Asm International N.v.

Picosun Oy

Pibond Oy

Asm America, Inc.

Nobel Biocare Services, Ag

Wei-Min Li

Juhana Kostamo

Kai-Erik Elers

Vaino Kilpi

Eva E Tois

Antti H Rahtu

Timo Malinen

Sven Lindfors

Juha T Rantala

David Thomas

Thomas Gädda

William McLaughlin

Kai Elers

Suvi P Haukka

Ivo Johannes Raaijmakers

Ville Antero Saanila

Dong Li

Väinö Kilpi

Steven Marcus

Ernst H Granneman

Olli Kilpela

Tero Pilvi

David A Thomas

Väino Kilpi

The invention relates to method including operating a plasma atomic layer deposition reactor configured to deposit material in a reaction chamber on at least one substrate by sequential self-saturating surface reactions, and allowing gas from an inactive gas source to flow into a widening radical in-feed part opening towards the reaction chamber substantially during a whole deposition cycle. The invention also relates to a corresponding apparatus.

Atomic layer deposition with plasma source

An apparatus and method for loading a plurality of substrates into a substrate holder in a loading chamber of a deposition reactor to form a vertical stack of horizontally oriented substrates within said substrate holder, for turning the substrate holder to form a horizontal stack of vertically oriented substrates, and for lowering the substrate holder into a reaction chamber of the deposition reactor for deposition. The technical effects achieved are: a top loading system for a vertical flow deposition reactor in which the substrates can be loaded with horizontal orientation, eliminating the need for flipping each substrate separately by flipping the whole substrate holder and minimizing a loading distance in a reactor cluster.

Substrate loading in an ALD reactor

Methods of producing metal-containing thin films with low impurity contents on a substrate by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are provided. The methods preferably comprise contacting a substrate with alternating and sequential pulses of a metal source chemical, a second source chemical and a deposition enhancing agent. The deposition enhancing agent is preferably selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, hydrogen, hydrogen plasma, hydrogen radicals, silanes, germanium compounds, nitrogen compounds, and boron compounds. In some embodiments, the deposition-enhancing agent reacts with halide contaminants in the growing thin film, improving film properties.

Enhanced thin film deposition

A method that includes performing an atomic layer deposition sequence including at least one deposition cycle, each cycle producing a monolayer of deposited material, the deposition cycle including introducing at least a first precursor species and a second precursor species to a substrate surface in a reaction chamber, wherein both of said first and second precursor species are present in gas phase in said reaction chamber simultaneously.

ALD method and apparatus

Method of forming a protective hard mask layer on a substrate in a semiconductor etch process, comprising the step of applying by solution deposition on the substrate a solution or colloidal dispersion of an alumina polymer, said solution or dispersion being obtained by hydrolysis and condensation of monomers of at least one aluminium oxide precursor in a solvent or a solvent mixture in the presence of water and a catalyst. The invention can be used for making a hard mask in a TSV process to form a high aspect ratio via a structure on a semiconductor substrate.

Etch resistant alumina based coatings

A deposition reactor includes an in-feed part that defines an expansion space which leads reactants as a top to bottom flow from a plasma source towards a reaction chamber, the expansion space widening towards the reaction chamber, and a lifting mechanism for loading at least one substrate to the reaction chamber from the top side of the reaction chamber. The deposition reactor deposits material on the at least one substrate in the reaction chamber by sequential self-saturating surface reactions.

Deposition reactor with plasma source

Methods of forming metal carbide films are provided. In some embodiments, a substrate is exposed to alternating pulses of a transition metal species and an aluminum hydrocarbon compound, such as TMA, DMAH, or TEA. The aluminum hydrocarbon compound is selected to achieve the desired properties of the metal carbide film, such as aluminum concentration, resistivity, adhesion and oxidation resistance. In some embodiments, the methods are used to form a metal carbide layer that determines the work function of a control gate in a flash memory.

Atomic layer deposition of metal carbide films using aluminum hydrocarbon compounds

Method of forming a protective hard mask layer on a substrate in a semiconductor etch process, comprising the step of applying by solution deposition on the substrate a solution or colloidal dispersion of an alumina polymer, said solution or dispersion being obtained by hydrolysis and condensation of monomers of at least one aluminum oxide precursor in a solvent or a solvent mixture in the presence of water and a catalyst. The invention can be used for making a hard mask in a TSV process to form a high aspect ratio via a structure on a semiconductor substrate.

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Espoo, Finland

Wei-Min Li