公开(公告)号：US20250060321A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-20

申请号：US18234777

申请日：2023-08-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Elias Anthony Martinez ,  Sidharth Bhatia ,  Sarah Michelle Bobek ,  Ka Shun Wong ,  Zhi Wang ,  Martin J. Seamons ,  Raj Singu ,  Abdul Aziz Khaja ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian ,  Mark McTaggart Wylie

IPC: G01N21/95 ,  G01N35/00

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and techniques for fast and efficient detection of defects in wafers, including a system that has a factory interface (FI) coupled to a wafer carrier and a load lock chamber. The FI includes a robot fetches a wafer from the wafer carrier and deliver the first wafer to an aligner device. The aligner device imparts rotational motion to the wafer and identifies, using the rotational motion of the wafer, a position of a reference feature of the wafer. The FI further includes an optical inspection system that collects, during the rotational motion imparted to the wafer, an imaging data for the first wafer. The system further includes a processing device that performs evaluation, using the imaging data, of a presence of defect(s) in the wafer, and evaluates suitability of the wafer for wafer processing.

公开(公告)号：US12106958B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-01

申请号：US18342296

申请日：2023-06-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Anup Kumar Singh ,  Rick Kustra ,  Vinayak Vishwanath Hassan ,  Bhaskar Kumar ,  Krishna Nittala ,  Pramit Manna ,  Kaushik Alayavalli ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  B08B7/00 ,  C23C16/26 ,  C23C16/44 ,  C23C16/505 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/033

CPC classification number: H01L21/02274 ,  B08B7/0035 ,  C23C16/26 ,  C23C16/4405 ,  C23C16/505 ,  H01J37/32082 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32862 ,  H01L21/02115 ,  H01L21/0332

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for cleaning a chamber comprising introducing a gas to a processing volume of the chamber, providing a first radiofrequency (RF) power having a first frequency of about 40 MHz or greater to a lid of the chamber, providing a second RF power having a second frequency to an electrode disposed in a substrate support within the processing volume, and removing at least a portion of a film disposed on a surface of a chamber component of the chamber. The second frequency is about 10 MHz to about 20 MHz.

公开(公告)号：US12094689B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-17

申请号：US16932794

申请日：2020-07-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sai Susmita Addepalli ,  Yue Chen ,  Abhigyan Keshri ,  Qiang Ma ,  Zhijun Jiang ,  Shailendra Srivastava ,  Daemian Raj Benjamin Raj ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/40 ,  C23C16/44 ,  C23C16/50 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01J37/32449 ,  C23C16/401 ,  C23C16/4412 ,  C23C16/50 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J2237/332 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L21/67069

Abstract: Exemplary semiconductor processing systems may include a processing chamber including a lid stack having an output manifold. The systems may include a gas panel. The systems may include an input manifold. The input manifold may fluidly couple the gas panel with the output manifold of the processing chamber. A delivery line may extend from the input manifold to the output manifold. The systems may include a first transmission line extending from a first set of precursor sources of the gas panel to the delivery line. The systems may include a second transmission line extending from a second set of precursor sources of the gas panel to the delivery line. The second transmission line may be switchably coupled between the delivery line and an exhaust of the semiconductor processing system.

公开(公告)号：US12002702B2

公开(公告)日：2024-06-04

申请号：US17929144

申请日：2022-09-01

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Ganesh Balasubramanian ,  Byung Chul Yoon ,  Hemant Mungekar

IPC: H01L21/683 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/67

CPC classification number: H01L21/6833 ,  H01J37/32697 ,  H01J37/32715 ,  H01L21/67253 ,  H01L21/67288 ,  H01L22/20 ,  H01J2237/24564 ,  H01J2237/24578

Abstract: Methods and systems of detection of wafer de-chucking in a semiconductor processing chamber are disclosed. Methods and systems of interdiction are also disclosed to prevent hardware and wafer damage during semiconductor fabrication if and when de-chucking is detected. In one embodiment, a de-chucking detection method is based on measuring change in imaginary impedance of a plasma circuit, along with measuring one or both of reflected RF power and arc count. In another embodiment, a possibility of imminent de-chucking is detected even before complete de-chucking occurs by analyzing the signature change in imaginary impedance.

公开(公告)号：US11894228B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-06

申请号：US17412721

申请日：2021-08-26

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sudha S. Rathi ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian ,  Nagarajan Rajagopalan ,  Abdul Aziz Khaja ,  Prashanthi Para ,  Hiral D. Tailor

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/50

CPC classification number: H01L21/02274 ,  C23C16/50 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01L21/02115 ,  H01J2237/332

Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include forming a plasma of a carbon-containing precursor in a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a carbon-containing material on a substrate housed in the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include halting a flow of the carbon-containing precursor into the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include contacting the carbon-containing material with plasma effluents of an oxidizing material. The methods may include forming volatile materials from a surface of the carbon-containing material.

