Abstract: Apparatus and methods for distributing gas in a semiconductor process chamber are provided. In an embodiment, a gas distributor for use in a gas processing chamber comprises a body. The body includes a baffle with a gas deflection surface to divert the flow of a gas from a first direction to a second direction. The gas deflection surface comprises a concave surface. The concave surface comprises at least about 75% of the surface area of the gas deflection surface. The concave surface substantially deflects the gas toward a chamber wall and provides decreased metal atom contamination from the baffle so that season times can be reduced.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for distributing gas in a semiconductor process chamber are provided. In an embodiment, a gas distributor for use in a gas processing chamber comprises a body. The body includes a baffle with a gas deflection surface to divert the flow of a gas from a first direction to a second direction. The gas deflection surface comprises a concave surface. The concave surface comprises at least about 75% of the surface area of the gas deflection surface. The concave surface substantially deflects the gas toward a chamber wall and provides decreased metal atom contamination from the baffle so that season times can be reduced.

Abstract: A gaseous mixture is deposited onto a substrate surface using a showerhead. A first plenum of the showerhead has a plurality of channels fluidicly coupled with an interior of a processing chamber. A second plenum gas flows through a plurality of tubes extending from a second plenum of the showerhead through the channels into the interior of the processing chamber. The diameter of the tubes is smaller than the diameter of the channels such that a first plenum gas flows into the interior of the processing chamber through a space defined between the outer surface of the tubes and the surface of the channels. The length and diameter of the tubes determine the level of distribution and the molar ratio of the first gas and the second gas in the gaseous mixture that is deposited on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A gas distributor for use in a semiconductor process chamber comprises a body. The body includes a first channel formed within the body and adapted to pass a first fluid from a first fluid supply line through the first channel to a first opening. A second channel is formed within the body and adapted to pass a second fluid from a second fluid supply line through the second channel to a second opening. The first and second openings are arranged to mix the fluids outside the body after the fluids pass through the openings.

Abstract: An optical assembly is formed with a silicon substrate having a first surface and a second surface confronting the first surface. A reflective coating is formed over the first surface. Multiple diffraction gratings are formed integrally within the second surface of the silicon substrate. An optical absorber is formed over the second surface between the diffraction gratings.

Abstract: A patterned dielectric layer is evaluated by measuring reflectance of a region which has openings. A heating beam may be chosen for having reflectance from an underlying conductive layer that is several times greater than absorptance, to provide a heightened sensitivity to presence of residue and/or changes in dimension of the openings. Reflectance may be measured by illuminating the region with a heating beam modulated at a preset frequency, and measuring power of a probe beam that reflects from the region at the preset frequency. Openings of many embodiments have sub-wavelength dimensions (i.e. smaller than the wavelength of the heating beam). The underlying conductive layer may be patterned into links of length smaller than the diameter of heating beam, so that the links float to a temperature higher than a corresponding temperature attained by a continuous trace that transfers heat away from the illuminated region by conduction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for thermally processing a substrate is described. The apparatus includes a substrate support configured to move linearly and/or rotationally by a magnetic drive. The substrate support is also configured to receive a radiant heat source to provide heating region in a portion of the chamber. An active cooling region comprising a cooling plate is disposed opposite the heating region. The substrate may move between the two regions to facilitate rapidly controlled heating and cooling of the substrate.

Abstract: An aluminum sputtering process including RF biasing the wafer and a two-step aluminum fill process and apparatus used therefor to fill aluminum into a narrow via hole by sputtering under two distinctly different conditions, preferably in two different plasma sputter reactors. The first step includes sputtering a high fraction of ionized aluminum atoms onto a relatively cold wafer, e.g., held at less than 150° C., and relatively highly biased to attract aluminum atoms into the narrow holes and etch overhangs. The second step includes more neutral sputtering onto a relatively warm wafer, e.g. held at greater than 250° C., and substantially unbiased to provide a more isotropic and uniform aluminum flux. The magnetron scanned about the back of the aluminum target may be relatively small and unbalanced in the first step and relatively large and balanced in the second.

Abstract: An ultrasonic etching apparatus for chemically-etching a workpiece is disclosed. The apparatus includes an outer tank at least partially filled with an aqueous solution, an inner tank at least partially disposed within the outer tank and in contact with aqueous solution, the inner tank at least partially filled with an etching solution, a lid engaged with the mouth of said inner tank; and an ultrasonic transducer coupled to the outer tank to impart ultrasonic energy to the etching solution in said inner tank. Also disclosed are methods of using the apparatus to etch workpieces.

