Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Other

Wolfram Grundke

Martin Mazur

Khoi A Phan

Jeffrey P Erhardt

Jerry Cheng

Daniel E Sutton

Richard J Bartlett

Anthony P Coniglio

Carol M Bradway

Bhanwar Singh

Ramkumar Subramanian

Christopher F Lyons

Marina V Plat

Uwe Griebenow

Arthur Hotzel

Heiko Wagner

Andre Poock

Remi Riviere

Thomas Streil

Sidheswara Mahapatra

Philipp Jaschinsky

Gunther Just

The present disclosure relates to techniques for supplying different chemical products to process tools of a manufacturing environment used for micro-processing substrates. To this end, the various types of chemical products may be supplied by providing mobile dispense devices having incorporated therein any required hardware components for dispensing a chemical product. Moreover, the mobile dispense devices are appropriately equipped so as to enable coupling to and removal from respective process tools, such as wafer tracks of modern lithography tools. Due to the mobile or modular nature of the respective chemical product lines, a significant reduction of cost of ownership, increased tool availability and reduced investment costs may be achieved compared to conventional regimes.

Mobile dispense device for chemicals used in micro-processing

Methods, apparatus, and system for minimizing defectivity in top-coat-free immersion photolithography are provided. Embodiments include forming a photomask by defining a first pattern including a main functional pattern in the photomask; and defining a second pattern including a sub-resolution fill pattern in the photomask in areas between or and/or within structures of the first pattern, the fill pattern having a pitch or range of pitches smaller than a minimum resolved pitch of the lithographic exposure and/or at least a part of the sub-resolution structures of the sub-resolution fill pattern not substantially modifying an imaging of any structure of the main functional pattern in the lithographic exposure.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for minimizing defectivity in top-coat-free lithography and improving reticle CD uniformity

Mask defects, such as crystal growth defects and the like, may be efficiently detected and estimated at an early stage of their development by generating test images of the mask under consideration and inspecting the images on the basis of wafer inspection techniques in order to identify repeatedly occurring defects. In some illustrative embodiments, the exposure process for generating the mask images may be performed on the basis of different exposure parameters, such as exposure doses, in order to enhance the probability of detecting defects and also estimating the effect thereof depending on the varying exposure parameters. Consequently, increased reliability may be achieved compared to conventional direct mask inspection techniques.

Method of detecting repeating defects in lithography masks on the basis of test substrates exposed under varying conditions

Methods and systems are disclosed for reducing resist residue defects in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The methods comprise appropriate adjustment of hardware, substrate, resist, developer, and process variables in order to remove resist residues from a semiconductor substrate structure in order to reduce resist residue defects therein, including special vapor prime and development operations.

Methods and systems for controlling resist residue defects at gate layer in a semiconductor device manufacturing process

Methods and systems are disclosed for reducing resist residue defects in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The methods comprise appropriate adjustment of hardware, substrate, resist, developer, and process variables in order to remove resist residues from a semiconductor substrate structure in order to reduce resist residue defects therein. The method may comprise employing an anti reflective coating prior to applying a photo resist coating in a semiconductor manufacturing process. Also disclosed are methodologies for exhausting resist residue during development via a rinsing fluid.

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises forming a first layer over a semiconductor substrate. At least one hole is formed through the first layer. A bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer is formed in the at least one hole. A first heating is performed to heat the BARC layer to a flow temperature. A second heating is performed to heat the BARC layer to a hardening temperature so that the BARC layer hardens, wherein the hardening temperature is greater than the flow temperature. An etch is performed to form a trench in the first layer and over the at least one hole, wherein the hardened BARC layer in the at least one hole acts as an etch resistant layer during the etch. As an alternative to the second heating step, the BARC may be simply hardened. The first and second heating may be performed within a heating chamber without removing the semiconductor substrate.

Dual bake for BARC fill without voids

Method for producing a material for heavy metal absorption or for

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Dresden, Germany

Wolfram Grundke