Vlsi Technology, Inc.

David E Henderson

Calvin T Gabriel

Milind Ganesh Weling

Ian Robert Harvey

Charles Franklin Drill

Richard D Russ

Daniel M Thomas

Forest P Kreiss

Ronney L White

A complementary conditioning system for use in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). The present invention functions with a CMP machine adapted for polishing a semiconductor wafer having tungsten components fabricated thereon. A polishing pad is mounted on the CMP machine. The polishing pad has a polishing surface configured for polishing the semiconductor wafer and its tungsten components. The performance of the polishing surface is characterized by a polishing efficiency. A complementary end-effector is mounted on the CMP machine. The complementary end-effector is adapted to chemically complement the tungsten components on the semiconductor wafer. The complementary end-effector is further adapted to contact the polishing surface and improve the polishing efficiency by chemically enhancing the polishing surface, thereby obtaining a more efficient removal rate for the chemical mechanical polishing.

Complementary material conditioning system for a chemical mechanical

A plasma confinement ring comprising a first generally planar surface; a second generally planar surface; an aperture extending between the first and second surfaces, the aperture including an annular surface, and a curved surface extending between the annular surface and the first planar surface. A method of manufacturing a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising providing a reactor chamber and an electrostatic chuck in the reactor chamber for supporting a semiconductor wafer; providing a plasma confinement ring having first and second opposite surfaces, an aperture extending between the first and second opposite surfaces, the aperture being defined by an annular surface, an annular corner being defined at the intersection of the annular surface and the first surface; enhancing adhesion of condensed polymer byproducts by rounding the annular corner to provide a gradual transition from the annular surface to the first surface and roughening the rounded corner to increase surface area; and supporting the ring in the chamber.

Polymer adhesive plasma confinement ring

The present invention provides connections and methods of restricting an opening. One connection according to the subject invention is configured to restrict a mouth of a container, the mouth having an inner surface having an inside diameter and an outer surface having an outside diameter, the connection includes: a plug having a side surface of varying dimension and configured to engage the inner surface to form a seal of the side surface of the plug and the inner surface; at least one intermediate member having a first end borne by the plug and a second end distally spaced from the first end; and a securing member configured to engage the outer surface of the container and the second end of the intermediate member, the intermediate member being configured to couple the plug and the securing member and maintain the seal of the side surface of the plug with the inner surface of the container.

Connections and methods of restricting an opening

A vacuum seal for a ball junction between a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chamber and a vacuum system. In one implementation, the LPCVD chamber is a quartz tube used for deposition of certain chemicals onto and into semiconductor substrates placed therein. The ball junction is formed by the combination of a ball socket coupled at the neck of the LPCVD chamber and a metal ball cover coupled to the vacuum system. In one implementation, the metal ball cover is stainless steel. In lieu of using an elastomer O-ring that can denature under certain temperature ranges, the novel vacuum seal contains a series of annular channels cut into the inside surface of a ball cover. When the ball socket is inserted into the metal ball cover, the channels are bounded by metal on three sides and by the outside surface of the ball socket on the fourth side. Each channel contains a hole coupled to a second vacuum system. The channels are evacuated by the second vacuum system such that the outside surface of the ball socket seals with the inside surface of the metal cover. This vacuum seal is sufficient to contain a rough vacuum (e,g., 760 Torr to 1 m Toro required during LPCVD. Since the O-ring is eliminated, there is no need to temperate regulate the novel ball junction to prevent the O-ring from denaturing and temperatures can be maintained at the ball junction to prevent unwanted sublimation from chamber chemicals (e.g., ammonium chloride).

Vacuum seal for a ball junction

A rotatable flange union for use with vacuum systems includes a first flange, a second flange and a connector which connects the first flange to the second flange and allows the first flange to rotate 360 degrees with respect to the second flange. In the preferred embodiment, tubing of the first flange is placed within tubing of the second flange. Additionally, the connector includes a first quad ring seal, a second quad ring seal, and a cavity in the second flange. The first quad ring seal is in contact with an inner diameter of the second flange and is in contact with an outer diameter of the first flange. The second quad ring seal is in contact with the inner diameter of the second flange and is in contact with the outer diameter of the first flange. The cavity is between the first quad ring seal and the second quad ring seal. The cavity is pumped to a pressure of less than ten millitorr.

Rotatable flange union for use with vacuum systems

An improved shielding assembly is provided for a sputter source which has an anode and cathode target-ring assembly mounted to a cylindrical mounting structure. A cooling assembly for the anode and cathode target-ring assembly is mounted to the distal end of the cylindrical mounting structure. A baffle shield member has an outer flat ring-shaped mounting base-portion which overlies the cooling assembly and from which a baffle portion inwardly extends toward the anode and cathode target-ring assembly. A shield member comprises an annular ring base portion, which is mounted over the outer flat ring-shaped mounting base-portion of the baffle shield member and from which an inner lip portion extends inwardly. The inner lip portion has a rounded contour to provide a smooth base for deposition of a smooth layer of sputtered material on said lip portion. The shield member includes a cylindrical sleeve portion, which is fixed to the annular ring base portion and which extends over the exterior wall of the cylindrical mounting structure to provide shielding of the exterior wall of the cylindrical mounting structure.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

David E Henderson