Patents by Inventor Sang-hyeob Lee

Sang-hyeob Lee 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).

  • Publication number: 20240136192
    Abstract: Provided herein are low resistance metallization stack structures for 3D-NAND applications and related methods of fabrication. In some embodiments, thin metal oxynitride nucleation layers are deposited on dielectric material followed by deposition of a pure metal conductor using process conditions that increase non-molybdenum component element content at the oxynitride-dielectric interface. Certain embodiments of the methods described below convert less than all of the metal oxynitride nucleation layer to a pure metal layer, further lowering the resistivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Joshua Collins, Griffin John Kennedy, Hanna Bamnolker, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Patrick van Cleemput, Sanjay Gopinath
  • Patent number: 11948836
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to provide electronic devices having metal films are provided. Some embodiments of the disclosure utilize a metallic tungsten layer as a liner that is filled with a metal film comprising cobalt. The metallic tungsten layer has good adhesion to the cobalt leading to enhanced cobalt gap-fill performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Lei, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Chris Pabelico, Yi Xu, Tae Hong Ha, Xianmin Tang, Jin Hee Park
  • Publication number: 20220028793
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to provide electronic devices having metal films are provided. Some embodiments of the disclosure utilize a metallic tungsten layer as a liner that is filled with a metal film comprising cobalt. The metallic tungsten layer has good adhesion to the cobalt leading to enhanced cobalt gap-fill performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Lei, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Chris Pabelico, Yi Xu, Tae Hong Ha, Xianmin Tang, Jin Hee Park
  • Patent number: 11171045
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to provide electronic devices having metal films are provided. Some embodiments of the disclosure utilize a metallic tungsten layer as a liner that is filled with a metal film comprising cobalt. The metallic tungsten layer has good adhesion to the cobalt leading to enhanced cobalt gap-fill performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Lei, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Chris Pabelico, Yi Xu, Tae Hong Ha, Xianmin Tang, Jin Hee Park
  • Patent number: 10793951
    Abstract: Apparatus for improving substrate temperature uniformity in a substrate processing chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support processing chamber may include a chamber body having a bottom portion and a sidewall having a slit valve opening to load and unload substrates, a pin lift mechanism, disposed in a pin lift mechanism opening formed in the bottom portion of the chamber body, having a plurality of substrate support pins coupled to the pin lift mechanism, a movable substrate support heater having substrate support portion and a shaft, and a cover plate disposed about the shaft of the movable substrate support, wherein the cover plate covers the pin lift mechanism and pin lift mechanism opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Gwo-Chuan Tzu, Kazuya Daito, Sang-Hyeob Lee
  • Patent number: 10714388
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for depositing a cobalt layer in a feature, such as, a word line formed in a substrate, are provided herein. In some embodiments, method of processing a substrate includes: exposing a substrate at a first temperature to a cobalt containing precursor to deposit a cobalt layer within a word line feature formed in the substrate, wherein the word line feature is part of a 3D NAND device; and annealing the substrate to remove contaminants from the cobalt layer and to reflow the cobalt layer into the word line feature, wherein the substrate is at a second temperature greater than the first temperature during the annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jin Hee Park, Tae Hong Ha, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Thomas Jongwan Kwon, Jaesoo Ahn, Xianmin Tang, Er-Xuan Ping, Sree Kesapragada
  • Publication number: 20190341302
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to provide electronic devices having metal films are provided. Some embodiments of the disclosure utilize a metallic tungsten layer as a liner that is filled with a metal film comprising cobalt. The metallic tungsten layer has good adhesion to the cobalt leading to enhanced cobalt gap-fill performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Yu Lei, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Chris Pabelico, Yi Xu, Tae Hong Ha, Xianmin Tang, Jin Hee Park
  • Publication number: 20190122924
