公开(公告)号：US10971357B2

公开(公告)日：2021-04-06

申请号：US16152395

申请日：2018-10-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Liu ,  Theresa Kramer Guarini ,  Linlin Wang ,  Malcolm Bevan ,  Johanes S. Swenberg ,  Vladimir Nagorny ,  Bernard L. Hwang ,  Kin Pong Lo ,  Lara Hawrylchak ,  Rene George

IPC: H01L21/02

Abstract: A method of modifying a layer in a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes depositing a low quality film on a semiconductor substrate, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a first process gas comprising helium while the substrate is heated to a first temperature, and exposing a surface of the low quality film to a second process gas comprising oxygen gas while the substrate is heated to a second temperature that is different than the first temperature. The electrical properties of the film are improved by undergoing the aforementioned processes.

公开(公告)号：US10290504B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-14

申请号：US15822435

申请日：2017-11-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Liu ,  Theresa Kramer Guarini ,  Huy Q. Nguyen ,  Malcolm Bevan ,  Houda Graoui ,  Philip A. Bottini ,  Bernard L. Hwang ,  Lara Hawrylchak ,  Rene George

IPC: H01L21/28 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L29/51

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method and apparatus for plasma treating a process chamber. A substrate having a gate stack formed thereon may be placed in a process chamber, and hydrogen containing plasma may be used to treat the gate stack in order to cure the defects in the gate stack. As the result of hydrogen containing plasma treatment, the gate stack has lower leakage and improved reliability. To protect the process chamber from Hx+ ions and H* radicals generated by the hydrogen containing plasma, the process chamber may be treated with a plasma without the substrate placed therein and prior to the hydrogen containing plasma treatment. In addition, components of the process chamber that are made of a dielectric material may be coated with a ceramic coating including an yttrium containing oxide in order to protect the components from the plasma.

公开(公告)号：US10950698B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-16

申请号：US16102275

申请日：2018-08-13

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Matthew Scott Rogers ,  Roger Curtis ,  Lara Hawrylchak ,  Canfeng Lai ,  Bernard L. Hwang ,  Jeffrey Tobin ,  Christopher S. Olsen ,  Malcolm Bevan

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/321 ,  H01L21/28 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L27/11524

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide an improved apparatus and methods for nitridation of stacks of materials. In one embodiment, a method for processing a substrate in a processing region of a process chamber is provided. The method includes generating and flowing plasma species from a remote plasma source to a delivery member having a longitudinal passageway, flowing plasma species from the longitudinal passageway to an inlet port formed in a sidewall of the process chamber, wherein the plasma species are flowed at an angle into the inlet port to promote collision of ions or reaction of ions with electrons or charged particles in the plasma species such that ions are substantially eliminated from the plasma species before entering the processing region of the process chamber, and selectively incorporating atomic radicals from the plasma species in silicon or polysilicon regions of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US09831091B2

公开(公告)日：2017-11-28

申请号：US15171001

申请日：2016-06-02

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Liu ,  Theresa Kramer Guarini ,  Huy Q. Nguyen ,  Malcolm Bevan ,  Houda Graoui ,  Philip A. Bottini ,  Bernard L. Hwang ,  Lara Hawrylchak ,  Rene George

IPC: H01L21/3105 ,  H01L21/28 ,  H01L29/51

CPC classification number: H01L21/28176 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32477 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  H01L29/517

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method and apparatus for plasma treating a process chamber. A substrate having a gate stack formed thereon may be placed in a process chamber, and hydrogen containing plasma may be used to treat the gate stack in order to cure the defects in the gate stack. As the result of hydrogen containing plasma treatment, the gate stack has lower leakage and improved reliability. To protect the process chamber from Hx+ ions and H* radicals generated by the hydrogen containing plasma, the process chamber may be treated with a plasma without the substrate placed therein and prior to the hydrogen containing plasma treatment. In addition, components of the process chamber that are made of a dielectric material may be coated with a ceramic coating including an yttrium containing oxide in order to protect the components from the plasma.