Abstract: A method of planarizing a wafer surface of a semiconductor wafer having an elevated portion extending therefrom is described. The method includes the step of positioning a fluid flow surface relative to the wafer surface so that (i) a space is defined between the wafer surface and the fluid flow surface, and (ii) the elevated portion of the semiconductor wafer is positioned in the space. The method also includes the step of advancing a fluid within the space so that the fluid contacts and erodes the elevated portion of the semiconductor wafer. An associated apparatus for planarizing a wafer surface of a semiconductor wafer having an elevated portion extending therefrom is also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting the endpoint of a photoresist stripping process. A wafer to be stripped of photoresist is disposed inside a stripping chamber. After substantially all the photoresist is stripped from the wafer, the rate of a reaction of O and NO to form NO2 increases, which increases the intensity of emitted light. A light detecting apparatus detects this increase in light intensity, which signals the endpoint of the photoresist stripping process.

Abstract: A cluster tool architecture and method are provided for processing substrates by exposure to a process environment, including a reactive gas, such as sulfur trioxide, as well as prior and subsequent treatments thereto.

Abstract: A film-forming apparatus which has at least a vacuum vessel whose inside is capable of being vacuumed and a film-forming chamber having a discharge region provided in said vacuum vessel and in which a substrate web having a desired width and a desired length is arranged so as to constitute a part of said film-forming chamber, wherein said substrate web is continuously moved to pass through said discharge region of said film-forming chamber to continuously form a deposited film on said substrate web, characterized in that said film-forming chamber is provided with an opening-adjusting member such that said opening-adjusting member constitutes an entrance or/and an exit of said film-forming chamber, and a face of said opening-adjusting member which is opposed to said substrate web has one or more grooves formed substantially in parallel to a direction for said substrate web to be transported.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a plasma etching apparatus and a method for detecting the end point of plasma etching, which can more accurately detect the end point of plasma etching. A radiofrequency wave generated in a radiofrequency generating system 5 propagates through a lead line 30 and is applied to a cathode 9 in a plasma chamber 1. Plasma 11 thereby is generated in the plasma chamber and selectively etches a semiconductor wafer 12. A RF probe 8 measures the voltage and current of the radiofrequency wave flowing in the lead line 30. A determination system 15 may determine the end point of the plasma etching on the basis of either the voltage or current, whichever changes first.

Abstract: The present invention is embodied in a method of operating an inductively coupled plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the reactor including a vacuum chamber for containing the wafer, a process gas source, a semiconductor window electrode facing an interior portion of the chamber, an inductive power radiator on an exterior side of the semiconductor window electrode, the inductive field having a skin depth generally decreasing with the frequency of the RF inductive field and with the density of the plasma in the chamber and generally increasing with the pressure inside the vacuum chamber, the inductive coupling of the RF field tending to approach extinguishment as the skin depth approaches the spacing between the wafer and the window electrode, a method for maintaining an intermediate plasma density inside the chamber without extinguishing the inductive coupling of the RF field, the method including operating the reactor at a selected flow rate of the process gas, a selected chamber pressure an

Abstract: Apparatus for multi-chambered semiconductor wafer processing comprising a polygonal structure having at least two semiconductor process chambers disposed on one side. An area between the process chambers provides a maintenance access to the semiconductor processing equipment. Additionally, the apparatus may be clustered or daisy-chained together to enable a wafer to access additional processing chambers without leaving the controlled environment of the semiconductor wafer processing equipment.

Abstract: A system for processing substrates within a chamber and for cleaning accumulated material from chamber components is provided. The system includes a reactive species generator adapted to generate a reactive gas species for chemically etching accumulated material from chamber components, and a processing chamber having at least one component with a mirror polished surface which is exposed to the reactive species. Preferably to have the greatest impact on chamber cleaning efficiency, the mirror polished surface is a surface of a component such as a gas distribution plate or a backing plate, and/or is a surface of a plurality of smaller components (e.g., chamber wall liners, a gas conductance line, etc.) so as to constitute a large percentage of the surface area exposed to the reactive species. Most preferably all bare aluminum surfaces which the reactive species contacts are mirror polished.

Abstract: A CVD system in which a vacuum container is separated into a plasma generating space and a film forming space by a conductive partition wall having plural penetration holes, radicals generated in the plasma generating space are introduced into the film forming space only through the penetration holes of the partition wall, and material gas supplied from outside into the partition wall is introduced into the film forming space through the internal space of the partition wall, which is communicating with the film forming space through plural diffusion holes while separated from the plasma generating space and the penetration holes, and a film is formed on the substrate by the radicals and material gas introduced into the film forming space. In the CVD system, the penetration holes (25) of the conductive partition wall (14) are formed so that the hole diameter at the film forming space (16) side may be equal to or larger than the hole diameter at the plasma generating space (15) side.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrated, micromachined structure, such as a torsional scanner, that includes a reference member, such as a frame, a pair of torsion hinges, and a dynamic member that is coupled to the reference member by the torsion hinges. The method includes providing a wafer that has been formed from silicon material, and that has both a frontside and a backside. A membrane is formed in the wafer by etching a cavity in the silicon material from the backside of the wafer. The method also includes establishing a pattern that defines the mirror surface and the torsion hinges on the frontside of the wafer at the membrane formed therein. The frontside of the wafer is processed to form therein the dynamic member and the torsion hinges that support the dynamic member for rotation about the axis.

