Applied Materials, Inc.

Joel M Huston

Mei Yin Chang

Chien-Teh Kao

Yu Wen Chang

Xiaoxiong (John) Yuan

Wei W Wang

Xinliang Lu

Lawrence C Lei

See-Eng Phan

Son Trinh

Sal Umotoy

Jing-Pei (Connie) Chou

Chiukin (Steven) Lai

Dien-Yeh Wu

Salvador P Umotoy

Lawrence Chung-Lai Lei

Zhenbin Ge

Siqing Lu

Paul F Smith

Quyen Pham

Cecilia Martner

Yu Ping Gu

Fufa Chen

Gwo-Chuan Tzu

Olkan Cuvalci

Ronald Lloyd Rose

Ilker Durukan

Russell C Ellwanger

Gabriel Lorimer Miller

James Jin-Long Chen

Joseph Yudovsky

Avgerinos V Gelatos

Christophe Marcadal

Xiaoxiong Yuan

Kazuya Daito

Anh Ngoc Nguyen

David T Or

Takashi Kuratomi

Michael P Karazim

Cheng-Hsiung Matthew Tsai

Nicholas Ryan Denny

Chiukin Steven Lai

Faruk Gungor

William Kuang

Steve H Chiao

James J Chen

Ted G Yoshidome

Bin V Cao

Jing-Pei Chou

Be Van Vo

Jeffery Tobin

G Lorimer Miller

Son Trihn

Wie W Wang

Embodiments of substrate supports and process chambers equipped with the same are provided. In some embodiments, a substrate support includes: a support body having a first surface; one or more receptacles extending through the first surface and into the support body; and one or more protrusions respectively disposed within corresponding ones of the one or more receptacles and projecting from the first surface, wherein the one or more protrusions at least partially define a substantially planar support surface above the first surface. Methods of eliminating backside wafer damage are also disclosed.

Substrate support for reduced damage substrate backside

Apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments a showerhead assembly includes a gas distribution plate having a plurality of apertures; a holder having a wall, an radially inwardly extending flange extending from a lower portion of the wall and coupled to the gas distribution plate, and a radially outwardly extending flange extending from an upper portion of the wall, wherein the wall has a thickness between about 0.015 inches and about 0.2 inches; and a heating apparatus disposed above and spaced apart from the gas distribution plate, wherein the heating apparatus includes a heater configured to heat the gas distribution plate.

Substrate processing chamber having heated showerhead assembly

Lid assemblies for processing chamber and processing chambers including the lid assemblies are described. The lid assemblies include a high temperature lid module and a housing. The high temperature lid module being positioned adjacent a process liner of a processing chamber. The flexible housing positioned around the high temperature lid module and joined to the high temperature lid module with an elastomeric ring.

High temperature process chamber lid

A method and apparatus for removing native oxides from a substrate surface is provided. In one aspect, the apparatus comprises a support assembly. In one embodiment, the support assembly includes a shaft coupled to a disk-shaped body. The disk-shaped body includes an upper surface, a lower surface and a cylindrical outer surface. A flange extends radially outward from the cylindrical outer surface. A fluid channel is formed in the disk-shaped body and is coupled to the heat transfer fluid conduit of the shaft. A plurality of grooves formed in the upper surface are coupled by a hole to the vacuum conduit of the shaft. A gas conduit formed through the disk-shaped body couples the gas conduit of the shaft to the cylindrical outer surface of the disk-shaped body.

Support assembly

Provided are gas distribution apparatus with a delivery channel having an inlet end, an outlet end and a plurality of apertures spaced along the length. The inlet end is connectable to an inlet gas source and the outlet end is connectible with a vacuum source. Also provided are gas distribution apparatus with spiral delivery channels, intertwined spiral delivery channels, splitting delivery channels, merging delivery channels and shaped delivery channels in which an inlet end and outlet end are configured for rapid exchange of gas within the delivery channels.

