Abstract: A gas mixture of dry steam and nitrogen gas serving as carrier gas is blown into a hot water mist injection port for rendering the nitrogen gas serve as a medium absorbing latent heat of condensation, thereby smoothly progressing condensation of water vapor and efficiently forming hot water mist. The water vapor is condensed in the hot water mist injection port formed by a cylindrical pipe for supplying latent heat of condensation to the nitrogen gas and dilating the same, thereby accelerating the flow of the hot water mist and spraying the hot water mist to a substrate from the hot water mist injection port at a high speed. Small droplets contained in the high-speed hot water mist have high kinetic energy and high thermal energy, for exhibiting a large colliding effect and a high activation effect with respect to small contaminants adhering to the substrate. A substrate cleaning apparatus capable of spraying hot water mist attaining a high cleaning effect to a substrate is provided.

Abstract: A substrate washing apparatus includes a cooling system for cooling a substrate to below zero, a wet gas supplying system for supplying a gas containing atomized water to the surface of the substrate cooled by the cooling means to form ice on the surface of said substrate, and an ice removing unit for removing the ice formed on the surface of the substrate. This apparatus removes not only relatively large particles but also fine particles from the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel sensor preferably used for non-destructive measurement of the electrical characteristics of semiconductors. The sensor is easily manufactured and has a sufficiently high dielectric breakdown strength. The sensor includes an electrode mount 64 having a an electrode pattern 200 formed on a bottom surface 66a of a cone glass 66. The bottom surface 66a has a reflecting plane 66c for reflecting a laser beam, a test electrode 201, and three parallelism adjustor electrodes 111 through 113 formed around the reflecting plane 66c. The bottom surface 66a also has a guard ring 120 disposed between the test electrode 201 and the parallelism adjustor electrodes 111 through 113. An insulating film 68 covers a lower surface of the cone glass 66. Wiring formed on a inclined face 66b of the cone glass 66 is connected to external lead wires at the upper end of the wiring.

Abstract: A capacitor is connected to an insulating film on a semiconductor wafer. A high-frequency voltage with a bias is applied to the series combination of the semiconductor wafer and the capacitor. The bias voltage is changed stepwise, and the change of the total capacitance is measured. The minority carrier lifetime is calculated from the time-dependent change of the total capacitance.

Abstract: The invention provides a device which utilizes the tunnel effect occuring upon a condition of geometric total reflection, for measuring a narrow gap and surface unevenness of a specimen with high precision. An optical device 40 includes a semi-conductor laser 42, a photodiode 43, and a waveguide layer 44 is formed on a semi-conductor substrate 41 by epitaxial growth. A reflecting surface 44b of the waveguide layer 44 is parallel to the plane of the semi-conductor substrate. A laser beam emitted from the semi-conductor laser is reflected from the reflecting surface 44b under a condition of total reflection in geometrical optics. When the gap between the reflecting surface and the specimen is less than or equal to about the wavelength of the laser beam, part of the laser beam is transmitted into the specimen. The intensity of the transmitted light, which is calculated corresponding to the intensity of the reflected light, depends on the dimension of the gap.

Abstract: A method of measuring C-V characteristics of a semiconductor wafer without forming an electrode on an oxide film thereof. An electrode 201 for C-V measurement is held above a semiconductor wafer 100 across a gap Ge of 1 micrometer or less, and a total capacity including that of the gap Ge is detected. The gap Ge is measured by utilizing the tunneling effect observed in total reflection of light wave. Parallelism of the electrode 201 to the wafer is adjusted by measuring the width of the gap or measuring the capacity of the gap at three different locations on the periphery of the electrode 201.

Abstract: A narrow gap or unevenness of a surface of a specimen is measured by utilizing the tunnel effect of a light wave reflected at a boundary plane on the condition of total reflection. A laser beam emitted from a laser source is reflected at a surface of a prism on the condition of total reflection in terms of geometrical optics. If a gap between the surface of the prism and the specimen is about the wavelength of the laser beam, part of the laser beam is transmitted into the specimen, and the intensity of the transmitted beam depends on the gap width. A portion of the laser beam is reflected at the boundary plane back into the prism. Therefore, the gap can be measured by measuring the transmittance of the laser beam and comparing the same with the calculated relation between the transmittance and the gap calculated in advance.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating substrates. The apparatus comprises a furnace core tube for containing the substrates, a heater provided for enclosing the furnace core tube, an inner cylinder provided for enclosing the heater, and an outer cylinder with a path for cooling water provided therein. The apparatus further comprises a heat reflecting mirror formed on an inner surface of the outer cylinder and a blower for ventilating the space between the furnace core tube and the inner cylinder. After heat treatment of the substrates is carried out, the blower is activated and the cooling water is circulated in the outer cylinder. Therefore, an undesirable rise in the temperature of the mirror can be prevented.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat-treating wafers including: a cylindrical body having an infrared reflection film formed on an interior peripheral surface thereof; a furnace core tube disposed within the cylindrical body for accommodating therein the wafers; a heater element provided within the cylindrical body for heating the furnace core tube, the heater being positioned outwardly remotely from an exterior peripheral surface of the furnace core tube in a manner to surround the tube; and a plurality of insulating heat-resistant bar members provided within the cylindrical body and extending in a direction parallel to the central axis of the furnace core tube for supporting the heater element.

