Applied Materials, Inc.

Sudhir R Gondhalekar

Muhammad M Rasheed

Tom K Cho

Dmitry Lubomirsky

Xinglong Chen

Padmanabhan Krishnaraj

Zhong Qiang Hua

Tetsuya Ishikawa

Siamak Salimian

Canfeng Lai

Thanh Ngoc Pham

Yao-Hung Yang

Hemant P Mungekar

Tony Kaushal

Rolf A Guenther

Tanmay Pramod Gurjar

Steve H Kim

Shigeru Takehiro

Abhijit Basu Mallick

Ellie Y Yieh

Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez

Jeffrey C Hudgens

Michael Santiago Cox

Jianhua Zhou

Dien-Yeh Wu

Jay D Pinson, Ii

Young Seen Lee

Kadthala Ramaya Narendrnath

Ren-Guan Duan

Yihong Chen

Sean M Seutter

Wendell Glenn Boyd, Jr

Govinda Raj

Laxman Murugesh

Zhengquan Tan

Tzu-Fang Huang

DongQing Li

Sanjay G Kamath

Lily L Pang

Aniruddha Pal

Badri N Ramamurthi

Sumit Subhash Patankar

Bruno Geoffrion

Hien-Minh Huu Le

Shantanu Rajiv Gadgil

Anjana M Patel

Harry S Whitesell

Hanish Kumar Panavalappil Kumarankutty

Robert Duncan

Ndanka O Mukuti

Ningli Liu

Rudolf Gujer

Boon Sen Chan

Shekhar Athani

Eric Ruhland

Gary U Keppers

Anil Kumar Kalal

Alexander Veyster

Saurabh M Chaudhari

Kazutoshi Maehara

Kadthala Ramaya Narendranath

Thomas Kring

Ian Widlow

Padmanaban Krishnaraj

Ravikumara Kodinaganhalli

Francisco Rodarte

Aravind Dugganna Naik

Ralph P Antonio

Scott Lin

Philip Wayne Nagle

Lee Guan Tay

Peter Lai

Teruki Iwashita

Hiroshi Otake

Yuki Koga

Diana E Gujer, Legal Representative

Mehrdad Moshfegh

Masayoshi Nohira

Narendra Dubey

Embodiments of the disclosure provide electrostatic chucks for securing substrates during processing. Some embodiments of this disclosure provide methods and apparatus for increased temperature control across the radial profile of the substrate. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and apparatus for providing control of hydrogen concentration in processed films during a high-density plasma (HDP) process.

Electrostatic chuck with improved temperature control

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, an apparatus for processing a substrate comprises a transfer robot configured to position a substrate on a substrate support disposed within an interior of a processing chamber configured to process the substrate and a sensor disposed on the transfer robot, operably connected to a controller of the processing chamber, and configured with an angle of view to provide in-situ continuous closed loop feedback relating to spatial information of the interior of the processing chamber to the controller.

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate

Embodiments of showerheads for use in a process chamber and methods of reducing drooping of a showerhead faceplate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a showerhead for use in a process chamber includes: a faceplate having a plurality of gas distribution holes disposed therethrough; and one or more cables that engage with the faceplate and configured to prestress the faceplate.

Faceplate tensioning method and apparatus to prevent droop

Seal for an assembly in a vapor deposition chamber

Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a remote plasma source. The remote plasma source may include a first plasma block segment defining an inlet to an internal channel of the first plasma block segment. The first plasma block segment may also define a cooling channel between the internal channel of the first plasma block segment and a first exterior surface of the first plasma block segment. The remote plasma source may include a second plasma block segment defining an outlet from an internal channel of the second plasma block segment. The second plasma block segment may also define a cooling channel between the internal channel of the second plasma block segment and a first exterior surface of the second plasma block segment. The systems may include a semiconductor processing chamber defining an inlet fluidly coupled with the outlet from the remote plasma source.

Plasma block with integrated cooling

A component, a method of manufacturing a component, and a method of cleaning a component is provided. The component includes a gas flow system within the component, wherein the gas flow system fluidly couples one or more inlet holes and one or more outlet holes. The manufacturing of the component results in an arc shaped groove and a circumferential groove created in the body of the ring. The component undergoes one or more cleaning operations, including rinsing, baking, or purging operations. The cleaning operations remove debris or particles in or on the component, where the debris or particles can be caused during manufacturing of the component, or during use of the component in a semiconductor processing system.

Component, method of manufacturing the component, and method of cleaning the component

In one embodiment, a processing chamber is disclosed wherein at least one surface of the processing chamber has a coating comprising SiYMgAlO, wherein v ranges from about 0.0196 to 0.2951, w ranges from about 0.0131 to 0.1569, x ranges from about 0.0164 to 0.0784, y ranges from about 0.0197 to 0.1569, z ranges from about 0.5882 to 0.6557, and v+w+x+y+z=1.

