Patents by Inventor Pao-Hwa Chou

Pao-Hwa Chou 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: 9466476
    Abstract: A film-forming method includes forming a tungsten film or a tungsten oxide film on an object to be processed, forming a seed layer on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film, and forming a silicon oxide film on the seed layer, wherein the seed layer formed on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film is formed by heating the object to be processed and supplying an aminosilane-based gas to a surface of the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Sato, Pao-Hwa Chou
  • Patent number: 9460913
    Abstract: A film-forming method includes forming a tungsten film or a tungsten oxide film on an object to be processed, heating the object on which the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film is formed, forming a seed layer on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film by supplying an aminosilane-based gas to a surface of the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film, and forming a silicon oxide film on the seed layer by simultaneously supplying a silicon material gas including silicon and a gas including an oxidizing agent for oxidizing silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Sato, Pao-Hwa Chou
  • Publication number: 20160024654
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes a first and second source gas suppliers configured to limitedly supply a source gas only to a first and second substrate areas, respectively, a reaction gas supplier configured to supply a reaction gas to the first substrate area and the second substrate area, a purge gas supplier configured to supply a purge gas for preventing the source gas supplied to one of the first and second substrate areas from being supplied to the other substrate area, a division-purpose substrate held between the first and second substrate areas in a substrate holding part, and a control part configured to output a control signal such that a first cycle including supplying the source gas and the reaction gas to the first substrate area and a second cycle including supplying the source gas and the reaction gas to the second substrate area are each performed plural times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Kohei FUKUSHIMA, Yutaka MOTOYAMA, Pao-Hwa CHOU
  • Publication number: 20150332917
    Abstract: A film-forming method includes forming a tungsten film or a tungsten oxide film on an object to be processed, heating the object on which the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film is formed, forming a seed layer on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film by supplying an aminosilane-based gas to a surface of the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film, and forming a silicon oxide film on the seed layer by simultaneously supplying a silicon material gas including silicon and a gas including an oxidizing agent for oxidizing silicon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Jun SATO, Pao-Hwa Chou
  • Publication number: 20150259799
    Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus for performing a film forming treatment on a plurality of target substrates having a surface with convex and concave portions includes: a gas supply unit that supplies a film forming gas into a reaction chamber; and gas distribution adjusting members made of quartz and installed to be positioned respectively above and below a region in which the plurality of target substrates held and supported by a substrate holding and supporting unit are disposed, wherein if S is a surface area per unit region of the gas distribution adjusting members and S0 is a surface area per unit region obtained by dividing a surface area of the target substrate by a surface area calculated based on an external dimension of the target substrate, a value obtained by dividing S by S0 (S/S0) is set to be 0.8 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 17, 2015
    Inventors: Yutaka MOTOYAMA, Kohei FUKUSHIMA, Masanobu MATSUNAGA, Pao-Hwa CHOU
  • Publication number: 20150087161
    Abstract: A film-forming method includes forming a tungsten film or a tungsten oxide film on an object to be processed, forming a seed layer on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film, and forming a silicon oxide film on the seed layer, wherein the seed layer formed on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film is formed by heating the object to be processed and supplying an aminosilane-based gas to a surface of the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Jun SATO, Pao-Hwa Chou
  • Publication number: 20140199839
    Abstract: A film-forming method includes forming a tungsten film or a tungsten oxide film on an object to be processed, heating the object on which the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film is formed, forming a seed layer on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film by supplying an aminosilane-based gas to a surface of the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film, and forming a silicon oxide film on the seed layer by simultaneously supplying a silicon material gas including silicon and a gas including an oxidizing agent for oxidizing silicon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun SATO, Pao-Hwa Chou
  • Patent number: 8734901
    Abstract: A film deposition method of depositing a thin film by alternately supplying at least a first source gas and a second source gas to a substrate is disclosed. The film deposition method includes steps of evacuating a process chamber where the substrate is accommodated, without supplying any gas to the process chamber; supplying an inert gas to the process chamber until a pressure within the process chamber becomes a predetermined pressure; supplying the first source gas to the process chamber filled with the inert gas at the predetermined pressure without evacuating the process chamber; stopping supplying the first source gas to the process chamber and evacuating the process chamber; supplying the second source gas to the process chamber; and stopping supplying the second source gas to the process chamber and evacuating the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Keisuke Suzuki, Pao-Hwa Chou, Te ching Chang
