Applied Materials, Inc.

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Gamma Precision Technology, Inc.

Betek Manufacturing, Inc.

Hiroji Hanawa

Kartik Ramaswamy

Kenneth S Collins

Andrew Nguyen

Amir Hamed Al-Bayati

Biagio Gallo

Yan Ye

Tsutomu Tanaka

Shahid Rauf

Gerald Z Yin

Peter K Loewenhardt

Lawrence Wong

Diana Xiaobing Ma

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Abhilash J Mayur

Kallol Bera

Dean C Jennings

James P Cruse

Vijay Parihar

Gonzalo Monroy

Kai Ma

Jennifer Y Sun

Manoocher Birang

Steven C Shannon

Nils Johansson

Walter R Merry

Boguslaw A Swedek

Dan Maydan

James D Carducci

Douglas A Buchberger, Jr

Majeed Foad

Jay D Pinson, Ii

Matthew L Miller

Allen Richard Zhao

Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez

Shijian Li

Zheng John Ye

Brian C Lue

Gerald Zheyao Yin

Satoru Kobayashi

Hua Chung

Daniel John Hoffman

Ganesh Balasubramanian

Bok Hoen Kim

Kwangduk Douglas Lee

Seon-Mee Cho

Semyon L Kats

Wing Lau Cheng

Sungwon Ha

Donald M Mintz

Fred Conrad Redeker

David P Bour

Sasson Roger Somekh

Valentin Nikolov Todorow

Roderick Craig Mosely

Samer Banna

Wei-Yung Hsu

Ajit Balakrishna

Martin Jay Seamons

Martin Jeffrey Salinas

Masato M Toshima

Anzhong Chang

Donald J Olgado

Donald J K Olgado

Imad Yousif

David H Quach

Alexander Tam

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Michael Robert Rice

Michael S Barnes

John C Forster

Shaoher X Pan

Soonam Park

Ashok K Sinha

James S Papanu

Jianhua Zhou

Fusen E Chen

Farhad K Moghadam

Keiji Horioka

Hari K Ponnekanti

Mukund Srinivasan

Ren-Guan Duan

Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha

Michael D Welch

Hiroyuki Ito

Hongching Shan

Peter I Porshnev

Martin A Hilkene

John R Trow

Robert W Wu

Padmanabhan Krishnaraj

David Palagashvili

Hong Sheng Yang

Matthew D Scotney-Castle

Roger Alan Lindley

Robert J Steger

Rick J Roberts

Fernando Silveira

Jerry Yuen Wong

Valentin N Todorov

A system for modifying the uniformity pattern of a thin film deposited in a plasma processing chamber includes a single radio-frequency (RF) power source that is coupled to multiple points on the discharge electrode of the plasma processing chamber. Positioning of the multiple coupling points, a power distribution between the multiple coupling points, or a combination of both are selected to at least partially compensate for a consistent non-uniformity pattern of thin films produced by the chamber. The power distribution between the multiple coupling points may be produced by an appropriate RF phase difference between the RF power applied at each of the multiple coupling points.

Plasma processing using multiple radio frequency power feeds for improved uniformity

A substrate support assembly includes a shaft assembly, a pedestal coupled to a portion of the shaft assembly, and a first rotary connector coupled to the shaft assembly, wherein the first rotary connector comprises a first coil member surrounding a rotatable shaft member that is electrically coupled to the shaft assembly, the first coil member being rotatable with the rotatable shaft, and a second coil member surrounding the first coil member, the second coil member being stationary relative to the first coil member, wherein the first coil member electrically couples with the second coil member when the rotating radio frequency applicator is energized and provides a radio frequency signal/power to the pedestal through the shaft assembly.

Rotatable substrate support having radio frequency applicator

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrostatic chuck for maintaining a flatness of a substrate being processed in a plasma reactor at high temperatures. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck comprises a chuck body coupled to a support stem, the chuck body having a substrate supporting surface, and the chuck body has a volume resistivity value of about 1&#xd7;10ohm-cm to about 1&#xd7;10ohm-cm in a temperature of about 250&#xb0; C. to about 700&#xb0; C., and an electrode embedded in the body, the electrode is coupled to a power supply. In one example, the chuck body is composed of an aluminum nitride material which has been observed to be able to optimize chucking performance around 600&#xb0; C. or above during a deposition or etch process, or any other process that employ both high operating temperature and substrate clamping features.

Method and apparatus of processing wafers with compressive or tensile stress at elevated temperatures in a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system

A plasma source includes a plasma vessel that includes a dielectric material that encloses a cavity of a toroidal shape. The toroidal shape defines a toroidal axis therethrough. The vessel forms input and output connections, each of the input and output connections being in fluid communication with the cavity. One or more metal plates are disposed adjacent to the plasma vessel for cooling the plasma vessel. A magnetic core is disposed along the toroidal axis such that respective first and second ends of the magnetic core extend beyond axially opposed sides of the plasma vessel. First and second induction coils are wound about the respective first and second ends of the magnetic core. A plasma is generated in the cavity when an input gas is supplied through the input connection and an oscillating electrical current is supplied to the first and second induction coils.

