Patents Assigned to ASM Japan K.K.
  • Semiconductor-processing apparatus provided with susceptor and placing block
    Patent number: 7276123
    Abstract: A semiconductor-processing apparatus comprises a susceptor and removable placing blocks detachably placed at a periphery of the susceptor for transferring a substrate. Retractable supporting members are provided for detaching/attaching the placing blocks from/to the susceptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Akira Shimizu, Hideaki Fukuda, Hiroki Arai, Baiei Kawano, Takayuki Yamagishi
  • Method of forming carbon polymer film using plasma CVD
    Publication number: 20070224833
    Abstract: A method of forming a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on a semiconductor substrate by a capacitively-coupled plasma CVD apparatus. The method includes the steps of: vaporizing a hydrocarbon-containing liquid monomer (C?H?X?, wherein ? and ? are natural numbers of 5 or more; ? is an integer including zero; X is O, N or F) having a boiling point of about 20° C. to about 350° C. which is not substituted by a vinyl group or an acetylene group; introducing the vaporized gas and CO2 gas or H2 gas into a CVD reaction chamber inside which a substrate is placed; and forming a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on the substrate by plasma polymerization of the gas, thereby reducing extinction coefficient (k) at 193 nm and increasing mechanical hardness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicants: ASM JAPAN K.K., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Morisada, Kamal Goundar, Masashi Yamaguchi, Nobuo Matsuki, Kyu Na, Eun Baek
  • Thin-film deposition apparatus
    Patent number: 7273526
    Abstract: A gas-feeding apparatus configured to be connected to an evacuatable reaction chamber includes a gas-distribution head for introducing gases into the chamber through a head surface. The gas-feeding head includes a first section for discharging a gas through the head surface toward a susceptor and a second section for discharging a gas through the head surface toward the susceptor. The first and the second sections are isolated from each other in the gas-distribution head, at least one of which section is coupled to an exhaust system for purging therefrom a gas present in the corresponding section without passing through the head surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinriki, Junichi Arami
  • SEMICONDUCTOR-PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH ROTATING SUSCEPTOR
    Publication number: 20070218702
    Abstract: An apparatus for depositing thin film on a processing target includes: a reaction space; a susceptor movable up and down and rotatable around its center axis; and isolation walls that divide the reaction space into multiple compartments including source gas compartments and purge gas compartments, wherein when the susceptor is raised for film deposition, a small gap is created between the susceptor and the isolation walls, thereby establishing gaseous separation between the respective compartments, wherein each source gas compartment and each purge gas compartment are provided alternately in a susceptor-rotating direction of the susceptor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Akira SHIMIZU, Wonyong KOH, Hyung-Sang PARK, Young-Duck TAK
  • Method of forming a carbon polymer film using plasma CVD
    Publication number: 20070218705
    Abstract: A method forms a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on a semiconductor substrate by a capacitively-coupled plasma CVD apparatus. The method includes the steps of: vaporizing a hydrocarbon-containing liquid monomer (C?H?X?, wherein ? and ? are natural numbers of 5 or more; ? is an integer including zero; X is O, N or F) having a boiling point of about 20° C. to about 350° C.; introducing the vaporized gas into a CVD reaction chamber inside which a substrate is placed; and forming a hydrocarbon-containing polymer film on the substrate by plasma polymerization of the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Nobuo Matsuki, Yoshinori Morisada, Seijiro Umemoto, Jea Lee
  • Semiconductor-processing apparatus with rotating susceptor
    Publication number: 20070218701
    Abstract: An apparatus for depositing thin film on a processing target includes: a reaction space; a susceptor movable up and down and rotatable around its center axis; and isolation walls that divide the reaction space into multiple compartments including source gas compartments and purge gas compartments, wherein when the susceptor is raised for film deposition, a small gap is created between the susceptor and the isolation walls, thereby establishing gaseous separation between the respective compartments, wherein each source gas compartment and each purge gas compartment are provided alternately in a susceptor-rotating direction of the susceptor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Akira Shimizu, Wonyong Koh, Hyung-Sang Park, Young-Duck Tak
  • Low-carbon-doped silicon oxide film and damascene structure using same
    Patent number: 7271093
