Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Novellus Systems Incorporated

John Giles Langan

Raymond Nicholas Vrtis

Wayne Thomas McDermott

Robert Gordon Ridgeway

Howard P Withers, Jr

Andrew David Johnson

William R Entley

Mark Leonard O'Neill

Scott Jeffrey Weigel

Ronald Martin Pearlstein

David A Roberts

Eugene Joseph Karwacki, Jr

Arthur Kenneth Hochberg

Thomas Hsiao-Ling Hsiung

Aiping Wu

Richard Carl Ockovic

Laura M Matz

Peter James Maroulis

John Irven

Bing Ji

Mary Kathryn Haas

Dao-Hong Zheng

Stephen M Fine

Benjamin Lee Hertzler

Scott Edward Beck

Amith Kumar Murali

Randy Hall

Steven Arthur Rogers

Patrick Timothy Hurley

Glenn Michael Mitchell

Brian Scott Felker

Robert G Bryant

Kathleen Bennett

Katherine Anne Hutchison

Chemical additives are used to increase the rate of deposition for the amorphous silicon film (&#x3b1;Si:H) and/or the microcrystalline silicon film (&#x3bc;CSi:H). The electrical current is improved to generate solar grade films as photoconductive films used in the manufacturing of Thin Film based Photovoltaic (TFPV) devices.

Additives to silane for thin film silicon photovoltaic devices

A method for preparing an interlayer dielectric to minimize damage to the interlayer's dielectric properties, the method comprising the steps of: depositing a layer of a silicon-containing dielectric material onto a substrate, wherein the layer has a first dielectric constant and wherein the layer has at least one surface; providing an etched pattern in the layer by a method that includes at least one etch process and exposure to a wet chemical composition to provide an etched layer, wherein the etched layer has a second dielectric constant, and wherein the wet chemical composition contributes from 0 to 40% of the second dielectric constant; contacting the at least one surface of the layer with a silicon-containing fluid; optionally removing a first portion of the silicon-containing fluid such that a second portion of the silicon-containing fluid remains in contact with the at least one surface of the layer; and exposing the at least one surface of the layer to UV radiation and thermal energy, wherein the layer has a third dielectric constant that is restored to a value that is at least 90% restored relative to the second dielectric constant.

Process for restoring dielectric properties

Methods of determining the endpoint of cleaning residues from the internal surfaces of a chemical vapor deposition chamber are described. The methods are especially useful for determining when organic-based residues deposited from an ultra low-k film precursor deposition are removed from the chamber. The methods involve cleaning the chamber with a plasma comprising fluorine and oxygen while monitoring the intensity of the optical emission lines of one or more atomic or molecular species that correlate to the removal of the organic-based residues. Techniques and apparatuses for monitoring different appropriate emission lines are described. Methods of the invention can be used to prevent particle contamination during CVD operations following ultra low-k film precursor depositions and improve wafer throughput in manufacturing environments.

Method for endpointing CVD chamber cleans following ultra low-k film treatments

An apparatus for containing and delivering hazardous gases at sub-atmospheric pressure from a pressurized container is provided which includes a valve body in sealed communication with an outlet orifice of the pressurized container. The outlet orifice of the pressurized container is open to an interior chamber of the pressurized container. A fluid discharge path is located in the valve body, between the outlet orifice of the pressurized container and an outlet orifice of the valve body. A pressure regulator having a pressure sensing means capable of responding to sub-atomospheric pressure, is integral to the valve body, in-line in the fluid discharge path with the pressure regulator pre-set to a pressure below atmospheric pressure to allow the gas to be delivered through the regulator from the interior chamber only when the pressure regulator senses a downstream pressure at or below the pre-set pressure. Finally, a high pressure shut-off valve integral to the valve body and in-line in the fluid discharge path and upstream from the pressure regulator is included. The gas flows through from the interior chamber of the pressurized container through the fluid discharge path, through the outlet orifice of the pressurized container, and through the outlet orifice of the valve body only when the outlet orifice is connected to a vacuum system. A method of containing and delivering hazardous gases at sub-atmospheric pressure is also provided.

Sub-atmospheric gas delivery method and apparatus

In accordance with an embodiment of the present intention, a fluorine residue removing method includes: supplying an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrogen-containing gas into a CVD chamber; producing a plasma of a mixture of the oxygen-containing gas and the-hydrogen containing gas, so that the plasma reacts with the fluorine residue, exothermically generating water; and evacuating from the CVD chamber a product of the reaction between the plasma and the fluorine residue. For the hydrogen-containing gas, NHis often used, and for the oxygen-containing gas, NO, O, or air is used. Exemplary mixtures of the oxygen-containing and the hydrogen-containing gases include 70 mol % NO/NH, 50 mol % NO/NH, and 52 mol % O/NH. An inert gas, such as He, Ne, Ar, or Kr, can be optionally supplied into the chamber to stabilize the plasma.

