Patent Publication Number: US-7585686-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for processing a wafer

Description:
This is a Divisional of Application of Ser. No. 11/605,584, filed Nov. 27, 2006 which is Divisional of Ser. No. 10/229,446, filed Aug. 27, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,599 which is a Continuation-in-Part of prior application Ser. No. 09/945,454, filed Aug. 31, 2001 now abandoned. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing and more specifically to a method and apparatus for atmospheric and sub-atmospheric processing of a single wafer. 
   2. Discussion of Related Art 
   In silicon wafer processing, a wafer undergoes a predetermined sequence and steps to make an electronic circuit. Some steps are carried out at an atmospheric pressure while other steps are carried out at a sub-atmospheric pressure. Typically, a wafer undergoes a process step in a process chamber. Process chambers are loaded by a robot. Either a single robot, or more than one robot, for loading a single process chamber or more than one process chambers together with process chambers is called a tool or platform. Different tools or platforms can contain different of similar process chambers. All tools together contain the necessary process chambers to complete an entire process sequence that is necessary to fabricate an electronic circuit. Wafers are transported from one tool to another tool in cassettes. In each tool a robot takes the wafers out of the cassette and loads them separately or in a batch into a process chamber or multiple process chambers of that particular tool. After processing, the robot returns the wafers to the same cassette or to a different cassette and the entire cassette is then transported to the next tool in the fab to perform the next process step. 
   In a number of instances, it is advantageous to combine several different process chambers in one tool. In such a tool the robot takes the wafers out of the wafer cassette and loads them into the first process chamber. After the process is finished in that process chamber, instead of returning the wafer to the cassette the robot then loads the wafer into the next process chamber to perform the next process step. After the next process step, there can be another process step and so on until the wafer has undergone all process steps that are available in that tool. After the last process step of that tool, the wafers are then finally returned to their wafer cassette and the cassette transported to the next tool in the fab. Such a tool with one or more different process chambers are presently referred to as “cluster tools”. 
   The advantages of a cluster tool include: reduced wafer traveling distance, reduced footprint, reduced cycle time, and improved yield. The reduced wafer traveling distance, reduced footprint, and reduced cycle time are a result of the reduced handling of the wafers. The improved yield is a result of the reduced exposure of the wafer surface to the fab atmosphere. The detrimental affect of the fab atmosphere exposure during transport from one tool to another is dependent on the particular sequence of process steps. Fab atmosphere exposure can be very detrimental to electronic circuit yield between certain steps while it may not affect whatsoever the yield between certain other steps. 
   The clustering of different process steps in one tool also has some disadvantages. For example, if one process chamber is inoperable due to a technical failure, the entire tool may not be available and therefore technical failure in one process chamber can have detrimental affect on the availability of the other process chambers. Nevertheless, in certain occasions, the advantages outlined above of clustering different sequential process tools in one tool might be higher than the disadvantage of lower availability or reliability. Therefore, there are a number of instances where clustering of different process steps and different process chambers around one or more robots in the single tool is desirable. There are a number of examples where this has been done and where commercial success is achieved proving the benefits of such clustering. Most of the existing clustering tools have some process benefit (i.e., reduced exposure to the fab environment increases the yield). 
   One example of a cluster tool is a sub-atmospheric cluster tool. In such a tool different sub-atmospheric process chambers are provided around a sub-atmospheric wafer handler or robot. In this case, the clustering provides a benefit that the process chambers do not get exposed to the atmosphere and the wafers do not get exposed to the atmosphere while being transferred from one chamber to another chamber. This is especially useful in the sequence, such as titanium nitride sputtering, aluminum sputtering, titanium nitride sputtering which is generally used to form metal interconnects of an integrated circuit. Another example of a cluster tool is an atmospheric process cluster tool. For example, a chemical mechanical polishing process chamber can be clustered with a cleaning step such that the wafers are transported from the chemical polishing process to the cleaning process while the wafers are still in a wet condition. This avoids having to dry the wafers between the two steps. Drying wafers between the two steps makes it much more difficult to clean the wafers. 
   Thus, what is desired are novel cluster tool combinations as well as cluster tools which utilizes both atmospheric and sub-atmospheric process chambers. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A method of a single wafer wet/dry cleaning apparatus comprising: 
   a transfer chamber having a wafer handler contained therein; 
   a first single wafer wet cleaning chamber directly coupled to the transfer chamber; and 
   a first single wafer ashing chamber directly coupled to the transfer chamber. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an overhead illustration of a atmospheric cluster tool having a single wafer wet cleaning module, a single wafer strip module, and a integrated process metrology tool each coupled around an atmospheric transfer chamber having a robot contained therein. 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  is an illustration of a single wafer wet clean module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of an integrated particle monitoring tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of a single wafer stripping module in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5A-5D  illustrate a dry stripping and wet cleaning process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is an illustration of a atmospheric/sub-atmospheric process tool for the etching, stripping, cleaning and monitoring of a wafer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a review or monitoring tool according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  are flowcharts illustrating sequential steps in monitoring methods according to embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic sectional sideview of an etching chamber. 
       FIGS. 10A-10E  illustrate a method of etching conductive features, and then stripping and cleaning a wafer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 11A-11F  illustrate a damascene process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 12  is an illustration of an atmospheric/sub-atmospheric process tool which can be used to clean, grow a dielectric layer, and deposit a silicon film on a wafer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 13A  illustrate a rapid thermal heating apparatus which can grow a dielectric layer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 13B  illustrate the light source placement in the rapid thermal heating apparatus of  FIG. 13A . 
       FIG. 14A  shows an illustration of a cross-sectional side view a processing chamber comprising of a resistive heater in a “wafer-process” position in accordance with an embodiment of the invention through first cross-section and a second cross-section each through one-half of the chamber. 
       FIG. 14B  shows an illustration of a similar cross-sectional side view as in  FIG. 14A  in a wafer separate position. 
       FIG. 14C  shows an illustration of a similar cross-sectional side view as in  FIG. 14A  in a wafer load position. 
       FIG. 15A-15E  illustrate a method of depositing and forming a dielectric film and a gate electrode in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 16A-16C  illustrate a method of removing a silicon nitride film in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 17A  is a perspective view of high k dielectric deposition module of the present invention. 
       FIG. 17B  is a cross sectional view of the chamber of high k dielectric deposition module. 
       FIG. 17C  is a schematic view of a typical remote plasma generator. 
       FIG. 18A  is an overhead illustration of a photolithographic tool in accordance with the present invention. 
       FIG. 18B  is an overhead illustration of a photolithographic tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 18C  is an overhead illustration of a photolithographic process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 18D  is an overhead illustration of a photolithographic apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 19A-19G  illustrates a method of cleaning a wafer, forming a photoresist film on the wafer and exposing the photoresist film in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 20A  is an illustration of a computer/controller which can be used in the tools of the present invention. 
       FIG. 20B  is an illustration of a software program which can be used to control the tools of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   I) Dry/Wet Processing Tool 
     FIG. 1  illustrates an apparatus or system  100  for the stripping (ashing), wet cleaning and particle monitoring of a wafer during the manufacture of a semiconductor integrated circuit. The cleaning apparatus  100  includes a central transfer chamber  102  having a wafer handling device  104  contained therein. Directly attached to transfer chamber  102  is a single wafer wet cleaning module  200 , a strip module  400 , and an integrated process monitoring tool  300 , such as an integrated particle monitor. Wet cleaning module  200 , strip module  400 , and integrated particle monitor  300  are each connected to transfer chamber  102  through a separately closable opening. In an embodiment of the present invention, a second wet cleaning module  200 B and/or a second strip module  400 B are also coupled to transfer chamber  102 . In an embodiment of the present invention, transfer chamber  102  is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure (i.e., atmospheric transfer chamber) during operation. In an embodiment of the present invention, the atmospheric transfer chamber  102  can be opened or exposed to the atmosphere of a semiconductor fabrication “clean room” in which it is located. In such a case, the transfer chamber  102  may contain an overhead filter, such as a hepafilter to provide a high velocity flow of clean air or an inert ambient such as N 2 , to prevent contaminants from finding their way into the atmospheric transfer chamber. In other embodiments, the atmospheric transfer chamber  102  is a closed system and may contain its own ambient, of clean air or an inert ambient, such as nitrogen gas (N 2 ). 
   Transfer chamber  102  includes a wafer handling robot which can transfer a wafer from one module to another. In an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer handler is a single robot with two wafer handling blades  114  and  116  which both rotate about a single axis  119  coupled to the end of a single arm  120 . Robot  104  can be said to be a dual blade single arm, single wrist robot. Robot  104  moves on a track  122  along a single axis in transfer chamber  102 . 
   A system computer  124  is coupled to and controls each wet clean module  200 , strip module  400  and integrated particle monitoring module  300  as well as the operation of transfer chamber  102  and robot  104 . Computer  124  enables the feedback from one module, such as the integrated particle monitoring module, to be used to control the flow of a wafer through system  100  and/or to control the process within a different module. 
   Also coupled to transfer chamber  102  is at least one wafer input/output module  130  or pod for providing wafers to system  100  and for taking wafers away from system  100 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer input/output module  106  is a front opening unified pod (FOUP) which is a container having a slideable and sealable door and which contains a cassette of between 13-25 horizontally spaced wafers. Transfer chamber  102  contains a sealable access door  110  which slides vertically up and down to enable access into and out of transfer chamber  102 . In an embodiment of the present invention, apparatus  100  includes two FOUP&#39;s,  106  and  108  one for providing wafers into system  100  and one for removing completed or processed wafers from system  100 . However, a wafer can be inputted and outputted from the same FOUP, if desired. A second access door  112  is provided to accommodate a second FOUP  108 . Each access door can be attached to the counter part door on each FOUP so that when the transfer chamber access door  110  and  112  slides open, it opens the door of the FOUP to provide access for the robot into the FOUP. The FOUP&#39;s can be manually inserted onto apparatus  100  or a wafer stocking system  114 , such as a Stocker, having multiple FOUP&#39;s in a rail system can be used to load and remove FOUP&#39;s from apparatus  100 . 
   A) Single Wafer Wet Cleaning Module 
   An example of a single wafer cleaning module  200  which can be used as wet cleaning module  200  and  200 B (if used) is illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-2C .  FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate a single wafer cleaning apparatus  200  which utilizes acoustic or sonic waves to enhance a cleaning. Single wafer cleaning apparatus  200  shown in  FIG. 2A  includes a plate  202  with a plurality of acoustic or sonic transducers  204  located thereon. Plate  202  maybe made of aluminum but can be formed of other materials such as but not limited to stainless steel and sapphire. The plate is maybe coated with a corrosion resistant fluoropolymer such as Halar or PFA. The transducers  204  are attached to the bottom surface of plate  202  by an epoxy  206 . In an embodiment of the present invention the transducers  204  cover substantially the entire bottom surface of plate  202  as shown in  FIG. 2   b  and cover at least 80% of plate  202 . The transducers  204  generate sonic waves in the frequency range e.g. between 400 kHz and 8 MHz. In an embodiment of the present invention the transducers  204  are piezoelectric devices. The transducers  204  create acoustic or sonic waves in a direction perpendicular to the surface of wafer  208 . 
   A substrate or wafer  208  is held at distance of about 3 mm above the top surface of plate  202 . The wafer  208  is clamped by a plurality of clamps  210  face up to a wafer support  212  which can rotate wafer  208  about its central axis. The wafer support can rotate or spin wafer  208  about its central axis at a rate between 0-6000 rpm. In apparatus  200  only wafer support  212  and wafer  208  are rotated during use whereas plate  202  remains in a fixed position. Additionally, in apparatus  200  wafer  208  is placed face up wherein the side of the wafer with patterns or features such as transistors faces towards a nozzle  214  for spraying cleaning chemicals or water thereon and the backside of the wafer faces plate  202 . Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 2C  the transducer covered plate  202  has a substantially same shape as wafer  208  and covers the entire surface area of wafer  208 . Apparatus  200  can include a sealable chamber  201  in which nozzle  214 , wafer  208 , and plate  202  are located as shown in  FIG. 2A . 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, during use, DI water (DI-H 2 O) is fed through a feed through channel  216  of plate  202  and fills the gap between the backside of wafer  208  and plate  202  to provide a water filled gap  218  through which acoustic waves generated by transducers  204  can travel to substrate  208 . In an embodiment of the present invention DI water fed between wafer  208  and plate  202  is degassed so that cavitation is reduced in the DI water filled gap  218  where the acoustic waves are strongest thereby reducing potential damage to wafer  208 . In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, instead of flowing DI-H 2 O through channel  216  during use, cleaning chemicals, such as the cleaning solution of the present invention can be fed through channel  216  to fill gap  218  to provide chemical cleaning of the backside of wafer  208 , if desired. 
   Additionally during use, cleaning chemicals and rinsing water such as DI-H 2 O are fed through a nozzle  214  to generate a spray  220  of droplets which form a liquid coating  222  on the top surface of wafer  208  while wafer  208  is spun. In the present embodiment the liquid coating  222  can be as thin as 100 micron. In the present embodiment tanks  224  containing cleaning chemicals such as diluted HF, de-ionized water (DI-H 2 O), and the cleaning solution of the present embodiment are coupled to conduit  226  which feeds nozzle  214 . In an embodiment of the present invention the diameter of conduit  226  has a reduced cross-sectional area or a “Venturi”  228  in a line before spray nozzle  214  at which point a gas such as H 2  is dissolved in the cleaning solution as it travels to nozzle  214 . “Venturi”  228  enables a gas to be dissolved into a fluid flow at gas pressure less than the pressure of the liquid flowing through conduit  226 . The Venturi  228  creates under pressure locally because of the increase in flow rate at the Venturi. 
   B) Integrated Particle Monitor 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, the integrated process monitoring tool  110  is an integrated particle monitor (IPM)  300  such as shown in  FIG. 3 . An example of a suitable integrated particle monitor (IPM)  300  is the IPM tool manufactured by Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the integrated particle monitor  300  includes a rotatable wafer support  302  for holding a wafer  301  and for rotating a wafer on its central axis. A laser source  304  shines a laser beam  306  on wafer  301  and the location of the reflected beam  308  is detected by one or more of a plurality of detectors  310 . Detection of the reflected beam  308  by one or more a detector  310  can be used as an indication of the presence of the particle at the location. The detectors can take the form of “bright field” detectors, “dark field” detectors or combination of “bright field” and “dark field” detectors. The laser beam  306  can be scanned across the radius of the wafer while the wafer is rotated in order to monitor the entire wafer surface for particles. Computer  124  along with data processing software can be used to generate a defect map of the entire wafer surface. Software can be used to analyze the particle map, by for example, comparing to a blank wafer or by comparing the particle map of one die on the wafer to other dies on the same or different wafer. The software can be used to classify defects as particles or microscratches. The data from the integrated particle monitoring tool  300  can be used to determine when downstream chambers have excurted from their process base lines (i.e., chamber excursions). Similarly, the particle maps can be sent to upstream chambers or modules in order to alter or optimize or change the upstream process in view of the defect map. 
   C) Strip or Dry Cleaning Module 
   A strip or dry cleaning module  400  in accordance with an embodiment is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In the cleaning chamber  400  of the type illustrated in  FIG. 4 , an energized process gas comprising cleaning gas is provided to clean the substrate  480  held on the support  410  in a process zone  415 . The support  410  supports the substrate  480  in the process zone  415  and may optionally comprise an electrostatic chuck  412 . Within or below the support  410 , a heat source, such as infrared lamps  420 , can be used to heat the substrate  430 . The process gas comprising cleaning gas may be introduced through a gas distributor  422  into a remote plasma generation zone  425  in a remote chamber  430 . By “remote” it is meant that the center of the remote chamber  430  is at a fixed upstream distance from the center of a process zone  415  in the cleaning chamber  108 . In the remote chamber  430 , the cleaning gas is activated by coupling microwave or RF energy into the remote chamber  430 , to energize the cleaning gas and cause ionization or dissociation of the cleaning gas components, prior to its introduction through a diffuser  435 , such as a showerhead diffuser, into the process zone  415 . Alternatively, the process gas may be energized in the process zone  415 . Spent cleaning gas and residue may be exhausted from the cleaning chamber  108  through an exhaust system  440  capable of achieving a low pressure in the cleaning chamber. A throttle valve  425  in the exhaust  440  is used for maintaining a chamber pressure from about 150 mTorr to about 3000 mTorr. 
   In the version illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the remote chamber  430  comprises a tube shaped cavity containing at least a portion of the remote plasma zone  425 . Flow of cleaning gas into the remote chamber  430  is adjusted by a mass flow controller or gas valve  450 . The remote chamber  430  may comprise wall made of a dielectric material such as quartz, aluminum oxide, or monocrystalline sapphire that is substantially transparent to microwave and is non-reactive to the cleaning gas. A microwave generator  455  is used to couple microwave radiation to the remote plasma zone  425  of the remote chamber  430 . A suitable microwave generation  455  is an “ASTEX” Microwave Plasma Generator commercially available from Applied Science &amp; Technology, Inc., Woburn, Massachusettes. The microwave generator assembly  455  may comprise a microwave applicator  460 , a microwave tuning assembly  465 , and a magnetron microwave generator  470 . The microwave generator may be operated at a power level of about 200 to about 3000 Watts, and at a frequency of about 800 MHz to about 3000 MHz. In one version, the remote plasma zone  425  is sufficiently distant from the process zone  415  to allow recombination of some of the dissociated or ionized gaseous chemical species. The resultant reduced concentration of free electrons and charged species in the activated cleaning gas minimizes charge-up damage to the active devices on the substrate  480 , and provides better control of the chemical reactivity of the activated gas formed in the remote plasma zone  425 . In one version, the center of the remote plasma zone  425  is maintained at a distance of at least about 50 cm from the center of the process zone  415 . 
   A cleaning process may be performed in the cleaning chamber  400  by exposing the substrate  480  to energized process gas comprising cleaning gas to, for example, remove remnant resist and/or to remove or inactivate etchant residue remaining on the substrate after the substrate is etched. Remnant resist may be removed from the substrate  480  in a stripping (or ashing) process by exposing the substrate  480  to energized process gas comprising stripping gas. Stripping gas may comprise, for example, one or more of O 2 , N 2 , H 2 , H 2 O, NH 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , CHF 3 , C 3 H 2 F 6 , C 2 H 4 F 2 , or CH 3 F. 
   Method of Operating Wet/Dry Cleaning Tool  100   
   Wet/dry cleaning tool  100  is ideal for use in removing a photoresist layer from a wafer as shown in  FIGS. 5A-5D . In an embodiment of the present invention, a patterned photoresist layer  502  is removed from a wafer  500  after an ion-implantation step  504 . The patterned photoresist layer as shown in  FIG. 5   a , forms a mask which is used to mask an ion-implantation step which can be used to form doped regions in a monocrystalline silicon substrate  508 , such as wells, source/drain regions, channel doping, and other well known doped regions used to fabricate a semiconductor integrated circuit. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a cassette or FOUP of wafers  500  having a photoresist mask  502  thereon, are placed in a docking station in apparatus  100 . An access door  110  in docking station  131  slides down and pulls down the door to FOUP  130 . Robot  104  removes a wafer  500  from FOUP  130  and places the wafer into dry clean chamber  400 . Clean chamber  108  is then sealed and pumped down to a pressure of between 150 mTorr to 3000 mTorr. 
