Abstract: A substrate heater is provided including a plate-shaped ceramic base having a first side defining a convex heating surface on at least a portion of which a substrate is placed, a resistance-heating element embedded in the ceramic base, and a tubular member joined to a central portion on an opposed second side of the ceramic base. The convex heating surface has a central portion and a peripheral portion, wherein the height of the heating surface decreases from the central portion toward the peripheral portion thereof.

Abstract: A deposition shield partially covering a substrate and having two zones of different thermal properties can provide minimal deposition on the shield together with minimal heat loss due to substrate contact. A zone of low thermal transmittivity is contact shielding the substrate, and due to the low thermal transmittivity property, there is minimal heat loss of the heated substrate, resulting in a more uniform temperature profile and a more uniform film deposition. A zone of high thermal transmittivity is in the rest of the shield, allowing thermal energy from the heated substrate to transmit through, resulting in a cooler shield and minimal deposition on the shield.

Abstract: An inexpensive workpiece holder having high reliability and a processing apparatus equipped with the workpiece holder are provided, in which damage caused by oxygen in the air is prevented. The holder comprises: a ceramic body which has an electrode and a heater circuit and which can holds a workpiece; a tubular member having an end portion connected to the ceramic body; a sealing member which is disposed inside the tubular member and which isolates a space inside the tubular member into two regions: a region on the first end portion (“sealed portion”) and a region on the opposite side (“opposite region”); and power supply conductive members which extend from the opposite region side, penetrating the sealing member to the sealed region side, and which are electrically connected to the electrode and the heater circuit.

Abstract: In a thermal processing apparatus (1), an upper opening (60) is closed by a transparent plate (61) and a light emitting part (5) emits light through the upper opening (60). Also provided are a susceptor (72) for supporting a substrate (9), a hot plate (71) for heating the susceptor (72) and a cover member (21) between the transparent plate (61) and the susceptor (72). The susceptor (72) has a recessed portion whose depth is larger than the thickness of the substrate (9), a lower surface of the substrate (9) is supported by a bottom surface of the recessed portion, and a periphery of the substrate (9) is surrounded by the side wall portion of the recessed portion. During processing of the substrate (9), the cover member (21) is moved down and brought into contact with an upper end of the side wall portion to close the recessed portion.

Abstract: An electrode structure used in a plasma processing apparatus which performs a predetermined process on an object (W) to be processed by using a plasma in a process chamber (26) in which a vacuum can be formed. An electrode unit (38) has a heater unit (44) therein. A cooling block (40) having a cooling jacket (58) is joined to the electrode unit (38) so as to cool the electrode unit. A heat resistant metal seal member (66A, 66B) seals an electrode-side heat transfer space (62, 64) formed between the electrode unit and the cooling block. Electrode-side heat transfer gas supply means (94) supplies a heat transfer gas to the electrode-side heat transfer space. Accordingly, a sealing characteristic of the electrode-side heat transfer space does not deteriorate even in a high temperature range such as a temperature higher than 200° C. and, for example, a range from 350° C. to 500° C., and the heat transfer gas does not leak.

Abstract: A thin film formation apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate is provided, which comprises: a reaction chamber; a gas introduction section for introducing a reactant gas into the reaction chamber; an evacuation section for exhausting the reactant gas from the reaction chamber; first and second planar electrodes provided in the reaction chamber; first and second support members which respectively support the first and second electrodes in parallel relation; a high frequency power source for applying high frequency power between the first and second electrodes; and a heating section for heating one of the first and second electrodes; wherein the substrate is placed on the heated electrode, and at least one of the first and second electrodes is supported movably in the direction of thermal expansion by the corresponding support member.

