International Business Machines Corporation

Georg Kraus

Johann Greschner

Thomas Bayer

Johann W Bartha

Holger Hinkel

Gerhard E Schmid

Olaf Wolter

Rolf Schaefer

Helga Weiss

Gerhard Kaus

Ulrich Kuenzel

Jurgen Kempf

Ulrich Kunzel

Frank Druschke

Albert Frosch

Robert Junginger

Wolf D Ruh

Erhard Max

Ulrich Ku/ Nzel

Christine Brandeis

Michael Glatzel

Annelie Monnich

Gisela Renz

Reinhold Muehl

A method is provided for producing deep substantially vertical structures in silicon substrates, wherein in a first step, the silicon substrate is anisotropically plasma etched to a first predetermined depth, thereby creating a first structure. Subsequently, the surface of the substrate is covered conformally with an etch-resistant coating, and the horizontal parts of said coating are selectively removed. Following this removal, the substrate is anisotropically plasma etched at low temperatures to a second predetermined depth with a mixture of SF.sub.6 /O.sub.2, whereby a second structure is created. Finally, the vertical parts of the coating are removed.

Method for producing deep vertical structures in silicon substrates

The present invention relates to a process for fabricating silicon carbide films and membranes with a predetermined stress via control of the deposition parameters which comprises the following steps:

Process for fabricating silicon carbide films with a predetermined stress

A micromechanical sensor is described for the AFM/STM profilometry, incorporating a cantilever beam with at least one tip at its end and a mounting block at the opposite end. A method is described incorporating the steps of coating a wafer substrate with an insulating layer, forming a mask in the insulating layer, etching a trench in the wafer substrate, removing the insulating layer, coating the desired cantilever beam and tip material, respectively, etching the cantilever beam and tip material, and removing at least a portion of the supporting wafer material from the bottom side. The invention overcomes the problem of forming a micromechanical sensor having a cantilever beam, a tip with a predetermined shape and a mounting block.

Method of producing micromechanical sensors for the AFM/STM profilometry

A method and apparatus is described for a micromechanical sensor for the AFM/STM profilometry, which consist of a cantilever beam with a tip at its end and a mounting block at the opposite end. The method incorporated the steps of coating a wafer substrate; producing a mask for the desired cantilever beam pattern on the top side of the wafer; and a mask on the bottom side of the wafer; planarizing said cantilever beam pattern with photoresist; producing a mask for the desired tip in the area of the cantilever beam pattern producing the desired tip using an etching step, and simultaneously transferring the cantilever beam pattern from the upper to the lower part of the layer; and removing the supporting wafer material by etching through the bottom side mask. A mask for the desired cantilever beam pattern and the tip pattern contains all relevant information for a subsequent substrate etching process is described for etching step by step into a silicon substrate.

The apparatus comprises a plasma deposition chamber having a port through which a fluoro compound etch gas is introduced into the chamber and a port through which the chamber is evacuated, refractory metal cathode configuration within the chamber, an anode within the chamber, and energy impression means for ionizing the etch gas in the chamber, whereby the etch gas reacts with the refractory metal cathode configuration to convert the metal to gaseous refractory metal fluorides which decompose to form a deposited layer on a semiconductor substrate positioned on the anode.

PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) method for depositing

The invention comprises a PECVD method for the deposition of refractory metal layers or layers containing refractory metal by the in situ formation of refractory metal fluorides. For this purpose, an etch gas, such as CF.sub.4, NF.sub.3, SF.sub.6 etc., is introduced into a plasma deposition chamber which comprises a cathode, with a refractory metal sheet electrically connected thereto, and an anode carrying wafers. In a preferred example, CF.sub.6 is introduced into the chamber and, via a gas shower, into a cathode region. After ignition of a plasma, the ionized etch gas acts on a tungsten sheet, generating WF.sub.x ions that diffuse towards a target with wafers. The WF.sub.x ions thus produced are suitable for the deposition of a tungsten layer or a layer containing tungsten on silicon wafers.

The magnetic disc comprises a magnetizable layer (1) to which an adhesion promoting layer (4) and thereto a lubricant film (5) are applied. Onto the substrate of the magnetic head (2) an adhesion reducing layer (9) is deposited. The apparatus can also show only one adhesion-influencing layer. The layers (4) and (9) are formed by the reaction of a sililating agent with reactive groups on the surface of the magnetizable layer (1), or of the substrate of the magnetic head (2), respectively. The sililating agents used differ in their terminal groups of which one category produce van der Waals bonds to the lubricant molecules, and the other is chemically indifferent relative to the lubricant molecules. The two layers (4) and (9) are made e.g. by the spin-coating of a solution of the sililating agent, and subsequent drying. The apparatus ensures a homogeneous coating of the magnetizable layer (1) with lubricant, and it prevents the pick-up of lubricant by the substrate of the magnetic head (2).

