Texas Instruments Corporation

Monte A Douglas

Scott Robert Summerfelt

Howard R Beratan

Cecil J Davis

Thomas Dyer Bonifield

Robert M Wallace

Lee M Loewenstein

Rhett B Jucha

Cesar M Garza

Allen C Templeton

Richard A Stoltz

Che-Chia Wei

Thomas E Tang

James G Bohlman

Jeffrey Allen Hanson

Vic B Marriott

Roland Johnson

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes placing a sample of a liquid chemical containing a contaminant on a substantially impurity-free surface of a substrate. The liquid chemical is evaporated, leaving the contaminant on the surface. The contaminant is concentrated in a scanning solution, which is then evaporated to form a residue. A concentration of the contaminant in the residue is determined.

Method for measuring contamination in liquids at PPQ levels

This is a method for masking a structure for patterning micron and submicron features, the method comprises: forming at least one monolayer of adsorbed molecules on the structure; prenucleating portions of the adsorbed layer by exposing the portions corresponding to a desired pattern of an energy source ; and selectively forming build-up layers over the prenucleated portions to form a mask over the structure to be patterned. Other methods are also disclosed.

Method to produce masking

Generally, and in one form of the invention, a method is presented for the photo-stimulated etching of a CaF,surface,, comprising the steps of exposing the CaF,surface,to an ambient species,, exciting the CaF,surface,and/or the ambient species,by photo-stimulation sufficiently to allow reaction of the CaF,surface,with the ambient species,to form CaF,ambient species products, and removing the ambient species,and the CaF,ambient species products from the CaF,surface,. Other devices, systems and methods are also disclosed.

Photo-stimulated etching of CaF2

A method of cleaning and treating a device, including those of the micromechanical (10) and semiconductor type. The surface of a device, such as the landing electrode (22) of a digital micromirror device (10), is first cleaned with a supercritical fluid (SCF) in a chamber (50) to remove soluble chemical compounds, and then maintained in the SCF chamber until and during the subsequent passivation step. Passivants including PFDA and PFPE are suitable for the present invention. By maintaining the device in the SCF chamber, and without exposing the device to, for instance, the ambient of a clean room, organic and inorganic contaminants cannot be deposited upon the cleaned surface prior to the passivation step. The present invention derives technical advantages by providing an improved passivated surface that is suited to extend the useful operation life of devices, including those of the micromechanical type, reducing stiction forces between contacting elements such as a mirror and its landing electrode. The present invention is also suitable for cleaning and passivating other surfaces including a surface of semiconductor wafers, and the surface of a hard disk memory drive.

Method of cleaning and treating a semiconductor device including a

A method of removing inorganic contamination from substantially the surface of a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising the steps of: reacting the inorganic contamination with at least one conversion agent, thereby converting the inorganic contamination; removing the converted inorganic contamination by subjecting it to at least one solvent agent, the solvent agent is included in a first supercritical fluid (preferably supercritical CO.sub.2); and wherein the converted inorganic contamination is more highly soluble in the solvent agent than the inorganic contamination.

Method for removing inorganic contamination by chemical derivitization

A method of removing inorganic contamination (contamination 104 of FIGS. 2a-2b) from a layer (layer 102) overlying a substrate (substrate 100), the method comprising the steps of: removing the layer overlying the substrate with at least one removal agent; reacting the inorganic contamination with at least one conversion agent, thereby converting the inorganic contamination; removing the converted inorganic contamination by subjecting it to at least one solvent agent, the solvent agent included in a first supercritical fluid; and wherein the converted inorganic contamination is more highly soluble in the solvent agent than the inorganic contamination.

Method of removing inorganic contamination by chemical alteration and

Generally, and in one form of the invention, a method is presented for the photo-stimulated removal of trace metals 16 from a surface 11, comprising the steps of covering the surface 11 with an ambient species 14, exciting the trace metals 16 and/or the ambient species 14 by photo-stimulation sufficiently to allow reaction of the trace metals with the ambient species to form metal products, and removing the ambient species 14 and the metal products from the surface 11. Other methods are also disclosed.

Method for the photo-stimulated removal of trace metals from a

Generally, and in one form of the invention, a method is presented for the photo-stimulated removal of reacted metal contamination 16 from a surface 11, comprising the steps of: covering the surface with a liquid ambient 14; exciting the reacted metal contamination 16 and/or the liquid ambient 14 by photo-stimulation sufficiently to allow reaction of the reacted metal contaminantion 16 with the liquid ambient 14 to form metal products; and removing the liquid ambient 14 and the metal products from the surface 11. Other methods are also disclosed.

