公开(公告)号：US20250037978A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-30

申请号：US18225454

申请日：2023-07-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sanjeev Baluja ,  Chaowei Wang ,  Kevin Griffin ,  Kenneth Brian Doering ,  Hanhong Chen ,  Joseph AuBuchon

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Gas distribution assemblies for semiconductor devices are described. The gas distribution assemblies include a backplate, a faceplate, a counterbored hole, and at least one orifice. The at least one orifice includes, for example, at least one straight orifice, or at least two angled orifices. Some embodiments of the gas distribution assemblies provide for reduced plasma damage in a processing chamber. Some embodiments of the gas distribution assemblies provide for reduced jetting on a substrate in a processing chamber. Methods of reducing plasma damage in gas distribution assemblies are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20230317416A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-05

申请号：US17712046

申请日：2022-04-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Chaowei Wang ,  Kenneth Brian Doering ,  Hanhong Chen ,  Kartik Shah ,  Kevin Griffin ,  Hao Zhang

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/3222

Abstract: Plasma showerheads with improved gas uniformity are disclosed. One or more embodiment of the disclosure provides a plasma showerhead with angled gas nozzles. Some embodiments of the disclosure have gas nozzles angled by a vertical offset angle and/or a directional offset angle. None of the gas channels and/or the gas nozzles intersect with the plasma regions of the showerhead.

公开(公告)号：US20220389580A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17835482

申请日：2022-06-08

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Hanhong Chen ,  Joseph AuBuchon ,  Zhejun Zhang

IPC: C23C16/455 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments of this disclosure relate to methods for depositing gapfill materials by a plasma ALD cycle including a plasma deactivation outside of and near the top of the substrate feature. Some embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods for filling reentrant features without void formation. In some embodiments, the gapfill material comprises one or more of silicon nitride and titanium nitride.

公开(公告)号：US11220747B2

公开(公告)日：2022-01-11

申请号：US16658396

申请日：2019-10-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph AuBuchon ,  Sanjeev Baluja ,  Michael Rice ,  Arkaprava Dan ,  Hanhong Chen

IPC: C23C16/458 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/46 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to process one or more wafers are described. A first processing station has a first gas flow pattern from one or more of a first gas diffuser, a first cooling channel pattern, or a first heater. A second processing station has a second gas flow pattern from one or more of a second gas diffuser, a second cooling channel pattern, or a second heater. The second gas diffuser, the second cooling channel pattern, or the second heater is rotated or translated relative to the first gas diffuser, the first cooling channel pattern, or the first heater to provide the second gas flow pattern complementary to the first gas flow pattern.

公开(公告)号：US20210166923A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-03

申请号：US17150702

申请日：2021-01-15

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kallol Bera ,  Anantha K. Subramani ,  John C. Forster ,  Philip A. Kraus ,  Farzad Houshmand ,  Hanhong Chen

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/02 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/455 ,  H01L21/67 ,  C23C16/34 ,  C23C16/509 ,  C23C16/40 ,  C23C16/458 ,  C23C16/44

Abstract: Plasma source assemblies comprising an RF hot electrode having a body and at least one return electrode spaced from the RF hot electrode to provide a gap in which a plasma can be formed. An RF feed is connected to the RF hot electrode at a distance from the inner peripheral end of the RF hot electrode that is less than or equal to about 25% of the length of the RF hot electrode.

公开(公告)号：US10903056B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-26

申请号：US15980158

申请日：2018-05-15

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kallol Bera ,  Anantha K. Subramani ,  John C. Forster ,  Philip A. Kraus ,  Farzad Houshmand ,  Hanhong Chen

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/687 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/509 ,  C23C16/458 ,  C23C16/44 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/67 ,  C23C16/34 ,  C23C16/40

Abstract: Plasma source assemblies comprising an RF hot electrode having a body and at least one return electrode spaced from the RF hot electrode to provide a gap in which a plasma can be formed. An RF feed is connected to the RF hot electrode at a distance from the inner peripheral end of the RF hot electrode that is less than or equal to about 25% of the length of the RF hot electrode.

公开(公告)号：US20200066572A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-27

申请号：US16664406

申请日：2019-10-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph AuBuchon ,  Sanjeev Baluja ,  Michael Rice ,  Arkaprava Dan ,  Hanhong Chen

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/458

Abstract: Apparatus and methods to process one or more wafers are described. A spatial deposition tool comprises a plurality of substrate support surfaces on a substrate support assembly and a plurality of spatially separated and isolated processing stations. The spatially separated isolated processing stations have independently controlled temperature, processing gas types, and gas flows. In some embodiments, the processing gases on one or multiple processing stations are activated using plasma sources. The operation of the spatial tool comprises rotating the substrate assembly in a first direction, and rotating the substrate assembly in a second direction, and repeating the rotations in the first direction and the second direction until a predetermined thickness is deposited on the substrate surface(s).

公开(公告)号：US12119221B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-15

申请号：US18125509

申请日：2023-03-23

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Hanhong Chen ,  Philip A. Kraus ,  Joseph AuBuchon

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  C23C16/34 ,  C23C16/455

CPC classification number: H01L21/0228 ,  C23C16/34 ,  C23C16/45542 ,  H01L21/0217 ,  H01L21/02186 ,  H01L21/02205 ,  H01L21/02211 ,  H01L21/02274

Abstract: A method of depositing nitride films is disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a PEALD process for depositing nitride films which utilizes separate reaction and nitridation plasmas. In some embodiments, the nitride films have improved growth per cycle (GPC) relative to films deposited by thermal processes or plasma processes with only a single plasma exposure. In some embodiments, the nitride films have improved film quality relative to films deposited by thermal processes or plasma processes with only a single plasma exposure.

公开(公告)号：US11823870B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-21

申请号：US16990306

申请日：2020-08-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Hanhong Chen ,  Arkaprava Dan ,  Joseph AuBuchon ,  Kyoung Ha Kim ,  Philip A. Kraus

IPC: H01L21/285 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/34 ,  H01L21/768 ,  C23C16/511

CPC classification number: H01J37/32201 ,  C23C16/34 ,  C23C16/511 ,  H01L21/28568 ,  H01L21/76841 ,  H01J2237/3321

Abstract: A method of depositing titanium nitride is disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a PEALD process for depositing titanium nitride which utilizes a direct microwave plasma. In some embodiments, the direct microwave plasma has a high plasma density and low ion energy. In some embodiments, the plasma is generated directly above the substrate surface.

公开(公告)号：US11586789B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-21

申请号：US17224545

申请日：2021-04-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Dhritiman Subha Kashyap ,  Chaowei Wang ,  Kartik Shah ,  Kevin Griffin ,  Karthik Ramanathan ,  Hanhong Chen ,  Joseph AuBuchon ,  Sanjeev Baluja

IPC: G06F30/27 ,  G06F30/10

Abstract: Methods, software systems and processes to develop surrogate model-based optimizers for controlling and optimizing flow and pressure of purges between a showerhead and a heater having a substrate support to control non-uniformity inherent in a processing chamber due to geometric configuration and process regimes. The flow optimizer process utilizes experimental data from optimal process space coverage models, generated simulation data and statistical machine learning tools (i.e. regression models and global optimizers) to predict optimal flow rates for any user-specified process regime.