Patents by Inventor Srinivas Gandikota

Srinivas Gandikota 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).

  • ULTRA-THIN DIFFUSION BARRIERS
    Publication number: 20200194307
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of forming a barrier layer is provided. The method includes positioning a substrate in a processing chamber, forming a barrier layer over the substrate and in contact with the underlayer, and annealing the substrate. The substrate comprises at least one underlayer having cobalt, tungsten, or copper. The barrier layer has a thickness of less than 70 angstroms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Susmit Singha ROY, Yihong CHEN, Abhijit Basu MALLICK, Srinivas GANDIKOTA
  • MAGNETIC HOUSING SYSTEMS
    Publication number: 20200144029
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to magnetic and electromagnetic systems and a method for controlling the density profile of plasma generated in a process volume of a PECVD chamber to affect deposition profile of a film. In one embodiment, a plurality of retaining brackets is disposed in a rotational magnetic housing of the magnetic housing systems. Each retaining bracket of the plurality of retaining brackets is disposed in the rotational magnetic housing with a distance d between each retaining bracket. The plurality of retaining brackets has a plurality of magnets removably disposed therein. The plurality of magnets is configured to travel in a circular path when the rotational magnetic housing is rotated around the round central opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Srinivas GANDIKOTA, Tza-Jing GUNG, Samuel E. GOTTHEIM, Timothy Joseph FRANKLIN, Pramit MANNA, Eswaranand VENKATASUBRAMANIAN, Edward HAYWOOD, Stephen C. GARNER
  • LINERLESS CONTINUOUS AMORPHOUS METAL FILMS
    Publication number: 20200135456
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods of depositing thin films and, more particularly, to depositing metal thin films. The methods herein provide a nucleation free conversion (NFC) approach which involves forming an amorphous silicon layer over the dielectric layer, and performing an NFC process which acts to convert the amorphous silicon layer into a thin metal film. In some embodiments, the NFC process is performed multiple times until the resulting thin metal film is continuous. A bulk metal is formed over the thin metal film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Susmit Singha ROY, Yong WU, Srinivas GANDIKOTA
  • Seam healing using high pressure anneal
    Patent number: 10636669
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include methods of processing a substrate. The method includes depositing a conformal layer on a substrate which contains seams. The substrate is treated using a high pressure anneal in the presence of an oxidizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Yihong Chen, Rui Cheng, Pramit Manna, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Shishi Jiang, Yong Wu, Kurtis Leschkies, Srinivas Gandikota
  • Selective deposition for simplified process flow of pillar formation
    Patent number: 10636659
    Abstract: Methods comprising depositing a film material to form an initial film in a trench in a substrate surface are described. The film is treated to expand the film to grow beyond the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yihong Chen, Ziqing Duan, Yong Wu, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Srinivas Gandikota
  • Methods of etching metal oxides with less etch residue
    Patent number: 10622221
    Abstract: Processing methods to etch metal oxide films with less etch residue are described. The methods comprise etching a metal oxide film with a metal halide etchant, and exposing the etch residue to a reductant to remove the etch residue. Some embodiments relate to etching tungsten oxide films. Some embodiments utilize tungsten halides to etch metal oxide films. Some embodiments utilize hydrogen gas as a reductant to remove etch residues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Amrita B. Mullick, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Srinivas Gandikota, Susmit Singha Roy, Yingli Rao, Regina Freed, Uday Mitra
  • Ultra-thin diffusion barriers
    Patent number: 10600684
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of forming a barrier layer is provided. The method includes positioning a substrate in a processing chamber, forming a barrier layer over the substrate and in contact with the underlayer, and annealing the substrate. The substrate comprises at least one underlayer having cobalt, tungsten, or copper. The barrier layer has a thickness of less than 70 angstroms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Susmit Singha Roy, Yihong Chen, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Srinivas Gandikota
  • METAL AND METAL-DERIVED FILMS
    Publication number: 20200083056
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods and materials for fabricating semiconductor device structures. In one example, a metal film stack includes a plurality of metal containing films and a plurality of metal derived films arranged in an alternating manner. In another example, a metal film stack includes a plurality of metal containing films which are modified into metal derived films. In certain embodiments, the metal film stacks are used in oxide/metal/oxide/metal (OMOM) structures for memory devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Susmit Singha ROY, Yingli RAO, Srinivas GANDIKOTA
  • Graphene Diffusion Barrier
    Publication number: 20200051920
    Abstract: A graphene barrier layer is disclosed. Some embodiments relate to a graphene barrier layer capable of preventing diffusion from a fill layer into a substrate surface and/or vice versa. Some embodiments relate to a graphene barrier layer that prevents diffusion of fluorine from a tungsten layer into the underlying substrate. Additional embodiments relate to electronic devices which contain a graphene barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Yong Wu, Srinivas Gandikota, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Srinivas D. Nemani
  • MEMORY DEVICE IMPROVEMENT
    Publication number: 20200051994
    Abstract: A method of forming a memory device including a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells is provided. The method includes forming a hole in a stack of alternating insulator layers and memory cell layers. The stack extends from a bottom to a top, and the stack includes a plurality of insulator layers and plurality of memory cell layers. The method further includes depositing a first portion of a silicon channel layer. The first portion of the silicon channel layer extends from the bottom of the stack to the top of the stack. The method further includes adding a dopant layer over the first portion of the silicon channel layer. The dopant layer includes a first dopant. The method further includes depositing a second portion of the silicon channel layer. The second portion of the silicon channel layer extends from the bottom of the stack to the top of the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Vinod Robert PURAYATH, Priyadarshi PANDA, Abhijit MALLICK, Srinivas GANDIKOTA
