Abstract:
A wafer stage installed in a process chamber for safely dechucking a wafer is provided. In one embodiment, the wafer stage comprises: a chuck support for supporting a chuck; a chuck mounted on the chuck support for receiving and attaching a wafer thereto; a support lift means for supporting the wafer; a driving means coupled to the support lift means for gradually raising the support lift means to contact the wafer in response to a variable quantity; a sensor attached to the driving means for detecting a change in the variable quantity; and a controller for controlling the variable quantity to the driving means when a predetermined variable quantity is detected in comparison to the change in the variable quantity for a predetermined time.
Abstract:
An etchant for removing a porous low-k dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate includes a hydrofluoric acid-based solvent, a dilating additive for dilating the pores in the porous low-k dielectric, and a passivating additive that forms a passivation layer at the interface between the low-k dielectric layer and the semiconductor substrate.
Abstract:
A method comprises supplying a dopant gas in an arc chamber of an ion source. A dilutant is supplied to dilute the dopant gas. The dilutant comprises about 98.5 wt. % xenon and about 1.5 wt. % hydrogen. An ion beam is generated from the diluted dopant gas using the ion source.
Abstract:
By exposing a process control wafer having a porous low-k-dielectric layer thereon in an HF-based low-k dielectric etching solvent comprising a dilating additive and a passivating additive, the pores in the low-k dielectric layer are dilated some of which connect with one another to form one or more continuous channels extending through the thickness of the dielectric layer and allowing the HF-based solvent to reach down to the substrate. Then the passivating additive component of the HF-based etching solvent forms a passivation layer at the dielectric layer and the substrate interface that protects substrate from the HF-based etchant.
Abstract:
A method for protecting a silicon semiconductor wafer backside surface for removing polymer containing residues from a wafer process surface including providing a silicon semiconductor wafer having a process surface and a backside surface said process surface including metal containing features said process surface at least partially covered with polymer containing residues and said backside surface including exposed silicon containing areas; forming an etching resistant oxide layer over the exposed silicon containing areas; and, subjecting the silicon semiconductor wafer to a series of cleaning steps including a wet etchant corrosive to the exposed silicon containing areas.
Abstract:
A system for chucking and de-chucking a work piece comprises a wafer stage having a chuck support for supporting a chuck. The wafer stage further comprises a chuck mounted on the chuck support for receiving and attaching the work piece thereto; a support lift means for supporting the work piece; a driving means coupled to the support lift means for gradually raising the support lift means to contact the work piece in response to a variable quantity; a controller for receiving the variable quantity; and a regulating means coupled to the driving means and to the controller, the regulating means for controlling the variable quantity going to the driving means when a predetermined variable quantity is detected.
Abstract:
A method comprises supplying a dopant gas in an arc chamber of an ion source. A dilutant is supplied to dilute the dopant gas. The dilutant comprises about 98.5 wt. % xenon and about 1.5 wt. % hydrogen. An ion beam is generated from the diluted dopant gas using the ion source.
Abstract:
By exposing a process control wafer having a porous low-k-dielectric layer thereon in an HF-based low-k dielectric etching solvent comprising a dilating additive and a passivating additive, the pores in the low-k dielectric layer are dilated some of which connect with one another to form one or more continuous channels extending through the thickness of the dielectric layer and allowing the HF-based solvent to reach down to the substrate. Then the passivating additive component of the HF-based etching solvent forms a passivation layer at the dielectric layer and the substrate interface that protects substrate from the HF-based etchant.
Abstract:
A method for controlling a critical dimension in an etched structure comprises the steps of: forming a hard mask above a substrate, measuring a critical dimension of the hard mask, and using the measured hard mask critical dimension to control a critical dimension trim operation performed on a circuit trace above the substrate.
Abstract:
The fabrication an NMOS device featuring a shallow source/drain region, performed as part of an integrated process sequence employed to integrate the fabrication of other type devices with the fabrication of the NMOS device, has been developed. A critical feature of the integrated process sequence is the formation of the shallow source/drain region of the NMOS accomplished after formation of the other type devices, thus reducing the risk of exposure of the shallow source/drain region to possible damaging procedures used for the other type devices. In addition the process used to remove a photoresist shape, used to protect the completed other type devices from the shallow source/drain ion implantation procedure, has been modified again to reduce possible damage to the shallow source/drain region. The flow of CF4 in the plasma tool during the photoresist removing plasma ashing procedure, as well as the length of the post-plasma ashing wet clean procedure, have both been reduced resulting in reduced exposure of the shallow source/drain region to these procedures.