公开(公告)号：US20220093390A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-24

申请号：US17025009

申请日：2020-09-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Aykut Aydin ,  Rui Cheng ,  Yi Yang ,  Krishna Nittala ,  Karthik Janakiraman ,  Bo Qi ,  Abhijit Basu Mallick

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/24 ,  C23C16/56 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/30

Abstract: Exemplary deposition methods may include delivering a silicon-containing precursor and a boron-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include delivering a dopant-containing precursor with the silicon-containing precursor and the boron-containing precursor. The dopant-containing precursor may include one or more of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. The methods may include forming a plasma of all precursors within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a silicon-and-boron material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The silicon-and-boron material may include greater than or about 1 at. % of a dopant from the dopant-containing precursor.

公开(公告)号：US11961739B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-16

申请号：US17063339

申请日：2020-10-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Yi Yang ,  Krishna Nittala ,  Rui Cheng ,  Karthik Janakiraman ,  Diwakar Kedlaya ,  Zubin Huang ,  Aykut Aydin

IPC: H01L21/033 ,  C23C16/38

CPC classification number: H01L21/0337 ,  C23C16/38 ,  H01L21/0332

Abstract: Embodiments of the present technology include semiconductor processing methods to make boron-and-silicon-containing layers that have a changing atomic ratio of boron-to-silicon. The methods may include flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a substrate processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber, and also flowing a boron-containing precursor and molecular hydrogen (H2) into the substrate processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The boron-containing precursor and the H2 may be flowed at a boron-to-hydrogen flow rate ratio. The flow rate of the boron-containing precursor and the H2 may be increased while the boron-to-hydrogen flow rate ratio remains constant during the flow rate increase. The boron-and-silicon-containing layer may be deposited on a substrate, and may be characterized by a continuously increasing ratio of boron-to-silicon from a first surface in contact with the substrate to a second surface of the boron-and-silicon-containing layer furthest from the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11676813B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-13

申请号：US17025009

申请日：2020-09-18

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Aykut Aydin ,  Rui Cheng ,  Yi Yang ,  Krishna Nittala ,  Karthik Janakiraman ,  Bo Qi ,  Abhijit Basu Mallick

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/56 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/30 ,  C23C16/24

CPC classification number: H01L21/0257 ,  C23C16/24 ,  C23C16/30 ,  C23C16/50 ,  C23C16/56 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01L21/02532 ,  H01L21/324 ,  H01J2237/332

Abstract: Exemplary deposition methods may include delivering a silicon-containing precursor and a boron-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include delivering a dopant-containing precursor with the silicon-containing precursor and the boron-containing precursor. The dopant-containing precursor may include one or more of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. The methods may include forming a plasma of all precursors within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a silicon-and-boron material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The silicon-and-boron material may include greater than or about 1 at. % of a dopant from the dopant-containing precursor.

公开(公告)号：US11618949B2

公开(公告)日：2023-04-04

申请号：US17087346

申请日：2020-11-02

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Yi Yang ,  Krishna Nittala ,  Karthik Janakiraman ,  Aykut Aydin ,  Diwakar Kedlaya

IPC: C23C16/38 ,  C23C16/455 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/30

Abstract: Exemplary deposition methods may include delivering a silicon-containing precursor and a boron-containing precursor to a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include providing a hydrogen-containing precursor with the silicon-containing precursor and the boron-containing precursor. A flow rate ratio of the hydrogen-containing precursor to either of the silicon-containing precursor or the boron-containing precursor is greater than or about 2:1. The methods may include forming a plasma of all precursors within the processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a silicon-and-boron material on a substrate disposed within the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber.

