Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Jeng-Yang Pan

Keng-Chu Lin

Huai-Tei Yang

Su-Yu Yeh

Sheng-Wen Chen

Chien-Feng Lin

Kuan-Cheng Wang

Chin-Te Huang

Chia-Chun Wu

Chen-Yi Huang

Hung-Fa Chen

Wen-Fang Tang

The present disclosure provides a method forming a semiconductor device in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes receiving a substrate having a fin protruding through the substrate, wherein the fin is formed of a first semiconductor material, exposing the substrate in an environment including hydrogen radicals, thereby passivating the protruded fin using the hydrogen radicals, and epitaxially growing a cap layer of a second semiconductor material to cover the protruded fin.

Surface passivation for germanium-based semiconductor structure

A method and system for reducing wafer edge residue following a chemical mechanical polishing operation. A semiconductor wafer can be polished utilizing a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus. Thereafter, an acid etch operation may be performed to remove a residue, such as tungsten (W), collected on the semiconductor wafer as a result of the chemical mechanical polishing operation. A spin etch operation removes residue from the edges of the semiconductor wafer following chemical mechanical polishing of the semiconductor wafer.

Method and system for reducing wafer edge tungsten residue utilizing a spin etch

Semiconductor wafer tray positioning, such as can be used in rapid thermal processing (RTP), rapid thermal annealing (RTA), and other semiconductor fabrication processes, is disclosed. A housing, such as a quartz tube, to receive a wafer tray includes at least four positioning kits. Each positioning kit includes a primary outside edge and an inside edge. The primary outside edge at least substantially corresponds to an interior sidewall of the housing. The inside edge is opposite of the primary outside edge, and has a groove that at least substantially corresponds to a part of a frame of the wafer tray. The groove is receptive to the part of the frame of the wafer tray, to assist maintaining the wafer tray in a stable position when the tray is completely positioned in the housing.

Semiconductor wafer tray positioning

A method for eliminating wafer breakage during a wafer transfer process in a grinding apparatus by a wafer transfer pad and an apparatus for conducting such method are disclosed. In the method, a surface of the vacuum pad, or the wafer transfer pad, that is formed of sintered ceramic is first cleaned by contacting a rotating brush and a spray of cleaning solvent. The invention further discloses an apparatus for eliminating wafer breakage during the wafer transfer process by a vacuum pad by incorporating a pressure regulating valve situated in the vacuum conduit such that a vacuum pressure applied can be regulated at a rate not higher than 30 psi/sec. to the surface of the wafer transfer pad.

Method and apparatus for eliminating wafer breakage during wafer transfer by a vacuum pad

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Jeng-Yang Pan