Abstract: A new methodology of monitoring process drift and chamber seasoning is presented based on the discovery of the strong correlation between chamber surface condition and free radical density in a plasma. Lower free radical density indicates either there is a significant process drift in the case of production wafer etching or that the chamber needs more seasoning before resuming production wafer etching. Free radical density in the plasma is monitored through measuring the emission intensities of free radicals in the plasma by an optical spectrometer. A timely detection of the extent of process drift and chamber seasoning can help to minimize the chamber downtime and improve its throughput significantly. Such method can also be implemented in existing production wafer etching or chamber seasoning practices in an in-situ, real-time, and non-intrusive manner.

Abstract: A polishing pad conditioner comprises a base and a pad conditioning face on the base. The conditioning face comprises central and peripheral regions. Abrasive spokes having a substantially constant width of abrasive particles, extend from the central to the peripheral region. The spokes are symmetric and radially spaced apart from one another, and may have a variety of shapes. The conditioning face can also have a cutout inlet channel to receive polishing slurry when the conditioning face is rubbed against a polishing pad, a conduit to receive the polishing slurry from the cutout inlet channel, and an outlet on the peripheral edge of the base to discharge the received polishing slurry.

Abstract: An apparatus for securing a substrate in an electrochemical deposition system is provided. The apparatus generally includes a substrate support member adapted to receive the substrate and a thrust plate assembly adapted to exert a downward force on the substrate. For some embodiments, a first sealing member adapted to engage a plating surface of the substrate may be attached to the substrate support member. The apparatus may also include a second sealing member adapted to engage a non-plating surface of the substrate or a surface of the substrate support member to prevent the flow of plating fluid to a non-plating surface of the substrate. The apparatus may also include electrical contacts to electrically contact the plating or non-plating surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure pertains to a photoresist composition and a method of using the photoresist in the fabrication of reticles or features on a semiconductor substrate. The photoresist composition and the method are designed to reduce the variation in critical dimension of features across a surface of a substrate, where the variation in critical dimension is a result of localized resist loading. The photoresist composition is useful when the imaging system is G-line, H-line, or I-line, and the photoresist composition includes a sensitizer which works in combination with a DUV photoresist including a PAC, to sensitize the photoresist to the G-line, H-line and I-line imaging.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for rapid delivery of pulses of one or more reactants to a substrate processing chamber. One embodiment of a valve body includes a first inlet, a second inlet, and an outlet. A valve chamber is in fluid communication with the first inlet, the second inlet, and the outlet. A valve seat is formed at least around the first inlet. The valve chamber further includes an annular groove formed around the valve seat coupling the second inlet and the outlet. One embodiment of a pneumatic valve assembly includes a valve body having at least two ports. A valve seat surrounds one of the ports. The pneumatic valve assembly further includes a diaphragm assembly having a diaphragm movable to open and close the one port. A piston housed in a cylinder is coupled to the diaphragm to actuate the diaphragm. An actuation chamber is formed between the cylinder and the piston. In certain embodiments, the internal volume of the actuation chamber is about 3.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing fluid during semiconductor substrate processing operations. The apparatus includes a first processing chamber, a second processing chamber, and a dispense arm assembly. The apparatus further includes a dispense arm access shutter positioned between the first and second processing chambers and moveable between an open and a closed position. The dispense arm assembly can travel from the first processing chamber to the second processing chamber when the dispense arm assembly is in the open position.

Abstract: A method of detecting developer endpoint. The method includes illuminating a device region of a substrate with a first optical beam prior to initiating a development stage of processing and detecting a baseline optical signal reflected from the device region of the substrate. The method also includes illuminating the device region of the substrate with a second optical beam during a development stage of processing and detecting an endpoint optical signal reflected from the device region of the substrate. The method further includes comparing the baseline optical signal to the endpoint optical signal and determining a developer endpoint based on the comparing step.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing fluid during semiconductor substrate processing operations. The apparatus includes a central fluid dispense bank comprising a plurality of dispense nozzles coupled to a plurality of fluid sources and a first processing chamber positioned to a first side of the central fluid dispense bank. The apparatus also includes a second processing chamber positioned to a second side of the central fluid dispense bank and a dispense arm adapted to translate between the central fluid dispense bank, the first processing chamber, and the second processing chamber.

Abstract: A substrate support structure comprising a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The substrate support structure also comprises a plurality of proximity pins projecting to a first height above the first surface, the first height being less than 100 ?m. In addition, the substrate support structure further comprises a plurality of purge ports passing from the second surface to the first surface and a plurality of vacuum ports passing from the second surface to the first surface. In one embodiment, the plurality of purge ports are arranged in a first circular pattern, the first circular pattern having a first radial dimension less than the radius of the substrate support, and the plurality of vacuum ports are arranged in a second circular pattern, the second circular pattern having a second radial dimension less than the first radial dimension.

Abstract: A method of detecting post exposure bake endpoint during processing of a semiconductor substrate. The method includes providing a radiation source coupled to a post exposure bake station and providing a radiation detector coupled to the post exposure bake station. The method also includes directing a radiation signal generated by the radiation source through an absorption region coupled to the substrate. The method further includes measuring a first detected signal at the radiation detector, measuring a second detected signal at the radiation detector, and comparing the first detected signal and the second detected signal to determine the post exposure bake endpoint.

