Abstract: A method for removing organic contaminants from a semiconductor surface whereby the semiconductor is held in a tank and the tank is filled with a fluid such as a liquid or a gas. Organic contaminants, such as photoresist, photoresidue, and dry etched residue, occur in process steps of semiconductor fabrication and at times, require removal. The organic contaminants are removed from the semiconductor surface by holding the semiconductor inside a tank. The method is practiced using gas phase processing. The tank is filled with a gas mixture, comprising water vapor and ozone.

Abstract: An apparatus for wet cleaning or etching of flat substrates comprising a tank with an inlet opening and outlet opening for said substrates. Said tank contains a cleaning liquid and is installed in a gaseous environment. At least one of the openings is a slice in a sidewall of the tank and is present below the liquid-surface. In the tank there may be a portion above the liquid filled with a gas with a pressure being lower than the pressure within said environment. The method comprises the step of transferring a substrate through the cleaning or etching liquid at a level underneath the surface of said liquid making use of said apparatus.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing a liquid, i.e a wet processing liquid, from a surface of at least one substrate is disclosed. A liquid is supplied on a surface of substrate. Simultaneously or thereafter besides the liquid also a gaseous substance can be supplied thereby creating at least locally a sharply defined liquid-vapor boundary. The gaseous substance and the liquid can be selected such that the gaseous substance is miscible with the liquid and when mixed with the liquid yields a mixture having a surface tension lower than that of the liquid. According to the invention, the substrate is subjected to a rotary movement at a speed to guide said liquid-vapor boundary over said substrate thereby removing said liquid from said substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing system for the production of semiconductor electronic devices is described, which includes a sequence of semiconductor processing steps carried out on a plurality of semiconductor processing machines, whereby the processing is carried out on discrete pieces of substrate which are smaller than conventional semiconductor wafers but may be made therefrom, or from larger diameter semiconducting wafers or from materials onto which semiconductor layers may be formed, and the discrete substrate pieces are selectably processable into the electronic devices either individually or as a plurality removably fixed to a support.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing a liquid, i.e. a wet processing liquid, from at least one surface of at least one substrate is disclosed. A liquid is supplied on a surface of substrate. Simultaneously or thereafter the liquid or the substrate is locally heated to thereby reduce the surface tension of said liquid. By doing so, at least locally a sharply defined liquid-ambient boundary is created. According to the invention, the substrate is subjected to a rotary movement at a speed to guide said liquid-ambient boundary over the surface of the substrate thereby removing said liquid from said surface.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing a liquid, i.e a wet processing liquid, from a surface of at least one substrate is disclosed. A liquid is supplied on a surface of substrate. Simultaneously or thereafter besides the liquid also a gaseous substance can be supplied thereby creating at least locally a sharply defined liquid-vapor boundary. The gaseous substance and the liquid can be selected such that the gaseous substance is miscible with the liquid and when mixed with the liquid yields a mixture having a surface tension lower than that of the liquid. According to the invention, the substrate is subjected to a rotary movement at a speed to guide said liquid-vapor boundary over said substrate thereby removing said liquid from said substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing a liquid on the surface of a localized zone of a substrate, for example for cleaning of etching purposes. Along with the liquid, a gaseous tensio-active substance is supplied, which is miscible with said liquid and when mixed with the liquid, reduces the surface tension of said liquid, thus containing the liquid in a local zone of the substrate surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing a liquid on the surface of a localized zone of a substrate, for example for cleaning of etching purposes. Along with the liquid, a gaseous tensio-active substance is supplied, which is miscible with said liquid and when mixed with the liquid, reduces the surface tension of said liquid, thus containing the liquid in a local zone of the substrate surface.

Abstract: A method of growing a silicon oxide layer on a silicon substrate by means of a thermal oxidation in a furnace in the presence of a gaseous mixture, said mixture comprising oxygen and Cl2, said Cl2 being generated by an organic chlorine-carbon source, particularly oxalyl chloride. This method is directed to the growth of (ultra) thin silicon oxides and/or the cleaning of a substrate using a low oxidation power. Consequently the method disclosed is especially suited for temperature below 700° C. and for oxidation ambients containing only small amounts of oxygen.

