Lam Research Corporation

Applied Materials, Inc.

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Haoquan Fang

David Wingto Cheung

Dengliang Yang

Dan Zhang

Gnanamani Amburose

Eunsuk Ko

Shijian Li

Alexander N Lerner

Jianshe Tang

Boris Fishkin

Michael N Sugarman

Younes Achkire

Boris T Govzman

Ilia Kalinovski

Guy Shirazi

Rashid Mavliev

Jack Kuo

Weiyi Luo

Wei Yi Luo

Xinyu Bao

Kirk J Ostrowski

Anirban Guha

Zhao Li

Ted Li

Andrew Yao

Rashid Mavleiv

Guhua Yao

Yuk-Hong Ting

A method for treating an exposed surface of a substrate includes purging first and second chambers of a substrate processing system using a purge gas. A gas distribution device is arranged between the first chamber and the second chamber. The method includes flowing a treatment gas to the second chamber but not the first chamber to create an adsorption layer on a surface of a substrate arranged on a substrate support in the second chamber. The method includes stopping flow of the treatment gas to the second chamber. The method includes flowing the purge gas to purge the first chamber and the second chamber. The method includes, while flowing the purge gas to the first chamber, striking plasma in the first chamber to create metastable active radical species and delivering the metastable active radical species through the gas distribution device to the second chamber to surface activate the adsorption layer.

Atomic layer treatment process using metastable activated radical species

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.

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

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

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

Improved methods and apparatus for stripping photoresist and removing ion implant related residues from a work piece surface are provided. According to various embodiments, the workpiece is exposed to a passivation plasma, allowed to cool for a period of time, and then exposed to an oxygen-based or hydrogen-based plasma to remove the photoresist and ion implant related residues. Aspects of the invention include reducing silicon loss, leaving little or no residue while maintaining an acceptable strip rate. In certain embodiments, methods and apparatus remove photoresist material after high-dose ion implantation processes.

Enhanced passivation process to protect silicon prior to high dose implant strip

In a first aspect, a module is provided that is adapted to process a wafer. The module includes a processing portion having one or more features such as (1) a rotatable wafer support for rotating an input wafer from a first orientation wherein the wafer is in line with a load port to a second orientation wherein the wafer is in line with an unload port; (2) a catcher adapted to contact and travel passively with a wafer as it is unloaded from the processing portion; (3) an enclosed output portion adapted to create a laminar air flow from one side thereof to the other; (4) an output portion having a plurality of wafer receivers; (5) submerged fluidnozzles; and/or (6) drying gas flow deflectors, etc. Other aspects include methods of wafer processing.

Single wafer dryer and drying methods

In a first aspect, a first method of drying a substrate is provided. The first method includes the steps of (1) lifting a substrate through an air/fluid interface at a first rate; (2) directing a drying vapor at the air/fluid interface during lifting of the substrate; and (3) while a portion of the substrate remains in the air/fluid interface, reducing a rate at which a remainder of the substrate is lifted through the air/fluid interface to a second rate. The drying vapor may form an angle of about 23&#xb0; with the air/fluid interface and/or the second rate may be about 2.5 mm/sec.

In a first aspect, a module is provided that is adapted to process a wafer. The module includes a processing portion having one or more features such as (1) a rotatable wafer support for rotating an input wafer from a first orientation wherein the wafer is in line with a load port to a second orientation wherein the wafer is in line with an unload port; (2) a catcher adapted to contact and travel passively with a wafer as it is unloaded from the processing portion; (3) an enclosed output portion adapted to create a laminar air flow from one side thereof to the other; (4) an output portion having a plurality of wafer receivers; (5) submerged fluid nozzles; and/or (6) drying gas flow deflectors, etc. Other aspects include methods of wafer processing.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Haoquan Fang