Patents by Inventor Alexei Marakhatanov
Alexei Marakhatanov 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).
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Patent number: 11791140Abstract: An apparatus for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The apparatus is a confinement ring that includes a lower horizontal section extending between an inner lower radius and an outer radius of the confinement ring. The lower horizontal section includes an extension section that bends vertically downward at the inner lower radius, and the lower horizontal section further includes a plurality of slots. The confinement ring further includes an upper horizontal section extending between an inner upper radius and the outer radius of the confinement ring and a vertical section that integrally connects the lower horizontal section with the upper horizontal section. The extension section of the lower horizontal section is configured to surround the lower electrode when installed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2022Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Rajinder Dhindsa, Akira Koshiishi, Alexei Marakhatanov
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Publication number: 20220254614Abstract: An apparatus for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The apparatus is a confinement ring that includes a lower horizontal section extending between an inner lower radius and an outer radius of the confinement ring. The lower horizontal section includes an extension section that bends vertically downward at the inner lower radius, and the lower horizontal section further includes a plurality of slots. The confinement ring further includes an upper horizontal section extending between an inner upper radius and the outer radius of the confinement ring and a vertical section that integrally connects the lower horizontal section with the upper horizontal section. The extension section of the lower horizontal section is configured to surround the lower electrode when installed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: August 11, 2022Inventors: Rajinder Dhindsa, Akira Koshiishi, Alexei Marakhatanov
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Patent number: 11342166Abstract: An apparatus for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The apparatus is a confinement ring that includes a lower horizontal section extending between an inner lower radius and an outer radius of the confinement ring. The lower horizontal section includes an extension section that bends vertically downward at the inner lower radius, and the lower horizontal section further includes a plurality of slots. The confinement ring further includes an upper horizontal section extending between an inner upper radius and the outer radius of the confinement ring and a vertical section that integrally connects the lower horizontal section with the upper horizontal section. The extension section of the lower horizontal section is configured to surround the lower electrode when installed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2020Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Rajinder Dhindsa, Akira Koshiishi, Alexei Marakhatanov
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Publication number: 20200303171Abstract: An apparatus for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The apparatus is a confinement ring that includes a lower horizontal section extending between an inner lower radius and an outer radius of the confinement ring. The lower horizontal section includes an extension section that bends vertically downward at the inner lower radius, and the lower horizontal section further includes a plurality of slots. The confinement ring further includes an upper horizontal section extending between an inner upper radius and the outer radius of the confinement ring and a vertical section that integrally connects the lower horizontal section with the upper horizontal section. The extension section of the lower horizontal section is configured to surround the lower electrode when installed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2020Publication date: September 24, 2020Inventors: Rajinder Dhindsa, Akira Koshiishi, Alexei Marakhatanov
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Patent number: 10720314Abstract: An apparatus for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The apparatus is a confinement ring that includes a lower horizontal section extending between an inner lower radius and an outer radius of the confinement ring. The lower horizontal section includes an extension section that bends vertically downward at the inner lower radius, and the lower horizontal section further includes a plurality of slots. The confinement ring further includes an upper horizontal section extending between an inner upper radius and the outer radius of the confinement ring and a vertical section that integrally connects the lower horizontal section with the upper horizontal section. The extension section of the lower horizontal section is configured to surround the lower electrode when installed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2017Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Rajinder Dhindsa, Akira Koshiishi, Alexei Marakhatanov
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Patent number: 9881772Abstract: Circuits, methods, chambers, systems, and computer programs are presented for processing wafers. A wafer processing apparatus includes top and bottom electrodes inside a processing chamber; a first, second, third, and fourth radio frequency (RF) power sources; and one or more resonant circuits. The first, second, and third RF power sources are coupled to the bottom electrode. The top electrode may be coupled to the fourth RF power source, to electrical ground, or to the one or more resonant circuits. Each of the one or more resonant circuits, which are coupled between the top electrode and electrical ground, include a tune-in element operable to vary a frequency-dependent impedance presented by the resonant circuit. The wafer processing apparatus is configurable to select the RF power sources for wafer processing operations, as well as the connections to the top electrode in order to provide plasma and etching uniformity for the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2012Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Alexei Marakhatanov, Rajinder Dhindsa
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Publication number: 20170330735Abstract: An apparatus for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber is provided. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode for supporting a substrate and an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The apparatus is a confinement ring that includes a lower horizontal section extending between an inner lower radius and an outer radius of the confinement ring. The lower horizontal section includes an extension section that bends vertically downward at the inner lower radius, and the lower horizontal section further includes a plurality of slots. The confinement ring further includes an upper horizontal section extending between an inner upper radius and the outer radius of the confinement ring and a vertical section that integrally connects the lower horizontal section with the upper horizontal section. The extension section of the lower horizontal section is configured to surround the lower electrode when installed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2017Publication date: November 16, 2017Inventors: Rajinder Dhindsa, Akira Koshishi, Alexei Marakhatanov
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Patent number: 9117767Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer programs for semiconductor processing in a capacitively-coupled plasma chamber are provided. A chamber includes a bottom radio frequency (RF) signal generator, a top RF signal generator, and an RF phase controller. The bottom RF signal generator is coupled to the bottom electrode in the chamber, and the top RF signal generator is coupled to the top electrode. Further, the bottom RF signal is set at a first phase, and the top RF signal is set at a second phase. The RF phase controller is operable to receive the bottom RF signal and operable to set the value of the second phase. Additionally, the RF phase controller is operable to track the first phase and the second phase to maintain a time difference between the maximum of the top RF signal and the minimum of the bottom RF signal at approximately a predetermined constant value, resulting in an increase of the negative ion flux to the surface of the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2011Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Alexei Marakhatanov, Mirzafer K. Abatchev, Rajinder Dhindsa, Eric Hudson, Andrew D. Bailey, III