公开(公告)号：US10217627B2

公开(公告)日：2019-02-26

申请号：US14045786

申请日：2013-10-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Danny Chien Lu ,  Yi Zhou ,  Changhun Lee

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  C23G5/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  B08B3/00

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods of removing and/or cleaning a substrate surface having refractory metal portions disposed thereon using water vapor plasma treatment. In one embodiment, a method for cleaning a surface of a substrate includes positioning a substrate in a processing chamber, the substrate having a refractory metal disposed thereon, forming a process gas comprising water vapor, maintaining a process pressure in the processing chamber above about 0.5 Torr, forming a plasma in the process gas to form an activated water vapor and exposing the refractory metal to the activated water vapor.

公开(公告)号：US12009236B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-11

申请号：US16391262

申请日：2019-04-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Yaoling Pan ,  Patrick John Tae ,  Michael D. Willwerth ,  Leonard M. Tedeschi ,  Daniel Sang Byun ,  Philip Allan Kraus ,  Phillip A. Criminale ,  Changhun Lee ,  Rajinder Dhindsa ,  Andreas Schmid ,  Denis M. Koosau

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H03K17/955

CPC classification number: H01L21/67259 ,  H01J37/32477 ,  H01J37/3288 ,  H01L22/12 ,  H03K17/955 ,  H01J2237/022

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a method and apparatus for determining a metric related to erosion of a ring assembly used in an etching within a plasma processing chamber. In one example, the apparatus is configured to obtain a metric indicative of erosion on an edge ring disposed on a substrate support assembly in a plasma processing chamber. A sensor obtains the metric for the edge ring. The metric correlates to the quantity of erosion in the edge ring. In another example, the ring sensor may be arranged outside of a periphery of a substrate support assembly. The metric may be acquired by the ring sensor through a plasma screen.

公开(公告)号：US11955318B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-09

申请号：US17199729

申请日：2021-03-12

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Yongkwan Kim ,  Changhun Lee ,  Kyeong-Tae Lee ,  Chung Hoan Kim ,  Youngmin Shin

IPC: C23C16/40 ,  G03F7/42 ,  H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32357 ,  C23C16/402 ,  G03F7/427 ,  H01J37/32724 ,  H01J37/32733 ,  H01J37/32899 ,  H01J2237/338

Abstract: A method for recovering ashing rate in a plasma processing chamber includes positioning a substrate in a processing volume of a processing chamber, wherein the substrate has a silicon chloride residue formed thereon. The method further includes evaporating the silicon chloride residue from the substrate. The method further includes depositing the evaporated silicon chloride on one or more interior surfaces in the processing volume. The method further includes exposing the deposited silicon chloride to an oxidizing environment to convert the deposited silicon chloride to a silicon oxide passivation layer. The oxidizing environment can comprise an oxygen-containing plasma, oxygen radicals, or a combination thereof.

公开(公告)号：USD931240S1

公开(公告)日：2021-09-21

申请号：US29700012

申请日：2019-07-30

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Designer： Changhun Lee ,  Michael D. Willwerth ,  Jeffrey Ludwig

公开(公告)号：US11088000B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-10

申请号：US16709684

申请日：2019-12-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Leonard Tedeschi ,  Benjamin Schwarz ,  Changhun Lee ,  Ping Han Hsieh ,  Adauto Diaz, Jr. ,  Daniel T. McCormick

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L23/522 ,  H01L23/64

Abstract: Embodiments may also include a residual chemical reaction diagnostic device. The residual chemical reaction diagnostic device may include a substrate and a residual chemical reaction sensor formed on the substrate. In an embodiment, the residual chemical reaction sensor provides electrical outputs in response to the presence of residual chemical reactions. In an embodiment, the substrate is a device substrate, and the sensor is formed in a scribe line of the device substrate. In an alternative embodiment, the substrate is a process development substrate. In some embodiments, the residual chemical reaction sensor includes, a first probe pad, wherein a plurality of first arms extend out from the first probe pad, and a second probe pad, wherein a plurality of second arms extend out from the second probe pad and are interdigitated with the first arms.

