Patents by Inventor Kedarnath Sangam
Kedarnath Sangam 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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Patent number: 8057602Abstract: Embodiments of the invention contemplate a method, apparatus and system that are used to support, position, and rotate a substrate during processing. Embodiments of the invention may also include a method of controlling the transfer of heat between a substrate and substrate support positioned in a processing chamber. The apparatus and methods described herein remove the need for complex, costly and often unreliable components that would be required to accurately position and rotate a substrate during one or more processing steps, such as an rapid thermal processing (RTP) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, dry etching process, wet clean, and/or laser annealing process.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2008Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Alexander N. Lerner, Joseph M. Ranish, Kedarnath Sangam, Khurshed Sorabji
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Patent number: 8057601Abstract: An apparatus and method for supporting, positioning and rotating a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a support assembly for supporting a substrate includes an upper base plate and a lower base plate. The substrate is floated on a thin layer of air over the upper base plate. A positioning assembly includes a plurality of air bearing edge rollers or air flow pockets used to position the substrate in a desired orientation inside above the upper base plate. A plurality of slanted apertures or air flow pockets are configured in the upper base plate for flowing gas therethrough to rotate the substrate to ensure uniform heating during processing.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2007Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Blake Koelmel, Alexander N. Lerner, Joseph M. Ranish, Kedarnath Sangam, Khurshed Sorabji
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Patent number: 8056500Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for improving gas distribution during thermal processing. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate comprising a chamber body defining a processing volume, a substrate support disposed in the processing volume, wherein the substrate support is configured to support and rotate the substrate, a gas inlet assembly coupled to an inlet of the chamber body and configured to provide a first gas flow to the processing volume, and an exhaust assembly coupled to an outlet of the chamber body, wherein the gas inlet assembly and the exhaust assembly are disposed on opposite sides of the chamber body, and the exhaust assembly defines an exhaust volume configured to extend the processing volume.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2008Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ming-Kuei (Michael) Tseng, Norman Tam, Yoshitaka Yokota, Agus Tjandra, Robert Navasca, Mehran Behdjat, Sundar Ramamurthy, Kedarnath Sangam, Alexander N. Lerner
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Publication number: 20100263587Abstract: An epitaxial reactor enabling simultaneous deposition of thin films on a multiplicity of wafers is disclosed. During deposition, a number of wafers are contained within a wafer sleeve comprising a number of wafer carrier plates spaced closely apart to minimize the process volume. Process gases flow preferentially into the interior volume of the wafer sleeve, which is heated by one or more lamp modules. Purge gases flow outside the wafer sleeve within a reactor chamber to minimize deposition on the walls of the chamber. In addition, sequencing of the illumination of the individual lamps in the lamp module may further improve the linearity of variation in deposition rates within the wafer sleeve. To improve uniformity, the direction of process gas flow may be varied in a cross-flow configuration. Combining lamp sequencing with cross-flow processing in a multiple reactor system enables high throughput deposition with good film uniformities and efficient use of process gases.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2010Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: Crystal Solar, IncorporatedInventors: Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Kedarnath Sangam, Tirunelveli S. Ravi, Andrzej Kaszuba, Quoc Vinh Truong
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Patent number: 7794544Abstract: The embodiments of the invention describe a process chamber, such as an ALD chamber, that has gas delivery conduits with gradually increasing diameters to reduce Joule-Thompson effect during gas delivery, a ring-shaped gas liner leveled with the substrate support to sustain gas temperature and to reduce gas flow to the substrate support backside, and a gas reservoir to allow controlled delivery of process gas. The gas conduits with gradually increasing diameters, the ring-shaped gas liner, and the gas reservoir help keep the gas temperature stable and reduce the creation of particles.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2007Date of Patent: September 14, 2010Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Son T. Nguyen, Kedarnath Sangam, Miriam Schwartz, Kenric Choi, Sanjay Bhat, Pravin K. Narwankar, Shreyas Kher, Rahul Sharangapani, Shankar Muthukrishnan, Paul Deaton
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Publication number: 20100215872Abstract: An epitaxial reactor enabling simultaneous deposition of thin films on a multiplicity of wafers is disclosed. During deposition, a number of wafers are contained within a wafer sleeve comprising a number of wafer carrier plates spaced closely apart to minimize the process volume. Process gases flow preferentially into the interior volume of the wafer sleeve, which is heated by one or more lamp modules. Purge gases flow outside the wafer sleeve within a reactor chamber to minimize wall deposition. In addition, sequencing of the illumination of the individual lamps in the lamp module may further improve the linearity of variation in deposition rates within the wafer sleeve. To improve uniformity, the direction of process gas flow may be varied in a cross-flow configuration. Combining lamp sequencing with cross-flow processing in a multiple reactor system enables high throughput deposition with good film uniformities and efficient use of process gases.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2009Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: CRYSTAL SOLAR, INC.Inventors: Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Kedarnath Sangam, Tirunelveli S. Ravi, Andrzej Kaszuba, Quoc Vinh Truong
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Publication number: 20100059497Abstract: Embodiments of a lamphead and apparatus utilizing same are provided herein. In some embodiments, a lamphead for use in thermal processing may include a monolithic member having a plurality of coolant passages and a plurality of lamp passages and reflector cavities, wherein each lamp passage is configured to accommodate a lamp and each reflector cavity is shaped to act as a reflector or to receive a replaceable reflector for the lamp, and wherein the plurality of coolant passages are disposed proximate to the plurality of lamp passages; and at least one heat transfer member extending from the monolithic member into each coolant passage. In some embodiments, the lamphead may be disposed in an apparatus comprising a process chamber having a substrate support, wherein the lamphead is positioned to provide energy to the substrate support.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2008Publication date: March 11, 2010Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: JOSEPH M. RANISH, KHURSHED SORABJI, KEDARNATH SANGAM, ALEXANDER LERNER
