Ekc Technology Inc.

Honeywell International Inc.

Simon Fraser University

Michael A Fury

Wai Mun Lee

David J Maloney

Robert Wade Sherrill

Ross Henry Hill

Paul J Roman

Daniel L Towery

Paul J Roman, Jr

Daniel I Towery

Sean Barstow

Clifford Henderson

Workpieces are loaded into a cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber is pressurized with a first dense-phase cleaning fluid, the temperature and pressure of the first dense-phase fluid being maintained at less than about 1500 psi using a temperature control device. The workpieces are soaked in the first dense-phase fluid for a predetermined time period. After soaking, the workpieces are further cleaned by applying a second, localized, high-pressure dense-phase fluid to the surface of the workpieces.

System and method for mid-pressure dense phase gas and ultrasonic cleaning

A substrate is transferred from an environment at about vacuum into a load lock through a first door. The substrate is then sealed within the load lock. The pressure within the load lock is raised to a high pressure above vacuum. A second door coupling the load lock to a high-pressure processing chamber is then opened and the substrate moved from the load lock into the high-pressure chamber. The substrate is then sealed within the high-pressure chamber. High-pressure processing, such as high pressure cleaning or high pressure deposition, is then performed on the substrate within the high-pressure chamber. Subsequently, the second door is opened and the substrate transferred into the load lock. The substrate is then sealed within the load lock. The pressure within the load lock is lowered to about vacuum and the first door opened. The substrate is then removed from the load lock into the environment.

Load lock system for supercritical fluid cleaning

The present invention involves a low-temperature, photoresist-free method of fabricating a barrier layer on a flexible substrate. An embodiment involves the conversion of a precursor into a top-surface imaging layer during a direct patterning step. Preferred precursors are formed from a metal complex comprising at least one ligand selected from the group consisting of acac, carboxylato, alkoxy, azide, carbonyl, nitrato, amine, halide, nitro, and mixtures thereof and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Pb, Th, U, Sb, As, Ce, Mg, and mixtures thereof.

Method of making barrier layers

Initially, process parameters for dense phase fluid cleaning are determined. Thereafter, a cleaning chamber containing a substrate is pressurized with a dense phase fluid, based on these process parameters. The substrate is then cleaned with the dense phase fluid, again based on these process parameters. Exhaust fluid is subsequently expelled from the cleaning chamber, and thereafter analyzed. The process parameters are then adjusted to adjusted process parameters based on the analysis of the exhaust fluid. Thereafter, the cleaning chamber is again pressurized and cleaning repeated. This pressurization and cleaning is based on the adjusted process parameters. Also, this pressurization and cleaning is repeated until the substrate is sufficiently clean.

Automated dense phase fluid cleaning system

An aqueous metal oxide sol slurry has been developed for removal of low dielectric constant materials. The slurry is formed directly in solution utilizing non-dehydrated chemically active metal oxide sols which are formed in a colloidal suspension or dispersion. The oxide sols have not undergone any subsequent drying and the particles are believed to be substantially spherical in structure, dimensionally stable and do not change shape over time. The sol particles are mechanically soft and heavily hydrated which reduces surface damage even in the case where soft polymer or porous dielectric films are polished. The sol particles are formed of a chemically active metal oxide material, or combinations thereof, or can be coated on chemically inactive oxide material such as silicon dioxide or can be coformed therewith. The oxide sols can include a bi-modal particle distribution. The slurry can be utilized in CMP processes, with or without conditioning.

Reactive aqueous metal oxide sols as polishing slurries for low dielectric constant materials

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for converting a precursor material, preferably organometallic, to a film, preferably metal-containing, that is adherent to at least a portion of a substrate. Both method and apparatus include a pre-conversion step or section, and a step or section for substantial conversion of a portion of material from the pre-conversion step or section into the form of a predetermined pattern, wherein this substantial conversion results in a metal-containing patterned layer on the substrate.

Method of and apparatus for substrate pre-treatment

The present invention involves fabrication of a hard mask. An embodiment involves the conversion of a precursor into a top-surface imaging layer during a direct patterning step. Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of forming an etched pattern in a substrate. A further embodiment of the present invention is a method of forming an implanted region in a substrate. Preferred precursors are formed from a metal complex comprising at least one ligand selected from the group consisting of acac, carboxylato, alkoxy, azide, carbonyl, nitrato, amine, halide, nitro, and mixtures thereof and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, In, Sn, Ba, La, Pr, Sm, Eu, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Pb, Th, U, Sb, As, Ce, Mg, and mixtures thereof.

Method of making electronic materials

An aqueous metal oxide sol slurry has been developed for removal of low dielectric constant materials. The slurry is formed directly in solution utilizing non-dehydrated chemically active metal oxide sols which are formed in a colloidal suspension or dispersion. The oxide sols have not undergone any subsequent drying and the particles are believed to be substantially spherical in structure, dimensionally stable and do not change shape over time. The sol particles are mechanically soft and heavily hydrated which reduces surface damage even in the case where soft polymer or porous dielectric films are polished. The sol particles are formed of a chemically active metal oxide material, or combinations thereof, or can be coated on chemically inactive oxide material such as silicon dioxide or can be conformed therewith. The oxide sols can include a bi-modal particle distribution. The slurry can be utilized in CMP processes, with or without conditioning.

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San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Michael A Fury