Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • SYSTEM APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING ELECTRICAL CLAMPING OF SUBSTRATES USING PHOTO-ILLUMINATION
    Publication number: 20210366757
    Abstract: A method may include providing a substrate in a process chamber, directing radiation from an illumination source to the substrate when the substrate is disposed in the process chamber, and processing the substrate by providing a processing species to the substrate, separate from the radiation, when the substrate is disposed in the process chamber. As such, the radiation may be characterized by a radiation energy, wherein at least a portion of the radiation energy is equal to or greater than 2.5 eV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Qin Chen, Julian G. Blake, Michael W. Osborne, Steven M. Anella, Jonathan D. Fischer
  • Endpointing detection for chemical mechanical polishing based on spectrometry
    Patent number: 11183435
    Abstract: A method of detecting a polishing endpoint includes storing a plurality of library spectra, measuring a sequence of spectra from the substrate in-situ during polishing, and for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching library spectrum from the plurality of library spectra to generate a sequence of best matching library spectra. Each library spectrum has a stored associated value representing a degree of progress through a polishing process, and the stored associated value for the best matching library spectrum is determined for each best matching library spectrum to generate a sequence of values representing a progression of polishing of the substrate. The sequence of values is compared to a target value, and a polishing endpoint is triggered when the sequence of values reaches the target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dominic J. Benvegnu, Jeffrey Drue David, Boguslaw A. Swedek
  • Two axis goniometer to accomplish fine, permanent, calibration of lift pin hoop orientation
    Patent number: 11183418
    Abstract: Embodiments herein disclose a de-coupled substrate lift mechanism installation bracket and method of adjusting a plane of a lift pin hoop of the substrate lift mechanism. In one embodiment an apparatus for making adjustments about two remote axes includes a first adjustment mechanism and a second adjustment mechanism. The first adjustment mechanism includes a common member, one or more first side members, a connector member, and a plurality of first joints pivotably coupling the common member, the one or more first side members, and the connector member. The second adjustment mechanism includes a first body having the common member, one or more second side members, a first frame member, and a plurality of second joints pivotably coupling the common member, the one or more second side members, and the first frame member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Forderhase
  • Rotary reactor for uniform particle coating with thin films
    Patent number: 11180851
    Abstract: A reactor for coating particles includes one or more motors, a rotary vacuum chamber configured to hold particles to be coated and coupled to the motors, a controller configured to cause the motors to rotate the chamber in a first direction about an axial axis at a rotation speed sufficient to force the particles to be centrifuged against an inner diameter of the chamber, a vacuum port to exhaust gas from the rotary vacuum chamber, a paddle assembly including a rotatable drive shaft extending through the chamber and coupled to the motors and at least one paddle extending radially from the drive shaft, such that rotation of the drive shaft by the motors orbits the paddle about the drive shaft in a second direction, and a chemical delivery system including a gas outlet on the paddle configured inject process gas into the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin C. Neikirk, Pravin K. Narwankar, Kaushal Gangakhedkar, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Jonathan Frankel, David Masayuki Ishikawa, Quoc Truong, Joseph Yudovsky
  • Electrostatic chuck optimized for refurbishment
    Patent number: 11179965
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes a metal base plate, an electrostatic puck bonded to the metal base plate, and surface features on the surface of the electrostatic puck. The electrostatic puck includes an electrode embedded in the electrostatic puck. A surface of the electrostatic puck has a flatness of below 10 microns. The surface features include mesas and a sealing band around a perimeter of the electrostatic puck. The surface features have an average surface roughness of approximately 2-6 micro-inches. The corners of the surface features are not rounded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay D. Parkhe, Kadthala Ramaya Narendrnath
  • Atomic layer deposition coatings for high temperature ceramic components
    Patent number: 11180847
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present disclosure relate to coated articles and methods of coating articles. In one embodiment, a coated article comprises an article adapted for use in a processing chamber, and a coating formed on exterior and interior surfaces of the article. In one embodiment, the coating comprises a rare earth metal-containing ceramic, and the coating is substantially uniform, conformal, and porosity-free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaowei Wu, Jennifer Y. Sun, Michael R. Rice
  • Direct liquid injection system for thin film deposition
    Patent number: 11180849
