Abstract: An apparatus 115 for processing a substrate 20, comprises an integrated pumping system 155 having a high operating efficiency, small size, and low vibrational and noise levels. The apparatus 115 comprises a chamber, such as a load-lock chamber 110, transfer chamber 115, or process chamber 120. An integrated pump 165 is abutting or adjacent to one of the chambers 110, 115, 120 for evacuating gas from the chambers. In operation, the pump is located within the actual envelope or footprint of the apparatus and has an inlet 170 connected to a chamber 110, 115, 120, and an outlet 175 that exhausts the gas to atmospheric pressure. Preferably, the integrated pump 165 comprises a pre-vacuum pump or a low vacuum pump and is housed in a noise reducing enclosure having means for moving the pump between locations and means for stacking pumps vertically in use.

Abstract: A gripper for loading wafers onto an implant wheel W and removing them from the wheel. The gripper having a substrate engaging mechanism (14) for engaging the substrate and a means for rotating this substrate engaging mechanism, such that wafers can be removed from the implant wheel, rotated to a second orientation and replaced without leaving the process chamber.

Abstract: A system for inspecting a specimen, such as a semiconductor wafer that uses a laser light source for providing a beam of light. The beam is applied to a traveling lens acousto-optic device having an active region and responsive to an RF input signal to selectively generate plural traveling lenses in the active region. The traveling lens acousto-optic device is operative to receive the light beam and generate plural flying spot beams, at the respective focus of each of the generated traveling lenses. A light detector unit, having a plurality of detector sections, each detector section having a plurality of light detectors and at least one multi-stage storage device operative to receive in parallel an input from the plurality of light detectors, is used to generate useable scan data. Information stored in each of the storage devices is serially read out concurrently from the multiple stages.

Abstract: We have discovered that the formation of particulate inclusions at the surface of an aluminum alloy article, which inclusions interfere with a smooth transition from the alloy surface to an overlying aluminum oxide protective film can be controlled by maintaining the content of mobile impurities within a specific range and controlling the particulate size and distribution of the mobile impurities and compounds thereof; by heat-treating the aluminum alloy at a temperature less than about 330° C.; and by creating the aluminum oxide protective film by employing a particular electrolytic process. When these factors are taken into consideration, an improved aluminum oxide protective film is obtained.

Abstract: A method of forming a sidewall spacer on a gate electrode of a metal oxide semiconductor device that includes striking a first plasma to form an oxide layer on a side of the gate electrode, where the first plasma is generated from a oxide gas that includes O3 and bis-(tertiarybutylamine)silane, and striking a second plasma to form a carbon-doped nitride layer on the oxide layer, where the second plasma may be generated from a nitride gas that includes NH3 and the bis-(tertiarybutylamine)silane. The first and second plasmas may be formed using plasma CVD and the bis-(tertiarybutylamine)silane flows uninterrupted between the striking of the first plasma and the striking of the second plasma.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus for processing a substrate. In one embodiment, the method provides a first relative motion between at least a first substrate and a polishing material. A second relative motion is provided between at least a second substrate and the polishing material. The changing in direction of the relative motion extends the interval between conditioning procedures used to return the polishing material to a state that produces uniform polishing results.

Abstract: Plasma etching or resputtering of a layer of sputtered materials including opaque metal conductor materials may be controlled in a sputter reactor system. In one embodiment, resputtering of a sputter deposited layer is performed after material has been sputtered deposited and while additional material is being sputter deposited onto a substrate. A path positioned within a chamber of the system directs light or other radiation emitted by the plasma to a chamber window or other optical view-port which is protected by a shield against deposition by the conductor material. In one embodiment, the radiation path is folded to reflect plasma light around the chamber shield and through the window to a detector positioned outside the chamber window.

Abstract: A method is provided for processing a substrate including providing a processing gas comprising hydrogen gas and an organosilicon compound comprising a phenyl group to the processing chamber, and reacting the processing gas to deposit a low k silicon carbide barrier layer useful as a barrier layer in damascene or dual damascene applications with low k dielectric materials.

Abstract: A carrier bead for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate. The carrier head includes a carrier base, a retaining ring, and a junction connecting the carrier base to the retaining ring. The junction is configured such that vertical movement of the retaining ring is substantially restrained relative to the carrier base. The junction is further configured such that the profile of a bottom surface of the retaining ring is substantially decoupled from flexing and/or expansion of carrier base.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an electron beam treatment apparatus that includes: (a) a chamber; (b) a cathode having a surface of relatively large area that is exposed to an inside of the chamber; (c) an anode having holes therein that is disposed inside the chamber and spaced apart from the cathode by a working distance; (d) a wafer holder disposed inside the chamber facing the anode; (e) a source of negative voltage whole output is applied to the cathode to provide a cathode voltage; (f) a source of voltage whose output is applied to the anode; (g) a gas inlet adapted to admit gas into the chamber at an introduction rate; and (h) a pump adapted to exhaust gas from the chamber at an exhaust rate, the introduction rate and the exhaust rate providing a gas pressure in the chamber; wherein values of cathode voltage, gas pressure, and the working distance are such that there is no arcing between the cathode and anode and the working distance is greater than an electron mean free path.

