Patents Assigned to ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC, CHINA
  • Patent number: 11875970
    Abstract: Disclosed are a radio frequency electrode assembly for a plasma processing apparatus, and a plasma processing apparatus, wherein the radio frequency electrode assembly for a plasma processing apparatus comprises: a base in which a first fluid passage is provided, the first fluid passage being configured for connecting to a first fluid source; an electrostatic chuck disposed on the base; a focus ring disposed peripheral to the electrostatic chuck; a heat conducting ring disposed around the base, the heat conducting ring enclosing at least part of the base, the heat conducting ring being disposed below the focus ring, a second fluid passage being provided in the heat conducting ring, the second fluid passage being connected to a second fluid source, heat conduction being enabled between the heat conducting ring and the focus ring. The plasma processing apparatus can adjust polymers distribution in the edge area of the to-be-processed substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Longbao Chen, Jie Liang, Weina Wang, Leyi Tu
  • Patent number: 11830747
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a plasma reactor having a function of tuning low frequency RF power distribution, comprising: a reaction chamber in which an electrically conductive base is provided, the electrically conductive base being connected to a low frequency RF source via a first match, an electrostatic chuck being provided on the electrically conductive base, an upper surface of the electrostatic chuck being configured for fixing a to-be-processed substrate, an outer sidewall of the electrically conductive base being coated with at least one layer of plasma corrosion-resistance dielectric layer, a coupling ring made of a dielectric material surrounding an outer perimeter of the base, a focus ring being disposed above the coupling ring, the focus ring being arranged surround the electrostatic chuck and be exposed to a plasma during a plasma processing procedure; the plasma reactor further comprising an annular electrode that is disposed above the coupling ring but below the focus ring; a wire, a first
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Kui Zhao, Hiroshi Iizuka
  • Patent number: 11682541
    Abstract: Disclosed are a radio-frequency power supply system, a plasma processor, and a corresponding frequency-tuning matching method applied to a plasma processor having an ultra-low frequency bias radio-frequency power source. The frequency-tuning matching method comprises an impedance segment frequency matching obtaining step including partitioning a low frequency radio-frequency power output period into a plurality of impedance matching segments, and during each impedance matching segment, tuning output frequency of a high frequency radio-frequency source, detecting reflected power of the high frequency radio-frequency power supply, and after experiencing one or more low frequency radio-frequency power output period, obtaining and storing the segment matching frequency for each impedance matching segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Tuqiang Ni, Lei Xu, Leyi Tu
  • Patent number: 11676803
    Abstract: Disclosed are a liner assembly for vacuum treatment apparatuses and a vacuum treatment apparatus, wherein the liner assembly for vacuum treatment apparatuses comprises: an annular liner including a sidewall protection ring and a support ring which are interconnected, the outer diameter of the support ring being greater than that of the sidewall protection ring, the annular liner enclosing a treating space; and a gas channel provided in the support ring, the gas channel communicating with the treating space. The liner assembly for vacuum treatment apparatuses offer an improved performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Tuqiang Ni, Rason Zuo
  • Patent number: 11670515
    Abstract: Disclosed is a capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus, wherein a lower electrode is fixed to a lower end of an electrically conductive supporting rod, a retractable electrically conductive part is fixed to the lower end of the electrically conductive supporting rod, wherein the retractable electrically conductive part being extended or retracted along an axial direction of the electrically conductive supporting rod; besides, the lower end of the retractable electrically conductive part is electrically connected with the output end of the radio-frequency matcher via an electrically connection portion, and the loop end of the radio-frequency matcher is fixed to the bottom of a chamber body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Yunwen Huang, Tuqiang Ni, Jie Liang, Jinlong Zhao, Lei Wu
  • Patent number: 11626314
    Abstract: Disclosed are a lift pin assembly, an electrostatic chuck with the lift pin assembly, and a processing apparatus where the electrostatic chuck is located. The lift pin assembly comprises: a lift pin, a lift pin receiving channel connected to a pressure control device, one end of the lift pin receiving channel proximal to a wafer being provided with a sealing ring, an upper surface of the sealing ring being in contact with a back face of the wafer during processing to avoid a gas at the back face of the wafer from entering the lift pin receiving channel, thereby enabling the pressure control device to independently control the pressure in the lift pin receiving channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Tuqiang Ni, Rubin Ye, Manus Wong, Jie Liang, Leyi Tu, Ziyang Wu
  • Patent number: 11621149
    Abstract: Disclosed are a corrosion-resistant gas delivery assembly and a plasma processing apparatus. An inlet gas delivery component and a gas diffusion component are combined correspondingly with an inlet gas accommodation hole and a diffusion accommodation space that are arranged in a liner body, to form a multi-component structural configuration, which avoids direct contact of the process gas with the liner body due to liner body surface defects caused by high temperature. The advantages as offered include: effectively preventing the process gas from corroding a gas delivery assembly and the plasma processing apparatus, and solving the problems such as metal contamination and solid particle contamination in the reaction chamber caused by the corrosive fraction in the process gas; besides, the multi-component structural configuration facilitates routine maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Yilong Su, Rason Zuo, Miaojuan Chen