Chamber coatings

A method for refurbishing at least a portion of an electrostatic chuck. The method comprises removing a first dielectric component from a fluid distribution element of the electrostatic chuck and replacing the first dielectric component with a second dielectric component.

Method for refurbishing an electrostatic chuck with reduced plasma penetration and arcing

Embodiments of process kits for substrate supports of semiconductor substrate process chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a process kit for a semiconductor process chamber may include an annular body being substantially horizontal and having an inner and an outer edge, and an upper and a lower surface; an inner lip disposed proximate the inner edge and extending vertically from the upper surface; and an outer lip disposed proximate the outer edge and on the lower surface, and having a shape conforming to a surface of the substrate support pedestal. In some embodiments, a process kit for a semiconductor process chamber my include an annular body having an inner and an outer edge, and having an upper and lower surface, the upper surface disposed at a downward angle of between about 5-65 degrees in an radially outward direction from the inner edge toward the outer edge.

Low profile process kit

A method of making an electrostatic chuck comprising positioning a plate into a channel in a body to form a plenum and inserting a dielectric component into an opening in the plate, where the dielectric component defines a portion of a passage from the plenum. Thereafter, depositing a dielectric layer covering at least a portion of the body and at least a portion of the plate to form a support surface. The dielectric layer is polished to a specified thickness. In one embodiment, the polishing process forms an opening through the dielectric layer to enable the dielectric component to define a passage between the support surface and the plenum. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the dielectric layer is porous proximate the dielectric component such that the porous dielectric layer and the dielectric component form a passage between the support surface and the plenum. In a further embodiment, a hole is formed through the dielectric layer and the hole in the dielectric layer and the dielectric component form a passage between the support surface and the plenum.

Method of making an electrostatic chuck with reduced plasma penetration and arcing

A remote plasma process for removing unwanted deposition build-up from one or more interior surfaces of a substrate processing chamber after processing a substrate disposed in the substrate processing chamber. In one embodiment, the substrate is transferred out of the substrate processing chamber and a flow of a fluorine-containing etchant gas is introduced into a remote plasma source where reactive species are formed. A continuous flow of the reactive species from the remote plasmas source to the substrate processing chamber is generated while a cycle of high and low pressure clean steps is repeated. During the high pressure clean step, reactive species are flown into the substrate processing chamber while pressure within the substrate processing chamber is maintained between 4-15 Torr. During the low pressure clean step, reactive species are flown into the substrate processing chamber while reducing the pressure of the substrate processing chamber by at least 50 percent of a high pressure reached in the high pressure clean step.

Remote plasma clean process with cycled high and low pressure clean steps

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a gas distribution system which distributes the gas more uniformly into a process chamber. In one embodiment, a gas distribution system comprises a gas ring including an outer surface and an inner surface, and a gas inlet disposed at the outer surface of the gas ring. The gas inlet is fluidicly coupled with a first channel which is disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface of the gas ring. A plurality of gas outlets are distributed over the inner surface of the gas ring, and are fluidicly coupled with a second channel which is disposed between the outer surface and the inner surface of the gas ring. A plurality of orifices are fluidicly coupled between the first channel and the second channel. The plurality of orifices are spaced from the gas inlet by a plurality of distances, and have sizes which vary with the distances from the gas inlet as measured along the first channel, such that the size of the orifice increases with an increase in the distance between the orifice and the gas inlet as measured along the first channel.

Gas distribution system for improved transient phase deposition

The present invention is directed to improving defect performance in semiconductor processing systems. In specific embodiments, an apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates comprises a chamber defining a processing region therein, and a substrate support disposed in the chamber to support a semiconductor substrate. At least one nozzle extends into the chamber to introduce a process gas into the chamber through a nozzle opening. The apparatus comprises at least one heat shield, each of which is disposed around at least a portion of one of the at least one nozzle. The heat shield has an extension which projects distally of the nozzle opening of the nozzle and which includes a heat shield opening for the process gas to flow therethrough from the nozzle opening. The heat shield decreases the temperature of nozzle in the processing chamber for introducing process gases therein to reduce particles.

Gas delivery system for semiconductor processing

The present invention is directed to an upper chamber design of a plasma CVD chamber which provides more uniform conditions for forming thin CVD films on a substrate. Embodiments of the invention improve temperature control of the upper chamber and improve particle performance by reducing or minimizing the temperature fluctuations on the dome between the deposition and non-deposition cycles. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates comprises a chamber defining a plasma processing region therein. The chamber includes a bottom, a side wall, and a dome disposed on top of the side wall. The dome has a substantially flat dome top. A top RF coil is disposed above the dome top, and has an outer loop which is larger in size than the substrates to be processed in the chamber. A cold plate is disposed above the top RF coil, and is larger in size than the substrates to be processed in the chamber.

Upper chamber for high density plasma CVD

Growing community of inventors

Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Sudhir R Gondhalekar