Abstract: A method for dry cleaning a process chamber including a nickel deposit. The method includes exposing a system component in the process chamber to a process gas with a carbonyl gas, reacting the nickel deposit on the system component with the carbonyl gas in a dry cleaning process to form a gaseous nickel carbonyl product, and exhausting the gaseous nickel carbonyl product from the process chamber. A mass signal of the nickel carbonyl product can be used to monitor and control the dry cleaning process.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for modifying a layer of high-k material using a plasma process. The plasma process leads to enhanced removal rates of the modified high-k dielectric material using wet etching. The plasma process modifies the layer of high-k material through exposure to the plasma, where the plasma can comprise inert gases and/or reactive gases. The plasma treatment can be implemented as a step performed at the end of a gate-electrode etch process, or as a step at the end of a spacer-etch process.

Abstract: The invention provides an integrated circuit containing at least a portion of a first, horizontal, conductive or semiconductive layer covered by a first electrically insulating layer. A first conductive member is vertically provided through the first electrically insulating layer in electrical contact with the first, horizontal layer. The first conductive member includes a lower, substantially cylindrical portion, and an upper portion comprising an enlarged head. An upper surface of the upper portion is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of the first electrically insulating layer. A second electrically insulating layer is deposited over the upper surface of the upper portion of the first conductive member and the upper surface of the first electrically insulating layer. A second conductive member is provided through the second electrically insulating layer.