Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • Patent number: 10981323
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a platform, a dispenser to deliver a plurality of layers of feed material, one or more light sources configured to emit a first light beam and a second light beam, and a polygon beam scanner including a rotatable mirror having a plurality of reflective facets to redirect the first light beam and the second light beam toward the platform to deliver energy to an uppermost layer of feed material. The mirror is positioned and rotatable such that motion of each facet of the plurality of reflective facets causes the first light beam to sweep along a first path on the uppermost layer and causes the second light beam to sweep along the first path following the first light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Franklin, Hou T. Ng, Nag B. Patibandla
  • Patent number: 10985009
    Abstract: Embodiments include a method for forming a carbon containing film. In an embodiment, the method comprises flowing a precursor gas into a processing chamber. For example the precursor gas comprises carbon containing molecules. In an embodiment, the method further comprises flowing a co-reactant gas into the processing chamber. In an embodiment, the method further comprises striking a plasma in the processing chamber. In an embodiment plasma activated co-reactant molecules initiate polymerization of the carbon containing molecules in the precursor gas. Embodiments may also include a method that further comprises depositing a carbon containing film onto a substrate in the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Lakmal Charidu Kalutarage, Mark Saly, David Thompson, William John Durand, Kelvin Chan, Hanhong Chen, Philip Allan Kraus
  • Patent number: 10981227
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes a platen having a top surface, a support structure, a powder dispenser coupled to the support structure and positioned above the platen and configured to deliver a powder in a linear region that extends along a first axis, a gas dispenser coupled to the support structure in a fixed position relative to the powder dispenser and having an outlet to deliver a gas across the outermost layer of feed material, an energy source configured to selectively fused the layer of powder, and an actuator coupled to the support to move the support with the powder dispenser and the gas dispenser together along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and parallel to the top surface such that the linear region and the outlet sweep along the second axis to deposit the powder in a swath over the platen and deliver the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hou T. Ng, Nag B. Patibandla, Ajey M. Joshi, Bharath Swaminathan, Ashavani Kumar, Eric Ng, Bernard Frey, Kasiraman Krishnan
  • Publication number: 20210111058
    Abstract: Substrate supports comprising a top plate positioned on a shaft are described. The top plate including a primary heating element a first depth from the surface of the top plate, a inner zone heating element a second depth from the surface of the top plate and an outer zone heating element a third depth from the surface of the top plate. Substrate support assemblies comprising a plurality of substrate supports and methods of processing a substrate are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tejas Ulavi, Sanjeev Baluja, Dhritiman Subha Kashyap
  • Publication number: 20210111033
    Abstract: Exemplary methods of etching a silicon-containing material may include flowing a fluorine-containing precursor into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The fluorine-containing precursor may be characterized by a molecular formula of XFy, and y may be greater than or equal to 5. The methods may include forming a plasma within the remote plasma region to generate plasma effluents of the fluorine-containing precursor. The methods may include flowing the plasma effluents into a processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be positioned within the processing region, and the substrate may include a trench formed through stacked layers including alternating layers of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The methods may include laterally etching the layers of silicon nitride.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Mikhail Korolik, Paul E. Gee, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, John Sudijono, Doreen Wei Ying Yong, Kah Wee Ang, Debanjan Jana, Niharendu Mahapatra
  • Publication number: 20210111059
    Abstract: Substrate supports comprising a plurality of bonded plates forming a single component support body and methods of forming the substrate supports are described. The single component support body has an outer peripheral edge, a top surface and a bottom surface. A pocket is formed in the top surface and has a bottom surface, a depth and an outer peripheral edge. A purge ring is spaced a distance from the outer peripheral edge and comprises at least one opening in the top surface in fluid communication with a purge gas line within the body thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Applies Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tejas Ulavi, Vijay D. Parkhe, Naveen Kumar Nagaraja, Sanjeev Baluja, Surajit Kumar, Dhritiman Subha Kashyap, Ashutosh Agarwal
  • Patent number: 10978324
    Abstract: An epitaxial deposition chamber having an upper cone for controlling air flow above a dome in the chamber, such as a high growth rate epitaxy chamber, is described herein. The upper cone has first and second components separated by two or more gaps in the chamber, each component having a partial cylindrical region having a first concave inner surface, a first convex outer surface, and a fixed radius of curvature of the first concave inner surface, and a partial conical region extending from the partial cylindrical region, the partial conical region having a second concave inner surface, a second convex outer surface, and a varying radius of curvature of the second concave inner surface, wherein the second concave inner surface extends from the partial cylindrical region to a second radius of curvature less than the fixed radius of curvature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinichi Oki, Yoshinobu Mori, Yuji Aoki
