Patent US5863327A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5863327A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for forming materials
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
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Filing: 1997-02-10
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Granted: 1999-01-26
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Expires: 2017-02-10
Abstract
Abstract A semiconductor fabrication apparatus and methods for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer are disclosed. The fabrication apparatus is a processing chamber comprising: an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, the radiation sources symmetrically arranged such that radiation is substantially uniform throughout the chamber and the radiation sources being capable of being used as a film deposition radiation source or a film annealing radiation source or both; an ultraviolet radiation sensor and an infrared radiation sensor to provide a feedback loop to the ultraviolet radiation source and to the infrared radiation source, respectively, so that a desired level of ultraviolet radiation and infrared radiation is maintained inside the chamber. An exemplary method to utilize the semiconductor fabrication apparatus comprises processing a material on a semiconductor assembly during semiconductor fabrication, by the steps of: precleaning a semiconductor assembly in ultraviolet radiation, the step of precleaning performed prior to the step of forming; forming a film in ultraviolet radiation and infrared radiation; annealing the film ultraviolet light radiation and infrared radiation; wherein the ultraviolet radiation and the infrared radiation are supplied by independently operable ultraviolet and infrared radiation sources within the same processing chamber.
Inventors
- 👤 Randhir P.S. Thakur
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 09:31
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0448; C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/448; C23C16/452; C23C16/48; C23C16/482; C23C16/483; H10P72/0431; H10P72/0436
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
70 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources housed within said chamber and arranged so that the transmitted radiation from said sources is distributed substantially uniform to said semiconductor wafer, said transmitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor wafer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
70 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources housed within said chamber and arranged so that the transmitted radiation from said sources is distributed substantially uniform to said semiconductor wafer, said transmitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor wafer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ultraviolet radiation source is a scanning laser emitting a fixed wavelength of ultraviolet light.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ultraviolet radiation source comprises multiple ultraviolet lamps.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 3, wherein said multiple ultraviolet lamps comprise at least two types of ultraviolet lamps that radiate at different wavelengths of ultraviolet light.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
76 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources housed within said chamber and arranged so that the emitted radiation is substantially uniform throughout said chamber, said emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to a semiconductor assembly holding structure; an ultraviolet radiation sensor; and an infrared radiation sensor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources housed within said chamber and arranged so that the emitted radiation is substantially uniform throughout said chamber, said emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to a semiconductor assembly holding structure; an ultraviolet radiation sensor; and an infrared radiation sensor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the ultraviolet radiation sensor provides a feedback loop to said ultraviolet radiation source so that a desired level of ultraviolet radiation is maintained inside said chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
118 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources housed within said chamber and symmetrically arranged so that the emitted radiation is substantially uniform throughout said chamber, said emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to a semiconductor assembly holding structure wherein said radiation sources are capable of being used as a film deposition radiation source or a film annealing radiation source or both; an ultraviolet radiation sensor to provide a feedback loop to said ultraviolet radiation source so that a desired level of ultraviolet radiation is maintained inside said chamber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
118 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources housed within said chamber and symmetrically arranged so that the emitted radiation is substantially uniform throughout said chamber, said emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to a semiconductor assembly holding structure wherein said radiation sources are capable of being used as a film deposition radiation source or a film annealing radiation source or both; an ultraviolet radiation sensor to provide a feedback loop to said ultraviolet radiation source so that a desired level of ultraviolet radiation is maintained inside said chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
36 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an infrared radiation sensor that provides a feedback loop to said infrared radiation source so that a desired level of infrared radiation is maintained inside said chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
109 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for depositing films on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a source gas preheating chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source; a domed-shaped chamber internally comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources axisymmetrically arranged about a central location within said chamber so that the emitted radiation is substantially uniform throughout said chamber, wherein said emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor wafer, an said radiation sources are capable of being used as a film deposition radiation source or a film annealing radiation source or both.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
109 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for depositing films on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a source gas preheating chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source; a domed-shaped chamber internally comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, said radiation sources axisymmetrically arranged about a central location within said chamber so that the emitted radiation is substantially uniform throughout said chamber, wherein said emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor wafer, an said radiation sources are capable of being used as a film deposition radiation source or a film annealing radiation source or both.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 9, wherein said chamber is a plasma enhanced deposition chamber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
60 words
A semiconductor processing chamber for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: radiation sources consisting of ultraviolet radiation lamps, said radiation lamps arranged so that a transmitted radiation from said lamps is distributed substantially uniform to said semiconductor wafer, said transmitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation lamps has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor wafer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
A semiconductor processing chamber for processing materials on a semiconductor wafer comprising: radiation sources consisting of ultraviolet radiation lamps, said radiation lamps arranged so that a transmitted radiation from said lamps is distributed substantially uniform to said semiconductor wafer, said transmitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation lamps has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor wafer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 11, wherein said chamber is a single wafer chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The semiconductor processing chamber of claim 11, wherein said chamber is a multiple wafer chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
87 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing films on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a source gas preheating chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source; a film processing chamber comprising ultraviolet radiation sources and an infrared radiation source housed within said chamber and arranged so that emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation sources has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation sources to a semiconductor assembly holding structure, wherein at least one of said ultraviolet radiation sources is mounted on the sidewall of said chamber.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
87 words
A semiconductor fabrication apparatus for processing films on a semiconductor wafer comprising: a source gas preheating chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source; a film processing chamber comprising ultraviolet radiation sources and an infrared radiation source housed within said chamber and arranged so that emitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation sources has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation sources to a semiconductor assembly holding structure, wherein at least one of said ultraviolet radiation sources is mounted on the sidewall of said chamber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 14, further comprising multiple radiation sensors to sense a wafer temperature resulting from emitted ultraviolet radiation and infrared radiation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
57 words
A fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor assembly comprising: a domed-shaped chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, wherein said radiation sources housed within said chamber are independently operable, and a transmitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor assembly.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
57 words
A fabrication apparatus for processing materials on a semiconductor assembly comprising: a domed-shaped chamber comprising an ultraviolet radiation source and an infrared radiation source, wherein said radiation sources housed within said chamber are independently operable, and a transmitted radiation from said ultraviolet radiation source has an unobstructed path from said ultraviolet radiation source to said semiconductor assembly.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
17 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 16, wherein ultraviolet radiation source is comprised of multiple ultraviolet lamps.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 17, wherein said multiple ultraviolet lamps comprise at least two types of ultraviolet lamps that radiate at different wavelengths of ultraviolet light.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-01-25 | 2002-07-27 | 2003-01-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-01-25 | 2006-07-27 | 2007-01-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-01-25 | 2010-07-27 | 2011-01-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |