Patents by Inventor Zhiyuan Ye

Zhiyuan Ye 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).

  • Publication number: 20240339342
    Abstract: An apparatus for heating a substrate within a thermal processing chamber is disclosed. The apparatus includes a chamber body, a gas inlet, a gas outlet, an upper window, a lower window, a substrate support, and an upper heating device. The upper heating device is a laser heating device and includes one or more laser assemblies. The laser assemblies include light sources, a cooling plate, optical fibers, and irradiation windows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Danny LAU, Adel George TANNOUS, Patrick C. GENIS, Zhiyuan YE
  • Publication number: 20240318351
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a process chamber for thermal processing is described herein. The process chamber is a dual process chamber and shares a chamber body. The chamber body includes a first and a second set of gas inject passages. The chamber body may also include a first and a second set of exhaust ports. The process chamber may have a shared gas panel and/or a shared exhaust conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2024
    Publication date: September 26, 2024
    Inventors: Zhiyuan YE, Shu-Kwan LAU, Brian BURROWS, Lori D. WASHINGTON, Herman DINIZ, Martin A. HILKENE, Richard O. COLLINS, Nyi Oo MYO, Manish HEMKAR, Schubert S. CHU
  • Patent number: 12068155
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a method of epitaxial deposition of p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (MMOS) source/drain regions within horizontal gate all around (hGAA) device structures. Combinations of precursors are described herein, which grow of the source/drain regions on predominantly <100> surfaces with reduced or negligible growth on <110> surfaces. Therefore, growth of the source/drain regions is predominantly located on the top surface of a substrate instead of the alternating layers of the hGAA structure. The precursor combinations include a silicon containing precursor, a germanium containing precursor, and a boron containing precursor. At least one of the precursors further includes chlorine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chen-Ying Wu, Zhiyuan Ye, Xuebin Li, Sathya Chary, Yi-Chiau Huang, Saurabh Chopra
  • Patent number: 12037701
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a process chamber for thermal processing is described herein. The process chamber is a dual process chamber and shares a chamber body. The chamber body includes a first and a second set of gas inject passages. The chamber body may also include a first and a second set of exhaust ports. The process chamber may have a shared gas panel and/or a shared exhaust conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhiyuan Ye, Shu-Kwan Danny Lau, Brian H. Burrows, Lori Washington, Herman Diniz, Martin A. Hilkene, Richard O. Collins, Nyi O. Myo, Manish Hemkar, Schubert S. Chu
  • Patent number: 12033874
    Abstract: An apparatus for heating a substrate within a thermal processing chamber is disclosed. The apparatus includes a chamber body, a gas inlet, a gas outlet, an upper window, a lower window, a substrate support, and an upper heating device. The upper heating device is a laser heating device and includes one or more laser assemblies. The laser assemblies include light sources, a cooling plate, optical fibers, and irradiation windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Danny Lau, Adel George Tannous, Patrick C. Genis, Zhiyuan Ye
  • Patent number: 12015042
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an interconnect structure over a front side of a sensor substrate, thinning the sensor substrate from a back side of the sensor substrate, etching trenches into the sensor substrate, pre-cleaning an exposed surface of the sensor substrate, epitaxially growing a charge layer directly on the pre-cleaned exposed surface of the sensor substrate, and forming isolation structures within the etched trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Papo Chen, Schubert Chu, Errol Antonio C Sanchez, John Timothy Boland, Zhiyuan Ye, Lori Washington, Xianzhi Tao, Yi-Chiau Huang, Chen-Ying Wu
  • Publication number: 20240145275
    Abstract: A master controller identifies a flow ratio setpoint for at least one of a process gas or a carrier gas flow to a process chamber through a set of mass flow controllers. The master controller determines a flow setpoint for the at least one of the process gas or the carrier gas through the set of mass flow controllers based on the identified flow ratio setpoint. The master controller controls the at least one of the process gas flow or the carrier gas flow through each of the set of mass flow controllers according to the determined flow setpoint for each of the set of mass flow controllers and based on a back pressure reading provided by a back pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Kevin Brashear, Ashley M. Okada, Dennis L. Demars, Zhiyuan Ye, Jaidev Rajaram, Marcel E. Josephson
  • Publication number: 20240112945
