Motorola Corporation

Other

Iraj Eric Shahvandi

Leroy Grant

Karl Emerson Mautz

Robert W Fiordalice

Larry E Frisa

Ralf Zedlitz

Terry Alan Breeden

Carol M Gelatos

Grant McEwan

Michael Thomas Tucker

Scott S Kellogg

Olivier Gerard Marc Vatel

Michael N Montgomery

A method for removing particles from a semiconductor processing tool is provided. The method comprises providing a pick-up wafer for picking up particles from a semiconductor processing tool, inserting said pick-up wafer into said semiconductor processing tool and placing the pick-up wafer on a receiving member, applying an electrostatic charge to said pick-up wafer, leaving said pick-up wafer in said semiconductor processing tool for a predetermined dwell time; and removing said pick-up wafer from said semiconductor processing tool. Further, a method for processing semiconductor wafers is provided.

Method for removing particles from a semiconductor processing tool

In a CVD chamber ( ) having a chuck ( ) to hold a semiconductor substrate ( ) and having a plasma generator ( ) to generate a plasma ( ), a trench in the substrate is filled with dielectric material from ions ( ) of the plasma. The ions are forced to move in a direction ( ) that is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate by a pulsed unidirectional voltage between the plasma generator and the substrate, by a circular magnetic field, or by a combination of both fields.

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to fill a trench in a semiconductor substrate

A process for fabricating a semiconductor device is enhanced by providing a plasma etching process in which exposed metal surfaces within a plasma etching chamber (24) are protected by a ceramic layer (46). In the plasma etching process, a substrate (10) is placed on a platen (26) located within a plasma etching apparatus (22). A clamping device (40) secures the perimeter of the substrate (10) to the platen (26). The clamping device (40) includes a ceramic layer (46) overlying a metal base (44). When a plasma is ignited within the etching chamber (24), the ceramic layer (46) prevents physical contact of the plasma and the metal base (44) of the clamping device (40).

Plasma etching process

A metal deposition process in which a high-purity metal film (46) is sputter deposited within a sputtering system (10) having insitu passivated metal components. A sputtering target (14) is provided having a thin aluminum coating (44) overlying a refractory metal layer (42). During operation, the aluminum coating (44) is sputtered away from the target (14) and onto exposed metal surfaces within the vacuum chamber (20) of the sputter deposition system (10). Subsequently, a semiconductor substrate (38) is placed in the sputter deposition system (10) and a high-purity metal film (46) is deposited onto the semiconductor substrate (38). Because the insitu passivation process avoid the oxidation of the passivating aluminum, refractory metal sputtered away from the target (14) adheres to the passivating aluminum layer, and does not re-deposit onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate (38) during the sputter deposition process.

Process for forming a sputter deposited metal film

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Round Rock, TX, United States of America

Iraj Eric Shahvandi