Abstract: When pressure in a chamber is brought to atmospheric pressure and the chamber is filled with an inert gas atmosphere, the atmosphere in the chamber is sucked into an oxygen concentration analyzer through a sampling line such that oxygen concentration in the chamber is measured by the oxygen concentration analyzer. When the pressure in the chamber is reduced to less than atmospheric pressure, nitrogen gas is supplied to the oxygen concentration analyzer through an inert gas supply line simultaneously with suspending the measurement of oxygen concentration in the chamber. Even when the measurement of oxygen concentration in the chamber is suspended, reverse flow to the oxygen concentration analyzer from a gas exhaust pipe can be prevented, and the oxygen concentration analyzer can be prevented from being exposed to exhaust from the chamber. The configuration results in maintaining measurement accuracy of the oxygen concentration analyzer in a low oxygen concentration range.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer to be treated is heated at a first preheating temperature ranging from 100 to 200° C. while a pressure in a chamber housing the semiconductor wafer is reduced to a pressure lower than an atmospheric pressure. After the semiconductor wafer is preheated to increase the temperature into a second preheating temperature ranging from 500 to 700° C. while the pressure in the chamber is restored to a pressure higher than the reduced pressure, a flash lamp emits a flashlight to a surface of the semiconductor wafer. Heating the semiconductor wafer at the first preheating temperature that is a relatively low temperature enables, for example, the moisture absorbed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer in trace amounts to be desorbed from the surface, and also enables the flash heating treatment to be performed with oxygen derived from such absorption removed as much as possible.

Abstract: A carrier containing a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a lot is transported into a heat treatment apparatus. Thereafter, a recipe specifying treatment procedures and treatment conditions is set for each of the semiconductor wafers. Next, a reflectance of each of the semiconductor wafers stored in the carrier is measured. Based on the set recipe and the measured reflectance of each semiconductor wafer, a predicted attainable temperature of each semiconductor wafer at the time of flash heating treatment is calculated, and the calculated predicted attainable temperature is displayed. This allows the setting of the treatment conditions with reference to the displayed predicted attainable temperature, to thereby easily achieve the setting of the heat treatment conditions.

Abstract: The passage opening and closing device includes a casing in which an opening edge forms an opening of an air passage, and a sliding door slidably movable inside the casing to open and close the opening. A door end part of the sliding door faces a door facing wall of the opening edge when the sliding door is positioned at a closed position where the sliding door closes the opening. A gap flow-path extending in the door moving direction is formed between the door facing wall and the door end part. A distance between the door end part and the door facing wall decreases downstream in air flow in the gap flow-path so that the gap flow-path is a convergent flow path.

Abstract: From a stage of preheating by a halogen lamp to irradiation with a flash by a flash lamp, a radiation thermometer is used for measuring the temperature of a back surface of a semiconductor wafer. A increased temperature ?T is determined by which the back surface of the semiconductor wafer is increased in temperature from the preheating temperature by irradiation with a flash. The specific heat of the semiconductor wafer has a known value. Further, the increased temperature ?T is proportionate to the magnitude of energy applied to a front surface of the semiconductor wafer by irradiation with a flash. Thus, a front surface attained temperature of the semiconductor wafer can be determined using the increased temperature ?T of the back surface of the semiconductor wafer during irradiation with a flash.

Abstract: A non-combustion suction device includes: a mouthpiece having a suction port; a container configured to accommodate an aerosol source; and a heater including: a porous ceramic substrate that permits infiltration of the aerosol source; a glass layer at least in part on the porous ceramic substrate; a pair of electrode patterns; and a resistor pattern on the glass substrate, the resistor pattern connects the pair of electrode patterns to each other; and a power source connected to the pair of electrode patterns. The power source is configured to supply a power flow through the pair of electrode patterns to cause the resistor pattern to generate heat which atomize, into an aerosol, the aerosol source infiltrated in the porous ceramic substrate; and the porous ceramic substrate has a ratio of porosity to tortuosity of 21 or more.

Abstract: A non-combustion suction device includes: a mouthpiece having a suction port; a container configured to accommodate an aerosol source; and a heater including: a porous ceramic substrate that permits infiltration of the aerosol source; a glass layer at least in part on the porous ceramic substrate; a pair of electrode patterns; and a resistor pattern on the glass substrate, the resistor pattern connects the pair of electrode patterns to each other; and a power source connected to the pair of electrode patterns. The power source is configured to supply a power flow through the pair of electrode patterns to cause the resistor pattern to generate heat which atomize, into an aerosol, the aerosol source infiltrated in the porous ceramic substrate; and the porous ceramic substrate has a ratio of porosity to tortuosity of 21 or more.

