Patents Assigned to Advanced Technology Materials
  • Sorbent-based gas storage and delivery system
    Patent number: 6660063
    Abstract: A capacity increase and/or pressure decrease of gas in a gas storage and dispensing vessel is achieved by use of a physical adsorbent having sorptive affinity for the gas. Such approach enables conventional high pressure gas cylinders to be redeployed with contained sorbent, to achieve substantial enhancement of safety and capacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc
    Inventors: Glenn M. Tom, James V. McManus, Luping Wang, W. Karl Olander
  • Formulations including a 1,3-dicarbonyl compound chelating agent and copper corrosion inhibiting agents for stripping residues from semiconductor substrates containing copper structures
    Patent number: 6660700
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technologies Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Wojtczak, Ma. Fatima Seijo, David Bernhard, Long Nguyen
  • Adhesion promotion method for CVD copper metallization in IC applications
    Patent number: 6645860
    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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. Charneski, Tue Nguyen, Gautam Bhandari
  • Silicon carbide epitaxial layers grown on substrates offcut towards <1100>
    Patent number: 6641938
    Abstract: A silicon carbide epitaxial film, grown on an offcut surface of a SiC crystalline substrate of hexagonal crystal form, having an offcut angle of from about 6 to about 10 degrees, toward the <1{overscore (1)}00> crystalline direction of the substrate. The resultant silicon carbide epitaxial film has superior morphological and material properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Barbara E. Landini, George R. Brandes, Michael A. Tischler
  • Pyrazolate copper complexes, and MOCVD of copper using same
    Patent number: 6639080
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chongying Xu, Thomas H. Baum, Ziyun Wang
  • Method and system for dynamically clocking digital systems based on power usage
    Patent number: 6639428
    Abstract: A digital circuit run in conjunction with a system clock signal. The digital circuit includes: a digital logic circuitry regulated by a clock signal and powered by a system current; and a clocking circuitry, communicatively coupled to the digital logic circuitry and the system clock signal, for supplying the clock signal to the digital logic circuitry. The clocking circuitry includes: a power supply monitor circuitry, communicatively coupled to the power supply, providing a first signal indicative of a predetermined level of system current; and a clock regulation circuitry, communicatively coupled to the power supply circuitry, which outputs the clock signal to the digital logic circuitry in response to the first signal. The clock signal comprises (1) the system clock signal when the first signal is in a first state, and (2) a modified clock signal when the first signal is in a second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Andy Green, Philip C. Barnett
  • Bulk chemical delivery system
    Patent number: 6637475
    Abstract: A bulk chemical delivery system, comprising: a bulk chemical canister that is connected to at least one manifold box, wherein each manifold box has at least two output lines, wherein each output line connects to a secondary canister. In non-limiting representative example, the bulk chemical canister may have a capacity of 200 liters. Also disclosed are novel manifolds for use in delivering chemicals from canisters and a transportation/containment cart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig M. Noah, John N. Gregg, Robert M. Jackson, Craig Esser
  • Level control systems for high purity chemical delivery systems
    Patent number: 6629627
    Abstract: A highly reliable digital level sensor assembly is provided to replace optical and capacitance type sensors in high purity chemical delivery systems. The digital level sensor assembly is particularly useful in bulk chemical refill delivery systems for high purity chemicals employing a manifold that ensures contamination free operation and canister change outs with a minimum of valves and tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen H. Siegele, Craig M. Noah, John N. Gregg
  • Source reagent composition for CVD formation of Zr/Hf doped gate dielectric and high dielectric constant metal oxide thin films and method of using same
    Patent number: 6623656
    Abstract: Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) precursor compositions for forming Zr/Hf doped gate dielectric, ferroelectric, or high dielectric constant (k) metal oxide thin films. The precursor composition in one embodiment comprises a metal precursor having a general formula M(&bgr;-diketonate)2(OR)2, wherein M is Zr or Hf, and R is t-butyl. The precursor composition may also comprise a solvent medium selected from the group consisting of ethers, glymes, tetraglymes, amines, polyamines, alcohols, glycols, aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, cyclic ethers, and compatible combinations of two or more of the foregoing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Baum, Chongying Xu, Witold Paw, Bryan C. Hendrix, Jeffrey F. Roeder, Ziyun Wang