Methods of directing magnetic fields in a plasma source, and associated systems

During a deposition process, material may deposit not only on the substrate, but also on other chamber components. In a MOCVD chamber, one of those components is the gas distribution showerhead. The showerhead may be cleaned by bombarding the showerhead with radicals generated by a plasma that includes an inert gas and chlorine. In order to generate the plasma, the showerhead may be negatively biased or floating relative to the substrate support. The showerhead may comprise stainless steel and be coated with a ceramic coating.

Gas distribution showerhead and method of cleaning

An RF current probe is encapsulated in a conductive housing to permit its placement inside a plasma reactor chamber. An RF voltage probe is adapted to have a long coaxial cable to permit a measuring device to be connected remotely from the probe without distorting the voltage measurement.

In-situ VHF current sensor for a plasma reactor

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to apparatus and methods for cleaning chamber components using a cleaning plate. The cleaning plate is adapted to be positioned on a substrate support during a cleaning process, and includes a plurality of turbulence-inducing structures. The turbulence-inducing structures induce a turbulent flow of cleaning gas while the cleaning plate is rotated during a cleaning process. The cleaning plate increases the retention time of the cleaning gas near the showerhead during cleaning. Additionally, the cleaning plate reduces concentration gradients within the cleaning plate to provide a more effective clean. The method includes positioning a cleaning plate adjacent to a showerhead, and introducing cleaning gas to the space between the showerhead and the cleaning plate. A material deposited on the surface of the showerhead is then heated and vaporized in the presence of the cleaning gas, and then exhausted from the processing chamber.

Method and apparatus for inducing turbulent flow of a processing chamber cleaning gas

The disclosure concerns a process ring for the wafer support pedestal of a toroidal source plasma immersion ion implantation reactor. The process ring improves edge uniformity by providing a continuous surface extending beyond the wafer edge, in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the process ring includes a floating electrode that functions as an extension of the wafer support electrode by RF coupling at the bias frequency.

Plasma immersion ion implantation reactor with extended cathode process ring

Embodiments of the invention provide a novel apparatus and methods for forming a conformal doped layer on the surface of a substrate. A substrate is provided to a process chamber, and a layer of dopant source material is deposited by plasma deposition, atomic layer deposition, or plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition. The substrate is then subjected to thermal processing to activate and diffuse dopants into the substrate surface.

Method for conformal plasma immersed ion implantation assisted by atomic layer deposition

Embodiments of impedance matching networks are provided herein. In some embodiments, an impedance matching network may include a coaxial resonator having an inner and an outer conductor. A tuning capacitor may be provided for variably controlling a resonance frequency of the coaxial resonator. The tuning capacitor may be formed by a first tuning electrode and a second tuning electrode and an intervening dielectric, wherein the first tuning electrode is formed by a portion of the inner conductor. A load capacitor may be provided for variably coupling energy from the inner conductor to a load. The load capacitor may be formed by the inner conductor, an adjustable load electrode, and an intervening dielectric.

Apparatus for VHF impedance match tuning

An RF voltage probe is adapted to have a long coaxial cable to permit a measuring device to be connected remotely from the probe without distorting the voltage measurement.

In-situ VHF voltage sensor for a plasma reactor

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a process and apparatus for increasing the absorption coefficient of a chamber component disposed in a thermal process chamber. In one embodiment, a method generally includes providing a substrate carrier having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface is configured to support a substrate and being parallel and opposite to the second surface, subjecting the second surface of the substrate carrier to a surface treatment process to roughen the second surface of the substrate carrier, wherein the substrate carrier contains a material comprising silicon carbide, and forming an oxide-containing layer on the roughened second surface of the substrate carrier. The formed oxide-containing layer has optical absorption properties at wavelengths close to the radiation delivered from one or more energy sources used to heat the chamber component.

Radiation heating efficiency by increasing optical absorption of a silicon containing material

In a plasma reactor having an RF plasma source power applicator at its ceiling, an integrally formed grid liner includes a radially extending plasma confinement ring and an axially extending side wall liner. The plasma confinement ring extends radially outwardly near the plane of a workpiece support surface from a pedestal side wall, and includes an annular array of radial slots, each of the slots having a narrow width corresponding to an ion collision mean free path length of a plasma in the chamber. The side wall liner covers an interior surface of the chamber side wall and extends axially from a height near a height of said workpiece support surface to the chamber ceiling.

Plasma reactor with uniform process rate distribution by improved RF ground return path

A support for a substrate processing chamber comprises a chuck having a substrate receiving surface, and a base comprising an upper wall comprising a recessed trench having (i) an attachment face at a first depth, and (ii) a fluid channel at a second depth. A lower wall is seated in the recessed trench and attached to the attachment face of the upper wall, to close the fluid channel. A fluid inlet is provided to supply a heat transfer fluid to the fluid channel and a fluid outlet provided to discharge the heat transfer fluid from the fluid channel.

Substrate support having fluid channel

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Hiroji Hanawa