Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Drexel University

Glenn Michael Mitchell

Mark Leonard O'Neill

Scott Jeffrey Weigel

Raymond Nicholas Vrtis

Robert Gordon Ridgeway

Andrew David Johnson

Aiping Wu

John Giles Langan

Stephen Andrew Motika

Laura M Matz

Mary Kathryn Haas

Alan R Bandy

A process for selectively etching a material comprising SiOover silicon, the method comprising the steps of: placing a silicon substrate comprising a layer of a material comprising SiOwithin a reactor chamber equipped with an energy source; creating a vacuum within the chamber; introducing into the reactor chamber a reactive gas mixture comprising a fluorine compound, a polymerizable fluorocarbon, and an inert gas, wherein the reactive gas mixture is substantially free of added oxygen; activating the energy source to form a plasma activated reactive etching gas mixture within the chamber; and selectively etching the material comprising SiOpreferentially to the silicon substrate.

Selective etching of silicon dioxide compositions

A method for preparing an interlayer dielectric to minimize damage to the interlayer's dielectric properties, the method comprising the steps of: depositing a layer of a silicon-containing dielectric material onto a substrate, wherein the layer has a first dielectric constant and wherein the layer has at least one surface; providing an etched pattern in the layer by a method that includes at least one etch process and exposure to a wet chemical composition to provide an etched layer, wherein the etched layer has a second dielectric constant, and wherein the wet chemical composition contributes from 0 to 40% of the second dielectric constant; contacting the at least one surface of the layer with a silicon-containing fluid; optionally removing a first portion of the silicon-containing fluid such that a second portion of the silicon-containing fluid remains in contact with the at least one surface of the layer; and exposing the at least one surface of the layer to UV radiation and thermal energy, wherein the layer has a third dielectric constant that is restored to a value that is at least 90% restored relative to the second dielectric constant.

Process for restoring dielectric properties

Negative ion atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometers and selected ion mass spectrometers with aNi ion source and a drift tube for reaction of a sample with electrons from theNi ion source prior to analysis of a sample by mass spectrometry are provided. Also provided are methods for chemically analyzing a sample by negative ion atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry by exposing the sample to electrons from aNi ion source in a drift tube and allowing the sample and electrons to react in the drift tube prior to analysis via mass spectrometry.

Negative ion atmospheric pressure ionization and selected ion mass spectrometry using a 63NI electron source

Growing community of inventors

Sellersville, PA, United States of America

Glenn Michael Mitchell