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for depositing a cobalt layer in a feature, such as, a word line formed in a substrate, are provided herein. In some embodiments, method of processing a substrate includes: exposing a substrate at a first temperature to a cobalt containing precursor to deposit a cobalt layer within a word line feature formed in the substrate, wherein the word line feature is part of a 3D NAND device; and annealing the substrate to remove contaminants from the cobalt layer and to reflow the cobalt layer into the word line feature, wherein the substrate is at a second temperature greater than the first temperature during the annealing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: JIN HEE PARK, TAE HONG HA, SANG-HYEOB LEE, THOMAS JONGWAN KWON, JAESOO AHN, XIANMIN TANG, ER-XUAN PING, SREE KESAPRAGADA
  • Patent number: 10157787
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for depositing a cobalt layer in a feature, such as, a word line formed in a substrate, are provided herein. In some embodiments, method of processing a substrate includes: exposing a substrate at a first temperature to a cobalt containing precursor to deposit a cobalt layer within a word line feature formed in the substrate, wherein the word line feature is part of a 3D NAND device; and annealing the substrate to remove contaminants from the cobalt layer and to reflow the cobalt layer into the word line feature, wherein the substrate is at a second temperature greater than the first temperature during the annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Jin Hee Park, Tae Hong Ha, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Thomas Jongwan Kwon, Jaesoo Ahn, Xianmin Tang, Er-Xuan Ping, Sree Kesapragada
  • Publication number: 20180237916
    Abstract: Apparatus for improving substrate temperature uniformity in a substrate processing chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support processing chamber may include a chamber body having a bottom portion and a sidewall having a slit valve opening to load and unload substrates, a pin lift mechanism, disposed in a pin lift mechanism opening formed in the bottom portion of the chamber body, having a plurality of substrate support pins coupled to the pin lift mechanism, a movable substrate support heater having substrate support portion and a shaft, and a cover plate disposed about the shaft of the movable substrate support, wherein the cover plate covers the pin lift mechanism and pin lift mechanism opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: GWO-CHUAN TZU, Kazuya Daito, SANG-HYEOB LEE
  • Patent number: 9957615
    Abstract: Apparatus for improving substrate temperature uniformity in a substrate processing chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support processing chamber may include a chamber body having a bottom portion and a sidewall having a slit valve opening to load and unload substrates, a pin lift mechanism, disposed in a pin lift mechanism opening formed in the bottom portion of the chamber body, having a plurality of substrate support pins coupled to the pin lift mechanism, a movable substrate support heater having substrate support portion and a shaft, and a cover plate disposed about the shaft of the movable substrate support, wherein the cover plate covers the pin lift mechanism and pin lift mechanism opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Gwo-Chuan Tzu, Kazuya Daito, Sang-Hyeob Lee
  • Patent number: 9926639
    Abstract: Methods for forming barrier/seed layers for interconnect structures are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate having an opening formed in a first surface of the substrate, the opening having a sidewall and a bottom surface, the method may include forming a layer comprising manganese (Mn) and at least one of ruthenium (Ru) or cobalt (Co) on the sidewall and bottom surface of the opening; and depositing a conductive material on the layer to fill the opening. In some embodiments, one of ruthenium (Ru) or cobalt (Co) is deposited on the sidewall and bottom surface of the opening. The materials may be deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or by physical vapor deposition (PVD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Hoon Kim, Wei Ti Lee, Sang Ho Yu, Seshadri Ganguli, Hyoung-Chan Ha, Sang Hyeob Lee
  • Publication number: 20170178956
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for depositing a cobalt layer in a feature, such as, a word line formed in a substrate, are provided herein. In some embodiments, method of processing a substrate includes: exposing a substrate at a first temperature to a cobalt containing precursor to deposit a cobalt layer within a word line feature formed in the substrate, wherein the word line feature is part of a 3D NAND device; and annealing the substrate to remove contaminants from the cobalt layer and to reflow the cobalt layer into the word line feature, wherein the substrate is at a second temperature greater than the first temperature during the annealing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Jin Hee PARK, Tae Hong HA, Sang-Hyeob LEE, Thomas Jongwan KWON, Jaesoo AHN, Xianmin TANG, Er-Xuan PING, Sree KESAPRAGADA
