Patents Assigned to Applied Material
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Publication number: 20210050211Abstract: Methods for depositing rhenium-containing thin films on a substrate are described. The substrate is exposed to a rhenium precursor and a reducing agent to form the rhenium-containing film (e.g., metallic rhenium, rhenium nitride, rhenium oxide, rhenium carbide). The exposures can be sequential or simultaneous. The rhenium-precursors are substantially free of halogen.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2020Publication date: February 18, 2021Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., Wayne State UniversityInventors: Thomas Knisley, Keenan N. Woods, Mark Saly, Charles H. Winter, Stefan Cwik
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Microwave Plasma Source For Spatial Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PE-ALD) Processing Tool
Publication number: 20210050187Abstract: Plasma source assemblies, gas distribution assemblies including the plasma source assembly and methods of generating plasma are described. The plasma source assemblies include a powered electrode with a ground electrode adjacent a first side and a dielectric adjacent a second side. A first microwave generator is electrically coupled to the first end of the powered electrode through a first feed and a second microwave generator is electrically coupled to the second end of the powered electrode through a second feed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2019Publication date: February 18, 2021Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jozef Kudela, Tsutomu Tanaka, Alexander V. Garachtchenko, Dmitry A. Dzilno, Avinash Shervegar, Kallol Bera, Xiaopu Li, Anantha K. Subramani, John C. Forster -
Publication number: 20210047733Abstract: A non-conformal, highly selective liner for etch methods in semiconductor devices is described. A method comprises forming a film stack on a substrate; etching the film stack to form an opening; depositing a non-conformal liner in the opening; etching the non-conformal liner from the bottom of the opening; and selectively etching the film stack relative to the non-conformal liner to form a logic or memory hole. The non-conformal liner comprises one or more of boron, carbon, or nitrogen.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2020Publication date: February 18, 2021Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Bo Qi, Huiyuan Wang, Yingli Rao, Abhijit Basu Mallick
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Patent number: 10923386Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing chamber with a top, a bottom, and a sidewall coupled together to define an enclosure, a gas distributor around the sidewall, a substrate support disposed in the enclosure, the substrate support having a central opening and a plurality of substrate locations distributed around the central opening, a pumping port below the substrate support, and an energy source coupled to the top or the bottom. The energy source may be a radiant source, a thermal source, a UV source, or a plasma source. The substrate support may be rotated using a magnetic rotator and an air bearing. The gas distributor may have a plurality of passages distributed around a circumference of the gas distributor.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2015Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Mehmet Tugrul Samir
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Patent number: 10923652Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and apparatus for fabricating magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures on a substrate for MRAM applications. In one embodiment, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device structure includes a junction structure disposed on a substrate, the junction structure comprising a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer sandwiching a tunneling barrier layer, a dielectric capping layer disposed on the junction structure, a metal capping layer disposed on the junction structure, and a top buffer layer disposed on the metal capping layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Lin Xue, Chando Park, Chi Hong Ching, Jaesoo Ahn, Mahendra Pakala
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Patent number: 10921827Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for controlling a flow rate of a gas including a flow restriction element configured to restrict a flow rate of a gas; a pressure regulator coupled to an inlet of the flow restriction element, wherein the pressure regulator is configured to control a pressure of the gas between the pressure regulator and the flow restriction element; a flow meter coupled to an outlet of the flow restriction element, wherein the flow meter is configured to measure the flow rate of the gas at an outlet of the flow restriction element; and a controller operatively coupled to the pressure regulator and the flow meter, wherein the controller is to receive a measurement of the flow rate by the flow meter, determine a pressure setting associated with a target flow rate, and cause the pressure regulator to have the pressure setting.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ming Xu, Kenneth Le, Ashley M. Okada
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Patent number: 10923367Abstract: Methods and process chambers for etching of low-k and other dielectric films are described. For example, a method includes modifying portions of the low-k dielectric layer with a plasma process. The modified portions of the low-k dielectric layer are etched selectively over a mask layer and unmodified portions of the low-k dielectric layer. Etch chambers having multiple chamber regions for alternately generating distinct plasmas are described. In embodiments, a first charge coupled plasma source is provided to generate an ion flux to a workpiece in one operational mode, while a secondary plasma source is provided to provide reactive species flux without significant ion flux to the workpiece in another operational mode. A controller operates to cycle the operational modes repeatedly over time to remove a desired cumulative amount of the dielectric material.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Dmitry Lubomirsky, Srinivas Nemani, Ellie Yieh, Sergey G. Belostotskiy
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Patent number: 10921793Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable medium for scheduling a substrate processing sequence in an integrated substrate processing system. A client device assigns a processing sequence to each substrate in a batch of substrates to be processed. The client device assigns a processing chamber to each process in the process sequence for each processing chamber in the integrate substrate processing system. The client device generates a processing model for the batch of substrates. The processing model defines a start time for each substrate in each processing chamber. The client device generates a timetable for the batch of semiconductor substrates based off the processing model. The client device processes the batch of substrates in accordance with the timetable.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Shyam Sunder Emani
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Patent number: 10923321Abstract: Embodiments of this disclosure describe a feedback loop that can be used to maintain a nearly constant sheath voltage and thus creating a mono-energetic IEDF at the surface of the substrate. The system described herein consequently enables a precise control over the shape of IEDF and the profile of the features formed in the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2020Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Leonid Dorf, Evgeny Kamenetskiy, James Rogers, Olivier Luere, Rajinder Dhindsa, Viacheslav Plotnikov
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Patent number: 10921251Abstract: The present invention generally relates method and part wear indicator for identifying an eroded chamber component in an etching or other plasma processing chamber. In one embodiment, a chamber component has a part wear indicator. The chamber component has a body. The body has a top surface and a bottom surface. A part wear indicator material is disposed in the chamber component body. The part wear indicator has a body. The body of the part wear indicator has a transparent first layer. A second layer has a tracer material disposed therein and wherein the first layer is closer to the top surface of the top surface than the second layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2016Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Mats Larsson, Kevin A. Papke
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Patent number: 10923405Abstract: Embodiments include devices and methods for detecting particles, monitoring etch or deposition rates, or controlling an operation of a wafer fabrication process. In an embodiment, a particle monitoring device for particle detection includes several capacitive micro sensors mounted on a wafer substrate to detect particles under all pressure regimes, e.g., under vacuum conditions. In an embodiment, one or more capacitive micro sensors is mounted on a wafer processing tool to measure material deposition and removal rates in real-time during the wafer fabrication process. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Leonard Tedeschi, Kartik Ramaswamy, Daniel Thomas McCormick, Robert Paul Meagley
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Patent number: 10923396Abstract: Electronic devices and methods to form electronic devices having a self-aligned via are described. An adhesion enhancement layer is utilized to promote adhesion between the conductive material and the sidewalls of the at least one via opening. The self-aligned vias decrease via resistance and reduce the potential to short to the wrong metal line.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2020Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Suketu Arun Parikh, Mihaela Balseanu
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Patent number: 10921714Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide improved photolithography systems and methods using a digital micromirror device (DMD). The DMD comprises columns and rows of micromirrors disposed opposite a substrate. Light beams reflect off the micromirrors onto the substrate, resulting in a patterned substrate. Certain subsets of the columns and rows of micromirrors may be positioned to the “off” position, such that they dump light, in order to correct for uniformity errors, i.e., features larger than desired, in the patterned substrate. Similarly, certain subsets of the columns and rows of micromirrors may be defaulted to the “off” position and selectively allowed to return to their programmed position in order to correct for uniformity errors, i.e., features smaller than desired, in the patterned substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2020Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Joseph R. Johnson, Thomas L. Laidig, Christopher Dennis Bencher
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Patent number: 10920319Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing chamber showerheads may include a dielectric plate characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The dielectric plate may define a plurality of apertures through the dielectric plate. The dielectric plate may define a first annular channel in the first surface of the dielectric plate, and the first annular channel may extend about the plurality of apertures. The dielectric plate may define a second annular channel in the first surface of the dielectric plate. The second annular channel may be formed radially outward from the first annular channel. The showerheads may also include a conductive material embedded within the dielectric plate and extending about the plurality of apertures without being exposed by the apertures. The conductive material may be exposed at the second annular channel.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Laksheswar Kalita, Soonam Park, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Tien Fak Tan, LokKee Loh, Saravjeet Singh, Tae Won Kim
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Patent number: 10923306Abstract: An indirectly heated cathode ion source having an electrically isolated extraction plate is disclosed. By isolating the extraction plate, a different voltage can be applied to the extraction plate than to the body of the arc chamber. By applying a more positive voltage to the extraction plate, more efficient ion source operation with higher plasma density can be achieved. In this mode the plasma potential is increased, and the electrostatic sheath reduces losses of electrons to the chamber walls. By applying a more negative voltage, an ion rich sheath adjacent to the extraction aperture can be created. In this mode, conditioning and cleaning of the extraction plate is achieved via ion bombardment. Further, in certain embodiments, the voltage applied to the extraction plate can be pulsed to allow ion extraction and cleaning to occur simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Svetlana B. Radovanov, Bon-Woong Koo, Alexandre Likhanskii
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Patent number: 10925146Abstract: An ion source chamber with an embedded heater is disclosed. The heater comprises a radiant heater, such as a heat lamp or light emitting diodes, and is disposed within the ion source chamber. The radiant heat from the heater warms the interior surfaces of the ion source chamber. Further, the ion source chamber is designed such that the plasma is generated in a portion of the ion source chamber that does not contain the heater. Additionally, a controller may be in communication with the heater so as to maintain the ion source chamber at a desired temperature when a plasma is not being generated in the ion source chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Kevin Ryan, Todd MacEachern, Jeffrey Krampert, Joseph Dzengeleski
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Patent number: 10920320Abstract: Methods of monitoring a plasma while processing a semiconductor substrate are described. In embodiments, the methods include determining the difference in power between the power delivered from the plasma power supply and the power received by the plasma in a substrate processing chamber. The power received may be determined using a V/I sensor positioned after the matching circuit. The power reflected or the power lost is the difference between the delivered power and the received power. The process may be terminated by removing the delivered power if the reflected power is above a setpoint. The VRF may further be fourier transformed into frequency space and compared to the stored fourier transform of a healthy plasma process. Missing frequencies from the VRF fourier transform may independently or further indicate an out-of-tune plasma process and the process may be terminated.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Junghoon Kim, Soonam Park, Tae Seung Cho, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Nikolai Kalnin
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Patent number: 10923334Abstract: One or more embodiments described herein generally relate to selective deposition of substrates in semiconductor processes. In these embodiments, a precursor is delivered to a process region of a process chamber. A plasma is generated by delivering RF power to an electrode within a substrate support surface of a substrate support disposed in the process region of the process chamber. In embodiments described herein, delivering the RF power at a high power range, such as greater than 4.5 kW, advantageously leads to greater plasma coupling to the electrode, resulting in selective deposition to the substrate, eliminating deposition on other process chamber areas such as the process chamber side walls. As such, less process chamber cleans are necessary, leading to less time between depositions, increasing throughput and making the process more cost-effective.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Satya Thokachichu, Edward P. Hammond, IV, Viren Kalsekar, Zheng John Ye, Sarah Michelle Bobek, Abdul Aziz Khaja, Vinay K. Prabhakar, Venkata Sharat Chandra Parimi, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Kwangduk Douglas Lee
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Patent number: 10920315Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for treating vacuum processing system exhaust gases. In addition, methods and apparatus for maintenance of foreline plasma reactor subsystems are disclosed. In some embodiments, an apparatus for treating an exhaust gas in a foreline of a vacuum processing system includes a plasma source coupled with a foreline of a process chamber, a treatment agent source coupled with the plasma source, and a downstream trap to cool an exhaust stream and trap particles in the exhaust stream. In some embodiments, multiple foreline plasma reactor subsystems are used with a vacuum processing system, and one foreline plasma reactor subsystem can be isolated and maintained (e.g., cleaned) while exhaust gas treatment continues in another foreline plasma reactor subsystem and processing continues in the vacuum processing system.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Colin John Dickinson
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Patent number: 10923309Abstract: A method for improving the beam current for certain ion beams, and particularly germanium and argon, is disclosed. The use of argon as a second gas has been shown to improve the ionization of germane, allowing the formation of a germanium ion beam of sufficient beam current without the use of a halogen. Additionally, the use of germane as a second gas has been shown to improve the beam current of an argon ion beam.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2018Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Bon-Woong Koo, Ajdin Sarajlic, Ronald Johnson, Nunzio V. Carbone, Peter Ewing, Mervyn Deegan
