Patents Assigned to Applied Material
  • Patent number: 7233841
    Abstract: A vision system and method for calibrating motion of a robot disposed in a processing system is provided. In one embodiment, a vision system for a processing system includes a camera and a calibration wafer that are positioned in a processing system. The camera is positioned on the robot and is adapted to obtain image data of the calibration wafer disposed in a predefined location within the processing system. The image data is utilized to calibrate the robots motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Iraj Sadighi, Jeff Hudgens, Michael Rice, Gary Wyka
  • Publication number: 20070131654
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods adapted to polish an edge of a substrate include a polishing film, a frame adapted to tension and load the polishing film so that at least a portion of the film is supported in a plane, and a substrate rotation driver adapted to rotate a substrate against the plane of the polishing film such that the polishing film is adapted to apply force to the substrate, contour to an edge of the substrate, the edge including at least an outer edge and a first bevel, and polish the outer edge and the first bevel as the substrate is rotated. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Erik Wasinger, Gary Ettinger, Sen-Hou Ko, Wei-Yung Hsu, Liang-Yuh Chen, Ho Shin, Donald Olgado
  • Patent number: 7229340
    Abstract: A sensor for monitoring a conductive film in a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing generates an alternating magnetic field that impinges a substrate and induces eddy currents. The sensor can have a core, a first coil wound around a first portion of the core and a second coil wound around a second portion of the core. The sensor can be positioned on a side of the polishing surface opposite the substrate. The sensor can detect a phase difference between a drive signal and a measured signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroji Hanawa, Nils Johansson, Boguslaw Swedek, Manoocher Birang
  • Patent number: 7229911
    Abstract: Methods are provided for processing a substrate for depositing an adhesion layer between a conductive material and a dielectric layer. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including positioning a substrate having a conductive material disposed thereon, introducing a reducing compound or a silicon based compound, exposing the conductive material to the reducing compound or the silicon based compound, and depositing a silicon carbide layer without breaking vacuum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nagarajan Rajagopalan, Meiyee Shek, Albert Lee, Annamalai Lakshmanan, Li-Qun Xia, Zhenjiang Cui
  • Patent number: 7229504
    Abstract: In a scrubber adapted to clean a semiconductor wafer, the torque of a brush rotation motor is monitored while a scrubber brush is in contact with the wafer and is being rotated by the motor. The position of the brush relative to the wafer may be adjusted based on the monitored torque to regulate the pressure applied to the wafer by the brush. Open loop positioning or closed loop control may be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael N. Sugarman, Vladimir Galburt
  • Patent number: 7229535
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for planarizing a surface of a substrate using a chamber separated into two parts by a membrane, and two separate electrolytes is provided. The embodiments of the present invention generally provide an electrochemical mechanical polishing system that reduces the number of defects found on the substrate surface after polishing. An exemplary electrochemical apparatus includes a physical barrier that prevents any trapped gas or gas generated during processing from residing in areas that can cause defects on the substrate. The process can be aided by the addition of various chemical components to the electrolyte that tend to reduce the gas generation at the cathode surface during the ECMP anodic dissolution process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Wang, Feng Q. Liu, Alain Duboust, Siew S. Neo, Liang-Yuh Chen, Yongqi Hu
  • Patent number: 7228873
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a substrate processing chamber. In one embodiment a substrate processing chamber includes a chamber body containing a substrate support, a lid assembly comprising an expanding channel extending from a central portion of the lid assembly to a peripheral portion of the lid assembly and positioned to substantially cover the substrate support, and one or more valves adapted to provide one or more reactants into the chamber body. The valves comprising a valve body having at least two ports comprising a purge inlet and an outlet, a valve seat surrounding one of the ports, an annular groove formed around the valve seat coupling the purge inlet and the outlet, and a diaphragm assembly. The diaphragm assembly comprises a diaphragm movable to contact the valve seat, a piston coupled to the diaphragm, and a cylinder to house the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent W. Ku, Ling Chen, Dien-Yeh Wu
  • Patent number: 7229930
    Abstract: The present invention provides a low-k dielectric etching process with high etching selectivities with respect to adjacent layers of other materials, such as an overlying photoresist mask and an underlying barrier/liner layer. The process comprises the step of exposing a portion of the low-k dielectric layer to a plasma of a process gas that includes a fluorocarbon gas having a relatively low fluorine to carbon ratio, a nitrogen-containing gas, and an inert gas, wherein a volumetric flow ratio of the nitrogen-containing gas to the fluorocarbon gas is greater than about 20:1. The process can be used to over etch the low-k dielectric layer to provide improved selectivity to the photoresist mask and the barrier/liner layer, reduced striations and reduced CD loss as compared with conventional low-k dielectric etching processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alok Jain, Phui Fah Chong
