| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090031955 | VACUUM CHUCKING HEATER OF AXISYMMETRICAL AND UNIFORM THERMAL PROFILE - Embodiments of a vacuum chuck having an axisymmetrical and/or more uniform thermal profile are provided herein. In some embodiments, a vacuum chuck includes a body having a support surface for supporting a substrate thereupon; a plurality of axisymmetrically arranged grooves formed in the support surface, at least some of the grooves intersecting; and a plurality of chucking holes formed through the body and within the grooves, the chucking holes for fluidly coupling the grooves to a vacuum source during operation, wherein the chucking holes are disposed in non-intersecting portions of the grooves. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090042407 | Dual Top Gas Feed Through Distributor for High Density Plasma Chamber - A gas distributor for use in a semiconductor process chamber comprises a body. The body includes a first channel formed within the body and adapted to pass a first fluid from a first fluid supply line through the first channel to a first opening. A second channel is formed within the body and adapted to pass a second fluid from a second fluid supply line through the second channel to a second opening. The first and second openings are arranged to mix the fluids outside the body after the fluids pass through the openings. | 02-12-2009 |
| 20090104789 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING DIELECTRIC FILM QUALITY FOR VOID FREE GAP FILL - A method of forming a silicon oxide layer on a substrate. The method includes providing a substrate and forming a first silicon oxide layer overlying at least a portion of the substrate, the first silicon oxide layer including residual water, hydroxyl groups, and carbon species. The method further includes exposing the first silicon oxide layer to a plurality of silicon-containing species to form a plurality of amorphous silicon components being partially intermixed with the first silicon oxide layer. Additionally, the method includes annealing the first silicon oxide layer partially intermixed with the plurality of amorphous silicon components in an oxidative environment to form a second silicon oxide layer on the substrate. At least a portion of amorphous silicon components are oxidized to become part of the second silicon oxide layer and unreacted residual hydroxyl groups and carbon species in the second silicon oxide layer are substantially removed. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090104791 | Methods for Forming a Silicon Oxide Layer Over a Substrate - A method of depositing a silicon oxide layer over a substrate includes providing a substrate to a deposition chamber. A first silicon-containing precursor, a second silicon-containing precursor and a NH | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090120584 | COUNTER-BALANCED SUBSTRATE SUPPORT - A semiconductor processing system is described. The system includes a processing chamber having an interior capable of holding an internal chamber pressure below ambient atmospheric pressure. The system also includes a pumping system coupled to the chamber and adapted to remove material from the processing chamber. The system further includes a substrate support pedestal, where the substrate support pedestal is rigidly coupled to a substrate support shaft extending through a wall of the processing chamber. A bracket located outside the processing chamber is provided which is rigidly and sometimes rotatably coupled to the substrate support shaft. A motor coupled to the bracket can be actuated to vertically translate the substrate support pedestal, shaft and bracket from a first position to a second position closer to a processing plate. A piston mounted on an end of the bracket provides a counter-balancing force to a tilting force, where the tilting force is generated by a change in the internal chamber pressure and causes a deflection in the position of the bracket and the substrate support. The counter-balancing force reduces the deflection of the bracket and the substrate support. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090208880 | PROCESS SEQUENCE FOR FORMATION OF PATTERNED HARD MASK FILM (RFP) WITHOUT NEED FOR PHOTORESIST OR DRY ETCH - Method and systems for patterning a hardmask film using ultraviolet light is disclosed according to one embodiment of the invention. Embodiments of the present invention alleviate the processing problem of depositing and etching photoresist in order to produce a hardmask pattern. A hardmask layer, such as, silicon oxide, is first deposited on a substrate within a deposition chamber. In some cases, the hardmask layer is baked or annealed following deposition. After which, portions of the hardmask layer are exposed with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light produces a pattern of exposed and unexposed portions of hardmask material. Following the exposure, an etching process, such as a wet etch, may occur that removes the unexposed portions of the hardmask. Following the etch, the hardmask may be annealed, baked or subjected to a plasma treatment. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090261276 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXCIMER CURING - An apparatus for An apparatus for generating excimer radiation is provided. The apparatus includes a housing having a housing wall. An electrode is configured within the housing. A tubular body is around the electrode. The tubular body includes an outer wall and an inner wall. At least one inert gas is between the outer wall and the inner wall, wherein the housing wall and the electrode are configured to excite the inert gas to illuminate an excimer light for curing. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20100095979 | REMOTE PLASMA CLEAN PROCESS WITH CYCLED HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE CLEAN STEPS - A remote plasma process for removing unwanted deposition build-up from one or more interior surfaces of a substrate processing chamber after processing a substrate disposed in the substrate processing chamber. In one embodiment, the substrate is transferred out of the substrate processing chamber and a flow of a fluorine-containing etchant gas is introduced into a remote plasma source where reactive species are formed. A continuous flow of the reactive species from the remote plasmas source to the substrate processing chamber is generated while a cycle of high and low pressure clean steps is repeated. During the high pressure clean step, reactive species are flown into the substrate processing chamber while pressure within the substrate processing chamber is maintained between 4-15 Torr. During the low pressure clean step, reactive species are flown into the substrate processing chamber while reducing the pressure of the substrate processing chamber by at least | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100210112 | METHOD FOR FABRICATING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING A LANTHANUM-FAMILY-BASED OXIDE LAYER - Methods for fabricating a semiconductor device having a lanthanum-family-based oxide layer are described. A gate stack having a lanthanum-family-based oxide layer is provided above a substrate. At least a portion of the lanthanum-family-based oxide layer is modified to form a lanthanum-family-based halide portion. The lanthanum-family-based halide portion is removed with a water vapor treatment. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20110151590 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOW-K DIELECTRIC REPAIR - A method, a system and a computer readable medium for integrated in-vacuo repair of low-k dielectric thin films damaged by etch and/or strip processing. A repair chamber is integrated onto a same platform as a plasma etch and/or strip chamber to repair a low-k dielectric thin film without breaking vacuum between the damage event and the repair event. UV radiation may be provided on the integrated etch/repair platform in any combination of before, after, or during the low-k repair treatment to increase efficacy of the repair treatment and/or stability of repair. | 06-23-2011 |
