Applied Materials, Inc.

Zuoming Zhu

Zhiyuan Ye

Schubert S Chu

Nyi O Myo

Errol Antonio C Sanchez

Shu-Kwan Danny Lau

Ala Moradian

Paul Brillhart

Patricia M Liu

Balasubramanian Ramachandran

Zhepeng Cong

Joseph Michael Ranish

Anzhong Chang

Kevin Joseph Bautista

Bindusagar Marath Sankarathodi

Kartik Bhupendra Shah

Yi-Chiau Huang

Xuebin Li

Kin Pong Lo

Edric Tong

Koji Nakanishi

James Francis Mack

Toshiyuki Nakagawa

Flora Fong-Song Chang

Enle Choo

Surendra Singh Srivastava

Anhthu Ngo

Jenny Lin

Satheesh Kuppurao

Martin Jeffrey Salinas

Martin A Hilkene

Saurabh Chopra

Vilen K Nestorov

Chia Cheng Chin

Manjunath Subbanna

Maxim Shaposhnikov

David K Carlson

John Tolle

Mehmet Tugrul Samir

Anh Ngoc Nguyen

Brian Hayes Burrows

Oleg V Serebryanov

Errol C Sanchez

Kailash Kiran Patalay

Dongming Iu

Surajit Kumar

Herman Diniz

Steve Aboagye

Thomas Kirschenheiter

Jyothi Rajeevan

Balakrishnam R Jampana

Harpreet Singh Juneja

Avinash Shervegar

Erika R Warrick

Chandra Mohapatra

The present disclosure relates to methods of correlating zones of processing chambers, and related systems and methods. In one implementation, a method of correlating zones of a processing chamber includes partitioning the processing volume into a plurality of zones along a first direction of the processing volume and a second direction of the processing volume. The second direction intersects the first direction. The plurality of zones have a first zone number (m), and a second zone number (n). The method includes determining a group number. The determining of the group number includes multiplying a first value by a second value. The first value correlates to a first zone number (m) of a plurality of zones and the second value correlates to a second zone number (n) of the plurality of zones. The method includes grouping the zones into groups having a number that is equal to the group number.

Methods of correlating zones of processing chambers, and related systems and methods

Methods for detection using optical emission spectroscopy in which an optical signal is delivered from the process chamber to an optical emission spectrometer (OES). The OES identifies emission peaks of photons, which corresponds to the optical intensity of radiation from the photons, to determine the concentrations of each of the precursor gases and reaction products. The OES sends input signals of the data results to a controller. The controller can adjust process variables within the process chamber in real time during deposition based on the comparison. In other embodiments, the controller can automatically trigger a process chamber clean based on a comparison of input signals of process chamber residues received before the deposition process and input signals of process chamber residues received after the deposition process.

Methods for detection using optical emission spectroscopy

The present disclosure relates to flow guide structures and heat shield structures, and related methods, for deposition uniformity and process adjustability. In one implementation, an apparatus for substrate processing includes a chamber body that includes a processing volume. The apparatus includes one or more heat sources. The apparatus includes a flow guide structure positioned in the processing volume. The flow guide structure includes one or more first flow dividers that divide the processing volume into a plurality of flow levels, and one or more second flow dividers oriented to intersect the one or more first flow dividers and divide each flow level of the plurality of flow levels into a plurality of flow sections. The flow guide structure includes one or more third flow dividers oriented to intersect the one or more second flow dividers and divide the plurality of flow sections into a plurality of flow zones.

Flow guide structures and heat shield structures, and related methods, for deposition uniformity and process adjustability

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 providing uniform heating of substrates disposed within a processing chamber is provided. The apparatus includes one or more heating coils disposed in the processing chamber. The one or more heating coils are electrically coupled to a power source using heater rods. The heater rods are coupled to a socket on a distal end opposite the connection to the heating coils. The socket includes a feedthrough and a cooling plate configured to remove contaminants, such as methane, from the area surrounding the heater rod.

Chamber body feedthrough for in chamber resistive heating element

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 apparatus and methods for semiconductor processing, more particularly, to a thermal process chamber. The thermal process chamber includes a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed over or below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed over the substrate support. The spot heating module is utilized to provide local heating of cold regions on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Localized heating of the substrate improves temperature profile, which in turn improves deposition uniformity.

Multi zone spot heating in EPI

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

Systems, apparatus, and methods are disclosed for foreline diagnostics and control. A foreline coupled to a chamber exhaust is instrumented with one or more sensors, in some embodiments placed between the chamber exhaust and an abatement system. The one or more sensors are positioned to measure pressure in the foreline as an indicator of conductance. The sensors are coupled to a trained machine learning model configured to provide a signal when the foreline needs a cleaning cycle or when preventive maintenance should be performed. In some embodiments, the trained machine learning predicts when cleaning or preventive maintenance will be needed.

Method and system for foreline deposition diagnostics and control

Aspects generally relate to methods, systems, and apparatus for conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system. In one aspect, a corrected flow curve is created for a range of target flow rates across a plurality of setpoints. In one implementation, a method of conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system includes prioritizing the plurality of MFCs for the calibration operation. The prioritizing includes determining an operation time for each MFC of the plurality of MFCs, and ranking the plurality of MFCs in a rank list according to the operation time for each MFC. The method includes conducting the calibration operation for the plurality of MFCs according to the rank list and during an idle time for the substrate processing system.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for conducting a calibration operation for a plurality of mass flow controllers (MFCs) of a substrate processing system

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for processing semiconductor substrates in an epitaxy chamber configured to map a temperature profile for both substrates and interior chamber components. In one embodiment, the semiconductor processing chamber has a body having ceiling and a lower portion defining an interior volume. A substrate support is disposed in the interior volume. A mounting plate is coupled to the ceiling outside the interior volume. A movement assembly is coupled to the mounting plate. A sensor is coupled to the movement assembly and moveable relative to the ceiling. The sensor is configured to detect a temperature location in the interior volume.

In-situ temperature mapping for epi chamber

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a thermal process chamber that includes a substrate support, a first plurality of heating elements disposed over or below the substrate support, and a spot heating module disposed over the substrate support. The spot heating module is utilized to provide local heating of regions on a substrate disposed on the substrate support during processing. Localized heating of the substrate alters temperature profile. The shape of the beam spot produced by the spot heating module can be modified without making changes to the optics of the spot heating module.

Wafer spot heating with beam width modulation

Multi zone spot heating in epi

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Zuoming Zhu