Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a memory device having a 3-dimensional structure, which includes alternately stacking one or more dielectric layers and one or more sacrificial layers on a substrate, forming a through hole passing through the dielectric layers and the sacrificial layers, forming a pattern filling the through hole, forming an opening passing through the dielectric layers and the sacrificial layers, and supplying an etchant through the opening to remove the sacrificial layers. The stacking of the dielectric layers includes supplying the substrate with one or more gases selected from the group consisting of SiH4, Si2H6, Si3H8, and Si4H10, to deposit a silicon oxide layer. The stacking of the sacrificial layers includes supplying the substrate with one or more gases selected from the group consisting of SiH4, Si2H6, Si3H8, Si4H10, and dichloro silane (SiCl2H2), and ammonia-based gas, to deposit a silicon nitride layer.

Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor comprises a deposition zone, a substrate carrier and a liner assembly. The deposition zone is constructed so as to have a positive pressure reactant gases fixed showerhead introducing reactant gas supporting thin film CVD deposition. The substrate carrier movably supports a substrate and the liner assembly within the deposition zone and is heated so as to be subjected to a CVD process. The liner assembly partly encloses selected portions of the deposition zone, particularly portions of the substrate carrier and thereby enclose a hot zone surrounding a substrate to be processed so as to retain heat in that zone but allows gas flow radially outwardly toward walls of a surrounding cold-wall reactor with exhaust ports surrounding the deposition zone that exhaust spent reactant gases. The liner assembly is a sink for solid reaction byproducts while gaseous reaction byproducts are pumped out at the exhaust ports.

Abstract: Embodiments of substrate supports and sealing rings for use in a substrate support are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support structure includes an arcuate sealing piece having a first side including a generally planar support surface; a first arcuate portion; a second arcuate portion disposed radially inward of the first arcuate portion; a first end portion comprising a first arcuate extension extending from the first arcuate portion; and a second end portion comprising a second arcuate extension extending from the second arcuate portion.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed herein pertain to methods and apparatus for depositing stress compensating layers and sacrificial layers on either the front side or back side of a substrate. In various implementations, back side deposition occurs while the wafer is in a normal front side up orientation. The front/back side deposition may be performed to reduce stress introduced through deposition on the front side of the wafer. The back side deposition may also be performed to minimize back side particle-related problems that occur during post-deposition processing such as photolithography.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a plurality of modules configured to process a substrate; a transfer chamber adjoining the modules; a transfer part configured to transfer the substrate to one of the modules; a reception part configured to receive process information of the substrate; a detection part configured to detect quality information of the respective modules; a table in which the process information corresponds to the quality information; a memory part configured to store the table; and a controller configured to compare the process information received by the reception part with the quality information detected by the detection part using the table, configured to select one of the modules corresponding to the process information, and configured to instruct the transfer part to transfer the substrate to the selected module.

Abstract: A showerhead apparatus for a linear batch CVD system includes a movable showerhead, one or more gas supply conduits, and a translation mechanism. Each gas supply conduit provides a precursor gas to the showerhead. The showerhead includes conduits and channels arranged along the length of the showerhead to distribute precursor gas to the surfaces of substrates. The small distance between the substrates and the showerhead limits precursor gas flows from the channels to a small portion of each substrate beneath the showerhead. During a deposition process run, the translation mechanism causes the showerhead to move back and forth over the substrates along a direction perpendicular to a linear arrangement of the substrates. Parasitic deposition within the deposition chamber is substantially reduced in comparison to conventional showerhead apparatus. The ability to accurately control the precursor gas flows and the motion of the showerhead allows for improved thickness uniformity and device yield.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes a cooled pin lifter paddle for raising and lowering a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber in which the semiconductor substrate is processed, a heated pedestal for supporting the semiconductor substrate in the processing chamber, and the cooled pin lifter paddle located below the pedestal. The cooled pin lifter paddle includes a heat shield and at least one flow passage in an outer peripheral portion thereof through which a coolant can be circulated to remove heat absorbed by the heat shield of the cooled pin lifter paddle. The cooled pin lifter paddle is vertically movable such that lift pins on an upper surface of the heat shield travel through corresponding holes in the pedestal and a source of coolant is in flow communication with the at least one flow passage.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing device includes a stage, a plurality of pins, and a driving unit. The stage includes a mounting surface. The mounting surface has a first region for mounting thereon a substrate, and a second region for mounting thereon a focus ring. The second region is provided to surround the first region. A plurality of holes is formed in the stage. The holes extend in a direction that intersects the mounting surface while passing through the boundary between the first region and the second region. The pins are provided in the respective holes. Each of the pins has a first and a second upper end surface. The second upper end surface is provided above the first upper end surface, and is offset towards the first region with respect to the first upper end surface. The driving unit moves the pins up and down in the aforementioned direction.

Abstract: The invention is directed to QCM measurements in monitoring ALD processes. Previously, significant barriers remain in the ALD processes and accurate execution. To turn this exclusively dedicated in situ technique into a routine characterization method, an integral QCM fixture was developed. This new design is easily implemented on a variety of ALD tools, allows rapid sample exchange, prevents backside deposition, and minimizes both the footprint and flow disturbance. Unlike previous QCM designs, the fast thermal equilibration enables tasks such as temperature-dependent studies and ex situ sample exchange, further highlighting the feasibility of this QCM design for day-to-day use. Finally, the in situ mapping of thin film growth rates across the ALD reactor was demonstrated in a popular commercial tool operating in both continuous and quasi-static ALD modes.