Abstract: A gallium nitride (GaN) substrate is injected with magnesium as a p-type dopant. The GaN substrate undergoes preheating through irradiation with light from halogen lamps in an atmosphere containing nitrogen and hydrogen, and further undergoes heating to a high temperature for a super-short time through irradiation with flashes of light from flash lamps. Heating the GaN substrate in the atmosphere containing nitrogen and hydrogen complements removed nitrogen, thus preventing nitrogen shortage. Such a heating process also enables heat treatment while supplying hydrogen to the GaN substrate. The heating process further enables crystal defects in the GaN substrate to be recovered. With these effects, the p-type dopant injected into the GaN substrate is activated with high efficiency.

Abstract: Over a front surface of a silicon semiconductor wafer is deposited a high dielectric constant film with a silicon oxide film, serving as an interface layer, provided between the semiconductor wafer and the high dielectric constant film. After a chamber houses the semiconductor wafer, a chamber's pressure is reduced to be lower than atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, a gaseous mixture of ammonia and nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to return the pressure to ordinary pressure, and the front surface is irradiated with a flash light, thereby performing post deposition annealing (PDA) on the high dielectric constant film. Since the pressure is reduced once to be lower than atmospheric pressure and then returned to ordinary pressure, a chamber's oxygen concentration is lowered remarkably during the PDA. This restricts an increase in thickness of the silicon oxide film underlying the high dielectric constant film by oxygen taken in during the PDA.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer serving as a treatment target has a stack structure in which a high-dielectric-constant gate insulating film is formed on a silicon base material with an interface layer film of silicon dioxide sandwiched therebetween, and a metal gate electrode containing fluorine is further formed thereon. A heat treatment apparatus radiates flash light from a flash lamp to the semiconductor wafer in an atmosphere containing hydrogen to carry out heating treatment for an extremely short period of time of 100 milliseconds or less. As a result, diffusion of nitrogen contained in the metal gate electrode is inhibited, at the same time, only the fluorine is diffused from the high-dielectric-constant gate insulating film to an interface between the interface layer film and the silicon base material to reduce an interface state, and reliability of the gate stack structure can be improved.

Abstract: Over a front surface of a silicon semiconductor wafer is deposited a high dielectric constant film with a silicon oxide film, serving as an interface layer, provided between the semiconductor wafer and the high dielectric constant film. After a chamber houses the semiconductor wafer, a chamber's pressure is reduced to be lower than atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, a gaseous mixture of ammonia and nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber to return the pressure to ordinary pressure, and the front surface is irradiated with a flash light, thereby performing post deposition annealing (PDA) on the high dielectric constant film. Since the pressure is reduced once to be lower than atmospheric pressure and then returned to ordinary pressure, a chamber's oxygen concentration is lowered remarkably during the PDA. This restricts an increase in thickness of the silicon oxide film underlying the high dielectric constant film by oxygen taken in during the PDA.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer transport mode of a heat treatment apparatus is switchable between two modes of a “high throughput mode” and a “low oxygen concentration mode” as appropriate. In the “low oxygen concentration mode”, a first cooling chamber is used only as a path for transferring the semiconductor wafer, and a second cooling chamber is used only as a dedicated cooling unit for cooling the semiconductor wafer subjected to flash heating. On the other hand, in the “high throughput mode”, both of the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber are used as paths for transferring the semiconductor wafer, and as the cooling units, too.

Abstract: A carrier containing a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a lot is transported into a heat treatment apparatus. Thereafter, a recipe specifying treatment procedures and treatment conditions is set for each of the semiconductor wafers. Next, a reflectance of each of the semiconductor wafers stored in the carrier is measured. Based on the set recipe and the measured reflectance of each semiconductor wafer, a predicted attainable temperature of each semiconductor wafer at the time of flash heating treatment is calculated, and the calculated predicted attainable temperature is displayed. This allows the setting of the treatment conditions with reference to the displayed predicted attainable temperature, to thereby easily achieve the setting of the heat treatment conditions.

