Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus is capable of cleaning an entire periphery of a substrate end portion at a time by simple control without polishing the end portion and without generating plasma. The substrate cleaning apparatus has a mounting table 204 on which a wafer W is placed, a heating unit 210 for heating a wafer end portion, ultraviolet application unit 220 for applying ultraviolet to the wafer end portion, and a gas flow forming unit 230 for forming a gas flow on the surface of the wafer end portion. The heating unit, the ultraviolet application unit, and the gas flow forming unit are disposed near the wafer end portion so as to surround the wafer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate treatment method intended for a substrate having, on its surface, a composite product of an inorganic material containing silicon oxide and an organic material containing carbon and fluorine. The method comprises: an ultraviolet ray treatment step for irradiating the surface of the substrate with ultraviolet ray to remove a part of the organic material; a hydrogen fluoride processing step which is conducted after the ultraviolet ray processing step and which is for supplying a steam of hydrogen fluoride onto the surface of the substrate to remove at least a part of the inorganic material; and a heating processing step which is conducted after the ultraviolet ray processing step and which is for heating the substrate to cause the shrinkage of a part of the organic material that remains unremoved.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus is capable of cleaning an entire periphery of a substrate end portion at a time by simple control without polishing the end portion and without generating plasma. The substrate cleaning apparatus has a mounting table 204 on which a wafer W is placed, a heating unit 210 for heating a wafer end portion, ultraviolet application unit 220 for applying ultraviolet to the wafer end portion, and a gas flow forming unit 230 for forming a gas flow on the surface of the wafer end portion. The heating unit, the ultraviolet application unit, and the gas flow forming unit are disposed near the wafer end portion so as to surround the wafer.

Abstract: An analysis apparatus includes a first process part for removing a film formed on a substrate by irradiating the film with ultraviolet light, a second process part for providing a solution onto a surface of the substrate for dissolving an object being analyzed on the substrate, and a third process part for analyzing the object being analyzed in the solution that is used in the second step.

Abstract: A method of helping particle detection and a method of particle detection include an adsorption/infiltration step where an organic gas is brought into contact with organic particles to cause an organic gas component to be adsorbed and infiltrate to the organic particles; a foaming step where a heated gas is brought into contact with the organic particles contacted with the organic gas to foam/expand the organic particles; and an organic-particle detection step where the foamed/expanded organic particles are irradiated with light and light scattered by the organic particles is received to detect the organic particles. Further, the methods include an oxidation step where inorganic particles and the organic particles are oxidized to decompose the organic particles and expand the inorganic particles; and an inorganic particle detection step where the expanded inorganic particles are irradiated with light and light scattered by the inorganic particles is received to detect the inorganic particles.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate treatment method intended for a substrate having, on its surface, a composite product of an inorganic material containing silicon oxide and an organic material containing carbon and fluorine. The method comprises: an ultraviolet ray treatment step for irradiating the surface of the substrate with ultraviolet ray to remove a part of the organic material; a hydrogen fluoride processing step which is conducted after the ultraviolet ray processing step and which is for supplying a steam of hydrogen fluoride onto the surface of the substrate to remove at least a part of the inorganic material; and a heating processing step which is conducted after the ultraviolet ray processing step and which is for heating the substrate to cause the shrinkage of a part of the organic material that remains unremoved.

Abstract: An analysis apparatus includes a first process part for removing a film formed on a substrate by irradiating the film with ultraviolet light, a second process part for providing a solution onto a surface of the substrate for dissolving an object being analyzed on the substrate, and a third process part for analyzing the object being analyzed in the solution that is used in the second step.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus is capable of cleaning an entire periphery of a substrate end portion at a time by simple control without polishing the end portion and without generating plasma. The substrate cleaning apparatus has a mounting table 204 on which a wafer W is placed, a heating unit 210 for heating a wafer end portion, ultraviolet application unit 220 for applying ultraviolet to the wafer end portion, and a gas flow forming unit 230 for forming a gas flow on the surface of the wafer end portion. The heating unit, the ultraviolet application unit, and the gas flow forming unit are disposed near the wafer end portion so as to surround the wafer.

