Lam Research Corporation

Katrina Mikhaylichenko

Michael Ravkin

Mikhail Korolik

John Martin De Larios

Erik Freer

Fred Conrad Redeker

John M deLarios

Fritz C Redeker

Mike Ravkin

Mark Henry Wilcoxson

John P Parks

Clint Thomas

Arnold Kholodenko

Mark Naoshi Kawaguchi

Cheng-Yu (Sean) Lin

Leon Ginzburg

Vladislav V Yakovlev

Kenneth C Dodge

Denis Syomin

Qian Fu

Dragan Valentin Podlesnik

Ji Zhu

James Paul Garcia

Shenjian Liu

Seokmin Yun

David S L Mui

Amir A Yasseri

Glenn W Gale

Afshin Nickhou

Yizhak Sabba

Korolik Mikhail

Redeker Fred C C

Ravkin Michael

John Delarios

A first application of a cleaning material is made to a surface of a substrate. The cleaning material includes one or more viscoelastic materials for entrapping contaminants present on the surface of the substrate. A first application of a rinsing fluid is made to the surface of the substrate so as to rinse the cleaning material from the surface of the substrate. The first application of the rinsing fluid is also performed to leave a residual thin film of the rinsing fluid on the surface of the substrate. A second application of the cleaning material is made to the surface of the substrate having the residual thin film of rinsing fluid present thereon. A second application of the rinsing fluid is then made to the surface of the substrate so as to rinse the cleaning material from the surface of the substrate.

Multi-stage substrate cleaning method and apparatus

Material for cleaning using a tri-state body are disclosed. A substrate having a particle deposited thereon is provided. A tri-state body that has a solid portion, liquid portion, and a gas portion is generated. A force is applied over the tri-state body to promulgate an interaction between the solid portion and the particle. The tri-state body is removed along with the particle from the surface of the substrate. The interaction between the solid portion and the particle causes the particle to be removed along with the tri-state body.

Material for cleaning a substrate

A system and method for removing polymer residue from around a metal gate structure formed on a surface of a substrate during a post-etch cleaning operation includes determining a plurality of process parameters associated with the metal gate structure and the polymer residue to be removed. A plurality of fabrication layers define the metal gate structure and the process parameters define characteristics of the fabrication layers and the polymer residue. A first cleaning chemistry and second cleaning chemistry are identified and a plurality of application parameters associated with the first and second cleaning chemistries are defined based on the process parameters. The first and second application chemistries are applied sequentially in a controlled manner using the application parameters to substantial remove the polymer residue while preserving the structural integrity of the gate structure.

Method and apparatus for surface treatment of semiconductor substrates using sequential chemical applications

A method is provided for treating the surface of high aspect ratio nanostructures to help protect the delicate nanostructures during some of the rigorous processing involved in fabrication of semiconductor devices. A wafer containing high aspect ratio nanostructures is treated to make the surfaces of the nanostructures more hydrophobic. The treatment may include the application of a primer that chemically alters the surfaces of the nanostructures preventing them from getting damaged during subsequent wet clean processes. The wafer may then be further processed, for example a wet cleaning process followed by a drying process. The increased hydrophobicity of the nanostructures helps to reduce or prevent collapse of the nanostructures.

Method of reducing pattern collapse in high aspect ratio nanostructures

A method is provided for removing contamination from a substrate. The method includes applying a cleaning solution having a dispersed phase, a continuous phase and particles dispersed within the continuous phase to a surface of the substrate. The method includes forcing one of the particles dispersed within the continuous phase proximate to one of the surface contaminants. The forcing is sufficient to overcome any repulsive forces between the particles and the surface contaminants so that the one of the particles and the one of the surface contaminants are engaged. The method also includes removing the engaged particle and surface contaminant from the surface of the substrate. A process to manufacture the cleaning material is also provided.

Method for removing contamination from a substrate and for making a cleaning solution

A substrate holder is defined to support a substrate. A rotating mechanism is defined to rotate the substrate holder. An applicator is defined to extend over the substrate holder to dispense a cleaning material onto a surface of the substrate when present on the substrate holder. The applicator is defined to apply a downward force to the cleaning material on the surface of the substrate. In one embodiment the cleaning material is gelatinous.