Abstract: A substrate heater assembly for supporting a substrate of a predetermined standardized diameter during processing is provided. In one embodiment, the substrate heater assembly includes a body having an upper surface, a lower surface and an embedded heating element. A substrate support surface is formed in the upper surface of the body and defines a portion of a substrate receiving pocket. An annular wall is oriented perpendicular to the upper surface and has a length of at least one half a thickness of the substrate. The wall bounds an outer perimeter of the substrate receiving pocket and has a diameter less than about 0.5 mm greater than the predetermined substrate diameter.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method for thermal processing of substrates undergoing lithographic chemical processes is provided. The thermal processing system includes at least one heating element, a heat distributing plate, having a heating surface and being disposed in thermal communication with the at least one heating element. The heat distributing plate is constructed and arranged to distribute heat from the heating element onto the heating surface. A substrate support, supports a substrate at a position above the heating surface and the system includes an actuator that rotates the substrate relative to the heating surface during a heat transfer operation.

Abstract: A wafer carrier adapted to hold a plurality of wafers and is positioned on an elevator plate in a load lock. The elevator plate is adapted to move between a first position with the carrier in a first chamber of the load lock and a second position with the carrier in the auxiliary chamber. In the second position, the elevator plate substantially seals the auxiliary chamber from the first chamber. In use, a first wafer is placed onto the wafer carrier. The wafer carrier can moved into the auxiliary chamber before or after the first wafer is placed onto the wafer carrier. The first wafer is auxiliary processed in the auxiliary chamber. A second wafer is placed onto the wafer carrier. Preferably after the second wafer is placed onto the wafer carrier, the first wafer is removed from the load lock. A third wafer is preferably then placed onto the wafer carrier so that the second wafer can cool. The second wafer is then removed from the load lock. The cycle is repeated.

Abstract: A reactor for processing semiconductor wafers and the like is provided. The reactor employs one or more rotating components to more evenly distribute temperature or gases within the chamber. In one embodiment, the reactor is provided with rotating reflectors, which reflect the heat generated from radiant heat lamps onto a stationary wafer in a reaction chamber. The rotation of the reflectors provides for a more uniform temperature distribution on the wafer. In another embodiment, the reaction chamber itself is rotated while the wafer is kept stationary. In another embodiment, a rotating showerhead is provided above the wafer through which gases flow to deposit onto the wafer in a uniform manner.

Abstract: Described is a cooling system for use in the manufacture of substrates into magnetic disk memory in which cooling plates are positioned dynamically in relation to a substrate to be cooled. This enables positioning the cooling plates closer for more effective cooling. Positioning is controlled by capacitive measurements between the cooling plates and the substrate to be cooled.

Abstract: A plain surface stage apparatus includes a platen having a plain surface, stationary type supports comprising at least three supporting members, and displacement type supports, each of which supports the platen and forms a displacement type supporting point at a position other than those of supporting points formed by the stationary type supports, wherein the displacement type supports expand and contract in a direction perpendicular to the plain surface of the platen so as to be displaced, and holds a selected displaced state of the displacement type supports.

Abstract: A light source comprising a plurality of flash lamps emits flashes thereby flash-heating a semiconductor wafer held by a thermal diffuser and a hot plate. The current distance of irradiation between the thermal diffuser and the hot plate holding the semiconductor wafer and the light source is so adjusted as to attain predetermined intensity of irradiation. The distance of irradiation between the thermal diffuser and the hot plate and the light source can be changed or corrected by vertically moving the thermal diffuser and the hot plate. Thus provided is a thermal processing apparatus using the flash lamps, capable of readily controlling the intensity of irradiation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manually and automatically processing microelectronic workpieces. The apparatus can include a tool having a plurality of processing stations, all of which are manually accessible to a user, and an input/output station configured to support at least one microelectronic workpiece for automatic transfer to and from the processing stations. A transfer device is positioned proximate to the input/output station and the processing stations and is configured to automatically transfer microelectronic workpieces between the input/output station and the processing stations. The apparatus can be used for both manual and automatic processing of microelectronic workpieces, either sequentially or simultaneously.

