Kartik Santhanam

US Patent:

7723219, May 25, 2010

Filed:

Feb 22, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/072118

Inventors:

Kartik Santhanam - Fremont CA, US
Peter I. Porshnev - San Jose CA, US
Majeed A. Foad - Sunnyvale CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H01L 21/425

US Classification:

438515, 438513, 257E21316, 257E21143

Abstract:

In plasma immersion ion implantation of a polysilicon gate, a hydride of the dopant is employed as a process gas to avoid etching the polysilicon gate, and sufficient argon gas is added to reduce added particle count to below 50 and to reduce plasma impedance fluctuations to 5% or less.

US Patent:

7968401, Jun 28, 2011

Filed:

Aug 28, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/550142

Inventors:

Martin A. Hilkene - Gilroy CA, US
Kartik Santhanam - Fremont CA, US
Yen B. Ta - Cupertino CA, US
Peter I. Porshnev - San Jose CA, US
Majeed A. Foad - Sunnyvale CA, US

International Classification:

H01L 21/3065
H01L 21/336
H01L 21/425
H01L 21/8238

US Classification:

438230, 438231, 438306, 438527, 438529, 438725, 257E21256, 257E21337

Abstract:

A method of plasma immersion ion implantation of a workpiece having a photoresist mask on its top surface prevents photoresist failure from carbonization of the photoresist. The method includes performing successive ion implantation sub-steps, each of the ion implantation sub-steps having a time duration over which only a fractional top portion of the photoresist layer is damaged by ion implantation. After each one of the successive ion implantation sub-steps, the fractional top portion of the photoresist is removed while leaving the remaining portion of the photoresist layer in place by performing an ashing sub-step. The number of the successive ion implantation sub-steps is sufficient to reach a predetermined ion implantation dose in the workpiece.

US Patent:

7989329, Aug 2, 2011

Filed:

Dec 21, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/963034

Inventors:

Kartik Ramaswamy - San Jose CA, US
Kenneth S. Collins - San Jose CA, US
Biagio Gallo - Palo Alto CA, US
Hiroji Hanawa - Sunnyvale CA, US
Majeed A. Foad - Sunnyvale CA, US
Martin A. Hilkene - Gilroy CA, US
Kartik Santhanam - Fremont CA, US
Matthew D. Scotney-Castle - Morgan Hill CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H01L 21/38

US Classification:

438559, 438542, 438557, 438564, 438568, 257375, 257486, 257751, 257E21056, 257E21135

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for removing excess dopant from a doped substrate is provided. In one embodiment, a substrate is doped by surfaced deposition of dopant followed by formation of a capping layer and thermal diffusion drive-in. A reactive etchant mixture is provided to the process chamber, with optional plasma, to etch away the capping layer and form volatile compounds by reacting with excess dopant. In another embodiment, a substrate is doped by energetic implantation of dopant. A reactive gas mixture is provided to the process chamber, with optional plasma, to remove excess dopant adsorbed on the surface and high-concentration dopant near the surface by reacting with the dopant to form volatile compounds. The reactive gas mixture may be provided during thermal treatment, or it may be provided before or after at temperatures different from the thermal treatment temperature. The volatile compounds are removed.

US Patent:

8003500, Aug 23, 2011

Filed:

Jul 15, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/503697

Inventors:

Manoj Vellaikal - Sunnyvale CA, US
Kartik Santhanam - Fremont CA, US
Yen B. Ta - Cupertino CA, US
Martin A. Hilkene - Gilroy CA, US
Matthew D. Scotney-Castle - Morgan Hill CA, US
Canfeng Lai - Fremont CA, US
Peter I. Porshnev - San Jose CA, US
Majeed A. Foad - Sunnyvale CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H01L 21/42

US Classification:

438513, 438473, 438514, 438528

Abstract:

In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer.

US Patent:

8501605, Aug 6, 2013

Filed:

Jul 22, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/188824

Inventors:

Kartik Santhanam - Milpitas CA, US
Martin A. Hilkene - Gilroy CA, US
Manoj Vellaikal - Sunnyvale CA, US
Mark R. Lee - Park City UT, US
Matthew D. Scotney-Castle - Morgan Hill CA, US
Peter I. Porshnev - Poway CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H01L 21/22
H01L 21/38

US Classification:

438559, 438795, 257E2125

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of doping a substrate may include forming a dopant region on a substrate by implanting one or more dopant elements into the dopant region of the substrate using a plasma doping process; forming a cap layer atop the dopant region; annealing the dopant region after forming the cap layer; and removing the cap layer after annealing the dopant region.

US Patent:

20080153271, Jun 26, 2008

Filed:

Dec 18, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/958541

Inventors:

Majeed A. Foad - Sunnyvale CA, US
Manoj Vellaikal - Sunnyvale CA, US
Kartik Santhanam - Fremont CA, US

International Classification:

H01L 21/425

US Classification:

438513, 257E21473

Abstract:

A method of preventing toxic gas formation after an implantation process is disclosed. Certain dopants, when implanted into films disposed on a substrate, may react when exposed to moisture to form a toxic gas and/or a flammable gas. By in-situ exposing the doped film to an oxygen containing compound, dopant that is shallowly implanted into the layer stack reacts to form a dopant oxide, thereby reducing potential toxic gas and/or flammable gas formation. Alternatively, a capping layer may be formed in-situ over the implanted film to reduce the potential generation of toxic gas and/or flammable gas.

US Patent:

20090215251, Aug 27, 2009

Filed:

Feb 25, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/072495

Inventors:

Manoj Vellaikal - Sunnyvale CA, US
Kartik Santhanam - Fremont CA, US
Yen B. Ta - Cupertino CA, US
Martin A. Hilkene - Gilroy CA, US
Matthew D. Scotney-Castle - Morgan Hill CA, US
Canfeng Lai - Fremont CA, US
Peter I. Porshnev - San Jose CA, US
Majeed A. Foad - Sunnyvale CA, US

Assignee:

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

H01L 21/62
G21K 5/10

US Classification:

438513, 25049221, 257E2152

Abstract:

In a plasma immersion ion implantation process, the thickness of a pre-implant chamber seasoning layer is increased (to permit implantation of a succession of wafers without replacing the seasoning layer) without loss of wafer clamping electrostatic force due to increased seasoning layer thickness. This is accomplished by first plasma-discharging residual electrostatic charge from the thick seasoning layer. The number of wafers which can be processed using the same seasoning layer is further increased by fractionally supplementing the seasoning layer after each wafer is processed, which may be followed by a brief plasma discharging of the supplemented seasoning before processing the next wafer.

US Patent:

20100173484, Jul 8, 2010

Filed:

Mar 23, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/730068

Inventors:

Majeed A. Foad - Sunnyvale CA, US
Manoj Vellaikal - Sunnyvale CA, US
Kartik Santhanam - Fremont CA, US

International Classification:

H01L 21/263

US Classification:

438513, 257E21331

Abstract:

A method of preventing toxic gas formation after an implantation process is disclosed. Certain dopants, when implanted into films disposed on a substrate, may react when exposed to moisture to form a toxic gas and/or a flammable gas. By in-situ exposing the doped film to an oxygen containing compound, dopant that is shallowly implanted into the layer stack reacts to form a dopant oxide, thereby reducing potential toxic gas and/or flammable gas formation. Alternatively, a capping layer may be formed in-situ over the implanted film to reduce the potential generation of toxic gas and/or flammable gas.