Patents Assigned to Applied Material
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Publication number: 20070238399Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing apparatus including a table top, a transfer station mounted on the table top, a plurality of polishing stations mounted on the table top, a plurality of washing stations, and a plurality of carrier heads supported by a support member rotatable about an axis. Each washing station is located between a first polishing station and either a second polishing station or the transfer station, and the transfer station and the plurality of polishing stations are arranged at approximately equal angular intervals about the axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2007Publication date: October 11, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Robert Tolles, Norm Shendon, Sasson Somekh, Ilya Perlov, Eugene Gantvarg, Harry Lee
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Patent number: 7279049Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a guard ring for reducing particle entrapment along a moveable shaft of a substrate support. In one embodiment, the guard ring comprises a substantially annular guard ring positioned within a step formed in a sleeve that circumscribes the shaft. The guard ring is positioned to substantially seal a gap separating the shaft from the sleeve, so that the amount of particles and foreign matter that travel within or become trapped in the gap is substantially reduced. In another embodiment, a guard ring comprises a base portion having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, a first flange coupled to the inner perimeter, a second flange coupled to the outer perimeter, and a continuous channel separating the first flange from the second flange. The first flange is adapted to function as a spring that accommodates displacement of the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2004Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Andrzej Kaszuba, Sophia M. Velastegui, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Pyongwon Yim, Mario David Silvetti, Tom K. Cho, Indrajit Lahiri, Surinder S. Bedi
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Patent number: 7278911Abstract: Embodiments of a polishing article for polishing a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, the polishing article includes a ring-shaped upper layer having a polishing surface, and a conductive layer coupled to the upper layer and forming a replaceable assembly therewith.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2005Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Paul D. Butterfield, Liang-Yuh Chen, Yonqi Hu, Antoine P. Manens, Rashid Mavliev, Stan D. Tsai, Feng Q. Liu, Ralph Wadensweiler, Lizhong Sun, Siew S. Neo, Alain Duboust
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Patent number: 7279721Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 13, 2005Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Dean Jennings, Haifan Liang, Mark Yam, Vijay Parihar, Abhilash Mayur, Aaron Hunter, Bruce Adams, Joseph Michael Ranish
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Patent number: 7279432Abstract: An apparatus and method for forming an integrated barrier layer on a substrate is described. The integrated barrier layer comprises at least a first refractory metal layer and a second refractory metal layer. The integrated barrier layer is formed using a dual-mode deposition process comprising a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) step and a cyclical deposition step. The dual-mode deposition process may be performed in a single process chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2003Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ming Xi, Michael Yang, Hui Zhang
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Patent number: 7279689Abstract: A method for process monitoring includes receiving a sample having a first layer that is at least partially conductive and a second layer formed over the first layer, following production of contact openings in the second layer by an etch process, the contact openings including a plurality of test openings having different, respective transverse dimensions. A beam of charged particles is directed to irradiate the test openings. In response to the beam, at least one of a specimen current flowing through the first layer and a total yield of electrons emitted from a surface of the sample is measured, thus producing an etch indicator signal. The etch indicator signal is analyzed as a function of the transverse dimensions of the test openings so as to assess a characteristic of the etch process.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2005Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Israel, Ltd.Inventors: Alexander Kadyshevitch, Chris Talbot, Dmitry Shur, Andreas G. Hegedus
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Patent number: 7279657Abstract: A thermal processing system and method including scanning a line beam of intense radiation in a direction transverse to the line direction for thermally processing a wafer with a localized effectively pulsed beam of radiant energy. The thickness of the wafer is two-dimensionally mapped and the map is used to control the degree of thermal processing, for example, the intensity of radiation in the line beam to increase the uniformity. The processing may include selective etching of a pre-existing layer or depositing more material by chemical vapor deposition.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2005Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Andreas G. Hegedus
