公开(公告)号：US20210134684A1

公开(公告)日：2021-05-06

申请号：US17000243

申请日：2020-08-21

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Oliver Ansell ,  Harry Gordon-Moys

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/22

Abstract: A white light illumination source can illuminate a region of a substrate to be plasma etched with an incident light beam. A camera takes successive images of the region being illuminated during a plasma etch process. Image processing techniques can be applied to the images so as to identify a location of at least one feature on the substrate and to measure a reflectivity signal at the location. The plasma etch process can be modified in response to the measured reflectivity signal at the location.

公开(公告)号：US20210123130A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-29

申请号：US17139445

申请日：2020-12-31

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Stephen R Burgess ,  Rhonda Hyndman ,  Amit Rastogi ,  Eduardo Paulo Lima ,  Clive L Widdicks ,  Paul Rich ,  Scott Haymore ,  Daniel Cook

IPC: C23C14/06 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/10 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A method is for depositing a dielectric material on to a substrate in a chamber by pulsed DC magnetron sputtering with a pulsed DC magnetron device which produces one or more primary magnetic fields. In the method, a sputtering material is sputtered from a target, wherein the target and the substrate are separated by a gap in the range 2.5 to 10 cm and a secondary magnetic field is produced within the chamber which causes a plasma produced by the pulsed DC magnetron device to expand towards one or more walls of the chamber.

公开(公告)号：US10978291B2

公开(公告)日：2021-04-13

申请号：US14483926

申请日：2014-09-11

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Alex Theodosiou ,  Steve Burgess

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of pre-cleaning a semiconductor structure and to associated modular semiconductor process tools. The method includes the steps of: (i) providing a semiconductor structure having an exposed dielectric layer of an organic dielectric material, wherein the dielectric layer has one or more features formed therein which expose one or more electrically conductive structures to be pre-cleaned, in which the electrically conductive structures each include a metal layer, optionally with a barrier layer formed thereon, and the surface area of the exposed dielectric layer is greater than the surface area of the electrically conductive structures exposed by the dielectric layer; and (ii) pre-cleaning the semiconductor structure by performing an Ar/H2 sputter etch to remove material from the exposed electrically conductive structures and to remove organic dielectric material from the exposed dielectric layer.

公开(公告)号：US10720308B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-21

申请号：US16541582

申请日：2019-08-15

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Paul Bennett

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H05H1/46

Abstract: A plasma apparatus includes a remote plasma source, a substrate processing chamber, and a connector which connects the remote plasma source to the substrate processing chamber. The remote plasma source includes a continuous peripheral wall structure that surrounds an inner channel, and that includes an electrode structure that defines at least a part of an internal channel extending internally within the continuous peripheral wall structure in which the inductively coupled plasma can be sustained. The remote plasma source also includes an electrical signal supply device for supplying an electrical signal that drives the electrode structure, and a plasma outlet which is in communication with the internal channel. The connector is in connection with the plasma outlet of the remote plasma source and the substrate processing chamber so that at least some components of the inductively coupled plasma sustained in the internal channel can be introduced to the substrate processing chamber.

公开(公告)号：US20200058466A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-20

申请号：US16541582

申请日：2019-08-15

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Paul Bennett

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H05H1/46

Abstract: A plasma apparatus includes a remote plasma source, a substrate processing chamber, and a connector which connects the remote plasma source to the substrate processing chamber. The remote plasma source includes a continuous peripheral wall structure that surrounds an inner channel, and that includes an electrode structure that defines at least a part of an internal channel extending internally within the continuous peripheral wall structure in which the inductively coupled plasma can be sustained. The remote plasma source also includes an electrical signal supply device for supplying an electrical signal that drives the electrode structure, and a plasma outlet which is in communication with the internal channel. The connector is in connection with the plasma outlet of the remote plasma source and the substrate processing chamber so that at least some components of the inductively coupled plasma sustained in the internal channel can be introduced to the substrate processing chamber.

