SEMICONDUCTOR MASK RESHAPING USING A SACRIFICIAL LAYER
Granted: March 10, 2022
Application Number:
20220076962
Provided herein are methods and related apparatus for mask reconstruction in an etch process. The methods involve depositing a sacrificial layer on the mask layer. The sacrificial layer may be used to protect position on the mask layer. Following mask reshaping, the sacrificial layer may be removed using the same etch process that is used to etch the target material.
VACUUM-INTEGRATED HARDMASK PROCESSES AND APPARATUS
Granted: March 10, 2022
Application Number:
20220075260
Vacuum-integrated photoresist-less methods and apparatuses for forming metal hardmasks can provide sub-30 nm patterning resolution. A metal-containing (e.g., metal salt or organometallic compound) film that is sensitive to a patterning agent is deposited on a semiconductor substrate. The metal-containing film is then patterned directly (i.e., without the use of a photoresist) by exposure to the patterning agent in a vacuum ambient to form the metal mask. For example, the metal-containing…
LOW STRESS FILMS FOR ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR APPLICATIONS
Granted: March 3, 2022
Application Number:
20220068636
Films that can be useful in large area gap fill applications, such as in the formation of advanced 3D NAND devices, involve processing a semiconductor substrate by depositing on a patterned semiconductor substrate a doped silicon oxide film, the film having a thickness of at least 5 gm, and annealing the doped silicon oxide film to a temperature above the film glass transition temperature. In some embodiments, reflow of the film may occur. The composition and processing conditions of the…
UNDERLAYER FOR PHOTORESIST ADHESION AND DOSE REDUCTION
Granted: February 10, 2022
Application Number:
20220043334
This disclosure relates generally to a patterning structure including an underlayer and an imaging layer, as well as methods and apparatuses thereof. In particular embodiments, the underlayer provides an increase in radiation absorptivity and/or patterning performance of the imaging layer.
UNDERLAYER FOR PHOTORESIST ADHESION AND DOSE REDUCTION
Granted: February 3, 2022
Application Number:
20220035247
This disclosure relates generally to a patterning structure including an underlayer and an imaging layer, as well as methods and apparatuses thereof. In particular embodiments, the underlayer provides an increase in radiation absorptivity and/or patterning performance of the imaging layer.
DRY DEVELOPMENT OF RESISTS
Granted: January 20, 2022
Application Number:
20220020584
Dry development of resists can be useful, for example, to form a patterning mask in the context of high-resolution patterning. Dry development may be advantageously accomplished by a method of processing a semiconductor substrate including providing in a process chamber a photopatterned resist on a substrate layer on a semiconductor substrate, and dry developing the photopatterned resist by removing either an exposed portion or an unexposed portion of the resist by a dry development…
MOLYBDENUM TEMPLATES FOR TUNGSTEN
Granted: January 13, 2022
Application Number:
20220013365
Provided herein are low resistance metallization stack structures for logic and memory applications and related methods of fabrication, The methods involve forming bulk conductive films on thin low resistivity transition metal layers that have large grain size. The bulk conductive films follow the grains of the low resistivity transition metal films, resulting in large grain size. Also provided are devices including template layers and bulk films.
THROUGHPUT IMPROVEMENT WITH INTERVAL CONDITIONING PURGING
Granted: December 23, 2021
Application Number:
20210395885
Processing methods and apparatus for increasing a reaction chamber batch size. Such a method of processing deposition substrates (e.g., wafers), involves conducting a deposition on a first portion of a batch of deposition wafers in a reaction chamber, conducting an interval conditioning reaction chamber purge to remove defects generated by the wafer processing from the reaction chamber; and following the interval conditioning mid-batch reaction chamber purge, conducting the deposition on…
METHODS FOR MAKING HARD MASKS USEFUL IN NEXT-GENERATION LITHOGRAPHY
Granted: December 23, 2021
Application Number:
20210397085
Imaging layers on the surface of a substrate may be patterned using next generation lithographic techniques, and the resulting patterned film may be used as a lithographic mask, for example, for production of a semiconductor device.
