Applied Materials, Inc.

Other

Kartik Ramaswamy

Kenneth S Collins

Andrew Nguyen

Yang Yang

Hiroji Hanawa

Shahid Rauf

James D Carducci

Yue Guo

Amir Hamed Al-Bayati

Biagio Gallo

Steven Lane

Leonid Dorf

Lawrence Wong

Douglas A Buchberger, Jr

Sergio Fukuda Shoji

Zhigang Chen

Steven C Shannon

Chunlei Zhang

Matthew L Miller

Tsutomu Tanaka

Richard Charles Fovell

Ajit Balakrishna

Michael Robert Rice

Yan Ye

Daniel John Hoffman

Kallol Bera

Valentin Nikolov Todorow

Hamid Noorbakhsh

James P Cruse

Hamid Tavassoli

Walter R Merry

Jennifer Y Sun

Ankur Agarwal

Satoru Kobayashi

Srinivas D Nemani

Abhilash J Mayur

Dean C Jennings

Vijay Parihar

Leonard Michael Tedeschi

Majeed Foad

Nicolas J Bright

Eswaranand Venkatasubramanian

Zheng John Ye

Rajinder Dhindsa

Vijay D Parkhe

James Rogers

Olivier Luere

Takehito Koshizawa

Abhijit Basu Mallick

Pramit Manna

Joseph F AuBuchon

Anwar Husain

Linying Cui

Ludovic Godet

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Ajay Kumar

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Shijian Li

Rutger Meyer Timmerman Thijssen

Shamouil Shamouilian

Tza-Jing Gung

Michael D Willwerth

Samer Banna

Banqiu Wu

Brian C Lue

Seon-Mee Cho

Yogananda Sarode Vishwanath

Manivannan Thothadri

Omkaram Nalamasu

David Palagashvili

Ying Di Zhang

Soonam Park

Jie Yu

Robert P Meagley

Martin Jeffrey Salinas

Imad Yousif

Ashish Bhatnagar

Evans Yip Lee

Hou Tee Ng

Srinivas Gandikota

Michael S Barnes

Nag B Patibandla

John C Forster

Thorsten B Lill

Dan Maydan

Anantha K Subramani

Praburam Gopalraja

Thomas B Brezoczky

Farhad K Moghadam

Tom K Cho

Chentsau Chris Ying

Vahid Firouzdor

Simon Yavelberg

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Swaminathan T Srinivasan

Peter I Porshnev

Martin A Hilkene

Sidharth Bhatia

Matthew D Scotney-Castle

Sumanth Banda

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for depositing an amorphous carbon layer onto a substrate, including over previously formed layers on the substrate, using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. In particular, the methods described herein utilize a combination of RF AC power and pulsed DC power to create a plasma which deposits an amorphous carbon layer with a high ratio of sp3 (diamond-like) carbon to sp2 (graphite-like) carbon. The methods also provide for lower processing pressures, lower processing temperatures, and higher processing powers, each of which, alone or in combination, may further increase the relative fraction of sp3 carbon in the deposited amorphous carbon layer. As a result of the higher sp3 carbon fraction, the methods described herein provide amorphous carbon layers having improved density, rigidity, etch selectivity, and film stress as compared to amorphous carbon layers deposited by conventional methods.

Pulsed plasma (DC/RF) deposition of high quality C films for patterning

Methods and apparatus for forming an integrated circuit structure, comprising: delivering a process gas to a process volume of a process chamber; applying low frequency RF power to an electrode formed from a high secondary electron emission coefficient material disposed in the process volume; generating a plasma comprising ions in the process volume; bombarding the electrode with the ions to cause the electrode to emit electrons and form an electron beam; and contacting a dielectric material with the electron beam to cure the dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material is a flowable chemical vapor deposition product. In embodiments, the curing stabilizes the dielectric material by reducing the oxygen content and increasing the nitrogen content of the dielectric material.

