Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing method whereby reactive gas processing such as selective epitaxial growth can be carried out with high precision by correctly adjusting conditions during processing is performed by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which can restrict increases in the moisture content, prevent heavy metal pollution and the like, and investigate the correlation between moisture content in the process chamber and outside regions. The moisture content in a reaction chamber and in a gas discharge system of the reaction chamber are measured when a substrate is provided, and the conditions for reactive gas processing are adjusted based on the moisture content.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor manufacturing method whereby reactive gas processing such as selective epitaxial growth can be carried out with high precision by correctly adjusting conditions during processing. Further disclosed are the semiconductor manufacturing method and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which can restrict increases in the moisture content, prevent heavy metal pollution and the like, and investigate the correlation between moisture content in the process chamber and outside regions. The moisture content in a reaction chamber and in a gas discharge system of the reaction chamber are measured when a substrate is provided, and the conditions for reactive gas processing are adjusted based on the moisture content.

Abstract: There is provided a method and an apparatus for collecting a rare gas, which are capable of effectively collecting the rare gas contained in an exhaust gas exhausted from a rare gas using apparatus such as a plasma apparatus or the like, and moreover capable of securely supplying the rare gas having a predetermined purity to the rare gas using apparatus, and the method for collecting rare gas which comprises collecting a rare gas contained in an exhaust gas exhausted from a rare gas using apparatus operated under decompression, the method comprises the step of collecting the rare gas by separating the rare gas and impurities contained in the exhaust gas via at least two gas separating steps.

Abstract: A gas spectroscopic analysis device for analyzing a trace impurity in a sample gas by obtaining the second derivative spectrum of the light absorption intensity by passing frequency modulated diode laser light through a low-pressure sample gas is provided with a modulation amplitude calculating device (1) for controlling the modulation amplitude of the laser light in accordance with the characteristics of diode laser (11); a spectrum calculating device (2) for calculating the peak absorption intensity and the wavelength interval between the minimum values on the left and right hand of the peak in the second derivative spectrum obtained by measurement; and a pressure adjusting device (3) for controlling the pressure inside measuring gas-cell (14) so that the value of the absorption intensity obtained at spectrum calculating device (2) becomes maximal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor manufacturing method whereby reactive gas processing such as selective epitaxial growth can be carried out with high precision by correctly adjusting conditions during processing. Further disclosed are the semiconductor manufacturing method and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which can restrict increases in the moisture content, prevent heavy metal pollution and the like, and investigate the correlation between moisture content in the process chamber and outside regions. The moisture content in a reaction chamber and in a gas discharge system of the reaction chamber are measured when a substrate is provided, and the conditions for reactive gas processing are adjusted based on the moisture content.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for treating and recovering an CVD exhaust gas is provided, which can reduce periodical maintenance by converting the raw gas employed and the intermediate products contained in the CVD system into highly volatile halides, separating and recovering them as materials with good reusability. An unreacted raw gas and intermediate products contained in CVD exhaust gas are partially decomposed by being subject to decomposition treatment or conversion reaction treatment, and then halogecosilane gas and hydrogen chloride are separated and recovered. Alternatively, a raw gas and intermediate products are decomposed into hydrogen chloride and recovered.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a CVD apparatus which, together with being able to efficiently perform purging treatment after maintenance, uses for the purge gas a mixed gas of a gas having high thermal conductivity and an inert gas during heated flow purging treatment after maintenance to perform startup of the CVD apparatus while reducing the amount of time required for purging treatment. Purging treatment before semiconductor film formation is performed by repeating the pumping of a vacuum and the introduction of inert gas a plurality of times.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for treating an exhaust gas, in which a raw gas and high-boiling intermediate products contained in the exhaust gas let out from a CVD system employing a silicon-containing gas is brought into contact with a transition metal such as nickel or a silicide of such transition metals to decompose or convert them into stable halides, followed by detoxication treatment of the harmful components contained in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: There is provided a method and an apparatus for collecting a rare gas, which are capable of effectively collecting the rare gas contained in an exhaust gas exhausted from a rare gas using apparatus such as a plasma apparatus or the like, and moreover capable of securely supplying the rare gas having a predetermined purity to the rare gas using apparatus, and the method for collecting rare gas which comprises collecting a rare gas contained in an exhaust gas exhausted from a rare gas using apparatus operated under decompression, the method comprises the step of collecting the rare gas by separating the rare gas and impurities contained in the exhaust gas via at least two gas separating

Abstract: The present invention uses a transportation robot furnished with a storage chamber 3 that can store substrate wafers S under an inert gas atmosphere, and when transporting substrate wafers S between transportation chambers 2 installed on processing apparatus 1 and holding an inert gas atmosphere, connection chamber 4 is disposed between storage chamber 3 and transportation chamber 2 when placing and removing substrate wafers S between storage chamber 3 of transportation robot 30 and the transportation chamber 2 of processing apparatus 1, and after introducing inert gas into the connection chamber 4 at low pressure, opening the gate valves GV1 and GV2 between storage chamber 3 and transportation chamber 2.

