Patents by Inventor Adrien Lavoie

Adrien Lavoie has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11651963
    Abstract: A method for forming features over a wafer with a carbon based deposition is provided. The carbon based deposition is pretuned, wherein the pretuning causes a non-uniform removal of some of the carbon based deposition. An oxide deposition is deposited through an atomic layer deposition process, wherein the depositing the oxide deposition causes a non-uniform removal of some of the carbon based deposition. At least one additional process is provided, wherein the at least one additional process completes formation of features over the wafer, wherein the features are more uniform than features that would be formed without pretuning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Ishtak Karim, Pulkit Agarwal, Joseph R. Abel, Purushottam Kumar, Adrien Lavoie
  • Patent number: 11646198
    Abstract: Methods for depositing films by atomic layer deposition using aminosilanes are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Qian, Hu Kang, Adrien LaVoie, Seiji Matsuyama, Purushottam Kumar
  • Publication number: 20230098270
    Abstract: Silicon-containing films, such as silicon oxide films, having high quality are deposited on semiconductor substrates using reactions of silicon-containing precursors in high temperature ALD processes. In some embodiments, provided precursors are suitable for deposition of silicon-containing films at temperatures of at least about 500° C., such as greater than about 550° C. For example, silicon oxide can be deposited at high temperature by a reaction of the silicon-containing precursor with an oxygen-containing reactant (e.g., O3 O2, H2O) on a substrate's surface. In some implementations, the suitable precursor includes at least one silicon-silicon bond, at least one leaving group (e.g., a halogen), and, optionally, at least one electron-donating group (e.g., an alkyl). The precursors are suitable, in some implementations, for both thermal ALD and for PEALD. In some embodiments, a single precursor is used in both thermal ALD and in PEALD during deposition of a single silicon oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Douglas Walter Agnew, Adrien LaVoie
  • Publication number: 20230087976
    Abstract: A NAND structure and method of fabricating the structure are described. A multi-layer ONON stack is deposited on a Si substrate and a field oxide grown thereon. A portion of the field oxide is removed, and high-aspect-ratio channels are etched in the stack. The channels are filled with a Si oxide using a thermal ALD process. The thermal ALD process includes multiple growth cycles followed by a passivation cycle. Each growth cycle includes treating the surface oxide surface using an inhibitor followed by multiple cycles to deposit the oxide on the treated surface using a precursor and source of the oxide. The passivation after the growth cycle removes the residual inhibitor. The Si oxide is recess etched using a wet chemical etch of DHF and then capped using a poly-Si cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Ian John Curtin, Douglas Walter Agnew, Mamoru Imade, Joseph R. Abel, Awnish Gupta, Adrien Lavoie
  • Publication number: 20230045336
    Abstract: Methods for making thin-films on semiconductor substrates, may be patterned using EUV, include: depositing the organometallic polymer-like material onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate, exposing the surface to EUV to form a pattern, and developing the pattern for later transfer to underlying layers. The depositing operations may be performed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and ALD with a CVD component, such as a discontinuous, ALD-like process in which metal precursors and counter-reactants are separated in either time or space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Jengyi Yu, Samantha S.H. Tan, Mohammed Haroon Alvi, Richard Wise, Yang Pan, Richard Alan Gottscho, Adrien LaVoie, Sivananda Krishnan Kanakasabapathy, Timothy William Weidman, Qinghuang Lin, Jerome S. Hubacek
  • Publication number: 20230009859
    Abstract: A purge baffle for a substrate support includes an annular ring configured to surround an outer perimeter around the substrate support in a volume below the substrate support and a first portion. The first portion includes a plenum defined below the first portion and outside of the annular ring in the volume below the substrate support and a plurality of openings that provide respective flow paths from a region above the first portion into the plenum. At least a first opening of the plurality of openings has a first conductance and at least a second opening of the plurality of openings has a second conductance that is different than the first conductance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Ramesh CHANDRASEKHARAN, Adrien LAVOIE, Michael Philip ROBERTS
  • Publication number: 20230002901
    Abstract: A controller includes an accumulation determiner configured to determine a first accumulation value that indicates an amount of accumulation of material on surfaces within a processing chamber and a pressure controller configured to obtain the first accumulation value, obtain at least one of a setpoint pressure an etching step and a duration of the etching step, and, to control the pressure within the processing chamber during the etching step, adjust a control parameter based on (i) the first accumulation value and (ii) the at least one of the setpoint pressure and the duration of the etching step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Awnish GUPTA, Pulk it AGARWAL, Ravi KUMAR, Adrien LAVOIE, Shiva Sharan BHANDARI
  • Patent number: 11542599
