Applied Materials, Inc.

Coherent, Inc.

Raydiance, Inc.

Ramanujapuram A Srinivas

Mei Yin Chang

Michael Mielke

Frederick C Wu

David M Gaudiosi

Klaus-Dieter Rinnen

Moshe Eizenberg

Tim Booth

Shulin Wang

Susan G Telford

Michael R Greenberg

Li Wu

Meng Chu Tseng

Ming Xi

Israel Beinglass

Mohan K Bhan

Russell C Ellwanger

Toshio Itoh

Timothy J Booth

Thor Miller Wilbanks

Jennifer Meng Tseng

Anand Vasudev

Zvi Lando

Brian Metzger

Michael Shirk

Yehuda Demayo

Brian Boyle

Eric Juban

Jennifer Kopp

Susan Weihar Telford

Systems and methods for material singulation. According to some embodiments, methods for material singulation may include applying a first laser output to the material, the first laser output causing a modification of a material property of the material when exposed to the first laser output; and applying a second laser output to the material that was exposed to the first laser output to cause singulation of the material in such a way that surfaces created by the singulation of the material are substantially free from defects.

Systems and processes that singulate materials

Methods of and devices for forming edge chamfers and through holes and slots on a material that is machined using a laser, such as an ultrafast laser. The shaped material has predetermined and highly controllable geometric shape and/or surface morphology. Further, a method of and a device for preventing re-deposition of the particles on a material that is machined using a laser, such as an ultrafast laser. A fluid is used to wash off the particles generated during the laser machining process. The fluid can be in a non-neutral condition, with one or more chemical salts added, or a condition allowing the coagulation of the particles in the fluid, such that the particles can be precipitated to avoid the reattachment to the machined substrate.

Shaping of brittle materials with controlled surface and bulk properties

Systems and methods for processing, selectively ablating, and singulating layered materials. According to some embodiments, methods for selectively ablating a layered material may include selectively varying a wavelength of at least a portion of a primary ultrafast laser beam to create a secondary ultrafast laser beam with a second wavelength, the primary ultrafast laser beam being configured to ablate a layer of the layered material, the secondary ultrafast laser beam being configured to ablate an additional layer of the layered material and applying the first and second ultrafast laser beams to the layered material to create a singulated product.

Singulation of layered materials using selectively variable laser output

Systems and methods for laser based processing of layered materials. Methods may include selectively adjusting ultrafast laser output of an ultrafast laser device based upon one or more physical attributes of a layer of the layered material, applying the ultrafast laser output of the ultrafast laser device to the layer of the layered material along a tool path to ablate the layer along the tool path, and then re-executing the steps to ablate one or more additional layers, the re-execution occurring for each distinct layer of the layered material that is to be ablated.

Laser based processing of layered materials

A method of forming a contact in an integrated circuit including forming a dielectric layer over a silicon substrate, etching a contact hole through the dielectric layer, exposing the etched contact hole to a plasma formed from a preclean gas comprising nitrogen trifluoride and helium and, thereafter, depositing a titanium layer within the contact hole by a plasma CVD process, where the plasma CVD process heats the substrate to a temperature less than or equal to 650&deg; C.

Method of forming contact structures using nitrogen trifluoride preclean etch process and a titanium chemical vapor deposition step

A method of forming a titanium nitride (TiN) layer using a reaction between ammonia (NH ) and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl ). In one embodiment, an NH :TiCl ratio of about 8.5 is used to deposit a TiN layer at a temperature of about 500&deg; C. at a pressure of about 20 torr. In another embodiment, a composite TiN layer is formed by alternately depositing TiN layers of different thicknesses, using process conditions having different NH :TiCl ratios. In one preferred embodiment, a TiN layer of less than about 20 &angst; is formed at an NH :TiCl ratio of about 85, followed by a deposition of a thicker TiN layer at an NH :TiCl ratio of about 8.5. By repeating the alternate film deposition using the two different process conditions, a composite TiN layer is formed. This composite TiN layer has an improved overall step coverage and reduced stress, compared to a standard TiN process, and is suitable for small geometry plug fill applications.

Method of depositing a thick titanium nitride film

A method of forming a silicide layer in contact with a silicon substrate. The method comprises forming the silicide layer by supplying a silicon-containing source that is different from the silicon substrate, such that the silicon in the silicide layer originates primarily from the silicon-containing source.

