Abstract: A computer-implemented method for process control in chemical mechanical polishing in which an initial pre-polishing thickness of a substrate is measured at a metrology station, a parameter of an endpoint algorithm is determined from the initial thickness of the substrate, a substrates is polished at a polishing station, and polishing stops when an endpoint criterion is detected using the endpoint algorithm.

Abstract: Methods are provided for depositing an oxygen-doped dielectric layer. The oxygen-doped dielectric layer may be used for a barrier layer or a hardmask. In one aspect, a method is provided for processing a substrate including positioning the substrate in a processing chamber, introducing a processing gas comprising an oxygen-containing organosilicon compound, carbon dioxide, or combinations thereof, and an oxygen-free organosilicon compound to the processing chamber, and reacting the processing gas to deposit an oxygen-doped dielectric material on the substrate, wherein the dielectric material has an oxygen content of about 15 atomic percent or less. The oxygen-doped dielectric material may be used as a barrier layer in damascene or dual damascene applications.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a substrate positioning system includes a plurality of pushers arranged in a spaced relation about a stage adapted to support a substrate. Each pusher is adapted to assume a retracted position so as to permit the substrate to be loaded onto and unloaded from the stage, extend toward an edge of the substrate that is supported by the stage, contact the edge of the substrate, and continue extending so as to cause the substrate to move relative to the stage until the substrate is calibrated to the stage. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: An optical circuit including a semiconductor substrate; an optical waveguide formed in or on the substrate; and an optical detector formed in or on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the optical detector is aligned with the optical waveguide so as to receive an optical signal from the optical waveguide during operation, and wherein the optical detector has: a first electrode; a second electrode; and an intermediate layer between the first and second electrodes, the intermediate layer being made of a semiconductor material characterized by a conduction band, a valence band, and deep level energy states introduced between the conduction and valence bands.

Abstract: In a substrate vacuum processing chamber, a second inner slit passage door apparatus and method to supplement the normal slit valve and its door at the outside of the chamber. The inner slit passage door, blocks the slit passage at or adjacent the substrate processing location in a vacuum processing chamber to prevent process byproducts from depositing on the inner surfaces of the slit passage beyond the slit passage door and improves the uniformity of plasma in the processing chamber by eliminating a large cavity adjacent to the substrate processing location into which the plasma would otherwise expand.

Abstract: An apparatus for a lock out/tag out device that is a permanent attachment to a standard breaker box is disclosed. The device is designed to prevent movement of an electrical breaker handle to a closed position when the device is in use. The device also prevents locking a breaker in an on position, thereby lowering safety concerns. When the device is not in use, the device will not interfere with the operation of the breakers and stays conveniently attached to the breaker box. The device also allows storage of locking devices when not in use, thereby enabling personnel to perform a service procedure more efficiently.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing a substrate including removing amorphous carbon material disposed on a low k dielectric material with minimal or reduced defect formation and minimal dielectric constant change of the low k dielectric material. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including depositing at least one dielectric layer on a substrate surface, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon, oxygen, and carbon and has a dielectric constant of about 3 or less, forming amorphous carbon material on the at least one dielectric layer, and removing the one or more amorphous carbon layers by exposing the one or more amorphous carbon layers to a plasma of a hydrogen-containing gas.

Abstract: A chemical control system for controlling the chemistry of a chemical solution having predetermined chemical constituents in a plating system, such as a NiFe plating system, employs a mix container for containing a plating solution and a hold container for containing a plating solution delivered from the mix container. A precision delivery arrangement delivers a precise predetermined quantum of a predetermined constituent of the plating solution to multiple mix containers and the hold containers. Transfer of plating solution between the mix and hold containers is effected by a transfer pump. Nitrogen gas that has been humidified with deionized water protects the plating solution from either acquiring water or becoming dehydrated, the humidified nitrogen gas being humidified to a predetermined relative humidity with respect to the temperature of the plating solution in the mix container. This is achieved by urging the nitrogen gas through a column that is at the same temperature as the plating solution.

Abstract: A lamp assembly for a substrate processing chamber is described. The lamp assembly comprises a tubular body having first and second ends, a lamp element at least partially seated in the first end having a filament and first electrical connectors, transmission wires attached to the first electrical connectors, and a rigid plug flexibly positioned relative to the second end of the tubular body having second electrical connectors attached to the transmission wires. The flexibly positioned rigid plug is generally capable of a range movement in directions both perpendicular and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body. In one version, the rigid plug comprises first and second plug elements.

Abstract: A wafer carrier opener is provided. The wafer carrier opener may eliminate the use of two separate actuators by using a four-bar linkage mechanism. The wafer carrier opener includes a wafer carrier door receiver, a horizontally stationary member, and a link coupled between the wafer carrier door receiver and the horizontally stationary member so as to allow horizontal movement of the wafer carrier door receiver.

