Patents by Inventor Valentin N. Todorow
Valentin N. Todorow 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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Publication number: 20240030002Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2023Publication date: January 25, 2024Inventors: Leonid DORF, Rajinder DHINDSA, James ROGERS, Daniel Sang BYUN, Evgeny KAMENETSKIY, Yue GUO, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Valentin N. TODOROW, Olivier LUERE, Linying CUI
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Patent number: 11848176Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2021Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Leonid Dorf, Rajinder Dhindsa, James Rogers, Daniel Sang Byun, Evgeny Kamenetskiy, Yue Guo, Kartik Ramaswamy, Valentin N. Todorow, Olivier Luere
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Patent number: 11776789Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2022Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Leonid Dorf, Rajinder Dhindsa, James Rogers, Daniel Sang Byun, Evgeny Kamenetskiy, Yue Guo, Kartik Ramaswamy, Valentin N. Todorow, Olivier Luere, Linying Cui
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Publication number: 20230030927Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventors: Leonid DORF, Rajinder DHINDSA, James ROGERS, Daniel Sang BYUN, Evgeny KAMENETSKIY, Yue GUO, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Valentin N. TODOROW, Olivier LUERE, Linying CUI
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Patent number: 11462388Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2021Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Leonid Dorf, Rajinder Dhindsa, James Rogers, Daniel Sang Byun, Evgeny Kamenetskiy, Yue Guo, Kartik Ramaswamy, Valentin N. Todorow, Olivier Luere, Linying Cui
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Patent number: 11462389Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2021Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Leonid Dorf, Rajinder Dhindsa, James Rogers, Daniel Sang Byun, Evgeny Kamenetskiy, Yue Guo, Kartik Ramaswamy, Valentin N. Todorow, Olivier Luere, Jonathan Kolbeck, Linying Cui
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Publication number: 20220037120Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Inventors: Leonid DORF, Rajinder DHINDSA, James ROGERS, Daniel Sang BYUN, Evgeny KAMENETSKIY, Yue GUO, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Valentin N. TODOROW, Olivier LUERE, Jonathan KOLBECK, Linying CUI
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Publication number: 20220037119Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Inventors: Leonid DORF, Rajinder DHINDSA, James ROGERS, Daniel Sang BYUN, Evgeny KAMENETSKIY, Yue GUO, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Valentin N. TODOROW, Olivier LUERE, Linying Cui
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Publication number: 20220037121Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Inventors: Leonid DORF, Rajinder DHINDSA, James ROGERS, Daniel Sang BYUN, Evgeny KAMENETSKIY, Yue GUO, Kartik RAMASWAMY, Valentin N. TODOROW, Olivier LUERE
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Patent number: 11177115Abstract: Embodiments for the present application include methods and apparatus for operating a plasma enhanced substrate processing system using dual level pulsed radio frequency (RF) power. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure allow for frequency and power tuning in a process chamber using dual level pulsed power by using a tuning controller coupled to a matching network and/or a RF power generator. In one embodiment, a tuning system includes a tuning controller disposed in a tuning system, the tuning controller configured to tune dual level RF pulsing data from a RF power generator, wherein the tuning system is connectable to a plasma processing chamber, and a memory connecting to the tuning controller, wherein the tuning controller is configured to couple to a RF power generator and a matching network disposed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2019Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Gary Leray, Valentin N. Todorow, James Rogers
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Patent number: 11094511Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide an apparatus and methods for processing a substrate. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing chamber having an enhanced processing efficiency at an edge of a substrate disposed in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber comprises a chamber body defining an interior processing region in a processing chamber, a showerhead assembly disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the showerhead assembly has multiple zones with an aperture density higher at an edge zone than at a center zone of the showerhead assembly, a substrate support assembly disposed in the interior processing region of the processing chamber, and a focus ring disposed on an edge of the substrate support assembly and circumscribing the substrate support assembly, wherein the focus ring has a step having a sidewall height substantially similar to a bottom width.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Changhun Lee, Michael D. Willwerth, Valentin N. Todorow, Hean Cheal Lee, Hun Sang Kim
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Patent number: 10991552Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a cooling mechanism utilized in a plasma reactor that may provide efficient temperature control during a plasma process. In one embodiment, a cooling mechanism disposed in a plasma processing apparatus includes a coil antenna enclosure formed in a processing chamber, a coil antenna assembly disposed in the coil antenna enclosure, a plurality of air circulating elements disposed in the coil antenna enclosure adjacent to the coil antenna assembly, and a baffle plate disposed in the coil antenna enclosure below and adjacent to the coil antenna assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2019Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Aniruddha Pal, Victor Calderon, Martin Jeffrey Salinas, Valentin N. Todorow
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Publication number: 20200381214Abstract: Embodiments for the present application include methods and apparatus for operating a plasma enhanced substrate processing system using dual level pulsed radio frequency (RF) power. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure allow for frequency and power tuning in a process chamber using dual level pulsed power by using a tuning controller coupled to a matching network and/or a RF power generator. In one embodiment, a tuning system includes a tuning controller disposed in a tuning system, the tuning controller configured to tune dual level RF pulsing data from a RF power generator, wherein the tuning system is connectable to a plasma processing chamber, and a memory connecting to the tuning controller, wherein the tuning controller is configured to couple to a RF power generator and a matching network disposed in the plasma processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2019Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Gary LERAY, Valentin N. TODOROW, James ROGERS
