Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Andrew John McKerrow

Jon Henri

James Samuel Sims

Dennis Michael Hausmann

Shankar Swaminathan

Mandyam Sriram

Ramesh Chandrasekharan

Seshasayee Varadarajan

Pramod Subramonium

Vishwanathan Rangarajan

Kathryn Merced Kelchner

Kirthi Kattige

Bart Jan Van Schravendijk

Thorsten B Lill

Jonathan David Reid

Meihua Shen

Shantinath Ghongadi

George Andrew Antonelli

Kousik Ganesan

Aaron R Fellis

Tighe A Spurlin

Alexander Dulkin

John Hoang

Shane Tang

James E Duncan

Vikrant Rai

Danna Qian

Bhadri N Varadarajan

Bo Gong

Zhe Gui

James Forest Lee

Eugene Smargiassi

Curtis Warren Bailey

Kevin M McLaughlin

Stephen Lau

Bart K Van Schravendijk

Alexander R Fox

Troy Daniel Ribaudo

Casey Holder

Xiaolan Chen

Methods and apparatuses for forming an encapsulation bilayer over a chalcogenide material on a semiconductor substrate are provided. Methods involve forming a bilayer including a barrier layer directly on chalcogenide material deposited using pulsed plasma plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PP-PECVD) and an encapsulation layer over the barrier layer deposited using plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). In various embodiments, the barrier layer is formed using a halogen-free silicon precursor and the encapsulation layer deposited by PEALD is formed using a halogen-containing silicon precursor and a hydrogen-free nitrogen-containing reactant.

Conformal damage-free encapsulation of chalcogenide materials

Disclosed are methods of and apparatuses and systems for depositing a film in a multi-station deposition apparatus. The methods may include: (a) providing a substrate to a first station of the apparatus, (b) adjusting the temperature of the substrate to a first temperature, (c) depositing a first portion of the material on the substrate while the substrate is at the first temperature in the first station, (d) transferring the substrate to the second station, (e) adjusting the temperature of the substrate to a second temperature, and (f) depositing a second portion of the material on the substrate while the substrate is at the second temperature, such that the first portion and the second portion exhibit different values of a property of the material. The apparatuses and systems may include a multi-station deposition apparatus and a controller having control logic for performing one or more of (a)-(f).

Suppressing interfacial reactions by varying the wafer temperature throughout deposition

In one aspect, an apparatus includes a plating cell, a degassing device configured to remove oxygen from the plating solution prior to the plating solution flowing into the plating cell; an oxidation station configured to increase an oxidizing strength of the plating solution after the plating solution flows out of the plating cell; and a controller. The controller includes program instructions for causing a process that includes operations of: reducing an oxygen concentration of the plating solution where the plating solution contains a plating accelerator; then, contacting a wafer substrate with the plating solution having reduced oxygen concentration and electroplating a metal such that the electroplating causes a net conversion of the accelerator to a less-oxidized accelerator species within the plating cell; then increasing the oxidizing strength of the plating solution causing a net re-conversion of the less-oxidized accelerator species back to the accelerator outside the plating cell.

Configuration and method of operation of an electrodeposition system for improved process stability and performance

Methods and apparatuses for forming conformal, low wet etch rate silicon nitride films having low hydrogen content using atomic layer deposition are described herein. Methods involve depositing a silicon nitride film at a first temperature using a bromine-containing and/or iodine-containing silicon precursor and nitrogen by atomic layer deposition and treating the silicon nitride film using a plasma at a temperature less than about 100&#xb0; C. Methods and apparatuses are suitable for forming conformal, dense, low wet etch rate silicon nitride films as encapsulation layers over chalcogenide materials for memory applications.

Method for reducing the wet etch rate of a sin film without damaging the underlying substrate

Thin layer of silicon oxide is deposited on a substrate having an exposed layer of metal (e.g., W, Cu, Ti, Co, Ta) without causing substantial oxidation of the metal. The method involves: (a) contacting the substrate having an exposed metal layer with a silicon-containing precursor and adsorbing the precursor on the substrate; (b) removing the unadsorbed precursor from a process chamber; and (c) contacting the adsorbed precursor with a plasma formed in a process gas comprising an oxygen source (e.g., O, CO, NO, O) and H, to form silicon oxide from the silicon-containing precursor while suppressing metal oxidation. These steps can be repeated until a silicon oxide film of a desired thickness is formed. In some embodiments, the silicon oxide film is used to improve nucleation of subsequently deposited silicon carbide.