  • Non-plasma in-situ cleaning of processing chambers using static flow methods
    Patent number: 6620256
    Abstract: An improved, non-plasma, static method for removing accumulated films and solid residues from interior surfaces of processing chambers used in thermal or plasma CVD treatment processes. The method includes introducing a reactive substance into a processing chamber while adjusting the pressure within the processing chamber to a predetermined level. The flow of the reactive substance into the processing chamber is terminated and the reactive substance is retained in the processing chamber to react with solid residues and form reaction products, following which the reaction products are subsequently removed from the processing chamber. Advantageously, terminating the flow of reactive substance into the processing chamber results in etching action that more effectively utilizes the cleaning agent and generates less hazardous materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jose Arno, Luping Wang, Glenn M. Tom
  • Adsorbents for low vapor pressure fluid storage and delivery
    Patent number: 6620225
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fluid storage and delivery system utilizing a porous metal matrix that comprises at least one Group VIII metal or Group IB metal therein. In one aspect of the invention, such porous metal matrix forms a solid-phase metal adsorbent medium, characterized by an average pore diameter of from about 0.5 nm to about 2.0 nm and a porosity of from about 10% to about 30%. Such solid-phase metal adsorbent medium is particularly useful for sorptively storing and desoprotively dispensing a low vapor pressure fluid, e.g., ClF3, HF, GeF4, Br2, etc. In another aspect of the invention, such porous metal matrix forms a solid-phase metal sorbent, characterized by an average pore diameter of from about 0.25 &mgr;m to about 500 &mgr;m and a porosity of from about 15% to about 95%, which can effectively immobilize low vapor pressure liquefied gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Luping Wang, Doug Neugold
  • Flat-panel display having spacer with rough face for inhibiting secondary electron escape
    Patent number: 6617772
    Abstract: A flat-panel display contains a pair of plate structure (20 and 22) separated by a spacer (24) having a rough face (54 or 56). When electrons strike the spacer, the roughness in the spacer's face causes the number of secondary electrons that escape the spacer to be reduced, thereby alleviating positive charge buildup on the spacer. As a result, the image produced by the display is improved. The spacer facial roughness can be achieved in various ways such as depressions (60, 62, 64, 66, 70, 74, or 80) or/and protuberances (82, 84, 88, and 92). Various techniques are presented for manufacturing the display, including the rough-faced spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignees: Candescent Technologies Corporation, Candescent Intellectual Property Services, Inc., Advanced Technology Materials, Inc
    Inventors: Roger W. Barton, Kollengode S. Narayanan, Bob L. Mackey, John M. Macaulay, George B. Hopple, Donald R. Schropp, Jr., Michael J. Nystrom, Sudhakar Gopalakrishnan, Shiyou Pei, Xueping Xu
  • Infrared thermopile detector system for semiconductor process monitoring and control
    Patent number: 6617175
    Abstract: A thermopile-based detector for monitoring and/or controlling semiconductor processes, and a method of monitoring and/or controlling semiconductor processes using thermopile-based sensing of conditions in and/or affecting such processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Jose Arno
  • Indium source reagent composition, and use thereof for deposition of indium-containing films on subtrates and ion implantation of indium-doped shallow junction microelectronic structures
    Patent number: 6602549
    Abstract: An indium precursor composition having utility for incorporation of indium in a microelectronic device structure, e.g., as an indium-containing film on a device substrate by bubbler or liquid delivery MOCVD techniques, or as a dopant species incorporated in a device substrate by ion implantation techniques. The precursor composition includes a precursor of the formula R1R2InL wherein: R1 and R2 may be same or different and are independently selected from C6-C10 aryl, C6-C10 fluoroaryl, C6-C10 perfluoroaryl, C1-C6 alkyl, C1-C6 fluoroalkyl, or C1-C6 perfluoroalkyl; and L is &bgr;-diketonato or carboxylate. Indium-containing metal films may be formed on a substrate, such as indium-copper metallization, and shallow junction indium ion-implanted structures may be formed in integrated circuitry, using the precursors of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas H. Baum, Chongying Xu
  • Single chip embedded microcontroller having multiple non-volatile erasable PROMS sharing a single high voltage generator
    Publication number: 20030145154
