Applied Materials, Inc.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.

Deven Raj Mittal

Jun Seok Lee

Timothy J Miller

Rajesh Prasad

Kyuha Shim

Il-Woong Koo

Cuiyang Wang

Peter G Ryan, Jr

Martin Jay Seamons

Nicholas P T Bateman

Vikram M Bhosle

Nobuyuki Sasaki

Helen L Maynard

Edwin A Arevalo

Somchintana Norasetthekul

Qi Gao

Tzu-Yu Liu

Shan Tang

Hiro Ito

Lauren Liaw

Takaski Shimizu

Ryuichi Muira

A method may include providing a substrate having, on a first surface of the substrate, a low dielectric constant layer characterized by a layer thickness. The method may include heating the substrate to a substrate temperature in a range of 200&#xb0; C. to 550&#xb0; C.; and directing an ion implant treatment to the low dielectric constant layer, while the substrate temperature is in the range of 200&#xb0; C. to 550&#xb0; C. As such, the ion implant treatment may include implanting a low weight ion species, at an ion energy generating an implant depth equal to 40% to 175% of the layer thickness.

Techniques for improved low dielectric constant film processing

A method of processing and passivating an implanted workpiece is disclosed, wherein, after passivation, the fugitive emissions of the workpiece are reduced to acceptably low levels. This may be especially beneficial when phosphorus, arsine, germane or another toxic species is the dopant being implanted into the workpiece. In one embodiment, a sputtering process is performed after the implantation process. This sputtering process is used to sputter the dopant at the surface of the workpiece, effectively lowering the dopant concentration at the top surface of the workpiece. In another embodiment, a chemical etching process is performed to lower the dopant concentration at the top surface. After this sputtering or chemical etching process, a traditional passivation process can be performed.

Phosphorus fugitive emission control

An apparatus and method of processing a workpiece is disclosed, where a sacrificial capping layer is created on a top surface of a workpiece. That workpiece is then exposed to an ion implantation process, where select species are used to passivate the workpiece. While the implant process is ongoing, radicals and excited species etch the sacrificial capping layer. This reduces the amount of etching that the workpiece experiences. In certain embodiments, the thickness of the sacrificial capping layer is selected based on the total time used for the implant process and the etch rate. The total time used for the implant process may be a function of desired dose, bias voltage, plasma power and other parameters. In some embodiments, the sacrificial capping layer is applied prior to the implant process. In other embodiments, material is added to the sacrificial capping layer during the implant process.

Sacrificial capping layer for passivation using plasma-based implant process

A method may include depositing a mask layer on a substrate using physical vapor deposition, wherein an absolute value of a stress in the mask layer has a first value; and directing a dose of ions into the mask layer, wherein the absolute value of the stress in the mask layer has a second value, less than the first value, after the directing the dose.

Techniques for forming low stress mask using implantation

A method of conformally doping a device on a semiconductor workpiece is disclosed. An oxide layer is applied to all surfaces of the device. Further, the thickness of the oxide layer on each surface is proportional to the energy that ions impact that particular surface. For example, ions strike the horizontal surfaces at nearly a normal angle and penetrate more deeply into the workpiece than ions striking the vertical surfaces. After creating an oxide layer that has a variable thickness, a subsequent dopant implant is performed. While ions strike the horizontal surfaces with more energy, these ions pass through a thicker oxide layer to penetrate the workpiece. In contrast, ions strike the vertical surfaces with less energy, but traverse a much thinner oxide layer to penetrate the workpiece. The result is a conformally doped device.

Self-compensating oxide layer

Growing community of inventors

Middleton, MA, United States of America

Deven Raj Mittal