Patents by Inventor Hanshen Zhang
Hanshen Zhang 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: 11682560Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing a halogen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The halogen-containing precursor may be characterized by a gas density greater than or about 5 g/L. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in the substrate processing region with the halogen-containing precursor. The substrate may define an exposed region of a hafnium-containing material. The methods may also include removing the hafnium-containing material.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2018Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Hanshen Zhang, Daniella Holm
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Patent number: 11637002Abstract: A semiconductor processing chamber may include a remote plasma region, and a processing region fluidly coupled with the remote plasma region. The processing region may be configured to house a substrate on a support pedestal. The support pedestal may include a first material at an interior region of the pedestal. The support pedestal may also include an annular member coupled with a distal portion of the pedestal or at an exterior region of the pedestal. The annular member may include a second material different from the first material.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2014Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Saravjeet Singh, Alan Tso, Jingchun Zhang, Zihui Li, Hanshen Zhang, Dmitry Lubomirsky
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Patent number: 11328909Abstract: Exemplary methods for conditioning a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber may include forming conditioning plasma effluents of an oxygen-containing precursor in a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting interior surfaces of the semiconductor processing chamber bordering a substrate processing region with the conditioning plasma effluents. The methods may also include treating the interior surfaces of the semiconductor processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2017Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Hanshen Zhang, Zhenjiang Cui, Nitin Ingle
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Patent number: 11239061Abstract: A semiconductor processing chamber may include a remote plasma region, and a processing region fluidly coupled with the remote plasma region. The processing region may be configured to house a substrate on a support pedestal. The support pedestal may include a first material at an interior region of the pedestal. The support pedestal may also include an annular member coupled with a distal portion of the pedestal or at an exterior region of the pedestal. The annular member may include a second material different from the first material.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2017Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Saravjeet Singh, Alan Tso, Jingchun Zhang, Zihui Li, Hanshen Zhang, Dmitry Lubomirsky
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Patent number: 11121002Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing a halogen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in the substrate processing region with the halogen-containing precursor. The substrate may define an exposed region of a transition-metal-containing material. The methods may also include removing the transition-metal-containing material. The flowing and the contacting may be plasma-free operations.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2018Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Hanshen Zhang, Siliang Chang, Daniella Holm
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Patent number: 10861676Abstract: Exemplary methods for etching a variety of metal-containing materials may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and a metal-containing material arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by the two vertical columns. The plurality of recesses may include a first recess and a second recess adjacent to the first recess. The metal-containing material arranged within the first recess and the metal-containing material arranged within the second recess may be connected by the metal-containing material lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the metal-containing material with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2018Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Nitin Ingle, Feiyue Ma, Hanshen Zhang, Siliang Chang, Daniella Holm
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Patent number: 10854426Abstract: Exemplary methods for laterally etching tungsten may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and tungsten slabs arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by at least one of the two vertical columns. At least two of the tungsten slabs may be connected by tungsten lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the tungsten connecting the at least two of the tungsten slabs with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may also include laterally etching the oxidized tungsten from the sidewalls of the trench.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2018Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Nitin Ingle, Feiyue Ma, Hanshen Zhang, Siliang Chang, Daniella Holm
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Patent number: 10692880Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for forming features in a film stack. The film stack may be utilized to form stair-like structures with accurate profiles control in manufacturing three dimensional (3D) stacking of semiconductor chips. In one example, a method includes exposing a substrate having a multi-material layer formed thereon to radicals of a remote plasma to form one or more features through the multi-material layer, the one or more features exposing a portion of a top surface of the substrate, and the multi-material layer comprising alternating layers of a first layer and a second layer, wherein the remote plasma is formed from an etching gas mixture comprising a fluorine-containing chemistry, and wherein the process chamber is maintained at a pressure of about 2 Torr to about 20 Torr and a temperature of about ?100° C. to about 100° C.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2017Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Hanshen Zhang, Anchuan Wang, Zhijun Chen, Nitin K. Ingle
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Publication number: 20200135491Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing a halogen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in the substrate processing region with the halogen-containing precursor. The substrate may define an exposed region of a transition-metal-containing material. The methods may also include removing the transition-metal-containing material. The flowing and the contacting may be plasma-free operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2018Publication date: April 30, 2020Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Hanshen Zhang, Siliang Chang, Daniella Holm
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Publication number: 20200118829Abstract: Exemplary etching methods may include flowing a halogen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The halogen-containing precursor may be characterized by a gas density greater than or about 5 g/L. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in the substrate processing region with the halogen-containing precursor. The substrate may define an exposed region of a hafnium-containing material. The methods may also include removing the hafnium-containing material.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2018Publication date: April 16, 2020Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Hanshen Zhang, Daniella Holm
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Publication number: 20190214230Abstract: Exemplary methods for etching a variety of metal-containing materials may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and a metal-containing material arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by the two vertical columns. The plurality of recesses may include a first recess and a second recess adjacent to the first recess. The metal-containing material arranged within the first recess and the metal-containing material arranged within the second recess may be connected by the metal-containing material lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the metal-containing material with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2018Publication date: July 11, 2019Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Nitin Ingle, Feiyue Ma, Hanshen Zhang, Siliang Chang, Daniella Holm
