Patents Examined by Allan W. Olsen
  • Patent number: 11515170
    Abstract: Methods of etching film stacks to form gaps of uniform width are described. A film stack is etched through a hardmask. A conformal liner is deposited in the gap. The bottom of the liner is removed. The film stack is selectively etched relative to the liner. The liner is removed. The method may be repeated to a predetermined depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Shishi Jiang, Pramit Manna, Bo Qi, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Rui Cheng, Tomohiko Kitajima, Harry S. Whitesell, Huiyuan Wang
  • Patent number: 11505743
    Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical solution which has an excellent dissolving ability for a transition metal-containing substance and can realize excellent smoothness of a portion to be treated. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of treating a substrate. The chemical solution according to an embodiment of the present invention is used for removing a transition metal-containing substance on a substrate. The chemical solution contains one or more kinds of specific hypochlorous acids selected from the group consisting of hypochlorous acid and a salt thereof and contains one or more kinds of specific anions selected from the group consisting of ClO3? and Cl?. In a case where the chemical solution contains one kind of the specific anion, the content of one kind of the specific anion is 5 ppb by mass to 1% by mass with respect to a total mass of the chemical solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuaki Sugimura, Tomonori Takahashi, Hiroyuki Seki
  • Patent number: 11499236
    Abstract: Described herein is an etching solution suitable for both tungsten-containing metals and TiN-containing materials, which comprises: water; and one or more than one oxidizers; and one or more than one of the components selected from the group consisting of: one or more fluorine-containing-etching compounds, one or more organic solvents, one or more chelating agents, one or more corrosion inhibitors and one or more surfactants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: VERSUM MATERIALS US, LLC
    Inventors: Jhih Kuei Ge, Yi-Chia Lee, Wen Dar Liu
  • Patent number: 11495470
    Abstract: Embodiments of this disclosure include a method of processing a substrate that includes etching a first dielectric material formed on a substrate that is disposed on a substrate supporting surface of a substrate support assembly disposed within a processing region of a plasma processing chamber. The etching process may include delivering a process gas to the processing region, wherein the process gas comprises a first fluorocarbon containing gas and a first process gas, delivering, by use of a radio frequency generator, a radio frequency signal to a first electrode to form a plasma in the processing region, and establishing, by use of a first pulsed-voltage waveform generator, a first pulsed voltage waveform at a biasing electrode disposed within the substrate support assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hailong Zhou, Sean Kang, Kenji Takeshita, Rajinder Dhindsa, Taehwan Lee, Iljo Kwak
  • Patent number: 11495436
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for etch features on a substrate, while maintaining a near-unity critical dimension (CD) shrink ratio. The features etched may include, but are not limited to contacts, vias, etc. More specifically, the techniques described herein use a pulsed plasma to control the polymer build-up ratio between the major CD and minor CD of the feature, and thus, control the CD shrink ratio when etching features having substantially different major and minor dimensions. The CD shrink ratio is controlled by selecting or adjusting one or more operational parameters (e.g., duty cycle, RF power, etch chemistry, etc.) of the plasma etch process(es) to control the amount of polymer build-up at the major and minor dimensions of the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Junling Sun, Andrew Metz, Angelique Raley
  • Patent number: 11492709
    Abstract: An etchant composition and method for etching molybdenum from a microelectronic device at an etch rate are described. A microelectronic device is contacted with an etchant composition for a time sufficient to at least partially remove the molybdenum. The etchant composition comprises at least one oxidizing agent, at least one oxidizing agent stabilizer, and at least one base and has a pH of from 7.5 to 13. The etchant composition selectively removes molybdenum at an etch rate of 5-200 ?/min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: ENTEGRIS, INC.