Abstract: A system and a process for producing and supplying clean dry air capable of producing and supplying clean dry air more inexpensively and using a smaller production plant and also recycling effectively the clean dry air. The system is provided with a clean room containing a transportation system having a storage, a conveyor, etc., and an equipment; a supply passage for supplying the clean dry air to the transportation system and/or the equipment; and a recycling passage for recycling a used clean dry air used in the transportation system and/or the equipment and exhausted therefrom to the transportation system and/or the equipment. The supply passage is connected to the transportation system, whereas the recycling passage is connected to the storage such that the clean dry air used in the transportation system and that in the storage are recycled to the storage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor manufacturing method whereby reactive gas processing such as selective epitaxial growth can be carried out with high precision by correctly adjusting conditions during processing. Further disclosed are the semiconductor manufacturing method and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which can restrict increases in the moisture content, prevent heavy metal pollution and the like, and investigate the correlation between moisture content in the process chamber and outside regions. The moisture content in a reaction chamber and in a gas discharge system of the reaction chamber are measured when a substrate is provided, and the conditions for reactive gas processing are adjusted based on the moisture content.

Abstract: A transport system for transporting substrate wafer, for making semiconductor integrated circuits and liquid crystal display panels and the like advanced devices, is presented.

Abstract: A process and an apparatus for recovering a noble gas, which can recover a noble gas exhausted from a noble gas employing system efficiently and also can supply the noble gas of a predetermined purity to the noble gas employing system and which can reduce consumption of the noble gas. In the process and apparatus for recovering a noble gas, when a noble gas contained in an exhaust gas exhausted from a noble gas employing system operated under reduced pressure is recovered, switching between introduction of the exhaust gas to a recovery system and exhaustion of the exhaust gas to an exhaust system is carried out under reduced pressure, and this switching operation is carried out depending on the content of impurity components contained in the exhaust gas or on the running state of the noble gas employing system.

Abstract: A method for analyzing an impurity in a gas including the steps of: introducing a gas with an impurity into a first cell; introducing a gas with no impurity into a second cell; maintaining identical pressures in the first and second cells; irradiating a light from a light irradiating source; varying the frequency of the light over a frequency spectrum including an absorption frequency of the impurity; splitting the light by a splitting device in order to pass a first beam through the first cell and to pass a second beam through the second cell; measuring the intensity of the light passing through the first cell over the frequency spectrum with a first measuring device and the intensity of the light passing through the second cell over the frequency spectrum with a second measuring device; and determining an absorption spectrum of the impurity in the gas based on the difference between data measured with the first measuring device and data from measured with the second measuring device.

Abstract: A process of using a transport system for transporting substrate wafer, for making semiconductor integrated circuits and liquid crystal display panels and the like advanced devices, is presented. The object is to prevent surface degradation which may be inflicted on the surface to interfere with proper processing of the substrate. The substrate wafers are delivered to process chambers always in clean surface conditions. A method illustrated utilizes a purge gas containing an inert gas or a mixture of an inert gas and oxygen for flowing inside the tunnel space, and a semiconductor laser detection system to detect the contamination levels within the tunnel space, and the transport parameters are controlled according to the measured data.

Abstract: A device and method for measuring an impurity in a trace concentration in a gas to be measured by infrared spectroscopic analysis employing a diode laser are provided. In order to carry out analysis with high sensitivity and high accuracy, the gas to be measured is directed into sample cell 5 and placed in a low pressure state by a pump 16. Infrared light from the wavelength region in which strong absorption peaks from the impurity can be obtained are oscillated from the diode laser 1, and a derivative absorption spectrum is measured by passing the infrared rays through sample cell 5 and reference cell 8 which is filled with the impurity alone. The spectrum for the gas to be measured and the spectrum for the impurity alone are compared, and the impurity is identified by confirming a plurality of absorption peaks originating from the impurity. Determination of the impurity is then carried out from absorption intensity of the strongest peak.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dissolved oxygen reducing apparatus which enables supplying a liquid containing very small amounts of dissolved oxygen. The dissolved oxygen reducing apparatus includes a bubbling vessel (24) having a liquid charge inlet (21), a liquid discharge outlet (22) and an inert gas discharge port (23), an inert gas sparger (25) provided within the bubbling vessel (24), and a liquid discharge pipe (26) connected to the liquid discharge outlet (22). The bubbling vessel (24) and the liquid discharge pipe (26) have a coefficient of oxygen permeability of not higher than 10.sup.-9 cc.multidot.cm/cm.sup.2 .multidot.sec.multidot.atm at 25.degree. C.

Abstract: A nitrogen gas supply system which can efficiently supply nitrogen gas to a wafer processing unit 31 for applying a predetermined processing to wafers and to a nitrogen gas tunnel type wafer conveyor 32 for transporting the wafers to the wafer processing unit 31 through a gate valve 37 in sufficient and necessary amounts and with sufficient and necessary purity levels, respectively. The nitrogen gas obtained supply system has a passage 38 for supplying high-purity nitrogen gas obtained in a cryogenic air separation plant 33 serving as a nitrogen gas generator to the wafer processing unit 31, a circulating passage 40 securing communication between outlet 32a and inlet 32b of the conveyor 32 via a purifier 39, and a replenishing passage 44 for replenishing nitrogen gas from a liquid nitrogen tank 36 to the circulating passage 40.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and method for measuring an impurity in a trace concentration in a gas to be measured by means of infrared spectroscopic analysis employing a diode laser. In order to carry out analysis with high sensitivity and high accuracy, the gas to be measured is directed into sample cell 5 and placed in a low pressure state by means of pump 16. Infrared light from the wavelength region in which strong absorption peaks from the impurity can be obtained are oscillated from the diode laser 1, and a derivative absorption spectrum is measured by passing the infrared rays through sample cell 5 and reference cell 8 which is filled with the impurity alone. The spectrum for the gas to be measured and the spectrum for the impurity alone are compared, and the impurity is identified by confirming a plurality of absorption peaks originating from the impurity. Determination of the impurity is then carried out from absorption intensity of the strongest peak.