Electroplating bath containing wetting agent for defect reduction
Granted: June 19, 2007
Patent Number:
7232513
An electroplating solution contains a wetting agent in addition to a suppressor and an accelerator. In some embodiments, the solution has a cloud point temperature greater than 35° C. to avoid precipitation of wetting agent or other solute out of the plating solution. In some embodiments, the wetting agent decreases the air-liquid surface tension of the electroplating solution to 60 dyne/cm2 or less to increase the wetting ability of the solution with a substrate surface. In some…
CMP apparatus and method
Granted: June 12, 2007
Patent Number:
7229339
Methods and apparatus are provided for the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of a surface of a work piece. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention the apparatus comprises a plurality of CMP systems, a plurality of load cups for loading unprocessed work pieces into and unloading processed work pieces from the plurality of CMP systems, a plurality of cleaning stations for cleaning processed work pieces unloaded from the CMP systems, and a single robot configured to…
Dynamic rapid vapor deposition process for conformal silica laminates
Granted: May 29, 2007
Patent Number:
7223707
A method for using ALD and RVD techniques in semiconductor manufacturing to produce a smooth nanolaminate dielectric film, in particular for filling structures with doped or undoped silica glass, uses dynamic process conditions. A dynamic process using variable substrate (e.g., wafer) temperature, reactor pressure and/or reactant partial pressure, as opposed to static process conditions through various cycles, can be used to minimize film roughness and improve gap fill performance and…
Deposition reactor with precursor recycle
Granted: May 15, 2007
Patent Number:
7217398
A reactor vessel is provided with a solvent in a supercritical PVT state for use in depositing films on a deposition substrate. A metal organic precursor is dissolved in the supercritical solvent, as is a reaction agent. A chemical reaction deposits a film, such as a metal film on a semiconducting wafer, and reaction byproducts including a ligand ensue from the chemical reaction. Effluent from the reactor vessel is submitted to a precursor-forming agent that reacts with the ligand to…
Process modulation to prevent structure erosion during gap fill
Granted: May 15, 2007
Patent Number:
7217658
High density plasma chemical vapor deposition and etch back processes fill high aspect ratio gaps without liner erosion or further underlying structure attack. The characteristics of the deposition process are modulated such that the deposition component of the process initially dominates the sputter component of the process. For example, reactive gasses are introduced in a gradient fashion into the HDP reactor and introduction of bias power onto the substrate is delayed and gradually…
PMOS transistor with compressive dielectric capping layer
Granted: May 8, 2007
Patent Number:
7214630
A salicide layer is deposited on the source/drain regions of a PMOS transistor. A dielectric capping layer having residual compressive stress is formed on the salicide layer by depositing a plurality of PECVD dielectric sublayers and plasma-treating each sublayer. Compressive stress from the dielectric capping layer is uniaxially transferred to the PMOS channel through the source-drain regions to create compressive strain in the PMOS channel. To form a compressive dielectric layer, a…
Hydrogen treatment enhanced gap fill
Granted: May 1, 2007
Patent Number:
7211525
Methods of filling gaps on semiconductor substrates with dielectric film are described. The methods reduce or eliminate sidewall deposition and top-hat formation. The methods also reduce or eliminate the need for etch steps during dielectric film deposition. The methods include treating a semiconductor substrate with a hydrogen plasma before depositing dielectric film on the substrate. In some embodiments, the hydrogen treatment is used is conjunction with a high rate deposition process.
Method for enhancing the nucleation and morphology of ruthenium films on dielectric substrates using amine containing compounds
Granted: May 1, 2007
Patent Number:
7211509
Methods for depositing a ruthenium metal layer on a dielectric substrate are provided. The methods involve, for instance, exposing the dielectric substrate to an amine-containing compound, followed by exposing the substrate to a ruthenium precursor and an optional co-reactant such that the amine-containing compound facilitates the nucleation on the dielectric surface.
Method and system to provide electrical contacts for electrotreating processes
Granted: May 1, 2007
Patent Number:
7211186
Systems and methods to provide electrical contacts to a workpiece to facilitate electrotreating processes, including electroplating and electroetching processes are presented.
Method and apparatus for potential controlled electroplating of fine patterns on semiconductor wafers
Granted: May 1, 2007
Patent Number:
7211175
Controlled-potential electroplating provides an effective method of electroplating metals onto the surfaces of high aspect ratio recessed features of integrated circuit devices. Methods are provided to mitigate corrosion of a metal seed layer on recessed features due to contact of the seed layer with an electrolyte solution. The potential can also be controlled to provide conformal plating over the seed layer and bottom-up filling of the recessed features. For each of these processes, a…
Method and system to provide electrical contacts for electrotreating processes
Granted: May 1, 2007
Patent Number:
7211174
Systems and methods to provide electrical contacts to a workpiece to facilitate electrotreating processes, including electroplating and electroetching processes are presented.
