Abstract: The present invention is directed to a substrate with a coating of titanium suboxide thereon. The coating protects the substrate from corrosion. Typically, the substrate is a current collector for a lead acid battery. The present invention is also directed to a process for forming the coating of titanium suboxide coating on the substrate. A colloidal dispersion of titanium suboxide particles in water is formed. The pH of the colloidal dispersion is brought within the range of 3 or less. The substrate to be coated is then placed in the colloidal dispersion. A positive electrode is also placed in the colloidal dispersion. An electric field is then introduced into the colloidal dispersion to effect electrophoretic deposition of the titanium suboxide on the substrate.

Abstract: A process for fabricating devices is disclosed. Numerous devices are formed on a substrate. The substrate is then placed on an adhesive tape mounted on a dicing ring. The devices are then separated into individual chips by dicing the substrate. Prior to dicing, the substrate is coated with a material that is relatively insoluble in water. After the substrate is diced, the coating is removed by rinsing the substrate with an organic solvent in which the material is substantially soluble. The organic solvent dissolves the coating but does not dissolve the adhesive on the tape or otherwise adversely effect the adhesion between the tape and the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved processes and apparatus for fabrication of articles having silicon-containing regions. The process comprises generating silane by electrochemical reaction with a silicon-containing precursor material. An electrochemical cell generates H.sup.+ species which react with silicon from the precursor material to form a silane. The silane is used to deposit a silicon-containing article region. An apparatus for fabricating an article having a silicon-containing region is also provided. The fabrication system includes a reaction chamber having a gas supply line communicating with a silane-generating electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell includes a first electrode for generating a supply of H.sup.+ ions, a silicon-containing precursor material in communication with the first electrode, a second electrode, and a receptacle for retaining an electrolyte.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for fabricating an integrated circuit. An imaging layer is deposited on a substrate. The imaging layer is an energy sensitive resist material. The energy sensitive resist material contains moieties that preferentially bind to refractory material. A latent image of a pattern is introduced into the imaging layer by patternwise exposing the imaging layer to energy. The patternwise exposure introduces a selectivity into the resist material that is exploited to bind refractory material preferentially to either the exposed resist material or the unexposed resist material, but not both. The refractory material forms an etch mask over the resist material to which it preferentially binds. This etch mask is then used to transfer a pattern that corresponds to the latent image into the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved processes for forming anti-corrosion layers, particularly barium metaplumbate, on lead, lead alloy-, and lead oxide-containing substrates. The processes of the invention are used to form corrosion-resistant current collectors which are assembled into lead-acid batteries. The inventive methods used to form barium metaplumbate employ a salt solution which includes a barium compound and a solvent salt. In a first embodiment, a substrate material having at least a surface comprising elemental lead reacts with a salt solution to form barium metaplumbate. The salt solution includes a barium compound and an oxidizing agent. The solvent salt or barium compound may themselves be oxidizing agents, or an additional oxidant may be added to the solution. The molten salt solution is applied to the substrate in any known manner such as dipping, spraying, and brushing.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acoustic cell for determining the composition of gas mixtures. The acoustic gas composition analysis cell has transducers acoustically isolated from the cell body through the use of an acoustic isolation material positioned at least between the transducers and the transducer housings to produce a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 4 to 1. Additionally, the transducers employed in the acoustic cell operate in the kilohertz range, reducing attenuation in the gas mixture being analyzed. The cell body employs vacuum seals which permit the use of the cell in line with vacuum equipment.

Abstract: A process for controlling the stress of multilayer films formed on a substrate is disclosed. A plurality of periods, each period having at least two layers of material wherein one of the layers of material is under compressive stress and the other layer of material is under tensile stress, are formed in a substrate. The stress in the multilayer film is controlled by selecting a thickness for the layer under compressive stress and a thickness for the layer under tensile stress that will provide a multilayer film of the desired stress. The thickness of each layer is about 0.5 nm to about 10 nm. Multilayer films with a stress of about -50 MPa to about 50 MPa are obtained using the present process. The present invention is also directed to masks with such multilayer films.

