Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130210240 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVE OXIDATION OF A SUBSTRATE - Methods and apparatus for improving selective oxidation against metals in a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of oxidizing a first surface of a substrate disposed in a process chamber having a processing volume defined by one or more chamber walls may include exposing the substrate to an oxidizing gas to oxidize the first surface; and actively heating at least one of the one or more chamber walls to increase a temperature of the one or more chamber walls to a first temperature of at least the dew point of water while exposing the substrate to the oxidizing gas. | 08-15-2013 |
20130213935 | SYNCHRONIZED RADIO FREQUENCY PULSING FOR PLASMA ETCHING - Methods for processing a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of etching a dielectric layer includes generating a plasma by pulsing a first RF source signal having a first duty cycle; applying a second RF bias signal having a second duty cycle to the plasma; applying a third RF bias signal having a third duty cycle to the plasma, wherein the first, second, and third signals are synchronized; adjusting a phase variance between the first RF source signal and at least one of the second or third RF bias signals to control at least one of plasma ion density non-uniformity in the plasma or charge build-up on the dielectric layer; and etching the dielectric layer with the plasma. | 08-22-2013 |
20130216783 | CERAMIC ARTICLE WITH REDUCED SURFACE DEFECT DENSITY AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A CERAMIC ARTICLE - A machined ceramic article having an initial surface defect density and an initial surface roughness is provided. The machined ceramic article is heated to a temperature range between about 1000° C. and about 1800° C. at a ramping rate of about 0.1° C. per minute to about 20° C. per minute. The machined ceramic article is heat-treated in air atmosphere. The machined ceramic article is heat treated at one or more temperatures within the temperature range for a duration of up to about 24 hours. The machined ceramic article is then cooled at the ramping rate, wherein after the heat treatment the machined ceramic article has a reduced surface defect density and a reduced surface roughness. | 08-22-2013 |
20130216821 | HEAT TREATED CERAMIC SUBSTRATE HAVING CERAMIC COATING AND HEAT TREATMENT FOR COATED CERAMICS - A ceramic article having a ceramic substrate and a ceramic coating with an initial porosity and an initial amount of cracking is provided. The ceramic article is heated to a temperature range between about 1000° C. and about 1800° C. at a ramping rate of about 0.1° C. per minute to about 20° C. per minute. The ceramic article is heat treated at one or more temperatures within the temperature range for a duration of up to about 24 hours. The ceramic article is then cooled at the ramping rate, wherein after the heat treatment the ceramic coating has a reduced porosity and a reduced amount of cracking. | 08-22-2013 |
20130220221 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRECURSOR DELIVERY - Methods and apparatus for delivering a gas mixture to a process chamber are provided herein. In some embodiments, a precursor delivery apparatus may include an ampoule having a body with a first volume to hold a liquid precursor, an inlet to receive the liquid precursor and a carrier gas, and an outlet to flow a gas mixture of the liquid precursor and the carrier gas from the ampoule; a first heater disposed proximate to or in the first volume to heat the liquid precursor disposed in the first volume proximate to or at a first location within the first volume where the liquid precursor contacts the carrier gas; and a heat transfer apparatus disposed about the body to at least one of provide heat to or remove heat from the ampoule. | 08-29-2013 |
20130223824 | HEATING LAMP HAVING BASE TO FACILITATE REDUCED AIR FLOW ABOUT THE HEATING LAMP - Embodiments of heating lamps and heating lamp arrays are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a heating lamp may include a heating lamp envelope having a filament disposed within the heating lamp envelope; a base coupled to the heating lamp envelope to support the heating lamp envelope; and one or more recesses formed in the base to provide an improved grip for a user. In some embodiments, a heating lamp array for use in a semiconductor process chamber may include a plurality of heating lamps, each heating lamp comprising a heating lamp envelope having a filament disposed within the envelope and a base coupled to the heating lamp envelope to support the envelope, the base having one or more recesses formed in the base to provide an improved grip for a user, wherein a distance between adjacent heating lamp bases is about 0.02 inches to about 0.08 inches. | 08-29-2013 |
20130226547 | CONFIGURING A DISPATCHING RULE FOR EXECUTION IN A SIMULATION - A computer system identifies a dispatching rule that corresponds to a dispatching decision to be made in a simulation of a production environment. The dispatching rule is associated with a set of data processes. The computer system identifies a subset of the data processes that is to be executed in the simulation and executes the subset of data processes to simulate the dispatching rule to make the dispatching decision. The computing system generates a simulation decision that describes the dispatching decision made from executing the subset of data processes. | 08-29-2013 |
