Patents by Inventor Yao Zhi Hu
Yao Zhi Hu 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: 9633876Abstract: A customizable chamber spectral response is described which can be used at least to tailor chamber performance for wafer heating, wafer cooling, temperature measurement, and stray light. In one aspect, a system is described for processing a treatment object having a given emission spectrum at a treatment object temperature which causes the treatment object to produce a treatment object radiated energy. The chamber responds in a first way to the heating arrangement radiated energy and in a second way to the treatment object radiated energy that is incident thereon. The chamber may respond in the first way by reflecting the majority of the heat source radiated energy and in the second way by absorbing the majority of the treatment object radiated energy. Different portions of the chamber may be treated with selectively reflectivity based on design considerations to achieve objectives with respect to a particular chamber performance parameter.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2010Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Paul J. Timans, Daniel J. Devine, Young Jai Lee, Yao Zhi Hu, Peter C. Bordiga
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Patent number: 7977258Abstract: Process and system for processing wafer-shaped objects, such as semiconductor wafers is disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, a multiple of two wafers are processed in a thermal processing chamber. The thermal processing chamber is in communication with at least one heating device for heating the wafers. The wafers are placed in the thermal processing chamber in a face-to-face configuration or in a back-to-back configuration.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2007Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Zsolt Nenyei, Paul J. Timans, Wilfried Lerch, Jüergen Niess, Manfred Falter, Patrick Schmid, Conor Patrick O'Carroll, Rudy Cardema, Igor Fidelman, Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu, Daniel J. Devine
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Publication number: 20100219174Abstract: A customizable chamber spectral response is described which can be used at least to tailor chamber performance for wafer heating, wafer cooling, temperature measurement, and stray light. In one aspect, a system is described for processing a treatment object having a given emission spectrum at a treatment object temperature which causes the treatment object to produce a treatment object radiated energy. The chamber responds in a first way to the heating arrangement radiated energy and in a second way to the treatment object radiated energy that is incident thereon. The chamber may respond in the first way by reflecting the majority of the heat source radiated energy and in the second way by absorbing the majority of the treatment object radiated energy. Different portions of the chamber may be treated with selectively reflectivity based on design considerations to achieve objectives with respect to a particular chamber performance parameter.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2010Publication date: September 2, 2010Inventors: Paul J. Timans, Daniel J. Devine, Young Jai Lee, Yao Zhi Hu, Peter C. Bordiga
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Patent number: 7737385Abstract: A customizable chamber spectral response is described which can be used at least to tailor chamber performance for wafer heating, wafer cooling, temperature measurement, and stray light. In one aspect, a system is described for processing a treatment object having a given emission spectrum at a treatment object temperature which causes the treatment object to produce a treatment object radiated energy. The chamber responds in a first way to the heating arrangement radiated energy and in a second way to the treatment object radiated energy that is incident thereon. The chamber may respond in the first way by reflecting the majority of the heat source radiated energy and in the second way by absorbing the majority of the treatment object radiated energy. Different portions of the chamber may be treated with selectively reflectivity based on design considerations to achieve objectives with respect to a particular chamber performance parameter.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2006Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Paul J. Timans, Daniel J. Devine, Young Jai Lee, Yao Zhi Hu, Peter C. Bordiga
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Publication number: 20090325386Abstract: A processing system is disclosed for conducting various processes on substrates, such as semiconductor wafers by varying the exposure to a chemical ambient. The processing system includes a processing region having an inlet and an outlet for flowing fluids through the chamber. The outlet is in communication with a conductance valve that is positioned in between the processing region outlet and a vacuum exhaust channel. The conductance valve rapidly oscillates or rotates between open and closed positions for controlling conductance through the processing region. This feature is coupled with the ability to rapidly pulse chemical species through the processing region while simultaneously controlling the pressure in the processing region. Of particular advantage, the conductance valve is capable of transitioning the processing region through pressure transitions of as great as 100:1 while chemical species are flowed through the processing region using equally fast control valves in a synchronous pulsed fashion.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2009Publication date: December 31, 2009Applicant: MATTSON TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Daniel J. Devine, Rudy Santo Tomas Cardema, Shuen Chun Choy, Carl J. Galewski, Yao Zhi Hu, Bruce W. Peuse, Hung Thanh Phan
