Specified Gas Feed Or Withdrawal Patents (Class 204/298.07)
  • Publication number: 20090211897
    Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-target sputtering apparatus including an increased number of targets which can be sputtered simultaneously, and a method for controlling the sputtering apparatus. In one embodiment of the present invention, first and second shutter plates are provided between a substrate and target electrodes and paths between intended targets and the substrate are shut off by the shutter plates to perform a pre-sputtering step. In addition, the first and second shutter plates are rotated as appropriate at the time of transition to a full-scale sputtering step, so as to overlap through-holes provided in the shutter plates, thereby opening up paths between the intended targets and the substrate. Then, a full-scale sputtering step is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Tsunekawa
  • Patent number: 7575661
    Abstract: In a reactive sputtering apparatus, an inert-gas supplying hole is provided in a movable target unit whose one end is open and whose conductance is controlled, and a reactive gas containing at least fluorine or oxygen can be supplied to a space between the target and a substrate. The apparatus is constructed so as to emit the reactive gas toward the substrate. A reactive-gas emitting location is in the space between the target and the substrate such that a concentration of the reactive gas on the substrate surface can be maintained at a higher level. When the target is moved, a reactive-gas emitting port is moved or the reactive-gas emitting location is changed. The concentration of the reactive gas on the substrate surface can be effectively kept constant, and a high-quality optical thin film can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Suzuki, Koji Teranishi
  • Publication number: 20090159212
    Abstract: A jet plasma gun and a plasma device using the same are provided. The jet plasma gun is for jetting plasma to process a surface of a substrate. The jet plasma gun includes a plasma producer, a plasma nozzle and a barrier. The plasma producer is for providing plasma. The plasma nozzle disposed between the substrate and plasma producer has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening faces plasma producer, and the second opening faces the substrate. The barrier being an insulator is disposed between the plasma nozzle and the substrate and has a through hole corresponding to the second opening. The plasma passes through the plasma nozzle and the through hole to reach the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chia-Chiang Chang, Chen-Der Tsai, Wen-Tung Hsu, Chih-Wei Chen, Chin-Jyi Wu
  • Publication number: 20090159440
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber in which a plurality of substrates are stacked and accommodated; a pair of electrodes extending in the stacking direction of the plurality of substrates, which are disposed at one side of the plurality of substrates in said processing chamber, and to which high frequency electricity is applied.; and a gas supply member which supplies processing gas into a space between the pair of electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki TOYODA, Yasuhiro INOKUCHI, Motonari TAKEBAYASHI, Tadashi KONTANI, Nobuo ISHIMARU
  • Publication number: 20090134010
    Abstract: A sputtering apparatus according to the present invention includes a substrate holding means for holding substrates and gas introducing routes having a plurality of gas jetting ports arranged at a plurality of places surrounding the substrates, and characterized in that at least one of the gas introducing routes is provided with a gas introduction connecting port, and the number of gas jetting ports provided in at least one of the gas introducing routes with the gas introduction connecting port is smaller than the number of gas jetting ports provided in the other gas introducing routes without the gas introduction connecting ports, or an aperture of each of the gas jetting ports provided in at least one of the gas introducing routes with the gas introduction connecting port is smaller than an aperture of each of the gas jetting ports provided in the other gas introducing routes without the gas introduction connecting ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Shibamoto, Kazuto Yamanaka, Hitoshi Jimba, David Djulianto Djayaprawira
  • Publication number: 20090134012
