Abstract: A high dielectric constant metal-insulator structure, including an electrode comprising NiOx wherein 1<x?1.5, and a high k dielectric material in contact with the electrode. The structure may have a further electrode in contact with the high k dielectric material, to form a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, e.g., including a bottom electrode comprising NiOx wherein 1<x?1.5, a high k dielectric material overlying the bottom electrode, and a top electrode comprising NiOx wherein 1<x?1.5. The NiOx electrodes in such applications are oxide-stable, high work function electrodes that avoid deterioration of work function and conductivity during electronic device fabrication involving elevated temperature annealing.

Abstract: A high dielectric constant metal-insulator structure, including an electrode comprising NiOx wherein 1<x?1.5, and a high k dielectric material in contact with the electrode. The structure may have a further electrode in contact with the high k dielectric material, to form a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, e.g., including a bottom electrode comprising NiOx wherein 1<x?1.5, a high k dielectric material overlying the bottom electrode, and a top electrode comprising NiOx wherein 1<x?1.5.

Abstract: The preferred embodiment provides an integrated circuit capacitor that achieves a high capacitance by using an inversion layer in the substrate as the plate counter electrode for the capacitor. The inversion layer is created by forming a trench capacitor in a lightly doped substrate. With a sufficient workfunction difference between the storage node material and the isolation band the surface of the lightly doped substrate inverts, with the inversion charge being supplied by the isolation band. This inversion layer serves as the plate counter electrode for the capacitor.

Abstract: A system and method of measurement of emissivity and radiance of a wafer in a rapid thermal processing chamber enables determination of wafer temperature and control of temperature of the wafer. Mirrors enclose the chamber and reflect radiation from lamps within the chamber to heat the workpiece of interest. One or more viewing ports are provided in one of the mirrors to allow for the egress of radiant energy emitted by the wafer. The wavelength of the exiting radiation is selected by an optical filter having a passband which passes radiation at wavelengths emitted by the wafer while excluding radiation emitted by heating lamps. A chopper having surface regions differing in their reflectivity and transmissivity is positioned along an optical path of radiation propagating through the one or more ports, this resulting in a pulsation of detected radiation.

Abstract: The preferred embodiment provides an integrated circuit capacitor that achieves a high capacitance by using an inversion layer in the substrate as the plate counter electrode for the capacitor. The inversion layer is created by forming a trench capacitor in a lightly doped substrate. With a sufficient workfunction difference between the storage node material and the isolation band the surface of the lightly doped substrate inverts, with the inversion charge being supplied by the isolation band. This inversion layer serves as the plate counter electrode for the capacitor.

Abstract: Selective etching of separate materials in a manufacture of a device, such as a layer of silicon dioxide on a substrate of silicon in a semiconductor device, is accomplished in a reaction chamber having an RF electromagnetic field which interacts with plural etchants in gaseous phase to produce ions for etching the materials. The ratio of the concentration of etchants affect the relative rates of etching the respective materials. By pulsing the rf excitation waveform, intervals of deenergization of the field are produced repetitively wherein, during any one of these intervals, there is a decay in the concentration of each ionized etchant. Rates of decay and the resulting lifetimes differ for each of the etchants. Thereby, by adjustment of the duration of the deenergization interval, the average concentration of one etchant relative to the average concentration of a second etchant can be varied to attain selective etching of the materials.

Abstract: A system and method of measurement of emissivity and radiance of a wafer in a rapid thermal processing chamber enables determination of wafer temperature and control of temperature of the wafer. Mirrors enclose the chamber and reflect radiation from lamps within the chamber to heat the workpiece of interest. One or more viewing ports are provided in one of the mirrors to allow for the egress of radiant energy emitted by the wafer. The wavelength of the exiting radiation is selected by an optical filter having a passband which passes radiation at wavelengths emitted by the wafer while excluding radiation emitted by heating lamps. A chopper having surface regions differing in their reflectivity and transmissivity is positioned along an optical path of radiation propagating through the one or more ports, this resulting in a pulsation of detected radiation.

Abstract: Selective etching of separate materials in a manufacture of a device, such as a layer of silicon dioxide on a substrate of silicon in a semiconductor device, is accomplished in a reaction chamber having an RF electromagnetic field which interacts with plural etchants in gaseous phase to produce ions for etching the materials. The ratio of the concentration of etchants affect the relative rates of etching the respective materials. By pulsing the rf excitation waveform, intervals of deenergization of the field are produced repetitively wherein, during any one of these intervals, there is a decay in the concentration of each ionized etchant. Rates of decay and the resulting lifetimes differ for each of the etchants. Thereby, by adjustment of the duration of the deenergization interval, the average concentration of one etchant relative to the average concentration of a second etchant can be varied to attain selective etching of the materials.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling reactant vapors prior to chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The reactant vapors are monitored at full concentration without sampling as they are transported to a CVD reactor. Contaminants detected cause a process controller to switch the transport path to direct reactant vapors to a system pump.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 CVD on silicon wafers using aluminum tri-isopropoxide in a high-volume production environment is presented. The conditions required to use ATI in a production environment and provide maximum utilization of ATI are first of all delivery of ATI via direct evaporation. The ATI source bottle is pumped out (bypassing substrates) until propene and isopropanol signals are reduced to 1% of process pressure before start of aluminum oxide deposition. Either IR spectroscopy or mass spectrometry can be used to provide a control signal to the microprocessor controller. Heating the supplied tetramer to 120.degree. C. for two hours assures complete conversion to trimer. The ATI is stored at 90.degree. C. to minimize decomposition during idle periods and allow recovery of trimer upon return to 120.degree. C. for two hours. During periods of demand, the ATI is held at 120.degree. C. to minimize decomposition.