Removal of metal contamination

An electrostatic decontamination method and decontamination device (10) is disclosed for decontaminating the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The decontamination device (10) includes particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles. Decontamination device (10) also includes substrate biasing device (12) for creating a charge accumulation layer (14) at the top of semiconductor substrate (16) so that the charge accumulation layer (14) has the same charge sign as the ionized particles. In addition, the invention analytically characterizes particles using contaminating particle isolator (44) which contains a particle ionizing device (24) that charges contaminating particles (26) on the surface of semiconductor substrate (16) thereby creating ionized particles. Contaminating particle isolator (44) includes substrate biasing device (12) operable to create charge accumulation layer (14) at the top of semiconductor substrate (16) so that the charge accumulation layer (14) has the same charge sign as the ionized particles. Contaminating particle isolator (44) also includes particle collector (46) that collects the ionized particles. This permits characterizing the particles to determine their chemical composition.

Electrostatic particle removal and characterization

The described embodiments of the present invention provide a trench etching technique having a high level of control over the sidewall profile of the trench and a high degree of selectivity to the etch mask. The described embodiments are for etching silicon and tungsten, but the invention is suitable for etching a wide variety of materials. A silicon etchant such as HBr, the combination of HBr/SF.sub.6, BCl.sub.3, SICl.sub.4 or other etchant is combined with a passivant such as carbon monoxide or nitrogen. The passivant gases include an interactive .pi. bonding system and/or paired electrons not involved in bonding. These passivant gases create a weak adductive bond to the dangling bonds or radicals generated during etching. The passivant gases also create a weak adductive bond to the sides of the trench being etched and are not removed due to the oblique angle of the sidewalls relative to the reactive ion flux vector corresponding to the trench etch. In this manner, general and subtle profile control is achieved. The more complex molecules of the etch mask (using silicon dioxide or photoresist as used in the described embodiments) create more dangling bonds or surface radical states and bond tighter than silicon to the passivant gas. Thus, the selectivity to the mask material of the etch is enhanced.

Etching method

Novel methods of forming capacitors containing high dielectric materials are disclosed. Capacitors are made by forming a layer of conductive metal nitride (e.g. ruthenium nitride, 28), then forming a layer of a high dielectric constant material (e.g. barium strontium titanate, 30) on the metal nitride layer, then forming a layer of a non-metal containing electrically conductive compound (e.g. ruthenium oxide, 32) on the layer of high dielectric constant material. Typically, the high dielectric constant material is a transition metal oxide, a titanate, a titanate doped with one or more rare earth elements, a titanate doped with one or more alkaline earth metals, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the conductive compound is ruthenium nitride, ruthenium dioxide, tin nitride, tin oxide, titanium nitride, titanium monoxide, or combinations thereof. The conductive compound may be doped to increase its electrical conductivity.

Electrodes for high dielectric constant materials

A method of unsticking contacting elements (11, 17) of a micro-mechanical device (30). The device is exposed to either a low surface tension liquid with a surfactant (32) or to a supercritical fluid (62) so as to avoid damage to fragile components of the device (30). The exposure conditions are controlled so as to provide optimum results without damage to the device.

Method of unsticking components of micro-mechanical devices

An anisotropic liquid phase photochemical etch is performed by submersing a substrate 30 (e.g. copper) in a liquid 34 containing an etchant (e.g. hydrochloric acid) and a passivant (e.g. iodine), the passivant forming an insoluble passivation layer 36 (e.g. Cul) on the surface, preventing the etchant from etching the surface. The passivant and its concentration are chosen such that the passivation layer 36 has a solubility which is substantially increased when it is illuminated with radiation 38 (e.g. visible/ultraviolet light). Portions of the surface are then illuminated with radiation 38, whereby the passivation layer 36 is removed from those illuminated portions of the surface, allowing the etch to proceed there. Portions of the surface not illuminated are not etched, resulting in an anisotropic etch. Preferably, an etch mask 32 is used to create the unilluminated areas. This etch mask 32 may be formed on the surface or it may be interposed between the surface and the radiation source.

Anisotropic liquid phase photochemical etch

A dry etch for metals such as copper using .pi.-acids in an energetic environment such as a plasma, laser, or afterglow reactor (102) or by using ligands forming volatiles at low temperature within a pulsed energetic environment.

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Coppell, TX, United States of America

Monte A Douglas