Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a gas confiner assembly designed to reduce the non-uniform deposition rates by confining the gas flow and changing the local gas flow distribution near the edge regions of the substrate. The material, size, shape and other features of the gas confiner assembly can be varied based on the processing requirements and associated deposition rates. In one embodiment, a gas confiner assembly for a processing chamber comprises a gas confiner configured to decrease gas flow and compensate for high deposition rates on edge regions of substrates. The gas confiner assembly also comprises a cover disposed below the gas confiner. The cover is configured to prevent a substrate support from being exposed to plasma.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a corner spoiler designed to decrease high deposition rates on corner regions of substrates by changing the gas flow. In one embodiment, a corner spoiler for a processing chamber includes an L-shaped body fabricated from a dielectric material, wherein the L-shaped body is configured to change plasma distribution at a corner of a substrate in the processing chamber. The L-shaped body includes a first and second leg, wherein the first and second legs meet at an inside corner of the L-shaped body. The length of the first or second leg is twice the distance defined between the first or second leg and the inside corner. In another embodiment, a shadow frame for a depositing chamber includes a rectangular shaped body having a rectangular opening therethrough, and one or more corner spoilers coupled to the rectangular shaped body at corners of the rectangular shaped body.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a substrate support for use in a substrate processing chamber. A roughened substrate support reduces arcing within the chamber and also contributes to uniform deposition on the substrate. A substrate support may have a substrate support body having a surface roughness of between about 707 micro-inches and about 834 micro-inches. The substrate support may have an anodized coating on the substrate support.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for depositing a nitrogen-containing material on large-sized substrates disposed in a processing chamber. In one embodiment, a method includes processing a batch of substrates within a processing chamber to deposit a nitrogen-containing material on a substrate from the batch of substrates, and performing a seasoning process at predetermined intervals during processing the batch of substrates to deposit a conductive seasoning layer over a surface of a chamber component disposed in the processing chamber. The chamber component may include a gas distribution plate fabricated from a bare aluminum without anodizing. In one example, the conductive seasoning layer may include amorphous silicon, doped amorphous silicon, doped silicon, doped polysilicon, doped silicon carbide, or the like.

Abstract: An electrical ground (36) of an RF impedance matching network (33) is connected to a connection area (50) on the grounded chamber cover (18) of a plasma chamber. The connection area is offset away from the center of the chamber cover toward a workpiece passageway (20). Alternatively, an RF power supply (30) has an electrically grounded output (32) that is connected to a connection area (52) on the chamber cover having such offset. Alternatively, an RF transmission line (37) has an electrically grounded conductor (39) that is connected between a grounded output of an RF power supply and a connection area (52) on the chamber cover having such offset.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a substrate support for use in a processing chamber. The substrate support is divided into quadrants with each quadrant capable of heating independent of the other quadrants. The independent heating permits the substrate support to provide different heating to either different substrate simultaneously disposed on the substrate support or to different areas of a common substrate. Thus, the substrate heating may be tailored to ensure desired processing of the substrate or substrates occurs.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for depositing a nitrogen-containing material on large-sized substrates disposed in a processing chamber. In one embodiment, a method includes processing a batch of substrates within a processing chamber to deposit a nitrogen-containing material on a substrate from the batch of substrates, and performing a seasoning process at predetermined intervals during processing the batch of substrates to deposit a conductive seasoning layer over a surface of a chamber component disposed in the processing chamber. The chamber component may include a gas distribution plate fabricated from a bare aluminum without anodizing. In one example, the conductive seasoning layer may include amorphous silicon, doped amorphous silicon, doped silicon, doped polysilicon, doped silicon carbide, or the like.

