公开(公告)号：US11251364B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-15

申请号：US16773232

申请日：2020-01-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin Xue ,  Chi Hong Ching ,  Jaesoo Ahn ,  Mahendra Pakala ,  Rongjun Wang

IPC: H01L27/22 ,  H01L43/08 ,  G11C11/16 ,  G11C11/15 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L45/00 ,  H01L27/24 ,  G11B5/31 ,  G11B5/39

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide film stacks that include a buffer layer; a synthetic ferrimagnet (SyF) coupling layer; and a capping layer, wherein the capping layer comprises one or more layers, and wherein the capping layer, the buffer layer, the SyF coupling layer, or a combination thereof, is not fabricated from Ru.

公开(公告)号：US11183375B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-23

申请号：US14606367

申请日：2015-01-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Anantha K. Subramani ,  Deepak Jadhav ,  Ashish Goel ,  Hanbing Wu ,  Prashanth Kothnur ,  Chi Hong Ching

IPC: C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/34 ,  C23C16/34 ,  C23C16/40 ,  C23C14/54 ,  C23C14/35

Abstract: A deposition system, and a method of operation thereof, includes: a cathode; a shroud below the cathode; a rotating shield below the cathode for exposing the cathode through the shroud and through a shield hole of the rotating shield; and a rotating pedestal for producing a material to form a carrier over the rotating pedestal, wherein the material having a non-uniformity constraint of less than 1% of a thickness of the material and the cathode having an angle between the cathode and the carrier.

公开(公告)号：US10944050B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-09

申请号：US16351850

申请日：2019-03-13

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin Xue ,  Chi Hong Ching ,  Rongjun Wang ,  Mahendra Pakala

IPC: H01L29/82 ,  H01L43/12 ,  H01L27/22 ,  H01L43/02 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/10

Abstract: Embodiments of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures discussed herein employ seed layers of one or more layer of chromium (Cr), NiCr, NiFeCr, RuCr, IrCr, or CoCr, or combinations thereof. These seed layers are used in combination with one or more pinning layers, a first pinning layer in contact with the seed layer can contain a single layer of cobalt, or can contain cobalt in combination with bilayers of cobalt and platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), or palladium (Pd), The second pinning layer can be the same composition and configuration as the first, or can be of a different composition or configuration. The MTJ stacks discussed herein maintain desirable magnetic properties subsequent to high temperature annealing.

公开(公告)号：US11245069B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-08

申请号：US15199006

申请日：2016-06-30

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin Xue ,  Jaesoo Ahn ,  Mahendra Pakala ,  Chi Hong Ching ,  Rongjun Wang

IPC: H01L43/12 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/10 ,  H01F10/14 ,  H01F10/32

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and apparatus for fabricating magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures on a substrate in for spin-transfer-torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM) applications. In one embodiment, the method includes patterning a film stack having a tunneling barrier layer disposed between a magnetic reference layer and a magnetic storage layer disposed on a substrate to remove a portion of the film stack from the substrate until an upper surface of the substrate is exposed, forming a sidewall passivation layer on sidewalls of the patterned film stack and subsequently performing a thermal annealing process to the film stack.

公开(公告)号：US10957849B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-23

申请号：US16358475

申请日：2019-03-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin Xue ,  Chi Hong Ching ,  Rongjun Wang ,  Mahendra Pakala

IPC: H01L43/10 ,  H01L27/22 ,  H01L43/08

Abstract: Embodiments of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures discussed herein employ a first pinning layer and a second pinning layer with a synthetic anti-ferrimagnetic layer disposed therebetween. The first pinning layer in contact with the seed layer can contain a single layer of platinum or palladium, alone or in combination with one or more bilayers of cobalt and platinum (Pt), nickel (Ni), or palladium (Pd), or combinations or alloys thereof, The first pinning layer and the second pinning layer can have a different composition or configuration such that the first pinning layer has a higher magnetic material content than the second pinning layer and/or is thicker than the second pinning layer. The MTJ stacks discussed herein maintain desirable magnetic properties subsequent to high temperature annealing.

