Patents by Inventor Mark A. Perrin

Mark A. Perrin 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: 8871064
    Abstract: A multi-step process performed in a plasma sputter chamber including sputter deposition from the target and argon sputter etching of the substrate. The chamber includes a quadruple electromagnetic coil array coaxially arranged in a rectangular array about a chamber axis outside the sidewalls of a plasma sputter reactor in back of an RF coil within the chamber. The coil currents can be separately controlled to produce different magnetic field distributions, for example, between a sputter deposition mode in which the sputter target is powered to sputter target material onto a wafer and a sputter etch mode in which the RF coil supports the argon sputtering plasma. A TaN/Ta barrier is first sputter deposited with high target power and wafer bias. Argon etching is performed with even higher wafer bias. A flash step is applied with reduced target power and wafer bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tza-Jing Gung, Xinyu Fu, Arvind Sundarrajan, Edward P. Hammond, IV, Praburam Gopalraja, John C. Forster, Mark A. Perrin, Andrew S. Gillard
  • Publication number: 20100155223
    Abstract: A multi-step process performed in a plasma sputter chamber including sputter deposition from the target and argon sputter etching of the substrate. The chamber includes a quadruple electromagnetic coil array coaxially arranged in a rectangular array about a chamber axis outside the sidewalls of a plasma sputter reactor in back of an RF coil within the chamber. The coil currents can be separately controlled to produce different magnetic field distributions, for example, between a sputter deposition mode in which the sputter target is powered to sputter target material onto a wafer and a sputter etch mode in which the RF coil supports the argon sputtering plasma. A TaN/Ta barrier is first sputter deposited with high target power and wafer bias. Argon etching is performed with even higher wafer bias. A flash step is applied with reduced target power and wafer bias.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Tza-Jing GUNG, Xinyu FU, Arvind SUNDARRAJAN, Edward P. HAMMOND, IV, Praburam GOPALRAJA, John C. FORSTER, Mark A. PERRIN, Andrew S. GILLARD
  • Patent number: 7686926
    Abstract: A multi-step process performed in a plasma sputter chamber including sputter deposition from the target and argon sputter etching of the substrate. The chamber includes a quadruple electromagnetic coil array coaxially arranged in a rectangular array about a chamber axis outside the sidewalls of a plasma sputter reactor in back of an RF coil within the chamber. The coil currents can be separately controlled to produce different magnetic field distributions, for example, between a sputter deposition mode in which the sputter target is powered to sputter target material onto a wafer and a sputter etch mode in which the RF coil supports the argon sputtering plasma. A TaN/Ta barrier is first sputter deposited with high target power and wafer bias. Argon etching is performed with even higher wafer bias. A flash step is applied with reduced target power and wafer bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tza-Jing Gung, Xinyu Fu, Arvind Sundarrajan, Edward P. Hammond, IV, Praburam Gopalraja, John C. Forster, Mark A. Perrin, Andrew S. Gillard
  • Patent number: 7527713
    Abstract: A quadruple electromagnetic coil array coaxially arranged in a rectangular array about a chamber axis outside the sidewalls of a plasma sputter reactor, preferably in back of an RF coil within the chamber. The coil currents can be separately controlled to produce different magnetic field distributions, for example, between a sputter deposition mode in which the sputter target is powered to sputter target material onto a wafer and a sputter etch mode in which the RF coil supports the gas sputtering the wafer. The coil array may include a tubular magnetic core, particularly useful for suppressing stray fields. A water cooling coil may be wrapped around the coil array to cool all the coils. The electromagnets can be powered in different relative polarities in a multi-step process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Tza-Jing Gung, Mark A. Perrin, Andrew Gillard
  • Patent number: 6864773
    Abstract: A magnet assembly for producing a varying magnetic field is provided wherein a plurality of permanent magnets are interposed between two members which are constructed of a ferromagnetic material. Each of the magnets is rotatable and has a north and south magnetic pole. Each of the magnets is disposed so that the north magnetic poles of the plurality of permanent magnets have a common magnetic orientation with respect to the first member. An orienter, such as, for example, a ring gear and pinion arrangement, is coupled to the magnets to change their common magnetic orientation with respect to the first member. The magnetic field projected by the assembly varies as a function of the orientation of the magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Perrin
