Patents by Inventor John Tolle

John Tolle 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: 20240088222
    Abstract: A processing system includes one or more processing chambers, and a system controller configured to cause the processing system to perform (a) a pre-clean process on exposed surfaces of a semiconductor structure, the semiconductor structure comprising a first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region separated from the first semiconductor region by a trench, and a dielectric layer over at least a portion of the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region, (b) a first deposition process to form an amorphous silicon-containing layer on the exposed surfaces of the semiconductor structure, (c) a recrystallization anneal process to recrystallize at least a portion of the amorphous silicon-containing layer to form a silicon-containing crystalline layer within the trench, (d) an etch process to remove remaining portions of the amorphous silicon-containing layer, and (e) a second deposition process, to epitaxially form a source/drain region over the silicon-containing crystalline layer wi
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Shawn THOMAS, Saurabh CHOPRA, John TOLLE
  • Publication number: 20240079231
    Abstract: A method for forming a layer on a substrate includes providing a substrate in a reactor of a semiconductor processing system, the reactor having a divider separating an upper chamber from a lower chamber and a substrate holder therein, the substrate having upper and lower surfaces. The wafer is positioned within the reactor using the substrate holder such that the upper surface bounds the upper chamber, a silicon-containing gas is flowed through the upper chamber to deposit a layer of the upper surface, and a halogen-containing gas is flowed through the lower chamber to etch a deposited film on at least one wall bounding the lower chamber while flowing the silicon-containing gas through the upper chamber. Semiconductor processing systems are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: John Tolle, Robert Vyne
  • Patent number: 11901179
    Abstract: A method for forming a layer on a substrate includes providing a substrate in a reactor of a semiconductor processing system, the reactor having a divider separating an upper chamber from a lower chamber and a substrate holder therein, the substrate having upper and lower surfaces. The wafer is positioned within the reactor using the substrate holder such that the upper surface bounds the upper chamber, a silicon-containing gas is flowed through the upper chamber to deposit a layer of the upper surface, and a halogen-containing gas is flowed through the lower chamber to etch a deposited film on at least one wall bounding the lower chamber while flowing the silicon-containing gas through the upper chamber. Semiconductor processing systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: John Tolle, Robert Vyne
  • Publication number: 20240038531
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming strain relaxed buffers that may be used in semiconductor devices incorporating superlattice structures are provided. The method includes epitaxially depositing a first silicon germanium layer over the substrate. The first silicon germanium layer has a first surface that contacts a frontside surface of the substrate and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first silicon germanium layer has a first thickness and a germanium concentration gradient that increases from the first surface to the second surface. The method further includes epitaxially depositing a silicon germanium capping layer on the first silicon germanium layer. The silicon germanium capping layer has a second thickness and a substantially uniform germanium concentration that is equal to, substantially equal to, or greater than a maximum germanium concentration of the germanium concentration gradient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas KIRSCHENHEITER, John TOLLE, Abhishek DUBE, Maribel MALDONADO-GARCIA
  • Publication number: 20240018658
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to flow guide structures and heat shield structures, and related methods, for deposition uniformity and process adjustability. In one implementation, an apparatus for substrate processing includes a chamber body that includes a processing volume. The apparatus includes one or more heat sources. The apparatus includes a flow guide structure positioned in the processing volume. The flow guide structure includes one or more first flow dividers that divide the processing volume into a plurality of flow levels, and one or more second flow dividers oriented to intersect the one or more first flow dividers and divide each flow level of the plurality of flow levels into a plurality of flow sections. The flow guide structure includes one or more third flow dividers oriented to intersect the one or more second flow dividers and divide the plurality of flow sections into a plurality of flow zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Inventors: Zuoming ZHU, Ala MORADIAN, Shu-Kwan LAU, John TOLLE, Manjunath SUBBANNA, Martin Jeffrey SALINAS, Chia Cheng CHIN, Thomas KIRSCHENHEITER, Saurabh CHOPRA
