MICROWAVE HIGH-DENSITY PLASMA FOR SELECTIVE ETCH
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118536
Semiconductor processing systems and methods for increased etch selectivity and rate are provided. Methods include etching a target material of a semiconductor substrate by flowing one or more plasma precursors through a microwave applicator into a remote plasma region of a semiconductor processing chamber. Generating a remote plasma within the remote plasma region at a microwave frequency, where the generated remote plasma comprises a density of greater than 1×1010 per cm3, an ion…
SELF-ALIGNED BIT LINE FOR 4F2 DRAM
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250120069
The present technology includes vertical cell dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) arrays with improve bit line and storage node contact resistivity and self-alignment as well as methods of making such arrays. The arrays include a plurality of bit lines arranged in a first horizontal direction and a plurality of word lines arranged in a second horizontal direction. The arrays include a plurality of channels extending in a vertical direction that is generally orthogonal to the first…
3D DRAM WITH ENLARGE-LESS TRIM
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250120061
Embodiments of the present technology may include semiconductor processing methods and systems. Methods and systems may include providing a substrate to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, where the substrate includes one or more alternating pairs of a semiconductor material layer and a sacrificial material layer. Methods include forming one or more vertically extending features through the one or more alternating pairs of semiconductor material layer and…
PEDESTAL HEATER WITH SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118578
Exemplary substrate support assemblies may include a support plate that comprises a substrate support surface. The assemblies may include a support stem coupled with the support plate. A channel may be defined through at least a portion of a length of the support stem and extends through the substrate support surface. A temperature sensor assembly may be disposed within the channel. The temperature sensor assembly may include a light pipe disposed within the channel such that a top end…
CERAMIC RF RETURN KIT DESIGN
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118577
Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a chamber body having a bottom plate. The systems may include a substrate support disposed within the chamber body. The substrate support may include a support plate and a shaft. The shaft may include a cooling hub that extends through the bottom plate. The shaft may include a ground shaft that is seated atop the cooling hub. The ground shaft may include a ceramic material. The systems may include an inner isolator coupled with a…
ANNEAL CHAMBER
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118572
Exemplary anneal chambers may include a base that defines a chamber interior. The base may include a cooling plate within the chamber interior. The base and the cooling plate may be integral with one another. The chambers may include a lid that is coupled with the base. The chambers may include a heater plate mounted in the chamber interior alongside the cooling plate. The chambers may include a transfer hoop movably coupled within the chamber interior. The base may define a first…
BOW MITIGATION IN HIGH ASPECT RATIO OXIDE AND NITRIDE ETCHES
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118570
Methods of semiconductor processing may include forming plasma effluents. The plasma effluents may then contact a carbon-containing hardmask and an oxide cap. The plasma effluents can etch one or more features in the oxide cap through one or more apertures of the carbon-containing hardmask. Etching can create a tapered profile for one or more features in the oxide cap. The one or more features can be characterized by a critical dimension at the bottom of the one or more features. The…
TITANIUM NITRIDE GAPFILL PROCESSES FOR SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURES
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118563
One or more embodiments of the disclosure are directed to methods of forming structures that are useful for FEOL and BEOL processes. Embodiments of the present disclosure advantageously provide methods of depositing a gapfill material, such as titanium nitride (TiN), in high aspect ratio (AR) structures with small dimensions. Some embodiments advantageously provide seam-free high-quality TiN films to fill high AR trenches with small dimensions. Embodiments of the present disclosure…
SELECTIVE HARDMASK ETCH FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118557
Methods of semiconductor processing may include forming plasma effluents of a hydrogen-and-fluorine-containing precursor. The plasma effluents may then contact a silicon-containing hardmask material and a photoresist material. The silicon-containing hardmask material can overlay an organic material overlaying a substrate in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. Etching the silicon-containing hardmask material with the plasma effluents while the photoresist material…
METHOD TO IMPROVE WAFER EDGE UNIFORMITY
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250118539
Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a chamber body having sidewalls and a base. The semiconductor processing systems may include a substrate support extending through the base of the chamber body. The substrate support may include a support plate. The substrates support may include a shaft coupled with the support plate. The semiconductor processing systems may include a liner positioned within the chamber body and positioned radially outward of a peripheral edge of…
SMART FACEPLATE/SHOWERHEAD USING SHAPE MEMORY ALLOY
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250114806
