Applied Materials, Inc.

Applied Material, Inc.

Zhepeng Cong

Schubert S Chu

Nyi O Myo

Zhiyuan Ye

Kartik Bhupendra Shah

Tao Sheng

Paul Brillhart

Ala Moradian

Zuoming Zhu

Richard Omar Collins

Ashur J Atanos

Xuebin Li

Balasubramanian Ramachandran

Anzhong Chang

Kin Pong Lo

Edric Tong

Kevin Joseph Bautista

Anhthu Ngo

Yi-Chiau Huang

James Francis Mack

Enle Choo

Vinh N Tran

Shu-Kwan Danny Lau

Kailash Kiran Patalay

Jean Rene Vatus

Nimrod Smith

Patricia M Liu

Jenny Lin

Flora Fong-Song Chang

Vilen K Nestorov

Bindusagar Marath Sankarathodi

Surendra Singh Srivastava

Maxim Shaposhnikov

Errol Antonio C Sanchez

Mehmet Tugrul Samir

Martin Jeffrey Salinas

Errol C Sanchez

Leonid Mark Tertitski

Kim Ramkumar Vellore

Karthik Ramanathan

Saurabh Chopra

Khokan Chandra Paul

Surajit Kumar

Nitin Pathak

Masato Ishii

Shay Assaf

Hui Chen

Manish Hemkar

Xinning Luan

Yong Zheng

Avinash Ishwar Shervegar

Mostafa Baghbanzadeh

Balakrishnam R Jampana

The present disclosure relates to flow guides, process kits, and related methods for processing chambers to facilitate deposition process adjustability. In one implementation, a flow guide includes a middle plate having a first side and a second side opposing the first side along a first direction. The first side and the second side are arcuate. The flow guide includes a first flange extending outwardly relative to a third side of the middle plate and outwardly relative to an outer face of the middle plate, and a second flange extending outwardly relative to a fourth side of the middle plate and outwardly relative to the outer face of the middle plate. The fourth side opposes the third side along a second direction that intersects the first direction. The flow guide includes a rectangular flow opening defined between the first flange and the second flange.

Process kits and related methods for processing chambers to facilitate deposition process adjustability

Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring radiation output of lamps of processing chambers. In some embodiments, a system contains a plurality of lamps coupled to a chamber, and one or more radiation sensors. Each lamp is identified with one or more zones, the radiation sensors are coupled to the chamber, where each radiation sensor is proximal at least one lamp. A controller contains instructions that, when executed, cause: the radiation sensors to convey, to the controller, information associated with radiation emitted by the lamps; the controller to analyze the information, the analyzing including: for each zone: determining a function of radiation over time; and monitoring the function for a condition associated with lamp aging; and the controller to, based on the analyzing the information, perform at least one of the following: vary input power delivered to the lamps; and generate an alert.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for monitoring radiation output of lamps

A process chamber is provided including a chamber body enclosing an interior volume and a substrate support assembly in the interior volume. The substrate support assembly includes a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface, an upper plate, and a lower plate, the upper plate positioned over the substrate support. The substrate support is positioned over and spaced apart from the lower plate.

Process chamber

In one embodiment, a susceptor for thermal processing is provided. The susceptor includes an outer rim surrounding and coupled to an inner dish, the outer rim having an inner edge and an outer edge. The susceptor further includes one or more structures for reducing a contacting surface area between a substrate and the susceptor when the substrate is supported by the susceptor. At least one of the one or more structures is coupled to the inner dish proximate the inner edge of the outer rim.

Thermal processing susceptor

A method and apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates is described herein. The apparatus includes one or more growth monitors disposed within an exhaust system of a deposition chamber. The growth monitors are quartz crystal film thickness monitors and are configured to measure the film thickness grown on the growth monitors while a substrate is being processed within the deposition chamber. The growth monitors are connected to a controller, which adjusts the heating apparatus and gas flow apparatus settings during the processing operations. Measurements from the growth monitors as well as other sensors within the deposition chamber are used to adjust processing chamber models of the deposition chamber as substrates are processed therein.

In-situ epi growth rate control of crystal thickness micro-balancing sensor

Embodiments disclosed herein generally provide improved control of gas flow in processing chambers. In at least one embodiment, a liner for a processing chamber includes an annular body having a sidewall and a vent formed in the annular body for exhausting gas from inside to outside the annular body. The vent comprises one or more vent holes disposed through the sidewall. The liner further includes an opening in the annular body for substrate loading and unloading.

Overlap susceptor and preheat ring

The present disclosure relates to flow guides, process kits, and related methods for processing chambers to facilitate deposition process adjustability. In one implementation, a flow guide applicable for use in semiconductor manufacturing, includes a plate having a first face and a second face opposing the first face. The flow guide includes a first fin set extending from the second face, and a second fin set extending from the second face. The second fin set is spaced from the first fin set to define a flow path between the first fin set and the second fin set. The flow path has a serpentine pattern between the first fin set and the second fin set.

