A method of controlling a needle actuator to interact with a cell is provided, the method comprising: providing an actuator comprising a tower, a stage and a needle, wherein the needle is mounted on the stage; applying an electrostatic potential between the tower and the stage to retract the needle; moving the actuator towards the cell; reducing the potential so as to allow the stage and needle to move towards the cell; applying calibration data to detect when the needle has pierced the cell; and reducing the potential further once it has been detected that the needle has pierced the cell. The cell can be a biological cell. The needle can be a micro-needle and the stage can be a micro-stage.

A method of controlling wafer bow in an integrated circuit fabrication process may include characterizing the wafer bow in response to performing one or more first fabrication processes to an active side of an integrated circuit wafer. Determining one or more second fabrication processes, to be applied to a back side of the integrated circuit wafer, to bring the wafer bow to below a predetermined threshold based on the one or more first fabrication processes the method may additionally include performing the one or more second fabrication processes on the back side of the integrated circuit wafer.

Removing a stimuli responsive polymer (SRP) from a substrate includes controlled degradation. In certain embodiments of the methods described herein, removing SRPs includes exposure to two reactants that react to form an acid or base that can trigger the degradation of the SRP. The exposure occurs sequentially to provide more precise top down control. In some embodiments, the methods involve diffusing a compound, or a reactant that reacts to form a compound, only to a top portion of the SRP. The top portion is then degraded and removed, leaving the remaining SRP intact. The exposure and removal cycles are repeated.

A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) composition (Q) for chemical mechanical polishing of a substrate (S) containing (i) cobalt and/or (ii) a cobalt alloy, wherein the CMP composition (Q) contains: (A) Inorganic particles, (B) a substituted aromatic compound with at least one carboxylic acid function as corrosion inhibitor, (C) at least one amino acid, (D) at least one oxidizer, (E) an aqueous medium, wherein the CMP composition (Q) has a pH of from 7 to 10.

A method is provided for in-situ monitoring of etch uniformity during plasma etching, on the basis of the detection of interferometry patterns. The method is applicable to a reactor wherein a plasma is created in the area between the surface to be etched and a counter-surface arranged essentially parallel to the surface to be etched. The occurrence of interference patterns is detected at a location that is placed laterally with respect to the area between the surface to be etched and the counter-surface. The presence of an interference pattern at a particular wavelength is observed through the detection of oscillations of the light intensity measured by an optical detector, preferably by the standard Optical Emission Spectrometry tool of the reactor. When these oscillations are no longer detectable, non-uniformity exceeds a pre-defined limit. The counter surface is arranged such that the oscillations are detected.

Implementations of a semiconductor package may include a die; a first pad and a second pad, the first pad and the second pad each including a first layer and a second layer where the second layer may be thicker than the first layer. At least a first conductor may be directly coupled to the second layer of the first pad; at least a second conductor may be directly coupled to the second layer of the second pad; and an organic material may cover at least the first side of the die. The at least first conductor and the at least second conductor extend through openings in the organic material where a spacing between the at least first conductor and the at least second conductor may be wider than a spacing between the second layer of the first pad and the second layer of the second pad.

Disclosed is a microwave plasma processing apparatus including: a chamber that accommodates a workpiece; a microwave generating source that generates microwaves; a waveguide unit that guides the microwaves toward the chamber; a planar antenna made of a conductor having a plurality of slots that radiate the microwaves toward the chamber; a microwave-transmitting plate made of a dielectric material that constitutes a top wall of the chamber and transmits the microwaves radiated from the plurality of slots; a gas supply mechanism that supplies a gas into the chamber; and an exhaust mechanism that exhausts an atmosphere in the chamber. The planar antenna includes a plurality of slot groups each forming one unit including one or more of the slots, and the slots are formed so as to form an odd number of the slot groups equal to or more than three in a circumferential direction.

Disclosed is a microwave plasma processing apparatus including: a chamber that accommodates a workpiece; a microwave generating source that generates microwaves; a waveguide unit that guides the microwaves toward the chamber; a planar antenna made of a conductor having a plurality of slots that radiate the microwaves toward the chamber; a microwave-transmitting plate made of a dielectric material that constitutes a top wall of the chamber and transmits the microwaves radiated from the plurality of slots; a gas supply mechanism that supplies a gas into the chamber; and an exhaust mechanism that exhausts an atmosphere in the chamber. The planar antenna includes a plurality of slot groups each forming one unit including one or more of the slots, and the slots are formed so as to form an odd number of the slot groups equal to or more than three in a circumferential direction.

Disclosed is a plasma processing device that provides an object to be treated with plasma treatment. A wafer as an object to be treated, which is attached on the upper surface of adhesive sheet held by a holder frame, is mounted on a stage. In a vacuum chamber that covers the stage therein, plasma is generated, by which the wafer mounted on the stage undergoes plasma treatment. The plasma processing device contains a cover member made of dielectric material. During the plasma treatment on the wafer, the holder frame is covered with a cover member placed at a predetermined position above the stage, at the same time, the wafer is exposed from an opening formed in the center of the cover member.

A semiconductor device has a conductive via in a first surface of a substrate. A first interconnect structure is formed over the first surface of the substrate. A first bump is formed over the first interconnect structure. The first bump is formed over or offset from the conductive via. An encapsulant is deposited over the first bump and first interconnect structure. A portion of the encapsulant is removed to expose the first bump. A portion of a second surface of the substrate is removed to expose the conductive via. The encapsulant provides structural support and eliminates the need for a separate carrier wafer when thinning the substrate. A second interconnect structure is formed over the second surface of the substrate. A second bump is formed over the first bump. A plurality of semiconductor devices can be stacked and electrically connected through the conductive via.