Mattson Technology, Inc

Beijing E-town Semiconductor Technology, Co., Ltd

Applied Materials, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Other

Texas Instruments Corporation

Beijing E-town Semiconductor Co, , Ltd.

Agilent Technologies Texas Instruments Incorporated

Shawming Ma

Michael Xiaoxuan Yang

Stephen E Savas

Jeremy Alfred Theil

Gary William Ray

Guoqiang Xing

Min Cao

Ryan M Pakulski

Judy Wang

Hua Chung

Xinliang Lu

Stephen Roy Gilbert

Dietrich Werner Vook

Vijay Matthew Vaniapura

Xin Sun

Scott Robert Summerfelt

Frederick A Perner

Rolf Bremensdorfer

Joseph Cibere

Vladimir Nagorny

Dieter Hezler

Martin L Zucker

Ting Xie

Dixit V Desai

Li Hou

Tomoyuki Sakoda

Dave Camm

Peter J Lembesis

Yun Yang

Shing-Li Sung

Rahim Kavari

Shuang Meng

Luigi Colombo

Daniel John Hoffman

Ashok K Sinha

Bryan Y Pu

Theodore Sidney Moise

Michael C Kutney

Gerardo Delgadino

Ezra Robert Gold

Jun Amano

Xiaoye Zhao

Douglas H Burns

Jie Zhou

Haichun Yang

Wonseok Lee

Chang-Lin Hsieh

Hun Sang Kim

Kit M Cham

Tinghao Frank Wang

Florence Eschbach

Bryan Liao

Oliver D Jan

Wayne M Greene

Fen Dai

Haochen Li

Ralph H M Straube

Hai-Au M Phan-Vu

Steven A Lupi

Moo-Hyun Kim

Zhongming Liu

Shin-Li Sung

Alvin L S Loke

Laura Wills-Mirkarimi

Jane Mei-Jech Lin

Wei-Hua Liou

Chun-Yen Kang

Plasma processing apparatus and associated methods are provided. In one example, a plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma chamber. The plasma processing apparatus includes a dielectric wall forming at least a portion of the plasma chamber. The plasma processing apparatus includes an inductive coupling element located proximate the dielectric wall. The plasma processing apparatus includes an ultraviolet light source configured to emit an ultraviolet light beam onto a metal surface that faces an interior volume of the plasma chamber. The plasma processing apparatus includes a controller configured to control the ultraviolet light source.

Enhanced ignition in inductively coupled plasmas for workpiece processing

A process for etching a film layer on a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The process is particularly well suited to etching carbon containing layers, such as hardmask layers, photoresist layers, and other low dielectric films. In accordance with the present disclosure, a reactive species generated from a plasma is contacted with a surface of the film layer. Simultaneously, the substrate or semiconductor wafer is subjected to rapid thermal heating cycles that increase the temperature past the activation temperature of the reaction in a controlled manner.

Atomic layer etch process using plasma in conjunction with a rapid thermal activation process

Apparatus, systems, and methods for processing workpieces are provided. An arc lamp can include a tube. The arc lamp can include one or more inlets configured to receive water to be circulated through the arc lamp during operation as a water wall, the water wall configured to cool the arc lamp. The arc lamp can include a plurality of electrodes configured to generate a plasma in a forming gas introduced into the arc lamp via the one or more inlets. The forming gas can be or can include a mixture of a hydrogen gas and an inert gas, the hydrogen gas in the mixture having a concentration less than 4% by volume. The hydrogen gas can be introduced into the arc lamp prior to generating the plasma. The arc lamp may be used for processing workpieces.

Arc lamp with forming gas for thermal processing systems

Plasma processing apparatus and associated methods are provided. In one example, a plasma processing apparatus can include a plasma chamber configured to be able to hold a plasma. The plasma processing apparatus can include a dielectric window forming at least a portion of a wall of the plasma chamber. The plasma processing apparatus can include an inductive coupling element located proximate the dielectric window. The inductive coupling element can be configured to generate a plasma from the process gas in the plasma chamber when energized with radio frequency (RF) energy. The plasma processing apparatus can include a processing chamber having a workpiece support configured to support a workpiece. The plasma processing apparatus can include an electrostatic shield located between the inductive coupling element and the dielectric window. The electrostatic shield can be grounded via a tunable reactive impedance circuit to a ground reference.

