Patents Examined by Kurt Sweely
  • Patent number: 11637026
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes an inner tub 34A having a top opening and storing a processing liquid therein; an outer tub 34B provided outside the inner tub; a first cover body 71 configured to move between a closing position where a first region of the top opening is closed and an opening position where the first region is opened; and a second cover body 72 configured to move between a closing position where a second region of the top opening is closed and an opening position where the second region is opened. The first cover body has a bottom wall 711R and a sidewall 712R extended upwards therefrom, and the second cover body has a bottom wall 721R and a sidewall 722R extended upwards therefrom. Further, when being placed at the closing positions, the sidewalls closely face each other with a gap G having a height H.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Masutomi, Takashi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11621150
    Abstract: A system includes an electrode. The electrode includes a showerhead having a first stem portion and a head portion. A plurality of dielectric layers is vertically stacked between the electrode and a first surface of a conducting structure. The plurality of dielectric layers includes M dielectric layers arranged adjacent to the head portion and P dielectric portions arranged around the first stem portion. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser, Mohamed Sabri
  • Patent number: 11615944
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a process chamber for conformal oxidation of high aspect ratio structures. The process chamber includes a liner assembly located in a first side of a chamber body and two pumping ports located in a substrate support portion adjacent a second side of the chamber body opposite the first side. The liner assembly includes a flow divider to direct fluid flow away from a center of a substrate disposed in a processing region of the process chamber. The liner assembly may be fabricated from quartz minimize interaction with process gases, such as radicals. The liner assembly is designed to reduce flow constriction of the radicals, leading to increased radical concentration and flux. The two pumping ports can be individually controlled to tune the flow of the radicals through the processing region of the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher S. Olsen, Eric Kihara Shono, Lara Hawrylchak, Agus Sofian Tjandra, Chaitanya A. Prasad, Sairaju Tallavarjula
  • Patent number: 11598021
    Abstract: A preheat ring (126) for use in a chemical vapor deposition system includes a first portion and a second portion selectively coupled to the first portion such that the first and second portions combine to form an opening configured to receive a susceptor therein. Each of the first and second portions is independently moveable with respect to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: GlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shawn George Thomas, Gang Wang
  • Patent number: 11578408
    Abstract: A gas processing apparatus includes: a mounting part; a gas supply part located above the mounting part and having a plurality of first gas supply holes; a gas supply path forming part configured to form a supply path of a processing gas, the gas supply path forming part including a flat opposing surface which faces the gas supply part from above and defines a first diffusion space for diffusing the processing gas in a lateral direction; a recess surrounding a central portion of the opposing surface; and a plurality of gas dispersion portions located in the recess surrounding the central portion of the opposing surface without protruding from the opposing surface, each of the plurality of gas dispersion portions having a plurality of gas discharge holes extending along a circumferential direction so as to laterally disperse the processing gas supplied from the supply path in the first diffusion space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Kamio, Yu Nunoshige
  • Patent number: 11572623
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes processing parts performing substrate processing on target substrates, respectively, substrate mounting tables mounting the target substrates thereon in the respective processing parts, gas introducing members introducing processing gases into processing spaces, a common exhaust mechanism evacuating the processing spaces at once and further performing pressure control for the processing spaces at once, and a pressure measuring part configured to selectively monitor a pressure in any one of the plurality of processing spaces by using a pressure gauge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Yohei Midorikawa
  • Patent number: 11551909
    Abstract: Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for providing localized high density plasma sources igniting local gasses during a wafer fabrication process to provide global uniformity. Such plasma sources are resonant structures operating at radio frequencies at or higher than microwave values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Barton G. Lane, Peter L. G. Ventzek
  • Patent number: 11532459
