Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd (corporation)

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Other

Chartered Semiconductor

Subhash Gupta

Simon Yew-Meng Chooi

Mei Sheng Zhou

John Leonard Sudijono

Sudipto Ranendra Roy

Yakub Aliyu

Yi Liang Xu

Paul Kwok Keung Ho

Paul Kwok Ho

Mei-Sheng Zhou

Steven C Avanzino

Scott D Luning

Ming-Ren Lin

Sangki Hong

Bhanwar Singh

Xu Yi

Rich K Klein

Susan H Chen

Robin W Cheung

Kwok Keung Paul Ho

Darrell M Erb

David Keating Foote

Jacob D Haskell

Richard K Klein

Bryan M Tracy

Fei Wang

Paul Raymond Besser

Michael K Templeton

Anthony John Toprac

Ramasamy Chockalingam

Carmen L Morales

Myron R Cagan

Mutya Vicente

Douglas John Downey

Takeshi Nogami

Angela Tai Hui

Matthew S Buynoski

Alex See

Simon S Chan

Shekhar Pramanick

Yelehanka Ramachandramurthy Pradeep

Kashmir S Sahota

Yeow Kheng Lim

Che-Hoo Ng

Cher Liang Cha

Craig S Sander

Diana M Schonauer

Wang Ling Goh

Meisheng Zhou

Vijai Kumar Chhagan

Ahmad Waleh

Chockalingam Ramasamy

Jianxun Li

Yelehanka Ramachandramurthy

Vijai Komar Chhagan

Chyi Shyuam Chern

Kwok Keung Ho

Ming Hui Far

Sang Ki Hong

Man Siu Tse

Simon Choo I

Shekhan Pramanick

Simon Chool

Ming-Rin Lin

A semiconductor chip having an exposed metal terminating pad thereover, and a separate substrate having a corresponding exposed metal bump thereover are provided. A conducting polymer plug is formed over the exposed metal terminating pad. A conforming interface layer is formed over the conducting polymer plug. The conducting polymer plug of the semiconductor chip is aligned with the corresponding metal bump. The conforming interface layer over the conducting polymer plug is mated with the corresponding metal bump. The conforming interface layer is thermally decomposed, adhering and permanently attaching the conducting polymer plug with the corresponding metal bump. Methods of forming and patterning a nickel carbonyl layer are also disclosed.

Method of copper/copper surface bonding using a conducting polymer for application in IC chip bonding

It has been discovered that all causes of critical dimension variation, both known and unknown, are compensated by adjusting the time of photoresist etch. Accordingly, a control method employs a control system using photoresist etch time as a manipulated variable in either a feedforward or a feedback control configuration to control critical dimension variation during semiconductor fabrication. By controlling critical dimensions through the adjustment of photoresist etch time, many advantages are achieved including a reduced lot-to-lot variation, an increased yield, and increased speed of the fabricated circuits. In one embodiment these advantages are achieved for polysilicon gate critical dimension control in microprocessor circuits. Polysilicon gate linewidth variability is reduced using a control method using either feedforward and feedback or feedback alone. In some embodiments, feedback control is implemented for controlling critical dimensions using photoresist each time as a manipulated variable. In an alternative embodiment, critical dimensions are controlled using RF power as a manipulated variable. A run-to-run control technique is used to drive the critical dimensions of integrated circuits to a set specification. In a run-to-run control technique a wafer test or measurement is made and a process control recipe is adjusted based on the result of the test or measurement on a run-by-run basis. The run-to-run control technique is applied to drive the critical dimensions of a polysilicon gate structure to a target specification. The run-to-run control technique is applied to drive the critical dimensions in an integrated circuit to a defined specification using photoresist etch time as a manipulated variable.

Run to run control process for controlling critical dimensions

A new apparatus is provided that can be applied to clean outer edges of semiconductor substrates. Under the first embodiment of the invention, a brush is mounted on the surface of the substrate around the periphery of the substrate, chemicals are fed to the surface that is being cleaned by means of a hollow core on which the cleaning brush is mounted. The surface that is being cleaned rotates at a relatively high speed thereby causing the chemicals that are deposited on this surface (by the brush) to remain in the edge of the surface. Under the second embodiment of the invention, a porous roller is mounted between a chemical reservoir and the surface that is being cleaned, the surface that is being cleaned rotates at a relatively high speed. The chemicals that are deposited by the interfacing porous roller onto the surface that is being cleaned therefore remain at the edge of this surface thereby causing optimum cleaning action of the edge of the surface. After contaminants have been removed in this manner from the surface, the surface can be further cleaned by applying DI water.

Apparatus and methods to clean copper contamination on wafer edge

A method to form copper interconnects is described. The method may be used to form single or dual damascene interconnects. The addition of an aluminum barrier layer to the conventional barrier layer creates a superior barrier to copper diffusion. A substrate layer is provided. A dielectric layer is deposited overlying the substrate layer. The dielectric layer patterned to form interconnect trenches. An optional titanium adhesion layer may be deposited. An aluminum barrier layer is deposited overlying the interior surfaces of the trenches. A second barrier layer, comprising for instance titanium and titanium nitride, is deposited overlying the aluminum barrier layer. A copper layer is deposited overlying the second barrier layer and filling the interconnect trenches. The copper layer, the second barrier layer, and the aluminum barrier layer are polished down to the top surface of the dielectric layer to define the copper interconnects, and complete the fabrication of the integrated circuit device.

