COMPOSITE ION SOURCE BASED UPON HETEROGENEOUS METAL-METAL FLUORIDE SYSTEM
Granted: October 12, 2023
Application Number:
20230326703
An ion source is provided. The ion source may include an ion chamber to generate an ion beam comprising a metal ion species; and a charge source, coupled to deliver a metal vapor to the ion chamber, the charge source including a charge mixture. The charge mixture may include a first portion, comprising an elemental metal; and a second portion, comprising a heterogeneous metal fluoride compound.
INTEGRATED CLEANING AND SELECTIVE MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION PROCESSES
Granted: October 12, 2023
Application Number:
20230323543
Embodiments of the disclosure advantageously provide in situ selectively deposited molybdenum films having reduced resistivity and methods of reducing or eliminating lateral growth of a selectively deposited molybdenum layer. Additional embodiments provide integrated clean and deposition processes which improve the selectivity of in situ selectively deposited molybdenum films on features, such as a via. Further embodiments advantageously provide methods of improving uniformity and…
ELECTROPLATING SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH INCREASED METAL ION CONCENTRATIONS
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230313405
Embodiments of the present technology include electroplating methods that include providing a first portion of an electrolyte feedstock to a first compartment of an electrochemical cell. The first portion of an electrolyte feedstock may be characterized by an initial metal ion concentration and an initial acid concentration. The methods may include providing a second portion of an electrolyte feedstock to a second compartment of the electrochemical cell. The second compartment and first…
COATINGS WITH DIFFUSION BARRIERS FOR CORROSION AND CONTAMINATION PROTECTION
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230317634
Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing are described. The methods are developed to increase corrosion resistance to a substrate, such as a metal substrate. The methods include forming a first oxygen-containing material on a substrate. The first oxygen-containing material may be or include silicon oxide, yttrium oxide, or aluminum oxide. The methods may include forming a barrier layer on the first oxygen-containing material. The methods may include forming a second…
Metal Surface Blocking Molecules for Selective Deposition
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230317516
Methods for selectively depositing on metallic surfaces are disclosed. Some embodiments of the disclosure utilize a metal-carbonyl containing precursor to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on metallic surfaces.
PLASMA SHOWERHEAD WITH IMPROVED UNIFORMITY
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230317416
Plasma showerheads with improved gas uniformity are disclosed. One or more embodiment of the disclosure provides a plasma showerhead with angled gas nozzles. Some embodiments of the disclosure have gas nozzles angled by a vertical offset angle and/or a directional offset angle. None of the gas channels and/or the gas nozzles intersect with the plasma regions of the showerhead.
RADIO FREQUENCY SOURCE FOR INDUCTIVELY COUPLED AND CAPACITIVELY COUPLED PLASMAS IN SUBSTRATE PROCESSING CHAMBERS
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230317411
A radio frequency (RF) source may be used to generate a capacitively coupled plasma to perform a plasma-based process on a substrate in a plasma processing chamber. A controller may cause the RF source and a switching element to route an RF signal to electrodes in the pedestal that generate the plasma in the processing chamber as part of a recipe performed on a substrate during etch or deposition processes. Between processes, the controller may cause the same RF source to generate a…
DETERMINING A DEPTH OF A HIDDEN STRUCTURAL ELEMENT BACKGROUND
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230317407
A method for determining a depth of a hidden structural element of an object, the method may include (i) obtaining contrast information regarding a contrast between (a) hidden structural element detection signals that are indicative of electrons emitted from the hidden structural element, and (b) surroundings detection signals that are indicative of electrons emitted from a surroundings of the hidden structural element; wherein the hidden structural element detection signals and the…
ADDING A FLOATING ANALOG VOLTAGE SIGNAL OVER A REFERENCE ANALOG VOLTAGE SIGNAL
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230314901
A method and a system for adding a floating analog voltage signal over a reference analog voltage signal. The system and the method may accurately control the value of the floating analog voltage signal—using an optical feedback path, and may directly add the floating analog voltage signal over the reference analog voltage signal.
