Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.

Other

Entegris, Inc.

Mst Technology Gmbh

Frank DiMeo, Jr

Thomas H Baum

Jeffrey W Neuner

Philip S H Chen

Ing-Shin Barry Chen

James J Welch

Jeffrey F Roeder

Robert E Kaim

James A Dietz

Mackenzie E King

Steven E Bishop

Peter C Van Buskirk

James V McManus

Michael J Wodjenski

Steven M Lurcott

Michele Stawasz

Jose I Arno

W Karl Olander

Peter S Kirlin

J Donald Carruthers

Brian Bobita

Bryan Clark Hendrix

Joseph D Sweeney

Steven M Bilodeau

Oleg Byl

Sharad N Yedave

Gautam Bhandari

Gregory T Stauf

Paul J Marganski

David James Eldridge

Michele Stawacz

Phillip Chen

Peter C Kirlin

A monitoring system for monitoring fluid in a fluid supply vessel during operation including dispensing of fluid from the fluid supply vessel. The monitoring system includes (i) one or more sensors for monitoring a characteristic of the fluid supply vessel or the fluid dispensed therefrom, (ii) a data acquisition module operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to receive monitoring data therefrom and responsively generate an output correlative to the characteristic monitored by the one or more sensors, and (iii) a processor and display operatively coupled with the data acquisition module and arranged to process the output from the data acquisition module and responsively output a graphical representation of fluid in the fluid supply vessel, billing documents, usage reports, and/or resupply requests.

Fluid storage and dispensing system including dynamic fluid monitoring of fluid storage and dispensing vessel

A method and apparatus for cleaning residue from components of semiconductor processing systems used in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. To effectively remove residue, the components are contacted with a gas-phase reactive material for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to at least partially remove the residue. When the residue and the material from which the components are constructed are different, the gas-phase reactive material is selectively reactive with the residue and minimally reactive with the materials from which the components of the ion implanter are constructed. When the residue and the material from which the components are constructed is the same, then the gas-phase reactive material may be reactive with both the residue and the component part. Particularly preferred gas-phase reactive materials utilized comprise gaseous compounds such as XeF, XeF, XeF, NF, IF, IF, SF, CF, F, CF, KrF, Cl, HCl, ClF, ClO, NF, NF, NF, NFH, NHF, HOBr, Br, CF, CF, CF, CHF, CHF, CHF, COF, HF, CHF, CHF, CHF, CHF, CHF, CF, and organochlorides such as COCl, CCl, CHCl, CHCland CHCl.

Cleaning of semiconductor processing systems

An adsorbent having porosity expanded by contact with a first agent effecting such expansion and a pressurized second agent effecting transport of the first agent into the porosity, wherein the adsorbent subsequent to removal of the first and second agents retains expanded porosity. The adsorbent can be made by an associated method in which materials such as water, ethers, alcohols, organic solvent media, or inorganic solvent media can be utilized as the first agent for swelling of the porosity, and helium, argon, krypton, xenon, neon, or other inert gases can be employed as the pressurized second agent for transport of both agents into the porosity of the adsorbent, subsequent to which the agents can be removed to yield an adsorbent of increased capacity for sorbable fluids, e.g., organometallic compounds, hydrides, halides and acid gases. Also described is a nanoporous carbon composite having porosity that is at least partially filled with material imparting to the composite an enhanced character with respect to characteristics selected from the group consisting of hardness, wear-resistance and toughness, as compared with the nanoporous carbon alone.

Nanoporous articles and methods of making same

A gas detector and process for detecting a fluorine-containing species in a gas containing same, e.g., an effluent of a semiconductor processing tool undergoing etch cleaning with HF, NF, etc. The detector in a preferred structural arrangement employs a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based device structure and/or a free-standing metal element that functions as a sensing component and optionally as a heat source when elevated temperature sensing is required. The free-standing metal element can be fabricated directly onto a standard chip carrier/device package so that the package becomes a platform of the detector.

Apparatus and process for sensing fluoro species in semiconductor processing systems

A monitoring system () for monitoring fluid in a fluid supply vessel () during operation including dispensing of fluid from the fluid supply vessel. The monitoring system includes (i) one or more sensors () for monitoring a characteristic of the fluid supply vessel or the fluid dispensed therefrom, (ii) a data acquisition module () operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to receive monitoring data therefrom and responsively generate an output correlative to the characteristic monitored by the one or more sensors, and (iii) a processor () and display () operatively coupled with the data acquisition module and arranged to process the output from the data acquisition module and responsively output a graphical representation of fluid in the fluid supply vessel, billing documents, usage reports, and/or resupply requests.

A method and apparatus for cleaning residue from components of an ion source region of an ion implanter used in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. To effectively remove residue, the components are contacted with a gas-phase reactive halide composition for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to at least partially remove the residue. The gas-phase reactive halide composition is chosen to react selectively with the residue, while not reacting with the components of the ion source region or the vacuum chamber.

Methods for cleaning ion implanter components

A sensor with an attenuated drift characteristic, including a layer structure in which a sensing layer has a layer of diffusional barrier material on at least one of its faces. The sensor may for example be constituted as a hydrogen gas sensor including a palladium/yttrium layer structure formed on a micro-hotplate base, with a chromium barrier layer between the yttrium layer and the micro-hotplate, and with a tantalum barrier layer between the yttrium layer and an overlying palladium protective layer. The gas sensor is useful for detection of a target gas in environments susceptible to generation or incursion of such gas, and achieves substantial (e.g., &#x3e;90%) reduction of signal drift from the gas sensor in extended operation, relative to a corresponding gas sensor lacking the diffusional barrier structure of the invention.

Gas sensor with attenuated drift characteristic

A (MEMS)-based gas sensor assembly for detecting a fluorine-containing species in a gas containing same, e.g., an effluent of a semiconductor processing tool undergoing etch cleaning with HF, NF, etc. Such gas sensor assembly in a preferred embodiment comprises a free-standing silicon carbide support structure having a layer of a gas sensing material, preferably nickel or nickel alloy, coated thereon. Such gas sensor assembly is preferably fabricated by micro-molding techniques employing sacrificial molds that are subsequently removable for forming structure layers.

Nickel-coated free-standing silicon carbide structure for sensing fluoro or halogen species in semiconductor processing systems, and processes of making and using same

A gas detector for detecting a fluoro gas species in a gaseous environment containing same, e.g., an effluent from a semiconductor processing tool that employs corrosive fluoro species such as HF, NF, etc. for etch cleaning. The gas detector preferably employs an elongated nickel-containing gas sensor element that can be vertically mounted on a fluoro-resistant support structure. Since the nickel-containing gas sensor element is sensitive to the fluoro species and is also electrically conductive, it can function both as a sensing component and a heat source when elevated temperature sensing is required. Vertical mounting of such elongated gas sensor element on the support structure significantly improves the signal strength, reduces the response time, minimizes the footprint of the gas detector, and provides structural flexibility for accommodating thermal expansion/contraction of the elongated gas sensor element.

Apparatus and process for sensing target gas species in semiconductor processing systems

A hydrogen gas detector for detection of hydrogen gas in a gaseous environment. The detector comprises a light/heat source, an optical detector, and an optical barrier between the source and detector. The optical barrier responds to the presence of hydrogen by responsively changing from a first optical state to a different second optical state, whereby transmission of light from the light/heat source through the optical barrier is altered by the presence of hydrogen and the altered transmission is sensed by the optical detector to provide an indication of the presence of hydrogen gas in the gaseous environment.

Optical hydrogen detector

Growing community of inventors

Danbury, CT, United States of America

Frank DiMeo, Jr