Abstract: A method operable to remove contaminants from a contaminated fluid stream is provided. The process includes receiving the fluid stream containing contaminants. A first portion of the contaminants are removed from the fluid stream with a first scrubbing vessel. A first base solution reacts with the contaminants such that the contaminants enter a contaminant solution. A remaining portion of the contaminants from the fluid stream is then removed with a at least one additional scrubbing vessel, wherein a second base solution reacts with the contaminants such that part of the remaining portion of the contaminants enter a second solution. Water content is then removed from the fluid stream with a desiccating module, wherein the desiccating module outputs a clean fluid stream.

Abstract: A ballasting circuit is configured with a circuit having a capability of providing an isolated power supply to various external ballast accessories that interface with a circuit or device for determining the amount of illumination. The ballasting circuit also has a capability of providing isolated power for circuitry within itself such that they can be connected to communication wires external to a lighting fixture without the need of an additional power supply. The ballasting circuit includes one or more gas discharge lighting devices, a source of input power, an electronic ballasting circuit having a regulated direct current requirement and coupled between the one or more gas discharge lighting devices and the source of input power, a heater transformer, a low voltage direct current power supply, a switching device, a regulator circuit, a full wave rectifier, and windings.

Abstract: A ballast with circuitry to allow the level of the lighting device to be adjusted, a separate direct current input and a sensing circuit within the ballast to lower the light level and thus the amount of power required from the direct current input when the normal line power fails. The system includes placing a sensing device within the ballasting circuitry housing and using a fiber optic conductor to conduct the light into the ballast from an external source. The system further includes recharging the battery by supply current to flow out of the direct current input when the ballast is operating from line power.

Abstract: A ballast includes circuitry to allow the level of the lighting to be adjusted as well as circuitry that interfaces the ballast to a control system via the power line. The ballast is provided for adjusting the output by using a conventional triac phase chop dimming circuit. The basic concepts of the circuit can also be used to drive flat panel (electro luminescent) light source.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for treating pollutants in a gaseous stream. The apparatus comprises tubular inlets for mixing a gas stream with other oxidative and inert gases for mixture and flame production within a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber is heated by heating elements and has an interior wall with orifices through which heated air enters into the central reaction chamber. The oxidized gases are treated also for particles removal by flowing through a packed bed. The packed bed is cooled and its upper portion with air inlets to enhance condensation and particle growth in the bed. The treated gas stream is also scrubbed in a continuous regenerative scrubber comprising at least two vertically separated beds in which one bed can be regenerated while the other is operative so that the flow may be continuously passed through the bed.

Abstract: A method of purifying tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) to remove boron impurities therefrom, and a related method of analyzing TEOS to determine concentration of boron impurities therein.

Abstract: A fluid distribution system for supplying a gas to a process facility such as a semiconductor manufacturing plant. The system includes a main fluid supply vessel coupled by flow circuitry to a local sorbent-containing supply vessel from which fluid, e.g., low pressure compressed gas, is dispensed to a fluid-consuming unit, e.g., a semiconductor manufacturing tool. A fluid pressure regulator is disposed in the flow circuitry or the main liquid supply vessel and ensures that the gas flowed to the fluid-consuming unit is at desired pressure. The system and associated method are particularly suited to the supply and utilization of liquefied compressed gases such as trimethylsilane, arsine, phosphine, and dichlorosilane.

Abstract: Copper pyrazolate precursor compositions useful for the formation of copper in semiconductor integrated circuits, e.g., interconnect metallization in semiconductor device structures, as an adhesive seed layer for plating, for the deposition of a thin-film recording head and for circuitization of packaging components. The copper pyrazolate precursor compositions include fluorinated and non-fluorinated pyrazolate copper (I) complexes and their Lewis base adducts. Such precursors are usefully employed for liquid delivery chemical vapor deposition of copper or copper-containing material on a substrate.

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 method and apparatus for abatement of effluent from a CVD process using a source reagent having a metal organic loosely bound to a organic or organomettalic molecule such that upon exposure to heat such bond is readily cleavable, e.g., copper deposition process involving the formation of films on a substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) utilizing a precursor composition for such film formation. The abatement process in specific embodiments facilitates high efficiency abatement of effluents from copper deposition processes utilizing Cu(hfac)TMVS as a copper source reagent.

Abstract: The formulations of the present invention etch doped silicon oxide compounds, such as BPSG and PSG layers, at rates greater than or equal to the etch rate of undoped silicon oxide such as thermal oxide. The formulations have the general composition of a chelating agent, preferably weakly to moderately acidic (0.1-10%; preferably 0.2-2.8%); a fluoride salt, which may be ammonium fluoride or an organic derivative of either ammonium fluoride or a polyammonium fluoride (1.65-7%; preferably 2.25-7%); a glycol solvent (71-98%; preferably 90-98%); and optionally, an amine.