   A cleaning process is then performed in the cleaning chamber  400  by exposing the wafer  500  to energized process gas comprising cleaning gas to, for example, remove photoresist mask  502  and/or to remove or inactivate implant residue  512  remaining on the substrate after the substrate is etched. Remnant resist  502  may be removed from the substrate in a stripping (or ashing) process by exposing the substrate to energized process gas comprising stripping gas. Stripping gas may comprise, for example, one or more of O 2 , N 2 , H 2 O, NH 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , CHF 3 , C 3 H 2 F 6 , C 2 H 4 F 2 , or CH 3 F. In one version, a suitable stripping gas for stripping polymeric resist material comprises (i) oxygen, and optionally (ii) an oxygen activating gas or vapor, such as water vapor, nitrogen gas, or fluorocarbon gas, the fluorocarbon gases including any of those listed above. The oxygen activating gas increases the concentration of oxygen radicals in the stripping gas. The stripping gas composition may comprise oxygen and nitrogen in a volumetric flow ratio of about 6:1 to about 200:1, and more likely from about 10:1 to about 12:1. For a 5-liter process chamber  108 , a suitable gas flow rate comprises 3000 to 3500 sccm of O 2  and 300 sccm of N 2 . In one version, a stripping gas comprises about 35000 sccm O 2 , about 200 sccm N 2  and optionally about 300 sccm H 2 O, that is energized at a power level of about 1400 watts and introduced into the cleaning chamber  108  at a pressure of about 2 Torr for about 15 seconds. In one version, the water vapor content in the stripping gas should be less than about 20% by volume of the combined oxygen and nitrogen gas content to provide adequate stripping rates. A suitable ratio of the volumetric water vapor flow V H2O  to the combined volumetric flow of oxygen and nitrogen (V O2 +V N2 ) is from about 1:4 to about 1:40, and more likely about 1:10. When the remnant resist comprises oxide hard mask, suitable stripping gases are gases capable of stripping oxide, such as halogen containing gases, including CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , CHF 3 , C 3 H 2 F 6 , C 2 H 4 F 2 , and HF. The substrate  500  may be exposed to the stripping gas for a period of time of from about 10 seconds to about 1000 seconds, and more likely for about 45 seconds. A single stripping step may be performed or multiple stripping steps may be performed, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,289, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. After stripping or ashing in chamber  400 , wafer  500  may still contain photoresist mask residue and/or implant residue  512  as shown in  FIG. 5B . 
   In one version, the substrate may be heated during the stripping and/or the passivation processes. For example, when cleaning the substrate  500  in a cleaning chamber  400 , such as the cleaning chamber of  FIG. 4 , the lamps  420  may be used to heat the substrate to a temperature of at least about 150° C., and more specifically to a temperature of at least about 250° C. Heating the substrate  500  improves the remnant resist removal rate and may also improve the removal rate of some etchant residue, such as Cl in the sidewall deposits 80, because the Cl can more readily diffuse out of the sidewall deposits. The elevated temperature also enhances the surface oxidation, when O 2  containing strip density is used, of the etched metal, making them less susceptible to corrosion. 
   In one embodiment of the present invention, the wafer is then transferred to the wet cleaning chamber  200  and is exposed to a light clean consisting of only a Di water rinse. In another embodiment of the present invention, the wafer is exposed to a Di water rinse which has been ozonated. The ozonated water oxidizes carbon left over from the ashing and insures its removal. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the wafer is exposed to an ozonated water rinse and to cleaning chemicals comprising NH 4 OH, H 2 O 2 , a surfactant and a chelating agent. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the wafer is exposed to an ozonated Di water then HF then cleaning solutions comprising NH 4 OH, H 2 O 2 , a surfactant and a chelating agent. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the wafers are exposed to a mixture comprising sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and then exposed to a water rinse and dry. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the wafers are exposed to standard RCA cleaning solutions of SC 1  and SC 2  and then exposed to a water rinse and dry. While the wafers are being cleaned megasonic energy can be applied to the wafer to enhance the cleaning. In an embodiment of the present invention, megasonics is applied to the entire backside of the wafer while cleaning. Not only can the cleaning solution being applied to the device side of the wafer (frontside of the wafer) but can also be applied to the backside of the wafer, if desired. 
   After the wafer  500  has been sufficiently cleaned, as shown in  FIG. 5C , the door to the wet cleaning module  200  opens and the robot  104  removes the wafer from the wet module  200 . If process metrology of the wafer  500  is desired, the door to the metrology tool  300  is opened and the robot  104  transfers the wafer into the process metrology tool  300 . The door to the integrated particle monitor  300  is then closed and the wafer  500  scanned, as shown in  FIG. 5D , to check for defects, such as scratches and particles. Computer/controller  124  can generate a defect map of the defects across the surface of wafer  500 . Computer/controller  124  and data process software can determine whether or not the wafer has been sufficiently cleaned by the stripping chamber  400  and the wet cleaning chambers  200  and can be used to determine which type of defects have occurred. Depending upon the results of the metrology scan, the wafer can be removed from the integrated particle monitor tool  110  and can be either: (i) transferred back to the wet cleaning module  200  for further wet cleaning, (ii) transferred back to the dry clean module  400  for more stripping, (iii) can be transferred back to both the dry clean module  400  and the wet cleaning module  200  for further stripping and cleaning or (iv) can be transferred back to the FOUP. The amount of and/or type of clean or stripping necessary can be determined by the information received from the integrated particle monitor tool  300 . If the wafer has been sufficiently stripped and cleaned, the wafer can be removed from the integrated particle monitor by robot  104  and moved through the transfer chamber  102  whereby the access door as well as the door to the wafer cassette or FOUP which is to receive the wafer is opened and the wafer placed therein. The wafer can be placed into the same FOUP  130  in which the wafer started or can be placed in a different FOUP  132 , if desired. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, the process time in each module and the number of each module are chosen so that the wafer flow is balanced for optimum use of each module. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the process time used to strip a wafer in cleaning module  400  is chosen to be substantially similar to the process time used to wet clean a wafer in wet clean module  200  and is about twice as long as the time necessary to check a wafer for defects in module  300 . Accordingly, apparatus  100  includes two wet clean modules  200  and  200 B, and two strip modules  400  and  400 B, and a single metrology tool  300 . By providing two wet cleaning tools  200  and  200 B and two ashing tools  400  and  400 B and a single metrology tool  300 , no module is left idle. For example, if the wet cleaning time is chosen to be two minutes then the stripping time is chosen to be two minutes, and the metrology tool takes one minute then the wafer throughput of the modules is balanced. By providing more modules for the processes which take longer (e.g., to clean and strip) faster processing modules (e.g., metrology) do not sit idle while waiting for a wafer to complete cleaning or stripping. In such a process, a wafer completes processing (strips, cleans, and metrology) every 60 seconds (apparatus  100  has a wafer through put of 60 seconds) as opposed to every 120 seconds if the tool was unbalanced and only had one wet clean or one strip module in apparatus  100 . Preventing idle time of the modules contained in apparatus  100  directly increases wafer through put and reduces a cost of ownership of the apparatus. 
   II) Atmospheric and Sub-Atmospheric Process Tool 
   According to another embodiment of the present invention, a process tool or apparatus having both atmospheric and sub-atmospheric process chambers or modules is provided. According to this embodiment of the present invention, the process tool includes an atmospheric platform coupled via a load lock to a sub-atmospheric platform. (A platform is a transfer chamber having a robot contained therein and process modules attached thereto). Attached to the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber are sub-atmospheric process modules, such as but not limited to etch modules, deposition chambers such as CVD chambers and sputter chambers, oxidation chambers, and anneal chambers. Attached to the atmospheric transfer chamber are atmospheric process modules, such as wet cleaning tools, ashing (stripping) tools, and metrology tools. The ashing (stripping) chambers can be connected to either the atmospheric platform or the sub-atmospheric platform or both. The atmospheric/sub-atmospheric tool utilizes a single wafer load lock and generally two single wafer load locks coupled between the atmospheric and sub-atmospheric platforms to enable transfer of wafer between the atmospheric and sub-atmospheric transfer chambers. In an embodiment of the present invention, wafers enter the tool through the atmospheric transfer chamber and also exit the tool through the atmospheric transfer chamber. Some of the benefits of the atmospheric and sub-atmospheric process tool include the fact that Queue time between two process steps can be reduced and made consistent and independent of Queing or material logistic issues. Additionally, the growth of silicon dioxide on silicon is reduced due to reduced exposure (in time) to air. Particle and contamination control can be improved through reduced exposure to the fab environment. An atmospheric/sub-atmospheric process tool can provide processing of a wafer in reduced cycle times and also provides a reduced footprint of the tool. Additionally, an atmospheric/sub-atmospheric process tool can reduce corrosion of, for example metal lines, through reduced exposure to air. Additionally, the amount of distance a wafer must travel is also reduced thereby improving wafer throughput and contamination control. 
   Etch/Strip Clean Process Tool 
   An example of an atmospheric/sub-atmospheric process apparatus  600  in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Shown in  FIG. 6  is a process tool or system  600  which can be used to etch features, such as metal or polysilicon lines, or opening in dielectric layers or silicon substrates and can be used to strip or clean the photoresist layer used to pattern the features. Etch/strip process tool  600  includes an atmospheric platform  602  and a sub-atmospheric platform  604 . The sub-atmospheric platform  604  and the atmospheric platform  602  are coupled together by a single wafer load lock  606  and generally by two single wafer load locks  606  and  608 . Atmospheric platform  602  includes a central atmospheric transfer chamber  610  having a wafer handling device  612 , such as a robot contained therein. Directly attached to atmospheric transfer chamber  610  is a single wafer wet cleaning module  200  and an integrated particle monitor  300  and a critical dimension (CD) measuring tool  700 . A strip or dry clean module  400  can also be attached to atmospheric transfer chamber  610 , if desired. Wet cleaning module  200 , strip module  400 , integrated particle monitor  300 , and critical dimension measuring tool  700  are each connected to transfer chamber  610  through a separately closable and sealable opening, such as a slit valve. Transfer chamber  610  is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure during operation. In an embodiment of the present invention, the atmospheric transfer chamber  610  can be opened or exposed to the atmosphere of a semiconductor fabrication “clean room” in which it is located. In such a case, the transfer chamber  610  may contain an overhead filter, such as a hepafilter to provide a high velocity flow of clean air or an inert ambient such as N 2 , to prevent contaminants from finding their way into the atmospheric transfer chamber. In other embodiments, the atmospheric transfer chamber  610  is a closed system and may contain its own ambient, of clean air or an inert ambient, such as nitrogen gas (N 2 ). 
   Atmospheric transfer chamber  610  includes a wafer handling robot  612  which can transfer a wafer from one module to another module in atmospheric process tool  602 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer handler  612  is a dual blade, single arm, single wrist robot. The handling blades both rotate about a single axis coupled to the end of a single arm as described above. 
   Also coupled to atmospheric transfer chamber  610  is at least one wafer input/output module  620  or pod for providing and taking wafer to and from system  600 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer input/output module is a front opening unified pod (FOUP) which is a container having a sealable door and which contains a cassette for between 13-25 horizontally spaced wafers. In an embodiment of the present invention, apparatus  600  includes two FOUPs  622  and  624 , one for providing wafers into system  600  and one for removing completed or processed wafers from system  600 . Atmospheric transfer chamber  610  contains a sealable access door  621  for allowing wafers to be transferred into and out of atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . There is an access door  621  for each FOUP, and each assess door is attached to a counter part door on each FOUP so that when transfer chamber access door  621  slides open, it opens the door to the associated FOUP to provide access for the robot  612  into the FOUP. 
   Coupled to the opposite sides of atmospheric transfer chamber  610  then FOUP  622  and  624  is a single wafer load lock  606  and optionally second single wafer load lock  608 . Single wafer load locks  606  and  608  enable a wafer to be transferred from the atmospheric conditions in transfer chamber  610  to the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  of platform  604  and allows wafers to be transferred from the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  to the atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . A sealable door  605  is located between atmospheric transfer chamber  610  and load lock  606  and a sealable door  607  is located between sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  and load lock  606 . Similarly, a sealable door  609  is located between atmospheric transfer chamber  610  and load lock  608  and a sealable door  611  is located between sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  and load lock  608 . Coupled to each load locks  606  and  608  is a vacuum source which enables the pressure inside load locks  606  and  608  to be independently lowered. Additionally, also coupled to each load lock  606  and  608  is a gas inlet for providing, for example, air or an inert gas, such as N 2 , into a load lock to enable the pressure within the load lock to be raised. In this way, the pressure within the load locks  606  and  608  can be matched to either the pressure within atmospheric transfer chamber  610  or the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 . 
   Attached to the opposite ends of the single wafer load locks  606  and  608  is sub-atmospheric transfer  630  having a wafer handling device  632 , such as a robot contained therein. Sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  is said to be a sub-atmospheric transfer chamber because transfer chamber  630  is held at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure and generally between 10 −6 -10 Torr while in operation and passing wafers to the various sub-atmospheric process modules coupled thereto. Directly attached to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  is a single wafer strip module  400 B and an etch module  900  optionally. Strip module  400 B and etch module  900  are connected to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  through separately closable openings. In an embodiment of the present invention, a second strip module  400 C and a second etch  900 B are also coupled to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 . Although, load locks  606  and  608  are ideally low volume single wafer load locks to enable fast wafer transfers between the atmospheric transfer chamber and the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber, load locks  606  and  608 , however, can be larger multiple wafer load locks which can hold multiple wafers at a single time, if desired. 
   It is to be noted that the ashing or stripping processes which occur in strip module  400  (as well as modules  400 B and  400 C) typically occur at sub-atmospheric pressures. Accordingly, it is advisable to place the stripping modules necessary for the process onto sub-atmospheric transfer chamber because it simplifies and reduces the pumping requirements in the stripping module. There are, however, times when it maybe beneficial or necessary to include a stripping module  400  on atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . For example, if all module location on the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber are occupied by other modules one can place the stripping module on the atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . Additionally, some integrated processes may require excessive wafer transfers between sub-atmospheric chamber  630  and atmospheric transfer chamber  610  resulting in the over use of load lock  608  and  606  and possible bottle neck at these locations. For example, in the case when a wafer is given a quick wet clean to remove sidewall residue prior to ashing or stripping, it may be desirable to provide a strip module  400  on the atmospheric transfer chamber  610  so that the wafer does not need to travel back through the load locks and into the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber to the stripping module after wet cleaning in a wet module  200  coupled to the atmospheric transfer chamber. As such, although stripping module(s)  400  is ideally coupled to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 , a strip module  400  can be included on atmospheric transfer chamber  610  or on both atmospheric transfer chamber  610  and on sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 , if desired. 
   Apparatus  600  also includes a system computer  124  which is coupled to and controls each module coupled to the atmospheric transfer chamber  610 , controls each sub-atmospheric module coupled to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 , controls load locks  606  and  608  as well as the operation of robots  612  and  632 . Computer  124  enables the feedback from one module to be used to control the flow of a wafer through system  600  and/or to control the processes or operation of the other modules. 
   Critical Dimension (CD) Monitor 
     FIG. 7  illustrates a critical dimension monitoring tool or a “metrology” tool  700  which can be used to measure, for example, the width of photoresist feature formed on an incoming wafer. 
   The present invention can be implemented with a metrology tool  700 , such as shown in  FIG. 7 . Metrology tool  700  includes an imager  710  and a computer/controller  124  to perform the analysis disclosed herein electronically. Computer/Controller  124  typically includes a process monitor  730  for displaying results of the analyses of processor  720 . Processor  720  can be in communication with a memory device  740 , such as a semiconductor memory, and a computer software-implemented database system  750  known as a “manufacturing execution system” (MES) conventionally used for storage of process information. Processor  720  is also in communication with a photo cell  760  and etcher  900 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the imager  710  can be an optical CD tool (OCD), such as the Nano OCD 9000 available from Nanometrics of Milpitas, Calif., or an optical imager as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,329. Optical imager  710  can utilize scatterometry or reflectometry techniques. The use of scatterometry for inspection tools is disclosed in Raymond “Angle-resolved scattermetry for semiconductor manufacturing”,  Microlithography World , Winter 2000. The use of reflectometry for inspection is taught in Lee, “Analysis of Reflectometry and Ellipsometry Data from Patterned Structures”,  Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology:  1998 International Conference, The American Institute of Physics 1998. 
   Optical imager  710  can directly measure CD and profile of certain patterns on photoresist layer, such as trenches and the like using convention optical inspection techniques. For example, a rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) can be performed, wherein a CD corresponding to a given waveform is derived by calculation, such as by a processor in the optical inspection tool. RCWA is discussed in Chateau, “Algorithm for the rigorous couple-wave analysis of grating diffraction”,  Journal of the Optical Society of America , Vol. 11, No. 4 (April 1994) and Moharam, “Stable implementation of the rigorous couple-wave analysis for surface-relief gratings: enhanced transmittance matrix approach”,  Journal of the Optical Society of America , Vol. 12, No. 3 (May 1995). 
   In an embodiment imager  710  can be a CD SEM, such as the Versa SEM™ available from Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif. 
     FIG. 8A  is a flow chart illustrating the major steps of process control according to an embodiment of the present invention, implemented in conjunction with inspecting a feature (hereinafter called a “target feature”) such as an etch mask formed on a semiconductor wafer W at photo cell  760 . At step  810 , the reference library is created, including reference CDs and waveforms in the form of SEM or OCD waveforms, and stored locally in inspection tool  700  or in MES  750 . The stepper settings associated with each of the reference waveforms and the appropriate etch recipes are stored along with the waveforms. Profile images can also be stored, if desired by the user. The reference library is created only once for each layer to be inspected, such as when a series of process steps, such as photo cell  760 , creates a “critical layer” that the user determines must be inspected. The golden waveform; i.e., the waveform associated with the reference feature exhibiting optimal CD and/or other characteristics, is selected at step  820 . 
   Computer/Controller  124  typically includes a processor  720 , such as a microprocessor, for processing information, and a monitor  730  for displaying or outputting information, and a input device  732 , such as a keyboard or touch screen, and a memory, such as a DRAM for steady information. 
   Wafer W, having features with unknown CD and other characteristics, is brought to imager  710  from photo cell  760 , the target feature is imaged by imager  710  at step  830 , and its waveform is stored as a target waveform. At step  840 , the target waveform is compared to the stored golden waveform. If the target waveform and golden waveform match within predetermined limits, the CD of the target feature is reported to the user, as by a display on monitor  730 , along with a “matching score” indicating the amount of deviation of the target waveform from the golden waveform (see step  841 ). The results (i.e., the data) from the inspection are then sent to MES  750 , and the wafer W is sent to etcher  900  for further processing. 
   If the target waveform does not match the golden waveform, the target waveform is compared to each of the reference waveforms in the library to identify the reference waveform most closely matching the target waveform (see step  850 ). The reported stepper settings are compared with those associated with the golden waveform at step  860  to determine the different dEdF between the settings which produced the golden waveform and those which produce the target waveform; e.g., determine the difference between the focus setting associated with the golden waveform and the focus setting associated with the target waveform, and determine the difference between the exposure setting associated with the golden waveform and the exposure setting associated with the target waveform. This information is then sent to photo cell  760 , where it is used to correct the stepper settings to minimize “drift” in the stepper, which would cause CD variations in subsequently processed wafers, by indicating the amount of adjustment to the stepper that is required, as well as which particular adjustments (i.e., focus, exposure, or both) should be made. 
   Next, dE and dF are compared to predetermined threshold values at step  870 . If dE and dF are not greater than the predetermined threshold values, the CD and matching score of the target feature are reported at step  871 , the data from the inspection is then sent to MES  750 , and wafer W is sent to etcher  900 . On the other hand, if dE and dF are greater than the predetermined threshold values, the CD and matching score of the target feature is reported at step  880 , along with dE and dF and the associated etch recipe, which is sent to etcher  900  to adjust (or “update”) the etch recipe to correct the CD deviation of the finished features on wafer W. The etch recipes can typically adjust the CD within a range of about 100% or less. 
   The feedback and feed-forward of steps  860  and  880  can be done manually or automatically. In “manual mode”, the user takes the reported process correction information and implements it manually at photo cell  760  and/or etcher  900 . This allows expert input from the user to decide the need for process adjustment. In “automatic mode”, the process correction information is automatically fed to the stepper in photo cell  760  or to etcher  900  to effect the correction through recipe updating. This mode can be implemented by a software interface allowing communication between processor  720  and etcher  900 , and between processor  720  and photo cell  760 . The predetermined threshold test of step  870  can be used as a sensitivity filter to determine if updating is necessary. The automatic mode is advantageous because it enables quick feedback and consistency. 
   The above embodiment of the present invention has been described relative to a “golden waveform” technique. However, it should be realized by any SEM CD measurement technique capable of correlating an FEM cell (or dF) to an etch recipe and to feature profile and/or cross-section can be used to implement the present invention. An example of such a technique is discussed in “An Inverse Scattering Approach to SEM Line Width Measurements”, Mark P. Davidson and Andras E. Vladar, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 3677 (1999). In this technique, SEM waveforms are matched to a library of Monte Carlo simulations to predict the sidewall shape and dimensions of a feature (i.e., the feature profile). 
   Typically, the present methodology is carried out after a lot of wafers, such as about 25 wafer, is processed by photo cell  760 . A number of wafers W from the lot are selected to be inspected, according to the user&#39;s preference. For example, when manufacturing microprocessors, 1-3 wafers are typically selected for inspection; however, when manufacturing memory devices such as DRAMs, only one wafer is typically inspected per lot. A number of sites on each selected wafer W are usually inspected by the present methodology (i.e., to be target features at step  830 ), such as about 9-17 sites per wafer W. If an OCD is used, each wafer maybe inspected. 
