Patents by Inventor Shahid Rauf

Shahid Rauf 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: 20180374684
    Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, an intra-chamber electrode assembly comprising a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber, each filament including a conductor surrounded by a cylindrical insulating shell, the plurality of filaments including a first multiplicity of filaments and a second multiplicity of filaments arranged in an alternating pattern with the first multiplicity of filaments, a first bus coupled to the first multiplicity of filaments and a second bus coupled to the second multiplicity of filaments, an RF power source to apply RF signal the intra-chamber electrode assembly, and at least one RF switch configured to controllably electrically couple and decouple the first bus from one of i) ground, ii) the RF power source, or iii) the second bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, James D. Carducci, Michael R. Rice, Yue Guo
  • Publication number: 20180374685
    Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, an electrode assembly comprising a plurality of conductors spaced apart from and extending laterally across the workpiece support in a parallel coplanar array, a first RF power source to supply a first RF power to the electrode assembly, and a dielectric bottom plate between the electrode assembly and the workpiece support, the dielectric bottom plate providing an RF window between the electrode assembly and the plasma chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Michael R. Rice, Kartik Ramaswamy, James D. Carducci, Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera
  • Publication number: 20180366306
    Abstract: Implementations described herein provide a substrate support assembly which enables tuning of a plasma within a plasma chamber. In one embodiment, a method for tuning a plasma in a chamber is provided. The method includes providing a first radio frequency power and a direct current power to a first electrode in a substrate support assembly, providing a second radio frequency power to a second electrode in the substrate support assembly at a different location than the first electrode, monitoring parameters of the first and second radio frequency power, and adjusting one or both of the first and second radio frequency power based on the monitored parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Inventors: Yang YANG, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Steven LANE, Lawrence WONG, Shahid RAUF, Andrew NGUYEN, Kenneth S. COLLINS, Roger Alan LINDLEY
  • Patent number: 10153139
    Abstract: Implementations described herein provide a substrate support assembly which enables tuning of a plasma within a plasma chamber. In one embodiment, a method for tuning a plasma in a chamber is provided. The method includes providing a first radio frequency power and a direct current power to a first electrode in a substrate support assembly, providing a second radio frequency power to a second electrode in the substrate support assembly at a different location than the first electrode, monitoring parameters of the first and second radio frequency power, and adjusting one or both of the first and second radio frequency power based on the monitored parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yang Yang, Kartik Ramaswamy, Steven Lane, Lawrence Wong, Shahid Rauf, Andrew Nguyen, Kenneth S. Collins, Roger Alan Lindley
  • Patent number: 10131994
    Abstract: A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a reactor chamber having a ceiling and a sidewall and a workpiece support facing the ceiling and defining a processing region, and a pair of concentric independently excited RF coil antennas overlying the ceiling and a side RF coil concentric with the side wall and facing the side wall below the ceiling, and being excited independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Nguyen, Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf, James D. Carducci, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Ankur Agarwal, Jason A. Kenney, Leonid Dorf, Ajit Balakrishna, Richard Fovell
  • Publication number: 20180308664
    Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, and an intra-chamber electrode assembly including a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between a ceiling of the plasma chamber and the workpiece support. At least one bus is electrically connected to a conductor of each filament. An RF power source is configured to apply a first RF signal of a first frequency to the plurality of filaments at a first location on at least one bus, and to apply a second RF signal of different second frequency to the plurality of filaments at a different second location on the at least one bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Yue Guo, Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, James D. Carducci, Michael R. Rice
  • Publication number: 20180308663
    Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, an intra-chamber electrode assembly including a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between a ceiling of the plasma chamber and the workpiece support, each filament including a conductor surrounded by a cylindrical insulating shell, and an RF power source configured to apply a first RF signal to at least some of the plurality of filaments, to apply a second RF signal of equal frequency to at least some of the plurality of filaments, and to modulate a phase offset between the first RF signal and the second RF signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Yue Guo, Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, James D. Carducci, Michael R. Rice
  • Publication number: 20180308667
    Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a chamber body having an interior space that provides a plasma chamber, a gas distributor to deliver a processing gas to the plasma chamber, a pump coupled to the plasma chamber to evacuate the chamber, a workpiece support to hold a workpiece, and an intra-chamber electrode assembly that includes a plurality of filaments extending laterally through the plasma chamber between a ceiling of the plasma chamber and the workpiece support. Each filament including a conductor surrounded by a cylindrical insulating shell. The plurality of filaments includes a first multiplicity of filaments and a second multiplicity of filaments arranged in an alternating pattern with the first multiplicity of filaments. An RF power source is configured to apply a first RF input signal to the first multiplicity of filaments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Yue Guo, Shahid Rauf, Kallol Bera, James D. Carducci, Michael R. Rice
  • Publication number: 20180261429
    Abstract: A reactor with an overhead electron beam source is capable of generating an ion-ion plasma for performing an atomic layer etch process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, James D. Carducci, Shahid Rauf, Leonid Dorf, Yang Yang
  • Publication number: 20180218873
