Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Motorola Corporation

James Derek Legg

Matthew Thomas Herrick

Cindy Reidsema Simpson

Gregory S Etherington

Mehul D Shroff

Ruiqi Tian

Terry Alan Breeden

David M Schraub

A semiconductor process and apparatus to provide a way to reduce plasma-induced damage by applying a patterned layer of photoresist which includes resist openings formed over the active circuit areas as well as additional resist openings formed over inactive areas in order to maintain the threshold coverage level to control the amount of resist coverage over a semiconductor structure so that the total amount of resist coverage is at or below a threshold coverage level. Where additional resist openings are required in order to maintain the threshold coverage level, these openings may be used to create additional charge dissipation structures for use in manufacturing the final structure.

Method for reducing plasma discharge damage during processing

A semiconductor process and apparatus to provide a way to reduce plasma-induced damage by applying a patterned layer of photoresist () which includes resist openings formed () over the active circuit areas () as well as additional resist openings () formed over inactive areas () in order to maintain the threshold coverage level to control the amount of resist coverage over a semiconductor structure so that the total amount of resist coverage is at or below a threshold coverage level. Where additional resist openings () are required in order to maintain the threshold coverage level, these openings may be used to create additional charge dissipation structures (e.g.,) for use in manufacturing the final structure.

An electroplating system () and process makes electrical current density across a semiconductor device substrate () surface more uniform during plating to allow for a more uniform or tailored deposition of a conductive material. The electrical current density modifiers (and) reduce the electrical current density near the edge of the substrate (). By reducing the current density near the edge of the substrate (), the plating becomes more uniform or can be tailored so that slightly more material is plated near the center of the substrate (). The system can also be modified so that the material that plates on electrical current density modifier portions () of structures () can be removed without having to disassemble any portion of the head () or otherwise remove the structures () from the system. This in-situ cleaning reduces the amount of equipment downtime, increases equipment lifetime, and reduces particle counts.

Process for depositing a layer of material on a substrate

An electroplating system ( ) and process makes electrical current density across, a semiconductor device substrate ( ) surface more uniform during plating to allow for a more uniform or tailored deposition of a conductive material. The electrical current density modifiers ( and ) reduce the electrical current density near the edge of the substrate ( ). By reducing the current density near the edge of the substrate ( ), the plating becomes more uniform or can be tailored so that slightly more material is plated near the center of the substrate ( ). The system can also be modified so that the material that electrical current density modifier portions ( ) on structures ( ) can be removed without having to disassemble any portion of the head ( ) or otherwise remove the structures ( ) from the system. This in-situ cleaning reduces the amount of equipment downtime, increases equipment lifetime, and reduces particle counts.

An electroplating system (,) and process makes electrical current density across a semiconductor device substrate (,) surface more uniform during plating to allow for a more uniform or tailored deposition of a conductive material. The electrical current density modifiers (,and,) reduce the electrical current density near the edge of the substrate (,). By reducing the current density near the edge of the substrate (,), the plating becomes more uniform or can be tailored so that slightly more material is plated near the center of the substrate (,). The system can also be modified so that the material that electrical current density modifier portions (,) on structures (,) can be removed without having to disassemble any portion of the head (,) or otherwise remove the structures (,) from the system. This in-situ cleaning reduces the amount of equipment downtime, increases equipment lifetime, and reduces particle counts.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

James Derek Legg