Applied Materials, Inc.

Steven H Kim

Ellie Y Yieh

Paul F Ma

Muhammad M Rasheed

Qiwei Liang

Dien-Yeh Wu

Young Seen Lee

Joseph F AuBuchon

Siqing Lu

Irene Chou

Mei Yin Chang

Thorsten B Lill

Schubert S Chu

Xiaoxiong Yuan

Canfeng Lai

Matthew Fenton Davis

Mark Naoshi Kawaguchi

Kin Pong Lo

Norman M Nakashima

Jason T Bloking

Mark S Johnson

Puneet Bajaj

Kenneth J Bahng

Robert Chen

Brett Christian Hoogensen

Sandy M Wen

Roja Palakodeti

A method and apparatus for removing volatile residues from a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, a method for volatile residues from a substrate includes providing a processing system having a load lock chamber and at least one processing chamber coupled to a transfer chamber, treating a substrate in the processing chamber with a chemistry comprising halogen, and removing volatile residues from the treated substrate in the load lock chamber.

Integrated apparatus for efficient removal of halogen residues from etched substrates

Embodiments of the invention provide a method for treating the inner surfaces of a processing chamber and depositing a material on a during a vapor deposition process, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) or by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In one embodiment, the inner surfaces of the processing chamber and the substrate may be exposed to a reagent, such as a hydrogenated ligand compound during a pretreatment process. The hydrogenated ligand compound may be the same ligand as a free ligand formed from the metal-organic precursor used during the subsequent deposition process. The free ligand is usually formed by hydrogenation or thermolysis during the deposition process. In one example, the processing chamber and substrate are exposed to an alkylamine compound (e.g., dimethylamine) during the pretreatment process prior to conducting the vapor deposition process which utilizes a metal-organic chemical precursor having alkylamino ligands, such as pentakis(dimethylamino) tantalum (PDMAT).

In-situ chamber treatment and deposition process

A method and system for removing volatile residues from a substrate are provided. In one embodiment, the volatile residues removal process is performed en-routed in the system while performing a halogen treatment process on the substrate. The volatile residues removal process is performed in the system other than the halogen treatment processing chamber and a FOUP. In one embodiment, a method for volatile residues from a substrate includes providing a processing system having a vacuum tight platform, processing a substrate in a processing chamber of the platform with a chemistry comprising halogen, and treating the processed substrate in the platform to release volatile residues from the treated substrate.

Integrated method for removal of halogen residues from etched substrates in a processing system

An RF coil assembly provides a source to generate a plasma inductively in a process chamber. The RF coil assembly includes an RF coil disposed about a perimeter of the processing chamber and a frame disposed about a perimeter of the processing chamber. The frame is adapted to support the RF coil in position. An interface material is disposed between and in thermal contact with the frame and a sidewall of the processing chamber. The interface material has a thermal conductivity of 4.0 W/mK or greater.

Thermal management of inductively coupled plasma reactors

Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods for depositing materials on substrates during atomic layer deposition processes. In one embodiment, a chamber for processing substrates is provided which includes a chamber lid assembly containing an expanding channel extending along a central axis at a central portion of the chamber lid assembly and a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid assembly. The tapered bottom surface may be shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. The chamber lid assembly further contains a conduit coupled to a gas passageway, another conduit coupled to another gas passageway, and both gas passageways circumvent the expanding channel. Each of the passageways has a plurality of inlets extending into the expanding channel and the inlets are positioned to provide a circular gas flow through the expanding channel.

Vortex chamber lids for atomic layer deposition

A substrate processing system has a housing that defines a process chamber, a gas-delivery system, a high-density plasma generating system, a substrate holder, and a controller. The housing includes a sidewall and a dome positioned above the sidewall. The dome has physically separated and noncontiguous pieces. The gas-delivery system introduces e a gas into the process chamber through side nozzles positioned between two of the physically separated and noncontiguous pieces of the dome. The high-density plasma generating system is operatively coupled with the process chamber. The substrate holder is disposed within the process chamber and supports a substrate during substrate processing. The controller controls the gas-delivery system and the high-density plasma generating system.

Two-piece dome with separate RF coils for inductively coupled plasma reactors

High flows of low-mass fluent gases are used in an HDP-CVD process for gapfill deposition of a silicon oxide film. An enhanced turbomolecular pump that provides a large compression ratio for such low-mass fluent gases permits pressures to be maintained at relatively low levels in a substrate processing chamber, thereby improving the gapfill characteristics.

Use of enhanced turbomolecular pump for gapfill deposition using high flows of low-mass fluent gas

Growing community of inventors

Union City, CA, United States of America

Steven H Kim