公开(公告)号：US11450514B1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-20

申请号：US17203786

申请日：2021-03-17

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei Dou ,  Yong Cao ,  Mingdong Li ,  Shane Lavan ,  Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Chengyu Liu

IPC: C23C14/14 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/54 ,  C23C14/06

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and apparatus for reducing particle formation in physical vapor deposition (PVD) chambers are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of reducing particle formation in a PVD chamber includes: performing a plurality of first deposition processes on a corresponding series of substrates disposed on a substrate support in the PVD chamber, wherein the PVD chamber includes a cover ring disposed about the substrate support and having a texturized outer surface, and wherein a silicon nitride (SiN) layer having a first thickness is deposited onto the texturized outer surface during each of the plurality of first deposition processes; and performing a second deposition process on the cover ring between subsets of the plurality of first deposition processes to deposit an amorphous silicon layer having a second thickness onto an underlying silicon nitride (SiN) layer.

公开(公告)号：US20200090957A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-19

申请号：US16569593

申请日：2019-09-12

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah ,  Fuhong Zhang ,  William Johanson

IPC: H01L21/67

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a shroud for controlling gas flow in a process chamber includes a closed walled body having an upper end and a lower end, the closed walled body defining a first opening of the shroud at the lower end and a second opening of the shroud at the upper end, wherein the second opening is offset from the first opening; and a top wall disposed atop a portion of the upper end of the closed walled body in a position above the first opening to define, together with a remaining portion of the upper end of the closed walled body, the second opening, wherein the shroud is configured to divert a gas flow from the second opening through the first opening.

公开(公告)号：US12176205B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-24

申请号：US18337319

申请日：2023-06-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Chunming Zhou ,  Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Yong Cao ,  Kevin Vincent Moraes ,  Shane Lavan

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/677

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods and apparatus for backside stress engineering of substrates to combat film stresses and bowing issues. In one embodiment, a method of depositing a film layer on a backside of a substrate is provided. The method includes flipping a substrate at a factory interface so that the backside of the substrate is facing up, and transferring the flipped substrate from the factory interface to a physical vapor deposition chamber to deposit a film layer on the backside of the substrate. In another embodiment, an apparatus for depositing a backside film layer on a backside of a substrate, which includes a substrate supporting surface configured to support the substrate at or near the periphery of the substrate supporting surface without contacting an active region on a front side of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11915918B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-27

申请号：US17362925

申请日：2021-06-29

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Yong Cao ,  Ilya Lavitsky ,  Keith A. Miller ,  Tza-Jing Gung ,  Xianmin Tang ,  Shane Lavan ,  Randy D. Schmieding ,  John C. Forster ,  Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/56 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/54

CPC classification number: H01J37/3488 ,  C23C14/54 ,  C23C14/564 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/3435 ,  H01J37/3441 ,  H01J37/3447 ,  H01J37/32091

Abstract: A physical vapor deposition processing chamber is described. The processing chamber includes a target backing plate in a top portion of the processing chamber, a substrate support in a bottom portion of the processing chamber, a deposition ring positioned at an outer periphery of the substrate support and a shield. The substrate support has a support surface spaced a distance from the target backing plate to form a process cavity. The shield forms an outer bound of the process cavity. In-chamber cleaning methods are also described. In an embodiment, the method includes closing a bottom gas flow path of a processing chamber to a process cavity, flowing an inert gas from the bottom gas flow path, flowing a reactant into the process cavity through an opening in the shield, and evacuating the reaction gas from the process cavity.

公开(公告)号：US11655534B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-23

申请号：US17857370

申请日：2022-07-05

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Wenting Hou ,  Jianxin Lei ,  Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Prashanth Kothnur ,  William R. Johanson

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/18 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/14 ,  C23C14/16

CPC classification number: C23C14/18 ,  C23C14/14 ,  C23C14/16 ,  C23C14/3414 ,  C23C14/354 ,  H01J37/32027 ,  H01J37/32082

Abstract: Apparatus that forms low resistivity tungsten film on substrates. In some embodiments, the apparatus may provide reduced resistivity of tungsten by being configured to generate a plasma in a processing volume of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a process gas of krypton and using an RF power with a frequency of approximately 60 MHz, apply bias power at frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to a substrate, and sputter a tungsten target to deposit a tungsten thin film on the substrate. At least approximately 90% of the deposited tungsten thin film has a crystalline orientation plane approximately parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11447857B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-20

