Patents by Inventor Hari K. Ponnekanti
Hari K. Ponnekanti 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: 11031262Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein describe a bevel etch apparatus within a loadlock bevel etch chamber and methods of using the same. The bevel etch apparatus has a mask assembly within the loadlock bevel etch chamber. During an etch process, the mask assembly delivers a gas flow to control bevel etch without the use of a shadow frame. As such, the edge exclusion at the bevel edge can be reduced, thus increasing product yield.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2020Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Saptarshi Basu, Jeongmin Lee, Paul Connors, Dale R. Du Bois, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Karthik Thimmavajjula Narasimha, Brett Berens, Kalyanjit Ghosh, Jianhua Zhou, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Hiroyuki Ogiso, Liliya Krivulina, Rick Gilbert, Mohsin Waqar, Venkatanarayana Shankaramurthy, Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Patent number: 10854432Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatus for facilitating electrical feedthrough in plasma processing chambers. The apparatus includes an electrically insulating housing positioned on a backside of the substrate support to contain a secondary plasma therein. The secondary plasma facilitates an electrical connection between the substrate support and electrical power or ground located outside the processing chamber. The methods include utilizing a secondary plasma to electrically couple substrate support to and electrical power or ground located outside the processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2017Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Patent number: 10734265Abstract: A system for processing a substrate is provided including a first planar motor, a substrate carrier, a first processing chamber, and a first lift. The first planar motor includes a first arrangement of coils disposed along a first horizontal direction, a top surface parallel to the first horizontal direction, a first side, a second side. The substrate carrier has a substrate supporting surface parallel to the first horizontal direction. The first processing chamber has an opening to receive a substrate disposed on the substrate carrier. The first lift includes a second planar motor having a second arrangement of coils disposed along the first horizontal direction. A top surface top surface of the second planar motor is parallel to the first horizontal direction. The first lift is configured to move the top surface of the second planar motor between a first vertical location and a second vertical location.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Karthik Janakiraman, Hari K. Ponnekanti, Juan Carlos Rocha, Mukund Srinivasan
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Publication number: 20200234982Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein describe a bevel etch apparatus within a loadlock bevel etch chamber and methods of using the same. The bevel etch apparatus has a mask assembly within the loadlock bevel etch chamber. During an etch process, the mask assembly delivers a gas flow to control bevel etch without the use of a shadow frame. As such, the edge exclusion at the bevel edge can be reduced, thus increasing product yield.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Inventors: Saptarshi BASU, Jeongmin LEE, Paul CONNORS, Dale R. DU BOIS, Prashant Kumar KULSHRESHTHA, Karthik Thimmavajjula NARASIMHA, Brett BERENS, Kalyanjit GHOSH, Jianhua ZHOU, Ganesh BALASUBRAMANIAN, Kwangduk Douglas LEE, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Hiroyuki OGISO, Liliya KRIVULINA, Rick GILBERT, Mohsin WAQAR, Venkatanarayana SHANKARAMURTHY, Hari K. PONNEKANTI
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Patent number: 10636684Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein describe a bevel etch apparatus within a loadlock bevel etch chamber and methods of using the same. The bevel etch apparatus has a mask assembly within the loadlock bevel etch chamber. During an etch process, the mask assembly delivers a gas flow to control bevel etch without the use of a shadow frame. As such, the edge exclusion at the bevel edge can be reduced, thus increasing product yield.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2019Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Saptarshi Basu, Jeongmin Lee, Paul Connors, Dale R. Du Bois, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Karthik Thimmavajjula Narasimha, Brett Berens, Kalyanjit Ghosh, Jianhua Zhou, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Hiroyuki Ogiso, Liliya Krivulina, Rick Gilbert, Mohsin Waqar, Venkatanarayana Shankaramurthy, Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Patent number: 10597785Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to metal oxide deposition in a processing chamber. More specifically, implementations disclosed herein relate to a combined chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition chamber. Utilizing a single oxide metal deposition chamber capable of performing both CVD and PVD advantageously reduces the cost of uniform semiconductor processing. Additionally, the single oxide metal deposition system reduces the time necessary to deposit semiconductor substrates and reduces the foot print required to process semiconductor substrates. In one implementation, the processing chamber includes a gas distribution plate disposed in a chamber body, one or more metal targets disposed in the chamber body, and a substrate support disposed below the gas distribution plate and the one or more targets.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2017Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Anantha K. Subramani, Praburam Gopalraja, Tza-Jing Gung, Hari K. Ponnekanti, Philip Allan Kraus