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a susceptor for thermal processing is provided. The susceptor includes an outer rim surrounding and coupled to an inner dish, the outer rim having an inner edge and an outer edge. The susceptor further includes one or more structures for reducing a contacting surface area between a substrate and the susceptor when the substrate is supported by the susceptor. At least one of the one or more structures is coupled to the inner dish proximate the inner edge of the outer rim.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Anhthu NGO, Zuoming ZHU, Balasubramanian RAMACHANDRAN, Paul BRILLHART, Edric TONG, Anzhong CHANG, Kin Pong LO, Kartik SHAH, Schubert S. CHU, Zhepeng CONG, James Francis MACK, Nyi O. MYO, Kevin Joseph BAUTISTA, Xuebin LI, Yi-Chiau HUANG, Zhiyuan YE
  • Patent number: 11923221
    Abstract: A master controller determines a first flow setpoint for a process flow gas and/or a carrier gas flow through a first mass flow controller. The master controller obtains a back pressure setpoint of a distribution manifold and determines a second flow setpoint for the process gas flow and/or the carrier gas flow through a second mass flow controller or a back pressure controller based on the determined first flow setpoint and the obtained back pressure setpoint. The master controller controls the process gas flow and/or the carrier gas flow through the first mass flow controller to the first flow setpoint and the second mass flow controller and/or the back pressure controller to the second flow setpoint. The master controller controls the back pressure of the distribution manifold to the back pressure set point in view of a back pressure reading from a back pressure sensor of the distribution manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Brashear, Ashley M. Okada, Dennis L. Demars, Zhiyuan Ye, Jaidev Rajaram, Marcel E. Josephson
  • Publication number: 20240044004
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for semiconductor processing, more particularly, to a thermal process chamber. The thermal process chamber includes a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed over or below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed over the substrate support. The spot heating module is utilized to provide local heating of cold regions on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Localized heating of the substrate improves temperature profile, which in turn improves deposition uniformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan LAU, Koji NAKANISHI, Toshiyuki NAKAGAWA, Zuoming ZHU, Zhiyuan YE, Joseph M. RANISH, Nyi Oo MYO, Errol Antonio C. SANCHEZ, Schubert S. CHU
  • Publication number: 20240026522
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally provide improved control of gas flow in processing chambers. In at least one embodiment, a liner for a processing chamber includes an annular body having a sidewall and a vent formed in the annular body for exhausting gas from inside to outside the annular body. The vent comprises one or more vent holes disposed through the sidewall. The liner further includes an opening in the annular body for substrate loading and unloading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Zhepeng CONG, Schubert CHU, Nyi Oo MYO, Kartik Bhupendra SHAH, Zhiyuan YE, Richard O. COLLINS
  • Patent number: 11848226
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a susceptor for thermal processing is provided. The susceptor includes an outer rim surrounding and coupled to an inner dish, the outer rim having an inner edge and an outer edge. The susceptor further includes one or more structures for reducing a contacting surface area between a substrate and the susceptor when the substrate is supported by the susceptor. At least one of the one or more structures is coupled to the inner dish proximate the inner edge of the outer rim.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Anhthu Ngo, Zuoming Zhu, Balasubramanian Ramachandran, Paul Brillhart, Edric Tong, Anzhong Chang, Kin Pong Lo, Kartik Shah, Schubert S. Chu, Zhepeng Cong, James Francis Mack, Nyi O. Myo, Kevin Joseph Bautista, Xuebin Li, Yi-Chiau Huang, Zhiyuan Ye
  • Patent number: 11842907
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for semiconductor processing, more particularly, to a thermal process chamber. In one or more embodiments, a process chamber comprises a first window, a second window, a substrate support disposed between the first window and the second window, and a motorized rotatable radiant spot heating source disposed over the first window and configured to provide radiant energy through the first window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Danny Lau, Toshiyuki Nakagawa, Zhiyuan Ye
  • Patent number: 11821088
