Patents by Inventor Martin Seamons
Martin Seamons 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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Patent number: 11798820Abstract: A system may include a main line for delivering a first gas, and a sensor for measuring a concentration of a precursor in the first gas delivered through the main line. The system may further include first and second sublines for providing fluid access to first and second processing chambers, respectively. The first subline may include a first flow controller for controlling the first gas flowed through the first subline. The second subline may include a second flow controller for controlling the first gas flowed through the second subline. A delivery controller may be configured to control the first and second flow controllers based on the measured concentration of the precursor to deliver a first mixture of the first gas and a second gas and a second mixture of the first and second gases into the first and second semiconductor processing chambers, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2020Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Diwakar Kedlaya, Fang Ruan, Zubin Huang, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Kaushik Alayavalli, Martin Seamons, Kwangduk Lee, Rajaram Narayanan, Karthik Janakiraman
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Patent number: 11756796Abstract: A method may include providing a substrate having, on a first surface of the substrate, a low dielectric constant layer characterized by a layer thickness. The method may include heating the substrate to a substrate temperature in a range of 200° C. to 550° C.; and directing an ion implant treatment to the low dielectric constant layer, while the substrate temperature is in the range of 200° C. to 550° C. As such, the ion implant treatment may include implanting a low weight ion species, at an ion energy generating an implant depth equal to 40% to 175% of the layer thickness.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2021Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Rajesh Prasad, Martin Seamons, Shan Tang, Qi Gao, Deven Raj Mittal, Kyuha Shim
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Publication number: 20230187276Abstract: Embodiments herein provide for oxygen based treatment of low-k dielectric layers deposited using a flowable chemical vapor deposition (FCVD) process. Oxygen based treatment of the FCVD deposited low-k dielectric layers desirably increases the Ebd to capacitance and reliability of the devices while removing voids.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2023Publication date: June 15, 2023Inventors: Shi YOU, He REN, Naomi YOSHIDA, Nikolaos BEKIARIS, Mehul NAIK, Jay Martin SEAMONS, Jingmei LIANG, Mei-Yee SHEK
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Publication number: 20220367205Abstract: A method may include providing a substrate having, on a first surface of the substrate, a low dielectric constant layer characterized by a layer thickness. The method may include heating the substrate to a substrate temperature in a range of 200° C. to 550° C.; and directing an ion implant treatment to the low dielectric constant layer, while the substrate temperature is in the range of 200° C. to 550° C. As such, the ion implant treatment may include implanting a low weight ion species, at an ion energy generating an implant depth equal to 40% to 175% of the layer thickness.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2021Publication date: November 17, 2022Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Rajesh Prasad, Martin Seamons, Shan Tang, Qi Gao, Deven Raj Mittal, Kyuha Shim
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Publication number: 20210143029Abstract: A system may include a main line for delivering a first gas, and a sensor for measuring a concentration of a precursor in the first gas delivered through the main line. The system may further include first and second sublines for providing fluid access to first and second processing chambers, respectively. The first subline may include a first flow controller for controlling the first gas flowed through the first subline. The second subline may include a second flow controller for controlling the first gas flowed through the second subline. A delivery controller may be configured to control the first and second flow controllers based on the measured concentration of the precursor to deliver a first mixture of the first gas and a second gas and a second mixture of the first and second gases into the first and second semiconductor processing chambers, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2020Publication date: May 13, 2021Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Diwakar Kedlaya, Fang Ruan, Zubin Huang, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Kaushik Alayavalli, Martin Seamons, Kwangduk Lee, Rajaram Narayanan, Karthik Janakiraman
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Publication number: 20140091417Abstract: A method of depositing a low refractive index coating on a photo-active feature on a substrate comprises forming a substrate having one or more photo-active features thereon and placing the substrate in a process zone. A deposition gas is energized in a remote gas energizer, the deposition gas comprising a fluorocarbon gas and an additive gas. The remotely energized deposition gas is flowed into the process zone to deposit a low refractive index coating on the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2013Publication date: April 3, 2014Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Sum-Yee Betty TANG, Martin SEAMONS, Kiran V. THADANI, Abhijit MALLICK
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Publication number: 20140091379Abstract: A fluorocarbon coating comprises an amorphous structure with CF2 bonds present in an atomic percentage of at least about 15%, and having a refractive index of less than about 1.4. The fluorocarbon coating can be deposited on a substrate by placing the substrate in a process zone comprising a pair of process electrodes, introducing a deposition gas comprising a fluorocarbon gas into the process zone, and forming a capacitively coupled plasma of the deposition gas by coupling energy to the process electrodes.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2013Publication date: April 3, 2014Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Sum-Yee Betty TANG, Martin SEAMONS
