Electrostatic chuck with ceramic monolithic body
Granted: April 23, 2024
Patent Number:
11967517
An electrostatic chuck for a substrate processing system includes a monolithic body made of ceramic. A plurality of first electrodes are arranged in the monolithic body adjacent to a top surface of the monolithic body and that are configured to selectively receive a chucking signal. A gas channel is formed in the monolithic body and is configured to supply back side gas to the top surface. Coolant channels are formed in the monolithic body and are configured to receive fluid to control a…
Substrate processing system including dual ion filter for downstream plasma
Granted: April 23, 2024
Patent Number:
11967486
A substrate processing system includes an upper chamber and a gas delivery system to supply a gas mixture to the upper chamber. An RF generator generates plasma in the upper chamber. A lower chamber includes a substrate support. A dual ion filter is arranged between the upper chamber and the lower chamber. The dual ion filter includes an upper filter including a first plurality of through holes configured to filter ions. A lower filter includes a second plurality of through holes…
Flow metrology calibration for improved processing chamber matching in substrate processing systems
Granted: April 16, 2024
Patent Number:
11959793
A method for calibrating a gas flow metrology system for a substrate processing system includes a) measuring temperature using a first temperature sensor and a reference temperature sensor over a predetermined temperature range and determining a first transfer function; b) measuring pressure using a first pressure sensor and a reference pressure sensor over a predetermined pressure range using a first calibration gas and determining a second transfer function; c) performing a first…
Fill on demand ampoule refill
Granted: April 16, 2024
Patent Number:
11959175
Methods and apparatus for use of a fill on demand ampoule are disclosed. The fill on demand ampoule may refill an ampoule with precursor concurrent with the performance of other deposition processes. The fill on demand may keep the level of precursor within the ampoule at a relatively constant level. The level may be calculated to result in an optimum head volume. The fill on demand may also keep the precursor at a temperature near that of an optimum precursor temperature. The fill on…
Substrate processing systems including gas delivery system with reduced dead legs
Granted: April 16, 2024
Patent Number:
11959172
A gas delivery system includes a 2-port valve including a first valve located between a first port and a second port. A 4-port valve includes a first node connected to a first port and a second port. A bypass path is located between the third port and the fourth port. A second node is located along the bypass path. A second valve is located between the first node and the second node. A manifold block defines gas flow channels configured to connect the first port of the 4-port valve to a…
Pad raising mechanism in wafer positioning pedestal for semiconductor processing
Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number:
11955366
An assembly used in a process chamber for depositing a film on a wafer. A pedestal assembly includes a pedestal movably mounted to a main frame. A lift pad rests upon the pedestal and moves with the pedestal assembly. A raising mechanism separates the lift pad from the pedestal, and includes a hard stop fixed to the main frame, a roller attached to the pedestal assembly, a slide moveably attached to the pedestal assembly, a lift pad bracket interconnected to the slide and a pad shaft…
Spatially tunable deposition to compensate within wafer differential bow
Granted: April 2, 2024
Patent Number:
11946142
A plasma processing chamber for depositing a film on an underside surface of a wafer, includes showerhead pedestal. The showerhead pedestal includes a first zone and a second zone. An upper separator fin is disposed over a top surface of the showerhead pedestal and a lower separator fin is disposed under the top surface of the showerhead pedestal and aligned with the upper separator fin. The first zone is configured for depositing a first film to the underside surface of the wafer and…
Electrostatic chucks with coolant gas zones and corresponding groove and monopolar electrostatic clamping electrode patterns
Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number:
11942351
An electrostatic chuck for a substrate processing system is provided and includes a baseplate, an intermediate layer disposed on the baseplate, and a top plate. The top plate is bonded to the baseplate via the intermediate layer and is configured to electrostatically clamp to a substrate. The top plate includes a monopolar clamping electrode and seals. The monopolar clamping electrode includes a groove opening pattern with coolant gas groove opening sets. The seals separate coolant gas…
Atomic layer etching for subtractive metal etch
Granted: March 19, 2024
Patent Number:
11935758
A method for atomic layer etching a metal containing layer is provided. At least a region of a surface of the metal containing layer is modified to form a modified metal containing region by exposing a surface of the metal containing layer to a modification gas, wherein adjacent to the modified metal containing region remains an unmodified metal containing region. The modified metal containing region is selectively removed with respect to the unmodified metal containing region by…
Electrostatically clamped edge ring
Granted: March 19, 2024
Patent Number:
11935776
