Abstract:
A method and apparatus for cleaning residue from components of the vacuum chamber and beamline of an ion implanter used in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. To effectively remove residue, the components are contacted with a gas-phase reactive halide composition for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to at least partially remove the residue. The gas-phase reactive halide composition is chosen to react selectively with the residue, while not reacting with the components of the ion source region of the vacuum chamber.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for cleaning residue from components of semiconductor processing systems used in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. To effectively remove residue, the components are contacted with a gas-phase reactive material for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to at least partially remove the residue. When the residue and the material from which the components are constructed are different, the gas-phase reactive material is selectively reactive with the residue and minimally reactive with the materials from which the components of the ion implanter are constructed. When the residue and the material from which the components are constructed is the same, then the gas-phase reactive material may be reactive with both the residue and the component part. Particularly preferred gas- phase reactive materials utilized comprise gaseous compounds such as XeF2, XeF4, XeF6, NF3, IF5, IF7, SF6, C2F6, F2, CF4, KrF2, C12, HC1, C1F3, C102, N2F4, N2F2, N3F, NFH2, NH2F, HOBr, Br2, C3F8, C4F8, C5F8, CHF3, CH2F2, CH3F, COF2, HF, C2HF5, C2H2F4, C2H3F3, C2H4F2, C2H5F, C3F6, and organochlorides such as COC12, CC14, CHC13, CH2C12 and CH3C1.
Abstract:
A hydrogen sensor including a thin film sensor element formed, e.g., by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD), on a microhotplate structure. The thin film sensor element includes a film of a hydrogen-interactive metal film that reversibly interacts with hydrogen to provide a correspondingly altered response characteristic, such as optical transmissivity, electrical conductance, electrical resistance, electrical capacitance, magnetoresistance, photoconductivity, etc., relative to the response characteristic of the film in the absence of hydrogen. The hydrogen-interactive metal film may be overcoated with a thin film hydrogen-permeable barrier layer to protect the hydrogen-interactive film from deleterious interaction with non-hydrogen species. The hydrogen sensor of the invention may be usefully employed for the detection of hydrogen in an environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen and may be conveniently configured as a hand-held apparatus.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for cleaning residue from components of the vacuum chamber and beamline of an ion implanter used in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. To effectively remove residue, the components are contacted with a gas-phase reactive halide composition for sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to at least partially remove the residue. The gas-phase reactive halide composition is chosen to react selectively with the residue, while not reacting with the components of the ion source region of the vacuum chamber.
Abstract:
Containment packages (10) having utility for transport of hazardous gases and security systems for controlling access to packages, e.g., hazardous gas containment packages (20). In a specific implementation, a containment package includes an overpack (11) for improving the safety and security of gas-containment vessels during transportation, e.g., air shipment, in which the overpack is pressurized by a protective gas at pressure in excess of the pressure in the gas- containment vessels, and a global positioning system (GPS) coordinated programmable lock and key system (30) is integrated with the containment package for controlled access to the gas- containment vessels only when the GPS component indicates that the containment package is at a specific geographic location.
Abstract:
Containment packages (10) having utility for transport of hazardous gases and security systems for controlling access to packages, e.g., hazardous gas containment packages (20). In a specific implementation, a containment package includes an overpack (11) for improving the safety and security of gas-containment vessels during transportation, e.g., air shipment, in which the overpack is pressurized by a protective gas at pressure in excess of the pressure in the gas-containment vessels, and a global positioning system (GPS) coordinated programmable lock and key system (30) is integrated with the containment package for controlled access to the gas- containment vessels only when the GPS component indicates that the containment package is at a specific geographic location.
Abstract:
A monitoring system (100) for monitoring fluid in a fluid supply vessel (22, 24, 26, 28, 108) during operation including dispensing of fluid from the fluid supply vessel. The monitoring system includes (i) one or more sensors (114, 126) for monitoring a characteristic of the fluid supply vessel or the fluid dispensed therefrom, (ii) a data acquisition module (40, 132, 146) operatively coupled to the one or more sensors to receive monitoring data therefrom and responsively generate an output correlative to the characteristic monitored by the one or more sensors, and (iii) a processor (50, 150) and display (52, 150) operatively coupled with the data acquisition module and arranged to process the output from the data acquisition module and responsively output a graphical representation of fluid in the fluid supply vessel, billing documents, usage reports, and/or resupply requests.
Abstract:
A (MEMS)-based gas sensor assembly (35) for detecting a fluorine-containing species in a gas containing same, e.g., an effluent of a semiconductor processing tool undergoing etch cleaning with HF, NF3, etc. Such gas sensor assembly in a preferred embodiment comprises a free-standing silicon carbide (4) support structure having a layer of a gas sensing material, preferably nickel or nickel alloy, coated thereon. Such gas sensor assembly is preferably fabricated by micro-molding techniques employing sacrificial molds (16) that are subsequently removable for forming structure layers.