Silicon Containing Coating Patents (Class 427/574)
  • Patent number: 11955564
    Abstract: The present application discloses a method for fabricating a semiconductor device with an oxidized intervention layer. The method includes providing a substrate; forming a tunneling insulating layer over the substrate; forming a floating gate over the tunnel oxide layer; forming a dielectric layer over the floating gate; forming a control gate over the dielectric layer; and performing a lateral oxidation process over the substrate, wherein a process temperature of the lateral oxidation process is between about 300° C. and about 600° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Te-Yin Chen
  • Patent number: 11956885
    Abstract: A plasma-generation system is provided that includes a variable-frequency microwave generator configured to generate microwave power and a plasma applicator configured to use the microwave power from the microwave generator to (i) ignite a process gas therein for initiating a plasma in a plasma ignition process and (ii) maintain the plasma in a steady state process. The system also includes a coarse tuner connected between the microwave generator and the plasma applicator. At least one physical parameter of the coarse tuner is adapted to be set to achieve coarse impedance matching between the microwave generator and the plasma generated during both the plasma ignition process and the steady state process. A load impedance of the plasma generated during the plasma ignition process and the steady state process is adapted to vary. The microwave generator is configured to tune an operating frequency at the set physical parameter of the coarse tuner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya Pokidov, Mohammad Kamarehi, Kenneth B. Trenholm, Fedir Viktorovych Teplyuk
  • Patent number: 11942342
    Abstract: A conveying unit includes a housing; a collision prevention mechanism disposed on a sidewall of the housing; a gripping member configured to hold a carrier for carrying a semiconductor structure; a sensor disposed on the gripping member and configured to measure and collect data associated with vibration of the gripping member; and an unit controller disposed on the gripping member and configured to analyze the data from the sensor and control a movement of the conveying unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Fu-Hsien Li, Chi-Feng Tung, Hsiang Yin Shen
  • Patent number: 11708634
    Abstract: Provided are methods and systems for providing silicon-containing films. The composition of the silicon-containing film can be controlled by the choice of the combination of precursors and the ratio of flow rates between the precursors. The silicon-containing films can be deposited on a substrate by flowing two different organo-silicon precursors to mix together in a reaction chamber. The organo-silicon precursors react with one or more radicals in a substantially low energy state to form the silicon-containing film. The one or more radicals can be formed in a remote plasma source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Bhadri N. Varadarajan
  • Patent number: 10186674
    Abstract: A thin-film device includes a resin film which includes a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, a first inorganic layer on the first surface, a thin-film element on the first inorganic layer, and a second inorganic layer on the second surface, wherein a film density of the second inorganic layer is greater than a film density of the first inorganic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: NLT TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazushige Takechi, Mamoru Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9243324
    Abstract: Methods for forming non-oxygen containing silicon-based films, that contain >50 atomic % of silicon, are provided herein. In one aspect, the silicon-based films have a composition SixCyNz wherein x is about 51 to 100, y is 0 to 49, and z is 0 to 50 atomic weight (wt.) percent (%) as measured by XPS. In one embodiment, the non-oxygen silicon-based films were deposited using at least one organosilicon precursor having at least two SiH3 groups with at least one C2-3 linkage between silicon atoms such as 1,4-disilabutane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Heather Regina Bowen, Jianheng Li, Mark Leonard O'Neill, Manchao Xiao, Andrew David Johnson, Xinjian Lei
  • Patent number: 9028925
    Abstract: A product having a functional layer and a method for fabricating the same. A method for fabricating a product having a functional layer includes the step of conducting a plasma reaction with titanium and silicon precursor compounds to form a coating on a substrate, such as a heat exchanger surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jinhyouk Shin, MoonKap Lee, Junggeun Oh, Jeonggyu Kim
  • Patent number: 9011994
    Abstract: A gas-barrier multilayer film including: a base member; and at least one thin film layer formed on at least one surface of the base member, wherein at least one layer of the thin film layer(s) satisfies at least one of requirements (A) and (B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Akira Hasegawa, Toshiya Kuroda, Masamitsu Ishitobi, Takashi Sanada, Toshihiko Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8986794
