公开(公告)号：US20220093428A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-24

申请号：US17026905

申请日：2020-09-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Bruce E. Adams ,  Samuel C. Howells ,  Martin A. Hilkene ,  Jose Antonio Marin

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/244 ,  C23C8/10 ,  C23C8/36

Abstract: Semiconductor processing systems are described to measure levels of atomic oxygen using an atomic oxygen sensor positioned within a substrate processing region of a substrate processing chamber. The processing systems may include a semiconductor chamber that has a chamber body which defines a substrate processing region. The processing chamber may also include a substrate support positioned within the substrate processing region. The atomic oxygen sensor may be positioned proximate to the substrate support in the substrate processing region of the chamber. Also described are semiconductor processing methods that include detecting a concentration of atomic oxygen in the substrate processing region with an atomic oxygen sensor positioned in the semiconductor processing chamber. The atomic oxygen sensor may include at least one electrode comprising a material selectively permeable to atomic oxygen over molecular oxygen, and may further include a solid electrolyte that selectively conducts atomic oxygen ions.

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：US09958709B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-01

申请号：US14459016

申请日：2014-08-13

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Bruce E. Adams

IPC: B23K26/06 ,  G02F1/01 ,  G02F1/19 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/08 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K101/40 ,  B23K103/00

CPC classification number: G02F1/0147 ,  B23K26/0006 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/0648 ,  B23K26/0853 ,  B23K26/352 ,  B23K2101/40 ,  B23K2103/56 ,  G02F1/19 ,  G02F2201/08 ,  G02F2201/346

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an optical valve that modifies a laser beam to allow more energy to be irradiated onto less absorbing areas on a substrate and less energy to be irradiated onto more absorbing areas on the substrate, thus creating a more uniform heating field. The optical valve is a layered structure comprising a reflective switch layer, an absorbing layer, a thermal resistor and a thermal bath.

公开(公告)号：US09786529B2

公开(公告)日：2017-10-10

申请号：US14163623

申请日：2014-01-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph M. Ranish ,  Bruce E. Adams

IPC: H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01L21/67248 ,  H01L21/67115

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to pyrometry during thermal processing of semiconductor substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a pyrometry filter for a thermal process chamber. In certain embodiments, the pyrometry filter selectively filters selected wavelengths of energy to improve a pyrometer measurement. The pyrometry filter may have various geometries which may affect the functionality of the pyrometry filter.

公开(公告)号：US20160139417A1

公开(公告)日：2016-05-19

申请号：US15003996

申请日：2016-01-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

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

IPC: G02B27/10 ,  G02B27/00 ,  G02B27/12 ,  G02B27/30 ,  G02B27/14

CPC classification number: G02B27/106 ,  G02B17/0888 ,  G02B27/0025 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B27/1006 ,  G02B27/12 ,  G02B27/123 ,  G02B27/126 ,  G02B27/14 ,  G02B27/143 ,  G02B27/30

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for combining beams of amplified radiation are disclosed. A beam combiner has a collimating optic positioned to receive a plurality of coherent radiation beams at a constant angle of incidence with respect to an optical axis of the collimating optic. The respective angles of incidence may also be different in some embodiments. The collimating optic has an optical property that collimates the beams. The optical property may be refractive or reflective, or a combination thereof. A collecting optic may also be provided to direct the plurality of beams to the collimating optic. The beam combiner may be used in a thermal processing apparatus to combine more than two beams of coherent amplified radiation, such as lasers, into a single beam.

公开(公告)号：US08693095B2

公开(公告)日：2014-04-08

申请号：US13753305

申请日：2013-01-29

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Dean Jennings ,  Timothy N. Thomas ,  Stephen Moffatt ,  Jiping Li ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Samuel C. Howells

IPC: G02F1/01 ,  G02B27/28

CPC classification number: G02B27/28 ,  G02B27/283 ,  G02B27/48

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decorrelating coherent light from a light source, such as a pulsed laser, in both time and space in an effort to provide intense and uniform illumination are provided. The techniques and apparatus described herein may be incorporated into any application where intense, uniform illumination is desired, such as pulsed laser annealing, welding, ablating, and wafer stepper illuminating.

Abstract translation: 提供了一种用于在时间和空间上从光源（例如脉冲激光）去除相干光的方法和装置，以提供强烈和均匀的照明。 本文描述的技术和装置可以并入任何需要强烈均匀照明的应用中，例如脉冲激光退火，焊接，烧蚀和晶片步进照明。

公开(公告)号：US11945045B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-02

申请号：US17090709

申请日：2020-11-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Dean Jennings ,  Haifan Liang ,  Mark Yam ,  Vijay Parihar ,  Abhilash J. Mayur ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Joseph M. Ranish

IPC: B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/073 ,  B23K26/352 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: B23K26/0608 ,  B23K26/0604 ,  B23K26/0613 ,  B23K26/073 ,  B23K26/0732 ,  B23K26/0736 ,  B23K26/0738 ,  B23K26/352 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/02675

Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus and method in which a first laser source, for example, a CO2 emitting at 10.6 μm is focused onto a silicon wafer as a line beam and a second laser source, for example, a GaAs laser bar emitting at 808 nm is focused onto the wafer as a larger beam surrounding the line beam. The two beams are scanned in synchronism in the direction of the narrow dimension of the line beam to create a narrow heating pulse from the line beam when activated by the larger beam. The energy of GaAs radiation is greater than the silicon bandgap energy and creates free carriers. The energy of the CO2 radiation is less than the silicon bandgap energy so silicon is otherwise transparent to it, but the long wavelength radiation is absorbed by the free carriers.

公开(公告)号：US10074538B2

公开(公告)日：2018-09-11

申请号：US15186499

申请日：2016-06-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Bruce E. Adams ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Stephen Moffatt

IPC: C30B1/02 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/268

CPC classification number: H01L21/02686 ,  H01L21/02521 ,  H01L21/268

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of treating a substrate with an amorphous semiconductor layer, or a semiconductor layer having small crystals, to form large crystals in the substrate are described. A treatment area of the substrate is identified and melted using a progressive melting process of delivering pulsed energy to the treatment area. The treatment area is then recrystallized using a progressive crystallization process of delivering pulsed energy to the area. The pulsed energy delivered during the progressive crystallization process is selected to convert the small crystals into large crystals as the melted material freezes.

公开(公告)号：US11280686B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-22

申请号：US16513842

申请日：2019-07-17

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Samuel C. Howells ,  Bruce E. Adams

IPC: G01K11/00

Abstract: A method includes exposing a sample etalon-object to sample incident radiation, resulting in a sample transmitted radiation and sample reflected radiation; exposing a reference etalon-object to reference incident radiation, resulting in a reference transmitted radiation and reference reflected radiation; and analyzing resultant radiation for a heterodyned spectrum. The sample transmitted radiation may become the reference incident radiation, and the reference transmitted radiation may become the resultant radiation. The reference transmitted radiation may become the sample incident radiation, and the sample transmitted radiation may become the resultant radiation. The sample transmitted radiation may become the reference incident radiation, and the reference reflected radiation may become the resultant radiation. The reference transmitted radiation may become the sample incident radiation, and the sample reflected radiation may become the resultant radiation.

公开(公告)号：US10857623B2

公开(公告)日：2020-12-08

申请号：US15838010

申请日：2017-12-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Dean Jennings ,  Haifan Liang ,  Mark Yam ,  Vijay Parihar ,  Abhilash J. Mayur ,  Aaron Muir Hunter ,  Bruce E. Adams ,  Joseph M. Ranish

IPC: B23K26/06 ,  B23K26/073 ,  B23K26/352 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/268 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/20

Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus and method in which a first laser source, for example, a CO2 emitting at 10.6 μm is focused onto a silicon wafer as a line beam and a second laser source, for example, a GaAs laser bar emitting at 808 nm is focused onto the wafer as a larger beam surrounding the line beam. The two beams are scanned in synchronism in the direction of the narrow dimension of the line beam to create a narrow heating pulse from the line beam when activated by the larger beam. The energy of GaAs radiation is greater than the silicon bandgap energy and creates free carriers. The energy of the CO2 radiation is less than the silicon bandgap energy so silicon is otherwise transparent to it, but the long wavelength radiation is absorbed by the free carriers.