Dual-direction chemical delivery system for ALD/CVD chambers

Methods and apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing substrates includes a chamber body enclosing a processing volume, the chamber body comprising a chamber floor, a chamber wall coupled to the chamber floor, and a chamber lid removably coupled to the chamber wall, wherein at least one of the chamber floor, the chamber wall, and the chamber lid comprise passages for a flow of a thermal control media; a heater plate disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the chamber floor; a sleeve disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the chamber wall, the sleeve supported by the heater plate; and a first sealing element disposed at a first interface between the chamber wall and the chamber lid.

Hot wall reactor with cooled vacuum containment

Methods and apparatus for in-situ cleaning of substrate processing chambers are provided herein. A substrate processing chamber may include a chamber body enclosing an inner volume; a chamber lid removably coupled to the chamber body and including a first flow channel fluidly coupled to the inner volume to selectively open or seal the inner volume to or from a first outlet; a chamber floor including a second flow channel fluidly coupled to the inner volume to selectively open or seal the inner volume to or from a first inlet; and a pump ring disposed in and in fluid communication with the inner volume, the pump ring comprising an upper chamber fluidly coupled to a lower chamber, and a second outlet fluidly coupled to the lower chamber to selectively open or seal the inner volume to or from the second outlet.

Methods and apparatus for in-situ cleaning of a process chamber

Embodiments of substrate supports are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support may include a support plate having a support surface to support a substrate, a support ring to support a substrate at a perimeter of the support surface; and a plurality of first support elements disposed in the support ring, wherein an end portion of each of the first support elements is raised above an upper surface of the support ring to define a gap between the upper surface of the support ring and an imaginary plane disposed on the end portions of the plurality of first support elements.

Substrate support with controlled sealing gap

A method for removing native oxides from a substrate surface is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises positioning a substrate having an oxide layer into a processing chamber, exposing the substrate to a gas mixture while forming a volatile film on the substrate and maintaining the substrate at a temperature below 65&#xb0; C., heating the substrate to a temperature of at least about 75&#xb0; C. to sublimate the volatile film and remove the oxide layer, and depositing a first layer on the substrate after heating the substrate.

Method for removing oxides

A method and apparatus for removing native oxides from a substrate surface is provided. In one embodiment, the apparatus for removing native oxides from a substrate surface includes a showerhead assembly. One embodiment of a showerhead assembly includes a hollow cylinder, a disc and an annular mounting flange. The hollow cylinder has a top wall, a bottom wall, an inner diameter wall and an outer diameter wall. The disc has a top surface and a lower surface. The top surface is coupled to the inner diameter wall. The lower surface is coupled to the bottom wall. The disc has a plurality of apertures connecting the lower surface to the top surface. The annular mounting flange extends from the outer diameter wall of the hollow cylinder. The mounting flange has an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface is coplanar with the top wall of the hollow cylinder. The lower surface having an elevation above the top surface of the disc. In another embodiment, a resistive heater is embedded in the hollow cylinder proximate the disc.

Showerhead assembly

A gas coupler is capable of conducting gas between a gas component, gas source and substrate processing chamber. The gas coupler comprises a metal block comprising a gas component seating surface having a plurality of gas component coupling ports. The block also has a plurality of sidewalls at right angles to the gas component seating surface, each sidewall comprising a counterbored gas orifice. A plurality of right-angled internal passageways are each connected to a gas component coupling port. Each internal passageway terminates at counterbored gas orifice on a different sidewall surface so that each gas component coupling port is fluidly connected to a different sidewall.

Gas coupler for substrate processing chamber

A method and apparatus for controlling power output of a capacitatively-coupled plasma are provided. A detector is disposed on the power delivery conduit carrying power to one electrode to detect fluctuations in power output to the electrode. The detector is coupled to a signal generator, which converts the RF input signal to a constant control signal. A controller adjusts power input to the RF generator by comparing the control signal to a reference.

Direct real-time monitoring and feedback control of RF plasma output for wafer processing

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Joel M Huston