    Abstract: A method of forming an interconnect for a semiconductor device using triple hard layers, comprises: forming a first hard layer serving as an etch stop layer on a metal interconnect-formed dielectric layer; forming a second hard layer on the first hard layer; forming a dielectric layer on the second hard layer; forming a third hard layer on the dielectric layer; forming a hole through the third and second hard layers, the dielectric layer, and the first hard layer; and filling the hole with metal to establish an interconnect. The second and third hard layers are each made of carbon-doped silicon oxide formed from a source gas and a redox gas, while controlling the carbon content in the second hard layer as a function of a flow rate of the redox gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Chou San Nelson Loke, Kanako Yoshioka, Kiyoshi Satoh
  • Thin-film deposition apparatus
    Patent number: 7267725
    Abstract: A thin-film deposition apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a substrate transfer chamber, a susceptor having a radially-extending step portion, a ring-shaped separation wall for separating the reaction chamber and the substrate transfer chamber at a processing position where the susceptor is positioned inside the ring-shaped separation wall, and a conductive sealing member which is interposed between the radially-extending step portion and the separation wall to seal the reaction chamber from the substrate transfer chamber when the susceptor is at a processing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventor: Baiei Kawano
  • Semiconductor processing apparatus with lift pin structure
    Publication number: 20070160507
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing apparatus includes: a reaction chamber; a susceptor disposed in the reaction chamber for placing a substrate thereon and having through-holes in an axial direction of the susceptor; lift pins slidably disposed in the respective through-holes for lifting the substrate over the susceptor; and a means for reducing contact resistance between the lift pins and the respective through-holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Satoh, Takayuki Yamagishi
  • METHOD FOR FORMING POROUS INSULATION FILM
    Publication number: 20070161257
    Abstract: A method of forming a porous film on a processing target includes: forming fine organic particles by polymerizing an organic compound in a gaseous phase; mixing the fine organic particles with a silicon compound containing a Si—O bond in a gaseous phase, thereby depositing a film containing the fine particles on the processing target; and removing the fine organic particles from the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicants: ASM JAPAN K.K., ULVAC, INC., NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi Hyodo, Kazuo Kohmura, Nobutoshi Fujii, Nobutaka Kunimi, Keizo Kinoshita
  • Method of forming silicon carbide films
    Patent number: 7238393
    Abstract: A method for depositing a silicon carbide layer onto a substrate comprises providing a silicon and carbon source gas and an inert gas into a reaction zone. The reaction zone contains the substrate. The method further comprises producing an electric field in the reaction zone. The electric field is generated using low and high frequency RF energy produced by an RF power supply. The RF power supply generates power at an electrode surface used for plasma discharge in the reaction zone. The method further comprises reacting the silicon and carbon source gas to deposit a silicon carbide film on the substrate. The RF power supply generates high energy RF power and low energy RF power during a processing period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Kamal Kishore Goundar, Tadashi Kumakura, Kiyoshi Satoh
  • Method of cleaning CVD equipment processing chamber
    Patent number: 7234476
    Abstract: A method of remote plasma cleaning a processing chamber of CVD equipment, which has high cleaning rates, low cleaning operational cost and high efficiency, is provided. The method comprises supplying cleaning gas to the remote plasma-discharge device; activating the cleaning gas inside the remote plasma-discharge device; and bringing the activated cleaning gas into the processing chamber and which is characterized in that a mixed gas of F2 gas and an inert gas are used as the cleaning gas. A concentration of the F2 gas is 10% or higher. The F2 gas, which is a cleaning gas, is supplied to the remote plasma-discharge device from an F2 gas cylinder by diluting F2 gas at a given concentration by an inert gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Arai, Hideaki Fukuda
  • Method of forming organosilicon oxide film and multilayer resist structure
    Publication number: 20070141273
    Abstract: A method of forming an organosilicon oxide film by plasma CVD includes: (i) adjusting a temperature of a susceptor on which a substrate is placed to lower than 300° C.; (ii) introducing at least tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and oxygen into a reactor in which the susceptor is disposed; (iii) applying high-frequency RF power and low-frequency RF power; and (iv) thereby depositing an organosilicon oxide film on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventor: Ryu Nakano
  • Semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus and semiconductor substrate processing apparatus equipped with the same
    Publication number: 20070142962
