Patents by Inventor Michael P. Nault
Michael P. Nault 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: 7265062Abstract: A process for depositing porous silicon oxide-based films using a sol-gel approach utilizing a precursor solution formulation which includes a purified nonionic surfactant and an additive among other components, where the additive is either an ionic additive or an amine additive which forms an ionic ammonium type salt in the acidic precursor solution. Using this precursor solution formulation enables formation of a film having a dielectric constant less than 2.5, appropriate mechanical properties, and minimal levels of alkali metal impurities. In one embodiment, this is achieved by purifying the surfactant and adding ionic or amine additives such as tetraalkylammonium salts and amines to the stock precursor solution.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2003Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc., Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Robert P. Mandal, Alexandros T. Demos, Timothy Weidman, Michael P. Nault, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Scott Jeffrey Weigel, Lee A. Senecal, James E. Mac Dougall, Hareesh Thridandam
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Patent number: 6896955Abstract: A process for depositing porous silicon oxide-based films using a sol-gel approach utilizing a precursor solution formulation which includes a purified nonionic surfactant and an additive among other components, where the additive is either an ionic additive or an amine additive which forms an ionic ammonium type salt in the acidic precursor solution. Using this precursor solution formulation enables formation of a film having a dielectric constant less than 2.5, appropriate mechanical properties, and minimal levels of alkali metal impurities. In one embodiment, this is achieved by purifying the surfactant and adding ionic or amine additives such as tetraalkylammonium salts and amines to the stock precursor solution.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2002Date of Patent: May 24, 2005Assignees: Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Robert P. Mandal, Alexandros T. Demos, Timothy Weidman, Michael P. Nault, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Scott J. Weigel, Lee A. Senecal, James E. MacDougal, Hareesh Thridandam
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Patent number: 6875687Abstract: Specific embodiments of the invention provide a silicon-carbide-type or silicon oxycarbide (also often called carbon-doped-oxide [CDO] or organosilicate glass) capping material and method for depositing this capping material on ELK films which are used as a dielectric material in integrated circuits. The ELK film may include any ELK film including but not limited to inorganic, organic and hybrid dielectric materials and their respective porous versions. The silicon-carbide-type material may be an amorphous silicon carbide type material such as the commercially available BLOk™ material, or a carbon-doped oxide material such as the commercially available Black Diamond™ both of which are developed by Applied Materials of Santa Clara, Calif. The amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) material is deposited using a plasma process in a non-oxidizing environment and the CDO-type material is deposited using an oxygen-starved plasma process.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2000Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Timothy Weidman, Michael P Nault, Josephine J Chang
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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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Patent number: 6818289Abstract: A process provides a ceramic film, such as a mesoporous silica film, on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. The process includes preparing a film-forming fluid containing a ceramic precursor, a catalyst, a surfactant and a solvent, depositing the film-forming fluid on the substrate, and removing the solvent from the film-forming fluid on the substrate to produce the ceramic film on the substrate. The ceramic film has a dielectric constant below 2.3, a halide content of less than 1 ppm and a metal content of less than 500 ppm, making it useful for current and future microelectronics applications.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2002Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: James Edward MacDougall, Kevin Ray Heier, Scott Jeffrey Weigel, Timothy W. Weidman, Alexandros T. Demos, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Yunfeng Lu, Michael P Nault, Robert Parkash Mandal
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Publication number: 20040087184Abstract: A process for depositing porous silicon oxide-based films using a sol-gel approach utilizing a precursor solution formulation which includes a purified nonionic surfactant and an additive among other components, where the additive is either an ionic additive or an amine additive which forms an ionic ammonium type salt in the acidic precursor solution. Using this precursor solution formulation enables formation of a film having a dielectric constant less than 2.5, appropriate mechanical properties, and minimal levels of alkali metal impurities. In one embodiment, this is achieved by purifying the surfactant and adding ionic or amine additives such as tetraalkylammonium salts and amines to the stock precursor solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2003Publication date: May 6, 2004Applicants: APPLIED MATERIALS INC., A Delaware corporation, AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS INC., A Delaware CorporationInventors: Robert P. Mandal, Alexandros T. Demos, Timothy Weidman, Michael P. Nault, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Scott J. Weigel, Lee A. Senecal, James E. Mac Dougall, Hareesh Thridandam
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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: 20030157311Abstract: A process provides a ceramic film, such as a mesoporous silica film, on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. The process includes preparing a film-forming fluid containing a ceramic precursor, a catalyst, a surfactant and a solvent, depositing the film-forming fluid on the substrate, and removing the solvent from the film-forming fluid on the substrate to produce the ceramic film on the substrate. The ceramic film has a dielectric constant below 2.3, a halide content of less than 1 ppm and a metal content of less than 500 ppm, making it useful for current and future microelectronics applications.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2002Publication date: August 21, 2003Inventors: James Edward MacDougall, Kevin Ray Heier, Scott Jeffrey Weigel, Timothy W. Weidman, Alexandros T. Demos, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Yunfeng Lu, Michael P. Nault, Robert Parkash Mandal
