Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus that executes plasma processing on a semiconductor wafer placed inside a processing chamber by generating plasma with a processing gas supplied through a gas supply hole at an upper electrode (shower head) disposed inside the processing chamber, an interchangeable insert member is inserted at a gas passing hole at a gas supply unit to prevent entry of charged particles in the plasma generated in the processing chamber into the gas supply unit. This structure makes it possible to fully prevent the entry of charged particles in the plasma generated inside the processing chamber into the gas supply unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of adjusting a reception threshold value in data reception. The method comprises: generating a transmission signal on the basis of a clock regenerated from a reception signal, determining a worst phase at which a bit error rate becomes maximum by changing a phase of the transmission signal, and adjusting a reception threshold value in the state of the worst phase. The worst phase is determined by detecting the bit error rate by shifting the phase of the transmission signal by a predetermined interval while fixing the reception threshold value to a predetermined value.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus capable of suppressing generation of plasma in the space between a moving electrode and an end wall at one side of a cylindrical chamber. The substrate processing apparatus includes a cylindrical chamber to receive a wafer, a shower head movable along a central axis of the chamber inside the chamber, a susceptor opposing the shower head in the chamber, and a flexible bellows connecting the shower head to a cover of the chamber, wherein a high frequency power is applied to a processing space presented between the shower head and the susceptor, processing gas is introduced into the processing space, the shower head and the side wall of the chamber are non-contact to each other, and a bypass member is installed electrically connecting the shower head and the cover or the side wall of the chamber.

Abstract: A reflecting device that enables to prevent infiltration of particles into a processing chamber. The reflecting device is disposed in a communicating pipe. The communicating pipe allows the processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus and an exhaust pump to communicate with each other. The exhaust pump has at least one rotary blade. The reflecting device comprises at least one reflecting surface. The at least one reflecting surface is oriented to the exhausting pump.

Abstract: A substrate mounting table of a substrate processing apparatus includes a base portion and a circular plate-shaped electrostatic chuck adhered to an upper surface of the base portion by an adhesive layer. The electrostatic chuck has a circular attracting surface to support a substrate. The substrate mounting table further includes an annular focus ring arranged around the electrostatic chuck to surround the substrate and to cover an outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the base portion. The electrostatic chuck has a two-layer structure including an upper circular part and a lower circular part having a diameter larger than that of the upper circular part. An outer peripheral portion of the lower circular part and an outer peripheral portion of the adhesive layer adhering the lower circular part to the base portion are covered with the focus ring.

Abstract: A reflecting device that enables to prevent infiltration of particles into a processing chamber. The reflecting device is disposed in a communicating pipe. The communicating pipe allows the processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus and an exhaust pump to communicate with each other. The exhaust pump has at least one rotary blade. The reflecting device comprises at least one reflecting surface. The at least one reflecting surface is oriented to the exhausting pump.

Abstract: In a communication system, a signal processor of a communication apparatus transmits, when causing a communication module to perform a predetermined operation, a control signal at a predetermined level. Further, when authenticating the communication module, the signal processor changes a level of the control signal into a previously set authentication pattern and transmits the control signal. An operation controller of the communication module receives the control signal transmitted from the signal processor. When a level of the received control signal is a predetermined level, the operation controller performs a predetermined operation corresponding to the predetermined level. Further, when a level of the received control signal is an authentication pattern, the operation controller performs authentication control by matching or comparing the authentication pattern with a previously recognized pattern.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus that executes plasma processing on a semiconductor wafer placed inside a processing chamber by generating plasma with a processing gas supplied through a gas supply hole at an upper electrode (shower head) disposed inside the processing chamber, an interchangeable insert member is inserted at a gas passing hole at a gas supply unit to prevent entry of charged particles in the plasma generated in the processing chamber into the gas supply unit. This structure makes it possible to fully prevent the entry of charged particles in the plasma generated inside the processing chamber into the gas supply unit.

Abstract: An exhausting system and an exhausting pump connected to a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus are provided. The exhausting pump is provided with at least one rotary blade and a cylindrical intake part disposed at the processing chamber side from the rotary blade. The exhausting pump includes a reflecting device disposed inside the intake part and having at least one reflecting surface oriented to the rotary blade.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus of the present invention can reduce a manufacturing cost of the apparatus and a footprint by decreasing a load applied to a device for varying a distance between electrodes in comparison with a conventional apparatus and, at the same time, easily meet a scaling up of a substrate to be processed. A lower electrode and an upper electrode are installed inside a vacuum chamber. Provided at a lower electrode supporting member are openings for operating the upper electrode by using a driving mechanism installed outside the vacuum chamber. An intermediate ring is installed at bellows for air-tightly sealing the openings. Further, the intermediate ring is connected to a connecting member connected to an upper electrode supporting member and the driving mechanism.

