A substrate processing apparatus performs a chemical solution process in a chemical solution process room that is partially formed within a chamber. During the chemical solution process, the substrate processing apparatus seals the chemical solution process room, and measures the pressure within the chemical solution process room, and controls the pressure within the chemical solution process room, based on a measured value. Irrespective of location environment of the substrate processing appara...

The present invention is a method for reducing nanoscale surface roughness. The method involves exposing the surface to an environment that preferentially promotes evaporation of material from the region of nanoscale roughness. The methods involve either heating the surface, or flushing an inert gas across the surface, or a combination of both.

Method for removing and/or redistributing material in the trenches and/or vias of integrated circuit interconnect structures by a gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) is described to improve the fabrication process and quality of metal interconnects in an integrated circuit. The process entails opening up an undesired `necked in` region at the entrance to the structure, re-depositing the barrier metal from thicker areas such as the neck or bottom of the structure to the side walls and/or removing some of...

A method of correcting a lithographic process is provided. A physical vapor deposition process (PVD) is performed to deposit a film on a wafer. The asymmetrical deposition of the film on the sidewalls of an opening is related to the change of target consumption in the PVD process. Therefore, the positional shift in an overlay mark may change each time. However, a formula relating target consumption with the degree of positional shift can be derived. The formula is recorded by a controller system...

A method and apparatus for achieving alignment between a spray etcher nozzle and a semiconductor (either microelectronic or optoelectronic, for example) wafer surface. A spray nozzle tip is temporarily removed from the spray nozzle and an illumination source, such as a low power laser, is activated and inserted in its place. The laser emission illuminates the wafer surface and, by adjusting the position of the nozzle, alignment between the nozzle and wafer can be achieved. Once aligned, the nozz...

A cassette for supporting substantially planar objects such as photomasks, glass plates or semiconductor wafers during processing. The cassette is composed of bars connected at each end to an endpiece. Arms which form part of the endpiece are hinged to permit the side bars of the cassette to move inwardly and outwardly from one another when objects are inserted in the cassette. A bridge can connect an upper portion of the arms. The bridge can be used to lift the cassette and cause flexing of the...

Disclosed is a method and a system for wafer backside alignment. A zero mark patterning on front side of a substrate. A plurality of layers are deposited on the front side of the substrate. The wafer is flipped over with backside of the substrate facing up, and a through wafer etching is performed from the backside to an etch stop layer deposited over the front side of the substrate.

A method of forming an insulator between features of a semiconductor device. An insulating material such as high-density plasma (HDP) oxide is deposited over and between features formed on a semiconductor device. The height of the insulating material between the features is preferably less than the height of the features. A sputter process or other removal process is used to decrease the insulating material height of the features and decrease the insulating material height between the features. ...

An improved method for introducing gases into an alternating plasma etching/deposition chamber is provided by the present invention. To minimize the introduction of pressure pulses into the alternating etching/deposition chamber when the deposition and etchant gas supplies are switched on and off, a mass flow controller is used to provide a relatively constant flow of gas. A gas bypass or a gas exhaust is provided such that when a gas inlet to the alternating etching/deposition chamber is closed...

A system and method of generating RF includes a supply voltage source, an oscillator, an output amplifier, a load network, a peak voltage detector and a comparator circuit. The oscillator has a control signal input and an RF signal output. The output amplifier is coupled to the oscillator output. The load network is coupled between an output of the output amplifier and an output of the RF generator. The peak voltage detector is coupled across the output amplifier. The comparator circuit includes...