With Radio Frequency (rf) Antenna Or Inductive Coil Gas Energizing Means Patents (Class 156/345.48)
  • Patent number: 11923179
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for semiconductor processing includes an injector holder configured to removably mate with a structure defining an interior chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. The injector holder defines a first opening. A sleeve is configured to be received within the first opening, and the sleeve defines a second opening. A gas injector is configured to be received within the second opening of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Pei-Yu Lee
  • Patent number: 11894152
    Abstract: A housing assembly configured to house a reactor is disclosed. The housing assembly includes a plurality of modular walls configured to surround the reactor and a passive temperature control system. The plurality of modular walls includes a first modular wall. The passive temperature control system is coupled to the first modular wall. The passive temperature control system is configured to transfer heat between the reactor and an area around the housing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Anthony G Trupiano, Adana L Stanish, Jonathan C. Durfee, William L Brown
  • Patent number: 11875969
    Abstract: A processing system comprises a chamber body, a substrate support and a lid assembly. The substrate support is located in the chamber body and comprises a first electrode. The lid assembly is positioned over the chamber body and defines a processing volume. The lid assembly comprises a faceplate, a second electrode positioned between the faceplate and the chamber body, and an insulating member positioned between the second electrode and the processing volume. A power supply system is coupled to the first electrode and the faceplate and is configured to generate a plasma in the processing volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Fei Wu, Abdul Aziz Khaja, Sungwon Ha, Vinay K. Prabhakar, Ganesh Balasubramanian
  • Patent number: 11837440
    Abstract: There is provided a plasma vessel in which a process gas is plasma-excited; a substrate process chamber which is in communication with the plasma vessel; a gas supply system supplying the process gas; and a coil installed to wind around an outer periphery of the plasma vessel and supplied with high-frequency power, wherein the coil is installed such that: a distance from an inner periphery of the coil to an inner periphery of the plasma vessel at a predetermined position on the coil is different from a distance from the inner periphery of the coil to the inner periphery of the plasma vessel at another position on the coil; and a distance from the inner periphery of the coil to the inner periphery of the plasma vessel at a position at which an amplitude of a standing wave of a voltage applied to the coil is maximized is maximized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Yasui, Katsunori Funaki, Masaki Murobayashi, Koichiro Harada
  • Patent number: 11791133
    Abstract: A plasma generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a pair of electrodes arranged in a dielectric discharge tube; an initial discharge induction coil module; and a main discharge induction coil module. The initial discharge induction coil module and the main discharge induction coil module are connected to an RF power source, and the RF power source provides RF power having different resonance frequencies to the initial discharge induction coil module and the main discharge induction coil module, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: EN2CORE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Sae Hoon Uhm, Yun Seong Lee, Yeong Hoon Sohn, Se Hong Park
  • Patent number: 11735400
    Abstract: Provided are a faraday cleaning device and a plasma processing system, the device comprising a reaction chamber, a bias electrode, a wafer, a chamber cover, a coupling window, an air inlet nozzle, a vertical coil, and a faraday layer, wherein the coupling window is installed at the upper end face of the chamber cover, the chamber cover is installed at the upper end face of the reaction chamber, the bias electrode is assembled inside the reaction chamber, the wafer is installed at the upper end face of the bias electrode, the air inlet nozzle is assembled inside the coupling window, the faraday layer is installed at the upper end face of the coupling window, and the vertical coil is assembled at the upper end face of the faraday layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: JIANGSU LEUVEN INSTRUMENTS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Haiyang Liu, Dongdong Hu, Xiaobo Liu, Na Li, Shiran Cheng, Song Guo, Zhihao Wu, Kaidong Xu
  • Patent number: 11735396
    Abstract: An inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus includes a lower chamber providing a space for a substrate, a high-frequency antenna that generates inductively coupled plasma in the lower chamber, dielectric windows disposed between the lower chamber and the high-frequency antenna, metal windows alternatingly disposed between the dielectric windows, and gas inlet pipes disposed in each of the metal windows, wherein each of the gas inlet pipes includes nozzles that introduce gases to the lower chamberamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Seung Bo Shim, Doug Yong Sung, Ho-Jun Lee, Jee Hun Jeong, Sung Hwan Cho, Ju-Hong Cha
  • Patent number: 11728141
