Abstract: A method for operating a chemical deposition chamber is disclosed. First, a digital liquid flow controller is provided to guide a precursor fluid into a chemical deposition chamber. Then, a pre-cleaning step is performed in the chemical deposition chamber. Later, a pre-tuning step is performed on the digital liquid flow controller so that the precursor fluid can be substantially stably guided into the chemical deposition chamber. Afterwards, the chemical deposition chamber is used to carry out the chemical deposition.

Abstract: A method for operating a chemical deposition chamber is disclosed. First, a digital liquid flow controller is provided to guide a precursor fluid into a chemical deposition chamber. Then, a pre-cleaning step is performed in the chemical deposition chamber. Later, a pre-tuning step is performed on the digital liquid flow controller so that the precursor fluid can be substantially stably guided into the chemical deposition chamber. Afterwards, the chemical deposition chamber is used to carry out the chemical deposition.

Abstract: A process for cleaning a deposition chamber. The process includes feeding a fluorine-containing gas into the deposition chamber; maintaining the fluorine-containing gas in the deposition chamber at a first pressure; providing RF power to ignite plasma of the fluorine-containing gas within the deposition chamber; keeping the deposition chamber at a first temperature for a time period with the presence of the plasma; turning off the RF power to cease the plasma; and feeding a remote plasma containing free fluorine from a remote plasma source into the deposition chamber, without evacuating the deposition chamber, at the first temperature to clean interior surfaces of the deposition chamber.

Abstract: A process for cleaning a deposition chamber. The process includes feeding a fluorine-containing gas into the deposition chamber; maintaining the fluorine-containing gas in the deposition chamber at a first pressure; providing RF power to ignite plasma of the fluorine-containing gas within the deposition chamber; keeping the deposition chamber at a first temperature for a time period with the presence of the plasma; turning off the RF power to cease the plasma; and feeding a remote plasma containing free fluorine from a remote plasma source into the deposition chamber, without evacuating the deposition chamber, at the first temperature to clean interior surfaces of the deposition chamber.

Abstract: A plasma apparatus capable of adaptive impedance matching comprises a plasma reactor which can produce plasma to proceed with CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process, a bi-polar electrostatic chuck which locates inside the plasma reactor and is used to support and secure a wafer, an alternating current bias power supply which connects to the bi-polar electrostatic chuck supplies the voltage potential bias for ion-bombardment from plasma, and an impedance-matching circuit which connects the alternating current bias power supply to the bi-polar electrostatic chuck is used to balance the inner electrode power output and the outer electrode power output of the bi-polar electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: A guard ring for a deposition apparatus, wherein when a wafer is placed on a deposition apparatus and the guard ring is placed to surround the wafer, the a top surface of the guard ring adjacent to the wafer is higher than or equal to that of the wafer. Moreover, when a wafer is placed on the deposition apparatus and the guard ring is placed to surround the wafer, a distance between the guard ring and the wafer is less than 0.7 millimeters. The guard ring according to the present invention can protect the sidewall of the wafer from having lateral deposition so as to increase the planar level of the deposited thin film and the yield of the deposition process.

Abstract: A plasma apparatus capable of adaptive impedance matching comprises a plasma reactor which can produce plasma to proceed with CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process, a bi-polar electrostatic chuck which locates inside the plasma reactor and is used to support and secure a wafer, an alternating current bias power supply which connects to the bi-polar electrostatic chuck supplies the voltage potential bias for ion-bombardment from plasma, and an impedance-matching circuit which connects the alternating current bias power supply to the bi-polar electrostatic chuck is used to balance the inner electrode power output and the outer electrode power output of the bi-polar electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: Polishing slurry is transported via piping to flow into the closed loop control system. First, the polishing slurry flows into the ultrasonic concentration detector. Original data of the polishing slurry that is determined by means of ultrasonic concentration detector is a fluid velocity at that time. This determined value can be converted into weight percent concentration at that time by memory data table. The converted data of weight percent concentration will be transmitted into program logic controller (PLC), and the data of liquid level volume in the distribution tank will be transmitted into program logic controller at present. The program logic controller will then analyze whether the quantity of oxidant is sufficient. If the quantity of oxidant does not reach the required criterion, the program logic controller will control the analog valve to transmit a supplementary quantity of oxidant into the distribution tank via the analog valve and piping.

Abstract: A pressure monitoring system arranged in a close loop circuit, intended to facilitate chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), is disclosed. The pressure monitoring circuit includes an air regulator, a pressure transducer, a pressure difference transducer and a pressure difference regulator. This hardware is equipped to facilitate finding three control parameters of the monitoring system—polishing pressure (Pp), pressure difference of the polishing pressure and a corresponding wafer pressure (Dp), and deviation of the output pressure difference from a set point pressure difference (Cp). By monitoring Pp, Dp and Cp, air streams in a CMP process can be effectively regulated on a real time basis and the troubleshooting procedure for the system hardware can be practically reduced.

