US Patent:
20110151590, Jun 23, 2011
Inventors:
James D. Carducci - Sunnyvale CA, US
Srinivas D. Nemani - Sunnyvale CA, US
Hairong Tang - San Jose CA, US
Hui Sun - Xian, CN
Igor Markovsky - San Jose CA, US
Ezra R. Gold - Sunnyvale CA, US
Iwalani S. Kaya - Santa Clara CA, US
Ellie Y. Yieh - San Jose CA, US
Chunlei Zhang - Santa Clara CA, US
Kenneth S. Collins - San Jose CA, US
Michael D. Armacost - San Jose CA, US
Ajit Balakrishna - Sunnyvale CA, US
Thorsten B. Lill - Santa Clara CA, US
Assignee:
Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA
International Classification:
H01L 21/00
C23C 16/50
H01L 21/465
US Classification:
438 4, 118726, 118723 R, 15634551, 257E21001
Abstract:
A method, a system and a computer readable medium for integrated in-vacuo repair of low-k dielectric thin films damaged by etch and/or strip processing. A repair chamber is integrated onto a same platform as a plasma etch and/or strip chamber to repair a low-k dielectric thin film without breaking vacuum between the damage event and the repair event. UV radiation may be provided on the integrated etch/repair platform in any combination of before, after, or during the low-k repair treatment to increase efficacy of the repair treatment and/or stability of repair.