Identification of and compensation for a failure in a heater array
Granted: December 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12165891
Systems and methods for identifying a single failure in a heater array and compensating for the failure are described. The methods include identifying two X buses and two Y buses of the heater array having a location of the failure. A confirmation of the single failure within the heater array is performed after identifying the two X and two Y buses. Once the single failure is confirmed, the location of the failure is identified. The methods include compensating for the single failure by…
Semiconductor mask reshaping using a sacrificial layer
Granted: December 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12165878
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 portions of the mask layer during reshaping by inhibiting etching of or deposition on the mask layer 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.
Methods and systems for advanced ion control for etching processes
Granted: December 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12165872
A substrate is disposed on a substrate holder within a process module. The substrate includes a mask material overlying a target material with at least one portion of the target material exposed through an opening in the mask material. A plasma is generated in exposure to the substrate. For a first duration, a bias voltage is applied at the substrate holder at a first bias voltage setting corresponding to a high bias voltage level. For a second duration, after completion of the first…
Uniformity control circuit for impedance match
Granted: December 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12165844
An impedance match housing is described. The impedance match housing includes an impedance matching circuit having an input that is coupled to a radio frequency (RF) generator. The impedance matching circuit has an output that is coupled to a first RF strap. The impedance match housing includes a uniformity control circuit coupled in parallel to a portion of the first RF strap to modify uniformity in a processing rate of a substrate when the substrate is processed within a plasma…
Dual-frequency, direct-drive inductively coupled plasma source
Granted: December 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12165841
A direct drive system for providing RF power to a substrate processing system includes a direct drive enclosure including a first direct drive circuit located in the direct drive enclosure and operating at a first frequency and a first connector connected to the first direct drive circuit. A junction box is arranged adjacent to the direct drive enclosure and includes a first capacitive circuit connected to the first direct drive circuit; a second connector located on one side of the…
Ex situ coating of chamber components for semiconductor processing
Granted: December 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12163219
Forming a protective coating ex situ in an atomic layer deposition process to coat one or more chamber components subsequently installed in a reaction chamber provides a number of benefits over more conventional coating methods such as in situ deposition of an undercoat. In certain cases the protective coating may have a particular composition such as aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, and/or yttrium fluoride. The protective coating may help reduce…
Pedestal polishing apparatus
Granted: December 10, 2024
Patent Number:
12162117
A cleaning apparatus for a vacuum pedestal and method of cleaning a pedestal used in semiconductor device fabrication are described. The apparatus has a baseplate, a collar attached to the baseplate, a cap disposed on the collar, and a shaft that extends from the collar through the cap, collar and baseplate. A manual rotatable handle is attached to a shaft portion that extends from the cap. Motion of the handle in a downward direction is impeded by the cap. A disk is attached to a lower…
Cross flow conduit for foaming prevention in high convection plating cells
Granted: December 3, 2024
Patent Number:
12157949
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…
Thermal atomic layer deposition of silicon-containing films
Granted: December 3, 2024
Patent Number:
12157945
Silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride films may be deposited by thermal atomic layer deposition (thermal ALD) in a single wafer plasma reactor. The single wafer plasma reactor can perform thermal ALD and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD). Highly conformal films may be deposited at a high deposition rate without damaging or with minimal damage to the substrate using thermal ALD. The substrate may be heated at an elevated temperature during oxidation and/or…
Long-life extended temperature range embedded diode design for electrostatic chuck with multiplexed heaters array
Granted: November 26, 2024
Patent Number:
12154814
A substrate support for a plasma chamber includes a base plate arranged along a plane, a first layer of an electrically insulating material arranged on the base plate along the plane, a plurality of heating elements arranged in the first layer along the plane, and a plurality of diodes arranged in respective cavities in the first layer. The plurality of diodes are connected in series to the plurality of heating elements, respectively. Each of the plurality of diodes includes a die of a…
Deposition of tungsten on molybdenum templates
Granted: November 19, 2024
Patent Number:
12148623
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.
