Abstract: A substrate transfer module that can prevent corrosion of components, adhesion of particles to the substrate, and increases in the manufacturing cost and the size of the substrate transfer module. A substrate transfer module is connected to a substrate processing module. The substrate processing module implements desired processing on a substrate. A substrate transfer device transfers a substrate and includes a holding unit and a moving unit. The holding unit holds the substrate, and the moving unit moves the holding unit. A transfer chamber houses the substrate transfer device in an interior thereof that is isolated from an external atmosphere. An isolation device isolates at least the holding unit and the substrate held by the holding unit from an interior atmosphere of the transfer chamber.

Abstract: This absorption spectrometric apparatus for semiconductor production process includes a flow passageway switching mechanism connected to a discharging flow passageway of a processing chamber for a semiconductor production process and a multiple reflection type moisture concentration measuring absorption spectrometric analyzer that allows a laser beam from a laser light source to undergo multiple reflection within a cell, detects a light absorbancy change by a gas within the cell, and measures a moisture concentration within the gas. The flow passageway switching mechanism connects the discharging flow passageway by switching between a measuring flow passageway through which the gas is discharged by passing through the cell and a bypass flow passageway through which the gas is discharged without passing through the cell.

Abstract: A foreign material detecting method for detecting a foreign material attached to a substrate surface includes a spraying step of spraying an organic solvent or an oil-phase material containing a halogen element to the substrate surface, a condensing step of emphasizing the foreign material by condensing the sprayed organic solvent or oil-phase material around the foreign material attached to the substrate surface by controlling a temperature of the substrate surface, and a surface inspecting step of detecting the foreign material emphasized by the condensation of the organic solvent or the oil-phase material by a surface inspecting device.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a component in a substrate processing apparatus including a processing chamber, foreign materials being attached to the component, at least a part of the component being exposed inside the processing chamber, and the substrate processing apparatus being adapted to load and unload a foreign material adsorbing member into and from the processing chamber. The method includes loading the foreign material adsorbing member into the processing chamber; generating a plasma nearer the component than the foreign material adsorbing member; extinguishing the plasma; and unloading the foreign material adsorbing member from the processing chamber, wherein the generation and the extinguishment of the plasma are repeated alternately and the foreign material adsorbing member has a positive potential at least during the extinguishment of the plasma.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing apparatus including a plasma generating unit for generating a plasma in a processing chamber in which a set processing is performed on a substrate serving as an object to be processed. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a particle moving unit for electrostatically driving particles in a region above the substrate to be removed out of the region above the substrate in the processing chamber while the processing on the substrate is performed by using the plasma. In addition, there is provided a plasma processing method of a plasma processing apparatus including the steps of generating plasma in a processing chamber in which a set processing is performed on a substrate serving as an object to be processed; and performing the processing on the substrate by the plasma.

Abstract: A gas purification apparatus capable of removing fine particles of substantially any size without lowering the efficiency of gas supply. A loader module of a substrate processing apparatus includes a fan filter unit for producing a downward flow of atmospheric air in the internal space of a transfer chamber. The fan filter unit includes a fan for generating an atmospheric air flow, a filter of mesh structure for trapping and removing particles mixed in the atmospheric air flow, an irradiation heater disposed between the fan and the filter, and a high temperature part disposed in the atmospheric air flow and higher in temperature than the filter.

Abstract: A particle monitor system that can detect fine particles in a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus has a chamber in which a substrate is housed and subjected to processing, a dry pump that exhausts gas out of the chamber, and a bypass line that communicates the chamber and the dry pump together. The particle monitor system has a laser light oscillator that irradiates laser light toward a space in which the particles may be present, and a laser power measurement device that is disposed on an optical path of the laser light having passed through the space and measures the energy of the laser light.

Abstract: A foreign matter detecting method of detecting foreign matter attached to a peripheral edge of a substrate, which makes it possible to accurately detect foreign matter attached to the peripheral edge of the substrate even if the foreign matter is of a minute size below the detection limit of an existing measuring instrument, and which is highly versatile and suitable for mass production of substrates. The substrate is cooled to condense moisture around the foreign matter attached to the peripheral edge of the substrate, and then the condensed moisture is iced to grow an ice crystal. Then, the foreign matter attached to the peripheral edge of the substrate, which is emphasized by the ice crystal, is detected.

Abstract: Provided are a focusing position determining apparatus, an imaging apparatus, and a focusing position determining method, the method including setting an aperture to a first aperture value; driving a focus lens through a first range of positions as a first drive; during the first drive, obtaining images periodically, and calculating a first sampling of contrast values from the obtained images; calculating a first focus position from the first sampling of contrast values; setting the aperture to a second aperture value; driving a focus lens through a second range of positions as a second drive, the second range of positions being based on the first focus position; during the second drive, obtaining images periodically, and calculating a second sampling of contrast values from the obtained images; calculating a focusing position from the second sampling of contrast values; and driving the focus lens to the calculated focusing position.

