Abstract:
A heater is used in a CVD apparatus. In the CVD apparatus, reactive gas is supplied through a reactive gas supply plate to a substrate on a substrate holder to deposit a film on the substrate, and a purge gas supply passage is formed by placing a shield mechanism around the substrate holder, the shield mechanism including a ring plate disposed close to the outer periphery of the substrate. During film deposition, purge gas supplied through the purge gas supply passage is blown off from a clearance between the substrate and the ring plate, thereby preventing a film from being deposited on the rear surface of the substrate or the like. A heating element is arranged in a space in the purge gas supply passage close to but not contacting the substrate holder. The heating element is preferably a ceramic heater.
Abstract:
The image reading device is provided with a plurality of image reading portions, a storage portion, and an image processing portion. The image reading portions are provided with a plurality of light receiving elements that are each lined up in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the original transport direction, and read an image on an original that is being transported on an original transport path, in positions that mutually differ in the original transport direction. The storage portion stores, as temporary image data, each of a plurality of image data sets relating to the image on the original, obtained through the plurality of image reading portions. The image processing portion compares the plurality of temporary image data sets for each pixel, and creates image data relating to the image on the original based on a result of the comparison.
Abstract:
A method of processing a substrate has the following processes. After depositing a thin film onto a substrate by a CVD method, the front surface of the substrate is brought close to a gas supply surface of a gas supply mechanism to have a desired interval without making contact between the front surface and the gas supply surface. Afterwards, an etching gas is supplied into a back space of the substrate to generate plasma there, and further a purge gas is also supplied into a space between the gas supply surface and the substrate so that the purge gas flows into the back space through a peripheral-edge region of the substrate. This purge gas prevents radicals included in the plasma from diffusing into the space between the gas supply surface and the substrate.
Abstract:
A process for forming a thin film by chemical vapor deposition which comprises repeating a substrate processing step on one or more substrates placed inside a reaction chamber by introducing a reaction gas inside the reaction chamber. The process includes a step of introducing a passivation gas or the like for passivating the surface of a thin film deposited on the fixing jig or other peripheral members between substrate processing steps. The passivation gas is, for example, an adsorbent gas or an oxidizing gas. More specifically, an example of an adsorbent gas is a mixture of an inert gas and from 0.1 to 10% of NH.sub.3 gas or SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 gas, and an example of an oxidizing gas is a mixture of an inert gas and at least one selected from the group of oxygen, nitrogen, monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The inert gas may also be replaced with N.sub.2 gas.
Abstract:
A CVD mechanism includes a reactor, a substrate holder, a heating apparatus for heating the substrate holder, a reaction gas supply plate for supplying reaction gas into the reactor, and at least two cylinders disposed in a concentric form on the substrate-facing surface of the reaction gas supply plate so that reaction gas is supplied from an inward portion of each cylinder in the reaction gas supply plate. A power supply mechanism for supplying power to the reaction gas supply plate and the substrate holder, and ring magnets disposed in the upper and lower portions of the reactor are provided so that magnetic lines of force passing through a plasma space are generated by the facing magnetic pole parts of the respective magnets.
Abstract:
An electrode unit of a thermal CVD apparatus is used to generate plasma discharge for an in-situ cleaning process. The electrode unit is configured by a substrate holder and a shield member connected to a high frequency power supply, the gas supply section electrically grounded, and an auxiliary electrode disposed in the gas supply section. In a film deposition process, a reactive gas is supplied from the gas supply section, and the reactive gas is excited in a space in front of a substrate to deposit a thin film onto the substrate. In a periodical in-situ cleaning process, a cleaning gas is supplied from the gas supply section and a cleaning discharge is generated to remove unwanted films deposited on the substrate holder and the shield member. The auxiliary electrode causes the cleaning discharge to be concentrated in a space around unwanted films.