Timothy W Weidman, 65Portland, OR

6573030, Jun 3, 2003

Jun 8, 2000

09/590322

Kevin Fairbairn - Los Gatos CA
Michael Rice - Pleasanton CA
Timothy Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Christopher S Ngai - Burlingame CA
Ian Scot Latchford - Sunnyvale CA
Christopher Dennis Bencher - Sunnyvale CA
Yuxiang May Wang - San Jose CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G03F 700

430323, 430311, 430314, 430315, 430317, 430322, 430324

A method of forming an integrated circuit using an amorphous carbon film. The amorphous carbon film is formed by thermally decomposing a gas mixture comprising a hydrocarbon compound and an inert gas. The amorphous carbon film is compatible with integrated circuit fabrication processes. In one integrated circuit fabrication process, the amorphous carbon film is used as a hardmask. In another integrated circuit fabrication process, the amorphous carbon film is an anti-reflective coating (ARC) for deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography. In yet another integrated circuit fabrication process, a multi-layer amorphous carbon anti-reflective coating is used for DUV lithography.

6576568, Jun 10, 2003

Mar 29, 2001

09/823932

Robert P Mandal - Saratoga CA
Alexandros T Demos - Fremont CA
Timothy Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Michael P Nault - San Jose CA
Nikolaos Bekiaris - San Jose CA
Scott J Weigel - Allentown PA
Lee A. Senecal - Vista CA
James E. MacDougall - New Tripoli PA
Hareesh Thridandam - Vista CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

H01L 2131

438781, 438780, 4273722, 4274192

A process for depositing porous silicon oxide-based films using a sol-gel approach utilizing a precursor solution formulation which includes a purified nonionic surfactant and an additive among other components, where the additive is either an ionic additive or an amine additive which forms an ionic ammonium type salt in the acidic precursor solution. Using this precursor solution formulation enables formation of a film having a dielectric constant less than 2. 5, appropriate mechanical properties, and minimal levels of alkali metal impurities. In one embodiment, this is achieved by purifying the surfactant and adding ionic or amine additives such as tetraalkylammonium salts and amines to the stock precursor solution. In some embodiments, the ionic additive is a compound chosen from a group of cationic additives of the general composition [NR(CH ) ] A , where R is a hydrophobic ligand of chain length 1 to 24, including tetramethylammonium and cetyltrimethylammonium, and A is an anion, which may be chosen from the group consisting essentially of formate, nitrate, oxalate, acetate, phosphate, carbonate, and hydroxide and combinations thereof. Tetramethylammonium salts, or more generally tetraalkylammonium salts, or tetraorganoammonium salts or organoamines in acidic media are added to surfactant templated porous oxide precursor formulations to increase the ionic content, replacing alkali ion impurities (sodium and potassium) removed during surfactant purification, but which are found to exhibit beneficial effects in promoting the formation of the resulting dielectric.

6583071, Jun 24, 2003

Oct 18, 2000

09/692660

Timothy Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Yunfeng Lu - San Jose CA
Michael P Nault - San Jose CA
Michael Barnes - San Ramon CA
Farhad Moghadam - Saratoga CA

Applied Materials Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 2131

438787, 438761, 438778, 438782, 427240, 4273722, 427452

A process for forming a extremely low dielectric constant film over a substrate. The process includes coating a substrate with a solution comprising a soluble source of silicon oxide, water, a solvent, a surfactant and a catalyst using an ultrasonic spray nozzle. The coated substrate is then subsequently treated to harden the solution into an extremely low dielectric constant film.

6589715, Jul 8, 2003

Mar 15, 2001

09/810369

Olivier Joubert - Meylan, FR
Cedric Monget - Grenoble, FR
Timothy Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Dian Sugiarto - Union City CA
David Mui - San Jose CA

France Telecom - Meylan Cedex
Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G03F 736

430316, 430311, 430313, 430322, 430323, 430329, 216 67, 216 72, 438714, 438734, 438735, 427488, 427489

A process for etching a PPMS layer that increases the etch selectivity of PPMS relative to PPMSO from an initial low etch selectivity to a higher etch selectivity at a later stage of the etching process. In some embodiments, the etch selectivity used during a first etching step of the process is less than 4:1 and the etch selectivity used during a second etching step, subsequent to the first step, is greater than 5:1. In some other embodiments, the etch selectivity of the first step is between 2-3:1 and the etch selectivity of the second step is greater than 8:1. Optionally, in still other embodiments a third etching step, performed between the first and second etching steps may be employed where the etch selectivity is between 3-8:1.