Method to form copper interconnects by adding an aluminum layer to the copper diffusion barrier

A method of bonding a wire to a metal bonding pad, comprising the following steps. A semiconductor die structure having an exposed metal bonding pad within a chamber is provided. The bonding pad has an upper surface. A hydrogen-plasma is produced within the chamber from a plasma source. The metal bonding pad is pre-cleaned and passivated with the hydrogen-plasma to remove any metal oxide formed on the metal bonding pad upper surface. A wire is then bonded to the passivated metal bonding pad.

Method of using hydrogen plasma to pre-clean copper surfaces during Cu/Cu or Cu/metal bonding

A method of bonding a bonding element to a metal bonding pad comprises the following steps. A semiconductor structure having an exposed, recessed metal bonding pad within a layer opening is provided. The layer has an upper surface. A conductive cap having a predetermined thickness is formed over the metal bonding pad. A bonding element is bonded to the conductive cap to form an electrical connection with the metal bonding pad.

Method of application of conductive cap-layer in flip-chip, cob, and micro metal bonding

A method for cleaning a semiconductor structure using vapor phase condensation with a thermally vaporized cleaning agent, a hydrocarbon vaporized by pressure variation, or a combination of the two. In the thermally vaporized cleaning agent process, a semiconductor structure is lowered into a vapor blanket in a thermal gradient cleaning chamber at atmospheric pressure formed by heating a liquid cleaning agent below the vapor blanket and cooling the liquid cleaning agent above the vapor blanket causing it to condense and return to the bottom of the thermal gradient cleaning chamber. The semiconductor structure is then raised above the vapor blanket and the cleaning agent condenses on all of the surfaces of the semiconductor structure removing contaminants and is returned to the bottom of the chamber by gravity. In the pressurized hydrocarbon process, a semiconductor structure is placed into a variable pressure cleaning chamber, having a piston which changes the pressure by reducing or increasing the volume of the chamber. The semiconductor structure first exposed to the hydrocarbon in vapor phase, then the piston is lowered to condense the hydrocarbon. A semiconductor structure can be cleaned by either or both of these processes by repetitive vaporization/condensation cycles.

Method for cleaning semiconductor structures using hydrocarbon and solvents in a repetitive vapor phase/liquid phase sequence

Method and product for forming a dual damascene interconnect structure, wherein depositing a copper sulfide interface layer as sidewalls to the opening deters migration or diffusing of copper ions into the dielectric material.

Method to create a copper diffusion deterrent interface

An EUV photolithographic mask device and a method of fabricating the same. The EUV photolithographic mask comprises a multi-layer over an EUV masking substrate and a patterned light absorbing layer formed on the multi-layer. The method comprises the steps of forming a multi-layer on an EUV mask substrate, forming a light absorbing layer on the multi-layer, and etching an opening through the light absorbing layer to the multi-layer. The light absorbing layer includes a metal selected from the group comprising nickel, chromium, cobalt, and alloys thereof, and is preferably nickel.

Method of extreme ultraviolet mask engineering

An inexpensive and safe copper removal method in the fabrication of integrated circuits is described. Copper is stripped or removed by a chemical mixture comprising an ammonium salt, an amine, and water. The rate of copper stripping can be controlled by varying the concentration of the ammonium salt component and the amount of water in the mixture. Also a novel chemical mixture for stripping copper and removing copper contamination is provided. The novel chemical mixture for removing or stripping copper comprises an ammonium salt, an amine, and water. For example, the novel chemical mixture may comprise ammonium fluoride, water, and ethylenediamine in a ratio of 1:1:1.

Method for stripping copper in damascene interconnects

A method for forming dual-damascene type conducting interconnects with non-metallic barriers that protect said interconnects from fluorine out-diffusion from surrounding low-k, fluorinated dielectric materials. One embodiment of the method is particularly suited for forming such interconnects in microelectronics fabrications of the sub 0.15 micron generation.

Non-metallic barrier formations for copper damascene type interconnects

A new method and apparatus is provided that can be applied to clean outer edges of semiconductor substrates. Under the first embodiment of the invention, a brush is mounted on the surface of the substrate around the periphery of the substrate, chemicals are fed to the surface that is being cleaned by means of a hollow core on which the cleaning brush is mounted. The surface that is being cleaned rotates at a relatively high speed thereby causing the chemicals that are deposited on this surface (by the brush) to remain in the edge of the surface. Under the second embodiment of the invention, a porous roller is mounted between a chemical reservoir and the surface that is being cleaned, the surface that is being cleaned rotates at a relatively high speed. The chemicals that are deposited by the interfacing porous roller onto the surface that is being cleaned therefore remain at the edge of this surface thereby causing optimum cleaning action of the edge of the surface. After contaminants have been removed in this manner from the surface, the surface can be further cleaned by applying DI water.

Method and apparatus for removing contaminants from the perimeter of a semiconductor substrate

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Singapore, Singapore

Subhash Gupta