Texas Instruments Corporation

John I Jones

Cecil J Davis

Robert T Matthews

Rhett B Jucha

Lee M Loewenstein

Randall C Hildenbrand

Mehrdad M Moslehi

John E Spencer

Randall E Johnson

James G Bohlman

Bruce Simpson

Joseph V Abernathy

Thomas Dyer Bonifield

Duane E Carter

Dean W Freeman

Sue E Crank

Robert G McKenna

Dan T Hockersmith

John D Provence

Frederick W Brown

Joseph E Whetsel

William S Jaspersen

Don Brown

David Durin

William J Stiltz

A method and apparatus for separating a wafer into wafer portions comprising a larger wafer flex-frame ( ) supported on a support base ( ) and a smaller flex-frame ( ) positioned within the support base ( ). A wafer film transfer cylinder ( ) encompasses a wafer breaking device ( ), such as a convex dome. The transfer cylinder ( ) is slidable downwardly with respect to the dome ( ) to first stretch the wafer tape ( ) and then transfer the wafer ( ) from the larger frame ( ) to the smaller frame ( ) after dome ( ) breaks the wafer ( ) into die. The transfer cylinder ( ) is heated to facilitate removing the saw tape ( ) from the larger frame ( ) after transfer to the smaller frame ( ). The transfer cylinder ( ) is juxtaposed with the smaller frame ( ) residing within a cavity ( ) of the support base ( ). The present invention is suited for automated wafer transfer carriers which advance the broken wafer to pick and place equipment for packaging of the die.

Method and apparatus for stretching and processing saw film tape after breaking a partially sawn wafer

A multi-electrode plasma processing system (10) provides flexible plasma processing capabilities for semiconductor device fabrication. The plasma processing equipment (10) includes a gas showerhead assembly (52) a radio-frequency chuck (24), and screen electrode (66). The screen electrode (66) includes base (68) for positioning within process chamber (10) and is made of an insulating material such as a ceramic or teflon. A perforated screen (70) is integral to base (68) and generates a plasma from a plasma-producing gas via a radio-frequency power source (104). The screen (70) has numerous passageways (78) to allow interaction of plasma and the process chamber walls. The screen (70) surrounds showerhead assembly (52) and semiconductor wafer (22) and can influence the entire semiconductor wafer plasma processing environment (62) including the plasma density and uniformity. The circuitry (74) electrically connect screen (70) to a power source (100) or (104) to cause screen (70) electrode to affect process plasma density and distribution. Any of the plasma electrodes showerhead assembly (52), chuck (24), or screen electrode (66) may be connected to a low-frequency power source (108), a high-frequency power source (100 or 132), electrical ground (110), or may remain electrically floating (94).

Multi-electrode plasma processing apparatus

A radio frequency (RF) glow discharge plasma etch electrode design is disclosed which is capable of creating high power density plasma with uniform etch rates, while providing access for automatic loading semiconductor wafers from outside of the plasma region. The electrode assembly comprises of an electrode to which RF energy is applied surrounded by an insulator, which in turn surrounded a grounded surface all of which have cylindrical symmetry. When placed a small distance from a flat, grounded substrate, the electrode assembly creates a volume which can effectively combine a high power density plasma, while maintaining a sufficient channel for pumping a gas flow and for observing the plasma optically. The same channel is widened for automatic transport of semiconductor wafers from outside of the plasma reactor chamber. Such confined high power density plasma are important for high rate, uniform, anisotropic etching, especially for silicon dioxide.

Isolation substrate ring for plasma reactor

A process module having remote plasma and in situ plasma generators, a source of ultraviolet, and a radiant heater, which represent four separate energy sources. The four sources can be used singly or in any combination and can be separately controllable.

Processing apparatus and method

A process module which is compatible with a system using vacuum wafer transport in which wafers are generally transported and processed in a face down position under vacuum, and which also includes an additional wafer movement, wherein, after a wafer has been emplaced face down, in a position where it can be clamped against the susceptor, the susceptor is rotated from its approximately horizontal position up to a more nearly vertical position. In the more nearly vertical position, the wafer can be processed by a top process module, which may be, e.g., a sputter system, an implanter, or an inspection module. Another process module is included in the bottom part of the chamber, so that the wafer can be processed by the lower process module while in its substantially horizontal position and processed by the upper process module when it is in its more nearly vertical position. This is especially advantageous when the lower process module is a plasma cleanup module and the top module is a deposition module.

Processing apparatus

A fluorine based metal etch chemistry, wherein an admixture of etch products (or species which are closely related to etch products) is added during the post etch stage, i.e. during the stage when the pattern has partially cleared by overetch is not yet completed, to maintain the balance of chemistries which provides selectivity and anisotropy. In a tungsten etch, WF.sub.6 is usefully added during the post etch period to provide this loading.

Method for etching tungsten

A plasma reactor with in situ ultraviolet generation processing aparatus and method. Ultraviolet light to illuminate the face of a wafer being processed is generated by a plasma which is within the vacuum processing chamber but is remote from the face of the wafer. It is useful to design the gas flow system so that the ultraviolet-generating plasma has its own gas feed, and the reaction products from the ultraviolet-generating plasma do not substantially flow or diffuse to the wafer face. A transparent isolator between the ultraviolet plasma space and the processing space near the wafer face is useful so that the ultraviolet plasma can be operated at a vacuum level slightly different from that used near the wafer face, but this transparent window is not made thick enough to act as a full vacuum seal. Optionally, this window may be omitted entirely.

Wafer processing apparatus and method

A process wherein a thin film metal (e.g. tungsten) is anisotropically etched under plasma bombardment conditions by using a feed gas mixture which includes a fluorine source (such as SF.sub.6) plus a fluorosilane (e.g. SiF.sub.4), plus a bromine source (such as HBr), plus a weak oxygen source such as carbon monoxide. This chemistry provides anisotropic high rate fluoro-etching with good selectivity to photoresist.

Method for plasma etching tungsten

A processing apparatus and method which permits sputter deposition and which is compatible with a vacuum processing system wherein the wafers are largely transferred and processed in the face down position. This includes an additional wafer movement, wherein, after a wafer has been emplaced face down, in a position where it can be clamped against the susceptor, the susceptor is rotated from its approximately horizontal position up to a more nearly vertical position. While the wafer is in the more nearly vertical position, sputter deposition may be performed. In situ or remote plasma capability is usefully provided in the bottom part of the chamber, so that a dry deglaze or cleanup step can be performed while the wafer is in its substantially horizontal position, followed by a sputter deposition after the wafer has been moved to its more nearly vertical position.

A processing apparatus and method compatible with a vacuum process system for wafers, wherein an in situ source of ultraviolet light is provided to enhance chemical activity at the wafer surface, and a remote plasma source is provided in the process gas flow upstream of the wafer, to provide activated species to the wafer face, and a radiatively coupled heat source is also provided so that the wafer can be rapidly thermally cycled.

A dual detector spectroscopic endpoint determination system is used which has dual channels that enables the combination of channels to increase gain, cancel out background noise, and to use either one or more spectroscopic channels.

Dual detector system for determining endpoint of plasma etch process

An electrode and substrate assembly for a plasma reactor allows high power plasma processing with low frequency excitation. The electrode sub-assembly is contained in a chamber which is used for pre-treatment such as de-scumming photoresist or for post-etch resist stripping and passivation. A post-etch treatment is essential in plasma aluminum etching.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

John I Jones