公开(公告)号：US10537965B2

公开(公告)日：2020-01-21

申请号：US14172422

申请日：2014-02-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Douglas E. Holmgren ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Theodore P. Moffitt ,  Diwakar N. Kedlaya

IPC: B23K26/06 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to the rapid thermal processing of substrates. A fiber coupled laser diode array is provided in an optical system configured to generate a uniform irradiance pattern on the surface of a substrate. A plurality of individually controllable laser diodes are optically coupled via a plurality of fibers to one or more lenses. The fiber coupled laser diode array generates a Gaussian radiation profile which is defocused by the lenses to generate a uniform intensity image. In one embodiment, a field stop is disposed within the optical system.

公开(公告)号：US10053777B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-21

申请号：US14219644

申请日：2014-03-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph M. Ranish ,  Aaron Muir Hunter

IPC: C23C16/52 ,  C23C16/46 ,  C23C16/44 ,  C23C16/48 ,  C23C16/458

CPC classification number: C23C16/46 ,  C23C16/4411 ,  C23C16/4584 ,  C23C16/4585 ,  C23C16/48 ,  C23C16/481 ,  C23C16/482 ,  C23C16/483 ,  C23C16/488

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a substrate processing apparatus that includes a vacuum chamber comprising a first dome and a second dome, a substrate support disposed inside the vacuum chamber between the first and second domes, a collimated energy source arranged in a compartmented housing and positioned proximate the second dome, wherein the second dome is between the collimated energy source and the substrate support. At least a portion of the second dome and the substrate support may be optically transparent to the collimated energy from the collimated energy source.

公开(公告)号：US10020204B2

公开(公告)日：2018-07-10

申请号：US15456009

申请日：2017-03-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph M. Ranish ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Swaminathan T. Srinivasan

IPC: H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/461 ,  B44C1/22 ,  C03C15/00 ,  C23F1/00 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/3115 ,  H01L21/225 ,  H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/687

CPC classification number: H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/2251 ,  H01L21/2253 ,  H01L21/30604 ,  H01L21/31155 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L21/67167 ,  H01L21/67196 ,  H01L21/67207 ,  H01L21/67225 ,  H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/68735 ,  Y10S148/042 ,  Y10S438/924

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to methods and apparatus for processing of the bottom surface of a substrate to counteract thermal stresses thereon. Correcting strains are applied to the bottom surface of the substrate which compensate for undesirable strains and distortions on the top surface of the substrate. Specifically designed films may be formed on the back side of the substrate by any combination of deposition, implant, thermal treatment, and etching to create strains that compensate for unwanted distortions of the substrate. In some embodiments, localized strains may be introduced by locally altering the hydrogen content of a silicon nitride film or a carbon film, among other techniques. Structures may be formed by printing, lithography, or self-assembly techniques. Treatment of the layers of film is determined by the stress map desired and includes annealing, implanting, melting, or other thermal treatments.

公开(公告)号：US09953851B2

公开(公告)日：2018-04-24

申请号：US15207226

申请日：2016-07-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jiping Li ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Kim Vellore ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Stephen Moffatt

IPC: H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/20 ,  H01L21/36 ,  H01L21/26 ,  H01L21/42 ,  H01L21/44 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/268 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/03 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/066 ,  H01L21/324 ,  B23K101/40

CPC classification number: H01L21/67115 ,  B23K26/009 ,  B23K26/034 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/066 ,  B23K26/352 ,  B23K2101/40 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/324

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods of thermal processing. More specifically, apparatus and methods described herein relate to laser thermal treatment of semiconductor substrates by increasing the uniformity of energy distribution in an image at a surface of a substrate.

公开(公告)号：US09659809B2

公开(公告)日：2017-05-23

申请号：US15188706

申请日：2016-06-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Mehran Behdjat ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Joseph M. Ranish ,  Norman Tam ,  Jeffrey Tobin ,  Jiping Li ,  Martin Tran

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01L21/68735 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L21/68757

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure generally relate to a support cylinder used in a thermal process chamber. In one embodiment, the support cylinder includes a hollow cylindrical body comprising an inner peripheral surface, an outer peripheral surface parallel to the inner peripheral surface, wherein the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface extend along a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the support cylinder, and a lateral portion extending radially from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface, wherein the lateral portion comprises a first end having a first beveled portion, a first rounded portion, and a first planar portion connecting the first beveled portion and the first rounded portion, and a second end opposing the first end, the second end having a second beveled portion, a second rounded portion, and a second planar portion connecting the second beveled portion and the second rounded portion.