申请号：US17021661

申请日：2020-09-15

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Wenting Hou ,  Jianxin Lei ,  Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Prashanth Kothnur ,  William R. Johanson

IPC: C23C14/18 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/14 ,  C23C14/16

Abstract: Method and apparatus that forms low resistivity tungsten film on substrates. In some embodiments, a method of reducing resistivity of tungsten includes generating a plasma in a processing volume of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a process gas of krypton and using an RF power with a frequency of approximately 60 MHz and a magnetron, applying bias power at frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz to a substrate, and sputtering a tungsten target to deposit a tungsten thin film on the substrate. At least approximately 90% of the deposited tungsten thin film has a crystalline orientation plane approximately parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11270898B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-08

申请号：US16569593

申请日：2019-09-12

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Kirankumar Neelasandra Savandaiah ,  Fuhong Zhang ,  William Johanson

IPC: H01L21/67

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for processing substrates are provided herein. In some embodiments, a shroud for controlling gas flow in a process chamber includes a closed walled body having an upper end and a lower end, the closed walled body defining a first opening of the shroud at the lower end and a second opening of the shroud at the upper end, wherein the second opening is offset from the first opening; and a top wall disposed atop a portion of the upper end of the closed walled body in a position above the first opening to define, together with a remaining portion of the upper end of the closed walled body, the second opening, wherein the shroud is configured to divert a gas flow from the second opening through the first opening.

公开(公告)号：US20180096852A1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-05

申请号：US15718412

申请日：2017-09-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Ross Marshall ,  Jianxin Lei ,  Xianmin Tang

IPC: H01L21/285 ,  H01L29/49 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L29/78 ,  C23C14/14 ,  C23C14/58 ,  C23C14/50 ,  C23C14/34

CPC classification number: H01L21/28518 ,  C23C14/14 ,  C23C14/185 ,  C23C14/34 ,  C23C14/35 ,  C23C14/50 ,  C23C14/5806 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/2855 ,  H01L21/32051 ,  H01L21/6831 ,  H01L21/6833 ,  H01L21/7685 ,  H01L29/4933 ,  H01L29/6656 ,  H01L29/78

Abstract: Ruthenium containing gate stacks and methods of forming ruthenium containing gate stacks are described. The ruthenium containing gate stack comprises a polysilicon layer on a substrate; a silicide layer on the polysilicon layer; a barrier layer on the silicide layer; a ruthenium layer on the barrier layer; and a spacer layer comprising a nitride on sides of the ruthenium layer, wherein the ruthenium layer comprises substantially no ruthenium nitride after formation of the spacer layer. Forming the ruthenium layer comprises sputtering the ruthenium in a krypton environment on a high current electrostatic chuck comprising a high resistivity ceramic material. The sputtered ruthenium layer is annealed at a temperature greater than or equal to about 500° C.

公开(公告)号：US11842890B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-12

申请号：US16994616

申请日：2020-08-16

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  William Fruchterman

IPC: H01J37/34 ,  C23C14/34

CPC classification number: H01J37/3441 ,  C23C14/34 ,  H01J37/3447

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing burn-in time of a physical vapor deposition shield, including: sputtering a dielectric target having a first dielectric constant to form a dielectric layer upon an inner surface of a shield, wherein the shield includes an aluminum oxide coating having a second dielectric constant in an amount sufficient to reduce the burn-in time, and wherein the first dielectric constant and second dielectric constant are substantially similar.

公开(公告)号：US11572618B2

公开(公告)日：2023-02-07

申请号：US17003969

申请日：2020-08-26

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jothilingam Ramalingam ,  Xiaozhou Che ,  Yong Cao ,  Shane Lavan ,  Chunming Zhou

IPC: C23C14/35 ,  H01L21/02 ,  C23C14/06 ,  H01J37/34 ,  H01J37/32

Abstract: A method of depositing a backside film layer on a backside of a substrate includes loading a substrate having one or more films deposited on a front side of the substrate onto a substrate support of a processing chamber, depositing, from the sputter target, a target material on the backside of the substrate to form a backside layer on the backside of the substrate, and applying an RF bias to an electrode disposed within the substrate support while depositing the target material. The front side of the substrate faces the substrate support and is spaced from a top surface of the substrate support, and a backside of the substrate faces a sputter target of the processing chamber.