Wafer chuck with aerodynamic design for turbulence reduction
Granted: February 18, 2020
Patent Number:
10563298
A rotatable wafer chuck includes chuck arms and wafer holders that are aerodynamically shaped to reduce turbulence during rotation. A wafer holder may include a friction support and an independently rotatable vertical alignment member and clamping member that is shaped to reduce drag. The shape reduces turbulence during edge bevel etching to improve the uniformity of the edge exclusion and during high-speed rotation to improve particle performance.
Cleaning electroplating substrate holders using reverse current deplating
Granted: January 21, 2020
Patent Number:
10538855
Provided are cleaning methods and systems to remove unintended metallic deposits from electroplating apparatuses using reverse current deplating techniques. Such cleaning involves positioning a cleaning (deplating) disk in an electroplating cup similar to a regular processed substrate. The front surface of the cleaning disk includes a corrosion resistant conductive material to form electrical connections to deposits on the cup's surfaces. The disk is sealed in the cup and submerged into…
Electrolyte concentration control system for high rate electroplating
Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10472730
An electroplating apparatus for filling recessed features on a semiconductor substrate includes a vessel configured to maintain a concentrated electroplating solution at a temperature of at least about 40° C., wherein the solution would have formed a precipitate at 20° C. This vessel is in fluidic communication with an electroplating cell configured for bringing the concentrated electrolyte in contact with the semiconductor substrate at a temperature of at least about 40° C., or the…
Method to obtain SiC class of films of desired composition and film properties
Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10472714
Provided are methods and systems for providing silicon carbide class of films. The composition of the silicon carbide film can be controlled by the choice of the combination of precursors and the ratio of flow rates between the precursors. The silicon carbide films can be deposited on a substrate by flowing two different organo-silicon precursors to mix together in a reaction chamber. The organo-silicon precursors react with one or more radicals in a substantially low energy state to…
Lipseals and contact elements for semiconductor electroplating apparatuses
Granted: October 8, 2019
Patent Number:
10435807
Disclosed herein are lipseal assemblies for use in electroplating clamshells which may include an elastomeric lipseal for excluding plating solution from a peripheral region of a semiconductor substrate and one or more electrical contact elements. The contact elements may be structurally integrated with the elastomeric lipseal. The lipseal assemblies may include one or more flexible contact elements at least a portion of which may be conformally positioned on an upper surface of the…
Hybrid ceramic showerhead
Granted: September 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10400333
Various implementations of hybrid ceramic faceplates for substrate processing showerheads are provided. The hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplates may include an electrode embedded within the ceramic material of the faceplate, as well as a pattern of through-holes. The electrode may be fully encapsulated within the ceramic material with respect to the through-holes. In some implementations, a heater element may also be embedded within the hybrid ceramic showerhead faceplate. A DC voltage…
Tungsten feature fill with nucleation inhibition
Granted: August 13, 2019
Patent Number:
10381266
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 ammonia vapor in a non-plasma process. Process parameters including exposure time, substrate temperature, and chamber pressure can be used to tune the inhibition profile.…
Diagnostic and control systems and methods for substrate processing systems using DC self-bias voltage
Granted: August 13, 2019
Patent Number:
10378109
A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber including a showerhead, a plasma power source and a pedestal spaced from the showerhead to support a substrate. A filter is connected between the showerhead and the pedestal. A variable bleed current circuit is connected between the filter and the pedestal to vary a bleed current. A controller is configured to adjust a value of the bleed current and configured to perform curve fitting based on the bleed current and DC self-bias…
Front referenced anode
Granted: July 16, 2019
Patent Number:
10351968
Apparatus and methods for electroplating are described. Apparatus described herein include anode supports including positioning mechanisms that maintain a consistent distance between the surface of the wafer and the surface of a consumable anode during plating. Greater uniformity control is achieved. The consumable anode in one implementation has a plurality of through channels and at least one depression on its surface (e.g., a depression surrounding a channel) that is configured for…
Conformal deposition of silicon carbide films
Granted: June 18, 2019
Patent Number:
10325773
Disclosed are methods and systems for providing silicon carbide films. A layer of silicon carbide can be provided under process conditions that employ one or more silicon-containing precursors that have one or more silicon-hydrogen bonds and/or silicon-silicon bonds. The silicon-containing precursors may also have one or more silicon-oxygen bonds and/or silicon-carbon bonds. One or more radical species in a substantially low energy state can react with the silicon-containing precursors…