    Abstract: A vapor deposition apparatus efficiently performs a deposition process to form a thin film with improved characteristics on a substrate, and a method manufactures an organic light-emitting display apparatus by using such vapor deposition apparatus. The vapor deposition apparatus includes a body including an upper member and a lateral member coupled to the upper member; a receiving portion disposed to face one side of the lateral member; a stage disposed in the receiving portion and supporting the substrate; a plurality of first injection portions disposed in the lateral member and injecting at least one gas into a space between the lateral member and the upper member; a second injection portion disposed in the upper member and injecting at least one gas into the space between the lateral member and the upper member; and a plasma generating portion including a coil and a power source connected to the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd., Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University Erica Campus
    Inventors: Sang-Joon Seo, Jae-Eung Oh
  • Patent number: 8980382
    Abstract: Methods of forming silicon oxide layers are described. The methods include the steps of concurrently combining both a radical precursor and a radical-oxygen precursor with a carbon-free silicon-containing precursor. One of the radical precursor and the silicon-containing precursor contain nitrogen. The methods result in depositing a silicon-oxygen-and-nitrogen-containing layer on a substrate. The oxygen content of the silicon-oxygen-and-nitrogen-containing layer is then increased to form a silicon oxide layer which may contain very little nitrogen. The radical-oxygen precursor and the radical precursor may be produced in separate plasmas or the same plasma. The increase in oxygen content may be brought about by annealing the layer in the presence of an oxygen-containing atmosphere and the density of the film may be increased further by raising the temperature even higher in an inert environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nitin Ingle, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Earl Osman Solis, Nicolay Kovarsky, Olga Lyubimova
  • Patent number: 8790785
    Abstract: A method of forming a porous insulation film uses an organic silica material gas having a 3-membered SiO cyclic structure and a 4-membered SiO cyclic structure, or an organic silica material gas having a 3-membered SiO cyclic structure and a straight-chain organic silica structure, and uses a plasma reaction in the filming process. A porous interlevel dielectric film having a higher strength and a higher adhesive property can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Yamamoto, Fuminori Ito, Munehiro Tada, Yoshihiro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8778465
    Abstract: Methods of creating porous materials, such as silicon, are described. In some embodiments, plasma sheath modification is used to create ion beams of various incidence angles. These ion beams may, in some cases, form a focused ion beam. The wide range of incidence angles allows the material to be deposited amorphously. The porosity and pore size can be varied by changing various process parameters. In other embodiments, porous oxides can be created by adding oxygen to previously created layers of porous material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Ludovic Godet, Xiangfeng Lu, Deepak Ramappa
  • Patent number: 8715821
    Abstract: Polymer article having a thin coating on at least one of its side, characterized in that said coating comprises a first coating of SiOxCyH2 which is a plasma polymerized tetramethylsilane deposited on the surface on said polymer article, the x value being between 0 and 1.7, the y value being between 0.5 and 0.8, the z value being between 0.35 and 0.6 for said first SiOxCyHz coating and a second coating of SiOxCyHz which is a plasma polymerized tetramethylsilane deposited on the surface on said first coating, the x value being between 1.7 and 1.99, the y value being between 0.2 and 0.7, the z value being between 0.2 and 0.35 for said second SiOxCyHz coating and in that the thickness of said first coating is from about 1 nanometer to about 15 nanometers and in that the thickness of said second coating is from about 10 nanometers to about 100 nanometers, preferentially around 30 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Innovative Systems & Technologies
    Inventors: Nasser Beldi, Patrick Chollet
  • Patent number: 8658255
    Abstract: Methods of making components having calcium magnesium aluminosilicate (CMAS) mitigation capability involving providing a component; applying an environmental barrier coating to the component, the environmental barrier coating having a separate CMAS mitigation layer including a CMAS mitigation composition selected from rare earth elements, rare earth oxides, zirconia, hafnia partially or fully stabilized with alkaline earth or rare earth elements, zirconia partially or fully stabilized with alkaline earth or rare earth elements, magnesium oxide, cordierite, aluminum phosphate, magnesium silicate, and combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Glen Harold Kirby, Brett Allen Boutwell, Ming Fu, Bangalore Aswatha Nagaraj, Brian Thomas Hazel
  • Patent number: 8629076
    Abstract: A metal oxide-carbon composite includes a carbon aerogel with an oxide overcoat. The metal oxide-carbon composite is made by providing a carbon aerogel, immersing the carbon aerogel in a metal oxide sol under a vacuum, raising the carbon aerogel with the metal oxide sol to atmospheric pressure, curing the carbon aerogel with the metal oxide sol at room temperature, and drying the carbon aerogel with the metal oxide sol to produce the metal oxide-carbon composite. The step of providing a carbon aerogel can provide an activated carbon aerogel or provide a carbon aerogel with carbon nanotubes that make the carbon aerogel mechanically robust. Carbon aerogels can be coated with sol-gel silica and the silica can be converted to silicon carbide, improving the thermal stability of the carbon aerogel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Marcus A. Worsley, Joshua D. Kuntz, Theodore F. Baumann, Joe H. Satcher, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8586151