    Abstract: A plasma reactor includes a window assembly, inner, middle and outer coil antennas adjacent the window assembly, inner, middle and outer current distributors respectively coupled to the inner, middle and outer coil antennas, a ceiling plate overlying the window assembly, first, second and third RF power terminals, and first, second and third axial RF power feeds connected between respective ones of the first, second and third RF power terminals and respective ones of the inner, middle and outer current distributors. The third axial RF power feed includes an outer RF power distribution cylinder surrounding the first and second RF axial power feeds. Plural spaced-apart reactance elements are electrically connected to the outer RF power distribution cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Jason A. Kenney, James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Richard Fovell, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf
  • Publication number: 20180211811
    Abstract: A plasma reactor includes inner, middle and outer current distributors to carry RF power to be supplied to a plasma in the processing region, and a plurality of RF power feeds connected between a plurality of RF power terminals and the inner, middle and outer current distributors. The current distributors are successive concentric axially symmetric hollow bodies. The plurality of current feeds include a middle RF power feed that includes an axial upper portion connected to one of the plurality of RF power terminals, a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly from the axial upper portion, and a plurality of axially extending RF connection rods extending from outer ends of the plurality of arms to the middle current distributor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Jason A. Kenney, James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Richard Fovell, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf
  • Publication number: 20180138014
    Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead inductively coupled plasma source with two coil antennas and symmetric and radial RF feeds and cylindrical RF shielding around the symmetric and radial RF feeds. The radial RF feeds are symmetrically fed to the plasma source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Richard Fovell, Jason A. Kenney, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf
  • Patent number: 9928987
    Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead multiple coil inductive plasma source with RF feeds arranged in equilateral symmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason A. Kenney, James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Richard Fovell, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf
  • Publication number: 20180053630
    Abstract: The disclosure pertains to a capacitively coupled plasma source in which VHF power is applied through an impedance-matching coaxial resonator having a symmetrical power distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Kartik Ramaswamy, Igor Markovsky, Zhijang Chen, James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Shahid Rauf, Nipun Misra, Leonid Dorf, Zheng John Ye
  • Publication number: 20180053631
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns a method of operating a plasma reactor having an electron beam plasma source for independently adjusting electron beam energy, plasma ion energy and radical population. The disclosure further concerns an electron beam source for a plasma reactor having an RF-driven electrode for producing the electron beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Publication date: February 22, 2018
    Inventors: Leonid Dorf, Kenneth S. Collins, Shahid Rauf, Kartik Ramaswamy, James D. Carducci, Hamid Tavassoli, Olga Regelman, Ying Zhang
  • Patent number: 9896769
    Abstract: A plasma reactor enclosure has a metallic portion and a dielectric portion of plural dielectric windows supported on the metallic portion, each of the dielectric windows extending around an axis of symmetry. Plural concentric coil antennas are disposed on an external side of the enclosure, respective ones of the coil antennas facing respective ones of the dielectric windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Nguyen, Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf, James D. Carducci, Douglas A. Buchberger, Jr., Ankur Agarwal, Jason A. Kenney, Leonid Dorf, Ajit Balakrishna, Richard Fovell
  • Patent number: 9870897
    Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead inductively coupled plasma source with two coil antennas and symmetric and radial RF feeds and cylindrical RF shielding around the symmetric and radial RF feeds. The radial RF feeds are symmetrically fed to the plasma source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Carducci, Kenneth S. Collins, Richard Fovell, Jason A. Kenney, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf
  • Publication number: 20170350018
    Abstract: A plasma reactor enclosure has a metallic portion and a dielectric portion of plural dielectric windows supported on the metallic portion, each of the dielectric windows extending around an axis of symmetry. Plural concentric coil antennas are disposed on an external side of the enclosure, respective ones of the coil antennas facing respective ones of the dielectric windows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew Nguyen, Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf, James D. Carducci, Douglas A. Buchberger, Ankur Agarwal, Jason A. Kenney, Leonid Dorf, Ajit Balakrishna, Richard Fovell
  • Publication number: 20170350017
    Abstract: A plasma reactor has an overhead multiple coil inductive plasma source with symmetric RF feeds and a symmetrical chamber exhaust with plural struts through the exhaust region providing access to a confined workpiece support. A grid may be included for masking spatial effects of the struts from the processing region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew Nguyen, Kenneth S. Collins, Kartik Ramaswamy, Shahid Rauf, James D. Carducci, Douglas A. Buchberger, JR., Ankur Agarwal, Jason A. Kenney, Leonid Dorf, Ajit Balakrishna, Richard Fovell
  • Publication number: 20170345623
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide various apparatus and methods for reducing particles in a semiconductor processing chamber. One embodiment of present disclosure provides a vacuum screen assembly disposed over a vacuum port to prevent particles generated by the vacuum pump from entering substrate processing regions. Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a perforated chamber liner around a processing region of the substrate. Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a gas distributing chamber liner for distributing a cleaning gas around the substrate support under the substrate supporting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew NGUYEN, Bradley HOWARD, Shahid RAUF, Ajit BALAKRISHNA, Tom K. CHOI, Kenneth S. COLLINS, Anand KUMAR, Michael D. WILLWERTH, Yogananda SARODE VISHWANATH