Abstract: A method of operating an image sensor includes generating a plurality of ramping up/down signals, and comparing a correlated double sampled pixel signal produced from an output of a pixel with a correlated double sampled first ramping up/down signal among the plurality of ramping up/down signals in a reset interval. The method further includes comparing the correlated double sampled pixel signal with the correlated double sampled first ramping up/down signal at one sampling time or more in an image interval, and a step of outputting a selected ramping up/down signal among the plurality of ramping up/down signals based on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: Methods for processing a substrate are described herein. Methods can include positioning a substrate in a processing chamber, maintaining the processing chamber at a temperature below 400° C., flowing a reactant gas comprising either a silicon hydride or a silicon halide and an oxidizing precursor into the process chamber, applying a microwave power to create a microwave plasma from the reactant gas, and depositing a silicon oxide layer on at least a portion of the exposed surface of a substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a material layer, such as encapsulating film, onto a substrate is described. In one embodiment, an encapsulating film formation method includes delivering a gas mixture into a processing chamber, the gas mixture comprising a silicone-containing gas, a first nitrogen-containing gas, a second nitrogen-containing gas and hydrogen gas; energizing the gas mixture within the processing chamber by applying between about 0.350 watts/cm2 to about 0.903 watts/cm2 to a gas distribution plate assembly spaced about 800 mils to about 1800 mils above a substrate positioned within the processing chamber; maintaining the energized gas mixture within the processing chamber at a pressure of between about 0.5 Torr to about 3.0 Torr; and depositing an inorganic encapsulating film on the substrate in the presence of the energized gas mixture. In other embodiments, an organic dielectric layer is sandwiched between inorganic encapsulating layers.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate in a processing chamber is provided. The method generally includes applying a microwave power to an antenna coupled to a microwave source disposed within the processing chamber, wherein the microwave source is disposed relatively above a gas feeding source configured to provide a gas distribution coverage covering substantially an entire surface of the substrate, and exposing the substrate to a microwave plasma generated from a processing gas provided by the gas feeding source to deposit a silicon-containing layer on the substrate at a temperature lower than about 200 degrees Celsius, the microwave plasma using a microwave power having a power density of about 500 milliWatts/cm2 to about 5,000 milliWatts/cm2 at a frequency of about 1 GHz to about 10 GHz.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a PECVD apparatus. When the RF power source is coupled to the electrode at multiple locations, the current and voltage may be different at the multiple locations. In order to ensure that both the current and voltage are substantially identical at the multiple locations, an RF bridge assembly may be coupled between the multiple locations at a location just before connection to the electrode. The RF bridge assembly substantially equalizes the voltage distribution and current distribution between multiple locations. Therefore, a substantially identical current and voltage is applied to the electrode at the multiple locations.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to an apparatus and a method for placing a substrate substantially flush against a substrate support in a processing chamber. When a large area substrate is placed onto a substrate support, the substrate may not be perfectly flush against the substrate support due to gas pockets that may be present between the substrate and the substrate support. The gas pockets can lead to uneven deposition on the substrate. Therefore, pulling the gas from between the substrate and the support may pull the substrate substantially flush against the support. During deposition, an electrostatic charge can build up and cause the substrate to stick to the substrate support. By introducing a gas between the substrate and the substrate support, the electrostatic forces may be overcome so that the substrate can be separated from the susceptor with less or no plasma support which takes extra time and gas.

Abstract: Methods of forming dielectric layers on a copper substrate are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of depositing a dielectric layer can include positioning a copper substrate in a process chamber, forming and delivering the cleaning plasma to the substrate to form a cleaned surface on the substrate, forming and delivering the adhesion plasma to the surface of the substrate to form a copper compound thereon and depositing a dielectric layer over the copper compound. In another embodiment, a method of depositing a dielectric layer can include positioning a copper substrate in a process chamber, delivering an adhesion plasma to the copper substrate to form a copper compound and flowing a deposition gas into the process chamber to deposit a dielectric layer over the copper compound, wherein the flow between the adhesion plasma and the deposition gas is continuous.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing an inorganic layer onto a substrate is described. The inorganic layer may be part of an encapsulating film utilized in various display applications. The encapsulating film includes one or more inorganic layers as barrier layers to improve water-barrier performance. An oxygen containing gas, such as nitrous oxide, is introduced during the deposition of the inorganic layer. As a result, the inorganic layer is lower in stress and may obtain a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of less than 100 mg/m2-day.

Abstract: Device for processing a substrate are described herein. An apparatus for controlling deposition on a substrate can include a chamber comprising a shadow frame support, a substrate support comprising a substrate supporting surface, a shadow frame with a shadow frame body including a first support surface, a second support surface opposite the first surface, and a detachable lip connected with the shadow frame body. The detachable lip can include a support connection, a first lip surface facing the substrate, a second lip surface opposite the first lip surface, a first edge positioned over the first support surface, and a second edge opposite the first edge to contact the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a heated backing plate coupled to a gas distribution showerhead in a PECVD chamber. The backing plate is heated by circulating a heating fluid either through channels formed within the backing plate or a tube coupled to the backing plate. A heated backing plate heats up the gas distribution showerhead, which improves the cleaning rate of the PECVD chamber that performs low temperature processes.

Abstract: Malfunction of a component within an RF-powered plasma chamber is detected by observing an operating condition of the plasma chamber and detecting when the operating condition deviates from a previously observed range bounded by lower and upper limits. The lower and upper limits are determined by observing the minimum and maximum values of that operating condition during the processing of workpieces throughout one or more plasma chamber cleaning cycles immediately preceding the most recent cleaning of the plasma chamber.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method for flexible process condition monitoring. In a process that utilizes RF power, the RF power may be applied at different levels during different points in the process. Software may be programmed to facilitate the monitoring of the different points in the process so that the acceptable deviation range of the RF power for each point in the process may be set to different values. For example, one phase of the process may permit a greater range of RF power deviation while a second phase may be much more particular and permit very little deviation. By programming software to permit each phase of the process to be uniquely monitored, a more precise RF process may be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a substrate support for use in a substrate processing chamber. A roughened substrate support reduces arcing within the chamber and also contributes to uniform deposition on the substrate. The roughening can occur in two steps. In a first step, the substrate support is bead blasted to initially roughen the surfaces. Then, the roughened surface is bead blasted with a finer grit to produce a substrate support with a surface roughness of between about 707 micro-inches and about 837 micro-inches. Following the surface roughening, the substrate support is anodized.