   To determine the etch recipe to be implemented at step  880  when a number of target features from one or more wafers W in a lot are inspected, the CDs of all the target features of the lot can be averaged, and the etch recipe associated with the average CD used to adjust the etch processing of the lot. To determine the stepper focus and exposure information (dEdF) fed back to photo cell  760  at step  860  to adjust the photolithographic processing of following lots when a number of target features in a lot are inspected, the user can employ previously gathered process information to decide which sites on selected wafers W to inspect, and then decide which inspected feature&#39;s information to use to adjust photo cell  760 . 
   This is illustrated in  FIG. 8B , which is a flow chart of an embodiment of the invention. At step  890 , the user maps field to field CD variations across a number of wafers prior to inspection using the present methodology. This is a standard process control technique practiced by virtually all wafer fabricators. It indicates which areas of the wafer typically have small CD variations from the design value, and which areas of the wafer typically have a large CD variation. For example, some wafer processing equipment (e.g., photo cell  760 ) produces wafer having a small CD variation in the center of the wafer and larger CD variations at the periphery. Other equipment produces wafers having large CD variations near the corner of the wafer and small CD variations in a band surrounding the center. After mapping the CD variations, the user identifies, at step  891 , an area or areas of the wafers that exhibit the worst CD variation. 
   Next, the user selects a threshold CD variation representing the smallest CD deviation the user wishes to correct (see step  892 ). Target features are then inspected at step  893  using the inventive methodology (e.g., steps  830  et seq. described above). Target features are selected such that fields in the worst part of the wafer, identified at step  891 , are represented. If the field to field variation of the inspected features is smaller than the predetermined threshold (see step  894 ), dEdF associated with any one of the target features can be fed back to photo cell  760  for use in adjusting the processing of subsequent lots (step  895 ), since they are relatively close to each other. On the other hand, if the field to field variation of the inspected features is larger than the threshold value selected in step  892 , dEdF associated with an inspected feature from the predetermined worst site from step  891  is fed back to photo cell  760  (see step  896 ). Thus, the worst CD variation is corrected in subsequent lots. 
   At step  897 , the CDs of the inspected features are averaged, and at step  898 , the etch recipe associated with the average CD is fed forward to etcher  900  to adjust (or “update”) the etch recipe to correct the CD deviation of the features on the wafers in the inspected lot. Thus, this embodiment of the present invention allows the user to employ information, such as field to field CD variation maps, that they gather as a matter of course independently of implementing the present invention, to reduce lot to lot variation with minimal added cost and inspection time. 
   Etch Module 
   An example of an etch module  900  which can be used in accordance with the present invention, is illustrated in  FIG. 9 .  FIG. 9  illustrates an etch process module such as for example, a DPS type Metal Etch Centura chamber, schematically illustrated in  FIG. 9  and from Applied Materials, Inc. in Santa Clara, Calif. The particular embodiment of the etch module  900  shown herein is provided only to illustrate the invention, and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention. Etch module  900  includes a chamber  910 . A support  940  is potential within a process zone  945  in the chamber  910 . A substrate  930  may be positioned on the support  940  by the robotic arm. The substrate  930  may be held in place during the etching process using a mechanical or electrostatic chuck  950  with grooves  955  in which a coolant gas, such as helium, is held to control the temperature of the substrate  930 . 
   During processing of the substrate, the chamber  910  may be maintained at a low pressure and process gas may be introduced into the chamber  110  through a gas supply  960  having a gas source  962  and gas inlets  964  peripherally disposed about the substrate  930 . Alternatively, a showerhead gas distributor (not shown) may be positioned above the substrate  930 . The process gas may be energized by a gas energizer that couples an energetic electromagnetic field into the process zone  945 , such as an inductive, capacitive, or microwave field. In the version shown in  FIG. 9 , an inductor coil  965  adjacent to the process chamber  910  forms an inductive electric field in the chamber  910  when powered by a coil power supply  970  operating using, for example, an RF voltage at a source power level that may be from about 200 Watts to about 2000 Watts. Alternatively or additionally, a capacitive electric field may be formed in the chamber  910 . At least a portion of the support  940  may be electrically conductive to serve as a cathode electrode  975 . The cathode electrode  975 , in conjunction with sidewalls of the chamber  910  which may be electrically grounded to serve as an anode electrode  980 , form process electrodes in the process zone  945  that may capacitively couple to energize the process gas. The cathode  975  may be powered by an electrode power supply  985  operated using, for example, an RF voltage at a power level of from about 10 Watts to about 1000 Watts. The capacitive electric field is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate  930 , and may accelerate the plasma species toward the substrate  930  to provide more vertically oriented anisotropic etching of the substrate. The frequency of the RF voltage applied to the process electrodes  975 ,  980 , and/or the inductor coil  965  is typically from about 50 KHz to about 60 MHz, and more typically about 2.2 or 13.56 MHz. In one version, the cathode  975  is also an electrode in a dielectric in the electrostatic chuck  950 . 
   The ceiling  990  of the process chamber  910  can be flat or rectangular shaped, arcuate, conical, dome-shaped, or multi-radius dome-shaped. In one version, the inductor coil  965  covers at least a portion of the ceiling  990  of the process chamber  910  in the form of a multi-radius dome-shaped inductor coil having a “flattened” dome shape that provides more efficient use of plasma source power and increased plasma ion flux uniformity directly over the substrate  930  center. 
   When capacitively generated, the plasma formed in the process zone  945  may also be enhanced using magnetically enhanced reactors (not shown), in which a magnetic field generator, such as a permanent magnet or electromagnetic coils, are used to apply a magnetic field in the process zone  945  to increase the density and uniformity of the plasma. The magnetic field may comprise a rotating magnetic field with the axis of the field rotating parallel to the plane of the substrate  930 , as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,683, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
   Spent process gas and etchant residue are exhausted from the process chamber  910  through an exhaust system  995  capable of achieving a low pressure in the process chamber  910 . A throttle valve  200  is provided in the exhaust for controlling the pressure in chamber  910 . Also, an optical endpoint measurement system (not shown) may be used to determine completion of the etching process for a specific layer by measuring, for example, the change in light emission of a particular wavelength corresponding to a detectable gaseous species or by other interferometric techniques. 
   To perform an etching process in the process chamber  910 , an energized process gas comprising etchant gas may be provided in the process zone  945 . By “energized process gas” it is meant that the process gas is activated or energized to form one or more dissociated species, non-dissociated species, ionic species, and neutral species. The etchant gas composition may be selected to provide high etch rates, and highly selective etching of a particular layer or layers that are being etched. 
   Method of Use of Etch/Strip Tool  600   
   An example of the use of etch/strip tool  600  is for the patterning of a conductive film or stack of conductive films into features used in an integrated circuit. An example of such a process is illustrated in  FIGS. 10A-10E . According to this embodiment of the present invention, a wafer or substrate, such as wafer  1000  as shown in  FIG. 10A , is provided to apparatus  600  in a FOUP  620 . Wafer  1000  includes a blanket deposited conductive film  1002  formed across the surface of the wafer. The film  1002  can be for example, but not limited to, a polysilicon film or a composite polysilicon/silicide film stack used to form gate electrodes or capacitor electrodes. In embodiments the conductive thin film  1002  can include a dielectric hard mask, such as silicon nitride or silicon oxynitride film. The film can be a metal or metal alloy film, such as aluminum, copper or tungsten or a stack of metal films which include a main conductor  1001  and a barrier layer  1003  and an antireflective coating (ARC)  1005 , such as titanium nitride (TiN)/aluminum (Al)/titanium nitride (TiN) film stack used for the formation of interconnects in an integrated circuit. Formed on conductive film  1002  is a mask  1004 , such as a well-known photoresist mask, which has a patterned defined therein which is to be formed in conductive film  1002 . In order to process wafer  1000  in accordance with the present invention, the door to transfer chamber  610  is opened as is the connected door on FOUP  622  and wafer  1000  removed from FOUP  622  and brought into atmospheric transfer chamber  610  by robot  612 . Robot  612  then transfers the wafer into CD module  700 . In CD module  700  the critical dimensions (CD) of the photoresist layer  1004  is measured at various location across wafer  1000  as described with respect to CD measurement tool  700  described in  FIG. 7 . If the CD measurements taken of CD measurement tool  700  are out of compliance, then wafer  1000  can be removed from CD module  700  by robot  612  and removed from apparatus  600 . Alternatively, if the CD measurements are out of compliance, then wafer  1000  can be prepared for rework by removing wafer  1000  from CD module  700  and inserting it into strip chamber  400  whereby the photoresist mask  904  is stripped as desired above. The stripped wafer is then removed from strip module  400  and inserted it into wet clean chamber  200  where wafer  1000  is wet cleaned as described. Wafer  1000  can then be removed from clean module  200  and removed from system  600  where it is now ready for application of a new photoresist mask and patterning. 
   If the CD measurements of wafer  1000  are found to be in compliance with desired results, then wafer  1000  is removed from CD module  700  and brought into transfer chamber  610  by robot  612 . The pressure within load lock  606  is then brought to atmospheric pressure and the door  605  between transfer chamber  610  and load lock  606  opened and wafer placed into load lock  606  by robot  612 . The door between transfer chamber  610  and load lock  606  is then closed and the pressure within load lock  606  reduced to the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 . 
   Next, the door  607  between single wafer load lock  606  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  is opened and robot  632  removes wafer  1000  from load lock  606  and brings it into transfer chamber  632 . Next, if desired, a photoresist trim, as shown in  FIG. 10B  can be applied to photoresist mask  904  to create a smaller dimension photoresist mask  1006  then is possible by photolithography alone. The photoresist trim can occur in either the etch chambers  900  or  900 B or the strip chamber  400 B or  400 C by exposing the photoresist mask  1004  to thin oxygen plasma. The photoresist trim step is optional. 
   Next, the door to etch chamber  900  is opened and wafer  1000  transferred from sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  into etch chamber  900  and the door closed. Next, conductive film  1002  is anisotropically etched in alignment with photoresist mask  1006  (or  1004 ) to pattern blanket deposited conductive film  1002  into features  1008 . The results of the CD measurements taken in CD module  700  can be used to determine the etch parameters, such as etch gas, time, pressure and power for the etch step. 
   When etching a metal-containing material, the etchant gases may comprise one or more of halogen-containing gases, such as one or more of Cl 2 , BCl 3 , CCl 4 , SiCl 4 , CF 4 , NF 3 , SF 6 , HBr, BBr 3 , CHF 3 , C 2 F 2 , and the like, and optionally, one or more additive gases, such as inert or non-reactive gases, such as H 2 , N 2 , O 2 , He—O 2  and the like. In an exemplary process, the anti-reflective material  1005  is etched by exposing the substrate  1000  to an energized process gas comprising etchant gas comprising, for example, about 90 sccm Cl 2  and about 30 sccm BCl 3  at a pressure of about 8 mTorr, a source power level of about 1600 Watts, a bias power level of about 145 Watts, a backside helium pressure of about 4 Torr and a cathode temperature of about 50° C. The main metal conductor  1001  may then be etched by an energized process gas comprising etchant gas comprising, for example, about 80 sccm Cl 2 , about 5 sccm BCl 3 , and about 10 sccm CHF3 at a pressure of about 14 mTorr, a source power level of about 1600 Watts, a bias power level of about 150 Watts, a backside helium pressure of about 8 Torr and a cathode temperature of about 50° C. Thereafter, the diffusion barrier layer  1003 , and optionally a portion of the underlying oxide layer  1007 , may be etched by introducing an energized process gas comprising etchant gas comprising, for example, about 30 sccm Cl 2 , about 5 sccm BCl 2 , and about 30 sccm N 2 , or Ar at a pressure of about 10 mTorr, a source power level of about 1600 Watts, a bias power level of about 125 Watts, a backside helium pressure of about 8 Torr and a cathode temperature of about 50° C. 
   After conductive film  1002  has been etched, the pressure in chamber  900  brought up to the pressure in sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  and the door  637  between etch module  900  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  is opened and wafer  1000  removed from etch module  900  and brought into sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  by robot  632 . Next, wafer  1000  is transferred into strip module  400 B and the door  633  between strip module  400 B and transfer chamber  630  sealed. Photoresist mask  1006  is then stripped, as shown in  FIG. 10D , in strip module  400 B as described above. If the conductive film is a silicon film, wafer  1000  can first be placed into wet clean module  200  (before strip module  400 ) and exposed to a quick diluted HF etch (100:1) to remove sputter silicon from the sidewalls of the photoresist  1006  to enable better stripping of photoresist  1006  in strip module  400 . 
   The dry cleaning process may also comprise post-etch passivation of the substrate  500 , particularly when conductive material has been etched in the etching process, to remove or inactivate corrosive residue species on the substrate  500 . To passivate the substrate  500 , energized process gas comprising passivating gas may be provided in the process zone  415 . The passivating gas composition is selected to remove or inactivate corrosive etchant residue, such as residue species  75  or to prevent the formation of corrosive or contaminant materials on the etched substrate. Passivating gas may comprise one or more of H 2 O, NH 3 , H 2 O 2 , O 2 , N 2 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , CHF 3 , H 2 , C 3 H 2 F 6 , C 2 H 4 F 2 , or CH 3 F. In one version, any gas or vapor containing hydrogen can serve as the passivating gas, including hydrogen, water vapor, ammonia, methanol, hydrogen sulfide, and mixtures thereof. In another version, the passivation gases include (i) ammonia and oxygen, or (ii) water vapor, with optional oxygen and nitrogen. When the passivation gas comprises ammonia and oxygen, the volumetric flow ratio of ammonia to oxygen is generally from about 1:1 to about 1:50, more typically from about 1:5 to about 1:20, and most typically about 1:10. For a 5-liter capacity chamber  108 , a gas flow comprises 300 sccm NH 3  and 3000 sccm O 2 . Alternatively, a passivating gas comprising at least about 80 volume % H 2 , and typically about 100 volume % H 2 , can be used to passivate the etchant residue  75 . In one version, a passivating gas comprises about 500 sccm H 2 O energized at a power level of about 1400 watts and introduced into the cleaning chamber  400  at a pressure of about 2 Torr for about 15 seconds. When a bubbler is used, an inert carrier gas such as argon or helium can be passed through the bubbler to transport water vapor to the vacuum chamber. Optionally, oxygen, nitrogen or other additive can be added to the passivating gas to enhance passivating. In this version, the passivating gas comprises at least about 20 volume % H 2 O. The effect of the oxygen and nitrogen addition depends on the ratio of the volumetric flow rate of water vapor (V H2O ) to the combined volumetric flow rates of oxygen and nitrogen (V O2 +V N2 ). A suitable volumetric ratio of water vapor flow rate V H2O  to combined volumetric flow rates of oxygen and nitrogen (V O2 +V N2 ) for use as a passivating gas is at least about 1:2, more typically from about 1:2 to about 2:1, and most typically about 1:1. As with the stripping process and as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,289, the passivating may be either a single step or multiple steps. In one version, the substrate is exposed to the passivating gas for a period of time of from about 10 seconds to about 100 seconds, and more typically for about 45 seconds. In one version, a multi-cycle passivation process, for example a three cycle process, has been discovered to be particularly effective in preventing corrosion. 
   Once photoresist layer  1006  has been sufficiently removed from substrate  1000  and metal feature  1008  passivated (if desired), the door  633  between strip module  400 B and sub-atmospheric chamber  630  is opened and wafer  1000  is removed by robot  632 . The pressure within load lock  608  is then reduced or maintained at a sub-atmospheric pressure similar to the sub-atmospheric pressure in transfer chamber  630  and door  611  opened. Wafer  1000  is then transferred into load lock  608  and door  611  sealed. The pressure within load lock  608  is then brought up to atmospheric pressure by inserting a gas, such as nitrogen into load lock  608 . The door  609  is then opened and robot  612  removes wafer  1000  from load lock  608 . At this point, the wafer can be transferred into CD module  700  to check the critical dimensions of the patterned features  1080  or can be transferred into wet clean module  200  to remove any residual contaminants or particles as shown in  FIG. 10E . Wafer  1000  is then subjected to a wet clean process in wet clean module  200 . The wet clean can vary from a light clean to an aggressive clean depending upon requirements. After sufficient wet cleaning in module  200  transfer robot  612  removes wafer  1000  from clean module  200  and can either (i) insert it into CD module  700  to check the critical dimension or (ii) can insert it into integrated particle monitor module  300  to determine the cleanliness of wafer  900 . If wafer  900  is sufficiently clean then robot  612  removes wafer  900  from integrated particle monitor  300  and transfers it into FOUP  622 . If however, wafer  1000  is not sufficiently cleaned of residue, then wafer  1000  can be transferred into strip module  400  coupled to atmospheric transfer chamber  610  and then into wet clean module  200  or alternatively only into wet clean module  200 . Wafer  1000  can then once again be inspected in integrated particle monitor  618  and if sufficiently cleaned then removed by robot  612  into FOUP  622 . 
   An example of another use of Etch/Strip tool  600  is in a damascene or dual damascene process such as illustrated in  FIGS. 11A-11F . A damascene or dual damascene process is used to form conductive features, such as gate electrodes, capacitor electrodes, interconnects, as well as vias, contacts and plugs in a dielectric layer. In a damascene process, a wafer  1100  is provided which contains a blanket deposited dielectric film  1104 , such as but not limited to silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, SiOF, BPSG, undoped silicon glass or organic dielectric, and organic dielectrics and can be formed by any well-known technique, such as but not limited to chemical vapor deposition (CVD), high density plasma (HDP) CVD and sputtering. Dielectric layer  1100  can be a single dielectric film or can be a combination or stack of dielectric films. A mask  1102 , such as a photoresist mask, is formed on dielectric film  1104 . Mask  1102  is patterned with openings  1103  formed which correspond to location where metal or conductive features are desired in dielectric film  1004 . 
   According to this embodiment of the present invention, a wafer, such as wafer  1000 , is provided to system  600  in a FOUP  620 . To begin processing the access door  621  between transfer chamber  612  and FOUP  622  is opened as it is corresponding door on FOUP  622 . Robot  612  removes wafer  1100  from FOUP  560  and brings it into transfer chamber  610 . Robot  612  then transfers wafer  1100  to CD measurement module  700 . The critical dimensions of photoresist mask  1102  is measured at various parts of the wafer to determine whether or not the critical dimensions of the mask are within spec. If the critical dimensions are outside of the specifications desired wafer  1100  is removed from CD measurement tool  700  by robot  612  and can be either removed from tool  600  or can be placed in strip chamber  400  and then wet clean chamber  200  to remove photoresist mask  1102  so that wafer  1100  is ready for rework. If the critical dimensions of photoresist mask  1102  are with specifications, then robot  612  removes wafer  1100  from CD module  700  and brings it into atmospheric transfer chamber  612 . The pressure (if not already at atmospheric pressure) within load lock  606  is then brought up to atmospheric pressure and the door  605  between load lock  606  and atmospheric transfer chamber  610  opened and wafer  1100  transferred into load lock  606  and the door  605  sealed. The pressure within load lock  606  is then evacuated to a pressure substantially equal to the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 . The door  607  between load lock  606  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  is then opened and robot  632  removes wafer  1100  from load lock  606  and brings it into sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 . Robot  632  then transfers wafer  1100  into etch module  636  and the door  637  between etch module  636  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  sealed. 
   Next, as shown in  FIG. 11B , the dielectric layer  1104  is etched, e.g., anisotropically etched, in alignment with mask  1102  to form a patterned dielectric layer  1106  having openings  1108  which correspond to locations where conductive features are desired. Any well-known etch chemistry can be used to etch dielectric film  1104 . If dielectric film  1104  is a silicon dioxide film that can be etched with an etch chemistry, such as but not limited to CF 4  or C 2 F 6 . Once dielectric layer  1104  has been sufficiently etched, the door  637  between etch chamber  900  and sub-atmospheric chamber  630  is opened and wafer  1100  removed by robot  632 . Robot  632  then transfers wafer  1100  into strip or dry clean module  400 B and the door between strip module  400 B and sub-atomospheric transfer chamber  630  sealed. The photoresist mask is then stripped in strip module  400 B as shown in  FIG. 11C  as described above. Once the photoresist mask  1102  has been sufficiently removed, the door between strip module  400  and transfer chamber  610  opened and robot  612  removes wafer  1100  from strip module  400  and brings it into atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . After the photoresist strip in module  400 , the photoresist residue and/or etch residue  1110  may remain on wafer  1100 . 