Method of porogen removal from porous low-k films using UV radiation
Granted: April 24, 2007
Patent Number:
7208389
Methods of preparing a porous low-k dielectric material on a substrate are provided. The methods involve the use of ultraviolet radiation to react with and remove porogen from a porogen containing precursor film, leaving a porous low-k dielectric matrix. Methods using oxidative conditions and non-oxidative conditions are described. The methods described may be used to remove porogen from porogen-containing precursor films. The porogen may be a hydrocarbon such as a terpene (e.g.,…
Integrated circuit interconnect fabrication systems
Granted: April 17, 2007
Patent Number:
7204743
A system for processing a conductive surface on a front surface of a wafer to form a metallic interconnect structure is disclosed. The system for processing comprises an electrochemical mechanical processing (ECMPR) module configured to form a substantially planarized conductive layer on the front surface of the wafer, a chamber within the ECMPR module configured to remove conductive material from an edge region of the wafer, a CMP module configured to receive the wafer from the ECMPR…
Workpiece surface influencing device designs for electrochemical mechanical processing and method of using the same
Granted: April 17, 2007
Patent Number:
7204917
The present invention is directed to a top surface of a workpiece surface influencing device and a method of using the same. The top surface of the workpiece surface influencing device is adapted for use in an electrochemical mechanical processing apparatus in which a solution becomes disposed onto a conductive surface of a workpiece and electrochemical mechanical processing of the conductive surface is performed while relative movement and physical contact exists between the top surface…
Method and apparatus to deposit layers with uniform properties
Granted: April 17, 2007
Patent Number:
7204924
The present invention provides a method for forming a conductive film with uniform properties on a wafer surface that has features or cavities. During the process, the workpiece is rotated and laterally moved while an electrodeposition solution is delivered onto the wafer surface at a predetermined flow rate, and a potential difference is applied between the workpiece surface and the electrode. The workpiece is rotated about an axis at predetermined revolutions per minute so that an edge…
Planar plating apparatus
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7201828
An apparatus for performing an electrochemical process on a surface of a workpiece comprises a platen assembly comprising a support platen, an electrolyte distribution plate, and a first conductive layer intermediate the support platen and distribution plate and configured to be coupled to at least a first potential. A carrier is configured to carry the workpiece and position the workpiece proximate the electrolyte distribution plate. A reservoir delivers an electrolyte to the…
Mask plate design
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7201829
The present invention includes a mask plate design that includes at least one or a plurality of channels portions on a surface of the mask plate, into which electrolyte solution will accumulate when the mask plate surface is disposed on a surface of wafer, and out of which the electrolyte solution will freely flow. There are also at least one or a plurality of polish portions on the mask plate surface that allow for polishing of the wafer when the mask plate surface is disposed on a…
Enhanced stripping of low-k films using downstream gas mixing
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7202176
The present invention pertains to methods for removing unwanted material from a work piece. More specifically, the invention pertains to stripping photo-resist material and removing etch-related residues from a semiconductor wafer during semiconductor manufacturing. Methods involve implementing a hydrogen plasma operation with downstream mixing with an inert gas. The invention is effective at stripping photo-resist and removing residues from low-k dielectric material used in Damascene…
Silica thin films produced by rapid surface catalyzed vapor deposition (RVD) using a nucleation layer
Granted: April 10, 2007
Patent Number:
7202185
An method employing atomic layer deposition (ALD) and rapid vapor deposition (RVD) techniques conformally deposits a dielectric material on small features of a substrate surface. The resulting dielectric film has a low dielectric constant and a high degree of surface smoothness. The method includes the following three principal operations: exposing a substrate surface to an aluminum-containing precursor gas to form a saturated layer of aluminum-containing precursor on the substrate…
Method of calibration and data evaluation for eddy current metrology systems
Granted: April 3, 2007
Patent Number:
7198545
Methods are provided for calibrating a tool using an eddy current probe and calibration wafers that each have a measurable predetermined property and a measurement of the measurable predetermined property of a first calibration wafer is different than a measurement of the measurable predetermined property of a second calibration wafer. The methods include determining a first set of impedance measurements of the calibration wafers while each is disposed in the tool and the tool has a tool…