  • Publication number: 20240011189
    Abstract: Gas-phase reactor systems and methods suitable for use with precursors that are solid phase at room temperature and pressure are disclosed. The systems and methods as described herein can be used to, for example, form amorphous, polycrystalline, or epitaxial layers (e.g., one or more doped semiconductor layers) on a surface of a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: John Tolle, Joseph P. Margetis
  • Patent number: 11814747
    Abstract: Gas-phase reactor systems and methods suitable for use with precursors that are solid phase at room temperature and pressure are disclosed. The systems and methods as described herein can be used to, for example, form amorphous, polycrystalline, or epitaxial layers (e.g., one or more doped semiconductor layers) on a surface of a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: John Tolle, Joseph P. Margetis
  • Publication number: 20230326925
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure advantageously provide semiconductor devices CFET in particular and methods of manufacturing such devices having a fully strained superlattice structure with channel layers that are substantially free of defects and release layers having a reduced selective removal rate. The CFET described herein comprise a vertically stacked superlattice structure on a substrate, the vertically stacked superlattice structure comprising: a first hGAA structure on the substrate; a sacrificial layer on a top surface of the first hGAA structure, the sacrificial layer comprising silicon germanium (SiGe) having a germanium content in a range of from greater than 0% to 50% on an atomic basis; and a second hGAA structure on a top surface of the sacrificial layer. Each of the first hGAA and the second hGAA comprise alternating layers of nanosheet channel layer that comprise silicon (Si) and nanosheet release layer that comprise doped silicon germanium (SiGe).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Anthony Cockburn, Vanessa Pena, Daniel Philippe Cellier, John Tolle, Thomas Kirschenheiter, Wei Hong, Ellie Y. Yieh, Mehul Naik, Seshadri Ramaswami
  • Patent number: 11764058
    Abstract: Methods of reducing wafer bowing in 3D DRAM devices are described using a 3-color process. A plurality of film stacks are formed on a substrate surface, each of the film stacks comprises two doped SiGe layers having different dopant amounts and/or Si:Ge ratios and a doped silicon layer. 3D DRAM devices are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Arvind Kumar, Mahendra Pakala, Ellie Y. Yieh, John Tolle, Thomas Kirschenheiter, Anchuan Wang, Zihui Li
  • Patent number: 11719842
    Abstract: A system, method and program product for implementing a machine learning platform that processes a data map having feature and operational information. A system is disclosed that includes an interpretable machine learning model that generates a function in response to an inputted data map, wherein the data map includes feature data and operational data over a region of interest, and wherein the function relates a set of predictive variables to one or more response variables; an integration/interpolation system that generates the data map from a set of disparate data sources; and an analysis system that evaluates the function to predict outcomes at unique points in the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Shell USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Jorge Luis Guevara Diaz, Bianca Zadrozny, Breno William Santos Rezende de Carvalho, Alvaro Bueno Buoro, Matthias Kormaksson, Ligang Lu, John Tolle, Detlef Hohl, Jan Limbeck, Mingqi Wu
  • Publication number: 20230145240
    Abstract: A method for forming a doped layer is disclosed. The doped layer may be used in a NMOS or a silicon germanium application. The doped layer may be created using an n-type halide species in a n-type dopant application, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: John Tolle, Joe Margetis, David Kohen
  • Publication number: 20230102558
    Abstract: Methods of reducing wafer bowing in 3D DRAM devices are described using a 3-color process. A plurality of film stacks are formed on a substrate surface, each of the film stacks comprises two doped SiGe layers having different dopant amounts and/or Si:Ge ratios and a doped silicon layer. 3D DRAM devices are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Arvind Kumar, Mahendra Pakala, Ellie Y. Yieh, John Tolle, Thomas Kirschenheiter, Anchuan Wang, Zihui Li
  • Publication number: 20230029344