公开(公告)号：US10309014B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-04

申请号：US15590063

申请日：2017-05-09

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： Kathrine Crook ,  Mark Carruthers ,  Andrew Price

IPC: C23C16/44 ,  C23C16/452 ,  C23C16/52 ,  B08B7/00 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A method of cleaning a chamber of a plasma processing device with radicals includes creating a plasma within a remote plasma source which is separated from the chamber, the plasma including radicals and ions, cleaning the chamber by allowing radicals to enter the chamber from the remote plasma source while preventing the majority of the ions created in the remote plasma source from entering the chamber, detecting a DC bias developed on a component of the chamber during cleaning; and using the detected DC bias to determine an end-point of the cleaning and, on determination of the end-point, to stop the cleaning.

公开(公告)号：US10283381B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-07

申请号：US15293153

申请日：2016-10-13

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Gautham Ragunathan ,  David Tossell ,  Oliver Ansell

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/683 ,  H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/78

Abstract: An apparatus is for plasma dicing a semiconductor substrate of the type forming part of a workpiece, the workpiece further including a carrier sheet on a frame member, where the carrier sheet carries the semiconductor substrate. The apparatus includes a chamber, a plasma production device configured to produce a plasma within the chamber suitable for dicing the semiconductor substrate, a workpiece support located in the chamber for supporting the workpiece through contact with the carrier sheet, and a frame cover element configured to, in use, contact the frame member thereby clamping the carrier sheet against an auxiliary element disposed in the chamber.

公开(公告)号：US20180362334A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-20

申请号：US16010395

申请日：2018-06-15

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Kerry Roberts ,  Huma Ashraf ,  Pen Fen Eng

IPC: B81C1/00 ,  A61K9/00 ,  A61M37/00

Abstract: A method is for manufacturing a plurality of silicon microneedles which have a bevelled tip. The method includes providing a silicon substrate having a front face and a rear face, forming a first mask arrangement on the front face of the substrate, the first mask arrangement defining one or more gaps, and performing a SF6 based plasma etch of the front face through the gaps in the first mask arrangement to provide one or more etch features having a sloping face. The SF6 based plasma etch undercuts the first mask arrangement with an undercut that is at least 10% of the depth of a corresponding etch feature. The method further includes forming a second mask arrangement on the etch features to define locations of the microneedles, in which the second mask arrangement is located entirely on sloping faces of the etch features, and performing a DRIE (deep reactive ion etch) anisotropic plasma etch of the etched front face of the substrate to form a plurality of microneedles which have a bevelled tip, where the sloping faces of the etch features at least in part give rise to the bevelled tips of the microneedles.

公开(公告)号：US10096468B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-09

申请号：US15383162

申请日：2016-12-19

Applicant: SPTS Technologies Limited

Inventor： Kathrine Crook ,  Stephen R Burgess ,  Andrew Price

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L29/06

Abstract: A method is for improving adhesion between a semiconductor substrate and a dielectric layer. The method includes depositing a silicon dioxide adhesion layer onto the semiconductor substrate by a first plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process, and depositing the dielectric layer onto the adhesion layer by a second PECVD process. The first PECVD process is performed in a gaseous atmosphere comprising tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) either in the absence of O2 or with O2 introduced into the process at a flow rate of 250 sccm or less.

公开(公告)号：US20180218888A9

公开(公告)日：2018-08-02

申请号：US14285727

申请日：2014-05-23

Applicant: SPTS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

Inventor： MAXIME VARVARA

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  F16B7/04

CPC classification number: H01J37/32807 ,  B01D15/10 ,  B01D15/247 ,  C07K1/16 ,  F16B7/0406 ,  G01N15/1404 ,  G01N27/44721 ,  G01N27/44739 ,  G01N27/453 ,  G01N30/0005 ,  G01N30/74 ,  G01N30/82 ,  G01N2030/027 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  Y10T403/66

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes first, second and third chambers, and a plasma generation device. An inner cross-sectional area and shape of the second chamber interior substantially corresponds to the upper surface of a substrate, and a substrate support is disposed so that, in use, the substrate is substantially in register with the interior of the second chamber, and the upper surface of the substrate is positioned at a distance of 80 mm or less from the interface between the second and third chambers.