Patents Assigned to Lam Research
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Patent number: 12125711Abstract: Provided herein are methods and systems for reducing roughness of EUV resists and improving etched features. The methods may involve depositing a thin film on a patterned EUV resist having a stress level that is less compressive than a stress level of the patterned EUV resist. The resulting composite stress may reduce buckling and/or bulging of the patterned EUV resist.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2020Date of Patent: October 22, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Xiang Zhou, Teng Hooi Goh, Yoshie Kimura
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Patent number: 12123709Abstract: A measurement system to measure at least one of a height and a thickness of an edge ring in a plasma processing chamber includes an ultrasound transducer configured to output an ultrasound signal into the edge ring and to receive a reflected signal from the edge ring. A controller is configured to cause the ultrasound transducer to generate the ultrasound signal and to determine a thickness of the edge ring based on timing of the ultrasound signal and the reflected signal.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2020Date of Patent: October 22, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventor: Hossein Sadeghi
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Patent number: 12119218Abstract: A method for protecting a surface of a substrate during processing includes a) providing a solution forming a co-polymer having a ceiling temperature; b) dispensing the solution onto a surface of the substrate to form a sacrificial protective layer, wherein the co-polymer is kinetically trapped to allow storage at a temperature above the ceiling temperature; c) exposing the substrate to ambient conditions for a predetermined period; and d) de-polymerizing the sacrificial protective layer by using stimuli selected from a group consisting of ultraviolet (UV) light and heat.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2020Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Stephen M. Sirard, Ratchana Limary, Yang Pan, Diane Hymes
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Patent number: 12119232Abstract: Systems and methods for etching different features in a substantially equal manner are described. One of the methods includes applying a low frequency bias signal during a low TCP state and applying a high frequency bias signal during a high TCP state. The application of the low frequency bias signal during the low TCP state facilitates generation of hot neutrals, which are used to increase an etch rate of etching dense features compared to an etch rate for etching isolation features. The application of the high frequency bias signal during the high TCP state facilitates generation of ions to increase an etch rate of etching the isolation features compared to an etch rate of etching the dense features. After applying the low frequency bias signal during the low TCP state and the high frequency bias signal during the high TCP state, the isolation and dense features are etched similarly.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2022Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Juline Shoeb, Alexander Miller Paterson, Ying Wu
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Patent number: 12119243Abstract: A method for etching features in a stack below a patterned mask in an etch chamber is provided. The stack is cooled with a coolant with a coolant temperature below ?20° C. An etch gas is flowed into the etch chamber. A plasma is generated from the etch gas. Features are selectively etched into the stack with respect to the patterned mask.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2023Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Keren J. Kanarik, Samantha Siamhwa Tan, Yang Pan, Jeffrey Marks
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Patent number: 12116669Abstract: A showerhead for a substrate processing system includes a lower surface, a plasma-facing upper surface, a gas plenum defined between the lower surface and the upper surface, and a plurality of injectors distributed on the lower surface, wherein the plurality of injectors are in fluid communication with the gas plenum. A plurality of through holes extends from the upper surface to the lower surface. Selected ones of the plurality of through holes have a diameter that is different from a diameter of remaining ones of the plurality of through holes. The diameter of the selected ones of the plurality of through holes is predetermined in accordance with a desired ratio of respective gases provided via the selected ones of the plurality of through holes and the remaining ones of the plurality of through holes.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2021Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Rachel Batzer, Zhe Gui, Galbokka Hewage Layan Savithra
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Patent number: 12112980Abstract: Tin oxide films are used to create air gaps during semiconductor substrate processing. Tin oxide films, disposed between exposed layers of other materials, such as SiO2 and SiN can be selectively etched using a plasma formed in an H2-containing process gas. The etching creates a recessed feature in place of the tin oxide between the surrounding materials. A third material, such as SiO2 is deposited over the resulting recessed feature without fully filling the recessed feature, forming an air gap. A method for selectively etching tin oxide in a presence of SiO2, SiC, SiN, SiOC, SiNO, SiCNO, or SiCN, includes, in some embodiments, contacting the substrate with a plasma formed in a process gas comprising at least about 50% H2. Etching of tin oxide can be performed without using an external bias at the substrate and is preferably performed at a temperature of less than about 100° C.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2021Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Patrick A. van Cleemput, Seshasayee Varadarajan, Bart J. van Schravendijk
