Patents by Inventor Shaunak MUKHERJEE

Shaunak MUKHERJEE 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).

  • Publication number: 20230094180
    Abstract: Exemplary methods of forming a silicon-and-carbon-containing material may include flowing a silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the processing region of the silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor. The plasma may be formed at a frequency above 15 MHz. The methods may include depositing a silicon-and-carbon-containing material on the substrate. The silicon-and-carbon-containing material as-deposited may be characterized by a dielectric constant below or about 3.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaunak Mukherjee, Kang Sub Yim, Deenesh Padhi, Abhijit A. Kangude, Rahul Rajeev, Shubham Chowdhuri
  • Patent number: 11594409
    Abstract: Exemplary methods of forming a silicon-and-carbon-containing material may include flowing a silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the processing region of the silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor. The plasma may be formed at a frequency above 15 MHz. The methods may include depositing a silicon-and-carbon-containing material on the substrate. The silicon-and-carbon-containing material as-deposited may be characterized by a dielectric constant below or about 3.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaunak Mukherjee, Kang Sub Yim, Deenesh Padhi, Abhijit A. Kangude, Rahul Rajeev, Shubham Chowdhuri
  • Patent number: 11393678
    Abstract: Methods for deposition of high-hardness low-? dielectric films are described. More particularly, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method includes flowing a precursor-containing gas mixture into a processing volume of a processing chamber having a substrate, the precursor having the general formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are independently selected from hydrogen (H), alkyl, alkoxy, vinyl, silane, amine, or halide; maintaining the substrate at a pressure in a range of about 0.1 mTorr and about 10 Torr and at a temperature in a range of about 200° C. to about 500° C.; and generating a plasma at a substrate level to deposit a dielectric film on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Durand, Mark Saly, Lakmal C. Kalutarage, Kang Sub Yim, Shaunak Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 11289369
    Abstract: A method of forming a low-k dielectric layer with barrier properties is disclosed. The method comprises forming a dielectric layer by PECVD which is doped with one or more of boron, nitrogen or phosphorous. The dopant gas of some embodiments may be coflowed with the other reactants during deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Yi Ding, Shaunak Mukherjee, Bo Xie, Kang Sub Yim, Deenesh Padhi
  • Publication number: 20210272800
    Abstract: Exemplary methods of forming a silicon-and-carbon-containing material may include flowing a silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming a plasma within the processing region of the silicon-and-carbon-containing precursor. The plasma may be formed at a frequency above 15 MHz. The methods may include depositing a silicon-and-carbon-containing material on the substrate. The silicon-and-carbon-containing material as-deposited may be characterized by a dielectric constant below or about 3.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaunak Mukherjee, Kang Sub Yim, Deenesh Padhi, Abhijit A. Kangude, Rahul Rajeev, Shubham Chowdhuri
  • Patent number: 11011371
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods for forming memory devices, and more specifically to improved methods for forming a dielectric encapsulation layer over a memory material in a memory device. In one embodiment, the method includes thermally depositing a first material over a memory material at a temperature less than the temperature of the thermal budget of the memory material, exposing the first material to nitrogen plasma to incorporate nitrogen in the first material, and repeating the thermal deposition and nitrogen plasma operations to form a hermetic, conformal dielectric encapsulation layer over the memory material. Thus, a memory device having a hermetic, conformal dielectric encapsulation layer over the memory material is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Milind Gadre, Shaunak Mukherjee, Praket P. Jha, Deenesh Padhi, Ziqing Duan, Abhijit B. Mallick
  • Publication number: 20210050212
    Abstract: Methods for deposition of high-hardness low-? dielectric films are described. More particularly, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method includes flowing a precursor-containing gas mixture into a processing volume of a processing chamber having a substrate, the precursor having the general formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 are independently selected from hydrogen (H), alkyl, alkoxy, vinyl, silane, amine, or halide; maintaining the substrate at a pressure in a range of about 0.1 mTorr and about 10 Torr and at a temperature in a range of about 200° C. to about 500° C.; and generating a plasma at a substrate level to deposit a dielectric film on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Durand, Mark Saly, Lakmal C. Kalutarage, Kang Sub Yim, Shaunak Mukherjee
  • Publication number: 20200388532
