Lam Research Corporation

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. China

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment, Inc. Asia

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc, Shanghai

Lam Corporation

Tuqiang Q Ni

Wenli Z Collison

Jinyuan Chen

Gerald Zheyao Yin

Lumin Li

Kenji Takeshita

Frank Lin

Jie Liang

Chung-Ho Huang

Rason Zuo

Michael S Barnes

Brian K McMillin

Tom K Choi

Yunwen Huang

Alex T Demos

Weinan Jiang

Dee Wu

Jinlong Zhao

Ye Wy Wang

Lei Wu

Hiroshi Iizuka

Andrew D Bailey, Iii

John Patrick Holland

David J Hemker

Leyi Tu

Xueyu Qian

Lei Xu

Butch Berney

Tuan Ngo

Andrew Lui

Farro F Kaveh

Zhaoyang Xu

Kui Zhao

Xingjian Chen

Shenjian Liu

Wayne W Vereb

Songlin Xu

Lee Luo

Henry Ho

Anthony Le

Qian Wang

Bi-Ming Yen

Gang Shi

Thomas S Choi

Conan Chiang

Yuehong Fu

Xiaoming He

Chris Lee

Yu Guan

Qing Qian

Lei Wan

Rubin Ye

AiHua Chen

Ning Zhou

Nancy Tran

Heng Tao

ZhiLin Huang

Xusheng Zhou

Yichuan Zhang

Zhaohui Xi

Connie Lam

Ruoxin Du

Zengdi Lian

Steven Salkow

Dai N Lee

Manus Wong

Xiaobei Pang

Ziyang Wu

Jiawei Jiang

Xingcai Su

Shi Gang

Yijun Liu

Yuejun Gong

Kelvin Chen

Liang Ouyang

Robert Wu

Frank Y Lin

Wenli Collison

Disclosed are a radio-frequency power supply system, a plasma processor, and a corresponding frequency-tuning matching method applied to a plasma processor having an ultra-low frequency bias radio-frequency power source. The frequency-tuning matching method comprises an impedance segment frequency matching obtaining step including partitioning a low frequency radio-frequency power output period into a plurality of impedance matching segments, and during each impedance matching segment, tuning output frequency of a high frequency radio-frequency source, detecting reflected power of the high frequency radio-frequency power supply, and after experiencing one or more low frequency radio-frequency power output period, obtaining and storing the segment matching frequency for each impedance matching segment. In the subsequent variable-frequency matching step, output frequency of the high frequency radio-frequency power supply is set to periodically vary in the stored plurality of segment matching frequencies so as to match characteristic impedance in respective impedance matching segment.

Radio frequency power supply system, plasma processor, and frequency-tuning matching

Disclosed are a liner assembly for vacuum treatment apparatuses and a vacuum treatment apparatus, wherein the liner assembly for vacuum treatment apparatuses comprises: an annular liner including a sidewall protection ring and a support ring which are interconnected, the outer diameter of the support ring being greater than that of the sidewall protection ring, the annular liner enclosing a treating space; and a gas channel provided in the support ring, the gas channel communicating with the treating space. The liner assembly for vacuum treatment apparatuses offer an improved performance.

Liner assembly for vacuum treatment apparatus, and vacuum treatment apparatus

Disclosed is a capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus, wherein a lower electrode is fixed to a lower end of an electrically conductive supporting rod, a retractable electrically conductive part is fixed to the lower end of the electrically conductive supporting rod, wherein the retractable electrically conductive part being extended or retracted along an axial direction of the electrically conductive supporting rod; besides, the lower end of the retractable electrically conductive part is electrically connected with the output end of the radio-frequency matcher via an electrically connection portion, and the loop end of the radio-frequency matcher is fixed to the bottom of a chamber body. In this way, the height of the lower electrode may be controlled by extension or retraction of the retractable electrically conductive part, such that the distance between the upper and lower plates becomes adjustable; besides, the loop end of the radio-frequency matcher is fixed to the bottom of the chamber body, such that when the retractable electrically conductive part is axially extended or retracted, the movement of the electrically connection portion in the radial direction of the extractable electrically conductive part is reduced, not causing instability of the radio-frequency loop, thereby achieving stability of the radio-frequency loop while achieving adjustability of the plate distance.

Capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus

Disclosed are a lift pin assembly, an electrostatic chuck with the lift pin assembly, and a processing apparatus where the electrostatic chuck is located. The lift pin assembly comprises: a lift pin, a lift pin receiving channel connected to a pressure control device, one end of the lift pin receiving channel proximal to a wafer being provided with a sealing ring, an upper surface of the sealing ring being in contact with a back face of the wafer during processing to avoid a gas at the back face of the wafer from entering the lift pin receiving channel, thereby enabling the pressure control device to independently control the pressure in the lift pin receiving channel.