Variable mode plasma chamber utilizing tunable plasma potential

Systems and methods for thermal treatment of a workpiece are provided. In one example, a method for conducting a treatment process on a workpiece, such as a thermal treatment process, an annealing treatment process, an oxidizing treatment process, or a reducing treatment process in a processing apparatus is provided. The processing apparatus includes a plasma chamber and a processing chamber. The plasma chamber and the processing chamber are separated by a plurality of separation grids or grid plates. The separation grids or grid plates operable to filter ions generated in the plasma chamber. The processing chamber has a workpiece support operable to support a workpiece.

Methods for the treatment of workpieces

A method for processing a workpiece is provided. The method can include placing a workpiece on a susceptor disposed within a processing chamber. The method can include performing a multi-cycle thermal treatment process on the workpiece in the processing chamber. The multi-cycle thermal treatment process can include at least two thermal cycles. Each thermal cycle of the at least two thermal cycles can include performing a first treatment on the workpiece at a first temperature; heating a device side surface of the workpiece to a second temperature in less than one second; performing a second treatment on the workpiece at approximately the second temperature; and cooling the workpiece subsequent to performing the second treatment.

Method for processing a workpiece using a multi-cycle thermal treatment process

A focus ring adjustment assembly of a system for processing workpieces under vacuum, where the focus ring may include a lower side having a first surface portion and a second surface portion, the first surface portion being vertically above the second surface portion. The adjustment assembly may include a pin configured to selectively contact the first surface portion of the focus ring, and an actuator operable to move the pin along the vertical direction between an extended position and a retracted position. The extended position of the pin may be associated with the distal end of the pin contacting the first surface of the focus ring and the focus ring being accessible for removal by a workpiece handling robot from the vacuum process chamber.

Focus ring adjustment assembly of a system for processing workpieces under vacuum

A plasma processing apparatus is provided. The plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber defining a vertical direction and a lateral direction. The plasma processing apparatus includes a pedestal disposed within the processing chamber. The pedestal is configured to support the substrate. The plasma processing apparatus includes a radio frequency (RF) disposed within the processing chamber. The RF bias electrode defines a RF zone extending between a first end of the RF bias electrode and a second end of the RF bias electrode along the lateral direction. The plasma processing apparatus includes a focus ring disposed within the processing chamber. The plasma processing apparatus further includes a focus ring adjustment assembly. The focus ring adjustment assembly includes a lift pin positioned outside of the RF zone. The lift pin is movable along the vertical direction to adjust a distance between the pedestal and the focus ring along the vertical direction.

Plasma processing apparatus having a focus ring adjustment assembly

Processes and apparatuses for the treatment of semiconductor workpieces are provided. In some embodiments, a method can include placing the workpiece into a process chamber; vaporizing a solvent to create a vaporized solvent; introducing the vaporized solvent into the process chamber; and exposing the workpiece to the vaporized solvent.

Processing of semiconductors using vaporized solvents

Apparatus, systems, and methods for conducting a hardmask (e.g., carbon containing hardmask) removal process on a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include admitting a process gas into a plasma chamber, generating a plasma in the plasma chamber from the process gas using an inductively coupled plasma source, and exposing the carbon containing hardmask to the plasma to remove at least a portion of the carbon containing hardmask. The process gas can include a sulfur containing gas. The process gas does not include a halogen containing gas. The inductively coupled plasma source can be separated from the plasma chamber by a grounded electrostatic shield to reduce capacitive coupling between the inductively coupled plasma source and the plasma.

Carbon containing hardmask removal process using sulfur containing process gas

Plasma strip tools with process uniformity control are provided. In one example implementation, a plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a first pedestal in the processing chamber operable to support a workpiece, and a second pedestal in the processing chamber operable to support another workpiece. The first pedestal can define a first processing station. The second pedestal can define a second processing station. The apparatus can further include a first plasma chamber disposed above the first processing station and a second plasma chamber disposed above the second processing station. The first plasma chamber can be associated with a first inductive plasma source. The first plasma chamber can be separated from the processing chamber by a first separation grid. The second plasma chamber can be associated with a second inductive plasma source. The second plasma chamber can be separated from the processing chamber by a second separation grid.

Plasma strip tool with uniformity control

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Shawming Ma