Applied Materials, Inc.

Song-Moon Suh

Glen T Mori

Chang Ke

Steven Victor Sansoni

Lei Zhou

Yuanhong Guo

Zhili Zuo

James Matthew Holden

Changgong Wang

Pulkit Agarwal

Robert Dinsmore

Michael Robert Rice

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Todd J Egan

Adolph Miller Allen

Cheng-Hsiung Matt Tsai

Leon Volfovski

Kalyanjit Ghosh

Michael C Kuchar

Cheng-Hsiung Matthew Tsai

Kishor Kumar Kalathiparambil

Halbert Chong

Richard Giljum

Matvey Farber

Vanessa Faune

Bonnie T Chia

Sheng Michael Guo

Marek W Radko

Yuji Murayama

Pingping Gou

Vaibhav Soni

Shaofeng Chen

Nagendra Madiwal

Anurag Bansal

Mei Yin Chang

John C Forster

Ganesh Balasubramanian

Paul F Ma

Ananthkrishna Jupudi

Sidharth Bhatia

Liqi Wu

Jeffrey Allen Brodine

Michael Sterling Jackson

Anjana M Patel

Cheng Pan

Hidehiro Kojiri

Biao Liu

Daniel A Greenberg

David Langtry

Shalina D Sudheeran

Guangchi Xuan

A distribution unit of a particle detection system initiates a particle collection process to dislodge one or more surface particles from a surface of an article based on a stream including at least one of solid COparticles or COdroplets. The dislodged surface particles are collected on a surface of a substrate having a pre-determined initial state including initial surface particles of the substrate. A measurement indicating a particle number concentration of detectable surface particles on the substrate after the particle collection process is completed is obtained. An initial particle number concentration of the initial surface particles of the pre-determined initial state is identified. A number of particles transported away from the surface of the article is determined based on the obtained measurement and the identified initial particle concentration.

Detection of surface particles on chamber components with carbon dioxide

Physical vapor deposition methods for reducing the particulates deposited on the substrate are disclosed. The pressure during sputtering can be increased to cause agglomeration of the particulates formed in the plasma. The agglomerated particulates can be moved to an outer portion of the process chamber prior to extinguishing the plasma so that the agglomerates fall harmlessly outside of the diameter of the substrate.

Method for particle removal from wafers through plasma modification in pulsed PVD

A method includes machining a raw surface of a metal component to remove first native oxide from a metal base of the metal component to generate an as-machined surface of the metal component. A second native oxide is formed on the metal base of the as-machined surface of the metal component subsequent to the machining. The method further includes, subsequent to the machining, performing operations to generate a finished surface of the metal component. The operations include a surface machining of the as-machined surface of the metal component to remove the second native oxide.

Organic contamination free surface machining

A stream including at least one of solid COparticles or COdroplets is directed toward an article including surface particles. The stream causes at least a portion of the surface particles on the article to dislodge from a surface of the article. A purge cycle to transport at least a portion of the dislodged surface particles away from the surface of the article is initiated. The purge cycle includes generating a laminar flow at a first velocity for a first time period and subsequently generating a laminar flow at a second velocity for a second time period. A determination is made of whether a number of particles transported away from the surface of the article satisfies a particle criterion. In response to a determination that the number of particles transported away from the article does not satisfy the criterion, the purge cycle is re-initiated.

A method includes receiving a metal component including a raw surface that includes a metal base, a first native oxide disposed on the metal base, and hydrocarbons disposed on the metal base. The method further includes machining the raw surface of the metal component to remove the first native oxide and a first portion of the hydrocarbons from the metal base. The machining generates an as-machined surface of the metal component including the metal base without the first native oxide and without the first portion of the hydrocarbons. The method further includes performing a surface machining of the as-machined surface of the metal component to remove a second portion of the hydrocarbons. The method further includes surface treating the metal component to remove a third portion of the hydrocarbons. The method further includes performing a cleaning of the metal component and drying the metal component.

