Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus comprising: a plurality of floating-transfer guide plates adjacent to each other, each of guide plates having a plurality of floating gas ejecting holes; a gas supplying source; a tray to mount a substrate to be transferred, and that is floated by the floating gas; and a transfer arm for transferring the floated tray from the guide plate to the adjacent other guide plate, wherein the tray includes both side edges, and a contact/engagement portion formed at the respective both side edges for the transfer arm, each of the transfer arms including a base portion that can horizontally reciprocate along a rail provided so as to be parallel to the transfer direction, a guide portion provided to the base portion, that can horizontally reciprocate in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and an arm portion provided to the guide portion, that can horizontally reciprocate in the direction parallel to the transfer direction.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus of this invention includes a sealable chamber, a gas supply source of reactive material gas, placed outside the chamber, a gas introduction pipe connected to the gas supply source, for introducing the material gas into the chamber, and a plurality of sets of cathode-anode bodies for forming a plurality of discharge spaces which perform plasma discharge of the material gas in the chamber. Herein, the gas introduction pipe includes a gas branch section arranged in the chamber, a main pipe for connecting the gas supply source to the gas branch section, and a plurality of branch pipes connected from the main pipe to each of the discharge spaces via the gas branch section. The branch pipes are configured so that conductances thereof are substantially equivalent to each other.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing device capable of forming a film in a favorable manner irrespective of deflection generated in an anode electrode and a cathode electrode in the case where an area of the electrodes is increased. A plasma processing device 100 includes a chamber 15, a gas introducing portion 28, an exhaust unit 29, and a high-frequency power supply unit 30. In the chamber 15, there are provided an anode electrode (first electrode) 4 having a flat-plate shape, a cathode electrode (second electrode) 12 having a flat-plate shape, and first supporting members 6 and second supporting members 5 for slidably supporting the two electrodes 4 and 12 in parallel with each other. The cathode electrode 12 is provided so as to face the anode electrode 4. The anode electrode 4 and the cathode electrode 12 are not fixed with screws or the like but are merely placed on the first supporting members 6 and the second supporting members 5.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus, comprising: a reaction chamber; a plurality of discharge portions each made up of a pair of a first electrode and a second electrode disposed inside the reaction chamber so as to oppose to each other and to cause a plasma discharge under an atmosphere of a reactant gas; and a dummy electrode, wherein a plurality of the first electrodes are connected to a power supply portion, a plurality of the second electrodes are grounded, and the dummy electrode is disposed so as to oppose to an outer surface side of an external first electrode in terms of a parallel direction out of the plurality of the first electrodes which are disposed in the parallel direction, and is grounded.

Abstract: A vacuum chamber has an opening. A door is to close the opening. A first rail extends in a first direction with a space between the first rail and the opening when viewed in a planar view. Further, the first rail supports the door to be movable in the first direction. Further, the first rail has a portion facing the opening in a second direction crossing the first direction when viewed in a planar view. Furthermore, the first rail has a first movable portion movable in the second direction.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus, comprising: a reaction chamber; a gas inlet portion that introduces a reactant gas into the reaction chamber; an exhaust portion that exhausts the reactant gas from said reaction chamber; at least three discharge portions respectively made up of first electrode and second electrode pairs, a first electrode and a second electrode constituting each one of the first electrode and second electrode pairs being disposed to oppose to each other inside said reaction chamber, so as to cause a plasma discharge in the reactant gas; a support portion that supports and parallels the first electrode and second electrode pairs in one of a horizontal manner and a vertical manner; and a power supply portion that supplies power to all of said discharge portions, wherein said power supply portion includes a high frequency generator and an amplifier that amplifies high frequency power from the high frequency generator to be supplied to the first electrodes, and a first electrode of one discharge

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a plurality of vacuum chambers corresponding to a plurality of processing sections necessary for manufacturing a semiconductor device; an exhaust device connected to each vacuum chamber; a plate shaped guide plate arranged at the bottom of each vacuum chamber and having a plurality of gas emission holes; and a gas supply source for supplying gas to the gas emission holes, wherein the plurality of vacuum chambers are adjacent to each other by way of a shutter, one of the two adjacent vacuum chambers includes a tray mounted on the guide plate for mounting a substrate to be performed with a predetermined process, a conveying function section having a conveying arm for moving the tray from one vacuum chamber to the other vacuum chamber along the guide plate, and a controlling function section, the controlling function section performing the control so as to open the shutter to communicate the two adjacent vacuum chambers, emit gas from the gas emission holes of

