Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho

Kobe Steel Usa, Inc.

Other

Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Kimitsugu Saito

Yusuke Muraoka

Ikuo Mizobata

Ryuji Kitakado

Hisanori Oshiba

Koichi Miyata

Yoshihiko Sakashita

Katsumi Watanabe

Tomomi Iwata

Yoichi Inoue

Masahiro Yamagata

Shogo Sarumaru

Kozo Nishimura

Koji Kobashi

Brian Rhys Stoner

David L Dreifus

Takashi Miyake

Shigeaki Miyauchi

Rie Kato

Hisashi Koyama

Nobuyuki Kawakami

Takahiko Ishii

Kazushi Hayashi

Takeshi Tachibana

Tetsuya Yoshikawa

Kalyankumar Das

Jesko A Von Windheim

Eiji Fukatsu

Jun Munemasa

Katsuyuki Iijima

Hiroyuki Ueno

Kaoru Masuda

Scott R Sahaida

Rie Nakamura

Takashi Gama

John P Bade, Jr

Hisasi Koyamao

Yasuo Okuyama

A mixing valve assemblyis communicated with a dedicated tankD, storing therein a compatibilizer D, via an inlet valveand is also communicated with dedicated tanksA-C via three injection valves, the tanks storing therein auxiliaries A-C respectively. A chemical formulation is prepared by selectively injecting any one(s) of four chemical agents into the mixing valve assemblyby way of on-off control of the inlet valveand the injection valves and blending together the injected chemical agents. Then, the chemical formulation is pumped into SCF by a high-pressure pumpsuch that the SCF and the chemical formulation are mixed together to form a process fluid. Thus, the number of components of a high-pressure portion can be reduced to achieve a cost reduction of an apparatus. Furthermore, a pipe line for pumping the chemical agents is simplified.

High-pressure processing apparatus and high-pressure processing method

Disclosed is a high pressure processing method for subjecting a processing object to a high pressure processing using a high pressure fluid. In this method, the high pressure fluid is brought into collision with the surface of the processing object placed in a high pressure processing chamber, and then distributed along the surface of the processing object in an outward direction beyond the processing object.

High pressure processing method and apparatus

Mixing bathsA andB which temporarily hold chemical agents A and B respectively are disposed. The mixing bathsA andB are each connected with a high-pressure fluid supplying unit. For surface treatment using a mixture of the chemical agent A and SCF (processing fluid), SCF is fed under pressure from the high-pressure fluid supplying unitto the mixing bathA which already holds the chemical agent A, whereby the chemical agent A dissolves in SCF flowing into the mixing bathA and the mixture of the chemical agent A and SCF (processing fluid) is created. As a high-pressure valve (processing fluid introducing valve)is opened, the processing fluid is sent into a pressure vessel. This achieves a predetermined surface treatment of a substrate which has been set inside the pressure vessel, using the processing fluid.

After subjected to a developing process, a rinsing process and a replacing process in this order in a developing unitA,B, a substrate W wet with an anti-drying solution is wet-transported to a supercritical drying unitby a primary transport robot. The supercritical drying unitperforms a high-pressure drying process (supercritical drying process) in a dedicated manner. Accordingly, by virtue of the presence of the anti-drying solution, the substrate W is effectively prevented from becoming air-dry during the transportation of the substrate W.

Substrate processing method, substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing system

A high-pressure processing apparatus includes a processing vessel including a processing chamber formed therein to perform a certain process onto an object in the processing chamber; fluid feeding means which feeds a high-pressure fluid into the processing chamber; fluid discharging means which discharges the high-pressure fluid from the processing chamber; an agitating unit which is arranged in the processing chamber and is operative to flow the high-pressure fluid over the object by relative rotation to the processing vessel; a communicating channel which is formed in the processing vessel to communicate inside and outside of the processing chamber; a rotary driving member which is coupled to the agitating unit via a shaft portion provided in the communicating channel; and a sealing portion which is provided between the shaft portion and the processing vessel to disconnect the processing chamber from the rotary driving member. The fluid discharging means includes a fluid discharging port formed in a certain position of the communicating channel closer to the processing chamber than the sealing portion to discharge the high-pressure fluid.