Abstract: A dilution stage is adapted to supply a dilute chemistry to a semiconductor device processing apparatus. The dilution stage includes a first vessel adapted to store the chemistry after dilution and a second vessel adapted to store the chemistry prior to dilution. The dilution stage may also include a control mechanism which is adapted to selectively control flowing of the chemistry and a dilutant to the first vessel. The control mechanism may be operative to fill the second vessel with the chemistry, and to flow the dilutant to the first vessel via the second vessel.

Abstract: A facilities connection locator is provided for use with a support apparatus for supporting manufacturing equipment. The facilities connection locator comprises a fluid tight bucket having a bottom surface, a plurality of side walls extending upwardly from the bottom surface, and a mounting mechanism adapted to mount the fluid tight bucket to the support apparatus so that the fluid tight bucket has a fixed position relative to the support apparatus in an x y and z axes. The facilities connection locator also comprises a fluid connection port, and may comprise a vacuum connection port surrounded by a fluid tight riser. A vacuum line connection may extend through the vacuum connection port and may have a locating flange located a predetermined distance from the connection's top surface, such that coupling the locating flange to the riser fixes the height of the vacuum line connection relative to the top of the riser.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ion implantation method which can achieve sufficient throughput by increasing a beam current even in the case of ions with a small mass number or low-energy ions, an SOI wafer manufacturing method, and an ion implantation system. When ions are implanted by irradiating a semiconductor substrate with an ion beam, predetermined gas is excited in a pressure-reduced chamber to generate plasma containing predetermined ions, a magnetic field is formed by a solenoid coil or the like along an extraction direction when the ions are extracted to the outside of the chamber, and the ions are extracted from the chamber with predetermined extraction energy. The formation of the magnetic field promotes ion extraction, but this magnetic field has no influence on an advancing direction of the extracted ions. Therefore, the ion beam current can be kept at a high level-to contribute to the ion implantation.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a plurality of rollers adapted to support a substrate in a vertical orientation, a scrubber brush adapted to contact a substrate supported by the plurality of rollers, and a sonic nozzle positioned at an elevation below the elevation of the scrubber brush and adapted so as to output a sonicated fluid spray that contacts a beveled edge or a major surface of the substrate such that fluid having sufficient sonic energy to harm the scrubber brush will not contact the scrubber brush.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for depositing a capping layer on a substrate surface containing a copper layer is provided which includes exposing the substrate surface to a zinc solution, exposing the substrate surface to a silver solution to form a silver layer thereon and depositing the capping layer on the silver layer by an electroless deposition process. A second silver layer may be formed on the capping layer, if desired. In another embodiment, a composition of a deposition solution useful for forming a cobalt tungsten alloy contains calcium tungstate, a cobalt source at a concentration within a range from about 50 mM to about 500 mM, a complexing agent at a concentration within a range from about 100 mM to about 700 mM, and a buffering agent at a concentration within a range from about 50 mM to about 500 mM.

Abstract: A method of depositing a high density plasma silicon oxide layer having improved gapfill capabilities. In one embodiment the method includes flowing a process gas consisting of a silicon-containing source, an oxygen-containing source and helium into a substrate processing chamber and forming a plasma from the process gas. The ratio of the flow rate of the helium with respect to the combined flow rate of the silicon source and oxygen source is between 0.5:1 and 3.0:1 inclusive. In one particular embodiment, the process gas consists of monosilane (SiH4), molecular oxygen (O2) and helium.

Abstract: A method of etching a substrate is provided. The method of etching a substrate includes transferring a pattern into the substrate using a double patterned amorphous carbon layer on the substrate as a hardmask. Optionally, a non-carbon based layer is deposited on the amorphous carbon layer as a capping layer before the pattern is transferred into the substrate.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for planarizing a substrate surface with reduced or minimal topographical defect formation during a polishing process for dielectric materials. In one aspect a method is provided for polishing a substrate containing two or more dielectric layers, such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, with at least one processing step using a fixed-abrasive polishing article as a polishing article. The processing steps may be used to remove all, substantially all, or a portion of the one or more dielectric layers, which may include removal of the topography, the bulk dielectric, or residual dielectric material of a dielectric layer in two or more steps.

Abstract: A method and system for defect inspection of microfabricated structures such as semiconductor wafers, masks or reticles for micro-fabrication, flat panel displays, micro-electro-mechanical (MEMs) having repetitive array regions such as memories or pixels. In one embodiment a method of inspection of microfabricated structures includes the steps of acquiring contrast data or images from the microfabricated structures, analyzing automatically the contrast data or images to find repetitive regions of the contrast data and comparing the repetitive regions of the contrast data with reference data to detect defects in the microfabricated structures. In the analyzing step, a cell-metric such as the range, or mean or other statistical or mathematical measure of the contrast data is used to find the repetitive regions. Image or contrast data acquisition can be performed with an optical, e-beam or other microscope suited for microfabricated structures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus measure properties of two layers of a damascene structure (e.g. a silicon wafer during fabrication), and use the two measurements to identify a location as having voids. One of the two measurements is of resistance per unit length. The two measurements may be used in any manner, e.g. compared to one another, and voids are deemed to be present when the two measurements diverge from each other. In response to the detection of voids, a process parameter used in fabrication of the damascene structure may be changed, to reduce or eliminate voids in to-be-formed structures.