Abstract: A proximity heads for dispensing reactants and purging gas to deposit a thin film by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) includes a plurality of sides. Extending over a portion of the substrate region and being spaced apart from the portion of the substrate region when present, the proximity head is rotatable so as to place each side in a direction of the substrate region, and is disposed in a vacuum chamber coupled to a carrier gas source to sustain a pressure for the proximity head during operation. Each side of the proximity head includes a gas conduit through which the reactant gas and the purging gas are sequentially dispensed, and at least two separate vacuum conduits on each side of the gas conduit to pull excess reactant gas, purging gas, or deposition byproducts from a reaction volume between a surface of the proximity head facing the substrate and the substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer electroless plating apparatus includes a platen and a fluid bowl. The platen has a top surface defined to support a wafer, and an outer surface extending downward from a periphery of the top surface to a lower surface of the platen. The fluid bowl has an inner volume defined by an interior surface so as to receive the platen, and wafer to be supported thereon, within the inner volume. A seal is disposed around the interior surface of the fluid bowl so as to form a liquid tight barrier when engaged between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and the outer surface of the platen. A number of fluid dispense nozzles are positioned to dispense electroplating solution within the fluid bowl above the seal so as to rise up and flow over the platen, thereby flowing over the wafer when present on the platen.

Abstract: A cluster architecture and methods for processing a substrate are disclosed. The cluster architecture includes a lab-ambient controlled transfer module that is coupled to one or more wet substrate processing modules. The lab-ambient controlled transfer module and the one or more wet substrate processing modules are configured to manage a first ambient environment. A vacuum transfer module that is coupled to the lab-ambient controlled transfer module and one or more plasma processing modules is also provided. The vacuum transfer module and the one or more plasma processing modules are configured to manage a second ambient environment. And, a controlled ambient transfer module that is coupled to the vacuum transfer module and one or more ambient processing modules is also included. The controlled ambient transfer module and the one or more ambient processing modules are configured to manage a third ambient environment.

Abstract: A method for processing an interconnect structure on a substrate is provided, including: depositing a metallic barrier layer to line the interconnect structure, the metallic barrier layer configured to prevent diffusion of copper into the dielectric layer; depositing a thin copper seed layer over the metallic barrier layer in the interconnect structure; depositing a gap-fill copper layer over the thin copper seed layer; removing copper overburden and metallic barrier overburden, wherein removing copper overburden and metallic barrier overburden creates a planarized copper surface on the gap-fill copper layer; selectively depositing a thin layer of a cobalt-containing material on the reduced planarized copper surface; wherein the substrate is processed and transferred in controlled environments to minimize exposure to oxygen, the controlled environments defined by one or more controlled ambient environments and/or one or more vacuum environments.

Abstract: Back-End of Line (BEoL) interconnect structures, and methods for their manufacture, are provided. The structures are characterized by narrower conductive lines and reduced overall dielectric constant values. Conformal diffusion barrier layers, and selectively formed capping layers, are used to isolate the conductive lines and vias from surrounding dielectric layers in the interconnect structures. The methods of the invention employ techniques to narrow the openings in photoresist masks in order to define narrower vias. More narrow vias increase the amount of misalignment that can be tolerated between the vias and the conductive lines.

Abstract: An integrated system for processing a substrate to improve electromigration performance of a copper interconnect, including: a lab-ambient transfer chamber capable of transferring the substrate from a substrate cassette coupled to the lab-ambient transfer chamber into the integrated system; a vacuum transfer chamber operated under vacuum at a pressure less than 1 Torr; a vacuum process module for depositing a metallic barrier layer, wherein the vacuum process module for depositing the metallic barrier layer is coupled to the vacuum transfer chamber, and is operated under vacuum at a pressure less than 1 Torr; a controlled-ambient transfer chamber filled with an inert gas selected from a group of inert gases; and, a deposition process module used to deposit a functionalization layer on the surface of the metallic barrier layer, wherein the deposition process module used to deposit the functionalization layer is coupled to the controlled-ambient transfer chamber.

