Patents Examined by Asok K. Sarkar
  • Patent number: 11532518
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit structure includes forming a first source/drain contact plug over and electrically coupling to a source/drain region of a transistor, forming a first dielectric hard mask overlapping a gate stack, recessing the first source/drain contact plug to form a first recess, forming a second dielectric hard mask in the first recess, recessing an inter-layer dielectric layer to form a second recess, and forming a third dielectric hard mask in the second recess. The third dielectric hard mask contacts both the first dielectric hard mask and the second dielectric hard mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Lin-Yu Huang, Li-Zhen Yu, Sheng-Tsung Wang, Jia-Chuan You, Chia-Hao Chang, Tien-Lu Lin, Yu-Ming Lin, Chih-Hao Wang
  • Patent number: 11527402
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: forming an oxide film containing a central atom X of a precursor on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including non-simultaneously performing: (a) forming a first layer containing a component in which a first group is bonded to the central atom X on the substrate by supplying the precursor having a molecular structure in which the first group and a second group are bonded to the central atom X and having a bonding energy between the first group and the central atom X that is higher than a bonding energy between the second group and the central atom X, to the substrate; and (b) forming a second layer containing the central atom X by supplying an oxidizing agent to the substrate to oxidize the first layer, wherein in (a), the precursor is supplied under a condition in which the second group is desorbed and the first group is not desorbed from the central atom X contained in the precursor and the central atom X is adsorbed on
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Hashimoto, Katsuyoshi Harada, Kimihiko Nakatani, Yoshiro Hirose, Masaya Nagato, Takashi Ozaki, Tomiyuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 11520768
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source/drain (S/D) region, a fin structure formed on the S/D region, and a gate structure formed on the fin structure so that a space is formed between the S/D region and the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Fee Li Lie, Shogo Mochizuki, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 11515152
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes forming a film on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times, the cycle including: (a) supplying a precursor gas to the substrate in a process container of a substrate processing apparatus via a first pipe made of metal; (b) supplying an oxygen-containing gas to the substrate in the process container via a second pipe made of metal, wherein a fluorine-containing layer is continuously formed on an inner surface of the second pipe; and (c) supplying a nitrogen-and-hydrogen-containing gas to the substrate in the process container via the second pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shintaro Kogura, Kazuhiro Harada, Shogo Otani, Koichi Honda, Mamoru Umemoto, Kazuhiro Shimoda, Akihito Yoshino, Naoko Kitagawa, Kenji Kameda
  • Patent number: 11515153
    Abstract: A method of forming a silicon nitride film on a substrate having a recess pattern formed in a surface thereof, includes: forming the silicon nitride film in conformity to the surface of the substrate by supplying each of a raw material gas containing silicon and a nitriding gas for nitriding the raw material gas into a processing container in which the substrate is accommodated; shrinking the silicon nitride film such that a thickness thereof is reduced from a bottom side toward an upper side of the recess pattern by supplying a plasmarized shaping gas for shaping the silicon nitride film to the substrate in a state where the supply of the raw material gas containing silicon into the processing container is stopped; and burying the silicon nitride film in the recess pattern by alternately and repeatedly performing the forming the silicon nitride film and the shrinking the silicon nitride film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Jun Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11515143
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes (a) forming a first film having a first thickness on an underlayer by supplying a first process gas not including oxidizing gas to a substrate, wherein the first film contains silicon, carbon, and nitrogen and does not contain oxygen, and the underlayer is exposed on a surface of the substrate and is at least one selected from the group of a conductive metal-element-containing film and a nitride film; and (b) forming a second film having a second thickness larger than the first thickness on the first film by supplying a second process gas including oxidizing gas to the substrate, wherein the second film contains silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen, and wherein in (b), oxygen atoms derived from the oxidizing gas and diffuse from a surface of the first film toward the underlayer are absorbed by the first film and the first film is modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitomo Hashimoto, Tatsuru Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 11515145
    Abstract: Methods for forming a SiBN film comprising depositing a film on a feature on a substrate. The method comprises in a first cycle, depositing a SiB layer on a substrate in a chamber using a chemical vapor deposition process, the substrate having at least one feature thereon, the at least one feature comprising an upper surface, a bottom surface and sidewalls, the SiB layer formed on the upper surface, the bottom surface and the sidewalls. In a second cycle, the SiB layer is treated with a plasma comprising a nitrogen-containing gas to form a conformal SiBN film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuanxi Yang, Hang Yu, Deenesh Padhi
  • Patent number: 11508571
    Abstract: A film forming method includes: rotating a rotary table to revolve a substrate which is placed on the rotary table and has a recess in its surface; supplying a raw material gas to a first region on the rotary table; supplying an ammonia gas to a second region on the rotary table; forming a first SiN film in the recess by supplying the raw material gas to the first region and supplying the ammonia gas to the second region at a first flow rate, while the rotary table rotates at a first rotation speed; and forming a second SiN film in the recess such that the second SiN film is laminated on the first SiN film by supplying the raw material gas to the first region and supplying the ammonia gas to the second region at a second flow rate, while the rotary table rotates at a second rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Ogawa, Noriaki Fukiage
  • Patent number: 11495558
    Abstract: A method includes forming a seed layer on a semiconductor wafer, coating a photo resist on the seed layer, performing a photo lithography process to expose the photo resist, and developing the photo resist to form an opening in the photo resist. The seed layer is exposed, and the opening includes a first opening of a metal pad and a second opening of a metal line connected to the first opening. At a joining point of the first opening and the second opening, a third opening of a metal patch is formed, so that all angles of the opening and adjacent to the first opening are greater than 90 degrees. The method further includes plating the metal pad, the metal line, and the metal patch in the opening in the photo resist, removing the photo resist, and etching the seed layer to leave the metal pad, the metal line and the metal patch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shu-Wei Chung, Yen-Sen Wang