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Publication number: 20080084650Abstract: The present invention generally provides methods and apparatus for monitoring and maintaining flatness of a substrate in a plasma reactor. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for processing a substrate comprising positioning the substrate on an electrostatic chuck, applying an RF power between the an electrode in the electrostatic chuck and a counter electrode positioned parallel to the electrostatic chuck, applying a DC bias to the electrode in the electrostatic chuck to clamp the substrate on the electrostatic chuck, and measuring an imaginary impedance of the electrostatic chuck.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2007Publication date: April 10, 2008Inventors: Ganesh Balasubramanian, Amit Bansal, Eller Juco, Mohamad Ayoub, Hyung-Joon Kim, Karthik Janakiraman, Sudha Rathi, Deenesh Padhi, Martin Seamons, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Bok Kim, Amir Al-Bayati, Derek Witty, Hichem M'Saad, Anton Baryshnikov, Chiu Chan, Shuang Liu
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Publication number: 20060222771Abstract: A method is provided for forming an amorphous carbon layer, deposited on a dielectric material such as oxide, nitride, silicon carbide, carbon doped oxide, etc., or a metal layer such as tungsten, aluminum or poly-silicon. The method includes the use of chamber seasoning, variable thickness of seasoning film, wider spacing, variable process gas flows, post-deposition purge with inert gas, and post-deposition plasma purge, among others, to make the deposition of an amorphous carbon film at low deposition temperatures possible without any defects or particle contamination.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2006Publication date: October 5, 2006Inventors: Martin Seamons, Wendy Yeh, Sudha Rathi, Heraldo Botelho
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Publication number: 20060162661Abstract: A dual channel gas distributor can simultaneously distribute plasma species of an first process gas and a non-plasma second process gas into a process zone of a substrate processing chamber. The gas distributor has a localized plasma box with a first inlet to receive a first process gas, and opposing top and bottom plates that are capable of being electrically biased relative to one another to define a localized plasma zone in which a plasma of the first process gas can be formed. The top plate has a plurality of spaced apart gas spreading holes to spread the first process gas across the localized plasma zone, and the bottom plate has a plurality of first outlets to distribute plasma species of the plasma of the first process gas into the process zone. A plasma isolated gas feed has a second inlet to receive the second process gas and a plurality of second outlets to pass the second process gas into the process zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 22, 2005Publication date: July 27, 2006Inventors: Kee Jung, Dale Du Bois, Lun Tsuei, Lihua Huang, Martin Seamons, Soovo Sen, Reza Arghavani, Michael Kwan
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Publication number: 20060105106Abstract: A stressed film is formed on a substrate. The substrate is placed in a process zone and a plasma is formed of a process gas provided in the process zone, the process gas having silicon-containing gas and nitrogen-containing gas. A diluent gas such as nitrogen can also be added. The as-deposited stressed material can be exposed to ultraviolet radiation or electron beams to increase the stress value of the deposited material. In addition or in the alternative, a nitrogen plasma treatment can be used to increase the stress value of the material during deposition. Pulsed plasma methods to deposit stressed materials are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2005Publication date: May 18, 2006Inventors: Mihaela Balseanu, Kee Jung, Lihua Huang, Li-Qun Xia, Rongping Wang, Derek Witty, Lewis Stern, Martin Seamons, Hichem M'Saad, Michael Kwan
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Publication number: 20060014397Abstract: A method is provided for forming an amorphous carbon layer, deposited on a dielectric material such as oxide, nitride, silicon carbide, carbon doped oxide, etc., or a metal layer such as tungsten, aluminum or poly-silicon. The method includes the use of chamber seasoning, variable thickness of seasoning film, wider spacing, variable process gas flows, post-deposition purge with inert gas, and post-deposition plasma purge, among others, to make the deposition of an amorphous carbon film at low deposition temperatures possible without any defects or particle contamination.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2004Publication date: January 19, 2006Inventors: Martin Seamons, Wendy Yeh, Sudha Rathi, Heraldo Botelho
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Publication number: 20050287771Abstract: Methods are provided for depositing amorphous carbon materials. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including positioning the substrate in a processing chamber, introducing a processing gas into the processing chamber, wherein the processing gas comprises a carrier gas, hydrogen, and one or more precursor compounds, generating a plasma of the processing gas by applying power from a dual-frequency RF source, and depositing an amorphous carbon layer on the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2005Publication date: December 29, 2005Inventors: Martin Seamons, Wendy Yeh, Sudha Rathi, Deenesh Padhi, Andy Luan, Sum-Yee Tang, Priya Kulkarni, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Bok Kim, Hichem M'Saad, Yuxiang Wang, Michael Kwan
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Publication number: 20050170104Abstract: We have discovered that is possible to tune the stress of a single-layer silicon nitride film by manipulating certain film deposition parameters. These parameters include: use of multiple (typically dual) power input sources operating within different frequency ranges; the deposition temperature; the process chamber pressure; and the composition of the deposition source gas. In particular, we have found that it is possible to produce a single-layer, thin (300 ? to 1000 ? thickness) silicon nitride film having a stress tuned to be within the range of about ?1.4 GPa (compressive) to about +1.5 GPa (tensile) by depositing the film by PECVD, in a single deposition step, at a substrate temperature within the range of about 375° C. to about 525 ° C., and over a process chamber pressure ranging from about 2 Torr to about 15 Torr.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2004Publication date: August 4, 2005Inventors: KeeBum Jung, Sum-Yee Tang, Martin Seamons, Reza Arghavani, Eller Juco