Abstract: A ceramic composition having a high adsorptive capacity for oxygen at elevated temperature, including at least one of: Bi2−yEryO3−d; Bi2−yYyO3−d; La1−yBayCo1−xNixO3−d; La1−ySryCo1−xNixO3−d; La1−yCayCo1−xNixO3−d; La1−yBayCo1−xFexO3−d; La1−ySryCo1−xFexO3−d; and La1−yCayCo1−xFexO3−d; wherein x is from 0.2 to 0.8, y is from 0 to 1.0 and d=0.1 to 0.9. Such ceramic composition may be made using a modified Pechini synthetic procedure. The resulting ceramic composition is usefully employed as an adsorbent for separation of oxygen from an oxygen-containing feed gas mixture, e.g., in a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process.

Abstract: A fluid storage and dispensing system including a fluid storage and dispensing vessel enclosing an interior volume for holding a fluid. The vessel includes a fluid discharge port for discharging fluid from the vessel. A pressure regulating element in the interior volume of the fluid storage and dispensing vessel is arranged to flow fluid therethrough to the fluid discharge port at a set pressure for dispensing thereof. A controller external of the fluid storage and dispensing vessel is arranged to transmit a control input into the vessel to cause the pressure regulating element to change the set pressure of the fluid flowed from the pressure regulating element to the fluid discharge port. By such arrangement, the respective storage and dispensing operations can have differing regulator set point pressures, as for example a subatmospheric pressure set point for storage and a super atmospheric pressure set point for dispensing.

Abstract: A pressure swing adsorption system for processing an oxygen-containing feed gas mixture to extract oxygen therefrom, comprising an adsorbent bed arranged for elevated temperature sorption/desorption operation, wherein the adsorbent bed comprises a ceramic adsorbent having affinity for oxygen when the ceramic adsorbent is at elevated temperature. Suitable ceramic adsorbents include lanthanum calcium cobalt ferrites and other oxygen ionic transport ceramic metal oxide compositions. As applied to the separation of air or other oxygen/nitrogen mixtures, the PSA system is effective to produce oxygen-rich as well as nitrogen-rich product gases.

Abstract: A method is provided for promoting adhesion of CVD copper to diffusion barrier material in integrated circuit manufacturing. The method uses a two-step CVD copper metallization process. Following deposition of a diffusion barrier layer on the IC substrate, a first layer of CVD copper is deposited on the barrier material. The first layer is preferably thin (less than 300 Å) and deposited using a precursor which yields an adherent conforming layer of copper. The suggested precursor for use in depositing the first layer of CVD copper is (hfac)Cu(1,5-Dimethylcyclooctadiene). The first layer of CVD copper serves as a “seed” layer to which a subsequently-deposited “fill” or “bulk” layer of CVD copper will readily adhere. The second copper deposition step of the two-step process is the deposit of a second layer of copper by means of CVD using another precursor, different from (hfac)Cu(1,5-Dimethylcyclooctadiene).

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: An integrated circuit structures formed by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, which comprises a conductive pathway recessed in a dielectric substrate, wherein the conductive pathway comprises conductive transmission lines encapsulated in a transmission-enhancement material, and wherein the conductive pathway is filled sequentially by a first layer of the transmission-enhancement material followed by the conductive transmission line; a second layer of transmission-enhancement material encapsulating the conductive transmission line and contacting the first layer of the transmission-enhancement material, wherein the transmission-enhancement material is selected from the group consisting of high magnetic permeability material and high permittivity material. Such integrated circuit structure may comprise a device structure selected from the group consisting of capacitors, inductors, and resistors.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer cleaning formulation, including 2-98% wt. organic amine, 0-50% wt. water, 0.1-60% wt. 1,3-dicarbonyl compound chelating agent, 0-25% wt. of additional different chelating agent(s), 0.5-40% wt. nitrogen-containing carboxylic acid or an imine, and 2-98% wt polar organic solvent. 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 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 gas storage and dispensing system comprising a vessel for holding a gas at a desired pressure. The vessel has a gas pressure regulator in its interior volume, to maintain pressure of dispensed gas at a desired pressure determined by the set point of the regulator. A second gas pressure regulator may be joined in series gas flow communication with the first gas pressure regulator, with the second gas pressure regulator being in initial contact with gas that is dispensed prior to its flow through the first gas pressure regulator, and with the set point pressure of the second gas pressure regulator being at least twice the set point pressure of the first gas pressure regulator.