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Publication number: 20200152431Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide an apparatus and methods for processing a substrate. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing chamber having an enhanced processing efficiency at an edge of a substrate disposed in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber comprises a chamber body defining an interior processing region in a processing chamber, a showerhead assembly disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the showerhead assembly has multiple zones with an aperture density higher at an edge zone than at a center zone of the showerhead assembly, a substrate support assembly disposed in the interior processing region of the processing chamber, and a focus ring disposed on an edge of the substrate support assembly and circumscribing the substrate support assembly, wherein the focus ring has a step having a sidewall height substantially similar to a bottom width.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2018Publication date: May 14, 2020Inventors: Changhun LEE, Michael D. WILLWERTH, Valentin N. TODOROW, Hean Cheal LEE, Hun Sang KIM
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Patent number: 10573493Abstract: Methods and apparatus for plasma processing are provided herein. In some embodiments, a plasma processing apparatus includes a process chamber having an interior processing volume; a first RF coil disposed proximate the process chamber to couple RF energy into the processing volume; and a second RF coil disposed proximate the process chamber to couple RF energy into the processing volume, the second RF coil disposed coaxially with respect to the first RF coil, wherein the first and second RF coils are configured such that RF current flowing through the first RF coil is out of phase with RF current flowing through the RF second coil.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2016Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Valentin N. Todorow, Samer Banna, Ankur Agarwal, Zhigang Chen, Tse-Chiang Wang, Andrew Nguyen, Martin Jeff Salinas, Shahid Rauf
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Patent number: 10553398Abstract: Embodiments of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactors are provided herein. In some embodiments, a dielectric window for an inductively coupled plasma reactor includes: a body including a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an edge, and a center, wherein the dielectric window has a dielectric coefficient that varies spatially. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes: a process chamber having a processing volume disposed beneath a lid of the process chamber; and one or more inductive coils disposed above the lid to inductively couple RF energy into and to form a plasma in the processing volume above a substrate support disposed within the processing volume; wherein the lid is a dielectric window comprising a first side and an opposing second side that faces the processing volume, and wherein the lid has a dielectric coefficient that spatially varies to provide a varied power coupling of RF energy from the one or more inductive coils to the processing volume.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2014Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Samer Banna, Tza-Jing Gung, Vladimir Knyazik, Kyle Tantiwong, Dan A. Marohl, Valentin N. Todorow, Stephen Yuen
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Publication number: 20190198295Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a cooling mechanism utilized in a plasma reactor that may provide efficient temperature control during a plasma process. In one embodiment, a cooling mechanism disposed in a plasma processing apparatus includes a coil antenna enclosure formed in a processing chamber, a coil antenna assembly disposed in the coil antenna enclosure, a plurality of air circulating elements disposed in the coil antenna enclosure adjacent to the coil antenna assembly, and a baffle plate disposed in the coil antenna enclosure below and adjacent to the coil antenna assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 26, 2019Publication date: June 27, 2019Inventors: Aniruddha PAL, Victor CALDERON, Martin Jeffrey SALINAS, Valentin N. TODOROW
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Patent number: 10290469Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus having an improved coil antenna assembly that can provide enhanced plasma in a processing chamber is provided. The improved coil antenna assembly enhances positional control of plasma location within a plasma processing chamber, and may be utilized in etch, deposition, implant, and thermal processing systems, among other applications where the control of plasma location is desirable. In one embodiment, an electrode assembly configured to use in a semiconductor processing apparatus includes a RF conductive connector, and a conductive member having a first end electrically connected to the RF conductive connector, wherein the conductive member extends outward and vertically from the RF conductive connector.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2014Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Valentin N. Todorow, Gary Leray, Michael D. Willwerth, Li-Sheng Chiang
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Patent number: 10249475Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a cooling mechanism utilized in a plasma reactor that may provide efficient temperature control during a plasma process. In one embodiment, a cooling mechanism disposed in a plasma processing apparatus includes a coil antenna enclosure formed in a processing chamber, a coil antenna assembly disposed in the coil antenna enclosure, a plurality of air circulating elements disposed in the coil antenna enclosure adjacent to the coil antenna assembly, and a baffle plate disposed in the coil antenna enclosure below and adjacent to the coil antenna assembly.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2014Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Aniruddha Pal, Victor Calderon, Martin Jeffrey Salinas, Valentin N. Todorow
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Patent number: 10083816Abstract: A shielded lid heater lid heater suitable for use with a plasma processing chamber, a plasma processing chamber having a shielded lid heater and a method for plasma processing are provided. The method and apparatus enhances positional control of plasma location within a plasma processing chamber, and may be utilized in etch, deposition, implant, and thermal processing systems, among other applications where the control of plasma location is desirable. In one embodiment, a process for tuning a plasma processing chamber is provided that include determining a position of a plasma within the processing chamber, selecting an inductance and/or position of an inductor coil coupled to a lid heater that shifts the plasma location from the determined position to a target position, and plasma processing a substrate with the inductor coil having the selected inductance and/or position.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2016Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Michael D. Willwerth, David Palagashvili, Valentin N. Todorow, Stephen Yuen