Jerome C Birnbaum

US Patent:

6548113, Apr 15, 2003

Filed:

Nov 9, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/711666

Inventors:

Jerome Birnbaum - Richland WA
Gary Maupin - Richland WA
Glen Dunham - Kennewick WA
Glen Fryxell - Kennewick WA
Suresh Baskaran - Kennewick WA

Assignee:

Pacific Northwest Division - Richland WA

International Classification:

C23C 1644

US Classification:

42725511, 42725526, 42725527, 42725518, 4272554, 427294, 427296, 438781

Abstract:

Vacuum/gas phase reactor embodiments used in gas phase dehydroxylation and alkylation reactions are described in which the substrate could be subjected to high vacuum, heated to target temperature, and treated with silane as quickly and efficiently as possible. To better facilitate the silylation and to increase the efficiency of the process, the reactor is designed to contain quasi-catalytic surfaces which can act both as an âactivatorâ to put species in a higher energy state or a highly activated state, and as a âscrubberâ to eliminate possible poisons or reactive by-products generated in the silylation reactions. One described embodiment is a hot filament reactor having hot, preferably metallic, solid surfaces within the reactors chamber in which wafers having mesoporous silicate films are treated. Another is an IR reactor having upper and lower quartz windows sealing the upper and lower periphery of an aluminum annulus to form a heated chamber. Finally, a flange reactor is described that includes a flange base and lid forming a tiny chamber therein for a wafer, the reactor being heated by conduction from a hot sand bath.

US Patent:

8012403, Sep 6, 2011

Filed:

Sep 14, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/489924

Inventors:

Jerome C. Birnbaum - Richland WA, US
Glen E. Fryxell - Kennewick WA, US
Shari Li Xiaohong - Richland WA, US
Christopher A. Coyle - Pasco WA, US
Glen C. Dunham - Kennewick WA, US
Suresh Baskaran - Kennewick WA, US
Ralph E. Williford - Kennewick WA, US

Assignee:

Battelle Memorial Institute - Richland WA

International Classification:

B28B 1/30

US Classification:

264656, 264 44, 264628, 264675

Abstract:

Porous ceramic and hybrid ceramic films are useful as low dielectric constant interlayers in semiconductor interconnects. (Hybrid ceramic films are defined as films that contain organic and ceramic molecular components in the structure, as, for example, organosilicates). This invention describes the usefulness of humidity treatments (using specific temperature/humidity treatments as illustrative examples) in increasing mechanical integrity of porous dielectric films with minimal detrimental effect on film porosity or dielectric constant and with no adverse impact on film quality. The efficacy of such treatments is illustrated using surfactant-templated mesoporous silicate films as an example. This invention also describes a specific family of additives to be used with highly pure alkali-metal-free ceramic and hybrid precursors for such dielectric films that will enable better control of the film porosity and quality and lower dielectric constants with the required mechanical integrity. The efficacy of such additives is illustrated using surfactant-templated mesoporous silicate films as a model example.

US Patent:

20020034626, Mar 21, 2002

Filed:

Apr 18, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/837885

Inventors:

Jun Liu - West Richland WA, US
Karel Domansky - Cambridge MA, US
Xiaohong Li - Richland WA, US
Glen Fryxell - Kennewick WA, US
Suresh Baskaran - Kennewick WA, US
Nathan Kohler - Richland WA, US
Suntharampillai Thevuthasan - Kennewick WA, US
Christopher Coyle - Richland WA, US
Jerome Birnbaum - Richland WA, US

International Classification:

B32B003/26

US Classification:

428/312600, 427/240000, 427/385500, 428/313500

Abstract:

The present invention is a mesoporous silica film having a low dielectric constant and method of making having the steps of combining a surfactant in a silica precursor solution, spin-coating a film from this solution mixture, forming a partially hydroxylated mesoporous film, and dehydroxylating the hydroxylated film to obtain the mesoporous film. It is advantageous that the small polyoxyethylene ether surfactants used in spin-coated films as described in the present invention will result in fine pores smaller on average than about 20 nm. The resulting mesoporous film has a dielectric constant less than 3, which is stable in moist air with a specific humidity. The present invention provides a method for superior control of film thickness and thickness uniformity over a coated wafer, and films with low dielectric constant.

US Patent:

20040089238, May 13, 2004

Filed:

Mar 3, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/379289

Inventors:

Jerome Birnbaum - Richland WA, US
Gary Maupin - Richland WA, US
Glen Dunham - Kennewick WA, US
Glen Fryxell - Kennewick WA, US
Suresh Baskaran - Kennewick WA, US

International Classification:

C23C016/00

US Classification:

118/724000

Abstract:

Vacuum/gas phase reactor embodiments used in gas phase dehydroxylation and alkylation reactions are described in which the substrate could be subjected to high vacuum, heated to target temperature, and treated with silane as quickly and efficiently as possible. To better facilitate the silylation and to increase the efficiency of the process, the reactor is designed to contain quasi-catalytic surfaces which can act both as an “activator” to put species in a higher energy state or a highly activated state, and as a “scrubber” to eliminate possible poisons or reactive by-products generated in the silylation reactions. One described embodiment is a hot filament reactor having hot, preferably metallic, solid surfaces within the reactor's chamber in which wafers having mesoporous silicate films are treated. Another is an IR reactor having upper and lower quartz windows sealing the upper and lower periphery of an aluminum annulus to form a heated chamber. Finally, a flange reactor is described that includes a flange base and lid forming a tiny chamber therein for a wafer, the reactor being heated by conduction from a hot sand bath. The dehydroxylation and alkylation treatment of mesoporous silica films produces treated films exhibiting low dielectric constant and high elastic modulus.

US Patent:

63290170, Dec 11, 2001

Filed:

Oct 4, 1999

Appl. No.:

9/413062

Inventors:

Jun Liu - West Richland WA
Karel Domansky - Cambridge MA
Xiaohong Li - Richland WA
Glen E. Fryxell - Kennewick WA
Suresh Baskaran - Kennewick WA
Nathan J. Kohler - Richland WA
Suntharampillai Thevuthasan - Kennewick WA
Christopher A. Coyle - Richland WA
Jerome C. Birnbaum - Richland WA

Assignee:

Battelle Memorial Institute - Richland WA

International Classification:

B05D 312

US Classification:

427240

Abstract:

The present invention is a mesoporous silica film having a low dielectric constant and method of making having the steps of combining a surfactant in a silica precursor solution, spin-coating a film from this solution mixture, forming a partially hydroxylated mesoporous film, and dehydroxylating the hydroxylated film to obtain the mesoporous film. It is advantageous that the small polyoxyethylene ether surfactants used in spin-coated films as described in the present invention will result in fine pores smaller on average than about 20 nm. The resulting mesoporous film has a dielectric constant less than 3, which is stable in moist air with a specific humidity. The present invention provides a method for superior control of film thickness and thickness uniformity over a coated wafer, and films with low dielectric constant.