Patents by Inventor Linh Thanh

Linh Thanh 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).

  • Methods for contact clean
    Patent number: 8642473
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for removing oxide from a surface, the surface comprising at least one of silicon and germanium, are provided. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for removing native oxide from a metal silicide layer of a contact structure. The method and apparatus advantageously integrate both the etch stop layer etching process and the native oxide removal process in a single chamber, thereby eliminating native oxide growth or other contaminates redeposit during the substrate transfer processes. Furthermore, the method and the apparatus also provides the improved three-step chemical reaction process to efficiently remove native oxide from the metal silicide layer without adversely altering the geometry of the contact structure and the critical dimension of the trenches or vias formed in the contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Mei Chang, Linh Thanh, Bo Zheng, Arvind Sundarrajan, John C. Forster, Umesh M. Kellkar, Murali K. Narasimhan
  • METHODS FOR CONTACT CLEAN
    Publication number: 20120225558
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for removing oxide from a surface, the surface comprising at least one of silicon and germanium, are provided. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for removing native oxide from a metal silicide layer of a contact structure. The method and apparatus advantageously integrate both the etch stop layer etching process and the native oxide removal process in a single chamber, thereby eliminating native oxide growth or other contaminates redeposit during the substrate transfer processes. Furthermore, the method and the apparatus also provides the improved three-step chemical reaction process to efficiently remove native oxide from the metal silicide layer without adversely altering the geometry of the contact structure and the critical dimension of the trenches or vias formed in the contact structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC
    Inventors: MEI CHANG, Linh Thanh, Bo Zheng, Arvind Sundarrajan, John C. Forster, Umesh M. Kellkar, Murali Narasimhan