公开(公告)号：US20240355587A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-24

申请号：US18138733

申请日：2023-04-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS ,  Rajinder DHINDSA

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32183 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32568 ,  H01J2237/3344

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for controlling the uniformity of a plasma formed using a radio frequency (RF) source power assembly that includes one or more resonant tuning circuits coupled to two or more electrodes disposed within a multi-electrode source assembly. Improved plasma uniformity control and reduced system cost are achieved by eliminating multiple RF generators and matches that power the multiple electrodes separately. Multiple frequencies may also be provided to multiple electrodes at the same time, which can include another cost savings when using a multi-frequency RF source assembly. Local plasma density and sheath voltage over a surface of a substrate are controlled with segmented electrodes disposed within the processing region of a plasma processing chamber. The ion flux and direction, as well as energetic electron flux towards the substrate, are controlled to address the plasma non-uniformity and global tilt during processing of a semiconductor substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20240153741A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-09

申请号：US17983926

申请日：2022-11-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS ,  Daniel Sang BYUN ,  Rajinder DHINDSA ,  Keith HERNANDEZ

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32128 ,  H01J37/32146 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J2237/3341

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include a method for processing a substrate in a plasma processing system. The method includes receiving a first synchronization waveform signal from a controller, delivering a first burst of first voltage pulses to an electrode assembly after receiving a first portion of the first synchronization waveform signal, wherein at least one first parameter of the first voltage pulses is set to a first value based on a first waveform parameter within the first portion of the first synchronization waveform signal, and delivering a second burst of second voltage pulses to the electrode assembly after receiving a second portion of the first synchronization waveform signal, wherein the at least one first parameter of the first voltage pulses is set to a second value based on a difference in the first waveform parameter within the second portion of the first synchronization waveform signal.

公开(公告)号：US20230280150A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-07

申请号：US18317776

申请日：2023-05-15

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sathyendra GHANTASALA ,  Leonid DORF ,  Evgeny KAMENETSKIY ,  Peter MURAOKA ,  Denis Martin KOOSAU ,  Rajinder DHINDSA ,  Andreas SCHMID

IPC: G01B7/06 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/687

CPC classification number: G01B7/08 ,  H01L21/67069 ,  H01J37/32642 ,  H01L21/68721 ,  H01J2237/24564

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for controlling surface characteristics by measuring capacitance of a process kit ring. The method includes interfacing a ring with a jig assembly for measuring capacitance in at least a first location of the ring. The ring has that includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an inner surface opposite an outer surface. At least the bottom surface has an external coating placed thereon. The method further includes contacting a measuring device to the first location on the outer surface proximate the bottom surface. The measuring device contacts an opening in the external coating to the body. The measuring device contacts a first conductive member that is electrically coupled to the ring. A capacitance is measured on the measuring device. The capacitance across the top surface is measured.

公开(公告)号：US20230132339A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-27

申请号：US17970446

申请日：2022-10-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Rajinder DHINDSA

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide plasma processing chambers and methods configured for fine-tuning and control over a plasma sheath formed during the plasma-assisted processing of a semiconductor substrate. Embodiments include a sheath tuning scheme, including plasma processing chambers and methods, which can be used to tailor one or more characteristics of a plasma sheath formed between a bulk plasma and a substrate surface. Generally, the sheath tuning scheme provides differently configured pulsed voltage (PV) waveforms to a plurality of bias electrodes embedded beneath the surface of a substrate support in an arrangement where each of the electrodes can be used to differentially bias a surface region of a substrate positioned on the support. The sheath tuning scheme disclosed herein can thus be used to adjust and/or control the directionality, and energy and angular distributions of ions that bombard a substrate surface during a plasma-assisted etch process.

公开(公告)号：US20230130829A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-27

申请号：US17970454

申请日：2022-10-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Rajinder DHINDSA

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/683

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide plasma processing chambers and methods configured for fine-tuning and control over a plasma sheath formed during the plasma-assisted processing of a semiconductor substrate. Embodiments include a sheath tuning scheme, including plasma processing chambers and methods, which can be used to tailor one or more characteristics of a plasma sheath formed between a bulk plasma and a substrate surface. Generally, the sheath tuning scheme provides differently configured pulsed voltage (PV) waveforms to a plurality of bias electrodes embedded beneath the surface of a substrate support in an arrangement where each of the electrodes can be used to differentially bias a surface region of a substrate positioned on the support. The sheath tuning scheme disclosed herein can thus be used to adjust and/or control the directionality, and energy and angular distributions of ions that bombard a substrate surface during a plasma-assisted etch process.

