Applied Materials, Inc.

David T Or

Mei Yin Chang

Joshua Collins

Keith K Koai

Avgerinos V Gelatos

He Ren

Yu Lei

Chien-Teh Kao

Kai Wu

Cheng-Hsiung Matt Tsai

Steven Victor Sansoni

Yi Xu

Manjunatha P Koppa

Nan Lu

Xi Cen

Aravind Kamath

Manjunath H Venkataswamappa

Yakuan Yao

Yiming Lai

Mehul B Naik

Hao Chen

Hiroshi Sato

Kevin Kashefi

Lin Dong

Mang-Mang Ling

Hiroyuki Takahama

Matt Cheng-Hsiung Tsai

Martin Deehan

Takahiro Ito

Koji Ota

Srinivas D Nemani

Xinliang Lu

Sean S Kang

Lawrence C Lei

Xiaoxiong Yuan

Yu Wen Chang

Kazuya Daito

Zhenbin Ge

Joel M Huston

Fufa Chen

Raymond Hoiman Hung

Qingjun Zhou

Vikash Banthia

Nancy Fung

Haichun Yang

Nicholas Ryan Denny

Sergey G Belostotskiy

Jeremiah T Pender

David Datong Huo

Guoqiang Jian

Hyman W H Lam

Chi-Chou Lin

Jing Zhou

William Kuang

Feiyue Ma

Jenn-Yue Wang

Chinh Dinh

Jia Ye

Lina Zhu

Rene T Correa

Eric W Schieve

J Darrel Stickler

Methods for pre-cleaning substrates having metal and dielectric surfaces are described. The substrate is exposed to a strong reductant to remove contaminants from the metal surface and damage the dielectric surface. The substrate is then exposed to an oxidation process to repair the damage to the dielectric surface and oxidize the metal surface. The substrate is then exposed to a weak reductant to reduce the metal oxide to a pure metal surface without substantially affecting the dielectric surface. Processing tools and computer readable media for practicing the method are also described.

Multi-step pre-clean for selective metal gap fill

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for processing of substrates, and more particularly relates to methods for forming a metal gapfill. In one implementation, the method includes forming a metal gapfill in an opening using a multi-step process. The multi-step process includes forming a first portion of the metal gapfill, performing a sputter process to form one or more layers on one or more side walls, and growing a second portion of the metal gapfill to fill the opening with the metal gapfill. The metal gapfill formed by the multi-step process is seamless, and the one or more layers formed on the one or more side walls seal any gaps or defects between the metal gapfill and the side walls. As a result, fluids utilized in subsequent processes do not diffuse through the metal gapfill.

Method for forming a metal gapfill

Process shield for a substrate processing chamber

Deposition ring for a substrate processing chamber

Methods for processing a substrate are described herein. Methods can include positioning a substrate with an exposed surface comprising a silicon oxide layer in a processing chamber, biasing the substrate, treating the substrate to roughen a portion of the silicon oxide layer, heating the substrate to a first temperature, exposing the exposed surface of the substrate to ammonium fluoride to form one or more volatile products while maintaining the first temperature, and heating the substrate to a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, to sublimate the volatile products.

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Embodiments of the present invention generally include an apparatus for plasma cleaning and a method for plasma cleaning. The apparatus can include a lid body having a first surface for facing a pedestal during cleaning and a second surface opposite the first surface and substantially parallel to the first surface, the second surface having a first indentation sized to receive a magnet assembly, one or more handles coupled to the second surface of the lid body, and the magnet assembly resting in the first indentation. The method can include removing a sputtering target from the processing chamber, sealing the processing chamber, introducing a gas into the processing chamber, applying an RF bias to a pedestal within the processing chamber, maintaining the pedestal at a substantially constant temperature, and removing material from the pedestal to clean the pedestal.

Plasma cleaning apparatus and method

Methods for processing a substrate are described herein. Methods can include positioning a substrate comprising silicon in a processing chamber, delivering a plasma to the surface of the substrate while biasing the substrate, exposing the surface of the substrate to ammonium fluoride (NHF), and annealing the substrate to a first temperature to sublimate one or more volatile byproducts.

Methods for processing a substrate are described herein. Methods can include positioning a substrate with an exposed surface comprising a silicon oxide layer in a processing chamber, biasing the substrate, treating the substrate to roughen a portion of the silicon oxide layer, heating the substrate to a first temperature, exposing the exposed surface of the substrate to a plasma comprising ammonium fluoride to form one or more volatile products while maintaining the first temperature, and heating the substrate to a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, to sublimate the volatile products.

Directional SiO2 etch using plasma pre-treatment and high-temperature etchant deposition

An apparatus and a method for depositing materials, and more particularly a vapor deposition chamber configured to deposit a material during a plasma-enhanced process are provided. In one embodiment a chamber comprises a chamber body defining a process volume, a substrate support disposed in the process volume and configured to support one or more substrates, a process lid assembly disposed over the substrate support, wherein the process lid assembly has a plasma cavity configured to generate a plasma and provide one or more radical species to the process volume, a RF (radio frequency) power source coupled to the gas distribution assembly, a plasma forming gas source coupled with the process lid assembly, and a reactant gas source coupled with the process lid assembly.

Process chamber lid design with built-in plasma source for short lifetime species

A method of etching silicon oxide from a trench is described which allows more homogeneous etch rates across a varying pattern on a patterned substrate. The method also provides a more rectilinear profile following the etch process. Methods include a sequential exposure of gapfill silicon oxide. The gapfill silicon oxide is exposed to a local plasma treatment prior to a remote-plasma dry etch which may produce salt by-product on the surface. The local plasma treatment has been found to condition the gapfill silicon oxide such that the etch process proceeds at a more even rate within each trench and across multiple trenches. The salt by-product may be removed by raising the temperature in a subsequent sublimation step.

Silicon oxide recess etch

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

David T Or