Patents by Inventor Banqiu Wu

Banqiu Wu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11964068
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an oxygen cleaning chamber with UV radiation generator temperature control and a method of atomic oxygen cleaning a substrate. The atomic oxygen cleaning chamber includes a process chamber and a cooling chamber coupled to the process chamber and a divider sealingly separating the process chamber from the cooling chamber. An ultraviolet (UV) radiation generator is disposed in the cooling chamber and provides UV radiation through the divider into the process chamber. A gas distribution assembly distributes ozone over an upper surface of a pedestal in the process chamber and a coolant distribution assembly distributes cooling gas into the cooling chamber to cool the UV radiation generator. By actively cooling the UV radiation generator, a higher intensity UV radiation at a stable wavelength is produced, i.e., without wavelength drift normally associated with high power UV radiation generator outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Eli Dagan
  • Publication number: 20240118603
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing ruthenium oxide on an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photomask leverage temperature, plasma, and chamber pressure to increase the reduction. In some embodiments, a method includes heating the EUV photomask with a ruthenium (Ru) capping layer with a top surface which has a Ru oxide layer to a temperature of approximately 100 degrees Celsius to approximately a thermal budget of the EUV photomask, flowing a reducing agent gas into an EUV photomask processing chamber, and pressurizing the EUV photomask processing chamber to a process pressure to increase a reducing reaction between the reducing agent gas and a Ru oxide layer on the Ru capping layer. Other embodiments may incorporate remote plasma generators or atmospheric-pressure plasma generators to enhance the reduction of Ru oxides on the Ru capping layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Patent number: 11921422
    Abstract: Embodiments of baking chambers for baking a substrate and methods of use thereof are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber process tool for processing a substrate including: a wet clean chamber for cleaning the substrate; and a baking chamber configured to heat the substrate to remove residue or haze left over after a wet clean process performed in the wet clean chamber, the baking chamber comprising: a chamber body enclosing an interior volume; a heater disposed in the interior volume, wherein the heater is configured to have a surface temperature of about 100 to about 400 degrees Celsius during use; a substrate support configured to support a substrate disposed in the interior volume, wherein the substrate support has a direct line of sight with the heater such that the heater heats the substrate support via convection; and a gas inlet and a gas outlet coupled to the interior volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Khalid Makhamreh, Eliyahu Shlomo Dagan
  • Patent number: 11908679
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to oxygen cleaning chambers and a method of atomic oxygen cleaning a substrate. The oxygen cleaning chambers and method of atomic oxygen cleaning a substrate provide for generation of atomic oxygen in situ to oxidize materials on the surfaces of the substrate. The atomic oxygen cleaning chamber includes a chamber body, a chamber lid, a processing volume defined by the chamber body and the chamber lid, an UV radiation generator including one or more UV radiation sources, a pedestal disposed in the processing volume, and a gas distribution assembly. The pedestal has a processing position corresponding to a distance from the UV radiation generator to an upper surface of the pedestal. The gas distribution assembly is configured to be connected to an ozone generator to distribute ozone over the upper surface of the pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Eli Dagan
  • Publication number: 20240027894
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus leverage dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma to treat samples for surface modification prior to photomask application and for photomask cleaning. In some embodiments, a method of treating a surface with AP plasma includes igniting plasma over an ignition plate where the AP plasma is formed by one or more plasma heads of an AP plasma reactor positioned above the ignition plate, monitoring characteristics of the AP plasma with an optical emission spectrometer (OES) sensor to determine if stable AP plasma is obtained and, if so, moving the AP reactor over a central opening of an assistant plate where the central opening contains a sample under treatment and where the assistant plate reduces AP plasma arcing on the sample during treatment. The AP reactor scans back and forth over the central opening of the assistant plate while maintaining stabilized AP plasma to treat the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Publication number: 20240014028
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes a lamp for emitting ultraviolet radiation in an irradiation region; a housing that houses the lamp; a water deflector spaced below the housing, the water deflector having a water inlet for receiving a supply of ozonated water and a water outlet for discharging ozonated water irradiated by the lamp into a substrate processing region beneath the water deflector, and defining a water flow path between the water inlet and the water outlet, the water flow path extending in the irradiation region; an upper reflector extending along and above the lamp; and a lower reflector extending along and below the water deflector, wherein the upper reflector and the lower reflector at least partially define the irradiation region and reflect ultraviolet radiation toward the water flow path, and wherein the lower reflector shields the substrate from ultraviolet radiation emitted by the lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Hiroki OGAWA, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Patent number: 11803118
