Applied Materials, Inc.

Satish Radhakrishnan

Alexander N Lerner

Roey Shaviv

Prashanth Kothnur

Vinay K Prabhakar

Venkata Sharat Chandra Parimi

Kartik Bhupendra Shah

Diwakar N Kedlaya

Joseph Michael Ranish

Karthik Janakiraman

Rui Cheng

Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha

Adolph Miller Allen

Feng Chen

Zubin Huang

Sarah Michelle Bobek

Michael Sterling Jackson

Karthik Ramanathan

Sungwon Ha

Wenjing Xu

Karthikeyan Balaraman

Phillip Stout

Xinyuan Chong

Weize Hu

Xiaozhou Che

Mitrabhanu Sahu

Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez

Jian Li

Amit Kumar Bansal

Paul Brillhart

Umesh M Kelkar

Dhritiman Subha Kashyap

Badri N Ramamurthi

Viren Kalsekar

Fang Ruan

Prahallad Iyengar

Venkatanarayana Shankaramurthy

Xiaoquan Min

Elizabeth Neville

Anton Baryshnikov

Byung Seok Kwon

Siva Chandrasekar

Rajath Kumar Lakkenahalli Hiriyannaiah

Sergei Klimovich

Parth Swaroop

One or more embodiments described herein generally relate to methods and systems for forming films on substrates in semiconductor processes. In embodiments described herein, a process system includes different materials each contained in separate ampoules. Each material is flowed into a separate portion of a showerhead contained within a process chamber via a heated gas line. From the showerhead, each material is flowed on to a substrate that sits on the surface of a rotating pedestal. Controlling the mass flow rate out of the showerhead and the rotation rate of the pedestal helps result in films with desirable material domain sizes to be deposited on the substrate.

Methods for forming films on substrates

Dual channel showerhead assemblies are described. In some embodiments, the dual channel showerhead assemblies, which include a showerhead upper plate and a showerhead lower plate, enable delivery of mutually incompatible precursors along separate channels that mix in the process zone above a wafer. The dual channel showerhead assemblies provide at least two separate gas paths. In some embodiments, the hole design and hole distribution are configured for minimal jetting effect and plenum volumes for fast purging. The dual channel showerhead assemblies described herein may have a reduced purge out time compared to single channel showerheads, spiral dual channel showerheads, and bonded dual channel showerheads.

Dual channel showerhead assembly

Methods and apparatus for controlling a flow of process material to a deposition chamber. In embodiments, the apparatus includes a deposition chamber in fluid communication with one or more sublimators through one or more delivery lines, wherein the one or more sublimators each include an ampoule in fluid communication with the one or more delivery lines through an opening, and at least a first heat source and a second heat source, wherein the first heat source is a radiant heat source adjacent the ampoule and the second heat source is adjacent the opening, wherein the one or more delivery lines include one or more conduits between the deposition chamber and the one or more sublimators, and wherein the one or more conduits include one or more valves to open or close the one or more conduits, wherein the one or more valves in an open position prevents the flow of process material into the deposition chamber, and wherein the one or more valves in a closed position directs the flow of process material into the deposition chamber.

Apparatus and method for controlling a flow process material to a deposition chamber

Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include coupling a fluid conduit within a substrate support in a semiconductor processing chamber to a system foreline. The coupling may vacuum chuck a substrate with the substrate support. The methods may include flowing a gas into the fluid conduit. The methods may include maintaining a pressure between the substrate and the substrate support at a pressure higher than the pressure at the system foreline.

Systems and methods for substrate support temperature control

Methods of introducing precursors through a segmented showerhead are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of introducing precursors through a segmented showerhead having a plurality of gas delivery portions that are fluidly isolated includes heating a first gas delivery portion to a first temperature; and simultaneously heating a second gas delivery portion to a second temperature different than the first temperature, wherein each of the first and second gas delivery portions (i) have a wedge shaped body that defines a plenum, (ii) are coplanar, and (iii) together form a showerhead having a circular shape.

Methods of using a segmented showerhead for uniform delivery of multiple pre-cursors

Embodiments of a showerhead are described herein. In some embodiments, a showerhead assembly includes: a first gas delivery portion having a first body, a first inlet, and a plurality of first tubes extending from the first body and defining a first plenum, wherein each tube of the plurality of first tubes includes a plurality of first holes; and a second gas delivery portion having a second body, a second inlet, and a plurality of second tubes extending from the second body and defining a second plenum fluidly independent from the first plenum, wherein each tube of the plurality of second tubes includes a plurality of second holes, and wherein the plurality of first tubes are disposed in an alternating pattern with the plurality of second tubes across a width of the showerhead assembly and a heat sink disposed between the plurality of first tubes and the plurality of second tubes.

