Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes insulating branches which are formed as an interlayer insulating film on a semiconductor substrate. The interlayer insulating film has holes (voids) between the branches to thereby reduce electrostatic capacitance between stacked layers within a semiconductor device.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, an interlayer insulating film (3) is formed on lower-layer wires (2) formed on a semiconductor substrate (1), wherein an SiO2 insulating layer (31) is formed, and a BPSG insulating layer (32) is formed on the SiO2 insulating layer (31). Thereafter, a BPSG insulating layer (33) having higher fluidity to a heat treatment than the insulating layer (32) is formed on the BPSG insulating layer (32), a BPSG insulating layer (34) having the same fluidity to a heat treatment as the insulating layer (32) is formed on the BPSG insulating layer (33), and then the upper surface thereof is flattened. A perforation step is carried out to form pores penetrating through the insulating layers (32, 33and 34), and then the heat treatment is carried out to fluidize the insulating layer (33) and close the pore portion in the insulating layer (33), thereby leaving the pore portion in the insulating layer (32) as voids (7).

Abstract: A particle detecting apparatus for testing a substrate with a film on its surface includes a light source section, an optical system, a light quantity measuring section and an operation section. The light source section emits first and second light beams respectively having first and second wavelengths which are different from each other. The optical system directs the first and second light beams to an incident point on the substrate, wherein the first and second light beams are scattered on the substrate to produce first and second scattered light beams. The light quantity measuring section measures a quantity of the first scattered light beam and a quantity of the second scattered light beam. The operation section detects a foreign particle on or in the film based on the first scattered light beam quantity and the second scattered light beam quantity measured by the light quantity measuring section.

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes insulating branches which are formed as an interlayer insulating film on a semiconductor substrate. The interlayer insulating film has holes (voids) between the branches to thereby reduce electrostatic capacitance between stacked layers within a semiconductor device.