Fsi International, Inc.

Tel Fsi, Inc.

Tel Manufacturing and Engineering of America, Inc.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jeffery W Butterbaugh

David C Gray

David Scott Becker

Chimaobi W Mbanaso

Robert T Fayfield

Anthony S Ratkovich

Kevin L Siefering

John M Heitzinger

David Dekraker

Richard E Williamson

Fred C Hiatt

Alan Dee Rose

Herbert H Sawin

Brent D Schwab

Christina Ann Rathman

Zhe Zhang

C Fred Hiatt

Yong-Pil Han

Disclosed herein are systems and methods related to a handling system used to move a semiconductor substrate within a process chamber during treatment. The handling system moves the substrate back-and-forth between two locations in an arc-like motion around a pivot point, while simultaneously rotating the substrate around its own center point.

Systems and methods for rotating and translating a substrate in a process chamber

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for treating the surface of a microelectronic substrate, and in particular, relate to an apparatus and method for scanning the microelectronic substrate through a cryogenic fluid mixture used to treat an exposed surface of the microelectronic substrate. The fluid mixture may be expanded through a nozzle to form an aerosol spray or gas cluster jet (GCJ) spray and may impinge the microelectronic substrate and remove particles from the microelectronic substrate's surface. In one embodiment, a two-stage gas nozzle may be used to expand a fluid mixture with a liquid phase concentration of greater than 10% by weight.

Systems and methods for treating substrates with cryogenic fluid mixtures

Techniques herein pertain to apparatus embodiments and methods for treating the surface of a microelectronic substrate, and in particular for removing objects from the microelectronic substrate using fluid treatment sprays such as cryogenic fluid sprays. The apparatus embodiments and methods described herein further include techniques for monitoring and/or controlling treatment processes for removing particles from surfaces of a microelectronic substrate. The techniques allow using image analysis techniques to monitor characteristics of spray nozzle(s) (e.g., frost formation on the nozzle surface) and using the resultant image information of the nozzle to take corrective action if frost or another nozzle condition is detected.

System and method for monitoring treatment of microelectronic substrates with fluid sprays such as cryogenic fluid sprays

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for treating the surface of a microelectronic substrate, using a cryogenic fluid mixture used to treat an exposed surface of the microelectronic substrate. The fluid mixture may be expanded through a nozzle to form an aerosol spray or gas cluster jet (GCJ) spray may impinge the microelectronic substrate and remove particles from the microelectronic substrate's surface. The system may include a two-stage gas nozzle that expands the high pressure incoming gas within two inline expansion chambers. However, in other embodiments, the system may include a single stage nozzle design with one expansion component.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for treating the surface of a microelectronic substrate, and in particular, relate to an apparatus and method for scanning the microelectronic substrate through a cryogenic fluid mixture used to treat an exposed surface of the microelectronic substrate. The fluid mixture may be expanded through a nozzle to form an aerosol spray or gas cluster jet (GCJ) spray may impinge the microelectronic substrate and remove particles from the microelectronic substrate's surface. In one embodiment, the fluid mixture may be maintained to prevent liquid formation within the fluid mixture prior to passing the fluid mixture through the nozzle. The fluid mixture may include nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, xenon, krypton, carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for treating the surface of a microelectronic substrate, using a cryogenic fluid mixture used to treat an exposed surface of the microelectronic substrate. The fluid mixture may be expanded through a nozzle to form an aerosol spray or gas cluster jet (GCJ) spray may impinge the microelectronic substrate and remove particles from the microelectronic substrate's surface. The fluid mixture may include nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, xenon, krypton, carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof. The incoming fluid mixture may be maintained pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and at a temperature greater than the condensation temperature of the fluid mixture. The fluid mixture may be expanded into the treatment chamber to form an aerosol or gas cluster spray. In this embodiment, the nozzle may be positioned within 50 mm of the microelectronic substrate during the treatment, more preferably within 10 mm of the microelectronic substrate.

A method for selectively removing silicon nitride is described. In particular, the method includes providing a substrate having a surface with silicon nitride exposed on at least one portion of the surface and SiGe(x is greater than or equal to zero) exposed on at least another portion of the surface, and dispensing an oxidizing agent onto the surface of the substrate to oxidize the exposed SiGe. Thereafter, the method includes dispensing a silicon nitride etching agent as a liquid stream onto the surface of the substrate to remove at least a portion of the silicon nitride.

[object Object]

A method of selectively removing silicon nitride from a substrate comprises providing a substrate having silicon nitride on a surface thereof; and dispensing phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid onto the surface of the substrate as a mixed acid liquid stream at a temperature greater than about 150&#xb0; C. In this method, water is added to a liquid solution of the mixed acid liquid stream as or after the liquid solution of the mixed acid liquid stream passes through a nozzle.

Process for selectively removing nitride from substrates

A method of treating a substrate comprises, in one aspect, placing a substrate having material on a surface thereof in a treatment chamber; directing a stream of a liquid treatment composition to impinge the substrate surface; and directing a stream of water vapor to impinge the substrate surface and/or to impinge the liquid treatment composition. A preferred aspect of this invention is the removal of materials, and preferably photoresist, from a substrate, wherein the treatment composition is a liquid sulfuric acid composition comprising sulfuric acid and/or its desiccating species and precursors.

Process for treatment of substrates with water vapor or steam

A method of treating a substrate comprises, in one aspect, placing a substrate having material on a surface thereof in a treatment chamber; directing a stream of a liquid treatment composition to impinge the substrate surface; and directing a stream of water vapor to impinge the substrate surface and/or to impinge the liquid treatment composition. A preferred aspect of this invention is the removal of materials, and preferably photoresist, from a substrate, wherein the treatment composition is a liquid sulfuric acid composition comprising sulfuric acid and/or its desiccating species and precursors. In another aspect, a liquid sulfuric acid composition comprising sulfuric acid and/or its desiccating species and precursors are dispensed onto a portion of the substrate surface that is less than the entire surface of the substrate in an amount effective to treat the portion of the substrate surface, and the liquid sulfuric acid composition is exposed to water vapor in an amount effective to increase the temperature of the liquid sulfuric acid composition above the temperature of the liquid sulfuric acid composition prior to exposure to the water vapor. The substrate may be enveloped with a water vapor and/or a optionally nitrogen gas environment during the treatment steps.

Apparatus and process for conditioning a generally planar substrate, contained in a chamber isolatable from the ambient environment and fed with a conditioning gas which includes reactive gas. The apparatus includes a support for supporting the substrate in the chamber, the substrate being in a lower pressure reaction region of the chamber. A gas inlet is provided for feeding conditioning gas into a gas inlet region of the chamber which is at a higher pressure than the lower pressure reaction region so that the pressure differential causes the conditioning gas to flow toward the surface of the substrate wherein the conditioning gas component will chemically react with and condition the substrate surface, both said higher and lower pressure regions operating in a viscous flow regime. The substrate is supported such that a pressure bias is created across the surface of this substrate so that the gas, after it has chemically reacted with the substrate surface, flows outward from where it has reacted, off the substrate toward the periphery of the chamber and out a peripheral or central underside exhaust outlet. Gas feed may be provided to one or both sides the substrate and light activation of the substrate or conditioning gas may be provided on one or both sides.

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Jeffery W Butterbaugh