Lam Research Corporation

Fsi International, Inc.

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Jeffrey D Womack

Devendra Kumar

Vuong P Nguyen

Jack S Kasahara

Sokol Ibrani

Nagraj Shankar

Kapu Sirish Reddy

Meliha Gozde Rainville

Stephen Lau

Pengyi Zhang

Elham Mohimi

Emile C Draper

Feng Bi

Pankaj G Ramnani

Michael John Janicki

Lisa Marie Gytri

Erica Pohl

Showerheads for independently delivering different, mutually-reactive process gases to a wafer processing space are provided. The showerheads include a first gas distributor that has multiple plenum structures that are separated from one another by a gap, as well as a second gas distributor positioned above the first gas distributor. Isolation gas from the second gas distributor may be flowed down onto the first gas distributor and through the gaps in between the plenum structures of the first gas distributor, thereby establishing an isolation gas curtain that prevents the process gases released from each plenum structure from parasitically depositing on the plenum structures that provide other gases.

Showerhead with air-gapped plenums and overhead isolation gas distributor

A substrate lift pin assembly includes a tubular support member connected to a bottom of a pedestal beneath a lift pin through-hole. The tubular support member has an interior cavity and an end closure with a cartridge through-hole extending through the end closure. A cartridge member includes a lift pin holder portion and a plunger portion. The lift pin holder portion is located inside of the interior cavity of the tubular support member. The plunger portion extends through the cartridge through-hole of the end closure of the tubular support member. A lift pin extends through the lift pin through-hole and connects to the lift pin holder portion of the cartridge member. A handle member connects to the plunger portion of the cartridge member at a location near a distal end of the plunger portion relative to the tubular support member. The handle member is configured to engage a lifting mechanism.

Lift pin assembly and associated methods

Flow distribution networks that supply process gas to two or more stations in a multi-station deposition chamber. Each flow distribution network includes an inlet and flow distribution lines for carrying process gas to the stations. The flow distribution lines include a branch point downstream from the inlet and two or more branches downstream from the branch point. Each branch supplies a station. The flow distribution network also includes highly variable flow elements in each branch. Restrictive components are placed downstream from the variable control elements in each branch. These restrictive components are nominally identical and designed to shift the bulk of the pressure drop away from the variable flow components to improve flow balancing while not unduly increasing inlet pressure. In some cases, the load shifting allows the more variable flow components to operate in the unchoked flow regime.

Flow balancing in gas distribution networks

Single wafer processing methods and systems for manufacturing films having low-k properties and low indices of refraction. The methods incorporate a processing station in which both curing and post-cure, in situ gas cooling take place.

Thermal processing system and methods for forming low-k dielectric films suitable for incorporation into microelectronic devices

A processing chamber and methods for employing this processing chamber to thermally treat wafer-like objects. The chamber comprises a double walled shell, a pedestal style heater, internal passages for the transport of cooling gases and removal of exhaust gases, independently variable gas introduction patterns, and a movable door for sealing the chamber. The chamber is designed to permit in situ cooling of wafer-like objects and to provide means for precise optimization of this cooling. The methods provide for the processing of the wafer-like object in an environment where the temperature, rate of change of the temperature, composition of gases and the relative timings of changes to these variables may be controlled to achieve the desired material properties in the wafer-like object or in films contained on this wafer-like object.

Thermal processing chamber for heating and cooling wafer-like objects

Growing community of inventors

Lake Oswego, OR, United States of America

Jeffrey D Womack