An apparatus may include a semiconductor chip and a fluidics assembly. The semiconductor chip has an array of wells and an array of sensors and each sensor of the array of sensors is in fluid communication with a well of the array of wells. The fluidics assembly is located on top of the semiconductor chip and is configured to deliver fluids to the semiconductor chip. The fluidics assembly includes a flow expansion chamber configured to introduce the fluids, an outlet portion configured to pipe out the fluids, and a flow chamber portion. The flow chamber portion is configured to allow the fluids to flow from the flow expansion chamber to the outlet portion and to allow the fluids to interact along the way with material in the array of wells. The flow expansion chamber has a curved wall at the top or bottom so that the height of the flow expansion chamber at the center is less than at the walls that restrict the fluids to the left and right.

Methods and apparatus for measuring analytes using large scale fet arrays

Methods and apparatus relating to FET arrays including large FET arrays for monitoring chemical and/or biological reactions such as nucleic acid sequencing-by-synthesis reactions. Some methods provided herein relate to improving signal (and also signal to noise ratio) from released hydrogen ions during nucleic acid sequencing reactions.

Methods and apparatus for measuring analytes

A method and apparatus for depositing a low dielectric constant film by reaction of an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas comprising carbon at a constant RF power level. Dissociation of the oxidizing gas can be increased prior to mixing with the organosilicon compound, preferably within a separate microwave chamber, to assist in controlling the carbon content of the deposited film. The oxidized organosilane or organosiloxane film has good barrier properties for use as a liner or cap layer adjacent other dielectric layers. The oxidized organosilane or organosiloxane film may also be used as an etch stop and an intermetal dielectric layer for fabricating dual damascene structures. The oxidized organosilane or organosiloxane films also provide excellent adhesion between different dielectric layers.

Plasma processes for depositing low dielectric constant films

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD) is being increasingly used for the fabrication of transparent dielectric optical films and coatings. This involves single-layer, multilayer, graded index, and nanocomposite optical thin filmsystems for applications such as optical filters, antireflective coatings, optical waveguides, and others. Beside their basic optical properties (refractive index, extinction coefficient, optical loss), these systems very frequently offer other desirable “functional” characteristics. These include hardness, scratch, abrasion, and erosion resistance, improved adhesion to various technologically important substrate materials such as polymers, hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity, long-term chemical, thermal, and environmental stability, gas and vapor impermeability, and others. In the present article, we critically review the advances in the development of plasma processes and plasmasystems for the synthesis of thin film high and low index optical materials, and in the control of plasma–surface interactions leading to desired film microstructures. We particularly underline those specificities of PECVD, which distinguish it from other conventional techniques for producing optical films (mainly physical vapor deposition), such as fabrication of graded index (inhomogeneous) layers, control of interfaces, high deposition rate at low temperature, enhanced mechanical and other functional characteristics, and industrial scaleup. Advances in this field are illustrated by selected examples of PECVD of antireflective coatings, rugate filters, integrated optical devices, and others.

Plasma deposition of optical films and coatings: A review

Strong room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) in the wavelength range 650–950 nm has been observed in high temperature annealed (1000–1300 °C) substoichiometric silicon oxide (SiOx) thin films prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. A marked redshift of the luminescence peak has been detected by increasing the Si concentration of the SiOx films, as well as the annealing temperature. The integrated intensity of the PL peaks spans along two orders of magnitude, and, as a general trend, increases with the annealing temperature up to 1250 °C. Transmission electron microscopy analyses have demonstrated that Si nanocrystals (nc), having a mean radius ranging between 0.7 and 2.1 nm, are present in the annealed samples. Each sample is characterized by a peculiar Si nc size distribution that can be fitted with a Gaussian curve; by increasing the Si content and/or the annealing temperature of the SiOx samples, the distributions become wider and their mean value increases. The strong correlation betw...

Correlation between luminescence and structural properties of Si nanocrystals

A single chamber system for plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition was employed to deposit different films of SiOx:N,H with 0.85⩽x⩽1.91, which are studied here by Fourier transform infrared transmission spectroscopy. The sample composition was determined by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, nuclear reaction, and elastic recoil detection analysis. Moreover, physical properties such as thickness uniformity, deposition rate, density, wet and dry etch rates, and stress are determined. A quantitative study of Si–OH, N–H, and Si–H bonds was performed and interpreted on the basis of the random bonding model; in addition, the presence of NH2, Si–O–Si, H2SiO2, and Si–N groups was detected. The effect of sample annealing at 600 and 900 °C was studied and two species of Si–H bonds were identified, one more stable and the other one easily releasable. A reordering effect of annealing was also detected as a reduction of the amorphous network stress and as the increase of the bond angle in the Si–O–Si groups up...

Infrared study of Si-rich silicon oxide films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

In microelectronics the thermal conductivity of dielectric films such as SiO 2 is of concern because, as dimensions shrink, heat removal from devices becomes a critical problem. A scanning thermal microscope was used to image thermal properties of silicon dioxide films deposited on silicon by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. Thermal conductivity as a function of the layer thickness, ranging 50–1000 nm was measured. To interpret the experimental thermal data, a model has been developed on the basis of previously published heat-transfer concepts. An intrinsic thermal conductivity of 1.31 ± 0.11 W/K/m was calculated independent of the thickness and a thermal resistance of (6.8 ± 0.35) × 10 −7 m 2 K/W was calculated at the interfaces.

Thermal conductivity of SiO2 films by scanning thermal microscopy

A method for improved adhesion between dielectric material layers at their interface during the manufacture of a semiconductor device, comprising operations for forming a first layer (1) of a dielectric material, specifically silicon oxynitride or silicon nitride, on a circuit structure (7) defined on a substrate of a semiconductor material (6) and subsequently forming a second layer (3) of dielectric material (silicon oxynitride or silicon nitride particularly) overlying the first layer (1). Between the first dielectric material layer and the second, a thin oxide layer (2), silicon dioxide in the preferred embodiment, is formed in contact therewith. This interposed oxide (2) serves an adhesion layer function between two superimposed layers (1,3).

Adhesion between dielectric layers in an integrated circuit

Borophosphosilicate glass films prepared by chemical vapor deposition techniques based on atmospheric pressure, low pressure with liquid and gaseous sources, and low pressure plasma enhanced processes in the temperature range of 390–680 °C have been studied Films with low B (15 wt %) and high P (90 wt %) content were used for this study To evaluate the effect of different thermal treatments, the films were annealed in a horizontal furnace at 920 °C for 30 min in three different ambients, ie, N2, N2/O2, and H2/O2 and with rapid thermal annealing at 1050 °C for 10 s in a N2 ambient The main properties of the as‐deposited and annealed samples such as elemental content, thickness uniformity, shrinkage, density, refractive index, wet etch rate, stress, step coverage, and reflow are reported Infrared absorption measurements were performed to study the water and Si–OH group presence in the films and P=O, B–O, Si–O bond behavior and interactions The best physical and chemical film properties were obtained using liquid sources in a low pressure system These films were tested as the interlevel dielectric in 1 Mbit erasable programmable read‐only memory devices and good electrical performances were obtained, comparable with atmospheric pressure deposited films

Luca Zanotti

Papers

Infrared study of Si-rich silicon oxide films deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Thermal conductivity of SiO2 films by scanning thermal microscopy

Adhesion between dielectric layers in an integrated circuit

Properties of borophosphosilicate glass films deposited by different chemical vapor deposition techniques

Process for improving the interface union among dielectric materials in an integrated circuit manufacture