Mona M Eissa

6383928, May 7, 2002

Aug 31, 2000

09/652286

Mona M. Eissa - Plano TX

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

H01L 2144

438687, 438633, 438692

A non-contact post CMP clean-up process. A corrosion inhibitor is used to protect the copper ( ) surface to prevent an electrochemical reaction between the p-well and n-well areas. A multi-step wet chemistry is used to clean all exposed surfaces without etching more than of the dielectric ( ), copper ( ), or liner ( ). The first step uses a basic solution and a surfactant ( ). The second step uses a diluted HF solution ( ) and the third step uses an organic acid solution ( ).

6579798, Jun 17, 2003

Sep 24, 2001

09/960349

Basab Chatterjee - Allen TX
Mona Eissa - Plano TX
Chad Kaneshige - McKinney TX
Vincent Korthuis - Plano TX
Barry Lanier - Allen TX
Satyavolu Papa Rao - Garland TX

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

H01L 21302

438692, 438693, 438694, 438749, 438751, 438754, 134 13, 216 88, 216 89, 216 90

A process for polishing a semiconductor wafer includes the steps of providing a plurality of wafers, forming a first layer, such as a barrier layer, over at least a portion of each wafer, and forming at least one layer including copper over at least a portion of each first layer. The process also includes the steps of providing a first polishing pad, providing a buffing pad, providing a plurality of operatively connected wafer carriers, and disposing a wafer within each of the wafer carriers. The process further includes the steps of disposing a first slurry composition on the first polishing pad and polishing a first wafer with the first polishing pad for a first length of time, in which the first polishing pad substantially removes the copper layer of the first wafer. The process also includes the steps of simultaneously buffing a second wafer with the buffing pad for a second length of time, in which the first length of time is greater than the second length of time, and rinsing the buffing pad and the buffed wafer with a moisture maintenance compound for at least a portion of the time between the completion of the second length of time and the first length of time. Moreover, the moisture maintenance compound substantially prevents drying of the buffed wafer between the completion of the second length of time and the first length of time.

6605536, Aug 12, 2003

May 10, 2002

10/143314

Mona Eissa - Plano TX
Guoqiang Xing - Plano TX
Kenneth D. Brennan - Austin TX
Hyesook Hong - Richardson TX

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

H01L 2144

438687, 438597, 438745

Treating a low-k dielectric layer ( ) using a highly oxidizing wet solution (e. g. , H SO ) to improve patterning. Resist poisoning occurs due to an interaction between low-k films ( ), such as OSG, and DUV resist ( ). The wet treatment is performed to either pre-treat a low-k dielectric ( ) before forming the pattern ( ) or during a rework of the pattern ( ) to reduce resist poisoning.

6723658, Apr 20, 2004

Jul 15, 2002

10/195639

Mona M. Eissa - Plano TX
Antonio L. P. Rotondaro - Dallas TX

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

H01L 21302

438745

A MOSFET structure with silicate gate dielectrics and silicon or metal gates with HF-based wet silicate gate dielectric etch.

6806193, Oct 19, 2004

Jan 15, 2003

10/342547

Vincent C. Korthuis - Corvallis OR
Mona Eissa - Plano TX
Yaojian Leng - Plano TX
Syed Hamid - Garland TX

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

H01L 21304

438692, 438693, 451 41, 451 56, 216 88, 216 89

A method for preconditioning a CMP polishing pad and retaining ring prior to semiconductor wafer polishing. In the method of the present invention, the retaining ring is lowered to contact the rotating polishing pad, and a cleaning chemistry of ammonium citrate is applied to the pad. In an alternative embodiment, the cleaning chemistry comprises an aqueous solution of ammonium citrate, and a surfactant and/or copper inhibitor. After a sustained preconditioning period in which the retaining ring and polishing pad are polished, the pad is rinsed, lowering particulate buildup on the pad between wafer polishing steps, and bringing defect levels into an equilibrium state prior to each wafer polishing step.

6939795, Sep 6, 2005

Sep 23, 2002

10/253791

Mona M. Eissa - Plano TX, US
Troy A. Yocum - Plano TX, US

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

H01L021/4763

438626, 438627, 438629, 438643, 438648, 438653, 438656, 438685, 438687, 438710, 438720

The invention describes a method for the selective dry etching of tantalum and tantalum nitride films. Tantalum nitride layers () are often used in semiconductor manufacturing. The semiconductor substrate is exposed to a reducing plasma chemistry which passivates any exposed copper (). The tantalum nitride films are selectively removed using an oxidizing plasma chemistry.

6967173, Nov 22, 2005

Oct 11, 2001

09/975639

Patricia B. Smith - Colleyville TX, US
Mona M. Eissa - Plano TX, US

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

H91L021/302

438725, 438738, 438745

A method () of fabricating an electronic device () formed on a semiconductor wafer. The method forms a layer () of a first material in a fixed position relative to the wafer. The first material has a dielectric constant less than 3. 6. The method also forms a photoresist layer in () a fixed position relative to the layer of the first material. The method also forms at least one void () through the layer of the first material in response to the photoresist layer. Further, the method subjects () the semiconductor wafer to a plasma which incorporates a gas which includes hydrogen so as to remove the photoresist layer.

6997192, Feb 14, 2006

Dec 13, 2002

10/318688

Nilesh S. Doke - Dallas TX, US
Mona M. Eissa - Plano TX, US
Jeffrey A. Hanson - Dallas TX, US

Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

B08B 3/12

134 13, 134 21, 134 36, 134184, 134902

An embodiment of the invention is an apparatus having a cleaning tank , a megasonic energy source , and an intake pipe where a membrane contactor is coupled to the intake pipe to change the concentration of nitrogen gas in the deionized water contained in intake pipe to a range between 5. 4% to 54% of saturation. Another embodiment is a method of changing the concentration of nitrogen gas in deionized water to a range between 5. 4% to 54% of saturation.