Abstract: A spindle motor incorporates a hollow shaft and a prewound stator having an interconnect ring attached to one end of the stator assembly. The interconnect ring is preferably a printed circuit or flexible printed circuit; it is bonded to the stator stack before the coils are wound, and the start and finish of each phase winding is terminated to the interconnect ring. Once the stator is assembled onto the shaft, connector wires can be fed up through the shaft and terminated at the interconnect ring. Traces on the interconnect ring join the wires to the proper phases and to the commons to control motor operation.

Abstract: In a spindle hub configured for rotation about an axis, through holes extend from a first end of the spindle hub to a second end of the spindle hub. The through holes are generally parallel to the axis. A method of achieving two-plane balance of a disc pack assembly by positioning one or more weights in one or more of the through holes and retaining the weight in the position, such that it is possible to access each weight from the top of the spindle hub.

Abstract: An apparatus for stabilizing the spin axis of a rotating system, the rotating system having a rotor and motor means to cause rotation of the rotor about the spin axis and a magnet, windings, a source of drive current and an actuator combined with the motor means and forming a source of actuator current energizing the windings to generate a radial force which stabilizes the position of the spin axis and dampens other than rotational movements of the rotor.

Abstract: A motor is disclosed comprising a rotating shaft where the shaft comprises both an axial shaft and at least one thrust plate, both the shaft and thrust plate being supported for rotation by fluid dynamic bearings. A secondary fluid dynamic bearing is provided, coupled to the main support fluid dynamic bearing, and is oriented to provide additional axial and/or radial stiffness. Preferably, the secondary fluid dynamic bearing is defined between the sleeve which establishes the bore wherein the shaft rotates, the sleeve having an outer surface which is cylindrical and defines and includes one surface of the secondary fluid dynamic bearing, the other surface being defined by the inner surface of a hub which is coupled mechanically to the rotating shaft and thrust plate and is rotating over and around the sleeve.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing system where the bearing includes a shaft and two independent bearings, including a top cone or bi-sphere and a bottom cone or bi-sphere separated by a segment of the shaft. The bearing includes a hub supported bearing element rotating around the shaft and the shaft supported top cone and bottom cone; complementary surfaces of the bearing element and the cone define a narrow gap between the bearing support element for the bearing fluid. Sealing plates or seal elements define a fluid gap with a radially extending face of the cone; a gap also exists between an interior surface portion of each cone and the shaft. These gaps are connected so that separate flow paths are established, one around the top cone or bi-sphere and one around the bottom cone or bi-sphere. By providing two independent bearings, the stator can be mounted to the shaft, facing magnets supported on the hub to form an in-hub motor.

Abstract: A hydrodynamic bearing is provided comprising a shaft having a pair of spaced apart conical bearings supporting a surrounding sleeve for rotations. The sleeve comprises a single piece rather than the two-piece design separated by a rubber expansion joint of the prior art. Instead upper and lower slots are cut into the sleeve, and the rings are pressed or otherwise tightly fitted into each slot. The single piece sleeve which also incorporates the bearing seats for the conical bearings on the shaft, is made of aluminum, while each ring is made of steel (as is the shaft and bearing cones). As the temperature rises at which the hydrodynamic bearing is operated, the sleeve expands axially putting the bearing seat closer to the cone, effectively compensating for the thinning of the fluid which supports the bearing seat and sleeve for rotation relative to the cone. Meanwhile, the steel ring, being of the same material as the shaft, prevents the aluminum sleeve from expanding radially away from the cone.

Abstract: A paddle board with flexible extended leads is provided. The paddle board includes a chassis and a flexible lead portion. The flexible lead portion has wire traces disposed therein for receiving a plurality of wires from a parametric test head. The paddle board may be connected to a socket of a testing assembly for testing the performance of a batch of storage media. The paddle board reduces the amount of damage or breakage to the wires extending from the testing head.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit using an amorphous carbon film. The amorphous carbon film is formed by thermally decomposing a gas mixture comprising a hydrocarbon compound and an inert gas. The amorphous carbon film is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the amorphous carbon film is used as a hardmask. In another integrated circuit fabrication process, the amorphous carbon film is an anti-reflective coating (ARC) for deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography. In yet another integrated circuit fabrication process, a multi-layer amorphous carbon anti-reflective coating is used for DUV lithography.

Abstract: A method of improving plasma processing of a semiconductor wafer by exposing the wafer or the plasma to photons while the wafer is being processed. One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of etching an aluminum layer and, during the etching, exposing the semiconductor wafer containing the aluminum layer to photons that photodesorb copper chloride from the surface of the layer thus improving the etch process performance.

Abstract: A method and composition for selective removal of a conductive material residue and a portion of the barrier layer from a substrate surface. The composition includes a chelating agent, an oxidizer, a corrosion inhibitor, abrasive particles, and water. The composition may further include one or more pH adjusting agents and/or one or more pH buffering agents. The method comprises selective removal of conductive material residue and a portion of the barrier layer from a substrate surface by applying a composition to a polishing pad, the composition including a chelating agent, an oxidizer, a corrosion inhibitor, abrasive particles, and water. The composition may further include one or more pH adjusting agents and/or one or more pH buffering agents.