ELECTROPLATING SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH INCREASED METAL ION CONCENTRATIONS
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230313406
Electroplating methods may include providing an electrolyte feedstock comprising copper to a first compartment of an electrochemical cell. The methods may include providing an acidic solution to a second compartment of the electrochemical cell. The first compartment and second compartment may be separated by a membrane. The methods may include applying a current to an anode of the electrochemical cell. The anode of the electrochemical cell may be disposed proximate the first compartment…
METHODS OF PREVENTING METAL CONTAMINATION BY CERAMIC HEATER
Granted: October 5, 2023
Application Number:
20230313378
Substrate support, substrate support assemblies and process chambers comprising same are described. The substrate support has a thermally conductive body with a top surface, a bottom surface and an outer edge, and a plurality of long edge purge channel outlet opening at the outer edge of the thermally conductive body. The substrate support is configured to support a substrate to be processed on a top surface of the substrate support. The top surface of the thermally conductive body may…
LASER DRILLED FACEPLATE
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230302582
Exemplary methods of fabricating a faceplate for a processing chamber may include drilling a first portion of each of a plurality of apertures in a first surface of a faceplate. Each first portion may extend at least partially through a thickness of the faceplate. The methods may include detecting a center of each first portion using a laser drilling apparatus. The methods may include drilling a diffuser portion in each of the plurality of apertures using the laser drilling apparatus.…
ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR 3D NAND
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230309300
Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include providing a silicon-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. Alternating layers of material may be formed on the substrate. One or more recesses may be formed in the alternating layers of material. The methods may include forming a first silicon-containing material. The first silicon-containing…
SUPPORT LAYER FOR SMALL PITCH FILL
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230309295
Provided is a DRAM device having a support layer to hold the bWL features before being filled with the electrode metal. The support layer keeps the structure supported from the top surface but does not prevent the gap fill. A temporary gap-fill material is first deposited in the bWL gaps and then recessed to expose the top edges. A support layer material is then deposited on the structure by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The device is then patterned orthogonal and…
LOW TEMPERATURE N-TYPE CONTACT EPI FORMATION
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230307506
Methods for forming a semiconductor structure and semiconductor structures are described. The method comprises non-selectively depositing an amorphous silicon layer on a top surface and a sidewall surface of at least one contact trench on a substrate and a crystalline silicon layer on a bottom surface of the at least one contact trench at a temperature less than or equal to 400° C., the bottom surface including a source/drain material. The amorphous silicon layer is selectively removed…
LINER TO FORM COMPOSITE HIGH-K DIELECTRIC
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230307491
Provided are methods to reduce the thickness of a high-? layer needed in a DRAM capacitor and, thus, allow the cell electrodes to be larger, giving higher cell capacitance. A tantalum nitride (TaN) layer is introduced as a liner in the capacitor hole before a titanium nitride (TiN) electrode layer. The TaN layer converts to a thin layer of tantalum oxide (Ta2O5), which permits a reduction in the high-? layer thickness for the same capacitance versus leakage. Because this Ta2O5 is formed…
PIXELATED SHOWERHEAD FOR RF SENSITIVE PROCESSES
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230307228
Exemplary semiconductor processing chambers may include a gas delivery assembly. The chambers may include a substrate support. The chambers may include a faceplate positioned between the gas delivery assembly and the substrate support. The faceplate may be characterized by a first surface and a second surface. The second surface of the faceplate and the substrate support may at least partially define a processing region. The faceplate may define a first plurality of apertures and a…
ENHANCED CHAMBER CLEAN AND RECOVERY WITH DUAL FLOW PATH
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230307216
Processing chambers comprising a chamber body, a remote plasma source (RPS) outside the chamber body, a first connection line between the remote plasma source and the interior volume of the chamber body through the top wall and a second connection line between the remote plasma source and the interior volume through the sidewall of the chamber body. Methods of cleaning a processing chamber comprising flowing an etchant gas through the RPS into the chamber body, followed by a flow…
VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE PLASMA SOURCE
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230307213
The disclosure describes a plasma source assemblies comprising a differential screw assembly, an RF hot electrode, a top cover, an upper housing and a lower housing. The differential screw assembly is configured to provide force to align the plasma source assembly vertically matching planarity of a susceptor. More particularly, the differential screw assembly increases a distance between the top cover and the upper housing to align the gap with the susceptor. The disclosure also provides…
Process Chamber And Process Kits For Advanced Packaging
Granted: September 28, 2023
Application Number:
20230307211
Process kits for processing chambers and processing chambers having a lower shield and lower shield ring are described. The lower shield has a ring-shaped body with an inner wall and an outer wall, a top wall and a bottom wall with an outer ledge wall extends outwardly from a lower portion of the outer wall to an outer ledge outer wall. The lower shield ring has a ramped lower inner wall with a top face spaced a distance from the bottom face of the upper inner wall so that the distance…
