GCIB Cluster Tool Apparatus and Method of Operation

A cluster tool for processing at least one wafer in a reduced pressure atmosphere, the cluster tool comprising:

• at least one lock for moving the at least one wafer into and/or out of the cluster tool;
• at least one conveying chamber;
• at least one GCIB processing chamber;
• at least one deposition chamber;
• and
• at least one wafer conveying device adapted to transfer the at least one wafer from chamber to chamber.

A cluster tool for processing at least one wafer in a reduced pressure atmosphere, the cluster tool comprising:

• at least one lock for moving the at least one wafer into and/or out of the cluster tool;
• at least one conveying chamber;
• at least one GCIB processing chamber;
• at least one deposition chamber;
• at least one cleaning chamber;
• and
• at least one wafer conveying device adapted to transfer the at least one wafer from chamber to chamber.

A cluster tool for processing at least one wafer in a reduced pressure atmosphere, the cluster tool comprising:

• at least one lock for moving the at least one wafer into and/or out of the cluster tool:
• a multiplicity of GCIB processing chambers;
• and
• at least one wafer conveying device adapted to transfer the at least one wafer from chamber to chamber.

A method for processing semiconductor wafers in a cluster tool system while maintaining a reduced pressure atmosphere in the cluster tool system, comprising the steps of;

• forming a capping layer on a copper interconnect surface and on a barrier layer material surface over a dielectric material on a semiconductor wafer using a GCIB process in a first GCIB processing chamber of a cluster tool;
• conveying the semiconductor wafer from the first GCIB processing chamber to a second GCIB processing chamber of the cluster tool, within the reduced pressure atmosphere of the cluster tool;
• and
• removing the barrier layer material from the dielectric layer using a GCIB etching process in the second GCIB processing chamber.

A method for processing semiconductor wafers in a cluster tool system while maintaining a reduced pressure atmosphere in the cluster tool system, comprising the steps of:

• forming a capping layer on a copper interconnect surface and on a dielectric material on a semiconductor wafer using a GCIB process in a first GCIB processing chamber of a cluster tool;
• conveying the semiconductor wafer from the first GCIB processing chamber to a second processing chamber of the cluster tool, within the reduced pressure atmosphere of the cluster tool;
• and
• forming a dielectric diffusion barrier film on the capping layer in the second processing chamber of the cluster tool using a dielectric film-forming process.