   Robot  632  then transfers wafer  1100  into load lock  608  and door  611  between load lock  608  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  sealed. The pressure within load lock  608  is then raised to atmospheric pressure by inserting a gas, such as nitrogen (N 2 ) therein. Once the chamber reaches atmospheric pressure, the door  609  between load lock  608  and atmospheric transfer chamber  610  is opened and robot  612  removes wafer  1100  from load lock  608  and brings it into atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . 
   At this time, if desired, wafer  1100  can be inserted into critical dimension monitoring tool  700  were the critical dimensions of the patterned dielectric layer  1106  measured. To determine whether or not the etch results are with specification, the CD results can be used to optimize the etch parameters used in etch module  900  for subsequently etched wafers. 
   Next, the wafer  1100 , as shown in  FIG. 11C , is transferred into wet clean  200  and the door between wet clean module  200  and atmospheric transfer chamber  610  sealed. Wafer  1100  is then subjected to a wet clean in wet clean module  200  as described above to remove residue  1110  as shown in  FIG. 11D . Once a wafer has been sufficiently wet cleaned as shown in  FIG. 11D , wafer  1100  is removed from clean module  614  by robot  612  and transferred into integrated particle monitoring tool  618 , wafer  1100  is then scanned in integrated particle monitoring tool  300  to check the amount of particles contained on wafer  1100  to determine if wafer  1100  has been sufficiently cleaned. If wafer  1100  has not been sufficiently cleaned, robot  612  removes wafer  1100  from integrated process module  300  and transfers it into either strip chamber  400  or wet clean  200  or to strip module  400  then wet clean module  200  depending upon the type and amount of residue detected in integrated particle monitoring module  300 . If wafer  1100  has been sufficiently cleaned, wafer  1100  can then be removed from the integrated process monitoring tool  300  and transferred into atmospheric transfer chamber  610 , wafer  1100  is then transferred by robot  612  out of atmospheric transfer chamber  610  and placed into a FOUP  622 . 
   At this point, wafer  1100  can be transferred to a metal deposition module chamber whereby a metal film  1112  or stack of films is blanket deposited over wafer  1100  as shown in  FIG. 11E . Conductive film  1112  fills the openings  1108  formed in dielectric layer  1106  and forms on top of dielectric layer  1106 . Next, wafer  1100  is transferred to a planarization module, such as a chemical mechanical planarization machine whereby the conductive film  1012  is planarized back to remove the conductive film from the top of the dielectric film  1106  as shown in  FIG. 11F . The end result of the damascene process is the formation of conductive features  1114  in dielectric layer  1106  which are planar with dielectric layer  1106 . At this time, damascene process in accordance with the present invention is complete. In an alternative embodiment of the damascene or dual damascene process, system  600  can be altered whereby instead of a second etch chamber  900 B, a metal chamber, such as a chemical vapor deposition chamber or a sputtering chamber is used therein. In this way, after wafer  1100  has been sufficiently wet cleaned as shown in  FIG. 11D  and has passed particle inspection in module  300 , the wafer  1100  can be transferred through load lock  606  back into sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  and placed into the conductive film deposition chamber were the film  1112  is deposited as shown in  FIG. 11E . After deposition of the film  1112  the wafer would be removed from the deposition chamber brought into the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  632  transferred through load lock  608  into the atmospheric transfer chamber  510  where the wafer would be removed into a FOUP  620 . If desired, the wafer could be transferred to into the integrated particle monitoring tool  618  to check for defects or particles formed during the deposition process and then the wafer removed from atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . Alternatively, the wafer  1100  could be subject to a dry clean in module  400  and/or a wet clean in module  200  after film deposition, if desired. 
   Another use of etch strip tool  600  is for the stripping of a silicon nitride film formed over a substrate and for the subsequent cleaning of the wafer to remove nitride residues and particles. Generally, silicon nitride films are removed with hot phosphoric acid which has a slow etch rate and therefore requires a long process time. As such, silicon nitride films are generally removed in a batch type (35-50 wafers at a time) process. Etch/strip tool  600  can be used to strip silicon nitride films from a wafer in a single wafer format and can do so without attacking or etching existing oxide films and can strip silicon nitride films in a economic cost effective amount of time. 
   In order to use tool  1600  to remove a silicon nitride film, all that is required is at least one etch module  900  on sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  and at least one wet clean module  200  on atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . In an embodiment of the silicon nitride strip process of the present invention, tool  600  contains multiple etch modules  9000  on sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  and multiple wet clean chambers  200  on atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the number of wet clean chambers  200  and etch modules  900  are balanced with the desired process times for the nitride stripping and cleaning process so the use of each module is maximized. 
   An example of the method of stripping a silicon nitride film utilizing apparatus  600  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 16A-16C . Shown in  FIG. 16A , is a substrate or wafer  1600  having a silicon nitride film  1604 . In a typical use, silicon nitride film  1604  forms an oxidation resistant mask for the formation of shallow trench isolation regions  1608  formed in the monocrystalline silicon substrate  1602 . (Typically a thin pad oxide  1606  is formed between the silicon nitride mask  1604  and the monocrystalline silicon substrate  1602 ). The mask  1604  is used to define locations where trenches are etched in substrate  1602  for trench isolation regions  1608  to be formed. Additionally, silicon nitride mask  1604  provide an oxidation resistant mask preventing the oxidation of underlying silicon during the formation of a thin thermal oxide  1610  in the trench isolation region  1608 . Subsequently the trench is filled with a deposited silicon dioxide film  1612  and polished back to be planar with the top surface of nitride mask  1604  as shown in  FIG. 16A . Nitride masks are also used in similar manner during the formation of LOCOS (Local Oxidation of Silicon) isolation regions. In both cases, after the formation of the isolation regions, it is desirable to remove the nitride mask  1604  without etching or affecting the integrity of the oxide isolation regions  1608 . 
   Accordingly, a substrate or wafer having a nitride film, such as substrate  1600  having a nitride film  1604  is brought to apparatus  600  in a FOUP  622 . In order to process the wafer  1600  in accordance with the present invention, the door to transfer chamber  610  is opened, as is the connected door to FOUP  622  and wafer  1600  is removed from FOUP  622  and brought into atmospheric transfer chamber  610  by robot  612 . The door  605  between atmospheric transfer chamber  610  and load lock  606  is then opened and robot  612  transfers wafer  1600  into load lock  606 . The door  605  is sealed and load lock  606  pumped down to the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 . Once the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  is reached, door  607  opens and robot  632  removes wafer  1600  from load lock  606  and brings it into sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630 . Wafer  1600  is then moved from sub-atmospheric transfer chamber into an etch module  900  and the door between the etch module and the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber sealed and the etch chamber pumped down to the desired process pressure. 
   Next, the silicon nitride film  1604  is stripped with a dry plasma using a chemistry comprising, for example CF 4  or C 2 F 6 . The wafer is exposed to the stripping plasma in module  900  until the silicon nitride mask  1604  has been sufficiently removed. After removing silicon nitride film  1604 , silicon residue  1614  may be left on silicon monocrystalline substrate  1602  (or pad oxide  1606  if used) as shown in  FIG. 16B . 
   After stripping silicon nitride mask  1604 , the pressure within strip module  900  is brought to the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  and the door between strip module  900  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  630  opened. Robot  632  then removes substrate  1600  from strip module  900  and places it into one of the single wafer load locks  1606  or  1608 . The pressure within the load lock is then brought up to atmospheric pressure and the door between the atmospheric transfer chamber and the load lock opened and robot  612  removes the substrate  1600  from the load lock and places it into wet clean module  200 . In wet module  200  wafer  1600  is exposed to a wet cleaning process as described above. The wet clean can vary from a light clean consisting of only DI water rinse to a heavy clean utilizing cleaning solutions and etchants as described above. 
   Once wafer  1600  has been sufficiently cleaned of particles and residue  1614  the wafer is spun dried in module  200 . Next, wafer  1600  is removed from clean module  200  by robot  612  and brought into atmospheric transfer chamber  610 . Robot  1612  can either i) bring the wafer into FOUP  622  or  624  whereby processing is complete, or can ii) bring wafer  1600  into integrated particle monitoring tool  300  where the surface is checked for particles and residue. If substrate  1600  is placed into integrated particle monitoring tool  300  after monitoring the surface for contaminants depending upon the results of the scan, the wafer is either moved into FOUP  622  or is sent back to either wet clean chamber  200  or back into etch module  900  or both for further processing. Additionally, information gained from the surface monitoring can be used by controller  124  to determine the process parameters for stripping the silicon nitride  1604  on subsequent wafers and can be used to determine cleaning parameters for cleaning subsequent wafer in wet cleaning module  200 . For example, if significant silicon nitride is present during the scan in IPM module  300 , the exposure time in etch module  900  can be increased or the process chemistry altered for subsequent wafers, or if particles are found a more aggressive cleaning process can be used on subsequent wafers. The change in process parameters would be determined by complex controller  124  from a stored look up table or formula which relates the process parameters to the particle scan of wafer  1600 . It is to be appreciated that silicon nitride films used for other purposes than for the formation of isolation regions can be stripped or removed in a similar manner. 
   Integrated Clean/Gate Tool 
     FIG. 12  illustrates another atmospheric/sub-atmospheric process tool  1200  in accordance with the present invention. Process tool  1200  is an integrated clean/gate fabrication tool which can be used to clean a wafer and then form a high quality gate dielectric and a gate electrode on a silicon monocrystalline substrate or epitaxial layer. In an embodiment of the present invention, the process tool  1200  includes a module for forming a high dielectric constant film, such as metal oxide dielectric, such as tantalum pentaoxide or titanium oxides. 
   Integrated clean/gate tool  1200  includes an atmospheric platform  1202  and a sub-atmospheric platform  1204 . The sub-atmospheric platform  1204  and the atmospheric platform  1202  are coupled together by a single wafer load lock  1206  and preferably by two single wafer load locks  1206  and  1208 . Atmospheric platform  1202  includes a central atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  having a wafer handling device  1212  contained therein. Directly attached to atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  is a single wafer wet cleaning module  200 , an integrated particle monitoring tool  300  and an integrated thickness monitoring tool  1290 . Wet cleaning module  200 , integrated particle monitoring tool  300 , and integrated thickness monitoring tool  1290  are each connected to transfer chamber  102  through a separately closable opening or slit valve. Transfer chamber  1210  is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure during operation. In an embodiment of the present invention, the atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  can be opened or exposed to the atmosphere of a semiconductor fabrication “clean room” in which it is located. In such a case, the transfer chamber  1210  may contain an overhead filter, such as a hepafilter to provide a high velocity flow of clean air or an inert ambient such as N 2 , to prevent contaminants from finding their way into the atmospheric transfer chamber. In other embodiments, the atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  is a closed system and may contain its own ambient, of clean air or an inert ambient, such as nitrogen gas (N 2 ). 
   Atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  includes a wafer handling robot  1212  which can transfer a wafer from one module to another module in atmospheric process tool  1202 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer handler  1212  is a dual blade, single arm, and single wrist robot. The handling blades both rotate about a single axis coupled to the end of the single arm. 
   Also coupled to atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  is at least one wafer input/output module  1220  or pod for providing and taking wafers to and from system  1200 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer input/output module is a front opening unified pod (FOUP) which contains a cassette of between 13-25 horizontally spaced wafers. In an embodiment of the present invention, apparatus  1200  includes two FOUPs  1220  and  1222 , one for providing wafers into system  1200  and one for removing completed or processed wafers from system  1200 . Atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  contains sealable access doors  521  for allowing wafer to be transferred into and out of atmospheric transfer chamber  1210 . There is an access door  1221  for each FOUP, and each access door is attached to a counterpart door on each FOUP so that when the transfer chamber access door  1221  slides open, it opens the door to the FOUP to provide access for the robot  1212  into the FOUP. 
   Coupled to the opposite sides of atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  then FOUP  1220  and  1222  is a single wafer load lock  1206  and typically a second single wafer load lock  1208 . Single wafer load locks  1206  and  1208  enable a wafer to be transferred from the atmospheric conditions in transfer chamber  1210  to the sub-atmospheric conditions of platform  1204  and allow wafer to be transferred from sub-atmospheric platform  1204  to atmospheric transfer chamber  1210 . A sealable door  1205  is located between single wafer load lock  1206  and atmospheric transfer chamber  1210 . A sealable door  1207  is located between sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  and load lock  1206 . Similarly, a sealable door is located between atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  and load lock  1208 , and a sealable door  111  is located between load lock  1208  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 . Coupled to each of the load locks  1206  and  1108  is a vacuum source which enables the pressure inside load locks  1206  and  1208  to be independently lowered. Additionally, coupled to each load lock  1206  and  1208  is a gas inlet for providing, for example, an inert gas into the load lock to enable the pressure within the load lock to be raised to, for example, to atmospheric pressure. In this way, the pressure within the load lock  1206  and  1208  can be matched to either the pressure within atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  or the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 . Although, load locks  1206  and  1208  are ideally low volume single wafer load locks to enable fast wafer transfers between the atmospheric transfer chamber and the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber, load locks  1206  and  1208 , however, can be larger multiple wafer load locks which can hold multiple wafers at a single time, if desired. 
   Attached to the opposite ends of the single wafer load locks  1206  and  1208  is a sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  having a wafer handling device  1226  contained therein. Sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  is said to be sub-atmospheric transfer chamber because transfer chamber  1224  is held at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure and preferably between 10 −3  to 50 Torr while in operation and while passing the wafers to the various sub-atmospheric process modules coupled thereto. 
   Directly attached to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  is a single wafer thermal process chamber  1300  which can be used to grow a silicon dioxide or silicon oxynitride or silicon nitride dielectric film on wafer. Additionally, also directly attached to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  is a polysilicon deposition chamber  1400  which can be used to form a polysilicon film, for example, a polysilicon gate electrode. In an embodiment of the present invention, process tool  1200  includes a high k dielectric film deposition module  1700  directly attached to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  to enable the formation of a high dielectric constant film, such as metal dielectrics, e.g. titanium oxides, tantanlum oxides, zirconium oxide, and hafnium oxides. Additionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, apparatus  1200  includes a second thermal process chamber  1300  in order to better balance the wafer throughput of wafer through process tool  1100 . Thermal process tool  1300  and polysilicon deposition tool  1400  are connected to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  through separately closable and sealable openings. 
   Apparatus  1100  also includes a system computer or control device  124  which is coupled and controls each module coupled to atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  and controls each sub-atmospheric module coupled to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 , controls load locks  1206  and  1208  as well as the operation of robots  1212  and  1226 . Computer  124  enables a feedback from one module to be used to control the flow of a wafer through system  1200  and/or to control the process or operation of the other modules of system  1200 . 
   Thermal Process Module 
   An example of a thermal process module which can be used as thermal process modules  1300  or  1300 B is illustrated in  FIG. 13A-B .  FIG. 13A-B  illustrates an insitu steam generation (ISSG) process tool  1300  which can be used to grow an oxide film, such as a high quality gate dielectric film. ISSG chamber  1300  can be adapted to include nitrogen containing gas so that silicon nitride films or silicon oxynitride films can also be formed. 
   Module  1300  as shown in  FIG. 13A , includes an evacuated process chamber  1313  enclosed by a sidewall  1314  and a bottom wall  1315 . Sidewall  1314  and bottom wall  1315  are preferably made of stainless steel. The upper portion of sidewall  1314  of chamber  1313  is sealed to window assembly  1317  by “O” rings  1316 . A radiant energy light pipe assembly  1318  is positioned over and coupled to window assembly  1317 . The radiant energy assembly  1318  includes a plurality of tungsten halogen lamps  1319 , for example Sylvania EYT lamps, each mounted into a light pipe  1321  which can be a stainless steel, brass, aluminum or other metal. 
   A substrate or wafer  1361  is supported on its edge in side chamber  1313  by a support ring  1362  made up of silicon carbide. Support ring  1362  is mounted on a rotatable quartz cylinder  1363 . By rotating quartz cylinder  1363  support ring  1362  and wafer  1361  can be caused to rotate. An additional silicon carbide adapter ring can be used to allow wafers of different diameters to be processed (e.g., 150 mm as well as 200 mm). The outside edge of support ring  1362  preferably extends less than two inches from the outside diameter of wafer  1361 . The volume of chamber  1313  is approximately two liters. 
   The bottom wall  1315  of apparatus  1300  includes a gold coated top surface  1311  for reflecting energy onto the backside of wafer  1361 . Additionally, rapid thermal heating apparatus  1300  includes a plurality of fiber optic probes  1370  positioned through the bottom wall  1315  of apparatus  1300  in order to detect the temperature of wafer  1361  at a plurality of locations across its bottom surface. Reflections between the backside of the silicon wafer  1361  and reflecting surface  1311  create a blackbody cavity which makes temperature measurement independent of wafer backside emissivity and thereby provides accurate temperature measurement capability. 
   Rapid thermal heating apparatus  1300  includes a gas inlet  1369  formed through sidewall  1314  for injecting process gas into chamber  1313  to allow various processing steps to be carried out in chamber  1313 . Coupled to gas inlet  1369  is a source, such as a tank, of oxygen containing gas such as O 2  and a source, such as a tank, of hydrogen containing gas such as H 2 . In an embodiment of the present invention, a nitrogen containing gas, such as NH 3 , or N 2 O is produced to enable the formation of silicon oxynitride films. Positioned on the opposite side of gas inlet  1369 , in sidewall  1314 , is a gas outlet  1368 . Gas outlet  1368  is coupled to a vacuum source, such as a pump, to exhaust process gas from chamber  1313  and to reduce the pressure in chamber  1313 . The vacuum source maintains a desired pressure while process gas is continually fed into the chamber during processing. 
   Lamps  1319  include a filament wound as a coil with its axis parallel to that of the lamp envelope. Most of the light is emitted perpendicular to the axis towards the wall of the surrounding light pipe. The light pipe length is selected to at least be as long as the associated lamp. It may be longer provided that the power reaching the wafer is not substantially attenuated by increased reflection. Light assembly  1318  preferably includes 187 lamps positioned in a hexagonal array or in a “honeycomb shape” as illustrated in  FIG. 13B . Lamps  1319  are positioned to adequately cover the entire surface area of wafer  1361  and support ring  1362 . Lamps  1319  are grouped in zones which can be independently controlled to provide for extremely uniform heating of wafer  1361 . Heat pipes  1321  can be cooled by flowing a coolant, such as water, between the various heat pipes. The radiant energy source  1318  comprising the plurality of light pipes  1321  and associated lamps  1319  allows the use of thin quartz windows to provide an optical port for heating a substrate within the evacuative process chamber. 
   Window assembly  1317  includes a plurality of short light pipes  1341  which are brazed to upper/lower flange plates which have their outer edges sealed to an outer wall  1344 . A coolant, such as water, can be injected into the space between light pipes  1341  to serve to cool light pipes  1341  and flanges. Light pipes  1341  register with light pipes  1321  of the illuminator. The water cooled flange with the light pipe pattern which registers with the lamp housing is sandwiched between two quartz plates  1347  and  1348 . These plates are sealed to the flange with “O” rings  1349  and  1351  near the periphery of the flange. The upper and lower flange plates include grooves which provide communication between the light pipes. A vacuum can be produced in the plurality of light pipes  1341  by pumping through a tube  1353  connected to one of the light pipes  1341  which in turn is connected to the rest of the pipes by a very small recess or groove in the face of the flange. Thus, when the sandwiched structure is placed on a vacuum chamber  1313  the metal flange, which is typically stainless steel and which has excellent mechanical strength, provides adequate structural support. The lower quartz window  1348 , the one actually sealing the vacuum chamber  1313 , experiences little or no pressure differential because of the vacuum on each side and thus can be made very thin. The adapter plate concept of window assembly  1317  allows quartz windows to be easily changed for cleaning or analysis. In addition, the vacuum between the quartz windows  1347  and  1348  of the window assembly provides an extra level of protection against toxic gasses escaping from the reaction chamber. 
