Patents by Inventor C. Robert Koemtzopoulos
C. Robert Koemtzopoulos 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: 7951616Abstract: A blank wafer is placed in an etch chamber. A layer is deposited over the blank wafer, comprising providing a deposition gas, forming the deposition gas into a deposition plasma, and stopping the deposition gas. The blank wafer with the deposited layer is removed from the etch chamber. The thickness of the deposited layer is measured. Wafer temperature accuracy is calculated from the measured thickness of the deposited layer. The etch chamber is compensated according to the calculated wafer temperature accuracy. A wafer with an etch layer over the wafer and a patterned mask over the etch layer is placed into the etch chamber. The etch layer is etched in the etch chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2009Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Keren J. Kanarik, C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, James Rogers, Bi Ming Yen
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Patent number: 7682985Abstract: A method for etching a stack with at least one silicon germanium layer over a substrate in a processing chamber is provided. A silicon germanium etch is provided. An etchant gas is provided into the processing chamber, wherein the etchant gas comprises HBr, an inert diluent, and at least one of O2 and N2. The substrate is cooled to a temperature below 40° C. The etching gas is transformed to a plasma to etch the silicon germanium layer.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2004Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Yoko Yamaguchi Adams, Yoshinori Miyamoto, Yousun Kim Taylor
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Patent number: 7667281Abstract: Broadly speaking, methods and an apparatus are provided for removing an inorganic material from a substrate. More specifically, the methods provide for removing the inorganic material from the substrate through exposure to a high density plasma generated using an inductively coupled etching apparatus. The high density plasma is set and controlled to isotropically contact particular regions of the inorganic material to allow for trimming and control of a critical dimension associated with the inorganic material.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2007Date of Patent: February 23, 2010Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Shibu Gangadharan, Chris G. N. Lee, Alan Miller
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Publication number: 20100022033Abstract: A blank wafer is placed in an etch chamber. A layer is deposited over the blank wafer, comprising providing a deposition gas, forming the deposition gas into a deposition plasma, and stopping the deposition gas. The blank wafer with the deposited layer is removed from the etch chamber. The thickness of the deposited layer is measured. Wafer temperature accuracy is calculated from the measured thickness of the deposited layer. The etch chamber is compensated according to the calculated wafer temperature accuracy. A wafer with an etch layer over the wafer and a patterned mask over the etch layer is placed into the etch chamber. The etch layer is etched in the etch chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2009Publication date: January 28, 2010Applicant: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATIONInventors: Keren J. KANARIK, C. Robert KOEMTZOPOULOS, James ROGERS, Bi Ming YEN
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Patent number: 7425277Abstract: Broadly speaking, methods and an apparatus are provided for removing an inorganic material from a substrate. More specifically, the methods provide for removing the inorganic material from the substrate through exposure to a high density plasma generated using an inductively coupled etching apparatus. The high density plasma is set and controlled to isotropically contact particular regions of the inorganic material to allow for trimming and control of a critical dimension associated with the inorganic material.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2003Date of Patent: September 16, 2008Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Shibu Gangadharan, Chris G. N. Lee, Alan Miller
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Patent number: 6303044Abstract: The end of a cleaning process of a vacuum workpiece processing chamber evacuated to a constant pressure vacuum condition is controlled. The chamber is cleaned by exciting a cleaning gas to a plasma state by a field including an electric component. The process is terminated in response to detection of a substantial decrease in the time rate of change of pressure in a foreline of a vacuum pump evacuating the chamber after the plasma electrical impedance has been stabilized. The substantial decrease signals that the chamber is clean. A horn in the chamber that excites the gas to a plasma is indicated as being clean when the plasma electrical impedance is stable. The indication of plasma impedance stabilization is derived by monitoring horn DC bias voltage, or one or both variable reactances of a matching network connected between the horn and an r.f. excitation source for the horn.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 1999Date of Patent: October 16, 2001Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Felix Kozakevich