Abstract: A PSG film, which is a silicon dioxide thin film containing phosphorus as a dopant, is formed on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer having the PSG film formed thereon is kept at a predetermined heating temperature by light radiation from halogen lamps in the atmosphere containing hydrogen for 1 second or longer, so that the dopant is diffused from the PSG film into the surface of the semiconductor wafer. In addition, the flashing light is radiated to the semiconductor wafer for the radiation time shorter than 1 second to heat the surface of the semiconductor wafer to the target temperature so as to activate the dopant. When the PSG film is heated in the atmosphere containing hydrogen, a diffusion coefficient of the dopant contained in the PSG film becomes high; therefore, the dopant can be efficiently diffused from the PSG film into the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A degree of freedom of a hypoid gear is improved. An instantaneous axis in a relative rotation of a gear axis and a pinion axis, a line of centers, an intersection between the instantaneous axis and the line of centers, and an inclination angle of the instantaneous axis with respect to the rotation axis of the gear are calculated based on a shaft angle, an offset, and a gear ratio of a hypoid gear. Based on these variables, base coordinate systems are determined, and the specifications are calculated using these coordinate systems. For the spiral angles, pitch cone angles, and reference circle radii of the gear and pinion, one of the values for the gear and the pinion is set and a design reference point is calculated. Based on the design reference point and a contact normal of the gear, specifications are calculated. The pitch cone angle of the gear or the pinion can be freely selected.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus is provided with two cool chambers, that is, a first cool chamber and a second cool chamber. A semiconductor wafer before treatment is alternately carried into the first cool chamber or the second cool chamber and then transported to a heat treatment part by a transport robot after a nitrogen purge is performed. The semiconductor wafer after being heat-treated in the heat treatment part is alternately transported to the first cool chamber or the second cool chamber to be cooled. A sufficient cooling time is secured for the independent semiconductor wafer, and a reduction in throughput as the whole heat treatment apparatus can be suppressed.

Abstract: A gallium nitride (GaN) substrate is injected with magnesium as a p-type dopant. The GaN substrate undergoes preheating through irradiation with light from halogen lamps in an atmosphere containing nitrogen and hydrogen, and further undergoes heating to a high temperature for a super-short time through irradiation with flashes of light from flash lamps. Heating the GaN substrate in the atmosphere containing nitrogen and hydrogen complements removed nitrogen, thus preventing nitrogen shortage. Such a heating process also enables heat treatment while supplying hydrogen to the GaN substrate. The heating process further enables crystal defects in the GaN substrate to be recovered. With these effects, the p-type dopant injected into the GaN substrate is activated with high efficiency.

Abstract: From a stage of preheating by a halogen lamp to irradiation with a flash by a flash lamp, a radiation thermometer is used for measuring the temperature of a back surface of a semiconductor wafer. A increased temperature ?T is determined by which the back surface of the semiconductor wafer is increased in temperature from the preheating temperature by irradiation with a flash. The specific heat of the semiconductor wafer has a known value. Further, the increased temperature ?T is proportionate to the magnitude of energy applied to a front surface of the semiconductor wafer by irradiation with a flash. Thus, a front surface attained temperature of the semiconductor wafer can be determined using the increased temperature ?T of the back surface of the semiconductor wafer during irradiation with a flash.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer serving as a treatment target has a stack structure in which a high-dielectric-constant gate insulating film is formed on a silicon base material with an interface layer film of silicon dioxide sandwiched therebetween, and a metal gate electrode containing fluorine is further formed thereon. A heat treatment apparatus radiates flash light from a flash lamp to the semiconductor wafer in an atmosphere containing hydrogen to carry out heating treatment for an extremely short period of time of 100 milliseconds or less. As a result, diffusion of nitrogen contained in the metal gate electrode is inhibited, at the same time, only the fluorine is diffused from the high-dielectric-constant gate insulating film to an interface between the interface layer film and the silicon base material to reduce an interface state, and reliability of the gate stack structure can be improved.

Abstract: From a stage of preheating by a halogen lamp to irradiation with a flash by a flash lamp, a radiation thermometer is used for measuring the temperature of a back surface of a semiconductor wafer. A increased temperature ?T is determined by which the back surface of the semiconductor wafer is increased in temperature from the preheating temperature by irradiation with a flash. The specific heat of the semiconductor wafer has a known value. Further, the increased temperature ?T is proportionate to the magnitude of energy applied to a front surface of the semiconductor wafer by irradiation with a flash. Thus, a front surface attained temperature of the semiconductor wafer can be determined using the increased temperature ?T of the back surface of the semiconductor wafer during irradiation with a flash.