Abstract: A wafer holder and temperature controlling arrangement has a metal circular wafer carrier plate, which covers a heater compartment. In the heater compartment a multitude of heater lamp tubes is arranged, which directly acts upon the circular wafer carrier plate. Latter is drivingly rotatable about the central axis. A wafer is held on the circular wafer carrier plate by means of a weight-ring residing upon the periphery of a wafer deposited on the wafer carrier plate.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to an apparatus having an anodized gas distribution showerhead. In large area, parallel plate RF processing chambers, mastering the RF return path can be challenging. Arcing is a frequent problem encountered in RF processing chambers. To reduce arcing in RF processing chambers, straps may be coupled to the susceptor to shorten the RF return path, a ceramic or insulating or anodized shadow frame may be coupled to the susceptor during processing, and an anodized coating may be deposited onto the edge of the showerhead that is nearest the chamber walls. The anodized coating may reduce arcing between the showerhead and the chamber walls and therefore enhance film properties and increase deposition rate.

Abstract: A substrate supporting member provided in a processing chamber for processing the substrate and configured to support the substrate, has on its upper surface, a protruding area that supports an edge side of the substrate from below; a recessed area provided inside of the protruding area so as not to be brought into contact with the substrate supported by the protruding area; and an auxiliary protruding area formed lower than the protruding area and provided in the recessed area, and has a flow passage that is communicated with inside of the recessed area, for escaping gas between the substrate and the substrate supporting member from the recessed area side.

Abstract: A processing chamber having a plurality of movable substrate carriers stacked therein for continuously processing a plurality of substrates is provided. The movable substrate carrier is capable of being transported from outside of the processing chamber, e.g., being transferred from a load luck chamber, into the processing chamber and out of the processing chamber, e.g., being transferred into another load luck chamber. Process gases delivered into the processing chamber are spatially separated into a plurality of processing slots, and/or temporally controlled. The processing chamber can be part of a multi-chamber substrate processing system.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a processing zone in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed, a process gas source in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber for supplying a process gas into the vacuum chamber, a showerhead module through which process gas from the process gas source is supplied to the processing zone of the vacuum chamber, and a substrate pedestal module. The substrate pedestal module includes a platen made of ceramic material having an upper surface configured to support a semiconductor substrate thereon during processing, a stem made of ceramic material having an upper stem flange that supports the platen, and a backside gas tube made of ceramic material that is located in an interior of the stem.

Abstract: A reactive-species supply device is configured to supply a treatment gas to an electric discharge space, for thereby supplying at least a reactive species formed in a plasma, to an object. The reactive-species supply device includes (a) at least one pair of electrodes configured to form the electric discharge space and (b) an electrode protection device configured to protect the electrodes from the treatment gas. Also disclosed is a surface treatment apparatus that includes the reactive-species supply device.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber; a turntable rotatably provided in the vacuum chamber, on which a circular substrate is to be mounted, and provided with a circular concave portion at a front surface having a larger diameter than that of the substrate, and a circular substrate mounting portion provided in the concave portion having a diameter smaller than that of the concave portion and the substrate at a position higher than a bottom portion of the concave portion, the center of the substrate mounting portion being off center with respect to the center of the concave portion toward an outer peripheral portion side of the turntable; a process gas supplying unit which supplies a process gas to the substrate; and a vacuum evacuation mechanism which evacuates the vacuum chamber.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for treating a substrate. The apparatus comprises a plasma boundary limiter unit disposed within a process chamber to surround a discharge space defined above a support unit. The plasma boundary limiter unit comprises a plurality of plates disposed along a circumference of the discharge space, and the plurality of plates are spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the discharge space so that a gas within the discharge space flows to the outside of the discharge space through passages provided between the adjacent plates.

Abstract: A plasma CVD apparatus capable of preventing unnecessary deposition on a supplying portion of a source gas so as to suppress generation of flakes, and thereby depositing a CVD coating excellent in quality is provided. This plasma CVD apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a vacuum pump system for vacuuming an interior of the vacuum chamber, a deposition roller around which a substrate is wound, the deposition roller being provided in the vacuum chamber, a gas supplying portion for supplying the source gas to the interior of the vacuum chamber, and a plasma power supply for forming a plasma generating region in the vicinity of a surface of the deposition roller and thereby depositing a coating on the substrate. The gas supplying portion is provided in a plasma non-generating region positioned on the opposite side of the plasma generating region with respect to the deposition roller.

Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate delivery device and a strong acid or strong base etching adequate for a wet process.

Abstract: Substrate supports for use in process chambers having limited physical space for configuring chamber components are disclosed. In some embodiments, a substrate support may include a body having a support surface; a utilities feed coupled to the body and comprising a second portion coupled to and extending laterally away from the body beyond a diameter of the body, and first portion coupled to the second portion and extending perpendicularly away from the body; and a cover plate movably disposable beneath and with respect to the body between a first position disposed completely beneath the body, and a second position wherein the cover plate is disposed over the first portion of the utilities feed and includes a first portion disposed beneath the body, and wherein the first portion has a curved edge having a radius equal to the distance from a central axis of the support surface to the curved edge.