Patents Examined by Thomas T Pham
  • Patent number: 11384255
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing slurry composition for an STI process, the polishing slurry composition comprising: a polishing solution including polishing particles; and an additive solution containing a nitride film polishing barrier inclusive of a polymer having an amide bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: KCTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hae Won Yang, Jun Ha Hwang, Jung Yoon Kim, Kwang Soo Park
  • Patent number: 11384437
    Abstract: A phosphoric acid-free etchant composition and a method of forming a wiring, the composition including about 40 wt % to about 60 wt % of an organic acid compound; about 6 wt % to about 12 wt % of a glycol compound; about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or hydrochloric acid; about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % of a nitrate salt compound; and water, all wt % being based on a total weight of the phosphoric acid-free etchant composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong Hee Park, Jin Seock Kim, Bong Won Lee, Sang-woo Kim, Il-Ryong Park, Bong-Yeon Won, Dae-woo Lee
  • Patent number: 11373874
    Abstract: An etching method for etching a silicon-containing film formed in a substrate by supplying an etching gas to the substrate is provided. The method includes supplying an amine gas to the substrate, in which the silicon-containing film, a porous film, and a non-etching target film that is a film not to be etched but is etchable by the etching gas are sequentially formed adjacent to each other, so that amine is adsorbed onto walls of pores of the porous film. The method further includes supplying the etching gas for etching the silicon-containing film to the substrate in which the amine is adsorbed onto the walls of the pores of the porous film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Takahashi, Ayano Hagiwara, Yasuo Asada, Tatsuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 11339308
    Abstract: A process for chemical mechanical polishing a substrate containing tungsten and titanium is provided comprising: providing the substrate; providing a polishing composition, containing, as initial components: water; an oxidizing agent; a chitosan; a dicarboxylic acid, wherein the dicarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of propanedioic acid and 2-hydroxypropanedioic acid; a source of iron ions; a colloidal silica abrasive with a positive surface charge; and, optionally pH adjusting agent; providing a chemical mechanical polishing pad, having a polishing surface; creating dynamic contact at an interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; and dispensing the polishing composition onto the polishing surface at or near the interface between the polishing pad and the substrate; wherein some of the tungsten (W) and some of the titanium (Ti) is polished away from the substrate with a removal selectivity for the tungsten (W) relative to the titanium (Ti).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Wen Tsai, Lin-Chen Ho, Cheng-Ping Lee, Jiun-Fang Wang
  • Patent number: 11335559
    Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes: forming a pattern on an upper face side of a substrate; applying a first composition to a sidewall of the pattern; forming a resin layer by applying a second composition to an inner face side of the sidewall of the pattern coated with the first composition; allowing the resin layer to separate into a plurality of phases; and removing at least one of the plurality of phases. The first composition contains a first polymer. The second composition contains a second polymer. The second polymer includes a first block having a first structural unit and a second block having a second structural unit. The polarity of the second structural unit is higher than the polarity of the first structural unit. Immediately before forming of the resin layer, a static contact angle ? (°) of water on the sidewall of the pattern satisfies inequality (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: JSR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Komatsu, Tomohiro Oda, Masafumi Hori, Takehiko Naruoka, Tomoki Nagai
  • Patent number: 11322364
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of plasma processing includes etching a refractory metal by flowing oxygen into a plasma processing chamber, intermittently flowing a passivation gas into the plasma processing chamber, and supplying power to sustain a plasma in the plasma processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Joy, Angelique Raley
  • Patent number: 11320736
    Abstract: A pattern forming material according to an embodiment is a pattern forming material comprising a polymer composed of a plurality of monomer units bonded to each other. Each of the monomer units includes an ester structure having a first carbonyl group and at least one second carbonyl group bonded to the ester structure. A second carbonyl group farthest from a main chain of the polymer constituting the pattern forming material among second carbonyl groups is in a linear chain state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke Yamamoto, Seiji Morita, Norikatsu Sasao, Koji Asakawa, Tomoaki Sawabe, Shinobu Sugimura