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Patent number: 6592980Abstract: A process provides a ceramic film, such as a mesoporous silica film, on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. The process includes preparing a film-forming fluid containing a ceramic precursor, a catalyst, a surfactant and a solvent, depositing the film-forming fluid on the substrate, and removing the solvent from the film-forming fluid on the substrate to produce the ceramic film on the substrate. The ceramic film has a dielectric constant below 2.3, a halide content of less than 1 ppm and a metal content of less than 500 ppm, making it useful for current and future microelectronics applications.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2000Date of Patent: July 15, 2003Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: James Edward MacDougall, Kevin Ray Heier, Scott Jeffrey Weigel, Timothy W. Weidman, Alexandros T. Demos, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Yunfeng Lu, Michael P. Nault, Robert Parkash Mandal
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Patent number: 6583071Abstract: A process for forming a extremely low dielectric constant film over a substrate. The process includes coating a substrate with a solution comprising a soluble source of silicon oxide, water, a solvent, a surfactant and a catalyst using an ultrasonic spray nozzle. The coated substrate is then subsequently treated to harden the solution into an extremely low dielectric constant film.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2000Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.Inventors: Timothy Weidman, Yunfeng Lu, Michael P Nault, Michael Barnes, Farhad Moghadam
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Patent number: 6576568Abstract: A process for depositing porous silicon oxide-based films using a sol-gel approach utilizing a precursor solution formulation which includes a purified nonionic surfactant and an additive among other components, where the additive is either an ionic additive or an amine additive which forms an ionic ammonium type salt in the acidic precursor solution. Using this precursor solution formulation enables formation of a film having a dielectric constant less than 2.5, appropriate mechanical properties, and minimal levels of alkali metal impurities. In one embodiment, this is achieved by purifying the surfactant and adding ionic or amine additives such as tetraalkylammonium salts and amines to the stock precursor solution.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2001Date of Patent: June 10, 2003Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc., Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.Inventors: Robert P Mandal, Alexandros T Demos, Timothy Weidman, Michael P Nault, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Scott J Weigel, Lee A. Senecal, James E. MacDougall, Hareesh Thridandam
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Publication number: 20030008525Abstract: A process for depositing porous silicon oxide-based films using a sol-gel approach utilizing a precursor solution formulation which includes a purified nonionic surfactant and an additive among other components, where the additive is either an ionic additive or an amine additive which forms an ionic ammonium type salt in the acidic precursor solution. Using this precursor solution formulation enables formation of a film having a dielectric constant less than 2.5, appropriate mechanical properties, and minimal levels of alkali metal impurities. In one embodiment, this is achieved by purifying the surfactant and adding ionic or amine additives such as tetraalkylammonium salts and amines to the stock precursor solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2002Publication date: January 9, 2003Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS INC.Inventors: Robert P. Mandal, Alexandros T. Demos, Timothy Weidman, Michael P. Nault, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Scott J. Weigel, Lee A. Senecal, James E. Mac Dougall, Hareesh Thridandam
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Publication number: 20020042210Abstract: A process for depositing porous silicon oxide-based films using a sol-gel approach utilizing a precursor solution formulation which includes a purified nonionic surfactant and an additive among other components, where the additive is either an ionic additive or an amine additive which forms an ionic ammonium type salt in the acidic precursor solution. Using this precursor solution formulation enables formation of a film having a dielectric constant less than 2.5, appropriate mechanical properties, and minimal levels of alkali metal impurities. In one embodiment, this is achieved by purifying the surfactant and adding ionic or amine additives such as tetraalkylammonium salts and amines to the stock precursor solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2001Publication date: April 11, 2002Inventors: Robert P. Mandal, Alexandros T. Demos, Timothy Weidman, Michael P. Nault, Nikolaos Bekiaris, Scott J. Weigel, Lee A. Senecal, James E. MacDougall, Hareesh Thridandam
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Patent number: 6190233Abstract: A method and an apparatus for depositing a dielectric layer to fill in a gap between adjacent metal lines. In preferred embodiments of the method, a first dielectric layer is deposited over the lines and subsequently etched using both chemical and physical etchback steps. After the etchback steps are completed, a second dielectric layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer to fill in the gap.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 1998Date of Patent: February 20, 2001Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Soonil Hong, Choon Kun Ryu, Michael P. Nault, Kaushal K. Singh, Anthony Lam, Virendra V. S. Rana, Andrew Conners
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Patent number: 5990000Abstract: A method and an apparatus for depositing a dielectric layer to fill in a gap between adjacent metal lines. In preferred embodiments of the method, a first dielectric layer is deposited over the lines and subsequently etched using both chemical and physical etchback steps. After the etchback steps are completed, a second dielectric layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer to fill in the gap.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1997Date of Patent: November 23, 1999Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Soonil Hong, Choon Kun Ryu, Michael P. Nault, Kaushal K. Singh, Anthony Lam, Virendra V. S. Rana, Andrew Conners