Applied Materials, Inc.

Mattson Technology, Inc

Rene George

Lara Hawrylchak

Wei Liu

Kartik Bhupendra Shah

Vishwas Kumar Pandey

Eric Kihara Shono

Christopher Sean Olsen

Stephen E Savas

Vladimir Nagorny

Daniel J Devine

Sairaju Tallavarjula

Houda Graoui

Kailash Pradhan

Philip A Bottini

Theresa Kramer Guarini

Tobin Kaufman-Osborn

Malcolm J Bevan

Bernard Lloyd Hwang

Hansel Lo

Johanes S Swenberg

Robert Guerra

Dixit V Desai

Erika Hansen

Craig Ranft

Andreas Kadavanich

Shashank Sharma

Stephen Moffatt

John P Zajac

Hongching Shan

Johanes F Swenberg

Allan B Wiesnoski

Sai Mantripragada

Roger Curtis

Ce Qin

Huy Q Nguyen

Shankar Muthukrishnan

Nicole Kuhl

Ying Holden

Laizhong Luo

Kin Pong Lo

David Knapp

Tsung-Han Yang

Jonathan David Mohn

Martin L Zucker

Ryan M Pakulski

Linlin Wang

Songlin Xu

Vincent Lee

Charles Crapuchettes

Wolfgang Helle

Yuya Matsuda

David Dutton

Leroy Luo

A method and apparatus for growing an oxide layer within a feature of a substrate is described herein. The method is suitable for use in semiconductor manufacturing. The oxide layer is formed by exposing a substrate to both a high pressure oxidant exposure and a lower pressure oxygen containing plasma exposure. The high pressure oxidant exposure is performed at a pressure of greater than 10 Torr, while the lower pressure oxygen containing plasma exposure is performed at a pressure of less than about 10 Torr. The features are high-aspect ratio trenches or holes within a stack of silicon oxide and silicon nitride layers.

Dual pressure oxidation method for forming an oxide layer in a feature

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to inductively coupled plasma sources and plasma processing apparatus. In at least one embodiment, plasma source includes a first sidewall and a gas injection insert defining a plasma source interior volume. The gas injection insert includes a peripheral gas injection port, a second sidewall disposed concentric with the first sidewall, and a center gas injection port. The plasma source includes a first induction coil disposed proximate the first sidewall and disposed around the first sidewall. The plasma source includes a first radio frequency power generator coupled with the first induction coil. The plasma source includes a second induction coil disposed proximate the second sidewall and disposed around the second sidewall. The plasma source includes a second radio frequency power generator coupled with the second induction coil.

Plasma sources and plasma processing apparatus thereof

A system and method including a processing device. The processing device receives data including one or more plasma exposure durations of a plasma process. The plasma exposure duration are associated with a set of controlled elements. The processing device causes a each set of controlled elements to switch between a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation. Each set of controlled elements expose appropriate portion of a substrate to the plasma related fluxes. The first set of controlled elements process the substrate at an increased rate while operating in the first mode of operation relative to the second mode of operation. The processing device causes each set of controlled elements to operate in the first mode of operation for the appropriate time duration based on the received plasma exposure duration data.

Uniformity control for plasma processing

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a processing system and a method of delivering a reactant gas. The processing system includes a substrate support system, an injection cone, and an intake. The injection cone includes a linear rudder. The linear rudder is disposed such that the flow of reactant gas through the injection cone results in film growth on a specific portion of a substrate. The method includes flowing the gas through the injection cone and delivering the gas onto the substrate below. The localization of the reactant gas, allows for film growth on a specific portion of the substrate.

Processing system and method of delivering a reactant gas

A gas injector for processing a substrate includes a body having an inlet connectable to a gas source that is configured to provide a gas flow in a first direction into the inlet when processing a substrate on a substrate support disposed within a processing volume of a processing chamber, and an a gas injection channel formed in the body. The gas injection channel is in fluid communication with the inlet and configured to deliver the gas flow to an inlet of the processing chamber. The gas injection channel has a first interior surface and a second interior surface that are parallel to a second direction and a third direction. The second and third directions are misaligned with a center of the substrate, and are at an angle to the first direction towards a first edge of the substrate support.