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a super-lattice structure on a substrate is described herein. The super-lattice structure includes a plurality of silicon-germanium layers and a plurality of silicon layers disposed in a stacked pattern. The methods described herein produce a super-lattice structure with transition width of less than about 1.4 nm between each of the silicon-germanium layers and an adjacent silicon layer. The methods described herein include flowing one or a combination of a silicon containing gas, a germanium containing gas, and a halogenated species.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: John TOLLE, Thomas KIRSCHENHEITER, Joe MARGETIS, Patricia M. LIU, Zuoming ZHU, Flora Fong-Song CHANG
  • Patent number: 11557474
    Abstract: A method for forming a doped layer is disclosed. The doped layer may be used in a NMOS or a silicon germanium application. The doped layer may be created using an n-type halide species in a n-type dopant application, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: John Tolle, Joe Margetis, David Kohen
  • Publication number: 20220367175
    Abstract: A system and method for removing both carbon-based contaminants and oxygen-based contaminants from a semiconductor substrate within a single process chamber is disclosed. The invention may comprise utilization of remote plasma units and multiple gas sources to perform the process within the single process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Xing Lin, Peipei Gao, Fei Wang, John Tolle, Bubesh Babu Jotheeswaran, Vish Ramanathan, Eric Hill
  • Publication number: 20220310825
    Abstract: A method for depositing a Group IV semiconductor is disclosed. The method may include, providing a substrate within a reaction chamber and heating the substrate to a deposition temperature. The methods may further include, exposing the substrate to at least one Group IV precursor and exposing the substrate to at least one Group IIIA metalorganic dopant precursor. The methods may further include depositing a Group IV semiconductor on a surface of the substrate. Semiconductor device structures including a Group IV semiconductor deposited by the methods of the disclosure are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Joe Margetis, John Tolle
  • Patent number: 11374112
    Abstract: A method for depositing a Group IV semiconductor is disclosed. The method may include, providing a substrate within a reaction chamber and heating the substrate to a deposition temperature. The methods may further include, exposing the substrate to at least one Group IV precursor and exposing the substrate to at least one Group IIIA metalorganic dopant precursor. The methods may further include depositing a Group IV semiconductor on a surface of the substrate. Semiconductor device structures including a Group IV semiconductor deposited by the methods of the disclosure are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Joe Margetis, John Tolle
  • Publication number: 20220130668
    Abstract: A method for forming a layer on a substrate includes providing a substrate in a reactor of a semiconductor processing system, the reactor having a divider separating an upper chamber from a lower chamber and a substrate holder therein, the substrate having upper and lower surfaces. The wafer is positioned within the reactor using the substrate holder such that the upper surface bounds the upper chamber, a silicon-containing gas is flowed through the upper chamber to deposit a layer of the upper surface, and a halogen-containing gas is flowed through the lower chamber to etch a deposited film on at least one wall bounding the lower chamber while flowing the silicon-containing gas through the upper chamber. Semiconductor processing systems are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: John Tolle, Robert Vyne
  • Patent number: 11264255
    Abstract: A system for removing an oxide material from a surface of a substrate can include a substrate tray to receive the substrate, and a cooling body to receive the substrate tray. The system may include a first temperature control element configured to control a temperature of the substrate tray and a second temperature control element configured to control a temperature of the cooling body, where the first temperature control element and the second temperature control element can be independently controlled. A method for removing oxide material from a surface of a substrate can include providing the substrate on a substrate tray having heating elements, cooling the substrate by transferring heat from the substrate tray to a cooling body, depositing a halogen-containing material on the cooled substrate while the substrate is on the cooling body, and subsequently sublimating the halogen-containing material by heating the cooled substrate by transferring heat from the substrate tray to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: ASM IP HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: John Tolle, Eric R. Hill
  • Publication number: 20210375622
    Abstract: Methods and devices for epitaxially growing boron- and gallium-doped silicon germanium layers. The layers may be used, for example, as a p-type source and/or drain regions in field effect transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Lucas Petersen Barbosa Lima, Joe Margetis, John Tolle, Rami Khazaka, Qi Xie