Radical source design for remote plasma atomic layer deposition
Granted: June 11, 2019
Patent Number:
10316409
A radical source for supplying radicals during atomic layer deposition semiconductor processing operations is provided. The radical source may include a remote volume, a baffle volume, and a baffle that partitions the remote volume from the baffle volume. The baffle volume and the remote volume may be fluidly connected through the baffle via a plurality of baffle holes. The baffle may be offset from a faceplate with a plurality of first gas distribution holes fluidly connected with the…
Electroplating apparatus and process for wafer level packaging
Granted: June 4, 2019
Patent Number:
10309024
An apparatus for continuous simultaneous electroplating of two metals having substantially different standard electrodeposition potentials (e.g., for deposition of Sn—Ag alloys) comprises an anode chamber for containing an anolyte comprising ions of a first, less noble metal, (e.g., tin), but not of a second, more noble, metal (e.g., silver) and an active anode; a cathode chamber for containing catholyte including ions of a first metal (e.g., tin), ions of a second, more noble, metal…
Methods and apparatus for wetting pretreatment for through resist metal plating
Granted: May 28, 2019
Patent Number:
10301738
Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a degasser, a process chamber, and a controller. The process chamber includes a wafer holder configured to hold a wafer substrate, a vacuum port configured to allow formation of a subatmospheric pressure in the process chamber, and a fluid inlet coupled to the degasser and configured to deliver a degassed pre-wetting fluid onto the wafer substrate at a velocity of at least about…
Ultrahigh selective polysilicon etch with high throughput
Granted: May 7, 2019
Patent Number:
10283615
Provided are methods and apparatuses for removing a polysilicon layer on a wafer, where the wafer can include a nitride layer, a low-k dielectric layer, an oxide layer, and other films. A plasma of a hydrogen-based species and a fluorine-based species is generated in a remote plasma source, and the wafer is exposed to the plasma at a relatively low temperature to limit the formation of solid byproduct. In some implementations, the wafer is maintained at a temperature below about 60° C.…
Tungsten feature fill with nucleation inhibition
Granted: April 9, 2019
Patent Number:
10256142
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. In certain embodiments, the substrate can be biased during selective inhibition. Process parameters including bias power, exposure time, plasma…
Mechanical suppression of parasitic plasma in substrate processing chamber
Granted: March 5, 2019
Patent Number:
10224182
A system for reducing parasitic plasma in a semiconductor process comprises a first surface and a plurality of dielectric layers that are arranged between an electrode and the first surface. The first surface and the electrode have substantially different electrical potentials. The plurality of dielectric layers defines a first gap between the electrode and one of the plurality of dielectric layers, a second gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of dielectric layers, and a third gap…
Temperature controlled showerhead
Granted: March 5, 2019
Patent Number:
10221484
A temperature controlled showerhead for chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chambers enhances heat dissipation to enable accurate temperature control with an electric heater. Heat dissipates by conduction through a showerhead stem and fluid passageway and radiation from a back plate. A temperature control system includes one or more temperature controlled showerheads in a CVD chamber with fluid passageways serially connected to a heat exchanger.
Low copper electroplating solutions for fill and defect control
Granted: February 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10214826
Certain embodiments herein relate to a method of electroplating copper into damascene features using a low copper concentration electrolyte having less than about 10 g/L copper ions and about 2-15 g/L acid. Using the low copper electrolyte produces a relatively high overpotential on the plating substrate surface, allowing for a slow plating process with few fill defects. The low copper electrolyte may have a relatively high cloud point.
PECVD apparatus for in-situ deposition of film stacks
Granted: February 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10214816
An apparatus for depositing film stacks in-situ (i.e., without a vacuum break or air exposure) are described. In one example, a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition apparatus configured to deposit a plurality of film layers on a substrate without exposing the substrate to a vacuum break between film deposition phases, is provided. The apparatus includes a process chamber, a plasma source and a controller configured to control the plasma source to generate reactant radicals using a…
Remote plasma based deposition of SiOC class of films
Granted: February 19, 2019
Patent Number:
10211310
Provided are methods and systems for providing oxygen doped silicon carbide. A layer of oxygen doped silicon carbide can be provided under process conditions that employ silicon-containing precursors that have one or more silicon-hydrogen bonds and/or silicon-silicon bonds. The silicon-containing precursors also have one or more silicon-oxygen bonds and/or silicon-carbon bonds. One or more radical species in a substantially low energy state can react with the silicon-containing…
