Patents Assigned to ASM Japan K.K.
  • METHOD OF FORMING SILICON-CONTAINING INSULATION FILM HAVING LOW DIELECTRIC CONSTANT AND LOW FILM STRESS
    Publication number: 20070066086
    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 consisting of a silicon-containing hydrocarbon linear 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: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi HYODO, Nobuo MATSUKI, Masashi YAMAGUCHI, Atsuki FUKAZAWA, Naoki OHARA, Yijun LIU
  • Plasma CVD film formation apparatus provided with mask
    Publication number: 20070065597
    Abstract: A plasma CVD apparatus for forming a thin film on a wafer having diameter Dw and thickness Tw, includes: a vacuum chamber; a shower plate; a top plate; a top mask portion for covering a top surface peripheral portion of the wafer; and a side mask portion for covering a side surface portion of the wafer. The side mask portion has an inner diameter of Dw+?, and the top mask portion is disposed at a clearance of Tw+? between a bottom surface of the top mask portion and a wafer-supporting surface of the top plate, wherein ? is more than zero, and ? is more than zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicants: ASM JAPAN K.K., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shintaro Kaido, Masashi Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Morisada, Nobuo Matsuki, Kyu Na, Eun Baek
  • Recipe operation using group function and/or subroutine function
    Publication number: 20070038324
    Abstract: A recipe operation system includes (i) at least one recipe comprised of multiple operation steps arranged in order; and (ii) a recipe execution program including a subroutine which is called every time steps are changed, to select a next step to be executed from the steps arranged in order. The steps are executed in order different from the arranged order, and at least one step is repeated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Tsutomu Makino, Kazuyoshi Ishigaya
  • Plasma CVD apparatus for forming uniform film
    Publication number: 20070037390
    Abstract: A plasma CVD film formation apparatus includes: a reaction chamber; a shower plate installed inside the reaction chamber; and a susceptor for placing a wafer thereon installed substantially parallel to and facing the shower plate. The shower plate has a surface facing the susceptor, which is configured using a convex shape toward a center as a basic shape and overlaying at least one equation thereon, and the susceptor supports the wafer at a peripheral portion and at a position between a central portion and the peripheral portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Naoto Tsuji, Satoshi Takahashi
  • Method for depositing thin film by controlling effective distance between showerhead and susceptor
    Publication number: 20070032048
    Abstract: A method for depositing a thin film on a substrate by plasma CVD includes: providing a vacuum chamber including a showerhead and a susceptor entirely facing the showerhead in parallel, placing a substrate on the susceptor entirely within the inner portion; and applying an RF power between the showerhead and the susceptor to deposit a thin film on the substrate. The susceptor includes an inner portion and a peripheral portion that is defined as any portion enclosing the inner portion and defines an electrically effective distance from the showerhead greater than that defined by the inner portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Publication date: February 8, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Naoto Tsuji, Ryo Kawaguchi, Atsuki Fukazawa, Rei Tanaka
  • Insulation film and method for manufacturing same
    Publication number: 20070009673
    Abstract: A method for forming a low-dielectric-constant thin film includes forming on a substrate placed on a susceptor a thin film having a dielectric constant of 2.7 or higher and a modulus of 5 GPa or less by plasma CVD using an organosilicon gas and an additive gas such as CnH2n+2O in the absence of oxidizing gas at a susceptor temperature of lower than 350° C.; and curing the thin film with UV irradiation, thereby decreasing the dielectric constant by at least 10% and increasing the modulus by at least 200%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Atsuki Fukazawa, Nobuo Matsuki
  • METHOD FOR FORMING INSULATION FILM
    Publication number: 20070004204
    Abstract: A method for forming an insulation film having filling property on a semiconductor substrate by plasma reaction includes: vaporizing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon having a Si—O bond compound to provide a source gas; introducing the source gas and a carrier gas without an oxidizing gas into a reaction space for plasma CVD processing; and forming an insulation film constituted by Si, O, H, and optionally C or N on a substrate by plasma reaction using a combination of low-frequency RF power and high-frequency RF power in the reaction space. The plasma reaction is activated while controlling the flow of the reaction gas to lengthen a residence time, Rt, of the reaction gas in the reaction space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2006
