257 results about "Particle contamination" patented technology

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 method and system is described for reducing particle contamination of a substrate in a deposition system. The deposition system comprises one or more particle diffusers disposed therein and configured to prevent or partially prevent the passage of film precursor particles, or break-up or partially break-up film precursor particles. The particle diffuser may be installed in the film precursor evaporation system, or the vapor delivery system, or the vapor distribution system, or two or more thereof.

A method and system is described for reducing particle contamination in a vapor distribution system. The vapor distribution system comprises a housing and a vapor distribution head comprising a plurality of openings configured to introduce a film precursor vapor to a deposition system. The housing and vapor distribution head define a plenum coupled to a film precursor evaporation system, and configured to receive the film precursor vapor from the evaporation system and distribute the film precursor vapor within the deposition system through the plurality of openings. In order to reduce particle contamination, the vapor distribution system is designed to reduce the difference, or ratio, between the pressure in the plenum and the pressure in the deposition system. For example, the plenum pressure can be less than twice the pressure in the process space, or can be less than 50 mTorr, 30 mTorr or even 20 mTorr than the pressure in the process space.

Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to the fabrication of integrated circuits. More particularly, the implementations described herein provide techniques for deposition of boron-containing amorphous carbon films on a substrate with reduced particle contamination. In one implementation, the method comprises flowing a hydrocarbon-containing gas mixture into a processing volume having a substrate positioned therein, flowing a boron-containing gas mixture into the processing volume, stabilizing the pressure in the processing volume for a predefined RF-on delay time period, generating an RF plasma in the processing volume after the predefined RF-on delay time period expires to deposit a boron-containing amorphous film on the substrate, exposing the processing volume of the process chamber to a dry cleaning process and depositing an amorphous boron season layer over at least one surface in the processing volume of the process chamber.

Space and time co-divided atomic layer deposition (ALD) apparatuses and methods are provided. Substrates are moved (e.g., rotated) among multiple reaction zones, each of which is exposed to only one ALD reactant. At the same time, reactants are pulsed in each reaction zone, with purging or other gas removal methods between pulses. Separate exhaust passages for each reactant and purging during wafer movement minimizes particle contamination. Additionally, preferred embodiments permit different pulsing times in each reaction space, thus permitting flexibility in pulsing.

An electrically conductive, plasma-resistant member adapted for exposure to a halogen-based gas plasma atmosphere includes a substrate having formed on at least part of a region thereof to be exposed to the plasma a thermal spray coating composed of yttrium metal or yttrium metal in admixture with yttrium oxide and/or yttrium fluoride so as to confer electrical conductivity. Because the member is conductive and has an improved erosion resistance to halogen-based corrosive gases or plasmas thereof, particle contamination due to plasma etching when used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment or flat panel display manufacturing equipment can be suppressed.

A sensor for identifying fingerprints or other skin textures includes an array of cells each including a membrane switch. Each switch includes a fixed lower electrode disposed on a chip substrate, and a flexible membrane disposed over the lower electrode and capable of flexing downward to establish electrical contact between the lower electrode and an upper electrode. The upper electrode can form the membrane itself or a layer of the membrane, or can be attached to other membrane layers. Switches situated underneath skin ridges change state (e.g. are closed) by the applied pressure, while switches underneath skin valleys remain in their quiescent state (e.g. open). Adjacent switch chambers are connected by fluid tunnels which allow the passage of air between the chambers. Each chamber is substantially closed to the exterior of the sensor, such that particles from the environment cannot contaminate the switch contact surface defined between the switch electrodes. The cells are preferably not hermetically sealed, such that the pressure within the chamber interiors can stay equal to the external (atmospheric) pressure in varying environmental conditions. The membrane design of the cells according to the preferred embodiment allows improved sensor robustness, enhanced resistance to impact forces, decreased vulnerability to particle contamination, and reduced inter-cell crosstalk.

A method and apparatus are included that provide an improved deposition process for a Tunable Etch Resistant ARC (TERA) layer with improved wafer to wafer uniformity and reduced particle contamination. More specifically, the processing chamber is seasoned to reduce the number of contaminant particles generated in the chamber during the deposition of the TERA layer and improve wafer to wafer uniformity. The apparatus includes a chamber having an upper electrode at least one RF source, a substrate holder, and a showerhead for providing multiple precursors and process gasses.

Enclosures having adjustable clean gas flow environments and methods of enclosed pressure differential distribution technology. Specifically, clean gas flow enclosures, which provide for the isolation of materials from airborne micro-particulate contamination. An embodiment of the invention utilizes a small footprint, modular, selectable, clean-gas flow environment for handling and isolating materials. The environment can be a clean room class environment by providing filtered gas from a gas flow generator (12) through a gas filter (13) to a filtered gas flow space (20). An embodiment of the invention provides a first plenum (23) and a second plenum (26) so that both a horizontal filtered gas flow and vertical filtered gas flow may be used separately or in combination within the same filtered gas flow space (20).

