Patents Examined by Jeffrie R. Lund
  • Patent number: 11732355
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally provides methods of providing at least metastable radical molecular species and/or radical atomic species to a processing volume of a process chamber during an electronic device fabrication process, and apparatus related thereto. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a gas injection assembly disposed between a remote plasma source and a process chamber. The gas injection assembly includes a body, a dielectric liner disposed in the body that defines a gas mixing volume, a first flange to couple the gas injection assembly to a process chamber, and a second flange to couple the gas injection assembly to the remote plasma source. The gas injection assembly further includes one or more gas injection ports formed through the body and the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishwas Kumar Pandey, Eric Kihara Shono, Kartik Shah, Christopher S. Olsen, Agus Sofian Tjandra, Tobin Kaufman-Osborn, Taewan Kim, Hansel Lo
  • Patent number: 11732357
    Abstract: A substrate processing method in substrate processing apparatus comprises repeating cycle including: supplying source gas into process container causing the source gas to be adsorbed to substrate; exhausting excess source gas from the process container; supplying reaction gas into the process container causing the reaction gas to react with the source gas; and exhausting excess reaction gas, wherein at least one of a gap width between placement stage and member forming processing space between the member and the stage and degree of opening of pressure adjustment valve in at least one of the supplying the source gas and the supplying the reaction gas is smaller than at least one of a gap width between the stage and the member and the degree of opening of the pressure adjustment valve in at least one of the exhausting the excess source gas and the exhausting the excess reaction gas, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Takahashi, Mitsuhiro Okada, Yasushi Fujii, Yu Nunoshige, Shinji Kawasaki, Hirotaka Kuwada, Toshio Takagi
  • Patent number: 11728135
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a plasma processing system for controlling plasma density near the edge or perimeter of a substrate that is being processed. The plasma processing system may include a plasma chamber that can receive and process the substrate using plasma for etching the substrate, doping the substrate, or depositing a film on the substrate. This disclosure relates to a plasma processing system for controlling plasma density near the edge or perimeter of a substrate that is being processed. In one embodiment, the plasma density may be controlled by reducing the rate of loss of ions to the chamber wall during processing. This may include biasing a dual electrode ring assembly in the plasma chamber to alter the potential difference between the chamber wall region and the bulk plasma region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jianping Zhao, Lee Chen, Merritt Funk, Zhiying Chen
  • Patent number: 11725277
    Abstract: Embodiments related to measuring process pressure in low-pressure semiconductor processing environments are provided. In one example, a semiconductor processing module for processing a substrate with a process gas in a vacuum chamber is provided. The example module includes a reactor positioned within the vacuum chamber for processing the substrate with the process gas and a pressure-sensitive structure operative to transmit a pressure transmission fluid pressure to a location exterior to the vacuum chamber. In this example, the pressure transmission fluid pressure varies in response to the process gas pressure within the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Joseph Charles Reed
  • Patent number: 11728198
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck according to an embodiment includes a fixing plate on which a wafer is fixed, an electrostatic plate located under the fixing plate and configured to generate an electrostatic force to fix the wafer on the fixing plate, a plurality of heating elements located under the electrostatic plate and separated to locally control a temperature of the electrostatic plate, and a cooling plate located under the plurality of separated heating elements and configured to emit heat transferred by the plurality of separated heating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Myoung-Soo Park, Siqing Lu, Michio Ishikawa, Masashi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11725282
    Abstract: A method for operating a substrate processing system includes delivering precursor gas to a chamber using a showerhead that includes a head portion and a stem portion. The head portion includes an upper surface, a sidewall, a lower planar surface, and a cylindrical cavity and extends radially outwardly from one end of the stem portion towards sidewalls of the chamber. The showerhead is connected, using a collar, to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar is arranged around the stem portion. Process gas is flowed into the cylindrical cavity via the stem portion and through a plurality of holes in the lower planar surface to distribute the process gas into the chamber. A purge gas is supplied through slots of the collar into a cavity defined between the head portion and an upper surface of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser
  • Patent number: 11728141
    Abstract: A gas distribution hub for a plasma chamber. The hub has a nozzle including a plurality of inner gas injection passage and a plurality of outer gas injection passages. The first plurality of gas injection passages are angularly spaced-apart arcuate channels at a first radial distance from a center of the hub, and the second plurality of gas injection passages are angularly spaced apart arcuate channels at a different second radial distance from the center of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Rozenzon, Kyle Tantiwong, Imad Yousif, Vladimir Knyazik, Bojenna Keating, Samer Banna
