Abstract: Methods for operating a substrate processing cluster tool include positioning a substrate storage cassette within a factory interface of the substrate processing cluster tool, wherein the substrate storage cassette defines an interior volume dimensioned and arranged to receive one or more substrates, and sensing, by execution of stored instructions by a processor operatively associated with a plurality of sensors, at least one of occurrence of a condition of a plurality of conditions within the interior volume or persistence of a condition of the plurality of conditions within the interior volume. Responsive to the sensing, at least one of generating an alert or performing an alternate operation involving the substrate storage cassette.

Abstract: High productivity thin film deposition methods and tools are provided wherein a thin film semiconductor material layer with a thickness in the range of less than 1 micron to 100 microns is deposited on a plurality of wafers in a reactor. The wafers are loaded on a batch susceptor and the batch susceptor is positioned in the reactor such that a tapered gas flow space is created between the susceptor and an interior wall of the reactor. Reactant gas is then directed into the tapered gas space and over each wafer thereby improving deposition uniformity across each wafer and from wafer to wafer.

Abstract: Methods for operating a substrate processing cluster tool include positioning a substrate storage cassette within a factory interface of the substrate processing cluster tool, wherein the substrate storage cassette defines an interior volume dimensioned and arranged to receive one or more substrates, and sensing, by execution of stored instructions by a processor operatively associated with a plurality of sensors, at least one of occurrence of a condition of a plurality of conditions within the interior volume or persistence of a condition of the plurality of conditions within the interior volume. Responsive to the sensing, at least one of generating an alert or performing an alternate operation involving the substrate storage cassette.

Abstract: A highly tensile dielectric layer is generated on a heat sensitive substrate while not exceeding thermal budget constraints. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is used to produce highly tensile films to be used, for example, in strained NMOS transistor architectures. UV curing of as-deposited PECVD silicon nitride films, for example, has been shown to produce films with stresses of at least 1.65 E10 dynes/cm2. Other dielectric capping layer film materials show similar results. In transistor implementations, the stress from a source/drain region capping layer composed of such a film is uniaxially transferred to the NMOS channel through the source-drain regions to create tensile strain in the NMOS channel.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving mechanical properties of a dielectric film on a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, the dielectric film is a carbon-doped oxide (CDO). The methods involve the use of modulated ultraviolet radiation to increase the mechanical strength while limiting shrinkage and limiting any increases in the dielectric constant of the film. Methods improve film hardness, modulus and cohesive strength, which provide better integration capability and improved performance in the subsequent device fabrication procedures such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and packaging.

Abstract: High productivity thin film deposition methods and tools are provided wherein a thin film semiconductor material layer with a thickness in the range of less than 1 micron to 100 microns is deposited on a plurality of wafers in a reactor. The wafers are loaded on a batch susceptor and the batch susceptor is positioned in the reactor such that a tapered gas flow space is created between the susceptor and an interior wall of the reactor. Reactant gas is then directed into the tapered gas space and over each wafer thereby improving deposition uniformity across each wafer and from wafer to wafer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving mechanical properties of a dielectric film on a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, the dielectric film is a carbon-doped oxide (CDO). The methods involve the use of modulated ultraviolet radiation to increase the mechanical strength while limiting shrinkage and limiting any increases in the dielectric constant of the film. Methods improve film hardness, modulus and cohesive strength, which provide better integration capability and improved performance in the subsequent device fabrication procedures such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and packaging.

Abstract: Methods of preparing a low stress porous low-k dielectric material on a substrate are provided. The methods involve the use of a structure former precursor and/or porogen precursor with one or more organic functional groups. In some cases, the structure former precursor has carbon-carbon double or triple bonds. In other cases, one or both of the structure former precursor and porogen precursor has one or more bulky organic groups. In other cases, the structure former precursor has carbon-carbon double or triple bonds and one or both of the structure former precursor and porogen precursor has one or more bulky organic groups. Once the precursor film is formed, the porogen is removed, leaving a porous low-k dielectric matrix with high mechanical strength. Different types of structure former precursors and porogen precursors are described. The resulting low stress low-k porous film may be used as a low-k dielectric film in integrated circuit manufacturing applications.

Abstract: Methods of preparing a carbon doped oxide (CDO) layer of low dielectric constant and low residual stress involving, for instance, providing a substrate to a deposition chamber and exposing it to an organosilicon precursor containing unsaturated C—C bonds or to multiple organic precursors including at least one organosilicon and at least one unsaturated C—C bond are provided. The methods may also involve igniting and maintaining a plasma in a deposition chamber using radio frequency power having high and low frequency components with a high percentage of the low frequency component, and depositing the carbon doped dielectric layer under conditions in which the resulting dielectric layer has a residual stress of not greater than, e.g., about 50 MPa, and a dielectric constant not greater than about 3.

