Patents by Inventor Mikhail Korolik
Mikhail Korolik 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: 9359673Abstract: A proximity heads for dispensing reactants and purging gas to deposit a thin film by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) includes a plurality of sides. Extending over a portion of the substrate region and being spaced apart from the portion of the substrate region when present, the proximity head is rotatable so as to place each side in a direction of the substrate region, and is disposed in a vacuum chamber coupled to a carrier gas source to sustain a pressure for the proximity head during operation. Each side of the proximity head includes a gas conduit through which the reactant gas and the purging gas are sequentially dispensed, and at least two separate vacuum conduits on each side of the gas conduit to pull excess reactant gas, purging gas, or deposition byproducts from a reaction volume between a surface of the proximity head facing the substrate and the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2012Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Hyungsuk Alexander Yoon, Mikhail Korolik, Fritz C. Redeker, John M. Boyd, Yezdi Dordi
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Patent number: 9355863Abstract: A method of etching exposed titanium oxide on heterogeneous structures is described and includes a remote plasma etch formed from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents may combine with a nitrogen-containing precursor such as an amine (N:) containing precursor. Reactants thereby produced etch the patterned heterogeneous structures with high titanium oxide selectivity while the substrate is at elevated temperature. Titanium oxide etch may alternatively involve supplying a fluorine-containing precursor and a source of nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing precursor to the remote plasma. The methods may be used to remove titanium oxide while removing little or no low-K dielectric, polysilicon, silicon nitride or titanium nitride.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhijun Chen, Seung Park, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Patent number: 9355862Abstract: A method of removing titanium nitride hardmask is described. The hardmask resides above a low-k dielectric layer prior to removal and the low-k dielectric layer retains a relatively low net dielectric constant after the removal process. The low-k dielectric layer may be part of a dual damascene structure having copper at the bottom of the vias. A non-porous carbon layer is deposited prior to the titanium nitride hardmask removal to protect the low-k dielectric layer and the copper. The titanium nitride hardmask is removed with a gas-phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the titanium nitride.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2014Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Mandar Pandit, Xikun Wang, Zhenjiang Cui, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Publication number: 20160086815Abstract: A method of removing titanium nitride hardmask is described. The hardmask resides above a low-k dielectric layer prior to removal and the low-k dielectric layer retains a relatively low net dielectric constant after the removal process. The low-k dielectric layer may be part of a dual damascene structure having copper at the bottom of the vias. A non-porous carbon layer is deposited prior to the titanium nitride hardmask removal to protect the low-k dielectric layer and the copper. The titanium nitride hardmask is removed with a gas-phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the titanium nitride.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2014Publication date: March 24, 2016Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Mandar Pandit, Xikun Wang, Zhenjiang Cui, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Publication number: 20160086816Abstract: A method of removing titanium nitride hardmask is described. The hardmask resides above a low-k dielectric layer prior to removal and the low-k dielectric layer retains a relatively low net dielectric constant after the removal process. The low-k dielectric layer may be part of a dual damascene structure having copper at the bottom of the vias. A non-porous carbon layer is deposited prior to the titanium nitride hardmask removal to protect the low-k dielectric layer and the copper. The titanium nitride hardmask is removed with a gas-phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma from a chlorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the titanium nitride.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2014Publication date: March 24, 2016Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Xikun Wang, Mandar Pandit, Zhenjiang Cui, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle, Jie Liu
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Patent number: 9275834Abstract: A method of removing titanium nitride is described. The silicon nitride resides on a patterned substrate. The titanium nitride is removed with a gas-phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma from a fluorine-containing precursor, a nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing precursor and an oxygen-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the titanium nitride.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2015Date of Patent: March 1, 2016Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Seung Park, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Patent number: 9236265Abstract: Methods of selectively etching silicon germanium relative to silicon are described. The methods include a remote plasma etch using plasma effluents formed from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the silicon germanium. The plasmas effluents react with exposed surfaces and selectively remove silicon germanium while very slowly removing other exposed materials. Generally speaking, the methods are useful for removing Si(1-X)GeX (including germanium i.e. X=1) faster than Si(1-Y)GeY, for all X>Y. In some embodiments, the silicon germanium etch selectivity results partly from the presence of an ion suppression element positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2014Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Mikhail Korolik, Nitin K. Ingle, Anchuan Wang, Jingjing Xu