  • Patent number: 11313813
    Abstract: A method of controlling a substrate etching process includes disposing a bottom surface or a top surface of a substrate adjacent to volume of etching fluid to produce an etchant-substrate interface and heating the etchant-substrate interface via spatially controlled electromagnetic radiation. The method also includes transmitting a monitoring beam through the substrate, the substrate and volume of etching fluid being at least partially transparent at the wavelength range of the monitoring beam and measuring a property of the substrate surface during the substrate etching process via the monitoring beam to produce a real-time measured property for the substrate. A corresponding etching system and computer-program product is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Momentum Optics LLC
    Inventor: Jeremy Goeckeritz
  • Patent number: 11309179
    Abstract: A method for processing a product layer includes providing a dielectric layer over a substrate, etching to remove a portion of the dielectric layer, forming a product layer over the etched dielectric layer, and removing the product layer by providing a dissolving solution and using the dissolving solution to rinse or soak the product layer to dissolve the product layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventor: Hui Qu
  • Patent number: 11280007
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for mattifying a turbine engine part (10) comprising a metal material, the method comprising a step of immersing said part in a chemical bath (14) for mattifying said metal part (10), the bath (14) comprising at least sodium fluoride (NaF) and hydrofluoric (HF) acid, characterised in that the immersion step lasts between 2 and 15 minutes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventor: Pierre-Joseph Xavier Hervé Saget
  • Patent number: 11276561
    Abstract: A plasma etching method using a Faraday cage, comprising: providing a Faraday cage having a mesh portion on an upper surface thereof in a plasma etching apparatus; providing a quartz substrate having a metal mask with an opening provided on one surface of the metal mask in the Faraday cage; and patterning the quartz substrate with plasma etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Eun Kyu Her, Chung Wan Kim, Song Ho Jang, Bu Gon Shin, Jeong Ho Park, Jung Hwan Yoon, So Young Choo
  • Patent number: 11270883
    Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes applying a first composition on a surface layer of a substrate to form a first coating film. The surface layer includes a first region which includes a metal atom, and a second region which includes a silicon atom. The first coating film is heated. A portion other than a portion formed on the first region or a portion other than a portion formed on the second region of the first coating film heated is removed, thereby forming a first lamination portion. A second composition is applied on the substrate on which the first lamination portion is formed to form a second coating film. The second coating film is heated or exposed. A portion other than a portion formed on the first lamination portion of the second coating film heated or exposed is removed, thereby forming a second lamination portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: JSR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Komatsu, Motohiro Shiratani
  • Patent number: 11264249
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods for conducting a hardmask (e.g., carbon containing hardmask) removal process on a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include admitting a process gas into a plasma chamber, generating a plasma in the plasma chamber from the process gas using an inductively coupled plasma source, and exposing the carbon containing hardmask to the plasma to remove at least a portion of the carbon containing hardmask. The process gas can include a sulfur containing gas. The process gas does not include a halogen containing gas. The inductively coupled plasma source can be separated from the plasma chamber by a grounded electrostatic shield to reduce capacitive coupling between the inductively coupled plasma source and the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignees: Mattson Technology, Inc., Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fen Dai, Tinghao Wang, Oliver D. Jan, Moo-Hyun Kim, Shawming Ma, Zhongming Liu
  • Patent number: 11251075
    Abstract: Plasma processing systems and methods are provided. In one example, a system includes a processing chamber having a workpiece support. The workpiece is configured to support a workpiece. The system includes a plasma source configured to induce a plasma from a process gas in a plasma chamber to generate one or more species of negative ions. The system includes a grid structure configured to accelerate the one or more negative ions towards the workpiece. The grid structure can include a first grid plate, a second grid plate, and one or more magnetic elements positioned between the first grid plate and second grid plate to reduce electrons accelerated through the first grid plate. The system can include a neutralizer cell disposed downstream of the grid structure configured to detach extra electrons from ions of the one or more species of negative ions to generate energetic neutral species for processing the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: Mattson Technology, Inc., Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Stephen E. Savas
