Patents by Inventor Walter R. Merry

Walter R. Merry 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).

  • Patent number: 10854425
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with reduced controller response times and increased stability. Temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. A feedforward control signal compensating disturbances in the temperature attributable to the plasma power may be combined with a feedback control signal counteracting error between a measured and desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Walter R Merry, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Chunlei Zhang, Yashaswini Pattar, Duy D Nguyen, Tina Tsong, Shane C Nevil, Douglas A Buchberger, Jr., Fernando M Silveira, Brad L Mays, Kartik Ramaswamy, Hamid Noorbakhsh
  • Publication number: 20160155612
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with reduced controller response times and increased stability. Temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. A feedforward control signal compensating disturbances in the temperature attributable to the plasma power may be combined with a feedback control signal counteracting error between a measured and desired temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Chetan MAHADESWARASWAMY, Walter R. MERRY, Sergio Fukuda SHOJI, Chunlei ZHANG, Yashaswini PATTAR, Duy D. NGUYEN, Tina TSONG, Shane C. NEVIL, Douglas A. BUCHBERGER, JR., Fernando M. SILVEIRA, Brad L. MAYS, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Hamid NOORBAKHSH
  • Patent number: 9338871
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with reduced controller response times and increased stability. Temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. A feedforward control signal compensating disturbances in the temperature attributable to the plasma power may be combined with a feedback control signal counteracting error between a measured and desired temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Walter R. Merry, Sergio Fukuda Shoji, Chunlei Zhang, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Tina Tsong, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Fernando M. Silveira, Brad L. Mays, Kartik Ramaswamy, Hamid Noorbakhsh
  • Patent number: 9214315
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber via pulsed application of heating power and pulsed application of cooling power. In an embodiment, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Fernando M. Silveira, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Publication number: 20150316941
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber via pulsed application of heating power and pulsed application of cooling power. In an embodiment, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Fernando M. SILVEIRA, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Patent number: 8916793
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber via pulsed application of heating power and pulsed application of cooling power. In an embodiment, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Fernando M. Silveira, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Publication number: 20140224767
    Abstract: Methods and systems for adapting and/or tuning feedforward control parameters in a plasma processing chamber. In embodiments, a dependent process parameter, such as a chamber component temperature, is controlled with a feedforward control algorithm based on one or more independent process parameters, such as RF power. A control algorithm may calculate steady-state deviation of the dependent parameter from a process recipe setpoint, estimate an amount by which an existing control gain coefficient is to be changed to better achieve the setpoint, associate the new control gain coefficient with the particular recipe operation, and store the new control gain coefficient for subsequent execution of the recipe operation. In embodiments, the amount by which a gain coefficient is to be changed is based on a model function derived from a lookup table associating gain coefficients with setpoints of the dependent process parameter and values of the independent process parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Inventors: Walter R. MERRY, Sergio Fukuda SHOJI, Yang YANG, Duy D. NGUYEN, Justin PHI
  • Patent number: 8632689
    Abstract: A stacked proportioning valve having a body with at least two sets of ports disposed at different positions along a longitudinal length of the body, each set of ports including at least three ports at different angular positions to couple to fluid conduits, a rotor disposed in the valve body has at least two sections stacked along the longitudinal length, each section comprising three fluid channels in longitudinal alignment with one of the sets of ports, and a drive shaft affixed to the rotor, the drive shaft to rotate the rotor over angular positions to fluidly couple together pairs of ports in each of the sets of ports synchronously as a function of the rotor's angular position. In embodiments a component of a plasma processing chamber, such as a plasma etch chamber is fluidly coupled by the stack proportioning valve to reservoirs of both a hot and cold chiller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Walter R. Merry
  • Publication number: 20130105442
