Patents by Inventor Xiaolan Ba
Xiaolan Ba 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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Patent number: 12237221Abstract: Provided herein are methods of depositing tungsten (W) films without depositing a nucleation layer. In certain embodiments, the methods involve depositing a conformal reducing agent layer of boron (B) and/or silicon (Si) on a substrate. The substrate generally includes a feature to be filled with tungsten with the reducing agent layer conformal to the topography of the substrate including the feature. The reducing agent layer is then exposed to a fluorine-containing tungsten precursor, which is reduced by the reducing agent layer to form a layer of elemental tungsten. The conformal reducing agent layer is converted to a conformal tungsten layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2020Date of Patent: February 25, 2025Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Sema Ermez, Ruopeng Deng, Yutaka Nishioka, Xiaolan Ba, Sanjay Gopinath, Michal Danek
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Patent number: 12077858Abstract: Described herein are methods of filling features with tungsten and related apparatus. The methods described herein involve deposition of a tungsten nucleation layer prior to deposition of a bulk layer. The methods involve multiple atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles. According to various embodiments, both a boron-containing reducing agent and silicon-reducing agent may be pulses during a single cycle to react with a tungsten-containing precursor and form a tungsten film.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2020Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Pragna Nannapaneni, Novy Tjokro, Sema Ermez, Ruopeng Deng, Tianhua Yu, Xiaolan Ba, Sanjay Gopinath
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Publication number: 20240282580Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for filling semiconductor substrate structures with conductive material. The methods involve depositing multi-layer bulk metal films in structures with one or more deposition conditions changed when transitioning from layer-to-layer. The methods result in high fill quality, high throughput, low precursor consumption, and low roughness. Multi-station chambers to perform the methods are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2024Publication date: August 22, 2024Inventors: Xiaolan BA, Ruopeng DENG, Juwen GAO, Sanjay GOPINATH, Lawrence SCHLOSS
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Patent number: 12060639Abstract: Provided herein are methods and related apparatus for purging processing chambers during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The methods involve flowing purging gas from one or more accumulators to remove process gases from the processing chambers. Following the flowing of purging gas, additional reactants may be introduced into the processing chamber to continue an ALD cycle.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2020Date of Patent: August 13, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Pragna Nannapaneni, Sema Ermez, Novy Tjokro, Ruopeng Deng, Tianhua Yu, Xiaolan Ba, Juwen Gao, Sanjay Gopinath
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Publication number: 20240266177Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described that provide tungsten deposition with low roughness. In some embodiments, the methods involve co-flowing nitrogen with hydrogen during an atomic layer deposition process of depositing tungsten that uses hydrogen as a reducing agent. In some embodiments, the methods involve depositing a cap layer, such as tungsten oxide or amorphous tungsten layer, on a sidewall surface of a 3D NAND structure. The disclosed embodiments have a wide variety of applications including depositing tungsten into 3D NAND structures.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2024Publication date: August 8, 2024Inventors: Ruopeng Deng, Xiaolan Ba, Tianhua Yu, Yu Pan, Juwen Gao
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Patent number: 12014928Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for filling semiconductor substrate structures with conductive material. The methods involve depositing multi-layer bulk metal films in structures with one or more deposition conditions changed when transitioning from layer-to-layer. The methods result in high fill quality, high throughput, low precursor consumption, and low roughness. Multi-station chambers to perform the methods are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: June 18, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Xiaolan Ba, Ruopeng Deng, Juwen Gao, Sanjay Gopinath, Lawrence Schloss
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Patent number: 11972952Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described that provide tungsten deposition with low roughness. In some embodiments, the methods involve co-flowing nitrogen with hydrogen during an atomic layer deposition process of depositing tungsten that uses hydrogen as a reducing agent. In some embodiments, the methods involve depositing a cap layer, such as tungsten oxide or amorphous tungsten layer, on a sidewall surface of a 3D NAND structure. The disclosed embodiments have a wide variety of applications including depositing tungsten into 3D NAND structures.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Ruopeng Deng, Xiaolan Ba, Tianhua Yu, Yu Pan, Juwen Gao
