Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Tokyo Electron Limited

Atsuo Sanda

Makoto Hasegawa

Yoshitaka Sato

Takashi Kitazawa

Shinji Niwa

Toshihiko Kitoku

Toshiki Hosaka

Haruhiko Nomura

An etching processing apparatushas a transfer chamber, a plurality of processing chambersand, and a plurality of cassette chambersand. Inside the transfer chamber, a transfer mechanismis provided. A control devicepauses the operation of the vacuum pumpafter closing an opening/closing valveof a vacuum evacuating mechanism, which vacuum evacuates the transfer chamberin which the transfer mechanismis provided, when the operation of the transfer mechanismis paused for a predetermined time or longer. Accordingly, conservation of energy becomes possible without causing decrease of productivity.

Vacuum processing apparatus and substrate transfer method

Disclosed herein are a dry etching method and a dry etching apparatus. The method comprises a step of applying an etching inhibiting gas to that portion of a workpiece where etching speed is high, while the workpiece is being etched with reactive-gas plasma. The apparatus comprises functions for holding a reactive etching gas, a first electrode located within the gas-holding functions, for supporting a workpiece, a second electrode located within the gas-holding functions and spaced apart from the first electrode by a predetermined distance, functions for supplying high-frequency power, thereby to convert the reactive etching gas into a plasma in the space between the first and second electrodes, and functions for supplying an etching inhibiting gas to that portion of the workpiece where etching speed is high.

Apparatus for performing plain etching treatment

A plasma etching apparatus has a first load-lock chamber, a process chamber connected to the first load-lock chamber through a gate valve, and a second load-lock chamber connected to the process chamber through another gate valve. A first processing section is provided to the process chamber to etch a wafer. A second processing section is provided to the second load-lock chamber to remove a reaction product generated during etching from the wafer. In the second processing section, an ultrasonic wave is applied to the wafer, thereby removing the reaction product from the wafer.

Semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, method for removing

Method of performing plain etching treatment and apparatus therefor

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Oita, Japan

Atsuo Sanda