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Publication number: 20080248657Abstract: Process and system for processing wafer-shaped objects, such as semiconductor wafers is disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, a multiple of two wafers are processed in a thermal processing chamber. The thermal processing chamber is in communication with at least one heating device for heating the wafers. The wafers are placed in the thermal processing chamber in a face-to-face configuration or in a back-to-back configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2007Publication date: October 9, 2008Inventors: Zsolt Nenyei, Paul J. Timans, Wilfried Lerch, Juergen Niess, Manfred Falter, Patrick Schmid, Conor Patrick O'Carroll, Rudy Cardema, Igor Fidelman, Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu, Daniel J. Devine
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Patent number: 7151060Abstract: A device for thermally treating semiconductor wafers having at least one silicon layer to be oxidized and a metal layer, preferably a tungsten layer, which is not to be oxidized. The inventive device comprises the following: at least one radiation source; a treatment chamber receiving the substrate, with at least one wall part located adjacent to the radiation sources and which is substantially transparent for the radiation of said radiation source; and at least one cover plate between the substrate and the wall part of the treatment chamber located adjacent to the radiation sources, the dimensions of said cover plate being selected such that it fully covers the transparent wall part of the treatment chamber in relation to the substrate in order to prevent material, comprising a metal, metal oxide or metal hydroxide such as tungsten, tungsten oxide or tungsten hydroxide, from said substrate from becoming deposited on or evaporating onto the transparent wall part of the treatment chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2003Date of Patent: December 19, 2006Assignee: Mattson Thermal Products GmbHInventors: Georg Roters, Steffen Frigge, Sing Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu, Regina Hayn, Jens-Uwe Sachse, Erwin Schoer, Wilhelm Kegel
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Patent number: 7115837Abstract: A customizable chamber spectral response is described which can be used at least to tailor chamber performance for wafer heating, wafer cooling, temperature measurement, and stray light. In one aspect, a system is described for processing a treatment object having a given emission spectrum at a treatment object temperature which causes the treatment object to produce a treatment object radiated energy. The chamber responds in a first way to the heating arrangement radiated energy and in a second way to the treatment object radiated energy that is incident thereon. The chamber may respond in the first way by reflecting the majority of the heat source radiated energy and in the second way by absorbing the majority of the treatment object radiated energy. Different portions of the chamber may be treated with selectively reflectivity based on design considerations to achieve objectives with respect to a particular chamber performance parameter.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2003Date of Patent: October 3, 2006Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Paul J. Timans, Daniel J. Devine, Young Jai Lee, Yao Zhi Hu, Peter C. Bordiga
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Publication number: 20060105584Abstract: A device for thermally treating semiconductor wafers having at least one silicon layer to be oxidized and a metal layer, preferably a tungsten layer, which is not to be oxidized. The inventive device comprises the following: at least one radiation source; a treatment chamber receiving the substrate, with at least one wall part located adjacent to the radiation sources and which is substantially transparent for the radiation of said radiation source; and at least one cover plate between the substrate and the wall part of the treatment chamber located adjacent to the radiation sources, the dimensions of said cover plate being selected such that it fully covers the transparent wall part of the treatment chamber in relation to the substrate in order to prevent material, comprising a metal, metal oxide or metal hydroxide such as tungsten, tungsten oxide or tungsten hydroxide, from said substrate from becoming deposited on or evaporating onto the transparent wall part of the treatment chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2003Publication date: May 18, 2006Inventors: Georg Roters, Steffen Frigge, Sing Tay, Yao Zhi Hu, Regina Hayn, Jens-Uwe Sachse, Erwin Schoer, Wilhelm Kegel