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Publication number: 20150357201Abstract: A method of etching exposed titanium oxide on heterogeneous structures is described and includes a remote plasma etch formed from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents may combine with a nitrogen-containing precursor such as an amine (N:) containing precursor. Reactants thereby produced etch the patterned heterogeneous structures with high titanium oxide selectivity while the substrate is at elevated temperature. Titanium oxide etch may alternatively involve supplying a fluorine-containing precursor and a source of nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing precursor to the remote plasma. The methods may be used to remove titanium oxide while removing little or no low-K dielectric, polysilicon, silicon nitride or titanium nitride.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2015Publication date: December 10, 2015Inventors: Zhijun Chen, Seung Park, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Patent number: 9111877Abstract: A method of etching exposed titanium oxide on heterogeneous structures is described and includes a remote plasma etch formed from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flawed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents may combine with a nitrogen-containing precursor such as an amine (N:) containing precursor. Reactants thereby produced etch, the patterned heterogeneous structures with high titanium oxide selectivity while the substrate is at elevated temperature. Titanium oxide etch may alternatively involve supplying a fluorine-containing precursor and a source of nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing precursor to the remote plasma. The methods may be used to remove titanium oxide while removing little or no low-K dielectric, polysilicon, silicon nitride or titanium nitride.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2013Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhijun Chen, Seung Park, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Publication number: 20150126039Abstract: Methods of selectively etching silicon relative to silicon germanium are described. The methods include a remote plasma etch using plasma effluents formed from a fluorine-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the silicon. The plasmas effluents react with exposed surfaces and selectively remove silicon while very slowly removing other exposed materials. The methods are useful for removing Si(1-X)GeX faster than Si(1-Y)GeY, for X<Y. In some embodiments, the silicon germanium etch selectivity results partly from the presence of an ion suppression element positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2014Publication date: May 7, 2015Inventors: Mikhail Korolik, Nitin K. Ingle, Jingchun Zhang, Anchuan Wang, Jie Liu
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Publication number: 20150126040Abstract: Methods of selectively etching silicon germanium relative to silicon are described. The methods include a remote plasma etch using plasma effluents formed from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the silicon germanium. The plasmas effluents react with exposed surfaces and selectively remove silicon germanium while very slowly removing other exposed materials. Generally speaking, the methods are useful for removing Si(1-X)GeX (including germanium i.e. X=1) faster than Si(1-Y)GeY, for all X>Y. In some embodiments, the silicon germanium etch selectivity results partly from the presence of an ion suppression element positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2014Publication date: May 7, 2015Inventors: Mikhail Korolik, Nitin K. Ingle, Anchuan Wang, Jingjing Xu
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Publication number: 20150040941Abstract: A method for cleaning a substrate is provided. The method initiates with disposing a fluid layer having solid components therein to a surface of the substrate. A shear force directed substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate and toward an outer edge of the substrate is then created. The shear force may result from a normal or tangential component of a force applied to a solid body in contact with the fluid layer in one embodiment. The surface of the substrate is rinsed to remove the fluid layer. A cleaning system and apparatus are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2013Publication date: February 12, 2015Applicant: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Erik M. Freer, John M. deLarios, Katrina Mikhaylichenko, Michael Ravkin, Mikhail Korolik, Fred C. Redeker
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Publication number: 20150040947Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus having a first head unit and a second head unit. The first head unit is positioned proximate to the surface of the substrate and has a first row of channels defined within configured to supply a foam to the surface of the substrate. The second head unit is positioned substantially adjacent to the first head unit and proximate to the surface of the substrate. A second and a third row of channels are defined within the second head unit. The second row of channels is configured to supply a fluid to the surface of the substrate. The third row of channels is configured to apply a vacuum to the surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2013Publication date: February 12, 2015Applicant: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Erik M. Freer, John M. deLarios, Katrina Mikhaylichenko, Michael Ravkin, Mikhail Korolik, Fred C. Redeker, Clint Thomas, John Parks