Abstract: A process for hydrogen annealing silicon wafers that have been cut from an ingot and polished on both sides, thereby removing crystal originated pits (COPs) in their surface. The wafers are then stacked in a tower having at least support surfaces made from virgin polysilicon, that is, polysilicon form by chemical vapor deposition, preferably from monosilane. The tower may include four virgin polysilicon legs have support teeth slotted at inclined angles along the legs and fixed at their opposed ends to bases. The wafers so supported on the virgin polysilicon towers are annealed in a hydrogen ambient at 1250° C. for 12 hours.

Abstract: A system for processing wafers includes a robot moveable within an enclosure to load and unload workpieces into and out of workpiece processors. A processor includes an upper rotor having alignment pins, and a lower rotor having one or more openings for receiving the alignment pins to form a processing chamber around the workpiece. The alignment pins center the workpiece relative to a rotor spin axis and to an etch or drain groove in the upper rotor. A first fluid outlet delivers processing fluid to a central region of the workpiece. The processing fluid is distributed across the workpiece surface via centrifugal force generated by spinning the processing chamber. Purge gas is optionally delivered into the processing chamber through an annular opening around the first fluid outlet to help remove processing fluid from the processing chamber.

Abstract: A deposition apparatus of depositing deposition material on a wafer in a vacuum chamber includes a deposition boat installed in the vacuum chamber to vaporize the deposition material, a wafer guide on which the wafer is loaded, the wafer guide having a rotational member rotating together with the wafer, a wafer-rotation device rotating the rotational member when the wafer guide approaches, and a wafer-transfer device reciprocating the wafer guide between an inlet of the vacuum chamber, the deposition boat and the wafer-rotation device.

Abstract: A method for heating a wafer to a predetermined temperature, the wafer being held by a holding unit and being accommodated in a processing container equipped with a heater. The wafer is heated to a processing temperature while positioning the wafer at an adjacent position that results form making the wafer approach the heating surface of the heater. After heating the wafer to the predetermined temperature, the wafer is separated from the flat bottom surface of the container body to a processing position. In this state, a processing chamber of the processing container is supplied with a processing fluid, while the holding unit and the heater are relatively moved close to and apart from each other intermittently or continuously. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly heat the substrate to a processing temperature while supplying the substrate with the processing fluid uniformly. This improves throughout and the homogenization in processing.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of flash lamps forming a light source is a bar lamp having an elongated cylindrical shape. The ratio of the distance between the flash lamps and a semiconductor wafer to the distance between the flash lamps and a reflector is set to not more than 1.8 or at least 2.2. Consequently, illuminance is weakened on portions of the main surface of the semiconductor wafer located immediately under the flash lamps along the vertical direction and strengthened in portions located immediately under the clearances between adjacent ones of the flash lamps along the vertical direction, thereby reducing illuminance irregularity on the overall main surface of the semiconductor wafer and improving in-plane uniformity of temperature distribution on the semiconductor wafer. Thus, a thermal processing apparatus capable of improving in-plane uniformity of temperature distribution on a substrate is provided.

Abstract: A work-piece deflection management system including: (a) a first and a second vacuum chambers, each said vacuum chamber having an air-bearing seal circumscribing one of its sides, and (b) a work-piece plate; wherein the air-bearing seals are aligned to face one-another with the work-piece plate respectively there-between, allowing the work-piece to be laterally slid with respect to the air-bearing seals while maintaining a first predefined vacuum level within the first vacuum chamber and maintaining a second predefined vacuum level within the second vacuum chamber.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of roughening a ceramic surface by forming mechanical interlocks in the ceramic surface by a chemical etching process, a thermal etching process, or a laser micromachining process. Also disclosed herein are components for use in semiconductor processing chambers (in particular, a deposition ring for use in a PVD chamber) which have at least one ceramic surface having mechanical interlocks formed therein by chemical etching, thermal etching, or laser micromachining. Ceramic surfaces which have been roughened according to the chemical etching, thermal etching, or laser micromachining process of the invention are less brittle and damaged than ceramic surfaces which are roughened using conventional grit blasting techniques. The method of the invention results in a roughened ceramic surface which provides good adherence to an overlying sacrificial layer (such as aluminum).

