Patents by Inventor Eric Shero

Eric Shero 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: 20240153767
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for depositing layers including a p-type semiconducting oxide onto a surface of a substrate. The deposition process includes a cyclical deposition process. Exemplary structures in which the layers may be incorporated include 3D NAND cells, memory devices, metal-insulator-metal structured, and DRAM capacitors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Inventors: Bart Vermeulen, Varun Sharma, Andrea Illiberi, Michael Givens, Charles Dezelah, Eric Shero
  • Publication number: 20240141486
    Abstract: Apparatus for mixing two or more gases prior to entering a reaction chamber, reactor systems including the apparatus, and methods of using the apparatus and systems are disclosed. The systems and methods as described herein can be used to, for example, pulse a mixture of two or more precursors to a reaction chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Hannu Huotari, Todd Robert Dunn, Michael Eugene Givens, Jereld Lee Winkler, Paul Ma, Eric Shero
  • Publication number: 20240133033
    Abstract: Herein disclosed are systems and methods related to delivery systems using solid source chemical fill vessels. The delivery system can include a vapor deposition reactor, two or more fill vessels, of which one of more can be remote from the vapor deposition reactor. Each fill vessel is configured to hold solid source chemical reactant therein. An interconnect line or conduit can fluidly connect the vapor deposition reactor with one or more of the fill vessels. A line heater can heat at least a portion of the interconnect line to at least a minimum line temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2024
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Jacqueline Wrench, Shuaidi Zhang, Arjav Prafulkumar Vashi, Shubham Garg, Todd Robert Dunn, Moataz Bellah Mousa, Jonathan Bakke, Ibrahim Mohamed, Paul Ma, Bo Wang, Eric Shero, Jereld Lee Winkler
  • Patent number: 11898242
    Abstract: Methods for forming a polycrystalline molybdenum film over a surface of a substrate are disclosed. The methods may include: providing a substrate into a reaction chamber; depositing a nucleation film directly on an exposed surface of the substrate, wherein the nucleation film comprises one of a metal oxide nucleation film or a metal nitride nucleation film; and depositing a polycrystalline molybdenum film directly on the nucleation film; wherein the polycrystalline molybdenum film comprises a plurality of molybdenum crystallites having an average crystallite size of less than 80 ?. Structures including a polycrystalline molybdenum film disposed over a surface of a substrate with an intermediate nucleation film are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Inventors: Bhushan Zope, Eric Christopher Stevens, Shankar Swaminathan, Roghayyeh Lotfi, Mustafa Muhammad, Eric Shero
  • Publication number: 20230234014
    Abstract: A source vessel weight monitoring assembly for use in reactor systems to provide real-time and direct measurements of the availability of source or process materials from a source vessel. The assembly includes one or more force or load sensors, such as load cells, positioned between a bottom wall of the source vessel and a support element for the vessel (e.g., a base of a source vessel enclosure). The sensors are positioned to at least partially support the vessel, and a signal conditioning element processes the output electrical signals from the sensors, then a controller processes the output signals from the signal conditioning components with a conversion factor, for example, to determine a current weight of the source vessel and process material (e.g., solid, liquid, or gaseous precursor) stored therein. The controller uses this weight to calculate the amount of available process material or chemistry in the source vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Venkata Motupalli, Pawan Sharma, Ankit Kimtee, Eric Shero, Todd Dunn
  • Publication number: 20230088313
    Abstract: A gas distribution system having a first plurality of apertures to supply a gas source to a reaction chamber and a second plurality of apertures surrounding the first plurality of apertures and configured to remove the gas from the reaction chamber. In one embodiment, the second plurality of apertures may gradually increase in diameter as the distance from a main exhaust channel increases. Alternatively, or in addition, the angle spacing between adjacent apertures may gradually decrease as the distance from the main exhaust channel increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Herbert Terhorst, Dinkar Nandwana, Eric Shero, Allen D'Ambra, Jessica Akemi Cimada da Silva, Daner Abdula
  • Publication number: 20230054779
    Abstract: A reactor system with stuck lift pin detection. The system includes a reaction chamber, a susceptor for supporting wafers in an interior space of the reaction chamber, and an elevator for raising and lowering the susceptor in the interior space. Further, the system includes a lift pin supported by and extending vertically through the susceptor to travel between an up and a down position with movements of the susceptor by the elevator, and a landing pad is provided in the system for receiving a base of the lift pin when the lift pin is in the down position. Significantly, the system also includes a sensor assembly with a sensor positioned at least partially within the interior space of the reaction chamber. An output signal of the sensor is indicative of whether the lift pin is sticking or seizing during travel through the susceptor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Eric Shero, Abhishek Mangoli, Harihara Krishnan Krishnamoorthy, Daniel Maurice, Julio Cesar Diaz, Massood Mostaghimi
  • Publication number: 20220403516
    Abstract: Reactor systems and methods for forming a layer comprising indium gallium zinc oxide are disclosed. The layer comprising indium gallium zinc oxide can be formed using one or more reaction chambers of a process module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Paul Ma, Eric Shero, Todd Dunn, Jonathan Bakke, Jereld Winkler, Xingye Wang, Eric Jen Cheng Liu
  • Patent number: 11501956
    Abstract: A showerhead including a body having an opening, a first plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, a second plate positioned within the opening and having a plurality of slots, and wherein each of the first plate plurality of slots are concentrically aligned with the second plate plurality of slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Carl White, Todd Dunn, Eric Shero, Kyle Fondurulia
