Patents by Inventor Mihaela A. Balseanu

Mihaela A. Balseanu 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).

  • Method of forming self-aligned via
    Patent number: 10629484
    Abstract: Electronic devices and methods to form electronic devices having a self-aligned via are described. An adhesion enhancement layer is utilized to promote adhesion between the conductive material and the sidewalls of the at least one via opening. The self-aligned vias decrease via resistance and reduce the potential to short to the wrong metal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Suketu Arun Parikh, Mihaela Balseanu
  • Method And Apparatus For Deposition Of Low-K Films
    Publication number: 20200006064
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming a conformal SiOC film on a surface are described. A SiCN film is formed on a substrate surface and exposed to a steam annealing process to decrease the nitrogen content, increase the oxygen content and leave the carbon content about the same. The annealed film has one or more of the wet etch rate or dielectric constant of the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Ning Li, Zhelin Sun, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Mark Saly
  • METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LOW TEMPERATURE SILICON NITRIDE FILMS
    Publication number: 20190348271
    Abstract: Processing methods for forming a silicon nitride film comprising exposing a metal surface to a silicon precursor, a nitrogen-containing reactant and a hydrogen-containing plasma at a temperature less than or equal to about 250° C. to form a silicon nitride film with a low etch rate without damaging the metal surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Wenbo Yan, Cong Trinh, Ning Li, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Maribel Maldonado-Garcia
  • Method and apparatus for deposition of low-k films
    Patent number: 10453678
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming a conformal SiOC film on a surface are described. A SiCN film is formed on a substrate surface and exposed to a steam annealing process to decrease the nitrogen content, increase the oxygen content and leave the carbon content about the same. The annealed film has one or more of the wet etch rate or dielectric constant of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ning Li, Zhelin Sun, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Mark Saly
  • METHOD TO FABRICATE THERMALLY STABLE LOW K-FINFET SPACER
    Publication number: 20190311896
    Abstract: A method for forming a thermally stable spacer layer is disclosed. The method includes first disposing a substrate in an internal volume of a processing chamber. The substrate has a film formed thereon, the film including silicon, carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Next, high pressure steam is introduced into the processing chamber. The film is exposed to the high pressure steam to convert the film to reacted film, the reacted film including silicon, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Mihaela BALSEANU, Srinivas D. NEMANI, Mei-Yee SHEK, Ellie Y. YIEH
  • Methods For Low Temperature ALD Of Metal Oxides
    Publication number: 20190309412
    Abstract: Methods for depositing metal oxide layers on metal surfaces are described. The methods include exposing a substrate to separate doses of a metal precursor, which does not contain metal-oxygen bonds, and a modified alcohol with an electron withdrawing group positioned relative to a beta carbon so as to increase the acidity of a beta hydrogen attached to the beta carbon. These methods do not oxidize the underlying metal layer and are able to be performed at lower temperatures than processes performed with water or without modified alcohols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Mark Saly, Cong Trinh, Mihaela Balseanu, Lakmal C. Kalutarage
  • Selective deposition of silicon nitride films for spacer applications
    Patent number: 10319583
    Abstract: Methods for forming a spacer comprising depositing a film on the top, bottom and sidewalls of a feature and treating the film to change a property of the film on the top and bottom of the feature so that the film can be selectively etched from the top and bottom of the feature relative to the film on the sidewalls of the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ning Li, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia
  • High temperature silicon oxide atomic layer deposition technology
    Patent number: 10170298
    Abstract: Processes for depositing SiO2 films on a wafer surface utilizing an aminosilane compound as a silicon precursor are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Wenbo Yan, Cong Trinh, Ning Li, Victor Nguyen, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Mark Saly
  • Methods for depositing low K and low wet etch rate dielectric thin films
    Patent number: 10147599
    Abstract: Methods for the formation of SiCN, SiCO and SiCON films comprising cyclical exposure of a substrate surface to a silicon-containing gas, a carbon-containing gas and a plasma. Some embodiments further comprise the addition of an oxidizing agent prior to at least the plasma exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Ning Li, Mark Saly, David Thompson, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia
  • Methods and apparatus for selective dry etch
    Patent number: 10134581
    Abstract: Methods for forming a spacer comprising depositing a film on the top, bottom and sidewalls of a feature and treating the film to change a property of the film on the top and bottom of the feature. Selectively dry etching the film from the top and bottom of the feature relative to the film on the sidewalls of the feature using a high intensity plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ning Li, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Dongqing Yang, Anchuan Wang
  • Method And Apparatus For Deposition Of Low-K Films
