MULTILAYER COATING FOR CORROSION RESISTANCE
Granted: September 14, 2023
Application Number:
20230290615
Exemplary methods of coating a metal-containing component are described. The methods are developed to increase corrosion resistance and improve coating adhesion to a metal substrate. The methods include forming a bonding layer on a metal substrate, where the bonding layer includes an oxide of a metal in the metal substrate. The coating methods further include depositing a stress buffer layer on the bonding layer, where the stress buffer layer is characterized by a stress buffer layer…
APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR NON-CONTACT TEMPERATURE MONITORING OF SUBSTRATE SUPPORTS
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230282500
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus, systems and methods for substrate processing. A detachable substrate support is disposed within a processing volume of a processing chamber and the substrate support includes a substrate interfacing surface and a back surface. The pedestal hub has a supporting surface removably coupled to the substrate support. A hub volume of the pedestal hub includes temperature measuring assembly disposed therein positioned to receive…
THERMAL SHIELD FOR PROCESSING CHAMBER
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230282454
Processing chambers, substrate supports and thermal shields are described. A thermal shield comprises a disc-shaped body having a thickness, an outer diameter with a first edge and a second edge at opposite ends of a diameter of the disc-shaped body, a front surface and a back surface defining the thickness. The front surface has a first longitudinal region comprising the first edge and a second longitudinal region comprising the second edge. Coating one or more of the first longitudinal…
PLASMA SHAPER TO CONTROL ION FLUX DISTRIBUTION OF PLASMA SOURCE
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230282449
Provided herein are approaches for providing a more uniform ion flux and ion angular distribution across a wafer to minimize etch yield loss resulting from etch profile variations. In some embodiments, a system may include a plasma source operable to generate a plasma within a plasma chamber enclosed by a chamber housing, wherein the plasma source comprises a plasma shaper extending into the plasma chamber from a wall of the chamber housing. The plasma shaper may include a shaper wall…
PHOTORESIST LOADING SOLUTIONS FOR FLAT OPTICS FABRICATION
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230280511
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods for fabricating optical devices. One embodiment of the method includes disposing a structure material layer on a surface of a substrate and disposing a patterned photoresist over the structure material layer. The patterned photoresist has at least one device portion and at least one auxiliary portion. Each device portion and each auxiliary portion exposes unmasked portions of the structure material layer. The unmasked portions of…
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING EDGE RING VARIATION
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230280150
Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for controlling surface characteristics by measuring capacitance of a process kit ring. The method includes interfacing a ring with a jig assembly for measuring capacitance in at least a first location of the ring. The ring has that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an inner surface opposite an outer surface. At least the bottom surface has an external coating placed thereon. The method further includes contacting a measuring device…
PLATING AND DEPLATING CURRENTS FOR MATERIAL CO-PLANARITY IN SEMICONDUCTOR PLATING PROCESSES
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230279576
A method of plating substrates may include placing a substrate in a plating chamber comprising a liquid, and applying a current to the liquid in the plating chamber to deposit a metal on exposed portions of the substrate, where the current may include alternating cycles of a forward plating current and a reverse deplating current. To determine the current characteristics, a model of a substrate may be simulated during the plating process to generate data points that relate…
METHOD OF FORMING A DIAMOND FILM
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230279540
Apparatuses and methods for forming a film on a substrate are described. The film is formed on the substrate by depositing an adamantane monomer and an initiator on the substrate to form a polymerizable seed layer and curing the polymerizable seed layer to form a polyadamantane layer.
SHOWERHEAD WITH EMBEDDED NUT
Granted: September 7, 2023
Application Number:
20230278062
A showerhead with an embedded nut is disclosed. The showerhead comprises an embedded nut within a cavity. The nut may be engaged by a bolt through an opening in the cavity to support the showerhead. The apparatus allows for the support of the showerhead without the potential for metal contamination.
