Applied Materials, Inc.

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Lam Research Corporation

National Semiconductor Corporation

Cercom, Inc.

David Wingto Cheung

Wai-Fan Yau

Farhad K Moghadam

Shin-Puu Jeng

Judy H Huang

Yung-Cheng Lu

Kuowei Liu

Robert Parkash Mandal

Ralf B Willecke

Kuo-Wei Liu

Michael S Barnes

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Kevin P Fairbairn

Mark A Fodor

Tze Wing Poon

Haoquan Fang

Yung-Cheng Yu

Sebastien Raoux

Hari K Ponnekanti

Haruhiro Harry Goto

Kirk J Ostrowski

Robert R Mandal

Tsutomu Tanaka

Dengliang Yang

Joe Feng

William N Taylor

Yeming Jim Ma

Anirban Guha

Li-Qun Xia

Ellie Y Yieh

Chi-I Lang

Gerald Z Yin

Yunsang Kim

Claes H Bjorkman

Tzu-Fang Huang

Ju-Hyung Lee

Nasreen Gazala Chopra

Dan Zhang

Dennis J Yost

Ilia Kalinovski

Betty Tang

Gnanamani Amburose

Huatan Qiu

Mukul Kelkar

Bayu Thedjoisworo

Hongquing Shan

Nasreen Gazala Chapra

Ben Pang

Eunsuk Ko

Dian Sugiarto

Peter Wai-Man Lee

Joon Hong Park

William Nixon Taylor, Jr

Jack Kuo

Min Melissa Yu

Christopher F Lane

Chan-Lon Yang

Fong M Chang

Mandar Mudholkar

David Silvetti

Weiyi Luo

Wei Yi Luo

Woody Chung

Ted Li

Madhu Deshpande

Srinivas D Nemani

Shankar Venkataraman

Peter W Lee

Samantha SiamHwa Tan

Roey Shaviv

Frederic Gaillard

Tomoyuki Fujii

Hideyoshi Tsuruta

Turgut Sahin

Mark Naoshi Kawaguchi

Prashanth Kothnur

Ryusuke Ushikoshi

Peter R Keswick

James A Fair

Ivan Berry

Yongsik Yu

Jerry Yuen Wong

Thomas E Deacon

Norman E Abt

John Keller

Nathan Musselwhite

Karthik Subramanian Colinjivadi

Harold H Mortensen

S&eacute;bastien Raoux

Choon Kun Ryu

Vincent Bernard Decaux

Zhao Li

Bradley Jon Jacobs

Prabhat Kumar Sinha

Yuk-Hong Ting

Nikkon Ghosh

Peter Jagusch

Sebastion Raoux

Paul Matthews

Andrew Yao

Several designs of a gas distribution device for a substrate processing system are provided. The gas distribution device includes a dual plenum showerhead. Additionally, designs for a light blocking structure used with the showerheads are also provided.

Systems and methods for metastable activated radical selective strip and etch using dual plenum showerhead

A substrate processing system for selectively etching a substrate includes a first chamber and a second chamber. A first gas delivery system supplies an inert gas species to the first chamber. A plasma generating system generates plasma including ions and metastable species in the first chamber. A gas distribution device removes the ions from the plasma, blocks ultraviolet (UV) light generated by the plasma and delivers the metastable species to the second chamber. A substrate support is arranged below the gas distribution device to support the substrate. A second gas delivery system delivers a reactive gas species to one of the gas distribution device or a volume located below the gas distribution device. The metastable species transfer energy to the reactive gas species to selectively etch one exposed material of the substrate more than at least one other exposed material of the substrate.

Methods and apparatuses for etching metal-doped carbon-containing materials are provided herein. Etching methods include using a mixture of an etching gas suitable for etching the carbon component of the metal-doped carbon-containing material and an additive gas suitable for etching the metal component of the metal-doped carbon-containing material and igniting a plasma to selectively remove metal-doped carbon-containing materials relative to underlayers such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon, at high temperatures. Apparatuses suitable for etching metal-doped carbon-containing materials are equipped with a high temperature movable pedestal, a plasma source, and a showerhead between a plasma generating region and the substrate.

Metal doped carbon based hard mask removal in semiconductor fabrication

A measurement system to measure a concentration of neutral gas species above a substrate includes a substrate support located in a chamber to support a substrate. A plasma source generates plasma in the chamber above the substrate. The plasma generates metastable species having higher ionization energy than a neutral gas species. The metastable species excite the neutral gas species located above the substrate. An optical emission spectrometer (OES) sensor measures spectra from a location above the substrate while the plasma is generated by the plasma source. A controller is configured to determine a concentration of the neutral gas species in a region above the substrate based on the measured spectra and to selectively process the substrate based on the concentration.

Systems and methods for detecting oxygen in-situ in a substrate area of a substrate processing system

A method for depositing a barrier layer includes a) arranging a substrate including a nitride layer in a processing chamber; b) setting a process temperature in the processing chamber to a predetermined process temperature range; c) setting a process pressure in the processing chamber to a predetermined process pressure range; d) supplying at least one of a gas and a vapor including an organosilane precursor species; and e) depositing a barrier layer on the nitride layer. The barrier layer reduces diffusion of nitrogen-containing groups in the nitride layer into a photoresist layer that is subsequently deposited on the nitride layer.

