Wolfgang R Aderhold

6803546, Oct 12, 2004

Jul 6, 2000

09/611349

Ryan C Boas - Santa Clara CA
Ajit Balakrishna - Sunnyvale CA
Benjamin Bierman - Fremont CA
Brian L Haas - San Jose CA
Dean Jennings - San Ramon CA
Wolfgang Aderhold - Cupertino CA
Sundar Ramamurthy - Fremont CA
Abhilash Mayur - Sunnyvale CA

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

F27B 514

219390, 219405, 219411, 392416, 392418, 118724, 118725, 118 501

A thermal processing method is described in which a temperature response of a substrate may be controlled during a heat-up phase or a cool-down phase, or during both phases. This reduces the thermal budget of the substrate and improves the quality and performance of devices formed on the substrate. In particular, by controlling the rate of heat transfer between the substrate and a thermal reservoir (e. g. , a water-cooled reflector plate assembly), the temperature response of the substrate may be controlled during the thermal process. The rate of heat transfer may be changed by changing the thermal conductivity between the substrate and the thermal reservoir, by changing the emissivity of a surface of the thermal reservoir, or by changing the distance between the substrate and the thermal reservoir.

7195934, Mar 27, 2007

Jul 11, 2005

11/178973

Wolfgang R. Aderhold - Cupertino CA, US
Ali Zojaji - Santa Clara CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/66
G01R 31/26

438 14, 438481, 438752, 438753, 324500

A method of calculating a process parameter for a deposition of an epitaxial layer on a substrate. The method includes the steps of measuring an effect of the process parameter on a thickness of the epitaxial layer to determine a gain curve for the process parameter, and calculating, using the gain curve, a value for the process parameter to achieve a target thickness of the epitaxial layer. The value is calculated to minimize deviations from the target thickness in the layer. Also, a substrate processing system comprising that includes a processor to calculate a value for the process parameter to achieve a substantially uniform epitaxial layer of a target thickness on the substrate, where the value is calculated using a gain curve derived from measurements of layer uniformity as a function of the value of the process parameter.

7398693, Jul 15, 2008

Mar 30, 2006

11/393423

Joseph Michael Ranish - San Jose CA, US
Tarpan Dixit - San Francisco CA, US
Dean Jennings - Beverly MA, US
Balasubramanian Ramachandran - Santa Clara CA, US
Aaron Hunter - Santa Cruz CA, US
Wolfgang Aderhold - Cupertino CA, US
Bruce Adams - Portland CA, US
Wen Teh Chang - Sunnyvale CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G01L 9/06

73727, 734321

The present invention generally relates to methods for the rapid thermal processing (RTP) of a substrate. Embodiments of the invention include controlling a thermal process using either a real-time adaptive control algorithm or by using a control algorithm that is selected from a suite of fixed control algorithms designed for a variety of substrate types. Selection of the control algorithm is based on optical properties of the substrate measured during the thermal process. In one embodiment, a combination of control algorithms are used, wherein the majority of lamp groupings are controlled with a fixed control algorithm and a substantially smaller number of lamp zones are controlled by an adaptive control algorithm.

7414224, Aug 19, 2008

Dec 14, 2006

11/610759

Wolfgang Aderhold - Cupertino CA, US
Sundar Ramamurthy - Fremont CA, US
Aaron Hunter - Santa Cruz CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

F27B 5/14
A21B 2/00

219390, 392416

Apparatus and methods of thermally treating a wafer or other substrate, such as rapid thermal processing (RTP) apparatus and methods are disclosed. An array of radiant lamps directs radiation to the back side of a wafer to heat the wafer. In one or more embodiments, the front side of the wafer on which the patterned integrated circuits are being formed faces a radiant reflector. In one or more embodiments, the wafer is thermally monitored for temperature and reflectivity from the side of the reflector.

7667162, Feb 23, 2010

Apr 11, 2005

11/103968

Wolfgang R. Aderhold - Cupertino CA, US
Balasubramanian Ramachandran - Santa Clara CA, US
Leonid M. Tertitski - San Jose CA, US
Patrick F. Stone - Fremont CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H05B 1/02
C30B 25/16
F27B 5/14

219494, 219390, 2194441, 392418, 118725

During fabrication, a rotating semiconductor substrate is radiated in accordance with a thermal recipe. Temperature measurements of the semiconductor substrate are obtained along with the position of the semiconductor substrate at the time of each temperature measurement. It is then determined for the position of the semiconductor substrate whether at least one particular temperature measurement of the temperature measurements should be filtered. If so, at least one filtered temperature measurement is obtained. The radiation of the semiconductor substrate is subsequently controlled based on the temperature measurements, the at least one filtered temperature measurement, and the thermal recipe.

7778533, Aug 17, 2010

Sep 12, 2002

10/243383

Wolfgang R. Aderhold - Cupertino CA, US
Balasubramanian Ramachandran - Santa Clara CA, US
Leonid M. Tertitski - San Jose CA, US
Patrick F. Stone - Fremont CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

F26B 3/30
F27B 5/14

392418, 392416, 219390, 219405, 219411, 118724, 118725, 118 501

During fabrication, a rotating semiconductor substrate is radiated in accordance with a thermal recipe. Temperature measurements of the semiconductor substrate are obtained along with the position of the semiconductor substrate at the time of each temperature measurement. It is then determined for the position of the semiconductor substrate whether at least one particular temperature measurement of the temperature measurements should be filtered. If so, at least one filtered temperature measurement is obtained. The radiation of the semiconductor substrate is subsequently controlled based on the temperature measurements, the at least one filtered temperature measurement, and the thermal recipe.

8104951, Jan 31, 2012

Jul 30, 2007

11/830845

Wolfgang Aderhold - Cupertino CA, US
Andreas G. Hegedus - Burlingame CA, US
Nir Merry - Mountain View CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

G01K 3/06
G01N 25/00
G01J 5/00
H01L 21/02

374 5, 374129, 374137, 374 30, 374124, 118666, 438 54, 438795

Methods and apparatus for measuring substrate uniformity is provided. The invention includes placing a substrate in a thermal processing chamber, rotating the substrate while the substrate is heated, measuring a temperature of the substrate at a plurality of radial locations as the substrate rotates, correlating each temperature measurement with a location on the substrate, and generating a temperature contour map for the substrate based on the correlated temperature measurements. Numerous other aspects are provided.

8109669, Feb 7, 2012

Nov 19, 2008

12/273842

Wolfgang Aderhold - Cupertino CA, US
Jallepally Ravi - Santa Clara CA, US
Balasubramanian Ramachandran - Santa Clara CA, US
Aaron M. Hunter - Santa Cruz CA, US
Ilias Iliopoulos - Foster City CA, US

Applied Materials, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

H01L 21/66
H01L 21/324

374124, 374 1, 374137, 702130, 219494

Methods and systems for determining a radial differential metrology profile of a substrate heated in a process chamber is provided. Methods and systems for determining an angular or azimuthal differential metrology profile of a rotating substrate in a processing chamber are also provided. The radial and azimuthal differential metrology profiles are applied to adjust a reference metrology profile to provide a Virtual metrology of the process chamber. The virtual metrology is applied to control the performance of the process chamber.