NITROGEN-RICH SILICON NITRIDE FILMS FOR THIN FILM TRANSISTORS
Granted: August 31, 2023
Application Number:
20230274997
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to nitrogen-rich silicon nitride and methods for depositing the same, and transistors and other devices containing the same. In one or more embodiments, a passivation film stack is provided and includes a silicon oxide layer disposed on a workpiece, a nitrogen-rich silicon nitride layer disposed on the silicon oxide layer, and a hydrogen-rich silicon nitride layer disposed on the nitrogen-rich silicon nitride layer. The hydrogen-rich…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF SEASONING ELECTROSTATIC CHUCKS WITH DIELECTRIC SEASONING FILMS
Granted: August 31, 2023
Application Number:
20230274968
Semiconductor processing systems and method are described that may include flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, where the substrate processing region includes an electrostatic chuck. The methods may further include depositing a seasoning layer on the electrostatic chuck from the deposition precursors to form a seasoned electrostatic chuck. The seasoning layer may be characterized by a dielectric constant greater than or…
ELECTROCHEMICAL DEPOSITIONS OF NANOTWIN COPPER MATERIALS
Granted: August 31, 2023
Application Number:
20230272547
Exemplary methods of electroplating include contacting a patterned substrate with a plating bath in an electroplating chamber, where the pattern substrate includes at least one opening having a bottom surface and one or more sidewall surfaces. The methods may further include forming a nanotwin-containing metal material in the at least one opening. The metal material may be formed by two or more cycles that include delivering a forward current from a power supply through the plating bath…
ELECTROPLATING SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH INCREASED METAL ION CONCENTRATIONS
Granted: August 31, 2023
Application Number:
20230272546
Electroplating methods and systems are described that include adding a metal-ion-containing starting solution to a catholyte to increase a metal ion concentration in the catholyte to a first metal ion concentration. The methods and systems further include measuring the metal ion concentration in the catholyte while the metal ions electroplate onto a substrate and the catholyte reaches a second metal ion concentration that is less than the first metal ion concentration. The methods and…
LARGE-AREA HIGH-DENSITY PLASMA PROCESSING CHAMBER FOR FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS
Granted: August 31, 2023
Application Number:
20230272530
Embodiments described herein provide a lid assembly of a chamber for independent control of plasma density and gas distribution within the interior volume of the chamber. The lid assembly includes a plasma generation system and a gas distribution assembly. The plasma generation system includes a plurality of dielectric plates having a bottom surface oriented with respect to vacuum pressure and a top surface operable to be oriented with respect to atmospheric pressure. One or more coils…
CONDITION SELECTABLE BACKSIDE GAS
Granted: August 24, 2023
Application Number:
20230264238
Methods of semiconductor processing may include performing a process on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate may be seated on a substrate support positioned within a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include flowing a first backside gas through the substrate support at a first flow rate. The methods may include removing the semiconductor substrate from the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may…
CONDUCTIVE OXIDE SILICIDES FOR RELIABLE LOW CONTACT RESISTANCE
Granted: August 24, 2023
Application Number:
20230268415
Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and electronic devices comprising a work function layer comprising a material that forms a conductive oxide with or without titanium. The electronic devices comprise a silicon layer with the work function layer thereon and a metal contact on the work function layer.
LOW CONTACT RESISTANCE UNSILICIDES FOR SEMICONDUCTOR APPLICATIONS
Granted: August 24, 2023
Application Number:
20230268399
Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and electronic devices comprising a work function layer comprising a material that does not form a silicide. The electronic devices comprise a silicon layer with the work function layer thereon and a metal contact on the work function layer.
GRAY LEVEL RATIO INSPECTION
Granted: August 24, 2023
Application Number:
20230267598
A method for gray level ratio inspection comprising: obtaining an electron image that comprises region of interest (ROI) pixels of a ROI of the sample and reference pixels of a reference region of the sample, where the ROI pixels are obtained by illuminating the ROI with the electron beam and the reference pixels are obtained without illuminating the reference region with an electron beam; calculating a reference dark level value based on values of at least some of the reference pixels;…
REDUCING BACKSCATTERED ELECTRON INDUCED ERRORS
Granted: August 24, 2023
Application Number:
20230267574
A method for improving a quality of a secondary electron image of a region of a sample, the method may include obtaining a backscattered electron (BSE) image of the region and a secondary electron (SE) image of the region; wherein the BSE image and the SE image are generated by scanning of the region with an electron beam; processing the BSE image and the SE image to provide a processed BSE image and a processed SE image; and generating a BSE compensated SE image, wherein the generating…
STABLE SILICON OXYNITRIDE LAYERS AND PROCESSES OF MAKING THEM
Granted: August 24, 2023
Application Number:
20230265562
Exemplary methods of forming a silicon-oxygen-and-nitrogen-containing barrier layer are described. The methods include flowing deposition gases into a substrate processing region of a processing chamber, where the deposition gases include a silicon-containing gas and a nitrogen-containing gas. A deposition plasma is generated from the deposition gases in the substrate processing region. A silicon-oxygen-and-nitrogen-containing layer is deposited on a substrate from the deposition plasma,…