公开(公告)号：US11562902B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US16932793

申请日：2020-07-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Rui Cheng ,  Diwakar Kedlaya ,  Karthik Janakiraman ,  Gautam K. Hemani ,  Krishna Nittala ,  Alicia J. Lustgraaf ,  Zubin Huang ,  Brett Spaulding ,  Shashank Sharma ,  Kelvin Chan

IPC: H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/02 ,  C23C16/24 ,  C23C16/56 ,  C23C16/50

Abstract: Exemplary methods of semiconductor processing may include flowing a silicon-containing precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber. A substrate may be housed within the processing region, and the substrate may be maintained at a temperature below or about 450° C. The methods may include striking a plasma of the silicon-containing precursor. The methods may include forming a layer of amorphous silicon on a semiconductor substrate. The layer of amorphous silicon may be characterized by less than or about 3% hydrogen incorporation.

公开(公告)号：US11508611B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-22

申请号：US16664396

申请日：2019-10-25

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Kalyanjit Ghosh ,  Mayur G. Kulkarni ,  Sanjeev Baluja ,  Praket P. Jha ,  Krishna Nittala

IPC: H01L21/687 ,  C23C16/458

Abstract: Implementations disclosed herein generally provide a lift pin that can improve the deposition rate and uniform film thickness above lift pin areas. In one implementation, the lift pin includes a first end coupling to a shaft, the first end having a pin head, and the pin head having a top surface, wherein the top surface is planar and flat, and a second end coupling to the shaft, the second end having a flared portion, wherein the flared portion has an outer surface extended along a direction that is at an angle of about 110° to about 140° with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lift pin.

公开(公告)号：US11443919B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-13

申请号：US16785331

申请日：2020-02-07

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Krishna Nittala ,  Diwakar N. Kedlaya ,  Karthik Janakiraman ,  Yi Yang ,  Rui Cheng

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  C23C16/515 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/505

Abstract: Systems and methods of using pulsed RF plasma to form amorphous and microcrystalline films are discussed herein. Methods of forming films can include (a) forming a plasma in a process chamber from a film precursor and (b) pulsing an RF power source to cause a duty cycle on time (TON) of a duty cycle of a pulse generated by the RF power source to be less than about 20% of a total cycle time (TTOT) of the duty cycle to form the film. The methods can further include (c) depositing a first film interlayer on a substrate in the process chamber; (d) subsequent to (c), purging the process chamber; and (e) subsequent to (d), introducing a hydrogen plasma to the process chamber. Further in the method, (b)-(e) are repeated to form a film. The film can have an in-film hydrogen content of less than about 10%.

公开(公告)号：US11421324B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-23

申请号：US17075812

申请日：2020-10-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jui-Yuan Hsu ,  Krishna Nittala ,  Pramit Manna ,  Karthik Janakiraman

IPC: C23C16/50 ,  H01J37/32 ,  C23C16/26 ,  C23C16/56 ,  C23C16/458 ,  H01L21/033 ,  H01L21/311

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to hardmasks and to processes for forming hardmasks by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). In an embodiment, a process for forming a hardmask layer on a substrate is provided. The process includes introducing a substrate to a processing volume of a PECVD chamber, the substrate on a substrate support, the substrate support comprising an electrostatic chuck, and flowing a process gas into the processing volume within the PECVD chamber, the process gas comprising a carbon-containing gas. The process further includes forming, under plasma conditions, an energized process gas from the process gas in the processing volume, electrostatically chucking the substrate to the substrate support, depositing a first carbon-containing layer on the substrate while electrostatically chucking the substrate, and forming the hardmask layer by depositing a second carbon-containing layer on the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11170990B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-09

申请号：US16795191

申请日：2020-02-19

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Krishna Nittala ,  Rui Cheng ,  Karthik Janakiraman ,  Praket Prakash Jha ,  Jinrui Guo ,  Jingmei Liang

IPC: H01L21/02

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method including depositing an underlayer comprising silicon oxide over a substrate, depositing a polysilicon liner on the underlayer, and depositing an amorphous silicon layer on the polysilicon liner. Aspects of the disclosure provide a device intermediate including a substrate, an underlayer comprising silicon oxide formed over the substrate, a polysilicon liner disposed on the underlayer, and an amorphous silicon layer disposed on the polysilicon liner.