Abstract: A method of forming a dielectric film, includes: introducing a siloxane gas essentially constituted by Si, O, C, and H and a silazane gas essentially constituted by Si, N, H, and optionally C into a reaction chamber where a substrate is placed; depositing a siloxane-based film including Si—N bonds on the substrate by plasma reaction; and annealing the siloxane-based film on the substrate in an annealing chamber to remove Si—N bonds from the film.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In particular, a plasma CVD apparatus having a cleaning function, has an improved shower plate with holes having a uniform cross-sectional area to yield a high cleaning rate. The shower plate may serve as an electrode, and may have an electrically conductive extension connected to a power source. The shower plate, through which both cleaning gases and reaction source gases flow, may include a hole machined surface area with a size different than conventionally used to ensure a good film thickness uniformity during a deposition process. The size of the hole machined surface area may vary based on the size of a substrate to be processed, or the size of the entire surface of the shower plate.

Abstract: A method of forming a Ta—Ru metal liner layer for Cu wiring includes: (i) conducting atomic deposition of Ta X times, each atomic deposition of Ta being accomplished by a pulse of hydrogen plasma, wherein X is an integer such that a surface of an underlying layer is not covered with Ta particles; (ii) after step (i), conducting atomic deposition of Ru Y times, each atomic deposition of Ru being accomplished by a pulse of hydrogen plasma, wherein Y is an integer such that the Ta particles are not covered with Ru particles; and (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) Z times, thereby forming a Ta—Ru metal liner layer on a Cu wiring substrate.

Abstract: A method for determining conditions for forming a dielectric SiOCH film, includes: (i) forming a dielectric SiOCH film on a substrate under conditions; (ii) evaluating the conditions using a ratio of Si—CH3 bonding strength to Si—O bonding strength of the film as formed in step (i); (iii) if the ratio is 2.50 % or higher, confirming the conditions, and if the ratio is less than 2.50 %, changing the conditions by changing at least one of the susceptor temperature, the distance between upper and lower electrodes, the RF power, and the curing time; and (iv) repeating steps (i) to (iii) until the ratio is 2.50 % or higher.

Abstract: Chemical vapor deposition processes result in films having low dielectric constants when suitable chemical precursors are utilized. Preferred chemical precursors include siloxanes, (fluoroalkyl)fluorosiloxanes, (fluoroalkyl)silanes, (alkyl)fluorosilanes, (fluoroalkyl)fluorosilanes, alkylsiloxysilanes, alkoxysilanes, alkylalkoxysilanes, silylmethanes, alkoxysilylmethanes, alkylalkoxysilylmethanes, alkoxymethanes, alkylalkoxymethanes, and mixtures thereof. The precursors are particularly suited to thermal CVD for producing low dielectric constant films at relatively low temperatures, particularly without the use of additional oxidizing agents. Such films are useful in the microelectronics industry.

Abstract: A method of forming a dielectric film includes: introducing a source gas essentially constituted by Si, N, H, and optionally C and having at least one bond selected from Si—N, Si—Si, and Si—H into a reaction chamber where a substrate is placed; depositing a silazane-based film essentially constituted by Si, N, H, and optionally C on the substrate by plasma reaction at ?50° C. to 50° C., wherein the film is free of exposure of a solvent constituted essentially by C, H, and optionally O; and heat-treating the silazane-based film on the substrate in a heat-treating chamber while introducing an oxygen-supplying source into the heat-treating chamber to release C from the film and increase Si—O bonds in the film.

Abstract: A method for processing a substrate by plasma CVD includes: (i) forming a film on a substrate placed on a susceptor by applying RF power between the susceptor and a shower plate in the presence of a film-forming gas in a reactor; and (ii) upon completion of step (i), without unloading the substrate, applying amplitude-modulated RF power between the susceptor and the shower plate in the absence of a film-forming gas but in the presence of a non-film-forming gas to reduce a floating potential of the substrate.

Abstract: A CVD apparatus comprising an optical unit detecting the mass of contaminants adhering to an inner surface of a CVD reactor by irradiating an inner surface of the reactor with light having monochromaticity through an optical window provided on an inner wall of the reactor and receiving its reflected light is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vacuum system including a vacuum pump capable of operating at a rotation rate controlled appropriately when a predetermined process is performed in a vacuum chamber, which contributes to energy conservation. The vacuum system serves as a semiconductor manufacturing system comprising a vacuum pump controller which has a gas flow mode and an auto-tuning mode for determining a rotation rate of a vacuum pump unit to set the rotation rate to a target value lower by a predetermined value than the full operation rate of gas flow rate control means under the condition that pressure within the process chamber is vacuum pressure necessary for the gas flow mode.

Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus for thin-film deposition includes a reactor chamber; a pair of parallel-plate electrodes disposed inside the chamber; and a radio-frequency power supply system used for transmitting radio-frequency power to one of the parallel-plate electrodes via multiple supply points provided on the one of the parallel-electrodes. The radio-frequency power supply system includes a radio-frequency transmission unit which includes an inlet transmission path and multiple branches branched off from the inlet transmission path multiple times. Each branch is connected to the supply point and has a substantially equal characteristic impedance value.