6592980, Jul 15, 2003

Nov 13, 2000

09/711573

James Edward MacDougall - New Tripoli PA
Kevin Ray Heier - Macungie PA
Scott Jeffrey Weigel - Allentown PA
Timothy W. Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Alexandros T. Demos - Fremont CA
Nikolaos Bekiaris - San Jose CA
Yunfeng Lu - San Jose CA
Michael P. Nault - San Jose CA
Robert Parkash Mandal - Saratoga CA

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

B32B 326

4283044, 4283122, 42725511, 4273722, 4273762, 4274192, 106 1413, 106 1441

A process provides a ceramic film, such as a mesoporous silica film, on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. The process includes preparing a film-forming fluid containing a ceramic precursor, a catalyst, a surfactant and a solvent, depositing the film-forming fluid on the substrate, and removing the solvent from the film-forming fluid on the substrate to produce the ceramic film on the substrate. The ceramic film has a dielectric constant below 2. 3, a halide content of less than 1 ppm and a metal content of less than 500 ppm, making it useful for current and future microelectronics applications.

6780753, Aug 24, 2004

May 31, 2002

10/159711

Ian S. Latchford - Palo Alto CA
Christopher D. Bencher - San Jose CA
Michael D. Armacost - Sunnyvale CA
Timothy Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Christopher Ngai - Burligame CA

Applied Materials Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 214763

438619, 438597, 438672, 438697, 438710, 438725, 438737

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a method of forming an air gap between conductive elements of a semiconductor device, wherein the air gap has a dielectric constant of approximately 1. The air gap may generally be formed by depositing a dielectric material between the respective conductive elements, depositing a porous layer over the conductive elements and the dielectric material, and then stripping the dielectric material out of the space between the respective conductive elements through the porous layer, which leaves an air gap between the respective conductive elements. The dielectric material may be, for example, an amorphous carbon layer, the porous layer may be, for example, a porous oxide layer, and the stripping process may utilize a downstream hydrogen-based strip process, for example.

6806203, Oct 19, 2004

Mar 18, 2002

10/101540

Timothy Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Nikolaos Bekiaris - San Jose CA
Josephine Chang - Carmichal CA
Phong H. Nguyen - San Jose CA

Applied Materials Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21302

438736, 438637, 438638

A method of forming a dual damascene structure on a substrate having a dielectric layer already formed thereon. In one embodiment the method includes depositing a first hard mask layer over the dielectric layer and depositing a second hard mask layer on the first hard mask layer, where the second hard mask layer is an amorphous silicon layer. Afterwards, formation of the dual damascene structure is completed by etching a metal wiring pattern and a via pattern in the dielectric layer and filling the etched metal wiring pattern and via pattern with a conductive material.

6818289, Nov 16, 2004

Oct 2, 2002

10/263254

James Edward MacDougall - New Tripoli PA
Kevin Ray Heier - Macungie PA
Scott Jeffrey Weigel - Allentown PA
Timothy W. Weidman - Sunnyvale CA
Alexandros T. Demos - Fremont CA
Nikolaos Bekiaris - San Jose CA
Yunfeng Lu - San Jose CA
Michael P Nault - San Jose CA
Robert Parkash Mandal - Saratoga CA

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Allentown PA

B32B 326

4283044, 4283122, 42725511, 4273722, 4273762, 4274192, 106 1413, 106 1441

A process provides a ceramic film, such as a mesoporous silica film, on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. The process includes preparing a film-forming fluid containing a ceramic precursor, a catalyst, a surfactant and a solvent, depositing the film-forming fluid on the substrate, and removing the solvent from the film-forming fluid on the substrate to produce the ceramic film on the substrate. The ceramic film has a dielectric constant below 2. 3, a halide content of less than 1 ppm and a metal content of less than 500 ppm, making it useful for current and future microelectronics applications.