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Publication number: 20070228289Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate generally to an ultraviolet (UV) cure chamber for curing a dielectric material disposed on a substrate and to methods of curing dielectric materials using UV radiation. A substrate processing tool according to one embodiment comprises a body defining a substrate processing region; a substrate support adapted to support a substrate within the substrate processing region; an ultraviolet radiation lamp spaced apart from the substrate support, the lamp configured to transmit ultraviolet radiation to a substrate positioned on the substrate support; and a motor operatively coupled to rotate at least one of the ultraviolet radiation lamp or substrate support at least 180 degrees relative to each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Andrzei Kaszuba, Juan Rocha-Alvarez, Thomas Nowak, Sanjeev Baluja, Ndanka Mukuti
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Publication number: 20070228618Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate generally to an ultraviolet (UV) cure chamber for curing a dielectric material disposed on a substrate and to methods of curing dielectric materials using UV radiation. A substrate processing tool according to one embodiment comprises a body defining a substrate processing region; a substrate support adapted to support a substrate within the substrate processing region; an ultraviolet radiation lamp spaced apart from the substrate support, the lamp configured to transmit ultraviolet radiation to a substrate positioned on the substrate support; and a motor operatively coupled to rotate at least one of the ultraviolet radiation lamp or substrate support at least 180 degrees relative to each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Andrzei Kaszuba, Juan Rocha-Alvarez, Thomas Nowak, Sanjeev Baluja, Ashish Shah, Inna Shmurun
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Publication number: 20070231111Abstract: The present invention concerns a device for transporting substrates through vacuum chambers, especially coating machines with a substrate carrier on or at which the substrates can be arranged, wherein the substrate carrier has at least one guide raid which extends along at least one side of the substrate carrier, and wherein the guide rail is kept spaced apart from the substrate carrier by one or just a few spaced bearings.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Oliver Heimel, Andreas Jischke, Dieter Haas
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Publication number: 20070227881Abstract: The present invention concerns a cathode arrangement, preferably for a magnetron cathode, especially for operation in the case of medium-to-high frequency alternating voltage or currents with a rotatable cathode, of which at least one part is arranged rotatably and vacuum-tight in at least one fixed component, and an insert, which is provided between the rotatable part and fixed component(s), with the insert made from an isolator.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Harald Gaertner, Andreas Sauer
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Patent number: 7276447Abstract: A plasma etch process for etching a porous carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric layer using a photoresist mask is carried out first in an etch reactor by performing a fluoro-carbon based etch process on the workpiece to etch exposed portions of the dielectric layer while depositing protective fluoro-carbon polymer on the photoresist mask. Then, in an ashing reactor, polymer and photoresist are removed by heating the workpiece to over 100 degrees C., exposing a peripheral portion of the backside of said workpiece, and providing products from a plasma of a hydrogen process gas to reduce carbon contained in polymer and photoresist on said workpiece until the polymer has been removed from a backside of said workpiece. The process gas preferably contains both hydrogen gas and water vapor, although the primary constituent is hydrogen gas. The wafer (workpiece) backside may be exposed by extending the wafer lift pins.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2006Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Gerardo A. Delgadino, Indrajit Lahiri, Teh-Tien Su, Brian Sy-Yuan Sheih, Ashok K. Sinha
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Patent number: 7276743Abstract: A retaining ring for use with electrochemical mechanical processing is described. The retaining ring has a generally annular body formed with a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion. The non-conductive portion contacts the substrate during polishing. The conductive portion is electrically biased during polishing to reduce the edge effect that tends to occur with conventional electrochemical mechanical processing systems.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2005Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Antoine P. Manens, Suresh Shrauti, Alain Duboust, Yan Wang, Liang-Yuh Chen
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Publication number: 20070224813Abstract: In one implementation, a method is provided capable of etching a wafer to form devices including a high-k dielectric layer. The method includes etching an upper conductive material layer in a first plasma chamber with a low cathode temperature, transferring the wafer to a second chamber without breaking vacuum, etching a high-k dielectric layer in the second chamber, and transferring the wafer from the second chamber to the first plasma chamber without breaking vacuum. A lower conductive material layer is etched with a low cathode temperature in the first chamber. In one implementation, the high-k dielectric etch is a plasma etch using a high temperature cathode. In another implementation, the high-k dielectric etch is a reactive ion etch.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2006Publication date: September 27, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Meihua Shen, Xikun Wang, Wei Liu, Yan Du, Shashank Deshmukh
