Abstract: A process for the selective removal of a TiO2-containing substance from an article for cleaning applications is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for removing a TiO2-containing substance from an article comprising: providing the article having the TiO2-containing substance deposited thereupon; reacting the substance with a reactive gas comprising at least one selected from a fluorine-containing cleaning agent, a chlorine-containing cleaning agent and mixtures thereof to form a volatile product; and removing the volatile product from the article to thereby remove the substance from the article.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved process for the selective etching of TiN from silicon dioxide (quartz) and SiN surfaces commonly found in semiconductor deposition chambers equipment and tools. In the process, an SiO2 or SiN surface having TiN thereon is contacted with XeF2 in a contact zone to selectively convert the TiN to a volatile species and then the volatile species is removed from the contact zone. XeF2 can be preformed or formed in situ by reaction between Xe and a fluorine compound.

Abstract: Purification material for removing a contaminant from an impure hydride gas comprising an adsorbent comprising a reduced metal oxide on a porous support and a desiccant. The porous support may be selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, alumina, silica, zeolite, silica alumina, titania, zirconia, and combinations thereof. The reduced metal oxide may comprise one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Group I alkali metals (lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium), Group II alkaline earth metals (magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium), and transition metals (manganese, nickel, zinc, iron, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, vanadium, cobalt, and rhodium). The desiccant may be selected from the group consisting of hygroscopic metal salts, zeolites, single metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in the cleaning of contaminated tool parts having a coating of unwanted residue formed in a semiconductor deposition chamber. In this process, the contaminated parts to be cleaned are removed from the semiconductor deposition chamber and placed in a reaction chamber off-line from the semiconductor reactor deposition chamber, i.e. on off-line gas reaction chamber. The coating of residue on the contaminated parts is removed in an off-line reactor by contacting the contaminated parts with a reactive gas under conditions for converting the residue to a volatile species while in said off-line reactor and then removing the volatile species from said off-line gas reaction chamber.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus and a method to protect the internal components of semiconductor processing equipment such as a plasma reactor or a reactive species generator against physical and/or chemical damages during etching and/or cleaning processes. Layered superlattice materials having three or more metal elements such as strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT) are used to form a protective barrier on the surfaces of the internal components of a reaction chamber.

Abstract: A method for dry etching and chamber cleaning high dielectric constant materials is disclosed herein. In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for cleaning a substance comprising a dielectric constant greater than the dielectric constant of silicon dioxide from at least a portion of a surface of a reactor comprising: introducing a first gas mixture comprising a boron-containing reactive agent into the reactor wherein the first gas mixture reacts with the substance contained therein to provide a volatile product and a boron-containing by-product; introducing a second gas mixture comprising a fluorine-containing reactive agent into the reactor wherein the second gas mixture reacts with the boron-containing by-product contained therein to form the volatile product; and removing the volatile product from the reactor.

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus and a method to protect the internal components of semiconductor processing equipment such as a plasma reactor or a reactive species generator against physical and/or chemical damages during etching and/or cleaning processes. Layered superlattice materials having three or more metal elements such as strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT) are used to form a protective barrier on the surfaces of the internal components of a reaction chamber.

Abstract: A process for enhancing the fluorine utilization of a process gas that is used in the removal of an undesired substance from a substrate is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for enhancing the fluorine utilization of a process gas comprising a fluorine source comprising: adding a hydrogen source to the process gas in an amount sufficient to provide a molar ratio ranging from about 0.01 to about 0.99 of hydrogen source to fluorine source.

Abstract: A process of removing titanium nitride from a surface of a substrate includes: providing a process gas including at least one reactant selected from the group consisting of a fluorine-containing substance and a chlorine-containing substance; enriching the process gas with at least one reactive species of the at least one reactant to form an enriched process gas, wherein the enriching is conducted at a first location; providing the substrate at a substrate temperature greater than 50° C., wherein the surface of the substrate is at least partially coated with the titanium nitride; and contacting the titanium nitride on the surface of the substrate with the enriched process gas to volatilize and remove the titanium nitride from the surface of the substrate, wherein the contacting occurs at a second location differing from the first location.

Abstract: A process for the selective removal of a TiO2-containing substance from an article for cleaning applications is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for removing a TiO2-containing substance from an article comprising: providing the article having the TiO2-containing substance deposited thereupon; reacting the substance with a reactive gas comprising at least one selected from a fluorine-containing cleaning agent, a chlorine-containing cleaning agent and mixtures thereof to form a volatile product; and removing the volatile product from the article to thereby remove the substance from the article.

