Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090032192 | Method for Resist Strip in Presence of Low K Dielectric Material and Apparatus for Performing the Same - A method and apparatus is provided for using a plasma generated from a processing gas mixture including H | 02-05-2009 |
20090041951 | MAGNETIC ENHANCEMENT FOR MECHANICAL CONFINEMENT OF PLASMA - A method for processing a substrate is provided. The substrate is placed in a process chamber. A gas is provided from a gas source to the process chamber. A plasma is generated from the gas in the process chamber. The gas flows through a gap adjacent to at least one confinement ring to provide physical confinement of the plasma. Magnetic confinement of the plasma is provided to enhance the physical confinement of the plasma. | 02-12-2009 |
20090165954 | ELECTRICALLY ENHANCING THE CONFINEMENT OF PLASMA - A vacuum plasma processor includes a chamber having a grounded wall and an outlet port. Plasma is excited at a first RF frequency in a chamber region spaced from the wall and outlet port. A. structure confines the plasma to the region while enabling gas to flow from the region to the outlet port. RF electric power at a second frequency connected to the confining structure causes the confining structure to be at a potential different from ground to increase the size of a sheath between the plasma and confining structure and increase the confining structure effectiveness. The region includes an electrode connected to ground by a circuit that is series resonant to the first frequency and includes capacitance of the sheath. | 07-02-2009 |
20100159707 | GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM HAVING FAST GAS SWITCHING CAPABILITIES - A gas distribution system for supplying different gas compositions to a chamber, such as a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The gas distribution system can include a gas supply section, a flow control section and a switching section. The gas supply section provides first and second gases, typically gas mixtures, to the flow control section, which controls the flows of the first and second gases to the chamber. The chamber can include multiple zones, and the flow control section can supply the first and second gases to the multiple zones at desired flow ratios of the gases. The gas distribution system can continuously supply the first and second gases to the switching section and the switching section is operable to switch the flows of the first and second gases, such that one of the first and second process gases is supplied to the chamber while the other of the first and second gases is supplied to a by-pass line, and then to switch the gas flows. The switching section preferably includes fast switching valves operable to quickly open and close to allow fast switching of the first and second gases, preferably without the occurrence of undesirable pressure surges or flow instabilities in the flow of either gas. | 06-24-2010 |
20110024045 | Apparatus and Method for Controlling Plasma Potential - A chamber includes a lower electrode and an upper electrode. The lower electrode is defined to transmit a radiofrequency current through the chamber and to support a semiconductor wafer in exposure to a plasma within the chamber. The upper electrode is disposed above and in a spaced apart relationship with the lower electrode. The upper electrode is electrically isolated from the chamber and is defined by a central section and one or more annular sections disposed concentrically outside the central section. Adjacent sections of the upper electrode are electrically separated from each other by a dielectric material. Multiple voltage sources are respectively connected to the upper electrode sections. Each voltage source is defined to control an electric potential of the upper electrode section to which it is connected, relative to the chamber. The electric potential of each upper electrode section influences an electric potential of the plasma within the chamber. | 02-03-2011 |
20110024046 | Apparatus and Method for Controlling Plasma Potential - An apparatus is provided for semiconductor wafer plasma processing. The apparatus includes a chamber having a lower electrode and an upper electrode disposed therein. The lower electrode is defined to transmit a radiofrequency current through the chamber to generate a plasma within the chamber. The lower electrode is also defined to support a semiconductor wafer in exposure to the plasma. The upper electrode is disposed above and in a spaced apart relationship with the lower electrode. The upper electrode is defined by a doped semiconductor material. A doping concentration within the upper electrode varies radially from a center to a periphery of the upper electrode. The electric potential of the upper electrode influences an electric potential of the plasma within the chamber. | 02-03-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120191678 | Providing Reconstructed Data Based On Stored Aggregate Data in Response to Queries for Unavailable Data - In an embodiment, a method comprises dividing collected data into data clusters based on proximity of the data and adjusting the clusters based on density of data in individual clusters. Based on first data points in a first cluster, a first average point in the first cluster is determined. Based on second data points in a second cluster, a second average point in the second cluster is determined. Aggregate data, comprising the first average point and the second average point, are stored in storage. Upon receiving a request to provide data for a particular coordinate, the reconstructed data point is determined by interpolating between the first average point and the second average point at the particular coordinate. Accordingly, aggregated data may be stored and when a request specifies data that was not actually stored, a reconstructed data point with an approximated data value may be provided as a substitute. | 07-26-2012 |
