Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090061605 | PROFILE ADJUSTMENT IN PLASMA ION IMPLANTER - A method to provide a dopant profile adjustment solution in plasma doping systems for meeting both concentration and junction depth requirements. Bias ramping and bias ramp rate adjusting may be performed to achieve a desired dopant profile so that surface peak dopant profiles and retrograde dopant profiles are realized. The method may include an amorphization step in one embodiment. | 03-05-2009 |
20090084987 | CHARGE NEUTRALIZATION IN A PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - A plasma processing apparatus includes a process chamber, a source configured to generate a plasma in the process chamber, and a platen configured to support a workpiece in the process chamber. The platen is biased with a pulsed platen signal having pulse ON and OFF time periods to accelerate ions from the plasma towards the workpiece during the pulse ON time periods and not the pulse OFF time periods. A plate is positioned in the process chamber. The plate is biased with a plate signal to accelerate ions from the plasma towards the plate to cause an emission of secondary electrons from the plate during at least a portion of one of the pulse OFF time periods of the pulsed platen signal to at least partially neutralize charge accumulation on the workpiece. | 04-02-2009 |
20090117735 | IMPLANTATION OF MULTIPLE SPECIES TO ADDRESS COPPER RELIABILITY - A first species and a second species are implanted into a conductor of a substrate, which may be copper. The first species and second species may be implanted sequentially or at least partly simultaneously. Diffusion of the first species within the conductor of the substrate is prevented by the presence of the second species. In one particular example, the first species is silicon and the second species is nitrogen, although other combinations are possible. | 05-07-2009 |
20090200461 | Closed Loop Control And Process Optimization In Plasma Doping Processes Using A Time of Flight Ion Detector - A method of controlling a plasma doping process using a time-of-flight ion detector includes generating a plasma comprising dopant ions in a plasma chamber proximate to a platen supporting a substrate. The platen is biased with a bias voltage waveform having a negative potential that attracts ions in the plasma to the substrate for plasma doping. A spectrum of ions present in the plasma is measured as a function of ion mass with a time-of-flight ion detector. The total number ions impacting the substrate is measured with a Faraday dosimetry system. An implant profile is determined from the measured spectrum of ions. An integrated dose is determined from the measured total number of ions and the calculated implant profile. At least one plasma doping parameter is modified in response to the calculated integrated dose. | 08-13-2009 |
20090278059 | APPARATUS FOR DETECTING FILM DELAMINATION AND A METHOD THEREOF - A method and apparatus are described herein which allow the progression of delamination of a film to be monitored. An interferometer is used to detect the onset and progression of thin film delamination. By projecting one or more wavelengths at a surface, and measuring the reflectance of these projected wavelengths, it is possible to monitor the progression of the delamination process. Testing has shown that different stages of the delamination process produce different reflectance graphs. This information can be used to establish implantation parameters, or can be used as an in situ monitor. The same techniques can be used for other applications. For example, in certain implantation systems, such as PECVD, a film of material may developed on the walls of the chamber. The techniques described herein can be used to monitor this separation, and determine when preventative maintenance may be performed on the chamber. | 11-12-2009 |
20090324849 | METHOD FOR SEALING PORES IN A POROUS SUBSTRATE - Several embodiments of a method for sealing pores on a porous substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises introducing first particles to the surface of the substrate and damaging the surface to decrease the size of the pores on the surface; introducing second particle to the surface; and forming a film on the surface covering the pores, where the film has a dielectric constant of 4 or less. | 12-31-2009 |
20100022076 | Ion Implantation with Heavy Halogenide Compounds - A method of plasma doping includes providing a dopant gas comprising a dopant heavy halogenide compound gas to a plasma chamber. A plasma is formed in the plasma chamber with the dopant heavy halogenide compound gas and generates desired dopant ions and heavy fragments of precursor dopant molecule. A substrate in the plasma chamber is biased so that the desired dopant ions impact the substrate with a desired ion energy, thereby implanting the desired dopant ions and the heavy fragments of precursor dopant molecule into the substrate, wherein at least one of the ion energy and composition of the dopant heavy halogenide compound is chosen so that the implant profile in the substrate is substantially determined by the desired dopant ions. | 01-28-2010 |
20100240201 | IMPLANTATION OF MULTIPLE SPECIES TO ADDRESS COPPER RELIABILITY - A first species and a second species are implanted into a conductor of a substrate, which may be copper. The first species and second species may be implanted sequentially or at least partly simultaneously. Diffusion of the first species within the conductor of the substrate is prevented by the presence of the second species. In one particular example, the first species is silicon and the second species is nitrogen, although other combinations are possible. | 09-23-2010 |
20100273322 | METHOD OF PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE HAVING A NON-PLANAR SURFACE - A technique for conformal processing of a substrate having a non-planar surface is disclosed. The technique includes several stages. In a first stage, some surfaces of the substrate are effectively processed. During a second stage, these surfaces are treated to limit or eliminate further processing of these surfaces. During a third stage, other surfaces of the substrate are processed. In some applications, the surfaces that are perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular to the flow of particles are processed in the first and second stages, while other surfaces are processed in the third stage. In some embodiments, the second stage includes the deposition of a film on the substrate. | 10-28-2010 |
20110000896 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY CONTROLLING ION COMPOSITION OF ION SOURCES - A method is disclosed for adjusting the composition of plasmas used in plasma doping, plasma deposition and plasma etching techniques. The disclosed method enables the plasma composition to be controlled by modifying the energy distribution of the electrons present in the plasma. Energetic electrons are produced in the plasma by accelerating electrons in the plasma using very fast voltage pulses. The pulses are long enough to influence the electrons, but too fast to affect the ions significantly. Collisions between the energetic electrons and the constituents of the plasma result in changes in the plasma composition. The plasma composition can then be optimized to meet the requirements of the specific process being used. This can entail changing the ratio of ion species in the plasma, changing the ratio of ionization to dissociation, or changing the excited state population of the plasma. | 01-06-2011 |
