Applied Materials, Inc.

Applied Komatsu Technology, Inc.

Applied Technology, Inc.

Robert M Robertson

Kam S Law

Dan Maydan

Quanyuan Shang

Takako Takehara

Angela Lee

Guofu J Feng

Marc Michael Kollrack

William Reid Harshbarger

James T Gardner

Pamela Lou

Yvonne LeGrice

Regina Qiu

John M White

Jeff C Olsen

Chuang-Chuang Tsai

Michael Kollrack

Soo Young Choi

Tae Kyung Won

Carl A Sorensen

Sheng Sun

Robert I Greene

Taekyung Won

Kurt Kwok

Jeffrey Feng

Jeff Feng

An apparatus and method for holding a substrate on a support layer in a processing chamber. The method includes the steps of positioning the substrate a predetermined distance from the support layer, introducing a plasma in the processing chamber, lowering the substrate to a point where the substrate engages the support layer, and maintaining the plasma for a predetermined time. The apparatus is directed to a susceptor system for a processing chamber in which a substrate is electrostatically held essentially flat. The apparatus includes a substrate support and a support layer composed of a dielectric material disposed on the substrate support. At least one lift pin is used for supporting the substrate relative to the support layer. Means are provided for moving each lift pin relative to the support layer. Means are also provided for producing a plasma within the processing chamber.

Method and apparatus for electrostatically maintaining substrate flatness

A thin film layer can be formed on a glass substrate by preheating the substrate, depositing an amorphous silicon precursor layer on the substrate at a first temperature, and annealing the substrate in a thermal processing chamber at a second temperature sufficiently higher than the first temperature to substantially reduce the hydrogen concentration in the precursor layer. The preheating and annealing steps can occur in the same thermal processing chamber. Then the precursor layer is converted to a polycrystaline silicon layer by laser annealing.

Method of annealing large area glass substrates

An apparatus for holding a substrate on a support layer in a processing chamber. The apparatus is directed to a susceptor system for a processing chamber in which a substrate is electrostatically held essentially flat. The apparatus includes a substrate support and a support layer composed of a dielectric material disposed on the substrate support. At least one lift pin is used for supporting the substrate relative to the support layer. A device is provided for moving each lift pin relative to the support layer. A device is also provided for producing a plasma within the processing chamber.

Apparatus for electrostatically maintaining subtrate flatness

An apparatus and method for reducing the production of white powder in a process chamber used for depositing silicon nitride. Steps of the method include heating at least a portion of a wall of the process chamber; providing a liner covering a substantial portion of a wall of the process chamber; providing a remote chamber connected to the interior of the process chamber; causing a plasma of cleaning gas in the remote chamber; and flowing a portion of the plasma of cleaning gas into the process chamber. The apparatus includes a deposition chamber having walls; means for heating the walls, the means thermally coupled to the walls; a liner covering a substantial portion of the walls; a remote chamber disposed outside of the chamber; an activation source adapted to deliver energy into the remote chamber; a first conduit for flowing a precursor gas from a remote gas supply into the remote chamber where it is activated by the activation source to form a reactive species; and a second conduit for flowing the reactive species from the remote chamber into the deposition chamber.

Apparatus and method for white powder reduction in silicon nitride deposition using remote plasma source cleaning technology

Amorphous silicon thin films can be deposited onto large area glass substrates at high deposition rates by chemical vapor deposition using pressure of at least 0.8 Torr and temperatures of about 270-350&deg; C. and fairly high gas flow rates of silane in a hydrogen carrier gas. The spacing between the inlet gas manifold and the substrate in the CVD chamber is maintained so as to maximize the deposition rate. Improved transistor characteristics are observed when the substrate is either exposed to a hydrogen plasma for a few seconds prior to high rate deposition of the amorphous silicon, or when a first layer of amorphous silicon is deposited using a slow deposition rate process prior to deposition of the high deposition rate amorphous silicon.

