Patents Examined by Binh X Tran
  • Patent number: 11538660
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes; a chamber, a lower electrode disposed within the chamber and including a lower surface and an opposing upper surface configured to seat a wafer, an RF rod disposed on the lower surface of the lower electrode and extending in a vertical direction. The RF plate includes a first portion contacting the lower surface of the lower electrode, a second portion protruding from the first portion towards the RF rod, and a third portion extending from the second portion to connect the RF rod. A grounding electrode is spaced apart from the RF plate and at least partially surrounds a side wall of the RF rod and a side wall of the second portion of the RF plate. The grounding electrode includes a first grounding electrode facing each of the side wall of the RF rod and the second portion of the RF plate, and a second grounding electrode at least partially surrounding the first grounding electrode, and configured to horizontally rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoong Chung, Nam Kyun Kim, Naohiko Okunishi, Kyung-Sun Kim, Seung Bo Shim, Sang-Ho Lee, Kang Min Jeon
  • Patent number: 11538693
    Abstract: A substrate processing method is provided. In the method, a substrate is provided. A monomer that is chemically bonded to the substrate is supplied onto the substrate. An initiator for polymerizing the monomer is supplied to the substrate having the supplied monomer thereon, thereby forming a polymer film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Ryuichi Asako
  • Patent number: 11529702
    Abstract: A cutting method for a display panel, wherein the cutting method includes: cutting a display motherboard to be cut into a plurality of separate display panels by using a first laser beam, wherein the display panels each include a plurality of leads disposed between conductive connectors and a cutting edge of the display panel formed after cutting by the first laser beam; and severing at least some leads of the display panel by using a second laser beam at a position on the display panel between the conductive connectors and the cutting edge of the display panel, the at least some leads being short-circuited leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignees: CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BEIJING BOE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoping Wu, Chuan Li, Bo Wang
  • Patent number: 11527400
    Abstract: In a method of depositing a silicon oxide film using bis(diethylamino)silane (BDEAS) on a substrate in a reaction space by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), each repeating deposition cycle of PEALD includes steps of: (i) adsorbing BDEAS on the substrate placed on a susceptor having a temperature of higher than 400° C. in an atmosphere substantially suppressing thermal decomposition of BDEAS in the reaction space; and (ii) exposing the substrate on which BDEAS is adsorbed to an oxygen plasma in the atmosphere in the reaction space, thereby depositing a monolayer or sublayer of silicon oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Yuko Kengoyama, Hidemi Suemori, Ryu Nakano
  • Patent number: 11518082
    Abstract: Plasma applications are disclosed that operate with argon or helium at atmospheric pressure, and at low temperatures, and with high concentrations of reactive species in the effluent stream. Laminar gas flow is developed prior to forming the plasma and at least one of the electrodes can be heated which enables operation at conditions where the argon or helium plasma would otherwise be unstable and either extinguish, or transition into an arc. The techniques can be employed to clean and activate a metal substrate, including removal of oxidation, thereby enhancing the bonding of at least one other material to the metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Surfx Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Siu Fai Cheng, Thomas Scott Williams, Toby Desmond Oste, Sarkis Minas Keshishian, Robert F. Hicks
  • Patent number: 11520360
    Abstract: A cooling system for the decoating system includes a sensor, a control device, and a controller communicatively coupled with the sensor and the control device. The sensor is configured to measure a characteristic of the cooling system in the decoating system, the control device controls the characteristic of the cooling system, and the controller is configured to adjust the control device to adjust the characteristic of the cooling system based on at least one of a measured temperature within the decoating system or the measured characteristic. A method of controlling a temperature of the decoating system includes measuring a temperature within a piece of equipment of the decoating system and measuring a characteristic the cooling system in the piece of equipment of the decoating system. The method includes controlling the cooling system to adjust the characteristic based on at least one of the measured temperature or the measured characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Novelis Inc.