    Abstract: A gas distribution hub for a plasma chamber. The hub has a nozzle including a plurality of inner gas injection passage and a plurality of outer gas injection passages. The first plurality of gas injection passages are angularly spaced-apart arcuate channels at a first radial distance from a center of the hub, and the second plurality of gas injection passages are angularly spaced apart arcuate channels at a different second radial distance from the center of the hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Rozenzon, Kyle Tantiwong, Imad Yousif, Vladimir Knyazik, Bojenna Keating, Samer Banna
  • Patent number: 11721522
    Abstract: A capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber; a gas supply that supplies an inert gas into the chamber; a substrate support including a lower electrode; an upper electrode provided above the substrate support and including silicon; a first radio-frequency power supply electrically connected to the upper electrode; a second radio-frequency power supply electrically connected to the lower electrode; a bias power supply that applies a negative bias voltage to the upper electrode; and a controller that controls an overall operation of the capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus such that the silicon-containing material is deposited on sidewalls of a mask of the substrate to narrow an opening formed on the mask by an amount greater in a second direction than in a first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kosuke Ogasawara, Kentaro Yamaguchi, Takanori Banse
  • Patent number: 11692732
    Abstract: A chamber is provided. The chamber includes a Faraday shield positioned above a substrate support of the chamber. A dielectric window is disposed over the Faraday shield, and the dielectric window has a center opening. A hub having an internal plenum for passing a flow of fluid received from an input conduit and removing the flow of fluid from an output conduit is further provided. The hub has sidewalls and a center cavity inside of the sidewalls for an optical probe, and the internal plenum is disposed in the sidewalls. The hub has an interface surface that is in physical contact with a back side of the Faraday shield. The physical contact provides for a thermal couple to the Faraday shield at a center region around said center opening, and an outer surface of the sidewalls of the hub are disposed within the center opening of the dielectric window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Saravanapriyan Sriraman, John Drewery, Jon McChesney, Alex Paterson
  • Patent number: 11664261
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce non-uniformity of etching in a plane of a wafer. An electrostatic chuck device includes: an electrostatic chuck part having a sample mounting surface on which a sample is mounted and having a first electrode for electrostatic attraction; a cooling base part placed on a side opposite to the sample mounting surface with respect to the electrostatic chuck part to cool the electrostatic chuck part; and an adhesive layer that bonds the electrostatic chuck part and the cooling base part together, in which the cooling base part has a function of a second electrode that is an RF electrode, a third electrode for RF electrode or LC adjustment is provided between the electrostatic chuck part and the cooling base part, and the third electrode is bonded to the electrostatic chuck part and the cooling base part and insulated from the cooling base part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO OSAKA CEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mamoru Kosakai, Masaki Ozaki, Keisuke Maeda
  • Patent number: 11636998
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a high voltage pulsing power supply. A high voltage pulsing power supply may include: a high voltage pulser having an output that provides pulses with an amplitude greater than about 1 kV, a pulse width greater than about 1 ?s, and a pulse repetition frequency greater than about 20 kHz; a plasma chamber; and an electrode disposed within the plasma chamber that is electrically coupled with the output of the high voltage pulser to produce a pulsing an electric field within the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Eagle Harbor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Ziemba, Ilia Slobodov, John Carscadden, Kenneth Miller, Morgan Quinley
  • Patent number: 11600475
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a main container, one or more radio frequency antennas, a plurality of metal windows, and a plasma detector. The one or more radio frequency antennas are configured to generate inductively coupled plasma in a plasma generation region in the main container. The metal windows are disposed between the plasma generation region and the radio frequency antennas while being insulated from each other and from the main container. Further, a plasma detector is connected to each of the metal windows and configured to detect a plasma state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taro Ikeda, Mikio Sato, Eiki Kamata
  • Patent number: 11538663
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, a matching network configured for use with a plasma processing chamber comprises an input configured to receive one or more radio frequency (RF) signals, an output configured to deliver the one or more RF signals to a processing chamber, a first variable capacitor disposed between the input and the output, a second variable capacitor disposed in parallel to the first variable capacitor, a third variable capacitor connected in parallel with each of the first variable capacitor and the second variable capacitor and in series with a transistor switch, and a controller configured to tune the matching network between a first frequency for high-power operation and a second frequency for low-power operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: John Poulose, Kartik Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 11521828
