Abstract: Conventional fabrication of sidewall oxide around an ONO-type memory cell stack usually produces Bird's Beak because prior to the fabrication, there is an exposed sidewall of the ONO-type memory cell stack that exposes side parts of a plurality of material layers respectively composed of different materials. Certain materials in the stack such as silicon nitrides are more difficult to oxidize than other materials in the stack such polysilicon. As a result oxidation does not proceed uniformly along the multi-layered height of the sidewall. The present disclosure shows how radical-based fabrication of sidewall dielectric can help to reduce the Bird's Beak formation. More specifically, it is indicated that short-lived oxidizing agents (e.g.

Abstract: Nonvolatile memory wordlines (160) are formed as sidewall spacers on sidewalls of row structures (280). Each row structure may contain floating and control gates (120, 140), or some other elements. Pedestals (340) are formed adjacent to the row structures before the conductive layer (160) for the wordlines is deposited. The pedestals are formed in the area of the contact openings (330.1) that will be etched in an overlying dielectric (310) to form contacts to the wordlines. The pedestals raise the top surface of the wordline layer near the contact openings, so the contact opening etch can be made shorter. The pedestals also increase the minimum thickness of the wordline layer near the contact openings, so the loss of the wordline layer during the etch of the contact openings becomes less critical, and the photolithographic tolerances required for patterning the contact openings can be relaxed. The pedestals can be dummy structures (they may have no electrical functionality).

Abstract: The floating gate, or the oxide between the floating and control gates, or both are nitrided before the control gate layer is deposited.

Abstract: Nonvolatile memory wordlines (160) are formed as sidewall spacers on sidewalls of row structures (280). Each row structure may contain floating and control gates (120, 140), or some other elements. Pedestals (340) are formed adjacent to the row structures before the conductive layer (160) for the wordlines is deposited. The pedestals are formed in the area of the contact openings (330.1) that will be etched in an overlying dielectric (310) to form contacts to the wordlines. The pedestals raise the top surface of the wordline layer near the contact openings, so the contact opening etch can be made shorter. The pedestals also increase the minimum thickness of the wordline layer near the contact openings, so the loss of the wordline layer during the etch of the contact openings becomes less critical, and the photolithographic tolerances required for patterning the contact openings can be relaxed. The pedestals can be dummy structures (they may have no electrical functionality).

Abstract: Aluminum oxide is deposited by atomic layer deposition to form a high-k dielectric for the interpoly dielectric layer of a non-volatile memory device. The increased capacitive coupling can allow a thicker oxide layer to be used between the floating gate and the control gate, resulting in improved reliability and longer lifetime of the memory cells fabricated according to this invention.

Abstract: The floating gate, or the oxide between the floating and control gates, or both are nitrided before the control gate layer is deposited.

Abstract: The floating gate, or the oxide between the floating and control gates, or both are nitrided before the control gate layer is deposited.

Abstract: A method of cleanly etching an organic polymer layer disposed over a substrate is disclosed. The invention is particularly useful in damascene processing where openings are etched in the organic polymer layer to form interconnects. The method includes lowering the temperature of the substrate. The method also includes flowing H2O vapor over the organic polymer layer and condensing (or freezing) the H2O vapor on the organic polymer layer. The method additionally includes etching through the organic polymer layer and the condensed H2O vapor to form an opening having a side wall. The condensed (or frozen) H2O vapor is arranged to form a passivating film (of ice) along the side wall of the opening to protect the side wall from etching.

Abstract: A nitridization process to form a barrier layer on a substrate is described. The nitridization process includes depositing a layer of metal or metal silicide on a surface of the substrate, placing the substrate into a high density, low pressure plasma reactor, introducing into the high density, low pressure plasma reactor a gas including nitrogen, and striking a plasma in the high density, low pressure plasma reactor under conditions that promote nitridization of at least a portion of the layer of metal or metal silicide to produce a composition of metal nitride or metal silicon nitride, respectively.

Abstract: A nitridization process to form a barrier layer on a substrate is described. The nitridization process includes depositing a layer of metal or metal silicide on a surface of the substrate, placing the substrate into a high density, low pressure plasma reactor, introducing into the high density low pressure plasma reactor a gas including nitrogen, and striking a plasma in the high density, low pressure plasma reactor under conditions that promote nitridization of at least a portion of the layer of metal or metal silicide to produce a composition of metal nitride or metal silicon nitride, respectively.

Abstract: A gas dispersion window for a plasma etching or plasma deposition reactor including a housing having a chamber in which an article can be treated with plasma. The housing includes at least one inlet port connected to an interior of the chamber through which process gas can be supplied to the chamber. A radiofrequency energy source is arranged to pass radiofrequency energy into the chamber and induce plasma in the interior of the chamber by activating, with an electric field induced by the radiofrequency energy source, process gas supplied to the chamber through the inlet port. A dielectric window formed by spaced apart first and second dielectric members has an inner surface thereof forming part of an inner wall of the chamber. Radiofrequency energy passes from the radiofrequency energy source to the interior of the chamber through the dielectric window.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck system having an electrostatic chuck for securely holding a wafer on a surface of the electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck system comprises a wafer bias sensor coupled to a first portion of the electrostatic chuck for sensing an alternating current signal at the first portion. The wafer bias sensor outputs, responsive to the alternating current signal, a direct current voltage level representative of a direct current bias level of the wafer. The electrostatic chuck system further comprises a variable electrostatic chuck power supply coupled to the wafer bias sensor. The variable electrostatic chuck power supply provides a first potential level to the first portion of the electrostatic chuck.

