Patents by Inventor Vicknesh Sahmuganathan
Vicknesh Sahmuganathan 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).
-
Patent number: 11946134Abstract: Methods of depositing a nanocrystalline diamond film are described. The method may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Methods include treating a substrate with a mild plasma to form a treated substrate surface, incubating the treated substrate with a carbon-rich weak plasma to nucleate diamond particles on the treated substrate surface, followed by treating the substrate with a strong plasma to form a nanocrystalline diamond film.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Sze Chieh Tan, Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono
-
Patent number: 11894230Abstract: Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2023Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Jiteng Gu, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Kian Ping Loh, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono, Zhongxin Chen
-
Publication number: 20230279540Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for forming a film on a substrate are described. The film is formed on the substrate by depositing an adamantane monomer and an initiator on the substrate to form a polymerizable seed layer and curing the polymerizable seed layer to form a polyadamantane layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2021Publication date: September 7, 2023Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of SingaporeInventors: Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Jiteng Gu, Zhongxin Chen, Kian Ping Loh, John Sudijono, Haisen Xu, Sze Chieh Tan, Yuanxing Han, Jiecong Tang, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Abhijit Basu Mallick
-
Publication number: 20230260800Abstract: Hard masks and methods of forming hard masks are described. The hard mask has an average roughness less than 10 nm and a modulus greater than or equal to 400 GPa. The method comprises exposing a substrate to a deposition gas comprising a dopant gas or a precursor (solid (e.g. Alkylborane compounds) or liquid (e.g. Borazine)), a carbon gas and argon at a temperature less than or equal to 550 C, and igniting a plasma from the deposition gas to form an ultrananocrystalline diamond film having an average roughness less than 10 nm and a modulus greater than or equal to 400 GPa.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2022Publication date: August 17, 2023Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of SingaporeInventors: Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Jiteng Gu, Kian Ping Loh, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono
-
Publication number: 20230235452Abstract: Methods of depositing a nanocrystalline diamond film are described. The method may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Methods include treating a substrate with a mild plasma to form a treated substrate surface, incubating the treated substrate with a carbon-rich weak plasma to nucleate diamond particles on the treated substrate surface, followed by treating the substrate with a strong plasma to form a nanocrystalline diamond film.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2022Publication date: July 27, 2023Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Sze Chieh Tan, Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono
-
Publication number: 20230175120Abstract: Methods of depositing an adamantane film are described, which may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Methods include processing a substrate in which an adamantane seed layer is deposited on a substrate, converting to a diamond nuclei layer having an increased crystallinity relative to the adamantane seed layer and then grown into full nanocrystalline diamond film from the diamond nuclei layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2022Publication date: June 8, 2023Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of SingaporeInventors: Sze Chieh Tan, Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono, Jiteng Gu, Kian Ping Loh
-
Publication number: 20230170217Abstract: Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2023Publication date: June 1, 2023Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of SingaporeInventors: Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Jiteng Gu, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Kian Ping Loh, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono, Zhongxin Chen
-
Publication number: 20230100863Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate area provided herein. For example, methods for enhancing surface hydrophilicity on a substrate comprise a) supplying, using a remote plasma source, water vapor plasma to a processing volume of a plasma processing chamber to treat a bonding surface of the substrate, b) supplying at least one of microwave power or RF power at a frequency from about 1 kHz to 10 GHz and a power from about 1 kW to 10 kW to the plasma processing chamber to maintain the water vapor plasma within the processing volume during operation, and c) continuing a) and b) until the bonding surface of the substrate has a hydrophilic contact angle of less than 10°.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2021Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Prayudi LIANTO, Yin Wei LIM, James S. PAPANU, Guan Huei SEE, Eric J. BERGMAN, Nur Yasmeen Addina MOHAMED HELMI ISIK, Wei Ying Doreen YONG, Vicknesh SAHMUGANATHAN, Yi Kun Kelvin GOH, John Leonard SUDIJONO, Arvind SUNDARRAJAN
-
Patent number: 11594416Abstract: Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2020Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Jiteng Gu, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Kian Ping Loh, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono, Zhongxin Chen
-
Publication number: 20220127721Abstract: Methods of depositing a diamond layer are described, which may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits. Methods include processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond deposited on a substrate, wherein the processing methods result in a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2020Publication date: April 28, 2022Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of SingaporeInventors: Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Zhongxin Chen, Gu Jiteng, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Loh Kian Ping, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono
-
Publication number: 20220068643Abstract: Methods to manufacture integrated circuits are described. Nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask in place of amorphous carbon. Provided is a method of processing a substrate in which nanocrystalline diamond is used as a hard mask, wherein processing methods result in a smooth surface. The method involves two processing parts. Two separate nanocrystalline diamond recipes are combined—the first and second recipes are cycled to achieve a nanocrystalline diamond hard mask having high hardness, high modulus, and a smooth surface. In other embodiments, the first recipe is followed by an inert gas plasma smoothening process and then the first recipe is cycled to achieve a high hardness, a high modulus, and a smooth surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2020Publication date: March 3, 2022Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc., National University of SingaporeInventors: Vicknesh Sahmuganathan, Gu Jiteng, Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian, Loh Kian Ping, Abhijit Basu Mallick, John Sudijono, Zhongxin Chen