    Abstract: A process for the preparation of nano structured silicon thin film using radio frequency (rf) plasma discharge useful for light emitting devices such as light emitting diode, laser etc. which allows precise control of the nanocrystal size of silicon and its uniform distribution without doping using a plasma processing for obtaining efficient photoluminescence at room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
    Inventors: Sushil Kumar, Prakash Narain Dixit, Chandra Mohan Singh Rauthan
  • Patent number: 8440037
    Abstract: A coated article is provided that may be heat treated in certain example embodiments. A coating of the coated article includes a zinc oxide inclusive layer located over and contacting a contact layer that is in contact with an infrared (IR) reflecting layer of a material such as silver. It has been found that the use of such a zinc oxide inclusive layer results in improved thermal stability upon heat treatment, increased visible transmission, and/or lower sheet resistance (Rs).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignees: Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique S.A. (C.R.V.C.), Guardian Industries Corp.
    Inventors: Anton Dietrich, Philip J. Lingle, Jens-Peter Muller, Jean-Marc Lemmer
  • Patent number: 8410354
    Abstract: Higher conversion efficiency and productivity of photoelectric conversion devices. A semiconductor layer including a first and second crystal regions grown in the layer-deposition direction is provided between an impurity semiconductor layer containing an impurity element imparting one conductivity type and an impurity semiconductor layer containing an impurity element imparting a conductivity type opposite to the one conductivity type. The first crystal region is grown from the interface between one of the impurity semiconductor layers and the semiconductor layer. The second crystal region is grown toward the interface between the semiconductor layer and the other of the impurity semiconductor layers from a position which is away from the interface between the one of the impurity semiconductor layers and the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer including the first and second crystal regions which exist in an amorphous structure forms the main part of a region for photoelectric conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8394197
    Abstract: Enhanced corrosion resistance is achieved in a coating by using a germanium-containing precursor and hollow cathode techniques to form a first layer directly on the surface of a workpiece, prior to forming an outer layer, such as a layer of diamond-like carbon (DLC). The use of a germanium or germanium-carbide precursor reduces film stress and enables an increase in the thickness of the subsequently formed DLC. Germanium incorporation also reduces the porosity of the layer. In one embodiment, a cap layer containing germanium is added after the DLC in order to further reduce the susceptibility of the coating to chemical penetration from the top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Sub-One Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew W. Tudhope, Thomas B. Casserly, Karthik Boinapally, Deepak Upadhyaya, William J. Boardman
  • Patent number: 8360001
    Abstract: Chemical vapor deposition processes utilize chemical precursors that allow for the deposition of thin films to be conducted at or near the mass transport limited regime. The processes have high deposition rates yet produce more uniform films, both compositionally and in thickness, than films prepared using conventional chemical precursors. In preferred embodiments, a higher order silane is employed to deposit thin films containing silicon that are useful in the semiconductor industry in various applications such as transistor gate electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: ASM America, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Todd, Mark Hawkins
  • Patent number: 8263193
    Abstract: A vacuum treatment method and a vacuum treatment apparatus are provided in which the SiH2/SiH ratio does not increase even when the deposition rate is increased, thereby deterioration in the film quality is prevented and a high level of productivity can be achieved. A vacuum treatment method comprising the steps of heating a substrate (8) disposed inside a deposition chamber (6) under a reduced pressure atmosphere using a heat spreader (a heating device) (5), and supplying electric power to a discharge electrode (3) disposed in a position facing the substrate (8), thereby conducting a deposition on the substrate (8), wherein the deposition is conducted in a state where the temperature difference between the substrate (8) and the discharge electrode (3) is not more than 30° C. The deposition may also be conducted with the gap between the substrate (8) and the discharge electrode (3) set to not more than 7.5 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroomi Miyahara, Tatsuyuki Nishimiya
  • Patent number: 8236388
