公开(公告)号：US12165852B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US17687620

申请日：2022-03-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vikram M. Bhosle ,  Timothy J. Miller ,  Eric D. Hermanson ,  Christopher J. Leavitt ,  Jordan B. Tye

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: A plasma doping system including a plasma doping chamber, a platen mounted in the plasma doping chamber for supporting a workpiece, a source of ionizable gas coupled to the chamber, the ionizable gas containing a desired dopant for implantation into the workpiece, a plasma source for producing a plasma having a plasma sheath in a vicinity of the workpiece, the plasma containing positive ions of the ionizable gas, and accelerating said positive ions across the plasma sheath toward the platen for implantation into the workpiece, a shield ring surrounding the platen and adapted to extend the plasma sheath beyond an edge of the workpiece, and a cover ring disposed on top of the shield ring and adapted to mitigate sputtering of the shield ring, wherein the cover ring comprises a crystalline base layer and a non-crystalline top layer.

公开(公告)号：US20240352575A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-24

申请号：US18306111

申请日：2023-04-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Timothy J. Miller ,  Vikram M. Bhosle

IPC: C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/06 ,  H01J37/34

CPC classification number: C23C14/3492 ,  C23C14/0682 ,  C23C14/0694 ,  C23C14/345 ,  H01J37/347 ,  H01L21/26506 ,  H01J2237/2001 ,  H01J2237/332

Abstract: Disclosed herein are approaches for treating a film layer of a semiconductor device to modify an etch resistance of the film later. In one approach, a method may include forming a first film over a substrate base, depositing a second film over the first film, and introducing an inert species into the second film while the second film is deposited over the first film, wherein the inert species increases an etch-resistance of a first portion of the first film. The method may further include removing the second film by stopping deposition of the second film while continuing to introduce the inert species into the second film.

公开(公告)号：US11120973B2

公开(公告)日：2021-09-14

申请号：US16409242

申请日：2019-05-10

Applicant: APPLIED Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vikram M. Bhosle ,  Christopher J. Leavitt ,  Guillermo Colom ,  Timothy J. Miller

IPC: H01J37/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/265 ,  C23C14/48 ,  H01J37/317

Abstract: An apparatus may include a main chamber, a substrate holder, disposed in a lower region of the main chamber, and defining a substrate region, as well as an RF applicator, disposed adjacent an upper region of the main chamber, to generate an upper plasma within the upper region. The apparatus may further include a central chamber structure, disposed in a central portion of the main chamber, where the central chamber structure is disposed to shield at least a portion of the substrate position from the upper plasma. The apparatus may include a bias source, electrically coupled between the central chamber structure and the substrate holder, to generate a glow discharge plasma in the central portion of the main chamber, wherein the substrate region faces the glow discharge region.

公开(公告)号：US20240006158A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-04

申请号：US17854456

申请日：2022-06-30

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vikram M. Bhosle ,  Timothy J. Miller ,  Jun Seok Lee ,  Deven Raj Mittal

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3115 ,  H01L21/66

CPC classification number: H01J37/32412 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J37/32981 ,  H01J37/32697 ,  H01L21/31155 ,  H01L22/26 ,  H01J2237/24585 ,  H01J2237/3365 ,  H01L21/31111

Abstract: A method for reducing a wet etch rate of flowable chemical vapor deposition (FCVD) oxide layers in a semiconductor wafer, the method including performing a plasma doping operation on the semiconductor wafer using a primary dopant gas and a diluent gas adapted to reduce a wet etch rate of the FCVD oxide layer, wherein the dopant gas and the diluent gas are supplied by a gas source of a plasma doping system, wherein the diluent gas is provided in an amount of 0.01%-5% by volume of the total amount of gas supplied by the gas source 36 during the plasma doping operation, and wherein the primary dopant gas is He and the diluent gas is selected from a group including of CH4, CO, CO2, and CF2.

公开(公告)号：US11501972B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-15

申请号：US16935774

申请日：2020-07-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vikram M. Bhosle ,  Nicholas P. T. Bateman ,  Timothy J. Miller ,  Jun Seok Lee ,  Deven Raj Mittal

IPC: H01L21/311 ,  H01L21/265 ,  C23C14/02 ,  C23C14/48 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: An apparatus and method of processing a workpiece is disclosed, where a sacrificial capping layer is created on a top surface of a workpiece. That workpiece is then exposed to an ion implantation process, where select species are used to passivate the workpiece. While the implant process is ongoing, radicals and excited species etch the sacrificial capping layer. This reduces the amount of etching that the workpiece experiences. In certain embodiments, the thickness of the sacrificial capping layer is selected based on the total time used for the implant process and the etch rate. The total time used for the implant process may be a function of desired dose, bias voltage, plasma power and other parameters. In some embodiments, the sacrificial capping layer is applied prior to the implant process. In other embodiments, material is added to the sacrificial capping layer during the implant process.