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for processing a substrate using an inductively coupled plasma source. An inductively coupled plasma source utilizes a power source, a shield member, and a coil coupled to the power source. In certain embodiments, the coils are arranged with a horizontal spiral grouping and a vertical extending helical grouping. The shield member, according to certain embodiments, utilizes a grounding member to function as a Faraday shield. The embodiments herein reduce parasitic losses and instabilities in the plasma created by the inductively coupled plasma in the substrate processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: James Rogers, John Poulose
  • Patent number: 11495435
    Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of capable of uniformly processing a surface of a substrate even when an inductive coupling type substrate processing apparatus is used. According to one aspect of the technique, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; a gas supply part configured to supply a gas into the process chamber; a high frequency power supply part configured to supply a high frequency power; a plasma generator including a resonance coil wound on a side of the process chamber, the plasma generator configured to generate a plasma in the process chamber when the high frequency power is supplied to the resonance coil; and a substrate support on which the substrate is placed such that a horizontal center position of the substrate in the process chamber does not overlap with a horizontal center position of the resonance coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Teruo Yoshino, Takashi Yahata
  • Patent number: 11443920
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma generation unit for converting a processing gas into plasma by an inductive coupling. The plasma generation unit includes a first high frequency antenna formed of a vortex coil having open opposite ends and, at a central portion of a line between the open ends, a supply point of a high frequency power and a grounding point grounded through a capacitor; a second high frequency antenna formed of a planar vortex coil disposed between first and second high frequency antenna elements of the first high frequency antenna; and an impedance adjustment unit for adjusting a resonant frequency of a circuit viewed from a high frequency power supply toward the first high frequency antenna which is configured to have two resonant frequencies depending on adjustment of the impedance adjustment unit when the frequency of the high frequency power is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Yamawaku, Tatsuo Matsudo, Chishio Koshimizu
  • Patent number: 11434567
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a first power source configured to supply plasma having a first power level, a second power source configured to supply plasma having a second power level greater than the first power level, and a controller configured to dose a process chamber with precursor. The first power level is sufficient to enhance adsorption of the precursor on a surface of a substrate and is insufficient to decompose the precursor that is adsorbed. The controller is further configured to remove a portion of the precursor that does not adsorb onto the substrate from the process chamber while the plasma having the first power level is being supplied and activate the precursor that is adsorbed using plasma having the second power level while the plasma having the first power level is still being supplied. The second power level is sufficient to decompose the precursor that is adsorbed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Adrien LaVoie, Hu Kang, Karl Frederick Leeser
  • Patent number: 11387079
    Abstract: A plasma etching chamber including within a vacuum recipient: an etching compartment with a central axis and a surrounding wall enclosing the etching compartment; a pumping compartment with a metal surrounding wall having a feed through opening; a metal partition wall traverse to the axis separating the etching compartment from the pumping compartment; a pumping slit in or along the partition wall; a workpiece support; a metal tubular arrangement through the opening, including a first part coupled to the workpiece support and a second part coupled to the metal surrounding wall, the second part being electrically conductively joint to the metal surrounding wall; an Rf feed line through the tubular arrangement connected to the workpiece support; a system ground connector at an end of the second part; distributed metal connectors establishing electric contact from the metal surrounding wall, across the pumping slit via the partition wall to the first part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: EVATEC AG
    Inventors: Frantisek Balon, Mohamed Elghazzali, Ben Curtis
  • Patent number: 11355322
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a plasma processing apparatus including: a processing chamber in which a sample is to be processed using plasma; a radio-frequency power source that supplies radio-frequency power for producing the plasma; and a sample stage on which the sample is to be mounted, the plasma processing apparatus further including a control unit that performs control so that plasma is produced after applying a DC voltage for electrostatically attracting the sample to the sample stage to each of two electrodes placed on the sample stage, and a heat-transfer gas for adjusting a temperature of the sample is supplied to a back surface of the sample after production of the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taku Iwase, Masahito Mori, Takao Arase, Kenetsu Yokogawa
  • Patent number: 11264217
