Abstract: A thermal processing unit for a single substrate of the invention includes a processing chamber vessel whose inside can be made a predetermined atmosphere of a process gas, and an elevating shaft which can be moved up and down in the processing chamber vessel. A supporting body which can support a substrate is arranged on an upper end of the elevating shaft. The substrate supported by the supporting body is adapted to be heated by a heater. The supporting body has a circular supporting part which can support a substantially full surface of a peripheral area of the substrate, and a pushing-up member which can push up the substrate from on the supporting part for conveying the substrate. According to the invention, concentration of stress onto the substrate can be restrained, and a thermal process can be conducted uniformly within a surface of the substrate because heating from a peripheral area of the substrate may be restrained.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is mounted on a susceptor disposed in a processing chamber, the wafer is heated at a temperature on the order of 1000° C. for annealing, and a gas is supplied from a gas supply device disposed opposite to the wafer. When raising the temperature of the wafer and/or when lowering the temperature of the wafer, intra-surface temperature difference is limited to a small value to suppress the occurrence of slips. A gas supply device is divided into sections corresponding to a central part and a peripheral part, respectively, of the wafer to supply the gas at different flow rates onto the central part and the peripheral part, respectively. When raising the temperature of the wafer, for example, a gas of a temperature higher (lower) than that of the wafer is supplied at a flow rate per unit area greater (lower) than that at which the gas is supplied to the peripheral part to the central part.

Abstract: Plating apparatus and plating method that can plate more uniformly on a processing surface of a workpiece are provided. The plating apparatus is comprised of a plating solution bathe which is provided with a first electrode held in a state soaked in a plating solution; a workpiece holding mechanism which holds a workpiece to contact its processing surface to the plating solution; and a contact member, disposed in the workpiece holding mechanism, that electrically contacts with the circumferential edge of the workpiece so to form a conductive layer on the workpiece surface as a second electrode. The contact member is divided along the circumferential direction of the workpiece with which they are electrically contacted. Thus, even if the contact resistance between each section of the contact member with the workpiece is variable, it is possible to adjust the plating electric current for each section of the contact member.

Abstract: A thermal insulator can change a heat insulation characteristic partially with a simple structure. The thermal insulator is divided into a plurality of parts in accordance with a temperature of a heat source which is insulated by the thermal insulator. The plurality of parts are formed of different honeycomb structures, respectively, so as to provide different heat insulation characteristics. The plurality of parts may be formed by different materials, or a shape or dimension such as a cell pitch of the honeycomb structure may be varied. Heat is collected from air within the honeycomb cells, and is transferred to other parts for heating.

Abstract: In an annealing apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers one by one, a hermetic process chamber has a work table having an upper surface on which a wafer is placed. A shower head is disposed to supply a process gas into the process chamber from a position opposing the upper surface of the work table. An exhaust chamber is connected to the bottom portion of the process chamber through an inlet opening below the work table. The inlet opening has a planar contour smaller than that of the work table. The planar contours of the work table and the opening are arranged almost concentrically with each other. An exhaust mechanism is connected to the exhaust chamber, so the process chamber is exhausted through the exhaust chamber.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus is arranged to perform a reforming process and a crystallizing process for tantalum oxide deposited on a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus includes a worktable with a heater incorporated therein. Under the worktable, there is a heat-compensating member formed of a thin plate and having a counter surface facing the bottom surface of the worktable along the periphery. The counter surface is formed of a mirror surface having a surface roughness of Rmax=25 &mgr;m or less. Heat rays and radiant heat are reflected by the counter surface and applied to the periphery of the worktable, thereby compensating the periphery for heat loss.

Abstract: When the processed body holding member is moved upward or downward, the pressure in the reaction pipe and the shift and mount chamber is reduced down to several to several tens Torr, to reduce wind pressure applied to the processed body and thereby to suppress pressure fluctuations in the reaction pipe. Further, when the processed body holding member is moved upward or downward, the processing gas is passed in the same direction as the movement direction of the processed body holding member at a speed higher than the movement speed of the processed body holding member, to prevent the processing gas from being opposed to the processed body, so that the resistance received by the processed body is reduced and thereby the pressure fluctuations can be suppressed in the reaction pipe.

Abstract: A plating system is composed of a transfer device for performing transfer of a wafer, a plating unit and a washing/drying unit provided around the transfer device. Each unit is structured to be detachable from the plating system. The plating unit is divided into a wafer transfer section and a plating section by a separator, and atmosphere of each section is independently set.

Abstract: A contact is disposed to come into contact with a metal layer formed on a substrate being treated, the contact being in contact with a surface being treated from an opposite surface through a through hole present in a substrate. Alternatively, a contact is disposed to come into contact with a metal layer formed on a substrate, the contact coming into contact at an approximate center of the substrate. Alternatively, a plurality of needle bodies are disposed to be in electrical contact with a metal layer of a substrate being treated, thereby power supply for electrolytic polishing/plating to a substrate being treated being implemented, without restricting to a periphery of a substrate, from a plurality of points on a surface thereof. Due to any one of these, liquid treatment equipment enables to improve uniformity in plane of an electric current sent to a surface being treated and of liquid treatment.

Abstract: Liquid treatment units are disposed in multi-tiers surrounding a main-arm 35. Among liquid treatment units, plating units M1 through M4 are disposed on a lower tier side, and a unit for post-treatment process such as a cleaning unit 70 where a cleaner atmosphere is necessary is disposed on an upper tier side. Thereby, an improvement in an area efficiency and the formation and maintenance of a clean atmosphere can be simultaneously obtained.