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Patent number: 6071573Abstract: A method for precoating interior surfaces of a plasma CVD reactor after removal of built-up fluorinated silicon oxide residues by in-situ reactor cleaning. The deposition gas mixture includes F, Si, O and optional Ar. The interior surfaces can be precoated with fluorinated silicon oxide using a deposition gas mixture which includes 80 to 200 sccm SiF.sub.4 and 150 to 400 sccm O.sub.2 supplied to the reactor in a gas flow ratio of O.sub.2 :SiF.sub.4 of 1.4 to 3.2. The precoated film can be deposited at a high deposition rate to maintain high throughput in the reactor while providing a precoat film having low compressive stress and thus high film adhesion and low particle generation during subsequent substrate processing in the reactor.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1997Date of Patent: June 6, 2000Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Felix Kozakevich
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Patent number: 6016766Abstract: Ionizable gas supplied to an electron cyclotron resonance vacuum plasma processor chamber for semiconductor wafers is excited to a plasma state by microwave energy coupled to the chamber. The level of microwave power reflected from the chamber controls the level of microwave power derived from a source driving the ionizable gas in the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: David R. Pirkle, John Daugherty, Michael Giarratano, C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Felix Kozakevich
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Patent number: 6017414Abstract: The end of a cleaning process of a vacuum workpiece processing chamber evacuated to a constant pressure vacuum condition is controlled. The chamber is cleaned by exciting a cleaning gas to a plasma state by a field including an electric component. The process is terminated in response to detection of a substantial decrease in the time rate of change of pressure in a foreline of a vacuum pump evacuating the chamber after the plasma electrical impedance has been stabilized. The substantial decrease signals that the chamber is clean. A horn in the chamber that excites the gas to a plasma is indicated as being clean when the plasma electrical impedance is stable. The indication of plasma impedance stabilization is derived by monitoring horn DC bias voltage, or one or both variable reactances of a matching network connected between the horn and an r.f. excitation source for the horn.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Felix Kozakevich
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Patent number: 5988187Abstract: A method and arrangement for the insitu cleaning of a chamber in which process gas is injected into the chamber through gas injection ports. Separate gas injection ports through which process gas and the cleaning gas are injected into the chamber are provided. The process gas is injected into the chamber, such as a plasma chamber, through a first gas injection port while the cleaning gas, which cleans the residue left by the process gas during the deposition process, is injected into the chamber through the second gas injection port that is separate from the first gas injection port through which the process gas is injected. The separation of the gas injection ports provides an equalized pressure within the jet screw ports for the process gas and the interior of the chamber. This allows the jet screw ports to be maximally cleaned and reduces the frequency of replacement of the jet screw ports in the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1996Date of Patent: November 23, 1999Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: David Trussell, C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Felix Kozakevich
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Patent number: 5911833Abstract: A method for in-situ cleaning of a chuck that bears a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing machine maintains a processing chamber in a sealed condition with the chuck inside the chamber. A wafer bearing surface of the chuck is exposed upon determining that the chuck requires a cleaning. A cleaning gas is then injected into the chamber and RF power is applied to the chamber to create a plasma that cleans the wafer bearing surface. Since the processing chamber is maintained in a sealed condition during the in-situ cleaning of the chuck, the time required to clean the chuck and prepare the chamber for continued production runs is greatly reduced.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 1997Date of Patent: June 15, 1999Assignee: LAM Research CorporationInventors: Dean Denison, William Harshbarger, Anwar Husain, C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Felix Kozakevich, David Trussell
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Patent number: RE38097Abstract: A method and arrangement for the insitu cleaning of a chamber in which process gas is injected into the chamber through gas injection ports. Separate gas injection ports through which process gas and the cleaning gas are injected into the chamber are provided. The process gas is injected into the chamber, such as a plasma chamber, through a first gas injection port while the cleaning gas, which cleans the residue left by the process gas during the deposition process, is injected into the chamber through the second gas injection port that is separate from the first gas injection port through which the process gas is injected. The separation of the gas injection ports provides an equalized pressure within the jet screw ports for the process gas and the interior of the chamber. This allows the jet screw ports to be maximally cleaned and reduces the frequency of replacement of the jet screw ports in the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: David Trussell, C. Robert Koemtzopoulos, Felix Kozakevich