Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing a surface roughness of a polycrystalline or single crystal thin film produced by the sequential lateral solidification process are disclosed.

Abstract: A combined thermal interface material and second layer interconnect reflow material and method are disclosed.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing system with ultra low-K dielectric is provided including providing a substrate having an electronic circuit, forming an ultra low-K dielectric layer, having porogens, over the substrate, blocking an incoming radiation from a first region of the ultra low-K dielectric layer, evaporating the porogens from a second region of the ultra low-K dielectric layer by projecting the incoming radiation on the second region, and removing the ultra low-K dielectric layer in the first region with a developer.

Abstract: A method for processing an object containing moisture is provided to efficiently remove the moisture and to prevent re-adsorption of the moisture. In particular, the method has a step of removing the moisture contained in the object in an atmosphere containing excited hydrogen, deuterium, deuterated hydrogen, or tritium.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for production of a thin-film semiconductor device which includes, a first step to form a gate electrode on a substrate, a second step to form a gate insulating film of silicon oxynitride on the substrate in such a way as to cover the gate electrode, a third step to form a semiconductor thin film on the gate insulating film, and a fourth step to perform heat treatment in an oxygen-containing oxidizing atmosphere for modification through oxygen binding with oxygen-deficient parts in the silicon oxynitride film constituting the gate insulating film.

Abstract: Particle formation in semiconductor fabrication process chambers is reduced by preventing condensation on the door plates that seal off the process chambers. Particles can be formed in a process chamber when reactant gases condense on the relatively cool surfaces of a door plate. This particle formation is minimized by heating the door plate to a temperature high enough to prevent condensation before flowing reactant gases into the process chamber. The door plate can be heated using a heat source, e.g., a resistive heater, that is in direct contact with the door plate or the heat source can heat the door plate from a distance by radiative or inductive heating. In addition, the door plate can open to allow loading and unloading of a wafer load. As it passes flanges near the door plate, the wafer load can transfer heat to those flanges. To prevent overheating, the flange is provided with a coolant-containing channel having walls that are spaced from the flange by O-rings.

Abstract: A contact hole formation method includes a process of depositing a BPSG film 4 on a semiconductor substrate 1 on which transistors are formed, a process of planarizing the BPSG film 4, a process of depositing a dielectric film 5 on the BPSG film 4, and a process of forming contact holes 8 through the BPSG film 4 and the dielectric film 5 so as to reach the semiconductor substrate 1, in a case in which gate electrodes are densely formed in some areas and sparsely formed in other areas. The above-described contact hole formation method allows a thickness of the BPSG film 4 to be uniform irrespective of the density of the gate electrodes, whereby an etching rate becomes uniform over the entire area of the semiconductor device. Thus, it is possible to form contact holes having minimized variations in a contact resistance and a value of leakage current.

Abstract: The object of the disclosure is to measure temperature using pyrometers, in a simple and economic way, enabling precise temperature measurement, even for low temperatures. The disclosure presents an apparatus and method for thermally treating substrates, wherein the substrate is exposed to at least a first and at least a second radiation; the predetermined wavelengths of the first radiation are absorbed between the first radiation source and the substrate; a radiation from the substrate is measured in the predetermined wavelength using a radiation detector arranged on the same side as a second radiation source; the second radiation from the second radiation source is modulated and determined.

Abstract: A copper film is treated by applying light at short wavelengths, e.g., at less than 0.6 ?m, to heat the copper film and generate a large temperature gradient from the surface of the copper to the interface between the copper and underlying silicon. As a result, grain growth in the copper is enhanced.