20110039034 | PULSED DEPOSITION AND RECRYSTALLIZATION AND TANDEM SOLAR CELL DESIGN UTILIZING CRYSTALLIZED/AMORPHOUS MATERIAL - A method of depositing and crystallizing materials on a substrate is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method may include creating a plasma having deposition-related species and energy-carrying species. During a first time period, no bias voltage is applied to the substrate, and species are deposited on the substrate via plasma deposition. During a second time period, a voltage is applied to the substrate, which attracts ions to and into the deposited species, thereby causing the deposited layer to crystallize. This process can be repeated until an adequate thickness is achieved. In another embodiment, the bias voltage or bias pulse duration can be varied to change the amount of crystallization that occurs. In another embodiment, a dopant may be used to dope the deposited layers. | 02-17-2011 |
20110086501 | Technique for Processing a Substrate Having a Non-Planar Surface - A method of processing a substrate having horizontal and non-horizontal surfaces is disclosed. The substrate is implanted with particles using an ion implanter. During the ion implant, due to the nature of the implant process, a film may be deposited on the surfaces, wherein the thickness of this film is thicker on the horizontal surfaces. The presences of this film may adversely alter the properties of the substrate. To rectify this, a second process step is performed to remove the film deposited on the horizontal surfaces. In some embodiments, an etching process is used to remove this film. In some embodiments, a material modifying step is used to change the composition of the material comprising the film. This material modifying step may be instead of, or in addition to the etching process. | 04-14-2011 |
20110309049 | TECHNIQUES FOR PLASMA PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE - Techniques for plasma processing a substrate are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized with a method comprising introducing a feed gas proximate to a plasma source, where the feed gas may comprise a first and second species, where the first and second species have different ionization energies; providing a multi-level RF power waveform to the plasma source, where the multi-level RF power waveform has at least a first power level during a first pulse duration and a second power level during a second pulse duration, where the second power level may be different from the first power level; ionizing the first species of the feed gas during the first pulse duration; ionizing the second species during the second pulse duration; and providing a bias to the substrate during the first pulse duration. | 12-22-2011 |
20120009798 | STENCIL MASK PROFILE - An apparatus and method are provided which allow the low cost patterned deposition of material onto a workpiece. A stencil mask, having chamfered edges is applied to the surface of the workpiece. The material is then deposited onto the workpiece, such as by PECVD. Because of the chamfered edges, the material thickness is much more uniform than is possible with traditional stencil masks. Stencil masks having a variety of cross sectional patterns are disclosed which improve deposition uniformity. | 01-12-2012 |
20120263887 | TECHNIQUE AND APPARATUS FOR ION-ASSISTED ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION - An apparatus for depositing a coating may comprise a first processing chamber configured to deposit a first reactant as a reactant layer on a substrate during a first time period. A second processing chamber may be configured to direct ions incident on the substrate at a second time and configured to deposit a second reactant on the substrate during a second time period, wherein the second reactant is configured to react with the reactant layer. | 10-18-2012 |
20120295430 | METHOD FOR PROCESSING A SUBSTRATE HAVING A NON-PLANAR SUBSTRATE SURFACE - A technique for conformal processing of a substrate having a non-planar surface is disclosed. The technique includes several stages. In a first stage, some surfaces of the substrate are effectively processed. During a second stage, these surfaces are treated to limit or eliminate further processing of these surfaces. During a third stage, other surfaces of the substrate are processed. In some applications, the surfaces that are perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular to the flow of particles are processed in the first and second stages, while other surfaces are processed in the third stage. In some embodiments, the second stage includes the deposition of a film on the substrate. | 11-22-2012 |
20120295444 | TECHNIQUES FOR FORMING 3D STRUCTURES - A technique for forming 3D structures is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a method for forming 3D structures. The method may comprise providing a substrate comprising at least two vertically extending fins that are spaced apart from one another to define a trench; depositing a dielectric material in the trench between the at least two vertically extending fins; providing an etch stop layer within the dielectric material, the etch stop layer having a first side and a second opposite side; removing the dielectric material near the first side of the etch stop layer. | 11-22-2012 |
20120309180 | METHOD OF FORMING A RETROGRADE MATERIAL PROFILE USING ION IMPLANTATION - A method of forming a retrograde material profile in a substrate includes forming a surface peak profile on the substrate. Ions are then implanted into the substrate to form a retrograde profile from the surface peak profile, at least one of an ion implantation dose and an ion implantation energy of the implanted ions being chosen so that the retrograde profile has a peak concentration that is positioned at a desired distance from the surface of the substrate. | 12-06-2012 |
20130075253 | TITANIUM DIBORIDE COATING FOR PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS - An improved plasma processing chamber is disclosed, wherein some or all of the components which are exposed to the plasma are made of, or coated with, titanium diborane. Titanium diborane has a hardness in excess of 9 mhos, making it less susceptible to sputtering. In addition, titanium diborane is resistant to fluoride and chlorine ions. Finally, titanium diborane is electrically conductive, and therefore the plasma remains more uniform over time, as charge does not build on the surfaces of the titanium diborane components. This results in improved workpiece processing, with less contaminants and greater uniformity. In other embodiments, titanium diborane may be used to line components within a beam line implanter. | 03-28-2013 |