Suppression of parasitic deposition in a substrate processing system by suppressing precursor flow and plasma outside of substrate region
Granted: July 12, 2016
Patent Number:
9388494
A substrate processing system includes a showerhead that comprises a base portion and a stem portion and that delivers precursor gas to a chamber. A collar connects the showerhead to an upper surface of the chamber. The collar includes a plurality of slots, is arranged around the stem portion of the showerhead, and directs purge gas through the plurality of slots into a region between the base portion of the showerhead and the upper surface of the chamber.
Method for deposition of conformal films with catalysis assisted low temperature CVD
Granted: July 12, 2016
Patent Number:
9388491
A method for depositing a film in a substrate processing system includes arranging a substrate on a pedestal in a processing chamber, heating the substrate to a temperature within a predetermined temperature range, and supplying a gas mixture to the processing chamber for a predetermined period to deposit the film on the substrate, wherein the gas mixture includes a first precursor gas, ammonia gas and diborane gas.
Current ramping and current pulsing entry of substrates for electroplating
Granted: July 5, 2016
Patent Number:
9385035
In some method and apparatus disclosed herein, the profile of current delivered to the substrate provides a relatively uniform current density on the substrate surface during immersion. These methods include controlling the current density applied across a substrate's surface during immersion by dynamically controlling the current to account for the changing substrate surface area in contact with electrolyte during immersion. In some cases, current density pulses and/or steps are used…
Purging of porogen from UV cure chamber
Granted: July 5, 2016
Patent Number:
9384959
A purge ring for providing a gas to a wafer processing chamber includes an inlet ring wall defining a ring hole space. An outer perimeter of the inlet ring wall is elliptical. An outer perimeter of the ring hole space is circular. The inlet ring wall is a continuous structure surrounding the ring hole space. An inlet baffle formed within the inlet ring wall surrounds at least 180 degrees of the outer perimeter of the ring hole space. An inlet plenum arranged in a first end of the inlet…
Methods for stripping photoresist and/or cleaning metal regions
Granted: June 21, 2016
Patent Number:
9373497
Methods are provided for cleaning metal regions overlying semiconductor substrates. A method for removing material from a metal region comprises heating the metal region, forming a plasma from a gas comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and exposing the metal region to the plasma.
Apparatuses and methods for controlling PH in electroplating baths
Granted: June 7, 2016
Patent Number:
9359688
Disclosed are methods of electroplating a metal onto a substrate surface in an electroplating bath and adjusting the pH of the bath. The methods may include exposing the substrate surface, a counter-electrode, and an acid generating surface to the bath, biasing the substrate surface sufficiently negative relative to the counterelectrode such that metal ions from the bath are reduced and plated onto the substrate surface, and biasing the acid generating surface sufficiently positive…
Conformal film deposition for gapfill
Granted: May 31, 2016
Patent Number:
9355886
A method and apparatus for conformally depositing a dielectric oxide in high aspect ratio gaps in a substrate is disclosed. A substrate is provided with one or more gaps into a reaction chamber where each gap has a depth to width aspect ratio of greater than about 5:1. A first dielectric oxide layer is deposited in the one or more gaps by CFD. A portion of the first dielectric oxide layer is etched using a plasma etch, where etching the portion of the first dielectric oxide layer occurs…
Apparatuses and methods for depositing SiC/SiCN films via cross-metathesis reactions with organometallic co-reactants
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9343296
Disclosed herein are methods of forming SiC/SiCN film layers on surfaces of semiconductor substrates. The methods may include introducing a silicon-containing film-precursor and an organometallic ligand transfer reagent into a processing chamber, adsorbing the silicon-containing film-precursor, the organometallic ligand transfer reagent, or both onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate under conditions whereby either or both form an adsorption-limited layer, and reacting the…
Front referenced anode
Granted: May 17, 2016
Patent Number:
9340893
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.
