Micron Technology Incorporated

Micron Semiconductor, Inc.

Micron Display Technology, Inc.

Micro Technology, Inc.

Guy T Blalock

Gurtej S Sandhu

Kirk D Prall

Kevin G Donohoe

Trung Tri Doan

Fernando N Gonzalez

David S Becker

Hugh E Stroupe

Howard E Rhodes

Bradley J Howard

Werner Juengling

Scott G Meikle

Brian F Gordon

John T Moore

Ravi T Iyer

Lyle D Breiner

Li Li

Max F Hineman

Kei-Yu Ko

Er-Xuan Ping

Vishnu Kumar Agarwal

Graham Richard Wolstenholme

Shenlin Chen

Dale G Fried

James S Foresi

Jean-Francois Viens

Fred L Roe

Sanh D Tang

Scott Jeffrey DeBoer

Whonchee Lee

Chun Chen

Mark E Jost

Lynn J Carroll

Zhaohui Huang

Charles H Dennison

Phillip G Wald

Steven T Harshfield

Jon Daley

Raymond A Turi

Mark D Durcan

Sung C Kim

David L Dickerson

Donwon Park

Sujit Sharan

Pierre C Fazan

Garo Jacques Derderian

Terry L Gilton

Viju K Mathews

Ardavan Niroomand

David J Keller

Harlan H Frankamp

Scott Ludwig

Audrey P Lin

A resonator for thermo optic devices is formed in the same process steps as a waveguide and is formed in a depression of a lower cladding while the waveguide is formed on a surface of the lower cladding. Since upper surfaces of the resonator and waveguide are substantially coplanar, the aspect ratio, as between the waveguide and resonator in an area where the waveguide and resonator front one another, decreases thereby increasing the bandwidth of the resonator. The depression is formed by photomasking and etching the lower cladding before forming the resonator and waveguide. Pluralities of resonators are also taught that are formed in a plurality of depressions of the lower cladding. To decrease resonator bandwidth, waveguide(s) are formed in the depression(s) of the lower cladding while the resonator is formed on the surface. Thermo optic devices formed with these resonators are also taught.

Resonator for thermo optic device

A capacitor structure and method of forming it are described. In particular, a high-K dielectric oxide is provided as the capacitor dielectric. The high-K dielectric is deposited in a series of thin layers and oxidized in a series of oxidation steps, as opposed to a depositing a single thick layer. Further, at least one of the oxidation steps is less aggressive than the oxidation environment or environments that would be used to deposit the single thick layer. This allows greater control over oxidizing the dielectric and other components beyond the dielectric.

Dielectric structures

An atomic layer deposition method includes providing a semiconductor substrate within a deposition chamber. A first metal halide-comprising precursor gas is flowed to the substrate within the chamber effective to form a first monolayer on the substrate. The first monolayer comprises metal and halogen of the metal halide. While flowing the first metal halide-comprising precursor gas to the substrate, His flowed to the substrate within the chamber. A second precursor gas is flowed to the first monolayer effective to react with the first monolayer and form a second monolayer on the substrate. The second monolayer comprises the metal. At least some of the flowing of the first metal halide-comprising precursor gas, at least some of the flowing of the H, and at least some of the flowing of the second precursor gas are repeated effective to form a layer of material comprising the metal on the substrate.

Atomic layer deposition methods

A method and apparatus are used for cleaning and drying a semiconductor wafer. Within a sealable chamber, a wafer having photoresist features thereon is spun while a cleaning fluid is applied to a top surface of the semiconductor wafer to clean off excess photoresist. A rinsing solution is applied to rinse the semiconductor wafer of any remaining impurities. To reduce stresses on the photoresist features caused by surface tension of the rinsing solution as it dries, which stresses may cause toppling of the features, the semiconductor wafer is dried in a vapor ambient within the sealable chamber. The vapor ambient, formed by combining an inert gas with a vaporized surface tension modifying fluid, produces a Marangoni effect to reduce surface tension of the rinsing solution. Optionally, to further reduce surface tension, a surfactant may be introduced into the rinsing solution and the temperature and pressure of the interior of the sealed chamber may be adjusted.