In situ plasma process to remove fluorine residues from the interior surfaces of a CVD reactor

A method of using PFCs recovered from the effluent of a CVD chamber cleaning process as an influent for the cleaning process is provided which includes the steps of selecting a first PFC gas mixture having a first ratio of CFto CF, providing the first PFC gas mixture as the influent gas to the CVD chamber to create a CVD chamber effluent gas of a second PFC gas mixture having a second ratio of CFto CF, adding virgin CFor CFto the CVD chamber effluent gas in sufficient quantity to create a third PFC gas mixture having the first ratio of CFto CF, and using the third PFC gas mixture as the influent gas to the CVD chamber.

CVD chamber cleaning using mixed PFCs from capture/recycle

An on-line halogen analyzer system and method of use for semiconductor processing effluent monitoring. The system includes sampling the effluent stream into an absorption cell, and passing UV-Visible light through the effluent sample in the cell. After passing through the sample the light is collected by a photo detector for real-time wavelength-selective absorption analysis. The system provides simultaneous determination of the concentrations of multiple halogen gases (e.g. F , Cl , Br , and I ) in semiconductor processing effluent streams. The invention can be used for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber cleaning endpoint determination and to improve fluorine utilization efficiency in remote plasma downstream CVD chamber cleaning processes.

On-line UV-Visible light halogen gas analyzer for semiconductor processing effluent monitoring

A mobile, self-evacuating, micro-environment system for transit and storage of substrates between two or more processing chambers in the manufacture of semiconductor devices is provided where the system includes a mobile cart, a vacuum sealable container to hold the substrates, a vacuum source having a portable power source, located on the cart and capable of generating a vacuum in the container, and a docking valve to mate with a corresponding valve on each of the processing chambers, where the docking valve and the corresponding valve are securable to one another to form a substantially vacuum-tight seal and openable, while mated, to permit unloading and loading of substrates between the container and the processing chamber. A method of using the system is also provided.

Self evacuating micro environment system

A method and apparatus for pressurizing a high purity gas in liquefied form to an ultra high pressure gas in vapor form using a constant volume, heated vaporization vessel.

Ultra high pressure gases

A process for abating NF.sub.3 by contacting it with a metal oxalate or carbonate.

Abatement of NF.sub.3 with metal oxalates

The present invention is directed to the etching of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, boronphosphorus silicate glass, fluorosilicate glass, siliconoxynitride, tungsten, tungsten silicide and mixtures thereof under plasma etch conditions, particularly for cleaning operations to remove silicon dioxide or silicon nitride from the walls and other surfaces within a reaction chamber of a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor. The etching chemicals used in the etch process are trifluoroacetic acid and it derivatives, such as; trifluoroacetic anhydride, trifluoromethyl ester of trifluoroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic acid amide and mixtures thereof.

Plasma etch with trifluoroacetic acid and derivatives

The present invention is a process of removal of moisture from surfaces, such as metal conduit for transmission of high purity gases in electronic component fabrication facilities, and the passivation of such metal surfaces to retard the readsorption of moisture, wherein the moisture removal and passivation is enhanced using an agent of the formula: R.sub.a SiX.sub.b Y.sub.c Z.sub.d where a =1-3; b, c, and d are individually 0-3 and a+b+c+d=4; R is one or more organic groups; and at least one of X, Y or Z have a bond to silicon that is readily hydrolyzable. The moisture removal and passivation is conducted at less than 65.degree. C. and at least ambient pressure.

Moisture removal and passivation of surfaces

A method has been developed for the removal of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide, or other semiconductor materials from a surface of a wafer or CVD reactor. The method uses NF.sub.3, mixed with an electropositive diluent, preferably argon, at a given range of concentration, pressure, flowrate, and power to obtain the fastest possible etch rates. The etch rates of the film being processed can be caused to increase even as the concentration of NF.sub.3 in the diluent is decreased by choosing the proper diluent and operating conditions. Not only does this method increase the etch rate, thereby increasing the throughput of the reactor using this process, it also accomplishes this task at low concentrations of NF3 resulting in a lower cost.

Growing community of inventors

Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

John Giles Langan