Abstract: The present inventors have found that a wafer process of VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) has the following problem, that is, generation of foreign matters due to moisture from a wafer as a result of degassing when a barrier metal film or a first-level metal interconnect layer is formed by sputtering as a preliminary step for the formation of a tungsten plug in a pre-metal step. To overcome the problem, the present invention provides a manufacturing method of a semiconductor integrated circuit device including, in a plasma process, in-situ monitoring of moisture in a processing chamber by receiving an electromagnetic wave generated from plasma.

Abstract: The present inventors have found that a wafer process of VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) has the following problem, that is, generation of foreign matters due to moisture from a wafer as a result of degassing when a barrier metal film or a first-level metal interconnect layer is formed by sputtering as a preliminary step for the formation of a tungsten plug in a pre-metal step. To overcome the problem, the present invention provides a manufacturing method of a semiconductor integrated circuit device including, in a plasma process, in-situ monitoring of moisture in a processing chamber by receiving an electromagnetic wave generated from plasma.

Abstract: A reactive gas is supplied to a reaction chamber by way of a reactive gas supply pipe. The reactive gas is exhausted from the reaction chamber by way of a main exhaust pipe. Outside air is drawn into the reaction chamber by way of an air intake pipe by means of opening an air intake valve. Further, a main exhaust valve is closed, and a dust collection exhaust valve is opened. As a result, a by-product deposited on an interior wall of the reaction chamber and in the main exhaust pipe is exhausted by way of a dust collection exhaust pipe having exhaust power higher than that of the main exhaust pipe.

Abstract: The main feature of the present invention is to provide a reaction chamber for a chemical vapor deposition apparatus improved to achieve a uniform film deposition of high accuracy stably. The apparatus includes a wafer heating stage 28 for holding a wafer 14 with the surface downwards and for heating the wafer 14. The wafer heating stage 28 rotates about the center of the stage. In a low position opposing the wafer heating stage 28, a gas supplying head 37 is provided so as to form a constant spacing region 53 for supplying reaction gas towards the wafer heating stage 28. The reaction chamber includes a reaction chamber forming member 54 surrounding in a circumferential direction the spacing region 53 between the wafer heating stage 28 and the gas supplying head 37 to establish a reaction chamber having the spacing region 53 closed.

Abstract: In order to prevent deposition of a reaction byproduct on the peripheries of reaction gas introduction holes, an annular inert gas injection member having a number of inert gas injection holes is provided around the reaction gas introduction holes. An inert gas is injected from inert gas injection holes toward an exhaust passage. This inert gas promotes a flow of an exhaust gas from a reaction space and forcibly flows toward the exhaust passage. Thus, a reaction byproduct contained in the exhaust gas is not remarkably deposited in the vicinity of the peripheries of the reaction gas introduction holes but quickly discharged into the exhaust passage. Thus, the reaction byproduct is hardly deposited around the reaction gas introduction holes.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which an element is flattened by improving a technique of forming an interlayer insulating film. A thick insulating film having a film thickness necessary for a convexo-concave pattern to be flattened is deposited on a semiconductor substrate comprising the convexo-concave pattern of an element, a wiring and the like. Then, the thick insulating film is etched until it becomes a predetermined film thickness to form an interlayer insulating film having a predetermined film thickness from said thick insulating film. At this time, since acid and water are attached on the surface of the interlayer insulating film, a new film is formed on the surface of the interlayer insulating film to cover this water and acid. Then, a resist pattern having a desired configuration is formed on this new film. A contact hole is formed on the interlayer insulating film using this resist pattern.

Abstract: A plasma processor wherein a substrate is processed using a plasma in a reaction gas generated through electron cyclotron resonance includes a magnetostatic field generator for generating a magnetostatic field, an electric field generator for generating an r.f. electric field perpendicular to the magnetostatic field, and a moving magnetic field generator for generating a moving magnetic field which intersects the magnetostatic field between the magnetostatic field generator and the substrate.

Abstract: In a plasma processor having a plasma generation portion which generates a plasma through electron cyclotron resonance, and a plasma reaction portion which receives therein a substrate to be processed with the plasma; the improvement comprising the fact that the plasma generation portion includes a plasma generating glass tube which can supply a plasma generating gas, an r.f. waveguide which accommodates the plasma generating glass tube and which establishes a nonuniform r.f. electric field perpendicular to an axial direction of the plasma generating portion, and a coil assembly which is arranged around the r.f. waveguide and which establishes a nonuniform magnetostatic field in the axial direction, at least a part of the magnetic field of the coil assembly being subjected to a rotational motion or a rectilinear motion.

Abstract: A photosensor device and an optical pickup device incorporating the photosensor device are advantageously used in an optical compact disc player of the type where the optical pickup device is driven along a path at an acute tilt angle relative to the sides of a rectangular casing. The photosensor has a plurality of photosensitive elements aligned in a first direction and a plurality of terminal leads extending parallel to each other and perpendicular to a second direction so that the photosensor may be mounted on a circuit board in a conventional configuration to save space. Within the optical pickup device, the photosensitive elements are aligned at a mounting angle which is a function of the tilt angle so that the three optical beams are received thereon in the proper orientation.