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Patent number: 6706643Abstract: The oxynitride or oxide layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate by subjecting the substrate to UV radiation while exposed to a gaseous atmosphere of O2 and one or more of N2, N2O, H2 and NH3. Thereafter, a silicon nitride layer is formed according to known 4-step gate stack dielectric processing techniques. Alternatively, a 3-step gate stack process is used, namely following UV-oxidation, a further UV-radiation in NH3 may be applied, followed by a rapid thermal anneal process in an inert ambient. By using UV-oxidation as the first step in either a 4-step or 3-step gate stack process, very thin composite dielectric films with equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) below 16 Å and as low as 14.2 Å can be obtained with significant improvement in leakage current density.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2002Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu
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Patent number: 6707011Abstract: In a rapid thermal processing system an array of heat lamps generate radiant heat for heating the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a selected temperature or set of temperatures while held within an enclosed chamber. The heat lamps are surrounded by one or more optically transparent enclosures that isolate the heat lamps from the chamber environment and the wafer or wafers therein. The optically transparent enclosures include associated reflectors to direct a higher proportion of emitted radiant heat energy from the lamps toward the semiconductor wafer(s). The lamps with such enclosures are mounted for rotation so that the reflectors may alternately shield all or a portion of emitted lamp radiation from the semiconductor substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2002Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu
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Publication number: 20030148628Abstract: The oxynitride or oxide layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate by subjecting the substrate to UV radiation while exposed to a gaseous atmosphere of O2 and one or more of N2, N2O, H2 and NH3. Thereafter, a silicon nitride layer is formed according to known 4-step gate stack dielectric processing techniques. Alternatively, a 3-step gate stack process is used, namely following UV-oxidation, a further UV-radiation in NH3 may be applied, followed by a rapid thermal anneal process in an inert ambient. By using UV-oxidation as the first step in either a 4-step or 3-step gate stack process, very thin composite dielectric films with equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) below 16 Å and as low as 14.2 Å can be obtained with significant improvement in leakage current density.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2002Publication date: August 7, 2003Applicant: Mattson Technology, Inc., a Delaware CorporationInventors: Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu
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Patent number: 6600138Abstract: In a rapid thermal processing system an array of heat lamps generate radiant heat for heating the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a selected temperature or set of temperatures while held within an enclosed chamber. The heat lamps are surrounded individually or in groups by one or more optically transparent enclosures that isolate the heat lamps from the chamber environment and the wafer or wafers therein. The optically transparent enclosures may include associated reflectors and/or lenses to direct a higher proportion of emitted radiant heat energy from the lamps toward the semiconductor wafer(s). Thin planar quartz liners may also be interposed between the lamps and the substrate. By controlling radiant energy distribution within the chamber, and eliminating thick planar quartz windows commonly used to isolate the lamps in prior art RTP systems, higher processing rates and improved reliability are obtained.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2001Date of Patent: July 29, 2003Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Markus Hauf, Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu
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Publication number: 20030094446Abstract: In a rapid thermal processing system an array of heat lamps generate radiant heat for heating the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a selected temperature or set of temperatures while held within an enclosed chamber. The heat lamps are surrounded by one or more optically transparent enclosures that isolate the heat lamps from the chamber environment and the wafer or wafers therein. The optically transparent enclosures include associated reflectors to direct a higher proportion of emitted radiant heat energy from the lamps toward the semiconductor wafer(s). The lamps with such enclosures are mounted for rotation so that the reflectors may alternately shield all or a portion of emitted lamp radiation from the semiconductor substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2002Publication date: May 22, 2003Applicant: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu
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Publication number: 20020148824Abstract: In a rapid thermal processing system an array of heat lamps generate radiant heat for heating the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a selected temperature or set of temperatures while held within an enclosed chamber. The heat lamps are surrounded individually or in groups by one or more optically transparent enclosures that isolate the heat lamps from the chamber environment and the wafer or wafers therein. The optically transparent enclosures may include associated reflectors and/or lenses to direct a higher proportion of emitted radiant heat energy from the lamps toward the semiconductor wafer(s). Thin planar quartz liners may also be interposed between the lamps and the substrate. By controlling radiant energy distribution within the chamber, and eliminating thick planar quartz windows commonly used to isolate the lamps in prior art RTP systems, higher processing rates and improved reliability are obtained.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2001Publication date: October 17, 2002Inventors: Markus Hauf, Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu
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Patent number: 6451713Abstract: The oxynitride or oxide layer formed on a semiconductor substrate is pre-treated with UV-excited gas (such as chlorine or nitrogen) to improve the layer surface condition and increase the density of nucleation sites for subsequent silicon nitride deposition. The pre-treatment is shown to reduce the root mean square surface roughness of thinner silicon nitride films (with physical thicknesses below 36 Å, or even below 20 Å that are deposited on the oxynitride layer by chemical vapor deposition (CVD).Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2001Date of Patent: September 17, 2002Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sing-Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu, Sagy Levy, Jeffrey Gelpey
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Patent number: 6403923Abstract: A system and process is disclosed for rapidly heating semiconductor wafers coated with a highly reflective material on either the whole wafer or in a patterned area. The wafers are heated in a thermal processing chamber by a plurality of lamps. In order for the wafer coated with the highly reflective material to more rapidly increase in temperature with lower power intensity, a shield member is placed in between the wafer and the plurality of lamps. The shield member is made from a high emissivity material, such as ceramic, that increases in temperature when exposed to light energy. Once heated, the shield member then in turn heats the semiconductor wafer with higher uniformity. In one embodiment, the shield member can also be used to determine the temperature of the wafer as it is heated.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2000Date of Patent: June 11, 2002Assignee: Mattson Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sing Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu, Randhir P. S. Thakur, Arnon Gat
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Patent number: 6359263Abstract: A system and process is disclosed for rapidly heating semiconductor wafers coated with a highly reflective material on either the whole wafer or in a patterned area. The wafers are heated in a thermal processing chamber by a plurality of lamps. In order for the wafer coated with the highly reflective material to more rapidly increase in temperature with lower power intensity, a shield member is placed in between the wafer and the plurality of lamps. The shield member is made from a high emissivity material, such as ceramic, that increases in temperature when exposed to light energy. Once heated, the shield member then in turn heats the semiconductor wafer with higher uniformity. In one embodiment, the shield member can also be used to determine the temperature of the wafer as it is heated.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 1999Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: Steag RTP Systems, Inc.Inventors: Sing Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu, Randhir P. S. Thakur, Arnon Gat
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Publication number: 20010040156Abstract: A system and process is disclosed for rapidly heating semiconductor wafers coated with a highly reflective material on either the whole wafer or in a patterned area. The wafers are heated in a thermal processing chamber by a plurality of lamps. In order for the wafer coated with the highly reflective material to more rapidly increase in temperature with lower power intensity, a shield member is placed in between the wafer and the plurality of lamps. The shield member is made from a high emissivity material, such as ceramic, that increases in temperature when exposed to light energy. Once heated, the shield member then in turn heats the semiconductor wafer with higher uniformity. In one embodiment, the shield member can also be used to determine the temperature of the wafer as it is heated.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 1999Publication date: November 15, 2001Inventors: SING PIN TAY, YAO-ZHI HU, RANDHIR P.S. THAKUR, ARNON GAT
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Patent number: 6204484Abstract: An apparatus for heat treating semiconductor wafers is disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, the apparatus includes a temperature measuring system for determining the temperature of semiconductor wafers being heated within the apparatus. The temperature measurement system includes a shield member made from, for instance, ceramic which is placed adjacent to the semiconductor wafer being heated. A temperature measuring device, such as a thermocouple, is placed in association with the shield member. As the wafer is heated, the temperature of the shield member is monitored. Based on a predetermined calibration curve, by knowing the temperature of the shield member, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer can be estimated with reasonable accuracy.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1998Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignee: Steag RTP Systems, Inc.Inventors: Sing Pin Tay, Yao Zhi Hu