  • Publication number: 20140090594
    Abstract: A control unit heats a reaction pipe to a load temperature by controlling a temperature-raising heater 16, and then makes semiconductor wafers received in the reaction pipe. Next, the control unit heats the reaction pipe in which the semiconductor wafers are received to a film formation temperature by controlling the temperature-raising heater, and then forms thin films on the semiconductor wafers by supplying a film forming gas into the reaction pipe from a process gas introducing pipe. Also, the control unit sets the load temperature to a temperature higher than the film formation temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshiyuki IKEUCHI, Pao-Hwa CHOU, Kazuya YAMAMOTO, Kentarou SERA
  • Patent number: 8673725
    Abstract: A semiconducting device with a multilayer sidewall spacer and method of forming are described. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate containing a patterned structure on a surface of the substrate and depositing a first spacer layer over the patterned structure at a first substrate temperature, where the first spacer layer contains a first material. The method further includes depositing a second spacer layer over the patterned substrate at a second substrate temperature that is different from the first substrate temperature, where the first and second materials contain the same chemical elements, and the depositing steps are performed in any order. The first and second spacer layers are then etched to form the multilayer sidewall spacer on the patterned structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David L. O'Meara, Anthony Dip, Aelan Mosden, Pao-Hwa Chou, Richard A Conti
  • Patent number: 8664102
    Abstract: A semiconducting device with a dual sidewall spacer and method of forming are provided. The method includes: depositing a first spacer layer over a patterned structure, the first spacer layer having a seam propagating through a thickness of the first spacer layer near an interface region of a surface of the substrate and a sidewall of the patterned structure, etching the first spacer layer to form a residual spacer at the interface region, where the residual spacer coats less than the entirety of the sidewall of the patterned structure, depositing a second spacer layer on the residual spacer and on the sidewall of the patterned structure not coated by the residual spacer, the second spacer layer being seam-free on the seam of the residual spacer, and etching the second spacer layer to form a second spacer coating the residual spacer and coating the sidewall of the patterned structure not coated by the residual spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David L. O'Meara, Anthony Dip, Aelan Mosden, Pao-Hwa Chou, Richard A Conti
  • Patent number: 8658247
    Abstract: A disclosed film deposition method comprises alternately repeating an adsorption step and a reaction step with an interval period therebetween. The adsorption step includes opening a first on-off valve of a source gas supplying system for a predetermined time period thereby to supply a source gas to a process chamber, closing the first valve after the predetermined time period elapses, and confining the source gas within the process tube, thereby allowing the source gas to be adsorbed on an object to be processed, while a third on-off valve of a vacuum evacuation system is closed. The reaction step includes opening a second on-off valve of a reaction gas supplying system thereby to supply a reaction gas to the process chamber, thereby allowing the source gas and the reaction gas to react with each other thereby to produce a thin film on the object to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ikeuchi, Pao-Hwa Chou, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kentaro Sera
  • Patent number: 8642486
    Abstract: A control unit heats a reaction pipe to a load temperature by controlling a temperature-raising heater 16, and then makes semiconductor wafers received in the reaction pipe. Next, the control unit heats the reaction pipe in which the semiconductor wafers are received to a film formation temperature by controlling the temperature-raising heater, and then forms thin films on the semiconductor wafers by supplying a film forming gas into the reaction pipe from a process gas introducing pipe. Also, the control unit sets the load temperature to a temperature higher than the film formation temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ikeuchi, Pao-Hwa Chou, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kentarou Sera
  • Patent number: 8591989
    Abstract: A method for forming an SiCN film on target substrates placed in a process field inside a process container repeats a unit cycle a plurality of times to laminate thin films respectively formed, thereby forming the SiCN film with a predetermined thickness. The unit cycle includes performing and suspending supply of a silicon source gas, a nitriding gas, and a carbon hydride gas respectively from first, second, and third gas distribution nozzles to the process field. The unit cycle does not turn any one of the gases into plasma but heats the process field to a set temperature of 300 to 700° C. with the supply of the carbon hydride gas performed for a time period in total longer than that of the supply of the silicon source gas, so as to provide the SiCN film with a carbon concentration of 15.2% to 28.5%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Pao-Hwa Chou, Kazuhide Hasebe