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus is provided. The CVD apparatus includes a CVD chamber including multiple wall portions. A pedestal is disposed inside the CVD chamber, configured to support a substrate. A gas inlet port is disposed on one of the wall portions and below a substrate support portion of the pedestal. In addition, a gas flow guiding member is disposed inside the CVD chamber, coupled to the gas inlet port, and configured to dispense cleaning gases from the gas inlet port into the CVD chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Hung Yeh, Tsung-Lin Lee, Yi-Ming Lin, Sheng-Chun Yang, Tung-Ching Tseng
  • Patent number: 11532464
    Abstract: An apparatus for plasma processing of substrates is disclosed. A plasma processing chamber is provided which includes a chamber body and a lid. The lid includes a faceplate coupled to a backing plate. The faceplate and the backing plate are disposed within a processing volume defined by the chamber body and the lid. One or more ferrite blocks are coupled to the backing plate to modulate an electromagnetic field created by an RF current from an RF generator. A gas feed assembly including a gas source, a remote plasma source, and a zero field feed through are coupled to, and in fluid communication with, the processing volume through the backing plate and faceplate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuran Sheng, Shinobu Abe, Keita Kuwahara, Chang Hee Shin, Su Ho Cho
  • Patent number: 11501958
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a stage for supporting a target object in a chamber defined by a chamber body. The stage includes a lower electrode, an electrostatic chuck provided on the lower electrode, heaters provided in the electrostatic chuck, and terminals electrically connected to the heaters. A conductor pipe electrically connects a high frequency power supply and the lower electrode and extends from the lower electrode to the outside of the chamber body. Power supply lines supply power from a heater controller to the heaters. Filters partially forming the power supply lines prevent the inflow of high frequency power from the heaters to the heater controller. The power supply lines include wirings which respectively connect the terminals and the filters and extend to the outside of the chamber body through an inner bore of the conductor pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Naohiko Okunishi, Nozomu Nagashima, Tomoyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11495443
    Abstract: Provided is a filter device including a plurality of coils, a plural of capacitors, and a frame. The coils constitute a plurality of coil groups. Each coil group includes two or more coils. The two or more coils in each coil group are provided such that respective windings of the two or more coils extend spirally about a central axis and respective turns of the two or more coils are sequentially and repeatedly arranged in an axial direction in which the central axis extends. The coil groups are provided coaxially with the central axis. A pitch between the respective turns of the two or more coils of any one coil group among the coil groups is larger than a pitch between the respective turns of the two or more coils of the coil group provided inside the one coil group among the coil groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Naohiko Okunishi, Nozomu Nagashima
  • Patent number: 11488845
    Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a tube assembly having an inner space in which substrates are processed and assembled by laminating a plurality of laminates, each of which includes an injection part and an exhaust hole; a substrate holder configured to support the plurality of substrates in a multistage manner in the inner space; a supply line connected to one injection part of the plurality of laminates to supply a process gas; and an exhaust line connected to one of a plurality of exhaust holes to exhaust the process gas, and the substrate processing apparatus that has a simple structure and induces a laminar flow of the process gas to uniformly supply the process gas to a top surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventors: Cha Young Yoo, Sung Tae Je, Kyu Jin Choi, Ja Dae Ku, Jun Kim, Bong Ju Jung, Kyung Seok Park, Yong Ki Kim, Jae Woo Kim
  • Patent number: 11469084
    Abstract: A thermal choke rod connecting a radio frequency source to a substrate support of a plasma processing system includes a tubular member having a first connector for connecting to an RF rod coupled to the substrate support and a second connector for connecting to an RF strap that couples to the RF source. A tubular segment extends between the first and second connectors. The first connector has a conically-shaped end region that tapers away from the inner surface thereof to an outer surface in a direction toward the tubular segment, and slits that extend for a prescribed distance from a terminal end of the first connector. The outer surface of the tubular segment has a threaded region for threaded engagement with an annular cap that fits over the first connector and reduces an inner diameter of the first connector upon contact with the conically-shaped end region of the first connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy S. Thomas, Vince Burkhart, Joel Hollingsworth, David French, Damien Slevin
  • Patent number: 11456160
    Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, a high frequency power source is electrically connected to a lower electrode of a supporting table through a power feeding unit. The power feeding unit is surrounded by a conductor pipe outside the chamber. An electrostatic chuck of the supporting table has therein a plurality of heaters. A filter device is provided between the heaters and a heater controller. The filter device includes a plurality of coil groups, each of the coil groups including two or more coils. In each of the coil groups, the two or more coils are arranged such that winding portions of the two or more coils extend in a spiral shape around a central axis and turns of the winding portions are arranged sequentially and repeatedly, and the coil groups are provided coaxially to the central axis to surround the conductor pipe directly below the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Naohiko Okunishi, Katsumi Sekiguchi, Ryuichi Yui
  • Patent number: 11447868
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to apparatus and method for a tunable plasma process within a plasma processing chamber. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a heater assembly for a plasma processing chamber is disclosed. The heater assembly includes a resistive heating element, a first lead coupling the resistive heating element to an RF filter and a tunable circuit element operable to adjust an impedance between the resistive heating element and the RF filter. Another embodiment provides a method for controlling a plasma process in a plasma processing chamber by forming a plasma from a process gas present inside the plasma processing chamber and adjusting an impedance between a resistive heating element and an RF filter coupled between the resistive heating element and a power source for the resistive heating element, while the plasma is present in the plasma processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Nguyen, Kartik Ramaswamy, Michael G. Chafin, Yang Yang, Anilkumar Rayaroth, Lu Liu
  • Patent number: 11427912
    Abstract: Embodiments of substrate processing equipment and rotatable substrate supports incorporating the same are provided herein. In some embodiments, the substrate support may include a pedestal having a substrate receiving surface, a shaft having an upper end, a lower end, and a central opening, where the shaft is coupled to the pedestal at the upper end, a hub circumscribing the shaft, where the shaft is rotatable with respect to the hub, and where the hub includes a first port that extends from an outer surface of the hub to a volume between the hub and the shaft, and a ferrofluid sealing assembly disposed between the hub and the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Muhannad Mustafa, Muhammad M. Rasheed
  • Patent number: 11430675
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank, a reservoir, a remover, a mixer, and a return path. Etching is performed on a substrate in the processing tank by immersing the substrate in a processing liquid containing a chemical liquid and silicon. The reservoir recovers and stores the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank. The remover recovers a portion of the processing liquid discharged from the processing tank, and removes silicon from the recovered processing liquid. The mixer mixes the processing liquid stored in the reservoir with the processing liquid from which silicon has been removed by the remover. The processing liquid mixed by the mixer is returned to the processing tank through a return path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hideaki Sato, Junichi Kitano, Kouzou Kanagawa
  • Patent number: 11427909
    Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus for generating a plasma in a processing space of a processing chamber and performing plasma processing on a target object, the apparatus includes an antenna configured to radiate a microwave for plasma generation into the processing chamber through a ceiling plate. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a pressing mechanism provided above the antenna and configured to press the antenna against the ceiling plate by a pressure of fluid supplied thereinto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Shinya Nishimoto
  • Patent number: 11404272
    Abstract: In a mask pattern forming method, a resist film is formed over a thin film, the resist film is processed into resist patterns having a predetermined pitch by photolithography, slimming of the resist patterns is performed, and an oxide film is formed on the thin film and the resist patterns after an end of the slimming step in a film deposition apparatus by supplying a source gas and an oxygen radical or an oxygen-containing gas. In the mask pattern forming method, the slimming and the oxide film forming are continuously performed in the film deposition apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhide Hasebe, Shigeru Nakajima, Jun Ogawa, Hiroki Murakami
  • Patent number: 11404271
    Abstract: In a mask pattern forming method, a resist film is formed over a thin film, the resist film is processed into resist patterns having a predetermined pitch by photolithography, slimming of the resist patterns is performed, and an oxide film is formed on the thin film and the resist patterns after an end of the slimming step in a film deposition apparatus by supplying a source gas and an oxygen radical or an oxygen-containing gas. In the mask pattern forming method, the slimming and the oxide film forming are continuously performed in the film deposition apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhide Hasebe, Shigeru Nakajima, Jun Ogawa, Hiroki Murakami