Patents Assigned to Applied Material Inc.
  • Publication number: 20250135473
    Abstract: A dual-channel showerhead may include a first plate defining two or more channels and a second plate including a bottom surface and defining a plurality of apertures. Each of the two or more channels may be fluidly coupled with one of the plurality of apertures to define a fluid path extending from the first plate through the bottom surface. The plurality of apertures may be arranged in a series of rings. A first subset of apertures of the plurality of apertures may extend through the first plate and the bottom surface. A second subset of apertures in a first ring of the series of rings may include a first opening area. Each aperture of the second subset in a second ring may include a second opening area smaller than the first opening area, such that a flow conductance of the first ring is within 5% of the second ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Barath Kumar, Neela Ayalasomayajula, Sumesh Suresh, Pratik Pande
  • Publication number: 20250142957
    Abstract: Logic devices and methods of manufacturing logic devices are provided. The semiconductor logic device includes an n-channel gate-all-around (n-GAA) field-effect transistor on a substrate integrated with a p-channel gate-all-around (p-GAA) field-effect transistor on the substrate adjacent to the n-channel gate-all-around (p-GAA) field-effect transistor. The n-channel gate-all-around (n-GAA) field effect-transistor has a structure including a plurality of layers comprising silicon and a corresponding plurality of layers comprising at least 25% germanium alternatingly arranged in stacked pairs extending between a source region and a drain region, and the p-channel gate-all-around (p-GAA) field-effect transistor has a plurality of layers comprising in a range of from 5% to 15% germanium and a corresponding plurality of layers comprising at least 25% germanium alternatingly arranged in stacked pairs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sai Hooi Yeong, Steven C.H. Hung, Veeraraghavan S. Basker, Benjamin Colombeau, Balasubramanian Pranatharthiharan
  • Publication number: 20250140523
    Abstract: A method of stress management in a substrate. The method may include comprising providing a stress compensation layer on a main surface of the substrate; and performing a dynamic implant procedure in an ion implanter to implant a set of ions into the stress compensation layer. The dynamic implant procedure may include exposing the substrate to an ion beam under a first set of conditions, the first set of conditions comprising an ion energy, a beam scan rate and a substrate scan rate; and varying at least the ion energy while the substrate is exposed to the ion beam. As such, a stress state of the substrate may change as a function of location on the substrate as a result of the dynamic implant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Stanislav S. TODOROV, D. Jeffrey LISCHER, Wonjae LEE, Pradeep SUBRAHMANYAN
  • Publication number: 20250140604
    Abstract: This disclosure describes structures and methods for forming tapered vias between features in metal layers in semiconductor devices. Instead of straight vias that have 90° vertical sidewalls and a constant cross-sectional area throughout the height of the via, tapered vias may be formed that extend outward from one metal layer to a lower metal layer. The via may be allowed to expand in size in a direction parallel to the feature in the lower metal layer, while remaining a constant width so as not to expand beyond the footprint of the lower feature. This tapered shape results in a larger cross-sectional area at the interface between the via and the lower feature. This lowers the resistance of the via by increasing area for current flow, while also increasing the area of any liners which typically have higher resistances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sefa Dag, El Mehdi Bazizi, Martinus Maria Berkens, Steven Sherman, Vinod Reddy
  • Patent number: 12287624
    Abstract: A method for time constraint management at a manufacturing system is provided. A first request to initiate a set of operations to be run at the manufacturing system is received. The set of operations include one or more operations that each have one or more time constraints. A first set of candidate substrates to be processed during the set of operations is determined. A first simulation of the set of operations for the first set of candidate substrates is run over a first period of time. The simulation generates a first simulation output indicate a first number of candidate substrates that were successfully processed during each of the simulated set of operations to reach the end of the first time period. The set of operations is initiated at the manufacturing system to process the first number of candidate substrates over the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: David E Norman, Fumio Kawada, Yuh Lin Ng
  • Patent number: 12288350
    Abstract: Methods for detecting areas of localized tilt on a sample using imaging reflectometry measurements include obtaining a first image without blocking any light reflected from the sample and obtaining a second image while blocking some light reflected from the sample at the aperture plane. The areas of localized tilt are detected by comparing first reflectance intensity values of pixels in the first image with second reflectance intensity values of corresponding pixels in the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Guoheng Zhao
  • Patent number: 12288670
