Patents by Inventor Lawrence Schloss

Lawrence Schloss 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: 12327762
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods of filling features with molybdenum (Mo) include depositing a first layer of Mo in a feature including an opening and an interior and non-conformally treating the first layer such that regions near the opening preferentially treated over regions in the interior. In some embodiments, a second Mo layer is deposited on the treated first layer. Embodiments of methods of filling features with Mo include controlling Mo precursor flux to transition between conformal and non-conformal fill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Shruti Vivek Thombare, Zhongbo Yan, Patrick A. Van Cleemput, Joshua Collins
  • Publication number: 20250179635
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of depositing molybdenum (Mo) films. The methods involve depositing a thin layer of a molybdenum (Mo)-containing film such a molybdenum oxide, a molybdenum nitride, or a molybdenum oxynitride. The Mo-containing film is then converted to an elemental Mo film. A bulk Mo film may then be deposited on the elemental Mo film. In some embodiments, the process is performed at relatively low temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: June 5, 2025
    Inventors: Shruti Vivek THOMBARE, Naveen Kumar MAHENDERKAR, Lawrence SCHLOSS, Patrick A. VAN CLEEMPUT
  • Publication number: 20250022751
    Abstract: Methods of filling a features of partially fabricated semiconductor substrates with metal include depositing a gradient metal nitride layer in the feature. The gradient metal nitride layer decreases in thickness and/or nitrogen concentration with feature depth. At the top of the feature, the gradient metal nitride layer can serve as an adhesion layer during a subsequent planarization. Because the gradient metal nitride layer deceases in thickness and/or nitrogen concentration further into the feature, it occupies less volume in the mid-section and bottom section of the feature. This improves resistivity in the feature. The feature is filled with metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 16, 2025
    Inventors: Sang-Hyeob LEE, Anand CHANDRASHEKAR, Kaihan Abidi ASHTIANI, Patrick August VAN CLEEMPUT, Joshua COLLINS, Lawrence SCHLOSS, Sanjay GOPINATH, Juwen GAO
  • Publication number: 20240282580
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for filling semiconductor substrate structures with conductive material. The methods involve depositing multi-layer bulk metal films in structures with one or more deposition conditions changed when transitioning from layer-to-layer. The methods result in high fill quality, high throughput, low precursor consumption, and low roughness. Multi-station chambers to perform the methods are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Xiaolan BA, Ruopeng DENG, Juwen GAO, Sanjay GOPINATH, Lawrence SCHLOSS
  • Publication number: 20240249949
    Abstract: Methods of filling wordline features of 3D NAND structures with tungsten include treating a conformal tungsten with nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). The NF3 treatment is preferential to the openings of the wordline features relative to the interiors of the wordline features. The treatment etches tungsten and inhibits subsequent deposition on the treated surfaces. Subsequent deposition is selective to the interior of the wordline features allowing non-conformal, inside-out deposition. The NF3 may be delivered from a gas zone that is isolated from tungsten deposition gases. The NF3 may be delivered from a charge volume to facilitate top-to-bottom uniform treatment of a 3D NAND structure. Apparatuses for filling wordline features include separate gas zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Erica Maxine Chen, Robert Craig McKinney, Ravi Vellanki, Lawrence Schloss
  • Publication number: 20240234152
    Abstract: Provided herein are low resistance metallization stack structures for 3D-NAND applications and related methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, thin metal oxynitride nucleation layers are deposited on dielectric material followed by deposition of a pure metal conductor using process conditions that increase non-molybdenum component element content at the oxynitride-dielectric interface. Certain embodiments of the methods described below convert less than all of the metal oxynitride nucleation layer to a pure metal layer, further lowering the resistivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Joshua Collins, Griffin John Kennedy, Hanna Bamnolker, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Patrick van Cleemput, Sanjay Gopinath
  • Patent number: 12014928
