Applied Materials, Inc.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Asm America, Inc.

Ivo J Raaijmakers

John C Forster

Bradley Owen Stimson

Hiroji Hanawa

Barry Lee Chin

Roderick Craig Mosely

Jaim Nulman

Marc O Schweitzer

Michael N Susoeff

David Christensen

Chris W Burkhart

A method and apparatus for generating a plasma by inductively coupling electromagnetic energy into the plasma. In one embodiment, first and second antenna coils are disposed about the circumference of the plasma containment area. The first and second antenna coils are relatively spaced along the longitudinal axis of the plasma containment area. A current is generated in the first and second antenna coils. A phase shift regulating network establishes a difference between the phase of the current in the first antenna and the phase of the current in the second antenna. The phase difference corresponds to the phase difference required to launch a helicon wave in the plasma. In a second embodiment, a chamber shield is made of a conductive material and is coupled to the RF source such that the shield functions as an RF antenna. The shield may be coupled in series to a coil surrounding the shield to increase the resultant flux density.

Method and apparatus for generating a plasma

A machine for manufacturing semiconductor devices has a. processing chamber for processing the semiconductor wafer. A transfer chamber has at least two positions, one position to facilitate the transfer of a wafer to be processed into the transfer chamber and to facilitate the transfer of a processed wafer from the transfer chamber to the cassette from which the wafer originated. The second position facilitates the transfer of a wafer to and from the processing chamber. A transfer arm simultaneously transfers an unprocessed wafer from the first position to the second position with the transfer of a processed wafer from the second position to the first position.

Multi-position load lock chamber

A multi-beam source for deposition of a material on to a substrate with enhanced deposition rate, uniformity and beam directionality. A plurality of orifices are provided in a head unit having a cavity containing a vapor of the deposition material. The cavity and the vapor contained therein are maintained at a high temperature to increase the deposition rate. The orifices are maintained at the same high temperature and act as heated collimators to produce highly directional beams for deposition of materials into high aspect ratio features. When used in jet vapor deposition techniques, an inert gas flow is introduced into the cavity and forced out thereof through the orifices as jets to transport particles of the deposition material to the substrate.

Deposition of a thin film on a substrate using a multi-beam source

A pressure-induced shut-off valve for a liquid delivery system with a back pressure regulator having a positive shut-off capability is provided. The pressure-induced shut-off valve may incorporate an integrated purge valve or an integrated cross flow nebulizer/vaporizer. The pressure-induced shut-off valve functions as a variable flow restrictor which automatically adjusts itself to provide a constant back pressure in the liquid line.

Pressure-induced shut-off valve for a liquid delivery system

In a thin film process system, an anti-contamination device, anti-flake shield or collimator plate, is fit to a process chamber. By maintaining a temperature differential between the chamber body and the device, or between the device and any adapter used to conform the device to the chamber apparatus, the device expands to maintain a substantially sealing press fit to the chamber body. The temperature differential can be maintained even when the process is finished until it is time to remove the device for cleaning or disposal and replacement.

Temperature clamped anti-contamination and collimating devices for thin

A method of removing free titanium from the edge of a substrate having a layer of titanium and a layer of titanium nitride thereover by forming a plasma of a nitrogen-containing gas. The plasma reacts with exposed free titanium to form titanium nitride therefrom. Preferably the dual Ti/TiN depositions and the plasma treatment are all carried out in the same chamber.

Adhesion layer for tungsten deposition

Temperature clamping method for anti-contamination and collimating

A method of precleaning a wafer including the steps of placing the wafer in a plasma chamber; flowing a gas into the plasma chamber; establishing a plasma in the chamber at a first pressure; after establishing the plasma, plasma etching the wafer at the first pressure for a first period of time; transitioning to a second pressure that is different from the first pressure; plasma etching the wafer at the second pressure for a second period of time; and after the second period of time has elapsed, discontinuing plasma etching at the second pressure.

High pressure plasma treatment method and apparatus

A plasma deposition system for sputter depositing material from a target onto a wafer, the system including a vacuum chamber; a platform for holding the wafer during plasma processing; a source onto which the target is mounted and for generating a plasma in the chamber during operation; an equipotential conductive plane dividing the chamber into an upper cavity in which the target is located and a lower cavity in which the wafer is located, the equipotential conductive plane permitting material sputtered from the target to pass therethrough; and an upper antenna located inside the upper cavity and surrounding the plasma, the upper antenna for coupling RF power into the source-generated plasma.

Collimation hardware with RF bias rings to enhance sputter and/or

The invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising a silicon body (1) provided with a conductor pattern (4, 5) consisting of a contact layer (4) and an aluminium layer (5). Contact layers (4), such as those of hafnium, titanium and zirconium, are reactive when they are in contact both with silicon and with aluminum. The silicon body (1) is contacted with a conductor pattern (2, 3), which forms a barrier with respect to silicon migration and the conductor pattern (2, 3) is contacted with the aforementioned conductor pattern (4, 5).

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor body (1) having a surface (2), which is adjoined by regions of silicon (3, 4, 5 and 6) and regions of insulating material (8 and 9), the regions of silicon being provided with a top layer (10) of a metal silicide by depositing metal on the surface while heating the semiconductor body to a temperature at which metal silicide is formed during the deposition. According to the invention, cobalt or nickel is deposited while the semiconductor body is heated to a temperature at which cobalt or nickel silicide is formed. Thus, metal silicide does not grow over parts of the regions of insulating material adjoining directly the regions of silicon.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ivo J Raaijmakers