Intel Corporation

Reza M Golzarian

Mansour Moinpour

Robert P Meagley

Seiichi Morimoto

Andrea C Oehler

A method of forming and a device including an interconnect structure having a unidirectional electrical conductive material is described. The unidirectional conductive material may overlie interconnect materials, and/or may surround interconnect materials, such as by lining the walls and base of a trench and via. The unidirectional conductive material may be configured to conduct electricity in a direction corresponding to a projection to or from a contact point and conductive material overlying the unidirectional conductive material, but have no substantial electrical conductivity in other directions. Moreover, the unidirectional conductive material may be electrically conductive in a direction normal to a surface over which it is formed or in directions along or across a plane, but have no substantial electrical conductivity in other directions. Finally, the unidirectional conductive material may have properties tending to reduce metal diffusion, reduce electron migration, provide adhesion or bonding, and/or act as an etch stop.

Unidirectionally conductive materials for interconnection

The present invention relates to the manufacture and use of novel pre-coated abrasive particles and particle slurries for the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of semiconductor wafers, thin films, inter-layer dielectric, metals, and other components during integrated circuit, flat panel display, or MEMS manufacturing. For example, polishing slurry abrasive particles can be pre-coated with additives, such as, inhibitors and/or surfactants during manufacture of the abrasive particles or slurry. The additive's opportunity to react directly with the abrasive particles early in the particle manufacturing process provides a slurry having a more stable, selectable, and predictable ratio of abrasive particles pre-coated with a more stable, selectable, and predictable amount and type of additives.

Pre-coated particles for chemical mechanical polishing

A substrate processing apparatus equipped to employ an energy directed at a process side of a substrate to enhance and control material removal is provided.

Energy enhanced surface planarization

Acoustic energy may be utilized to generate phonons for activating implanted species. As a result, greater activation may be achieved with lower thermal budgets. Higher temperatures utilized in conventional processes may result in damage to semiconductor wafers. In some embodiments, the acoustic energy may be coupled with rapid thermal annealing, laser annealing, or other annealing processes. The acoustic energy may be developed by vibrational sources, laser energy, or other sources.

Using acoustic energy including two lasers to activate implanted species

A substrate processing apparatus equipped to employ electrical potential to assist in planarization and/or conditioning is provided.

Electrically enhanced surface planarization

An apparatus for conditioning a polishing pad of a CMP apparatus for making semiconductor wafers is provided which includes a control arm configured to extend at least partially over a polishing pad. The apparatus also includes at least one cylindrical conditioning piece coupled to the control arm where the control arm is configured to apply the at least one cylindrical conditioning piece to the polishing pad.

Polishing pad conditioning

Embodiments of methods and apparatus in accordance with the present invention provide a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process that provides single or multiple polishing pads to have a different rotational velocity, applied pressure and oscillation frequency on the surface of the substrate to address and compensate for the WIW (with-in-substrate) and WID (with-in-die) non-uniformities in planarization ability. The velocity of each polishing pad is adjustable providing a closer match to the substrate surface velocity over a particular zone to yield a linear velocity on the surface of the substrate.

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Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Reza M Golzarian