公开(公告)号：US12018361B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-25

申请号：US17858592

申请日：2022-07-06

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Shouyin Zhang ,  Keith A. Miller

IPC: C23C14/54 ,  C23C14/28 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H05H1/00

CPC classification number: C23C14/54 ,  C23C14/28 ,  H01J37/32917 ,  H05H1/0081 ,  H05H2242/20

Abstract: Power supplies, waveform function generators and methods for controlling a plasma process are described. The power supplies or waveform function generators include a component for executing the method in which a waveform shape change index is determined during a plasma process and evaluated for compliance with a predetermined tolerance.

公开(公告)号：US11868147B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-09

申请号：US17198619

申请日：2021-03-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Philip DiGiacomo ,  Sunil Kumar Garg ,  Paul G. Kiely ,  Keith A. Miller ,  Rajat Agrawal

IPC: G05D11/13 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G01N21/67

CPC classification number: G05D11/138 ,  G01N21/67 ,  G05B15/02

Abstract: A system may be configured to monitor an amount of a gas species in a processing chamber using Optical Emission Spectrometry. The gas measurement may be provided as feedback to a control process that generates a target setpoint for a gas flow controller into the process chamber. This real-time process may increase/decrease the flow rate of the gas in order to maintain a process deposition mode within a transition region between primarily metallic deposition and primarily compound deposition.

公开(公告)号：USD1009816S1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-02

申请号：US29805681

申请日：2021-08-29

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Designer： Martin Lee Riker ,  Keith A. Miller ,  Fuhong Zhang ,  Luke Vianney Varkey ,  Kishor Kumar Kalathiparambil ,  Xiangjin Xie

Abstract: FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of collimator for a physical vapor deposition chamber showing our new design.
FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof.
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view thereof.
FIG. 6 is a left side elevation view thereof.
FIG. 7 is a front elevation view thereof.
FIG. 8 is a back elevation view thereof; and,
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 3.
The broken lines in the drawings illustrate environment of the collimator for a physical vapor deposition chamber that form no part of the claimed design.

公开(公告)号：US11670493B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US17098254

申请日：2020-11-13

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Ilya Lavitsky ,  Keith A. Miller

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/50

CPC classification number: H01J37/3435 ,  C23C14/3407 ,  C23C14/50 ,  H01J37/3414 ,  H01J37/3488

Abstract: Apparatus for physical vapor deposition are provided herein. In some embodiments, a clamp for use in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber includes a clamp body and an outwardly extending shelf that extends from the clamp body, wherein the outwardly extending shelf includes a clamping surface configured to clamp an isolator ring to a chamber body of the PVD chamber, wherein a height of the outwardly extending shelf is about 15 percent to about 40 percent of a height of the clamp body and wherein the clamp body includes a central opening configured to retain a fastener therein.

公开(公告)号：US20220310364A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-29

申请号：US17838860

申请日：2022-06-13

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Halbert CHONG ,  Rong TAO ,  Jianxin LEI ,  Rongjun WANG ,  Keith A. Miller ,  Irena H. Wysok ,  Tza-Jing Gung ,  Xing Chen

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/34 ,  B08B5/00 ,  C23C14/50 ,  C23C14/34

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cleaning a process kit configured for processing a substrate are provided. For example, a process chamber for processing a substrate can include a chamber wall; a sputtering target disposed in an upper section of the inner volume; a pedestal including a substrate support having a support surface to support a substrate below the sputtering target; a power source configured to energize sputtering gas for forming a plasma in the inner volume; a process kit surrounding the sputtering target and the substrate support; and an ACT connected to the pedestal and a controller configured to tune the pedestal using the ACT to maintain a predetermined potential difference between the plasma in the inner volume and the process kit, wherein the predetermined potential difference is based on a percentage of total capacitance of the ACT and a stray capacitance associated with a grounding path of the process chamber.

公开(公告)号：US11037768B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-15

申请号：US15448996

申请日：2017-03-03

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Xiaodong Wang ,  Joung Joo Lee ,  Fuhong Zhang ,  Martin Lee Riker ,  Keith A. Miller ,  William Fruchterman ,  Rongjun Wang ,  Adolph Miller Allen ,  Shouyin Zhang ,  Xianmin Tang

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/54 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/285

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the ion fraction in physical vapor deposition processes are disclosed. In some embodiments, a process chamber for processing a substrate having a given diameter includes: an interior volume and a target to be sputtered, the interior volume including a central portion and a peripheral portion; a rotatable magnetron above the target to form an annular plasma in the peripheral portion; a substrate support disposed in the interior volume to support a substrate having the given diameter; a first set of magnets disposed about the body to form substantially vertical magnetic field lines in the peripheral portion; a second set of magnets disposed about the body and above the substrate support to form magnetic field lines directed toward a center of the support surface; a first power source to electrically bias the target; and a second power source to electrically bias the substrate support.

公开(公告)号：US20200303172A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-24

申请号：US16362443

申请日：2019-03-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： William R. Johanson, JR. ,  Keith A. Miller

IPC: H01J37/34

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to shields for use in target assemblies in semiconductor process chambers. The shields can be used to shield exposed surfaces and chamber components within the process chambers such that unwanted redeposits are prevented from forming on the exposed surfaces and other chamber components. In some embodiments, the shields are electrically floating and are configured to cover the ends of the target. The target assembly has a target support secured to a mounting plate and a plurality of pins extending therefrom. Each of the shields has a shield body with an opening. The shield body has alignment features configured to align with the plurality pins such that the shield connects with the target support. Shields as described herein can be made of smooth edges, helping to minimize particle generation and to prevent arcing at least partially caused by sharp edges of shields.

公开(公告)号：USD825504S1

公开(公告)日：2018-08-14

申请号：US29610166

申请日：2017-07-10

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Designer： Fuhong Zhang ,  William Johanson ,  Yu Liu ,  Adolph Miller Allen ,  Brij Datta ,  Keith A. Miller

公开(公告)号：US12176190B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-24

申请号：US18118543

申请日：2023-03-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Tiefeng Shi ,  Gang Fu ,  Keith A. Miller

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  G06N3/09

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems for detecting and managing arc events during a plasma chamber process include receiving impedance data measured during a plasma chamber process, analyzing the impedance data to determine if an arc event is occurring during the plasma chamber process, and if it is determined that an arc event is occurring, an action is taken to suppress an arc of the arc event. In some instances, a machine learning model that has been trained to recognize when an arc event is occurring from received measurement data is used to determine if an arc event is occurring.

公开(公告)号：US12014906B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-18

申请号：US17530809

申请日：2021-11-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： William R. Johanson ,  Keith A. Miller ,  Cheng-Hsiung Matthew Tsai ,  John C. Forster ,  Mukund Sundararajan

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01J37/34

CPC classification number: H01J37/32724 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01J2237/002 ,  H01J2237/2007 ,  H01J2237/332

Abstract: Embodiments of substrate supports for use in substrate processing chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support includes: an upper assembly having a base plate assembly coupled to a lower surface of a cooling plate, wherein the base plate assembly includes a plurality of electrical feedthroughs, and wherein the cooling plate includes a plurality of openings aligned with the plurality of electrical feedthroughs; an electrostatic chuck disposed on the upper assembly and removably coupled to the cooling plate, wherein the electrostatic chuck has a chucking electrode disposed therein that is electrically coupled to a first pair of electrical feedthroughs of the plurality of electrical feedthroughs; and an inner tube coupled to the cooling plate and configured to provide an RF delivery path to the electrostatic chuck.