    Abstract: A gas introduction path intended for improving uniformity of the supply of a process gas is provided. A sputtering apparatus of the present invention has substrate holding means that holds a substrate and a gas introduction path, which has a plurality of gas spouts arranged in a closed curve in a plurality of positions surrounding the circumference of the substrate, and gas-introduction connections are provided in at least two positions substantially opposed to each other on the closed curve. Such two gas introduction paths are provided symmetrically with respect to the substrate on the front surface side and the rear surface side of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro SHIBAMOTO, Kazuto YAMANAKA
  • Publication number: 20090107834
    Abstract: A sputtering target for a sputtering chamber comprises a sputtering plate composed of a chalcogenide material comprising an average yield strength of from about 40 MPa to about 120 MPa and a thermal conductivity of at least about 2.8 W/(m·K). In one version the sputtering plate is composed of a chalcogenide material with a stoichiometric ratio that varies by less than about 5% throughout the body of the sputtering plate. In another version, the sputtering plate is composed of a chalcogenide material having an average grain size of at least 20 microns, and an oxygen content of less than 600 weight ppm. The sputtering target is sputtered by applying a pulsed DC voltage to the sputtering target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Mengqi Ye, Rong Tao, Hua Chung, Goichi Yoshidome, William Rhodes, Peijun Ding
  • Patent number: 7513981
    Abstract: A load lock chamber (12) is connected in a front stage of a film forming chamber (11) through a damper and the like. A pipe to which a N2 gas and aeriform or fog-like H2O are supplied is connected to the load lock chamber (12). The pipe is led from a vaporizer (13). Inside the load lock chamber (12), a carrying section 15 on which a wafer (20) is placed is provided, whereas outside the load lock chamber (12), a cooler (14) cooling a carrying section (15) by means of liquid nitrogen is arranged. The temperature of the carrying section 15 is held at, for example, ?4° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited
    Inventors: Kazutaka Miura, Shozo Noda
  • Publication number: 20090065351
    Abstract: A deposition system supplies a continuous flow of process gases and sequentially selects among the flowing process gases for delivery to a reaction chamber. In the reaction chamber the delivered process gas acts as an ionizing species and thereby effects the deposition of a target substance upon a substrate. Gases not selected for delivery to the reaction chamber are swept away by a vacuum pump. By making a plurality of process gases continuously available, sequentially selecting among the available process gases, and pumping unused gases away before they enter the reaction chamber, such a system and method provides for continuous, sequential, uninterrupted deposition of a variety of substances, while maintaining desired flow rates and chamber pressures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventor: Robert Nuss
  • Publication number: 20090045485
    Abstract: The present invention provides a capacitor including: an under electrode; an upper electrode; and a dielectric film which is provided between the under electrode and the upper electrode, wherein at least a portion of the dielectric film is composed of an aluminum oxide film deposited by an atomic layer deposition method and a titanium oxide film deposited by the atomic layer deposition method. An aluminum composition ratio x and a titanium composition ratio y in the dielectric film preferably comply with 7?[x/(x+y)]×100?35.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Applicant: ELPIDA MEMORY, INC.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki HIROTA
  • Patent number: 7444955
    Abstract: An apparatus for coating surfaces of a workpiece is configured to establish a pressure gradient within internal passageways through the workpiece, so that the coating within the internal passageways exhibits intended characteristics, such as those relating to smoothness or hardness. The coating apparatus may include any or all of a number of cooperative systems, including a plasma generation system, a manipulable workpiece support system, an ionization excitation system configured to increase ionization within or around the workpiece, a biasing system for applying a selected voltage pattern to the workpiece, and a two-chamber system that enables the plasma generation to take place at a first selected pressure and the deposition to occur at a second selected pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Sub-One Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William John Boardman, Raul Donate Mercado, Andrew William Tudhope