公开(公告)号：US10431440B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-01

申请号：US14975793

申请日：2015-12-20

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Rongjun Wang ,  Anantha K. Subramani ,  Chi Hong Ching ,  Xianmin Tang

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/08 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a process chamber includes: a chamber body defining an interior volume; a substrate support to support a substrate within the interior volume; a plurality of cathodes coupled to the chamber body and having a corresponding plurality of targets to be sputtered onto the substrate; and a shield rotatably coupled to an upper portion of the chamber body and having at least one hole to expose at least one of the plurality of targets to be sputtered and at least one pocket disposed in a backside of the shield to accommodate and cover at least another one of the plurality of targets not to be sputtered, wherein the shield is configured to rotate about and linearly move along a central axis of the process chamber.

公开(公告)号：US20220037136A1

公开(公告)日：2022-02-03

申请号：US17503994

申请日：2021-10-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Anantha K. Subramani ,  Deepak Jadhav ,  Ashish Goel ,  Hanbing Wu ,  Prashanth Kothnur ,  Chi Hong Ching

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C16/34 ,  C23C16/40 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/54 ,  C23C14/35

Abstract: A deposition system, and a method of operation thereof, includes: a cathode; a shroud below the cathode; a rotating shield below the cathode for exposing the cathode through the shroud and through a shield hole of the rotating shield; and a rotating pedestal for producing a material to form a carrier over the rotating pedestal, wherein the material having a non-uniformity constraint of less than 1% of a thickness of the material and the cathode having an angle between the cathode and the carrier.

公开(公告)号：US10665426B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-26

申请号：US14986168

申请日：2015-12-31

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Yana Cheng ,  Zhefeng Li ,  Chi Hong Ching ,  Yong Cao ,  Rongjun Wang

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/00 ,  H01J37/34

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for depositing a thin film of compound material on a substrate. In some embodiments, a method of depositing a layer of compound material on a substrate include: flowing a reactive gas into a plasma processing chamber having a substrate to be sputter deposited disposed therein in opposition to a sputter target comprising a metal; exciting the reactive gas into a reactive gas plasma to react with the sputter target and to form a first layer of compound material thereon; flowing an inert gas into the plasma processing chamber; and exciting the inert gas into a plasma to sputter a second layer of the compound material onto the substrate directly from the first layer of compound material. The cycles of target poisoning and sputtering may be repeated until a compound material layer of appropriate thickness has been formed on the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US10255935B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-09

申请号：US15862301

申请日：2018-01-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin Xue ,  Chi Hong Ching ,  Jaesoo Ahn ,  Mahendra Pakala ,  Rongjun Wang

IPC: H01L27/20 ,  G11B5/39 ,  G11B5/31 ,  G11C11/15 ,  H01L21/768

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide film stacks utilized to form a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure on a substrate, comprising: a buffer layer; a seed layer disposed over the buffer layer; a first pinning layer disposed over the seed layer; a synthetic ferrimagnet (SyF) coupling layer disposed over the first pinning layer; a second pinning layer disposed over the SyF coupling layer; a structure blocking layer disposed over the second pinning layer; a magnetic reference layer disposed over the structure blocking layer; a tunnel barrier layer disposed over the magnetic reference layer; a magnetic storage layer disposed over the tunnel barrier layer; a capping layer disposed over the magnetic storage layer, wherein the capping layer comprises one or more layers; and a hard mask disposed over the capping layer, wherein at least one of the capping layer, the buffer layer, and the SyF coupling layer is not fabricated from Ru.

公开(公告)号：US20180350572A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-06

申请号：US15614595

申请日：2017-06-05

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Hanbing Wu ,  Anantha K. Subramani ,  Ashish Goel ,  Deepak Jadhav ,  Rongjun Wang ,  Chi Hong Ching

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments of a process kit for use in a multi-cathode process chamber are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a process kit includes a rotatable shield having a base, a conical portion extend downward and radially outward from the base, and a collar portion extending radially outward from a bottom of the conical portion; an inner deposition ring having a leg portion, a flat portion extending radially inward from the leg portion, a first recessed portion extending radially inward from the flat portion, and a first lip extending upward from an innermost section of the first recessed portion; and an outer deposition ring having a collar portion, an upper flat portion disposed above and extending radially inward from the collar portion, a second recessed portion extending inward from the upper flat portion, and a second lip extending upward from an innermost section of the second recessed portion.