Applied Materials Patent Applications

SINGLE GATE THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3D) DYNAMIC RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY (DRAM) DEVICES

Granted: March 21, 2024
Application Number: 20240098971
A memory cell array includes a plurality of memory levels stacked in a first direction, each of the plurality of memory levels including an active region, a cell transistor having a single gate above the active region in the first direction, and a cell capacitor having a bottom electrode layer that is electrically connected to the active region.

DRIFT TUBE ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT HAVING DIRECT CURRENT OPTICS

Granted: March 21, 2024
Application Number: 20240098871
An apparatus may include a drift tube assembly having a plurality of drift tubes to conduct an ion beam along a beam propagation direction. The plurality of drift tubes may define a multi-gap configuration corresponding to a plurality of acceleration gaps, wherein at least one powered drift tube of the drift tube assembly is coupled to receive an RF voltage signal. The apparatus may also include a DC electrode assembly that includes a conductor line, arranged within a resonator coil that…

OPTIMIZED SADDLE NOZZLE DESIGN FOR GAS INJECTION SYSTEM

Granted: March 21, 2024
Application Number: 20240096592
A gas injection nozzle that includes an elongated gas conduit that comprises: a first gas conduit segment configured to be coupled with a gas reservoir; a second gas conduit segment fluidly coupled to the first gas conduit segment and defining a downward curve of the elongated gas conduit; a third gas conduit segment defining an upward curve of the elongated gas conduit that extends to a sealed end and is disposed in a mirrored relationship with at least a portion of the second gas…

NON-DESTRUCTIVE SEM-BASED DEPTH-PROFILING OF SAMPLES

Granted: March 21, 2024
Application Number: 20240096591
Disclosed herein is a system for non-destructive depth-profiling of samples. The system includes: (i) an electron beam (e-beam) source for projecting e-beams at each of a plurality of landing energies on an inspected sample; (ii) an electron sensor for obtaining a measured set of electron intensities pertaining to each of the landing energies; and (iii) processing circuitry for determining a set of structural parameters, which characterizes an internal geometry and/or a composition of…

NON-DESTRUCTIVE SEM-BASED DEPTH-PROFILING OF SAMPLES

Granted: March 21, 2024
Application Number: 20240094150
Disclosed herein is a computer-based method for non-destructive depth-profiling of samples. The method includes a measurement operation and a data analysis operation. The measurement operation includes, for each of a plurality of landing energies: (i) projecting an electron beam on a sample, which penetrates the sample to a respective depth determined by the landing energy, and (ii) sensing electrons returned from the sample, thereby obtaining a respective sensed electrons data set. The…

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR RADICAL AND THERMAL PROCESSING OF SUBSTRATES

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087889
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for processing channel structures of substrates that include positioning the substrate in a first processing chamber having a first processing volume. The substrate includes a channel structure with high aspect ratio features having aspect ratios greater than about 20:1. The method includes forming a silicon-containing layer over the channel structure to a hydrogen-or-deuterium plasma in the first processing volume at a flow rate of…

Shutter Disk

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087913
Describes are shutter disks comprising one or more of titanium (Ti), barium (Ba), or cerium (Ce) for physical vapor deposition (PVD) that allows pasting to minimize outgassing and control defects during etching of a substrate. The shutter disks incorporate getter materials that are highly selective to reactive gas molecules, including O2, CO, CO2, and water.

