Abstract: A method of processing a substrate by a substrate processing apparatus is disclosed. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container including a first space where a first processing gas or a second processing gas is supplied onto the substrate and a second space formed around the first space; a first exhaust unit configured to evacuate the first space; and a second exhaust unit configured to evacuate the second space. The method includes a first step of supplying the first processing gas into the first space; a second step of discharging the first processing gas from the first space; a third step of supplying the second processing gas into the first space; and a fourth step of discharging the second processing gas from the first space; wherein the pressure in the second space is adjusted by a pressure-adjusting gas supplied into the second space.

Abstract: To provide a plane heater, including a carbon wire heating element CW, in which surface arrangement density of the heating element CW in an outer area is denser than that in an inner area. A power supply terminal unit having connection wires for supplying electricity to the heating element CW is arranged in the center on the back side of a silica glass plate-like member 2. Connection wires 4a and 4b connected with the heating element CW in the inner area are connected with the heating element in the inner area in the center of the silica glass plate-like member. Connection wires 3a and 3b connected with the heating element in the outer area are extended from the center of the silica glass plate-like member toward the outer area and connected with the heating element CW in the outer area, without intersecting the heating element CW in the inner area.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes: a chamber for holding a wafer; a susceptor on which the wafer is placed within the chamber; heaters which heat the wafer placed on the susceptor; and a shower plate disposed opposite to the susceptor to inject a film formation processing gas toward the wafer, a main body of the shower plate being made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. With the apparatus, a film is deposited on the surface of the wafer, the film having a low thermal expansion coefficient, measured at the film deposition temperature, lower by at least about 5×10?6/° C. than a thermal expansion coefficient of the main body of the shower plate. The shower plate has an anodized film having a thickness of 10 ?m or thicker formed on the side of the main body facing the susceptor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a showerhead that supplies a source gas and a supporting gas for depositing a film into a processing vessel of a film deposition apparatus. The showerhead includes a body which is provided with a gas jetting surface (8). In the showerhead body, there are defined a first diffusion chamber (60) that receives the source gas and diffuses the same, and a second diffusion chamber (62) that receives the supporting gas and diffuses the same. The gas jetting surface has source-gas jetting orifices (10A) that are in communication with the first diffusion chamber, and first supporting-gas jetting orifices (10B) that are in communication with the second diffusion chamber. Each of the first supporting-gas jetting orifices (10B) are formed into a ring shape that adjacently surrounds a corresponding one of the source-gas jetting orifices (10A).

Abstract: A deposition apparatus supplies a reactive gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid material at a vaporizer 30 into a chamber 10 via a processing-gas pipe 40 and forms a thin film on a semiconductor wafer W due to a thermal decomposition of the reactive gas. The deposition apparatus is provided, in the processing-gas pipe 40, with a crystal gauge 51 detecting a pressure Pq under the influence of mist in the reactive gas and a capacitance manometer 52 detecting a pressure Pg under no influence of the mist. The apparatus further includes a gasification monitor 50 detecting a quantity of mist in the reactive gas on the basis of a difference ?P between the pressure Pq and the pressure Pg measured by the crystal gauge 51 and the capacitance manometer 52 in order to prevent deposition defects due to the mist in the reactive gas.

Abstract: [Problem to be Solved] To provide a plane heater including a carbon wire heating element which has an arrangement pattern allowing a heating surface to be a substantially uniform heating temperature plane. [Means to Solve Problem] Surface arrangement densities of a carbon wire heating element CW are different in an inner area and an outer area located in the periphery. The surface arrangement density in the above-mentioned outer area is denser than the surface arrangement density in the inner area. A power supply terminal unit 8 having connection wires for supplying electricity to the above-mentioned heating element CW is arranged in the center on the back side of the above-mentioned silica glass plate-like member 2. The connection wires 4a and 4b connected with the carbon wire heating element in the above-mentioned inner area are connected with the carbon wire heating element CW in the inner area in the center of the above-mentioned silica glass plate-like member.

