Applied Materials, Inc.

Theodoros Panagopoulos

John Patrick Holland

Dan Katz

Alexander Matyushkin

Alexander Miller Paterson

Edward P Hammond

Brian K Hatcher

Valentin Nikolov Todorow

Michael D Willwerth

Steven C Shannon

Dennis Stanley Grimard

Daniel John Hoffman

Nicolas Gani

Dennis Koosau

Yan Ye

Alex Paterson

Meihua Shen

Hui W Chen

Bryan Y Pu

Jie Yuan

David Palagashvili

Denis M Koosau

Valentin N Todorov

Jingbao Liu

Michael G Chafin

Troy S Detrick

Chang-Lin Hsieh

Taeho Shin

Rodolfo Belen

Michael Hegarty

Thomas Joseph Kropewnicki

Wilfred Pau

Yashushi Takakura

A substrate support assembly comprises a ceramic puck comprising a substrate receiving surface, and having embedded therein: (i) an electrode to generate an electrostatic force to retain a substrate placed on the substrate receiving surface; and (ii) a heater to heat the substrate, the heater comprising a plurality of spaced apart heater coils. A compliant layer bonds the ceramic puck to a base, the compliant layer comprising a silicon material. The base comprises a channel to circulate fluid therethrough, the channel having a channel inlet and a channel terminus.

Substrate support assembly

A substrate support assembly comprises a ceramic puck having a substrate receiving surface and an opposing backside surface. The ceramic puck has an electrode and a heater embedded therein. The heater comprises first and second coils that are radially spaced apart. A base of the support assembly comprises a channel to circulate fluid therethrough, the channel comprising an inlet and terminus that are adjacent to one another so that the channel loops back upon itself. A compliant layer bonds the ceramic puck to the base.

Substrate support assembly having rapid temperature control

A substrate processing chamber comprises an electrostatic chuck comprising a ceramic puck having a substrate receiving surface and an opposing backside surface. In one version, the ceramic puck comprises a thickness of less than 7 mm. An electrode is embedded in the ceramic puck to generate an electrostatic force to hold a substrate, and heater coils in the ceramic puck allow independent control of temperatures at different heating zones of the puck. A chiller provides coolant to coolant channels in a base below the ceramic puck. A controller comprises temperature control instruction sets which set the coolant temperature in the chiller in relation prior to ramping up or down of the power levels applied to the heater.

Substrate processing with rapid temperature gradient control

An electrostatic chuck for receiving a substrate in a substrate processing chamber comprises a ceramic puck having a substrate receiving surface having a plurality of spaced apart mesas, an opposing backside surface, and central and peripheral portions. A plurality of heat transfer gas conduits traverse the ceramic puck and terminate in ports on the substrate receiving surface to provide heat transfer gas to the substrate receiving surface. An electrode is embedded in the ceramic puck to generate an electrostatic force to retain a substrate placed on the substrate receiving surface. A plurality of heater coils are also embedded in the ceramic puck, the heaters being radially spaced apart and concentric to one another.

Electrostatic chuck having a plurality of heater coils

A gas distribution assembly for the ceiling of a plasma reactor includes a center fed hub and an equal path length distribution gas manifold underlying the center fed hub.

Plasma reactor with center-fed multiple zone gas distribution for improved uniformity of critical dimension bias

An electrostatic chuck for receiving a substrate in a substrate processing chamber comprises a ceramic puck having a substrate receiving surface and an opposing backside surface with a plurality of spaced apart mesas. An electrode is embedded in the ceramic puck to generate an electrostatic force to hold a substrate. Heater coils located at peripheral and central portions of the ceramic puck allow independent control of temperatures of the central and peripheral portions of the ceramic puck. The chuck is supported by a base having a groove with retained air. The chuck and base can also have an overlying edge ring and clamp ring.

Substrate support with electrostatic chuck having dual temperature zones

A pedestal assembly and method for controlling temperature of a substrate during processing is provided. In one embodiment, the pedestal assembly includes an electrostatic chuck coupled to a metallic base. The electrostatic chuck includes at least one chucking electrode and metallic base includes at least two fluidly isolated conduit loops disposed therein. In another embodiment, the pedestal assembly includes a support member that is coupled to a base by a material layer. The material layer has at least two regions having different coefficients of thermal conductivity. In another embodiment, the support member is an electrostatic chuck. In further embodiments, a pedestal assembly has channels formed between the base and support member for providing cooling gas in proximity to the material layer to further control heat transfer between the support member and the base, thereby controlling the temperature profile of a substrate disposed on the support member.

