Applied Materials, Inc.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Kalnin

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Soonam Park

Toan Q Tran

Satoru Kobayashi

Hideo Sugai

Mehmet Tugrul Samir

Tae Seung Cho

Jaeyong Cho

David Benjaminson

Junghoon Kim

Michael Grace

Don Channa K Kaluarachchi

Paneendra Prakash Bhat

Exemplary support assemblies may include a top puck defining a substrate support surface, where the top puck is also characterized by a height. The assemblies may include a stem coupled with the top puck on a second surface of the top puck opposite the substrate support surface. The assemblies may include an RF electrode embedded within the top puck proximate the substrate support surface. The assemblies may include a heater embedded within the top puck. The assemblies may also include a ground shield embedded within the top puck. The ground shield may be characterized by an inner region extending radially through the top puck. The ground shield may further be characterized by an outer region extending perpendicular to the inner region.

Semiconductor substrate supports with embedded RF shield

Methods of monitoring a plasma while processing a semiconductor substrate are described. In embodiments, the methods include determining the difference in power between the power delivered from the plasma power supply and the power received by the plasma in a substrate processing chamber. The power received may be determined using a V/I sensor positioned after the matching circuit. The power reflected or the power lost is the difference between the delivered power and the received power. The process may be terminated by removing the delivered power if the reflected power is above a setpoint. The Vmay further be fourier transformed into frequency space and compared to the stored fourier transform of a healthy plasma process. Missing frequencies from the Vfourier transform may independently or further indicate an out-of-tune plasma process and the process may be terminated.

Plasma health determination in semiconductor substrate processing reactors

Exemplary systems according to embodiments of the present technology include a housing that defines a process chamber and a waveguide cavity. A first conductive plate is disposed within the housing. The system also includes a second conductive plate positioned within the housing and at least partially defining the waveguide cavity. The second conductive plate is vertically translatable within the housing to adjust a distance between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate to affect modes of electromagnetic radiation propagating within the waveguide cavity. The systems also include one or more electronics sets that are configured to transmit the electromagnetic radiation into the waveguide cavity to produce plasma from at least one process gas delivered within the process chamber.

Systems and methods for radial and azimuthal control of plasma uniformity

Exemplary apparatuses for centering and/or leveling a pedestal of a processing chamber may include a mounting block having a central axis, a set of first gauges mounted on the mounting block, and a set of second gauges mounted on the mounting block. The set of second gauges may be mounted substantially perpendicular to the set of first gauges. The plurality of first gauges may be configured to obtain measurements indicative of a degree of parallelism between a gas distribution plate of the processing chamber and the pedestal. The plurality of second gauges may be configured to obtain measurements indicative of a degree of axial alignment of a ring member of the processing chamber and the pedestal. The exemplary apparatuses may be used for centering and/or leveling the pedestal under vacuum.

Systems and methods for pedestal configuration

An exhaust module for a substrate processing apparatus having a body, a pumping ring, and a symmetric flow valve, is disclosed herein. The body has a first and second vacuum pump opening formed therethrough. The pumping ring is positioned in the body over both the first and second vacuum pump openings. The pumping ring includes a substantially ring shaped body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an opening. The top surface has one or more through holes formed therein, arranged in a pattern concentric with the first vacuum pump opening. The bottom surface has a fluid passage formed therein, interconnecting each of the one or more through holes. The opening is formed in the substantially ring shaped body, substantially aligned with the vacuum pump opening. The symmetric flow valve is positioned in the body over the pumping ring and movable between a raised position and a lowered position.

Apparatus with concentric pumping for multiple pressure regimes

A system includes a process chamber, a housing that defines a waveguide cavity, and a first conductive plate within the housing. The first conductive plate faces the process chamber. The system also includes one or more adjustment devices that can adjust at least a position of the first conductive plate, and a second conductive plate, coupled with the housing, between the waveguide cavity and the process chamber. Electromagnetic radiation can propagate from the waveguide cavity into the process chamber through apertures in the second conductive plate. The system also includes a dielectric plate that seals off the process chamber from the waveguide cavity, and one or more electronics sets that transmit the electromagnetic radiation into the waveguide cavity. A plasma forms when at least one process gas is within the chamber, and the electromagnetic radiation propagates into the process chamber from the waveguide cavity.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Nikolai Nikolaevich Kalnin