Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, apparatuses, and devices related to chemical vapor deposition of silicon oxide. In one embodiment, a single-step deposition process is used to efficiently form a silicon oxide layer exhibiting high conformality and favorable gap-filling properties. During a pre-deposition gas flow stabilization phase and an initial deposition stage, a relatively low ratio of silicon-containing gas:oxidant deposition gas is flowed, resulting in formation of highly conformal silicon oxide at relatively slow rates. Over the course of the deposition process step, the ratio of silicon-containing gas:oxidant gas is increased, resulting in formation of less-conformal oxide material at relatively rapid rates during later stages of the deposition process step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a load lock having a vertically movable lid, an internal robot, and a wafer lifting mechanism and further provides a method of transferring wafers through a load lock directly to a process chamber. An atmospheric transfer robot shuttles wafers to and from the lifting mechanism while the lid is raised and the lifting mechanism then transfers wafers to and from the internal robot. The load lock is directly attached to a process chamber and communicates therewith via a slit valve which is selectively opened and closed. The internal robot is extended and retracted through the slit valve aperture in order to transfer a wafer to and from the process chamber. In one embodiment the lifting mechanism is comprised of vertically movable lift pins disposed through the bottom of the load lock. In another embodiment the lifting mechanism includes two pairs of lift forks disposed through the cover of the load lock.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a method and apparatus for etching dielectric layers and inorganic ARC's without the need for removing the substrate being processed from the processing chamber and without the need for intervening processing steps such as chamber cleaning operations (in situ process). A layer and/or a multi-layer film deposited on a substrate, such as silicon, is located within a processing chamber. The substrate has a base, an underlying layer above the base, an overlying layer above the underlying layer, and a top dielectric anti-reflective coating (DARC) layer formed on the overlying layer. In the preferred method, first, the DARC layer and the overlying layer is etched by a first process gas. Next, the underlying layer is etched by a second process gas.