Methods and apparatus for depositing silicon oxide on metal layers

Apparatuses and methods for cleaning a semiconductor processing chamber is provided. The semiconductor processing chamber may include a UV radiation source, a substrate holder, and a UV transmissive window. The UV transmissive window may include one or multiple panes. One or more panes of the UV transmissive window may be non-reactive with fluorine containing chemistries. In multi-pane windows a purge gas flow path may be formed in the gap between windows. A purge gas may be flowed through the purge gas flow path to prevent process gases used in the chamber interior from reaching one or more panes of the UV transmissive window.

Clean resistant windows for ultraviolet thermal processing

Methods of depositing a film on a substrate surface include surface mediated reactions in which a film is grown over one or more cycles of reactant adsorption and reaction. In one aspect, the method is characterized by intermittent delivery of dopant species to the film between the cycles of adsorption and reaction.

Plasma activated conformal dielectric film deposition

A method of depositing ALD films on semiconductor substrates processed in a micro-volume of a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) reaction chamber wherein a single semiconductor substrate is supported on a ceramic surface of a pedestal and process gas is introduced through gas outlets in a ceramic surface of a showerhead into a reaction zone above the semiconductor substrate, includes (a) cleaning the ceramic surfaces of the pedestal and showerhead with a fluorine plasma such that aluminum-rich byproducts are formed on the ceramic surfaces, (b) depositing a conformal halide-free atomic layer deposition (ALD) oxide undercoating on the ceramic surfaces so as to cover the aluminum-rich byproducts, (c) depositing a pre-coating on the halide-free ALD oxide undercoating, and (d) processing a batch of semiconductor substrates by transferring each semiconductor substrate into the reaction chamber and depositing a film on the semiconductor substrate supported on the ceramic surface of the pedestal.

Method for depositing ALD films using halide-based precursors

A method of depositing silicon nitride films on semiconductor substrates processed in a micro-volume of a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) reaction chamber wherein a single semiconductor substrate is supported on a ceramic surface of a pedestal and process gas is introduced through gas outlets in a ceramic surface of a showerhead into a reaction zone above the semiconductor substrate, includes (a) cleaning the ceramic surfaces of the pedestal and showerhead with a fluorine plasma, (b) depositing a halide-free atomic layer deposition (ALD) oxide undercoating on the ceramic surfaces, (c) depositing a precoating of ALD silicon nitride on the halide-free ALD oxide undercoating, and (d) processing a batch of semiconductor substrates by transferring each semiconductor substrate into the reaction chamber and depositing a film of ALD silicon nitride on the semiconductor substrate supported on the ceramic surface of the pedestal.

Method for depositing metals free ald silicon nitride films using halide-based precursors

Methods, systems, and apparatus for plating a metal onto a work piece with a plating solution having a low oxygen concentration are described. In one aspect, a method includes reducing an oxygen concentration of a plating solution. The plating solution includes about 100 parts per million or less of an accelerator. After reducing the oxygen concentration of the plating solution, a wafer substrate is contacted with the plating solution in a plating cell. The oxygen concentration of the plating solution in the plating cell is about 1 part per million or less. A metal is electroplated with the plating solution onto the wafer substrate in the plating cell. After electroplating the metal onto the wafer substrate, an oxidizing strength of the plating solution is increased.

Methods of repairing damaged low-k dielectric films using UV-activated photosensitive organic compounds are described herein. Methods of sealing pores by exposing porous dielectric films to UV-activated large photosensitive organic compounds are also described. Methods also include mechanically reinforcing dielectric films using photosensitive organic compounds activated by UV radiation. Compounds include at least one photosensitive end group, such as an unsaturated bond or group with high ring strain.

Low-k damage repair and pore sealing agents with photosensitive end groups

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Lake Oswego, OR, United States of America

Andrew John McKerrow