International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Ronald A Warren

Arne Watson Ballantine

David Stanasolovich

Harold G Linde

Donna Rizzone Cote

Dennis P Hogan

Edward Crandal Cooney, Iii

William Alfred Syverson

Jeffrey D Gilbert

Emily E Fisch

Gary L Milo

Scott Alan Estes

Amy L Myrick

Robert G Miller

Edward J Nowak

Anthony K Stamper

Terence B Hook

Andrew Herbert Simon

Stephen Edward Greco

Nancy Anne Greco

Jay Sanford Burnham

Ronald Dean Goldblatt

Steven W Mittl

Glenn Robert Miller

George A Dunbar, Iii

Michael E Bailey

Frank V Liucci

Cheryl Faltermeier

David H Yao

Nicholas N Mone, Jr

Madhu Sayala

Bruce A Root

Timothy E Forhan

In a process using a hot phosphoric acid etchant () to etch silicon nitride on a semiconductor wafer () submerged in a tank () of the etchant (), a recirculating path is established for the etchant (). A porous filter () is coated with silicon nitride and installed in the recirculating path. As the etchant () in the recirculating path flows through the porous filter (), the silicon nitride on the porous filter () dissolves into the etchant (). In the tank (), the silicon nitride dissolved in the etchant () significantly suppresses the etch of silicon dioxide on the semiconductor wafer (), thereby enhancing the etch selectivity of the process. Monitoring and maintaining the concentration of the silicon nitride in the etchant () stabilizes the etch selectivity of the process.

Etch apparatus

A method, and associated structure, for monitoring temperature and temperature distributions in a heating chamber for a temperature range of 200 to 600&deg; C., wherein the heating chamber may be used in the fabrication of a semiconductor device. A copper layer is deposited over a surface of a semiconductor wafer. Next, the wafer is heated in an ambient oxygen atmosphere to a temperature in the range of 200-600&deg; C. The heating of the wafer oxidizes a portion of the copper layer, which generates an oxide layer. After being heated, the wafer is removed and a sheet resistance is measured at points on the wafer surface. Since the local sheet resistance is a function of the local thickness of the oxide layer, a spatial distribution of sheet resistance over the wafer surface reflects a distribution of wafer temperature across the wafer surface during the heating of the wafer. The measured spatial distribution of sheet resistance may be utilized to readjust the spatial distribution of heat input to another wafer in order to achieve a more uniform temperature across the other wafer's surface. In addition, the monitor may be reconditioned for repeated use by heating the monitor in a hydrogen ambient environment to convert the oxide layer to unoxidized copper. Additionally, the oxide layer has a color that is a function of the oxide layer thickness, where the color may be used to estimate the temperature at which the wafer was heated in the ambient oxygen atmosphere.

Metal oxide temperature monitor

In a process using a hot phosphoric acid etchant ( ) to etch silicon nitride on a semiconductor wafer ( ) submerged in a tank ( ) of the etchant ( ), a recirculating path is established for the etchant ( ). A porous filter ( ) is coated with silicon nitride and installed in the recirculating path. As the etchant ( ) in the recirculating path flows through the porous filter ( ), the silicon nitride on the porous filter ( ) dissolves into the etchant ( ). In the tank ( ), the silicon nitride dissolved in the etchant ( ) significantly suppresses the etch of silicon dioxide on the semiconductor wafer ( ), thereby enhancing the etch selectivity of the process. Monitoring and maintaining the concentration of the silicon nitride in the etchant ( ) stabilizes the etch selectivity of the process.

Etch process and apparatus therefor

A method for increasing the production yield of semiconductor devices having copper metallurgy planarized by a chemical-mechanical planarization process which includes a slurry that contains a conductor passivating agent, like benzotriazole, wherein a non-oxidizing anneal is used to remove any residue which might interfere with mechanical probing of conductive lands on the substrate prior to further metallization steps. The anneal may be performed by any of several techniques including a vacuum chamber, a standard furnace or by rapid thermal annealing.

Method of annealing copper metallurgy

A method for detecting physical interference with desired transport of an article. The method includes the step of detecting an operative acoustic signal representing the structure-borne sound pattern of an article during said article transport, and detecting the presence of interference based on the acoustic signal. A system for performing the method includes a transport device adapted to transport the article through a predetermined path and an acoustic sensor in structure-borne acoustic contact with the transport device and capable of producing an acoustic signal indicative of physical interference.