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Publication number: 20100048032Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a gas delivery assembly are provided herein. In some embodiments, the gas delivery assembly includes a gas inlet funnel having a first volume and one or more gas conduits; each gas conduit having an inlet and an outlet for facilitating the flow of a gas therethrough and into the first volume, wherein each gas conduit has a second volume less than the first volume, and wherein each gas conduit has a cross-section that increases from a first cross-section proximate the inlet to a second cross-section proximate the outlet, wherein the second cross-section is non-circular. In some embodiments, each conduit has a longitudinal axis that intersects a central axis of the gas inlet funnel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2008Publication date: February 25, 2010Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: KEDARNATH SANGAM, Anh N. Nguyen
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Publication number: 20090272324Abstract: Methods and apparatus for increasing flow uniformity are provided herein. In some embodiments, a slit valve having increased flow uniformity may be provided, the slit valve may include a housing having an opening disposed therethrough, the opening configured to allow a substrate to pass therethrough; a gas inlet formed in the housing; an outer plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the gas inlet; an inner plenum disposed in the housing and coupled to the outer plenum via a plurality of holes; and a plurality of gas outlets disposed in the housing and fluidly coupling the opening to the inner plenum.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2008Publication date: November 5, 2009Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: CHANDRASEKHAR BALASUBRAMANYAM, Helder Lee, Miriam Schwartz, Elizabeth Wu, Kedarnath Sangam
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Publication number: 20090163042Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for improving gas distribution during thermal processing. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate comprising a chamber body defining a processing volume, a substrate support disposed in the processing volume, wherein the substrate support is configured to support and rotate the substrate, a gas inlet assembly coupled to an inlet of the chamber body and configured to provide a first gas flow to the processing volume, and an exhaust assembly coupled to an outlet of the chamber body, wherein the gas inlet assembly and the exhaust assembly are disposed on opposite sides of the chamber body, and the exhaust assembly defines an exhaust volume configured to extend the processing volume.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2008Publication date: June 25, 2009Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Ming-Kuei (Michael) Tseng, Norman Tam, Yoshitaka Yokota, Agus Tjandra, Robert Navasca, Medhran Behdjat, Sundar Ramamurthy, Kedarnath Sangam, Alexander N. Lerner
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Publication number: 20080280453Abstract: Embodiments of the invention contemplate a method, apparatus and system that are used to support, position, and rotate a substrate during processing. Embodiments of the invention may also include a method of controlling the transfer of heat between a substrate and substrate support positioned in a processing chamber. The apparatus and methods described herein remove the need for complex, costly and often unreliable components that would be required to accurately position and rotate a substrate during one or more processing steps, such as an rapid thermal processing (RTP) process, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, dry etching process, wet clean, and/or laser annealing process.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2008Publication date: November 13, 2008Inventors: Blake KOELMEL, Alexander N. LERNER, Joseph M. RANISH, Kedarnath SANGAM, Khurshed SORABJI
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Publication number: 20080276864Abstract: An apparatus and method for supporting, positioning and rotating a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a support assembly for supporting a substrate includes an upper base plate and a lower base plate. The substrate is floated on a thin layer of air over the upper base plate. A positioning assembly includes a plurality of air bearing edge rollers or air flow pockets used to position the substrate in a desired orientation inside above the upper base plate. A plurality of slanted apertures or air flow pockets are configured in the upper base plate for flowing gas therethrough to rotate the substrate to ensure uniform heating during processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2007Publication date: November 13, 2008Inventors: BLAKE KOELMEL, Alexander N. Lerner, Joseph M. Ranish, Kedarnath Sangam, Khurshed Sorabji
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Publication number: 20080041307Abstract: The embodiments of the invention describe a process chamber, such as an ALD chamber, that has gas delivery conduits with gradually increasing diameters to reduce Joule-Thompson effect during gas delivery, a ring-shaped gas liner leveled with the substrate support to sustain gas temperature and to reduce gas flow to the substrate support backside, and a gas reservoir to allow controlled delivery of process gas. The gas conduits with gradually increasing diameters, the ring-shaped gas liner, and the gas reservoir help keep the gas temperature stable and reduce the creation of particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2007Publication date: February 21, 2008Inventors: Son Nguyen, Kedarnath Sangam, Miriam Schwartz, Kenric Choi, Sanjay Bhat, Pravin Narwankar, Shreyas Kher, Rahul Sharangapani, Shankar Muthukrishnam, Paul Deaton
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Publication number: 20050252449Abstract: The embodiments of the invention describe a process chamber, such as an ALD chamber, that has gas delivery conduits with gradually increasing diameters to reduce Joule-Thompson effect during gas delivery, a ring-shaped gas liner leveled with the substrate support to sustain gas temperature and to reduce gas flow to the substrate support backside, and a gas reservoir to allow controlled delivery of process gas. The gas conduits with gradually increasing diameters, the ring-shaped gas liner, and the gas reservoir help keep the gas temperature stable and reduce the creation of particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2005Publication date: November 17, 2005Inventors: Son Nguyen, Kedarnath Sangam, Miriam Schwartz, Kenric Choi, Sanjay Bhat, Pravin Narwankar, Shreyas Kher, Rahul Sharangapani, Shankar Muthukrishnan, Paul Deaton