    Abstract: A method of forming a low-k dielectric layer with barrier properties is disclosed. The method comprises forming a dielectric layer by PECVD which is doped with one or more of boron, nitrogen or phosphorous. The dopant gas of some embodiments may be coflowed with the other reactants during deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Ding, Shaunak Mukherjee, Bo Xie, Kang Sub Yim, Deenesh Padhi
  • Patent number: 10790140
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method comprising depositing one or more silicon oxide/silicon nitride containing stacks on a substrate positioned in a processing chamber is provided. Depositing the one or more silicon oxide/silicon nitride containing stacks comprises (a) energizing a first process gas into a first plasma, (b) depositing a first film layer over the substrate from the first plasma, (c) energizing a second process gas into a second plasma, wherein the second process gas comprises a compound having at least one silicon-nitrogen bond and (d) depositing a second film layer on the first film layer from the second plasma. The method further comprises repeating (a), (b), (c), and (d) until a predetermined number of first film layers and second film layers have been deposited on the substrate. The first film layer is a silicon oxide layer and the second film layer is a silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Xinhai Han, Deenesh Padhi, Masaki Ogata, Yinan Zhang, Shaunak Mukherjee
  • Publication number: 20200216959
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods of depositing a conformal layer on surfaces of high aspect ratio structures and related apparatuses for performing these methods. The conformal layers described herein are formed using PECVD methods in which a semiconductor device including a plurality of high aspect ratio features is disposed on a substrate support in a process volume of a process chamber, gases are supplied to the process volume, and a plasma is generated in the process volume by pulsing RF power coupled to the process gases disposed in the process volume of the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaunak MUKHERJEE, Abhijit B. MALLICK
  • Publication number: 20200075321
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method of forming a low-k carbon-doped silicon oxide (CDO) layer having a high hardness by a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. The method includes providing a carrier gas at a carrier gas flow rate and a CDO precursor at a precursor flow rate to a process chamber. A radio frequency (RF) power is applied at a power level and a frequency to the CDO precursor. The CDO layer is deposited on a substrate within the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Shaunak MUKHERJEE, Bo XIE, Kevin Michael CHO, Kang Sub YIM, Deenesh PADHI, Astha GARG
  • Publication number: 20190326110
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods for forming memory devices, and more specifically to improved methods for forming a dielectric encapsulation layer over a memory material in a memory device. In one embodiment, the method includes thermally depositing a first material over a memory material at a temperature less than the temperature of the thermal budget of the memory material, exposing the first material to nitrogen plasma to incorporate nitrogen in the first material, and repeating the thermal deposition and nitrogen plasma operations to form a hermetic, conformal dielectric encapsulation layer over the memory material. Thus, a memory device having a hermetic, conformal dielectric encapsulation layer over the memory material is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Milind GADRE, Shaunak MUKHERJEE, Praket P. JHA, Deenesh PADHI, Ziqing DUAN, Abhijit B. MALLICK
  • Publication number: 20190214228
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to apparatus and methods for reducing hydrogen content of a film. Apparatus may include a chamber body, a support member coupled to a lift mechanism, and a source of hydrogen radicals. The chamber may have a radical conduit coupled with the source of hydrogen radicals at a first end and coupled with the chamber body at a second end. The chamber may have a dual-channel showerhead coupled with a lid rim. The dual-channel showerhead may be disposed between the radical source and the support member. The showerhead may face the support member. Methods may include forming a first film having a hydrogen content of about 1% to about 50% on a substrate in a chamber, and exposing the first film to hydrogen radicals to form a second film having reduced hydrogen content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Yihong CHEN, Shaunak MUKHERJEE, Kelvin CHAN, Abhijit Basu MALLICK
  • Publication number: 20180233356
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method comprising depositing one or more silicon oxide/silicon nitride containing stacks on a substrate positioned in a processing chamber is provided. Depositing the one or more silicon oxide/silicon nitride containing stacks comprises (a) energizing a first process gas into a first plasma, (b) depositing a first film layer over the substrate from the first plasma, (c) energizing a second process gas into a second plasma, wherein the second process gas comprises a compound having at least one silicon-nitrogen bond and (d) depositing a second film layer on the first film layer from the second plasma. The method further comprises repeating (a), (b), (c), and (d) until a predetermined number of first film layers and second film layers have been deposited on the substrate. The first film layer is a silicon oxide layer and the second film layer is a silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Xinhai HAN, Deenesh PADHI, Masaki OGATA, Yinan ZHANG, Shaunak MUKHERJEE
