Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Ultratech, Inc.

Ivelin A Angelov

Joon Hong Park

James Eugene Caron

Dengliang Yang

Brian Severson

Natan Solomon

Cristian Siladie

David A Markle

Ivan L Berry, Iii

Somit Talwar

Iqbal A Shareef

Michael O Thompson

Dean Jay Larson

Linda N Marquez

Pilyeon Park

Igor Landau

Faisal Yaqoob

Kwame Eason

Jason Lee Treadwell

Senquan Zhou

Canfeng Lai

Mark Naoshi Kawaguchi

Ji Zhu

Helen H Zhu

Serge Kosche

Hsiao-Wei Chang

Ilia Kalinovshi

A substrate processing system for selectively etching a layer on a substrate includes an upper chamber region, an inductive coil arranged around the upper chamber region and a lower chamber region including a substrate support to support a substrate. A gas distribution device is arranged between the upper chamber region and the lower chamber region and includes a plate with a plurality of holes. A cooling plenum cools the gas distribution device and a purge gas plenum directs purge gas into the lower chamber. A surface to volume ratio of the holes is greater than or equal to 4. A controller selectively supplies an etch gas mixture to the upper chamber and a purge gas to the purge gas plenum and strikes plasma in the upper chamber to selectively etch a layer of the substrate relative to at least one other exposed layer of the substrate.

Ultrahigh selective nitride etch to form FinFET devices

A method of operating a substrate support includes arranging a substrate on an inner portion of the substrate support and calculating a desired pocket depth of the substrate support using data indicative of a relationship between the desired pocket depth and at least one process parameter. The desired pocket depth corresponds to a desired distance between an upper surface of an edge ring surrounding the inner portion and an upper surface of the substrate. The method further includes selectively controlling, based on the desired pocket depth as calculated, an actuator to raise and lower at least one of the edge ring and the inner portion to adjust the distance between the upper surface of the edge ring and the upper surface of the substrate.

Variable depth edge ring for etch uniformity control

A gas injector for a substrate processing system includes a first injector housing including a base portion defining a first gas flow channel; a projecting portion extending from the base portion; and a second gas flow channel extending through the base portion and the projecting portion. The gas injector includes a second injector housing including a first cavity including a first opening, a second opening and a first plurality of gas through holes arranged around the second opening. The first gas flow channel communicates with the first plurality of gas through holes. The second injector housing includes a second cavity that includes a second plurality of gas through holes and that extends from the second opening of the first cavity. The second gas flow channel communicates with the second plurality of gas through holes. Gas in the first and second gas flow channels flows into a processing chamber without mixing.

Substrate processing chamber including multiple gas injection points and dual injector

A method for selectively etching one exposed material of a substrate relative to another exposed material of the substrate includes a) arranging the substrate in a processing chamber; b) setting a chamber pressure; c) setting an RF frequency and an RF power for RF plasma; d) supplying a plasma gas mixture to the processing chamber; e) striking the RF plasma in the processing chamber in one of an electric mode (E-mode) and a magnetic mode (H-mode); and f) during plasma processing of the substrate, changing at least one of the chamber pressure, the RF frequency, the RF power and the plasma gas mixture to switch from the one of the E-mode and the H-mode to the other of the E-mode and the H-mode.

Systems and methods for selectively etching film

A chamber member of a plasma source is provided and includes a sidewall, a transition member, a top wall and an injector connecting member. The sidewall is cylindrically-shaped and surrounds an upper region of a substrate processing chamber. The transition member is connected to the sidewall. The top wall is connected to the transition member. The injector connecting member is connected to the top wall, positioned vertically higher than the sidewall, and configured to connect to a gas injector. Gas passes through the injector connecting member via the gas injector and into the upper region of the substrate processing chamber. A center height to low inner diameter ratio of the chamber member is 0.25-0.5 and/or a center height to outer height ratio of the chamber member is 0.4-0.85.

