Abstract: The uniformity of material removal, as well as contamination due to deposited particulate matter, has been reduced in single wafer sputter-etchers by providing an improved gas baffle. Said gas baffle presents a smooth surface to the incoming sputtering gas so that it disperses uniformly throughout the sputtering chamber, thereby avoiding local fluctuations in pressure which, in turn, can lead to local differences in material removal rate as well as to particulate contamination of the surface that is being etched. The design of the baffle is described along with a method for attaching it to the inside of the sputtering shield.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a trench isolation structure includes patterning a mask film on a semiconductor substrate, forming a trench by etching the semiconductor substrate by use of the mask film, filling the trench with an insulating film by repeating depositing the insulating film in the trench and etching the insulating film by sputter etching, removing the mask film, and removing the insulating film by etching a predetermined amount of the insulating film filled in the trench. According to the sputter etching in the step of filling the trench with the insulating film, an edge between a surface of the substrate and an inner wall surface of the trench forms an inclined surface to the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to allowing a work piece to stabilize in regard to temperature and humidity/water content prior to precision operations so as to minimize any problems resulting from dimensional changes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum treatment chamber for work pieces which comprises at least one induction coil for at least co-generating a treatment plasma in a discharge chamber which is located in the interior of the coil. It also comprises a screen which is arranged between the discharge chamber and the coil, and which is coaxial in relation to the axis of the coil. The screen comprises slots which have a directional component which is parallel to the coil axis. The screen is formed by a self-contained body. The slots are provided along at least the main part of the body's circumference in a slot density per circumferential length unit of S=(number of slots)/cm equaling 0.5≦S.

Abstract: A reflective mask having non-reflective and reflective regions. The reflective regions are reflective of light at an inspection wavelength and a semiconductor processing wavelength and the non-reflective regions are substantially non-reflective of light at the inspection wavelength and the semiconductor processing wavelength. The contrast of reflected light off of the non-reflective and reflective regions is greater than 0.210 at either of the two wavelengths.

Abstract: Before submitting a sample, including a first material layered upon a substrate, to an ion milling process, whereby a second material is sputtered onto the surface of the first material and the sample is then submitted to an etching process, an irregularity is formed on the surface of the first material. The overall process results in the formation of cones, or micro-tip structures, which may then be layered with a layer of low work function material, such as amorphous diamond. The irregularity in the surface of the first material may be formed by polishing, sandblasting, photolithography, or mechanical means such as scratching.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and, in particular, for depositing material at the bottom of a contact hole, comprises sputtering a material onto a semiconductor substrate; applying a first bias voltage to the substrate, simultaneously removing the material surrounding the contact hole to form a facet at the top of the recess; and applying a second bias voltage to the substrate, simultaneously sputter-depositing the first material onto the bottom of the recess. A further embodiment of the invention utilizes an electrically isolated collimator for the sputtering apparatus. Another embodiment of the invention resputters a first material onto sidewalls of a contact hole during physical vapor deposition.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition apparatus for depositing a thin film of highly dielectric materials for giga-capacity memory devices can reliably clean reaction products formed within the deposition chamber without sacrificing the production efficiency. The apparatus comprises a hermetic deposition chamber containing a substrate holding section for supporting a substrate, and a gas supply head disposed opposite to the substrate holding section for directing a gaseous feed material onto the substrate. There are provided a trapping member supporting device for supporting a trapping member so as to be opposite to a target cleaning area inside the deposition chamber, and a plasma generation device for generating a plasma between the target cleaning area and the trapping member supported by the trapping member supporting device.

Abstract: A method of repairing opaque defects in lithography masks entails focused ion beam milling in at least two steps. The first step uses a large pixel spacing to form multiple holes in the defect material, with the milled area extending short of the defect material edge. The final step uses a pixel spacing sufficiently close to produce a smooth floor on the milled area, and extends to the edge of the defect. During the second step, an etch enhancing gas such as bromine is preferably used.