    Abstract: An apparatus for direct liquid injection (DLI) of chemical precursors into a processing chamber is provided. The apparatus includes a vaporizer assembly having an injection valve for receiving a liquid reactant, vaporizing the liquid reactant, and delivering the vaporized liquid reactant. The injection valve includes a valve body encompassing an interior region therein, a gas inlet port, a liquid inlet port, and a vapor outlet port all in fluid communication with the interior region. The vaporizer assembly further includes a first inlet line having a first end fluidly coupled with the liquid inlet port and a second end to be connected to a liquid source. The vaporizer assembly further includes a second inlet line with a first end fluidly coupled with the gas inlet port, a second end fluidly coupled with a carrier gas source, and a heater positioned between the first end and the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Subramanya P. Herle, Vicente M. Lim, Basavaraj Pattanshetty, Ajay More, Marco Mohr, Bjoern Sticksel-Weis, Nilesh Chimanrao Bagul, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan
  • GENERATING THREE DIMENSIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF A SPECIMEN
    Publication number: 20210358712
    Abstract: A method, a non-transitory computer readable medium and a three-dimensional evaluation system for providing three dimensional information regarding structural elements of a specimen. The method can include illuminating the structural elements with electron beams of different incidence angles, where the electron beams pass through the structural elements and the structural elements are of nanometric dimensions; detecting forward scattered electrons that are scattered from the structural elements to provide detected forward scattered electrons; and generating the three dimensional information regarding structural elements based at least on the detected forward scattered electrons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Konstantin Chirko, Itamar Shani, Albert Karabekov, Guy Eytan, Lior Yaron, Alon Litman
  • Doped And Undoped Vanadium Oxides For Low-K Spacer Applications
    Publication number: 20210358744
    Abstract: A microelectronic device on a semiconductor substrate comprises: a gate electrode; and a spacer adjacent to the gate electrode, the spacer comprising: a the low-k dielectric film comprising one or more species of vanadium oxide, which is optionally doped, and an optional silicon nitride or oxide film. Methods comprise depositing a low-k dielectric film optionally sandwiched by a silicon nitride or oxide film to form a spacer adjacent to a gate electrode of a microelectronic device on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the low-k dielectric film comprises a vanadium-containing film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Srinivas Gandikota, Kelvin Chan, Atashi Basu, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Rotary reactor for uniform particle coating with thin films
    Patent number: 11174552
    Abstract: A reactor for coating particles includes one or more motors, a rotary vacuum chamber configured to hold particles to be coated, wherein the rotary vacuum chamber is coupled to the motors, a controller configured to cause the motors to rotate the rotary vacuum chamber about an axial axis of the rotary vacuum chamber such that the particles undergo tumbling agitation, a vacuum port to exhaust gas from the rotary vacuum chamber, a paddle assembly including a rotatable drive shaft extending through the rotary vacuum chamber and coupled to the motors and at least one paddle extending radially from the drive shaft, such that rotation of the drive shaft by the motors orbits the paddle about the drive shaft in a second direction, and a chemical delivery system including a gas outlet on the paddle configured inject process gas into the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Colin C. Neikirk, Pravin K. Narwankar, Kaushal Gangakhedkar, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Jonathan Frankel, David Masayuki Ishikawa, Quoc Truong, Joseph Yudovsky
  • Apparatus and methods for manufacturing semiconductor structures using protective barrier layer
    Patent number: 11177128
    Abstract: Methods for forming a semiconductor structure including a silicon (Si) containing layer or a silicon germanium (SiGe) layer are provided. The methods include depositing a protective barrier (e.g., liner) layer over the semiconductor structure, forming a flowable dielectric layer over the liner layer, and exposing the flowable dielectric layer to high pressure steam. A cluster system includes a first deposition chamber configured to form a semiconductor structure, a second deposition chamber configured to perform a liner deposition process to form a liner layer, a third deposition chamber configured to form a flowable dielectric layer over the liner layer, an annealing chamber configured to expose the flowable oxide layer to high pressure steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Pramit Manna, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Kurtis Leschkies, Steven Verhaverbeke, Shishi Jiang
  • Stacked transistor device
    Patent number: 11177254
    Abstract: Logic devices and methods of forming logic devices are described. An epitaxial channel is formed orthogonally to a horizontal plane of a substrate surface with a stack or horizontal transistors on the substrate surface. The first horizontal transistor having a first length and a first step, the second horizontal transistor having a second length and a second step and a third horizontal transistor has a third length and a third step. Each of the horizontal transistors is separated from adjacent layers by a horizontal isolation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Suketu Arun Parikh, Sanjay Natarajan
  • Inner retaining ring and outer retaining ring for carrier head
    Patent number: 11173579
