Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • Smart device fabrication via precision patterning
    Patent number: 10818481
    Abstract: Embodiments involve smart device fabrication for semiconductor processing tools via precision patterning. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor processing tool component includes providing a substrate of the semiconductor processing tool component, patterning the substrate to form a sensor directly on the substrate, and depositing a top layer over the sensor. The sensor may include, for example, a temperature or strain sensor. The method can also include patterning the substrate to form one or more of: heaters, thermistors, and electrodes on the substrate. In one embodiment, the method involves patterning a surface of the component oriented towards a plasma region inside of the semiconductor processing tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer Sun, Yikai Chen, Biraja Kanungo, Vahid Firouzdor
  • System And Method To Control PVD Deposition Uniformity
    Publication number: 20200332412
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition chamber comprising a rotating substrate support having a rotational axis, a first cathode having a radial center positioned off-center from a rotational axis of the substrate support is disclosed. A process controller comprising one or more process configurations selected from one or more of a first configuration to determine a rotation speed (v) for a substrate support to complete a whole number of rotations (n) around the rotational axis of the substrate support in a process window time (t) to form a layer of a first material on a substrate, or a second configuration to rotate the substrate support at the rotation speed (v).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Sanjay Bhat
  • ANNEALING PROCESSES TO STABILIZE NICKEL-CONTAINING FILMS
    Publication number: 20200335329
    Abstract: Exemplary methods of forming nickel-containing materials may include forming a layer of a nickel-and-oxygen-containing material overlying a substrate. The nickel-and-oxygen-containing material may be characterized by a carbon content. The methods may also include annealing the nickel-containing material with a carbon-containing precursor at a temperature greater than or about 100° C. The carbon content within the nickel-and-oxygen-containing material may be maintained during the annealing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffery W. Anthis, Nicolas Louis Gabriel Breil, David Thompson, Feng Q. Liu, Liqi Wu
  • Diamond-Like Carbon Film
    Publication number: 20200331762
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. A method of forming film on a substrate is described. The film is formed on a substrate by exposing a substrate to a diamond-like carbon precursor having an sp3 content of greater than 40 percent. Methods of etching a substrate are described. Electronic devices comprising a diamond-like carbon film are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc
    Inventors: Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Samuel E. Gottheim, Pramit Manna, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Graded Interface In Bragg Reflector
    Publication number: 20200333700
    Abstract: A multilayer stack in the form of a Bragg reflector comprising a graded interfacial layer and a method of manufacturing are disclosed. The graded interfacial layer eliminates the formation of low-reflectivity interfaces in a multilayer stack and reduces roughness of interfaces in a multilayer stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Weimin Li, Shuwei Liu
  • System And Method To Control PVD Deposition Uniformity
    Publication number: 20200335331
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition chamber comprising a tilting substrate support is described. Methods of processing a substrate are also provided comprising tilting at least one of the substrate and the target to improve the uniformity of the layer on the substrate from the center of the substrate to the edge of the substrate. Process controllers are also described which comprise one or more process configurations causing the physical deposition chamber to perform the operations of rotating a substrate support within the physical deposition chamber and tilting the substrate support at a plurality of angles with respect to a horizontal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Sanjay Bhat
  • SELECTIVE TUNGSTEN DEPOSITION AT LOW TEMPERATURES
    Publication number: 20200335395
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods of depositing tungsten. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide methods for depositing tungsten which are performed at relatively low temperatures. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide methods in which the ratio between reactant gasses is controlled. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide selective deposition of tungsten. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide methods for depositing tungsten films at a low temperature with relatively low roughness, stress and impurity levels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Xu, Yufei Hu, Yu Lei, Kazuya Daito, Da He, Jiajie Cen
  • Silicon nitride films with high nitrogen content
    Patent number: 10811250
    Abstract: Methods for depositing silicon nitride films with higher nitrogen content are described. Certain methods comprise exposing a substrate to a silicon-nitrogen precursor and ammonia plasma to form a flowable polymer, and then curing the polymer to form a silicon nitride film. Certain methods cure the flowable polymer without the use of a UV-cure process. Also described is the film generated by the methods described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Atashi Basu, Srinivas D. Nemani, Ellie Y. Yieh
  • Symmetrical plural-coil plasma source with side RF feeds and RF distribution plates
    Patent number: 10811226
    Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead inductively coupled plasma source with two coil antennas and symmetric and radial RF feeds and cylindrical RF shielding around the symmetric and radial RF feeds. The radial RF feeds are symmetrically fed to the plasma source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Richard Fovell, Jason A. Kenney, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf
  • Methods for gapfill in high aspect ratio structures
    Patent number: 10811303
    Abstract: Methods for seam-less gapfill comprising sequentially depositing a film with a seam, reducing the height of the film to remove the seam and repeating until a seam-less film is formed. Some embodiments include optional film doping and film treatment (e.g., ion implantation and annealing).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Pramit Manna, Ludovic Godet, Rui Cheng, Erica Chen, Ziqing Duan, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Srinivas Gandikota
  • Substrate support with dual embedded electrodes
    Patent number: 10811296
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to plasma assisted or plasma enhanced processing chambers. More specifically, embodiments herein relate to electrostatic chucking (ESC) substrate supports configured to provide pulsed DC voltage to a substrate, and methods of biasing the substrate using the pulsed DC voltage, during plasma assisted or plasma enhanced semiconductor manufacturing processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jaeyong Cho, Philip Allan Kraus
  • Low emission cladding and ion implanter
    Patent number: 10811214
    Abstract: An ion implanter. The ion implanter may include a beamline, the beamline defining an inner wall, surrounding a cavity, the cavity arranged to conduct an ion beam. The ion implanter may also include a low emission insert, disposed on the inner wall, and further comprising a 12C layer, the 12C layer having an outer surface, facing the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Julian G. Blake, Frank Sinclair
  • SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING CHAMBER MULTISTAGE MIXING APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20200328098
    Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a processing chamber, and may include a remote plasma unit coupled with the processing chamber. Exemplary systems may also include a mixing manifold coupled between the remote plasma unit and the processing chamber. The mixing manifold may be characterized by a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and may be coupled with the processing chamber at the second end. The mixing manifold may define a central channel through the mixing manifold, and may define a port along an exterior of the mixing manifold. The port may be fluidly coupled with a first trench defined within the first end of the mixing manifold. The first trench may be characterized by an inner radius at a first inner sidewall and an outer radius, and the first trench may provide fluid access to the central channel through the first inner sidewall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mehmet Tugrul Samir, Dongqing Yang
  • TWO PIECE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY WITH GAP FOR PLASMA CONTROL
    Publication number: 20200328065
    Abstract: An apparatus for distributing plasma products includes first and second electrodes that each include planar surfaces. The first electrode forms first apertures from a first planar surface to a second planar surface; the second electrode forms second apertures from the third planar surface to the fourth planar surface. The electrodes couple through one or more adjustable couplers such that the third planar surface is disposed adjacent to the second planar surface with a gap therebetween, the gap having a gap distance. Each of the adjustable couplers has a range of adjustment. The first and second apertures are arranged such that for at least one position within the ranges of adjustment, none of the first apertures aligns with any of the second apertures to form an open straight-line path extending through both the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tien Fak Tan, Saravjeet Singh, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Tae Wan Kim, Kenneth D. Schatz, Tae Seung Cho, Lok Kee Loh
  • Narrow range sense amplifier with immunity to noise and variation
    Patent number: 10803913
    Abstract: A memory circuit includes a memory array with one or more reference columns providing a reference signal and a data column providing a data signal when selected by a read operation. The memory circuit also includes a first circuit that removes a common signal component from the reference signal and from the data signal, along with a second circuit that adjusts the reference signal to be between a logic 1 signal level and a logic 0 signal level. The memory circuit also includes a sense amplifier that determines whether the data signal represents a logic 1 or a logic 0 using the reference signal after the common signal component is removed and after being adjusted, along with the data signal after having the common signal component removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank Tzen-Wen Guo, Bhuvaneshwari Ayyagari-Sangamalli, Angada B. Sachid, Blessy Alexander
  • Additive manufacturing with energy delivery system having rotating polygon and second reflective member
    Patent number: 10800103
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a platform, a dispenser to dispense a plurality of layers of feed material on a top surface of the platform, and an energy delivery assembly. The energy delivery assembly includes a light source to emit one or more light beams, a first reflective member having a plurality of reflective facets, and at least one second reflective member. The first reflective member is rotatable such that sequential facets sweep the light beam sequentially along a path on the uppermost layer. The at least one second reflective member is movable such that the at least one second reflective surface is repositionable to receive at least one of the at least one light beam and redirect the at least one of at least one light beam along a two-dimensional path on the uppermost layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hou T. Ng, Nag B. Patibandla, Ajey M. Joshi, Raanan Zehavi, Jeffrey L. Franklin, Kashif Maqsood
  • Methods of depositing SiCON with C, O and N compositional control
    Patent number: 10804094
    Abstract: Methods of forming SiCON films comprising sequential exposure to a silicon precursor and a mixture of alkanolamine and amine reactants and an optional plasma are described. Methods of forming a silicon-containing film comprising sequential exposure to a silicon precursor and an epoxide with an optional plasma exposure are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Saly, David Thompson, Thomas Knisley, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan
  • Photomask laser etch
    Patent number: 10802392
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods for removing one or more films from a photomask to create a black border and one or more pellicle anchor areas thereon. A photomask substrate is exposed by removing the one or more films in the black border and pellicle anchor areas. The black border prevents a pattern on the photomask from overlapping a pattern on a substrate being processed. To create the black border and pellicle anchor areas, a laser beam is projected through a lens and focused on a surface of the films. The films are ablated by the laser beam without damaging the photomask substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Banqiu Wu, Eli Dagan
  • Electostatic filter and method for controlling ion beam properties using electrostatic filter
    Patent number: 10804068
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a main chamber; an entrance tunnel having a propagation axis extending into the main chamber along a first direction; an exit tunnel, connected to the main chamber and defining an exit direction. The entrance tunnel and the exit tunnel may define a beam bend of at least 30 degrees therebetween. The apparatus may include an electrode assembly, disposed in the main chamber, and defining a beam path between the entrance tunnel and the exit aperture, wherein the electrode assembly comprises a lower electrode, disposed on a first side of the beam path, and a plurality of electrodes, disposed on a second side of the beam path, the plurality of electrodes comprising at least five electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandre Likhanskii, Frank Sinclair, Shengwu Chang
  • Long range capacitive gap measurement in a wafer form sensor system
    Patent number: 10794681
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a sensor wafer. In an embodiment, the sensor wafer comprises a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. In an embodiment, the sensor wafer further comprises a first conductive pad with a first surface area, wherein the first conductive pad has a surface that is substantially coplanar with the first surface of the substrate. In an embodiment, the sensor wafer further comprises a second conductive pad with a second surface area that is smaller than the first surface area, wherein the second conductive pad has a surface that is substantially coplanar with the first surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles G. Potter, Eli Mor