公开(公告)号：US08323521B2

公开(公告)日：2012-12-04

申请号：US12853771

申请日：2010-08-10

申请人： Jianping Zhao ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk ,  Toshihisa Nozawa

发明人： Jianping Zhao ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk ,  Toshihisa Nozawa

IPC分类号： H01L21/66

CPC分类号： H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32192 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/32137

摘要： The invention can provide apparatus and methods of processing a substrate using plasma generation by gravity-induced gas-diffusion separation techniques. By adding or using gases including inert and process gases with different gravities (i.e., ratio between the molecular weight of a gaseous constituent and a reference molecular weight), a two-zone or multiple-zone plasma can be formed, in which one kind of gas can be highly constrained near a plasma generation region and another kind of gas can be largely separated from the aforementioned gas due to differential gravity induced diffusion and is constrained more closer to a wafer process region than the aforementioned gas.

摘要翻译： 本发明可以提供使用通过重力引起的气体扩散分离技术的等离子体生成来处理衬底的装置和方法。 通过添加或使用气体，包括不同重量的惰性气体和工艺气体（即气态成分的分子量与参考分子量之间的比例），可以形成两区或多区等离子体，其中一种 气体可以在等离子体产生区域附近被高度约束，并且由于差分重力感应扩散，另一种气体可以与上述气体大大分离，并且比上述气体更受限于更接近于晶片工艺区域。

公开(公告)号：US20120248322A1

公开(公告)日：2012-10-04

申请号：US13433078

申请日：2012-03-28

申请人： Merritt Funk ,  Lee Chen ,  Barton Lane ,  Jianping Zhao ,  Radha Sundararajan

发明人： Merritt Funk ,  Lee Chen ,  Barton Lane ,  Jianping Zhao ,  Radha Sundararajan

IPC分类号： G01T1/185

CPC分类号： H01J37/32935 ,  H01J49/488 ,  H05H1/0081 ,  Y10T29/49002

摘要： A method of generating a signal representing with an ion energy analyzer for use in determining an ion energy distribution of a plasma. The ion energy analyzer, used for determining an ion energy distribution of a plasma, includes a first grid and a second grid that is spaced away from and electrically isolated from the first grid. The first grid forms a first surface of the ion energy analyzer and is positioned to be exposed to the plasma. The first grid includes a first plurality of openings, which are dimensioned to be less than a Debye length for the plasma. A voltage source and an ion current meter are operably coupled to the second grid, the latter of which is configured to measure an ion flux onto the ion collector and to transmit a signal that represents the measured ion flux. The method includes selectively and variably biasing the second grid relative to the first grid.

摘要翻译： 一种产生用离子能分析仪表示的信号的方法，用于确定等离子体的离子能量分布。 用于确定等离子体的离子能量分布的离子能量分析器包括与第一格栅隔开并与之隔离的第一格栅和第二栅格。 第一栅格形成离子能量分析器的第一表面并定位成暴露于等离子体。 第一栅格包括第一多个开口，其尺寸被设计成小于等离子体的德拜长度。 电压源和离子电流计可操作地耦合到第二栅极，第二栅极被配置为测量离子收集器上的离子通量并传输表示所测量的离子通量的信号。 该方法包括相对于第一格栅选择性地和可变地偏置第二格栅。

公开(公告)号：US07875555B2

公开(公告)日：2011-01-25

申请号：US11947038

申请日：2007-11-29

申请人： Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

发明人： Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

IPC分类号： H01L21/302

CPC分类号： H01L21/32136 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01L21/31116 ,  H01L21/32137

摘要： A method for treating a substrate with plasma over a wide pressure range is described. The method comprises exposing the substrate to a low pressure plasma in a process chamber. Further, the method comprises exposing the substrate to a high pressure plasma in the process chamber.

摘要翻译： 描述了在宽压力范围内用等离子体处理衬底的方法。 该方法包括将基板暴露于处理室中的低压等离子体。 此外，该方法包括将衬底暴露于处理室中的高压等离子体。

公开(公告)号：US07772544B2

公开(公告)日：2010-08-10

申请号：US11869656

申请日：2007-10-09

申请人： Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

发明人： Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

IPC分类号： H05H3/02

CPC分类号： H05H3/06

摘要： Method and system for producing a neutral beam source is described. The neutral beam source comprises a plasma generation system for forming a first plasma in a first plasma region, a plasma heating system for heating electrons from the first plasma region in a second plasma region to form a second plasma, and a neutralizer grid for neutralizing ion species from the second plasma in the second plasma region. Furthermore, the neutral beam source comprises a pumping system that enables use of the neutral beam source for semiconductor processing applications, such as etching processes.

