Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a chamber which incorporates an optical element and surrounds a predetermined region, a mechanism for setting an inert gas atmosphere in the chamber, and a closed vessel which surrounds the chamber. The purity of inert gas in the chamber is higher than a purity of inert gas in the closed vessel.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus for cooling an optical element provided in a vacuum atmosphere includes a radiational cooling part, arranged apart from the optical element, for cooling the optical element by radiation heat transfer, and a controller for controlling temperature of the radiation cooling part.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a sealed vacuum chamber which contains a processing portion; a pressure controlling system which keeps the internal pressure of the sealed vacuum chamber constant at a predetermined level by exhausting the ambient gas in the sealed vacuum chamber; and an ambient gas recirculating system which recirculates the ambient gas exhausted from the sealed vacuum chamber back into the sealed vacuum chamber; wherein the ambient as recirculated by the ambient gas recirculating system is blown into the sealed vacuum chamber so that a gas flow is generated in a predetermined direction along the processing portion.

Abstract: An X-ray projection exposure apparatus includes a mask chuck, a wafer chuck, an X-ray illuminating system, and an X-ray projection system. The masks chuck holds a reflection X-ray mask having a mask pattern thereon. The wafer chuck holds a wafer onto which the mask pattern is transferred. The X-ray illuminating system illuminates the reflection X-ray mask, held by the mask chuck, with X-rays. The X-ray projection optical system projects the mask pattern of the reflection X-ray mask onto the wafer held by the wafer chuck with a predetermined magnification. The mask chuck includes a mechanism for generating static electricity for attracting and holding the reflection X-ray mask by an electrostatic force. The invention also includes a device manufacturing method using such an X-ray projection exposure apparatus to transfer a mask pattern onto the wafer using the X-ray projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a sealed vacuum chamber which contains a processing portion; a pressure controlling system which keeps the internal pressure of the sealed vacuum chamber constant at a predetermined level by exhausting the ambient gas in the sealed vacuum chamber; and an ambient gas recirculating system which recirculates the ambient gas exhausted from the sealed vacuum chamber back into the sealed vacuum chamber; wherein the ambient gas recirculated by the ambient gas recirculating system is blown into the sealed vacuum chamber so that a gas flow is generated in a predetermined direction along the processing portion.

Abstract: An X-ray exposure apparatus operating in a vacuum or a reduced-pressure environment includes a mask, arranged in the vacuum or in the reduced-pressure environment, for holding a reflection X-ray mask having a mask pattern thereon, an X-ray illuminating system arranged so as to illuminate the reflection X-ray mask having the mask pattern thereon, relatively scanningly with X-rays, wherein the mask pattern being illuminated is transferred onto an object, and a cooling structure for cooling the X-ray mask held by the mask chuck.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory production system is provided, capable of holding the data necessary for process analysis for each lot in chronological order using a small amount of information, and which enables production management based on data that has been stored previously without performing new measurements. The semiconductor memory production system comprises: an LSI tester 1 that tests semiconductor memory and outputs the addresses of memory cells for each chip and a pass/fail bitmap corresponding to these addresses, and a process defect estimating device 34 that extracts the bit addresses of fail bits from the bitmap, and determines replacement addresses of word lines and bit lines to be replaced by redundant word lines and redundant bit lines in the redundant memory section, and estimates process defects from statistical analysis of the distribution condition of each chip on each wafer.

Abstract: For a mask structure which has a mask substrate on which a mask pattern is formed and a ring-shaped support frame (1) having a rectangular window (2), forces are applied to four pressurizing points (4-7) of the outer periphery of the support frame on the substantial extended lines of the two diagonal lines of the rectangular window (2). The forces are applied while adjusting the angle of the vector of each force with respect to each of the pressurizing points (4-7). For some of the pressurizing points, pressurizing points can be set for pressurizing in two directions perpendicular to each other. For some of the vectors of the forces, the force can be decomposed in X- and Y-axis directions parallel to sides of the rectangular window (2) and applied to the support frame (1).

Abstract: A jetting apparatus for mixing at least liquid and gas to create the mixed flow of the gas and the liquid to thereby jet the mixed flow is provided. The jetting apparatus has a passage of the mixed flow of the gas and the liquid, the passage including at least one partition and a plurality of sub-passages divided by the partition, and liquid injection ports being provided in correspondence with the divided sub-passages. Mass flow per sectional area of the mixed flow of the gas and the liquid passing through the respective sub-passages is substantially equal.