Abstract: A vacuum processing device includes a first processing chamber for housing a workpiece and performing vacuum processing on the workpiece, an evacuatable second processing chamber for housing a workpiece to be vacuum-processed and a workpiece having been vacuum-processed, a gate unit provided between the first and second processing chambers in such a manner that the gate unit is attachable to and detachable from the first processing chamber, a transport device for loading the workpiece to be vacuum-processed, from a loading unit to a vacuum processing unit through the gate unit and unloading the workpiece having been vacuum-processed, from the vacuum processing unit to an unloading unit through the gate unit and a movement mechanism for separating the first and second processing chambers from each other.

Abstract: To provide a plasma processing apparatus having relatively a reduced manufacturing cost, and excellent in a heating efficiency and a cooling efficiency. An anode electrode 7 has provided therein tubular heating sections 31, . . . 31 for heating an object (including a tray 5 and a substrate 6) to be plasma-processed. The tubular heating sections 31, . . . 31 include seven tubular heaters (here, a sheath heater) 31, . . . 31 that are U-shaped in plan configuration, and are arranged to be adjacent to each other in parallel. Tubular cooling sections 32, . . . 32 for cooling the anode electrode 7 are also provided in the anode electrode 7. The cooling sections 32, . . . 32 include seven cooling pipes (here, a cooling nitrogen gas-passing pipe) 32, . . . 32 that are U-shaped in plan configuration, are arranged to be adjacent to each other in parallel along the outer side of the corresponding tubular heater 31, . . .

Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus that can uniformly supply a gas between a cathode electrode and an anode electrode, even when areas of both electrodes are increased, and that can reduce thicknesses of both electrodes. Two sets of an anode electrode 4 and a cathode electrode 12 are arranged in a chamber 15 of a plasma processing apparatus 100 so as to be opposite to each other. The cathode electrode 12 has a shower plate 2, a back plate 3, and a hollow room 17. The shower plate 2 is provided with first gas-ejection holes 18 for ejecting a gas, which is introduced into the hollow room 17, to a portion between both electrodes 4 and 12. A gas introducing port 31 for introducing a gas from an outside is provided at an electrode end face at a lower face inner-wall 19 of the hollow room 17 opposite to the shower plate 2) of the back plate 3.

Abstract: In a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus, a cathode electrode and an anode electrode are disposed at a distance from each other. The cathode electrode is supplied with electric power from an electric power supply portion. The anode electrode is electrically grounded and a substrate is placed thereon. The anode electrode contains a heater. In an upper wall portion of the chamber, an exhaust port is provided and connected to a vacuum pump through an exhaust pipe. In a lower wall portion of a wall surface of the chamber, a gas introduction port is provided. A gas supply portion is provided outside the chamber.