The present invention provides a structure of package comprising a substrate with a die receiving cavity formed within an upper surface of the substrate and a through holes structure formed there through, wherein a terminal pads are formed under the through holes structure and the substrate includes a conductive trace formed on a lower surface of the substrate. A die is disposed within the die receiving cavity by adhesion and a dielectric layer formed on the die and the substrate. A re-distribution metal layer (RDL) is formed on the dielectric layer and coupled to the die and the through holes structure. Conductive bumps are coupled to the terminal pads. An opening is formed within the dielectric layer and a top protection layer to expose the micro lens area of the die for Image Sensor chip. A protection layer (film) be coated on the micro lens area with water repellent and oil repellent to away the particle contamination. A transparent cover with coated IR filter is optionally formed over the micron lens area for protection.

Wafer carriers in an integrated circuit fab are tested for residual particle contamination by replacing the standard carrier door by a test cover having a gas inlet and outlet, counting the number of FM particles exiting the carrier during a flush cycle with a test gas having a known concentration of FM particles and either continuing processing if the number of FM particles is below a threshold, performing a purge with the test gas if the contamination is in a purge range, or sending the carrier out for cleaning if the number of FM particles is above the purge range.

The invention relates to a filter window for EUV lithography comprising a pellicle, a wire structure for supporting the pellicle, characterized in that the pellicle comprises a first layer comprising at least one of AlN, Ru, Ir, Au, SiN, Rh, C. A pellicle with these materials has a very low EUV absorption in combination with a minimal oxidation rate. In a particular embodiment, the thickness of the pellicle is between 30 nm and 100 nm. It can be easily checked that absorption of EUV radiation of such a thin pellicle is equal to known filter windows, i.e. about 50% at a wavelength of 13.5 nm wavelength, but the oxidation of the pellicle according to the invention is much smaller. The filter window can for example be used to separate a Projection Optics box and a wafer compartment of the apparatus or to shield a reticle from particle contamination.

Essential prerequisites for any injectable product are its sterility, its freedom from pathogens and its freedom from visible particle contamination . . . . These requirements must be satisfied prior to the release of an injectable product batch for sale and use. A major difficulty in responding to these assay requirements is the need for a size sensitivity difference of 100 or greater in determining the presence of viable pathogenic organisms and of non-viable random particle contaminants. The wide dynamic testing range cannot be satisfied in current art with a single non-destructive testing station. The present invention uses a special agitation procedure to generate separate liquid volumes containing the small viable and larger non-viable particle contaminants. This separation makes possible the introduction of sensing systems that have been optimized for each size range and that can operate in parallel without interference.

A method for reducing particle contamination during implantation of ions comprises providing an implantation system for implanting ions into a workpiece via an ion beam, wherein one or more components are under selective vacuum and have one or more contaminants in a first state disposed thereon. A gas is introduced to the implantation system, wherein the gas generally reacts with at least a portion of the one or more contaminants, therein transforming the at least a portion of the one or more contaminants into a second state The at least a portion of the one or more contaminants in the second state remain disposed on the one or more components, and wherein the at least a portion of the second state of the one or more contaminants generally does not produce particle contamination on the one or more workpieces.

The present invention discloses a structure of image sensor package utilizing a removable protection film. The structure comprises a substrate with a die receiving cavity and inter-connecting through holes. Terminal pads are formed under the inter-connecting through holes and metal pads are formed on an upper surface of the substrate. A die is disposed within the die receiving cavity by an adhesion material. Bonding pads are formed on the upper edge of the die. Bonding wires are coupled to the metal pads and the bonding pads. A protection layer is formed on the micro lens area to protect the micro lens from particle contamination. A removable protection film is formed over the protection layer to protect the micro lens from water, oil, dust or temporary impact during the packaging and assembling process.

A valve apparatus especially well-suited for use in gaseous oxygen delivery systems. A valve apparatus is provided that substantially reduces the risk of fire in high-pressure oxygen systems. The apparatus is particularly well-suited for use as a plug valve on ordinary cylinder containers, but may be beneficially used in any pressurized gas system, particularly oxygen systems such as those encountered in many industrial facilities. The wetted portion of the valve is isolated from threaded portions to prevent particulate contamination of the gas stream. The valve seat is located to protect it from direct impact of high-velocity gas streams. The inventive valve, and its associated inventive check-filter and excess-flow prevention features, reduces the potential for hazardous combustion at valve points within oxygen delivery systems.

A structure of package comprises a die placed on printed circuit board. A glass substrate is adhered on an adhesive film pattern to form an air gap area between the glass substrate and the chip. Micro lens are disposed on the chip. A lens holder is fixed on printed circuit board. The glass substrate can prevent the micro lens from particle contamination.

An apparatus for controlling the position of a screen pointer includes an at least partially coherent light source for illuminating an imaging surface, thereby generating reflected images. The apparatus includes a navigation sensor for generating digital images based on the reflected images, performing a movement computation based on the digital images, generating movement data based on the movement computation that is indicative of relative motion between the imaging surface and the apparatus, wherein the movement computation has a low sensitivity to effects in the digital images caused by particle contamination.

An image sensor package, a method of manufacturing the same, and an image sensor module including the image sensor package are provided. In the image sensor package, an image sensor chip is installed onto a depression of a transmissive substrate. An adhesive bonds the image sensor chip to the transmissive substrate and seals an Active Pixel Sensor (APS) on the image sensor chip, protecting it from fine particle contamination. An IR cutting film is disposed on the transmissive substrate to minimize the height of the image sensor package. The image sensor package is electrically connected to external connection pads in the depression. Consequently, the image sensor package has a minimum height, is not susceptible to particle contamination, and does not require expensive alignment processes during manufacturing.