Patents Examined by Rudy Zervigon
  • Patent number: 11859280
    Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of improving a film thickness uniformity on a surface of a wafer whereon a film is formed. According to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; a process gas nozzle configured to supply a process gas into the process chamber; an inert gas nozzle configured to supply an inert gas into the process chamber while a concentration of the process gas at the center of the substrate is higher than a concentration required for processing the substrate; and an exhaust pipe configured to exhaust an inner atmosphere of the process chamber; wherein the process gas nozzle and the inert gas nozzle are disposed beside the edge of substrate with a predetermined distance therebetween corresponding to an angle of circumference of 90 to 180 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Mimura, Takafumi Sasaki, Hidenari Yoshida, Yusaku Okajima
  • Patent number: 11851760
    Abstract: A plasma processing system is provided. The system includes a chamber, a controller and a showerhead disposed in the chamber. A first gas manifold is connected to the showerhead for providing a first gas from a first gas source responsive to control from the controller. A shower-pedestal is disposed in the chamber and oriented opposite the showerhead. A second gas manifold is connected to the shower-pedestal for providing a second gas from a second gas source responsive to control from the controller. A substrate support for holding a substrate at a spaced apart relationship from the shower-pedestal is provided. A radio frequency (RF) power supply for providing power to the showerhead to generate a plasma is provided. The plasma is used for depositing a film on a back-side of the substrate, when present in the chamber. The substrate is held by the substrate support in the spaced apart relationship from the shower-pedestal, during backside deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Fayaz Shaikh, Nick Linebarger, Curtis Bailey
  • Patent number: 11837445
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method, the substrate processing device comprising: a chamber; a substrate support part installed in a processing space inside the chamber so as to enable one or more substrate to rotate; a first gas spraying part for spraying a source gas on a first area of the processing space; a second gas spraying part for spraying, on a second area of the processing space, a reactant gas reacting with the source gas on the second area; and a third gas spraying part for spraying, on a third area, a purge gas for dividing the first area and the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Inventor: Chul-Joo Hwang
  • Patent number: 11834736
    Abstract: A substrate processing system for treating a substrate includes a manifold, a plurality of injector assemblies located in a processing chamber, and a dose controller. Each of the plurality of injector assemblies is in fluid communication with the manifold and includes a valve including an inlet and an outlet. The dose controller is configured to communicate with the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies. The dose controller is configured to adjust a pulse width supplied to the valve in each of the plurality of injector assemblies to provide spatial dosing and at least one of compensate for upstream skew caused by a prior process and pre-compensate for downstream skew expected from a subsequent process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mariusch Gregor
  • Patent number: 11834745
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein to improve the efficiency of an atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycle by providing an improved purge block design. The improved purge block prevents gas mixing, regardless of the rotational speed of the platen, by providing a lower cavity on an underside of the purge block, and in some embodiments, by providing an upper cavity on a topside of the purge block. The lower/upper cavity provides a gas conduction path that distributes purge gas evenly beneath/above the purge block and provides uniform gas flow conductance within the lower/upper cavity. Compared to conventional purge block designs, the improved purge block design described herein provides a narrower, yet more effective isolation barrier, which prevents gas mixing even at high rotational speeds of the platen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Anthony Dip
  • Patent number: 11834744
    Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing chamber showerheads may include a dielectric plate characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The dielectric plate may define a plurality of apertures through the dielectric plate. The dielectric plate may define a first annular channel in the first surface of the dielectric plate, and the first annular channel may extend about the plurality of apertures. The dielectric plate may define a second annular channel in the first surface of the dielectric plate. The second annular channel may be formed radially outward from the first annular channel. The showerheads may also include a conductive material embedded within the dielectric plate and extending about the plurality of apertures without being exposed by the apertures. The conductive material may be exposed at the second annular channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Laksheswar Kalita, Soonam Park, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Tien Fak Tan, LokKee Loh, Saravjeet Singh, Tae Won Kim
  • Patent number: 11837443