Abstract: In a process of selectively removing material from an exposed layer carried by a substrate, a technique for determining endpoint by monitoring the intensity of a radiation beam that is passed through the substrate an any intervening layers to be reflected off the layer being processed. This monitoring technique is used during photoresist developing, wet etching, and mechanical planarization and polishing during the manufacture of integrated circuits on semiconductor wafers, flat panel displays on glass substrates, and similar articles. Planarization and polishing processes are alternately monitored by monitoring temperature.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a surface acoustic device having an electrode containing an Al and an other metal comprising; forming patterning a layer of an Al and other metal forming the electrode by reactive ion etching which is conducted by using an etching gas containing a mixed gas comprising Cl2 and He at a gas pressure of 0.1 Pa to 3 Pa.

Abstract: The invention includes a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor, and a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. In one implementation, a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor includes a deposition chamber having an electrically conductive RF powered showerhead support electrode. An electrically conductive gas distributing showerhead is mounted to the RF powered showerhead support electrode. A preformed electrically conductive gasket is interposed between the RF powered showerhead support electrode and the gas distributing showerhead.

Abstract: An apparatus for plasma etching comprises a chamber, a gas inlet port provided in the chamber to introduce etching gas into the chamber, a gas outlet port provided in a side portion of the chamber to exhaust the gas from said chamber, a sample stage provided within the chamber, and a spiral coil disposed externally of the chamber and in opposing relation with the sample stage to generate a plasma composed of the etching gas with a high-frequency induction field. The higher-voltage region of the spiral coil and the exhaust-side region of the sample stage are positioned on substantially the same side relative to the center axis of the chamber.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for depositing diamond film on a plurality of substrates, which comprises the steps of: providing a plasma beam containing atomic hydrogen and a carbonaceous component; providing a plurality of substrates, each of the substrates having a deposited surface, the substrates being arranged such that the beam impinges successively on a deposition surface of a first substrate and then on a deposition surface of a second substrate, the deposition surfaces of the first and second substrates being oriented with respect to each other at a non-zero angle.

Abstract: The invention is embodied in a plasma reactor including a chamber enclosure having a process gas inlet and including a ceiling, a sidewall and a workpiece support pedestal capable of supporting a workpiece at a plasma processing location facing the ceiling, the workpiece processing location and ceiling defining a process region therebetween, the pedestal being spaced from said sidewall to define a pumping annulus therebetween having inner and outer walls, to permit process gas to be evacuated therethrough from the process region. The invention further includes a pair of opposing plasma confinement magnetic poles arranged adjacent the annulus within one of the inner and outer walls of the annulus, the opposing magnetic poles being axially displaced from one another the opposite poles being oriented to provide maximum magnetic flux in a direction across the annulus and a magnetic flux at the processing location less than the magnetic flux across the annulus.

Abstract: In preparing a solar cell, minute projections and recesses are uniformly formed in a surface of a single crystal silicon substrate or a polycrystal silicon substrate by dipping in an etching liquid composed of a mixed acid which is composed mainly of a hydrofluoride acid, a nitric acid and a phosphoric acid in addition to a surface active agent. A solar cell having a substrate in which spherical projections and recesses are formed in a surface of it to which light is incident; an apparatus for producing efficiently a solar cell by realizing the above-mentioned process, and a wet etching apparatus to effect stably the above-mentioned process to thereby maintaining a concentration of a nitric acid to be constant, are provided.

Abstract: A compact, self-contained remote plasma generator is mounted on the lid of a semiconductor processing chamber to form an integrated substrate processing system. The remote plasma generator is activated in a clean operation to generate cleaning plasma species to provide better cleaning of the chamber and lower perfluorocarbon emissions than in situ plasma clean processes. A three-way valve is adjustable to control gas flow to the chamber. During the clean operation, the three-way valve directs a cleaning plasma precursor from a first gas line to the remote plasma generator to generate cleaning plasma species which are flowed to the chamber for cleaning deposits therein. During a deposition process, the three-way valve directs a first process gas from the flat gas line to the chamber, bypassing the remote plasma generator.

Abstract: There is disclosed an inductive coupling plasma processing apparatus having a processing chamber for subjecting a substrate G to a plasma processing, a dielectric wall portion constituting an upper part wall portion or a side wall portion of the chamber, a high-frequency antenna, disposed on a corresponding portion of the dielectric wall portion outside the chamber, for forming an induction field in the chamber, a cover member formed of a dielectric material disposed inside the dielectric wall portion to cover the dielectric wall portion, a heater for heating the cover member, and an insulating member for insulating between the dielectric wall portion and the heater, wherein a reaction product generated by a plasma is heated at a temperature without adhering to the cover member, and heat generated by the heater is prevented from being conducted to the dielectric wall portion.

Abstract: A plasma spraying apparatus is provided comprising a plasma gun shaft member and a plasma gun head member, connected to the plasma gun shaft member and adapted to create a plasma torch escaping radially from the head member. In order to enable the plasma gun head member and, thereby, those parts and elements thereof that are subject to wear quickly and easily, the plasma gun head member is of modular design. For fixing the plasma gun head member to the plasma gun shaft member, the electrical contact elements provided for transmitting electrical power on the plasma gun head member are used. These electrical contact elements tower above that front face of the plasma gun head member that is intended to be connected to the plasma gun shaft member. Clamping the head member to the shaft member is accomplished by means of quick release lever members provided on the shaft member. That lever members are provided with eccentric portions engaging recesses provided on the electrical contact elements.