    Publication number: 20180301333
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming a conformal SiOC film on a surface are described. A SiCN film is formed on a substrate surface and exposed to a steam annealing process to decrease the nitrogen content, increase the oxygen content and leave the carbon content about the same. The annealed film has one or more of the wet etch rate or dielectric constant of the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Ning Li, Zhelin Sun, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Mark Saly
  • Atomic Layer Deposition Of Films Comprising Silicon, Carbon And Nitrogen Using Halogenated Silicon Precursors
    Publication number: 20180291505
    Abstract: Provided are methods for the deposition of films comprising SiCN. Certain methods involve exposing a substrate surface to a silicon precursor, wherein the silicon precursor is halogenated with Cl, Br or I, and the silicon precursor comprises a halogenated silane, a halogenated carbosilane, an halogenated aminosilane or a halogenated carbo-sillyl amine. Then, the substrate surface can be exposed to a nitrogen-containing plasma or a nitrogen precursor and densification plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Victor Nguyen, Ning Li, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Mark Saly, David Thompson
  • Method And Apparatus For Selective Deposition Of Dielectric Films
    Publication number: 20180211833
    Abstract: Processing platforms having a central transfer station with a robot and an environment having greater than or equal to about 0.1% by weight water vapor, a pre-clean chamber connected to a side of the transfer station and a batch processing chamber connected to a side of the transfer station. The processing platform configured to pre-clean a substrate to remove native oxides from a first surface, form a blocking layer using a alkylsilane and selectively deposit a film. Methods of using the processing platforms and processing a plurality of wafers are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Ning Li, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Dongqing Yang, Lala Zhu, Malcolm J. Bevan, Theresa Kramer Guarini, Wenbo Yan
  • Atomic layer deposition of films comprising silicon, carbon and nitrogen using halogenated silicon precursors
    Patent number: 10023958
    Abstract: Provided are methods for the deposition of films comprising SiCN. Certain methods involve exposing a substrate surface to a silicon precursor, wherein the silicon precursor is halogenated with Cl, Br or I, and the silicon precursor comprises a halogenated silane, a halogenated carbosilane, an halogenated aminosilane or a halogenated carbo-sillyl amine. Then, the substrate surface can be exposed to a nitrogen-containing plasma or a nitrogen precursor and densification plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Nguyen, Ning Li, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Mark Saly, David Thompson
  • PEALD of films comprising silicon nitride
    Patent number: 9984868
    Abstract: Provided are methods of for deposition of SiN films via PEALD processes. Certain methods pertain to exposing a substrate surface to a silicon precursor to provide a silicon precursor at the substrate surface; purging excess silicon precursor; exposing the substrate surface to an ionized reducing agent; and purging excess ionized reducing agent to provide a film comprising SiN, wherein the substrate has a temperature of 23° C. to about 550° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Nguyen, Woong Jae Lee, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Derek R. Witty
  • Methods And Systems To Modulate Film Stress
    Publication number: 20180130642
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods to control the phase of power sources for plasma process regions in a batch process chamber. A master exciter controls the phase of the power sources during the process sequence based on feedback from the match circuits of the respective plasma sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Tsutomu Tanaka, John C. Forster, Ran Liu, Kenichi Ohno, Ning Li, Mihaela Balseanu, Keiichi Tanaka, Li-Qun Xia
  • High Temperature Silicon Oxide Atomic Layer Deposition Technology
    Publication number: 20180076023
    Abstract: Processes for depositing SiO2 films on a wafer surface utilizing an aminosilane compound as a silicon precursor are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Wenbo Yan, Cong Trinh, Ning Li, Victor Nguyen, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Mark Saly
  • Methods For Depositing Low K And Low Wet Etch Rate Dielectric Thin Films
    Publication number: 20180040470
    Abstract: Methods for the formation of SiCN, SiCO and SiCON films comprising cyclical exposure of a substrate surface to a silicon-containing gas, a carbon-containing gas and a plasma. Some embodiments further comprise the addition of an oxidizing agent prior to at least the plasma exposure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Ning Li, Mark Saly, David Thompson, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia
  • High temperature silicon oxide atomic layer deposition technology
    Patent number: 9875888
    Abstract: Processes for depositing SiO2 films on a wafer surface utilizing an aminosilane compound as a silicon precursor are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenbo Yan, Cong Trinh, Ning Li, Victor Nguyen, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia, Mark Saly
  • Methods for depositing low k and low wet etch rate dielectric thin films
    Patent number: 9799511
    Abstract: Methods for the formation of SiCN, SiCO and SiCON films comprising cyclical exposure of a substrate surface to a silicon-containing gas, a carbon-containing gas and a plasma. Some embodiments further comprise the addition of an oxidizing agent prior to at least the plasma exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ning Li, Mark Saly, David Thompson, Mihaela Balseanu, Li-Qun Xia