Exemplary substrate processing system faceplates may include a plate that is characterized by a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second surface may define a plurality of recesses that extend through a portion of a thickness of the plate. The plate may define a plurality of apertures through the thickness of the plate. Each aperture may extend through a bottom surface of one recess of the plurality of recesses. Each recess may have a greater diameter than…
STRUCTURE AND TECHNIQUE OF PHOTO-DEFINED SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH SELECTIVE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT REDUCTION
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250117561
A semiconductor device may include a substrate. The semiconductor device may also include a dielectric material characterized, at least in part, by a dielectric constant. The semiconductor device may include a metallic pathway formed in the dielectric material. The semiconductor device may include a region about the metallic pathway of the semiconductor device may include a plurality of air gaps within the dielectric material and arranged three-dimensionally throughout the region, where…
MODEL-BASED ACOUSTO-OPTIC DEPTH-METROLOGY OF SPECIMENS
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250116597
Disclosed herein is a method for non-destructive depth-profiling including projecting a pulsed pump beam into a specimen, projecting a pulsed probe beam thereinto, and sensing light returned therefrom to obtain a measured signal. Each probe pulse is configured to undergo Brillouin scattering off a primary acoustic pulse induced by the directly preceding pump pulse, so as to be scattered there off at a respective depth within the specimen. The method further includes executing an…
ARC REDUCTION AND RF CONTROL FOR ELECTROSTATIC CHUCKS IN SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250116001
A semiconductor processing chamber may include a pedestal configured to support a substrate during a plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition (PECVD) process that forms a film on a surface of the substrate. The chamber may also include one or more internal meshes embedded in the pedestal. The one or more internal meshes may be configured to deliver radio-frequency (RF) power to a plasma in the semiconductor processing chamber during the PECVD process. An outer diameter of the one or…
COMPACT DYNAMIC LEVELING LIFT MECHANISM
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250115999
Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a chamber body. The chambers may include a bottom plate coupled with a bottom surface of the chamber body. The chambers may include a substrate support assembly disposed within the chamber body. The substrate support assembly may include a support plate and a support stem coupled with the support plate. The chambers may include a mounting bracket that couples the support stem with a lower surface of the bottom plate. The chambers…
CURABLE FORMULATIONS FOR POLISHING PADS
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250115698
Printable resin precursor compositions and polishing articles including printable resin precursors are provided. Printable resin precursors include a curable precursor formulation having a viscosity of less than or about 15 cP at 70° which include at least one urethane acrylate oligomer, at least one reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator. The curable precursor formulation exhibits an ultimate tensile strength measured in mPa and an elongation at break (%), where a product of the…
CURABLE FORMULATIONS FOR POLISHING PADS
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250115697
Printable resin precursor compositions and polishing articles including printable resin precursors are provided. Printable resin precursors include a curable precursor formulation having a viscosity of less than or about 15 cP at 70° which include at least one urethane acrylate oligomer, at least one reactive monomer, and a photoinitiator. The curable precursor formulation exhibits an ultimate tensile strength measured in mPa and an elongation at break (%), where a product of the…
HIGH PERFORMANCE CMP MULTIDISK APPARATUS
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250114908
A system may include a gimbal defining a plurality of pockets, where each pocket may include a first portion and a second portion that extends between the first portion and a base of the pocket. The second portion may have a greater diameter than the first portion. The system may include a plurality of conditioning disks, where each conditioning disk is seated within the first portion of a respective pocket. The system may include a plurality of gaskets, where each gasket is seated…
RETAINING-RING-LESS CMP PROCESS
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250114903
Exemplary carrier heads for a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus may include a carrier body. The carrier heads may include a flexible membrane coupled with the carrier body. The flexible membrane may include a substrate-receiving surface that faces away from the carrier body. The substrate-receiving surface may include a plurality of gripping elements that protrude away from the substrate-receiving surface. Each of the plurality of gripping elements may have a maximum lateral…
HORIZONTAL PRE-CLEAN 2-STAGE DOWNFORCE MECHANISM WITH FLEXURE
Granted: April 10, 2025
Application Number:
20250114902
Exemplary chemical mechanical cleaning systems may include a carrier head. The systems may include a motor that is coupled with the carrier head. The motor may be operable to rotate the carrier head about a central axis of the carrier head. The systems may include a two-stage downforce actuator that is operable to vertically translate the carrier head and the motor between a raised position and a cleaning position. The downforce actuator may include a first stage that includes a linear…
