Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ping Chuang

Henry Lo

Yu-Liang Lin

Syun-Ming Jang Jang

Mei-Sheng Zhou

Ai-Sen Liu

Ching-Ya Wang

Ping-Hsu Chen

Yu-Huei Chen

Shang-Ting Tsai

Chao-Jung Chang

Hung-Jung Tu

Sunny Wu

Huxley Lee

Mei Shang Zhou

An organic layer, such as a porous low-K dielectric in an IC, contains pores open at its surface. To close the pores, the organic layer is contacted by a supercritical fluid that is a solvent for the layer. After a small amount of the surface and the wall of the open pores is solvated, a phase transition of the solvated organic material is effected at the surface to cover it with a dense, smooth, non-porous film that seals the open pores.

Surface modification of a porous organic material through the use of a supercritical fluid

A planarizing method for forming a patterned planarized aperture fill layer within an aperture employs a planarizing stop layer formed of a reductant based material, such as but not limited to a hydrogenated silicon nitride material. The reductant based material provides the planarizing stop layer with enhanced planarizing stop properties. The method is particularly useful within the context of CMP planarizing methods.

Planarizing method employing hydrogenated silicon nitride planarizing stop layer

A method for wet etching a metal nitride containing layer overlying a silicon oxide containing layer in a semiconductor device or micro-electro-mechanical device manufacturing process including providing a substrate including a silicon oxide containing layer and an overlying exposed metal nitride containing layer; providing a wet etching solution including phosphoric acid and water; adding a silicon containing compound which undergoes a hydrolysis reaction in the wet etching solution; and, contacting the exposed metal nitride containing layer with the wet etching solution for a period of time to remove the metal nitride containing layer.

Method and composition to improve a nitride/oxide wet etching selectivity

A method and system for monitoring the quality of a slurry utilized in a chemical mechanical polishing operation. A slurry is generally delivered through a tubular path during a chemical mechanical polishing operation. A laser light is generally transmitted from a laser light source, such that the laser light comes into contact with the slurry during the chemical mechanical polishing operation. The laser light can then be detected, after the laser light comes into contact with the slurry to thereby monitor the quality of the slurry utilized during the chemical mechanical polishing operation. The laser light that comes into contact with the slurry can be also be utilized to monitor a mixing ratio associated with the slurry.

Method and system for in-situ monitoring of mixing ratio of high selectivity slurry

System and method for reducing damage to a semiconductor substrate when using cleaning fluids at elevated pressures to clean the semiconductor substrates. A preferred embodiment comprises applying the cleaning fluid at a first pressure for a first time period, wherein the first pressure is relatively low, and then increasing the pressure of the cleaning fluid to a pressure level that can effectively clean the semiconductor substrate and maintaining the pressure level for a second time period. The application of the cleaning fluid at the relatively low initial pressure acts as a temporary filler and creates a buffer of the cleaning fluid on the semiconductor substrate and helps to dampen the impact of the subsequent high pressure application of the cleaning fluid on the semiconductor substrate.

System and method for dampening high pressure impact on porous materials

The invention relates to disks for conditioning pads used in the chemical mechanical polishing of semiconductor wafers, and a method of fabricating the pads. In one embodiment, the conditioning pad includes multiple, pyramid-shaped, truncated protrusions which are cut or shaped in the surface of a typically stainless steel substrate. Each of the truncated protrusions includes a plateau in the top thereof. A seed layer, typically titanium nitride (TiN), is provided on the surface of the protrusions, and a contact layer such as diamond-like carbon (DLC) or other suitable film is provided over the seed layer. In another embodiment, each of the protrusions is pyramid-shaped and includes a pointed apex at the top thereof.

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Taichung, Taiwan

Ping Chuang