Asymmetric injection for better wafer uniformity

A gas supply member includes a first side opposite a second side and an inner surface defining a first opening extending between the first and second sides. The gas supply member includes a third side orthogonal to the first side, the third side includes a first extension that has a face partially defining the second side, and the first extension includes a first plurality of holes extending through the first extension to the face. The gas supply member includes a fourth side opposite the third side, the fourth side includes a protrusion that has a face partially defining the second side. The gas supply member also includes a baffle disposed adjacent to the inner surface, the baffle includes a first portion extending from the inner surface and a second portion attached to the first portion, and the second portion orthogonal to the first portion and parallel to the third side.

Gas supply member with baffle

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to inductively coupled plasma sources, plasma processing apparatus, and independent temperature control of plasma processing. In at least one embodiment, a method includes introducing a process gas into a gas injection channel and generating an inductively coupled plasma within the gas injection channel. The plasma includes at least one radical species selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, NH and helium. The method includes delivering the plasma from the plasma source to a process chamber coupled therewith by flowing the plasma through a separation grid between the plasma source and a substrate. The method includes processing the substrate. Processing the substrate includes contacting the plasma including the at least one radical species with a first side of the substrate facing the separation grid and heating the substrate using a plurality of lamps located on a second side of the substrate opposite the separation grid.

Plasma processing with independent temperature control

Gas injectors for providing uniform flow of fluid are provided herein. The gas injector includes a plenum body. The plenum body includes a recess, a protrusion adjacent to the recess and extending laterally away from the plenum body, and a plurality of nozzles extending laterally from an exterior surface of the plenum body. The plenum body has a plurality of holes in an exterior wall of the plenum body. Each nozzle is in fluid communication with an interior volume of the plenum body. By directing the flow of fluid, the gas injector provides for a uniform deposition.

Gas injector with baffle

A gas injector for processing a substrate includes a body having an inlet connectable to a gas source that is configured to provide a gas flow in a first direction into the inlet when processing a substrate on a substrate support disposed within a processing volume of a processing chamber, and an a gas injection channel formed in the body. The gas injection channel is in fluid communication with the inlet and configured to deliver the gas flow to an inlet of the processing chamber. The gas injection channel has a first interior surface and a second interior surface that are parallel to a second direction and a third direction. The second and third directions do not intersect a center of the substrate, and are at an angle to the first direction towards a first edge of the substrate support.

A method of modifying a layer in a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes depositing a low quality film on a semiconductor substrate, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a first process gas comprising helium while the substrate is heated to a first temperature, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a second process gas comprising oxygen gas while the substrate is heated to a second temperature that is different than the first temperature. The electrical properties of the film are improved by undergoing the aforementioned processes.

Thin film treatment process

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a sequential hydrogenation and nitridization process for reducing interfacial and bulk O atoms in a conductive structure in a semiconductor device. A hydrogenation and plasma nitridization process is performed on a metal nitride layer in a conductive structure prior to deposition of a second metal layer, thereby reducing interfacial oxygen atoms formed on a surface of the metal nitride and oxygen atoms present in the bulk metal layers of the conductive structure. As a result, adhesion of the second metal layer to the metal nitride layer is improved and the electrical resistance of the contact structure is reduced.

Hydrogenation and nitridization processes for reducing oxygen content in a film

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method and apparatus for plasma treating a process chamber. A substrate having a gate stack formed thereon may be placed in a process chamber, and hydrogen containing plasma may be used to treat the gate stack in order to cure the defects in the gate stack. As the result of hydrogen containing plasma treatment, the gate stack has lower leakage and improved reliability. To protect the process chamber from Hions and H* radicals generated by the hydrogen containing plasma, the process chamber may be treated with a plasma without the substrate placed therein and prior to the hydrogen containing plasma treatment. In addition, components of the process chamber that are made of a dielectric material may be coated with a ceramic coating including an yttrium containing oxide in order to protect the components from the plasma.

Plasma treating a process chamber

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Rene George