  • Patent number: 11721527
    Abstract: Exemplary processing systems may include a processing chamber, and may include a remote plasma unit coupled with the processing chamber. Exemplary systems may also include a mixing manifold coupled between the remote plasma unit and the processing chamber. The mixing manifold may be characterized by a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and may be coupled with the processing chamber at the second end. The mixing manifold may define a central channel through the mixing manifold, and may define a port along an exterior of the mixing manifold. The port may be fluidly coupled with a first trench defined within the first end of the mixing manifold. The first trench may be characterized by an inner radius at a first inner sidewall and an outer radius, and the first trench may provide fluid access to the central channel through the first inner sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ganesh Subbuswamy, Steven P. Warnert
  • Patent number: 11713505
    Abstract: A CVD reactor may include a susceptor, process chamber and heat dissipation body. In the CVD reactor, one or more layers can be deposited on one or more substrates. The susceptor is heated by a heating devices. Heat is transported from susceptor, through a process chamber towards the process chamber ceiling, through the process chamber ceiling, and from the process chamber ceiling through a gap space to the heat dissipation body. The temperature of the process chamber ceiling is measured at at least two different azimuth angle positions about a central axis of the process chamber. The radial distance of the respective measurement points or zones from the central axis of the process chamber may be equal to one another. The at least two temperature measurement values are used to produce an average value or a difference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: AIXTRON SE
    Inventor: Peter Sebald Lauffer
  • Patent number: 11710619
    Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus that can excellently perform uniform processing and can efficiently perform regular maintenance and occasional maintenance even in the case where the diameter of a workpiece is increased. A vacuum processing apparatus having a vacuum transport chamber includes: a lower container in a cylindrical shape; a sample stage unit including a sample stage and a ring-shaped sample stage base having a support beam disposed in axial symmetry with respect to the center axis of the sample stage; an upper container in a cylindrical shape; and a moving unit that is fixed to the sample stage base and moves the sample stage unit in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Sato, Akitaka Makino, Kazuumi Tanaka, Yusaku Sakka
  • Patent number: 11705356
    Abstract: A mounting table includes a base member, having a rear surface and a front surface facing the rear surface, in which a coolant path is formed, a groove portion having a bottom surface within the base member being annularly formed on the front surface, the base member being divided into a cylindrical inner base member portion positioned at an inner side of the groove portion and an annular outer base member portion positioned at an outer side of the groove portion by the groove portion; an annular focus ring supported by the outer base member portion, the annular focus ring having, at an inner side surface thereof, a protrusion that is protruded radially and inwardly to cover the groove portion; a first heat transfer member provided between the mounting surface and the coolant path; and the second heat transfer member provided between the focus ring and the coolant path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kyouhei Yamamoto, Taira Takase
  • Patent number: 11697875
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally provides methods of providing at least metastable radical molecular species and/or radical atomic species to a processing volume of a process chamber during an electronic device fabrication process, and apparatus related thereto. In one embodiment, the apparatus is a gas injection assembly disposed between a remote plasma source and a process chamber. The gas injection assembly includes a body, a dielectric liner disposed in the body that defines a gas mixing volume, a first flange to couple the gas injection assembly to a process chamber, and a second flange to couple the gas injection assembly to the remote plasma source. The gas injection assembly further includes one or more gas injection ports formed through the body and the liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishwas Kumar Pandey, Eric Kihara Shono, Kartik Shah, Christopher S. Olsen, Agus Sofian Tjandra, Tobin Kaufman-Osborn, Taewan Kim, Hansel Lo
  • Patent number: 11692268
    Abstract: Embodiments of a gas distribution plate for distributing gas in a processing chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a gas distribution plate includes a diffuser plate having an upstream side and a downstream side, and a plurality of gas passages passing between the upstream and downstream sides of the diffuser plate. At least one of the gas passages has a cylindrical shape for a portion of its length extending from the upstream side and a coaxial conical shape for the remainder length of the diffuser plate, the upstream end of the conical portion having substantially the same diameter as the cylindrical portion and the downstream end of the conical portion having a larger diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Soo Young Choi, John M. White, Robert I. Greene
  • Patent number: 11694911
