Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided that remove a scrubber brush from contact with a wafer surface prior to slowing down the scrubber brush's rotational rate. The scrubbing method may comprise rotating a scrubber brush at a non-reduced rate, while the scrubber brush is in contact with the wafer and removing the scrubber brush from contact with the wafer while rotating the scrubber brush at the non-reduced rate. The scrubbing apparatus has a controller programmed to perform the scrubbing method.

Abstract: The polishing pad for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, and a method of making the same. The polishing pad has a covering layer with a polishing surface and a backing layer which is adjacent to the platen. A first opening in the covering layer with a first cross-sectional area and a second opening in the backing layer with a second, different cross-sectional area form an aperture through the polishing pad. A substantially transparent polyurethane plug is positioned in the aperture, and an adhesive material fixes the plug in the aperture.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck 55 has an electrostatic member 100 including a dielectric 115 having a surface 120 adapted to receive the substrate 30. The dielectric 115 covers an electrode 105 that is chargeable to electrostatically hold the substrate 30. A support 190 below the electrostatic member 100 has a cavity 300 adapted to hold a gas to serve as a thermal insulator to regulate the flow of heat from the electrostatic chuck 55 to a surface 120 of the chamber 25. The cavity 300 has a cross-sectional profile that is shaped to provide a predetermined temperature profile across the substrate 30.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for etchback of a conductive layer in a contact via (contact hole). The method described is typically used in the formation of a conductive plug within the contact hole. The method includes a first etchback in which the conductive layer is etched back; a buffer (i.e., transition) step during which the etch rate of the conductive layer is reduced; and a second etchback in which the amount of chemically reactive etchant is reduced from that used in the first etchback and a plasma species is added to provide additional physical bombardment, in an isotropic etch of the substrate surface surrounding the contact hole.

Abstract: A substrate with a first layer disposed on a second layer is chemically mechanically polished. A polishing endpoint detection system generates a signal that is monitored for an endpoint criterion. The polishing rate of the substrate is reduced when the bulk of the first layer has been removed but before the second layer is exposed. For example, the polishing rate is reduced when the polishing time approaches an expected polishing end time but before the endpoint criterion is detected. Polishing stops once the endpoint criterion is detected after the underlying layer has been exposed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wafer positioning device having wafer storage capability. The wafer positioning device has a wafer platform with wafer lift pins, a wafer position sensor, and a storage location in close proximity to the wafer platform and the wafer position sensor. The storage location may be above the wafer position sensor, in which case the wafer position sensor retracts or rotates so that the wafer lift pins may elevate a positioned wafer past the position sensor to the storage location. Alternatively, the storage location may be between the wafer platform and the wafer positioning device. The storage location is preferably formed by a plurality of rotatable towers or a plurality of retractable lift pins that are operatively coupled to the wafer platform and that have wafer support portions capable of assuming both a wafer storage position and a wafer passage position.

Abstract: A layer of tungsten nitride is deposited on the upper surface of a wafer. The deposition is performed by providing a gaseous mixture and providing energy to the gaseous mixture to form a plasma. The gaseous mixture includes a first gaseous composition containing tungsten and a second gaseous composition containing nitrogen and hydrogen. The second gaseous composition is one that does not have a gas phase reaction with the first gaseous composition to form tungsten nitride, unless energy is provided to the gaseous mixture. The first gaseous composition may be tungsten hexafluoride (WF6). The gaseous mixture may be infused with energy to form a plasma by providing it with energy from an rf signal. In the plasma, the nitrogen dissociates into nitrogen ions, and the tungsten separates from the fluorine. The nitrogen ions and tungsten then combine to form tungsten nitride (W2N), which deposits on the wafer's upper surface.

Abstract: A plasma reactor appropriate for fabrication, especially etching, of semiconductor integrated circuits and similar processes in which the chamber has a top comprising a truncated conical dome and, preferably, a counter electrode disposed at the top of the conical dome. An RF coil is wrapped around the conical dome to inductively couple RF energy into a plasma within the chamber dome. The dome temperature can be controlled in a number of ways. A heat sink can be attached to the outside rim of the dome. A rigid conical thermal control sheath can be fit to the outside of the dome, and any differential thermal expansion between the two is accommodated by the conical geometry, thus assuring good thermal contact. The rigid thermal control sheath can include resistive heating, fluid cooling, or both. Alternatively, a flexible resistive heater can be wrapped around the dome inside the RF coil.

Abstract: The invention concerns a plasma reactor employing a chamber enclosure including a process gas inlet and defining a plasma processing region. A workpiece support pedestal capable of supporting a workpiece at processing location faces the plasma processing region, the pedestal and enclosure being spaced from one another to define a pumping annulus therebetween having facing walls in order to permit the process of gas to be evacuated therethrough from the process region. A pair of opposing plasma confinement magnetic poles within one of the facing walls of the annulus, the opposing magnetic poles being axially displaced from one another. The magnetic poles are axially displaced below the processing location by a distance which exceeds a substantial fraction of a spacing between the facing walls of the annulus.