    Abstract: A faceplate of a showerhead has a bottom side that faces a plasma generation region and a top side that faces a plenum into which a process gas is supplied during operation of a substrate processing system. The faceplate includes apertures formed through the bottom side and openings formed through the top side. Each of the apertures is formed to extend through a portion of an overall thickness of the faceplate to intersect with at least one of the openings to form a corresponding flow path for process gas through the faceplate. Each of the apertures has a cross-section that has a hollow cathode discharge suppression dimension in at least one direction. Each of the openings has a cross-section that has a smallest cross-sectional dimension that is greater than the hollow cathode discharge suppression dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Michael John Selep, Patrick G. Breiling, Karl Frederick Leeser, Timothy Scott Thomas, David William Kamp, Sean M. Donnelly
  • Patent number: 11834740
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to apparatus having a canister with a sidewall, a top, and a bottom forming a canister volume. An inlet line and an outlet line is coupled to the top and is in fluid communication with the canister volume. A plate disposed within the canister volume forms a headspace volume below the plate. Each of the inlet line and the outlet line is in fluid communication with the headspace volume. The apparatus includes standoffs extending from a lower surface of the plate. The standoffs include a lower surface area substantially parallel with the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: David Marquardt
  • Patent number: 11827980
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to isolator devices, components thereof, and methods associated therewith for substrate processing chambers. In one implementation, a substrate processing chamber includes an isolator ring disposed between a pedestal and a pumping liner. The isolator ring includes a first surface that faces the pedestal, the first surface being disposed at a gap from an outer circumferential surface of the pedestal. The isolator ring also includes a second surface that faces the pumping liner and a protrusion that protrudes from the first surface of the isolator ring and towards the outer circumferential surface of the pedestal. The protrusion defines a necked portion of the gap between the pedestal and the isolator ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nitin Pathak, Amit Kumar Bansal, Tuan Anh Nguyen, Thomas Rubio, Badri N. Ramamurthi, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez
  • Patent number: 11814724
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to chamber liners, processing chambers that include chamber liners, and methods of using the same. In one embodiment, a method of operating a processing chamber includes causing a chamber liner within the processing chamber to move to a loading position to allow a substrate to be inserted through an access port of the processing chamber into an interior volume of the processing chamber. The method further includes causing the chamber liner to move to an operation position that blocks the access port after the substrate has been inserted into the interior volume. The method further includes generating a plasma using a cathode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 11807931
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to apparatus for fabricating semiconductor devices. A gas injection apparatus is coupled to a first gas source and a second gas source. Gases from the first gas source and second gas source may remain separated until the gases enter a process volume in a process chamber. A coolant is flowed through a channel in the gas injection apparatus to cool the first gas and the second gas in the gas injection apparatus. The coolant functions to prevent thermal decomposition of the gases by mitigating the influence of thermal radiation from the process chamber. In one embodiment, the channel surrounds a first conduit with the first gas and a second conduit with the second gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Lau, Lit Ping Lam, Preetham Rao, Kartik Shah, Ian Ong, Nyi O. Myo, Brian H. Burrows
  • Patent number: 11802341
    Abstract: A capacitively coupled Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PE-CVD) apparatus has a chamber, a first electrode with a substrate support positioned in the chamber, a second electrode with a gas inlet structure positioned in the chamber, and an RF power source connected to the gas inlet structure for supplying RF power thereto. The gas inlet structure has an edge region, a central region which depends downwardly with respect to the edge region, and one or more precursor gas inlets for introducing a PE-CVD precursor gas mixture to the chamber. The edge region and the central region both constitute part of the second electrode. The precursor gas inlets are disposed in the edge region and the central region is spaced apart from the substrate support to define a plasma dark space channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SPTS Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Burgess, Kathrine Crook, Daniel Archard, William Royle, Euan Alasdair Morrison
  • Patent number: 11804363
    Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include an inlet manifold defining a central aperture. The inlet manifold may also define a first channel and a second channel, and each of the channels may extend through the inlet manifold radially outward of the central aperture. The chambers may also include a gasbox characterized by a first surface facing the inlet manifold and a second surface opposite the first. The gasbox may define a central aperture aligned with the central aperture of the inlet manifold. The gasbox may define a first annular channel in the first surface extending about the central aperture of the gasbox and fluidly coupled with the first channel of the inlet manifold. The gasbox may define a second annular channel extending radially outward of the first and fluidly coupled with the second channel of the inlet manifold. The second annular channel may be fluidly isolated from the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Fang Ruan, Diwakar Kedlaya, Truong Van Nguyen, Mingle Tong, Sherry L. Mings, Venkata Sharat Chandra Parimi
