Applied Materials, Inc.

Russell C Ellwanger

Mei Yin Chang

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Ming Xi

Arulkumar P Shanmugasundram

Lawrence C Lei

Salvador P Umotoy

Lawrence Chung-Lai Lei

Shulin Wang

Joel M Huston

Ronald Lloyd Rose

Keith K Koai

Ian A Pancham

Ramakrishna Cheboli

James Jin-Long Chen

Michael Xiaoxuan Yang

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Avi Tepman

Alexander N Lerner

Ashok K Sinha

Timothy Weidman

Son Truong Nguyen

Xin Sheng Guo

Anh Ngoc Nguyen

Allen L D'Ambra

Henry Ho

Lily L Pang

Mohan K Bhan

Ramanujapuram A Srinivas

Frederick C Wu

Yeuk-Fai Edwin Mok

Bernardo Donoso

Yevgeniy Rabinovich

Svetlana Sherman

Zvi Lando

Justin Jones

Eric B Britcher

Yehuda Demayo

Huan Luo

An electroless deposition system is provided. The system includes a processing mainframe, at least one substrate cleaning station positioned on the mainframe, and an electroless deposition station positioned on the mainframe. The electroless deposition station includes an environmentally controlled processing enclosure, a first processing station configured to clean and activate a surface of a substrate, a second processing station configured to electrolessly deposit a layer onto the surface of the substrate, and a substrate transfer shuttle positioned to transfer substrates between the first and second processing stations. The system also includes a substrate transfer robot positioned on the mainframe and configured to access an interior of the processing enclosure. The system also includes a substrate a fluid delivery system that is configured to deliver a processing fluid by use of a spraying process to a substrate mounted in the processing enclosure.

Apparatus for electroless deposition of metals onto semiconductor substrates

An electroless deposition system is provided. The system includes a processing mainframe, at least one substrate cleaning station positioned on the mainframe, and an electroless deposition station positioned on the mainframe. The electroless deposition station includes an environmentally controlled processing enclosure, a first processing station configured to clean and activate a surface of a substrate, a second processing station configured to electrolessly deposit a layer onto the surface of the substrate, and a substrate transfer shuttle positioned to transfer substrates between the first and second processing stations. The system also includes a substrate transfer robot positioned on the mainframe and configured to access an interior of the processing enclosure.

Embodiments of the invention generally provide an electrochemical plating system. The plating system includes a substrate loading station positioned in communication with a mainframe processing platform, at least one substrate plating cell positioned on the mainframe, at least one substrate bevel cleaning cell positioned on the mainframe, and a stacked substrate annealing station positioned in communication with at least one of the mainframe and the loading station, each chamber in the stacked substrate annealing station having a heating plate, a cooling plate, and a substrate transfer robot therein.

Multi-chemistry plating system

A method of forming a titanium nitride (TiN) layer using a reaction between ammonia (NH ) and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl ). In one embodiment, an NH :TiCl ratio of about 8.5 is used to deposit a TiN layer at a temperature of about 500&deg; C. at a pressure of about 20 torr. In another embodiment, a composite TiN layer is formed by alternately depositing TiN layers of different thicknesses, using process conditions having different NH :TiCl ratios. In one preferred embodiment, a TiN layer of less than about 20 &angst; is formed at an NH :TiCl ratio of about 85, followed by a deposition of a thicker TiN layer at an NH :TiCl ratio of about 8.5. By repeating the alternate film deposition using the two different process conditions, a composite TiN layer is formed. This composite TiN layer has an improved overall step coverage and reduced stress, compared to a standard TiN process, and is suitable for small geometry plug fill applications.

Method of depositing a thick titanium nitride film

A temperature-controlled exhaust assembly with cold trap capability. One embodiment of the exhaust assembly comprises a multi-heater design which allows for independent multi-zone closed-loop temperature control. Another embodiment comprises a compact multi-valve uni-body design incorporating a single heater for simplified closed-loop temperature control. The cold trap incorporates a heater for temperature control at the inlet of the trap to minimize undesirable deposits. One embodiment also comprises a multi-stage cold trap and a particle trap. As a removable unit, this cold trap provides additional safety in the handling and disposal of the adsorbed condensables.

Cold trap assembly

A process for chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride film using thermal decomposition of a metal-organic compound is disclosed. In particular, the deposition of titanium nitride film from tetrakis dimethylamino-titanium (TDMAT) is performed at a temperature preferably below 350&deg; C. in the presence of helium and nitrogen. The process is performed at a total pressure of about 5 torr, a nitrogen dilutant gas flow of at least 500 sccm, preferably about 1000 sccm, and an edge purge gas flow of at least 500 sccm. These process parameters, coupled with an improved thermal conduction between the wafer and the heated pedestal, lead to a conformal deposition of titanium nitride film at a rate of at least 6 &angst;/sec.

Method for performing metallo-organic chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride at reduced temperature

The invention provides a substrate support member and a purge guide for directing purge gas past the edge of a substrate and towards the outer perimeter of the chamber. The purge guide includes a plurality of holes disposed around the inner perimeter thereof to provide a purge gas passage and to prevent purge gas from interfering with the deposition chemistry on the surface of the substrate. A substrate support member is also provided having a vacuum chuck for securing a substrate to the upper surface thereof. The substrate support member preferably includes a shoulder on which the purge guide is supported during processing. The invention also provides a method for shielding an edge of a substrate by flowing a purge gas adjacent the edge of the substrate and then through a plurality of purge holes on a purge guide.

Chemical vapor deposition hardware and process

Integrated temperature controlled exhaust and cold trap assembly

A wafer pedestal with a purge ring that circumscribes a peripheral edge of the wafer pedestal. The purge ring contains plurality of passages that are located proximate the peripheral edge of said wafer pedestal such that purge gas is directed towards the peripheral edge. Additionally, the purge ring cooperates with an edge ring assembly that circumscribes the purge ring. The purge ring and the edge ring assembly allow a dual-purge flow pattern to be established, which significantly reduces the accumulation of undesirable deposits upon the wafer pedestal.

Wafer pedestal with a purge ring

Growing community of inventors

San Juan Bautista, CA, United States of America

Russell C Ellwanger