Method for depositing amorphous silicon thin films onto large area glass substrates by chemical vapor deposition at high deposition rates

The present invention relates generally to a clamping and alignment assembly for a substrate processing system. The clamping and aligning assembly generally includes a shadow frame, a floating plasma shield and a plurality of insulating alignment pins. The shadow frame comprises a plurality of tabs extending inwardly therefrom and is shaped to accommodate a substrate. The tabs comprise protruding contact surfaces for stabilizing a substrate on a support member during processing. The insulating alignment pins are disposed at a perimeter of a movable support member and cooperate with an alignment recess formed in the shadow frame to urge the shadow frame into a desired position. Preferably, the floating plasma shield is disposed on the insulating alignment pins in spaced relationship between the support member and the shadow frame to shield the perimeter of the support member during processing.

Film deposition using a finger type shadow frame

Deposition methods for preparing amorphous silicon based films with controlled resistivity and low stress are described. Such films can be used as the interlayer in FED manufacturing. They can also be used in other electronic devices which require films with controlled resistivity in the range between those of an insulator and of a conductor. The deposition methods described in the present invention employ the method of chemical vapor deposition or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; other film deposition techniques, such as physical vapor deposition, also may be used. In one embodiment, an amorphous silicon-based film is formed by introducing into a deposition chamber a silicon-based volatile, a conductivity-increasing volatile including one or more components for increasing the conductivity of the amorphous silicon-based film, and a conductivity-decreasing volatile including one or more components for decreasing the conductivity of the amorphous silicon-based film.

Method of depositing amorphous silicon based films having controlled conductivity

Multilayer deposition of thin films onto glass substrates to form thin film transistors can be carried out in the same chamber under similar reaction conditions at high deposition rates. We have found that sequential thin layers of silicon nitride and amorphous silicon can be deposited in the same chamber by chemical vapor deposition using pressure of at least 0.5 Torr and substrate temperatures of about 250-370&deg; C. Subsequently deposited different thin films can also be deposited in separate chemical vapor deposition chambers which are part of a single multichamber vacuum system.

Method for multilayer CVD processing in a single chamber

A system and method for annealing a film on a substrate in a processing chamber, including a microwave generator disposed to provide microwaves to an area within the interior of the chamber. The microwaves have a frequency such that the film is substantially absorptive at the frequency but the substrate is not substantially absorptive at the frequency. A waveguide distributes the microwaves over the surface of the film to provide a substantially uniform dosage of microwaves over the surface of the film. The method includes depositing a film on a substrate in the processing chamber. During at least a portion of the time of the depositing step, microwaves are generated having a frequency such that the film has an absorption peak at the frequency but the substrate lacks a substantial absorption peak at the frequency. The microwaves are directed towards the film.

Annealing an amorphous film using microwave energy

Apparatus and method for white powder reduction in silicon nitride

An apparatus deposits a high quality film onto a transparent substrate in a reactor. The transparent substrate may be made of glass, quartz or a polymer such as plastic. The transparent substrate is heated in a process chamber and a process gas stream is introduced into the process chamber. The apparatus generates a high frequency power output and a low frequency power output from a high frequency power supply and a low frequency power supply, respectively. The high frequency power output is generated at a frequency of about thirteen megahertz or more, and at a power from about one to five kilowatts, while the low frequency power output is generated at a frequency of about two megahertz or less, and at a power from about 300 to two kilowatts. The high frequency power output and the low frequency power output are superimposed and used to excite a plasma from the process gas stream at a pressure between about 0.4 Torr and 3 Torr, and at a temperature between about 250.degree. C. and 450.degree. C. to deposit a smooth thin film onto the transparent substrate.

Dual frequency excitation of plasma for film deposition

A method of depositing an amorphous silicon based film that has controlled resistivity in between that of an intrinsic amorphous silicon and an n.sup.+ doped amorphous silicon on a substrate for an electronic device by a chemical vapor deposition process or a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process.

Method of depositing amorphous silicon based films having controlled

A plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process for depositing conformal silicon oxide thin films useful to make thin film transistors which have stable electrical properties and low charge centers onto a substrate comprising flowing a precursor gas mixture of silane and nitrous oxide, the latter at a high rate, at a pressure of at least about 0.8 torr and a temperature of from about 250.degree. to 350.degree. C. The effective volume of the reaction region between the gas manifold inlet and the substrate during processing is kept small.

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Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Robert M Robertson