Maocheng Li

6380095, Apr 30, 2002

Nov 16, 2000

09/716074

Wei Liu - Sunnyvale CA
Yiqiong Wang - Morgan Hill CA
Maocheng Li - Fremont CA
Anisul Khan - Sunnyvale CA
Dragan Podlesnik - Palo Alto CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21302

438719, 438700, 438701, 438710, 438711

The present invention pertains to an etch chemistry and method useful for the etching of silicon surfaces. The method is particularly useful in the deep trench etching of silicon where profile control is important. In the case of deep trench etching, at least a portion of the substrate toward the bottom of the trench is etched using a combination of reactive gases including a fluorine-containing compound which does not contain silicon (FC); a silicon-containing compound (SC) which does not contain fluorine; and oxygen (O ).

6447636, Sep 10, 2002

Feb 16, 2000

09/505578

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

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H05H 100

15634548, 118723 I, 31511151

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.

6827869, Dec 7, 2004

Jul 11, 2002

10/194167

Dragan Podlesnik - Palo Alto CA, 94304
Thorsten Lill - Sunnyvale CA, 94087
Jeff Chinn - Foster City CA, 94404
Anisul Khan - Sunnyvale CA, 94087
Maocheng Li - Fremont CA, 94539
Yiqiong Wang - Morgan Hill CA, 95037

H01L 21302

216 17, 216 2, 216 18, 216 46, 438700, 438710, 438733

The present disclosure pertains to our discovery of a particularly efficient method for etching a multi-part cavity in a substrate. The method provides for first etching a shaped opening, depositing a protective layer over at least a portion of the inner surface of the shaped opening, and then etching a shaped cavity directly beneath and in continuous communication with the shaped opening. The protective layer protects the etch profile of the shaped opening during etching of the shaped cavity, so that the shaped opening and the shaped cavity can be etched to have different shapes, if desired. In particular embodiments of the method of the invention, lateral etch barrier layers and/or implanted etch stops are also used to direct the etching process. The method of the invention can be applied to any application where it is necessary or desirable to provide a shaped opening and an underlying shaped cavity having varying shapes. The method is also useful whenever it is necessary to maintain tight control over the dimensions of the shaped opening.

20010045354, Nov 29, 2001

Jun 15, 2001

09/882141

Yiqiong Wang - Morgan Hill CA, US
Maocheng Li - Fremont CA, US

C23C014/00

204/192370

High aspect ratio openings can be etched in silicon having straight walls and rounded bottoms using as an etch gas a mixture including SF, HBr and Oin a plasma chamber wherein the chamber is connected to an RF power source and the substrate is mounted on a support connected to a bias power source.

20020100557, Aug 1, 2002

Jan 29, 2001

09/774192

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

Applied Materials, Inc.

C23F001/00
C23C016/00

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

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).

20060188742, Aug 24, 2006

Jan 18, 2005

11/037587

Brian West - San Jose CA, US
Maocheng Li - Fremont CA, US
Hong Wang - Cupertino CA, US

B44C 1/22
B60J 10/00
C25F 3/00
B21C 37/00
B21H 8/00

428573000, 216011000

A substrate processing chamber component capable of being exposed to an energized gas in a process chamber has a component structure, and a surface on the structure with first and second spiral grooves, which can oppose one another. Process residues adhere to the surface during processing of a substrate in an energized gas to reduce contamination of the substrate.

20070079936, Apr 12, 2007

Jun 2, 2006

11/445559

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

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

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

156345480, 11872300R, 156060000

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.

61272787, Oct 3, 2000

Dec 5, 1997

8/985771

Yiqiong Wang - Morgan Hill CA
Maocheng Li - Fremont CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 2100

438719

A multistep etch process for forming high aspect ratio trenches in silicon having a silicon oxide and/or silicon nitride hardmask. In a first step, an etch composition of HBr and oxygen is used, depositing a passivation layer on the sidewalls and producing slightly tapered openings. In the second step, an etch composition of a fluorine-containing gas such as SF. sub. 6, HBr and oxygen is used, producing more vertical openings at a high etch rate. The taper of the openings during the second step can be controlled by adjusting the relative amount of HBr or SF. sub. 6 employed. This process is a clean process that does not require cleaning of the etch chamber between etch steps.