Patrick L Leahey

US Patent:

6379575, Apr 30, 2002

Filed:

Oct 21, 1997

Appl. No.:

08/955181

Inventors:

Gerald Zheyao Yin - Cupertino CA
Xue-Yu Qian - Milpitas CA
Patrick L. Leahey - San Jose CA
Jonathan D. Mohn - Saratoga CA
Waiching Chow - Fremont CA
Arthur Y. Chen - Fremont CA
Brian K. Hatcher - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H01L 21302

US Classification:

216 67, 134 11, 438727, 438905

Abstract:

An apparatus and process for treating and conditioning an etching chamber , and cleaning a thin, non-homogeneous, etch residue on the walls and components of the etching chamber. In the etching step, a substrate is etched in the etching chamber to deposit a thin etch residue layer on the surfaces of the walls and components in the chamber. In the cleaning step, cleaning gas is introduced into a remote chamber adjacent to the etching chamber , and microwave or RF energy is applied inside the remote chamber to form an activated cleaning gas. A short burst of activated cleaning gas at a high flow rate is introduced into the etching chamber to clean the etch residue on the walls and components of the etching chamber. The method is particularly useful for cleaning etch residue that is chemically adhered to ceramic surfaces in the chamber, for example surfaces comprising aluminum nitride, boron carbide, boron nitride, diamond, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, titanium oxide, titanium carbide, yttrium oxide, zirconium oxide, or mixtures thereof.

US Patent:

6447636, Sep 10, 2002

Filed:

Feb 16, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/505578

Inventors:

Xue-Yu Qian - San Jose CA
Maocheng Li - Fremont CA
John Holland - San Jose CA
Arthur H. Sato - San Jose CA
Valentin N. Todorov - Fremont CA
Patrick L. Leahey - San Jose CA
Robert E. Ryan - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H05H 100

US Classification:

15634548, 118723 I, 31511151

Abstract:

The invention provides a system and a method for dynamic RF inductive and capacitive coupling control to improve plasma substrate processing, as well as for achieving contamination and defect reduction. A plasma reactor includes a substrate support disposed in a chamber. An RF coil is disposed adjacent the chamber for inductively coupling RF energy into the chamber. An electrode is disposed adjacent the chamber and has a voltage for capacitively coupling energy into the chamber. The electrode is spaced from the substrate support and the RF coil. An electrode adjusting member is coupled with the electrode for dynamically adjusting the voltage in the electrode to vary the capacitive coupling for improved plasma ignition and plasma stability. A Faraday shield may be placed between the RF coil and the plasma process region in the chamber to suppress capacitive coupling of the RF coil. Sensors may be provided to monitor the amounts of inductive coupling and capacitive coupling to provide feedback to a controller which is used to adjust the inductive coupling and capacitive coupling in real time to stabilize the plasma and achieve improved processing.

US Patent:

6598615, Jul 29, 2003

Filed:

Nov 7, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/708345

Inventors:

John Holland - San Jose CA
Michael Barnes - San Ramon CA
Patrick Leahey - San Jose CA
Jonathan D. Mohn - Saratoga CA

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

C23C 1650

US Classification:

137 14, 13756523, 13756533, 118723

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for use in conjunction with a plasma reaction chamber provide both throttling functionality and independent vacuum isolation for a turbomolecular pump. A throttle valve provides for precise reaction chamber pressure regulation, and a gate valve prevents extended exposure of the turbomolecular pump to atmospheric conditions during cleaning or other maintenance operations. The throttle valve and the gate valve may be actuated independently.

US Patent:

20020100557, Aug 1, 2002

Filed:

Jan 29, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/774192

Inventors:

Maocheng Li - Fremont CA, US
John Holland - San Jose CA, US
Valentin Todorov - Fremont CA, US
Patrick Leahey - San Jose CA, US
Robert Hartlage - San Jose CA, US
Hoan Nguyen - Milpitas CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc.

International Classification:

C23F001/00
C23C016/00

US Classification:

156/345480, 156/345370, 118/724000, 118/72300I, 118/666000

Abstract:

A method and an apparatus that provides efficient heating of a dielectric structure without compromising the dielectric properties of the structure. A heating assembly is adapted to fit a circularly shaped dielectric lid of a plasma processing vacuum chamber. The heating assembly is placed between the RF coil and the atmospheric side of the dielectric lid. Although the active heating structure portion (a resistive heating wire or a thermal working fluid or both, per alternate embodiments) of the heating assembly is transparent to the electromagnetic fields produced by the coil, the conductive portion of the heating assembly takes on the role of shaping the electric field. The result of this averaging is the minimization of detrimental effects of electromagnetic potentials that are too high (e.g., sputtering of the dielectric by the plasma) and of electromagnetic potentials that are too low (e.g., heavy by-product depositions on the dielectric lid).

US Patent:

20070079936, Apr 12, 2007

Filed:

Jun 2, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/445559

Inventors:

Maocheng Li - Fremont CA, US
John Holland - San Jose CA, US
Patrick Leahey - San Jose CA, US
Xueyu Qian - San Jose CA, US
Michael Barnes - San Ramon CA, US
Jon Clinton - Irvine CA, US
You Wang - Cupertino CA, US
Nianci Han - San Jose CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

B31B 1/60
C23F 1/00
C23C 16/00

US Classification:

156345480, 11872300R, 156060000

Abstract:

A bonded multi-layer RF window may include an external layer of dielectric material having desired thermal properties, an internal layer of dielectric material exposed to plasma inside a reaction chamber, and an intermediate layer of bonding material between the external layer and the internal layer. Heat produced by the chemical reaction inside the chamber and by the transmission of RF energy through the window may be conducted from the internal layer to the external layer, which may be cooled during a semiconductor wafer manufacturing process. A bonded multi-layer RF window may include cooling conduits for circulating coolant to facilitate cooling of the internal layer; additionally or alternatively, gas distribution conduits and gas injection apertures may be included for delivering one or more process gases into a reaction chamber. A system including a plasma reaction chamber may employ the inventive bonded multi-layer RF window.

US Patent:

20110303148, Dec 15, 2011

Filed:

Jun 9, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/157077

Inventors:

Jun XIE - San Jose CA, US
Kevin P. Fairbairn - Los Gatos CA, US
Charles Liu - Los Altos CA, US
Patrick Leahey - San Jose CA, US
Robert L. Ruck - San Jose CA, US
Terry Bluck - Santa Clara CA, US

International Classification:

C23C 16/50

US Classification:

118719, 118723 R

Abstract:

An enclosure for generating a secondary environment within a processing chamber for coating a substrate. An enclosure wall forms a secondary environment encompassing the coating source, plasma, and the substrate, and separating them from interior of the processing chamber. The enclosure wall includes a plurality of pumping channels for diverting gaseous flow away from the substrate. The channels have an intake of larger diameter from the exhaust opening and are oriented at an angle with the intake opening pointing away from the deposition source. A movable seal enables transport of the substrate in open position and processing the substrate in closed position. The seal may be formed as a labyrinth seal to avoid particle generation from a standard contact seal.

US Patent:

6367410, Apr 9, 2002

Filed:

Oct 8, 1997

Appl. No.:

08/947174

Inventors:

Patrick Leahey - San Jose CA
Jerry C. Chen - Sunnyvale CA
Richard E. Remington - Fremont CA
Simon Yavelberg - Cupertino CA
Timothy Driscoll - Hamilton MT
Robert E. Ryan - Sunnyvale CA
Brian Hatcher - San Jose CA
Rolf Guenther - Monte Sereno CA
Xueyu Qian - Milpitas CA

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

C23C 16507

US Classification:

118723I, 118724, 118 58, 118715

Abstract:

A closed-loop, dome thermal control apparatus containing a high-volume fan, a heat exchange chamber, and an enclosure that encloses the fan and the heat exchange chamber. The fan blows air over a dome of a semiconductor wafer processing system and through the heat exchange chamber to uniformly control the temperature of a dome of a plasma chamber to prevent particle contamination of the wafer. The enclosure recirculates the temperature controlled air to the fan to form a closed-loop apparatus.