Patents Examined by Benjamin Kendall
  • Patent number: 12087554
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus, including a process chamber having a bottom portion configured to secure a substrate while a substrate treating process is performed on the substrate; and a dielectric window arranged at an upper portion of the process chamber to define a process space, and including: an insulative body, an antenna disposed on an upper surface of the insulative body, a protection layer disposed on a lower surface of the insulative body, and an etch resistor protruding from at least a portion of the protection layer toward the process space, wherein, based on power being applied to the antenna, a plasma is generated in the process space, and wherein the insulative body is protected from the plasma by the protection layer and the etch resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sungyeon Kim, Jungpyo Hong, Kwangnam Kim, Hyungjun Kim, Jongwoo Sun
  • Patent number: 12087553
    Abstract: A gas supply ring for use in a substrate processing apparatus includes an inner face, an outer face, a first face between the inner face and the outer face, and a second face between the inner face and the outer face and opposite to the first face. The outer face has at least one gas inlet and the first face has an outer groove in communication with the at least one gas inlet. The second face has first and second middle grooves in communication with the outer groove. The first face further has first to fourth inner grooves disposed medial to the outer groove. The inner face has a plurality of gas outlets and each of the gas outlets is in communication with any one of the first to fourth inner grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Yoshitomo Konta
  • Patent number: 12080522
    Abstract: Embodiments of process kits for use in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process kit for use in a process chamber, includes: a top plate having a central recess disposed in an upper surface thereof; a channel extending from an outer portion of the top plate to the central recess; a plurality of holes disposed through the top plate from a bottom surface of the recess to a lower surface of the top plate; a cover plate configured to be coupled to the top plate and to form a seal along a periphery of the central recess such that the covered recess forms a plenum within the top plate; and a tubular body extending down from the lower surface of the top plate and surrounding the plurality of holes, the tubular body further configured to surround a substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sarath Babu, Ananthkrishna Jupudi, Yueh Sheng Ow, Junqi Wei, Kelvin Tai Ming Boh, Kang Zhang, Yuichi Wada
  • Patent number: 12080525
    Abstract: Apparatus for plasma processing of a continuous fiber, comprising a first and a second plasma torch. Each plasma torch comprises oppositely arranged electrodes to define a plasma discharge chamber between the electrodes. The plasma discharge chamber comprises an inlet and an outlet for passing a plasma forming gas between the electrodes. The apparatus further comprises an afterglow chamber in fluid communication with the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers, which comprises a substrate inlet and a substrate outlet arranged at opposite sides of the outlets of the plasma discharge chambers. A transport system is configured to continuously transport the fiber from the substrate inlet to the substrate outlet through the afterglow chamber. The substrate inlet comprises an aperture having a cross-sectional size substantially smaller than a cross-sectional size of the afterglow chamber. The outlets of the plasma torches face each other and exhaust plasma activated species into the afterglow chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: VITO NV
    Inventors: Annick Vanhulsel, Erwin Van Hoof, Jan Cools
  • Patent number: 12074010
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for coating processing reactor component parts are provided herein. In some embodiments, a part coating reactor includes: a lower body and a lid assembly that together define and enclose an interior volume; one or more heaters disposed in the lid assembly; one or more coolant channels disposed in the lid assembly to flow a heat transfer medium therethrough; a plurality of gas passages disposed through the lid assembly to facilitate providing one or more gases to the interior volume, wherein the plurality of gas passages include a plurality of fluidly independent plenums disposed in the lid assembly; and one or more mounting brackets to facilitate coupling a workpiece to the lid assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael R. Rice, Hanish Kumar Panavalappil Kumarankutty, Steven D. Marcus, Kirubanandan Naina Shanmugam, Sriharsha Dharmapura Sathyanarayanamurthy, Madhukar Krishna, Shivaprakash Padadayya Hiremath, Senthil Kumar Nattamai Subramanian, Sankar Menon Cherubala Pathayapura
  • Patent number: 12065735
    Abstract: Provided is a vapor deposition apparatus including a first injection unit injecting a first raw gas in a first direction and a first filter unit mounted on the first injection unit. The first filter unit includes a plurality of plates separated from one another in the first direction and disposed in parallel to one another, each of the plurality of plates having holes therein, being detachably coupled with the first filter unit, and having the holes with sizes of horizontal cross-sections gradually increasing in a direction in which the first raw gas moves. Accordingly, a process efficiency of the vapor deposition apparatus may be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Choel-Min Jang, Jin-Kwang Kim, Sung-Chul Kim, Jae-Hyun Kim, Seung-Yong Song, Suk-Won Jung, Myung-Soo Huh
  • Patent number: 12068134