Abstract: Purification material for removing a contaminant from an impure hydride gas comprising an adsorbent comprising a reduced metal oxide on a porous support and a desiccant. The porous support may be selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, alumina, silica, zeolite, silica alumina, titania, zirconia, and combinations thereof. The reduced metal oxide may comprise one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Group I alkali metals (lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium), Group II alkaline earth metals (magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium), and transition metals (manganese, nickel, zinc, iron, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, vanadium, cobalt, and rhodium). The desiccant may be selected from the group consisting of hygroscopic metal salts, zeolites, single metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a process for removing water from a hydride gas, and particularly ammonia, by contacting the hydride gas with a drying agent under conditions for effecting removal of the water. The improvement for significantly reducing the water content to trace levels in said hydride gas resides in the use of at least Group 1 metal oxide and at least one Group 2 metal oxide as a drying agent.

Abstract: A method for dry etching and chamber cleaning high dielectric constant materials is disclosed herein. In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a process for cleaning a substance comprising a dielectric constant greater than the dielectric constant of silicon dioxide from at least a portion of a surface of a reactor comprising: introducing a first gas mixture comprising a boron-containing reactive agent into the reactor wherein the first gas mixture reacts with the substance contained therein to provide a volatile product and a boron-containing by-product; introducing a second gas mixture comprising a fluorine-containing reactive agent into the reactor wherein the second gas mixture reacts with the boron-containing by-product contained therein to form the volatile product; and removing the volatile product from the reactor.

Abstract: A process for the selective removal of a substance from a substrate for etching and/or cleaning applications is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for removing a substance from a substrate comprising: providing the substrate having the substance deposited thereupon wherein the substance comprises a transition metal ternary compound, a transition metal quaternary compound, and combinations thereof; reacting the substance with a process gas comprising a fluorine-containing gas and optionally an additive gas to form a volatile product; and removing the volatile product from the substrate to thereby remove the substance from the substrate.

Abstract: A process for the removal of a substance from a substrate for etching and/or cleaning applications is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for removing a substance having a dielectric constant greater than silicon dioxide from a substrate by reacting the substance with a reactive agent that comprises at least one member from the group consisting a halogen-containing compound, a boron-containing compound, a hydrogen-containing compound, nitrogen-containing compound, a chelating compound, a carbon-containing compound, a chlorosilane, a hydrochlorosilane, or an organochlorosilane to form a volatile product and removing the volatile product from the substrate to thereby remove the substance from the substrate.

Abstract: An adsorbent, method, and apparatus involving same for the removal of moisture from a fluoride-containing fluid such as gaseous nitrogen trifluoride are disclosed herein. In certain preferred embodiments, the adsorbent of the present invention comprises an organic support having a porosity of 30% or greater and a pore size of 2 &mgr;m or less; and at least one metal fluoride disposed within at least a portion of the organic substrate.

Abstract: A process for the removal of a substance from a substrate for etching and/or cleaning applications is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, there is provided a process for removing a substance having a dielectric constant greater than silicon dioxide from a substrate by reacting the substance with a reactive agent that comprises at least one member from the group consisting a halogen-containing compound, a boron-containing compound, a hydrogen-containing compound, nitrogen-containing compound, a chelating compound, a carbon-containing compound, a chlorosilane, a hydrochlorosilane, or an organochlorosilane to form a volatile product and removing the volatile product from the substrate to thereby remove the substance from the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an adsorbent for removing water and/or other oxygen-containing impurities from a fluid comprising ammonia to the ppb level and methods for making and using same. The adsorbent preferably comprises a substrate having a plurality of pores and a surface area that ranges from about 100 to about 2,500 m2/g and a compound disposed within a least a portion of the substrate. In certain preferred embodiments, the compound comprises at least one cation from the group consisting of ammonium (I), lithium (I), sodium (I), potassium (I), cesium (I); magnesium (II), calcium (II), strontium (II), barium (II), manganese (II), nickel (II), iron (II), zinc (II); aluminum (III), indium (III), iron (III), and zirconium (IV) or combinations thereof that is ionically associated with an anion from the group consisting of halide, sulfide, sulfite, or sulfate.