Patents by Inventor Edward J. Augustyniak
Edward J. Augustyniak 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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Publication number: 20240162013Abstract: A system includes an electrode. The electrode includes a showerhead having a first stem portion and a head portion. A plurality of dielectric layers is vertically stacked between the electrode and a first surface of a conducting structure. The plurality of dielectric layers includes M dielectric layers arranged adjacent to the head portion and P dielectric portions arranged around the first stem portion. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2023Publication date: May 16, 2024Inventors: Douglas KEIL, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser, Mohamed Sabri
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Patent number: 11862435Abstract: A system includes an electrode. The electrode includes a showerhead having a first stem portion and a head portion. A plurality of dielectric layers is vertically stacked between the electrode and a first surface of a conducting structure. The plurality of dielectric layers includes M dielectric layers arranged adjacent to the head portion and P dielectric portions arranged around the first stem portion. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2023Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser, Mohamed Sabri
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Patent number: 11725282Abstract: A method for operating a substrate processing system includes delivering precursor gas to a chamber using a showerhead that includes a head portion and a stem portion. The head portion includes an upper surface, a sidewall, a lower planar surface, and a cylindrical cavity and extends radially outwardly from one end of the stem portion towards sidewalls of the chamber. The showerhead is connected, using a collar, to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar is arranged around the stem portion. Process gas is flowed into the cylindrical cavity via the stem portion and through a plurality of holes in the lower planar surface to distribute the process gas into the chamber. A purge gas is supplied through slots of the collar into a cavity defined between the head portion and an upper surface of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser
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Publication number: 20230238220Abstract: A system includes an electrode. The electrode includes a showerhead having a first stem portion and a head portion. A plurality of dielectric layers is vertically stacked between the electrode and a first surface of a conducting structure. The plurality of dielectric layers includes M dielectric layers arranged adjacent to the head portion and P dielectric portions arranged around the first stem portion. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Douglas KEIL, Edward J. AUGUSTYNIAK, Karl Frederick LEESER, Mohamed SABRI
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Patent number: 11621150Abstract: A system includes an electrode. The electrode includes a showerhead having a first stem portion and a head portion. A plurality of dielectric layers is vertically stacked between the electrode and a first surface of a conducting structure. The plurality of dielectric layers includes M dielectric layers arranged adjacent to the head portion and P dielectric portions arranged around the first stem portion. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2019Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser, Mohamed Sabri
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Publication number: 20210381106Abstract: A method for operating a substrate processing system includes delivering precursor gas to a chamber using a showerhead that includes a head portion and a stem portion. The head portion includes an upper surface, a sidewall, a lower planar surface, and a cylindrical cavity and extends radially outwardly from one end of the stem portion towards sidewalls of the chamber. The showerhead is connected, using a collar, to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar is arranged around the stem portion. Process gas is flowed into the cylindrical cavity via the stem portion and through a plurality of holes in the lower planar surface to distribute the process gas into the chamber. A purge gas is supplied through slots of the collar into a cavity defined between the head portion and an upper surface of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2021Publication date: December 9, 2021Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser
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Patent number: 11111581Abstract: A method for operating a substrate processing system includes delivering precursor gas to a chamber using a showerhead that includes a head portion and a stem portion. The head portion includes an upper surface, a sidewall, a lower planar surface, and a cylindrical cavity and extends radially outwardly from one end of the stem portion towards sidewalls of the chamber. The showerhead is connected, using a collar, to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar is arranged around the stem portion. Process gas is flowed into the cylindrical cavity via the stem portion and through a plurality of holes in the lower planar surface to distribute the process gas into the chamber. A purge gas is supplied through slots of the collar into a cavity defined between the head portion and an upper surface of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser
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Patent number: 10876209Abstract: A controller for a substrate processing chamber includes a film thickness estimating module configured to while a first RF power is provided to generate plasma in the substrate processing chamber, receive a first measurement of a second RF power supplied to a probe, receive a second measurement of a DC self-bias voltage associated with the probe, wherein the second measurement is indicative of a thickness of a film deposited within the substrate processing chamber, and calculate a thickness of the film using the first measurement of the second RF power and the second measurement of the DC self-bias voltage. An operating parameter adjustment module is configured to adjust at least one operating parameter of the substrate processing chamber based on the thickness of the film as calculated by the film thickness estimating module.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2019Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.Inventors: Edward J. Augustyniak, Douglas Keil