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that include: a process chamber including a plasma generation space and a process space; a coil electrode arranged around the plasma generation space; a substrate mounting table on which a substrate to be processed in the process space is mounted; an elevator configured to move the substrate mounting table in the process chamber; and a controller configured to control the elevator to vary a distance between the substrate and an end portion of the coil electrode according to process distribution information on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Yahata
  • Patent number: 11227750
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that include: a process chamber including a plasma generation space and a process space; a coil electrode arranged around the plasma generation space; a substrate mounting table on which a substrate to be processed in the process space is mounted; an elevator configured to move the substrate mounting table in the process chamber; and a controller configured to control the elevator to vary a distance between the substrate and an end portion of the coil electrode according to process distribution information on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Yahata
  • Patent number: 11164728
    Abstract: A plasma treatment apparatus is provided to suppress plasma from being generated between an antenna conductor and a lid to prevent contamination inside a vacuum chamber and to put an elongated antenna unit to practical use. The plasma treatment apparatus includes a vacuum chamber that accommodates a treatment target; an inductively coupling antenna unit that generates plasma in the vacuum chamber; and a high frequency power source that supplies a high frequency power to the inductively coupling antenna unit. The inductively coupling antenna unit has one or a plurality of antenna conductors and a lid that covers an opening formed in a wall surface of the vacuum chamber, and the one or plurality of antenna conductors are attached to the lid without a gap where discharge may occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Plasma Ion Assist Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Suzuki, Masanori Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11114281
    Abstract: A method for radio frequency impedance matching includes performing frequency scanning matching using first n pulse phases of first m pulse periods as a frequency scanning stage, and from an (m+1)-th pulse period to an M-th pulse period, maintaining a frequency scanning parameter of a pulse phase corresponding to each frequency scanning stage of each pulse period. The radio frequency includes M pulse periods, each pulse period includes N pulse phases, M and N are integers greater than 1, m and n are integers greater than 0, m<M, n?N, and i=1, 2, . . . , m. A start value of the frequency scanning parameter of each frequency scanning stage of an (i+1)-th pulse period is consistent with an end value of the frequency scanning parameter of each frequency scanning stage of the i-th pulse period. Accordingly, an end value of the frequency scanning parameter of each frequency scanning stage of an m-th pulse period matches a preset target value of the frequency scanning parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gang Wei, Jing Wei, Jing Yang
  • Patent number: 11011350
    Abstract: A power capacitor (7) is described for use in an RF power delivery system. The power capacitor comprises at least two RF electrodes (18, 19) separated by a capacitor dielectric (17) comprising a solid paraelectric dielectric material whose relative permittivity is controllable by varying a DC bias voltage applied across the dielectric (17) at DC bias electrodes (10, 26, 28). Composite capacitor configurations, an RF power system and a method of controlling the power capacitor are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Inventors: Mike Abrecht, Thomas Fink, Walter Bigler
  • Patent number: 11003085
    Abstract: In an extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus, the film thickness of debris adhering to a surface of a component can be measured easily without need of large-scale removal of the component disposed in the chamber. The extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus includes a chamber in which a droplet made of a target material is irradiated with a laser beam and extreme ultraviolet light is generated, an EUV light collector mirror that is an optical element disposed in the chamber, and a measurement device movable along a surface of the EUV light collector mirror and configured to measure the film thickness of the target material adhering to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Sugisawa
  • Patent number: 10984993
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber (20) and a target (25) above the chamber (20). The surface of the target (25) contacts the processing area of the chamber (20). The chamber (20) includes an insulating sub-chamber (21) and a first conductive sub-chamber (22), which are superposed. The first conductive sub-chamber (22) is provided under the insulating sub-chamber (21). The insulating sub-chamber (21) is made of insulating material, and the first conductive sub-chamber (22) is made of metal material. A Faraday shield component (10) which is made of metal material or insulating material electroplated with conductive coatings and includes at least one slit is provided in the insulating sub-chamber (21). An inductance coil (13) surrounds the exterior of the insulating sub-chamber (21). The problem about the wafer contamination due to particles formed on the surface of the coil during the sputtering process can be solved by using the plasma processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Peng Chen, Mengxin Zhao, Gang Wei, Liang Zhang, Bai Yang, Guilong Wu, Peijun Ding