Abstract: A pressure suppression device for a chemical mechanical polishing machine. The chemical mechanical polishing machine includes a polishing table and a polishing head. The polishing table has a polishing pad and a polishing gas input through which a polishing gas is charged. The polishing head holds a wafer and has a wafer gas input through which a wafer gas is charged. The pressure suppression device has a pressure releasing component and a gas input tube coupled to the wafer gas input and the pressure releasing component. When a polishing pressure applied to the polishing pad is smaller than a wafer pressure applied to the wafer, the pressure releasing component releases a part of the wafer pressure until the wafer pressure is smaller than the polishing pressure. As a result, this prevents the wafer slippage or broken wafer that occur when the wafer is blown off from the polishing head by too much wafer pressure.

Abstract: A controlled pressure regulation system generates the wafer-pressing pressures during a polishing operation. A wafer carrier head holds a wafer to be polished against a platen. A first and second pressure regulators respectively generate a first and second pressure onto the platen and the wafer carrier head to press the wafer to be polished. A first and second controllers are respectively connected to the first and second pressure regulators in control feedback loops to control the generation of the first and second pressures. The first and second pressures are controlled to obtain a desired difference of pressure between the first and second pressure.

Abstract: A new designed carrier head for chemical mechanical polishing is disclosed. The carrier head has a non-rigid incision ring having a downwardly-projecting non-rigid incision and surrounding a support plate of the carrier head instead of conventional incision or rip disposed in a conventional support plate. The carrier head also has a flexible membrane extending around the edges of the support plate, wherein the edge of the flexible membrane is at predetermined distance from the incision.

Abstract: A new designed carrier head for chemical mechanical polishing is disclosed. The carrier head has a non-rigid incision ring having a downwardly-projecting non-rigid incision and surrounding a support plate of the carrier head instead of conventional incision or rip disposed in a conventional support plate. The carrier head also has a flexible membrane extending around the edges of the support plate, wherein the edge of the flexible membrane is at predetermined distance from the incision.

Abstract: A controlled pressure regulation system generates the wafer-pressing pressures during a polishing operation. A wafer carrier head holds a wafer to be polished against a platen. A first and second pressure regulators respectively generate a first and second pressure onto the platen and the wafer carrier head to press the wafer to be polished. A first and second controllers are respectively connected to the first and second pressure regulators in control feedback loops to control the generation of the first and second pressures. The first and second pressures are controlled to obtain a desired difference of pressure between the first and second pressure.

Abstract: A pressure suppression device for a chemical mechanical polishing machine. The chemical mechanical polishing machine includes a polishing table and a polishing head. The polishing table has a polishing pad and a polishing gas input through which a polishing gas is charged. The polishing head holds a wafer and has a wafer gas input through which a wafer gas is charged. The pressure suppression device has a pressure releasing component and a gas input tube coupled to the wafer gas input and the pressure releasing component. When a polishing pressure applied to the polishing pad is smaller than a wafer pressure applied to the wafer, the pressure releasing component releases a part of the wafer pressure until the wafer pressure is smaller than the polishing pressure. As a result, this prevents the wafer slippage or broken wafer that occur when the wafer is blown off from the polishing head by too much wafer pressure.

Abstract: A detecting device for monitoring any abnormality in chemical-mechanical polishing. The detecting device includes a motor, an inverter, a control circuit, a rotation sensor, a current sensor, a relay controller and a chemical-mechanical controller. The inverter converts a direct current into an alternating current for driving the motor. The control circuit controls size and functioning of the output alternating current from the inverter. The rotation sensor is a transducer for converting the running speed of the motor into a rotation signal and transmitting the signal to the control circuit. The current sensor monitors the size of the alternating current flowing to the motor and then outputs a current signal. The relay controller receives the current signal from the current sensor and outputs a drive signal. The chemical-mechanical polishing controller receives the drive signal from the relay controller and outputs a system halt signal to the control circuit.

Abstract: An auxiliary gasline-heating unit is used in a chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The auxiliary gasline-heating unit serves to increase the exit temperature of the mixture of N2 gas and He-dilute gas in order to prevent TDMAT, Ti[N(CH3)2]4, from being condensed and becoming a gasline contaminant when the mixture mixes with the TDMAT and a carrier gas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, which reduce air sharp pressure on the polish head for preventing the breakage unpolished wafer. The improved chemical mechanical polishing apparatus of present invention is composed of a wafer head, a polish head, a damper and a sensor. The flowing speed of gas is reduced by making the diameter of the gas line connected to the damper air inlet smaller than the diameter of the gas line connected to the damper air outlet. The initial air sharp pressure is reduced and make &Dgr;P=Pwafer−Ppolish<0, by adding an air temporary storage machine in between the inlet and the outlet.

Abstract: An auxiliary gasline-heating unit is used in a chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The auxiliary gasline-heating unit serves to increase the exit temperature of the mixture of N2 gas and He-dilute gas in order to prevent TDMAT, Ti[N(CH3)2]4, from being condensed and becoming a gasline contaminant when the mixture mixes with the TDMAT and a carrier gas.

Abstract: An auxiliary gasline-heating unit is used in a chemical vapor deposition apparatus. The auxiliary gasline-heating unit serves to increase the exit temperature of the mixture of N2 gas and He-dilute gas in order to prevent TDMAT, Ti[N(CH3)2]4, from being condensed and becoming a gasline contaminant when the mixture mixes with the TDMAT and a carrier gas.