Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An apparatus for processing a dielectric material, the apparatus comprising:a radiation source module comprising a reflector, an ultraviolet radiation source, and a plate transmissive to the wavelengths of about 150 nm to about 300 nm, to define a sealed interior region, wherein the sealed interior region is in fluid communication with a first fluid source;an optical filter comprising a mesh screen having a plurality of openings;a process chamber module coupled to the radiation source module to define a sealed chamber in operative communication with the ultraviolet radiation source, the process chamber comprising a closable opening adapted to receive a substrate, a support adapted to support the substrate, and a gas inlet in fluid communication with a second fluid source, wherein the optical filter is intermediate the radiation source and the substrate; anda loadlock chamber module in operative communication with the process chamber; the loadlock chamber comprising an airlock chamber in fluid communication with a third fluid source and the support. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen comprises an inner zone having a first mesh size, and an outer zone circumferentially disposed about the inner zone having a second mesh size. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inner zone is coaxially aligned with the ultraviolet radiation source. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sealed interior region of the radiation source module comprises an absorbent gas. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation source comprises an electrodeless bulb coupled to an energy source. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation source is a broadband radiation source with a selected wavelength spectrum, adapted to discriminately react with a first set of chemical bonds and functional groups of the dielectric material and is transparent to a second set of selected chemical bonds or functional groups of the dielectric material. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation source comprises a dielectric barrier discharge device, an arc discharge device, or an electron impact generator. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first fluid source comprises an inert gas; an ultraviolet absorbing gas or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing gases; the second fluid source comprises the inert gas, a reactive gas, the ultraviolet absorbing gas, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing gases and the third fluid source comprises the inert gas. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling jacket disposed about the reflector in fluid communication with a cooling medium. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material is a low k dielectric material, a premetal dielectric material, oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides, barrier layer materials, etch stop materials, capping layers, high k materials, a shallow trench isolation dielectric material or combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing dielectric materials. 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process chamber comprises a heat source adapted to heat the substrate. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the heat source comprises a proximity thermal chuck assembly comprising multiple pins for supporting the substrate and a spring mounted or an embedded thermocouple for measuring a temperature of the substrate. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the loadlock chamber is adapted to provide an inert condition for the substrate transferred from the process chamber. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises a reflecting layer formed of an aluminum metal, a dichroic material, or a multilayer coating. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reflecting layer further comprises a protective layer comprising at least one of magnesium fluoride, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, and combinations thereof 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation source is adapted to emit a broadband radiation pattern comprising wavelengths within a range of about 150 nm to about 300 nm. 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process chamber further comprises an in situ irradiance probe positioned to measure an intensity of the ultraviolet broadband radiation. 18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sealed interior region of the radiation source module is in fluid communication with an exhaust or vacuum. 19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a preheating station coupled to the process chamber. 20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen is embedded in the plate and adapted to uniformly disperse the ultraviolet broadband radiation into the process chamber. 21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the process chamber further comprises an oxygen sensor. 22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation source includes a portion that protrudes into or interfaces with the sealed interior region. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the portion includes a terminal end formed of a wire mesh. 24. An apparatus for processing a dielectric material, the apparatus comprising:a radiation source module comprising a reflector, an ultraviolet radiation source adapted to emit broadband radiation, a plate transmissive to the wavelengths of about 150 nm to about 300 nm nm, to define a sealed interior region, wherein the sealed interior region is in fluid communication with a first fluid source;an optical filter comprising a mesh screen disposed between the radiation source and a substrate; anda process chamber module coupled to the radiation source module to define a sealed chamber in operative communication with the ultraviolet radiation source, the process chamber comprising a closable opening adapted to receive the substrate, a support adapted to support the substrate, and a gas inlet in fluid communication with a second fluid source. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the mesh screen comprises an inner zone having a first mesh size, and an outer zone circumferentially disposed about the inner zone having a second mesh size. 26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the inner zone is coaxially aligned with the ultraviolet radiation source. 27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising at least one additional zone circumferentially about the outer zone and having a mesh size different from the second mesh size. 28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the sealed interior region of the radiation source module comprises, an absorbent gas. 29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the broadband radiation comprises a pattern of wavelengths within a range of about 150 nm to about 300 nm. 30. A process for treating a dielectric material, comprising:transferring a substrate having a dielectric material thereon from a loadlock chamber into a process chamber, wherein the process chamber is coupled to a radiation source module comprising a reflector, an ultraviolet radiation source, and a plate to define a sealed interior region, wherein the plate is transmissive to wavelengths of about 150 nm to about 300 nmflowing an inert gas into the process chamber and the sealed interior region;heating the substrate to a temperature within a range from 20° C. to 450° C.;generating ultraviolet broadband radiation at wavelengths of about 150 nm to about 300 nm nm and exposing the substrate to the ultraviolet broadband radiation;transferring the heated substrate at an elevated temperature to the loadlock chamber, and cooling the heated substrate while maintaining an inert atmosphere within the loadlock chamber; andperiodically cleaning the process chamber comprising introducing an oxidizing fluid into the process chamber, activating the oxidizing fluid with the ultraviolet broadband radiation, and volatilizing contaminants from the plate and process chamber. 31. The process of claim 30, further comprising flowing a cooling medium about the reflector. 32. The process of claim 30, wherein exposing the substrate to the ultraviolet broadband radiation comprises flowing an ultraviolet absorbing gas into the sealed interior region to remove a portion of the ultraviolet broadband radiation transmitted to the substrate. 33. The process of claim 30, wherein exposing the substrate to the ultraviolet broadband radiation further comprises simultaneously flowing a reactive gas into the process chamber. 34. The process claim 30, wherein periodically cleaning the process chamber comprises detecting a change in transmission of the ultraviolet broadband radiation into the process chamber, wherein when the change exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the cleaning process is triggered. 35. The process of claim 34, wherein the cleaning process is discontinued when a rate of change of transmission falls below a predetermined rate of change or is at about 100% transmission for a predefined wavelength band. 36. The process of claim 30, further comprising filtering a portion of the ultraviolet broadband radiation prior to exposing the substrate. 37. The process of claim 36, wherein filtering the portion of the ultraviolet broadband radiation comprises disposing a coating, an absorbent gas, an absorbent solid material or a combination thereof in a pathway of the ultraviolet broadband radiation. 38. The process of claim 30, wherein exposing the substrate to the ultraviolet broadband radiation comprises disposing a mesh screen between the ultraviolet radiation source and the process chamber, wherein a portion of the ultraviolet broadband radiation transmitted to the substrate is removed by the filter. 39. The process of claim 30, wherein the dielectric material comprises a premetal dielectric material, a low k dielectric material, a barrier layer, and combinations comprising one or more of the foregoing dielectric materials. 40. The process of claim 30, wherein flowing the inert gas into the process chamber comprises a downflow direction. 41. The process of claim 30, wherein flowing the inert gas into the process chamber comprises a crossflow direction. 42. The process of claim 30, wherein generating the ultraviolet broadband radiation comprises exciting a gas fill with an electrodeless bulb coupled to an energy source. 43. The process of claim 42, wherein the energy source is microwave energy, radiofrequency energy, or a combination of the foregoing energy sources. 44. The process of claim 30, further comprising flowing a gas proximal to the plate within the process chamber in an amount and flow rate effective to minimize deposition of a porogen or any outgassed material from a substrate to the plate. 45. The process of claim 30, further comprising flowing a gas proximal to the plate within the process chamber in an amount and flow rate effective to clean the plate, wherein the gas is activated by the ultraviolet broadband radiation. 46. The process of claim 30, further comprising continuously or periodically monitoring an oxygen concentration in the process chamber. 47. The process of claim 46, further comprising maintaining the oxygen concentration in the process chamber to less than 100 parts per million.