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus leverage dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma to treat samples for surface modification prior to photomask application and for photomask cleaning. In some embodiments, a method of treating a surface with AP plasma includes igniting plasma over an ignition plate where the AP plasma is formed by one or more plasma heads of an AP plasma reactor positioned above the ignition plate, monitoring characteristics of the AP plasma with an optical emission spectrometer (OES) sensor to determine if stable AP plasma is obtained and, if so, moving the AP reactor over a central opening of an assistant plate where the central opening contains a sample under treatment and where the assistant plate reduces AP plasma arcing on the sample during treatment. The AP reactor scans back and forth over the central opening of the assistant plate while maintaining stabilized AP plasma to treat the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Khalid Makhamreh, Eliyahu Shlomo Dagan
  • Patent number: 11798799
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes a lamp for emitting ultraviolet radiation in an irradiation region; a housing that houses the lamp; a water deflector spaced below the housing, the water deflector having a water inlet for receiving a supply of ozonated water and a water outlet for discharging ozonated water irradiated by the lamp into a substrate processing region beneath the water deflector, and defining a water flow path between the water inlet and the water outlet, the water flow path extending in the irradiation region; an upper reflector extending along and above the lamp; and a lower reflector extending along and below the water deflector, wherein the upper reflector and the lower reflector at least partially define the irradiation region and reflect ultraviolet radiation toward the water flow path, and wherein the lower reflector shields the substrate from ultraviolet radiation emitted by the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Khalid Makhamreh, Hiroki Ogawa, Eliyahu Shlomo Dagan
  • Publication number: 20230241649
    Abstract: Embodiments of megasonic cleaning chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a megasonic cleaning chamber includes: a chamber body defining an interior volume therein; a substrate support to support a substrate disposed in the interior volume; a supply tube comprising a transparent material configured to direct a cleaning fluid to the substrate support; a megasonic power generator coupled to the supply tube to provide megasonic power to the cleaning fluid; a megasonic transducer coupled to the megasonic power generator and the supply tube to create megasonic waves in the cleaning fluid and to form cavities in the cleaning fluid, wherein the megasonic transducer is configured to direct the megasonic waves and cavities toward the substrate support; and one or more sensors configured to generate a signal indicative of a property of the cavities in the cleaning fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Patent number: 11654460
    Abstract: Embodiments of megasonic cleaning chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a megasonic cleaning chamber includes: a chamber body defining an interior volume therein; a substrate support to support a substrate disposed in the interior volume; a supply tube comprising a transparent material configured to direct a cleaning fluid to the substrate support; a megasonic power generator coupled to the supply tube to provide megasonic power to the cleaning fluid; a megasonic transducer coupled to the megasonic power generator and the supply tube to create megasonic waves in the cleaning fluid and to form cavities in the cleaning fluid, wherein the megasonic transducer is configured to direct the megasonic waves and cavities toward the substrate support; and one or more sensors configured to generate a signal indicative of a property of the cavities in the cleaning fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Khalid Makhamreh, Eliyahu Shlomo Dagan
  • Patent number: 11644748
    Abstract: Embodiments of baking chambers for baking a photomask are provided herein. In some embodiments, a baking chamber includes: a chamber body enclosing a first interior volume and a second interior volume, disposed beneath and fluidly independent from the first interior volume; a radiant heat source disposed in the first interior volume; a photomask support structure configured to support a photomask disposed in the second interior volume; a window disposed between the first interior volume the second interior volume, wherein the window is made of a material that is transparent to thermal radiation; a first gas inlet and a first gas outlet coupled to the first interior volume; and a second gas inlet and a second gas outlet coupled to the second interior volume on opposite ends thereof to facilitate flow of a process gas laterally through the second interior volume and across the photomask support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Khalid Makhamreh, Eliyahu Shlomo Dagan
  • Publication number: 20230127302
    Abstract: Embodiments of megasonic cleaning chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a megasonic cleaning chamber includes: a chamber body defining an interior volume therein; a substrate support to support a substrate disposed in the interior volume; a supply tube comprising a transparent material configured to direct a cleaning fluid to the substrate support; a megasonic power generator coupled to the supply tube to provide megasonic power to the cleaning fluid; a megasonic transducer coupled to the megasonic power generator and the supply tube to create megasonic waves in the cleaning fluid and to form cavities in the cleaning fluid, wherein the megasonic transducer is configured to direct the megasonic waves and cavities toward the substrate support; and one or more sensors configured to generate a signal indicative of a property of the cavities in the cleaning fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Publication number: 20230044618
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes a lamp for emitting ultraviolet radiation in an irradiation region; a housing that houses the lamp; a water deflector spaced below the housing, the water deflector having a water inlet for receiving a supply of ozonated water and a water outlet for discharging ozonated water irradiated by the lamp into a substrate processing region beneath the water deflector, and defining a water flow path between the water inlet and the water outlet, the water flow path extending in the irradiation region; an upper reflector extending along and above the lamp; and a lower reflector extending along and below the water deflector, wherein the upper reflector and the lower reflector at least partially define the irradiation region and reflect ultraviolet radiation toward the water flow path, and wherein the lower reflector shields the substrate from ultraviolet radiation emitted by the lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Hiroki OGAWA, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Publication number: 20220326608