  • Patent number: 10002757
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to methods of forming silicon oxide films. The methods can include performing silylation on the surface of the substrate having terminal hydroxyl groups. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate are then regenerated using a plasma and H2O soak in order to perform an additional silylation. Further methods include catalyzing the exposed surfaces using a Lewis acid, directionally inactivating the exposed first and second surfaces and deposition of a silicon containing layer on the sidewall surfaces. Multiple plasma treatments may be performed to deposit a layer having a desired thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Yihong Chen, Kelvin Chan, Shaunak Mukherjee, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Publication number: 20170323777
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to methods of forming silicon oxide films. The methods can include performing silylation on the surface of the substrate having terminal hydroxyl groups. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate are then regenerated using a plasma and H2O soak in order to perform an additional silylation. Further methods include catalyzing the exposed surfaces using a Lewis acid, directionally inactivating the exposed first and second surfaces and deposition of a silicon containing layer on the sidewall surfaces. Multiple plasma treatments may be performed to deposit a layer having a desired thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Yihong CHEN, Kelvin CHAN, Shaunak MUKHERJEE, Abhijit Basu MALLICK
  • Patent number: 9741558
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to methods of forming silicon oxide films. The methods can include performing silylation on the surface of the substrate having terminal hydroxyl groups. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate are then regenerated using a plasma and H2O soak in order to perform an additional silylation. Further methods include catalyzing the exposed surfaces using a Lewis acid, directionally inactivating the exposed first and second surfaces and deposition of a silicon containing layer on the sidewall surfaces. Multiple plasma treatments may be performed to deposit a layer having a desired thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Yihong Chen, Kelvin Chan, Shaunak Mukherjee, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Publication number: 20170125239
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to methods of forming silicon oxide films. The methods can include performing silylation on the surface of the substrate having terminal hydroxyl groups. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate are then regenerated using a plasma and H2O soak in order to perform an additional silylation. Further methods include catalyzing the exposed surfaces using a Lewis acid, directionally inactivating the exposed first and second surfaces and deposition of a silicon containing layer on the sidewall surfaces. Multiple plasma treatments may be performed to deposit a layer having a desired thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Yihong CHEN, Kelvin CHAN, Shaunak MUKHERJEE, Abhijit Basu MALLICK
  • Publication number: 20170125241
    Abstract: Methods of single precursor deposition of hardmask and ARC layers, are described. The resultant film is a SiOC layer with higher carbon content terminated with high density silicon oxide SiO2 layer with low carbon content. The method can include delivering a first deposition precursor to a substrate, the first deposition precursor comprising an SiOC precursor and a first flow rate of an oxygen containing gas; activating the deposition species using a plasma, whereby a SiOC containing layer over an exposed surface of the substrate is deposited. Then delivering a second precursor gas to the SiOC containing layer, the second deposition gas comprising different or same SiOC precursor with a second flow rate and a second flow rate of the oxygen containing gas and activating the deposition gas using a plasma, the second deposition gas forming a SiO2 containing layer over the hardmask, the SiO2 containing layer having very low carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Shaunak MUKHERJEE, Kang Sub YIM, Deenesh PADHI, Kevin M. CHO, Khoi Anh PHAN, Chien-An CHEN, Priyanka DASH
  • Patent number: 9508545
    Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally relate to methods of forming silicon oxide films. The methods can include performing silylation on the surface of the substrate having terminal hydroxyl groups. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate are then regenerated using a plasma and H2O soak in order to perform an additional silylation. Further methods include catalyzing the exposed surfaces using a Lewis acid, directionally inactivating the exposed first and second surfaces and deposition of a silicon containing layer on the sidewall surfaces. Multiple plasma treatments may be performed to deposit a layer having a desired thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Yihong Chen, Kelvin Chan, Shaunak Mukherjee, Abhijit Basu Mallick