Applied Materials, Inc.

Applied Material, Inc.

Jozef Kudela

John M White

Carl A Sorensen

Suhail Anwar

Tsutomu Tanaka

Seon-Mee Cho

Soo Young Choi

Shinichi Kurita

Robin L Tiner

Dong-Kil Yim

Kallol Bera

Tae Kyung Won

Beom Soo Park

Dmitry A Dzilno

Makoto Inagawa

Gaku Furuta

Jonghoon Baek

Hans Georg Wolf

Xiaopu Li

Ikuo Mori

Dennis Zvalo

Ranjit Indrajit Shinde

Douglas D Truong

Yui Lun Wu

John C Forster

Anantha K Subramani

Dieter Haas

Alexander Viktorovich Garachtchenko

Helinda Nominanda

Avinash Ishwar Shervegar

Ranjit I Shinde

Jeevan Prakash Sequeira

Embodiments described herein provide a lid assembly of a chamber for independent control of plasma density and gas distribution within the interior volume of the chamber. The lid assembly includes a plasma generation system and a gas distribution assembly. The plasma generation system includes a plurality of dielectric plates having a bottom surface oriented with respect to vacuum pressure and a top surface operable to be oriented with respect to atmospheric pressure. One or more coils are positioned on or over the plurality of dielectric plates. The gas distribution assembly includes a first diffuser and a second diffuser. The first diffuser includes a plurality of first channels intersecting a plurality of second channels of the second diffuser.

Large-area high-density plasma processing chamber for flat panel displays

Plasma source assemblies, gas distribution assemblies including the plasma source assembly and methods of generating a plasma are described. The plasma source assemblies include a powered electrode with a ground electrode adjacent a first side and a dielectric adjacent a second side. A first microwave generator is electrically coupled to the first end of the powered electrode through a first feed and a second microwave generator is electrically coupled to the second end of the powered electrode through a second feed.

Microwave plasma source for spatial plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) processing tool

Plasma source assemblies, gas distribution assemblies including the plasma source assembly and methods of generating plasma are described. The plasma source assemblies include a powered electrode with a ground electrode adjacent a first side and a dielectric adjacent a second side. A first microwave generator is electrically coupled to the first end of the powered electrode through a first feed and a second microwave generator is electrically coupled to the second end of the powered electrode through a second feed.

In large area plasma processing systems, process gases may be introduced to the chamber via the showerhead assembly which may be driven as an RF electrode. The gas feed tube, which is grounded, is electrically isolated from the showerhead. The gas feed tube may provide not only process gases, but also cleaning gases from a remote plasma source to the process chamber. The inside of the gas feed tube may remain at either a low RF field or a zero RF field to avoid premature gas breakdown within the gas feed tube that may lead to parasitic plasma formation between the gas source and the showerhead. By feeding the gas through an RF choke, the RF field and the processing gas may be introduced to the processing chamber through a common location and thus simplify the chamber design.

RF choke for gas delivery to an RF driven electrode in a plasma processing apparatus

A method of processing a material layer on a substrate is provided. The method includes delivering RF power from an RF power source through a match network to a showerhead of a capacitively coupled plasma chamber; igniting a plasma within the capacitively coupled plasma chamber; measuring one or more phase angles of one or more harmonic signals of the RF power relative to a phase of a fundamental frequency of the RF power; and adjusting at least one phase angle of at least one harmonic signal of the RF power relative to the phase of the fundamental frequency of the RF power based on the one or more phase angle measurements.

Substrate processing method and apparatus for controlling phase angles of harmonic signals

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for an atomic layer deposition (ALD) processing chamber for device fabrication and methods for replacing a gas distribution plate and mask of the same. The ALD processing chamber has a slit valve configured to allow removal and replacement of a gas distribution plate and mask. The ALD processing chamber may also have actuators operable to move the gas distribution plate to and from a process position and a substrate support assembly operable to move the mask to and from a process position.

Atomic layer deposition processing chamber permitting low-pressure tool replacement

A compact configurable radio frequency (RF) matching network for matching RF energy output from an RF generator to a variable impedance load is disclosed. The matching network includes an input connector; an output connector; and a component assembly array including one or more tune and load electrical components. At least one of the electrical components is coupled to the input connector, at least one of the electrical components is coupled to the output connector, the component assembly array is adapted to be arranged in a selected topology, and the selected topology is adapted to reduce RF energy reflected from the variable impedance load. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Compact configurable modular radio frequency matching network assembly for plasma processing systems

The present invention generally relates to a vertical CVD system having a processing chamber that is capable of processing multiple substrates. The multiple substrates are disposed on opposite sides of the processing source within the processing chamber, yet the processing environments are not isolated from each other. The processing source is a horizontally centered vertical plasma generator that permits multiple substrates to be processed simultaneously on either side of the plasma generator, yet independent of each other. The system is arranged as a twin system whereby two identical processing lines, each with their own processing chamber, are arranged adjacent to each other. Multiple robots are used to load and unload the substrates from the processing system. Each robot can access both processing lines within the system.

Vertical inline CVD system

Embodiments of the invention generally include shield frame assembly for use with a showerhead assembly, and a showerhead assembly having a shield frame assembly that includes an insulator that tightly fits around the perimeter of a showerhead in a vacuum processing chamber. In one embodiment, a showerhead assembly includes a gas distribution plate and a multi-piece frame assembly that circumscribes a perimeter edge of the gas distribution plate. The multi-piece frame assembly allows for expansion of the gas distribution plate without creating gaps which may lead to arcing. In other embodiments, the insulator is positioned to be have the electric fields concentrated at the perimeter of the gas distribution plate located therein, thereby reducing arcing potential.

Tightly fitted ceramic insulator on large area electrode

A transmission line RF applicator apparatus and method for coupling RF power to a plasma in a plasma chamber. The apparatus comprises two conductors, one of which has a plurality of apertures. In one aspect, apertures in different portions of the conductor have different sizes, spacing or orientations. In another aspect, adjacent apertures at successive longitudinal positions are offset along the transverse dimension. In another aspect, the apparatus comprises an inner conductor and one or two outer conductors. The main portion of each of the one or two outer conductors includes a plurality of apertures that extend between an inner surface and an outer surface of the outer conductor.

Transmission line RF applicator for plasma chamber

Systems and methods are provided for matching the impedance of a load to an impedance of a power generator. Embodiments include a matching network with a dynamically configurable component assembly array couplable to the variable impedance load and the RF power generator, wherein the component assembly array includes one or more tune and load electrical components. The component assembly array is adapted to be configured for each recipe step, and at least one of the electrical components is a variable impedance component adjustable to reduce RF energy reflected from the variable impedance load for each recipe step. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Systems and methods for improved radio frequency matching networks

A guided wave applicator comprising two electrically conductive waveguide walls and a waveguide dielectric. The volume of the waveguide dielectric is composed of non-gaseous dielectric material and is positioned between the two waveguide walls. The waveguide dielectric includes first and second longitudinal ends and includes first, second, third and fourth sides extending longitudinally between the two longitudinal ends. The first waveguide wall is positioned so that it covers the first side of the waveguide dielectric, and the second waveguide wall is positioned so that it covers the second side of the waveguide dielectric. In operation, electrical power can be supplied to one or both longitudinal ends of the waveguide dielectric, whereby the power can be coupled to a plasma through the exposed sides of the waveguide dielectric.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Jozef Kudela