  • Publication number: 20080264784
    Abstract: The invention relates to a media injector for transporting a particularly fluid medium into a processing chamber, preferably consisting of a supply device and at least one gap acting as a transport opening for the medium, wherein said gap comprises at least two gap defining surfaces with a gap arranged therebetween. According to the invention, at least one gap defining surface is defined by at least one part of at least one front surface of a first tubular element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Peter Pecher, Eckhard Wirth, Roland Schneider
  • Publication number: 20080257723
    Abstract: A physical vapor deposition system for making microparticles generated by using a non-transfer type plasma torch not generating an outgas even in an ultra-high vacuum environment accelerate by a supersonic gas flow and depositing microparticles on a substrate to form a coating film is provided. Provision is made of an evaporation chamber (10, 20) having a plasma torch (16, 26) and an evaporation source (15, 25) inside it and a film formation chamber 30 having a supersonic nozzle 35 and a substrate for film formation 33. Each plasma torch has a substantially cylindrical electrically conductive anode 40, a polymer-based or non-polymer-based insulation pipe 50 inserted to the inner side of that and generating less outgas than a Bakelite, and a rod shaped cathode 60 inserted to the inner side of an insulation pipe 50.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: TAMA-TLO,LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yumoto, Naotake Niwa, Fujio Hiroki, Ichiro Shiota, Takahisa Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20080217170
    Abstract: A sputtering system including a vacuum chamber, at least one cathode located in said vacuum chamber, a first gas introduction mechanism for supplying a gas along a surface of the cathode, which first gas introduction mechanism is located in the vacuum chamber and provided through the at least one cathode, a second gas introduction mechanism for supplying a gas along a surface of the at least one cathode, which second gas introduction mechanism is located in the vacuum chamber and provided around the at least one cathode, a third gas introduction mechanism for supplying a gas into the vacuum chamber, which third gas introduction mechanism has gas supply inlets positioned at a location radially outside of said second gas introduction mechanism and above said at least one cathode, and a vacuum evacuation unit for evacuating the inside of said vacuum chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: CANON ANELVA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Shibamoto, Kazuto Yamanaka, Naoki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20080210164
    Abstract: An object is to provide a method of activating impurity elements added to a semiconductor film, and a method of gettering, in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a substrate having a low resistance to heat, such as glass, without changing the shape of the substrate, by using a short time heat treatment process. Another object is to provide a heat treatment apparatus that makes this type of heat treatment process possible. A unit for supplying a gas from the upstream side of a reaction chamber, a unit for heating the gas in the upstream side of the reaction chamber, a unit for holding a substrate to be processed in the downstream side of the reaction chamber, and a unit for circulating the gas from the downstream side of the reaction chamber to the upstream side are prepared. The amount of electric power used in heating the gas can be economized by circulating the gas used to heat the substrate to be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hisashi Ohtani, Yasuyuki Arai
  • Publication number: 20080210546
    Abstract: A transparent electroconductive film having a small resistance value and a high transmittance and causing no damage upon an underlying organic EL film is formed. First and second targets are spaced and arranged in parallel, and a shielding plate is provided between the space and a transporting path for an object to be film-formed. Sputtered particles are allowed to reach the object through a release hole formed at the shielding plate. The sputtering particles obliquely irradiated are shielded by the shielding plate so that the transparent electroconductive film having a low resistivity and high transmittance can be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: ULVAC INC.