  • Seamless tungsten fill by tungsten oxidation-reduction
    Patent number: 10559497
    Abstract: Methods for filling a substrate feature with a seamless tungsten fill are described. The methods include depositing a tungsten film, oxidizing the tungsten film to a tungsten oxide pillar, reducing the tungsten oxide film to a seamless tungsten gapfill and optionally depositing additional tungsten on the tungsten gapfill.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Wu, Yihong Chen, Shishi Jiang, Ziqing Duan, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Srinivas Gandikota
  • METAL DEPOSITION METHODS
    Publication number: 20200040448
    Abstract: A method of forming conformal amorphous metal films is disclosed. A method of forming crystalline metal films with a predetermined orientation is also disclosed. An amorphous nucleation layer is formed on a substrate surface. An amorphous metal layer is formed from the nucleation layer by atomic substitution. A crystalline metal layer is deposited on the amorphous metal layer by atomic layer deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Yong Wu, Srinivas Gandikota, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Doped And Undoped Vanadium Oxides For Low-K Spacer Applications
    Publication number: 20200035486
    Abstract: A microelectronic device on a semiconductor substrate comprises: a gate electrode; and a spacer adjacent to the gate electrode, the spacer comprising: a the low-k dielectric film comprising one or more species of vanadium oxide, which is optionally doped, and an optional silicon nitride or oxide film. Methods comprise depositing a low-k dielectric film optionally sandwiched by a silicon nitride or oxide film to form a spacer adjacent to a gate electrode of a microelectronic device on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the low-k dielectric film comprises a vanadium-containing film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Srinivas Gandikota, Kelvin Chan, Atashi Basu, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Selective and Self-Limiting Tungsten Etch Process
    Publication number: 20200027785
    Abstract: Methods of dep-etch in semiconductor devices (e.g. V-NAND) are described. A metal layer is deposited in a feature. The metal layer is removed by low temperature atomic layer etching by oxidizing the surface of the metal layer and etching the oxide in a layer-by-layer fashion. After removal of the metal layer, the features are filled with a metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Susmit Singha Roy, Srinivas Gandikota, Pramit Manna, Abhijit Basu Mallick
  • Tungsten Deposition Without Barrier Layer
    Publication number: 20200027738
    Abstract: Methods for depositing a metal film without the use of a barrier layer are disclosed. Some embodiments comprise forming an amorphous nucleation layer comprising one or more of silicon or boron and forming a metal layer on the nucleation layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Yihong Chen, Yong Wu, Chia Cheng Chin, Srinivas Gandikota
  • Method and apparatus for substrate fabrication
    Patent number: 10529602
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for substrate fabrication are provided herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Priyadarshi Panda, Gill Lee, Srinivas Gandikota, Sung-Kwan Kang, Sanjay Natarajan
  • IN-SITU HIGH POWER IMPLANT TO RELIEVE STRESS OF A THIN FILM
    Publication number: 20190393034
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to techniques for deposition of high-density films for patterning applications. In one embodiment, a method of processing a substrate is provided. The method includes depositing a carbon hardmask over a film stack formed on a substrate, wherein the substrate is positioned on an electrostatic chuck disposed in a process chamber, implanting ions into the carbon hardmask, wherein depositing the carbon hardmask and implanting ions into the carbon hardmask are performed in the same process chamber, and repeating depositing the carbon hardmask and implanting ions into the carbon hardmask in a cyclic fashion until a pre-determined thickness of the carbon hardmask is reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Eswaranand VENKATASUBRAMANIAN, Pramit MANNA, Abhijit B. MALLICK, Srinivas GANDIKOTA
  • CVD BASED OXIDE-METAL MULTI STRUCTURE FOR 3D NAND MEMORY DEVICES
    Publication number: 20190393042
    Abstract: Implementations described herein generally relate to a method for forming a metal layer and to a method for forming an oxide layer on the metal layer. In one implementation, the metal layer is formed on a seed layer, and the seed layer helps the metal in the metal layer nucleate with small grain size without affecting the conductivity of the metal layer. The metal layer may be formed using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and nitrogen gas may be flowed into the processing chamber along with the precursor gases. In another implementation, a barrier layer is formed on the metal layer in order to prevent the metal layer from being oxidized during subsequent oxide layer deposition process. In another implementation, the metal layer is treated prior to the deposition of the oxide layer in order to prevent the metal layer from being oxidized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Susmit SINGHA ROY, Kelvin CHAN, Hien Minh LE, Sanjay KAMATH, Abhijit Basu MALLICK, Srinivas GANDIKOTA, Karthik JANAKIRAMAN
  • CONFORMAL HIGH CONCENTRATION BORON DOPING OF SEMICONDUCTORS
    Publication number: 20190385851
    Abstract: Methods of doping a semiconductor material are disclosed. Some embodiments provide for conformal doping of three dimensional structures. Some embodiments provide for doping with high concentrations of boron for p-type doping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: SRINIVAS GANDIKOTA, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Swaminathan Srinivasan, Rui Cheng, Susmit Singha Roy, Gaurav Thareja, Mukund Srinivasan, Sanjay Natarajan
  • Methods Of Forming Self-Aligned Vias
    Publication number: 20190385849
    Abstract: Processing methods comprising selectively orthogonally growing a first material through a mask to provide an expanded first material are described. The mask can be removed leaving the expanded first material extending orthogonally from the surface of the first material. Further processing can create a self-aligned via.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: David Thompson, Benjamin Schmiege, Jeffrey W. Anthis, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Susmit Singha Roy, Ziqing Duan, Yihong Chen, Kelvin Chan, Srinivas Gandikota