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Publication number: 20190214229Abstract: Exemplary methods for laterally etching tungsten may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate positioned within the semiconductor processing chamber may include a trench formed between two vertical columns and tungsten slabs arranged within a plurality of recesses defined by at least one of the two vertical columns. At least two of the tungsten slabs may be connected by tungsten lining a portion of sidewalls of the trench. The methods may further include oxidizing the tungsten connecting the at least two of the tungsten slabs with the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may include flowing a halide precursor into the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may also include laterally etching the oxidized tungsten from the sidewalls of the trench.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2018Publication date: July 11, 2019Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Nitin Ingle, Feiyue Ma, Hanshen Zhang, Siliang Chang, Daniella Holm
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Publication number: 20190198300Abstract: Exemplary methods for conditioning a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber may include forming conditioning plasma effluents of an oxygen-containing precursor in a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting interior surfaces of the semiconductor processing chamber bordering a substrate processing region with the conditioning plasma effluents. The methods may also include treating the interior surfaces of the semiconductor processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2017Publication date: June 27, 2019Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Hanshen Zhang, Zhenjiang Cui, Nitin Ingle
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Publication number: 20180182777Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for forming features in a film stack. The film stack may be utilized to form stair-like structures with accurate profiles control in manufacturing three dimensional (3D) stacking of semiconductor chips. In one example, a method includes exposing a substrate having a multi-material layer formed thereon to radicals of a remote plasma to form one or more features through the multi-material layer, the one or more features exposing a portion of a top surface of the substrate, and the multi-material layer comprising alternating layers of a first layer and a second layer, wherein the remote plasma is formed from an etching gas mixture comprising a fluorine-containing chemistry, and wherein the process chamber is maintained at a pressure of about 2 Torr to about 20 Torr and a temperature of about ?100° C. to about 100° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2017Publication date: June 28, 2018Inventors: Zhenjiang CUI, Hanshen ZHANG, Anchuan WANG, Zhijun CHEN, Nitin K. INGLE
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Patent number: 9960049Abstract: In one implementation, a method of removing a metal-containing layer is provided. The method comprises generating a plasma from a fluorine-containing gas. The plasma comprises fluorine radicals and fluorine ions. The fluorine ions are removed from the plasma to provide a reactive gas having a higher concentration of fluorine radicals than fluorine ions. A substrate comprising a metal-containing layer is exposed to the reactive gas. The reactive gas dopes at least a portion of the metal-containing layer to form a metal-containing layer doped with fluorine radicals. The metal-containing layer doped with fluorine radicals is exposed to a nitrogen and hydrogen containing gas mixture and the reactive gas to remove at least a portion of the metal-containing layer doped with fluorine radicals.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2016Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Hanshen Zhang, Jie Liu, Zhenjiang Cui
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Patent number: 9881805Abstract: A method of etching exposed silicon on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents combine with a hydrogen-containing precursor. The combination react with the patterned heterogeneous structures to remove an exposed silicon portion faster than a second exposed portion. The silicon selectivity results from the presence of an ion suppressor positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region. The methods may be used to selectively remove silicon faster than silicon oxide, silicon nitride and a variety of metal-containing materials. The methods may be used to remove small etch amounts in a controlled manner and may result in an extremely smooth silicon surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2016Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zihui Li, Ching-Mei Hsu, Hanshen Zhang, Jingchun Zhang
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Publication number: 20170338119Abstract: In one implementation, a method of removing a metal-containing layer is provided. The method comprises generating a plasma from a fluorine-containing gas. The plasma comprises fluorine radicals and fluorine ions. The fluorine ions are removed from the plasma to provide a reactive gas having a higher concentration of fluorine radicals than fluorine ions. A substrate comprising a metal-containing layer is exposed to the reactive gas. The reactive gas dopes at least a portion of the metal-containing layer to form a metal-containing layer doped with fluorine radicals. The metal-containing layer doped with fluorine radicals is exposed to a nitrogen and hydrogen containing gas mixture and the reactive gas to remove at least a portion of the metal-containing layer doped with fluorine radicals.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2016Publication date: November 23, 2017Inventors: Hanshen ZHANG, Jie LIU, Zhenjiang CUI
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Publication number: 20170229291Abstract: A semiconductor processing chamber may include a remote plasma region, and a processing region fluidly coupled with the remote plasma region. The processing region may be configured to house a substrate on a support pedestal. The support pedestal may include a first material at an interior region of the pedestal. The support pedestal may also include an annular member coupled with a distal portion of the pedestal or at an exterior region of the pedestal. The annular member may include a second material different from the first material.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 28, 2017Publication date: August 10, 2017Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Saravjeet Singh, Alan Tso, Jingchun Zhang, Zihui Li, Hanshen Zhang, Dmitry Lubomirsky
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Patent number: 9564338Abstract: A method of etching exposed silicon on patterned heterogeneous structures is described and includes a gas phase etch using plasma effluents formed in a remote plasma. The remote plasma excites a fluorine-containing precursor. Plasma effluents within the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region where the plasma effluents combine with a hydrogen-containing precursor. The combination reacts with the patterned heterogeneous structures to remove an exposed silicon portion faster than a second exposed portion. The silicon selectivity results from the presence of an ion suppressor positioned between the remote plasma and the substrate processing region. The methods may be used to selectively remove silicon faster than silicon oxide, silicon nitride and a variety of metal-containing materials. The methods may be used to remove small etch amounts in a controlled manner and may result in an extremely smooth silicon surface.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2015Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Jingchun Zhang, Hanshen Zhang
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Patent number: 9472412Abstract: Methods of conditioning interior processing chamber walls of an etch chamber are described. A fluorine-containing precursor may be remotely or locally excited in a plasma to treat the interior chamber walls periodically on a preventative maintenance schedule. The treated walls promote an even etch rate when used to perform gas-phase etching of silicon regions following conditioning. Alternatively, a hydrogen-containing precursor may be remotely or locally excited in a plasma to treat the interior chamber walls in embodiments. Regions of exposed silicon may then be etched with more reproducible etch rates from wafer-to-wafer. The silicon etch may be performed using plasma effluents formed from a remotely excited fluorine-containing precursor.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2015Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jingchun Zhang, Hanshen Zhang