  • Patent number: 6846396
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for shielding magnetic flux which is associated with a semiconductor fabrication system are provided. A magnetic shield assembly substantially surrounds a side wall of a plasma reactor. The shield assembly comprises a passive shield member in combination with an active shield member. As a result, effective shielding of magnetic flux can occur without excessive distortion of the magnetic field line pattern in the plasma region of the plasma reactor. In one aspect, the shield assembly comprises a first shield member adapted to attenuate a magnetic flux density. The first shield member is disposed in a parallel, spaced apart relationship from the side wall. A second member is attached to the first shield member and is constructed of a ferromagnetic material which is permanently magnetized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Perrin
  • Publication number: 20040222082
    Abstract: In conjunction with sputtering a metal, especially copper, into high aspect-ratio holes in a wafer, an oblique ion milling method in which argon ions or other particles having energies in the range of 200 to 1500 eV are directed to the wafer at between 10 and 35° to the wafer surface to sputter etch material sputter deposited preferentially on the upper corners of the holes. The milling may be performed in the sputter deposition chamber either simultaneously with the deposition or after it or performed afterwards in a separate milling reactor. A plurality of ion sources arranged around the chamber improve angular uniformity or arranged axially improve radial uniformity or vary the angle of incidence. An annular ion source about the chamber axis allows a plasma current loop. Anode layer ion sources and sources composed of copper are advantageous.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Publication date: November 11, 2004
    Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Praburam Gopalraja, Xianmin Tang, Jianming Fu, Mark A. Perrin, Jean Yue (Phillip) Wang, Arvind Sundarrajan, Hong Zhang, Jick Yu, Umesh Kelkar, Zheng Xu, Fusen Chen
  • Publication number: 20040196127
    Abstract: A magnet assembly for producing a varying magnetic field is provided wherein a plurality of permanent magnets are interposed between two members which are constructed of a ferromagnetic material. Each of the magnets is rotatable and has a north and south magnetic pole. Each of the magnets is disposed so that the north magnetic poles of the plurality of permanent magnets have a common magnetic orientation with respect to the first member. An orienter, such as, for example, a ring gear and pinion arrangement, is coupled to the magnets to change their common magnetic orientation with respect to the first member. The magnetic field projected by the assembly varies as a function of the orientation of the magnets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Perrin
  • Patent number: 6761804
    Abstract: A source of sputtered deposition material has, in one embodiment, a torus-shaped plasma generation area in which a plasma operates to sputter the interior surface of a toroidal cathode. In one embodiment, the sputtered deposition material passes to the exterior of the source through apertures provided in the cathode itself. A torus-shaped magnetic field generated in the torus-shaped plasma facilitates plasma generation, sputtering of the cathode and ionization of the sputtered material by the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Perrin
  • Publication number: 20040026233
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for shielding magnetic flux which is associated with a semiconductor fabrication system are provided. A magnetic shield assembly substantially surrounds a side wall of a plasma reactor. The shield assembly comprises a passive shield member in combination with an active shield member. As a result, effective shielding of magnetic flux can occur without excessive distortion of the magnetic field line pattern in the plasma region of the plasma reactor. In one aspect, the shield assembly comprises a first shield member adapted to attenuate a magnetic flux density. The first shield member is disposed in a parallel, spaced apart relationship from the side wall. A second member is attached to the first shield member and is constructed of a ferromagnetic material which is permanently magnetized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Perrin
  • Publication number: 20030150721
    Abstract: A source of sputtered deposition material has, in one embodiment, a torus-shaped plasma generation area in which a plasma operates to sputter the interior surface of a toroidal cathode. In one embodiment, the sputtered deposition material passes to the exterior of the source through apertures provided in the cathode itself. A torus-shaped magnetic field generated in the torus-shaped plasma facilitates plasma generation, sputtering of the cathode and ionization of the sputtered material by the plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark A. Perrin