Abstract: An apparatus for semiconductor wafers is disclosed which comprises a plurality of washing tanks for semiconductor wafers, air duct means defining blowing ports for discharging a flow of air over the washing tank, suction port means disposed opposite the blowing ports to remove the air after passing over the washing tank. And also the apparatus comprises ionizer means mounted on at least one side of the washing tank to ionize air flowing over the washing tank. Thus ionized air serves to neutralize electrostatic charge on surfaces of semiconductor wafers to thereby prevent dust or particles from sticking to the wafer surfaces.

Abstract: A lid member having an annular filter therein is mounted so as to open on a spin dryer body and serves to filter air introduced therein. The lid member has a top surface which is upwardly convex to prevent turbulence of air above the top surface and introduction of air from below, and is divided into upper and lower portions. A gap formed between the upper and lower portions may be opened for introduction of air and closed for stoppage of the introduction of air.

Abstract: In a spin-dryer having a rotor on which semiconductor wafers to be dryed are set, nitrogen gas is released at a low rate to enclose the rotor in a nitrogen gas atmosphere from the arrangement of the semiconductor wafers on the rotor until the start of the spinning of the rotor, and then at a relatively high rate from the start of the spinning of the rotor or from immediately before the start of the spinning, in order to dry the semiconductor wafers without oxidation. The downward flow of air into the rotor is prevented for a prset time period from the start of the spinning of the rotor or from immediately before the start of the spinning. Air is then caused to flow into the rotor after an elapse of the preset time period.

Abstract: An improved filter-box positioned on a spin dryer is disclosed, which has a ceiling plate, a bottom plate and an annular filter provided between the ceiling plate and the bottom plate. The inner area of the lower surface of the ceiling plate within the filter is downwards convex so that the center of the inner area locates at the lowermost portion thereof. This convex form of the lower surface ceiling guides introduced air to the central lowermost portion of the same and prevents fine dust from accumulating on the lower surface of the ceiling plate. A static electricity removing member is mounted on the lowermost portion of the ceiling plate. The member includes an ionizer to effect the ionization of the introduced air, guided by the convex surface.

Abstract: A bubbler device is disclosed, which comprises of a suitable number of bubbling portions and is located on the bottom in a rinse vessel for washing semiconductor materials set in a carrier. The respective bubbling portions have a filter consisted of a fine mesh which enables passage of gas but hinders penetration of liquid, to thereby generate bubbles through the filter so as to promote the washing of semiconductor materials without penetration of the liquid. The filter is releasably mounted on the upper side of the bubbling portion.

Abstract: A support frame for a semiconductor wafer carrier is disclosed, which comprises a guide means to guide and hold said carrier in position and a wafer stopper means located in the central area of the support frame for washing or other processing of semiconductor wafers housed in a carrier located in a vessel. The respective semiconductor wafers housed in a carrier located in position in the support frame are slightly lifted with the lowermost portion of the wafers abutting against the wafer stopper means to thereby contact the whole surface of the wafers with the liquid in a vessel.

Abstract: A spin drier is disclosed, which comprises a casing and a rotor to be rotated in the casing for spin-drying semiconductor materials. The rotor includes a plurality of predetermined areas in which a carrier housing the materials to be dried is set with a cradle. There are provided at each of the areas in the rotor at least one pair of opposed holder rods with their free ends adjacent to each other and vertical stopper rods relevant to the holder rods. Each holder rod is reinforced by the stopper rod and receives in the vicinity of its free end a leg portion of the carrier in which semiconductor materials are housed. Also, each holder rod in the vicinity of other secured end thereof is adapted to be engaged with a portion of the cradle, to thereby hold securely both the carrier and the cradle.

Abstract: A device for developing treatment of a semiconductor material which is provided with a cup-shaped basin having a liquid inlet passage in its center portion and an annular flat upper portion and a chuck positioned above the basin and having a lower end surface for supporting the semiconductor material to be developed, the basin being provided on its upper portion with a ring for temporarily storing the developing liquid supplied to the upper portion of the basin, the ring having a diameter larger than the size of the semiconductor material and the passage being provided with an automatically operable valve.

Abstract: This invention relates an apparatus for etching a film such as an oxide film applied on one surface of a semiconductor material, and the apparatus includes a cup-shaped basin, a chuck for supporting a semiconductor material to be treated at lower surface thereof and a pair of electrical terminals contacting with an etchant which has just contacted with a film. The chuck is rotatably mounted spaced above the basin. The electric terminals detect changes of ionic density in the etchant in order to discriminate an end point of etching. A point of re-increase in ionic density in etchant is used as an etching end point.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a spin drier for semiconductor material including a vertical shaft, a table located on the top of the shaft, support members for supporting thereon a semiconductor material, holding members for holding the outer periphery of the supported semiconductor material, and three or more chuck members, each said chuck member having a pin passing through the table, a chuck part mounted on the top of the pin, a weight eccentrically attached to the pin and a spring member for restoring the chuck part to a determined non-chuck position, whereby in rotation the weight is shifted to a radially outer position due to centrifugal force to thereby move the chuck part radially inwardly to hold upper surface portions of the outer periphery of the supported semiconductor material.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a package assembly for a semiconductor device or devices. The package assembly has a ceramic package body and at least one ceramic cover plate. The package body has a circular outer periphery provided with a plurality of projections to be fitted in grooves formed in an inner peripheral surface of a base board, and a plurality of connector terminals on the surface of the body. Also, the package body is formed with a stepped portion or portions in the rear face thereof. The cover plate or plates are sealed to the stepped portion or portions by pastes applied to both the cover plate and the stepped body portion. This ceramic package assembly enables compactness, moisture-proof complete seal and easy mounting thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates a basin for applying a treatment such as development, etching or plating to one of surfaces of a semiconductor material. A treatment liquid is introduced through a passage formed in a lower part of the basin. Then, the treatment liquid is blown upwardly against the semiconductor material held spacedly above a top portion of the basin. The top portion of the basin centrally defines a hole permitting the passage of the treatment liquid therethrough and is formed into a table surface having an area wider than the one surface of the semiconductor material. At the outer circumferential edge of the semiconductor material, the treatment liquid is allowed to flow in a laminar state outwardly along the table surface. Thus, the treatment liquid is prevented from running astray onto the rear surface of the semiconductor material.