Abstract: A method for removing organic contaminants from a semiconductor surface whereby the semiconductor is held in a tank and the tank is filled with a fluid such as a liquid or a gas. Organic contaminants, such as photoresist, photoresidue, and dry etched residue, occur in process steps of semiconductor fabrication and at times, require removal. The organic contaminants are removed from the semiconductor surface by holding the semiconductor inside a tank. The method may be practiced using gas phase processing or liquid phase processing. The tank is filled with a gas mixture, a liquid, and/or a fluid, such as water, water vapor, ozone and/or an additive acting as a scavenger (a substance which counteracts the unwanted effects of other constituents of the system).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing a liquid, i.e. a wet processing liquid, from at least one surface of at least one substrate is disclosed. A liquid is supplied on a surface of substrate. Simultaneously or thereafter the liquid or the substrate is locally heated to thereby reduce the surface tension of said liquid. By doing so, at least locally a sharply defined liquid-ambient boundary is created. According to one aspect of the invention, the substrate is subjected to a rotary movement at a speed to guide said liquid-ambient boundary over the surface of the substrate thereby removing said liquid from said surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing system for the production of semiconductor electronic devices is described, which includes a sequence of semiconductor processing steps carried out on a plurality of semiconductor processing machines, whereby the processing is carried out on discrete pieces of substrate which are smaller than conventional semiconductor wafers but may be made therefrom, or from larger diameter semiconducting wafers or from materials onto which semiconductor layers may be formed, and the discrete substrate pieces are selectably processable into the electronic devices either individually or as a plurality removably fixed to a support.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing system for the production of semiconductor electronic devices is described, which includes a sequence of semiconductor processing steps carried out on a plurality of semiconductor processing machines, whereby the processing is carried out on discrete pieces of substrate which are smaller than conventional semiconductor wafers but may be made therefrom, or from larger diameter semiconducting wafers or from materials onto which semiconductor layers may be formed, and the discrete substrate pieces are selectably processable into the electronic devices either individually or as a plurality removably fixed to a support.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for removing a liquid, i.e a wet processing liquid, from a surface of at least one substrate is disclosed. A liquid is supplied on a surface of substrate. Simultaneously or thereafter besides the liquid also a gaseous substance can be supplied thereby creating at least locally a sharply defined liquid-vapor boundary. The gaseous substance and the liquid can be selected such that the gaseous substance is miscible with the liquid and when mixed with the liquid yields a mixture having a surface tension lower than that of the liquid. According to the invention, the substrate is subjected to a rotary movement at a speed to guide said liquid-vapor boundary over said substrate thereby removing said liquid from said substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an efficient thermal oxidation process that allows the controlled growth of in-situ cleaned high quality thin oxides on a silicon-containing substrate. Said oxidation is performed in an ambient comprising at least the reaction products of a chloro-carbon precursor and ozone. This thermal oxidation is preferably executed at low temperatures, being preferably below 500° C., in order to limit the in-diffusion of metal surface contaminants is limited. The present invention is further related to the decomposition of organic chloro-carbon precursors at low temperatures by the introduction of ozone prior to the actual oxidation step.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of removing particles and a liquid from a surface of a substrate using at least one rotating cleaning pad. The approach, according to the present invention, is a technique wherein a sharp liquid-vapor boundary is created on the surface of the substrate adjacent to the last wetted rotating cleaning pad of a plurality of rotating cleaning pads and particularly between this last wetted rotating cleaning pad and a first edge of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method of removing particles and a liquid from a surface of a substrate using at least one rotating cleaning pad. The approach, according to the present invention, is a technique wherein a sharp liquid-vapor boundary is created on the surface of the substrate adjacent to the last wetted rotating cleaning pad of a plurality of rotating cleaning pads and particularly between this last wetted rotating cleaning pad and a first edge of the substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus for wet cleaning or etching of flat substrates comprising a tank with an inlet opening and outlet opening for said substrates. Said tank contains a cleaning liquid and is installed in a gaseous environment. At least one of the openings is a slice in a sidewall of the tank and is present below the liquid-surface. In the tank there may be a portion above the liquid filled with a gas with a pressure being lower than the pressure within said environment. The method comprises the step of transferring a substrate through the cleaning or etching liquid at a level underneath the surface of said liquid making use of said apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for wet cleaning or etching of flat substrates comprising a tank with an inlet opening and outlet opening for said substrates. Said tank contains a cleaning liquid and is installed in a gaseous environment. At least one of the openings is a slice in a sidewall of the tank and is present below the liquid-surface. In the tank there may be a portion above the liquid filled with a gas with a pressure being lower than the pressure within said environment. The method comprises the step of transferring a substrate through the cleaning or etching liquid at a level underneath the surface of said liquid making use of said apparatus.