Abstract: An article (e.g. a semiconductor wafer) is held in an article holder by means of a number of gas flows emitted from gas vortex chambers. Some of the gas flows act to cool an adjacent article portion more than the other gas flows. For example, some of the vortex chambers emit more gas per unit of time than the other chambers. More cooling is provided to those portions of the article which are heated more during processing. Greater temperature uniformity can be achieved.

Abstract: A process chamber for processing or inspecting a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and the like includes a internal chamber employing dynamic seals at the interface of relatively moving elements. In one embodiment, the internal chamber has a first element, such as a lid or cover, and a second element, such as the body of the chamber. The first element and the second element meet at the interface. The internal chamber may further include a substrate support, mounted inside the internal chamber, supporting a substrate. A first movement system may produce at least one type of relative movement between the first element and the second element. A second movement system may produce second relative movement between the second element and the substrate support. The resulting structure allows movement of the chamber, while maintaining pressure inside the chamber.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus provided with: a coating processing section for supplying a coating solution to a substrate; a pressure processing section for pressurizing a coating film formed on the substrate; and a developing processing section for supplying a developing solution to the substrate having the coating film selectively exposed to light with the use of an exposure mask. The pressure processing section may be arranged such that a pressing plate having a flat face is brought into pressure contact with the coating film.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber, a gas introducing portion, a gas discharge port, a substrate transfer gate, and a substrate moving member which moves the substrate between a substrate processing position where the substrate is processed in the chamber and a substrate transferring in-out position in the chamber where the substrate transferred into the chamber from the substrate transfer gate is located and where the substrate is located when the substrate is transferred out from the chamber through the substrate transfer gate. The gas introducing portion, the substrate processing position, the gas discharge port and the substrate transfer gate are disposed in this order. A gas restraining member which restrains processing gas for processing the substrate from flowing toward the substrate transfer gate is provided between the gas discharge port and the substrate transfer gate.

Abstract: A PVD process and apparatus (120) for depositing a coating (132) from multiple sources (110, 111) of different materials. The process and apparatus (120) are particulaity intended to deposit a beta-nickel aluminide coating (132) containing one or more elements whose vapor pressures are lower than NiAl. The PVD process and apparatus (120) entail feeding at least two materials (110, 111) into a coating chamber (122) and evaporating the materials (110, 111) at different rates from separate molten pools (114, 115) thereof. Articles (130) to be coated are suspended within the coating chamber (122), and transported with a support apparatus (118) relative to the two molten pools (114, 115) so as to deposit a coating (132) with a controlled composition that is a mixture of the first and second materials (110, 111).

Abstract: A holder (2; 22; 82) for coating drill with a ceramic coating by a vapor deposition process has a perforated outer wall (4; 24; 84) into which the drills are inserted with their tips projecting. The holder has a hollow interior in which support means locate the inserted drills parallel and with their tips projecting to the same extent. The support means may comprise a correspondingly perforated inner wall (8; 26; 86) and a back wall (10; 28; 88) against which the drills abut, the outer, inner and back walls being parallel to each other. In one configuration, the holder has a hexagonal plan form with alternate outer walls (4) perforated and each with associated inner and back walls (8, 10). The holder is provided with a lid (52) that shields the interior from ingress of the coating material but provides an air passage to assist cooling of the portions of the drills in the holder interior after the coating has been applied.

Abstract: An epitaxial growth furnace is provided for effecting the formation of an epitaxial layer on the surface of a semiconductor wafer by CVD in a reaction chamber of the furnace. The furnace comprises a wafer holder having an opening for exposing a surface area of the wafer which is subject to epitaxial growth, an opening flange adapted for engagement with a chamfered tapered face of a whole peripheral edge of the wafer on the side of said surface area thereof, and a plurality of jaws for detachably engaging with an outer periphery of the wafer on a back surface side of said surface area.

Abstract: To achieve a uniform coating of a substrate, with an apparatus and a method for coating substrates, according to which the substrate is supported on a substrate holder in such a way that a substrate surface that is to be coated is exposed, and the substrate is rotated together with the substrate holder, a cover can be secured to the substrate holder and together with the substrate holder forms a sealed chamber for the substrate.

