Plasma processing apparatus with post plasma gas injection
Granted: September 29, 2020
Patent Number:
10790119
Plasma processing with post plasma gas injection is provided. In one example implementation, a plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma chamber. The apparatus includes a processing chamber separated from the plasma chamber. The processing chamber includes a substrate holder operable to support a workpiece. The apparatus includes a plasma source configured to generate a plasma in the plasma chamber. The apparatus includes a separation grid separating the plasma chamber from the…
Features for improving process uniformity in a millisecond anneal system
Granted: September 8, 2020
Patent Number:
10770309
Systems and methods for improving process uniformity in a millisecond anneal system are provided. In some implementations, a process for thermally treating a substrate in a millisecond anneal system can include obtaining data indicative of a temperature profile associated with one or more substrates during processing in a millisecond anneal system. The process can include one or more of (1) changing the pressure inside the processing chamber of the millisecond anneal system; (2)…
Thermal imaging of heat sources in thermal processing systems
Granted: September 1, 2020
Patent Number:
10760976
Thermal imaging of heat sources in thermal processing systems for determination of workpiece temperature are provided. In one example, a thermal processing apparatus can include a processing chamber, a workpiece support, a plurality of heat sources configured to heat a workpiece, and at least one camera. The at least one camera can capture one or more images of thermal radiation of the plurality of heat sources during thermal treatment of the workpiece. In one example, a method for…
Substrate support in a millisecond anneal system
Granted: August 4, 2020
Patent Number:
10734262
Systems and methods for substrate support in a millisecond anneal system are provided. In one example implementation, a millisecond anneal system includes a processing chamber having a wafer support plate. A plurality of support pins can extend from the wafer support plate. The support pins can be configured to support a substrate. At least one of the support pins can have a spherical surface profile to accommodate a varying angle of a substrate surface normal at the point of contact…
Preheat processes for millisecond anneal system
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10727140
Preheat processes for a millisecond anneal system are provided. In one example implementation, a preheat process can include receiving a substrate on a wafer support plate in a processing chamber of a millisecond anneal system; obtaining one or more temperature measurements of the wafer support plate using a temperature sensor; and applying a preheat recipe to heat the wafer support plate based at least in part on the temperature of the wafer support plate. In one example implementation,…
Silicon oxide selective dry etch process
Granted: June 23, 2020
Patent Number:
10692730
Systems and methods for processing a workpiece are provided. In one example, a method includes exposing the workpiece to a first gas mixture when the workpiece is at a first temperature to conduct a doped silicate glass etch process. The first gas mixture can include hydrofluoric acid (HF) vapor. The doped silicate glass etch process at least partially removes the doped silicate glass layer at a first etch rate that is greater than a second etch rate associated with removal of the at…
Pre-heat processes for millisecond anneal system
Granted: June 9, 2020
Patent Number:
10679864
Preheat processes for a millisecond anneal system are provided. In one example implementation, a heat treatment process can include receiving a substrate on a wafer support in a processing chamber of a millisecond anneal system; heating the substrate to an intermediate temperature; and heating the substrate using a millisecond heating flash. Prior to heating the substrate to the intermediate temperature, the process can include heating the substrate to a pre-bake temperature for a soak…
Strip process for high aspect ratio structure
Granted: March 24, 2020
Patent Number:
10599039
Processes for removing a mask layer (e.g., doped amorphous carbon mask layer) from a substrate with high aspect ratio structures are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include depositing a polymer layer on at least a portion of a top end of a high aspect ratio structure on a substrate. The process can further include removing at least a portion of the polymer layer and the doped amorphous carbon film form the substrate using a plasma strip process. In example…
Atomic layer etch process using plasma in conjunction with a rapid thermal activation process
Granted: March 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10580661
A process for etching a film layer on a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The process is particularly well suited to etching carbon containing layers, such as hardmask layers, photoresist layers, and other low dielectric films. In accordance with the present disclosure, a reactive species generated from a plasma is contacted with a surface of the film layer. Simultaneously, the substrate or semiconductor wafer is subjected to rapid thermal heating cycles that increase the temperature…
Systems and methods for workpiece processing
Granted: March 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10580672
Systems and methods for processing workpieces, such as semiconductor workpieces are provided. One example embodiment is directed to a processing system for processing a plurality of workpieces. The plasma processing system can include a loadlock chamber. The loadlock chamber can include a workpiece column configured to support a plurality of workpieces in a stacked arrangement. The system can further include at least two process chambers. The at least two process chambers can have at…
Method for processing a workpiece using a multi-cycle thermal treatment process