CROSS FLOW CONDUIT FOR FOAMING PREVENTION IN HIGH CONVECTION PLATING CELLS
Granted: December 23, 2021
Application Number:
20210395913
The embodiments herein relate to apparatuses and methods for electroplating one or more materials onto a substrate. Embodiments herein utilize a cross flow conduit in the electroplating cell to divert flow of fluid from a region between a substrate and a channeled ionically resistive plate positioned near the substrate down to a level lower than level of fluid in a fluid containment unit for collecting overflow fluid from the plating system for recirculation. The cross flow conduit can…
PLASMA ENHANCED WAFER SOAK FOR THIN FILM DEPOSITION
Granted: November 25, 2021
Application Number:
20210366705
Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for providing a substrate onto a substrate support in a processing chamber, generating an inert plasma in the processing chamber, and maintaining the inert plasma to heat the substrate to a steady state temperature, suitable for conducting plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), in less than 30 seconds from providing the substrate onto the substrate support. An apparatus may include a processing chamber, a process station that includes a…
ULTRATHIN ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION FILM ACCURACY THICKNESS CONTROL
Granted: November 4, 2021
Application Number:
20210343520
Methods for depositing ultrathin films by atomic layer deposition with reduced wafer-to-wafer variation are provided. Methods involve exposing the substrate to soak gases including one or more gases used during a plasma exposure operation of an atomic layer deposition cycle prior to the first atomic layer deposition cycle to heat the substrate to the deposition temperature.
IN SITU PROTECTIVE COATING OF CHAMBER COMPONENTS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING
Granted: November 4, 2021
Application Number:
20210340670
An in situ protective coating is deposited on surfaces of chamber components of a reaction chamber at high temperatures. The in situ protective coating may be deposited at a temperature greater than about 200° C. to provide a high quality coating that is resistant to certain types of halogen chemistries, such as fluorine-based species, chlorine-based species, bromine-based species, or iodine-based species. Subsequent coatings or layers may be deposited on the in situ protective coating…
CONTINUOUS PLASMA FOR FILM DEPOSITION AND SURFACE TREATMENT
Granted: October 28, 2021
Application Number:
20210335606
Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for flowing a reactant process gas into a processing chamber containing a substrate, generating a plasma at a first power level in the processing chamber during the flowing of the reactant process gas, thereby depositing a layer of a material on the substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, maintaining the plasma while ceasing flowing the reactant process gas into the processing chamber, thereby stopping the depositing, without…
ELECTRON EXCITATION ATOMIC LAYER ETCH
Granted: September 9, 2021
Application Number:
20210280433
Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for performing atomic layer etching. A method may include modifying one or more surface layers of material on the substrate and exposing the one or more modified surface layers on the substrate to an electron source thereby removing, without using a plasma, the one or more modified surface layers on the substrate. An apparatus may include a processing chamber, a process gas unit, an electron source, and a controller with instructions configured to…
THERMAL IMAGING FOR WITHIN WAFER VARIABILITY FEEDFORWARD OR FEEDBACK INFORMATION
Granted: September 2, 2021
Application Number:
20210270673
IR radiation may be used to examine substrates prior to a fabrication operation in order to adjust processing parameters of the fabrication operation, or to determine features of the substrate. A thermographic image may be collected and provided to a transfer function or machine learning model to determine processing parameters or features. The processing parameters may improve the uniformity of the wafer and/or achieve a desired target feature value.
RESIST AND ETCH MODELING
Granted: May 27, 2021
Application Number:
20210157228
Computer implemented methods and computer program products have instructions for generating transfer functions that relate segments on lithography photomasks to features produced by photolithography and etching using such segments. Such methods may be characterized by the following elements: (a) receiving after development inspection metrology results produced from one or more first test substrates on which resist was applied and patterned using a set of design layout segments; (b)…
CONTROLLING PLATING ELECTROLYTE CONCENTRATION ON AN ELECTROCHEMICAL PLATING APPARATUS
Granted: May 6, 2021
Application Number:
20210130976
Methods and electroplating systems for controlling plating electrolyte concentration on an electrochemical plating apparatus for substrates are disclosed. A method involves: (a) providing an electroplating solution to an electroplating system; (b) electroplating the metal onto the substrate while the substrate is held in a cathode chamber of an electroplating cell of electroplating system; (c) supplying the make-up solution to the electroplating system via a make-up solution inlet; and…
THERMAL ATOMIC LAYER ETCH WITH RAPID TEMPERATURE CYCLING
Granted: April 8, 2021
Application Number:
20210104414
Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for performing atomic layer etching. A method may include supporting and thermally floating a substrate in a processing chamber, modifying one or more surface layers of material on the substrate by chemical adsorption, without using a plasma, while the substrate is maintained at a first temperature, and removing the one or more modified surface layers by desorption, without using a plasma, while the substrate is maintained at a second temperature,…
CONNECTOR FOR SUBSTRATE SUPPORT WITH EMBEDDED TEMPERATURE SENSORS
Granted: February 18, 2021
Application Number:
20210047732
An electrical connector includes first, second, third, and fourth electrical conductors. The first, second, third, and fourth electrical conductors each include a first end to be electrically connected to a respective electrically conductive pad formed on a surface of a ceramic layer of a substrate support and a second end to be electrically connected to a respective wire within a through hole in the substrate support. The electrical connector also includes a retainer to hold the first,…