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Publication number: 20240006180Abstract: Provided herein are methods of depositing tungsten (W) films without depositing a nucleation layer. In certain embodiments, the methods involve depositing a conformal layer of boron (B) on a substrate. The substrate generally includes a feature to be filled with tungsten with the boron layer conformal to the topography of the substrate including the feature. The reducing agent layer is then exposed to a continuous flow of hydrogen and pulses of fluorine-containing tungsten precursor in a pulsed CVD process. The conformal boron layer is converted to a conformal tungsten layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2021Publication date: January 4, 2024Inventors: Yu PAN, Yao-Tsung HSIEH, Xiaolan BA, Juwen GAO
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Publication number: 20230260814Abstract: In some examples, an exclusion ring locates a substrate on a substrate-support assembly in a processing chamber. An example exclusion ring comprises an inner edge portion to cover an edge of a substrate in the processing chamber and an outer edge portion to support the exclusion ring on the substrate support assembly in the processing chamber. The outer edge portion may include an outer edge of the exclusion ring. A separation zone extending between the inner edge portion and the outer edge of the exclusion ring includes an undercut in an undersurface of the exclusion ring. In some examples, a cooling gas is directed at the exclusion ring while the exclusion ring is located at a station or during an indexing operation performed by the exclusion ring within a processing tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2021Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventors: Vinayakaraddy Gulabal, Ravi Vellanki, Eashan Raju Dhawade, Alok Mahadeva, Erica Maxine Chen, Xiaolan Ba
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Publication number: 20220364232Abstract: Described herein are methods of filling features with tungsten and related apparatus. The methods described herein involve deposition of a tungsten nucleation layer prior to deposition of a bulk layer. The methods involve multiple atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycles. According to various embodiments, both a boron-containing reducing agent and silicon-reducing agent may be pulses during a single cycle to react with a tungsten-containing precursor and form a tungsten film.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2020Publication date: November 17, 2022Inventors: Pragna NANNAPANENI, Novy TJOKRO, Sema ERMEZ, Ruopeng DENG, Tianhua YU, Xiaolan BA, Sanjay GOPINATH
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Publication number: 20220254685Abstract: Provided herein are methods of depositing tungsten (W) films without depositing a nucleation layer. In certain embodiments, the methods involve depositing a conformal reducing agent layer of boron (B) and/or silicon (Si) on a substrate. The substrate generally includes a feature to be filled with tungsten with the reducing agent layer conformal to the topography of the substrate including the feature. The reducing agent layer is then exposed to a fluorine-containing tungsten precursor, which is reduced by the reducing agent layer to form a layer of elemental tungsten. The conformal reducing agent layer is converted to a conformal tungsten layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2020Publication date: August 11, 2022Inventors: Sema ERMEZ, Ruopeng DENG, Yutaka NISHIOKA, Xiaolan BA, Sanjay GOPINATH, Michal DANEK
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Publication number: 20220186370Abstract: Provided herein are methods and related apparatus for purging processing chambers during an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The methods involve flowing purging gas from one or more accumulators to remove process gases from the processing chambers. Following the flowing of purging gas, additional reactants may be introduced into the processing chamber to continue an ALD cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2020Publication date: June 16, 2022Applicant: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Pragna Nannapaneni, Sema Ermez, Novy Tjokro, Ruopeng Deng, Tianhua Yu, Xiaolan Ba, Juwen Gao, Sanjay Gopinath
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Publication number: 20210335617Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described that provide tungsten deposition with low roughness. In some embodiments, the methods involve co-flowing nitrogen with hydrogen during an atomic layer deposition process of depositing tungsten that uses hydrogen as a reducing agent. In some embodiments, the methods involve depositing a cap layer, such as tungsten oxide or amorphous tungsten layer, on a sidewall surface of a 3D NAND structure. The disclosed embodiments have a wide variety of applications including depositing tungsten into 3D NAND structures.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2019Publication date: October 28, 2021Inventors: Ruopeng Deng, Xiaolan Ba, Tianhua Yu, Yu Pan, Juwen Gao
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Publication number: 20210313183Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses for filling semiconductor substrate structures with conductive material. The methods involve depositing multi-layer bulk metal films in structures with one or more deposition conditions changed when transitioning from layer-to-layer. The methods result in high fill quality, high throughput, low precursor consumption, and low roughness. Multi-station chambers to perform the methods are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2019Publication date: October 7, 2021Inventors: Xiaolan Ba, Ruopeng Deng, Juwen Gao, Sanjay Gopinath, Lawrence Schloss