Abstract: The invention is a plasma reactor employing a chamber having a process gas inlet and enclosing a plasma process region. The reactor includes a workpiece support pedestal within the chamber capable of supporting a workpiece at a processing location interfacing with the plasma process region, the support pedestal and the chamber defining an annulus therebetween to permit gas to be evacuated therethrough from the plasma process region. One aspect of the invention includes a ring horseshoe magnet adjacent and about one side of the annulus, the magnet being spaced from the plasma processing location by a spacing substantially greater than the smallest distance across the annulus. The invention further includes the magnet defining opposite poles which are substantially closer together than the spacing of the magnet from the processing location, the magnet being oriented to provide its maximum magnetic flux across the annulus and a minimum of the flux at the plasma processing location.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for desorbing processing liquid from a processing liquid delivery line is provided. Non-thermal energy, such as ultrasonic energy or electromagnetic energy, is applied to a processing liquid delivery line. The non-thermal energy may be applied directly to the processing liquid delivery line, or may be applied indirectly via a conducting medium which distributes the energy along the length of the processing liquid delivery line. When non-thermal energy in the form of electromagnetic energy is employed, the frequency of the electromagnetic energy is adjusted to match the vibrational frequency of the absorbed molecules of processing liquid.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that provides a dechucking voltage applied to an electrostatic chuck that facilitates removal of a workpiece or workpiece therefrom. The method incorporates residual chucking force information obtained from the preceding dechuck operation to modify and improve the dechucking algorithm for the subsequent wafer dechucking cycle. To avoid charge accumulation on the electrostatic chuck when processing a succession of workpieces, the chucking and dechucking voltages reverse polarity after each workpiece is dechucked.

Abstract: A magnetron especially advantageous for low-pressure plasma sputtering or sustained self-sputtering having reduced area but full target coverage. The magnetron includes an outer pole face surrounding an inner pole face with a gap therebetween. The outer pole of the magnetron of the invention is smaller than that of a circular magnetron similarly extending from the center to the periphery of the target. A preferred triangular shape having a small apex angle of 20 to 30° may be formed from outer bar magnets of one magnetic polarity enclosing an inner magnet of the other magnetic polarity. The magnetron allows the generation of plasma waves in the neighborhood of 22 MHz which interact with the 1 to 20 eV electrons of the plasma to thereby increase the plasma density.

Abstract: A dispersion plate for evenly flowing at low pressure into a processing chamber vaporized material, such as a tungsten compound for deposition of metal layers onto a semiconductor, has a disc-like body with a center axis, an input face and an output face. The dispersion plate has a cup-like entrance along the center axis in its input face for receiving a stream of vaporized material and a plurality of passages for flow of vapor with each passage having a length and a diameter and extending radially from the entrance like the spokes of a wheel at inclined angles relative to the center axis from the input face to the output face. Two annular grooves are cut into the output face and intersect with the respective ends of the passages. The plate has a center hole with a flared diameter extending along the center axis from the entrance in the input face to the output face.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing environment (110) for a wafer fab, and an SPC environment (112) for setting control limits and acquiring metrology data of production runs. A computation environment (114) processes the SPC data, which are then analyzed in an analysis environment (116). An MES environment (118) evaluates the analysis and automatically executes a process intervention if the process is outside the control limits. Additionally, the present invention provides for an electrical power management system, a spare parts inventory and scheduling system and a wafer fab efficiency system. These systems employ algorithms (735, 1135 and 1335).

Abstract: A method for determining a profile quality grade of inspected feature in a resist. The feature includes side walls. The method includes the steps of acquiring by a metrology device a signal that originates from the feature and analyzing the acquired signal, including fitting a curve from among a family of curves to the acquired signal. The curve is subjected to the following constraint: it corresponds to a signal portion that originates from part of the bottom of the feature. The method further includes the step of determining the profile quality grade of the feature depending upon characteristics of the fitted curve.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a low dielectric constant film by reaction of an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas at a constant RF power level from about 10 W to about 200 W or a pulsed RF power level from about 20 W to about 500 W. Dissociation of the oxidizing gas can be increased prior to mixing with the organosilicon compound, preferably within a separate microwave chamber, to assist in controlling the carbon content of the deposited film. The oxidized organosilane or organosiloxane film has good barrier properties for use as a liner or cap layer adjacent other dielectric layers. The oxidized organosilane or organosiloxane film may also be used as an etch stop and an intermetal dielectric layer for fabricating dual damascene structures. The oxidized organosilane or organosiloxane films also provide excellent adhesion between different dielectric layers.

Abstract: A method for controlling a profile of a structure formed on a substrate using nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) in a high density plasma (HDP) process. Changing the amount of NF3 in the plasma controls the profile of the structure. It has been found that the best results are obtained with an inductively coupled plasma wherein the ion density is at least 1012 ions/cm3. The method is particularly suited to etch processes such as deep trench etch in silicon wafers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for retaining a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, upon an electrostatic chuck within a semiconductor wafer processing system. Specifically, the apparatus contains high voltage, DC power supply that is capable of both sourcing and sinking current at any polarity of output voltage level. This power supply is coupled to at least one electrode of an electrostatic chuck. Consequently, the power supply can be used to dynamically control the chucking voltage to apply a negative potential difference between said wafer and chuck.

Abstract: A method of forming an electrically conductive plug in an opening in a dielectric layer of a substrate. A layer of silicon is deposited on the walls of an opening. In one aspect, the opening is filled by depositing electrically conductive material directly over the silicon. In another aspect, the layer of silicon is exposed to a precursor gas that reacts with the silicon so as to (a) form a volatile material that consumes substantially all of the silicon and (b) deposit an electrically conductive material within the opening.