Abstract: An electroless plating apparatus includes: a plating bath; a reserve tank; a retaining means for retaining a plurality of semiconductor wafers upright at regular intervals; a plating liquid circulating path; a circulating pump; a flowmeter and a plating liquid supply pipe having a plurality of spouts formed in an upper part thereof at regular intervals. The regular intervals at which the plurality of semiconductor wafers are retained upright by the retaining means are the same as the regular intervals at which the plurality of spouts are formed in the upper part of the plating liquid supply pipe. The plurality of spouts formed on the upper part of the plating liquid supply pipe may be positioned within the regular intervals between the plurality of semiconductor wafers being retained by the retaining means.

Abstract: A cleaning method of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus begins by introducing film forming gas include reaction gas not forming a film by itself to reaction chamber to form the film on a semiconductor substrate, decreasing pressure of the reaction chamber, solidifying or liquefying the reaction gas to form particles by using small-particles in the reaction chamber as cores, and exhausting the particles from the reaction chamber. Using this method, foreign small-particles can easily be removed from the apparatus and suppress any possible contamination of semiconductor substrates to be processed.

Abstract: A cleaning method of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus begins by introducing film forming gas include reaction gas not forming a film by itself to reaction chamber to form the film on a semiconductor substrate, decreasing pressure of the reaction chamber, solidifying or liquefying the reaction gas to form particles by using small-particles in the reaction chamber as cores, and exhausting the particles from the reaction chamber. Using this method, foreign small-particles can easily be removed from the apparatus and suppress any possible contamination of semiconductor substrates to be processed.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus comprises a pulse tube refrigerator (A) having a pressure source (1), a cold reservoir (6), a condenser (7), a pulse tube (9), a radiator (10), and a phase adjuster (12); and a low-temperature container having a liquid reservoir (21) fixed to a vacuum tank (31) through heat-insulating support members (36) and (37). The condenser (7) is fixed to a cold end (6b) of the cold reservoir (6), and is disposed in a gas phase portion (21a) of the liquid reservoir (21). A hot end of the pulse tube (9) is fixed to the vacuum tank (31) and is disposed in such a manner that a cold end (9b) of the pulse tube (9) is located lower than the hot end and is located in a liquid phase portion (21b) of the liquid reservoir (21). The cold end (9b) of the pulse tube (9) is disposed outside the liquid reservoir (21) but within the vacuum tank (31), and the cold end (9b) of the pulse tube (9) and the condenser (7) communicate with each other through piping (8).

Abstract: A cleaning method of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus begins by introducing film forming gas include reaction gas not forming a film by itself to reaction chamber to form the film on a semiconductor substrate, decreasing pressure of the reaction chamber, solidifying or liquefying the reaction gas to form particles by using small-particles in the reaction chamber as cores, and exhausting the particles from the reaction chamber. Using this method, foreign small-particles can easily be removed from the apparatus and suppress any possible contamination of semiconductor substrates to be processed.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus comprises a pulse tube refrigerator (A) having a pressure source (1), a cold reservoir (6), a condenser (7), a pulse tube (9), a radiator (1), and a phase adjuster (12); and a low-temperature container having a liquid reservoir (21) fixed to a vacuum tank (31) through heat-insulating support members (36) and (37). The condenser (7) is fixed to a cold end (6b) of the cold reservoir (6), and is disposed in a gas phase portion (21a) of the liquid reservoir (21). A hot end of the pulse tube (9) is fixed to the vacuum tank (31) and is disposed in such a manner that a cold end (9b) of the pulse tube (9) is located lower than the hot end and is located in a liquid phase portion (21b) of the liquid reservoir (21). The cold end (9b) of the pulse tube (9) is disposed outside the liquid reservoir (21) but within the vacuum tank (31), and the cold end (9b) of the pulse tube (9) and the condenser (7) communicate with each other through piping (8).

Abstract: A pulse tube refrigerating machine, comprising a pulse tube (11) connected to a regenerator (9) and having a hot end part (11a) being heated, in which a cooling device (30), for cooling the hot side tube wall (11cd) of the pulse tube by cooling medium lower in temperature than the hot side tube wall of the pulse tube, cools the hot side tube wall (11cd) of the pulse tube by coolant flowing from the pressure source (1) of the pulse tube refrigerating machine into the regenerator (9).

Abstract: A pulse tube refrigerating machine, comprising a pulse tube (11) connected to a regenerator (9) and having a hot end part (11a) being heated, in which a cooling device (30), for cooling the hot side tube wall (11cd) of the pulse tube by cooling medium lower in temperature than the hot side tube wall of the pulse tube, cools the hot side tube wall (11cd) of the pulse tube by coolant flowing from the pressure source (1) of the pulse tube refrigerating machine into the regenerator (9).

Abstract: A vapor phase growth apparatus has a reaction chamber including a suscepter on which a plurality of semiconductor wafers are mounted, a first exhaust unit arranged under the lower portion of the reaction chamber, a second exhaust unit arranged under the first exhaust unit, and a separator provided between the first and second exhaust units so as to be openable and closable. After the reaction chamber and the second exhaust unit are placed in a communicating state with each other by opening the separator, a reaction gas is introduced into the reaction chamber so as to form a film on the wafers. Prior to the next film formation, the second exhaust unit is placed in a non-communicating state with the first exhaust unit to purge the interior of the reaction chamber. Simultaneous with the purging, the deposit on the bottom of the second exhaust unit is removed by supplying to the second exhaust unit a gas for decomposing the deposit.