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for semiconductor processing, more particularly, to a thermal process chamber. The thermal process chamber includes a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed over or below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed over the substrate support. The spot heating module is utilized to provide local heating of cold regions on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Localized heating of the substrate improves temperature profile, which in turn improves deposition uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Lau, Koji Nakanishi, Toshiyuki Nakagawa, Zuoming Zhu, Zhiyuan Ye, Joseph M. Ranish, Nyi O. Myo, Errol Antonio C. Sanchez, Schubert S. Chu
  • Publication number: 20230369077
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for semiconductor processing, more particularly, to a thermal process chamber. In one or more embodiments, a process chamber comprises a first window, a second window, a substrate support disposed between the first window and the second window, and a motorized rotatable radiant spot heating source disposed over the first window and configured to provide radiant energy through the first window.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Shu-Kwan Danny LAU, Toshiyuki NAKAGAWA, Zhiyuan YE
  • Publication number: 20230366715
    Abstract: Aspects generally relate to methods, systems, and apparatus for conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system. In one aspect, a corrected flow curve is created for a range of target flow rates across a plurality of setpoints. In one implementation, a method of conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system includes prioritizing the plurality of MFCs for the calibration operation. The prioritizing includes determining an operation time for each MFC of the plurality of MFCs, and ranking the plurality of MFCs in a rank list according to the operation time for each MFC. The method includes conducting the calibration operation for the plurality of MFCs according to the rank list and during an idle time for the substrate processing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Bindusagar MARATH SANKARATHODI, Zhiyuan YE, Jyothi RAJEEVAN, Ala MORADIAN, Zuoming ZHU, Errol Antonio C. SANCHEZ, Patricia M. LIU
  • Patent number: 11781212
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally provide improved control of gas flow in processing chambers. In at least one embodiment, a liner for a processing chamber includes an annular body having a sidewall and a vent formed in the annular body for exhausting gas from inside to outside the annular body. The vent comprises one or more vent holes disposed through the sidewall. The liner further includes an opening in the annular body for substrate loading and unloading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Material, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhepeng Cong, Schubert Chu, Nyi Oo Myo, Kartik Bhupendra Shah, Zhiyuan Ye, Richard O. Collins
  • Patent number: 11733081
    Abstract: Aspects generally relate to methods, systems, and apparatus for conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system. In one aspect, a corrected flow curve is created for a range of target flow rates across a plurality of setpoints. In one implementation, a method of conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system includes prioritizing the plurality of MFCs for the calibration operation. The prioritizing includes determining an operation time for each MFC of the plurality of MFCs, and ranking the plurality of MFCs in a rank list according to the operation time for each MFC. The method includes conducting the calibration operation for the plurality of MFCs according to the rank list and during an idle time for the substrate processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Bindusagar Marath Sankarathodi, Zhiyuan Ye, Jyothi Rajeevan, Ala Moradian, Zuoming Zhu, Errol Antonio C. Sanchez, Patricia M. Liu
  • Publication number: 20230223284
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving film growth uniformity on a semiconductor substrate. The film growth uniformity is improved by adjusting the amount of power provided to the substrate by spot heaters as the substrate is rotated. Therefore, the amount of power provided to the substrate by the spot heaters changes as the portion of the substrate being heated by spot heater changes. The change in power provided by the spot heater is dependent on a temperature correction factor applied by the controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Sathya Shrinivas CHARY, Zhiyuan YE
  • Patent number: 11680338
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for an upper reflector assembly for use in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, an upper reflector assembly for use in a process chamber includes a reflector mounting ring; and upper reflector plate coupled to the reflector mounting ring and having an upper surface and lower surface, wherein the lower surface includes a plurality of linear channels extending substantially parallel to each other across the lower surface, and wherein the upper reflector plate includes air cooling slots extending from the upper surface to the lower surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Brian Burrows, Shu-Kwan Danny Lau, Zhiyuan Ye