Abstract: A circuit including: an optical detector for detecting an optical pulse and generating therefrom a current pulse on an output; a pulse detector circuit having an input electrically connected to the optical detector and having an output for outputting a detection pulse in response to detecting the current pulse on its input, said pulse detector circuit including: a resettable amplifier including an input for receiving the current pulse from the optical detector, a reset terminal for resetting the amplifier after the amplifier detects the current pulse on its input, and an output for outputting a signal from which the detection pulse is derived; and a reset delay chain feeding back to the reset terminal of the resettable amplifier a feedback signal derived from the output signal of the resettable amplifier.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides improved adhesion and oxidation resistance of carbon-containing layers without the need for an additional deposited layer. In one aspect, the invention treats an exposed surface of carbon-containing material, such as silicon carbide, with an inert gas plasma, such as a helium (He), argon (Ar), or other inert gas plasma, or an oxygen-containing plasma such as a nitrous oxide (N2O) plasma. Other carbon-containing materials can include organic polymeric materials, amorphous carbon, amorphous fluorocarbon, carbon containing oxides, and other carbon-containing materials. The plasma treatment is preferably performed in situ following the deposition of the layer to be treated. Preferably, the processing chamber in which in situ deposition and plasma treatment occurs is configured to deliver the same or similar precursors for the carbon-containing layer(s). However, the layer(s) can be deposited with different precursors.

Abstract: A kinematic electrode mount is provided for an ion implanter in which an electrode insert member having an electrode body portion which defines an aperture, is inserted into an electrode support frame. In one embodiment, a first kinematic alignment pin of the insert member engages a first, groove-shaped kinematic alignment surface of the electrode support frame to align the first alignment pin in two orthogonal directions relative to the electrode support frame. In addition, a second kinematic alignment pin of the insert member engages a second kinematic alignment surface of the electrode support frame to align the insert member in a rotational orientation relative to the electrode support frame. A plurality of flanges of the insert member engage the electrode support frame to retain the insert member in the aligned position and to electrically couple the electrode insert member to the electrode support frame.

Abstract: Compressive stress in a film of a semiconductor device may be controlled utilizing one or more techniques, employed alone or in combination. A first set of embodiments increase silicon nitride compressive stress by adding hydrogen to the deposition chemistry, and reduce defects in a device fabricated with a high compressive stress silicon nitride film formed in the presence of hydrogen gas. A silicon nitride film may comprise an initiation layer formed in the absence of a hydrogen gas flow, underlying a high stress nitride layer formed in the presence of a hydrogen gas flow. A silicon nitride film formed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may exhibit a compressive stress of 2.8 GPa or higher.

Abstract: A target assembly composed of multiple target tiles bonded in an array to a backing plate of another material. The edges of the tile within the interior of the array are formed with complementary structure edges to form a gap between the tiles having at least a portion that is inclined to the target normal. The gap may be simply beveled and slant at an angle of between 10° and 55°, preferably 15° and 50°, with respect to the target normal or they may be convolute with one portion horizontal or otherwise inclined to prevent a line of sight from the bottom to top. The area of the backing plate underlying the gap may be coated or overlain with a foil of the material of the target, for both perpendicular and sloping gaps, and have a polymeric foil adjacent an elastomeric bonding layer to exclude bonding material from the gap.

Abstract: A process flow integration scheme employs one or more techniques to control stress in a semiconductor device formed thereby. In accordance with one embodiment, cumulative stress contributed by RTP of a nitride spacer and polysilicon gate, and subsequent deposition of a high stress etch stop layer, enhance strain and improve device performance. Germanium may be deposited or implanted into the gate structure in order to facilitate stress control.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a highly uniform low cost production worthy solution for manufacturing low propagation loss optical waveguides on a substrate. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of forming a PSG optical waveguide on an undercladding layer of a substrate that includes forming at least one silicate glass optical core on said undercladding layer using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process including a silicon source gas, an oxygen source gas, and a phosphorus source gas, wherein the oxygen source gas and silicon source gas have a ratio of oxygen atoms to silicon atoms greater than 20:1.

Abstract: High tensile stress in a deposited layer such as silicon nitride, may be achieved utilizing one or more techniques, employed alone or in combination. High tensile stress may be achieved by forming a silicon-containing layer on a surface by exposing the surface to a silicon-containing precursor gas in the absence of a plasma, forming silicon nitride by exposing said silicon-containing layer to a nitrogen-containing plasma, and then repeating these steps to increase a thickness of the silicon nitride created thereby. High tensile stress may also be achieved by exposing a surface to a silicon-containing precursor gas in a first nitrogen-containing plasma, treating the material with a second nitrogen-containing plasma, and then repeating these steps to increase a thickness of the silicon nitride formed thereby. In another embodiment, tensile film stress is enhanced by deposition with porogens that are liberated upon subsequent exposure to UV radiation or plasma treatment.

Abstract: A method for controlling a plasma in a semiconductor substrate processing chamber is provided. The method includes the steps of supplying a first RF signal to a first electrode within the processing chamber at a first frequency selected to cause plasma sheath oscillation at the first frequency; and supplying a second RF signal from the source to the first electrode at a second frequency selected to cause plasma sheath oscillation at the second frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency by a differential equal to a desired frequency selected to cause plasma sheath oscillation at the desired frequency.

Abstract: A property of a layer is measured by: (1) focusing a heating beam on a region (also called “heated region”) of a conductive layer (2) modulating the power of the heating beam at a predetermined frequency that is selected to be sufficiently low to ensure that at any time the temperature of an optically absorbing layer is approximately equal to (e.g., within 90% of) a temperature of the optically absorbing layer when heated by an unmodulated beam, and (3) measuring the power of another beam that is (a) reflected by the heated region, and (b) modulated in phase with modulation of the heating beam. The measurement in act (3) can be used directly as a measure of the resistance (per unit area) of a conductive pad formed by patterning the conductive layer. Change in measurement across regions indicates a corresponding change in resistance of the layer.