Abstract: The device forms a flow of a back-side gas over a back-side surface of the end portion of the wafer undergoing a cleaning process executed by radiating an electromagnetic wave such as an ultraviolet ray onto the end portion of the wafer. During the cleaning process, a flow of front-side gas directed along a direction matching the direction of the back-side gas is also formed over the front-side surface of the end portion of the wafer. The flow velocity of the back-side gas is set higher than the flow velocity of the front-side gas. As a result, a descending gas current is created to flow from the wafer front side toward the wafer back side at a gap between the wafer end portion and a partitioning plate, which makes it possible to reliably prevent an active species formed on the back side of the wafer end portion from reaching over to the wafer front side.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to measure the thermal expansion/shrinkage rate of a thin layer and to apply the results of the measurement. While a specimen is heated by a heater and held at a predetermined temperature, it is exposed to X-rays emitted from an X-ray source and the reflection of the X-rays is measured by an X-ray detector. The thickness of the thin layer at the predetermined temperature is calculated from the reflection rate of the X-rays. As the thin layer is heated further, its temperature is measured. The thermal expansion rate or expansion/shrinkage rate is determined from the thickness at each temperature measurement. With the use of a program for determining the temperature increase and decrease, the curing conditions for the thin layer can be determined in response to the thermal expansion/shrinkage rate. Also, when the apparatus is installed in a multi-chamber system, the layer depositing conditions can be modified.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the steps of performing a reforming process on a surface of a low dielectric constant insulation film formed on a substrate which includes one of a porous low dielectric constant insulation film and a non-porous low dielectric constant insulation film and forming an insulation film as at least one of an etching mask and a Chemical Mechanical Polishing stopper (CMP stopper) on the reformed surface of the low dielectric constant insulation film. For example, plasma is radiated as a reforming process mentioned above, the surface roughness of a low dielectric insulation film is increased and, as a result, adhesion between the films and also between the inter-layer insulation film and other neighboring films can be improved with so-called “anchor effect”.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the steps of performing a reforming process on a surface of a low dielectric constant insulation film formed on a substrate which includes one of a porous low dielectric constant insulation film and a non-porous low dielectric constant insulation film and forming an insulation film as at least one of an etching mask and a Chemical Mechanical Polishing stopper (CMP stopper) on the reformed surface of the low dielectric constant insulation film. For example, plasma is radiated as a reforming process mentioned above, the surface roughness of a low dielectric insulation film is increased and, as a result, adhesion between the films and also between the inter-layer insulation film and other neighboring films can be improved with so-called “anchor effect”.

Abstract: A novel non-uniform-density sample analyzing method capable of analyzing simply and highly accurately the distribution state of particle-like matter in a non-uniform-density sample such as a thin film and bulk element and a non-uniform-density sample analyzing device and a non-uniform-density sample analyzing system for implementing the method are provided; said method comprising the steps of calculating a simulated X-ray scattering curve under the same conditions as measuring conditions for an actually measured X-ray scattering curve by using a scattering function that simulates an X-ray scattering curve according to a fitting parameter indicating distribution state of particle-like matter, carrying out fitting between the simulated X-ray scattering curve and the actually measured X-ray scattering curve while changing the fitting parameter, and using, as the distribution state of particulate matters in the non-uniform-density sample, the value of the fitting parameter when the simulated X-ray scattering curv

Abstract: A reactant gas is introduced into a process chamber under a temperature which is lower than reactive temperature of the reactant gas so that voids in a porous amorphous insulation film on a sample is filled with the introduced reactant gas. And chemical vapor deposition is carried out with heating the porous amorphous insulation film up to a temperature which is higher than the reactive temperature of the reactant gas to form a crystalline thin film on inner surfaces of the voids. Image data representing the porous amorphous insulation film in which the crystalline thin film is formed are generated with using a transmission electron microscope, and the porous amorphous insulation film is observed based on the image data to measure topographical characteristics of the porous amorphous insulation film such as void's size, porosity, etc.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the steps of performing a reforming process on a surface of a low dielectric constant insulation film formed on a substrate which includes one of a porous low dielectric constant insulation film and a non-porous low dielectric constant insulation film and forming an insulation film as at least one of an etching mask and a Chemical Mechanical Polishing stopper (CMP stopper) on the reformed surface of the low dielectric constant insulation film. For example, plasma is radiated as a reforming process mentioned above, the surface roughness of a low dielectric insulation film is increased and, as a result, adhesion between the films and also between the inter-layer insulation film and other neighboring films can be improved with so-called “anchor effect”.

Abstract: A reactant gas is introduced into a process chamber under a temperature which is lower than reactive temperature of the reactant gas so that voids in a porous amorphous insulation film on a sample is filled with the introduced reactant gas. And chemical vapor deposition is carried out with heating the porous amorphous insulation film up to a temperature which is higher than the reactive temperature of the reactant gas to form a crystalline thin film on inner surfaces of the voids. Image data representing the porous amorphous insulation film in which the crystalline thin film is formed are generated with using a transmission electron microscope, and the porous amorphous insulation film is observed based on the image data to measure topographical characteristics of the porous amorphous insulation film such as void's size, porosity, etc.

Abstract: An apparatus inputs an image of a regularly latticed-patterns. The inputted image data is transformed into frequency data by the Fourier transformation. The frequency data is restored into image data after it is processed. The processing of the frequency data includes a process for removing a frequency component corresponding to the latticed patterns. The processing of the frequency data further includes a process for removing a frequency component corresponding to a shape of an area of the latticed patterns. The processed data is used for detecting and examining a defect. It is possible to examine a defect accurately.

Abstract: A low-distortion amplifier circuit which comprises a transistor amplification circuit composed of an amplification transistor and an input terminal, an output terminal and a power source terminal, a first resistor connected between the input terminal and the amplification transistor, a second resistor connected between the output terminal and the power source terminal, and n pieces of forward direction diode elements which are made of transistors with the same characteristic as that of the amplification circuit, have their collectors and bases being shorted, and are connected in series together with the second resistor between the output terminal and the power source terminal. The first and second resistors are arranged to have resistors so that the proportion between these two resistors multiplied by the amplification rate of each transistor equals the number n of forward direction diode elements.