Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • Very low dielectric constant plasma-enhanced CVD films
    Patent number: 7825042
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for depositing nano-porous low dielectric constant films by reacting an oxidizable silicon containing compound or mixture comprising an oxidizable silicon component and an oxidizable non-silicon component having thermally liable groups with nitrous oxide, oxygen, ozone, or other source of reactive oxygen in gas-phase plasma-enhanced reaction. The deposited silicon oxide based film is annealed to form dispersed microscopic voids that remain in a nano-porous silicon oxide based film having a low-density structure. The nano-porous silicon oxide based films are useful for forming layers between metal lines with or without liner or cap layers. The nano-porous silicon oxide based films may also be used as an intermetal dielectric layer for fabricating dual damascene structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert P. Mandal
  • Chemical vapor deposition of high quality flow-like silicon dioxide using a silicon containing precursor and atomic oxygen
    Patent number: 7825038
    Abstract: Methods of depositing a silicon oxide layer on a substrate are described. The methods may include the steps of providing a substrate to a deposition chamber, generating an atomic oxygen precursor outside the deposition chamber, and introducing the atomic oxygen precursor into the chamber. The methods may also include introducing a silicon precursor to the deposition chamber, where the silicon precursor and the atomic oxygen precursor are first mixed in the chamber. The silicon precursor and the atomic oxygen precursor react to form the silicon oxide layer on the substrate, and the deposited silicon oxide layer may be annealed. Systems to deposit a silicon oxide layer on a substrate are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nitin K. Ingle, Zheng Yuan, Paul Gee, Kedar Sapre
  • DEBRIS-EXTRACTION EXHAUST SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20100269853
    Abstract: Systems and methods for debris extraction reduce the lifting force on the workpiece through a supply air feature. The supply air feature can be implemented through an extraction nozzle, which has an outer supply duct surrounding an inner exhaust duct. Further reduction of the lifting force can be realized through the use of multiple extraction nozzles which limit exhaust airflow to areas of the workpiece with active laser scribing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: BENJAMIN JOHNSTON, Shinichi Kurita
  • TREATMENT OF POLISHING PAD WINDOW
    Publication number: 20100269417
    Abstract: A window of solid light-transmissive polymer is formed in a polishing pad, and at least one surface of the window is treated to increase the smoothness of the at least one surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Boguslaw A. Swedek, Dominic J. Benvegnu
  • Ampoule With Integrated Hybrid Valve
    Publication number: 20100269937
    Abstract: Semiconductor manufacturing tools with chemical delivery systems, such as precursor distribution system, use reservoir assemblies as part of a distribution system. One reservoir assembly includes: a canister comprising at least one sidewall, a top, and a bottom encompassing an interior volume therein; an inlet port and an outlet port in fluid communication with the interior volume; an inlet valve for controlling fluid communication between the inlet port and the interior volume; and an outlet valve for controlling fluid communication between the outlet port and the interior volume, wherein at least one of the inlet valve or the outlet valve comprises a dual-function hybrid valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin S. Griffin
  • MICROCRYSTALLINE SILICON ALLOYS FOR THIN FILM AND WAFER BASED SOLAR APPLICATIONS
    Publication number: 20100269896
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming solar cells is provided. Doped crystalline semiconductor alloys including carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen are used as light-trapping enhancement layers and charge collection layers for thin-film solar cells. The semiconductor alloy layers are formed by providing semiconductor source compound and a co-component source compound to a processing chamber and ionizing the gases to deposit a layer on a substrate. The alloy layers provide improved control of refractive index, wide optical bandgap and high conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuran SHENG, Yong Kee Chae
  • Method of forming front contacts to a silicon solar cell without patterning
    Patent number: 7820472
    Abstract: A method for forming front contacts on a silicon solar cell which includes texture etching the front surface of the solar cell, forming an antireflective layer over the face, diffusing a doping material into the face to form a heavily doped region in valleys formed during the texture-etching of the face, depositing an electrically conductive material on the heavily doped regions in the valleys and annealing the solar cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Borden, John Dukovic, Li Xu
  • Apparatus for plasma-enhanced physical vapor deposition of copper with RF source power applied through the workpiece with a lighter-than-copper carrier gas
    Patent number: 7820020
    Abstract: A method of performing physical vapor deposition of copper onto an integrated circuit in a vacuum chamber of a plasma reactor includes providing a copper target near a ceiling of the chamber, placing an integrated circuit wafer on a wafer support pedestal facing the target near a floor of the chamber, introducing a carrier gas into the vacuum chamber having an atomic weight substantially less than the atomic weight of copper, maintaining a target-sputtering plasma at the target to produce a stream comprising at least one of copper atoms and copper ions flowing from the target toward the wafer support pedestal for vapor deposition, maintaining a wafer-sputtering plasma near the wafer support pedestal by capacitively coupling plasma RF source power to the wafer-sputtering plasma, and accelerating copper ions of the wafer sputtering plasma in a direction normal to a surface of the wafer support pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Karl M. Brown, John Pipitone, Vineet Mehta, Ralf Hofmann
  • Load lock chamber with heater in tube
    Patent number: 7822324
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a heated load lock chamber. In one embodiment, a heated load lock chamber includes a chamber body having a plurality of lamp assembles disposed at least partially therein. Each lamp assembly includes a transmissive tube housing a lamp. The transmissive tube extends into the chamber body and provides a pressure barrier isolating the lamp from the interior volume of the load lock chamber. In another embodiment, an open end of the transmissive tube extends through a sidewall of the chamber body. A closed end of the transmissive tube is surrounded by the interior volume of the chamber body and is supported below a top of the chamber body in a spaced apart relation. The open end of the tube is sealed to the sidewall of the chamber body such that the interior of the tube is open to atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Suhail Anwar, Jae-Chull Lee, Shinichi Kurita
  • Cartesian cluster tool configuration for lithography type processes