20130297609 | PROVIDING RECONSTRUCTED DATA BASED ON STORED AGGREGATE DATA IN RESPONSE TO QUERIES FOR UNAVAILABLE DATA - In an embodiment, a method comprises dividing collected data into data clusters based on proximity of the data and adjusting the clusters based on density of data in individual clusters. Based on first data points in a first cluster, a first average point in the first cluster is determined. Based on second data points in a second cluster, a second average point in the second cluster is determined. Aggregate data, comprising the first average point and the second average point, are stored in storage. Upon receiving a request to provide data for a particular coordinate, the reconstructed data point is determined by interpolating between the first average point and the second average point at the particular coordinate. Accordingly, aggregated data may be stored and when a request specifies data that was not actually stored, a reconstructed data point with an approximated data value may be provided as a substitute. | 11-07-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080308526 | Minimization of mask undercut on deep silicon etch - A method for forming features in a silicon layer is provided. A mask is formed with a plurality of mask openings over the silicon layer. A polymer layer is deposited over the mask by flowing a hydrogen free deposition gas comprising C | 12-18-2008 |
20090050271 | MASK TRIMMING - A method for etching a dielectric layer is provided. A patterned mask with mask features is formed over a dielectric layer. The mask has isolated areas and dense areas of the mask features. The mask is trimmed by a plurality of cycles, where each cycle includes depositing a deposition layer, and selectively etching the deposition layer and the patterned mask. The selective etching selectively trims the isolated areas of the mask with respect to the dense areas of the mask. The dielectric layer is etched using the thus trimmed mask. The mask is removed. | 02-26-2009 |
20090050603 | MASK TRIMMING WITH ARL ETCH - A method for etching a dielectric layer disposed below an antireflection layer (ARL) is provided. The method comprises (a) forming a patterned mask with mask features over the ARL, the mask having isolated areas and dense areas of the mask features, (b) trimming and opening, and (c) etching the dielectric layer using the trimmed mask. The trimming and opening comprises a plurality of cycles, where each cycle includes (b1) a trim-etch phase which etches the ARL in a bottom of the mask features and selectively trims the isolated areas of the mask with respect to the dense areas, and (b2) a deposition-etch phase which deposits a deposition layer on the mask while further etching the ARL in the bottom of the mask features. The trimming and opening result in a net trimming of the mask in the isolated areas. | 02-26-2009 |
20090162790 | PHOTORESIST DOUBLE PATTERNING - A method for etching an etch layer formed on a substrate is provided. A first photoresist (PR) mask with first mask features is provided on the etch layer. A protective coating is provided on the first PR mask by a process including at least one cycle. Each cycle includes (a) a deposition phase for depositing a deposition layer over the surface of the first mask features using a deposition gas, and (b) a profile shaping phase for shaping the profile of the deposition layer using a profile shaping gas. A liquid PR material is applied over the first PR mask having the protective coating. The PR material is patterned into a second mask features, where the first and second mask features form a second PR mask. The etch layer is etched though the second PR mask. | 06-25-2009 |
20100148317 | CRITICAL DIMENSION REDUCTION AND ROUGHNESS CONTROL - A method for forming a feature in an etch layer is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over the etch layer. The photoresist layer is patterned to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls. A control layer is formed over the photoresist layer and bottoms of the photoresist features. A conformal layer is deposited over the sidewalls of the photoresist features and control layer to reduce the critical dimensions of the photoresist features. Openings in the control layer are opened with a control layer breakthrough chemistry. Features are etched into the etch layer with an etch chemistry, which is different from the control layer break through chemistry, wherein the control layer is more etch resistant to the etch with the etch chemistry than the conformal layer. | 06-17-2010 |
20110030895 | MASK TRIMMING - A method for etching a dielectric layer is provided. A patterned mask with mask features is formed over a dielectric layer. The mask has isolated areas and dense areas of the mask features. The mask is trimmed by a plurality of cycles, where each cycle includes depositing a deposition layer, and selectively etching the deposition layer and the patterned mask. The selective etching selectively trims the isolated areas of the mask with respect to the dense areas of the mask. The dielectric layer is etched using the thus trimmed mask. The mask is removed. | 02-10-2011 |
20120309201 | CRITICAL DIMENSION REDUCTION AND ROUGHNESS CONTROL - A method for forming a feature in an etch layer is provided. A photoresist layer is formed over the etch layer. The photoresist layer is patterned to form photoresist features with photoresist sidewalls. A control layer is formed over the photoresist layer and bottoms of the photoresist features. A conformal layer is deposited over the sidewalls of the photoresist features and control layer to reduce the critical dimensions of the photoresist features. Openings in the control layer are opened with a control layer breakthrough chemistry. Features are etched into the etch layer with an etch chemistry, which is different from the control layer break through chemistry, wherein the control layer is more etch resistant to the etch with the etch chemistry than the conformal layer. | 12-06-2012 |
20130000846 | PHOTORESIST DOUBLE PATTERNING APPARATUS - An apparatus for etching an etch layer formed on a substrate is provided. A first photoresist (PR) mask with first mask features is provided on the etch layer. The apparatus performs a process for providing a protective coating on the first PR mask. The process includes at least one cycle. Each cycle includes (a) a deposition phase for depositing a deposition layer over the surface of the first mask features using a deposition gas, and (b) a profile shaping phase for shaping the profile of the deposition layer using a profile shaping gas. A liquid PR material is applied over the first PR mask having the protective coating. The PR material is patterned into a second mask features, where the first and second mask features form a second PR mask. The etch layer is etched though the second PR mask. | 01-03-2013 |