Method and apparatus for surface tension control in advanced photolithography

A waveguide and resonator are formed on a lower cladding of a thermo optic device, each having a formation height that is substantially equal. Thereafter, the formation height of the waveguide is attenuated. In this manner, the aspect ratio as between the waveguide and resonator in an area where the waveguide and resonator front or face one another decreases (in comparison to the prior art) thereby restoring the synchronicity between the waveguide and the grating and allowing higher bandwidth configurations to be used. The waveguide attenuation is achieved by photomasking and etching the waveguide after the resonator and waveguide are formed. In one embodiment the photomasking and etching is performed after deposition of the upper cladding. In another, it is performed before the deposition. Thermo optic devices, thermo optic packages and fiber optic systems having these waveguides are also taught.

Waveguide for thermo optic device

The present teachings relate to a method of forming a container capacitor structure on a substrate. In one embodiment, the method comprises etching a recess in the substrate, depositing a first conductive layer on the substrate so as to overlie the substrate and the recess, depositing a filler layer so as to overlie the first conductive layer and fill the recess, and etching the first and second conductive layers so as to define a lower electrode within the recess. The method further comprises forming a cap layer on the lower electrode so as to overlie the first conductive layer and the filler layer and etching at least a portion of the substrate away from the lower electrode to thereby at least partially isolate the lower electrode. Subsequently, the remainder of the capacitor structure may be formed by depositing a dielectric layer on the lower electrode and depositing a second conductive layer on the dielectric layer so as to form an upper electrode.

Stud capacitor device and fabrication method

A microelectronic substrate and method for removing adjacent conductive and nonconductive materials from a microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment, the microelectronic substrate includes a substrate material (such as borophosphosilicate glass) having an aperture with a conductive material (such as platinum) disposed in the aperture and a fill material (such as phosphosilicate glass) in the aperture adjacent to the conductive material. The fill material can have a hardness of about 0.04 GPa or higher, and a microelectronics structure, such as an electrode, can be disposed in the aperture, for example, after removing the fill material from the aperture. Portions of the conductive and fill material external to the aperture can be removed by chemically-mechanically polishing the fill material, recessing the fill material inwardly from the conductive material, and electrochemically-mechanically polishing the conductive material. The hard fill material can resist penetration by conductive particles, and recessing the fill material can provide for more complete removal of the conductive material external to the aperture.

Method for removing metal layers formed outside an aperture of a BPSG layer utilizing multiple etching processes including electrochemical-mechanical polishing

Machines and systems for removing materials from microfeature workpieces using fixed-abrasive mediums. One embodiment of a method for removing material from a microfeature workpiece comprises rubbing the workpiece against a surface of a fixed-abrasive medium having a matrix and abrasive particles attached to the matrix, and sensing a parameter indicative of frictional force at an interface between the workpiece and the surface of the fixed-abrasive medium. This method continues by moving at least one of the workpiece and the fixed-abrasive medium relative to each other in a direction transverse to the interface based on the parameter. For example, the workpiece and/or the fixed-abrasive medium can be vibrated or oscillated to reduce the frictional force and/or maintain a desired relative velocity between the workpiece and the fixed-abrasive medium.

Apparatus for removing material from microfeature workpieces

Resistive heaters formed in two mask counts on a surface of a grating of a thermo optic device thereby eliminating one mask count from prior art manufacturing methods. The resistive heater is comprised of a heater region and a conductive path region formed together in a first mask count from a relatively high resistance material. A conductor formed from a relatively low resistance material is formed directly on the conductive path region in a second mask count. Thermo optic devices formed by these two mask count methods are also described.

Resistive heater for thermo optic device

Method for forming a microelectronic structure having a conductive material and a fill material with a hardness of 0.04 GPA or higher within an aperture

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Boise, ID, United States of America

Guy T Blalock