Laser thermal processing apparatus and method
Granted: April 2, 2002
Patent Number:
6366308
An method of and apparatus (10) for performing laser thermal processing (LTP) of a workpiece (74) having one or more workpiece fields (78). The apparatus includes a pulsed, solid state laser light source (14) having more than 1000 spatial modes (M) and capable of emitting one or more pulses of radiation with a temporal pulse length between 1 nanosecond and 1 microsecond, a workpiece stage (70) for supporting the workpiece, and an illumination optical system having an exposure field (64).…
Acousto-optical light tunnel apparatus and method
Granted: February 12, 2002
Patent Number:
6347176
A light tunnel apparatus (200 or 300) having an output end (56 or 98), for uniformizing light (L) that travels through a light tunnel (30 or 80). The apparatus comprises a light tunnel having first and second sides (36, 40 or 86, 90), and one or more AO modulators (210 or 310) respectively arranged on at least one of the first and second sides. The AO modulators are arranged such that activating the one or more of them causes at least one of the first and second sides to be displaced.…
Methods for determining wavelength and pulse length of radiant energy used for annealing
Granted: December 4, 2001
Patent Number:
6326219
The invention is directed to methods for determining the wavelength, pulse length and other important characteristics of radiant energy used to anneal or to activate the source and drain regions of an integrated transistor device which has been doped through implantation of dopant ions, for example. In general, the radiant energy pulse is determined to have a wavelength from 450 to 900 nanometers, a pulse length of 0.1 to 50 nanoseconds, and an exposure energy dose of from 0.1 to 1.0…
Folded light tunnel apparatus and method
Granted: November 27, 2001
Patent Number:
6324330
A folded light tunnel apparatus and method of providing light with a high degree of spatial uniformity in a compact arrangement. The light tunnel (100, 190, 300, 350) comprises plurality of prisms (110, 310) having a different cross-sectional dimension (W) and at least one beveled end (110E) having a corresponding beveled end face (110F) through which light reflected by the beveled end passes. The plurality of prisms are arranged adjacent one another in a either two-dimensional or three…
Spill containment pan
Granted: October 23, 2001
Patent Number:
6305569
A liquid containment device for capturing and retaining any liquid falling into the device, such as from a leak, spill or run-off of another liquid container, where the device is designed to fit between the parallel rails of a railroad track with a railroad car positioned above, comprising a generally rectilinear pan or tray and gasket members sealing the space between the pan and the rails. Multiple pans may be connected in line through connector fittings in their end walls, or drain…
Thermally induced reflectivity switch for laser thermal processing
Granted: October 16, 2001
Patent Number:
6303476
A method, apparatus and system for controlling the amount of heat transferred to a process region (30) of a workpiece (W) from exposure with laser radiation (10) using a thermally induced reflectivity switch layer (60). The apparatus of the invention is a film stack (6) having an absorber layer (50) deposited atop the workpiece, such as a silicon wafer. A portion of the absorber layer covers the process region. The absorber layer absorbs laser radiation and converts the absorbed…
Radiant energy monitoring apparatuses including a calibration operation and related methods
Granted: October 16, 2001
Patent Number:
6303917
The invented apparatus can be used to monitor the radiant energy delivered to a substrate for treatment thereof. The radiant energy can be laser light or light generated by a flash-lamp, for example. The apparatus includes an energy-tapping member such as a beam splitter, that is positioned between a source and optical element(s) used to generate and modify radiant energy, and a substrate to be treated with the radiant energy. The energy-tapping member receives radiant energy from the…
Methods for annealing an integrated device using a radiant energy absorber layer
Granted: October 9, 2001
Patent Number:
6300208
The invented method can be used to melt and recrystallize the source and drain regions of an integrated transistor device(s) using a laser, for example. The invented method counteracts shadowing and interference effects caused by the presence of the gate region(s) during annealing of the source and drain regions with radiant energy generated by a laser, for example. The invented method includes forming a radiant energy absorber layer over at least the gate region(s) of an integrated…
Method for forming silicide regions on an integrated device
Granted: October 2, 2001
Patent Number:
6297135
The invented method can be used to form silicide contacts to an integrated MISFET device. Field isolation layers are formed to electrically isolate a portion of the silicon substrate, and gate, source and drain regions are formed therein. A polysilicon runner(s) that makes an electrical connection to the integrated device, is formed on the isolation layers. The structure is subjected to ion implantation to amorphized portions of the silicon gate, source, drain and runner regions. A metal…
Method of forming a silicide region in a Si substrate and a device having same
Granted: August 14, 2001
Patent Number:
6274488
A method of forming a silicide region (80) on a Si substrate (10) in the manufacturing of semiconductor integrated devices, a method of forming a semiconductor device (MISFET), and a device having suicide regions formed by the present method. The method of forming a silicide region involves forming a silicide region (80) in the (crystalline) Si substrate having an upper surface (12) and a lower surface (14). The method comprises the steps of first forming an amorphous doped region (40)…
