Abstract: A laser system utilizing a fluid as the excitatory medium for stimulated light emission, wherein the fluid is supplied from a sorbent-based fluid storage and dispensing system coupled in fluid-supplying relationship with the laser apparatus. The laser may be an excimer laser utilizing as the laser working fluid a rare gas halide compound such as fluorides and/or chlorides of krypton, xenon and argon, as well as fluorine and/or chlorine per se. The laser system may alternatively be a far infrared gas laser utilizing a gas such as CO.sub.2, N.sub.2 O, CD.sub.3 OD, CH.sub.3 OD, CH.sub.3 OH, CH.sub.3 NH.sub.2, C.sub.2 H.sub.2 F.sub.2, HCOOH, CD.sub.3 I, CH.sub.3 F, and C.sup.13 H.sub.3 F.

Abstract: A method is described for the selective deposition of bismuth based ferroelectric films by selective chemical vapor deposition on a substrate. Selectivity in the deposition process is attained by selection of substrate-precursor combinations which assure high bismuth deposition efficiency in certain areas and low bismuth deposition efficiency in other areas in combination with specific process parameters.

Abstract: A method of forming an A site deficient thin film manganate material on a substrate from corresponding precursor(s), comprising liquid delivery and flash vaporization thereof to yield a precursor vapor, and transporting the precursor vapor to a chemical vapor deposition reactor for formation of an A site deficient manganate thin film on a substrate. The invention also contemplates a device comprising an A site deficient manganate thin film, wherein the manganate layer is formed on the substrate by such a process and is of the formula La.sub.x M.sub.y MnO.sub.3, where M=Mg, Ca, Sr, or Ba, and (x+y)<1.0, and preferably from about 0.5 to about 0.99.

Abstract: A low concentration gas delivery system utilizing a sorbent-based gas storage and delivery unit including a gas storage and dispensing vessel joined in flow communication with a permeation structure. The storage and dispensing vessel contains a solid-phase physical sorbent medium holding a fluid, which is selectively dispensed from the vessel by pressure differential, concentration differential and/or thermal desorption techniques. The dispensed gas flows to the permeation structure, wherein the desorbed fluid is diffusionally released either as a neat fluid, or into a carrier gas in which the desorbed fluid has a precisely maintained concentration, for applications such as calibration of instruments monitoring fluid concentrations, delivery of dopants for fabrication of microelectronic device structures, or other end use application requiring a precise low concentration of fluid.

Abstract: Anhydrous mononuclear Lewis base adducted tris(.beta.-diketonato) bismuth complexes, useful as precursors for chemical vapor deposition of bismuth, for producing Bi-containing films of significantly improved stoichiometry, morphology and functional character, as compared to films obtained from dinuclear tris(.beta.-diketonato) bismuth complexes of the prior art.

Abstract: Novel Group II metal MOCVD precursor compositions are described having utility for MOCVD of the corresponding Group II metal-containing films. The complexes are Group II metal .beta.-diketonate Lewis base adducts having ligands such as: (i) amines bearing terminal NH.sub.2 groups; (ii) imine ligands formed as amine (i)/carbonyl reaction products; (iii) combination of two or more of the foregoing ligands (i)-(ii), and (iv) combination of one or more of the foregoing ligands (i)-(ii) with one or more other ligands or solvents. The source reagent complexes of barium and strontium are usefully employed in the formation of barium strontium titanate and other Group II doped thin-films on substrates for microelectronic device applications, such as intearated circuits, ferroelectric memories, switches, radiation detectors, thin-film capacitors, microelectromechanical structures (MEMS) and holoaraphic storage media.

Abstract: A smart card having integrated circuitry including a single chip embedded microcontroller for controlling all processes and transactions that take place on the card. The single chip embedded microcontroller comprises a processor, a non-volatile erasable PROM communicating with the processor for reading and writing information to and from the PROM, and an error check and correction circuit cooperating with the PROM to correct errors occurring during the read and write operations after the PROM has performed a greater number of read and write cycles than its endurance. By such arrangement, the accuracy of the read and write operations on the smart card is maintained beyond the endurance of said PROM, enabling PROM-based smart cards having endurance on the order of 100,000 read and write cycles.

Abstract: Copper precursor formulations, including a copper precursor with at least one of (a) water, (b) a water precursor and (c) a non-ligand organic hydrate, are useful in CVD processes, e.g., in liquid delivery chemical vapor deposition, for forming a copper-containing material on a substrate. The disclosed copper precursor formulations are particularly useful in the formation of copper layers in semiconductor integrated circuits, e.g., for metallization of interconnections in such semiconductor device structures.

Abstract: A fluid storage and dispensing system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid at a desired pressure. The vessel has a pressure regulator associated with a port of the vessel, and set at a predetermined pressure. A dispensing assembly, e.g, including a flow control means such as a valve, is arranged in gas/vapor flow communication with the regulator, whereby the opening of the valve effects dispensing of gas/vapor from the vessel. The fluid in the vessel may be constituted by a liquid which is confined in the vessel at a pressure in excess of its liquefaction pressure at prevailing temperature conditions, e.g., ambient (room) temperature. A phase separator such as a gas/vapor-permeable liquid-impermeable membrane, may be associated with the regulator, as a barrier to flow of liquid into the regulator, when the contained fluid in the vessel is in a liquid state.

