Abstract: Diamond material made by a hot filament chemical vapor deposition process, providing large film area, good growth rate, phase purity, small average grain size, smooth surfaces, and other useful properties. Low substrate temperatures can be used. Control of process variables such as pressure and filament temperature and reactant ratio allow control of the diamond properties. Applications include MEMS, wear resistance low friction coatings, biosensors, and electronics.

Abstract: A plasma tool may be provided to facilitate the deposition of diamond films on substrates. The plasma tool provides a heater in the form of a screen whose position with respect to a substrate may be adjusted. A mixture of hydrocarbon and hydrogen gases may be ejected from a spray shower head type spray nozzle through the screen and onto the substrate. Because of the high speed of the ejected gas mixture, very high flow rates and relatively high reaction rates may be achieved in some embodiments without using excessive temperatures. A chuck may hold the substrate for deposition. The chuck may include a liquid coolant system to cool the substrate to avoid excessive temperatures that might otherwise damage other components on the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is a polishing pad conditioning head for a CMP and similar types of apparatus that is especially useful in conditioning the surface of fixed-abrasive CMP polishing pads to maintain optimal process conditions for the planarization process on dielectric and metal films on semiconductor wafers, as well as wafers and disks used in computer hard disk drives. The polishing pad conditioning head comprises a substrate and a layer of fine-grain chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline diamond that is bonded onto the substrate. Alternatively, a thin sheet of polycrystalline diamond may be deposited on a preferred growth substrate by a chemical vapor deposition process, then removed from the growth substrate and then bonded to the CMP conditioning disk substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to diamond coatings and the growth of diamond coatings suitable for tools, wear parts, and the like. The invention produces polycrystalline coatings having progressively finer grain size in the direction of the outer surface, which enhance the wear resistance and finish characteristics of the parts and tools. In an embodiment, chemical vapor deposition grows a first region over a substrate with a plurality of nucleation sites and the first region transitions into polycrystalline diamond grains growing progressively smaller to an average grain size of less than three microns.

Abstract: Rough, conductive diamond film regions are formed on a substrate for establishing electrical contact with a surface mount semiconductor package, or the like. The substrate base is heated in a diamond film gas phase deposition reactor. Molecular hydrogen, a carbon-bearing gas and a dopant source are introduced into the reactor at a temperature conducive to producing a conductive polycrystalline diamond film with sharp facets extending from the film. The diamond film is patterned by etching to remove regions where no electrical contact with the surface mount package is desired.

Abstract: The invention relates to diamond coatings and the growth of diamond coatings suitable for tools, wear parts, and the like. The invention produces polycrystalline coatings having progressively finer grain size in the direction of the outer surface, which enhance the wear resistance and finish characteristics of the parts and tools. In an embodiment, chemical vapor deposition grows a first region over a substrate with a plurality of nucleation sites and the first region transitions into polycrystalline diamond grains growing progressively smaller to an average grain size of less than three microns.

Abstract: The invention relates to diamond coatings and the growth of diamond coatings suitable for tools, wear parts, and the like. The invention produces polycrystalline coatings having progressively finer grain size in the direction of the outer surface, which enhance the wear resistance and finish characteristics of the parts and tools. In one embodiment, chemical vapor deposition grows a first region over a substrate with a plurality of nucleation sites and the first region transitions into polycrystalline diamond grains growing progressively smaller to an average grain size of less than three microns.

Abstract: The invention relates to diamond coatings and the growth of diamond coatings suitable for tools, wear parts, and the like. The invention controls process conditions to produce polycrystalline coatings having progressively finer grain size in the direction of the outer surface. This enhances the wear resistance and finish characteristics of the parts and tools. In one process, chemical vapor deposition is used to grow a first region over a substrate with a plurality of nucleation sites and the first region transitions into polycrystalline diamond grains growing progressively smaller to an average grain size of less than three microns.