Abstract: An exemplary mobile plating system is provided for performing a plating process using virtually any known or available deposition technology for coating or plating as substrate. The mobile plating system may include a vacuum chamber positioned in a mobile storage volume, an external vacuum pump, and a control circuitry to control the operation of some or all of the operations of the external vacuum pump. The external vacuum pump is positioned in the mobile storage volume when the mobile plating system is in transit, and is positioned external to the mobile storage volume when the mobile plating system is stationary and in operation. The external vacuum pump may be mounted on a skid, and, in operation, the external vacuum pump couples with the vacuum chamber to assist with producing a desired pressure in the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is held by support pins horizontally. A susceptor and a heating plate are moved upwardly so that the semiconductor wafer is transferred from the support pins to the susceptor. At this time, a gas layer is sandwiched between the upper surface of the susceptor and the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer to cause the semiconductor wafer to float over the upper surface of the susceptor for about seventy seconds immediately after the semiconductor wafer is mounted on the upper surface of the susceptor. Then, flash lamps are lit up to perform flash heating while the semiconductor wafer is floating over the upper surface of the susceptor. Even when flashlight irradiation causes rapid thermal expansion of the wafer surface, the semiconductor wafer does not suffer a great stress. This can prevent the semiconductor wafer from breaking.

Abstract: A pyrolysis oven provides uniform pyrolytic coatings on capacitor anodes. An oven chamber contains cross-flow blowers situated to provide uniform laminar flow of oven atmosphere over the objects to be treated. The top and side walls of the chamber meet in an inverted V such that when the blower operate, a vortex is created in the inverted V in the chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a microelectronic substrate comprises a main chamber and a movable boundary. The main chamber comprises a main chamber wall enclosing a main chamber interior. The movable boundary is disposed within the main chamber interior, and is movable between a first position and a second position. At the first position, the movable boundary at least partially defines a sub-chamber in which a substrate can be processed. The sub-chamber is fluidly isolated from the main chamber interior, and provides an environment suitable for a high-pressure processing of the substrate such as cleaning or surface preparation. The sub-chamber can be maintained at a high pressure while the main chamber is maintained at either a low pressure, an atmospheric pressure, or at a vacuum. The apparatus can be directly coupled to an external substrate handling and/or fabrication module, such that the main chamber interior provides a buffer between the sub-chamber and the external module.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat treatment of a wafer. The apparatus includes a heating chamber having a heat source. A cooling chamber is positioned adjacent to the heating chamber and includes a cooling source. A wafer holder is configured to move between the cooling chamber and the heating chamber through a passageway and one or more shutters defines the size of the passageway. The one or more shutters are movable between an open position where the wafer holder can pass through the passageway and an obstructing position which defines a passageway which is smaller than the passageway defined when the shutter is in the open position.

Abstract: An in-line, multi-station apparatus including an improved pallet for transporting a plurality of workpieces/substrates through the apparatus, the pallet comprising: (a) a sheet of electrically conductive material provided with a plurality of spaced-apart regions extending at least partway therethrough, each of the regions adapted to mount therein and expose at least one major surface of respective workpieces/substrates for receipt of the treatment; and (b) a plurality of electrical contact means for selectively and controllably electrically contacting respective ones of said plurality of workpieces/substrates for applying an electrical bias potential thereto during treatment. Embodiments include in-line apparatus for performing bias sputtering of electrically conductive thin films on insulative substrates in the manufacture of multi-layer magnetic and/or magneto-optical recording media.