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing stacks is provided. A first gas source is provided. A first gas manifold is connected to the first gas source. A first processing station has a first gas outlet, wherein the first gas outlet is connected to the first gas manifold. A first variable conductance valve is between the first gas source and the first gas outlet along the first gas manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Adrien Lavoie, Pulkit Agarwal
  • Patent number: 11479856
    Abstract: Methods of depositing uniform films on substrates using multi-cyclic atomic layer deposition techniques are described. Methods involve varying one or more parameter values from cycle to cycle to tailor the deposition profile. For example, some methods involve repeating a first ALD cycle using a first carrier gas flow rate during precursor exposure and a second ALD cycle using a second carrier gas flow rate during precursor exposure. Some methods involve repeating a first ALD cycle using a first duration of precursor exposure and a second ALD cycle using a second duration of precursor exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Purushottam Kumar, Adrien LaVoie, Hu Kang, Jun Qian, Tuan Nguyen, Ye Wang
  • Publication number: 20220301866
    Abstract: A gas feed system for supplying process gases to a process chamber for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process is provided, including: a central gas feed configured to deliver the process gases to a showerhead; the central gas feed having a first manifold enabling delivery of an ALD precursor gas into the central gas feed, a second manifold enabling delivery of a fluorine-containing plasma precursor gas into the central gas feed, a third manifold enabling delivery of an inhibition or passivation gas into the central gas feed, a fourth manifold enabling delivery of an oxidizer gas into the central gas feed, and a feed line connecting to the fourth manifold, the feed line enabling delivery of an inert gas into the central gas feed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Joseph Abel, Adrien Lavoie, Purushottam Kumar
  • Patent number: 11443975
    Abstract: A pedestal for a substrate processing system includes a pedestal body including a substrate-facing surface. An annular band is arranged on the substrate-facing surface that is configured to support a radially outer edge of the substrate. A cavity is defined in the substrate-facing surface of the pedestal body and is located radially inside of the annular band. The cavity creates a volume between a bottom surface of the substrate and the substrate-facing surface of the pedestal body. A plurality of vents pass though the pedestal body and are in fluid communication with the cavity to equalize pressure on opposing faces of the substrate during processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patrick Breiling, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Karl Leeser, Paul Konkola, Adrien LaVoie, Chloe Baldasseroni, Shankar Swaminathan, Ishtak Karim, Yukinori Sakiyama, Edmund Minshall, Sung Je Kim, Andrew Duvall, Frank Pasquale
  • Patent number: 11434567
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a first power source configured to supply plasma having a first power level, a second power source configured to supply plasma having a second power level greater than the first power level, and a controller configured to dose a process chamber with precursor. The first power level is sufficient to enhance adsorption of the precursor on a surface of a substrate and is insufficient to decompose the precursor that is adsorbed. The controller is further configured to remove a portion of the precursor that does not adsorb onto the substrate from the process chamber while the plasma having the first power level is being supplied and activate the precursor that is adsorbed using plasma having the second power level while the plasma having the first power level is still being supplied. The second power level is sufficient to decompose the precursor that is adsorbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Adrien LaVoie, Hu Kang, Karl Frederick Leeser
  • Publication number: 20220275510
    Abstract: Silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride films may be deposited by thermal atomic layer deposition (thermal ALD) in a single wafer plasma reactor. The single wafer plasma reactor can perform thermal ALD and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). Highly conformal films may be deposited at a high deposition rate without damaging or with minimal damage to the substrate using thermal ALD. The substrate may be heated at an elevated temperature during oxidation and/or nitridation. In some implementations, the elevated temperature is between about 500 C and about 750 C. In some implementations, hydrogen and oxygen may be flowed as reactant gases during oxidation, where the hydrogen and oxygen may react in an exothermic reaction to drive formation of oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Awnish GUPTA, Tengfei MIAO, Adrien LAVOIE, Douglas Walter AGNEW, Ian John CURTIN
  • Publication number: 20220259725
    Abstract: A method for reducing effluent buildup in a pumping exhaust system of a substrate processing system includes, during a substrate treatment process, arranging a substrate on a substrate support in a processing chamber; supplying one or more process gases to the processing chamber; supplying an inert dilution gas at a first flow rate to the pumping exhaust system; performing the substrate treatment process on the substrate in the processing chamber; evacuating reactants from the processing chamber using the pumping exhaust system. The method includes, after the substrate treatment process, supplying cleaning plasma including cleaning gas in the processing chamber during a cleaning process; and supplying the inert dilution gas at a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate to the pumping exhaust system during the cleaning process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Antonio XAVIER, Steven GOZA, Ramesh CHANDRASEKHARAN, Adrien LAVOIE, Joseph NESMITH
