Oxide film forming method

Abstract

Vacuum processing equipment capable of preventing particles from sticking to objects to be processed in vacuum vessels. The vacuum equipment comprises a series of vacuum vessels separated by doors, and the pressure in the vessels are reducible respectively. The vessels are so configured that objects to be processed are moveable among them and there is provided light projection means for projecting ultra rays on gases introduced to at least of the vessels.

1 - 27 . (canceled)  
     
     
         28 . A rotational spreading device comprising a mechanism to hold and rotate a sample in said vessel and a means for supplying liquidus spreading material to the surface of said sample, wherein a gas supply means for supplying gas from a gas source into said vessel and a ultra-violet ray irradiating means for irradiating ultra-violet ray to gas introduced into said vessel are provided in said vessel.  
     
     
         29 . A rotational spreading device according to  claim 28 , wherein said gas supply means comprised a piping member having a transparent window in a portion thereof with the internal surface in the downstream side from at least said transparent window coated with insulating material and said ultra-violet ray irradiating means is located so that ultra-violet ray can be irradiated through said transparent window to gas inside said piping means.  
     
     
         30 . A rotational spreading device according to  claim 28 , wherein, in addition to said gas supply means, other gas supply means is provided therein.  
     
     
         31 . A rotational spreading means according to one of claims  28  through  30 , wherein a vacuum exhausting means for exhausting air from the vessel is provided in said vessel.  
     
     
         32 . A vacuum treatment apparatus comprising a plurality of vessels each depressurizable respectively via relay mechanisms therebetween so that an object to be processed can be moved between each vessel described above, wherein a light projector for projecting ultra-violet beam to gas introduced into at least one of said vessels.  
     
     
         33 . A vacuum treatment apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein said light projecting means is provided between at least one of said vessels and projects light to gas introduced into a tube body with the internal surface made of insulating body.  
     
     
         34 . A vacuum treatment apparatus according to  claim 32  or  claim 33 , wherein said gas is nitrogen gas, or argon gas, or a mixture of nitrogen gas and argon gas.  
     
     
         35 . A vacuum treatment apparatus according to one of claims  32  through  34 , wherein said light projecting means irradiates light through a projecting section made of synthetic quartz to said gas.  
     
     
         36 . A heat treatment device made of insulating material and having a core tube built so that an objet to be heated can be carried into or out of the inside thereof through an opening section which can be opened or closed, wherein an irradiating means for irradiating ultra-violet ray to gas introduced into said core tube is provided.  
     
     
         37 . A heat treatment device according to  claim 36 , wherein said insulating material is transparent to at least said ultra-violet ray.  
     
     
         38 . A heat treatment device according to  claim 36  or  claim 37 , wherein said object to be heated is held on a holding member made of insulating material.  
     
     
         39 . Heat treatment device according to one of claims  36  through  38 , wherein said irradiating means can emit light having energy of 3.4 eV or more.  
     
     
         40 . An electrically charged particle flow irradiating device comprising a vessel inside of which can be depressurized and an irradiating means for irradiating an electrically charged particle flow to an object to be subjected to irradiation thereof which is supported on a support provided in the vessel, wherein a light projecting means for projecting light to gas introduced into said vessel is provided.  
     
     
         41 . An electrically charged particles flow irradiating device according to  claim 40 , wherein said light projecting means is provided between said vessel and said gas supply means and irradiates light to gas introduced into a piping member with at least the internal surface made of insulating material.  
     
     
         42 . An electrically charged particle flow irradiating device according to  claim 41 , wherein said electrically charged particle flow is an electron beam.  
     
     
         43 . An electrically charged particle flow irradiating device according to  claim 40  or  claim 41 , wherein said electrically charged particle flow is an ion beam.  
     
     
         44 . A plasma treatment apparatus to process an object to be processed by supplying a high-frequency power between opposing electrodes provided in a depressurizable vessel for generating plasma between said electrodes and processing the object to be processed placed on the electrodes, wherein a light projecting means for irradiating ultra-violet ray to gas introduced into said vessel is provided.  
     
     
         45 . A plasma treatment apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein said light projecting means project slight to gas introduced into a piping member with the internal surface made of insulating material provided between a source of said gas and said vessel.  
     