    Abstract: A stacked proportioning valve having a body with at least two sets of ports disposed at different positions along a longitudinal length of the body, each set of ports including at least three ports at different angular positions to couple to fluid conduits, a rotor disposed in the valve body has at least two sections stacked along the longitudinal length, each section comprising three fluid channels in longitudinal alignment with one of the sets of ports, and a drive shaft affixed to the rotor, the drive shaft to rotate the rotor over angular positions to fluidly couple together pairs of ports in each of the sets of ports synchronously as a function of the rotor's angular position. In embodiments a component of a plasma processing chamber, such as a plasma etch chamber is fluidly coupled by the stack proportioning valve to reservoirs of both a hot and cold chiller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventor: Walter R. MERRY
  • Patent number: 8329593
    Abstract: Polymer is removed from the backside of a wafer held on a support pedestal in a reactor using an arcuate side gas injection nozzle extending through the reactor side wall with a curvature matched to the wafer edge and supplied with plasma by-products from a remote plasma source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Imad Yousif, Anchel Sheyner, Ajit Balakrishna, Nancy Fung, Ying Rui, Martin Jeffrey Salinas, Walter R. Merry, Shahid Rauf
  • Patent number: 8313664
    Abstract: In a plasma reactor having an electrostatic chuck, wafer voltage may be determined from RF measurements at the bias input using previously determined constants based upon transmission line properties of the bias input, and this wafer voltage may be used to accurately control the DC wafer clamping voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhigang Chen, Shahid Rauf, Walter R. Merry, Leonid Dorf, Kartik Ramaswamy, Kenneth S. Collins
  • Publication number: 20120132397
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber via pulsed application of heating power and pulsed application of cooling power. In an embodiment, temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. In further embodiments, fluid levels in each of a hot and cold reservoir coupled to the temperature controlled component are maintained in part by a passive leveling pipe coupling the two reservoirs. In another embodiment, digital heat transfer fluid flow control valves are opened with pulse widths dependent on a heating/cooling duty cycle value and a proportioning cycle having a duration that has been found to provide good temperature control performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Fernando M. Silveira, Hamid Tavassoli, Xiaoping Zhou, Shane C. Nevil, Douglas A. Buchberger, Brad L. Mays, Tina Tsong, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Yashaswini B. Pattar, Duy D. Nguyen, Walter R. Merry
  • Patent number: 8080479
    Abstract: A method of processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber includes coupling RF power via an electrode to plasma in the chamber, the RF power being of a variable frequency in a frequency range that includes a fundamental frequency f. The method also includes coupling the electrode to a resonator having a resonant VHF frequency F which is a harmonic of the fundamental frequency f, so as to produce VHF power at the harmonic. The method controls the ratio of power near the fundamental f to power at harmonic F, by controlling the proportion of power from the generator that is up-converted from f to F, so as to control plasma ion density distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, Lawrence Wong, Walter R. Merry, Matthew L. Miller, Steven C. Shannon, Andrew Nguyen, James P. Cruse, James Carducci, Troy S. Detrick, Subhash Deshmukh, Jennifer Y. Sun
  • Patent number: 8076247
    Abstract: A method is provided for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber. The method includes coupling, to a plasma in the chamber, power of an RF frequency via a ceiling electrode and coupling, to the plasma, power of at least approximately the same RF frequency via a workpiece support electrode. The method also includes providing an edge ground return path. The method further includes adjusting the proportion between (a) current flow between said electrodes and (b) current flow to the edge ground return path from said electrodes, to control plasma ion density distribution uniformity over the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, Lawrence Wong, Walter R. Merry, Matthew L. Miller, Steven C. Shannon, Andrew Nguyen, James P. Cruse, James Carducci, Troy S. Detrick, Subhash Deshmukh, Jennifer Y. Sun
  • Publication number: 20110186545
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling temperatures in plasma processing chamber with reduced controller response times and increased stability. Temperature control is based at least in part on a feedforward control signal derived from a plasma power input into the processing chamber. A feedforward control signal compensating disturbances in the temperature attributable to the plasma power may be combined with a feedback control signal counteracting error between a measured and desired temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Chetan MAHADESWARASWAMY, Walter R. MERRY, Sergio Fukuda SHOJI, Chunlei ZHANG, Yashaswini B. PATTAR, Duy D. NGUYEN, Tina TSONG, Shane C. NEVIL, Douglas A. BUCHBERGER, JR., Fernando M. SILVEIRA, Brad L. MAYS, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Hamid NOORBAKHSH