Method and apparatus for controlling temperature of a substrate

A method and apparatus for controlling characteristics of a plasma in a semiconductor substrate processing chamber using a dual frequency RF source is provided. The method comprises supplying a first RF signal to a first electrode disposed in a processing chamber, and supplying a second RF signal to the first electrode, wherein an interaction between the first and second RF signals is used to control at least one characteristic of a plasma formed in the processing chamber.

Plasma control using dual cathode frequency mixing

A method of processing a workpiece in the chamber of a plasma reactor in which the plasma ion density radial distribution in the process region is controlled by adjusting the ratio between the amounts of the (VHF) capacitively coupled power and the inductively coupled power while continuing to maintain the level of total plasma source power. The method can also include applying independently adjustable LF bias power and HF bias power to the workpiece and adjusting the average value and population distribution of ion energy at the surface of the workpiece by adjusting the proportion between the LF and HF bias powers.

Process using combined capacitively and inductively coupled plasma sources for controlling plasma ion radial distribution

A method of processing a workpiece in the chamber of a plasma reactor includes introducing a process gas into the chamber, simultaneously (a) capacitively coupling VHF plasma source power into a process region of the chamber that overlies the wafer, and (b) inductively coupling RF plasma source power into the process region, and controlling plasma ion density by controlling the effective frequency of the VHF source power. In a preferred embodiment, the step of coupling VHF source power is performed by coupling VHF source power from different generators having different VHF frequencies, and the step of controlling the effective frequency is performed by controlling the ratio of power coupled by the different generators.

Dual plasma source process using a variable frequency capacitively coupled source to control plasma ion density

A method of processing a workpiece in the chamber of a plasma reactor includes capacitively coupling plasma source power using a ceiling gas distribution plate as the electrode while inductively coupling plasma source power through the ceiling gas distribution plate, and flowing process gas through the gas distribution plate from a gas input to plural gas injection orifices, distributing the gas flow within the gas distribution plate through a succession of arcuate paths joined at respective junctions, dividing gas flow at each junction from a first respective one of said gas flow paths into a respective pair of said gas flow paths in opposite gas flow directions, and restricting the arcuate length of each of the arcuate paths to less than half-circles.

Plasma process for inductively coupling power through a gas distribution plate while adjusting plasma distribution

Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods for etching a substrate. In one embodiment, the method includes determining a substrate temperature target profile that corresponds to a uniform deposition rate of etch by-products on a substrate, preferentially regulating a temperature of a first portion of a substrate support relative to a second portion of the substrate support to obtain the substrate temperature target profile on the substrate, and etching the substrate on the preferentially regulated substrate support. In another embodiment, the method includes providing a substrate in a processing chamber having a selectable distribution of species within the processing chamber and a substrate support with lateral temperature control, wherein a temperature profile induced by the substrate support and a selection of species distribution comprise a control parameter set, etching a first layer of material and etching a second layer of material respectively using different control parameter sets.

Method for etching having a controlled distribution of process results

A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a reactor chamber and a workpiece support within the chamber, the chamber having a ceiling facing the workpiece support, a capacitively coupled plasma source power applicator comprising a source power electrode at one of: (a) the ceiling (b) the workpiece support, and plural VHF power generators of different fixed frequencies coupled to the capacitively coupled source power applicator, and a controller for independently controlling the power output levels of the plural VHF generators so as to control an effective VHF frequency applied to the source power electrode. In a preferred embodiment, the reactor further includes a plasma bias power applicator that includes a bias power electrode in the workpiece support and one or more RF bias power generators of different frequencies coupled to the plasma bias power applicator.

Plasma reactor apparatus with a VHF capacitively coupled plasma source of variable frequency

A pedestal assembly and method for controlling temperature of a substrate during processing is provided. In one embodiment, the pedestal assembly includes a support member that is coupled to a base by a material layer. The material layer has at least two regions having different coefficients of thermal conductivity. In another embodiment, the support member is an electrostatic chuck. In further embodiments, a pedestal assembly has channels formed between the base and support member for providing cooling gas in proximity to the material layer to further control heat transfer between the support member and the base, thereby controlling the temperature profile of a substrate disposed on the support member.

A method for controlling a plasma in a semiconductor substrate processing chamber is provided. The method includes the steps of supplying a first RF signal to a first electrode within the processing chamber at a first frequency selected to cause plasma sheath oscillation at the first frequency; and supplying a second RF signal from the source to the first electrode at a second frequency selected to cause plasma sheath oscillation at the second frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency by a differential equal to a desired frequency selected to cause plasma sheath oscillation at the desired frequency.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Theodoros Panagopoulos