    Abstract: A carrier head for a chemical mechanical polisher includes a base, a substrate mounting surface, an annular inner ring and an outer ring. The inner ring has a lower surface configured to contact an upper surface of a substrate positioned on the substrate mounting surface, an outer surface, and an inwardly facing surface extending downwardly from the lower surface and is configured to circumferentially surround the edge of the substrate, the inner ring vertically movable relative to the substrate mounting surface. The outer ring has an inner surface circumferentially surrounding the inner ring, an outer surface, and a lower surface to contact the polishing pad, and the outer ring is vertically movable relative to and independently of the substrate mounting surface and the inner ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Mario David Silvetti, Yin Yuan, Samuel Chu-Chiang Hsu, Huanbo Zhang, Gautam Shashank Dandavate
  • STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR FORMING DYNAMIC RANDOM-ACCESS DEVICES
    Publication number: 20210351188
    Abstract: Disclosed are DRAM devices and methods of forming DRAM devices. One non-limiting method may include providing a device, the device including a plurality of angled structures formed from a substrate, a bitline and a dielectric between each of the plurality of angled structures, and a drain disposed along each of the plurality of angled structures. The method may further include providing a plurality of mask structures of a patterned masking layer over the plurality of angled structures, the plurality of mask structures being oriented perpendicular to the plurality of angled structures. The method may further include etching the device at a non-zero angle to form a plurality of pillar structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Sony Varghese
  • Multi-Step Pre-Clean for Selective Metal Gap Fill
    Publication number: 20210351032
    Abstract: Methods for pre-cleaning substrates having metal and dielectric surfaces are described. The substrate is exposed to a strong reductant to remove contaminants from the metal surface and damage the dielectric surface. The substrate is then exposed to an oxidation process to repair the damage to the dielectric surface and oxidize the metal surface. The substrate is then exposed to a weak reductant to reduce the metal oxide to a pure metal surface without substantially affecting the dielectric surface. Processing tools and computer readable media for practicing the method are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Xi Cen, Yakuan Yao, Yiming Lai, Kai Wu, Avgerinos V. Gelatos, David T. Or, Keyvan Kashefi, Yu Lei, Lin Dong, He Ren, Yi Xu, Mehul Naik, Hao Chen, Mang-Mang Ling
  • Selective Deposition Of Silicon Using Deposition-Treat-Etch Process
    Publication number: 20210351035
    Abstract: Methods for selective silicon film deposition on a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface are described. More specifically, the process of depositing a film, treating the film to change some film property and selectively etching the film from various surfaces of the substrate are described. The deposition, treatment and etching can be repeated to selectively deposit a film on one of the two substrate surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Rui Cheng, Fei Wang, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Robert Jan Visser
  • Binary Metal Liner Layers
    Publication number: 20210351136
    Abstract: Described are microelectronic device comprising a dielectric layer formed on a substrate, a feature 206 comprising a gap defined in the dielectric layer, a barrier layer on the dielectric layer, a two metal liner film on the barrier layer and a gap fill metal on the two metal liner. Embodiments provide a method of forming an microelectronic device comprising the two metal liner film on the barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Shen, Feng Chen, Yizhak Sabba, Tae Hong Ha, Xianmin Tang, Zhiyuan Wu, Wenjing Xu
  • METHODS FOR VARIABLE ETCH DEPTHS
    Publication number: 20210351069
    Abstract: Methods of producing grating materials with variable height fins are provided. In one example, a method may include providing a mask layer atop a substrate, the mask layer including a first opening over a first processing area and a second opening over a second processing area. The method may further include etching the substrate to recess the first and second processing areas, forming a grating material over the substrate, and etching the grating material in the first and second processing areas to form a plurality of structures oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to a vertical extending from a top surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Morgan Evans, Joseph C. Olson, Rutger Meyer Timmerman Thijssen, Daniel Distaso, Ryan Boas
  • SEAMLESS GAP FILL
    Publication number: 20210351074
    Abstract: Methods for filling a substrate feature with a seamless gap fill are described. Methods comprise forming a metal film a substrate surface, the sidewalls and the bottom surface of a feature, the metal film having a void located within the width of the feature; treating the metal film with a plasma; and annealing the metal film to remove the void.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yixiong Yang, Srinivas Gandikota, Wei Liu
  • 3D PITCH MULTIPLICATION
    Publication number: 20210351183
    Abstract: Memory devices and methods of manufacturing memory devices are provided. Described are devices and methods where 3D pitch multiplication decouples high aspect ratio etch width from cell width, creating small cell active area pitch to allow for small DRAM die size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nitin K. Ingle, Fredrick Fishburn