High pressure processing method

When the hatch of a substrate washing chamberis opened to receive a substrate, certain valves are closed, and a valve is opened, supply COto purge the substrate washing chamberto and exclude air. When the hatch is closed, another valve is opened to vent substrate washing chamberso that the COexpels any gas and unwanted air from the substrate washing chamberand the conduits. Thereafter, super critical COis used to wash the substrate and clean the circulation line. The flow of supercritical COis sent to the substrate washing chamber. After flowing through the circulation line, including a circulation channel, it passes through a bypass channelto a decompressor. Any chemicals or organic substances left in the circulation line are continuously sent to a separation/recover bathtogether with the flow.

High pressure processing apparatus and method

When the hatch of a substrate washing chamberis opened to receive a substrate, certain valves are closed, and one valve is opened, to supply COto purge the substrate washing chamberto and exclude air. When the hatch is closed, another valve is opened to vent substrate washing chamberso that the COexpels any gas and unwanted air from the substrate washing chamberand the conduits. Thereafter, supercritical COis used to wash the substrate and clean the circulation line. The flow of supercritical COis sent to the substrate washing chamber. After flowing through the circulation line, including a circulation channel, it passes through a bypass channelto a decompressor. Any chemicals or organic substances left in the circulation line are continuously sent to separation/recovery bathtogether with the flow.

High pressure processing apparatus and high pressure processing method

A high-pressure processing apparatus for removing unnecessary matters on objects to be processed by bringing a high-pressure fluid and a chemical liquid other than the high-pressure fluid into contact with the objects to be processed in a pressurized state is provided with a plurality of high-pressure processing chambers, a common high-pressure fluid supply unit for supplying the high-pressure fluid to each one of the high-pressure processing chambers, a common chemical liquid supply unit for supplying the chemical liquid to the each high-pressure processing chambers, and a separating unit for separating gaseous components from a mixture of the high-pressure fluid and the chemical liquid discharged from the high-pressure processing chambers after the objects are processed. Thus, a high-pressure processing apparatus which has such a compact construction as to be partly installable in a clean room and can stably perform a high-pressure processing can be provided.

High pressure processing apparatus

With respect to any one of processing units, a main transportation path, a developing unit, a dedicated transportation robot and a high-pressure processing unit are disposed linearly in this order in a direction. Hence, even if a processing fluid adhering to a substrate or an evaporant of the processing fluid moves toward the main transportation path while the high-pressure processing unit transports the substrate wet with the processing fluid, there are the processing units located which the processing fluid or its evaporant must arrive at before reaching the main transportation path.

Substrate processing apparatus equipping with high-pressure processing unit

A method and system for processing a substrate includes performing a wet process by supplying a working liquid to a substrate in a wet processing apparatus, transferring the substrate in a non-dry state from the wet processing apparatus to a drying apparatus, and subjecting the substrate to a supercritical drying by a supercritical fluid in the drying apparatus.

Method and system for processing substrate

Liquid for prevention of substrate drying is supplied into a processing chamber so that a pool of the liquid is created as an anti-drying atmosphere in advance inside a processing chamber, and substrates, as they are dipped in the pool, are kept on stand-by in a substrate board. In this manner, air drying of the substrates which are kept on stand-by is prevented. When the number of the substrates in the substrate board reaches a certain number, the anti-drying atmosphere is removed from the processing chamber, which is followed by introduction of an SCF into the processing chamber and supercritical drying (high pressure drying) of all of the plurality of substrates inside the processing chamber, namely, batch supercritical drying.

High-pressure drying apparatus, high-pressure drying method and substrate processing apparatus

Disclosed is a method of forming electrodes on diamond comprising the steps of: forming a mask pattern on diamond or diamond film; performing a treatment of the diamond surface by a plasma of inert gases; forming an electrode film on the whole surface of the specimen; and removing the mask, thereby forming a specified pattern of the electrodes. By this method, it is possible to form electrodes having high adhesion to diamond and diamond film for electronic devices.

Method for forming electrode on diamond for electronic devices

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Kimitsugu Saito