Applied Materials, Inc.

Steven C Hung

Patricia M Liu

Tatsuya E Sato

John Patrick Holland

Alex Paterson

Thai Cheng Chua

David P Thompson

Valentin Nikolov Todorow

Yixiong Yang

Johanes F Swenberg

Shih Chung Chen

Malcolm J Bevan

Atif Noori

Lin Dong

Khaled Ahmed

Christopher Sean Olsen

Rongjun Wang

Jeffrey W Anthis

Hyungjun Kim

Abhishek Dube

Benjamin Colombeau

Zhebo Chen

Naomi Yoshida

Kaushal Kishore Singh

Wei V Tang

Kazuya Daito

Sundar Ramamurthy

Liqi Wu

Sang-Ho Yu

Valentin N Todorov

Yongjing Lin

Sheng-Chin Kung

Karla M Bernal Ramos

Yoshihide Senzaki

Luping Li

David Chu

Min-Kyu Kim

Charles Chu

Shih-Chung Chen

Woo-Hee Kim

Processing methods may be performed to produce semiconductor structures that may include a high-k dielectric material. The methods may include forming a silicon layer over a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may include silicon germanium. The methods may include oxidizing a portion of the silicon layer to form a sacrificial oxide while maintaining a portion of the silicon layer in contact with the semiconductor substrate. The methods may include removing the sacrificial oxide. The methods may include oxidizing the portion of the silicon layer in contact with the semiconductor substrate to form an oxygen-containing material. The methods may include forming a high-k dielectric material overlying the oxygen-containing material.

Cap oxidation for FinFET formation

Methods and apparatus for forming a semiconductor structure such as an NMOS gate electrode are described. Methods may include depositing a first capping layer having a first surface atop a first surface of a high-k dielectric layer; and depositing at least one metal layer having a first surface atop the first surface of the first capping layer, wherein the at least one metal layer includes titanium aluminum silicide material. Some methods include removing an oxide layer from the first surface of the first capping layer by contacting the first capping layer with metal chloride in an amount sufficient to remove an oxide layer. Some methods for depositing a titanium aluminum silicide material are performed by an atomic layer deposition process performed at a temperature of 350 to 400 degrees Celsius.

Methods and apparatus for n-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) metal gate materials using atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes with metal based precursors

Methods and apparatus for forming a semiconductor structure with a scaled effective oxide thickness is disclosed. In embodiments, a method includes depositing amorphous silicon capping layer having a first surface atop a first surface of a titanium nitride (TiN) layer, wherein the titanium nitride layer is atop a first surface of a high-k dielectric layer disposed within a film stack; contacting the first surface of the amorphous silicon capping layer with a nitrogen containing gas; and annealing the film stack.

Method of reducing effective oxide thickness in a semiconductor structure

Processing methods may be performed to produce semiconductor structures that may include a high-k dielectric material. The methods may include delivering a nitrogen-containing precursor or an oxygen-containing precursor to a substrate contained in a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include forming reactive ligands on an exposed surface of the substrate with the nitrogen-containing precursor or the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may also include forming a high-k dielectric material overlying the substrate.

Treatments to enhance material structures

Provided are methods and apparatus for functionalizing a substrate surface used as the channel in a gate stack. Silicon, germanium and silicon germanium substrates surfaces are functionalized with one or more of sulfur and selenium by plasma processing.

Method and apparatus for forming gate stack on Si, SiGe or Ge channels

Described are methods for atomic layer deposition of films comprising mixed metal oxides using metal amidinate precursors. The mixed metal oxide films may comprise a lanthanide and a transition metal such as hafnium, zirconium or titanium. Such mixed metal oxide films may be used as dielectric layers in capacitors, transistors, dynamic random access memory cells, resistive random access memory cells, flash memory cells and display panels.

Methods of fabricating dielectric films from metal amidinate precursors

Provided are methods for depositing a cerium doped hafnium containing high-k dielectric film on a substrate. The reagents of specific methods include hafnium tetrachloride, an organometallic complex of cerium and water.

Methods for manufacturing high dielectric constant films

The present invention generally provides methods and apparatuses that are adapted to form a high quality dielectric gate layer on a substrate. Embodiments contemplate a method wherein a metal plasma treatment process is used in lieu of a standard nitridization process to form a high dielectric constant layer on a substrate. Embodiments further contemplate an apparatus adapted to 'implant' metal ions of relatively low energy in order to reduce ion bombardment damage to the gate dielectric layer, such as a silicon dioxide layer and to avoid incorporation of the metal atoms into the underlying silicon. In general, the process includes the steps of forming a high-k dielectric and then terminating the surface of the deposited high-k material to form a good interface between the gate electrode and the high-k dielectric material. Embodiments of the invention also provide a cluster tool that is adapted to form a high-k dielectric material, terminate the surface of the high-k dielectric material, perform any desirable post treatment steps, and form the polysilicon and/or metal gate layers.

Method of fabricating a high dielectric constant transistor gate using a low energy plasma apparatus

Method and apparatus for fabricating a high dielectric constant transistor gate using a low energy plasma system

The present invention generally provides methods and apparatuses that are adapted to form a high quality dielectric gate layer on a substrate. Embodiments contemplate a method wherein a metal plasma treatment process is used in lieu of a standard nitridization process to form a high dielectric constant layer on a substrate. Embodiments further contemplate an apparatus adapted to 'implant' metal ions of relatively low energy in order to reduce ion bombardment damage to the gate dielectric layer, such as a silicon dioxide layer and to avoid incorporation of the metal atoms into the underlying silicon. In general, the process includes the steps of forming a high-k dielectric and then terminating the surface of the deposited high-k material to form a good interface between the gate electrode and the high-k dielectric material.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Steven C Hung