  • Patent number: 7230702
    Abstract: A movable portion of a substrate carrier handler is extended into a transport path along which a substrate carrier transport system transports a substrate carrier, respective kinematic coupling events are detected between corresponding interface elements of the movable portion and the substrate carrier, respective signals are generated in response thereto, and an alignment offset between the substrate carrier and the substrate carrier transport system is determined based on the signals. A movable portion matches an elevation, position, and/or a speed/velocity of a substrate carrier moving along the transport path. Sensors for detecting kinematic coupling and generating signals in response thereto are provided on the movable portion. An end effector includes a support with interface elements and sensors for detecting kinematic coupling and generating respective signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Rice, Eric A. Englhardt, Robert B. Lowrance, Martin R. Elliott, Jeffrey C. Hudgens, Kirk Van Katwyk, Amitabh Puri
  • Patent number: 7229931
    Abstract: Methods are provided for depositing a silicon oxide film on a substrate disposed in a substrate processing chamber. The substrate has a gap formed between adjacent raised surfaces. A process gas having a silicon-containing gas, an oxygen-containing gas, and a fluent gas is flowed into the substrate processing chamber. The fluent gas is introduced into the substrate processing chamber at a flow rate of at least 500 sccm. A plasma is formed having an ion density of at least 1011 ions/cm3 from the process gas to deposit a first portion of the silicon oxide film over the substrate and into the gap. Thereafter, the deposited first portion is exposed to an oxygen plasma having at least 1011 ions/cm3. Thereafter, a second portion of the silicon oxide film is deposited over the substrate and into the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hemant P. Mungekar, Young S Lee, Manoj Vellaikal, Karen Greig, Bikram Kapoor
  • Publication number: 20070127615
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including: a clock signal distribution network for carrying two global clock signals traveling in opposite directions; a plurality of local clocking regions arranged along the network, each of which includes a local clock signal generation circuit that generates a local clock signal based upon the two global clock signals; and a plurality of phase detectors each of which is associated with a different one of the local clocking regions and is configured to compare the local clock signal for that local clocking region with the local clock signal for a neighboring local clocking region, wherein in each of at least some of the local clocking regions the local clock signal generation circuit is configured to align the local clock signal for that region with the local clock signal of the neighboring region when the phase detector for that local clocking region indicates a nonalignment condition exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Mihai Banu, Bryan Ackland
  • Publication number: 20070127922
    Abstract: A clock signal distribution circuit including: a signal transmission system having first and second signal transmission lines, each extending from the first end to the second end of the signal transmission system, the first signal transmission line for carrying a first periodic signal from the first end to the second end of the signal transmission system, the second signal transmission line for carrying a second periodic signal from the second end to the first end of the signal transmission system transmission; and a local clock signal generator circuit including a detector system for detecting at a preselected location along the signal transmission system the first and second periodic signals, wherein the generator circuit generates from both the detected first and second periodic signals a local clock signal that has a predetermined skew that is between to the skews of the detected first and second periodic signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Mihai Banu, Bryan Ackland
  • Publication number: 20070127613
    Abstract: A method involving: distributing two clock signals over a clock signal distribution system; in each of a plurality local clocking regions located along the signal distribution system, detecting the two clock signals and generating therefrom a local clock signal for that local clocking region, wherein the generated local clock signals for at least some of the plurality of local clocking regions are in a first group all of which are aligned in phase with each other and the generated local clock signals for the remainder of the plurality of local clocking regions are in a second group all of which are aligned in phase with each other, and wherein the phase of the first group is out of phase with the phase of the second group by a predetermined amount; and bringing all of the clock signals for the plurality of local clocking regions into phase alignment so that the phase of the first group is in phase with the phase of the second group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc. PATENT COUNSEL. Legal Affairs Dept.
