There is provided a technique that includes: (a) mounting a substrate on a mounting stage in which at least a part of a surface is constituted by a first member; (b) forming films by supplying a first gas, the films including a first film formed on a surface of the substrate and a second film having a portion continuous with the first film and formed on a surface of the first member; and (c) generating stress attributable to a difference in thermal deformation amount between the first member and the substrate, inside the second film, and making at least a part of the second film discontinuous.

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for saving energy while increasing the conveying speed in vacuum coating plants consisting of a series of sputtering segments (3) and gas separation segments (2) along with a continuous substrate plane (1). Said apparatus has the following features: a) each of the sputtering segments (3) consists of a tank tub (12) inside which a conveying device (11) is located; the flange (6) of the tank is positioned in the immediate vicinity above the substrate plane (1); a cathode bearing block (5), along with targets (8) and gas inlet ducts (10), is located in the tank cover (4) in the immediate vicinity of the substrate together with splash guards (9); b) in the region of the substrate plane (1), the gas separation segments (2) are provided with a tunnel cover (14) that extends along the entire length of the gas separation segment (2); c) sputtering segments (3) and/or gas separation segments (2) are evacuated using one or more vacuum pumps (15), and the air pumped in said process is trapped in an air reservoir (25) having an adjustable volume.

A technique for performing high-temperature substrate processing includes a plurality of chambers where substrates are processed, wherein the chambers are disposed adjacent to one another; a gas supply unit configured to alternately supply first and second gasses to each of the chambers; a first exhaust pipe installed in each of the chambers and configured to exhaust the first and second gasses; a first heater installed at the first exhaust pipe and configured to heat the first exhaust pipe to a temperature higher than a temperature whereat a source of the first gas is vaporized under vapor pressure; an electronic box installed at each of the chambers, wherein the electronic box is disposed adjacent to a gas box accommodating a portion of the first exhaust pipe; and a thermal reduction structure surrounding the first exhaust pipe and configured to reduce heat from the first heater being conducted to the electronic box.

A sample releasing method for releasing a sample subjected to plasma processing from a sample stage on which the sample is electrostatically attracted by applying DC voltage to an electrostatic chuck electrode, and the method includes: moving the sample subjected to the plasma processing upward above the sample stage; and after moving the sample, controlling the DC voltage such that an electric potential of the sample is to be smaller.

An ion generator includes an arc chamber defining a plasma generation space, and a cathode which emits thermoelectrons toward the plasma generation space. The arc chamber includes a box-shaped main body having an opening, and a slit member mounted to cover the opening and provided with a front slit. An inner surface of the main body is exposed to the plasma generation space made of a refractory metal material. The slit member includes an inner member made of graphite and an outer member made of another refractory metal material. The outer member includes an outer surface exposed to an outside of the arc chamber. The inner member includes an inner surface exposed to the plasma generation space, and an opening portion which forms the front slit extending from the inner surface of the inner member to the outer surface of the outer member.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device manufacturing system. The semiconductor device manufacturing system can include a chamber, a slit valve configured to provide access to the chamber, a chuck disposed in the chamber and configured to hold a substrate, and a gas curtain device disposed between the chuck and the slit valve and configured to flow an inert gas to form a gas curtain. An example benefit of the gas curtain is to block an inflow of oxygen or moisture from entering the chamber to ensure a yield and reliability of the semiconductor manufacturing processes conducted in the chamber.

A spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) system is disclosed. The system includes a chamber that includes a plurality of zones oriented along a track. Also included is a shuttle that is configured to support the substrate and transport the substrate to each of the plurality of zones to enable deposition of a thin film. The shuttle includes an RF power electrode and an RF ground electrode coupled to an RF power source. The RF electrode and the RF ground electrode are each embedded in the shuttle, such that power provided by the RF power source to the shuttle moves with the shuttle to each of the zones. The RF power source is configured to be activated in synchronization with moving the shuttle to one of the zones.

A sputter deposition apparatus including: a substrate support assembly arranged to support a substrate; a target support assembly arranged to support at least one sputter target for use in a sputter deposition of a target material onto the substrate; a plasma generation arrangement arranged to provide plasma for said sputter deposition; and a cartridge arranged to contain the substrate with deposited target material after said sputter deposition. The cartridge is removable from the sputter deposition apparatus.

A multi-station chamber having a symmetric ground plate is disclosed. The multi-station chamber includes four stations, and the four stations are arranged in a square configuration with a rotating mechanism in a center location. A pedestal for supporting a substrate is provided for each of the four stations, each pedestal is disposed in a lower chamber body, and each pedestal includes a carrier ring. The lower chamber body includes outer walls and inner walls to define a space for each of the pedestals of the four chambers. A ground plate is disposed over the inner walls and attached to the outer walls. The ground plate has a center opening and a process opening for each station. The center opening is configured to receive the rotating mechanism at the center location. The process opening has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the carrier ring at each station, and a symmetric gap is defined between an edge of each process opening defined by the ground plate and an outer edge of a carrier ring. For applied radio frequency power, an RF ground return is provided via the ground plate that symmetrically surrounds each process opening of each station.

There is provided a method of processing a substrate comprising an ONO stack in which a silicon oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer are stacked alternately and repeatedly on the substrate. The method includes: (a) primarily dry-etching silicon nitride layers of the ONO stack; (b) producing oxygen radicals and processing silicon oxide layers of the ONO stack with the oxygen radicals; and (c) secondarily dry-etching the silicon nitride layers of the ONO stack.