    Inventors: Sadayuki Ukishima, Satoru Takasawa, Hideo Takei, Satoru Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 7413639
    Abstract: The invention relates to an energy and media connection module for coating installations. Said module serves for supplying with cooling water, compressed air, process gases, signal, control and cathode power. It can be moved from one coating chamber to another coating chamber along a coating line by a single person in a short time. Further, it is possible to separate the energy connection module from a coating chamber for maintenance or displacement purposes without mechanically demounting all connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Guido Hattendorf, Gert Rödling, Gerhard Rist
  • Publication number: 20080185287
    Abstract: An exemplary sputtering apparatus is provided. The sputtering apparatus includes a chamber, a workpiece carrier and at least a sputtering cathode. The chamber defines a sputtering cavity. Disposed in the sputtering cavity, the workpiece carrier includes a rotating disk and a plurality of rotating rods extending through and slidably engaged with the rotating disk. The rotating rods are configured for mounting multiple workpieces thereon and rotatable around a central axis of the rotating disk. The rotating rods are also rotatable around respective central axes of themselves. Disposed in the sputtering cavity, the sputtering cathode carries a target and is configured for sputtering the target material onto the workpieces on the rotating rods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: GA-LANE CHEN
  • Patent number: 7407565
    Abstract: A system for performing PVD of metallic nitride(s) is disclosed. The improved performance is provided by a method of increasing the partial pressures of nitrogen or other active gases near the wafer surface through initial introduction of the argon or other neutral gases alone into an ionized metal plasma PVD chamber through an upper gas inlet at or near the target, initiating the plasma in the presence of argon or other neutral gases alone, after which nitrogen or other active gases are introduced into the chamber through a lower gas inlet at or near the wafer surface to increase deposition rates and lower electrical resistivity of the deposited metallic layer. An apparatus for carrying out the invention includes a source of argon near the target surface and a source of nitrogen integral to the substrate support thereby delivering nitrogen near the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Wang, James Van Gogh
  • Publication number: 20080156635
    Abstract: Certain embodiments relate to treating bodies such as indium preforms on a tape, using a processing system. In one embodiment, the system is adapted to receive and process a tape, and includes a gas mixing chamber adapted to receive a plurality of gases. The system also includes a processing chamber adapted to receive gas from the gas mixing chamber and adapted to receive a tape to be processed using the gas. The system also includes a gate valve positioned between the gas mixing chamber and the processing chamber. The system also includes an inlet chamber adapted to transmit an unprocessed tape into the processing chamber, and an outlet chamber adapted to receive a processed tape from the processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventor: Bogdan M. Simon
  • Patent number: 7338581
    Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes paired targets 31 disposed in a vacuum chamber 30, substrate holder 33 disposed at a position nearly perpendicular to the paired target 31 and apart from a space formed by the paired targets 31, a plasma source 37 for generating reaction plasma by after-glow plasma in the vicinity of the substrate holder 33, and a lead-in pipe 38 which connects the plasma source 37 to the vacuum chamber 30. Since reaction plasma of after-glow plasma can be produced in the vicinity of the substrate holder 33, it is possible to form a thin film of compound close to bulk characteristics at a low substrate temperature without the film being damaged by plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshinari Noda
  • Patent number: 7314525
    Abstract: A plasma CVD apparatus comprises a reaction container for allowing a reaction for forming a thin film on a semiconductor wafer to be performed, a bias electrode which applies a high frequency bias for sputtering to the semiconductor wafer, a nozzle which supplies SiH4 gas including at least hydrogen into the reaction container, and a control circuit which on/off-controls the high frequency bias through a switch and which on/off-controls the supply of SiH4 gas through a flow rate controller based on an opposite control logic to a high frequency bias control logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Shimazu, Masahiko Inoue
  • Patent number: 7306707
    Abstract: The present invention presents an adaptable processing element for use in a processing system having multiple configurations. The processing element comprises a primary component and at least one detachable component, wherein the at least one detachable component can be retained for one configuration and removed for another configuration. For example, the detachable component may include a punch-out or knock-out located on a right-hand side and a left-hand side of a processing element in order to permit access of a gas supply line to a processing chamber for either a right-hand orientation or a left-hand orientation, respectively. Additionally, for example, the detachable component, whether retained or removed, can permit flexible use with different size processing chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: John Lawson, Rodger Eckerson, Michael Landis
  • Patent number: 7300558