Structure and method for detection of physical interference during transport of an article

A process for treating a workpiece. The workpiece is cooled by directing toward the workpiece a material that includes a gas and particles of a material that undergoes a phase change when applied to the workpiece. The gas and the particle material are non-reactive with the workpiece during the cooling.

Cryogenic/phase change cooling for rapid thermal process systems

A sputtering apparatus using a collimator disposed between a wafer holder for holding a wafer and a target to intercept some of the particles ejected from the target, wherein the collimator is movable in a direction parallel to the wafer surface in a manner permitting the collimator to be cleaned and maintained in situ simultaneous with sputtering deposition processing.

Enhanced collimated sputtering apparatus and its method of use

A circuit actively monitors and measures the amount of MOS device degradation due to, for example, the hot electron effect, and makes compensatory adjustments to device voltage levels or clock speed to maintain desired levels of functionality and performance. Monitoring can be done separately for NFET and PFET devices to selectively adjust for different degradation rates between the two. In operation, the monitor circuit compares the performance of a stressed device to a reference device, that is, an unstressed device which has not been degraded by the hot-electron effect. The monitor circuit outputs a signal indicating the amount of device degradation. This signal is used to adjust the supply voltage to that device or to the chip or otherwise compensate for the degradation. The monitor circuit can be formed on-chip or off-chip.

Hot electron compensation for improved MOS transistor reliability

The present invention relates to wear-through detection in multilayered parts. This invention specifically encompasses, in one aspect, wear-through detection in semiconductor vacuum processing systems in which a wear indicator that will release a detectable constituent upon exposure to processing conditions is used inside the semiconductor vacuum processing tool. This invention permits real time detection of wear during operation of semiconductor vacuum processing equipment.

Wear-through detector for multilayered parts and methods of using same

A method for controlling the implantation of ions into a target. An ion source chamber having a filament for causing evolution of the ions to be implanted is provided. An ion source reactant gas is provided for providing a source of the ion species to be implanted. A counteracting gas is provided to counter the chemical transport from or to the filament depending on the reaction between the ion source gas ions and the filament and to compensate for the reaction. The ion source reactant is introduced into the ion source chamber. Parameters regarding electrical or physical characteristics of the filament are measured. The counteracting gas is introduced based upon the measured parameters, wherein the counteracting gas forms ions to compensate for removal or deposition of material on the filament. The ions to be implanted are extracted from ion source chamber and directed to the target.

Method for extended ion implanter source lifetime with control mechanism

The life of a source filament in an ion implantation tool is extended by providing in the ion implantation tool both an ion source reactant gas for providing a source of ion species to be implanted and a counteracting gas to counter the chemical transport from or to the filament, depending upon the reaction that occurs between the ion source gas ions and the source filament.

Method for extended ion implanter source lifetime

Apparatus and method for cleaning/etching the surface of an article with sonic energy in the megahertz range which employ an anti-reflection mechanism within a recirculation tank. A tank having at least one side wall and a bottom structure holds a cleaning/etching liquid and a megasonic transducer is associated with the tank for projecting megasonic energy into the liquid. The anti-reflection mechanism is disposed within the tank in close association with the at least one sidewall or bottom structure of the tank to thereby minimize reflection of megasonic energy from the associated surface. Preferably, the megasonic transducer is associated with a first tank sidewall which opposes a second tank sidewall, and the anti-reflection mechanism is disposed adjacent the second tank sidewall. By way of example, the anti-reflection mechanism can comprise a stream of gas bubbles, a plurality of anechoic structures, or a combination of both gas bubbles and anechoic structures.

Apparatus for uniform cleaning of wafers using megasonic energy

A process is disclosed for making circuit elements by photolithography comprising depositing an antireflective polyimide or polyimide precursor layer on a substrate and heating the substrate at 200.degree. C. to 500.degree. to provide a functional integrated circuit element that includes an antireflective polyimide layer. The antireflective polyimide layer contains a sufficient concentration of at least one chromophore to give rise to an absorbance sufficient to attenuate actinic radiation at 405 or 436 nm. Preferred chromophores include those arising from perylenes, naphthalenes and anthraquinones. The chromophore may reside in a dye which is a component of the polyimide coating mixture or it may reside in a residue which is incorporated into the polyimide itself.

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Essex Junction, VT, United States of America

Ronald A Warren