   Rapid thermal heating apparatus  1300  is a single wafer reaction chamber capable of ramping the temperature of a wafer  1361  or substrate at a rate of 25-100° C./sec. Rapid thermal heating apparatus  1300  is said to be a “cold wall” reaction chamber because the temperature of the wafer during the oxidation process is at least 400° C. greater than the temperature of chamber sidewalls  1314 . Heating/cooling fluid can be circulated through sidewalls  1314  and/or bottom wall  1315  to maintain walls at a desired temperature. For a steam oxidation process utilizing the insitu moisture generation of the present invention, chamber walls  1314  and  1315  are maintained at a temperature greater than room temperature (23° C.) in order to prevent condensation. Rapid thermal heating apparatus  1300  is preferably configured as part of a “cluster tool” which includes a load lock and a transfer chamber with a robotic arm. 
   Chemical Vapor Deposition Module 
     FIGS. 14A-14C  illustrates a low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) chamber  1400  which can be used as silicon deposition module  1400  to deposit a doped or undoped polycrystalline silicon film. The LPCVD chamber  1400  illustrated in  FIGS. 14A-14C  is constructed of materials such that, in this embodiment, a pressure of greater than or equal to 100 Torr can be maintained. For the purpose of illustration, a chamber of approximately in the range of 5-6 liters is described.  FIG. 14A  illustrates the inside of process chamber body  1445  in a “wafer-process” position.  FIG. 14B  shows the same view of the chamber in a “wafer-separate” position.  FIG. 14C  shows the same cross-sectional side view of the chamber in a “wafer-load” position. In each case, a wafer  500  is indicated in dashed lines to indicate its location in the chamber. 
     FIG. 14A-14C  show chamber body  1445  that defines reaction chamber  1490  in which the thermal decomposition of a process gas or gases takes place to form a film on a wafer (e.g., a CVD reaction). Chamber body  1445  is constructed, in one embodiment, of aluminum and has passages  1455  for water to be pumped therethrough to cool chamber  1445  (e.g., a “cold-wall” reaction chamber). Resident in chamber  1490  is resistive heater  1480  including, in this view, susceptor  1405  supported by shaft  1465 . Susceptor  1405  has a surface area sufficient to support a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer  1400  (shown in dashed lines). 
   Process gas enters otherwise sealed chamber  1490  through gas distribution port  1420  in a top surface of chamber lid  1430  of chamber body  1445 . The process gas then goes through blocker plate  1424  to distribute the gas about an area consistent with the surface area of a wafer. Thereafter, the process gas is distributed through perforated face plate  1425  located, in this view, above resistive heater  1480  and coupled to chamber lid  1430  inside chamber  1490 . One objective of the combination of blocker plate  1424  with face plate  1425  in this embodiment is to create a uniform distribution of process gas at the substrate, e.g., wafer. 
   A substrate  1408 , such as a wafer, is placed in chamber  1490  on susceptor  1405  of heater  1480  through entry port  1440  in a side portion of chamber body  1445 . To accommodate a wafer for processing, heater  1480  is lowered so that the surface of susceptor  1405  is below entry port  1440  as shown in  FIG. 14C . By a robotic transfer mechanism  1226 , a wafer  1408  is loaded by way of, for example, a transfer blade  1441  into chamber  1490  onto the superior surface of susceptor. Once loaded, entry  1440  is sealed and heater  1480  is advanced in a superior (e.g., upward) direction toward face plate  1425  by lifter assembly  1460  that is, for example, a stepper motor. The advancement stops when the wafer  500  is a short distance (e.g., 400-700 mils) from face plate  1425  (see  FIG. 14A ). In the wafer-process position, chamber  1490  is effectively divided into two zones, a first zone above the superior surface of susceptor  1405  and a second zone below the inferior surface of susceptor  1405 . It is generally desirable to confine polysilicon film formation to the first zone. 
   At this point, process gas controlled by a gas panel flows into chamber  1490  through gas distribution port  1420 , through blocker plate  1424  and perforated face plate  1425 . Process gas thermally decomposes to form a film on the wafer. At the same time, an inert bottom-purge gas, e.g., nitrogen, is introduced into the second chamber zone to inhibit film formation in that zone. In a pressure controlled system, the pressure in chamber  1490  is established and maintained by a pressure regulator or regulators coupled to chamber  1490 . In one embodiment, for example, the pressure is established and maintained by baretone pressure regulator(s) coupled to chamber body  1445  as known in the art. In this embodiment, the baretone pressure regulator(s) maintains pressure at a level of equal to or greater than 150 Torr. 
   Residual process gas is pumped from chamber  1490  through pumping plate  1485  to a collection vessel at a side of chamber body  1445  (vacuum pumpout  1431 ). Pumping plate  1485  creates two flow regions resulting in a gas flow pattern that creates a uniform silicon layer on a substrate. 
   Pump  1432  disposed exterior to apparatus provides vacuum pressure within pumping channel  1440  (below channel  1440  in  FIGS. 14A-14C ) to draw both the process and purge gases out of the chamber  1490  through vacuum pump-out  1431 . The gas is discharged from chamber  1490  along a discharge conduit  1433 . The flow rate of the discharge gas through channel  1440  is preferably controlled by a throttle valve  1434  disposed along conduit  1433 . The pressure within processing chamber  1490  is monitored with sensors (not shown) and controlled by varying the cross-sectional area of conduit  1433  with throttle valve  1434 . Preferably, a controller  124  receives signals from the sensors that indicate the chamber pressure and adjusts throttle valve  1434  accordingly to maintain the desired pressure within chamber  1490 . A suitable throttle valve for use with the present invention is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,225 issued to Murdoch and assigned to Applied Materials, Inc., the complete disclosure by which is incorporated herein by reference. 
   Once wafer processing is complete, chamber  1390  may be purged, for example, with an inert gas, such as nitrogen. After processing and purging, heater  1480  is advanced in an inferior direction (e.g., lowered) by lifter assembly  1460  to the position shown in  FIG. 14B . As heater  1480  is moved, lift pins  1495 , having an end extending through openings or throughbores in a surface of susceptor  1405  and a second end extending in a cantilevered fashion from an inferior (e.g., lower) surface of susceptor  1405 , contact lift plate  1475  positioned at the base of chamber  1490 . As is illustrated in  FIG. 14B , in one embodiment, at the point, lift plate  1475  remains at a wafer-process position (i.e., the same position the plate was in  FIG. 14A ). As heater  1480  continues to move in an inferior direction through the action of assembly  1460 , lift pins  1495  remain stationary and ultimately extend above the susceptor or top surface of susceptor  1405  to separate a processed wafer from the surface of susceptor  1405 . The surface of susceptor  1405  is moved to a position below opening  1440 . 
   Once a processed wafer is separated from the surface of susceptor  1405 , transfer blade  1441  of a robotic mechanism is inserted through opening  1440  beneath the heads of lift pins  1495  and a wafer supported by the lift pins. Next, lifter assembly  1460  inferiorly moves (e.g., lowers) heater  1480  and lifts plate  1475  to a “wafer load” position. By moving lift plates  1475  in an inferior direction, lift pins  1495  are also moved in an inferior direction, until the surface of the processed wafer contacts the transfer blade. The processed wafer is then removed through entry port  1440  by, for example, a robotic transfer mechanism  1226  that removes the wafer and transfers the wafer to the next processing step. A second wafer may then be loaded into chamber  1490 . The steps described above are generally reversed to bring the wafer into a process position. A detailed description of one suitable lifter assembly  1460  is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,773, assigned to Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. 
   In a high temperature operation, such as LPCVD processing to form a polycrystalline silicon film, the heater temperature inside chamber  1490  can be as high as 750° C. or more. Accordingly, the exposed components in chamber  1490  must be compatible with such high temperature processing. Such materials should also be compatible with the process gases and other chemicals, such as cleaning chemicals (e.g., NF 3 ) that may be introduced into chamber  1490 . Exposed surfaces of heater  1480  may be comprised of a variety of materials provided that the materials are compatible with the process. For example, susceptor  1405  and shaft  1465  of heater  1480  may be comprised of similar aluminum nitride material. Alternatively, the surface of susceptor  1405  may be comprised of high thermally conductive aluminum nitride materials (on the order of 95% purity with a thermal conductivity from 140 W/mK while shaft  1465  is comprised of a lower thermally conductive aluminum nitride. Susceptor  1405  of heater  1480  is typically bonded to shaft  65  through diffusion bonding or brazing as such coupling will similarly withstand the environment of chamber  1490 . 
     FIG. 14A  also shows a cross-section of a portion of heater  1480 , including a cross-section of the body of susceptor  1405  and a cross-section of shaft  1465 . In this illustration,  FIG. 14A  shows the body of susceptor  1405  having two heating elements formed therein, first heating element  1450  and second heating element  1457 . Each heating element (e.g., heating element  1450  and heating element  1457 ) is made of a material with thermal expansion properties similar to the material of the susceptor. A suitable material includes molybdenum (Mo). Each heating element includes a thin layer of molybdenum material in a coiled configuration. 
   In  FIG. 14A , second heating element  1457  is formed in a plane of the body of susceptor  1405  that is located inferior (relative to the surface of susceptor in the figure) to first heating element  1450 . First heating element  1450  and second heating element  1457  are separately coupled to power terminals. The power terminals extend in an inferior direction as conductive leads through a longitudinally extending opening through shaft  1465  to a power source that supplies the requisite energy to heat the surface of susceptor  1405 . Extending through openings in chamber lid are two pyrometers, first pyrometer  1410  and second pyrometer  1415 . Each pyrometer provides data about the temperature at the surface of susceptor  1405  (or at the surface of a wafer on susceptor  1405 ). Also of note in the cross-section of heater  1480  as shown in  FIG. 14A  is the presence of thermocouple  1470 . Thermocouple  1470  extends through the longitudinally extending opening through shaft  1465  to a point just below the superior or top surface of susceptor  1405 . 
   High K Dielectric Deposition Module 
   A high k dielectric deposition module  1700  which can be used in the present invention is shown in  FIG. 17A  and includes a liquid delivery system, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, exhaust system and remote plasma generator which together comprises a unique system especially useful in depositing thin metal-oxide films as well as other films requiring vaporization of low volatility precursor liquids. The system also provides for an in-situ cleaning process for the removal of metal-oxide films deposited on interior surfaces of a deposition chamber. The system also has application in the use of fabricating metal-oxide dielectrics useful in making ultra large scale integration (ULSI) DRAM and other advanced feature electronic devices which require the deposition of high dielectric constant materials. In general, devices that can be made with the system of the present invention are those devices characterized by having one or more layers of insulating, dielectric or electrode material on a suitable substrate such as silicon. One skilled in the art will appreciate the ability to use alternative configuration and process details to the disclosed specifics without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other instances, well known semiconductor processing equipment and methodology have not been described in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. 
     FIG. 17A  is a perspective view of the high k deposition module  1700  showing the relative positions of the main components of the present invention. High k deposition module  1700  contains a processing chamber  1702 , a heat exhaust system  1704 , a remote plasma generator  1706  and a vapor delivery system  1708 . Also shown in  FIG. 17A  is a sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 . Processing chamber  1702  is comprised of lid  1710  and chamber body  1712  and is attached to central transfer chamber  1224 . Gases supplied via liquid delivery system  1708  are provided into a processing region (not shown) within chamber  1708  via temperature controlled conduits formed within inlet block  1714 , mixing block  1716  and central block  1718 . Cartridge style heaters  1720  are integrally formed into each block and, in conjunction with individual thermocouples and controllers, maintain temperature set points within the conduits. For clarity, individual thermocouples and controllers have been omitted. Not visible in  FIG. 17A  but an aspect of the module is embedded lid heater located integral to lid  1710  beneath heater backing plate  1722 . 
   Chamber  1702  processing by-products are exhausted via heated exhaust system  1704  which is coupled to chamber  1702  via exhaust port  1724 . Also shown are isolation valve  1726 , throttle valve  1728 , chamber by-pass  1730 , cold trap  1732  and cold trap isolation valve  1734 . For clarity, specific embodiments of vacuum pump and wafer fabrication plant exhaust treatment systems are not shown. In order to provide a clearer representation of the interrelationship between and relative placement of each of the components of heated exhaust system  1704 , the jacket type heaters, thermocouples and controllers used to maintain setpoint temperatures in exhaust port  1724 , isolation valve  1726 , throttle valve  1728 , chamber by-pass  1730 , and by-pass line  1736  have been omitted. 
   Activated species are generated by remote plasma generator  1706  and provided to a processing region within chamber  1702  via conduits within activated species inlet block  1740 , activated species block  1742  and central block  1718 . Other components of remote plasma generator  1706  such as magnetron, auto tuner controller  1746 , and auto tuner  1748  are visible in  FIG. 17A . 
   One of the main components of liquid delivery system  1708  is liquid flow meter  1750  and vaporizer  1752 . Three-way inlet valve  1754  allows either precursor  1756  or solvent  1758  into vapor delivery system  1708 . Heat exchangers  1760  and  1762  preheat carrier gases and process gases respectively. Heated carrier gases travel via a carrier gas supply line  1764  to vaporizer  1752  in order to facilitate more complete vaporization within vaporizer  1752  as well as carry vaporized liquids to chamber  1702 . After vaporization in vaporizer  1752 , chamber by-pass valve  1766  allows vapor to be ported either to processing region in chamber  1702  via outlet  1762  or to exhaust system  1704  via outlet  1768  which is coupled to heated by-pass line  1736 . A jacket style heater, thermocouple and controller which maintain the temperature of chamber by-pass valve  1766  and vaporizer precursor line  1770  as well as the jacket style heater, thermocouple and controller which maintain the temperature of by-pass line  1736  have been omitted so as not to obscure the components of liquid delivery system  1708  and their relationship to chamber  1702  and heated exhaust system  1704 . 
   The size and dimensions of the various components and the placement of these components in relation to each other are determined by the size of the substrate on which the processes of the present invention are being formed. A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described herein with reference to a high k deposition module  1700  adapted to process circular substrate, such as a silicon wafer, having a 200 mm diameter. Although described in reference to a single substrate, one of ordinary skill in the art of semiconductor processing will appreciate that the methods and various embodiments of the present invention are adaptable to the processing of multiple substrates within a single chamber  1702 . 
     FIG. 17B  is a cross sectional view of chamber assembly  1702  of processing system  1700  of  FIG. 17A . Chamber body  1712  and heated chamber lid  1710 , which is hingedly connected to chamber body  1712 , together with O-ring  1770  form a temperature and pressure controlled environment or processing region  1772  which enables deposition processes and other operations to be performed within processing region  1772 . Chamber body  1712  and lid  1710  are preferably made of a rigid material such as aluminum, various nickel alloys or other materials having good thermal conductivity. O-ring  1770  could be formed from Chemraz, Kalrez, Viton or other suitable sealing material. 
   When lid  1710  is closed as shown in  FIG. 17B , an annular processing region  1772  is formed which is bounded by showerhead  1774 , substrate support  1776  and the walls of chamber body  1712 . Substrate support  1776  (shown in the raised position for processing) extends through the bottom of chamber body  1712 . Embedded within substrate support  1776  is a resistive heater which receives power via resistive heating element electrical connector  1778 . A thermocouple in thermal contact with substrate support  1776  senses the temperature of substrate support  1776  and is part of a closed loop control circuit which allows precise temperature control of heated substrate support  1776 . Substrate support  1776  and substrate  1701  are parallel to showerhead  1774 . Substrate  1701  is supported by the upper surface of support  1776  and is heated by the resistive heaters within substrate support  1776  to processing temperatures of, for example, between about 400° C. and 500° C. for Tantalum films formed using the methods and apparatus of the present invention. 
   Processing chamber  1702  is coupled to sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  via opening  1780 . A slit valve  1782  seals processing region  1772  from sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 . Substrate support  1776  may also move vertically into alignment with opening  1780  which, when slit valve  1782  is open, allows substrates to move between the processing region  1772  and sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 . Substrate  1701  can be a substrate used in the manufacture of semiconductor products such as silicon substrates and gallium arsenide substrates and can be other substrates used for other purposes such as substrates used in the production of flat panel displays. 
   Pumping passage  1784  and outlet port  1786  formed within chamber body  1712  for removing by products of processing operations conducted within processing region  1772 . Outlet port  1786  provides fluid communication between components of heated exhaust system  1704  and processing region  1772 . 
   Turning now to gas delivery features of chamber  1702 , both process gas/precursor mixture from liquid delivery system  1708 , via conduit  1788 , and activated species from remote plasma generator system  1706 , via conduit  1790 , flow through central conduit  1792  to bore through  1794  formed in lid  1710 . From there, gases and activated species flow through blocker plate  1796  and showerhead  1774  into processing region  1772 . A feature of showerhead  1774  of the present invention is the plurality of apertures. 
   Process gas and vaporized precursors and mixtures thereof are provided to central bore through  1794  via temperature controlled conduits formed integral to heated feed through assembly  1798 . Heated feed through assembly  1798  is comprised of central block  1799 , mixed deposition gas feed through block  1716  and inlet and mixing block  1714 . Although the embodiment represented in chamber  1702  of  FIG. 17B  indicates a heated feed through assembly  1798  comprising three separate blocks  1718 ,  1716 , and  1714 , one of ordinary skill will appreciate that the blocks can be combined such as replacing inlet and mixing block  1714  and feed through block  1716  with a single block without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Additionally, a plurality of cartridge heaters  1720  are disposed internal to each of the aforementioned blocks and proximate to the conduits  1792 ,  1788 ,  1797 ,  1795 , and  1793  which maintain a setpoint in each conduit utilizing separate controllers and thermocouples for the heater of a particular conduit. For clarity, the separate thermocouples and controllers have been omitted. 
   Lid  1710  is also provided with a cooling channel  1791  which circulates cooling water within that of lid  1710  in proximity to o-ring  1770 . Cooling channel  1791  allows lid  1710  to maintain the temperatures preferred for advantageous heating of showerhead  1774  while protecting o-ring  1770  from the high temperatures which degrade the sealing qualities of o-ring  1770  thereby making o-ring  1770  more susceptible to attack by the reactive species generated and supplied to processing region  1772  by remote plasma generator  1706 . 
   Another feature of processing chamber  1702  of the present invention also shown in  FIG. 17B  is embedded resistive heater  1789  within lid  1710 . This feature of chamber assembly  1702  provides elevated temperatures in lid  1710  in proximity to central bore through  1794  and the area between the lower surface of the lid  1710  and showerhead upper surface  1787 . The region between lid  1710  and showerhead upper surface  1787  is referred to as the “gas box”. Formed within the top surface of lid  1710  is an annular groove shaped according to the size and shape of embedded heater  1789  in order to increase surface contact and heat transfer between resistive heater  1789  and lid  1710 . Without heater  1789 , cooling channel  1791  could continuously remove heat from lid  1710 . As a result, cooling channel  1791  also affects the temperature of portions of lid  1710  in contact with precursor vapor, such as the area surrounding central bore through  1794  and the gas box. While cooler lid  1710  temperatures improve conditions for o-ring  1770 , cooler lid  1710  temperatures could result in undesired condensation of precursor vapor. Thus, it is to be appreciated that resistive heater  1789  is positioned to heat those portions of lid  1710  in contact with the vaporized precursor flow such as the gas box and the area surrounding central bore through  1794 . As shown in  FIG. 17B , for example, heater  1789  is located between cooling channel  1719  and central bore through  1794  while also positioned to provide heating to the lid surface adjacent to blocker plate  1796 . 
   Vapor Delivery System 
   Vapor delivery system  1708  provides a method and an apparatus for supplying controlled, repeatable, vaporization of low vapor pressure precursors for film deposition on a substrate  1701  located within processing region  1772 . One method provides for the direct injection of vaporized TAETO and TAT-DMAE. One of ordinary skill will appreciate the specific features detailed below which separately and when combined allow vapor delivery system  1708  to vaporize and precisely control the delivery of liquid precursors including those precursors having vapor pressures significantly lower than precursors utilized in prior art vapor delivery system or, specifically, precursors having vapor pressures below about 10 Torr at 1 atm and 100° C. ( FIG. 1 ). 
   The various components of vapor delivery system  1708  are placed in close proximity to chamber  1702  in order to minimize the length of temperature controlled vapor passageways between the outlet of vaporizer  1752  and processing region  1772 . Even though practice in the semiconductor processing arts is to place vapor systems remotely from processing chambers to either ensure serviceability or reduce the amount of cleanroom space occupied by a processing system, vapor delivery system  1708  of the present invention utilizes an innovative compact design which allows all system components—less bulk liquid precursor, carrier gas and process gas supplies—to be located directly adjacent to chamber  1702  in close proximity to precursor and process gas chamber feed throughs. 