    Abstract: An apparatus for rapidly establishing at least one preselected gas pressure in a process chamber comprising: (a) a chamber defining an interior space adapted to be maintained at a reduced pressure; and (b) a gas supply means for supplying at least one burst of gas to the chamber for rapidly establishing the at least one preselected gas pressure in the chamber, the gas supply means including: (i) a source of the gas; (ii) a supply ballast fluidly connected to the gas source for receiving the gas from the source; (iii) at least one burst ballast fluidly connected to the supply ballast via a metering valve for receiving the gas from the supply ballast; and (iv) an on/off valve fluidly connected to the at least one burst ballast and the chamber for supplying the process chamber with the gas from the at least one burst ballast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventor: Charles F. Brucker
  • Patent number: 7285196
    Abstract: In recent years, copper wiring has emerged as a promising substitute for the aluminum wiring in integrated circuits, because copper offers lower electrical resistance and better reliability at smaller dimensions than aluminum. However, use of copper typically requires forming a diffusion barrier to prevent contamination of other parts of an integrated circuit and forming a seed layer to facilitate copper plating steps. Unfortunately, conventional methods of forming the diffusion barriers and seed layers require use of separate wafer-processing chambers, giving rise to transport delays and the introduction of defect-causing particles. Accordingly, the inventors devised unique wafer-processing chambers and methods of forming barrier and seed layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kie Y. Ahn, Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 7282112
    Abstract: The present invention presents an improved baffle plate for a plasma processing system, wherein the design and fabrication of the baffle plate advantageously provides for a uniform processing plasma in the process space with substantially minimal erosion of the baffle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinya Nishimoto, Kouji Mitsuhashi, Hiroyuki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 7279201
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method of forming a precursor for chemical vapour deposition including the steps of: (a) forming metal ions at a source, (b) introducing the ions into a reaction chamber; and (c) exposing the ions to a gas or gasses within the chamber to react with the ions to form the precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Aviza Europe Limited
    Inventor: John Macneil
  • Patent number: 7235160
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved hollow cathode method for sputter coating a substrate. The method of the invention comprises providing a channel for gas to flow through, the channel defined by a channel defining surface wherein one or more portions of the channel-defining surface include at least one target material. Gas is flowed through the channel wherein at least a portion of the gas is a non-laminarly flowing gas. While the gas is flowing through the channel a plasma is generated causing target material to be sputtered off the channel-defining surface to form a gaseous mixture containing target atoms that is transported to the substrate. In an important application of the present invention, a method for forming oxide films and in particular zinc oxide films is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Energy Photovoltaics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan E. Delahoy, Sheyu Guo
  • Patent number: 7232506
    Abstract: A system and method for feedforward control in thin film coating processes. A standard PID feedback control system that continuously monitors two or more process variables in a reactive sputtering process is combined with a feedforward control system to improve system performance. The control system enables much faster stabilization of the reactive sputtering process during target start-up, and improves control of the process once a steady-state operating condition has been reached following target start-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Deposition Sciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark George, Evan Craves
  • Patent number: 7166199
    Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetron sputtering system using a gas distribution system which also serves as a source of anodic charge to generate plasma field. The sputtering system is comprised of a vacuum chamber, a cathode target of sputterable material, a power source which supplies positive and negative charge, and a gas distribution system. The gas distribution system may comprise a simple perforated gas delivery member, or it may comprise a perforated gas delivery member with an attached conductive anodic surface. The gas delivery member may also contain an inner conduit with further perforations which serves to baffle flow of the sputtering gas. Gas flow may be regulated within discrete portions of the gas distribution system. The anodic surfaces of the gas distribution system are cleaned through the action of plasma and gas flow, creating a more stable plasma and reducing the need for maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Cardinal CG Company
    Inventor: Klaus Hartig
  • Patent number: 7166233
    Abstract: In a method for performing a plasma-assisted treatment on a substrate in a reactor chamber by: introducing at least one process gas into the reactor chamber; and creating a plasma within the reactor chamber by establishing an RF electromagnetic field within the chamber and allowing the field to interact with the process gas, the electromagnetic field is controlled to have an energy level which varies cyclically between at least two values each sufficient to maintain the plasma, such that each energy level value is associated with performance of a respectively different treatment process on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Wayne L. Johnson, Eric J. Strang
  • Patent number: 7147793
