Abstract: A gas supply system including a gas cabinet defining an enclosure including therein a gas dispensing manifold and one or more adsorbent-based gas storage and dispensing vessels mounted in the enclosure and joined in gas flow communication with the gas dispensing manifold. The enclosure may be maintained under low or negative pressure conditions for enhanced safety in the event of leakage of gas from the gas storage and dispensing vessel(s) in the enclosure. The gas supply system may be coupled to a gas-consuming unit in a semiconductor manufacturing facility, e.g., an ion implanter, an etch chamber, or a chemical vapor deposition reactor.

Abstract: By reducing the size of the blocks or pages that are contained in a FLASH EEPROM array that must be erased in a write or erase operation, the size of register needed is reduced, making it easier for the processor to handle smaller blocks of information, reducing the size and complexity of the microprocessor, and increasing the endurance of the FLASH EEPROM allowing it to be used in place of the state of the art EEPROM. Replacing mask ROM by flash EEPROM allows full testing of the code storage area as well as allowing customers to use that space for testing in their manufacturing procedures. The code used for testing can then be cleared and reprogrammed with the final code storage before final shipment.

Abstract: A precursor composition for forming a zirconium and/or hafnium silicate film on a substrate, e.g., by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Illustrative precursor compositions include (1) a first precursor metal compound or complex including a silicon alcoxide (siloxide) ligand coordinated to a metal M, wherein M=Zr or Hf and (2) a second precursor metal compound or complex including an aliphatic alcoxide ligand coordinated to a metal M, wherein M=Zr or Hf, wherein the relative proportions of the first and second precursors relative to one another are employed to controllably establish the M/Si ratio in the deposited silicate thin film. The precursor composition may contain a solvent medium, so that the composition is adapted for liquid delivery CVD, to form stable thin-film gate dielectrics for fabrication of microelectronic devices.

Abstract: A method of removing noble metal material from a substrate having the noble metal material deposited thereon, such as a semiconductor device structure including thereon a layer of the noble metal material, e.g., iridium, patterned for use as an electrode. The substrate is subjected to chemical mechanical polishing with a chemical mechanical polishing composition containing abrasive polishing particles and a halide-based oxidizing agent. The CMP composition and method of the invention provide efficient planarization and noble metal material removal from the substrate, in applications such as the fabrication of ferroelectric or high permittivity capacitor devices.

Abstract: A fully amorphous thin film material that is related to ferroelectric compositions which is grown at low temperature, e.g., below 400° C., to yield a material with voltage independent capacitance, capacitance density of from about 1000 to about 10000 nF/cm2, leakage of <10−7 A/cm2, root mean square roughness <1 nanometer independent of film thickness, and an inverse capacitance that scales as a ratio of film thickness, reflecting uniform dielectric constant throughout the film. The film material may be employed for various capacitor structures, including decoupling capacitors, DRAM storage capacitors, feedthrough capacitors, bypass capacitors, capacitors for RC filters and capacitors for switched capacitor filters.

Abstract: A solvent composition for liquid delivery chemical vapor deposition of metal organic precursors, to form metal-containing films such as SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) films for memory devices. An SBT film may be formed using precursors such as Sr(thd)2(pmdeta), Ta(OiPr)4(thd) and Bi(thd)3(pmdeta) which are dissolved in a solvent medium comprising one or more alkanes. Specific alkane solvent compositions may advantageously used for MOCVD of metal organic compound(s) such as &bgr;-diketonate compounds or complexes, compound(s) including alkoxide ligands, and compound(s) including alkyl and/or aryl groups at their outer (molecular) surface, or compound(s) including other ligand coordination species and specific metal constituents.

Abstract: A method of forming an iridium-containing film on a substrate, from an iridium-containing precursor thereof which is decomposable to deposit iridium on the substrate, by decomposing the precursor and depositing iridium on the substrate in an oxidizing ambient environment which may for example contain an oxidizing gas such as oxygen, ozone, air, and nitrogen oxide. Useful precursors include Lewis base stabilized Ir(I) &bgr;-diketonates and Lewis base stabilized Ir(I) &bgr;-ketoiminates. The iridium deposited on the substrate may then be etched for patterning an electrode, followed by depositing on the electrode a dielectric or ferroelectric material, for fabrication of thin film capacitor semiconductor devices such as DRAMs, FRAMs, hybrid systems, smart cards and communication systems.