  • Patent number: 11545342
    Abstract: Plasma processor including: reaction chamber having a base for placing a wafer; a source radio-frequency power supply outputting high frequency radio-frequency power into the reaction chamber to ignite and maintain plasma; a first bias radio-frequency power supply and a second bias radio-frequency power supply, the first bias radio-frequency power supply outputting a first radio-frequency signal with first frequency, the second bias radio-frequency power supply outputting a second radio-frequency signal with second frequency higher than the first frequency, the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal being superimposed to form a periodical first compound signal that is applied to the base; and a controller configured for tuning at least one of amplitude, frequency, average voltage or phase of the first radio-frequency signal and of the second radio-frequency signal, such that the first compound signal experiences three consecutive stages in each cycle: falling stage, flat stage, and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Tuqiang Ni, Leyi Tu
  • Patent number: 11538705
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a plasma processing system, comprising: a transfer chamber, the transfer chamber including a plurality of sidewalls, each sidewall being connected with a plurality of process chambers; each process chamber including a base therein, the base including a central point; wherein at least two process chambers connected to a same sidewall form one process chamber group, wherein a first distance is provided between the central points of two bases in a first process chamber group, and a second distance is provided between the central points of two bases in a second process chamber group, the first distance being greater than the second distance; and the transfer chamber comprises a mechanical transfer device; a rotating pedestal includes two independently movable robot arms thereon, the two robot arms; and the two robot arms both include a plurality of rotating shafts and a plurality of rotating arms, wherein a remote rotating arm of each robot arm further includes an end
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Larry Lei, Qian Wang
  • Patent number: 11515168
    Abstract: Disclosed is a capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus, wherein an electrically conductive supporting rod where a lower electrode is fixed is connected to driving means, the driving means driving the electrically conductive support rod to move axially; besides, the lower electrode is fixed to the bottom of a chamber body via a retractable sealing part, causing the upper surface of the lower electrode to be hermetically sealed in an accommodation space in the chamber body; an electrical connection part is connected on the chamber body; the radio frequency current in the chamber body returns, via the electrical connection part, to the loop end of a radio frequency matcher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Yunwen Huang, Tuqiang Ni, Jie Liang, Jinlong Zhao
  • Patent number: 11387084
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a dual-station vacuum processor that pumps uniformly, comprising two vacuum processing chambers that may act as a process processing chamber, and an offset-pumping port and a vacuum pump which are common to and communicate with the two vacuum processing chambers, wherein a damper having a set thickness in a vertical direction is provided in a region proximal to the offset-pumping port in each vacuum processing chamber, so as to lower a pumping rate of gas at the pumping port proximal end and balance the pumping rate with the pumping rate of the gas at the pumping port distal end, thereby ameliorating the impact of chamber offset on the uniformity process processing. The present invention may further provide, in a rib as the damper, a channel in communication with the atmospheric environment outside of the chamber, so as to facilitate connection between a cable pipeline in the chamber and the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Yuejun Gong, Rason Zuo, Tuqiang Ni, Dee Wu, Ning Zhou, Kelvin Chen
  • Patent number: 11373843
    Abstract: Disclosed is a capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus, wherein a lower electrode is fixed to a lower end of an electrically conductive supporting rod, a telescope electrically conductive part is fixed to the lower end of the electrically conductive supporting rod, wherein the retractable electrically conductive part being telescoped along an axial direction of the electrically conductive supporting rod; besides, the lower end of the retractable electrically conductive part is electrically connected with the output end of the radio-frequency matcher via an electrically connection portion. In this way, the height of the lower electrode may be controlled through telescoping of the retractable electrically conductive part, such that the spacing between the upper and lower pads becomes adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Yunwen Huang, Tuqiang Ni, Jie Liang, Jinlong Zhao, Lei Wu
  • Patent number: 11371141
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a plasma process apparatus with low particle contamination and a method of operating the same, wherein the plasma process apparatus comprises a chamber body and a liner, wherein a dielectric window is provided above the liner; the chamber body, the liner, and the dielectric window enclose a reaction space; a base for placing a wafer is provided at a bottom portion inside the reaction space; a vacuum pump device for pumping a gas out of the reaction space and maintaining a low pressure therein is provided below the base; a shutter for shuttering between an opening on a chamber body sidewall and an opening on a liner sidewall is provided inside the chamber body, for blocking contamination particles in the gas from flowing from a transfer module to the reaction space; a groove is provided at a lower portion of the liner, wherein a flowing space enclosed by a liner outer wall below the shutter and a chamber body inner wall is in communication with an inner space of t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Tuqiang Ni, Rason Zuo, Shenjian Liu, Xingjian Chen, Lei Wan
