公开(公告)号：US10580643B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-03

申请号：US15413167

申请日：2017-01-23

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Johanes S. Swenberg ,  Linlin Wang ,  Wei Liu

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/28 ,  H01L29/51

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a high-k gate dielectric in a transistor. The high-k gate dielectric may be formed by introducing a fluorine containing gas into a processing chamber during the deposition of the high-k gate dielectric in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, the high-k gate dielectric is formed by an ALD process in a processing chamber, and a fluorine containing gas is introduced into the processing chamber during one or more stages of the ALD process. Fluorine ions, molecules or radicals from the fluorine containing gas (may be activated by a plasma) can fill the oxygen vacancies in the high-k dielectric.

公开(公告)号：US11927482B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-12

申请号：US17604814

申请日：2020-03-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kin Pong Lo ,  Lara Hawrylchak ,  Malcolm J. Bevan ,  Theresa Kramer Guarini ,  Wei Liu ,  Bernard L. Hwang

IPC: G01J3/28 ,  G01J3/02 ,  G01J3/10 ,  G01J3/443

CPC classification number: G01J3/10 ,  G01J3/0218 ,  G01J3/443 ,  G01J2003/2879

Abstract: One or more embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methods for calibrating an optical emission spectrometer (OES) used for processing semiconductor substrates. In embodiments herein, a light fixture is mounted to a plate within a process chamber. A light source is positioned within the light fixture such that it provides an optical path that projects directly at a window through which the OES looks into the process chamber for its reading. When the light source is on, the OES measures the optical intensity of radiation from the light source. To calibrate the OES, the optical intensity of the light source is compared at two separate times when the light source is on. If the optical intensity of radiation at the first time is different than the optical intensity of radiation at the second time, the OES is modified.

公开(公告)号：US20200165725A1

公开(公告)日：2020-05-28

申请号：US16631979

申请日：2018-08-01

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Tatsuya E. Sato ,  Wei Liu ,  Li-Qun Xia

IPC: C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/40 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Methods comprising forming a metal oxide film by atomic layer deposition using water as an oxidant are described. The metal oxide film is exposed to a decoupled plasma comprising one or more of He, H2 or O2 to lower the wetch etch rate of the metal oxide film.

公开(公告)号：US20200051818A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-13

申请号：US16536600

申请日：2019-08-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wolfgang Aderhold ,  Yi-Chiau Huang ,  Wei Liu ,  Benjamin Colombeau ,  Abhilash Mayur

IPC: H01L21/225 ,  H01L21/324

Abstract: A method of selectively and conformally doping semiconductor materials is disclosed. Some embodiments utilize a conformal dopant film deposited selectively on semiconductor materials by thermal decomposition. Some embodiments relate to doping non-line of sight surfaces. Some embodiments relate to methods for forming a highly doped crystalline semiconductor layer.

公开(公告)号：US10347492B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-09

申请号：US15874132

申请日：2018-01-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Steven C. H. Hung ,  Johanes S. Swenberg ,  Wei Liu ,  Houda Graoui

IPC: H01L21/28 ,  H01L21/321 ,  H01L29/49 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L29/51

Abstract: A sequential plasma process is employed to enable the modification of the work function of a p-type metal layer in a metal gate structure. The sequential plasma process includes a plasma hydrogenation and a plasma process that includes electronegative species. The sequential plasma process is performed on a p-type metal layer in a film stack, thereby replacing suboxides and/or other non-stoichiometrically combined electronegative atoms disposed on or within layers of the film stack with stoichiometrically combined electronegative atoms, such as O atoms. As a result, the work function of the p-type metal layer can be modified without changing a thickness of the p-type metal layer.

公开(公告)号：US20190172716A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-06

申请号：US16244051

申请日：2019-01-09

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Houda Graoui ,  Johanes S. Swenberg ,  Wei Liu ,  Shashank Sharma

IPC: H01L21/28 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L29/45 ,  H01L29/40 ,  H01L21/321 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/324

CPC classification number: H01L21/28255 ,  H01L21/02186 ,  H01L21/0234 ,  H01L21/28512 ,  H01L21/28575 ,  H01L21/3212 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L29/401 ,  H01L29/45 ,  H01L29/452

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to enable the formation of a metal gate structure with a reduced effective oxide thickness over a similar structure formed via conventional methods. A plasma hydrogenation process followed by a plasma nitridization process, or a single-step plasma hydrogenation and nitridization process, is performed on a metal nitride layer in a film stack, thereby, according to some embodiments, removing oxygen atoms disposed within layers of the film stack and, in some embodiments, adding nitrogen atoms to the layers of the film stack. As a result, an effective oxide thickness of the metal gate structure is reduced with little or no accompanying flatband voltage shift.

公开(公告)号：US10103027B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-16

申请号：US15442311

申请日：2017-02-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Johanes S. Swenberg ,  Wei Liu ,  Houda Graoui ,  Shashank Sharma

IPC: H01L21/28 ,  H01L29/40 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01L21/321

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to enable the formation of a metal gate structure with a reduced effective oxide thickness over a similar structure formed via conventional methods. A plasma hydrogenation process followed by a plasma nitridization process is performed on a metal nitride layer in a film stack, thereby removing oxygen atoms disposed within layers of the film stack and, in some embodiments eliminating an oxygen-containing interfacial layer disposed within the film stack. As a result, an effective oxide thickness of the metal gate structure is reduced with little or no accompanying flatband voltage shift. Further, the metal gate structure operates with an increased leakage current that is as little as one quarter the increase in leakage current associated with a similar metal gate structure formed via conventional techniques.

公开(公告)号：US09966271B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-08

申请号：US15345549

申请日：2016-11-08

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Liu ,  Hua Chung ,  Xuebin Li ,  Yuxiang Lu

IPC: H01L21/302 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32009 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L21/02115 ,  H01L21/02236 ,  H01L21/02252 ,  H01L21/02274 ,  H01L21/30655 ,  H01L21/3081 ,  H01L21/3083 ,  H01L29/66795

Abstract: Methods for forming semiconductor devices, such as FinFET devices, are provided. An epitaxial film is formed over a semiconductor fin, and the epitaxial film includes a top surface having two facets and a bottom surface including two facets. A cap layer is deposited on the top surface, and portions of the epitaxial film in a lateral direction are removed by an isotropic plasma etch process. The isotropic plasma etch process may be performed at a pressure ranging from about 5 mTorr to about 200 mTorr in order to maximize the amount of radicals while minimizing the amount of ions in the plasma. Having a smaller lateral dimension prevents the epitaxial film from merging with an adjacent epitaxial film and creates a gap between the epitaxial film and the adjacent epitaxial film.

公开(公告)号：US09177787B2

公开(公告)日：2015-11-03

申请号：US14195273

申请日：2014-03-03

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Theresa Kramer Guarini ,  Wei Liu

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  C23C16/56

CPC classification number: H01L21/02269 ,  C23C16/56 ,  H01L21/02247 ,  H01L21/02252 ,  H01L21/02332 ,  H01L21/0234 ,  H01L21/28202 ,  H01L21/67115 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/68742 ,  H01L21/68757

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming nitrogen-containing layers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method includes placing a substrate having a first layer disposed thereon on a substrate support of a process chamber; heating the substrate to a first temperature; and exposing the first layer to an RF plasma formed from a process gas comprising ammonia (NH3) to transform the first layer into a nitrogen-containing layer, wherein the plasma has an ion energy of less than about 8 eV.

Abstract translation: 本文提供了形成含氮层的方法和装置。 在一些实施例中，一种方法包括将其上设置有第一层的衬底放置在处理室的衬底支撑件上; 将衬底加热至第一温度; 以及将所述第一层暴露于由包含氨（NH 3）的工艺气体形成的RF等离子体，以将所述第一层转化为含氮层，其中所述等离子体的离子能量小于约8eV。