    Abstract: A vapor deposition system and methods of operation thereof are disclosed. The vapor deposition system includes a vacuum chamber; a dielectric target within the vacuum chamber, the dielectric target having a front surface and a thickness; a substrate support within the vacuum chamber, the substrate support having a front surface spaced from the front surface of the dielectric target to form a process gap; and a signal generator connected to the dielectric target to generate a plasma in the vacuum chamber, the signal generator comprises a power source, the power source configured to prevent charge accumulation in the dielectric target. The method includes applying power to a dielectric target within a vacuum chamber to generate a plasma in a process gap between the dielectric target and a substrate support and pulsing the power applied to the dielectric target to prevent charge accumulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Abhijeet Laxman Sangle, Nilesh Patil, Vijay Bhan Sharma, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan
  • Patent number: 12288724
    Abstract: A method of classification of a film non-uniformity on a substrate includes obtaining a color image of a substrate with the color image comprising a plurality of color channels, obtaining a standard color for the color image of the substrate, for each respective pixel along a path in the color image determining a difference vector between the a color of the respective pixel and the standard color to generate a sequence of difference vectors, sorting the pixels along the path into a plurality of regions including at least one normal region and at least one abnormal region based on the sequence of difference vectors, and classifying the at least one abnormal region as overpolished or underpolished based on at least one difference vector of a pixel at a boundary between the abnormal region and an adjacent normal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dominic J. Benvegnu, Nojan Motamedi
  • Patent number: 12285838
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a platen to hold a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and a controller. The polishing pad has a polishing control groove. The carrier is laterally movable by a first actuator across the polishing pad and rotatable by a second actuator. The controller synchronizes lateral oscillation of the carrier head with rotation of the carrier head such that over a plurality of successive oscillations of the carrier head such that when a first angular swath of an edge portion of the substrate is at an azimuthal angular position about an axis of rotation of the carrier head the first angular swath overlies the polishing surface and when a second angular swath of the edge portion of the substrate is at the azimuthal angular position the second angular swath overlies the polishing control groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jimin Zhang, Jianshe Tang, Brian J. Brown, Wei Lu, Priscilla Diep LaRosa
  • Patent number: 12288675
    Abstract: A plasma reactor has a cylindrical microwave cavity overlying a workpiece processing chamber, a microwave source having a pair of microwave source outputs, and a pair of respective waveguides. The cavity has first and second input ports in a sidewall and space apart by an azimuthal angle. Each of the waveguides has a microwave input end coupled to a microwave source output and a microwave output end coupled to a respective one of the first and second input ports, a coupling aperture plate at the output end with a rectangular coupling aperture in the coupling aperture plate, and an iris plate between the coupling aperture plate and the microwave input end with a rectangular iris opening in the iris plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Satoru Kobayashi, Hideo Sugai, Toan Tran, Soonam Park, Dmitry Lubomirsky
  • Patent number: 12288704
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, an apparatus for processing a substrate comprises a transfer robot configured to position a substrate on a substrate support disposed within an interior of a processing chamber configured to process the substrate and a sensor disposed on the transfer robot, operably connected to a controller of the processing chamber, and configured with an angle of view to provide in-situ continuous closed loop feedback relating to spatial information of the interior of the processing chamber to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Ralph P. Antonio, Lee Guan Tay, Peter Lai, Sudhir R. Gondhalekar, Tzu-Fang Huang, Jeffrey Hudgens
  • Patent number: 12288677
    Abstract: The disclosure describes a plasma source assemblies comprising a differential screw assembly, an RF hot electrode, a top cover, an upper housing and a lower housing. The differential screw assembly is configured to provide force to align the plasma source assembly vertically matching planarity of a susceptor. More particularly, the differential screw assembly increases a distance between the top cover and the upper housing to align the gap with the susceptor. The disclosure also provides a better thermal management by cooling fins. A temperature capacity of the plasma source assemblies is extended by using titanium electrode. The disclosure provides a cladding material covering a portion of a first surface of RF hot electrode, a second surface of RF hot electrode, a bottom surface of RF hot electrode, a portion of a surface of the showerhead and a portion of lower housing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Tanaka, Jared Ahmad Lee, Rakesh Ramadas, Dmitry A. Dzilno, Gregory J. Wilson, Sriharish Srinivasan
  • Patent number: 12288672
