Abstract: A method for using a semiconductor processing apparatus includes supplying an oxidizing gas and a reducing gas into a process container of the processing apparatus accommodating no product target substrate therein; causing the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas to react with each other within a first atmosphere that activates the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas inside the process container, thereby generating radicals; and removing a contaminant from an inner surface of the process container by use of the radicals.

Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes setting an idling state where a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus accommodates no product target substrate therein, and then, performing a purging process of removing a contaminant present in an inner surface of the reaction chamber by causing radicals to act on the inner surface of the reaction chamber. The radicals are generated by activating a purging process gas containing oxygen and hydrogen as elements.

Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes a first cleaning process of removing by a first cleaning gas a by-product film from an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, while supplying the first cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting an interior of the reaction chamber at a first temperature and a first pressure to activate the first cleaning gas. The method further includes a second cleaning process of then removing by a second cleaning gas a contaminant from the inner surface of the reaction chamber, while supplying the second cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the interior of the reaction chamber at a second temperature and a second pressure to activate the second cleaning gas. The second cleaning gas includes a chlorine-containing gas.

Abstract: A poly-silicon film formation method for forming a poly-silicon film doped with phosphorous or boron includes heating a target substrate placed in a vacuum atmosphere inside a reaction container, and supplying into the reaction container a silicon film formation gas, a doping gas for doping a film with phosphorous or boron, and a grain size adjusting gas containing a component to retard columnar crystal formation from a poly-silicon crystal and to promote miniaturization of the poly-silicon crystal, thereby depositing a silicon film doped with phosphorous or boron on the target substrate.

Abstract: A method of using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes removing by a cleaning gas a by-product film deposited on an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, and then chemically planarizing the inner surface of the reaction chamber by a planarizing gas. The inner surface contains as a main component quartz or silicon carbide. The removing is performed while supplying the cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a first temperature and first pressure to activate the cleaning gas. The planarizing is performed while supplying the planarizing gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a second temperature and second pressure to activate the planarizing gas. The planarizing gas contains fluorine gas and hydrogen gas.

Abstract: A poly-silicon film formation method for forming a poly-silicon film doped with phosphorous or boron includes heating a target substrate placed in a vacuum atmosphere inside a reaction container, and supplying into the reaction container a silicon film formation gas, a doping gas for doping a film with phosphorous or boron, and a grain size adjusting gas containing a component to retard columnar crystal formation from a poly-silicon crystal and to promote miniaturization of the poly-silicon crystal, thereby depositing a silicon film doped with phosphorous or boron on the target substrate.

Abstract: A method of using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes removing by a cleaning gas a by-product film deposited on an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, and then chemically planarizing the inner surface of the reaction chamber by a planarizing gas. The inner surface contains as a main component quartz or silicon carbide. The removing is performed while supplying the cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a first temperature and first pressure to activate the cleaning gas. The planarizing is performed while supplying the planarizing gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a second temperature and second pressure to activate the planarizing gas. The planarizing gas contains fluorine and hydrogen fluoride. The second temperature is within a range of from 300 to 800° C.

Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes setting an idling state where a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus accommodates no product target substrate therein, and then, performing a purging process of removing a contaminant present in an inner surface of the reaction chamber by causing radicals to act on the inner surface of the reaction chamber. The radicals are generated by activating a purging process gas containing oxygen and hydrogen as elements.

Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes a first cleaning process of removing by a first cleaning gas a by-product film from an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, while supplying the first cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting an interior of the reaction chamber at a first temperature and a first pressure to activate the first cleaning gas. The method further includes a second cleaning process of then removing by a second cleaning gas a contaminant from the inner surface of the reaction chamber, while supplying the second cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the interior of the reaction chamber at a second temperature and a second pressure to activate the second cleaning gas. The second cleaning gas includes a chlorine-containing gas.

Abstract: A method for using a semiconductor processing apparatus includes supplying an oxidizing gas and a reducing gas into a process container of the processing apparatus accommodating no product target substrate therein; causing the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas to react with each other within a first atmosphere that activates the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas inside the process container, thereby generating radicals; and removing a contaminant from an inner surface of the process container by use of the radicals.

Abstract: A method of using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes removing by a cleaning gas a by-product film deposited on an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, and then chemically planarizing the inner surface of the reaction chamber by a planarizing gas. The inner surface contains as a main component quartz or silicon carbide. The removing is performed while supplying the cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a first temperature and first pressure to activate the cleaning gas. The planarizing is performed while supplying the planarizing gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a second temperature and second pressure to activate the planarizing gas. The planarizing gas contains fluorine gas and hydrogen gas.

Abstract: A thin film deposition system cleaning method is capable of efficiently removing reaction products deposited on surfaces of component members of a thin film deposition system. A thermal processing system 1 capable of carrying out the thin film deposition system cleaning method includes a controller 100. The controller 100 controls a heating means so as to heat the interior of a reaction tube 2 at a temperature in the range of 400° C. to 700° C. The controller 100 controls a cleaning gas supply means for supplying a cleaning gas containing fluorine and hydrogen fluoride through a process gas supply pipe 17 into the reaction tube 2 to remove deposits deposited on surfaces exposed to an atmosphere in the reaction tube 2.