    Abstract: A method of producing a gas barrier film comprises the steps of: supplying a material gas including silane gas, ammonia gas and at least one of nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas to a process chamber; keeping the process chamber at an internal pressure of 20 to 200 Pa; holding a substrate in the process chamber at a substrate temperature of not more than 70° C.; forming a bias potential of ?100 V or less at the substrate; and supplying power P (W) to the material gas so as to have a ratio P/Q of the power P to a silane gas flow rate Q (sccm) of 15 to 30 W/sccm to generate plasma, thereby depositing a silicon nitride layer on a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Fujinami, Toshiya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8197913
    Abstract: The present invention is a plasma processing method for forming a film on a substrate, the method including the steps of processing a first material gas with plasma having an electron density W and an electron temperature X, processing a second material gas with plasma having an electron density Y, which is different from the electron density W, and an electron temperature Z, which is different from the electron temperature X, and forming the film on the substrate by reacting the processed first material gas and the processed second material gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takaaki Matsuoka, Kohei Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8110246
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for production of a thin-layer solar cell with microcrystalline silicon and a layer sequence. According to the invention, a microcrystalline silicon layer is applied to the lower p- or n-layer in pin or nip thin-layer solar cells, by means of a HWCVD method before the application of the microcrystalline i-layer. The efficiency of the solar cell is hence increased by up to 0.8% absolute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Klein, Yaohua Mai, Friedhelm Finger, Reinhard Carius
  • Patent number: 8029875
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for plasma ion deposition and coating formation. A vacuum chamber may be supplied, wherein the vacuum chamber is formed by a hollow substrate having a length, diameter and interior surface. A plasma may be formed within the chamber while applying a negative bias to the hollow substrate to draw ions from the plasma to the interior surface of the hollow substrate to deposit ions onto the interior surface and forming a coating. The coating may have a Vickers Hardness Number (Hv) of at least 500.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventors: Ronghua Wei, Christopher Rincon, James H. Arps
  • Patent number: 8003174
    Abstract: A method of forming a dielectric film, includes: introducing a siloxane gas essentially constituted by Si, O, C, and H and a silazane gas essentially constituted by Si, N, H, and optionally C into a reaction chamber where a substrate is placed; depositing a siloxane-based film including Si—N bonds on the substrate by plasma reaction; and annealing the siloxane-based film on the substrate in an annealing chamber to remove Si—N bonds from the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Atsuki Fukazawa, Woo Jin Lee, Nobuo Matsuki
  • Patent number: 7989365
    Abstract: Methods of seasoning a remote plasma system are described. The methods include the steps of flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a remote plasma region to deposit a silicon containing film on an interior surface of the remote plasma system. The methods reduce reactions with the seasoned walls during deposition processes, resulting in improved deposition rate, improved deposition uniformity and reduced defectivity during subsequent deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Soonam Park, Soo Jeon, Toan Q. Tran, Jang-Gyoo Yang, Qiwei Liang, Dmitry Lubomirsky
  • Patent number: 7988988
    Abstract: A biomedical device, such as a contact lens, has a surface linked to a polymer comprising boronic acid moieties. The boronic acid monomeric units may be derived from an ethylenically unsaturated monomer containing a boronic acid moiety, such as a vinylphenyl boronic acid or a (meth)acrylamido phenyl boronic acid. The boronic acid moieties may be complexed with mucin, especially epithelial mucin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
    Inventors: Paul L. Valint, Jr., Joseph A. McGee, David P. Vanderbilt, Joseph C. Salamone
  • Patent number: 7888167
    Abstract: To provide a photoelectric conversion device with improved photoelectric conversion characteristics and cost competitiveness. A photoelectric conversion device including a semiconductor junction has a semiconductor layer in which a needle-like crystal is made to grow over an impurity semiconductor layer. The impurity semiconductor layer is formed of a microcrystalline semiconductor and includes an impurity imparting one conductivity type. An amorphous semiconductor layer is deposited on a microcrystalline semiconductor layer by setting the flow rate of a dilution gas (typically silane) to 1 time to 6 times the flow rate of a semiconductor source gas (typically hydrogen) at the time of deposition. Thus, a crystal with a three-dimensional shape tapered in a direction of the deposition of a film, i.e., in a direction from the microcrystalline semiconductor layer to the amorphous semiconductor layer is made to grow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Toriumi, Tomokazu Yokoi, Makoto Furuno
  • Patent number: 7810356
    Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a porous quartz glass base, which comprises hydrolyzing a silicon compound in an oxyhydrogen flame in a reaction furnace to generate and deposit fine silica particles on a starting member, thereby forming a porous quartz glass base, wherein a gas discharge pipe for discharging an unnecessary gas from the reaction furnace is heated. According to the present invention, fine silica particles can be prevented from adhering to a gas discharge pipe for discharging the unnecessary hydrogen chloride gas generated in producing a porous quartz glass base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Kei Iwata, Takao Uto, Takuya Sakuma
  • Patent number: 7785672
    Abstract: We have discovered methods of controlling a combination of PECVD deposition process parameters during deposition of thin films which provides improved control over surface standing wave effects which affect deposited film thickness uniformity and physical property uniformity. By minimizing surface standing wave effects, the uniformity of film properties across a substrate surface onto which the films have been deposited is improved. In addition, we have developed a gas diffusion plate design which assists in the control of plasma density to be symmetrical or asymmetrical over a substrate surface during film deposition, which also provides improved control over uniformity of deposited film thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Soo Young Choi, John M. White, Qunhua Wang, Beom Soo Park
  • Patent number: 7718222
    Abstract: A direct vapor deposition (DVD) apparatus and method is taught, that provides a carrier gas flow entraining vapor atoms for the coating of regions on a substrate that are not in line-of-sight. The degree of non line-of-sight (NLOS) coating, hence thickness uniformity around the substrate is a sensitive function of the flow conditions. For a fixed background pressure in the region of deposition, an increase in the uniformity of the coating thickness is accomplished as the flow velocity is reduced. This improvement in uniformity is a result of an increase in the fraction of vapor atoms which deposit in NLOS positions on the substrate such as backside (21) of fiber (65) as indicated by vapor streamlines (51). Vapor impact width (VIW) is the width of the vapor flux impacting on some area of the fiber. Front side coating (FSC) width is the vapor width of atoms impacting on the substrate frontside (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: Derek D. Hass, Douglas T. Queheillalt, Haydn N. G. Wadley
  • Patent number: 7700165
    Abstract: Provided is a deposited film containing microcrystalline silicon by plasma CVD, which includes changing at least one of conditions selected from a high frequency power density, a bias voltage with respect to an interelectrode distance, a bias current with respect to an electrode area, a high frequency power with respect to a source gas flow rate, a ratio of a diluting gas flow rate to a source gas flow rate, a substrate temperature, a pressure, and an interelectrode distance, between conditions for forming a deposited film of a microcrystalline region and conditions for forming a deposited film of an amorphous region; and forming a deposited film under conditions within a predetermined range in the vicinity of boundary conditions under which the crystal system of the deposited film substantially changes between a amorphous state and a microcrystalline state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi Takai, Masafumi Sano, Keishi Saito
  • Publication number: 20100080933
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods and apparatus for plasma generation in plasma processes. The methods and apparatus generally include a plurality of electrodes. The electrodes are connected to a RF power source, which powers the electrodes out of phase from one another. Adjacent electrodes are electrically isolated from one another by electrically insulating members disposed between and coupled to the electrodes. Processing gas may be delivered and/or withdrawn through the electrodes and/or the electrically insulating members. The substrate may remain electrically floating because the plasma may be capacitively coupled to it through a differential RF source drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jozef Kudela, John M. White
  • Patent number: 7642204
    Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming an insulating material comprising: a) providing a substrate within a reaction chamber; b) providing reactants comprising a Si, F and ozone within the reaction chamber; and c) depositing an insulating material comprising fluorine, silicon and oxygen onto the substrate from the reactants. In another aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a boron-doped silicon oxide having Si—F bonds, comprising: a) providing a substrate within a reaction chamber; b) providing reactants comprising Triethoxy fluorosilane, a boron-containing precursor, and ozone within the reaction chamber; and c) depositing a boron-doped silicon oxide having Si—F bonds onto the substrate from the reactants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Anand Srinivasan, Gurtej Sandhu, Ravi Iyer
  • Patent number: 7622193
    Abstract: Coated substrates containing a barrier layer comprising hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide having a density of at least 1.6 g/cm3 and methods of preparing the coated substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Loboda, Steven Snow, William Weidner, Ludmil Zambov
  • Patent number: 7578889
    Abstract: Systematic and effective methodology to clean capacitively coupled plasma reactor electrodes and reduce surface roughness so that the cleaned electrodes meet surface contamination specifications and manufacturing yields are enhanced. Pre-cleaning of tools used in the cleaning process helps prevent contamination of the electrode being cleaned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Hong Shih, Yaobo Yin, Shun Jackson Wu, Armen Avoyan, John E. Daugherty, Linda Jiang
