Patents by Inventor Shumao ZHANG
Shumao ZHANG 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: 20250174456Abstract: Methods of depositing titanium silicide (TiSi) in the formation of semiconductor structures are described. The methods include thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in which a semiconductor substrate in a semiconductor processing chamber is exposed to a titanium-containing precursor, a silicon-containing precursor, and hydrogen (H2) to deposit the titanium silicide (TiSi) layer directly on the semiconductor substrate. Methods of selectively depositing titanium silicide (TiSi) in the formation of semiconductor structures, e.g., an n-type transistor and a p-type transistor, are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2023Publication date: May 29, 2025Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Shumao Zhang, Qihao Zhu, Weifeng Ye, Liqi Wu, Jiang Lu
-
Publication number: 20250157824Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and processes for selectively depositing a metal fill layer into a feature on the surface of a semiconductor structure. In some embodiments, a method of forming a contact structure includes performing a preclean operation on a contact structure to form a precleaned contact structure. The contact structure includes a silicon-based portion exposed in a cavity of a substrate. The method further includes depositing a metal layer over the precleaned contact structure to form a deposited contact structure. The method further includes introducing a metal halide precursor to the deposited contact structure to at least partially remove the second layer from the deposited contact structure to form an etched contact structure. The method further includes depositing a metal fill layer onto the first layer to form a filled contact structure. The deposited metal fill layer comprises a super conformal profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2024Publication date: May 15, 2025Inventors: Shumao ZHANG, Qihao ZHU, Liqi WU, Chih-Hsun HSU, Jiang LU, Rongjun WANG
-
Publication number: 20250112091Abstract: A contact structure includes a cavity comprising a device contact formed on a surface of a substrate, a bottom surface, and sidewalls. A metal silicide layer disposed over the surface of the device contact, the bottom surface, and the sidewalls of the cavity, and a treated surface formed over a portion of the metal silicide layer disposed over the sidewalls of the cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2024Publication date: April 3, 2025Inventors: Jianqiu GUO, Dong WANG, Liqi WU, Yiyang WAN, Shumao ZHANG, Qihao ZHU, Weifeng YE, Jiang LU, Shihchung CHEN
-
Publication number: 20250079239Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include a method of forming a gate-all-around (GAA) contact structure on a semiconductor substrate. The method will include removing material from surfaces of a feature formed in a surface of a substrate that includes a plurality of features that each include a plurality of source/drain contact surfaces, selectively forming a reaction product material over a surface of each of the plurality of source/drain contact surfaces, heating the substrate to a first temperature to remove the reaction product material from the surface of each of the plurality of contacts, selectively forming a first metal layer on the surface of each of the plurality of contacts, selectively forming a second metal layer on the first metal layer, and filling the feature with a conductor material, wherein the conductor material comprises tungsten (W) or molybdenum (Mo).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2023Publication date: March 6, 2025Inventors: Jiang LU, Shumao ZHANG, Liqi WU, Yiyang WAN, Weifeng YE, Jianqiu GUO, Dong WANG, Qihao ZHU
-
Publication number: 20250054812Abstract: Embodiments include a method of forming a contact structure on a semiconductor substrate. The method including selectively depositing a metal silicide layer over a contact formed within a cavity of a substrate and a bottom surface of the cavity using a selective deposition process, including forming a residual layer on a surface of a dielectric layer forming sidewalls of the cavity, wherein a thickness of the metal silicide layer deposited over the contact is greater than a thickness of the residual layer, removing at least a portion of the residual layer formed on the dielectric layer using an etching process that comprises exposing the metal selectively deposited layer to a metal halide containing precursor, and selectively depositing a metal fill over the metal silicide layer remaining over the contact after removing the at least the portion of the residual layer using a selective metal fill process.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2023Publication date: February 13, 2025Inventors: Qihao ZHU, Shumao ZHANG, Weifeng YE, Yiyang WAN, Gary HOW, Jianqiu GUO, Dong WANG, Shihchung CHEN, Liqi WU, Jiang LU
