Patents by Inventor Mohamad A. Ayoub
Mohamad A. Ayoub 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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Publication number: 20160020071Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for conditioning an interior wall surface of a remote plasma generator. In one embodiment, a method for processing a substrate is provided. The method includes exposing an interior wall surface of a remote plasma source to a conditioning gas that is in excited state to passivate the interior wall surface of the remote plasma source, wherein the remote plasma source is coupled through a conduit to a processing chamber in which a substrate is disposed, and the conditioning gas comprises an oxygen-containing gas, a nitrogen-containing gas, or a combination thereof. The method has been observed to be able to improve dissociation/recombination rate and plasma coupling efficiency in the processing chamber, and therefore provides repeatable and stable plasma source performance from wafer to wafer.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2015Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Abdul Aziz KHAJA, Mohamad AYOUB, Jay D. PINSON, II, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ
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Publication number: 20160017494Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus for improving a plasma profile during plasma processing of a substrate. According to embodiments, the apparatus includes a tuning ring electrically coupled to a variable capacitor. The capacitance is controlled to control the RF and resulting plasma coupling to the tuning ring. The plasma profile and the resulting deposition film thickness across the substrate are correspondingly controlled by adjusting the capacitance and impedance at the tuning ring.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2014Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: Mohamad A. AYOUB, Jian J. CHEN
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Publication number: 20160013022Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus for enhancing deposition rate and improving a plasma profile during plasma processing of a substrate. According to embodiments, the apparatus includes a tuning electrode disposed in a substrate support pedestal and electrically coupled to a variable capacitor. The capacitance is controlled to control the RF and resulting plasma coupling to the tuning electrode. The plasma profile and the resulting deposition rate and deposited film thickness across the substrate are correspondingly controlled by adjusting the capacitance and impedance at the tuning electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2014Publication date: January 14, 2016Inventors: MOHAMAD A. AYOUB, JIAN J. CHEN, AMIT K. BANSAL
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Patent number: 9157730Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2013Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Nagarajan Rajagopalan, Xinhai Han, Michael Tsiang, Masaki Ogata, Zhijun Jiang, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Thomas Nowak, Jianhua Zhou, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Amit Kumar Bansal, Jeongmin Lee, Todd Egan, Edward Budiarto, Dmitriy Panasyuk, Terrance Y. Lee, Jian J. Chen, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Heung Lak Park, Patrick Reilly, Shahid Shaikh, Bok Hoen Kim, Sergey Starik
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Publication number: 20150226540Abstract: Apparatus and method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2013Publication date: August 13, 2015Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Nagarajan Rajagopalan, Xinhai Han, Michael Tsiang, Masaki Ogata, Zhijun Jiang, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Thomas Nowak, Jianhua Zhou, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Amit Kumar Bansal, Jeongmin Lee, Todd Egan, Edward Budiarto, Dmitriy Panasyuk, Terrance Y. Lee, Jian J. Chen, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Heung Lak Park, Patrick Reilly, Shahid Shaikh, Bok Hoen Kim, Sergey Starik
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Patent number: 8884524Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an RF conducting rod comprising a hollow portion. Particularly, the RF conducting rod comprises an elongated hollow body having a sidewall enclosing an inner volume, a first solid connector extending from a first end of the elongated hollow body, and a second solid connector extending from a second end of the elongated hollow body. Each of the elongated hollow body, the first solid connector and the second solid connector is formed from an electrically conductive material.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2011Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jianhua Zhou, Dale R. Du Bois, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez
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Publication number: 20140302256Abstract: Embodiments provide a plasma processing apparatus, substrate support assembly, and method of controlling a plasma process. The apparatus and substrate support assembly include a substrate support pedestal, a tuning assembly that includes a tuning electrode that is disposed in the pedestal and electrically coupled to a radio frequency (RF) tuner, and a heating assembly that includes one or more heating elements disposed within the pedestal for controlling a temperature profile of the substrate, where at least one of the heating elements is electrically coupled to an RF filter circuit that includes a first inductor configured in parallel with a formed capacitance of the first inductor to ground. The high impedance of the RF filters can be achieved by tuning the resonance of the RF filter circuit, which results in less RF leakage and better substrate processing results.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: October 9, 2014Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jian J. CHEN, Mohamad A. AYOUB, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Zheng John YE, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN, Jianhua ZHOU
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Publication number: 20140290576Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to apparatus for improving uniformity and film stress of films deposited during plasma process of a substrate. According to embodiments, the apparatus includes a tuning electrode and/or a tuning ring electrically coupled to a variable capacitor for tuning high frequency RF impedance of the electrode and a low frequency RF termination to ground. The plasma profile and resulting film thickness can be controlled by adjusting the capacitance of the variable capacitor and the resulting impedance of the tuning electrode. The film stress of the film deposited on the substrate can be controlled, i.e., increased, by terminating the low frequency RF during processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Inventors: Jian J. Chen, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Mohamad A. Ayoub
