Patents by Inventor Brendan McDougall
Brendan McDougall 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).
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Publication number: 20120192792Abstract: CVD and ALD methods of using a batch processing chamber to process substrates are described. A batch processing chamber includes a chamber housing, a substrate boat for containing a batch of substrates in a process region, and an excitation assembly for exciting species of a processing gas. The excitation assembly is positioned within the chamber housing and may include plasma, UV, or ion assistance.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2012Publication date: August 2, 2012Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: MAITREYEE MAHAJANI, Joseph Yudovsky, Brendan McDougall
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Patent number: 7921803Abstract: The present invention generally provides method and apparatus for non-contact temperature measurement in a semiconductor processing chamber. Particularly, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for non-contact temperature measurement for temperature below 500° C. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates. The apparatus comprises a target component comprises a material with higher emissivity than the one or more substrates.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2007Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Brendan McDougall, Ravi Jallepally, Yi-Chiau Huang, Maitreyee Mahajani, Kevin Griffin, Andrew C. Sherman
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Patent number: 7897208Abstract: The present invention generally comprises a silicon dioxide atomic layer deposition method. By providing pyridine as a catalyst, water may be utilized as the oxidization source while depositing at a low temperature. Prior to exposing the substrate to the water, the substrate may be exposed to a pyridine soak process. Additionally, the water may be co-flowed to the chamber with the pyridine through separate conduits to reduce interaction prior to entering the chamber. Alternatively, the pyridine may be co-flowed with a silicon precursor that does not react with pyridine.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2010Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Maitreyee Mahajani, Yi-Chiau Huang, Brendan McDougall
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Publication number: 20110000433Abstract: A batch processing chamber includes a chamber housing, a substrate boat for containing a batch of substrates in a process region, and an excitation assembly for exciting species of a processing gas. The excitation assembly is positioned within the chamber housing and may include plasma, UV, or ion assistance.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2010Publication date: January 6, 2011Inventors: Maitreeyee Mahajani, Joseph Yudovsky, Brendan McDougall
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Patent number: 7798096Abstract: A batch processing chamber includes a chamber housing, a substrate boat for containing a batch of substrates in a process region, and an excitation assembly for exciting species of a processing gas. The excitation assembly is positioned within the chamber housing and may include plasma, UV, or ion assistance.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2006Date of Patent: September 21, 2010Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Maitreyee Mahajani, Joseph Yudovsky, Brendan McDougall
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Publication number: 20100227061Abstract: The present invention generally comprises a silicon dioxide atomic layer deposition method. By providing pyridine as a catalyst, water may be utilized as the oxidization source while depositing at a low temperature. Prior to exposing the substrate to the water, the substrate may be exposed to a pyridine soak process. Additionally, the water may be co-flowed to the chamber with the pyridine through separate conduits to reduce interaction prior to entering the chamber. Alternatively, the pyridine may be co-flowed with a silicon precursor that does not react with pyridine.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2010Publication date: September 9, 2010Inventors: Maitreyee Mahajani, Yi-Chiau Huang, Brendan McDougall
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Patent number: 7781016Abstract: Methods are disclosed of determining a fill level of a precursor in a bubbler. The bubbler is fluidicly coupled with a substrate processing chamber through a vapor-delivery system. The bubbler and vapor-delivery system are backfilled with a known dose of a backfill gas. A pressure and temperature of the backfill gas are determined, permitting a total volume for the backfill gas in the bubbler and vapor-delivery system to be determined by application of a gas law. The fill level of the precursor in the bubbler is determined as a difference between (1) a total volume of the bubbler and vapor-delivery system and (2) the determined total volume for the backfill gas.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2006Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Stevens, Brendan McDougall, Jacob W. Smith, Garry Kwong, Sandeep Nijhawan, Lori D. Washington
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Patent number: 7749574Abstract: The present invention generally comprises a silicon dioxide atomic layer deposition method. By providing pyridine as a catalyst, water may be utilized as the oxidization source while depositing at a low temperature. Prior to exposing the substrate to the water, the substrate may be exposed to a pyridine soak process. Additionally, the water may be co-flowed to the chamber with the pyridine through separate conduits to reduce interaction prior to entering the chamber. Alternatively, the pyridine may be co-flowed with a silicon precursor that does not react with pyridine.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2006Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Maitreyee Mahajani, Yi-Chiau Huang, Brendan McDougall