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate transfer apparatus for transferring semiconductor substrates from a first container to a second container, includes: multiple end effectors; at least one robot arm with which the multiple end effectors are independently rotatably joined; and a controller storing software including instructions to judge which end effector or end effectors in the multiple end effectors are to be selected based on a distribution status of substrates stored in the first and second containers and to rotate the selected end effector(s) for unloading a substrate or substrates from the first container and loading the substrate or substrates to the second container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Masaei Suwada, Takashi Wada
  • Method of forming a thin film by plasma CVD of a silicon-containing source gas
    Patent number: 7229935
    Abstract: A method for forming a thin film includes: supplying an additive gas, a dilution gas, and a silicon-containing source gas into a reaction chamber wherein a substrate is placed; forming a thin film on the substrate by plasma CVD under a given pressure with a given intensity of radio-frequency (RF) power from a first point in time to a second point in time; at the second point in time, stopping the supply of the silicon-containing source gas; and at the second point in time, beginning reducing but not stopping the RF power, and beginning reducing the pressure, wherein the reduction of the RF power and the reduction of the pressure are synchronized up to a third point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Atsuki Fukazawa, Kenichi Kagami, Manabu Kato
  • Polymer film and method for producing the same
    Patent number: 7220810
    Abstract: A polymer film having a low dielectric constant is produced polymerizing a raw material gas containing a compound of the formula (1): wherein PCA represents a polycycloaliphatic hydrocarbon group, ALK represents a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group, m is 1 or 2, n is 0 or 1, and R1 and R2 represent independently each other an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryl group or an aryloxy group by a plasma polymerization method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignees: Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, NEC Corporation, ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Kunimi, Jun Kawahara, Akinori Nakano, Keizo Kinoshita
  • METHOD OF FORMING SILICON-CONTAINING INSULATION FILM HAVING LOW DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AND LOW FILM STRESS
    Publication number: 20070111540
    Abstract: A method for forming a silicon-containing insulation film on a substrate by plasma polymerization includes: introducing a reaction gas comprising (i) a source gas comprising a silicon-containing hydrocarbon cyclic compound containing at least one vinyl group (Si-vinyl compound), and (ii) an additive gas, into a reaction chamber where a substrate is placed; and applying radio-frequency power to the gas to cause plasma polymerization, thereby depositing an insulation film on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi HYODO, Nobuo MATSUKI, Masashi YAMAGUCHI, Atsuki FUKAZAWA, Naoki OHARA, Yijun LIU
  • Substrate-supporting device
    Publication number: 20070089670
    Abstract: A substrate-supporting device for CVD having a substrate-supporting region includes: a substrate-supporting surface which is a continuous surface defining a reference plane on which a substrate is placed; and multiple dimples having bottom surfaces lower than the reference plane. The respective dimples are isolated from each other by a portion of the substrate-supporting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Publication date: April 26, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventor: Yozo Ikedo
  • Method for forming metal wiring structure
    Publication number: 20070082132
    Abstract: A method for forming a metal wiring structure includes: (i) providing a multi-layer structure including an exposed wiring layer and an exposed insulating layer in a reaction space; (ii) introducing an —NH2 or >NH terminal at least on an exposed surface of the insulating layer in a reducing atmosphere; (iii) introducing a reducing compound to the reaction space and then purging a reaction space; (iv) introducing a metal halide compound to the reaction space and then purging the reaction space; (v) introducing a gas containing N and H and then purging the reaction space; (vi) repeating steps (iii) to (v) in sequence to produce a metal-containing barrier layer; and (vii) forming a metal film on the metal-containing barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinriki, Akira Shimizu
  • Method for foming metal wiring structure
    Publication number: 20070082130
    Abstract: A method for forming a metal wiring structure includes: (i) providing a multi-layer structure including an exposed wiring layer and an exposed insulating layer in a reaction space; (ii) introducing an —NH2 or >NH terminal at least on an exposed surface of the insulating layer in a reducing atmosphere; (iii) introducing a reducing compound to the reaction space and then purging a reaction space; (iv) introducing a metal halide compound to the reaction space and then purging the reaction space; (v) introducing a gas containing N and H and then purging the reaction space; (vi) repeating steps (iii) to (v) in sequence to produce a metal-containing barrier layer; and (vii) forming a metal film on the metal-containing barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shinriki, Akira Shimizu