Method of forming a titanium silicide layer on a substrate

Method for passivating a layer of titanium that has been deposited on a substrate in a reaction chamber to coat the titanium thereby reducing the likelihood of contamination by byproducts of the deposition process or ambient oxygen or similar reactants. The method includes adding a flow of hydrogen and a flow of nitrogen to the chamber. The flows of hydrogen and nitrogen are approximately 800 sccm and continue for approximately 10-30 seconds respectively. The method may further comprise the step of forming a nitrogen plasma in the chamber for approximately 10 seconds wherein such case the flows of hydrogen and nitrogen continue for approximately 8 seconds respectively. The plasma is formed by applying RF power to an electrode located within said chamber or by a remote plasma source and channeled to said reactor chamber. Alternately, the passivation layer may be formed just by using a nitrogen plama alone for approximately 10-30 seconds at the same RF power level. The plasma in either case may further comprise hydrogen and argon and the layer of titanium has been deposited by CVD.

Method for in-situ, post deposition surface passivation of a chemical vapor deposited film

A method for the in situ cleaning of a semiconductor deposition chamber utilized for the deposition of a semiconductor material such as titanium or titanium nitride comprising, between wafers, introducing chlorine gas into the chamber at elevated temperature, purging the chamber with an inert gas and evacuating it before introduction of the next wafer. A two-stage between wafer cleaning process is carried out by introducing chlorine into the chamber at elevated temperature, thereafter initiating a plasma without removing the chlorine, purging the chamber with an inert gas and evacuating it before introduction of the next wafer. In a preferred embodiment, a thin protective film of titanium is deposited on the inner surfaces of the chamber prior to utilizing the chamber for the deposition of such material. The protective layer is replenished following each two-stage cleaning.

Method for cleaning a process chamber

Utilization of SiH4 soak and purge in deposition processes

Described is an improved polysilicon/tungsten silicide (WSi.sub.x) composite layer formed over an integrated circuit structure on a semiconductor wafer and characterized by improved step coverage and non tungsten-rich tungsten:silicon ratio of the WSi.sub.x layer, and a method of forming same. A doped layer of polysilicon is formed in a first deposition chamber over an integrated circuit structure previously formed on a semiconductor substrate and a capping layer of undoped polysilicon is then deposited in the first deposition chamber over the doped polysilicon layer. The substrate is then transferred from the first deposition chamber into a second deposition chamber without exposing the surface of the polysilicon layer to an oxidizing media. The desired tungsten silicide layer is then formed in the second deposition chamber onto undoped polysilicon capping layer, using a gaseous source of tungsten such as WF6, and dichlorosilane (DCS) as the source of silicon, without the formation of the undesirable tungsten-rich tungsten silicide layer characteristic of the prior art. The undoped polysilicon capping layer may then be doped, after the formation of the tungsten silicide layer, by subsequently heating the structure sufficiently to cause the dopant in the doped polysilicon layer to migrate into the undoped polysilicon layer thereon. Such heating may be carried out in a separate annealing step, but preferably is carried out in situ as a part of the subsequent processing of the integrated circuit structure being formed on the substrate.

Method of making polysilicon/tungsten silicide multilayer composite on

A method of processing a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, in a vacuum processing chamber includes the steps of depositing a material on a surface of the substrate using a gas mixture, and purging the chamber of residual gases by flowing SiH.sub.4 into the chamber. Preferably, WSi.sub.x is deposited on a semiconductor wafer using a mixture comprising WF.sub.6, dichlorosilane and a noble gas, and the chamber is subsequently purged of residual WF.sub.6 and dichlorosilane by flowing SiH.sub.4 into the chamber. A further method of processing a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber includes the step of conditioning the chamber by flowing SiH.sub.4 into the chamber prior to depositing a material on the surface of the substrate. Semiconductor wafers processed according to the inventive method are characterized by more uniform sheet resistance values and reduced film stress. A vacuum processing apparatus is also provided for practicing methods of the invention and includes a chamber, means for depositing a material, such as WSi.sub.x, on a surface of a substrate disposed within the chamber, and means for purging the chamber with SiH.sub.4.

Utilization of SiH.sub.4 soak and purge in deposition processes

Purge in silicide deposition processes dichlorosilane

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ramanujapuram A Srinivas