   A low vapor pressure liquid precursor, such as TAT-DMAE or TAETO, can be stored in bulk storage container  1756  located remotely or on mainframe support in proximity to processing chamber  1702 . Liquid precursor stored in tank  1756  is maintained under pressure of an inert gas such as Helium at about 15 to 70 psig. The gas pressure within tank  1756  provides sufficient pressure on the liquid precursor such that liquid precursor flows to other vapor delivery system components thus removing the need for a pump to deliver the liquid precursor. The outlet of delivery tank  1756  is provided with a shut-off valve (not shown) to isolate bulk tank  1756  for maintenance or replenishment of the liquid precursor. As a result of the pressure head on tank  1756 , liquid precursor from tank  1756  is provided to liquid supply line and the precursor inlet of precursor/solvent inlet valve  1754 . When aligned for liquid precursor, precursor/solvent valve  1754  provides liquid precursor to precursor/solvent outlet and into precursor/solvent supply line to liquid flow meter inlet. Liquid flow meter  1750  measures precursor flow rate and provides via liquid flow meter outlet  511  liquid precursor to vaporize supply line  1763  and then to vaporized inlet. Vaporizer  1752  in conjunction with a heated carrier gas (described below) converts the liquid precursor into precursor vapor. A carrier gas, such as nitrogen or helium, is supplied into carrier gas heat exchanger inlet  1761  at a pressure of about 15 psi. Carrier gas heat exchanger  1760  is a gas to resistive heater type heat exchanger like Model HX-01 commercially available from Lintec. Carrier gas heat exchanger  1760  preheats the carrier gas to a temperature such that the heated carrier gas stream entering vaporizer  1752  does not interfere with the efficient vaporization of the precursor liquid undergoing vaporization within vaporizer  1752 . Heated carrier gas is provided to vaporizer  1752  via carrier gas supply line  1764  and carrier gas inlet to vaporizer. The heated carrier gas should not be heated uncontrollably since a carrier gas heated above the decomposition temperature of the precursor undergoing vaporization could result in precursor decomposition within vaporizer  1752 . Thus, carrier gas heat exchanger  1760  should heat the carrier gas into a temperature range bounded by, at the lower limit, the condensation temperature of the precursor and, at the upper limit, the decomposition temperature of the precursor. For a tantalum precursor such as TAT-DMAE for example, a representative vaporization temperature is about 130° C. and a decomposition temperature is about 190° C. A typical carrier gas such as nitrogen could be provided to a vaporizer  1752 , which is vaporizing a tantalum precursor such as TAT-DMAE, at about between 200 and 2000 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) and a temperature of about between 130° C. and 160° C. These conditions result in a vaporized precursor flow rate in the range of about 10-50 milligrams per minute. Carrier gas temperature can also be such that the temperature of the carrier gas entering vaporizer  1752  is at least as high if not higher than the vaporization temperature of the precursor being vaporized in vaporizer  1752 . Of particular concern is the prevention of precursor vapor condensation within the small diameter conduits which exist within vaporizer  1752 . As such, carrier gas temperatures below vaporization conditions within vaporizer  1752  could sufficiently cool the vaporized precursor, result in condensation and should therefore be avoided. 
   The Remote Plasma Generator 
   Another aspect of the processing apparatus  1760  of the present invention is remote plasma apparatus  1706  shown  FIG. 17C  in relation to central substrate transfer chamber  1224  and chamber  1702  and components of heated exhaust system  1705 . Remote plasma apparatus  1706  creates a plasma outside of or remote to processing region  1772  for cleaning, deposition, annealing or other processes within processing region  1772 . One advantage of a remote plasma generator  1706  is that the generated plasma or activated species created by remote plasma generator  1706  may be used for cleaning or process applications within the processing region without subjecting internal chamber components such as substrate support  1776  or showerhead  1774  to plasma attack which usually results when conventional RF energy is applied within process region  1772  to create a plasma. Several components of remote plasma apparatus  1706  are visible in  FIG. 17C  such as magnetron  1744 , auto tuner controller  1746 , isolator  1741 , auto tuner  1748 , adapter tube  1745  and adapter tube heat insulation disc  1747 . 
   Magnetron assembly  1744  houses the magnetron tube, which produces the microwave energy. The magnetron tube consists of a hot filament cylindrical cathode surrounded by an anode with a van array. This anode/cathode assembly produces a strong magnetic field when it is supplied with DC power from a power supply. Electrons coming into contact with this magnetic field follow a circular path as they travel between the anode and the cathode. This circular motion induces voltage resonance, or microwaves, between the anode vanes. An antenna channels the microwaves from magnetron  1744  to isolator  1741  and wave guide  1749 . Isolator  1741  absorbs and dissipates reflected power to prevent damage to magnetron  1744 . Wave guide  1749  channels microwave from isolator  1741  into auto tuner  1748 . 
   Auto tuner  1748  matches the impedance of magnetron  1744  and microwave cavity  1743  to achieve the maximum degree of reflected power by adjusting the vertical position of three tuning stubs located inside wave guide  1749 . Auto tuner  1748  also supplies a feedback signal to the magnetron power supply in order to continuously match the actual forward power to the setpoint. Auto tuner controller  1746  controls the position of the tuning stubs within wave guide  1749  to minimize reflected power. Auto tuner controller  1746  also displays the position of the stubs as well as forward and reflect power readings. 
   Microwave applicator cavity  1743  is where gas or gases supplied via gas supply inlet  1739  are ionized. Gas supplied via gas supply inlet  1739  enters a water cooled quartz or sapphire tube within microwave applicator  1743 , is subjected to microwaves and ionizes producing activated species which can then be used in cleaning and processing operations within processing region  1772 . One such cleaning gas is NF3 which can be used to supply activated flourine for cleaning processing region  1772  when a substrate  1701  is not present in processing region  202 . Activated species can also be used to anneal or otherwise process semiconductor or other materials present on a substrate  1701  positioned within processing region  1772 . An optical plasma sensor  1737  detects the existence of plasma within cavity  1743 . Activated species generated within microwaves applicator cavity  1743  are supplied to activate species chamber feed through  1735  via adapter tub  1745 . Adapter tube  1745  is insulated from the elevated temperature of chamber body  1712  by adapter tube isolation disc  1747 . 
   From activated species chamber feed through  1739 , the activated species pass through lid bore-through and enter activated species inlet block  1740  which, together with activated species block  1742 , provide an o-ring sealed, air tight conduit i.e., activated species conduit  1790 , between lid bore-through and central gas feed-through  1792  within central mixing block  1718 . 
   Method of Using Clean/Gate Tool  1200   
   Clean/Gate Tool  1200  can be used to form a dielectric film and electrode on a substrate. For example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 15A-15D , the clean/gate tool  1200  can wet clean a substrate, monitor the quality of the wet clean, grow a high quality gate dielectric on the substrate, and then deposit a polysilicon gate film on the dielectric and then measure the thickness of the deposited gate film. A similar process can be used in Clean/Gate Tool  1200  to form a capacitor dielectric and capacitor electrode on a substrate. 
   According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate or wafer, such as wafer  1500 , shown in  FIG. 15A  is brought to clean/gate tool  1200  in a FOUP  1220  which is loaded onto Clean/Gate Tool  1200 . Wafer  1500  will typically include a thin sacrificial oxide or native oxide  1504  formed on a doped monocrystalline silicon substrate  1502  (or a silicon epitaxial film). Generally, contaminants, such as particles  1506 , will be present in and/or on sacrificial oxide  1504 . First, access door  1121  is opened (as is the adjacent door on FOUP  1220 ). Robot  1212  then removes wafer  1500  from FOUP  1220  and brings it into atmospheric transfer chamber  1210 , and then inserts wafer  1500  into clean module  200  where it is held by support  210 . 
   Next, wafer  1500  is exposed to a wet etchant for a sufficient period of time to etch or strip away all or a portion of sacrificial oxide  1504 . A sacrificial oxide film can be etched away by exposing it to a dilute HF solution, such as a 500:1 to 10:1 DI H 2 O:HF solution. The concentration and/or etch time will typically depend upon the thickness of the sacrificial film and the amount of the film to be removed. 
   Directly after etching sacrificial oxide  1504 , wafer  1500  is wet cleaned in module  200 . Wafer  1500  can be cleaned in module  200  as described above. In an embodiment of the present invention, wafer  1500  is cleaned with a single solution containing NH 4 OH, H 2 O 2 , a chelating agent, and a surfactant. In another embodiment of the present invention, wafer  1500  is cleaned by standard RCA cleaning solutions (SC 1  and SC 2 ). After sufficient cleaning, as shown in  FIG. 15B , wafer  1500  is dried in module  200 . 
   Wafer  1500  is then removed by robot  1212  from clean module  200  and brought into atmospheric transfer chamber  1210 . The wafer is then, if desired, transferred into either i) integrated particle monitoring tool  300  or ii) into integrated thickness measuring module  1290 . Wafer  1500  can be brought into integrated thickness monitoring module  1290  in order to measure the remaining thickness of the sacrificial oxide  1504  to determine if either to much, to little or the correct amount of film has been removed. If too little film  1504  has been removed, wafer  1500  can be removed from module  1600  and placed back into wet clean module  200  in order to further etch the sacrificial film  1506 . The amount of additional etching required, as determined in thickness measuring module  1290 , can be used to determine or control the process parameters, such as HF concentration, etch time and rotation rate, of the second etching of sacrificial film  1506  to ensure that the required amount of sacrificial oxide  1506  is removed. If too much film  1506  has been removed, then wafer  1500  can be removed from module  1600  and transferred out of Clean/Gate Tool  1200  through atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  for further rework. If the correct amount of film has been removed, then wafer  1500  can be removed from integrated thickness module  1290  by robot  1212  and transferred into integrated particle monitoring module  300 , if desired. 
   In integrated particle monitoring tool  300 , the surface of wafer  1500 , as shown in  FIG. 15B , can be scanned and mapped to determine if the surface has been sufficiently cleaned of contaminants  1506 . If the surface has not been sufficiently cleaned, wafer  1500  can be removed from the integrated particle monitoring module  300  and sent back to clean module  200  for further cleaning. The amount and type of a second cleaning of wafer  1500  can be determined by the information received during the integrated particle monitoring of wafer  1500 . 
   If wafer  1500  has been sufficiently cleaned, then wafer  1500  is removed from the integrated particle monitoring tool  300  and brought into the atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  to begin further processing in the sub-atmospheric portion  1204  of Clean/Gate Tool  1200 . 
   It is to be appreciated that a wafer can be brought into either only integrated particle monitoring tool  300  and not thickness monitoring tool  1700  or can be brought into only thickness monitoring tool  1600  and not integrated particle monitoring tool  300 , if desired. Additionally, if desired, a wafer can be brought into integrated particle monitoring  300  for process prior to bringing it into integrated thickness monitoring tool  1600  for processing. Additionally, it is to be appreciated that every wafer need not necessarily be measured for thickness and/or particles. If desired, one can utilize spot checks, of for example every ten wafers to determine whether or not proper etching has occurred and/or particles have been removed. In this case the information from the integrated particle monitor tool and/or the integrated thickness monitor tool  1700  can be used to adjust the strip and cleaning recipe for the next 10 wafers. 
   After wafer  1500  has been sufficiently etched and cleaned, as shown in  FIG. 15B , door  1205  is opened and wafer  1500  transferred from atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  into load lock  1206  by robot  1212 . Door  1205  is then sealed and load lock  1206  evacuated to the pressure within sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 . Next, door  1207  is opened and wafer handling device  1226  removes wafer  1500  from load lock  1206  and brings it into sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 . Next, wafer  1500  is brought into thermal oxidation chamber  1300  and placed on support  1362  by wafer handling device  1226 . Next, a silicon dioxide dielectric film  1508  is grown on monocrystalline silicon substrate  1502  as shown in  FIG. 15C . If desired, a nitrogen containing gas or a remotely generated nitrogen plasma can be inserted into chamber  1313  during film growth to form a silicon oxide containing nitrogen  1510  or a silicon oxynitride film. It is to be appreciated that a silicon oxynitride film has a higher dielectric constant than does a silicon dioxide film. 
   In order to grow a dielectric film on wafer  1500 , chamber  1313  is sealed and the pressure reduced to less than the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber pressure of approximately 20 Torr. Chamber  1313  is evacuated to a pressure to sufficiently remove the nitrogen ambient, typically nitrogen, in chamber  1313 . Chamber  13  is pumped down to a prereaction pressure less than the pressure at which the insitu moisture generation is to occur, and is preferably pumped down to a pressure of less than 1 torr. 
   Simultaneous with the prereaction pump down, power is applied to lamps  1319  which in turn irradiate wafer  1500  and silicon carbide support ring  1362  and thereby heat wafer  1500  and support ring  1362  to a stabilization temperature. The stabilization temperature of wafer  1500  is less than the temperature (reaction temperature) required to initiate the reaction of the hydrogen containing gas and oxygen containing gas to be utilized for the insitu moisture generation. The stabilization temperature in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is approximately 500° C. 
   Once the stabilization temperature and the prereaction pressure are reached, chamber  1313  is backfilled with the desired mixture of process gas. The process gas includes a reactant gas mixture comprising two reactant gasses: a hydrogen containing gas and an oxygen containing gas, which can be reacted together to form water vapor (H 2 O) at temperatures between 400-1250° C. The hydrogen containing gas, is preferably hydrogen gas (H 2 ), but may be other hydrogen containing gasses such as, but not limited to, ammonia (NH 3 ), deuterium (heavy hydrogen) and hydrocarbons such as methane (CH 4 ). The oxygen containing gas is preferably oxygen gas (O 2 ) but may be other types of oxygen containing gases such as but not limited to nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Other gasses, such as but not limited to nitrogen (N 2 ), may be included in the process gas mix if desired. The oxygen containing gas and the hydrogen containing gas are preferably mixed together in chamber  1313  to form the reactant gas mixture. 
   In the present invention the partial pressure of the reactant gas mixture (i.e., the combined partial pressure of the hydrogen containing gas and the oxygen containing gas) is controlled to ensure safe reaction conditions. According to the present invention, chamber  1313  is backfilled with process gas such that the partial pressure of the reactant gas mixture is less than the partial pressure at which spontaneous combustion of the entire volume of the desired concentration ratio of reactant gas will not produce a detonation pressure wave of a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is the amount of pressure that chamber  1313  can reliably handle without failing. 
   According to the present invention, insitu moisture generation is preferably carried out in a reaction chamber that can reliably handle a detonation pressure wave of four atmospheres or more without affecting its integrity. In such a case, reactant gas concentrations and operating partial pressure preferably do not provide a detonation wave greater than two atmospheres for the spontaneous combustion of the entire volume of the chamber. 
   By controlling the chamber partial pressure of the reactant gas mixture in the present invention any concentration ratio of hydrogen containing gas and oxygen containing gas can be used including hydrogen rich mixtures utilizing H2/O2 ratios greater than 2:1, respectively, and oxygen rich mixtures using H 2 /O 2  ratios less than 0.5:1, respectively. For example, any concentration ratio of O 2  and H 2  can be safely used as long as the chamber partial pressure of the reactant gasses is maintained at less than 150 Torr at process temperature. The ability to use any concentration ratio of oxygen containing gas and hydrogen containing gas enables one to produce an ambient with any desired concentration ratio of H 2 /H 2 O or any concentration ratio of O 2 /H 2 O desired. Whether the ambient is oxygen rich or dilute steam or hydrogen rich or dilute steam can greatly affect device electrical characteristics of the deposited film  1510 . The present invention enables a wide variety of different steam ambients to be produced and therefore a wide variety of different oxidation processes to be implemented. 
   In some oxidation processes, an ambient having a low steam concentration with the balance O 2  may be desired. Such an ambient can be formed by utilizing a reactant gas mixture comprising 10% H 2  and 90% O 2 . In other processes, an ambient of hydrogen rich steam (70-80% H 2 /30-20% H 2 O) may be desired. A hydrogen rich, low steam concentration ambient can be produced according to the present invention by utilizing a reactive gas mix comprising between 5-20% O 2  with the remainder H 2  (95-80%). It is to be appreciated that in the present invention any ratio of hydrogen containing gas and oxygen containing gas may be utilized because the heated wafer provides a continual ignition source to drive the reaction. Unlike pyrogenic torch methods, the present invention is not restricted to specific gas ratios necessary to keep a stable flame burning. 
   Next, power to lamps  1319  is increased so as to ramp up the temperature of wafer  61  to process temperature. Wafer  61  is preferably ramped from the stabilization temperature to process temperature at a rate of between 10-100° C./sec with 50° C./sec being preferred. The preferred process temperature of the present invention is between 600-1150° C. with 950° C. being preferred. The process temperature must be at least the reaction temperature (i.e., must be at least the temperature at which the reaction between the oxygen containing gas and the hydrogen containing gas can be initiated by wafer  1500 ) which is typically at least 600° C. It is to be noted that the actual reaction temperature depends upon the partial pressure of the reactant gas mixture as well as on the concentration ratio of the reactant gas mixture, and can be between 400° C. to 1250° C. 
   As the temperature of wafer  1500  is ramped up to process temperature, it passes through the reaction temperature and causes the reaction of the hydrogen containing gas and the oxygen containing gas to form moisture or steam (H 2 O). Since rapid thermal heating apparatus  1300  is a “cold wall” reactor, the only sufficiently hot surfaces in chamber  1313  to initiate the reaction is the wafer  1500  and support ring  1362 . As such, in the present invention the moisture generating reaction occurs near, about 1 cm from, the surface of wafer  1500 . In the present invention the moisture generating reaction is confined to within about two inches of the wafer or about the amount at which support ring  1362  extends past the outside edge of wafer  1500 . Since it is the temperature of the wafer (and support ring) which initiates or turns “on” the moisture generation reaction, the reaction is said to be thermally controlled by the temperature of wafer  1500  (and support ring  1362 ). Additionally, the vapor generation reaction of the present invention is said to be “surface catalyzed” because the heated surface of the wafer is necessary for the reaction to occur, however, it is not consumed in the reaction which forms the water vapor. 
   Next, once the desired process temperature has been reached, the temperature of wafer  1500  is held constant for a sufficient period of time to enable the water vapor generated from the reaction of the hydrogen containing gas and the oxygen containing gas to oxidize silicon surfaces or films to form SiO 2 . Wafer  1500  will typically be held at process temperature for between 30-120 seconds. Process time and temperature are generally dictated by the thickness of the oxide film desired, the purpose of the oxidation, and the type and concentrations of the process gasses.  FIG. 15C  illustrates an oxide  1508  formed on wafer  1500  by oxidation of silicon surfaces  1502  by water vapor (H 2 O) generated by the insitu moisture generation process. It is to be appreciated that the process temperature must be sufficient to enable the reaction of the generated water vapor or steam with silicon surfaces to form silicon dioxide. 
   Next, power to lamps  1319  is reduced or turned off to reduce the temperature of wafer  1500 . The temperature of wafer  1500  decreases (ramps down) as fast as it is able to cool down (at about 50° C./sec.). Simultaneously, N2 purge gas is fed into the chamber  1313 . The moisture generation reaction ceases when wafer  1500  and support ring  1362  drop below the reaction temperature. Again it is the wafer temperature (and support ring) which dictates when the moisture reaction is turned “on” or “off”. 
   Next, chamber  1313  is pumped down, preferably below 1 torr, to ensure that no residual oxygen containing gas and hydrogen containing gas are present in chamber  1313 . The chamber is then backfilled with N2 gas to the transfer pressure in sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224 , of approximately 20 torr and wafer  1500  transferred out of chamber  1313  to complete the process. 
   At times it may be desirable to utilize concentration ratios of hydrogen containing gas and oxygen containing gas which will produce an ambient with a large concentration of water vapor (e.g., &gt;40% H 2 O). Such an ambient can be formed with a reactant gas mixture, for example, comprising 40-80% H 2 /60-20% O 2 . A gas mixture near the stoichiometric ratio may yield too much combustible material to enable safe reaction conditions. In such a situation, a low concentration gas mixture (e.g., less than 15% O 2  in H 2 ) can be provided into the reaction chamber during step  306 , the wafer temperature raised to the reaction temperature in step  308 , and the reaction initiated with the lower concentration ratio. Once the reaction has been initiated and the existing reactant gas volume begins to deplete, the concentration ratio can be increased to the desired level. In this way, the amount of fuel available at the start of the reaction is kept small and safe operating conditions assured. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention a relatively low, reactive gas partial pressure is used for insitu steam generation in order to obtain enhanced oxidation rates. It has been found that providing a partial pressure of between 1 Torr to 50 Torr of hydrogen gas (H 2 ) and oxygen gas (O 2 ) that an enhanced oxide growth rate of silicon can be achieved. That is, for a given set of process conditions (i.e., H 2 /O 2  concentration ratio, temperature, and flow rate) the oxidation rate of silicon is actually higher for lower partial pressures (1-50 Torr) of H 2  and O 2  than for higher partial pressures (i.e., from 50 Torr to 100 Torr). 