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for filling semiconductor substrate structures with conductive material. The methods involve depositing multi-layer bulk metal films in structures with one or more deposition conditions changed when transitioning from layer-to-layer. The methods result in high fill quality, high throughput, low precursor consumption, and low roughness. Multi-station chambers to perform the methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaolan Ba, Ruopeng Deng, Juwen Gao, Sanjay Gopinath, Lawrence Schloss
  • Publication number: 20240136192
    Abstract: Provided herein are low resistance metallization stack structures for 3D-NAND applications and related methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, thin metal oxynitride nucleation layers are deposited on dielectric material followed by deposition of a pure metal conductor using process conditions that increase non-molybdenum component element content at the oxynitride-dielectric interface. Certain embodiments of the methods described below convert less than all of the metal oxynitride nucleation layer to a pure metal layer, further lowering the resistivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Joshua Collins, Griffin John Kennedy, Hanna Bamnolker, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Patrick van Cleemput, Sanjay Gopinath
  • Publication number: 20230290639
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for forming low resistivity tungsten using tungsten nitride barrier layers are provided herein. Methods involve depositing extremely thin tungsten nitride barrier layers prior to depositing tungsten nucleation and bulk tungsten layers. Methods are applicable for fabricating tungsten word lines in 3D NAND fabrication as well as for fabricating tungsten-containing components of DRAM and logic fabrication. Apparatus included processing stations with multiple charge volumes to pressurize gases in close vicinity to a showerhead of a processing chamber for processing semiconductor substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Anand Chandrashekar, Juwen Gao, Stephanie Noelle Sandra Sawant-Goubert, Yu Pan
  • Patent number: 11672189
    Abstract: A memory using mixed valence conductive oxides is disclosed. The memory includes a mixed valence conductive oxide that is less conductive in its oxygen deficient state and a mixed electronic ionic conductor that is an electrolyte to oxygen and promotes an electric filed to cause oxygen ionic motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Hefei Reliance Memory Limited
    Inventors: Darrell Rinerson, Christophe J. Chevallier, Wayne Kinney, Roy Lambertson, John E. Sanchez, Jr., Lawrence Schloss, Philip Swab, Edmond Ward
  • Publication number: 20220375792
    Abstract: Embodiments of methods of filling features with molybdenum (Mo) include depositing a first layer of Mo in a feature including an opening and an interior and non-conformally treating the first layer such that regions near the opening preferentially treated over regions in the interior. In some embodiments, a second Mo layer is deposited on the treated first layer. Embodiments of methods of filling features with Mo include controlling Mo precursor flux to transition between conformal and non-conformal fill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Lawrence SCHLOSS, Shruti Vivek THOMBARE, Zhongbo YAN, Patrick A. VAN CLEEMPUT, Joshua COLLINS
  • Publication number: 20220262640
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatuses for reducing line bending when depositing a metal such as tungsten, molybdenum, ruthenium, or cobalt into features on substrates by periodically exposing the feature to nitrogen, oxygen, or ammonia during atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, or sequential chemical vapor deposition to reduce interactions between metal deposited onto sidewalls of a feature. Methods are suitable for deposition into V-shaped features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Adam Jandl, Sema Ermez, Lawrence Schloss, Sanjay Gopinath, Michal Danek, Siew Neo, Joshua Collins, Hanna Bamnolker
  • Patent number: 11355345
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatuses for reducing line bending when depositing a metal such as tungsten, molybdenum, ruthenium, or cobalt into features on substrates by periodically exposing the feature to nitrogen, oxygen, or ammonia during atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, or sequential chemical vapor deposition to reduce interactions between metal deposited onto sidewalls of a feature. Methods are suitable for deposition into V-shaped features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Adam Jandl, Sema Ermez, Lawrence Schloss, Sanjay Gopinath, Michal Danek, Siew Neo, Joshua Collins, Hanna Bamnolker
  • Patent number: 11348795