  • Patent number: 10964511
    Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing device includes a plasma chamber, a source power supply, and first and second bias power supplies. The source power supply applies a first source voltage to the plasma chamber at a first time and a second source voltage to the plasma chamber at a second time. The first bias power supply applies a first turn-on voltage to the plasma chamber at the first time and a first turn-off voltage to the plasma chamber at the second time. The second bias power supply applies a second turn-off voltage to the plasma chamber at the first time and a second turn-on voltage to the plasma chamber at the second time. The plasma chamber forms plasmas of different conditions from a gas mixture in the plasma chamber based on the source, turn-on, and turn-off voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Bo Shim, Myung Sun Choi, Nam Jun Kang, Doug Yong Sung, Sang Min Jeong, Peter Byung H Han
  • Patent number: 10957781
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method and semiconductor device is described, including forming a plurality of gaps of variable size between device features, each of the gaps including vertical sidewalls perpendicular to a substrate surface and a horizontal surface parallel to the substrate surface. Spacer material is directionally deposited concurrently on the horizontal surface in each gap and in a flat area using a total flow rate of gaseous precursors that minimizes gap-loading in a smallest gap compared to the flat area such that the spacer material is deposited on the substrate surface in each gap and in the flat area to a uniform thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael P. Belyansky, Oleg Gluschenkov
  • Patent number: 10950417
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a process container; a process gas supply mechanism; a substrate loading table; a temperature adjusting medium passage; a temperature adjusting medium extraction mechanism; a heater; and a temperature controller. The temperature controller is configured to adjust a temperature of a target substrate to a first temperature by allowing a temperature adjusting medium to flow through the temperature adjusting medium passage of the substrate loading table; and adjust the temperature of the target substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature by extracting the temperature adjusting medium of the temperature adjusting medium passage using the temperature adjusting medium extraction mechanism while heating the target substrate using the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Einosuke Tsuda, Seishi Murakami, Takayuki Kamaishi
  • Patent number: 10936933
    Abstract: An antenna device includes a coil antenna including a coil conductor wound around a winding axis, and a planar conductor. The coil antenna includes a first region in which the coil conductor overlaps the planar conductor in a plan view of the planar conductor (when viewed from the Z-direction) and a second region in which the coil conductor does not overlap the planar conductor in the plan view of the planar conductor. The line width of the coil conductor in the first region is wider than the line width of a portion (portion extending in the X-direction) of the coil conductor in the second region. Accordingly, an inductance per unit length in the circumferential direction of the coil conductor in the first region is lower than the inductance per unit length in the circumferential direction of the coil conductor in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiaodong Shi
  • Patent number: 10932353
    Abstract: The impedance of an antenna is reduced and gaps generated between electrodes constituting a capacitance element and a dielectric body are eliminated. An antenna (3) for generating inductively coupled plasma P includes at least two conductor elements (31), an insulation element (32) that is arranged between the mutually adjacent conductor elements (31) and insulates the conductor elements (31), and a capacitance element (33) that is connected electrically to and in series with the mutually adjacent conductor elements (31). The capacitance element (33) is configured from a first electrode (33A) electrically connected to one of the mutually adjacent conductor elements (21), a second electrode (33B) electrically connected to the other of the mutually adjacent conductor elements (21), and a liquid dielectric body filling the space between the first electrode (33A) and the second electrode (33B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: NISSIN ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasunori Ando, Dongwei Li, Kiyoshi Kubota
  • Patent number: 10910227
    Abstract: An apparatus for plasma processing a substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a processing chamber, a substrate support disposed in the processing chamber, and a lid assembly coupled to the processing chamber. The lid assembly comprises a conductive gas distributor coupled to a power source. A tuning electrode may be disposed between the conductive gas distributor and the chamber body for adjusting a ground pathway of the plasma. A second tuning electrode may be coupled to the substrate support, and a bias electrode may also be coupled to the substrate support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez, Amit Kumar Bansal, Ganesh Balasubramanian, Jianhua Zhou, Ramprakash Sankarakrishnan, Mohamad A. Ayoub, Jian J. Chen
  • Patent number: 10777394
    Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for cleaning processing chambers. More specifically, implementations described herein relate to methods for determining processing chamber cleaning endpoints. In some implementations, a “virtual sensor” for detecting a cleaning endpoint is provided. The “virtual sensor” is based on monitoring trends of chamber foreline pressure during cleaning of the chamber, which involves converting solid deposited films on the chamber parts into gaseous byproducts by reaction with etchants like fluorine plasma for example. Validity of the “virtual sensor” has been confirmed by comparing the “virtual sensor” response with infrared-based optical measurements. In another implementation, methods of accounting for foreline pressure differences due to facility design and foreline clogging over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hemant P. Mungekar, William Pryor, Zhijun Jiang
  • Patent number: 10699878
    Abstract: A chamber member of a plasma source is provided and includes a sidewall, a transition member, a top wall and an injector connecting member. The sidewall is cylindrically-shaped and surrounds an upper region of a substrate processing chamber. The transition member is connected to the sidewall. The top wall is connected to the transition member. The injector connecting member is connected to the top wall, positioned vertically higher than the sidewall, and configured to connect to a gas injector. Gas passes through the injector connecting member via the gas injector and into the upper region of the substrate processing chamber. A center height to low inner diameter ratio of the chamber member is 0.25-0.5 and/or a center height to outer height ratio of the chamber member is 0.4-0.85.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: James Eugene Caron, Ivelin Angelov, Jason Lee Treadwell, Joon Hong Park, Canfeng Lai
  • Patent number: 10685811
    Abstract: A switchable matching network and an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus having such network are disclosed. The switchable matching network enables selection between two bias power frequencies. The network is particularly suitable for an inductively-coupled plasma processing apparatus. The switchable matching network comprises: a first match circuit having a first input port connected to a first signal source and a first output port coupled to a load; a second match circuit having a second input port connected to a second signal source and a second output port coupled to the load; a switching device having a first connection port, a second connection port and a third connection port, the first connection port connected to the first input port and the second connection port connected to the second output port; a variable capacitor connected between ground and the third connection port of the switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO-FABRICATION EQUIPMENT INC. CHINA
    Inventors: Kui Zhao, Hiroshi Iizuka, Tuqiang Ni, Xiaobei Pang
  • Patent number: 10570512
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a placing table provided to be rotatable around an axis; a gas supplying section that supplies gas to regions through which a substrate sequentially passes while being moved in a circumferential direction with respect to the axis as the placing table is rotated; and a plasma generating section that generates plasma using the supplied gas. The plasma generating section includes an antenna that radiates microwaves, and a coaxial waveguide that supplies the microwaves to the antenna. Line segments constituting a plane shape of the antenna when viewed in a direction along the axis include two line segments which are spaced to be distant from each other as being spaced away from the axis. The coaxial waveguide supplies the microwaves to the antenna from a gravity center of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihiko Iwao, Takahiro Hirano, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Satoru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 10541115
    Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus that can adjust an induction magnetic field distribution of power feeding sections of an induction coil, correct a plasma distribution on a specimen, and apply uniform plasma processing to the specimen, the specimen is subjected to plasma processing, a dielectric window that forms the upper surface of the vacuum processing chamber, a gas lead-in section that leads gas into the vacuum processing chamber, a specimen table that is arranged in the vacuum processing chamber and on which the specimen is placed, an induction coil provided above the dielectric window, and a radio-frequency power supply that supplies radio-frequency power to the induction coil. The plasma processing apparatus includes a flat conductor arranged below the induction coil. The induction coil includes crossing power feeding sections. The conductor is arranged below the power feeding sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusaku Sakka, Ryoji Nishio, Tadayoshi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 10535506
    Abstract: A vacuum pumping line plasma source is provided. The plasma source includes a body defining a generally cylindrical interior volume extending along a central longitudinal axis. The body has an input port for coupling to an input pumping line, an output port for coupling to an output pumping line, and an interior surface disposed about the generally cylindrical interior volume. The plasma source also includes a supply electrode disposed adjacent to a return electrode, and a barrier dielectric member, a least a portion of which is positioned between the supply electrode and the return electrode. The plasma source further includes a dielectric barrier discharge structure formed from the supply electrode, the return electrode, and the barrier dielectric member. The dielectric barrier discharge structure is adapted to generate a plasma in the generally cylindrical interior volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon Hill, Scott Benedict, Kevin Wenzel