    Abstract: A single chip embedded microcontroller has a processor that communicates with multiple non-volatile erasable PROMS which may be an OTPROM and an EEPROM. The processor also communicates with a high voltage generator that produces the erase and write voltages for the OTPROM and EEPROM. A switch communicates with the high voltage generator and switches the erase and write voltages alternately between the OTPROM and EEPROM. The OTPROM and EEPROM are FLASH arrays. The FLASH array technology allows the EEPROM and OTPROM to have similar erase and write voltages and therefore to share one high voltage generator. The high voltage generator is switched alternately between the first and second non-volatile erasable PROM arrays to enforce the principle that the EEPROM and OTPROM cannot be written to or erased at the same and may only be written to or erased one at a time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip C. Barnett, David Sowards
  • Boric acid containing compositions for stripping residues from semiconductor substrates
    Patent number: 6599870
    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): Boric Acid  2-17% Organic amine or mixture of amines 35-70% Water 20-45% Glycol solvent (optional)  0-5% Chelating agent (optional)  0-17% The preferred amines are: Monoethanolamine (MEA) Triethanolamine (TEA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Wojtczak, George Guan, Long Nguyen
  • Solid state white light emitter and display using same
    Patent number: 6600175
    Abstract: A light emitting assembly comprising a solid state device coupleable with a power supply constructed and arranged to power the solid state device to emit from the solid state device a first, relatively shorter wavelength radiation, and a down-converting luminophoric medium arranged in receiving relationship to said first, relatively shorter wavelength radiation, and which in exposure to said first, relatively shorter wavelength radiation, is excited to responsively emit second, relatively longer wavelength radiation. In a specific embodiment, monochromatic blue or UV light output from a light-emitting diode is down-converted to white light by packaging the diode with fluorescent organic and/or inorganic fluorescers and phosphors in a polymeric matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Baretz, Michael A. Tischler
  • Zirconium-doped BST materials and MOCVD process forming same
    Patent number: 6599447
    Abstract: A Zr-doped (Ba,Sr)TiO3 perovskite crystal material dielectric thin film. Such dielectric thin film is characterized by at least one of the characteristics including: (a) a breakdown strength of at least 1.3 MV/cm; (b) a leakage current of not more than 1×10−3 A/cm2 under applied voltage of about ±3V or above and at temperature of about 100° C. or above; and (c) an energy storage density of at least 15 J/cc. The dielectric thin film comprises zirconium dopant in the amount of 0.5% to 50% by total weight of the Zr-doped (Ba,Sr)TiO3 perovskite crystal material, preferably 2-15%, more preferably 4% to 14%, and most preferably 5% to 12%. Such dielectric thin film in a preferred aspect is deposited by a MOCVD process using metal precursors Ba(thd)2-polyamine, Sr(thd)2-polyamine, Zr(thd)4, and Ti(OiPr)2(thd)2 at a deposition temperature in the range from about 560° C. to 700° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory T. Stauf, Philip S. Chen, Jeffrey F. Roeder
  • III-V nitride substrate boule and method of making and using the same
    Patent number: 6596079
    Abstract: A boule formed by high rate vapor phase growth of Group III-V nitride boules (ingots) on native nitride seeds, from which wafers may be derived for fabrication of microelectronic device structures. The boule is of microelectronic device quality, e.g., having a transverse dimension greater than 1 centimeter, a length greater than 1 millimeter, and a top surface defect density of less than 107 defects cm−2. The Group III-V nitride boule may be formed by growing a Group III-V nitride material on a corresponding native Group III-V nitride seed crystal by vapor phase epitaxy at a growth rate above 20 micrometers per hour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert P. Vaudo, Jeffrey S. Flynn, George R. Brandes, Joan M. Redwing, Michael A. Tischler
  • Method for carbon monoxide reduction during thermal/wet abatement of organic compounds
    Patent number: 6596054
    Abstract: A method and system for retrofitting an integrated scrubber to provide maximum oxygen content in a controlled decomposition oxidation (CDO) abatement process. The system includes a thermal/wet integrated scrubber, and a compressed air supply for supplying air to an oxygen separation device that separates the air into a nitrogen-enriched component and an oxygen-enriched component. The oxygen separation device utilizes a ceramic, metallic, carbonaceous or polymeric material to separate from the supplied air an oxygen-enriched component for introduction into the integrated scrubber. The integrated scrubber is equipped with a mechanical scraping device for continuous or intermittent removal of combustion deposits formed during the controlled decomposition oxidation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Belynda G. Flippo, Robbert Vermuellen, Daniel O. Clark