    Inventors: Atanu K. Das, Daniela White, Emanuel I. Cooper, Eric Hong, JeongYeol Yang, Juhee Yeo, Michael L. White, SeongJin Hong, SeungHyun Chae, Steven A. Lippy, WonLae Kim
  • Patent number: 11486394
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacture of a scroll compressor (1), in particular for pretreatment for the coating of areas in contact with one another during operation of the scroll compressor (1). The scroll compressor (1) is developed with a non-movable spiral (3) with a base plate (3a) and a spiral-form wall (3b) extending from one side of the base plate (3a), as well as with a movable spiral (4) with a base plate (4a) and a spiral-form wall (4b) extending from a front side of the base plate (4a). The spirals (3, 4) are developed out of a basis material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Hanon Systems
    Inventors: Erik-Florian Falkus, Kadir Dursun, Frau Susana Salvador, Nuno Guerin
  • Patent number: 11479863
    Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical solution having excellent storage stability and excellent defect inhibition performance. The present invention also provides a method for treating a substrate. The chemical solution according to an embodiment of the present invention is a chemical solution used for removing a transition metal-containing substance on a substrate. The chemical solution contains one or more kinds of halogen oxoacids selected from the group consisting of a halogen oxoacid and a salt thereof and one or more kinds of specific anions selected from the group consisting of SO42?, NO3?, PO43?, and BO33?. In a case where the chemical solution contains one kind of the specific anion, a content of one kind of the specific anion is 5 ppb by mass to 1% by mass with respect to a total mass of the chemical solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuaki Sugimura, Tomonori Takahashi, Hiroyuki Seki
  • Patent number: 11476124
    Abstract: A method of etching a cobalt-containing member in a semiconductor structure includes providing an etchant including a fluorine-free acid and an alkaline solution having a pH value between 8.5 and 13, and etching the cobalt-containing member in the semiconductor structure using the etchant, wherein a rate of etching the cobalt-containing member by the etchant is substantially greater than a rate of etching a nitride-containing member by the etchant. An etchant for etching a cobalt-containing member in a semiconductor structure includes a fluorine-free acid, and an alkaline solution having a pH value between 8.5 and 13; wherein a rate of etching a cobalt-containing member by the etchant is substantially greater than a rate of etching a nitride-containing member by the etchant, and a level of dissolved oxygen of the etchant is substantially less than or equal to 100 ppb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Ren-Kai Chen, Li-Chen Lee, Shun Wu Lin, Ming-Hsi Yeh, Kuo-Bin Huang
  • Patent number: 11466206
    Abstract: A silicon etching solution includes a mixed solution comprising a quaternary alkylammonium hydroxide and water and further comprises a compound represented by the following formula (1): R1O—(CmH2mO)n—R2??(1) wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, m is an integer of 2 to 6, and n is 1 or 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignees: Tokuyama Corporation, SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiki Seike, Seiji Tono, Kenji Kobayashi, Sei Negoro
  • Patent number: 11466209
    Abstract: The present invention provides a chemical solution which has an excellent dissolving ability for a transition metal-containing substance and can realize excellent smoothness of a portion to be treated. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of treating a substrate. The chemical solution according to an embodiment of the present invention is used for removing a transition metal-containing substance on a substrate. The chemical solution contains one or more kinds of specific hypochlorous acids selected from the group consisting of hypochlorous acid and a salt thereof and contains one or more kinds of specific anions selected from the group consisting of ClO3? and Cl?. In a case where the chemical solution contains one kind of the specific anion, the content of one kind of the specific anion is 5 ppb by mass to 1% by mass with respect to a total mass of the chemical solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuaki Sugimura, Tomonori Takahashi, Hiroyuki Seki
  • Patent number: 11456412
    Abstract: A treatment liquid contains orthoperiodic acid and water, and the pH is 11 or more. It is preferable that the content of orthoperiodic acid in the treatment liquid is 0.01% to 5% by mass with respect to the total mass of the treatment liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keeyoung Park, Atsushi Mizutani
  • Patent number: 11456184
    Abstract: A method is provided. In the method, a substrate having a first region and a second region on a substrate surface is provided. A film deposition material to form a first chemical bond in the first region and a second chemical bond in the second region is supplied to the substrate surface. The second bond has a second bond energy lower than a first bond energy of the first chemical bond. A film is selectively formed in the first region by supplying an energy lower than the first bond energy of the first chemical bond and higher than the second bond energy of the second chemical bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Tatsuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11437241
