Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • Patent number: 10866503
    Abstract: A substrate assembly may include a substrate base; and a low emission implantation mask, disposed on the substrate base. The low emission implantation mask may include a carbon-containing material, the carbon-containing material comprising an isotopically purified carbon, formed from a 12C carbon isotope precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Sinclair, Julian G. Blake
  • Patent number: 10867795
    Abstract: A method of etching a hardmask layer formed on a substrate is provided. The method includes supplying an etching gas mixture to a processing region of a processing chamber. A device is disposed in the processing region when the etching gas mixture is supplied to the processing region. The device comprises a substrate and a hardmask layer formed over the substrate. The etching gas mixture comprises a fluorine-containing gas, a silicon-containing gas, and an oxygen-containing gas. The method further includes providing RF power to the etching gas mixture to form a plasma in the processing region. The plasma is configured to etch exposed portions of the hardmask layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy Fung, Gene Lee, Hailong Zhou, Zohreh Hesabi, Akhil Mehrotra, Shan Jiang, Abhijit Patil, Chi-I Lang, Larry Gao
  • Patent number: 10867776
    Abstract: A PVD chamber deposits a film with high thickness uniformity. The PVD chamber includes a coil of an electromagnetic that, when energized with direct current power, can modify plasma in an edge portion of the processing region of the PVD chamber. The coil is disposed within the vacuum-containing portion of the PVD chamber and outside a processing region of the PVD chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian T. West, Michael S. Cox, Miroslav Gelo, Dinkesh Huderi Somanna
  • Patent number: 10867858
    Abstract: Processing methods may be performed to produce three-dimensional interconnects on a substrate. The methods may include forming a first metal interconnect layer over a semiconductor substrate. The methods may include forming a first dielectric layer over the first metal interconnect layer. The methods may include forming a second metal interconnect layer over the first dielectric layer. The methods may include forming a patterning mask overlying the second metal interconnect layer. The methods may also include simultaneously etching each of the first metal interconnect layer, the first dielectric layer, and the second metal interconnect layer to expose the substrate to produce a multilayer interconnect structure in a first lateral direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Suketu A. Parikh
  • Patent number: 10867829
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to an electrostatic chuck for processing substrates. The electrostatic chuck includes a facilities plate and an insulator disposed between a cooling base and a ground plate. A support body is coupled to the cooling base for supporting a substrate thereon. A ring is configured to surround the insulator. The ring is formed from a material that is resistant to degradation from exposure to a manufacturing process. The ring optionally includes an extension configured to surround the facilities plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Simmons, Dana Lovell
  • Publication number: 20200388621
    Abstract: Memory devices and methods of forming memory devices are described. The memory devices comprise two work-function metal layers, where one work-function layer has a lower work-function than the other work-function layer. The low work-function layer may reduce gate-induced drain leakage current losses. Methods of forming memory devices are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Kwan Kang, Gill Yong Lee, Sang Ho Yu, Shih Chung Chen, Jeffrey W. Anthis
  • Publication number: 20200385866
    Abstract: Described herein are RF components with a modified surface material to improve chemical resistance and decrease metal contamination within processing chambers. Also disclosed herein are methods of manufacturing and using the same. Some embodiments of the disclosure comprise a base material with a Young's modulus greater than or equal to 75 GPa. Some embodiments of the disclosure have a modified surface material comprising one or more of aluminum, lanathanum and magnesium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Swaminathan Srinivasan, Anantha K. Subramani, Karthik Janakiraman, Joseph F. Sommers
  • Publication number: 20200385865
    Abstract: PECVD methods for depositing a film at a low deposition rate comprising intermittent activation of the plasma are disclosed. The flowable film can be deposited using at least a polysilane precursor and a plasma gas. The deposition rate of the disclosed processes may be less than 500 ?/min.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shishi Jiang, Pramit Manna, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Publication number: 20200388532