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Patent number: 10577689Abstract: In one implementation, a sputtering showerhead assembly is provided. The sputtering showerhead assembly comprises a faceplate comprising a sputtering surface comprising a target material and a second surface opposing the sputtering surface, wherein a plurality of gas passages extend from the sputtering surface to the second surface. The sputtering showerhead assembly comprises further comprises a backing plate positioned adjacent to the second surface of the faceplate. The backing plate comprises a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface. The sputtering showerhead assembly has a plenum defined by the first surface of the backing plate and the second surface of the faceplate. The sputtering showerhead assembly comprises further comprises one or more magnetrons positioned along the second surface of the backing plate.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2017Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Anantha K. Subramani, Tza-Jing Gung, Praburam Gopalraja, Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Publication number: 20200032392Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to methods for removing one or more processing by-products found in deposition systems, such as in vacuum forelines of vapor deposition systems. More specifically, implementations of the present disclosure relate to methods of reducing the buildup of hydrogen in systems. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate in a deposition chamber is provided. The method comprises depositing a layer on the substrate, wherein hydrogen-containing by-products are produced in a vacuum foreline fluidly coupled with the deposition chamber during the depositing process. The method further comprises flowing an oxidizing agent gas into the vacuum foreline to react with at least a portion of the hydrogen-containing by-products in the foreline.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2019Publication date: January 30, 2020Inventors: James L'HEUREUX, Hari K. PONNEKANTI
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Patent number: 10518418Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor process equipment used to transfer semiconductor substrates between process chambers. More specifically, embodiments described herein are related to systems and methods used to transfer, or swap, semiconductor substrates between process chambers using a transport device that employs at least two blades for the concurrent transfer of substrates between processing chambers.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2018Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Dale R. Du Bois, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Karthik Janakiraman, Hari K. Ponnekanti, Sanjeev Baluja, Prajeeth Wilton
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Publication number: 20190371630Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein describe a bevel etch apparatus within a loadlock bevel etch chamber and methods of using the same. The bevel etch apparatus has a mask assembly within the loadlock bevel etch chamber. During an etch process, the mask assembly delivers a gas flow to control bevel etch without the use of a shadow frame. As such, the edge exclusion at the bevel edge can be reduced, thus increasing product yield.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2019Publication date: December 5, 2019Inventors: Saptarshi Basu, Jeongmin Lee, Paul Connors, Dale R. Du Bois, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Karthik Thimmavajjula Narasimha, Brett Berens, Kalyanjit Ghosh, Jianhua Zhou, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Hiroyuki Ogiso, Liliya Krivulina, Rick Gilbert, Mohsin Waqar, Venkatanarayana Shankaramurthy, Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Patent number: 10483141Abstract: A substrate transport system is disclosed and includes a chamber having an interior wall, a planar motor disposed on the interior wall, and a substrate carrier magnetically coupled to the planar motor. The substrate carrier comprises a base and a substrate supporting surface coupled to a support member extending from the base in a cantilevered orientation.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2017Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Karthik Janakiraman, Hari K. Ponnekanti, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez
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Patent number: 10435787Abstract: A method for removing one or more processing by-products found in deposition systems, such as in vacuum forelines of vapor deposition systems is provided. The method comprises performing a deposition process to deposit a layer on a substrate positioned in a deposition chamber. Hydrogen-containing by-products are produced in a vacuum foreline fluidly coupled with the deposition chamber during the depositing process. The method further comprises flowing an oxidizing agent gas into the vacuum foreline to react with at least a portion of the hydrogen-containing by-products in the foreline.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2017Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: James L'Heureux, Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Patent number: 10403515Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein describe a bevel etch apparatus within a loadlock bevel etch chamber and methods of using the same. The bevel etch apparatus has a mask assembly within the loadlock bevel etch chamber. During an etch process, the mask assembly delivers a gas flow to control bevel etch without the use of a shadow frame. As such, the edge exclusion at the bevel edge can be reduced, thus increasing product yield.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2016Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Saptarshi Basu, Jeongmin Lee, Paul Connors, Dale R. Du Bois, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Karthik Thimmavajjula Narasimha, Brett Berens, Kalyanjit Ghosh, Jianhua Zhou, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Hiroyuki Ogiso, Liliya Krivulina, Rick Gilbert, Mohsin Waqar, Venkatanarayana Shankaramurthy, Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Patent number: 10403535Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrostatic chuck for maintaining a flatness of a substrate being processed in a plasma reactor at high temperatures. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck comprises a chuck body coupled to a support stem, the chuck body having a substrate supporting surface, and the chuck body has a volume resistivity value of about 1×107 ohm-cm to about 1×1015 ohm-cm in a temperature of about 250° C. to about 700° C., and an electrode embedded in the body, the electrode is coupled to a power supply. In one example, the chuck body is composed of an aluminum nitride material which has been observed to be able to optimize chucking performance around 600° C. or above during a deposition or etch process, or any other process that employ both high operating temperature and substrate clamping features.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2015Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Zheng John Ye, Jay D. Pinson, II, Hiroji Hanawa, Jianhua Zhou, Xing Lin, Ren-Guan Duan, Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Bok Hoen Kim, Swayambhu P. Behera, Sungwon Ha, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha, Jason K. Foster, Mukund Srinivasan, Uwe P. Haller, Hari K. Ponnekanti
