Applied Materials, Inc.

Semitool, Inc.

Other

Brooks Automation Gmbh

Paul R McHugh

Gregory J Wilson

Kyle Moran Hanson

John Lee Klocke

Daniel J Woodruff

Thomas Lee Ritzdorf

Robert Allen Weaver

Eric J Bergman

Nolan Layne Zimmerman

Paul Van Valkenburg

Adam Marc McClure

Deepak Saagar Kalaikadal

Randy Harris

Steven L Peace

Konstantinos Tsakalis

Steve L Eudy

Charles Sharbono

Kevin D Stoddard

Linlin Chen

Marvin L Bernt

Richard W Plavidal

James J Erickson

Erik Lund

Mikael R Borjesson

Stuart Crane

Michael Windham

Roey Shaviv

Brian Aegerter

Kwan Wook Roh

Nigel Stewart

Brian J Brown

Jonathan Stuart Frankel

Thomas H Oberlitner

Robert W Batz, Jr

Karthik Ramanathan

Ekaterina A Mikhaylichenko

Rajesh Baskaran

Curt T Dundas

Jason A Rye

Daniel L Durado

Jeffrey I Turner

Bioh Kim

Sam Lee

Vincent Steffan Francischetti

Robert Douglas Mikkola

Jing Xu

Bridger Earl Hoerner

Zhongmin Hu

John Z Smith

Larry J Funk

Andrew Anten

Keith Edward Ypma

Mark P Cleaver

Martin Jones

Harry Cripps

Andre Varga

James Jay Tripp

Carl Campbell Stringer

Greg Wilson

Benjamin Clay Bradley

Aaron Paul Juntunen

Method and systems for cleaning and wetting a semiconductor substrate, are provided. Methods and systems include forming an atmosphere in a basin housing the semiconductor substrate with a gas having a higher solubility in a wetting agent than oxygen. Methods and systems include spraying the wetting agent with a spray head onto the substrate while maintaining the atmosphere. Methods and systems include rotationally translating the semiconductor substrate, the spray head, or both the semiconductor substrate and the spray head, Methods and systems include wetting a plurality of features defined in the substrate.

Electroplating wetting chamber with reduced bubble entrapment

Exemplary electroplating systems may include a vessel. The systems may include a paddle disposed within the vessel. The paddle may be characterized by a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the paddle may be include a plurality of ribs that extend upward from the first surface. The plurality of ribs may be arranged in a generally parallel manner about the first surface. The paddle may define a plurality of apertures through a thickness of the paddle. Each of the plurality of apertures may have a diameter of less than about 5 mm. The paddle may have an open area of less than about 15%.

Electroplating co-planarity improvement by die shielding

A method of plating substrates may include placing a substrate in a plating chamber comprising a liquid, and applying a current to the liquid in the plating chamber to deposit a metal on exposed portions of the substrate, where the current may include alternating cycles of a forward plating current and a reverse deplating current. To determine the current characteristics, a model of a substrate may be simulated during the plating process to generate data points that relate characteristics of the plating process and a pattern on the substrate to a range nonuniformity of material formed on the substrate during the plating process. Using information from the data points, values for the forward and reverse currents may be derived and provided to the plating chamber to execute the plating process.

Plating and deplating currents for material co-planarity in semiconductor plating processes

A system may include a first semiconductor processing station configured to deposit a material on a first semiconductor wafer, a second semiconductor processing station configured perform measurements indicative of a thickness of the material after the material has been deposited on the first semiconductor wafer, and a controller. The controller may be configured to receive the measurements from the second station; provide an input based on the measurements to a trained model that is configured to generate an output that adjusts an operating parameter of the first station such that the thickness of the material is closer to a target thickness; and causing the first station to deposit the material on a second wafer using the operating parameter as adjusted by the output.

Parameter adjustment model for semiconductor processing chambers

Systems and methods for electroplating are described. The electroplating system may include a vessel configured to hold a first portion of a liquid electrolyte. The system may also include a substrate holder configured for holding a substrate in the vessel. The system may further include a first reservoir in fluid communication with the vessel. In addition, the system may include a second reservoir in fluid communication with the vessel. Furthermore, the system may include a first mechanism configured to expel a second portion of the liquid electrolyte from the first reservoir into the vessel. The system may also include a second mechanism configured to take in a third potion of the liquid electrolyte from the vessel into the second reservoir when the second portion of the liquid electrolyte is expelled from the first reservoir. Methods may include oscillating flow of the electrolyte within the vessel.

Mechanically-driven oscillating flow agitation

An electroplating system has a vessel assembly holding an electrolyte. A weir thief electrode assembly in the vessel assembly includes a plenum inside of a weir frame. The plenum divided into at least a first, a second and a third virtual thief electrode segment. A plurality of spaced apart openings through the weir frame lead out of the plenum. A weir ring is attached to the weir frame and guides flow of current during electroplating. The electroplating system provides process determined radial and circumferential current density control and does not require changing hardware components during set up.

Electroplating system

Exemplary methods of producing a semiconductor substrate may include plating a metal within a plurality of vias on the semiconductor substrate. A target average fill thickness of the metal within the plurality of vias may be between about a thickness equal to an average via radius of the plurality of vias and a thickness twice the average via radius of the plurality of vias. At least one via of the plurality of vias may be filled to a height below the target average fill thickness of the metal. The methods may include heating the metal to cause reflow of the metal within each via of the plurality of vias. The reflow may adjust the metal within the at least one via to increase in height towards the target average fill thickness.

Systems and methods for improving within die co-planarity uniformity

Electroplating systems may include an electroplating chamber. The systems may also include a replenish assembly fluidly coupled with the electroplating chamber. The replenish assembly may include a first compartment housing anode material. The first compartment may include a first compartment section in which the anode material is housed and a second compartment section separated from the first compartment section by a divider. The replenish assembly may include a second compartment fluidly coupled with the electroplating chamber and electrically coupled with the first compartment. The replenish assembly may also include a third compartment electrically coupled with the second compartment, the third compartment including an inert cathode.

Multi-compartment electrochemical replenishment cell

Exemplary methods of producing a semiconductor substrate may include characterizing a substrate pattern to identify a zonal distribution of a plurality of vias and a height and a radius of each via of the plurality of vias. The methods may include determining a fill rate for each via within the zonal distribution of the plurality of vias. The methods may include modifying a die pattern to adjust via fill rates between two zones of vias. The methods may also include producing a substrate according to the die pattern.

Methods of drying a semiconductor substrate may include applying a drying agent to a semiconductor substrate, where the drying agent wets the semiconductor substrate. The methods may include heating a chamber housing the semiconductor substrate to a temperature above an atmospheric pressure boiling point of the drying agent until a vapor-liquid equilibrium of the drying agent within the chamber has been reached. The methods may further include venting the chamber, where the venting vaporizes the liquid phase of the drying agent from the semiconductor substrate.

Drying high aspect ratio features

Methods of etching a semiconductor substrate may include applying an etchant to the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may include an exposed region of an oxygen-containing material and an exposed region of a nitrogen-containing material. The methods may include heating the semiconductor substrate from a first temperature to a second temperature. The methods may include maintaining the semiconductor substrate at the second temperature for a period of time sufficient to perform an etch of the nitrogen-containing material relative to the oxygen-containing material. The methods may also include quenching the etch subsequent the period of time.

Controlled etch of nitride features

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Kalispell, MT, United States of America

Paul R McHugh