Lam Research Corporation

Law Research Corporation

Alan M Schoepp

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

Aleksander Owczarz

Fritz C Redeker

Gregory Sexton

Yezdi N Dordi

Andras Kuthi

William Thie

John P Parks

William S Kennedy

Tiruchirapalli Arunagiri

Clint Thomas

Jacob Wylie

John M Boyd

Todd Alan Balisky

Yunsang Kim

Greg Sexton

Michael S Barnes

David J Hemker

John D Boniface

Mark Allen Kennard

Fred Conrad Redeker

John Martin De Larios

Arthur M Howald

Mark Henry Wilcoxson

Diane J Hymes

Jaroslaw Walery Winniczek

Thomas E Wicker

Robert A Maraschin

Stephen M Sirard

Erik A Edelberg

Colin F Smith

Michael G R Smith

William M Denty, Jr

Edward Sung

Luai Nasser

Karl Frederick Leeser

Lee Chen

Thorsten B Lill

John Boyd

Ramesh Chandrasekharan

Meihua Shen

Nicolas J Bright

Carl Woods

Hyungsuk Alexander Yoon

Ivan L Berry, Iii

Thomas W Anderson

Roger Patrick

Shawn M Hamilton

Keith B Wells

Joel M Cook

Benjamin W Mooring

Tuan Ngo

Anthony L Chen

Harald Te Nijenhuis

Jeremy Tucker

Kevin Madrigal

Robert Knop

Ratchana Limary

Christopher H Olson

Neil M P Benjamin

He Zhang

Jeffrey E Lorelli

Dong Woo Paeng

Gregory A Clemmer

Tuan M Ngo

Sang Heon Song

Clint Edward Thomas

Andrew D Iii Bailey

Iii Andrew D Bailey

Michael GR Smith

Robert E Knop

An RF antenna is configured, when powered, to inductively generate plasma in a process region of a chamber, including: an array of parallel conductive lines that are oriented along a plane, the array including a first conductive line, a second conductive line, a third conductive line, and a fourth conductive line; wherein the first and second conductive lines are adjacent, wherein the second and third conductive lines are adjacent, and wherein the third and fourth conductive lines are adjacent; wherein when the RF antenna is powered, current flow in the adjacent first and second conductive lines occurs in an opposite direction, current flow in the adjacent second and third conductive lines occurs in a same direction, current flow in the adjacent third and fourth conductive lines occurs in an opposite direction.

Compact high density plasma source

A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber, a substrate support, a laser, and a collimating assembly. The substrate support is disposed in the processing chamber and is configured to support a substrate. The laser is configured to generate a laser beam. The collimating assembly includes lenses or mirrors arranged to direct the laser beam at the substrate to heat an exposed material of the substrate. The lenses or mirrors are configured to direct the laser beam in a direction within a predetermined range of being perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.

Atomic layer etch and deposition processing systems including a lens circuit with a tele-centric lens, an optical beam folding assembly, or a polygon scanner

A deposition apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates having an isothermal processing zone comprises a chemical isolation chamber in which semiconductor substrates are processed. A process gas source is in fluid communication with a showerhead module which delivers process gases from the process gas source to the isothermal processing zone wherein the showerhead module includes a faceplate wherein a lower surface of the faceplate forms an upper wall of a cavity defining the isothermal processing zone, a backing plate, and an isolation ring which surrounds the faceplate and the backing plate. At least one compression seal is compressed between the faceplate and the backing plate which forms a central gas plenum between the faceplate and the backing plate. A substrate pedestal module is configured to heat and support a semiconductor substrate wherein an upper surface of the pedestal module forms a lower wall of the cavity defining the isothermal processing zone within the chemical isolation chamber. A vacuum source is in fluid communication with the isothermal processing zone for evacuating process gas from the processing zone.

Deposition apparatus including an isothermal processing zone

An improved vaporizer for vaporizing a liquid precursor is provided. The vaporizer may include one or more channels with a relatively large wall-area-to-cross-sectional-flow-area ratio and may be equipped with one or more heater elements configured to heat the channels above the vaporization temperature of the precursor. At least some of the channels may be heated above the vaporization temperature but below the Leidenfrost temperature of the precursor. In some implementations, a carrier gas may be introduced at high speed in a direction generally transverse to the precursor flow to mechanically shear the precursor into droplets. Multiple vaporizers may be ganged together in series to achieve complete vaporization, if necessary. The vaporizers may be easily disassembleable for cleaning and maintenance.

Configurable liquid precursor vaporizer

An improved vaporizer for vaporizing a process fluid is provided. The vaporizer may be assembled from stacked plates and may include one or more plenums with a relatively large wall-area-to-cross-sectional-flow-area ratio. The vaporizer may be equipped with one or more heating elements configured to heat the plenums above the vaporization temperature of the precursor. At least some of the plenums may be heated above the vaporization temperature, but below the Leidenfrost temperature, of the precursor. Multiple stacked plate arrangements may be ganged together in series to achieve complete vaporization, if necessary. The vaporizers may be easily disassembleable for cleaning and maintenance.

Modular vaporizer

An apparatus for freeze drying a substrate is provided. A chamber for receiving a substrate is provided. An electrostatic chuck (ESC) for supporting and electrostatically clamping the substrate is within the chamber. A temperature controller controls the temperature of the electrostatic chuck. A condenser is connected to the chamber. A vacuum pump is in fluid connection with the chamber.