Abstract: A heat processing apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors is constructed such that an airtightly sealing part is provided at the tubular end having equal diameter to that of a main body of the apparatus, a ring shaped packing is wound on the outer circumference of a cylindrical tube adjacent to the end to be pressed between a pair of ring bodies which are formed with tapered edges of opposite inner sides, an inner tube having an equal diameter to that of the tube is connected with the end of the cylindrical tube through a cushioning material, on the outer circumference of the inner tube an outer tube is constructed integrally with one of the ring bodies, opening ends of both the inner and the outer tubes are adapted to be closed with a lid, and to the outer tube there are provided an exhausting tube for exhausting gas in the cylindrical tube and a gas introducing tube which interrupts an open air from the cylindrical tube with the flow of inert gas which flows when the lid is opened, and exhausting holes w

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of heating a semiconductor in a heat treatment apparatus for heating the semiconductor at a high temperature, in which a semiconductor is put in the heat treatment apparatus, and an alternating magnetic field is applied to a low-resistance ferromagnetic substance disposed in the heat treatment apparatus and isolated by a material inert to a required treatment atmosphere in the heat treatment apparatus to generate heat in the low-resistance ferromagnetic substance to thereby carry out heat treatment on the semiconductor. Further disclosed is a susceptor for supporting a semiconductor inertly to a required treatment atmosphere in a heat treatment apparatus, the susceptor being constituted by a material which is inert to the treatment atmosphere in the treatment apparatus and a low-resistance ferromagnetic substance isolated by the inert material from the treatment atmosphere.

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.

Abstract: A feeder of oxygen gas containing steam comprising a combustion chamber, an oxygen gas induction tube for inducing oxygen gas to the combustion chamber, a hydrogen gas chamber separated from the combustion chamber by a hydrogen osmotic film between it and the combustion chamber, a hydrogen gas induction chamber which induces the hydrogen gas to the hydrogen gas chamber, an exhaust tube communicated with the hydrogen gas chamber and a heater.

Abstract: A semiconductor device with a multi-electrode construction equivalent to a conventional variable capacitance diode in function is disclosed. The semiconductor device is characterized in that a capacitance read-out portion with a capacitance read-out electrode and a plurality of depletion layer control portions with control electrodes, respectively, are formed in a bulk of a semiconductor single crystal, a depletion layer within said bulk is changed in width, when a plurality of said depletion layer control portions are reverse-biassed in turn through said control electrodes, whereby a change in capacitance can be read out through said capacitance read-out electrode.

Abstract: Variable capacitance device consisting of a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, at least one second conductivity type semiconductor region formed in a surface portion of said first conductivity type semiconductor layer, and a barrier for generating a depletion layer formed on the surface opposite to said surface portion of said first conductivity type semiconductor layer, in which a capacitance reading-out section is disposed on said at least one second conductivity type semiconductor region.

Abstract: A variable capacitor which comprises a capacity reading section including a capacity reading electrode which section is formed along a surface of a semiconductor crystal bulk having other sloping surfaces and at least one depletion layer control section including a control electrode which section is formed along the sloping surface. The thickness of a depletion layer within the bulk varies when the depletion layer control section is supplied with reverse bias voltage through the control electrode and the capacity variation then caused is read out at the capacity reading section.

Abstract: A surface acoustic wave convolver comprises a piezoelectric substrate on which a plurality of conductive strip electrodes, an input signal transducer and a reference signal transducer are formed, and a semiconductive substrate on which depletion layer control electrodes and capacitance read-out electrodes are formed. The conductive strip electrodes are connected to the depletion layer control electrodes so that an output signal is taken up from the capacitance read-out electrodes.

Abstract: A thin layer depositing apparatus comprising a reaction vessel for putting therein substrates to be provided with a desired thin layer and a gas accelerating nozzle positioned at a desired portion of the reaction vessel so that reactive gas is introduced in the reaction vessel through the gas accelerating nozzle.

Abstract: A variable capacitor comprising a plurality of variable capacitor elements each having depletion layer control sections and a capacity reading section formed on a semiconductor substrate so that the capacity appearing at each capacity reading section varies in response to the bias voltage applied to the depletion layer control sections, particularly characterized in that respective capacities appearing at the capacity reading sections are also varied due to the difference of distances between the depletion layer control sections and the capacity reading sections.

Abstract: A variable capacitor comprises a plurality of variable capacity elements each having depletion layer control section and a capacity reading section both formed on a semiconductor substrate so that the capacity appearing at each capacity reading section varies in accordance with the bias voltage applied to the depletion layer control sections. Portions of the semiconductor substrate where the capacity reading sections are formed have different carrier concentrations, respectively, so that the capacity read out at the capacity reading section also varies in accordance with the carrier concentration.