    Inventors: JungYoung Son, Edwin L. Rauch
  • Patent number: 11521866
    Abstract: In a plasma processing method, a substrate is loaded onto a lower electrode within a chamber. A plasma power is applied to form plasma within the chamber. A voltage function of a nonsinusoidal wave having a DC pulse portion and a ramp portion is generated. Generating the voltage function may include setting a slope of the ramp portion and setting a duration ratio of the ramp portion to a cycle of the voltage function in order to control an ion energy distribution generated at a surface of the substrate. A bias power of the nonsinusoidal wave is applied to the lower electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-Yoon Song, Chan-Hoon Park, Jong-Woo Sun, Jung-Mo Sung, Je-Woo Han, Jin-Young Park
  • Patent number: 11515150
    Abstract: Exemplary processing methods may include forming a plasma of a deposition precursor in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include adjusting a variable capacitor within 20% of a resonance peak. The variable capacitor may be coupled with an electrode incorporated within a substrate support on which a substrate is seated. The methods may include depositing a material on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Wenyoung Tsiang, Abdul Aziz Khaja, Li-Qun Xia, Kevin Hsiao, Liangfa Hu, Yayun Cheng
  • Patent number: 11512409
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a free-standing single crystalline diamond part and a single crystalline diamond part production method. The method includes the steps of: —providing a single crystalline diamond substrate or layer; —providing a first adhesion layer on the substrate or layer; —providing a second adhesion layer on the first adhesion layer: —providing a mask layer on the second adhesion layer; —forming at least one indentation or a plurality of indentations through the mask layer and the first and second adhesion layers to expose a portion or portions of the single crystalline diamond substrate or layer; and—etching the exposed portion or portions of the single crystalline diamond substrate or layer and etching entirely through the single crystalline diamond substrate or layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE
    Inventors: Niels Quack, Adrien Toros, Marcell Kiss, Teodoro Graziosi, Pascal Gallo
  • Patent number: 11508585
    Abstract: A method for CMP includes following operations. A dielectric structure is received. The dielectric structure includes a metal layer stack formed therein. The metal layer stack includes at least a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and the first metal layer and the second metal layer are exposed through a surface of the dielectric structure. A first composition is provided to remove a portion of the first metal layer from the surface of the dielectric structure. A second composition is provided to form a protecting layer over the second metal layer. The protecting layer is removed from the second metal layer. A CMP operation is performed to remove a portion of the second metal layer. In some embodiments, the protecting layer protects the second metal layer during the removal of the portion of the first metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Ji Cui, Fu-Ming Huang, Ting-Kui Chang, Tang-Kuei Chang, Chun-Chieh Lin, Wei-Wei Liang, Liang-Guang Chen, Kei-Wei Chen, Hung Yen, Ting-Hsun Chang, Chi-Hsiang Shen, Li-Chieh Wu, Chi-Jen Liu
  • Patent number: 11495435
    Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of capable of uniformly processing a surface of a substrate even when an inductive coupling type substrate processing apparatus is used. According to one aspect of the technique, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; a gas supply part configured to supply a gas into the process chamber; a high frequency power supply part configured to supply a high frequency power; a plasma generator including a resonance coil wound on a side of the process chamber, the plasma generator configured to generate a plasma in the process chamber when the high frequency power is supplied to the resonance coil; and a substrate support on which the substrate is placed such that a horizontal center position of the substrate in the process chamber does not overlap with a horizontal center position of the resonance coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Teruo Yoshino, Takashi Yahata
  • Patent number: 11495469
    Abstract: A method for processing a substrate in a plasma chamber is provided. The method includes providing a substrate on which an underlying layer to be etched and a mask are formed. The method further includes forming a protective film on the mask. The method further includes performing an anisotropic deposition to selectively form a deposition layer on a top portion of the mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toru Hisamatsu, Masanobu Honda, Yoshihide Kihara
  • Patent number: 11495471