Abstract: The polishing pad for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus and method of making the same has a polishing pad with a bottom layer, a polishing surface on a top layer and a transparent sheet of material interposed between the two layers. Slurry from the chemical mechanical polishing process is prevented from penetrating the impermeable transparent sheet to the bottom layer of the polishing pad.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving the pad conditioning process of a polishing pad in a chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus employs closed loop control of the polishing pad conditioning process. An arrangement includes a pad conditioning head carried by an arm that is coupled to an arm support located remotely from the conditioning head. A down force sensor in the arm support measures the down force exerted by the pad conditioning head through the conditioning disk. A controller receives the down force measurements from the down force sensor and controls the arm support to controllably vary the down force exerted by the pad conditioning head. The conditioning apparatus is thus controlled in response to the feedback from the down force measurements in a closed loop control to modify the conditioning process and control the pad wear uniformity.

Abstract: A method of forming an optical marker layer for etch endpoint determination in integrated circuit fabrication processes is disclosed. The optical marker layer is used in conjunction with organic and/or carbon-containing material layers that are used as bulk insulating materials and barrier materials. The optical marker layer is formed on the bulk insulating material layer and/or the barrier material layer by incorporating an optical marker into the surface thereof. The optical marker is incorporated into the surface of the bulk insulating material layer and/or the barrier material layer by treating such layer with an optical marker-containing gas. The optical marker layer provides an optical marker emission spectrum when it is etched during a subsequent patterning step.

Abstract: This invention presents a method and system for testing a disc drive head usable with a disc drive head testing device. The steps for this include determining an unknown electrical property of the head testing device. This is done by generating output signals at the output stage. The testing device property is then computed by solving for the unknown electrical property based on the output signals generated for each of the known test devices. For each disc drive head under test, the head is coupled to the input lead and exposed to a stored magnetic data pattern to generate a read signal at the input lead. The measured difference affects the generated read output signal. The read output signal is adjusted based on the testing device property and the measured property to compensate for differences in the measured property.

Abstract: A method for forming a silicon oxide layer for use in integrated circuit fabrication is provided. The silicon oxide layer is formed by reacting a first gas mixture and a second gas mixture. The first gas mixture comprises tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS), helium (He) and nitrogen (N2). The second gas mixture comprises ozone (O3) and optionally, oxygen (O2).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a low dielectric constant film by reaction of an organo silane compound and an oxidizing gas. The oxidized organo silane film has excellent barrier properties for use as a liner or cap layer adjacent other dielectric layers. The oxidized organo silane film can also be used as an etch stop or an intermetal dielectric layer for fabricating dual damascene structures. The oxidized organo silane films also provide excellent adhesion between different dielectric layers. A preferred oxidized organo silane film is produced by reaction of methyl silane, CH3SiH3, and N2O.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing schedules for a wafer in a multichamber semiconductor wafer processing tool comprising the steps of providing a trace defining a series of chambers that are visited by a wafer as the wafer is processed by the tool; initializing a sequence generator with a value of a variable defining initial wafer positioning within the tool; generating all successor variables for the initial variable value to produce a series of values of the variable that represent a partial schedule; backtracking through the series of variables to produce further partial schedules; and stopping the backtracking when all possible variable combinations are produced that represent all possible valid schedules for the trace. All the possible schedules are analyzed to determine a schedule that produces the highest throughput of all the schedules.

Abstract: A functional load lock apparatus having two or more load lock chambers mounted on a central chamber which can be mounted on a single opening in a vacuum chamber such as a substrate processing platform for making integrated circuits on silicon wafers. Each load lock chamber preferably has a semi-cylindrical valve which remains sealed when the load lock chamber is open to atmospheric pressure. A wafer cassette holder positioned within each load lock chamber can be loaded and unloaded while the semi-cylindrical valves seal the vacuum chamber from atmospheric pressure. The semi-cylindrical valve pivots to an open position when the load lock chamber is under vacuum and the entire wafer cassette moves from the load lock chamber to the central chamber.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly for supporting a substrate during processing is provided. In one embodiment, a support assembly includes a top ceramic plate having a first side, a bottom ceramic plate having a first side and an embedded electrode, the first side of the bottom plate fused to the first side of the top plate defining a channel therebetween. In another embodiment, a support assembly includes a first plate having a first side and second side. A ring is disposed on the first side. A stepped surface is formed on the first side radially inward of the ring. A second plate is connected to the second side of the first plate.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing machine is provided with a platen that has an integral sub-pad. A fixed abrasive polishing layer is mounted, without adhesive between the polishing layer and the sub-pad, to the top surface of the platen and the sub-pad. The polishing layer is vacuum mounted, for example, to the integral sub-pad of the platen. A cooling arrangement is provided in the platen that cools the polishing layer and improves product quality.