64369 results about "Aluminium" patented technology

In a novel rewriteable nonvolatile memory cell formed above a substrate, a diode is paired with a reversible resistance-switching material, preferably a metal oxide or nitride such as, for example, NiO, Nb2O5, TiO2, HfO2, Al2O3, MgOx, CrO2, VO, BN, and AlN. In preferred embodiments, the diode is formed as a vertical pillar disposed between conductors. Multiple memory levels can be stacked to form a monolithic three dimensional memory array. In some embodiments, the diode comprises germanium or a germanium alloy, which can be deposited and crystallized at relatively low temperatures, allowing use of aluminum or copper in the conductors.

Catalyst compositions comprising a first metallocene compound, a second metallocene compound, an activator-support, and an organoaluminum compound are provided. An improved method for preparing cyclopentadienyl complexes used to produce polyolefins is also provided.

Embodiments provide a method for depositing or forming titanium aluminum nitride materials during a vapor deposition process, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) or plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD). In some embodiments, a titanium aluminum nitride material is formed by sequentially exposing a substrate to a titanium precursor and a nitrogen plasma to form a titanium nitride layer, exposing the titanium nitride layer to a plasma treatment process, and exposing the titanium nitride layer to an aluminum precursor while depositing an aluminum layer thereon. The process may be repeated multiple times to deposit a plurality of titanium nitride and aluminum layers. Subsequently, the substrate may be annealed to form the titanium aluminum nitride material from the plurality of layers. In other embodiments, the titanium aluminum nitride material may be formed by sequentially exposing the substrate to the nitrogen plasma and a deposition gas which contains the titanium and aluminum precursors.

A programmable metallization cell ("PMC") comprises a fast ion conductor such as a chalcogenide-metal ion and a plurality of electrodes (e.g., an anode and a cathode) disposed at the surface of the fast ion conductor and spaced a set distance apart from each other. Preferably, the fast ion conductor comprises a chalcogenide with Group IB or Group IIB metals, the anode comprises silver, and the cathode comprises aluminum or other conductor. When a voltage is applied to the anode and the cathode, a non-volatile metal dendrite grows from the cathode along the surface of the fast ion conductor towards the anode. The growth rate of the dendrite is a function of the applied voltage and time. The growth of the dendrite may be stopped by removing the voltage and the dendrite may be retracted by reversing the voltage polarity at the anode and cathode. Changes in the length of the dendrite affect the resistance and capacitance of the PMC. The PMC may be incorporated into a variety of technologies such as memory devices, programmable resistor / capacitor devices, optical devices, sensors, and the like. Electrodes additional to the cathode and anode can be provided to serve as outputs or additional outputs of the devices in sensing electrical characteristics which are dependent upon the extent of the dendrite.

Stress of a silicon nitride layer may be enhanced by deposition at higher temperatures. Employing an apparatus that allows heating of a substrate to substantially greater than 400° C. (for example a heater made from ceramic rather than aluminum), the silicon nitride film as-deposited may exhibit enhanced stress allowing for improved performance of the underlying MOS transistor device. In accordance with alternative embodiments, a deposited silicon nitride film is exposed to curing with ultraviolet (UV) radiation at an elevated temperature, thereby helping remove hydrogen from the film and increasing film stress. In accordance with still other embodiments, a silicon nitride film is formed utilizing an integrated process employing a number of deposition / curing cycles to preserve integrity of the film at the sharp corner of the underlying raised feature. Adhesion between successive layers may be promoted by inclusion of a post-UV cure plasma treatment in each cycle.

Various catalyst compositions including the contact product of at least one ansa-metallocene compound, at least one organoaluminum compound, and at least one activator-support are disclosed. Processes for forming such compositions and for forming polyolefins with such compositions are also disclosed. Metallocene compounds are also presented.

An apparatus for heating a substrate of a semiconductor device includes a hot plate, on which a semiconductor substrate is placed, and a heater for heating the hot plate. The hot plate is preferably a composite plate including a plurality of plates having different thermal conductivities from each other. For example, a first plate adjacent to the heater can be made of aluminum, which has a relatively high thermal conductivity. A second plate, laminated on top of the first plate, can be made of titanium or stainless steel, which both have a thermal conductivity lower than aluminum. A composite hot plate as disclosed herein is better able to maintain a constant temperature and a uniform temperature distribution in order to more uniformly heat a substrate and to reduce an amount of energy required for the heating process. In addition, the reliability and productivity of the semiconductor device manufactured by the apparatus can be improved.