Abstract: Boron-containing nitride films, including silicon boron nitride and boron nitride films, are deposited during, e.g., integrated circuit fabrication. The films are deposited in a process chamber having a reaction space that is defined as an open volume of the chamber directly above the substrate. The boron-containing nitride films are formed by flowing silicon and boron precursors into the process chamber while maintaining the volume, as measured under standard conditions, of silicon and boron precursors, e.g., SiH4 and B2H6, flowed into the process chamber per minute at about 6.2% or less of the volume of the reaction space. In some embodiments, N2 is flowed into the process chamber at a flow rate of about 100 times the total flow rate of the silicon and boron precursors. The deposited films have good film thickness controllability and high in-plane film thickness uniformity for use as, e.g., etch stop layers.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises a substrate handling chamber, a pair of position sensors, and a substrate transfer robot. Each of the sensors comprises an emitter configured to emit a beam of light, and a receiver configured to receive the light beam. The substrate transfer robot comprises an end effector and a robot actuator. The end effector is configured to hold a substrate such that the substrate has a same expected position with respect to the end effector every time the substrate is held. The robot actuator is configured to move the end effector within the handling chamber to transfer substrates among a plurality of substrate stations. An edge of a substrate held in the expected position by the end effector can partially block a light beam of one of the position sensors, while another end of the end effector partially blocks a light beam of the other position sensor.

Abstract: A method of self-cleaning a plasma reactor upon depositing a carbon-based film on a substrate a pre-selected number of times, includes: (i) exciting oxygen gas and/or nitrogen oxide gas to generate a plasma; and (ii) exposing to the plasma a carbon-based film accumulated on an upper electrode provided in the reactor and a carbon-based film accumulated on an inner wall of the reactor.

Abstract: Low dielectric constant materials are cured in a process chamber during semiconductor processing. The low dielectric constant materials are cured by irradiation with UV light. The atmosphere in the process chamber has a CO2 concentration of about 1-16% by volume during the irradiation. The CO2 limits the formation of —Si—H and —Si—OH groups in the low dielectric constant material, thereby reducing the occurrence of moisture absorption and oxidation in the low dielectric constant material.

Abstract: Low dielectric constant materials are cured in a process chamber during semiconductor processing. The low dielectric constant materials are cured by irradiation with UV light. The atmosphere in the process chamber has an O2 concentration of about 25-10,000 ppm during the irradiation. The O2 limits the formation of —Si—H and —Si—OH groups in the low dielectric constant material, thereby reducing the occurrence of moisture absorption and oxidation in the low dielectric constant material.

Abstract: A circuit for measuring DC bias voltage occurring in an ungrounded electrode of a plasma processing apparatus, includes: a first terminal connected between the ungrounded electrode and the RF power source; a second terminal for determining a value of the DC bias voltage; a first resistance connected between the first terminal and the second terminal; a second resistance connected between the second terminal and a ground; and a condenser disposed in parallel to the second resistance between the second terminal and the ground. The sum of the first resistance value and the second resistance value is about 50 M? or greater.

Abstract: A method for depositing a thin ruthenium (Ru) film on a substrate in a reaction chamber, comprising: step (i) of supplying at least one type of gas of a ruthenium precursor being a ?-diketone-coordinated ruthenium complex and causing the gas to be adsorbed to the substrate in the reaction chamber; step (ii) of supplying a reducing gas into the reaction chamber and exciting the reducing gas, or supplying an excited reducing gas into the reaction chamber, in order to activate the ruthenium precursor adsorbed to the substrate; and step (iii) of repeating steps (i) and (ii) to form a thin ruthenium film on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of forming a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on a semiconductor substrate by a capacitively-coupled plasma CVD apparatus. The method includes the steps of: vaporizing a hydrocarbon-containing liquid monomer (C?H?X?, wherein ? and ? are natural numbers of 5 or more; ? is an integer including zero; X is O, N or F) having a boiling point of about 20° C. to about 350° C. which is not substituted by a vinyl group or an acetylene group; introducing the vaporized gas into a CVD reaction chamber inside which a substrate is placed; and forming a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on the substrate by plasma polymerization of the gas.

Abstract: A method forms a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on a semiconductor substrate by a capacitively-coupled plasma CVD apparatus. The method includes the steps of: vaporizing a hydrocarbon-containing liquid monomer (C?H?X?, wherein ? and ? are natural numbers of 5 or more; ? is an integer including zero; X is O, N or F) having a boiling point of about 20° C. to about 350° C.; introducing the vaporized gas into a CVD reaction chamber inside which a substrate is placed; and forming a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on the substrate by plasma polymerization of the gas. The liquid monomer is unsaturated and has no benzene structure.

Abstract: A method for managing UV irradiation for curing a semiconductor substrate, includes: passing UV light through a transmission glass window provided in a chamber for curing a semiconductor substrate placed in the chamber; monitoring an illuminance upstream of the transmission glass window and an illuminance downstream of the transmission glass window; determining a timing and/or duration of cleaning of the transmission glass window, a timing of replacing the transmission glass window, a timing of replacing a UV lamp, and/or an output of the UV light based on the monitored illuminances.