Showerhead for providing multiple materials to a process chamber

Process recipe data associated a process to be performed for a substrate at a process chamber is provided as input to a trained machine learning model. A set of process recipe settings for the process that minimizes scratching on one or more surfaces of the substrate is determined based on one or more outputs of the machine learning model. The process is performed for the substrate at the process chamber in accordance with the determined set of process recipe settings.

Reducing substrate surface scratching using machine learning

Apparatus for supplying vaporized reactants to a reaction chamber are described herein. In some embodiments, a showerhead assembly for depositing multiple materials on a substrate includes a plurality of gas delivery portions, each gas delivery portion having an inlet, a wedge shaped body that defines a plenum, and a plurality of openings disposed on a bottom surface of the gas delivery portion, wherein each of the plenums are fluidly isolated from each other.

Segmented showerhead for uniform delivery of multiple precursors

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a pedestal for increasing temperature uniformity in a substrate supported thereon. The pedestal comprises a body having a heater embedded therein. The body comprises a patterned surface that includes a first region having a first plurality of posts extending from a base surface of the body at a first height, and a second region surrounding the central region having a second plurality of posts extending from the base surface at a second height that is greater than the first height, wherein an upper surface of each of the first plurality of posts and the second plurality of posts are substantially coplanar and define a substrate receiving surface.

Heated pedestal design for improved heat transfer and temperature uniformity

One or more embodiments described herein generally relate to methods and systems for forming films on substrates in semiconductor processes. In embodiments described herein, process chamber is provided that includes a lid plate having a plurality of cooling channels formed therein, a pedestal, the pedestal having a plurality of cooling channels formed therein, and a showerhead, wherein the showerhead comprises a plurality of segments and each segment is at least partially surrounded by a shield.

Evaporator chamber for forming films on substrates

Semiconductor processing systems according to embodiments of the present technology may include a chamber body having sidewalls and a base. The chamber body may define an internal volume. The systems may include a substrate support assembly having a shaft and a platen coupled with the shaft along a first surface of the platen. The semiconductor processing systems may include a cover plate positioned on the platen of the substrate support assembly along a second surface of the platen opposite the first surface. The cover plate may include a flange extending about an exterior region of the cover plate. The flange may be in direct contact with the platen. The cover plate may include an upper wall vertically offset from the flange. An interior volume may be defined between the upper wall and the platen of the substrate support assembly.

Cover wafer for semiconductor processing chamber

Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a chamber body including sidewalls and a base. The chambers may include a substrate support extending through the base of the chamber body. The substrate support may include a support platen configured to support a semiconductor substrate. The substrate support may include a shaft coupled with the support platen. The substrate support may include a shield coupled with the shaft of the substrate support. The shield may include a plurality of apertures defined through the shield. The substrate support may include a block seated in an aperture of the shield.

Targeted heat control systems

Methods and systems for reducing substrate particle scratching using machine learning are provided. A machine learning model is trained to predict process recipe settings for a substrate temperature control process to be performed for a current substrate at a manufacturing system. First training data and second training data are generated for the machine learning model. The first training data includes historical data associated with prior process recipe settings for a prior substrate temperature control process performed for a prior substrate at a prior process chamber. The second training data is associated with a historical scratch profile of one or more surfaces of the prior substrate after performance of the prior substrate temperature control process according to the prior process recipe settings. The first training data and the second training data are provided to train the machine learning model to predict which process recipe settings for the substrate temperature control process to be performed for the current substrate correspond to a target scratch profile for one or more surfaces of the current substrate.

An example semiconductor processing system may include a chamber body having sidewalls and a base. The processing system may also include a substrate support extending through the base of the chamber body. The substrate support may include a support platen configured to support a semiconductor substrate, and a shaft coupled with the support platen. The processing system may further include a plate coupled with the shaft of the substrate support. The plate may have an emissivity greater than 0.5. In some embodiments, the plate may include a radiation shied disposed proximate the support platen. In some embodiments, the plate may include a pumping plate disposed proximate the base of the chamber body. In some embodiments, the emissivity of the plate may range between about 0.5 and about 0.95.

Radiation shield modification for improving substrate temperature uniformity

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include chamber body defining a transfer region. The systems may include a lid plate seated on the chamber body. The lid plate may define a first plurality of apertures through the lid plate and a second plurality of apertures through the lid plate. The systems may include a plurality of lid stacks equal to a number of apertures of the first plurality of apertures defined through the lid plate. Each lid stack of the plurality of lid stacks may include a choke plate seated on the lid plate along a first surface of the choke plate. The choke plate may define a first aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the first plurality of apertures. The choke plate may define a second aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the second plurality of apertures.

Thermally controlled lid stack components

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Satish Radhakrishnan