Applied Materials, Inc.

Revera, Incorporated

Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd.

Revara, Incorporated

Michael C Kwan

David Allen Reed

Bruno W Schueler

David S Ballance

Paola deCecco

Wei Ti Lee

Padmanabhan Krishnaraj

Heath A Pois

Zhengquan Tan

Charles Thomas Larson

Mark Klare

Lawrence V Bot

Hichem M'Saad

Zhong Qiang Hua

Yuxiang May Wang

Dong Li

Zhuang Li

Bruno Geoffrion

Alan W Collins

Eric H Liu

Sudha S R Rathi

Jalel Hamila

Li-Qun Xia

Deenesh Padhi

Bok Hoen Kim

Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan

Reza Arghavani

Kang Sub Yim

Martin Jay Seamons

Wendy H Yeh

Sum-Yee Betty Tang

Paolo deCecco

Dave Ballance

Andy (Hsin Chiao) Luan

Priya Kulkarni

Methods and systems for feed-forward of multi-layer and multi-process information using XPS and XRF technologies are disclosed. In an example, a method of thin film characterization includes measuring first XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a first layer above a substrate. The first XPS and XRF intensity signals include information for the first layer and for the substrate. The method also involves determining a thickness of the first layer based on the first XPS and XRF intensity signals. The method also involves combining the information for the first layer and for the substrate to estimate an effective substrate. The method also involves measuring second XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a second layer above the first layer above the substrate. The second XPS and XRF intensity signals include information for the second layer, for the first layer and for the substrate.

Feed-forward of multi-layer and multi-process information using XPS and XRF technologies

Methods and systems for feed-forward of multi-layer and multi-process information using XPS and XRF technologies are disclosed. In an example, a method of thin film characterization includes measuring first XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a first layer above a substrate. The first XPS and XRF intensity signals include information for the first layer and for the substrate. The method also involves determining a thickness of the first layer based on the first XPS and XRF intensity signals. The method also involves combining the information for the first layer and for the substrate to estimate an effective substrate. The method also involves measuring second XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a second layer above the first layer above the substrate. The second XPS and XRF intensity signals include information for the second layer, for the first layer and for the substrate. The method also involves determining a thickness of the second layer based on the second XPS and XRF intensity signals, the thickness accounting for the effective substrate.

Methods and systems for feed-forward of multi-layer and multi-process information using XPS and XRF technolgies are disclosed. In an example, a method of thin film characterization includes measuring first XPS and XRF intensity signals for a sample having a first layer above a substrate. A thickness of the first layer is determined based on the first XPS and XRF intensity signals. The information for the first layer and for the substrate is combined to estimate an effective substrate. Second XPS and XRF intensity signals are measured for a sample having a second layer above the first layer above the substrate. The method also involves determining a thickness of the second layer based on the second XPS and XRF intensity signals, the thickness accounting for the effective substrate.

A method to determine a distribution profile of an element in a film. The method comprises exciting an electron energy of an element deposited in a first film, obtaining a first spectrum associating with the electron energy, and removing a background spectrum from the first spectrum. Removing the background value generates a processed spectrum. The method further includes matching the processed spectrum to a simulated spectrum with a known simulated distribution profile for the element in a film comparable to the first film. A distribution profile is obtained for the element in the first film based on the matching of the processed spectrum to a simulated spectrum selected from the set of simulated spectra.

Method and system for non-destructive distribution profiling of an element in a film

Methods are provided for depositing amorphous carbon materials. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including forming a dielectric material layer on a surface of the substrate, depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the dielectric material layer by introducing a processing gas comprises one or more hydrocarbon compounds and an argon carrier gas, and generating a plasma of the processing gas by applying power from a dual-frequency RF source, etching the amorphous carbon layer to form a patterned amorphous carbon layer, and etching feature definitions in the dielectric material layer corresponding to the patterned amorphous carbon layer. The amorphous carbon layer may act as an etch stop, an anti-reflective coating, or both.

Method of depositing an amorphous carbon film for etch hardmask application

Methods are provided for depositing amorphous carbon materials. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including positioning the substrate in a processing chamber, introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber, wherein the processing gas comprises a carrier gas, hydrogen, and one or more precursor compounds, generating a plasma of the processing gas by applying power from a dual-frequency RF source, and depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the substrate.

Liquid precursors for the CVD deposition of amorphous carbon films

A method for forming sidewall spacers on a gate stack by depositing one or more layers of silicon containing materials using PECVD process(es) on a gate structure to produce a spacer having an overall k value of about 3.0 to about 5.0. The silicon containing materials may be silicon carbide, oxygen doped silicon carbide, nitrogen doped silicon carbide, carbon doped silicon nitride, nitrogen doped silicon oxycarbide, or combinations thereof. The deposition is performed in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition chamber and the deposition temperature is less than 450&#xb0; C. The sidewall spacers so produced provide good capacity resistance, as well as excellent structural stability and hermeticity.

Method for producing gate stack sidewall spacers

A method of depositing a high density plasma silicon oxide layer having improved gapfill capabilities. In one embodiment the method includes flowing a process gas consisting of a silicon-containing source, an oxygen-containing source and helium into a substrate processing chamber and forming a plasma from the process gas. The ratio of the flow rate of the helium with respect to the combined flow rate of the silicon source and oxygen source is between 0.5:1 and 3.0:1 inclusive. In one particular embodiment, the process gas consists of monosilane (SiH), molecular oxygen (O) and helium.

Method for high aspect ratio HDP CVD gapfill

A method and apparatus are disclosed for depositing a dielectric film in a gap having an aspect ratio at least as large as 6:1. By cycling the gas chemistry of a high-density-plasma chemical-vapor-deposition system between deposition and etching conditions, the gap may be substantially 100% filled. Such filling is achieved by adjusting the flow rates of the precursor gases such that the deposition to sputtering ratio during the deposition phases is within certain predetermined limits.

Gas chemistry cycling to achieve high aspect ratio gapfill with HDP-CVD

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Michael C Kwan