Patents by Inventor Zhenijiang Cui

Zhenijiang Cui 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).

  • Selective copper-silicon-nitride layer formation for an improved dielectric film/copper line interface
    Patent number: 7718548
    Abstract: A process to form a copper-silicon-nitride layer on a copper surface on a semiconductor wafer is described. The process may include the step of exposing the wafer to a first plasma made from helium. The process may also include exposing the wafer to a second plasma made from a reducing gas, where the second plasma removes copper oxide from the copper surface, and exposing the wafer to silane, where the silane reacts with the copper surface to selectively form copper silicide. The process may further include exposing the wafer to a third plasma made from ammonia and molecular nitrogen to form the copper silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sang M. Lee, Vladimir Zubkov, Zhenijiang Cui, Meiyee Shek, Li-Qun Xia, Hichem M'Saad
  • SELECTIVE COPPER-SILICON-NITRIDE LAYER FORMATION FOR AN IMPROVED DIELECTRIC FILM/COPPER LINE INTERFACE
    Publication number: 20080213997
    Abstract: A process to form a copper-silicon-nitride layer on a copper surface on a semiconductor wafer is described. The process may include the step of exposing the wafer to a first plasma made from helium. The process may also include exposing the wafer to a second plasma made from a reducing gas, where the second plasma removes copper oxide from the copper surface, and exposing the wafer to silane, where the silane reacts with the copper surface to selectively form copper silicide. The process may further include exposing the wafer to a third plasma made from ammonia and molecular nitrogen to form the copper silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sang M. Lee, Vladimir Zubkov, Zhenijiang Cui, Meiyee Shek, Li-Qun Xia, Hichem M'Saad