Patents by Inventor Zhaozhao Zhu
Zhaozhao Zhu 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: 20250244122Abstract: A method includes causing, by at least one processing device, a confocal sensor system to make a plurality of signal measurements of a target material, each signal measurement of the plurality of signal measurements corresponding to a respective distance of a plurality of distances between a confocal sensor of the confocal sensor system and the target material, generating, by the at least one processing device, target scan data for the target material based on the plurality of signal measurements, and measuring, by the at least one processing device, at least one property of the target material based on the target scan data.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2024Publication date: July 31, 2025Inventors: Zhaozhao Zhu, Jon Meyer, Varoujan Chakarian
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Publication number: 20250218829Abstract: An identification feature of a substrate in a substrate measurement subsystem is identified. The identification feature is located at a predefined location relative to a reference location of the substrate. A position of the substrate within the substrate measurement subsystem is determined based on the identified identification feature. Based on the determined position of the substrate, one or more sensing components of the substrate measurement subsystem is caused to capture spectral data representing features of at least one of the reference location of the substrate or another location of the substrate. A determination is made of whether to update a process recipe associated with the substrate based on the captured spectral data.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2025Publication date: July 3, 2025Inventors: Upendra V. Ummethala, Blake Erickson, Prashanth Kumar, Michael Kutney, Steven Trey Tindel, Zhaozhao Zhu
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Patent number: 12283503Abstract: A method for a substrate measurement subsystem is provided. An indication is received that a substrate being processed at a manufacturing system has been loaded into a substrate measurement subsystem. First positional data of the substrate within the substrate measurement subsystem is determined. One or more portions of the substrate to be measured by one or more sensing components of the substrate measurement subsystem are determined based on the first positional data of the substrate and a process recipe for the substrate. Measurements of each of the determined portions of the substrate are obtained by one or more sensing components of the substrate measurement subsystem. The obtained measurements of each of the determined portions of the substrate are transmitted to a system controller.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2021Date of Patent: April 22, 2025Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Upendra V. Ummethala, Blake Erickson, Prashanth Kumar, Michael Kutney, Steven Trey Tindel, Zhaozhao Zhu
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Patent number: 12216455Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a process chamber, one or more robot, a substrate measurement system, and a computing device. The process chamber may process a substrate that will comprise a film and/or feature after the processing. The one or more robot, to move the substrate from the process chamber to a substrate measurement system. The substrate measurement system may measure the film and/or feature on the substrate and generate a profile map of the film and/or feature. The computing device may process data from the profile map using a first trained machine learning model, wherein the first trained machine learning model outputs a first chamber component condition estimation for a first chamber component of the process chamber. The computing device may then determine whether to perform maintenance on the first chamber component of the process chamber based at least in part on the first chamber component condition estimation.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2022Date of Patent: February 4, 2025Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Chunlei Zhang, Zhaozhao Zhu, Michael Kutney
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Patent number: 12191176Abstract: A process recipe associated with a substrate at a manufacturing system is identified. A first set of measurements for the substrate is obtained from a substrate measurement subsystem. A second set of measurements for the substrate is obtained from one or more sensors of a chamber of the manufacturing system. A determination is made based on the obtained first set of measurements and the obtained second set of measurements of whether to modify the process recipe by at least one of modifying an operation of the process recipe or generating an instruction to prevent completion of execution of one or more operations of the process recipe.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2023Date of Patent: January 7, 2025Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Upendra V. Ummethala, Blake Erickson, Prashanth Kumar, Michael Kutney, Steven Trey Tindel, Zhaozhao Zhu
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Publication number: 20240393262Abstract: A method includes receiving spectral data of a substrate and metrology data corresponding to the spectral data of the substrate. The method further includes determining a plurality of feature model configurations for each of a plurality of feature models, each of the plurality of feature model configurations including one or more feature model conditions. The method further includes determining a plurality of feature model combinations, where each feature model combination of the plurality of feature model combinations includes a subset of the plurality of feature model configurations. The method further includes generating a plurality of input datasets, where each input dataset of the plurality of input datasets is generated based on application of the spectral data to a respective feature model combination of the plurality of feature model combinations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2023Publication date: November 28, 2024Inventors: Jeong Jin Hong, Sejune Cheon, Sang Hong Kim, Thomas Ho Fai Li, Anders Andelman Nottrott, Zhaozhao Zhu, MiHyun Jang
