Abstract: A system and method are described for providing secure user account identifiers and passwords to facilitate sharing by users of data between a secure internal server and an external server accessible over the Internet. A user account identifier is generated in accordance with a request from a user having access to the internal server, and a password associated with the account identifier is assigned. The account identifier and password are stored in a database on the internal server. A user account identifier database for an external user is replicated to the external server. The external user may obtain access to data replicated from the internal server to the external server. To provide a unique account identifier for each user, the account identifiers have different formats. When the user account identifier is for the requestor's own use, the user account identifier has a format determined by a type of user account (such as Lotus Notes) already owned by the requester.

Abstract: A structure and process are described for facilitating the conduction of heat away from a semiconductor device. Thermally conductive planes and columns are incorporated within the back-end structure and around the interconnect outside the chip. A thermally conductive plane is formed by forming a first insulating layer on an underlying layer of the device; forming a recess in the insulating layer; filling the recess with a thermally conductive material to form a lateral heat-dissipating layer; planarizing the heat-dissipating layer to make the top surface thereof coplanar with the unrecessed portion of the insulating layer; and forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer and the heat-dissipating layer, thereby embedding the heat-dissipating layer between the first and second insulating layers. The heat-dissipating layer is electrically isolated from the underlying layer of the device, and preferably is electrically grounded.

Abstract: Determination of an endpoint for removing a film from a wafer, by determining a first reference point removal time indicating when a breakthrough of the film has occurred, determining a second reference point removal time indicating when the film has been polished almost to completion, determining an additional removal time indicating an overpolishing interval, and adding the second reference point removal time with the additional removal time to get a total removal time to the endpoint.

Abstract: A metal plating apparatus is described which includes a compressible member having a conductive surface covering substantially all of the surface of the substrate to be plated. The plating current is thereby transmitted over a wide area of the substrate, rather than a few localized contact points. The compressible member is porous so as to absorb the plating solution and transmit the plating solution to the substrate. The wafer and compressible member may rotate with respect to each other. The compressible member may be at cathode potential or may be a passive circuit element.

Abstract: An overhanging separator structure with a post projecting from a surface which may be a substrate, an underlying layer on the surface, and a separator layer on the underlying layer, with the separator layer overhanging the underlying layer. A discontinuous film is then formed in a single process step having a first portion on the separator layer and a second portion on the post, the discontinuity caused by the overhanging separator layer. The structure is made into a stacked capacitor with the second (post) portion of the discontinuous film being the bottom electrode, by forming a continuous dielectric layer on the bottom electrode and a continuous top electrode layer on the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a semiconductor circuit. The process comprises creating a plurality of adjacent conductive lines having a solid fill between the conductive lines; creating one or more layers above the lines and the fill; creating one or more pathways to the fill through the layers; and converting the fill to a gas that escapes through the pathways, leaving an air void between adjacent lines. To protect the lines from oxidation during processing, a related process for encapsulating conductive lines in one or more adhesion-promotion barrier layers may be performed. The encapsulation process may also be practiced in conjunction with other semiconductor manufacturing processes. The processes result in a multi-layer semiconductor circuit comprising conductive lines, wherein the lines have air as a dielectric between them, are encapsulated by an adhesion-promotion barrier layer, or both.

Abstract: VHF/UHF power having a frequency of about 40 MHz or higher is applied across generally radial elements of an antenna and the phase of a standing wave component of the voltage in the generally radial elements is adjusted to provide relatively uniform density of a high density plasma across an area of at least the size of a semiconductor wafer being processed. Capacitive coupling of power to the plasma enhances the hot tail distribution of electron energies which is associated with low levels of gas cracking and the production of radicals such as fluorine which are not material-selective in semiconductor processing operations such as oxide etching. Accordingly, material-selectivity of processes may be maintained while the high density plasma accelerates the process to significantly improve tool throughput.

Abstract: A DRAM capacitor contact comprised of a silicon oxide layer with a trench having sidewalls and a form in the silicon oxide layer. A dielectric liner is coated on the sidewalls of the trench. A metal layer is then deposited between the sidewalls and polished to form a bit-line. One or more dielectric layers are deposited above the bit-lines and VIAs are formed in these layers. A sidewall is formed in the VIA above the bit-line and the VIAs are extended down to the silicon substrate and filled with a conductive material and planarized, forming the capacitor contact.

Abstract: In a chemical mechanical planarization assembly directed for the removal of oxide layers, which stop on films containing silicon nitride, a conventional polishing table is provided with a gas extraction unit which transmits a gas sample to an infrared spectrometer. The presence of ammonia in the slurry, which is generated when a stop layer containing silicon nitride is abraded under high pH conditions, can be detected using infrared spectroscopy and accordingly provides for an in situ endpoint detection method.

Abstract: A silicate glass is selectively etched employing a composition containing a fluoride containing compound and certain organic solvents. Preferred compositions also include water.

