Vlsi Technology, Inc.

Allen Page

Anthony Sayka

Stacy W Hall

Oscar L Caton

Kenneth Reis

Lynn Caton

In the course of processing integrated circuits production wafers are placed within a plurality of production boats on a platform. A first baffle boat is placed at a front end of the plurality of production boats. The first baffle boat contains a first plurality of wafers made of quartz. A second baffle boat is placed at a rear end of the plurality of production boats. The second baffle boat contains a second plurality of wafers made of quartz. The plurality of production boats, the first baffle boat and the second baffle boat are placed within a processing chamber.

Waferless boat used as baffle during wafer processing

A metal, such as Platinum, is stripped from a wafer during processing of an integrated circuit. The wafer, typically within a cassette of wafers, is submerged in de-ionized water. The de-ionized water is, for example, held within a container made of quartz. Optimally, the de-ionized water is heated, for example, to a temperature of 80 degrees Centigrade. Chlorine gas and hydrochloric acid gas are bubbled into the de-ionized water to oxidize the metal.

Etching metals using chlorine gas and hydrochloric gas in de-ionized

Semiconductor wafers are processed in a semiconductor diffusion furnace. During processing, the semiconductor wafers are placed in a quartz tube. Also during processing, a laser beam is transmitted below a top surface of the quartz tube. While the quartz tube is not sagging, the laser beam is detected with a detector. When the top surface of the quartz tube sags so that the laser beam is obstructed by the top surface, the laser beam is no longer detected by the detector. At this point the detector will alert an operator of the system that the top surface of the quartz tube is sagging so that the laser beam is obstructed by the top surface. The operator of the semiconductor diffusion furnace then may replace the quartz tube before damage is done to the semiconductor wafers.

Insitu detection of tube sagging in semiconductor diffusion furnace

Method and apparatus for monitoring the fluid spray pattern of fluid sprayed by a nozzle onto a semiconductor wafer during processing of the wafer. A light source is positioned to illuminate the fluid sprayed in a pattern P from the nozzle, and one or more photodetectors are positioned to receive light scattered by the fluid spray. Each photodetector develops an electrical signal in response to receipt of the scattered light, and these electrical signals are received and analyzed by a comparison means. One or more reference signals representing a desired fluid spray pattern P.sub.0 is stored in the comparison means, and each electrical signal for the pattern P is compared with the corresponding reference signal for the pattern P.sub.0 by the comparison means. If one or more signal for the pattern P differs substantially from the corresponding reference signal for the desired pattern P.sub.0, an alarm may be generated and/or delivery of fluid by the nozzle may be terminated.

Electro-optic monitor for fluid spray pattern

Integrated circuits include a silicon substrate having multiple conductive metallization lines placed thereon and vertically spaced apart from each other by polyimide insulating layers wherein a moisture resistant barrier layer is completely interposed between the polyimide layers and each metallization line. The moisture resistant barrier retards corrosion of the metallization lines by reaction products formed by the release of water from the polyimide layer by reducing the amount of water which can penetrate to the metallization lines.

Methods of moisture protection in semiconductor devices utilizing

After a metal deposition is patterned using a plasma etch, the metal pattern is sprayed with steam and water. During the spraying the wafer is rotated to ensure proper distribution and removal of the spray. The spray removes chlorine residue from the etch that might otherwise corrode the metal pattern. After the spray, the spin rate is increased to dry the wafer. The net result is a faster and more effective method for chlorine removal from a plasma-etched metal pattern.

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San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Allen Page