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for depositing a carbon compound on a substrate includes using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) chamber with a chamber body, a lid, an interior volume, a pumping apparatus, and a gas delivery system and a pedestal for supporting a substrate disposed within the interior volume of the ICP chamber, the pedestal has an upper portion formed from aluminum nitride with an upper surface that is configured to support and heat a substrate with embedded heating elements and a lower portion with a tube-like structure formed from aluminum nitride that is configured to support the upper portion and house electrodes for supplying power to the embedded heating elements of the upper portion, and the pedestal is configured to heat the substrate during deposition of a carbon compound film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Qiwei Liang, Srinivas D. Nemani, Chentsau Chris Ying, Ellie Y. Yieh, Erica Chen, Nithin Thomas Alex
  • Patent number: 12286703
    Abstract: An evaporation apparatus is described, particularly for evaporating a reactive material such as lithium. The evaporation apparatus includes an evaporation crucible for evaporating a liquid material, a material conduit for supplying the liquid material to the evaporation crucible, and a valve configured to close the material conduit by solidifying a part of the liquid material in the material conduit with a cooling device. The valve may include a cooling gas supply for a cooling gas, and the cooling device may be configured to cool the liquid material with the cooling gas. Further described are a vapor deposition apparatus for coating a substrate as well as an evaporation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Buschbeck, Stefan Bangert
  • Patent number: 12288717
    Abstract: A method of forming an electronic device is disclosed. The method comprises forming depositing a metal on a substrate, the metal comprising one or more of copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), or tantalum (Ta). A metal cap is deposited on the metal. The metal cap comprises one or more of molybdenum (Mo), ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), osmium (Os), platinum (Pt), or gold (Au). The substrate is then exposed to an anneal process, e.g., a hydrogen high-pressure anneal. The formation of the metal cap on the metal minimizes parasitic adsorption of hydrogen by the underlying metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Srinivas Gandikota, Steven C. H. Hung, Srinivas D. Nemani, Yixiong Yang, Susmit Singha Roy, Nikolaos Bekiaris
  • Patent number: 12289945
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to sub-pixel circuits and methods of forming sub-pixel circuits that may be utilized in a display such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The sub-pixel circuit includes a plurality of contact overhangs. The plurality of contact overhangs are disposed between adjacent sub-pixels of a sub-pixel circuit to be formed. The contact overhangs are formed over a metal grid exposed through a PDL structure. A cathode is deposited via evaporation deposition to be in contact with the contact overhang. The metal grid is perpendicular to a plurality of metal layers disposed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jungmin Lee, Yu Hsin Lin, Chung-Chia Chen, Ji-young Choung, Dieter Haas, Si Kyoung Kim
  • Publication number: 20250129481
    Abstract: Vapor deposition processing chamber temperature control apparatus and vapor deposition processing chambers incorporating the temperature control apparatus are described. The temperature control apparatus has a base plate with a plurality of reflectors arranged in at least two annular zones, each annular zone separated into at least two sector zones. The reflectors are configured to decrease a specific side-to-side temperature non-uniformity profile of a heated substrate support positioned above the base plate in the vapor deposition processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Muhannad Mustafa, Aditya Chuttar
  • Publication number: 20250132175
    Abstract: A window component, a chamber, and a method of processing substrates are described herein. In one example, a semiconductor process chamber window component comprises a transparent quartz body. The body comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, a central portion disposed near a center axis of the body, and one or more fluid channels formed within the body. The one or more fluid channels are configured to flow a fluid from a first side of the body towards a second side of the body and the first side is disposed opposite the second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya ISHIKAWA, Kim Ramkumar VELLORE, Amir H. TAVAKOLI
  • Publication number: 20250132165
    Abstract: Methods of removing molybdenum oxide from a surface of a substrate comprise exposing the substrate having a molybdenum oxide layer on the substrate to a halide etchant having the formula RmSiX4-m, wherein m is an integer from 1 to 3, X is selected from iodine (I) and bromine (Br) and R is selected from the group consisting of a methyl group, ethyl group, propyl group, butyl group, cyclohexyl group and cyclopentyl group. The methods may be performed in a back-end-of-the line (BEOL) process, and the substrate contains a low-k dielectric material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jiajie Cen, Feng Q. Liu, Zheng Ju, Zhiyuan Wu, Kevin Kashefi, Mark Saly, Xianmin Tang
  • Patent number: D1072774
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Shane Lavan, Madan Kumar Shimoga Mylarappa, Sundarapandian Ramalinga Vijayalakshmi Reddy, Avinash Nayak, Wei Dou, Yong Cao, Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah, Mingdong Li