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Patent number: 12110586Abstract: A system to deposit a film on a substrate using atomic layer deposition includes a pedestal arranged in a processing chamber to support the substrate on a top surface of the pedestal when depositing the film on the substrate. A first annular recess in the pedestal extends downwardly from the top surface of the pedestal and radially inwardly from an outer edge of the pedestal towards an outer edge of the substrate. The first annular recess has an inner diameter that is greater than a diameter of the substrate. An annular ring is made of a dielectric material and is arranged around the substrate in the first annular recess. A second annular recess in the pedestal is located under the annular ring. The second annular recess has a height and extends radially inwardly from the outer edge of the pedestal towards the outer edge of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2020Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATIONInventors: Adrien Lavoie, Michael Philip Roberts, Chloe Baldasseroni, Richard Phillips, Ramesh Chandrasekharan
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Patent number: 12105039Abstract: In some examples, a Vacuum Pre-treatment Module (VPM) metrology system is provided for measuring a sheet resistance of a layer on a substrate. The system may comprise an eddy sensor including a sender sensor and a receiver sensor defining a gap between them for accepting an edge of a substrate to be tested. A sensor controller receives measurement signals from the eddy sensor. A data processor processes the measurement signals and generates sheet resistance values for the layer on the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2020Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Manish Ranjan, Andrew James Pfau, Douglas Hill, Douglas Koeller, Burton Williams, Shantinath Ghongadi
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Patent number: 12105422Abstract: Development of resists are useful, for example, to form a patterning mask in the context of high-resolution patterning. Development can be accomplished using a halide-containing chemistry such as a hydrogen halide. A metal-containing resist film may be deposited on a semiconductor substrate using a dry or wet deposition technique. The resist film may be an EUV-sensitive organo-metal oxide or organo-metal-containing thin film resist. After exposure, the photopatterned metal-containing resist is developed using wet or dry development.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2020Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Samantha Siamhwa Tan, Jengyi Yu, Da Li, Yiwen Fan, Yang Pan, Jeffrey Marks, Richard A. Gottscho, Daniel Peter, Timothy William Weidman, Boris Volosskiy, Wenbing Yang
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Patent number: 12106947Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a drive circuit, an RF reference measuring circuit, and a make-break connector. The drive circuit generates an RF drive signal at a first RF frequency. The RF reference measuring circuit includes an LC circuit having an input impedance and an output impedance. An output of the LC circuit connects to an RF power meter and a dummy load. The make-break connector connects the drive circuit to one of the RF reference measuring circuit and a processing chamber load including a component of the substrate processing system. An output impedance of the drive circuit matches an impedance of an input impedance of the LC circuit. The output impedance of the drive circuit does not match impedances of the RF power meter and the dummy load. The LC circuit matches the impedance of the drive circuit to the RF power meter and the dummy load.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2021Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventor: Maolin Long
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Patent number: 12106946Abstract: A processing chamber and method of etching a semi-conductor substrate are presented. The processing chamber is symmetric, with the centerlines of a chuck and stem of a stage to retain a semi-conductor substrate aligned with a centerline of a passage in a core of a pump used to evacuate the processing chamber and with a center-line of a gas port through which gas is introduced to the processing chamber. The stem extends through the passage and a spiral groove is formed in the passage in only one of the stem or an inner surface of the core to provide pumping action to counter back streaming of the gas from an exhaust of the pump in an intermediate and viscous flow regime inside a gap between the stem and the core.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2020Date of Patent: October 1, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Thorsten Lill, Mariusch Gregor
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Patent number: 12100575Abstract: A plasma processing device may include a plasma processing chamber, a plasma electrode assembly, a wafer stage, a plasma producing gas inlet, a plurality of vacuum ports, at least one vacuum pump, and a multi-port valve assembly. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise a movable seal plate positioned in the plasma processing chamber. The movable seal plate may comprise a transverse port sealing surface that is shaped and sized to completely overlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a closed state, to partially overlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a partially open state, and to avoid substantial overlap of the plurality of vacuum ports in an open state. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise a transverse actuator coupled to the movable seal plate and a sealing actuator coupled to the movable seal plate.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2018Date of Patent: September 24, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Daniel A. Brown, Michael C. Kellogg, Leonard J. Sharpless, Allan K. Ronne, James E. Tappan
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Patent number: 12094739Abstract: A method for cleaning a load lock in a substrate processing system includes, in a first period, opening a first valve in fluid communication with a gas source to supply gas through a first vent into a gas volume of the load lock. The gas is supplied at a pressure and flow rate sufficient to disturb particles from surfaces of the load lock. The method includes, in a second period subsequent to the first period and with the first valve opened, opening a second valve in fluid communication with a pump and turning on the pump to flush the gas and particles from the gas volume of the load lock, and, in a third period subsequent to the second period, closing the first valve while continuing to pump the gas and the particles from the gas volume of the load lock via the second valve.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2020Date of Patent: September 17, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Adam Patrick Bateman, Travis R. Taylor