Apparatus for cleaning contaminants from substrate

A method for cleaning a substrate is provided. The method initiates with applying an activation solution to a surface of the substrate. The activation solution and the surface of the substrate are contacted with a surface of a solid cleaning surface. The activation solution is absorbed into a portion of the solid cleaning element and then the substrate or the solid cleaning surface is moved relative to each other to clean the surface of the substrate. A method for cleaning the surface of the substrate with a solid cleaning element that experiences plastic deformation is also provided. Corresponding cleaning apparatuses are also provided.

Methods for cleaning a semiconductor substrate

A cleaning material is disposed over a substrate. The cleaning material includes solid components dispersed within a liquid medium. A force is applied to the solid components within the liquid medium to bring the solid components within proximity to contaminants present on the substrate. The force applied to the solid components can be exerted by an immiscible component within the liquid medium. When the solid components are brought within sufficient proximity to the contaminants, an interaction is established between the solid components and the contaminants. Then, the solid components are moved away from the substrate such that the contaminants having interacted with the solid components are removed from the substrate.

Method and apparatus for removing contamination from substrate

An apparatus for cleaning a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus having a first head unit and a second head unit. The first head unit is positioned proximate to the surface of the substrate and has a first row of channels defined within configured to supply a foam to the surface of the substrate. The second head unit is positioned substantially adjacent to the first head unit and proximate to the surface of the substrate. A second and a third row of channels are defined within the second head unit. The second row of channels is configured to supply a fluid to the surface of the substrate. The third row of channels is configured to apply a vacuum to the surface of the substrate.

Apparatus and system for cleaning a substrate

A method for cleaning a substrate is provided. The method initiates with disposing a fluid layer having solid components therein to a surface of the substrate. A shear force directed substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate and toward an outer edge of the substrate is then created. The shear force may result from a normal or tangential component of a force applied to a solid body in contact with the fluid layer in one embodiment. The surface of the substrate is rinsed to remove the fluid layer. A cleaning system and apparatus are also provided.

Method and apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate

A method and system for cleaning a surface, having particulate matter thereon, of a substrate features impinging upon the surface a jet of a liquid having coupling elements entrained therein. A sufficient drag force is imparted upon the coupling elements to have the same move with respect to the liquid and cause the particulate matter to move with respect to the substrate.

Method and apparatus for particle removal

A method for making a solution for use in preparing a surface of a substrate is provided. The method includes providing a continuous medium that adds a polymer material to the continuous medium. A fatty acid is adding to the continuous medium having the polymer material, and the polymer material defines a physical network that exerts forces in the solution that overcome buoyancy forces experienced by the fatty acid, thus preventing the fatty acids from moving within the solution until a yield stress of the polymer material is exceeded by an applied agitation. The applied agitation is from transporting the solution from a container to a preparation station that applies the solution to the surface of the substrate.

Substrate preparation using stabilized fluid solutions and methods for making stable fluid solutions

A method is provided for processing a wafer used in fabricating semiconductor devices. The method can comprise forming high-aspect ratio features on the wafer, which is followed by wet processing and drying. During drying, pattern collapse can occur. This pattern collapse can be repaired to allow for additional processing of the wafer. In some instance, pattern collapse can be repaired via etching where the etching breaks bonds that can have formed during pattern collapse.

Method and apparatus for pattern collapse free wet processing of semiconductor devices

A system, method and an apparatus to remove contaminants from a semiconductor substrate surface includes application of a cleaning material. The cleaning material includes a cleaning solution and a plurality of micron-sized dry polyvinyl particles dispersed in the cleaning solution. The cleaning solution is a single phase polymeric compound that is made of long polymeric chains and exhibits distinct viscoelastic properties. The plurality of micron-sized dry polyvinyl alcohol particles absorb the liquid in the cleaning solution and become uniformly suspended within the cleaning material. The suspended polyvinyl alcohol particles interact with at least some of contaminants on the semiconductor substrate surface to release and remove the contaminants from the substrate surface. The released contaminants are entrapped within the cleaning material and removed with the cleaning material leaving behind a substantially clean substrate surface.

Damage free, high-efficiency, particle removal cleaner comprising polyvinyl alcohol particles

A method for removing silicon oxide based residue from a stack with a doped silicon oxide layer with features with diameters less than 100 nm is provided. A wet clean solution of between 25% to 60% by weight of NHF, and between 0.05% and 5% by weight of phosphoric acid, and between 0.05% and 5% by weight citric acid, in a water solvent is provided to an area on a surface of the stack. The wet clean solution is removed from the area on the surface of the stack between 0.5 to 10 seconds after the area on the surface of the stack was exposed to the wet clean solution.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Katrina Mikhaylichenko