Abstract: A groove is provided to the rear of an inner wall of a cylinder. A locking ram capable of freely sliding in a radial direction and a cam rod having a profile changing with a transition from the rear to the front from a small diameter part to a large diameter part that are provided relative to a piston. The inner end of the locking ram makes contact with the profile, and the cam rod is urged to the rear by the spring, so that the cam rod can be pushed to the front by a push rod. The piston can therefore be locked with a simple structure, and it is possible to provide a linear actuator where locking can be released with a straightforward operation even when a pressurized oil source fails.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus that executes plasma processing on a semiconductor wafer placed inside a processing chamber by generating plasma with a processing gas supplied through a gas supply hole at an upper electrode (shower head) disposed inside the processing chamber, an interchangeable insert member is inserted at a gas passing hole at a gas supply unit to prevent entry of charged particles in the plasma generated in the processing chamber into the gas supply unit. This structure makes it possible to fully prevent the entry of charged particles in the plasma generated inside the processing chamber into the gas supply unit.

Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus for performing a plasma process on a target substrate, a baffle plate has an opening through which the process passes and partitions the internal space of the processing container into a plasma process space and an exhaust space, the opening being a single continuous slit. The baffle plate is disposed in an annular gas exhaust path around the mounting table, and the slit includes a plurality of linear slit portions extending in a radial direction of the annular baffle plate and a plurality of curved slit portions, each of which interconnects ends of a pair of the adjacent linear slit portions, so that the slit is formed in a wave shape in its entirety.

Abstract: An exhausting system and an exhausting pump connected to a processing chamber of a substrate processing apparatus are provided. The exhausting pump is provided with at least one rotary blade and a cylindrical intake part disposed at the processing chamber side from the rotary blade. The exhausting pump includes a reflecting device disposed inside the intake part and having at least one reflecting surface oriented to the rotary blade.

Abstract: A stand pipe is disposed so as to be fitted with the inner periphery surface of a piston rod with a hollow structure and a reservoir is incorporated into the inside of the stand pipe, whereby it becomes possible to reduce the size of an EHA device. Besides, since the reservoir is separated from both an annulus-side oil chamber and a bore-side oil chamber, a stable reservoir performance can be exhibited without being influenced by a fluid pressure resulting from an external force. Moreover, as a result of installation of the stand pipe, a difference between the amount of fluid required per unit stroke in the annulus-side oil chamber and that in the bore-side oil chamber becomes smaller, so that the required volume of the reservoir oil chamber can be reduced and it is possible to constitute an efficient EHA device with little difference between the energy consumption during compressing and that during extending.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method. A substrate to be processed is accommodated in a vacuum chamber within which a plasma generator is provided so as to generate plasma for use in performing plasma processing on the substrate. Outside the vacuum chamber provided is a magnetic field generator for generating a multi-pole magnetic field at the periphery of the substrate. The magnetic field generator comprises an inner ring-shaped magnetic field generating portion and an outer ring-shaped magnetic field generating portion, both of which are provided outside the vacuum chamber in a concentric relationship with the vacuum chamber and are independently rotatable with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of adjusting a reception threshold value in data reception. The method comprises: generating a transmission signal on the basis of a clock regenerated from a reception signal, determining a worst phase at which a bit error rate becomes maximum by changing a phase of the transmission signal, and adjusting a reception threshold value in the state of the worst phase. The worst phase is determined by detecting the bit error rate by shifting the phase of the transmission signal by a predetermined interval while fixing the reception threshold value to a predetermined value.

Abstract: An identification level control method and an optical receiver are disclosed to determine an optimal identification level in a simple structure without clock extraction. In the identification level control method, an identification level supplied to a limiter amplifier is changed from a lower bound to an upper bound thereof and is stored together with an output average of the limiter amplifier. Then, a first average and a second average are set based on the output average. A first identification level corresponding to the first average and a second identification level corresponding to the second average are obtained, and an optimal identification level is computed based on the first identification level and the second identification level, and is supplied to the limiter amplifier.

Abstract: A heat-transfer structure which can keep a consumable component at a temperature of 225° C. or less during etching of a substrate. The heat-transfer structure is disposed in a chamber where plasma processing is performed on a wafer as the substrate under a reduced pressure. The heat-transfer structure is comprised of a focus ring having an exposed surface exposed to plasma, a susceptor and an electrostatic chuck that cool the consumable component, and a heat-transfer sheet interposed between the focus ring and the electrostatic chuck and made of a gel-like material. The ratio of hardness of the heat-transfer sheet expressed in Asker C to thermal conductivity of the heat-transfer sheet expressed in W/m·K is less than 20.

Abstract: A stand pipe is disposed so as to be fitted with the inner periphery surface of a piston rod with a hollow structure and a reservoir is incorporated into the inside of the stand pipe, whereby it becomes possible to reduce the size of an EHA device. Besides, since the reservoir is separated from both an annulus-side oil chamber and a bore-side oil chamber, a stable reservoir performance can be exhibited without being influenced by a fluid pressure resulting from an external force. Moreover, as a result of installation of the stand pipe, a difference between the amount of fluid required per unit stroke in the annulus-side oil chamber and that in the bore-side oil chamber becomes smaller, so that the required volume of the reservoir oil chamber can be reduced and it is possible to constitute an efficient EHA device with little difference between the energy consumption during compressing and that during extending.