Abstract: An X-ray projection exposure apparatus includes a mask chuck, a wafer chuck, an X-ray illuminating system, and an X-ray projection system. The masks chuck holds a reflection X-ray mask having a mask pattern thereon. The wafer chuck holds a wafer onto which the mask pattern is transferred. The X-ray illuminating system illuminates the reflection X-ray mask, held by the mask chuck, with X-rays. The X-ray projection optical system projects the mask pattern of the reflection X-ray mask onto the wafer held by the wafer chuck with a predetermined magnification. The mask chuck includes a mechanism for generating static electricity for attracting and holding the reflection X-ray mask by an electrostatic force. The invention also includes a device manufacturing method using such an X-ray projection exposure apparatus to transfer a mask pattern onto the wafer using the X-ray projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A flow path for the pressure gas which is to be connected to a pressure gas feeder is formed almost rectilinearly, a liquid reservoir chamber to be connected to a pressure liquid feeder is provided in the flow path for the pressure gas. The sectional area of the flow path for the pressure fluid is gradually reduced to form an accelerating portion, an injection port for a liquid injection nozzle communicating with the liquid reservoir chamber is provided in the acceleration portion and a gas injection port is formed on the outside to enclose the injection port of the liquid injection nozzle. A powder and granular material may be mixed into the pressure gas or the pressure liquid, or a detergent may be added into the pressure liquid.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a sealed vacuum chamber which contains a processing portion; a pressure controlling system which keeps the internal pressure of the sealed vacuum chamber constant at a predetermined level by exhausting the ambient gas in the sealed vacuum chamber; and an ambience gas recirculating system which recirculates the ambience gas exhausted from the sealed vacuum chamber back into the sealed vacuum chamber; wherein the ambience gas recirculated by the ambience. gas recirculating system is blown into the sealed vacuum chamber so that a gas flow is generated in a predetermined direction along the processing portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: An X-ray mask has a mask pattern, a protection means for forming a dust-proof space for protecting the mask pattern, and an inner atmospheric pressure adjustment hole for ventilating between the dust-proof space and the outer atmosphere. The X-ray mask can be either a transmission type mask in which the mask pattern is formed on a membrane, or a reflection type mask in which a multilayered film reflection layer and the mask pattern are formed on a substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: An X-ray projection exposure apparatus includes a mask chuck, a wafer chuck, an X-ray illuminating system, and an X-ray projection system. The masks chuck holds a reflection X-ray mask having a mask pattern thereon. The wafer chuck holds a wafer onto which the mask pattern is transferred. The X-ray illuminating system illuminates the reflection X-ray mask, held by the mask chuck, with X-rays. The X-ray projection optical system projects the mask pattern of the reflection X-ray mask onto the wafer held by the wafer chuck with a predetermined magnification. The mask chuck includes a mechanism for generating static electricity for attracting and holding the reflection X-ray mask by an electrostatic force. The invention also includes a device manufacturing method using such an X-ray projection exposure apparatus to transfer a mask pattern onto the wafer using the X-ray projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: This invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing a sample such as a substrate. The apparatus includes a process chamber having an exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern onto a substrate as a sample in a predetermined atmosphere, a load-lock chamber connected to the process chamber, a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between the load-lock chamber and a coater/developer, a clean booth which covers the transfer path of the transfer mechanism, and a transfer atmosphere forming mechanism for flowing a clean gas in the clean booth.

Abstract: In a cleaning nozzle, a trumpet-shaped portion made up of multiple inclined portions or a curved portion is formed upstream of a minimum diameter portion of an ejection nozzle portion of a converging-diverging shape, and a gas ejection port is opened to an intermediate part of the trumpet-shaped portion. Inside the gas ejection port is formed a cleaning liquid ejection port. A gas is ejected at a higher speed than that of a cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid ejection port to transform the cleaning liquid into droplets, which are further accelerated by a tapered portion formed downstream of the minimum diameter portion before being ejected. A small amount of liquid may be supplied to a pressurized gas passage between a powder injection portion and the cleaning nozzle to prevent a possible clogging of passage due to powder.

Abstract: An X-ray mask includes a mask pattern formed on a surface, a detachable protection cover attached on the surface for forming a dust-proof space for protecting the mask pattern, the protection cover being detached when the mask pattern is exposed with X-rays, and a hole for ventilating between the dust-proof space and an outer atmosphere.