   After a sufficient dielectric film  1508  has been grown on monocrystalline silicon substrate  1502 , as shown in  FIG. 15C , wafer  1500  is removed from thermal oxidation chamber  1300  by robot  1226 . In an embodiment of the present invention, wafer  1500  is transferred by robot  1226  through sub-atmospheric transfer chamber  1224  and placed into high k dielectric module  1700  to deposit a high k metal oxide dielectric film  1511  on silicon oxide film  1508  or a silicon oxide film containing nitrogen  1510 . In an embodiment of the present invention the dielectric film  1511  is a transition metal dielectric film such as, but not limited to, tantalum pentaoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) and titanium oxide (TiO 2 ). In another embodiment dielectric layer  1511  is a tantalum pentaoxide film doped with titanium. Additionally dielectric layer  1511  can be a composite dielectric film comprising a stack of different dielectric films such as a Ta 2 O 5 /TiO 2 /Ta 2 O 5  stacked dielectric film. Additionally, dielectric layer  208  can be a piezoelectric dielectric such as Barium Strontium Titanate (BST) and Lead Zirconium Titanate (PZT) or a ferroelectric. 
   In order to form a dielectric layer  1511  onto wafer  1500 , the substrate can be placed onto support  1776  in chamber  1702  of high k module  1700 . The wafer  1500  is then heated to a desired deposition temperature while the pressure within the chamber is pumped down (reduced) to a desired deposition pressure. Deposition gases are then fed into the chamber and a dielectric layer formed therefrom. 
   To blanket deposit a tantalum pentaoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) dielectric film by thermal chemical vapor deposition a deposition gas mix comprising, a source of tantalum, such as but not limited to, TAETO [Ta(OC 2 H 5 ) 5 ] and TAT-DMAE [Ta(OC 2 H 5 ) 4  (OCHCH 2 N(CH 3 ) 2 ], and source of oxygen such as O 2  or N 2 O can be fed into a deposition chamber while the substrate is heated to a deposition temperature of between 300-500° C. and the chamber maintained at a deposition pressure of between 0.5-10 Torr. The flow of deposition gas over the heated substrate results in thermal decomposition of the metal organic Ta-containing precursor and subsequent deposition of a tantalum pentaoxide film. In one embodiment TAETO or TAT-DMAE is fed into the chamber at a rate of between 10-50 milligrams per minute while O 2  or N 2 O is fed into the chamber at a rate of 0.3-1.0 SLM. TAETO and TAT-DMAE can be provided by direct liquid injection or vaporized with a bubbler prior to entering the deposition chamber. A carrier gas, such as N 2 , H 2  and He, at a rate of between 0.5-2.0 SLM can be used to transport the vaporized TAETO or TAT-DMAE liquid into the deposition chamber  1702 . Deposition is continued until a dielectric film  1511  of a desired thickness is formed. A tantalum pentaoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) dielectric film having a thickness between 50-200 Å provides a suitable dielectric film. 
   It has been found that the use of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) as the oxidizer (source of oxygen), as opposed to oxygen gas O 2  improves the electrical properties of the deposited tantalum pentaoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) dielectric film during deposition. The use of N 2 O, as opposed to O 2 , has been found to reduce the leakage current and enhance the capacitance of fabricated capacitors. The inclusion of N 2 O as an oxidizer aids in the removal of carbon from the film during growth which helps to improve the quality of the film. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention dielectric layer  1511  is a tantalum pentaoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) film doped with titanium (Ti). A tantalum pentaoxide film doped with titanium can be formed by thermal chemical vapor deposition by providing a source of titanium, such as but not limited to TIPT (C 12 H 26 O 4 Ti), into the process chamber while forming a tantalum pentaoxide film as described above. TIPT diluted by approximately 50% with a suitable solvent such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA) can be fed into the process chamber by direct liquid injection or through the use of a bubbler and carrier gas such as N 2 . A TIPT diluted flow rate of between 5-20 mg/minute can be used to produce a tantalum pentaoxide film having a titanium doping density of between 5-20 atomic percent and a dielectric constant between 20-40. The precise Ti doping density can be controlled by varying the tantalum source flow rate relative to the titanium source flow rate. It is to be appreciated that a tantalum pentaoxide film doped with titanium atoms exhibits a higher dielectric constant than an undoped tantalum pentaoxide film. 
   In another embodiment of the present invention dielectric layer  1511  is a composite dielectric layer comprising a stack of different dielectric materials such as a Ta 2 O 5 /TiO 2 /Ta 2 O 5  stack. A Ta 2 O 5 /TiO 2 /Ta 2 O 5  composite film can be formed by first depositing a tantalum pentaoxide film as described above. After depositing a tantalum pentaoxide film having a thickness between 20-50 Å the flow of the tantalum source is stopped and replaced with a flow of a source of titanium, such as TIPT, at a diluted flow rate of between 5-20 mg/min. After depositing a titanium oxide film having a thickness of between 20-50 Å, the titanium source is replaced with the tantalum source and the deposition continued to form a second tantalum pentaoxide film having a thickness of between 20-50 Å. By sandwiching a higher dielectric constant titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) film between two tantalum pentaoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ) films, the dielectric constant of a composite stack is increased over that of a homogeneous layer of tantalum pentaoxide (Ta 2 O 5 ). 
   Next, dielectric film  1511  is annealed with remotely generated active atomic species to form an annealed dielectric layer  1511 . Dielectric film  1511  can be annealed in chamber  1702  coupled to remote plasma generator  1706 . Substrate  1500  is then heated to an anneal temperature and exposed to active atomic species generated by disassociating an anneal gas in application cavity  1743 . By generating the active atomic species in an application cavity  1743  chamber remote from chamber  1702  (the chamber in which the substrate is situated) a low temperature anneal can be accomplished without exposing the substrate to the harmful plasma used to form the active atomic species. With the process and apparatus of the present invention anneal temperatures of less than 400° C. can be used. The use of remotely generated active atomic species to anneal dielectric film  1511  enables anneal temperatures of less than or equal to the deposition temperature of the dielectric film to be used. 
   In one embodiment of the present invention dielectric film  1511  is a transition metal dielectric and is annealed with reactive oxygen atoms formed by remotely disassociating O 2  gas. Dielectric layer  1511  can be annealed in chamber  1702  with a reactive oxygen atoms created by providing an anneal gas comprising two SLM of O 2  and one SLM of N2 into chamber application cavity  1743 , and applying a power between 500-1500 Watts to magnetron  302  to generate microwaves which cause a plasma to ignite from the anneal gas. Alternatively, reactive oxygen atoms can be formed by flowing an anneal gas comprising two SLM of O 2  and three SLM of argon (Ar) into cavity  1743 . While reactive oxygen atoms are fed into anneal chamber  1702 , substrate  200  is heated to a temperature of approximately 300° C. and chamber  1702  maintained at an anneal pressure of approximately 2 Torr, High K Dielectric layer  1511  can be sufficiently annealed by exposing substrate  200  to reactive oxygen atoms for between 30-120 seconds. 
   An inert gas, such as N 2  or argon (Ar), is preferably included in the anneal gas stream in order to help prevent recombination of the active atomic species. It is to be noted that as the active atomic species (e.g. reactive oxygen atoms) travel from the application cavity  1743  to chamber  1702 , they collide with one another and recombine to form O 2 -molecules. By including an inert gas, in the anneal gas mix, the inert gas does not disassociate and so provides atoms which the active atomic species can collide into without recombining. Additionally, in order to help prevent recombination of the active atomic species, it is advisable to keep the distance between application cavity  1743  and chamber  1702  as short as possible. 
   Annealing a transition-metal dielectric film  1511  with reactive oxygen atoms fills oxygen vacancies (satisfies sites) in the dielectric film  1511  which greatly reduces the leakage of the film. Additionally, annealing transition metal dielectric  1511  helps to remove carbon (C) in the film which can contribute to leakage. Carbon can be incorporated into transition metal dielectrics because the tantalum and titanium sources, TAT-DMAE, TAETO, and TIPT are carbon containing compounds. The reactive oxygen atoms remove carbon from the film by reacting with carbon and forming carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) vapor which can then be exhausted out from the chamber. Next, a doped or undoped polycrystalline silicon film or other gate material is deposited onto the gate dielectric layer  1508  (or high k dielectric  1511 , if used), as shown in  FIG. 15D . 
   In order to deposit a polysilicon film  1512  the desired deposition pressure and temperature are obtained and stabilized in chamber  1490 . While achieving pressure and temperature stabilization, a stabilization gas such as N 2 , He, Ar, H 2  or combinations thereof are fed into chamber  1490 . In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the flow and concentration of the dilution gas used in the subsequent polysilicon deposition is used to achieve temperature and pressure stabilization. Using the dilution gas for stabilization enables the dilution gas flow and concentrations to stabilize prior to polysilicon deposition. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention the chamber is evacuated to a pressure between 150-350 Torr with 200-275 Torr being preferred and the heater temperature raised to between 700-740° C. and preferably between 710-720° C. while the dilution gas is fed into chamber  1490  at a flow rate between 10-30 slm. According to the present invention the dilution gas consist of H 2  and an inert gas, such as but not limited to nitrogen (N 2 ), argon (Ar), and helium (He), and combinations thereof. For the purpose of the present invention an inert gas is a gas which is not consumed by or which does not interact with the reaction used to deposit the polysilicon film and does not interact with chamber components during polysilicon film deposition. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the inert gas consists only of nitrogen (N 2 ). In an embodiment of the present invention H 2  comprises more than 8% and less than 20% by volume of the dilution gas mix with the dilution gas mix preferably having between 10-15% H 2  by volume. 
   In the present invention the dilution gas mix has a sufficient H 2 /inert gas concentration ratio such that a subsequently deposited polysilicon film is dominated by the &lt;111&gt; crystal orientation as compared to the &lt;220&gt; crystal orientation. Additionally, the dilution gas mix has a sufficient H 2 /inert gas concentration ratio so that the subsequently deposited polycrystalline silicon film has a random grain structure with an average grain size between 50-500 Å. 
   In an embodiment of the present invention the dilution gas mix is supplied into chamber  1490  in two separate components. A first component of the dilution gas mix is fed through distribution port  1420  in chamber lid  1430 . The first component consist of all the H 2  used in the dilution gas mix and a portion (typically about ⅔) of the inert gas used in the dilution gas mix. The second component of the dilution gas mix is fed into the lower portion of chamber  1490  beneath heater  1480  and consists of the remaining portion (typically about ⅓) of the inert gas used in the dilution gas mix. The purpose of providing some of the inert gas through the bottom chamber portion is to help prevent the polycrystalline silicon film from depositing on components in the lower portion of the chamber. In the embodiment of the present invention between 8-18 slm with about 9 slm being preferred of an inert gas (preferably N 2 ) is fed through the top distribution plate  1420  while between 3-10 slm, with 4-6 slm being preferred, of the inert gas (preferably N 2 ) is fed into the bottom or lower portion of chamber  1490 . The desired percentage of H 2  in the dilution gas mix is mixed with the inert gas prior to entering distribution port  1420 . 
   Next, once the temperature, pressure, and gas flows have been stabilized a process gas mix comprising a silicon source gas and a dilution gas mix comprising H 2  and an inert gas is fed into chamber  1490  to deposit a polycrystalline silicon film  1512  on substrate  1500  as shown in  FIG. 15D . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the silicon source gas is silane (SiH 4 ) but can be other silicon source gases such as disilane (Si 2 H 6 ). According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention between 50-150 sccm, with between 70-100 sccm being preferred, of silane (SiH 4 ) is added to the dilution gas mix already flowing and stabilized during the temperature and pressure stabilization step. In this way during the deposition of polysilicon, a process gas mix comprising between 50-150 sccm of silane (SiH 4 ) and between 10-30 slm of dilution gas mix comprising H 2  and an inert gas is fed into the chamber while the pressure in chamber  1490  is maintained between 150-350 Torr and the temperature of susceptor  1405  is maintained between 700-740° C. (It is to be appreciated that in the LPCVD reactor  1400  the temperature of the substrate or wafer  1500  is typically about 500 (cooler than the measured temperature of susceptor  1405 ). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the silicon source gas is added to the first component (upper component) of the dilution gas mix and flows into chamber  1490  through inlet port  1420 . If desired, a dopant gas source, such as but not limited to diborane and phosphine can be included in the process gas mix to insitu dope the polysilicon film. 
   The thermal energy from susceptor  1405  and wafer  1500  causes the silicon source gas to thermally decompose and deposit a polysilicon film on gate dielectric  1508  on silicon substrate  1502  as shown in  FIG. 15D . In an embodiment of the present invention only thermal energy is used to decompose the silicon source gas without the aid of additional energy sources such as plasma or photon enhancement. 
   As process gas mix is fed into chamber  1490 , the silicon source gas decomposes to provide silicon atoms which in turn form a polycrystalline silicon film on insulating layer  1508 . It is to be appreciated that H 2  is a reaction product of the decomposition of silane (SiH 4 ). By adding a suitable amount of H 2  in the process gas mix the decomposition of silane (SiH 4 ) is slowed which enables a polycrystalline silicon film  1512  to be formed with small and random grains. In the present invention H 2  is used to manipulate the silicon resource reaction across the wafer. By having H 2  comprise between 8-20% of the dilution gas mix random grains having an average grain size between 50-500 Å can be formed. Additionally, by including a sufficient amount of H 2  in the dilution gas mix a polycrystalline silicon film  506  which is dominated by the &lt;111&gt; crystal orientation, as opposed to the &lt;220&gt; crystal orientation is formed. 
   According to the present invention the deposition pressure, temperature, and process gas flow rates and concentration are chosen so that a polysilicon film is deposited at a rate between 1500-5000 Å per minute with between 2000-300 Å per minute being preferred. The process gas mix is continually fed into chamber  1490  until a polysilicon film  1512  of a desired thickness is formed. For gate electrode applications a polysilicon film  1512  having a thickness between 500-2000 Å has been found suitable. 
   After completing the deposition polysilicon film  1512 , heater  1480  is lowered from the process position to the load position and wafer  500  removed from chamber  1490  by robot  1226 . 
   Door  1211  is then opened and then wafer  1500  placed into load lock  1208  and door  1211  sealed. Next, the pressure within load lock  1208  is raised to the pressure within atmospheric transfer chamber  1210 . The door  1209  is then opened and robot  1212  removes wafer  1500  from load lock  1208 . At this point, wafer  1500  can be i) placed into integrated thickness monitoring tool  1700  to measure the thickness of silicon film  1512 ; or ii) can be placed into wet clean module  200  where it is exposed to a cleaning solution comprising, for example, hydrofluoric acid in order to remove contaminants from wafer  1500 , or iii) can be removed from atmospheric transfer chamber  1210  by robot  1212  and placed into FOUP  1222 . At this time a method of forming a gate dielectric film  1508  and a gate electrode film  1512  in Clean/Gate tool  1200  has been described. Further processing can be used to etch a gate electrode  1514  from film  1512  and to form source/drain regions  1516  as well as spacers  1518  in order to complete fabrication of a metal oxide semiconductor device as shown in  FIG. 15E . 
   Photolithography Process Tool 
     FIG. 18A  illustrates a photolithography processing tool  1800  which can be used to clean a wafer, form a photoresist on the wafer and then expose the wafer in a closed and controlled environment. Photolithography process tool  1800  includes a single wafer wet clean module, such as module  200  shown in  FIG. 2A , a photoresist track  1802  for applying, and exposing photoresist and a transfer chamber  1804  having a wafer handling robot  1808  on a single linear track  1806  contained therein. Wet clean station  200  and photoresist track  1802  are each directly coupled to transfer chamber  1804  and are each accessible by robot  1808 . In an embodiment of the present invention the photoresist track  1802  includes a bake station  1810  for removing water from a wafer to be photoresist coated, a photoresist application station  1812 , such as a spin station, whereby a desired amount of photoresist is spun on a wafer, a soft bake station  1814  which removes solvent from the deposited photoresist material, and an exposure tool, such as a stepper, where the deposited photoresist is exposed to radiation, such as deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation or extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation through a mask used to define a pattern within the photoresist layer. 
   Tool  1800  includes a filter  1820  coupled to transfer chamber  1804  for removing amine and ammonia vapor from tool  1800 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the ambient within tool  1800  is sufficiently void of amine and ammonia vapor so that they do not affect the photoresist processing in tool  1800 . Additionally, tool  1800  includes a computer/controller  124  which controls the operation of robot  1808  as well as the various operations which occur in clean module  200  and photoresist track  1802 . Additionally, photoresist tool  1800  can include a first FOUP  1822  coupled to a first side of transfer chamber  1804  for providing wafers to tool  1800  through transfer chamber  1804 . A second FOUP  1824  can be included on the opposite end of transfer chamber  1806  the FOUP  1822  for removing completed wafers from photolithography process tool  1800 . 
   In an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 18B , a photolithography process tool  1850  optionally includes a second wet clean chamber  200 B positioned down stream of or after the photoresist deposition module  1812  and positioned upstream or before the exposure module  1816 . In this way, the backside of the wafer can be cleaned of particles after the photoresist has been deposited (or spun) and before the photoresist has been exposed. 
   Method of Operating Photolithography Process Tool 
   An example of the method of use of photolithography process tool  1800  is illustrated in  FIGS. 19A-19G . In an embodiment of the present invention, a wafer  1900  is provided to photolithography process tool  1800  in a FOUP  1822 . Wafer  2000  has a frontside  1902  and a wafer backside  1904  opposite the wafer frontside. Generally formed on the wafer frontside  1902  are plurality of small (less then 0.25 um) device features  1906 , such as thin film lines used to form interconnects or electrodes. Wafer  1900  typically include a plurality of particles  1908  undesirably formed on the frontside and backside of the wafer  1900 . In order to photolithographically process wafer  1900 , the door between transfer chamber  1804  and FOUP  1822  is opened and wafer handling device  1808  removes wafer  1900  from FOUP  1822  and brings it into transfer chamber  1804 . Robot  1808  then transfers the wafer into wet clean module  200  where it is horizontally positioned by wafer support  210  parallel to and over a horizontally positioned plate  202  having a plurality of megasonic transducers  204  formed on the backside of the plate. The wafer is positioned so that the wafer backside  1904  is parallel to and adjacent to and spaced-apart from megasonic plate  202 . At this time, the backside of the wafer is cleaned of particles  1908  by flowing a fluid, such as DI water or a cleaning solution comprising, for example, ammonia/peroxide/water. The cleaning solution can include a chelating agent and/or surfactants. While the liquid is flowing between the backside of the wafer  1904  and plate  202 , megasonic energy is applied by transducers  204  to produce sonic waves in a direction perpendicular to the backside of the wafer  1900 . The wafer can be rotated by support  210  while cleaning the wafer. In one embodiment of the present invention, no fluid is provided onto the frontside  1902  of wafer  1900  while cleaning the backside so that a liquid film  222  (shown in  FIG. 2A ) is not formed on the wafer frontside. In this way, megasonic energy is not able to transfer into a fluid on the frontside and fragile device features  2006  formed on the wafer frontside are not damaged. 
   However, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention while cleaning the wafer backside, cleaning solution and/or DI water can be provided onto the wafer frontside  1902  to form a thin coat  222  (as shown in  FIG. 2A ) in order to clean the wafer frontside. Once the wafer backside has been sufficiently cleaned of particles  1908  as shown in  FIG. 19B , the cleaning is stopped and the wafer spun dry. 