Abstract: A method is provided to optimize the chemical mechanical planarization process of wafers having a target removal layer and a stop layer. A slurry is added to a polishing table which includes a polishing pad and a platen adapted for rotation; a portion of the slurry is allowed to engage an interface between the polishing pad and the wafer. A gaseous sample is continuously extracted from the slurry; the gaseous sample includes a reactant product created when the polishing pad engages the stop layer. The gaseous sample is introduced into a reactant product detector. A first time is determined, corresponding to an initial detection of the reactant product in the slurry, thereby creating a first reference point. A second time is determined, corresponding to the detection of a maximum volume of the reactant in said slurry, thereby creating a second reference point.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for detecting an endpoint of a film removal process in which a target film overlying a stopping film is removed. A chemical reaction product is generated from at least one of the target film and the stopping film; this chemical reaction product is converted to a separate product. The separate product is exposed to ionizing radiation. The ionization current generated by the radiation is monitored as the target film is removed. A change in the ionization current corresponds to a change in concentration of the separate product, thereby indicating the endpoint of the film removal process. In the particular case of removal of a silicon dioxide film overlying a silicon nitride film by chemical-mechanical polishing, the reaction product is ammonia extracted from the polishing slurry. The ammonia is converted to ammonium chloride by a reaction with hydrogen chloride vapor.

Abstract: The adhesion of a silicon carbide containing film to a surface is enhanced by employing a transition film of silicon nitride, silicon dioxide and/or silicon oxynitride.

Abstract: A computer program storage device having a program of instructions executable to perform a method of determining time sensitive values for multiple parametric data having different variable effective intervals. The program is adapted to access a database containing i) parametric data values of a first work factor for a plurality of continuous time intervals and ii) parametric data values of a second work factor for a plurality of continuous time intervals, at least one time interval of the second work factor being different from a time interval of the first work factor.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for protecting a vacuum pump from being overloaded while maintaining the vacuum condition. A pump-protecting device comprises a power detector for detecting power consumption of a motor for driving a vacuum pump as a load received by the motor, and a control means for decreasing the speed of revolution of the motor when the value of power consumption detected by the power detector is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A cooling structure and a reinforcing structure are described for use with a radio-frequency coil in an ionized physical vapor deposition apparatus. The cooling structure includes a portion for carrying coolant and is proximate to the RF coil along the outer circumference thereof. The cooling structure is shaped relative to the RF coil so that thermal expansion of the RF coil brings the RF coil into close contact with the cooling structure, thereby facilitating heat transfer from the RF coil to the coolant. The reinforcing structure is similarly shaped, and may be integrated with the cooling structure. In addition, the RF coil or cooling/reinforcing structure may be mounted to the wall of the process chamber with telescoping mounting posts, which permit the RF coil to maintain its shape while undergoing thermal expansion. The parasitic inductance of the RF coil leads is reduced by arranging those leads coaxially, thereby minimizing power losses in the RF coil.

Abstract: A method for detecting the endpoint for removal of a target film overlying a stopping film by chemical-mechanical polishing using a slurry, by removing the target film with a polishing process that generates a chemical reaction product (for example ammonia when polishing a wafer with a nitride film in a slurry containing KOH) in the slurry, adding to the slurry a reagent which produces a characteristic result upon reacting with the chemical reaction product, and monitoring the slurry for the characteristic result as the target film is removed.

Abstract: Detection of the endpoint for removal of a target film overlying a stopping film by removing the target film with a process that selectively generates a chemical reaction product (for example ammonia when polishing a wafer with a nitride film in a slurry containing KOH) with either the target or stopping film, and monitoring the level of chemical reaction product by threshold photoionization mass spectroscopy as the target film is removed.

Abstract: The distance between a discrete or passive electrical component and an electrical semiconductor device and substrate or carrier is minimized by shortening the lead length connections of the passive component. One or more passive electronic components are mounted within the body of a carrier or board by creating a cavity in the substrate or carrier that is directly below a semiconductor device. The passive component is electrically connected to the substrate and device using solder bump technology resulting in much shorter lead length connections to and from the passive component.

Abstract: A compliant, high-density land grid array connector and the process of making such a connector. The process includes the steps of: (a) forming holes in a supporting substrate; (b) forming threaded sidewalls by tapping the holes; (c) plating the threaded sidewalls to form bellows-like structures; and (d) etching a surface of the supporting substrate after the plating to leave portions of the bellows-like structures protruding past a surface of the substrate. The resulting connector includes a substrate having bellows-like contacts extending from one or both sides for resiliently engaging pads such as those of an LGA module. As an alternative, the holes may be formed as blind holes. Ends of the bellows-like contacts may be roughened. The connector may also be formed by casting the substrate in a mold box having screw-like mandrels followed by steps of mandrel removal, hole plating and surface etching.