Abstract: A solvent composition useful for liquid delivery MOCVD, comprising toluene and a Lewis base, wherein toluene is present at a concentration of from about 75% to about 98% by volume, based on the total volume of toluene and the Lewis base. Such solvent composition is usefully employed to dissolve or suspend precursors therein for liquid delivery MOCVD, e.g., MOCVD of ferroelectric material films such as SBT.

Abstract: An ion implantation process system, including an ion implanter apparatus for carrying out an ion implantation process. A supply of source gas for the ion implantation process is arranged to flow to the ion implanter apparatus, which discharges an effluent gas stream including ionization products of the source gas during the ion implantation process. The system includes an effluent abatement apparatus for removing hazardous effluent species from the effluent gas stream. The source gas may be furnished from a low pressure gas source in which the source gas is sorptively retained in a vessel on a sorbent medium having affinity for the source gas, and desorbed for dispensing to the process system. A novel scrubbing composition may be employed for effluent treatment, and the scrubbing composition breakthrough of scrubbable component may be monitored with a device such as a quartz microbalance monitor.

Abstract: A novel lead zirconium titanate (PZT) material having unique properties and application for PZT thin film capacitors and ferroelectric capacitor structures, e.g., FeRAMs, employing such thin film material. The PZT material is scalable, being dimensionally scalable, pulse length scalable and/or E-field scalable in character, and is useful for ferroelectric capacitors over a wide range of thicknesses, e.g., from about 20 nanometers to about 150 nanometers, and a range of lateral dimensions extending to as low as 0.15 &mgr;m. Corresponding capacitor areas (i.e., lateral scaling) in a preferred embodiment are in the range of from about 104 to about 10−2 &mgr;m2. The scalable PZT material of the invention may be formed by liquid delivery MOCVD, without PZT film modification techniques such as acceptor doping or use of film modifiers (e.g., Nb, Ta, La, Sr, Ca and the like).

Abstract: An auto-switching sub-atmospheric pressure gas delivery system, for dispensing gas to a gas-consuming process unit, e.g., a semiconductor manufacturing tool. The gas delivery system uses a multiplicity of gas panels, wherein one panel is in active gas dispensing mode and supplying gas from a sub-atmospheric pressure gas source coupled to the flow circuitry of the panel. During the active gas dispensing operation in such panel, a second gas panel of the system undergoes purge, evacuation and fill transition to active gas dispensing condition, to permit switching to the second panel upon exhaustion of the sub-atmospheric pressure gas source coupled to the first gas panel without the occurrence of pressure spikes or flow perturbations.

Abstract: A chemical delivery system which utilizes multiple techniques to achieve a suitable chemical purge of the chemical delivery system is provided. A purge sequence serves to purge the manifold and canister connection lines of the chemical delivery system prior to removal of an empty chemical supply canister or after a new canister is installed. More particularly, a purge technique which may utilizes a variety of combinations of a medium level vacuum source, a hard vacuum source, and/or a liquid flush system is disclosed. By utilizing a plurality of purge techniques, chemicals such as TaEth, TDEAT, BST, etc. which pose purging difficulties may be efficiently purged from the chemical delivery system. The chemical delivery system may also be provided with an efficient and conveniently located heater system for heating the chemical delivery system cabinet.

Abstract: A sensor device for detecting the presence of a gas species in a gas environment susceptible to the presence of same. The sensor device may include a piezoelectric crystal coated with a sensor material having adsorptive affinity for the gas species, with an electric oscillator arranged for applying an oscillating electric field to the piezoelectric crystal to generate an output frequency therefrom indicative of the presence of the gas species when present in the gas environment, when the gas environment is exposed to the piezoelectric crystal. Another aspect of the invention involves a porous polymeric material that may be employed as a sensor material on a piezoelectric crystal sensor device, as well as a quartz microbalance holder that enables reactor gas monitoring. The sensor device alternatively may comprise an optical sensor arranged in a non-contaminating fashion in relation to the gas environment being monitored.

