Process gas discharged from a bypass pipe to a gas exhaust system can be prevented from diffusing back to the inside of a process chamber without having to install a dedicated vacuum pump at the downstream side of the bypass pipe. The substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber accommodating a substrate, a gas supply system supplying process gas from a process gas source to the process chamber for processing the substrate, a gas exhaust system configured to exhaust the process chamber, two or more vacuum pumps installed in series at the gas exhaust system, and a bypass pipe connected between the gas supply system and the gas exhaust system. The most upstream one of the vacuum pumps is a mechanical booster pump, and the bypass pipe is connected between the mechanical booster pump and the rest vacuum pumps located at a downstream side of the mechanical booster pump.

Substrate Processing Apparatus

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a body including a rear compartment, a forward compartment and an intermediate compartment arranged between the rear and forward compartments. An elongate rotatable brush arrangement is positioned within and extends across the forward compartment. An electric motor is positioned in the rear compartment, and drive means extends between the rotatable brush arrangement and the electric motor.

Surface cleaning apparatus

An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which the number of photolithography steps can be reduced, the manufacturing process can be simplified, and manufacturing can be performed with high yield at low cost A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the following steps: forming a semiconductor film; irradiating a laser beam by passing the laser beam through a photomask including a shield for shielding the laser beam; subliming a region which has been irradiated with the laser beam through a region in which the shield is not formed in the photomask in the semiconductor film; forming an island-shaped semiconductor film in such a way that a region which is not irradiated with the laser beam is not sublimed because it is a region in which the shield is formed in the photomask; forming a first electrode which is one of a source electrode and a drain electrode and a second electrode which is the other one of the source electrode and the drain electrode; forming a gate insulating film; and forming a gate electrode over the gate insulating film

Method for Manufacturing Semiconductor Device

The present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system for networking, monitoring and controlling electronic commerce and vending equipment. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale. Vending equipment includes copiers, phones, facsimile machines, printers, data-ports, laptop print stations, notebook computers, palmtop computers (PALM PILOT), microfiche devices, projectors, scanners, cameras, modems, communication access, personal computers (PC), PC terminals (NET PC), and network computers (NC). Vending equipment can be networked to each other through a first network, programmable and accessible by a PC, server, point of sale (POS) system, property or management information system (PMS/MIS), and networked to a second network. The first network and second network can be the same network. Complete control of a vending machine's functionality, including usage, control, diagnostics, inventory, and marketing data capture can be effectuated locally or by remote connection to the network. Remote connection to the network includes Internet type connections, telecommunication (telephone, ISDN, ADSL), VSAT satellite, and other wire and wireless transmission. The present invention allows a user to obtain authorization for use, pay for products and services, and configure the vending equipment with a smart card, or magnetic card (card). Magnetic cards include smart card, credit card, debit card, pre-paid, automated teller machine (ATM) or other bank or private issued card. Users can also use a hotel room key/card or other insertion type-identifying device. Additionally, biometric identification such as hand writing, voice, finger, hand, or eye (iris scan) can be utilized to control the system.

Universal interactive advertising and payment system network for public access electronic commerce and business related products and services

An apparatus for wet processing individual wafers comprising; a means for holding the wafer; a means for providing acoustic energy to a non-device side of the wafer; and a means for flowing a fluid onto a device side of the wafer.

Method and apparatus for wafer cleaning

A substantial reduction in the foreign particulate matter contamination on surfaces, such as the surfaces of semiconductor wafers, is achieved by treating the surfaces with a solution comprising a strong acid and a very small amount of a fluorine-containing compound. A preferred method employs a solution containing sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide and a very small amount of hydrofluoric acid, which is effective in reducing foreign particulate matter contamination, without significant etching, of the surface being treated.

Reduction of foreign particulate matter on semiconductor wafers

Apparatus and method for cleaning/etching the surface of an article with sonic energy in the megahertz range which employ an anti-reflection mechanism within a recirculation tank. A tank having at least one side wall and a bottom structure holds a cleaning/etching liquid and a megasonic transducer is associated with the tank for projecting megasonic energy into the liquid. The anti-reflection mechanism is disposed within the tank in close association with the at least one sidewall or bottom structure of the tank to thereby minimize reflection of megasonic energy from the associated surface. Preferably, the megasonic transducer is associated with a first tank sidewall which opposes a second tank sidewall, and the anti-reflection mechanism is disposed adjacent the second tank sidewall. By way of example, the anti-reflection mechanism can comprise a stream of gas bubbles, a plurality of anechoic structures, or a combination of both gas bubbles and anechoic structures.

Apparatus for uniform cleaning of wafers using megasonic energy

An array of ultrasonic or megasonic transducers is used to clean a substrate. An interference signal that is the superposition of the signals from each transducer enhances the cleaning. The system improves cleaning by providing a higher intensity beam than is available from uncoupled transducers to facilitate removal of smaller particles. In addition, the beam can be swept across the substrate to provide a uniform cleaning of the entire surface, avoiding dead spots. The system can be adapted for use in a vessel or for single wafer processing with a stream of fluid or a puddle of fluid.

Sonic cleaning with an interference signal

An apparatus and method are provided for removing contaminate particulate matter from substrate surfaces such as semiconductor wafers. The method and apparatus use a material, preferably a liquid curable polymer, which is applied as a sacrificial coating to the surface of a substrate containing contaminate particulate matter thereon. An energy source is used to dislodge the contaminate particulate matter from the surface of the wafer into the sacrificial coating so that the particles are partially or fully encapsulated and suspended in the sacrificial coating. The sacrificial coating is then removed. The coating is preferably formed into a film to facilitate removal of the coating by pulling (stripping) the film providing a cleaner substrate surface.

William A. Syverson

Papers

Reduction of foreign particulate matter on semiconductor wafers

Apparatus for uniform cleaning of wafers using megasonic energy

Sonic cleaning with an interference signal

Cleaning of semiconductor wafers by contaminate encapsulation

Method for uniform cleaning of wafers using megasonic energy