Abstract: An ellipsometric method for process control in the context of device fabrication is disclosed. An ellipsometric signal is used to provide information about the device during the fabrication process. The information is used to better control the process. An ellipsometric signal of a particular wavelength is selected. The signal is selected based on the composition and thickness of the films on the substrate through which the ellipsometric signal will pass before it is reflected from the substrate. Once the appropriate wavelength is determined, the ellipsometric signal is used to monitor the thickness of the films on the substrate over time, to assist in controlling the deposition and removal of films on the substrate, and to perform other process control functions in the context of device fabrication. The ellipsometric method is used to control the deposition and removal of films that underlie patterned masks with aspect ratios of 0.

Abstract: A surface-imaging technique for lithographic processes is disclosed. The lithographic processes are used to manufacture integrated circuit devices. An image is produced on a resist that is applied onto a substrate. The image is produced by exposing selected regions of the resist material to radiation. The selected exposed regions correspond to the image. The resist is then exposed to a silylating reagent that selectively reacts with either the exposed or the unexposed region of the resist. The silylating reagent is combined with a cross-linking reagent. The silylated resist is then subjected to reactive ion etching, which forms an in situ silicon oxide etch mask over the silylated regions of the resist. The mask so formed provides etching selectivity which provides precise image transfer from the resist into the substrate.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for fabricating a device with a junction thereon with a depth of 0.06 microns or less. The substrate also has a silicon dioxide material thereon. A dopant source is applied over a junction on the substrate. The substrate is then rapid thermal annealed to drive the dopant source into the substrate. The dopant source is then removed from the substrate using an etchant that does not contain a significant amount of HF.

Abstract: An apparatus for optically imaging surfaces at low temperature is disclosed. The apparatus places a probe within the near-field distance of a sample. Both the sample and probe are placed in a low-temperature environment. The probe and sample are movable relative to each other to enable the entire surface of the sample to be imaged. The probe dithers with a certain amplitude and is positioned within the near-field distance by observing the change in the dither amplitude as the probe is placed in proximity to the sample surface. The sample is imaged by spectroscopically evaluating the light emitted from the surface of the sample. The low temperature environment is provided by a cryostat which is adapted to receive the sample and probe. The cryostat enables the sample to be imaged at temperatures as low as 1.5 K., thereby reducing some of the light loss associated with spectroscopic imaging techniques.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning substrates in a process for device fabrication is disclosed. An aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide is used to clean the substrates. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide in the cleaning solution is maintained at a certain level. The life of the cleaning solution is extended by the process. By maintaining the concentrations of the hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide in the solution within a desired range, the process also provides a cleaning solution that effectively cleans the substates throughout the entire time the solution is used to clean the substrates. The apparatus monitors certain solution parameters such as the pH and the conductivity of the cleaning solution and adds hydrogen peroxide and/or ammonium hydroxide to the cleaning solution to maintain the parameters, and thus the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide, at desired levels.

Abstract: An integrated circuit fabrication process for creating field oxide regions in a substrate is disclosed. In the process, masking layers of oxide, nitride and deposited silicon dioxide are formed on the substrate. A pattern that defines the field oxide regions in the substrate is introduced into the substrate through these masking layers. The field oxide region is bordered by steep sidewalls in a portion of the substrate and the masking layers overlying the substrate. A thin layer of oxide is grown on the exposed portion of the substrate, and a conformal second layer of nitride followed by a conformal layer of a polycrystalline material are formed over the substrate/mask structure. The polycrystalline layer is selectively removed, so that the only portion of the polycrystalline material that remains on the structure is the portion covering the sidewalls.

Abstract: A process for fabricating transistors on a substrate is disclosed. In accordance with the process, stacks of material are formed on the surface of the substrate. Walls of silicon dioxide are created around the stacks in order to insulate the material within the stacks from the material deposited outside of the walls. A first layer of polycrystalline material is deposited over the substrate and selectively removed such that only those portions of the polycrystalline layer that surround the stacks of material remain. A layer of silicon nitride or silicon dioxide is then formed over the substrate surface. A first resist is then spun on the substrate surface. This resist aggregates near the stacks of material. An isolation mask is generated that leaves exposed only those areas of the substrate that correspond to the area of overlap between the first polycrystalline area and the stacks of material, which also contain a layer of polycrystalline material.

