James C Macdougall

US Patent:

6576568, Jun 10, 2003

Filed:

Mar 29, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/823932

Inventors:

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

Assignee:

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

International Classification:

H01L 2131

US Classification:

438781, 438780, 4273722, 4274192

Abstract:

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.

US Patent:

20040071888, Apr 15, 2004

Filed:

May 30, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/448788

Inventors:

Konstantinos Chondroudis - Sunnyvale CA, US
Keith Cendak - Millbrae CA, US
Martin Devenney - Mountain View CA, US
C. Ramberg - San Jose CA, US
Xuejun Wang - Fremont CA, US
Raymond Carhart - Cupertino CA, US
Scott Weigel - Allentown PA, US
John Kirner - Orefield PA, US
Thomas Deis - Vista CA, US
Earl Danielson - Santa Barbara CA, US
James MacDougall - New Tripoli PA, US
Lisa Deis - Pittsburgh PA, US
Sum Nguyen - Fremont CA, US

International Classification:

B05D001/36
B05C011/00

US Classification:

427/402000, 118/663000, 118/688000

Abstract:

The present invention is generally relates to the field of research for the discovery of films with desirable properties, and to a process for making such films. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a system or an apparatus and a method for the rapid formation of a library of liquid samples and a library of thin films therefrom, as well as to the rapid screening of these films to identify those having desirable properties, all of which may be achieved using combinatorial techniques.