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Patent number: 12094711Abstract: Tin oxide film on a semiconductor substrate is etched selectively with an etch selectivity of at least 10 in a presence of silicon (Si), carbon (C), or a carbon-containing material (e.g., photoresist) by exposing the substrate to a process gas comprising hydrogen (H2) and a hydrocarbon (e.g., at a hydrogen/hydrocarbon ratio of at least 5), such that a carbon-containing polymer is formed on the substrate. In some embodiments an apparatus for processing a semiconductor substrate includes a process chamber configured for housing the semiconductor substrate and a controller having program instructions on a non-transitory medium for causing selective etching of a tin oxide layer on a substrate in a presence of silicon, carbon, or a carbon-containing material by exposing the substrate to a plasma formed in a process gas that includes H2 and a hydrocarbon.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2022Date of Patent: September 17, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Jengyi Yu, Samantha S. H. Tan, Yu Jiang, Hui-Jung Wu, Richard Wise, Yang Pan, Nader Shamma, Boris Volosskiy
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Patent number: 12087561Abstract: A processing chamber such as a plasma etch chamber can perform deposition and etch operations, where byproducts of the deposition and etch operations can build up in a vacuum pump system fluidly coupled to the processing chamber. A vacuum pump system may have multiple roughing pumps so that etch gases can be diverted a roughing pump and deposition precursors can be diverted to another roughing pump. A divert line may route unused deposition precursors through a separate roughing pump. Deposition byproducts can be prevented from forming by incorporating one or more gas ejectors or venturi pumps at an outlet of a primary pump in a vacuum pump system. Cleaning operations, such as waferless automated cleaning operations, using certain clean chemistries may remove deposition byproducts before or after etch operations.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2023Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: John Stephen Drewery, Tom A. Kamp, Haoquan Yan, John Edward Daugherty, Ali Sucipto Tan, Ming-Kuei Tseng, Bruce Edmund Freeman
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Patent number: 12087574Abstract: A method for processing a substrate is described. A first reactant in vapor phase is introduced into a reaction chamber having the substrate therein. The first reactant is allowed to be adsorb onto the substrate surface. The non-reactive portion of the first reactant is purged from the reaction chamber after a flow of the first reactant has ceased. The second reactant is introduced in vapor phase into the reaction chamber while the first reactant is adsorbed onto the substrate surface. The second reactant comprises a 1:1:1 ratio of dihydrogen (H2), a nitro-gen-containing reactant, and an oxygen-containing reactant. A plasma is ignited based on the second reactant. The substrate surface is exposed to the plasma. The plasma is extinguished. Gas from the reaction chamber is purged.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2019Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Douglas Walter Agnew, Joseph R. Abel, Bart Jan van Schravendijk
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Patent number: 12087557Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber including a dielectric window and a substrate support arranged therein to support a substrate. A coil is arranged outside of the processing chamber adjacent to the dielectric window. A Faraday shield is arranged between the coil and the dielectric window. An RF generator is configured to supply RF power to the coil. The coil is coupled by stray capacitance and/or directly coupled to the Faraday shield. A capacitor is connected to one of the coil and the Faraday shield to adjust a position of a voltage standing wave along the coil.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2020Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATIONInventors: Shen Peng, Tamarak Pandhumsoporn, Anthony Nguyen, Dan Marohl
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Patent number: 12087572Abstract: Disclosed are methods for the formation of silicon nitride (SiN) on only the horizontal surfaces of structures such as 3D NAND staircase. This allows for thicker landing pads for subsequently formed vias. In some embodiments, the methods involve deposition of a SiN layer over a staircase followed by a treatment to selectively densify the SiN layer on the horizontal surfaces with respect to the sidewall surfaces. A wet etch is then performed to remove SiN from the sidewall surfaces. The selective treatment results in significantly different wet etch rates (WERs) between the horizontal surfaces and the sidewalls.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2020Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Bart J. van Schravendijk, Soumana Hamma, Kai-Lin Ou, Ming Li, Malay Milan Samantaray
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Patent number: 12087573Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided herein for oxidizing an annular edge region of a substrate. A method may include providing the substrate to a substrate holder in a semiconductor processing chamber, the semiconductor processing chamber having a showerbead positioned above the substrate holder, and simultaneously flowing, while the substrate is supported by the substrate holder, (a) an oxidizing gas around a periphery of the substrate and (b) an inert gas that does not include oxygen through the showerhead and onto the substrate, thereby creating an annular gas region over an annular edge region of the substrate and an interior gas region over on an interior region of the substrate; the simultaneous flowing is not during a deposition of a material onto the substrate, and the annular gas region has an oxidization rate higher than the interior gas region.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2020Date of Patent: September 10, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Gerald Joseph Brady, Kevin M. McLaughlin, Pratik Sankhe, Bart J. van Schravendijk, Shriram Vasant Bapat
