Image based metrology of surface deformations
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288350
Methods for detecting areas of localized tilt on a sample using imaging reflectometry measurements include obtaining a first image without blocking any light reflected from the sample and obtaining a second image while blocking some light reflected from the sample at the aperture plane. The areas of localized tilt are detected by comparing first reflectance intensity values of pixels in the first image with second reflectance intensity values of corresponding pixels in the second image.
Quasi global cathode contact method for advanced patterning
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12289945
Embodiments described herein relate to sub-pixel circuits and methods of forming sub-pixel circuits that may be utilized in a display such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display. The sub-pixel circuit includes a plurality of contact overhangs. The plurality of contact overhangs are disposed between adjacent sub-pixels of a sub-pixel circuit to be formed. The contact overhangs are formed over a metal grid exposed through a PDL structure. A cathode is deposited via evaporation…
Region classification of film non-uniformity based on processing of substrate images
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288724
A method of classification of a film non-uniformity on a substrate includes obtaining a color image of a substrate with the color image comprising a plurality of color channels, obtaining a standard color for the color image of the substrate, for each respective pixel along a path in the color image determining a difference vector between the a color of the respective pixel and the standard color to generate a sequence of difference vectors, sorting the pixels along the path into a…
Metal based hydrogen barrier
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288717
A method of forming an electronic device is disclosed. The method comprises forming depositing a metal on a substrate, the metal comprising one or more of copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), or tantalum (Ta). A metal cap is deposited on the metal. The metal cap comprises one or more of molybdenum (Mo), ruthenium (Ru), iridium (Ir), rhodium (Rh), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), osmium (Os), platinum (Pt), or gold (Au). The substrate is then exposed to an anneal process, e.g., a hydrogen…
Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288704
Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. For example, an apparatus for processing a substrate comprises a transfer robot configured to position a substrate on a substrate support disposed within an interior of a processing chamber configured to process the substrate and a sensor disposed on the transfer robot, operably connected to a controller of the processing chamber, and configured with an angle of view to provide in-situ continuous closed loop feedback…
Vertically adjustable plasma source
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288677
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…
Cylindrical cavity with impedance shifting by irises in a power-supplying waveguide
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288675
A plasma reactor has a cylindrical microwave cavity overlying a workpiece processing chamber, a microwave source having a pair of microwave source outputs, and a pair of respective waveguides. The cavity has first and second input ports in a sidewall and space apart by an azimuthal angle. Each of the waveguides has a microwave input end coupled to a microwave source output and a microwave output end coupled to a respective one of the first and second input ports, a coupling aperture…
Methods and apparatus for carbon compound film deposition
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288672
A method and apparatus for depositing a carbon compound on a substrate includes using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) chamber with a chamber body, a lid, an interior volume, a pumping apparatus, and a gas delivery system and a pedestal for supporting a substrate disposed within the interior volume of the ICP chamber, the pedestal has an upper portion formed from aluminum nitride with an upper surface that is configured to support and heat a substrate with embedded heating elements…
Pulsed DC power for deposition of film
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288670
A vapor deposition system and methods of operation thereof are disclosed. The vapor deposition system includes a vacuum chamber; a dielectric target within the vacuum chamber, the dielectric target having a front surface and a thickness; a substrate support within the vacuum chamber, the substrate support having a front surface spaced from the front surface of the dielectric target to form a process gap; and a signal generator connected to the dielectric target to generate a plasma in…
Entropy based image processing for focused ion beam delayer-edge slices detection
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12288668
A method of delayering a sample that includes a second layer formed under a first layer, where the first and second layers are different materials or different texture, the method including: acquiring a plurality of gray scale images of the region of interest in an iterative process by alternating a sequence of delayering the region of interest with a first charged particle beam and imaging a surface of the region of interest with a second charged particle beam; after each iteration of…
Time constraint management at a manufacturing system
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12287624
A method for time constraint management at a manufacturing system is provided. A first request to initiate a set of operations to be run at the manufacturing system is received. The set of operations include one or more operations that each have one or more time constraints. A first set of candidate substrates to be processed during the set of operations is determined. A first simulation of the set of operations for the first set of candidate substrates is run over a first period of…
Evaporation apparatus, vapor deposition apparatus, and evaporation method
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12286703
An evaporation apparatus is described, particularly for evaporating a reactive material such as lithium. The evaporation apparatus includes an evaporation crucible for evaporating a liquid material, a material conduit for supplying the liquid material to the evaporation crucible, and a valve configured to close the material conduit by solidifying a part of the liquid material in the material conduit with a cooling device. The valve may include a cooling gas supply for a cooling gas, and…
Wafer edge asymmetry correction using groove in polishing pad
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12285838
A chemical mechanical polishing system includes a platen to hold a polishing pad, a carrier head to hold a substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, and a controller. The polishing pad has a polishing control groove. The carrier is laterally movable by a first actuator across the polishing pad and rotatable by a second actuator. The controller synchronizes lateral oscillation of the carrier head with rotation of the carrier head such that over a plurality of successive…
Target profile for a physical vapor deposition chamber target
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
D1072774
Wideband variable impedance load for high volume manufacturing qualification and on-site diagnostics
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12272524
A wideband variable impedance load for high volume manufacturing qualification and diagnostic testing of a radio frequency power source, an impedance matching network and RF sensors for generating plasma in a semiconductor plasma chamber for semiconductor fabrication processes. The wideband variable impedance load may comprise a fixed value resistance operable at a plurality of frequencies and coupled with a variable impedance network capable of transforming the fixed value resistance…
Electronic device manufacturing system
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12274007
An electronic device manufacturing system includes a mainframe including a transfer chamber and facets defining side walls of the transfer chamber. The facets include first facet, second facet, third facet, and fourth facet that form the transfer chamber. The first facet has a first number of substrate access ports. The second facet has a second number of substrate access ports. A first substrate access port of the first facet has a first side dimension and a second substrate access port…
Advanced temperature control for wafer carrier in plasma processing chamber
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12272575
An advanced temperature control system and method are described for a wafer carrier in a plasma processing chamber. In one example a heat exchanger provides a temperature controlled thermal fluid to a fluid channel of a workpiece carrier and receives the thermal fluid from the fluid channel. A proportional valve is between the heat exchanger and the fluid channel to control the rate of flow of thermal fluid from the heat exchanger to the fluid channel. A pneumatic valve is also between…
Metal oxide directional removal
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12272563
Exemplary etching methods may include modifying an exposed surface of a layer of metal oxide on a substrate housed in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber to produce a modified portion of metal oxide. The methods may include contacting the modified portion of metal oxide with a fluorine-containing precursor. The contacting may produce a metal oxy-fluoride material. The methods may include flowing an etchant precursor into the processing region. The methods may…
Selective metal removal with flowable polymer
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12272551
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods for selectively removing metal material from the top surface and sidewalls of a feature. The metal material which is covered by a flowable polymer material remains unaffected. In some embodiments, the metal material is formed by physical vapor deposition resulting in a relatively thin sidewall thickness. Any metal material remaining on the sidewall after removal of the metal material from the top surface may be etched by an additional etch…
Dual pressure oxidation method for forming an oxide layer in a feature
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12272531
A method and apparatus for growing an oxide layer within a feature of a substrate is described herein. The method is suitable for use in semiconductor manufacturing. The oxide layer is formed by exposing a substrate to both a high pressure oxidant exposure and a lower pressure oxygen containing plasma exposure. The high pressure oxidant exposure is performed at a pressure of greater than 10 Torr, while the lower pressure oxygen containing plasma exposure is performed at a pressure of…