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Patent number: 8778813Abstract: An apparatus for plasma processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a processing chamber, a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber, a shield member disposed in the processing chamber below the substrate support, and a lid assembly coupled to the processing chamber. The lid assembly comprises a conductive gas distributor coupled to a power source, and an electrode separated from the conductive gas distributor and the chamber body by electrical insulators. The electrode is also coupled to a source of electric power. The substrate support is formed with a stiffness that permits very little departure from parallelism. The shield member thermally shields a substrate transfer opening in the lower portion of the chamber body. A pumping plenum is located below the substrate support processing position, and is spaced apart therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2011Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Dale R. Du Bois, Mark Fodor, Jianhua Zhou, Amit Bansal, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Shahid Shaikh, Patrick Reilly, Deenesh Padhi, Thomas Nowak
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Publication number: 20140118751Abstract: A method of processing a substrate according to a PECVD process is described. Temperature profile of the substrate is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Plasma density profile is adjusted to change deposition rate profile across the substrate. Chamber surfaces exposed to the plasma are heated to improve plasma density uniformity and reduce formation of low quality deposits on chamber surfaces. In situ metrology may be used to monitor progress of a deposition process and trigger control actions involving substrate temperature profile, plasma density profile, pressure, temperature, and flow of reactants.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2013Publication date: May 1, 2014Inventors: Nagarajan RAJAGOPALAN, Xinhai HAN, Michael TSIANG, Masaki OGATA, Zhijun JIANG, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Thomas NOWAK, Jianhua ZHOU, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN, Amit Kumar BANSAL, Jeongmin LEE, Todd EGAN, Edward BUDIARTO, Dmitriy PANASYUK, Terrance Y. LEE, Jian J. CHEN, Mohamad A. AYOUB, Heung Lak PARK, Patrick REILLY, Shahid SHAIKH, Bok Hoen KIM, Sergey STARIK, Ganesh BALASUBRAMANIAN
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Publication number: 20140087489Abstract: An apparatus for plasma processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a processing chamber, a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber, and a lid assembly coupled to the processing chamber. The lid assembly comprises a conductive gas distributor coupled to a power source. A tuning electrode may be disposed between the conductive gas distributor and the chamber body for adjusting a ground pathway of the plasma. A second tuning electrode may be coupled to the substrate support, and a bias electrode may also be coupled to the substrate support.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Amit Kumar BANSAL, Ganesh BALASUBRAMANIAN, Jianhua ZHOU, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN, Mohamad A. AYOUB, Jian J. CHEN
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Patent number: 8587321Abstract: A system and method for the detection of plasma excursions, such as arcs, micro-arcs, or other plasma instability, during plasma processing by directly monitoring RF current just prior to reaching an RF power electrode of a plasma processing chamber is provided. The monitored RF current may be converted to an RF voltage and then passed through a succession of analog filters and amplifiers to provide a plasma excursion signal. The plasma excursion signal is compared to a preset value, and at points where the plasma excursion signal exceeds the preset value, an alarm signal is generated. The alarm signal is then fed back into a system controller so that an operator can be alerted and/or the processing system can be shut down. In one embodiment, the RF current amplified and converted to a digital signal for digital filtering and processing. In certain embodiments, multiple processing regions can be monitored by a single detection control unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2010Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jian J. Chen, Mohamad A. Ayoub
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Patent number: 8502689Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for the detection of plasma excursions, such as arcs, micro-arcs, or other plasma instability, during plasma processing by directly monitoring direct current (DC) bias voltage on an RF power electrode of a plasma processing chamber. The monitored DC bias voltage is then passed through a succession of analog filters and amplifiers to provide a plasma excursion signal. The plasma excursion signal is compared to a preset value, and at points where the plasma excursion signal exceeds the preset value, an alarm signal is generated. The alarm signal is then fed back into a system controller so that an operator can be alerted and/or the processing system can be shut down. In certain embodiments, multiple processing regions can be monitored by a single detection control unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2010Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Jian J. Chen, Mohamad Ayoub
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Publication number: 20130126206Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an RF conducting rod comprising a hollow portion. Particularly, the RF conducting rod comprises an elongated hollow body having a sidewall enclosing an inner volume, a first solid connector extending from a first end of the elongated hollow body, and a second solid connector extending from a second end of the elongated hollow body. Each of the elongated hollow body, the first solid connector and the second solid connector is formed from an electrically conductive material.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2011Publication date: May 23, 2013Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Jianhua Zhou, Dale R. Du Bois, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez
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Publication number: 20120211164Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a substrate processing system that integrates substrate edge processing capabilities. Illustrated examples of the processing system include, without limitations, a factory interface, a loadlock chamber, a transfer chamber, and one or more twin process chambers having two or more processing regions that are isolatable from each other and share a common gas supply and a common exhaust pump. The processing regions in each twin process chamber include separate gas distribution assemblies and RF power sources to provide plasma at selective regions on a substrate surface in each processing region. Each twin process chamber is thereby configured to allow multiple, isolated processes to be performed concurrently on at least two substrates in the processing regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ashish Shah, Dale R. DuBois, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Mark A. Fodor, Eui Kyoon Kim, Chiu Chan, Karthik Janakiraman, Thomas Nowak, Joseph C. Werner, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Mohamad Ayoub, Amir Al-Bayati, Jianhua Zhou
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Publication number: 20120205046Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for controlling the intensity and distribution of a plasma discharge in a plasma chamber. In one embodiment, a shaped electrode is embedded in a substrate support to provide an electric field with radial and axial components inside the chamber. In another embodiment, the face plate electrode of the showerhead assembly is divided into zones by isolators, enabling different voltages to be applied to the different zones. Additionally, one or more electrodes may be embedded in the chamber side walls.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2012Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Karthik Janakiraman, Thomas Nowak, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Mark A. Fodor, Dale R. Du Bois, Amit Bansal, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Eller Y. Juco, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Hichem M'Saad
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Patent number: 8197636Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a substrate processing system that integrates substrate edge processing capabilities. Illustrated examples of the processing system include, without limitations, a factory interface, a loadlock chamber, a transfer chamber, and one or more twin process chambers having two or more processing regions that are isolatable from each other and share a common gas supply and a common exhaust pump. The processing regions in each twin process chamber include separate gas distribution assemblies and RF power sources to provide plasma at selective regions on a substrate surface in each processing region. Each twin process chamber is thereby configured to allow multiple, isolated processes to be performed concurrently on at least two substrates in the processing regions.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2008Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Ashish Shah, Dale R. DuBois, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Mark A. Fodor, Eui Kyoon Kim, Chiu Chan, Karthik Janakiraman, Thomas Nowak, Joseph C. Werner, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Mohamad Ayoub, Amir Al-Bayati, Jianhua Zhou
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Publication number: 20120074951Abstract: A system and method for the detection of plasma excursions, such as arcs, micro-arcs, or other plasma instability, during plasma processing by directly monitoring RF current just prior to reaching an RF power electrode of a plasma processing chamber is provided. The monitored RF current may be converted to an RF voltage and then passed through a succession of analog filters and amplifiers to provide a plasma excursion signal. The plasma excursion signal is compared to a preset value, and at points where the plasma excursion signal exceeds the preset value, an alarm signal is generated. The alarm signal is then fed back into a system controller so that an operator can be alerted and/or the processing system can be shut down. In one embodiment, the RF current amplified and converted to a digital signal for digital filtering and processing. In certain embodiments, multiple processing regions can be monitored by a single detection control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2010Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Jian J. Chen, Mohamad A. Ayoub
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Publication number: 20120075108Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for the detection of plasma excursions, such as arcs, micro-arcs, or other plasma instability, during plasma processing by directly monitoring direct current (DC) bias voltage on an RF power electrode of a plasma processing chamber. The monitored DC bias voltage is then passed through a succession of analog filters and amplifiers to provide a plasma excursion signal. The plasma excursion signal is compared to a preset value, and at points where the plasma excursion signal exceeds the preset value, an alarm signal is generated. The alarm signal is then fed back into a system controller so that an operator can be alerted and/or the processing system can be shut down. In certain embodiments, multiple processing regions can be monitored by a single detection control unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2010Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Jian J. Chen, Mohamad Ayoub
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Publication number: 20110294303Abstract: An apparatus for plasma processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a processing chamber, a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber, a shield member disposed in the processing chamber below the substrate support, and a lid assembly coupled to the processing chamber. The lid assembly comprises a conductive gas distributor coupled to a power source, and an electrode separated from the conductive gas distributor and the chamber body by electrical insulators. The electrode is also coupled to a source of electric power. The substrate support is formed with a stiffness that permits very little departure from parallelism. The shield member thermally shields a substrate transfer opening in the lower portion of the chamber body. A pumping plenum is located below the substrate support processing position, and is spaced apart therefrom.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2011Publication date: December 1, 2011Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Dale R. Du Bois, Mark Fodor, Jianhua Zhou, Amit Bansal, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Shahid Shaikh, Patrick Reilly, Deenesh Padhi, Thomas Nowak