METHODS OF HIGHLY SELECTIVE SILICON OXIDE REMOVAL

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087910
A semiconductor processing method may include providing a fluorine-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be disposed within the processing region. The substrate may include an exposed region of silicon-and-oxygen-containing material. The substrate may include an exposed region of a liner material. The methods may include providing a hydrogen-containing precursor to the semiconductor processing region. The methods may include…

RADICAL TREATMENT FOR METAL GATE STACK

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087899
Methods of manufacturing and processing semiconductor devices (i.e., electronic devices) are described. The methods include treating a surface of a metal gate stack with a radical treatment. The radical treatment may be used to treat one or more layers or surfaces of layers in the metal gate stack. The radical treatment may be performed once or multiple times during the methods described herein. The radical treatment comprises flowing one or more of nitrogen radicals (N2*) and hydrogen…

HIGH DENSITY CARBON FILMS FOR PATTERNING APPLICATIONS

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087894
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to deposition of high transparency, high-density carbon films for patterning applications. In one embodiment, a method of forming a carbon film on a substrate is provided. The method includes flowing a hydrocarbon-containing gas mixture into a process chamber having a substrate positioned on an electrostatic chuck, wherein the substrate is maintained at a temperature of about ?10° C. to about 20° C. and a chamber pressure of about…

FLUORINE-DOPED SILICON-CONTAINING MATERIALS

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087882
Exemplary semiconductor processing methods may include providing one or more deposition precursors to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting a substrate housed in the processing region with the one or more deposition precursors. The methods may include forming a silicon-containing material on the substrate. The methods may include providing a fluorine-containing precursor to the processing region of the semiconductor processing…

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DEPOSITING LOW-K DIELECTRIC FILMS

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087881
Embodiments include semiconductor processing methods to form low-K films on semiconductor substrates are described. The processing methods may include flowing one or more deposition precursors to a semiconductor processing system, wherein the one or more deposition precursors include a silicon-containing precursor. The silicon-containing precursor may include a carbon chain. The methods may include generating a deposition plasma from the one or more deposition precursors. The methods may…

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DEPOSITING LOW-K DIELECTRIC FILMS

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240087880
Embodiments include semiconductor processing methods to form low-? films on semiconductor substrates are described. The processing methods may include flowing one or more deposition precursors to a semiconductor processing system. The one or more deposition precursors may include a silicon-containing precursor that may be a cyclic compound. The methods may include generating a deposition plasma from the one or more deposition precursors. The methods may include depositing a…

Z-PROFILING OF WAFERS BASED ON X-RAY MEASUREMENTS

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240085356
A computer-based method for non-destructive z-profiling of samples. The method includes: a measurement operation and a data analysis operation. The measurement operation includes, for each of a plurality of landing energies: (i) projecting an electron beam on a sample at a respective landing energy, such that light-emitting interactions between electrons from the electron beam and the sample occur within a respective probed region of the sample, which is centered about a respective…

DEPTH-PROFILING OF SAMPLES BASED ON X-RAY MEASUREMENTS

Granted: March 14, 2024
Application Number: 20240085351
Disclosed herein is a system for non-destructive depth-profiling of samples. The system includes an electron beam source, a light sensor, and processing circuitry. The electron beam source configured to project e-beams on an inspected sample at each of a plurality of landing energies, which induce X-ray emitting interactions within each of a plurality of probed regions in the inspected sample, respectively, whose depth is determined by the landing energy. The light sensor is configured…

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.

SiC MOSFET Including Trench with Rounded Corners

Granted: March 7, 2024
Application Number: 20240079236
Disclosed herein are approaches for forming a SiC MOSFET including at least one trench with rounded corners. In one approach, a method may include providing a masking layer over a silicon carbide (SiC) layer, wherein an opening is formed in the masking layer, and providing a sidewall spacer along a sidewall of the opening of the masking layer. The method may further include forming an implant region within the SiC layer by directing ions through the opening defined by the sidewall…

OPTICAL ABSORPTION SENSOR FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING

Granted: March 7, 2024
Application Number: 20240079220
Semiconductor processing systems and methods are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor processing system may include a semiconductor processing chamber containing a solid boron deposit, a remote plasma unit disposed upstream of the semiconductor processing chamber, and an optical absorption sensor disposed downstream of the semiconductor processing chamber. The remote plasma unit may be configured to generate plasma effluents from a fluorine-containing precursor. The optical absorption…

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…

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.