Patents by Inventor Patrick James Reilly

Patrick James Reilly 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: 9748093
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure pertain to methods of forming conformal liners on patterned substrates having high height-to-width aspect ratio gaps. Layers formed according to embodiments outlined herein have been found to inhibit diffusion and electrical leakage across the conformal liners. The liners may comprise nitrogen and be described as nitride layers according to embodiments. The conformal liners may comprise silicon and nitrogen and may consist of silicon and nitrogen in embodiments. Methods described herein may comprise introducing a silicon-containing precursor and a nitrogen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region and concurrently applying a pulsed plasma power capacitively to the substrate processing region to form the conformal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick James Reilly, David Alan Bethke, Mihaela Balseanu
  • Patent number: 9646818
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure pertain to methods of forming planar amorphous carbon layers on patterned substrates. Layers formed according to embodiments outlined herein have may improve manufacturing yield by making the top surface of an amorphous carbon layer more planar despite underlying topography or stoichiometric variations. The amorphous carbon layers may comprise carbon and hydrogen, may consist of carbon and hydrogen or may comprise or consist of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen in embodiments. Methods described herein may comprise introducing a hydrogen-containing precursor at a relatively high ratio relative to a hydrocarbon into a substrate processing region and concurrently applying a local plasma power capacitively to the substrate processing region to form the planar layer. Alternatively an atomic flow ratio of hydrogen:carbon may begin low and increase discretely or smoothly during formation of the amorphous carbon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick James Reilly, David Alan Bethke, Kwangduk Lee
  • Publication number: 20160284538
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure pertain to methods of forming planar amorphous carbon layers on patterned substrates. Layers formed according to embodiments outlined herein have may improve manufacturing yield by making the top surface of an amorphous carbon layer more planar despite underlying topography or stoichiometric variations. The amorphous carbon layers may comprise carbon and hydrogen, may consist of carbon and hydrogen or may comprise or consist of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen in embodiments. Methods described herein may comprise introducing a hydrogen-containing precursor at a relatively high ratio relative to a hydrocarbon into a substrate processing region and concurrently applying a local plasma power capacitively to the substrate processing region to form the planar layer. Alternatively an atomic flow ratio of hydrogen:carbon may begin low and increase discretely or smoothly during formation of the amorphous carbon layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick James Reilly, David Alan Bethke, Kwangduk Lee
  • Publication number: 20160284567
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure pertain to methods of forming conformal liners on patterned substrates having high height-to-width aspect ratio gaps. Layers formed according to embodiments outlined herein have been found to inhibit diffusion and electrical leakage across the conformal liners. The liners may comprise nitrogen and be described as nitride layers according to embodiments. The conformal liners may comprise silicon and nitrogen and may consist of silicon and nitrogen in embodiments. Methods described herein may comprise introducing a silicon-containing precursor and a nitrogen-containing precursor into a substrate processing region and concurrently applying a pulsed plasma power capacitively to the substrate processing region to form the conformal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick James Reilly, David Alan Bethke, Mihaela Balseanu