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Patent number: 10388549Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to an improved factory interface that is coupled to an on-board metrology housing configured for measuring film properties of a substrate. In one implementation, an apparatus comprises a factory interface, and a metrology housing removably coupled to the factory interface through a load port, the metrology housing comprises an on-board metrology assembly for measuring properties of a substrate to be transferred into the metrology housing.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2016Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Khokan C. Paul, Jay D. Pinson, II, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Hari K. Ponnekanti, Rupankar Choudhury, Shekhar Athani, Sandeep Kumpala, Hanish Kumar Panavalappil Kumarankutty
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Patent number: 10236197Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a substrate in a processing system containing a deposition chamber, a treatment chamber, and an isolation region, separating the deposition chamber from the treatment is described herein. The deposition chamber deposits a film on a substrate. The treatment chamber receives the substrate from the deposition chamber and alters the film deposited in the deposition chamber with a film property altering device. Processing systems and methods are provided in accordance with the above embodiment and other embodiments.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2015Date of Patent: March 19, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Karthik Janakiraman, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Hari K. Ponnekanti, Mandyam Sriram, Alexandros T. Demos, Mukund Srinivasan, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Dale R. Dubois
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Publication number: 20180308735Abstract: A system for processing a substrate is provided including a first planar motor, a substrate carrier, a first processing chamber, and a first lift. The first planar motor includes a first arrangement of coils disposed along a first horizontal direction, a top surface parallel to the first horizontal direction, a first side, a second side. The substrate carrier has a substrate supporting surface parallel to the first horizontal direction. The first processing chamber has an opening to receive a substrate disposed on the substrate carrier. The first lift includes a second planar motor having a second arrangement of coils disposed along the first horizontal direction. A top surface top surface of the second planar motor is parallel to the first horizontal direction. The first lift is configured to move the top surface of the second planar motor between a first vertical location and a second vertical location.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2018Publication date: October 25, 2018Inventors: Karthik JANAKIRAMAN, Hari K. PONNEKANTI, Juan Carlos ROCHA, Mukund SRINIVASAN
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Patent number: 10056279Abstract: A system for processing a substrate is provided including a first planar motor, a substrate carrier, a first processing chamber, and a first lift. The first planar motor includes a first arrangement of coils disposed along a first horizontal direction, a top surface parallel to the first horizontal direction, a first side, a second side. The substrate carrier has a substrate supporting surface parallel to the first horizontal direction. The first processing chamber has an opening to receive a substrate disposed on the substrate carrier. The first lift includes a second planar motor having a second arrangement of coils disposed along the first horizontal direction. A top surface top surface of the second planar motor is parallel to the first horizontal direction. The first lift is configured to move the top surface of the second planar motor between a first vertical location and a second vertical location.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2016Date of Patent: August 21, 2018Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Karthik Janakiraman, Hari K. Ponnekanti, Juan Carlos Rocha, Mukund Srinivasan
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Publication number: 20180135171Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to methods for removing one or more processing by-products found in deposition systems, such as in vacuum forelines of vapor deposition systems. More specifically, implementations of the present disclosure relate to methods of reducing the buildup of hydrogen in systems. In one implementation, a method of processing a substrate in a deposition chamber is provided. The method comprises depositing a layer on the substrate, wherein hydrogen-containing by-products are produced in a vacuum foreline fluidly coupled with the deposition chamber during the depositing process. The method further comprises flowing an oxidizing agent gas into the vacuum foreline to react with at least a portion of the hydrogen-containing by-products in the foreline.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 8, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: James L'HEUREUX, Hari K. PONNEKANTI
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Publication number: 20180117771Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor process equipment used to transfer semiconductor substrates between process chambers. More specifically, embodiments described herein are related to systems and methods used to transfer, or swap, semiconductor substrates between process chambers using a transport device that employs at least two blades for the concurrent transfer of substrates between processing chambers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 2, 2018Publication date: May 3, 2018Inventors: Dale R. DU BOIS, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Karthik JANAKIRAMAN, Hari K. PONNEKANTI, Sanjeev BALUJA, Prajeeth WILTON