公开(公告)号：US09390926B2

公开(公告)日：2016-07-12

申请号：US14159228

申请日：2014-01-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jiping Li ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Kim Vellore ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Stephen Moffatt

IPC: H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/268 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/03 ,  H01L21/20 ,  H01L21/26 ,  H01L21/36 ,  H01L21/42 ,  H01L21/44

CPC classification number: H01L21/67115 ,  B23K26/009 ,  B23K26/034 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/066 ,  B23K26/352 ,  B23K2101/40 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/324

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to apparatus and methods of thermal processing. More specifically, apparatus and methods described herein relate to laser thermal treatment of semiconductor substrates by increasing the uniformity of energy distribution in an image at a surface of a substrate.

Abstract translation: 本文所述的实施例涉及热处理的装置和方法。 更具体地，本文所述的装置和方法涉及通过增加基板表面上的图像中的能量分布的均匀性来对半导体基板进行激光热处理。

公开(公告)号：US10345155B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-09

申请号：US15665545

申请日：2017-08-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kailash Kiran Patalay ,  Aaron Muir Hunter

IPC: G01K15/00 ,  G01K1/00 ,  G01K13/00 ,  G01J5/10 ,  H01L21/67 ,  G01J5/00

Abstract: The embodiments described herein generally relate to systems for noise compensation for proper temperature detection in thermal processing chambers and devices for achieving the same. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed herein. The system includes a processing chamber, a substrate, a pyrometer, and a controller. The processing chamber is configured to process a substrate. The substrate support is disposed in the processing chamber. The pyrometer is positioned to receive radiation emitted by a substrate or a component of the processing chamber and generating a pyrometer signal indicative of the received radiation. The controller is configured to subtract a time invariant noise component and a time variant noise component from the pyrometer signal during processing of a substrate.

公开(公告)号：US10256005B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-09

申请号：US15213844

申请日：2016-07-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph M. Ranish ,  Shashank Sharma ,  Diwakar N. Kedlaya ,  Aaron Muir Hunter

IPC: G21K5/10 ,  B23K26/12 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to thermal processing of substrates. More specifically, embodiments described herein relate to flash on spike annealing processes and apparatus suitable for performing such processes. In one embodiment, a thermal processing apparatus may include a lamp radiation source, a laser source, and a reflector plate disposed between the lamp radiation source and the laser source. One or more apertures may be formed in the reflector plate and the laser source may be positioned adjacent to the reflector plate such that a laser beam emitted from the laser source propagates through the one or more apertures. In one embodiment, the reflector plate may be substantially circular and the one or more apertures may approximate a sector of the reflector plate.

公开(公告)号：US10181409B2

公开(公告)日：2019-01-15

申请号：US14163309

申请日：2014-01-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Stephen Moffatt ,  Douglas E. Holmgren ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Edric Tong ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Jiping Li ,  Aaron Muir Hunter

IPC: B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/04 ,  H01L21/477 ,  F27B5/14 ,  B23K26/354 ,  B23K26/03 ,  B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/08 ,  B23K26/12 ,  H01L21/268 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K101/40 ,  B23K103/00 ,  H01S3/00

Abstract: An optical system that is able to reliably deliver a uniform amount of energy across an anneal region contained on a surface of a substrate. The optical system is adapted to deliver, or project, a uniform amount of energy having a desired two-dimensional shape on a desired region on the surface of the substrate. An energy source for the optical system is typically a plurality of lasers, which are combined to form the energy field.

公开(公告)号：US10056286B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-21

申请号：US15838060

申请日：2017-12-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Mehran Behdjat ,  Norman L. Tam ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Joseph M. Ranish ,  Koji Nakanishi ,  Toshiyuki Nakagawa

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  C23C16/50 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01L21/68757 ,  C23C16/50 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L21/68735 ,  H01L2221/683

Abstract: A support ring for semiconductor processing is provided. The support ring includes a ring shaped body defined by an inner edge and an outer edge. The inner edge and outer edge are concentric about a central axis. The ring shaped body further includes a first side, a second side, and a raised annular shoulder extending from the first side of the ring shaped body at the inner edge. The support ring also includes a coating on the first side. The coating has an inner region of reduced thickness region abutting the raised annular shoulder.