Lift pin assembly, an electrostatic chuck and a processing apparatus where the electrostatic chuck is located

Plasma processor including: reaction chamber having a base for placing a wafer; a source radio-frequency power supply outputting high frequency radio-frequency power into the reaction chamber to ignite and maintain plasma; a first bias radio-frequency power supply and a second bias radio-frequency power supply, the first bias radio-frequency power supply outputting a first radio-frequency signal with first frequency, the second bias radio-frequency power supply outputting a second radio-frequency signal with second frequency higher than the first frequency, the first radio-frequency signal and the second radio-frequency signal being superimposed to form a periodical first compound signal that is applied to the base; and a controller configured for tuning at least one of amplitude, frequency, average voltage or phase of the first radio-frequency signal and of the second radio-frequency signal, such that the first compound signal experiences three consecutive stages in each cycle: falling stage, flat stage, and rising stage.

Plasma processor and processing method

Disclosed is a capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus, wherein an electrically conductive supporting rod where a lower electrode is fixed is connected to driving means, the driving means driving the electrically conductive support rod to move axially; besides, the lower electrode is fixed to the bottom of a chamber body via a retractable sealing part, causing the upper surface of the lower electrode to be hermetically sealed in an accommodation space in the chamber body; an electrical connection part is connected on the chamber body; the radio frequency current in the chamber body returns, via the electrical connection part, to the loop end of a radio frequency matcher. In this way, the lower electrode is fixed on the chamber body via the retractable sealing part, such that when the lower electrode is driven by the driving means to move up/down, the chamber body does not move along with it, and the radio frequency loop in the chamber body is in a steady state, thereby achieving stability of the radio frequency loop while implementing adjustability of the plate distance.

The present invention relates to a dual-station vacuum processor that pumps uniformly, comprising two vacuum processing chambers that may act as a process processing chamber, and an offset-pumping port and a vacuum pump which are common to and communicate with the two vacuum processing chambers, wherein a damper having a set thickness in a vertical direction is provided in a region proximal to the offset-pumping port in each vacuum processing chamber, so as to lower a pumping rate of gas at the pumping port proximal end and balance the pumping rate with the pumping rate of the gas at the pumping port distal end, thereby ameliorating the impact of chamber offset on the uniformity process processing. The present invention may further provide, in a rib as the damper, a channel in communication with the atmospheric environment outside of the chamber, so as to facilitate connection between a cable pipeline in the chamber and the outside.

Uniform pumping dual-station vacuum processor

Disclosed is a capacitively coupled plasma etching apparatus, wherein a lower electrode is fixed to a lower end of an electrically conductive supporting rod, a telescope electrically conductive part is fixed to the lower end of the electrically conductive supporting rod, wherein the retractable electrically conductive part being telescoped along an axial direction of the electrically conductive supporting rod; besides, the lower end of the retractable electrically conductive part is electrically connected with the output end of the radio-frequency matcher via an electrically connection portion. In this way, the height of the lower electrode may be controlled through telescoping of the retractable electrically conductive part, such that the spacing between the upper and lower pads becomes adjustable. Besides, an inner electrically conductive ring is further provided at the outer side of the lower electrode; the inner electrically conductive ring is electrically connected with the chamber body via the retractable electrically conductive part; shielding is formed between the inner electrically conductive ring, the lower electrode, and a radio frequency return path in the cavity, avoiding instability of the radio frequency loop caused by the lower electrode radio frequency field during the movement process, thereby achieving stability of the radio-frequency loop while achieving adjustability of the inter-pad spacing.

Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a plasma process apparatus with low particle contamination and a method of operating the same, wherein the plasma process apparatus comprises a chamber body and a liner, wherein a dielectric window is provided above the liner; the chamber body, the liner, and the dielectric window enclose a reaction space; a base for placing a wafer is provided at a bottom portion inside the reaction space; a vacuum pump device for pumping a gas out of the reaction space and maintaining a low pressure therein is provided below the base; a shutter for shuttering between an opening on a chamber body sidewall and an opening on a liner sidewall is provided inside the chamber body, for blocking contamination particles in the gas from flowing from a transfer module to the reaction space; a groove is provided at a lower portion of the liner, wherein a flowing space enclosed by a liner outer wall below the shutter and a chamber body inner wall is in communication with an inner space of the liner via the groove to form a gas flow path, such that the contamination particles entering the flowing space are pumped away by the vacuum pump device via the gas flow path. The present disclosure may not only keep the current wafer free from being contaminated, but also may reduce contamination for a next wafer transfer; besides, it enables introduction of clean air to make the contamination particles carried out of the reaction space with a more significant effect and a higher efficiency.

