Patents Examined by Jeffrie R. Lund
  • Plasma device
    Patent number: 11251019
    Abstract: The plasma device includes a vessel with the first and second molds facing to each other. A work is sealed in the closed first and second molds. The work includes an object to be processed with a part to be processed and a part not to be processed on an outer periphery of the part to be processed, and a masking member covering the part not to be processed. The first mold includes a facing plane portion disposed facing an outer periphery surface of the work, a first recessed portion disposed facing the part to be processed and generating plasma, and a second recessed portion disposed facing the part not to be processed between the facing plane portion and the first recessed portion and generating plasma. A depth of the second recessed portion is different from a depth of the first recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuharu Baba, Noriyuki Kato
  • Plasma reactor with highly symmetrical four-fold gas injection
    Patent number: 11244811
    Abstract: An annular lid plate of a plasma reactor has upper and lower layers of gas distribution channels distributing gas along equal length paths from gas supply lines to respective gas distribution passages of a ceiling gas nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Rozenzon, Kyle Tantiwong, Imad Yousif, Vladimir Knyazik, Bojenna Keating, Samer Banna
  • Substrate processing apparatus and method
    Patent number: 11230766
    Abstract: The invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus comprising a reaction chamber provided with a substrate rack for holding a plurality of substrates in the reaction chamber. The substrate rack may have a plurality of spaced apart substrate holding provisions configured to hold the plurality of substrates. The apparatus may have an illumination system constructed and arranged to irradiate radiation with a range from 100 to 500 nanometers onto a top surface of the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Dieter Pierreux, Cornelis Thaddeus Herbschleb, Werner Knaepen, Bert Jongbloed, Steven Van Aerde, Kelly Houben, Theodorus Oosterlaken, Chris de Ridder, Lucian Jdira
  • Substrate processing apparatus
    Patent number: 11222772
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a partition comprising at least one through-hole, a conduit arranged in the partition through the through-hole, a gas supply unit connected to the conduit, and a low dielectric material provided between a side wall of the through-hole and the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Young Hoon Kim, Yong Gyu Han, Dae Youn Kim, Hyun Soo Jang, Jeong Ho Lee
  • Systems and methods of modulating flow during vapor jet deposition of organic materials
    Patent number: 11220737
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems including a nozzle, a source of material to be deposited on a substrate in fluid communication with the nozzle, a delivery gas source in fluid communication with the source of material to be deposited with the nozzle, an exhaust channel disposed adjacent to the nozzle, a confinement gas source in fluid communication with the nozzle and the exhaust channel, and disposed adjacent to the exhaust channel, and an actuator to adjust a fly height separation between a deposition nozzle aperture of the nozzle and a deposition target. The adjustment of the fly height separation may stop and/or start the deposition of the material from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Universal Display Corporation
    Inventors: Gregory McGraw, William E. Quinn, Matthew King, Elliot H. Hartford, Jr., Siddharth Harikrishna Mohan, Benjamin Swedlove, Gregg Kottas
  • Vapor phase deposition system
    Patent number: 11214867
    Abstract: A showerhead for vacuum deposition of several species, the showerhead being divided into several quarters containing each at least one outlet for the species, each of the quarter defining the wall of an underlying compartment containing at least one species, wherein two adjacent compartments contains different species. A process for vacuum deposition of one or more species onto a substrate, including providing a substrate for thin film growth in a growth chamber, providing two or more species to be effused towards the substrate, effusing the two or more species towards the substrate with line of sight propagation and in high vacuum conditions, and obtaining a thin film with gradients of chemical elements composition, morphology or crystalline phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: ABCD TECHNOLOGY SARL
    Inventors: Giacomo Benvenuti, Estelle Halary Wagner, Christian Petit
  • Vapor flow control apparatus for atomic layer deposition
    Patent number: 11208722
