Applied Materials, Inc.

Viren Kalsekar

Vinay K Prabhakar

Edward P Hammond

Kwangduk Douglas Lee

Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha

Abdul Aziz Khaja

Venkata Sharat Chandra Parimi

Juan Carlos Rocha-Alvarez

Zheng John Ye

Byung Seok Kwon

Satya Teja Babu Thokachichu

Satya Thokachichu

Ganesh Balasubramanian

Jian Li

Sarah Michelle Bobek

Satish Radhakrishnan

Sungwon Ha

Badri N Ramamurthi

Ratsamee Limdulpaiboon

Nitin Pathak

Anjana M Patel

Liangfa Hu

Siva Chandrasekar

Bushra Afzal

Vidyadharan Srinivasa Murthy Bangalore

Rajath Kumar Lakkenahalli Hiriyannaiah

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a transfer region housing defining a transfer region fluidly coupled with the plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a plurality of substrate supports. Each substrate support of the plurality of substrate supports may be vertically translatable between the transfer region and an associated processing region of the plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a transfer apparatus including a rotatable shaft extending through the transfer region housing. The transfer apparatus may also include an end effector coupled with the rotatable shaft. The systems may include an exhaust foreline including a plurality of foreline tails. Each foreline tail of the plurality of foreline tails may be fluidly coupled with a separate processing region of the plurality of processing regions. The systems may include a plurality of throttle valves.

Multiple process semiconductor processing system

In one or more embodiments, a method for depositing a carbon hard-mask material by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) includes heating a substrate contained within a process chamber to a temperature in a range from about 100 C to about 700 C and producing a plasma with a power generator emitting an RF power of greater than 3 kW. In some examples, the temperature is in a range from about 300 C to about 700 C and the RF power is greater than 3 kW to about 7 kW. The method also includes flowing a hydrocarbon precursor into the plasma within the process chamber and forming a carbon hard-mask layer on the substrate at a rate of greater than 5,000/min, such as up to about 10,000/min or faster.

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of carbon hard-mask

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a chamber body defining a transfer region. The systems may include a lid plate seated on the chamber body along a first surface of the lid plate. The lid plate may define a plurality of apertures through the lid plate. The lid plate may further define a recess about each aperture of the plurality of apertures in the first surface of the lid plate. Each recess may extend partially through a thickness of the lid plate. The systems may include a plurality of lid stacks equal to a number of apertures of the plurality of apertures. Each recess may receive at least a portion of one of the lid stacks of the plurality of lid stacks. The plurality of lid stacks may at least partially define a plurality of processing regions vertically offset from the transfer region.

Semiconductor processing chamber architecture for higher throughput and faster transition time

A substrate pedestal includes a thermally conductive substrate support including a mesh, a thermally conductive shaft including a plurality of conductive rods therein, each conductive rod having a first end and a second end, and a sensor. The first end of each conductive rod is electrically coupled to the mesh, and the sensor is disposed between the first and second ends of each conductive rod and configured to detect current flow through each conductive rod.

Substrate pedestal for improved substrate processing

Exemplary substrate support assemblies may include a platen characterized by a first surface configured to support a semiconductor substrate. The assemblies may include a first stem section coupled with a second surface of the platen opposite the first surface of the platen. The assemblies may include a second stem section coupled with the first stem section. The second stem section may include a housing and a rod holder disposed within the housing. The second stem section may include a connector seated within the rod holder at a first end of the connector. The second stem section may include a heater rod disposed within the first end of the connector and a heater extension rod coupled with the connector at a second end of the connector. The second stem section may include an RF rod and an RF strap coupling the RF rod with an RF extension rod.

Substrate support assemblies and components

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a chamber body defining a transfer region. The systems may include a first lid plate seated on the chamber body along a first surface of the first lid plate. The first lid plate may define a plurality of apertures through the first lid plate. The systems may include a plurality of lid stacks equal to a number of apertures of the plurality of apertures. The plurality of lid stacks may at least partially define a plurality of processing regions vertically offset from the transfer region. The systems may include a second lid plate coupled with the plurality of lid stacks. The plurality of lid stacks may be positioned between the first lid plate and the second lid plate. A component of each lid stack of the plurality of lid stacks may be coupled with the second lid plate.

Compliance components for semiconductor processing system

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to substrate supports for process chambers and RF grounding configurations for use therewith. Methods of grounding RF current are also described. A chamber body at least partially defines a process volume therein. A first electrode is disposed in the process volume. A pedestal is disposed opposite the first electrode. A second electrode is disposed in the pedestal. An RF filter is coupled to the second electrode through a conductive rod. The RF filter includes a first capacitor coupled to the conductive rod and to ground. The RF filter also includes a first inductor coupled to a feedthrough box. The feedthrough box includes a second capacitor and a second inductor coupled in series. A direct current (DC) power supply for the second electrode is coupled between the second capacitor and the second inductor.

RF grounding configuration for pedestals

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for reducing the formation of hardware residue and minimizing secondary plasma formation during substrate processing in a process chamber. The process chamber may include a gas distribution member configured to flow a first gas into a process volume and generate a plasma therefrom. A second gas is supplied into a lower region of the process volume. Further, an exhaust port is disposed in the lower region to remove excess gases or by-products from the process volume during or after processing.

Methods of reducing chamber residues

Exemplary substrate processing systems may include chamber body defining a transfer region. The systems may include a lid plate seated on the chamber body. The lid plate may define a first plurality of apertures through the lid plate and a second plurality of apertures through the lid plate. The systems may include a plurality of lid stacks equal to a number of apertures of the first plurality of apertures defined through the lid plate. Each lid stack of the plurality of lid stacks may include a choke plate seated on the lid plate along a first surface of the choke plate. The choke plate may define a first aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the first plurality of apertures. The choke plate may define a second aperture axially aligned with an associated aperture of the second plurality of apertures.

Thermally controlled lid stack components

One or more embodiments described herein generally relate to selective deposition of substrates in semiconductor processes. In these embodiments, a precursor is delivered to a process region of a process chamber. A plasma is generated by delivering RF power to an electrode within a substrate support surface of a substrate support disposed in the process region of the process chamber. In embodiments described herein, delivering the RF power at a high power range, such as greater than 4.5 kW, advantageously leads to greater plasma coupling to the electrode, resulting in selective deposition to the substrate, eliminating deposition on other process chamber areas such as the process chamber side walls. As such, less process chamber cleans are necessary, leading to less time between depositions, increasing throughput and making the process more cost-effective.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Viren Kalsekar