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of depositing a transition metal such as tungsten on a semiconductor substrate. The method includes providing a gas mixture of diborane with a balance of hydrogen, where the hydrogen serves to stabilize the diborane in the gas mixture. The method further includes delivering the gas mixture to the semiconductor substrate to form a boron layer, where the boron layer serves as a reducing agent layer to convert a metal-containing precursor to metal, such as a tungsten-containing precursor to tungsten. In some implementations, the semiconductor substrate includes a vertical structure, such as a three-dimensional vertical NAND structure, with horizontal features or wordlines having openings in sidewalls of the vertical structure, where the boron layer may be conformally deposited in the horizontal features of the vertical structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Raashina Humayun, Sanjay Gopinath, Juwen Gao, Michal Danek, Kaihan Abidi Ashtiani
  • Publication number: 20210313183
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for filling semiconductor substrate structures with conductive material. The methods involve depositing multi-layer bulk metal films in structures with one or more deposition conditions changed when transitioning from layer-to-layer. The methods result in high fill quality, high throughput, low precursor consumption, and low roughness. Multi-station chambers to perform the methods are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Xiaolan Ba, Ruopeng Deng, Juwen Gao, Sanjay Gopinath, Lawrence Schloss
  • Patent number: 11063214
    Abstract: A memory using mixed valence conductive oxides is disclosed. The memory includes a mixed valence conductive oxide that is less conductive in its oxygen deficient state and a mixed electronic ionic conductor that is an electrolyte to oxygen and promotes an electric filed to cause oxygen ionic motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Hefei Reliance Memory Limited
    Inventors: Darrell Rinerson, Christophe J. Chevallier, Wayne Kinney, Roy Lambertson, John E. Sanchez, Jr., Lawrence Schloss, Philip Swab, Edmond Ward
  • Publication number: 20210193917
    Abstract: A memory using mixed valence conductive oxides is disclosed. The memory includes a mixed valence conductive oxide that is less conductive in its oxygen deficient state and a mixed electronic ionic conductor that is an electrolyte to oxygen and promotes an electric filed to cause oxygen ionic motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Darrell RINERSON, Christophe J. CHEVALLIER, Wayne KINNEY, Roy LAMBERTSON, John E. SANCHEZ, JR., Lawrence SCHLOSS, Philip SWAB, Edmond WARD
  • Publication number: 20210098063
    Abstract: A memory cell including a memory element comprising an electrolytic insulator in contact with a conductive metal oxide (CMO) is disclosed. The CMO includes a crystalline structure and can comprise a pyrochlore oxide, a conductive binary oxide, a multiple B-site perovskite, and a Ruddlesden-Popper structure. The CMO includes mobile ions that can be transported to/from the electrolytic insulator in response to an electric field of appropriate magnitude and direction generated by a write voltage applied across the electrolytic insulator and CMO. The memory cell can include a non-ohmic device (NOD) that is electrically in series with the memory element. The memory cell can be positioned between a cross-point of conductive array lines in a two-terminal cross-point memory array in a single layer of memory or multiple vertically stacked layers of memory that are fabricated over a substrate that includes active circuitry for data operations on the array layer(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Julie Casperson Brewer, Wayne Kinney, Rene Meyer
  • Patent number: 10803935
    Abstract: A memory cell including a memory element comprising an electrolytic insulator in contact with a conductive metal oxide (CMO) is disclosed. The CMO includes a crystalline structure and can comprise a pyrochlore oxide, a conductive binary oxide, a multiple B-site perovskite, and a Ruddlesden-Popper structure. The CMO includes mobile ions that can be transported to/from the electrolytic insulator in response to an electric field of appropriate magnitude and direction generated by a write voltage applied across the electrolytic insulator and CMO. The memory cell can include a non-ohmic device (NOD) that is electrically in series with the memory element. The memory cell can be positioned between a cross-point of conductive array lines in a two-terminal cross-point memory array in a single layer of memory or multiple vertically stacked layers of memory that are fabricated over a substrate that includes active circuitry for data operations on the array layer(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Julie Casperson Brewer, Wayne Kinney, Rene Meyer
  • Publication number: 20200259079
    Abstract: A memory using mixed valence conductive oxides is disclosed. The memory includes a mixed valence conductive oxide that is less conductive in its oxygen deficient state and a mixed electronic ionic conductor that is an electrolyte to oxygen and promotes an electric filed to cause oxygen ionic motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Darrell RINERSON, Christophe J. CHEVALLIER, Wayne KINNEY, Roy LAMBERTSON, John E. SANCHEZ, JR., Lawrence SCHLOSS, Philip SWAB, Edmond WARD