Abstract: A chemical delivery system which utilizes multiple techniques to achieve a suitable chemical purge of the chemical delivery system is provided. A purge sequence serves to purge the manifold and canister connection lines of the chemical delivery system prior to removal of an empty chemical supply canister or after a new canister is installed. More particularly, a purge technique which may utilizes a variety of combinations of a medium level vacuum source, a hard vacuum source, and/or a liquid flush system is disclosed. By utilizing a plurality of purge techniques, chemicals such as TaEth, TDEAT, BST, etc. which pose purging difficulties may be efficiently purged from the chemical delivery system. The chemical delivery system may also be provided with an efficient and conveniently located heater system for heating the chemical delivery system cabinet.

Abstract: A memory management unit is disclosed for a single-chip data processing circuit, such as a smart card. The memory management unit (i) partitions a homogeneous memory device to achieve heterogeneous memory characteristics for various regions of the memory device, and (ii) restricts access of installed applications executing in the microprocessor core to predetermined memory ranges. The memory management unit provides two operating modes for the processing circuit. In a secure kernel mode, the programmer can access all resources of the device including hardware control. In an application mode, the memory management unit translates the virtual memory address used by the software creator into the physical address allocated to the application by the operating system in a secure kernel mode during installation. The memory management unit implements memory address checking using limit registers and translates virtual addresses to an absolute memory address using offset registers.

Abstract: A method is provided for promoting adhesion of CVD copper to diffusion barrier material in integrated circuit manufacturing. The method includes depositing a first seed layer of copper on the barrier material by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using (hfac)Cu(1,5-Dimethylcyclooctadiene) precursor. Following the deposition of the seed layer, which strongly adheres and conforms to the copper receiving surfaces on the diffusion barrier, the wafer substrate is positioned in an electro-chemical deposition apparatus, such as an electroplating or electroless plating bath. A second layer of copper is then deposited on the seed layer by means of electrochemical deposition, e.g., electroplating or electroless plating. The second layer of copper deposited by electro-chemical deposition is a “fill” or “bulk” layer, substantially thicker than the seed layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for a seal for a sterilizable bag. This seal is made between a first polymeric sheet material (5) and a second polymeric sheet material (3). The first sheet material (5) should be sufficiently porous so as to allow or permit gas or steam sterilization but substantially impervious to bacteria. The second sheet material (3) includes an outer heat sealable layer. The seal (4) is fabricated from a first thermal surface weld (15) between the heat sealable layer of the second sheet material (3) and the first sheet material (5), and a second thermal melt weld (12) between at least the heat sealable layer of the second sheet material (3) and the first sheet material (5). The thermal melt weld (12) may be narrower than the first weld (11) and lying within the boundaries of the first weld (11). Furthermore, seal (4) may be sufficiently flat in order to allow a cross-heat seal using conventional equipment.

Abstract: An air manager for the containment of hazardous fumes over a liquid chemical tank in exhausted equipment and systems in a clean room. A powered, filtered airflow source forces filtered air through a plenum coextensive with a transverse dimension of the chemical tank, in a sheet-like airflow stream over the liquid surface. The airflow is captured at the opposite side of the liquid chemical tank and directed to a powered exhaust. The air manager works cooperatively with the clean room laminar airflow, dramatically increasing the efficiency of the local exhaust. Critical Capture Velocity over the entire surface of the tank is maintained, assuring complete containment of chemical fumes. Optional airflow guides positioned along the sides of the chemical tank may be employed to confine the air stream to the area over the liquid surface.

Abstract: A planarization composition is set forth in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The composition comprises spherical silica particles having a weight average particle diameter which falls within the range from about 0.03&mgr; to about 2&mgr; and is monodisperse in that at least about 90 weight percent of the particles have a variation in particle diameter from the average particle diameter of no more than about ±20%. A liquid carrier comprising up to 20 weight percent ROH, and an amine hydroxide which is NR4OH or NR2NR3OH, where each R is HCH3, CH2CH3, C3H7 or C4H9, in the amount of 0.1 to 10 weight percent; an oxidizer which is in the amount from about 0.5% to 15% weight percent; an acid stabilizer for adjusting the pH to fall within a range from about 7.0 to about 0.5; and the remainder is water. The invention also relates to a thinning, polishing and planarizing apparatus and to a method for carrying out the thinning, polishing and planarizing operation.

Abstract: Integrated circuits, including field emission devices, have a resistor element of amorphous SixC1-x wherein 0<x<1, and wherein the SixC1-x incorporates at least one impurity selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogens, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, selenium, transition metals, boron, aluminum, phosphorus, gallium, arsenic, lithium, beryllium, sodium and magnesium.