  • Patent number: 10978334
    Abstract: A sealing structure is between a workpiece or substrate and a carrier for plasma processing. In one example, a substrate carrier has a top surface for holding a substrate, the top surface having a perimeter and a resilient sealing ridge on the perimeter of the top surface to contact the substrate when the substrate is being carried on the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chin Hock Toh, Tuck Foong Koh, Sriskantharajah Thirunavukarasu, Jen Sern Lew, Arvind Sundarrajan, Seshadri Ramaswami
  • Patent number: 10974363
    Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a carrier head having a flexible membrane and a chamber to apply pressure to the flexible membrane, a pressure control unit, a pressure supply line connecting the pressure control unit to the chamber, and a sensor located along the pressure supply line to detect a contaminant in the pressure supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald Vern Schauer
  • Publication number: 20210102307
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electroplating are described. The electroplating system may include a vessel configured to hold a first portion of a liquid electrolyte. The system may also include a substrate holder configured for holding a substrate in the vessel. The system may further include a first reservoir in fluid communication with the vessel. In addition, the system may include a second reservoir in fluid communication with the vessel. Furthermore, the system may include a first mechanism configured to expel a second portion of the liquid electrolyte from the first reservoir into the vessel. The system may also include a second mechanism configured to take in a third potion of the liquid electrolyte from the vessel into the second reservoir when the second portion of the liquid electrolyte is expelled from the first reservoir. Methods may include oscillating flow of the electrolyte within the vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul R. McHugh, Gregory J. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20210102291
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for processing substrates using a gas injector unit with a quartz plate are provided. The gas injector unit comprises an injector body with a first opening extending through the injector body. The first opening has a nut portion and a clamp portion. A nut is positioned within the nut portion spaced from the injector body by a spring. A clamp is positioned within the clamp portion, which may be remotely located on a hub for connection with the injector body. A screw extends through the opening in the clamp, a portion of the injector body, the spring and into a connection portion of the nut. Gas distribution assemblies and processing chambers incorporating the gas injector unit are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Griffin, Guangwei Sun
  • Publication number: 20210104401
    Abstract: Processing methods may be performed to produce semiconductor structures that may include a high-k dielectric material. The methods may include removing a native oxide from a surface of a substrate. The methods may include delivering nitrous oxide to the substrate and thermally annealing the surface to form an oxide-containing interface. The methods may include delivering a nitrogen-containing precursor or an oxygen-containing precursor to a substrate contained in a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming reactive ligands on an exposed surface of the substrate with the nitrogen-containing precursor or the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include forming a high-k dielectric material overlying the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven C. Hung
  • Publication number: 20210104617
    Abstract: Described is a method of manufacturing a gate-all-around electronic device. The method includes forming a thermal oxide layer though an enhanced in situ steam generation process in combination with atomic layer deposition of a low-? layer. The thin thermal oxide layer passivates the interface between the silicon layer and the dielectric layer of the GAA. A passivation process after the deposition of the low-? layer reduces the bulk trap and enhances the breakdown performance of the GAA transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 8, 2021
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven C.H. Hung, Benjamin Colombeau, Andy Lo, Byeong Chan Lee, Johanes F. Swenberg, Theresa Kramer Guarini, Malcolm J. Bevan
  • Patent number: 10971618
    Abstract: A miller, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and a method for milling a multi-layered object. The method may include milling each structural element of an array of structural elements that are spaced apart from each other by gaps to provide the milled structural elements, wherein each milled structural element has a flat upper surface, wherein prior the milling each one of the structural elements of the array has a flat upper surface of a certain width, wherein the certain width is of a nanometric scale. The milling of each structural element of the array may include scanning a defocused ion beam of the certain width along a longitudinal axis of the structural element. A current intensity of the defocused ion beam decreases with a distance from a middle of the defocused ion beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials Israel Ltd.