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate has an exposed surface having a compositionally uniform metal, and an embedded surface having the metal and an oxide. The exposed surface is polished using a first slurry including a first abrasive and a first amine-based alkaline until the embedded surface is exposed. The embedded surface is polished using a second slurry including a second abrasive and a second amine-based alkaline. The second abrasive is different from the first abrasive. The second amine-based alkaline is different from the first amine-based alkaline. The metal and the oxide each has a first and a second removal rate in the first slurry, respectively, and a third and fourth removal rate in the second slurry, respectively. A ratio of the first removal rate to the second removal rate is greater than 30:1, and a ratio of the third removal rate to the fourth removal rate is about 1:0.5 to about 1:2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Inventors: An-Hsuan Lee, Chun-Hung Liao, Chen-Hao Wu, Shen-Nan Lee, Teng-Chun Tsai, Huang-Lin Chao
  • Patent number: 11495475
    Abstract: Various methods of cleaning a substrate are provided. In one aspect, method of cleaning a substrate, comprising: holding and rotating a substrate by a substrate holder; and supplying a chemical liquid to a chemical liquid nozzle and supplying two fluids to a two-fluid nozzle while moving the chemical-liquid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle radially outwardly from the center to the periphery of the substrate, wherein the distance of the chemical-liquid nozzle from a rotating axis of the substrate holder is longer than the distance of the two-fluid nozzle from the rotating axis of the substrate holder while the chemical-liquid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle are moved radially outwardly from the rotating axis of the substrate holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Maeda, Hiroshi Shimomoto, Hisajiro Nakano, Masayoshi Imai, Yoichi Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 11476123
    Abstract: An etching method includes (a) performing a plasma etching on an organic film, having a mask formed thereon, to form a recess in the organic film; (b) forming an organic protective film on a side wall surface of the recess in the organic film; and (c) performing an additional plasma etching on the organic film after (b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki Katsunuma, Masanobu Honda, Yuta Nakane, Shinya Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11462414
    Abstract: In one example, a method of processing a substrate includes loading the substrate in a process chamber, where the substrate includes a metal oxide containing film to be etched. The method further includes performing of an atomic layer etching including a plurality of cyclic processes, each of the plurality of cyclic processes including exposing the metal oxide containing film to a first gas stream including boron trichloride (BCl3), and exposing the metal oxide containing film to a second gas stream including borane, amine, alcohol, carboxylic acid, carboxamide, or beta-diketone reagent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Robert Clark
  • Patent number: 11459657
    Abstract: A gas supply unit is configured such that when a first gas whose temperature has been controlled at a first temperature is supplied to a chamber through an upper device and then a second gas which starts a chemical reaction at a reaction start temperature lower than the first temperature is supplied to the chamber through the upper device, before cleaning gas is supplied to the chamber through the defined between a base plate and the upper device to cool the upper device down to the reaction start temperature or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: CKD CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takeya Inagaki
  • Patent number: 11447697
    Abstract: A substrate processing gas of the present invention contains IF5; and IF7, in which a content of the IF5 is equal to or more than 1 ppm and equal to or less than 2% on a volume basis with respect to a total amount of the IF5 and the IF7.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: CENTRAL GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Akifumi Yao, Yuuta Takeda, Jun Eto
  • Patent number: 11443952
    Abstract: A method of selectively etching a silicon nitride film includes a first step of disposing a target substrate having the silicon nitride film formed thereon in a processing space, a second step of introducing a gas containing H and F into the processing space, and a third step of selectively introducing radicals of an inert gas into the processing space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akitaka Shimizu, Shuichiro Uda, Takeshi Saito, Taiki Kato
  • Patent number: 11437289
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus including a processing state detection unit having: a light emission detection unit to detect light emission of the plasma; a calculation unit to obtain a differential waveform data of the light emission of the plasma; a database unit that stores a plurality of pieces of differential waveform pattern data in advance; a film thickness calculation unit to calculate an estimated value of the film thickness of the processing target film processed on the processing target material by weighting based on differences between the differential waveform data obtained by the calculation unit and the plurality of pieces of differential waveform pattern data stored in the database unit; and an end point determination unit to determine an end point of processing using the plasma based on the estimated value of the film thickness of the processing target film calculated by the film thickness calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kousuke Fukuchi, Ryoji Asakura, Soichiro Eto, Tsubasa Okamoto, Tatehito Usui, Shigeru Nakamoto