Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • Publication number: 20220411918
    Abstract: Transition metal dichalcogenide films and methods for depositing transition metal dichalcogenide films on a substrate are described. Methods for converting transition metal oxide films to transition metal dichalcogenide films are also described. The substrate is exposed to a precursor and a chalcogenide reactant to form the transition metal dichalcogenide film. The exposures can be sequential or simultaneous.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chandan Das, Susmit Singha Roy, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, John Sudijono, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Mark Saly
  • Publication number: 20220411924
    Abstract: Ampoules for a semiconductor manufacturing precursors and methods of use are described. The ampoules include a container with an inlet port and an outlet port. Alternating first and second elongate walls in the container are arranged to define longitudinal flow channels containing a precursor material, and alternating first and second passages between each of the longitudinal flow channels permitting fluid communication between adjacent longitudinal flow channels, wherein the first passages are located in a lower portion of the precursor cavity and the second passages are located an upper portion of the cavity. A flow path is defined by the longitudinal flow channels and the passages, through which a carrier gas flows in contact with the precursor material. In one or more embodiments, the precursor material is a solid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Durand, Kenric Choi, Garry K. Kwong
  • Publication number: 20220415656
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for backside wafer dopant activation using a low-temperature ion implant. In some embodiments, a method may include forming a semiconductor device atop a first main side of a substrate, and performing a low-temperature ion implant to a second main side of the substrate, wherein the first main side of the substrate is opposite the second main side of the substrate. The method may further include performing a second ion implant to the second main side of the substrate to form a collector layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Qintao Zhang, Samphy Hong, Vittoriano Ruscio, Wei Zou, David J. Lee
  • Publication number: 20220415648
    Abstract: Semiconductor processing methods are described that include providing a substrate to a reaction chamber, where the substrate includes substrate trenches that have a top surface and a bottom surface. A deposition gas that includes a carbon-containing gas and a nitrogen-containing gas flows into a plasma excitation region of the reaction chamber. A deposition plasma having an electron temperature less than or about 4 eV is generated from the deposition gas. The methods further include depositing a carbon-containing layer on the top surface and the bottom surface of the substrate trenches, where the as-deposited carbon-containing layer has a top surface-to-bottom surface thickness ratio of greater than or about 3:1. Also described are semiconductor structures that include an as-deposited carbon-containing layer on the top and bottom surface of at least a first and second trench, where the carbon-containing layer has a top surface-to-bottom surface thickness ratio of greater than or about 3:1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Abhijeet S. Bagal, Qian Fu, Kuan-Ting Liu, Chung Liu
  • Publication number: 20220415651
    Abstract: Memory devices and methods of forming memory devices are described. The memory devices comprise a silicon nitride hard mask layer on a ruthenium layer. Forming the silicon nitride hard mask layer on the ruthenium comprises pre-treating the ruthenium layer with a plasma to form an interface layer on the ruthenium layer; and forming a silicon nitride layer on the interface layer by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Pre-treating the ruthenium layer, in some embodiments, results in the interface layer having a reduced roughness and the memory device having a reduced resistivity compared to a memory device that does not include the interface layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Qixin Shen, Chuanxi Yang, Hang Yu, Deenesh Padhi, Gill Yong Lee, Sung-Kwan Kang, Abdul Wahab Mohammed, Hailing Liu
  • Publication number: 20220415637
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition processing chamber is described. The processing chamber includes a target backing plate in a top portion of the processing chamber, a substrate support in a bottom portion of the processing chamber, a deposition ring positioned at an outer periphery of the substrate support and a shield. The substrate support has a support surface spaced a distance from the target backing plate to form a process cavity. The shield forms an outer bound of the process cavity. In-chamber cleaning methods are also described. In an embodiment, the method includes closing a bottom gas flow path of a processing chamber to a process cavity, flowing an inert gas from the bottom gas flow path, flowing a reactant into the process cavity through an opening in the shield, and evacuating the reaction gas from the process cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jothilingam Ramalingam, Yong Cao, Ilya Lavitsky, Keith A. Miller, Tza-Jing Gung, Xianmin Tang, Shane Lavan, Randy D. Schmieding, John C. Forster, Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah
  • Patent number: 11537151
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to one or more flow ratio controllers and one or more gas injection inserts in the semiconductor processing chamber. In one implementation, an apparatus includes a first flow ratio controller including a first plurality of flow controllers, a second flow ratio controller including a second plurality of flow controllers, and a gas injection insert including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first plurality of channels and the second portion includes a second plurality of channels. The apparatus further includes a plurality of gas lines connecting the first and second pluralities of flow controllers to the first and second pluralities of channels. One or more gas lines of the plurality of gas lines are each connected to a channel of the first plurality of channels and a channel of the second plurality of channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthias Bauer
  • Patent number: 11538677
    Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include flowing a silicon-containing precursor, a nitrogen-containing precursor, and diatomic hydrogen into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may also include forming a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor, the nitrogen-containing precursor, and the diatomic hydrogen. The plasma may be formed at a frequency above 15 MHz. The methods may also include depositing a silicon nitride material on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuanxi Yang, Hang Yu, Yu Yang, Chuan Ying Wang, Allison Yau, Xinhai Han, Sanjay G. Kamath, Deenesh Padhi
  • Patent number: 11536792
    Abstract: There is provided a system and a method of testing an optical device in a scanner for scanning a semiconductor specimen, the method comprising controlling, by a processor and memory circuitry (PMC) operatively connected to the scanner, an optical element optically connected to the optical device to deviate an optical path of light transmitted by the optical device so to transmit towards an imaging sensor, thereby enabling acquiring, by the imaging sensor, image data informative of the optical device, wherein in a scanning mode the optical element enables light transmitting from the optical device towards another optical device comprised in the scanner, and processing the acquired image data to obtain results informative of operability of the optical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventor: Gagandeep Narang
  • Patent number: 11538925
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for forming MOSFETs. In some embodiments, a method may include providing a device structure including a plurality of trenches, forming a gate spacer layer over the device structure, and removing the gate spacer layer from a top surface of the device structure and from a first section of each of the plurality of trenches, wherein a portion of the gate spacer layer remains along a second section of each of the plurality of trenches. The method may further include forming a gate oxide layer along the first section of each of the plurality of trenches and along the portion of the gate spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sipeng Gu, Yi Zheng, Qintao Zhang, John Hautala
  • Patent number: 11540432
    Abstract: Disclosed in some embodiments is a chamber component (such as an end effector body) coated with an ultrathin electrically-dissipative material to provide a dissipative path from the coating to the ground. The coating may be deposited via a chemical precursor deposition to provide a uniform, conformal, and porosity free coating in a cost effective manner. In an embodiment wherein the chamber component comprises an end effector body, the end effector body may further comprise replaceable contact pads for supporting a substrate and the contact surface of the contact pads head may also be coated with an electrically-dissipative material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gayatri Natu, Geetika Bajaj, Prerna Goradia, Darshan Thakare, David Fenwick, XiaoMing He, Sanni Seppaelae, Jennifer Sun, Rajkumar Thanu, Jeff Hudgens, Karuppasamy Muthukamatchy, Arun Dhayalan
  • Patent number: 11538654
    Abstract: Thermally isolated captive features disposed in various components of an ion implantation system are disclosed. Electrodes, such as repellers and side electrodes, may be constructed with a captive feature, which serves as the electrode stem. The electrode stem makes minimal physical contact with the electrode mass due to a gap disposed in the interior cavity which retains the flared head of the electrode stem. In this way, the temperature of the electrode mass may remain higher than would otherwise be possible as conduction is reduced. Further, this concept can be applied to workpiece holders. For example, a ceramic platen is manufactured with one or more captive fasteners which are used to affix the platen to a base. This may minimize the thermal conduction between the platen and the base, while providing an improved mechanical connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Adam M. McLaughlin, Jordan B. Tye
  • Patent number: 11538714
    Abstract: An apparatus may include a clamp to clamp a substrate wherein the clamp is arranged opposing a back side of the substrate; and an illumination system, disposed to direct radiation to the substrate, when the substrate is disposed on the clamp, wherein the radiation comprises a radiation energy, equal to or above a threshold energy to generate mobile charge in the substrate, where the illumination system is disposed to direct radiation to the back side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Qin Chen, Julian G. Blake, Michael W. Osborne, Steven M. Anella, Jonathan D. Fischer
  • Patent number: 11538706
    Abstract: An alignment module for positioning a mask on a substrate comprises a mask stocker, an alignment stage, and a transfer robot. The mask stocker houses a mask cassette that stores a plurality of masks. The alignment stage is configured to support a carrier and a substrate. The transfer robot is configured to transfer one of the one or more masks from the mask stocker to the alignment stage and position the mask over the substrate. The alignment module may be part of an integrated platform having one or more transfer chambers, a factory interface having a substrate carrier chamber and one or more processing chambers. A carrier may be coupled to a substrate within the substrate carrier chamber and moved between the processing chambers to generate a semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander N. Lerner, Michael P. Karazim, Andrew J. Constant, Jeffrey A. Brodine, Kim Ramkumar Vellore, Kevin Moraes, Roey Shaviv
  • Patent number: 11537040
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising a tantalum-containing material; and a hard mask layer on the absorber layer, the hard mask layer comprising a hard mask material selected from the group consisting of CrO, CrON, TaNi, TaRu and TaCu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuwei Liu, Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Azeddine Zerrade
  • Publication number: 20220403512
    Abstract: Ampoules for a semiconductor manufacturing precursors and methods of use are described. The ampoules include a container with an inlet port an outlet port, a manifold having a serpentine base creating a tortuous flow path and a filter media assembly in a bottom-fed configuration. The torturous flow path is defined by a plurality of elongate walls and a plurality of openings of the serpentine base ampoule, through which a carrier gas flows in contact with the precursor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl White, David Marquardt, Mohith Verghese
  • Publication number: 20220406761
    Abstract: Exemplary package on package (PoP) assemblies may include a substrate. The PoP assemblies may include a first package positioned on a first side of the substrate with a bottom surface of the first package facing the substrate. The PoP assemblies may include a second package positioned on a second side of the substrate with a top surface of the second package facing the substrate. The second side may be positioned opposite the first side. The PoP assemblies may include a conductive element that contacts one or both of a top surface and the bottom surface of the second package and extends to a position that is aligned with or above a top surface of the first package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Itai Leshniak
  • Publication number: 20220404692
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, production systems therefor, and methods of reducing roughness are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a multilayer reflective stack on a substrate comprising a plurality of pairs of alternating layers comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer including a first element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, Al, Mg, Zr, Ba, Nb, Ti, Gd, Y, and Ca; and the second layer including a second element selected from the group consisting of Ru, Mo, Ta, Sb, Tc, Nb, Ir, Pt, and Pd. Some EUV mask blanks described herein include interface layer between the first layer and the second layer, the interface layer including an interface element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, C, Al, Mo, and Ru.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vibhu Jindal, Herng Yau Yoong, Wen Xiao
  • Publication number: 20220406595
    Abstract: Novel cyclic silicon precursors and oxidants are described. Methods for depositing silicon-containing films on a substrate are described. The substrate is exposed to a silicon precursor and a reactant to form the silicon-containing film (e.g., elemental silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride). The exposures can be sequential or simultaneous.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Chandan Kr Barik, Doreen Wei Ying Yong, John Sudijono, Cong Trinh, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Michael Haverty, Muthukumar Kaliappan, Yingqian Chen, Anil Kumar Tummanapelli, Richard Ming Wah Wong
  • Patent number: D973737
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Rice, Michael C. Kuchar, Travis Morey, Adam J. Wyatt, Ofer Amir