Patents by Inventor Cory Wajda

Cory Wajda 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).

  • Publication number: 20180076027
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods for selective film deposition using a surface pretreatment. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a dielectric layer and a metal layer, exposing the substrate to a reactant gas containing a molecule that forms self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the substrate, and thereafter, selectively depositing a metal oxide film on a surface of the dielectric layer relative to a surface of the metal layer by exposing the substrate to a deposition gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Kandabara N. Tapily, Gerrit J. Leusink, Cory Wajda, Hoyoung Kang
  • Publication number: 20170317022
    Abstract: A method is provided for at least partially filling a feature in a substrate. The method includes providing a substrate containing a feature, depositing a ruthenium (Ru) metal layer to at least partially fill the feature, and heat-treating the substrate to reflow the Ru metal layer in the feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Kai-Hung Yu, Gerrit J. Leusink, Cory Wajda, Tadahiro Ishizaka, Takahiro Hakamata
  • Publication number: 20170241014
    Abstract: A method for material deposition is described in several embodiments. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate defining features to receive a deposition of material, initiating a flow of a Ru carbonyl precursor to the substrate, the Ru carbonyl precursor decomposing within the defined features such that a Ru metal film is deposited on surfaces of the defined features and CO gas is released, and stopping the flow of the Ru carbonyl precursor to the substrate. The method further includes flowing additional CO gas to the substrate after stopping the flow of the Ru carbonyl precursor to the substrate, and repeatedly cycling between process steps of flowing the Ru carbonyl precursor to the substrate and flowing the additional CO gas to the substrate. In one embodiment, the Ru carbonyl precursor contains Ru3(CO)12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: Kai-Hung Yu, Gerrit J. Leusink, Cory Wajda, Tadahiro Ishizaka, Takahiro Hakamata
  • Publication number: 20170236752
    Abstract: Methods for integration of conformal barrier layers and Ru metal liners with Cu metallization in semiconductor manufacturing are described in several embodiments. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a recessed feature, depositing a barrier layer in the recessed feature, depositing a Ru metal liner on the barrier layer, and exposing the substrate to an oxidation source gas to oxidize the barrier layer through the Ru metal liner. The method further includes filling the recessed feature with CuMn metal using an ionized physical vapor deposition (IPVD) process, heat-treating the substrate to diffuse Mn from the CuMn metal to the oxidized barrier layer, and reacting the diffused Mn with the oxidized barrier layer to form a Mn-containing diffusion barrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Kai-Hung L. Yu, Manabu Oie, Kaoru Maekawa, Cory Wajda, Gerrit J. Leusink, Yuuki Kikuchi, Hiroaki Kawasaki, Hiroyuki Nagai
  • Patent number: 9711449
    Abstract: A method is provided for at least partially filling a feature in a substrate. The method includes providing a substrate containing a feature, depositing a ruthenium (Ru) metal layer to at least partially fill the feature, and heat-treating the substrate to reflow the Ru metal layer in the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kai-Hung Yu, Gerrit J. Leusink, Cory Wajda, Tadahiro Ishizaka, Takahiro Hakamata
  • Publication number: 20170125517
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe a method of corner rounding and trimming of nanowires used in semiconductor devices. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing in a process chamber a plurality of nanowires separated from each other by a void, where the plurality of nanowires have a height and at least substantially right angle corners, forming an oxidized surface layer on the plurality of nanowires using an oxidizing microwave plasma, removing the oxidized surface layer to trim the height and round the corners of the plurality of nanowires, and repeating the forming and removing at least once until the plurality of nanowires have a desired trimmed height and rounded corners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Kandabara N. Tapily, Ying Trickett, Chihiro Tamura, Cory Wajda, Gerrit J. Leusink, Kaoru Maekawa
  • Patent number: 9607888
    Abstract: Methods for integration of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of barrier layers and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Ru liners for Cu filling of narrow recessed features for semiconductor devices are disclosed in several embodiments. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a recessed feature, depositing a conformal barrier layer by ALD in the recessed feature, where the barrier layer contains TaN or TaAlN, depositing a conformal Ru liner by CVD on the barrier layer, and filling the recessed feature with Cu metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kai-Hung Yu, Toshio Hasegawa, Tadahiro Ishizaka, Manabu Oie, Fumitaka Amano, Steven Consiglio, Cory Wajda, Kaoru Maekawa, Gert J. Leusink
  • Publication number: 20170084464