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Publication number: 20090078198Abstract: The present invention generally provides method and apparatus for non-contact temperature measurement in a semiconductor processing chamber. Particularly, the present invention provides methods and apparatus for non-contact temperature measurement for temperature below 500° C. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates. The apparatus comprises a target component comprises a material with higher emissivity than the one or more substrates.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2007Publication date: March 26, 2009Inventors: JOSEPH YUDOVSKY, Brendan McDougall, Ravi Jallepally, Yi-Chiau Huang, Maitreyee Mahajani, Kevin Griffin, Andrew C. Sherman
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Publication number: 20080113097Abstract: The present invention generally comprises a silicon dioxide atomic layer deposition method. By providing pyridine as a catalyst, water may be utilized as the oxidization source while depositing at a low temperature. Prior to exposing the substrate to the water, the substrate may be exposed to a pyridine soak process. Additionally, the water may be co-flowed to the chamber with the pyridine through separate conduits to reduce interaction prior to entering the chamber. Alternatively, the pyridine may be co-flowed with a silicon precursor that does not react with pyridine.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2006Publication date: May 15, 2008Inventors: Maitreyee Mahajani, Yi-Chiau Huang, Brendan McDougall
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Publication number: 20080050510Abstract: Methods are disclosed of determining a fill level of a precursor in a bubbler. The bubbler is fluidicly coupled with a substrate processing chamber through a vapor-delivery system. The bubbler and vapor-delivery system are backfilled with a known dose of a backfill gas. A pressure and temperature of the backfill gas are determined, permitting a total volume for the backfill gas in the bubbler and vapor-delivery system to be determined by application of a gas law. The fill level of the precursor in the bubbler is determined as a difference between (1) a total volume of the bubbler and vapor-delivery system and (2) the determined total volume for the backfill gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2006Publication date: February 28, 2008Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ronald Stevens, Brendan McDougall, Jacob W. Smith, Garry Kwong, Sandeep Nijhawan, Lori D. Washington
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Publication number: 20070259110Abstract: A batch processing chamber includes a chamber housing, a substrate boat for containing a batch of substrates in a process region, and an excitation assembly for exciting species of a processing gas. The excitation assembly is positioned within the chamber housing and may include plasma, UV, or ion assistance.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2006Publication date: November 8, 2007Inventors: Maitreyee Mahajani, Joseph Yudovsky, Brendan McDougall
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Publication number: 20070259111Abstract: The invention generally provides a method for depositing materials, and more particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to chemical vapor deposition processes and atomic layer deposition processes utilizing photoexcitation techniques to deposit barrier layers, seed layers, conductive materials, and dielectric materials. Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods of the assisted processes and apparatuses, in which the assisted processes may be conducted for providing uniformly deposited material.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2006Publication date: November 8, 2007Inventors: Kaushal K. Singh, Maitreyee Mahajani, Steve G. Ghanayem, Joseph Yudovsky, Brendan McDougall
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Publication number: 20070084408Abstract: An apparatus for batch processing of a wafer is disclosed. In one embodiment the batch processing apparatus includes a bell jar furnace having a diffuser disposed between gas inlets and the substrate positioned within the furnace to direct flows within the chamber around the perimeter of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2006Publication date: April 19, 2007Inventors: Joseph Yudovsky, Tai Ngo, Cesar Tejamo, Maitreyee Mahajani, Brendan McDougall, Yi-Chiau Huang, Robert Cook, Yeong Kim, Alexander Tam, Adam Brailove, Steve Ghanayem
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Publication number: 20070065578Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide treatment processes to reduce substrate contamination during a fabrication process within a vapor deposition chamber. A treatment process may be conducted before, during or after a vapor deposition process, such as an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In one example of an ALD process, a process cycle, containing an intermediate treatment step and a predetermined number of ALD cycles, is repeated until the deposited material has a desired thickness. The chamber and substrates may be exposed to an inert gas, an oxidizing gas, a nitriding gas, a reducing gas or plasmas thereof during the treatment processes. In some examples, the treatment gas contains ozone, water, ammonia, nitrogen, argon or hydrogen. In one example, a process for depositing a hafnium oxide material within a batch process chamber includes a pretreatment step, an intermediate step during an ALD process and a post-treatment step.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2005Publication date: March 22, 2007Inventor: Brendan McDougall
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Publication number: 20060084283Abstract: A silicon nitride layer is deposited on a substrate within a processing region by introducing a silicon containing precursor into the processing region, exhausting gases in the processing region including the silicon containing precursor while uniformly, gradually reducing a pressure of the processing region, introducing a nitrogen containing precursor into the processing region, and exhausting gases in the processing region including the nitrogen containing precursor while uniformly, gradually reducing a pressure of the processing region. During the steps of exhausting, the slope of the pressure decrease with respect to time is substantially constant.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2004Publication date: April 20, 2006Inventors: Ajit Paranjpe, Kangzhan Zhang, Brendan McDougall, Wayne Vereb, Michael Patten, Alan Goldman, Somnath Nag