Method for forming integrated circuit structures

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, apparatus can include a first voltage/current (V/I) probe configured to connect to an input side of a matching network of the processing chamber and a second V/I probe configured to connect to an output side of the matching network and a processor coupled to the first V/I probe and the second V/I probe and configured to, based on a phase gap between a V and I of an RF signal detected by at least one of the first V/I probe or the second V/I probe at a target frequency, detect a minimum phase gap between the V and I, and control at least one of impedance tuning of the matching network or process control of the processing chamber using at least one of a peak or RMS of V, I and phase measured at the target frequency or under sweeping frequency.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate

Some embodiments are directed to a tuning circuit. The tuning circuit generally includes: a first impedance coupled between a first terminal and a second terminal of the tuning circuit, wherein the first terminal is coupled to a generator and the second terminal is coupled to a load; a second impedance coupled between the first impedance of the tuning circuit and a reference potential node; and a signal path coupled to the first impedance or the second impedance, the signal path comprising an inductive element and a first switch coupled to the inductive element, wherein a control input of the first switch is coupled to a control input of the tuning circuit configured to receive a control signal associated with a pulsed voltage (PV) waveform.

Radio-frequency (RF) matching network for fast impedance tuning

Electrostatic chucks for use in substrate processing chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, an electrostatic chuck for use in a substrate processing chamber includes: a dielectric plate having an electrode disposed therein, the dielectric plate further including a central portion and a peripheral portion, wherein the peripheral portion comprises at least one of: an outer sidewall having at least one asperity; a porosity greater than a porosity of the central portion of the dielectric plate; or one or more coatings made of a material different than a material of the central portion.

Wafer to baseplate arc prevention using textured dielectric

An apparatus for generating plasma inductively in a process chamber leverages a radial coil network. In some embodiments, the radial coil network is a planar structure comprising an inner conductor with an open center where at least one RF power source is electrically connected to the inner conductor at a power node, an outer conductor spaced away from and surrounding the inner conductor where at least one ground is electrically connected to the outer conductor at a ground node, a plurality of branch conductors extending from the inner conductor to the outer conductor where the plurality of branch conductors is distributed uniformly in the radial coil network, and a plurality of capacitors where at least one capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is electrically interposed into each branch conductor of the plurality of branch conductors.

Inductively coupled plasma source with radial coil network

A semiconductor processing system may include a semiconductor processing chamber configured to execute a recipe on a semiconductor wafer. The system may include a first plasma source to provide plasma to the semiconductor processing chamber and to be duty cycled during an execution of the recipe. The system may also include a second plasma source configured to maintain the plasma in the semiconductor processing chamber while the first plasma source is duty cycled.

Auxiliary plasma source for robust ignition and restrikes in a plasma chamber

Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, plasma processing systems and methods for controlling ion energy distribution in a processing chamber. One embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to a method for plasma processing. The method generally includes: determining a voltage and/or power associated with a bias signal to be applied to a first electrode of a processing chamber, the voltage being determined based on a pressure inside a processing region of the processing chamber such that the voltage is insufficient to generate a plasma inside the chamber by application of the voltage and/or power to the first electrode; applying the first bias signal in accordance with the determined voltage and/or power to the first electrode; and applying a second bias signal to a second electrode of the processing chamber, wherein the second bias signal is configured to generate a plasma in the processing region and the first bias is applied while the second bias is applied.

Ion energy control on electrodes in a plasma reactor

Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, e.g., plasma processing systems, and methods for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. Some embodiments are directed to a waveform generator. The waveform generator generally includes a first voltage stage having: a first voltage source; a first switch; a ground reference; a transformer having a first transformer ratio, the first transformer comprising: a primary winding coupled to the first voltage source and the ground reference; and a secondary winding having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the ground reference, and the second end is configured to be coupled to a load through a common node; and a first diode coupled in parallel with the primary winding of the first transformer. The waveform generator generally also includes one or more additional voltage stages coupled to a load through the common node.

