Patents Assigned to Applied Materials
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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: 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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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: 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: 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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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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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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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: 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: 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: 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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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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Publication number: 20070218679Abstract: In some implementations, a method is provided in a plasma reactor for etching a trench in an organic planarization layer of a resist structure comprising a photoresist mask structure over a hardmask masking the organic planarization layer. This may include introducing into the plasma reactor an etchant gas chemistry including N2, H2, and O2 and etching a masked organic planarization layer using a plasma formed from the etchant gas chemistry. This may include etching through the planarization layer to form a trench with a single etch step.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2006Publication date: September 20, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jens Karsten Schneider, Ying Xiao, Garardo A. Delgadino
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Publication number: 20070219738Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system and computer program device are provided for monitoring production of semiconductor products to detect potential defect excursions. Equipment based data is collected reflecting equipment performance for a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing tools used for processing a plurality of semiconductor products. Also, product level data is collected reflecting product quality for the plurality of semiconductor products processed on the plurality of manufacturing tools. At least a portion of the product level data and at least a portion of the equipment based data are then correlated. At least one report is generated of the correlation of data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2006Publication date: September 20, 2007Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Susan Weiher, Stefan Soens
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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
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Patent number: 7270713Abstract: A gas distribution plate assembly and a method for distributing gas in a processing chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a gas distribution plate assembly includes a tuning plate coupled to a diffuser plate. The tuning plate has a plurality of orifice holes formed therethrough that align with a plurality of apertures formed through the diffuser plate, where the apertures each have a greater sectional area than the holes in the tuning plate. Each aperture is aligned with a respective hole to define gas passages through the gas distribution plate assembly. The tuning plate may be interchanged with a replacement tuning plate to change the gas flow characteristics through the gas distribution plate assembly.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2003Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Wendell T. Blonigan, John M. White, William A. Bagley
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Patent number: 7271396Abstract: The invention provides a method for automatically aligning a beam of charged particles with an aperture. Thereby, the beam is defelcted to two edges of the aperture. From the signals required to obtain an extinction, a correction deflection field is calculated. Furter, a method for automatically aligning a beam of charged particles with an optical axis is provided. Thereby a defocusing is introduced and a signal calculated based on an introduced image shift is applied to a deflection unit. Further, a method for correction of the astigmatism is provided. Thereby the sharpness is evaluated for a sequence of frames measured whilst varying the signals to a stigmator.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2002Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Israel LimitedInventor: Dror Shemesh
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Patent number: 7270709Abstract: A precursor and method for filling a feature in a substrate. The method generally includes depositing a barrier layer, the barrier layer being formed from pentakis(dimethylamido)tantalum having less than about 5 ppm of impurities. The method additionally may include depositing a seed layer over the barrier layer and depositing a conductive layer over the seed layer. The precursor generally includes pentakis(dimethylamido)tantalum having less than about 5 ppm of impurities. The precursor is generated in a canister coupled to a heating element configured to reduce formation of impurities.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2005Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ling Chen, Vincent W. Ku, Hua Chung, Christophe Marcadal, Seshadri Ganguli, Jenny Lin, Dien-Yeh Wu, Alan Ouye, Mei Chang
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Patent number: 7272459Abstract: A method, system, and medium of modeling and/or for controlling a manufacturing process is disclosed. In particular, a method according to embodiments of the present invention includes the step of identifying one or more input parameters. Each input parameter causes a change in at least two outputs. The method also includes the step of storing values of the identified inputs and corresponding empirical output values along with predicted output values. The predicted output values are calculated based on, in part, the values of the identified inputs. The method also includes the step of calculating a set of transform coefficients by minimizing a score equation that is a function of differences between one or more of the empirical output values and their corresponding predicted output values.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2003Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Yuri Kokotov, Efim Entin, Jacques Seror, Yossi Fisher, Shalomo Sarel, Arulkumar P. Shanmugasundram, Alexander T. Schwarm, Young Jeen Paik