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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8185242 | Dynamic alignment of wafers using compensation values obtained through a series of wafer movements Methods and systems to optimize wafer placement repeatability in semiconductor manufacturing equipment using a controlled series of wafer movements are provided. In one embodiment, a preliminary station calibration is performed to teach a robot position for each sta... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8179152 | Passive capacitively-coupled electrostatic (CCE) probe arrangement for detecting plasma instabilities in a plasma processing chamber An arrangement for detecting plasma instability within a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing is provided. The arrangement includes a probe arrangement, wherein the probe arrangement is disposed on a surface of the processing ... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8173547 | Silicon etch with passivation using plasma enhanced oxidation A method and apparatus for etching a silicon layer through a patterned mask formed thereon are provided. The silicon layer is placed in an etch chamber. An etch gas comprising a fluorine containing gas and an oxygen and hydrogen containing gas is provided into the e... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8172980 | Device with self aligned gaps for capacitance reduction A method for reducing capacitances between semiconductor device wirings is provided. A sacrificial layer is formed over a dielectric layer. A plurality of features are etched into the sacrificial layer and dielectric layer. The features are filled with a filler mate... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8172948 | De-fluoridation process A feature in a layer is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over the layer. The photoresist layer is patterned to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls, where the photoresist features have a first critical dimension. A fluorine-containing conforma... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8171877 | Backside mounted electrode carriers and assemblies incorporating the same A carrier assembly is provided comprising a backside mounted electrode carrier and electrode mounting hardware. The backside mounted electrode carrier comprises an electrode accommodating aperture, which in turn comprises a sidewall structure that is configured to l... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8164353 | RF-biased capacitively-coupled electrostatic (RFB-CCE) probe arrangement for characterizing a film in a plasma processing chamber A method for characterizing deposited film on a substrate within a processing chamber during processing is provided. The method includes determining voltage-current characteristic for a probe head when measuring capacitor is set at a first capacitance value. The met... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8164349 | Capacitively-coupled electrostatic (CCE) probe arrangement for detecting strike step in a plasma processing chamber and methods thereof A method for identifying a stabilized plasma within a processing chamber of a plasma processing system is provided. The method includes executing a strike step within the processing chamber to generate a plasma. The strike step includes applying a substantially high... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8161984 | Generator for foam to clean substrate In an example embodiment, a device for generating a cleaning foam includes a female housing and a male plug. The plug includes an aperture into which a fluid flows from another component of the cleaning system. The plug includes a premix chamber which receives the f... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8161906 | Clamped showerhead electrode assembly An electrode assembly for a plasma reaction chamber used in semiconductor substrate processing. The assembly includes an upper showerhead electrode which includes an inner electrode mechanically attached to a backing plate by a clamp ring and an outer electrode atta... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8159233 | Passive capacitively-coupled electrostatic (CCE) probe arrangement for detecting in-situ arcing events in a plasma processing chamber An arrangement for detecting in-situ arcing events within a processing chamber of a plasma processing system during substrate processing is provided. The arrangement includes a probe arrangement, which is disposed on a surface of the processing chamber and is config... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8158524 | Line width roughness control with arc layer open To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention a method for etching an etch layer disposed below an antireflective coating (ARC) layer below a patterned mask is provided. The ARC layer is opened, and features are etched into the... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8158017 | Detection of arcing events in wafer plasma processing through monitoring of trace gas concentrations A method of detecting substrate arcing in a semiconductor plasma processing apparatus is provided. A substrate is placed on a substrate support in a reaction chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. Process gas is introduced into the reaction chamber. A plasma is g... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8154209 | Modulated multi-frequency processing method A method is provided for operating a processing system having a space therein arranged to receive a gas and an electromagnetic field generating portion operable to generate an electromagnetic field within the space. The method includes providing a gas into the space... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8152954 | Showerhead electrode assemblies and plasma processing chambers incorporating the same The present invention relates generally to plasma processing and, more particularly, to plasma processing chambers and electrode assemblies used therein. According to one embodiment of the present invention, an electrode assembly is provided comprising a thermal con... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8150646 | Methods for delivering a process gas A method for delivering a process gas to a reaction chamber of a plasma processing system using a recipe having a recipe flow rate is provided. The method includes delivering the process gas by a gas flow delivery system controlled by a mass flow controller (MFC) to... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8147648 | Composite showerhead electrode assembly for a plasma processing apparatus A showerhead electrode for a plasma processing apparatus includes an interface gel between facing surfaces of an electrode plate and a backing plate. The interface gel maintains thermal conductivity during lateral displacements generated during temperature cycling d... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8146902 | Hybrid composite wafer carrier for wet clean equipment A carrier structure for supporting a substrate when being processed by passing the carrier through a meniscus formed by upper and lower proximity heads is described. The carrier includes a frame having an opening sized for receiving a substrate and a plurality of su... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8144328 | Methods and apparatus for normalizing optical emission spectra An arrangement for in-situ optical interrogation of plasma emission to quantitatively measure normalized optical emission spectra in a plasma chamber is provided. The arrangement includes a flash lamp and a set of quartz windows. The arrangement also includes a plur... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8143904 | System and method for testing an electrostatic chuck The present invention provides a reliable, non-invasive, electrical test method for predicting satisfactory performance of electrostatic chucks (ESCs). In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a parameter, e.g., impedance, of an ESC is measured over a ... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8143161 | Method for passivating hardware of a microelectronic topography processing chamber An apparatus for processing microelectronic topographies, a method of use of such an apparatus, and a method for passivating hardware of microelectronic processing chambers are provided. The apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to support a microelectron... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8141566 | System, method and apparatus for maintaining separation of liquids in a controlled meniscus A system and method of forming and using a proximity head. The proximity head includes a head surface including a first zone, a second zone and an inner return zone. The first zone including a first flat surface region and multiple first discrete holes connected to ... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8138092 | Spacer formation for array double patterning A method for forming an array area with a surrounding periphery area, wherein a substrate is disposed under an etch layer, which is disposed under a patterned organic mask defining the array area and covers the entire periphery area is provided. The patterned organi... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8137501 | Bevel clean device An apparatus for removing material on a bevel of a wafer is provided. A wafer support with a diameter that is less than the diameter of the wafer, wherein the wafer support is on a first side of the wafer, and wherein an outer edge of the wafer extends beyond the wa... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8137474 | Cleaning compound and method and system for using the cleaning compound A cleaning compound is provided. The cleaning compound includes about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of a fatty acid dispersed in water. The cleaning compound includes an amount of a base sufficient to bring a pH of the fatty acid water solution to ab... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8135485 | Offset correction techniques for positioning substrates within a processing chamber A method for aligning a substrate to a process center of a support mechanism is provided. The method includes determining substrate thickness after substrate processing at a plurality of orientations and at a plurality of radial distances from a geometric center of ... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8133812 | Methods and systems for barrier layer surface passivation This invention pertains to methods and systems for fabricating semiconductor devices. One aspect of the present invention is a method of depositing a gapfill copper layer onto a barrier layer for semiconductor device metallization. In one embodiment, the method incl... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8133349 | Rapid and uniform gas switching for a plasma etch process An inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber in which a semiconductor substrate is processed, a substrate support, a dielectric window forming a wall of the chamber, an antenna operable to generate and maintain a plasma in the pro... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8128750 | Aluminum-plated components of semiconductor material processing apparatuses and methods of manufacturing the components Aluminum-plated components of semiconductor material processing apparatuses are disclosed. The components include a substrate and an optional intermediate layer formed on at least one surface of the substrate. The intermediate layer includes at least one surface. An... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8128278 | Methods and apparatus for thin metal film thickness measurement A method for measuring a metal film thickness is provided. The method initiates with heating a region of interest of a metal film with a defined amount of heat energy. Then, a temperature of the metal film is measured. Next, a thickness of the metal film is calculat... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8127395 | Apparatus for isolated bevel edge clean and method for using the same An apparatus, system and method for cleaning a substrate edge include a bristle brush unit that cleans bevel polymers deposited on substrate edges using frictional contact in the presence of cleaning chemistry. The bristle brush unit is made up of a plurality of out... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8124540 | Hardmask trim method A method for forming features in a polysilicon layer is provided. A hardmask layer is formed over the polysilicon layer. A photoresist mask is formed over the hardmask layer. The hardmask layer is etched through the photoresist mask to form a patterned hardmask. The... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8124538 | Selective etch of high-k dielectric material A method for selectively etching a high-k dielectric layer with respect to a polysilicon material is provided. The high-k dielectric layer is partially removed by Ar sputtering, and then the high-k dielectric layer is etched using an etching gas comprising BCl3... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8124516 | Trilayer resist organic layer etch A method of forming dual damascene features in a porous low-k dielectric layer is provided. Vias are formed in the porous low-k dielectric layer. An organic planarization layer is formed over the porous low-k dielectric layer, wherein the organic layer fills the via... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8123038 | Floater packaging A packaging system for holding an object is provided. An outer container comprising a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides is provided. An inner container comprising a top, a bottom, and a plurality of sides is provided. A top floater is attached to the top of th... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8122910 | Flexible manifold for integrated gas system gas panels A flexible gas delivery apparatus having a gas panel with a first extension block having a first section and second section, the first section positioned between a mixing valve and the substrate having an exit port in fluid communication with a pump/purge manifold, ... | 02/28/2012 |
| 8119532 | Inductively coupled dual zone processing chamber with single planar antenna A dual zone plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a first substrate support having a first support surface adapted to support a first substrate within the processing chamber and a second substrate support having a second suppo... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8114780 | Method for dielectric material removal between conductive lines A method of removing carbon doped silicon oxide between metal contacts is provided. A layer of the carbon doped silicon oxide is converted to a layer of silicon oxide by removing the carbon dopant. The converted layer of silicon oxide is selectively wet etched with ... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8114246 | Vacuum plasma processor having a chamber with electrodes and a coil for plasma excitation and method of operating same A vacuum plasma processor includes a roof structure including a dielectric window carrying (1) a semiconductor plate having a high electric conductivity so it functions as an electrode, (2) a hollow coil and (3) at least one electric shield. The shield, coil and sem... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8105997 | Composition and application of a two-phase contaminant removal medium The embodiments provide substrate cleaning techniques to remove contaminants from the substrate surface to improve device yield. The substrate cleaning techniques utilize a cleaning material with solid components and polymers with a large molecular weight dispersed ... | 01/31/2012 |
