Abstract: Supercritical fluid-assisted deposition of materials on substrates, such as semiconductor substrates for integrated circuit device manufacture. The deposition is effected using a supercritical fluid-based composition containing the precursor(s) of the material to be deposited on the substrate surface. Such approach permits use of precursors that otherwise would be wholly unsuitable for deposition applications, as lacking requisite volatility and transport characteristics for vapor phase deposition processes.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry composition and method for using the slurry composition for polishing copper, barrier material and dielectric material that comprises first and second-step slurries. The first-step slurry has a high removal rate on copper and a low removal rate on barrier material. The second-step slurry has a high removal rate on barrier material and a low removal rate on copper and dielectric material. The first slurry comprises at least an organic polymeric abrasive.

Abstract: Tantalum precursors suitable for chemical vapor deposition of tantalum-containing material, e.g., tantalum, TaN, TaSiN, etc., on substrates. The tantalum precursors are substituted cyclopentadienyl tantalum compounds. In one aspect of the invention, such compounds are silylated to constitute tantalum/silicon source reagents. The precursors of the invention are advantageously employed in semiconductor manufacturing applications to form diffusion barriers in connection with copper metallization of the semiconductor device structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning formulation, including 1-21% wt. fluoride source, 20-55% wt. organic amine(s), 0.5-40% wt. nitrogenous component, e.g., a nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid or an imine, 23-50% wt. water, and 0-21% wt. metal chelating agent(s). The formulations are useful to remove residue from wafers following a resist plasma ashing step, such as inorganic residue from semiconductor wafers containing delicate copper interconnecting structures.

Abstract: A gas sensor for detection of hydride and/or acid gas species, featuring a color changing material that changes color in exposure to hydride and/or acid gas species, component(s) for impinging radiation on the color changing material for reflection therefrom, and component(s) for receiving reflected radiation from the color changing material and responsively generating an output upon a change of color of the color changing material indicative of a presence of hydride and/or acid gas species in gas contacting the color changing material. The gas sensor may be embodied in a compact and efficient probe assembly, utilizing optical fibers to transmit incident radiation to the color changing material and to transmit reflected radiation to a detector and signal processing circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining concentrations of various organic additives in metal electroplating solutions, by utilizing a mathematical correction model in combination with the conventional PCGA chrono-potentiometric analysis method, to eliminate the interaction between the observed electrochemical behavior of various organic additives, and to achieve accurate concentration determination of such additives.

Abstract: An integrated circuit barrier structure disposed between high dielectric constant metal oxide and Cu or Al electrodes, for preventing diffusion of species such as oxygen, bismuth, or lead from the high dielectric constant metal oxide into the Cu or Al electrodes. Such barrier structure also protects the Cu or Al electrodes against oxidization during deposition of the high dielectric constant metal oxide. The barrier structure can be formed as (1) a single layer of Pt, Ir, IrO2, Ir2O3, Ru, RuO2, CuO, Cu2O, Al2O3, or a binary or ternary metal nitride, e.g., TaN, NbN, HfN, ZrN, WN, W2N, TiN, TiSiN, TiAlN, TaSiN, or NbAlN, or (2) double or triple layers of such materials, e.g., Pt/TiAlN, Pt/IrO2, Pt/Ir, Ir/TiAlN, Ir/IrO2, IrO2/TiAlN, IrO2/Ir, or IrO2/Ir2O3/Ir.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning formulation, including 1-35% wt. fluoride source, 20-60% wt. organic amine(s), 0.1-40% wt. nitrogenous component, e.g., a nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid or an imine, 20-50% wt. water, and 0-21% wt. metal chelating agent(s). The formulations are useful to remove residue from wafers following a resist plasma ashing step, such as inorganic residue from semiconductor wafers containing delicate copper interconnecting structures.

Abstract: A canister guard for preventing liquid contamination of an oulet to a canister containing liquid. The canister guard may include baffles extending from a sidewall. Additionally, the canister guard may be configured to be replacable or for retrofitting to conventional liquid chemical containing canisters.

Abstract: Precursor compositions for the CVD formation of low k dielectric films on a substrate, e.g., as an interlayer dielectric for fabrication of microelectronic device structures. The precursor composition includes a gaseous mixture of (i) at least one aromatic compound, (ii) an inert carrier medium and (iii) optionally at least one unsaturated constituent that is ethylenically and/or acetylenically unsaturated The unsaturated constituent can include either (a) a compound containing ethylenic unsaturation and/or acetylenic unsaturation, or (b) an ethylenically unsaturated and/or acetylenically unsaturated moiety of the aromatic compound (i) of the precursor composition. The low k dielectric film material may be usefully employed in integrated circuitry utilizing copper metallization, to achieve low RC time constants and superior microelectronic device performance.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for handling liquid and a method for the same. The system has a container capable of holding a liquid. An electronic storage device is coupled with the container for electronically storing information relating to the liquid stored in the container. The system also has an antenna, for storing information to and reading information from the electronic storage device. Finally, the system has a microprocessor-based controller, coupled with the antenna, for controlling processing of the liquid based on information read from the electronic storage device by the antenna.

