Nec Corporation

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Sumitomo Metal Industries, Inc.

Tokyo Electron Limited

Takeshi Akimoto

Katsuo Katayama

Masanaka Nagamoto

Yasutomo Mori

Hiroshi Mabuchi

Masahiro Sato

Kyoichi Komachi

Kyouichi Komachi

Kouichi Iio

Mitsuru Naruse

Yoshihiro Takaishi

Masato Sakao

Seiichi Shishiguchi

Shizuo Oguro

Shuji Miyamoto

Shuichi Ohya

Keiichi Harashima

Kiyonori Kajiyana

Takahiro Kaminishizono

Masahiro Satoh

There is provided a method of inspecting a substrate in an etching system including an imaging device, the method comprising: (A) imaging a substrate after plasma etching with the imaging device to acquire image data; and (B) calculating, based on the image data of the substrate after plasma etching, at least one selected from a group consisting of a dimension of a pattern on the substrate after plasma etching, information on a defect on the substrate after plasma etching, a thickness of a film on the substrate after plasma etching, and information on an appearance of the substrate after plasma etching.

Inspection method and etching system

A substrate processing system includes a substrate processing apparatus and a switching timing creation support device, wherein the switching timing creation support device includes: an acquisition part configured to acquire, for each of a plurality of properties of particles contained in a gas in the substrate processing apparatus during a processing for a substrate, a measured value of an amount of the particles from a measuring device; a selection part configured to select properties of a predetermined number of the particles in descending order of temporal variations in the amount of the particles; a determination part configured to determine an operation expression and a switching condition for determining a switching timing based on a temporal change in the amount of the particles for each of the selected properties of the particles; and an output part configured to output the operation expression and the switching condition to the substrate processing apparatus.

Substrate processing system, switching timing creation support device,switching timing creation support method, and substrate processing apparatus

A composite sheet including a paper layer made of a wood pulp having a Canadian standard freeness value of 350 to 500 ml, a transparency improving layer provided over one side of the paper layer, and a release liner provided over the transparency improving layer. The composite sheet has a transmittance of at least 10 to 20% for a light with a wavelength of 940 to 960 nm and a bulk density of 0.90 to 1.15 g/cm. A thermosensitive recording adhesive label sheet has the above composite sheet and a thermosensitive recording sheet provided on the composite sheet through an adhesive layer.

Composite sheet, method of preparing same, and adhesive label sheet assembly having same

A composite sheet including a paper layer made of a wood pulp having a Canadian standard freeness value of 350 to 500 ml and a transmittance of at least 7% for a light with a wavelength of 940 to 960 nm, a transparency improving layer provided over one side of the paper layer so that said paper layer overlaid with said transparency improving layer exhibits a transmittance of at least 11% for a light with a wavelength of 940 to 960 nm, and a release liner provided over an opposite surface of the transparency improving layer from the paper layer. A thermosensitive recording adhesive label sheet has the above composite sheet and a thermosensitive recording sheet provided on the composite sheet through an adhesive layer.

Composite sheet, method of preparing same, and thermosensitive recording adhesive label sheet having same

A microwave plasma processing apparatus for producing plasma from processing gas by a microwave and processing a wafer or similar semiconductor by the plasma. The apparatus includes a mechanism which allows the areas of radiation ports formed in an upper electrode to be changed independently of each other. This allows a plasma distribution in a plasma processing chamber to be controlled in any desired manner.

Microwave plasma processing apparatus

A thermosensitive recording material including a substrate, a thermosensitive coloring layer which is formed overlying the substrate and which induces color formation upon application of heat, and a protective layer which is formed overlying the thermosensitive coloring layer and which includes a resin, wherein the protective layer is formed by coating with a liquid including a core-shell type emulsion of the resin, and wherein the core-shell type emulsion of the resin is prepared by polymerizing monomers including (d) acrylamide and/or methacrylamide and (e) a vinyl monomer having a hydroxy group in the presence of a seed emulsion which is prepared by polymerizing monomers including (a) acrylamide and/or methacrylamide, (b) acrylonitrile and (c) a vinyl monomer having a hydroxy group.

Thermosensitive recording material

A plasma processing apparatus includes a conductive thin film provided on a surface of a microwave introducing member which is exposed to a processing chamber, in which an object to be processed is placed. The conductive thin film is provided at the entire portion excluding a transmission portion, through which microwaves pass into the processing chamber. The conductive thin film is grounded to act as an electrode.

Plasma processing apparatus

A plasma processing apparatus includes a microwave introducing member, which is provided with a microwave transmission opening through which microwaves pass into a processing chamber. The microwave introducing member is also provided at a transmission opening with a dielectric member. Preferably, the dielectric member is formed to have a relative dielectric constant of 4 to 10 and an insulation resistance of 10.sup.8 to 10.sup.12 .OMEGA..

