmeter (1), a surface voltage on a measurement area on a semiconductor substrate (9) on which an insulating film is formed is measured while applying light to the measurement area. With this operation, a voltage induced on a main body of the substrate (9) by charge which is charged on a surface of the insulating film is balanced out. Consequently, it is possible to measure a surface voltage on the measurement area with high accuracy. Since an electrode wiring (164) used for application of an electrode voltage to an electrode (12) extends from the electrode (12) in a direction away from the substrate (9) along a vibration direction, it is possible to prevent influences of noises caused by vibration of the electrode wiring (164) in vibrating the electrode (12) and to measure the surface voltage on the measurement area more accurately.

Abstract: A surface voltmeter has a stage having a conductive surface, a vibrating electrode, a vibration part, and an elevation mechanism. While vibrating the vibrating electrode, displacement current from the conductive surface is acquired. A control part controls electrode voltage so that the displacement current becomes a value specified by a computer, and acquires a relationship between the displacement current and the electrode voltage while changing the displacement current. Acquisition of the relationship is performed a plurality of times while changing distance between the vibrating electrode and an object, the electrode voltage which is independent from the distance between the vibrating electrode and the object is obtained as reference voltage, and surface voltage on the object is obtained on the basis of the reference voltage.

Abstract: In a body of a film-thickness measuring apparatus (1), an organic contamination remover (3) for removing organic contamination adsorbed onto a substrate (9) is provided. The organic contamination remover (3) includes a chamber body (31), an interior of which is kept clean. In the chamber body (31), a hot plate (32) for heating the substrate, a cooling plate (33) for cooling the substrate, and a transfer arm (34) for moving the substrate (9) from the hot plate (32) to the cooling plate (33) in the chamber body 31, are provided. With this structure, it is possible to keep the substrate (9) in a clean atmosphere within the chamber body (31), to thereby suppress re-adsorption of organic contamination onto the substrate during a time period from a time when organic contamination adsorbed onto the substrate (9) is removed to a time when cooling is completed.

Abstract: In a surface voltmeter (1), a surface voltage on a measurement area on a semiconductor substrate (9) on which an insulating film is formed is measured while applying light to the measurement area. With this operation, a voltage induced on a main body of the substrate (9) by charge which is charged on a surface of the insulating film is balanced out. Consequently, it is possible to measure a surface voltage on the measurement area with high accuracy. Since an electrode wiring (164) used for application of an electrode voltage to an electrode (12) extends from the electrode (12) in a direction away from the substrate (9) along a vibration direction, it is possible to prevent influences of noises caused by vibration of the electrode wiring (164) in vibrating the electrode (12) and to measure the surface voltage on the measurement area more accurately.

Abstract: A memory (43) of a control unit (4) stores correction data (81) indicating a relationship between a decrement in a measurement value of a film thickness by removal of organic contamination adsorbed onto a substrate and an amount of adsorbed organic contamination corresponding to a difference between a true film thickness and the measurement. The difference is caused by organic contamination adsorbed onto the substrate before removal of organic contamination. In a film-thickness measuring apparatus (1), a calculating/measuring part 41 obtains a first measurement value of a film thickness on a substrate (9) using an ellipsometer (23), and further obtains a second measurement value which is affected by remaining organic contamination after organic contamination adsorbed onto the substrate (9) is removed by an organic contamination remover (3).

Abstract: A relative-dielectric-constant measuring apparatus according to the present invention includes an ellipsometer and a capacitance measuring part. The ellipsometer allows non-contact measurements of the film thickness and optical constants of an insulation film formed on the upper surface of a wafer. The capacitance measuring part, on the other hand, allows non-contact measurements of the gap between the insulation film and an electrode and accumulation capacitance. The relative-dielectric-constant measuring apparatus can calculate the relative dielectric constant of the insulation film based on the measured film thickness, gap, and accumulation capacitance. Thus, the relative dielectric constant of the insulation film can be determined without contact and with high precision.

Abstract: A surface voltmeter comprises a stage having a conductive surface, a vibrating electrode, a vibration part, and an elevation mechanism. While vibrating the vibrating electrode, displacement current from the conductive surface is acquired. A control part controls electrode voltage so that the displacement current becomes a value specified by a computer, and acquires a relationship between the displacement current and the electrode voltage while changing the displacement current. Acquisition of the relationship is performed a plurality of times while changing distance between the vibrating electrode and an object, the electrode voltage which is independent from the distance between the vibrating electrode and the object is obtained as reference voltage, and surface voltage on the object is obtained on the basis of the reference voltage.