     
         46 . A plasma treatment apparatus according to  claim 44  or  claim 45 , wherein said gas is introduced to between said electrodes.  
     
     
         47 . A plasma treatment apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein said light projecting means is arranged so that said ultra-violet ray is projeted to between said electrodes.  
     
     
         48 . A plasma treatment apparatus according to any of  claims 44  to  47 , wherein said gas is inactive to at least said object to be processed.  
     
     
         49 . An electrostatic absorber in which an object to be absorbed is placed via an insulating material on an electrode and voltage is loaded between said electrode and the object to be absorbed for absorbing said object making use of static electricity, having an irradiating section for irradiating ultra-violet ray to gas introduced into atmosphere between said electrode and the object to be absorbed.  
     
     
         50 . An electrostatic absorber according to  claim 49 , wherein at least the internal surface of said gas supply piping is made of insulating material.  
     
     
         51 . An electrostatic absorber according to  claim 49  or  claim 50 , wherein said ga is any of nitrogen gas, argon gas or a mixture of nitrogen gas and argon gas.  
     
     
         52 . An electrostatic absorber according to one of claims  49  through  51 , wherein a concentration of oxygen gas mixed in said gas and that of vapor are less than 10 ppm and 1 ppm respectively.  
     
     
         53 . An electrostatic absorber according to one of claims  49  through  53 , wherein irradiation of ultra-violet ray is executed through an opening section made of synthetic quarts in said irradiating section.  
     
     
         54 . An interatomic force microscope in which a surface of an object to be measured and a tip of a probe are opposed to each other with a minute clearance therebetween in a vessel and an interatomic force working among atoms each constituting the object to be measured and the probe is converted to mechanical displacement; wherein an electrolytically dissociated gas supply means for supplying electrolytically dissociated gas into said vessel is provided.  
     
     
         55 . An interatomic force microscope according to  claim 54 , wherein said electrolytically dissociated gas supply means comprised a gas supply means for supplying said gas and an irradiating means for irradiating ultra-violet ray to said gas at a position in the upstream side from the vessel.  
     
     
         56 . An interatomic force microscope according to  claim 55 , wherein the electrolytically dissociated gas supply means comprises a tube body having a transparent window in at least a portion thereof and a ultra-violet ray source located so that ultra-violet ray comes into said tube body through said transparent window.  
     
     
         57 . An interatomic force microscope according to  claim 56 , wherein said internal surface of said tube body in at least the downstream side from said transparent window is made of insulating material.  
     
     
         58 . An interatomic force microscope according to  claim 57 , wherein said insulating material is a passive state oxide or a passive state fluoride.  
     
     
         59 . An interatomic force microscope according to one of claims  56  through  58 , wherein a gas outlet port of said tube body is located at a position where gas injected therethrough is not directly blown to a probe.  
     
     
         60 . An interatomic force microscope according to one of claims  54  thorugh  59 , wherein a means for exhausting air inside the vessel is provided at an appropriate position in the vessel.  
     
     
         61 . An interatomic force microscope according to one of claims  54  through  60 , wherein material gas for electrolytically dissociated gas is nitrogen gas.  
     
     
         62 . An interatomic force microscope according to one of claims  54  through  60 , wherein material gas for electrolytically dissociated gas is argon gas.  
     
     
         63 . An interatomic force microscope according to one of claims  54  through  60 , wherein material gas for electrolytically dissociated gas is a mixed gas of nitrogen and argon.  
     
     
         64 . An interatomic force microscope according to  claim 56 , wherein ultra-violet ray is irradiated to material gas through a transmissive member, namely a transparent window made of synthetic quarts of said tube body.  
     
     
         65 . An interatomic force microscope according to one of claims  55  through  64 , wherein a concentration of oxygen gas in the material gas for electrolytically dissociated gas is less than 10 ppm and that of moisture is less than 1 ppm.  
     
     
         66 . An X-ray irradiating device comprising a vessel inside of which can be depressurized, an irradiating means for irradiating X-ray to an objet to be irradiated on a support provided in a vessel, and a means for measuring photoelectrons emitted due to irradiation of X-ray with a detector, wherein a light projecting means for projecting ultra-violet ray to gas introduced into said vessel.  
     
