Abstract: The present invention provides an energy-efficient method and apparatus that can achieve exhaust gas abatement with a minimum use of diluent nitrogen gas. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for exhaust gas abatement under reduced pressure, in which an exhaust gas supplied from an exhaust gas source via a vacuum pump is decomposed by heat of a high-temperature plasma under a reduced pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus for exhaust gas abatement under reduced pressure includes a reaction tube having, in an interior thereof, an exhaust gas treatment space in which an exhaust gas supplied from an exhaust gas source via a vacuum pump is heated by an electric heater or excited by a plasma for decomposition and/or reaction treatment. The apparatus also includes a downstream vacuum pump connected to an exhaust gas outlet located downstream of the reaction tube to reduce a pressure in a region located downstream of an outlet of the vacuum pump and including the interior of the reaction tube. The downstream vacuum pump is a water-sealed pump. The apparatus further includes a water-washing unit for washing a downstream end of an exhaust gas flow path in the reaction tube with washing water. The washing water supplied by the water-washing unit is reused as seal water for the downstream vacuum pump.

Abstract: An apparatus for exhaust gas abatement under reduced pressure includes a reaction tube having, in an interior thereof, an exhaust gas treatment space in which an exhaust gas supplied from an exhaust gas source via a vacuum pump is heated by an electric heater or excited by a plasma for decomposition and/or reaction treatment. The apparatus also includes a downstream vacuum pump connected to an exhaust gas outlet located downstream of the reaction tube to reduce a pressure in a region located downstream of an outlet of the vacuum pump and including the interior of the reaction tube. The downstream vacuum pump is a water-sealed pump. The apparatus further includes a water-washing unit for washing a downstream end of an exhaust gas flow path in the reaction tube with washing water. The washing water supplied by the water-washing unit is reused as seal water for the downstream vacuum pump.

Abstract: The present invention provides an energy-efficient method and apparatus that can achieve exhaust gas abatement with a minimum use of diluent nitrogen gas. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for exhaust gas abatement under reduced pressure, in which an exhaust gas supplied from an exhaust gas source via a vacuum pump is decomposed by heat of a high-temperature plasma under a reduced pressure.

Abstract: The present invention provides an energy-efficient method and apparatus that can achieve exhaust gas abatement with a minimum use of diluent nitrogen gas. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for exhaust gas abatement under reduced pressure, in which an exhaust gas supplied from an exhaust gas source through a vacuum pump is decomposed by combustion heat of a flame under a reduced pressure.

Abstract: Provided is an ammonia detoxification device that, when detoxifying ammonia by thermal decomposition, is capable of preventing the generation of nitrogen oxides. That is, the problem is solved by configuring the ammonia detoxification device using: an electric heater; an ammonia decomposition chamber that accepts an ammonia-containing gas to be treated and thermally decomposes the ammonia in the absence of oxygen using heat from the electric heater; a thermally decomposed gas-burning chamber that accepts the nitrogen- and hydrogen-containing gas to be treated that has been generated by the thermal decomposition of the ammonia and discharged from the ammonia decomposition chamber, and an air-supplying means for supplying air from the outside into the thermally the thermally decomposed gas-burning chamber to burn the hydrogen.