  • Patent number: 7531068
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon nanodot thin film having uniform doping concentration without damage by placing a substrate on a stage within a chamber. The method further including depositing a matrix thin film based on the silicon by PECVD, while doping a light emitting material such as Erbium on the matrix thin film deposited by sputtering process at the same time. The silicon nanodot film obtained by the present invention has an improved light emitting characteristic in long distance communication frequency range of 1.54 ?m as well as visible light range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Jong Hyurk Park
  • Patent number: 7465478
    Abstract: A method of processing a workpiece includes placing the workpiece on a workpiece support pedestal in a main chamber with a gas distribution showerhead, introducing a process gas into a remote plasma source chamber and generating a plasma in the remote plasma source chamber, transporting plasma-generated species from the remote plasma source chamber to the gas distribution showerhead so as to distribute the plasma-generated species into the main chamber through the gas distribution showerhead, and applying plasma RF power into the main chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Hiroji Hanawa, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen, Amir Al-Bayati, Biagio Gallo
  • Patent number: 7399388
    Abstract: A method of depositing a silica glass insulating film over a substrate. In one embodiment the method comprises exposing the substrate to a silicon-containing reactant introduced into a chamber in which the substrate is disposed such that one or more layers of the silicon-containing reactant are adsorbed onto the substrate; purging or evacuating the chamber of the silicon-containing reactant; converting the silicon-containing reactant into a silica glass insulating compound by exposing the substrate to oxygen radicals formed from a second reactant while biasing the substrate to promote a sputtering effect, wherein an average atomic mass of all atomic constituents in the second reactant is less than or equal to an average atomic mass of oxygen; and repeating the exposing, purging/evacuating and exposing sequence a plurality of times until a desired film thickness is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Farhad K. Moghadam, Michael S. Cox, Padmanabhan Krishnaraj, Thanh N. Pham
  • Patent number: 7396570
    Abstract: Chemical vapor deposition methods of forming titanium silicide including layers on substrates are disclosed. TiCl4 and at least one silane are first fed to the chamber at or above a first volumetric ratio of TiCl4 to silane for a first period of time. The ratio is sufficiently high to avoid measurable deposition of titanium silicide on the substrate. Alternately, no measurable silane is fed to the chamber for a first period of time. Regardless, after the first period, TiCl4 and at least one silane are fed to the chamber at or below a second volumetric ratio of TiCl4 to silane for a second period of time. If at least one silane was fed during the first period of time, the second volumetric ratio is lower than the first volumetric ratio. Regardless, the second feeding is effective to plasma enhance chemical vapor deposit a titanium silicide including layer on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Cem Basceri, Irina Vasilyeva, Ammar Derraa, Philip H. Campbell, Gurtej S. Sandhu
  • Patent number: 7381451
    Abstract: High density plasma (HDP) techniques form high tensile stress silicon oxide films. The HDP techniques use low enough temperatures to deposit high tensile stress silicon oxide films in transistor architectures and fabrication processes effective for generating channel strain without adversely impacting transistor integrity. Methods involve a two phase process: a HDP deposition phase, wherein silanol groups are formed in the silicon oxide film, and a bond reconstruction phase, wherein water is removed and tensile stress is induced in the silicon oxide film. Transistor strain can be generated in NMOS or PMOS devices using strategic placement of the high tensile stress silicon oxide. Example applications include high tensile stress silicon oxides for use in shallow trench isolation structures, pre-metal dielectric layer and silicon on insulator substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Chi-i Lang, Ratsamee Limdulpaiboon, Cayetano Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 7348041
    Abstract: A low refractive index SiO2 film is provided which uses a starting material for forming an SiO2 film and has a lower refractive index than the conventional SiO2 film. A starting material gas comprising a gas containing a fluorine atom, a gas containing a silicon atom and an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms with a part or the whole of hydrogen atoms substituted by a fluorine atom, and a gas containing an oxygen atom is subjected to plasma CVD in a vacuum chamber 1 to form an SiO2 film on a web 2 in a plasma zone 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Ichimura
  • Patent number: 7244474