摘要翻译： 描述了用于生产中性束源的方法和系统。 中性束源包括用于在第一等离子体区域中形成第一等离子体的等离子体产生系统，用于在第二等离子体区域中从第一等离子体区域加热电子以形成第二等离子体的等离子体加热系统，以及用于中和离子的中和器栅格 来自第二等离子体区域中的第二等离子体的物质。 此外，中性束源包括泵送系统，其能够使用中性束源用于半导体处理应用，例如蚀刻工艺。

公开(公告)号：US20100081285A1

公开(公告)日：2010-04-01

申请号：US12242065

申请日：2008-09-30

申请人： Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk ,  Radha Sundararajan

发明人： Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk ,  Radha Sundararajan

IPC分类号： H01L21/3065

CPC分类号： H01L21/0273 ,  G03F7/40 ,  H01L21/32139

摘要： The invention can provide apparatus and methods of processing a substrate in real-time using subsystems and processing sequences created to improve the etch resistance of photoresist materials. In addition, the improved photoresist layer can be used to more accurately control gate and/or spacer critical dimensions (CDs), to control gate and/or spacer CD uniformity, and to eliminate line edge roughness (LER) and line width roughness (LWR).

摘要翻译： 本发明可以提供使用子系统和制造的处理序列来实时处理衬底的装置和方法，以提高光致抗蚀剂材料的耐蚀刻性。 此外，改进的光致抗蚀剂层可用于更精确地控制栅极和/或间隔物临界尺寸（CD），以控制栅极和/或间隔区CD均匀性，并且消除线边缘粗糙度（LER）和线宽粗糙度（LWR ）。

公开(公告)号：US20090081815A1

公开(公告)日：2009-03-26

申请号：US11859507

申请日：2007-09-21

申请人： Asao Yamashita ,  Merritt Funk ,  Daniel J. Prager ,  Lee Chen ,  Radha Sundararajan

发明人： Asao Yamashita ,  Merritt Funk ,  Daniel J. Prager ,  Lee Chen ,  Radha Sundararajan

IPC分类号： H01L21/311

CPC分类号： H01L21/31116 ,  H01J37/32091 ,  H01J37/32422 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H01L29/6656 ,  H01L29/66575 ,  H01L29/78 ,  H01L2924/0002 ,  H01L2924/00

摘要： The invention can provide a method of processing a substrate using S-O processing sequences and evaluation libraries that can include one or more optimized spacer creation and evaluation procedures.

摘要翻译： 本发明可以提供使用S-O处理序列处理衬底的方法以及可以包括一个或多个优化的间隔物产生和评估程序的评估库。

公开(公告)号：US20080227227A1

公开(公告)日：2008-09-18

申请号：US11684818

申请日：2007-03-12

申请人： Radha Sundararajan ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

发明人： Radha Sundararajan ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

IPC分类号： H01L21/306 ,  H01L21/66

CPC分类号： H01L22/20

摘要： A method and apparatus are provided to control the radial or non-radial temperature distribution across a substrate during processing to compensate for non-uniform effects, including radial and angular non-uniformities arising from system variations, or process variations, or both. The temperature is controlled, preferably dynamically, by flowing backside gas differently across different areas on a wafer supporting chuck to vary heat conduction across the wafer. Backside gas flow, of helium, for example, is dynamically varied across the chuck to control the uniformity of processing of the wafer. Ports in the support are grouped, and gas to or from the groups is separately controlled by different valves responsive to a controller that controls gas pressure in each of the areas to spatially and preferably dynamically control wafer temperature to compensate for system and process non-uniformities.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种方法和装置，以在处理期间控制衬底上的径向或非径向温度分布，以补偿不均匀的影响，包括由系统变化产生的径向和角度不均匀性或过程变化，或两者。 优选动态地控制温度，通过在晶片支撑卡盘上的不同区域上不同地流动背面气体来改变晶片上的热传导。 例如，氦的背侧气体流动在卡盘之间动态变化以控制晶片的处理的均匀性。 支撑中的端口被分组，并且来自组的气体由响应于控制器的不同阀单独控制，所述控制器在空间上控制每个区域中的气体压力，并且优选地动态地控制晶片温度以补偿系统和过程的不均匀性 。