  • Patent number: 10510625
    Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a wafer during a plasma processing operation includes a pedestal configured to have bottom surface and a top surface and a column configured to support the pedestal at a central region of the bottom surface of the pedestal. An electrical insulating layer is disposed over the top surface of the pedestal. An electrically conductive layer is disposed over the top surface of the electrical insulating layer. At least three electrically conductive support structures are distributed on the electrically conductive layer. The at least three support structures are configured to interface with a bottom surface of a wafer to physically support the wafer and electrically connect to the wafer. An electrical connection extends from the electrically conductive layer to connect with a positive terminal of a direct current power supply at a location outside of the pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Yukinori Sakiyama, Edward Augustyniak, Douglas Keil
  • Patent number: 10395903
    Abstract: A processing system is disclosed, having an electron beam source chamber that excites plasma to generate an electron beam, and an ion beam source chamber that houses a substrate and also excites plasma to generate an ion beam. The processing system also includes a dielectric injector coupling the electron beam source chamber to the ion beam source chamber that simultaneously injects the electron beam and the ion beam and propels the electron beam and the ion beam in opposite directions. The voltage potential gradient between the electron beam source chamber and the ion beam source chamber generates an energy field that is sufficient to maintain the electron beam and ion beam as a plasma treats the substrate so that radio frequency (RF) power initially applied to the processing system to generate the electron beam can be terminated thus improving the power efficiency of the processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Zhiying Chen, Lee Chen, Merritt Funk
  • Patent number: 10325758
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma generation unit configured to convert a processing gas supplied into a processing chamber into plasma by an inductive coupling. The plasma generation unit includes a first high frequency antenna formed of a vortex coil arranged adjacent to the processing chamber through a dielectric window, a second high frequency antenna having a natural resonant frequency and formed of a vortex coil arranged at an outer or inner peripheral side of the first high frequency antenna, and an impedance adjustment unit for adjusting a resonant frequency of a circuit viewed from the high frequency power supply toward the first high frequency antenna. The circuit viewed from the high frequency power supply toward the first high frequency antenna is configured to have two resonant frequencies depending on adjustment of the impedance adjustment unit when a frequency of high frequency power is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Jun Yamawaku, Tatsuo Matsudo, Chishio Koshimizu
  • Patent number: 10327321
    Abstract: A microwave chamber for plasma generation. The microwave chamber comprises a launch structure at a first end of the microwave chamber to accommodate a microwave source for producing microwave energy and a termination section at a second end of the microwave chamber opposite the first end. The termination section is configured to substantially block propagation of the microwave energy from the second end of the chamber. The microwave chamber further comprises an internal wall structure for guiding the microwave energy received within the microwave chamber at the first end toward the second end and defines a cavity. The internal wall structure comprises an impedance matching section intermediate the first end and the second end, and a capacitive loaded section intermediate the impedance matching section and the second end, wherein the capacitive loaded section comprises at least one ridge extending along a longitudinal axis of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Michael Ron Hammer
  • Patent number: 10269938
    Abstract: A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate having a base and a fin structure over the base. The fin structure has sidewalls. The semiconductor device structure includes a passivation layer over the sidewalls. The passivation layer includes dopants. The dopants include at least one element selected from group 4A elements, and the dopants and the substrate are made of different materials. The semiconductor device structure includes an isolation layer over the base and surrounding the fin structure and the passivation layer. A first upper portion of the fin structure and a second upper portion of the passivation layer protrude from the isolation layer. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate electrode over the first upper portion of the fin structure and the second upper portion of the passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chi-Chin Hsu, Yi-Wei Chiu, Wen-Zhong Ho, Tzu-Chan Weng
  • Patent number: 10242845