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Atsuki Fukazawa, Nobuo Matsuki, Seijiro Umemoto
  • Method of producing advanced low dielectric constant film by UV light emission
    Publication number: 20060286306
    Abstract: A method of treating a low-dielectric constant film includes: depositing a low-dielectric constant film on a substrate, which is structured by Si—C bond and has a first leakage current; and emitting ultraviolet (UV) light to the film until the film has a second leakage current which is ½ or less of the first leakage current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Naoki Ohara, Atsuki Fukazawa
  • Method for forming silicon-containing insulation film having low dielectric constant treated with electron beam radiation
    Patent number: 7147900
    Abstract: A silicon-containing insulation film is formed on a substrate by plasma reaction using a reaction gas including (i) a source gas comprising a silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound containing multiple cross-linkable groups, (ii) a cross-linking gas, and (iii) an inert gas, into a reaction chamber where a substrate is placed. The insulation film is then exposed to electron beam radiation, thereby increasing mechanical strength of the film without substantial alternation of its dielectric constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Naoto Tsuji, Atsuki Fukazawa, Nobuo Matsuki, Shingo Ikeda
  • Method of forming silicon-containing insulation film having low dielectric constant and low film stress
    Patent number: 7148154
    Abstract: A silicon-containing insulation film is formed on a substrate by plasma polymerization by introducing a reaction gas comprising (i) a source gas comprising a silicon-containing hydrocarbon 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: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi Hyodo, Nobuo Matsuki, Masashi Yamaguchi, Atsuki Fukazawa, Naoki Ohara, Yijun Liu
  • Technology of detecting abnormal operation of plasma process
    Publication number: 20060275931
    Abstract: A method of detecting abnormal operation of a plasma process, includes: (i) detecting a potential Vpp1 between an upper electrode and a lower electrode disposed parallel to each other in a reaction camber at a time T1 after the plasma process begins in the reaction chamber; (ii) detecting a Vpp2 between the upper electrode and the lower electrode at a time T2 after T1; (iii) comparing Vpp1 and Vpp2 to obtain an operation value; and (iv) determining abnormal operation if the operation value is within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Takashi Wada
  • Process for depositing low dielectric constant materials
    Patent number: 7144620
    Abstract: Chemical vapor deposition processes result in films having low dielectric constants when suitable chemical precursors are utilized. Preferred chemical precursors include siloxanes, (fluoroalkyl)fluorosiloxanes, (fluoroalkyl)silanes, (alkyl)fluorosilanes, (fluoroalkyl)fluorosilanes, alkylsiloxysilanes, alkoxysilanes, alkylalkoxysilanes, silylmethanes, alkoxysilylmethanes, alkylalkoxysilylmethanes, alkoxymethanes, alkylalkoxymethanes, and mixtures thereof. The precursors are particularly suited to thermal CVD for producing low dielectric constant films at relatively low temperatures, particularly without the use of additional oxidizing agents. Such films are useful in the microelectronics industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventor: Michael A. Todd
  • Formation technology for nanoparticle films having low dielectric constant
    Publication number: 20060269690
    Abstract: A method for forming a low dielectric constant film includes the steps of: introducing reaction gas comprising an organo Si gas and an inert gas into a reactor of a capacitively-coupled CVD apparatus; adjusting a size of fine particles being generated in the vapor phase to a nanometer order size as a function of a plasma discharge period inside the reactor; and depositing fine particles generated on a substrate being placed between upper and lower electrodes inside the reactor while controlling a temperature gradient between the substrate and the upper electrode at about 100° C./cm or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicants: ASM JAPAN K.K., Kyushu University, National University Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Watanabe, Masaharu Shiratani, Kazunori Koga, Shota Nunomura, Shingo Ikeda, Nobuo Matsuki, Atsuki Fukazawa
  • Method of forming silicon carbide films
    Patent number: 7138332
    Abstract: To deposit silicon onto a substrate, there is introduced into a reaction zone a gas including source gases of silicon, carbon, nitrogen and an inert gas. An electric field is generated using low and high frequency RF power to produce a plasma discharge in the reaction zone to cause the deposition. The average power on the substrate is substantially constant. A ratio of low frequency RF power to total RF power is less than about 0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventor: Kamal Kishore Goundar