Pulsed voltage source for plasma processing applications

Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, plasma processing systems and methods for generation of a waveform for plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. One embodiment includes a waveform generator having a voltage source selectively coupled to an output node, where the output node is configured to be coupled to an electrode disposed within a processing chamber, and where the output node is selectively coupled to a ground node. The waveform generator may also include a radio frequency (RF) signal generator, and a first filter coupled between the RF signal generator and the output node.

Plasma excitation with ion energy control

Embodiments of substrate supports for use in substrate processing chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support for use in a substrate processing chamber includes: a pedestal having a first side configured to support a substrate and a second side opposite the first side; a plurality of substrate lift pins extending through the pedestal, wherein a plurality of first gaps are disposed between the plurality of substrate lift pins and respective ones of a plurality of substrate lift pin openings in the pedestal; and vacuum lines that extend from the plurality of substrate lift pin openings and that are configured to pump down the plurality of substrate lift pin openings.

Substrate support gap pumping to prevent glow discharge and light-up

Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for processing a substrate in a plasma processing system. The apparatus includes a pulse voltage (PV) waveform generator comprising at least one synchronization signal and a plurality of pulsers to provide a plurality of TTL inputs. The PV waveform generator generates a waveform containing pulses or bursts which contain micropulses corresponding to the plurality of TTL input signals and the at least one synchronization signal. The method includes receiving a first TTL input signal and a synchronization waveform signal from a controller, delivering a first micropulse to an electrode assembly after receiving the first TTL input signal and synchronization signal, and delivering a second micropulse to the electrode assembly after receiving the second TTL input signal and the synchronization signal.

System and methods for implementing a micro pulsing scheme using dual independent pulsers

A method and apparatus for spatially switching radio frequency (RF) power from a single RF power generator to a selected one of two or more impedance matching networks coupled to associated RF electrodes for forming plasma in a plasma chamber. Full RF power may be switched within microseconds to the selected one of the two or more impedance matching networks. The two or more impedance matching networks may be coupled to one or more plasma generating electrodes. The two or more impedance matching networks may be interleaved during plasma processing recipe operation. Impedance matching networks can alternate back and forth during operation of a plasma processing recipe. This interleaving in operation and impedance transformation capabilities may also be performed with more than two impedance matching networks, and may be beneficial in enabling the use of fixed tuned impedance matching networks instead of requiring variable impedance matching networks having variable tuning capabilities.

Radio frequency diverter assembly enabling on-demand different spatial

Embodiments of the present disclosure include an apparatus and methods for the plasma processing of a substrate. Some embodiments are directed to a plasma processing chamber. The plasma processing chamber generally includes a planar coil region comprising a plurality of planar coils, a first power supply circuit coupled to at least two of the plurality of planar coils, a concentric coil region at least partially surrounding the planar coil region, and a second power supply circuit coupled to at least two of a plurality of concentric coils. The first power supply circuit may be configured to bias the at least two of the plurality of planar coils to affect a plasma in a center region of the plasma processing chamber, and the second power supply circuit may be configured to bias the at least two of the plurality of concentric coils to affect the plasma in an outer region.

Plasma uniformity control system and methods

A wideband variable impedance load for high volume manufacturing qualification and diagnostic testing of a radio frequency power source, an impedance matching network and RF sensors for generating plasma in a semiconductor plasma chamber for semiconductor fabrication processes. The wideband variable impedance load may comprise a fixed value resistance operable at a plurality of frequencies and coupled with a variable impedance network capable of transforming the fixed value resistance into a wide range of complex impedances at the plurality of frequencies. Response times and match tuning element position repeatability may be verified. Automatic testing, verification and qualification of production and field installed radio frequency power sources for plasma generation are easily performed.

Wideband variable impedance load for high volume manufacturing qualification and on-site diagnostics

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Kartik Ramaswamy