Abstract: A system and method is provided for removing chamber residues from a plasma processing system in a dry cleaning process. The dry cleaning process includes introducing a process gas including a gas containing carbon and oxygen in a process chamber of the plasma processing system, generating a plasma from the process gas, exposing the chamber residue to the plasma in a dry cleaning process to form a volatile reaction product, and exhausting the reaction product from the process chamber. The plasma processing system may be monitored to determine status of the processing system, and based upon the status from the monitoring, the method includes either continuing the exposing and monitoring, or stopping the dry cleaning process. The dry cleaning process can be a waferless dry cleaning (WDC) process, or a substrate may present on the substrate holder in the process chamber during the dry cleaning process.

Abstract: A method for forming a mechanically strengthened feature in a low-k dielectric film on a substrate includes using either spin-on-dielectric (SOD) techniques, or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques to form a low-k dielectric film on the substrate. A sidewall of the feature in the low-k dielectric film is then treated in order to increase the film's mechanical strength. Treatment of the sidewall of the feature in the low-k dielectric film comprises forming a hardened layer by subjecting the low-k dielectric film to low energy, high flux ion implantation. Process parameters of the ion implantation are selected such that the implantation process does not cause a substantial change in the dielectric constant of the low-k dielectric film.

Abstract: A method of selective metallization of high temperature semiconductors to produce ohmic or rectifying contacts includes modification of the surface of a high temperature semiconductor material and thereafter depositng metal thereon by chemical vapor deposition. The method includes a lithographic step to define the area on the semiconductor surface where the CVD material is to be deposited. Thereafter, a beam of refractory metal ions is directed onto the defined area to damage the semiconductor material surface so that it will react with CVD gases. The contact metal is then deposited on the damaged surface by chemical vapor deposition, so that the metal seeds on the damaged exposed surface of the semiconductor to permit direct formation of metallization on that surface.