  • Patent number: 11363680
    Abstract: Disclosed are a plasma reactor and a heating apparatus therefor, wherein the heating apparatus comprises: a programmable power supply, a heater assembly, and a bandpass filter assembly, the heater assembly being configured for connecting with the programmable power supply via the bandpass filter assembly, the bandpass filter assembly including a plurality of bandpass filters, wherein the programmable power supply may input, based on match relationships between outputted AC heating powers and conduction frequencies of the bandpass filters BPF, an AC heating power to a matched heater unit to perform heating, thereby achieving zoned temperature control; the disclosures offer a simple circuit structure due to eliminating the need of switch elements, thereby offering a simple control manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Kui Zhao, Dee Wu, Tuqiang Ni
  • Patent number: 11348763
    Abstract: Disclosed is a corrosion-resistant structure for a gas delivery system in a plasma processing apparatus. By providing a plating layer of corrosion-resistant material at the parts including the gas channel to avoid reacting with the delivered corrosive gas, metal and particle contaminations are reduced. By reversely mounting nozzles such that they reliably cover the plating layer inside the gas outlet holes, the disclosure prevents the corrosion-resistant material from being damaged by the plasma generated inside the cavity. By forming a corrosion-resistant yttrium oxide coating at the surfaces of the nozzles exposed to the cavity, the disclosure prevents the plasma from eroding the nozzles. The disclosure further leverages a flexible corrosion-resistant material, such as Teflon, to the sealing surfaces of the liner in contact with the dielectric window and the cavity, which improves the overall sealing effect of the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Zengdi Lian, Rason Zuo, Dee Wu, Yu Guan, Xingjian Chen, Shenjian Liu, Tuqiang Ni
  • Patent number: 11309165
    Abstract: Disclosed are a gas showerhead, a method of manufacturing the same, and a plasma apparatus provided with the gas showerhead. The gas showerhead comprises a back plate and a gas distribution plate, the gas distribution plate including a plurality of annular gas distribution regions with the center of the gas distribution plate as their center; on each annular gas distribution region are provided a plurality of gas through-holes penetrating through the gas inlet face and the gas outlet face, the gas through-holes at least including a plurality of first gas through-holes inclined at a certain angle, and the gas through-holes further include a plurality of second gas through-holes, the second gas through-holes being parallel to the central axis or having a radial inclination direction different from the first gas through-holes; and in the same annular gas distribution region, gas flowing out of the first gas through-holes and gas flowing out of the second gas through-holes are kept away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Tuqiang Ni, Zhaoyang Xu, Jiawei Jiang
  • Patent number: 11189496
    Abstract: Disclosed are a plasma reactor for ultra-high aspect ratio etching and an etching method therefor, wherein the plasma reactor comprises: a reaction chamber inside which a reaction space is formed; a base disposed at the bottom of the reaction space and configured for supporting a to-be-processed substrate; a gas showerhead disposed at the top inside the reaction chamber; wherein a first radio frequency power supply outputs a radio frequency power with a first frequency to the base or the gas showerhead so as to form and maintain plasma in the reaction chamber; and a second radio frequency power supply which outputs a radio frequency power with a second frequency to the base so as to control the ion energy incident to the base; wherein the first frequency is not less than 4 MHz, and the second frequency is not less than 10 KHz but not more than 300 KHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Gerald Zheyao Yin, Yichuan Zhang, Jie Liang, Xingcai Su, Tuqiang Ni
  • Patent number: 10822721
    Abstract: A method to improve the MOCVD reaction by protection film on the stainless steel body in the MOCVD reaction chamber. The film is composed of the elements of the gas required during the MOCVD deposition process, or the elements that will not react with the reaction gases of MOCVD. The film is a compound of at least one of Al, Ga and Mg and at least one of oxygen or nitrogen, or other materials with stable chemical characteristics that will not react with the gases in the MOCVD process. The film could reduce the initialization time of the MOCVD process, and improve the efficiency of the MOCVD equipment. The protection film has compact organization with porosity of less than 1%, and thickness of 1 nm to 0.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Xiaoming He, Shiping Guo
  • Patent number: 10685811
    Abstract: A switchable matching network and an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus having such network are disclosed. The switchable matching network enables selection between two bias power frequencies. The network is particularly suitable for an inductively-coupled plasma processing apparatus. The switchable matching network comprises: a first match circuit having a first input port connected to a first signal source and a first output port coupled to a load; a second match circuit having a second input port connected to a second signal source and a second output port coupled to the load; a switching device having a first connection port, a second connection port and a third connection port, the first connection port connected to the first input port and the second connection port connected to the second output port; a variable capacitor connected between ground and the third connection port of the switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Kui Zhao, Hiroshi Iizuka, Tuqiang Ni, Xiaobei Pang
  • Patent number: 10685814
    Abstract: A system for processing substrates having an atmospheric front end and a vacuum main frame, primary processing chambers attached to the main frame, a loadlock positioned between the front end and the main frame, and at least one secondary processing chamber attached to the loadlock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Heng Tao, Tuqiang Ni, Qian Wang