Abstract: A liquid reagent delivery and vaporization system, including a housing defining a flow passage for flow of a process fluid therethrough. A vaporizer element is positioned within the housing and includes a heated vaporization surface. Liquid reagent is selectively delivered to the heated vaporization surface, to vaporize the liquid reagent and form reagent vapor for flow through the flow passage of the housing, e.g., to a chemical vapor deposition reactor for deposition of a film on a substrate. A thermal damping fluid source is arranged to selectively deliver a thermal damping fluid into the flow passage to maintain a predetermined thermal condition therein. For example, the system may be arranged to selectively terminate delivery of liquid reagent to the vaporization surface and to contemporaneously selectively initiate delivery of the thermal damping fluid into the flow passage to maintain a thermal condition thermally matches the vaporization conditions when the liquid reagent is vaporized.

Abstract: The present invention is a method related to the deposition of a metallization layer in a trench in a semiconductor substrate. The focus of the invention is to sequentially perform heated deposition and etch unit processes to provide a good conformal film of metal on the inner surfaces of a via or trench. The deposition and etch steps can also be performed simultaneously.

Abstract: A fluid storage and dispensing system comprising a vessel for holding a fluid at a desired pressure. The vessel has a pressure regulator, e.g., a single-stage or multi-stage regulator, associated with a port of the vessel, and set at a predetermined pressure. A dispensing assembly, e.g., including a flow control means such as a valve, is arranged in gas/vapor flow communication with the regulator, whereby the opening of the valve effects dispensing of gas/vapor from the vessel. The fluid in the vessel may be constituted by a liquid that is confined in the vessel at a pressure in excess of its liquefaction pressure at prevailing temperature conditions, e.g., ambient (room) temperature. In another aspect, the vessel contains a solid-phase sorbent material having sorbable gas adsorbed thereon, at a pressure in excess of 50 psig. The vessel may have a >1 inch NGT threaded neck opening, to accommodate the installation of an interior regulator.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a gas storage and dispensing system including a dispenser container for holding a physical sorbent material having sorptive affinity for (i) a sorbable dispensing gas to be held in and subsequently selectively discharged from the dispenser container, and (ii) extraneous sorbables, in which the physical sorbent material, having extraneous sorbables sorbed thereon, is treated to desorb from the sorbent material at least part of the extraneous sorbables, prior to loading the sorbent material into a gas storage and dispensing container.

Abstract: A leak detection device securable in detection proximity to a fluid vessel. The leak detection device includes a sensor element and a monitoring assembly. The sensor element has a monitorable characteristic, and the monitorable characteristic changes upon contact, immerson or in exposure to the fluid contained in the vessel. The monotoring assembly is responsive to the monitorable characteristic and produces an changing electrical output in response to change in the monitorable characteristic. The vessel and leak detection device may form an assembly including a shroud or cover over the detection device and a leak-susceptible portion of the vessel, to provide a microenvironment in which the detection device is operated.

Abstract: A liquid reagent dispensing assembly, comprising a gas-pressurizable vessel including a floor, and an interior volume bounded by interior wall and floor surfaces. A dip-tube liquid discharge conduit is employed for discharging liquid from the gas-pressurized vessel. The vessel is provided with a liquid level sensor for sensing liquid reagent level in the vessel interior volume. The floor of the vessel has a cavity therein extending downwardly from the surface of the floor, and the lower end of the dip tube is positioned in the cavity. The dispensing assembly of the invention may usefully be employed for dispensing of reagents such as precursors for deposition of materials in the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices, and achieves a high level of withdrawal of the reagent liquid from the vessel.

Abstract: A gas storage and dispensing system, including a gas storage and dispensing vessel, holding a physical adsorbent medium having sorptive affinity for the gas, and desorptive thereof under dispensing conditions. The gas may be an organoleptic gas, a gaseous therapeutic agent, or the like. The gas storage and dispensing system may be constructed with the gas storage and dispensing vessel in gas flow communication with a bladder that is actually manually or mechanically actuated to effect compression and release thereof, to achieve pressure differential-mediated desorption of the gas from the physical adsorbent medium, and discharge of desorbed gas from the vessel.

Abstract: An integrated circuit capacitor in which a first conductive plate, a layer of ferroelectric material, and a second conductive plate are deposited and formed in sequence. Thereafter a diffusion barrier material and an insulative material are deposited either as a layered dielectric stack with alternating layers of the diffusion barrier material and the insulative material with tensile and compressive stresses in the alternating layers offsetting one another, or as a graded diffusion barrier material varying from a binary oxide of Ta, Nb, or Zr at the surface of the ferroelectric material to SiO.sub.2 at a distance above the surface of the ferroelectric material.

Abstract: A hydrogen sensor including a piezoelectric device with a hydrogen-interactive metal film that reversibly interacts with hydrogen to provide a correspondingly altered frequency response characteristic, relative to the frequency response in the absence of hydrogen. The piezoelectric device may be for example a quartz microbalance or a surface acoustic wave device, having a thin film (e.g., 10-100,000 Angstroms thickness) coating thereon of a hydrogen-interactive metal such as palladium, platinum, nickel or the like.

Abstract: A method of forming a thin film ferrite material on a substrate from corresponding precursor(s), comprising liquid delivery and flash vaporization thereof to yield a precursor vapor, and transporting the precursor vapor to a chemical vapor deposition reactor for formation of the thin film ferrite material on the substrate. The invention also contemplates a device comprising a ferrite layer on a substrate, in which the ferrite layer is formed on the substrate by a process as described above.

Abstract: Integrated circuits, including field emission devices, have a resistor element of amorphous Si.sub.x C.sub.1-x wherein 0<x<1, and wherein the Si.sub.x C.sub.1-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.