Abstract:
A semiconductor device containing a substrate (25, 92) and a nitrided high-k film (96) on the substrate (25, 92), and method of forming a nitrided high-k film (96). The nitrided high-k film (96) contains an oxygen-containing film and a nitrogen- containing film that is oxidized through at least a portion of the thickness thereof. The nitrogen-containing film and the oxygen-containing film contain the same one or more metal elements selected from alkaline earth elements, rare earth elements, and Group IVB elements of the Periodic Table. The nitrided high-k film (96) can optionally further contain aluminum, siiicon, or aluminum and silicon. The nitrided high-k film (96) is formed on the substrate (25, 92) by a) depositing a nitrogen-containing film, and b) depositing an oxygen-containing film, wherein steps a) and b) are performed in any order, any number of times, so as to oxidize at least a portion of the thickness of the nitrogen-containing film. According to one embodiment, the method includes forming a nitrided hafnium based high-k film (96).
Abstract:
A method of integrated processing of a patterned substrate (400, 600) for copper metallization. The method includes providing the patterned substrate (400, 600) containing a via (426, 626) and a trench (424, 624) in a vacuum processing tool (300), and performing an integrated process on the patterned substrate (400, 600) in the vacuum processing tool (300) by depositing a first metal-containing layer (428, 628) over the patterned substrate (400, 600), removing by sputter etching the first metal-containing layer (428, 628) from the bottom (426b, 626b) of the via (426, 626) and at least partially removing the first metal-containing layer (428, 628) from the bottom (424b, 624b) of the trench (424,624), depositing a conformal Ru layer (432, 632) onto the sputter etched first metal-containing layer (428a, 628a), depositing a non-conformal Cu layer (434,634) on the conformal Ru layer (432), and plating Cu (436, 636) over the patterned substrate (400, 600). According to one embodiment of the invention, the method can further include depositing a second metal-containing layer (430) onto the sputter etched first metal-containing layer (428a) prior to depositing the conformal Ru layer (432).
Abstract:
A method and integrated system (100) are provided for purifying and delivering a metal carbonyl precursor (114) utilized to process a substrate. The method includes providing the metal carbonyl precursor (114) containing un-reacted metal carbonyl precursor and metal-containing impurities in a metal precursor vaporization chamber (110) containing a precursor collection plate (120, 130), evacuating the metal precursor vaporization chamber (110), pressurizing the metal precursor vaporization chamber (110) with a CO-containing gas, vaporizing the un-reacted metal carbonyl precursor, and condensing the vaporized un-reacted metal carbonyl precursor as a purified metal carbonyl precursor (120a, 130a) on the precursor collection plate (120, 130). The method may further include vaporizing the purified metal carbonyl precursor (120a, 130a), and delivering a process gas containing the vapor of the purified metal carbonyi precursor (120a, 130a) by flowing a gas containing CO through the metai precursor vaporization chamber (110) to a deposition system (150) configured to expose a substrate to the process gas.
Abstract:
A method of monitoring a processing system (100, 200, 300) in real-time using low-pressure based modeling techniques that include processing one or more of wafers (W) in a processing chamber (50, 104, 202), calculating dynamic estimation errors for the precursor and/or purging process, and determining if the dynamic estimation errors can be associated with pre-existing BIST rules for the process. When the dynamic estimation error cannot be associated with a pre-existing BIST rule, the method includes either modifying the BlST table by creating a new BIST rule for the process, or stopping the process when a new BIST rule cannot be created.
Abstract:
A method and system for non-invasive sensing and monitoring of a processing system (100, 200) employed in semiconductor manufacturing. The method allows for detecting and diagnosing drift and failures in the processing system (100, 200) and taking the appropriate correcting measures. The method includes positioning at least one non-invasive sensor (247a-d, 248a-b, 249a-b, 250a-c, 906) on an outer surface of a system component of the processing system (200), where the at least one non- invasive sensor forms a wireless sensor network (902), acquiring a sensor signal from the at least one non-invasive sensor (247a-d, 248a-b, 249a-b, 250a-c, 906), where the sensor signal tracks a gradual or abrupt change in a processing state of the system component during flow of a process gas in contact with the system component, and extracting the sensor signal from the wireless sensor network (902) to store and process the sensor signal. In one embodiment, the non-invasive sensor (247a-d, 248a-b, 249a-b, 250a-c, 906) can be an accelerometer sensor and the wireless sensor network (902) can be motes-based.
Abstract:
A method (300) for forming a Ru layer (560, 560', 561 , 580) for an integrated circuit by providing a patterned substrate (500, 504) in a process chamber (10, 110), and exposing the substrate (25, 125, 500, 504) to a process gas comprising a ruthenium carbonyl precursor and a CO gas to form a Ru layer (560, 560', 561 , 580) over a feature (530, 532, 533) of the patterned substrate (500, 504). In one embodiment, the CO partial pressure in the process chamber (10, 110) is varied during the exposing to control the step coverage of the Ru layer (560, 560', 561 , 580) over the feature (530, 532, 533). In an alternative or further embodiment, the step coverage can be controlled by varying the substrate temperature during the exposure.
Abstract:
Method and system for pumping a hyperthermal neutral beam source (205) is described. The pumping system (230) enables use of the hyperthermal neutral beam source (205) for semiconductor processing applications, such as etching processes. An embodiment is described having a neutral beam source (205) coupled to a processing chamber (210) through a neutralizing grid (248). Control is provided by separately pumping the neutral beam source (205) and the processing chamber (210).
Abstract:
Method and system for pumping a hyperthermal neutral beam source (205) is described. The pumping system (230) enables use of the hyperthermal neutral beam source (205) for semiconductor processing applications, such as etching processes. An embodiment is described having a neutral beam source (205) coupled to a processing chamber (210) through a neutralizing grid (248). Control is provided by separately pumping the neutral beam source (205) and the processing chamber (210).
Abstract:
A method of creating and/or modifying a built-in self test (BIST) table for monitoring a thermal processing system (100, 200) in real-time that includes positioning a plurality of wafers (W) in a processing chamber (202) in the thermal processing system (100, 200); executing a real-time dynamic model (330) to generate a predicted dynamic process response; creating a measured dynamic process response; determining a dynamic estimation error; determining if the determined dynamic estimation error can be associated with a pre-existing BIST rule in the BIST table; creating a new BIST rule when the dynamic estimation error cannot be associated with any pre-existing BIST rule in the BIST table; and stopping the process when a new BIST rule cannot be created.
Abstract:
An adaptive real time thermal processing system is presented that includes a multivariable controller. The method includes creating a dynamic model of the Monolayer Deposition (MLD) processing system and incorporating virtual sensors in the dynamic model. The method includes using process recipes comprising intelligent set points, dynamic models, and/or virtual sensors.