-
Publication number: 20250054767Abstract: Embodiments include a method of forming a contact structure on a semiconductor substrate. The method including selectively depositing a metal silicide layer over a contact formed within a cavity of a substrate and a bottom surface of the cavity using a selective deposition process, including forming a residual layer on a surface of a dielectric layer forming sidewalls of the cavity, wherein a thickness of the metal silicide layer deposited over the contact is greater than a thickness of the residual layer, removing at least a portion of the residual layer formed on the dielectric layer using an etching process that comprises exposing the metal selectively deposited layer to a metal halide containing precursor, and selectively depositing a metal fill over the metal silicide layer remaining over the contact after removing the at least the portion of the residual layer using a selective metal fill process.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2024Publication date: February 13, 2025Inventors: Qihao ZHU, Shumao ZHANG, Weifeng YE, Yiyang WAN, Gary HOW, Jianqiu GUO, Dong WANG, Shihchung CHEN, Liqi WU, Jiang LU
-
Publication number: 20240379768Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include a method of forming contact structure on a semiconductor substrate. The method includes treating a native oxide layer formed on a contact junction, wherein treating the native oxide layer forms a silica salt layer on the contact junction disposed within a contact feature that includes one or more surfaces that comprise silicon nitride. Then exposing the silica salt layer and the one or more surfaces to a plasma comprising oxygen, wherein the plasma forms a silicon oxynitride material on the one or more surfaces. Then removing the second silica salt layer, selectively forming a metal silicide layer on the contact junction, and then filling the contact feature with a metal, wherein filling the feature comprises selectively depositing a metal layer over the selectively formed metal silicide layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2023Publication date: November 14, 2024Inventors: Shumao ZHANG, Le ZHANG, Weifeng YE, Chih-Hsun HSU, David T. OR, Gary HOW, Yiyang WAN, Liqi WU, Jiang LU
-
Publication number: 20240379363Abstract: Methods are provided. In some embodiments, a method of forming a contact structure on a semiconductor substrate includes disposing a selective metal silicide layer on a surface of a contact structure by maintaining a first temperature of a substrate and providing a first carrier gas, a first metal-containing precursor, and a first hydrogen-containing precursor to a first deposition chamber. The method includes disposing a partially selective metal layer on a surface of the selective metal silicide layer and one or more surfaces of a cavity by maintaining a second temperature of the substrate and providing a second carrier gas, a second metal-containing precursor, and a reducing agent to the first deposition chamber or a second deposition chamber. The second metal-containing precursor and the reducing agent are introduced to the first deposition chamber or the second deposition chamber at a chamber pressure of about 50 T to about 150 T.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2024Publication date: November 14, 2024Inventors: Jianqiu GUO, Dong WANG, Shumao ZHANG, Liqi WU, ShihChung CHEN, Jiang LU
-
Publication number: 20240105444Abstract: Methods for reducing contact resistance include performing a selective titanium silicide (TiSi) deposition process on a middle of the line (MOL) contact structure that includes a cavity in a substrate of dielectric material. The contact structure also includes a silicon-based connection portion at a bottom of the cavity. The selective TiSi deposition process is selective to silicon-based material over dielectric material. The methods also include performing a selective deposition process of a metal material on the MOL contact structure. The selective deposition process is selective to TiSi material over dielectric material and forms a silicide capping layer on the silicon-based connection portion. The methods further include performing a seed layer deposition process of the metal material on the contact structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Jiang LU, Liqi WU, Wei DOU, Weifeng YE, Shih Chung CHEN, Rongjun WANG, Xianmin TANG, Yiyang WAN, Shumao ZHANG, Jianqiu GUO
-