Abstract: A thermal processing system has a processing vessel 4, a support post 30 stood on the bottom wall of the processing vessel 4, and a support table 32 internally provided with a heating means 38 and supported on the support post 30. A workpiece W is placed on the upper surface of the support table 32 and is subjected to a predetermined thermal process. The upper, the side and the lower surface of the support table 32 are covered with heat-resistant covering members 72, 74 and 76 to prevent the thermal diffusion of metal atoms causative of contamination from the support table 32. thus, various types of contamination, such as metal and organic contamination, can be prevented.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate by a substrate processing apparatus is disclosed. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container including a first space where a first processing gas or a second processing gas is supplied onto the substrate and a second space formed around the first space; a first exhaust unit configured to evacuate the first space; and a second exhaust unit configured to evacuate the second space. The method includes a first step of supplying the first processing gas into the first space; a second step of discharging the first processing gas from the first space; a third step of supplying the second processing gas into the first space; and a fourth step of discharging the second processing gas from the first space; wherein the pressure in the second space is adjusted by a pressure-adjusting gas supplied into the second space.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a showerhead that supplies a source gas and a supporting gas for depositing a film into a processing vessel of a film deposition apparatus. The showerhead includes a body which is provided with a gas jetting surface (8). In the showerhead body, there are defined a first diffusion chamber (60) that receives the source gas and diffuses the same, and a second diffusion chamber (62) that receives the supporting gas and diffuses the same. The gas jetting surface has source-gas jetting orifices (10A) that are in communication with the first diffusion chamber, and first supporting-gas jetting orifices (10B) that are in communication with the second diffusion chamber. Each of the first supporting-gas jetting orifices (10B) are formed into a ring shape that adjacently surrounds a corresponding one of the source-gas jetting orifices (10A).

Abstract: A deposition apparatus supplies a reactive gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid material at a vaporizer 30 into a chamber 10 via a processing-gas pipe 40 and forms a thin film on a semiconductor wafer W due to a thermal decomposition of the reactive gas. The deposition apparatus is provided, in the processing-gas pipe 40, with a crystal gauge 51 detecting a pressure Pq under the influence of mist in the reactive gas and a capacitance manometer 52 detecting a pressure Pg under no influence of the mist. The apparatus further includes a gasification monitor 50 detecting a quantity of mist in the reactive gas on the basis of a difference ?P between the pressure Pq and the pressure Pg measured by the crystal gauge 51 and the capacitance manometer 52 in order to prevent deposition defects due to the mist in the reactive gas.

Abstract: A deposition apparatus supplies a reactive gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid material at a vaporizer 30 into a chamber 10 via a processing-gas pipe 40 and forms a thin film on a semiconductor wafer W due to a thermal decomposition of the reactive gas. The deposition apparatus is provided, in the processing-gas pipe 40, with a crystal gauge 51 detecting a pressure Pq under the influence of mist in the reactive gas and a capacitance manometer 52 detecting a pressure Pg under no influence of the mist. The apparatus further includes a gasification monitor 50 detecting a quantity of mist in the reactive gas on the basis of a difference ?P between the pressure Pq and the pressure Pg measured by the crystal gauge 51 and the capacitance manometer 52 in order to prevent deposition defects due to the mist in the reactive gas.

Abstract: A method for treating a vapor deposition apparatus, a method for depositing a thin film, a vapor deposition apparatus and a computer program product are disclosed for providing a reduced cleaning frequency. Accumulated material is deposited on an interior wall of a chamber of a vapor deposition unit during deposition of a thin film. While the deposition of the thin film is repeated, a gas is emitted from the accumulated material to deteriorate an uniformity in the film thickness of the thin film. The method involves depositing an amorphous film to cover the accumulated material before any influence of the accumulated material deposited on the interior wall of the chamber on the thickness of the thin film is evident. Gas emission from the accumulated material can be prevented by covering the accumulated material with the amorphous film. This configuration provides a thin film having an improved uniformity of thickness.

Abstract: A thermal processing system has a processing vessel 4, a support post 30 stood on the bottom wall of the processing vessel 4, and a support table 32 internally provided with a heating means 38 and supported on the support post 30. A workpiece W is placed on the upper surface of the support table 32 and is subjected to a predetermined thermal process. The upper, the side and the lower surface of the support table 32 are covered with heat-resistant covering members 72, 74 and 76 to prevent the thermal diffusion of metal atoms causative of contamination from the support table 32. thus, various types of contamination, such as metal and organic contamination, can be prevented.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus according to the present invention has a source material supply section, a vaporizer, and a film forming chamber. The vaporizer comprises a nozzle which spays the liquid material supplied from the source material supply section, a vaporization chamber which has one end in which the nozzle opens and a closed other end and in which the misty liquid material sprayed through the nozzle is vaporized to generate the material gas, a heater which heats the vaporization chamber, and an outlet port which opens in the vaporization chamber in the vicinity of the nozzle and through which the material gas is discharged from the vaporization chamber. The closed other end of the vaporization chamber is kept at a long enough distance from the nozzle to allow the liquid source material injected through the nozzle to vaporize.

