Abstract 1. IN A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING A SUBSTRATE HAVING A NUMNER OF OPERATING SEMICONDUCTOR REGIONS FORMING AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID REGIONS BEING CONTIGUOUS WITH A GIVEN SURFACE OF SAID SUBSTRATE; FROMING A LAYER OF INSULATING MATERIAL ON SAID GIVEN SURFACE OVERLYING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID AT ONE REGION, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE DELETERIOUS METAL INGREDIENT; EXPOSING SAID LAYER TO AN ATMOSPHERE COMPRISING A HYDROGEN HALIDE; AMD HEATING SAID SUBSTRATE TO A GIVEN TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID METAL TO THE METAL HALIDE AND TO VOLATILIZE THE HALIDE AT THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF SAID INSULATING LAYER, THEREBY ESTABLISHING A GRADIENT FOR OUT-DIFFUSION OF SAID METAL FROM SAID DEVICE TOWARD SAID EXPOSED SURFACE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID ATMOSPHERE IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF WATER VAPOR.
IN A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING A SUBSTRATE HAVING A NUMNER OF OPERATING SEMICONDUCTOR REGIONS FORMING AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID REGIONS BEING CONTIGUOUS WITH A GIVEN SURFACE OF SAID SUBSTRATE; FROMING A LAYER OF INSULATING MATERIAL ON SAID GIVEN SURFACE OVERLYING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID AT ONE REGION, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE DELETERIOUS METAL INGREDIENT; EXPOSING SAID LAYER TO AN ATMOSPHERE COMPRISING A HYDROGEN HALIDE; AMD HEATING SAID SUBSTRATE TO A GIVEN TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID METAL TO THE METAL HALIDE AND TO VOLATILIZE THE HALIDE AT THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF SAID INSULATING LAYER, THEREBY ESTABLISHING A GRADIENT FOR OUT-DIFFUSION OF SAID METAL FROM SAID DEVICE TOWARD SAID EXPOSED SURFACE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID ATMOSPHERE IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF WATER VAPOR.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
IN A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PROVIDING A SUBSTRATE HAVING A NUMNER OF OPERATING SEMICONDUCTOR REGIONS FORMING AT LEAST ONE ACTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID REGIONS BEING CONTIGUOUS WITH A GIVEN SURFACE OF SAID SUBSTRATE; FROMING A LAYER OF INSULATING MATERIAL ON SAID GIVEN SURFACE OVERLYING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID AT ONE REGION, SAID DEVICE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE DELETERIOUS METAL INGREDIENT; EXPOSING SAID LAYER TO AN ATMOSPHERE COMPRISING A HYDROGEN HALIDE; AMD HEATING SAID SUBSTRATE TO A GIVEN TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO CONVERT SAID METAL TO THE METAL HALIDE AND TO VOLATILIZE THE HALIDE AT THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF SAID INSULATING LAYER, THEREBY ESTABLISHING A GRADIENT FOR OUT-DIFFUSION OF SAID METAL FROM SAID DEVICE TOWARD SAID EXPOSED SURFACE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID ATMOSPHERE IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF WATER VAPOR.