Patents by Inventor Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan 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: 11898249Abstract: 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: February 13, 2023Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Nagarajan Rajagopalan, Xinhai Han, Michael Wenyoung Tsiang, Masaki Ogata, Zhijun Jiang, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Thomas Nowak, Jianhua Zhou, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Amit Kumar Bansal, Jeongmin Lee, Todd Egan, Edward W. 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: 20230193466Abstract: 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: February 13, 2023Publication date: June 22, 2023Inventors: Nagarajan RAJAGOPALAN, Xinhai HAN, Michael Wenyoung TSIANG, Masaki OGATA, Zhijun JIANG, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Thomas NOWAK, Jianhua ZHOU, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN, Amit Kumar BANSAL, Jeongmin LEE, Todd EGAN, Edward W. 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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Patent number: 11613812Abstract: 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: September 3, 2020Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Nagarajan Rajagopalan, Xinhai Han, Michael Wenyoung 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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Patent number: 10971389Abstract: A method and apparatus for a heated pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the heated pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material, a plurality of heating elements encapsulated within the body, and one or more grooves formed in a surface of the body adjacent each of the plurality of heating elements, at least one side of the grooves being bounded by a ceramic plate.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Xing Lin, Bozhi Yang, Jianhua Zhou, Dale R. Dubois, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
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Patent number: 10910227Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: 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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Publication number: 20200399756Abstract: 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: September 3, 2020Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Nagarajan RAJAGOPALAN, Xinhai HAN, Michael Wenyoung 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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Patent number: 10811301Abstract: A method and apparatus for a pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material having a flange, one or more heating elements embedded in the body, a first shaft coupled to the flange, and a second shaft coupled to the first shaft; wherein the second shaft includes a plurality of fluid channels formed therein that terminate in the second shaft.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2019Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Xing Lin, Jianhua Zhou, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
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Patent number: 10793954Abstract: 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: May 10, 2018Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Nagarajan Rajagopalan, Xinhai Han, Michael Wenyoung 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: 20200051848Abstract: A method and apparatus for a pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material having a flange, one or more heating elements embedded in the body, a first shaft coupled to the flange, and a second shaft coupled to the first shaft; wherein the second shaft includes a plurality of fluid channels formed therein that terminate in the second shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2019Publication date: February 13, 2020Inventors: Xing LIN, Jianhua ZHOU, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN
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Patent number: 10544508Abstract: 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 such as a face plate coupled to a power source, and a heater coupled to the conductive gas distributor. A zoned blocker plate is coupled to the conductive gas distributor and a cooled gas cap is coupled to the zoned blocker plate. 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: GrantFiled: September 24, 2013Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Amit Kumar Bansal, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Jianhua Zhou, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
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Patent number: 10541159Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a processing chamber having a lens disposed therein. In one embodiment, the processing chamber includes a chamber body, a substrate support assembly, a light source, and a lens. The chamber body defines an interior volume of the processing chamber. The interior volume has a first area and a second area. The substrate support assembly is disposed in the second area. The substrate support assembly is configured to support a substrate. The light source is disposed above the substrate support assembly in the first area. The lens is disposed between the light source and the substrate support assembly. The lens includes a plurality of features formed therein. The plurality of features is configured to preferentially direct light from the light source to an area of interest on the substrate when disposed on the substrate support assembly.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2016Date of Patent: January 21, 2020Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Orlando Trejo, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Tza-Jing Gung
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Publication number: 20200010957Abstract: 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: September 18, 2019Publication date: January 9, 2020Inventors: Jian J. CHEN, Mohamad A. AYOUB, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Zheng John YE, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN, Jianhua ZHOU
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Patent number: 10510518Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods of dry stripping boron-carbon films. In one embodiment, alternating plasmas of hydrogen and oxygen are used to remove a boron-carbon film. In another embodiment, co-flowed oxygen and hydrogen plasma is used to remove a boron-carbon containing film. A nitrous oxide plasma may be used in addition to or as an alternative to either of the above oxygen plasmas. In another embodiment, a plasma generated from water vapor is used to remove a boron-carbon film. The boron-carbon removal processes may also include an optional polymer removal process prior to removal of the boron-carbon films. The polymer removal process includes exposing the boron-carbon film to NF3 to remove from the surface of the boron-carbon film any carbon-based polymers generated during a substrate etching process.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2015Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Kwangduk Douglas Lee, Sudha Rathi, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Martin Jay Seamons, Irfan Jamil, Bok Hoen Kim
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Patent number: 10497606Abstract: A method and apparatus for a pedestal is provided. In one embodiment, the pedestal includes a body comprising a ceramic material having a flange, one or more heating elements embedded in the body, a first shaft coupled to the flange, and a second shaft coupled to the first shaft; wherein the second shaft includes a plurality of fluid channels formed therein that terminate in the second shaft.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2016Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Xing Lin, Jianhua Zhou, Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
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Publication number: 20190360102Abstract: A processing kit for a plasma processing chamber. The processing kit includes a plurality of ceramic arc-shaped pieces. Each arc-shaped piece has a concave first end and a convex second end and the first end of each arc-shaped piece is configured to mate with an adjacent end of a neighboring arc-shaped piece to form a ring shaped inner isolator.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventor: Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN
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Patent number: 10450653Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: 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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Patent number: 10385448Abstract: A processing chamber is described having a gas evacuation flow path from the center to the edge of the chamber. Purge gas is introduced at an opening around a support shaft that supports a heater plate. A shaft wall around the opening directs the purge gas along the support shaft to an evacuation plenum. Gas flows from the evacuation plenum through an opening in a second plate near the shaft wall and along the chamber bottom to an opening coupled to a vacuum source. Purge gas is also directed to the slit valve.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2013Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Amit Kumar Bansal, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Jianhua Zhou, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
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Patent number: 10370764Abstract: A processing kit for a plasma processing chamber. The processing kit includes a plurality of ceramic arc-shaped pieces. Each arc-shaped piece has a concave first end and a convex second end and the first end of each arc-shaped piece is configured to mate with an adjacent end of a neighboring arc-shaped piece to form a ring shaped inner isolator.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2014Date of Patent: August 6, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventor: Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan
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Publication number: 20190177848Abstract: 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: November 13, 2018Publication date: June 13, 2019Inventors: Jian J. CHEN, Mohamad A. AYOUB, Juan Carlos ROCHA-ALVAREZ, Zheng John YE, Ramprakash SANKARAKRISHNAN, Jianhua ZHOU
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Patent number: 10290459Abstract: Magnetron configurations that provide more efficient and/or more uniform cooling characteristics and methods for forming the magnetrons are provided. The magnetron includes one or more flow directing structures disposed between parallel cooling fins. The flow directing structures direct air flow across various surfaces of the cooling fins that otherwise would be obstructed by magnetron components, reducing the incidence and/or magnitude of hot spots on the cooling fins and/or on other magnetron components. The flow directing structures also adjust flow rates to improve cooling efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2018Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Govinda Raj, Simon Yavelberg, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan