Abstract: Techniques for pre-scheduled dispatching non-electronic correspondence on behalf of a sender are disclosed. Parcels containing sender-defined portions of the correspondence are provided to a depository adapted for dispatching the parcels to their recipients after occurrence of one of pre-determined by the sender events. Alternatively, the parcels are placed in a sender post-office box or safe deposit box and dispatched therefrom after occurrence of such an event.

Abstract: Acceptance, storage and confidentiality are provided to (i) sealed packages containing notes disclosing location and accessibility of documents of Will/Testament, Trust(s) or Payable/Transferable-on-Death assets of a bequeather, or sealed packages containing the documents, copies or portions thereof, and (ii) an enclosure containing instructions for disposing of the packages after death of the bequeather. Upon obtaining an official confirmation that the bequeather is a deceased person or by a court order, the enclosure is opened and the instructions of the bequeather are fulfilled.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for sputter depositing a layer of material comprises a sputtering chamber having an internal conductive wall which provides an electrical reference for plasma during sputter deposition. A conductive shield positioned in the processing space of the chamber between the target and the substrate is configured for capturing sputtered material which would deposit on the chamber wall surface during sputter deposition. The conductive shield reduces the amount of sputtered material depositing on the chamber wall and maintains a surface portion of the wall as a generally stable electrical reference for the plasma and is further operable for passing plasma therethrough during deposition to contact the stable electrical reference.

Abstract: DC plasma power supply for a sputter deposition of material layers on a substrate includes a plasma controller and a plasma input for the settings of the output voltage and output current providing plasma ignition and termination with no arcing and no striking voltage. Pre-defined voltages are applied in the vacuum state before sputtering and after sputtering until vacuum is restored in a sputtering apparatus.

Abstract: DC plasma power supply for a sputter deposition of material layers on a substrate includes a plasma controller and a plasma input for the settings of the output voltage and output current providing plasma ignition and termination with no arcing and no striking voltage. Pre-defined voltages are applied in the vacuum state before sputtering and after sputtering until vacuum is restored in a sputtering apparatus.

Abstract: The specification discloses a power supply circuit which reduces oscillations generated upon ignition of a plasma within a processing chamber. A secondary power supply pre-ignites the plasma by driving the cathode to a process initiation voltage. Thereafter, a primary power supply electrically drives the cathode to generate plasma current and deposition on a wafer.

Abstract: An ionized physical vapor deposition apparatus is provided with an RF coil that surrounds the space between a target and a substrate holder and is energized with RF energy, preferably in the 0.1 to 60 MHz range, to form a secondary plasma in a volume of the space between the substrate holder and the main plasma that is adjacent the target. A dielectric material, such as a quartz window, either in the wall of the chamber or inside the chamber, or insulation on the coil, protects the coil from adverse interaction with plasma. Shields between the space and the dielectric material prevent sputtered particles from forming a coating on the dielectric material. The shields are partitioned to prevent eddy currents. The shields may be biased to control contamination and may be commonly or individually biased to optimize the uniformity of coating on the substrate and the directionality of the flux of ionized material at the substrate.

Abstract: Sputtering processes are carried out at low pressure, of less than one milli-Torr, particularly in the range of 0.05 to 0.5 mTorr, to reduce scattering of the sputtered particles due to collisions with atoms of the process gas, particularly for coating contacts at the bottoms of sub-micron sized holes of high aspect ratios. The sputtering is made possible by provision for a supplemental RF plasma generating source by which RF energy is reactively coupled into the gas within the chamber in close proximity to the surface of a sputtering target, preferably adjacent the periphery thereof. The pressure in the chamber as well as the power to an RF electrode by which the supplemental plasma is energized and the DC power by which the main target is energized are dynamically controlled so that the plasma is sustained at low pressure.

Abstract: An ionized physical vapor deposition apparatus is provided with a helical RF coil that surrounds the chamber wall opposite a space between a target and a substrate holder. The coil is behind a quartz window in the wall of the chamber, which protects the coil from adverse interaction with plasma. The coil is energized with RF energy, preferably in the 0.1 to 60 MHz range, to form a secondary plasma in a volume of the space between the substrate holder and the main plasma that is adjacent the target. A shield between the space and the dielectric material prevents coating from forming on the window. The shield is formed of a plurality of angled sections that are spaced to facilitate communication of a secondary RF plasma from adjacent the window to the volume of the chamber where the sputtered material is ionized, with the sections angled and spaced to shadow at least most of the target from the window.

Abstract: A plasma processing system for sputter etching a substrate with reduced particle contamination comprises a plasma processing chamber having an interior surface which defines a processing space containing a substrate. An electrical element couples electrical energy into a portion of the processing space to generate a plasma therein for etching the substrate. A heating device is coupled to the reactor and is operable for controllably heating the processing chamber interior surface to a selected temperature. The heating device is controlled by a temperature control circuit which turns the heating device to an ON state and operates the heating device to heat the processing chamber to a selected temperature when the electrical element is not coupling energy to the processing chamber and the plasma is extinguished.

Abstract: A plasma noise and arcing suppressor apparatus and method includes a suppressor circuit electrically coupled between a DC power supply and a sputter target inside of a deposition chamber. The suppressor circuit includes an inductive element electrically connected in parallel with a rectifying element. An anode of the rectifying element is coupled to the negative output terminal of the DC power supply such that during a random fluctuation in sputtering current level at the output of the power supply, attributable to random electrical noise and arcing conditions in the sputtering plasma inside the chamber, the rectifying element is negatively biased and is generally non-conductive and the inductive element stores current energy from the sputtering current level fluctuation.

Abstract: The plasma processing system comprises a processing chamber with a processing space therein to contain a substrate. An electrical element is operable to couple electrical energy into the processing space to generate a plasma and is further operable to interrupt the power to the processing space to extinguish the plasma upon completion of the processing. An electrode positioned inside the chamber is electrically coupled to the substrate and to a DC bias power supply which selectively supplies DC power to the electrode to bias the substrate.

Abstract: A shade is disposed on the inner wall of an inductively coupled plasma chamber, covering a protected zone of the wall generally opposite to the inductive coil driving the chamber, preventing accumulation of material sputtered from a wafer in this zone, and thus restricting closed paths for eddy current flow along the chamber wall, improving inductive coupling of electrical power to the plasma in the chamber.