Patents by Inventor Vibhu Jindal

Vibhu Jindal 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).

  • System and method to control PVD deposition uniformity
    Patent number: 11390940
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition chamber comprising a rotating substrate support having a rotational axis, a first cathode having a radial center positioned off-center from a rotational axis of the substrate support is disclosed. A process controller comprising one or more process configurations selected from one or more of a first configuration to determine a rotation speed (v) for a substrate support to complete a whole number of rotations (n) around the rotational axis of the substrate support in a process window time (t) to form a layer of a first material on a substrate, or a second configuration to rotate the substrate support at the rotation speed (v).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Sanjay Bhat
  • Graded Interface In Bragg Reflector
    Publication number: 20220221786
    Abstract: A multilayer stack in the form of a Bragg reflector comprising a graded interfacial layer and a method of manufacturing are disclosed. The graded interfacial layer eliminates the formation of low-reflectivity interfaces in a multilayer stack and reduces roughness of interfaces in a multilayer stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Weimin Li, Shuwei Liu
  • Extreme Ultraviolet Mask Absorber Materials
    Publication number: 20220221783
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer comprising an alloy selected from an alloy of ruthenium (Ru) and silicon (Si); an alloy tantalum (Ta) and platinum (Pt); and an alloy of ruthenium (Ru) and molybdenum (Mo).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shiyu Liu, Shuwei Liu, Vibhu Jindal
  • Multicathode deposition system
    Patent number: 11387085
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber and a method of operation thereof are disclosed. Chambers and methods are described that provide a chamber comprising one or more of contours that reduce particle defects, temperature control and or measurement and and/or voltage particle traps to reduce processing defects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Bhat, Vibhu Jindal, Kamatchigobinath Manoharan
  • EUV mask blanks and methods of manufacture
    Patent number: 11385536
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet reflective element comprising a multilayer stack of absorber layers on a multilayer stack of reflective layers. The element comprises spacing layer and phase tuning layer. Methods of manufacturing extreme ultraviolet reflective elements and lithography systems including extreme ultraviolet reflective elements are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal
  • Multi-Chamber Substrate Processing Platform
    Publication number: 20220197128
    Abstract: Substrate processing systems or platforms and methods configured to process substrates including of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks are disclosed. Systems or platforms provide a small footprint, high throughput of substrates and minimize defect generation. The substrate processing system platform comprises a single central transfer chamber, a single transfer robot, a substrate flipping fixture, and processing chambers are positioned around the single central transfer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ribhu Gautam, Vibhu Jindal, Sanjay Bhat, Praveen Kumar Choragudi, Vinodh Ramachandran, Arun Rengaraj
  • Physical vapor deposition chamber cleaning processes
    Patent number: 11365475
    Abstract: Methods of cleaning a PVD chamber component, for example, process kit components are disclosed. The method comprises at least one of directing a jet of pressurized fluid at a surface of the PVD chamber component, directing pressurized carbon dioxide at the surface of the PVD chamber component, placing the PVD chamber component in a liquid and producing ultrasonic waves in the liquid to further remove contaminants from the surface of the PVD chamber component, using a plasma to clean the surface of the PVD chamber component, subjecting the PVD chamber component to a thermal cycle by heating up to a peak temperature of at least 50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Vibhu Jindal, Shiyu Liu, Sanjay Bhat, Shuwei Liu, Wen Xiao
  • System and method to measure refractive index at specific wavelengths
    Patent number: 11366059
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods and are disclosed for measuring refractive index of a material film. The method and apparatus utilize a reference measurement and as series of reflectance measurements at a range of wavelengths and thickness values for the material film to determine the refractive index of the material film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Huajun Liu, Herng Yau Yoong
  • Extreme ultraviolet mask with embedded absorber layer
    Patent number: 11366379
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer embedded in the multilayer stack of reflective layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS TO IMPROVE EUV MASK BLANK FLATNESS
    Publication number: 20220187698
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for improving flatness of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks are disclosed. The apparatus and methods may utilize one or more of heating the backside and/or the front side of the EUV mask blank and a cooling system. Interfacial layers of the EUV mask blank are selectively heated, resulting in improved flatness of the EUV mask blanks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vibhu Jindal, Sanjay Bhat, Wen Xiao, Vinodh Ramachandran
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ANNEAL EUV MASK BLANK
    Publication number: 20220187697