    Inventors: Ron Davidescu, Yehuda Zur
  • Patent number: 10967482
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a polishing pad using an additive manufacturing system includes dispensing a first plurality of first layers from a first plurality of successive layers by, for each respective first layer of the first plurality of first layers, ejecting droplets of polishing layer precursor into gaps between projections from a support to form the respective first layer, and curing the respective first layer before depositing a subsequent first layer, and dispensing a second plurality of layers from the first plurality of successive layers over the first plurality of layers by, for each respective second layer of the second plurality of layers, ejecting droplets of the polishing layer precursor to form the respective second layer, each respective second layer spanning the projections and the gaps, and curing the respective second layer before depositing a subsequent second layer, and removing the polishing layer from the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Redfield
  • Patent number: 10971381
    Abstract: A transfer chamber configured to be used during semiconductor device manufacturing is described. Transfer chamber includes at least one first side of a first width configured to couple to one or more substrate transfer units (e.g., one or more load locks or one or more pass-through units), and at least a second set of sides of a second width that is different than the first width, the second set of sides configured to couple to one or more processing chambers. A total number of sides of the transfer chamber is at least seven. Transfers within the transfer chamber are serviceable by a single robot. Process tools and methods for processing substrates are described, as are numerous other aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Robert Rice, Michael Meyers, John J. Mazzocco, Dean C. Hruzek, Michael Kuchar, Sushant S. Koshti, Penchala N. Kankanala, Eric A. Englhardt
  • Patent number: 10969773
    Abstract: A method of operating a polishing system includes training a plurality of models using a machine learning algorithm to generate a plurality of trained models, each trained model configured to determine a characteristic value of a layer of a substrate based on a monitoring signal from an in-situ monitoring system of a semiconductor processing system, storing the plurality of trained models, receiving data indicating a characteristic of a substrate to be processed, selecting one of the plurality of trained models based on the data, and passing the selected trained model to the processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Graham Yennie, Benjamin Cherian
  • Patent number: 10971327
    Abstract: A cryogenic heat transfer system including a platen supported by a rotatable shaft, a housing surrounding a portion of the rotatable shaft, the housing including an annular heat sink surrounding the rotatable shaft and defining a heat transfer gap between the heat sink and the rotatable shaft, the heat sink including a fluid conduit extending therethrough for circulating a first cooling fluid through the heat sink, a first dynamic seal arrangement extending from a first axial end of the heat sink and surrounding the rotatable shaft, and a second dynamic seal arrangement extending from a second axial end of the heat sink opposite the first axial end and radially surrounding the rotatable shaft, wherein the heat sink and the first and second dynamic seal arrangements define a fluidically sealed volume surrounding the rotatable shaft, the fluidically sealed volume containing a second cooling fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10967626
    Abstract: A module for an additive manufacturing system includes a frame, a dispenser configured to deliver a layer of particles over a platen, an energy source to generate a beam to fuse the particles, and a metrology system having a first sensor to measure a property of the surface of layer before being fused and a second sensor to measure a property of the layer after being fused. The dispenser, first sensor, energy source and second sensor are positioned on the frame in order along a first axis, and the dispenser, first sensor, energy source and second sensor are fixed to the frame such that the frame, dispenser, first sensor, energy source and second sensor can be mounted and dismounted as a single unit from a movable support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hou T. Ng, Raanan Zehavi, Nag B. Patibandla
  • Patent number: 10971390
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to substrate supports for semiconductor processing. In one embodiment, a substrate support is provided. The substrate support includes a body comprising a substrate chucking surface, an electrode disposed within the body, a plurality of substrate supporting features formed on the substrate chucking surface, wherein the number of substrate supporting features increases radially from a center of the substrate chucking surface to an edge of the substrate chucking surface, and a seasoning layer formed on the plurality of the substrate supporting features, the seasoning layer comprising a silicon nitride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Abdul Aziz Khaja, Liangfa Hu, Sudha S. Rathi, Ganesh Balasubramanian