Patents by Inventor Herbert Terhorst

Herbert Terhorst 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: 20240145262
    Abstract: A gas injector assembly and a substrate processing apparatus comprising the gas injector assembly is disclosed. Embodiments of the presently described gas injector assembly comprise a gas injector, a first precursor gas supply conduit and a second precursor gas supply conduit. A size of the first precursor gas supply conduit is larger than the size of the second precursor gas supply conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Theodorus G.M. Oosterlaken, Kelly Houben, Herbert Terhorst, Cornelis Herbschleb
  • Patent number: 11971217
    Abstract: Batch furnace assembly for processing wafers, comprising a process chamber housing defining a process chamber and having a process chamber opening, a wafer boat housing defining a water boat chamber, a door assembly, a differential pressure sensor, and a controller. The door assembly has a closed position in which it closes off the process chamber opening. The door assembly defines in a closed position a door assembly chamber having a purge gas inlet for supplying purge gas to the door assembly chamber for gas sealingly separating the process chamber from the wafer boat chamber. The differential pressure sensor assembly fluidly connects to the door assembly chamber and is configured to determine a pressure difference between a pressure in the door assembly chamber and a reference pressure in a reference pressure chamber. The controller is configured to establish whether the pressure difference is in a desired pressure range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Theodorus G. M. Oosterlaken, Lucian Jdira, Herbert Terhorst
  • Patent number: 11926894
    Abstract: Herein disclosed are systems and methods related to solid source chemical vaporizer vessels and multiple chamber deposition modules. In some embodiments, a solid source chemical vaporizer includes a housing base and a housing lid. Some embodiments also include a first and second tray configured to be housed within the housing base, wherein each tray defines a first serpentine path adapted to hold solid source chemical and allow gas flow thereover. In some embodiments, a multiple chamber deposition module includes first and second vapor phase reaction chambers and a solid source chemical vaporizer vessel to supply each of the first and second vapor phase reaction chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Mohith Verghese, Eric James Shero, Carl Louis White, Kyle Fondurulia, Herbert Terhorst
  • Publication number: 20240068097
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus configured to from a layer on a plurality of substrates is disclosed. Embodiments of the presently described substrate processing apparatus comprise a process chamber. The process chamber comprises process space for receiving a substrate boat arranged for holding the plurality of substrates. The substrate processing apparatus further comprise a gas delivery assembly comprising at least one gas injector; a gas exhaust assembly comprising two gas outlets. The two gas outlets are positioned at a distance on either side of the at least one gas injector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Subir Parui, Werner Knaepen, Dieter Pierreux, Kelly Houben, Herbert Terhorst, Theodorus G.M. Oosterlaken, Angelos Karagiannis
  • Publication number: 20230207377
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing device comprises a susceptor assembly comprising a wafer support configured to support a wafer. The wafer support comprises a wafer support body configured to support the wafer, a purge channel extending laterally from an inner portion of the wafer support body to an outer portion of the wafer support body, a first plenum channel disposed at the outer portion of the wafer support and in fluid communication with the purge channel, and an outlet to deliver purge gas to an edge of the wafer, the outlet in fluid communication with the first plenum channel, a purge gas supply hole on a surface opposite to the wafer support body. The purge gas supply hole is in fluid communication with the purge channel, and a plurality of first purge holes fluidly communicated with the first plenum channel and the purge channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Rohan Vijay Rane, Herbert Terhorst, Eric James Shero, Ankit Kimtee, Jereld Lee Winkler, Michael Schmotzer, Shuyang Zhang, Todd Robert Dunn, Shubham Garg
  • 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: 20230008131
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition furnace for depositing silicon nitride films is disclosed. The furnace having a process chamber elongated in a substantially vertical direction and a wafer boat for supporting a plurality of wafers in the process chamber. A process gas injector inside the process chamber is provided with a plurality of vertically spaced gas injection holes to provide gas introduced at a feed end in an interior of the process gas injector to the process chamber. A valve system connected to the feed end of the process gas injector is being constructed and arranged to connect a source of a silicon precursor and a nitrogen precursor to the feed end for depositing silicon nitride layers. The valve system may connect the feed end of the process gas injector to a cleaning gas system to provide a cleaning gas to remove silicon nitride from the process gas injector and/or the processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Dieter Pierreux, Theodorus G.M Oosterlaken, Herbert Terhorst, Lucian Jdira, Bert Jongbloed
  • Publication number: 20230008684