Abstract: A multi-thermal zone shielding apparatus provides a multi-zone temperature profile for the shield while shielding a portion of a hot workpiece in a high temperature processing system. The apparatus keeps the workpiece temperature hot at the shielded area and maintains the rest of the shield at a lower temperature. The apparatus includes a multi-thermal zone shield having a low thermal transmissivity section for preventing heat loss from the shielded portion of the hot workpiece due to less thermal energy being transmitted through the shielding portion of the shield, thus maintaining a more uniform temperature at the shielded portion of the workpiece, and a high thermal transmissivity section in the rest of shield for allowing more thermal energy from the hot workpiece to be transmitted through the shield without heating the shield, thus maintaining a lower temperature at the portion of the shield that is not engaged with the workpiece.

Abstract: In an optical disk substrate film-formation apparatus which prepared an optical disk by forming a thin film on a substrate, the optical disk substrate is held by a holder section. A contact support surface is provided to the holder section which closely contacts at least a portion of the surface of the optical disk substrate rear to the surface where the think film is formed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device producing method that can clean an edge part of a semiconductor substrate with certainty is provided. The method of producing a semiconductor device includes a step of generating ions and a step of accelerating the ions by means of an electric field and radiating an ion flow onto an edge part of a semiconductor substrate to clean the edge part of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate is moved relative to the ion flow while maintaining a state in which the ion flow is being radiated onto the edge part. The step of generating ions includes applying a high-frequency voltage between a pair of electrodes to generate the ions between the electrodes.

Abstract: The semiconductor manufacturing device according to the present invention having a mechanical drive part which is moved in a vacuum device while holding a substrate includes at least one discharge port for introducing an inert gas into the vacuum device, and a flow rate control part for controlling the inert gas which is discharged into the vacuum device from the discharge port at a constant flow rate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an injector robot for replacing a gas injector in a running furnace, which is still running and without any cooling and reheating action. According to the present invention, the injector robot is arranged and mounted upon a boat elevator, which is originally used to transport a boat with wafers into the furnace. The replacement of the gas injector could be executed precisely and safely by the assistant means and will not affect the predetermined procedure of the furnace.

Abstract: An apparatus for the treatment of semiconductor wafers, comprising a supportive frame and a process table arranged on the supportive frame. The process table comprises a stationary upper platen and a stationary lower plate. An intermediate indexing plate is rotatively arranged between the upper platen and the lower plate. At least one wafer support pin is attached to the indexing plate for the support of a wafer by the indexing plate. An upper housing is arranged on the upper platen and an outer lower housing is arranged on the lower plate. A displacable lower isolation chamber is disposed within the outer lower housing, being displacable against the indexing plate to define a treatment module between the upper housing and the lower isolation chamber in which the wafer is treated. A wafer supporting treatment plate is arranged within the lower isolation chamber, for controlled rapid treatment of a wafer within the treatment module.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer carrier locking device. The wafer carrier locking device includes a wafer carrier seated thereon a plurality of wafers. A main equipment executes a semiconductor manufacturing process, which is a wafer cleaning process, a wafer etching process, etc., when the wafers seated on the wafer carrier are fed to the main equipment by a multi-joint robot. An auxiliary equipment includes a carrier sensor to detect a seated state of the wafer carrier relative to a base member, a wafer sensor to detect a number and positions of the wafers seated on the wafer carrier, when the wafer carrier is seated on the base member, and the base member having a plate shape. In this case, a plurality of positioning blocks are provided at predetermined positions of the base member to allow the wafer carrier to be seated at a desired position on the base member.

Abstract: Various reactors for growing thin films on a substrate by subjecting the substrate to alternately repeated surface reactions of vapor-phase reactants are disclosed. In one embodiment, the reactor comprises a reaction chamber. A showerhead plate divides the reaction chamber into upper and lower parts. A first precursor is directed towards the lower half of the reaction chamber and a second precursor is directed towards the upper half of the reaction chamber. The substrate is disposed within the lower half of the reaction chamber. The showerhead plate includes plurality passages such that the upper half is in communication with the lower half of the reaction chamber. In another arrangement, the upper half of the reaction chamber defines a plasma cavity in which in-situ radicals are formed. In yet another arrangement, the reaction chamber includes a shutter plate, which is configured to selectively open and close the passages in the showerhead plate.

