18442234. METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PRECLEANING AND TREATING WAFER SURFACES simplified abstract (Applied Materials, Inc.)

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PRECLEANING AND TREATING WAFER SURFACES

Organization Name

Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Xiangjin Xie of Fremont CA (US)

Carmen Leal Cervantes of Mountain View CA (US)

Feng Chen of San Jose CA (US)

Lu Chen of Cupertino CA (US)

Wenjing Xu of San Jose CA (US)

Aravind Kamath of San Jose CA (US)

Cheng-Hsiung Matthew Tsai of Cupertino CA (US)

Tae Hong Ha of San Jose CA (US)

Alexander Jansen of San Jose CA (US)

Xianmin Tang of San Jose CA (US)

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PRECLEANING AND TREATING WAFER SURFACES - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18442234 titled 'METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PRECLEANING AND TREATING WAFER SURFACES

Simplified Explanation: The patent application describes methods and apparatus for processing a substrate, including cleaning, self-assembly monolayer (SAM) formation, and reverse selective atomic layer deposition.

• Key Features and Innovation:

   * Process chamber with a substrate support for cleaning and SAM formation.
   * Remote plasma source for producing radicals to remove residue from the substrate surface.
   * Gas delivery system for providing chemicals to produce SAM on the substrate.
   * Heating system in the pedestal for substrate heating.
   * Vacuum system for controlling substrate heating.

• Potential Applications:

   * Semiconductor manufacturing.
   * Thin film deposition.
   * Surface modification in nanotechnology.

• Problems Solved:

   * Efficient substrate cleaning.
   * Controlled SAM formation.
   * Precise atomic layer deposition.

• Benefits:

   * Improved substrate processing.
   * Enhanced film quality.
   * Increased manufacturing efficiency.

• Commercial Applications:

   * "Methods and Apparatus for Substrate Processing in Semiconductor Manufacturing"

• Prior Art:

   Prior art related to this technology may include patents or research papers on substrate cleaning, SAM formation, and atomic layer deposition techniques.

• Frequently Updated Research:

   Ongoing research in the field of substrate processing, surface modification, and thin film deposition may provide further insights into the development of this technology.

Questions about Methods and Apparatus for Substrate Processing:

1. What are the key components of the apparatus described in the patent application?

   - The key components include a process chamber, substrate support, remote plasma source, gas delivery system, heating system, and vacuum system.

2. How does the heating system in the pedestal contribute to the substrate processing?

   - The heating system in the pedestal is used to heat the substrate by flowing gas on its backside, ensuring controlled temperature during the processing steps.

Original Abstract Submitted

Methods and apparatus for processing a substrate include cleaning and self-assembly monolayer (SAM) formation for subsequent reverse selective atomic layer deposition. An apparatus may include a process chamber with a processing volume and a substrate support including a pedestal, a remote plasma source fluidly coupled to the process chamber and configured to produce radicals or ionized gas mixture with radicals that flow into the processing volume to remove residue or oxides from a surface of the substrate, a first gas delivery system with a first ampoule configured to provide at least one first chemical into the processing volume to produce a SAM on the surface of the substrate, a heating system located in the pedestal and configured to heat a substrate by flowing gas on a backside of the substrate, and a vacuum system fluidly coupled to the process chamber and configured to control heating of the substrate.