  • Patent number: 9583385
    Abstract: A tungsten nucleation film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate by alternatively providing to that surface, reducing gases and tungsten-containing gases. Each cycle of the method provides for one or more monolayers of the tungsten film. The film is conformal and has improved step coverage, even for a high aspect ratio contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sang-Hyeob Lee, Joshua Collins
  • Patent number: 9458455
    Abstract: A high efficiency plant expression promoter from Capsicum annuum serine hydroxymethyl transferase gene and uses thereof. This high efficiency plant expression promoter and 5?-untranslated region (5?-UTR) from Capsicum annuum serine hydroxymethyl transferase gene, a high efficiency plant expression vector having the same, a plant transformed with the vector, a process for high efficiency expression of a foreign gene by using the vector and a transformed plant which expresses with high efficiency a foreign gene based on the process and seeds of the transformed plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: INDUSTRY FOUNDATION OF CHONNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Do Il Choi, Sang Hyeob Lee, Young Hee Joung
  • Patent number: 9169556
    Abstract: A method for selectively controlling deposition rate of a catalytic material during a catalytic bulk CVD deposition is disclosed herein. The method can include positioning a substrate in a processing chamber including both surface regions and gap regions, depositing a first nucleation layer comprising tungsten conformally over an exposed surface of the substrate, treating at least a portion of the first nucleation layer with activated nitrogen, wherein the activated nitrogen is deposited preferentially on the surface regions, reacting a first deposition gas comprising tungsten halide and hydrogen-containing gas to deposit a tungsten fill layer preferentially in gap regions of the substrate, reacting a nucleation gas comprising a tungsten halide to form a second nucleation layer, and reacting a second deposition gas comprising tungsten halide and a hydrogen-containing gas to deposit a tungsten field layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Kai Wu, Kiejin Park, Sang Ho Yu, Sang-Hyeob Lee, Kazuya Daito, Joshua Collins, Benjamin C. Wang
  • Publication number: 20150279732
    Abstract: A tungsten nucleation film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate by alternatively providing to that surface, reducing gases and tungsten-containing gases. Each cycle of the method provides for one or more monolayers of the tungsten film. The film is conformal and has improved step coverage, even for a high aspect ratio contact hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Sang-Hyeob Lee, Joshua Collins
  • Patent number: 9129945
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of forming a film stack on a substrate, comprising depositing a tungsten nitride layer on the substrate, subjecting the substrate to a nitridation treatment using active nitrogen species from a remote plasma, and depositing a conductive bulk layer directly on the tungsten nitride layer without depositing a tungsten nucleation layer on the tungsten nitride layer as a growth site for tungsten.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Sang-Hyeob Lee, Sang Ho Yu, Wei Ti Lee, Seshadri Ganguli, Hyoung-Chan Ha, Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 9076843
    Abstract: A tungsten nucleation film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate by alternatively providing to that surface, reducing gases and tungsten-containing gases. Each cycle of the method provides for one or more monolayers of the tungsten film. The film is conformal and has improved step coverage, even for a high aspect ratio contact hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sang-Hyeob Lee, Joshua Collins
  • Publication number: 20150075432
    Abstract: Apparatus for improving substrate temperature uniformity in a substrate processing chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support processing chamber may include a chamber body having a bottom portion and a sidewall having a slit valve opening to load and unload substrates, a pin lift mechanism, disposed in a pin lift mechanism opening formed in the bottom portion of the chamber body, having a plurality of substrate support pins coupled to the pin lift mechanism, a movable substrate support heater having substrate support portion and a shaft, and a cover plate disposed about the shaft of the movable substrate support, wherein the cover plate covers the pin lift mechanism and pin lift mechanism opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: GWO-CHUAN TZU, Kazuya Daito, SANG-HYEOB LEE