Applied Materials Patent Applications

LANTHANUM NITRIDE AS A DRAM MOLYBDENUM LINER

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240074162
Methods for DRAM device with a buried word line are described. The method includes forming a metal nitride layer comprising lanthanum nitride (LaN) and a molybdenum conductor layer in a feature on a substrate. The method includes depositing the molybdenum conductor layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the metal nitride layer.

FDSOI DEVICE INCLUDING SELF-ALIGNED DIFFUSION BREAK

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240072059
Disclosed herein are approaches for forming a FDSOI, single diffusion break device. In one approach, a method may include providing a plurality of gates in a stack of layers, wherein each gate of the plurality of gates comprises a sidewall spacer, and forming a mask over the stack of layers, wherein an opening through the mask exposes a dummy gate of the plurality of gates. The method may further comprise etching a gate material of the dummy gate to form a recess in a…

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.

ION IMPLANTATION FOR INCREASED ADHESION WITH RESIST MATERIAL

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240071773
Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include forming a layer of silicon-containing material on a semiconductor substrate. The methods may include performing a post-formation treatment on the layer of silicon-containing material to yield a treated layer of silicon-containing material. The methods may include contacting the treated layer of silicon-containing material with an adhesion agent. The methods may include forming a layer of a resist material on the treated layer of…

OPTICAL AUTO-FOCUS UNIT AND A METHOD FOR AUTO-FOCUS

Granted: February 29, 2024
Application Number: 20240071715
A charged particle evaluation system that may include a column that includes an opening; an illumination unit that is configured to scan an area of a sample with an electron beam that passes through the opening; and an optical auto-focus unit that is configured to (i) illuminate the sample with an optical beam that is proximate to the electron beam, during the scan of the area with the electron beam; (ii) receive a reflected optical beam from the sample, (iii) determine a focus status of…

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…

ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY SENSING UNIT BACKGROUND

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240060912
An EDX sensing unit that includes an x-ray sensor including one or more sensing regions, and a protective unit that is configured to introduce a change in one or more properties of electrons emitted from the sample, thereby preventing the electrons emitted from the sample from reaching the one or more sensing regions; wherein the electrons are emitted from the sample due to an illuminating of the sample by a primary electron beam. The x-ray sensor is configured to (i) receive, by the one…

RESONATOR, LINEAR ACCELERATOR, AND ION IMPLANTER HAVING DIELECTRIC-FREE RESONATOR CHAMBER

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240064888
An apparatus may include a resonator chamber, arranged in a vacuum enclosure; an RF electrode assembly, arranged within the vacuum enclosure; and a resonator coil, disposed within the resonator chamber, the resonator coil having a high voltage end, directly connected to at least one RF electrode of the RF electrode assembly.

INTEGRATED DIPOLE REGION FOR TRANSISTOR

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240063064
Methods of manufacturing and processing semiconductor devices (i.e., electronic devices) are described. Embodiments of the disclosure advantageously provide electronic devices which comprise a dipole region and meet reduced thickness and lower thermal budget requirements. The electronic devices described herein comprise a source region, a drain region, and a channel separating the source region and the drain region, an interfacial layer on a top surface of the channel, a high-?…

ENHANCED DEPOSITION RATE BY THERMAL ISOLATION COVER FOR GIS MANIPULATOR

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240062990
A system for depositing material over a sample in a localized region of the sample, the system including: a vacuum chamber; a thermal mass disposed outside the vacuum chamber; a sample support configured to hold a sample within the vacuum chamber during a sample evaluation process; a charged particle beam column configured to direct a charged particle beam into the vacuum chamber toward the sample such that the charged particle beam collides with the sample in a deposition region; a gas…

CONFORMAL MOLYBDENUM DEPOSITION

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240060175
Embodiments of the disclosure provide conformally deposited molybdenum films having reduced resistivity and methods of forming the same. The methods include forming a nucleation layer directly on a dielectric layer on a substrate surface by exposing the substrate surface to a molybdenum-containing precursor and a nucleation reactant, and conformally depositing a molybdenum film on the nucleation layer. Another aspect of the disclosure pertains to a method that is part of a gap fill…

ENERGY DISPERSIVE X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY SENSING UNIT

