Novellus Systems Incorporated

Patrick Christopher Joyce

Raashina Humayun

Adrianne K Tipton

Krishnan Shrinivasan

Dennis W Hess

Souvik Banerjee

Satyanarayana Myneni

Patrick A Van Cleemput

Sanjay Gopinath

Vishal Gauri

Francisco J Juarez

Sasangan Ramanathan

Michelle T Schulberg

Galit Levitin

The present invention relates generally to a portable coring machine for penetrating a surface to install or repair sub-surface structures. Coring machine may include a frame assembly and a drilling device. Frame assembly may include a plurality of interconnected bars and facilitate operating drilling device in a generally horizontal position or in a generally vertical position. Further, frame assembly may accommodate core bits of different sizes for cutting an annular hole into asphalt, concrete or other hard surface. Support members of frame assembly may be configured to support a track including a plurality of teeth. The track may engage with a gear assembly of a mounting block configured to support the drilling device. Advantageously, coring machine may be moveable along track in response to an operator rotating a crank mechanically coupled to the gear assembly.

Portable coring machine

The present invention pertains to apparatus and methods for introduction of solid precursors and reactants into a supercritical fluid reactor. Solids are dissolved in supercritical fluid solvents in generator apparatus separate from the supercritical fluid reactor. Such apparatus preferably generate saturated solutions of solid precursors via recirculation of supercritical fluids through a vessel containing the solid precursors. Supercritical solutions of the solids are introduced into the reactor, which itself is charged with a supercritical fluid. Supercritical conditions are maintained during the delivery of the dissolved precursor to the reactor. Recirculation of supercritical precursor solutions through the reactor may or may not be implemented in methods of the invention. Methods of the invention are particularly well suited for integrated circuit fabrication, where films are deposited on wafers under supercritical conditions.

Method and apparatus for introduction of solid precursors and reactants into a supercritical fluid reactor

A method of delivering a reagent to a wafer is provided. A solvent is provided. A set of conditions of temperature and pressure is provided to the solvent, which is sufficient to bring the solvent to supercritical conditions. A reagent is provided. A surfactant is provided, where the surfactant has a first moiety with an affinity for the solvent and a second moiety with an affinity for the reagent, where the surfactant increases the concentration of the reagent that may be carried by the solvent. The solvent, surfactant, and reagent are combined to form a solution. The solution is delivered to a supercritical process chamber, wherein a wafer is exposed to the solution in the process chamber.

Method and apparatus for using surfactants in supercritical fluid processing of wafers

The present invention pertains to methods and apparatus for removal of one or more solutes from a supercritical process solution. Solute additives and contaminants are removed from supercritical processing solutions via a contaminant removal system that is either part of the process vessel itself or is part of a local recirculation loop in fluid communication with the process vessel. This invention provides supercritical processing methods and apparatus for the removal of additives and contaminants during circulation so that depressurization and substrate removal can occur without contamination. The removal in some cases, for example cleaning residue, can be done continuously during a process to improve its efficiency. Removal mechanisms may include separation, destruction, conversion of the contaminant to acceptable species, or combinations thereof.

Method and apparatus to remove additives and contaminants from a supercritical processing solution

Methods for cleaning semiconductor wafers are presented. Contaminants, particularly photoresist and post-etch residue, are removed from semiconductor wafers. A wafer or wafers is first treated with a peroxide-containing medium, for example, to oxidatively cleave bond structures of contaminants on the wafer work surface. Excitation energy is used to activate the peroxide-containing medium toward the formation of radical species. After treatment with the peroxide-containing medium, a supercritical fluid treatment is used to remove any remaining contaminants as well as to condition the wafer for subsequent processing.

Method for removing photoresist and post-etch residue using activated peroxide followed by supercritical fluid treatment

Disclosed formulations of supercritical solutions are useful in wafer cleaning processes. Supercritical solutions of the invention may be categorized by their chemistry, for example, basic, acidic, oxidative, and fluoride chemistries are used. Such solutions may include supercritical carbon dioxide and at least one reagent dissolved therein to facilitate removal of waste material from wafers, particularly for removing photoresist and post-etch residues from low-k materials. This reagent may include an ammonium carbonate or bicarbonate, and combinations of such reagents. The solution may include one or more co-solvents, chelating agents, surfactants, and anti-corrosion agents as well.

Supercritical solutions for cleaning photoresist and post-etch residue from low-k materials

A supercritical process vessel with an interior for holding a supercritical fluid is provided. A wafer support for supporting a wafer within the interior of a supercritical process vessel to expose the wafer to the supercritical fluid is provided. A lamp, which is able to operate at supercritical fluid pressures within the interior of the supercritical process vessel is provided.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Patrick Christopher Joyce