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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Systems and methods for achieving peak ion energy enhancement with a low angular spread
Granted: February 27, 2024
Patent Number:
11915912
Systems and methods for increasing peak ion energy with a low angular spread of ions are described. In one of the systems, multiple radio frequency (RF) generators that are coupled to an upper electrode associated with a plasma chamber are operated in two different states, such as two different frequency levels, for pulsing of the RF generators. The pulsing of the RF generators facilitates a transfer of ion energy during one of the states to another one of the states for increasing ion…
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…
Dynamic temperature control of substrate support in substrate processing system
Granted: February 20, 2024
Patent Number:
11908715
A temperature-controlled substrate support for a substrate processing system includes a substrate support located in the processing chamber. The substrate support includes N zones and N resistive heaters, respectively, where N is an integer greater than one. A temperature sensor is located in one of the N zones. A controller is configured to calculate N resistances of the N resistive heaters during operation and to adjust power to N?1 of the N resistive heaters during operation of the…
Transfer robot for reduced footprint platform architecture
Granted: February 20, 2024
Patent Number:
11908714
A transfer robot assembly arranged within an ATV transfer module includes a transfer robot that includes an end effector and one or more arm segments connected between the end effector and a transfer robot platform. A first robot alignment arm is connected to the transfer robot platform. A second robot alignment arm is connected to the first robot alignment arm and to a mounting chassis of the ATV transfer module. The transfer robot assembly is configured to actuate the first robot…
Systems and methods for optimizing power delivery to an electrode of a plasma chamber
Granted: February 20, 2024
Patent Number:
11908660
A method for optimizing delivery of power to a plasma chamber is described. The method includes dividing each cycle of a low frequency (LF) radio frequency generator (RFG) into multiple time intervals. During each of the time intervals, a frequency offset of a high frequency (HF) RFG is generated for which the delivery of power is maximized. The frequency offsets provide a substantially inverse relationship compared to a voltage signal of the LF RFG for each cycle of the voltage signal.…
Feature fill with nucleation inhibition
Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number:
11901227
Described herein are methods of filling features with tungsten, and related systems and apparatus, involving inhibition of tungsten nucleation. In some embodiments, the methods involve selective inhibition along a feature profile. Methods of selectively inhibiting tungsten nucleation can include exposing the feature to a direct or remote plasma. Pre-inhibition and post-inhibition treatments are used to modulate the inhibition effect, facilitating feature fill using inhibition across a…
Power and data transmission to substrate support in plasma chambers via optical fiber
Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number:
11901944
A substrate support assembly comprises a first optical receiver, a power converter, a first circuit, and a first optical transmitter, all embedded in the substrate support assembly. The first optical receiver is configured to receive a first optical signal and a first optical data through a fiber optic cable. The power converter is configured to generate DC power based on the first optical signal and the first optical data received by the first optical receiver. The first circuit is…
Feature fill with nucleation inhibition
Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number:
11901227
Described herein are methods of filling features with tungsten, and related systems and apparatus, involving inhibition of tungsten nucleation. In some embodiments, the methods involve selective inhibition along a feature profile. Methods of selectively inhibiting tungsten nucleation can include exposing the feature to a direct or remote plasma. Pre-inhibition and post-inhibition treatments are used to modulate the inhibition effect, facilitating feature fill using inhibition across a…
Power and data transmission to substrate support in plasma chambers via optical fiber
Granted: February 13, 2024
Patent Number:
11901944
A substrate support assembly comprises a first optical receiver, a power converter, a first circuit, and a first optical transmitter, all embedded in the substrate support assembly. The first optical receiver is configured to receive a first optical signal and a first optical data through a fiber optic cable. The power converter is configured to generate DC power based on the first optical signal and the first optical data received by the first optical receiver. The first circuit is…
