Abstract: A method and an apparatus for enhancement of the for measuring resistance-based features of a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a sensor configured to detect a signal produced by a eddy current generated electromagnetic field. The magnetic field enhancing source is positioned to the alternative side of the object under measurement relative to the sensor to enable the sensitivity enhancing action. The sensitivity enhancing source increases the intensity of the eddy current generated in the object under measurement, and as a result the sensitivity of the sensor. A system enabled to determine a thickness of a layer and a method for determining a resistance-based feature characteristic are also provided.

Abstract: A process chamber for a plasma processing apparatus is provided in which etch uniformity is maintained in both chemically driven and ion driven processes. The process chamber utilizes a barrier whose position relative to a wafer may be changed. During chemically driven processes, the barrier may be established so as to substantially prevent the diffusion of neutral reactants from regions outside the perimeter of the wafer. During ion driven processes, the barrier may be moved (e.g., withdrawn) so as to not compromise the ion driven etch.

Abstract: A CMP system and methods reduce a cause of differences between an edge profile of a chemical mechanical polished edge of a wafer and a center profile of a chemical mechanical polished central portion of the wafer within the edge. The wafer is mounted on a carrier surface of a wafer carrier so that a wafer axis of rotation is gimballed for universal movement relative to a spindle axis of rotation of a wafer spindle. A retainer ring limits wafer movement on the carrier surface perpendicular to the wafer axis. The retainer ring is mounted on and movable relative to the wafer carrier. A linear bearing is configured with a housing and a shaft so that a direction of permitted movement between the wafer carrier and the retainer ring is only movement parallel to the wafer axis, so that a wafer plane and a retainer ing may be co-planar.

Abstract: A system and method for polishing semiconductor wafers includes a variable partial pad-wafer overlap polisher having a reduced surface area, fixed-abrasive polishing pad and a polisher having a non-abrasive polishing pad for use with an abrasive slurry. The method includes first polishing a wafer with the variable partial pad-wafer overlap polisher and the fixed abrasive polishing pad and then polishing the wafer in a dispersed-abrasive process until a desired wafer thickness is achieved.

Abstract: An inductive plasma processor includes a multiple winding radio frequency coil having plural electrically parallel, spatially concentric windings (1) having different amounts of RF power supplied to them, and (2) arranged to produce electromagnetic fields having different couplings to different regions of plasma in the chamber to control plasma flux distribution incident on a processed workpiece. The coil is powered by a single radio frequency generator via a single matching network. Input and output ends of each winding are respectively connected to input and output tuning capacitors. In a first embodiment, the location of maximum inductive coupling of the radio frequency to the plasma and the current magnitude in each winding are respectively mainly determined by values of the output and input capacitors.

Abstract: A fluid delivery device for delivering fluid to the backside of a substrate while minimizing waste. The device includes an inner cylindrical tube having a top opening and a bottom opening. An upper cap overlying a top portion of the inner cylindrical tube is included. The upper cap is moveably disposed over the inner cylindrical tube. The upper cap includes a top with at least one hole defined therein. The top includes a sidewall extending therefrom. A system and a method for reducing an amount of a cleaning chemistry applied to a backside of a wafer during a cleaning operation are also provided.

Abstract: H2O vapor is used as a processing gas for stripping photoresist material from a substrate having a patterned photoresist layer previously used as an ion implantation mask, wherein the patterned photoresist layer is defined by a photoresist crust covering a bulk photoresist portion. Broadly speaking, the H2O vapor is demonstrated to more efficiently strip the photoresist material having a cross-linked photoresist crust without causing the photoresist crust to pop and without causing the bulk photoresist to be undercut. Thus, H2O vapor provides a safe, efficient, and economical processing gas for stripping photoresist material having a photoresist crust resulting from an ion implantation process.

Abstract: The present inventions is a method of trench formation within a dielectric layer, comprising, first, etching a via within the dielectric layer. After the via is etched, an organic plug is used to fill a portion of the via. After the desired amount of organic plug has been etched from the via, a trench is etched with a first gas mixture to a first depth, and a second gas mixture is used to further etch the trench to the final desired trench depth. Preferably, the method is used for low-k dielectrics that do not have an intermediate etch stop layer. Additionally, it is preferable that the first gas mixture is a polymeric gas mixture and the second gas mixture is a non-polymeric gas mixture. As a result of using this method, an interconnect structure for a low-k dielectric without an intermediate etch stop layer having a trench with trench edges that are substantially orthogonal and a via with via edges that are substantially orthogonal is generated.

Abstract: Techniques for etching through a low capacitance dielectric layer in a plasma processing chamber are disclosed. The techniques uses an etch chemistry that includes N2, O2, and a hydrocarbon. By etching the low capacitance dielectric layer with a plasma created out of the etch chemistry, fast etch rates can be obtained while also maintaining profile control and preserving critical dimension of the resultant opening (e.g., via/trench) being etched in the low capacitance layer.

Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of interest during processing of a patterned substrate includes obtaining a measured net reflectance spectrum resulting from illuminating at least a portion of the patterned substrate with a light beam having a broadband spectrum, calculating a modeled net reflectance spectrum as a weighted incoherent sum of reflectances from different regions constituting the portion of the patterned substrate, and determining a set of parameters that provides a close match between the measured net reflectance spectrum and the modeled net reflectance spectrum. For wavelengths below a selected transition wavelength, a first optical model is used to calculate the reflectance from each region as a weighted coherent sum of reflected fields from thin film stacks corresponding to laterally distinct areas constituting the region. For wavelengths above the transition wavelength, a second optical model based on effective medium approximation is used to calculate the reflectance from each region.