    Abstract: An apparatus and methods for selectively etching a particular layer are disclosed. The apparatus and methods are directed towards maintaining the etch rate of the particular layer, while keeping intact a non-etched layer. A gas mixture may be flowed onto the substrate in separate loops having an oxide layer and an oxynitride layer as an etch layer and a nitride layer as a non-etched layer, for example. A reaction between the resulting gas mixture and the particular layer takes place, resulting in etching of the oxide layer and the oxynitride layer while maintaining the nitride layer in the above example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Fei Wang, Woo Jung Shin
  • Patent number: 11427760
    Abstract: Pre-texturing agents, etchants, and photoresist stripping agents may be formulated to include one or more surfactants, from one or more surfactant classes, such as siloxane derivatives of amino acids that have surface-active properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: AdvanSix Resins & Chemicals LLC
    Inventor: Edward Asirvatham
  • Patent number: 11424110
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a detector configured to detect a change in an intensity of light emission from plasma formed inside a processing chamber; and a unit configured to adjust conditions for forming the plasma or processing a wafer arranged inside the processing chamber using an output from the detector, wherein the detector detects a signal of the intensity of light emission at plural time instants before an arbitrary time instant during processing, and wherein the adjusting unit removes the component of a temporal change of a long cycle of the intensity of light emission from this detected signal and detects the component of a short temporal change of the intensity of light emission, and adjusts the conditions for forming the plasma or processing a wafer arranged inside the processing chamber based on the short temporal change of the detected intensity of light emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahito Togami, Tatehito Usui, Kosa Hirota, Satomi Inoue, Shigeru Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 11421157
    Abstract: Compositions useful for the selective removal of silicon nitride materials relative to polysilicon, silicon oxide materials and/or silicide materials from a microelectronic device having same thereon are provided. The compositions of the invention are particularly useful in the etching of 3D NAND structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: ENTEGRIS, INC.
    Inventors: Daniela White, David Kuiper, Susan Dimeo
  • Patent number: 11413722
    Abstract: An apparatus for chemically mechanically polishing includes an arm configured to move a conditioner module. The conditioner module is configured to contact a pad so as to change a degree of roughness of the pad. The pad is configured to contact and polish a semiconductor wafer. The arm has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. The first end has an electromagnetic module. The conditioner module is detachably magnetically coupled to the arm by means of the electromagnetic module. The second end is coupled to a knob and configured to pivot at the knob. The arm moves the conditioner module through the pivoting of the second end at the knob. The conditioner module is disconnected from the arm when a magnetic polarity at the electromagnetic module is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.'
    Inventor: Bo-I Lee
  • Patent number: 11407083
    Abstract: A method includes supplying slurry onto a polishing pad. A wafer is held against the polishing pad with a first piezoelectric layer interposed between a pressure unit and the wafer. A first voltage generated by the first piezoelectric layer is detected. The wafer is pressed, using the pressure unit, against the polishing pad according to the detected first voltage generated by the first piezoelectric layer. The wafer is polished using the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shu-Bin Hsu, Ren-Guei Lin, Feng-Inn Wu, Sheng-Chen Wang, Jung-Yu Li
  • Patent number: 11396473
    Abstract: Plasma etching processes for forming patterns in high refractive index glass substrates, such as for use as waveguides, are provided herein. The substrates may be formed of glass having a refractive index of greater than or equal to about 1.65 and having less than about 50 wt % SiO2. The plasma etching processes may include both chemical and physical etching components. In some embodiments, the plasma etching processes can include forming a patterned mask layer on at least a portion of the high refractive index glass substrate and exposing the mask layer and high refractive index glass substrate to a plasma to remove high refractive index glass from the exposed portions of the substrate. Any remaining mask layer is subsequently removed from the high refractive index glass substrate. The removal of the glass forms a desired patterned structure, such as a diffractive grating, in the high refractive index glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Mauro Melli, Christophe Peroz, Vikramjit Singh