| Patent Number |
Title Of Patent |
Date Issued |
| 7425224 |
High pressure chemical vapor trapping method |
September 16, 2008 |
| A high pressure trapping system is provided to collect chemical vapor by-products in successive stages through chemical reasons conducted at progressively colder temperatures. A hot trap receives chemical vapor exhaust and collects a first waste, typically a solid, as a result of the |
| 7361387 |
Plasma enhanced pulsed layer deposition |
April 22, 2008 |
| A process system and a deposition method for depositing a highly controlled layered film on a workpiece is disclosed. The basic component of the apparatus is a pulsing plasma source that is capable of either exciting or not-exciting a first precursor. The pulsing plasma source includ |
| 7270729 |
System for, and method of, etching a surface on a wafer |
September 18, 2007 |
| First and second electrodes and magnets between the electrodes define an enclosure. The first electrode is biased at a high voltage to produce a high intensity electrical field. The second electrode is biased at a low negative voltage by a low alternating voltage to produce a low intensi |
| 7235484 |
Nanolayer thick film processing system and method |
June 26, 2007 |
| A process to deposit a thin film by chemical vapor deposition includes evacuating a chamber of gases; exposing a device to a gaseous first reactant, wherein the first reactant deposits on the device to form the thin film having a plurality of monolayers in thickness; evacuating the c |
| 7223699 |
Plasma etch reactor and method |
May 29, 2007 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 24, a peripheral ring electrode 26 disposed therebetween. The upper electrode 24 is grounded, the peripheral electrode 26 is powered by a high frequency AC power supply, while the lower electrode 28 is powered |
| 7208396 |
Permanent adherence of the back end of a wafer to an electrical component or sub-assembly |
April 24, 2007 |
| A plurality of successive layers are firmly adhered to one another and to a wafer surface and an electrical component or sub-assembly even when the wafer surface is not even and the layers are bent. The wafer surface is initially cleaned by an ion bombardment of an inert gas (e.g. argon) |
| 7179350 |
Reactive sputtering of silicon nitride films by RF supported DC magnetron |
February 20, 2007 |
| An asymmetric alternating voltage (preferably 40 KHz) is provided between a pair of targets having a coaxial (preferably frusto-conical) relationship to (1) deposit the material in a uniform thickness on the substrate surface (2) eliminate dielectric material from the surfaces of the |
| 7169623 |
System and method for processing a wafer including stop-on-aluminum processing |
January 30, 2007 |
| Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices can be fabricated by a stop-on-alumina process whereby the tunnel junction layer serves as the stop layer during plasma overetching of the upper magnetic layer. The resulting side walls of the MTJ device are non-vertical in the vicinity of the t |
| 7163721 |
Method to plasma deposit on organic polymer dielectric film |
January 16, 2007 |
| A method for protecting an organic polymer underlayer during a plasma assisted process of depositing a subsequent film on the organic polymer underlayer is disclosed. The method provides the deposition of a protective continuous layer using organic polymer damage-free technique in or |
| 7153542 |
Assembly line processing method |
December 26, 2006 |
| An apparatus for sequential processing of a workpiece comprises an assembly line processing system. The apparatus comprises multiple workpieces moving in an assembly line fashion under multiple process stations. The multiple process stations provide different processes onto the workp |
| 7115169 |
Replaceable shielding apparatus |
October 3, 2006 |
| A replaceable shielding apparatus provides a cost effective way of shielding a portion of a workpiece during processing. The apparatus includes a replaceable shield, made of comparable weight as the workpiece for allowing replacement of the shield in the same way as the replacement o |
| 7087522 |
Multilayer copper structure for improving adhesion property |
August 8, 2006 |
| A multilayer copper structure has been provided for improving the adhesion of copper to a diffusion barrier material, such as TiN, in an integrated circuit substrate. The multilayer copper structure comprises a thin high-resistive copper layer to provide improved adhesion to the unde |
| 7074278 |
Removable lid and floating pivot |
July 11, 2006 |