    Abstract: A substrate is positioned on a substrate support structure within a plasma processing volume of an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber. A first radiofrequency signal is supplied from a first radiofrequency signal generator to a coil disposed outside of the plasma processing volume to generate a plasma in exposure to the substrate. A second radiofrequency signal is supplied from a second radiofrequency signal generator to an electrode within the substrate support structure. The first and second radiofrequency signal generators are controlled independent of each other. The second radiofrequency signal has a frequency greater than or equal to about 27 megaHertz. The second radiofrequency signal generates supplemental plasma density at a level of the substrate within the plasma processing volume while generating a bias voltage of less than about 200 volts at the level of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Zhongkui Tan, Yiting Zhang, Qian Fu, Qing Xu, Ying Wu, Saravanapriyan Sriraman, Alex Paterson
  • Patent number: 10242847
    Abstract: The invention discloses a plasma processing apparatus comprising a chamber lid, a chamber body and a support assembly. The chamber body, defining a processing volume for containing a plasma, for supporting the chamber lid. The chamber body is comprised of a chamber sidewall, a bottom wall and a liner assembly. The chamber sidewall and the bottom wall define a processing volume for containing a plasma. The liner assembly, disposed inside the processing volume, comprises of three or more slots formed thereon for providing an axial symmetric RF current path. The support assembly supports a substrate for processing within the chamber body. With the liner assembly with several symmetric slots, the present invention can prevent electromagnetic fields thereof from being azimuthal asymmetry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: James D. Carducci, Zhigang Chen, Shahid Rauf, Kenneth S. Collins
  • Patent number: 10096495
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container configured to air-tightly accommodate substrates, a plurality of mounting stands configured to mount the substrates, a process gas supply part configured to supply a process gas to the mounting stands, an exhaust mechanism configured to evacuate an interior of the processing container, a partition wall configured to independently surround the mounting stands with a gap left between the partition wall and each of the mounting stands, and cylindrical inner walls configured to independently surround the mounting stands with a gap left between each of the inner walls and each of the mounting stands. Slits are formed in the inner walls. The process gas in the processing spaces is exhausted via the slits. The inner walls include partition plates for bypassing the process gas so that the process gas does not directly flow into the slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Manabu Amikura, Toshiki Hinata
  • Patent number: 10050472
    Abstract: A controlling method and device for a wireless power transfer system, wherein the wireless power transfer system includes a transmitting component and a receiving component, and further includes a contactless transformer & compensation (CT&C) circuit, and the controlling method includes: obtaining positional relationship information of the transmitting component and the receiving component; adjusting the number of coil turns of the transmitting component based on the positional relationship information, and making conditions of a CT&C voltage gain characteristic and an input impedance characteristic after a charging inverter bridge of the wireless power transfer system meet a charging condition. The abovementioned technical solution can provide a protection for a stable operation of the wireless power transfer system with a non-mechanical adjusting device, and the wireless charging can be achieved without using a mechanical adjusting device to align and range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng Guo, Feiyun Tang, Jie Fan, Yong Luo, Jianping Zhou, Chuan He, Chen Liu, Yaoguang Gao, Wei Liu, Beibei Qiu, Jing Wang, Jianquan Liu, Lin Chi
  • Patent number: 9970111
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing vessel configured to be vacuumed; a holding unit configured to hold a plurality of substrates and to be inserted into or separated from the processing vessel; a gas supply unit configured to supply gas into the processing vessel; a plasma generation box partitioned and formed by a plasma partition wall; an inductively coupled electrode located at an outer sidewall of the plasma generation box along its length direction; a high frequency power supply connected to the inductively coupled electrode through a feed line; and a ground electrode located outside the plasma generation box and between the processing vessel and the inductively coupled electrode and arranged in the vicinity of the outer sidewall of the plasma generation box or at least partially in contact with the outer sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kohei Fukushima, Hiroyuki Matsuura, Yutaka Motoyama, Koichi Shimada, Takeshi Ando
  • Patent number: 9953888
    Abstract: An electromagnetic detection device is provided. The electromagnetic detection device includes an induction coil, a converter, and a controller. The induction coil is utilized to sense an RF signal and generate a sensing RF signal by electromagnetic induction of the induction coil which is proportional to the RF signal. The RF signal is transmitted to a shower head to perform a semiconductor process on a wafer for manufacturing an IC in association with the RF signal. The converter is utilized to convert the sensing RF signal into a DC signal. The controller is utilized to determine whether the semiconductor process is normal or abnormal according to the DC signal during the semiconductor process. The semiconductor process will be terminated when the semiconductor process is determined as abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Wei Fang, Yao-Fong Dai, Chih-Tung Lo, Ming-Hsien Tsai, Kai-Wen Wu