Plasma processing apparatus having a protected microwave transmission

Disclosed herein is a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells each includes an active region which is defined in a column direction by a pair of trench isolation regions formed in a semiconductor substrate and in a row direction by an isolation gate conductor lines formed on a first gate insulating film covering the substrate, a source and a drain region selectively formed in the active region to define a channel region of a cell transistor, a second gate insulating film formed on the channel region, a word line formed on the second gate insulating film, a first insulating film covering the active region and the word line, a bit line formed on the first insulating film to overlap with the isolation gate conductor, a bit line connection conductor formed in the first insulating film to connect the drain region to the bit line with being in contact with the sidewall surface of the bit line, a second insulating film covering the bit line and the first insulating film, and a storage capacitor having a capacitor electrode connected to the source region through a contact hole provided in the first and second insulating film.

Semiconductor memory device having trench isolation regions and bit

A thermosensitive recording medium including a support, and at least one layer provided on the support, wherein one of the at least one layer is a thermosensitive layer capable of forming a color image when heated imagewise, and one of the at least one layer contains a zinc dithiocarbamate of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 stand independently from each other for an alkyl group having 1-4 carbon atoms or a phenyl group. The zinc dithiocarbamate is contained in the thermosensitive layer or an intermediate layer interposed between the thermosensitive layer and the support.

Thermosensitive recording medium

An electrostatic chuck applicable to, e.g., an epitaxial apparatus or an etching apparatus for electrostatically chucking a semiconductor substrate or wafer is disclosed. The chuck includes a stage for electrostatically retaining the wafer thereon. A plurality of lift pins are elevatable to thrust up the wafer. A plurality of release pins are arranged on the stage for thrusting up the peripheral portion of the wafer. A plurality of drive mechanisms respectively thrust up the release pins stepwise within the allowable elastic deformation range of the wafer. A control device selectively actuates the release pins via the associated drive mechanisms.

Electrostatic chuck with mechanism for lifting up the peripheral of a

A method for fabricating a multilayer semiconductor device according to the invention includes the steps of providing a conductive layer on a substrate; forming a barrier layer on the first conductive layer; forming an insulation layer on the barrier layer; selectively etching the insulation layer using the barrier layer as a stopper to form a through-hole; and selectively removing the barrier layer at the bottom of the through-hole from the conductive layer.

Method for fabricating multilayer semiconductor device

A permeable container having a plurality of holes whose diameters are equal to or less than two times the sheath length is provided in a vacuum container. provided at the bottom of this permeable container is an electrode on which an object to be processed is to be placed. A high-frequency power supply is connected to this electrode, and the permeable container is grounded. The permeable container and the electrode are insulated from each other by an insulator. When a process gas supplied into the vacuum container is guided into the permeable container through its holes and a high-frequency voltage is applied to the electrode, plasma is produced in the permeable container. Because the diameters of the holes are equal to or less than two times the sheath length, plasma is trapped inside the permeable container, thus improving the stability and density of plasma. This invention can therefore prevent plasma from becoming non-uniform and unstable and having a lower density, which, if occurred, raise a problem in the plasma process in a low-pressure area, and can efficiently trap plasma, thus ensuring uniform and high-density plasma on the to-be-processed object.

The present invention provides an apparatus for a batch processing of a plurality of substrates at a time with plasma gas. The above chamber comprises the following elements. A chamber is provided for a batch processing of a plurality of substrates at a time with plasma gas. A plurality of sampling stages are accommodated within the chamber. The sampling stages are spaced apart from each other. Bottom electrodes are provided on the plurality of sampling stages. The bottom electrodes are spaced apart from each other so that substrates are placed on the bottom electrodes. The same number of top electrodes, as the bottom electrodes, are provided over a space which is positioned over the substrates. The top electrodes are positioned to make pairs with the bottom electrodes so that the substrates are positioned between the top and bottom electrodes paired respectively. Each of the top electrodes is divided into a plurality of parts separated from each other by microwave radiation ports through which microwave radiates toward the substrates. A process gas introduction section is provided on the chamber at a level above the substrates and below the top electrodes for introducing a process gas to the space over the substrates. A process gas discharging section is provided on the chamber for discharging the process gas from the chamber. A microwave radiation section is provided over the top electrodes for radiating microwaves toward the substrates via the microwave radiation ports to excite process gasses introduced by the process gas introducing section and generate plasma gases. A high frequency voltage applying section is provided to be electrically connected to at least any of the top and bottom electrodes for applying high frequency voltages between the top and bottom electrodes at high frequencies to accelerate plasma gases for processing the substrates.

Plasma processing apparatus adjusted for a batch-processing of a

A plasma processing apparatus for processing wafers or similar objects with neutral particles produced from plasma. A microwave is introduced into the apparatus via a dielectric path, or waveguide, having a broad radiation area. The microwave, therefore, generates uniform and dense plasma over a broad area. Neutral particles are produced from the plasma by two electrodes. As a result, an object is processed at a high speed by a beam of uniformly distributed neutral particles.

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Tokyo, Japan

Takeshi Akimoto