Yihwan Kim

7132338, Nov 7, 2006

May 14, 2004

10/845984

Arkadii V. Samoilov - Sunnyvale CA, US
Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US
Errol Sanchez - Dublin CA, US
Nicholas C. Dalida - Fremont CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/336

438300, 438607

In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a silicon-based device on a substrate surface is provided which includes depositing a first silicon-containing layer by exposing the substrate surface to a first process gas comprising ClSiH, a germanium source, a first etchant and a carrier gas and depositing a second silicon-containing layer by exposing the first silicon-containing layer to a second process gas comprising SiHand a second etchant. In another embodiment, a method for depositing a silicon-containing material on a substrate surface is provided which includes depositing a first silicon-containing layer on the substrate surface with a first germanium concentration of about 15 at % or more. The method further provides depositing on the first silicon-containing layer a second silicon-containing layer wherein a second germanium concentration of about 15 at % or less, exposing the substrate surface to air to form a native oxide layer, removing the native oxide layer to expose the second silicon-containing layer, and depositing a third silicon-containing layer on the second silicon-containing layer. In another embodiment, a method for depositing a silicon-containing material on a substrate surface is provided which includes depositing epitaxially a first silicon-containing layer on the substrate surface with a first lattice strain, and depositing epitaxially on the first silicon-containing layer a second silicon-containing layer with a second lattice strain greater than the first lattice strain.

7166528, Jan 23, 2007

Oct 10, 2003

10/683937

Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US
Arkadii V. Samoilov - Sunnyvale CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/44
H01L 21/336

438607, 438503, 438481, 438300

The invention generally teaches a method for depositing a silicon film or silicon germanium film on a substrate comprising placing the substrate within a process chamber and heating the substrate surface to a temperature in the range from about 600 C. to about 900 C. while maintaining a pressure in the range from about 0. 1 Torr to about 200 Torr. A deposition gas is provided to the process chamber and includes SiH, an optional germanium source gas, an etchant, a carrier gas and optionally at least one dopant gas. The silicon film or the silicon germanium film is selectively and epitaxially grown on the substrate. One embodiment teaches a method for depositing a silicon-containing film with an inert gas as the carrier gas. Methods may include the fabrication of electronic devices utilizing selective silicon germanium epitaxial films.

7312128, Dec 25, 2007

Dec 1, 2004

11/001774

Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US
Arkadii V. Samoilov - Sunnyvale CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/336

438300, 438969, 257E2143, 257E21461, 257E2109

In one example, a method of epitaxially forming a silicon-containing material on a substrate surface is presented which includes positioning a substrate into a process chamber. The substrate has a monocrystalline surface and at least a second surface, such as an amorphous surface and/or a polycrystalline surface. The substrate is exposed to a deposition gas to deposit an epitaxial layer on the monocrystalline surface and a polycrystalline layer on the second surface. The deposition gas preferably contains a silicon source and at least a second elemental source, such as a germanium source, a carbon source and/or combinations thereof. Thereafter, the method further provides exposing the substrate to an etchant gas to etch the polycrystalline layer and the epitaxial layer in a manner such that the polycrystalline layer is etched at a faster rate than the epitaxial layer. The method may further include a deposition cycle that includes repeating the exposure of the substrate to the deposition and etchant gases to form a silicon-containing material with a predetermined thickness.

7439142, Oct 21, 2008

Oct 9, 2006

11/539775

Arkadii V. Samoilov - Sunnyvale CA, US
Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US
Errol Sanchez - Dublin CA, US
Nicholas C. Dalida - Fremont CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/336

438300, 438607, 438503, 438494

In one embodiment, a method for forming a silicon-based material on a substrate having dielectric materials and source/drain regions thereon within a process chamber is provided which includes exposing the substrate to a first process gas comprising silane, methylsilane, a first etchant, and hydrogen gas to deposit a first silicon-containing layer thereon. The first silicon-containing layer may be selectively deposited on the source/drain regions of the substrate while the first silicon-containing layer may be etched away on the surface of the dielectric materials of the substrate. Subsequently, the process further provides exposing the substrate to a second process gas comprising dichlorosilane and a second etchant to deposit a second silicon-containing layer selectively over the surface of the first silicon-containing layer on the substrate.

