Applied Materials, Inc.

Joseph F AuBuchon

Sanjeev Baluja

Michael Robert Rice

Hanhong Chen

Dhritiman Subha Kashyap

Philip Allan Kraus

Paul F Ma

Kevin Griffin

Jared Ahmad Lee

Kartik Ramaswamy

Yang Yang

Tza-Jing Gung

Steven Lane

Tejas Ulavi

Travis Koh

Arkaprava Dan

Mei Yin Chang

Jiang Lu

Nattaworn Boss Nunta

Tuan Anh Nguyen

James D Carducci

Seshadri Ganguli

Karthik Janakiraman

Kartik Bhupendra Shah

Dien-Yeh Wu

Thai Cheng Chua

Richard Charles Fovell

Hari K Ponnekanti

Ming Xu

Murali K Narasimhan

Sushant Suresh Koshti

Mario Dave Silvetti

Ashley M Okada

Kenneth Brian Doering

Marcel E Josephson

Larry D Elizaga

Kevin M Brashear

Hyoung-Chan Ha

Kenneth Le

Steven H Kim

Truong Van Nguyen

Alexander Fernandez

Schubert S Chu

Yi Yang

Mandyam Sriram

Samer Banna

Sang Ho Yu

Xiaoxiong Yuan

Lawrence Wong

Karthik Ramanathan

Sang-Ho Yu

Ashutosh Agarwal

Nicholas Ryan Denny

Norman M Nakashima

Sheng-Chin Kung

Chi-Chou Lin

Chaowei Wang

Mark S Johnson

Puneet Bajaj

Hyman Lam

Rohit Ode

Roja Palakodeti

Kyoung Ha Kim

Zhejun Zhang

Plasma showerhead assemblies are disclosed comprising a conductive plate having a plurality of the conductive plate gas openings, a dielectric faceplate having a thickness and a plurality of dielectric faceplate gas openings extending through the dielectric faceplate thickness in fluid communication with the plurality of the conductive plate gas openings. A conductive insert is disposed within at least one of the dielectric faceplate gas openings or adjacent o-rings included in the plasma showerhead assemblies.

Plasma showerhead assembly and method of reducing defects

Apparatus and methods to process one or more substrates are described. A plurality of process stations are arranged in a circular configuration around a rotational axis. A support assembly with a rotatable center base defining a rotational axis, at least two support arms extending from the center base and heaters on each of the support arms is positioned adjacent the processing stations so that the heaters can be moved amongst the various process stations to perform one or more process condition. The support assembly configured to offset the position of the substrate with respect to the processing stations.

Dithering or dynamic offsets for improved uniformity

A method of depositing nitride films is disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a PEALD process for depositing nitride films which utilizes separate reaction and nitridation plasmas. In some embodiments, the nitride films have improved growth per cycle (GPC) relative to films deposited by thermal processes or plasma processes with only a single plasma exposure. In some embodiments, the nitride films have improved film quality relative to films deposited by thermal processes or plasma processes with only a single plasma exposure.

PEALD nitride films

Processing chambers and methods of use comprising a plurality of processing regions bounded around an outer peripheral edge by one or more vacuum channel. A first processing region has a first vacuum channel with a first outer diameter and a second processing region has a second vacuum channel with a second outer diameter, the first outer diameter being less than the second outer diameter.

Deposition apparatus and methods using staggered pumping locations

Embodiments of the disclosure include methods of forming a film comprising conformally depositing a first film on a substrate; treating the first film with a first plasma to form a second film; treating the second film with a second plasma to form a third film; and selectively removing the first film, a portion of the second film, and the third film.

Methods of forming metal nitride films

Apparatus and methods for providing backside pressure control and edge purge gas to a substrate in a processing chamber. A seal band within a pocket of a substrate support defines an inner pocket region and an outer pocket region. The seal band has a pressure dependent controlled leakage rate so that a backside gas flow to the inner pocket region can diffuse through the seal band to the outer pocket region to create an edge purge while providing backside pressure to the substrate. Processing chambers, methods of processing a substrate and non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to process a substrate are also disclosed.

Dual-function wafer backside pressure control and edge purge

Apparatus and methods to process one or more wafers are described. A plurality of process stations are arranged in a circular configuration around a rotational axis. A support assembly with a rotatable center base defining a rotational axis, at least two support arms extending from the center base and heaters on each of the support arms is positioned adjacent the processing stations so that the heaters can be moved amongst the various process stations to perform one or more process condition.

Single wafer processing environments with spatial separation

A method of depositing titanium nitride is disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a PEALD process for depositing titanium nitride which utilizes a direct microwave plasma. In some embodiments, the direct microwave plasma has a high plasma density and low ion energy. In some embodiments, the plasma is generated directly above the substrate surface.

PEALD titanium nitride with direct microwave plasma

In one embodiment, at least a processing chamber includes a perforated lid, a gas blocker disposed on the perforated lid, and a substrate support disposed below the perforated lid. The gas blocker includes a gas manifold, a central gas channel formed in the gas manifold, a first gas distribution plate comprising an inner and outer trenches surrounding the central gas channel, a first and second gas channels formed in the gas manifold, the first gas channel is in fluid communication with a first gas source and the inner trench, and the second gas channel is in fluid communication with the first gas source and the outer trench, a second gas distribution plate, a third gas distribution plate disposed below the second gas distribution plate, and a plurality of pass-through channels disposed between the second gas distribution plate and the third gas distribution plate. The second gas distribution plate includes a plurality of through holes formed through a bottom of the second gas distribution plate, a central opening in fluid communication with the central gas channel, and a recess region formed in a top surface of the second gas distribution plate, and the recess region surrounds the central opening.

Deposition radial and edge profile tunability through independent control of TEOS flow

Methods for controlling pulse shape in ALD processes improves local non-uniformity issues of films deposited on substrate surface. The methods include using a variable flow valve creating predetermined pulse shape when a reactant is provided on a substrate surface.

Methods for controlling a flow pulse shape

Processing chambers and methods to disrupt the boundary layer are described. The processing chamber includes a showerhead and a substrate support therein. The showerhead and the substrate support are spaced to have a process gap between them. In use, a boundary layer is formed adjacent to the substrate support or wafer surface. As the reaction occurs at the wafer surface, reaction products and byproduct are produced, resulting in reduced chemical utilization rate. The processing chamber and methods described disrupt the boundary layer by changing one or more process parameters (e.g., pressure, flow rate, time, process gap or temperature of fluid passing through the showerhead).

Apparatus and methods for improving chemical utilization rate in deposition process

Embodiments disclosed herein include a source for a processing tool. In an embodiment, the source comprises a dielectric plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite from the first surface, and a cavity into the first surface of the dielectric plate. In an embodiment, the cavity comprises a third surface that is between the first surface and the second surface. In an embodiment, the source further comprises a dielectric resonator extending away from the third surface.

Modular microwave source with embedded ground surface

Apparatus and methods for providing high velocity gas flow showerheads for deposition chambers are described. The showerhead has a faceplate in contact with a backing plate that has a concave portion to provide a plenum between the backing plate and the faceplate. A plurality of thermal elements is within the concave portion of the backing plate and extends to contact the faceplate.

Gas distribution plate for thermal deposition

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Joseph F AuBuchon