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Patent number: 10546751Abstract: Methods of depositing fluorine-free tungsten by sequential CVD pulses, such as by alternately pulsing a fluorine-free tungsten precursor and hydrogen in cycles of temporally separated pulses, are provided. Some methods involve depositing fluorine-free tungsten by sequential CVD without depositing a tungsten nucleation layer. Methods also include depositing tungsten directly on a substrate surface using alternating pulses of a chlorine-containing tungsten precursor and hydrogen without treating the substrate surface. Methods also include depositing a tungsten layer using a reducing agent and fluorine-free tungsten-containing precursor and depositing bulk tungsten in sequential CVD cycles of alternating pulses of hydrogen and a tungsten-containing precursor.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2018Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Hanna Bamnolker, Joshua Collins, Tomas Sadilek, Hyeong Seop Shin, Xiaolan Ba, Raashina Humayun, Michal Danek, Lawrence Schloss
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Publication number: 20180240675Abstract: Methods of depositing fluorine-free tungsten by sequential CVD pulses, such as by alternately pulsing a fluorine-free tungsten precursor and hydrogen in cycles of temporally separated pulses, are provided. Some methods involve depositing fluorine-free tungsten by sequential CVD without depositing a tungsten nucleation layer. Methods also include depositing tungsten directly on a substrate surface using alternating pulses of a chlorine-containing tungsten precursor and hydrogen without treating the substrate surface. Methods also include depositing a tungsten layer using a reducing agent and fluorine-free tungsten-containing precursor and depositing bulk tungsten in sequential CVD cycles of alternating pulses of hydrogen and a tungsten-containing precursor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2018Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: Hanna Bamnolker, Joshua Collins, Tomas Sadilek, Hyeong Seop Shin, Xiaolan Ba, Raashina Humayun, Michal Danek, Lawrence Schloss
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Patent number: 9978605Abstract: Provided herein are methods of depositing fluorine-free tungsten by sequential CVD pulses, such as by alternately pulsing a chlorine-containing tungsten precursor and hydrogen in cycles of temporally separated pulses, without depositing a tungsten nucleation layer. Methods also include depositing tungsten directly on a substrate surface using alternating pulses of a chlorine-containing tungsten precursor and hydrogen without treating the substrate surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2017Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: Lam Research CorporationInventors: Hanna Bamnolker, Joshua Collins, Tomas Sadilek, Hyeong Seop Shin, Xiaolan Ba, Raashina Humayun, Michal Danek, Lawrence Schloss
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Patent number: 9754824Abstract: Aspects of the methods and apparatus described herein relate to deposition of tungsten nucleation layers and other tungsten-containing films. Various embodiments of the methods involve exposing a substrate to alternating pulses of a tungsten precursor and a reducing agent at low chamber pressure to thereby deposit a tungsten-containing layer on the surface of the substrate. According to various embodiments, chamber pressure may be maintained at or below 10 Torr. In some embodiments, chamber pressure may be maintained at or below 7 Torr, or even lower, such as at or below 5 Torr. The methods may be implemented with a fluorine-containing tungsten precursor, but result in very low or undetectable amounts of fluorine in the deposited layer.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2015Date of Patent: September 5, 2017Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATIONInventors: Lawrence Schloss, Xiaolan Ba
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Publication number: 20170117155Abstract: Provided herein are methods of depositing fluorine-free tungsten by sequential CVD pulses, such as by alternately pulsing a chlorine-containing tungsten precursor and hydrogen in cycles of temporally separated pulses, without depositing a tungsten nucleation layer. Methods also include depositing tungsten directly on a substrate surface using alternating pulses of a chlorine-containing tungsten precursor and hydrogen without treating the substrate surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2017Publication date: April 27, 2017Inventors: Hanna Bamnolker, Joshua Collins, Tomas Sadilek, Hyeong Seop Shin, Xiaolan Ba, Raashina Humayun, Michal Danek, Lawrence Schloss
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Patent number: 9633861Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide processes to selectively form a metal layer on a conductive surface, followed by flowing a silicon based compound over the metal layer to form a metal silicide layer. In one embodiment, a substrate having a conductive surface and a dielectric surface is provided. A metal layer is then deposited on the conductive surface. A metal silicide layer is formed as a result of flowing a silicon based compound over the metal layer. A dielectric is formed over the metal silicide layer.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2014Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Weifeng Ye, Mei-yee Shek, Mihaela Balseanu, Xiaojun Zhang, Xiaolan Ba, Yu Jin, Li-Qun Xia