    Abstract: An apparatus 1 for processing a plurality of substrates 3 is provided. The apparatus may have a process tube 5 creating a process chamber 7; a heater 9 surrounding the process tube 5; a flange 11 for supporting the process tube; and a door 15 configured to support a wafer boat 17 with a plurality of substrates 3 in the process chamber and to seal the process chamber 7. An exhaust operably connected to the process chamber 7 may be provided to remove gas from the process chamber via a first exhaust duct 19. The apparatus may be provided with an extractor chamber 21 surrounding the first exhaust duct where it connects to the process chamber and connected to a second exhaust duct 23 to remove gas from the extractor chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Theodorus G.M. Oosterlaken, Adriaan Garssen, Herbert Terhorst, Lucian Jdira
  • Publication number: 20230002889
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition furnace for depositing silicon nitride films, is discloses. The furnace comprising a process chamber elongated in a substantially vertical direction and a wafer boat for supporting a plurality of wafers in the process chamber. A process gas injector is provided inside the process chamber extending in a substantially vertical direction over substantially a wafer boat height and comprising a feed end connected to a source of a silicon precursor and a source of a nitrogen precursor and a plurality of vertically spaced gas injection holes to provide gas from the feed end to the process chamber. The furnace may comprise a purge gas injection system to provide a purge gas into the process chamber near a lower end of the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Dieter Pierreux, Werner Knaepen, Arjen Klaver, Lucian Jdira, Marina Mariano, Theodorus G.M. Oosterlaken, Herbert Terhorst, Bert Jongbloed, Subir Parui
  • Publication number: 20220412652
    Abstract: Batch furnace assembly for processing wafers, comprising a process chamber housing defining a process chamber and having a process chamber opening, a wafer boat housing defining a water boat chamber, a door assembly, a differential pressure sensor, and a controller. The door assembly has a closed position in which it closes off the process chamber opening. The door assembly defines in a closed position a door assembly chamber having a purge gas inlet for supplying purge gas to the door assembly chamber for gas sealingly separating the process chamber from the wafer boat chamber. The differential pressure sensor assembly fluidly connects to the door assembly chamber and is configured to determine a pressure difference between a pressure in the door assembly chamber and a reference pressure in a reference pressure chamber. The controller is configured to establish whether the pressure difference is in a desired pressure range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Theodorus G.M. Oosterlaken, Lucian Jdira, Herbert Terhorst
  • Publication number: 20220380895
    Abstract: A workpiece susceptor body can include a front face configured to support a workpiece, a back face opposite the front face, a workpiece contact zone at least partially forming a support boundary on an inner portion of the front face, and a plurality of axial channels disposed within the susceptor body. The workpiece contact zone can be disposed radially inward of an outer edge of a workpiece positioned on the front face in a processing configuration. Each of the plurality of axial channels may connect to corresponding openings extending into an outer portion of the front face. Each of the openings may be disposed radially outward of the workpiece contact zone of the susceptor body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Raj Singu, Todd Robert Dunn, Carl Louis White, Herbert Terhorst, Eric James Shero, Bhushan Zope
  • Publication number: 20220349060
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a manifold for uniform vapor deposition is disclosed. The semiconductor device can include a manifold comprising a bore and having an inner wall. The inner wall can at least partially define the bore. A first axial portion of the bore can extend along a longitudinal axis of the manifold. A supply channel can provide fluid communication between a gas source and the bore. The supply channel can comprise a slit defining an at least partially annular gap through the inner wall of the manifold to deliver a gas from the gas source to the bore. The at least partially annular gap can be revolved about the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: David Marquardt, Andrew Michael Yednak, III, Eric James Shero, Herbert Terhorst
  • Patent number: 11404302
    Abstract: A workpiece susceptor body can include a front face configured to support a workpiece, a back face opposite the front face, a workpiece contact zone at least partially forming a support boundary on an inner portion of the front face, and a plurality of axial channels disposed within the susceptor body. The workpiece contact zone can be disposed radially inward of an outer edge of a workpiece positioned on the front face in a processing configuration. Each of the plurality of axial channels may connect to corresponding openings extending into an outer portion of the front face. Each of the openings may be disposed radially outward of the workpiece contact zone of the susceptor body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Raj Singu, Todd Robert Dunn, Carl Louis White, Herbert Terhorst, Eric James Shero, Bhushan Zope
  • Publication number: 20220162751
