Patents by Inventor KATHRINE CROOK
KATHRINE CROOK 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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Publication number: 20240096616Abstract: Silicon dioxide can be deposited onto a substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The substrate includes at least one silicon dioxide layer deposited thereon. A plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition apparatus can be used to deposit silicon dioxide onto a substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Matt Edmonds, William Royle, Caitlin Lane Jones, Daniel Gomez-Sanchez, Kathrine Crook
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Publication number: 20240011159Abstract: A capacitively coupled Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PE-CVD) apparatus has a chamber, a first electrode with a substrate support positioned in the chamber, a second electrode with a gas inlet structure positioned in the chamber, and an RF power source connected to the gas inlet structure for supplying RF power thereto. The gas inlet structure has an edge region, a central region which depends downwardly with respect to the edge region, and one or more precursor gas inlets for introducing a PE-CVD precursor gas mixture to the chamber. The edge region and the central region both constitute part of the second electrode. The precursor gas inlets are disposed in the edge region and the central region is spaced apart from the substrate support to define a plasma dark space channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2023Publication date: January 11, 2024Inventors: Stephen BURGESS, Kathrine CROOK, Daniel ARCHARD, William ROYLE, Euan Alasdair MORRISON
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Patent number: 11802341Abstract: A capacitively coupled Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PE-CVD) apparatus has a chamber, a first electrode with a substrate support positioned in the chamber, a second electrode with a gas inlet structure positioned in the chamber, and an RF power source connected to the gas inlet structure for supplying RF power thereto. The gas inlet structure has an edge region, a central region which depends downwardly with respect to the edge region, and one or more precursor gas inlets for introducing a PE-CVD precursor gas mixture to the chamber. The edge region and the central region both constitute part of the second electrode. The precursor gas inlets are disposed in the edge region and the central region is spaced apart from the substrate support to define a plasma dark space channel.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2021Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: SPTS Technologies LimitedInventors: Stephen Burgess, Kathrine Crook, Daniel Archard, William Royle, Euan Alasdair Morrison
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Publication number: 20230079067Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method of depositing a hydrogenated silicon carbon nitride (SiCN:H) film onto a substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) comprising the steps of: providing the substrate in a chamber; introducing silane (SiH4), a hydrocarbon gas or vapour, nitrogen gas (N2), and hydrogen gas (H2) into the chamber; and sustaining a plasma in the chamber so as to deposit SiCN:H onto the substrate by PECVD at a process temperature of less than about 200° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2022Publication date: March 16, 2023Inventors: Tristan Harper, Kathrine Crook
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Patent number: 11251037Abstract: A method is for depositing silicon nitride by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The method includes providing a PECVD apparatus including a chamber and a substrate support disposed within the chamber, positioning a substrate on the substrate support, introducing a nitrogen gas (N2) precursor into the chamber, applying a high frequency (HF) RF power and a low frequency (LF) RF power to sustain a plasma in the chamber, introducing a silane precursor into the chamber while the HF and LF RF powers are being applied so that the silane precursor forms part of the plasma being sustained, and subsequently removing the LF RF power or reducing the LF RF power by at least 90% while continuing to sustain the plasma so that silicon nitride is deposited onto the substrate by PECVD.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2019Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDInventors: Kathrine Crook, Steve Burgess
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Publication number: 20210391170Abstract: A hydrogenated silicon carbon nitride (SiCN:H) film is deposited onto a substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) comprising: providing the substrate in a chamber; introducing silane (SiH4), a carbon-donating precursor, and nitrogen gas (N2) into the chamber; and sustaining a plasma in the chamber so as to deposit SiCN:H onto the substrate by PECVD, wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature of less than about 250° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2021Publication date: December 16, 2021Inventors: Tristan Harper, Kathrine Crook
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Patent number: 10309014Abstract: A method of cleaning a chamber of a plasma processing device with radicals includes creating a plasma within a remote plasma source which is separated from the chamber, the plasma including radicals and ions, cleaning the chamber by allowing radicals to enter the chamber from the remote plasma source while preventing the majority of the ions created in the remote plasma source from entering the chamber, detecting a DC bias developed on a component of the chamber during cleaning; and using the detected DC bias to determine an end-point of the cleaning and, on determination of the end-point, to stop the cleaning.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2017Date of Patent: June 4, 2019Assignee: SPTS Technologies LimitedInventors: Kathrine Crook, Mark Carruthers, Andrew Price
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Patent number: 10096468Abstract: A method is for improving adhesion between a semiconductor substrate and a dielectric layer. The method includes depositing a silicon dioxide adhesion layer onto the semiconductor substrate by a first plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and depositing the dielectric layer onto the adhesion layer by a second PECVD process. The first PECVD process is performed in a gaseous atmosphere comprising tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) either in the absence of O2 or with O2 introduced into the process at a flow rate of 250 sccm or less.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDInventors: Kathrine Crook, Stephen R Burgess, Andrew Price
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Publication number: 20170342556Abstract: A method of cleaning a chamber of a plasma processing device with radicals includes creating a plasma within a remote plasma source which is separated from the chamber, the plasma including radicals and ions, cleaning the chamber by allowing radicals to enter the chamber from the remote plasma source while preventing the majority of the ions created in the remote plasma source from entering the chamber, detecting a DC bias developed on a component of the chamber during cleaning; and using the detected DC bias to determine an end-point of the cleaning and, on determination of the end-point, to stop the cleaning.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2017Publication date: November 30, 2017Inventors: KATHRINE CROOK, MARK CARRUTHERS, ANDREW PRICE
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Publication number: 20170178901Abstract: A method is for improving adhesion between a semiconductor substrate and a dielectric layer. The method includes depositing a silicon dioxide adhesion layer onto the semiconductor substrate by a first plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and depositing the dielectric layer onto the adhesion layer by a second PECVD process. The first PECVD process is performed in a gaseous atmosphere comprising tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) either in the absence of O2 or with O2 introduced into the process at a flow rate of 250 sccm or less.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2016Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventors: KATHRINE CROOK, STEPHEN R. BURGESS, ANDREW PRICE
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Patent number: 9165762Abstract: A method of forming silicon dioxide films using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) uses tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), oxygen or a source of oxygen, and hydrogen as precursors. The method can be carried out at low temperatures in a range of 125 to 175° C. which is useful for manufacturing wafers with through silicon vias.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2013Date of Patent: October 20, 2015Assignee: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDInventors: Kathrine Crook, Andrew Price, Mark Carruthers, Daniel Archard, Stephen Burgess
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Publication number: 20130288486Abstract: The invention relates to a method of depositing silicon dioxide films using plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) and more particularly using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The process can be carried out at standard temperatures and also at low temperatures which is useful for manufacturing wafers with through silicon vias.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2013Publication date: October 31, 2013Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITEDInventors: KATHRINE CROOK, ANDREW PRICE, MARK CARRUTHERS, DANIEL ARCHARD, STEPHEN BURGESS