Abstract: A method of using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes removing by a cleaning gas a by-product film deposited on an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, and then chemically planarizing the inner surface of the reaction chamber by a planarizing gas. The inner surface contains as a main component quartz or silicon carbide. The removing is performed while supplying the cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a first temperature and first pressure to activate the cleaning gas. The planarizing is performed while supplying the planarizing gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the reaction chamber at a second temperature and second pressure to activate the planarizing gas. The planarizing gas contains fluorine and hydrogen fluoride. The second temperature is within a range of from 300 to 800° C.

Abstract: A vertical processing unit 10 for semiconductor wafers has; a cylindrical processing chamber 2 having an opening 18 in an inside of an annular bottom surface, and a disk-shaped cap 6 having an annular abutting-surface 32 abutting on the annular bottom surface of the chamber. A mounting-surface 6p formed on the inside of the annular abutting-surface 32. A wafer-boat 8 for holding a wafer W to be processed is mounted on the mounting-surface 6p of the cap 6. The abutting-surface 32 has an annular groove 34A formed therein. An inert gas supply passgeway 38 is provided in communication with the annular groove 34A for supplying an inert gas into the annular groove 34A through a header 16. An ejection opening 36 for ejecting an inert gas is provided on the inner side of the annular groove 34A for communicating the annular groove 34A and the interior of the processing chamber 2. Owing to the active leaking of the nitrogen (N.sub.

Abstract: A number of semiconductor wafers are retained in a wafer boat such that the wafers are disposed at intervals in the vertical direction. The wafer boat is loaded into a process tube of a vertical type thermal processing apparatus. The inside of the process tube is heated to 300.degree. to 530.degree. C. in a depressurized atmosphere, and a process gas including a disilane gas is fed into the process tube such that the disilane gas flows at a flow rate of 300 SCCM or more, thereby to form silicon films.

Abstract: A doped film forming method comprising, the steps of preparing gas source for supplying a film forming gas into the process tube, gas source for supplying doping gases, in which a dope is included, into the process tube, a dry pump for exhausting the process tube, and an apparatus for burning a not-reacted element in waste gas, arranging a plurality of substrates in the process tube in such a way that they are separated from their adjacent ones by a certain interval, exhausting the process tube to keep it reduced in pressure, heating the substrates in the process tube to a temperature range of 500.degree.-600.degree. C., controlling amounts of the doping and film forming gases, while exhausting the process tube, at the ratio of the amount of the film forming gas to the amount of the doping gases being in the range of 1 to 1.625.times.10.sup.-3 to 2.125.times.10.sup.-3, and causing the doping and film forming gases to be reacted with the substrates.

Abstract: After a polysilicon film is formed on a wafer, a cleaning gas containing ClF.sub.3 at 10 to 50 vol % is supplied into a reaction tube and an exhaust pipe system at a flow rate of 3000 to 3500 SCCM, so as to remove a polysilicon-based film deposited on an inner wall surface of the reaction tube, the surface of a member incorporated in the reaction tube, and an inner wall surface of the exhaust pipe system while the film forming process, by etching using ClF.sub.3. The cleaning gas is supplied while the temperature in the reaction tube is maintained at 450.degree. C. or higher, and in a pressure condition set at the maintained temperature such that an etching rate of the polysilicon-based film by the cleaning gas is higher than an etching rate of silicon which is the material of the reaction tube or the member incorporated in the reaction tube.

Abstract: A film-forming apparatus for forming an impurity-doped film on an object such as a semiconductor wafer has an elongated reaction tube located such that its longitudinal direction is identical to the vertical direction, and having an object arrangement region in which a plurality of objects or semiconductor wafers to be processed can be arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. A film-forming gas is introduced into the reaction tube through a film-forming gas introduction pipe.

Abstract: A film is formed on a substrate by supplying a plurality of processing gases into a processing container and forming the film on the substrate from the processing gases while exhausting a portion of the gases out of the processing container. Before a partial pressure of a byproduct in the processing container produced through chemical reaction of the processing gases reaches an equilibrium state, the partial pressure of the byproduct in the processing container is temporarily reduced by temporarily suppressing or stopping the supply of at least one of the processing gases into the processing container and exhausting gas from the processing container.

Abstract: Prior to formation of a polysilicon film on a wafer, a pre-coat film having a thickness of 1 .mu.m and consisting of polysilicon is formed on the inner wall surface of a reaction tube or the surface of a member incorporated in the reaction tube. A polysilicon film is formed on the wafer at a temperature of 450.degree. C. to 650.degree. C. A cleaning gas containing ClF.sub.3 having a concentration of 10 to 50 vol. % is supplied into the reaction tube at a flow rate to an area of an object be cleaned of 750 to 3,500 SCCM/m.sup.2 to remove a polysilicon film deposited on the inner wall surface of the reaction tube or the surface of the member incorporated in the reaction tube by etching using the ClF.sub.3. In this case, the cleaning gas is supplied while a temperature in the reaction tube is kept at a temperature of 450.degree. C. to 650.degree. C.