A plating chuck for holding a substrate during plating processes, wherein the substrate has a notch area (3031) and a patterned region (3032) adjacent to the notch area (3031). The plating chuck comprises a cover plate (3033) configured to cover the notch area (3031) of the substrate to shield the electric field at the notch area (3031) when the substrate is being plated.

A semiconductor layer of the present invention is a semiconductor layer including: a pn junction at which an n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) and a p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) are joined, the n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) having a donor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain aluminum (Al), the p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) having an acceptor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain oxygen (O).

A semiconductor layer of the present invention is a semiconductor layer including: a pn junction at which an n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) and a p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) are joined, the n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) having a donor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain aluminum (Al), the p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) having an acceptor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain oxygen (O).

A substrate has a front side including an electrical circuit and a rear side including an exposed zone that faces the electrical circuit. In an electrochemical treatment step, an electrical potential is laterally applied at least to the exposed zone of the rear side of the substrate, while the exposed zone is in contact with a chemically reactive substance. The electrical potential causes a lateral flow of electrical current at least in the exposed zone of the substrate. The lateral flow of current and the chemically reactive substance alter the substrate in at least the exposed zone.

A substrate has a front side including an electrical circuit and a rear side including an exposed zone that faces the electrical circuit. In an electrochemical treatment step, an electrical potential is laterally applied at least to the exposed zone of the rear side of the substrate, while the exposed zone is in contact with a chemically reactive substance. The electrical potential causes a lateral flow of electrical current at least in the exposed zone of the substrate. The lateral flow of current and the chemically reactive substance alter the substrate in at least the exposed zone.

The present invention relates to a system and a method of removing a foreign material by using an electric field adsorbing scheme, which are capable of easily adsorbing and removing a foreign material on a surface of a film by using an electric field adsorbing scheme through a micro-current (several micro ampere) voltage driving method, not a surface treatment method, such as plasma discharge processing, corona discharge processing, and air blowing processing, which causes damage to the surface of the film, in a processing process for removing the foreign material on the surface of the film, and particularly, which exclude high pressure discharge processing and the like, thereby decreasing an incurrence rate of a safety accident of an operator and preventing a surface of a film from being scratched.

The present invention relates to a system and a method of removing a foreign material by using an electric field adsorbing scheme, which are capable of easily adsorbing and removing a foreign material on a surface of a film by using an electric field adsorbing scheme through a micro-current (several micro ampere) voltage driving method, not a surface treatment method, such as plasma discharge processing, corona discharge processing, and air blowing processing, which causes damage to the surface of the film, in a processing process for removing the foreign material on the surface of the film, and particularly, which exclude high pressure discharge processing and the like, thereby decreasing an incurrence rate of a safety accident of an operator and preventing a surface of a film from being scratched.

A semiconductor layer of the present invention is a semiconductor layer including: a pn junction at which an n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) and a p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) are joined, the n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) having a donor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain aluminum (Al), the p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) having an acceptor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain oxygen (O).

A semiconductor layer of the present invention is a semiconductor layer including: a pn junction at which an n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) and a p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) are joined, the n-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (n-type)) having a donor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain aluminum (Al), the p-type semiconductor (Al.sub.2O.sub.3 (p-type)) having an acceptor level that is formed by causing an aluminum oxide film (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) to excessively contain oxygen (O).

Integrated circuits and methods of manufacturing such circuits are disclosed herein that feature metal line-via matrix insertion after place and route processes are performed and/or completed for the integrated circuit's layout. The metal line-via matrix consists of one or more additional metal lines and one or more additional vias that are inserted into the integrated circuit's layout at a specific point to lower the current and current density through a first conductive path that has been determined to suffer from electromigration, IR-voltage drop, and/or jitter. Specifically, the metal line-via matrix provides one or more auxiliary conductive paths to divert and carry a portion of the current that would otherwise flow through the first conductive path. This mitigates electromigration issues and IR-voltage drop along the first conductive path. It may also help alleviate problems due to jitter along the path.