Plasma process apparatus with low particle contamination and method of operating the same

Disclosed are a plasma reactor and a heating apparatus therefor, wherein the heating apparatus comprises: a programmable power supply, a heater assembly, and a bandpass filter assembly, the heater assembly being configured for connecting with the programmable power supply via the bandpass filter assembly, the bandpass filter assembly including a plurality of bandpass filters, wherein the programmable power supply may input, based on match relationships between outputted AC heating powers and conduction frequencies of the bandpass filters BPF, an AC heating power to a matched heater unit to perform heating, thereby achieving zoned temperature control; the disclosures offer a simple circuit structure due to eliminating the need of switch elements, thereby offering a simple control manner.

Plasma reactor and heating apparatus therefor

Disclosed is a corrosion-resistant structure for a gas delivery system in a plasma processing apparatus. By providing a plating layer of corrosion-resistant material at the parts including the gas channel to avoid reacting with the delivered corrosive gas, metal and particle contaminations are reduced. By reversely mounting nozzles such that they reliably cover the plating layer inside the gas outlet holes, the disclosure prevents the corrosion-resistant material from being damaged by the plasma generated inside the cavity. By forming a corrosion-resistant yttrium oxide coating at the surfaces of the nozzles exposed to the cavity, the disclosure prevents the plasma from eroding the nozzles. The disclosure further leverages a flexible corrosion-resistant material, such as Teflon, to the sealing surfaces of the liner in contact with the dielectric window and the cavity, which improves the overall sealing effect of the liner. The disclosure may effectively enhance the corrosion-resistant and sealing properties of the liner and prolong its service life, as well as improving operating stability of the plasma processing apparatus.

Corrosion-resistant structure for a gas delivery system in a plasma processing apparatus

Disclosed are a gas showerhead, a method of manufacturing the same, and a plasma apparatus provided with the gas showerhead. The gas showerhead comprises a back plate and a gas distribution plate, the gas distribution plate including a plurality of annular gas distribution regions with the center of the gas distribution plate as their center; on each annular gas distribution region are provided a plurality of gas through-holes penetrating through the gas inlet face and the gas outlet face, the gas through-holes at least including a plurality of first gas through-holes inclined at a certain angle, and the gas through-holes further include a plurality of second gas through-holes, the second gas through-holes being parallel to the central axis or having a radial inclination direction different from the first gas through-holes; and in the same annular gas distribution region, gas flowing out of the first gas through-holes and gas flowing out of the second gas through-holes are kept away from each other.

Gas showerhead, manufacturing method, and plasma apparatus including the gas showerhead

Disclosed are a plasma reactor for ultra-high aspect ratio etching and an etching method therefor, wherein the plasma reactor comprises: a reaction chamber inside which a reaction space is formed; a base disposed at the bottom of the reaction space and configured for supporting a to-be-processed substrate; a gas showerhead disposed at the top inside the reaction chamber; wherein a first radio frequency power supply outputs a radio frequency power with a first frequency to the base or the gas showerhead so as to form and maintain plasma in the reaction chamber; and a second radio frequency power supply which outputs a radio frequency power with a second frequency to the base so as to control the ion energy incident to the base; wherein the first frequency is not less than 4 MHz, and the second frequency is not less than 10 KHz but not more than 300 KHz.

Plasma reactor for ultra-high aspect ratio etching and etching method thereof

A system for processing substrates having an atmospheric front end and a vacuum main frame, primary processing chambers attached to the main frame, a loadlock positioned between the front end and the main frame, and at least one secondary processing chamber attached to the loadlock.

Processing chamber, combination of processing chamber and loadlock, and system for processing substrates

A switchable matching network and an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus having such network are disclosed. The switchable matching network enables selection between two bias power frequencies. The network is particularly suitable for an inductively-coupled plasma processing apparatus. The switchable matching network comprises: a first match circuit having a first input port connected to a first signal source and a first output port coupled to a load; a second match circuit having a second input port connected to a second signal source and a second output port coupled to the load; a switching device having a first connection port, a second connection port and a third connection port, the first connection port connected to the first input port and the second connection port connected to the second output port; a variable capacitor connected between ground and the third connection port of the switching device.

Switchable matching network and an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus having such network

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Tuqiang Q Ni