Abstract: A processing station adaptable to standard cluster tools has a vertically-translatable pedestal having an upper wafer-support surface including a heater plate adapted to be plugged into a unique feedthrough in the pedestal. At a lower position for the pedestal wafers may be transferred to and from the processing station, and at an upper position for the pedestal the pedestal forms an annular pumping passage with a lower circular opening in a processing chamber. A removable, replaceable ring at the lower opening of the processing chamber allows process pumping speed to be tailored for different processes by replacing the ring. In some embodiments the pedestal also has a surrounding shroud defining an annular pumping passage around the pedestal. A unique two-zone heater plate is adapted to the top of the pedestal, and connects to a unique feedthrough allowing heater plates to be quickly and simply replaced.

Abstract: A vacuum chamber for transporting at least one workpiece has two or more openings defining respective opening areas for treating or handling the at least one workpiece. A transport device is arranged relative to the openings and includes a drive shaft rotatable around a drive shaft rotational axis. Two or more conveyors transport at least one workpiece. A linear driver is operationally independent to linearly move respective ones of the two or more conveyors relative to the drive shaft, with a drive component in a radial direction relative to the axis. An obstructing member is provided for closing the openings when one of the conveyors is positioned adjacent to the openings by rotating the transport device and is moved by the linear drive towards the opening.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus consists of: a processing container; a first processing gas supply unit and a second processing gas supply unit, countering each other, prepared on both sides of a substrate-to-be-processed to the processing container; and a first slit-shaped exhaust opening and a second slit-shaped exhaust opening provided one on each side of the substrate-to-be-processed approximately perpendicular to the flow of the first processing gas and the second processing gas, countering the first processing gas supply unit and the second processing gas supply unit, respectively. The first processing gas is passed along the surface of the substrate-to-be-processed from the first processing gas supply unit to the first exhaust opening, and is adsorbed by the surface of the substrate-to-be-processed.

Abstract: An assembly of heating furnace and semiconductor wafer-holding jig. This assembly includes a furnace body made of refractory or heat insulting material; a heater disposed around the inner side surface of the furnace body; a reaction chamber which forms a uniform heating zone; and a wafer-holding jig. The wafer-holding jig is capable of holding the wafer and advancing and retracting the wafer in the uniform heating region along the longitudinal direction of the furnace body. The front surface of the semiconductor wafer to be heat-treated is substantially in parallel with the surface of the heater. The assembly of the invention can be used in rapid thermal processing and the footprint of the heating furnace can be reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer or similar article includes a reactor having a processing chamber formed by upper and lower rotors. The wafer is supported between the rotors. The rotors are rotated by a spin motor. A processing fluid is introduced onto the top or bottom surface of the wafer, or onto both surfaces, at a central location. The fluid flows outwardly uniformly and in all directions. A wafer support automatically lifts the wafer, so that it can be removed from the reactor by a robot, when the rotors separate from each other after processing.

Abstract: A method includes coating a product with a metallic coating, in particular a high-temperature component product of a gas turbine, in a vacuum plant. An apparatus coats the product with a metallic coating in a vacuum plant, having a coating chamber and a postheat treatment chamber. Novel process control with regard to a temperature profile, in particular after the application of the metallic coating to the product and before the postheat treatment, involves the ensuring of a minimum temperature at all times, this minimum temperature being relatively higher than room temperature.

Abstract: A coater having a substrate cleaning device is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of processing substrates in a coater equipped with a substrate cleaning device. The substrate cleaning device comprises an ion gun (i.e., an ion source) that is positioned beneath a path of substrate travel (e.g., beneath a substrate support) extending through the coater and that is adapted for treating a bottom major surface of a substrate. Certain embodiments involve an upward coating apparatus that is further along the path of substrate travel than the substrate cleaning device. In some embodiments of this nature, the upward coating apparatus is configured for depositing a photocatalytic coating upwardly onto the bottom major surface of the substrate. Certain embodiments of the invention involve a downward coating apparatus, wherein the substrate cleaning device is further along the path of substrate travel than the downward coating apparatus.