Chamber member of a plasma source and pedestal with radially outward positioned lift pins for translation of a substrate c-ring

A substrate support includes an inner portion arranged to support a substrate, an edge ring surrounding the inner portion, and a controller that calculates a desired pocket depth of the substrate support. Pocket depth corresponds to a distance between an upper surface of the edge ring and an upper surface of the substrate. Based on the desired pocket depth, the controller selectively controls an actuator to raise and lower at least one of the edge ring and the inner portion to adjust the distance between the upper surface of the edge ring and the upper surface of the substrate.

A substrate support includes an inner portion arranged to support a substrate, a lift ring surrounding the inner portion, the lift ring arranged to support an outer edge of the substrate, and a controller configured to control an actuator to adjust a height of the lift ring relative to the inner portion by selectively raising and lowering at least one of the lift ring and the inner portion of the substrate support. To adjust the height of the lift ring, the controller selectively adjusts the height of the lift ring to a transfer height for transfer of the substrate to the lift ring and retrieval of the substrate from the lift ring, and adjusts the height of the lift ring to a processing height for processing of the substrate.

Wafer lift ring system for wafer transfer

A system is provided and includes a substrate processing chamber, one or more injectors, and a controller. The one or more injectors inject an electronegative gas, a baseline electropositive gas, and an additional electropositive gas into the substrate processing chamber. The electronegative gas includes an etch precursor. The additional electropositive gas mixes with and increases electron density of a plasma in the substrate processing chamber. The controller is configured to set an amount, flow rate or pressure of the additional electropositive gas based on at least one of a pressure of the electronegative gas or an electron affinity level of the additional electropositive gas.

System and method for increasing electron density levels in a plasma of a substrate processing system

Methods of selectively etching silicon nitride on a semiconductor substrate by providing silicon to the plasma to achieve high etch selectivity of silicon nitride to silicon-containing materials are provided. Methods involve providing silicon from a solid or fluidic silicon source or both. A solid silicon source may be upstream of a substrate, such as at or near a showerhead of a process chamber, or in a remote plasma generator. A silicon gas source may be flowed to the plasma during etch.

Method for achieving ultra-high selectivity while etching silicon nitride

One system includes a chamber, a chuck assembly, and an ion source. The chuck assembly includes a substrate support and a precession assembly with a center support coupled to a stationary center point of an under region of the substrate support. The precession assembly includes first and second actuators connected to first and second locations, respectively, that are in the under region off-set from the center point. The precession assembly imparts a precession motion to the substrate support when the first actuator and the second actuator move up and down relative to the center support, and the precession motion imparted to the substrate causes a rotating tilt of the substrate support without rotation of the substrate support. The rotating tilt of the substrate is configured to cause ions generated by the ion source to impinge upon a surface of the substrate in continually varying angles of incidence.

Control of the incidence angle of an ion beam on a substrate

A grid assembly for a substrate processing system includes a first portion including a first body defining a central opening, an inlet, an outlet, and an upper manifold that is located in the first body and that is in fluid communication with the inlet or the outlet. A second portion is arranged adjacent to the first portion and includes a second body defining a central opening. A plurality of tubes is arranged in the central opening of the second body. First ones of the plurality of tubes are in fluid communication with the upper manifold. A lower manifold is located in the second body and is in fluid communication with the other one of the inlet or the outlet. Second ones of the plurality of tubes are in fluid communication with the lower manifold. The grid assembly is arranged between a remote plasma source and a substrate.

Gas distribution device with actively cooled grid

Examples of novel semiconductor processing pedestals, and apparatuses including such pedestals, are described. These pedestals are specifically configured to provide uniform heat transfer to semiconductor substrates and to reduce maintenance complexity and/or frequency. Specifically, a pedestal may include a removable cover positioned over a metal platen of the pedestal. The removable cover is configured to maintain a consistent and uniform temperature profile of its substrate-facing surface even though the platen's upper-surface, which supports the cover and is in thermal communication with the cover, may have a much less uniform temperature profile. The cover may be made from certain ceramic materials and shaped as a thin plate. These materials are resistant to the processing environments and maintain their thermal characteristics over many processing cycles. The cover can be easily removed from the platen and replaced with a new one without a need for major disassembly of the entire apparatus.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Ivelin A Angelov