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods to improve centroid wavelength uniformity of EUV mask blanks are disclosed. The apparatus and methods may utilize one or more of heating the backside and/or the front side of the EUV mask blank. Selected regions and sub regions of the EUV mask blank are selectively heated, resulting in improved centroid wavelength uniformity of EUV mask blanks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Herng Yau Yoong, Wen Xiao, Ribhu Gautam, Sanjay Bhat, Vibhu Jindal
  • Process Kit Conditioning Chamber
    Publication number: 20220189749
    Abstract: An ex situ physical vapor deposition (PVD) process kit conditioning apparatus configured to condition process kit components of a PVD substrate processing chamber, the ex situ PVD process kit conditioning apparatus comprising a chamber assembly, a central cathode assembly configured to mount one or more targets. The apparatus is configured to receive one or more components of a process kit of a PVD substrate processing chamber and the central cathode assembly is positioned and configured so that the apparatus deposits the defect reduction coating substantially uniformly on an inner surface of a process kit component of the PVD substrate processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Ribhu Gautam, Vibhu Jindal, Kamatchi Gobinath Manoharan, Sanjay Bhat, Praveen Kumar Choragudi, Wen Xiao, Vinodh Ramachandran
  • EUV Mask Blank Absorber Defect Reduction
    Publication number: 20220187696
    Abstract: Methods of coating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticle carrier assemblies are disclosed. The method includes depositing an adhesion layer on the EUV reticle carrier assembly, depositing at least one EUV absorber layer on the EUV reticle carrier assembly and depositing a stress-relieving layer on EUV reticle carrier assembly. The coated EUV reticle carrier assemblies exhibit reduced particle defect generation during EUV mask blank manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Binni Varghese, Vibhu Jindal, Azeddine Zerrade, Shiyu Liu, Ramya Ramalingam
  • Surface Topography Measurement Apparatus And Method
    Publication number: 20220170866
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for measuring surface topography are described. The analysis apparatus and methods detect light reflected from the reflective backside of a cantilever assembly including a tip, calculate a background level (BGL) value obtained from an optical scan of a reference sample using a power spectral density (PSD) value obtained from a topographical scan of a reference sample to generate a correlational coefficient between the BGL and the PSD values. The correlational coefficient between the BGL and PSD values is used to measure the BGL value of additional EUV mask blanks by a topographical scan of the EUV mask blanks using the same tip mounted to the cantilever.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Weimin Li, Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Sanjay Bhat
  • Extreme Ultraviolet Mask Blank With Alloy Absorber And Method Of Manufacture
    Publication number: 20220163882
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer made from an alloy of at least two absorber materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Vibhu Jindal
  • Graded interface in bragg reflector
    Patent number: 11327394
    Abstract: A multilayer stack in the form of a Bragg reflector comprising a graded interfacial layer and a method of manufacturing are disclosed. The graded interfacial layer eliminates the formation of low-reflectivity interfaces in a multilayer stack and reduces roughness of interfaces in a multilayer stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Weimin Li, Shuwei Liu
  • Extreme ultraviolet mask absorber materials
    Patent number: 11300871
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate, a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate, a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers, and an absorber on the capping layer. The absorber comprising a plurality of bilayers comprising a first layer of silicon and a second layer selected from the group consisting of TaSb, CSb, TaNi, TaCu, SbN, CrN, Cr, Ir, Pd, Re, Os, Cd, Co, Ag, Pt, oxides of TaSb, CSb, TaNi, TaCu, SbN, CrN, Cr, Ir, Pd, Re, Os, Cd, Co, Ag, Pt, and nitrides of TaSb, CSb, TaNi, TaCu, Cr, Ir, Pd, Re, Os, Cd, Co, Ag, and Pt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shiyu Liu, Shuwei Liu, Vibhu Jindal, Azeddine Zerrade
  • Extreme ultraviolet mask absorber materials
    Patent number: 11300872
    Abstract: Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask blanks, methods for their manufacture and production systems therefor are disclosed. The EUV mask blanks comprise a substrate; a multilayer stack of reflective layers on the substrate; a capping layer on the multilayer stack of reflecting layers; and an absorber layer on the capping layer, the absorber layer made from bismuth and iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shuwei Liu, Vibhu Jindal
  • PHYSICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION SYSTEM AND PROCESSES
    Publication number: 20220107558
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber and a method of operation thereof are disclosed. Chambers and methods are described that provide a chamber comprising an upper shield with two holes that are positioned to permit alternate sputtering from two targets. A process for improving reflectivity from a multilayer stack is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vibhu Jindal, Wen Xiao, Sanjay Bhat
  • DEPOSITION SYSTEM WITH A MULTI-CATHODE
    Publication number: 20220106679
    Abstract: A deposition system, and a method of operation thereof are disclosed. The deposition system comprises a cathode assembly comprising a rotating magnet assembly including a plurality of outer peripheral magnets surrounding an inner peripheral magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Vibhu Jindal, Sanjay Bhat