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Patent number: 12148647Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate holder, a first actuator to rotate the substrate holder, a second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly, a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of the substrate, a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of target positions on the substrate, and a processing device. The processing device estimates a position of the substrate on the substrate holder and causes the first actuator to rotate the substrate holder about a first axis. The rotation causes an offset between a field of view of the second sensor and a target position on the substrate due to the substrate not being centered on the substrate holder. The processing device causes the second actuator to move the substrate holder linearly along a second axis to correct the offset. The processing device determines a profile across a surface of the substrate based on the one or more second measurements of the target positions.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2022Date of Patent: November 19, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Patricia Schulze, Gregory John Freeman, Michael Kutney, Arunkumar Ramachandraiah, Chih Chung Chou, Zhaozhao Zhu, Ozkan Celik
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Patent number: 12136557Abstract: A process recipe associated with a substrate at a manufacturing system is identified. A first set of measurements for the substrate is obtained from a substrate measurement subsystem. A second set of measurements for the substrate is obtained from one or more sensors of a chamber of the manufacturing system. A determination is made based on the obtained first set of measurements and the obtained second set of measurements of whether to modify the process recipe by at least one of modifying an operation of the process recipe or generating an instruction to prevent completion of execution of one or more operations of the process recipe.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2023Date of Patent: November 5, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Upendra V. Ummethala, Blake Erickson, Prashanth Kumar, Michael Kutney, Steven Trey Tindel, Zhaozhao Zhu
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Publication number: 20240361239Abstract: Implementations disclosed describe a system including a light source, an optical sensor, and a processing device. The light source directs, during a first time, a probe light into a processing chamber through a window. The light source ceases, during a second time, directing the probe light into the processing chamber through the window. The optical sensor detects, during the first time, a first intensity of a first light. The first light includes a portion of the probe light reflected from the window and a light transmitted from an environment of the processing chamber through the window. The optical sensor detects, during the second time, a second intensity of a second light. The second light includes the light transmitted from the environment of the processing chamber through the window. The processing device determines, using the first intensity and the second intensity, a transmission coefficient of the window.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2024Publication date: October 31, 2024Inventors: Patrick Tae, Zhaozhao Zhu, Blake W. Erickson, Chunlei Zhang
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Publication number: 20240339347Abstract: An optical measurement device comprises a substrate holder to secure a substrate, a plurality of actuators to move the substrate holder relative to a plurality of axes, a first sensor to generate one or more first measurements or images of a first plurality of target positions on the substrate, and a second sensor to generate one or more second measurements of a second plurality of target positions on the substrate. The optical measurement device further comprises a plate, wherein the substrate holder, the plurality of actuators, the first sensor and the second sensor are each mounted to the plate, and wherein the plate provides vibration isolation from a factory interface to which the optical measurement device mounts. The optical measurement device further comprises a processing device that executes instructions to control the plurality of actuators and process the first measurements or images and the second measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2024Publication date: October 10, 2024Inventors: Patricia Schulze, Gregory John Freeman, Michael Kutney, Arunkumar Ramachandraiah, Chih Chung Chou, Zhaozhao Zhu, Ozkan Celik
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Publication number: 20240290592Abstract: A method includes embedding at least part of a transparent crystal within a wall and a liner of a processing chamber, depositing a transparent thin film on a surface of the transparent crystal that is exposed to an interior of the processing chamber and depositing a process film layer on the transparent thin film. The method includes receiving light reflected back from a surface of the transparent thin film and a surface of the process film layer and detecting, by a spectrometer within the received light, a first spectrum that is representative of the process film layer. The method includes calculating, by a processing device coupled to the spectrometer, a process drift of the processing chamber based at least in part on the first spectrum.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2024Publication date: August 29, 2024Inventors: Patrick Tae, Blake W. Erickson, Zhaozhao Zhu, Michael David Willwerth, Barry Paul Craver
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Patent number: 12031910Abstract: Implementations disclosed describe a system including a light source, an optical sensor, and a processing device. The light source directs, during a first time, a probe light into a processing chamber through a window. The light source ceases, during a second time, directing the probe light into the processing chamber through the window. The optical sensor detects, during the first time, a first intensity of a first light. The first light includes a portion of the probe light reflected from the window and a light transmitted from an environment of the processing chamber through the window. The optical sensor detects, during the second time, a second intensity of a second light. The second light includes the light transmitted from the environment of the processing chamber through the window. The processing device determines, using the first intensity and the second intensity, a transmission coefficient of the window.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2021Date of Patent: July 9, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Patrick Tae, Zhaozhao Zhu, Blake W. Erickson, Chunlei Zhang