    Abstract: A system including a control plate disposed within a processing chamber. The control plate includes a set of plasma elements designed to independently expose a substrate disposed within the processing chamber to plasma related fluxes. The control plate is designed to independently activate the set of plasma elements. When activated the associated plasma elements expose the substrate to the plasma related fluxes and when not activated the associated plasma elements prevent exposure of the substrate to the plasma related fluxes. The control plate is designed to perform individual time-dependent activation of the set of plasma elements to selectively expose the substrate to the plasma related fluxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Vladimir Nagorny
  • Patent number: 12068135
    Abstract: A gas distribution apparatus is provided having a first reservoir with a first upstream end and a first downstream end and a second reservoir with a second upstream end and a second downstream end. A reservoir switch valve is in fluid communication with the first downstream end of the first reservoir and the second downstream end of the second reservoir. The reservoir switch valve operable to selectively couple the first reservoir to an outlet of the reservoir switch valve when in a first state, and couple the second reservoir to the outlet of the reservoir switch valve when in a second state. A plurality of proportional flow control valves are provided having inlets coupled in parallel to the outlet of the reservoir switch valve The plurality of proportional flow control valves have outlets configured to provide gas to a processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ming Xu, Ashley Mutsuo Okada, Michael D. Willwerth, Duc Dang Buckius, Jeffrey Ludwig, Aditi Mithun, Benjamin Schwarz
  • Patent number: 12046452
    Abstract: The disclosed plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate support, a radio frequency power source, and a bias power source. The radio frequency power source generates radio frequency power to generate plasma. The bias power source is connected to a bias electrode of the substrate support, and generates an electric bias. An edge ring mounted on the substrate support receives a part of the electric bias through an impedance adjuster or receives another electric bias. An outer ring extends outside the edge ring in a radial direction, and receives a part of the radio frequency power or other radio frequency power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Chishio Koshimizu
  • Patent number: 12033835
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a modular microwave source array. In an embodiment, a housing assembly for the source array comprises a first conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer comprises a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a second CTE that is different than the first CTE. In an embodiment, the housing assembly further comprises a plurality of openings through the housing assembly, where each opening passes through the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip Allan Kraus, Robert Moore, James Carducci, Richard Fovell, Sathya Swaroop Ganta, Karthikeyan Balaraman, Silverst Rodrigues
  • Patent number: 12020898
    Abstract: One disclosed plasma processing system includes a chamber, a substrate support, a plasma generator, and first and second electric magnet assemblies. The substrate support is disposed in the chamber. A center of a substrate on the substrate support is positioned on a central axis of the chamber. The plasma generator is configured to generate a plasma in the chamber. The first electric magnet assembly includes one or more first annular coils and is disposed on or above the chamber and configured to generate a first magnetic field in the chamber. The second electric magnet assembly includes one or more second annular coils and is configured to generate a second magnetic field in the chamber. The second magnetic field reduces the intensity of the first magnetic field in the center of the substrate on the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Akihiro Yokota
  • Patent number: 12020899
    Abstract: A disclosed plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a substrate support, a plasma generator, and first and second power sources. The first power source is configured to generate an electric bias and electrically connected to a lower electrode of the substrate support provided in the chamber. The second power source is configured to apply a positive voltage to a member in a first period that is a part of a whole period in which the electric bias output from the first power source to the lower electrode has a potential not less than an average potential of the electric bias within a cycle thereof. The member is disposed to be exposed to plasma generated in the chamber. The first power source is configured to output the electric bias having a positive potential to the lower electrode in a second period after the first period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Chishio Koshimizu
  • Patent number: 12014901
    Abstract: Embodiments of hybrid electron beam and RF plasma systems and methods are described. In an embodiment a method of using a hybrid electron beam and RF plasma system may include forming a first plasma of a first type in a first region of a wafer processing structure. Additionally, such a method may include forming a second plasma of a second type in a second region of the wafer processing structure, the second region of the wafer processing structure being coupled to the first region of the wafer processing structure, the second plasma being ignited independently of the first plasma, wherein an electron beam formed by the first plasma is configured to modulate one or more characteristics of the second plasma. This hybrid e-beam and RF plasma system provides a source to control electron energy distribution function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Zhiying Chen, Peter Ventzek, Alok Ranjan
  • Patent number: 12009178