公开(公告)号：US20200027717A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-23

申请号：US16391219

申请日：2019-04-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sang Wook PARK ,  Sunil SRINIVASAN ,  Rajinder DHINDSA ,  Jonathan Sungehul KIM ,  Lin YU ,  Zhonghua YAO ,  Olivier LUERE

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/40 ,  C23C16/34

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for forming a desired material layer on a substrate between, during, prior to or after a patterning process. In one embodiment, a method for forming a material layer on a substrate includes pulsing a first gas precursor onto a surface of a substrate, attaching a first element from the first gas precursor onto the surface of the substrate, maintaining a substrate temperature less than about 110 degrees Celsius, pulsing a second gas precursor onto the surface of the substrate, and attaching a second element from the second gas precursor to the first element on the surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20190228952A1

公开(公告)日：2019-07-25

申请号：US16253655

申请日：2019-01-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Leonid DORF ,  Anurag Kumar MISHRA ,  Olivier LUERE ,  Rajinder DHINDSA ,  James ROGERS ,  Denis M. KOOSAU ,  Sunil SRINIVASAN

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and related process equipment for forming structures on substrates, such as etching high aspect ratio structures within one or more layers formed over a substrate. The methods and related equipment described herein can improve the formation of the structures on substrates by controlling the curvature of the plasma-sheath boundary near the periphery of the substrate, for example, by generating a substantially flat plasma-sheath boundary over the entire substrate (i.e., center to edge). The methods and related equipment described below can provide control over the curvature of the plasma-sheath boundary, including generation of the flat plasma-sheath boundary by applying RF power to an edge ring surrounding the substrate using a separate and independent RF power source.

公开(公告)号：US20240395502A1

公开(公告)日：2024-11-28

申请号：US18791966

申请日：2024-08-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Leonid DORF ,  Evgeny KAMENETSKIY ,  James ROGERS ,  Olivier LUERE ,  Rajinder DHINDSA ,  Viacheslav PLOTNIKOV

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/683

Abstract: Embodiments of this disclosure describe a feedback loop that can be used to maintain a nearly constant sheath voltage and thus creating a mono-energetic IEDF at the surface of the substrate. The system described herein consequently enables a precise control over the shape of IEDF and the profile of the features formed in the surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20240145220A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-02

申请号：US17974088

申请日：2022-10-26

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jaeyong CHO ,  Rajinder DHINDSA ,  Daniel Sang BYUN ,  Vladimir KNYAZIK

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32724 ,  H01J2237/2001 ,  H01J2237/2007 ,  H01L21/6833

Abstract: Examples of a substrate support assembly are provided herein. In some examples, the substrate support assembly has a ceramic electrostatic chuck having a first side configured to support a substrate and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the ceramic electrostatic chuck includes an electrode embedded in the ceramic electrostatic chuck. The substrate support assembly has a cooling plate disposed under the second side of the ceramic electrostatic chuck, wherein the cooling plate includes an inner portion separated from an outer portion. The substrate support assembly has a bond layer coupling the ceramic electrostatic chuck to the cooling plate, wherein the bond layer is of a first material in the outer portion of the cooling plate and of a second material in the inner portion of the cooling plate, and wherein the first material has a greater thermal conductivity than that of the second material.

公开(公告)号：US20230030927A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-02

申请号：US17959074

申请日：2022-10-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Leonid DORF ,  Rajinder DHINDSA ,  James ROGERS ,  Daniel Sang BYUN ,  Evgeny KAMENETSKIY ,  Yue GUO ,  Kartik RAMASWAMY ,  Valentin N. TODOROW ,  Olivier LUERE ,  Linying CUI

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/683

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provided herein include an apparatus and method for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. More specifically, embodiments of this disclosure describe a biasing scheme that is configured to provide a radio frequency (RF) generated RF waveform from an RF generator to one or more electrodes within a processing chamber and a pulsed-voltage (PV) waveform delivered from one or more pulsed-voltage (PV) generators to the one or more electrodes within the processing chamber. The plasma process(es) disclosed herein can be used to control the shape of an ion energy distribution function (IEDF) and the interaction of the plasma with a surface of a substrate during plasma processing.