Abstract: A relative-dielectric-constant measuring apparatus according to the present invention includes an ellipsometer and a capacitance measuring part. The ellipsometer allows non-contact measurements of the film thickness and optical constants of an insulation film formed on the upper surface of a wafer. The capacitance measuring part, on the other hand, allows non-contact measurements of the gap between the insulation film and an electrode and accumulation capacitance. The relative-dielectric-constant measuring apparatus can calculate the relative dielectric constant of the insulation film based on the measured film thickness, gap, and accumulation capacitance. Thus, the relative dielectric constant of the insulation film can be determined without contact and with high precision.

Abstract: A memory (43) of a control unit (4) stores correction data (81) indicating a relationship between a decrement in a measurement value of a film thickness by removal of organic contamination adsorbed onto a substrate and an amount of adsorbed organic contamination corresponding to a difference between a true film thickness and the measurement. The difference is caused by organic contamination adsorbed onto the substrate before removal of organic contamination. In a film-thickness measuring apparatus (1), a calculating/measuring part 41 obtains a first measurement value of a film thickness on a substrate (9) using an ellipsometer (23), and further obtains a second measurement value which is affected by remaining organic contamination after organic contamination adsorbed onto the substrate (9) is removed by an organic contamination remover (3).

Abstract: In a body of a film-thickness measuring apparatus (1), an organic contamination remover (3) for removing organic contamination adsorbed onto a substrate (9) is provided. The organic contamination remover (3) includes a chamber body (31), an interior of which is kept clean. In the chamber body (31), a hot plate (32) for heating the substrate, a cooling plate (33) for cooling the substrate, and a transfer arm (34) for moving the substrate (9) from the hot plate (32) to the cooling plate (33) in the chamber body 31, are provided. With this structure, it is possible to keep the substrate (9) in a clean atmosphere within the chamber body (31), to thereby suppress re-adsorption of organic contamination onto the substrate during a time period from a time when organic contamination adsorbed onto the substrate (9) is removed to a time when cooling is completed.

Abstract: A non-contact method of measuring the thickness of an insulator film on a semiconductor substrate includes: (i) charging the insulator film surface in a non-contact manner; (ii) obtaining a first flat band voltage by conducting, prior to the charging processing step, a C-V measurement on the semiconductor substrate; obtaining a second flat band voltage by conducting, after the charging processing step, a C-V measurement on the semiconductor substrate; and calculating, based on a difference between the first and second flat band voltages, the charge amount given to the insulator film surface by the charging processing step; (iii) then measuring the insulator film surface potential and (iv) calculating the insulator film thickness based on the charge amount measured at the charge amount measuring step and on the surface potential measured at the surface potential measuring step.

Abstract: A method of measuring the thickness of an insulator film formed on one surface of a semiconductor substrate, in a non-contact manner with respect to the insulator film.

Abstract: The method obtains a first C-V curve prior to irradiation with light and a second C-V curve after the irradiation with light. The method determines the amount of the intra-film impurity ions in an insulating film in the state prior to the irradiation with light, based on the first and the second C-V curves.

Abstract: C-V measurement is first carried out with respect to a target area on a semiconductor wafer using a measuring electrode located over the target area. Parameters used for C-t measurement of the target area (for example, applied voltages Vacc and Vmeas or a recovery time Tr) are then obtained from a C-V characteristic obtained by the C-V measurement. C-t measurement is subsequently carried out with respect to the target area using these parameters.

Abstract: A probing apparatus is used to measure electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device formed on a wafer. The apparatus includes means for holding the wafer in a vertical or slightly leaned position on a frame, a contact needle, three-directional drive means for holding the needle on the frame movably both vertically and horizontally along the device-bearing surface of the wafer and for bringing the needle into releasable contact with a desired portion of the device-bearing surface of the wafer, and a microscope provided in such a way that the tip of the needle is seen substantially at the center of the field of view, said microscope being movable together with the needle along the device-bearing surface of the wafer.