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition process is carried out in a reactor chamber with an ion shower grid that divides the chamber into an upper ion generation region and a lower process region, the ion shower grid having plural orifices oriented in a non-parallel direction relative to a surface plane of the ion shower grid. A workpiece is placed in the process region facing the ion shower grid, the workpiece having a workpiece surface generally facing the surface plane of the ion shower grid. A gas mixture is furnished comprising deposition precursor species into the ion generation region and the process region is evacuated at an evacuation rate sufficient to create a pressure drop across the ion shower grid from the ion generation region to the process region whereby the pressure in the ion generation region is at least several times the pressure in the process region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Tsutomu Tanaka, Kenneth S. Collins, Amir Al-Bayati, Kartik Ramaswamy, Andrew Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7238393
    Abstract: A method for depositing a silicon carbide layer onto a substrate comprises providing a silicon and carbon source gas and an inert gas into a reaction zone. The reaction zone contains the substrate. The method further comprises producing an electric field in the reaction zone. The electric field is generated using low and high frequency RF energy produced by an RF power supply. The RF power supply generates power at an electrode surface used for plasma discharge in the reaction zone. The method further comprises reacting the silicon and carbon source gas to deposit a silicon carbide film on the substrate. The RF power supply generates high energy RF power and low energy RF power during a processing period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Kamal Kishore Goundar, Tadashi Kumakura, Kiyoshi Satoh
  • Patent number: 7220810
    Abstract: A polymer film having a low dielectric constant is produced polymerizing a raw material gas containing a compound of the formula (1): wherein PCA represents a polycycloaliphatic hydrocarbon group, ALK represents a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, m is 1 or 2, n is 0 or 1, and R1 and R2 represent independently each other an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl group or an aryloxy group by a plasma polymerization method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignees: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, NEC Corporation, ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Kunimi, Jun Kawahara, Akinori Nakano, Keizo Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 7112453
    Abstract: This invention provides methods of retentate chromatography for resolving analytes in a sample. The methods involve adsorbing the analytes to a substrate under a plurality of different selectivity conditions, and detecting the analytes retained on the substrate by desorption spectrometry. The methods are useful in biology and medicine, including clinical diagnostics and drug discovery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc.
    Inventors: T. William Hutchens, Tai-Tung Yip
  • Patent number: 7074641
    Abstract: A method of forming a silicon-based thin film according to the present invention comprises introducing a source gas containing silicon fluoride and hydrogen into a vacuum vessel, and using a high frequency plasma CVD method to form a silicon-based thin film on a substrate introduced into the vacuum vessel, wherein a luminous intensity attributed to SiF? (440 nm) is not smaller than a luminous intensity attributed to H? (656 nm), thereby providing a photovoltaic element with excellent performance at a low cost as compared with a conventional one, a method of forming a silicon-based thin film with excellent characteristics in a short process cycle time at a further increased film-forming rate, a silicon-based thin film formed by the method, and a photovoltaic element comprising the silicon-based thin film with excellent characteristics, adhesion, and resistance to the environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takaharu Kondo, Shotaro Okabe, Koichiro Moriyama, Takahiro Yajima, Takeshi Shishido
  • Patent number: 7060514
    Abstract: A process for forming a thin layer exhibiting a substantially uniform property on an active surface of a semiconductor substrate includes varying the temperature within a reaction chamber while a layer of a material is formed upon the semiconductor substrate. Varying the temperature within the reaction chamber facilitates temperature uniformity across the semiconductor wafer. As a result, a layer forming reaction occurs at a substantially consistent rate over the entire active surface of the semiconductor substrate. The process may also include oscillating the temperature within the reaction chamber while a layer of a material is being formed upon a semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Garry Anthony Mercaldi, Don Carl Powell
  • Patent number: 6974780
    Abstract: The invention provides semiconductor processing methods of depositing SiO2 on a substrate. In a preferred aspect, the invention provides methods of reducing the formation of undesired reaction intermediates in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) decomposition reaction. In one implementation, the method is performed by feeding at least one of H2O and H2O2 into a reactor with an organic silicon precursor. For example, in one exemplary implementation, such components are, in gaseous form, fed separately into the reactor. In another exemplary implementation, such components are combined in liquid form prior to introduction into the reactor, and thereafter rendered into a gaseous form for provision into the reactor. The invention can be practiced with or in both hot wall and cold wall CVD systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Klaus F. Schuegraf