Abstract: A closed gas circulation system may include a sealed plenum, circulation fans, and a fan filter unit (FFU) inlet to contain, filter, condition, and re-circulate a gas through a chamber of an interface tool. The gas provided to the chamber is maintained in a conditioned environment in the closed gas circulation system as opposed to introducing external air into the chamber through the FFU inlet. This enables precise control over the relative humidity and oxygen concentration of the gas used in the chamber, which reduces the oxidation of semiconductor wafers that are transferred through the chamber. The closed gas circulation system may also include an air-flow rectifier, a return vent, and one or more vacuum pumps to form a downflow of collimated gas in the chamber and to automatically control the feed-forward pressure and flow of gas through the chamber and the sealed plenum.

Abstract: A closed gas circulation system may include a sealed plenum, circulation fans, and a fan filter unit (FFU) inlet to contain, filter, condition, and re-circulate a gas through a chamber of an interface tool. The gas provided to the chamber is maintained in a conditioned environment in the closed gas circulation system as opposed to introducing external air into the chamber through the FFU inlet. This enables precise control over the relative humidity and oxygen concentration of the gas used in the chamber, which reduces the oxidation of semiconductor wafers that are transferred through the chamber. The closed gas circulation system may also include an air-flow rectifier, a return vent, and one or more vacuum pumps to form a downflow of collimated gas in the chamber and to automatically control the feed-forward pressure and flow of gas through the chamber and the sealed plenum.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a storage device including a top panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, a front panel, and two side panels configured to form an enclosed volume. The storage device further includes multiple slots disposed at inner surfaces of the two side panels and configured to hold a substrate, a gas diffuser disposed at an inner surface of the back panel and configured to provide a purge gas to the enclosed volume, an isolation gas device disposed on an inner surface of the top panel and adjacent to a top portion of the front panel, and an isolation gas line configured to connect the isolation gas device to the gas diffuser. The isolation gas device is configured to inject the purge gas into a front portion of the storage device and in a direction from the top panel toward the bottom panel.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a storage device including a top panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, a front panel, and two side panels configured to form an enclosed volume. The storage device further includes multiple slots disposed at inner surfaces of the two side panels and configured to hold a substrate, a gas diffuser disposed at an inner surface of the back panel and configured to provide a purge gas to the enclosed volume, an isolation gas device disposed on an inner surface of the top panel and adjacent to a top portion of the front panel, and an isolation gas line configured to connect the isolation gas device to the gas diffuser. The isolation gas device is configured to inject the purge gas into a front portion of the storage device and in a direction from the top panel toward the bottom panel.

Abstract: A wafer transport carrier includes various components to provide improved air sealing to reduce air leakage into the wafer transport carrier. The wafer transport carrier may include a housing having a hollow shell that contains a vacuum or an inert gas to minimize and/or prevent humidity and oxygen ingress into the wafer transport carrier, a wafer rack that is integrated into the shell of the housing to minimize and/or prevent air leakage around the wafer rack, and/or an enhanced magnet-based door latch to provide air sealing around the full perimeter of the opening of the housing. These components and/or additional components described herein may reduce and/or prevent debris, moisture, and/or other types of contamination from the semiconductor fabrication facility from entering the wafer transport carrier and causing wafer defects and/or device failures.

Abstract: A method is provided for supporting environmental control in a semiconductor wafer processing space, the method includes: flowing a first gas under pressure in a first direction through a first diffuser tube, thereby generating a first lateral flow of gas through a sidewall of the first diffuser tube; flowing a second gas under pressure in a second direction through a second diffuser tube, thereby generating a second lateral flow of gas through a sidewall of the second diffuser tube, the second direction being opposite the first direction; combining the first and second lateral flows of gas within a housing; and outputting the combined lateral flows of gas from the housing to produce a laminar gas flow covering an opening to the semiconductor wafer processing space.

Abstract: A closed gas circulation system may include a sealed plenum, circulation fans, and a fan filter unit (FFU) inlet to contain, filter, condition, and re-circulate a gas through a chamber of an interface tool. The gas provided to the chamber is maintained in a conditioned environment in the closed gas circulation system as opposed to introducing external air into the chamber through the FFU inlet. This enables precise control over the relative humidity and oxygen concentration of the gas used in the chamber, which reduces the oxidation of semiconductor wafers that are transferred through the chamber. The closed gas circulation system may also include an air-flow rectifier, a return vent, and one or more vacuum pumps to form a downflow of collimated gas in the chamber and to automatically control the feed-forward pressure and flow of gas through the chamber and the sealed plenum.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a storage device including a top panel, a bottom panel, a back panel, a front panel, and two side panels configured to form an enclosed volume. The storage device further includes multiple slots disposed at inner surfaces of the two side panels and configured to hold a substrate, a gas diffuser disposed at an inner surface of the back panel and configured to provide a purge gas to the enclosed volume, an isolation gas device disposed on an inner surface of the top panel and adjacent to a top portion of the front panel, and an isolation gas line configured to connect the isolation gas device to the gas diffuser. The isolation gas device is configured to inject the purge gas into a front portion of the storage device and in a direction from the top panel toward the bottom panel.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes loading the substrate from a first load lock chamber into a first processing chamber; disposing a conductive layer over the substrate in the first processing chamber; loading the substrate from the first processing chamber into the first load lock chamber; loading the substrate from the first load lock chamber into an enclosure filled with an inert gas and disposed between the first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; loading the substrate from the enclosure into the second load lock chamber; loading the substrate from the second load lock chamber into a second processing chamber; disposing a conductive member over the conductive layer in the second processing chamber; loading the substrate from the second processing chamber into the second load lock chamber; and loading the substrate from the second load lock chamber into a second load port.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes loading the substrate from a first load lock chamber into a first processing chamber; disposing a conductive layer over the substrate in the first processing chamber; loading the substrate from the first processing chamber into the first load lock chamber; loading the substrate from the first load lock chamber into an enclosure filled with an inert gas and disposed between the first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; loading the substrate from the enclosure into the second load lock chamber; loading the substrate from the second load lock chamber into a second processing chamber; disposing a conductive member over the conductive layer in the second processing chamber; loading the substrate from the second processing chamber into the second load lock chamber; and loading the substrate from the second load lock chamber into a second load port.

