MATCHING PRE-PROCESSING AND POST-PROCESSING SUBSTRATE SAMPLES
Granted: April 4, 2024
Application Number:
20240112961
Various embodiments herein relate to systems, methods, and media for matching pre-processing and post-processing substrate samples. In some embodiments, a computer program product for matching pre-processing and post-processing substrate samples is provided, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable on which is provided computer-executable instructions for: receiving a plurality of samples associated with a first set of dimensions characterizing a…
LOW RESISTIVITY CONTACTS AND INTERCONNECTS
Granted: October 12, 2023
Application Number:
20230326790
Methods of filling features including metal and dielectric surfaces with conductive materials involve cleaning the metal surfaces with little or no damage to the dielectric surfaces. After cleaning, the feature may be exposed to one or more reactants to fill the feature with the conductive material in an atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Deposition may be selective or non-selective to the metal surface. In some embodiments, the filled feature is…
UV CURE FOR LOCAL STRESS MODULATION
Granted: February 9, 2023
Application Number:
20230038611
Localized stresses can be modulated in a film deposited on a bowed semiconductor substrate by selectively and locally curing the film by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A bowed semiconductor substrate can be asymmetrically bowed. A UV-curable film is deposited on the front side or the backside of the bowed semiconductor substrate. A mask is provided between the UV-curable film and a UV source, where openings in the mask are patterned to selectively define exposed regions and non-exposed…
UV CURE FOR LOCAL STRESS MODULATION
Granted: February 9, 2023
Application Number:
20230038611
Localized stresses can be modulated in a film deposited on a bowed semiconductor substrate by selectively and locally curing the film by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A bowed semiconductor substrate can be asymmetrically bowed. A UV-curable film is deposited on the front side or the backside of the bowed semiconductor substrate. A mask is provided between the UV-curable film and a UV source, where openings in the mask are patterned to selectively define exposed regions and non-exposed…
POST APPLICATION/EXPOSURE TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE DRY DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF METAL-CONTAINING EUV RESIST
Granted: February 2, 2023
Application Number:
20230031955
Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for treating metal-containing photoresist to modify material properties of the photoresist. For instance, the techniques herein may involve providing a substrate in a process chamber, where the substrate includes a photoresist layer over a substrate layer, and where the photoresist includes metal, and treating the photoresist to modify material properties of the photoresist such that etch selectivity in a…
POST APPLICATION/EXPOSURE TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE DRY DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF METAL-CONTAINING EUV RESIST
Granted: February 2, 2023
Application Number:
20230031955
Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for treating metal-containing photoresist to modify material properties of the photoresist. For instance, the techniques herein may involve providing a substrate in a process chamber, where the substrate includes a photoresist layer over a substrate layer, and where the photoresist includes metal, and treating the photoresist to modify material properties of the photoresist such that etch selectivity in a…
POST APPLICATION/EXPOSURE TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE DRY DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF METAL-CONTAINING EUV RESIST
Granted: February 2, 2023
Application Number:
20230031955
Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for treating metal-containing photoresist to modify material properties of the photoresist. For instance, the techniques herein may involve providing a substrate in a process chamber, where the substrate includes a photoresist layer over a substrate layer, and where the photoresist includes metal, and treating the photoresist to modify material properties of the photoresist such that etch selectivity in a…
IMPEDANCE TRANSFORMATION IN RADIO-FREQUENCY-ASSISTED PLASMA GENERATION
Granted: December 29, 2022
Application Number:
20220415616
An apparatus for providing signals to a device may include one or more radiofrequency signal generators, and electrically-small transmission line, which couples signals from the one or more RF signal generators to the fabrication chamber. The apparatus may additionally include a reactive circuit to transform impedance of the electrically-small transmission line from a region of relatively high impedance-sensitivity to region of relatively low impedance-sensitivity.
METHODS TO ENABLE SEAMLESS HIGH QUALITY GAPFILL
Granted: December 1, 2022
Application Number:
20220384186
Methods and apparatuses for depositing material into high aspect ratio features are described herein. Methods involve depositing an oxide material using a hydrogen-containing oxidizing chemistry. Methods may also involve thermally treating deposited oxide material in the presence of hydrogen to remove seams within the deposited oxide material.
SUBSTRATE SURFACE MODIFICATION WITH HIGH EUV ABSORBERS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE EUV PHOTORESISTS
Granted: November 17, 2022
Application Number:
20220365434
The present disclosure relates to a patterning structure having a radiation-absorbing layer and an imaging layer, as well as methods and apparatuses thereof. In particular embodiments, the radiation-absorbing layer provides an increase in radiation absorptivity and/or patterning performance of the imaging layer.
SELECTIVE ATTACHMENT TO ENHANCE SiO2:SiNx ETCH SELECTIVITY
Granted: November 17, 2022
Application Number:
20220362803
Methods and apparatuses for selectively etching silicon-and-oxygen-containing material relative to silicon-and-nitrogen-containing material by selectively forming a carbon-containing self-assembled monolayer on a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing material relative to a silicon-and-oxygen-containing material are provided herein. Methods are also applicable to selectively etching silicon-and-nitrogen-containing material relative to silicon-and-oxygen-containing material.
PHOTORESIST WITH MULTIPLE PATTERNING RADIATION-ABSORBING ELEMENTS AND/OR VERTICAL COMPOSITION GRADIENT
Granted: October 27, 2022
Application Number:
20220342301
Various embodiments herein relate to techniques for depositing photoresist material on a substrate. For example, the tin techniques may involve providing the substrate in a reaction chamber; providing a first and second reactant to the reaction chamber, where the first reactant is an organo-metallic precursor having a formula of M1aR1bL1c, where: M1 is a metal having a high patterning radiation-absorption cross-section, R1 is an organic group that survives the reaction between the first…
LARGE SPOT SPECTRAL SENSING TO CONTROL SPATIAL SETPOINTS
Granted: October 20, 2022
Application Number:
20220334554
A large beam spot spectral reflectometer system for measuring a substrate is provided. Hardware components for collecting in situ large beam spot optical signals is disclosed. Machine learning models for denoising large beam spot optical signals are disclosed. Machine learning models for interpreting in situ optical data and facilitating process control are also disclosed.
MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION
Granted: October 13, 2022
Application Number:
20220328317
Provided are methods of filling patterned features with molybdenum (Mo). The methods involve selective deposition of Mo films on bottom metal-containing surfaces of a feature including dielectric sidewalls. The selective growth of Mo on the bottom surface allows bottom-up growth and high quality, void-free fill. Also provided are related apparatus.
RADIO FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION CIRCUITS INCLUDING TRANSFORMERS AND/OR TRANSFORMER COUPLED COMBINERS
Granted: October 13, 2022
Application Number:
20220328236
A transformer includes a primary coil and a secondary coil. The primary coil includes: a first shield of a first coaxial cable; a second shield of a second coaxial cable; and a conductive interconnector connecting the first shield to the second shield. The secondary coil includes: a first core of the first coaxial cable; a second core of the second coaxial cable; and a pair of conductive lines connecting the first core to the second core.
POSITIVE TONE DEVELOPMENT OF CVD EUV RESIST FILMS
Granted: September 22, 2022
Application Number:
20220299877
The present disclosure relates to post-application treatment of a radiation-sensitive film to provide a hardened resist film. In some instances, such films can be used to form a pattern by a positive tone wet development process.
HIGH DENSITY, MODULUS, AND HARDNESS AMORPHOUS CARBON FILMS AT LOW PRESSURE
Granted: September 8, 2022
Application Number:
20220282366
Provided herein are methods and related apparatus for depositing an ashable hard mask (AHM) on a substrate in a low pressure chamber using a dual frequency radio frequency component. Low pressure plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition may be used to increase the etch selectivity of the AHM, permitting the use of a thinner AHM for semiconductor processing operations.
ION BEAM ETCHING WITH SIDEWALL CLEANING
Granted: April 28, 2022
Application Number:
20220131071
Patterned magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) stacks are formed by performing a main etch through a plurality of MRAM layers disposed on a substrate, where the main etch includes using ion beam etching (IBE). After the main etch, gapfill dielectric material is deposited in spaces between the patterned MRAM stacks, and the gapfill dielectric material is selectively etched or otherwise formed to an etch depth that is above a depth of an underlayer. After the gapfill dielectric…
REMOTE-PLASMA CLEAN (RPC) DIRECTIONAL-FLOW DEVICE
Granted: April 7, 2022
Application Number:
20220107619
Various embodiments include apparatuses, systems, and methods for using a remote-plasma cleaning system with a directional-flow device for concurrently cleaning multiple processing stations in a processing tool used in the semiconductor and allied fields. In one example, an apparatus used to perform a remote-plasma clean (RPC) in a multi-station process chamber is disclosed and includes an RPC directional-flow device that is to be coupled between an RPC reactor and the process chamber.…
DESIGNER ATOMIC LAYER ETCHING
Granted: March 24, 2022
Application Number:
20220093413
Methods for evaluating synergy of modification and removal operations for a wide variety of materials to determine process conditions for self-limiting etching by atomic layer etching are provided herein. Methods include determining the surface binding energy of the material, selecting a modification gas for the material where process conditions for modifying a surface of the material generate energy less than the modification energy and greater than the desorption energy, selecting a…