Methods and apparatus for supporting a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support to support a substrate having a given diameter includes: a base ring having an inner diameter less than the given diameter, the base ring having a support surface configured to contact a first surface of the substrate and to form a seal between the support surface and the first surface of the substrate, when disposed atop the base ring; and a clamp ring having an inner diameter less than the given diameter, wherein the clamp ring includes a contact surface proximate the inner diameter configured to contact an upper surface of the substrate, when present, and wherein the clamp ring and the base ring are further configured to provide a bias force toward each other to clamp the substrate in the substrate support.

Substrate support with edge seal

Disclosed herein is a method comprising directing, from a distribution unit, a stream comprising at least one of solid COparticles or COdroplets toward an article, wherein the article comprises a plurality of surface particles, and wherein the stream comprising at least one of solid COparticles or COdroplets causes at least a portion of the plurality of surface particles on the article to dislodge from the surface of the article; collecting, on a surface of a substrate having a pre-determined initial state comprising initial surface particles on the surface of the substrate or a real-time aerosol sampling unit, at least some of the portion of the plurality of surface particles dislodged from the surface of the article; analyzing the surface of the substrate after performing the collecting; and determining at least one of a size, a morphology, a chemical composition, a particle number concentration, or a particle size distribution of the portion of the plurality of surface particles that were dislodged from the surface of the article and collected on the surface of the substrate.

Methods and apparatus for removing deposits in self-assembled monolayer (SAM) based selective deposition process schemes using cryogenic gas streams are described. Some methods include removing deposits in self-assembled monolayer (SAM) based selective depositions by exposing the substrate to cryogenic aerosols to remove undesired deposition on SAM protected surfaces. Processing chambers for cryogenic gas assisted selective deposition are also described.

Methods and apparatus for cryogenic gas stream assisted SAM-based selective deposition

A method of cleaning a remote plasma source includes supplying a first cycle of one or more first cleaning gases to a remote plasma source. The method includes supplying a second cycle of one or more second cleaning gases to the remote plasma source. The method includes supplying one or more cooling fluids to one or more cooling conduits coupled with the remote plasma source.

RPS defect reduction by cyclic clean induced RPS cooling

Embodiments of apparatus for supporting a substrate are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for supporting a substrate includes: a support surface; and a plurality of substrate contact elements protruding from the support surface, wherein the plurality of substrate contact elements are formed of a material having a hardness less than or equal to a hardness of silicon, having a low adhesion, having a coefficient of static friction large enough to prevent sliding, having a surface roughness less than or equal to 10 Ra, and that is electrically conductive.

Substrate support apparatus having reduced substrate particle generation

A substrate cleaning apparatus may include a substrate support having a support surface to support a substrate to be cleaned, wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a central axis normal to the support surface; a first nozzle to provide a first cleaning gas to a region of the inner volume corresponding to the position of an edge of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support surface of the substrate support; a first annular body disposed opposite and spaced apart from the support surface of the substrate support by a gap, the first annular body having a central opening defined by an inner wall shaped to provide a reducing size of the gap between the first annular body and the support surface in a radially outward direction; and a first gas inlet to provide a first gas to the central opening of the first annular body.

Methods and apparatus for substrate edge cleaning

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for cleaning a ceramic article using a stream of solid carbon dioxide (CO) particles. A method includes flowing liquid COinto a spray nozzle, and directing a first stream of solid COparticles from the spray nozzle toward a ceramic article for a first time duration to clean the ceramic article. The liquid COis converted into the first stream of solid COparticles upon exiting the spray nozzle. The first stream of solid COparticles causes a layer of solid COto be formed on the ceramic article. After the layer of solid COhas sublimated, a second stream of solid COparticles is directed from the spray nozzle toward the ceramic article for at least one of the first time duration or a second time duration to further clean the ceramic article.

Cleaning of chamber components with solid carbon dioxide particles

Embodiments of apparatus for supporting a substrate are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for supporting a substrate includes a support member; and a plurality of substrate contact elements protruding from the support member, wherein each of the plurality of substrate contact elements includes: a first contact surface to support a substrate when placed thereon; and a second contact surface extending from the first contact surface, wherein the second contact surface is adjacent a periphery of the substrate to prevent radial movement of the substrate, wherein the first contact surface is at a first angle with respect to the support member and the second contact surface is at a second angle with respect to the support member, and wherein the first angle is between about 3 degrees and 5 degrees.

Substrate transfer robot end effector

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Song-Moon Suh