Abstract: Provided is an ammonia detoxification device that, when detoxifying ammonia by thermal decomposition, is capable of preventing the generation of nitrogen oxides. That is, the problem is solved by configuring the ammonia detoxification device using: an electric heater; an ammonia decomposition chamber that accepts an ammonia-containing gas to be treated and thermally decomposes the ammonia in the absence of oxygen using heat from the electric heater; a thermally decomposed gas-burning chamber that accepts the nitrogen- and hydrogen-containing gas to be treated that has been generated by the thermal decomposition of the ammonia and discharged from the ammonia decomposition chamber, and an air-supplying means for supplying air from the outside into the thermally the thermally decomposed gas-burning chamber to burn the hydrogen.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for manufacturing halogen gas using a plasma chemical reaction, with the features of having simplicity, practicality, and maintaining safety in handling source materials and of being able to manufacture halogen gas in the same facility where halogen gas is used, and also provides a halogen gas circulatory and recovery system capable of circulating and using halogen gas efficiently. After the gas expressed in the chemical formula AiXj (A represents metallic element or semiconductor element, X represents halogen element, and i and j represent integers) is introduced into a reaction container in vacuum, plasmas are generated in the reaction container to produce a plasma chemical reaction. Fine particles produced by the plasma chemical reaction and containing an element other than halogen element as the major constituent are removed from the reaction container so as to generate halogen gas in the reaction container.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for manufacturing halogen gas using a plasma chemical reaction, with the features of having simplicity, practicality, and maintaining safety in handling source materials and of being able to manufacture halogen gas in the same facility where halogen gas is used, and also provides a halogen gas circulatory and recovery system capable of circulating and using halogen gas efficiently. After the gas expressed in the chemical formula AiXj (A represents metallic element or semiconductor element, X represents halogen element, and i and j represent integers) is introduced into a reaction container in vacuum, plasmas are generated in the reaction container to produce a plasma chemical reaction. Fine particles produced by the plasma chemical reaction and containing an element other than halogen element as the major constituent are removed from the reaction container so as to generate halogen gas in the reaction container.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for manufacturing halogen gas using a plasma chemical reaction, with the features of having simplicity, practicality, and maintaining safety in handling source materials and of being able to manufacture halogen gas in the same facility where halogen gas is used, and also provides a halogen gas circulatory and recovery system capable of circulating and using halogen gas efficiently. After the gas expressed in the chemical formula AiXj (A represents metallic element or semiconductor element, X represents halogen element, and i and j represent integers) is introduced into a reaction container in vacuum, plasmas are generated in the reaction container to produce a plasma chemical reaction. Fine particles produced by the plasma chemical reaction and containing an element other than halogen element as the major constituent are removed from the reaction container so as to generate halogen gas in the reaction container.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a cathode 54 having a large diameter part 56 and a long thin small diameter part 58, and the upper end surface of the large diameter part 56 faces the plasma forming space 76. The substrate 66 which is to be processed is mounted on the upper end surface of the large diameter part 56. The lower end of the small diameter part 58 is connected via the matching circuit 60 to the high frequency power source 62. The transmission path within the chamber comprises a large diameter coaxial line, a small diameter coaxial line and a radial line which connects them. The large diameter coaxial line includes the large diameter part 56, the first side wall 42 and the insulator 70. The radial line includes the lower surface of the large diameter part 56, the upper surface of the bottom plate 46 and the gap 72 between them. The small diameter coaxial line includes the small diameter part 58, the second side wall 68 and the gap 74.

Abstract: This invention discloses a plasma processing apparatus for carrying out a process onto a substrate utilizing a plasma generated by supplying RF energy with a plasma generation gas. This apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber having a pumping system, a substrate holder for placing the substrate to be processed in the vacuum chamber, a gas introduction means for introducing the plasma generation gas into a plasma generation space, an energy supply means for supplying the RF energy with the plasma generation gas. The antenna has multiple antenna elements provided symmetrically to the center on the axis of the substrate and an end shorting member shorting each end of the antenna elements so that an RF current path symmetrical to the center is applied. Multiple circuits resonant at a frequency of the RF energy are formed symmetrically of the antenna elements and the end shorting member.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is furnished with a reactor which is furnished with a susceptor 12, a reaction gas delivery mechanism which delivers reaction gas to the inside of the reactor, a pumping mechanism 24 which pumps out an interior of the reactor, and a plasma-generating mechanism. The reactor is made of metal, the plasma-generating mechanism includes an at least single-winding coil 16 which produces an induced electric field, and the coil is established within the reactor and surrounding the plasma-generating space in a state surrounded by dielectrics parts 15 and 17.