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Publication number: 20190360101Abstract: A controller for a substrate processing chamber includes a film thickness estimating module configured to while a first RF power is provided to generate plasma in the substrate processing chamber, receive a first measurement of a second RF power supplied to a probe, receive a second measurement of a DC self-bias voltage associated with the probe, wherein the second measurement is indicative of a thickness of a film deposited within the substrate processing chamber, and calculate a thickness of the film using the first measurement of the second RF power and the second measurement of the DC self-bias voltage. An operating parameter adjustment module is configured to adjust at least one operating parameter of the substrate processing chamber based on the thickness of the film as calculated by the film thickness estimating module.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: Edward J. AUGUSTYNIAK, Douglas KEIL
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Publication number: 20190271081Abstract: A method for operating a substrate processing system includes delivering precursor gas to a chamber using a showerhead that includes a head portion and a stem portion. The head portion includes an upper surface, a sidewall, a lower planar surface, and a cylindrical cavity and extends radially outwardly from one end of the stem portion towards sidewalls of the chamber. The showerhead is connected, using a collar, to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar is arranged around the stem portion. Process gas is flowed into the cylindrical cavity via the stem portion and through a plurality of holes in the lower planar surface to distribute the process gas into the chamber. A purge gas is supplied through slots of the collar into a cavity defined between the head portion and an upper surface of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2019Publication date: September 5, 2019Inventors: Chunguang XIA, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser
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Publication number: 20190172684Abstract: A system includes an electrode. The electrode includes a showerhead having a first stem portion and a head portion. A plurality of dielectric layers is vertically stacked between the electrode and a first surface of a conducting structure. The plurality of dielectric layers includes M dielectric layers arranged adjacent to the head portion and P dielectric portions arranged around the first stem portion. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2019Publication date: June 6, 2019Inventors: Douglas KEIL, Edward J. AUGUSTYNIAK, Karl Frederick LEESER, Mohamed SABRI
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Patent number: 10287683Abstract: A method for operating a substrate processing system includes delivering precursor gas to a chamber using a showerhead that includes a head portion and a stem portion. The head portion includes an upper surface, a sidewall, a lower planar surface, and a cylindrical cavity and extends radially outwardly from one end of the stem portion towards sidewalls of the chamber. The showerhead is connected, using a collar, to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar is arranged around the stem portion. Process gas is flowed into the cylindrical cavity via the stem portion and through a plurality of holes in the lower planar surface to distribute the process gas into the chamber. A purge gas is supplied through slots of the collar into a cavity defined between the head portion and an upper surface of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2016Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATIONInventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Frederick Leeser
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Publication number: 20160289832Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a showerhead that comprises a base portion and a stem portion and that delivers precursor gas to a chamber. A collar connects the showerhead to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar includes a plurality of slots, is arranged around the stem portion of the showerhead, and directs purge gas through the plurality of slots into a region between the base portion of the showerhead and the upper surface of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2016Publication date: October 6, 2016Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Leeser
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Patent number: 9388494Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a showerhead that comprises a base portion and a stem portion and that delivers precursor gas to a chamber. A collar connects the showerhead to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar includes a plurality of slots, is arranged around the stem portion of the showerhead, and directs purge gas through the plurality of slots into a region between the base portion of the showerhead and the upper surface of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2012Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.Inventors: Chunguang Xia, Ramesh Chandrasekharan, Douglas Keil, Edward J. Augustyniak, Karl Leeser
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Publication number: 20130344245Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a showerhead that comprises a base portion and a stem portion and that delivers precursor gas to a chamber. A collar connects the showerhead to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar includes a plurality of slots, is arranged around the stem portion of the showerhead, and directs purge gas through the plurality of slots into a region between the base portion of the showerhead and the upper surface of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2012Publication date: December 26, 2013Applicant: NOVELLUS SYSTEMS, INC.Inventors: CHUNGUANG XIA, RAMESH CHANDRASEKHARAN, DOUGLAS KEIL, EDWARD J. AUGUSTYNIAK, KARL LEESER
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Patent number: 6716765Abstract: A method useful for the cleaning of the inner surfaces, including the deposition station or showerhead area of a deposition chamber, are described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, a fluorine-containing source gas, such as NF3, SF6, or C2F6, for example, is supplied to the deposition chamber, and energized by a radio frequency to form a plasma that contains fluorine atoms and ions. The radio frequency power is modulated between a maximum value (for a “plasma-ON period”) and a minimum value of zero (for a “plasma-OFF period”) at a frequency from about 150 Hz to about 50 kHz and a duty cycle of from about 40% to about 90%. The maximum value of RF power may be from about 300 to about 2500 Watts per deposition station or showerhead, and the minimum value is typically zero. The modulated-RF clean process may be conducted in situ after the deposition of a film on wafers, and may be followed by a conventional continuous-RF clean process.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2002Date of Patent: April 6, 2004Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.Inventors: Aree Hanprasopwattana, Edward J. Augustyniak, Jason L. Tian, Bart J. Van Schravendijk