Patents by Inventor Howard Ernest Castle

Howard Ernest Castle 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).

  • Patent number: 6800494
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to various methods of controlling copper barrier/seed deposition processes, and a system for accomplishing same. In one illustrative embodiment, the method comprises performing at least one process operation to form a barrier metal layer and a copper seed layer above a wafer, sensing at least one parameter of at least one process operation and determining an acceptability metric for the barrier metal layer and the copper seed layer based upon the sensed at least one parameter. In some embodiments, the method further comprises modifying at least one parameter of said at least one process operation to be performed to form a barrier metal layer and a copper seed layer on a subsequently processed wafer based upon said determined acceptability metric. In some embodiments, the method further comprises identifying a wafer as unacceptable if said acceptability metric falls below a preselected level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Ernest Castle, William S. Brennan