   Next, robot  1808  removes the cleaned wafer  1900  from wet clean module  200  and brings it into transfer chamber  1804  and then slides down track  1806  to bake station  1810  where it places wafer  1902  into bake station  1810 . While in bake station  1810  wafer  1900  is heated to a temperature of approximately 200° C. in a nitrogen ambient and at a reduced pressure in order to remove all water vapor from wafer  1900  as shown in  FIG. 19C . Bake station  1810  can include a horizontally positioned hot plate on which the backside  1904  of wafer  1900  is situated. Next, after wafer  1902  has been sufficiently baked to remove water residue, robot  1808  removes the baked wafer  1902  from bake station  1810  and brings it into transfer chamber  1804 , slides down track  1806  to spin station  1812  and places wafer  1902  into spin station  1812 . Spin station  1812  will typically include a rotatable plate on which the wafer is situated and the nozzle placed above for depositing a photoresist film thereon. Once in spin station  1812 , a photoresist film  1910  is formed on the wafer frontside  1902  as shown in  FIG. 19D . Photoresist material is an organic photo-sensitive material which is sensitive to radiation at a certain frequency. Typically today, photoresist films which are sensitive to deep UV (ultraviolet) light are utilized. Additionally, if desired, adhesion promoter, such as HMDS maybe deposited onto wafer frontside  1902  prior to applying photoresist film  1910 . 
   Next, after sufficient amount of photoresist  1910  has been applied to the wafer frontside  1902 , the wafer can optionally be placed into a second wet clean chamber  200 B in order to remove particles  1908  which may have formed on the wafer backside during the wafer coating process. In such a case, the wafer  1900  having a photoresist film  1910  formed on the wafer frontside, is then held by wafer support  210  horizontally above and parallel to a plate  206  as shown in  FIG. 2A . The wafer backside  1904  is adjacent to the plate  202 . A fluid is then transported between the plate  1902  and the wafer backside  1904  in order to remove particles  1908  which develop during the photoresist deposition process. The cleaning solution can include a chelating agent and/or surfactants. While the liquid is flowing between the backside of the wafer  1904  and plate  202 , megasonic energy can be applied by transducers  204  to produce sonic waves in a direction perpendicular to the backside of the wafer  1900 . The wafer can be rotated by support  210  while cleaning the backside. During the backside cleaning of the wafer with the photoresist materials  1910  on the frontside, no solution is provided through nozzle  214  to the wafer frontside  1902 . That is, during the backside clean with a photoresist film on the frontside the frontside is kept completely dry. It is to be appreciated, that the photoresist film  1908  formed on the wafer frontside is not to be exposed to cleaning solutions or DI water during the wafer backside cleaning. In an embodiment of the present invention, clean air or an inert gas, such as N 2 , can be blown onto the top surface of wafer  1900  while the backside  1904  is cleaned of particles to ensure that no backside cleaning solutions travel around the edges of the wafer and wet or attack photoresist film  1910  on the wafer frontside  1902 . After all of the particles  1912  have been removed from the wafer backside  1904  as shown in  FIG. 19E , this optional cleaning step can be stopped. Next, the robot  1808  removes wafer  1900  from wet clean station  1900 B and brings it into transfer chamber  1804 . Robot  1808  then moves down track  1806  to soft bake station  1814  and places wafer  1900  with photoresist film  1910  into the soft bake station. (If backside cleaning with photoresist film  1910  is not to be used, then the wafer would be directly brought from the spin station into the soft bake station  1814 .) Once in soft bake station  1814  wafer  1900  is heated to remove some of the solvents contained within photoresist film  1910  as shown in  FIG. 19F . 
   After the wafer  1900  has been sufficiently soft baked in soft bake station  1814 , wafer  1900  is removed from soft bake station  1814  by robot  1808  and robot  1808  travels down track  1806  to exposure station  1816  and places wafer  1900  in exposure station  1816 . In exposure station  1816  the photoresist film  1910  is exposed to radiation, such as DUV radiation from a light source  1914  which shines through a mask  1916  having a pattern formed therein as shown in  FIG. 19G . The mask  1916  blocks light from exposing some portions of photoresist film  1910  and allows light to expose other portions  1920  of photoresist mask  1910 . The light radiation alters the chemical structure of the photoresist film to form light exposed regions  1920  which can be selectively developed away with developer from photoresist film  1910  which has not been exposed to light ( 1918 ). In this way, a photoresist mask can be formed on substrate  1900 . An excellent exposure can take place because backside particles have been removed which could otherwise cause the image to be out of focus. Once sufficiently exposed, the robot  1808  removes exposed wafer  1900  from exposure station  1816  and places it in FOUP  1824 . 
   Shown in  FIG. 18C  is a photolithography processing apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Photolithography processing apparatus  1880  includes a photoresist application tool  1882 , a single wafer backside cleaning tool  1884  and an exposure tool  1886 . Single wafer backside cleaning tool  1884  is coupled between photoresist application tool  1882  and exposure tool  1886 . Single wafer backside cleaning tool  1884  can be said to be a buffer station in that it is directly coupled between photoresist application tool  1882  and exposure tool  1886 . That is backside cleaning tool  1884  is directly coupled, by for example bolts, to the output of photoresist application tool  1882  and is directly coupled, by for example bolts, to the input of exposure tool  1886 . In an embodiment photoresist application tool  1882 , backside clean tool  1884 , and exposure tool  1886  each have their own computer/controller for separately controlling each of their operations. 
   The function of photoresist application tool  1882  is to form a photoresist film (to subsequently be imaged) onto a wafer. Photoresist application tool  1882  can be any well-known photoresist application tool or track and in an embodiment it includes all stations necessary for preparing a photoresist film for exposure in exposure tool  1886  In an embodiment of the present invention, photoresist application tool  1882  includes a bake station  1810 , a spin station  1812  and a soft bake station  1814  as described above. Photoresist application tool  1882  has a wafer handling robot  1888  for transferring wafers between the various stations (e.g., between bake station  1810 , spin station  1812 , and soft bake station  1814 ) of photoresist application tool  1882 . A wafer handling robot  1888  can be included within the photoresist application tool  1882  or can be included in a separate transfer chamber which can access each of the individual stations of the photoresist application tool  1882 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the wafer handler  1888  is a single wafer handling robot on a single linear track. In an embodiment of the present invention, robot  1888  can take a wafer from photoresist application module  1882  and insert it directly into backside cleaning tool  1884 . 
   Backside cleaning tool  1884  can be any suitable apparatus which can clean and remove particles from the backside of a wafer without exposing the frontside of the wafer, on which a photoresist film is formed, to cleaning or wetting solutions. In an embodiment of the present invention, the backside cleaning tool  1884  can be a single wafer wet clean module, such as module  200 , shown in  FIG. 2A-2C . Other types of cleaning apparatuses, however, can be used as long as they can clean the backside of the wafer without affecting the frontside and a photoresist film formed thereon. For example, backside cleaning tool can include a wafer support for holding or rotating a wafer above a rotatable brush which is used for dislodged particles from the wafer backside. In another embodiment of the present invention, the backside cleaning tool can include an air knife which utilizes air flow to create an air shear to remove particles from the wafer backside while the wafer is rotated. 
   Exposure tool  1886  can be any well-known exposure tool, such as a stepper, where photoresist material is exposed to radiation, such as deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation or extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation through a mask used to define a pattern within the photoresist film. Exposure tool  1886  contains a wafer handling device  1890 , such as a robot, which is able to receive a wafer from backside cleaning tool  1884  and position the wafer within exposure tool  1886 . Robot  1890  can also remove the wafers from exposure tool  1886 . 
   In a method of use of apparatus  1880 , a wafer, such as wafer  1900  as shown in  FIG. 19A  is placed into photoresist application tool  1882  where a photoresist film  1910  is formed on the wafer frontside  1902 . Ideally, wafer  1900  has been sufficiently cleaned prior to placing into photoresist application tool  1882 . Photoresist film  1910  can be formed by any well-known technique or series of steps, such as illustrated above. In an embodiment of the present invention, photoresist film  1900  is formed utilizing a pre-bake step such as set forth in  FIG. 19C  and accompanying description, a photoresist spin step such as set forth in  FIG. 19D  and accompanying description, and a soft bake step as set forth in  FIG. 19F  and accompanying description. Robot  1888  moves a wafer  1900  between the various stations of the photoresist application tool  1882 . 
   Once a suitable photoresist film  1910  has been formed on the frontside  1902  of wafer  1900 , robot  1888  transfers wafer  1900  from the photoresist application tool  1882  to the backside clean module  1884  where the backside  1904  of wafer  1900  is cleaned of particles. In an embodiment of the present invention, the backside clean occurs after the photoresist film  1910  has been formed and after all necessary processes have occurred which are necessary prior to the exposure of the photoresist  1910 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the backside clean occurs directly after a soft bake step such as shown in  FIG. 19F . In an embodiment of the present invention, the backside cleaning occurs directly before or immediately before placement in exposure tool  1886  and exposure therein. In an embodiment of the present invention, the backside cleaning occurs in a single wafer wet cleaning module  200  shown in  FIG. 2A-2C . In such a case, the wafer  1900  having a photoresist film  1910  formed on the wafer frontside  1902  is then held by wafer support  210  horizontally above and parallel to plate  202  as shown in  FIG. 2A . Wafer backside  1904  is adjacent to plate  202 . A fluid such as DI water or a cleaning solution comprising, for example ammonia/peroxide/water, is then transported between plate  202  and wafer backside  1904  in order to remove particles  1908  which develop during the photoresist formation process. The cleaning solution can include a chelating agent and/or surfactants. While the liquid is flowing between the backside of the wafer  1904  and plate  202 , megasonic energy is applied by transducers  204  to produce sonic waves in a direction perpendicular to the backside of the wafer  1900 . The wafer can be rotated by support  210  while cleaning the backside. During backside cleaning of the wafer with photoresist materials  1910  on the frontside, no solution is provided through nozzle  214  to the wafer frontside  1902 . That is, during the backside clean the photoresist film on the frontside is kept completely dry. It is to be appreciated that the photoresist film  1910  formed on the wafer frontside is not to be exposed to cleaning solution or DI water during the wafer backside cleaning. In an embodiment of the present invention clean air or an inert gas, such as N 2 , can be blown onto a top surface of wafer  1900  while the backside  1904  is cleaned to insure that no backside cleaning solution travels around the edges of the wafer and wets or attacks the photoresist film  1910  on the wafer frontside  1902 . The inert gas can be blown onto the wafer frontside through nozzle  214  or a separate nozzle can be provided. 
   After the backside of wafer  1900  has been sufficiently cleaned, the wafer  1900  is removed from the backside cleaning chamber  1884  by robot  1890  and is placed into exposure tool  1886 . In exposure tool  1886 , the photoresist film  1910  is exposed to radiation, such as DUV radiation from a light source  1940  which shines through a mask  1916  having a pattern formed therein as shown in  FIG. 19G . The light radiation alters the chemical structure of the photoresist film to form light exposed regions  1920  which can be selectively developed away with a developer from photoresist film  1910  which has not been exposed to light ( 1918 ). A high quality exposure can take place because backside particles have been removed which could otherwise cause the image to be out of focus. Thus, a high quality photolithography processing apparatus and method have been described. 
     FIG. 18D  illustrates another embodiment of a photolithography processing apparatus. Photolithography processing apparatus  1892  includes a photoresist application tool or track  1882  as described above, a buffer station  1894  and an exposure tool  1886  as described above. Buffer station  1894  is located between photoresist application tool  1882  and exposure tool  1886 . Buffer station  1894  includes a transfer chamber  1896  which has one side directly coupled to the output of a photoresist application tool  1886  and a second side which is directly coupled to the input of exposure tool  1886 . Buffer station  1894  also includes a backside cleaning tool  1884 , as described above, which is directly coupled to transfer chamber  1896  on a third side. In an embodiment of the present invention, buffer tool  1894  includes a backside integrated particle monitoring tool  1894  for inspecting the wafer backside for particles. In an embodiment of the present invention, backside integrated particle monitoring tool can include a light emitter for shining light onto the backside of the wafer and collectors or detectors for collecting the light scattered from the wafer backside to inspect the wafer backside for particles. An example of suitable backside particle monitoring tool is IPM tool  300  shown in  FIG. 3 . IMP Tool  300 , however, would be configured to scan the wafer backside as opposed to the frontside as shown in  FIG. 3 . Transfer chamber  1896  has a wafer handling robot  1899  contained therein for handling a single wafer. Wafer handling robot  1899  can receive a wafer from robot  1888 , of photoresist application tool  1882  and robot  1899  can provide a wafer to robot  1890  of exposure tool  1886 . Additionally, robot  1899  can transfer a wafer into backside cleaning tool  1884  and into backside particle monitoring tool  1897 , if used. 
   In a method of use, of photolithography apparatus  1892  shown in  FIG. 18D , a wafer is placed into photoresist application tool  1882  where it travels down the track and enters the various process stations used to form a photoresist film on the wafer and to prepare the photoresist film for exposure in tool  1886 . Once a suitable photoresist film has been formed on the wafer frontside, the wafer is transferred by robot  1888  to robot  1899  where it is brought into transfer chamber  1896 . In an embodiment of the present invention, robot  1899  transfers the wafer into backside cleaning tool  1884  where the wafer backside is cleaned of particles as discussed above. After a sufficient backside cleaning, the wafer is removed from backside cleaning chamber  1884  by robot  1899  and brought back into transfer chamber  1896 . In an embodiment of the present invention, where a backside particle monitoring tool  1897  is provided, after backside cleaning the wafer, the wafer can be transferred by robot  1899  into backside integrated particle monitoring tool  1897  where its backside is inspected for particles. If the backside is suitably clean, the wafer can be removed by robot  1899  from backside particle monitoring tool  1897  and brought into transfer chamber  1896 . Robot  1899  then transfers the wafer to the robot  1890  of exposure tool  1886  which positions the wafer for exposure as described above. In an embodiment of the present invention, if the backside particle monitoring tool determines that the backside is not sufficiently cleaned, the wafer can be transferred back into backside cleaning module  1884  for additional backside cleaning. After additional backside cleaning, the wafer can be transferred back into backside particle monitoring tool  1897  and reinspected for particles. 
   In yet another embodiment of the present invention, after the photoresist film has been formed and prepared in photoresist application tool  1882 , the wafer can be first transferred into backside inspection tool  1894  to inspect for particles and then the wafer transferred into backside cleaning tool  1884 . In this way, information regarding the backside particles can be used to determine the type and amount of backside cleaning in backside cleaning chamber  1884 . After a sufficient backside cleaning in backside cleaning apparatus  1884  the wafer can be transferred back into backside particle monitoring tool  1897  and the wafer reinspected prior to transferring the wafer into exposure tool  1886 . Thus, a high quality photolithographic processing apparatus has been described as well as its method of operation. 
   Computer/Controller 
     FIG. 20A  illustrates a computer/controller  124  which can be used to control the movement and processing of a wafer in a tool, such as tool  100 ,  600 ,  1200  and  1800  in accordance with the present invention. Computer/controller  124  includes a memory  740 , such as a hard drive or other type of memory, a processor  720  and an input/output device, such as a CRT Monitor  730  and a keyboard  732 . The input/output device is used to interface between a user and computer/controller  124 . Processor  720  executes a system control software program stored in computer readable medium, such as memory  740 . Processor  720  executes the system control software and provides and receives control signals for the tool which controls the transfer of wafers through the tool and which provides the specific control signals necessary to achieve the specific processing parameters for each of the modules coupled to the tool, such as process temperature, process gas/fluid flows and process pressure, etc. 
   The process for processing a wafer in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented using a computer program product which is stored in memory  740  and is executed by processor  720 . The computer program code can be written in any conventional computer readable program language, such as 68000 Assembly Language, C, C++, Pascal, Fortran, or others. Suitable program code is entered into a single file or multiple files using conventional text editor and stored or embodied in a computer usable medium, such as a memory system of the computer. If the entered code text is in the high level language, a code is compiled and the resultant compiler code is then linked with an object code of precompiled windows library routines. To execute the link compiled object code, the system user invokes the object code causing the computer system to load the code in memory from which the processor reads and executes the code to perform the task identified in the program. Also stored in memory  740  are process parameters, such as process gas/fluid flow rates and composition, temperatures, pressures, and times necessary to carry out the deposition of films, the etching of films, the wet cleaning of wafers, the ashing of wafers, as well as the monitoring and recording of metrology of the wafer, such as film thickness uniformity and defects. 
     FIG. 20B  illustrates an example of the hierarchy of the system control computer program stored in memory  740 . The system control program includes a tool manager subroutine  2000 . The tool manager subroutine  2000  also controls the execution of various chamber component subroutines which control the operation of the chamber components necessary to carry out the selected process set in the various chambers or modules of the tool. Examples of chamber component subroutines are process gas/fluid control subroutine  2002 , pressure control subroutine  2004 , temperature control subroutine  2008 , and a wafer support subroutine  2010 . Additionally, the tool manager subroutine includes a wafer history subroutine  2012  and a wafer transfer subroutine  2014 . Those having ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that other chamber control subroutines can be included depending on what processes are desired to be performed in the tool and process modules. In operation, the tool manager subroutine  2000  selectively schedules or calls a process component subroutines in accordance with the particular process set being executed. Typically, the tool manager subroutine  2000  includes steps of monitoring the various chamber components, determining which components need to be operated based on the process parameters of the process set to be executed and causing execution of a chamber component subroutine responsive to the monitoring and determining step. 
   The process gas/fluid control subroutine  2002  has a program code for controlling the reactive gas/fluid composition and flow rates. The process gas/fluid control subroutine  2002  controls the open/close position of the safety shut off valves, and also ramps up and down the mass flow controllers to obtain the desired gas/fluid flow rates. The process gas/fluid control subroutine  2002  is invoked by the tool manager subroutine  2000  as are all chamber component subroutines and receives from the tool manager subroutine process parameters related to the desired gas/fluid flow rates. Typically, the process gas/fluid control subroutine  2002  operates by opening the gas supply lines and repeatedly (i) reading the necessary mass flow controllers, (ii) comparing the readings to the desired flow rates received from the tool manager subroutine  2000  and (iii) adjusting the flow rates of the gas/fluid supply lines as necessary. Furthermore, the process gas/fluid control subroutines  2002  includes steps for monitoring the gas/fluid flow rates for unsafe rates, activating safety shut off valves when unsafe conditions is detected. 
   The process control subroutine  2004  comprises program code for controlling the pressure in the chamber of the various modules, as well as the pressure within the sub-atmospheric transfer chamber and load locks by regulating the size of the opening of the throttle valves which are set to control the chamber pressure to the desired level in relation to the total process gas flow, size of the process chamber, and pumping set point pressure for the exhaust system. When the pressure controls subroutine  2004  operates to measure the pressure in a chamber by reading one or more conventional pressure manometers connected to the chamber, compared to measure values to the target pressure and adjust the throttle valve according to the PID values obtained from the pressure table. Alternatively, the pressure control subroutine  2004  can be written to open or close the throttle valve to a particular opening size to regulate the chamber to a desired pressure. 
   The temperature control subroutine  2008  comprises program code for controlling the power provided to heaters or lamps which are used to heat the substrate or wafer. The temperature control subroutine  2008  is also invoked by the chamber manager subroutine  2000  and receives a target or set point temperature parameter. The temperature control subroutine  2008  measures the temperature by measuring voltage output of a temperature measurement device directed at the susceptor or wafer and compares the measured temperature to the set point temperature, and increases or decreases power applied to the heater or lamps to obtain the set point temperature. 
   The wafer support subroutine  2010  has a program code for controlling the positioning and rotation rates of a wafer support members, such as susceptors, during the processing of wafers and during the loading and unloading of wafers into the module or chamber. The wafer support subroutine controls the motors which control the height position of the wafer support and the motors which control the rotation rates of the wafer support. 
   The wafer history subroutine  2012  has program code for storing and retrieving as well as analyzing the process history of a wafer in the tool. Wafer history subroutine  2012  store data detailing the processes that have occurred to a wafer processing in the tool as well as metrology information on each wafer, such as film thickness and uniformity maps as well as defect maps. 
   The wafer transfer subroutine  2014  comprises program code for controlling the transfer of a wafer throughout the tool. Wafer transfer subroutine  2014  determines which chamber or modules of the tool a wafer is to be processed in as well as the order of the processing. Wafer transfer subroutine  2014  can utilize information from the wafer history subroutine to determine which processes a wafer is to experience. For example, after a metrology scan to determine the number or type of particles on a wafer, the wafer transfer subroutine can be invoked to determine whether or not the wafer should be further wet cleaned or ashed or be sent to the next module in the process. The wafer subroutine can utilize wafer metrology information to determine the subsequent processing of the wafer. 
   Thus, novel atmospheric/sub-atmospheric process tools and their methods of use have been described.