  • Patent number: 11244856
    Abstract: A method and equipment for forming gaps in a material layer are provided. The equipment includes a supporter and an etching device. The supporter is configured to support a semiconductor device. In the method for forming gaps in a material layer, at first, the semiconductor device is provided. Then, a material layer of the semiconductor device is etched to form vertical gaps in the material layer. Thereafter, the vertical sidewall of each of the vertical gaps is etched in accordance with a predetermined gap profile by using directional charged particle beams. The directional charged particle beams are provided by the etching device, and each of the directional charged particle beams has two energy peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chan-Syun David Yang, Li-Te Lin, Yu-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 11217441
    Abstract: A substrate treatment method is provided, which includes: an organic solvent replacing step of supplying an organic solvent, whereby a liquid film of the organic solvent is formed on the substrate as covering the upper surface of the substrate to replace a rinse liquid with the organic solvent; a substrate temperature increasing step of allowing the temperature of the upper surface of the substrate to reach a first temperature level higher than the boiling point of the organic solvent after the formation of the organic solvent liquid film, whereby a vapor film of the organic solvent is formed below the entire organic solvent liquid film between the organic solvent liquid film and the substrate to levitate the organic solvent liquid film above the organic solvent vapor film; and an organic solvent removing step of removing the levitated organic solvent liquid film from above the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Inventors: Kenji Kobayashi, Manabu Okutani
  • Patent number: 11205593
    Abstract: Disclosed are approaches for forming finFET devices having asymmetric fins achieved via fin trimming. In some embodiments, a method may include providing a substrate within a process chamber, the substrate including a plurality of fins, and forming a capping layer over the plurality of fins, wherein the capping layer extends along a first sidewall and a second sidewall of each of the plurality of fins. The method may further include removing a portion of the capping layer to expose a target area of the first sidewall of each of the plurality of fins, and trimming the target area of the first sidewall of each of the plurality of fins to reduce a lateral width of an upper section of each of the plurality of fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Min Gyu Sung, Johannes M. van Meer
  • Patent number: 11205576
    Abstract: A method of etching is described. The method includes treating at least a portion of a surface exposed on a substrate with an adsorption-promoting agent to alter a functionality of the exposed surface and cause subsequent adsorption of a carbon-containing precursor, and thereafter, adsorbing the organic precursor to the functionalized surface to form a carbon-containing film. Then, at least a portion of the surface of the carbon-containing film is exposed to an ion flux to remove the adsorbed carbon-containing film and at least a portion of the material of the underlying substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Alok Ranjan, Peter Ventzek
  • Patent number: 11180697
    Abstract: Described herein is an etching solution suitable for the selective removal of polysilicon over silicon oxide from a microelectronic device, which comprises: water; at least one of a quaternary ammonium hydroxide compound; optionally at least one alkanolamine compound; a water-miscible solvent; at least one nitrogen containing compound selected from the group consisting of a C4-12 alkylamine, a polyalkylenimine, a polyamine, a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound, a nitrogen-containing aromatic compound, or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic and aromatic compound; and optionally, a surfactant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: VERSUM MATERIALS US, LLC
    Inventors: Wen Dar Liu, Yi-Chia Lee, Chung-Yi Chang
  • Patent number: 11183390
    Abstract: A method for creating an enhanced multipaction resistant diamond-like coating (DLC) coating with lower Secondary Electron Emission (SEE) properties is performed on an initial surface by etching a DLC coating deposited on the surface after deposition and optionally creating interlayers to enhance adhesion mechanical properties between the DLC coating and the initial surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: NOKOMIS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Michael Nichol, Walter John Keller, III, Todd Eric Chornenky