公开(公告)号：US20230127138A1

公开(公告)日：2023-04-27

申请号：US17892968

申请日：2022-08-22

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei LIU ,  Shashank SHARMA ,  Matthew SPULLER ,  Vladimir NAGORNY

IPC: C23C8/36 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/02 ,  C23C8/24

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for nitriding a substrate is provided. The method includes flowing a nitrogen-containing source and a carrier gas into a plasma processing source coupled to a chamber such that a flow rate of the nitrogen-containing source is from about 3% to 20% of a flow rate of the carrier gas; generating an inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) in the plasma processing source by operating an ICP source, the ICP comprising a radical species formed from the nitrogen-containing source, the carrier gas, or both; and nitriding the substrate within the chamber, wherein nitriding includes operating a heat source within the chamber at a temperature from about 150° C. to about 650° C. to heat the substrate; maintaining a pressure of the chamber from about 50 mTorr to about 2 Torr; introducing the ICP to the chamber; and adjusting a characteristic of the substrate by exposing the substrate to the radical species.

公开(公告)号：US20220013336A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-13

申请号：US16926104

申请日：2020-07-10

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Jian WU ,  Lara A. HAWRYLCHAK ,  Ren-Guan DUAN ,  Bernard L. HWANG ,  Malcolm J. BEVAN ,  Wei LIU

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/683 ,  B08B7/00

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the use of hydrogen plasma treatments is described herein. The process chamber includes a plurality of chamber components. The plurality of chamber components may be coated with a yttrium zirconium oxide composition, such as a Y2O3—ZrO2 solid solution. Some of the plurality of chamber components are replaced with a bulk yttrium zirconium oxide ceramic. Yet other chamber components are replaced with similar components of different materials.

公开(公告)号：US20180082847A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-22

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 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/3105 ,  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.

公开(公告)号：US20170236702A1

公开(公告)日：2017-08-17

申请号：US15413167

申请日：2017-01-23

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Johanes S. SWENBERG ,  Linlin WANG ,  Wei LIU

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/28 ,  H01L29/51

CPC classification number: H01L21/0228 ,  H01L21/02181 ,  H01L21/02274 ,  H01L21/02337 ,  H01L21/0234 ,  H01L21/28185 ,  H01L21/28194 ,  H01L29/517 ,  H01L29/518

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for forming a high-k gate dielectric in a transistor. The high-k gate dielectric may be formed by introducing a fluorine containing gas into a processing chamber during the deposition of the high-k gate dielectric in the processing chamber. In one embodiment, the high-k gate dielectric is formed by an ALD process in a processing chamber, and a fluorine containing gas is introduced into the processing chamber during one or more stages of the ALD process. Fluorine ions, molecules or radicals from the fluorine containing gas (may be activated by a plasma) can fill the oxygen vacancies in the high-k dielectric.

公开(公告)号：US20170148636A1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-25

申请号：US15345549

申请日：2016-11-08

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Wei LIU ,  Hua CHUNG ,  Xuebin LI ,  Yuxiang LU

IPC: H01L21/3065 ,  H01L29/66 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/308

CPC classification number: H01L21/3065 ,  H01J37/32009 ,  H01J37/3244 ,  H01J2237/334 ,  H01L21/02115 ,  H01L21/02236 ,  H01L21/02252 ,  H01L21/02274 ,  H01L21/30655 ,  H01L21/3081 ,  H01L21/3083 ,  H01L29/66795

Abstract: Methods for forming semiconductor devices, such as FinFET devices, are provided. An epitaxial film is formed over a semiconductor fin, and the epitaxial film includes a top surface having two facets and a bottom surface including two facets. A cap layer is deposited on the top surface, and portions of the epitaxial film in a lateral direction are removed by an isotropic plasma etch process. The isotropic plasma etch process may be performed at a pressure ranging from about 5 mTorr to about 200 mTorr in order to maximize the amount of radicals while minimizing the amount of ions in the plasma. Having a smaller lateral dimension prevents the epitaxial film from merging with an adjacent epitaxial film and creates a gap between the epitaxial film and the adjacent epitaxial film.

公开(公告)号：US20160358781A1

公开(公告)日：2016-12-08

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: H01L21/28 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/3105

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.