  • Method for forming insulation film
    Publication number: 20060258176
    Abstract: A method for forming an insulation film having filling property on a semiconductor substrate by plasma reaction includes: vaporizing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon having a Si—O bond compound to provide a source gas; introducing the source gas and a carrier gas without an oxidizing gas into a reaction space for plasma CVD processing; and forming an insulation film constituted by Si, O, H, and optionally C or N on a substrate by plasma reaction using a combination of low-frequency RF power and high-frequency RF power in the reaction space. The plasma reaction is activated while controlling the flow of the reaction gas to lengthen a residence time, Rt, of the reaction gas in the reaction space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Atsuki Fukazawa, Nobuo Matsuki, Seijiro Umemoto
  • Method of recipe control operation
    Publication number: 20060234402
    Abstract: An operation method of a recipe control process in which multiple processing targets are processed continuously in a processing apparatus using recipes that specify a set of control parameters specifying the processing conditions of processing targets. The method comprises the steps of: (I) specifying correction coefficients to correct at least one of the parameters' values for each processing target, separately from the recipes, and (II) performing the recipe control process for multiple processing targets and applying the correction coefficients to each processing target to adjust the parameters' values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Takashi Wada, Satoru Noguchi
  • Semiconductor-processing apparatus provided with self-cleaning device
    Publication number: 20060228473
    Abstract: A CVD apparatus comprising an optical unit detecting the mass of contaminants adhering to an inner surface of a CVD reactor by irradiating an inner surface of the reactor with light having monochromaticity through an optical window provided on an inner wall of the reactor and receiving its reflected light is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Satoh, Yoshinobu Kano
  • Method of stabilizing film quality of low-dielectric constant film
    Publication number: 20060216433
    Abstract: A method of forming a film having a low dielectric constant, comprises the steps of: placing a substrate between an upper electrode and a lower electrode inside a reaction chamber, introducing a silicon-containing hydrocarbon compound source gas, an additive gas, and an inert gas into a space between the upper and lower electrodes by controlling a gas flow ratio, generating a plasma by applying RF power to the space between the upper and lower electrodes in a state in which an interval between the upper electrode and the substrate is narrower in the vicinity of a center of the substrate than that in the vicinity of its periphery, and forming a film having a low dielectric constant on the substrate at a deposition rate of less than approx. 790 nm/min by controlling a flow rate of the process gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Atsuki Fukazawa, Kiyoto Itoh, Tsunayuki Kimura, Nobuo Matsuki
  • Input signal analyzing system and control apparatus using same
    Publication number: 20060218312
    Abstract: For example, by providing MMF software 10, 11 transferring data using a memory-mapped file respectively in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 and in an input signal analyzing system 8, data transfer load placed on control software 4 and analyzing software 9 is reduced. Additionally, in the MMF software 10, by inserting counter information in the memory-mapped file and by observing the information by the MMF software 11, communication abnormality is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Masahiro Takizawa, Kazuyoshi Ishigaya, Kunio Ootani
  • Semiconductor-manufacturing apparatus equipped with cooling stage and semiconductor-manufacturing method using same
    Publication number: 20060204356
    Abstract: A wafer transfer apparatus includes: (A) a mini environment that connects to a wafer storage part and a load lock chamber and is equipped with a transfer robot inside, in order to transfer wafers between the wafer storage part and load lock chamber in the presence of air flows; and (B) a cooling stage that opens and connects to the mini environment from the outside of the mini environment in the vicinity of the connection port on the load lock chamber, in order to temporarily hold a wafer so that the wafer cooled by the air taken in from the mini environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Publication date: September 14, 2006
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamagishi, Takeshi Watanabe