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Patent number: 7273823Abstract: A method of processing a substrate including depositing a low dielectric constant film comprising silicon, carbon, and oxygen on the substrate and depositing an oxide rich cap on the low dielectric constant film is provided. The low dielectric constant film is deposited in the presence of low frequency RF power from a gas mixture including an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas. The low frequency RF power is terminated after the deposition of the low dielectric constant film. The oxide rich cap is deposited on the low dielectric constant film in the absence of low frequency RF power from another gas mixture including the organosilicon compound and the oxidizing gas used to deposit the low dielectric constant film.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2005Date of Patent: September 25, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Annamalai Lakshmanan, Daemian Raj, Francimar Schmitt, Bok Hoen Kim, Ganesh Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 7274971Abstract: In a first aspect, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes a medium readable by a computer. The computer readable medium has computer program code adapted to (1) create a band map that indicates an expected status of one or more positions along a band of a continuously moving conveyor system, each position adapted to receive a carrier support adapted to transport at least one substrate carrier around an electronic device manufacturing facility; (2) monitor status of the one or more positions included in the continuously moving conveyor system; and (3) control operation of the continuously moving conveyor system based on the status of the one or more positions. Numerous other aspects are provided.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2005Date of Patent: September 25, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Todd J. Brill, Michael Teferra, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Amitabh Puri
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Patent number: 7273535Abstract: A method and apparatus for plating a metal onto a substrate. The apparatus includes a fluid basin configured to contain a plating solution, an anode fluid volume positioned in a lower portion of the fluid basin, a cathode fluid volume positioned in an upper portion of the fluid basin, an ionic membrane positioned to separate the anode fluid volume from the cathode fluid volume, a plating electrode centrally positioned in the anode fluid volume, and a deplating electrode positioned adjacent the plating electrode in the anode fluid volume.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2003Date of Patent: September 25, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Nicolay Y. Kovarsky, Dmitry Lubomirsky, Yevgeniy (Eugene) Rabinovich
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Patent number: 7273408Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for polishing semiconductor substrates. In one embodiment, two polishing heads are mounted on two independent pivoting arms that share one pivot point. Each of the pivoting arms enable the corresponding polishing head direct access to two polishing stations. The polishing system of the present invention provides flexibility and improves throughput.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2006Date of Patent: September 25, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Hung Chih Chen, Steven M. Zuniga
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Patent number: 7273813Abstract: A method and cleaning solution that removes contaminants from a dielectric material and polished surfaces of copper interconnect structures prior to an electroless deposition of a capping layer without substantially adversely affecting the interconnect formed therefrom are disclosed. The cleaning solution includes combinations of a core mixture and sulfuric acid or sulfonic compounds such as sulfonic acids that include methanesulfonic acid. In one embodiment, the core mixture includes a citric acid solution and a pH adjuster such as tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide or ammonia. One embodiment of the method includes providing a planarized substrate, applying the cleaning solution to the substrate to simultaneously clean at least one metal feature and a dielectric material of the substrate, and depositing the metal capping layer selectively on the at least one metal feature using electroless deposition.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2005Date of Patent: September 25, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ramin Emami, Timothy Weidman, Sergey Lopatin, Hongbin Fang, Arulkumar Shanmugasundram
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Publication number: 20070218693Abstract: A chemical-mechanical polishing composition that includes less than about 1% wt. abrasive, an additive, and water, where a weigh percent of the additive is greater than a weight percent of the abrasive. Also, a method of polishing a semiconductor substrate in a shallow trench isolation process, the method including contacting the substrate with a polishing pad of a polishing apparatus while applying a high selectivity slurry to the polishing pad, where the slurry comprises less than about 1% wt. abrasive, an additive, and water, and where a weigh percent of the additive is greater than a weight percent of the abrasive. Also, a method of making a chemical-mechanical polishing slurry composition, the method including adding together an abrasive, an additive and water to form the slurry, where a weigh percent of the additive is greater than a weight percent of the abrasive, and the abrasive and additive together comprise less than 2% by wt. of the slurry.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2007Publication date: September 20, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin Bonner, Anand Iyer, Olivier Nguyen, Donald Chua, Christopher Lee, Shijian Li