    Abstract: Embodiments of baking chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a baking chamber for baking a substrate includes: a chamber body enclosing an interior volume; a heater disposed in the interior volume, wherein the heater is configured to have a surface temperature of about 100 to about 400 degrees Celsius during use; a shroud disposed in the interior volume opposite the heater, wherein the shroud includes a central opening fluidly coupled to a gas inlet; a plurality of substrate lift pins configured to support a substrate in the interior volume between the heater and the shroud, wherein the shroud includes a plurality of first openings to facilitate the plurality of substrate lift pins; and a gas outlet disposed in the chamber body opposite the shroud such that a gas flow path through the interior volume extends from the gas inlet, around the heater, and to the gas outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Publication number: 20220326605
    Abstract: Embodiments of baking chambers for baking a substrate and methods of use thereof are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber process tool for processing a substrate including: a wet clean chamber for cleaning the substrate; and a baking chamber configured to heat the substrate to remove residue or haze left over after a wet clean process performed in the wet clean chamber, the baking chamber comprising: a chamber body enclosing an interior volume; a heater disposed in the interior volume, wherein the heater is configured to have a surface temperature of about 100 to about 400 degrees Celsius during use; a substrate support configured to support a substrate disposed in the interior volume, wherein the substrate support has a direct line of sight with the heater such that the heater heats the substrate support via convection; and a gas inlet and a gas outlet coupled to the interior volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Publication number: 20220326607
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus leverage dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma to treat samples for surface modification prior to photomask application and for photomask cleaning. In some embodiments, a method of treating a surface with AP plasma includes igniting plasma over an ignition plate where the AP plasma is formed by one or more plasma heads of an AP plasma reactor positioned above the ignition plate, monitoring characteristics of the AP plasma with an optical emission spectrometer (OES) sensor to determine if stable AP plasma is obtained and, if so, moving the AP reactor over a central opening of an assistant plate where the central opening contains a sample under treatment and where the assistant plate reduces AP plasma arcing on the sample during treatment. The AP reactor scans back and forth over the central opening of the assistant plate while maintaining stabilized AP plasma to treat the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Publication number: 20220326606
    Abstract: Embodiments of baking chambers for baking a photomask are provided herein. In some embodiments, a baking chamber includes: a chamber body enclosing a first interior volume and a second interior volume, disposed beneath and fluidly independent from the first interior volume; a radiant heat source disposed in the first interior volume; a photomask support structure configured to support a photomask disposed in the second interior volume; a window disposed between the first interior volume the second interior volume, wherein the window is made of a material that is transparent to thermal radiation; a first gas inlet and a first gas outlet coupled to the first interior volume; and a second gas inlet and a second gas outlet coupled to the second interior volume on opposite ends thereof to facilitate flow of a process gas laterally through the second interior volume and across the photomask support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Khalid MAKHAMREH, Eliyahu Shlomo DAGAN
  • Patent number: 11467508
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally include apparatus and methods for removing adhesive residues from a surface of a lithography mask. In particular, the processing systems described herein provide for the delivery of a solvent to a discrete plurality of locations on the surface of the lithography mask to facilitate the removal of adhesive residue therefrom. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes positioning the substrate on a substrate support of a processing system, sealing individual ones of a plurality of cleaning units to a surface of the substrate at a corresponding plurality of locations, heating a cleaning fluid to a temperature between about 50° C. and about 150° C., flowing the cleaning fluid to, and thereafter, from, the plurality of cleaning units, and exposing the surface of the substrate to the cleaning fluid at the plurality of locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Eli Dagan
  • Publication number: 20220288259
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an oxygen cleaning chamber with UV radiation generator temperature control and a method of atomic oxygen cleaning a substrate. The atomic oxygen cleaning chamber includes a process chamber and a cooling chamber coupled to the process chamber and a divider sealingly separating the process chamber from the cooling chamber. An ultraviolet (UV) radiation generator is disposed in the cooling chamber and provides UV radiation through the divider into the process chamber. A gas distribution assembly distributes ozone over an upper surface of a pedestal in the process chamber and a coolant distribution assembly distributes cooling gas into the cooling chamber to cool the UV radiation generator. By actively cooling the UV radiation generator, a higher intensity UV radiation at a stable wavelength is produced, i.e., without wavelength drift normally associated with high power UV radiation generator outputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Banqiu WU, Eli DAGAN
  • Publication number: 20220083034
    Abstract: One or more first parameters associated with an electronic device manufacturing process are monitored. An artificial neural network associated with the one or more first parameters is determined. One or more second parameters are determined using the artificial neural network. The one or more first parameters are adjusted using the one or more second parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventor: Banqiu Wu