Applied Materials, Inc.

Applied Material, Inc.

Westaim Technologies

Hougong Wang

Gongda Yao

Peijun Ding

Bo Zheng

Zheng Xu

Fusen E Chen

Girish Anant Dixit

Sang Ho Yu

Salvador P Umotoy

Xiaoxiong Yuan

Kenny King-Tai Ngan

Michael Sterling Jackson

Hyman W H Lam

Hua Ai

Steve Lai

Liubo Hong

Karel Hajmrle

Zhendong Liu

Mengqi Ye

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatuses and methods for atomic layer deposition (ALD), such as plasma-enhanced ALD (PE-ALD). In some embodiments, a PE-ALD chamber is provided which includes a chamber lid assembly coupled with a chamber body having a substrate support therein. In one embodiment, the chamber lid assembly has an inlet manifold assembly containing an annular channel encompassing a centralized channel, wherein the centralized channel extends through the inlet manifold assembly, and the inlet manifold assembly further contains injection holes extending from the annular channel, through a sidewall of the centralized channel, and to the centralized channel. The chamber lid assembly further contains a showerhead assembly disposed below the inlet manifold assembly, a water box disposed between the inlet manifold assembly and the showerhead assembly, and a remote plasma system (RPS) disposed above and coupled with the inlet manifold assembly, and in fluid communication with the centralized channel.

Apparatuses and methods for atomic layer deposition

A system, method and apparatus is capable of producing layers of various materials stacked on one another on a substrate without exposing the substrate to the pressure and contaminants of ambient air until the stack is complete. In one aspect, the stack of layers can include both an insulative layer of one or more insulative films, and a conductive metal layer of one or more conductive metal layer films. In another aspect, a bias signal of positive and negative voltage pulses may be applied to a target of a deposition chamber to facilitate deposition of the target material in a suitable fashion. In yet another aspect, one or more of the deposition chambers may have associated therewith a pump which combines a turbomolecular pump and a cryogenic pump to generate an ultra high vacuum in that chamber. Other features are described and claimed.

Thin film deposition

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers. The method includes preheating a semiconductor wafer in two types of chambers. In one embodiment, a first preheating chamber is a load lock and a second preheating chamber is a transition chamber. Semiconductor wafer processing systems which can perform embodiments of the method are presented.

Semiconductor wafer preheating

A method and associated apparatus includes depositing metal on a plating surface of an object immersed in an electrolyte solution prior to bulk deposition on the plating surface. In one aspect, the method further includes applying a voltage between an anode and the plating surface to enhance the concentration of metal ions in the electrolyte solution that is contained in a feature on the plating surface prior to the bulk deposition on the plating surface.

Method of application of electrical biasing to enhance metal deposition

A positive pressure gradient is maintained across an open access port of an interface chamber such as a load lock chamber which provides an interface between a low pressure chamber such as a transfer or buffer chamber, and a high pressure area such as a staging area or factory interface area. When the access port of the interface chamber is open to the high-pressure area, the positive pressure gradient may be used in some applications to inhibit the flow of gasses from the high-pressure area into the interior of the interface chamber.

Method and apparatus for processing substrates in a system having high and low pressure areas

A method and associated apparatus of electroplating an object and filling small features. The method comprises immersing the plating surface into an electrolyte solution and mechanically enhancing the concentration of metal ions in the electrolyte solution in the features. In one embodiment, the mechanical enhancement comprises mechanically vibrating the plating surface. In another embodiment, the mechanical enhancement comprises mechanically vibrating the electrolyte solution. In a further embodiment, the mechanical enhancement comprises increasing the pressure applied to the electrolyte solution.

Method and associated apparatus to mechanically enhance the deposition of a metal film within a feature

A method and apparatus are provided for reducing and eliminating the First Wafer Effect. Specifically, in a method, or system that employs a separate hot chamber for hot deposition of material that may result in the First Wafer Effect (FWE material), a cold layer of the FWE material is deposited within the hot deposition chamber prior to deposition of the hot FWE material layer.

Method and apparatus for reducing the first wafer effect

A method and apparatus for reflowing a material layer is provided. The inventive method introduces into a reflow chamber a material which is at least as reactive or more reactive than a material to be reflowed (i.e., a gettering material). Preferably the gettering material is sputter deposited within the reflow chamber while a shield prevents the gettering material from reaching the material layer to be reflowed. The shield may be coupled to, or integral with a clamp for clamping a wafer (containing the material layer to be reflowed) to a wafer support provided sufficient venting exists so that contaminants degassed from the wafer may flow to the region between the sputtering target and the shield where the contaminants can react with gettering material. The shield may have a roughened top surface (the surface that faces the sputtering target) which deters gettering material from flaking off the shield and/or the shield may have a reflective bottom surface (the surface that faces the wafer) that reflects heat to the wafer.

Reflow chamber and process

In a plasma generating apparatus, a coil is positioned between a target and a workpiece to inductively couple RF energy into a plasma so that the paths of a portion of the ionized deposition material are deflected from the center of the workpiece and toward the edges of the workpiece. As a consequence, it has been found that the uniformity of deposition may be improved. In the illustrated embodiment, the coil is a multi-turn coil formed in a generally planar spiral centered in the stream of deposition material.

Central coil design for ionized metal plasma deposition

Thermally sprayable powders for the formation of abradable seals and abradable seals formed by thermally spraying the powders include an alloyed metal phase material and a solid lubricant ceramic phase material. The alloyed metal phase material includes a major amount of a matrix metal which can be one or more of Ag or Cu, at least one melting point depressing metal which can be one or more of Si, B, Mn, or Al, and at least one oxidation resistant metal which can be one or more of Al, Cr, or Si. The solid lubricant ceramic phase is preferably hexagonal boron nitride, molybdenum sulphide, graphite, talc, bentonite or mica. Abradable seals formed by thermally spraying the powders are suitable for use with Ti alloy blades at temperatures up to 700.degree. C.

Thermally sprayable powder materials having an alloyed metal phase and a

A insulating part for use in a plasma reactor, particularly as a support for an electrically floating shield in a plasma sputtering reactor. The insulating part is composed of a metallic base and a partial surface covering of a ceramic insulator, such as alumina. Preferably the ceramic coating is deposited by thermal spraying. The insulating part can be easily affixed to other metal parts in the chamber by use of fastening means such as screws applied to the uncoated portions of the part. When the insulating part is used as an isolator to support but electrically isolate a second metal part, the second metal part may rest on the ceramic coating with the insulating part screwed to the chamber wall or other metal support member.

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Hougong Wang