Spill containment pan
Granted: January 16, 2001
Patent Number:
6173856
A liquid containment device for capturing and retaining any liquid falling into the device, such as from a leak, spill or run-off of another liquid container, where the device is designed to fit between the parallel rails of a railroad track with a railroad car positioned above, comprising a generally rectilinear pan or tray and a removable cover which directs rain water into a drain opening which corresponds to an apertured drain column rising from the bottom of the pan, such that with…
Four-mirror extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography projection system
Granted: November 7, 2000
Patent Number:
6142641
The invention is directed to a four-mirror catoptric projection system for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to transfer a pattern from a reflective reticle to a wafer substrate. In order along the light path followed by light from the reticle to the wafer substrate, the system includes a dominantly hyperbolic convex mirror, a dominantly elliptical concave mirror, spherical convex mirror, and spherical concave mirror. The reticle and wafer substrate are positioned along the system's…
Collapsible liquid containment device
Granted: July 25, 2000
Patent Number:
6092686
A collapsible liquid containment device having a floor, side walls and peripheral skirt made of a flexible, foldable, liquid-impermeable material, where the side walls are supported by foldable brace members having an angled buttress member and an insertion member joined by a hinge, the buttress members being attached to the skirt. The insertion members are inserted into vertical pockets mounted on the exterior of the side walls, and the upper rim of the side walls is provided with a…
Six axis active vibration isolation and payload reaction force compensation system
Granted: July 18, 2000
Patent Number:
6089525
An active vibration isolation and payload reaction force compensation system includes a number of isolation legs which support equipment subject to undesirable vibrations. Each leg includes an elastomeric support member which supports the mass of the equipment and attenuates seismic forces transmitted from the ground to the system. A number of force actuators fixed to each leg and to the equipment in oppositely directed pairs provide forces directed to compensate for motions of the…
Magnetically positioned X-Y stage having six degrees of freedom
Granted: June 6, 2000
Patent Number:
6072251
The respective magnets of each of a plurality of spaced Halbach magnet arrays in both the X and Y directions that incorporate in the arrays in both directions, the magnets having a filed oriented parallel to the Z axis in alternately the positive and negative directions. The magnets in each array in each direction that are not shared by the crossing Halbach magnet arrays each has a horizontal field orientation parallel to either the X or the Y axis with the filed direction in each…
Air-guage nozzle probe structure for microlithographic image focusing
Granted: February 29, 2000
Patent Number:
6029361
An air-probe structure of an air-gauge nozzle that defines an air-probe bore having an elongated, relatively small-area output tip (e.g., 0.3.times.1.3 millimeters) situated at the air-probe structure's output end. Such an air-gauge nozzle is useful in controlling the distance between the bore's output tip and a rowbar workpiece (employed in an optical microlithographic pole trimming step of the fabrication process for thin-film heads) in accordance with the air pressure measured by the…
Microchamber
Granted: December 7, 1999
Patent Number:
5997963
The invented apparatus is a relatively small-volumed chamber useful for processing a substrate. The apparatus includes a reference member with a substantially flat surface. The apparatus also includes a stage member with a surface that supports the substrate, and that has a gas bearing surrounding this support surface. Gas flows through the bearing are regulated to generate a seal of the substrate from ambient gases upon bringing the gas bearing close to the reference member's flat…
Method of making a side alignment mark
Granted: September 21, 1999
Patent Number:
5956564
An apparatus in accordance with this invention includes an alignment mark that is formed in a substrate. The alignment mark extends across a dice line so that, upon dicing the substrate, the mark is exposed in the substrate's side edge. The mark is formed at a predetermined distance from a position at which a feature is desired to be formed on the substrate's side edge using a mask. Accordingly, the mark is a positional reference that can be used for highly accurate placement of the…
Gas immersion laser annealing method suitable for use in the fabrication of reduced-dimension integrated circuits
Granted: September 21, 1999
Patent Number:
5956603
A method for fabricating a plurality of shallow-junction metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) on a selected area of a silicon wafer, in the case in which the MOSFETs are spaced from one another by substantially transparent isolation elements. The method includes the step of flooding the entire selected area with laser radiation that is intended to effect the heating to a desired threshold temperature of only the selected depth of a surface layer of silicon that…
Liquid containment apparatus with flexible side wall
Granted: July 20, 1999
Patent Number:
5924461
A liquid containment apparatus which has an automatically resilient, collapsible wall whereby vehicles can drive into and out of the apparatus. The side walls are supported by brace members having a generally vertically oriented upper member joined by a resistance-type hinge to a base member, such that the upper member can be flexed in either an outward or inward direction. The upper members preferably support the side walls such that they lean inwardly, and preferably the brace members…
