Abstract: A method for making a film stack containing one or more silicon-containing layers and one or more metal-containing layers and a substrate processing system for forming the film stack on a substrate are provided. The substrate processing system includes one or more transfer chambers coupled to one or more load lock chambers and two or more different types of process chambers. The two or more types of process chambers are used to deposit the one or more silicon-containing layers and the one or more metal-containing layers in the same substrate processing system without breaking the vacuum, taking the substrate out of the substrate processing system to prevent surface contamination, oxidation, etc., such that additional cleaning or surface treatment steps can be eliminated. The substrate processing system is configured to provide high throughput and compact footprint for in-situ substrate processing and carry out different types of processes.

Abstract: A plasma etch process includes injecting process gases with different compositions of chemical species through different radial gas injection zones of an overhead electrode to establish a desired distribution of chemical species among the plural gas injection zones.

Abstract: A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a process chamber having an enclosure including a ceiling and having a vertical axis of symmetry generally perpendicular to the ceiling, a workpiece support pedestal inside the chamber and generally facing the ceiling, process gas injection apparatus coupled to the chamber and a vacuum pump coupled to the chamber. The reactor further includes a plasma source power applicator overlying the ceiling and having a radially inner applicator portion and a radially outer applicator portion, and RF power apparatus coupled to the inner and outer applicator portions, and tilt apparatus supporting at least the outer applicator portion and capable of tilting at least the outer applicator portion about a radial axis perpendicular to the axis of symmetry and capable of rotating at least the outer applicator portion about the axis of symmetry.

Abstract: A combination of a dry oxidizing, wet etching, and wet cleaning processes are used to remove particle defects from a wafer after ion implantation, as part of a wafer bonding process to fabricate a SOI wafer. The particle defects on the topside and the backside of the wafer are oxidized, in a dry strip chamber, with an energized gas. In a wet clean chamber, the backside of the wafer is treated with an etchant solution to remove completely or partially a thermal silicon oxide layer, followed by exposure of the topside and the backside to a cleaning solution. The cleaning solution contains ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, DI water, and optionally a chelating agent, and a surfactant. The wet clean chamber is integrated with the dry strip chamber and contained in a single wafer processing system.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing substrates is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing and a plurality of stacked cell structures in the housing. An actuator is adapted to move the plurality of stacked cell structures inside of the housing while substrates in the stacked cell structures are being heated.

Abstract: A method of filling a gap on a substrate includes providing flows of silicon-containing processing gas oxidizing processing gas, and phosphorous-containing processing gas to a chamber housing the substrate and depositing a first portion of a P-doped silicon oxide film as a substantially conformal layer in the gap by causing a reaction among the processing gases and varying over time a ratio of the gases. The temperature of the substrate is maintained below about 500° C. throughout deposition of the conformal layer. The method also includes depositing a second portion of the P-doped silicon oxide film as a bulk layer by maintaining the ratio of the gases substantially constant throughout deposition of the bulk layer. The temperature of the substrate is maintained below about 500° C. throughout deposition of the bulk layer.

Abstract: A plasma etch process with in-situ backside polymer removal begins with a workpiece having a porous or non-porous carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric layer and a photoresist mask on a surface of the workpiece. The workpiece is clamped onto an electrostatic chuck in an etch reactor chamber. The process includes introducing a fluoro-carbon based process gas and applying RF bias power to the electrostatic chuck and RF source power to an overhead electrode to etch exposed portions of the dielectric layer while depositing protective fluoro-carbon polymer on the photoresist mask. The process further includes removing the fluoro-carbon based process gas and introducing a hydrogen-based process gas and applying RF source power to the overhead electrode.

Abstract: A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece, the plasma reactor comprising an enclosure, a workpiece support within the enclosure facing an overlying portion of the enclosure, the workpiece support and the overlying portion of the enclosure defining a process region therebetween extending generally across the diameter of said wafer support, the enclosure having a first and second pairs of openings therethrough, the two openings of each of the first and second pairs being near generally opposite sides of said workpiece support, a first hollow conduit outside of the process region and connected to the first pair of openings, providing a first torroidal path extending through the conduit and across the process region, a second hollow conduit outside of the process region and connected to the second pair of openings, providing a second torroidal path extending through the conduit and across the process region, first and second plasma source power applicators inductively coupled to the interiors of the first and s

Abstract: In a first aspect, a first method of calibrating a substrate carrier loader to a moving conveyor is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) providing a substrate carrier loader adapted to load substrate carriers onto a moving conveyor; (2) aligning the substrate carrier loader to the moving conveyor; and (3) calibrating the substrate carrier loader to the moving conveyor. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: A gas distributor distributes a gas across a surface of a substrate processing chamber. The gas distributor has a hub, a baffle extending radially outward from the hub, a first set of vanes and a second set of vanes. In one version, the hub has a gas inlet and a gas outlet. The baffle has an opposing first and second surfaces. First vanes are on the first surface of the baffle and direct gas across chamber surfaces. In one version, the first vanes comprise arcuate plates that curve and taper outward from the hub. Second vanes are on the second surface of the baffle and direct gas across the second surface of the baffle. In one version, a gas feed-through tube in the hub can allow a gas to bypass the first and second set of vanes.

