Applied Materials Patent Applications

SELECTIVE MOSI DEPOSITION

Granted: March 7, 2024
Application Number: 20240079241
Methods for forming a semiconductor structure and semiconductor structures are described. Some embodiments of the method comprise patterning a substrate to form a first opening and a second opening, the substrate comprising an n transistor and a p transistor, the first opening over the n transistor and the second opening over the p transistor. The substrate is pre-cleaned. A molybdenum film is selectively deposited on the p transistor.

LANTHANUM NITRIDE AS A DRAM MOLYBDENUM LINER

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240074162
Methods for DRAM device with a buried word line are described. The method includes forming a metal nitride layer comprising lanthanum nitride (LaN) and a molybdenum conductor layer in a feature on a substrate. The method includes depositing the molybdenum conductor layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the metal nitride layer.

FDSOI DEVICE INCLUDING SELF-ALIGNED DIFFUSION BREAK

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240072059
Disclosed herein are approaches for forming a FDSOI, single diffusion break device. In one approach, a method may include providing a plurality of gates in a stack of layers, wherein each gate of the plurality of gates comprises a sidewall spacer, and forming a mask over the stack of layers, wherein an opening through the mask exposes a dummy gate of the plurality of gates. The method may further comprise etching a gate material of the dummy gate to form a recess in a…

TANTALUM DOPED RUTHENIUM LAYERS FOR INTERCONNECTS

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240071927
Methods of forming interconnects and electronic devices are described. Methods of forming interconnects include forming a tantalum nitride layer on a substrate; forming a ruthenium layer on the tantalum nitride layer; and exposing the tantalum nitride layer and ruthenium layer to a plasma comprising a mixture of hydrogen (H2) and argon (Ar) to form a tantalum doped ruthenium layer thereon. Apparatuses for performing the methods are also described.

ADHESION IMPROVEMENT BETWEEN LOW-K MATERIALS AND CAP LAYERS

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240071817
Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include providing one or more deposition precursors to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A semiconductor substrate may be positioned within the processing region. The methods may include forming a layer of low dielectric constant material on the semiconductor substrate. The methods may include purging the processing region of the one or more deposition precursors. A plasma power may be maintained at less than or…

ION IMPLANTATION FOR INCREASED ADHESION WITH RESIST MATERIAL

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240071773
Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include forming a layer of silicon-containing material on a semiconductor substrate. The methods may include performing a post-formation treatment on the layer of silicon-containing material to yield a treated layer of silicon-containing material. The methods may include contacting the treated layer of silicon-containing material with an adhesion agent. The methods may include forming a layer of a resist material on the treated layer of…

OPTICAL AUTO-FOCUS UNIT AND A METHOD FOR AUTO-FOCUS

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240071715
A charged particle evaluation system that may include a column that includes an opening; an illumination unit that is configured to scan an area of a sample with an electron beam that passes through the opening; and an optical auto-focus unit that is configured to (i) illuminate the sample with an optical beam that is proximate to the electron beam, during the scan of the area with the electron beam; (ii) receive a reflected optical beam from the sample, (iii) determine a focus status of…

GAS DISTRIBUTION APPARATUSES FOR IMPROVING MIXING UNIFORMITY

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240068095
Gas distribution apparatuses described herein include a mixing plate adjacent a back plate of a showerhead. The mixing plate has a back surface and a front surface defining a thickness of the mixing plate. The mixing plate has a mixing channel comprising a top portion and a bottom portion defining a mixing channel length and at least two gas inlets in fluid communication with the top portion of the mixing channel. The gas distribution apparatus also includes a mixer disposed within the…

INTEGRATED DIPOLE REGION FOR TRANSISTOR

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240063064
Methods of manufacturing and processing semiconductor devices (i.e., electronic devices) are described. Embodiments of the disclosure advantageously provide electronic devices which comprise a dipole region and meet reduced thickness and lower thermal budget requirements. The electronic devices described herein comprise a source region, a drain region, and a channel separating the source region and the drain region, an interfacial layer on a top surface of the channel, a high-?…

RESONATOR, LINEAR ACCELERATOR, AND ION IMPLANTER HAVING DIELECTRIC-FREE RESONATOR CHAMBER

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240064888
An apparatus may include a resonator chamber, arranged in a vacuum enclosure; an RF electrode assembly, arranged within the vacuum enclosure; and a resonator coil, disposed within the resonator chamber, the resonator coil having a high voltage end, directly connected to at least one RF electrode of the RF electrode assembly.