    Abstract: A germanium-containing semiconductor device and a method for forming a germanium-containing semiconductor device are described. The method includes providing a germanium-containing substrate, depositing an aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer on the germanium-containing substrate, depositing a high-k layer on the aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer, and exposing the high-k layer to atomic oxygen to reduce the equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of the high-k layer while avoiding oxidizing the germanium-containing substrate. The germanium-containing semiconductor device includes a germanium-containing substrate, an aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer on the germanium-containing substrate, and a high-k layer on the aluminum-containing diffusion barrier layer, where the high-k layer has been exposed to atomic oxygen to reduce the EOT of the high-k layer while avoiding oxidizing the germanium-containing substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Kandabara N. Tapily, Robert D. Clark, Steven P. Consiglio, Cory Wajda, Gerrit J. Leusink
  • Publication number: 20160358815
    Abstract: A method is provided for at least partially filling a feature in a substrate. The method includes providing a substrate containing a feature, depositing a ruthenium (Ru) metal layer to at least partially fill the feature, and heat-treating the substrate to reflow the Ru metal layer in the feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Kai-Hung Yu, Gerrit J. Leusink, Cory Wajda, Tadahiro Ishizaka, Takahiro Hakamata
  • Publication number: 20150255267
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention describe methods for forming a semiconductor device. According to one embodiment, the method includes depositing an aluminum-doped high-k film on a substrate by atomic layer deposition (ALD) that includes: a) pulsing a metal-containing precursor gas into a process chamber containing the substrate, b) pulsing an aluminum-containing precursor gas into the process chamber, where a) and b) are sequentially performed without an intervening oxidation step, and c) pulsing an oxygen-containing gas into the process chamber. The method can further include heat-treating the aluminum-doped high-k film to crystallize or increase the crystallization of the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Kandabara N. Tapily, Robert D. Clark, Steven P. Consiglio, Cory Wajda, Gerrit J. Leusink
  • Publication number: 20150221550
    Abstract: Methods for integration of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of barrier layers and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Ru liners for Cu filling of narrow recessed features for semiconductor devices are disclosed in several embodiments. According to one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a recessed feature, depositing a conformal barrier layer by ALD in the recessed feature, where the barrier layer contains TaN or TaAlN, depositing a conformal Ru liner by CVD on the barrier layer, and filling the recessed feature with Cu metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Kai-Hung Yu, Toshio Hasegawa, Tadahiro Ishizaka, Manabu Oie, Fumitaka Amano, Steven Consiglio, Cory Wajda, Kaoru Maekawa, Gert J. Leusink
  • Patent number: 8722548
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: forming at least one first monolayer of first material on a surface of a substrate by performing a first plurality of cycles of atomic layer deposition; thereafter, annealing the formed at least one first monolayer of first material under a first inert atmosphere at a first temperature between about 650° C. and about 900° C.; thereafter, forming at least one second monolayer of second material by performing a second plurality of cycles of atomic layer deposition, where the formed at least one second monolayer of second material at least partially overlies the annealed at least one first monolayer of first material; and thereafter, annealing the formed at least one second monolayer of second material under a second inert atmosphere at a second temperature between about 650° C. and about 900° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Aoyama, Robert D. Clark, Steven P. Consiglio, Marinus Hopstaken, Hemanth Jagannathan, Paul Charles Jamison, Gert Leusink, Barry Paul Linder, Vijay Narayanan, Cory Wajda
  • Patent number: 8460945
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for monitoring status of a system component in a process chamber of a batch type processing system. The method includes exposing a system component to light from a light source and monitoring interaction of the light with the system component to determine status of the system component. The method can detect light transmission and/or light reflection from a system component during a process that can include a chamber cleaning process, a chamber conditioning process, a substrate etching process, and a substrate film formation process. The system component can be a consumable system part such as a process tube, a shield, a ring, a baffle, and a liner, and can further contain a protective coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: David L. O'Meara, Daniel Craig Burdett, Stephen H. Cabral, Gert Leusink, John William Kostenko, Cory Wajda
  • Publication number: 20120074533