Abstract: A component delivery mechanism for distributing a component inside a process chamber is disclosed. The component is used to process a work piece within the process chamber. The component delivery mechanism includes a plurality of component outputs for outputting the component to a desired region of the process chamber. The component delivery mechanism further includes a spatial distribution switch coupled to the plurality of component outputs. The spatial distribution switch is arranged for directing the component to at least one of the plurality of component outputs. The component delivery mechanism also includes a single component source coupled to the spatial distribution switch. The single component source is arranged for supplying the component to the spatial distribution switch.

Abstract: A cleaning solution, method, and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor substrates after chemical mechanical polishing of copper films is described. The present invention includes a cleaning solution which combines deionized water, an organic compound, and a fluoride compound in an acidic pH environment for cleaning the surface of a semiconductor substrate after polishing a copper layer. Such methods of cleaning semiconductor substrates after copper CMP alleviate the problems associated with brush loading and surface and subsurface contamination.

Abstract: A plasma processing module for processing a substrate includes a plasma containment chamber having a feed gas inlet port capable of allowing a feed gas to enter the plasma containment chamber of the plasma processing module during the processing of the substrate. An inductively coupled source is used to energize the feed gas and striking a plasma within the plasma containment chamber. The specific configuration of the inductively coupled source causes the plasma to be formed such that the plasma includes a primary dissociation zone within the plasma containment chamber. A secondary chamber is separated from the plasma containment chamber by a plasma containment plate. The secondary chamber includes a chuck and an exhaust port. The chuck is configured to support the substrate during the processing of the substrate and the exhaust port is connected to the secondary chamber such that the exhaust port allows gases to be removed from the secondary chamber during the processing of the substrate.

Abstract: A pressure booster and method for amplifying a water pressure that is supplied by a water facility is provided. The pressure booster is configured to be connected between the water facility and one or more semiconductor substrate cleaning systems. The pressure booster includes a pump having a pump input that connects to the water facility and a pump output that is configured to produce a fluctuating amplified water pressure that is greater than the water pressure that is supplied by the water facility. Further included is a pressure dampener having a dampener input for accepting the fluctuating amplified water pressure from the pump output. The pressure dampener is configured to partially reduce pressure fluctuations in the fluctuating amplified water pressure. The pressure dampener also has a dampener output. A pressure regulator having a regulator input for receiving the dampener output is also included as part of the pressure booster.

Abstract: An invention for detecting an endpoint during a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is provided. A reflected spectrum data sample is received that corresponds to a plurality of spectrums of light reflected from an illuminated portion of the surface of a wafer. The reflected spectrum data sample is normalized using a normalization reference comprising a first reflected spectrum data sample obtained earlier during the CMP process. In addition, the normalization reference is updated during the process using a second reflected spectrum data sample obtained earlier during the CMP process. The second reflected spectrum data sample is obtained after the first reflected spectrum data sample. In this manner, an endpoint is determined based on optical interference occurring in the reflected spectrum data.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing system is provided. The system includes a sensor configured to detect a signal representing a thickness of a film disposed on a surface of a substrate. A first nozzle configured to apply a first fluid to a surface of a polishing pad is included. A fluid restraining device located upstream from the first nozzle is provided. The fluid restraining device is configured to evenly distribute the slurry over the surface of the polishing pad. A second nozzle located upstream from the fluid restraining device is included. The second nozzle is configured to apply a second fluid to the evenly distributed slurry. A CMP system and a method for applying differential removal rates to a surface of a substrate are also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for qualifying a polishing pad used in chemical mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers is described. The apparatus includes at least one qualifying member including at least one collimated hole structure, wherein the collimated hole structure forms multiple channels within the qualifying member. The method includes providing at least one qualifying member formed with at least one capillary tube array, wherein the capillary tube array forms multiple channels within the qualifying member, pressing the qualifying member against the polishing pad, and moving the qualifying member along the polishing pad along a trajectory to simulate the polishing of a semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A vacuum plasma processor includes a voltage-current detector connected between a matching network and a reactive impedance for exciting gas in a chamber to a plasma for processing a workpiece. A constant non-zero AC parameter is maintained in a connection between an electrode in the chamber and ground. The electrode and connection to ground are such that no AC or DC source is DC coupled with the electrode.

Abstract: A wafer processing module is provided. In one example, the wafer processing module includes a sub-aperture CMP processing system and a pad exchange system including a pad magazine for storing CMP processing pads and a pad exchange robot for transferring CMP processing pads between the sub-aperture CMP processing system and the pad magazine. The wafer processing module includes a module frame that integrates the sub-aperture CMP processing system including the pad exchange system, with a wafer scrubber unit and a wafer SRD unit.

Abstract: There is disclosed a plasma technique in which a plasma generation technique frequently used in various fields including a semiconductor manufacturing process is used, and generation of plasma instability (high-speed impedance change of a plasma) can efficiently be suppressed and controlled in order to manufacture stable products. In a method of disposing an object in a chamber and generating the plasma to treat the object, the chamber is sealed by a surrounding member so as to have an inner space, at least a part of the member includes a dielectric material, an RF induction coil is disposed outside the dielectric member, and a direct-current electric field is supplied into the inner space by a method of passing a direct current through the RF induction coil or another method, so that the plasma is stabilized.