Methods for forming dielectric layers, and structures and devices resulting from such methods, and systems that incorporate the devices are provided. The invention provides an aluminum oxide / silicon oxide laminate film formed by sequentially exposing a substrate to an organoaluminum catalyst to form a monolayer over the surface, remote plasmas of oxygen and nitrogen to convert the organoaluminum layer to a porous aluminum oxide layer, and a silanol precursor to form a thick layer of silicon dioxide over the porous oxide layer. The process provides an increased rate of deposition of the silicon dioxide, with each cycle producing a thick layer of silicon dioxide of about 120 Å over the layer of porous aluminum oxide.

A method is provided for forming an amorphous carbon layer, deposited on a dielectric material such as oxide, nitride, silicon carbide, carbon doped oxide, etc., or a metal layer such as tungsten, aluminum or poly-silicon. The method includes the use of chamber seasoning, variable thickness of seasoning film, wider spacing, variable process gas flows, post-deposition purge with inert gas, and post-deposition plasma purge, among others, to make the deposition of an amorphous carbon film at low deposition temperatures possible without any defects or particle contamination.

A system and method for treating a deposition reactor are disclosed. The system and method remove or mitigate formation of residue in a gas-phase reactor used to deposit doped metal films, such as aluminum-doped titanium carbide films or aluminum-doped tantalum carbide films. The method includes a step of exposing a reaction chamber to a treatment reactant that mitigates formation of species that lead to residue formation.

A method is provided for depositing a gate dielectric that includes at least two rare earth metal elements in the form of an oxide or an aluminate. The method includes disposing a substrate in a process chamber and exposing the substrate to a gas pulse containing a first rare earth precursor and to a gas pulse containing a second rare earth precursor. The substrate may also optionally be exposed to a gas pulse containing an aluminum precursor. Sequentially after each precursor gas pulse, the substrate is exposed to a gas pulse of an oxygen-containing gas. In alternative embodiments, the first and second rare earth precursors may be pulsed together, and either or both may be pulsed together with the aluminum precursor. The first and second rare earth precursors comprise a different rare earth metal element. The sequential exposing steps may be repeated to deposit a mixed rare earth oxide or aluminate layer with a desired thickness. Purge or evacuation steps may also be performed after each gas pulse.

A method of forming a nitrided high-k film by disposing a substrate in a process chamber and forming the nitrided high-k film on the substrate 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. The oxygen-containing film and the nitrogen-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, and optionally aluminum, silicon, or aluminum and silicon. According to one embodiment, the method includes forming a nitrided hafnium based high-k film. The nitrided high-k film can be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD).

A wafer holder that prevents positional deviation of the wafer mounted on the wafer-mounting surface of a chuck top and enables better thermal uniformity of the wafer, as well as a heater unit including the wafer holder and a wafer prober mounting these are provided. The wafer holder has a chuck top mounting and fixing the wafer and a supporter supporting the chuck top, and the chuck top has water absorption of at least 0.01% and preferably at least 0.1%. Preferable material of the chuck top is a composite of metal and ceramics, and particularly, a composite of aluminum and silicon carbide, or a composite of silicon and silicon carbide.

The present invention provides a carbon based etch stop, such as a diamond like amorphous carbon, having a low dielectric constant and a method of forming a dual damascene structure. The low k etch stop is preferably deposited between two dielectric layers and patterned to define the underlying interlevel contacts / vias. The second or upper dielectric layer is formed over the etch stop and patterned to define the intralevel interconnects. The entire dual damascene structure is then etched in a single selective etch process which first etches the patterned interconnects, then etches the contact / vias past the patterned etch stop. The etch stop has a low dielectric constant relative to a conventional SiN etch stop, which minimizes the capacitive coupling between adjacent interconnect lines. The dual damascene structure is then filled with a suitable conductive material such as aluminum or copper and planarized using chemical mechanical polishing.