    Patent number: 7819079
    Abstract: The present invention generally provides an apparatus and method for processing substrates using a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that is easily configurable, has an increased system throughput, increased system reliability, improved device yield performance, a more repeatable wafer processing history (or wafer history), and a reduced footprint. In one embodiment, the cluster tool is adapted to perform a track lithography process in which a substrate is coated with a photosensitive material, is then transferred to a stepper/scanner, which exposes the photosensitive material to some form of radiation to form a pattern in the photosensitive material, and then certain portions of the photosensitive material are removed in a developing process completed in the cluster tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric A. Englhardt, Michael R. Rice, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Steve Hongkham, Jay D. Pinson, Mohsen Salek, Charles Carlson, William T Weaver, Helen R. Armer
  • Method to deposit organic grafted film on barrier layer
    Patent number: 7820026
    Abstract: Generally, the process includes depositing a barrier layer on a feature formed in a dielectric layer, decorating the barrier layer with a metal, performing a grafting process, initiating a copper layer and then filing the feature by use of a bulk copper fill process. Copper features formed according to aspects described herein have desirable adhesion properties to a barrier layer formed on a semiconductor substrate and demonstrate enhanced electromigration and stress migration results in the fabricated devices formed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hooman Hafezi, Aron Rosenfeld, Michael X. Yang
  • Method and apparatus for wafer cleaning
    Patent number: 7819985
    Abstract: An apparatus for wet processing individual wafers comprising; a means for holding the wafer; a means for providing acoustic energy to a non-device side of the wafer; and a means for flowing a fluid onto a device side of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Verhaverbeke, J. Kelly Truman, Alexander Ko, Rick R. Endo
  • Fiber Laser Substrate Processing
    Publication number: 20100267173
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to substrate processing equipment and methods incorporating light sources which provide independent control of light pulse duration, shape and repetition rate. Embodiments further provide rapid increases and decreases in intensity of illumination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Moffatt
  • LED Substrate Processing
    Publication number: 20100267174
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to substrate processing equipment and methods incorporating light emitting diodes (LEDs) for thermally processing substrates. Such light sources offer a variety of advantages including higher efficiency and more rapid response times. Pulse widths are selectable down to under a millisecond but can be for long pulses up to and exceeding a second. LEDs are preferable to tungsten-halogen lamps even in circumstances that allow longer processing times, since LEDs produce light with greater than 50% efficiency and tungsten-halogen lamps operate with less than 5% efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Moffatt
  • PROCESS TO REMOVE METAL CONTAMINATION ON A GLASS SUBSTRATE
    Publication number: 20100267192
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and related cleaning solutions (116) for cleaning a glass substrate (10, 112), such as for removing metal ion contaminates from a glass substrate (10, 112) having a transparent conductive oxide layer (12). One method includes: providing a glass substrate (10, 112) having a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer (12); and exposing the glass substrate (10, 112) to a cleaning solution (116) that includes 0.5% to 5% organic acid, wherein the organic acid used includes citric acid, acetic acid, or oxalic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: FANG MEI, David Tanner
  • Post Treatment Methods for Oxide Layers on Semiconductor Devices
    Publication number: 20100267248
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for post treating an oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the oxide layer is formed by thermal oxidation or plasma oxidation and treated with a plasma comprising helium. The helium-containing plasma may also include hydrogen, neon, argon and combinations thereof. In one or more embodiments, a SiO2 oxide layer is formed on a silicon substrate and treated with a plasma to improve the interface between the silicon substrate and the SiO2 oxide layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kai Ma, Christopher S. Olsen, Yoshitaka Yokota
  • Dual Frequency Low Temperature Oxidation of a Semiconductor Device
    Publication number: 20100267247
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming an oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate are disclosed. A two frequency plasma source is used to form a plasma in a plasma reactor. In various embodiments, different quantities of power are supplied to a power source operating at the first frequency and a power source operating at the second frequency over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kai Ma, Yoshitaka Yokota, Christopher S. Olsen
  • Method and Apparatus for Residue Detection in the Edge Deleted Area of a Substrate
    Publication number: 20100265497
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for detecting residue on a glass substrate and method of use are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a substrate support, a sensor, a controller and a peripheral device in communication with the controller. The apparatus measures the height or thickness of a main surface and an edge delete surface of a substrate to determine if film residue is present on the edge delete surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth Tsai, Asaf Schlezinger
  • Multi-stage Optical Homogenization
    Publication number: 20100266268
    Abstract: Substrate processing equipment and methods are used to improve the uniformity of illumination across an illuminated portion of a substrate by processing light with multiple optical homogenizers. The multiple optical homogenizers each include micro-lens arrays and Fourier lens. The multiple optical homogenizers are arranged so that the output numerical aperture of one of the optical homogenizers is within 5% of the input numerical aperture of another optical homogenizer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2010
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean C. Jennings, Timothy N. Thomas, Samuel C. Howells, Bruce E. Adams, Jiping Li
  • Integrated Edge Clamping Mechanism for Processing of Laminates
    Publication number: 20100263715
    Abstract: Apparatuses, assemblies and methods for decreasing the frequency and severity of bubble defects in a photovoltaic module laminate. The apparatuses, assemblies and methods utilize at least one clamp having a plurality of grooves sized to apply pressure on the back surface of the glass substrate in the direction of the top glass layer and pressure on the top glass layer of the module directed toward the glass substrate to apply compressive force to the module without causing damage to the module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Wohlert, Pierluigi Lo-Menzo, Nicolas Barrois