Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Coating with electrically or thermally conductive material – To form ohmic contact to semiconductive material
Reexamination Certificate
2009-02-20
2010-11-09
Lebentritt, Michael S (Department: 2829)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Coating with electrically or thermally conductive material
To form ohmic contact to semiconductive material
C438S646000, C438S648000, C438S686000, C438S720000, C438S778000, C257SE21171, C257SE21226, C257SE21274, C257SE21579, C257SE21586, C257SE29017
Reexamination Certificate
active
07829457
ABSTRACT:
In some embodiments, after depositing conductive material on substrates in a deposition chamber, a reducing gas is introduced into as the chamber in preparation for unloading the substrates. The deposition chamber can be a batch CVD chamber and the deposited material can be a metal nitride, e.g., a transition metal nitride such as titanium metal nitride. As part of the preparation for unloading substrates from the chamber, the substrates may be cooled and the chamber is backfilled with a reducing gas to increase the chamber pressure. It has been found that oxidants can be introduced into the chamber during this time. The introduction of a reducing gas has been found to protect exposed metal-containing films from oxidation during the backfill and/or cooling process. The reducing gas is formed of a reducing agent and a carrier gas, with the reducing agent being a minority component of the reducing gas. By providing a reducing agent, the effects of oxidation on exposed metal-containing films is reduced, therefore enhancing the conductive properties of the metal films.
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de Blank Rene
Noiray Jerome
Yoshimi Tatsuya
ASM International N.V.
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Lebentritt Michael S
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