| A semiconductor processing system includes a chamber adapted to process a wafer, the chamber having an opening to facilitate access to the interior of the chamber. The system has a lid coupled to the chamber opening, the lid having an open position and a closed position. An actuator is |
| 7049549 |
Multi-thermal zone shielding apparatus |
May 23, 2006 |
| A deposition shield partially covering a substrate and having two zones of different thermal properties can provide minimal deposition on the shield together with minimal heat loss due to substrate contact. A zone of low thermal transmittivity is contact shielding the substrate, and due |
| 6998097 |
High pressure chemical vapor trapping system |
February 14, 2006 |
| A high pressure trapping system is provided to collect chemical vapor by-products in successive stages through chemical reactions conducted at progressively colder temperatures. A hot trap receives chemical vapor exhaust and collects a first waste, typically a solid, as a result of the |
| 6958295 |
Method for using a hard mask for critical dimension growth containment |
October 25, 2005 |
| A method for containing the critical dimension growth of the feature on a semiconductor substrate includes placing a substrate with a hard mask comprised of a reactive metal or an oxidized reactive metal in a chamber and etching the wafer. The method further includes using a hard mask wh |
| 6921555 |
Method and system for sequential processing in a two-compartment chamber |
July 26, 2005 |
| An apparatus and method for sequential and isolated processing of a workpiece comprises a two compartment chamber and a mechanism to transfer the workpiece from a first compartment to a second compartment by rotating the workpiece on a workpiece mover through an internal pathway. The |
| 6919101 |
Method to deposit an impermeable film on porous low-k dielectric film |
July 19, 2005 |
| A method for improving the adhesion of an impermeable film on a porous low-k dielectric film in an interconnect structure is disclosed. The method provides an in-situ annealing step before the deposition of the impermeable film to release the volatile trapped molecules such as water, |
| 6905969 |
Plasma etch reactor and method |
June 14, 2005 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 24, a peripheral ring electrode 26 disposed therebetween. The upper electrode 24 is grounded, the peripheral electrode 26 is powered by a high frequency AC power supply, while the lower electrode 28 is powered by a |
| 6859262 |
Redistributing radiation guide |
February 22, 2005 |
| A system delivers radiation to a substrate with a radiation source to generate radiation having a source intensity distribution pattern; and a redistribution radiation guide adapted to receive the radiation from the radiation source and to direct the radiation from one region to differen |
| 6858085 |
Two-compartment chamber for sequential processing |
February 22, 2005 |
| An apparatus for sequential and isolated processing of a workpiece comprises a two compartment chamber and a mechanism to transfer the workpiece from one compartment to the other compartment. The transfer mechanism comprises two doors that seal the pathway between the two compartment |
| 6844527 |
Multi-thermal zone shielding apparatus |
January 18, 2005 |
| A multi-thermal zone shielding apparatus provides a multi-zone temperature profile for the shield while shielding a portion of a hot workpiece in a high temperature processing system. The apparatus keeps the workpiece temperature hot at the shielded area and maintains the rest of the shi |
| 6830664 |
Cluster tool with a hollow cathode array |
December 14, 2004 |
| A cathode for a cluster tool in accordance with the present invention includes a base, a disc-shaped target mounted to the base and a magnetic source for establishing magnetic flux lines through the target. The target further comprises a top plate with a plurality of through holes; and a |
| 6800254 |
Visual indicator cold trapping system |
October 5, 2004 |
| A visual indicator cold trapping system is provided to allows the visual inspection of the adequacy of a cold trap. The cold trapping system includes a hollow transparent connector operatively connected to the input of the cold trap whereby a visual indication of material collected at th |
| 6774046 |
Method for minimizing the critical dimension growth of a feature on a semiconductor wafer |
August 10, 2004 |
