Abstract: A cleaning solution, method, and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor substrates after chemical mechanical polishing of copper films is described. The present invention includes a cleaning solution which combines deionized water, an organic compound, and a fluoride compound in an acidic pH environment for cleaning the surface of a semiconductor substrate after polishing a copper layer. Such methods of cleaning semiconductor substrates after copper CMP alleviate the problems associated with brush loading and surface and subsurface contamination.

Abstract: The specification describes an optical pulse generator in a return-to-zero format in which a phase-modulated (PM) optical signal is converted to intensity-modulated (IM) optical pulses using chromatic dispersion. Compared with Mach-Zehnder-modulator-based pulse generators, this scheme is potentially more efficient (lower insertion loss). The pulse generator of the invention is suitable for very high data rates, e.g. 40 Gb/s. The structure of the pulse generator is a phase-modulated pulse source combined with a dispersive element having the required dispersion.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a train of RZ or CSRZ pulses is produced by passing phase modulated laser light through a delay interferometer. The parameters of the phase modulation and the delay interferometer are calculated from the desired pulse train characteristics (e.g. repetition rate, RZ or CSRZ, duty cycle). A directly modulated CW laser, or a CW laser followed by a phase modulator, produces the constant amplitude, phase modulated light. The phase modulated signal is split into two paths. One signal path is delayed with respect to the other by the calculated delay. The signals are recombined in an optical coupler to produce an RZ pulse train and/or a CSRZ pulse train.

Abstract: A cleaning solution for cleaning a semiconductor substrate is formed by mixing an amount of citric acid, an amount of ammonium fluoride, and an amount of hydrogen fluoride in deionized water. In one embodiment, the amount of citric acid is in a range from about 0.09% by weight to about 0.11% by weight, the amount of ammonium fluoride is in a range from about 0.4% by weight to about 0.6% by weight, the amount of hydrogen fluoride is in a range from about 0.09% by weight to about 0.11% by weight, and the cleaning solution has a pH of about 4. A method for cleaning a semiconductor substrate having a polished copper layer in which a concentrated cleaning solution is mixed with deionized water proximate to a scrubbing apparatus also is described.

Abstract: A fiber Raman amplifier is configured to use a co-propagating Raman pump source, which may be beneficial in a variety of system configurations (for example, in bidirectional communication systems). By carefully configuring the pump source characteristics, sufficient optical gain can be achieved in the co-propagating arrangement, the characteristics including: (1) using an optical pump power of at least 50 mW, (2) having a relatively large spectral bandwidth within the pump (to suppress SBS); and (3) a frequency difference between all longitudinal pump modes of each pump laser being separated by at least the walk-off frequency between the pump laser frequency and the signal frequency, and all intense longitudinal modes between different pump lasers being separated by at least the electrical bandwidth of the communication system.

Abstract: The present invention is a fluid dispensing fixed abrasive polishing pad CMP system and method that utilizes fixed abrasive components to remove a portion or entire layer of a wafer while dispensing a fluid without suspended abrasive particles onto the wafer surface. A fluid dispensing fixed abrasive polishing pad is pressed against a wafer surface while rotating and fixed abrasive component apply a frictional force that planarizes a wafer surface. The fluid dispensed by the fluid dispensing fixed abrasive polishing pad assist the fixed components achieve wafer planarization in numerous ways, including minimizing scratching of the wafer surface, chemically reacting with the wafer surface to soften it, and aiding in the removal of particulate contaminants. The fluid flow in the present invention is strong enough to remove the waste (e.g., reaction products, wafer shavings, particulate contaminants, etc.) from the surface of the wafer and the fixed abrasive polishing pad during the polishing process.

Abstract: The present invention system and method facilitates efficient material deposition and wafer planarization during IC wafer fabrication. The present invention is particularly useful in facilitating efficient copper deposition and manufacturing of interconnections between components of an IC. A deposition polishing system and method of the present invention performs copper deposition and polishing concurrently. One embodiment of a deposition polishing system comprises a wafer holder, polishing pad component, and CMP plating bath. The CMP plating bath is a container for holding solutions utilized in plating processes (e.g., electroplating, electroless plating, etc.) to deposit metallic material (e.g., copper) on a wafer.

Abstract: A patterned polishing pad adapted for use in a wafer polishing machine. The patterned polishing pad has a polishing surface adapted to contact frictionally a semiconductor wafer being polished in a chemical mechanical polishing machine. The polishing surface has a first region and a second region. The first region is adapted to contact frictionally the wafer and achieve a first process effect. The second region is adapted to contact frictionally the wafer and achieve a second process effect. The surface of the second region extends a predetermined protrusion amount above the polishing surface with respect to the surface of the first region.

Abstract: A fiber Raman amplifier is configured to use a co-propagating Raman pump source, which may be beneficial in a variety of system configurations (for example, in bidirectional communication systems). By carefully configuring the pump source characteristics, sufficient optical gain can be achieved in the co-propagating arrangement, the characteristics including: (1) using an optical pump power of at least 50 mW, (2) having a relatively large spectral bandwidth within the pump (to suppress SBS); and (3) a frequency difference between all longitudinal pump modes of each pump laser being separated by at least the walk-off frequency between the pump laser frequency and the signal frequency, and all intense longitudinal modes between different pump lasers being separated by at least the electrical bandwidth of the communication system.

Abstract: The present invention is an ultrasonic transducer slurry dispensing device and method for efficiently distributing slurry. The present invention utilizes ultrasonic energy to facilitate efficient slurry application in a IC wafer fabrication process to permits reduced manufacturing times and slurry consumption during IC wafer fabrication. In one embodiment a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) ultrasonic transducer slurry dispenser device includes a slurry dispensing slot, a slurry chamber coupled and an ultrasonic transducer. The slurry chamber receives the slurry and transports it to the slurry dispensing slots that apply slurry to a polishing pad. The ultrasonic transducer transmits ultrasonic energy to the slurry.

Abstract: A cleaning solution, method, and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor substrates after chemical mechanical polishing of copper films is described. The present invention includes a cleaning solution which combines deionized water, an organic compound, and a fluoride compound in an acidic pH environment for cleaning the surface of a semiconductor substrate after polishing a copper layer. Such methods of cleaning semiconductor substrates after copper CMP alleviate the problems associated with brush loading and surface and subsurface contamination.

Abstract: A cleaning solution, method, and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor substrates after chemical mechanical polishing of copper films is described. The present invention includes a cleaning solution which combines deionized water, an organic compound, and a fluoride compound in an acidic pH environment for cleaning the surface of a semiconductor substrate after polishing a copper layer. Such methods of cleaning semiconductor substrates after copper CMP alleviate the problems associated with brush loading and surface and subsurface contamination.

Abstract: A method for optimizing CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) processing of semiconductor wafers on a CMP machine. The optimization method includes the steps of polishing a test series of semiconductor wafers on a CMP machine. During the CMP processing, a film thickness is measured at a first point proximate to the center of each respective wafer using a film thickness detector coupled to the machine. A film thickness at a second point proximate to the outside edge of the respective wafers is also measured. Based upon the in-process film thickness measurements at the first point and the second points, the optimization process determines a polishing profile describing a removal rate and a removal uniformity with respect to a set of process variables. The process variables include different CMP machine settings for the polishing process, such as the amount of down force applied to the wafer. The polishing profile is subsequently used to polish production wafers accordingly.