20130226907 | PROVIDING DYNAMIC CONTENT IN CONTEXT OF PARTICULAR EQUIPMENT - A computer system receives input of a search term for a query. The search term is related to equipment. The computer system identifies a key that corresponds to the search term and dynamically obtains content that is associated with the key from data sources. The data sources include structured data that is associated with the equipment and unstructured data that is associated with the equipment. The computer system automatically populates a results page template that is associated with the key with the content from the data sources to create a results page that includes the equipment related results for the query. | 08-29-2013 |
20130306758 | PRECURSOR DISTRIBUTION FEATURES FOR IMPROVED DEPOSITION UNIFORMITY - Showerheads are described including a first plurality of apertures configured to receive a first fluid that may be distributed to a processing region of a semiconductor substrate processing chamber. The first plurality of apertures may include a first set of apertures and a second set of apertures, and the first set of apertures may have an aperture diameter that is greater than the aperture diameter of the second set of apertures. The showerheads may also have a second plurality of apertures configured to receive a second fluid to be distributed to the processing region of the substrate processing chamber. The showerhead may be configured to maintain the first and second fluids fluidly isolated prior to their distribution to the processing region. | 11-21-2013 |
20130309870 | METHODS OF REDUCING SUBSTRATE DISLOCATION DURING GAPFILL PROCESSING - Methods of reducing dislocation in a semiconductor substrate between asymmetrical trenches are described. The methods may include etching a plurality of trenches on a semiconductor substrate and may include two adjacent trenches of unequal width separated by an unetched portion of the substrate. The methods may include forming a layer of dielectric material on the substrate. The dielectric material may form a layer in the trenches located adjacent to each other of substantially equivalent height on both sides of the unetched portion of the substrate separating the two trenches. The methods may include densifying the layer of dielectric material so that the densified dielectric within the two trenches of unequal width exerts a substantially similar stress on the unetched portion of the substrate that separates them. | 11-21-2013 |
20140021673 | PEDESTAL WITH MULTI-ZONE TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND MULTIPLE PURGE CAPABILITIES - Substrate support assemblies for a semiconductor processing apparatus are described. The assemblies may include a pedestal and a stem coupled with the pedestal. The pedestal may be configured to provide multiple regions having independently controlled temperatures. Each region may include a fluid channel to provide a substantially uniform temperature control within the region, by circulating a temperature controlled fluid that is received from and delivered to internal channels in the stem. The fluid channels may include multiple portions configured in a parallel-reverse flow arrangement. The pedestal may also include fluid purge channels that may be configured to provide thermal isolation between the regions of the pedestal. | 01-23-2014 |
20140057447 | SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING WITH DC ASSISTED RF POWER FOR IMPROVED CONTROL - Semiconductor processing systems are described including a process chamber. The process chamber may include a lid assembly, grid electrode, conductive insert, and ground electrode. Each component may be coupled with one or more power supplies operable to produce a plasma within the process chamber. Each component may be electrically isolated through the positioning of a plurality of insulation members. The one or more power supplies may be electrically coupled with the process chamber with the use of switching mechanisms. The switches may be switchable to electrically couple the one or more power supplies to the components of the process chamber. | 02-27-2014 |
20140179111 | SELECTIVE TITANIUM NITRIDE ETCHING - Methods of etching exposed titanium nitride with respect to other materials on patterned heterogeneous structures are described, and may include a remote plasma etch formed from a fluorine-containing precursor. Precursor combinations including plasma effluents from the remote plasma are flowed into a substrate processing region to etch the patterned structures with high titanium nitride selectivity under a variety of operating conditions. The methods may be used to remove titanium nitride at faster rates than a variety of metal, nitride, and oxide compounds. | 06-26-2014 |
20140231914 | FIN FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR FABRICATED WITH HOLLOW REPLACEMENT CHANNEL - A method for forming a FinFET comprises forming a raised fin between isolation trenches on a substrate. A plurality of sacrificial features is formed on at least a portion of the raised fin, the sacrificial features including a sacrificial gate dielectric and a sacrificial gate electrode having sidewalls. The sacrificial features on the raised fin are removed to form a hollow channel. Channel material is selectively and epitaxially grown in the hollow channel to form a channel. | 08-21-2014 |