Abstract: A surface processing apparatus includes a microwave generator which generates low UHF band microwaves of from 300 MHz to 1 GHz, a cavity resonator in which the microwaves generated in the microwave generator resonate in the TM 010 mode, an airtight process chamber which is connected to the cavity resonator, a radiation plate which is arranged in a part of the cavity resonator which is connected with the process chamber, the radiation plate has a plurality of radiation holes which are established symmetrically with respect to a central axis of the cavity resonator, and cover plates made of a dielectric material which close off the radiation holes in an airtight manner.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma chamber and an antenna formed by a first set of parallel antenna elements and a second set of parallel antenna elements, the antenna elements of the first set being interdigitally arranged with those of the second set. An energy source supplies oscillation energy of first phase to the first set of antenna elements and oscillation energy of second, opposite phase to the second set of antenna elements to produce oppositely moving energy fields in the chamber at such a frequency that electrons are confined in a plasma produced in the chamber.

Abstract: The plasma generator includes a plasma generation chamber which is pumped and into which plasma generation gas is introduced. An antenna provided outside the plasma generation chamber, a RF source supplying a RF power with the antenna to excite the antenna. A part or whole of the plasma generation chamber is made of dielectric. The antenna radiates the RF through the dielectric and includes an antenna element which longitudinal direction is vertical to the direction for the plasma. The plasma generation chamber has a side wall intersecting the longitudinal direction of the antenna element at both sides. A part or whole of a plasma generation chamber is made of dielectric having relative permittivity .epsilon..sub.S. The antenna radiates a RF through the dielectric and is comprised of multiple antenna elements which longitudinal directions are on a plane vertical to the direction for the plasma.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprises a plasma chamber having a gas inlet opening and a gas outlet opening. A first high-frequency energy source supplies accelerating energy to a holder that supports a semiconductor specimen within the chamber to produce a high-frequency accelerating electric field. Gas is introduced to the chamber through the inlet opening and accelerated by the electric field toward the specimen. An antenna structure is connected to a second high-frequency energy source which supplies exciting energy at a frequency in the range between 100 MHz and 1 GHz which is higher than the frequency of the accelerating energy. The antenna structure has radially outwardly extending, circumferentially equally spaced apart elements of length equal to the quarter wavelength of the exciting energy so that there is a phase difference of 180 degrees between adjacent ones of the antenna elements. The accelerated gas is uniformly excited and converted to high-density plasma.

Abstract: A dry etching apparatus with the use of reactive gas plasma is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber, and first and second electrodes opposite to each other in the chamber for generating therebetween gas plasma by discharging while introducing reactive gas in the chamber thereby etching a sample placed on the first electrode. A cover member is provided for covering at least the periphery portion positioned at the outer side of the sample on the surface of the first electrode. The reactive gas introducer is provided on the second electrode at the position opposite to the sample thereby directing the gas to the sample.

Abstract: A dry etching apparatus has a vacuum chamber provided therein with an RF electrode. On the RF electrode an object substrate(s) is placed. The RF electrode is covered with a substrate bed(s) and detachable dielectric members. The substrate bed(s) includes a dielectric portion and a conductive portion provided just under the dielectric portion. The conductive portion is equipotential in terms of direct current to the RF electrode. At least one gap extension is consituted of a gap(s) between the dielectric members, a gap(s) between the dielectric members and the substrate bed(s), etc. and extends from the surface of the RF electrode to the plasma space. The gap extension(s) extends zigzaggedly from the RF electrode to the plasma space so that the plasma space can not structurally be viewed from the surface of the RF electrode irrespective the dimesions of the substrate.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprises a vacuum vessel, an anode and a cathode arranged in the vacuum vessel, and a discharge producing power source for intermittently producing main discharge between the anode and the cathode to process a substrate arranged in the proximity of the anode and the cathode. The discharge producing power source comprises a magnetic field setting device including magnetic coils arranged closely to the vacuum vessel and having pole pieces and alternate current power sources for the magnetic coils. The plasma processing apparatus is able to remarkably increase processing speeds and considerably reduce the temperature rise and damage therefrom of substrates to be processed. Moreover, the magnetic field setting device is arranged in a small size to make the plasma processing apparatus compact and small-sized.