Abstract: A scrubber box is provided that includes a tank adapted to receive a substrate for cleaning, supports outside of the tank and adapted to couple to ends of scrubber brushes disposed within the tank, a motor mounted to each of the supports and adapted to rotate the scrubber brushes, a base to which the supports are pivotally mounted via spherical bearings adapted to permit toe-in of the scrubber brushes, a brush gap actuator adapted, via a crank and rocker mechanism, to substantially simultaneously pivot the supports toward or away from each other so as to permit the scrubber brushes to substantially simultaneously achieve or break contact with the substrate, and a toe-in actuator adapted to move two of the spherical bearings toward or away from each other so as to adjust a toe-in angle between the scrubber brushes.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a substrate for defects, including: (a) obtaining an inspected pixel and a reference pixel; (b) calculating an inspected value and a reference value, the inspected value representative of the inspected pixel and the reference value representative of the reference pixel; (c) selecting a threshold in response to a selected value out of the inspected value and the reference value; and (d) determining a relationship between the selected threshold, the reference value and the inspected value to indicate a presence of a defect.

Abstract: A printer and method for recording a predefined multiple intensity level image on a substrate, the method includes the steps of: converting the predetermined image to multiple intensity level associated images; converting a light beam to multiple light beam arrays; modulating each light beam array to provide modulated light beam arrays, in response to a corresponding intensity level associated image to be recorded on the substrate; directing each modulated light beam array to impinge on the substrate; and repeating the steps of converting, modulating and directing while moving the substrate until the predefined image is imaged on the substrate.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition method for forming a dielectric material in a trench formed on a substrate. The method includes flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a process chamber housing the substrate, flowing an oxidizing gas into the chamber, and providing a hydroxyl-containing precursor in the process chamber. The method also includes reacting the silicon-containing precursor, oxidizing gas and hydroxyl-containing precursor to form the dielectric material in the trench. The ratio of the silicon-containing precursor to the oxidizing gas flowed into the chamber is increased over time to alter a rate of deposition of the dielectric material.

Abstract: A system and method for dividing the flow of one or more process fluids in a predetermined flow ratio is provided herein. In one embodiment, a system for dividing flow of one or more process fluids in a predetermined flow ratio includes a process chamber having a plurality of inlets for delivering one or more process fluids into the process chamber; a plurality of modulating valves coupled to the plurality of inlets, wherein each inlet of the plurality of inlets is coupled to at least one modulating valve; and a controller coupled to the plurality of modulating valves, the controller configured to control the operation of the plurality of modulating valves to divide the flow of one or more process fluids in the predetermined flow ratio.

Abstract: Methods for compensating for a thermal profile in a substrate heating process are provided herein. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes determining an initial thermal profile of a substrate resulting from a process; imposing a compensatory thermal profile on the substrate based on the initial thermal profile; and performing the process to create a desired thermal profile on the substrate. In other embodiments of the invention, the initial substrate thermal profile is compensated for by adjusting a local mass heated per unit area, a local heat capacity per unit area, or an absorptivity or reflectivity of a component proximate the substrate prior to performing the process. In another embodiment, the heat provided by an edge ring to the substrate may be controlled either prior to or during the substrate heating process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system, or cluster tool, that has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, improved device yield performance, a more repeatable wafer processing history (or wafer history), and a reduced footprint. The various embodiments of the cluster tool may utilize two or more robots that are configured in a parallel processing configuration to transfer substrates between the various processing chambers retained in the processing racks so that a desired processing sequence can be performed on the substrates. In one aspect, the parallel processing configuration contains two or more robot assemblies that are adapted to move in a vertical and horizontal directions, to access the various processing chambers retained in generally adjacently positioned processing racks.

Abstract: A method for focusing a charged particle beam, the method including: (a) altering a focal point of a charged particle beam according to a first focal pattern while scanning a first area of a sample and collecting a first set of detection signals; (b) altering a focal point of a charged particle beam according to a second focal pattern while scanning a second area that is ideally identical to the first area and collecting a second set of detection signals; and (c) processing the first and second set of detection signals to determine a focal characteristic; wherein the first focal pattern and the second focal pattern differ by the location of an optimal focal point.

Abstract: Methods for etching chromium and forming a photomask using a carbon hard mask are provided. In one embodiment, a method of a chromium layer includes providing a substrate in a processing chamber, the substrate having a chromium layer partially exposed through a patterned carbon hard mask layer, providing a process gas containing chlorine and carbon monoxide into the etching chamber, and maintaining a plasma of the process gas and etching the chromium layer through the carbon hard mask layer. The method of etching a chromium layer through a patterned carbon hard mask layer is useful for fabricating photomasks.

Abstract: In a plasma reactor having an electrostatic chuck, wafer voltage is determined from RF measurements at the bias input using previously determined constants based upon transmission line properties of the bias input, and this wafer voltage is used to accurately control the DC wafer clamping voltage.

Abstract: A polishing system can have a rotatable platen, a polishing pad secured to the platen, a carrier head to hold a substrate against the polishing pad, and an eddy current monitoring system including a coil or ferromagnetic body that extends at least partially through the polishing pad. A polishing pad can have a polishing layer and a coil or ferromagnetic body secured to the polishing layer. Recesses can be formed in a transparent window in the polishing pad.