Abstract: In a process for heating, e.g., a semiconductor wafer within a processing chamber, the wafer is exposed to a flux of electromagnetic radiation from lamps energized by alternating electric current. The surface temperature of the wafer is measured, and responsively, the radiation flux is controlled. The temperature measurement procedure includes collecting radiation propagating away from the wafer in a first light-pipe probe, collecting radiation propagating toward the wafer in a second light-pipe probe, and detecting radiation collected in the respective probes. This procedure further involves determining, in the signal received from each probe, a magnitude of a time-varying component resulting from time-variations of the energizing current, and combining at least these magnitudes according to a mathematical expression from which the temperature can be inferred. At least some of the radiation collected by the second probe is collected after reflection from a diffusely reflecting surface.

Abstract: A process for enhancing the performance of resist polymers in lithographic processes for device fabrication is disclosed. The resist polymers contain acid labile functional groups. When these functional groups are removed and replaced by hydrogen, the polymer becomes more soluble in the aqueous base developer solutions used in lithographic processes. A portion of the acid-labile functional groups are cleaved from the polymer to obtain a resist polymer with increased sensitivity, improved adhesion, and reduced film shrinkage during post-exposure bake. The acid labile functional groups are cleaved by dissolving the polymer in a suitable solvent and subjecting the mixture to increased temperature until the desired number of acid labile functional groups are cleaved from the polymer. The polymer is then recovered from the mixture and employed as a resist in a lithographic process for device fabrication.

Abstract: A chalcogenide glass that is doped with praseodymium and contains a rare earth metal is disclosed. The rare earth metal is at least 10 mole percent of the metals in the glass. The concentration of the praseodymium in the glass is at least 200 ppm. The chalcogenide glass, when formed into an amplifier for an optical fiber transmission system, efficiently amplifies optical signals in the signal band of 1.3 .mu.m.

Abstract: A process for removing titanium from a device is disclosed. The titanium is etched at a controllable rate. The etchant oxidizes the titanium, and the oxidized titanium forms a complex in the etchant. When the concentration of this complex in the etchant nears its solubility limit, it precipitates and forms a film on the titanium metal surface. This film reduces the rate of the etch, enabling the amount of titanium removed by the etchant to be controlled.

Abstract: A package that protects an optical fiber from strain or controls the strain to which the fiber is subjected for a desired effect and a method for making the package are disclosed. The package is a sleeve with an internal passage in which a portion of an optical fiber is placed. The optical fiber and the sleeve are made of materials with coefficients of thermal expansion that are the same or different.If the coefficients of thermal expansion are the same, the package protects the fiber from certain strains brought about by a change in temperature that would otherwise result if the package and the fiber were made of different materials. However, by selectively mismatching the coefficients of thermal expansion of the package and the fiber, a change in temperature can be used to bring about a desired change in the wavelength of a grating written in the fiber. The optical fiber is fixed in the sleeve by epoxy or other adhesive means at least at one point in the internal passage of the sleeve.

Abstract: A process for assembling a laser and an apparatus used to assemble a laser is disclosed. The laser contains, among other components, a semiconductor chip, a lens and an optical fiber. The chip and lens are disposed in a housing. The optical fiber is disposed in a transmission assembly. The process replaces a tedious manual method for aligning the lens housing and the transmission assembly. The process uses an apparatus which separates each of the plurality of leads on the lens housing from each other. The apparatus restrains the lens housing while the housing is placed in contact with the transmission assembly. The apparatus provides electrical contacts which are placed into electrical connection with the leads on the lens housing. Electrical current is then provided which is conducted to the chip. The chip generates a beam of light which is focused by the lens into the fiber and then transmitted by the fiber. The power of the beam of light in the fiber is measured.