公开(公告)号：US11837448B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-05

申请号：US17242059

申请日：2021-04-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Shuran Sheng ,  Lin Zhang ,  Jiyong Huang ,  Jang Seok Oh ,  Joseph C. Werner ,  Nitin Khurana ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian ,  Jennifer Y. Sun ,  Xinhai Han ,  Zhijun Jiang

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/44 ,  B08B7/00

CPC classification number: H01J37/32862 ,  B08B7/0035 ,  C23C16/4405 ,  H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/32724 ,  H01J2237/335 ,  H01J2237/3321

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to a method and apparatus for cleaning and repairing a substrate support having a heater disposed therein. A method includes (a) cleaning a surface of a substrate support having a bulk layer, the substrate support is disposed in a processing environment configured to process substrates. The cleaning process includes forming a plasma at a high temperature from a cleaning gas mixture having a fluorine containing gas and oxygen. The method includes (b) removing oxygen radicals from the processing environment with a treatment plasma formed from a treatment gas mixture. The treatment gas mixture includes the fluorine containing gas. The method further includes (c) repairing an interface of the substrate support and the bulk layer with a post-treatment plasma. The post-treatment plasma is formed from a post-treatment gas mixture including a nitrogen containing gas. The high temperature is greater than or equal to about 500 degrees Celsius.

公开(公告)号：US20230274968A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-31

申请号：US18143895

申请日：2023-05-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Akhil Singhal ,  Allison Yau ,  Zeqiong Zhao ,  Sang-Jin Kim ,  Zhijun Jiang ,  Deenesh Padhi ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian

IPC: H01L21/683 ,  H02N13/00 ,  C25D7/00

CPC classification number: H01L21/6833 ,  H02N13/00 ,  C25D7/00

Abstract: Semiconductor processing systems and method are described that may include flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, where the substrate processing region includes an electrostatic chuck. The methods may further include depositing a seasoning layer on the electrostatic chuck from the deposition precursors to form a seasoned electrostatic chuck. The seasoning layer may be characterized by a dielectric constant greater than or about 3.5. The methods may still further include applying a voltage to the seasoned electrostatic chuck of greater than or about 500 V. The seasoned electrostatic chuck may be characterized by a leakage current of less than or about 25 mA when the voltage is applied.

公开(公告)号：US11560623B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US16857755

申请日：2020-04-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Liangfa Hu ,  Prashant Kumar Kulshreshtha ,  Anjana M. Patel ,  Abdul Aziz Khaja ,  Viren Kalsekar ,  Vinay K. Prabhakar ,  Satya Teja Babu Thokachichu ,  Byung Seok Kwon ,  Ratsamee Limdulpaiboon ,  Kwangduk Douglas Lee ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian

IPC: C23C16/455 ,  C23C16/505 ,  C23C16/44

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for reducing the formation of hardware residue and minimizing secondary plasma formation during substrate processing in a process chamber. The process chamber may include a gas distribution member configured to flow a first gas into a process volume and generate a plasma therefrom. A second gas is supplied into a lower region of the process volume. Further, an exhaust port is disposed in the lower region to remove excess gases or by-products from the process volume during or after processing.

公开(公告)号：US11488811B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-01

申请号：US16803479

申请日：2020-02-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Bhaskar Kumar ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian ,  Vivek Bharat Shah ,  Jiheng Zhao

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/458 ,  C23C16/52

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for chucking in substrate processing chambers. In one implementation, a method of chucking one or more substrates in a substrate processing chamber includes applying a chucking voltage to a pedestal. A substrate is disposed on a support surface of the pedestal. The method also includes ramping the chucking voltage from the applied voltage, detecting an impedance shift while ramping the chucking voltage, determining a corresponding chucking voltage at which the impedance shift occurs, and determining a refined chucking voltage based on the impedance shift and the corresponding chucking voltage.

公开(公告)号：US20220122872A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-21

申请号：US17073071

申请日：2020-10-16

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Akhil Singhal ,  Allison Yau ,  Zeqiong Zhao ,  Sang-Jin Kim ,  Zhijun Jiang ,  Deenesh Padhi ,  Ganesh Balasubramanian

IPC: H01L21/683 ,  C25D7/00 ,  H02N13/00

Abstract: Semiconductor processing systems and method are described that may include flowing deposition precursors into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, where the substrate processing region includes an electrostatic chuck. The methods may further include depositing a seasoning layer on the electrostatic chuck from the deposition precursors to form a seasoned electrostatic chuck. The seasoning layer may be characterized by a dielectric constant greater than or about 3.5. The methods may still further include applying a voltage to the seasoned electrostatic chuck of greater than or about 500 V. The seasoned electrostatic chuck may be characterized by a leakage current of less than or about 25 mA when the voltage is applied.