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Patent number: 12009191Abstract: A system includes a transparent crystal, at least part of which is embedded within a wall and a liner of a processing chamber. The transparent crystal has a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end having a distal surface exposed to an interior of the processing chamber. A transparent thin film is deposited on the distal surface and has chemical properties substantially matching those of the liner. A light coupling device is to: transmit light, from a light source, through the proximal end of the transparent crystal, and focus, into a spectrometer, light received reflected back from a combination of the distal surface, a surface of the transparent thin film, and a surface of a process film layer deposited on the transparent thin film. The spectrometer is to detect a first spectrum within the focused light that is representative of the process film layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2020Date of Patent: June 11, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Patrick Tae, Blake W. Erickson, Zhaozhao Zhu, Michael David Willwerth, Barry Paul Craver
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Publication number: 20240128100Abstract: Spectral data associated with one or more regions of a surface of a substrate is identified. The substrate has been processed according to one or more first operations of a process recipe that is unknown to a system controller for the manufacturing system. The spectral data is provided as input to a machine learning model that is trained to predict, based on given spectral data, a respective process recipe associated with the substrate and one or more operations of the respective process recipe that have already been performed. A determination is made, based on one or more outputs of the machine learning model, that the substrate is associated with the process recipe and that one or more second operations are yet to be performed. The substrate is caused to be processed according to the one or more second operations of the process recipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2023Publication date: April 18, 2024Inventors: Hsinyi Tsai, Thomas Li, Zhaozhao Zhu, Michael Kutney, Upendra V. Ummethala
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Publication number: 20240096715Abstract: An article includes a device, a first layer deposited on a surface of the device, and a second layer deposited on the first layer. The first layer includes a first sense material deposited on a first portion of the surface and a second sense material deposited on a second portion of the surface. The second layer includes a first etch material deposited on the first sense material and a second etch material deposited on the second sense material. Responsive to the second layer being etched during an etch process performed at a processing chamber of an electronics processing system, at least one of the first sense material or the second sense material can be detected at the surface of the device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Keith Berding, Blake Erickson, Soumendra Barman, Zhaozhao Zhu
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Patent number: 11927543Abstract: A system includes a memory, and at least one processing device, operatively coupled to the memory, to facilitate an etch recipe development process by performing operations including obtaining, from an optical detector, first material thickness data for a first material and second material thickness data for a second material resulting from an iteration of an etch process using an etch recipe. The first material is located at a first reflectometry measurement point and the second material is located at a second reflectometry measurement point different from the first reflectometry measurement point. The operations further include determining one or more etch parameters based on at least the first material thickness data and the second material thickness data.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2023Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Blake Erickson, Keith Berding, Michael Kutney, Soumendra Barman, Zhaozhao Zhu, Michelle SanPedro, Suresh Polali Narayana Rao
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Patent number: 11830779Abstract: An article, apparatus, and method for detecting an etch material selectivity is provided. A device including a first layer and a second layer is placed in a processing chamber. The first layer includes a first sense material deposited on a first portion of the device and a second sense material deposited on a second portion of the device. The second layer deposited on the first layer includes an etch material. During an etch process based on an initial set of etch parameter settings, a first amount of time to etch the second layer at the first portion of the device and a second amount of time to etch the second layer at the second portion of the device are measured. A first etch rate and a second etch rate of the processing chamber is determined based on the measured first amount of time, the measured second amount of time, and a thickness of the second layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Keith Berding, Blake Erickson, Soumendra Barman, Zhaozhao Zhu
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Patent number: D1031743Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2022Date of Patent: June 18, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Sidharth Bhatia, Zhaozhao Zhu, Jeffrey Yat Shan Au, Shawn Levesque, Michael Howells, Raja Sekhar Jetti
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Patent number: D1045923Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2024Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Sidharth Bhatia, Zhaozhao Zhu, Jeffrey Yat Shan Au, Shawn Levesque, Michael Howells, Raja Sekhar Jetti
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Patent number: D1045924Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2024Date of Patent: October 8, 2024Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Sidharth Bhatia, Zhaozhao Zhu, Jeffrey Yat Shan Au, Shawn Levesque, Michael Howells, Raja Sekhar Jetti