Abstract: Before submitting a sample, including a first material layered upon a substrate, to an ion milling process, whereby a second material is sputtered onto the surface of the first material and the sample is then submitted to an etching process, an irregularity is formed on the surface of the first material. The overall process results in the formation of cones, or micro-tip structures, which may then be layered with a layer of low work function material, such as amorphous diamond. The irregularity in the surface of the first material may be formed by polishing, sandblasting, photolithography, or mechanical means such as scratching.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a method for plasma etching difficult to etch materials at a high etch rate. The method is particularly useful in plasma etching silicon nitride layers more than five microns thick. The method includes a plasma formed by energy provided from two separate power sources and a gaseous mixture that includes only an etchant gas and a sputtering gas. The power levels from the separate power sources and the ratio between the flow rates of the etchant gas and a sputtering gas can be advantageously adjusted to obtain etch rates of silicon nitride greater than two microns per minute. Additionally, an embodiment of the method of the invention provides a two etch step process which combines a high etch rate process with a low etch rate process to achieve high throughput while minimizing the likelihood of damage to underlying layers. The first etch step of the two-step method provides a high etch rate of about two microns per minute to remove substantially all of a layer to be etched the.

Abstract: A metal alloy solder ball comprising a first metal and a second metal, the first metal having a sputtering yield greater than the second metal. The solder ball comprises a bulk portion having a bulk ratio of the first metal to the second metal, an outer surface, and a surface gradient having a depth and a gradient ratio of the first metal to the second metal that is less than the bulk ratio. The gradient ratio increases along the surface gradient depth from a minimum at the outer surface. The solder ball may be formed by the process of exposing the ball to energized ions of a sputtering gas for an effective amount of time to form the surface gradient.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a method for rapid plasma etching of materials which are difficult to etch at a high rate. The method is particularly useful in plasma etching silicon nitride layers more than five microns thick. The method includes the use of a plasma source gas that includes an etchant gas and a sputtering gas. Two separate power sources are used in the etching process and the power to each power source as well as the ratio between the flow rates of the etchant gas and sputtering gas can be advantageously adjusted to obtain etch rates of silicon nitride greater than two microns per minute. Additionally, an embodiment of the method of the invention provides a two etch step process which combines a high etch rate process with a low etch rate process to achieve high throughput while minimizing the likelihood of damage to underlying layers. The first etch step of the two-step method provides a high etch rate of about two microns per minute to remove substantially all of a layer to be etched.

Abstract: A substrate holder 90 where a thin film has accumulated on the surface of the holding claws 91 is transferred in a state where no substrate 9 is being held into a film removal chamber 70 which is established branching off in such a way that the vacuum is connected from the square transfer path 80 along which a plurality of vacuum chambers including the film deposition chambers 51, 52, 53, 54 and 50 is established. A high frequency power supply 73 is connected via the movable electrode 74 to the holder body 92 and a high frequency electric field is established within the film removal chamber 70. A plasma is formed by generating a high frequency discharge in the gas which is being delivered by means of the gas delivery system 72 and the accumulated film on the surface of the holding claws 91 is removed in a vacuum by sputter etching due to ion impacts.

Abstract: A method and a device for manufacturing a thin film by a vacuum deposition method, and a magnetic recording medium produced thereby are disclosed. A thin film of high quality is mass-produced while introducing reaction gas to a thin film forming section from a nozzle consisting of minute tubes, so that the flow of evaporated atoms is not disturbed by the reaction gas.

Abstract: A method of forming a self-planarized HDPCVD oxide layer over a substrate having uneven topography in a process chamber is disclosed. The method comprising the steps of: depositing HDPCVD oxide over said uneven topography; and performing a sputter-only step in said process chamber.