ENHANCED DEPOSITION RATE BY THERMAL ISOLATION COVER FOR GIS MANIPULATOR

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240062990
A system for depositing material over a sample in a localized region of the sample, the system including: a vacuum chamber; a thermal mass disposed outside the vacuum chamber; a sample support configured to hold a sample within the vacuum chamber during a sample evaluation process; a charged particle beam column configured to direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber toward the sample such that the charged particle beam collides with the sample in a deposition region; a gas…

ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY SENSING UNIT BACKGROUND

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240060912
An EDX sensing unit that includes an x-ray sensor including one or more sensing regions, and a protective unit that is configured to introduce a change in one or more properties of electrons emitted from the sample, thereby preventing the electrons emitted from the sample from reaching the one or more sensing regions; wherein the electrons are emitted from the sample due to an illuminating of the sample by a primary electron beam. The x-ray sensor is configured to (i) receive, by the one…

CONFORMAL MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240060175
Embodiments of the disclosure provide conformally deposited molybdenum films having reduced resistivity and methods of forming the same. The methods include forming a nucleation layer directly on a dielectric layer on a substrate surface by exposing the substrate surface to a molybdenum-containing precursor and a nucleation reactant, and conformally depositing a molybdenum film on the nucleation layer. Another aspect of the disclosure pertains to a method that is part of a gap fill…

ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY SENSING UNIT

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240057957
An energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) sensing unit, the EDX sensing unit include a protective unit and an x-ray sensor that includes one or more sensing regions. The protective unit is configured to (i) introduce a change in one or more properties of electrons emitted from a sample, thereby preventing the electrons emitted from the sample from reaching the one or more sensing regions, the electrons are emitted from the sample due to an illuminating of the sample by a primary…

VACUUM SEAL FOR ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240055289
Exemplary substrate support assemblies may include an electrostatic chuck body. The body may include a support plate defining a substrate support surface. The body may include a base plate coupled with the support plate. A bottom surface of the base plate may define an annular recess. The body may include a cooling plate coupled with the base plate. The assemblies may include a support stem coupled with the body. The assemblies may include a heater embedded within the body. The…

DRY ETCH FOR NITRIDE EXHUME PROCESSES IN 3D NAND FABRICATION

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240055269
A three-dimensional (3D) NAND memory structure may include alternating layers of materials arranged in a vertical stack on a silicon substrate, such as alternating oxide and nitride layers. The alternating nitride layers may later be removed, and the recesses may be filled with a conductive material to form word lines for the memory array. To avoid pinching off these recesses with silicon byproducts from a traditional wet etch, a dry etch may be instead be used to remove the nitrite…

SELECTIVE DEPOSITION FOR SUB 20 NM PITCH EUV PATTERNING

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240055255
Methods of selectively depositing a carbon-containing layer are described. Exemplary processing methods may include treating a substrate comprising a carbon-containing surface and a silicon-containing surface with one or more of ozone or hydrogen peroxide to passivate the silicon-containing surface. In one or more embodiments, a carbon-containing layer is then selectively deposited on the carbon-containing surface and not on the silicon-containing surface by flowing a first precursor…

METHODS OF SELECTIVE ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240052487
Methods of depositing a film selectively onto a first substrate surface relative to a second substrate surface are described. The methods include exposing the substrate surfaces to a blocking compound to selectively form a blocking layer on at least a portion of the first surface over the second surface. The substrate is sequentially exposed to a metal precursor with a kinetic diameter in excess of 21 angstroms and a reactant to selectively form a metal-containing layer on the second…

Methods of Depositing SiCON with C, O, and N Compositional Control

Granted: February 8, 2024
Application Number: 20240047193
Methods of forming SiCON films comprising sequential exposure to a silicon precursor and a mixture of alkanolamine and amine reactants and an optional plasma are described. Methods of forming a silicon-containing film comprising sequential exposure to a silicon precursor and an epoxide with an optional plasma exposure are also described.

LOW TEMPERATURE DEPOSITION OF PURE MOLYBENUM FILMS

Granted: February 8, 2024
Application Number: 20240047215
Methods for depositing molybdenum films on a substrate are described. The substrate is exposed to a molybdenum halide precursor and an aluminum precursor to form the molybdenum film (e.g., elemental molybdenum) at a low temperature. The exposures can be sequential or simultaneous.