Substrate freeze dry apparatus and method

Methods for controlled isotropic etching of layers of silicon oxide and germanium oxide with atomic scale fidelity are provided. The methods make use of a reaction of anhydrous HF with an activated surface of an oxide, with an emphasis on removal of water generated in the reaction. In certain embodiments the oxide surface is first modified by adsorbing an OH-containing species (e.g., an alcohol) or by forming OH bonds using a hydrogen-containing plasma. The activated oxide is then etched by a separately introduced anhydrous HF, while the water generated in the reaction is removed from the surface of the substrate as the reaction proceeds, or at any time during or after the reaction. These methods may be used in interconnect pre-clean applications, gate dielectric processing, manufacturing of memory devices, or any other applications where accurate removal of one or multiple atomic layers of material is desired.

Isotropic atomic layer etch for silicon and germanium oxides

A semiconductor wafer electroless plating apparatus includes a platen and a fluid bowl. The platen has a top surface defined to support a wafer, and an outer surface extending downward from a periphery of the top surface to a lower surface of the platen. The fluid bowl has an inner volume defined by an interior surface so as to receive the platen, and wafer to be supported thereon, within the inner volume. A seal is disposed around the interior surface of the fluid bowl so as to form a liquid tight barrier when engaged between the interior surface of the fluid bowl and the outer surface of the platen. A number of fluid dispense nozzles are positioned to dispense electroplating solution within the fluid bowl above the seal so as to rise up and flow over the platen, thereby flowing over the wafer when present on the platen.

Method and apparatus for wafer electroless plating

A cluster architecture and methods for processing a substrate are disclosed. The cluster architecture includes a lab-ambient controlled transfer module that is coupled to one or more wet substrate processing modules. The lab-ambient controlled transfer module and the one or more wet substrate processing modules are configured to manage a first ambient environment. A vacuum transfer module that is coupled to the lab-ambient controlled transfer module and one or more plasma processing modules is also provided. The vacuum transfer module and the one or more plasma processing modules are configured to manage a second ambient environment. And, a controlled ambient transfer module that is coupled to the vacuum transfer module and one or more ambient processing modules is also included. The controlled ambient transfer module and the one or more ambient processing modules are configured to manage a third ambient environment. The cluster architecture therefore enables controlled processing of the substrate in either the first, second or third ambient environments, as well as during associated transitions.

Controlled ambient system for interface engineering

A device for cleaning a bevel edge of a semiconductor substrate. The device includes: a lower support having a cylindrical top portion; a lower plasma-exclusion-zone (PEZ) ring surrounding the outer edge of the top portion and adapted to support the substrate; an upper dielectric component opposing the lower support and having a cylindrical bottom portion; an upper PEZ ring surrounding the outer edge of the bottom portion and opposing the lower PEZ ring; and at least one radiofrequency (RF) power source operative to energize process gas into plasma in an annular space defined by the upper and lower PEZ rings, wherein the annular space encloses the bevel edge.

Configurable bevel etcher

A plasma etch processing chamber configured to clean a bevel edge of a substrate is provided. The chamber includes a bottom edge electrode and a top edge electrode defined over the bottom edge electrode. The top edge electrode and the bottom edge electrode are configured to generate a cleaning plasma to clean the bevel edge of the substrate. The chamber includes a gas feed defined through a top surface of the processing chamber. The gas feed introduces a processing gas for striking the cleaning plasma at a location in the processing chamber that is between an axis of the substrate and the top edge electrode. A pump out port is defined through the top surface of the chamber and the pump out port located along a center axis of the substrate. A method for cleaning a bevel edge of a substrate is also provided.

Method for distributing gas for a bevel etcher

An apparatus for delamination drying a substrate is provided. A chamber for receiving a substrate is provided. A chuck supports and clamps the substrate within the chamber. A temperature controller controls the temperature of the substrate and is able to cool the substrate. A vacuum pump is in fluid connection with the chamber. A tilting mechanism is able to tilt the chuck at least 90 degrees.

Delamination drying apparatus and method

A chemical fluid handling system is defined to supply a number of chemicals to a number of fluid inputs of a mixing manifold. The chemical fluid handling system includes a number of fluid recirculation loops for separately pre-conditioning and controlling the supply of each of the number of chemicals. Each of the fluid recirculation loops is defined to degas, heat, and filter a particular one of the number of chemical components. The mixing manifold is defined to mix the number of chemicals to form the electroless plating solution. The mixing manifold includes a fluid output connected to a supply line. The supply line is connected to supply the electroless plating solution to a fluid bowl within an electroless plating chamber.

Fluid handling system for wafer electroless plating and associated methods

A bevel etcher incorporating a vacuum chuck used for cleaning the bevel edge and for reducing the bending curvature of a semiconductor substrate. The bevel etcher includes a vacuum chuck and a plasma generation unit which energizes process gas into a plasma state. The vacuum chuck includes a chuck body and a support ring. The top surface of the chuck body and inner periphery of the support ring form a vacuum region enclosed by the bottom surface of a substrate mounted on the support ring. A vacuum pump evacuates the vacuum region during operation. The vacuum chuck is operative to hold the substrate in place by the pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces of the substrate. The pressure difference also generates a bending force to reduce the bending curvature of the substrate.

Bevel etcher with vacuum chuck

Growing community of inventors

Ben Lemond, CA, United States of America

Alan M Schoepp