Apparatus comprising a lubricant-coated magnetic disc and a magnetic

A method and apparatus for the selective deposition of metal layers on a substrate. At least one metal layer is deposited in a self-aligned manner on conductive regions on the surface of isolating or semiconductive substrates, for which purpose the conductive regions are arranged facing a metal plate having at least one layer of the metal to be deposited, and Tesla currents are generated between the metal plate and the regions to be coated. The apparatus for implementing the method includes a metal plate, a Tesla transformer which is coupled to the metal plate or to a metal grid, spaced apart from the surface of the metal plate away from the conductive regions, having closely adjacent and regularly distributed spikes pointing towards the metal. This method may be used, for example, to produce conductors on or in ceramic modules, circuit cards and semiconductor elements.

Method and apparatus for the selective, self-aligned deposition of metal

According to this method, copper is dry etched in a glow discharge containing compounds with at least one methyl or methylene group, particularly at temperatures close to room temperature. The method is applied in particular for making conductors on or in module substrates or circuit cards, solder spots, and the wiring of magnetic thin films.

Method of dry copper etching and its implementation

A plasma reactor comprises a reaction chamber having two plate-shaped electrodes arranged parallel to and above each other, whereby the substrates are supported on the lower electrode and this electrode is additionally provided with a center opening (5) through which gas is fed into the electrode space or which is evacuated from it, and where (a) the upper electrode is connected to a high frequency AC or RF voltage and (b) which has no electrode material in the regions opposite the substrates and (c) where their position and shape are determined by the substrates on the lower electrode, causing the electric field in the electrode space to be selectively weakened at at least above the substrates.

Plasma reactor for etching and coating substrates

A reactor comprising a plate-shaped cathode that is horizontally arranged and connected to an alternating voltage, in a ground connected casing, and gas inlet and gas outlet lines. The cathode is equipped with means for generating local magnetic fields restricted to the region of the individually supported substrates. The cathode can be furthermore have holes or openings in which are arranged substrate holders shiftable or movable vertically to relate to the substrate surface. The substrates are etched in the reactor by means of a plasma which is produced from at least one reactive gas. Each substrate is exposed to at least one local magnetic field. If a mostly chemically etchable material is to be etched in the presence of a mostly physically etchable material, to a much stronger extent than the latter, the advantageous etching speed ratio can be set in that the substrates are additionally raised over the cathode surface.

Reactor for reactive ion etching and etching method

The substrate 1 for magnetic disks takes the form of a laminate made up of a plurality of individual thin, fiber-reinforced, anisotropic and unidirectional lamellae. These lamellae are arranged staggered on top of each other at few angular spacings, i.e., at great angles of up to 60.degree., and are finally pressed together. The outer layers and lamellae, respectively, may be reinforced by stronger fibers or other material, such as carbon fibers outside and glass fibers inside, to influence the flexural modulus and the shearing modulus independently of each other. This makes for a substrate which consists of anisotropic material, whose characteristics are essentially isotropic, which is lighter than previously used substrates, and which has a higher critical number of revolutions.

Magnetic disk substrate of fiber-reinforced plastic

A structure for shaping or masking energetic radiation is described. The structure comprises a shallow silicon body having at least one through opening, and a metal silicide layer covering the surface of the structure. The structure characterized by having a high mechanical, and thermal stability may be used particularly in electron and X-ray lithography. More specifically, the structure may be used as an aperture for electron beams, or as a mask for X-rays. The production of the structure includes the steps of making through openings in the silicon body, and the forming of the silicide layer by vapor depositing a metal on the surface of the silicon body and by subsequent annealing.

Structure with a silicon body having through openings

Disclosed is a simplified method of producing semiconductor device structures in an integrated technology using at least one ion implantation step. Implantation of the doping ions into a silicon wafer, for example, for producing a subcollector or an emitter, is not effected, as previously, in an ultra-high vacuum atmosphere through a thin protective layer of silicon dioxide which is applied by a separate thermal oxidation step prior to implantation, but the doping ions are directly implanted into the bare silicon wafer. The latter implantation is effected in an atmosphere of increased partial pressure of oxygen. Enhanced diffusion of the oxygen adsorbed at the surface occurs into the vacancies which are generated by the implanted doping ions close the surface of the silicon wafer. In this manner a silicon dioxide protective layer is formed already in the initial stage of ion implantation. As a result one process step can be saved, namely, the production of the protective layer by thermal oxidation prior to ion implantation.

Method of making semiconductor device structures by means of ion

A direct heated rod-shaped cathode for an ion source is provided with a region of reduced cross-section adjacent its negative end to maximize the path length of electron movement within the discharge chamber and to provide effective control of the cathode resistance in a region that is relatively free of sputtering erosion during use.

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Wildberg, Germany

Georg Kraus