     
         67 . An X-ray irradiating apparatus according to  claim 66 , wherein said light projecting means is provided between said vessel and said gas supply means and projects light to gas introduced into a piping member, at least internal surface of which is made of insulating material.  
     
     
         68 . A cleaner for cleaning or drying an objet to be processed, wherein a means for interrupting light is provided in at least a section thereof contacting a chemical liquid or ultra pure water each used for cleaning.  
     
     
         69 . A cleaner according to  claim 68 , comprising a vessel in which atmosphere therein can be substituted with other gas, a means for supplying inert gas into said vessel, and a means for supplying ultra pure water containing a reduced level of dissolved oxygen.  
     
     
         70 . A cleaner according to  claim 69 , wherein a section in which at least an object to be processed contacts a chemical liquid or ultra pure water each used for cleaning is provided in a vessel in which atmosphere therein can be substituted with other gas.  
     
     
         71 . A cleaner according one of claims  68  through  70 , wherein a section, in which at least an object to be processed is subjected to final cleaning with ultra pure water and then ultra pure water deposited on the object is dried, is provided in said vessel in which atmosphere therein can be substituted with other gas.  
     
     
         72 . A cleaner according to one of claims  68  through  71 , wherein said inert gas is nitrogen.  
     
     
         73 . A cleaner according to one of claims  68  through  72 , wherein said inert gas is argon.  
     
     
         74 . A cleaner according to one of claims  68  through  73 , wherein a concentration of oxygen in said inert gas is less than 10 ppm and that of dissolved oxygen in said ultra pure water containing dissolved oxygen at a reduced level is less than 50 ppb.  
     
     
         75 . A cleaner according to one of claims  68  through  74 , wherein said light shuttering means has a function to interrupt light having energy of 1.1 eV or more.  
     
     
         76 . A cleaner according to one of claims  68  through  74 , wherein said light shuttering means has a function to interrupt light having energy of 3.4 eV or more.  
     
     
         77 . A cleaner according to one of claims  68  through  74 , wherein said light shuttering means has a function to interrupt light having energy of 6.2 eV or more.  
     
     
         78 . A cleaner for cleaning or drying an object to be processed, wherein a vessel having a function to interrupt light, in which atmosphere can be substituted with other gas, is provided in a section where at least the object to be processed is contacted to a chemical liquid or ultra pure water used for cleaning; comprising a means for supplying inert gas into the vessel, a means for drying an objet to be dried by blowing said gas to the object to be dried, and an irradiating means for irradiating ultra-violet ray to at least a portion of said gas.  
     
     
         79 . A cleaner according to  claim 78  having a means for supplying ultra pure water containing dissolved oxygen at a reduced level.  
     
     
         80 . A cleaner according to  claim 78  or  claim 79 , wherein a section, in which at least an object to be processed is contacted to a chemical liquid or ultra pure water used for cleaning, is provided in said vessel in which atmosphere can be substituted with other gas.  
     
     
         81 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  80 , wherein a section, in which a section, in which at least an object to be processed is subjected to final cleaning with ultra pure ware and also ultra pure water deposited on the object is dried, is provided in said vessel in which atmosphere can be substituted with other gas.  
     
     
         82 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  81 , wherein a portion of said gas is directed through a tube body at least having an internal surface made of insulating material to an object to be dried.  
     
     
         83 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  82 , wherein said gas is nitrogen.  
     
     
         84 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  83 , wherein said inert gas is argon.  
     
     
         85 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  84 , wherein a concentration of oxygen in said gas is less than 10 ppm, that of moisture is less than 1 ppm, and that of oxygen dissolved in said ultra pure water containing dissolved oxygen at a reduced level is less than 50 ppb.  
     
     
         86 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  85 , wherein said light-shuttering means has a function to interrupt light having energy of 1.1 eV or more.  
     
     
         87 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  85 , wherein said light-shuttering means has a function to interrupt light having energy of 3.4 eV or more.  
     
     
         88 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  85 , wherein said light-shuttering means has a function to interrupt light having energy of 6.2 eV or more.  
     
     
         89 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  88 , wherein said irradiating means irradiates said ultra-violet ray through a transmissive member made of synthetic quarts to said gas.  
     
     
         90 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  89 , wherein said gas is heated by a first heating means.  
     
     
         91 . A cleaner according to one of claims  78  through  90 , wherein said gas is heated by a second heating means.