7494545, Feb 24, 2009

Feb 3, 2006

11/346804

Andrew Lam - San Francisco CA, US
Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US
Satheesh Kuppurao - San Jose CA, US
Xinliang Lu - Sunnyvale CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

C30B 25/12

117 84, 117 89, 257 1, 438638

An epitaxial deposition process including a dry etch process, followed by an epitaxial deposition process is disclosed. The dry etch process involves placing a substrate to be cleaned into a processing chamber to remove surface oxides. A gas mixture is introduced into a plasma cavity, and the gas mixture is energized to form a plasma of reactive gas in the plasma cavity. The reactive gas enters into the processing chamber and reacts with the substrate, forming a thin film. The substrate is heated to vaporize the thin film and expose an epitaxy surface. The epitaxy surface is substantially free of oxides. Epitaxial deposition is then used to form an epitaxial layer on the epitaxy surface.

7517775, Apr 14, 2009

May 30, 2006

11/420906

Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US
Arkadii V. Samoilov - Sunnyvale CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/20

438503, 438478, 117 84

The invention generally teaches a method for depositing a silicon film or silicon germanium film on a substrate comprising placing the substrate within a process chamber and heating the substrate surface to a temperature in the range from about 600 C. to about 900 C. while maintaining a pressure in the range from about 0. 1 Torr to about 200 Torr. A deposition gas is provided to the process chamber and includes SiH, an optional germanium source gas, an etchant, a carrier gas and optionally at least one dopant gas. The silicon film or the silicon germanium film is selectively and epitaxially grown on the substrate. One embodiment teaches a method for depositing a silicon-containing film with an inert gas as the carrier gas. Methods may include the fabrication of electronic devices utilizing selective silicon germanium epitaxial films.

7521365, Apr 21, 2009

May 31, 2006

11/421156

Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US
Arkadii V. Samoilov - Sunnyvale CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/302

438694, 438482, 438714, 438734, 438933

In one example, a method of epitaxially forming a silicon-containing material on a substrate surface is presented which includes positioning a substrate into a process chamber. The substrate has a monocrystalline surface and at least a second surface, such as an amorphous surface and/or a polycrystalline surface. The substrate is exposed to a deposition gas to deposit an epitaxial layer on the monocrystalline surface and a polycrystalline layer on the second surface. The deposition gas preferably contains a silicon source and at least a second elemental source, such as a germanium source, a carbon source and/or combinations thereof. Thereafter, the method further provides exposing the substrate to an etchant gas to etch the polycrystalline layer and the epitaxial layer in a manner such that the polycrystalline layer is etched at a faster rate than the epitaxial layer. The method may further include a deposition cycle that includes repeating the exposure of the substrate to the deposition and etchant gases to form a silicon-containing material with a predetermined thickness.

7560352, Jul 14, 2009

Mar 17, 2006

11/378101

David K. Carlson - San Jose CA, US
Satheesh Kuppurao - San Jose CA, US
Errol Antonio C. Sanchez - Tracy CA, US
Howard Beckford - San Jose CA, US
Yihwan Kim - Milpitas CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/336

438300, 438149, 438488, 438489, 438762, 438765, 438969, 257E2143, 257E21461, 257E2109

A method for epitaxially forming a silicon-containing material on a substrate surface utilizes a halogen containing gas as both an etching gas as well as a carrier gas through adjustments of the process chamber temperature and pressure. It is beneficial to utilize HCl as the halogen containing gas because converting HCl from a carrier gas to an etching gas can easily be performed by adjusting the chamber pressure.