Substrate processing method for depositing a barrier layer to prevent photoresist poisoning

Plasma is generated using elemental hydrogen, a weak oxidizing agent, and a fluorine containing gas. An inert gas is introduced to the plasma downstream of the plasma source and upstream of a showerhead that directs gas mixture into the reaction chamber where the mixture reacts with the high-dose implant resist. The process removes both the crust and bulk resist layers at a high strip rate, and leaves the work piece surface substantially residue free with low silicon loss.

[object Object]

Provided herein are methods and apparatus of hydrogen-based photoresist strip operations that reduce dislocations in a silicon wafer or other substrate. According to various embodiments, the hydrogen-based photoresist strip methods can employ one or more of the following techniques: 1) minimization of hydrogen budget by using short processes with minimal overstrip duration, 2) providing dilute hydrogen, e.g., 2%-16% hydrogen concentration, 3) minimization of material loss by controlling process conditions and chemistry, 4) using a low temperature resist strip, 5) controlling implant conditions and concentrations, and 6) performing one or more post-strip venting processes. Apparatus suitable to perform the photoresist strip methods are also provided.

Photoresist strip processes for improved device integrity

Systems and methods of forming plasma are provided. In an embodiment, a plasma generator system is provided including a container, a single coil disposed around the container, the single coil being a single member and having a first end, a second end, a first winding, and a second winding, wherein the first winding extends from the first end, and the second winding is integrally formed as part of the first winding and extends to the second end, an energy source electrically coupled directly to the first end of the single member, and a capacitor electrically coupled directly to the second end of the single member.

Plasma generator systems and methods of forming plasma

Improved methods for stripping photoresist and removing ion implant related residues from a work piece surface are provided. According to various embodiments, plasma is generated using elemental hydrogen, a fluorine-containing gas and a protectant gas. The plasma-activated gases reacts with the high-dose implant resist, removing both the crust and bulk resist layers, while simultaneously protecting exposed portions of the work piece surface. The work piece surface is substantially residue free with low silicon loss.

Ultra low silicon loss high dose implant strip

Methods and apparatus for treating an organic film such as photoresist with a hydroxyl-generating compound prior to removing the organic film from a substrate are provided. Treatments include exposure to one or more of hydrogen peroxide vapor and water vapor in a non-plasma environment. In some implementations, conditions are such that condensation on the surface is suppressed. Methods include treating high-dose ion-implantation photoresists and post-plasma doping photoresists with little or no material loss and permit mild plasma removal of the photoresist after treatment.

Peroxide-vapor treatment for enhancing photoresist-strip performance and modifying organic films

Systems and methods for reducing copper contamination in a substrate processing system include performing a plasma process on a substrate in a processing chamber of a substrate processing system. A component is located in the processing chamber and is made of an alloy including copper. The plasma process uses a process gas mixture including molecular hydrogen. Prior to performing the plasma process on the substrate and before the substrate is arranged in the processing chamber, the component is conditioned in the processing chamber using a conditioning plasma process that includes a process gas mixture including molecular oxygen and forming gas.

Systems and methods for reducing copper contamination due to substrate processing chambers with components made of alloys including copper

Systems, system components, and methods for plasma stripping are provided. In an embodiment, a gas flow distribution receptacle may have a rounded section that includes an inner surface defining a reception cavity, an outer surface forming an enclosed end, and a centerpoint on the outer surface having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough and through the reception cavity. First and second rings of openings provide flow communication with the plasma chamber. The second ring of openings are disposed between the first ring and the centerpoint, and each opening of the second ring of openings extends between the inner and outer surfaces at a second angle relative to the longitudinal axis that is less than the first angle and has a diameter that is substantially identical to a diameter of an adjacent opening and smaller than the diameters of an opening of the first ring of openings.

Gas flow distribution receptacles, plasma generator systems, and methods for performing plasma stripping processes

Provided are methods and systems for removing a native silicon oxide layer on a wafer. In a non-sequential approach, a wafer is provided with a native silicon oxide layer on a polysilicon layer. An etchant including a hydrogen-based species and a fluorine-based species is introduced, exposed to a plasma, and flowed onto the wafer at a relatively low temperature. The wafer is then heated to a slightly elevated temperature to substantially remove the native oxide layer. In a sequential approach, a wafer is provided with a native silicon oxide layer. A first etchant including a hydrogen-based species and a fluorine-based species is flowed onto the wafer. Then the wafer is heated to a slightly elevated temperature, a second etchant is flowed towards the wafer, and the second etchant is exposed to a plasma to complete the removal of the native silicon oxide layer and to initiate removal of another layer such as a polysilicon layer.

Removal of native oxide with high selectivity

Growing community of inventors

Foster City, CA, United States of America

David Wingto Cheung