Abstract: A method of plasma treating an article in a housing having a chamber in which the article such as a wafer can be treated with plasma. The housing includes at least one inlet port connected to an interior of the chamber through which process gas can be supplied to the chamber. A radiofrequency energy source is arranged to pass radiofrequency energy into the chamber and induce plasma in the interior of the chamber by activating, with an electric field induced by the radiofrequency energy source, process gas supplied to the chamber through the inlet port. A dielectric window having an inner surface thereof forms part of an inner wall of the chamber. Radiofrequency energy passes from the radiofrequency energy source to the interior of the chamber through the dielectric window. The dielectric window has a thickness which varies at different points along the inner surface thereof such that the thickness is largest at a central portion of the dielectric window.

Abstract: A plasma cleaning method for removing residues previously formed in a plasma treatment chamber by dry etching layers such as photoresist, barriers, etc., on a wafer. The method includes introducing a cleaning gas mixture of an oxidizing gas and a chlorine containing gas into the chamber followed by performing a plasma cleaning step. The plasma cleaning step is performed by activating the cleaning gas mixture and forming a plasma cleaning gas, contacting interior surfaces of the chamber with the plasma cleaning gas and removing residues on the interior surfaces. The cleaning gas mixture can also include a fluorine-based gas. For instance, the cleaning gas can include Cl.sub.2 and O.sub.2 and optionally CF.sub.4. An advantage of the cleaning method is that it is not necessary to open the plasma treatment chamber. Also, it is possible to completely remove all residues and prevent by-products formed during the cleaning step from remaining after the cleaning step.

Abstract: A microwave transmitting window for a plasma processing device. The window is a body of one or more pieces of the same or different dielectric materials. A surface of the window facing a microwave transmitting horn or waveguide is planar and extends perpendicularly to an axial direction. An opposite surface of the window is recessed such that the body has a non-uniform thickness between the two surfaces. The recessed surface can have various shapes and the overall size of the window can be equal to the size of a plasma formation chamber of the plasma processing device. The outlet of the plasma formation chamber can be formed in an end wall or the outlet can be formed by the inner periphery of the plasma formation chamber.

Abstract: An apparatus for plasma etching or plasma deposition including a housing having a chamber in which a wafer can be treated with plasma. The housing includes at least one inlet port connected to an interior of the chamber through which process gas can be supplied to the chamber. A radiofrequency energy source is arranged to pass radiofrequency energy into the chamber and induce plasma in the interior of the chamber by activating, with an electric field induced by the radiofrequency energy source, process gas supplied to the chamber through the inlet port. A dielectric window having an inner surface thereof forms part of an inner wall of the chamber. Radiofrequency energy passes from the radiofrequency energy source to the interior of the chamber through the dielectric window. The dielectric window has a thickness which varies at different points along the inner surface thereof such that the thickness is largest at a central portion of the dielectric window.

Abstract: A microwave plasma generating device including a plasma chamber for generating plasma, a reaction chamber having a specimen stage on which a specimen is treated with the plasma, a gas supply for supplying gas to the plasma generating chamber, a microwave generator for generating a microwave electric field in the plasma and reaction chambers and a plurality of axially spaced apart and concentric electromagnet coils for generating a magnetic field in the plasma and reaction chambers. The microwave electric field and the magnetic field have perpendicularly crossing components and the magnetic field has a strength which decreases in the axial direction from the plasma chamber towards the reaction chamber with constant strength magnetic flux density lines lying in planes which are substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axial direction.

Abstract: A preknotted adjustable necktie comprises a knot former having, an inner body (62) and an outer body (61), an inner tie member with a zipper (3), an outer tie member (5), and a rivet (63). The knot former serves forming and control functions, and the inner tie member is sandwiched between the inner and outer bodies thereof, with a pulling button of the zipper slider on the inner tie member secured to the inner and outer bodies of the knot former and to the outer tie member by a rivet. The outer tie member is tied into a fixed knot over the knot former. By means of the presence of a pair of leaf springs (622) on the inner body, the position of the tie knot and the zipper slider can be adjusted freely and retained in the position set.

Abstract: The present invention provides a seaman style preset necktie characterized mainly in that the portions of the necktie below the tie knot are bifurated into two branches, there are no inner and outer ties as those with conventional neckties, and that the tie knot is suspended before the wearer's chest instead of being tied adjacent to the neck opening. In the present invention, both ends of the necktie are provided with zippers on the same side and the tie knot is provided with a pair of zipper sliders which are disposed invertedly relative to each other, the upper slider causing the portions of the necktie body to be gathered while the lower one causing them to be separated again, such that the position of the tie knot can be adjusted by sliding the sliders. After proper adjustment, by means of the fastening means on the ends of the outer cover of the tie knot, it is only necessary to fold and press said outer cover of the tie knot to be securely set.

Abstract: A novel preset necktie comprises an outer tie, and inner tie, a zipper, a zipper slider of unique configuration, and a support body. The outer and the inner ties are both separate individual bodies with the upper portion of the inner tie being connected to form a loop and a zipper being disposed to the inner side of the lower portion thereof to form into the tie loop. With the inner tie having been threaded through the support body and the pull tab of the specially designed slider secured to the inner side of said slider, the size of the tie loop can be adjusted by pushing or pulling said support body. A pressing spring plate is provided on the inner side of the slider so as to keep the shape of the tie loop fixed. The upper portion of the outer tie is secured to the support body by means of a rivet and preset into a regular knot such that the user does not have to set the knot each time when wearing then necktie.