Abstract: A method for forming an oxynitride gate dielectric in a semiconductor device and gate dielectric structure formed by the method are disclosed. In the method, an oxynitride layer is first formed on a silicon surface and then re-oxidized with a gas mixture containing oxygen and at least one halogenated species such that an oxynitride layer with a controlled nitrogen profile and a layer of substantially silicon dioxide formed underneath the oxynitride film is obtained. The oxynitride film layer can be formed by either contacting a surface of silicon with at least one gas that contains nitrogen and/or oxygen at a temperature of not less than 500° C. or by a chemical vapor deposition technique. The re-oxidation process may be carried out by a thermal process in an oxidizing halogenated atmosphere containing oxygen and a halogenated species such as HCl, CH2Cl2, C2H3Cl3, C2H2Cl2, CH3Cl and CHCl3.

Abstract: A method for forming solder bumps on an electronic structure including the steps of first providing a mold made by a sheet of a mold material having a thickness greater than that of the solder bumps to be formed, the mold material has sufficient optical transparency so as to allow the inspection of a solder material subsequently filled into the mold cavities that are formed in the mold material, and a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially similar to the substrate which the mold will be mated to, forming a multiplicity of mold cavities in the sheet of mold material, filling the multiplicity of mold cavities with a solder material, cooling the mold to a temperature that is sufficient to solidify the solder material in the multiplicity of mold cavities, positioning the mold intimately with the electronic structure such that the cavities facing the structure, and heating the mold and the structure together to a temperature sufficiently high such that the solder material transfers onto the electro

Abstract: A method of forming interconnects on an electronic device that can be bonded to another electronic device at a low processing temperature can be carried out by depositing a first interconnect material on the electronic device forming protrusions and then depositing a second interconnect material to at least partially cover the protrusions, wherein the second interconnect material has a lower flow temperature than the first interconnect material. The method is carried out by flowing a molten solder into a mold having microcavities to fill the cavities and then allowed to solidify. The mold is then aligned with a silicon wafer containing chips deposited with high melting temperatures solder bumps such that each microcavity of the mold is aligned with each high melting temperature solder bump on the chip.

Abstract: Copper alloys containing between 0.01 and 10 weight percent of at least one alloying element selected from carbon, indium and tin for improved electromigration resistance, low resistivity and good corrosion resistance that can be used in chip and package interconnections and a method of making such interconnections and conductors by first forming the copper alloy and then annealing it to cause the diffusion of the alloying element toward the grain boundaries between the grains in the alloy are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for forming solder bumps by a molten solder screening technique in which a flexible die head constructed of a metal sheet is utilized for maintaining an intimate contact between the die head and a solder receiving mold surface. The flexible die head, when used in combination with a pressure means, is capable of conforming to any curved mold surface as long as the curvature is not more than 2.5 .mu.m per inch of die length. The present invention further provides a method and apparatus for filling a multiplicity of cavities in a mold surface by providing a stream of molten solder and then intimately contacting the surface of the molten solder with a multiplicity of cavities such that the molten solder readily fills the cavities. The apparatus further provides means for removing excess molten solder from the surface of the mold without disturbing the molten solder already filled in the cavities.

Abstract: A soft metal conductor for use in a semiconductor device that has an upper-most layer consisting of grains having grain sizes sufficiently large so as to provide a substantially scratch-free surface upon polishing in a subsequent chemical mechanical polishing step.

Abstract: An electronic device that is equipped with a plurality of bonding pads positioned on the device for making electrical interconnections and electrically conductive composite bumps adhered to the bonding pads wherein the bumps are formed of a composite material consisting of a thermoplastic polymer and at least about 30 volume percent of conductive metal particles based on the total volume of the metal particles and the thermoplastic polymer. The present invention is also directed to a method of making electrical interconnections to an electronic device by pressing a plurality of composite bumps of a polymeric based material against a substrate having an electrically conductive surface by mechanical means under a sufficient temperature and/or a sufficient pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for transferring solder bumps from a solder mold to a solder-receiving substrate are disclosed. The apparatus includes a transfer fixture constructed by a base member, a lid member and a compressible member for holding a mold/substrate assembly therein. A plurality of compression pins are mounted through the lid member for supplying a uniform pressure on the mold/substrate assembly and for allowing lateral motion of the mold/substrate assembly relative to the transfer fixture due to a mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion. The compressible member is a cellulosic foam sheet which applies a uniform joining force across the entire surface of a wafer and assures abutting contact between the entire wafer and the mold surface. The foam sheet further assists in the lateral movement of the mold/substrate assembly relative to the base member of the transfer fixture.

Abstract: A novel susceptor used in a chemical vapor deposition device that is made of a ceramic material, specifically, an aluminum nitride material.

Abstract: An improved method of depositing films of a gate silicon nitride and an amorphous silicon on a thin film transistor substrate at high deposition rates while maintaining superior film quality is provided. The material near the interface between the amorphous silicon and the nitride are deposited at a low deposition rate which produces superior quality films. The region away from the interface are deposited at a high deposition rate which produces lesser, but still good quality films. By using this method, superior quality thin film transistors can be produced at very high efficiency. The method can be carried out by depositing a high quality g-SiN.sub.x at a low deposition rate on top of an average quality gate nitride deposited at a high deposition rate and then depositing an amorphous silicon layer.

Abstract: A novel and improved method of in-situ cleaning unwanted films and particles of a material from a surface situated inside a vacuum chamber by equipping such chamber with a means of generating a magnetic field having a magnetic flux density of at least 25 gauss, flowing at least one gas into the chamber and igniting a plasma and thus producing plasma ions of at least one gas, switching on the magnetic field generating means to a magnetic flux density of no less than 25 gauss and, reducing the magnetic field by a flux density of at least 10 gauss such that the unwanted films and particles of the material are dislodged from the surface by the sudden change in the magnetic flux density at the magnetic field.

Abstract: An improved method of etching or cleaning a cold-wall chemical vapor deposition chamber that is substantially moisture-free at a low chamber temperature and a low chamber pressure while maintaining a satisfactory etch rate by using at least one etchant gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen trifluoride, chlorine trifluoride, sulfur hexafluoride, carbon tetrafluoride or the like and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition method that utilizes conventional CVD equipment to deposit silicon dioxide films is provided. The method is capable of producing excellent step coverage on substrates with steep step portions. Tetra-ethoxy-ortho-silicate, acetic-acid, and water are independently gasified by gasifiers and are fed into a reaction chamber. The mixed vapor is heated in the chamber to activate a chemical reaction so that high-fluidity tetra-hydroxy-silicon can be uniformly deposited on a semiconductor substrate containing step portions. Subsequently, two water molecules are detached from tetra-hydroxy-silicon in a dehydration process thereby forming silicon dioxide.

Abstract: Gas transmission plugs are placed in a supporting strip portion in plastics injection mold tooling so that an appropriate gas assist injection location can be readily selected, and mated, with a gas injection nozzle thereby eliminating the requirement for pre-drilling mold tooling with gas injection points and removing the tooling from the press so that a gas injection nozzle can be installed relative to the selected injection location. The plugs can be made from porous metal or ceramic with pores that are so small that plastics cannot enter the plug to cause pore clogging. Also, linear gas transmitting passages can be laser beam drilled through plugs of steel or other material with diameters that are sufficiently minute to prevent entry of plastics melt and resultant clogging.

Abstract: A metal-glass seal resistor composition for use between a terminal member and an electrode member in a resistor spark plug containing by weight of 24 to 33 percent glass, 18 to 25 percent mullite, 36 to 49 percent zirconia, 0.5 to 1.6 percent carbon black, 0 to 2.0 percent bentonite, 0.3 to 0.8 percent sucrose, 0.8 to 1.2 percent lithium carbonate, 0.5 to 1.3 percent antimony and 0.5 to 1.3 percent silicon.

Abstract: Plastic automotive panels are painted electrostatically by coating the rear of the panel with conductive material to serve as the grounded terminus of an electrostatic paint deposition field and paint is sprayed onto the front of the panel by conventional electrostatic spray guns. The coating is applied to the panels by spraying a conductive salt or a conductive primer to the rear surface and allowed to dry, or the panel is formed with the conductive coating molded in situ. In the latter case, conductive material is sprayed onto a mold surface or a metal foil or metallized plastic sheet is inserted into the mode before the part is formed to result in a panel with a conductive rear surface. Also, in-mold coating can be used to apply a conductive coating during the formation of a plastic panel.

Abstract: A heat curable resin composition consists essentially of a thermosetting resin, a curing agent chemically reacting with the resin for curing the resin upon the application of a predetermined amount of heat for a predetermined period of time, and an additive system consisting of a chemically inert salt which is soluble in the resin and carbon blacks for increasing the dielectric loss factor of the composition without a significant increase in viscosity of the composition to accelerate the dielectric heating rate. A method of preparing the heat curable resin composition includes the steps of mixing the thermosetting resin and curing agent which chemically reacts with the resin for curing the resin upon the application of a predetermined amount of heat for a predetermined period of time and mixing an additive system consisting of a chemically inert salt and carbon blacks in the resin and increasing the dielectric loss factor of the composition without a significant increase in viscosity of the composition.

Abstract: A method of extrusion of a profiled strip of plastic material having a smooth surface finish without any shock line defects by riding the plastic strip on a unidirectionally rotatable roller positioned between the extrusion die lips and the water cooling bath.

Abstract: A method of forming friction-reducing and wear-resistant silver/molybdenum coating material by co-depositing quantities of silver and molybdenum simultaneously forming nano-crystalline binary mixtures on iron surfaces.

Abstract: A balanced pressure compression molding method in which a first charge of a plastic material that will at least constitute the reinforcing means, i.e., the ribs and/or bosses, is first placed in the mold and compressed, the mold is then opened and a second charge of the plastic material is placed in the mold to constitute the flat or panel portion of the panel part after compression. A force is applied to the ejector means of the molding apparatus such that a pressure between 500 to 1500 psi is generated inside the rib sections. This force is removed before the end of the molding cycle. A plastic part having a perfect appearance surface without sink mark defects can be produced.