Abstract: A system for cleaning a container such as semiconductor wafer carrier includes a housing, a cleaning unit in the housing, an analyzing unit within the housing, and a vacuum unit within the housing. The cleaning unit comprises a cleaning chamber, and is configured to spray a cleaning medium into the container in the cleaning chamber and dry the container. The analyzing unit is configured to analyze air inside the container coming out of the cleaning chamber, and provide a testing result for each ingredient of possible airborne molecular contamination (AMC) and humidity. The vacuum unit comprises a vacuum chamber configured to apply vacuum onto a container when the testing result for an ingredient is higher than a respective threshold.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a method for semiconductor processing. In this method, a semiconductor wafer is provided. A surface region of the semiconductor wafer is probed to determine whether excess charge is present on the surface region. Based on whether excess charge is present, selectively inducing a corona discharge to reduce the excess charge. Other techniques are also provided.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to a method for semiconductor processing. In this method, a semiconductor wafer is provided. A surface region of the semiconductor wafer is probed to determine whether excess charge is present on the surface region. Based on whether excess charge is present, selectively inducing a corona discharge to reduce the excess charge. Other techniques are also provided.

Abstract: A system for cleaning a container such as semiconductor wafer carrier includes a housing, a cleaning unit in the housing, an analyzing unit within the housing, and a vacuum unit within the housing. The cleaning unit comprises a cleaning chamber, and is configured to spray a cleaning medium into the container in the cleaning chamber and dry the container. The analyzing unit is configured to analyze air inside the container coming out of the cleaning chamber, and provide a testing result for each ingredient of possible airborne molecular contamination (AMC) and humidity. The vacuum unit comprises a vacuum chamber configured to apply vacuum onto a container when the testing result for an ingredient is higher than a respective threshold.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for removing photoresist residue from a low k dielectric above a semiconductor substrate. The method includes creating a first opening in the low k dielectric extending a first depth towards an underlying conductor, and applying and patterning a material above the low k dielectric. In-situ first and second plasma environments are provided, with a bias power being applied to the substrate to attract ion bombardment during the second plasma environment. Trenches can be etched in the low k dielectric, the trenches extending a second depth less than the first depth. Material for the first and second plasmas and the ion bombardment are selected for removing residue of the material from the low k dielectric.

Abstract: An improved method of patterning resist protective dielectric layer and preferably protective silicon dioxide layer is described. The method consists of two sequential etching steps, the first one being a timed plasma etching process and the second one being a timed wet etching process. Plasma etching is used to remove approximately 70%–90% of the RPO film thickness and wet etching is used to remove the remaining 10%–30% of the film thickness. The two-step etching process achieves superior dimensional control, a non-undercut profile under the resist mask and prevents resist mask peeling from failure of adhesion at the mask/RPO film interface. The improved method has wide applications wherever and whenever RPO film is used in the process flow for fabricating semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A method of fabricating final spacers having a target width comprises the following steps. Initial spacers, each having an initial width that is less than the target width, are formed over the opposing side walls of a gate electrode portion. The difference between the initial spacer width and the target width is determined. A second spacer layer having a thickness equal to the determined difference between the initial width of the initial spacers and the target width is formed upon the initial spacers and the structure. The second spacer layer is etched to leave second spacer layer portions extending from the initial spacers to form the final spacers.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for removing photoresist residue from a low k dielectric above a semiconductor substrate. The method includes creating a first opening in the low k dielectric extending a first depth towards an underlying conductor, and applying and patterning a material above the low k dielectric. In-situ first and second plasma environments are provided, with a bias power being applied to the substrate to attract ion bombardment during the second plasma environment. Trenches can be etched in the low k dielectric, the trenches extending a second depth less than the first depth. Material for the first and second plasmas and the ion bombardment are selected for removing residue of the material from the low k dielectric.

Abstract: A method of fabricating final spacers having a target width comprises the following steps. Initial spacers, each having an initial width that is less than the target width, are formed over the opposing side walls of a gate electrode portion. The difference between the initial spacer width and the target width is determined. A second spacer layer having a thickness equal to the determined difference between the initial width of the initial spacers and the target width is formed upon the initial spacers and the structure. The second spacer layer is etched to leave second spacer layer portions extending from the initial spacers to form the final spacers.

Abstract: An improved method of patterning resist protective dielectric layer and preferably protective silicon dioxide layer is described. The method consists of two sequential etching steps, the first one being a timed plasma etching process and the second one being a timed wet etching process. Plasma etching is used to remove approximately 70%-90% of the RPO film thickness and wet etching is used to remove the remaining 10%-30% of the film thickness. The two-step etching process achieves superior dimensional control, a non-undercut profile under the resist mask and prevents resist mask peeling from failure of adhesion at the mask/RPO film interface. The improved method has wide applications wherever and whenever RPO film is used in the process flow for fabricating semiconductor devices.