Abstract: A spin drier including a casing and a rotor equipped with at least one holder for a carrier, which is adapted to enclose a semiconductor material such as a silicon wafer therein, and embraced in the casing so that the semiconductor material placed on the rotor is dried by a gas stream which has been introduced through an intake port provided above the rotor, passes through the rotor and is to be exhausted through an exhaust port formed through a circumferential wall of the casing. The rotor is provided with at least three guide members on the outer section thereof, and each guide member includes a substantially vertically disposed curved surface with its convex side faced inwardly. The described holder is positioned between two guide members, to thereby guide the above described gas flow and thus prevent water, dusts and/or stains located on the bottom wall and circumferential wall of the casing from flowing back onto the semiconductor materials.

Abstract: In a cradle adapted to receive a carrier, which carries semiconductor elements stored therein, for mounting the carrier on a predetermined position of a spin drier, a pair of stepped portions which are parallel to each other and perpendicular to a rear wall of the cradle is provided on the rear wall of the cradle so that leg portions of the carrier are received between the stepped portions. The stepped portions serve to prevent the leg portions of the carrier from opening during the spinning of the carrier. The cradle can thus avoid damages of the semiconductor elements stored in the carrier, which damages would otherwise be caused to occur due to opening of the leg portions.

Abstract: After subjecting a semiconductor element to etching, it must be washed with water and then dried so as to remove any etchant therefrom. In the course of the washing and drying steps, the semiconductor element may undergo quality changes due to its contact with water. Such quality changes become remarkable when the semiconductor element is kept for a long time period in the resultant washings. The above quality changes can be successfully avoided by holding an etched semiconductor element horizontally over a water-washing tank, pre-washing its downwardly-directed front surface with an upward jet of water, thoroughly washing the front surface with pure water blown upwardly from a lower part of the tank while washing its upwardly-directed rear surface with water so that both surfaces of the semiconductor element are washed completely, and then immediately spin-drying the thus-washed semiconductor element.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an information card consisted of a card member formed with a circular hole in a position thereof and an information unit disposed within said hole, said unit comprising semiconductor device or devices adapted to generate an output signal in response to an input signal or to provide like functions and a holding member for receiving said semiconductor device or devices, said holding member being provided with a circular outer periphery, the information card being characterized by that either the outer peripheral surface of the holding member or the inner peripheral surface of the hole of the card member has one or plurality of protrudent portions and the other is formed with a groove or grooves extending in a circular direction to receive the protrudent portion or portions, to thereby obviate disadvantages due to a seal treatment with cover sheets acted on the information card.

Abstract: A carrier supports a single lot of prescribed sheets of semiconductor wafers so as to transfer the semiconductor wafers from one processing step to another processing step in their cleaning and etching processing. The carrier, or a container for the carrier, includes an information member holder and an information member detachably supported by the holder. An information member includes a semiconductor chip which constitutes a microprocessor and memory. The above carrier can bring about numerous merits which include:(1) Each processing or treatment apparatus is operated in accordance with instructions given by the information member and instruction errors can be effectively avoided;(2) The completion of each processing or treatment step and other information pertaining the step are all stored in the memory, thereby facilitating correct collation; and(3) The information member may be formed into an information card, which is small in size and extremely convenient for handling.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a spin drier for silicon wafers and the like including a rotor equipped with at least one holder for a carrier, which is adapted to enclose a silicon wafer or the like therein, and a casing embracing the rotor. The spin drier is further provided with a guide member, which is disposed between the lower face of the rotor and the bottom wall of the casing and formed of a plurality of guide blades extending downwardly aslant in the rotating direction of the rotor. Owing to the provision of the guide member, water and dusts are prevented from splashing back onto the wafers or the like from the bottom wall of the casing. Thus, the wafers or the like can be dried faster without deleteriously affecting the washing effect.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a spin drier for silicon wafers and the like including a rotor equipped with at least one holder for a carrier, which is adapted to enclose a silicon wafer or the like therein, and a casing embracing the rotor. The radial distance between the circumferential wall of the casing and the central axis of the rotor gradually increases as the circumferential wall extends all around the rotor in its circumferential direction from a position adjacent to an air exhaust port to the air exhaust port, thereby making an air conduit formed around the rotor gradually wider. The bottom wall of the casing gradually slopes down towards the air exhaust port. Owing to the above construction, the resistance to an air stream through the casing has been reduced, thereby preventing air from flowing back into the rotor after striking the circumferential wall of the casing and thus preventing stains and water on the circumferential wall of the casing from flowing back and sticking on wafers or the like.

Abstract: The specification describes a unitary probe assembly adapted to inspect semiconductor chips each provided with a plurality of electrode terminals at both inner surface area and outer peripheral edge thereof. Probes are disposed in a plurality of layers and terminate at the free ends thereof in a common plane. The main body portions of the probes are covered by a layer of an insulating material. Owing to the layer of the insulating material, the layers of the probes can be stacked closely without need to worry about their electrical contact, thereby making it possible to reduce the assembly in thickness and rendering its handling and application easier. Since all the probes are disposed at once and secured in place with a suitable resin such as epoxy resin, the fabrication of the probe assembly is easy and efficient.