Abstract translation: 本文描述的实施例一般涉及用于等离子体处理处理室的方法和装置。 其上形成有栅极叠层的基板可以放置在处理室中，并且可以使用含氢等离子体来处理栅极堆叠，以便固化栅极堆叠中的缺陷。 作为含氢等离子体处理的结果，栅极堆叠具有较低的泄漏和改进的可靠性。 为了保护处理室免受由含氢等离子体产生的Hx +离子和H *基团的影响，处理室可以用等离子体处理，而不需要将基板放置在其中并且在含氢等离子体处理之前。 此外，由介电材料制成的处理室的部件可以涂覆有包含含钇的氧化物的陶瓷涂层，以保护组分免受等离子体的影响。

公开(公告)号：US20240304422A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-12

申请号：US18668480

申请日：2024-05-20

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Sandip NIYOGI ,  Wei LIU ,  Dileep Venkata Sai VADLADI ,  Lily HUANG

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  H01L21/02

CPC classification number: H01J37/32449 ,  H01J37/321 ,  H01J37/32357 ,  H01J37/32724 ,  H01L21/02164 ,  H01L21/0228 ,  H01J2237/334

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to inductively coupled plasma sources and plasma processing apparatus. In at least one embodiment, a plasma processing method includes introducing a gas including helium and nitrogen into a gas injection channel of a plasma source. The method includes generating a plasma within the gas injection channel. The plasma includes helium radicals and nitrogen radicals. The method includes delivering the plasma from the plasma source to a process chamber including a substrate. The method includes producing a treated substrate by processing the substrate with the plasma within the process chamber, in which processing the substrate includes contacting the plasma including the helium radicals and nitrogen radicals with a first side of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20220223374A1

公开(公告)日：2022-07-14

申请号：US17149254

申请日：2021-01-14

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Vladimir NAGORNY ,  Wei LIU ,  Rene GEORGE

IPC: H01J37/32

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to inductively coupled plasma sources and plasma processing apparatus. In at least one embodiment, plasma source includes a first sidewall and a gas injection insert defining a plasma source interior volume. The gas injection insert includes a peripheral gas injection port, a second sidewall disposed concentric with the first sidewall, and a center gas injection port. The plasma source includes a first induction coil disposed proximate the first sidewall and disposed around the first sidewall. The plasma source includes a first radio frequency power generator coupled with the first induction coil. The plasma source includes a second induction coil disposed proximate the second sidewall and disposed around the second sidewall. The plasma source includes a second radio frequency power generator coupled with the second induction coil.

公开(公告)号：US20220005704A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-06

申请号：US17477741

申请日：2021-09-17

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Xuebin LI ,  Wei LIU ,  Gaurav THAREJA ,  Shashank SHARMA ,  Patricia M. LIU ,  Schubert CHU

IPC: H01L21/321 ,  H01L21/285 ,  H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L29/40 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L23/532 ,  H01L21/8234 ,  H01L21/3205 ,  H01L29/417

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for processing substrates, such as during metal silicide applications, are provided. In one or more embodiments, a method of processing a substrate includes depositing an epitaxial layer on the substrate, depositing a metal silicide seed layer on the epitaxial layer, and exposing the metal silicide seed layer to a nitridation process to produce a metal silicide nitride layer from at least a portion of the metal silicide seed layer. The method also includes depositing a metal silicide bulk layer on the metal silicide nitride layer and forming or depositing a nitride capping layer on the metal silicide bulk layer, where the nitride capping layer contains a metal nitride, a silicon nitride, a metal silicide nitride, or a combination thereof.

公开(公告)号：US20190287805A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-19

申请号：US16421804

申请日：2019-05-24

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Steven C. H. HUNG ,  Johanes S. SWENBERG ,  Wei LIU ,  Houda GRAOUI

IPC: H01L21/28 ,  H01L21/321 ,  H01L29/49

Abstract: A sequential plasma process is employed to enable the modification of the work function of a p-type metal layer in a metal gate structure. The sequential plasma process includes a plasma hydrogenation and a plasma process that includes electronegative species. The sequential plasma process is performed on a p-type metal layer in a film stack, thereby replacing suboxides and/or other non-stoichiometrically combined electronegative atoms disposed on or within layers of the film stack with stoichiometrically combined electronegative atoms, such as O atoms. As a result, the work function of the p-type metal layer can be modified without changing a thickness of the p-type metal layer.