Abstract: A deposition apparatus supplies a reactive gas obtained by vaporizing a liquid material at a vaporizer 30 into a chamber 10 via a processing-gas pipe 40 and forms a thin film on a semiconductor wafer W due to a thermal decomposition of the reactive gas. The deposition apparatus is provided, in the processing-gas pipe 40, with a crystal gauge 51 detecting a pressure Pq under the influence of mist in the reactive gas and a capacitance manometer 52 detecting a pressure Pg under no influence of the mist. The apparatus further includes a gasification monitor 50 detecting a quantity of mist in the reactive gas on the basis of a difference ?P between the pressure Pq and the pressure Pg measured by the crystal gauge 51 and the capacitance manometer 52 in order to prevent deposition defects due to the mist in the reactive gas.

Abstract: The valve 10 includes a valve main body 11 having an opening 11A and forming a space which creates a part of a gas flow path, a first valve member 12, provided in the valve main body, for opening/closing the opening 11A, and a drive mechanism 40 for moving the first valve member 12 between a close position where the opening 11A is closed and an open position where the opening 11A is opened, wherein the drive mechanism 40 has a rod 14 to be reciprocated, an end of the rod 14 extends into the valve main body 11 through a through hole 11B formed in the valve main body 11 to be connected to the first valve member 12, the first valve member 12 is moved between the close position and the open position as the rod 14 is driven reciprocated, and the valve further comprising a sealing mechanism 15, which communicates into the valve main body 11 via the through hole 11B, for isolating the drive mechanism 40 side air-tightly from the valve main body, and a second valve member 17, provided on the rod 14 to move together w

Abstract: A resistance heating element 33 for heating a wafer W is embedded within a ceramic heater 22 that forms a susceptor for a semiconductor wafer W to be processed, and power lines 35 from the resistance heating element 33 extend out of the processing chamber 20. A sheathing bellows 38 that houses the power lines 35 in an insulated state is interposed between the ceramic heater 22 and a base plate 24 of the processing chamber 20, and an end piece 39 of the sheathing bellows 38 is connected by screws 40 to the ceramic heater 22 to provide a space 50 therebetween. The screws 40 are such as to permit the thermal expansion of the sheathing bellows 38. This configuration makes it possible to make the temperature distribution in the surface of the semiconductor wafer uniform and thus improve the uniformity of film formation, and also prevent corrosion of components such as the power lines and terminals, and suppress the generation of particles.

Abstract: A gas processing apparatus is disclosed, that comprises a processing chamber that is airtightly structured, a gas delivery pipe connected to the processing chamber, a gas supply source for supplying gas to the processing chamber through the gas delivery pipe, a holding table for holding a workpiece loaded to the processing chamber, a shower member disposed at a gas outlet of the gas delivery pipe connected to the processing chamber, a spray plate structured as a partition wall of the shower member that faces the holding plate, the spray plate having a plurality of spray holes, and a baffle member disposed between the spray plate in the shower member and the gas outlet and having a plurality of through-holes formed perpendicular to the surface of the baffle member, wherein each of the through-holes of the baffle member has a first opening portion and a second opening portion facing the gas outlet, the second opening portion facing the spray plate, the opening area of the second opening portion being larger tha

Abstract: A resistance heating element 33 for heating a wafer W is embedded within a ceramic heater 22 that forms a susceptor for a semiconductor wafer W to be processed, and power lines 35 from the resistance heating element 33 extend out of the processing chamber 20. A sheathing bellows 38 that houses the power lines 35 in an insulated state is interposed between the ceramic heater 22 and a base plate 24 of the processing chamber 20, and an end piece 39 of the sheathing bellows 38 is connected by screws 40 to the ceramic heater 22 to provide a space 50 therebetween. The screws 40 are such as to permit the thermal expansion of the sheathing bellows 38. This configuration makes it possible to make the temperature distribution in the surface of the semiconductor wafer uniform and thus improve the uniformity of film formation, and also prevent corrosion of components such as the power lines and terminals, and suppress the generation of particles.

Abstract: A resistance heating element 33 for heating a wafer W is embedded within a ceramic heater 22 that forms a susceptor for a semiconductor wafer W to be processed, and power lines 35 from the resistance heating element 33 extend out of the processing chamber 20. A sheathing bellows 38 that houses the power lines 35 in an insulated state is interposed between the ceramic heater 22 and a base plate 24 of the processing chamber 20, and an end piece 39 of the sheathing bellows 38 is connected by screws 40 to the ceramic heater 22 to provide a space 50 therebetween. The screws 40 are such as to permit the thermal expansion of the sheathing bellows 38. This configuration makes it possible to make the temperature distribution in the surface of the semiconductor wafer uniform and thus improve the uniformity of film formation, and also prevent corrosion of components such as the power lines and terminals, and suppress the generation of particles.