Granted: February 22, 2024
Application Number: 20240057957
An energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) sensing unit, the EDX sensing unit include a protective unit and an x-ray sensor that includes one or more sensing regions. The protective unit is configured to (i) introduce a change in one or more properties of electrons emitted from a sample, thereby preventing the electrons emitted from the sample from reaching the one or more sensing regions, the electrons are emitted from the sample due to an illuminating of the sample by a primary…

VACUUM SEAL FOR ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240055289
Exemplary substrate support assemblies may include an electrostatic chuck body. The body may include a support plate defining a substrate support surface. The body may include a base plate coupled with the support plate. A bottom surface of the base plate may define an annular recess. The body may include a cooling plate coupled with the base plate. The assemblies may include a support stem coupled with the body. The assemblies may include a heater embedded within the body. The…

DRY ETCH FOR NITRIDE EXHUME PROCESSES IN 3D NAND FABRICATION

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240055269
A three-dimensional (3D) NAND memory structure may include alternating layers of materials arranged in a vertical stack on a silicon substrate, such as alternating oxide and nitride layers. The alternating nitride layers may later be removed, and the recesses may be filled with a conductive material to form word lines for the memory array. To avoid pinching off these recesses with silicon byproducts from a traditional wet etch, a dry etch may be instead be used to remove the nitrite…

SELECTIVE DEPOSITION FOR SUB 20 NM PITCH EUV PATTERNING

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240055255
Methods of selectively depositing a carbon-containing layer are described. Exemplary processing methods may include treating a substrate comprising a carbon-containing surface and a silicon-containing surface with one or more of ozone or hydrogen peroxide to passivate the silicon-containing surface. In one or more embodiments, a carbon-containing layer is then selectively deposited on the carbon-containing surface and not on the silicon-containing surface by flowing a first precursor…

METHODS OF SELECTIVE ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION

Granted: February 15, 2024
Application Number: 20240052487
Methods of depositing a film selectively onto a first substrate surface relative to a second substrate surface are described. The methods include exposing the substrate surfaces to a blocking compound to selectively form a blocking layer on at least a portion of the first surface over the second surface. The substrate is sequentially exposed to a metal precursor with a kinetic diameter in excess of 21 angstroms and a reactant to selectively form a metal-containing layer on the second…

INTERLOCK SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING CHAMBER EXHAUST ASSEMBLY

Granted: February 8, 2024
Application Number: 20240043994
Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a gas source coupled with a number of processing chambers. The gas source may include a controller. Each chamber may include an exhaust assembly having a foreline and a pump. The systems may include at least one abatement system coupled with each pump. The systems may include a plurality of exhaust lines that extend between each pump and the abatement system. The systems may include a dilution gas source coupled with each exhaust…

SHARED RPS CLEAN AND BYPASS DELIVERY ARCHITECTURE

Granted: February 8, 2024
Application Number: 20240047185
Exemplary substrate processing systems may include a lid plate. The systems may include a gas feed line having an RPS outlet and a bypass outlet. The systems may include a remote plasma unit supported atop the lid plate. The remote plasma unit may include an inlet and an outlet. The inlet may be coupled with the RPS outlet. The systems may include a center manifold having an RPS inlet coupled with the outlet and a bypass inlet coupled with the bypass outlet. The center manifold may…

WORDLINE SIDEWALL CONTACTS IN 3D NAND STRUCTURES

Granted: February 8, 2024
Application Number: 20240046966
A three-dimensional (3D) NAND memory structure may include material layers arranged in a vertical stack including alternating horizontal insulating layers and wordline layers. The material layers may be etched to form a landing pad. A vertical wordline may extend through one or more of the horizontal wordline layers beneath the landing pad. The vertical wordline may be conductively connected to a top horizontal wordline, and the vertical wordline may be insulated from any of the…

HIGH-THROUGHPUT SPATIAL IMAGING SYSTEM FOR BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

Granted: February 8, 2024
Application Number: 20240045191
An imaging system for capturing spatial images of biological tissue samples may include an imaging chamber configured to hold a biological tissue sample placed in the imaging system; a light source configured to illuminate the biological tissue sample to activate a plurality of fluorophores in the biological tissue sample; and a plurality of Time Delay and Integration (TDI) imagers configured to simultaneously scan the biological tissue sample, where the plurality of TDI imagers may be…