Abstract: Methods of forming a dielectric layer having a low dielectric constant and high mechanical strength are provided. The methods involve depositing a sub-layer of the dielectric material on a substrate, followed by treating the sub-layer with a plasma. The process of depositing and plasma treating the sub-layers is repeated until a desired thickness has been reached.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving mechanical properties of a dielectric film on a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, the dielectric film is a carbon-doped oxide (CDO). The methods involve the use of modulated ultraviolet radiation to increase the mechanical strength while limiting shrinkage and limiting any increases in the dielectric constant of the film. Methods improve film hardness, modulus and cohesive strength, which provide better integration capability and improved performance in the subsequent device fabrication procedures such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and packaging.

Abstract: Methods of preparing a low stress porous low-k dielectric material on a substrate are provided. The methods involve the use of a structure former precursor and/or porogen precursor with one or more organic functional groups. In some cases, the structure former precursor has carbon-carbon double or triple bonds. In other cases, one or both of the structure former precursor and porogen precursor has one or more bulky organic groups. In other cases, the structure former precursor has carbon-carbon double or triple bonds and one or both of the structure former precursor and porogen precursor has one or more bulky organic groups. Once the precursor film is formed, the porogen is removed, leaving a porous low-k dielectric matrix with high mechanical strength. Different types of structure former precursors and porogen precursors are described. The resulting low stress low-k porous film may be used as a low-k dielectric film in integrated circuit manufacturing applications.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for preparing a porous low-k dielectric material on a substrate are provided. The methods optionally involve the use of ultraviolet radiation to react with and remove porogen from a porogen containing precursor film leaving a porous dielectric matrix and further exposing the dielectric matrix to ultraviolet radiation to increase the mechanical strength of the dielectric matrix. Some methods involve activating a gas to create reactive gas species that can clean a reaction chamber. One disclosed apparatus includes an array of multiple ultraviolet sources that can be controlled such that different wavelengths of light can be used to irradiate a sample at a time.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving mechanical properties of a dielectric film on a substrate are provided. In some embodiments, the dielectric film is a carbon-doped oxide (CDO). The methods involve the use of modulated ultraviolet radiation to increase the mechanical strength while limiting shrinkage and limiting any increases in the dielectric constant of the film. Methods improve film hardness, modulus and cohesive strength, which provide better integration capability and improved performance in the subsequent device fabrication procedures such as chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and packaging.

Abstract: Methods of preparing a low stress porous low-k dielectric material on a substrate are provided. The methods involve the use of a structure former precursor and/or porogen precursor with one or more organic functional groups. In some cases, the structure former precursor has carbon-carbon double or triple bonds. In other cases, one or both of the structure former precursor and porogen precursor has one or more bulky organic groups. In other cases, the structure former precursor has carbon-carbon double or triple bonds and one or both of the structure former precursor and porogen precursor has one or more bulky organic groups. Once the precursor film is formed, the porogen is removed, leaving a porous low-k dielectric matrix with high mechanical strength. Different types of structure former precursors and porogen precursors are described. The resulting low stress low-k porous film may be used as a low-k dielectric film in integrated circuit manufacturing applications.

Abstract: An antireflective layer for use in semiconductor photolithography is fabricated of silicon nitride (Si1−x−yNxHy) in a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process using a gaseous mixture of ammonia, silane and nitrogen. By varying the process temperature and the ratio of ammonia to silane, acceptable values of the refractive index n and extinction coefficient k can be obtained. The silicon nitride layer produced by this technique etches rapidly and therefore allows the antireflective layer to be removed quickly, thereby minimizing the damage to the underlying structures in a semiconductor device.

Abstract: The system and method for pyrometrically determining the temperature of a semiconductor wafer within a processing chamber accurately determines the actual emissivity of the semiconductor wafer at a reference temperature using multiple pyrometers operating at different wavelengths. The pyrometers are calibrated for radiation received from the processing chamber and their responses are then corrected to provide the proper temperature indication for a master wafer at a known reference temperature to yield emissivity of the master wafer. Other similar wafers exhibiting extreme values of emissivity are sensed at the reference temperature to provide pyrometer responses that are corrected in accordance with the master emissivity, and such corrected responses are used to establish a correlation between emissivities and the corrected pyrometer responses.