  • Patent number: 11495457
    Abstract: A film forming method includes adsorbing an aminosilane gas on a substrate having a recess in a surface of the substrate, depositing a silicon oxide film on the substrate by supplying an oxidizing gas to the substrate to oxidize the aminosilane gas adsorbed on the substrate, and performing a modifying process of the silicon oxide film by activating a mixed gas including nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas and supplying the activated mixed gas to the silicon oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Sato, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Takehiro Fukada
  • Patent number: 11495453
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a vapor deposition compound enabling thin-film deposition through vapor deposition, and particularly to nickel and cobalt precursors capable of being applied to atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and having superior thermal stability and reactivity, and a method of preparing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: HANSOL CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung Woo Park, Jang-Hyeon Seok, Hyo-Suk Kim, Min-Sung Park
  • Patent number: 11495454
    Abstract: Examples of the present technology include semiconductor processing methods to form boron-containing materials on substrates. Exemplary processing methods may include delivering a deposition precursor that includes a boron-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A plasma may be formed from the deposition precursor within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may further include depositing a boron-containing material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber, where the substrate is characterized by a temperature of less than or about 50° C. The as-deposited boron-containing material may be characterized by a surface roughness of less than or about 2 nm, and a stress level of less-than or about ?500 MPa. In some embodiments, a layer of the boron-containing material may function as a hardmask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Huiyuan Wang, Rick Kustra, Bo Qi, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Kaushik Alayavalli, Jay D. Pinson
  • Patent number: 11482412
    Abstract: A film having filling capability of a patterned recess on a surface of a substrate is deposited by forming a viscous material in a gas phase by striking a plasma in a chamber filled with a volatile precursor that can be polymerized within certain parameter ranges which include a partial pressure of the precursor during a plasma strike and substrate temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Timothee Julien Vincent Blanquart
  • Patent number: 11482414
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for forming Si-containing films, such as SiN film, by PEALD using trisilylamine (TSA) at ultralow temperature, such as a temperature below 250° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
    Inventors: Naoto Noda, Ivan Oshchepkov, Jean-Marc Girard
  • Patent number: 11476109
    Abstract: Methods of and systems for reforming films comprising silicon nitride are disclosed. Exemplary methods include providing a substrate within a reaction chamber, forming activated species by irradiating a reforming gas with microwave radiation, and exposing substrate to the activated species. A pressure within the reaction chamber during the step of forming activated species can be less than 50. Pa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Shinya Yoshimoto, Jun Yoshikawa, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Patent number: 11469097
    Abstract: Embodiments herein provide methods of depositing an amorphous carbon layer using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process and hard masks formed therefrom. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate includes positioning a substrate on a substrate support, the substrate support disposed in a processing volume of a processing chamber, flowing a processing gas comprising a hydrocarbon gas and a diluent gas into the processing volume, maintaining the processing volume at a processing pressure less than about 100 mTorr, igniting and maintaining a deposition plasma of the processing gas by applying a first power to one of one or more power electrodes of the processing chamber, maintaining the substrate support at a processing temperature less than about 350° C., exposing a surface of the substrate to the deposition plasma, and depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Yang Yang, Pramit Manna, Kartik Ramaswamy, Takehito Koshizawa, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Patent number: 11469147
    Abstract: A method for depositing a dielectric material includes heating a substrate disposed in a dielectric deposition chamber; dispensing a dielectric precursor from a first showerhead towards a major outer surface of the substrate; dispensing a mixture containing oxygen and ammonia from a second showerhead towards the major outer surface of the substrate; and reacting the dielectric precursor with the mixture to deposit a layer of oxynitride dielectric material on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Anthony Dip
  • Patent number: 11469107
    Abstract: Methods and techniques for deposition of amorphous carbon films on a substrate are provided. In one example, the method includes depositing an amorphous carbon film on an underlayer positioned on a susceptor in a first processing region. The method further includes implanting a dopant or the inert species into the amorphous carbon film in a second processing region. The implant species, energy, dose & temperature in some combination may be used to enhance the hardmask hardness. The method further includes patterning the doped amorphous carbon film. The method further includes etching the underlayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajesh Prasad, Sarah Bobek, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Harry Whitesell, Hidetaka Oshio, Dong Hyung Lee, Deven Matthew Raj Mittal, Scott Falk, Venkataramana R. Chavva
  • Patent number: 11469100
    Abstract: A method of post-treating a dielectric film formed on a surface of a substrate includes positioning a substrate having a dielectric film formed thereon in a processing chamber and exposing the dielectric film to microwave radiation in the processing chamber at a frequency between 5 GHz and 7 GHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Sun, Praket Prakash Jha, Jingmei Liang, Martin Jay Seamons, DongQing Li, Shashank Sharma, Abhilash J. Mayur, Wolfgang R. Aderhold
  • Patent number: 11459652
    Abstract: Embodiments herein include void-free material depositions on a substrate (e.g., in a void-free trench-filled (VFTF) component). In some embodiments, a method may include providing a plurality of device structures extending from a base, each of the plurality of device structures including a first sidewall opposite a second sidewall and a top surface extending between the first and second sidewalls, and providing a seed layer over the plurality of device structures. The method may further include forming a dielectric layer along just the top surface and along an upper portion of the first and second sidewalls using an angled deposition delivered to the plurality of device structures at a non-zero angle of inclination relative to a perpendicular extending from an upper surface of the base, and forming a fill material within one or more trenches defined by the plurality of device structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: M. Arif Zeeshan, Tristan Y. Ma, Kelvin Chan