公开(公告)号：US20190295826A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-26

申请号：US16438277

申请日：2019-06-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Xikun Wang ,  Andrew Nguyen ,  Changhun Lee ,  Xiaoming He ,  Meihua Shen

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: In-situ low pressure chamber cleans and gas nozzle apparatus for plasma processing systems employing in-situ deposited chamber coatings. Certain chamber clean embodiments for conductor etch applications include an NF3-based plasma clean performed at pressures below 30 mT to remove in-situ deposited SiOx coatings from interior surfaces of a gas nozzle hole. Embodiments include a gas nozzle with bottom holes dimensioned sufficiently small to reduce or prevent the in-situ deposited chamber coatings from building up a SiOx deposits on interior surfaces of a nozzle hole.

公开(公告)号：US10515862B2

公开(公告)日：2019-12-24

申请号：US15480337

申请日：2017-04-05

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Leonard Tedeschi ,  Benjamin Schwarz ,  Changhun Lee ,  Ping Han Hsieh ,  Adauto Diaz ,  Daniel T. McCormick

IPC: H01L23/58 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L23/522 ,  H01L23/64

Abstract: Embodiments may also include a residual chemical reaction diagnostic device. The residual chemical reaction diagnostic device may include a substrate and a residual chemical reaction sensor formed on the substrate. In an embodiment, the residual chemical reaction sensor provides electrical outputs in response to the presence of residual chemical reactions. In an embodiment, the substrate is a device substrate, and the sensor is formed in a scribe line of the device substrate. In an alternative embodiment, the substrate is a process development substrate. In some embodiments, the residual chemical reaction sensor includes, a first probe pad, wherein a plurality of first arms extend out from the first probe pad, and a second probe pad, wherein a plurality of second arms extend out from the second probe pad and are interdigitated with the first arms.

公开(公告)号：US09885567B2

公开(公告)日：2018-02-06

申请号：US14470236

申请日：2014-08-27

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Jared Ahmad Lee ,  Martin Jeffrey Salinas ,  Yi Zhou ,  Changhun Lee

IPC: G01N25/00 ,  G01B21/00 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: G01B21/00 ,  H01L21/67259

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining proper placement of a substrate upon a substrate support in a process chamber are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method for detecting substrate placement in a process chamber includes placing a substrate on a support surface of a substrate support within the process chamber; modifying a pressure within the chamber to create a detection pressure within the chamber; sensing a first temperature of the substrate support; monitoring a thermal response characteristic of the substrate support after placing the substrate on the substrate support; comparing the thermal response characteristic to a predetermined response characteristic; and determining whether the substrate is placed correctly based upon the comparison of the thermal response characteristic to the predetermined response characteristic.

公开(公告)号：US11488812B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-01

申请号：US16438277

申请日：2019-06-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Xikun Wang ,  Andrew Nguyen ,  Changhun Lee ,  Xiaoming He ,  Meihua Shen

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: In-situ low pressure chamber cleans and gas nozzle apparatus for plasma processing systems employing in-situ deposited chamber coatings. Certain chamber clean embodiments for conductor etch applications include an NF3-based plasma clean performed at pressures below 30 mT to remove in-situ deposited SiOx coatings from interior surfaces of a gas nozzle hole. Embodiments include a gas nozzle with bottom holes dimensioned sufficiently small to reduce or prevent the in-situ deposited chamber coatings from building up a SiOx deposits on interior surfaces of a nozzle hole.

公开(公告)号：US11094511B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-17

申请号：US16189440

申请日：2018-11-13

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Changhun Lee ,  Michael D. Willwerth ,  Valentin N. Todorow ,  Hean Cheal Lee ,  Hun Sang Kim

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  G03F7/42

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide an apparatus and methods for processing a substrate. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a processing chamber having an enhanced processing efficiency at an edge of a substrate disposed in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, a processing chamber comprises a chamber body defining an interior processing region in a processing chamber, a showerhead assembly disposed in the processing chamber, wherein the showerhead assembly has multiple zones with an aperture density higher at an edge zone than at a center zone of the showerhead assembly, a substrate support assembly disposed in the interior processing region of the processing chamber, and a focus ring disposed on an edge of the substrate support assembly and circumscribing the substrate support assembly, wherein the focus ring has a step having a sidewall height substantially similar to a bottom width.