  • Publication number: 20220243323
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a substrate support and a controller. The substrate support includes a lift pad, a plurality of zones, and a plurality of resistive heaters arranged throughout the plurality of zones. The plurality of resistive heaters includes separately-controllable resistive heaters arranged in respective ones of the plurality of zones. The controller is configured to determine a rotational position of a substrate arranged on the lift pad, selectively rotate the lift pad to adjust the substrate to the rotational position, and control the plurality of resistive heaters to selectively adjust temperatures within the plurality of zones based on the rotational position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Ramesh CHANDRASEKHARAN, Seshasayee VARADARAJAN, Pulkit AGARWAL, Ravi KUMAR, Adrien LAVOIE, Marcus CARBERY, Michael Philip ROBERTS
  • Publication number: 20220243332
    Abstract: A system to process a semiconductor substrate includes a substrate support assembly configured to support the semiconductor substrate. The substrate support assembly includes M resistive heaters respectively arranged in M zones in a layer of the substrate support assembly, where M is an integer greater than 1. The layer is adjacent to the semiconductor substrate. The substrate support assembly includes N temperature sensors arranged at N locations in the layer, where N is an integer greater than 1 and less than or equal to M. The system further includes a controller configured to control one or more of the M resistive heaters based on a temperature sensed by one of the N temperature sensors and average temperatures of one or more of the M zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Ramesh CHANDRASEKHARAN, Michael Philip ROBERTS, Aaron BINGHAM, Ashish SAURABH, Adrien LAVOIE, Pulkit AGARWAL, Ravi KUMAR
  • Publication number: 20220235464
    Abstract: A method for depositing carbon on a substrate in a processing chamber includes arranging the substrate on a substrate support in the processing chamber. The substrate includes a carbon film having a first thickness formed on at least one underlying layer of the substrate. The method further includes performing a first etching step to etch the substrate to form features on the substrate, remove portions of the carbon film, and decrease the first thickness of the carbon film, selectively depositing carbon onto remaining portions of the carbon film, and performing at least one second etching step to etch the substrate to complete the forming of the features on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Awnish GUPTA, Adrien LAVOIE, Bart J. VAN SCHRAVENDIJK, Samantha SiamHwa TAN
  • Publication number: 20220223440
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber, a substrate support including a plurality of heater zones arranged in the processing chamber, a gas delivery system configured to deliver process gases to the processing chamber, and a controller configured to communicate with the gas delivery system and the plurality of heater zones, initiate a first treatment step of a process during a transient temperature period after a substrate is arranged on the substrate support and prior to the substrate reaching a steady-state temperature of the substrate support, and adjust heating to each of the plurality of heater zones during the first treatment step based on average heat functions determined for corresponding ones of the plurality of heater zones during a period corresponding to the first treatment step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Ravi KUMAR, Pulkit AGARWAL, Adrien LAVOIE, Ramesh CHANDRASEKHARAN, Michael Philip ROBERTS
  • Publication number: 20220208543
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for depositing thin films using long and short conversion times during alternating cycles of atomic layer deposition (ALD) are provided herein. Embodiments involve alternating conversion duration of an ALD cycle in one or more cycles of a multi-cycle ALD process. Some embodiments involve modulation of dose, purge, pressure, plasma power or plasma energy in two or more ALD cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Chan Myae Myae Soe, Chloe Baldasseroni, Shiva Sharan Bhandari, Pulkit Agarwal, Adrien LaVoie, Bart J. van Schravendijk
  • Publication number: 20220205096
    Abstract: A plasma generating system generates plasma in a processing chamber. A controller is configured to: a) perform atomic layer deposition (ALD) N times to deposit film in a feature of the substrate; b) after performing a) M of the N times, supply an inhibitor plasma gas to the processing chamber and strike plasma in the processing chamber to create a passivated surface more on upper portions of the feature as compared to lower portions of the feature to inhibit the atomic layer deposition in the upper portions of the feature as compared to the lower portions of the feature; c) supply an etch gas to the processing chamber to etch the film more in the upper portions of the feature than in the lower portions in the feature of the substrate following b); and d) repeat a) to c) one or more times to gapfill the feature without voids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Joseph ABEL, Purushottam KUMAR, Bart VAN SCHRAVENDIJK, Adrien LAVOIE