Abstract: To clean an element in a vacuum chamber by causing particles sticking to the element to scatter, the present invention uses a means for applying a voltage to the element and causing the particles to scatter by utilizing Maxwell's stress, a means for electrically charging the particles and causing the particles to scatter by utilizing the Coulomb force, a means for introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber and causing the particles sticking to the element to scatter by causing a gas shock wave to hit the element, a means for heating the element and causing the particles to scatter by utilizing the thermal stress and thermophoretic force, or a means for causing the particles to scatter by applying mechanical vibrations to the element. The thus scattered particles are removed by carrying them in a gas flow in a relatively high pressure atmosphere.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program recording medium are provided. The image processing apparatus includes a color reproduction correction unit for correcting an image signal formed by an imaging element according to a color reproduction matrix; a color reproduction matrix storage unit for storing a registered color reproduction matrix or an inverse matrix of the registered color reproduction matrix for each light source coordinates in a color space; and a color reproduction matrix calculation unit for interpolating inverse matrices of registered color reproduction matrices corresponding to at least two light source coordinates stored in the color reproduction matrix storage unit according to estimated light source coordinates in the color space, which are obtained from the image signal, and calculating an inverse matrix of a result of the interpolation as the color reproduction matrix.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device with plasma generated in a process chamber by impressing radio-frequency power, a level of a radio-frequency power for each step is switched over in response to processing in each step upon applying a plurality of processing steps to a semiconductor substrate while holding the semiconductor substrate, and thereby the plurality of steps are carried out successively.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium storing a program for performing an operation method of a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The operation method includes the steps of introducing a nonreactive gas into the vacuum preparation chamber before the gate valve is opened while the substrate is transferred between the vacuum preparation chamber of the vacuum processing unit and the transfer unit, stopping introducing the nonreactive gas when an inner pressure of the vacuum preparation chamber becomes same as an atmospheric pressure, starting an evacuation process of the corrosive gas in the vacuum preparation chamber and then opening to atmosphere performed by letting the vacuum preparation chamber communicate with an atmosphere, and opening the gate valve after the step of opening to atmosphere.

Abstract: Disclosed is an abnormality detection system that accurately detects abnormalities that arise in a device.

Abstract: A gas purification apparatus capable of removing fine particles of substantially any size without lowering the efficiency of gas supply. A loader module of a substrate processing apparatus includes a fan filter unit for producing a downward flow of atmospheric air in the internal space of a transfer chamber. The fan filter unit includes a fan for generating an atmospheric air flow, a filter of mesh structure for trapping and removing particles mixed in the atmospheric air flow, an irradiation heater disposed between the fan and the filter, and a high temperature part disposed in the atmospheric air flow and higher in temperature than the filter.

Abstract: To clean an element in a vacuum chamber by causing particles sticking to the element to scatter, the present invention uses a means for applying a voltage to the element and causing the particles to scatter by utilizing Maxwell's stress, a means for electrically charging the particles and causing the particles to scatter by utilizing the Coulomb force, a means for introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber and causing the particles sticking to the element to scatter by causing a gas shock wave to hit the element, a means for heating the element and causing the particles to scatter by utilizing the thermal stress and thermophoretic force, or a means for causing the particles to scatter by applying mechanical vibrations to the element. The thus scattered particles are removed by carrying them in a gas flow in a relatively high pressure atmosphere.

Abstract: A substrate processing system that enables foreign matter adhered to a rear surface or a periphery of a substrate to be completely removed. A substrate processing apparatus performs predetermined processing on the substrate. A substrate cleaning apparatus cleans the substrate at least one of before and after the predetermined processing. A jetting apparatus jets a cleaning substance in two phases of a gas phase and a liquid phase and a high-temperature gas towards the rear surface or the periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: In a substrate cleaning method for cleaning a substrate with fine patterns having grooves or holes whose representative length is 0.1 mm or less, the substrate is arranged in a space which contains water, such that the substrate faces an acute-angled leading end of a discharge electrode which can be cooled, with a predetermined interval therebetween, with a counter electrode being interposed at a predetermined position between the substrate and the discharge electrode. Then, a predetermined voltage is applied between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode while generating dew condensation in the discharge electrode by cooling the discharge electrode. The substrate is cleaned by generating an aerosol containing water particles having sizes of equal to less than 10 nm in the leading end of the discharge electrode and spraying the aerosol on the substrate.

Abstract: A particle removal apparatus for removing particles from a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, wherein the chamber is connected to a gas exhaust port and a plasma of a processing gas is generated in the chamber to plasma process a substrate to be processed, includes a particle charging control member for positively charging particles generated within the chamber by positive ions of an ion sheath region formed in a region other than the vicinity of the substrate to be processed, wherein positively charged particles are discharged from the chamber via the gas exhaust port. Therefore, there is no plasma disturbance or metal contamination, and thus can be applied to a practical use.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus that enables abnormal electrical discharges and metal contamination to be prevented from occurring. A processing chamber is configured to house and carry out predetermined plasma processing on a substrate. A lower electrode is disposed on a bottom portion of the processing chamber and has the substrate mounted thereon. An upper electrode is disposed in a ceiling portion of the processing chamber. A side wall component covering a side wall of the processing chamber faces onto a processing space between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. The side wall component has at least one electrode layer to which a DC voltage is applied. An insulating portion made of an insulating material is present at least between the electrode layer and the processing space and covers the electrode layer. The insulating portion is formed by thermally spraying the insulating material.