Patents by Inventor Khaled Elsheref

Khaled Elsheref 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: 20060289795
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for electron beam treatment of a substrate are provided. An electron beam apparatus that includes a vacuum chamber, at least one thermocouple assembly in communication with the vacuum chamber; and a heating device in communication with the vacuum chamber and combinations thereof are provided. In one embodiment, the vacuum chamber comprises a cathode, an anode, and a substrate support. In another embodiment, the vacuum chamber comprises a grid located between the anode and the substrate support. In one embodiment the heating device comprises a first parallel light array and a second light array positioned such that the first parallel light array and the second light array intersect. In one embodiment the thermocouple assembly comprises a temperature sensor made of aluminum nitride.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Inventors: Dale Dubois, Juan Rocha-Alvarez, Amir Al-Bayati, Khaled Elsheref, Alexandros Demos, Lester D'Cruz, Hichem M'Saad, Ashish Shah, Takashi Shimizu, Naoyuki Iwasaki
  • Publication number: 20060272772
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for electron beam treatment of a substrate are provided. An electron beam apparatus that includes a vacuum chamber, at least one thermocouple assembly in communication with the vacuum chamber, a heating device in communication with the vacuum chamber, and combinations thereof are provided. In one embodiment, the vacuum chamber comprises an electron source wherein the electron source comprises a cathode connected to a high voltage source, an anode connected to a low voltage source, and a substrate support. In another embodiment, the vacuum chamber comprises a grid located between the anode and the substrate support. In one embodiment the heating device comprises a first parallel light array and a second light array positioned such that the first parallel light array and the second light array intersect. In one embodiment the thermocouple assembly comprises a temperature sensor made of aluminum nitride.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Amir Al-Bayati, Lester D'Cruz, Alexandros Demos, Dale Dubois, Khaled Elsheref, Naoyuki Iwasaki, Hichem M'Saad, Juan Rocha-Alvarez, Ashish Shah, Takashi Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20060192150
    Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to a number of techniques, which may be applied alone or in combination, to reduce charge damage of substrates exposed to electron beam radiation. In one embodiment, charge damage is reduced by establishing a robust electrical connection between the exposed substrate and ground. In another embodiment, charge damage is reduced by modifying the sequence of steps for activating and deactivating the electron beam source to reduce the accumulation of charge on the substrate. In still another embodiment, a plasma is struck in the chamber containing the e-beam treated substrate, thereby removing accumulated charge from the substrate. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the voltage of the anode of the e-beam source is reduced in magnitude to account for differences in electron conversion efficiency exhibited by different cathode materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexandros Demos, Khaled Elsheref, Yuri Trachuk, Tom Cho, Girish Dixit, Hichem M'Saad, Derek Witty
  • Publication number: 20050233591
    Abstract: Adhesion of a porous low K film to an underlying barrier layer is improved by forming an intermediate layer lower in carbon content, and richer in silicon oxide, than the overlying porous low K film. This adhesion layer can be formed utilizing one of a number of techniques, alone or in combination. In one approach, the adhesion layer can be formed by introduction of a rich oxidizing gas such as O2/CO2/etc. to oxidize Si precursors immediately prior to deposition of the low K material. In another approach, thermally labile chemicals such as alpha-terpinene, cymene, and any other non-oxygen containing organics are removed prior to low K film deposition. In yet another approach, the hardware or processing parameters, such as the manner of introduction of the non-silicon containing component, may be modified to enable formation of an oxide interface prior to low K film deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Francimar Schmitt, Alexandros Demos, Derek Witty, Hichem M'Sadd, Sang Ahn, Lester D'Cruz, Khaled Elsheref, Zhenjiang Cui
  • Publication number: 20050224722
    Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to a number of techniques, which may be applied alone or in combination, to reduce charge damage of substrates exposed to electron beam radiation. In one embodiment, charge damage is reduced by establishing a robust electrical connection between the exposed substrate and ground. In another embodiment, charge damage is reduced by modifying the sequence of steps for activating and deactivating the electron beam source to reduce the accumulation of charge on the substrate. In still another embodiment, a plasma is struck in the chamber containing the e-beam treated substrate, thereby removing accumulated charge from the substrate. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the voltage of the anode of the e-beam source is reduced in magnitude to account for differences in electron conversion efficiency exhibited by different cathode materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Alexandros Demos, Khaled Elsheref, Yuri Trachuk, Tom Cho, Girish Dixit, Hichem M'Saad, Derek Witty
  • Publication number: 20050184257
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a method for characterizing an electron beam treatment apparatus that includes: (a) e-beam treating one or more of a predetermined type of wafer or substrate utilizing one or more sets of electron beam treatment parameters; (b) making post-electron beam treatment measurements of intensity of a probe beam reflected from the surface of the one or more wafers in which thermal and/or plasma waves have been induced; and (c) developing data from the post-electron beam treatment measurements that provide insight into performance of the electron beam treatment apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Inventors: Khaled Elsheref, Alexandros Demos, Hichem M'saad
  • Patent number: 6878644
    Abstract: A method of filling a plurality of trenches etched in a substrate. In one embodiment the method includes depositing a layer of spin-on glass material over the substrate and into the plurality of trenches; curing the layer of spin-on glass material by exposing the spin-on glass material to electron beam radiation at a first temperature for a first period and subsequently exposing the spin-on glass material to an electron beam at a second temperature for a second period, where the second temperature is greater than the first temperature. The method concludes by depositing a layer of silica glass over the cured spin-on glass layer using a chemical vapor deposition technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Rick J. Roberts, Michael S. Cox, Jun Zhao, Khaled Elsheref, Alexandros T. Demos
  • Publication number: 20040224479
    Abstract: A method of filling a plurality of trenches etched in a substrate. In one embodiment the method includes depositing a layer of spin-on glass material over the substrate and into the plurality of trenches; curing the layer of spin-on glass material by exposing the spin-on glass material to electron beam radiation at a first temperature for a first period and subsequently exposing the spin-on glass material to an electron beam at a second temperature for a second period, where the second temperature is greater than the first temperature. The method concludes by depositing a layer of silica glass over the cured spin-on glass layer using a chemical vapor deposition technique.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenjiang Cui, Rick J. Roberts, Michael S. Cox, Jun Zhao, Khaled Elsheref, Alexandros T. Demos