Abstract: In a method and system for vapor etching, a material to be etched and an etch resistant material are placed into an etching chamber. Thereafter, a pressure in the etching chamber is adjusted to a desired pressure and the substrate is exposed to an etching gas and a gas that comprises oxygen. The exposure substantially selectively etches the material to be etched while substantially avoiding the etching of the etch resistant material.

Abstract: Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of defects in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In certain embodiments, the process solution may reduce post-development defects such as pattern collapse or line width roughness when employed as a rinse solution either during or after the development of the patterned photoresist layer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing the number of defects such as pattern collapse and/or line width roughness on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates employing the process solution of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention is a process for forming an air gap within a substrate, the process comprising: providing a substrate; depositing a sacrificial material by deposition of at least one sacrificial material precursor; depositing a composite layer; removale of the porogen material in the composite layer to form a porous layer and contacting the layered substrate with a removal media to substantially remove the sacrificial material and provide the air gaps within the substrate; wherein the at least one sacrificial material precursor is selected from the group consisting of: an organic porogen; silicon, and a polar solvent soluble metal oxide and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for forming a porous dielectric film, the process comprising: forming onto at least a portion of a substrate a composite film comprising Si, C, O, H and Si—CH3 groups, wherein the composite film comprises at least one silicon-containing structure-forming material and at least one carbon-containing pore-forming material; and exposing the composite film to an activated chemical species to at least partially modify the carbon-containing pore-forming material, wherein at least 90% of Si—CH3 species in the as deposited film remains in the film after the exposing step as determined by FTIR.

Abstract: A mixture and a method comprising same for etching a dielectric material from a layered substrate are disclosed herein. Specifically, in one embodiment, there is provided a mixture for etching a dielectric material in a layered substrate comprising: a fluorocarbon gas, a fluorine-containing oxidizer gas selected from the group consisting of a hypofluorite, a fluoroperoxide, a fluorotrioxide, and combinations thereof; and optionally an inert diluent gas. The mixture of the present invention may be contacted with a layered substrate comprising a dielectric material under conditions sufficient to form active species that at least partially react with and remove at least a portion of the dielectric material.

Abstract: A method of detecting and calibrating dry fluxing metal surfaces of one or more components to be soldered by electron attachment using a gas mixture of reducing gas comprising hydrogen and deuterium, comprising the steps of: a) providing one or more components to be soldered which are connected to a first electrode as a target assembly; b) providing a second electrode adjacent the target assembly; c) providing a gas mixture comprising a reducing gas comprising hydrogen and deuterium between the first and second electrodes; d) providing a direct current (DC) voltage to the first and second electrodes to form an emission current between the electrodes and donating electrons to the reducing gas to form negatively charged ionic reducing gas and molecules of hydrogen bonded to deuterium; e) contacting the target assembly with the negatively charged ionic reducing gas and reducing oxides on the target assembly. Related apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved process for the selective etching of TiN from silicon dioxide (quartz) and SiN surfaces commonly found in semiconductor deposition chambers equipment and tools. In the process, an SiO2 or SiN surface having TiN thereon is contacted with XeF2 in a contact zone to selectively convert the TiN to a volatile species and then the volatile species is removed from the contact zone. XeF2 can be preformed or formed in situ by reaction between Xe and a fluorine compound.

Abstract: Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of defects in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In certain preferred embodiments, the process solution of the present invention may reduce post-development defects such as pattern collapse when employed as a rinse solution either during or after the development of the patterned photoresist layer. Also disclosed is a method for reducing the number of pattern collapse defects on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates employing the process solution of the present invention.

Abstract: Process solutions comprising one or more surfactants are used to reduce the number of pattern collapse defects on a plurality of photoresist coated substrates during the manufacture of semiconductor devices.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in the cleaning of contaminated tool parts having a coating of unwanted residue formed in a semiconductor deposition chamber. In this process, the contaminated parts to be cleaned are removed from the semiconductor deposition chamber and placed in a reaction chamber off-line from the semiconductor reactor deposition chamber, i.e. on off-line gas reaction chamber. The coating of residue on the contaminated parts is removed in an off-line reactor by contacting the contaminated parts with a reactive gas under conditions for converting the residue to a volatile species while in said off-line reactor and then removing the volatile species from said off-line gas reaction chamber.

Abstract: A method for removing a residue from a surface is disclosed herein. In one aspect, the method includes: providing a chamber containing the surface coated with the residue; providing in the chamber a cleaning composition of an oxidizing gas and optionally an organic species; and irradiating the cleaning composition with ultraviolet light to remove the residue from the surface. The surface can be, for example, a window of a processing chamber. In certain aspects, a reflective surface can be located within close proximity to the window to enhance cleaning efficiency.