Abstract: Between a wafer and a holder holding a wafer, a seal member is disposed so that a contact surface is formed in an approximate plane, and an inner periphery surface is formed in an approximate plane and approximately vertical to a contact surface. The seal member, in a sealed state, has a brim portion of a radius of curvature of 0.5 mm or less at a boundary portion between an inner periphery surface of a seal member and a contact surface. Due to a brim portion, a gap between a contact surface of a seal member and a surface being plated of a wafer W can be made smaller, resulting in reducing bubbles entering in a gap.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus is arranged to perform a reforming process and a crystallizing process for tantalum oxide deposited on a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus includes a worktable with a heater incorporated therein. Under the worktable, there is a heat-compensating member formed of a thin plate and having a counter surface facing the bottom surface of the worktable along the periphery. The counter surface is formed of a mirror surface having a surface roughness of Rmax=25 &mgr;m or less. Heat rays and radiant heat are reflected by the counter surface and applied to the periphery of the worktable, thereby compensating the periphery for heat loss.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus is arranged to perform a reforming process and a crystallizing process for tantalum oxide deposited on a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus includes a worktable with a heater incorporated therein. Under the worktable, there is a heat-compensating member formed of a thin plate and having a counter surface facing the bottom surface of the worktable along the periphery. The counter surface is formed of a mirror surface having a surface roughness of Rmax=25 &mgr;m or less. Heat rays and radiant heat are reflected by the counter surface and applied to the periphery of the worktable, thereby compensating the periphery for heat loss.

Abstract: A heat treating apparatus comprises a process chamber within which a wafer is subjected to a heat treatment. A supporting plate for supporting the wafer is arranged within the process chamber. A process gas is supplied from above into the process chamber. A main heating means for heating the wafer is arranged below the process chamber, with a transmitting window interposed therebetween. The main heating means includes a plurality of heating sources for irradiating the supporting plate with heat rays so as to heat the wafer indirectly and a rotatable table having the heating sources arranged on the front surface thereof. The heat treating apparatus also comprises an auxiliary heating means for compensating for an uneven temperature caused on the surface of the wafer by the main heating means.

Abstract: When the processed body holding member is moved upward or downward, the pressure in the reaction pipe and the shift and mount chamber is reduced down to several to several tens Torr, to reduce wind pressure applied to the processed body and thereby to suppress pressure fluctuations in the reaction pipe. Further, when the processed body holding member is moved upward or downward, the processing gas is passed in the same direction as the movement direction of the processed body holding member at a speed higher than the movement speed of the processed body holding member, to prevent the processing gas from being opposed to the processed body, so that the resistance received by the processed body is reduced and thereby the pressure fluctuations can be suppressed in the reaction pipe.

Abstract: A wafer to be heat-treated is placed in a heat treatment chamber defined by a heat treatment vessel, and the wafer is heat-treated by radiant heat radiated by a heat source. A gas is supplied through a gas passage formed along the outer surface of an inner wall of the heat treatment vessel and having a portion extending near the heat source. The gas heated in the portion of the gas passage extending near the heat source by the heat source is blown toward a substantially central portion of the wafer as complementary heating means for increasing the temperature of the central portion of the wafer.

Abstract: A heat-treatment system comprises a first vessel made of a metal, defining a processing chamber and provided in its side wall with an opening through which a wafer to be heat-treated is carried into and the heat-treated wafer is carried out of the first vessel, a second vessel made of a highly heat-resistant nonmetallic material, disposed in the processing chamber and provided in its side wall with an opening coinciding with the opening of the first vessel. A wafer support device is disposed in the processing chamber and has a wafer support table. A heating device for heating a wafer supported on the wafer support table, a process gas supply unit is disposed opposite to a wafer supported on the wafer support table. An enclosing side wall is extended from the periphery of the process gas supply unit so as to surround a processing space between the process gas supply unit and the wafer support table.

Abstract: A heat insulating member is disposed, enclosing a reaction tube, and a heat source is provided through a heat linearing member disposed above the reaction tube and between the reaction tube and the heat insulating member. The reaction tube is made of quartz and has a transparent portion formed in the top thereof and its neighboring thereof, and an opaque portion in the rest part of the reaction tube. In a heat treatment, when heat rays are radiated from the heat source through the heat linearing member, the heat rays pass through the transparent portion of the reaction tube to heat a wafer, but those of the heat rays reflected on the heat insulating member are blocked by the opaque portion of the reaction tube. A heat ray quantity to be passed into the reaction tube can be controlled, whereby high intra-surface temperature uniformity of the wafer can be secured, and as a result high processing yields can be obtained.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus that includes a reaction tube for wafers to be loaded into from below and a heating unit surrounding the reaction vessel, or a single wafer heat treatment apparatus having a holder which provides a mount for wafers being loaded one by one into a reaction tube for heat treatment. The reaction tube has a structure of, e.g., two layers with a first layer of synthetic quartz glass made from a silicon compound, such as silicon tetrachloride, as a raw material. The first layer represents a surface that comes in contact with a heat treatment atmosphere. The second layer is of molten quartz glass made from quartz as a raw material and is external to the first layer. Synthetic quartz glass contains such traces of metals that scattered amounts of metals released into a heat treatment atmosphere due to exposure of the reaction tube to high temperatures is substantially zero.

Abstract: An object holder is raised, a mount portion is stopped at a middle stop position higher than a lower stop position, and an object of treatment is preheated. Thereafter, the object holder is further raised, the mount portion is stopped at an upper stop position in a processing tube higher than the middle position, and the object is heat-treated. A first temperature sensor for measuring a temperature on the obverse side of the object on the mount portion is located opposite the obverse side. A second temperature sensor for measuring a temperature on the reverse side of the object on the mount portion is located opposite the reverse side. The temperature of the object is detected in accordance with the respective outputs of the first and second temperature sensors.