    Abstract: A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate includes a first chamber and a second chamber. A first gas delivery system supplies an inert gas species to the first chamber. A plasma generating system generates plasma including ions and metastable species in the first chamber. A gas distribution device removes the ions from the plasma, blocks ultraviolet (UV) light generated by the plasma and delivers the metastable species to the second chamber. A substrate support is arranged below the gas distribution device to support the substrate. A second gas delivery system delivers a reactive gas species to one of the gas distribution device or a volume located below the gas distribution device. The metastable species transfer energy to the reactive gas species to selectively etch one exposed material of the substrate more than at least one other exposed material of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dengliang Yang, Haoquan Fang, David Cheung, Gnanamani Amburose, Eunsuk Ko, Weiyi Luo, Dan Zhang
  • Patent number: 11694879
    Abstract: A component, a method of manufacturing a component, and a method of cleaning a component is provided. The component includes a gas flow system within the component, wherein the gas flow system fluidly couples one or more inlet holes and one or more outlet holes. The manufacturing of the component results in an arc shaped groove and a circumferential groove created in the body of the ring. The component undergoes one or more cleaning operations, including rinsing, baking, or purging operations. The cleaning operations remove debris or particles in or on the component, where the debris or particles can be caused during manufacturing of the component, or during use of the component in a semiconductor processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Widlow, Govinda Raj, Gary U. Keppers, Aravind Dugganna Naik, Francisco Rodarte, Sudhir R. Gondhalekar, Ravikumara Kodinaganhalli
  • Patent number: 11694907
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus, includes a reaction furnace, a preparatory chamber provided below the reaction furnace, an elevating mechanism configured to raise/lower a substrate holder between the reaction furnace and the preparatory chamber, a fluid circulation mechanism including a suction part for sucking a fluid within the preparatory chamber, a pipe part constituting a flow path through which the fluid flows from the suction part to a supply part, and a cooling mechanism, provided in the flow path, for cooling the fluid, and a control part for controlling the fluid circulation mechanism and the elevating mechanism to circulate the fluid sucked from the suction part through the flow path, and supply the fluid from the supply part to the preparatory chamber. The cooling mechanism is disposed adjacent to the suction part to cool the fluid introduced from the suction part before circulating the fluid through the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiki Fujino, Atsushi Umekawa, Takayuki Nakada
  • Patent number: 11685996
    Abstract: An atomic layer deposition device is disclosed. The atomic layer deposition device includes a chamber, a precursor inlet, a heater, a support unit, a hollow component, and a baffle. When the heater and the support unit are driven by a lifting device to approach the hollow component, the support unit and the baffle surround and set bounds to a reaction space, so that the flow field of the process fluid, such as precursor or purge gas, can be adjusted stably to make a uniform deposition on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: SKY TECH INC.
    Inventor: Jing-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 11682542
    Abstract: A plasma processing device that includes a processing chamber which is disposed in a vacuum vessel and is decompressed internally, a sample stage which is disposed in the processing chamber and on which a sample of a process target is disposed and held, and a plasma formation unit which forms plasma using process gas and processes the sample using the plasma, and the plasma processing device includes: a dielectric film which is disposed on a metallic base configuring the sample stage and connected to a ground and includes a film-like electrode supplied with high-frequency power internally; a plurality of elements which are disposed in a space in the base and have a heat generation or cooling function; and a feeding path which supplies power to the plurality of elements, wherein a filter to suppress a high frequency is not provided on the feeding path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tooru Aramaki, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Masaru Izawa
  • Patent number: 11680310
    Abstract: Systems for depositing coatings onto surfaces of molds and other articles are generally provided. In some embodiments, a system is adapted and arranged to cause gaseous species to flow parallel to a filament array. In some embodiments, a system comprises one or more mold supports that are translatable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Andrew Grant, Michael E. Stazinski, Hilton Pryce Lewis, Martin Klein, Ryan Spoering, W. Shannan O'Shaughnessy
  • Patent number: 11680316
    Abstract: A deposition apparatus including a chamber having a deposition area and a non-deposition area, a gas intake device communicated with the chamber, a gas annulus disposed in the chamber and surrounding the gas intake device, a carrier disposed in the deposition area and a retaining annulus disposed in chamber and surrounding the carrier. The gas intake device is disposed corresponding to the deposition area and configured to draw a process gas into the deposition area. The gas annulus is configured to generate an annular gas curtain in the deposition area. The carrier carries a deposited object, wherein the gas annulus is located between the gas intake device and the carrier. The deposited object is surrounded by the annular gas curtain. The retaining annulus has a plurality of through holes. The retaining annulus is located between the gas annulus and the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuan-Chou Chen, Ching-Chiun Wang, Chih-Yung Huang, Muh-Wang Liang, Yi-Jiun Lin