Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An electron beam irradiating apparatus for treating a layer formed on a wafer, said apparatus comprising: a chamber having an opening at a top side of the chamber;  a cathode plate disposed to cover the opening of the chamber, at least the bottom surface of the cathode plate, which faces an inner bottom surface of the inside of the chamber, being formed of a non-metal conductive material;  a susceptor on which the wafer can be loaded disposed on the inner bottom surface of the chamber; and  a grid plate disposed between the cathode plate and the susceptor, wherein, upon application of a potential difference across the cathode plate and the grid plate, a beam of electrons released from the bottom surface of the cathode plate impinges on the layer formed on the wafer to treat the layer formed on the wafer. 2. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode plate and the chamber are electrically insulated from each other. claim 1 3. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the grid plate is electrically insulated from the chamber and the cathode plate. claim 1 4. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the non-metal conductive material is silicon. claim 1 5. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode plate comprises an upper cathode plate formed of a metal and a lower cathode plate formed of the non-metal conductive material. claim 1 6. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode plate is a single cathode plate formed of the non-metal conductive material alone. claim 1 7. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber for altering the pressure in the chamber. claim 1 8. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a gas injection ring for allowing gas to enter the chamber. claim 1 9. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the gas injection ring is disposed between the grid plate and the susceptor. claim 8 10. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the layer is a spin-on-glass (SOG) layer. claim 1 11. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the beam of electrons is used to at least partially cure the SOG layer. claim 10 12. The electron beam irradiating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the layer is a photoresist layer. claim 1