High temperature electrostatic chuck with radial thermal chokes
Granted: May 10, 2016
Patent Number:
9337067
A wafer support assembly including a wafer support and cooling plate with radial thermal chokes is provided. The cooling plate and wafer support may have limited contact and may not contact each other outside of certain limited thermal contact patches. The thermal contact patches may generally define one or more radial thermal choke regions. In some implementations, high- and low-temperature cooling systems may be placed at one or more locations across the cooling plate to assist in…
Contoured showerhead for improved plasma shaping and control
Granted: April 19, 2016
Patent Number:
9315899
Semiconductor processing chamber showerheads with contoured faceplates, as well as techniques for producing such faceplates, are provided. Data describing deposition rate as a function of gap distance between a reference showerhead faceplate and a reference substrate may be obtained, as well as data describing deposition rate as a function of location on the substrate when the reference showerhead and the reference substrate are in a fixed arrangement with respect to each other. The two…
Monitoring leveler concentrations in electroplating solutions
Granted: April 12, 2016
Patent Number:
9309605
Provided herein are methods and apparatus for determining leveler concentration in an electroplating solution. The approach allows the concentration of leveler to be detected and measured, even at very low leveler concentrations. According to the various embodiments, the methods involve providing an electrode with a metal surface, exposing the electrode to a pre-acceleration solution with at least one accelerator, allowing the surface of the electrode to become saturated with…
Method and apparatus for electroplating
Granted: April 12, 2016
Patent Number:
9309604
An apparatus for electroplating a layer of metal onto the surface of a wafer includes an ionically resistive ionically permeable element located in close proximity of the wafer and an auxiliary cathode located between the anode and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element. The ionically resistive ionically permeable element serves to modulate ionic current at the wafer surface. The auxiliary cathode is configured to shape the current distribution from the anode. The provided…
Flowable oxide film with tunable wet etch rate
Granted: March 29, 2016
Patent Number:
9299559
Provided herein are integration-compatible dielectric films and methods of depositing and modifying them. According to various embodiments, the methods can include deposition of flowable dielectric films targeting specific film properties and/or modification of those properties with an integration-compatible treatment process. In certain embodiments, methods of depositing and modifying flowable dielectric films having tunable wet etch rates and other properties are provided. Wet etch…
Methods for depositing films on sensitive substrates
Granted: March 15, 2016
Patent Number:
9287113
Methods and apparatus to form films on sensitive substrates while preventing damage to the sensitive substrate are provided herein. In certain embodiments, methods involve forming a bilayer film on a sensitive substrate that both protects the underlying substrate from damage and possesses desired electrical properties. Also provided are methods and apparatus for evaluating and optimizing the films, including methods to evaluate the amount of substrate damage resulting from a particular…
Systems and methods for inhibiting oxide growth in substrate handler vacuum chambers
Granted: March 1, 2016
Patent Number:
9275884
A substrate handling robot includes an arm section and a wrist portion connected to the arm section. An end effector is connected to the wrist portion and is configured to support a substrate. A housing is arranged adjacent to the end effector and includes a gas outlet that directs gas onto an exposed surface of the substrate during transport.
Flow balancing in gas distribution networks
Granted: February 23, 2016
Patent Number:
9268340
Flow distribution networks that supply process gas to two or more stations in a multi-station deposition chamber. Each flow distribution network includes an inlet and flow distribution lines for carrying process gas to the stations. The flow distribution lines include a branch point downstream from the inlet and two or more branches downstream from the branch point. Each branch supplies a station. The flow distribution network also includes highly variable flow elements in each branch.…
Electroplating apparatus for tailored uniformity profile
Granted: February 16, 2016
Patent Number:
9260793
Methods of electroplating metal on a substrate while controlling azimuthal uniformity, include, in one aspect, providing the substrate to the electroplating apparatus configured for rotating the substrate during electroplating, and electroplating the metal on the substrate while rotating the substrate relative to a shield such that a selected portion of the substrate at a selected azimuthal position dwells in a shielded area for a different amount of time than a second portion of the…
Systems and methods for remote plasma atomic layer deposition
Granted: February 9, 2016
Patent Number:
9255326
Systems and methods deposit a film on a substrate by introducing a precursor gas into a reaction volume of a processing chamber. A substrate is arranged in the reaction volume. After a predetermined soak period, the precursor gas is purged from the reaction volume. The substrate is exposed with plasma gas using a remote plasma source.
Modulated ion-induced atomic layer deposition (MII-ALD)
Granted: February 9, 2016
Patent Number:
9255329
The present invention relates to a cyclic deposition process suitable for depositing an elemental film. The process employs an enhanced atomic layer deposition technique.
