公开(公告)号：US12255051B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-18

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

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：US12183557B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-31

申请号：US18244544

申请日：2023-09-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying Cui ,  James Rogers

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for controlling an ion energy distribution during plasma processing. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a substrate support that has a body having a substrate electrode for applying a substrate voltage to a substrate, and an edge ring electrode embedded for applying an edge ring voltage to an edge ring. The apparatus further includes a substrate voltage control circuit coupled to the substrate electrode, and an edge ring voltage control circuit coupled to the edge ring electrode. The substrate electrode, edge ring electrode, or both are coupled to a power module configured to actively control an energy distribution function width of ions reaching the substrate, edge ring, or both. Methods for controlling an energy distribution function width of ions during substrate processing are also described.

公开(公告)号：US11798790B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-24

申请号：US17099342

申请日：2020-11-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying Cui ,  James Rogers

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32697 ,  H01J37/32715

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for controlling an ion energy distribution during plasma processing. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a substrate support that has a body having a substrate electrode for applying a substrate voltage to a substrate, and an edge ring electrode embedded for applying an edge ring voltage to an edge ring. The apparatus further includes a substrate voltage control circuit coupled to the substrate electrode, and an edge ring voltage control circuit coupled to the edge ring electrode. The substrate electrode, edge ring electrode, or both are coupled to a power module configured to actively control an energy distribution function width of ions reaching the substrate, edge ring, or both. Methods for controlling an energy distribution function width of ions during substrate processing are also described.

公开(公告)号：US11462389B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-04

申请号：US17315259

申请日：2021-05-07

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 ,  Jonathan Kolbeck ,  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.

公开(公告)号：US10784089B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-22

申请号：US16265186

申请日：2019-02-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： James Rogers ,  Linying Cui ,  Rajinder Dhindsa

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

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide methods and apparatus used to control a processing result profile proximate to a circumferential edge of a substrate during the plasma assisted processing thereof. In one embodiment a substrate support assembly features a first base plate and a second base plate circumscribing the first base plate. The first and second base plates each have one or more respective first and second cooling disposed therein. The substrate support assembly further features a substrate support disposed on and thermally coupled to the first base plate and a biasing ring disposed on and thermally coupled to the second base plate. Here, the substrate support and the biasing ring are each formed of a dielectric material. The substrate support assembly further includes an edge ring biasing electrode embedded the dielectric material of the biasing ring and an edge ring disposed on the biasing ring.

公开(公告)号：US10763081B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-01

申请号：US16030356

申请日：2018-07-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying Cui ,  James Rogers

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods that manipulate the amplitude and phase of the voltage or current of an edge ring. The apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck having a chucking electrode embedded therein for chucking a substrate to the electrostatic chuck. The apparatus further includes a baseplate underneath the substrate to feed RF power to the substrate. The apparatus further includes an edge ring disposed over the electrostatic chuck. The apparatus further includes an edge ring electrode located underneath the edge ring. The apparatus further includes a radio frequency (RF) circuit including a first variable capacitor coupled to the edge ring electrode.

公开(公告)号：US11901157B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-13

申请号：US17159133

申请日：2021-01-26

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying Cui ,  James Rogers

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/52 ,  C23C16/503 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01J37/32027 ,  H01J37/3299 ,  C23C16/503 ,  C23C16/52 ,  H01L21/67069

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to apparatus and methods for controlling an ion energy distribution during plasma processing. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a substrate support that has a body having a substrate electrode for applying a substrate voltage to a substrate, and an edge ring electrode embedded for applying an edge ring voltage to an edge ring. The apparatus further includes a substrate voltage control circuit coupled to the substrate electrode, and an edge ring voltage control circuit coupled to the edge ring electrode. The substrate electrode, edge ring electrode, or both are coupled to a power module configured to actively control an energy distribution function width of ions reaching the substrate, edge ring, or both. Methods for controlling an energy distribution function width of ions during substrate processing are also described.

公开(公告)号：US11791138B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-17

申请号：US17319007

申请日：2021-05-12

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying Cui ,  James Rogers ,  Leonid Dorf

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32715 ,  H01J37/32174 ,  H01J37/32568 ,  H01J2237/2007

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system for pulsed direct-current (DC) biasing and clamping a substrate. In one embodiment, the system includes a plasma chamber having an electrostatic chuck (ESC) for supporting a substrate. An electrode is embedded in the ESC and is electrically coupled to a biasing and clamping network. The biasing and clamping network includes at least a shaped DC pulse voltage source and a clamping network. The clamping network includes a DC source and a diode, and a resistor. The shaped DC pulse voltage source and the clamping network are connected in parallel. The biasing and clamping network automatically maintains a substantially constant clamping voltage, which is a voltage drop across the electrode and the substrate when the substrate is biased with pulsed DC voltage, leading to improved clamping of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11476145B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-18

申请号：US16197006

申请日：2018-11-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： James Rogers ,  Linying Cui ,  Leonid Dorf

IPC: H01L21/683 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/248

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for pulsed DC biasing and clamping a substrate. The system can include a plasma chamber having an ESC for supporting a substrate. An electrode is embedded in the ESC and is electrically coupled to a biasing and clamping circuit. The biasing and clamping circuit includes at least a shaped DC pulse voltage source and a clamping network. The clamping network includes a DC voltage source and a diode, and a resistor. The shaped DC pulse voltage source and the clamping network are connected in parallel. The biasing and clamping network automatically maintains a substantially constant clamping voltage, which is a voltage drop across the electrode and the substrate when the substrate is biased with pulsed DC voltage, leading to improved clamping of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11289310B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-29

申请号：US16198479

申请日：2018-11-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying Cui ,  James Rogers

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method that manipulates the voltage at an edge ring relative to a substrate located on a substrate support located within a processing chamber. The apparatus includes a substrate support assembly that has a body having a substrate electrode embedded therein for applying a voltage to a substrate. The body of the substrate support assembly additionally has an edge ring electrode embedded therein for applying a voltage to an edge ring. The apparatus further includes an edge ring voltage control circuit coupled to the edge ring electrode. A substrate voltage control circuit is coupled to the substrate electrode. The edge ring voltage control circuit and the substrate voltage control circuit are independently tunable to generate a difference in voltage between the edge ring voltage and the substrate voltage.