MOVABLE GROUND RING FOR MOVABLE SUBSTRATE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY OF A PLASMA PROCESSING CHAMBER
Granted: February 18, 2016
Application Number:
20160050781
A movable ground ring of a movable substrate support assembly that includes a step configured to support a consumable isolation ring. The consumable isolation ring is configured to electrically isolate the movable ground ring from a dielectric ring of the movable substrate support assembly.
SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURES WITH COPLANAR RECESSED GATE LAYERS AND FABRICATION METHODS
Granted: February 18, 2016
Application Number:
20160049495
Semiconductor structures and fabrication methods are provided which includes, for instance, providing a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure including multiple conformal gate layers and a gate material disposed within the multiple conformal gate layers; recessing a portion of the multiple conformal gate layers below an upper surface of the gate structure, where upper surfaces of recessed, multiple conformal gate layers are coplanar; and removing a portion of…
METHOD FOR ETCHING SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURES AND ETCHING COMPOSITION FOR USE IN SUCH A METHOD
Granted: December 31, 2015
Application Number:
20150380370
A method of etching a semiconductor structure, comprises contacting an under bump metallization (UBM) with an etching composition. The UBM includes an underlying layer comprising titanium and an overlying layer comprising a second metal. The etching composition is a liquid comprising at least 0.1 wt % hydrofluoric acid and at least 0.1 wt % phosphoric acid.
SILICON CONTAINING CONFINEMENT RING FOR PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF FORMING THEREOF
Granted: December 17, 2015
Application Number:
20150364322
A method of forming a silicon containing confinement ring for a plasma processing apparatus useful for processing a semiconductor substrate comprises inserting silicon containing vanes into grooves formed in a grooved surface of an annular carbon template wherein the grooved surface of the annular carbon template includes an upwardly projecting step at an inner perimeter thereof wherein each groove extends from the inner perimeter to an outer perimeter of the grooved surface. The step of…
Metallization Of The Wafer Edge For Optimized Electroplating Performance On Resistive Substrates
Granted: December 3, 2015
Application Number:
20150348772
A method for electroplating a substrate is provided, including: providing a substrate having a conductive layer disposed on a top surface of the substrate, the top surface of the substrate having an edge exclusion region and a process region; directing a flow of an electroless deposition solution toward the edge exclusion region while the substrate is rotated, to plate metallic material over the conductive layer at the edge exclusion region; continuing the flow of the electroless…
BACK SIDE DEPOSITION APPARATUS AND APPLICATIONS
Granted: November 26, 2015
Application Number:
20150340225
The embodiments disclosed herein pertain to methods and apparatus for depositing stress compensating layers and sacrificial layers on either the front side or back side of a substrate. In various implementations, back side deposition occurs while the wafer is in a normal front side up orientation. The front/back side deposition may be performed to reduce stress introduced through deposition on the front side of the wafer. The back side deposition may also be performed to minimize back…
DENSE OXIDE COATED COMPONENT OF A PLASMA PROCESSING CHAMBER AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF
Granted: November 26, 2015
Application Number:
20150337450
A method of forming a dense oxide coating on an aluminum component of semiconductor processing equipment comprises cold spraying a layer of pure aluminum on a surface of the aluminum component to a predetermined thickness. A dense oxide coating is then formed on the layer of pure aluminum using a plasma electrolytic oxidation process, wherein the plasma electrolytic oxidation process causes the layer of pure aluminum to undergo microplasmic discharges, thus forming the dense oxide…
PLASMA DRY STRIP PRETREATMENT TO ENHANCE ION IMPLANTED RESIST REMOVAL
Granted: November 5, 2015
Application Number:
20150316857
Systems and methods for processing a substrate include exposing a substrate to UV light from a UV light source having a predetermined wavelength range. The substrate includes a photoresist layer that has been bombarded with ions. The method includes controlling a temperature of the substrate, while exposing the substrate to the UV light, to a temperature less than or equal to a first temperature. The method includes removing the photoresist layer using plasma while maintaining a…
REAL-TIME EDGE ENCROACHMENT CONTROL FOR WAFER BEVEL
Granted: November 5, 2015
Application Number:
20150318150
A plasma processing system includes a bottom electrode disposed in a chamber. A lower extended electrode is disposed around the bottom electrode. An upper ceramic plate is disposed above the bottom electrode in an opposing relationship. An upper extended electrode is disposed around the upper ceramic plate. A lower process exclusion zone (PEZ) ring is situated between the lower extended electrode and the bottom electrode. An upper PEZ ring is situated between the upper extended electrode…
GAS DISTRIBUTION SHOWERHEAD FOR INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA ETCH REACTOR
Granted: November 5, 2015
Application Number:
20150318147
A two piece ceramic showerhead includes upper and lower plates which deliver process gas to an inductively coupled plasma processing chamber. The upper plate overlies the lower plate and includes radially extending gas passages which extend inwardly from an outer periphery of the upper plate, axially extending gas passages in fluid communication with the radially extending gas passages and an annular recess forming a plenum between the upper and lower plates. The lower plate includes…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING ENDPOINT FOR THROUGH-SILICON VIA REVEAL APPLICATIONS
Granted: October 29, 2015
Application Number:
20150311129
Systems and methods for processing a semiconductor wafer includes a plasma processing chamber. The plasma processing chamber includes an exterior, an interior region with a wafer receiving mechanism and a viewport disposed on a sidewall of the plasma processing chamber providing visual access from the exterior to the wafer received on the wafer receiving mechanism. A camera is mounted to the viewport of the plasma processing chamber on the exterior and coupled to an image processor. The…
ELECTROLESS DEPOSITION OF CONTINUOUS PALLADIUM LAYER USING COMPLEXED Co2+ METAL IONS OR Ti3+ METAL IONS AS REDUCING AGENTS
Granted: October 29, 2015
Application Number:
20150307995
A solution for electroless deposition of palladium is provided. A reducing agent of Co2+ or Ti3+ ions is provided to the solution. Pd2+ ions are provided to the solution.