Abstract: An implanter provides two-dimensional scanning of a substrate relative to an implant beam so that the beam draws a raster of scan lines on the substrate. The beam current is measured at turnaround points off the substrate and the current value is used to control the subsequent fast scan speed so as to compensate for the effect of any variation in beam current on dose uniformity in the slow scan direction. The scanning may produce a raster of non-intersecting uniformly spaced parallel scan lines and the spacing between the lines is selected to ensure appropriate dose uniformity.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an electron beam treatment apparatus that includes: (a) an array of lamps that output radiation; (b) a support mechanism adapted to support a substrate at a treatment position above the lamps; and (c) a lamp heat shield, disposed above the array, having a radiation absorption portion adapted to absorb radiation from at least a portion of the array, and a radiation reflection portion adapted to reflect radiation from at least a portion of the array towards the substrate when disposed at the treatment position.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a tantalum nitride barrier layer is provided for use in an integrated processing tool. The tantalum nitride is deposited by atomic layer deposition. The tantalum nitride is removed from the bottom of features in dielectric layers to reveal the conductive material under the deposited tantalum nitride. Optionally, a tantalum layer may be deposited by physical vapor deposition after the tantalum nitride deposition. Optionally, the tantalum nitride deposition and the tantalum deposition may occur in the same processing chamber.

Abstract: Bright and dark field imaging operations in an optical inspection system occur along substantially the same optical path using the same light source by producing either a circular or an annular laser beam. Multiple beam splitting is achieved through the use of a diffractive optical element having uniform diffraction efficiency. A confocal arrangement for bright field and dark field imaging can be applied with multiple beam scanning for suppressing the signal from under-layers. A scan direction not perpendicular to the direction of movement of a target provides for improved die-to-die comparisons.

Abstract: A process is provided for depositing an undoped silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a process chamber. A process gas that includes SiF4, a fluent gas, a silicon source, and an oxidizing gas reactant is flowed into the process chamber. A plasma having an ion density of at least 1011 ions/cm3 is formed from the process gas. The undoped silicon oxide film is deposited over the substrate with the plasma using a process that has simultaneous deposition and sputtering components.

Abstract: Bright and dark field imaging operations in an optical inspection system occur along substantially the same optical path using the same light source by producing either a circular or an annular laser beam. Multiple beam splitting is achieved through the use of a diffractive optical element having uniform diffraction efficiency. A confocal arrangement for bright field and dark field imaging can be applied with multiple beam scanning for suppressing the signal from under-layers. A scan direction not perpendicular to the direction of movement of a target provides for improved die-to-die comparisons.

Abstract: Process deposits formed on a component of a process chamber are cleaned. In the cleaning method, gas holes in the component are mechanically pinned to clean the process deposits therein. A ceramic portion of the component is then exposed to an acidic solution, such as a solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid. Mechanical pinning of the gas holes may be repeated after the acid cleaning step. The component is then plasma stabilized in a plasma zone by introducing a non-reactive gas into the plasma zone and forming a plasma of the non-reactive gas in the plasma zone. In one version, the component comprises an electrostatic chuck comprising a ceramic covering an electrode and having the gas holes therein.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers are processed in a fab in a manner that integrates control at multiple functional unit levels. Examples of functional units include fabs, modules, tools, and the like. Initially, a number of functional unit property targets are received at a functional unit. The functional unit property targets are utilized to generate a number of tool targets for any number of tool level functional units. From there, the tool targets are forwarded to the corresponding tool level functional units. At these tool level functional units, a number of tool recipes, each of which define a number of process setpoints, may be generated by processing the tool targets. The process setpoints define a number of parameters which must be satisfied in order to attain the corresponding tool targets. In addition, in at least some embodiments, the tool targets and tool recipes are determined utilizing feedback information including functional unit states and measurements of controlled parameters.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method for characterizing an electron beam treatment apparatus that includes: (a) e-beam treating one or more of a predetermined type of wafer or substrate utilizing one or more sets of electron beam treatment para meters; (b) making post-electron beam treatment measurements of intensity of a probe beam reflected from the surface of the one or more wafers in which thermal and/or plasma waves have been induced; and (c) developing data from the post-electron beam treatment measurements that provide insight into performance of the electron beam treatment apparatus.

Abstract: A substrate support assembly supports a substrate in a process chamber. The substrate support assembly has a support block having an electrode and an arm to hold the support block in the process chamber, the arm having a channel therethrough. The arm has a first clamp to attach to the support block and a second clamp to attach to the process chamber. A plurality of electrical conductors pass through the channel of the arm, and a ceramic insulator is between the conductors.