Abstract: A method is provided, including the following method operations: depositing a metallic barrier layer to line a copper interconnect structure by a dry process in an integrated system configured to operate a mixture of dry and wet processes; depositing the functionalization layer over the metallic barrier layer by a wet process in the integrated system; and, depositing the copper layer over the functionalization layer in the copper interconnect structure by a wet process in the integrated system after the functionalization layer is deposited over the metallic barrier layer, wherein the material used for the functionalization layer comprises a complexing group with at least two ends, one end of the complexing group forming a bond with the metallic barrier layer and another end of the complexing group forming a bond with the copper layer.

Abstract: The embodiments fill the need of improving electromigration and reducing stress-induced voids of copper interconnect by enabling deposition of a thin and conformal barrier layer, and a copper layer in the copper interconnect. The adhesion between the barrier layer and the copper layer can be improved by making the barrier layer metal-rich prior copper deposition and by limiting the amount of oxygen the barrier layer is exposed prior to copper deposition. Alternatively, a functionalization layer can be deposited over the barrier layer to enable the copper layer being deposit in the copper interconnect with good adhesion between the barrier layer and the copper layer. An exemplary method of preparing a substrate surface of a substrate to deposit a functionalization layer over a metallic barrier layer of a copper interconnect to assist deposition of a copper layer in the copper interconnect in an integrated system in order to improve electromigration performance of the copper interconnect is provided.

Abstract: An integrated system for transferring and processing a substrate in a controlled environment to enable selective deposition of a thin layer of a cobalt-alloy material on a copper surface of a copper interconnect to improve electromigration performance of the copper interconnect, comprising: a lab-ambient transfer chamber; a substrate cleaning reactor coupled to the lab-ambient transfer chamber, wherein the substrate cleaning reactor cleans the substrate surface to remove metal-organic complex contaminants on the substrate surface; a vacuum transfer chamber; a vacuum process module for removing organic contaminants from the substrate surface; a controlled-ambient transfer chamber filled with an inert gas; and an electroless cobalt-alloy material deposition process module used to deposit the thin layer of cobalt-alloy material on the copper surface of the copper interconnect after the substrate surface has been removed of metallic contaminants and organic contaminants, and the copper surface has been removed of

Abstract: A chemical fluid handling system is defined to supply a number of chemicals to a number of fluid inputs of a mixing manifold. The chemical fluid handling system includes a number of fluid recirculation loops for separately pre-conditioning and controlling the supply of each of the number of chemicals. Each of the fluid recirculation loops is defined to degas, heat, and filter a particular one of the number of chemical components. The mixing manifold is defined to mix the number of chemicals to form the electroless plating solution. The mixing manifold includes a fluid output connected to a supply line. The supply line is connected to supply the electroless plating solution to a fluid bowl within an electroless plating chamber.

Abstract: The embodiments fill the need to enhance electro-migration performance, provide lower metal resistivity, and improve metal-to-metal interfacial adhesion for copper interconnects by providing improved processes and systems that produce an improved metal-to-metal interface, more specifically copper-to-cobalt-alloy interface. An exemplary method of preparing a substrate surface of a substrate to selectively deposit a thin layer of a cobalt-alloy material on a copper surface of a copper interconnect of the substrate in an integrated system to improve electromigration performance of the copper interconnect is provided. The method includes removing contaminants and metal oxides from the substrate surface in the integrated system, and reconditioning the substrate surface using a reducing environment after removing contaminants and metal oxides in the integrated system.

Abstract: The embodiments fill the need to enhance electro-migration performance, provide lower metal resistivity, and improve silicon-to-metal interfacial adhesion for copper interconnects by providing improved processes and systems that produce a silicon-to-metal interface. An exemplary method of preparing a substrate surface of a substrate to selectively deposit a layer of a metal on a silicon or polysilicon surface of the substrate to form a metal silicide in an integrated system is provided.