A method for electrostatically clamping an edge ring in a plasma processing chamber with an electrostatic ring clamp with at least one ring backside temperature channel for providing a flow of gas to the edge ring is provided. A vacuum is provided to the at least one ring backside temperature channel Pressure in the backside temperature channel is measured. An electrostatic ring clamping voltage is provided when the pressure in the backside temperature channel reaches a threshold maximum…
Systems and methods for cleaning an edge ring pocket
Granted: March 19, 2024
Patent Number:
11935730
Systems and methods for cleaning an edge ring pocket are described herein. One of the methods includes providing one or more process gases to a plasma chamber, supplying a low frequency (LF) radio frequency (RF) power to an edge ring that is located adjacent to a chuck of the plasma chamber. The LF RF power is supplied while the one or more process gases are supplied to the plasma chamber to maintain plasma within the plasma chamber. The supply of the LF RF power increases energy of…
Systems and methods for tuning a MHz RF generator within a cycle of operation of a kHZ RF generator
Granted: March 12, 2024
Patent Number:
11929235
Systems and methods for tuning a megahertz radio frequency (RF) generator within a cycle of operation of a kilohertz (kHz) RF generator are described. In one of the methods, a predetermined periodic waveform is provided to a processor. The processor uses a computer-based model to determine plurality of frequency parameters for the predetermined periodic waveform. The frequency parameters are applied to the megahertz RF generator to generate an RF signal having the frequency parameters…
Modifying ferroelectric properties of hafnium oxide with hafnium nitride layers
Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number:
11923404
A method of forming ferroelectric hafnium oxide (HfO2) in a substrate processing system includes depositing an HfO2 layer on a substrate, depositing a hafnium nitride (HfN) layer on the HfO2 layer; and annealing the HfO2 layer and the HfN layer to form ferroelectric hafnium HfO2.
Capping layer for a hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric material
Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number:
11923189
A method of forming ferroelectric hafnium oxide (HfO2) in a substrate processing system includes depositing an HfO2 layer on a substrate, depositing a capping layer on the HfO2 layer, annealing the HfO2 layer and the capping layer to form ferroelectric hafnium HfO2, and selectively etching the capping layer to remove the capping layer without removing the HfO2 layer.
Optical metrology in machine learning to characterize features
Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number:
11921433
A metrology system may include an optical metrology tool configured to produce an optical metrology output for one or more features on a processed substrate, and a metrology machine learning model that has been trained using a training set of (i) profiles, critical dimensions, and/or contours for a plurality of features, and (ii) optical metrology outputs for the plurality of features. The metrology machine learning model may be configured to: receive the optical metrology output from…
Methods for making hard masks useful in next-generation lithography
Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number:
11921427
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.
Sealing interface to adjust radial and angular offset
Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number:
11920708
A sealing interface includes a first tube having an end with a convex surface and a second tube having an end with a convex surface. A spacer is disposed between the respective ends of the first and second tubes. One side of the spacer has a concave surface that substantially matches the convex surface of the end of the first tube, and another side of the spacer has a concave surface that substantially matches the convex surface of the end of the second tube. The spacer includes a…
Minimizing radical recombination using ALD silicon oxide surface coating with intermittent restoration plasma
Granted: March 5, 2024
Patent Number:
11920239
Certain embodiments herein relate to an apparatus used for remote plasma processing. In various embodiments, the apparatus includes a reaction chamber that is conditioned by forming a low recombination material coating on interior chamber surfaces. The low recombination material helps minimize the degree of radical recombination that occurs when the reaction chamber is used to process substrates. During processing on substrates, the low recombination material may become covered by…
Method and apparatus for modulating film uniformity
Granted: February 27, 2024
Patent Number:
11913113
A method for processing a substrate is provided, wherein the substrate is located below a showerhead in a processing chamber. A deposition layer is deposited on the substrate, wherein at least one deposition gas is provided through the showerhead. A secondary purge gas is flowed during the depositing the deposition layer from a location outside of the showerhead in the processing chamber forming a flow curtain around an outer edge of the showerhead, wherein the secondary purge gas…
Method to clean SnOfilm from chamber
Granted: February 27, 2024
Patent Number:
11915923
A plasma processing system is provided. The system includes a hydrogen gas supply and a hydrocarbon gas supply and a processing chamber. The system includes a first mass flow controller (MFC) for controlling hydrogen gas flow into the processing chamber and a second MFC for controlling hydrocarbon gas flow into the processing chamber. The system includes a plasma source for generating plasma at the processing chamber. The plasma is for etching SnO2. The system includes a controller for…