Abstract: The present invention comprises formulations for stripping wafer residues which originate from a halogen based plasma metal etching followed by oxygen plasma ashing. The formulations contain the following general components (percentages are by weight): an organic amine or mixture of amines 15-60 %, water 20-60 %, ammonium tetraborate or ammonium pentaborate 9-20 %, an optional polar organic solvent 0-15 %.

Abstract: A CVD Method of forming gate dielectric thin films on a substrate using metalloamide compounds of the formula M(NR1R2)x, or wherein M is Zr, Hf, Y, La, Lanthanide series elements, Ta, Ti, or Al; N is nitrogen; each of R1 and R2 is same or different and is independently selected from H, aryl, perfluoroaryl, C1-C8 alkyl, C1-C8 perfluoroalkyl, alkylsilyl; and x is the oxidation state on metal M; and an aminosilane compound of the formula HxSiAy(NR1R2)4-x-y or wherein H is hydrogen; x is from 0 to 3; Si is silicon; A is a halogen; Y is from 0 to 3; N is nitrogen; each of R1 and R2 is same or different and is independently selected from the group consisting of H, aryl, perfluoroaryl, C1-C8 alkyl, and C1-C8 perfluoroalkyl; and n is from 1-6. By comparison with the standard SiO2 gate dielectric materials, these gate dielectric materials provide low levels of carbon and halide impurity.

Abstract: A delivery system and method for vaporizing and delivery of vaporized solid and liquid precursor materials at sub-atmospheric pressures between a heatable vaporization vessel and a processing tool. The system includes a pressure regulator internally positioned within the vaporization vessel and in fluid communication with a downstream mass flow controller to maintain a consistent flow of vaporized source material. The system further comprises introducing a carrier/diluent gas for diluting the vaporized source material before entry into the processing tool. A venturi is positioned directly upstream of the processing tool and provides for mixing of the carrier gas with the vaporized source material while providing the negative pressure required to open the gas pressure regulator within the vaporization vessel.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for dispensing a gas using a gas source coupled in selective flow relationship with a gas manifold. The gas manifold includes flow circuitry for discharging gas to a gas-using zone, and the gas source includes a pressure-regulated gas source vessel containing the gas at superatmospheric pressure. The pressure-regulated gas source vessel can be arranged with a pressure regulator at or within the vessel and a flow control valve coupled in flow relationship to the vessel, so that gas dispensed from the vessel flows through the regulator prior to flow through the flow control valve, and into the gas manifold. The apparatus and method permit an enhancement of the safety of storage and dispensing of toxic or otherwise hazardous gases used in semiconductor processes.

Abstract: A composition and process for wet stripping removal of sacrificial anti-reflective silicate material, e.g., from a substrate or article having such material deposited thereon, particularly where the sacrificial anti-reflective material is present with permanent silicate materials desired to be unaffected by the wet stripping composition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an effluent abatement/energy generation system, as well as a method, for abating a process effluent gas stream that contains one or more target compounds such as hydrogen gas, ammonia gas, isopropanol, and other volatile organic compounds that are readily oxidizable, and for concurrently generating energy using such process effluent gas stream. Such effluent abatement/energy generation system comprises a purification unit for removing components other than such target compounds from the process effluent gas stream, and an energy generation unit for generating thermal and/or electrical energy. Such energy generation unit may comprise a combustion assembly, such as a microturbine, for direct combustion or catalytic combustion of the target compounds to generate thermal and/or electrical energy. Such energy generation unit may also comprise a fuel cell for using the target compounds to generate electrical energy.

Abstract: A process for removing and/or dry etching noble metal-based material structures, e.g., iridium for electrode formation for a microelectronic device. Etch species are provided by plasma formation involving energization of one or more halogenated organic and/or inorganic substance, and the etchant medium including such etch species and oxidizing gas is contacted with the noble metal-based material under etching conditions. The plasma formation and the contacting of the plasma with the noble metal-based material can be carried out in a downstream microwave processing system to provide processing suitable for high-rate fabrication of microelectronic devices and precursor structures in which the noble metal forms an electrode, or other conductive element or feature of the product article.

Abstract: The present invention relates to antioxidant analysis for solder plating solutions, by using a complexing solution comprising a molybdenum compound, such as MoO2Cl2, to form a highly colored antioxidant-molybdenum complex, which can be detected and analyzed by UV-Vis spectroscopic, as a basis for concentration determination for the antioxidant.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for abating toxic and/or hazardous gas species in a diluent gas stream line deriving from a by-pass line of a semiconductor process tool, comprising contacting the diluent gas stream with a dry resin sorbent material having an affinity for the toxic and/or hazardous gas species to effect the removal of at least a portion of the toxic and/or hazardous gas species by a chemisorbent or physisorbent reaction between the sorbent bed and the toxic gas component effectively reduces the concentration of the toxic gas component in the process diluent stream to below TLV.