    Abstract: A device for performing ALD includes a housing having a vacuum chamber that surrounds a horizontal flow reactor. The device further includes a gas distribution system for delivering gases to the reactor. The gas distribution system includes at least one of a high temperature valve and a high temperature filter disposed inside the vacuum chamber. The high temperature valve (and/or filter) controls (and/or filters) a supply of a precursor/reactant gas, inert gas, or precursor/reactant and inert gas mixture before it enters the horizontal flow reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Carl L. White, Eric Shero
  • Method and apparatuses for reducing porogen accumulation from a UV-cure chamber
    Patent number: 11177131
    Abstract: Porogen accumulation in a UV-cure chamber is reduced by removing outgassed porogen through a heated outlet while purge gas is flowed across a window through which a wafer is exposed to UV light. A purge ring having specific major and minor exhaust to inlet area ratios may be partially made of flame polished quartz to improve flow dynamics. The reduction in porogen accumulation allows more wafers to be processed between chamber cleans, thus improving throughput and cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa Marie Gytri, Jeff Gordon, James Forest Lee, Carmen Balderrama, Joseph Brett Harris, Eugene Smargiassi, Stephen Yu-Hong Lau, George D. Kamian, Ming Xi
  • Gas supply member, plasma processing apparatus, and method for forming coating film
    Patent number: 11164726
    Abstract: A gas supply member according to an embodiment includes: a base material that has a gas flow path capable of flowing a gas from an upstream side to a downstream side, a main surface arranged on the downstream side of the gas flow path in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the gas flow path, and a discharge port connecting the gas flow path and the main surface; and a film that contains at least one of yttria, yttrium oxyfluoride, yttrium fluoride, alumina, and aluminum nitride and covers the main surface and a surface of the discharge port of the base material. The film covers the main surface and the surface of the discharge port such that a surface of the film does not have a surface orientation portion of which a normal intersects a normal of the main surface at 45° to 75°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Toshiba Memory Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuyuki Matsumoto, Makoto Saito, Hisashi Hashiguchi
  • Shower plate structure for supplying carrier and dry gas
    Patent number: 11149350
    Abstract: A shower plate for a plasma deposition apparatus, the shower plate including: a plurality of apertures each extending from a rear surface of the shower plate to a front surface for passing a carrier gas therethrough in this direction to a chamber, a plurality of first apertures each extending from a first connecting aperture to an inner part of the front surface for passing gas therethrough in this direction to the chamber, and a plurality of second apertures each extending from a second connecting aperture to an outer part of the front surface for passing gas therethrough in this direction to the chamber, wherein the first connecting aperture connects the first apertures to at least one first aperture extending from a sidewall side of the shower plate and the second connecting aperture connects the second apertures to at least one second aperture extending from the sidewall side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Wataru Adachi, Kazuo Sato
  • Nozzle for multi-zone gas injection assembly
    Patent number: 11139150
    Abstract: A gas injection system includes (a) a side gas plenum, (b) a plurality of N gas inlets coupled to said side gas plenum, (c) plural side gas outlets extending radially inwardly from said plenum, (d) an N-way gas flow ratio controller having N outputs coupled to said N gas inlets respectively, and (e) an M-way gas flow ratio controller having M outputs, respective ones of said M outputs coupled to said tunable gas nozzle and a gas input of said N-way gas flow ratio controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Rozenzon, Kyle Tantiwong, Imad Yousif, Vladimir Knyazik, Bojenna Keating, Samer Banna
  • Substrate processing apparatus
    Patent number: 11139152
    Abstract: The inventive concept relates to an apparatus for processing a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes a scatter that is disposed over a baffle and that separates plasma and impurities. The scatter includes a plate having a first opening formed in a central area thereof when viewed from above and a collision block that is disposed over the first opening to face the first opening and that collides with plasma supplied from a plasma generation unit and impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: PSK INC.