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and apparatuses utilized to reduce particle generation within a processing chamber. In one or more embodiments, a lid for a substrate processing chamber is provided and includes a cover member, a central opening, and a trench. An inner profile of the central opening contains a first section having a first diameter, a second section having a second diameter, and a third section having a third diameter. The second section is disposed between and connected to the first section and the third section. The first diameter gradually increases from the second section toward the surface of the cover member, the second diameter cylindrically extends from the first section to the third section, and the third diameter is less than the second diameter. The trench surrounds the central opening and is formed along a closed path in the surface of the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventor: Bernard L. Hwang
  • Patent number: 11996271
    Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes a processing vessel, a stage, a gas supply, a first high frequency power supply, a second high frequency power supply and a control device. The stage is provided and configured to place thereon a substrate. The gas supply is configured to supply a processing gas. The first high frequency power supply is configured to supply a first high frequency power. The second high frequency power supply is configured to supply a second high frequency power to the stage. The control device controls a supply and a stop of the supply of each of the first and the second high frequency powers at every preset cycle. The first and the second high frequency powers are supplied exclusively. A ratio of a supply time with respect to a single cycle of the first high frequency power is lower than that of the second high frequency power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Satoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11990320
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a technology for increasing the reliability of measurement by preventing the contamination of a self-plasma chamber provided in order to monitor a deposition operation performed in a process chamber, and has a shielding means capable of preventing an inflow of negative electrode material, which is generated by a sputtering phenomenon, into a discharge chamber when a positive charge of plasma, which is generated in the self-plasma chamber, collides with a negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: NANOTECH INC.
    Inventor: Dong Ho Cha
  • Patent number: 11959174
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to magnetic and electromagnetic systems and a method for controlling the density profile of plasma generated in a process volume of a PECVD chamber to affect deposition profile of a film on a substrate and/or facilitate chamber cleaning after processing. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed that includes a rotational magnetic housing disposed about an exterior sidewall of a chamber. The rotational magnetic housing includes a plurality of magnets coupled to a sleeve that are configured to travel in a circular path when the rotational magnetic housing is rotated around the chamber, and a plurality of shunt doors movably disposed between the chamber and the sleeve, wherein each of the shunt doors are configured to move relative to the magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kallol Bera, Sathya Swaroop Ganta, Timothy Joseph Franklin, Kaushik Alayavalli, Akshay Dhanakshirur, Stephen C. Garner, Bhaskar Kumar
  • Patent number: 11908664
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a stage for supporting a target object in a chamber defined by a chamber body. The stage includes a lower electrode, an electrostatic chuck provided on the lower electrode, heaters provided in the electrostatic chuck, and terminals electrically connected to the heaters. A conductor pipe electrically connects a high frequency power supply and the lower electrode and extends from the lower electrode to the outside of the chamber body. Power supply lines supply power from a heater controller to the heaters. Filters partially forming the power supply lines prevent the inflow of high frequency power from the heaters to the heater controller. The power supply lines include wirings which respectively connect the terminals and the filters and extend to the outside of the chamber body through an inner bore of the conductor pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Naohiko Okunishi, Nozomu Nagashima, Tomoyuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11908728
    Abstract: Techniques herein include a process chamber for depositing thin films to backside surfaces of wafers to reduce wafer bowing and distortion. A substrate support provides an annular perimeter seal around the bottom and/or side of the wafer which allows the majority of the substrate backside to be exposed to a process environment. A supported wafer separates the chamber into lower and upper chambers that provide different process environments. The lower section of the processing chamber includes deposition hardware configured to apply and remove thin films. The upper section can remain a chemically inert environment, protecting the existing features on the top surface of the wafer. Multiple exhausts and differential pressures are used to prevent deposition gasses from accessing the working surface of a wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ronald Nasman, Gerrit J. Leusink, Rodney L. Robison, Hoyoung Kang, Daniel Fulford
  • Patent number: 11891695
    Abstract: The invention provides a vibrating deposition device, which includes a vacuum chamber, a fixed rod and a powder tank. The vacuum chamber includes an inner side surface, and a plurality of bulges and notches are arranged on the inner side surface. The fixed rod and the powder tank are arranged in an accommodating space of the vacuum chamber, wherein the powder tank is used for accommodating powders and contacts the inner side surface of the vacuum chamber through a protruding unit. When the vacuum chamber rotates, the protruding unit will be displaced between the bulge and the notch, and the powder tank will be displaced up and down relative to the vacuum chamber to vibrate powders in the powder tank, so that a uniform film will be formed on the surface of powders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SKY TECH INC.
    Inventor: Jing-Cheng Lin