Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for removing particles equal to or less than 100 nm in size from the surface including a silicon wafer, a photomask substrate, photomask blanks, etc. SOLUTION: The ultraviolet cleaning tool has an ultraviolet source arranged in a processing chamber, which can be located above a surface 104 and used during various processing in the processing chamber. The distance between the surface 104 of a glass substrate, a glass surface, a silicon substrate, a plate, a photomask substrate, etc., and the ultraviolet source 102 can be adjusted by moving a rotary chuck 106 using a motor 110. Alternatively, the distance can also be adjusted by moving the ultraviolet source 102 vertically. The ultraviolet source 102 has a wavelength of about 140 to 400 nm and its intensity is equal to or greater than 1 mV/cm 2 , and a high or a low pressure mercury lamp, etc., is used. The ultraviolet source 102 causes ozone that breaks the chemical bond between the particles and the surface 104 to occur, improving the cleaning performance. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To disclose a method for cleaning and recovering a deposition shield surface and a method for using the shield.SOLUTION: This method results in a cleaned shield having surface roughness of about 200-500 microinch, particle surface density of less than about 0.1 particle/mmwith a size of about 1-5 micron, and no particle with a size of less than about 1 micron.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To disclose a deposition chamber shield and a method for manufacturing the same.SOLUTION: A deposition chamber shield includes a stainless steel coating with a thickness of from about 100 microns to about 250 microns. The coated shield has a surface roughness of between about 300 microinches and about 800 microinches and a surface particle density of less than about 0.1 particles/mmof particles between about 1 micron and about 5 microns in size and no particles below about 1 micron in size.
Abstract:
A building houses a semiconductor manufacturing facility, which is circular in shape and is of a multi-story structure. A silo is located at the center for use in storing and transferring wafers to clean rooms disposed radially around the silo at each floor. Human access is not permitted in the silo and in the clean rooms in order to prevent contamination of the wafers. Due to the modularity of the clean room structures, clean rooms can be reconfigured easily without significant impact on the on-going manufacturing operation. The modularity also permits portions of the facility to be deactivated when not needed.
Abstract:
A melt container (12), pref. made of quartz and formed in a U-shape, filled with molten Si (17) above which a container (11) for granular polycrystallne Si (14) is placed to replenish the melt. The melt container is heated (13) to form the melt (17) and maintain its temp. (19) near the opening (25), from which it is poured to form Si wafers. The exit opening (25) is pref at the opposite end of the container from the filler opening (11). The granules container (11) is pref. a drum, pref. made of quartz, which can be rotated and contains a slit opening (15) through which it can be filled and emptied when the drum is in an appropriate position. A friction-less coating is used between the drum and the filler-opening of the melt container to provide a hermetic seal and allow easy rotation of the drum. A gas-inlet opening (24) allows an inert gas ambient to be used to force the melt out of the opening (25) to pour the wafers. The process consists of forming a melt, which is held inside the container by the pressure of the ambient gas, and pouring it onto a spinning plate (30). A method for recrystallisation is also claimed. USE/ADVANTAGE - Faster formation of single crystalline Si wafers compared with the conventional Czochralski crystal bar pulling. Avoids lengthy wafer-cutting process currently used. The method allows very much purer polycrystalline Si to be used and causes much less contamination since it is used quickly as it is poured into the melt container. The recrsytallistion has been modified to minimise contamination of the wafers. Avoidance of wafer sawing also reduces Si waste.
Abstract:
An apparatus, system, and method for a Gigasonic Brush for cleaning surfaces is presented. One embodiment of the system includes an array of acoustic transducers coupled to a substrate where the individual acoustic transducers have sizes in the range of 9 um2 to 250,000 um2. The system may include a positioning mechanism coupled to at least one of a target surface or the array of acoustic transducers, and configured to position the array of acoustic transducers within 1 millimeter of a target surface. The system may also include a cleaning liquid supply arranged to provide cleaning liquid for coupling the array of acoustic transducers to the target surface. The system may further include a controller coupled to the array of acoustic transducers and configured to activate the array of acoustic transducers.
Abstract:
Method, apparatus, and composition of matter suited for use with, for example, immersion lithography. The composition of matter includes hafnium dioxide nanoparticles having diameters less than or equal to about 15 nanometers. The apparatus includes the composition of matter, a light source, a platform for supporting a work piece, and a lens element. The method includes providing a light source, providing a lens element between the light source and a work piece, providing the composition of matter between the lens element and the work piece, and exposing the work piece to light provided by the light source by passing light from the light source through the lens element and the composition of matter to the work piece.
Abstract:
An isolator is disposed between a plasma reactor and its electrical energy source in order to isolate the reactor from the electrical energy source. The isolator operates as a filter to attenuate the transmission of harmonics of a fundamental frequency of the electrical energy source generated by the reactor from interacting with the energy source. By preventing harmonic and subharmonic interaction with the energy source, plasma conditions can be readily reproduced independent of the electrical characteristics of the electrical energy source and/or its associated coupling network.
Abstract:
Methods for characterizing a semiconductor material using optical metrology are disclosed. In one respect, a electromagnetic radiation source may be directed in a direction substantially parallel to patterns on a semiconductor material. A polarized spectroscopic reflectivity may be obtained, and a critical point data may be determined. Using the critical point data, physical dimensions of the patterns may be determined. In other respects, using optical metrology techniques, a critical point data relating to electron mobility may be determined.