Temperature monitoring
Granted: November 19, 2024
Patent Number:
12146795
In some examples, an array sensor temperature control system is provided. The system may include an array sensor for generating a two-dimensional image, the two-dimensional image including a plurality of pixels or cells indicative of a temperature of a monitored component; a controller for controlling a heating or cooling device to adjust the temperature of the monitored component; and an array sensor controller activated by a power source and being in communication with the array sensor…
Combiner and distributor for adjusting impedances or power across multiple plasma processing stations
Granted: November 12, 2024
Patent Number:
12143087
Systems and methods for adjusting impedances or power or a combination thereof across multiple plasma processing stations are described. One of the systems includes a first radio frequency (RF) generator that generates a first RF signal having a first frequency, a second RF generator that generates a second RF signal having a second frequency, and a first matching network coupled to the first RF generator to receive the first RF signal. The first impedance matching network outputs a…
Electrostatic chuck with seal surface
Granted: November 12, 2024
Patent Number:
12142509
Apparatuses and systems for pedestals are provided. An example pedestal may have a body with an upper annular seal surface that is planar, perpendicular to a vertical center axis of the body, and has a radial thickness, a lower recess surface offset from the upper annular seal surface, and a plurality of micro-contact areas (MCAs) protruding from the lower recess surface, each MCA having a top surface offset from the lower recess surface by a second distance less, and one or more…
Automated transfer of edge ring requiring rotational alignment
Granted: November 12, 2024
Patent Number:
12142466
A ring storage station used for delivering a consumable part to a substrate processing system includes a housing that includes a base plate and a rotating plate disposed over the base plate. An end-effector opening is disposed at a first side of the housing and a service window opening is disposed at a second side of the housing. A set of finger support structures is connected to the rotating plate. Each finger support structure includes a support column and support fingers disposed…
In situ real-time sensing and compensation of non-uniformities in substrate processing systems
Granted: November 12, 2024
Patent Number:
12142464
Systems and methods of the disclosure perform in situ sensing and real time compensation of various non-uniformities in substrate processing systems. A plasma non-uniformity is sensed by determining a temperature distribution across a matrix of a plurality of micro-heaters disposed in the substrate support. Alternatively, the plasma non-uniformity is sensed by determining heat flux through the substrate support using the matrix heaters and one or more heaters used to heat one or more…
Tool and method for chandelier showerhead installation
Granted: November 12, 2024
Patent Number:
12140208
An alignment device is provided to draw two components together in an aligned configuration. An example alignment device comprises a planetary gear set including a ring gear and at least two planetary gears and one or more side plates for supporting the gears. Each of the planetary gears includes an aperture sized to receive a threaded fastener for engagement with a respective threaded rod that is engaged with one of the two components, wherein rotation of the ring gear imparts…
Showerhead faceplates with angled gas distribution passages for semiconductor processing tools
Granted: November 12, 2024
Patent Number:
12139791
Showerhead faceplates for semiconductor processing chambers are provided that include one or more sets of gas distribution passages therethrough that extend at least partially along axes that are at an oblique angle to the showerhead faceplate center axis. Such angled gas distribution passages may be used to tailor the gas flow characteristics of such showerhead faceplates to produce various desired gas flow behaviors in the gas that is delivered to the wafer via such showerhead…
Apparatus for an inert anode plating cell
Granted: November 5, 2024
Patent Number:
12134831
In one example, an electroplating apparatus is provided for electroplating a wafer. The electroplating apparatus comprises a wafer holder for holding a wafer during an electroplating operation and a plating cell configured to contain an electrolyte during the electroplating operation. An anode chamber is disposed within the plating cell, and a charge plate is disposed within the anode chamber. An anode is positioned above the charge plate within the anode chamber. In some examples, the…
Closed-loop multiple-output radio frequency (RF) matching
Granted: November 5, 2024
Patent Number:
12136938
An apparatus and method for performing closed-loop multiple-output control of radio frequency (RF) matching for a semiconductor wafer fabrication process is provided. An apparatus for providing signals to a station of a process chamber performs semiconductor fabrication processes. A plurality of signal generators generates signals having first and second frequencies. A measurement circuit measures a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR). A match reflection optimizer has a reactive component…
