Lam Research Corporation

Nick Ray Linebarger, Jr

Troy Alan Gomm

Fayaz A Shaikh

James Forest Lee

Matthew Mudrow

Brian Joseph Williams

Mark E Emerson

Adriana Vintila

Easwar Srinivasan

Sirish K Reddy

Curtis Warren Bailey

Damodar Rajaram Shanbhag

Alice Hollister

Eli Jeon

Chanyuan Liu

Niraj Rana

Devon Pelkey

Xin Yin

Ravikumar Sadashiv Patil

Prahalad Narasinghdas Agarwal

Rungthiwa Methaapanon

A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber having a processing zone in which a semiconductor substrate may be processed, a process gas source in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber for supplying a process gas into the vacuum chamber, a showerhead module through which process gas from the process gas source is supplied to the processing zone of the vacuum chamber, and a substrate pedestal module. The substrate pedestal module includes a platen made of ceramic material having an upper surface configured to support a semiconductor substrate thereon during processing, a stem made of ceramic material having an upper stem flange that supports the platen, and a backside gas tube made of ceramic material that is located in an interior of the stem. The backside gas tube includes an upper gas tube flange that is located between a lower surface of the platen and an upper surface of the upper stem flange wherein the backside gas tube is in fluid communication with at least one backside gas passage of the platen and the backside gas tube is configured to supply a backside gas to a region below a lower surface of a semiconductor substrate that is to be supported on the upper surface of the platen during processing.

Substrate pedestal including backside gas-delivery tube

A plasma processing chamber for depositing a film on an underside surface of a wafer, includes a showerhead pedestal. The showerhead pedestal includes a first zone and a second zone. The first zone is configured for depositing a first film to the underside surface of the wafer and the second zone is configured for depositing a second film to the underside surface of the wafer.

Spatially tunable deposition to compensate within wafer differential bow

In an example, a showerhead pedestal assembly for a substrate processing chamber is provided. The showerhead pedestal assembly includes a faceplate. A platen is disposed within the faceplate and includes a heater element extending through at least one groove in the faceplate. The at least one groove is profiled to accept at least one portion of the heater element. A periphery of the platen is joined to an interior surface of the faceplate by a friction stir welded joint.

Friction stir welding in semiconductor manufacturing applications

A substrate processing system includes a laser triangulation sensor configured to transmit and receive light through a window of an exterior wall of a substrate processing chamber. A controller is configured to: position the laser triangulation sensor such that the laser triangulation sensor transmits light onto a measurement feature arranged between a first surface of a substrate support and a second surface of a gas distribution device, where the second surface faces the first surface; and while the laser triangulation sensor transmits light onto the measurement feature, determine a first distance between the first and second surfaces based on a difference between: a second distance between the laser triangulation sensor and the first surface measured using the laser triangulation sensor; and a third distance between the laser triangulation sensor and the second surface measured using the laser triangulation sensor.

Distance measurement between gas distribution device and substrate support at high temperatures

A plasma processing chamber for depositing a film on an underside surface of a wafer, includes showerhead pedestal. The showerhead pedestal includes a first zone and a second zone. An upper separator fin is disposed over a top surface of the showerhead pedestal and a lower separator fin is disposed under the top surface of the showerhead pedestal and aligned with the upper separator fin. The first zone is configured for depositing a first film to the underside surface of the wafer and the second zone is configured for depositing a second film to the underside surface of the wafer. In another embodiment, a top surface of the showerhead pedestal may be configured to receive a masking plate instead of the upper separator fin. The masking plate is configured with a first area that has openings and a second area that is masked. The first areas is used to provide the process gas to a portion of the underside surface of the wafer for depositing a film.

In various examples, the disclosed subject matter includes a substrate pedestal that includes a platen formed from a ceramic material and having an upper surface to support a substrate during processing. A stem, formed from a ceramic material, has an upper-stem flange upon which the platen is mechanically coupled. The stem has an interior portion. A backside gas-delivery tube, formed from a ceramic material, is located in the interior portion of the stem. The backside gas-delivery tube includes an upper gas-tube flange that is located between a lower surface of the platen and an upper surface of the upper-stem flange. The backside gas-delivery tube is in fluid communication with at least one backside-gas passage of the platen and is arranged to supply a backside gas to a region below a lower surface of the substrate during processing. Other examples of apparatuses and methods of making and using the apparatuses are included.

Methods for reducing warpage of bowed semiconductor substrates, particularly saddle-shaped bowed semiconductor substrates, are provided herein. Methods involve depositing a bow compensation layer by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition on the backside of the bowed semiconductor substrate by region, such as by quadrants, to form a compressive film on a tensile substrate and a tensile film on a compressive substrate. Methods involve flowing different gases from different nozzles on a surface of a showerhead to deliver various gases by region in a one-step operation or flowing gases in a multi-step process by shielding regions of the showerhead during delivery of gases to deliver specific gases from non-shielded regions onto regions of the bowed semiconductor substrate by alternating between rotating the semiconductor substrate and flowing gases to the backside of the bowed semiconductor substrate.

Asymmetric wafer bow compensation by chemical vapor deposition

A showerhead for a plasma chamber comprises a resistive heater configured to receive power to heat the showerhead of the plasma chamber, and a resistive element thermally bonded to the showerhead of the plasma chamber. The resistive element changes resistance in response to a change in temperature of the showerhead. The resistive element is encapsulated in an insulating material to electrically insulate the resistive element from the showerhead. The insulating material is a good conductor of heat. The power to the resistive heater is received based on the resistance of the resistive element.

Controlling showerhead heating via resistive thermal measurements

Substrate pedestal module including backside gas delivery tube and method of making

A carrier ring for use in a chamber implemented for depositing films and chambers that use the carrier ring are provided. The carrier ring has an annular disk shape with an outer edge side and a wafer edge side. The carrier ring has a top carrier ring surface that extends between the outer edge side to the wafer edge side. The wafer edge side includes a lower carrier ring surface that is lower than the top carrier ring surface. The wafer edge side also includes a plurality of contact support structures. Each contact support structure is located at an edge of the lower carrier ring surface and has a height that is between the lower carrier ring surface and the top carrier ring surface, and the contact support structure has tapered edges and corners. A step is defined between the top carrier ring surface and the lower carrier ring surface, such that a top facing edge is disposed at a top of the step and a lower inner edge is disposed at the bottom of the step. Each of the top facing edge and the lower inner edge have a rounded non-sharp edge and a top of each of the contact support structures is configured for contact with a bottom edge surface of a wafer for lifting and lowering and moving the wafer.

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Nick Ray Linebarger, Jr