Granted: February 25, 2020
Patent Number:
10573532
A method for processing a workpiece is provided. The method can include placing a workpiece on a susceptor disposed within a processing chamber. The method can include performing a multi-cycle thermal treatment process on the workpiece in the processing chamber. The multi-cycle thermal treatment process can include at least two thermal cycles. Each thermal cycle of the at least two thermal cycles can include performing a first treatment on the workpiece at a first temperature; heating a…
Method for high aspect ratio photoresist removal in pure reducing plasma
Granted: October 1, 2019
Patent Number:
10431469
A method for removing photoresist, an oxidation layer, or both from a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method includes placing a substrate in a processing chamber, the processing chamber separate from a plasma chamber for generating a non-oxidizing plasma to be used in treating the substrate; generating a first non-oxidizing plasma from a first reactant gas and a first carrier gas in the plasma chamber, wherein the first non-oxidizing plasma comprises from about 10% to about 40%…
Integration of materials removal and surface treatment in semiconductor device fabrication
Granted: September 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10403492
Processes for surface treatment of a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, organic radicals (e.g., methyl CH3 radicals) can be generated by exciting and/or dissociating hydrogen and/or inert gas (e.g., Ar, He, etc) molecules in a remote plasma source and a subsequent reaction with organic molecule (alkanes and alkenes). The organic radicals (e.g., methyl CH3 radicals) can be exposed to the silicon and/or silicon germanium surfaces. After exposure to the organic radicals,…
Substrate breakage detection in a thermal processing system
Granted: August 20, 2019
Patent Number:
10388552
Apparatus, systems, and processes for substrate breakage detection in a thermal processing system are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include: accessing data indicative of a plurality of temperature measurements for a substrate, the plurality of measurements obtained during a cool down period of a thermal process; estimating one or more metrics associated with a cooling model based at least in part on the data indicative of the plurality of temperature…
Fluid leakage detection for a millisecond anneal system
Granted: July 23, 2019
Patent Number:
10359334
Systems and methods for detecting a fluid leak associated with fluid cooled components in a millisecond anneal system are provided. In one example implementation, a millisecond anneal system can include a processing chamber having one or more fluid cooled components. The system can include a gas flow system configured to provide for the flow of process gas in the processing chamber. The system can include a vapor sensor configured to measure vapor in process gas flowing through the gas…
Surface treatment of silicon or silicon germanium surfaces using organic radicals
Granted: July 16, 2019
Patent Number:
10354883
Processes for surface treatment of a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a method can include performing an organic radical based surface treatment process on a workpiece. The organic radical based surface treatment process can include generating one or more species in a first chamber. The surface treatment process can include mixing one or more hydrocarbon molecules with the species to create a mixture. The mixture can include one or more organic radicals. The surface…
Controlling azimuthal uniformity of etch process in plasma processing chamber
Granted: May 21, 2019
Patent Number:
10297457
Apparatus, systems, and methods for controlling azimuthal uniformity of an etch process in a plasma processing chamber are provided. In one embodiment, a plasma processing apparatus can include a plasma processing chamber and an RF cage disposed above the plasma processing chamber. A dielectric window can separate the plasma processing chamber and the RF cage. The apparatus can include a plasma generating coil disposed above the dielectric window. The plasma generating coil can be…
Surface treatment of carbon containing films using organic radicals
Granted: April 23, 2019
Patent Number:
10269574
Surface treatment processes for treating a workpiece with organic radicals are provided. In one example implementation, a method for processing a workpiece having a semiconductor material and a carbon containing layer (e.g., photoresist) can include a surface treatment process on the workpiece. The surface treatment process can include generating one or more species in a first chamber (e.g., a plasma chamber). The surface treatment process can include mixing one or more hydrocarbon…
Pre-heat processes for millisecond anneal system
Granted: April 16, 2019
Patent Number:
10262873
Preheat processes for a millisecond anneal system are provided. In one example implementation, a heat treatment process can include receiving a substrate on a wafer support in a processing chamber of a millisecond anneal system; heating the substrate to an intermediate temperature; and heating the substrate using a millisecond heating flash. Prior to heating the substrate to the intermediate temperature, the process can include heating the substrate to a pre-bake temperature for a soak…
Substrate breakage detection in a thermal processing system
Granted: March 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10242894
Apparatus, systems, and processes for substrate breakage detection in a thermal processing system are provided. In one example implementation, a process can include: accessing data indicative of a plurality of temperature measurements for a substrate, the plurality of measurements obtained during a cool down period of a thermal process; estimating one or more metrics associated with a cooling model based at least in part on the data indicative of the plurality of temperature…