  • Patent number: 8563096
    Abstract: A method for using a vertical film formation apparatus includes performing a coating process inside the process container without product target objects present therein to cover an inner surface of the process container with a coating film, and then performing a film formation process inside the process container accommodating the holder with the product target objects placed thereon to form a predetermined film on the product target objects. The coating process alternately supplies the first and second process gases into the process container without turning either of the first and second process gases into plasma. The film formation process alternately supplies the first and second process gases into the process container while turning at least one of the first and second process gases into plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masanobu Matsunaga, Pao-Hwa Chou, Masato Yonezawa, Masayuki Hasegawa, Kazuhide Hasebe
  • Patent number: 8383522
    Abstract: There is provided a micro pattern forming method including forming a thin film on a substrate; forming a film serving as a mask when processing the thin film; processing the film serving as a mask into a pattern including lines having a preset pitch; trimming the pattern including the lines; and forming an oxide film on the pattern including the lines and on the thin film by alternately supplying a source gas and an activated oxygen species. Here, the process of trimming the pattern and the process of forming an oxide film are consecutively performed in a film forming apparatus configured to form the oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shigeru Nakajima, Kazuhide Hasebe, Pao-Hwa Chou, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Reiji Niino
  • Patent number: 8343594
    Abstract: A film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes a process gas supply system configured to supply process gases. The process gas supply system includes a gas mixture tank configured to mix first and third process gases to form a mixture gas, a mixture gas supply line configured to supply the mixture gas from the gas mixture tank to a process field, a second process gas supply circuit having a second process gas supply line configured to supply a second process gas to the process field without passing through the gas mixture tank, and first and second switching valves disposed on the mixture gas supply line and the second process gas supply line, respectively. A control section controls the first and second switching valves to be opened and closed so as to alternately and pulse-wise supply the mixture gas and the second process gas to the process field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhide Hasebe, Mitsuhiro Okada, Chaeho Kim, Byounghoon Lee, Pao-Hwa Chou
  • Publication number: 20120282418
    Abstract: A method for forming an SiCN film on target substrates placed in a process field inside a process container repeats a unit cycle a plurality of times to laminate thin films respectively formed, thereby forming the SiCN film with a predetermined thickness. The unit cycle includes performing and suspending supply of a silicon source gas, a nitriding gas, and a carbon hydride gas respectively from first, second, and third gas distribution nozzles to the process field. The unit cycle does not turn any one of the gases into plasma but heats the process field to a set temperature of 300 to 700° C. with the supply of the carbon hydride gas performed for a time period in total longer than that of the supply of the silicon source gas, so as to provide the SiCN film with a carbon concentration of 15.2% to 28.5%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Pao-Hwa CHOU, Kazuhide Hasebe
  • Publication number: 20120269969
    Abstract: A film deposition method of depositing a thin film by alternately supplying at least a first source gas and a second source gas to a substrate is disclosed. The film deposition method includes steps of evacuating a process chamber where the substrate is accommodated, without supplying any gas to the process chamber; supplying an inert gas to the process chamber until a pressure within the process chamber becomes a predetermined pressure; supplying the first source gas to the process chamber filled with the inert gas at the predetermined pressure without evacuating the process chamber; stopping supplying the first source gas to the process chamber and evacuating the process chamber; supplying the second source gas to the process chamber; and stopping supplying the second source gas to the process chamber and evacuating the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Keisuke SUZUKI, Pao-Hwa Chou, Te Ching Chang
  • Publication number: 20120190215
    Abstract: A disclosed film deposition method comprises alternately repeating an adsorption step and a reaction step with an interval period therebetween. The adsorption step includes opening a first on-off valve of a source gas supplying system for a predetermined time period thereby to supply a source gas to a process chamber, closing the first valve after the predetermined time period elapses, and confining the source gas within the process tube, thereby allowing the source gas to be adsorbed on an object to be processed, while a third on-off valve of a vacuum evacuation system is closed. The reaction step includes opening a second on-off valve of a reaction gas supplying system thereby to supply a reaction gas to the process chamber, thereby allowing the source gas and the reaction gas to react with each other thereby to produce a thin film on the object to be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toshiyuki IKEUCHI, Pao-Hwa Chou, Kazuya Yamamoto, Kentaro Sera