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Publication number: 20050150452Abstract: The present invention provides a process kit for a semiconductor processing chamber. The processing chamber is a vacuum processing chamber that includes a chamber body defining an interior processing region. The processing region receives a substrate for processing, and also supports equipment pieces of the process kit. The process kit includes a pumping liner configured to be placed within the processing region of the processing chamber, and a C-channel liner configured to be placed along an outer diameter of the pumping liner. The pumping liner and the C-channel liner have novel interlocking features designed to inhibit parasitic pumping of processing or cleaning gases from the processing region. The invention further provides a semiconductor processing chamber having an improved process kit, such as the kit described. In one arrangement, the chamber is a tandem processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2004Publication date: July 14, 2005Inventors: Soovo Sen, Mark Fodor, Martin Seamons, Priya Kulkarni, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Sudha Rathi, Tsutomu Shimayama, Thomas Nowak, Wendy Yeh
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Patent number: 6868856Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor processing equipment. The apparatus include both local and remote gas dissociators coupled to a semiconductor processing chamber to be cleaned. The methods include introducing a precursor gas into the remote dissociator where the gas is dissociated and introducing a portion of the dissociated gas into the chamber. Another portion of the dissociated gas which re-associates before introduction into the chamber is also introduced into the chamber where it is again dissociated. The dissociated gas combines with contaminants in the chamber and is exhausted from the chamber along with the contaminants.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2001Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Thomas Nowak, Ian Latchford, Tsutomu Tanaka, Bok Heon Kim, Ping Xu, Jason Foster, Heath B. DeShong, Martin Seamons
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Patent number: 6843881Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing chamber has a substrate support to support a substrate, a gas delivery system to provide an energized cleaning gas to the chamber to clean process residues formed on surfaces in the chamber during processing of the substrate, and an exhaust to exhaust the cleaning gas. A detector monitors a chemiluminescent radiation emitted from about a surface during cleaning of the process residues by the energized cleaning gas and generates a signal in relation to the monitored chemiluminescent radiation. A controller receives the signal and evaluates the signal to determine an endpoint of the cleaning process.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2002Date of Patent: January 18, 2005Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Bok Hoen Kim, Nam Le, Martin Seamons, Ameeta Madhava, Michael P. Nault, Thomas Nowak, Tsutomu Tanaka, Moshe Sarfaty
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Publication number: 20030185966Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing chamber has a substrate support to support a substrate, a gas delivery system to provide an energized cleaning gas to the chamber to clean process residues formed on surfaces in the chamber during processing of the substrate, and an exhaust to exhaust the cleaning gas. A detector monitors a chemiluminescent radiation emitted from about a surface during cleaning of the process residues by the energized cleaning gas and generates a signal in relation to the monitored chemiluminescent radiation. A controller receives the signal and evaluates the signal to determine an endpoint of the cleaning process.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2002Publication date: October 2, 2003Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Bok Hoen Kim, Nam Le, Martin Seamons, Ameeta Madhava, Michael P. Nault, Thomas Nowak, Tsutomu Tanaka, Moshe Sarfaty
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Publication number: 20030010355Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cleaning semiconductor processing equipment. The apparatus include both local and remote gas dissociators coupled to a semiconductor processing chamber to be cleaned. The methods include introducing a precursor gas into the remote dissociator where the gas is dissociated and introducing a portion of the dissociated gas into the chamber. Another portion of the dissociated gas which re-associates before introduction into the chamber is also introduced into the chamber where it is again dissociated. The dissociated gas combines with contaminants in the chamber and is exhausted from the chamber along with the contaminants.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2001Publication date: January 16, 2003Applicant: Applied Materials, IncInventors: Thomas Nowak, Ian Latchford, Tsutomu Tanaka, Bok H. Kim, Ping Xu, Jason Foster, Heath B. DeShong, Martin Seamons
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Patent number: 6413321Abstract: Backside particle contamination of semiconductor wafers subjected to chemical vapor deposition is significantly reduced by optimizing various process parameters, alone or in combination. A high quality oxide seasoning layer is deposited to improve adhesion and trapping of contaminants remaining after a prior chamber cleaning step. Second, wafer pre-heating reduces thermal stress on the wafer during physical contact between the wafer and heater. Third, the duration of the gas stabilization flow of thermally reactive process gas species prior to CVD reaction is reduced, thereby preventing side products produced during this stabilization flow from affecting the wafer backside. Fourth, the wafer heater is redesigned to minimize physical contact between the heater surface and the wafer backside.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2000Date of Patent: July 2, 2002Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Bok Hoen Kim, Mario Dave Silvetti, Ameeta Madhava, Davood Khalili, Martin Seamons, Emanuele Cappello, Nam Le, Lloyd Berken