    Abstract: A method of forming a low-k dielectric layer with barrier properties is disclosed. The method comprises forming a dielectric layer by PECVD which is doped with one or more of boron, nitrogen or phosphorous. The dopant gas of some embodiments may be coflowed with the other reactants during deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Ding, Shaunak Mukherjee, Bo Xie, Kang Sub Yim, Deenesh Padhi
  • Patent number: 10860677
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method that includes receiving input of a search term for a query and identifying a key mapped to the search term. The method further includes identifying a results page template and default data that correspond to the key, obtaining structured data that is associated with the equipment from a data source storing the structured data, and obtaining unstructured data that is associated with the equipment from a data source storing the unstructured data. The method further includes providing a results page via a graphical user interface (GUI), the results page including the results page template populated with the default data and equipment related results for the query. The equipment related results include the structured data that is associated with the equipment and the unstructured data that is associated with the equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Erik Wolf
  • Patent number: 10858879
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a composite thermal insulator including a first transparent substrate layer, a second transparent substrate layer, and a near-infrared shielding layer positioned between the first transparent substrate layer and the second transparent substrate layer, and the near-infrared shielding layer is formed by dispersively fixing multiple nanoparticles containing tungsten oxide in polyethylene terephthalate. The composite thermal insulator can't change color under sunlight so that it can be used for light output controlling and thermal isolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Zirco Applied Materials Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shiou-Sheng Yang
  • Patent number: 10858741
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an article comprising one or more channels and a multi-layer protective coating on the one or more channels. The multi-layer protective coating includes an anodization layer comprising a plurality of cracks and a plurality of pores, a sealing layer on the anodization layer, and a top layer on the sealing layer. The sealing layer comprises a metal oxide, the seals the plurality of cracks and the plurality of pores, and has a porosity of approximately 0%. The top layer comprises a rare earth oxide, a rare earth fluoride, or a rare earth oxyfluoride, has a different material composition than the sealing layer, and has a porosity of approximately 0%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiao-Ming He, Jennifer Y. Sun
  • Patent number: 10861693
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatuses for epitaxial deposition on substrate surfaces. More particularly, implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatuses for surface preparation prior to epitaxial deposition. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method comprises etching a surface of a silicon-containing substrate by use of a plasma etch process to form an etched surface of the silicon-containing substrate and forming an epitaxial layer on the etched surface of the silicon-containing substrate. The plasma etch process comprises flowing an etchant gas mixture comprising a fluorine-containing precursor and a hydrogen-containing precursor into a substrate-processing region of a first processing chamber and forming a plasma from the etchant gas mixture flowed into the substrate-processing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Stone, Christopher S. Olsen, Teng-fang Kuo, Ping Han Hsieh, Zhenwen Ding
  • Patent number: 10861676
    Abstract: Exemplary methods for etching a variety of metal-containing materials may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and a metal-containing material arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by the two vertical columns. The plurality of recesses may include a first recess and a second recess adjacent to the first recess. The metal-containing material arranged within the first recess and the metal-containing material arranged within the second recess may be connected by the metal-containing material lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the metal-containing material with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Nitin Ingle, Feiyue Ma, Hanshen Zhang, Siliang Chang, Daniella Holm
  • Patent number: 10857623
    Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus and method in which a first laser source, for example, a CO2 emitting at 10.6 ?m is focused onto a silicon wafer as a line beam and a second laser source, for example, a GaAs laser bar emitting at 808 nm is focused onto the wafer as a larger beam surrounding the line beam. The two beams are scanned in synchronism in the direction of the narrow dimension of the line beam to create a narrow heating pulse from the line beam when activated by the larger beam. The energy of GaAs radiation is greater than the silicon bandgap energy and creates free carriers. The energy of the CO2 radiation is less than the silicon bandgap energy so silicon is otherwise transparent to it, but the long wavelength radiation is absorbed by the free carriers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean Jennings, Haifan Liang, Mark Yam, Vijay Parihar, Abhilash J. Mayur, Aaron Muir Hunter, Bruce E. Adams, Joseph M. Ranish
  • Patent number: 10857625
    Abstract: A system to provide a texture to a surface of a component for use in a semiconductor processing chamber is provided. The system includes an enclosure comprising a processing region, a support disposed in the processing region, a photon light source to generate a stream of photons, an optical module operably coupled to the photon light source, and a lens. The optical module includes a beam modulator to create a beam of photons from the stream of photons generated from the photon light source, and a beam scanner to scan the beam of photons across the surface of the component. The lens is used to receive the beam of photons from the beam scanner and distribute the beam of photons at a wavelength in a range between about 345 nm and about 1100 nm across the surface of the component to form a plurality of features on the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Gang Peng, David W. Groechel, Jenn C. Chow, Tuochuan Huang, Han Wang
  • Patent number: 10861736
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for processing a plurality of substrates in a batch processing chamber are described. The apparatus comprises a susceptor assembly, a lift assembly and a rotation assembly. The susceptor assembly has a top surface and a bottom surface with a plurality of recesses in the top surface. Each of the recesses has a lift pocket in the recess bottom. The lift assembly including a lift plate having a top surface to contact the substrate. The lift plate is connected to a lift shaft that extends through the susceptor assembly and connects to a lift friction pad. The rotation assembly has a rotation friction pad that contacts the lift friction pad. The rotation friction pad is connected to a rotation shaft and can be vertically aligned with the lift friction pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kaushal Gangakhedkar, Joseph Yudovsky
  • Patent number: 10858727
    Abstract: A deposited amorphous carbon film includes at least 95% carbon. A percentage of sp3 carbon-carbon bonds present in the amorphous carbon film exceeds 30%, and a hydrogen content of the amorphous carbon film is less than 5%. A process of depositing amorphous carbon on a workpiece includes positioning the workpiece within a process chamber and positioning a magnetron assembly adjacent to the process chamber. The magnetron assembly projects a magnetic field into the process chamber. The method further includes providing a carbon target such that the magnetic field extends through the carbon target toward the workpiece. The method further includes providing a source gas to the process chamber, and providing pulses of DC power to a plasma formed from the source gas within the process chamber. The pulses of DC power are supplied in pulses of 40 microseconds or less, that repeat at a frequency of at least 4 kHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jingjing Liu, Zhong Qiang Hua, Adolph Miller Allen, Michael W. Stowell, Srinivas D. Nemani, Chentsau Ying, Bhargav Citla, Viachslav Babayan, Andrej Halabica
  • Patent number: 10858735
    Abstract: Alignment systems employing actuators provide relative displacement between lid assemblies of process chambers and substrates, and related methods are disclosed. A process chamber includes chamber walls defining a process volume in which a substrate may be placed and the walls support a lid assembly of the process chamber. The lid assembly contains at least one of an energy source and a process gas dispenser. Moreover, an alignment system may include at least one each of a bracket, an interface member, and an actuator. By attaching the bracket to the chamber wall and securing the interface member to the lid assembly, the actuator may communicate with the bracket and the interface member to provide relative displacement between the chamber wall and the lid assembly. In this manner, the lid assembly may be positioned relative to the substrate to improve process uniformity across the substrate within the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Danny D. Wang, Jason Michael Lamb, Jun Tae Choi, Rupankar Choudhury, Zhong Qiang Hua, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez
  • Patent number: 10861681
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include an abatement system for abating compounds produced in semiconductor processes. The abatement system includes an exhaust cooling apparatus located downstream of a plasma source. The exhaust cooling apparatus includes a plate and a cooling plate disposed downstream of the plate. During operation, materials collected on the plate react with cleaning radicals to form a gas. The temperature of the plate is higher than the temperature of the cooling plate in order to improve the reaction rate of the reaction of the cleaning radicals and the materials on the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: James L'Heureux, Ryan T. Downey, David Muquing Hou, Yan Rozenzon