A method and apparatus for determining a growth rate on a semiconductor substrate is described herein. The apparatus is an optical sensor, such as an optical growth rate sensor. The optical sensor is positioned in an exhaust of a deposition chamber. The optical sensor is self-heated using one or more internal heating elements, such as a resistive heating element. The internal heating elements are configured to heat a sensor coupon. A film is formed on the sensor coupon by exhaust gases flowed through the exhaust and is correlated to film growth on a substrate within a process volume of the deposition chamber.

EPI self-heating sensor tube as in-situ growth rate sensor

An apparatus, method, and system for identifying and obtaining information related to a substrate support and/or a pre-heat ring in a process chamber via imaging and image processing. In an embodiment, a substrate support is provided. The substrate support generally includes a top surface configured to receive a substrate in a process chamber and a marking feature disposed on the top surface of the substrate support, the marking feature configured to be detectable by an imaging apparatus coupled to the process chamber to provide information related to the substrate support via imaging when the substrate support is disposed within the process chamber.

Detection and analysis of substrate support and pre-heat ring in a process chamber via imaging

The present disclosure relates to flow guides, process kits, and related methods for processing chambers to facilitate deposition process adjustability. In one implementation, a process kit for disposition in a processing chamber applicable for use in semiconductor manufacturing includes a plate having a first face and a second face opposing the first face. The process kit includes a liner. The liner includes an annular section, and one or more ledges extending inwardly relative to the annular section. The one or more ledges are configured to support one or more outer regions of the second face of the plate. The liner includes one or more inlet openings extending to an inner surface of the annular section on a first side of the liner, and one or more outlet openings extending to the inner surface of the annular section on a second side of the liner.

An apparatus for controlling temperature profile of a substrate within an epitaxial chamber includes a bottom center pyrometer and a bottom outer pyrometer to respectively measure temperatures at a center location and an outer location of a first surface of a susceptor of an epitaxy chamber, a top center pyrometer and a top outer pyrometer to respectively measure temperatures at a center location and an outer location of a substrate disposed on a second surface of the susceptor opposite the first surface, a first controller to receive signals, from the bottom center pyrometer and the bottom outer pyrometer, and output a feedback signal to a first heating lamp module that heats the first surface based on the measured temperatures of the first surface, and a second controller to receive signals, from the top center pyrometer, the top outer pyrometer, the bottom center pyrometer, and the bottom outer pyrometer, and output a feedback signal to a second heating lamp module that heats the substrate based on the measured temperatures of a substrate and the measured temperatures of the first surface.

Temperature profile measurement and synchronized control on substrate and susceptor in an epitaxy chamber

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a susceptor for thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. In one embodiment, the susceptor includes an inner region having a pattern formed in a top surface thereof, the pattern including a plurality of substrate support features separated by a plurality of venting channels. The susceptor includes a rim surrounding and coupled to the inner region, wherein the inner region is recessed relative to the rim to form a recessed pocket configured to receive a substrate. The susceptor includes a plurality of bumps extending radially inward from an inner diameter of the rim, the plurality of bumps configured to contact an outer edge of a substrate supported by the plurality of substrate support features for positioning the substrate within the recessed pocket.

Flat pocket susceptor design with improved heat transfer

A method for processing a substrate within a processing chamber comprises receiving a first radiation signal corresponding to a film on a target element disposed within the processing chamber, analyzing the first radiation signal, and controlling the processing of the substrate based on the analyzed first radiation signal. The processing chamber includes a substrate support configured to support the substrate within a processing volume and a controller coupled to a first sensing device configured to receive the first radiation signal.

Substrate processing monitoring

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus, systems, and methods for in-situ film growth rate monitoring. A thickness of a film on a substrate is monitored during a substrate processing operation that deposits the film on the substrate. The thickness is monitored while the substrate processing operation is conducted. The monitoring includes directing light in a direction toward a crystalline coupon. The direction is perpendicular to a heating direction. In one implementation, a reflectometer system to monitor film growth during substrate processing operations includes a first block that includes a first inner surface. The reflectometer system includes a light emitter disposed in the first block and oriented toward the first inner surface, and a light receiver disposed in the first block and oriented toward the first inner surface. The reflectometer system includes a second block opposing the first block.

In-situ film growth rate monitoring apparatus, systems, and methods for substrate processing

A method and apparatus for calibrating a temperature within a processing chamber are described. The method includes determining an etch rate of a layer within the processing chamber. The processing chamber is a deposition chamber configured for use during semiconductor manufacturing. The etch rate is utilized to determine a temperature within the processing chamber. The temperature within the processing chamber is then subsequently compared to a calibrated temperature to determine a temperature offset. The etch rate is determined using any one of a pyrometer, a reflectometer, a camera, or a mass sensor.

Temperature calibration with deposition and etch process

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Vancouver, WA, United States of America

Zhepeng Cong