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: forming at least one first monolayer of first material on a surface of a substrate by performing a first plurality of cycles of atomic layer deposition; thereafter, annealing the formed at least one first monolayer of first material under a first inert atmosphere at a first temperature between about 650° C. and about 900° C.; thereafter, forming at least one second monolayer of second material by performing a second plurality of cycles of atomic layer deposition, where the formed at least one second monolayer of second material at least partially overlies the annealed at least one first monolayer of first material; and thereafter, annealing the formed at least one second monolayer of second material under a second inert atmosphere at a second temperature between about 650° C. and about 900° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicants: Tokyo Electron (TEL)Limited, International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shintaro Aoyama, Robert D. Clark, Steven P. Consiglio, Marinus Hopstaken, Hemanth Jagannathan, Paul Charles Jamison, Gert Leusink, Barry Paul Linder, Vijay Narayanan, Cory Wajda
  • Publication number: 20110220148
    Abstract: A method for performing preventative maintenance in a substrate processing system is described. The method includes diagnosing a level of contamination in a substrate processing system, scheduling a wet clean process when necessary, and scheduling a dry clean process when necessary. The dry clean process may include an ozone cleaning process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Steven P. CONSIGLIO, Cory WAJDA, Robert D. CLARK
  • Patent number: 7964515
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming high dielectric constant (high-k) films for semiconductor devices. According to one embodiment, a metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film is deposited by alternately and sequentially exposing a substrate to a metal-carbon precursor and near saturation exposure level of an oxidation source containing ozone. The method is capable of forming a metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film with good thickness uniformity while impeding growth of an interface layer between the metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film and the substrate. According to one embodiment, the metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film may be treated with an oxidation process to remove carbon from the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Robert D. Clark, Cory Wajda
  • Publication number: 20110065287
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming a metal-silicon-containing film on a substrate by pulsed chemical vapor deposition. The method includes providing the substrate in a process chamber, maintaining the substrate at a temperature suited for chemical vapor deposition of a metal-silicon-containing film by thermal decomposition of a metal-containing gas and a silicon-containing gas on the substrate, exposing the substrate to a continuous flow of the metal-containing gas, and during the continuous flow, exposing the substrate to sequential pulses of the silicon-containing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Cory Wajda
  • Publication number: 20090163012
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming high dielectric constant (high-k) films for semiconductor devices. According to one embodiment, a metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film is deposited by alternately and sequentially exposing a substrate to a metal-carbon precursor and near saturation exposure level of an oxidation source containing ozone. The method is capable of forming a metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film with good thickness uniformity while impeding growth of an interface layer between the metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film and the substrate. According to one embodiment, the metal-carbon-oxygen high-k film may be treated with an oxidation process to remove carbon from the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert D. CLARK, Cory WAJDA
  • Patent number: 7501352
    Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for preparing an oxynitride film on a substrate. A surface of the substrate is exposed to oxygen radicals formed by ultraviolet (UV) radiation induced dissociation of a first process gas comprising at least one molecular composition comprising oxygen to form an oxide film on the surface. The oxide film is exposed to nitrogen radicals formed by plasma induced dissociation of a second process gas comprising at least one molecular composition comprising nitrogen using plasma based on microwave irradiation via a plane antenna member having a plurality of slits to nitridate the oxide film and form the oxynitride film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron, Ltd., International Business Machines Corporation (“IBM”)
    Inventors: Masanobu Igeta, Cory Wajda, David L. O'Meara, Kristen Scheer, Toshihara Eurakawa
  • Patent number: 7479454
    Abstract: A method and system for monitoring status of a system component during a process. The method includes exposing a system component to a reactant gas during a process, where the reactant gas is capable of etching the system component material to form an erosion product, and monitoring release of the erosion product during the process to determine status of the system component. Processes that can be monitored include a chamber cleaning process, a chamber conditioning process, a substrate etching process, and a substrate film formation process. The system component can be a consumable system part such as a process tube, a shield, a ring, a baffle, an injector, a substrate holder, a liner, a pedestal, a cap cover, an electrode, and a heater, any of which can further include a protective coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: David L. O'Meara, Daniel Craig Burdett, Stephen H. Cabral, Gert Leusink, John William Kostenko, Cory Wajda