Abstract: An improved method of forming a feature in a semiconductor substrate is described. The method comprises the steps of forming a porous dielectric layer on a substrate; removing a first portion of the porous dielectric layer to form a first etched region; filling the first etched region with a porous sacrificial light absorbing material having dry etch properties similar to those of the porous dielectric layer; removing a portion of the porous sacrificial light absorbing material and a second portion of the porous dielectric layer to form a second etched region; and removing the remaining portions of the porous sacrificial light absorbing material by employing a process, wherein the porous sacrificial light absorbing material has an etch rate greater than that of the porous dielectric layer in the process.

Abstract: A first aspect of a process of recovering xenon from feed gas includes: providing an adsorption vessel containing adsorbent having a Xe/N2 selectivity ratio <75; feeding into the adsorption vessel feed gas having an initial nitrogen concentration >50% and an initial xenon concentration ?0.5%; evacuating the adsorption vessel; and purging the adsorption vessel at a purge-to-feed ratio ?10. The final xenon concentration is ?15× the initial xenon concentration. A second aspect of the process includes providing an adsorption vessel containing adsorbent having a Xe Henry's law Constant ?50 mmole/g/atm; feeding into the adsorption vessel feed gas having an initial nitrogen concentration >50% and an initial xenon concentration ?0.5%; heating and purging the adsorption vessel to recover xenon having a final concentration ?15× its initial concentration. Apparatus for performing the process are also described.

Abstract: A porous organosilicate glass (OSG) film: SivOwCxHyFz, where v+w+x+y+z=100%, v is 10 to 35 atomic %, w is 10 to 65 atomic %, x is 5 to 30 atomic %, y is 10 to 50 atomic % and z is 0 to 15 atomic %, has a silicate network with carbon bonds as methyl groups (Si—CH3) and contains pores with diameter less than 3 nm equivalent spherical diameter and dielectric constant less than 2.7. A preliminary film is deposited by a chemical vapor deposition method from organosilane and/or organosiloxane precursors, and independent pore-forming precursors. Porogen precursors form pores within the preliminary film and are subsequently removed to provide the porous film. Compositions, film forming kits, include organosilane and/or organosiloxane compounds containing at least one Si—H bond and porogen precursors of hydrocarbons containing alcohol, ether, carbonyl, carboxylic acid, ester, nitro, primary amine, secondary amine, and/or tertiary amine functionality or combinations.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus and a method to protect the internal components of semiconductor processing equipment such as a plasma reactor or a reactive species generator against physical and/or chemical damages during etching and/or cleaning processes. Layered superlattice materials having three or more metal elements such as strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT) are used to form a protective barrier on the surfaces of the internal components of a reaction chamber.

Abstract: A process for removing carbon-containing residues from a substrate is described herein. In one aspect, there is provided a process for removing carbon-containing residue from at least a portion of a surface of a substrate comprising: providing a process gas comprising an oxygen source, a fluorine source, an and optionally additive gas wherein the molar ratio of oxygen to fluorine contained within the process gas ranges from about 1 to about 10; activating the process gas using at least one energy source to provide reactive species; and contacting the surface of the substrate with the reactive species to volatilize and remove the carbon-containing residue from the surface.

Abstract: A process of removing titanium nitride from a surface of a substrate includes: providing a process gas including at least one reactant selected from the group consisting of a fluorine-containing substance and a chlorine-containing substance; enriching the process gas with at least one reactive species of the at least one reactant to form an enriched process gas, wherein the enriching is conducted at a first location; providing the substrate at a substrate temperature greater than 50° C., wherein the surface of the substrate is at least partially coated with the titanium nitride; and contacting the titanium nitride on the surface of the substrate with the enriched process gas to volatilize and remove the titanium nitride from the surface of the substrate, wherein the contacting occurs at a second location differing from the first location.

Abstract: A process for enhancing the fluorine utilization of a process gas that is used in the removal of an undesired substance from a substrate is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for enhancing the fluorine utilization of a process gas comprising a fluorine source comprising: adding a hydrogen source to the process gas in an amount sufficient to provide a molar ratio ranging from about 0.01 to about 0.99 of hydrogen source to fluorine source.

Abstract: A process for the selective removal of a TiO2-containing substance from an article for cleaning applications is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for removing a TiO2-containing substance from an article comprising: providing the article having the TiO2-containing substance deposited thereupon; reacting the substance with a reactive gas comprising at least one selected from a fluorine-containing cleaning agent, a chlorine-containing cleaning agent and mixtures thereof to form a volatile product; and removing the volatile product from the article to thereby remove the substance from the article.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are process solutions, which may be aqueous-based, non-aqueous-based, and combinations thereof, that contain at least one alkoxylated acetylenic diol surfactant. In one aspect, the process solution comprises water and an alkoxylated acetylenic diol surfactant having the formula A: where r and t are 1 or 2, (n+m) is 1 to 30 and (p+q) is 1 to 30.