Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • Patent number: 11053590
    Abstract: A nozzle for uniform plasma processing comprises an inlet portion and an outlet portion. The inlet portion has a side surface substantially parallel to a vertical axis. The inlet portion comprises a plurality of gas channels. The outlet portion is coupled to the inlet portion. The outlet portion comprises a plurality of outlets. At least one of the outlets is at an angle other than a right angle relative to the vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Rohit Mishra, Siva Suri Chandra Rao Bhesetti, Eng Sheng Peh, Sriskantharajah Thirunavukarasu, Shoju Vayyapron, Cheng Sun
  • Patent number: 11056406
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of forming a stack of semiconductor layers. The method may include depositing a first silicon oxide layer on a substrate. The method may also include depositing a first silicon layer on the first silicon oxide layer. The method may include depositing a first silicon nitride layer on the first silicon layer. The method may further include depositing a second silicon layer on the first silicon nitride layer. In addition, the method may include depositing a stress layer on a side of the substrate opposite a side of the substrate with the first silicon oxide layer. The operations may form a structure of semiconductor layers, where the structure includes the first silicon oxide layer, the first silicon layer, the first silicon nitride layer, the second silicon layer, the substrate, and the stress layer. Other methods of reducing stress are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Liyan Miao, Chentsau Ying, Xinhai Han, Long Lin
  • Patent number: 11054746
    Abstract: Generally, examples described herein relate to systems and methods for processing a substrate, and more particularly, for removing an edge bead or other source of contamination from an edge of a substrate. An example is a processing system including a chamber, a substrate handler within the chamber, and a radiation generator within the chamber. The substrate handler is configured to secure a substrate. The substrate handler is operable to position an edge surface of the substrate such that radiation propagating from the radiation generator is directed to the edge surface of the substrate, and operable to position a periphery region of a deposit surface of the substrate that is perpendicular to and along the edge surface such that radiation propagating from the radiation generator is directed to the periphery region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Eli Dagan
  • Patent number: 11053592
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a substrate temperature monitoring system in a substrate support assembly. In one embodiment, the substrate support assembly includes a lift pin. The lift pin has a body. The body has an interior passage and a rounded top surface configured for contacting a substrate when in use. A substrate temperature sensor disposed in the interior passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Sanjay D. Yadav
  • Patent number: 11057963
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus disclosed herein generally relate to lamp heating of process chambers used to process semiconductor substrates. More specifically, implementations disclosed herein relate to arrangement and control of lamps for heating of semiconductor substrates. In some implementations of the present disclosure, fine-tuning of temperature control is achieved by dividing different lamps within an array of lamps into various subgroups or lamp assemblies defined by a specific characteristic. These various subgroups may be based on characteristics such as lamp design and/or lamp positioning within the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhepeng Cong, Schubert S. Chu
  • Patent number: 11058010
    Abstract: An evaporation apparatus (100) for depositing material on a flexible substrate (160) supported by a processing drum (170) is provided. The evaporation apparatus includes: a first set (110) of evaporation crucibles aligned in a first line (120) along a first direction for generating a cloud (151) of evaporated material to be deposited on the flexible substrate (160); and a gas supply pipe (130) extending in the first direction and being arranged between an evaporation crucible of the first set (110) of evaporation crucibles and the processing drum (170), wherein the gas supply pipe (130) includes a plurality of outlets (133) for providing a gas supply directed into the cloud of evaporated material, and wherein a position of the plurality of outlets is adjustable for changing a position of the gas supply directed into the cloud of evaporated material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Roland Trassl
  • Patent number: 11053581
    Abstract: An article comprises a body and at least one protective layer on at least one surface of the body. The at least one protective layer is a thin film having a thickness of less than approximately 20 microns that comprises a ceramic selected from a group consisting of Y3Al5O12, Er2O3, Er3Al5O12, and a ceramic compound comprising Y4Al2O9 and a solid-solution of Y2O3—ZrO2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Y. Sun, Biraja P. Kanungo, Vahid Firouzdor, Tom Cho
  • Patent number: 11056372