Abstract: A plasma etch apparatus (10) such as that for etching wafers in the manufacture of semiconductors includes a vacuum chamber (15) surrounded by a cylindrical dielectric wall (13). A coil (20) surrounds the chamber outside of the wall and is energized with medium frequency RF energy which is inductively coupled into the chamber to energize a plasma in the chamber to etch a semiconductor wafer (16) on a support (17) in the chamber. A generally cylindrical Faraday shield (30) surrounds the outside of the chamber in contact with the outside of the wall between the wall and the coil. The shield has a plurality of axially oriented slits (32) therein closely spaced around the shield and extending less than the height of the shield. One slit or gap (31) extends the full height of the shield and interrupts an otherwise continuous conductive path around the circumference of the chamber.

Abstract: A problem which occurs in the sputtering of a substance by means of a high-frequency discharge between two electrodes, is that both electrode surfaces are sputtered away when the electrode surface that is actually not to be sputtered is not at least ten times as large as the surface of the electrode carrying the substance. To prevent an undesirable cosputtering, in on embodiment, a vacuum recipient at a selected gas pressure has first and a second electrodes which are selected so that their surface areas form a ratio RA 12 such that 0.3≦RA12≦3. A discharge space in the vacuum recipient is confined to the electrode surfaces. An RF plasma discharge is generated in the discharge space by applying an electric RF field between the electrode surface, so that a first dark space region with a first drop of time-averaged electric potential and a second dark space region with a second drop of time-averaged electric potential, are respectively provided adjacent each electrode.

Abstract: The invention is embodied in a method of processing a semiconductor workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber, including supplying a polymer and etchant precursor gas containing at least carbon and fluorine into the chamber at a first flow rate sufficient of itself to maintain a gas pressure in the chamber in a low pressure range below about 20 mT, supplying a relatively non-reactive gas into the chamber at second flow rate sufficient about one half or more of the total gas flow rate into the chamber, in combination with the first flow rate of the precursor gas, to maintain the gas pressure in the chamber in a high pressure range above 20 mT, and applying plasma source power into the chamber to form a high ion density plasma having an ion density in excess of 1010 ions per cubic centimeter.

Abstract: The holding unit of a vacuum machining device is capable of preventing a work piece from being excessively heated and capable of stably machining the work piece. The holding unit comprises: a holder for holding a work piece; a pressing member for pinching the work piece with the holder; and a heat insulating member being provided to the holder, the heat insulating member contacting the work piece to restrict heat conduction thereto.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique, including a method and apparatus, for etching a substrate in the manufacture of a device. The apparatus includes a chamber and a substrate holder disposed in the chamber. The substrate holder has a selected thermal mass to facilitate changing the temperature of the substrate to be etched during etching processes. That is, the selected thermal mass of the substrate holder allows for a change from a first temperature to a second temperature within a characteristic time period to process a film. The present technique can, for example, provide different processing temperatures during an etching process or the like.

Abstract: Process for continuously stripping the surface of a substrate moving in a defined direction through a vacuum chamber past at least one counterelectrode, according to which process a plasma is created in a gas, between this counterelectrode and this surface, so as to generate radicals and/or ions which can act on the surface to be stripped, characterized in that at least one pair of successive counterelectrodes, past which the abovementioned chamber and in that an alternating potential is applied to these counterelectrodes so as to impose on the latter an alternately positive and negative potential with respect to the substrate.

Abstract: A magnetron for use in a DC magnetron sputtering reactor that can rotate at a smaller diameter during a deposition phase and at a larger diameter during a cleaning phase, whereby sputter material redeposited outside of the deposition sputtering track is removed during the cleaning phase. An embodiment for a two-diameter magnetron includes a swing arm fixed on one end to the magnetron rotation motor shaft and on the other end to a pivot shaft, pivotably coupled to the magnetron. When the magnetron is rotated in different directions, hydrodynamic forces between the magnetron and the chilling water bath cause magnetron to pivot about the pivot shaft. Two mechanical detents fix the limits of the pivoting and hence establish the two diameters of rotation.