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Mihai Banu
  • Publication number: 20070126489
    Abstract: A method involving: detecting a first signal characterized by a periodically occurring first event; detecting a second signal characterized by a periodically occurring second event; and based on both the detected first and second signals, generating a third signal characterized by a periodically occurring third event, wherein generating the third signal involves automatically adjusting the phase of the third signal so that the periodically occurring third event occurs at a predetermined location between the first and second events of the first and second signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Mihai Banu
  • Publication number: 20070128780
    Abstract: A method of calculating a process parameter for a deposition of an epitaxial layer on a substrate. The method includes the steps of measuring an effect of the process parameter on a thickness of the epitaxial layer to determine a gain curve for the process parameter, and calculating, using the gain curve, a value for the process parameter to achieve a target thickness of the epitaxial layer. The value is calculated to minimize deviations from the target thickness in the layer. Also, a substrate processing system comprising that includes a processor to calculate a value for the process parameter to achieve a substantially uniform epitaxial layer of a target thickness on the substrate, where the value is calculated using a gain curve derived from measurements of layer uniformity as a function of the value of the process parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Aderhold, Ali Zojaji
  • Publication number: 20070127921
    Abstract: A method involving: in a signal distribution system including a first line and a second line both of which extend from the first end to the second end of the signal distribution system, introducing a first global clock signal into the first line so that the first global clock signal propagates from the first end to the second end of the line; introducing a second sinusoidal global clock signal into the second line so that the second global clock signal propagates from the second end to the first end of the line; and in each of a plurality of local clocking regions located along the signal distribution system, detecting the first and second global clock signals; multiplying the detected first and second clock signal for that local clocking region together to generate a combined signal, and deriving a local clock signal for that local clocking region from the combined signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Mihai Banu
  • Publication number: 20070126490
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for receiving a first signal characterized by a periodically occurring first event; receiving a second signal characterized by a periodically occurring second event; delaying the first signal by a controllable amount of delay to generate a third signal characterized by a periodically occurring third event; and based on relative timing of the first and second signals, controlling the amount of delay so that the periodically occurring third event occurs at a predetermined location between the first and second events of the first and second signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc. PATENT COUNSEL, Legal Affairs Dept.
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Mihai Banu
  • Publication number: 20070127930
    Abstract: A system for generating a local clock signal, the system including: a skew correction circuit for receiving first and second periodic signals that have associated skews, wherein the skew correction circuit is configured to use the received first and second periodic signals to generate a third periodic signal that has a fixed skew between the skews of the first and second periodic signals; a phase detector with a first input that receives the third periodic signal from the skew correction circuit and a second input; a variable oscillator for generating an output signal having a frequency that is controlled by the phase detector; and a frequency divider for dividing the frequency of the oscillator's output signal, wherein the frequency-divided output signal is fed back to the second input of the phase detector, and wherein the local clock signal is derived from the oscillator's output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vladimir Prodanov, Mihai Banu
  • Patent number: 7226337
    Abstract: Methods system and apparatus, including computer program products, for monitoring polishing a substrate. A polishing pad mounted on a platen is rotated at a first rotation rate, and a carrier head is rotated at a second rotation rate that is different from the first rotation rate. The carrier head carries a substrate and presses the substrate against the polishing pad. A sequence of data traces is acquired using a sensor mounted in the platen, wherein each data trace results from a separate scan with the sensor along a path across the substrate, and wherein the first and second rotation rates are such that a plurality of paths corresponding to a predetermined number of consecutive scans are substantially evenly radially distributed across the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Drue David
  • Patent number: 7226853
    Abstract: A method of forming a dual damascene structure on a substrate having a dielectric layer already formed thereon. In one embodiment the method includes depositing a first hard mask layer over the dielectric layer; depositing a second hard mask layer on the first hard mask layer; depositing a third hard mask layer on the second hard mask layer and completing formation of the dual damascene structure by etching a metal wiring pattern and a via pattern in the dielectric layer and filling the etched metal wiring pattern and via pattern with a conductive material. In one particular embodiment the second hard mask layer is an amorphous carbon layer and the third hard mask layer is a silicon-containing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolaos Bekiaris, Timothy Weidman, Michael D. Armacost, Mehul B. Naik