Abstract: A method of preventing adhesion of contacting surfaces of micro-mechanical devices (10). Two materials are selected that are incompatible in the sense that they have at least low solid solubility and preferably, an inability to alloy. One of these materials is used as the first contacting surface (11), and the other as the second contacting surface (17).

Abstract: A micro-mechanical device (10) includes relatively movable elements (11, 17) which contact or engage and which thereafter stick or adhere. A perfluoropolyether (PFPE) film (31) is applied to the contacting or engaging portions of the elements (11,17) to ameliorate or eliminate such sticking or adhesion.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for predicting the endpoint time of a semiconductor process for a layer of a wafer (14). The endpoint time is the time at which a predetermined thickness of the layer occurs. A layer thickness, calculated for a first sample time, is received. It is then determined whether or not the layer thickness lies within a predetermined range. If the layer thickness does lie within the predetermined range, it is used to update a forecasted process rate. The forecasted process rate is used to predict the endpoint time. The endpoint time is used to control the semiconductor process so that the layer of wafer (14) is formed having the predetermined thickness.

Abstract: A direct, noncontact temperature sensor includes an ellipsometer (104-106) to determine absorptance for layered structures and a pyrometer (102) to determine emissive power and combines the two measurements to determine temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for precise processing of thin materials in a process chamber by the use of ellipsometer monitoring is disclosed. The process includes rapidly etching a layer 42 of material covering a semiconductor device. The process includes placing the semiconductor wafer 14 into a processing chamber 10. In a typical operation, the wafer 14 will include a selected substrate 32 having a first thin layer 30 of material covering the substrate 32 and then a second layer 42 of a different material covering the first layer 30. A process such as reactive ion anisotropic etching which rapidly etches the second layer 42 is initiated and this etching is monitored in situ by an ellipsometer in combination with a controller 28 to determine the thickness of the second layer 42' which has been achieved. Once the desired amount of second layer 42 remains, the rapid etching process stops to leave a residual layer 42' such as about 250 .ANG.

Abstract: An interferonmetric temperature measurement system is described for determining the temperature of a sample. The system comprises three detectors for measuring various intensities of a beam of electromagnetic radiation reflected off the sample and circuitry for determining the temperature from the intensities. The detectors measure the intensity of the beam and two orthogonally polarized components of the beam.