Abstract: An exhaust gas treatment apparatus for treating exhaust gases generated in semiconductor manufacturing processes. It includes a main pipe, a U pipe, a discharge pipe and a tank. The main pipe has an inlet to receive exhaust gases, a heater surrounding the main pipe to heat the exhaust gases to form exhaust gas powder, a sprinkler to spray cooling water to cool the heated exhaust gases to form vapor and waste water and an outlet to discharge vapor and waste water into the U pipe. The U pipe has a first connector connecting with the main pipe and a second connector connecting with the discharging pipe. The tank is located below the U pipe under the first connector for receiving lump type exhaust gas powder scrapping from the inside wall of the main pipe. The U pipe will not be blocked by the lump type exhaust gas powder so that exhaust gas treatment efficiency won't be harmfully affected.

Abstract: A method for improving the uniformity of wafer-to-wafer film thicknesses. Before depositing films, shower heads in a PECVD system is heated to production temperature to make the entire system (including the shower heads) reach a stable temperature in coordination with heating of a heater block. Subsequently, a gas source, output via the shower heads, is provided, and then a plasma of the gas source is generated to form a film on the wafer due to the temperatures of the shower heads remain constant during wafers deposition. Therefore, the problem of the uneven thicknesses of films among wafers is resolved. Moreover, if the heating of the shower heads by use of a plasma (which can also be used to heat the heater block) and the heater block is concurrently performed after the preventive maintenance (PM) or open chamber cleaning of the PECVD system, the heating time of the heater block can be further shortened.

Abstract: A method is proposed for use in a chamber used in IC fabrication to adjust for parallel alignment between a shower head and a heater platform in the chamber, so that later the deposition process performed in the chamber can result in an evenly deposited layer on the wafer. This method is characterized by the provision of a plurality of displacement gauges between the shower head and the heater platform, with the heater platform being adjusted in such a manner as to allow all the distance readings from the displacement gauges to be substantially equal to a predetermined fixed value. This not only allows the shower head and the heater platform to be aligned and parallel to each other, but also allows them to be separated by a predetermined, fixed distance.

Abstract: A method for planarizing a damascence structure, comprises using two polishing procedure to remove the redundant metal layer. The method comprises depositing a dielectric layer over a wafer. A photolithography and etching procedure is then performed to form trenchs on the dielectric layer. Then, a metal layer is deposited over the dielectric layer and fills the trenchs. Thereafter, a electrical polishing and chemical mechanical polishing method is performed to remove metal layer until the dielectric layer is exposed. The invention is capable of reducing the dishing and erosion effects occurred on the metal layer.