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a substrate support and techniques for controlling a temperature of the same. The substrate support includes a heating element and an over temperature switch disposed therein. The heating element heats the substrate support and a substrate disposed thereon. The over temperature switch controls a temperature of the heating element and the substrate support. The over temperature switch is operable to switch states in response to a temperature of the substrate support exceeding a predefined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian T. West, Soundarrajan Jembulingam, Dinkesh Huderi Somanna
  • Patent number: 11056350
    Abstract: A retaining ring comprises a generally annular body. The body comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer surface connected to the top surface at an outer top perimeter and the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter, and an inner surface connected to the top surface at an inner top perimeter and the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter. The inner surface comprises seven or more planar facets. Adjacent planar facets are connected at corners. The inner bottom perimeter comprises straight edges of the planar facets connected at the corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeonghoon Oh, Steven M. Zuniga, Andrew J. Nagengast, Samuel Chu-Chiang Hsu, Gautam Shashank Dandavate
  • Patent number: 11054815
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for classifying runs of a recipe within a manufacturing environment. Embodiments monitor a plurality of runs of a recipe to collect runtime data from a plurality of sensors within a manufacturing environment. Qualitative data describing each semiconductor devices produced by the plurality of runs is determined. Embodiments characterize each run into a respective group, based on an analysis of the qualitative data, and generate a data model based on the collected runtime data. A multivariate analysis of additional runtime data collected during at least one subsequent run of the recipe is performed to classify the at least one subsequent run into a first group. Upon classifying the at least one subsequent run, embodiments output for display an interface depicting a ranking sensor types based on the additional runtime data and the description of relative importance of each sensor type for the first group within the data model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley D. Schulze, Suketu Arun Parikh, Jimmy Iskandar, Jigar Bhadriklal Patel
  • Patent number: 11054317
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of measuring the chucking force of an electrostatic chuck. The method comprises placing a sensor wafer onto the electrostatic chuck, wherein the sensor wafer comprises a plurality of pressure sensors, and applying a chucking voltage to the electrostatic chuck. The method further comprises measuring the chucking force with the plurality of pressure sensors to determine a first chucking force profile of the electrostatic chuck, and processing a plurality of wafers on the electrostatic chuck. The method further comprises placing the sensor wafer onto the electrostatic chuck, and applying the chucking voltage to the electrostatic chuck. The method further comprises measuring the chucking force with the plurality of pressure sensors to determine a second chucking force profile of the electrostatic chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles G. Potter, Wendell Glenn Boyd, Jr., Govinda Raj, Robert Hirahara
  • Publication number: 20210202218
    Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a chamber body including sidewalls and a base. The chambers may include a substrate support extending through the base of the chamber body. The substrate support may include a support platen configured to support a semiconductor substrate. The substrate support may include a shaft coupled with the support platen. The substrate support may include a shield coupled with the shaft of the substrate support. The shield may include a plurality of apertures defined through the shield. The substrate support may include a block seated in an aperture of the shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Venkata Sharat Chandra Parimi, Satish Radhakrishnan, Xiaoquan Min, Sarah Michelle Bobek, Sungwon Ha, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Vinay Prabhakar
  • Publication number: 20210202256
    Abstract: Methods for forming silicide films are disclosed. Methods of selectively depositing metal-containing films on silicon surfaces which are further processed to form silicide films are disclosed. Specific embodiments of the disclosure relate to the formation of silicide films on FinFET structures without the formation of a metal layer on the dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Swaminathan Srinivasan, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Nicolas Breil
  • Patent number: 11049760
    Abstract: The implementations described herein generally relate to a process kit suitable for use in a semiconductor process chamber, which reduces edge effects and widens the processing window with a single edge ring as compared to conventional process kits. The process kit generally includes an edge ring disposed adjacent to and surrounding a perimeter of a semiconductor substrate in a plasma chamber. A dimension of a gap between the substrate and the edge ring is less than about 1000 ?m, and a height difference between the substrate and the edge ring is less than about (+/?) 300 ?m. The resistivity of the ring is less than about 50 Ohm-cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Olivier Joubert, Jason A. Kenney, Sunil Srinivasan, James Rogers, Rajinder Dhindsa, Vedapuram S. Achutharaman, Olivier Luere
  • Patent number: 11049722
    Abstract: Methods of modifying the threshold voltage of metal oxide stacks are discussed. These methods utilize materials which provide larger shifts in threshold voltage while also being annealed at lower temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Siddarth Krishnan, Rajesh Sathiyanarayanan, Atashi Basu, Paul F. Ma
  • Patent number: 11049735
    Abstract: A method for operating an electronic device manufacturing system is provided that includes introducing an inert gas into a process tool vacuum pump at a first flow rate while the process tool is operating in a process mode, and introducing the inert gas into the process tool vacuum pump at a second flow rate while the process tool is operating in a chamber clean mode. Numerous other embodiments are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel O. Clark, Phil Chandler, Jay J. Jung
  • Patent number: 11049696
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a processing chamber for conformal oxidation of high aspect ratio structures. The processing chamber includes a chamber body with a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a flow assembly disposed in the first side. The flow assembly includes a flow divider to direct fluid flow away from a center of a substrate disposed in a processing region of the processing chamber. The flow divider includes a crescent shaped first side, a top, and a bottom. The processing chamber also includes a distributed pumping structure located adjacent to the second side. The flow assembly is designed to reduce flow constriction of the radicals, leading to increased radical concentration and flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishwas Kumar Pandey, Kartik Shah, Christopher S. Olsen, Agus Sofian Tjandra, Hansel Lo, Eric Kihara Shono, Hemantha Raju
  • Patent number: 11049699
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus for improving quality of films deposited on a substrate by a CVD process. More specifically, a branched gas feed assembly uniformly distributes a process gas entering an annular plenum. Each conduit of a first plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance is in fluid communication with one or more conduits of a second plurality of conduits having substantially equal flow conductance. Each conduit of the second plurality of conduits terminates at one of a plurality of outlets. Each outlet of the plurality of outlets is in fluid communication with one or more inlet ports of a plurality of inlet ports formed in the annular plenum. Each inlet port of the plurality of inlet ports is spaced equidistant about a central axis of the annular plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tejas Ulavi, Amit Kumar Bansal, Nitin Pathak, Ajit Balakrishna
  • Patent number: 11049537
    Abstract: One or more embodiments described herein generally relate to patterning semiconductor film stacks. Unlike in conventional embodiments, the film stacks herein are patterned without the need of etching the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack. Instead, the film stack is etched before the MTJ stack is deposited such that the spin on carbon layer and the anti-reflective coating layer are completely removed and a trench is formed within the dielectric capping layer and the oxide layer. Thereafter, MTJ stacks are deposited on the buffer layer and on the dielectric capping layer. An oxide capping layer is deposited such that it covers the MTJ stacks. An oxide fill layer is deposited over the oxide capping layer and the film stack is polished by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). The embodiments described herein advantageously result in no damage to the MTJ stacks since etching is not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: John O. Dukovic, Srinivas D. Nemani, Ellie Y. Yieh, Praburam Gopalraja, Steven Hiloong Welch, Bhargav S. Citla
  • Patent number: 11049698
    Abstract: Described processing chambers may include a chamber housing at least partially defining an interior region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The cambers may include a pedestal. The chambers may include a first showerhead positioned between the lid and the processing region, and may include a faceplate positioned between the first showerhead and the processing region. The chambers may also include a second showerhead positioned within the chamber between the faceplate and the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The second showerhead may include at least two plates coupled together to define a volume between the at least two plates. The at least two plates may at least partially define channels through the second showerhead, and each channel may be characterized by a first diameter at a first end of the channel and may be characterized by a plurality of ports at a second end of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Dmitry Lubomirsky