Novellus Systems Incorporated

Lam Research Corporation

Instromedix, Inc.

Microconnect Corp.

Apex Drives Laboratories, Inc.

Apex Drive Laboratories, Inc

Mohamed Sabri

Karl Frederick Leeser

J Lynn Saunders

Douglas L Keil

Edward J Augustyniak

Krishnan Shrinivasan

Eugene Smargiassi

Michael Rivkin

Shankar Swaminathan

Frank Loren Pasquale

William E Saltzstein

Ramkishan Rao Lingampalli

Cody Barnett

Tommy Long

Tom Long

Adrien Lavoie

Ming Chu Li

Dennis Michael Hausmann

James Samuel Sims

Sirish K Reddy

Damien Martin Slevin

Curtis Warren Bailey

Sesha Varadarajan

Kevin M McLaughlin

Saangrut Sangplung

Ted Minshall

Jason Dirk Haverkamp

Colin M Portnuff

John E Bales

Scott M Burkhart

Gregory T Semler

Brad Laird

Saangrut Sangplug

Ramesh Chandrasekharan

Purushottam Kumar

Hu Kang

Jun Qian

David Charles Smith

Chloe Baldasseroni

Adrien LaVoie

Habib Homayoun

Andrew Duvall

Herbert J Semler

Jeongseok Ha

John R Rae

Jeremiah Baldwin

Eashwar Ranganathan

Shirley L Semler

Edward Failing Ritz, Jr

Ray Nelke

Heather Landis

Eric O Baumann

Anthony P Dobaj

Ingi Bae

A system includes an electrode. The electrode includes a showerhead having a first stem portion and a head portion. A plurality of dielectric layers is vertically stacked between the electrode and a first surface of a conducting structure. The plurality of dielectric layers includes M dielectric layers arranged adjacent to the head portion and P dielectric portions arranged around the first stem portion. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap, and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode.

Mechanical suppression of parasitic plasma in substrate processing chamber

Various implementations of hybrid ceramic faceplates for substrate processing showerheads are provided. The hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplates may include an electrode embedded within the ceramic material of the faceplate, as well as a pattern of through-holes. The electrode may be fully encapsulated within the ceramic material with respect to the through-holes. In some implementations, a heater element may also be embedded within the hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplate. A DC voltage source may be electrically connected with the hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplate during use. The hybrid ceramic faceplates may be easily removable from the substrate processing showerheads for easy cleaning and faceplate replacement.

Hybrid ceramic showerhead

A system for reducing parasitic plasma in a semiconductor process comprises a first surface and a plurality of dielectric layers that are arranged between an electrode and the first surface. The first surface and the electrode have substantially different electrical potentials. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap between a last one of the plurality of dielectric layers and the first surface. A number of the plurality of dielectric layers and sizes of the first gap, the second gap and the third gap are selected to prevent parasitic plasma between the first surface and the electrode during the semiconductor process.

An apparatus includes a base having first and second inlets. Inner and outer cylinders are disposed on the base, with the outer cylinder being concentric with the inner cylinder. An inner surface of the inner cylinder defines an internal volume. An outer surface of the inner cylinder and an inner surface of the outer cylinder define a chamber space. An ultraviolet lamp is disposed within the internal volume. A top cover is positioned over the inner and outer cylinders and in a sealing relationship with the cylinders. The top cover has a first passageway in flow communication with the chamber space, and a second passageway in flow communication with the internal volume. The first inlet is in flow communication with the chamber space and the second inlet is in flow communication with the internal volume. A system including a process chamber and an ammonia radical generator also is described.

Ammonia radical generator

A vapor delivery system includes an ampoule to store liquid precursor and a heater to partially vaporize the liquid precursor. A first valve communicates with a push gas source and the ampoule. A second valve supplies vaporized precursor to a heated injection manifold. A valve manifold includes a first node in fluid communication with an outlet of the heated injection manifold, a third valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the first node and an outlet in fluid communication with vacuum, a fourth valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the first node and an outlet in fluid communication with a second node, a fifth valve having an outlet in fluid communication with the second node, and a sixth valve having an outlet in fluid communication with the second node. A gas distribution device is in fluid communication with the second node.

Systems and methods for vapor delivery in a substrate processing system

The present invention provides improved methods of preparing a low-k dielectric material on a substrate. The methods involve multiple operation ultraviolet curing processes in which UV intensity, wafer substrate temperature, UV spectral distribution, and other conditions may be independently modulated in each operation. Operations may be pulsed or even be concurrently applied to the same wafer. In certain embodiments, a film containing a structure former and a porogen is exposed to UV radiation in a first operation to facilitate removal of the porogen and create a porous dielectric film. In a second operation, the film is exposed to UV radiation to increase cross-linking within the porous film.

Multi-station sequential curing of dielectric films

A substrate processing system for depositing film on a substrate includes a processing chamber defining a reaction volume and including a substrate support for supporting the substrate. A gas delivery system is configured to introduce process gas into the reaction volume of the processing chamber. A plasma generator is configured to selectively generate RF plasma in the reaction volume. A clamping system is configured to clamp the substrate to the substrate support during deposition of the film. A backside purging system is configured to supply a reactant gas to a backside edge of the substrate to purge the backside edge during the deposition of the film.

Systems and methods for reducing backside deposition and mitigating thickness changes at substrate edges

A method for supplying vapor to a chamber includes providing a first diverter valve that, when open, diverts vapor away from the chamber, and a second diverter valve that, when open, supplies the vapor to the chamber; supplying a carrier gas to the chamber; after supplying the carrier gas, creating plasma in the chamber while a substrate is in the chamber; opening the first diverter valve and closing the second diverter valve; supplying the vapor by vaporizing at least one liquid precursor in a carrier gas; after a first predetermined period sufficient for the vapor to reach steady-state flow, closing the first diverter valve and opening the second diverter valve to supply the vapor to the chamber; and after a second predetermined period following the first predetermined period, opening the first diverter valve and closing the second diverter valve to stop supplying the vapor to the chamber.

Method for supplying vaporized precursor

A showerhead assembly for a substrate processing system includes a back plate connected to a gas channel. A face plate is connected adjacent to a first surface of the back plate and includes a gas diffusion surface. An electrode is arranged in one of the back plate and the face plate and is connected to one or more conductors. A gas plenum is defined between the back plate and the face plate and is in fluid communication with the gas channel. The back plate and the face plate are made of a non-metallic material.

Ceramic showerhead with embedded RF electrode for capacitively coupled plasma reactor

The present invention addresses provides improved methods of preparing a low-k dielectric material on a substrate. The methods involve multiple operation ultraviolet curing processes in which UV intensity, wafer substrate temperature and other conditions may be independently modulated in each operation. In certain embodiments, a film containing a structure former and a porogen is exposed to UV radiation in a first operation to facilitate removal of the porogen and create a porous dielectric film. In a second operation, the film is exposed to UV radiation to increase cross-linking within the porous film. In certain embodiments, the curing takes place in a multi-station UV chamber wherein UV intensity and substrate temperature may be independently controlled at each station.

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Mohamed Sabri