    Abstract: An etch profile tailoring system (100), for use with an etching process carried out on a wafer (130), has a scavenging plate (170) with a baseline etch profile, and at least one etch profile tuning structure (such as a plug) (160) replaceably disposed with respect to the scavenging plate (170) and configured to alter the baseline etch profile during the etching process so as to arrive at a desired etch profile. A method of performing maintenance on an etch profile tailoring system (100) involves the steps of performing an etching process on a wafer in accordance with a desired etch profile, determining whether or not maintenance should be performed, and (if the maintenance decision indicates that maintenance should be performed) replacing with a second plug before conducting an etching process on additional wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Steven Fink
  • Patent number: 7141145
    Abstract: A method of forming a thin film on a substrate/workpiece by sputtering, comprising steps of: (a) providing an apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber including at least one sputtering source and a gas supply means for injecting a gas containing at least one reactive component into said chamber, the gas supply means comprising a plurality of differently-sized outlet orifices adapted for providing substantially the same flow rate of gas from each orifice; (b) providing a substrate/workpiece having at least one surface for formation of a thin film thereon; (c) generating a sputtered particle flux from the at least one sputtering source; (d) injecting the gas containing the at least one reactive component into the chamber via the gas supply means, such that the same gas flow rate is provided at each orifice; and (e) forming a reactively sputtered thin film on the at least one surface of the substrate/workpiece, the reactively sputtered thin film having a substantially uniform content of the at least one reactive
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Charles Frederick Brucker, Paul S. McLeod, Chang Yi
  • Patent number: 7104217
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus having an electrode plate arranging therein, an upper electrode to which a dielectric member or a cavity portion is provided, a dimension or a dielectric constant of which is determined in such a manner that resonance is generated at a frequency of high-frequency power supplied to the center of the back side and an electric field orthogonal to the electrode plate is generated, and a susceptor as a lower electrode so as to be opposed to each other, in order to reduce unevenness of an electric field distribution on the surface of the electrode in a plasma processing using a high-density plasma capable of coping with further refinement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Himori, Toshiki Takahashi, Takumi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 7094313
    Abstract: A substrate processing system is provided with a processing chamber, an alternating voltage supply, and an impedance matching network. The processing chamber holds a substrate during processing and the alternating voltage supply is connected with the processing chamber to capacitively couple energy to a plasma formed within the processing chamber. The impedance matching network is coupled with the alternating voltage supply and has a variable resistive element and a variable reactive element, whose states respectively define distinct real and imaginary parts of an impedance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Eller Y. Juco, Visweswaren Sivaramakrishnan, Mario David Silvetti, Talex Sajoto
  • Patent number: 6936546
    Abstract: An apparatus for shaping and encapsulating near edge regions of a semiconductor wafer is described. A housing of the apparatus has a slot for receiving an edge of a wafer affixed on a rotatable chuck. At least one plasma source connected to the housing generates a flow of reactive gas towards the edge of the wafer. A channel in the housing directs a flow of diluent/quenching gas onto the wafer in close proximity to an exhaust channel for exhausting of the diluent/quenching gas and the reactive gas away from the wafer. The apparatus may also provide a plurality of plasma sources, for example, plasma sources for selectively etching of a polymer on the wafer, etching of silcon dioxide on the wafer and depositing an encapsulating silicon dioxide layer on the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Accretech USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael D. Robbins
  • Patent number: 6915760
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma processing apparatus having an electrode plate arranging therein, an upper electrode to which a dielectric member or a cavity portion is provided, a dimension or a dielectric constant of which is determined in such a manner that resonance is generated at a frequency of high-frequency power supplied to the center of the back side and an electric field orthogonal to the electrode plate is generated, and a susceptor as a lower electrode so as to be opposed to each other, in order to reduce unevenness of an electric field distribution on the surface of the electrode in a plasma processing using a high-density plasma capable of coping with further refinement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Himori, Toshiki Takahashi, Takumi Komatsu
  • Patent number: 6896773
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for high-deposition sputtering are described. A sputtering source includes an anode and a cathode assembly that is positioned adjacent to the anode. The cathode assembly includes a sputtering target. An ionization source generates a weakly-ionized plasma proximate to the anode and the cathode assembly. A power supply produces an electric field between the anode and the cathode assembly that creates a strongly-ionized plasma from the weakly-ionized plasma. The strongly-ionized plasma includes a first plurality of ions that impact the sputtering target to generate sufficient thermal energy in the sputtering target to cause a sputtering yield of the sputtering target to be non-linearly related to a temperature of the sputtering target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Zond, Inc.