  • Patent number: 7967996
    Abstract: A process is provided for removing polymer from a backside of a workpiece and/or photoresist from a front side of the workpiece. For backside polymer removal, the wafer is positioned near the ceiling to above a localized or remote plasma source having a side outlet through the sidewall of the chamber, and backside polymer is removed by rotating the workpiece while flowing plasma by-products from the side outlet to the wafer backside. For front side photoresist removal, the wafer is positioned away from the ceiling and below the side outlet of the localized plasma source, and front side photoresist is remove by rotating the workpiece while flowing plasma by-products from the side outlet to the wafer front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Andrew Nguyen, Shahid Rauf, Ajit Balakrishna, Valentin N. Todorow, Kartik Ramaswamy, Martin Jeffrey Salinas, Imad Yousif, Walter R. Merry, Ying Rui, Michael R. Rice
  • Patent number: 7968469
    Abstract: A method for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber includes coupling RF power at a first VHF frequency f1 to a plasma via one of the electrodes of the chamber, and providing a center ground return path for RF current passing directly between the ceiling electrode and the workpiece support electrode for the frequency f1. The method further includes providing a variable height edge ground annular element and providing a ground return path through the edge ground annular element for the frequency f1. The method controls the uniformity of plasma ion density distribution by controlling the distance between the variable height edge ground annular element and one of: (a) height of ceiling electrode or (b) height of workpiece support electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, Lawrence Wong, Walter R. Merry, Matthew L. Miller, Steven C. Shannon, Andrew Nguyen, James P. Cruse, James Carducci, Troy S. Detrick, Subhash Deshmukh, Jennifer Y. Sun
  • Publication number: 20110120505
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatus and method for front side protection while processing side and backside of a substrate. One embodiment of the present invention provides a showerhead configured to provide a purge gas to a front side of a substrate during a backside etch processing. The showerhead comprises a body configured to be disposed over the front side of the substrate. The body has a process surface configured to face the front side of the substrate. The process surface has an outer circular region, a central region, a middle region between the outer central region and the central region. The first plurality of holes are distributed in the outer circular region and configured to direct the purge gas towards an edge area of the front side of the substrate. No gas delivery hole is distributed within a substantial portion of the middle region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: IMAD YOUSIF, Ying Rui, Nancy Fung, Martin Jeffrey Salinas, Ajit Balakrishna, Anchel Sheyner, Shahid Rauf, Walter R. Merry
  • Patent number: 7884025
    Abstract: In a plasma reactor chamber a ceiling electrode and a workpiece support electrode, respective RF power sources of respective VHF frequencies f1 and f2 are coupled to either respective ones of the electrodes or to a common one of the electrodes, where f1 is sufficiently high to produce a center-high non-uniform plasma ion distribution and f2 is sufficiently low to produce a center-low non-uniform plasma ion distribution. Respective center ground return paths are provided for RF current passing directly between the ceiling electrode and the workpiece support electrode for the frequencies f1 and f2, and an edge ground return path is provided for each of the frequencies f1 and f2. The impedance of at least one of the ground return paths is adjusted so as to control the uniformity of the plasma ion density distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, Lawrence Wong, Walter R. Merry, Matthew L. Miller, Steven C. Shannon, Andrew Nguyen, James P. Cruse, James Carducci, Troy S. Detrick, Subhash Deshmukh, Jennifer Y. Sun
  • Patent number: 7879731
    Abstract: A method is provided for processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor chamber having electrodes including at least a ceiling electrode and a workpiece support electrode. The method includes coupling respective RF power sources of respective VHF frequencies f1 and f2 to either (a) respective ones of the electrodes or (b) a common one of the electrodes, where f1 is sufficiently high to produce a center-high non-uniform plasma ion distribution and f2 is sufficiently low to produce a center-low non-uniform plasma ion distribution. The method further includes adjusting a ratio of an RF parameter at the f1 frequency to the RF parameter at the f2 frequency so as to control plasma ion density distribution, the RF parameter being any one of RF power, RF voltage or RF current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, Lawrence Wong, Walter R. Merry, Matthew L. Miller, Steven C. Shannon, Andrew Nguyen, James P. Cruse, James Carducci, Troy S. Detrick, Subhash Deshmukh, Jennifer Y. Sun