Abstract: A pressure is maintained within a volume within which a semiconductor wafer resides at a pressure that is sufficient to maintain a liquid state of a precursor fluid to a non-Newtonian fluid. The precursor fluid is disposed proximate to a material to be removed from the semiconductor wafer while maintaining the precursor fluid in the liquid state. The pressure is reduced in the volume within which the semiconductor wafer resides such that the precursor fluid disposed on the wafer within the volume is transformed into the non-Newtonian fluid. An expansion of the precursor fluid and movement of the precursor fluid relative to the wafer during transformation into the non-Newtonian fluid causes the resulting non-Newtonian fluid to remove the material from the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: An electroless plating system is provided. The system includes a first vacuum chuck supporting a first wafer and a second vacuum chuck supporting a second wafer such that a top surface of the second wafer is opposing a top surface of the first wafer. The system also includes a fluid delivery system configured to deliver a plating solution to the top surface of the first wafer, wherein in response to delivery of the plating solution, the top surface of the second wafer is brought proximate to the top surface of the first wafer so that the plating solution contacts both top surfaces. A method for applying an electroless plating solution to a substrate is also provided.

Abstract: A method of depositing a thin film by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on a substrate surface is disclosed. The disclosed method includes placing an ALD deposition proximity head above the substrate with at least one gas channel configured to dispense a gas to an active process region of the substrate surface. The ALD deposition proximity head extends over and is being spaced apart from the active process region of the substrate surface when present. After a pulse of a first reactant gas is dispensed on the active process region of the substrate surface underneath the proximity head, a pulse of a second reactant gas is dispensed on the active process region of the substrate surface underneath the proximity head to react with the first reactant gas to form a portion of the thin layer of ALD film on the surface of substrate underneath the proximity head.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer electroless plating apparatus includes a platen and a fluid bowl. The platen has a top surface defined to support a wafer, and an outer surface extending downward from a periphery of the top surface to a lower surface of the platen. The fluid bowl has an inner volume defined by an interior surface so as to receive the platen, and wafer to be supported thereon, within the inner volume. A seal is disposed around the interior surface of the fluid bowl so as to form a liquid tight barrier when engaged between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and the outer surface of the platen. A number of fluid dispense nozzles are positioned to dispense electroplating solution within the fluid bowl above the seal so as to rise up and flow over the platen, thereby flowing over the wafer when present on the platen.

Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer programs for cleaning opposed surfaces of a semiconductor wafer are presented. One apparatus includes first, second, and third valves, and one or more second drains. The first valves are coupled to a supply of rinsing solution and to first throughways that are coupled to an immersion tank above a region in the immersion tank, the region being defined by an area occupied by the substrate when the substrate is disposed vertically on a support within the immersion tank. The second valves are coupled to first drains and to second throughways that are coupled to the immersion tank below the region, and the third valves are coupled to a supply of cleaning solution and to third throughways that are coupled to the immersion tank below the region. Further, the second drains are coupled to fourth throughways that are coupled to the immersion tank above the region.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer electroless plating apparatus includes a platen and a fluid bowl. The platen has a top surface defined to support a wafer, and an outer surface extending downward from a periphery of the top surface to a lower surface of the platen. The fluid bowl has an inner volume defined by an interior surface so as to receive the platen, and wafer to be supported thereon, within the inner volume. A seal is disposed around the interior surface of the fluid bowl so as to form a liquid tight barrier when engaged between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and the outer surface of the platen. A number of fluid dispense nozzles are positioned to dispense electroplating solution within the fluid bowl above the seal so as to rise up and flow over the platen, thereby flowing over the wafer when present on the platen.

Abstract: A method and system for cleaning a surface, having particulate matter thereon, of a substrate features impinging upon the surface a jet of a liquid having coupling elements entrained therein. A sufficient drag force is imparted upon the coupling elements to have the same move with respect to the liquid and cause the particulate matter to move with respect to the substrate.

Abstract: A method for making a solution for use in preparing a surface of a substrate is provided. The method includes providing a continuous medium that adds a polymer material to the continuous medium. A fatty acid is adding to the continuous medium having the polymer material, and the polymer material defines a physical network that exerts forces in the solution that overcome buoyancy forces experienced by the fatty acid, thus preventing the fatty acids from moving within the solution until a yield stress of the polymer material is exceeded by an applied agitation. The applied agitation is from transporting the solution from a container to a preparation station that applies the solution to the surface of the substrate.