Abstract: A disk gripper for gripping an insulating disk, such as a glass disk, at its edge during processing includes a contact device for contacting the edge of the insulating disk and a mechanism for moving the contact device between a contact position, in contact with the edge of the disk, and a retracted position. In a first processing station, a conductive coating is applied to a disk held by the gripper, with the contact device in the retracted position. In a second processing station, ions are generated in a plasma adjacent to the surface of the disk held by the gripper. The contact device is in the contact position in contact with the conductive coating, and a bias voltage is applied to the contact device in the second processing station. The ions are accelerated from the plasma toward the disk by the bias voltage applied to the conductive coating.

Abstract: A magneto-optical medium comprises a light-transmissive substrate, a third magnetic layer formed on the light-transmissive substrate, a first magnetic layer formed on the light-transmissive substrate, the first magnetic layer having lower domain wall coercivity and allowing higher domain wall mobility than the third magnetic layer at or around an ambient temperature and a second magnetic layer held between the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, the second magnetic layer having a Curie temperature lower than that of the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, wherein the surface roughness, Ra(d), of the first magnetic layer is smaller than the surface roughness, Ra(m), of the third magnetic layer.

Abstract: A plasma treatment system (200) for implantation with a novel susceptor with a silicon coating (203). The system (200) has a variety of elements such as a chamber, which can have a silicon coating formed thereon, in which a plasma is generated in the chamber. The system (200) also has a susceptor disposed in the chamber to support a silicon substrate. The silicon coating reduces non-silicon impurities that may attach to the silicon substrate. In a specific embodiment, the chamber has a plurality of substantially planar rf transparent windows (26) on a surface of the chamber. The system (200) also has an rf generator (66) and at least two rf sources in other embodiments.

Abstract: A process for altering surface properties of a mass of metal alloy solder comprising a first metal and a second metal. The process comprises exposing the mass to energized ions to preferentially sputter atoms of the first metal to form a surface layer ratio of first metal to second metal atoms that is less than the bulk ratio. The solder may be located on the surface of a substrate, wherein the process may further comprise masking the substrate to shield all but a selected area from the ion beam. The sputtering gas may comprises a reactive gas such as oxygen and the substrate may be an organic substrate. The process may further comprise simultaneously exposing the organic substrate to energized ions of the reactive gas to roughen the organic substrate surface.

Abstract: Optical components, such as optical semi-isolators, are placed in a fixture that exposes at least a portion of the mounting surface of each optical component when a plasma or ion beam is directed at one side of the fixture, while shielding sensitive surfaces of the optical components (e.g., an optical element mounted within the frame of the optical component) from direct exposure to the plasma or ion beam. Exposure to the plasma or ion beam removes contaminants (e.g., metal oxide) that form on the mounting surface during the fabrication of the optical components when the optical element is mounted within its frame using glass solder in a heated oxygenated environment (e.g., air). By removing enough of the contaminants, the plasma or ion beam cleaning step produces optical components that can be reliably mounted onto substrates, such as the ceramic substrates used in encapsulated laser packages, using flux-less auto-bonding techniques.

Abstract: A movable sheet overlying a wing is disclosed that creates laminar flow over its exposed surface. The movable sheet serves as an integral, retractable shield for protecting a suction support structure of a wing against contamination, and also serves as a movable, conductive substrate for deicing by means of electrical resistance or hot-gas heating. The invention includes a movable sheet that is mounted scroll-like on two motor-driven rollers. The sheet has a solid area without perforations that protects the suction support structure from contamination, and a porous area with perforations therethrough that allows boundary layer suction. The motor-driven rollers scroll the sheet to cover the suction support structure with either the solid area or the perforations of the sheet. Contact rollers at the edge of the sheet supply electrical current to resistively heat the sheet and melt any accumulated ice. The movable sheet can also be moved back and forth to dislodge the ice.