Abstract: While a workpiece is vacuum-processed in a first processing chamber, a workpiece to be processed next is heated at a loading unit of a second processing chamber. The vacuum-processed workpiece is unloaded to an unloading unit of the second processing chamber. The loading unit and the unloading unit move in the arrangement direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the workpiece by a transport mechanism. The workpiece supported by the loading unit is loaded into the first processing chamber. While the workpiece is vacuum-processed, a new workpiece is supported by the loading unit. The workpiece supported by the unloading unit is removed from the second processing chamber, and the new workpiece is preheated.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing unit is provided, wherein a cathode and an anode can be placed in a simple structure; wherein excellent film deposition and film thickness distribution can be gained; and wherein no cooling devices are required to be provided. A chamber 11 is formed so that the inside thereof can be controlled at a vacuum of an arbitrary degree. Anode supports 6 for supporting an anode 4 are placed at the bottom of the internal structure 8. The anode 4 is made of a material having a high electrical conductivity and a high heat resistance. The temperature of the anode 4 is controlled by a heater 24 so as to be in a range of from room temperature to 600° C. A cathode 2 is placed on a cathode support 5 so as to face the anode 4. The cathode support 5 is attached to an internal structure 8 made of a frame in a rectangular prism form provided within the chamber 11.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus comprising: a plurality of floating-transfer guide plates adjacent to each other with a space therebetween, each of the guide plates having a substrate-placing surface on which a substrate is to be placed, and a plurality of floating-gas ejecting holes for floating the substrate with use of a gas; a gas supplying source for supplying the floating gas to the respective guide plates; and an arm for transferring the floated substrate from the guide plate, from which the substrate is to be transferred, to the adjacent guide plate to which the substrate is to be transferred, wherein the substrate-placing surface of the guide plate to which the substrate is to be transferred is situated lower than the substrate-placing surface of the guide plate from which the substrate is to be transferred.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus comprising: a plurality of floating-transfer guide plates adjacent to each other, each of guide plates having a plurality of floating gas ejecting holes; a gas supplying source; a tray to mount a substrate to be transferred, and that is floated by the floating gas; and a transfer arm for transferring the floated tray from the guide plate to the adjacent other guide plate, wherein the tray includes both side edges, and a contact/engagement portion formed at the respective both side edges for the transfer arm, each of the transfer arms including a base portion that can horizontally reciprocate along a rail provided so as to be parallel to the transfer direction, a guide portion provided to the base portion, that can horizontally reciprocate in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and an arm portion provided to the guide portion, that can horizontally reciprocate in the direction parallel to the transfer direction.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor layer manufacturing method and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a high quality semiconductor layer even by a single chamber system, with a shortened process time required for reducing a concentration of impurities that exist in a reaction chamber before forming the semiconductor layer. A semiconductor device manufactured using such a method and apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus comprising: a plurality of floating-transfer guide plates adjacent to each other with a space, each of guide plate having a plurality of floating gas ejecting holes; a gas supplying source for supplying a floating gas to the guide plates; a tray that is placed on one of the guide plates in order to mount a substrate to be transferred, and that is floated by the floating gas; and a transfer arm for transferring the floated tray to the adjacent other guide plate from the guide plate, wherein the tray includes a main body portion having both side edges parallel to a transfer direction of the tray, and an outward projecting portion that is formed so as to partially project outwardly from at least one of both side edges of the main body portion, and wherein the transfer arm is in contact and engaged with the outward projecting portion when the tray is transferred by the transfer arm.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing device capable of forming a film in a favorable manner irrespective of deflection generated in an anode electrode and a cathode electrode in the case where an area of the electrodes is increased. A plasma processing device 100 includes a chamber 15, a gas introducing portion 28, an exhaust unit 29, and a high-frequency power supply unit 30. In the chamber 15, there are provided an anode electrode (first electrode) 4 having a flat-plate shape, a cathode electrode (second electrode) 12 having a flat-plate shape, and first supporting members 6 and second supporting members 5 for slidably supporting the two electrodes 4 and 12 in parallel with each other. The cathode electrode 12 is provided so as to face the anode electrode 4. The anode electrode 4 and the cathode electrode 12 are not fixed with screws or the like but are merely placed on the first supporting members 6 and the second supporting members 5.

Abstract: When a flow rate of a diluent gas is larger than a flow rate of a reaction gas, a reaction gas introducing tube (113) is connected to a part of a diluent gas introducing tube (111) which connects a plasma processing reaction chamber (101) to a diluent gas feeding unit (112). Thus, the reaction gas can be fully mixed with the diluent gas in the diluent gas introducing tube (111), and a gas feed piping can be of a simpler configuration.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus of this invention includes a sealable chamber to be introduced with reactive material gas, a plurality of pairs of cathode-anode bodies arranged in the chamber, for forming a plurality of discharge spaces for performing plasma discharge of the material gas, a power supply for plasma discharge, placed outside the chamber, a matching box placed outside the chamber, for matching impedance between the cathode-anode bodies and the power supply, and a power introduction wire extending to each of the cathodes from the power supply via the matching box. Herein, the power introduction wire is branched to the number corresponding to the number of the cathodes between the matching box and the cathodes, and the branched wires are symmetrically extended.