| A method for minimizing the critical dimension growth of a feature on a semiconductor wafer includes performing an etch operation in a reactor 20 and controlling the temperature of the wafer 26 by controlling the pressure of the gas contacting the backside of the wafer 26 and/or prov |
| 6756318 |
Nanolayer thick film processing system and method |
June 29, 2004 |
| A process to deposit a thin film by chemical vapor deposition includes evacuating a chamber of gases; exposing a device to a gaseous first reactant, wherein the first reactant deposits on the device to form the thin film having a plurality of monolayers in thickness; evacuating the c |
| 6620335 |
Plasma etch reactor and method |
September 16, 2003 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 24, a peripheral ring electrode 26 disposed therebetween. The upper electrode 24 is grounded, the peripheral electrode 26 is powered by a high frequency AC power supply, while the lower electrode 28 is powered by a |
| 6521081 |
Deposition shield for a plasma reactor |
February 18, 2003 |
| A rotary transformer includes a resonant circuit and a coil drive circuit. The resonant circuit includes a resonating capacitor connected to a power MOS transistor, coupled across the primary coil of the transformer. The coil drive circuit includes a diode connected to a power MOS transi |
| 6500314 |
Plasma etch reactor and method |
December 31, 2002 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 24, a peripheral ring electrode 26 disposed therebetween. The upper electrode 24 is grounded, the peripheral electrode 26 is powered by a high frequency AC power supply, while the lower electrode 28 is powered by a |
| 6492280 |
Method and apparatus for etching a semiconductor wafer with features having vertical sidewalls |
December 10, 2002 |
| A method and apparatus provide for etching a semiconductor wafer using a two step physical etching and a chemical etching process in order to create vertical sidewalls required for high density DRAMs and FRAMs. |
| 6486069 |
Cobalt silicide etch process and apparatus |
November 26, 2002 |
| Method and apparatus for etching a silicide stack including etching the silicide layer at a temperature elevated from that used to etch the rest of the layers in order to accomplish anisotropic etch. |
| 6410448 |
Plasma etch reactor and method for emerging films |
June 25, 2002 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a reactor chamber 22 with a grounded upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 28 which is attached to a high frequency power supply 30 and a low frequency power supply 32, and a peripheral electrode 26 which is located between the upper and lower electr |
| 6406925 |
Method and apparatus for minimizing semiconductor wafer arcing during semiconductor wafer proces |
June 18, 2002 |
| A method and apparatus for minimizing or eliminating arcing or dielectric breakdown across a wafer during a semiconductor wafer processing step includes controlling the voltage across the wafer so that arcing and/or dielectric breakdown does not occur. Using an electrostatic clamp of the |
| 6391148 |
Cobalt silicide etch process and apparatus |
May 21, 2002 |
| Method and apparatus for etching a silicide stack including etching the silicide layer at a temperature elevated from that used to etch the rest of the layers in order to accomplish anisotropic etch. |
| 6360686 |
Plasma reactor with a deposition shield |
March 26, 2002 |
| A reactor 20 includes a shield 50 which prevents the deposition of materials along a line-of-sight path from a wafer 26 toward and onto an electrode 32, or a window 38 which couples an electrode 32 to a reaction chamber of the reactor 20. The shield can be comprised of a conductor an |
| 6354240 |
Plasma etch reactor having a plurality of magnets |
March 12, 2002 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 24, a peripheral ring electrode 26 disposed therebetween. The upper electrode 24 is grounded, the peripheral electrode 26 is powered by a high frequency AC power supply, while the lower electrode 28 is powered by a |
| 6346428 |
Method and apparatus for minimizing semiconductor wafer arcing during semiconductor wafer proces |
February 12, 2002 |
| A method and apparatus for minimizing or eliminating arcing or dielectric breakdown across a wafer during a semiconductor wafer processing step includes controlling the voltage across the wafer so that arcing and/or dielectric breakdown does not occur. Using an electrostatic clamp of the |
| 6287975 |
Method for using a hard mask for critical dimension growth containment |
September 11, 2001 |