    Inventor: Roman Chistyakov
  • Patent number: 6884298
    Abstract: A coating and developing treatment system for performing coating and developing treatment. A coating treatment unit is configured to form a resist film on a substrate. A developing treatment unit is configured to develop the substrate. A heating/cooling unit includes a heat plate configured to continuously heat and a cooling plate configured to continuously cool in one casing the substrate on which the resist film has been formed by the coating treatment unit. A gas nozzle is configured to supply a treatment gas to the resist film formed on the substrate to form a protective film on a surface of the resist film. The gas nozzle is disposed on a cooling plate side in the heating/cooling unit. The gas nozzle is configured to move to a position above the substrate on the cooling plate during cooling at the cooling plate, to supply the treatment gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Junichi Kitano, Yuji Matsuyama, Takahiro Kitano, Hidetami Yaegashi
  • Patent number: 6881295
    Abstract: A reactor of a chemical vapor deposition system is equipped with a gas feeder for blowing dopant gas to plural semiconductor wafers supported by a wafer boat at intervals, and the gas feeder has a gas passage gradually reduced in cross section and gas outlet holes equal in diameter and arranged along the wafer boat for keeping the doping gas concentration substantially constant around the semiconductor wafers, whereby the dopant is uniformly introduced in material deposited on all the semiconductor wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Nagakura
  • Patent number: 6881305
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus and method for reducing particulates in a semiconductor processing chamber. The apparatus comprises a shield for lining at portion of the interior of a vacuum processing chamber. The interior of the shield defines a shield passage. A heater element is disposed within the shield passage. A gas inlet is used for providing gases to the interior of the shield passage. The range of temperatures which may be used is wide and generally fitted to the process. For example, the invention may be used to provide a rapid cooldown or bakeout. Once the temperature is chosen, isothermal conditions can be maintained so as to minimize the thermal cycle stress, reducing cracking, peeling, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Russell Black, Norman L. Turner, Ernest Demaray
  • Patent number: 6841048
    Abstract: Coating apparatus for disk-shaped workpieces has a transport chamber with a workpiece transport configuration having two linearly driven transport rams connected to a rotational axis. The rams are within shell lines of a rotation body about the axis and are extended/retracted in the same direction as the axis. A workpiece receiver is at the ends of each ram and two operating openings communicate the transport chamber with stations of the apparatus including a coating station. Surface normals of the openings are in the direction of shell lines. A pump with pump opening communicates with the transport chamber and coating station. At least one of the rams has a closure for closing the pump opening and forming a seal therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Unaxis Balzers Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Thomas Matt
  • Patent number: 6837966
    Abstract: The present invention presents an improved baffle plate for a plasma processing system, wherein the design and fabrication of the baffle plate advantageously provides for a uniform processing plasma in the process space with substantially minimal erosion of the baffle plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limeted
    Inventors: Shinya Nishimoto, Kouji Mitsuhashi, Hiroyuki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 6830664
    Abstract: A cathode for a cluster tool in accordance with the present invention includes a base, a disc-shaped target mounted to the base and a magnetic source for establishing magnetic flux lines through the target. The target further comprises a top plate with a plurality of through holes; and a bottom plate with a plurality of bottom plate openings which interconnect distribution grooves formed in one surface with base face channels formed in the other surface. When the top plate is mated to the bottom plate, a path of fluid communication is established from the base face channels to the through holes to allow for inert gas to pass through the target. During operation, the through holes act as micro-cathodes to more efficiently cause material to be sputtered from the target. Each through hole defines a through hole axis, and the magnetic flux lines are parallel with the through holes axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Tegal Corporation
