A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes the steps of: (a) placing a semiconductor wafer over a stage provided in a chamber, the pressure in the inside of which is reduced by vacuum pumping; and (b) after the step (a), forming plasma in the chamber in a state where the semiconductor wafer is adsorbed and held by the stage, so that desired etching processing is performed on the semiconductor wafer. Herein, before the step (a), O.sub.2 gas, negative gas having an electronegativity higher than that of nitrogen gas, is introduced into the chamber to form O.sub.2 plasma in the chamber, thereby allowing the charges remaining over the stage to be eliminated.

A transfer chamber for a processing system suitable for processing a plurality of substrates and a method of using the same is provided. The transfer chamber includes a lid, a bottom disposed opposite the lid, a plurality of sidewalls sealingly coupling the lid to the bottom and defining an internal volume, wherein the plurality of sidewalls form the faces of a dodecagon. An opening is formed in each of the faces, wherein the opening is configured for a substrate to pass therethrough. A transfer robot is disposed in the internal volume, wherein the transfer robot has effectors configured to support the substrate through one opening to another opening.

Generally, examples described herein relate to methods and processing systems for forming isolation structures (e.g., shallow trench isolations (STIs)) between fins on a substrate. In an example, fins are formed on a substrate. A liner layer is conformally formed on and between the fins. Forming the liner layer includes conformally depositing a pre-liner layer on and between the fins, and densifying, using a plasma treatment, the pre-liner layer to form the liner layer. A dielectric material is formed on the liner layer.

A film forming apparatus comprises a film forming vessel comprising a first mold and a second mold that is arranged to be opposed to the first mold. The first mold is configured to include a first recessed portion and a first planar portion arranged around the first recessed portion and an exhaust port in a bottom portion of the first recessed portion. The film forming apparatus also comprises a seal member placed between the first planar portion of the first mold and the second mold. The seal member is configured to keep inside of the film forming vessel airtight; and an exhaust device connected with the exhaust port. The work is placed away from the first planar portion such that a film formation target part of the work faces an internal space of the first recessed portion when the film forming vessel is closed. A film forming method comprises (a) forming a film on part of the work by the film forming apparatus; (b) opening the film forming vessel after the (a); and (e) at a start of the (b), evacuating the film forming vessel via the exhaust port by the exhaust device.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber in which a first processing space, a second processing space, a connecting space connecting the first processing space and the second processing space, a first hole connecting with the connecting space and a second hole connecting with the connecting space are formed, a first gate valve having a first valve element and closing the first hole, the first valve element sliding in the first hole, opening and closing the connecting space, and a second gate valve having a second valve element and closing the second hole, the second valve element sliding in the second hole, opening and closing the connecting space, wherein a region in which the first hole and the connecting space connect with each other and a region in which the second hole and the connecting space connect with each other are one common region.

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber where a substrate is processed; a substrate support, disposed in the process chamber, where the substrate is placed; a transfer chamber disposed under the process chamber; a partition dividing the process and transfer chambers; a first heating unit disposed in the substrate support to heat the substrate and the process chamber; a second heating unit disposed in the transfer chamber to heat the transfer chamber; a process gas supply unit to supply a process gas into the process chamber; a first cleaning gas supply unit to supply a cleaning gas into the process chamber; a second cleaning gas supply unit to supply the cleaning gas into the transfer chamber; and a control unit to control the first heating unit, the second heating unit, the process gas supply unit, the first cleaning gas supply unit and the second cleaning gas supply unit.

A substrate processing system is provided with a transfer module that transports a substrate to be processed, and a plurality of processing units which are mounted and arranged vertically along a side surface of the transfer module, and each of which processes the substrate to be processed. Each of the processing units includes a chamber, a shower head, and a stage. The chamber includes an upper unit that includes a part of a sidewall forming a space in the chamber and that is fitted with the shower head, and a lower unit including the remaining portion of the side wall in the chamber and fitted with the stage. The upper unit and the lower unit are separable in a direction different from the direction in which the plurality of processing units are arranged.

There is provided a technique that includes: performing a set a plurality of times, the set including: (a) loading at least one substrate into a process container; (b) performing a process of forming a nitride film on the at least one substrate by supplying a film-forming gas to the at least one substrate supported by a support in the process container; (c) unloading the processed at least one substrate from an interior of the process container; and (d) supplying an oxidizing gas into the process container from which the processed at least one substrate has been unloaded so as to oxidize one part of the nitride film formed inside the process container in (b) into an oxide film and maintain another part of the nitride film, which is different from the one part of the nitride film, as it is without oxidizing the another part.

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 processing system may include a plasma chamber operable to generate a plasma, and an extraction assembly, arranged along a side of the plasma chamber. The extraction assembly may include an extraction plate including an extraction aperture, the extraction plate having a non-planar shape, and generating an extracted ion beam at a high angle of incidence with respect to a perpendicular to a plane of a substrate, when the plane of the substrate is arranged parallel to the side of the plasma chamber.