| A method for containing the critical dimension growth of the feature on a semiconductor substrate includes placing a substrate with a hard mask comprised of a reactive metal or an oxidized reactive metal in a chamber and etching the wafer. The method further includes using a hard mask wh |
| 6190496 |
Plasma etch reactor and method for emerging films |
February 20, 2001 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a reactor chamber 22 with a grounded upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 28 which is attached to a high frequency power supply 30 and a low frequency power supply 32, and a peripheral electrode 26 which is located between the upper and lower electr |
| 6173674 |
Plasma reactor with a deposition shield |
January 16, 2001 |
| A reactor 20 includes a shield 50 which prevents the deposition of materials along a line-of-sight path from a wafer 26 toward and onto an electrode 32, or a window 38 which couples an electrode 32 to a reaction chamber of the reactor 20. The shield can be comprised of a conductor an |
| 6170431 |
Plasma reactor with a deposition shield |
January 9, 2001 |
| A reactor 20 includes a shield 50 which prevents the deposition of materials along a line-of-sight path from a wafer 26 toward and onto an electrode 32, or a window 38 which couples an electrode 32 to a reaction chamber of the reactor 20. The shield can be comprised of a conductor an |
| 6127277 |
Method and apparatus for etching a semiconductor wafer with features having vertical sidewalls |
October 3, 2000 |
| A method and apparatus provide for etching a semiconductor wafer using a two step physical etching and a chemical etching process in order to create vertical sidewalls required for high density DRAMs and FRAMs. |
| 6120610 |
Plasma etch system |
September 19, 2000 |
| This invention relates to a plasma reactor apparatus having improved etch uniformity and throughput. Higher etch uniformity is achieved through the use of a new gas delivery mechanism and a thermally insulated wafer chuck. The vacuum insulated chuck also results in lower energy consumpti |
| 6048435 |
Plasma etch reactor and method for emerging films |
April 11, 2000 |
| A plasma etch reactor 20 includes a reactor chamber 22 with a grounded upper electrode 24, a lower electrode 28 which is attached to a high frequency power supply 30 and a low frequency power supply 32, and a peripheral electrode 26 which is located between the upper and lower electr |
| 6046116 |
Method for minimizing the critical dimension growth of a feature on a semiconductor wafer |
April 4, 2000 |
| A method for minimizing the critical dimension growth of a feature on a semiconductor wafer includes performing an etch operation in a reactor 20 and controlling the temperature of the wafer 26 by controlling the pressure of the gas contacting the backside of the wafer 26 and/or prov |
| 6006694 |
Plasma reactor with a deposition shield |
December 28, 1999 |
| A reactor 20 includes a shield 50 which prevents the deposition of materials along a line-of-sight path from a wafer 26 toward and onto an electrode 32, or a window 38 which couples an electrode 32 to a reaction chamber of the reactor 20. The shield can be comprised of a conductor an |
| 5985089 |
Plasma etch system |
November 16, 1999 |
| This invention relates to a plasma reactor apparatus having improved etch uniformity and throughput. Higher etch uniformity is achieved through the use of a new gas delivery mechanism and a thermally insulated wafer chuck. The vacuum insulated chuck also results in lower energy consumpti |
| 5958139 |
Plasma etch system |
September 28, 1999 |
| This invention relates to a plasma reactor apparatus having improved etch uniformity and throughput. Higher etch uniformity is achieved through the use of a new gas delivery mechanism and a thermally insulated wafer chuck. The vacuum insulated chuck also results in lower energy consumpti |
| 5672239 |
Integrated semiconductor wafer processing system |
September 30, 1997 |
| An improved apparatus and method which offers an integral pre-strip rinse operation between etching operation and stripping operation. The present invention is designed to allow a semiconductor wafer to undergo sequential processing of dry etching, wet pre-strip rinsing, dry photoresist |
| 4960610 |
Method of treating semiconductor wafers in a magnetically confined plasma at low pressure by mon |
October 2, 1990 |
| In a magnetically confined plasma, optimal pressure is found by measuring the peak to peak voltage of the plasma and looking for a distinct minimum in the peak to peak voltage. The pressure at which the minimum occurs can be used to calibrate a manometer used in the system. |