  • Patent number: 11798803
    Abstract: In one example, a process chamber comprises a lid assembly, a first gas supply, second gas supply, a chamber body, and a substrate support. The lid assembly comprises a gas box, a gas conduit passing through the gas box, a blocker plate, and a showerhead. The gas box comprises a gas distribution plenum, and a distribution plate comprising a plurality of holes aligned with the gas distribution plenum. The blocker plate is coupled to the gas box forming a first plenum. The showerhead is coupled to the blocker plate forming a second plenum. The first gas supply is coupled to the gas distribution plenum, and the second gas supply system is coupled to the gas conduit. The chamber body is coupled to the showerhead, and the substrate support assembly is disposed within an interior volume of the chamber body, and is configured to support a substrate during processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Daemian Raj Benjamin Raj, Gregory Eugene Chichkanoff, Shailendra Srivastava, Sai Susmita Addepalli, Nikhil Sudhindrarao Jorapur, Abhigyan Keshri, Allison Yau
  • Patent number: 11781221
    Abstract: A chemical vessel is disclosed comprising a dip tube and a level sensor tube arranged in an elongated counterbore incorporated into a housing of the chemical vessel. The chemical vessel may be configured to allow a pushback routine to take place, whereby a level of liquid in the chemical vessel is reduced to a point that the dip tube is free from liquid inside the dip tube or at the bottom of the dip tube. Once the dip tube is free of the liquid, then a vacuum source may be used to purge vapor within the chemical vessel without the risk of damage to the vacuum source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Andrew Michael Yednak, III, Todd Robert Dunn
  • Patent number: 11772058
    Abstract: A gas mixing system for semiconductor fabrication includes a mixing block. The mixing block defines a gas mixing chamber, a first gas channel fluidly coupled to the gas mixing chamber at a first exit location, and a second gas channel fluidly coupled to the gas mixing chamber at a second exit location, wherein the first exit location is diametrically opposite the second exit location relative to the gas mixing chamber and the second gas channel has a bend of 90 degrees or less between an entrance of the second gas channel and the second exit location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Ming Shing Lin, Chin Shen Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11773505
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a reaction chamber, including a chamber body, the chamber body being connected to an upper cover by an insulation member, the chamber body and the upper cover forming an inner chamber, and the upper cover being provided with a through-hole that is communicated with the inner chamber; a gas inlet mechanism including an insulation body at least partially arranged in the through-hole, a gas inlet channel being arranged in the insulation body, a flange part being arranged on one side of the insulation body facing away from the inner chamber, the flange part being grounded and configured to communicate a gas inlet end of the gas inlet channel with a gas output end of a gas inlet pipe configure to transfer a reaction gas, a gas outlet end of the gas inlet channel being communicated with the inner chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Gang Xu
  • Patent number: 11773485
    Abstract: Bottom-fed ampoules for a semiconductor manufacturing precursors and methods of use are described. The ampoules comprise an outer cylindrical wall and an inner cylindrical wall defining a flow channel in between and a bottom wall having a top surface with a plurality of concentric elongate walls, each wall comprising an opening offset from the opening in adjacent walls defining a gas exchange zone through which a carrier gas flows in contact with the precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: David Marquardt, Carl White, Mohith Verghese
  • Patent number: 11772138
    Abstract: A processing method includes: disposing a workpiece in a processing container of a processing apparatus, and maintaining an inside of the processing container in a vacuum state; providing a cluster nozzle in the processing container; supplying a cluster generating gas to the cluster nozzle and adiabatically expanding the cluster generating gas in the cluster nozzle, thereby generating gas clusters; generating plasma in the cluster nozzle to ionize the gas clusters and injecting the ionized gas clusters onto the workpiece; supplying a reactive gas to the cluster nozzle and exposing the reactive gas to the plasma such that the reactive gas becomes monomer ions or radicals; and supplying the monomer ions or radicals to the processing container, thereby exerting a chemical reaction on a substance present on a surface of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuya Dobashi, Chishio Koshimizu
  • Patent number: 11767593
    Abstract: Gas distribution assemblies and process chambers comprising gas distribution assemblies are described. The gas distribution assembly includes a gas distribution plate, a lid and a primary O-ring. The primary O-ring is positioned between a purge channel of a first contact surface of the gas distribution plate and a second contact surface. Methods of sealing a process chamber using the disclosed gas distribution assemblies are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Muhannad Mustafa, Muhammad M. Rasheed