Abstract: Many boards 7 to be processed are disposed within a metal chamber 1 in an isolated state, and many ground electrode plates 9 are disposed near by both surfaces of the boards 7 so as to be at the same potential as the chamber 1. While a microwave generated by a magnetron 3 from an upper portion of the chamber 1 is applied in the chamber 1, both surfaces of the boards 7 are processed at a time with plasma by using glow discharges produced between the boards 7 and plates 9 due to a difference in high-frequency potential between the boards 7 and plates 9 under presence of reaction gas.

Abstract: An improved sputter etching technique is provided for substantially preventing or reducing plasma etch damages associated with sputter etching. The plasma etch technique can utilize a semiconductor wafer having at least one diode formed within an inactive region of the wafer near the outer periphery of the wafer. The diode is capable of preventing charge transfer or arcing between the grounded anode and the p-channel gate region. By placing a diode within the inactive region of the wafer, problems such as gate oxide breakdown, threshold voltage skew, flat-band voltage skew, etc. can be minimized or substantially reduced. Alternatively, a standard wafer not having an implanted or diffused diode can be utilized to obtain similar beneficial results provided the sputter etch anode is retrofitted to include a diode placed between the anode and the ground terminal. Similar to the diode placed on the wafer, the retrofitted anode is used to provide a depletion region for preventing charge transfer therethrough.

Abstract: A method of in-situ cleaning and deposition of device structures in a high density plasma environment. A device structure is located in a reaction chamber containing a sputter target. An ion containing gas located in the reaction chamber is exposed to an RF voltage to generate a high density plasma containing ionized gas particles. The ionized gas particles are accelerated toward the device structure during a cleaning phase. By-products produced during the cleaning phase are either evacuated from the reaction chamber or platted to the chamber walls. Ionized gas particles are then accelerated toward the sputter target during a deposition phase so that a layer of the sputter target material is deposited on at least a portion of the device structure.

Abstract: A method of applying a coating to a metallic article (10) comprises placing the metallic article within a hollow cathode (38) in a vacuum chamber (30), evacuating the vacuum chamber (30), applying a negative voltage to the hollow cathode (38) to produce a plasma and such that the material of the hollow cathode (38) is sputtered onto the metallic article (10) to produce a coating (22). A positive voltage (V1) is applied to the metallic article (10) to attract electrons from the plasma to heat the coating (22) and so inter-diffuse the elements of the metallic article (10) and the protective coating (22) and a negative voltage (V2) is applied to the metallic article (10) to attract ions from the plasma to bombard the coating (22) to minimize defects in the coating (22).

Abstract: A process for the vacuum treatment of workpieces, includes loading the workpieces into a treatment facility, surface treating the workpieces in at least one vacuum station of the facility grouped as a station batch and controlling at least the timing of the process by a freely programmable process controller unit. At least two stations operating each on workpiece batches can be grouped as respective station batches and be different with respect to number of workpieces. The workpieces can be transported to and from the grouped stations. An embodiment of vacuum treatment system for such a process includes at least one vacuum treatment station for workpieces grouped as a station batch. A transport system supplies the vacuum station with workpieces. A process controller unit has an output operationally connected to a drive arrangement for the transport system. The unit controls operating timing of the treatment system and is freely programmable.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of forming a semiconductor workpiece. One method of forming a semiconductor device in accordance with the present invention includes: providing a semiconductor workpiece; forming a via within the semiconductor workpiece, the via including plural sidewalls joining a bottom surface at respective plural corners; first sputtering a process layer upon at least a portion of the bottom surface using ionized metal plasma physical vapor deposition; and following the sputtering of the process layer, second sputtering at least some of the process layer towards the corners within the via.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and, in particular, for depositing material at the bottom of a contact hole, comprises sputtering a material onto a semiconductor substrate; applying a first bias voltage to the substrate, simultaneously removing the material surrounding the contact hole to form a facet at the top of the recess; and applying a second bias voltage to the substrate, simultaneously sputter-depositing the first material onto the bottom of the recess. A further embodiment of the invention utilizes an electrically isolated collimator for the sputtering apparatus. Another embodiment of the invention resputters a first material onto sidewalls of a contact hole during physical vapor deposition.