Publication number: 20240068096Abstract: In some embodiments, a showerhead assembly includes a heated showerhead having a heater plate and a gas distribution plate coupled together; an ion filter spaced from the heated showerhead; a spacer ring in contact between the heated showerhead and the ion filter; a remote plasma region between the heated showerhead and the ion filter; an upper isolator spaced from the spacer ring and supported on the ion filter; a sealing ring fastened to the heated showerhead sealing against the upper isolator and pushing the upper isolator against the ion filter; a gap between a bottom of the gas distribution plate and a top of the ion filter, the gap being in fluid communication with the remote plasma region; a first passage extending through the heater plate; and a second passage in communication with the first passage and extending through the gas distribution plate, the second passage extending to the gap.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2023Publication date: February 29, 2024Inventors: Anantha K. SUBRAMANI, Seyyed Abdolreza FAZELI, Yang GUO, Chandrashekara BAGINAGERE, Ramcharan SUNDAR, Steven MOSBRUCKER, John LEE, Yiyang WAN, Shumao ZHANG, Dhritiman Subha KASHYAP, Azhar ALI M.A
-
Publication number: 20230377892Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a method for processing a substrate comprises forming a plasma reaction between titanium tetrachloride (TlCl4), hydrogen (H2), and argon (Ar) in a region between a lid heater and a showerhead of a process chamber or the showerhead and a substrate while providing RF power at a pulse frequency of about 5 kHz to about 100 kHz and at a duty cycle of about 10% to about 20% and flowing reaction products into the process chamber to selectively form a titanium material layer upon a silicon surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2022Publication date: November 23, 2023Inventors: Yiyang WAN, Weifeng YE, Shumao ZHANG, Gary HOW, Jiang LU, Lei ZHOU, Dien-yeh WU, Douglas LONG, Avgerinos V. GELATOS, Ying-Bing JIANG, Rongjun WANG, Xianmin TANG, Halbert CHONG
-
Patent number: 11802349Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a method for depositing a material layer on a substrate while controlling a bow of the substrate and a surface roughness of the material layer. A bias applied to the substrate while the material layer is deposited is adjusted to control the bow of the substrate. A bombardment process is performed on the material layer to improve the surface roughness of the material layer. The bias and bombardment process improve a uniformity of the material layer and reduce an occurrence of the material layer cracking due to the bow of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2020Date of Patent: October 31, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Zihao Yang, Mingwei Zhu, Nag B. Patibandla, Yong Cao, Shumao Zhang, Zhebo Chen, Jean Lu, Daniel Lee Diehl, Xianmin Tang
-
Publication number: 20230136499Abstract: Methods for selectively depositing on self-assembled monolayer (SAM) are disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosure utilize a precursor of a Formula (I), Formula (II), Formula (III), and Formula (IV): RnSi(NR?R?)(4-n) (III), RnSiX(4-n) (IV), wherein R1 and R2 are independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted C1-C20 alkyl, or R1 and R2 form a substituted or unsubstituted C1-C20 cycloalkyl ring, and wherein R3, R4, R5, R6, Rn are independently selected from hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C20 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C20 alkoxy, and substituted or unsubstituted C1-C20 vinyl, X is a halide selected from Cl, Br, and I, and n is an integer from 1 to 3, to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a damaged silicon nitride layer to prevent critical dimension blow out of a feature in a silicon nitride layer substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Shumao Zhang, Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan, Aaron Dangerfield, Jesus Candelario Mendoza-Gutierrez, Le Zhang, David T. Or, Mark Saly, Jiang Lu
-
Publication number: 20210123156Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a method for depositing a material layer on a substrate while controlling a bow of the substrate and a surface roughness of the material layer. A bias applied to the substrate while the material layer is deposited is adjusted to control the bow of the substrate. A bombardment process is performed on the material layer to improve the surface roughness of the material layer. The bias and bombardment process improve a uniformity of the material layer and reduce an occurrence of the material layer cracking due to the bow of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2020Publication date: April 29, 2021Inventors: Zihao YANG, Mingwei ZHU, Nag B. PATIBANDLA, Yong CAO, Shumao ZHANG, Zhebo CHEN, Jean LU, Daniel Lee DIEHL, Xianmin TANG