公开(公告)号：US20230282451A1

公开(公告)日：2023-09-07

申请号：US17687620

申请日：2022-03-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vikram M. Bhosle ,  Timothy J. Miller ,  Eric D. Hermanson ,  Christopher J. Leavitt ,  Jordan B. Tye

IPC: H01J37/32

CPC classification number: H01J37/32642 ,  H01J37/32651 ,  H01J37/32412 ,  H01J37/32935

Abstract: A plasma doping system including a plasma doping chamber, a platen mounted in the plasma doping chamber for supporting a workpiece, a source of ionizable gas coupled to the chamber, the ionizable gas containing a desired dopant for implantation into the workpiece, a plasma source for producing a plasma having a plasma sheath in a vicinity of the workpiece, the plasma containing positive ions of the ionizable gas, and accelerating said positive ions across the plasma sheath toward the platen for implantation into the workpiece, a shield ring surrounding the platen and adapted to extend the plasma sheath beyond an edge of the workpiece, and a cover ring disposed on top of the shield ring and adapted to mitigate sputtering of the shield ring, wherein the cover ring comprises a crystalline base layer and a non-crystalline top layer.

公开(公告)号：US11615945B2

公开(公告)日：2023-03-28

申请号：US17401870

申请日：2021-08-13

Applicant: APPLIED Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vikram M. Bhosle ,  Christopher J. Leavitt ,  Guillermo Colom ,  Timothy J. Miller

IPC: H01J37/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/265 ,  C23C14/48 ,  H01J37/317

Abstract: An apparatus may include a main chamber, a substrate holder, disposed in a lower region of the main chamber, and defining a substrate region, as well as an RF applicator, disposed adjacent an upper region of the main chamber, to generate an upper plasma within the upper region. The apparatus may further include a central chamber structure, disposed in a central portion of the main chamber, where the central chamber structure is disposed to shield at least a portion of the substrate position from the upper plasma. The apparatus may include a bias source, electrically coupled between the central chamber structure and the substrate holder, to generate a glow discharge plasma in the central portion of the main chamber, wherein the substrate region faces the glow discharge region.

公开(公告)号：US20220028693A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-27

申请号：US16935774

申请日：2020-07-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vikram M. Bhosle ,  Nicholas P.T. Bateman ,  Timothy J. Miller ,  Jun Seok Lee ,  Deven Raj Mittal

IPC: H01L21/265 ,  H01L21/311 ,  C23C14/48 ,  C23C14/02

Abstract: An apparatus and method of processing a workpiece is disclosed, where a sacrificial capping layer is created on a top surface of a workpiece. That workpiece is then exposed to an ion implantation process, where select species are used to passivate the workpiece. While the implant process is ongoing, radicals and excited species etch the sacrificial capping layer. This reduces the amount of etching that the workpiece experiences. In certain embodiments, the thickness of the sacrificial capping layer is selected based on the total time used for the implant process and the etch rate. The total time used for the implant process may be a function of desired dose, bias voltage, plasma power and other parameters. In some embodiments, the sacrificial capping layer is applied prior to the implant process. In other embodiments, material is added to the sacrificial capping layer during the implant process.

公开(公告)号：US11127601B2

公开(公告)日：2021-09-21

申请号：US16417853

申请日：2019-05-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Cuiyang Wang ,  Timothy J. Miller ,  Jun Seok Lee ,  Il-Woong Koo ,  Deven Raj Mittal ,  Peter G. Ryan, Jr.

IPC: H01L21/322 ,  H01L21/263

Abstract: A method of processing and passivating an implanted workpiece is disclosed, wherein, after passivation, the fugitive emissions of the workpiece are reduced to acceptably low levels. This may be especially beneficial when phosphorus, arsine, germane or another toxic species is the dopant being implanted into the workpiece. In one embodiment, a sputtering process is performed after the implantation process. This sputtering process is used to sputter the dopant at the surface of the workpiece, effectively lowering the dopant concentration at the top surface of the workpiece. In another embodiment, a chemical etching process is performed to lower the dopant concentration at the top surface. After this sputtering or chemical etching process, a traditional passivation process can be performed.

公开(公告)号：US20200373170A1

公开(公告)日：2020-11-26

申请号：US16417853

申请日：2019-05-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Cuiyang Wang ,  Timothy J. Miller ,  Jun Seok Lee ,  Il-Woong Koo ,  Deven Raj Mittal ,  Peter G. Ryan, Jr.

IPC: H01L21/322

Abstract: A method of processing and passivating an implanted workpiece is disclosed, wherein, after passivation, the fugitive emissions of the workpiece are reduced to acceptably low levels. This may be especially beneficial when phosphorus, arsine, germane or another toxic species is the dopant being implanted into the workpiece. In one embodiment, a sputtering process is performed after the implantation process. This sputtering process is used to sputter the dopant at the surface of the workpiece, effectively lowering the dopant concentration at the top surface of the workpiece. In another embodiment, a chemical etching process is performed to lower the dopant concentration at the top surface. After this sputtering or chemical etching process, a traditional passivation process can be performed.