Patents Assigned to Advanced Technology Materials
  • Patent number: 6936542
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing slurry and method for using the slurry for polishing copper, barrier material and dielectric material that comprises a first and second slurry. The first slurry has a high removal rate on copper and a low removal rate on barrier material. The second slurry has a high removal rate on barrier material and a low removal rate on copper and dielectric material. The first and second slurries at least comprise silica particles, an oxidizing agent, a corrosion inhibitor, and a cleaning agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Wojtczak, Thomas H. Baum, Long Nguyen, Cary Regulski
  • Patent number: 6921062
    Abstract: A vaporizer delivery system for use in semiconductor manufacturing processes including a plurality of vertically stacked containers for holding a vaporizable source material. Each of the vertically stacked containers includes a plurality of vented protuberances extending into the interior of the each stacked container thereby providing channels for passage of a carrier gas between adjacent vertically stacked containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John Gregg, Scott Battle, Jeffrey I. Banton, Donn Naito, Marianne Fuierer
  • Patent number: 6913686
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for determining concentrations of various inorganic or organic components in solder plating solutions, which include titration or parallel titration methods, direct potentiometry methods, calibration methods, and/or UV-Vis absorption analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Monica K. Hilgarth
  • Patent number: 6909973
    Abstract: A process system adapted for processing of or with a material therein. The process system includes: a sampling region for the material; an infrared photometric monitor constructed and arranged to transmit infrared radiation through the sampling region and to responsively generate an output signal correlative of the material in the sampling region, based on its interaction with the infrared radiation; and process control means arranged to receive the output of the infrared photometric monitor and to responsively control one or more process conditions in and/or affecting the process system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Jose I. Arno
  • Patent number: 6907740
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for charging a gas storage and dispensing vessel with gas to a predetermined pressure level, e.g., a gas to be employed in a semiconductor manufacturing operation such as a hydride, halide or organometallic reagent gas. In the gas charging, a source gas is liquefied, e.g., in a cryotrap, and then gasified in closed flow communication with the vessel to introduce the gas thereinto, and such liquefaction/gasification steps are carried out alternatively and repetitively, to charge the vessel in a step-wise, progressive fashion with gas, until a full fill state is achieved, with the contained gas at the predetermined pressure level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn M. Tom
  • Patent number: 6909839
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a delivery system for vaporizing and delivering vaporized solid and liquid precursor materials at a controlled rate having particular utility for semiconductor manufacturing applications. The system includes a vaporization vessel, a processing tool and a connecting vapor line therebetween, where the system further includes an input flow controller and/or an output flow controller to provide a controlled delivery of a vaporizable source material to the vaporization vessel and a controlled flow rate of vaporized source material to the processing tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Luping Wang, Thomas H. Baum, Chongying Xu
  • Publication number: 20050116021
    Abstract: The present invention is a manufacturing system including a hazard zone and a non-hazard zone. The system includes a storage device, located in the hazard zone, for electrically storing information. The system further includes a communication device, also located in the hazard zone, for storing information to and reading information from the storage device. In the non-hazard zone, a controller is in electrical communication with the communication device. The controller controls the system based on information read from the storage device by the communication device. To limit electrical energy passing to the communication device, an intrinsic safety barrier located in the non-hazard zone is connected between the communication device and the controller device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Applicant: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin O'Dougherty, Bryan Baillie
  • Patent number: 6900498
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Stauf, Bryan C. Hendrix, Jeffrey F. Roeder, Ing-Shin Chen
  • Patent number: 6896826
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Wojtczak, Ma. Fatima Seijo, David Bernhard, Long Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20050103802
    Abstract: A container for holding and dispensing liquid having a container wall comprising a rigid portion that dimensionally defines the container, a liner portion disposed within the container adjacent to the rigid portion, and an adhesive layer disposed between the rigid portion and the liner portion. The adhesive layer removably secures the liner portion to the rigid portion such that the liner portion is capable of being separated from the rigid portion and collapsed within the container, for dispensing the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: May 19, 2005
    Applicant: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Michele Alberg
  • Publication number: 20050087237
    Abstract: A liquid dispensing and recirculating system is disclosed. The system includes a container having a mouth and a cap coupled with the mouth. The system further includes a connector for coupling with the cap. The connector includes a connector head and a probe extending from the connector head. The probe is insertable through the cap and into the mouth, and has a flow passage therein which terminates near a probe tip. A pump pumps fluid in the container through the probe and the flow passage. A fluid return channel is formed on the probe for returning recirculated fluid to the fluid in the container. As fluid is returned along the fluid return channel, air in the fluid is released above the fluid in the container to prevent injection of air into the fluid in the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Publication date: April 28, 2005
    Applicant: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin O'Dougherty, Cramer Hegeman
  • Patent number: 6880592
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Gregg, Donn Naito
  • Patent number: 6879876
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin T. O'Dougherty, Robert E. Andrews
  • Patent number: 6878641
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Neil H. Hendricks
  • Patent number: 6875733
    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 %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Wojtczak, George Guan
  • Patent number: 6868869
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: W. Karl Olander
  • Patent number: 6857447
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: W. Karl Olander, Matthew B. Donatucci, Luping Wang, Michael J. Wodjenski
  • Patent number: 6851432
    Abstract: An aqueous cleaning composition comprising an alkanolamine, a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide, nonmetallic fluoride salt, a corrosion inhibitor, e.g. ascorbic acid or its derivatives alone or in combination, balance water. Such cleaning compositions are effective to remove residues from plasma process generated organic, metal-organic materials, inorganic salts, oxides, hydroxides or complexes in combination with or exclusive of organic photoresist films at low temperatures with little corrosion of copper and attack of dielectric substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shahriar Naghshineh, Yassaman Hashemi
  • Patent number: 6849200
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Baum, David Bernhard, David Minsek, Melissa Murphy
  • Patent number: 6846424
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Baum, Phillip Chen, Frank DiMeo, Jr., Peter C. Van Buskirk, Peter S. Kirlin