    Inventor: Andrew P. Clarke
  • Patent number: 6821378
    Abstract: A cylindrical pump baffle fitted to a semiconductor processing chamber is disclosed. The pump baffle contains a screen with bores therethrough to allow process gasses from the process chamber to be exhausted from the chamber at a reduced rate. This decreases process discrepancies to the wafer due to the prejudice of gas concentration as a result of the pressure differential imposed upon the gas and thereby the wafer brought about by the rapid and relatively unimpeded exit flow of process gasses when no restrictive member is in place. The pump baffle is also machined such that it does not block the placement and removal of wafers by the platform robot arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: John Daugherty, Neil Benjamin, Song Huang
  • Patent number: 6818068
    Abstract: Aconveyer for treating hollow bodies, comprising several identical treatment stations (12, 13) that process at least one hollow body, whereby the respective treatment station for a given treatment stage communicates with a pressure source via distribution means that include a tight revolving extention. The invention is characterized in that the machine includes at least two independent and equivalent pressure sources (A1, A2) for the given treatment stage. The invention is also characterized in that it is divided up into the same number of treatment stations (12, 13) as the number of pressure sources existing for the machine and in that the distribution device (18) are such that each pressure source (A1, A2) is associated with a specific group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Sidel
    Inventors: Alain Guiffant, Jean-Michel Rius
  • Patent number: 6814837
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the disclosure, the present invention provides methods and arrangements for controlling supply process gas to a process chamber for use in the manufacturing industry. Methods include controlling the operation of a valve coupled to the supply process gas line in a way such that pressure bursts in the process chamber due to the operation of the valve are reduced, or even eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Advance Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Kin-Sang Lam, Dennis C. Swartz, Roger Sorum
  • Patent number: 6806030
    Abstract: In an optical disk for high density recording, for preventing the deformation of recording tracks caused by stress which may develop between the substrate and the recording stacked film formed thereon, a stress-compensation layer having a metal element such as Ti or Cr as a main component is provided. The stress-compensation layer undergoes contraction (tensile stress) to compensate for compression stress which develops in the stacked film during cooling after the thermal expansion of the substrate surface that occurs at the end of film formation. The stress-compensation layer has a pillar-like structure which, starting from the lower face, reaches the upper face of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoyasu Terao, Makoto Miyamoto, Yasushi Miyauchi, Keikichi Ando, Yumiko Anzai, Junko Ushiyama, Reiji Tamura, Yoshihiro Ikari, Tamotsu Fuchioka
  • Patent number: 6802942
    Abstract: To generate an especially good heat transfer between a seating face of a storage plate support and a storage plate, during coating with a sputter source in a vacuum installation, the seating face of the storage plate support is slightly annularly convexly arched and the storage plate is clamped in the center as well as on its outer margin by a center mask and an outer mask against the arched seating face. Hereby an especially good heat transfer is attained with very low arching d, whereby the storage plate is treated gently and simultaneously, during the coating process, no layer thickness distribution problems occur through arching that is too large.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Unaxis Balzers Limited
    Inventors: Stephan Voser, Martin Dubs
  • Patent number: 6800177
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for fabricating a carbon thin film are disclosed in the present invention. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a substrate mounted therein, a sputter target inside the vacuum chamber facing into the substrate, a cesium supplying unit inside the vacuum chamber in a shape of a shield to a circumference of the target and supplying cesium vapor onto a surface of the sputter target through a plurality of openings, and a heating wire surrounding the cesium supplying unit and maintaining the cesium supplying unit at a constant pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Plasmion Corporation
    Inventors: Kyung-Ho Shin, Steven Kim