公开(公告)号：US10395903B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-27

申请号：US15983532

申请日：2018-05-18

申请人： Zhiying Chen ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

发明人： Zhiying Chen ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

IPC分类号： H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/50 ,  H01J37/30

摘要： A processing system is disclosed, having an electron beam source chamber that excites plasma to generate an electron beam, and an ion beam source chamber that houses a substrate and also excites plasma to generate an ion beam. The processing system also includes a dielectric injector coupling the electron beam source chamber to the ion beam source chamber that simultaneously injects the electron beam and the ion beam and propels the electron beam and the ion beam in opposite directions. The voltage potential gradient between the electron beam source chamber and the ion beam source chamber generates an energy field that is sufficient to maintain the electron beam and ion beam as a plasma treats the substrate so that radio frequency (RF) power initially applied to the processing system to generate the electron beam can be terminated thus improving the power efficiency of the processing system.

公开(公告)号：US20180269041A1

公开(公告)日：2018-09-20

申请号：US15983532

申请日：2018-05-18

申请人： Zhiying Chen ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

发明人： Zhiying Chen ,  Lee Chen ,  Merritt Funk

IPC分类号： H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/30

CPC分类号： H01J37/32899 ,  H01J37/30 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/3233

摘要： A processing system is disclosed, having an electron beam source chamber that excites plasma to generate an electron beam, and an ion beam source chamber that houses a substrate and also excites plasma to generate an ion beam. The processing system also includes a dielectric injector coupling the electron beam source chamber to the ion beam source chamber that simultaneously injects the electron beam and the ion beam and propels the electron beam and the ion beam in opposite directions. The voltage potential gradient between the electron beam source chamber and the ion beam source chamber generates an energy field that is sufficient to maintain the electron beam and ion beam as a plasma treats the substrate so that radio frequency (RF) power initially applied to the processing system to generate the electron beam can be terminated thus improving the power efficiency of the processing system.

公开(公告)号：US09087677B2

公开(公告)日：2015-07-21

申请号：US13433078

申请日：2012-03-28

申请人： Merritt Funk ,  Lee Chen ,  Barton Lane ,  Jianping Zhao ,  Radha Sundararajan

发明人： Merritt Funk ,  Lee Chen ,  Barton Lane ,  Jianping Zhao ,  Radha Sundararajan

IPC分类号： H01J3/14 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01J49/48 ,  H05H1/00

CPC分类号： H01J37/32935 ,  H01J49/488 ,  H05H1/0081 ,  Y10T29/49002

摘要： A method of generating a signal representing with an ion energy analyzer for use in determining an ion energy distribution of a plasma. The ion energy analyzer, used for determining an ion energy distribution of a plasma, includes a first grid and a second grid that is spaced away from and electrically isolated from the first grid. The first grid forms a first surface of the ion energy analyzer and is positioned to be exposed to the plasma. The first grid includes a first plurality of openings, which are dimensioned to be less than a Debye length for the plasma. A voltage source and an ion current meter are operably coupled to the second grid, the latter of which is configured to measure an ion flux onto the ion collector and to transmit a signal that represents the measured ion flux. The method includes selectively and variably biasing the second grid relative to the first grid.

摘要翻译： 一种产生用离子能量分析仪表示的用于确定等离子体的离子能量分布的信号的方法。 用于确定等离子体的离子能量分布的离子能量分析器包括与第一格栅隔开并与之隔离的第一格栅和第二栅格。 第一栅格形成离子能量分析器的第一表面并定位成暴露于等离子体。 第一栅格包括第一多个开口，其尺寸被设计成小于等离子体的德拜长度。 电压源和离子电流计可操作地耦合到第二栅极，第二栅极被配置为测量离子收集器上的离子通量并传输表示所测量的离子通量的信号。 该方法包括相对于第一格栅选择性地和可变地偏置第二格栅。