  • Publication number: 20220285146
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for depositing layers comprising a metal and nitrogen. The layers are formed onto a surface of a substrate. The deposition process may be a cyclical deposition process. Exemplary structures in which the layers may be incorporated include field effect transistors, VNAND cells, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures, and DRAM capacitors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Giuseppe Alessio Verni, Ren-Jie Chang, Qi Xie, Timothee Blanquart, Eric Shero
  • Publication number: 20220254628
    Abstract: Methods for depositing boron nitride on a surface of a substrate are provided. Exemplary methods include providing a boron precursor comprising a boron-halogen compound comprising one or more of iodine and bromine to a reaction chamber and providing a nitrogen precursor comprising a substituted hydrazine compound to the reaction chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Eric Shero, Glen Wilk, Jereld Lee Winkler
  • Publication number: 20220168787
    Abstract: Cleaning fixtures for cleaning a showerhead assembly are disclosure. The cleaning fixtures include: a fixture body incorporating three or more cavities, each cavity being separate from an adjacent cavity by a partition, and a number of channels associated with each cavity for fluidly connecting the cavities with an upper surface of the fixture body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Dinkar Nandwana, Allen D'Ambra, Dinh Tran, Ankit Kimtee, Eric Shero
  • Publication number: 20220165575
    Abstract: Methods and systems for depositing threshold voltage shifting layers onto a surface of a substrate and structures and devices formed using the methods are disclosed. An exemplary method includes using a cyclical deposition process, depositing a threshold voltage shifting layer onto a surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Qi Xie, Giuseppe Alessio Verni, Tatiana Ivanova, Perttu Sippola, Michael Eugene Givens, Eric Shero, Jiyeon Kim, Charles Dezelah, Petro Deminskyi, Ren-Jie Chang
  • Publication number: 20220051895
    Abstract: Methods for depositing a titanium aluminum carbide (TiAlC) film structure on a substrate are disclosed. The methods may include: depositing a first TiAlC film on a substrate utilizing a first cyclical deposition process, and depositing a second TiAlC film over the first TiAlC film utilizing a second cyclical deposition process. Semiconductor structures including titanium aluminum carbide (TiAlC) film structures deposited by the methods of the disclosure are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Petri Raisanen, Eric Shero, Ward Johnson, Dong Li
  • Patent number: 11208722
    Abstract: A device for performing ALD includes a housing having a vacuum chamber that surrounds a horizontal flow reactor. The device further includes a gas distribution system for delivering gases to the reactor. The gas distribution system includes at least one of a high temperature valve and a high temperature filter disposed inside the vacuum chamber. The high temperature valve (and/or filter) controls (and/or filters) a supply of a precursor/reactant gas, inert gas, or precursor/reactant and inert gas mixture before it enters the horizontal flow reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Carl L. White, Eric Shero
  • Publication number: 20210399111
    Abstract: A process for depositing titanium aluminum or tantalum aluminum thin films comprising nitrogen on a substrate in a reaction space can include at least one deposition cycle. The deposition cycle can include alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a vapor phase Ti or Ta precursor and a vapor phase Al precursor. At least one of the vapor phase Ti or Ta precursor and the vapor phase Al precursor may contact the substrate in the presence of a vapor phase nitrogen precursor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Suvi Haukka, Michael Givens, Eric Shero, Jerry Winkler, Petri Räisänen, Timo Asikainen, Chiyu Zhu, Jaakko Anttila
  • Publication number: 20210331935
    Abstract: Methods of stabilizing a vanadium compound in a solution, compositions including a vanadium compound and a stabilizing agent, apparatus including the composition, systems that use the composition, and methods of using the compositions, apparatus, and systems are disclosed. Use of the stabilizing agent allows for use of desired precursors, while mitigating unwanted decomposition of the precursors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Charles Dezelah, Eric Shero
  • Patent number: 11139383
    Abstract: A process for depositing titanium aluminum or tantalum aluminum thin films comprising nitrogen on a substrate in a reaction space can include at least one deposition cycle. The deposition cycle can include alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a vapor phase Ti or Ta precursor and a vapor phase Al precursor. At least one of the vapor phase Ti or Ta precursor and the vapor phase Al precursor may contact the substrate in the presence of a vapor phase nitrogen precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Suvi Haukka, Michael Givens, Eric Shero, Jerry Winkler, Petri Räisänen, Timo Asikainen, Chiyu Zhu, Jaakko Anttila
  • Publication number: 20210054500
    Abstract: Methods for forming a polycrystalline molybdenum film over a surface of a substrate are disclosed. The methods may include: providing a substrate into a reaction chamber; depositing a nucleation film directly on an exposed surface of the substrate, wherein the nucleation film comprises one of a metal oxide nucleation film or a metal nitride nucleation film; and depositing a polycrystalline molybdenum film directly on the nucleation film; wherein the polycrystalline molybdenum film comprises a plurality of molybdenum crystallites having an average crystallite size of less than 80 ?. Structures including a polycrystalline molybdenum film disposed over a surface of a substrate with an intermediate nucleation film are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Bhushan Zope, Eric Christopher Stevens, Shankar Swaminathan, Roghayyeh Lotfi, Mustafa Muhammad, Eric Shero
  • Publication number: 20210032754
    Abstract: Showerhead assemblies, gas distribution plates, and systems including the same are disclosed. Exemplary showerhead assemblies include a gas distribution plate. Exemplary gas distribution plates include apertures designed to direct a flow of gas and to reduce stagnation of gas on surfaces of the plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Carl White, Eric Shero, Jereld Winkler, David Marquardt