Abstract: A flat substrate polishing and polishing pad conditioning head for a chemical-mechanical-planarization apparatus is provided which has been shown to double the useable life of a polishing pad used to planarize and/or polish both oxide and metal outer layers in the processing of semiconductor wafers and to provide for more uniform polishing during the life of the polishing pad. The polishing pad conditioning head comprises a suitable substrate (26), a diamond grit (28) that is evenly distributed over the surface of the substrate (26) and a CVD diamond (30) grown onto the diamond grit (28) and the substrate (26) so that the diamond grit (28) becomes encased in the CVD diamond (30) and bonded to the surface of the substrate (26). The method for evenly distributing a mono-layer of diamond grit in a highly uniform manner over the exposed surface of a substrate can be done either by using diamond grit applied over a photoresist pattern or a screen printed pattern, or using diamond grit from a liquid mixture.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the tension on a heating filament in a reactor used in carbon deposition on a substrate via chemical-vapor deposition is disclosed, as is a method for preventing breakage of the filaments during operation. The apparatus comprises a force regulator attached to an array of heating filaments. Preferably, the force regulator is adjustable and is adjusted prior to reactor operation and/or periodically or continuously as the filaments lengthen due to carburization in the carbon-vapor environment of the reactor. The adjustable force regulator attached to an array of filaments enables effective regulation of the force on a filament during reactor operation and provides an easily-maintained reactor with quick turn-around time between cycles of use.

Abstract: A flat substrate polishing pad conditioning head for a chemical-mechanical-planarization apparatus is provided which has been shown to double the useable life of a polishing pad used to planarize and/or polish both oxide and metal outer layers in the processing of semiconductor wafers and to provide for more uniform polishing during the life of the polishing pad. The polishing pad conditioning head (24) comprises a suitable substrate (26), a diamond grit (28) that is evenly distributed over the surface of the substrate (26) and a CVD diamond (30) grown onto the diamond grit (28) and the substrate (26) so that the diamond grit (28) becomes encased in the CVD diamond (30) and bonded to the surface of the substrate (26).

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the tension on a heating filament in a reactor used in carbon deposition on a substrate via chemical-vapor deposition is disclosed, as is a method for preventing breakage of the filaments during operation. The apparatus comprises a force regulator attached to an array of heating filaments. Preferably, the force regulator is adjustable and is adjusted prior to reactor operation and/or periodically or continuously as the filaments lengthen due to carburization in the carbon-vapor environment of the reactor. The adjustable force regulator attached to an array of filaments enables effective regulation of the force on a filament during reactor operation and provides an easily-maintained reactor with quick turn-around time between cycles of use.

Abstract: A probe for electrical contact with a metal layer of an integrated circuit wherein the probe features a polycrystalline diamond layer coating a fine conductive wire. The diamond coating has exposed pyramidal facets having a density of at least 2000 per square millimeter. The substrate has a radius exceeding one micrometer.

Abstract: Process for the manufacture of MOS devices by providing wafer of P-semiconductor grade silicon in a deposition reactor. The wafer is heated to a temperature of approximately 950.degree. C. while subjecting the wafer to dry oxygen gas to produce between a very thin layer (50-250A) of silica (SiO.sub.2) on a surface of the wafer. While elevating the temperature of the wafer to approximately 1000.degree. C., the chamber is purged with nitrogen and then hydrogen gas. After an introduction of carbon dioxide gas into the chamber, silane (SiH.sub.4) or dichlorosilane gas is bled into the chamber. The silane reacts with the CO.sub.2 to deposit SiO.sub.2 on the previously formed thermal SiO.sub.2. The two layers of SiO.sub.2 may then be annealed to provide a highly coherent, defect-free gate oxide for MOS integrated circuits.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit having microminiature active and/or passive elements in which a crystallographic surface of a semiconductor body lies in the [100] crystallographic plane and anisotropically etched regions with sloped [111] crystallographic surface walls isolate adjacent semiconductor elements and/or define the boundaries of junctions and/or resistance regions formed in an epitaxial layer of said semiconductor body.