The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 17, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 12, 1995
Steven George Barbee, Dutchess County, NY (US);
Richard Anthony Conti, Westchester County, NY (US);
Alexander Kostenko, Dutchess County, NY (US);
Narayana V Sarma, Dutchess County, NY (US);
Donald Leslie Wilson, Orange County, NY (US);
Justin Wai-Chow Wong, Chittenden County, VT (US);
Steven Paul Zuhoski, Dallas County, TX (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An apparatus in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system monitors the actual wafer/substrate temperature during the deposition process. The apparatus makes possible the production of high quality aluminum oxide films with real-time wafer/substrate control. An infrared (IR) temperature monitoring device is used to control the actual wafer temperature to the process temperature setpoint. This eliminates all atmospheric temperature probing. The need for test runs and monitor wafers as well as the resources required to perform the operations is eliminated and operating cost are reduced. High quality, uniform films of aluminum oxide can be deposited on a silicon substrates with no need for additional photolithographic steps to simulate conformality that are present in a sputtered (PVD) type application. The result is a reduction in required process steps with subsequent anticipated savings in equipment, cycle time, chemicals, reduce handling, and increased yield of devices on the substrate. The apparatus incorporates a heated source material, heated delivery lines, heated inert gas purge lines, a pressure differential mass flow controller, a control system with related valving, and a vacuum process chamber with walls that are temperature controlled as a complete source delivery system to accurately and repeatably provide source vapor for LPCVD deposition of aluminum oxide onto silicon substrates.