A method with three embodiments of manufacturing metal lines and solder bumps using electroless deposition techniques. The first embodiment uses a PdSix seed layer 50 for electroless deposition. The PdSix layer 50 does not require activation. A metal line is formed on a barrier layer 20 and an adhesion layer 30. A Palladium silicide seed layer 50 is then formed and patterned. Ni, Pd or Cu is electroless deposited over the Palladium silicide layer 50 to form a metal line. The second embodiment selectively electrolessly deposits metal 140 over an Adhesion layer 130 composed of Poly Si, Al, or Ti. A photoresist pattern 132 is formed over the adhesion layer. A metal layer 140 of Cu or Ni is electrolessly deposited over the adhesion layer. The photoresist layer 132 is removed and the exposed portion of the adhesion layer 130 and the underlying barrier metal layer 120 are etched thereby forming a metal line. The third embodiment electroless deposits metal over a metal barrier layer that is roughen by chemical mechanical polishing. A solder bump is formed using an electroless deposition of Cu or Ni by: depositing an Al layer 220 and a barrier metal layer 230 over a substrate 10. The barrier layer 230 is polished and activated. Next, the aluminum layer 220 and the barrier metal layer 230 are patterned. A metal layer 240 is electroless deposited. Next a solder bump 250 is formed over the electroless metal layer 240.

A system and method for treating a deposition reactor are disclosed. The system and method remove or mitigate formation of residue in a gas-phase reactor used to deposit doped metal films, such as aluminum-doped titanium carbide films or aluminum-doped tantalum carbide films. The method includes a step of exposing a reaction chamber to a treatment reactant that mitigates formation of species that lead to residue formation.

Stress of a silicon nitride layer may be enhanced by deposition at higher temperatures. Employing an apparatus that allows heating of a substrate to substantially greater than 400° C. (for example a heater made from ceramic rather than aluminum), the silicon nitride film as-deposited may exhibit enhanced stress allowing for improved performance of the underlying MOS transistor device. In accordance with alternative embodiments, a deposited silicon nitride film is exposed to curing with ultraviolet (UV) radiation at an elevated temperature, thereby helping remove hydrogen from the film and increasing film stress. In accordance with still other embodiments, a silicon nitride film is formed utilizing an integrated process employing a number of deposition / curing cycles to preserve integrity of the film at the sharp corner of the underlying raised feature. Adhesion between successive layers may be promoted by inclusion of a post-UV cure plasma treatment in each cycle.

A method of manufacturing improved thin-film solar cells entirely by sputtering includes a high efficiency back contact / reflecting multi-layer containing at least one barrier layer consisting of a transition metal nitride. A copper indium gallium diselenide (Cu(InXGa1-x)Se2) absorber layer (X ranging from 1 to approximately 0.7) is co-sputtered from specially prepared electrically conductive targets using dual cylindrical rotary magnetron technology. The band gap of the absorber layer can be graded by varying the gallium content, and by replacing the gallium partially or totally with aluminum. Alternately the absorber layer is reactively sputtered from metal alloy targets in the presence of hydrogen selenide gas. RF sputtering is used to deposit a non-cadmium containing window layer of ZnS. The top transparent electrode is reactively sputtered aluminum doped ZnO. A unique modular vacuum roll-to-roll sputtering machine is described. The machine is adapted to incorporate dual cylindrical rotary magnetron technology to manufacture the improved solar cell material in a single pass.

A multi-device semiconductor structure including a p-type logic device, a p-type memory device, a n-type logic device and a n-type memory device are provided on a bulk silicon substrate. Each of these devices includes a dielectric layer and either a n-type or a p-type work function layer disposed over the dielectric layer. Some of the various device types of the multi-device semiconductor structure are protected, and impurities, such as aluminum and / or nitrogen, are added to the exposed work function layers to achieve one or more other desired work functions with different threshold voltages.

Embodiments described herein provide a method for forming two titanium nitride materials by different PVD processes, such that a metallic titanium nitride layer is initially formed by a PVD process in a metallic mode and a titanium nitride retarding layer is formed over a portion of the metallic titanium nitride layer by a PVD process in a poison mode. Subsequently, a first aluminum layer, such as an aluminum seed layer, may be selectively deposited on exposed portions of the metallic titanium nitride layer by a CVD process. Thereafter, a second aluminum layer, such as an aluminum bulk layer, may be deposited on exposed portions of the first aluminum layer and the titanium nitride retarding layer during an aluminum PVD process.