ELECTROLESS DEPOSITION OF CONTINUOUS NICKEL LAYER USING COMPLEXED Ti3+ METAL IONS AS REDUCING AGENTS
Granted: October 29, 2015
Application Number:
20150307994
A solution for electroless deposition of nickel is provided. A reducing agent of Ti3+ ion is provided to the solution. Ni2+ ions are provided to the solution.
ELECTROLESS DEPOSITION OF CONTINUOUS COBALT LAYER USING COMPLEXED Ti3+ METAL IONS AS REDUCING AGENTS
Granted: October 29, 2015
Application Number:
20150307993
A solution for electroless deposition of cobalt is provided. A reducing agent of Ti3+ ions is provided to the solution. Co2+ ions are provided to the solution.
PROCESSING CHAMBER WITH FEATURES FROM SIDE WALL
Granted: October 22, 2015
Application Number:
20150303085
A processing chamber having a chamber housing with a top and sidewalls is provided. The processing chamber has a seal for connecting the sidewalls of the chamber housing to a top of a lower chamber below the processing chamber. A substrate holder is attached to the sidewalls of the chamber housing. Further, a wafer lift ring supported by a side arm extending through the sidewalls has at least three posts each having at least one finger, the top of the fingers defining a first wafer…
PRETREATMENT METHOD FOR PHOTORESIST WAFER PROCESSING
Granted: October 22, 2015
Application Number:
20150303065
Certain embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for processing a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate in a remote plasma environment. The methods may be performed in the context of wafer level packaging (WLP) processes. The methods may include exposing the substrate to a reducing plasma to remove photoresist scum and/or oxidation from an underlying seed layer. In some cases, photoresist scum is removed through a series of plasma treatments involving exposure to an…
USING MODELING FOR IDENTIFYING A LOCATION OF A FAULT IN AN RF TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FOR A PLASMA SYSTEM
Granted: October 22, 2015
Application Number:
20150301100
Systems and methods for identifying a location of a fault in an RF transmission system includes characterizing the RF transmission system and selecting one of the stage in the RF transmission system as an initial selected stage. An output of the initial selected stage can be measured in the characterized RF transmission system. The measured output of the initial selected stage is propagated through a baseline RF model and a point of deflection is identified in a resulting RF model of the…
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING A SUBSTRATE WITH A SEMI-NOBLE METAL LAYER
Granted: October 22, 2015
Application Number:
20150299886
Method and apparatus for preparing a substrate with a semi-noble metal layer are disclosed. The substrate can be pretreated so that a metal oxide surface on the semi-noble metal layer can be reduced to a modified metal surface integrated with the semi-noble metal layer. The substrate can be pretreated using a remote plasma treatment. A copper seed layer can be formed on the semi-noble metal layer using either an acidic or alkaline bath with a plating solution including either at least…
ELECTROLESS DEPOSITION OF CONTINUOUS PLATINUM LAYER USING COMPLEXED Co2+ METAL ION REDUCING AGENT
Granted: October 8, 2015
Application Number:
20150284857
A solution for electroless deposition of platinum is provided. The solution comprises Co2+ ions, Pt4+ ions, and amine ligands. A ratio of Co2+ to Pt4+ ion is between 100:1 and 2:1. The solution allows for electroless deposition of platinum without requiring high temperatures and high pH. The solution allows for the deposition of a pure platinum layer.
CONFIGURATION INDEPENDENT GAS DELIVERY SYSTEM
Granted: October 8, 2015
Application Number:
20150287573
A gas delivery apparatus for supplying process gas to a processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus includes a mixing manifold having a plurality of gas inlets on a surface thereof, the gas inlets being equally spaced from a center mixing point of the mixing manifold; and optionally a plurality of gas supplies in communication with the plurality of gas inlets on the surface of the mixing manifold. A method of supplying gas to a processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus…