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Patent number: 8951429Abstract: Methods of selectively etching tungsten oxide relative to tungsten, silicon oxide, silicon nitride and/or titanium nitride are described. The methods include a remote plasma etch using plasma effluents formed from a fluorine-containing precursor in combination with ammonia (NH3). Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents react with the tungsten oxide. The plasmas effluents react with exposed surfaces and selectively remove tungsten oxide while very slowly removing other exposed materials. Increasing a flow of ammonia during the process removes a typical skin of tungsten oxide having higher oxidation coordination number first and then selectively etching lower oxidation tungsten oxide. In some embodiments, the tungsten oxide etch selectivity results partly from the presence of an ion suppression element positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2013Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jie Liu, Xikun Wang, Seung Park, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Publication number: 20140332037Abstract: A method for processing a substrate is provided which includes generating a fluid meniscus to process the substrate and applying the fluid meniscus to a surface of the substrate. The method further includes reducing evaporation of fluids from a surface in the substrate processing environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Applicant: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Mikhail Korolik, John M. de Larios, Mike Ravkin, Jeffrey Farber
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Publication number: 20140166617Abstract: A method of etching exposed titanium oxide on heterogeneous structures is described and includes a remote plasma etch formed from a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flawed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents may combine with a nitrogen-containing precursor such as an amine (N:) containing precursor. Reactants thereby produced etch, the patterned heterogeneous structures with high titanium oxide selectivity while the substrate is at elevated temperature. Titanium oxide etch may alternatively involve supplying a fluorine-containing precursor and a source of nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing precursor to the remote plasma. The methods may be used to remove titanium oxide while removing little or no low-K dielectric, polysilicon, silicon nitride or titanium nitride.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2013Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhijun Chen, Seung Park, Mikhail Korolik, Anchuan Wang, Nitin K. Ingle
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Publication number: 20140158167Abstract: A method for cleaning a substrate is provided. In this method, a flow of non-Newtonian fluid is provided where at least a portion of the flow exhibits plug flow. To remove particles from a surface of the substrate, the surface of the substrate is placed in contact with the portion of the flow that exhibits plug flow such that the portion of the flow exhibiting plug flow moves over the surface of the substrate. Additional methods and apparatuses for cleaning a substrate also are described.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2014Publication date: June 12, 2014Applicant: Lam Research CorporationInventors: John M. de Larios, Mike Ravkin, Jeffrey Farber, Mikhail Korolik, Fred C. Redeker
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Patent number: 8716210Abstract: Material for cleaning using a tri-state body are disclosed. A substrate having a particle deposited thereon is provided. A tri-state body that has a solid portion, liquid portion, and a gas portion is generated. A force is applied over the tri-state body to promulgate an interaction between the solid portion and the particle. The tri-state body is removed along with the particle from the surface of the substrate. The interaction between the solid portion and the particle causes the particle to be removed along with the tri-state body.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2010Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Erik M. Freer, John M. de Larios, Katrina Mikhaylichenko, Michael Ravkin, Mikhail Korolik, Fred C. Redeker
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Patent number: 8691027Abstract: A pressure is maintained within a volume within which a semiconductor wafer resides at a pressure that is sufficient to maintain a liquid state of a precursor fluid to a non-Newtonian fluid. The precursor fluid is disposed proximate to a material to be removed from the semiconductor wafer while maintaining the precursor fluid in the liquid state. The pressure is reduced in the volume within which the semiconductor wafer resides such that the precursor fluid disposed on the wafer within the volume is transformed into the non-Newtonian fluid. An expansion of the precursor fluid and movement of the precursor fluid relative to the wafer during transformation into the non-Newtonian fluid causes the resulting non-Newtonian fluid to remove the material from the semiconductor wafer.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2012Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Mikhail Korolik, Michael Ravkin, John de Larios, Fritz C. Redeker, John M. Boyd
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Patent number: 8671959Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes an application unit having a top inlet conduit and a bottom plate section. The top inlet conduit has an opening for receiving a non-Newtonian fluid and the bottom plate section has an opening through which the non-Newtonian fluid can flow. The bottom plate section is perpendicular to the top inlet conduit, and a surface of the bottom plate section is disposed above and parallel to a surface of a substrate so as to define a gap between the surface of the bottom plate section and the surface of the substrate. The defined gap has a height configured to create a flow of the non-Newtonian fluid in which a portion of the flow exhibits plug flow, and the plug flow moves over the surface of the substrate to remove particles from the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: John M. de Larios, Mike Ravkin, Jeffrey Farber, Mikhail Korolik, Fred C. Redeker