    Inventor: Hung Sheng Wang
  • Deposition system and method using a delivery head separated from a substrate by gas pressure
    Patent number: 11136667
    Abstract: A process for depositing a thin film material on a substrate is disclosed, comprising simultaneously directing a series of gas flows from the output face of a delivery head of a thin film deposition system toward the surface of a substrate, and wherein the series of gas flows comprises at least a first reactive gaseous material, an inert purge gas, and a second reactive gaseous material, wherein the first reactive gaseous material is capable of reacting with a substrate surface treated with the second reactive gaseous material, wherein one or more of the gas flows provides a pressure that at least contributes to the separation of the surface of the substrate from the face of the delivery head. A system capable of carrying out such a process is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventor: David H. Levy
  • Shadow ring for modifying wafer edge and bevel deposition
    Patent number: 11136665
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention contemplate a shadow ring that provides increased or decreased and more uniform deposition on the edge of a wafer. By removing material from the top and/or bottom surfaces of the shadow ring, increased edge deposition and bevel coverage can be realized. In one embodiment, the material on the bottom surface is reduced by providing a recessed slot on the bottom surface. By increasing the amount of material of the shadow ring, the edge deposition and bevel coverage is reduced. Another approach to adjusting the deposition at the edge of the wafer includes increasing or decreasing the inner diameter of the shadow ring. The material forming the shadow ring may also be varied to change the amount of deposition at the edge of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Du Bois, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Robert Kim, Amit Kumar Bansal, Mark Fodor, Binh Nguyen, Siu F. Cheng, Hang Yu, Chiu Chan, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Deenesh Padhi, Juan Carlos Rocha
  • Method and apparatus for post exposure processing of photoresist wafers
    Patent number: 11112697
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for performing immersion field guided post exposure bake processes. Embodiments of apparatus described herein include a chamber body defining a processing volume. A pedestal may be disposed within the processing volume and a first electrode may be coupled to the pedestal. A moveable stem may extend through the chamber body opposite the pedestal and a second electrode may be coupled to the moveable stem. In certain embodiments, a fluid containment ring may be coupled to the pedestal and a dielectric containment ring may be coupled to the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Viachslav Babayan, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Qiwei Liang, Ludovic Godet, Srinivas D. Nemani, Daniel J. Woodruff, Randy Harris, Robert B. Moore
  • Suppression of parasitic deposition in a substrate processing system by suppressing precursor flow and plasma outside of substrate region
    Patent number: 11111581
    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: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser
  • Substrate processing apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium thereof and semiconductor manufacturing method by employing thereof
    Patent number: 11104992
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a substrate processing apparatus. In one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of process units. The process unit includes a process chamber for processing a substrate, an exhaust conduit connected to the process chamber and an exhaust pump arranged in the path of the exhaust conduit. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a connecting conduit connected to the exhaust conduits of the process units in the upstream of the exhaust pump and a switching unit which switches an exhaust path of the process chamber to the other exhaust pump in the other process unit via the connecting conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Atsushi Sano
  • Fluid control system and product manufacturing method using fluid control system
    Patent number: 11091837
    Abstract: A fluid control system is provided which, without reducing the supply flow rate of a fluid, is considerably more miniaturized and integrated. This fluid control system includes base blocks and fluid devices respectively installed on upper surfaces of the base blocks. The base blocks each include protruding pipe parts protruding in a longitudinal direction. The protruding pipe parts each communicate with a corresponding second flow path. The protruding pipe part on a downstream side end surface of the base block and the protruding pipe part on an upstream side end surface of the base block are air-tightly or liquid-tightly connected to each other by a welding material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Hidehiro Doya
  • Susceptor with ring to limit backside deposition
    Patent number: 11085112
    Abstract: A susceptor including a generally circular body having a face with a radially inward section and a radially outward section proximate a circumference of the body, the radially outward section having at least one ring extending upward for contacting a bottom surface of a substrate, and wherein the radially inward section lacks a ring extending upward from the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Mark Hawkins, Matthew G. Goodman, Shawn Thomas
  • Method to create air gaps
    Patent number: 11088019
    Abstract: Tin oxide films are used to create air gaps during semiconductor substrate processing. Tin oxide films, disposed between exposed layers of other materials, such as SiO2 and SiN can be selectively etched using a plasma formed in an H2-containing process gas. The etching creates a recessed feature in place of the tin oxide between the surrounding materials. A third material, such as SiO2 is deposited over the resulting recessed feature without fully filling the recessed feature, forming an air gap. A method for selectively etching tin oxide in a presence of SiO2, SiC, SiN, SiOC, SiNO, SiCNO, or SiCN, includes, in some embodiments, contacting the substrate with a plasma formed in a process gas comprising at least about 50% H2. Etching of tin oxide can be performed without using an external bias at the substrate and is preferably performed at a temperature of less than about 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Patrick A. Van Cleemput, Seshasayee Varadarajan, Bart J. van Schravendijk