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus having a tube, a closed liner lining the interior surface of the tube, a plurality of gas injectors to provide a gas to an inner space of the liner, and, a gas exhaust duct to remove gas from the inner space is disclosed. The liner may have a substantially cylindrical wall delimited by a liner opening at a lower end and being substantially closed for gases above the liner opening. The apparatus may have a boat constructed and arranged moveable into the inner space via the liner opening and provided with a plurality of substrate holders for holding a plurality of substrates over a substrate support length in the inner space. Each of the gas injectors may have a single exit opening at the top and the exit openings of the plurality of injectors are substantially equally divided over the substrate support length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Kornelius Haanstra, Lucian C. Jdira, Chris G.M. de Ridder, Robin Roelofs, Werner Knaepen, Herbert Terhorst
  • Publication number: 20210214846
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to embodiments of a showerhead assembly which can be used to deposit semiconductor layers using processes such as atomic layer deposition (ALD). The showerhead assembly has a showerhead which has an increased thickness which advantageously decreases reactor chamber size and decreases cycling time. Decreased cycling time can improve throughput and decrease costs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Dinkar Nandwana, Carl Louis White, Eric James Shero, William George Petro, Herbert Terhorst, Gnyanesh Trivedi, Mark Olstad, Ankit Kimtee, Kyle Fondurulia, Michael Schmotzer, Jereld Lee Winkler
  • Publication number: 20200373187
    Abstract: A workpiece susceptor body can include a front face configured to support a workpiece, a back face opposite the front face, a workpiece contact zone at least partially forming a support boundary on an inner portion of the front face, and a plurality of axial channels disposed within the susceptor body. The workpiece contact zone can be disposed radially inward of an outer edge of a workpiece positioned on the front face in a processing configuration. Each of the plurality of axial channels may connect to corresponding openings extending into an outer portion of the front face. Each of the openings may be disposed radially outward of the workpiece contact zone of the susceptor body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Raj Singu, Todd Robert Dunn, Carl Louis White, Herbert Terhorst, Eric James Shero, Bhushan Zope
  • Patent number: 10844486
    Abstract: A reactor having a housing that encloses a gas delivery system operatively connected to a reaction chamber and an exhaust assembly. The gas delivery system includes a plurality of gas lines for providing at least one process gas to the reaction chamber. The gas delivery system further includes a mixer for receiving the at least one process gas. The mixer is operatively connected to a diffuser that is configured to diffuse process gases. The diffuser is attached directly to an upper surface of the reaction chamber, thereby forming a diffuser volume therebetween. The diffuser includes at least one distribution surface that is configured to provide a flow restriction to the process gases as they pass through the diffuser volume before being introduced into the reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Eric James Shero, Mohith E. Verghese, Carl Louis White, Herbert Terhorst, Dan Maurice
  • Patent number: 10844484
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a vapor phase reactant to a reaction chamber is disclosed. The apparatus may include: a first chamber configured for holding a source chemical with a first fill level; and a second chamber configured for holding the source chemical with a second fill level and in fluid communication with the first chamber via a fluid channel below the first and second fill levels. The apparatus may also include: a second chamber inlet opening in fluid communication with a pressurizing gas feed provided with a flow controller configured for controlling a flow of a pressurizing gas in the second chamber to control the first fill level in the first chamber. Methods for dispensing a vapor phase reactant are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Lucian Jdira, Herbert Terhorst, Naoto Tsuji, Yoshio Susa
  • Patent number: 10683571
    Abstract: A gas inlet system for a wafer processing reactor includes a tubular gas manifold conduit adapted to be connected to a gas inlet port of the wafer processing reactor; and gas feeds including a first feed for feeding a first gas into the tubular gas manifold conduit and a second feed for feeding a second gas into the tubular gas manifold conduit. Each feed has two or more injection ports connected to the tubular gas manifold conduit at a first axial position of the tubular gas manifold conduit, and the injection ports of each of the gas feeds are evenly distributed along a circumference of the tubular gas manifold conduit at the first axial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Lucian C. Jdira, Herbert Terhorst, Michael Halpin, Carl White, Todd Robert Dunn, Eric Shero, Melvin Verbass, Christopher Wuester, Kyle Fondurulia
  • Patent number: 10605530
    Abstract: An assembly of a liner and a flange for a vertical furnace for processing substrates is provided. The liner being configured to extend in the interior of a process tube of the vertical furnace, and the flange is configured to at least partially close a liner opening. The liner comprising a substantially cylindrical wall delimited by the liner opening at a lower end and closed at a higher end and being substantially closed for gases above the liner opening and defining an inner space. The flange comprising: an inlet opening configured to insert and remove a boat configured to carry substrates in the inner space of the liner; a gas inlet to provide a gas to the inner space. The assembly is constructed and arranged with a gas exhaust opening to remove gas from the inner space and a space between the liner and the low pressure tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Lucian C. Jdira, Chris G. M. de Ridder, Theodorus G. M. Oosterlaken, Klaas P. Boonstra, Herbert Terhorst, Juul Keijser