A substrate processing apparatus includes a base member having an opening, a substrate holding member fixedly provided on the base member and configured to hold a plurality of substrates in multiple stages in a vertical direction, a plurality of shower plates provided to respectively face the substrates held by the substrate holding member and configured to supply a processing gas to the substrates existing thereunder in a shower shape, at least one gas introduction member configured to introduce the processing gas into the shower plates, a processing container provided to be able to make close contact with the base member and brought into close contact with the base member to define an arrangement space of the substrate holding member as a processing chamber, a heating device configured to heat the substrates in the processing chamber, and an exhaust mechanism configured to evacuate the processing chamber through the opening.

The invention provides a plasma processing apparatus and a dry etching method for etching a multilayered film structure having steps with high accuracy. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a vacuum reactor, a lower electrode placed within a processing chamber of the vacuum reactor and having a wafer to be etched mounted on the upper surface thereof, bias supplying units and for supplying high frequency power for forming a bias potential to the lower electrode, a gas supply means for feeding reactive gas into the processing chamber, an electric field supplying means through for supplying a magnetic field for generating plasma in the processing chamber, and a control unit for controlling the distribution of ion energy in the plasma being incident on the wafer via the high frequency power.

An apparatus for plasma treatment of an implant prior to installing the implant in a live subject is provided. The apparatus comprises an activation device and a portable container detachable from the activation device. The portable container comprises a closed compartment containing the implant immersed in a fluid, and the activation device comprises a slot configured to receive the portable container. The activation device further comprises an electrical circuit configured to be electrically associated with at least one electrode and configured to provide to the at least one electrode electric power suitable for applying a plasma generating electric field in the closed compartment, when the portable container is disposed in the slot. A container suitable for providing plasma treatment to a silicone implant and a method for preparing an implant for implantation surgery are also provided.

The present invention generally relates to a ring assembly that may be used in an etching or other plasma processing chamber. The ring assembly generally includes an inner ring body having a top planar surface and a bottom planar surface, and an outer ring body having a top surface, a bottom surface substantially parallel to the top surface, and an inside surface that extends between the top surface and the bottom surface, the inside surface having a roof covering a portion of the inner ring body when the inner ring body is disposed adjacent the roof, wherein the inner ring body can be flipped into a different position so that a portion of the inner ring body that is not covered by the roof provides a substantially planar surface.

A cooling device includes a circulation system configured to circulate a refrigerant in a condenser so as to return the refrigerant to the condenser via a pump, a heater, a throttle valve, and a vaporizer; and a cooling system that includes a heat exchanger arranged in the condenser. The condenser includes a first portion where the refrigerant is present in a liquid state and a second portion where the refrigerant is present in a gas state, and at least a portion of the heat exchanger is arranged in the second portion.

The present invention generally relates method and apparatus for detecting erosion to a ring assembly used in an etching or other plasma processing chamber. In one embodiment, a method begins by obtaining a metric indicative of wear on a ring assembly disposed on a substrate support in a plasma processing chamber prior to processing with plasma in the plasma processing chamber. The metric for the ring assembly is monitored with a sensor. A determination is made if the metric exceeds a threshold and generating a signal in response to the metric exceeding the threshold.

The present disclosure provides a method for inspecting a shower plate of a plasma processing apparatus. In the plasma processing apparatus, a gas ejection unit includes a shower plate. A plurality of gas ejection holes are formed on the shower plate. This method includes (i) setting a flow rate of gas output from a first flow rate controller, and (ii) acquiring a measurement value indicating a pressure in a flow path inside a second pressure control type flow rate controller by using a pressure gauge of the second flow rate controller in a state where the gas output from the first flow rate controller at the set flow rate is supplied to the gas ejection unit and branched between the first flow rate controller and the gas ejection unit so as to be supplied to the flow path inside the second flow rate controller.

There is provided an RF sputtering apparatus for controlling an atomic layer of a thin film. The RF sputtering apparatus includes: a sputtering main body including a substrate, a target facing the substrate, and a chamber for performing a sputtering process to deposit the target on the substrate; a power supply unit connected to the target of the sputtering main body via a network to apply RF power; a roughing pump unit for forming vacuum inside the chamber of the sputtering main body; and a gas supply unit for supplying reaction gas to the inside of the chamber. A power cable for supplying a power source to the power supply unit is formed with a single crystal copper wire.

A plasma generating device includes a first plasma electrode and a counter electrode facing each other. The first plasma electrode extends in a lateral direction and includes two projections. Each of the two projections protrudes from the first plasma electrode in the direction of the counter electrode over a predetermined distance. The plasma generating device further includes a preload mechanism adapted for urging each of said two projections of the first plasma electrode against the counter electrode. The two projections cooperatively define a plasma gap between the first plasma electrode and the counter electrode. The counter electrode includes a support surface facing said plasma gap. The support surface is substantially flat along the plasma gap.

An etching device and an etching method. The etching device includes an etching chamber and a chuck located therein for clamping a substrate to be etched, a plasma generating device surrounding the etching chamber in an area and a gas nozzle distribution device for introducing etching gas, which is situated above the chuck in such a way that an etching gas stream is directed essentially perpendicular to a surface of the substrate to be etched. A moving mechanism may be used to change the distance between the gas nozzle distribution device and the chuck as a function of the etching mode.