| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20090162996 | REMOVAL OF SURFACE DOPANTS FROM A SUBSTRATE - A method and apparatus for removing excess dopant from a doped substrate is provided. In one embodiment, a substrate is doped by surfaced deposition of dopant followed by formation of a capping layer and thermal diffusion drive-in. A reactive etchant mixture is provided to the process chamber, with optional plasma, to etch away the capping layer and form volatile compounds by reacting with excess dopant. In another embodiment, a substrate is doped by energetic implantation of dopant. A reactive gas mixture is provided to the process chamber, with optional plasma, to remove excess dopant adsorbed on the surface and high-concentration dopant near the surface by reacting with the dopant to form volatile compounds. The reactive gas mixture may be provided during thermal treatment, or it may be provided before or after at temperatures different from the thermal treatment temperature. The volatile compounds are removed. Substrates so treated do not form toxic compounds when stored or transported outside process equipment. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090215251 | PLASMA IMMERSION ION IMPLANTATION PROCESS WITH CHAMBER SEASONING AND SEASONING LAYER PLASMA DISCHARGING FOR WAFER DECHUCKING - In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090280628 | PLASMA IMMERSION ION IMPLANTATION PROCESS WITH CHAMBER SEASONING AND SEASONING LAYER PLASMA DISCHARGING FOR WAFER DECHUCKING - In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20100190324 | REDUCING PHOTORESIST LAYER DEGRADATION IN PLASMA IMMERSION ION IMPLANTATION - A method of plasma immersion ion implantation of a workpiece having a photoresist mask on its top surface prevents photoresist failure from carbonization of the photoresist. The method includes performing successive ion implantation sub-steps, each of the ion implantation sub-steps having a time duration over which only a fractional top portion of the photoresist layer is damaged by ion implantation. After each one of the successive ion implantation sub-steps, the fractional top portion of the photoresist is removed while leaving the remaining portion of the photoresist layer in place by performing an ashing sub-step. The number of the successive ion implantation sub-steps is sufficient to reach a predetermined ion implantation dose in the workpiece. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20110006034 | METHOD FOR REMOVING IMPLANTED PHOTO RESIST FROM HARD DISK DRIVE SUBSTRATES - A method of removing resist material from a substrate having a magnetically active surface is provided. The substrate is disposed in a processing chamber and exposed to a fluorine-containing plasma formed from a gas mixture having a reagent, an oxidizing agent, and a reducing agent. A cleaning agent may also be included. The substrate may be cooled by back-side cooling or by a cooling process wherein a cooling medium is provided to the processing chamber while the plasma treatment is suspended. Substrates may be flipped over for two-sided processing, and multiple substrates may be processed concurrently. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110101247 | TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF A SUBSTRATE DURING A PLASMA ION IMPLANTATION PROCESS FOR PATTERNED DISC MEDIA APPLICATIONS - Embodiments of the invention provide a method of reducing thermal energy accumulation during a plasma ion implantation process for forming patterns including magnetic and non-magnetic domains on a magnetically susceptible surface on a substrate. In one embodiment, a method of controlling a substrate temperature during a plasma ion implantation process includes (a) performing a first portion of a plasma ion implantation process on a substrate having a magnetically susceptible layer formed thereon in a processing chamber for a first time period, wherein a temperature of the substrate is maintained below about 150 degrees Celsius, (b) cooling the temperature of the substrate after the first portion of the plasma ion implantation process has been completed, and (c) performing a second portion of the plasma ion implantation process on the substrate, wherein the temperature of the substrate is maintained below 150 degrees Celsius. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110104393 | PLASMA ION IMPLANTATION PROCESS FOR PATTERNED DISC MEDIA APPLICATIONS - Processes and apparatus of forming patterns including magnetic and non-magnetic domains on a magnetically susceptible surface on a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a method of forming a pattern of magnetic domains on a magnetically susceptible material disposed on a substrate includes exposing a first portion of a magnetically susceptible layer to a plasma formed from a gas mixture, wherein the gas mixture includes at least a halogen containing gas and a hydrogen containing gas for a time sufficient to modify a magnetic property of the first portion of the magnetically susceptible layer exposed through a mask layer from a first state to a second state. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110127156 | CHAMBER FOR PROCESSING HARD DISK DRIVE SUBSTRATES - An apparatus for forming a magnetic pattern in a magnetic storage substrate. A chamber comprises a chamber wall that defines an internal volume, a substrate support in the internal volume of the chamber, a gas distributor disposed in a wall region of the chamber facing the substrate support, a compact energy source for ionizing a portion of the process gas provided to the chamber, and a throttle valve having a z-actuated gate member with a sealing surface for covering an outlet portal of the chamber. Ions are accelerated toward the substrate support by an electrical bias, amplifying the ion density of the process gas. A substrate disposed on the substrate support is bombarded by the ions to alter a magnetic property of the substrate surface. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110143170 | METHODS FOR SUBSTRATE SURFACE PLANARIZATION DURING MAGNETIC PATTERNING BY PLASMA IMMERSION ION IMPLANTATION - A method and apparatus for planarizing magnetically susceptible layers of substrates is provided. A patterned resist is formed on the magnetically susceptible layer, and the substrate is subjected to a plasma immersion ion implantation process to change a magnetic property of the magnetically susceptible layer according to the pattern of the resist material. The substrate is subjected to a plasma material removal process either before or after the implantation process to planarize the surface of the magnetically susceptible layer resulting from the implantation process. The plasma material removal process may be directional or non-directional. | 06-16-2011 |