Abstract: A method of opening a carbon-based hardmask layer composed of amorphous carbon containing preferably at least 60% carbon and between 10 and 40% hydrogen. The hardmask is opened by plasma etching using an etching gas composed of H2, N2, and CO. The etching is preferably performed in a plasma etch reactor having an HF biased pedestal electrode and a capacitively VHF biased showerhead.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for process integration in manufacture of a gate structure of a field effect transistor are disclosed. The method includes assembling an integrated substrate processing system having a metrology module and a vacuumed processing platform to perform controlled and adaptive plasma processes without exposing the substrate to a non-vacuumed environment.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating and controlling a plasma in a semiconductor substrate processing chamber using a dual frequency RF source is provided. The method includes the steps of supplying a first RF signal from the source to an electrode within the processing chamber at a first frequency and supplying a second RF signal from the source to the electrode within the processing chamber at a second frequency. The second frequency is different from the first frequency by an amount equal to a desired frequency. Characteristics of a plasma formed in the chamber establish a sheath modulation at the desired frequency.

Abstract: A method and resultant produce of forming barrier layer based on ruthenium tantalum in a via or other vertical interconnect structure through a dielectric layer in a multi-level metallization. The RuTa layer in a RuTa/RuTaN bilayer, which may form discontinuous islands, is actively oxidized, preferably in an oxygen plasma, to thereby bridge the gaps between the islands. Alternatively, ruthenium tantalum oxide is reactive sputtered onto the RuTaN or directly onto the underlying dielectric by plasma sputtering a RuTa target in the presence of oxygen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for heating a semiconductor processing chamber. One embodiment of the present invention provides a furnace for heating a semiconductor processing chamber. The furnace comprises a heater surrounding side walls of the semiconductor processing chamber, wherein the heater comprises a plurality of heating elements connected in at least two independently controlled zones, and a shell surrounding the heater.

Abstract: A method of processing a thin film structure on a semiconductor substrate using an optically writable mask, the method includes placing the substrate in a reactor chamber, the substrate having on its surface a target layer to be exposed to a light source in accordance with a predetermined pattern, depositing an optically writable carbon-containing mask layer on the substrate by (a) introducing a carbon-containing process gas into the chamber, (b) generating a reentrant toroidal RF plasma current in a reentrant path that includes a process zone overlying the workpiece by coupling plasma RF source power to an external portion of the reentrant path, (c) coupling RF plasma bias power or bias voltage to the workpiece.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for forming a tungsten barrier material on a substrate is provided which includes depositing a tungsten layer on a substrate during a vapor deposition process and exposing the substrate sequentially to a tungsten precursor and a nitrogen precursor to form a tungsten nitride layer on the tungsten layer. Some examples provide that the tungsten layer may be deposited by sequentially exposing the substrate to the tungsten precursor and a reducing gas (e.g., diborane or silane) during an atomic layer deposition process. The tungsten layer may have a thickness of about 50 ? or less and tungsten nitride layer may have an electrical resistivity of about 380 ??-cm or less. Other examples provide that a tungsten bulk layer may be deposited on the tungsten nitride layer by a chemical vapor deposition process.

Abstract: A method of forming a silicon oxynitride gate dielectric. The method includes incorporating nitrogen into a dielectric film using a plasma nitridation process to form a silicon oxynitride film. The silicon oxynitride film is annealed in a first ambient. The first ambient comprises an inert ambient with a first partial pressure of oxygen at a first temperature. The silicon oxynitride film is then annealed in a second ambient comprising a second partial pressure of oxygen at a second temperature. The second partial pressure of oxygen is greater than the first partial pressure of oxygen.

Abstract: A method for processing a semiconductor substrate in a chamber includes forming a silicon oxynitride film using a two-step anneal process. The first anneal step includes annealing the silicon oxynitride film in the presence of an oxidizing gas that has a partial pressure of about 1 to about 100 mTorr, and the second anneal step includes annealing the silicon oxynitride film with oxygen gas that has a flow rate of about 1 slm. The first anneal step is performed at a higher chamber temperature and higher chamber pressure than the second anneal step.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus for generating a gaseous chemical precursor used in a vapor deposition processing system is provided which includes a canister comprising a sidewall, a top, and a bottom encompassing an interior volume therein, an inlet port and an outlet port in fluid communication with the interior volume, and an inlet tube extending from the inlet port into the canister. The apparatus further may contain a plurality of baffles within the interior volume extending between the top and the bottom of the canister, and a precursor slurry contained within the interior volume, wherein the precursor slurry contains a solid precursor material and a thermally conductive material that is unreactive towards the solid precursor material. In one example, the solid precursor material solid precursor material is pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum.