公开(公告)号：US20230420229A1

公开(公告)日：2023-12-28

申请号：US18244544

申请日：2023-09-11

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：US20230052071A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-16

申请号：US17980527

申请日：2022-11-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： James ROGERS ,  John POULOSE

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus for processing a substrate using an inductively coupled plasma source. An inductively coupled plasma source utilizes a power source, a shield member, and a coil coupled to the power source. In certain embodiments, the coils are arranged with a horizontal spiral grouping and a vertical extending helical grouping. The shield member, according to certain embodiments, utilizes a grounding member to function as a Faraday shield. The embodiments herein reduce parasitic losses and instabilities in the plasma created by the inductively coupled plasma in the substrate processing system.

公开(公告)号：US20220399194A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-15

申请号：US17562467

申请日：2021-12-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Rajinder DHINDSA ,  Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include plasma processing systems configured to preferentially clean desired surfaces of a substrate support assembly by manipulating one or more characteristics of an in-situ plasma and related methods. In one embodiment, a plasma processing method includes generating a plasma in a processing region defined by a chamber lid and a substrate support assembly, exposing an edge ring and a substrate supporting surface to the plasma, and establishing a pulsed voltage (PV) waveform at the edge control electrode.

公开(公告)号：US20220399185A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-15

申请号：US17562442

申请日：2021-12-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Rajinder DHINDSA ,  Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include plasma processing systems configured to preferentially clean desired surfaces of a substrate support assembly by manipulating one or more characteristics of an in-situ plasma and related methods. In one embodiment, a plasma processing method includes generating a plasma in a processing region defined by a chamber lid and a substrate support assembly, exposing an edge ring and a substrate supporting surface to the plasma, and establishing a pulsed voltage (PV) waveform at the edge control electrode.

公开(公告)号：US20220399184A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-15

申请号：US17537328

申请日：2021-11-29

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments provided herein generally include apparatus, e.g., plasma processing systems and methods for the plasma processing of a substrate in a processing chamber. In some embodiments, aspects of the apparatus and methods are directed to improving process uniformity across the surface of the substrate, reducing defectivity on the surface of the substrate, or both. In some embodiments, the apparatus and methods provide for improved control over the uniformity of a plasma formed over the edge of a substrate and/or the distribution of ion energies at the surface of the substrate. The improved control over the plasma uniformity may be used in combination with substrate handling methods, e.g., de-chucking methods, to reduce particulate-related defectivity on the surface of the substrate. In some embodiments, the improved control over the plasma uniformity is used to preferentially clean accumulated processing byproducts from portions of the edge ring during an in-situ plasma chamber cleaning process.

公开(公告)号：US20220319811A1

公开(公告)日：2022-10-06

申请号：US17843654

申请日：2022-06-17

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 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 circuit including a first variable capacitor coupled to the edge ring electrode.

公开(公告)号：US20220157577A1

公开(公告)日：2022-05-19

申请号：US17099342

申请日：2020-11-16

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：US20220037121A1

公开(公告)日：2022-02-03

申请号：US17315234

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

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

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：US20210320022A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-14

申请号：US16845479

申请日：2020-04-10

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Linying CUI ,  James ROGERS

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

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate positioned on a substrate support assembly are provided. For example, a substrate support assembly includes an electrostatic chuck having one or more chucking electrodes embedded therein for chucking a substrate to a substrate support surface of the electrostatic chuck; an edge ring disposed on the electrostatic chuck and surrounding the substrate support strike; two or more radio frequency (RF) power sources coupled to the edge ring and at least one of a baseplate disposed beneath the electrostatic chuck or an electrode disposed in the electrostatic chuck; a matching network coupling the edge ring to the two or more RF power sources; and an RF circuit coupling the edge ring to the two or more RF power sources, the RF circuit configured to simultaneously tune at least one of an RF amplitude or an RF phase of respective signals of the two or more RF power sources.

公开(公告)号：US20210313156A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-07

申请号：US17351977

申请日：2021-06-18

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 in the dielectric material of the biasing ring and an edge ring disposed on the biasing ring.